Off the Rails But Still Rolling (and a Meatza Recipe)

Well, I tried to stay on track, but I am just off now.  I'm somewhere on the prairie (heheheh).  I've accepted the fact that chocolate is always going to be a part of my life.  I just have to be satisfied with the really dark stuff.  Yes, I have eaten chocolate every day for the past week.  Okay, week and a half.  Whatever.  *Sigh*  I just have to keep pushing on and looking at how far I've come instead of how far I have to go.

Recent Eats
I think our meals have been very random this week, in part because I have been so busy reading all three books in the Hunger Games series that I have been neglecting some of my duties!  I have been bringing alot of meals down to our warehouse because the men have been hard at work on a big project.  One day I made a "meatza" (see recipe below) and served it with green beans and corn.  I thawed out a frozen Paleo Lasagna (uses zucchini instead of noodles) and baked that along with some corn.  I really didn't care for it because the zucchini had taken on a pickled flavor but our new hired man said it was good.  One day I brought down sausage and fried potatoes.  Another time I brought grilled pork chops and creamed new potatoes with peas (definitely not paleo).  Last night I grilled burned some pork patties, so the dogs had a treat.  I served those with, you guessed it, corn!  Yes, I have cooked alot of corn this week, because our contractor brought out several bags from town.  While I have abstained, I don't have a problem serving it to the family because it is a naturally gluten-free, whole food.  Plus it is only available for a short time, so might as well indulge and enjoy!


Paleo Successes
 My hubby has seen the light on starting his day with a primal meal!  He used to eat a breakfast burrito every day.  I would stuff it with bacon, egg, cheese, and avocado and tomato if we had those.  The past few weeks he has been happy to eat all the fillings without the tortilla!  Now I have 2 big packs of tortillas sitting in my fridge, unopened, but I am so excited he has seen the wisdom of starting his day with protein alone, without the carbs.

Another success: getting the kids to eat "vinegar salad" with me.  I have long enjoyed my spring mix salad greens with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper.  I got my son to eat it with me a few times and told him he was my "salad buddy" (because I was the only one eating it before that).  I think that made it something special for him to share with me, and helped me convince him to eat it when he thought he didn't want it.  Now that my daughter is old enough to eat the lettuce without choking and she wants to eat whatever my son does, she has also been eating salad with me.  The past two days we've enjoyed vinegar salad topped with canned salmon.  I am so pleased that my kids eat veggies!



We harvested 2 cucumbers from our sad, dry garden.  They were actually really good!  We split one at lunch and one at dinner.  We have also started harvesting potatoes.  I am not eating them but my family has enjoyed them fried, mashed, and baked. 

And the biggest success, for me, is that I recently realized it has been a LONG time since I've had any Diet Coke.  I used to drink 2 or 3 a day!  I finally decided to quit because my son always wanted to drink it, and I knew it was horrible to give that to a 3 year old (he's 4 now, so that tells you how long it took me to quit).  I am so proud of myself for giving it up after years of being addicted.  Next up is coffee, but that is a loooong road too....


Failures 
 I made beef jerky last week and it molded before we ate it all.  So sad!  Also we haven't been eating as many veggies as we should.  But that is going to change!  I have a few zucchinis that need to be used, plus 2 big bags of baby carrots (I'm thinking skillet-roasted carrots, yummo!), and some kale.



Meatza
serves 6

2 lbs ground beef
1 egg
2 TBSP coconut flour (optional)
spices such as garlic powder, basil, oregano, salt, pepper
jarred spaghetti sauce (preferably gluten-free) or homemade pizza sauce
toppings: cheese, pepperoni, sun dried tomatoes, artichokes,  olives, etc

Mix ground beef, egg, coconut flour (if using), and any spices in 9 x 13 cake pan.  Pat down into a "crust".  Bake at 350 for 45 minutes, or until meat is brown and done all the way through.  "Crust" will have shrunk considerably.  Drain grease.  Spread sauce over all and top with any toppings desired.  Bake another 10 minutes or until cheese is melted.  Serve warm, with a fork. 


