Taste is Trump.

GAPS Sloppy Joes

2012-01-30T11:37:00.000-07:00

This is one of my oldest recipes I redid it when I started getting into using whole grains and now I am undoing it to make it grain free for GAPS. It is still not the same as my original recipe that had a seasoning mix with MSG, Worcestershire sauce with HFCS and far less veggies. It is amazing how things change. Life is like a great big experiment with infinite variables!

This recipe feeds my family of five for two meals and makes awesome left overs. It also freezes well and travels well. I serve it on toasted pancakes, usually open-faced. It is the perfect meal to serve those lacto-fermented pickles or sauerkraut with!

2 tablespoons butter

2 pounds ground meat
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
2 onions, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped

1 zucchini, shredded
3 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
3 cups tomato sauce
3 tablespoons tomato paste

1 tablespoon honey

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Melt the butter and spread the meat around the pan and begin to break it up. When the meat has browned, add onion and peppers to the skillet. Cook for five minutes and add zucchini. Reduce heat to medium low and cook vegetables. Add garlic, vinegar, tomato sauce, paste and honey to pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to simmer and cook mixture 5-10 minutes longer or until desired consistency.

GAPS Six Month Update

2012-01-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

As you know, I started this diet for my kids, one in particular. But it has turned out to really effect me and made big changes in my body that I want to shout from the rooftops! For the past ten years I have thought myself to be very healthy, energetic, strong immune system, fit, the works. The past couple years I have had some things pop up here and there that had me questioning. I had a handful of colds and flues and the symptoms were more severe than I was used to, regular headaches, non muscular back pain became an issue, I was often tired in the afternoon and took naps almost daily, I had this strange crawling feeling under my skin, I always seemed to be on the verge of a yeast infection and the cherry on top was passing a kidney stone last May (which explained my back pain). I talked to various professionals in health care about these issues and no one seemed to think they were anything to be concerned with. Seriously, three different doctors told me anyone can have a fluke kidney stone, it is after the second one that we begin looking into what is wrong. I didn't want to wait for another one, I want to prevent another one!

As I type this, I have my notes all laid out before me. One thing I have learned is that healing is slow, unperceived from day to day. It is easy to miss things, important things, though small in nature, they add up to paint a picture that shows underlying problems. This is in great contrast to our modern medicine that symptoms are improved in minutes, hours and days, but it is not true healing, of course. I have meticulously recorded our journey on the GAPS diet in a notebook and will periodically record summaries here since thumbing through nearly 100 pages of chicken scratch tends to be a pain in the butt. I don't feel I have a full picture to write up the kids yet. The first person perspective gives me a much better understanding of myself. Also, I have been doing the diet better than the kids in the way of more broth and fewer cheats.

In the beginning, things undoubtedly got worse across the board. Weeks of brain fog has helped me empathize with my eldest. Of coarse I had headaches and was tired. I was often hungry to no avail. Bad breath, dandruff and body odor that I hadn't had to deal with before. The yeast was raging and I had bags under my eyes that made me look ten years older. When you start something new and things get worse, your instinct is to stop. I had to grow deep in my understanding of what was going on within myself to clear this hurdle. It was about two months before I noticed my first big changes in a positive direction.

I have had issues with my blood sugar getting too low all my life, I would get dizzy and have even passed out a handful of times. Missing a meal was rough, I got grumpy and nauseous. I would always bring snacks everywhere and if I let myself get too hungry I would binge on candy and then feel yucky the rest of the day. I have been diagnosed with vasovagal syncope, but am guessing there were some hypoglycemic issues going on too. This last year, my back would ache terribly when I was fasting, even before the stone, I knew it was my kidneys. The first month of the diet, I was always hungry and ate constantly, but once my body transitioned, I had fewer of these symptoms and by two months in they were gone!

To me, this is a big change, not only because it had been a life long issue, but because I had no idea how liberating it was not to have to plan every outing around food. I can pretty much eat whenever, I still get hungry, but there is no immediate need. I am ache-free with my fasts (though this is more recent) I still get a little weak, but not dizzy. Without cravings and blood sugar drops, I now make my eating choices with a clear head instead of just grabbing the quickest and most tempting food-like substance. It sure makes dieting so much easier.

The second big change, that means a lot to me, is a clear complexion. I was plagued since adolescence with acne and as much as I tried to not care, I did. I was so aggravated by it and desperate to rid myself of the angry redness and sometimes painful deep sores. I tried tons of topical solutions, even a couple years of tetracycline, nothing made a lasting difference. I thought I was doomed, so it has been a dream to me to have consistently clear skin. I still have small blemishes pop up here and there, but they heal extremely fast, the scars and such from past break outs are healing too. Along with this, I had an age spot by my eye that I started concealing about five years ago. A few months ago, I brought my makeup brush to my eye out of habit and there was nothing there to conceal, it is gone!

I wear contacts and have yearly exams to check my prescription and order more contacts. My vision isn't terrible, but I have worn corrective lenses since sixth grade. A few times in the past 20 years, my eye doctor has added a little power to my prescription, but last month he took power off and noted there was a great improvement in my astigmatism!

I am fascinated by all of this. This diet takes courage and faith and when I am in the middle of what I can only guess is die off, instead of giving up I will press on. I never would have done GAPS on my own, it is thanks to my son and my maternal instincts to do the best by him I possibly can that I gain these benefits. There are so many toxic substances that contribute to deterioration of health that are uncontrollable, it can induce a real feeling of helplessness. It is easy to summit to the ways of the world when we feel trapped in the world. We can control the food we put in our mouths and through these food choices, realize the power we hold.

How We Were Lead to GAPS

2012-01-19T14:19:00.002-07:00

I started writing a summary of my healing thus far on GAPS, but this came out instead.

I had learned about GAPS at the end of 2010, I came across it on a few blogs that I kept up with. 2010 was the year I had a vegetarianish mindset. I worked on using less meat and replacing it with grains and vegetables. In hindsight, it was the year that I started getting sick more regularly and taking more naps, but this could truly be coincidental.

Our eldest son had always been a handful, but as he got older, his behavior became more disturbing. We started actively looking for help. I tried essential oils and acupuncture, we took specialized parenting classes, we talked to psychologists, he met with a therapist, was fitted for a compression vest. Finally, in January 2011, we found something that worked called amino acid therapy (5HTP, GABA, Tyrosine and Grapeseed Extract). It was incredible how well he responded, but after three months it simply lost effect. We tried upping the doses, cutting the does, stopping and starting back up. It just stopped working and I was scared, scared because our next step was medication. I tried to rationalize that even though I knew it wasn’t the best thing for my son, it was the best thing for the other four members of his family.

I looked all over for the GAPS book and finally ordered it late spring 2011. In the following months, between rages and meltdowns, I read a few pages. I knew I wanted to read more and I wanted to get our son on this diet, but my mind was muddled, I couldn't see how we could possibly make it work, it seemed out of reach.

In July, my two oldest children went to the Midwest with my sister and stayed with my parents for a week. The first day they left, I picked up the book and read nearly half of it. The next morning, my mind was going over parts of the book, I was digesting it when I got a feeling. It was a strange feeling, hard to explain exactly, if you have read The Book of Mormon, you know exactly what I am talking about. My heart began racing it was almost like panic, yet I was calm and clear headed. All of the muddled thoughts cleared and one thought remained, alone, on a clean canvas with nothing in the background. “Set a date.” I took out my calendar and began pursuing, knowing I needed uninterrupted time that my kids would be home all day, no commitments for weeks to start…Intro.

July 20, the day after the kids got home from their grandparents’ was our first day on “the diet.”

GAPS Pancake Pizza

2012-01-13T09:35:00.001-07:00

My son’s class won a pizza party for turning in the most box tops for the month. We don’t get a lot of box tops to turn in around here, but my mom mails them to the kids periodically so that they can feel like they are contributing with their classmates. There are a few GAPS friendly pizza recipes that I have been wanting to try. One uses a cauliflower and cheese base, I would substitute Gouda for mozzarella. The other one is almond flour based and looks awesome in the pictures. These, however, take planning and work. His lunch time is 10:55 and I had an 8:30 racquetball appointment, with drive time and a shower, I was short on cook time.

A regular GAPS pancake will work in a pinch, but I found them too sweet and much preferred a recipe with no honey and a bit of oregano. Also, overcooked pancakes work well, not burnt, but dry and tough. Leftover pancakes can be toasted to dry them out. This keeps them from getting too soggy with the sauce.

The Pancake Pizza’s were a hit. One kid at my son’s table asked him if he could come over for a play date and if his mom would make him those pancake pizzas. I think next time I will try to find a pizza box to bring them in. It is nice to see my kids happy to eat their special foods. The more I prepare and think ahead, the better the experience is. It doesn’t take much, but it does take extra thought.

1 dozen savory pancakes

1 cup pizza sauce sans sucanat

1 cup gouda cheese, shredded

Choose a pancake recipe that holds together well. Make it savory by omitting the sweetener and adding Italian herbs. Over cook pancakes or toast leftovers thoroughly. Lay each pancake side by side on a sheet pan. Spoon a tablespoon of sauce in the center of each pancake, spread to the edges and sprinkle with cheese. Broil for 3 minutes. I found that if I let the cheese brown , the pancakes would get too dark, so I just go with melted cheese. Serve as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the more soggy the pancake gets.

GAPS Sandwiches

2012-01-09T07:09:00.000-07:00

Sandwiches are not quite the same as they used to be, without the bread and all, but I improvise. Left over pancakes and waffles made from almond butter/flour or coconut flour are excellent replacements for us. Bacon, egg and cheese, tuna melts, BLT, egg salad, chicken salad, BBQ pork and sloppy joes, just a few tweaks and we can enjoy our old favorites.

I prefer to make a batch of bread specifically for sandwiches and leave out the sweetener. Actually, I minimize the sweetener in most of these recipes because sweet breakfasts' do not appeal to me lately.

Here are a few “bread” recipes I have had success with;

Pancake “Bread”

Pancakes (My favorite, hold up well and excellent flavor)

Waffles

Toasted Coconut Waffles (sub honey for agave and use half as much)

Squash Pancakes

Fluffy Coconut Flour Pancakes

GAPS Spaghetti

2012-01-02T05:16:00.001-07:00

We stayed strong through the holiday's with GAPS. I am quite proud. I made a few batches of legal macadamia nut brittle and cut out butter cookies for decorating and a gingerbread celebration. We always ate a good meal before we went somewhere that food was being served, which helped a lot with the temptations. I had a few bites of tempting treats here and there, but honestly, nothing was even worth a second bite. Even legal treats we kept to a minimum because I would notice having cravings and itchy skin when I ate them.

It is nice to have the parties over and get back to normal again. We have been on the diet for five months. I have heard that six months is the magic mark, so I have a goal to compile all the changes and record them here next month.

This spaghetti is a family favorite, the Italian version of Fideo. Another recipe I make a double batch of. I freeze half of the meat. All I have to do is bake another spaghetti squash and heat up the meat/vegetable mixture and dinner is ready. Love those kinds of ready meals. I save them for when groceries are low, for company (so that I can do more hosting and less cooking) and for trips. Last week is was so nice not to have to spend a full day in the kitchen to get ready for our ski trip. I just had to write out a packing list because all the food was already made up and ready in the freezer.

1 medium spaghetti squash

4 tablespoons butter

1 medium yellow onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1 pound ground meat

32 ounces crushed tomatoes

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

1 tablespoon salt

2 tablespoons tomato paste

3 cloves garlic

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Cut squash in half and spoon out seeds. Place halves, cut side down, on sheet pan and bake for 30 minutes. Do not over bake, noodles should be slightly crunchy. Melt butter in pan on medium high heat. Sautee onion and peppers until soft and beginning to brown. Add ground meat, break up as cooking. Once cooked through, add tomatoes, seasoning and salt. Simmer for 10 minutes until liquid reduces. Flake cooked squash with a fork and scrape out with a spoon and place in a large bowl. Add tomato paste and garlic to meat and tomato mixture. Mix in thoroughly. Combine squash and meat. Cook until heated through. Remove from heat and drizzle olive oil. Serve. We enjoy it with homemade sour cream.

Cooking Classes at Preparing Wisely

2011-12-31T14:06:00.001-07:00

The New Year brings new classes at a new location. Preparing Wisely is a lovely food storage shop in downtown Mesa, 144 S Mesa Drive Suite G. The owners are wonderful people who have done a great job setting up an accommodating store front with friendly service. They recently expanded and added a little kitchen area for demonstration classes. I am privileged to be on their schedule for next year! All classes are free. Listed below are the classes I am scheduled to teach. Hope to see you there :)

Tortillas Tuesday, January 10, 11:00 am

Intro to Grains Tuesday, January 24, 11:00 am

Grain Trio Tuesday, February 21, 11:00 am

Grain Trio Tuesday, March 6, 11:00 am

Grain Trio Tuesday, April 3, 11:00 am

Grain Trio Tuesday, April 17, 11:00 am

For a full list of classes offered at Preparing Wisely, visit their Event Schedule.

Starting Seeds

2011-12-29T14:47:00.000-07:00

It is time to get started if you live in the Valley of the Sun. This week would be perfect with the warm weather forecast, seeds are sure to sprout in a jiffy. In most areas of the country, if you want to start early, you have to invest in grow lights and have space to start them indoors. I love that I can sprout my own starts right outside. Because there is still a danger of frost for the next couple months, I started in seed trays that can easily be brought indoor on cold nights. You will also get much better germination in seed trays or pots because they heat up quicker.

I filled mine with a mixture of peat and compost before placing the seeds and sprinkling sand on top to hold them in place. The peat is a light weight growing medium that holds moisture well. The compost is for nutrients and the sand holds the seeds in place while letting the sprout push through easily. Now, as I keep the soil moist, I expect good success.

Right now you can plant any winter crops like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce, spinach, kale, carrot, onions, peas, ect. In my seed trays, I am starting my summer crop of tomatoes and peppers. These two take the longest to get going, but I should be in high production by April this year! Happy planting.

GAPS Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T13:27:00.001-07:00

Spice Brined Turkey

Gravy

Cranberry Relish

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

Grain Free Stuffing and Biscuits

Butternut Squash Casserole

Holiday Green Beans

Pumpkin Pie Soufflé

What are we missing?

