I'M HUNGRY!!!

vegan spinach dip

2010-08-09T21:32:00.004-04:00

this is so simple, i cant believe i haven't tried it before. next time i'm going to do it with raw spinach and it will be even better!

1-2 cloves garlic
10 oz frozen spinach
3 T mayo (use vegan if you want it to be)
1 avocado chopped up
1/4 c nutritional yeast
salt and pepper to taste

blend the garlic in the food processor first then add the rest of the stuff. serve with corn chips, veggies, or crackers

some talk about kombucha

2010-08-09T18:56:00.002-04:00

after a couple years of experimenting i think i'm finally getting the hang of flavoring kombucha. you want to know the secret?? i've read hundreds of posts on making kombucha, looked through every website know to the fermenting world and i never got this recommendation, yet it sat in front of me the whole time. two words, FRESH and PUREE. it's right there on the back of my gt's bottles!

i've been doing lots of experimenting lately with flavors. i got a new scoby from a friend and i have to say it works a hell of a lot better than my homegrown one so i don't know if i can recommend growing your own anymore unless you absolutely cant get anything else. in fact, i will even send you one, just email me, k? anyway, flavors. . .now that i have a faster producing mother. . . i bought all kind of bottled juice and they never seemed to come out right. i made an awesome one with fresh pressed apple juice and ginger last year but i don't have my juicer anymore so i thought . . . how about puree, in fact the strawberry and mango gt"s lists puree on their labels, hmmm . . .
here's some combo's i've tried
-leftover breakfast smoothie: banana, mango, strawberry, with fresh oj. that one rocked.
-grapes blended to a juicy puree
-strawberry/plum puree with a bit of raw honey (and yes it came out just fine with the honey)
-a blend of fresh squeezed oj and lemon juice with grated ginger

all these will be chunky unless you strain them or have one of those super blenders. i suggest you strain them after fermentation because lots of flavor comes out of the pulp while it sits around.

so go experiment! happy fermenting!

buckwheat pancakes (aka the best whole grain gf pancakes!)

2010-08-09T18:30:00.001-04:00

i found this recipe somewhere online, jotted it down and now i cant find it to link here but while looking for it i found this: soaked buckwheat pancakes. i cant wait to try them soaked but i have to get some more buckwheat first.

i KNOW these are good because danny likes them and he is pretty picky. he says they taste just like regular pancakes. i used fresh flour ground in my coffee mill and half almond milk half water with a tablespoon of vinegar for the liquid.

1 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 t baking soda
2/3 t baking powder
dash of salt
mix together, set aside

1 cup liquid, see my comment above (the original recipe called for 1 1/4 so add more if it seems dry)
1 T oil
1 egg separated
separate the yolk and white. add the yolk to the rest of the wet and hn stir into the dry, set aside. beat the white till stiff and then gently fold into the rest. do it gentle or you"ll loose your fluffiness.
cook like regular pancakes, i'll assume you know how to do that ;)

My thai peanut sauce

2010-03-15T23:07:00.004-04:00

I *really* love thai peanut noodles! I especially love making it at home because I can put way more sauce on than they'd ever give you in a restaurant ;)

We usually put this over gluten free noodles with lightly steamed broccoli, kim chi, raw red peppers, and chicken. We also use it as a dip for spring rolls. And when there's leftovers the kids dip veggies in it.

I'd say its about medium spiciness. But we like spicy so, adjust if you don't like it hot. Also if your not fond of coconut milk you could leave that out and thin with water of chicken broth. I don't think the taste of it is overwhelming though.

In a food processor:
First chop 3 cloves garlic
Then add the rest and process well
3/4 c natural peanut butter
Juice of one lime
1/4 c full fat coconut milk
2 1/2 T tamari (if you can do wheat use nama shoyu because you won't be heating the sauce)
1 T hot sesame oil
1 T hot sauce (franks is our fave)
1 T raw apple cider vinegar
1 T raw honey
A big handful of cilantro, probably 1/4 of a bunch that you'd get at the store

Chop 4 green onions to sprinkle on top

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My secret granola recipe

2010-02-28T00:17:00.002-05:00

I guess its not really secret but it's just kinda different than most granola recipes. I tried forever to make a granola that clumped together without using crap-loads of sugar. They just never seemed to come out like the store bought kind, until I tried this... Nut butter. The nut butter (I usually use peanut) mixed with honey and oil makes a nice sticky goo that clumps the granola perfectly :)

You can use different kinds of nut butters but let me tell you, the peanut butter is good! My husband isn't fond of PB and he loves this granola. There's almost a cup in here but it really doesn't overwhelm the taste at all. This is going to make a gallon. Because its kind of a pain to make it, not hard but time consuming so I like to get it over with. It doesn't last very long anyway. Try mixing up the flavors too, just keep the ratios the same.