Happy Paleo Eating!

Day One of My August Paleo Challenge

During the month of August I'll be eating a pretty strict Paleo diet.  I'm blogging about it to inspire others to give it a try.  

For breakfast I ate scrambled eggs and bacon, and coffee with coconut milk (from the can).  Lunch was 2 peaches and a hamburger with spicy mustard and sauerkraut.  I really wanted some veggies, so I defrosted some frozen cauliflower in the microwave, wrapped it in tinfoil with butter, salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and threw it on the grill for a few minutes.  I will definitely repeat that in the future, especially since it's so hard to keep fresh produce around out here.  That's the beauty of eating Paleo- getting creative in the kitchen!  For dinner, I prepped 2 chickens I butchered this morning, and my hubby grilled them for me.  We'll have plenty of leftover chicken for the next couple of days.  After dinner I was really craving something sweet, so I ate a handful of frozen blueberries straight from the freezer.  Frozen fruit is an awesome Paleo dessert.

Analysis: I really didn't do well with vegetables today.  That's why it's always good to have a plan!  I found some fresh kale in the veggie drawer after lunch, and I really wish I had eaten it with my breakfast.  I've noticed that when I start my day with a side of kale, my energy levels are really steady all morning, as compared to eating just eggs and bacon.   

Tomorrow I'm going into town and I've made my plan (are you seeing a theme here?).  We're eating at a steakhouse so I'll have no problem ordering there.  I'll bring a Larabar for a snack, just in case.  (Larabars consist entirely of dried fruit and nuts.  I love the coconut cream pie flavor.  There is one flavor that has peanuts, so beware, as peanuts are legumes, and legumes are not Paleo).  I order my Larabars in bulk from Vitacost.  Other good snack options are nuts, jerky (just read the label to make sure there's no wheat hiding in there), fresh fruit and veggies, and hard boiled eggs.  Once your body adjusts to running on fat and protein instead of carbs, you won't need to snack as much.  



Would you ever eat a Paleo Diet?  Does it sound nuts to you?

Texas Caviar

I love corn and black beans together.  They are an eye-catching combination, and when you add some colorful tomatoes and avocados, you have a fiesta on your plate!  I have made many variations of this recipe over the years.  I love adding some finely diced red onion or fresh cilantro.  This is a frugal, simple side dish that's perfect for potlucks since it can be served at room temperature.  It also tastes good in an omelette.  Obviously corn and beans are not paleo, but they are naturally gluten free so I have no problem eating this as a treat during the summer.

Ingredients:
2 ears fresh corn, boiled or grilled, kernels cut off
2 cups cooked black beans
1 cup diced tomatoes (I used cherry)
1 avocado, diced

 Dressing ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil (I used regular, not extra virgin, because it has a milder taste)
1 TBSP lime juice
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp salt
1 tsp minced garlic

Gently combine corn, black beans, tomatoes, avocados.  Whisk dressing ingredients together.  Drizzle dressing over corn and bean mixture.  Stir gently.  Adjust seasonings to taste.  Serve chilled or room temperature.

Potato Harvest

Sorry for the complete lack of posts.  We have been so busy lately trying to finish our summer projects

Our 400' potato patch has been harvested.  We grew white Kennebec potatoes.  They are delicious mashed, fried, and baked. 

Throughout the summer we battled the Colorado potato beetle.  I tried picking them by hand, diatomaceous earth, and Bt.  Finally, my sister-in-law picked up something called Spinosad.  It's a bacteria only found in an old rum factory in the Caribbean.  It has been used in organic farming since the early 80s.  It was extremely effective at killing the potato bugs, although I did have to use it twice (several weeks apart).  I'm not sure where the potato bugs came from, since we were miles away from the house garden (where we've had problems with the potato bugs in past years).  Interestingly, I tried growing some Russets in the smaller garden, and they did not have any potato bugs.  They must have all flown to the "mother lode" potato patch.

