# Traditional Foods Thread: December 2004



## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

Hey ladies. It's December. Look alive everybody. Post an update.

And the last question posted, by Erin:

Quote:


Originally Posted by *dharmama*
Hey NT mamas. Can I pop in for a quick question?

My aunt is way into NT and I pulled her name for our Christmas present exchange. Can you suggest any gift ideas? We usually spend $50-75.

She owns NT and Dr. Price's book and she's already a member of local chapter.

I was reading my Mother Earth News mag the other night and thought she might like a subscription to that (especially since this month there are articles on root cellaring and pasture-fed animals).

Any other suggestions?

Thanks mamas!









~Erin (who is VERY interested in NT...but also vegetarian and trying to figure out how to reconcile the two







)

Good question. I'll think on it a bit. If you do the subscription you might also add Utne. I've been enjoying that a lot lately. It compiles cool articles from various publications and has some original articles. It definitely is environmental, substainable agriculture, etc. Always very inspiring and interesting.


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## xenabyte (Jul 16, 2004)

DOH, I posted on the old thread before I got down the 'unread' list far enough to see you started a new thread







I'll look for this one now.

Heather


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## toraji (Apr 3, 2003)

My update:
My mother, grandmother, and brother came to visit and my mom made us 3 gallons of kimchee! I now have more kimchee than I know what to do with.

Back to eating red meat and feeling better, though I still need more sleep as my brain is getting pretty scattered. I have some oxtail soup simmering on the stove right now.

I have cabbage to make sauerkraut, now I just need to find the time to shred and stomp.

Hmm...holiday gifts...I really want a Harsch fermenting crock, a Brix refractometer, and a milking goat. Other good gifts for an NT'er would be a dehydrator (for low temp drying of nuts and seeds, and jerky), traditional food cookbooks (ethnic ones like the Mexican ones from Diana Kennedy and Rick Bayless, The Joy of Cooking, "Growing up in a Korean Kitchen" by Hi Soo Shin Hepinstall, and probably more that I don't know of) and paleo-style cookbooks like The Garden of Eating Diet and the books by Dr. Mercola.

Some of those things would be pretty expensive though, like the dehydrator and the fermenting crock.


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## *solsticemama* (Feb 8, 2003)

Hope it's ok if I just jump in here. I've found the previous threads very helpful. We're just making the transition to a kind of NT/WAP/Mercola combo. I've started giving ds cod liver oil supps and taking fish and borage oil myself. We discovered kombucha at our HFS several months ago and







it but it's pretty $$ to buy. Can anyone post a link on how to make it yourself. Kefir blueberry smoothies are really popular with mama and ds. And we just bought our first package of Organic Pastures cheese







Oh boy is this cheese!!! It tastes so different from the regular kind.


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## xenabyte (Jul 16, 2004)

Here are the first two pages of a Kombucha info sheet I ship with Kombucha 'SCOBYs' and a Brew Info sheet, if you already have access to a Scoby. Alternatively, you could do everything in the 'brew info sheet' and then add in two bottles of store bought Kombucha, and let it brew for a few days longer...you will probably grow a 'mushroom' and then you will have your own. If the product you are buying is truely 'alive' and 'kickin' with Kombucha culture, this will work.

*Kombucha Culture (SCOBY) Info Sheet*

The Kombucha *SCOBY* Culture, sometimes mistakenly referred to as a _mushroom_, is actually a *S*ymbiotic *C*olony of *B*acteria and *Y*easts (the friendly type).

The Kombucha culture looks like a white rubbery pancake. The culture is placed in sugar sweetened black or green tea and allowed to ferment for about 7-10 days and turns the tea into a sea of health giving acids and nutrients.

The Kombucha culture feeds on the sugar and, in exchange, produces other valuable substances which change into the drink: glucuronic acid, glucon acid, lactic acid, vitamins, amino acids, antibiotic substances, and other products.

The Kombucha culture is, therefore, a real tiny biochemical factory.
Numerous improvements have been noted in overall health, including: increased energy, sharper eyesight, better skin condition, and improved 'eliminations' to name a few. (The list is really long and somewhat anecdotal, but personal experience is the best gauge for how it makes you feel).

The daily use of _controlled_ amounts of Kombucha Tea, along with improved diet (particularly increased water intake), can help to deal with a variety of ailments, and/or help to maintain good health.

Kombucha is a valuable supplement to health care, however, is not a substitute or replacement for established or required professional medical care. It is recommend that individuals stay open to input, use methods that work for you, and avoid extremist positions regarding your health care.

Numerous doctors and scientists have concerned themselves with the effects of the Kombucha-beverage as a home remedy. Many scientific works are at hand concerning Kombucha. They speak of its therapeutic effectiveness as based on glucon-acid, glucuron-acid, lactic acid, acetic acid, as well as the life-supporting vitamins C and the B-group. As has been proven especially by Russian researchers, many of its components have antibiotic and detoxifying characteristics, and they play a decisive role for the biochemical processes in the body.

Regardless of what you may read or hear, if you are making your own Kombucha Tea, it is strongly recommend that you:
Use of stainless steel or glass pots (for brewing the tea),
a large, wide mouth glass jar (for fermenting),
and wooden or plastic utensils to handle or strain.

You must avoid contact with metal containers/objects, in regards to care/storage of the fermented tea and the cultures themselves.

You should be careful regarding the amount of Kombucha Tea you use _initially_ to avoid stomach upset.

As a rule, most people should limit intake to:
*[A maximum of 2 oz., 2X daily (4 oz. total) to start]*

Excessive use (especially if you have not been consuming many fermented foods/drinks) might cause some physical discomfort until your body adjusts.

*Make it Yourself! No Problem if You Know How!*

The Kombucha beverage can be made in one's home for just pennies. Because the mushroom constantly grows, one can begin with a piece of a mushroom-tea membrane. You can prepare the Kombucha beverage right at home and pass the tea-mushroom from family to family as a sign of friendship and mutual helpfulness. Kombucha has high vitality and a great capacity for regeneration. If it did not have this high biologic energy, it would not have survived the long time span from its reported discovery in the Chinese Empire more than 2000 years ago until now.

Nowadays, there are occasional warnings - mostly coming from ignorance or economic interests - not to make the Kombucha beverage by oneself. Such warnings are justified, as far as you should definitely stick to a proven recipe and make sure you know things to look for if your batch should get mold or you use an unproven recipe and it ferments wierd.

As long as you work clean and abide by proven directions, then there is no hesitation in making the Kombucha drink. It's preparation just needs to be dealt with as with any other "open" foodstuffs in one's household. When abiding by proven instructions, one can produce an impeccable, tasty, wholesome and effective Kombucha beverage. The mushroom will increase and accompany its owner lifelong and serve him or her well.

*Here is a great website for more info: http://www.kombu.de/english.htm*

*Kombucha Tea - SCOBY BREWING INFO SHEET*

Using clean, unchlorinated water, filtered water:

Boil a gallon of water and add in 1 to 1.5 cups of white cane sugar. When it boils, turn it off and add in 8 standard size tea bags of black or green tea (I made regular Lipton tea until I knew what it should taste and smell like. Then I experimented with green tea). I like the regular black tea better.

Put a lid on and let it 'steep' for about 15 minutes.

Remove tea bags, and cover the pot again. Let cool to room temp. You could refrigerate or set the pot in the sink in cool water. (If in a hurry).

When the tea is luke warm or room temp, pour the prepared tea into a gallon size glass brewing container with a wide mouth and add the mother mushroom culture (SCOBY) AND the Kombucha liquid it came with. This pre-made Kombucha helps immediately lower the PH and gets it to fermenting asap.

Set the brewing container in a warm area (76F to 86F degrees) out of direct sunlight; cover the top of the container with a paper towel or coffee filter and secure with a rubber band. Try not to disturb the vessel by moving it around.

