Life is a Process

I’ve been on a book buying and swapping spree lately. My Amazon.com wishlist is lengthy and so is my list on PaperBackSwap.com. So, a few reviews…

Being dairy-free and still confronting the “I want cheese” feeling, I recently bought The Uncheese Cookbook. I tried 3 recipes - a white bean dip (yum), a no-bake un-cheesecake (not bad but I’ve got better recipes elsewhere), and fake Brie (i.e., vegan brie cheese - disastrous). I’m now trying to brave it to try a few more recipes but the brie one was just so awful…..

I just recently got my hands on Living in the Raw Desserts. Most of the cakes are variations on a theme - nuts and dates and vanilla/spices for the base, fruit and macadamia/cashew nuts and vanilla for a frosting, and a mound of neatly placed fruit on top. I haven’t explored it in sufficient detail, but since it is strawberry season (almost), I was thinking about doing a Strawberry Torte from this cookbook in the coming weeks.

Some time ago, I also bought Gluten-free Quick and Easy. I think I’ve made something from here, but these recipes are not necessarily dairy-free. They also have some carbohydrate component (GF bread, use of GF flour or something) - I’ve discovered that we do best in our house on, literally, meat and veggies. The preschooler likes his food items separate, so we’re only just now getting him to eat sauce on the Tinkyada rice pasta (at most, once a week). He’s also coming ’round again to chili, avocado, olives and chips. Occasionally, dear husband will ask for my knock-off of Chebe bread - if I have time and the ingredients (i.e., tapioca flour), I usually agree. We did an awesome pizza with this knock-off crust, super easy, and super fast, that I don’t really have the urge to make the GF pizza in this cookbook. The cookbook did jump out at me today again, so maybe it is time to try something in it again…

I re-read (ok, re-skimmed) Wild Fermentation not too long ago. There is a fabulous kefir/yogurt-based vinaigrette recipe that uses 8 garlic cloves (in an 8 oz jar). I’ll try to share the recipe when I have it in front of me again. There are also a few recipes I want to try - sunflower seed sour cream and a jazzed up miso soup recipe (with more than just miso, seaweed and tofu).

Although, not a new addition, I hauled out Nourishing Traditions again. I’ve made the fermented mustard (good but be sure to use ground mustard, not mustard seeds ground in a coffee grinder), the fermented ketchup (try it again without the fish sauce), and the fermented punch (YUM! in a 1 gallon jug, pour juice of 6-8 lemons, 1/2 c. Rapadura, 1/2 c. whey, 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg, 2 quarts filtered water; ferment on counter for a few days; refrigerate and drink). I tried the Orangina recipe but it came out quite awful. I’m itching to try the Sweet Potato Soda but will wait until the fall.

The WF book then got me thinking about home brew with kefir. So I flipped through (and will start to really read soon) another book Sacred and Healing Herbal Beer. Most of the recipes, at first glance, seem to involve regular yeast - and there’s nothing wrong with that; however, with all the kefir we drink and all the kefir cheese I make, I’m toying with the idea of doing some small scale recipes using kefir whey or kefir grains.

I’ve also hauled back out my copy of Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine. Where better to look for good salad, nut-veggie pates, and unusual trail mixes than in a raw food recipe book?

A final new book that just came back into memory: Preserving Food without Freezing or Canning: Traditional Techniques Using Salt, Oil, Sugar, Alcohol, Vinegar, Drying, Cold Storage, and Lactic Fermentation. I’ve already tried 1 recipe in here for radishes - radishes with a bit of their tops, cider vinegar, lemon slices, onion slices, peppercorns. Pack everything except the vinegar into jars (I only had radishes for 1 jar). Heat the vinegar to intensify the flavor, then cool. Pour vinegar into jar. Cap tightly and keep in fridge. Ready in 3 months. If I remember, I’ll post on the results at the end of the summer (darn - I so dislike delayed gratification!).

2 Tbsp coconut oil
2 lb ground beef
3 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp cumin
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1.5 tsp black pepper
1 green pepper (Sweet)
1 red pepper (sweet)
1 yellow pepper (sweet)
1 onion
1 28-oz can fire-roasted diced/crushed tomatoes
2 c. cooked beans
3 c. chicken bone broth
3 Tbsp tomato paste

Heat up cast iron pot with coconut oil; brown beef. Add chopped onion and sweet peppers. Add spices. Add beans, broth, canned tomatoes, and tomato paste. Mix well. Let simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with guacamole, tortilla chips, salsa, black olives.

I can’t believe that it is almost the end of February. Where does the time go?

The toddler is graduating into the preschool class next week. He’s a little growing ball of anxiety. I’m branching out into more unusual modalities and considering trying some flower essences on him. It seems that Walnut is called for in this time of transition.