We controlled the weeds by using a rototiller in between the rows.  Some organic farmers think it's harmful to the soil to use a tiller, but we have such heavy clay soil that it's almost impossible to grow anything unless we can break it up.  Plus it was way too much work for one person to try and hoe all those rows.  Our soil is so heavy that the potatoes did not even grow down, they only grew in the hills.  That tells you how hard our ground is!  We have talked about stripping off the top layer of soil and laying down a bunch of manure, then replacing the topsoil.  If we ever get some free time it might happen, but right now we are still pretty busy.

We estimate it was about a 400 pound harvest.  I stored 8 burlap sacks in the basement of the hired man's house, plus we have a couple of 5 gallon buckets in the in-laws' garage full of potatoes that were cut during harvest.  We need to use those first because they won't keep at all.  I am so glad to be done with it.  Hopefully the potatoes will keep all winter and we'll be eating our own organic, homegrown potatoes into the spring. 

How Far I've Come

The first time I visited the ranch, my future in-laws welcomed me by slaughtering a pig.  I was a sheltered suburban girl, and while I wasn't an "animal lover", it bothered me to watch my man kill the pig.  I turned around, shut my eyes, covered my ears, and cried until it was over.  I couldn't even eat eggs at breakfast that day.  I barely got some toast in me.

But at lunch... I ate pork.  I can't remember if it was side pork or pork chops. 

Many people find the idea of killing your own food revolting.  I used to be one of them.  Now that I've lived here awhile though, I believe butchering my own meat has given me a greater respect for the animal I'm eating.  I care about what the animal is eating, and the condition of her health when she is killed, because I don't want to eat a sick animal. 

And of course, I have come to believe in the health benefits of eating the beef we raise.  I know the cow has had minimal, if any, antibiotic.  I know she's eaten lots of grass and hay, has been finished on corn.  I know she hasn't been given synthetic hormones to make her grow bigger, faster.  I know she had a nice life- she has roamed the wide prairie for months and only for the past few weeks has she been confined to the corral.  If I want to, I can watch her die humanely, with a single shot to the head.  I can even kill her myself.  It is a quick and painless death.  I know she doesn't suffer.  I will have the privilege of processing the carcass myself (and it is a privilege to me). 

We've branched out from beef since I've been here.  Now we are raising meat chickens, turkeys, and ducks (for our own consumption, not to sell).  I love seeing the birds run around in the grass eating bugs, just as God intended them to eat.  We got araucuna chickens, and they look great.  I really like their multi-colored feathers.  Amazingly, 11 turkey poults are thriving (I once read that turkey poults are suicides waiting to happen- they are very difficult to raise).  And the ducks are my favorite.  Every morning we herd them out of their "nest" and into the reservoir.  They race through the grass, chirping happily, splashing in every available puddle.  They spend their days swimming in the reservoir.  At night we herd them back inside to keep them safe from predators. 

We are interdependent on these animals.  They would not be alive if we did not care for them.  We would not care for them if we were not going to eat them.  We would not be alive without these animals to eat.

Now, when the time comes, I am able (mentally, emotionally, and physically) to kill them and eat them (although usually not in the same day).  That's one way that I have really changed since moving out here.     

Honey Fruit Salad

If you are looking for the world's easiest side dish to take to summer barbeques, look no further!  My grandmother used to slice up strawberries and toss them with honey for a simple side or dessert.  This weekend I had some berries staring at me from the fridge and I remembered her way of dressing up fresh fruit.

Honey Fruit Salad

Ingredients:
1 tsp melted honey
1 cup summer fruit (mixed berries, strawberries, peaches)

Combine honey and fruit.  Serve.

Spring Happenings on the Ranch

Just thought I'd give you a peek at some of the goings-on around here.

