Let's be honest, meat from animals raised in a pasture without the use of hormones, antibiotics, and genetically modified grains is expensive. Have you seen the prices at whole Foods and Sprouts (I'm talking to the city folk, not us locals :)? As some of you know, purchasing the whole animal has saved this frugal housewife a ton of money!
Going directly to the farmer is an option for you guys in Dallas and Fort Worth as well. Many of you have asked about purchasing a whole animal and transporting it back to the city. I looked into it and here is the deal.
I spoke with Jerica from True Fields and she explained a few options you guys have. First of all you can purchase a whole animal from her with the perk of a price break. You can then have it processed at the place they use out here which puts a road trip in you near future. For some of you that might be a bonus. After all, fall is beautiful in these piney woods and you might have a dietitian who is an old friend that you want to see that lives near by;). Transporting the meat in an ice chest on dry ice will be sufficient for food safety.
Another option is to pay to have the animal transported to a facility near you and have it butchered there.
All this effort is worth it though. Not only do you have the advantage of speaking directly to the farmer and learning all about how the animal was raised but you also have the choice of how it is processed. What cuts of meat would you like? How do you want it cut? Are there any specialty items you want?
And the convenience of having high quality meat in your freezer cannot go unmentioned!
True Field's contact information is on their website, truefields.com. They will be happy to answer any questions you have.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Texas Daily Harvest
You may have heard me talk about this dairy in my nutrition class or read about them on my blog. Now you can check them out for yourself. Their website is up and running now so pop on over, texasdailyharvest.com. You might be surprised to find that a store or farmer's market near you is carrying their delicious products. Archer's personal favorite is their Greek yogurt. My new favorite is their Gouda cheese that I tried for the first time last night. I made a cheese soup with the organic Gouda, fresh raw cream, homemade broth, and veggies. You can't do better than nourishing and amazingly tasty food! Don't forget, if you don't see your local store listed on Texas Daily Harvest's website, you can always ask your store to carry their products. Sprouts, Whole Foods, and small health food stores are always looking for high quality local products.
Click here to receive the Texas Daily Harvest newsletter. A certain dietitian that you know is writing articles for their newsletters ;).
Enjoy the harvest!
Click here to receive the Texas Daily Harvest newsletter. A certain dietitian that you know is writing articles for their newsletters ;).
Enjoy the harvest!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Real Milk For Everyone
A new bill is in the works that would allow raw milk to be sold at farmer's markets, farm stands, and to be delivered. Under current law raw milk can only be sold at the farm. I know for us that means driving at least 1 hour there and 1 hour back. And in my book that's a little difficult to add to our weekly excursions to say the least. That's why we have set up a milk co-op where we take turns driving out to the farm.
This law will help support local farms and in effect the local economy. And as an added bonus it allows the consumer easier access to real unprocessed food. Why do they make it so hard in the first place to get food that doesn't say General Mills or Nabisco on it?
For more details and to find out how you can help click here.
This law will help support local farms and in effect the local economy. And as an added bonus it allows the consumer easier access to real unprocessed food. Why do they make it so hard in the first place to get food that doesn't say General Mills or Nabisco on it?
For more details and to find out how you can help click here.
Monday, October 4, 2010
Butter 'Em Up!
I don't know about you but I have not had much luck making butter in a food processor. Maybe I'm just not patient enough or perhaps I just can't take that loud noise long enough for the butter to actually form. But the benefits of homemade butter made from farm fresh cream are worth my effort. Omega 3's from grass fed cows, fat soluble vitamins, and brain building cholesterol linger in the heavy cream awaiting transformation. Note to dairy friends: there are several of us that are willing to pay for farm fresh butter made from the raw cream of grass fed cows! Please fill this niche.
Until a dairy takes on this endeavor I must endure. Or put the children to work. Last week I set my cream out for 8 hours to sour (Think probiotics. Cultured dairy products are awesome, not scary. I promise). I then placed the cream in a clean glass jar and screwed the lid on tight. Very tight.
After that, I handed it over to the kids. They rolled it back and forth, took turns shaking the jar, and even fought over it. Did you know that making butter actually encourages crawling? Archer would play with the jar and as it rolled away from him he would go after it. Yet another great thing about butter! We even took it outside and rolled it around the yard. We had butter in no time at all!
I guess I should have taken a picture of the butter when we were finished, huh?
For the sake of food science I must tell you that the constant shaking and moving of the cream causes the fat globules to stick together and form butter. After your butter has clumped together place it in a clean glass dish. Pour a little water over the butter to wash it and then press the butter with a spatula, paddle, or wooden spoon to remove excess water. We store our cultured butter on the counter so it's ready to spread.
Until a dairy takes on this endeavor I must endure. Or put the children to work. Last week I set my cream out for 8 hours to sour (Think probiotics. Cultured dairy products are awesome, not scary. I promise). I then placed the cream in a clean glass jar and screwed the lid on tight. Very tight.
After that, I handed it over to the kids. They rolled it back and forth, took turns shaking the jar, and even fought over it. Did you know that making butter actually encourages crawling? Archer would play with the jar and as it rolled away from him he would go after it. Yet another great thing about butter! We even took it outside and rolled it around the yard. We had butter in no time at all!
I guess I should have taken a picture of the butter when we were finished, huh?
For the sake of food science I must tell you that the constant shaking and moving of the cream causes the fat globules to stick together and form butter. After your butter has clumped together place it in a clean glass dish. Pour a little water over the butter to wash it and then press the butter with a spatula, paddle, or wooden spoon to remove excess water. We store our cultured butter on the counter so it's ready to spread.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
This Suds For You!
Rumor has it that some of you are having trouble kicking the soda habit. Believe it or not once upon a time I use to be a diet coke drinker. Somewhere along my junior year of college I progressed far enough into my studies to realize this was one habit that had to go immediately. And for a few years after that I would have a root beer every now and then. Slowly that habit trickled down to an organic (no high fructose corn syrup among other things) root beer once or twice a year. All this to say, I feel your pain. More importantly I understand your desire to drink something with flavor once in a while and the need to have a few options other than just plain old water.
Usually even those who know nothing of health and nutrition will admit they know sodas are "bad for them" (this phrase bugs me for many reasons but that's a whole other blog post). So for the sake of your time I won't go into all the reasons, research, and horror stories, unless you want me to ;). And no one is saying that water itself is not refreshing and nourishing. It's wonderfully refreshing! But here is a little something to add to your beverage repertoire.
Kombucha! Many of you have heard of it. Some of you have tried it. But do you have some growing on your counter at home? It's easy breezy.
First of all let's talk about what it is. Kombucha is a fermented tea originating from Russia. However, people all over the world have fermented tea for hundreds (maybe thousands but I can't remember for sure) of years for their health benefits. The main health benefits touted by kombucha enthusiasts are improved digestion and liver cleansing. Of course there is little if any scientific research out there to back this up. And for clarification let me say that the previous statement should in no way thought to be a negative one. The cave man did not need to evaluate 1,000 other cave men and then graph the data to determine if he should eat the mammouth. Intuition and culture told him that he must work with other to harvest a mammouth so they will have food and supplies for survival. You may not need to harvest a kombucha mushroom for survival but you don't need a million dollar study to tell you if you feel good or bad after you consume the drink. Expensive studies are only paid for by big companies who stand to make a huge profit off a product. Therefore there are few studies on real and natural foods. There is much irony there but I will save that too for another blog post.
Due to kombucha's high acidity it is easily fermented at home. Such an acidic environment makes it difficult for bad bacteria to grow and yet the good microbes thrive. Be sure to always use clean containers and hands and your kombucha should go uncontaminated. If mold begins to grow on your scoby (or mushroom) then throw it out and start again.
This drink can become fizzy providing the perfect substitute for you recovering soda addicts. If the flavor is a little too vinegary for you, try adding fruit to it once you move it to the fridge. My family prefers stronger flavors so we drink it plain. This is what my 5 year old asks me to pack in her lunch every day. Who needs Capri Sun?!!! This is healthier, cheaper, has less impact on the environment, and doesn't create as much trash.
Start with white sugar...
and organic black tea. For the record the white sugar in our house is usually reserved for making hummingbird food and there is only black tea in our house when Mark's family comes over for Thanksgiving. I really had to move out of my comfort zone for this one! But here is the deal, the yeast and microbes will consume the sugar and caffeine. That's how they grow. I am extremely caffeine sensitive and I can attest to the fact that there is little if any caffeine left once it is fermented.
Make 1 gallon of sweet tea. Embarrassingly enough I had to ask someone how to do this. I had no idea of the ratio of tea bags to sugar to water. Just don't tell anyone or I will get kicked out of the south and they will make me move north of the Mason Dixon!