GAPS Pumpkin Pie Soufflé

2011-11-21T13:06:00.001-07:00

I have wanted to post this recipe for a while now, but I couldn’t find it in my files. I had accidently saved it in my general recipe file instead of my GAPS recipe file, which is fitting since this pie pleases everyone alike, but then again, most of my recipes do : -)

On GAPS there are a lot of eat this at this time, 20 minutes before this and at least 2 hours after that and first thing in the morning or before bed... It takes major choreographing at first and can be difficult to orchestrate. One of these situations is that fruit is not supposed to be eaten with meals because it interferes with digestion. This makes desserts tricky because fruit makes an easy dessert without added sweeteners (honey or ground dates). I am so excited about this recipe because it fits the bill and is based on vegetables!

The idea came to me instantly after reading Kami’s post for Squash Bars on her blog Finding My Niche. I made these bars as given and they are awesome for snacks and even treats. I had to call them pumpkin bars because my kids think they don’t like squash. I added a few spices, sweetened it to my liking and poured it on a grain free crust for a pie. The egg whites make it nice and light. I have not tried this without whipping the whites, but would imagine that it would yield a denser pie like the traditional thanksgiving dessert.

I serve this with homemade yogurt cream for us and we love it. For guests and my husband, who has not lost his sweet tooth, I serve it with a good dollop of amply sweetened whipped cream and it gets rave reviews.

I have used both a pie pumpkin and butternut squash in this recipe and feel that the squash was slightly sweeter. Squash is always much easier to find. Either way, just cut them in half, remove the seeds and bake on a sheet pan, cut side down until completely soft. The spices are completely flexible, nutmeg and would be nice as well. Some people like a lot of spice to their pumpkin, so feel free to add more if that is the case.

This recipe is for a deep dish pie plate or two regular pie plates. You can pour leftover filling in any baking dish to have some extra treats on the side. This is also fantastic sprinkled with my GAPS Crumble halfway through the baking time.

8 eggs, divided
2 cups pureed butternut squash
4 tablespoons melted butter
¼ cup honey
¼ teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Separate egg yolks and whites. Place whites in mixing bowl and yolks with cooled pumpkin puree. Whip egg whites until light and fluffy. Combine egg yolks, squash puree, melted butter, honey and spices. Mix well. Fold in egg whites gently. Pour into a deep dish pie plate with optional crust. Bake for 55 minutes for deep dish 30 for regular. The middle should still jiggle slightly . Let cool, then slice and serve. Keeps five days in the fridge.
links; Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

GAPS Shepherd's Pie

2011-11-18T05:27:00.001-07:00

One of the best ways to keep your family happy at mealtimes when making drastic diet changes is to remake old favorites. This shepard’s pie is patterned after our old one, which was laden with grains.

I chose to use a roast instead of ground meat since we are finding a lot of uses to ground meat lately and I wanted to change it up. The potatoes are replaced by cauliflower. I would love to do smashed butternut squash, but my kids are not fans. We stick to cauliflower, but call it potatoes. This confuses the kids a bit when I say that potatoes are not on the diet, but these special ones are, but it gets them to eat the food easier.

This dish saves well and freezes well and is easy to make in large batches. Sometimes I change it up by adding green beans or tomatoes or cheese on top, but this is our basic standby recipe with all those things I typically have on hand (sometimes I have to leave out the peppers). It is also easy to make it really heavy on your faves and lighter on the not-so-faves. Carrots seem to be most kid friendly. I personally love onions. Peas are nice on the GAPS diet because they are one of the few legal starches.

I like to use a bone in roast so that the stock is extra flavorful. A nice flavorful stock is really important in this recipe. Vegetables do bring a lot of flavor to the party, but the broth penetrates everything with meaty goodness. Looking back, I used to make this recipe with a powdered soup base to get that flavor punch. It is such a sad thing that bullion and powders have taking the place of such an incredible traditional food. Once you get in the habit of making broth, you wonder why everybody doesn’t do it. Speaking of, I just picked up a new crock pot this week, can’t wait to get another pot of stock going.

2-3 pound roast

6 cups water

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons salt

2 heads cauliflower

1/3 cup beef stock (from the meat pot)

½ cup butter

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons coconut oil or tallow

1-2 onions, chopped
8 carrots, peeled and chopped

1-2 peppers, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons white bean flour

2 cups beef stock (from the meat pot)

Freshly ground black pepper

1 cup frozen peas

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Boil roast for three to four hours in six cups of water, one bay leaf and two teaspoons salt. Cut cauliflower into large, even pieces. Place in a pot with 1/3 cup beef stock, cover and simmer on medium low heat for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a large fry pan on medium high add oil and onions, cook for five minutes or until they begin to brown. Add carrots, bell peppers and one teaspoon salt, turn heat down to medium low and simmer for ten minutes. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook for two minutes, then mix in two cups stock. Thicken gravy 1 minute. Add black pepper, peas and meat to vegetables. Stir in parsley, reserving some to garnish the top then, check for seasoning and salt to taste. Remove cauliflower from pot with slotted spoon and place in a blender or food processor with one teaspoon salt and ½ cup butter. Pulse until broken up and grind briefly to make mostly smooth. Fill a large casserole dish with meat and vegetable mixture. Spoon cauliflower mash over meat evenly. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley and serve.

Real Food Kitchen Tour on Cheeseslave!

2011-11-15T23:39:00.002-07:00

5 years ago my kitchen went from a one-butt kitchen to a crowd-of-butts kitchen. I used to have one counter of work space that was laid across a dishwasher and butted up against a sink, which was next to the stove. If someone was in the kitchen it was full. The fridge was the only thing accessible. It was exciting to dream up the possibilities that an addition offered. We designed it ourselves; it has all the features I love. Take the tour today featured at Cheeseslave.

GAPS Crumble

2011-11-11T19:27:00.001-07:00

Life without rolled oats is rough. Okay, not really, but I really wanted to make me a darn good apple crisp. I feel like I nailed the crumble, but can’t post the whole recipe yet because the apple filling part wasn’t top notch. I am thinking I might experiment with gelatin to thicken the sauce. Without anything it is too soupy. Cornstarch and arrowroot are not GAPS legal. I tried a little bean flour, I may have just added too much, but the texture was slightly gritty, which I assume is what coconut flour would be like to. Shoot me some suggestions if you have any, I sure don’t mind experimenting on this one, because even when it’s not perfections, it’s still pretty darn good.

In the meantime, try out this crumble on other baked goods. I stuffed it in some cored apples and baked them for a super easy breakfast. It also made a delicious topping on my pumpkin pie soufflé. Half way through baking, I sprinkled the crumble on top and it was nice and golden by the time the pie was done. I also think it would be wonderful to dress up muffins and make them a little fancier I have had good success with this Banana Muffin recipe. Do tell what you like to add crunchy toppings to.

1 cup almond flour

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut

1/2 cup butter

2 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

1/4 cup dates, chopped

Combine all of your ingredients into a bowl and mix until crumbly.

GAPS Chili

2011-11-02T10:44:00.003-07:00

The only thing that makes this stand out as diet food is the lack of cornbread. Chili has so many variations and is such a typical cool weather dinner. It is nice to have a few mainstream recipes that everybody recognizes in your back pocket.

This is a robust, thick and rich version. It has a nice balance of meat and vegetables. Since it simmers for a good amount of time, all the flavors meld and you don’t taste one vegetable in particular.

I had made a double batch of this and froze half of it. Just as we were sitting down for our second meal of chili two days in a row, we were invited to family dinner, where chili was on the menu. So I thawed out the other half and we ate chili three days in a row, nobody complained. I am looking forward to making this again.

1 cup lima beans, dried
2 cups water
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 pound ground meat
1 large onion
3 celery stalks
3 medium carrots
2 pablano peppers
½ cup butter
2 tablespoons navy bean flour
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 bay leaf
3 cups beef stock
48 ounces crushed tomatoes

Soak beans in two cups water and two tablespoons lemon juice for 24 hours. Brown ground meat in a large pot; add onions, celery, carrots, and peppers. Stir vegetables and let heat through. Melt butter in pot and sprinkle flour on vegetables, stir to coat. Add garlic and spices. Stir in stock and tomatoes and heat to a simmer. Rinse soaked beans and add to the pot. Simmer for one hour. Serve with homemade sour cream.
links; Simple Lives Thursday, Creative Juices Thursday,

GAPS Pie Crust

2011-10-31T11:28:00.003-07:00

Baked good are a little tricky on GAPS. You are not supposed to have too many, which is good because they are expensive. Almond flour is the typical grain replacer and runs ten times the price of my old spelt flour. Making my own is not very time effective; soaking and removing skins, dehydrating and grinding without making it into butter… I admit to stretching it when I can.

I have found that white navy bean flour is really handy to have on hand. You do need to soak and dehydrate, but there is no tedious picking off the skins and grinding is a breeze as they can go through a regular wheat grinder. Beware that the end product has a strong bean flavor, but cooking seems to dampen that somewhat. Besides using it to stretch out my almond flour, I have found that it works great to thicken sauces and stews.

This crust is great for pies like pumpkin and apple. It would also work for many bars like lemon, pudding or other layered bars. Lining the dish with parchment paper is the safest way to go to get nice slices, but I have gone without and it wasn't too problematic.

1/2 cup soaked and dehydrated navy bean flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter, cut into small cubes
2 tablespoons water

Combine flours and salt. Cut in butter with a fork until evenly distributed. Add water and mix thoroughly. Press into glass, deep dish, pie plate. It helps to dampen your hands a bit as the dough starts to stick. Try to get it as thin and even as possible. I don’t do any fancy edges; just work the dough about half way up the dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes until bottom and top begin to brown a bit.
links; Menu Plan Monday, Monday Mania

GAPS Moroccan-Spiced Stuffed Acorn Squash

2011-10-18T22:33:00.001-07:00

Squash has been taboo around our house. Only myself and the baby eat it with pleasure. When you ask my eldest two what food they dislike the most, squash was sure to be their answer for four years running. In fact, it is the only food that they have ever shown consistent distaste for. I had to be careful to call summer squash zucchini, not to taint it for the kids. If I ever used squash for anything, it had to be completely unrecognizable and called “pumpkin.” A short while into the GAPS diet, I started using more and more squash. They saw me buying it and cutting it all the time, but when it got to the table it was “sweet potato fries” or “sweet potato pudding” or “mashed sweet potatoes” or “pumpkin bars” or “pumpkin muffins” or “pumpkin crunch” or “vegetable noodles.” Yeah, I use a lot of squash.

This recipe laid it all to rest. There was no hiding that they were being served squash for dinner, the one thing they detested the most. They grit it and bore it and ended up admitting, that squash was no longer something they disliked. Still, when I scraped out the last bit of squash from the skin and brought it to his lips he said “no, thanks.” It still felt like a win, and this recipe is definitely a keeper!

I have been trying to make large portions of our tried and true recipe to reheat for another meal, or freeze for later. I was able to put away a weekend’s worth of food for my kids that I gave my mother in-law to feed them while I was away. It made things easy for her and kept me from worrying about what they were eating.

This makes a large amount, 8 servings. But it is so good that it doesn’t go as far as planned. I ate 2 servings for dinner tonight, probably could go for a third after typing this out.

4 acorn squash, halved and seeded

2 tablespoons coconut oil

1 large onion, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

1 banana pepper (optional)

2 teaspoons salt

2 teaspoons curry powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 pound ground meat, browned

1 cup meat stock

1/2 cup raisins or chopped apples

½ cup butter

4 cloves garlic, minced

Place squash, cut-side down on baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes, until flesh is tender. I cook these earlier in the day, turning off the oven after 15 minutes and leaving in the oven until dinner to keep warm. Heat oil in large fry pan on medium high heat and add onions, brown slightly before adding celery, carrots and peppers. I used the banana pepper for a little heat, any pepper would do here, you could also use cayenne. Salt the vegetables well and let the pan come back up to heat before adding spices. After about one minute, when the spices are nice and toasted and fragrant, add the cooked meat of choice (or even lentils) and broth. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Leave the lid off to reduce the liquid. Once the pan is nearly dry, add the apples and melt a whole stick of butter (yeah, baby!) in the pan. When the butter has melted, place the minced garlic in the pool and stir to coat the entire mixture. Turn off the heat. Salt the cut side of the squash, plate and fill with meat and vegetable mixture.
Links; Real Food Wednesday, Works For Me Wednesday

Sprouted Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-10-13T05:40:00.001-07:00

Last month, my son got baptized and we hosted a large group of family to celebrate. I made my crowd pleasing Sourdough Spelt Pizza, GAPS Meatzza, these cookies and GAPS Coconut Macaroons, so we had option. I talked with the kids about what would be available and what would be their choices. It ended in our first meal of cheats, but it was not too bad as it was real food and very modest amounts.

At the event, the cookies were a big hit and I was reminded that I needed to get these delicious confections posted. I can't keep this from you any longer. I worked and work on this recipe, and perfected it before we started GAPS. Then, it got buried in a stack of more current recipes. So here it is with all of my quirky, cookie-developing processes.

I am hard to please in the cookie department. I like them slightly brown and crisp around the edges and nice and chewy in the center. Never cakey, crumbly, hard or cracker like. I like a lot of flavor too, which means natural sugars, whole grains and butterJ. I am mighty proud about this recipe; The farm fresh eggs, pastured butter, extra virgin coconut oil and sprouted flour are super healthy! Still, I can’t get away from the high amount of sugar, the carmelization of which adds THE BEST flavor. Then there are the chocolate chips, where I just do what I can to get a nice quality with more real chocolate than sugar.

I started experimenting with sprouted flour cookie recipes when I learned that whole grains have anti nutrients and need to be properly prepared for maximum benefit. Soaked and sour dough recipes always yielded cakey, again, not my thing. But I found sprouted flour so hard to work with because it crumbles and doesn’t absorb the fats and liquids easily. My biggest problem was figuring out the right amount of flour to use in the dough. I have baked too many cookies with my old, delicious recipe with instant pudding and was always trying to get the same texture in the dough.

I found the balance; 2 eggs, less one white and ¾ cup butter or 1 stick plus ¼ cup coconut oil (the oil makes a little thinner cookie, which is pictured). Coconut sugar has a much better texture in these than sucanat and a less over powering flavor and maple syrup add a more complex flavor while giving the sprouted flour the liquid it needs to hydrate. My most life altering discovery was the refrigeration time, which is nothing new to cookies, but not common for the chip kind. The dough is almost batter like after mixing, letting it spend time in the fridge gives the flour time to absorb the moisture it needs and sets up the melted coconut oil and butter, thus, a beautiful cookie dough is born!