I again witnessed more development in him following the last illness (the flu, I think?). For a change, we had to deal with a low-grade fever (rare in this boy) - we did nothing for that because science indicates that white blood cells function most efficiently in those feverish temperature ranges. What better way to combat a pathogenic invader than with your own immune system? As the illness was hitting, he regressed behaviorally - wanting to be carried “like a baby” and even using sign language (we haven’t used sign language in at least a year). But then, as usual, this was followed by a series of developmental bursts - better overnight bladder control is the one that has persisted. My son is a camel - he can hold his pee overnight for 15 hours. I wish I knew how he did it because I can’t hold it that long!

His food preferences are changing - he is becoming a bit of a picky eater. Though he still loves my pesto (even if made with cilantro and pumpkin seeds) on “Mary’s Gone Crackers” crackers or on raw carrots or celery. He doesn’t like “regular” potatoes, preferring sweet potatoes instead. He is definitely a meat eater - my latest hurdle is to find a good quality pepperoni (without MSG or other nasty preservatives) that we can use in the evening as a quick snack. He seems to have developed an intolerance to apple skins and anything that may contain apple skins (apple juice and apple cider, specifically) - sudden unexpected and uncontrollable meltdowns, coupled with bright red cheeks are the give-aways here. But it is weird that he is fine with just the apple itself.

I’m itching to get my hands on the book “Good Calories, Bad Calories” by Gary Taubes. I watched a video of a lecture he gave not too long ago. In a nutshell, scientific evidence shows that carbohydrates are a poor source of calories but that fat is a better choice. Since we ourselves have been largely gluten-free, I’m trying to get us into a grain-free state of being (hard especially in the winter when my basal intuitive cravings are for carbohydrates from root vegetables, non-gluten grains, and legumes). The Paleo diet, however, is a goal for most meals as we move towards summer.

Many of the basic tenets of biology, particularly that of evolutionary biology, rely on substantial genetic diversity in the gene pool. Sadly, in big agriculture, those folks have totally forgotten some of those basics. The FDA, as well, is closing its eyes to basic biology. Our fields are filled with monocultures of plants (corn, soybean, wheat). GMOs are increasingly finding their way into our food, in spite of sufficient evidence to convince the Europeans that GMOs should not be eaten. Today, the FDA in all its wisdom has deemed it safe to munch on cloned animals. Remember, this is the same bunch of patronage appointees who decided that Vioxx was safe - then changed their minds after people died and a few lawsuits were filed.

Now, I’m off to hunt down (figuratively) a new supplier for my local, organic, grassfed beef and hogs, and to see if my supplier of super tasty local organic pastured chickens has her 2008 order form up yet.

Not specifically GFCF but worth borrowing, perusing, and buying maybe. I found this at TJ Maxx some time ago for about $4 (who can beat a cookbook WITH PICTURES for that price?!).

Cook’s Library: One Pot.
ISBN 0752599526

Some of the recipes are of the type “dump in the pot and let simmer for a few hours” while others are quick (within 30- minutes or so). Every recipe has a picture, a difficulty rating, time for prep and cooking time.

Most of the recipes are easily converted to GFCF if they aren’t already. Most also require broth of sorts (”bouillon” is specified but it is a weak bone broth, recipe included in the front matter). The only ones that look tricky to convert would be beef and tomato gratin (what’s a good substitute for ricotta cheese?); chicken lasagne; cheese and vegetable chowder; and a few other cheese dishes. There are a few that have a biscuit topping but I bet that would be easy to do still without using wheat flour.

Lots of curry dishes!. Venison, rabbit, and lamb dishes. Bizarre fish recipes (angler fish, mullet, cuttlefish, squid). A few pasta dishes (but Tinkyada comes in handy or rice in place of orzo/risotto). But again, if you’re trying to sneak more broth into the kids, almost every recipe requires broth and some amount of simmering.

I had forgotten about this book for a while and only last week I stumbled on it. I used it for almost every meal this week and might even have to use it again for next week.

Love that nutrient-dense cat food.

We have two cats, half-brother and half-sister. We know they had the same mother, that they were from the same litter, but we are uncertain about the paternal factor.

The male kitty has food allergies galore - beef, pork, seafood, fish, wheat, corn… Needless to say, we were not affected by the major recall on cat food a few months ago. These kitties eat Royal Canin’s IVD Duck and Green Pea cat food. I suspect he developed allergies through leaky gut (increased intestinal permeability) but cat physiology is sufficiently different from human physiology that healing this has been beyond my expertise.

Our female cat has recently started having her own intestinal issues. In the summer, we increased the amount of wet food and cut back on the amount of dry food. As a result, she underwent some change in her gut flora - she’s lost quite a bit of weight and, well, there are other indications of a change as seen in the litterbox.

The light went off the other day - probiotics. She needs probiotics. So off I went on a hunt for probiotics that culd help her, yet that would not adversely affect the male kitty. I think I may have found something tasty. Wysong has some nifty products. I picked out the medium-size packet of Pheasant (oo-la-la), Dream Treats ^TM, and their feline probiotics. The food itself is a HUGE hit with these kitties. They are eating less of it but they are super duper excited to be eating it. Moreover, they are so much more satiated by it - they snooze during the evening now instead of complaining. Because they aren’t eating as much, it may actually be cheaper to use Wysong products exclusively. I’m hoping that the probiotics will soon kick in and take effect so that the litter box becomes just a wee bit less stinky.