We've planted carrots, spinach, peas, cosmos, kale, lettuce and broccoli in the garden. 

That's a brussels sprouts plant that overwintered.  I'm hopeful but not too optimistic that we'll get any sprouts.

That's dirt on her face, not freckles.  She loves being outside in the garden.

We bought 50 pounds of Kennebec seed potatoes.  It was very sunny when we planted the potato patch, so we tried to protect the baby's head. 

Our potato patch consists of 4 rows of potatoes, each about 100 feet long.   We planted them in the middle of a field to be farmed. We are hoping to grow enough potatoes to feed us all winter, with plenty to spare.

We have lots of baby chicks growing.  Most of them are for meat, just a few are for eggs.  This picture was taken 2 weeks ago, and they are already alot bigger.

Most hatcheries sell Cornish Cross for meat chickens.  They are bred to grow really big really fast.  They are ready to butcher in 6-8 weeks.   Many die of heart attacks before they are ready to be butchered, especially if they have access to chick feed at night.  Their legs can't support the weight of their bodies, and it's just gross.  This year we decided to try Araucana chicks instead. They won't be quite as big as the Cornish Cross, and they should be ready to butcher in 12 weeks.



We've started branding our calves and hope the weather cooperates so we can finish this week (but it doesn't look promising).  We've done some farming, trying to grow our own cow feed to save money. 

What are your spring happenings?

The Green Omelette

I once ate this dish at a breakfast restaurant.  They used only egg whites and called it "White Lightning".  I've kept the yolks because the fat keeps me fuller longer.  You could make this into a proper omelette, but I find it easier just to scramble everything together in the pan.

For each person you'll need:

Butter
1/4 cup chopped cooked  spinach (I use frozen)
1/4 cup chopped cooked chicken (preferably seasoned with Mexican seasonings)
2 eggs
1/4 cup shredded cheese (I like Monterey Jack)
1/8 cup chopped avocado

Directions:
1.  Heat butter in skillet over medium heat.   Add spinach and chicken.  Cook until heated through.

2.  Break eggs into pan.  Scramble all ingredients.

3.  When eggs are almost done, add cheese.  Cook until cheese is melted and eggs are cooked to your liking.

4.  Top with chopped avocado.  Serve immediately.  Also works great as a filler for a breakfast burrito.

How to Dice an Avocado

It is possible to cut up avocados with minimal mess!

Cut an avocado in half and remove the seed.  Leave the flesh in the skin.

Slice the flesh lengthwise.  Cut gently so you don't puncture the skin.

Slice the avocado horizontally.

Scoop out as much as you want with a spoon.

So easy!

Starting Solids with Baby # 2

There is so much information out there on starting your baby on solids that it's easy to be confused!  With my son, I was extremely paranoid about introducing solids too early in case he should develop food allergies.  I delayed solids until he was about 9 months old, (much to my in-laws' dismay).  I never thought that rice cereal was a healthy choice for a first food, so I just skipped that.  I thought that I should start with finger foods (as recommended by proponents of Baby-Led Weaning) and let him sample whatever we happened to be eating.  Putting ideas into practice is how I learn best, and I realized that maybe it's not so bad to feed baby with a spoon.  The problem was, the most convenient finger foods are not usually the healthiest.  Cheerios and yogurt melts were staples of his diet.  Those are full of sugars and refined grains that convert into simple sugars very quickly in the body.  Also, sometimes we eat things that babies really can't handle, such as soup that needs to be eaten with a spoon, or really spicy things. 

When I got pregnant with Baby #2, I decided I would do things differently.  I started reading about Real Food, including Nina Planck's book Real Food for Mother and Baby.  Her food philosophy made sense to me.  She's all about whole foods such as protein (especially salmon roe), good fats, and veggies for the little ones.  She really discourages feeding babies bread and other grains.  I highly recommend her book because it is full of interesting studies and nutrional information that was all new to me.

