Genetic Roulette~The Movie

It isn't very often that I post links to youtube videos or movie trailers. In fact, I think this is a first.

That should tell you just how important I think this movie is. Genetic Roulette is free for viewing for 1 week. And it should not be missed.

I am pretty passionate (that's a nice term for it) about the food our family eats. While we are in no way perfect with our food, we are aware. Which is what this video helps to do. To educate us on the effects of genetically modified foods. (And there are many.) Genetic Roulette explains it in a way that the whole family can understand.

And it is a start to opening the eyes of the ones who haven't wanted to know.

Right now, California is trying to pass a GMO labeling law. If passed, this will set the stage for many other states to pass their own labeling laws. The truth is, I believe that real food should not be called "organic". I believe that farmers/companies should NOT have to pay big $$$ to say their food has no added chemicals. It should just be called food. Period. But...if food is not what it appears to be, it needs to be labeled. And those chemically dependent companies need to pay for that. Because we have a right to know. I would no more offer my children a drink of turpentine than I would knowingly allow them to eat an ear of genetically modified corn, pumped full of Bt. And since it may be more difficult to convince the GMO companies (Monsanto) to put a skull and crossbones on their products, a label will have to do.

For now.

Please spend some time with your family this weekend and watch this movie. Then make whatever changes necessary to keep genetically modified foods out of your home. After watching the movie, you'll understand my passion and why this is just too important to dismiss.

Genetic Roulette~The Gamble of our Lives

Don't forget to pop some non-GMO corn first...☺

Kefir Ranch Dressing

 I usually consider myself a pretty good speller. After all, I did take first place in my 6th grade spelling bee 33 (*cough) years ago. And let me tell you, it wasn't enough to just spell the words, I had to be able to say the words before and after I spelled them. Not to brag or anything, but the winning word for me was, antidisestablishmentarianism.

Okay, I was bragging, but I've still got it. (Although I did lose at the district level to a pimply boy with a squeaky voice. My downfall was the word conscience. Seriously. I still think someone was messin' with me.)

Where my spelling skills seem to leave me is when I'm trying to decipher the back of a salad dressing bottle. Standing in the store trying to sound out words is not what an almost 45 year old woman on a mission should be doing. Words like; phosphoric acid, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, monosodium glutamate, disodium phosphate tend to leave my brain spinning and my spell check working overtime. I shouldn't have to borrow my Mister's smart phone to look up ingredients. (That is, if you can convince the smart phone to not keep changing the word you've typed in!) Face it, a smart phone is never really smart enough to outsmart the salad dressing people. Then there are the unmentionables following the hard to pronounce words. And by unmentionables, I mean instead of listing the remaining ingredients, the makers of the dressing use the words, artificial flavors, which either means they don't know or their spell check went into melt-down mode.

I'm going to stick with my sixth grade winning word. It's much easier to say than trying to read labels. I'm also going to stick to my new favorite dressing, Kefir Ranch, whose ingredients I can spell.

Not that I'm planning a spelling rematch anytime soon. I'm much too busy enjoying my salad instead of trying to decipher it.☺

~Kefir Ranch Dressing~

1 cup plain kefir (homemade or store-bought, but unsweetened)

2 Tb. olive oil

1/2 t. sea salt

1 t. garlic powder

1 t. dill weed

1 t. onion powder

1 Tb. dried parsley

Put all ingredients into a lidded pint jar. Shake it up and place in refrigerator for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend. 

Enjoy!

*Kefir is a probiotic drinkable yogurt. If you haven't tried it, dairy kefir is a great way to get some friendly bacteria into the gut. It makes a great base for smoothies~we even make kefir popsicles with our leftover smoothies. Most grocery stores carry kefir in their dairy or heath food departments. And if you're feeling brave, try making your own! You can find cultures for kefir here.

This post is linked to The Homestead Barn Hop.

the day I forgot to read the label

Since going gluten-free, I've found it's not enough to assume that everyone understands what gluten-free means. Most people consider it a fad, like wearing bell bottoms, wooden clogs, or underwear on the outside of their clothing, thinking if they just wait long enough, this too shall pass. Those are choices (albeit, stupid ones if I'm being honest here) that will go away once the attention is off of them. But what if being gluten-free isn't a choice?

Recently, while visiting a local health food store, I found out how little people actually understand. There were a couple of gals handing out samples, touting the fact that these were gluten-free samples. Believing that these representatives of these particular companies knew what they were talking about, I sampled without reading the labels for myself.

Then I went to hell and back paying for my lack of attention to detail.

I've never in my whole life felt the kind of pain that I experienced that day. My Mister, who is a registered nurse, asked me what my pain number was. For the record, I've never fully understood rating pain in that way. If I go to the emergency room, it's bad. Period. But apparently, not all who visit the emergency room understand what constitutes an emergency. I did. For the first time in my life, I was a 10. Not a Bo Derek running-across-the-beach-with-my-braids-a-flappin' kind of 10, but the I-don't-care-if-Mr.-so-and-so-is-having-a-heart-attack-in-the-next-room-HELP-ME-FIRST kind of 10. I was literally minutes from heading to the hospital.


