# NT mamas February thread



## myjo (Feb 14, 2004)

Hello all! I just wanted to start a fresh thread if that's okay.

I also wanted to ask if anyone is trying to do NT with dairy/egg allergies? My ds has hideous eczema, and I'm almost certain he's allergic to eggs and dairy. It just kills me to have to give them up though, because I'm feeling so much healthier on this diet! Any suggestions would be great.


----------



## Queen Gwen (Nov 20, 2001)

Dh came home last night with results of his IgG blood test last month...it listed milk, cheese and eggs as things he should avoid. It also listed wheat, rye, baker's yeast, almonds, onions, pepper, garlic, tomato, mushrooms and beef. Suffice to say Friday night pizza will be a challenge. I haven't had time to figure out how to approach this.


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Thanks for starting this months thread...be back soon....


----------



## hrheka (Feb 12, 2004)

I'm so sorry for myjo & queen gwen, all those allergies. I wish I could suggest something but I have no idea. I think there are some dairy free nt'ers here though.

so we tried grass fed beef liver last night. I wanted so badly to like it. I soaked it in lemon, fried it and made a lovely onion sauce to go with it but I hated it. Its not the flavor so much, its the texture it just kills me. I used to love liverwurst when I was a kid but the texture of that made me sick too. So I'm going to try hiding it in some other things but think I might need a meat grinder.


----------



## Catarina (Aug 26, 2004)

Hhreka, let us know as soon as you get a good "hide it" liver recipe. I really want to incorporate it into our diets - we can get good grass fed lamb's liver very easily - but I've never had it and my husband grimaces whenever I bring it up.

All those allegies indeed. Is that something you can get a second opinion on? Will you get any advice from a nutritionist?


----------



## Pilgrim (Dec 12, 2004)

OK, I posted awhile back for some ideas, and here's how the experiment went: I smelled the liver (BIG, FATAL mistake!) But I went ahead and made some food. End result: I can't eat it because I still can smell that smell. BUT, DD LOVES her "hamburger patties." This recipe was concocted "on the fly" and with stuff I had around the house. I'm sure you can change it up however you want with spices. I started with a 1/2 lb. liver to 1 lb. ground beef ratio, but I didn't like it. So I added another 1 lb. ground beef.

Put into food processor or strong blender:

1/2 lb. liver
1/2 onion
1 clove garlic
1/3 c. psyllium seed husk (DD is allergic to eggs, so use eggs if you want)
3/4 cup Black beens, sprouted, and cooked in beef bone broth. (mine still had a lot of broth too. I needed some liquid here, and I think that plain broth might work without the beans.)
1/2 tsp. cumin
1 t. sea salt
grind in some pepper
1 t. summer savory (could NOT find sage!)
1 glug olive oil (would probably leave this out next time & use more beef fat)
fresh or frozen basil - I used 1 ice cube's worth that I had frozen from the garden.

Process until completely ground into a liquidy mush. Dump out into a mixing bowl, and mix in ground beef by hand. Use as much ground beef as you want. Also, put in enough re-melted rendered beef fat (from making the bone broth) that you need so that the meat mixture stops sticking to your hands. I used approx. 1/2 - 3/4 cup.

I tried forming it into "lil smokies" shapes, but it cooked up too tender. I ended up making little hamburger patties - thin and small like a breakfast sausage. Perfect for a snack for my toddler!

This recipe is also good for allergy suffers because it contains no dairy, eggs, soy, nuts, gluten, grains.


----------



## *solsticemama* (Feb 8, 2003)

Haven't posted in ages but have popped in to read now and then. We've made a few of the recipes--carrot soup, the muesli which is







and one of the rice dishes w/cardomom, again super









I want to try making the yogurt bread, anyone make it? Plus I was very interested in some of the posts last month focusing on dietary changes affecting mood and inner states. This is something I often wonder about, it's almost a chicken/egg thing YK.

Trying to include more raw food, veggies and fruit and the like with kefir.

Hmmm, liver...


----------



## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

Thanks for the report, Pilgrim. I had wondered how the experiment turned out. I am definitely going to try it.


----------



## Hibou (Apr 7, 2003)

Hi everyone
I'm new to NT, hope you don't mind if I join you.
I've been looking for some positive guidelines to shape our meals around for awhile now, and when I started reading NT, I couldn't believe how much of it just sounded right; it really resonated with me. So, I have been making some changes to the way I prepare meals. I am finding it's not that difficult since we were already primarily a whole-foods family anyways, so many of the things in the book were things that we already did. I have noticed already that soaking grains for a day or two or three really is making them easier to digest and easier on our bellies! I have tried some of the recipes from the book with relative success. My ds loved the dosas, what a great snack! Also made the banana bread and falafel. We've been eating more meat (very lucky to have access to organic pasture fed beef) and it has made a noticeable difference in my energy level. The only thing I was a little disappointed with was the section on feeding babies. She didn't strike me as very pro bf recommending to have supplement supplies on hand if you have any doubts about your ability to bf...I thought her advice was a little lame in that regard.

Myjo, I am dairy free since my baby is allergic to dairy and is ebf. He gets eczema when I have dairy, so I've been off of it for awhile now. I am still trying to figure out what to do next- whether to try some cultured dairy products or just avoid dairy completely. I don't usually buy organic milk- it is sooo expensive here, but I think I will start for my ds. In the spring, I will have access to fresh raw goat's milk, so that will be nice. I just hope that I can have some too...we will see. I have lots to learn about allergies. I have been using coconut milk as a replacement though, and it is awesome! I made some delicious soaked rice pudding yesterday with coconut milk, honey, and cardamom. Mmmmm...

I've been reading through some of the old NT threads and still have so much to learn, but am really enjoying this way of preparing food. I have a friend who is going to pass along some kefir grains sometime, so I'll have to read up on that.
Anyways, I have many questions, but I'll leave it at that for now. I'm sure I'll continue to learn lots from you all.


----------



## myjo (Feb 14, 2004)

Welcome Hibou! I was thinking of using coconut milk too. I have access to raw goat milk, but it doesn't seem to help ds with his eczema. Also, the goats were recently exposed to the smoke from a chemical fire, so I'm afraid there will be residues in the milk. Have you tried fermenting the coconut milk? I might try that. It's not easy for me to come by good coconut milk, though. I have to travel about 45 minutes out of my way to go to a store with any that's free of chemical additives. Or I can order online.

One thing I want to do is get ds treated with NAET to desensitize him to eggs and milk and anything else he is reacting to. Hibou, you might want to check out this websight: www.naet.com and see if there are any NAET practitioners near you. It can make a really big difference in their health. The only problem is coming up with the $ to get treated once a week for however long it takes to work through all your allergies. Also, if the patient has a problem with leaky gut, then the treatments might not hold for more than a few months. So you really have to heal up that gut for any lasting results.


----------



## hrheka (Feb 12, 2004)

When I was a child my mother had my severe mold allergy treated naturally. We lived in a very moldy house and a regular MD told my mother I'd have to have my adnoids removed. she took me to a natural allergy specialist who treated me, no more allergy here.

A good friend of mine also has a daughter is very allergic to eggs, they used to carry an epi pen with them but now they treat the daughters allergies with homeopathy (the mother is in a homeopathy program). I was with them one day when the daughter ate something with eggs in it, the little girl (3 yrs) was increasingly violent and agitated (usually very calm) and once the mother realized she was having a reaction she took out this homeopathic powder and the daughter instantly transformed after taking it.


----------



## lao80 (Feb 24, 2004)

We did the NAET. Ramy was allergic to everything. It really helped. We were lucky though, my Aunt does it so we didn't have to pay. We were going every other day for weeks!


----------



## Hibou (Apr 7, 2003)

We are using some homeopathy. I think it's time for another visit though, now that we know for sure that dairy is the culprit. I checked the NAET site, and there are no practitioners near us. I know that our homeopath has helped a lot of people with allergies, so I guess we'll continue with that route for now.

I'm wondering if anyone dealing with dairy allergies has found the cultured dairy products to be more tollerable? Can anyone give me some more info on how and to what degree culturing helps to break down milk proteins?

Another question I have,(sorry if this sounds dumb but...) is it possible to oversoak grains?


----------



## myjo (Feb 14, 2004)

I do homeopathy, but I can't afford to go to a homeopath. I've done homeopathy for about 16 years, but I still don't have much confidence in my ability to prescribe constitutionally for babies. It's really complicated and obviously babies can't tell you how they feel. I'm using something called psorinoheal right now, but it doesn't seem to be doing a bit of good, if anything he's worse.

I figured out a way to do NT dairy and egg free, hopefully without causing too many nutritional problems. I'll just try it long enough to see if it helps ds. If not, I guess I have to get his allergies formally diagnosed.


----------



## Queen Gwen (Nov 20, 2001)

You can add dolomite to the coconut milk to make the mineral content closer to that of cow's milk. This is mentioned in the Eat Fat, Lose Fat book by Mary Enig and Sally Fallon -- they call it a coconut tonic, and suggest it for those unable to obtain raw milk. BTW, they listed Thai Kitchen as an acceptable brand of coconut milk, in spite of having some additives; I read it right before going to the store and finding a sale on that very brand







.

Of course, coconut milk still makes me gag, and starts my nose running. I keep working on the self-NAET.


----------



## kmamma (Dec 16, 2004)

Hello everyone. I'm Josefina, formerly known as *morsan*. For some reason I was'nt able to post any longer under that name so I created a new account. Anyways, good to be back. Glad to see there's always an NT thread going.

I have a question about chicken stock. I've made good gelatin-rich beef stock before, but never have my chicken stock batches turned out with gelatin. I've tried chickens from various farms, all free-range, and some organic, and I don't know what to think other than that all those chickens were of poor quality. Somewhere in NT, Sally mentions that stock made 'properly', will have lots of gelatin in it. But she doesn't say what it is about the cooking process that brings out the stuff. I'm getting frustrated because free-range chickens are always easy to get, but good beef bones aren't. I wonder if maybe I just need to add some chicken feet next time. Has anyone made gelatin-rich stock from simmering a whole chicken (no head or feet)? Also, when I look at how much there is in terms of bone mass in a chicken stock pot, it's way less than what I use in a pot of beef stock. Could that be a deciding factor?
Another related question: what's in the gizzards (in the NT recipe gizzards are optional)?

We just moved back from Oregon (to MN) and I brought with me some good filmjolk starter and a kombucha mushroom, but I think it must have all gone bad by now (the mushroom wasn't covered completely by liquid and it looked pretty dark). I guess I'll have to order it again. Kombucha is my favorite energy booster.

Has anyone tried using a juicer attachment that comes with certain food processors? Sally mentions this, but I wonder if the quality of the juice is equal to that made from a real juicer.

Josefina.


----------



## hrheka (Feb 12, 2004)

kmama, I get great gelatin with my chicken stock without feet. I save the bones from our roast chickens and the gizzards (I think its usually a liver heart and something else). So my stockpot is mostly bones, there is usually a little chicken clinging to the bones and I also add any chicken trimmings I've accumulated. When my stock cools it could rival Jello. Its also really tasty because the bones have a nice roasted flavor. I also add leftover gravy.

I like doing it this way because its tasty & I'm cheap, it means I get a whole chicken dinner, usually some chicken salad and stock out of one little chicken!


----------



## toraji (Apr 3, 2003)

Welcome Hibou! I agree that the NT book is not super breastfeeding friendly. I guess it's a bit understandable since Sally Fallon was not successful bfing her babes. So that is her personal experience. I think she was breastfeeding at a time where there was not much support, and the advice that did exist was horrible (like breastfeeding 10 minutes on each side). I am quite surprised that people actually were successful breastfeeding with that kind of info!

I was doing this dairy free for a while because I was suspecting an intolerance in myself (stuffy nose) but I'm starting to go back to it because coconut products are apparently bothering DD. I was doing rejuvelac for my fermented intake. The good news for me is that I am apparently tolerating the dairy so far. I have increased my intake of vitamin c to a high degree trying to get rid of my mold allergy and it seems to be taking care of any stuffiness.

It is possible to oversoak grains. They will start to ferment and if you let it go too long, it may turn yeasty/cheesy smelling and tasting, and eventually get alcoholic. But you will be able to tell when it starts getting off.

Josefina, it's great to see you! I've been wondering how you've been doing. The gizzard is like a stomach, filled with rocks inside the chicken which it uses to grind up its food. I don't think that would help with gelatin.

On the juicer question, I personally feel that the quality is not as good as an auger-type juicer, like one that can do wheatgrass. You can really taste the difference, the food processor/centrifuge juicers don't taste as fresh. However, slightly oxidized juice may be better than no juice at all, depending on your situation.


----------



## Catarina (Aug 26, 2004)

I agree with Hhreka about the chicken stock - that's the only way we buy chicken now, a whole one for roasting and then stock.

I think the problem with stock not gelling is too much water. I just add enough water to cover the bones, andit always gells once cold. You can always add more water later if you want more stock - I usually am freezing it initially so I'm happy for it to be concentrated. And I've never made stock with a whole chicken - just with bones. Maybe with a whole chicken the bones themselves are not really coming into contact with the water?


----------



## gardenmommy (Nov 23, 2001)

I'm finding that my baby, who cannot tolerate dairy (thus forcing me into dairy-free-ness, is that a word?), can tolerate small amounts of kefir. I've been using my kefir to make the occasional smoothie, to soak my grains, and as part of the liquid in my baked goods. As long as I don't overdo it, she seems to do all right with it. I have noticed a difference with yogurt, though, which I assume is because the yogurt is made with pasteurized milk. I make my kefir with raw milk.

When I've made chicken broth, I've had very good broth. It's been so set-up that I could have turned the bowl upside down, and nothing would have come out! All I did was cook the whole chicken, skin removed, cut into pieces, all day in the crockpot (as in a chicken stew, with onions, carrots, potatoes, and garlic); we ate what we wanted that night, then I separated the liquid and the remaining stew. The next morning, the broth had completely gelled.

When I cooked the chicken more quickly on the stovetop, I didn't get quite as good a gel, but it was still pretty thick. I haven't actually cooked the bones by themselves yet. Mostly because I was really tired by the time it came to that step.


----------



## gardenmommy (Nov 23, 2001)

I have noticed an incredible difference in my moods and energy level since I began eating meat again. I hate that it is true, because I would like to still be vegetarian, on a philosophical level. However, I can't argue with my body. I do have more energy (and I'm sure it's my diet, because nothing else in my life has changed!), I don't tire as easily, and I've lost almost 10 lbs. since changing my diet.

My moods are more stable, too. Dh asked me recently how I've been feeling emotionally, and I replied that I'd been feeling rather short-tempered with the children. His response was surprise, because he thought I'd actually been more patient! He was not picking up on my emotional swings as much, where before, he would politely point out how impatient I was being with the Dc. So, I think that perhaps it's been easier for me to regulate my moods.

I also haven't been feeling like I'm in the depths of despair recently, either. I had been feeling like I was stuck at the bottom of a long, muddy hill with a burden the size of Mt. Everest on my back. I haven't felt that way for several weeks. I am so thankful to feel more like my old self, that it is worth it to be eating meat again.

I think, too, that if I had listened to my body during my last pregnancy, I would have had it much easier in every way, physically, emotionally, labor/birth, etc. I'm just glad that I've started to listen to it again!


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

Quote:

I also haven't been feeling like I'm in the depths of despair recently, either. I had been feeling like I was stuck at the bottom of a long, muddy hill with a burden the size of Mt. Everest on my back.
I have been feeling this way since ds was born almost a year ago. I'm just getting into NT, but most of the ideas I have been implimenting for the past 4 months. I am on some good vitamins and clearing up some other minor health issues. This week I have felt great. Full of energy and not so short tempered at the kids. I think if you can find a good resource for you meat and really know the ranching practices, then your good on principle. You can eat meat and be humain about it.

Mountain Mom where are you getting your bison bones from? I bought some bison at the market from the ventor who's around Edmonton. After I drilled her on the history of the ranch and their ranching practices







. We had bison burgers for dinner and WOW they were so good. I added an egg and a handful of oatmeal to bind it together, salt and pepper and that's it. The flavor was so intense and delicious. We had them on sprouted burger buns. That was a couple of weeks ago and we're having them again tonight. So, I would love to make stock out of bison and kind of phase out the beef. I like the beef guy at the market, but the flavor is so much better in the bison. I have heard it's healthier too.

Also, where do you get your almonds from? I noticed them cooking in your oven when the girls and I were over. All I seem to find are conventional almonds and I keep thinking back to what you said about fats and organic.

I think I'm going to go out and buy the book at Chapter's. My new card didn't come today and I'm not a patient person. I am interested in so many recipies.

I made a fabulous batch of yogurt yesturday. Totally by mistake I have discovered that boiling the milk yields a very thick yogurt. I love it thick and it's going to be great for tatziki, I am craving tatziki.

Quote:

they listed Thai Kitchen as an acceptable brand of coconut milk, in spite of having some additives;
I noticed that Thai has no water added to it. It's the only brand I can find so far that has coconut milk listed as the main ingredient. How about using the coconut creme from Tropical Tradiditions? I ordered some hoping that I can make my own coconut milk from it by adding some water. It's only dehydrated coconut with all the fats left in it. It says you can use it as a spread or in cooking. I also ordered the coconut flakes and oil.

http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/virgin_coconut_oil.htm


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

CJR...I got my bones from Velta Bison. They didn't have them on the price list at the booth but I asked and they had a sac in the freezer. I think I paid three bucks for a whole bunch. I got three batches of stock from! We still haven't had any cow yet...only bison.


----------



## Hibou (Apr 7, 2003)

gardenmommy said:


> I'm finding that my baby, who cannot tolerate dairy (thus forcing me into dairy-free-ness, is that a word?), can tolerate small amounts of kefir. I've been using my kefir to make the occasional smoothie, to soak my grains, and as part of the liquid in my baked goods. As long as I don't overdo it, she seems to do all right with it. I have noticed a difference with yogurt, though, which I assume is because the yogurt is made with pasteurized milk. I make my kefir with raw milk.
> 
> QUOTE]
> 
> ...


----------



## Queen Gwen (Nov 20, 2001)

The Thai Kitchen coconut milk here has guar gum. I think it's there to sort of homogenize it, but it tends to separate anyway.

I bought some of the Tropical Traditions coconut cream too, but haven't tried it yet.


----------



## myjo (Feb 14, 2004)

Well, the baby's problem with eczema doesn't seem to be allergy related. He has impetigo, and it's getting worse by the minute. I don't know what in the world could have started it. Anyway, I'm treating him homeopathically, but he just keeps getting worse. So if he hasn't turned the corner by Monday when I go to the ND, I'm going to try a constutional dose of Sulphar. And if that doesn't work, I guess we'll have to use the dreaded antibiotics, unless ND says she has a better alternative.

So hopefully I won't have to give up my beloved eggs and goat milk! But I would do anything to make this go away, you should see him. He's sooo miserable!