Since I finished Planck's book I have read quite a bit of material from the Weston A. Price Foundation.  I am using a blend of all this information to guide the food choices I make for my daughter.  The WAPF says you can start solids around 4 months, but I waited until closer to 7.  I'm still not convinced that any food is better than breastmilk, even though WAPF says that the nutritional quality of breastmilk will be affected by the mother's diet.  WAPF recommends starting with lightly cooked egg yolks and then adding raw grated liver.  (Um, yeah, I just can't do the raw liver.)  At first the egg yolks were a hit, but she has not eaten them so enthusiastically in the past few days.  I did give her some hard boiled egg yolk in the airport and she seemed to like it. 

Next in the WAPF plan is mashed bananas introduced after 6 months and meats and vegetables around 10 months.  I am not waiting until 10 months to introduce other vegetables like they recommend, just because I feel like letting her try new things (really well-thought-out reason right?).  She doesn't care much for bananas.  I've introduced her to avocados, which she eats pretty willingly.  

Since it's hard to keep fresh bananas and avocados around I decided to cook some vegetables to freeze in baby-sized portions.  I steamed some carrots, mashed them, and flash-froze them in tablespoon-sized portions.  I've seen some people use ice cube trays but I don't have any!  I did add a little sea salt and butter but they still tasted pretty bland to me. 





Cooked carrots ready for the freezer.

 Once they were frozen I put them all into a freezer-safe ziplock baggie.  I fed her some carrot this morning, and she liked it, but next time I make baby food for the freezer I will puree it.  She had a little trouble with the consistency of the carrots (just mashed). 

She has also tried spaghetti squash, which she liked, and crackers when we're away from home.  I feel more confident about what I'm feeding her than what I fed my son that I am able to relax a little bit about the whole baby food thing and just enjoy watching her try new foods.  It is really funny to see her get so excited about the spoon coming her way, and then to see her make a funny face as she decides whether she likes it or not.  I will probably offer her some flaked fish the next time we have some (which is not often enough at our house).  I believe it's easier for her to handle than even the most tender slow cooked beef.  Once she can handle the flaked fish I'll probably start offering tender chunks of meat.  I'm not sure what to do about the birthdays celebrations that are coming this summer.  I'd really like to get my son an ice cream cake.  Maybe some homemade ice cream sweetened with honey or maple syrup...  I'll let you know when I decide.

I think the most important thing to keep in mind when feeding a baby solid foods is that they will have plenty of opportunities in their lifetime to consume nutritionally void, worthless, downright harmful, junk food.  There is no good reason for us to give them Fruit Loops, ice cream, or soda pop.  Some people interpret a baby's reaching for junk food as a sign we should give it to them.  I disagree.  We are in charge of their health at this point, and we will never have as much control over the foods they eat as we do now.  We must use our power wisely! 

Link Love- The Soy Story

 Think soy is a healthy source of protein?  Think again.  Here's the scoop:

Keeper of the Home wants you to beware The Soy Decoy.

The Weston A. Price Foundation covers many Myths and Truths about Soy.

And finally, Food Renegade exposes The Dangers of Soy.

Our Real Food Journey- an Update

In this post I wrote about my some goals I had set for my family's eating habits.  I thought I'd update you on the status of our "real food journey".  I hope you will be inspired by the baby steps I've been taking!  Here they are, in no particular order:

I was making my own chicken stock before I got into Real Food, and I have contined to make it.  This winter I have made soup from scratch several times.  I am proud of myself for incorporating more soup into our diet. 

I am eating more seafood than ever before.  I even tried shark on New Year's Eve!

I switched to real maple syrup on my pancakes.  With a pat of butter, it's actually pretty good. 

We have switched over to raw milk, but only because my in-laws are buying it and drinking it too.  My husband and I don't go to town often enough to buy it ourselves! 