Here are a couple of guidelines that I am learning to follow:

1. If in doubt, go without. This has been a difficult one. I really wanted a caramel latte one day. The barista didn't know whether the caramel was gluten free or not. So I took a chance. Then I paid for it. In retrospect, I really didn't want the caramel latte that badly!

2. Wheat free does not mean that it's gluten-free. Wheat is only one of the grains that contains gluten. Others are rye, barley, triticale, semolina, kamut, graham, durum, faro, and spelt. Corn and oats are gluten free, but only if they are certified as such. Don't assume that they are without that label.

3. Call ahead. When dining out, it is important to stay away from restaurants that are clearly not gluten-free. Italian is an obvious one, but did you know that Asian food is not allergy friendly? It doesn't have to be breaded to contain gluten.

4. When dining out, always ask for food to be prepared without the sauce. Many restaurants will cater to special diets because they want your business. A happy customer is a repeat customer! And we usually bring friends when we're happy.☺

5. Food in a health food store does not mean that it's good for you. If you buy a processed, gluten-free cookie, it is still a processed cookie. Make it a treat, not a way of life.

6. Most recipes can be made gluten-free. My favorite "all-purpose" flour is:

1 cup white rice flour

2/3 cup sorghum flour

1/3 cup tapioca flour/starch

Sift together and store in an air-tight container. 

This resembles white flour the best. Brown rice flour can be substituted for the white and will pack more fiber into the recipe. (When baking with it, expect a darker appearance.)

Xanthan or guar gum helps to bind gluten-free baked goods together. The general rule of thumb is 1/2 teaspoon for each cup of flour used in cookies, cakes, muffins, and other quick breads and 1 teaspoon per cup of flour for yeasted breads. 

7. When entertaining, always ask your guests if they have any special diet restrictions. Before my food allergies took me down this path, I never thought to ask. Ever. When I was in grade school, buying a hot lunch was considered a treat. Most of us brought our own lunches. And most of us had the same thing; peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. If you were one of the lucky ones, your mom made them on white Wonderbread. (I was not one of the lucky ones. We usually had the dried out cheap store brand that was purchased 3/$1.00~how's that for dating myself?)

Those were the kids to target for a trade. 

What I wouldn't give for a Wonderbread P.B.&J. now.

On second thought...☺

  

So, the lesson here is to always read labels. It is to never assume that any person handing out samples at a store, recipes on a blog, or menus in a restaurant understands the true meaning of gluten-free. Never assume that a home you are visiting understands either. The lesson is to look out for yourself. To double check everything. And to get educated. This goes for any food allergy. And while mine may have not been life-threatening (Although, if those sample gals would've been standing before me, I could not in good conscience have guaranteed their safety!), there are people whose allergies can be deadly.

And it's better to err on the side of caution. Always.

Scoby Dooby Brew

Black tea kombucha on the left, green/white tea kombucha on the right.

Sometimes I amaze myself. No seriously. It has nothing to do with pride either. Anyone who has ever walked out of the public bathroom at Target with the paper toilet seat cover attached to the bottom of their boot knows no pride.

Not that I have firsthand knowledge of that...

Kombucha is one of those things that surprised even me. I know that drinking kombucha regularly helps with digestion. I know that it helps to detoxify the body, is rich in anti-oxidants, and boosts the immune system. And while I've enjoyed many bottles of the store-bought stuff (at a ridiculous $2.99/bottle), the thought of making it myself was downright intimidating. And lets be honest here-it just seems wrong. For anyone who hasn't a clue of what I'm talking about, here it is in a nutshell...you take perfectly good sweet tea, add a slimy, not-from-this-world entity, place it in a dark cupboard, and let it rot. (Sort of.)

Then you drink it.

And you like it.

Unless you forget to strain it first. But I'll get back to that in a moment...

There are many websites devoted to the making of kombucha, so I'll let you Google those for the "how-to's", but I'll share some tips I've learned in my own kombucha journey. Kombucha is tea + water + sugar + a scoby. Scoby is an acronym for Symbiotic Colony of Yeast and Bacteria and should never be confused with Scooby Doo. To keep them separate, I've named mine Karl. A scoby (otherwise known as a "mother" or a "mushroom") can be grown from a starter culture, from a friend's baby scoby (they multiply), or even made from store-bought, raw kombucha.

Sweetened black tea before the scoby is added.