We're finally eating all organic meats! Yeahh! I got my order from Azure Standard, and I'm very pleased. Their prices are great, and my freezer is stocked to the hilt with org. tortillas, Ezekial bread, and org. chicken and beef. If anyone else if having trouble sources org. meat, here's the link to AS: www.azurestandard.com

Who has experiance using kefir starter instead of kefir grains? Is it as good? Or should I find some grains?


----------



## toraji (Apr 3, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Queen Gwen*
Of course, coconut milk still makes me gag, and starts my nose running. I keep working on the self-NAET.

Could you explain more about the self-NAET? I would love to be able to do dairy without getting congested. I've heard of NAET before, but didn't bother finding a practitioner due to financial constraints.

It's so funny, I used to eat tons of dairy with no problem before I went vegan. Maybe all those years of anti-dairy thoughts made me become allergic. :LOL

Gardenmommy, that is so great to hear!







I'm glad that your diet change has made such an impact.

Myjo, when my DD had impetigo, we knocked it out with a topical sulfur cream. It was called Sulfa Derm, and we found it at a HFS. There may be some other ointment with sulfur out there too, but the main thing is to get something on there topically to kill the bacteria. Hope it gets better soon!


----------



## myjo (Feb 14, 2004)

We're allergic to sulfa drugs, I wonder if natural sulphur could cause a problem too? If not, I would love to try it.


----------



## hrheka (Feb 12, 2004)

Myjo, when you order meat for Azure Standard how did they ship it? I order all my grains from them but since I'm on the opposite coast it takes awhile. I'm not sure where you are located but was the meat still frozen when you got it?

I've been ordering beef from a few different places but I really like the idea of ordering from one place each month.


----------



## Queen Gwen (Nov 20, 2001)

Toraji, I had had some NAET treatments at the doctor's office, so saw it in action. As a matter of fact, the doctor offered to teach a friend of mine how to give the treatments to her kids so she didn't have to keep dragging them in (their corn treatments didn't really "hold" for too long).

Anyway, then I found a book at the library entitled The Food Allergy Cure by Ellen Cutler. Cutler calls it BioSET (she's tweaked it quite a bit); chapter 8 deals with home treatment. I don't bother with the testing stuff, since I know I'm working on coconut oil. I put the coconut oil in a little vial (actually a tiny glass from Pat O'Brian's in New Orleans) and put it in my waistband so I have skin contact with it the entire time I'm treating (you're supposed to hold it). I go ahead and do the back points, since I'm flexible enough to reach along my entire spine. Then I do the 19 points (NAET just uses 4 points, so I spend more time on those 4 points). NAET says to rest with the vial in contact with your skin for 20 minutes, then avoid the substance for 24 hours. Cutler doesn't mention the 24 hour period. You're supposed to retest at the end of the treatment...again, I skip this part. I just try eating the coconut oil and notice how I react.

As I recall, Cutler said the whole treatment was so easy her young daughter could do it.


----------



## myjo (Feb 14, 2004)

hrheka, they ship the meat frozen, and mine was frozen solid. But I actually live relatively close, we're in S. WA and azure is in Oregon. But wouldn't the delivery trucks have to have refrigeration? Do they have delivery routes over there, or do you have to pay UPS? I'm on one of their truck routes, and there's a drop off point about 20 minutes from here.

Queen Gwen, that book sounds very interesting! My NAET treatments never hold for very long, so it would be great to be able to do it myself.


----------



## Queen Gwen (Nov 20, 2001)

I think someone here suggested looking for venison that hunters didn't want.

Well, dh is getting a bunch from a guy he works with -- the guy says he has more in the freezer than they'll use, so dh can have it.

Thanks for the tip! I never would've thought of it!


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Anyone made the chicken liver pate from the book. My NT friend here made me a batch and it is lovely! Yum Yum Yummy! I highly recommend it. We ate ours with cripsy buttermilk spelt pancakes that we made loonie sized. Yum.!


----------



## toraji (Apr 3, 2003)

myjo, I would probably skip the topical sulfur if you have sulfa allergies. But a call to the doc would be the best resource on this. I'm thinking that there needs to be something antibacterial to help knock out the impetigo, I'm just trying to figure out what would work without burning the poor babe's skin. Maybe a rosemary infusion? Mountain Mom, help!

Queen Gwen, I'll check out that book!


----------



## myjo (Feb 14, 2004)

Thanks toraji! I ignored my gut and put some MSM powder mixed with coconut and neem oils on him last night. It burned the heck out of him and he was more inflammed than ever. I gave him a tea tree bath this morning and it helped a lot.

Homeopathic sulphur did not work. Today we'll put him on mercurius, it seems to be the closest possible match for his kind of impetigo. If that doesn't work, we'll see what the ND says tommorow.

Oh, and he really is allergic to eggs. After avoiding them for about 3 days, I had some yesterday, and he hardly slept at all last night. His rash was so much worse! I don't know what was worse for him, the MSM powder or the eggs. I think I'm reacting to the eggs now too. So, back to the NAET I guess.


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

A wonderful topical healing infusion/decoction that works for things such as impetigo, chicken pox, thrush, poison oak and ivy etc is
Part One flowers:
equal parts of
calendula flower
comfrey leaf
lavender flower
chammomile flower

make an infusion of the above and allow to cool

Part two: Roots
equal parts of
Burdock root
Comfrey root
Marshmallow root

Bring a pot of purified water to a boil and add the herbs. Allow to siimmer boil for 20 minutes, remove from heat and strain. Allow to cool.

Combine the infusion with the decoction and apply as a compress to effected skin.

Hope this helps!!


----------



## xenabyte (Jul 16, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *toraji*
myjo, I would probably skip the topical sulfur if you have sulfa allergies. But a call to the doc would be the best resource on this. I'm thinking that there needs to be something antibacterial to help knock out the impetigo, I'm just trying to figure out what would work without burning the poor babe's skin. Maybe a rosemary infusion? Mountain Mom, help!

Queen Gwen, I'll check out that book!










Myjo,

I'd use some virgin coconut oil until you can have it looked at. It's soothing and won't hurt. My youngest ate something that gave him a terrible blistery rash about a week ago (think it was too many strawberries). I used coconut oil on it, and it went away in a matter of hours. Now I use it after every 'icky' diaper change for the anti bacterial, viral, and yeast properties.

Also, I keep a small bottle of 'colloidal silver' for cuts, scrapes and anything infected looking. It's amazing stuff, and no burning. They usually sell it at health food stores if you are looking for it. It will kill bacteria, viruses, and fungals on contact as well. Google it to read more about colloidal silver.

Just some alternative suggestions to sulfur creams.


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Okay, I reread your posts Myjo, and I hope you don't mind if I post some questions for you here.

1) Are you giving your babe a probiotic powder first hand?

2) Are you giving your babe codliver or another quality essential fatty acid such as hemp oil, first hand?

3) Contraversial but I have to ask...Did you vaccinate?

At this point I see the impetigo as a red flag, saying please support my immune system. The eczema was the first sign, now the body is offering you a more significant sign.

We all have staph on our skin (the virus that caused impetigo) but when our immunity is suppressed enough the staph can take the upper hand and cause an active breakout.

You can treat the acute problem, the active staph infection, but it is essential to find out why the immune system is suppressed. That, IMO, is the root of your situation.

I really hope that has helped!!!


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Another thought.

Do everything you possibly can do to stay off the antibiotics, which will further suppress the immunity. They are a last resort, one that will definately be used if the infection doesn't clear soon and fast.

Are you taking immune boosters? Such as Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Zinc, Co-Enyzme Q10, Cod liver oil, Probiotics, and immune boosting herbs such as Astragulus, Garlic, Cat's Claw, Echinacea, Usnea, Elderberry, Red Clover, and Wild Intigo.

Make sure you and your babe are recieving daily twenty minutes of sun at its highest peak during the day. Wash it over your open skin, preferably the arms, neck and face. Have the beam directily hit your thyroid gland.

Dry skin brush and have a hot shower followed by a blast of cold.

Your milk should contain the healers above for your babe too.


----------



## gardenmommy (Nov 23, 2001)

Hibou, My baby is nearly 9 months now. I started suspecting a dairy intolerance when she was about 2 weeks old, and experimented with my diet/dairy for another 2 or 3 weeks to confirm my suspicions.

When I eat dairy, even small amounts hidden in chocolate, baked goods, etc., she gets cranky, doesn't sleep well, and spits up. At 9 months, her valve should be developed enough to keep stuff in her stomach pretty well. However, she will soak me with the amount she spits up, if I eat dairy.

She mostly gets her kefir secondhand, as she she isn't eating too many solids (maybe 1 TB applesauce, banana, ripe pear, avocado, etc.). When I make smoothies, however, she always wants a taste. As long as it's not too much more than a *taste*, she does all right with it, even with the kefir in it.

Our homeopathic dr. also thought that kefir made with raw milk would be much easier on her than even organic pasteurized anything dairy. He recommends that we limit dairy in our diets, except raw dairy.


----------



## gardenmommy (Nov 23, 2001)

toraji, thank you for your encouragement. It is largely due to your helpfulness and encouraging words that I gathered enough courage to do what I knew was the right thing for my body and my baby. I can't tell you enough how much I appreciate you answering me with honesty when I needed it! I still struggle with what I would like to be doing in my diet, and what I know my body needs me to do.


----------



## myjo (Feb 14, 2004)

Thank you so much for all your thoughts mountain mom and xenabyte. I think this babe was born with a weak immune system. I have an autoimmune disorder, and it really flared up during his pregnancy. I've known about his weak immunity for some time because he keeps getting sick. Even now he is congested.

I take cod liver oil, but I have not given much to him directly because of the taste. I know I should do so. I will now for sure. I also want to give him a GLA supplement because I read that that's something that's particularly lacking in people with eczema.
I have to be careful about taking immune boosters for myself because some of them, like echinacea, cause flare-ups in me. But I believe some of the adaptogens would be okay. My ND had me on astragalus, but it always makes me feel lousy for some reason.

I have some Weleda baby oil which has Calendula and some other essential oils, I believe lavender is one. Would that be helpful? I've just been using coconut oil with some tea tree mixed in. I have a dilemma now that we will be starting him on a homeopathic remedy as soon as dh gets home. Some of the essential oils can interfere with the effectiveness of homeopathic remedies. I believe the remedy I have chosen, finally, is correct. But as of now, I'm not so sure of anything. I'm just super scared and exhausted from being up with miserable baby!


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Try the homeopathic and watch for the telltale signs of efficacy like the babe falling to sleep.

You can still use a wash for the skin without it interfering with the homeopathics, just administer at different times that are spaced apart.








to you Myjo!!


----------



## Asquaredmom (Mar 9, 2002)

How does one get a light textured quick bread w/soaked flour???

First I made the NT banana bread...I whipped the egg whites and folded them in hoping for a lighter texture, but it turned out like a soggy, slightly sour brick.

I made pancakes using the Sue Gregg blender method, blending the whole grains w/kefir until finely ground, fermenting overnight. The resulting pancakes were too moist and gummy for my taste. I was "lazy" and just wisked in the egg and leavenings the next day instead of blending it again. Perhaps the 2nd blending might whip in more air but I think overall result would still be fairly heavy.

I suppose I will try the pancakes again with less kefir and more milk, they were a bit on the sour side + a 2nd blending.

TIA!


----------



## Brisen (Apr 5, 2004)

Kathleen, I have the same problem sometimes. I'm not sure what the cause is, but it seemed to be more likely to happen if I let the flour soak for a long time. I would usually start to soak the flour in the evening, then make the bread mid-morning of the next day. So it would soak for 12-14 hours. But if I waited until afternoon or evening, the bread would taste sour and be very moist. I have a friend in town who does NT, and she has tried to make the sourdough starter, but hers is always too sour and tastes "off" as opposed to fermented. She spoke with another woman in town who used to make sourdough, and she said that the airborne critters that help sour the mix just aren't good ones around here. I don't know if that is logical or not, but it would explain my bread failures!

It could also be a matter of personal taste. She had tried my quick bread when she visited a few times, and then when I had a baby she sent over a batch of NT muffins. We ended up finding out that we each preferred the way the others' turned out -- mine were more moist and heavy; hers were drier and lighter (but not crumbly).

HTH!


----------



## Pilgrim (Dec 12, 2004)

I've just caught up on reading about the allergies & stuff. I thought I'd offer up our situation. DD has severe dairy allergeis. She can't eat ANY dairy in ANY form, including raw, fermented, or cultured, and hidden stuff. She can not tolerate it if *I* eat dairy in ANY form. In fact, she can't tolerate homeopathy because it is in lactose pills. She even reacts if *I* have any homeopathy. She has eczema too. I thought I'd mention this for consideration of the moms of babes with dairy allergies who are trying to treat it homemopathically, or who think that raw milk products are OK. Maybe they are for some babes, but not mine. You might consider this when doing your eliminations. Just for thought.......


----------



## Brisen (Apr 5, 2004)

So, I tried making stock from beef bones, being careful not to let it boil, to keep the stock clear. I started it Mon night, and each time I checked it, it was looking good. Well, things kept getting in the way of me moving the stock off the stove and straining it and putting it away. It kept getting darker and darker, very nice looking I thought. Sunday afternoon, I decided I needed to just do it. I skimmed some stuff off the top, and strained some (I would have to do it in batches, since my glass mixing bowl isn't very big). It smelled weird, almost plasticy or something. Just yuck. I couldn't smell "stock" smell off it anymore like I could earlier in the week, just this kind of yuck smell. So I trashed it. Can you simmer stock for too long? Should I give up and just stick to chicken or duck stock?


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

You left the stock on the stove for 6 days?!?! That seems like an awfully long time. I have only left the stock in the crock for no more then 24-36 hours. Usually just under 24. My stock is always dark and rich and most times I need to add water to it, and it's never clear.


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Myjo, how is the babe today?

Question about stock...Anyone tried the double roasted bone trick? When you roast the bones then simmer the bones for a few hours then roast them again and then in the final simmer all the deep minerals release?

The organic chicken farmer told me about this method this weekend. She said that her stock is so thick you can cut it with a knife!


----------



## myjo (Feb 14, 2004)

Hi mountain mom. The baby seemed slightly improved this morning. He slept well. I'm pretty sure we have the right remedy because his mood improved dramatically right after his first dose. He woke with no weepyness in the original rash. But the remedy has stopped working because he's as irritable as ever now, and the rash is becoming weepy and inflamed again. So I will get a higher potency of Mercurius from the ND and also have her prescribe antibiotics. I'm thinking if I can integrate the conventional and alternative treatments, maybe his immunity won't suffer quite so much. I'm going to put him on probiotics and evening primrose too.

Pilgrim, thanks for the heads up about homeopathy. Ds seems to be fine with it, in fact probably a little better. You can get lactose free homeopathic drops, so if you ever want to try it again, just look for those. I'm totally off dairy now as a precaution, I don't know if he's allergic to it or not, but I'm not taking chances at this point.

Sorry for hijacking the thread earlier!


----------



## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

Hi ladies.

*stock*

I let my stock simmer for 24 hours, strain it, and resimmer the bones. The first batch is best but the second is pretty good too. I have found that if it simmers too long, it gets bitter.


----------



## Catarina (Aug 26, 2004)

Stock - I boil stock for 24-36 hours, too. I don't think stock need to be clear, I think that's mainly a cosmetic thing. In fancy cooking you can clarify stocks with an egg white and egg shells and so on, but I don't think that it's neccesary for home cooking.

Kefir baking - I don't use Sally's recipes, I adopt normal buttermilk recipes. Using buttermilk for scones and quickbreads really is traditional and people did it to get a light and tender crumb.

Here's my scone recipe-I'm afraid it's by weight, not really by volume.

*9 ounces wheat or preferably, spelt flour (Two unsifted cups)
2 1/2 ounces butter, cut in.

1 1/4 cup kefir*
Mix the butter-flour mixture and the kefir and leave to soak in a cool place for 24 hours or overnight.

Prepare the dry ingredients - mix well and set aside.

*3 ounces white flour - around 3/4 cups
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt*

When preparing the scones, mix the dry ingredients into the wet. Mix well - I use a wire pastry cutter for this, or you could use a food processor I guess - leaving no flour showing, as it contains the salt and soda too.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, cut into scones with a drinking glass, and bake on a preheated baking stone.

They are really light, soft, and not sour. We have them for breakfast with butter and homemade marmalade.

I think you can adopt your normal recipes by subbing kefir for milk, and using baking soda instead of baking powder - I think in a ratio of about 1 teaspoon soda to one cup kefir. Also, spelt flour really does rise better.


----------



## Hibou (Apr 7, 2003)

When I made the banana bread, I did 2 loaves. I poured half the batch into one bread pan, but it seemed too runny for banana bread, so for the other loaf I mixed in some white flour (not much, maybe half a cup). the first loaf was heavy and undercooked, but the second one turned out really well. I know it's not the best option for those who want to use all soaked flour, but it works for me!


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

I don't have the starter for the buttermilk so I have been using kefir too with great results. I made muffins and they were nice and light. I soak barley flour in kefir to make pancakes and they are awsome. You would never know they were made with whole grain flour. Tonight I have spelt flour soaking in kefir for biscuits for tomorrows dinner. I like the results I get with the kefir and my grains are gang busters right now so I have a lot of kefir.








I don't think I will even bother with buttermilk. I use the yoghurt to get the whey and cream cheese. I would like to make the creme freshe.

Does anyone know what the book means when it says to "turn" the lemons in the preserved lemon recipe? Does she mean turn the jar or turn the actual lemons in the jar? It may seem like a stupid question, but I'm really at a loss on this one.


----------



## Catarina (Aug 26, 2004)

Another thought about baking - I had a look at that blender baking website and I wasn't so sure about it. It seems as though you would be over-mixing the batter and would overwork the gluten, resulting in a very tough batter. Normally with pancakes, scones, quickbreads, the idea is to mix the batter as little as possible.

I think it's fine to add a little white flour at the end as white flour is lower in phytates and doesn't need soaked.


----------



## myjo (Feb 14, 2004)

Update on the baby: He's on antibiotics, probiotics, ant. crudum, and topical goldenseal. Still looks nasty, but it's only a matter of time now 'til he's better. Any suggestions on minimizing the damage the antibiotics are doing? (He's on probiotics already and I'm taking immune boosters and a liver cleansing tea)

I'm off eggs and dairy and I've already lost a pound! I guess those foods are necessary for me to maintain my weight.


----------



## HerthElde (Sep 18, 2003)

Just checking in to this month's thread. Will post the carob muffin recipe a little later. Also wanted to let you all know I changed my username (from KatzMama).

Oh, also, in regards to stock - if you don't want to leave it simmer on the stovetop overnight (I worry about my kitties), you can put it in the oven at 275F. It keeps it simmering nicely.

Mandy


----------



## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

Gals,

This is pretty much OT, but where else would I post this? Anyhoo, this is about a bit of internal turmoil I have today and had yesterday.

You see, this cannot be possible, but I am still wondering. I am two days late, but haven't charted so I don't really know for sure that I am late. I am feeling like I am going to start any minute for the last two days, but I haven't. I haven't slept well for a few days and I have been craving obscene amounts of butter. This is all very familiar to me. But we have been avoiding. Really. I am sure I am just late. I would be tickled if there was an exciting explanation, but it just does not seem possible.