1/2 cup pastured butter, melted but not hot
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup

1 egg and 1 egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups sprouted flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup chocolate chips

Place butter, oil, sugar and syrup in a mixing bowl and beat on high until smooth and lightens in color. Add egg, salt and vanilla and mix well. Dump in all flour and sprinkle baking soda on top, take care to break up any clumps. Pulse until flour is moistened, add chips and mix until evenly distributed. Place in a covered bowl and place in the fridge for 2 -6 hours. You may refrigerate longer, but dough will need to warm up for an hour before it can be easily scooped out again.

The exact baking makes or breaks this cookie. For medium sized cookies (2 tablespoons of dough) I bake at 325 degrees on convection for 8 minutes. When I remove them from the oven they are puffed up and fall as they cool. The edges are barely golden and the middle is entirely doughy. Let cool completely on pan before serving or storing. This is when they set up, otherwise they will fall apart. If you don't have convection, I would bake at 350 degrees and check them at 8 minutes, but they may not be ready until 10 minutes.

Sweet Potato Slips

2011-10-11T05:12:00.001-07:00

I know they are not on our diet, but I planted these sweet potatoes back in April and they are still currently taking up real estate in my garden. Sweet potatoes have a very long growing season and love the heat, so they are one of the few things that make it through the summer unscathed. (As I have mentioned, the others that I know of are purslane and basil. If you have discovered any others that do well in 110+ degrees, please share.)

The first time I planted sweet potatoes I cut pieces with eyes and planted them, like you would a white potato. Sweet potatoes don't really get the pronounced eyes like white potatoes do, so I pretty much guessed and ended up with very few plants. I also guessed when it was time to harvest and all I found was an intricate system of orange roots.

The next year, I read up on growing my own starts and being patient. The starts are simple. There are two ends to a sweet potato, the end that was attached to the root and the end that grows eyes. Fill a jar with water 3/4 of the way. Insert three toothpick spokes around the middle of the potato and stick the root end in the water. After a while, the eyes will grow into leaves. Using older, untreated sweet potatoes and keeping them in a warm place will speed up the process.

After the leaves have grown, you break the stem right at the base where it is coming out of the potato and place it in a small bowl of water to encourage roots to grow. Once you have a few roots about one inch in length, the slips are ready to plant. Dig small holes about 12 inches apart, place a slip in each hole and gently cover the roots with soil, then water lightly.

Sweet potatoes are supposed to take 120 to 160 days from this point, but like I said; mine are still in the ground. The most reliable way to know when they are ready is to wait for them to flower. They get really pretty purple flowers, at which point you will have small, tender sweet potato. Leave them in longer to swell to larger sizes.

When you do harvest, you will still find an intricate system of orange roots. If you don't get these out, they will come up again next year. I haven't found it to be a problem to have sweet potatoes in the same place year after year. They are not susceptible to the plethora of bugs and diseases white potatoes are, but they do attract peacocks :)

What has your experience been with growing sweet potatoes?

Garden Journal {Summer}

2011-10-05T13:31:00.002-07:00

Just over a month ago I visited a local community garden. It is the type where you rent a (15x15) plot each season. Some of the growers are just experimenting with this and that, but most have quite a bit of knowledge, time and means to create a productive and aesthetically appealing area.

At this time (early September) I was pretty down about my own garden area that was full of fried plants, lots of debris and extremely low production. It was so hard to get out there and get things cleaned up because it was still so hot. Seriously, the sweat would drip to the point that my eyes would burn. I ended up getting one row cleared, tilled formed, composted and planted mid August. I planted everything really close together to later transplant when the weather starts to cool.

After seeing how terrible everyone's plots looked in the community garden. I was less distraught about my wasteland. But a little tip to all the fellow AZ Valley dwellers; Save sweet potatoes, purslane and basil, nothing grows in August. It is a full month or more of heavy watering just to keep your plants barely surviving.

Now we have turned a corner. I have cleaned up the other four beds, composted, then did some transplanting and seeding. The weather is perfect and everything is shooting up! Viola, back on track and enjoying a productive space once again. I can see that I went a little crazy with the zucchini this season, luckily it is one of my favorite vegetables.
links; Simple Lives Thursday, Things I Love Thursday, Creative Juice

Garden Journal 2011 {Protection}

2011-09-29T10:07:00.009-07:00

Birds are my latest garden vice. They pecked the heck out of every single summer pepper and tomato and are currently doing a number on my winter squash and melons. I pushed through the sweltering heat last month to get my beans and cucumbers in early. Only to have the menaces pluck the seedlings out of the ground. Every. Last. One. I wish they would fly South for the winter!!

There is so much hope in planting a seed and seeing it sprout and eventually fruit and ripen. There is great disappointment when that hope is snatched from under your nose time and time again. I’ve had lots of squirrel trouble in the past especially in the winter seasons. When worse comes to worse, I pull out the netting and drape it over the most sought after plants. It is not fool proof, often the squirrels still find a way in, the netting is a pain to work with, it gets caught on things and the plants get tangled and damaged, then there is the constant fidgeting with it to keep it in place. It is surely a subpar deterrent.

So my husband and I discussed the reoccurring problem and before building a complete enclosure, we are trying out a low scale version. Netting secured to a simple PVC frame. They are light and pretty manageable; fit perfectly over half of a soil bed (10 feet) and so far, have kept pests out of the picture well enough to get some good seedlings going.

I am really happy with these simple structures. My plants are looking great, compost is amazing. They are easy to tilt up on one side to weed and harvest and keep plants from growing out into the aisles. We had a tornado last month and our neighbor’s gazebo landed in our garden. These PVC frames kept many plants from being crushed!

I am still brainstorming however, since this won’t protect any of my vertical growing plants and I would like to eat my tomatoes myself, thank you very much.

P.S. Anybody know how to get rid of a peacock? This guy has been hanging around for breakfast, lunch and dinner…

GAPS Resource

2011-09-27T14:01:00.000-07:00

Besides THE GAPS book and website, I have been finding some great resources online put out with people that are in the throws of the diet with their families. Cara, who not only shares my name, but the state in which I reside, has put together an e-book on GAPS intro recipes. I have heard many good things about this resource and have witnessed Cara's talent through her blog, Health Home and Happiness. I have been pinning recipes like mad since I have found it. Cara’s giving away a free copy of her GAPS Intro Diet e-book, What Can I Eat Now? Enter to win over at CHEESESLAVE.com

GAPS Meatzza

2011-09-13T21:53:00.001-07:00

We miss our once-a-week pizza nights for sure and I am not even going to pretend that this makes up for it. Yet, it is a meal we all look forward to, which is one big perk about the old pizza night. Actually, we are making sourdough pizza for guests this month after Number One’s baptism and he asked if I could make meatzza too. He also requested that his Sunday school teacher change their class reward from a pizza party to a meatzza party, so he is pretty well converted.

Meatzza is basically a pizza with a flat meatball in place of the crust and is the perfect example of how drastic the expense is when preparing grain free meals. Grass fed organic beef runs around seven dollars per pound, while my sourdough crust is around 50 cents per pound. Anyway, it will all be worth it one day…

I do stretch this as much as I can with veggies, also making a double batch is great for having quick meals on hand, it is great paired with a side salad and a glass of kefir (which everything is lately.)

1 pound ground meat

1 onion, shredded

1 bell pepper, finely diced

1 zucchini, grated

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons pizza seasoning

2 eggs

2 tablespoons coconut flour

2 teaspoons salt

Mix all ingredients thoroughly with hands and press onto a pizza or quarter sheet pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, spread with marinara sauce, spinach (I used purslane) and sprinkle with cheese. Transfer the pan back to the oven and turn it on broil for a couple minutes to melt and lightly brown the cheese.
links; Real Food Wednesday, Works For Me Wednesday

GAPS Salmon Cakes

2011-09-07T21:01:00.002-07:00

We are still doing GAPS and feeling more and more committed as time goes on. The food gets easier all the time and the kids are really on board. They tell people about the diet and what they are and mostly aren't allowed. Number two lost his snack on the playground before school one day. His teacher, noticing that he was bringing fresh foods and not crackers each day, offered him her grapes from her lunch. He asked first if they were organic because that is all he can eat.

I have been really proud of Number one, he has been my sneaky one that tries to get anything and everything he is not supposed to have. He was at a birthday party and I made sure to pick him up before the cake and ice cream. He reported that he was thirsty at the party and there was a cooler with drinks for them that were filled with juice boxes and only a couple waters and he chose the water. He also went in for an interview with the Bishop for his upcoming baptism and was offered a treat from his candy jar. Number one just said “No thanks, I am on a diet.” I was not even in the room and was so proud that he had the self-control to do that on his own!

Here is another excellent recipe for full GAPS. You should be able to substitute the coconut flour for almond flour to use this in the intro as well, maybe as early as stage 3. They are great to use in lettuce wraps (Stage 5). Tonight we had them on a bed of My Slaw that I substituted quartered green grapes for the oranges and honey for maple syrup, with a glass of kefir on the side. I also lacto fermented my mayonnaise. Next time I will add some shredded carrots for color. It was simply delicious.

1 pound wild salmon, cooked, cooled and flaked

1 small red bell pepper, diced fine

1 tablespoon butter

3 eggs

1 small onion, grated

2 garlic cloves, pressed

1/4 tablespoons cilantro, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

juice of 1 lime

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

3 tablespoons of coconut flour

¼ cup butter, ghee or oil for frying

Cook pepper in butter for 10 minutes while salmon cools. In a medium bowl beat the eggs, onion, garlic, cilantro, salt, lime juice, and cumin. Mix thoroughly. Add the salmon and cooked pepper to the egg mixture. Mash the salmon and bones with the back of your fork and mix thoroughly with the egg mixture. Sprinkle coconut flour on top of mixture and combine until liquid is absorbed. Preheat a fry pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the fry pan and form patties with salmon mixture. Place patties in hot fat and cook 5 minutes per side or until golden brown. Continue to add more butter and more patties until mixture is all cooked. Serve with over My Slaw, with sour cream and avocado on lettuce or make a simple yogurt sauce with cumin, lime and salt.
links; Real Food Wednesday, Creative Juice Thursdays, Things I Love Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday

GAPS Progressive Soup

2011-09-01T11:25:00.001-07:00

I love how going through the introduction diet gives you a new appreciation for foods that you never really enjoyed before. This goes for the kids too. My anti tomato kid, eats them easily now. My oldest two hated winter squash in any form, now they eat it on a daily basis. I never thought too highly of cauliflower, now I buy 3 heads each week. In the beginning, the limits were confining and my creativity was stifled by it, but now I look back and see how much good it did for our relationship with food. Once our bodies regulated our constant need for sugar and starch to fill us up, we were able to find complete satisfaction in these highly nourishing, healing foods.

Although the first stage is known as "just soups" there is actually a lot of variety right off the bat. A huge assortment of meats to choose from with ten different veggies mixes and matches in to quite a few options. Then, slowly you begin to add in small amounts of new things, one at a time. We have been transitioning out of the intro for three weeks now, and have not even scratched the surface of all the things we are allowed to have on the Full GAPS diet because we still have to add things slowly to check for reactions and become accustomed to foods that are harder to digest than soup and eggs. Our ingredients are adding up and we tend to feel like we are no longer on a special diet.

A soup that has always been a family favorite for years is tortilla soup. Although I am making it differently now, it still has the same flavor from our memories. Taking out the corn chips and millet (GAPS illegals) and adding lots of chicken, olive oil and sour cream makes for a tasty, filling, meal. When I first went back to this recipe it ended up being chicken, carrots, onions, zucchini and garlic simmered in chicken broth with a small spoon of sour cream (stage 1). In stage 2, I added an egg yolk, cilantro and larger spoons of sour cream. Stage 3, I got to include avocado and we had worked up to around 1/3 cup sour cream. Stage 4, I added peppers (not sure what stage these become legal, but after I was confident Number 1 was not allergic by this time, I was happy to add them in because they add so much flavor. Speaking of flavor, the homemade broth MAKES this soup!

I tended to make double or triple batches so it would last a few meals.

6-8 cups chicken stock/broth
6 carrots, chopped (stage 1)
2 zucchinis, chopped (stage 1)

1 large onion, chopped (stage 1)

5 roma tomatoes, diced (stage 2)
2 red bell peppers, chopped (stage 4?)
1 small jalapeno (full GAPS)

2 cups boiled chicken (stage 1)
3 garlic cloves (Stage 1)
2 teaspoons ground cumin (full GAPS)
2 green onions, sliced (stage 5)
½ cup cilantro, chopped (stage 2)
Juice of 1 lime (full GAPS)
Salt and pepper to taste (stage 1)
1/4 cup beef tallow (stage 1) ghee (stage 2) coconut oil (stage 4)

1 egg yolk per bowl (stage 2)
1 avocado, diced (stage 3)
GAPS legal cheese like colby (full GAPS)
homemade sour cream

Skip the ingredients listed that are past your current stage.

Boil carrots, zucchini, onions, peppers and tomatoes in broth until tender. Add chicken, garlic and cumin, cook 1 more minute. Mix in green onions, cilantro, lime juice, fat, salt and pepper to taste. Crack one egg yolk per bowl and whisk warm soup into it. Garnish with avocado, cheese and sour cream.

GAPS Fideo

2011-08-24T14:24:00.003-07:00

I have loads of yummy GAPS recipes to post! Now that I am getting the hang of the protocol, I am getting creative and banging out some pretty awesome meals. Often I go to old favorites for my inspiration. Everybody loves Fideo, it is one of my top hit posts, a great dish for a crowd, perfect for a potluck. With a couple simple substitutions, we are enjoying it once again.

One thing that makes GAPS fantastic in the flavor department is the liberal use of fat. I always was pretty generous compared to American standards, but GAPS is a whole other level. Of course you have to use the good fats, which are expensive, but sometimes not as much as you think. Kerry Gold Butter, for example, runs about six times the price of the pale kind. But when you compare it to extra virgin coconut oil, which is more of a like product in quality, it is half the price. Thus, I use a lot more butter.

I am pretty sure the intro diet did some detoxing of our sugar loving bacteria, because everything seems to taste better. Besides, anything other than soup becomes a texture to appreciate. In all reality, my husband, who didn’t do the intro, still thinks most of these GAPS meals taste fantastic. So I will take the credit for being super talented.

