The Elusive “Sour” One of the foods I miss the most from back home is homemade, sour borscht – a dietary staple unique to Eastern Europe, in particular to Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, and parts of Russia. The essence of “borscht” in these countries is not beets, as it is commonly associated with, but rather the “sour” we add to the bone broth base. The “sour” – tasting almost like a combination of sauerkraut juice and kombucha – is made by old grannies in clay pots with fermented wheat germ, fresh well water, and a variety of esoteric herbs. It is a quite involved process, and most younger women don’t have the patience or knowledge to ferment it properly. I have been trying to get a starter going for a while, but besides simply lacking some of the skills and expertise, I am missing many of the herbs that my grandma used to add to use. A Suitable Substitute? […]
There are a lot of fad diets out there. Often, they claim to be the ultimate healing regime. They will cure you of disease or cancer, melt the extra pounds right off your midriff, or make you look ten years younger. As soon as I start reading something that tells me that once I perform one special routine or purchase certain brands, I will start feeling amazing and all my health problems will go away, I move on. Some of these schemes have some great things to offer, but I am skeptical of their good intentions. A couple of years ago an obnoxious website completely turned off any interest I had in the Alkaline Diet. Thankfully, I began studying more about the pH balance of foods in one of my nutrition classes, and, while I admit I was rather skeptical at first, what I have learned just might have changed my mind. […]
Looking for a delicious, gluten free desert for Valentine’s Day that is not full of food dye, sugar or white flour? Here is our one of our family’s favorite cake recipes, with bright pink frosting made from beet juice and sweetened with raw honey and maple syrup. This recipe is not original; it was inspired by the book Make It Paleo, which I absolutely love. But since this is what I make on all of our special occasions I decided to share the step by step recipe with you. Ingredients Cake Batter 7 farm fresh eggs 3/4 cup of warm coconut oil (find it here) 3/4 cup coconut flour 1/2 maple syrup 1 tsp baking soda One pinch of sea salt (find it here) Frosting: 24 ounces of cheese One beet 1/2 cup of raw honey Directions 1. Combine all the dry ingredients together and then add in the eggs […]
I love pop corn. I will choose a bowl of pop corn over sweet treats or desert almost any day. It is my favorite comfort food. But let’s face it: pop corn is not very nutritious. It’s mostly empty carbs. Has that stopped me from eating pop corn? No. Has it made feel guilty? Yes! So I have been trying to find a way to make my bowl of popcorn more nutritious. If you love popcorn as much as I do, yet feel guilty about eating it, here is a way to turn the empty calories into an explosion of immune boosting nutrients by adding coconut oil, nutritional, yeast, and Parmesan cheese. The coconut oil will provide you with medium chain fatty acids that will boost your immune system, help you loose unwanted weight, (source) support your cardiovascular health, (source), and support your glucose levels.Parmesan cheese will provide you with […]
Interested in making your own Greek yogurt from raw milk? Well here is a recipe so easy that the yogurt practically makes itself! I have spent a lot of time feeling discouraged by rather involved yogurt recipes. This is not one of them. Here is a list of things you will NOT need: a yogurt maker a cheese thermometer a special yogurt culture … I know, right? Ingredients Half a gallon of raw milk, or however much yogurt you want to make Two tablespoons of your favorite plain Greek Yogurt Directions 1. Pour the raw milk in a pot. 2. Place it on the stove on low heat. 3. Warm the milk over the stove till it reaches about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. You can heat it up higher, but you run the risk of pasteurizing the milk. I don’t know about you, but I am not interested in eating pasteurized yogurt. Read more […]
