Tag Archives: healthy-living

September 5, 2012 · 22:26

Remedies For Candida

Can you guess where this is?

It would never occur to most of us that we have yeast over growing in our bodies.  Yeast lives with in the human body and should not cause problems but it can become invasive and wreak havoc through out our body.  This post is a follow-up from May 21st.  Please refer to the earlier post for symptoms of Candida Albicans (fungus).   Yeast produces toxic chemicals that are absorbed into the body.

Do you feel lousy but can’t get a diagnosis?  Are you tired all the time?  Frequent headaches? Depression?  Constipation?

How do we treat Candida?  Sugar is the primary nourishment for yeast.  You can imagine with the amount of sugar that we consume that yeast could very well be a problem for most of us. Some foods that contain sugar or break down into sugar are:
All sweets

Breads

Pasta

Fruit

Soft Drinks and Ades

Alcohol

The only way to get a hold of the yeast growth which can literally attack all areas of your body is to starve the yeast.

Maintaining a diet of veggies, protein and fruit that is not high in sugar (lemons, grapefruit, tart apples, berries) is the best thing.

Stay away from foods that might have mold:  vinegar, peanuts, melons, dried fruit.

Avoid coffee.  Avoid alcohol.  And any other beverage that is acidic, high in sugar, or turns to sugar in the body.

Avoid milk products (except yogurt).  They are  high in lactose.

Take probiotics by eating plain yogurt or take supplements to  fight the fungi.

Do an intestinal cleanse.

Take Vitamin B Complex.

There is a load of material online for your “enjoyment”.

Every symptom  I had (chronic fatigue, daily headaches, constipation,  abdominal issues, brain fog, sinus pain,  acne,  bouts of depression) went away after I starved the yeast.  There are  many more symptoms than those I listed.

If I follow the above recommendations 90 percent of the time, I am good to go.  And I have found it is well worth my time and energy to do so.  I have more energy than I ever have.   And I am older than I have ever been.    How bout that.

Happy eating!

I will put money on no one guessing where this is.

God bless,

Karen

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July 30, 2012 · 12:28

Diggin’ a Ditch Where Silence Lives…

…Words sung by Dave Matthews.  Those words strike my core.  One of my favorite lines of all time.

 When I started spending a lot of time in my studio about 12 or so years ago, I  thought I was going stir crazy with the isolation.  I would emerge from the dungeon of creativity in late afternoon and be beside myself with the need to communicate.    I really thought that it was a negative.  You don’t understand, I have to be BY MYSELF ALL DAY !!!   is how I felt.  And it was,  as long as I thought of it in those terms.  Isolation.

BUT THEN ……. (I cant figure out how to make my font bigger on this program.  I would like to see those words bigger.)

…. I saw it differently.  I began to study Contemplative prayer.  It is  a type of prayer where you learn to sit in quiet.  And listen.  And learn.

It sounds like meditation.  And it IS a form of.

Wiki’s definition for meditation is:

The term meditation refers to a broad variety of practices (like sports), which range from techniques designed to promote relaxation, contacting spiritual guides, building internal energy (chi, ki, prana, etc.), receiving psychic visions, getting closer to god, seeing past lives, taking astral journeys, and so forth, to more technical exercises targeted at developing compassion, love, patience, generosity, forgiveness and more far-reaching goals such as effortless sustained single-pointed concentration,[3

That is not what I wanted to learn.  That is WAY to broad for me.  Too much wiggle room.  I wanted a tight fit.  My intention was to narrow in on Christian contemplation.  The wiki definition refers to it as a “gaze of faith”  or “a silent love”.  I love that.  A silent love.  Wow.    It also says it is   “the soul’s inward vision and the heart’s simple repose in God.”

So,  in my journey,  I have learned that there is a difference between “isolation”  and “solitude” .  Isolation  can bring about negative feelings and emotions.  It is not intentional state of being.   We get stuck inside ourselves and negative thoughts and feelings swirl around.  It is just the act of being alone.

Solitude can be a rich experience where we empty the contents of our mind that  float around getting clogged and jammed and invite God in to teach us wisdom,  guide us and just simply love us.    But it is an intentional act.  We have to want it.

I am amazed at what difference it makes.  I leave my studio time  with a sense of calm and peace and a feeling of being loved.  It is truly remarkable.

You do not have to be sitting doing nothing to be in contemplative prayer.  You can be doing.  The only requirements are to allow your mind to empty.  And allow God to fill.   Pretty simple, eh?  Not really.  It is hard.  But anything we put our mind to is hard.   Dave’s  song is all about it.  Diggin’  a ditch aint no easy task.

Sometimes it takes A LONG time to quiet ourselves and just be.   We live in a loud,  over stimulated world.  The media and what not want us to be overloaded with “stuff”.   And it is SO easy to invite it all in.  And maybe we don’t want it all in,  but if we sit in its presence its comin’  ready or not.  Unless we get quiet with some solitude.