Before the diet though, I could NEVER pass spaghetti squash off for noodles. Three out of five family members would moan and struggle through the meal. Fideo is just so flavorful, that the texture difference doesn’t really matter. I am sure the butter doesn’t hurt either. One thing that is important is not to overcook the squash, the “spaghetti” won’t stay as separate and turns a bit mushy.

If you leave out the cumin, cheese and avocado (stage 3) this considered a "casserole" that is legal in stage 2 , given you have successfully introduced dairy, otherwise, substitutions can be made. Cumin and cheese can be introduced on Full Gaps.

1 medium spaghetti squash
½ cup Kerry Gold butter

1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 bell pepper, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 tablespoon salt
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 large tomatoes, diced

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped (reserve some for garnish if desired)
2 pounds boiled roast

2 cups Kerry Gold Cheese, shredded
1-2 avocados, diced as garnish
1 pint yogurt cream

Cut squash in half, scoop out the seeds. Place face down on baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. Heat a large fry pan to medium, sautee onions, peppers and carrots with butter for 10 minutes. Add salt, garlic, cumin and tomatoes. Stir in boiled roast and let it fall apart with the vegetables. When squash is cool enough to handle with your hands, scrape out with a spoon and separate “noodles” with a fork. (I like to do this a day ahead). Fold squash in with vegetables, combine thoroughly, adding cilantro as you mix. Check for seasoning, may need more salt. If your pan is oven safe, you can top with cheese and broil until melted, otherwise, transfer to a baking dish or 2 -9 inch pie dishes. Broil 5 minutes on medium until cheese is bubbly and beginning to brown. Garnish with diced avocado and copious amounts of yogurt cream (homemade yogurt made with heavy cream).
links; Real Food Wednesday, Things I Love Thursday, Creative Juice Thursday, Pennywise Platter

Die Off

2011-08-18T20:59:00.004-07:00

We have had some weird symptoms pop up in the first few weeks of GAPS. These symptoms are known as "die off" and is essentially due to the gut detoxing. Ours have been very mild and manageable. We are not taking probiotic supplements, only getting probiotics from our food. We eat probiotic food religiously at every meal and snack. I have got to say that culturing cream with my yogurt starter is the best discovery I have made in my kitchen this year! It is extremely tasty and we dollop it generously.

My main symptom has been dull headaches above my eyes. They don't slow me down any, just really irritating. I have also lost weight unintentionally, but it seems to be stabilizing now, so I am not too worried about it. It is likely water loss from not eating many carbohydrates. Lastly, my eyes are a bit sticky in the mornings.

Number One had a day where he was sneezing like crazy, it was bizarre. He has also got a few pimple type bumps on his face last week

Number Two has started wetting the bed a couple times a week. He is also a bit weepier that usual, but he is also transitioning out of taking naps. He has also gotten a couple headaches.

Number Three wets through his diaper most every night. He also has this rash on his face that is baffling me. It is around his mouth, he has gotten it a number of times before we started this diet. I had thought it was a reaction to strawberries, then peppers and tomatoes, but it is inconsistent. This morning he broke out really bad after having carrot soup for breakfast, which he has had plenty of times without a reaction. It doesn't appear to bother him at all. I know rash is a common die off symptom, but since he has had this rash many times in the past, I am wondering if it is something else.

A couple weeks ago we "lost" all of the pacifiers and the rash went away for 6 days, but then he broke out again... aggravating.

I don't mind seeing symptoms of detox, because it means that this whole thing is working. It is so hard to know if it is die off we are experiencing or the body not handling a food or environmental change well. One thing is clear though, I still have a lot to learn.

GAPS Guacamole Chicken Salad

2011-08-08T20:25:00.000-07:00

In the first two stages of the GAPS intro, there is really no way around soups for breakfast lunch and dinner. However, these stages are quick for most people (less than a week) and stage three opens up a lot more possibilities, though soup is still a mainstay. Instead of just a raw yolk in soups, you get scrambled eggs! Instead of just pickle juice in soups, you get to munch on pickles! My kids' favorite, by far, is introducing "pancakes" made with ground almonds, zucchini and eggs. And we all love avocados around here, which are worth their hefty price tag at the moment.

We are not acclimated to eating all the skin, connective tissues, marrow and organs in a whole chicken. I found this ingenious way to make all that stuff taste good and hide it well enough that you don't even know that you are eating weird chicken parts. It is our new chicken salad and we eat it plain, on "pancakes" or with lettuce. When I pick a boiled chicken, I put the muscle meat in one container and the weird stuff in another. This way, depending on what I am making, I can add it in the proportions I desire. I have also found that if there is any connective tissue that is tough, I can put it back in the pot with the bones and water, simmer for 12 hours or more and it pretty much dissolves.

1 avocado
1 raw egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup shredded chicken
1/2 cup weird chicken parts

Mash avocado with egg yolk, salt and pepper. Add chicken and combine well.

Settling In

2011-08-03T23:45:00.002-07:00

I love eggs. Still. Even after living on them for more than a week. I am so grateful that we have an unlimited supply of backyard eggs right now for a mere dollar per dozen. In the winter, I pay three dollars a dozen. Chicken's don't lay eggs when the days grow shorter than 12 hours and few backyard farmers do artificial lights regularly to keep them laying, which isn't all that natural anyway.

Once we entered stage three of the GAPS introduction diet, we had turned the corner. Scrambled eggs with cooked onions and zucchini...mmm. I felt normal again, like we could leave the house and not be starving for food an hour later. Coming up with take and go snacks eluded me those first days. I did learn that although canned foods are a no, no on GAPS, if you canned it yourself and the ingredients are legal it is fine. So now I throw in a quart of canned carrots when we head out.

So with my super-egg-energy, I have gotten back to playing strenuous racquetball, caught up on the dishes and have put together some pretty tasty meals. At least they are tasty to us. I am frightened to cook for others at this point. Day 6 (stage 3) my sister calls and is coming for dinner. This freaked me out a little, but we are tight and I knew she would understand if the meal wasn't up to par. She had dined with us our first night of the diet when we had chicken vegetable soup. I made sure she had a nice piece of breast meat and not chunks of skin and liver in her bowl. Besides the 110 degree weather we were sporting, it wasn't too weird. Here is what she thought, in her own words;

"When I visit my sister, I usually get to partake in the gourmet dinners she serves her family on a regular basis (they are SO lucky). Because I'm used to eating junk from my dorm's dining hall, eating with my sister is like heaven. So after she told me about this new "GAP" diet, where she was making nothing but soup for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I died a little inside.

I didn't doubt my big sis and her crazy new diet plan, but I knew it would be a challenge for a family that loves their grains and fruits. As a participant in the very first GAPS meal, I was pleasantly surprised that Kara pulled off the soup thing extremely well, and I was fully satisfied with a large helping of chicken, broth and veggies.

For the next "GAPS" meal I had (about a week later), Kara got a bit creative and whipped up some "zucchini spaghetti and meatballs." Honestly, if I hadn't known about her nutso diet plan, I wouldn't have thought any differently about the low-carb meal. Other than replacing the noodles with strips of zucchini, nothing about the dinner seemed too out of the ordinary. It tasted like just another one of my sister's wonderfully creative and delectable dinners, and I didn't even crave carbs when I was finished. The kids and I gobbled up our spaghetti in record time, leaving behind only a couple of meatballs for her poor husband!"

So it is not all doom and gloom. My oldest even told me he likes this diet a little bit one day while eating carrot ginger soup. I try to keep this soup in the fridge as an alternative at all times. It is much like the old one I posted, but I don't saute, just boil everything together. I usually add a small butternut squash and sometimes half a head of cauliflower. I leave out the coconut milk, oil and cayenne pepper right now.

I did miss the carbs at first. I felt like I could never get full and I needed some starch to feel satisfied. That has gone away and I am satisfied most every meal provided I cooked enough. I have used grains to stretch my meals for so long that when I remove them from my recipe we end up with half the food on the table than before. I am finding that many GAPS recipes online are for 1-2 people not full families. I am starting to get in the groove and next time I will remember to use 2 cauliflower to make those "mashed potatoes" instead of half a head.

Another problem that contributes to my skimpy meals is that I am afraid my kids are not going to like the new meal and I am going to end up eating it all myself. This has yet to happen. The kids are surprising me everyday with what they will eat. Cauliflower for one. I admit, I never liked it, but I have thrown it in pureed and non-pureed soups as well as the base for mock mashed potatoes and mock rice pilaf, all of which were gobbled up without complaints. The first time I pulled out the fermented cucumbers, the kids could not get enough. Number 3 requests pickled beets for a snack!

The biggest obstacle has been getting in a cup of broth at every meal. When there is no soup, it is hard for the kids to choke down. I have been working on just 1/4 cup at a time for now. The older two have to have it gone to get their meal (caught Number 1 dumping it down the sink). Number three, I coax between bites. I have found that if I boil carrots in the broth first, the flavor is more palatable to them and they end up eating the carrots for snacks. Any other ideas for me to get the broth down the hatch?

The First Five Days

2011-07-29T21:43:00.001-07:00

Stage one of the GAPS introduction diet was a lot rougher than I expected. I knew how to make good meat and bone broth and yummy soups with them. I am used to eating lots of vegetables, the kids are too. We had just never eaten them for breakfast, lunch and dinner! Not to mention snacks, which we needed plenty of. Newsflash; when you are only eating things that are really easy to digest, you are hungry every other hour. I felt like I was fasting.

The second day the kids rebelled. I was glad I could empathize with them. I kept telling them "we can do hard things," explaining what this was doing for our bodies and most importantly that it wasn't permanent, we are going to eat our favorite things again eventually. The oldest two totally balked at having soup for breakfast, but number 3 did fine eating consistently through the day. By dinner the other two were eating good sized portions and feeling more chipper.

Day three started out absolutely horrible. All three of the kids refused to eat breakfast. Number 2 cried that his belly hurt and they were all downright lethargic. My resolve was wavering. I introduced egg yolks, not because my kids we big fans, but because I wanted to get moving through this intro because I didn't know how much more I could take. I started offering drops of honey for eating portions of soup, which got us through lunch, but Number 3 had no appetite. He had eaten only a few spoonfuls all day, I offered a wide variety of things and wasn't the least bit interested. I didn't think he would even notice the diet change because he only asks to eat what he sees other people eating. He always ate soup and cooked vegetables so well on a regular basis. He puked that afternoon. His belly was thin and was looking sickly.

The next day, I was so worried about my youngest. He threw up two more times and only drank water all day. His balance was worse than normal, he took a 5 hour nap and he didn't smile. I forced a bit of chicken stock to keep his electrolytes up. I scoured books and the internet, trying to figure out if he had a stomach bug, if he was detoxing or if he was making himself sick by refusing food. Looking back, he is not characteristically stubborn at all, has not had any detox symptoms since and did run a fever two days before we started, so I'm thinking bug. The other two barely ate anything for breakfast, but did do well with lunch and dinner and were upbeat all afternoon.

After the kids went down, my husband tempted me with a bowl of gelato and I was ready to partake. I started going through the past few days in my head and realized how important it has been to be able to completely empathize and know that a body can exist on these foods alone. I denied that gelato in all of it's mulberry glory. Dang, I am disciplined! That night I made a pureed, super carrot-y ginger soup for breakfast in high hopes of winning over the kids.

Day five was a turning point. They ate breakfast! All of them! Carrot ginger was a hit, along with the yogurt cream I served on top. I made small "pancakes" with ground, soaked almonds, zucchini and eggs, which put us in Stage 3. They each got one and were super excited to have something other than soup. Number 3 had definitely lost weight in the past few days, but ate small portions throughout the day and had a really good dinner. I had a good talk to them about the only way we can add new foods is if we eat really well every day. I think they got that, and just as I thought, my youngest was not rebelling because of the food because the very next morning when the kids asked "What's for breakfast?" Number 3 happily replied "soup."

GAPS

2011-07-27T22:21:00.001-07:00

Decided to do a little journal of our experience on the GAPS diet. The diet promotes bowel cleansing, which lessens the toxins in the blood, while allowing healing to take place. You can read more about it here. We are working on a case of ADHD for number 1 that almost had us filling a script for Ritalin last school year. Abnormal bowels for number two, who is really gassy and takes a long time in the bathroom. Possible food allergies for number 3, he gets a rash around his mouth regularly and with our varied diet, it has been hard to pin point the culprit. We suspect strawberries. Number 1 and 2 also have dog and cat allergies that I am hoping to clear up, though I have not come across any information that would suggest this is possible. I am doing the diet as well, mostly because it is easier that way. I am sure my gut is not in perfect working order and can benefit. Now that we are 8 days in, I know that it was important for me to start this with them so that I could feel how they felt.

I had been thinking about undertaking this huge project for a while, contemplating how I would keep others from feeding my kids. Before I had even read the book, I got a spiritual prompting that I needed to set a date. 3 weeks before school starts gives us time to get through the toughest part of the diet and find our groove.

It was the scariest thing for me. I love food, especially variety. I struggled through the first few days, then I embraced the challenge to make these same foods day in and day out taste different and yummy. I wasn't planning on blogging about this, but if I didin't, I might have fallen off of the face of the blog-o-sphere. Truly, if I ever find myself needing to go back and do the GAPS introduction diet again, I want a record of past mistakes and successes. If anyone else gets inspiration by what I write, that would be an added bonus. And if anyone feels inclined to share their wisdom, or encouragement, double bonus!

Saving Seeds

2011-07-19T20:29:00.001-07:00

It was sure sweaty in the garden this week, but I got a lot accomplished. Found some huge cucumbers that were hiding under fallen vines, those are fun surprises. I pulled up a bunch of plant that were past their prime and was able to save lots of seeds.

My green beans had a few dried pods on every plant, I probably have a couple year’s worth. Just cracked open each pod and picked out the beans. Some of them were not completely dry, so I left them out to do so before storing them. Also, the cilantro and parsley had gone to seed a while back, but they were finally starting to dry out. When they dry out, they are so much easier to collect.