Let the tea ferment for 6 to 7 days then strain the tea off into another glass container and cool in the refrigerator until ready to drink. That's all there is to it!

Start the above procedure again, with either the new baby mushroom that will form on the top of the vessel, or use the mother (which sometimes sinks closer to the bottom).

*TIPS:* The day you are going to 'pour up' your Kombucha tea, have another gallon of tea made and cooled already, so either your mother or the new baby mushroom can quickly 'get to brewing' again. You do not want them sitting around for very long, without being in new tea or some of the brewed Kombucha.

When you go to remove the mushrooms, the mother and baby might be 'stuck' together, that's fine. Just wash you hands thoroughly, and place them on a clean plate or platter with some of the freshly brewed Kombucha. You will be able to 'peel' them apart and you can either place the baby or the mother in a baggie with 1 cup of the Kombucha and place in your refrigerator until you give it away or need it for brewing (keep for about 2 weeks, then compost if not going to use it.)

Once a 'mother mushroom' starts turning brown with age and from being in the tea solution, it's time to use a baby and compost the 'mother'.

Here is a website with a TON of info on making and keeping Kombucha: http://w3.trib.com/~kombu/


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Quote:

Hmm...holiday gifts...I really want a Harsch fermenting crock, a Brix refractometer, and a milking goat.
Thanks!! I bet my aunt would love a milking goat too!









Thanks again.

~Erin


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## member (Apr 15, 2002)

Osiyo! Please count me in as trad foodist, although I am still learning. I find these threads to be extremely helpful.







--- sg


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## TopazBlueMama (Nov 23, 2002)

:
Thanks for the new thread.

I have a question- I was just looking at the recipe index in NT for split pea soup. It says it is on page 251. But it's wrong! I can't find any recipes in the whole book for split peas! If anyone can check theirs out and let me know if it is just me, I'd be very appreciative. lol I have to use my split peas and don't know if they need to be soaked or not or what.

I've gotten more adventurous with bread making. Finally started my sourdough starter this month and have made the NT bread recipe. Right now the sponge for the Recycled grain bread recipe from Wild Fermentation is rising, I can't wait to see how it turns out.

The apple crisp in NT is very yummy.


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## memory maker (Dec 11, 2003)

well Im slowly incorporating the NT ideas into our diets. I have kefir every morning before breakfast. Last night I made some yogurt cheese. I will try it after my kefir. I havent been able to find raw milk, but only have organic. Same with eggs. We have a local farm that makes eggs with Omega 3's in them that are organic. My ds and I sprouted mung beans the other day and we all loved them.
One question-the stuff that drained off my yogurt to make the cheese...this is the whey right? So can I use that to soak my oatmeal in for tomorrow? Thanks for any info...Im still waiting on the NT book to come back to the library so I can check it out.

one other question-I just got some organic chicken sausage links with herbs. Any good ideas on what I should do with them for dinner?
Here is what is in them
Our chicken sausage is packaged 4 pieces to a 12 oz package. They are made from organic pasture raised chicken legs and all the other ingredients are 100% organic too: flour, salt, spices, and herbs. They are skinless so do not have another species' casing on them. These are fully cooked and taste great grilled or boiled. Both gourmets and kids like them. No gross parts are put in our sausages. We invented them so we could finally eat all the sausage we wanted worry-free.
Ingredients: Chicken pieces, Chives, White pepper, Black pepper, Sea salt, Water, Parsley, Coriander, Wheat flour, Mustard, Sweet basil, Sugar cane


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## BowenTherapist (Apr 25, 2002)

hi everyone!
i am so glad to see nt threads here








i have been into nt for a little over two years and a co leader here in ct.
anyway i saw a couple of questions i knew answers to so i thought i would de lurk









tweety~ the split pea soup is a varriation of the roman soup that is on the page you mentioned, it is at the bottom of the page

the whey left over from making yougurt cheese is good to use for soaking grains

also nt gift ideas... maybe a yogurt making crock they sell a cool one (not very expensive so you would also get other stuff, but kinda cool) you fill with hot water and it keeps itr at the right temp and it is made of pretty pottery. my friend has one but i don't know where she got it from, i imagine you could google it. maybe a basket with some celtic salt, a salt grinder, and some nt appropriate snacks... this site might have some things you might be interested in http://www.realfoodsmarket.com/rfm/
how great that you have a family member that is into nt, she would probably have some good info on how to eat veg, but still in an nt vein. if you want some ideas... switch to raw milk, use cultured butter(raw if you can get it), and soak your grains so they are better digested. with just those things you could be on your way







if you can look at your aunts book, or borrow from the library, read the grain, fats, and dairy section.


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

i borrowed a copy of NT yesterday and skim-read it from cover to cover this morning while dd napped. i'm so inspired....but also slightly overwhelmed by the multi-day processes.








hey lisa! where in ct are you? i'm in so. ri and looking for raw dairy sources!!


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## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

Hi ladies. Welcome everyone.

Not much new around here. We spent some time yesterday in the garden filling up empty milk jugs with warm water and putting them in the raised beds which are covered with plastic. The water will warm up during the day and release some heat at night. It has been awfully cold up here lately -- 20 degrees or less at night, about 40 some during the day. That's cold for us California folks.


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## toraji (Apr 3, 2003)

Welcome new faces! Glad to see you all!









Made my kraut this morning so hope it comes out well. The last few batches of fermented veggies that DH made we had to toss. So hopefully my batch comes out great so I can feel superior in my lacto-fermenting success. :LOL (kidding!)

I thought of another good thing for veggie NT'ers--make sure to use good fats and not the bad stuff like "vegetable" oil, canola, etc. Get in some saturated fats like coconut or palm oil. Avoid anything partially or fully hydrogenated. Extra virgin olive oil is good. I think that's the gist of it.

eta: Selu Gigage, I just saw your blog. What an excellent idea! I did a somewhat similar thing when I first started transitioning back to an omni diet--my heritage is Korean so I started trying to eat a traditional Korean diet. It was quite interesting and I learned a lot.


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## TopazBlueMama (Nov 23, 2002)

Thank you, Lisa! I found the Roman Lentil Soup recipe. The problem was it is on pg 215, not page 251- I guess they did a typo in my book. I guess I'll assume the split peas get soaked too.

The bread is cooking, I hope it turned out. I let it rise overnight and when I went to shape it into loaves, the dough would not hold shape at ALL. Maybe I needed more flour? Oh well-even when bread doesn't turn out at it's best-it always makes good toast!







mmm..with lots of butter and raw honey.


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Has anyone made the sunflower brownies (pg. 526)? I think I might try to make them this weekend.


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## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Found the december thread...









So my NT adventures continue and I am feeling better and better. The changes made in the last year include:

Eliminating Soy products except tempeh and miso occasionally
Soaking everything first with a bit of whey
Making my own youghurt and youghurt cheese
Making my own sourdough from spelt flour
Including bone broths
Making Kefir drinks, mostly juice and nutmilk kefir
Including Bison in the diet
Making all my own nutmilks, no milks from a container anymore (except dairy, gotta get that jersey cow :LOL)
Veg fermentation on a regular basis

Thats my update, Thanks for listening!

Toraji: What do you do with the pulp from your nuts when making nutmilk?


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## toraji (Apr 3, 2003)

mountain mom, I answered on the other thread.
http://www.mothering.com/discussions...3&postcount=79
I never really found a good use for it. But thinking about it now, I'll bet that you could make a pretty good "crumb" topping out of it--sweetened with maple syrup and mixed with soaked cracked oats, then toasted/dehydrated to a crisp.


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## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

I am thinking of trying to made somekind of crust for a youghurt cheese cake. Trying to create one item that connects to another in the kitchen. I think a youghurt cheese cake would be a great way to get some dense nutrients into dd and really into dh too!