Also,  since it is a form of prayer  we have the idea that  we should be the ones doin’ all the talking.  Not so.  Speaking for myself,   I need to shut up every now so that I can hear, learn,  and be loved.

So, how can this be done?  It can be done anywhere, anytime.   Turn off external hardware (radio, tv, computer,etc.  It will all be there waiting for you.  And believe me when I say you will not be missing anything).  Invite God to your side.  Then just be.  When your mind wants to go somewhere without you.  Yank it back.    Your plan will suit it better.  Take in the present moment without making a judgement about it.  Look  what is going on outside your car window.  Without making a judgement about it.  Spend the moment NOT MAKING A JUDGEMENT about it.  Just take it in like it is the first time you’ve seen it.  Let your mind slip from that moment into the next and just sit in it keeping it open to hear what He wants you to see, hear and learn.  Without making a judgement about it.

Takes practice.  I hope you’ll give it a try.

It will take you to new heights.

God bless,

Karen

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July 18, 2012 · 09:58

Rain and Pickles. Pickles and Rain.

I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about  the weather.  WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE WEATHER?

We lived in New Orleans for three years in the early 80’s.  Oh my goodness.  If you want to feel oppression at its best (or worst) take a stroll through New Orleans in July or August.  Summer has never held the same meaning for me since those days in the Crescent City.

Ahh, those were the days! Still not sure if they were good days or bad.

I have been running from the sun and humidity ever since.  If there is a shade tree, I will find him and he WILL  become my friend.

Since  we  moved to the farm, I have had to buck up and take the heat.  My chores take me outside throughout the day and I have now decided that 95 is nothing.  Much time has been spent in trying to   convince myself of that.  I have realized that 98-99 is the danger point for my animals so I am pretty calm if it stays under that.

BUT FOR CRYIN” OUT LOUD!!!!

I’m just sayin’.

On a serious note, I look at the country scape, suburban scape, or where ever you have your eyes set right now,  (if you live in the heartland) and I want to weep.  I will accept the 95 degree days if we could just get water to our trees and crops.  In all of my years, I have not witnessed such a sad state of affairs.

What happens when trees totally dry out?  Do they just fall over?  I keep imagining trees falling randomly onto roads and highways.

Where do we get water if our lake source dries up?

What happened to Atlanta when their lake source dried up a couple of years ago?

What is going to happen to our trees that are indigenous to this area when they are no longer capable of surviving?

Are we going to be witness to a severe shift in our environment and ecology?  Our environment may survive this season,  but two seasons in a row?

Am I being paranoid?  Maybe.

We say the Serenity Prayer a lot around here:

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

The courage to change the things I can,

And the wisdom to know the difference.

I need to say it more often so that I can stop worrying about things I have no control over.  I obviously think that if I worry enough that it will start raining.   Or worse yet   cynicism  will creep in because I have lost faith that it will ever rain.  That is the worst thing that I could do.  Cynicism is more toxic than worrying.  So, I think I’ll jump back on the saddle and say my Serenity prayer.

Homemade pickles

We have cucumbers coming out of our ears!  Many recipes I have looked at contained sugar.  I did not want to do that.  This recipe is supposedly the same as Bubbies.  Found in grocery stores.  Kind of considered top of the line, old style, wonderful pickles.  My family are pickle snobs so this was/is tricky for me. Ours are done and they taste wonderful.   What is really cool is that it said if I wanted my pickles to keep a crispness crunch to add oak leaves to the jars.  We only have 90 acres of oak trees so it was my pleasure to oblige.   We like crispy pickles.

If you are growing them, please use this recipe.  It is yummy and healthy.  If you are not, buy pickle cucumbers at your farmer’s market and make them.  It is super easy.

If you do not have a lot of experience in fermentation of foods (natural way of preserving food which has been used hundreds of years until we discovered chemicals) it may be scary as it contradicts the way we have been taught to preserve food.  I have been doing it for 7 years and it works.  And not only does it work,  it provides you with naturally grown probiotics which we all need desperately.

Pickles from the Shieling

The following ingredients will fulfill the requirements for a 1/2 gallon ball jar.  Use less if using smaller jars. You may use whole, spears or any cut you would like pickles.

Fill jar with pickles

Add:

3 T. non- iodized sea salt

1 Head of garlic, peeled chopped

1.5 T. whole dill seed

1 T. whole coriander seed

1/2 t. whole mustard seed

1/2 t. whole peppercorns

1/2 t. fennel seed

1/2 t. red pepper flakes

1-3 oak or grape leaves

Fill jar with filtered warm water and put lid on.  Shake about to dissolve salt and mix ingredients.  Open jar back up and put a weight of some sort on top of water to keep the cucumbers submerged.  You do not want the pickles to get air during the fermentation process.  You can use  a stone or small tile.  I used two sticks crisscrossed that were wedge into the neck of the jar.  It keeps contents stuck underneath.   Keep a loose seal on jar lid.  Set in nice warm place for 1-4 weeks.  Check after a week and see if they are tasty enough for you.  I kept mine on the shelf for 2 weeks and they were perfect.  Afterwards place them in cool place (refrigerator or cellar) for as long as it takes to eat them.  Once they are done sitting and you put them in fridge it is no longer necessary to keep weight on pickles.  They are self preserved through the fermentation process.  Enjoy!