So I guess I'll keep waiting.
And of course we are so remote and I ran out of tests during my last pg and m/c. And it seems so remote that it would be a waste of tests. Perhaps I have been working so hard and so into everything that I ovulated later than usual, though I am very regular even when I have an anovulatory cycle. Maybe it's early menopause.

edited to add that I'll get a test tomorrow and test Thursday morning if my period still hasn't started. I tried to do a boob check, but I feel like I've gained so much weight in the last six months that big boobs may just be a sign of my fat state.


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Gale Force....I hope it is what we aren't saying it is!!!








:


----------



## gardenmommy (Nov 23, 2001)

I am anxiously awaiting the test results!

When you soak flours, are you literally soaking the flour in a bowl, in liquid? In what liquid are you soaking the flour, and for how long? How does this affect the flour in the recipe? Do you just adjust the amount of liquid already called for? Sorry for all the questions. I've requested the NT book through my library, but it's obviously quite popular. I'm on a list, so who knows when I'll actually get it.

When I make my blender waffles, I soak the grains separately overnight, whole, unblended, then dump them into the blender. They seem to blend much more easily, and make GREAT waffles! I don't know if doing it that way is not good, but they sure are tasty!


----------



## TopazBlueMama (Nov 23, 2002)

Oh yeah, Amanda!! I noticed you hinting about that in another thread yesterday, but I didn't get a chance to respond and then forgot--so I'm glad to see you talking about it! We'll all be on pins and needles waiting for you to test. :LOL I'm glad you would be excited if you did get a little suprise.









To the previous poster about soaking grains..you seem to have the right idea!


----------



## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

thanks gals.

It does seem very, very unlikely. I mean, I know how to avoid.







But who knows what the NT diet does to you.







Perhaps since I discovered yesterday that I was late, I am now making up some symptoms subconsciously. That's definitely a possibility.


----------



## toraji (Apr 3, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *gardenmommy*
When I make my blender waffles, I soak the grains separately overnight, whole, unblended, then dump them into the blender. They seem to blend much more easily, and make GREAT waffles! I don't know if doing it that way is not good, but they sure are tasty!

This is what we do too, it seems too hard to blend the unsoaked grains and get a smooth result. Our pancakes have turned out great this way!

Gale Force, crossing fingers! How exciting!


----------



## *solsticemama* (Feb 8, 2003)

This thread moves so fast I have a hard time keeping up. So I'll just jump in with this question in the hopes that it hasn't been asked before, but has anyone tried making the unyeasted yogurt-herb bread? It looks like it would be good but possibly heavy.

On another note, my mom went to see a nutritionist who it turns out is very much pro-NT. We're now sharing notes and recipes


----------



## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

hey gals: I found a test after all. It was negative. I don't expect it's a false negative. I expect that I am late (which is odd) and maybe have a touch of the flu.


----------



## TopazBlueMama (Nov 23, 2002)

Well, you've got to be goint crazy about now wondering what is going on! You should start up now anytime--you know how a negative test usually brings on af.









Is anyone else looking forward to having a really healthy "NT" pregnancy and baby? I think it will be kind of fun to compare a little to my other pregnancies and births and stuff and see how big of a difference there is. Oh with nursing and stuff too. I hope I'll be able to get better at feeding myself nourishing foods and lots of nutrients before that happens again though. I still have so much to work on!!


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

Quote:

When you soak flours, are you literally soaking the flour in a bowl, in liquid? In what liquid are you soaking the flour, and for how long? How does this affect the flour in the recipe? Do you just adjust the amount of liquid already called for?
I soak rice and other grains in water and whey. I soak muffins in the amount of kefir called for in the recipe. I soak oatmeal in water and yoghurt and add more liquid when I cook it up. From what I gather you are fermenting the grains before cooking them.

I think we had the picture perfect NT dinner tonight. It was great. We started with a leafy salad with the lemon and raw honey dressing, then we had bison all day stew with buttermilk biscuits. What an odd little biscuit they were. I soaked and did everything else and found it odd that you cook them for so long. I don't think I will cook them that long next time. Maybe they were too small for the length of cooking time. I got 18 biscuits instead of 12. They were really crispy on the outside and very soft in the very center. They must have been good because they were gobbled up. They made good broth soppers.

Tomorrow we are having sweetpotato pancakes (which are soaking now), quinoa cooked in chicken stock (which is soaking now), broccoli and baked chicken. I may even make desert.


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Your meal sounds yummy Cjr!!

I am making a veggie lazanga for this weekend...my Aunt passed suddenly and we are leaving for the memorial on Friday....I want to use yogurt cheese instead of cottage or ricotta for part of the filling...what do you all think?


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

I think as long as you mix an egg with it to bind it then it should work great. Sorry about your aunt.


----------



## HerthElde (Sep 18, 2003)

Makes 12 muffins.

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (or mixture of wheat, kamut, spelt)
1 2/3 cups kefir
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup sucanat
3 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup carob powder

Soak flour in kefir 12-24 hours in warm place. (Note: when covering the bowl, dampen tea towel with filtered water and place directly ON the dough. This prevents the top from getting all crusty by keeping the dough moist.)
Cream butter with sucanat. Blend in eggs, vanilla, salt, baking soda and carob. Mix with soaked flour. Pour into greased muffin tin. Bake 30 mins at 350F.

I've been using my food processor to mix this up because I don't have a mixmaster, and my handheld mixer just doesn't mix it well enough. It needs to be a very very even mixture in order to turn out well (otherwise you get very sour bits of soaked dough and it just doesn't taste that great). Also, I still don't have a nice muffin tin, so the baking temp/time is based on a non-stick muffin tin. Be sure not to overbake - in fact, they're best if they're almost underbaked. Just to the point where they maybe sink a tiny bit in the centre.

Also works with cocoa instead of carob. I just made them with cocoa and they turned out great!


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

OK, dh wants me to get him some glucosomine. I don't want to. I asked him to just wait until he has been eating NT meals with bone broths for a few weeks first. I hate buying the stuff because he never takes it consistantly and I think it's just a waste of money. I also want him to see the naturopathic doctor first. I think he would benefit from acupuncture, he has mild arthritus in his wrists and ankles.

Oh, and he had a swig of my kefir/coconut oil/peach smoothie this morning. This is the man that stood his groud and said "no way am I drinking something that sits on the counter for two days". He liked it. I may even get him to have a full one tomorrow. The girls loved the addition of the coconut oil. It really has a lovely coconut flavor, makes it taste like the bahama's.


----------



## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

Hey gals. Just a cycle update since I've bothered you all before with it. I saw my chiropractor yesterday and told him about a big fall I took the Sunday before last and said, among other things, "could this have affected my cycle?" He ended up adjusting me in quite a number of places.














He said that it's possible to have a uterine hernia, didn't say I had such a thing, but said that a fall could affect you just about _everywhere_. My cycle is still late, which is odd because I am typically regular even in an anovulatory cycle.

By the way, on the fall - I fell forward down a flight of cross-tie stairs outside. It was icy, my push-off foot is the one that slid out from under me, my shin hit the edge of a cross tie, my hands reached out to break my fall, they hit another icy cross tie and slid out from under me, my chin then hit hard. I laid there waiting for the pool of blood to form in my mouth, taking an inventory of limbs and teeth. All was present, I got up, I got the starter wood I was after, and counted my blessings. Literally, I could have been killed with the fall. I could have also been injured so badly that I would not be able to move, in which case I probably would have laid there for hours in the 30 degree weather.

Anyhoo, waiting for AF. Tap tap tap


----------



## myjo (Feb 14, 2004)

Amanda, how strange! Hope you're better soon.

Well, I've not been eating much in the NT way, and I have lost 5 lbs in 2 weeks from stress and lack of nourishment. (BTW, not looking to lose any weight, that five lbs was hard earned!). So the diet is incredibly important to me. I have to get ds' allergies treated!

Update on ds with impetigo: very slow recovery, but seems to be responding finally to the antibiotics. Doc prescribed baby vits, what do you think? His immunity is quite low.


----------



## HerthElde (Sep 18, 2003)

Oh, Amanda what a scary fall







!!! Glad you're OK.
I'm also waiting for AF. I've only had one PPAF though, so I don't know if I'm really late, or if that was just a flukey anovulatory cycle or if my cycle is now longer than it was before (I was on a 29-day cycle before getting pg with dd). It's been 30 days now. I tested 2 days ago and got a BFN







Oh well. Our goal is to let the universe decide - and dd is only 13 months, so I guess I'm not in a huge rush. But still . . . I really don't want a December thru February baby, so I have to decide whether we want to actively prevent it for three months *sigh*
mountain mom, sorry about your aunt


----------



## Catarina (Aug 26, 2004)

Amanda, that fall story makes me wince. It must have really shooken you up.

Good luck with all the family planning, everybody.

And many thanks for the chocolate muffin recipe - my son really loves chocolate cake-like things.


----------



## Oregonicmama (Aug 13, 2002)

I posted this in the TP too.

Anyone have an extra copy of NT they would like to sell? I would like to buy one.

PM me with any info.

thanks


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

Has anyone been fermenting? I have a question. I made the fermented sweet potato and they are very salty. Do all fermented things taste salty? Do I need to let it sit for awhile to loose the saltiness? I made the ginger/carrots, but have not tasted them. I made the "punch" tonight, but it has sucanat in it so I imagine it won't be salty.


----------



## Brisen (Apr 5, 2004)

Sally's recipes are notorious for being too salty.


----------



## Queen Gwen (Nov 20, 2001)

cjr, I've fermented several things that game out just fine -- not too salty. Maybe it's the recipe (I haven't tried the sweet potatoes). Maybe you notice salt more easily than some people. I know that some days my mom can load salt onto stuff and never notice the difference -- it's like her salt tastebuds are on holiday or something -- so I imagine some people might be quite the opposite (I am very sensitive to rancid tastes myself). Also, are you using the Celtic sea salt, the stuff that's sort of grey or pink? I wonder if it could make a difference what salt you use.

I just made a batch of the carrots. They should be ready tonight. I tried them a couple of years ago and it didn't work. I also made a batch of the gingerale. I'll be interested to see how that came out (small rant -- the recipe says to use a 2qt. jar...how can you fit 2 qts. filtered water, quarter cup whey and half cup lime juice, plus the chopped up ginger, in a 2 qt. jar? yoohoo, the math doesn't work!).

Right now I have some sauerkraut I made a few months ago in the fridge. Also, some of the fruit chutney, which is so spicey I can barely eat it (I'm thinking about pitching it). Other successes have been the apricot spread, the corn relish (gave a jar to my folks for Christmas), the salsa, beet kvass. Duds have been my previous carrot attempt (the carrots blanched white, which was too weird for me, plus I didn't like the taste), pineapple vinegar, and sometimes the beet kvass. The beet kvass tastes too salty if it doesn't react properly -- last week I had some dud beets, and it just tasted like saltwater and whey, and was an ugly brown color.


----------



## earthchick (Sep 30, 2004)

Just checking in; I haven't posted in February yet. I can't seem to keep up! I haven't been eating very NT-ish lately, but I am giving up sweets for Lent so that's a step. I hope to make some yogurt this weekend and get back in the rhythm of making Irish oatmeal.

Amanda, what a terrible fall!







Sounded awful.

Re: the chocolate muffins (which sound so yummy!). I am assuming it's okay to soak them in something other than kefir? Like water mixed w/ buttermilk or yogurt? I haven't gotten to the kefir-making stage yet....


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

Queen Gwen-I didn't use natural sea salt, just the plain boxed sea salt that is most likely processed. I bought some natural stuff today, but not the Celtic because it's way too expensive for me. This stuff looks pretty good. I think I will let it sit for a week or so and see what happens. The colors are nice and vibrant and they look good, but they are salty. I thought that the fermenting process eliminated the salt taste. I will try the recipies you had success with and see how that goes. I'm looking forward to trying the "punch".


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

I have used a few varieties of celtic sea salt for fermentation, each yields a different flavour. I would be leary of using refined sea salt because the crucial trace minerals are lost in the refining process. These minerals are needed for the fermentation process. I think that it will still work with the refined sea salt but may not yield as nutrient and mineral rich as the unrefined.

I also find that once crushed the unrefined sea salt goes along way. We buy a one pound bag for about $10 and it lasts us about 3-4 months. I find it very concentrated.

Thanks for all the warm wishes about the loss of my Aunt. We are leaving this morning for the memorial. She was so young only 56. She died of a brain anerism very suddenly so I am still trying to come to terms with the fact that she is gone. I find talking and writing about it helps. It will be good to be home with family and see my Uncle and Cousin. Family is so important in times like this!

So everyone have a great weekend. I made a whole schwak of fermented goodies to take on the journey. My family is up for anything as long as its food! The grape kefir went over really well at Yule so I am bring white grape this time and tzakiki with buttermilk corainder cripsy pancakes, lazanga with homemade noodles from soaked spelt. I even made the ricotta, using a recipe from wild fermentation!

IF anything the food will nourish our hearts! A little wine won't hurt either!


----------



## ComaWhite (Mar 13, 2003)

We recieved a freezer bag of wild deer bones for soup making yesterday.

How would you all reccomend making stock/broth the nt way?

Thanks!


----------



## HerthElde (Sep 18, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *earthchick*
Re: the chocolate muffins (which sound so yummy!). I am assuming it's okay to soak them in something other than kefir? Like water mixed w/ buttermilk or yogurt? I haven't gotten to the kefir-making stage yet....

You could definitely give it a try! I notice a definite difference since I started using kefir in my recipes, just because it rises so well (it has a small amt of yeast as some of the culture). So they may not turn out quite the same, but I'm sure they'll be yummy anyway.


----------



## HerthElde (Sep 18, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *andrea*
How would you all reccomend making stock/broth the nt way?

I don't know that there really is an NT way to make stock, per se. But what I would probably do is follow a recipe (or proportions) for making beef stock - I think I'd brown the bones first (400F for 1 hour), just to get a good flavour. Maybe a lot of thyme to sort of offset the wild flavour? Nutmeg seems to be a common addition in the deer stock recipes I've found online. Another thing you could do is use 1/2 deer bones, 1/2 beef bones to make a less wild-tasting stock.
HTH - and I'm very very curious to hear how it turns out!


----------



## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

MM -- I am sorry to hear about your aunt. This and other news has me thinking a lot lately about family.







The goodies you have prepared sound super and very thoughtful. I am impressed that you could pull that all together.


----------



## *solsticemama* (Feb 8, 2003)

Well no one seems to have tried the yogurt-herb bread...hmm, doesn't give me alot of confidence about trying it since it seems like it would be a pretty easy recipe. I was reading about what 'superfoods/supplements' the book recommends and one of them is clay. Has anyone on this thread ever taken this? If so, results?

Mountain mom blessings on your family travels.


----------



## AJP (Apr 30, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by **solsticemama**
Well no one seems to have tried the yogurt-herb bread....

I made it once a while back, the flavor was good but it was very moist - too wet for using as a sandwich bread, toast or anything like that, the texture was more like a very dense, gooey banana bread (different flavor, of course). Lately I've been focusing on standard yeasted bread recipes using sprouted flour, so haven't revisited the yogurt herb bread yet. It was tasty, I'll probably make it again.


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

Quote:

I notice a definite difference since I started using kefir in my recipes, just because it rises so well
I noticed this too. The kefir really tenderizes the flour and so far everything that I have used it for has been successful. I'm trying the yeasted bread for tomorrow. I need a lighter dough for dinner rolls.

I made bison stock yesturday and instead of throwing away the fat that collected on the top, I saved it. We had bison/black bean burritos's on sprouted tortilla's and I added some of the fat to the ground bison (not a lot, like a tbsp.) and it really made a big difference. Bison is so lean and can almost be too dry. It gave it a wonderful flavor and added some much need moisture. Just a little tip for anyone who prefers bison over beef.

I think I'm going to make apple cider (the alcoholic kind). I got Wild Fermentation from the library today and it seems so easy to make. I love apple cider in the summer and it would be so great to have my own. Anyone ever make it. I can get a big jug of organic apple cider juice at the healthfood store for a really good price. It's pasturized, but it has no additives in it. Do you think it would work? It would be so easy because it comes in a huge just that would be perfect for brewing the fermented cider.


----------



## Hibou (Apr 7, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *cjr*
I got Wild Fermentation from the library today

Me too! Just picked it up- it looks like the kind of book I'd like to own.


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

I just wanted to add that my bison stock was very gelatinous. I mean it looked like those jello jigglers that people make. I had to cut into it to put it into smaller containers and then try to pack down the "jellO". Good stuff. I think I will make bison stock more often.

I made bison meatballs for supper. Oh, wow were they good. I followed the meatloaf recipe in the NT book, but I substituted chopped kidney for the heart. I chopped it up as small as I could. I omited the sauce/ketchup. I basically sauted carrot, and onion in some olive oil and butter, then added some sea salt and pepper. I also added about a tbsp of the bison fat I skimmed from my stock. I then took 2 slices of frozen sprouted grain bread and cut it up into small cubes, soaked it in about 1c. of whole milk. Then I mixed up 2lbs of bison meat with the meat off of not quite 1 beef kidney. I added the egg and bread to the meat mixture, then dumped in the sauted veggies and mixed it all up. I made balls with the meat and put them into the pan I sauted the veggies in. Once the pan was full I put a lid on it. I cooked them for about 15 min before I took the lid off and turned them over. I let them finish cooking with the lid off until all the liquid had evaporated and cooked back into the meat. Took them out of the pan and transfered them to a dish to keep warm in the oven.

We had them with kamut spaghetti and home made marinara sauce. WOW! they were the best dang meatballs I have ever made. I know spaghetti isnt the best, but I need the old standby to see if the family would go for the meatballs. Dh said they were really good, then I told him there was kidney in it and that's where all the flavor was coming from. He got "the look" and I said tough. If I told you then you would have picked them apart, now you know you like them and you will happily eat them. The moral of the story is, if you can't get your family to eat kidney's then hide them in the meatballs.


----------



## The Hidden Life (Aug 29, 2004)

Yum! Sounds delicious! We are eating out of our freezer/pantry waiting for payday and had frozen "chicken tenders" along with a can of kidney beans, brown rice and a can of mandarin oranges. Not as yum but certainly better than nothing. Sigh. Bison meatballs with kidney...have to try that one some day. On a positive note, my husband has fallen in love with raw milk. He totally made faces when I used to serve him organic whole pasteurized milk but he just loves it "fresh from the cow." It really is a different texture. Less of that painty, tongue-coating feeling for sure and great taste. I told him he was born to be a farm boy.







We are increasing our order to three gallons a week now that the cowshare program is up and running at last. The one area that seems really easy to go NT is dairy, at least for us. Bit by bit, I keep telling myself, don't get discouraged. It'll all happen eventually.
LeeAnn


----------



## secretgarden (Jun 23, 2003)

This is a silly question but I was wondering is Bison beef? Or some other animal and if you are allergic to dairy including the flesh of cows can you eat Bison?

