Recently on the Facebook CTF page, someone mentioned a new dairy-free cheese on the market that melts and strings like real cheese. Since I’ve been working on developing a variety of pizza crusts, I decided to look into it. [Read more…] about Review- Daiya Dairy-Free Cheese
dairy
My Story
Note: I am neither a dietitian nor a doctor. I do not dispense medical advice nor do I offer any information on treatments nor cures for any medical condition. Always consult a physician before proceeding with any treatment. Our full disclaimer is at the bottom of this page.
—
In June and July on the blog, we’re going to discuss gut health. Gut health is a hot topic in the traditional foods world because so many people are not healing despite a traditional foods diet. I became seriously ill and healed my gut before the currently fashionable diets came out. This is my story.
A very wise man in my life often tells me, “A problem well stated is half solved.” Five years ago, we knew all of the problems, but had none of the answers.
I was born 7 weeks early to an undernourished mother who was 95 pounds when I was conceived. My childhood was rather uneventful health wise, other than huge tonsils and repeat ear infections. I grew normally and had none of the digestive problems associated with celiac disease.
I was diagnosed with PCOS in 2001 and was told I’d never had kids. I changed my diet to traditional foods after seeing my cat, Blue, have an ‘incurable’ and life-shortening health problem healed by a species-appropriate diet. I was told he wouldn’t live long and would require expensive, difficult medication until his death.
It had worked for him why can’t it work for me?
Thanksgiving Recipes- Crustless Pumpkin Pie
Each family has their own special Thanksgiving recipes. This recipe, included in the Thanksgiving Menu Mailer, is my crustless version of our family favorite Pumpkin Pie.
If you’d like to consider a low-carb pumpkin pie that has a crust, I would urge you to consider the recipe using coconut flour in Brice Fife’s book, Cooking with Coconut Flour (and at half.com). His recipe includes the recipe for the filling as well.
From the Menu Mailer Volume 4 Week 18
If you’re carb- or grain-conscious, this pie is quick to throw together and really fits the bill. This is our Thanksgiving choice this year since both my mom and husband are low-carbing to deal with health issues.
4 eggs
1 (15-ounce) can or 1½ cups homemade pumpkin puree*
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
dash nutmeg
¼ cup honey/agave or ½ cup rapadura
¾ cup unsweetened coconut, rice, almond or dairy milk
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Grease a 9” pie plate and set aside.
In a bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together, mixing thoroughly to make sure the spices are disbursed throughout the batter (if using roasted, chopped pumpkin, combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth). Pour into the pie plate. Bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake another 30 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
*To roast your own pumpkin, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds (save for another use, feed to your chickens, roast with oil and spices or discard them) and place face down on a rimmed pan. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour or until completely soft when pierced with a knife. Cut away the skin and run through a food processor until finely chopped. Pie pumpkins have the best flavor. If you can not find a pumpkin, a butternut squash can also be used.
Disclaimer: As a resident of North Carolina, I am not allowed to have a referral account with Amazon. I do not profit from you clicking the above link.
[boilerplate sig]
Good, Better, Best: When and How to Choose Organic on a Budget
I’ve had a lot of questions come in based off of the beginnings of the Good, Better, Best series. Lots of people are asking how I apply what I am writing, and how I make my own choices, since I haven’t been very explicit in telling you where my own lines are. So I decided to give a quick write-up on where our lines are, and then pick back up on the series. Here’s what I do for my household. They are in order of importance
Fats
Animal fats are critical to buy organic, pastured and grass-fed, as fats are where toxins are stored. Animals raised without chemicals and on their natural diet will have the lowest levels of toxins. For vegetable based fats, like olive and coconut oil, I decide based on price. I buy [Read more…] about Good, Better, Best: When and How to Choose Organic on a Budget
Good, Better, Best- Dairy
Welcome to the third installment in our Good, Better, Best series. I fully recognize that some of you have very tight budgets or only have access to mega-marts due to your locations. Others will have the funds and availability to choose the best of the best. Either way, this post isn’t to condemn someone who can’t pick the best of every option, it is to help you make the best decision you can with what you have, where you are.
This week’s installment is on choosing dairy products. This post is to help you decide what is the best option for your budget. We will not get into dairy vs dairy-free, whether or not you should consume dairy, and the like. If you are currently buying dairy, this is to help you decide what is the best option for your budget. This posting is my opinion, and after research, you might reach a different conclusion. If you do, please comment and share what you found and your reasoning. I’m always open to changing my opinion and updating this post if new or different information comes along.
The Choices
Best– raw and unhomogenized, 100% pastured, organic or ‘not-certified but organic practice’ [Read more…] about Good, Better, Best- Dairy
Real Food Storage Q&A
I’ve had folks e-mail and post on the forum, asking questions about the specifics of my food storage. I’d like to take a chance to answer those questions before the next installment of the Real Food Storage series comes out on Monday morning and my radio interview on Thursday night with The 21st Century Homekeeper.
These questions came up because we actually LIVED on our food storage while my husband was unemployed for 11 months. We had one year of food stored and when he found a new job, we had two weeks of food left. So my year’s worth of storage made for 11.5 months of food, it would have gone longer had our garden not drowned that summer. So I’d say we hit our mark pretty well. [Read more…] about Real Food Storage Q&A