As I finish this post after starting last night, I’d like to report 1/4 inch of rain.  It was specTACular!

God bless,

Karen

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July 15, 2012 · 21:59

“You Cant Always Get What You Want, But If You Try Sometime

..You just might find, you get what you need.”

Words sung by the beloved Rolling Stones.

Can’t  speak of them without paying homage to them, now can I?

I did not take this photo, although it would have been pretty cool if I had.

Not sure there is anyone out there who hasn’t sung that  tune under their breath at some point or another to themselves or directed at someone else.   I think I walked away from my kids on numerous occasions hummin’ the tune.   It’s easy to sing it about someone else but it stings when you have to sing it to yourself.

There are definitely some things that I want.  I want real bad.  And it has become obvious to me that I (and our society as a whole) have a hard time differentiating between  wants and needs.  I say “need” a lot.    I need to take a shower.  I need new sheets.  I need to eat dessert.  I need to cut the grass. I need to comb my hair.  I need to hem my pants.  I need to buy more spatulas to add to my other 5 because I may need to flip 6 things at once.    These aren’t real needs, are they?   I think we say “need” to convince ourselves of the urgency of our wants.  We learn when we are toddlers to interject  that urgent word to be taken seriously.  I NEEEEEED that cookie!!!!!!

Ok.. So what do I want so badly today?  MILK!!!!!  I know I don’t NEED milk because I have gone 7 years without it and have felt great.  In fact, I have felt better living without it than living with it.  But my mind has convinced me that I need it.  I yearn for it.  The honest truth is I would love a tall glass of cold, cold milk.  I miss it.  And I’d like to see it in my life again.  No big deal.  So why have I gone to such great lengths to touch it to my lips again?  Maybe I’m OCD.  Who knows.

I cannot tolerate cow dairy.   I figured that out 7 years ago.  Felt sick from it for 30 years prior to the discovery.  But, hey, who’s counting?   When we bought the property 5 years ago, I began planning our dairy goat venture.  5 years of research led me down the road to buying 3 goats.  2 does and 1 buck.  I had the set up for many years of milk production to fill my tummy with yummy thick 6.5% butterfat milk.   COULD NOT WAIT.  Got the girls pregnant.  Waited patiently, then impatiently for many more months than it should have taken for these little kiddies to be born.  The day arrived.

I began milking the two does several weeks ago.  Between the two of them I got about 6 ounces.  Ok.  That’s ok, I thought.  We’ll get there.  I brought the milk in, strained it, plunged it in ice water then stuck it in the fridge.  I am a huge advocate of raw milk.  Many medicinal qualities and unbelievable amount of nutrients that are killed through pasteurization.  (I will tell that story another day). I wanted those nutrients.!!!   I wanted my body to feel what it was like to have those intense nutrients.  The milk tasted U.N.B.E.L.I.E.V.A.B.L.E.

Two days into the milking, I began to get the same symptoms that I get with cow milk.  Respiratory infection symptoms.  By the way,  this has nothing to do with raw milk.  I got the same symptoms from pasteurized milk.  There is enough difference in goat milk and cow milk I was hoping that difference was going to be the difference for me.

I have “leaky gut syndrome”  (I know, sounds gross.)  which is where the intestinal wall is weak in some places and undigested proteins from foods leak out into the blood stream and poison the body.  The intestinal wall can heal and people can resume foods but mine must not be healed completely.  And may never.    Lots of foods can do this and manifest itself in many ways in the body creating symptoms of illness that may not seem related to food.  We think that all food problems will only be felt in the stomach.

Our bodies can be compromised and weakened by many things we consume.  Processed foods.  Chemicals.  Alcohol.  Sugar.  Gluten.    And then, if compromised, the foods that can wreak havoc are corn, gluten, dairy, tomatoes, and nuts.  Probably meat for some people.  Things that are more complicated in nature that take extra time,  energy  and enzymes to digest.

So……. I have 6 goats.  And I can’t drink the milk.  Got goats?  Got milk?   Yes.   And since I haven’t gotten more than 6 ounces at a time and everyone else here can drink cow dairy, I am baggin’ the dairy thing.  (I think…)  I am very disappointed as I have spent an enormous amount of time learning, dreaming,  planning, etc.  and I am at a loss.  I feel really sad that I didn’t get what I want.   My plan did not work out.  Maybe I shouldn’t put so much stock into “my” plan.   My warped mind still keeps trying to figure this out.  I think, surely, I can get this thing to work in my favor.  When you spend so much time working toward something it should work, right?  That’s what I think.   But I’m afraid it is not to be.