Thanks


----------



## Hibou (Apr 7, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *secretgarden*
This is a silly question but I was wondering is Bison beef? Or some other animal and if you are allergic to dairy including the flesh of cows can you eat Bison?

Thanks

Bison is also known as buffalo. I don't know about the allergy thing. It is a different animal completely, so I don't think it would be an issue.

btw, cjr- those meatballs sound awesome. I totally have to learn to disguise organ meats or dh will never eat them.


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

Bison is buffalo and I am so thrilled with my source. I got the soup bones from her as well and they made awsome stock.

I wish I could find raw milk. I don't think I could get dh to go for it though. I'm in Canada and have had no luck finding a source. I have found a source for organic whole non-pasturized milk and cream. The cream is soooo expensive, $4 for 1c.







I'm trying to get some cultures to make buttermilk, sour cream and cream cheese.


----------



## nym (Sep 6, 2003)

My uncle owns a bison farm just north of edmonton









(I'm just subscribing really)


----------



## secretgarden (Jun 23, 2003)

I was wondering if someone could tell me how to use my dehydrator to make yogurt?

A recipe and instructions please. I have the Ronco dehydrator and it says you can use to make yogurt but I don't have the recipe booklet or directions anymore so if any of you use your dehydrator to make yogurt would you please share some info with me??

Thanks

P.S. Thanks for the Bison info


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Hi everyone, thanks again for the warm wishes. My Aunt's memorial was very lovely. I was so happy to see my relatives and especially my grammy. She is the one who taught me german cooking as a child...things like craut, choghen, rolling sausage etc...

Gale Force...I would have prepared these foods anyway for the weekend. My dh is on nights right now...works 7pm - 5 am so on the weekend I tend to stay out of the kitchen and have food ready to go so we can spend mega family time together. The lazanga was an experiment (especially the noodles) but it was yummy and worked out well. Homemade lazanga noodles are super easy to make. So it wasn't too much of a stretch to get it done, I did however stay home Thurs. instead of going to playgroup but that was more to get my business under control before leaving.









We just had the yummiest elk sausage! With super hot musturd, purple potatoes and dino kale.


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

Quote:

My uncle owns a bison farm just north of edmonton
What is there farm called? I buy mine from Vital Bison. They have wonderful products. They are all frozen, unlike the beef rancher, but still very good quality. I bought frozen beef from a rancher that was just horid. I'm sure the re-froze the stuff. I have never had a bad experience with Vital Bison.

Mountain Mom, did you use your own fermented mustard? I started mine yesturday, but I made the honey version. It smells so good and hot. I'm glad the memorial went well.

We just had friends over for dinner and she has a Wisper grain mill she just pulled out of storage. It was a gift from her dad two years ago. I am so envious. She offered to have me over to grind some flour for my freezer. So, I think I will order some whole grains Mountain Mom, when you put the next order through. She was so interested in the whole NT concept, and good nutrition in general. I'm very envious of her. She had no problems at all BF'ing and she is trying to cd, but not doing well. I gave her a bunch of diapers and covers to try.

I made the NT buttermilk bread for dinner. I made dinner rolls. They were fabulous. The first time in ages that whole grain bread has worked for me.


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Hey CJR! Yes we used the fermented musturd. It is sooo hot like wasabi. It makes me sweat!

The grain order I will be putting through probably on Friday if it all lines up with everyone.








to you just cause I think you are a great Mom!


----------



## nym (Sep 6, 2003)

Croswell buffalo ranch I think


----------



## Oregonicmama (Aug 13, 2002)

As a vegetarian of 13 years, I find it SHOCKING how yummy all these meals sound! I ordered NT and it was shipped yesterday. I am so excited! I can't wait to get it and learn what your all talking about.









Those meatballs soud so great.

I have a question and its kind of long. I posted it on a NT group on Yahoo, but no one really answered me. Maybe its too much. But I think someone on here could at least give me some input.

My DP is in bad shape. He's been a vegatarian or vegan for the past 7 years and I just don't see what it could be coming from besides diet. His family members are all super healthy, but they are deffinitely not vegetarians! He's also only 27.

In June he made a large order of jewelry up. He uses handtools to make his stuff so it involves lots of sqeezing twisting etc. After he finished it up he got this attack in his left forearm. It seemed like tendonitis at first, but he eventually figured out its a nerve issue. He was unable to use his hand for anything for almost 3 months! He would not go to a Doctor, so I don't know what it really is. Now it has died down, but he gets shooting pains up both of his arms at ranfom times, but not very often. He's been walking a lot lately and he says his sciatic nerves are hurting now too.

Summer 2003 he had what seemed like a heart attack. WHen I finally got him to go to the Dr. 3 days later, he said it was just an intense anxiety attack. It really seemed like a heart attack to us. His whole left side was sore for days, he looked dead when it was happening. Since then it hasn't happened again, but he's been hyperventilating occasionally.

He is also very addicted to caffeine, has bad teeth, and digestive issues. The poor guy I just feel so bad for him. He's so young and its like he's falling part. Its really kind of scary. If there was anything I could do to help him I would do it. I've been researching NT on the internet and I think it might help him. I really think most of his problems are stemming from his diet (and stress, which he'd be better able to handle if he was eating better). Do you think changing from lacto-vegetarian to NT diet would help at least some of his problems?


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

I think Mountain Mom would be the best one to answer your questions. She was vegan and vegetarian before just recently switching to the NT diet. She says she notices some big changes in her and her daughter, and notices differences between her friends vegan children. Mountain Mom likes the bison and coming from a vegan/vegetarian background she is OK with how these animals are raised.

Have you tried talking to him about his diet? Does he feel his problems are diet related? Is he willing to make changes and eat a meat based diet? This is important because it must be his decision. Personally, I would start off slow with the meat. A sudden change in diet isn't good, but a gradual one would be fine. Maybe start with bone broth based soups and use the broths when cooking grains. You can buy soup bones really cheap and throw them in the crock or stock pot with onion, carrot and celery. Let it simmer for 24 hours with a little apple cider vinegar to get all the good stuff from the bones. Season the broth when you are cooking with it.

My dh suffers from joint pain and mild arthritis. We just started NT and we are totally NT. I'm currious to see how the bone broths help his joints.

I have come to realize that most problems are causes by diet and something missing in the diet. Some people do really well on a vegan/vegetarian diet while others do not. I personally believe that man was meant to eat meat and animal products. I don't believe in the argument that man didn't eat meat before he had thumbs. I believe in evolution and that man has evolved. Whether man didn't eat meat a billion years ago is irrelevant. Man has eaten a meat based diet for eons. I would like to know what man ate before grains because they were not always around, and you would never be able to convince me that he ate vegetables alone. Most vegetarians are so because of ethics. It is possible to eat an ethical diet. Know where your meat and dairy products are coming from. Make sure they are grass fed and treated with respect and kindness with no added stress/hormones/antibiotics. As true to nature as possible.

I have been religious with the NT diet (with the exeption of a couple of treats here or there) and I feel great. I have tons more energy and my aches and pains are dissapearing (you know those phantom aches you can never find a cause for). I believe it what is written throughout the book and I feel really good feeding my family this way.

I also wanted to add that I loved coffee. Drank it every morning and was super cranky if I didn't get it. I loved my lattes and such too. I gave up coffee a little over a month ago and feel great. I substituted Tacheeno for it and it's great. It has a real coffee flavor and it satisfies the need for that warm flavor in the morning. I dress it like I normally do with coffee and brew it the same too. I even make lattes with it with my Botum press and milk frother. I drank a cup of coffee a couple of weeks ago and YUCK. It left a nasty taste in my mouth and I was not impressed. I think it might be like quiting smoking (though I've never smoked but have several family members who have quite), once you loose the taste it really is nasty.


----------



## HerthElde (Sep 18, 2003)

cjr, I'm totally a coffee addict - is the teechino as good as a good strong cup of coffee? I make my coffee with fresh grounds in a measuring cup (my french press broke), and have a very definite love for a good strong cup. Superstore's organic decaf is pretty good though.

lovelocks, if your dh is unwilling to try adding actual animal products, you can start by adding fermented foods to his diet - get the book "Wild Fermentation". You can make kefir out of non-animal milks (Heather would be the one to ask about the kefir), which will help him get some good probiotics into his system. He should be using coconut oil for its saturated fats. It totally sounds like nutritional deficiencies to me (I'm 26 and was also starting to fall apart until starting the NT diet)


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

Quote:

teechino
Why can't I ever spell it right?!?







It is just as satisfying as a good strong cup of coffee. You brew it just like regular coffee so you can adjust the strength. I have only tried the Mocha and it's delicious. I am going to try the chocolate mint next. I don't like decaf and it really is just as bad for you. It has to do with more than the just the caf., it's also the acidity. My favortite coffee was Kick Ass from Kicking Horse. So good (well it was).


----------



## HerthElde (Sep 18, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *cjr*
Why can't I ever spell it right?!?









:LOL, well, I'm pretty sure I spelled it wrong too. I'll definitely have to try it! I know everytime I have a cup of coffee, I can just feel myself getting weaker.

On the sourdough front - is it supposed to have a layer of liquid on top or is it supposed to be more of a homogeneous mix? I just started it last night (I cheated - used the whey from the potato cheese I've got going as part of the liquid. I figure either it'll work or it won't







) Anyway, should I add more flour?

ETA: It's "teeccino" (the ad was just on my 'puter)


----------



## toraji (Apr 3, 2003)

mountain mom, glad the memorial went okay!









lovelocks, this was my family's experience as it relates to yours. We all had bad teeth (rampant decay in our DD) and I had heart palpitations and major PPD, DH had problems with healing--he has 2 ruptured discs in his back and for a long time we thought that it was just never going to get better. I was thinking that he was going to be wheelchair bound at one point. We switched our diet and our teeth got much better and whitened, DH started healing (he now only rarely has such severe back problems), my heart palpitations and PPD/brain fog went away. There were also many other things that changed too, but those were the biggies. So because you are describing heart problems, hyperventilation, and bad teeth, it does sound to me like nutritional deficiency.

If your DH is unwilling to look at diet as a cause, he can get a nutritional analysis done (Gale Force can tell you all about it) and see what comes up. In the interim, getting some multivitamins/minerals (this is total stopgap) and a b-12 supplement (NOT nutritional yeast, an actual supplement), fermenting or soaking beans/grains, and probiotics may improve things until diet changes can go into effect.

Good luck!


----------



## Twinthing (Jul 26, 2004)

Hi,
Just thought I would introduce myself - I've been lurking around reading your mails for a while now. I've owned Sally Fallon's 'NT' book for a couple of weeks and been experimenting with buttermilk and yogurt - just having fun. In a lot of ways our diet was quite NT before, but, of course, no fermenting! This month's thread has been really useful to me because I too have been having disasters with Sally's bread recipes. So soggy! I'm afraid that the apricot and almond bread that I made went to the birds... But I made Catarina's scone recipe this morning and it was fabulous - I really wanted to say thanks for that Catarina, they are delicious enough to have prompted me out of lurkdom to say so! And the tip about spelt flour was good too - they rose really well. I should say that I used buttermilk rather than kefir (don't have any grains yet), and it worked out fine.

The main success I have had so far is converting my Irish soda bread recipe to NT - that has worked well. My chicken stock was good too - it was great to get so many meals from a free range chicken. It is amusing me to read about your bison meals - we don't get much bison in the UK







My local farmer's market does sell ostrich - maybe I should try it? The thing I am finding really difficult is getting hold of raw milk - I think it is a real problem here. Raw milk cheese is easy tho'... yum.

Anyhow, great to read your posts and thanks for all the advice I've been soaking up over the last few weeks.
Ali


----------



## Oregonicmama (Aug 13, 2002)

hey mamas!

thanks for the input about DP. he is willing to go carnivorous. he thinks his problems come from his diet too and started eating meat again b/c of it. but he'll only eat it once in a while. he's been away for a month and i figured out the nt thing since he's been away, so i don't know how he'll feel about nt type eating (especially since our friend who is all about NT is also our friend who he thinks is a total nutjob). i know he won't eat anything fermented though. i might be able to get some kefir, yogurt or fermented grains in him, but definitely no fermented veggies or anything like that (he won't even drink wine or beer b/c its fermented). and i'm not sure if he'll eat beef or raw milk (but i know he'll eat raw dairy products).

as soon as i get my copy of nt i am going to start incorporating whatever i can without offending him. i think i can gradually get him more into it if i start with simple things and he feels a difference. he won't take any kind of vitamins or supplements, so thats out. everything has to come from his diet (which is probably why he's so bad off but dd and i aren't- we take vitamins).

toraji- what does "stopgap" mean?

where can I buy OG soup bones? I've never seen bones for sale (of course, I've never looked either). I was thinking broth would be a good place to start b/c i can cook our grains and saute our veggies in it. I might even be able to get it in my hardcore veggie DD (the one who screams at me "meat is gross! we're vegetarians! why are you buying that? its dead animals!" when i stop in the meat section at the store). I think i'll have a harder time converting her than DP.

i can't wait to see what mountain mom has to sat about dp's situation. i would love to hear from another veggie who switched to nt.

i really think it will make a huge difference for him. i'm basically going to tell him its for his own good and he has to at least try it for awhile (since i do all the cooking he doesn't really have a choice, esp. since he won't cook for himself- hey maybe he won't like it and he'll start cooking! LOL j/k). I pretty much run the show as far as food goes in this house.

ooooo I can't wait to get my copy! I should have had it shipped faster. darn it. I hope its here by this weekend.

oh yeah, what is kombucha?


----------



## *solsticemama* (Feb 8, 2003)

Toraji I'd be interested to hear a little more about your experience. Have you switched completely to an NT way of eating. I know there are degrees. Most folks start with the fats and dairy, then meat but I don't know alot who are doing it full-on with the fermented foods, grain-soaking etc.

On another note I saw a bottle of kombucha in our HFS which suggested taking only 2-4 oz a day and that pregnant or lactating women should avoid it due to the cleansing and purifying effects. What do y'all make of that?


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

Quote:

I pretty much run the show as far as food goes in this house.
Ditto.

Dh won't tough fermented too. Although there are some things you can make that won't even seem fermented like the mustard, ketchup, some of the beverages may go over well. I think yoghurt is a great fermented item and he will eat that then that's great. My dh won't touch the kefir, even though it's made just like the yoghurt at a cooler temp.







I can only drink the kefir in a smoothie, but I miss it when I don't have one (I try not to drink it on the weekends to give my body a chance to get the bacteria working for it). It really cleans your system out.

Source out a good orgnic rancher. Do you have a farmer's market near by? Do a goodle search or ask around. I just ask my source and she has bags of bones in her freezer at the market. I paid $4CAD for a bagof bison bones and it made enough to make a wonderful batch of stock.

That's funny with your daughter. Maybe you could have her help you source out a humaine rancher. Then you could explain to her that you are finding a place to buy your meat where the animals are treated with respect and kindness. Sit down with her and explain the health reasons and use your dh's health as an example. That's funny though, how she reacts when you buy meat.


----------



## Catarina (Aug 26, 2004)

Hello, Ali. I'm glad the scones worked out. I think they're lovely! I'd like your soda bread recipe sometime, if you have time to post it. You should check out the NTUK Yahoo newsgroup - they have a lot of sources for raw milk in England. (It's completely illegal in Scotland, though) I'm sorry that I can't post a link - just Google "nourishing traditions UK" or there is a link on the Weston Price website, under WebWatch. I think there's a member in Cambridge. Let me know if you're interested in making Kefir and I'll pop some grains in the post!

Chicken stock: I boiled a chicken at the weekend - I jointed it and boiled it with enough water to cover, plus an onion, a carrot, and some celery. I took the chicken out after two hours, because that's the time normal recipe booked give for stewed or boiled chicken. I took the meat off the bones - it was really easy, much easier than with a roasted chicken and I felt that I got more meat out of it. I didn't want to boil the meat for 24 hours because I felt that it would be flavourless. But then I put the bones back in the stock and boiled them for 4-6 more hours and the resulting stock was very gelatinous and flavourful. So I felt that I got the best of both worlds. I made wonderful enchiladas with a mole sauce - full of lard.


----------



## Hibou (Apr 7, 2003)

Ali, I would love to get that soda bread recipe too!

I made some spelt crackers last week and they were so good. Thought I'd share my recipe. Sorry, I don't measure much so all measurements are approx.
Baked Garlic-Spelt Crackers:
1 1/2 c. sprouted spelt
2 or more cloves garlic
Grind in food processor. Leave some of the spelt sprouts whole if you like.
Work in about 1/2 to 2/3 c. flour. (I used whole wheat, but I'm sure white is fine too). Add enough to form a somewhat workable ball. If it's still sort of sticky, that's okay. Place in an oiled bowl and leave it to sit overnight. Roll out crackers to less than 1/4 inch thickness using white flour to prevent sticking. Brush tops with an egg wash (one egg beaten with a little water). Sprinkle tops with sea salt, dill, dried onion, or your choice of spices. Bake for about 12 mins at 350 or until tops are browned and crackers are crispy.

I ate these with a batch of baba ganouj. Sooo tasty!


----------



## toraji (Apr 3, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by **solsticemama**
Toraji I'd be interested to hear a little more about your experience. Have you switched completely to an NT way of eating. I know there are degrees. Most folks start with the fats and dairy, then meat but I don't know alot who are doing it full-on with the fermented foods, grain-soaking etc.

I forgot to mention in my earlier post that we had been extremely strict whole foods vegans for 5 years (including pregnancy and 1 year of lactation). We only used nutritional yeast for b12 and I did minimal supplementation with a multi during pregnancy/lactation, because we were very philosophically opposed to supplements. So it was a pretty major change both physically and mentally to start eating any animal products again.

Lovelocks, I meant "stopgap" meaning that it is not an optimal solution, but would probably be helpful in the short-term. Like your DH, we felt that we should get all our nutrients from food. But unfortunately, our modern soils are so depleted that the only way to do this is to grow your own food both animal and vegetable on optimally nourished land. If the minerals are not in the soil, they will not be in your food. So until that happens, we are supplementing in our house (hopefully this summer though, we will be growing all our own food!)

It's been about a full year now that we switched, and we're still tweaking our diets. At first it was kind of a produce-based omni diet, somewhat paleo (no dairy) with minimal amounts of meat, then we started adding dairy, then back out again, now it's back in again for DH and DD. We started with soaking and fermenting grains, this was actually when we were still vegan, but did not really make a point of doing it regularly until we switched our diet to omni. We broke into animal products with a bone broth, which actually I would not recommend unless you can cook the stock outside because the smell made us nauseated. I would have preferred a burger or something quick like that, actually. We started eating traditional Korean foods since that is my heritage, so we had kimchee for our fermented veggie intake. Then we started broadening into other dishes because making all those little veggie side dishes (Korean food is big on many different little dishes) was very time consuming.

So now we are doing meats more often, usually once a day at least, and a bone broth based soup. We still try to be produce-based, as this is where we get all our enzymes and the majority of vitamins/minerals. It's pretty funny though, we eat more produce now than when were vegan, where it was pretty normal for us to eat a huge plate of beans and grains, and hardly any raw veggies (mostly cooked).

