Traditional Food Myth #1
Crispy Nuts
This snack is a staple in our household. Here’s how I make Crispy Nuts:
1.Soak almonds or walnuts (this activates their enzymes) in water with 1 TBS salt for 12 hours.
2. Drain and dehydrate (this preserves their enzymes) on a baking sheet in a warm oven*
until crispy (about 12 hours).
You can do this with virtually any nut; cashews, pecans, hazelnuts, and pine nuts are all particularly good!
*To dehydrate in the oven, set oven at lowest setting and keep the door slightly ajar if over 110 degrees.
Cinnabun "Lara" Bars
There’s nothing like a guilt-free, nutrient dense treat. And best of all, these are simple to make and pretty much impossible to ruin. In the photo above, the bar is in the center of the plate. Surrounding the bar are the ingredients:
crispy nuts (I use almonds)
raisins (any dried fruit will do)
cinnamon
coconut oil
coconut
salt
Process:
1) Place about 2 cups of crispy almonds into the food processor. Add 1.5 – 2 cups of raisins and process until you have a paste. It should be sticky.
2) Add about 2 TBS (or more) of coconut oil and process until smooth.
3) Add salt (to taste) and about 2 tsp of cinnamon (add more if you need to). Ginger and cloves add a nice flavor too.
4) Add about 1-1.5 cups of shredded coconut until you have more of a thick, dry paste. You are looking for a rounded, “doughnut-shape” in your food processor.
5) Remove dough, press into parchment-lined jelly roll pan. Place in freezer for 20 minutes.
Enjoy!!!
Coconut oil note: Mountain Rose Herbs in Eugene, Oregon, has the best bulk price I’ve found on coconut oil that’s unrefined and organic. We are very pleased!
Grain-free "oatmeal" cookies
3 Ways my Kids Love Seaweed: Nutrient-Dense Snack Solutions
Thanks to Donna Gates’ Body Ecology Diet I have been inspired to use more seaweed in our family’s diet. Without totally repeating Donna’s Chapter on sea vegetables, I will share some quick snacks that have been a huge hit with my picky 3 year old.
From Body Ecology:
“Ocean vegetables are important to restoring your body ecology because they naturally control the growth of pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and viruses. A body ecology imbalance or immune system disorder causes a severe mineral deficiency, plus we have been eating foods grown in mineral-deficient soil for most of our lives. Ocean vegetables are rich in minerals and trace elements lacking in our diets today, and are organized in such a way that the body can assimilate them easily.”
My daughter had a severely imbalaced Body Ecology resulting from a whole year of prophylactic antibiotic use due to a kidney reflux disorder. Add to that my own ignorance about proper nutrition at the time. I was giving her a diet rich in grains that her body couldn’t digest; which only fed the yeast! This resulted in an inability of her to absorb minerals. Rebuilding her body ecology was essential. Beneficial microflora in our intestines are the key to mineral absorbtion.
Now that her gut has had time to heal and rebuild its microflora, her little body is starving for mineral-rich foods. Seaweed has been an amazing solution. These crunchy, salty snacks are low in carbs (if any) and high in a broad spectrum of trace minerals such as iodine, potassium, magnesium, iron and many others.
One delicous favorite has been Dulse Chips.
Dulse is salty and very tasty. It’s high in all the minerals mentioned above, along with vitamin B6. Sea Vegetables purchased from Eden Foods or Maine Coast Sea Vegetables are additive-free and carefully processed to retain enzymes and to be free of any pollutants. These nutrient-dense foods keep well for long periods of time, and would be ideal “rations” to have on hand in the event that times get tough with food.
If your local food store does not carry Maine Coast, you can order through the link below (this is for a bulk order, not just one package!):
Eden brand is also very highly recommended. You can purchase in bulk through Amazon. The cost looks hefty, but a little goes a long way when reconstituted (you can’t tell from the picture, but that’s for a pack of six, and it only takes about 2 T for a serving:
For a more economical seaweed (that is extremely high in trace minerals and nutrients also) is kelp:
1st way my kids love seaweed: Dulse Chips
How to make dulse (or kelp) chips:
1. Put about 2 Tablespoons of coconut oil (or bacon grease) in a skillet (when melted, oil should cover the entire skillet at least 1/8 of an inch or so). Melt over medium-high heat. Place dulse (or kelp strips) inside skillet.