Here is what a scoby looks like. You can get one from a friend or order them online. I keep 2 jars of kombucha going on the counter and one ready in the fridge. And even with 2 scobys going mine never gets very big because I keep sharing it. And I will be happy to keep sharing it so let me know if you want a scoby. This is what is looks like.
Once your tea has cooled some (boiling hot tea will kill your microbes) pour it into a clean glass container (always use glass! Contaminants will leach into your kombucha due to the acidity if you use plastic!)with your scoby and kombucha you received from your friend. It's always wise to pass your scoby along in some kombucha to help get the acidic environment going.
Cover with a clean cloth and hold it in place with a rubber band.
Let sit on the counter at room temperature for about 10 days. At the end of 10 days you will notice the tea has lightened in color and you scoby will look something like this. Next I ladle out almost all of the kombucha and store it in a glass container in the fridge. I then get my next batch going and add it to the scoby and a little of the kombucha I left in my jar.
Hope this helps you soda addicts out!
Usually even those who know nothing of health and nutrition will admit they know sodas are "bad for them" (this phrase bugs me for many reasons but that's a whole other blog post). So for the sake of your time I won't go into all the reasons, research, and horror stories, unless you want me to ;). And no one is saying that water itself is not refreshing and nourishing. It's wonderfully refreshing! But here is a little something to add to your beverage repertoire.
Kombucha! Many of you have heard of it. Some of you have tried it. But do you have some growing on your counter at home? It's easy breezy.
First of all let's talk about what it is. Kombucha is a fermented tea originating from Russia. However, people all over the world have fermented tea for hundreds (maybe thousands but I can't remember for sure) of years for their health benefits. The main health benefits touted by kombucha enthusiasts are improved digestion and liver cleansing. Of course there is little if any scientific research out there to back this up. And for clarification let me say that the previous statement should in no way thought to be a negative one. The cave man did not need to evaluate 1,000 other cave men and then graph the data to determine if he should eat the mammouth. Intuition and culture told him that he must work with other to harvest a mammouth so they will have food and supplies for survival. You may not need to harvest a kombucha mushroom for survival but you don't need a million dollar study to tell you if you feel good or bad after you consume the drink. Expensive studies are only paid for by big companies who stand to make a huge profit off a product. Therefore there are few studies on real and natural foods. There is much irony there but I will save that too for another blog post.
Due to kombucha's high acidity it is easily fermented at home. Such an acidic environment makes it difficult for bad bacteria to grow and yet the good microbes thrive. Be sure to always use clean containers and hands and your kombucha should go uncontaminated. If mold begins to grow on your scoby (or mushroom) then throw it out and start again.
This drink can become fizzy providing the perfect substitute for you recovering soda addicts. If the flavor is a little too vinegary for you, try adding fruit to it once you move it to the fridge. My family prefers stronger flavors so we drink it plain. This is what my 5 year old asks me to pack in her lunch every day. Who needs Capri Sun?!!! This is healthier, cheaper, has less impact on the environment, and doesn't create as much trash.
Start with white sugar...
and organic black tea. For the record the white sugar in our house is usually reserved for making hummingbird food and there is only black tea in our house when Mark's family comes over for Thanksgiving. I really had to move out of my comfort zone for this one! But here is the deal, the yeast and microbes will consume the sugar and caffeine. That's how they grow. I am extremely caffeine sensitive and I can attest to the fact that there is little if any caffeine left once it is fermented.
Make 1 gallon of sweet tea. Embarrassingly enough I had to ask someone how to do this. I had no idea of the ratio of tea bags to sugar to water. Just don't tell anyone or I will get kicked out of the south and they will make me move north of the Mason Dixon!
Here is what a scoby looks like. You can get one from a friend or order them online. I keep 2 jars of kombucha going on the counter and one ready in the fridge. And even with 2 scobys going mine never gets very big because I keep sharing it. And I will be happy to keep sharing it so let me know if you want a scoby. This is what is looks like.
Once your tea has cooled some (boiling hot tea will kill your microbes) pour it into a clean glass container (always use glass! Contaminants will leach into your kombucha due to the acidity if you use plastic!)with your scoby and kombucha you received from your friend. It's always wise to pass your scoby along in some kombucha to help get the acidic environment going.
Cover with a clean cloth and hold it in place with a rubber band.
Let sit on the counter at room temperature for about 10 days. At the end of 10 days you will notice the tea has lightened in color and you scoby will look something like this. Next I ladle out almost all of the kombucha and store it in a glass container in the fridge. I then get my next batch going and add it to the scoby and a little of the kombucha I left in my jar.
Hope this helps you soda addicts out!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Farm Day
This past Saturday the farm True Fields hosted their first Farm Day. I rode home with another mom and a total of five children. Judging by the noise level on the way home, Farm Day was a big hit with the kiddos! I believe Savannah said she wanted to go to Mrs. Jerica's farm everyday, even on Christmas and Valentines day.
Jerica and Matt Cadman opened up their farm to the community with the goal of educating others on the importance of sustainable farming and the nutrtional benefit of eating meat and dairy products raised in this environment. The educational aspect was hidden amoung the fun child-centered activities including milking a cow, making butter from fresh raw cream, collecting eggs from the hen house, feeding the pigs, and going for a hayride. And then there was the farm fresh scrumptious food. My daughter alone ate at least five of Jerica's fresh sausage balls and about 5 pieces of her homemade motzerella cheese. Refreshing homemade ice cream made with honey provided the finale for the evening.
The kids had a blast and learned where their food actually comes from (or where it should come from) and the parents gained insight that will hopefully affect future food choices. Sign up for their newsletters on their website, truefields.com so you will knowwhen the next Farm Day rolls around. It's something you don't want to miss. Heck it's worth going just to meet the Cadman's. This young couple's passion for health and sustainable farming (not sure if that's the correct term) are evident the first time they open thier mouths. These are the types of people you trust to get your food from. These are the type of people you want to get your grocery dollars. I have read that every dollar you spend on food you are indirectly farming. I farm at True Fields.
And on a side note, their piggies taste wonderful! We ordered a whole pig from them this past summer (it's less expensive if you buy the whole thing) and the meat has been tender and delicious. We have been so happy with thier products that we have already purchased 2 turkeys for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Jerica and Matt Cadman opened up their farm to the community with the goal of educating others on the importance of sustainable farming and the nutrtional benefit of eating meat and dairy products raised in this environment. The educational aspect was hidden amoung the fun child-centered activities including milking a cow, making butter from fresh raw cream, collecting eggs from the hen house, feeding the pigs, and going for a hayride. And then there was the farm fresh scrumptious food. My daughter alone ate at least five of Jerica's fresh sausage balls and about 5 pieces of her homemade motzerella cheese. Refreshing homemade ice cream made with honey provided the finale for the evening.
The kids had a blast and learned where their food actually comes from (or where it should come from) and the parents gained insight that will hopefully affect future food choices. Sign up for their newsletters on their website, truefields.com so you will knowwhen the next Farm Day rolls around. It's something you don't want to miss. Heck it's worth going just to meet the Cadman's. This young couple's passion for health and sustainable farming (not sure if that's the correct term) are evident the first time they open thier mouths. These are the types of people you trust to get your food from. These are the type of people you want to get your grocery dollars. I have read that every dollar you spend on food you are indirectly farming. I farm at True Fields.
And on a side note, their piggies taste wonderful! We ordered a whole pig from them this past summer (it's less expensive if you buy the whole thing) and the meat has been tender and delicious. We have been so happy with thier products that we have already purchased 2 turkeys for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Pork Steak with Green Onions
From our kitchen:
Pork Steaks with Green Onions
3-4 Pork Steaks (our came from truefields.com)
1/4 cup farm fresh or homemade butter
1/4 cup organic soy sauce
1 bunch green onions (organic of course!)
2 garlic cloves
Melt butter in skillet and brown onions and garlic slightly. Add soy sauce and steaks. Cover and cook 8-10 minutes on each side and then another 10 minutes with the lid off.
I served this with pineapple chutney and a red cabbage recipe from Nourishing Traditions. Each item complemented the others well. A friend of mine mentioned on her blog that she has trouble coming up with side dishes that are not carbs. This red cabbage recipe is one of my favorites and I do not normally like cabbage. And a s a bonus, it's and an easy and cheap recipe! Seriously, buy the cookbook. I promise I do not have a financial relationship with them. It's just that good.
Pork Steaks with Green Onions
3-4 Pork Steaks (our came from truefields.com)
1/4 cup farm fresh or homemade butter
1/4 cup organic soy sauce
1 bunch green onions (organic of course!)
2 garlic cloves
Melt butter in skillet and brown onions and garlic slightly. Add soy sauce and steaks. Cover and cook 8-10 minutes on each side and then another 10 minutes with the lid off.