1. When making a gallon of kombucha, heat 4 cups filtered water until almost boiling. Add 4 tea bags (black, green, white, oolong, loose-leaf, etc.) and let steep for 15 minutes. Squeeze the teabags and add 1 cup organic sugar, stirring with a wooden spoon until dissolved. Pour into a gallon jar. Add 8 cups of room temperature filtered water to the jar and stir again. The tea will be the perfect temperature for the scoby. (Too hot will kill Karl.) Add the scoby and starter liquid to the tea. (It should be 1-2 cups liquid from a previous batch.) Place a towel or coffee filter over the top and secure with a rubber band. (Big thanks to my friend Sarah for the brewing tip and for Karl!)

2. Kombucha likes to ferment in the dark. It likes to be left alone. It also like peace and quiet.  Especially when in the bathroom. Oh wait, that last one is me. But it's never going to happen. A girl can dream though...

The brew should be left alone for at least 7 days. Smell it to make sure it smells vinegary, but not like rotting garbage. If it's the latter, you'll need to toss it and start over with a new culture.

An over-the-fridge cabinet is a perfect place for the kombucha~and with a boost, maybe Mom.

 3. Fermenting kombucha is kind of artsy looking. And nothing to be alarmed about. The picture below is my green/white kombucha at 10 days. This scoby was on it's second batch, so it is fairly new. We grew this one from the store-bought kombucha.

The yeast strands are a sign that the kombucha is healthy.

4. Kombucha is best when it's flavored. Because the bacteria feeds on the sugar, the tea is no longer sweet. Some people like to drink kombucha plain, but flavoring it makes it palatable for everyone.

Never use metal when working with kombucha~you can find plastic mesh strainers online.

Here are some of our favorite flavorings~

*Fresh-squeezed lemon juice and a chunk of peeled ginger
*Lemon juice with a handful of blueberries (if using frozen, thaw slightly first)
*Organic mixed berry juice (100% juice)
*Cherry juice and fresh-squeezed lime juice
*Cherry juice and pure vanilla extract
*Fresh-squeezed lemon and lime
*Elderberry (we use dried)

5. After kombucha is flavored, it can be placed back in the dark cabinet (with a tightly screwed on plastic lid) and left to build up carbonation for 2-3 more days. If carbonation isn't your thing, or you're really impatient, you can drink it now. Personally, I think the added carbonation is worth the wait.

It's best to mark it on a calendar just in case the memory isn't what it used to be.

6. Flavored and carbonated kombucha is best served over ice.

After it's been strained.

Because if you don't strain it, the little baby scoby that will start to form on top of your beverage may or may not cause the gagging reflex to kick into overdrive. Especially if it gets stuck and just sort of dangles down the back of the throat. Which could cause a person to not want to drink kombucha ever again.

Which is why I'm so amazed at myself.

I've mastered the art of straining.☺

This post is linked to The Homestead Barn Hop.

This post is linked to The Morristribe's Homesteader Blog Carnival.

Spicy Split Pea Coconut Curry Soup

Ever have one of these days?

Lately I've been having more and more of them. Maybe I have cabin fever. Maybe I've been spending much too much time on Pinterest and am slowly losing brain cells. Maybe this is normal for someone  who is slowly descending into madness.

 

For the record, I haven't arrived at that last destination yet, the bone in the pot is a ham bone. Just in case you were wondering. It is not the leg of a Hobbit.

Promise.

One of our favorite frugal meals is split pea soup. I'm not talking about the yuck in a can either. That stuff can be compared to baby food; lacking flavor and texture, which makes it a little pointless to consume. Because dried peas are pretty bland by themselves, it's important to add flavor. The original recipe calls for light cream to be added at the end, but since we had no cream to add, I improvised.

 Then I improvised some more.

After I found a bigger pot.☺

~The Players~

5 cups chicken stock

5 cups water

1 lb. dried split peas

1 *meaty ham bone

4 Tb. unsalted butter

1 large onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, shredded

1 cup chopped celery

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tb. curry powder

1 t. ground coriander

1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes

sea salt & pepper, to taste

1 can coconut milk

In a large soup pot, (and by large I mean large enough for the bone), combine the stock, water and split peas. Add the ham bone and bring to boil. Reduce heat and let simmer for about an hour.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the onions, celery, garlic, and carrots and saute until onions are translucent. Add spices and cook for 1 minute. Remove from heat.

Remove the ham bone from the peas. When cool enough to handle, remove any meat from the bone and add back to the soup. Add vegetable mixture to the peas and stir well. Simmer on low for about 20 minutes.

Using a blender or food processor, puree half the soup, 2 cups at a time until smooth. Add back to the pot. (I use an immersion blender and eyeball it.)

Pour coconut milk in to a bowl and whisk until smooth. Add to the soup and stir to mix.

Season with salt & pepper. Add more red pepper flakes if desired.

Serve hot.

Enjoy!

*Make it vegetarian by leaving out the Hobbit ham bone.

The Winds of Change...

Before I share the who, what, and where, first let me tell you about the why.

*Because I'm so tired that I think about naptime before I get out of bed in the morning.

*Because my hair is falling out without any help from my children.

*Because my joints ache just thinking about going for a walk.