Banana Pecan Granola

In a very big bowl:
12 c toasted oats ( toast on a cookie sheet for 10 minutes at 200)
2 c ground crispy (soaked and them dehydrated) pecans (I grind them in my food processor bc my kids don't like big chunks of nuts. You could just chop them if you like.
1 c chopped banana chips (sweetened)
1 c unsweetened coconut flakes

Melt in a saucepan on low:
1 c coconut oil
1 c honey
3/4 c peanut butter
1/2 t salt

Mix the wet into the dry, you might have to dig in and mix it with your hands to get it all spread out.

Toast on a cookie sheet in batches at 200 for 15 to 20 minutes. It will seem moist still when you take it out but it will get crunchy when cooled. It will be golden brown when it's done.

Ps... We buy pre-made almond milk right now but I used to make it and when I did I would use the leftover meal in my granola. You could substitute any nut meal for the pecans here.
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tamale heaven

2010-02-27T03:05:00.003-05:00

ok just a warning, ive only ever eaten the tamales i made and one other time a friend made basically the same recipe. so i dont *really* know what they are supposed to taste like. they might not be traditional but i know these ones are DAMN good!

something to note also is that masa is a prepared corn flour, it has been treated with lime which produces the same result as soaking flours...better digestibility

soak your corn husks in water for 15 minutes. i used about 20 but it depends how you fill them

3 cups masa
3/4 tablespoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
mix together

3/4 cups shortening, i did two scoops refined coconut oil and a scoop palm oil
mix that in pretty good so theres no more big chunks of oil.

1 jar of salsa regular size
1 can of beans , i used black once and refried pinto once they were both good
1 pound of cooked ground beef
mix that in and add water or broth until it soft but still thick. kinda like playdough but maybe a little softer.

get out your husks and use the ones that are too small to wrap to be your ties. peel them into strips. put about 3 spoonfuls in and shape it so it will fit and roll easier. (sorry this part is hard to describe, if you dont get it there is a you tube vid :) ) fold the small end of the husk over the masa mixture and roll from one side. it should form a roll that is closed on one side and open on the other. tie it with a piece of husk.

for me the hardest part was to get them to all stand up while steaming. you cant let water get in the top. i put some pot tops in the pan to take up some space and hold the tamales up. steam them for a half hour to 45 minutes. they will start to poke up out of the top and be very firm when they arre done.

we put salsa or hot sauce on them or just ate them plain. i read some where that they freeze well too. and my kids loved making them and eating them!

creamy green winter soup

2009-01-29T10:26:00.005-05:00

this soup is SO good! its thick and creamy even without any dairy added and the herbs give it a rich warm wintry taste. its pretty frugal and super nourishing. i was going to add this recipe to a carnival about soups over at the nourishing gourmet, i forgot as usual, but i figured i'd put it here anyway. i dont have many main dish recipes that can be written down easily since im always just throwing stuff in so i might as well take advantage.

remember as always, these measurments are estimated
1 3-4 pound roasting chicken or other chicken parts suitable for making stock
chopped chicken
2 quarts of stock
1/2 stick of butter
1 onion, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed
4 small potatoes, cubed
2 cups green cabbage, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
1/4 teaspoon ground rosemary, 6-7 sprigs in a mortar and pestal
1 teaspoon pepper
3 teaspoons salt
yogurt for garnish

start with a roasting chicken, it could be left over if theres still enough meat left for the soup to have some chopped up in it. or it could be raw, you could use chicken breasts and pre-made chicken broth, but doing it yourself will be cheaper and WAY healthier. pre-made broth has no gelatin which just might be the most important part!