But I always get what I need.  Thank God for that.

God bless,

Karen

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July 10, 2012 · 05:00

Omega What?

Omega 3.  What is it?  We are reading it on a  lot of labels, aren’t we?  Omega 6.  Same thing.  What the heck?  Why does it matter?  Sometimes I think the “whoe’er out there”  just makes this stuff up.     (I wont go there…I want to be positive)

But we DO need to talk about the Omega 6’s and 3’s.

Omega 6 AND 3 are fatty acids that we need for a healthy body.  Our body does not make them.  We  get them through our foods.  Once consumed, they are converted into the building blocks for hormones that control immune function, blood clotting, and cell growth as well as components of cell membranes.  In my book, important stuff.

THE IMPORTANT THING IS that it needs to be in balance in our bodies to work properly.   THE TYPICAL AMERICAN IS NOT BALANCED.   The ideal ratio is 2:1 (omega 6: omega 3). The typical American has a ratio of 20:1.  Not good.

What happens when we are out of balance with our 6’s and our 3’s?  Well….  This is what my research turns up:

The imbalance causes an inflammatory environment causing chronic conditions such as asthma, allergies, diabetes and arthritis.   As well as heart problems and depression.    That is not good.

****What may seem really bizarre is that many people who eat very healthily can be susceptible to these chronic diseases because they are out of balance.

What we have to remember is that Omega 6  is necessary and good ONLY if it is balanced with the omega 3.

So what foods have omega 6 and what foods have omega 3,  you ask?

Omega-6

Vegetable oils: grape seed, cottonseed, safflower, corn and sunflower oils.

Processed foods.  Most made with very cheap oils.

Grains

Meat

Dairy

As you can see many of these items are good for us.  And that is not the issue.  The issue is keeping all in balance.

Omega-3

Flax seed/oil

Cod liver oil and fish oil ( the label above is THE BEST you can buy.)

Walnuts

Beans (not all beans are rich in omega-3.  Some are more than others.

Fish

Olive, macadamia, avocado and coconut oils.

Grass fed meat and chickens.

Free range eggs

So while it is not necessary to refrain from the omega-6 rich foods, it is vital that you add more of the omega -3 rich foods with it.

How to balance:

Eat walnuts instead of almonds, every other time.  Don’t forget to soak and dry first both almonds and walnuts!  Almonds are very high in 6 while walnuts are high is 3.

Eat fish more often.

Take cod liver oil or fish oil. Fermented is the best kind and can be purchased online.  I buy a year supply at a time.

Switch oils. Remember oils come in many different forms.  Lots and lots of processed food uses oils.  Including anything that tries to look or act like butter.

DONT EAT PROCESSED FOODS!!!!!

Eat less grains and eat more beans.

Drizzle flaxseed oil on foods high in omega-6

Chronic diseases are ruling our culture and our health care.

Take great care of yourself!

God bless,

Karen

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July 1, 2012 · 22:44

Pondering Hospitality……

I have pondered this word for the 5 years that we have owned this property.   I have prayed about this word.  I have prayed that He would teach me the meaning of this word.  I have bought books on Amazon about hospitality.  Can I  grasp the meaning and become a “woman of hospitality“?   Somehow, I believe there is a difference between the words “hospitality” and “entertaining”.  Something tells me that it is something to be had.  Something that would make me a better person.  Something that I would like to provide to others.

I looked the two words up.

hospitality |ˌhäspiˈtalitē|
noun
the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.

entertainment |ˌentərˈtānmənt|
noun
the action of providing or being provided with amusement or enjoyment : everyone just sits in front of the TV for entertainment.
• an event, performance, or activity designed to entertain others : a theatrical entertainment.
• the action of receiving a guest or guests and providing them with food and drink.

The  words that I zeroed in on in these definitions are “friendly”, and “generous” in hospitality.  And ” action” in entertainment.  Could it be that one is simply executing an action when we entertain?  and the other is a gesture of love?   a “friendly and generous” gift?

Prior to reading these definitions I had a feeling.  Have you ever stopped by a friend’s house, maybe even unannounced, and it was if they were there waiting for your arrival?  When you stepped in  you notice that the house could use a little attention,  but they offer no excuses or apologies??   They offer you water and a kitchen chair and somehow at their house that sounds like the perfect invitation?  That,  to me, speaks hospitality.

I have been to people’s homes where I have gotten that gesture of love.  I want to know how to do that.  Some people are born with that gift.  Some people (like me) have to pray that that gift can be taught to them.

When we bought this property, we bought it with the idea of  opening it up to people who would like to come for retreats, solitude, and experience the awe of beautiful nature.  I know that if this is what we have the privilege of doing, then this girl needs some work.

I have decided that entertainment is something that is controlled and manipulated by the host. The guest is told what time to arrive.    Not early and preferably not late.  They will be fed such and such with little or no flexibility.  They are told when it is time to go home.  Almost like a task that will be checked off when it is over.  The host might even get a little irritated if the guest varies from the expectations of the host.  I have been there for years and years.   I have been there.  I want to skip down the path to greener pastures.