*Because I'm cold all the time, except for the occasional hot flashes~which I welcome.

*Because I've had some depression that goes beyond my failed attempts at making pumpkin soup.

*Because I have heart palpitations, even when my Mister is not standing in front of me.

*Because my brain is fuzzier than a politician's math skills.

*Because I've gained 20 pounds that cannot be attributed to Reeses or Starbucks. (There's another 30 that is all theirs.)

While I'm still waiting for the biopsy that is set to take place next week, all signs are pointing to hypothyroidism. Specifically an auto-immune disease known as Hashimoto's disease. I've been told that I'll probably be prescribed a synthetic thyroid hormone, with lots of follow-up blood tests to check levels.

Forever.

This does not sit well with me. First, because this feels like putting a band-aid on an arm when the boo-boo is on the leg. Second, I can't even remember to floss everyday. Third, I'm a rebel at heart.

My thyroid isn't the problem. Something in my body is causing my cells to attack my little old thyroid who has just been minding its own business. After doing a little research, it's starting to look like gluten may be a major contributor to auto-immune diseases, like Hashimoto's. I've experimented with going gluten-free before, but it hasn't lasted long because there really wasn't a need to do so.

I'm rebellious, but also a creature of habit. A creature that likes bread.

Have I mentioned that I don't like change?

So what does that look like for my family? Well, tonight we had a Baked Ziti with Meatballs, and a Pear & Pecan Salad with Cranberry Dressing. The pasta was brown rice, the meatballs were from our grass-fed beef, and the croutons were left in the pantry. (At least while I was dishing up my plate!) I will still be baking sourdough bread for my family, but I will just have to put on my big girl panties and let the scent of the bread be enough.

And because I've had my share of that same bread, big girl panties are all that I've got. (Too much info?)

I won't be replacing flour with sugar, and my latte addiction has ended. The withdrawals are another story...

And in the morning, I will drag myself out of bed, pull on my well-worn sweatpants, grab my 1 cup of organic Sumatra, and head out the door.

For a walk that may require one end of a rope tied at my waist, the other end to the bumper of a Ford truck, and my Mister behind the wheel.

One way or another, it's time for a change.

♫You Take the Good, You Take the Bad...♫

If you've followed my blog for very long, you'll know that we try to adhere to a whole foods diet. This doesn't mean that we do it well, but we try to do it the best that we can. I've been very candid about my struggles with food, both in the over-eating department and in my addictions to Reese's, Starbucks, Frito-lay, and favorite uncle's, Ben & Jerry.

I still struggle. Daily. Sometimes more than once.

What I won't do though is give up. That's not to say that I don't think about giving up, but it's not in my nature to do so. I see the same advertisements for skinny jeans, string bikini's, and push-up bras that you see. I see the tiny-waisted, uber-tall runway models sporting the latest fashions and I think to myself, "Self, it's time to get physical, eat some lettuce, (iceburg only because it has 0 calories), grow your brunette hair blond, and pamper yourself with acrylic nails and a nice painted-on tan. Then you too can strut yourself on that runway."

When I hear my family laughing hysterically, I realize that I've said this out loud and they are giving me a true reality check. It doesn't matter how many hours I exercise because at the age of 44, I will never have less wrinkles and stretch marks than I do now. My growth spurt happened at the age of 5 and I've been stuck looking at belt buckles since, and my hair isn't completely brown, but flecked with "blond" highlights. (Or gray, if you want me to be honest and accurate.) Acrylic nails are perfect breeding ground for the chicken poop that will eventually get under them, and a spray-on tan in Washington state is just begging for a puddle of brown water pooling up in my shoes. And face it, there's nothing that can be done to iceburg lettuce to make it even remotely appetizing, especially when you know how good baby romaines and spinach are. I need to focus on  better health and activities that involve my entire brood such as, biking, hiking, snowshoeing, etc... I need to stop listening to what Hollywood deems as the "perfect body", and stop comparing myself to the touched-ups, photo- shopped, and surgically-enhanced crowd.  

That's not my reality.

Sometimes I would love to have somebody that's not related to me, understand. Someone who gets why I have 5 gallons of beef tallow and coconut oil in my pantry. Someone who understands why my freezer door is loaded with jars of rendered pig fat. Someone who understands why I buy my avocados in bulk, and always have hard-boiled eggs in the fridge for quick snacks. Someone to validate that what I'm doing isn't so crazy because there's science to back it up. Someone who...

Wait. What's this? I remember "The Fats of Life"! I loved Tootie! (You'll only understand this if you  have as many wrinkles and stretch marks as me.☺)

The 4th column is for Trans Fats, which incidently, are not recommended.

Does this mean that I no longer have to smuggle my red palm oil out of the store in a cloth bag, while wearing a ski mask, hoodie, and sunglasses and answering only to the name of George?

The "Four Foods to Consider" are considered staples in my kitchen!