anyway, i like to simmer my stock for at least 10 hours to get all the good stuff out, but a couple will do the job if you dont have time. when its done strain it out and let the chicken cool so you can chop it up.

in a new pot melt a half stick of butter and saute 1 chopped onion and 1/2 c chopped celery until soft.

add stock, bring to a boil, add potatoes and let them boil 8-10 minutes then add cabbage and frozen spinach, chicken, and garlic. after its back to boiling again turn it down to a simmer.

add herbs, keep in mind these are roughly estimated so taste it and make sure it tastes good! i like to taste the thyme and salt and pepper the most and have the others blend into the background.

after its being simmering 10-15 minutes and the flavors have all come out blend it in a food processor, blender, or with an immersion blender until creamy and then throw it back into the pan.

we love to serve this soup with a dollop of yogurt or sour cream in the middle. the slight sourness makes it perfect.

hazelnut truffles

2009-01-11T00:03:00.005-05:00

i got this basic recipe from the food network website. its from the barefoot contessa show. it seems so fancy but it so easy! anyway, its pretty basic with lots of room for making up your own flavors. i made this recipe and then i made some with a couple tablespoons of orange juice concentrate and macadamia nuts. they were yummy. so many possibilities!

1 cup hazelnuts

3.5 oz bittersweet chocolate

3.5 oz semisweet chocolate

1/2 cup cream

1 1/2 tablespoon hazlenut liquor (i used coffee liquor because that was all i had)

1 tablespoon prepared coffee

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

preheat oven top 325 degrees. chop nuts and roast 10 minutes, more if they have skins. put aside chop chocolate and pit in the top of a double broiler or a bowl on top of a pot of water on the stove. heat cream and chocolate together until the chocolate melts and mixes with the cream. whisk in liquor, coffee, and vanilla. cover and chill 45 minutes - an hour or until pliable but firm enough to scoop. scoop 2 teaspoons at a time to make dollops on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or waxed paper. refrigerate 15 minutes or long enough to firm up enough to roll into balls. let set in the fridge overnight. ( i rolled mine in a mixture of cacao and sugar. coconut, cacao nibs, or powdered sugar would be good too)

citrus cheesecake

2009-01-10T23:38:00.004-05:00

this recipe was taken from the back of a "florida crystals" sugar bag. its not exactly traditional food, or very healthy, you can make it the best it can be by using all organic ingredients, substituting sucanat or maybe even honey if your up for experimenting. its still cheesecake, but
let me warn you - it might be the best cheesecake you've ever had, not to mention the fact that its so gorgeous baked in the tangelo skins. im not a big fan of deserts without chocolate in them but i'd take this over chocolate cheesecake on most days (probably anyway).

10 tangelos, cut off tops, hollow out, and reserve segments, keep the tops for zest. be So careful doing this, if they rip the cheesecake will leak out the sides!)

cheesecake:
3- 8oz packs cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup florida crystals organic cane sugar (i used less than this, about 3/4 cup)
3 eggs
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons half and half (i used whole cream)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon tangelo zest
1/2 cup chopped tangelo segments (im just now realizing that i missed this part of the recipe but i can imagine it would be totally awesome!)

topping:
1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts
1 tablespoon florida crystals demerara cane sugar

blend cream cheese and sugar until smooth. add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. stir in half and half, vanilla, and zests until smooth. gently fold in segments. place the hollowed out skins into a baking dish. fill each with cheesecake batter. (mine totally overflowed, so i suggest not filing them all the way.)blend the macadamia nuts and sugar and sprinkle over top of each cheesecake. bake at 320 degrees for 15 minutes. cover loosely with foil and then bake 20-25 minutes more or until a toothpick comes out clean. remove and cool to room temp. cover and refrigerate until cold. garnish with remaining segments before serving.

wow, thats the first real recipe ive written here ;)

sugar free vitamin c lemonade

2008-12-06T15:46:00.004-05:00

so, we're on this super hardcore candida diet . . . which is a whole 'nother story that i dont have time to tell right now. but anyway, we cant have any kind of sugar, the only friut we can have is lemon juice. and the only sweetener is stevia, an herb that is WAY sweeter than sugar but if you use too much it has a bitter aftertaste.