So what does that look like?  I think we have to be filled with a grace to be able to do it.  Speaking for myself,  I am not naturally  that giving of myself and my time.

I want to open my door to my guests when THEY feel they need or want to be here.  I want them to feel that they are that important in my life.  I don’t want it to be about the image I am trying to convey through my china or drink or extravagant menu.  I want my food to be their food even if it is just peanut butter and jelly or cultured veggies.    I want to be humble enough to allow them to share  their gifts with us while they are here.  I want to be more interested in what they have to say and what their experiences are than what mine are.  I want them to be able to sit in silence in my home if that is what they want.  I want them to achieve their goal for being here, not mine.  I want my home to be their home.

We just had a wonderful couple visit for 7 days.  They came on their terms.  They called and wanted to come and wanted to come for 7 days.   I prayed about it for a long time before they came.  Please help me to welcome them in my home this time and always and give to them freely as their needs/wants arise.  How did I do, you ask?  Well……. hmmmm… I was given sufficient grace to say I did … ok.  It did not look like entertaining.  The kind I used to know.  I’m not sure it looked like hospitality completely.  But it sure didn’t look like entertainment.  Baby steps.

Tall order, eh?  (“Eh” is for our Canadian guests.  More fondly referred to as “fererners”)

Please share any tips you have to become a better hospitality woman or man.  I welcome any thoughts!

God bless,

Karen

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June 24, 2012 · 22:43

Call In The Recipes

My brain wavin’

Here is the dilemma….  I cook every night.  I never use recipes.  I can’t/shouldn’t eat most of what is out there so I make up stuff.  All the wonderful recipes on Epicurious, Food Network, or what else….Allrecipes.com.  Oh and Paula Deen.  Poor thing.    Her french toast made with Crispy Creme doughnuts wont work for me.  Although it sounds SOOO good.  Can I just have A bite!  Please?   You know where they are and we will leave them be.   Cause I can’t eat them.

I am all about cookie and other baking recipes.  I am constantly trying to get down recipes that are the least damaging to my system.  So it is a trial and error effort.  I’ll get there.  And I AM getting there.  My family is really enjoying them at this point.   That is good for  YOU to know.  That means I am making progress.

Where am I going with this?   The recipes I post are simple.  and in rough measurements since I make up a lot.   Recipes with lots of gobbleygook have too many ingredients that are not good for me and in many cases for you too.  So what you will mostly find here is good whole real food prepared simply.  AND sweet recipes that have been experimented upon with some decent success.  AND other things.  what?

Trust me on some of this stuff.  Because  my family is “normal” not a freak like me.  And they love it.  Even da babae.

On a side note….The photo above was taken by my son when he was showing me cool things my camera can do.  I have used a few photos so far in this blog that are not mine.  Ex.  the twinkie, the cow bones, etc.  It freaks my brain.   Its like posting a painting of someone else’s and calling it mine.  I know it’s just a twinkie.  But I am going to try REAL hard to post only photos that come from my camera.  Beware.  People want food pics when they see a recipe.  I will make a sincere effort going forward.    That will be a hard one to remember.

Mix Veggies on Rice

There. We have a cabbage. That I took the photo of.

Serves 4

It is a delightfully sweet taste sensation

1 head of cabbage chopped organic

1 sweet red pepper chopped organic

1/2 onion chopped  organic (do I need to  keep saying that?)

a couple of carrots   orga….

a couple of teaspoon Cumin

a couple of  Tablespoons of Ghee or butter

a splash or two of hot sauce.

Sautee on med. heat for about 1/2 hour.  I usually cook until all is soft and a little of the cabbage and onion is  crusty brown.

Serve over brown long grain rice.  Makes a  nice meal.

Blueberry/Peach Crisp. My photo. I can do it.

YUMMY Blueberry/Peach  (or anything else) Crisp

Proven wonderful by normal people!  I have reduced the amount  of sweetness by at least half and it works well.  Serve it warm with ice cream.  We use natural vanilla ice cream always because it has the least amount of ingredients.  For people like me,  I use a coconut milk ice cream that is vanilla flavored or greek plain yogurt with a little stevia (natural sweetener).

1 pint blueberries

3 cut up peaches

1/4 cup of raw honey

2/3 cup flour  – don’t use bleached white flour.  Use the best flour you can get.  Or better yet use the gluten free recipe and give your body a rest from the wheat.  My people cannot tell the difference.(Gluten free people use  – split equally rice flour, sorghum flour, tapioca flour and 3/4 t. xanthum gum)

1/3 cup coconut palm sugar. Regular brown sugar will work fine but……

1 t. cinnamon

1 cup of rolled organic oats

8 T.   butter  organic

1 cup chopped nuts.  Pecans or walnuts.  Soak your nuts ahead of time and dry in oven.

