real food cook

you are you, and that’s good!

got this from the fabulous site of nell stephenson, check her out if you haven’t already!  her recipes for Christmas celebrations look amazing, and i am excited to make her “stuffing”.  what do you think?

nell writes:

If you’re really jonesing for an eggnog, following is a recipe for one which you can make with coconut milk (just a reminder NOT to use canned- as it often contains guar gum, derived from a bean, and thus, not Paleo!).  I’ve found this online, and, to make an example out of how you can convert a non-Paleo recipe to one that is, I’ve made some changes in red:

8 egg yolks

4 cups coconut milk or cream

8 tablespoons dark rum Easy enough to omit- or use natural rum extract flavoring

6 tablespoons white sugar Skip this, or use a bit of honey- as per The Paleo Diet- ok to use on rare occasions…

2 teaspoons vanilla essence

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, ground

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, ground

Coconut Eggnog Directions

Into a large saucepan, pour the coconut milk/ cream and add the white sugar.

Heat BUT DO NOT BOIL over a medium heat.

In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the vanilla essence.

Into the bowl, pour approximately half the coconut milk & sugar mixture.

Whisk briskly.

Add the remainder of the coconut milk & sugar mixture.

Pour the combined mixture back into your large saucepan.

Wash out the large bowl because you’ll need it again in a few minutes.

Cook over a low heat BUT DO NOT BOIL, ensuring that you continuously stir.

Continue stirring until the eggnog thickens slightly – enough to be able to coat the back of a spoon.

Pour & strain the eggnog back into the (washed, rinsed & dried) large bowl.

Allow the eggnog to sit and cool until it becomes room temperature.

Stir in the dark rum.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, but preferably overnight.

Just prior to serving, combine the ground nutmeg & ground cinnamon on a small dish, and sprinkle a little of the mixture on top of each served glassful of your delicious coconut eggnog!

Enjoy the holiday shopping, warm beverage in hand, with the knowledge that you’ve not strayed off your Paleo track, and as a result, you’ve avoided adding a few hundred empty sugar calories to boot!

rfc says:  we will be enjoying this on Christmas eve, you can be sure!

another item i have spent a lot of time researching is my personal need to move and exercise.  i have gotten incredibly lazy, and it shows in every area of my life (from my increased weight to lack of energy).

i have made a commitment to move (either walking or swimming) every morning.  today was day one and i got a 30 minute walk in by 8am.  want to join me?  just leave a comment for some encouragement.

make it a great day- & MOVE IT!

it’s been a long time since i have taken the time to share what’s been happening around here.  a revolution!

more & more i read we don’t need carbohydrates, certainly not in the amounts we are eating.  so, we are  now on a  “paleo friendly” diet which is reflected in my recipes and life.  this is our menu plan for the week.  starting each day with breakfast i am sure you can follow along…

mon:

• vanilla berry smoothie, sausage & melon
• paleo fish tacos, oranges
• leftover mexican soup & green salad

tue:

• low carb muffins, cheddar cheese, pears
• inside out ham sandwiches, apples
• meatloaf, green salad & winter squash medley

wed:

• gluten free breakfast bars, fresh berries & yogurt
• green salad w/ grilled chicken, cashews, strawberries
• mince, fauxtatoes, asparagus

thu:

• vanilla berry smoothie, sausage & melon
• greek salad, hard boiled eggs
• chicken fajitas, green salad

fri:

• gluten free breakfast bars, fresh berries, yogurt
• green salad, hard boiled eggs, tomatoes
• succulent chicken, broccoli

sat:

• bacon, eggs & berries
• inside out roast beef sandwiches, apples & pears
• out to dinner!

i have been making fauxtatoes with cauliflower for several months now, but recently discovered (at elana amsterdam’s great site, www.elanaspantry.com) that putting them into the oven creates an even more delicious outcome.  her site is great, often paleo friendly (or easy to make her recipes so).  check it out!

The First Things First Principle

C.S. Lewis:

The woman who makes a dog the centre of her life loses, in the end, not only her human usefulness and dignity but even the proper pleasure of dog-keeping.

The man who makes alcohol his chief good loses not only his job but his palate and all power of enjoying the earlier (and only pleasurable) levels of intoxication.

It is a glorious thing to feel for a moment or two that the whole meaning of the universe is summed up in one woman—glorious so long as other duties and pleasures keep tearing you away from her. But clear the decks and so arrange your life (it is sometimes feasible) that you will have nothing to do but contemplate her, and what happens?