I wouldn't say that we are strict NT, just picky omnivores. :LOL But then again, we are very against labels. We just eat what makes us feel nourished.


----------



## toraji (Apr 3, 2003)

nt


----------



## toraji (Apr 3, 2003)

I figured while I'm yakking, I might as well add more... :LOL

On supplements, this is what we are taking:
Carlson's Cod Liver Oil (mainly for vitamin D as we don't generate any during the winter here)
Country Life Total Mins to replace all the missing macro and trace minerals in our foods.
Ascorbic acid for my allergies

There is some controversy that I've heard that mineral supplements are not as absorbable as natural sources, so some people take supplemental whey instead. I'm avoiding dairy at the moment though so that's out for me. I do notice a big difference taking the mineral supplement though, I sleep much better at night, so I will continue taking them for now.


----------



## Oregonicmama (Aug 13, 2002)

toraji

Is whey very rich in minerals?


----------



## toraji (Apr 3, 2003)

90% of the minerals in milk are contained in the whey. The most popular "mineral" whey supplements is Mt. Capra Mineral Whey.
http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals....neral_whey.asp

But we haven't quite figured out why this whey would be superior over any other organic whey. The Mt. Capra stuff is pretty pricey, and I'm not sure if the "superiority" of goat milk is worth the extra price.


----------



## Oregonicmama (Aug 13, 2002)

hmmm....interesting. i remember reading somewhere not to consume whey. of course i've read a million places not too comsume meat, sat. fats, etc too!


----------



## toraji (Apr 3, 2003)

There is a lot of research about whey in the body building community (for obvious reasons). It is chock full of healing and growth compounds.
http://www.diet-and-health.net/Suppl...eyProtein.html
http://www.maxsportsmag.com/science/issue38/38sci1.htm
http://www.fitfaq.com/glutamine-overview.html


----------



## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

There are actually quite a few former veggies around these parts.

I grew up on a vegetarian diet -- whole foods -- vegetables right out of our own organic garden. After some grad school excesses, I went vegan. Whole foods again. I got serious depression in pregnancy and then postpartum. After some time we finally put it together that the depression stemmed from nutritional deficiencies. I was very deficient in nearly all of my amino acids. Here's the story:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...cids+super-low

I also had hair analyses which showed extremely low levels of lithium, which happens to be plentiful in milk and eggs and (if memory serves) some sort of nut. The nut wasn't in the diet, nor were the milk and eggs. Low lithium is associated with manic depression.

We started the diet change because I had a raging case of candida, so from the beginning, it was no grain and no fruit. About 20 months ago I started adding the fermented foods but still eat very few grains. I don't know that I'd say we have a die-hard NT diet around here, but we are conscious of eating food that is still attached to its nutrition, ezymes, etc. We have added food that is vitamin and mineral rich -- broth, liver, etc. It's been like a miracle cure for me. I begun to get better gradually, but for the last two months, I have been better than I ever have been.


----------



## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

I just put together Sally Fallon's "Orange Cake" recipe -- a pound cake but with soaked flour, so more of a sourdough cake. Once cooled it gets covered in a sauce of honey, orange juice, lemon juice, and brandy. It's sitting in one of the rooms with a wood stove, stewing.

I am 36 tomorrow.







:


----------



## Oregonicmama (Aug 13, 2002)

mmmm... galeforce, i'm coming to your house for dessert!









happy birthday!


----------



## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

Hey thanks, lovelocks. Come on over. We are 18 miles past the "no gas beyond this point" sign at Fountain Springs, California. In fact, you're all invited. Bring a sweater and a sleeping bag if you will be staying over.

So I hate to admit this, but yesterday we ate at Applebee's







We venture out into civilization at least once a week for a business meeting and I haven't been packing my lunch. It's cold out, not a lot of options for picnicing. My husband and son go too -- eating in a Honda Accord in the fog with a 3 year old is not very appealing. I got the Chinese chicken salad. It sounds good, but I can tell you that there was a whole lot of bad stuff in it. I had a headache for five hours. I have got to pack my lunch from now on if I am going to function at my peak.

So a question for you all:

*What kind of lunches do you pack?*


----------



## HerthElde (Sep 18, 2003)

Amanda, I just read through the link you posted, and you've inspired me to go get tested. My homeopath has me on tissue salts, which are to help absorption, I believe, and I'm a little better, but I still have way more no energy days than good days ('specially when I'm not careful about my nutrition). Actually, I have to go see him again soon, too. I'm amazed at what a turn-around you've made! Wow!








: !!!









By the way, I tend to drizzle honey on cakes, but I'm also a huge fan of buttercream icing - has anyone ever made icing using just honey and butter? I imagine it would be awesome, but have never tried.


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Oh Happy Birthday Amanda!!! May this year be the most healthful and energic year for you yet! Many Blessings...

I made a lovely Coconut Butter, Maple Syrup icing for dd's bday this year. We used beet juice to dye it pink.









When I have a few more minutes I will post my food journey. Thanks for sharing yours Toraji and GaleForce.


----------



## Twinthing (Jul 26, 2004)

Just wanted to say thanks to Catarina for the info about NT in the UK. And yes, I would love some kefir grains - I'm just not sure what to do with them when you get them...

My soda bread recipe is just in my head at the moment, but I weighed it out properly tonight so will post it tomorrow. It really is good, even though I say so myself.

I want to start fermenting veggies (I told you I am new to this...) anyone got any ideas about where's a good place to start with this?

I am really enjoying reading everyone's posts. I too am an ex-veggie who has found that eating meat again seems to be having a beneficial effect on health and happiness.


----------



## Brookesmom (Oct 12, 2002)

Amanda







: The cake sounds awesome.

Mountain mom, I'd love to hear your icing recipe when you have time. I just bought a set of natural food colors from Whole Foods yesterday.

I made a stockpot of chicken broth with free range wings and thighs on Tuesday, simmering overnight. It came out nice and golden brown. mmm...

I'm just waiting for my 2 quarts of virgin coconut oil and coconut cream now... Anyone have coconut cream recipes?

I'm getting hungry now!


----------



## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *HerthElde*
Amanda, I just read through the link you posted, and you've inspired me to go get tested.

That's great!









I would love that icing recipe too MM.
mmmm


----------



## gardenmommy (Nov 23, 2001)

I'm venturing a little further here. I ordered a 1/2 gallon of extra-virgin coconut oil through my co-op. I have never really liked coconut in the past, but am hoping that that was just because it was really processed.

I'll probably be here in a few days asking how to use my coconut oil!

I'm finding that my Dh and Ds love my meat recipes, but that my Dd won't eat them. She says "I don't like meat, Mama". Doesn't seem to matter how I prepare it.

As for getting your Dh to eat fermented foods, I asked mine to just try a sip of my smoothie made with kefir. He did so, with eyes closed and a wrinkle on his brow. His eyes opened in surprise when he tasted it; "that's pretty good!" was his response. Since then, he's happily drank several more. I've also been putting my kefir in waffles, pancakes, muffins, quick breads, and cookies, with good results.


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

I'm picking up some red lentils tomorrow and will be making curried lentils. I usually use coconut milk, but I'm going to try the coconut cream and water instead. It's my favorite lunch. I am going to have to buy the expeller pressed coconut oil from Tropical Traditions. Has anyone ever tried it. I have been buying an expeller here locally and using it for french fries and other cooking. The virgin is just to coconuty for cooking like that, great for smoothies and baking but not so great for french fries.

Dh drank a whole glass of kefir smoothie this morning. I'm so proud. He has problems in the bowel movement department and I told him it would be good for that. He's a cereal guy, but I am not buying anymore cereal. I said I would make him muffins and he could have a smoothie and then take a muffin for when he gets to work. Then on the weekend we would have big family breakfasts. I'm going to start giving ds a small kefir smoothie in the mornings, he loves it when I give him sips of mine. However, mine have an extra shot of probiotics so I don't want him having too much.


----------



## HerthElde (Sep 18, 2003)

Hibou,
Here are a couple of recipes we've used. The first one turned out better (with lemon zest and tea, instead of with the acid blend). Next time, I'm going to try with just honey, lemon zest, tea and yeast.
Mead #1
2.5 lb Honey
0.25 tsp Tannin
1.5 tsp Lemon Zest
1 tbsp Tea (red rose steeped 10min hot water)
1 tsp Pectic Enzyme
1 tablet Campden
1 pkg Montrachet Yeast
1 tsp Yeast Nutrient
1.5 c Orange Juice
Procedure:
To prepare must:
Mix honey with 2L water (2:1 water:honey).
Heat to 165F.
Add tannin, lemon zest, and tea. Mix well.
Hold at 165F for 10 min.
Pour into primary fermenter.
Top to 1 gallon with water. Cool.
Add campden and pectic enzyme. Stir.
After 24 hours, add yeast.
To prepare yeast:
Add yeast, yeast nutrient, and orange juice to a jar. Shake well.
Let sit 1-3 hours.
Add to must.

Time in primary:6 days (03/26/01-04/01/01)
Time in secondary:590 days (04/01/01-11/11/02)

Date Bottled18/11/2002

Original Gravity:1.072
Final Gravity:0.994

Percent alcohol:10.2375

Mead #2
2.5 lb Honey
1 tsp Acid Blend
1 tsp Pectic Enzyme
1 tablet Campden
1 pkg Montrachet Yeast
1 tsp Yeast Nutrient
1.5 c Orange Juice
0.25 tsp Tannin
Procedure:
To prepare must:
Mix honey with 2L water (2:1 water:honey).
Heat to 165F and hold for 10 min.
Cool and pour into primary fermenter.
Add acid and pectic enzyme.
Top to 1 gallon with water. Cool.
Add campden and pectic enzyme. Stir.
After 24 hours, add yeast, then add tannin.
To prepare yeast:
Add yeast, yeast nutrient, and orange juice to a jar. Shake well.
Let sit 1-3 hours.
Add to must.

Time in primary:6 days (03/26/01-04/01/01)
Time in secondary:590 days (04/01/01-11/11/02)
Still cloudy-racked with bentonite (1/2 tsp in 1/2 c water)
Time in tertiary:7 days (11/11/02-11/19/02)

Date Bottled29/11/2002

Original Gravity:1.074
Final Gravity:0.994

Percent alcohol:10.5

We have a couple of melomels that have been aging for a couple years that we still haven't tried (raspberry and cranberry).

Here are some web resources:
http://www.gotmead.com/mead-recipes/bees-lees-ii.shtml
http://www.solorb.com/mead/mead.html
http://www.blue-n-gold.com/halfdan/meadrecp.htm
http://www.meadmadecomplicated.org/resources/mead.html
http://davespicks.com/writing/mme/contents.html
http://www.brewery.org/brewery/cm3/CatsMeow3.html (this one has a bunch of cider and different beer recipes too)


----------



## welldone (May 30, 2003)

Hi everyone! I'm glad to find other NT mamas out there. I don't always have time to read/post here, but I wanted to introduce myself and ask a question.

I've been using the NT recipes for a few months--mostly the grain/bean recipes, as we can't afford organic meats right now. I love the Indian dosas (rice/lentil) pancakes--they're my recent craving.

I want to make my own bread. I know that this question gets asked a lot, but I searched the archives and couldn't find the info I was looking for. So, what grain mill do you use? Why do you like it? I've read alot about the Whisper Mill, but wonder if there are Nutrimill users out there who can comment?

I finally have some money for a grain mill, and I'm super excited about it. If anyone wants to share their bulk organic wheat source with me, I'd love that, too.

Thanks!


----------



## Oregonicmama (Aug 13, 2002)

heeheeheehee...







: My copy of NT came in the mail today!!!







I can't wait 'till DD1 goes to sleep so i can start reading.


----------



## gardenmommy (Nov 23, 2001)

I picked up a copy through the library. I'm not sure that 3 weeks is long enought for me to get through it. Really, though, I just wanted a good look at it before I decided to buy my own copy.

Had a NT flop day. I made unsoaked oatmeal for breakfast; it was a spontaneous thing, as the Dc wanted that instead of what I had planned (kefir smoothies). Lunch was mac n cheese, pb&j, and leftover soup. Dinner was quesadillas on white flour tortillas. Oh well, we're going in the right direction most days.

I'm solo parenting for another week, so I just do what I can while managing the rest of our lives! Tomorrow is another day!


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

HerthElde - what kind of yeast do you use? Do I need the yeast nutrient? I was attempting some honey wine, but it's not doing much. So I though I would take my honey/water mixture and boil it up and then add the lemon, tea and yeast and see what happens. I don't really want to put all that other stuff in it, is it really nessesary? What does it all do?


----------



## toraji (Apr 3, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *somewhere to grow*
So, what grain mill do you use? Why do you like it? I've read alot about the Whisper Mill, but wonder if there are Nutrimill users out there who can comment?

We had a Country Living Grain Mill (hand crank)and a Nutrimill, which we purchased after having a hard time grinding enough flour to meet our demand in house. This was also at the time that DH's back was pretty bad, so he couldn't crank for very long. The Nutrimill worked really quickly, ground really fine (also has a coarse setting which I don't think the Whisper Mill has), but impact mills are very loud. Like a vacuum cleaner.

Our main complaints with the Nutrimill (the Whisper Mill would have the same complaints as it is the same type mill) was that it was loud (already discussed above) and that it seemed to heat up the flour too much for our liking. However, on the plus side it is very easy and quick. But you can't grind spices in it or do any coarse cracking like you could in the Country Living Grain Mill.

So then we sold both of them and got a Retsel Mil-Rite. Their customer service is extraordinarily horrible so if you get one of their mills I'd recommend buying from someone who already has them in stock, instead of getting it direct from the factory. Awesome mill though.

Happy Birthday Gale Force!


----------



## welldone (May 30, 2003)

Thanks, toraji. What made you buy the Retsel Mil-Rite? I'm off to google it...


----------



## HerthElde (Sep 18, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *cjr*
HerthElde - what kind of yeast do you use? Do I need the yeast nutrient? I was attempting some honey wine, but it's not doing much. So I though I would take my honey/water mixture and boil it up and then add the lemon, tea and yeast and see what happens. I don't really want to put all that other stuff in it, is it really nessesary? What does it all do?

You can use champagne (Montrachet is a variety of this) yeast or ale yeast. The champagne yeast has a higher alcohol tolerance, so will result in a dryer, higher alcohol mead. The ale yeast has a lower alcohol tolerance, so will die sooner (alcohol kills the yeast if it gets too high) and the mead will probably be sweeter (because the yeast isn't consuming as much honey).
In its simplest form, mead only requires honey, water and yeast. This results in a beverage with a really really thin mouth feel, which is why the acid and tannin are added (to give the mead more body - though technically, any spices added to a mead make it a metheglin). The yeast nutrient adds protein for the yeast to consume, thus kickstarting fermentation or kicking up a slow fermentation. Alternatives are bee pollen (1-5tbsp/gallon) or raisins (a handful/gallon).
Will write more about acids and brewing in general (like safety and how to avoid explosions from CO2 buildup) a bit later - dd is in a very active into-everything mood and this has already taken me quite a while to write :LOL


----------



## *solsticemama* (Feb 8, 2003)

Thanks galeforce and toraji for sharing some of your story. A bit OT but galeforce have you heard of the book "Mothernurture" by Marica Hanson? It's specifically written for moms struggling with lots of the things that moms of young babes and toddlers are prone to. She's very much pro lab testing for amino acids etc.


----------



## Twinthing (Jul 26, 2004)

Here is my soda bread recipe:
Mix together 1lb 6oz ww flour and 2oz rolled oats with enough buttermilk to make sticky dough (I think I use about half a litre). Leave overnight or however long you want to ferment for. Next day, preheat oven to regulo 6 (don't ask me the conversions!) and sprinkle a flat baking sheet with flour. Stir 1 heaped tsp of baking soda, 1 tsp salt and enough extra flour







: (3-4oz I find about right) into your existing mixture to make a dough which holds its shape pretty well. Form dough into a ball about 8 inches across, put it on your baking sheet and make a deep cross in the dough, almost cutting through it. Put on the middle shelf in your oven and bake for about 35 - 45 mins.

This is excellent with cheese, or any kind of stew (especially Irish made with neck of lamb - mmmm). My sons like it with lots of butter! I'd love feedback (good or bad) if anyone tries it.


----------



## 4cornersmamma (Aug 29, 2004)

My daughter's b-day is coming up in a few weeks, any suggestions as to what I should feed the kids at her b-day party?

Wow, I have been out of the loop for a long time!

I did a cloth diapering class and recieved so many orders that I had no time to check my NT mamas. I think that if I have never sewn it before, I now have sewn it if it has to do with a baby! Whew. . .


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

I made the carob brownies and YUCK! No one like them. They were kind of spongy. I guess I'm going to have to stick with my unsoaked barley version. It's still a nice whole foods brownie.

4cornersmamma - My ds 1st b-day is at the end of the month. I have stopped doing parties where I do a meal for the kids. They don't eat it anyway. So, for dd's b-day last year I had it in the afternoon and made a snack try with fruit and veggies on it. It was a hit. Kid friendly things like strawberries, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, carrot sticks, watermelon. For ds's b-day we are taking the kids swimming and then everyone is meeting back at our place for bison chili [Twinthing-I may have to serve up some soda bread to go with it]. I am making my whole foods barley brownies. I am going to cut them up into squares and put them in the back of a toy dump truck and wheel the truck over to ds to blow out the candle. Then the kids are going to scoop out the brownies and make brownie sundays. Not sure as of yet what I'm going to do for ice cream. I may try another NT cake recipe and we may make parfaits instead with organic whipped cream and berries. It just has to be a good recipe that will appeal to the most conventional of tastes.


----------



## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by **solsticemama**
Thanks galeforce and toraji for sharing some of your story. A bit OT but galeforce have you heard of the book "Mothernurture" by Marica Hanson? It's specifically written for moms struggling with lots of the things that moms of young babes and toddlers are prone to. She's very much pro lab testing for amino acids etc.

I haven't seen it. It sounds interesting. Thanks -- I'll try to get a hold of a copy.

*somewhere to grow* -- welcome to the thread! You and I were actually due in March together. Best of luck with your delivery.

*Orange Cake Review*

All in this household are sensitive to sugar and it damaged none of us. I don't know what about it made it so successful in that regard, but it's great to have a dessert that doesn't make you regret it. It was filling and satisfying. I didn't want to eat 57 pieces (that compulsive feeling I get with sugar) - one was plenty.

The flavor was OK. I am going to play around with variations over the months. I like the idea of a sourdough-like pound cake that gets soaked in _something_. We'll work on the _something_.

The texture was much like a holiday fruit cake.

My son went bananas over it. But he is a carb-deprived child who doesn't know what most birthday cakes taste like.

*Birthday review*
I had a great day. My husband and I actually spent the day off by ourselves. We didn't do anything all that exciting but it was cool to be free together to do what we wanted to do. As it turns out, we mostly shopped for our kitchen remodel. My mom lives here too, so we have been shopping in pairs of two and it's a challenge to get everyone's input when you have a three year old who isn't into kitchen remodels. We found a range in our budget that has a bread proofing option for the oven: super-low temperature possibilities.