I served this with pineapple chutney and a red cabbage recipe from Nourishing Traditions. Each item complemented the others well. A friend of mine mentioned on her blog that she has trouble coming up with side dishes that are not carbs. This red cabbage recipe is one of my favorites and I do not normally like cabbage. And a s a bonus, it's and an easy and cheap recipe! Seriously, buy the cookbook. I promise I do not have a financial relationship with them. It's just that good.
Site for sore eyes and a hungry palate
A friend of mine recommend this website to me a couple of months ago and I perused it a bit and thought it worth sharing. The writer of this blog/website is a stay at home mom with four boys who also gardens and makes everything from scratch. As I dug in further to her site I could tell that she believes similarly as me that if God didn't make it, we shouldn't eat it. When I noticed somewhere on her FAQ page that she is a fellow WAP (Weston A Price) momma, I knew I had to plug her page.
Check out heavenlyhomeaker.com for recipes, gardening tips, and more. For those of you trying to figure out the "soaking the grains" thing and have still not bought the cookbook Nourishing Traditions, her site offers recipes. Just this morning I made her breakfast cake recipe. And the name breakfast "cake" is no misnomer. This dish should be accompanied by a birthday candle and singing! In my opinion it is way too sweet to be an appropriate breakfast choice but if you cut the honey down to 1/4 cup (even 1/2 a cup would be an improvement over 3/4 cup), add dried nuts for protein, and serve with a cup of raw milk, buttermilk, or kefir then you have a decent breakfast that can be eaten on the go. You could even send a couple of pieces of high quality nitrate free bacon or sausage to go with it.
If you make any of her recipes that you like let me know. I love to share the good, bad, and disgusting so we can learn from each other.
Check out heavenlyhomeaker.com for recipes, gardening tips, and more. For those of you trying to figure out the "soaking the grains" thing and have still not bought the cookbook Nourishing Traditions, her site offers recipes. Just this morning I made her breakfast cake recipe. And the name breakfast "cake" is no misnomer. This dish should be accompanied by a birthday candle and singing! In my opinion it is way too sweet to be an appropriate breakfast choice but if you cut the honey down to 1/4 cup (even 1/2 a cup would be an improvement over 3/4 cup), add dried nuts for protein, and serve with a cup of raw milk, buttermilk, or kefir then you have a decent breakfast that can be eaten on the go. You could even send a couple of pieces of high quality nitrate free bacon or sausage to go with it.
If you make any of her recipes that you like let me know. I love to share the good, bad, and disgusting so we can learn from each other.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Bring on the rain
Our weekly delivery of milk from our dairy co-op came the other day. Mark poured a glass for me after dinner the other night.
The extra rich and creamy milk hit my mouth with a bit of a surprise. "Did you shake it I asked?" Since we buy raw milk straight for the dairy you must always shake it before you pour because the cream rises to the top.
"Yes," he replied.
I took another sip and was sure of the indulgence this cup held. Again I inquired, "Are you sure you poured a glass of milk? You know I have cream in there as well."
"It's milk. I'm sure." And then he sips, "Wow. That's good stuff."
Apparently, the recent rains have had an effect on the cows diet. Both our cow milk and goat milk have been especially rich this past week. And the twang of late summer goat milk is gone replaced by a richer texture and improved flavor. If you have not tried raw milk before, now is a great time.
All this fat and cholesterol will go straight to Archer's head! With me drinking this nutrient rich milk, my milk is now fortified even more with brain food for Arch!
Find a dairy near you that provides raw fresh milk from grass-fed cows at realmilk.org.
The extra rich and creamy milk hit my mouth with a bit of a surprise. "Did you shake it I asked?" Since we buy raw milk straight for the dairy you must always shake it before you pour because the cream rises to the top.
"Yes," he replied.
I took another sip and was sure of the indulgence this cup held. Again I inquired, "Are you sure you poured a glass of milk? You know I have cream in there as well."
"It's milk. I'm sure." And then he sips, "Wow. That's good stuff."
Apparently, the recent rains have had an effect on the cows diet. Both our cow milk and goat milk have been especially rich this past week. And the twang of late summer goat milk is gone replaced by a richer texture and improved flavor. If you have not tried raw milk before, now is a great time.
All this fat and cholesterol will go straight to Archer's head! With me drinking this nutrient rich milk, my milk is now fortified even more with brain food for Arch!
Find a dairy near you that provides raw fresh milk from grass-fed cows at realmilk.org.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Pineapple Chutney
If you followed the recipe in my previous post, you now have the by-product whey sitting in your refrigerator awaiting further instructions. What in the world could we possibly do with this odd smelling liquid? The same thing people did for thousands of years before we had refrigeration, lacto-fermentation of your fresh foods for preservation.
The preservation of fresh fruits and vegetables with lacto-fermentation increases the food's digestibility, increases the vitamin content, and provides probiotics which aid in the digestion of the other foods you eat. Once upon a time most of the foods consumed were fermented (I'm not talking booze here ;) including dairy, grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. With the creation of refrigeration this ancient practice was dropped and likewise our bowel health has dropped.
So go ahead and set your food out on the counter for a while and grow a few cultures of your own. This pineapple chutney recipe is a great place to start. This recipe along with many other lacto-fermentation recipes can be found in the essential cookbook, Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. If lacto-fermentation really peaks your interest check out the book Wild Fermentation. It's one I hope to add to my collection when I can fit it into our budget (it's not expensive, I'm just cheap!).
Pineapple Chutney
1 small pineapple
1 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup whey
1/2 cup filtered water
Chop pineapple...
cilantro...
and ginger.
Toss in bowl with lime juice.
I also added one chopped red onion and a few peppers from the garden for a spicier version.
Mix well in a bowl.
Fill 1, 1 quart clean jar with mixture. Gently press to release natural juices and to be able to fit it all into the container. Leave a space of 1 inch from the top of jar.
Mix together whey, sea salt, and filtered water. Pour into jar until contents are covered.
Cover tightly and leave at room temperature for 2 days. The move chutney to the refrigerator to be stored. Eat within 2 months.
Add this yummy condiment to fish tacos, chicken salad, on top of pork, grilled, fish, chicken, in meat filled pita pockets, and on sandwiches and salads. The possibilities are endless!
Let me know how you liked it and how you are using it. If you have the book Nourishing Traditions try another favorite lacto-fermentation recipe of mine, Gingered Carrots. It's awesome on spicy meat, hamburgers, and sandwiches.
The preservation of fresh fruits and vegetables with lacto-fermentation increases the food's digestibility, increases the vitamin content, and provides probiotics which aid in the digestion of the other foods you eat. Once upon a time most of the foods consumed were fermented (I'm not talking booze here ;) including dairy, grains, fresh fruits and vegetables. With the creation of refrigeration this ancient practice was dropped and likewise our bowel health has dropped.
So go ahead and set your food out on the counter for a while and grow a few cultures of your own. This pineapple chutney recipe is a great place to start. This recipe along with many other lacto-fermentation recipes can be found in the essential cookbook, Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. If lacto-fermentation really peaks your interest check out the book Wild Fermentation. It's one I hope to add to my collection when I can fit it into our budget (it's not expensive, I'm just cheap!).
Pineapple Chutney
1 small pineapple
1 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup whey
1/2 cup filtered water
Chop pineapple...
cilantro...
and ginger.
Toss in bowl with lime juice.
I also added one chopped red onion and a few peppers from the garden for a spicier version.
Mix well in a bowl.
Fill 1, 1 quart clean jar with mixture. Gently press to release natural juices and to be able to fit it all into the container. Leave a space of 1 inch from the top of jar.
Mix together whey, sea salt, and filtered water. Pour into jar until contents are covered.
Cover tightly and leave at room temperature for 2 days. The move chutney to the refrigerator to be stored. Eat within 2 months.
Add this yummy condiment to fish tacos, chicken salad, on top of pork, grilled, fish, chicken, in meat filled pita pockets, and on sandwiches and salads. The possibilities are endless!
Let me know how you liked it and how you are using it. If you have the book Nourishing Traditions try another favorite lacto-fermentation recipe of mine, Gingered Carrots. It's awesome on spicy meat, hamburgers, and sandwiches.
Monday, August 30, 2010
What's up with Little Miss Muffet's cusine of choice?
Little Miss Muffet sat on her tuffet eating her curds and whey. There came a big sp...wait. Back up. Curds and whey? What in the world is that all about?
Definitions:
Curds- the thick casein-rich coagulated part of milk
Whey- the watery part of milk that has separated from the coagulated part of milk.
It all sounds pretty nasty right? Here is what I see when I read the definition.
Curd- mouth-watering creamy cheeses offering a variety of fat soluble vitamins, life sustaining protein, and an invaluable ingredient to pleasurable and nourishing cooking.
Whey- rich in vitamins and minerals, this substance has been used for thousands of years as a catalyst in lactofermentation. Lactofermentation was the original probiotic.
Sounds a bit more interesting now.
