The Kitchen rag

In this post I will explain why choosing to eat “organic” has some great benefits as well as some substantial drawbacks. I will begin by defining the word “organic”. This information is mainly focused on plants; dairy and meat products get their own treatment. According to the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) the term organic is used … Read more

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 … Read more

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 … Read more

I am delighted to announce that the winner of our first giveaway here on The Kitchen Rag is… Ronda C! (Ronda – please email me with your info within the next 48 hours to claim your prize.) Thanks everybody for participating! I hope you have a lovely holiday with your loved ones, and I look forward to seeing … Read more

Recently I started a class on micro nutrients. I was excited about all the new information I was learning until I realized sheepishly that some of my views on vitamins and minerals had to change.While I still buy a rainbow of fresh veggies and fruits plus a large variety of meats, to ensure the consumption of a balanced array of … Read more

A trip to the Emergency Room   Our last weekend started like any other: reading books, watching movies, and hanging out with friends. The nausea began Saturday afternoon while we were enjoying a good cup of tea and an interesting conversation at J-Tea. I chose to ignore it at first and attributed it to my … Read more

I never thought pizza would happen for me again after I gave up dairy last November. As I browsed through my recipe list, I sadly scratched pizza off the meals I could still enjoy. I’d been making pretty darn good gluten-free pizza for a few years now, but pizza with no cheese, I mean, come … Read more

After I posted the gluten free recipe I received quite a bit of feedback so this is a response to the questions some of you had and a further explanation of certain items I used in the recipe. Are almond flour and almond meal the same? Technically yes, they are both made out of ground … Read more

Although I am spending this Black Friday petting some cute goats on my friend’s farm and enjoying a delicious bowl of chili topped with lots of laughter and good conversation, I confess I did do some shopping on line. My weakness – books! Since I am such an avid reader I am always trying to … Read more

Attribution The idea for this post came during my sister-in-law’s baby shower, when some of the women in my life shared their experience with birth. While I am not an expecting mamma, I found the stories and the information fascinating. Afterwards, I asked my mother-in-law if she could write down her story and some of her advice … Read more