Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

We have three boys in high school and none of them eat as nutrient dense diet as we would like. I’ve been trying to come up with some ideas for snacks they will take on the run so I decided to mix up a big batch of trail mix. I had bags of nuts and jars of soaked (and then dried) nuts in the cupboard so I mixed up a batch. It included (all organic, of course :):  Pecans, Walnuts, Hazelnuts, Almonds, Sunflower Seeds, Raisins, Dried Apricots, Mango and Cranberries. You can of course use what you like and have on hand.

Then I decided to use some of the trail mix to make a batch of fruit and nut bark.  It’s really easy.

Fruit and nut bark

Ingredients:

1 – 12 oz bag Organic Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1 to 1 ½ cups trail mix

1 sheet pan, covered with a layer of parchment paper

Directions:

Melt chocolate.  You get do this in a double boiler or in the microwave, either way takes only a few minutes.  If you melt it in the microwave use a glass bowl.  You can also use a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water but be very careful that you don’t get any water in your bowl, even a drop and the chocolate will be ruined.

Mix the trail mix into the melted chocolate and then pour the mixture onto the parchment paper covered pan. Using a spatula spread the chocolate/trail mix mixture out until it’s an even flat layer.

Put the pan into the refrigerator for a half hour or so until the bark is completely cooled.  Then break the bark into bite sized pieces and store the bark in a closed container in the refrigerator.  It was a big hit, and so easy to make.

Read more great, Fight Back Friday posts here: http://www.foodrenegade.com/fight-back-friday-april-23rd

Read more great, Pennywise Platter Thursday posts here: http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/04/pennywise-platter-thursday-422.html

Read more great, Real Food Wednesday posts here: http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/04/real-food-wednesday-42110.html

I grew up eating rye bread, although it was never as good as this recipe.  This is from Wild Fermentation by Sandor Katz – link below.  It’s an amazing book about everything fermented, from Sauerkraut and veggies to beer, wine, yogurt and more.  I made my sourdough starter from the recipe in the book and then I made this bread.  I’m making it for the third time this week – I’ve been making one batch a week –  and we are not tiring of it yet.  It’s a wonderful whole grain rye bread and I grind the rye berries the day I make the bread so it’s extra fresh.   It takes two days to make and there’s no kneading.

Ingredients, for 2 loaves:

2 large or 4 small organic onions

2 tablespoons organic olive oil

2 cups sourdough starter

3 cups pure water

1 tablespoon organic whole caraway seeds

8 cups rye flour

1 teaspoon celtic sea salt

Directions:

Chop onions and sauté in olive oil over medium low heat until nicely browned and carmelized, about 20 – 30 minutes.  Cool

Mix a sponge:  Combine the browned onions, sourdough starter, caraway seeds and 4 cups of rye flour in a large glass or ceramic bowl.  Stir well. Cover and leave to ferment in a warm place (I keep it on the kitchen counter), for 8 to 24 hours until it is good and bubbly.  You can stir occasionally but I always forget to stir and it turns out great.

After your 8-24 hour ferment add the salt and the other 4 cups of rye flour.  Add the rye flour a little at a time, until the dough becomes so thick that you cannot effectively stir it with a spoon.  Cover with a moist towel and leave to ferment and rise for 8-12 hours, until it’s bulk has increased noticeable.

Form into loaves:  Rye dough is sticky and nowhere as cohesive and self-contained as wheat dough.  Wetting your hands will make rye dough easier to handle and form. Form loaves with your wet hands and place them in lightly oiled pans; alternatively spoon dough into loaf pans, then smooth the top with your wet hands. Leave loaves for another hour or two, until they rise noticeably.

Preheat over to 350° and bake.  Check loaves after 1 ½ hours. It will probably take 2 hours or even longer, but check earlier. Test doneness by removing a loaf from it’s pan and tapping the bottom. When it’s done it will sound hollow. If it’s not done, return it to the oven quickly and continue baking.