2) When dulse turns a light green, which will happen quickly, turn over. When both sides are light green, remove and drain on paper towel. Kelp will also turn lighter. Be careful not to burn!
2nd way my kids love seaweed: Nori strips (plain)
Nori strips are those which are commonly found in sushi restaurants. They are long and flat, and can be eaten plain or rolled up to make sushi. Nori isn’t the most nutrient-dense, but it certainly isn’t bad . It contains some iron and calcium. It’s great toasted (simply put over a burner for a minute or two until crisp).
3rd way my kids love seaweed: Arame Saute
Arame is an extremely easy to use seaweed, and it’s very kid-friendly. I like to saute chopped kale and scallions with the arame (it takes about 5 minutes for it to soak and reconstitute) and toss with toasted sesame oil and nama shoyu (unpasteurized soy sauce). My kids devour this! You can use any veggies you like, but this one is a personal favorite.
Do you have a favorite way to enjoy seaweed? Please share!
Gaps Update
Well, the past 2 weeks have been a total paradigm shift for me and my cooking, but since I posted a few weeks ago that I felt “God was leading us to Gaps” I have felt totally confirmed in that! It’s so hard to believe that I was so blind to what I needed to be doing for my family for so long. I’m not going to be hard on myself, but gerr. I think it was the lazy factor that kept me from delving into this sooner. It’s not an easy diet.
A quote from _Breaking the Viscious Cycle_by Elaine Gottschall:
“The strictness of this diet cannot be overemphasized nor should the difficulty
of adhering to it be minimized. Faithful observance requires intelligence and
vigilance on the part of those taking care of the individual or on the part of
the person who cooks for himself or herself. It is surprising how many times a
child will manage, despite the best supervision, to get hold of forbidden food.
It is equally surprising how may parents will decide, despite all warnings, that
“just a taste” of ice cream, cookie, or candy will do no harm. Such
infringements will seriously delay recovery and it is unwise to underake this
regimen unless you are willing to follow it with fanatical adherence.” Consider an infringement the ‘miracle grow’ of pathogenic gut bacteria.
This couldn’t be more true for us! I know people around me must think I’m crazy for what I’m putting my daughter through. I can’t even let her eat and apple right now! But I’ve totally noticed that when we keep to the diet, things are good, and if we slip up (like last week I gave her a banana) and all hell broke loose; literally!
My family have been such troopers. And they haven’t exactly been deprived. We’ve been feasting on delicious soups and roasts and tons of fresh veggies sauteed in butter and coconut oil.
It was so sweet to see how excited my two kids were that they could eat unlimited “zucchini chips”. I made these using my dehydrator and I marinated the zukes with a fresh herb vinaigrette I’d made from thyme, rosemary, and chives growing in my garden. I got this awesome Herb N Serve
for my birthday which I used to make the marinade! Anyway, after baking the chips in the oven until crispy, I transferred them into my dehydrator
overnight and they totally satisfied my children’s need for something “crispy and crunchy”. It was great to have something “snacky” again, since I’ve pulled back on nuts for the time being.
Kirsten’s digestive system just needs time to heal. There are days when she’s really low on energy and just wants to drink lots of water. I think this is because her body needs to flush out the yeast that are dying. Other days she just wants to eat and eat and eat…actually, this is most days. I need to be prepared basically at any time of day (including 5 am!) to feed her something nourishing. Her blood sugar is still so erratic and I just know that I need to feed her when she’s hungry.
My husband and I often remark that she still has the metabolism of a newborn and needs to “eat on demand”. Some of the other things that have been a hit during the “phase one” of Gaps diet are:
* Hard boiled eggs (very portable too)
* My sunflower seed crakers
* Coconut Macaroons
* Zucchini chips from this book
* Soup, any and every kind
One thing is for certain, though. One little “indulgence” of extra sugar (even “good” sugar) has serious consequences. I can feel them myself, and it becomes very obvious for Kirsten as well. Hopefully all who know us will understand that I’m not trying to be a food nazi or control freak; I’m just wanting to do what’s best for my daughter’s health.