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## 4cornersmamma (Aug 29, 2004)

I've been super busy but lurking. I just needed to subscribe to our NT mama's thread . . . again!!!

love you guys!


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## mz_libbie22 (Nov 8, 2004)

I moved this here since it seems more appropriate than starting a different thread...

Okay, since it's almost Christmas I need to start planning my holiday treats. I'm gonna use my NT book since the sweet stuff is pretty much sugar free. I was wondering about the cookie recipes. They all seem to call for Rapadura as a sweetener but no stores in the area carry it. Couldn't I just use honey, maple syrup, or agave necter instead? Or would they alter the taste too much? I'm thinking about doing the almond cookies and the peanut cookies...and also maybe the carob chip cookies







They all call for half a cup, so if you know how I could successfully substitute for it let me know.

I was also wondering if it's okay to use buttermilk in recipes that call for either regular milk or yogurt. Thanks!


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## BowenTherapist (Apr 25, 2002)

i tried the sunfower brownies and really liked them, but i did it in my dehydrator. i think next time i would have done it in the stove in a brownie pan for a better look and to make them thicker (they were really thin since i had to spread it on the platic "friut roll-up" sheet that came with the machine)

as far as milk sources goes i will cut and paste the real milk info link that aimee (co leader) compiled..."Here's what I have so far. I strongly suggest calling the farmers and asking where their raw milk is sold retail to possibly find a location closer to you. Please let me know of any sources you turn up. Thank you.
~~Aimee Bogush 203-393-9282 or [email protected].

Note: NofaMass.org recommends asking the following questions when deciding to purchase raw milk:
1)Are you licensed to sell raw milk?
2) Is your milk tested regularly for bacteria, coliform and somatic-cell counts?
3) Are your cows grass-fed (pasture in the summer and hay or baleage in the winter)?
4) Do you use pesticides, herbicides, hormones or antibiotics?

In Connecticut

Cornwall Bridge
Local Farm
Debra Tyler
22 Popple Swamp Rd.
(860) 672-0229
6-month shares-Milk only
(in glass bottles)
Sold at New Morning 738 Main Street South, Woodbury, CT 06798 (203) 263-4868

Stone Wall Dairy, LLC,
RT 7, 3 miles south of Cornwall Bridge.
Phil Widing (860) 868-2371. State licensed raw milk from Jersey cows

Enfield
Smith's Trinity Farm
4 Oliver Rd.
(860) 745-0751 Fax: (860) 745-0751
Trinity Farm offers pasteurized or raw milk bottled in our dairy. Cream, cheeses, fresh eggs, and our own ice cream are also available.

Kent
IGA supermarket sells raw milk from Local Farm.

Lyme
Beaver Brook Farm
139 Beaver Brook Road
(860)434-2843 www.beaverbrookfarm.com.
Raw milk, yogurt, and cheeses from cows and sheep.

Mansfield Center
Foxfire Farm
Elisa Santee
85 South Bedlam Rd.
(860) 455-0739 Fax: (860) 455-0739
Sold at New Morning 738 Main Street South, Woodbury, CT 06798 (203) 263-4868
Chamomille in Danbury, The Natural Healthy Gourmet in Southington, The Willimantic Food Co-op, Edge of the Woods in New Haven, Foodworks in both Old Saybrook and Guilford, Orchard Hill Market in Branford. No on-farm sales.

Monroe
Fred Pulaski
(203) 268-0359

Oxford
Ajello's Dairy Farm, ****Feeds grain
691 Oxford Rd.
(203)888-3171. Raw milk.

Simsbury
Town Farm Dairy
We have reopened to sell state certified raw milk from our Jersey cows. Please call (860)658-5362 for times and details.
73 Wolcott Rd.,
(860) 658-5362 Fax: (860) 651-8928 Email: [email protected]

Willimantic
Willimantic Food Coop
27 Meadow St
Phone: (860) 456-3611.
Carries raw milk, but it must be ordered beforehand, and picked up on Thursday or Friday.

In New York:
Ghent
Hawthorne Valley Farm (family farm)
518/672-7500
Raw milk and cheese available at their own local store and at the Union Square Farmers' Market in New York City.

In Massachusetts (Licensed Raw Milk Producers )
Hardwick
Rose Hill Dairy
Regina Robinson
P.O. Box 245
(413) 477-0011

Mendon
Greener Pastures ***********not pasture fed
Peter Hawkes
51 Pleasant Street
(508) 473-9842

Vineyard Haven
Nip n Tuck Dairy
Betsy and Fred Fisher
(508) 693-1449

Warwick
Chase Hill Dairy - Certified Organic
Marc and Jeannette Fellows
74 Chase Hill Road
(978) 544-6327

W. Bridgewater
Richard Anderson
150 West Center St.
(508) 586-0354, (508) 584-8800
Note that Richard Anderson is not pasture-based

RAW GOAT'S MILK in Connecticut
Meadow Stone Farm,
Kristopher Noiseux
199 Hartford Road, Brooklyn, CT 06234,
(860) 617-2982, phone/fax (860) 799-2156 .
Website: www.meadowstonefarm.com. Fresh goat cheese flavored with garden herbs, plain salted, or pepper. Fresh raw goat milk soaps and raw goat milk lotions. We currently are able to sell raw goat milk for baby animal formula use.

Clark Farm CSA
John D. Clark
Flanders/Church Hill Road
Woodbury,CT 06798
clarkfarm.org
203-263-5801

Bush Meadow Farm, LLC (Union,CT)
Nancy Kapplin
(860)684-3089
[email protected]

We are a "Grade A" Goat dairy producing our own bottled milk and cheese. We produce three types of cheese, soft- in six different flavors, Feta, and an aged hard cheese. At the farm store we have our own fresh farm eggs, a commercial kitchen and a bakery. We showcase locally produced agricultural products, crafts and artists. The store is open 7 days a week from 6AM to 6PM and is located 1/2 mile west of exit 73, Interstate 84, Union, CT.

Mountainbrook Farm
170 Flood Bridge Rd., Southbury, CT 06488
(203) 264-8280 Fax: (203) 262-8229 Email: [email protected]
We sell goat milk as well as Nubian & Oberhasli breeding stock/pets. Our gentle herd loves visitors. Old-time cheesemaking & wool spinning demos/classes. By appointment only. "


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Thanks SO much Lisa!!!


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## memory maker (Dec 11, 2003)

Ok I soaked my oatmeal in the whey leftover from my yogurt cheese. It is really yummy when I cooked it this morning. One question though...The whey that is left from my cheese, how long can I keep it? Or is it something that needs to be tossed if not used?


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## xenabyte (Jul 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mamacarey*
Ok I soaked my oatmeal in the whey leftover from my yogurt cheese. It is really yummy when I cooked it this morning. One question though...The whey that is left from my cheese, how long can I keep it? Or is it something that needs to be tossed if not used?

NT cookbook says the whey will keep up to 6 months, stored in a covered glass container in the refrigerator.

I just keep adding to my 'whey mason jar', that I keep from when I make my Kefir Cream cheese. I agree about the whey oatmeal..I like the tangy flavor.

I've also drank the whey when it's had 'milky' Kefir in it, and I didn't want to bother letting it seperate to 'clarify' it more.


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## its_our_family (Sep 8, 2002)

Help me out here....what is NT? I was reading and either I missed it or it asn't stated in this thread.