----------



## 4cornersmamma (Aug 29, 2004)

Thanks CJR! Chili is a great idea. Maybe I can make some "pizza" from NT too. . .hmmm.

If anyone has any more idea's I would be more then happy to hear them. The party is over lunch and I have a ton of kids coming.









Most of my DS friends are main stream, and today my daughter just had some regular b-day cake. Good news, she left most of it on the plate! Bad news, there was a pinata full of candy. Oh yes, that will disapear tonight.

Anyhow, thanks for the orange cake review Gale Force and HAPPY late BIRTHDAY!

It's always nice to know how recipes turn out. I'm at 7500 feet and so I always end up messing with recipes anyhow, oh well.


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

I think I made the best meal I have ever cooked! We had an organic rump roast. I seasoned it with salt and pepper and cooked it as per NT instructions. Pre-heated to 450F and then turned it down to 350F and cooked it for about an hour and some. I then took some red potatoes, a sweet potato, a couple of carrots and some whole garlic cloves and tossed them in melted butter and placed a few fresh rosemary sprigs on top...and put them in the oven at the same time as the roast covered. I took both dishes out at the same time and let them sit and steam for about 15 min. While the roast was cooking I took 2c of red wine and 2c of beef stock and reduced it to about 1/2c and added the juices from the roast when it came out of the oven. I made rice that had been soaking for 24 hours and made it as per NT instructions with butter and salt. This dinner was so good. The garlic roasted with the veggies and WOW, I'm going to have to remember to put more garlic in next time. The veggies were so sweet and tender, the roast was done to perfections (med-rare) and the reduction was fabulous, the rice was cooked perfectly.

For desert I made the coconut cream pie. Unfortunatly I started it too late and we may be eating it at midnight, but the filling tastes fabulous and I will give reviews. I love the Tropical Traditions products. I made curried lentils with the coconut cream and it turned out great. The dried coconut is great to. We didn't have smoothies so the coconut pie is our dose of coconut oil for the day.

I had a very productive day. I made the batter for dosas, made yogurt, made marinara sauce for the chili and the freezer, made my own version of the NT beet soup (I didn't puree it and added some beet greens, carrots, potato and cabbage)...it's so thick and soooo yummy, I made tatziki with the yogurt cheese and a quinoa salad with balsamic and flax oil. All that after I went to two markets for meat, milk and eggs...and an hour and a half work out at the gym. Now, I'm pooped and I'm going to watch The Notebook with my hubby and a glass of wine.


----------



## 4cornersmamma (Aug 29, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *cjr*
We didn't have smoothies so the coconut pie is our dose of coconut oil for the day.

Can I have your smoothie recipe with coconut oil or is it in NT and I just missed it? I've only used cocunut oil for cooking and baking so far. hmm


----------



## harmonymama (Feb 4, 2005)

What is NT?


----------



## gardenmommy (Nov 23, 2001)

mmmmm, cjr, can I come eat at your house!? Your meal sounds absolutely delish! We've been surviving on much simpler fare, and not so yummy, I'm afraid.

This morning, we had oatmeal with raisins (unsoaked, I confess. I was too tired yesterday, and no one wanted smoothies). For lunch, we had tortilla soup, which is very yummy, except that it's made with canned everything. I know that's not the greatest, but it's about the best I can do while dealing with sick children. Tonight, I made waffles with my kefir soaked grains. There, I did get something right!

Tomorrow, we're having kefir smoothies for breakfast, leftovers or pb&j on sprouted bread, and chicken and veggies in the crockpot.

I think that's as good as it gets for now. I'm so tired right now. Dh is out of town, has been for a week, and will be for a few more days. Had one sick child all last week, and another one coming down with it today. The babe isn't sleeping well, which means I'm not sleeping well either.

The best part is that with Dh gone, I'm much less likely to give in to temptation and makes something sweet and gooey and chocolaty! Ah well, I'm off to take care of the pets, and then to bed.


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

Quote:

Can I have your smoothie recipe with coconut oil or is it in NT and I just missed it? I've only used cocunut oil for cooking and baking so far. hmm
NT has a smoothie recipe that's very good. It has kefir and banana and nutmeg and vanilla and I add coconut oil. Usually I take some frozen unsweetened fruit and thaw it out a bit (the amount depends on how many I'm making), then I add about 1c of kefir/adult and 1/2c kefir/child, 2tbsp coconut oil/adult and 1tbsp/child, sweetener of some sort (I admit to using splenda, but I'm trying to stop







) and then blend it up. Right now I am using virgin coconut oil so it has a nice coconut flavor to it and goes awsome with peaches. The expeller pressed coconut oil has no flavor and goes well with anything. If you don't have kefir then use some yogurt and thin it out with some juice or coconut milk. The coconut oil mellows out the kefir and is very nice.

The coconut pie didn't work out. I don't think I cooked the egg yolks long enough to thicken enough because it was pretty soupy and just wouldn't firm up. Too bad because the filling was delicious right out of the bowl. The coconut crust was fabulous and I think I will use it for other things that will compliment the coconut flavor.

gardenmommy- I have stopped buying any pre-made foods, so I have no choice but to make it all from scratch. I do things in batches though. Like I make a big pot full of marinara and freeze it in convienent sized packages, the same for beans and stock and soups. Then when I need a staple I just pull it out of the freezer instead of the cubard. When I prepare one thing I usually prepare four or five at the same time. I figure I'm making the stock so I may as well make the sauce and some soup too. Hope you get some rest. Our oldest is sick with a stomach bug and dh leaves for a week at the end of the month. It's hard when they go out of town, I get very tired when he's gone.


----------



## Oregonicmama (Aug 13, 2002)

I have discussed some of my NT ideas with DP and he is pretty into it. His only real objection was that I shouldn't eat this way because I'm breastfeeding and trying to lose the weight i gained from the pregnancy and NT type eating will make me fat. HUH!?! On our mostly vegan diet I got down to 115 lbs while breastfeeding DD1- I'm 5'7". I think eating this way will not make me get fat, but it might keep me from getting abnormally thin. Anyone care to comment on this?

We had fresh eggs from our friends farm with cheese and bagels for breakfast this morning. Those eggs were so good I felt so energized. I'm going to make soaked oatmeal for breakfast tomorrow. And I'm going to make chicken stock tomorrow. Does it really smell horrible? I've thought about doing it outside, but I'm afraid the flame will get blown out on my camp stove and it will sit too long or something (or a nieghborhood cat will get into it!). Dp doesn't want me to do it the house.

Reading NT has got me so inspired. I usually go grocery shopping everyday







: and today, for the first time ever, I shopped for the whole week! I feel so organized. This week I am going to make the chicken stock and with that make the pea soup, the vegetable soup, and the chicken curry. I'm also going to start soaking our grains. AT DPs request I bought nitrite free turkey bacon and turkey coldcuts. I couldn't believe he asked for that stuff. Tomorrow he wants bacon and eggs for breakfast!







He says he's thinking about eating hamburgers (free range OG hamburgers that is). I'm totally shocked and excited. I am so glad he's into it. I think I might even be able to get him to read the book!


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

Fat does not make you fat, sugar makes you fat! Think about Atkins and the success people have with it. It's no sugar/carbs (which are a form of sugar) and a high fat diet. NT is a high fat, but a fat rich in those good omega fats which effect the body differently. When you eat grass fed beef you are eating the nutrients they get from the grass and not from corn (which elevates the omega-6 fats and _that_ makes you fat). I wouldn't suggest going out and eating this way on conventional foods, you really need the organic/grass fed animal products and the better ratio of omega-3/omega-6 to reap the benefits of eating this way.

I have been eating NT for about three/four weeks now and I feel great. I have so much energy and my sex drive is back (sadly it had been lost for a very long time







). I am battling with candida and I think I'm winning. I have not gotten sick since I started with the kefir two months ago, even though cold and flues have come and gone. The rest of the family is the same. Just because one member gets sick does not mean everyone is going to get sick. Usually it's just the one person and maybe one other.

It takes more planning, but it works for me. I'm not struggling for dinner/breakfast ideas because I've already done the prepwork in advance. Our meals are richer and more flavorful. I am able to buy all organic because I make the staples myself instead of getting pre-made products.

The only downside is eating out or at someone elses home.


----------



## Queen Gwen (Nov 20, 2001)

Smoothies: I use yogurt plus coconut oil in my smoothies, then add maple syrup as a sweetener, along with a touch of vanilla. After that, add in your flavorings, like fruit or nutmeg and cinnamon.

cjr: dh is sooo impressed that you do everything from scratch, I think he wants to marry you. If we move in, can you accomodate a whopping huge list of food allergies? I find myself making more and more from scratch simply because I can't find much in the stores that doesn't contain something or other one of us can't eat (unless we go with a purely chemical diet, and avoid actual food altogether).

Chicken stock: I don't think it smells that bad whilst cooking. The main problem is that the cats like to meander around the stove, hoping to get some it. And the human residents tend to expect homemade soup immediately upon completion, since it smells like soup. I use an entire chicken, though, instead of just the carcass, so maybe that makes a difference.

We've been invited to a potluck on Saturday. I'm trying to figure out what we can take that will 1) impress everyone with how delicious a healthy diet can be, and 2) doesn't contain wheat, rye, dairy, yeast, beef, tomatoes, onion, peppers, garlic, pineapple, cane sugar, etc. etc.


----------



## naturalmother (Jan 22, 2005)

Hi mamas! Sorry I've been MIA. I've been lurking and reading through this thread everyday, but not posting.. I slacked off big time, and so had nothing to contribute. We were basically eating pasta everyday.







:

But.. now I have some chicken stock brewing as well as the yoghurt dough fermenting away.

I'm interested in making Kefir. What exactly is it, how does it work and where do you get it from?

*Galeforce* - Happy Belated Birthday!!









*cjr* - My DH was drooling when I asked him to read your post about the rump. Hehe







Looks like we'll be having rump roast soon!

--

We've made the switch to brown rice. DH even cooks it for dinner. He really likes it. Although.. everytime I mention fermented vegetables he chucks a face. What is it with men and fermentation?


----------



## naturalmother (Jan 22, 2005)

Ok so I just looked up and saw the 'Got Kefir?' thread.









But the other question remains.. where do you get them from (please excuse my stupidity, but can you order the grains online)? I've never seen the word Kefir in my local health food store.

ETA: I just found a source of real Kefir grain for FREE in my state! These are from NT people who are out to spread the word about Kefir! Yipeee!









Ignore all my questions now...


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

Quote:

I just found a source of real Kefir grain for FREE in my state! These are from NT people who are out to spread the word about Kefir! Yipeee
Yep, that's the only way to get them. When they start multiplying and you end up with more grains than you can use, then you can send them to someone else and return the favor. There is so much that you can do with the grains. The "got kefir" thread is great. I just split my grains and put some in some concord grape juice to make mock wine. I can't wait unitl it's finished.

Quote:

dh is sooo impressed that you do everything from scratch, I think he wants to marry you.
Well at least someone appreciates homemade food.







I inquired about putting a greenhouse in our little back yard. Dh's reply was "you don't have time for another hobby, you spend all your time in the kitchen". I don't really, I usually take a couple of days a month and play catch-up with sauces and stock, and then a couple of hours a day preparing foods. I enjoy it though, much better than cleaning







. I could not imagine dealing with all those allergies. It's hard enough with picky eaters, only I make it anyway.


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Hi Everyone!
This is my smoothy recipe. I always have an abundance of whey on hand by the way, thats why we use whey instead of youghurt.

Frozen bananas
Frozen blueberries or raspberries
Whey
Molasses
Coconut oil
Hemp oil
Spirulina powder
bee Pollen

Whiz til smooth and drink or freeze into popsicles.

Lovelocks...I think if your dh wants bacon made in the kitchen, the chicken stock smell won't be an issue. Thats my take on it, I find the smell of bacon frying way more powerful than a chicken stock simmering.

Diffuse some essentail oils throughout the house to counteract the smell.


----------



## HerthElde (Sep 18, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *lovelocks*
His only real objection was that I shouldn't eat this way because I'm breastfeeding and trying to lose the weight i gained from the pregnancy and NT type eating will make me fat. HUH!?! On our mostly vegan diet I got down to 115 lbs while breastfeeding DD1- I'm 5'7". I think eating this way will not make me get fat, but it might keep me from getting abnormally thin. Anyone care to comment on this?

A couple things:
You really should try NOT to lose weight while you're nursing, because toxins store in fat, and as you lose weight those toxins will exit through breastmilk.
You SHOULD eat a lot of fat/cholesterol, because babies growing brains NEED it! In fact, if anything you should be eating way more fat than your dh!!!
That being said, I think I've increased the fat in my diet to about 50% since September (when I first read NT). I'm still losing weight, but I think I've finally plateaued (hope so, because I'm kinda ticked I now only have one pair of pants that fits







)- I'm 5'8" and am now hovering between 125 and 130, which is less than my pre-pregnancy weight of 135-140. I gained 60lbs during my pregnancy and so have lost a LOT of weight in the past year (dd is 13.5 months now), but I really wasn't trying to lose weight, it just happened. I'd guess I've lost about 30 lbs. since starting NT (but have never been very weight-conscious, so that's only a guess).
Dd is doing way better since I increased the fat in my diet too.
It may not keep you from getting "abnormally thin", it depends on what your body's own comfort weight is - that may very well be 115 lbs. But it will nourish your body with the right vitamins and minerals, so you will not be sickly, kwim?


----------



## *solsticemama* (Feb 8, 2003)

Gardenmommy I am impressed with your output but what struck me was that you felt guilty for giving your kids homemade soup made with canned stuff and not soaking your oats. Geeesh mama give yourself a big







for even making nourishing food with your dh away and sick babe in the house. We mamas are soo hard on ourselves.

Our smoothie recipe doesn't have oil in it (I have to admit the idea makes me a bit queasy) but it's pretty yummy:

~frozen banana, mangoes and pineapple
~juiced oranges and limes
~fresh ginger
~coconut milk or kefir

Blend till smooth and drink up









I may start adding azomite to it. I posted asking if anyone had tried it since it's so highly recommended and is chock full of minerals while being very cheap. Anyone here take it?

I'm thinking of going to see an NT nutritionist here. Anyone done that sort of thing?


----------



## Queen Gwen (Nov 20, 2001)

In the new book, Eat Fat, Lose Fat, they recommend dolomite and don't mention azomite. I'm not sure what's up with that...if they've changed their minds about azomite, or wanted to emphasize the calcium/magnesium of dolomite for the weight loss program (calcium is supposed to help weight loss).


----------



## HerthElde (Sep 18, 2003)

Have any of you read Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford? I just borrowed it from a friend (the 1993 edition) and I'm finding the bias against meat and animal fats a bit disconcerting (I thought this one might be a bit different than all of the other whole foods books out there). Is it a good read, if I can put myself in the right mindframe?


----------



## moss (Feb 7, 2004)

Has anyone had much experience with soil based organisms? i started a thread in health and healing, but there's been no response so far. http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=253118


----------



## Oregonicmama (Aug 13, 2002)

ok...i'm not actively TRYING to lose weight. But i would like to be back to my usual 130 in the next year or so. i mean, i'm not exactly "overweight" at 150 lbs., but i don't feel healthy at this weight. but at the sametime, at 115 (and i wasn't trying to lose weight when i got this thin either) i looked like a junkie. so while i'm not dieting or working out (i do walk about 3 miles everyday) i have the idea in my mind to get back down to my normal weight. ykwim?

i made the chicken stock last night! DP was out for the night so i figured i could have it at least most of the way done by the time he got home. I followed the directions in NT and I think it turned out good. In the directions it said to remove the stuff from the hole (heart, fat glands, etc), but didn't say wether i should put it in the broth, so i put it in anyway. I let it cook for 13 hours and i haven't tasted the broth yet (i'm waiting for the fat to do its thing), but the meat is rockin'! i even got DD to eat one of the carrots from the broth and she liked it! so in a little bit i'm going to start the pea soup for dinner tonite. ...oh yeah, the stock smelt sooooo good cooking!

we had the breakfast porridge this morning. i made it with oats, butter, sucanat (using it up so i can buy rapadura), cinnamon, and raisins and DD said it was her favorite oatmeal. I thought it was pretty salty though, so i'm going to half the salt next time.

tomorrow i have an appointment with a woman i found through freecycle eugene to learn about and get some kefir grains. i can't wait! dd loves "yogurt juice" and was really excited when i told her i could make it at home. any suggestions for how to get the closest taste to the kefir drinks at the health food store (we usually buy nancy's)?


----------



## naturalmother (Jan 22, 2005)

I made the yoghurt dough tonight. It didn't turn out right. I don't know what I've done wrong? It was cooked on the outside and still raw wheatflour mixture on the inside. It's like eating raw and cooked dough at the same time and it made me feel sick. Blech.

Has anyone made yoghurt dough? Any tips? Is the recipe horrible or is it just me?


----------



## Queen Gwen (Nov 20, 2001)

I made the yogurt dough a few years ago (during my 1st NT phase), and it turned out just as you said. I haven't tried it since.

I have the book Healing with Whole Foods, but haven't read through it for years and years, definitely not since reading the NT-type stuff. I recall it having interesting info about various foods, such as whether they were warming, cooling, moistening, etc. (and had some passing interest in seeing whether ayurvedic literature agreed with the Chinese, out of curiosity). I do wonder what sort of bias the author brings to the book, though, since I think the study of Chinese diet doesn't necessarily translate totally into what is appropriate for someone of European descent. For example, I recall that some of the Chinese population doesn't digest milk well, as opposed to the northern European population...over time, reproduction favors those who thrive on the local diet, so this makes sense. So, are the anti-milk comments valid for those of us from a different region? I'm thinking not.... It also comes to mind that various populations have various ideas of what constitutes appropriate "meat"; for example, the kosher laws wouldn't accept many things as "meat" that would be accepted in other cultures. Again, I wonder if this has something to do with the advice to avoid *all* meat, since the population has been built up over time on traife items (which isn't to say kosher is right or wrong). I could easily drift into an uber-New Age discussion here about ancesteral chi, but I don't think that's what you're after (why this stuff is coming to mind, I'm not sure -- I guess it's going to be one of those days, and y'all should be glad you're not hanging out at my house today).

OTOH, I had planned to skim through the recipes this week to see if there's anything adaptable to our new allergic-to-a-huge-whack-of-foods diet. And I still find myself pondering how I cut my veggies up, and what sort of energy that brings to the meal.


----------



## ahuva (Aug 26, 2003)

Hi. I was living abroad without my NT cookbook for the past few months and sort of winging it, but I just got a copy and I'm reinspired. What I'm wondering is....have any of you had any luck with the baking recipes, like muffins, pancakes and breads? I remember trying the zucchini bread last year and it turned out spongy and gross. What have your experiences been, and if not good, have you found ways to tweak the recipes? I'm eager to try the muffins because my DS and DH love them...

TIA!