I have had quite a bit success with saving seeds and it is a great habit for saving money. You want to be sure that the vegetable is not a hybrid, because those don’t breed true and you will get a variety of inferior crops from them. You also want to store in paper envelopes, seeds will mold in plastic. Those are my two simple rules for saving seeds. Do you have any tips or tricks?
links; Kitchen Tip Tuesdays, Works For Me Wednesday, Hearth and Soul Hop, Real Food Wednesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday

Sourdough Banana Bread

2011-07-14T16:12:00.003-07:00

Remake recipes. This is what I do. I love sourdough. It is so basic and traditional and completely opposite of the modern food ideal. Sour, dense, slow verses sweet, light and fast. It really doesn't take long to get your tastes to change and there are many tricks to get you over the hump. Some of my ideas are; add more sugar to start our and ease back slowly, use white flour to start and slowly start substituting whole grain flour for more and more, let your dough sour for 8 hours, then add conventional yeast for a fast final rise.

I am still new at this, however, so when I want to make sourdough banana bread for the first time, I need a place to jump from. In this case, I used my super yummy Sourdough Chocolate Cupcake recipe. Cut back on the oil and sugar because bananas are sweet and moist, then add more flour to compensate for the liquid the banana puree contributes. Obviously there is a longer bake time, so I had to play around with that. Now I don't mind when the bananas get old.

1 cup freshly fed sourdough starter
1 cup raw milk
3 cups spelt flour
3/4 cups coconut sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 cups over ripe banana puree
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Mix starter, milk and flour. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 6-8 hours. Don’t worry if it doesn’t get really bubbly. Cream together sugar and eggs. Add oil, banana puree, vanilla, salt and baking soda smooth. Add half of sourdough mixture and pulse 3 times. Scrape out remaining mixture and pulse until thoroughly mixed but do not whip vigorously. The texture is quite gloppy. Ladle into 2 small, greased (with coconut oil) bread pans and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and remove from pan to cool. Delicious to eat when it is still warm with a pad of butter, but if storing, it is best to cool completely before slicing.
links; Pennywise Platter, Things I Love Thursday, Ultimate Recipe Swap, Foodie Friday, Finer Things Friday, GCC Recipe Swap

Garden Plans

2011-07-12T19:30:00.002-07:00

The older boys are on off on their trip to visit their grandparents. Just my little sweetie, my husband and I for one full week. I foresee this being more of a vacation than a vacation!

I do have plans, however, to get out into the sweltering garden and pull out the plants that are done for the season. I am planning on shutting down a few of my water lines to save $$. My green beans have started drying up and I have been collecting the seeds. I have plenty for the next season now, so compost time for what’s left. I got all my onions and garlic out and dried.

My summer squash was terrible this year, between birds and blossom end rot. At this point there is no hope for recovery when we still have 6 weeks of treacherous heat ahead. I have peppers in the same row, which usually blossom again in August. So while the peppers stay, I will use some of my green bean seeds for an early fall crop next to them.

Last year I tried to keep my tomatoes going through the summer, but a little-known fact about tomatoes is that their fruit doesn't set when day time temperatures are above 90 and nighttime doesn't get below 70. So once that last fruit was picked in the summer, or eaten by the birds as was the case this year, I take the plants straight of the ground. This gives the soil a rest and opens up space for planting in August.

I need to find a better place for my strawberries. Not being on automated watering is not working out so well. Also hoping my husband gets to his tree trimming project.

My cucumbers are still growing strong, though we had a little mishap with the watering this week that may change all of that. The sweet potatoes will stay in. Hard to say how they are doing, but what is on top of the ground looks fantastic.

What big garden plans are in your future?
links; Works For Me Wednesday, Traditional Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday

Success with Lacto Fermenting

2011-07-05T20:02:00.003-07:00

Last summer I fermented the excess cucumbers from my garden as a way to preserve them. They turned out okay, but my family wouldn’t eat them so well. I was worried after growing mold on top of the brine they would make us sick. I didn’t feel right insisting, even though nobody had any ill effects. I didn’t have any confidence with it and they weren’t at all delicious, so I pushed it all to the side.

For the past year I have been researching lacto fermentation. After learning the health benefits, I knew it was something that I wanted to push through and learn. I scoured a lot of websites, went through some e classes, devoured the section in Nourishing Traditions and borrowed Wild Fermentation from the local library.

I jumped in with both feet. I started straining whey from my raw yogurt to make spreads, dips and thick Greek style yogurt. With this ingredient always around, it made it easy to throw it in things that I made like hummus, salsa and mayonnaise. I found that adding extra sweetener to strike a little balance with the sour that the fermentation creates, eased the transition. As we all got used to the flavor it was not a problem to pull back little by little.

I decided I was ready to try vegetables again. My intentions were to start with Nourishing Tradition's Ginger Carrot recipe, but I had 2 heads of cabbage that needed to be dealt with, so sauerkraut it was. I used the recipe in Nourishing Traditions; it turned out so salty and bitter that it ended up being thrown out. I learned in Wild Fermentation that using whey yields a more consistent result. I also read some reviews on the Nourishing Traditions sauerkraut recipe and it is commonly reported being too salty. I couldn’t get too down.

Then, it was time to get my summer garden planted and I had not kept up on the beets. I had a mix of golden and red beets that I harvested all at once, which I diced and fermented together. These turned out really nice! I especially loved the color. By the third day, the brine had all turned a beautiful purple-red, the golden beets were stained on the outside, but still were bright orange-yellow in the center. I wish I would have gotten a picture, it was really fun. Slowly, the color penetrated deeper and deeper until they were red all the way through.

Later my green beans got out of control and I was needing a good way to preserve them. I fermented whole beans with garlic, banana peppers, dry dill and coriander. They took on great flavor, stayed nice and crisp and are still in the fridge doing their thing! Now I have got cucumbers getting backed up in the crisper. I got one jar done last week, but the flavors are not quite right. I am going to try throwing in a few cloves of smashed garlic to see if that livens them up. For the next batch, I want to track down a bunch of fresh dill and compare the flavor.

There is a dairy free way to get into lacto fermentation. In Nourished Kitchen's ecourse, Jenny recommends Caldwell's Vegetable Starter for consistent results.

Wardeh at GNOWFGLINS is offering a new ecourse that is perfect for those who are committed to learning lacto fermentation. She will sell you on the health benefits of this method, for sure and is a great resource when you are ready to get your feet wet.
links; Real Food Wednesday, Traditional Tuesday, Works For Me Wednesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Kitchen Tip Tuesday

A Real Food Patriot

2011-07-04T16:47:00.001-07:00

Thank those who have fought for our freedom by contributing to making our Country better. Robyn O'Brien is one mom who is making a difference. Read more in her book "The Unhealthy Truth." Happy Independence Day.

Honey Homes

2011-06-28T21:07:00.002-07:00

Our pet bees moved in the second week of May, during out first heat wave. They didn't take the trip well and the beekeepers informed us that likely only half of the queens will survive. When they arrived one evening with their truck parked in front of our house, in their full bee suits, while carrying buzzing boxes with thousands of bees swarming around them into our backyard, there were a few not-so-pleasant looks from the neighbors. I thought I would be fielding some tense calls that evening! We did not have any problems, no complaints, no stings for the first month. I was feeling quite comfortable with them.

A couple weeks ago the bee keepers came out to remove the feeder boxes and "agitated" one of the hives. One of the bee keepers got stung 10 times. They told use to stay out of the backyard for the day and they should calm down. Within an hour the next door neighbor was knocking on our door asking if we still had bees. UGH! They went out to swim in their pool and bees started diving into their heads. No stings, thank goodness. I contacted the bee keepers and it was good to know that they are willing to take the hives away immediately.

They have calmed down and have not been bothering anyone, but I have become fearful of their buzzing. I've never been stung. How bad is it, really?
links; Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Traditional Tuesdays, Works For Me Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday

Garden Journal 2011 {Blackberries}

2011-06-23T21:12:00.001-07:00

This lil' guy dropped my camera on it's lens and few months ago, so I was using my camera phone for a few weeks until it was replaced. This picture cracks me up because of two things; first, he's inner struggle is apparent as his brothers yell at him that he is not allowed to pick the berries while his mom is taking a picture of him all while trying not to get poked! Second, the rakes stuck in the bush in attempt to hold them up. I staked the bushes really well in March, but by the end of April they were out of control. This is amusing to me because just last year we had nothing but a stick that produced 2 berries (last picture in that post).

Now, blackberries are no fun to trim. I lived with thorns in my fingers for a few weeks, everyday I would curse them when I bumped the thorn just right and it hurt like the dickens. This fall they are going to need loads more trimming than I did this year, not looking forward to it. There has got to be some puncture resistant gloves that go past the elbows. I learned that they are basically weeds, they grow runners underground and pop up in random places. These are what we dug up from my in laws and planted just over one year ago. They stayed green all year long, through the long, miserable heat and the hard freezes.

I was very happy with the production this year. I would estimate that I brought in around 10 lbs over the 6 weeks they were in production. We learned early on that they need to stay on days past turning from red to black, or they were way too sour. When left to fully ripen, they were soft and plump and juicy and would release easily from the plant. If it was half eaten, those were the best of the best. Birds have good taste in food, though the black berries were one of the few things in the garden this year that they left us our fair share.
link; Simple Lives Thursday, Things I Love Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, Fightback Friday, Finer Things Friday, Frugal Friday, Foodie Friday, Fresh Bites Friday

Soaked Peanut Butter Oatmeal Breakfast Cake

2011-06-21T16:46:00.002-07:00

My grandma never bought sugary cereals for her kids, my mom was so bummed about this that she always knew that her kids were going to have sugary cereal. And we did. Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Cookie Crisp and Peanut Butter Captain Crunch were some of my faves.

While my elementary school had actually served edible food, middle school and high school did not. So when I entered the 7th grade I came home VERY hungry. I had to start eating a more substantial breakfast because I didn't touch the cafeteria lunches. This was 2 packets of flavored instant oatmeal cooked in the microwave with extra sugar.

So I have merged and healthified my favorite morning meals from the past to make this Soaked Peanut Butter Oatmeal. It is has great peanut flavor, is slightly sweet and has a thin crispy crust on top. If I forget to start the oats soaking 24 hours in advanced, I throw in ¼ cup rye flour or flakes to speed the breakdown of antinutrients. This recipe is yummy with any nut butter, make your own with soaked and dehydrated nuts for super nutrition.

3 cups steel cut oats

3 tablespoons whey or lemon juice

3 cups water

1/3 cup sucanat

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 eggs

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla

3/4 cup milk

Soak oats with water and whey for 24 hours. Place in fine strainer, rinse well and let drip for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine sugar, butter and peanut butter, mix well. Beat in eggs, salt and vanilla. Carefully thin out with milk, mix in strained oats and pour into a 9 by 13 baking dish, spread evenly and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Serve with bananas, raisins and fresh whipped cream.

I bet this chocolate whipped cream would be divine.
links; Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy, Traditional Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, Works For Me Wednesday

Garden Journal 2011 {Green Beans}

2011-06-17T04:56:00.002-07:00

Our neighbors have a huge palo verde tree on the perimeter of their yard. The branches hang over onto all three of their neighbor's property. This tree drops spider mites into my garden and cause me grief year after year. Usually it starts slowly and by July when I just can't bare to keep up the work of spraying them off, my plants become overtaken by their webbing and croak.

They came early this year. Just as the plants were getting established they decided to do some major tree trimming. There is no way to cut the branches hanging over our yard when the garden is all planted out. However, the agitation of the tree must have caused these mites to fall like they have never fell before. My tomatoes, zucchini and green beans were hit hard. While I have gotten only a few tomatoes and no zucchini, the green beans still produced really well even though the plants looked terrible.

I planted two - eight foot rows this year, each row I planted 6 weeks apart. One mid February and the second at the beginning of April. The timing was perfect, just as the first row was petering out, the second were coming into production. I have not been bean-less in the past 3 months! In fact, I have had more than we can handle, 5 lbs a week gets to be a little much week after week. I crammed as many as I could into yummy dishes like this Garbanzo Bean Curry and my own Salmon Pasta. I gave some away, but boy was that hard after all the work that went into those babies!

After a few times of having over 5 pounds still in the fridge, going out to pick and pulling back the leaves to find a jungle of full grown beans, I decided to knock out some jars in the canner. I generally hate frozen green beans, but I am thinking that I might make a huge batch of the green bean curry and see how that freezes. Any other suggestions?
links; Fresh Bites Friday, Foodie Friday, Finer Things Friday, Fightback Friday

Italian Summer Over Broiled Polenta

2011-06-15T15:14:00.004-07:00

Salsa gardens are becoming quite popular, but adding just a few more plants (zucchini, basil, oregano) expands your cuisine to cover Italian too!

I really like creamy polenta for breakfast and even more leftover, where I cut it in cubes and fry it in butter. Some stores sell the corn grit labeled "polenta," since they are virtually the same thing. Corn meal is a finer grind that will work in a pinch. I have tried soaking to unlock the B vitamins as Nourishing Traditions recommends, first in lime, then whey, but it ruins both the flavor and the texture. Any suggestions? You can buy tubes of premade polenta in health food stores if you are looking to save a step, but I prefer making it myself.

2 cups corn grits
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 onion, chopped
1 pepper, chopped

2 teaspoons sucanat

2 medium summer squash, diced
2 garlic cloves
2 large tomatoes, diced
1 handful purslane (optional)

1/2 cup fresh herbs (oregano, thyme, parsley, basil)

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

1/2 cup fresh parmesean, shredded
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Heat chicken stock to boil, whisk in grits salt and pepper. Stir constantly. When mixture starts to thicken, add milk and continue to stir and cook until very thick and can be heaped on a spoon. Pour into 9x13 baking dish and let set up in fridge for 20 minutes or up to 3 days. Cut into 10 equal bars, carefully remove from dish onto a sheet pan and broil each side for 5 minutes or until slightly browned and crispy.

Heat coconut oil in large fry pan, add onions and peppers. Cook to soften about 5 minutes and push to the outside of the pan. Sprinkle sucanat in the center of the pan and add squash, tossing to coat in the sugar. Let caramelize on medium heat, turning once. Add garlic and tomatoes until garlic becomes fragrant and toss in purslane and herbs with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Plat up by placeing a scoop (about 1/2 cup) vegetables on a piece of broiled polenta, sprinkle with cheese and extra virgin olive oil.