Put fruit in 9 x 9 pan and toss with honey

In a bowl put dry ingredients, mix.  Grate cold butter into mixture and add nuts and oats.  Mix all together and sprinkle over top of fruit.    Super Super  Duper!

See, I can put together a recipe.  Surprised even myself.

Two out of the 24 blueberries we got this year.

God bless,

Karen

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June 15, 2012 · 11:44

The Legend Is Truer Than I Knew

Broth is  “sick”.  That is what my kids say when something is really cool.  But I just learned in the last year just how “sick” broth is.

Bone Broth.  I am SO glad I have acquired this knowledge now that we are producing meat.  I can just imagine myself  when it is time to butcher saying to the guy, ” Dont want the bones or anything but steak and hamburger.”   I am realizing some of this stuff is WAY more nutritious than the meat.

I haven’t gotten into beef broth as much as I have chicken broth yet since I don’t have an accumulation of beef bones at any  one time.  I am sure I could get any amount I want from the butcher.  I will check that out.   But the beef bones are coming from our pasture soon!

Broth heals us and it is true what Grandma says about sipping it when we are sick, but it is SO much more than that and I am working at incorporating it into our daily life.  It is one of those total SUPER foods that boosts our health to grand levels.

So what does it do for us, you ask?

Well, it does this:

It is chock – full of  minerals.  We are mineral deficient in a BIG way.  We spend a lot of time concentrating  on just the vitamins that are vital.  To be deficient in minerals is devastating.

It nourishes our immune system.  This feeds our whole system  and keeps illness at bay.  Healthy and Strong.

It enhances our digestion system.  Through all that I have learned,  the digestion system is where it is at.  If it is struggling and compromised, then we are free to welcome all forms of bacteria.

It feeds our body collagen where it is needed:  joints, ligaments, tendons, skin (supple skin reducing wrinkles) , membranes, mucus and bones.

Not a bad deal, eh?

When we eat chicken, I take all the bones when we are finished (yes, all the bones that are gnawed on by individuals) and throw them in a pot.  Fill it with filtered water.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 24 hours or more.  What is left is this wonderful broth that is very gelatinous.  I pour into a Ball jar and pop into the freezer.   I use it for lots  of things.  When a recipe calls for water or liquid, broth, etc.  I use the bone broth.  It just absolutely cannot be beat in nutrition.  It is wonderful when cooking rice, vegetables, soups, drink alone, quinoa or other grains.

There is so much wrong with the broth we purchase today.  Canned broth- salt and BPA’s.   Boxed broth- salt and wax from container.    Cubes- salt and what is that stuff anyway??

I CANNOT wait to get my hands on the cow bones. 

I am tempted to scream this from my roof top:

CONVENIENCE IS NOT CONVENIENT WHEN OUR QUALITY  AND QUALITY OF LIFE IS COMPROMISED.

BONE BROTH

Bones of an animal

Filtered water to cover bones

Veggies (optional)

Spices (optional)

Bring to boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 24-48 hours.   Less for fish.  More for beef.

YUMMMMMMO.

Have a super weekend!  If you have ideas of what else to do with broth, please share!

On a side note…I looked up the word  “chock” that I used above.  As it sits alone – chock- the def. doesn’t support my use of it.  But there is a word, “chock-full” that does.  And it looks like that: chock-full.  Not chock full, or chockful.  Weird.

Another word thing.  I use the word “smegma” a lot.  I use it to refer to slimy yucky stuff which I see a lot of around here.   I looked it up to see if it was actually a word or did I make it up.

It means:

Smegma (Greek smēgma, “soap”[1]) is a combination of exfoliated (shed) epithelial cells, transudated skin oils, and moisture. It occurs in both female and male mammalian genitalia.

Ooops.  My apologies for misusing a word over and over and with your permission, I would like to continue using  it in the same way I have been using it.

God bless,

Karen

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June 11, 2012 · 11:31

Is Sugar a Food Group?

You would think.         

Before I delve into the wonderful alternatives and healthier substitutes for sugar, I would like to preface this by explaining the ways you are consuming sugar without knowing it.    Some of the few:   Anything made with bread.   Sandwiches.    Alcohol.  Pizza.  Macaroni and Cheese.   Snack bars.   These are  “Simple Carbohydrates”.   A common thread here is processed food/starches.   These foods enter into our bodies  and then are  converted into sugar.  And our bodies have to process it in the same way as a candy bar basically.  After we complete a day of eating what we consider to be generally  healthy food,  we stretch our arms big and wide, and proud and say, “Yeah , a nice  dessert should  be in order after a day of  conscientious eating.”  And if you don’t know better, that seems totally logical.  I did FOR YEARS!     Often times by dessert time we have had more sugar than any other food group.

These simple carbs are processed.  They are sneaky.  We don’t know what they are doing  TO us.

Sugar is addictive and poisonous.