Even if you are just beginning to embark on the journey of good health this is a good place to start. Those of you who are a little farther down the path will find this is a great place to take the next plunge. Listed below are the steps for making your own curds and whey. By the end you will have delicious homemade cream cheese and whey. The cream cheese can be used on sandwiches, in recipes, for sauces, dips, or any other way you would use store bought cream cheese. They whey can be saved to inoculate recipes for lactofermentation. I will be posting more about the wonderful beneficial world of lactofermentation with instructions and pictures later this week. But for now you can take the first step and then kick back and enjoy the creamiest of cheeses.
Step 1
If you do not have homemade yogurt then I recommend buying this brand. It seems to provide the most whey and satisfactory cream cheese. If you buy just any old store brand of yogurt you will have trouble. Only buy high quality. And remember to always buy whole milk.
Step 2
Put a metal strainer in a large bowl (not plastic).
Step 3
Cover the strainer with cheese cloth or a thin, clean dish towel and pour yogurt in.
Step 4
Cover with another clean dish towel and let sit on the counter at room temperature for several hours. The whey will start to drip through and collect in the bowl. Once the whey reaches the height of the strainer you will need to lift the curd higher. Tie the dish towel or cheese cloth up with twine and then tie it to a rod or wooden spoon. This will allow more whey to drip out. This process usually takes 24 hours from start to finish.
Step 5
When it stops dripping you can collect your cream cheese. It will keep in your fridge for about 1 month.
Step 6
Pour your whey in a clean glass jar and label with the date. Store this in your refrigerator up to 3 months.
Next up...what to do with this nutrition goldmine masquerading as an odd watery discharge!
Definitions:
Curds- the thick casein-rich coagulated part of milk
Whey- the watery part of milk that has separated from the coagulated part of milk.
It all sounds pretty nasty right? Here is what I see when I read the definition.
Curd- mouth-watering creamy cheeses offering a variety of fat soluble vitamins, life sustaining protein, and an invaluable ingredient to pleasurable and nourishing cooking.
Whey- rich in vitamins and minerals, this substance has been used for thousands of years as a catalyst in lactofermentation. Lactofermentation was the original probiotic.
Sounds a bit more interesting now.
Even if you are just beginning to embark on the journey of good health this is a good place to start. Those of you who are a little farther down the path will find this is a great place to take the next plunge. Listed below are the steps for making your own curds and whey. By the end you will have delicious homemade cream cheese and whey. The cream cheese can be used on sandwiches, in recipes, for sauces, dips, or any other way you would use store bought cream cheese. They whey can be saved to inoculate recipes for lactofermentation. I will be posting more about the wonderful beneficial world of lactofermentation with instructions and pictures later this week. But for now you can take the first step and then kick back and enjoy the creamiest of cheeses.
Step 1
If you do not have homemade yogurt then I recommend buying this brand. It seems to provide the most whey and satisfactory cream cheese. If you buy just any old store brand of yogurt you will have trouble. Only buy high quality. And remember to always buy whole milk.
Step 2
Put a metal strainer in a large bowl (not plastic).
Step 3
Cover the strainer with cheese cloth or a thin, clean dish towel and pour yogurt in.
Step 4
Cover with another clean dish towel and let sit on the counter at room temperature for several hours. The whey will start to drip through and collect in the bowl. Once the whey reaches the height of the strainer you will need to lift the curd higher. Tie the dish towel or cheese cloth up with twine and then tie it to a rod or wooden spoon. This will allow more whey to drip out. This process usually takes 24 hours from start to finish.
Step 5
When it stops dripping you can collect your cream cheese. It will keep in your fridge for about 1 month.
Step 6
Pour your whey in a clean glass jar and label with the date. Store this in your refrigerator up to 3 months.
Next up...what to do with this nutrition goldmine masquerading as an odd watery discharge!
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Hold Please...
Pardon the pause in my posts. The nutrition class I am currently teaching seems to be monoplolizing my normally allocated blogging time.
I promise posts will resume shortly.
I promise posts will resume shortly.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
A Quick Retrack of My Journey Part II
The story continues...
Mark and I then spent the next few years trying to eat unprocessed foods. That is to say we tried to make everything we could from scratch. But it was hard to say the least and I felt like we were missing big pieces of the puzzle. It was as if the book The Makers Diet gave us great introductory information but not enough to sustain us on this lifestyle.
Then one day Mark came home for work with a recommendation from one of his veterinarians. She (the vet) told him about a cookbook that she thought I would love called Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon (click title for link). Sally Fallon? Hm, I have heard that name before but where? I finally realized that the few recipes that are included in the book, The Makers Diet came from someone named Sally Fallon.
I ordered the book immediately as I was immediately in need of reinforcements.
It must be said that this is beyond just being a cookbook. Compiled within these pages lies the best conglomerate I've seen of basic nutrition for the novice and not so novice health-seeker. But since we are on a kick about fat, let's see what "old Sally" as we call her in our house, has to say about fat.
Is saturated fat and cholesterol causing the heart disease epidemic in America?
1. Heart disease now causes 40% of deaths in America yet cholesterol consumption in the last 80 years has only increased 1%. However, the consumption of vegetable oils in the form of margarine, shortening, and refined oils has increased 400%.
2. Several studies aiming to prove a low fat and low cholesterol diet will decrease your chances in heart disease often show an increase in mortality in from cancer, stroke, violence, and suicide.
3. Eskimos live off of fat from land and marine animals and are virtually disease free as long as they live on their native diet and not a modern one.
4. Several Mediterranean cultures have low rates of heart disease in spite of the fact that 70% of their caloric intake comes from fat (mostly from goat, lamb, sausage, and cheese).
5. A study in Soviet Georgia revealed that those that ate the fattiest meat lived the longest.
6. Japanese who are known for averaging the longest life span do not eat a low fat diet. It is true that they do not consume dairy. However they do consume animal fats from eggs, pork, chicken, organ meats, beef, and seafood. The do not consume large amounts of vegetable oils, white flour, and processed foods. The Swiss live almost as long as the Japanese and they have the fattiest diet in the world. Fondue anyone?
7. And now to my favorite, the French. Butter, cream, eggs, cheese, foie gras, and pates are a standard. And yet they have 1/2 the rate of heart disease as the US. Now that just makes me mad that they are eating much better food and are healthier. Meanwhile we eat slop, pretend we are craving it and that it's a treat, then die from it! Why do Americans suffer through low quality fast food?
8. Several government and public health agencies also claim that animal fat is linked with not only heart disease but cancer as well. The University of Maryland analyzed the data these agencies used to back these claims and the university found that vegetable fats, not animal fats, correlated with the high rates of cancer.
I could go on but you get the idea.
The truth is, people have eaten animal fats for thousands of years. Once upon a time we died from infection instead of heart disease and diabetes (lifestyle diseases). Now that we are able to prevent and treat infections we should be much healthier but we are not. In fact you may think because people are living longer that we are in better health. Once again, the disappointing truth is we are able to keep unhealthy people alive longer with medications. Living longer in this case is not indicative of good health.
With the onset of the low fat diet another culprit came into our food supply, an unnatural dramatic increase in vegetable oils never before ingested by mankind at such a rate. Throw margarine and hydrogenated oils into the mix and you have a deadly concoction. Thus we began to eat man-made foods instead of God-made foods. Food scientists mutilated tasteful and nourishing whole foods until it fit this new mold of low fat without ever thinking of the repercussions.
Once again mankind's arrogance screws up God's plan. What made us think we could improve upon the food God put on this planet for us? We are human and by definition we make mistakes. It is actually impossible for us to be perfect. From that realization the motto for our household was born, "We will eat food in it's natural state as God made it. We will also eat a food if it is close to the state that God made it in as long as it is prepared in a way that people have eaten it for thousands of years." This is the motto we live by MOST of the time. After all, we too are only human.
If you would like a list of the studies I sited I would be more than happy to provide them to you with a dozen more added. If you are looking for more information consider purchasing the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. The Makers Diet by Jordan Rubin is an informative and interesting read as well. Both are available on amazon.com
Mark and I then spent the next few years trying to eat unprocessed foods. That is to say we tried to make everything we could from scratch. But it was hard to say the least and I felt like we were missing big pieces of the puzzle. It was as if the book The Makers Diet gave us great introductory information but not enough to sustain us on this lifestyle.
Then one day Mark came home for work with a recommendation from one of his veterinarians. She (the vet) told him about a cookbook that she thought I would love called Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon (click title for link). Sally Fallon? Hm, I have heard that name before but where? I finally realized that the few recipes that are included in the book, The Makers Diet came from someone named Sally Fallon.
I ordered the book immediately as I was immediately in need of reinforcements.
It must be said that this is beyond just being a cookbook. Compiled within these pages lies the best conglomerate I've seen of basic nutrition for the novice and not so novice health-seeker. But since we are on a kick about fat, let's see what "old Sally" as we call her in our house, has to say about fat.