Cool bread on racks.  Most yeasted breads we buy or make are best eaten fresh and dry out quickly. A major advantage of sourdough rye bread is that it retains its moisture and gets better with age, for several weeks (no kidding). The crust can become hard and dry, but slice through it with a sharp serrated knife to find soft, moist, delicious, sour bread. Dense breads like this are best in thin slices, with organic pastured butter.  Enjoy!

Read more great Fight Back Friday posts here: http://www.foodrenegade.com/fight-back-friday-april-16th/

Read more great Pennywise Platter Thursday posts here: http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/04/pennywise-platter-thursday-415.html

Read more great, Real Food Wednesday posts here: http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/04/real-food-wednesday-41410.html

Sandor’s book is wonderful and you can buy it at Amazon, link below.

Amish Bread pudding

This is a very easy, basic recipe.  I’ve used everything from organic challah raisin bread to whole wheat bread and they all come out wonderfully.  You can use berries, chopped apples or most any other fruit instead of the raisins. 

Ingredients:

2 cups whole organic milk (or 2 cups half & half) – preferably unpasturized

¼  cup organic butter

2/3   cup organic sugar, sucanat or rapudura

4 organic pastured eggs

2 teaspoons cinnamon

¼  teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

4 cups bread, torn into small pieces

½  cup organic raisins

Directions:

1. In medium saucepan, over medium heat, heat milk (or half & half) just until film forms over top. Combine butter and milk, stirring until butter is melted. Cool to lukewarm.

2. Combine sugar, eggs, cinnamon, nutmeg, and vanilla. Beat with a whisk for one minute.

3. Place bread in a lightly greased 1 1/2 quart casserole.

4. Sprinkle with raisins if desired. Pour batter on top of bread.

5. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 to 50 minutes or until set. Serve warm, room temperatures or cold. It’s good at all temperatures.

Read more great, Pennywise Platter Thursday posts here: http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/04/pennywise-platter-thursday-48.html

Read more great, Real Food Wednesday posts here:  http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/04/real-food-wednesday-4710.html

I’m always looking for a great roasted chicken recipe and I’ve tried many good ones over the years but they were always somewhat lacking. I tried one this week that’s a winner. This will be my standard roasted chicken recipe from now on.

It’s from The Foodie Handbook by Pim Techamuanvivit and she based her recipe on the one from Simply French by Patricia Wells. I tweaked it a bit as well and it was fantastic. Even the leftovers were amazingly good.

Ingredients:

One 3 ½ – 4 ½ pound Organic Pastured Chicken

3 tbs. organic butter

1 – 2 tablespoons Celtic sea salt & some cracked pepper

Optional ingredients:

1 organic onion

1 – 2 heads of garlic

One lemon

Leek tops

Sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 425°.

Rinse the chicken and dry it with paper towels. Take the butter – you can melt it if it’s too cold – and rub it all over the chicken.  Then sprinkle the salt and a bit of pepper and rub that in too. Make sure you get some salt inside the chicken as well.

The optional ingredients are used to stuff the bird. I used leek tops and some springs of fresh rosemary and thyme. They both really easy to grow, and great for cooking.  Then take some kitchen twine and tie the legs and wings close to the body. This will make it easier to flip the chicken while cooking.

I used a glass roasting pan with a small flat rack. You can use an angled one as well if you have it.  Put the chicken breast side down on the rack, in your pan and put it into the preheated oven for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes take your pan out and baste and flip the chicken to breast side up. Cook for another 30 minutes.  Then baste and flip breast side down for another 10-20 minutes depending on the size of your chicken (10 minutes for a 3 ½ pound chicken, 20 for 4 ½ ). Baste again and turn it breast side up for the last ten minutes. Total cooking time is 1 hour and 20 (or 30) minutes

You will know when your chicken is done by poking the top of your knife into the thick part of the thigh. When the juices run clear it’s done.  Cover loosely and let it rest for 10 minutes before carving. It was a perfect chicken. The skin was crispy, the breast meat moist and the rosemary and thyme added great flavor. Enjoy!