Teff Peanut Butter Cookies (Gluten Free/Vegan)
These delicious, nutritious cookies were directly inspired by Bob’s Red Mill. Bob’s is local to Portland, and they are a great resource for nutritious, affordable gluten-free grains (and regular grains, too!)
I was recently reading in Woman’s Day (or someplace like that!) about Teff. I had heard of teff long ago, probably because we have Ethiopian friends at our church who often bring Injera bread, a staple flatbread of Ethiopians, and it’s made out of teff. It’s very simple to make!
Teff flour is much higher in iron and other minerals than regular wheat flour. These cookies were tasty, but a bit crumbly (but not too bad). I think adding applesauce to the recipe might help, or even a couple of eggs. Either way, my entire family LOVED these, so they’re a winner in my book! Chock full of nutrient-dense ingredients, you can feel good about your loved ones enjoying these treats that are free of additives, gluten, trans-fats, and empty carbs!
Bob’s Teff Peanut Butter Cookies
In your mixer bowl, combine:
1.5 cups Teff flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
Add:
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 coconut oil (or any oil)
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1-2 eggs (optional)
Cream together. Form into walnut-sized balls, place on parchment-lined cookie sheet. Then press down with fork. Bake for about 10 min. at 350 degrees. Let cool completely before removing. Enjoy!
This one’s for my mama: Peanut Sauce
Recently, my dear mother and I had the priviledge of attending one of the open-air concerts at our local zoo. We brought the kiddos and I had to pack a quick dinner that was tasty and transportable. The result? Thai lettuce wraps with a peanut sauce dip.
I basically made indian liver rice but cooked it in 1 cup of coconut milk and 1 cup water with a TBS of Thai Red Curry paste and threw in some sauteed frozen scallops at the end. I wrapped this in fresh romaine and served it with this peanut sauce from _Nourishing Traditions_ and garnished with cilantro and chopped scallions.
My dear mother loved this and has been asking me to post the peanut sauce. Here’s hoping you’ll like it too!
Peanut Sauce (adapted from Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon)
6 garlic cloves, peeled
2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 large bunch cilantro, chopped
1 T extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup natural peanut butter OR freshly ground roasted peanuts (I used the former)
1/2 cup minus 2 T of soy sauce or tamari
3 T rice vinegar
1/2 to 1 cup whole coconut milk or warm chicken stock (I think I used coconut milk!)
Place ginger, garlic, and cilantro in a food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add all remaining ingredients except stock/coconut milk, and pulse until well blended and transfer to a saucepan. Gradually mix in stock or coconut milk, whisking thoroughly.
This could also be thinned by more water or stock and made into a peanut soup!
Enjoy!
This is fast becoming our Sunday night “supper of choice”. My critical taste testing panel included one picky 3 year old and a somewhat finicky 18 year old. Both were licking the bowl when finished and asking for more! This is sure to please!
Sally Fallon writes “Popcorn is a nutritious snack enjoyed by young and old; but remember that it is prepared without the all important soaking or fermenting process, so don’t overdo!”
Here’s my “updated” version. Combined with the good fats in coconut oil and grass-fed butter, popcorn (rich in fiber) is enhanced by parmesan cheese, spirulina, and vegetable broth powder (such as Herbamare).
Green Popcorn
Makes 8 cups
1/4 cup popcorn
2 T coconut oil
sea salt to taste
1 Tbs Herbamare or Gaylord Hauser Vegetable Broth*
1 tsp spirulina
2 tsp nutritional yeast (optional)
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan (or other favorite cheese)
2-4 Tbs melted kerrygold butter to taste!
1) Melt coconut oil in large, heavy saucepan with tightly-fitting lid (or popcorn maker).
2) Add corn and cover tightly, cooking over medium heat, and shake constantly until popping starts.
3) Lower heat slightly and cook, shaking, until popping dies away.
4) Pour popcorn in large bowl. Add sea salt, herbamare, spirulina, nutritional yeast, cheese, and melted butter.
5) Mix well and enjoy!
We usually serve this for Sunday dinner with slices of cheddar and apples or other seasonal fruit! This also makes a great homemade snack; perfect for taking to the zoo or other places where overpriced junk food abounds!
*Note: Hauser’s vegetable broth contains soy flour, which should be used sparingly due to concerns over soybean over consumption.
Have I mentioned that I LOVE the book _Nourishing Traditions_?