one of the supplements we're supposed to take is high doses of vitamin c, its fine for me because i can swallow pills. but for a long time i was clueless about how to get the kids to take it. finally i got some powdered absorbic acid but then i realized that its SUPER sour. i couldnt just mix it in with anything without it tasting nasty! i finally thought to mix it in with lemonade. vitamin c is great to take during winter to boost your immune system and less sugar is always a plus so i thought i share this recipe. be warned though, its probably the most sour lemonade youve ever had. we all enjoy sour things so we like it :)

this recipe is not very exact, feel free to put less lemon juice or absorbic acid if you need too. you could always add a natural sweetener like maple syrup if you dont have problems with sugar too.
in a 1 quart jar:
3 heaping spoonfuls absorbic acid
pinch of stevia (probably about 1/4 of a 1/4 teaspoon)
the juice of one lemon
fill the rest of the quart sized jar with water and mix till the powders dissolve

enjoy!

dont fill those cavities!

2008-10-14T02:21:00.004-04:00

did you know that if you dont have your cavities filled they will heal themselves with the proper care and nutrition? your dentist wont tell you- they want to fill them! unfortunately i didnt find out until just after i got a few cavities filled, but still im So glad i found this information to prevent more from forming and to care for my kids teeth as well.

a few months ago i noticed a cavity forming on my 3 year old daughters tooth. it looked like a tiny hole that was light brown in the center. this was when we had just started all the remineralization protocol. now, after not long at all the brown part is gone and the hole is much smaller. also my son used to grind his teeth at night when he was younger and he really did some damage. they are actually starting to grow their old length back! this is even amazing to me (and im into lots of weird stuff) so i can imagine folks thinking it cant be true. but really there are lots of people out there that have had major sucess healing their teeth this way.

the biggest thing for me was realizing this: toothpaste is bad for your teeth!
well, we already used natural toothpaste to dodge all the crap in conventional stuff but the ingredient you really want to avoid is in most natural toothpastes too. glycerin! glycerin bonds to your teeth and actually keeps them from remineralizing themselves (something that they do naturally). it takes a month after you stop using glycerin toothpaste for it to be totally off your teeth. there are a few toothpastes out there that dont contain glycerin but your best bet is to use Tooth Soap, or we just use a tiny drop of dr bronners soap because its way cheaper than tooth soap. and then once a week or so we brush with a little baking soda. the thought of soap in you mouth might disgust you but its actually not that bad. it tastes kind of sweet to me now and it will make your teeth feel cleaner than ever before!

the rest is all nutrition based. of course you want to avoid sugar especially refined sugar. try to stick to honey and maple syrup, or rapadura if you must use sugar. and avoid other refined carbohydrates like white flour also.

lots of probiotics: raw fermented milk like yogurt or kefir, raw fermented veggies

bone broths: like stocks except you want to focus more on the bones than veggies to start and you have to simmer it for much longer than most people do stocks for. i do mine on and off for two days.

supplements: trace minerals, cod liver oil, and vitamin k ( from butter oil if you can), and calcium. the best way to take calcium is from powdered eggshells. its easily absorbed and it has lots of other good stuff for you too. rinse out your good quality eggshells after you use them, let them dry, and grind in a coffee grinder. a half teaspoon is about 400 mg of calcium, and you always want to take magnesium with calcium so take 600 mg of magnesium also.

im so glad i found out about this and im so exited to pass it on!

fermented salsa

2008-09-21T19:34:00.004-04:00

got alot of tomatoes to use up? heres the perfect recipe with lots of good probiotics for you too!

start with my recipe for fresh salsa.

it will probably make a little more than a quart

in each quart of salsa add 4 tablespoons of whey

and 1/2 tablespoon of salt (nourishing traditions says 1 tablespoon, but its too salty for me)

shake it up with the top on tight and put in a dark place for 3 days (less if its really hot).

you'll know it fermenting when you start to see bubbles at the top.

it can then be kept in the fridge for months at least.

these tomatilloes were from our garden and the rest was from our local organic farm - which is almost done for the season :(

the kids helped me peel the tomatillas!