Yes. Yes it does. My favorite part of this article that ran in our local newspaper is this:

Saturated Fats

Sources: Meat and whole milk dairy as well as coconuts and palm.

What they do: Raise bad cholesterol levels, but also good cholesterol.

The debate: Reductions in saturated fats have not produced better cardiovascular health but have coincided with a rise in obesity. Since many have swapped saturated fats for refined carbohydrates, experts are debating the wisdom of continued reduction recommendations.

Daily recommendations: 10 percent of calories or less

(Underlined emphasis is mine.)

Okay, we haven't arrived, but we're getting there.

And I no longer feel so alone.

*I tried to find the article online but was unable to locate it. The original article ran in The Chicago Tribune and was written by Monica Eng. If anybody searches and finds it, I'd appreciate the link so I can include it here! ☺

Pumpkin Seeds & Spiced Lattes

After such a crazy gardening season, I was surprised to find 19 sugar pie pumpkins down in the garden. Surprised, because I had only planted 2 plants from seed. Surprised, because I had also planted Sweet Dumpling Squash and ended up harvesting pumpkin from where the squash used to be. Surprised, because now I had to figure where to put all that pumpkin!

Isn't that a terrible problem to have?

If you've never roasted a pumpkin before, go here. It's a painless process that results in a far superior product than the canned stuff.

And the best part? You get to keep the seeds!

Pumpkin seeds provide many health benefits. They help protect the prostate, are high in magnesium (which most people are lacking in), help to lower cholesterol, and contain L-tryptophan, a compound that is a natural anti-depressant.

I don't know about you, but that's good enough for me. Now I know why pumpkin seeds make me so happy!☺

Here's how to roast the seeds...

After scooping out the seeds, rinse them off. Soak the clean seeds in a jar of filtered water with some sea salt added. They only need to soak for a couple of hours, but it's okay to soak them overnight. Drain in a colander, but do not rinse. (The amount of salt is to be determined by the amount of seeds you are roasting. I used about 1 t. per pumpkin.)

Preheat the oven to 325F. Drizzle a little olive oil on a cookie sheet.

Dump the drain seeds onto the cookie sheet; stir to coat with oil.



Sprinkle with sea salt.



Bake for 20-30 minutes, stirring a couple of times, until seeds are lightly browned and crispy.

Then try not to eat them all in one sitting.

Notice, I said try.

Most of our pumpkin gets placed in plastic freezer bags in quantities of 1-3 cups. This makes it convenient when it comes time to use the pumpkin in a recipe. Of course, if you like to make homemade Spiced Pumpkin Lattes, you'll only need 3 Tb. of pumpkin at a time. My solution?

Perfect.

Enjoy!



Rendering Lard

A few months ago, we purchased half of a rather large hog from a relative. Since then, we've been enjoying chops, sausage, bacon, and ham, but have noticed that the freezer space hasn't increased with our pork consumption.

It seems the large bag of pig fat the butcher packaged for us has been hogging the extra space.

Oink. Oink.

Yes, I went there. I couldn't help myself.

The plan has always been to render the lard, but somehow the act of chopping up fleshy-looking fat reminds me of some cheap horror flick with mediocre actors trying not to look at the teleprompters....

My issues run deep.

Hunting season begins in a couple of weeks, and with 3 new safety-certified hunters in the family, this means we need some space in the meat freezer. So the fat had to go.

Right into the pot.

And since I lived to tell about it, I thought I'd share how I rendered the lard. Just in case you have some fat hanging around your freezer.

Because I can't be the only one, right?

Step 1: Cut the partially frozen fat into 1-inch pieces.

Step 2: Put the fat into a large stainless steel stock pot.

Step 3: Set pot on stove and turn burner on to simmer. Let fat simmer until the bits and pieces of fat are translucent; about 1 hour.

Step 4: Line a fine mesh sieve with a single layer of cheesecloth. Set over a glass measuring bowl. Carefully pour the hot fat/pieces into the cheesecloth to drain.

Let sit for a couple of minutes to completely drain.

Step 5: Pour hot liquid into mason jars and leave on counter to solidify.

Step 6: Bake a pie using your new lard for the most amazing crust....just like Grandma used to make.

**I put the fat pieces back in the pot for another hour to crisp up. These are called cracklings and I hear they are quite the farm house delicacy. People use these in place of french fried onions, in salads, on casseroles, and as a snack. I'll have to get back to you on that one.

I've got a pie to make!☺

This is linked to Homestead Barn Hop. 



Cultured Salsa

When I think of salsa, I think of this...

Not to be confused with this...

(photo credit)

Which is just down-right dangerous in my book. Unless you think this is me in the picture, in which case, it was easy. Because I'm a pro.

Did you buy it?

I tried.

If you haven't made homemade salsa, you're missing out on a something special. Lacto-fermented salsa is not heated or water-bathed canned, so it tastes fresh up to 6 months after it's made. I make several batches every year and hide store them in the back of our spare fridge. Of course, the salsa never sees the arrival of Autumn, so it lasting a full 6 months is just an assumption on my part.