Read more, great Pennywise Platter Thursday posts here: http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/03/pennywise-platter-thursday-41.html

Read more great, Real Food Wednesday posts here: http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/03/real-food-wednesday-33110.html

I used to make a small garden when I was a child. I loved watching the little plants grow, tending them and having wonderful vegetables to eat when they were ripe – even though we shared a lot of the harvest with the local bunny population.

I started gardening again as an adult when my kids were little.  At first I’d buy a few starter plants, maybe tomatoes and cucumbers and put them in a small garden area.  The results varied but it was still a fun project for us to do together.

As the years have gone on, I’ve gotten more serious about my gardening and try to learn and grow something new each year.  My gardens have always been organic but I’ve learned more as I’ve got along about natural fertilizers, making compost and foliar feeding.  I’ve usually grown a few plants from seed; sometimes herbs or various other plants, but I decided a few years ago that I wanted to try growing everything I plant in my garden from seed. 

And you know, it’s really easy.  There’s a great company, Gardener’s Supply. They are employee owned and have a number of wonderful and very inexpensive seed starting kits.  I’ve tried a few over the years but the one I’m using this year – as I have limited space at the greenhouse window in my kitchen is this one: http://www.gardeners.com/Beginner-Seedstarting-Kit/SeedstartingKits_Cat,37-933,default,cp.html

You can buy the units separately but I do like to use their germinating mix as well.  And you can use the seed starter over again each year. I do start some plants right in the garden but I’m starting 8 different types of tomatoes, 3 types of peppers and 3 types of cucumbers in my kitchen this year.

As you can see from the picture, once the plants grow too big I transplant them into small nursery pots and then start another batch in the seed starter.  In a few weeks when they’ve grown a bit more I’ll give them some hours outside during the day and once they’re hardened off (used to being outside), I’ll plant them. I have two raised beds but I also use a lot of large pots and have found some things like peppers and tomatoes grow as well or even better in those.

As large corporations like Monsanto try to patent all the seeds they can, it makes it even more important that we grow and save our own seeds.  There are a number of places you can get wonderful organic and heirloom seeds from:

http://www.seedsofchange.com/  – Seeds of Change. They are owned by M&M Mars now but they carry only organic, GMO free seeds and have over 1200 varieties of vegetables, herbs and flowers.

http://www.groworganic.com/  – This is Peaceful Valley farm and garden supply and they have a wonderful selection of seeds, fruit tree and other supplies for your organic garden.

http://www.sustainableseedco.com/ I just found this one recently. They have a nice selection of heirloom seeds and are very reasonably priced as well.

If you want to learn to save your own seeds, I highly recommend Seed to Seed – the link to Amazon is below.

It’s easy to grow your own vegetables and it’s a great activity to share with your children. In my experience it gives them a greater appreciation for vegetables because there is nothing more delicious then food just picked from your own garden.  Happy Gardening!

Read more great, Pennywise Platter Thursday posts here:  http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/03/pennywise-platter-thursday-6.html

Read more great, Real Food Wednesday posts here: http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/03/real-food-wednesday-32410.html

If you happened to read this article the first week I wrote it, you’ll notice I took out my recommendation for Seedsavers Exchange.  This is why:

http://beginningfarmers.org/seed-savers-exchange-the-new-real-story-including-intrigue-deception-the-doomsday-vault-excerpt-of-a-letter-from-its-founder/

Here’s another custard recipe that I decided to try this past week. You don’t need to scald the milk just mix everything together and bake. It was just as good as last weeks Sweet Potato Custard and even easier to make.  Everyone loved this one!

SERVINGS: 6

4 large eggs

1/3 cup rapadura, honey, maple syrup or organic sugar

1/8 teaspoon celtic sea salt

2 1/4 cups raw whole milk

1/2 teaspoon organic vanilla extract

1/8  teaspoon freshly grated organic nutmeg

1/4  teaspoon organic cinnamon

MAKE AHEAD:

The custards can be refrigerated overnight.