I can't remember the last time I cooked with vegetable oil.  I now use beef tallow as much as possible.

I have given up my cup-a-day habit (coffee).  I still drink it occasionally, but I've gotten out of the habit of drinking it first thing in the morning.  My energy level is about the same, maybe a little more than before, but definitely not less. 

For the New Year I have given up chocolate, at least for 30 days, but probably longer.  I realized I have a serious problem with it.  So far, so good.  Only one major chocolate craving so far (although I do miss it)!

Something I tried and liked:
- soaked lentils in lentil soup
- soaked whole wheat pancakes

Something I tried and did not like:
- broccoli cheese soup without the Velveeta. 

Something on my list to try soon:
- spelt flour.  I bought some, now I gotta figure out what to do with it!
- make beef stock


It feels good to look back and see improvements, especially when I'm feeling uninspired in the kitchen.  I'd like to continue to update once a month. 

How's your Real Food journey going?

Linked to Monday Mania.

Raw Milk

Recently I had the opportunity to try farm fresh, unpasteurized milk. 

AKA Raw Milk. 

For a city gal like myself, it was a little scary. 

Looks okay....

Smells okay...

Tastes.... like store bought milk.

My son's verdict:  "Raw milk is GOOD!"

I still don't care for the taste of milk without some sort of flavoring (never have), so I'll be drinking my raw milk with a little vanilla and (gasp) white sugar.  I plan to wean myself off the flavorings over time, the same way I taught myself to drink cafe au lait without sugar.   

Why drink raw milk?  Well, lots of things happen when milk is pasteurized.  Molecules change, enzymes are destroyed, nutrients are lost.  The "good stuff" is less available to your body.  For more information on raw milk, visit Real Milk. 

I'll let you know when I'm down to pure milk.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Inspired by a Cook's Country recipe for roasted cabbage wedges, I cut some brussels sprouts in half, drizzled them with oil, sprinkled them with equal parts salt and sugar and a teeny bit of pepper, and roasted them.  I couldn't stop eating them!  Roasting really brings out the sweetness in vegetables.  This is my new favorite way to prepare cruciferous veggies.  I'm going to try this with broccoli this week.  What a delicious, healthy side dish for Thanksgiving too!

Roasted Brussels Sprouts
serves 4 (or 2, if you eat as many as I did!)

12 oz fresh brussels sprouts
olive oil
1 tsp each salt and sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper

1.  Rinse brussels sprouts.  Trim ends off, and cut in half.

2.  Combine salt, sugar, and pepper.

3.  Arrange brussels sprouts on baking sheet, cut side up.  Brush with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt mixture.  You don't have to use all the salt mixture.

4.  Roast at 400 for about 20 minutes, flipping once partway through.

5.  Serve immediately.

Linked to Tasty Tuesday and Tempt My Tummy Tuesday.

My Family Food Goals

One of my goals as a mom is to feed my family Real Food.  What does that mean?  It means whole foods, foods that are unprocessed, organic, locally grown, foods that take time and care to prepare, such as those found in the Nourishing Traditions cookbook.  Of course, meeting all those standards is more of a long-term goal.  After all, I'm a busy girl, and my family is used to eating certain foods.  I'm taking baby steps, since that's really the most sane way to approach this task.

My first step on this journey was to start reading blogs that followed the Nourishing Traditions.  I read these crazy people talking about drinking raw milk and I thought, "How unsanitary and disgusting!"  I thought most of the recipes were really unhealthy because there was so much fat involved, but I was intrigued.

Then I watched Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution.  That show really got me thinking.  It also made me angry.  How can fried potato strips that have been frozen and reheated pass for a vegetable in the school cafeteria?  I remember the episode where they made him serve bread and potatoes, because they were required to have two starches- as if kids today don't get enough starch.  It was mind-boggling to me to see what the government says is "good nutrition" for growing boys and girls.  Then those sweet little kids guzzling that sugary "milk" was the worst.  After that, I stopped buying the chocolate syrup. 