That, and I read it on other blogs, so it must be true.

Apparently, they don't like salsa as much as we do.

The key to lacto-fermenting salsa is the sea salt and whey. I have seen other recipes that do not use the whey, but use up to 4 Tb. of sea salt instead. I tried that my first year and it was way too salty for our tastes. Remember to taste test and adjust accordingly.

~Lacto-Fermented Salsa~

4 lbs. organic tomatoes (I used a variety of heirloom tomatoes.)

2 medium sweet onions, like Walla Walla or Vidalia

1 large, organic sweet red pepper, seeded and rough-chopped

**2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and rough chopped**

1 bunch cilantro, leaves only

Optional: 2-4 cloves garlic, minced

juice from 2 lemons or limes

1-2 Tb. sea salt

4 Tb. whey (from drained yogurt)

Peel tomatoes by placing in boiling water for 30-60 seconds, then immediately dumping into icy water. The skin will come off easily.

I guess mine would too.

Core the tomatoes, then place in food processor. Pulse until tomatoes are chopped up, but not liquefied. (Unless that is your preference.) Pour tomatoes into large bowl.

Place onions, red pepper, jalapeno pepper, and cilantro leaves in food processor and pulse until chopped fine. (If using garlic, add this too.) Add this mixture to the tomatoes.

Add lemon or lime juice, whey, and sea salt. Stir will. Taste to check flavor and heat; adjust as necessary.

Pour salsa into wide-mouthed jars (I ended up with 1/2 gallon + 1 quart). Wipe top of jar and place screw-top lid on. Leave on counter for 2 days; then place in the refrigerator.

Then send the kids to Gramma's house and enjoy!

Oh wait, the kids saw me making this...darn.☺

**Remember to use gloves when cutting hot peppers! The "heat" doesn't wash off with soap and water, and can bring new meaning to the song, "Come On Baby Light My Fire"...

...just sayin'.☺

This post is linked to Simple Lives Thursday.

From the Farm to the Table...and the Archives

Since we're still recovering from the big "Summer-Strep-That-Only-My-Family-Would -Think-About-Adding-To-The-Sunshine-Epidemic", I'm going to re-share my Zucchini Bread recipe from last summer with you. Because I know you've got zucchini busting out the walls of your kitchen. And because this is really good.

Which is the only reason I plant zucchini!☺

Today was the beginning of summer for me.

Even though the sun has been shining since July 5 (I kid you not!), summer doesn't officially begin until we make our first run out to the local farming community, called Sauvie Island.

Located a mere 50 minutes from my house, Sauvie Island is an agricultural dream. From long-horn cattle, to fruits and vegetables, anything farm-related can be found there.

Except for soybeans.

And maybe cotton.

Really, let's not forget where I live!

Here's what I came home with today. (Oh boy, I hope my Mister doesn't read this!)

I picked up a flat of just-picked raspberries, some Walla Walla sweet onions, shell peas, French green beans, Rainier and Bing cherries, corn on the cob, zucchini that hadn't been forgotten about, and a bouquet of dried lavender.

It smelled nice and I couldn't resist.

I also couldn't resist the really cool woven bag. It was made in Ghana, Africa and I have wanted one for as long as I can remember, which was probably only since last week. Now I can pack my farmer's market goodies to the car in style.

How's that for justification?

For dinner tonight, we enjoyed the corn, stir-fried green beans with garlic and onions, and zucchini bread.

I'm sensing another visit to the farm in the very near future!

Okay, I know you want some zucchini bread too. And because I love you, I will share. But you have to bake it yourself because my love has limits. *wink*

~Zucchini Bread~

2 cups unbleached white flour

1-1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 t. sea salt

2-1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

2 t. ground cinnamon

2 Tb. lemon zest

3 farm fresh eggs

1 cup unrefined coconut oil, melted

1-3/4 cup sugar

1-1/2 t. vanilla extract

3 cups grated zucchini

1 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two loaf pans.

In a small bowl, combine the flours, salt, baking powder and soda, cinnamon, and zest. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the oil, sugar, and vanilla.

Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet, then fold in the zucchini and walnuts.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 50-55 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let the bread rest for a few minutes, then remove from the pans and finish cooling on a wire rack.

Makes 2 loaves.

Enjoy!

Honey Barbecue Sauce for Grillin' Season and Our First Backyard Campfire

Since it is a woman's prerogative to change her mind, I've decided to change mine. Last week I declared, rather foolishly I might add, that it is good to have a couple days of sunshine, followed by a little rain. Something about allowing the muscles a chance to heal...blah, blah, blah....

I forgot momentarily where I live. Saying that out loud was like giving permission for the rain to return.

So, I've officially changed my mind. Please, please, please bring back the sun. My mental well-being depends on this.

We did have one rather nice day. Since I can hardly believe anything the weatherman says, I wasn't prepared for this at all.