pel'meni

2008-09-19T02:27:00.003-04:00

i know, theyre not exactly gorgeous and evenly shaped but they tasted damn good! pel'meni are russian sourdough egg noodles stuffed with a filling. i used sauteed leeks, ground beef and potato to fill mine, and then we put melted butter and sour cream on them. this was my first time making noodles with a soaked flour dough and they came out pretty good. they werent as stable as i would like. i definitely didnt boil them as long as the recipe says. after a few minutes they were falling apart. they were so worth the experiment though, i'll keep tweaking it and tell you what happens the next time! heres the recipe

fresh salsa

2008-09-16T00:27:00.006-04:00

my dad made this one up and ive changed it a tiny bit. you can also lacto-ferment it with a little whey at room temp for a few days. its so good right away though, especially in the summer when everything is perfectly ripe and fresh. this recipe is very loose and i generally use whatever ratio of tomatoes to tomatillos i have or sometimes just one of the two. so - make sure you do a taste test to see if its right.

2-3 large heirloom tomatoes or 5-6 romas

6 medium tomatillas, more if they're small

one medium onion

jalapeno to taste, i always use at least one but we like it hot!

1 head garlic

juice of one lemon/lime

you could chop it all by hand but i usually use a food processor. start with the garlic, process and scrape into another bowl. then do the same with the pepper, then onion, then tomatillos, then tomatoes. mix it all up and add juice. chill for an hour for the flavors to meld.

marinated green beans

2008-09-15T23:54:00.003-04:00

this is one of my moms famous recipes. its always a hit at potlucks. the recipe is pretty loose! i guess it runs in the family!

1 lb green beans cleaned and chopped into about one inch pieces
1/2 red onion roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic crushed
enough olive oil and apple cider vinegar to come halfway up the beans in a shallow wide container salt and pepper to taste

mix it all together (taste it and make sure you have the oil to vinegar ratio right) and mix every once in a while to let all the beans get soaked. its really better made a day ahead.

candied nuts

2008-09-15T20:59:00.004-04:00

yummy!!!

1 cup crispy nuts
1/4 cup honey
butter
salt

heat a frying pan a little above medium heat. (i put mine on 5 and i always use a cast iron pan) let it heat up while and then add a couple tablespoon of butter. once its melted and bubbly add the nuts and mix them in the butter to coat and lightly toast them. once the nuts are all hot add the honey - be careful it will bubble up and get really crazy. hot sugar seems to be one of the hottest of hot things! its sticks to you and really burns. let it bubble and do its thing while constantly stirring so its doesnt burn or stick. add about a half teaspoon of salt. it has to be bubbling tho so turn it up if its not. this is what will make the honey end up hard and candy-like in the end. keep it going for about 5 minutes. then turn off the heat and let it cool right in the pan. at this point you could add other ingredients that you didnt want to cook like shredded coconut or dried fruit. once its cooled it will become hard/chewy.

butter pecan ice cream

2008-09-15T20:47:00.005-04:00

this came out SO good!!!

i've been saving up a bunch of recipes to post here. i made this a while ago and it was awesome! i finally got a hold of a consistent amount of raw cream so i did a lot of experimenting (and tasting!) with ice cream. i found that raw cacao for chocolate ice cream just doesnt cut it for me . . . i tried mixing it in all different ways and it just wont get that super dark chocolateness that regular cocoa gets. it comes out ok, but is light in color and not as flavorful no matter how much i put in.

i also found that even though raw egg yolks are good for you it really improves the texture of the ice cream to cook them into a custard with a little part of the milk/cream. keep the heat pretty low though. and dont add the rest of the milk/cream till it cools.

butter pecan ice cream:

2 1/2 cups cream

1 1/4 cups whole milk

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 tablespoon vanilla

2 cups chopped candied pecans

take a little bit of the milk/cream, about a half cup, and heat it up on medium low heat. mix the yolks up in a separate bowl. once the milk is hot, temper the eggs so they wont scramble. pour a little hot milk into the eggs and stir to warm them up and get them used to the high temp. after tempering you can whisk it all together on the stove and continue to cook till it thickens. 5 minutes should do it.

let the milk and egg mixture cool and then add the rest of the ingredients except the nuts. chill in the fridge overnight or for several hours. put in an ice cream machine or in the freezer and churn by hand every half hour for a few hours.