I've looked t Mercola's stuff a long time ago. I've been reading Body by God by Ben lerner...I find his thinking very helpful and I think it fits into the trad food category but I was wanting to make ure before I joined in on a thread I knew nothing about


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Quote:

Help me out here....what is NT? I was reading and either I missed it or it asn't stated in this thread.
Nourishing Traditions


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## *solsticemama* (Feb 8, 2003)

mamas. I'm so impressed and inspired by all the effort everyone puts into following a NT diet. I'm a bit daunted by most what seem key components like making the kombucha (thank-you for all that info xenabyte, very clear), making kefir and soaking grains to name just a few. So I've been trying to do what seems the most manageable. I've found a good organic raw sauerkraut at our HFS, and they also sell Organic Pastures cheese, milk, butter and cream. A lifetime of programming still has me a bit leary of using raw milk despite what I've read about pasteurization so I've not tried that yet but the cheese is a completely different product than pasteurized cheese. Even tho I always bought organic cheese the OP cheese is in a class by itself





















Now I know why the French were so upset when the govt. tried to institued pasteurization for all dairy products. Anyway I'm drinking kefir regularly and I'd like to start soaking grains. I think that might be the easiest place to start in terms of any preparation.

But what I was really wondering was if some of you mommas could take me thru your NT day foodwise.

OT dharmama your sig is beautiful.


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## memory maker (Dec 11, 2003)

like *solsticemama* I also would like a run down of what others eat each day to give me ideas. Do you mind if I start a thread on NT mamas-what did you eat today like the veggie mamas do?


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## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

I would love that...post the link and I am there.


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## *solsticemama* (Feb 8, 2003)

Me too


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## gardenmommy (Nov 23, 2001)

Can I jump in here? I am beginning the journey to a NT-type diet. I am transitioning back to eating meat after 7+ years of veg. eating. I would really appreciate any ideas on making this transition, and am enjoying reading all the posts. I find it very inspiring and helpful.


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## earthchick (Sep 30, 2004)

I've been lurking on the NT threads for a couple of weeks and decided I would finally jump on in. I am *so* happy to have found you guys, as I know no one IRL who does NT except my osteopath (who has put me in touch with a source for raw milk - woohoo!).

I still find NT a bit overwhelming, but am inspired by all the things you guys are doing to make it work. I'd love to know how you incorporated NT into your life - did most of you do it bit-by-bit, or did any of you just do a total conversion all at once?

To be honest, one of the hardest things for me is to go without sugar. You'd think with a diabetic husband I would find a way, but so far I have been a total addict. I bought some Rapadura last week to eat on my Irish oatmeal but I still found myself adding some brown sugar to get the right taste. Any tips on kicking the sugar habit? (I'm trying a day without any added sugar today to see how it goes....)

Here's another question. I still have 40 pounds to lose from my pregnancy.







: (I gained 86, lost 55 after giving birth, then gained 10 back!). My osteopath told me I shouldn't try to lose weight til after the boys are a year old, that my body needed that weight and fat for bf'ing. She said as long as I was eating good quality food, I shouldn't worry about it. But the truth is, I don't always eat good quality food. But even if I did, I still wonder if I can lose weight while eating whole milk, real butter, etc. Do those of you who have a more comprehensive NT approach to your food feel okay about your weight? Sorry if this is a stupid question. It's just hard to get the Diet Dictocrats out of my head! When I reach for the whole milk, I hear a little voice telling me no wonder I'm still 40 pounds overweight....

Okay, I'll stop with the questions for now. I'm so excited to be on this thread and I look forward to learning from you guys!


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## member (Apr 15, 2002)

Earthchick, I thought the same thing wrt to weight as it is very important for me maintain a stable weight than go up and down due to a health issue. However, I've found that just by cutting the processed foods and sugars out, I've lost a few pounds even though I eat whole fat products and occasionally splurge on ice cream.

I think your health care practitioner is right. Eat the right foods and your body will get to where it wants to be. Best of luck!


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## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Welcome to all the new people!

I wanted to share what I did with the nut pulp I had left over from making all kinds of nutmilks this past week. I made hazelnut, almond, walnut and cashew. I soaked all the nuts for 24 hours with a bit of whey and water then pureed and strained.

Today I mixed the nut pulp with a bit of soaked spelt flour. I pureed 2 bananas, 1/4 of coconut oil, stevia extract, and coconut kefir milk. Then I add a 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and then added the nut mixture and mixed well.

I spread it onto a greased cookie sheet and baked for 45 minutes at 350 degrees.








super







!!!!

Major major hit around here! :LOL


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## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

Just popping in for a moment to ask:

Anyone want to participate in a holiday card exchange?

I just noticed the thread in TAO for all. I post almost nowhere else, so that doesn't appeal to me. It is a bit late, but better late than never. Any takers? Anyone want my generic holiday letter and picture? I'm writing it right now. Late as usual.







:


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## *solsticemama* (Feb 8, 2003)

As I said in another thread, mountain mom can I come eat at your place? :LOL


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## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Yeah Gale Force we are laate with the cards, but I would love to exchange with you and others here.

Solstice Mama...come on over! :LOL


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## littlest birds (Jul 18, 2004)

I'm an NT beginner, as when I read the book it really clicked with how I already related to food. So I'm trying some simple new things so far.

I was a lacto-ovo vegetarian some years ago, and then went to eating meat occasionally for the past several years.

But as I experiment with additional meats, I worry about contaminants. Like my children love tuna, and I really believe in eating plenty of seafood. SF claims that the mercury contamination issue is not a problem with deep water fish including tuna. But others claim otherwise. Is there more about this that might put my mind at ease? What should I do to be more certain? Or should I, in fact, worry more than SF does?

Glad you're all here. Thanks.

Avena


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## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mountain mom*
Yeah Gale Force we are laate with the cards, but I would love to exchange with you and others here.

cool beans.

anyone interested: PM me w your name and address by Friday. I'll get a list together and send it back.


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## hrheka (Feb 12, 2004)

deeporgarten, as far as tuna goes I still avoid it. I know what the NT book says about mercury but thats honestly not my concern. I've been reading a lot of articles lately about severe declines in tuna populations and this distresses me. green guide lists sardines as a safe fish to eat as far as mercury & population. I make a sardine salad that everyone likes as much as tuna salad.
Sardines have a lot of omega 3's & calcium as well.

nT has been shaky here. I want desperately to stick to it but I'm so tired. My business has been taking up too much time. soon hubby is quiting his job to work for me though!! then hopefully I'll have more time for cooking.

Also, the quest for raw milk has been really depressing me. I joined a coop but they couldn't release their location until after I joined, its an hour and a half subway ride away!!! And then I have to lug my toddler and milk home.







I found some grass fed milk that is only lightly pasterized and not homogenized that is only a half an hour subway ride so when I can I go get that. I love NT but its pretty tiring where I live.


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## earthchick (Sep 30, 2004)

hrheka, that really bites about the co-op being so far away! Why wouldn't they release their info before you joined? That doesn't seem quite fair.

Selu Gigage, thanks for your thoughts about weight and NT. I am working really hard to cut way back on sugar and am hoping that will help. In my head I know my problem is more the sugar and junk I eat rather than full-fat animal products, but still sometimes it seems funny to be drinking whole milk, eating butter, etc. DH thinks I'm nuts and he sticks to his skim milk. He had a heart attack three years ago and is diabetic to boot, and though he doesn't do great with sticking to his doctor-recommended lowfat plan, there are certain things he just won't do - like drink whole milk, eat real butter, etc. Anyone else have a hard time convincing your DH about NT principles?

Also, do most of y'all take cod liver oil? And if so, do you take it in capsule form, or do you actually take spoonfuls of oil? Sorry to be so ignorant on this count. I started to buy some cod liver oil capsules yesterday but thought I'd check in with you gals first.

One more newbie-ish question. What about the money you spend on groceries? Has this gone up since starting NT, or has it evened out as you have cut back on processed foods? I feel like right now I have to make some compromises regarding organic food b/c some of it is just so darn expensive.

I'm really so glad I found this thread. I'm learning so much and feeling so much more encouraged in my NT efforts!