So I improvised.

Kids like fire and hot dogs, right?

Guess who was the favorite parent of the day?

Not to mention, the favorite owner of a singing beagle!

Yesterday, we started and ended our streak for longest days without rain.

One.

Could be one for the record books.

~~~~~~~~

With summertime fast approaching (ahem!), I decided to can some barbecue sauce. The stuff in the grocery store is questionable at best and one of the quickest ways to ruin a good, healthy piece of grass-fed meat.

This is a recipe I learned from Anne Marie at the Cheeseslave during her "Surf & Turf" classes. She just kept a jar in her fridge to use when needed, but I can't do anything small like that.

I dream big!

And then I have to bring out the canner!

Homemade Honey Barbecue Sauce

~The Players~

1/2 onion, chopped

1 Tb. unsalted butter

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tb. paprika

1/4 t. black pepper

1/2 t. sea salt

1 cup organic ketchup (Only use organic to avoid the high fructose corn syrup!)

1/2 cup apple cider or white vinegar

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup yellow mustard

1/8 cup Barbados molasses

2 Tb. Worcestershire sauce

*chili powder or *cayenne pepper to taste

I quadrupled the above recipe to make 7 & 1/2 pints of barbecue sauce.

In a saucepan (use a large pot if making enough to can), saute onions in butter. When onions are soft, add garlic and cook a little longer.



Add paprika, black pepper, salt, ketchup, vinegar, honey and yellow mustard to the pot and simmer to melt honey. Stir well. Add molasses and Worcestershire sauce and mix. Bring pot to boil; reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.



Add chili or cayenne pepper to taste.

Wipe rims and put 2 pieced lids on, screwing down tight. Process in hot water bath for 20 minutes.

Cool on a towel in a draft free area.

Be sure to label the cooled jars!

*For this large batch, I added 1 t. chili powder and 1/2 t. cayenne pepper. This gave it a pretty nice kick without being too spicy to enjoy.

In my next batch, I will saute the onions in bacon grease and instead of adding cayenne pepper, I'll add a little hickory smoke.

Since our old barbecue made the poor decision to singe our eyebrows instead of searing the steaks, I guess I'd better put in a request for a new barbecue too, huh? 

This post is linked to the Barnyard Hop.

Hurdling the Obstacles, Instead of Tripping...Again.

Setting New Year's goals, tends to set people up for failure. Most goals are made on the spur of the moment, or during an emotional high/low, with the expectations being so far out of reach, goals are doomed before they begin.

That said, I've officially made it through day 2 of my own resolution, to get healthy and cut out the bad carbs. Can I call that a success? No, not yet. I have a long way to go before my yoga pants can actually be used for exercise instead of as a relief from the ever-shrinking jeans.  But, it is a good start.

Usually by day 2, I've relegated myself to the basement with my trusty bags of Fritos and Reese's to ease the shame. Of course, that brings another round of shame that can only be eased with a bowl of ice cream from my favorite uncles, Ben & Jerry. It's a vicious circle my friends, and it's one shape that I do not want to be.

I've also declared our home a "diet-free zone". Just the word "diet" sends chills down my spine and makes me want to have a Thanksgiving feast every week...with pie. Instead of dieting, I am cleansing. I've eliminated sugar, white flour, and white rice from my repertoire. I have cut most wheat products and potatoes from my meals and I have bagged the Fritos and Reese's for now. As a "former" food junkie, I am determined to not fail this time. Over the past year & a half, our diets have changed dramatically for the better. We consume more fresh fruits and veggies, grass-fed animal proteins and raw dairy than ever before. But our dependence on the "treats" has become the thorn in my side.

Memo to Starbucks...I resign. I will no longer be a slave to your Caramel Frappuccino. Nor will I wait in line, and pay you $4.26 to take one more year off of my life. 

...Almost sincerely, Me.

I've got a little more positive self-talking to do. 

~Here are my healthy food goals for 2011~

1. Eliminate all white sugar from the pantry. Except for the honeybee's sugar~they get testy without their daily fix. Keep that bag under lock & key. If pure maple syrup, raw honey, or sucanat cannot be substituted in a recipe, then we do not need it.

2. Use only flour that I have to grind myself. White flour has had all of the good nutrition robbed from it. It's the equivalent of eating dirt from a GMO farm. What's the point of eating it if there are no nutrients in it to begin with?

3. The only corn chips allowed in the house are ones that I have made myself. Making tortilla chips are easy, but more importantly, they are time-consuming to make. Which means that it's less likely that I'm going to hide in the basement with a bag.

4. Use only healthy, traditional fats. Coconut oil, olive oil, butter from pastured cows, ghee, and beef tallow are now taking the places of rancid oils such as; corn, canola, vegetable, and soybean oil.

5. Throw out all foods containing the words, partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oil, MSG or "natural flavorings",  and high-fructose corn syrup and corn syrup. This means that the pudding cupboard will be no more. If we need pudding, we can make it. From whole food ingredients.