Another polenta recipe I would like to try; Polenta Mini Pizzas

links; Real Food Wednesday, Works For Me Wednesday, Ultimate Recipe Swap, Cooking Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday, Things I Love Thursday, Pennywise Platter

Fermenting Foods

2011-06-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

It has been on my list of things to learn/try/implement for quite a while. This last month I have expanded into vegetables and condiments with success! I can't wait to drum up some great posts to share what I have done. Like most things, it is so simple once you have been through the process a few times.

Right now you can register for a free webinar next Monday at 10 am PST by Wardee from Gnowfglins. This webinar is all about fermented foods! If you can't make it, you can still sign up and catch the recording at your convenience.

Cheesy Kale Chips

2011-05-03T21:29:00.005-07:00

My kale chips have evolved already. We have a lot of kale still, so I have done a lot of experimenting. The simple recipe that I started out with was fine for crushing and sprinkling on pizza, sandwiches and noodles. Two of my kids actually ate them plain in large quantities, I was impressed, but there was a definite after taste that kept me from snacking.

One of my readers had mentioned a local olive mill that makes great olive oil. A few weeks after, my Backyard Farmer was offering their lovely products. I was hooked instantly and started trying my new dipping oil (a blend of extra virgin olive oil, basalmic vinegar and herbs) on everything. You know it ended up on kale and made them delicious on their own. Now all three kids downed them. I snacked some and sprinkled liberally on many plates. We went through 3 lbs of kale in a week. I was happy with making the rest of my plants this way to get them out of my garden for the season.

But a couple weeks later, at the Phoenix Farmer’s Market, we got a sample of kale chips with more substance. After checking the ingredients, I said no, thank you to the 3 ounce bag for 7 bucks and soon after pulled up a plant to get started on my own. They were an instant hit. I had to keep the kids (and myself) from eating too much at a time. Even my husband thought they were pretty good and he is an avid anti-kale person.

I used my awesome dehydrator that I got for my birthday. The first batch I did raw and the second I decided to heat to 150 degrees. The end result was hardly any different. Raw kale, although full of enzymes, can be hard on digestion and thyroid. I was reminded of this when the kids wanted me to come see what they did in the toilet. A low heat bake is a happy medium.

So, what makes these cheesy? Not cheese! I used ground raw cashews (that I soaked and dehydrated first) and nutritional yeast. At the market, they also added red pepper. The nuts stick to the kale making the chips thicker and sweeter with a cheesy tang. Love it!

2 lbs kale

1 tablespoon lemon juice

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

½ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup raw cashews, ground

1 tablespoon nutritional yeast

Strip the kale from the tough stems, wash, dry and set aside. Make a dressing in a large bowl with the oil, lemon juice and salt. Toss kale to coat. Sprinkle with fine ground nuts and nutritional yeast. Toss again. Place kale in a single layer on dehydrator sheets or baking pan. Dehydrate for 2 hours at 150 degrees or bake for 1 hour at 200 degrees, turning halfway through cook time.
links; Hearth and Soul Hop, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Real Food Wednesday, Works For Me Wednesday, Encouragement is Contagious

Real Food for Rookies

2011-05-02T03:17:00.003-07:00

If you are a newbie at all this raw, local, pastured, fermented, nourishing, real food that I talk about here on Taste is Trump, then I am about to hook you up! Kelly the Kitchen Kop is relaunching her Real Food for Rookies Class and you will love it. Taking this class will save you stress, agony and cash while you are transitioning your diet. It will save you from wasting your money on organic milk and other foods that claim to be healthy, while pointing you down the right aisles to shop. Kelly also does an amazing job at putting together research so that you get the best information, saves tons of time sifting through the internet. Tried and true recipes, entertaining and all in the comfort of your own home, in your p.j.'s. It is a beautiful thing. $190 for 12 classes. Check out her page. If you act fast, meaning TODAY, she has a special promotional price of $145 and by using the coupon code "REALFOOD" (also expires at midnight) you save an additional $25. Also, you can try winning this class by entering Cheeseslave's giveaway.
links; Monday Mania, Menu Plan Monday

Carrot Cake Breakfast

2011-04-28T21:32:00.003-07:00

Testing week in elementary school. I understand the need to measure learning and collect data to improve teaching methods, but I picture a room full of 7 year olds trying to concentrate on a piece of paper for more than their attention span is capable. How accurate are these results, really? Not that I could come up with a superior system. Anyway, the first grader came home from school last Friday telling me I needed to make something healthy for breakfast every day this week. With a smirk, I agreed.

My first thought was vegetables :) I had made this interesting cereal a few times before, I thought it was surprisingly good, but 2 out of 5 family members did not agree. I adapted it slightly using the ingredients for carrot cake as my inspiration and came up with a new version that we could all enjoy. Next time I think I will make it parfait style, layering the carrot mixture with the yogurt mixture. Testing, what a great excuse to try new recipes.

1 cup yogurt

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/8 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon cardamom

1 tablespoon chia seeds

1 ½ cup grated carrots

1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

¼ cup raisins

½ cup shredded coconut

Combine yogurt, syrup, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, cardamom and chia seeds. Mix well and let set up 5 minutes (or overnight in the fridge). Toss carrots, nuts, raisins and coconut in a bowl and top with yogurt mixture.
links; Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Things I love Thursday, Cooking Thursday, Foodie Friday, Fightback Friday, Simple Lives Thursday, Things I Love Thursday, Frugal Friday, Finer Things Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Recipe Swap, Sweet Tooth Friday

Herbed Smoked Salmon Yogurt Cheese Spread

2011-04-25T21:52:00.002-07:00

Have you made yogurt cheese? It is a great way to make your yogurt thicker to any degree. Just pour into a fine cheese cloth, tie the ends, let it hang and drip into a bowl (I use a wide vase) A short drip of 2-4 hours will just give you a creamier yogurt like a Greek yogurt. 4-6 hours yields a great sour cream replacement that makes great veggie dips. To make a cream cheese consistency, you will need to drip for 6 hours, open cloth, scrape, stir and turn contents to loosen, then drip 4 more hours. For this recipe I used a cheese somewhere between sour cream and cream cheese.

4 ounces smoked salmon

1 small shallot, finely minced

¼ cup fresh herbs, minced

4 ounces yogurt cheese

¼ teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour to let flavors meld. Spread on a fresh English muffin.
links; Hearth and Soul Hop, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Tasty Tuesday, Monday Mania, Happy Homemaker Monday, Menu Plan Monday

Spinach and Feta Frittata with Puff Pastry Topping

2011-04-20T21:27:00.001-07:00

I love holidays for the opposite reason most people do. I dislike buying things, so shopping for Easter baskets, candy and toys for the kids take a backseat and get little thought. Visiting an Easter bunny is all a big joke to me. I hate spending time on extravagant projects for the perfect centerpiece. I loathe dying eggs and honestly, am not too fond of big family gatherings. I love my family, just much rather enjoy them one on one than in a huge group.

So what’s there to love? Peace. There are no demands from the outside world. Nobody expects me to go to meetings, rushing here and there or get anything substantial accomplished. The phone is silent (except for happy greetings from distant family), the doorbell goes dormant, therapies and other reoccurring appointments are canceled. I can focus on the kids, cook up a storm and maybe even gather enough treasure around the house with last season’s plastic eggs for an egg hunt. Low key.

What are your Easter plans?

How about serving up something special on Easter morning? Though frittatas are like the lazy cook’s quiche, they are great for using up leftovers and a quick new way. With puff pastry and lots of sharp cheese, this version is has quite the stage presence.

1 tablespoon butter

1 shallot, minced

½ pound spinach

2 tablespoons fresh oregano, minced

6 eggs

1 cup feta cheese

½ cup cheddar cheese

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ teaspoon lemon zest

½ batch puff pastry, cut into 3x3 pieces

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large oven proof fry pan (12 inch cast iron), melt butter and sautee shallot. After 1 minute wilt spinach thoroughly and add oregano. In the meantime, whip eggs with cheeses, nutmeg, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Pour mixture over spinach, mix gently to distribute spinach evenly. Place pastry pieces on top of eggs. Brush with egg wash or cream and sprinkle with coarse salt if desired. Bake for 20 minutes.
links; Works for Me Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday, Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Things I love Thursday

Vertical Growing

2011-04-16T14:59:00.001-07:00

All pumped for my next class! One of the things that saved me in my efforts to garden was vertical growing. Living on a city lot, I do not have a lot of space to grow all the many desires of my heart. Also, my neighborhood is established, so we have big trees that are great for electricity but really limit growing space. I am so limited in my yard that I have exactly one area that gardening is even possible and wouldn't you know it gets shade from our neighbors huge palo verde tree from 1pm on?

Contrary to Arizonian belief, vegetable plants produce best when given full sun all-day-long, NOT afternoon shade. 20% shade cloth directly above your plants helps when growing through July and August, but morning AND afternoon sun is so, so important.

I learned these vertical growing methods from Jim Kennard, President of the Food For Everyone Foundation at a garden seminar I attended a couple years ago. It has changed my gardening methods drastically for the better. This picture up top shows the perfect set up, however it is not my own. I have had to cut some corners because of time, money and skill level. The picture below is of my own garden last June, with my son and his fresh picked tomato that he stuffed with something, it was his own recipe.

I am offering 2 classes on vertical growing that will also include the important skill of pruning. By using these methods in your own garden, you are sure to increase yields and success in your garden. Contact me at TasteisTrump@gmail.com to register.

Buzzing in the Garden

2011-04-13T15:10:00.003-07:00

This is the time of year that nothing can keep me out of the garden. I put off doing so many things in the house just to go out and do some pruning, weeding, planting, transplanting, watering and fertilizing. I am really getting behind, I need to have some discipline!

Right now the whole backyard is buzzing with bees. They are everywhere, but especially love the blackberry bushes. I am typically pretty relaxed about the constant hum in my ears. Next month we will receive 2 bee packages that will be placed in vertical box "Warre" hives and have our own colonies pollinating our garden. Which means we will have over 100,000 bees working on some delicious backyard honey! I really hope they are as friendly as all the bee's currently buzzing around my garden because I like the fact that I have never been stung.

Good work, little guys. You have given us a lot of berries to look forward to.
links; Works For Me Wednesday, Things I Love Thursday, Simple Lives Thursday

Spring 2011 Class Schedule

2011-04-08T22:16:00.001-07:00

At last, it is staying lighter later in the evenings, which opens up my final set of classes this season. I will be repeating the three gardening classes for all those who have day time conflicts. Please register early, if I do not have at least four people registered on the day before the class it will be cancelled.

As always, these classes will be held at my home in East Mesa. Contact me via email at TasteisTrump@gmail.com with questions or to register. Tell your friends and receive a free blackberry shoot. When they register, make sure they mention you sent them. Class fee will be collected at the start of class. No children please.

Fertilizing

The 13 nutrients all plants need.

Monday, April 11 from 10 to 11 am

$10 per person

Vertical Growing and Pruning

Get more from your vining crops.

Monday, April 18 from 10 to 11 am

$10 per person

Kefir 101

Get started with water and dairy kefir

Monday, April 25 from 10 to 11 am

$15 per person

Garden Planning

What, where and water.

Thursday, April 21 from 6 to 7 pm

$10 per person

Fertilizing

The 13 nutrients all plants need.

Thursday, April 28 from 6 to 7 pm

$10 per person

Vertical Growing and Pruning

Get more from your vining crops.

Thursday, May 5 from 6 to 7 pm

$10 per person

My Slaw

2011-04-07T21:27:00.001-07:00

Preschool field trip today, I am good and worn out! It was my first time to the Children’s Museum of Phoenix. It was an awesome place to chase the kids around. I’ll admit there was a bit of racing heart hide and seek. Really, my little 5 year old is the greatest kid living, we enjoyed our day out together not to mention the rockin’ picnic lunch.

Yesterday I was thinking about a good way to use up the rest of the napa cabbage in the fridge. It was already shredded from when we had fish tacos earlier in the week. Yum. The Backyard Farmer had just dropped a nice bag of pablano peppers and my favorite kinnows; honey mandarin oranges. The green onions in the garden that are about to flower, I estimate 1 large garden green onion equals at least 4 green onions. With that, I decided to throw together my own slaw and it was GOOD! Please share? Oh, you know I will.

1 head cabbage, sliced thin

4 green onions, sliced thin

1 pepper, chopped

3 fresh mandarin oranges, sectioned and halved

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon pepper

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and refrigerate at least 2 hour before serving. It will look dry, like it doesn’t have enough dressing, but the salt will break down the cabbage in time and it will release plenty of liquid.

links; Foodie Friday, Fightback Friday, Simple Lives Thursday, Things I Love Thursday, Frugal Friday, Finer Things Friday, Fresh Bites Friday

Chia Sale

2011-04-05T20:12:00.002-07:00

In a perfect world, this good deal would have been right in my recent post for Chia Pudding, which also suggested other uses for the super food. Still, I couldn't let this deal go unposted here, what kind of friend would I be?

Save 10% on Amazon with the code "NUTICHIA." Plus an additional 15% off when you use the subscribe and save. Here is what you end up getting; 14 ounce 2 packs for $11.53. 3 pound bag for $19.15 and 10 pound bag for $45.00 (that's what I bought). Free shipping if you spend $25.00 or more. These all end up being more than $1.00 per pound cheaper than Azure, which is my regular best price.
links; Works For Me Wednesday

Au Gratin Medley

2011-04-01T05:56:00.003-07:00

I totally made this up and it was totally perfect, love it when that happens! I have been eating veggies straight from the garden lately because I have random root veggies and winter greens scattered around that are very mature and are only going down hill from here. Out with the old and in with the new. I organized my garden this year so that a couple rows can be turned off completely in the summer to save on water during the desperately hot month when nothing really grows, just barely survives.

I love good au gratin potatoes. Chef Brad had a café for a short time where he served the most awesome sweet potato/potato mix of potatoes au gratin. He wouldn’t give me the recipe and I searched and tried to figure it out. It has been too long now that I can’t remember the flavors.

It was like 90 degrees today, so I didn’t want to do the oven. I knew it was important, because with the direct heat, to have the potatoes on the bottom of the pan. With the higher sugar in beets and sweet potatoes, they would burn. The potatoes formed a nice crispy crust, yum. I used my mandolin to slice all the veggies nice and it all came together quickly.