1.Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large bowl, beat the eggs and honey. Add salt, spices and stir until dissolved. Stir in the milk & vanilla. Pour custard mixture into six 4-ounce custard cups.

2. Set the cups in a large roasting pan and place in the oven. Pour 1 inch of hot water into the roasting pan and bake the custards for about 30 minutes, or until just set. If your milk is cold is can take 35-40 minutes so just add 5 minutes or so if they’re not set yet.  Remove from the water bath when cool enough to handle. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.

Read more, great, Fight Back Friday posts here: http://www.foodrenegade.com/fight-back-friday-march-19th/

Read more, great, Pennywise Platter Thursday posts here:  http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/03/pennywise-platter-thursday-5.html

Read more, great, Real Food Wednesday posts here:  http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/03/real-food-wednesday-3172010.html

We had a left over sweet potato that the kids weren’t eating so I started looking for recipes and found this one. It was fantastic!  It’s very easy and a fancy enough dessert to serve to company. I think it would also work well with pumpkin (will try that next).  My husband has already requested that I make it again.

Ingredients:

    * 1 3/4 cups whole organic raw milk

    * 3 large pastured eggs

    * 1 cup pureed organic sweet potato

    * 1/3 cup rapadura or organic sugar

    * dash celtic sea salt

    * 1/2 teaspoon ground organic cinnamon

    * dash ground organic nutmeg

    * dash ground organic cloves

    * dash ground organic ginger

    * freshly ground organic nutmeg or organic cinnamon for topping

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350°. Butter 6 5- to 6-ounce custard cups; set cups in a large baking or roasting pan.

Heat the milk until very hot, set aside.

In a mixing bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Add sweet potato, sugar, salt, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, and dashes of nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. Whisk in milk and beat until well blended. Pour into the prepared custard cups.

Heat about 5 to 6 cups of water until nearly simmering.

Place the pan with cups in the hot oven then fill the outer pan with the very hot water until the water is about halfway up the side of the custard cups.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until edges are firm. The center of the custards will still jiggle a bit. Allow a little more time if you’re using larger custard cups, and check early if using very small or shallow cups.

Remove cups from water immediately and place on a wire rack to cool. Cover the cooled custard with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. The custards may be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Makes 4 to 6 servings, depending on the size of the cups.

Read more great, Fight Back Friday posts here: http://www.foodrenegade.com/fight-back-friday-march-12th/

Read more, great, Pennywise Thursday Platter posts here: http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/03/pennywise-platter-thursday-311.html

Read more, great, Real Food Wednesday posts here: http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/03/real-food-wednesday-3910.html

By Stanley A. Fishman, Author of Tender Grassfed Meat

Note from Mom: Stan has a great new website: http://www.tendergrassfedmeat.com/

I was once chronically ill, so sick that I received a “medical death sentence” in 1998. Today, I have no illnesses, no symptoms, and have not seen a doctor in five years. I was not healed by drugs, surgery or doctors. I was healed by real food.

Dr. Weston A. Price discovered the truth about nutrition in the 1930s, by travelling all over the world and studying traditional diets. He found that people who ate the diets of their ancestors, and no modern foods, were free of many illnesses that afflicted many people in Europe and America. People eating their traditional diet had no cancer, no heart disease, no diabetes, no tuberculosis, no birth defects, no tooth decay, no asthma, and no allergies. They were free of the chronic illnesses that were common in the so-called civilized world. They remained strong, vigorous, independent, and healthy well into old age, usually until just before they died.

When the same peoples added modern processed foods to their diet, they were afflicted with every one of the diseases mentioned above, and many others.

Dr. Price wrote a book, Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, which presented the results of his research. That book contains many photographs, showing the healthy teeth and faces of people on a traditional diet, and the horrible teeth and unhealthy faces of members of the very same group of people, when they ate modern foods.

I based the diet that healed me on the teachings of Dr. Price, and the information made available by the Weston A. Price Foundation. I decided that the key was to get food that was as close to its untampered form as I possibly could, given the limitations of our modern world, and to eat the same kinds of foods eaten by traditional peoples. 