kombucha! - starting from scratch

2008-08-04T01:26:00.008-04:00

" The culture floats atop an infusion of tea and sugar, and through the natural process of fermentation converts the sugar into organic acids and carbon dioxide. At the same time it produces a variety of other compounds that are detoxifying and nutritious to the human body, including gluconic, lactic, and folic acids. The resultant mixture is high in B-vitamins as well as an assortment of pro-biotics (beneficial bacteria including lactobacillus acidophilus and s.Boulardii). " (from the katalyst kombucha site)

ok, here it is, how i grew my own scoby (stands for symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast)

i've read some stuff saying that it cant be done and that if it is the scoby isnt healthy, doesnt make good tea etc. i've also read things from people who did it fine themselves, so i decided to try! mine looks pretty darn healthy so far! the first batch i harvested too early by accident. i didnt realize how sweet it was until it was too late. as an after thought i might have put too much sugar in bc it was really tart but really sweet at the same time. also the scoby was not full grown and probably couldnt do its best work. also lots of people sterilize their jars and equitment and stuff but i never do, if you want to you can wash it out with very hot water before you start.

heres what i did:
1 gallon glass jar

2 bottles of raw kombucha (i used GT's) at room temperature

1 cup sugar (the first time i used rapadura but it was very strong tasting. im using whitish organic refined sugar now but its not ready yet.)

5-6 tea bags -green/ black or both
boil water and add to tea bags and sugar. steep and let cool overnight.
its best not to use any metal in the process. some people say not even to boil the water in metal but i do and its been fine. definitely put it in a glass jar or bowl though. and cover it GOOD, like with two layers of cloth with a tight elastic around the top to make sure nothing gets in but fresh air. keep it somewhere dark like acloset or cabinet but open it everyonce in a while so fresh air gets in.

it started out as bubbly scummy lookin stuff on the top. then it grows into a film that covers the top layer of the tea.

the layers keep building up and getting thicker. mine have all been thicker on one side than the other.

top view: one side is thicker. the white part is the thickest part.

getting thicker

my tea seems to take at least 3-4 weeks but i like to make sure theres really no sugar left. it also depends on the temperature of you house. i usually check on mine every couple of days to poke the scoby down a little into the tea if its floating on the top. this will keep away any bad bacteria that might be on the top. nothing can really live down in the tea though. if you think it might be ready you can taste a spoonful.

once its ready you do a second ferment with a top on the jar so no air gets in. this will make the kombucha bubbly and you can add flavor too.

divide into smaller airtight jars and add a tablespoon of something sweet like juice or pureed fruit (make sure it is very smooth). you could put in sugar too if you dont want it flavored, maybe less than a tablespoon then.

ferment for a few days to a week then put it in fridge!

oh yeah, if you've grown your own scoby you might or might not have a baby after your first ferment. mine didnt, so i just took it and put it in new tea. after that you should have a new baby every ferment.

heres the scoby once its was done with its job . . . waiting for the next batch

when your ready to start a new batch you can have you tea/sugar mix ready and cooled. it must be at room temp so it doesnt kill the culture but is warm enough to ferment. for a gallon you will need the same tea/sugar ratio as i used to start the scoby but this this time you can use less finished kombucha. 2 cups should be fine, make sure you keep some from you previous batch before bottling.

thats it!

update: my last batch came out awsome! i put a couple small apples and about a 6 tablespoon sized chunck of ginger into my juicer and used that for the flavor. it was SO good. waiting for my next batch i bought ginger flavored brew from the store and it was nothin compare to mine!!!

whats cookin'?

2008-07-25T05:33:00.004-04:00

yes, i HAVE been cookin! i just havent had alot of time to write about it and im finding that its SO hard for me to write down a recipe! i mean from when i just make stuff up. i was gonna post a recipe for my thai peanut soup so i started writing down measurements but halfway through i forgot! not much you can do with half a recipe!

i finally got my hands on some good cream so i made some real ice cream! yum, it came out good! ive been making kefir, coconut kefir, yogurt and tons of other stuff. i killed my sourdough starter :( and havent started another yet. i want to do some more research first.

my biggest exiting thing is that i grew my own kombucha momma. im so beyond exited about this for a few reasons. i love kombucha of course but also its fun to have a live thing to take care of and watch it grow. also i hadnt heard the best things about growing your own. id been waiting for one from a friend here and was getting tired of waiting so i figured what the hell. im SO glad i tried it. soon im going to post the details of how i did it and some pictures of how it grew.