6. Move daily. Even if it's just dancing around the kitchen while I cook. And if that doesn't work, my Mister has my permission to tie a grain bag to my backside and leave me in the middle of the field with our always hungry cows.

If some of these seem familiar, they are. I have NOT arrived. Striving toward a healthier lifestyle is a daily challenge, especially with a large family who is always on the go. But it is a challenge that should be met head-on, even if it requires a helmet to prevent brain injury.

Expecting set-backs and knowing that goals are easier met when not alone, are key to to conquering "The New Year's Resolution Curse". When we stumble, it's always good to have someone to help us up. Most of the time, we know when we're going to trip up. Try to avoid those moments, but don't beat yourself up about them. Moments happen. And enjoying a meal with someone who has your back, can be a real boost towards success. Share with others your goals toward a healthier lifestyle. It may surprise you just how many people are willing to stand behind you. Even better is when they stand in front of you.

I recently read an article that said how we should eat. In the winter, 75% of our meals should be cooked. In the summer, only 25%, and during spring and fall, 50/50. That's a good plan and one that I plan on working toward. Another article stated that the term "whole food" is easiest to remember if you remember it as "one ingredient". Think back to math class and learning fractions. We have become a society of fraction-eating people. Fractions make me crazy. There are too many parts. Too many hands in the pot, so to speak.

I like 1. It's a good whole number.

Beginning a regular exercise program is also on my list of healthy goals, but that will have to wait until the Dr. gives the thumbs-up. Until then, I've got some work of my own to do.

How about you? Have you made healthy food goals for the year? Are you still working on your goals from last year or have those fallen off the proverbial wagon? 

It's time to pull up your bootstraps, and make 2011 your best, brightest and healthiest year yet! 

This post is part of Fight Back Fridays at The Food Renegade.

GMO or Non-GMO...Ask Dr. Oz What He Really Thinks!

Rarely does my dander get ruffled before my first cup of coffee.

Rarely does my first cup of coffee get interrupted with my dander.

But ruffled it is.

One of my biggest complaints about our current food system is the labeling laws. I want to know what is in the food that I purchase from the grocery store.

The USDA does NOT want you to know what is in your food.

Recently, Dr. Oz did a show discussing GMO foods.

By George, I think he's got it!

Click on the links to watch this very interesting conversation on GMO foods.

Then do what Dr. Oz says.

Vote with your wallets.

And if that doesn't work, vote with your...votes. Contact your local representatives, senators and anyone else that will listen, whether it is pretend or not.

Just be heard.

Dr. Oz/GMO Foods, Pt. 1

Dr. Oz/GMO Foods, Pt. 2

Dr. Oz/GMO Foods, Pt. 3



Raw Cranberry Relish

In honor of Thanksgiving and the cranberry that tries to be the shining star of the meal, I am reposting a recipe that I originally shared back in March. I'll be serving a traditional cranberry sauce, but will also serve this version, packed full of enzymes to help digest the rest of dinner.

Maybe the cranberry really is the shining star.

A few months ago, I decided to go "raw".

It lasted until dinnertime.

And, it was not one of my finer moments.

Since then, I have had great respect for anyone who feels convicted enough in their beliefs to choose a path and stick to it.

My path has lots of roots poking up out of the ground. I'm forever tripping over my own ideas and plans. I start down one path, see an obstacle, then switch paths, only to find myself switching back a little while later.

It makes me dizzy.

That's not to say that I am going back to raw. Hardly.

I like meat. And I like it cooked.

What I'm saying though, is with our experiment of eating fresh and local, I'll be adding some raw recipes to the mix. There will also be some steamed, sauteed, roasted, grilled, fried, baked and poached recipes. And whatever else I can come up with.

For dinner tonight, we enjoyed a roasted turkey, for no other reason than we had it in the freezer. We also had creamed, red, Swiss chard on fresh sourdough bread and raw cranberry relish on the side.

Since we have a freezer full of cranberries, we'll be enjoying this relish for awhile!

2 cups washed, raw cranberries (can be frozen, just thaw slightly)

2 peeled, cored Granny Smith apples (or other tart apple)

1 large, organic, unpeeled orange, cut into sections

1 cup organic sugar (I used the full cup, but next time will only use about half.)

Process the cranberries, apples and orange in food processor. Pulse until everything is chopped, but not mushy. I call it medium-chopped.

Pour into a bowl and add sugar. Stir well and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

The colors were so brilliant, I wish they would've showed up better on film. Even outside, it's hard to convey just how pretty this is.

*Cranberries pack a nice little punch in the nutrition department.

Per 1 cup of raw cranberries:

44 calories

11.5 g. carbohydrates

4.4 g. fiber

8 mg. calcium

6 mg. magnesium

12 mg. phosphorus

81 mg. potassium

12.4 mg. vitamin c

Enjoy!