I am really not all bearer of bad news.  Really, I can be quite positive.  But this blog is about good whole foods.  Not poison.  I love sweets!  I spend a great deal of my time experimenting in an effort to enjoy without getting sick.   We all get sick from sugar.  All those nasty symptoms you feel on a daily basis can be attributed to sugar in most cases.  Headaches.  Colds.  Stomach aches.  diarrhea.  Constipation.

THOSE AILMENTS ARE NOT NORMAL!

That bears repeating.

THOSE AILMENTS ARE NOT NORMAL!

From there it can grow into Hypo/Hyperglycemia.  Diabetes.  Cancer.  Immune  Depression. Adrenal fatigue.  A host of others but we will leave it at that.  For many,  many people it has grown into those diseases.   No thank you.

OOOOKKKAAAYYYYY.

Not all is doomed.  Remember,  whole real foods is the key here.  And anytime we can REDUCE and IMPROVE the sweet intake, the less damage done.

This is about progress NOT perfection.

When we eat whole foods, we have a complete knowledge of how much sugar we are intaking.   And when we prepare our own foods we know as well.  Changing our eating habits is hard.  It takes effort.  We have  to decide to make our decisions thoughtfully and with a purpose.  I know for me, I have spent a good deal of my life just moving through life not giving thought to what I was eating, or where it came from or how it was processed.  I was really ignorant to that information.  That is not good.  We are only on this train once.  The trip should be awesome! Not short sighted.

HONEY
Whole food.  Honey can substituted in almost all cases.  It has many nutrients.
100% PURE MAPLE SUGAR
Whole Food.  It can be substituted in almost all cases.  It has many nutrients.

COCONUT PALM SUGAR
Whole food.  Has been dried to a granule.  It is granule like sugar and can be substituted  in all cases.  It very high in nutrients.  It is unrefined.  Organic.  Has not been processed.

STEVIA
It is from a plant found in South America.  It is very concentrated and is not good for baking.  I sweeten drinks or hot cereal with it.

DATES OR OTHER DRIED FRUIT THAT HAS NOT HAD SUGAR ADDED TO IT.
Sometimes I bake cookies and the complete source of sweetener will be dates.

Those are the five  I use exclusively.  I reduce  the amount called for always because I feel we WAY over sugar our foods.  So If a recipe calls for 1 cup, I will reduce it to 2/3.  If the recipe tastes sweet then next time I will reduce it down to 1/2 cup.  If that is satisfactory, then I will keep it there.

The sweeteners I have discussed above, I use sparingly.   They are not used on a daily basis.  We try to enjoy a dessert once a week.  Sometimes twice.

Sugars that talk a good line but I have learned are no- no are:

Agave –   It is processed and has been compared to corn syrup in its processing.

Brown Sugar  – is nothing but white sugar with Molasses added to it.  It is NOT healthier than white.  I think sometimes we think if something is brown, it is healthy.????  Like eggs.  Brown eggs come from certain breeds.  White eggs come from others.  No difference.

All the “natural” sugars. – Turbinado.  Sucanat Sugar.  Florida crystals.  They have all been refined and nutrients taken out.   Molasses has been added to make it look natural.

I have added molasses to sugar to make brown sugar before when I didn’t have brown sugar.  It is the same thing.

Molasses – is a “waste” product  from the processing of white can sugar.

The following recipe is wonderful.  I have taken a recipe that is predominately whole food.  I have cut ingredients to reduce sugar impact.  And they are delightful.

**Please note that I will never share a recipe with you that I have not shared with others and have received rave reviews.

The ingredients will surprise you.  And the results will even more!!!

BROWNIES

Preheat oven 325 degrees.

1 16 oz. jar salted almond butter.  organic.

2 eggs

2/3 cup raw honey (the recipe calls for 1 1/4 cup.  I reduced it as low as 1/2 cup.  not satisfying enough.  found satisfaction at 2/3 c. )

1 T Vanilla

1/2 c. cocoa powder. organic.  The only ingredient should be cocoa.

1/2 t. sea salt

1 t. baking soda

1 cup of dark chocolate chips. organic.   I use about 2/3 that.  Find the darkest chips you can find.  They will be the purest in form. ***** Remember when stuff is taken out, stuff is added to take its place.

1 cup of  walnuts or pecans.  organic (IF you can  buy raw, soak them in salt water over night and dry them in lowest temp in oven until crispy , usually about 24 hours.  I do this will all nuts and make about 3 lbs at a time and always have them on hand. This process removes harmful enzymes within the nut that wreaks havoc on our digestive system.  )

Blend each ingredient before adding the next.

Place in 9 x  13  glass or ceramic pan.  Bake 35-40 minutes.

Please let me know what you think of them!!  I would be interested in feedback.

God bless,

Karen

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June 4, 2012 · 05:00

Lighten Up! Why Don’t You…

….ON YOUR FAT FREE’S, YOUR “LIGHT” FOODS AND WHAT E’R.