How I Changed My Diet

Sugar and Sweeteners

I stopped eating most sweeteners. The only ones I use are organic, unfiltered, unheated honey, organic 100% pure maple syrup, and a little rapadura, an unprocessed sugar. I only use sweeteners in small amounts, and only when eaten at a meal that has plenty of fat. I have found that I do not miss sugar if I keep my fat intake high. I never use any kind of artificial sweetener.

Grains

I only eat organic grains that have been soaked overnight in soured water, as described in Sally Fallon’s excellent cookbook, Nourishing Traditions and made into a porridge type dish. I do this with organic oatmeal and organic kasha, and I always eat them with plenty of pastured butter. The only bread I eat is made from sprouted grain, or a sourdough-type bread.

Fruit and Vegetables

I only eat organic (or the equivalent) fruits and vegetables. I eat a wide variety, both cooked and raw. I do eat potatoes and other root vegetables, but make sure they are cooked in plenty of fat, or served with plenty of fat, or both.

Meat and Poultry

I only eat 100% grassfed and grass finished beef, bison, and lamb. I will often cook these meats rare, to get more of the nutrients. I eat a lot of meat. I eat the wonderful fat from these grassfed animals. I eat free range, organic poultry. I try to avoid poultry that has been fed soy, which is difficult. I do not eat much pork, since I have trouble finding pork that has not been fed soy. When I can find pork that has been fed naturally, I will happily eat it. I will also eat wild game when I have the opportunity, which is not often. I drink some homemade meat broth, made from the bones and meat of grassfed animals, every day.

Dairy

I only drink organic, full fat, non-homogenized milk, either raw, or from a dairy that uses minimum pasteurization. I eat plenty of full fat raw milk cheese, lots of full fat yoghurt, make my own kefir, and consume mountains of pastured butter. I also eat a lot of full fat cream, organic or the equivalent, both raw and minimally pasteurized. I usually eat these foods uncooked. I also use a lot of cream, cheese, and butter when cooking.

Fish and Seafood

I only eat wild seafood. I eat a fair amount of medium to smaller sized fish, as well as shrimp and prawns. I will also eat wild raw fish eggs, when I can get them. Every day, I have a cup of rich fish broth, made from the bones and trimmings of wild fish (including the heads when I can get them). I often use fish sauce, as a condiment and an ingredient. I never touch farmed fish of any kind.

Fats and Oils

The only vegetable oil of any kind that I will eat is organic (or the equivalent) extra virgin olive oil, unrefined coconut oil, and unrefined organic sesame oil. I eat plenty of fat from grassfed animals as well as unhydrogenated lard. I eat large amounts of pastured butter and organic ghee. I make sure to have plenty of animal fat with every meal. This kind of fat was prized by all the cultures studied by Dr. Price.

Drinks

I do not touch any kind of soft drink. I do drink homemade kombucha every day. (Thanks to you, Mom, for teaching me how to make it!) I also drink reverse osmosis water, often with some organic, raw, unfiltered, apple cider vinegar added. I also drink milk and kefir, as described under dairy above. I also drink green tea and peppermint tea. I will upon very rare occasions have a little wine, or traditional Irish whiskey.

Condiments

Most of the condiments I eat are lacto-fermented, such as sauerkraut. There are some good lacto-fermented condiments available. However, the best are the ones you make yourself. We make our own sauerkraut, ketchup, pickles, and other condiments. Nourishing Traditions is an excellent source of recipes for making your own condiments.

Packaged Processed Foods

I do not eat them. The only exception would be food that is packaged in glass jars, is organic (or the equivalent), and has very few ingredients, such as some organic hot sauces. I do not eat anything with soy in it, and I try to avoid meat from soy-fed animals. I do buy some grassfed sausages, especially organ sausages from a few excellent producers of grassfed meat.