I finally broke down and bought Nourishing Traditions.  I remember when I first flipped through it, something clicked inside of me.  I knew what Sally Fallon Morrell was saying was true, that refined sugars and flours and man-made fats are the cause of most modern health problems.  However, she kept going on and on about how almost every item at the grocery store is bad for you.  She tells you to eat sauerkraut, but not the stuff on the shelves.  It must be 'lacto-fermented'.  And she says to eat yogurt, but not the stuff that's full of artificial colors and flavors.  Bake your own bread, she says, but you need to make sourdough (yuck).  Cook with lard, but not the partially hydrogenated stuff you find at WalMart.  Reading all this information left me feeling hopelessly overwhelmed.  Where to even begin?  Where would I even buy this stuff?  The worst part though, is where she writes something like, "If you don't have time to cook all this weird stuff, then you need to rethink your priorities".  I mean, how condescending!  Like, I've got cows to feed and laundry to do, all with kids clinging to me.  Work with me!  Then, to add insult to injury, her recipes are.... not very tasty.  The first one I tried was her banana bread.  All whole wheat flour, and some maple syrup for sweetener.  It was the heaviest, nastiest loaf of banana bread I'd ever eaten.  So I backed off.  I kept reading a couple of Real Food blogs, but I was feeding my family most of the same old stuff. 

But then I read Real Food for Mother and Baby, by Nina Planck.  What a breath of fresh air!  She tells you to eat canned salmon straight off the grocery store shelf because it's good for you!  Now that, I can do!  She tells you what's good to eat, and she doesn't make you panic.   I also starting eating lots more eggs. And then I read The Omnivore's Dilemma.  That inspired me to eat more vegetables.  And that helped me relax a little about the whole grass-fed cow thing.  I remember reading how Joel Salatin bought corn from his neighbor to feed his cows, even though it wasn't organic.  It was local and sustainable.  Now that, that I can work with. 

So, for now, I've become more mindful about what I'm eating.  I can read a food label and figure out what's in it.  I've decided to have fun with it.  I've experimented with natural sweeteners and different fats (coconut oil, anyone?).  I'm baking from scratch, making healthier treats for my son.  I still use at least half all-purpose flour when I'm baking, since my husband won't touch it otherwise.  I still use convenience foods too.  Alot of recipes I'll post on this blog won't follow Nourishing Traditions strictly, but they'll be food you make from scratch, with ingredients you can pronounce, and you can easily substitute.

My long term (5 year) food goals for my family are to reduce our consumption of refined sugars, and ultimately, our consumption of all sweeteners.   In the short term (as in the next year), I'd like to find a recipe for red sauce that I can use in my lasagna.  I'd like to make sauerkraut.  I'd like to find a good granola bar recipe.  I'll continue looking for ways to use coconut oil.  I'll try cooking organ meat.  I'd like to find some raw milk (yeah, we're a cattle ranch and we don't have raw cow's milk- weird I know).  And I'll continue learning how to have an extremely productive organic garden to feed my family!  Because I think that's the best way to ensure that what we're getting is local, organic, and sustainable.

Fresh Eggs

  My favorite breakfast food is the egg.  There are just so many ways to cook it.  Scrambled, hard boiled, fried, over-easy, poached, baked, the possibilities go on and on!  In her book, Real Food for Mother and Baby, Nina Planck says that eggs are the next closest thing to the perfect protein for humans, right after human breastmilk.  We eat at least 5 eggs most days at our house.  This is how we are able to eat so many eggs....