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## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

earthchick,

I lost 40 lbs on a candida diet. It was pretty high in fat, though no dairy. I've since gained a good deal of it back mostly likely due to an incredible season of oranges followed by a hot summer with over-ripe nectarines. So I am overweight and following the diet at this point. Just too much sugar for me apparently.

On cod liver oil -- we use the orange flavored oil from ?Twin Labs? (I think). It's not bad. My son loves it and always asks for more. And groceries continue to be expensive. We are looking for a local source of meat to help cut our cost. We;ve also got space for meat chickens but haven't started that yet.

hrheka --

IKWYM -- we have to go to some lengths to get what we need. I am hoping to find some local sources of milk and meat but haven't gotten as hooked up as I would want. And the time for food preparation is out of control.


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## dharmama (Dec 29, 2002)

Quote:

OT dharmama your sig is beautiful.
Thanks!









Not much new here. Doing great with breakfast but that's about it so far. Oh and I made some crispy almonds this week. Yum!









Continuing to search for local raw dairy. Had a lead and followed up yesterday but I know the farm they recomend and the cows are not pastured. (It's a wonderful family...we buy our hay from them but their turn out is just dirt.







)

So I will continue to search. DH has a friend with a dairy goat farm...not sure if they pasture-feed...so I will have to investigate.

That's about it here.

~Erin


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## mz_libbie22 (Nov 8, 2004)

Well, I made my first attempt at soaking flour and of course I did it wrong







I put a towel over the bowl instead of something airtight and the top of the dough got really dark, but I just stirred it up and recovered it and I still plan to use it for the muffins







:







They should be safe to eat right??

PS, anyone going to be mailing out kefir grains soon? I want some but don't know how much they'd cost so if you have some you want to get rid of PM me about the details, please.


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## *solsticemama* (Feb 8, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *earthchick*
Also, do most of y'all take cod liver oil? And if so, do you take it in capsule form, or do you actually take spoonfuls of oil?

We use these in capsule form. They make one for children that is flavored with essence of strawberry and ds really likes them, often times asking for more. I'm not taking CLO but I am taking a fish and borage oil combination from the same company. It is lemon flavored and leaves no fishy after-burp taste which I gather is common with some brands.


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## TopazBlueMama (Nov 23, 2002)

mz libbie--that has happened to me before. So it is suppost to be airtight? I still made it too anyway, I'm sure it's fine.

We take Carlson's CLO-just by the spoonful, then wash it down. Well, the kids are used to it, and don't really need to wash it down anymore. I'm starting to get more used to it too.


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## hrheka (Feb 12, 2004)

mz libbie, my flour often turns dark on top no matter how I cover the bowl. I often soak flour friday night for pancakes, Saturday I make batter with the flour thats darkened-use half of it and finish sunday (by which time it gets very dark on top). I actually find that the pancakes from the sunday batch are much more flavorful, my husband much prefer them. I have no idea what causes it to darken though.

We use the Carlson CLO, though I am out right now. My daughter (18 mo) loves it even though we don't buy the flavored one. she really likes fish so she just asks for more of it every time. I chose the Carlson because they state on the label that they regularly check for mercury contamination.


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## memory maker (Dec 11, 2003)

can someone give me instructions on how to soak flour for baking? I am still waiting on the library to get the NT book


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## TopazBlueMama (Nov 23, 2002)

What are you baking? I can't give amounts, but basically you just grind the flour, and mix it with a liquid. Usually buttermilk, yogurt, kefir, or water with whey.


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## memory maker (Dec 11, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *tweetybirds2*
What are you baking? I can't give amounts, but basically you just grind the flour, and mix it with a liquid. Usually buttermilk, yogurt, kefir, or water with whey.

I dont know exactly what I am baking...didnt know if there was a general guideline to use.


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## Brisen (Apr 5, 2004)

A couple of people have asked for help making the transition. I'm struggling with it too, and I ran across this on the WAP website. I haven't looked through it yet, but it looks helpful.

I'm doing horribly with NT at the moment as I am visiting family through the holidays. Hubby might be bringing some raw milk and butter when he joins us. Other than that, no soaking, nothing organic, and I'm indulging in lots of convenience foods. Blah. But I didspot an ad for bison in the local paper, so I can check that out.

Earthchick, thanks for the reminder about fat stores being needed for nursing. I've been discouraged at not losing as much weight after this birth as I have in the past, but it helps to think of it as baby food!


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## member (Apr 15, 2002)

I am not doing too well myself with NT but trying to stick with the jist of it.

DH and I also take Carlson's CLO in the lemon flavor and then wash it down with some water.


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## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Thanks for that link Brisen.

In terms of the transistion. If one is at home...which over the holidays is tough...I think organization is key.

Each morning when I wake up with dd (except Tuesday in which we leave early), I plan to spend one hour in the kitchen doing the NT tasks.

This is my rountine, I hope it helps anyone out. I would love love love to hear anyone else's.

1) Feed my sourdough starter
2) If I have made youghurt the night before take it out of the thermos refridgerate and pour last batch into the youghurt cheese maker.
3) Soak nuts if nessessary
4) Slow roast nuts if nessessary
5) Put a grain on to soak for dinner
6) Strain kefir if nessessary
7) Rinse my sprouts (I do this three times a day)

Some things only get done 2-3 times a week like the youghurt and kefir. Some things are done each day like the sprouts and the starter. And I do enough nuts to last us a week.

Hope that helps out.

At the start of the day, I will have in my mind what I will serve for lunch and supper and even breakfast the next day.

I am fairly consumed with this new NT path of mine









I am on the hunt for a decent codliver oil supplement. Anyone heard of Nordic Naturals?


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## hrheka (Feb 12, 2004)

i agree with mountain mom, when I have everything under control I spend at least an hour in the kitchen in the morning doing prep work.

the other thing I do to cut down on the amount of cooking is we always eat leftovers for lunch. Once I'm cooking it doesn't take much effort to double the recipe. Most days I have more leftovers than we can eat the next day so I freeze the rest for lunch on the days I did not cook anything.

One more thing that has helped since I have to get food stuffs from at least 4 locations, is I made a food schedule that we follow every week. this way if I find myself in front of a health food store unexpectedly I can think "ok its weds, that means we're have beef for dinner, and mexican food tomorrow" I then know the basic things I need for any upcoming meals. this is really key when you live in a city with no car, I can't afford to waste a single trip to a store or to carry one unecessary thing.

Now if I can just get back to following my own advice!


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## chocomoto (Nov 21, 2001)

I'm glad to have found this thread!
I've been making Kefir daily since I got my grains, but the first week it was awful. I had just about given up on it and then suddenly it turned out great one day and has been great ever since. My 2 yr old begs for it.

I splurged on a Ktec grain mill and have been buying spelt and wheat at the biodynamic farm where we get our milk. I want to try grinding some barley flour this week. I've been soaking my grains in buttermilk, but will try with kefir now that it is good!

I give my kids a complete essential fatty acids supplement from Source Naturals since we rarely eat fish. It's in capsule form, but they chew them! Ack! They ask for it each morning, so it can't be that bad.

I like to be in the kitchen, so NT fits well for me. Doing a little bit each day does not really take that much time.


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## Brisen (Apr 5, 2004)

I was at one point in the habit of doing food prep in the evening, while the kids had a bedtime snack. Mostly soaking oatmeal for next morning, soaking flour to make muffins the next day, and taking care of sprouts. When I made yogurt, I would usually do it in the morning, so I would check and it was usually done in the evening, so I would put it away.

For those of you who have done the crispy nuts, did you use as much salt as NT called for? I tried making them once, and nothing really seemed to be right about them. The nuts were stale, they were too salty, and I think I didn't crisp them for long enough. They were almost chewey or rubbery. Yuck.


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## toraji (Apr 3, 2003)

I take Carlson's CLO in capsule form:http://www.iherb.com/super1000.html
Nordic Naturals is supposed to be a good brand too. I have the children's chewables for DD though she refuses to eat them or any other pill.