----------



## Attached Mamma (Mar 16, 2004)

Hi everyone, just wondering if someone can get me the recipe for the Carrot Cake that is in the Nourishing Traditions cookbook? I just returned the copy I had to the library, and decided to make that cake for my son's birthday. Thanks.

Julie


----------



## *solsticemama* (Feb 8, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Queen Gwen*
I could easily drift into an uber-New Age discussion here about ancesteral chi,

:LOL Hey I like that turn of phrase and I, for one, would be interested to hear what you had to say.

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Queen Gwen*
And I still find myself pondering how I cut my veggies up, and what sort of energy that brings to the meal.

This is often how I feel as I'm preparing a meal. What kind of energy am I imparting as I dice and chop, stir and mix. There's a story about a monk preparing food for a visiting teacher and his attendants. After the food was eaten the teacher said, "very good but a little too much anger in the sauce". A sobering thought.


----------



## Oregonicmama (Aug 13, 2002)

i'd be interested in ancestral chi too....


----------



## Twinthing (Jul 26, 2004)

Hi ahuva, just to let you know that I have tried the muffin recipe in NT and they worked pretty well - I made raisin and pecan I think. The only thing is that they were a bit salty (this might be a theme with NT recipes I think?). No success AT ALL with the bread recipes - our local birds have been v. well fed recently. The pancakes (I made the baby Dutch) are good too - but I found the batter a bit thin, so I made it thicker the next time. Let me know if you have any successes or failures, being new to NT I was keen to find good baking recipes because I LOVE to bake, and was happy to find the muffins.
Ali


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

Quote:

any suggestions for how to get the closest taste to the kefir drinks at the health food store
I bought the store brand kind once and it was horrible. It smelled like old shoes and tasted just nasty. I love the "real" kefir. It's a little tart for me so I do use it in smoothies and sweeten it some.


----------



## Oregonicmama (Aug 13, 2002)

I buy the Nancy's kefir and it tastes and smells delicious. We got the Helios kind once and I like the Nancy's better. Of course, Nancy's is a local company, so maybe we're getting it fresher than most people do. I guess I'll read their label and see what all is in it. What do you use to sweeten your kefir?


----------



## 4cornersmamma (Aug 29, 2004)

I don't know what my ds pushed but it just deleted my whole post.








bf'ing at the computer is a risky business.

What is the difference between Rapadura and sucanat? I was told that they are the same thing.


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

There is a big controvercy between the two. Rapadura us a brand name sugar cane made by Rapunzel. Sucanat is really Rapadura. I can't get Rapadura here so I buy Sucanat from Whole Foods. It was thought that whole foods refines their product somewhat, but then someone contacted the company and they said they did not. Then it was said that there was a higher mineral content in Sucanat from Whole Foods then the Rapaura.

All I know is that I bought the sucanat from the bulk bin for awhile until I noticed that the sucanat from Whole Foods is much much darker, meaning that it has a higher mollassas content and is most likely less refined than the stuff in the bulk bin. So, I am buying Whole Foods Brand now.


----------



## ahuva (Aug 26, 2003)

hi. thanks for the tips on the baking recipes, i just made pancakes this morning and i was pretty happy with them. my dh saw the dutch apple recipe and got excited.
i'm bummed to hear that it wasn't just me and the bread recipes aren't so great, but i'll give the muffins a try and stick to my old bread recipes. I guess I should start sprouting....
by the way...the carrot cake recipe is AWESOME. I've made it a bunch of times and it's become a favorite. the icing is really simple but amazing. I can post the recipe later this afternoon.


----------



## ahuva (Aug 26, 2003)

Carrot Cake from NT
2.5 cups of flour (ww, spelt or kamut)
1 cup of piima cream ( i use sour cream)
1 cup of whole yogurt
1 cup of butter, softened
1 1/4 cups of rapadura
4 eggs
2 tp vanilla
2 tp baking soda
1 tp cinnamon
1tp salt
1 8oz can of crushed pineapple
2 cups of finely grated carrots
1 cup of dried coconut
1/2 chopped crispy pecans
2 cups cream cheese
1/2 cup softened butter
1 tbsp vanilla
1/2-3/4 cup raw honey

mix flour with yogurt and cream and let it sit for 12-24 hours covered in a warm place. Line a pan with buttered parchment paper and coat with flour. cream butter and rapadura. beat in eggs, baking soda, cinnamon, vanilla and salt. gradually add flour mixture. fold in pineapple with juice, carrots, coconut and nuts. pour in the pan and bake at 300 degrees for 2 hours. let cool slightly and turn onto a tray. to make icing, place cream cheese, butter, vanilla and honey in a food processor and blend until smooth.

enjoy!


----------



## Attached Mamma (Mar 16, 2004)

Rachael,

Thanks for the recipe!!


----------



## 4cornersmamma (Aug 29, 2004)

Thanks for the info CJR - I have to special order a whole case to get rapadura. That's okay 'cause then that way I get it a whole lot cheaper. It's good to know that I can use sucanat if I need to.









I am making the spice cake right now, the batter was really good! I'll have to tell you all how it turns out.


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

Is the carrot cake a nice light cake, or is it dense and heavy? I have ds's birthday party on Saturday and I was going to make brownies, but my dad made a hint about having carrot cake and he gets so little treats since his heart attack. I may have to make it tomorrow and experiment. Is the icing light or kind of pasty IYKWIM? I mean is it like regular cream cheese frosting or is more like a glaze?


----------



## 4cornersmamma (Aug 29, 2004)

I've never tried the carrot cake, but I just made the spice cake today.










It's good and sweet but it didn't make my blood sugar go through the roof.

here are some tips from my experience.

*Even though I left the butter and eggs out all morning, my frosting came out with tiny little lumps of butter instead of a creamy smooth frosting. I think it was because my kitchen is pretty cold.

*Don't forgo the parchment paper! I did and I ended up with a four layer cake instead of a two layer cake IYKWIM. That puppy stuck to the pan like super glue.

* I took the cake out 15 minutes early and it was almost over done, so make sure to watch it and don't let it cook the whole hour. (I'm at a high altitude of 7,500 ft so this may be different for you.)

*If I did it over again, I would cook the whole thing in my oval stoneware pan and just frost it in the pan and serve it that way. OR it would be good done as cup cakes.








I know, I know, I almost can't help myself!


----------



## *solsticemama* (Feb 8, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *cjr*
There is a big controvercy between the two. Rapadura us a brand name sugar cane made by Rapunzel. Sucanat is really Rapadura. I can't get Rapadura here so I buy Sucanat from Whole Foods. It was thought that whole foods refines their product somewhat, but then someone contacted the company and they said they did not. Then it was said that there was a higher mineral content in Sucanat from Whole Foods then the Rapaura.

All I know is that I bought the sucanat from the bulk bin for awhile until I noticed that the sucanat from Whole Foods is much much darker, meaning that it has a higher mollassas content and is most likely less refined than the stuff in the bulk bin. So, I am buying Whole Foods Brand now.

Hmmm, I was flipping thru the NT cookbook this morning and came across the section on sweeteners. The authors state that Rapadura is the purest form of sweetner and that sucanat is definitely a lesser nutritionally sound and much more refined sweetener. I've never tried either and I don't see us using it much but it would be nice to know what the actual facts are. I know some other folks have complained that SF's facts are sometimes skewed so now I'm







on which is better. I haven't done any baking in years but it might be nice to make ds some wholesome muffins or fruit crisps every now and then.


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Off topic: CJR, so sorry we can't make Saturday, we are going to Bragg Creek for the day for dh's b-day. Hope to see you on Thursday!


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

*solsticemama*- I posted the same question a couple of weeks ago and this is what was reported. Someone had called the Wholesome Foods (not Whole Foods) and they stated that their sucanat is not refined like it was indicated and that the mineral content is there. Sucanat is Rapadura. They are both evaportated cane juice that is minimally processed to ensure that it is as whole as possible. I'm not sure, but I even think that Rapadura is a regional name for it. I'm not saying that all sucanat is the same, because it's not. I think that Wholesome Foods makes a brand that is very comparable to the marketed Rapadura. The sucanat in the bulk bin I would say is not as it is a much lighter color.

Mountain Mom- Sorry we will miss you. Have a great time in Bragg Creek. We won't be at playgroup tomorrow. Carter is on a wierd nap thing and I need to get to the gym. I think his top teeth are bothering him. The oldest was sick with the flu all weekend and then I started to come down with it. Thanks to Oscillococcinum, I managed to combat it before it turned into anything major. So, I have not been to the gym in over a week. Got to get into my summer cloths this year or I will be wearing dh's t-shirts and cut-offs again.


----------



## ahuva (Aug 26, 2003)

about the carrot cake....the cake part is pretty dense, but it tastes very healthy and not overly sweet at all. i actually feel good and not guilty about eating it. it's very moist too. the icing is thick, more cream cheese like than a glaze. you can always half the recipe to make it thinner, or do a different icing altogether. again, the icing feels healthy more than icky to us. my dh loves it. like sweet cream cheese. does this help? let us know how it goes! thanks for the spice cake recipe hints too!


----------



## naturalmother (Jan 22, 2005)

Thanks Queen Gwen, I guess it might not have been me after all.

I need some help with my chicken stock. It didn't gel up at all and I know the chicken was definately free ranged and pasture fed. I put 3 qt of water and all the bones from 2 3lb chickens. By the time 18 hours on simmering was up, the stock had reduced to about 1.5qt and bones. It was brown, but not gelled up in the slightest bit even after chilling for a day.

I'm so disappointed.. what can I change next time around? I'm scared if I'll use less water, I won't have any stock by the time I'm done.

Quote:

I think the problem with stock not gelling is too much water. I just add enough water to cover the bones, andit always gells once cold.
Catarina, when you do this, how long do you simmer for and how much stock do you have left?


----------



## TopazBlueMama (Nov 23, 2002)

My stock never gels either.







I don't know what the deal is. The one time it did gel nicely was when I used a grocery store chicken. But it is always nice and rich and flavorful at least. It's frustrating, huh!

I've made the carrot cake and frosting before too, I liked it.


----------



## naturalmother (Jan 22, 2005)

It sure is! MIL always uses grocery store (AKA battery hen) chickens and her stock is always like jello!







: WTF?


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

It seems like too much water to me. I probabley use that much water with my 8-9lb chicken carcases. I put it in the crock with carrots, celery and onion and let it go 24 hours. With the lid on it only reduced by a cup or two at the half way mark and I top it up and let it finish. It always jells up nice. Try using two 3lb chickens to make your stock, with the same amount of water. I always use the chicken I roasted for dinner and I always buy huge chickens. That way I am not solely buying it for stock, but rather lots of meals and sandwhiches. With a large chicken I feed my family a nice dinner, usually 2 days worth of sandwhiches for lunch, and enough chicken for another casserole kind of dish or soup. My chicken costs me $15-$20 and we get alot of meals out of it, plus the stock. If I buy the carcass to make the just stock it usually comes in a pack of two and I use both covered with water and veggies and it turns out great.

The gel stock you get is very rich and very flavorful. If you need to you can alway cut it with water when you are cooking with it to stretch it a little.


----------



## HerthElde (Sep 18, 2003)

Okay, must vent my current kitchen frustration. NOTHING seems to work lately!!! My stock won't gel (I never used to have a problem), my bread won't rise (is it a sourdough thing?) OR cook through on the inside, but it practically burns on the outside (yeah, I know, lower temp, longer time), and WOW, is it beyond the realm of normal sourness







. I'm hesitant to even try making my own pasta now (thinking about making perogies with the potato cheese as filling). Seriously, the only things I'm not having a problem with are smoothies (and even then I don't always blend them enough, and get the occasional chunk of coconut oil) and cookies. Oh, and my kitchen is a MESS!
Speaking of cookies, my oatmeal-lentil-chocolate-chip cookies were a huge success:

*Oatmeal Lentil Chocolate Chip Cookies*
2 cups ww flour
1.5 cups oatmeal
1 cup butter
1 cup yogurt
Mix these together and let sit 12-24 hours.
Then add,
1/2 cup lentil meal*
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup honey
1 cup chocolate chips
Mix together really well.
Bake at 375F 12-14 minutes

*soak 1/4 cup lentils 12 hours or overnight with a bit of whey in filtered water. Strain and use a food processor to cut into a fine mealy texture.


----------



## naturalmother (Jan 22, 2005)

cjr - thanks for the advice!

Quote:

Try using two 3lb chickens to make your stock, with the same amount of water.
Do you mean to use 2 WHOLE 3lb chickens with 3 qt of water? We usually roast the chicken first, eat whatever we can and save all the bones and a little bit of meat, then toss it all in with the carrots etc and let it simmer. It saves us money this way as we can't afford a chicken just for stock. I'm sorry, I know I sound sooooo stupid.. I've never made stock in my life.







:

This weekend we are having another 3lb chicken. I am going to save the bones from dinner and have another go at stock making.. how much water do I use? The bones might come up to 1.2lb in weight.


----------



## naturalmother (Jan 22, 2005)

Oh boy do I hear ya! My kitchen is an absolute mess and I have nothing to show for it but runny stock and pumpkin soup for dinner.


----------



## toraji (Apr 3, 2003)

Been pretty quiet around here but wanted to wave hello and let you know I'm still lurking on this thread.

hey lovelocks! Waving hello to a fellow Oregonian. I'm up on the north coast, give me a holler if you ever make it up this way.


----------



## *solsticemama* (Feb 8, 2003)

I'm planning to make the Persian style black-eyed peas. It sounds really







On another note I've been on the search for azomite but I can only find bentonite both IRL and on-line. I did a search a came up with some info on azomite that said it comes from the salt lakes in Utah. Anyone have experience with bentonite? Even our very crunchy local HFS only carries bentonite. I bought a small amount but am hesitant to take it before reseaching it more.


----------



## 4cornersmamma (Aug 29, 2004)

Mamas with runny stock, don't be so hard on yourselves.









I make stock every week in my crock pot from the carcass and bones of a chicken I roasted. It usually jells, sometimes it gels only a little.









I really think that this is a hard time in the year. It's kind of like the darkest, coldest time of night before the sun comes up. Spring is just around the corner and soon we'll be frolicking in the sun before you know it. Our babies will be eating dirt and grass and getting muddy in the garden.


----------



## Gale Force (Jun 15, 2003)

Hey gals. I've been checking in quickly and trying to "power read" but I'm way behind.

I'm up there in my weight. I lost a whole lot on the candida diet, but much of it has come back. I had a dream the other night that I couldn't get my pants on and then I woke up and put my pants on and








Coming out of PPD and a bunch of deficiencies, I refuse to eat less, so I really need to exercise a whole lot more. That's my plan for now.

Other than that, I have been super-busy planning our kitchen remodel (scheduled for late May/early June. We landed on a stove after a great deal of deliberation. It's an antique Wedgewood. It actually costs a lot less than what we were going to buy and the look will be fantastic in our 100 year old house. No proofing feature, LOL. No warming drawer. No convention oven. Good burners, though. That's where we cook the most.


----------



## Prairiemother (Feb 4, 2005)

Hello, NT mamas! I've been following your thread on and off for about a month; I posted in another thread regarding NT feedback. I'm new here, though, and am excited to have found people following NT. My friends think I'm crazy.

I haven't much time to write today but just wanted to say that the Leaf-Wrapped Salmon with Cilantro-Coconut Stuffing is GREAT. My husband was thoroughly surprised that I made something edible -- which is not something I can say about the sourdough breads I have been trying to make. I stumbled upon a sourdough "snobs" web site, though, and they recommended a number of books, so I'm going to go through them and see whether I get any good tips. According to the one I just picked up, though, I'll never have a good loaf unless I build a brick oven in my back yard. Well, summer is ahead of us, and, of course, as a mother I have nothing to do....


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

naturalmother - No,no,no. I mean eat the chicken and use 2 carcasses to make the stock. If you eat a chicken for dinner then stick the carcass in the freezer until the next time you have chicken. Then make stock with the 2 carcasses. Heavens no, we would be broke if we just boiled up chickens for the juices. I am able to buy just chicken carcasses. Check with your chicken source and see if they sell just the bones. The bones I get are from the chickens that they cut the breasts other pieces off. There is still alot of meat and all the bones. It costs $5 for two medium sized carcasses and it make a crock full of stock.

I made the carrot cake for ds's b-day tomorrow. I didn't soak the flour though. I just don't care for the results from soaking and baking. I added the sour cream and yoghurt to the flour as if I was going to soak, and followed the recipe from there without actually soaking. It turned out amazing. So good and very moist. I decided to make an airplane cake for him. I just made two carrot cakes and then cut the shape of an airplane and stacked the two shapes on top of each other. Then just rounded the edges. Tomorrow I will ice with the cream cheese frosting and find something to make a propeller with.


----------



## artisticat (Jul 28, 2004)

Hey everyone.







: Confirmed lurker here! Love all this info, but usually too busy reading and cooking to write. Tyring to organize my life









Anywho. Just wondering how everyone's kefir is. Mine has been smelling different lately, but maybe it's my nose







Can sitting by a pineapple affect it? Also I just changed to a lower grain to milk ratio. Don't know what is up with it lately. Can't decide if it is a yeasty smell or sour milk or what. Getting very frustrated. Not to mention, I'm thinking dairy might be affecting my little nursling







I'ts not confirmed yet ( I am having the darndest time giving up my dairy to see especially since I have my raw milk and kefir)

Do you think water kefir gives all the same benefits as milk kefir? I have that going to. I still giggle everytime I open it and see the little bubbles!!
But can't seem to get a taste I love. I brewed the last batch for 48 hours and it still seems not right. I had it one time at my brother's where it was more wine like tasting and yummy. Also is anybody getting it to be fizzy when drinking it. My little bubbles seem to disapear after I strain it. As a confirmed pop-aholic (ya I live up north) i want some carbonation.








Sorry I am rambling on, just excited I am actually sitting down to post!


----------



## toraji (Apr 3, 2003)

artisticat, sometimes the milk kefir grains will start getting funky and you need to fast them on water for 24 hours to clear out the weird beasties. I had some funky grains once and after the fast the taste was much improved.


----------



## naturalmother (Jan 22, 2005)

Quote:

I mean eat the chicken and use 2 carcasses to make the stock.
I did that last time with 3qt of water and it didn't gel.









I think I'll use 2qt of water next time.

I must say, even though the stock doesn't gel, the chicken we get is out of this world!!!!!







And all I did was add sea salt. No oil, no spice..

I will ask my chicken guy about getting a bag of bones. Thanks for the tip!


----------



## Asquaredmom (Mar 9, 2002)

I posted about gummy pancakes a couple of weeks ago.

Since I started following the Sue Gregg instructions more closely I've gotten a better result. They don't turn out sour if I use kefir for no more than half the liquid.

I'm using equal parts ww pastry grains, barley and buckwheat, 1 cup total. Blend 3-4 min. in half kefir half milk, again about 1 c + extra milk to "maintain the vortex" (otherwise the blender bogs down.) Let sit about 12 hours. Reblend the next day w/an egg for at least 1 min., then add salt, leavenings and a bit of white flour if too thin.