Good Health Comes from Good Food

This diet has resulted in the extreme good health I enjoy today. What I have described is food, not medicine, and my own experience with it. I am not a doctor, and I am not giving you medical advice. Eating this way restored my health, and is absolutely delicious besides!

Read more great, Fight Back Friday posts here: http://www.foodrenegade.com/fight-back-friday-march-4th/

Read more great, Pennywise Platter Thursday Posts here: http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/03/pennywise-platter-thursday-34.html

Read more great, Real Food Wednesday Posts here:  http://www.cheeseslave.com/2010/03/03/real-food-wednesday-march-3-2010/

We love Stan’s cookbook and use it ALL the time. You can find it at Amazon, link below.

(Sheila and I at the Demonstration)

We had a wonderful gathering yesterday at the San Diego Convention Center. 

There was a Science Conference, and Monsanto was there talking about their ‘sustainable’ plans for the future of food.  (It’s unconscionable that they’re using the word ‘sustainable’ in their talks about the devastating destruction they are doing to our food and environment)

I first heard about the demonstration last Wednesday from my friend Sheila. (thank you Sheila!) She belongs to a San Diego Community Farm & Garden meet up group and it was Carly who first suggested getting people together to demonstrate.

Everyone was terrific about getting the word out. I think we had at least 100 people there with only a 3-4 day advance notice. The signs were fantastic and Tim spent over an hour leading us in some great chants as we marched in front of the convention center.

It’s been so long since I’ve demonstrated, that I wasn’t sure what to expect. Was the convention center going to tell us to leave?  Would the police come?  Well, the security at the center was wonderful. They only asked us not to block the crosswalks and other then that left us alone.  The people from the conference for the most part were great as well. Some ignored us and some took brochures and flyers and asked questions too.

My hope, with Moms For Safe Food has always been to educate. I think there are many people who still don’t even know that GMO’s exist and I do think we reached a great number of people yesterday.

The Institute of Responsible Technology sent me a box of Non-GMO shopping guides and other wonderful resources. http://www.responsibletechnology.org

Sean Croxton of Underground Wellness brought a backpack full of The Institues ‘GMO Health Risk Brochures’.  I gave away every last shopping guide and there were a number of us passing out the brochures.  Sean has a great video of the day here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpifGU8EoLA

It was such an empowering experience joining together with a group of people who are also committed to spreading the truth of what Monsanto is doing to our food supply and environment. It is my sincere hope that this is the first of many more demonstrations. Power to the People!

Read more great, Fight Back Friday posts here: http://www.foodrenegade.com/fight-back-friday-february-26th/

Read more great, Pennywise Platter Thursday posts here: http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/02/pennywise-platter-thursday-22510.html

Read more great, Read Food Wednesday Posts here: http://kellythekitchenkop.com/2010/02/real-food-wednesday-22410.html

In my search for recipes to use the wonderful eggs we get from our chickens, I came across a recipe I used to make years ago, Broccoli Quiche.  It’s still delicious and very easy to make. You can use a frozen pie crust or make your own.

INGREDIENTS:

2 tablespoons organic butter

1 organic onion, minced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 cups chopped fresh organic broccoli

1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

1 1/2 cups shredded raw milk cheese, whatever you like: Swiss, Cheddar, etc

4 pastured eggs, well beaten

1 1/2 cups raw, whole milk

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon organic butter, melted

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Over medium-low heat melt butter in a large saucepan. Add onions,

garlic and broccoli. Cook slowly, stirring occasionally until the

vegetables are soft. Spoon vegetables into crust and sprinkle with

cheese.

3. Combine eggs and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in melted

butter. Pour egg mixture over vegetables and cheese.

1. 4.Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutess, or until center has set. It can take up to an hour.

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 30Minutes

Servings: 6

Read more great Pennywise Platter Thursday posts here: http://www.thenourishinggourmet.com/2010/02/pennywise-platter-thursday-21810.html

Read more great Real Food Wednesday posts here:  http://www.cheeseslave.com/2010/02/17/real-food-wednesday-feb-17-2010/