On the crispy nuts--I don't use any salt at all. Brisen, I think you did not dry them long enough...they will eventually get crispy and toasted!

I try to think of all my meals the night before so I have everything soaked ahead of time, or start broth as needed.


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## hrheka (Feb 12, 2004)

Brisen, I've actually been thinking about posting about the crispy nuts as well. I use the recipe exactly and they are definately dry enough but they taste strange and often downright unpleasant. The pecans seem to do especially bad, they actually make my husband and I quesy. I've tried getting nuts from different sources and have not had any better luck.


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## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

With the nuts I use a tablespoon of whey with the spring water I soak them in. It really helps I think to unlock those nutrients. Thanks for all the tips everyone!


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## Ruthla (Jun 2, 2004)

OK, what exactly IS Nourishing Traditions???


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## hrheka (Feb 12, 2004)

Nourishing traditions is a cookbook by Sally Fallon, it is about traditional foods. you can check out
http://www.westonaprice.org
for more info.


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## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Hrheka your clothes are beautiful on your site. I am totally going to treat myself in the spring. They are beautiful!


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## *solsticemama* (Feb 8, 2003)

We use the Nordic Naturals brand of supplements. I researched the fish oils pretty thoroughly before settling on this one. They are third party certified for purity and no heavy metals. They list the results of the testing on their site. The only other one that met my criteria was the Carlson brand but since it's a fair bit more $$ than the NN I decided to go with the latter. Ds quite likes the children's CLO.

I haven't ventured into the grain soaking yet but y'all are inspiring me. I think I remember reading the ratio being 1 cup grain, 2 cups yogurt/kefir and 1 tbsp whey. Is that right or am I completely off







Can I leave it out on the counter overnight or does it need to be refrigerated? And what about the soaking liquid does that get used afterwards for something?


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## hrheka (Feb 12, 2004)

thanks Mountain mom, I think we're both on that WAHM yahoo group, you should contact me through that!!

Solstice Mama, for unground grains I think its a cup of grain soaked in water with whey. I actually add quite a bit of whey to the water. I think I usually just strain it off but I'd be curious if there was something to use the water for. I usually only soak flour in straight yogurt or kefir.


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## Brisen (Apr 5, 2004)

Thanks for the nut advice. I probably didn't dry them enough -- I'm not very patient & I was excited to try them.


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## earthchick (Sep 30, 2004)

Thanks for all the advice about CLO. I went ahead and bought the TwinLabs orange flavored, since they happened to have that at my natural foods store. I really don't like it but have been taking it anyway.

Do those of you who make kefir all use grains, or do any of you use kefir powder? Do you order your grains from gemcultures or from somewhere else? I haven't tried making my own kefir yet but am getting stoked to try it since all of you have so much good to say about it!

Do any of you use a yogurt maker or do you just make the yogurt yourself? I did read the recommendation for the yogurt cheese maker on the November thread and am asking for that for Christmas. I'm just trying to figure out if I should also ask for a yogurt maker while I'm at it....

Brisen, I'm loving your idea to call your fat stores "baby food"!!!!


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## moss (Feb 7, 2004)

just curious to see what other NT families use on their cutting boards (if you use wooden cutting boards, that is). i just got a beautiful wooden cutting board, and everything i'm googling says to season it with mineral oil because vegetable or olive oils can go rancid. i'm not about to put petrochem's on it though. what are your thoughts?


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## xenabyte (Jul 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *moss*
just curious to see what other NT families use on their cutting boards (if you use wooden cutting boards, that is). i just got a beautiful wooden cutting board, and everything i'm googling says to season it with mineral oil because vegetable or olive oils can go rancid. i'm not about to put petrochem's on it though. what are your thoughts?


I'd use coconut oil, it won't go rancid, and it's edible, if it gets on what you are chopping up. Mineral oil is technically from a 'natural source', but it's not good to ingest, really....


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## Brisen (Apr 5, 2004)

Huh, seasoning a cutting board? I've never heard of that. Is it recommended for all wooden cutting boards? I have a pair of nice maple boards, I usually just wash them with hot water and vinegar. The package said not to use soap or bleach.


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## hrheka (Feb 12, 2004)

Ok, so I've been using whey for awhile now and its been said it stays good up to 6 months but after a week or two mine starts getting a very strong cow smell. It doesn't smell rancid it just smells like a barn not like yogurt or kefir or whateever I got it from originally. do other people notice they're whey getting like this? I usually use it pretty fast but occassionally end up with a very large batch or I'm not cooking much.


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## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

I have tossed my whey after about two weeks. It just seemed like it was ready.

So, no one else up for a Christmas card exchange?


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## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

I Pm'd ya my address earlier in the week Amanda!

Anyone made the musturd in the NT cookbook? I am going to take a stab at it this afternoon.

Currently I have the dosa batter fermenting on the counter. Those who have made these, what kind of spices did you add to the batter?

This year, I've decided to give people food gifts! I am making christmas sourdough spelt with dried fruit and cinnamon, cloves and cardomon. Along with the musturd I will make today and some apple juice kefir flavoured with some cinnamon.

What do you all think? We are on such a tight budget right now with dh in school! But he is done next Friday...For good! I am so glad and proud of him.


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## hrheka (Feb 12, 2004)

Mountain mom, when I make dosa I usually add some fried black mustard seeds and a little garam masala (if you don't have a mixture just a bit of cumin/coriander/cinnamon would work too). I also like to serve mine with a coconut chutney...mmm I might have to make those soon!!

I think food gifts are always great to receive, any chance I get for yummy homemade food I didn't make myself is welcomed!

Gale Force, I saw your Christmas card exchange idea, it sounds like fun but we don't celebrate any of the winter holidays but I hope you find some takers! I think if I started getting Christmas cards in the mail dh would be a bit confused!


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## toraji (Apr 3, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Gale Force*
So, no one else up for a Christmas card exchange?









Hoo boy, I wish I had time to do holiday cards this year. I used to enjoy making them since I am a graphic designer. Unfortunately I am so behind in my work it ain't gonna happen.

(although I'd probably have more time if I'd just stay off the dang forums! :LOL)


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## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Oh I should mention that the cards I will send will be holiday, not so much christmas cards. Just a note of good will, IYKWIM?


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## earthchick (Sep 30, 2004)

Question about whey-making: which do you prefer to make it from? buttermilk? yogurt? raw milk? Does it matter in terms of end result? Do the cream cheeses taste different? I made a little whey from yogurt this weekend and the cream cheese definitely has that tart yogurty taste. I liked it but just wondered how different it would be with a different starter.

Also, could someone tell me more about yogurt making and whether or not a yogurt-maker is a good idea?


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## xenabyte (Jul 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *earthchick*
Question about whey-making: which do you prefer to make it from? buttermilk? yogurt? raw milk? Does it matter in terms of end result? Do the cream cheeses taste different? I made a little whey from yogurt this weekend and the cream cheese definitely has that tart yogurty taste. I liked it but just wondered how different it would be with a different starter.

Also, could someone tell me more about yogurt making and whether or not a yogurt-maker is a good idea?

Well, a forum search on 'making yogurt' turns up tons of stuff, or even google it and there are all kinds of specific directions on making your own.
And I'm two exhausted to type all that up again today, did TWO birthday dinners back to back this weekend and am pooped!









That being said, a yogurt maker is a nice piece of equipment (to help take the bother of watching over it) if you have counter space and room for yet another appliance...but it's definitely NOT necessary for making your own delicious yogurt!









And yes, different starters WILL give your whey and cream cheese slightly different flavors. Even a powdered Kefir starter, compared to live Kefir Grain made Kefir is different.


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## earthchick (Sep 30, 2004)

Thanks xenabyte. I figured different starters would mean different taste but am still so new to all this that I wasn't sure.