2-3 ripe bananas

Cut bananas into chunks. Freeze for a day or so. Put chunks into food processor (or blender). Whiz until well processed. Mixture will be thick and extra creamy.

Makes 2 big servings (and a small toddler-sized serving).

We have 2-3 black walnut trees on our suburban property. This year had a bumper crop. Black walnuts, when they first fall, are a pain in the lawn mower blade. So now we have 20 gallons of black walnuts (before husking). What to do with them?

Well, since I’m in the market for a more natural hair colorant, I have toyed with the idea of using a strong black walnut husk tea to hide the gray. An activity that my hair stylist wants to observe - or maybe prevent?

Of course, hair color only needs the husks. Then you need to deal with the nut itself. Now we go through about 0.75 lbs of (English) walnuts per week. Yes, since I’ve told my toddler that walnuts are brain food (love those Omega-3s), and since I started dousing them in maple syrup (after I soak but before I dehydrate them), he’s decided that he loves walnuts. Black walntus are a different can of … well… nuts. Trust me on this one. You cannot use a standard nut cracker to get into them. I tried and failed. Other half tried and failed. Toddler tried banging a few toys on the nut - and failed. The hammer is a most inelegant way to open them though it does work. Inelegant in that one loses most of the nut meat all over the place as the whole nut (and nut meat) completely shatters. What’s a holistic walnut-eating mama to do?

It turns out that there does exist a special black walnut nut cracker. Guess what’s on my wish list now?

My other half and the toddler don’t really care for squash or pumpkin. When we get either of those in the CSA share, I have to either eat it all myself (which is just fine with me, once in a while) or I have to find ways to disguise it.

This morning was pancake and bacon morning. I made my usual midas gold pancakes (from pecanbread.com), using cashew butter and 2-3 heaping tablespoons of cooked, mashed pumpkin. I tossed a bit of cinnamon into the batter for good measure. They were a hit with everyone.

Now I’m also getting ready, food-wise, for the big haul to visit the in-laws over Thanskgiving. With our way of eating, we usually do end up bringing the whole fridge. We’re going to be bringing our turkey (which we didn’t quite get to meet, but we know the farmer) and some goodies. So this morning, toddler and father were outside while I slaved over the hot oven. And slurped coffee. I’m waiting for some nutty coconut chocolate chip cookies to bake (from Fife’s Cooking with Coconut Flour), along with cranberry-pumpkin bars, adapted from Olson’s A Vegetarian Mother’s Cookbook.

So now I’ve used up about 1/3 of the mashed, cooked pumpkin in the fridge. I think I can get rid of most of the rest by doing a crustless pumpkin custard pie (from Garden of Eating). Then I’ll only have a tiny bit left, possibly for a coconut flour pumpkin loaf.

Next hurdle: black walnuts.

We’ve been casein-free for well over a year now (read: dairy-free; no cheese, no milk, no uncultured dairy). I am the kefir queen here, dropping my kefir grains into almost any liquid - coconut milk, berry juice, cow milk. I can’t set aside enough of our local apple cider to try kefir-ing that though.

For a few months, I have been largely gluten-free. I try to maintain a mostly GF house, though the car is another story. I have got to find a GF substitute to those darn animal crackers or fig bars that the toddler adores. Maybe he’ll be happy with apple chips…

Some wonder how we do it. I don’t bake, and now when I do (which is more often than the pre-GFCF days), I use coconut flour or rice flour. Though I like having the book, the excerpts from “Cooking with Coconut Flour” are enough to get a GF-baker well on the way to using coconut flour. We have pancakes more often now than we did pre-child; I found 2 recipes that are acceptable to my crew and I alternate between them (depending on the number of eggs or on the status of our nut butter): Buttermilk Coconut Pancakes, where we use kefir in lieu of buttermilk; and Midas Gold Pancakes, using nut butter instead of nut flour. Cashew butter works really well, phytates be darned.

Over the summer, I experimented with the “diet” from The Garden of Eating. Grain-free, instead of just gluten-free. I’m finding, though, that winter brings a yearning for beans and rice and tortilla chips. I did notice, however, that we have actually reduced our food consumption since dumping the beans and grains, as evidenced by our expensive grocery trips (instead of embarrassingly expensive).

The challenge for me still rests with daycare - a nut-free, vegetarian facility that requires packaged goodies as alternative snacks, if provided by the parent.

GFCF diets seem to be the diet du jour.  People perceive it as hard.  It is really only hard if you regularly eat out or if you live in the packaged-food aisles of the grocery store.  As soon as you realize that GFCF means, really, meat + veggies + fruit + nuts, it becomes quite surmountable.  I won’t be focusing on our GFCF efforts here, but occasionally I’ll sneak in a gem of a recipe (sorry! without pictures as my cooking is not a work of art).