Is saturated fat and cholesterol causing the heart disease epidemic in America?
1. Heart disease now causes 40% of deaths in America yet cholesterol consumption in the last 80 years has only increased 1%. However, the consumption of vegetable oils in the form of margarine, shortening, and refined oils has increased 400%.
2. Several studies aiming to prove a low fat and low cholesterol diet will decrease your chances in heart disease often show an increase in mortality in from cancer, stroke, violence, and suicide.
3. Eskimos live off of fat from land and marine animals and are virtually disease free as long as they live on their native diet and not a modern one.
4. Several Mediterranean cultures have low rates of heart disease in spite of the fact that 70% of their caloric intake comes from fat (mostly from goat, lamb, sausage, and cheese).
5. A study in Soviet Georgia revealed that those that ate the fattiest meat lived the longest.
6. Japanese who are known for averaging the longest life span do not eat a low fat diet. It is true that they do not consume dairy. However they do consume animal fats from eggs, pork, chicken, organ meats, beef, and seafood. The do not consume large amounts of vegetable oils, white flour, and processed foods. The Swiss live almost as long as the Japanese and they have the fattiest diet in the world. Fondue anyone?
7. And now to my favorite, the French. Butter, cream, eggs, cheese, foie gras, and pates are a standard. And yet they have 1/2 the rate of heart disease as the US. Now that just makes me mad that they are eating much better food and are healthier. Meanwhile we eat slop, pretend we are craving it and that it's a treat, then die from it! Why do Americans suffer through low quality fast food?
8. Several government and public health agencies also claim that animal fat is linked with not only heart disease but cancer as well. The University of Maryland analyzed the data these agencies used to back these claims and the university found that vegetable fats, not animal fats, correlated with the high rates of cancer.
I could go on but you get the idea.
The truth is, people have eaten animal fats for thousands of years. Once upon a time we died from infection instead of heart disease and diabetes (lifestyle diseases). Now that we are able to prevent and treat infections we should be much healthier but we are not. In fact you may think because people are living longer that we are in better health. Once again, the disappointing truth is we are able to keep unhealthy people alive longer with medications. Living longer in this case is not indicative of good health.
With the onset of the low fat diet another culprit came into our food supply, an unnatural dramatic increase in vegetable oils never before ingested by mankind at such a rate. Throw margarine and hydrogenated oils into the mix and you have a deadly concoction. Thus we began to eat man-made foods instead of God-made foods. Food scientists mutilated tasteful and nourishing whole foods until it fit this new mold of low fat without ever thinking of the repercussions.
Once again mankind's arrogance screws up God's plan. What made us think we could improve upon the food God put on this planet for us? We are human and by definition we make mistakes. It is actually impossible for us to be perfect. From that realization the motto for our household was born, "We will eat food in it's natural state as God made it. We will also eat a food if it is close to the state that God made it in as long as it is prepared in a way that people have eaten it for thousands of years." This is the motto we live by MOST of the time. After all, we too are only human.
If you would like a list of the studies I sited I would be more than happy to provide them to you with a dozen more added. If you are looking for more information consider purchasing the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. The Makers Diet by Jordan Rubin is an informative and interesting read as well. Both are available on amazon.com
Friday, July 16, 2010
A Quick Retrack of My Journey
Have you ever known an elderly person that defies all odds? You know they type, they are teetering on their 100th birthday and there's not one prescription drug in their medicine cabinet. They have no diagnosis of diabetes, heart disease, or high blood pressure yet they have never bought a low fat product in their life. Usually they live out in the country and drink milk from their cows, eat bacon and eggs for breakfast, and fry food in lard. Have you ever met someone like that?
When I worked in the hospital setting I would meet people like this from time to time. Usually they were brought in for something small like a urinary track infection. One specific patient comes to mind. She was a small lady in her late 90's who still went out and chopped her own wood everyday. She had no chronic disease in spite of eating a back woods and medically-deemed-suicidal-fat-filled diet. You might think of her as a red neck for never buying into the more "advanced" way of eating. Low fat and low cholesterol were not in her vocabulary. She ate what she grew be it greens, eggs, or beef. She didn't buy the "healthiest" thing on the Mc Donalds menu. She didn't go to Mc Donalds.
Funny thing is what was once looked down upon as being "back woods" is now trendy! This brings new meaning to the Hank Williams Jr song, "Country Boy Can Survive." ;)
My fascination with old folks started during my internship in graduate school. I use to listen to a man on the radio who was a veterinarian who also studied people who lived to be 100. He found that most people who lived to be 100 lived out in the country, usually in very primitive cultures, they did not go to a doctor, and they did not eat the Standard American Diet (SAD). As a dietitian I began to take notice of my patients.
Prominent people (much much younger than my little old healthy 99 year olds)who could afford costly "health" food were still developing heart disease. I can remember being consulted several times to educate patients on the cardiac diet who were at their ideal body weight and ate a low fat and low cholesterol diet yet they were having open heart surgery. And I would ask the doctor, "Just what exactly do you want me to tell them?" And even worse the patients were asking me, "Where did I go wrong? I thought I was doing everything right." I was beginning to figure out there was a big hole in this ideal.
Fortunately my Dad recommended the book, The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin. His story is one that should be read by everyone. His passion for nutrition came from being sick himself. I won't go deep into his story but I will say that he grew up in a family that only ate food from health food stores and he was very ill. He began to research they way Jews ate in the old testament. After all, as a christian we want to live by the bible. Why then are we not eating by the bible?
Once he got ALL processed foods out of his diet-even processed "health" foods- he was cured from a previously thought incurable intestinal disease.
What he did not cut out of his diet was fat - even saturated fat - and cholesterol.
Next into our lives steped Westin A Price (http://westonaprice.org/). Let me tell you, we have hit Fat City at this point in my jouney. It's time to get down to the hard facts on fat. But, my baby just woke up so we will continue this story in another post soon.
When I worked in the hospital setting I would meet people like this from time to time. Usually they were brought in for something small like a urinary track infection. One specific patient comes to mind. She was a small lady in her late 90's who still went out and chopped her own wood everyday. She had no chronic disease in spite of eating a back woods and medically-deemed-suicidal-fat-filled diet. You might think of her as a red neck for never buying into the more "advanced" way of eating. Low fat and low cholesterol were not in her vocabulary. She ate what she grew be it greens, eggs, or beef. She didn't buy the "healthiest" thing on the Mc Donalds menu. She didn't go to Mc Donalds.
Funny thing is what was once looked down upon as being "back woods" is now trendy! This brings new meaning to the Hank Williams Jr song, "Country Boy Can Survive." ;)
My fascination with old folks started during my internship in graduate school. I use to listen to a man on the radio who was a veterinarian who also studied people who lived to be 100. He found that most people who lived to be 100 lived out in the country, usually in very primitive cultures, they did not go to a doctor, and they did not eat the Standard American Diet (SAD). As a dietitian I began to take notice of my patients.
Prominent people (much much younger than my little old healthy 99 year olds)who could afford costly "health" food were still developing heart disease. I can remember being consulted several times to educate patients on the cardiac diet who were at their ideal body weight and ate a low fat and low cholesterol diet yet they were having open heart surgery. And I would ask the doctor, "Just what exactly do you want me to tell them?" And even worse the patients were asking me, "Where did I go wrong? I thought I was doing everything right." I was beginning to figure out there was a big hole in this ideal.
Fortunately my Dad recommended the book, The Maker's Diet by Jordan Rubin. His story is one that should be read by everyone. His passion for nutrition came from being sick himself. I won't go deep into his story but I will say that he grew up in a family that only ate food from health food stores and he was very ill. He began to research they way Jews ate in the old testament. After all, as a christian we want to live by the bible. Why then are we not eating by the bible?
Once he got ALL processed foods out of his diet-even processed "health" foods- he was cured from a previously thought incurable intestinal disease.
What he did not cut out of his diet was fat - even saturated fat - and cholesterol.
Next into our lives steped Westin A Price (http://westonaprice.org/). Let me tell you, we have hit Fat City at this point in my jouney. It's time to get down to the hard facts on fat. But, my baby just woke up so we will continue this story in another post soon.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
More shop talk
Now that my weekend break from blogging has ended it's time I continue on with our Fun Fat Week. And I must get this blog up soon or I fear you will all start calling me Paula Dean and picture me at home licking sticks of butter in light of my last post.
My dear friend Katy has asked a plethora of questions to begin our week with. I think we will kick off this post with a few of those.
She and her husband have recently watched the documentary FOOD INC (which I highly recommend) and it has left her disgusted with the America's current food supply but still full of questions. Such as, "Now that I know all of this, where do I get my food?" The documentary ends before before addressing that very question of what to do next. Sounds like a good place for us pick up.