Of course this law has been discovered before, but it will stand re-discovery. It may be stated as follows: every preference of a small good to a great, or partial good to a total good, involves the loss of the small or partial good for which the sacrifice is made.

. . . You can’t get second things by putting them first. You get second things only by putting first things first.

—C.S. Lewis, “First and Second Things,” in God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics (Eerdmans, 1994), p. 280.

{HT: Joel Willitts}

This, of course, is reminiscent of Lewis’s comment in a letter to Dom Bede Griffiths (April 23, 1951):

“Put first things first and we get second things thrown in: put second things first and we lose both first and second things. We never get, say, even the sensual pleasure of food at its best when we are being greedy.”

having a plan for each week is a great help in budgeting and time management.  there are a number of bloggers who post their menu plans each monday, and i am joining them to help you.  My husband is working from home this week so breakfasts are a bit more extravagant than usual!

monday 3/1

breakfast: bacon, eggs & fruit

lunch: vegetable soup with cabbage, green beans, onion & tomato

dinner: spaghetti & green salad

tuesday 3/2

breakfast: sticky toffee stuffed pancakes with homemade whipped cream

lunch: peanut butter & jelly sandwiches & a banana

dinner: chicken fried rice

wednesday 3/3

breakfast: peanut butter smoothie & breakfast bars

lunch: leftover soup from monday

dinner: bacon, lettuce, avocado & tomato sandwiches

thursday 3/4

breakfast: gluten free crepes with strawberry jam

lunch: tuna melts in your mouth sandwiches and green salad

dinner: meatloaf, baked sweet potato and salad

friday 3/5

breakfast: orange bread, creamy dreamy orange freeze smoothies

lunch: peanut butter & jelly sandwiches and apple slices

dinner: roast chicken & winter root vegetables (beets, turnips, carrots, onions)

saturday 3/6

breakfast: sausage, eggs & cantaloupe

lunch: egg salad in homemade gluten free pita pockets with veggies

dinner: braised lamb shanks w/ white bean salad

sunday 3/7

breakfast: raspberry smoothie & fruit

lunch: mexican chicken & “rice”

dinner: homemade Armenian mezze with family



Menu planning is the single most important part of healthy eating I can share with you.  I used to look at the clock about 5 pm every night and have zero idea what I would be feeding my family.  This led me to the store where we all spend more money (hint: stay out of the store, save money!).

With a plan I am much more likely to prepare our meals, thereby saving the money we might otherwise spend on take out or less nutritious fare.

Here is my meal plan for the next seven days:

2/19

Br: Grain free nut granola (homemade) with raw milk and oranges

Lu: Green salad with tomato, grilled chicken breast & green bell pepper

Dr: White chili & green salad

2/20

Br: Purely pecan pancakes with maple syrup and melon

Lu: Curry chicken salad on lettuce leaves

Dr: Vegetable frittata

Make bread for tomorrow

2/21

Br: Yogurt, fresh fruit & sausage

Lu: Egg salad sandwiches & fruit

Dr: Our local chicken farmer is hosting a dinner tonight so we will be there.

2/22

Br: Almond cherry muffins & yogurt

Lu: Soup made with homemade broth, corn celery & shredded chicken

Dr: Taco salad with avocado, tomato, kidney beans, cheddar cheese and tortilla chips

Make sandwich rolls for tomorrow

2/23

Br: Yogurt & fruit

Lu: Baked beans & hot dogs

Dr: Sloppy Joe’s on sandwich rolls with green salad

Make bread for lunch tomorrow

2/24

Br: Peanut butter smoothie & homemade snack bars

Lu: Turkey sandwiches with tomato & avocado

Dr: Crock-pot chalupas with tortilla chips and green salad

2/25

Br: Bacon & eggs

Lu: Crackers with cheese and fresh fruit

Dr: Smothered pork chops, brown rice & green beans

2/26

Br: Parfait w/yogurt, fruit & granola

Lu: Ham & cheese rollups in lettuce

Dr: Homemade pizza and green salad

As I planned this menu I tried to use up what I already have in stock or in my pantry.  I am working very hard to feed my family of six for $150/week.  Keep in mind that we eat all organic produce, raw milk and locally grown meats so it’s more expensive than what is found in the local supermarket.  I also make all of our bread and we eat at home 99% of the time.

What does your menu plan look like for the next week?