4 tablespoons butter

2 medium gold (or other baking) potatoes

1 sweet potato

1 medium beet with greens

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

½ cup cream

1 cup sharp cheese, shredded

Peel and slice all vegetables in rounds of uniform thickness (1/8) inch. Remove the stems from the beet greens, roughly chop and set aside. Heat butter in large fry pan on low. Arrange 2 layers of potatoes in the bottom of the pan, sprinkle ¼ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Follow with a random assortment of the rest of the roots, including any extra potatoes. Sprinkle salt and pepper every 2 layers. Pour cream over the top and cover for 15 minutes. Place beet greens on top and sprinkle with cheese. Cover once more for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, let cool 5-10 minutes and serve.
links; Fight Back Friday, Foodie Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Recipe Swap, Finer Things Friday

Sowing Millions Project

2011-03-31T14:56:00.000-07:00

Seeds of Change is a company who is committed to preserving biodiversity and promoting the use of sustainable organic agricultural practices. They sell organic products like salad dressing, pasta sauces and rice. The company is currently doing a Sowings Millions Projects to spread their philosophy. When you sign up you get 25 seed packets for the price of shipping $4.99 (approx. $75 value). Seeds of Change will also give a matching donation to the American Horticultural Society. You do not get to choose the types of seeds you would like, but they are all organic and non-genetically modified.

Speaking of seeds, don't forget to register for Garden Planning Monday, April 4. We will be discussing high value crops, organization of rows and watering systems.

Chia Pudding

2011-03-28T20:51:00.005-07:00

For breakfast, a snack, dessert or a cute, green furry pet. Ch-ch-ch-chia.

While the chia seed is not cheap, when you look at it's nutritional profile it kinda is. It contains more iron than spinach, more antioxidants than blueberries, more fiber than beans, more calcium than milk, and more potassium than bananas. Not to mention that it is a complete protein and an excellent source of omega three's. This is a super food in it's own right and versatile as all get out.

Add a couple tablespoons to your smoothies. Use to thicken sauces by just mixing in the seeds (about 1 tablespoon per 1/2 cup) and letting the mixture set up for 20 minutes. You can make a "chia gel" by mixing 2 tablespoon seeds and 1 cup water, refrigerate overnight. This gel is flavorless, will keep for a month and can be used in yogurt, salsa, soups, and salad dressings. Chia gel is also a great egg replacement; 1/4 cup gel equal 1 egg in a recipe.

One of my favorite uses for chia seeds is chia pudding. A really flexible recipe. You can go basic with just the seeds milk and sweetener. Vanilla adds a nice flavor and I love the spices, but you could also go chocolate by mixing in 2 tablespoons cacao or cocoa powder, this would slightly hide the brown specks in the pudding. My favorite milk to use in fresh coconut milk, almond milk is excellent, but cow's milk or goat's milk would do the trick too. As always; the creamier the better!

3 cups milk
1/2 cup chia seeds
1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a quart jar. Stir well and refrigerate overnight. Especially great with sliced strawberries, bananas, peaches or mangoes mixed in before serving.

How do you like your chia?
links; Hearth and Soup Hop, Menu Plan Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt My Tummy Tuesday, Happy Homemaker Monday, Monday Mania, Fight Back Friday, Recipe Swap, Finer Things Friday

Spring 2011 Class Schedule

2011-03-25T12:01:00.000-07:00

Spring has sprung! I can’t get enough of this weather or of the garden. I am completely consumed with it right now, excited about he blossoms and the emerging fruit. On my birthday we stopped by Agritopia in Gilbert where we took a stroll in a community garden. LOVE <3. They had a large area set up with 14 foot square plots, people were tending to their plants and discussing methods and hiccups in growing. Gardeners are wonderful people.

I did a gardening class earlier this year, it was lots fun, I learned a lot and met lovely people. The class ran very long and many of my main points were skimmed because there is just so much to discuss! I reorganized my material into three, more in depth, classes that include valuable information.

These classes will be held at my home in East Mesa. Contact me via email at TasteisTrump@gmail.com to register. Class fee will be collected at the start of class. No children please.

Garden Planning

What, where and water.

Monday, April 4 from 10 to 11 am

$10 per person

Fertilizing

The 13 nutrients all plants need.

Monday, April 11 from 10 to 11 am

$10 per person

Vertical Growing and Pruning

Get more from your vining crops.

Monday, April 18 from 10 to 11 am

$10 per person

By popular demand:

Kefir 101

Get started with water and dairy kefir

Monday, April 25 from 10 to 11 am

$15 per person

Huevos Rancheros

2011-03-23T21:38:00.003-07:00

When the stars align we enjoy this classic Mexican dish; breakfast lunch or dinner. We eat a lot of Mexican food around here. Sometimes it is nice to mix it up, same great flavors but a completely different combo. Typically this meal is all about leftovers, hense the stars align reference. I use my flour or corn tortillas and green chili beans. Sautee some hash browns, fry some eggs, yummo.

If you ever find yourself at Liberty Market during breakfast hours, they have a burrito variation of this that is excellent.

1+ tablespoon coconut oil
2 medium potatoes, grated or cut into matchsticks
1 pepper (sweet or hot) diced
1/2 onion, diced
1 cup pinto beans
4 eggs
1/4 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
salt and pepper
6 warm tortillas

Cook and brown potatoes in coconut oil in a fry pan over medium heat. When mostly cooked, push to the side and sautee veggies. After about 5 minutes add beans and salt and pepper to taste. Cook and season eggs (we like over easy) in a separate fry pan. Mash them and divide amongst the tortillas. Sprinkle each taco with cheese and add a couple scoops of hash browns and top with the bean mixture. Optional topping include sour cream (kefir cream), salsa and guacamole.
links; Simple Lives Thursday, Things I Love Thursday, Cooking Thursday, Fresh Bites Friday, Foodie Friday, Recipe Swap, Frugal Friday, Finer Things Friday, Fightback Friday

Low Nitrogen

2011-03-21T20:37:00.002-07:00

I had a great visit from my Mom and sister a few weeks ago. Then I enjoyed my kids (and a bit too much racquetball) over spring break. Now things are getting back to normal and I am tidying up my garden. Thought I would write some quick thoughts on the blog before I go out tomorrow to celebrate my birthday :)

I got my soil tested, and it was way low in nitrogen while everything else was great. Plants need nutrients to thrive as much as we do, lack of fertilizer is a common problem in home garden's. Slow growing plants, light green foliage, small fruit, lack of flowers, all point to botanical starvation. Since I already have my garden all planted out, I can't incorporate the dose of nitrogen that my garden needs all at once or I would kill many seedlings. I applied a half dose of blood meal, a slow absorbing source of nitrogen, followed by fish emulsion, which has quick absorption but is very low dose so it doesn't burn. After our great day of rain today, all those nutrient could really get into the root zone and start to break down to become available to the plants!

In a couple weeks I will fertilize with all 13 essential plant nutrients to get my soil to optimal nutrient levels for a great summer growing season. I continue to do follow ups with fish emulsion every couple weeks. Bring on the sunshine!!

What are your fertilizing routines? Do you have a good way to keep your nitrogen up for the full growing season?

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2011-03-15T23:09:00.005-07:00

Extra virgin olive oil is the only safe for consumption vegetable oil. High in antioxidants, ideal for salad dressings and does not upset the omega 3 to 6 ratio that is so out of whack in the American diet.

Get Zoe Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 1 Liter Tins (Pack of 2) for only $17.10 shipped with you combine the subscribe & save option with coupon code ZOEOLIV5 at check out. Or 2- 25.5 ounce organic tins for $13.65.

Subscribe and save sets you up with an automatic shipment plan, but if you want to cancel you can do so under “Your Account” and “Manage Subscribe & Save Items.” Prices fluctuate on Amazon, so verify this price before completing your order.

I love that this olive oil is organic and in a tin that keeps light out verses plastic or glass bottles. The reviews on the site are very good.
links; Real Food Wednesday, Works For Me Wednesday

Plant a Seed

2011-03-08T23:22:00.000-07:00

There are many great movies out that are motivating to take a good look at your eating habits. They are an easy way to plant a seed in a loved one's mind.

I have not seen a whole lot of them, but would love to catch up and would enjoy hearing your recommendations. King Corn is next on my list. Super Size Me and Food Inc. were both well done. I also love foodie movies like Ratatouille and Julie and Julia.

Right now, Groupon has a coupon for 5 Blockbuster Express rentals for $2. Check it out. It is a little tricky because after you sign in, you will go to the arrow by the city at the top of your page and choose the letter "P" in the drop down menu. Then, select Philadelphia. On the right hand side, under "More Great Deals Nearby" find the Blockbuster Express and click to view and buy as normal.

If you have never used Groupon, it is something worth looking into. We have gotten some really good deals on food and entertainment, but they have other deals on health and beuty and savings at retail stores. You don't have to buy anything to sign up, but when you do, you can get email updates with new deals daily.

Orange Julius

2011-03-03T22:23:00.001-07:00

Thanks to my eldest, we keep pretty stocked in the fresh squeezed orange juice department. He has got a love for gadgets and has taken a liking in to my grandma's simple little electric juicer. I can't believe that thing is keeping up!

The orange juice is amazing, but straight juice can be a little hard on the system in quantity. So I formulated this healthy beverage that is more balanced and nourishing.

I have been using coconut milk because we got two fresh coconuts in our bountiful basket last week. You could use almond milk or whole milk. The egg adds extra creaminess, flavor and beefs up the snack. I have read about raw egg whites blocking absorption of B vitamins, so you may want to research that to decide if you want to leave that out. Sweetener is also optional, it is not entirely necessary, but if you have a sweet tooth, a little bit of maple syrup or coconut sugar makes it a nice treat. I have found that honey is hard to incorporate with cold things.

I haven't had a real Orange Julius in more than 10 years. It is probably more accurate to say this is my first real orange julius since the establishment serves something that is hardly real. It is made with orange juice concentrate and a lot of powders. One is called a "flavor enhancer" and contains; Modified whey solids, maltodextrin, egg white solids, sugar, karaya gum, natural and artificial flavors, corn syrup solids, guar gum, modified food starch, dipotassium phosphate, titanium dioxide, xanthan gum, dextrose. Yikes!! Apparently much of this stuff is illegal in Canada because the chain has to use a different formula there which only has six of the fourteen ingredients.

2 eggs
1 cup orange juice
1 cup milk
1 cup ice
1 pinch salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
maple syrup or coconut sugar(optional)

Blend all ingredients well and serve.

We got a Magic Bullet from my mother in law for Christmas and it makes these extremely well :)
links; Simple Lives Thursday, Cooking Thursday, Things I Love Thursday, Finer Things Friday, Frugal Friday, Fightback Friday, Recipe Swap, Fresh Bites Friday.

Kale Chips

2011-03-01T23:15:00.004-07:00

I have these 3 big kale plants in my garden, my side salads a couple times a week were not making a dent in them. I remembered hearing about cooking it up in the oven into crispy chips. One afternoon I made a batch with my 5 year old, Brik, who loves to help in the kitchen. Brik has been looking for something that he can make and sell like his big brother. I told him that after we finished the first batch he would need to eat a serving to see if it tasted good because he can only sell things that are yummy :)

He agreed that it did, he has made a few batches on his own and has earned $5. Here is his very own instructional video;

links; Fightback Friday, Fresh Bites Friday, Foodie Friday, Frugal Friday, Finer Things Friday, Recipe Swap

Garden Journal {February 2011}

2011-02-28T05:00:00.002-07:00

I can't believe the strawberries are already coming on. I've already lost some of them to bugs, not sure what I'm going to do about that. Really looking forward to my spring garden!! Harvesting loads of kale and parsnips right now. Beans just coming up and did cucumber and zuchinni starters last week. Hoping the snap peas will bud again soon and I have many pepper plants that I am hoping take off for their second year.

After the rain, I found about 8 volunteer tomato plants, so I can save my money there. I did buy a pot of brandy wine's at the farmers market because they looked so lush and beautiful. They were about 8 weeks old and I got 3 for $10, hard to pass up. There is a new farmer's market in Gilbert right by my favorite restaurant, Liberty Market. It is Saturday mornings, I got to make it over there one of these days.

Just loaded some podcasts on my ipod from Preparedness Radio. They do a weekly show with Jim Kennard who speaks on the Mittleider Method, which has taught me a lot about gardening. You can check it out at the Food for Everyone website.

I would really like to put together more gardening classes, there is so much interest. I need topic ideas. I am stuck at fertilizing and pruning. Throw me some ideas if you have them.
links; Menu Plan Monday, Happy Homemaker Monday, Monday Mania

Bonus Lesson

2011-02-26T22:04:00.001-07:00

Great opportunity to get a peak at Jenny's format. By signing up for her newsletter you will get free access to a mini lesson about fermented ketchup, french fries, fresh whey, and ideas to get your kids to eat fermented foods. Enjoy.

Monday is the last day to register for the series at the price of $149, which is a savings of $50.

College Student Cooking {Salads}

2011-02-24T14:39:00.003-07:00

Dear Kate,

Your new salad spinner will soon be your best friend. It is not just for crisping, washing, drying and storing lettuce. Wash berries, grapes, green beans, snap peas and other produce by filling the bowl with water, letting the dirt settle and lifting the food easily out of the bowl. My spinner get’s daily use.

You can store your produce already washed right in the container, but I know that fridge space can be hard to come by. To save greens in a more compact way, lay out a couple clean paper towels. Place the clean and mostly dry lettuce in the center and roll like a sleeping bag. Place the roll in a zip top bag and place it in the front area or door of the fridge. You don’t want it to get too cold. It will keep nicely for a week this way.

I know you love salad and need no convincing about it being a good thing to eat, but there is a little bit I would like to share in regards to dressing. First off, vegetables need a good dose of fat with them in order for your body to be able to absorb many of the nutrients, so stay clear of the ever common “low fat” varieties. Secondly, the fat needs to be a good fat, which is really hard to come by in anything not homemade. Stay away from vegetables oils like corn, soy, safflower, cottonseed and canola. These are cheap oils that wreck havoc on the system. Sorry to say that restaurants use them almost exclusively, like I said, they are cheap.

Vegetable oils are extracted through chemical solvents, bleaching, deodorizing and high heat resulting in rancid oils that can promotes inflammation. The problem with these oils is that they are unstable and quickly oxidize. Oxidize fats damage tissue and cells in the body.

I suggest extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper for a really easy dressing. If you want a little variety, add some mustard, garlic, herbs or spices. You might even pick up some apple cider vinegar to have on hand. A little sweetener is great for dressing bitter greens. An egg yolk can make the dressing creamy and red pepper flakes for some heat. It really doesn’t have to be complicated and most dressings will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks if you want to make up a small batch to have on hand.