Katy also asks if meat and dairy are the most important place to start when beginning to eat healthy. My disappointingly unscientific answer is, "Sounds good to me." The truth is if you are eating the Standard American Diet (SAD) any change is good. Just please start somewhere. Anywhere. I chose fat to discuss first on my blog because it is probably the most misunderstood part of our diet. And well, it's fun! We will hit other American phobias including those scary carbs somewhere down the line. But for now let's get back to the fun world of fat.
If you are like Katy and disgusted by the meat and dairy products at your grocery store you are probably in search of alternatives. You may remember in an earlier post I recommended shopping in grocery stores as little as possible. When you shop at a store and buy prepackaged food, the only information you have is what is posted on the label. And in trying to read the label you may find it so full of nutritional lingo and mambo jumbo that it is about as helpful as trying to read an organic chemistry text book with no chemistry background.
Our favorite places to shop in lieu of the store are:
Texas Daily Harvest (Their products are available at Coppell's Farmer's Market)
Bear Dairy
Our local Farmer's Market
Lucky Layla's (A dairy located in the middle of Plano I kid you not!)
Martin's Berry Patch
Produce stands along back country roads
Food from friends and relatives kitchens and gardens
The forests of East Texas where my husband hunts
My in-law's farm (we harvest a cow from there every year or two)
My own backyard
True Fields
and many more I am forgetting at the moment but you get the idea.
I cannot state this often enough, I am not perfect. I still have to go to the store for a few things. And I don't think there is anything wrong with that. But we try. And with that effort about 75% of our food does not come from a grocery store.
Animals aloud to roam free and eat grass have more omega 3 fatty acids in their meat vs an animal only being fed grains (the ones at your local grocery store) which leads to meat with more omega 6 fatty acids. Likewise the eggs from free roaming chickens are also higher in omega 3 fatty acids. Did you think God intended only fish eating Eskimos up north to benefit from omega 3's? We once had a source until we decided to change the natural food chain and mass produce food.
Look for ranches near you that provide grass fed meats on eatwild.com and localharvest.org. Be sure to ask them if you can purchase a whole animal from them to have butchered. It is usually much cheaper than buying it piece by piece over the year.
If you and your husband don't hunt (wild animals are naturally grass fed) find someone who does. The south is full of trophy hunters who don't plan to eat their meat.
Ah, and then there is farm fresh milk and dairy products. I just have to let out a big yummmmmm after typing that. Aside from the fact that they taste awesome they too benefit the cows munching grass instead of grain. I won't go any further in explanation than that right now because dairy deserves it's own post. Maybe it's own week. Look for sources on the websites listed above and realmilk.org. This is another one to ask around on. Sources may be closer than you think.
As a side note, it took me forever to write this post. I have so much information I want to share but I am trying not to be overwhelming. And I have a love of science so reining in my scientific explanations is harder than one might think. On that note I think I will stop here today even though I feel like I have only written a brief introduction to the subject of fats in grass fed animals.
My dear friend Katy has asked a plethora of questions to begin our week with. I think we will kick off this post with a few of those.
She and her husband have recently watched the documentary FOOD INC (which I highly recommend) and it has left her disgusted with the America's current food supply but still full of questions. Such as, "Now that I know all of this, where do I get my food?" The documentary ends before before addressing that very question of what to do next. Sounds like a good place for us pick up.
Katy also asks if meat and dairy are the most important place to start when beginning to eat healthy. My disappointingly unscientific answer is, "Sounds good to me." The truth is if you are eating the Standard American Diet (SAD) any change is good. Just please start somewhere. Anywhere. I chose fat to discuss first on my blog because it is probably the most misunderstood part of our diet. And well, it's fun! We will hit other American phobias including those scary carbs somewhere down the line. But for now let's get back to the fun world of fat.
If you are like Katy and disgusted by the meat and dairy products at your grocery store you are probably in search of alternatives. You may remember in an earlier post I recommended shopping in grocery stores as little as possible. When you shop at a store and buy prepackaged food, the only information you have is what is posted on the label. And in trying to read the label you may find it so full of nutritional lingo and mambo jumbo that it is about as helpful as trying to read an organic chemistry text book with no chemistry background.
Our favorite places to shop in lieu of the store are:
Texas Daily Harvest (Their products are available at Coppell's Farmer's Market)
Bear Dairy
Our local Farmer's Market
Lucky Layla's (A dairy located in the middle of Plano I kid you not!)
Martin's Berry Patch
Produce stands along back country roads
Food from friends and relatives kitchens and gardens
The forests of East Texas where my husband hunts
My in-law's farm (we harvest a cow from there every year or two)
My own backyard
True Fields
and many more I am forgetting at the moment but you get the idea.
I cannot state this often enough, I am not perfect. I still have to go to the store for a few things. And I don't think there is anything wrong with that. But we try. And with that effort about 75% of our food does not come from a grocery store.
Animals aloud to roam free and eat grass have more omega 3 fatty acids in their meat vs an animal only being fed grains (the ones at your local grocery store) which leads to meat with more omega 6 fatty acids. Likewise the eggs from free roaming chickens are also higher in omega 3 fatty acids. Did you think God intended only fish eating Eskimos up north to benefit from omega 3's? We once had a source until we decided to change the natural food chain and mass produce food.
Look for ranches near you that provide grass fed meats on eatwild.com and localharvest.org. Be sure to ask them if you can purchase a whole animal from them to have butchered. It is usually much cheaper than buying it piece by piece over the year.
If you and your husband don't hunt (wild animals are naturally grass fed) find someone who does. The south is full of trophy hunters who don't plan to eat their meat.
Ah, and then there is farm fresh milk and dairy products. I just have to let out a big yummmmmm after typing that. Aside from the fact that they taste awesome they too benefit the cows munching grass instead of grain. I won't go any further in explanation than that right now because dairy deserves it's own post. Maybe it's own week. Look for sources on the websites listed above and realmilk.org. This is another one to ask around on. Sources may be closer than you think.
As a side note, it took me forever to write this post. I have so much information I want to share but I am trying not to be overwhelming. And I have a love of science so reining in my scientific explanations is harder than one might think. On that note I think I will stop here today even though I feel like I have only written a brief introduction to the subject of fats in grass fed animals.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Correction
The link for the recipe in the post Frizzled Egg Salad did not originally show up. I think it's clearer now where to find that recipe. Sorry about that.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Let's chew the fat for a while, literally
Confession #1: We have not eaten a low fat diet in years.
Scratch that.
Profession #1: We have intentionally not eaten a low fat diet in years.
Gasp! Did a registered dietitian just write that?
Proudly, yes.
In sticking with our devotion to eating only things God created (or at least very close to the way God created them) we have included fats as well. After all isn't raw whole fat milk a "whole food." Would not low fat milk, yogurt, and cheese go through intense processing to be made into such an unnatural state? They certainly do.
This is not about devotion to a principal at all costs. Science and research has failed to identify saturated fat (the supposed "bad" fat in animal products) as the cause of heart disease. Read that last sentence again because it is life changing. No, I am not kidding nor and am I crazy. Believe me it takes a lot of research, convincing, and soul searching for a registered dietitian to write that statement.
For years it has been driven into our heads (especially those of us who studied health and food in school) that saturated fat is bad and causes heart disease. But did you know that this theory started on one poorly done study in the 50's. The government then took off with the idea and spent great amounts of energy and money promoting it. Research has still failed to prove this theory. When you hear studies mention the correlation of saturated fat and heart disease 9 times out of 10 they have included hydrogenated oils into the study. These are not saturated fats. They are a man made chemical. I am talking about the hydrogenated oils that are in the heart doc's beloved margarine that have been repeatedly proven in research to cause heart disease. But we'll get back to that subject later. Maybe in another post.
So here is an official apology from me to those of you who suffered through tasteless and harmful fat free cheese in the 90's. I feel your pain. But let's look at the bright side! Read on.
For thousands of years people have consumed meats - not boneless, skinless chicken breasts - I am talking about the whole animal fat and all. But in the last 100 years for the first time in the history of mankind we have drastically changed the way we have eaten. And with every year our rate of heart disease and diabetes increases. Hmmm. I don't think the low fat diet is helping. Do you? (feel free to really reply to these questions. I love discussion.)
In the early 1900's a man invented the electrocardiograph to diagnose heart disease. His peers felt sorry for him and told him to keep on inventing because the poor guy could not find very many people with heart disease. There just wasn't a need for it at the time and he couldn't sell his machine. Keep in mind people weren't buying low fat dairy products from the store at the time. Folks were drinking milk from the cow out back and slapping homemade butter on their bread. Sounds good to me!
The news gets even better! Animal fats are the best source for your fat soluble vitamins, A, D, K, and E. Butter from grass fed cows is a great place to start for these nutrients. Check out localharvest.com to find a source near you.