I like using the whole grains rather than flour to avoid rancidity.

Now, can someone help me figure out why I'm not getting notices for new postings? I think my isp went wild w/spam blocking. They even blocked my library's due date notices!


----------



## xenabyte (Jul 16, 2004)

CJR,

Oh, our babies are like a day apart...but this year, the same.









Mine is a Leap Day baby...so no Feb 29 to celebrate on... So we'll be celebrating his first bday the same day as your youngest!














to your little birthday boy too!

I am making spelt cupcakes and raspberry 'fluff' icing with some organic rapadura 'powdered' sugar and raspberry jam.

And Happy Belated Birthday Amanda! :HUG


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Wow it is a birthday kinda weekend! My dh's birthday is tomorrow! Happy birthday everyone!

At the market yesterday I found organic free range stewing hens for 5 bucks each!

I thought this was a super deal. I made this hen in my slow cooker and then made stock and wow that stock is super thick and so full of colour.

The woman who owns this farm said that hens are really nutritious and that these hens are still quite tender.

The meat was very tender! I am going to make a curry from it for dinner.

I just think that is the bomb.


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

xenabyte - Dh was so hoping for a leap year baby, but I was not. That would have meant another day in an already 22 hour labour. No thanks. :LOL

We had a good birthday. He was so humble when we sang to him. Like "what, for me







". I made an airplane cake out of the carrot cake and it was a big hit. I used my old standby cream cheese icing for those that already think I'm nuts, but I was cleaver. It was a two layer cake and I didn't ice between the layers. So if you took the top layer off you had a perfect bottom layer with no icing that was delicious.

I am a little dissapointed with my family. My brother didn't show up and didn't bother to call, DH's brother didn't come because his girlfriend totaled her truck (even though he has two trucks himself that could have gotten then to our place), my mom was sick with the flu. The biggest kicker was that DH's mom sat in her truck outside our house for 45 min and then left because she didn't think we were home (dh took the kids swimming). She didn't knock or bother to call on her cell. My dad and I were inside decorating the cake. Also, Dh's dad didn't bother to come either. Dh was royally ticked and ended up telling his dad off. He has only been to our home 3 times in the past 5 years and only 2 of those times was for his grandkid's b-days (he has missed 8 birthdays. Dh's mom came back today and we had a nice little visit. Nothing was said about yesturday though. I mean how can you miss your grandson's first birthday? Just because you didn't feel like going. The first birthday is always adult friendly with us. The food is adult food and there's no kiddy stuff other than cake and gifts. The kids play and the adults have a great time. I just don't understand.

Anyway, I made a huge pot of bison chilli and WOW was it ever good. With baked potatoes, sour cream and cheddar. Fresh veggies, organic tortilla's (my new favorite snack) and w.w. buns. Nice and casual. The cake was a big hit. Maybe next time I will try soaking the flour.









It's going to be a light meals this week. Dh left for Little Rock and will be gone for a week. I feel silly cooking nice meals for just me and the girls. It's going to be a long week. This is the longest he will have been away since Carter was born. The 3 day trips have been more than enough.


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

Quote:

At the market yesterday I found organic free range stewing hens for 5 bucks each!
Share, share please. Who is your source? I was up there on Friday, but didn't notice any other poultry place other then the one in the little organic market. There was the transitional booth on the other side, but I bought a couple of steaks there once that were just awful (I believe they had been re-frozen) and vowed never to buy anything there again.


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Lets make sure we get together this week, CJR. I could come up to your place if you want, I have the car this week.


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Its at Sunworks, the little organic nook. In the cooler bin where the stock backs are. Maybe they don't have them all the time? There was four hens there and I bought two. If you ever wonder about anything there just ask for Erin, she is the manager and daughter of the farm owners.


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

You have lightening fingers today. :LOL


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

Quote:

Lets make sure we get together this week, CJR. I could come up to your place if you want, I have the car this week.
That would be wonderful. We would love to have you in our home. I even cleaned it up for the party and we are trying to keep it that way. :LOL


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

CJR...did you get the email about the bulk nut and fruit order through the playgroup?

I will forward to you. It is a great opportunity to get bulk raw almonds and other nuts ect. It is their annual sale.

Here is the website...www.ranchovignola.com


----------



## Oregonicmama (Aug 13, 2002)

hey NTers!








I got my kefir grains yesterday!!!!









woohoo!! I am so excited. I haven't done anything with then yet, but i am so intrigued. Does anyone know of a site about kefir thats easier to read than dom's site? i like dom's site, but i have a hard time following it sometimes. Does anyone know if I can use regular milk to make the kefir? I get a ton of milk from WIC and never use it for anything (well, DP uses it for his espresso drinks), so I thought it would be good for kefir. But everything I read says to use raw milk which i just can't justify paying for when i have 5 gallons of regular milk in my fridge!

i made the chicken curry from NT for dinner the other night. I had made stock with a whole chicken earlier this week and i used the meat from it. the meat was so beyond tender and shredded right up. I served it over soaked quinoah and it was sooooo good. I even got dd1 to eat it!


----------



## Queen Gwen (Nov 20, 2001)

Yes, you can use regular ol' pasteurized milk for kefir. You can't use ultra-pasteurized, though -- not enough life left in it.


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

The only thing I can get here is pasturized. I'm lucky enough to have found a local source for non-homoginated though, but still pasturized.


----------



## hrheka (Feb 12, 2004)

Hi everyone, I've been gone for a bit. I'm hoping to read back through the thread a bit later today.

i had a quick question though. I'm about to go take care of some Kombucha. I made the mistake of making it in a really wide mouthed bowl and now I have all these GIANT mushrooms. I'd like to have a few batches going but I need to put it in something not quite as big. Does anyone know if I can "trim" the mushrooms?


----------



## artisticat (Jul 28, 2004)

hrheka,

When I got my first mushroom, the lady just cut it right in half and so far it is doing fine.


----------



## Prairiemother (Feb 4, 2005)

CJR and Mountain Mom:

I'm from Edmonton and I've heard a rumor that Sunworks farm feeds their chickens soy; haven't investigated it myself and I don't know whether this would be a problem for you but thought I'd mention it just in case.


----------



## 4cornersmamma (Aug 29, 2004)

CJR what a bummer that your family bombed out on you! Anyhow, at least your dad was there. My parents probably won't show for either one of my kids b-days. They'll say that they were too worried to drive in thier SUV through the mountains to visit. Yet I should drive by myself with the kids to come visit them!









I used to live 30 minutes from my parents and only 2 miles off the hwy. One time I was really sick and my dd was only about 4 months old. I couldn't even change her diaper - I could hardly move. Well my husband was out of town, so I called my mom and asked her to please, please come and help me. She said that she didn't want to get sick and that sorry but she wasn't going to help (even though she was retired).







Thank goodness I have one decent sister that lived 45 minutes away who took off work - drove to my house and took my dd to her house to take care of her.

I guess it all comes down to priorities - like they say "you can choose your friends but you can't choose your relatives." hmmmm

Anyway, is that a bison chili an NT recipe, or just your own creation? If it's yours, then I would love if you would share it with us.


----------



## Prairiemother (Feb 4, 2005)

I don't know how to edit my last post; I check the Sunworks thing and it is not the farm I was thinking of. In fact, we buy their eggs and they taste very good! We buy chicken from them, too. Sorry about the mistake!


----------



## *solsticemama* (Feb 8, 2003)

Does anyone do much juicing? I'm thinking I'd like to start juicing things like kale, parsely, beets, ginger etc. Those of you who juice what kind of juicer would you recommend?


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

No worries PrairieMother...thanks for looking out for us!

TwinGear/Greenstar is the best juicer IMO or the Angel but both are super pricey.

Here are some links:
http://www.greenstar.com/
http://www.angel-juicer.com/angel_en...icers_kind.php

Try to get a slow running motor and spinner(for lack of a better description). The slower the auger turns the more nutrients are left back in the juice. Both the above juicers also keep the enzymes alive while lower priced models such as champion burn them in the juicer process.

With both you can make your own nutbutters, oils and rice cakes too!


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

I buy broth bones from Sunworks, but not whole chickens...can't afford them. I buy my chickens from an old fashioned farmer type guy at another market. I asked him tons of questions and he's good, not organic but totally free range and natural. His chicken are great and I can get a 9lb chicken for $20. His eggs are great too, $6/flat (2 1/2 dozen) nice dark yolks and both his chickens and eggs have that great free range taste. I do buy lamb from sunworks and bacon (but the family does not like the bacon because it has a different tastes then the grochery brand).


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

Quote:

Anyway, is that a bison chili an NT recipe, or just your own creation? If it's yours, then I would love if you would share it with us.
My own. I have two great recipies. The first is for chicken chili and the second is for the bison chilli which is adapted from the chicken chili recipie.

_Mexican Chicken Chili_
1 lb chicken breast
8 cups water
2 cups chicken stock
1 c. tomato sauce
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 small onion, diced
1 c. frozen corn
1/2 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 c. diced canned tomatoes
15 oz red kidney beans, plus liquid (if using canned). If using your own the liquid is not important.
1/4 c. diced sweet red pepper
1/4 c. chopped parsley
1 clove minced garlic
lots of chili powder (like a few tbsp.-this does not make it spicy)
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt (more if using your own stock, but wait until it's almost done before adding more than 1/4 tsp.)
dash cayenne pepper
dash basil
dash oregano

-dice the chicken breast into bite sized pieces and saute in olive oil until no longer pink. Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce to a strong simmer. Let simmer for 4 hours or so. The liquid should be reduced by half. The chili should be thick enough that nothing sinks, but rather everything is nicely suspended in the juices. Serve with sour cream and cheddar cheese.
-add extra salt when the chili is almost done. The flavors concentrates and intesifies when the liquid reduces and adding the salt in the beginning may result in it being too salty when finished.

_Bison/beef chili_
1 lb chicken breast
8 cups water
2 cups bison/beef stock
1 c. tomato sauce
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 small onion, diced
1/2 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
2 c. diced canned tomatoes
15 oz red kidney beans, plus liquid (if using canned). If using your own the liquid is not important.
1/4 c. diced sweet red pepper
1/4 c. chopped parsley
1 clove minced garlic
lots of chili powder (like a few tbsp.-this does not make it spicy)
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt (more if using your own stock, but wait until it's almost done before adding more than 1/4 tsp.)
dash cayenne pepper

-Brown the bison/beef in olive oil until no longer pink. Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce to a strong simmer. Let simmer for 4 hours or so. The liquid should be reduced by half. The chili should be thick enough that nothing sinks, but rather everything is nicely suspended in the juices. Serve with sour cream and cheddar cheese.
-add extra salt when the chili is almost done. The flavors concentrates and intesifies when the liquid reduces and adding the salt in the beginning may result in it being too salty when finished.

I like a splash of hot pepper sauce with my chili. These both freeze very well and I often make a double batch and then freeze in lunch size containers.

Remember that the secret is in the reducing. It really makes it nice and thick and concentrates the flavors. Both chili's are unique. That is to say that the bison/beef chili does not take on the same characteristics as the chicken. The bison/beef chili is a darker, richer chili...while the chicken is a lighter more tomato type chili.


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

CJR...Which market are you getting the eggs and chicken from? TIA!


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

The CrossRoads market. He's just inside the doors and is happy to answer any questions you have about his farming practices. His chickens and eggs are really nice. I always get a nice rich gelly stock out of the chicken bones. He does free range turkeys at Christmas too, but you have to pre-order because he never has any left. He is the only vender I go to at that market. The last bird I picked up was 9lbs and it cost me $24. I don't think it's going to fit in the crock, so I may have to cook it up the old fashioned way. :LOL It will provide us with many many many meals. I'm going to cook it up tomorrow and get some soup made on Thursday.

He was pretty funny. Last time I picked up eggs he was going on about the Hutterites (sp?) saying their eggs were free range. He said they are not and you can tell by the color of the yolk. He's happy to crack an egg to show you. He even went up to them and told them what they were doing was unethical, and they should not be telling people their eggs are free range. He also has eggs that are not free range, but we always get the free range.

Right now all his chickens are frozen and not shrink wrapped, so I wrap them in butcher paper before putting them back in the freezer. I think it's because the birds need to be slaughtered because he starts with new birds every spring. In the summer and the fall you can get them fresh. He's not fancy like sunworks, just a regular old farmer.


----------



## *solsticemama* (Feb 8, 2003)

Thanks mountain mom. They're a little out of our price range tho. I'll keep searching.

I think I'm gonna start making my own kefir. Ds likes it alot and we have a great raw milk source here. Any advice on whether grains or powder works better? Also for those of you who make stock, I'm a bit concerned about leaving the gas burner on for 12 hrs at a stretch, heck even 6 hrs. Any ideas or advice?


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

Quote:

Also for those of you who make stock, I'm a bit concerned about leaving the gas burner on for 12 hrs at a stretch, heck even 6 hrs. Any ideas or advice?
Get yourself a large crock pot. Garage sale season is approaching and you should be able to find a good sturdy crock for a decent price.


----------



## ahuva (Aug 26, 2003)

Hi.
Anyone know anything about buckwheat? Does it need to be soaked. I know it doesn't have gluten...

Also, do you soak your rice and if so for how long?

BTW, I tried the muffin recipe. They came out very tasty, if a little strange looking. It may be though that I had the oven on too high by mistake. Maybe the would have had more rounded tops (these were flat) if they cooked slower. Added carrot, coconut meat and spices and they came out great.

For those of you who bake, I'm curious, do you just give in and not soak flours for breads and cakes and such? I love baking and we love having healthy baked goods around, but the soaked flour recipes just don't turn out the same...

TIA!


----------



## HerthElde (Sep 18, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by **solsticemama**
I think I'm gonna start making my own kefir. Ds likes it alot and we have a great raw milk source here. Any advice on whether grains or powder works better?

From what I understand, the powder is tasty, but not true kefir. It will not multiply, and I don't think you can reuse it. The grains, OTOH, will last you forever because you just keep reusing them.

Quote:

Also for those of you who make stock, I'm a bit concerned about leaving the gas burner on for 12 hrs at a stretch, heck even 6 hrs. Any ideas or advice?
After you've gotten it simmering, put in the oven at 275F, it keeps the stock simmering nicely.


----------



## TopazBlueMama (Nov 23, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by **solsticemama**
Does anyone do much juicing? I'm thinking I'd like to start juicing things like kale, parsely, beets, ginger etc. Those of you who juice what kind of juicer would you recommend?

I'm into juicing-we have an omega 8002 that has lots of other functions as well. It will do wheatgrass too. I think juicing is great and makes you feel so very healthy.


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

Quote:

For those of you who bake, I'm curious, do you just give in and not soak flours for breads and cakes and such? I love baking and we love having healthy baked goods around, but the soaked flour recipes just don't turn out the same...
I can't soak for everything. It does affect baked goods differently. I made the carrot cake and didn't soak. I followed the recipe to the letter, but only let the flour and dairy soak while I was mixing the other ingredients. It turned out awsome. So, maybe it's not totally NT but it tasted good and was full of good stuff.


----------



## BowenTherapist (Apr 25, 2002)

if you grind your own grain you can soak the grain first, then dehydrate it and grind it. that way the phytates are taken care of


----------



## HerthElde (Sep 18, 2003)

How long does wheat flour have to be soaked? I'm making regular bread, but I'm determined to let it rise and rise until the pytates are soaked away . . .


----------



## TopazBlueMama (Nov 23, 2002)

I've read that the "magic" number is 7 hours. I think that is kind of interesting too, considering the symbolism that that number portrays--I think words like, complete, finished, or perfected.
Anyway, I know some recipes say at least 7 hours. But most in Fallon's book say 24.


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

I can soak grains, flours for 12 hours max. We just don't like the sour taste after a 24 hours soak, especially with oatmeal.

So, if you soak the whole grain and then dry it you can grind it up and use it dry? That's good to know. My grains are in and I'm trying to make arrangements to grind some to freeze this weekend. Maybe I will try soaking and drying the amount I want to grind.


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

It really depends what I am soaking. Some grains like quinoa I soak for 48 hours and some grains like rice for only 7 hours. The only flour I use is spelt and I soak it for 24 hours with alot more whey than SF suggests in the book. I find that really makes it fluff up.


----------



## naturalmother (Jan 22, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *cjr*
Last time I picked up eggs he was going on about the Hutterites (sp?) saying their eggs were free range. He said they are not and you can tell by the color of the yolk. He's happy to crack an egg to show you.

It's funny you should say this.. I was just about to post a question about egg yolks. We get eggs from our organic farmer. His chickens are free ranged (I saw a couple roaming around on the farm), but I believe he also feeds them a fair amount of grain for 2 reasons. One is the egg yolks are yellow - and sometimes light yellow. Only a few have come orange. The second is he told DH that the chickens didn't lay much last week because he didn't give them food in time for when they lay and they are somewhat moody.. or something like that. Anyway, since he said he didn't give them food, I'm assuming he meant grain. After all, if all they got was from the pasture, he'd just let them roam, right?

Anyway, I really want to make sure I'm getting pasture fed eggs next time. Is the egg yolk colour a definitive way to tell?

--

soaking grains - I usually soak grains anywhere from 12-18 hours. Were starting to find the sour taste a little disagreeable. DH doesn't mind it much, but I do. I've never been a big fan of soured foods unless it's goats milk yoghurt. I love that stuff.


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

They have to suppliment with grain, even grass grazing chickens. Especially here in Alberta during the winter. My guy has both free range and conventional, so he's not relying on the free range chickens to produce enough eggs to sell. The type of feed would make a difference too. Like the omega rich eggs in the supermarket, they have nice dark yolks because they are fed a suppliment rich in flax (I buy these when I run out as market days are only on the weekends). It's not so much if they are roaming, but what they are eating while they roam. Even if he is giving them lots of feed, it's still a more humaine place to buy your eggs until you can source out another egg with the nice dark yolks.


----------



## Prairiemother (Feb 4, 2005)

I got the Laurel's Kitchen Bread Book from the library and have just had time to glance through it; they have a number of recipes for sprouted grain products: a couple bread recipes and crackers, at least. I want to try the recipes, since I think the sprouting ought to take care of the phytate and I'm having trouble making a tasty sourdough bread. The book also has a section on sourdough, so maybe that will help.

Has anyone been to the Millarville farmers market? It might have good products; my father used to grow and sell no-chemical vegetables there but I don't know what kind of vendors they have there now. At any rate, it might be a fun Saturday adventure.


----------



## mountain mom (Nov 6, 2003)

Millarville is a great market. It opens around May I think.


----------



## cjr (Dec 2, 2003)

I have never been to Millarville. Mountain Mom you don't find it too "yuppy"? I have expected things to be over priced there. My aunt talks about that market all the time and she's a pretty upity snob, she made it sound like a snobby place to shop. KWIM?


----------



## gardenmommy (Nov 23, 2001)

do you mind if I start a march thread?


----------



## HerthElde (Sep 18, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *gardenmommy*
do you mind if I start a march thread?

Do it


----------



## gardenmommy (Nov 23, 2001)

Did it!


----------