Thanks for the info on yogurt-making too. I didn't do a search b/c I'm not looking for directions (I have those), I was just looking for an answer to my earlier question about whether people who make yogurt frequently prefer or would recommend getting a yogurt-maker. Of course the truth is, I probably don't need yet another appliance....


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## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

So this is what I have done so far. I soaked 1 cup of lentils and 1 cup of brown rice (seperately) for 24 hours. Then I blended each and combined to make a thin batter. I added whey and youghurt to thin it. I mixed it all up and let it sit on my counter for 48 hours to ferment.

Then this morning I added more water and youghurt to thin it back to a batter plus some garam masala to spice it up.

I heated my cast iron pan and greased it with coconut butter. Then I ladled some batter and made a thin pancake.

The problem is that I cannot flip the pancake without it falling into itself. I tried three times and then I put the batter into a container in the fridge and gave up temporarily.

Suggestions on how to cook these babies, anyone!?! Thanks!


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## lao80 (Feb 24, 2004)

I bought my yogurt maker for $15 on amazon. To me it was cheap and worth it so that I don't have to think.







:


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## hrheka (Feb 12, 2004)

Mountain mom. I do on occasion have the same problem. I think perhaps its caused by using brown rice, I actually have more success usually using brown rice flour. I also don't thin minedown a lot, I figure I don't have the proper equipment for really thin dosas so mine do tend to be a bit thick....anyway to save them you might have to do something unorthodox like adding an egg or two or adding some wheat flour in hopes that the gluten will bind it better.


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## Brisen (Apr 5, 2004)

I've been turned off of yogurt makers because the ones I have seen don't make very much, but I also haven't looked very hard. If I could find one that makes a litre or two, I might go for it.

I don't really care for yogurt cheese, and my kids definately think it's too sour. I have made lemon cheese before, it was quite tasty and less sour than the yogurt cheese.


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## BowenTherapist (Apr 25, 2002)

since a lot of you mama's are very knowledgable in the ways of kefer, i figured i would ask my question here.
does kefer "go bad"? i started it with some powder i got from a friend and it has been in my fridge for a couple of months. would i be able to start a new batch with it?
also i was wondering if the kefer from grains vs powder is the same thing?


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## ahuva (Aug 26, 2003)

Hello! Just found this thread and wanted to join. I got into NT a few years ago when apprenticing with an herbalist. I'm currently living in Israel though (until July), so certain essentials are not available. I'm still waiting for a possible source of raw milk to come through. I also don't have my NT cookbook, so I'm at a little bit of a loss. Glad to found you though!

I have a little question: I've been buying frozen tempeh here, but it occured to me that the freezing probably kills off the probiotic good stuff.







: Anyone know?


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## xenabyte (Jul 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *BowenTherapist*
since a lot of you mama's are very knowledgable in the ways of kefer, i figured i would ask my question here.
does kefer "go bad"? i started it with some powder i got from a friend and it has been in my fridge for a couple of months. would i be able to start a new batch with it?
also i was wondering if the kefer from grains vs powder is the same thing?


Uhm....if you used a powdered starter, and the resulting Kefir has been in the fridge a few months. TOSS IT! If you like the taste of Kefir made from the dehydrated powder you can buy in health food store, buy a fresh box and start again.

Kefir Grains are squishy, rubbery, califlower looking masses that are ALIVE with Kefir bacteria and yeasts that will ferment your milk on an ongoing basis. They need special care to keep making Kefir on a regular basis, but the Kefir usually lasts a pretty long time in the fridge. But you really should use or toss any Kefir'd milk you have sitting around for more than a week, just to be safe.

Powdered kefir starter packets are NOT the same as living Kefir Grains.


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## BowenTherapist (Apr 25, 2002)

thank you for the reply xenabyte. glad to know there is a difference with grains vs powder. now i have to find some grain. all the good stuff i have been reading has me wanting to make my daily smoothies with kefir instead of yogurt


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## Brisen (Apr 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ahuva*
I have a little question: I've been buying frozen tempeh here, but it occured to me that the freezing probably kills off the probiotic good stuff.







: Anyone know?

Welcome!

I don't know about tempeh, but I have frozen yogurt and thawed it and cultured more yogurt with it, so that didn't kill the bacteria in the yogurt.


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## ahuva (Aug 26, 2003)

Hmm...thanks. It's good to know we're still getting some benefit with the tempeh. I just got a copy of Wild Fermentation and I now have all sorts of visions of crocks fermenting, etc. Unfortunately, there's only so much I can do while we're abroad. I've started some saurcraut as my first project, and I have my fingers crossed it works.

By the way, could someone tell me or point me in the right direction, about how to soak nuts and grains? I'm without my NT cookbook and don't really remember enough. Is there an online source of information?

TIA


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## BowenTherapist (Apr 25, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *ahuva*
By the way, could someone tell me or point me in the right direction, about how to soak nuts and grains? I'm without my NT cookbook and don't really remember enough. Is there an online source of information?

TIA

basically the grains and nuts need time, usually at least 7 hrs or overnight, warmth, and acidity.
most nuts use 4 cups nuts to 1 tablespoon celtic salt (cashews are different)
most grains is 2 cups grain and 2 tbls whey, yoghurt, buttermilk, kefir, or lemon juice/ raw vinegar

hth, i can't imagine being with out my nt book









when you dehydrate the nuts put them in a warm oven (150 f) until crispy (a while)


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## ahuva (Aug 26, 2003)

thanks!
what's celtic salt? Will sea salt work?


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## BowenTherapist (Apr 25, 2002)

i don't see why sea salt wouldn't work. celtic salt is sea salt that is unrefined so it seems like it would be the same thing


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## OceanMomma (Nov 28, 2001)

Hi







. I am still here. Not doing much lurking or anything these days as I have a dialup connection & all these ads make it so so slow. A quick ? Anyone make chicken liver pate? Any good recipes ?


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## Brisen (Apr 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *OceanMomma*
Hi







. I am still here. Not doing much lurking or anything these days as I have a dialup connection & all these ads make it so so slow. A quick ? Anyone make chicken liver pate? Any good recipes ?

I can't help you out with the pate -- I would like a recipe too, or a liverwurst recipe. But I'm on dial up now, and I find if I turn off the pics (Tools -> Internet Options -> Advanced -> uncheck "Show Pictures"), it loads faster. That's for Internet Explorer. I find Netscape loads differently, somehow, and turning off pics doesn't affect it. HTH


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## earthchick (Sep 30, 2004)

Hi all. Thanks for the input on yogurt-makers. I decided to go ahead and ask for one for Christmas - I figure I'll be more likely to make yogurt if I have a super-easy way to do it. I decided to forego the yogurt cheese maker for now.

I made mountainmom's tahini squares last week - yummy!

I also made whey for the first time last week but have had zero time to make anything with it.

Am doing some very UN-NT baking today...







:


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## Brisen (Apr 5, 2004)

Speaking of un-nt baking.... there's a lot of that going on around me, and I even made fudge yesterday. My ILs have decided not to do gifts this year, but they are going to have lots of good food. I wanted to contribute, so I've been trying to think of NT-friendly foods -- esp. snack/party food -- I can do. Fallon doesn't seem to think much of snack foods, so there aren't a lot on the book. I also don't have mine with me, so I could be wrong. (I do, though, have a copy I'll be giving to my brother and haven't wrapped yet, so I can look stuff up if I need to.) IIRC, there is a cheesecake recipe in there, right? My sis wants me to teach her how to make sushi, so there will be that -- white rice, but at least no sugar or bad fats. Any other ideas? I can get organic tortilla chips here, a good dip with that should be yummy and not too difficult to do somewhat NT. Any more ideas?