Our poor food industry people have done such a number on us and it leaves me buggy eyed and confused (because it is SO hard to get my mind turned around facing the opposite direction).  I call them “poor”  because I feel sorry for them.  It is a sad state of affairs that the people we have come to entrust our health to have failed us.   I pray we can look beyond the greed and power and that some day they  will fall to their knees asking for help to see clearly .  Truly.  I pray that.  In the meantime, we must take the authority back.   Why is our health care in such a state of chaos?  Because our health has failed.  Why?  Because we consume massive amounts of chemicals, dyes, fake hormones, antibiotics, steroids, plastics, and on and on.  Even the vitamins that they put in our food after they squish the natural ones out through processing are fake.  Synthetic.  Lab made.

We make fun of the Twinkie.   I was not a chocolate fan growing up.  I LOVED Twinkies when I was little.  Probably still do!  It has a shelf life of a zillion years.  Based on the ingredients of many other yummy treats I have looked at today must also have a shelf life of the same number of years.  Why do they get such a bad rap?  They are so cute a fluffy.  And bouncy.  Yummo.

It has to be about more than “yummo” I am afraid.

So I spent too long ranting about things I like to rant about.  I have gotten side tracked.  Forgive me.

Did you know that when they advertise “light”  or  “1/2 the fat”  or “fat free”  they always have to add things to make up for the stuff they are removing?  Cant be as easy as taking out and still tasting good, right?  Dang the bad luck.

I list a few things here.  Dont feel you need to read the ingredients carefully.  I just want to give you an idea of what happens.

God knew exactly what he was doing when he provided these food items for us. He is awesome.

This is the greatest.  Enjoy this display of  I- don’t -even -know -what -you- would -call- it.

BUTTER –   Ingredients:  Sweet cream. (and salt if you choose)

BUTTER LIGHT  –  Ingredients:  Water, Butter, Canola, Buttermilk, Food  Starch,- Modified, Tapioca Maltodextrin, Salt, Distilled Monoglycerides, Lactic Acid, Potassium Sorbate and Sodium Benzoate (preservatives), Natural Flavor, Xanthum Gum, PGPR, Beta Carotene (color)

Does than seem light to you?  Heavy to me.   Why doesn’t real butter have preservatives?  Are we actually preserving the junk we are adding to the butter?  Do those ingredients read “health” to you?

On to the next…….

EGG – Ingredients: an egg.

EGGBEATERS – Great way to lower cholesterol and what e’r cause egg is not good for you.  REALLY?  What IS all that stuff listed down here?  Dont let all that vitamin lookin’ stuff fool you, please.)

Ingredients:        Egg Whites, Less than 1%: Natural Flavor, Color (Includes Beta Carotene), Spices, Salt, Onion Powder, Vegetable Gums (Xanthan Gum, Guar Gum), Maltodextrin. Vitamins and Minerals: Calcium Sulfate, Iron (Ferric Phosphate), Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol Acetate), Zinc Sulfate, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin), Vitamin B1 (Thiamine Mononitrate), Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride), Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin D3

That is one honkin’ egg full of goodness and, well, …egg.

okay on to the next……

VANILLA YOGURT (popular brand) – Ingredients: Milk, Cream, Sugar, Tara Gum, Natural Flavor.

VANIILLA YOGURT 1/2 THE FAT–  Ingredients:  Skim Milk, Sugar, Corn Syrup, Cream, Whey, Mono and Diglycerides, Carob bean gum, Guar Gum, Natural Flavor, Carrageenan, Bitamin A Palmitate, Tara Gum.

VANILLA YOGURT  NO SUGAR ADDED  – Ingredients:  Skim milk, Cream, Polydestrose, Sorbitol, Maltodextrin (corn), Whey, Glycerin, Cellulose GEl, Mono and Diglycerides, Guar Gum, Tara Gum Xanthan Gum, Cullulose Gum, Carob Bean Gum, Natural Flavor, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose (Splenda) Vitamin A Palmitate, Annatto (for color)

You have all this in your pantry, right?

To make yogurt you just soak milk in a culture over night and you got it.  My body does not want all this stuff, I’m thinkin’.  It takes as fast to make yogurt as it takes to raise the carton up off the shelf.

HOMEMADE YOGURT

1/2 C.  of Organic Plain Whole Milk Yogurt.

1 Quart  Whole Organic Milk     “Pasteurized” .  If you cant find that use “Ultra Pasteurized”.

Gently heat milk up to 185 degrees and then cool to 110 degrees.  Stir in the yogurt.  Cover and place in warm oven 150 degrees or dehydrator,  or crockpot over night.  In morning put in fridge.  During the course of the day if any whey swims on top, just spoon it off and your yogurt will be thicker.

For the next batch use a 1/2 c. of the end of this batch for the starter for the next.  You only have to buy the yogurt one time.

Add fruit, granola, nuts, vanilla or any other delectable to your yogurt if you prefer.

God bless,

Karen

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