This leads me to one caveat. If I were to take fat cells out of yours or my body we could find every pesticide, toxin, and chemical we have ever ingested. The same goes for our food sources. Butter that is not organic is one of the greatest concentrations of pesticides. Much much greater than anything you would find in the produce section. We only consume meats and dairy that are organic in our house.
I am trying to keep these posts fairly brief because the word on the street is that I can be overwhelming at times. My promise to you is that I will try to hold back and give you tid bits here and there that are bite size. With that said, I will go into fats, oils, and grass fed organic meats and dairy products in more detail in future posts.
Heck, I'm having so much fun let's just declare it fat week! Maybe even fat month!
So, go out and get yourself some farm fresh butter. I'm tell you, it's a freeing experience.
Scratch that.
Profession #1: We have intentionally not eaten a low fat diet in years.
Gasp! Did a registered dietitian just write that?
Proudly, yes.
In sticking with our devotion to eating only things God created (or at least very close to the way God created them) we have included fats as well. After all isn't raw whole fat milk a "whole food." Would not low fat milk, yogurt, and cheese go through intense processing to be made into such an unnatural state? They certainly do.
This is not about devotion to a principal at all costs. Science and research has failed to identify saturated fat (the supposed "bad" fat in animal products) as the cause of heart disease. Read that last sentence again because it is life changing. No, I am not kidding nor and am I crazy. Believe me it takes a lot of research, convincing, and soul searching for a registered dietitian to write that statement.
For years it has been driven into our heads (especially those of us who studied health and food in school) that saturated fat is bad and causes heart disease. But did you know that this theory started on one poorly done study in the 50's. The government then took off with the idea and spent great amounts of energy and money promoting it. Research has still failed to prove this theory. When you hear studies mention the correlation of saturated fat and heart disease 9 times out of 10 they have included hydrogenated oils into the study. These are not saturated fats. They are a man made chemical. I am talking about the hydrogenated oils that are in the heart doc's beloved margarine that have been repeatedly proven in research to cause heart disease. But we'll get back to that subject later. Maybe in another post.
So here is an official apology from me to those of you who suffered through tasteless and harmful fat free cheese in the 90's. I feel your pain. But let's look at the bright side! Read on.
For thousands of years people have consumed meats - not boneless, skinless chicken breasts - I am talking about the whole animal fat and all. But in the last 100 years for the first time in the history of mankind we have drastically changed the way we have eaten. And with every year our rate of heart disease and diabetes increases. Hmmm. I don't think the low fat diet is helping. Do you? (feel free to really reply to these questions. I love discussion.)
In the early 1900's a man invented the electrocardiograph to diagnose heart disease. His peers felt sorry for him and told him to keep on inventing because the poor guy could not find very many people with heart disease. There just wasn't a need for it at the time and he couldn't sell his machine. Keep in mind people weren't buying low fat dairy products from the store at the time. Folks were drinking milk from the cow out back and slapping homemade butter on their bread. Sounds good to me!
The news gets even better! Animal fats are the best source for your fat soluble vitamins, A, D, K, and E. Butter from grass fed cows is a great place to start for these nutrients. Check out localharvest.com to find a source near you.
This leads me to one caveat. If I were to take fat cells out of yours or my body we could find every pesticide, toxin, and chemical we have ever ingested. The same goes for our food sources. Butter that is not organic is one of the greatest concentrations of pesticides. Much much greater than anything you would find in the produce section. We only consume meats and dairy that are organic in our house.
I am trying to keep these posts fairly brief because the word on the street is that I can be overwhelming at times. My promise to you is that I will try to hold back and give you tid bits here and there that are bite size. With that said, I will go into fats, oils, and grass fed organic meats and dairy products in more detail in future posts.
Heck, I'm having so much fun let's just declare it fat week! Maybe even fat month!
So, go out and get yourself some farm fresh butter. I'm tell you, it's a freeing experience.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
TURKEY ALERT!!!!
True Fields in Jefferson Texas is taking orders now for Thanksgiving turkeys. If they don't have enough interest then they won't order any so they need to know ASAP. These turkeys will be free roaming therefore their meat will be higher in omega 3's from eating grass and bugs with less omega 6s like pinned up grain fed turkeys are. Plus no hormones, antibiotics, or additives.
Email Jerica to let her know you are interested info@truefields.com and check out their website while you are at it, truefields.com.
I'm not sure if they will be shipping turkeys or if they are for pick up only. Ask Jerica if you are interested.
Email Jerica to let her know you are interested info@truefields.com and check out their website while you are at it, truefields.com.
I'm not sure if they will be shipping turkeys or if they are for pick up only. Ask Jerica if you are interested.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Don't Eat The Budget!
For those of you who are locals, our farmer's market is open Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday mornings. Vendors get there at 6:30 AM and sometimes sell out by 10:30 so shop as early as you can.
Their prices blow away the overpriced, waxy, and sometimes flavorless produce at the grocery store. Bell peppers are only 50 cents vs. $1 or more at the store. I picked up 1# of yard beans (like green beans except really long! Like 2 feet long! These are fun for kids and tasty too.) for $1.50 and it made a HUGE pot.
Stop by and check them out. My kiddo had a blast picking our her own food and talking with the farmers. Hope your family enjoys saving money while buying fresher, healthier, and tastier food too!
Their prices blow away the overpriced, waxy, and sometimes flavorless produce at the grocery store. Bell peppers are only 50 cents vs. $1 or more at the store. I picked up 1# of yard beans (like green beans except really long! Like 2 feet long! These are fun for kids and tasty too.) for $1.50 and it made a HUGE pot.
Stop by and check them out. My kiddo had a blast picking our her own food and talking with the farmers. Hope your family enjoys saving money while buying fresher, healthier, and tastier food too!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Setting the Record Straight
I was chatting with a friend the other day while our kids played, about how crazy my week had been. This past spring Savannah went to school in the mornings and was picked up at noon. She then ate her lunch in the car during our 30 minute drive home. But this crazy day I was lamenting to my friend about how I had forgotten to make Savannah's lunch. So that Savannah would not feel sad and forgotten (and because I had no snacks on hand to stall he until we got home) I said, "Surprise, you get lunch from Chick file today!" This is something that never happens. Not so much because of the fact it is processed food which we try not to eat but more because of the fact I have not drank the chick file kool aid. Seriously, what is so wonderful about the food? I don't get it. But lunch was not for me but for her and she was overjoyed.
Now back to my friend who was listening intently. Her reply was not words of encouragement for this crazy time of having a newborn and a 5 year old with a busy schedule. No, her words were, "That just warms my heart to know that you forgot your child's lunch and bought her fast food instead."
What?
Let's set the tone for this blog right now. I am a busy mother or two with many obligations pulling me in several directions at once. Life gets hectic for me too and surprise! I am not perfect. But I do try my best to feed my family in a way that is nourishing to both our body and souls. I make mistakes and then I learn from them. I hope I always make mistakes because that's how one learns. And beyond that sometimes I just don't have the time or mental energy to create the right choices.
So this is a journey for me too. It just happens to also be my career as a dietitian, my job as a mom, and my hobby as a woman.
(And I do love my friend that said those words to me so it was not the least bit offensive at all. I display might faults right back to her with love!)
Now back to my friend who was listening intently. Her reply was not words of encouragement for this crazy time of having a newborn and a 5 year old with a busy schedule. No, her words were, "That just warms my heart to know that you forgot your child's lunch and bought her fast food instead."
What?
Let's set the tone for this blog right now. I am a busy mother or two with many obligations pulling me in several directions at once. Life gets hectic for me too and surprise! I am not perfect. But I do try my best to feed my family in a way that is nourishing to both our body and souls. I make mistakes and then I learn from them. I hope I always make mistakes because that's how one learns. And beyond that sometimes I just don't have the time or mental energy to create the right choices.
So this is a journey for me too. It just happens to also be my career as a dietitian, my job as a mom, and my hobby as a woman.
(And I do love my friend that said those words to me so it was not the least bit offensive at all. I display might faults right back to her with love!)
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
How to Shop for Healthy Food
One of the most frequent questions I am asked is how to read food labels so that they may decipher what food is worth buying. My reply is rarely appreciated but I'll repeat it again. It's easy, just don't buy food with labels and then you don't have to worry about reading them!
And just where do you buy food without a label? You buy it where food comes from...farms. If you shop at your local farms there will be no gimmicks, misleading marketing, confusing food labels, or mutilated food. What you will get is a bouquet of amazing aromas (there is nothing like the smell of perfectly ripe food), produce bursting with flavor that will not be left to rot in the crisper but rather begs to be eaten, and the story of your food from seed until consumption.