Happy Cooking,

RFC

you’ve had several weeks now to get into the groove of weekly stock making.  how is that going?  this week i have sold all of the stock i generally have for my family so i will be making an additional 16 quarts tomorrow.

when we first journeyed into this wonderful nourishing of our bodies and our children i began making beet kvass.  my then 4 year old son HATED it, it’s still not something he willingly drinks.  beet kvass is a traditional fermented drink made with beets and whey.  i began making vegan kvass for one of my dear clients who does not use any dairy at all and i actually like it better!  it might be a very acquired taste for some, it’s earthy and salty, very thirst quenching on a hot day and an excellent flavor enhancer for soups and other dishes.  according to nourishing traditions: “this drink is valuable for it’s medicinal qualities and as a digestive aid.  beets are just loaded with nutrients.  one 4-ounce glass, morning and night, is an excellent blood tonic, promotes regularity, aid digestion, alkalized the blood, cleanses the liver and is a good treatment for kidney stones and other ailments”.

beet kvass

4-6 large organic beets, peeled and coarsely chopped (NOT shredded, chopped)

1/4 c. coconut water kefir

1 tsp. sea salt

filtered water

place the chopped beets, coconut kefir water & salt into a gallon glass jar.  add enough filtered water to fill the container.  stir it up, seal it tightly & put it into a dark cupboard for a few days (room temperature for several days).   shake it a few times each day.  your fermenting times will differ based on the temperature of your home, it will bubble and slightly fizz when it’s ready to go into cold storage.  take several sips twice daily and see how you feel.  let me know!

ever gone to the store and seen that quart of eggnog for $3.99 and wondered why it costs SO much?  i have, especially when the babies are begging me to buy some.

time to figure out my own… and it’s delicious!

if you want to make this for a special occasion be sure you make it ahead so the flavors can marry, meld, join, whatever you want to call it.

12 eggs, separated

1 c. rapadura (or sucanat)

½ tsp. salt

3 c. whipping cream

2 Tb. rapadura (or sucanat)

2 Tb. vanilla

8 c. whole raw milk (shaken to combine)

rum flavoring (ACH! I know, but it’s what makes the store bought stuff so yummy)

nutmeg if desired

first, separate the eggs.

add 1 c. of sweetener to the whites, beat until they are thick

add ½ tsp. salt to the yolks, beat until thick

combine the eggs together.

in a third bowl beat the whipping cream until it starts to thicken, then add 2 Tb. sweetener and the vanilla

finally add in the whole raw milk and about 2 tsp. of rum flavoring (you will have to adjust this to your own personal taste preference).

pour all of this into a gallon jug and chill it for serving (at which point you can add a dash of nutmeg on top if you wish).

although there are several steps involved in making this yummy treat (and three bowls!) it’s truly worth it.  i used raw milk and cream, pastured eggs and homemade vanilla- perhaps that’s why it’s so divine.real

if you’ve been with me on my journey for a little bit you’ve seen some changes, big changes.  i am really excited to get blogging again about real food cooking, revitalized health and wellness.  your journey might look different, but stick around and maybe we’ll learn something together.

if you are new to whole food cooking there are some basics to master, not hard, but critical to your overall health and well being. the most important item to have on hand is homemade bone building broth. chicken is our favorite; we drink it by the cup each morning with some sea salt added and use it as the basis for vegetable soups, the liquid for cooking brown rice, and a host of other recipes as well. reduced down and thickened with tapioca starch is makes a wonderful gravy, over just about anything….

chicken stock
1 whole free-range chicken or 2 to 3 pounds of bony chicken parts, such as necks, backs, breastbones, wings.
4 – 6 quarts fresh filtered water
2 Tb. vinegar
1 large onion, quartered
2 -4 carrots peeled and coarsely chopped
3-4 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 bunch parsley
1 bunch fresh thyme (or several Tb. dried)

optional ingredients include gizzards and feet. i always use feet!

put everything into the pot except the parsley. let stand 30 minutes to one hour.
put a low fire under the pot, you don’t want it to boil, just come up to a nice simmer. check on it after about an hour and then turn the heat up long enough to skim off all of the scum that comes to the tops of the pot (careful you don’t take out a lot of water in the process). lower the heat again and put on the lid (i put a weight on my lid so i don’t lose any of mine to evaporation).
simmer for 12 to 24 hours. the longer you cook the stock, the richer and more flavorful it will be. about 10 minutes before finishing the stock add the parsley (this imparts mineral ions to the broth).

after the stock cools skim off the fat. if you need to store the stock for more than a few days leave a layer of fat on the top as it keeps the stock underneath fresh.

you can use the meat from the whole chicken in things like enchiladas, chicken salad, etc.

this is the place to start regaining your health. once you have this mastered you can move on to the next phase which i will share next time!

(recipe adapted from nourishing traditions by sally fallon and mary enig)