heres a yummy pictures of waffles i made last week with fruit sauce and whipped cream. (i use the nt recipe)

fruity frozen yogurt

2008-06-23T01:18:00.004-04:00

-
another super easy recipe! we had some frozen yogurt tubes at a friends house and my kids loved it. it reminded me to make some popsicles. they came out so good with lots of fruit and way less sugar than store bought versions. i have made them with yogurt but today i used kefir and it tasted the same. ive done cherry strawberry and cherry rasberry. its probably best to use one sweet fruit with one thats not as sweet. the cherries are very sweet so the went well with the tangy strawberries and rasberries.

in a blender put about 2 cups plain yogurt or kefir and 1 cup fruit (i used frozen fruit)
pour into popsicle molds! thats it

today i made to much so i put some in a container for ice creamish frozen yogurt. i dont have any room in the freezer for the ice cream maker so i just mixed it every once in a while and it came out nice and creamy!

sauteed beet greens and apples

2008-06-23T00:45:00.004-04:00

this is so simple and easy. the sweetness of the apples really tones down the intensity of the greens for those that dont like greens (my kids for instance). you could also use chard.

peel and core one apple. i used a gala.
saute in 2 Tbsp of butter
wash and chop the beet greens. i like to use the stems too.
when the apples start to get soft throw in the greens.
cook till wilted and soft.
salt to taste

raw chocolate strawberry pie

2008-06-22T01:27:00.008-04:00

i made up this recipe for a potluck. it came out ok. it tasted awsome, and looked good before i cut it, but it was really hard to cut. i dont know, maybe i should have let it defrost more before i cut it. i whipped the cream thinking it would make it fluffy instead of frozen solid. i think maybe i got too much milk with the cream when i skimmed it bc it didnt get fluffy like whipped cream should. any suggestions would be apreciated!

crust:

1 1/2 c coconut (flaked,no sugar added)

1 1/2 c crispy almonds (soaking nuts with salt neutralizes the phytic acid)

1/2 c ground raw cacao nibs (i used a coffee grinder)

2 Tbsp cold pressed coconut oil

2 Tbsp raw agave (wow, i went to find an article about agave and found out that theres a big debate about whether it can really be raw. i use madhava. you could use honey also)

pinch of salt

put the dry stuff in the food processor until it turns into a coarse meal. you dont want it to turn into butter. add the coconut oil and agave. process till it starts to stick together.

press into a pie plate and put in the freezer.

filling:

4 Tbsp coconut oil

1/2 c raw cacao powder

4 Tbsp raw agave

1 1/2 c raw cream whipped

2 c strawberries, cut up into slices plus some for garnish

melt the coconut oil on super low. just enough to melt it. mix in cacao and agave till theres no lumps. fold in whipped cream and strawberries. pour into crust and freeze till its hard enough to stay together but easy to cut!

sourdough bread

2008-06-17T15:14:00.007-04:00

starter

dough

the final product!

one of the cookbooks that has affected my cooking the most is called "nourishing traditions" by sally fallon. it focuses on traditional preparations of food to make them as digestible and healthy as possible. as our modern society has grown some traditional ways of cooking have been forgotten in exchange for faster, easier to prepare food. faster and easier does not always mean better though! sourdough bread is a great example of a traditional method of making bread that is not necessarily hard but does take some thought and can be time consuming. once you get in the rhythm of making these kinds of foods it becomes just another part of your day and it doesnt seem as hard. my kids love helping me cook, the final product is delicious and the health benefits are worth it for sure!

ive been trying lots of soaked grain bread recipes lately and the sourdough from nourishing traditions has been by far the best. it takes 7 days to make the starter but all you do is add flour and water to it once a day. after that its totally easy. i even kneaded it in my kitchen aid. i love kneading bread dough but it nice to have the option not to. the recipe is long so im not going to post it now but if anyone wants it i will.

from nourishing traditions:

"Grains require careful preparation because they contain a number of antinutrients that can cause serious health problems. Phytic acid, for example, is an organic acid in which phosphorus is bound. It is mostly found in the bran or outer hull of seeds. Untreated phytic acid can combine with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and especially zinc in the intestinal tract and block their absorption. This is why a diet high in improperly prepared whole grains may lead to serious mineral deficiencies and bone loss.