In the previous post I put a link to a farm listed on http://www.localharvest.org/. Devour this site! Punch in your zip code (or a zip code where you are traveling to this summer) and you will find local farmer's markets, grass fed meats of all kinds, farm fresh eggs, cheeses, milks, yogurt, kefir, butter, grains, vegetables, fruit, CSAs, honey, herbs, and just about anything else edible you can imagine that comes from the earth (and should we eat it if it didn't come from the earth?).
I'll be posting many resources on this blog but this is one of the best comprehensive sites there is. Just thinking about it makes me want to go into the kitchen and get one of those soak-your-chin-and shirt-down-to-your-toes, juicy peaches form a local orchard!
Bon Appetit!
And just where do you buy food without a label? You buy it where food comes from...farms. If you shop at your local farms there will be no gimmicks, misleading marketing, confusing food labels, or mutilated food. What you will get is a bouquet of amazing aromas (there is nothing like the smell of perfectly ripe food), produce bursting with flavor that will not be left to rot in the crisper but rather begs to be eaten, and the story of your food from seed until consumption.
In the previous post I put a link to a farm listed on http://www.localharvest.org/. Devour this site! Punch in your zip code (or a zip code where you are traveling to this summer) and you will find local farmer's markets, grass fed meats of all kinds, farm fresh eggs, cheeses, milks, yogurt, kefir, butter, grains, vegetables, fruit, CSAs, honey, herbs, and just about anything else edible you can imagine that comes from the earth (and should we eat it if it didn't come from the earth?).
I'll be posting many resources on this blog but this is one of the best comprehensive sites there is. Just thinking about it makes me want to go into the kitchen and get one of those soak-your-chin-and shirt-down-to-your-toes, juicy peaches form a local orchard!
Bon Appetit!
Monday, June 14, 2010
Cleaning the Refrigerator for Lunch
In a rush and on my way out the door for work the other day I realized I needed something for lunch. I rummaged the fridge and found several fresh ingredients to throw together for a salad.Mixed greens
Fresh spinach
Blackberries picked the previous day at a local farm
Crispy pecans
Feta fresh from the dairy
Cinnamon salad dressing leftover from the salad made the night before
Oh my, let me tell you how awesome the cinnamon salad dressing tasted with the juicy blackberries, salty feta, and nutty pecans! I could eat this all summer.
Pick your own blackberries and blueberries at Martin's Berry Patch
4534 Farm Rd 968 West
Marshall, TX 75670
903-660-3283
Only $9.50 to fill a whole bucket!
They store easily by freezing flat on a cookie sheet and then once frozen place them in a freezer bag. Don't wash them before you freeze them. It toughens the skins.
4534 Farm Rd 968 West
Marshall, TX 75670
903-660-3283
Only $9.50 to fill a whole bucket!
They store easily by freezing flat on a cookie sheet and then once frozen place them in a freezer bag. Don't wash them before you freeze them. It toughens the skins.
Fresh from the farm feta
Texas Daily Harvest
A certified organic dairy and farm.
275 CR 1455
Yantis, TX 75497
903/975/1100
They have wonderful organic raw and pasteurized cheeses but the feta is by far my favorite. This farm has been featured in the Dallas Morning News and can be found at a few farmers markets in Dallas. The Granary in Longview and Tyler often carry their cheeses. If you don't see them, ask for them and they will order them for you.
This farm also offers butter, yogurt, produce, eggs, and fresh grains.
Talk about one top shopping!
For more information you can always email me or check out the link below.
The city may have Whole Foods but out here in the country we have access to the actual whole foods before the go to Whole Foods!
Country living is the Good Life.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Frizzled Egg Spinach Salad
A couple of weeks ago we had a magazine swap at our MOPS meeting. I hadn't read a Better Homes and Garden in years so I picked one up. My eyes rarely scan the recipe section in these types of magazines because the ingredient lists usually call for a variety of processed foods some of which even masquerade as health foods. Then I began monologuing to the magazine about what real food is. Good rarely comes from this.
But this time I was delightfully surprised to come across a fresh and delicious recipe. Frizzled Egg Spinach Salad (click for recipe) was a huge hit at our house. Don't let the sunny side up egg atop the salad scare you. Not only does breaking the yolk and letting it mix in with the dressing taste wonderful but the runny yolk is a gold mine of fat soluble vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids (if it is fresh from your local farm or backyard) some of which would be lost if the yolk was cooked until hard.
And speaking of the dressing, the mixture of cinnamon and cumin in AMAZING in combination with the egg, spinach, and mushrooms. This salad encompasses a full meal of multiple veggies, protein, carbs, and good fat. It is gluten free (as long as you guy gluten-free, nitrate-free bacon and dressing ingredients), soy free, and dairy free. But most importantly it's pleasurable.
Side note: we used nitrate free bacon, olive oil instead of canola, balsamic vinegar instead of raspberry (I did not have raspberry), a lot less honey than it called for, and pepper jelly instead of chipolte pepper sauce (again, it's what I had on hand).
But this time I was delightfully surprised to come across a fresh and delicious recipe. Frizzled Egg Spinach Salad (click for recipe) was a huge hit at our house. Don't let the sunny side up egg atop the salad scare you. Not only does breaking the yolk and letting it mix in with the dressing taste wonderful but the runny yolk is a gold mine of fat soluble vitamins and omega 3 fatty acids (if it is fresh from your local farm or backyard) some of which would be lost if the yolk was cooked until hard.
And speaking of the dressing, the mixture of cinnamon and cumin in AMAZING in combination with the egg, spinach, and mushrooms. This salad encompasses a full meal of multiple veggies, protein, carbs, and good fat. It is gluten free (as long as you guy gluten-free, nitrate-free bacon and dressing ingredients), soy free, and dairy free. But most importantly it's pleasurable.
Side note: we used nitrate free bacon, olive oil instead of canola, balsamic vinegar instead of raspberry (I did not have raspberry), a lot less honey than it called for, and pepper jelly instead of chipolte pepper sauce (again, it's what I had on hand).
Where I'm Coming From
A couple of weeks ago I began to post our family's food journal. But as I read my posts I realized they weren't adequate to help people. Important information was missing. For example what we don't eat is almost more crucial than what we do eat. And I never got around to posting why we eat the things we do. So let's start over from the beginning and I will tell you where I am coming from as a registered dietitian, mom, and the family cook.
Since college I have strived to eat healthy but that can entail an array of ideals depending on the decade.
"Eat eggs. they are the perfect protein."
"No, eat egg whites because they don't have the fat and cholesterol. You don't want heart disease do you?"
"No, eat the whole egg because the yolk has fat soluble vitamins."
"I hear egg beaters are best because they aren't even eggs!"
"Don't eat eggs at all. They come from an animal!"
"Wait, you have to buy cage free eggs. Then, it's ok."
"No, buy the eggs fortified with omega 3 fatty acids. They help your heart. But I don't know if you are still just suppose to eat the whites."
"Didn't you hear that the American heart Association now says we can have 2 eggs per week and we won't die immediately afterwards?"
And that's just on the topic of eggs. I could go on about carbs, fat, meat, milk, whole wheat, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, artificial sweeteners, and a million other food items. Is the on going debate of what exactly is healthy overwhelming you?
No matter what food item we choose to follow the debate on over the years the same theme remains. It begins with a food found in nature, man decides the food is bad and/or he can make it better, hype surrounds this new epiphany, everyone MUST consume it for optimal, years later it is discovered this new version is toxic, research shows the original version was actually healthy but now people are scared to eat either.Think about it. Pick a food and see if my theory fits.
This same theme is found in the bible over and over again when man thinks he has a better plan than God. Man then screws things up. And when things are bad enough he returns to God's perfect plan. The food we consume is so far from what God created for us.
Our great grandmothers cooked with meat from the local farm or their own, vegetables from their garden, milk from their cows, and eggs from their chickens. (these are actualy "whole foods" by the way, not processed food you buy at the store Whole Foods. I love them but they have plenty of junk too.)
Our grandmothers cooked with meat sometimes from the grocery store, vegetables sometimes from the garden, milk from the milk man, and sometimes some canned goods to make things easier.
Our moms cooked with meat, eggs, milk and vegetables from the grocery store, store bought bread, canned goods, and occasionally they bought fast food.
Our generation does not cook with ingredients. Recipes call for a can of this, 2 cans of that, a jar of this, and a box of that. Actual food is not listed. The rest of the diet is filled in with fast food.We don't know how to cook with real food. We don't even know what real food is.
Because God does not make mistakes and man cannot help but make mistakes our family avoids manufactured (man-made) foods as much as possible. Nutrition trends will come and go but in the end research ( I am a science gal after all you know) always backs God-made food.
So when you are trying to figure out if you should avoid genetically modified foods, pesticides, or fruit loops ask yourself these two questions: Is this something that occurs in this form (or close to it) in nature?and Have people been eating this for thousands of years or is this new? Try it on any food, you will be amazed at how little "food" you are consuming.
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