  One of the great things about living in the country is it's really no big deal to have some laying hens.  You already have the space, so they're not right in your backyard.  In fact, I'm not really sure how city people can raise chickens in their backyards, since the chickens will destroy the grass.  They either need to be closely managed, a la Joel Salatin, or have lots of space to run around so they don't cause so much destruction: 

  

  We feed our chickens table scraps, corn, and leftover creep feed.  Creep is what we put out for the calves to munch on, to get them started weaning.  We also make sure they have water.  The chickens always run to us when they see us coming near. They flock around the vehicle, waiting for some tasty vegetable scraps!  Here they are running to greet me (and trying to get to the food before everyone else).

  That little shed on the left side of the photo is the chicken house.  We keep the door on the front part closed all the time.  The front part has a window, a light to keep them warm in the winter, some bunks for them to lay their eggs in, a rack for them to perch on, and a little doorway (only big enough for a chicken to fit through) that leads to the exposed part of the house.  The exposed part is a big cage.  It also has a ladder-type rack for them to perch on.  We keep the door to the cage open all day.  The chickens usually go inside at night without any coaxing.  If we are outside at twilight, we try to remember to lock the cage so predators can't get to the chickens.  Dogs, cats, coyotes, foxes, and weasels are all threats to the chickens, but the most prevalent chicken killer is the " 'coon" (raccoon).  In the winter, the chickens like to stay inside for warmth.  We keep the chicken house lined with straw.  I am usually the one who cleans it, although I do it less than I care to admit!  Fortunately they have plenty of fresh air and wide open space to run around and do their business.

  In the picture to the left, the chickens and our two turkeys are scrambling to eat every last tasty morsel of table scraps that I just dumped on the ground.  Notice there is no grass on the ground.  That's thanks to the chickens! 

  I always try to bring some food for them when I come to collect eggs.  Then they are distracted and don't get underfoot while I'm gathering the eggs.  Most days they produce 12 to 18 eggs. 

  Ah, fresh chicken eggs, washed and ready to cook.  I've read you're not supposed to wash your eggs until right before you cook them, but I prefer to wash enough for a week at a time so I'm not doing it every day.  And yes, I think you do have to wash your eggs, unless you like a little chicken feces in your breakfast burrito. 

  Yummm, delicious fried eggs.  Notice how vibrant orange the yolks are?  That's because they come from chickens that run around outside, eating green grass and bugs.  They live the way they were meant to, not cooped up in some overcrowded cage.  The bright orange color means our eggs have lots of vitamins and good fats.  After eating these nutrient powerhouses day after day, I am shocked at the dull, sickly looking things that pass for eggs in most peoples' homes.  I am so thankful for our laying hens!

Do you know where your eggs come from?

Linked to WFMW.

Book Review- The Omnivore's Dilemma



Last week I finished reading Michael Pollan's, The Omnivore's Dilemma.  Wow!  Was I blown away!  This is a must-read for anyone interested in food or the environment.  Pollan really is an excellent writer.
Some highlights for me:

I liked that he faulted not only big companies but also the government, whose subsidies and other legislative actions have really shaped our national food chain.

It opened my mind to the possibility of local, sustainable farms. 

It inspired me to eat less processed foods.

It inspired me to try new vegetables (Cabbage Casserole anyone?)

It encouraged me to keep on gardening and learning about growing our own produce.

It pointed out the flaws of 'industrial organic', so I have no guilt about not buying organic produce that's way out of my price range.

It inspired me to seek alternative sources for chicken and pork, since both animals suffer in the industrial food chain.  (I already know where my beef comes from!)
Just a week or two before I read this book, I had decided I should hunt a deer to feed my family (not that I like to hunt, just to introduce some truly grass-fed meat in our diet).  I loved the part about him hunting the pig, because he was honest about the emotions he experienced, and if he can do it, so can I!

A warning:
The section about the ethical implications of eating meat may be disturbing to some readers.  Heck, I've butchered my own beef and it bothered me!  However, I am happy to report that Pollan decides he can still justify eating meat (as long as it is locally and sustainably raised). 
To sum it up, Pollan inspired me to really be more mindful of what I am eating.

Have you read any good books lately?  Tell me about them!