As I explained in an earlier post, one of the best ways to fortify your gut with good healthy bacteria is lacto-fermentation, a process which results in some of the most mouth-watering foods around. My favorite is sauerkraut, but with a little whey and/or salt, you can ferment all sorts of veggies. Here is my sauerkraut recipe, step by step. Ingredients: 2 medium-large heads of Cabbage About 1/3 cup whey (optional) About 1 tbsp sea salt Herbs & spices (mustard seed, dill, caraway, pepper, bay leaf, juniper berries) (find it here) Directions: 1. Chop the cabbage into quarters. 2. Slice it into as long, fine strips as you can. Tip: The lid you see in the background of Step 1 is from our food processor; we tried to use it initially, but we found that it just diced the cabbage into bits. For this task, your hands and a sharp knife are […]
Three years ago I suffered from a severe facial staph infection. Over the course of six months my face turned beet red with daily flair ups and dryness. At the time I had no idea what the cause of it was. I slowly gave up sugar, gluten, spicy foods, alcohol, all to no avail. I finally discovered the root of the problem when a dermatologist tested my facial dermis for a topical staph infection. Happy ending? Yes absolutely; my skin infection went away in a matter of weeks. But amidst the myriad of tests I had to take, I learned something that totally shocked me: my gut flora was completely depleted of any good bacteria. In fact, the doctor asked me if I had taken any antibiotics recently because only someone who had been on an intense course of antibiotics could have as poor of gut flora as myself. I hadn’t taken any antibiotics in at least […]
Since we got our juicer I have been dreaming of freshly squeezed pineapple juice. I have been very patient to wait until pineapples were in season, March through July. While I am not completely a seasonal eater I still try my best to respect the seasonal changes and the food that changes with it. My body seems to adapt better from winter to spring if I am also adapting my food choices. Plus this pineapple really called my name. The whole process took under two minutes. We did not peel the pineapple, because the skin and core contain a lot of bromelain. Bromelain eases inflammation in the body and helps with digestive issues like heart burn or upset stomach. I would highly recommend it to athletes, since it helps heal injuries and sores. This juice is full of Vitamin C, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, Copper, and Manganese. However, it does contain fructose […]
We recently visited Deck family farm and purchased a meat CSA box from them. These delicious burgers were made with the ground lamb we got from them. I confess that since I moved to the USA I have been unable to eat lamb. It never tastes as good as the lamb my grandparents raised – at least until I had these lamb burgers. Deck Family’s meat lacks that too-strong sheepy taste that some lamb meat has, but still retains a robust and unique flavor. The feta cheese, cumin mayo, and marinated onions compliment the meat with zesty overtones. Grass-fed lamb is extremely nutritious for your body. It contains nearly as much omega 3 fatty acid as fish, as well as vitamin B3, B12, Selenium, Zinc, and Phosphorus – but only if it is grass fed! The recipe will again be presented by my husband, since he cooks burgers just right and I snap the pictures. ; ) […]
Today we visited Deck Family Farm. We have been interested in joining their CSA for a while now, but we wanted to see their animals first. The farm is open to visitors every day except Sunday. You do not need to make an appointment. The entrance is closed so the animals don’t get away, but you can remove the latch pretty easily and drive on in. The Deck family’s house. We spied employees preparing a wonderful-smelling community lunch in the kitchen. We were welcomed by a few workers who were more than happy to answer our questions and show us around. The manager of the farm gave us a tour, but he said you can always visit the animals by yourself, if you want! The first stop was the chicken house were this beautiful lady serves as the guard against wild predators. She was so excited when she saw new faces that she […]
Most people believe that raw milk and cream causes high LDL, (also known as bad cholesterol) levels in their blood stream. The media has bombarded us with information that vilifies raw milk not only because it is dirty but because of its allegedly “artery-clogging” fats. So we drink our skimmed, irradiated, vitamin D fortified, pasteurized milk, and yet heart attacks and cancer continue to skyrocket since the turn of the century. One has to pose the question: what are we doing wrong and what did our great grandparents do right? (To read part one of “The Problem With Milk” where I explore the history of pasteurized milk go here.) My grandparents owned a flock of sheep their entire life. They consumed copious amounts of raw cheese, milk, butter, and cream. My eighty-nine-year old grandma just finished planting her vegetable garden. My grandfather passed away last year at the ripe age of ninety-seven. He […]