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## Worldshakerz (Jun 16, 2003)

I haven't posted on this thread in months and months. My NT cooking has been sporadic (limited too soaking my oatmeal, using coconut oil, and eating healthy sourdough bread) and I'm getting back into now that I'm on a break from college for about 2 more weeks. I want to get a whole bunch of stock made, I've been using stock in a box from the health food store and adding gelatin to it. It'd be nice to have the real thing. I also want to make some saurkraut and a couple of other lacto-fermented veggies to have handy for when I start school back up in January. Beet kvass would be good too I think. I just want to get a whole bunch of stuff done now that can sit on my fridge for a while and/or freeze so I can still eat really healthy once school starts back up, I really had some unhealthy eating over this past semester.

Anyone ever do a special diet to handle candida? I've taken the candida survey and I definitely have a problem with it. I want to do the yeast/elimination diet and see if this will clear up some of the recurrent problems I have. Anyone ever done this while still using NT? Any tips on how to do it? It says you should start out by even cutting out fermented foods in this one book I read, but I always thought that lacto-fermented foods helped balance the gut....?


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## Catarina (Aug 26, 2004)

Hello folks. I havn't posted on this board in a couple of months because I felt a bit guilty sitting in front of the computer while dirty dished piled up on the sink. Now my parents are here for Christmas and my husband is off work for a week so I'll be a little self-indulgent.

Over the past month I've been on a bit of a gadget-aquiring spree. I got myself a yogurt maker, a popcorn maker, and I've just ordered a breadmaker from Amazon. I'm feeling guilty about it. But I don't think I'm ever going to get into a routine of making the family's bread by hand and I drive myself crazy trying to get nice bread that everyone will eat.

So do people have tips for making NT friendly bread in the bread machine, or am I just a lazy, materialistic, Western, alienated, consumerist person who deserves to get mineral deficiencies?

And what about the popcorn maker? I've never had one and neither did my mother. But it's great having no burned pan to wash, no nasty hot oil smell, and lovely butter on my popcorn, with sea salt and nutritional yeast, natch. My children think it's hilarious to watch the popcorn come out. I'm going to try popping other grains in it. Has anyone tried that?

Anyway, I hope that everyone's enjoying cozy winter times with their families. I've written so many Christmas cards lately I can't help signing off

Love,

Catarina


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## Brisen (Apr 5, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Catarina*
Over the past month I've been on a bit of a gadget-aquiring spree. I got myself a yogurt maker, a popcorn maker, and I've just ordered a breadmaker from Amazon. I'm feeling guilty about it. But I don't think I'm ever going to get into a routine of making the family's bread by hand and I drive myself crazy trying to get nice bread that everyone will eat.

So do people have tips for making NT friendly bread in the bread machine, or am I just a lazy, materialistic, Western, alienated, consumerist person who deserves to get mineral deficiencies?

I've thought the same thoughts.







I have romantic notions about how much better off people were without so many technical gadgets (I'm a Little House fan), but at the same time, people have always used tools. But I won't get off on a tangent. I think if the tools make your life easier, and you use them wisely, it's not materialistic. I think about what a good work-out for my arms making bread by hand daily would be, but it wouldn't happen, so I use a breadmaker. I have good luck with popping corn in a heavy pot on the stovetop (and don't like the noise of an air popper), so I don't use a gadget for that.

Good luck and good eating with your new toys!


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## toraji (Apr 3, 2003)

My cooking kinda went kaput over the holidays...I got pretty burned out and so backed off a bit. Also kept getting together with my veggie friends who don't seem to eat very many vegetables, just lots of grains and beans. Anyway, I'm back on track now.

I started including coconut oil in my diet, as well as rejuvelac, and wow, what a difference! As long as I get enough sleep (ha!) then I feel great. More energy, and much more even moods. I had not been doing any coconut before because I suspected that it was triggering my dd's eczema. But she hasn't broken out in quite a long time now, and she seems more resistant to her suspected triggers now (except for cashew and pistachio, anaphylactic reactions to both of those unfortunately), so I decided to include it.

We're getting a Retsel grain mill, we ended up selling our Country Living and Nutrimill, so hopefully this one works out better for us.

DH made these fabulous phytate-free pancakes for us this morning using a blender with whole grains! check it out, the 2-stage process is on the second page: http://www.suegregg.com/recipes/brea...erwafflesA.htm
although he actually just soaked the whole grains overnight and then blended it in the morning. We used blended soaked almonds and sunflower seeds instead of using milk.


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## intentfulady (Dec 31, 2003)

I too am having a hard time getting back on track.

Especially hard to just throw out all this food after guests all left.

And My BIG question. Any no dairy NT Mamas out there?

I'm soaking grains in salt. And they are slimy by morning. I am eating them but not enjoying it!

Appreciate your help.
Thanks ahead of time.
Peace,
Colleen


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## BowenTherapist (Apr 25, 2002)

INTENTFUL MAMA,
i used to not use a lot of milk, and did't have a good source at that time to raw milk. i used raw apple cider vinegar to soak my grains. i thought they came out ok


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## toraji (Apr 3, 2003)

intentfulmama, I am dairy free right now. I either use a little vinegar or citric acid, or just put the grains/beans in a really warm spot to start natural fermentation which neutralizes the phytic acid.

For fermented beasties I do rejuvelac and kimchee/sauerkraut started without any dairy.


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## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

I'm about to be dairy-free for three weeks. My husband was just diagnosed with asthma and the chiro has recommended a shock-therapy program (as I call it) to get his pH level back in balance -- fish and vegetales for three weeks.







So I will be doing the diet with him.







I hope to lose some holiday pounds and some fall pounds and some summer pounds.


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## *solsticemama* (Feb 8, 2003)

My NT cookbook just came in the mail today. I'm excited to finally be able to cook some of these things for my family. I do have a whey question tho. What kind of store bought whey do you use? The only kind they have at our HFS is powdered. Is this any good? And how do you use it?


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## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

As far as store bought whey...I have used mt capra mineral whey and st.francis herbs mineral whey.

The cheapest way to get whey (IMO) is to strain youghurt through cheesecloth or a youghurt cheese maker and the liquid that is kinda yellowish is the whey.

Good luck with your book!


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## intentfulady (Dec 31, 2003)

Thanks Everybody!!

Got the vinegar.
Rejuvelac sounds easy enough.

Are people using kefir grains in liquids besides milk? How?

I located grass fed cow. Natural alfalfa fed. Tell me about "grass fed" beef.
Can they have any grains? 6 weeks of organic barley was suggested by my butcher to"finish"......no feed lot sluge. Or is it strictly grass grass grass.

Butcher suggested if I get grass only cow, to butcher in late Sept. would be best time for meat. I don't wanna wait till September!!

TIA
Peace


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## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Hey Colleen,
Hows the weather over the range?

Most of the beef and bison ranches that I know of finish with barley and or other grains.

I know that with bison they need to be 90% pasture fed to get the good CLA content in the meat.

I am using my converted milk kefir grains in either grape juice or apple juice. I also have water grains to which I am adding herbal teas for immune stimulating kefir drinks.

Hope your holiday went well

Take care
Colleen :LOL

PS Did you guys ever get over to Kaslo?


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## Danesmama (Dec 15, 2001)

Just got my NT book in the mail yesterday - I'm very interested to follow you're conversation. I'm still not sure about all of her arguements about saturated fats, but believe that her general theory of decreasing processed foods and increasing cultured/soaked products is right on (it really seems like a no-brainer







)! We're really looking forward to making some of the recipes.


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## Brookesmom (Oct 12, 2002)

I got Nourishing Traditions last month and Wild Fermentation and have been busy reading both of them - Now I just have to get back to the healthy eating.


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## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

I started the January thread today.

Here is the link: http://www.mothering.com/discussions...23#post2460923

Happy New Year/Happy Calender Change to everyone! :LOL


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