Other antinutrients in whole grains include enzyme inhibitors which can inhibit digestion and put stress on the pancreas; irritating tannins; complex sugars which the body cannot break down; and gluten and related hard-to-digest proteins which may cause allergies, digestive disorders and even mental illness.

Most of these antinutrients are part of the seed's system of preservation—they prevent sprouting until the conditions are right. Plants need moisture, warmth, time and slight acidity in order to sprout. Proper preparation of grains is a kind and gentle process that imitates the process that occurs in nature. It involves soaking for a period in warm, acidulated water in the preparation of porridge, or long, slow sour dough fermentation in the making of bread. Such processes neutralize phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors. Vitamin content increases, particularly B vitamins. Tannins, complex sugars, gluten and other difficult-to-digest substances are partially broken down into simpler components that are more readily available for absorption. "

click here for more about digesting and cooking grains.

all raw ice cream

2008-06-15T01:28:00.005-04:00

ive been wanting to try this for a long time. and it came out pretty good! here in new hampshire farmers can sell their milk to who ever they want even if its not pasturized. in many states this is not possible and you have to use loopholes to get raw milk. so we found a great family here with two beautiful gernsey cows who sell the milk that they cant use. we got our first batch last week and it was SO good. the cream is so yellow right now with all the spring growth and gurnseys also produce extra yellow cream.
i think that raw milk, raw eggs, cacao, and raw local honey are all such healthful foods - why not put them together! i havent found any raw cream yet and didnt want to skim my milk but if you have some substitute 1 1/2 c with the milk. it will make it much creamier and more like regular ice cream. the all whole milk version came out damn good though.

RAW CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM:

3 3/4 c whole raw milk
3 egg yolks
1/2 c cacao powder (chocolate that has not been roasted)
1/2 c - 3/4 c raw honey (i used 1/2 c and it was fine. if you tend to like things sweeter add more)
(1 tsp vanilla extract - optional. are vanilla beans roasted? i dont know. oh well its only a teaspoon!)

blend in the blender till the honey is all mixed in. i then put it into my ice cream maker for churning. if you dont have one you could just put it in the freezer and mix it up every once in a while. the more you mix the creamier it will be but you do want it to stay cold too.

my famous "spicy popcorn"

2008-06-14T03:12:00.001-04:00

thats what my kids call it. its not that "spicy"really. it is nutritional yeasty.
this is probably my most popular recipe. kind of sad i know - its just popcorn. but really, its the best popcorn ever!

first start with fresh, homemade pocorn. no microwaves please!
just cover the bottom of a heavy bottomed saucepan with popcorn and then add enough oil to get all the pocorn wet. the popcorn shouldnt be drowning in oil - just coated. i use extra virgin olive oil mostly. i love using coconut oil but my husband has a serious aversion to it. you might have to experiment with the temps of your stove and the kind of pan and the length you leave it on. i turn mine on high. once its halfway popped i turn it down a tiny bit. this seems to help it not burn. its done once the popping starts to slow down. take it off the burner and let it sit to finish popping and cool down.

i always make a big stockpot full of popcorn, i think its a 6 or maybe 8 quart pot. i split it into 2 bowls, one for danny with just salt and butter and one spicy popcorn:
melt 3 Tbs butter and 3 Tbs coconut oil and pour over popcorn
sprinkle about 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp granulated onion over the popcorn and mix gently
sprinkle about 4-5 Tbs nutritional yeast (crush it with your fingers as you sprinkle)
mix well
sometime i grind red pepper flakes into it to make it spicier

i hope your hungry!

2008-06-14T03:05:00.000-04:00

welcome!
ive been clogging up my family/unschooling blog with all my obssesive foodiness. so . . . this blog is dedicated to food. what ive been cooking, recipes, experiments, mistakes and sucess stories! one thing to know about me and my recipes is that i AM an experimenter. most of my recipes are not exact (i'll tell you if they are). i just throw in what i have so feel free to do the same. taste it, if it doesnt seem right add something else!
bon appetite!