Eating in for salads not only saves money, but is also enormously better for your health.
links; Simple Lives Thursday, Things I Love Thursday, Cooking Thursday, Pennywise Platter, Fightback Friday, Finer Things Friday, Frugal Friday, Foodie Friday, Fresh Bites Friday

Sourdough Waffles

2011-02-21T05:09:00.007-07:00

I figured this one out many months ago and have been making it very regularly. For some reason, I can’t get it to work well for pancakes, but these waffles are killer. The sour is ever so slight and they cook up so crispy and tender. Of coarse, a good waffle iron helps too. These win over even the most intricate yeasted waffles that call for beating the egg whites separately and carefully folding them in. Bah, this is too easy!

Even though I use expensive oil and sweetener, without the kefir, which I used to use to soak the batter, this recipe is cheaper too. Besides, when you are working with sourdough, it starts to accumulate. You have to keep feeding it twice a day for it to get really nice. Sometimes I end up throwing out some so that there is room in the jar to feed it again. I hate waste and this recipe helps me to use the extra so I don't get a complex. Typically, I feed 1 cup starter with 2 1/2 cups spelt flour and 2 cups water the night before. Cover loosely and let set on the counter overnight. This is a wet starter. You want the batter to be pretty thin, makes for really light waffles.

I serve my waffles with butter, whipped cream, berries and homemade jam. Sometimes we go all out with this Carmel Banana Pecan Topping. YUM.

Be sure to register now for Sourdough 101 this Wednesday, we are going to make my favorite pizza and discuss the ins and outs of baking with sourdough. But if you must miss it, check out Jenny's online class on sourdough, another fermented food!

2 eggs

¼ cup coconut oil

¼ cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

¼ teaspoon salt

5 cups bubbly sourdough starter

2 teaspoons baking soda

Whip 2 eggs with oil, syrup, vanilla and salt. Mix in starter. Sprinkle baking soda over mixture and whip one more time. Pour onto hot waffle iron. Seriously, that’s it!

links; Menu Plan Monday, Monday Mania

Homemade Yogurt

2011-02-17T17:47:00.002-07:00

Everybody knows that yogurt is a deeply nourishing food. Calcium rich with a probiotic punch, this health food populates the gut with friendly bacteria which benefits digestion the whole day through. A good quality yogurt is inoculated with 5 live cultures, they will be listed on the ingredient label. Also, yogurts made with whole milk verses skim or powdered milks are much more close to nature and will be used by the body far more effectively. Another ingredient to be wary of is the sweetener used. Often it is a low grade processed sweetener and lots of it. Some yogurts are even sweetened artificially by aspartame.

Making yogurt at home makes good sense. It takes only 2 ingredients; milk and starter and no fancy equipment just a few jars. I use a countertop starter that cultures at room temperature, no warming to mess with! Ending up with a superior product for less money makes yogurt making a good skill to acquire.

Jenny at Nourished Kitchen is offering an entire ecourse on cultured foods, but if 13 classes is biting off more than you can chew, Jenny also offers a per class option.

March 4th is the class themed; Fermented & Cultured Dairy (I): Yogurt. This class includes 4 video tutorials, print tutorials, frequently asked questions sheets, 9 recipes and a recorded conference call to ask your own questions for $20. Check it out here.

In my experience, seeing a new technique from start to finish is the best way to gain the confidence to do it on your own.

If you really want to dive in, use the coupon code SOURPICKLES for $20 off the entire ecourse enrollment. This includes lifetime access, which I have found to be a huge benefit as I go back and relearn new methods. But hurry, this is the only coupon code that will be offered online and it expires on Saturday, February 19.
links; Fightback Friday, Frugal Friday, Simple Lives Thursday, Things I Love Thursday, Cooking Thursday, Finer Things Friday, Foodie Friday, Recipe Swap

I've Sprouted

2011-02-15T20:21:00.003-07:00

Sprouting was on my list of “to do’s” for many years before I actually dove in. Like any other new technique, once you go through the process yourself, it becomes a lot less complicated. I did have my share of bumps, I thought I would share here incase you are facing any of them at the present.

1) My seeds fall through the sprout trays. I bought a sprouting kit off of Amazon when I first got started. The seeds in the kit were too small for the sprouting trays. I thought I had to be doing something wrong…why in the world would they package these seeds with this tray? I put aside the tray and started using mason jars with mesh screens. Problem solved.

2) The sprouts get stinky after only a day or two with regular rinsing. I only had this problem with one packet in my starter kit. My guess is that it was the type of seed I was sprouting. I have since bought many other seeds and have never had this problem again.

3) I would completely forget about the jar of sprouts I had going in the cupboard and would find them days later with mold. I started keeping all my sprouted items in the sink or right beside the sink so I can’t forget.

I made it through the bumps and came out on top! Now sprouting is a breeze and hardly takes any thought…rinse, drain, repeat.

My favorite sprouting application is for flour. Check out my post here and many recipes. My friend, The Enlightened Homemaker, also has some great tips that she posted recently and don't forget tomorrow night's Sprouting 101 class.
links; Hearth and Soup Hop, Tuesday Twister, Tempt My Tummy, Tasty Tuesday, Works For Me Wednesday, Real Food Wednesday

Sourdough Chocolate Cupcakes

2011-02-10T13:38:00.004-07:00

At last, finding my knack with sourdough! Most of the time I have felt I have had to sacrifice flavor for the health of sourdough. I am coming out of it though and these completely divine cupcakes gave me a huge boost! Perfect for valentine's day. I am hoping to transform these cupcakes into an awesome layer cake for my sister's birthday.

I haven't baked a lot of cakes in my day, luckily my family just goes for anything sweet. I did a great lemon cake a few years back, but couldn't replicate it. Most of the time I stick to banana cake (banana bread with frosting) and carrot cake for birthday's because they are familiar.

Kate is spending her birthday with me and our dad and brother will be here too with some golfing buddies. I just don't think they will go for the "healthy cakes." {Evil cackle} Because this cake is healthy too and they won't even know it. Except for Kate, because she can handle the truth.

1 cup freshly fed sourdough starter

1 cup raw milk

2 cups spelt flour

1 1/2 cups coconut sugar

1 cup coconut oil

2 teaspoons vanilla

½ teaspoon almond extract (optional, may sub another flavoring of choice)

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 cup cocoa powder

2 eggs

Mix starter, milk and flour. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 8 hours. Don’t worry if it doesn’t get really bubbly. Cream together sugar, oil, vanilla, almond extract, cinnamon, salt baking soda and cocoa powder until mostly smooth and shiny. Add eggs and mix well. Pour in half of sourdough mixture and pulse 3 times. Scrape out remaining mixture and pulse until thoroughly mixed but do not whip vigorously. The texture is spongy like marshmallow cream. Ladle into lined muffin tins and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes and remove from pan to cool completely. Top with chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Ganache

1/2 cup heavy cream

8 ounces dark chocolate

1 teaspoon vanilla or other flavoring (mint would be really good)

Melt chocolate with cream, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, add vanilla. Let cool 20 minutes. Spread on tops of cooled cupcakes. The ganache will set up more in the next hour.
links; Things I Love Thursday, Fightback Friday, Finer Things Friday

Get Cultured

2011-02-08T22:21:00.003-07:00

Last summer there was a 3 week period when the cucumbers peaked and I was harvesting them by the dozen. We eat a lot of cucumbers on a daily basis, just ask The Backyard Farmer! When we had more than what we could eat, I tried to naturally pickle them. I’m not sure if I did everything right in the process though. They tasted okay and I ate them, but they were not delicious. My kids didn't like them and since I didn’t know if they were properly done, didn’t force it for fear they would make them sick.

I would love to be more confident at lacto fermenting foods. I started yogurt 7 years ago, dairy kefir 4 years ago and water kefir 6 months ago. It is time to really dive in and quicken my pace! When I got this email from Real Food Media about Nourished Kitchen’s new ecourse, I was giddy. This is Nourished Kitchen’s author, Jenny’s, third ecourse. I speak from experience when I say, she does the best job!

I love doing simple classes to get people in my area started on their journey to real food and traditional preparations. Jenny is able to reach the world with her technology skills and she covers each topic all the way through with video’s and print material. She uses principles taught in Nourishing Traditions and keeps things simple with plenty of room for your own variation.

Take a look at this promotional video;

Go here for more details and to register. If you know you want to get in on this class, don’t delay. Coupon code “SOURPICKLES” is good for $20 off and expires February, 19.

Enter to win this ecourse free from these real food sites:
Cheeseslave
Kitchen Stewardship
Kelly the Kitchen Kop

Green Chili Beans

2011-02-07T21:14:00.003-07:00

Beans are an excellent means in keeping your real food budget down. They are super nutritious and add bulk to any meal. There are two key items to note when making beans a regular part of your diet; soaking and fresh dried.

Soaking is imperative to proper bean digestion. Gut issues are so prevalent that many steer clear of beans entirely. While soaking will not alleviate all problems associated with an unhealthy gut, it is one piece to the puzzle. Once you get into the habit to think ahead, it becomes a very simple thing to do. To learn more about soaking, be sure to register for my class this Wednesday.

We started using a lot more beans since finding a source for fresh dried beans. The beans in grocery stores have been stored for a number of years before packaging, then stored some more before making it to the shelf on the grocery store. Fresh dried are from the most recent growing season resulting in a very noticeably superior product. They cook up so plump and tender every time.

This is one of my favorite bean recipes. I can the green chili sauce and chicken stock, actually I can beans too, but not enough to keep up with our needs! The green chili sauce is such a staple, if you don’t can, freeze it in containers and keep it on hand. It has such great flavor and many yummy applications. The sauce is pretty easy to make, but making a large batch once and having it stored it really the way to go.

3 cup fresh dried pinto beans, soaked overnight

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 batch green chili enchilada sauce

Strain beans from soaking liquid. Rinse well. Add to pot with stock and sauce. Simmer for 1 hour or pressure cook on high for 20 minutes, natural release.
links; Monday Mania, Hearth and Soul Hop, Menu Plan Monday, Happy Homemaker Monday, Frugal Friday

Freshly Fed

2011-02-05T21:30:00.002-07:00

I have been working more and more with my sourdough, a lot of trial and error. When I find something that really works I am ecstatic. I am up to three recipes now that earn the Taste is Trump stamp of approval. The stuff really baffles me. I am more of a cook than a baker. I like to just throw in what suits my fancy without dirtying any measuring cups. This often presents a problem in baking.

A long time ago I began working on making whole grain sandwich bread with sourdough starter. I have nearly given up. The only success I have had is when I use half white flour in the dough. Otherwise it is too sour, dense and crumbly. I have been following Kitchen Stewardships series on whole grain bread baking and am eagerly waiting for sourdough to show up.

In the mean time I have this recipe on my to-do list. Anyone want to join me in trying it out. The method is different than any I have tried, so that is promising.

So I have my pizza recipe, which turns out every time. Thanks, no doubt, to the white flour. I also have an awesome sourdough waffle recipe that I will be posting in a couple weeks to pump you up for my sourdough class. I have made this recipe every week for months now because it is the best! I don't know why I haven't posted it yet. Also, stay tuned next week for an amazing sourdough cake recipe that I am making for Kate’s birthday.

Enjoying the Fruits

2011-02-01T22:39:00.000-07:00

As we all enjoy this freezing weather, I enjoy the home canned goodness of my summer canning spree. Read all about it over at Finding My Niche. Author, Kami L., has attended my classes and has embraced whole foods within the last year. She is so inspiring as she shares her journey on her new blog. If you want to enjoy the fruits of your labors, there is still time to register for my home canning class this Thursday at 7:30 pm.

Millet Tortilla Soup

2011-01-31T20:39:00.003-07:00

I just love Mexican flavors, they seem to be made for vegetables. My husband is not crazy about tomato based soup, though he loves chili, go figure. This recipe has a mild, but nourishing chicken broth base. Sometimes I throw in a jar of tomatoes, because I love the things!

Even though the list of ingredients is long, do not be overwhelmed. This is a really quick soup to throw together and will turn out delicious even if you don't have an ingredient or two. So just use up what you have laying around.

I always try to make a large pot because it freezes wonderfully. Unfortunately we always eat more than I expect and there is not much left for freezing either way. It is great left over and is a great time saver to cook once and just reheat on the stove a few days later.

Relishing the cool weather and the end of soup season. Though I am NOT looking forward to covering my garden again this week! Enjoy and stay warm.

1/2 cup millet
4 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon coconut oil
2 carrots, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 small jalapeno
1 medium onion
3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 green onions, sliced
½ cup cilantro, chopped
2/3 cup frozen corn
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and pepper to taste
1 avocado - sliced
Pepper jack cheese
Tortilla chips

Cook millet in chicken stock (cooking chart). Sautee carrots, peppers and onions in coconut oil for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cumin, cook 1 more minute. Mix in millet, green onions, cilantro, corn, lime juice and salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with avocado cheese and chips.

links; Menu Plan Monday, Happy Homemaker Monday, Monday Mania, Tasty Tuesday, Tempt my Tummy, Tuesday Twister, Hearth and Soul Hop

February 2011 Classes

2011-01-28T20:13:00.008-07:00

Another mini series, this will be it until April. March is too crazy. I am having a blast getting to know new people and learning about their food journey's and aspirations. It is really motivating for me to learn more, apply more and teach more. These have been the most requested classes. They are for beginners, hence the "101." Those of you who need to see the process to feel confident, these classes are for you. If you have been soaking, sprouting and sour-doughing some, but have tons of questions, bring those and we will be sure to discuss them either during class or after. Share this post with friends that might be interested too.

I am open for suggestions for Spring classes. I am planning on doing kefir and yogurt because they are such great classes. Gardening was a popular one, maybe some demonstration in the garden before it gets too hot?

These classes will be held at my home in East Mesa. Contact me via email at TasteisTrump@gmail.com to register. Class fee will be collected at the start of class. No children please.

Soaking 101

How to make it happen in your kitchen.

Wednesday, February 9 from 7:30 to 8:30 pm

$10 per person

Sprouting 101

For salads and flour.

Wednesday, February 16 from 7:30 to 8:30 pm

$10 per person

Sourdough 101

Pizza making at it’s finest.

Wednesday, February 23 from 7:30 to 8:30 pm

$15 per person