DIY Tile & Grout Cleaner

DIY Tile & Grout Cleaner

Our guest post today is from Edna, who is a maintenance expert.  Be sure to read more about her at the end of this article; but in the meantime, let’s sparkle!  You know that my advice would always be to try the safest, most natural remedy first.  Edna gives us a few to choose from so that we can work up to the right solution. 


The trouble with grout is that it shows every speck of dirt, making your bathroom really unappealing. The same goes for your tiles. It’s really difficult to get stains off your bathroom surfaces, considering that they provide the perfect conditions for growth of bacteria and mold. Well, don’t panic. Here are a few homemade grout and tile cleaner recipes that may work wonders to keep your tiles free of dirt and stains. Check it out.

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Making Pickles with Fermentation

Making Pickles with Fermentation

Pickles are personal.  Since pickled (or fermented) veggies are so easy to make at home, I can get creative and make them just as I like them!  In fact, if you want to get the great probiotic benefits of a true fermented vegetable and avoid unnecessary food coloring and preservatives, you have no choice but to make them at home.  Cutting out Yellow #5 and #6 is what finally led me to make my own cucumber dills, and if I occasionally eat a store-bought one at a picnic, I’m taken aback at how slimy and flavorless they seem to me now.

Making Pickles

 

Continue reading Making Pickles with Fermentation

Sausage on a Bed of Kale & Cannellini

Sausage on a Bed of Kale & Cannellini

Sausage on Kale and Cannellini

 

This is not an original recipe, I ripped it off of one of the Greats.  I have never made a recipe from Emeril before to my recollection, but I’d definitely try more from him based upon my results with this one.  I really do not understand our culture of famous cooks.  There are some famous food bloggers whose recipes I’ve attempted multiple times with zero success.  I’m left scratching my head—how did it get to be that people hang on every word?  I want to ask, “Have you TRIED any of those recipes?”

Continue reading Sausage on a Bed of Kale & Cannellini

Wheat Bread & Gluten-Free Bread Recipes You Must Try

Wheat Bread & Gluten Free Recipes

Pantry Paratus knows bread; it is probably what we do best!  In fact, if you sign up for our newsletter, you get a half-hour bread baking tutorial video in your inbox (in about 24 hours).  If you are new to baking or to baking with home-milled flour, that video is a great place to start!  Below, we share some of our favorite Pantry Paratus recipes, but below that you will find some other excellent wheat bread and gluten-free bread recipes.

Continue reading Wheat Bread & Gluten-Free Bread Recipes You Must Try

The Reluctant Naturalist: I can’t eat WHAT?

The Reluctant Naturalist--I can't eat WHAT?

The Reluctant Naturalist

I can’t eat WHAT?

The Reluctant Naturalist

 

I love Frosted Flakes. There I said it. Give me some Lucky Charms too. Oh, and some frozen lasagna. I love the Stouffers all-veggie kind. That’s healthy right?

Ok, so I know it isn’t good for me. I went through Weight Watchers and got my Lifetime Pin (meaning I lost the weight and know how to eat healthy when I want to). So what’s the big deal? Eating bad occasionally can’t be that bad can it?

 Well, apparently my body thinks it can.

Intestines

 

I have had an infection for over 2 years (yeast, if you must know). I have been to four doctors that have put me on all sorts of drugs/steroids to fix it. This ended causing other problems and side effects. They did a DNA test to find out what specific type of infection it was, but even then they couldn’t cure the stupid thing. Finally, they wanted me to go on a drug that, according to Wikipedia is a “drug of last resort, causing among other side effects, chronic renal failure.”

 Um, no.

 That, my friends is where I drew my line in the sand. I forked out the cash to see a naturopath that was highly recommended to me by several friends. After several fascinating tests the doctor told me to cut out mint, potatoes in all forms, and not to eat fruit and sugar within six hours of each other (Disclaimer: this was a diagnosis specific to my body and my situation and is not meant to be a cure-all for anyone).

Normally I am very skeptical of these types of things. I have not been so kind to all those gluten free people that I know. A little bread wont hurt you will it? But, after trying everything else and being told that if I do this diet, and used the natural supplements that they recommended, my naturopath believes my infection will clear up in one week.

One week? Seriously??!??

This I had to see. I could do anything for a week. Right?

I jumped in. But I had no idea what I was getting into.

The doctor gave me a list of what types of things have my food intolerances in it. The list was three pages long. For potato I had to avoid most canned foods, any enriched pasta (B vitamins are generally grown on potato starch), MSG, dextrose, iodized salt (potato starch makes the iodine stick to the salt), and most yeast. Just to name a few things. For mint I have to avoid peppermint (good bye peppermint mocha), most toothpastes and many chap sticks. For the sugar and fruit problem it was just simpler to avoid non-natural sugar because fruit is in almost everything. So, no sugar – powdered, brown, whatever. No candies, unless naturally sweetened (good bye my Dark Chocolate Dove friends).

 


Then they told me that I couldn’t just trust the ingredient list on my food labels. The companies don’t have to list the bottom 2% of what they put into the food.


 Lots of food has my intolerances in it and they don’t even list the potato on the label!

For example, many eggs are washed in a potato or fruit solution and that absorbs into the egg. Then they gave me a list of foods that they personally tested. It was 27 pages.

 All the food in the world and I only get 27 pages to choose from?

Overwhelmed doesn’t come close to how I was feeling at the moment.

All I knew was that I had to switch to more natural food. Pre-packaged food was a thing of the past. Eating out? A laughable thought until I knew what I was dealing with, and baking was about to become a scientific endeavor.

I had to push on over the mountain of information set before me and figure out my new natural eating habits. Without meaning to I became a naturalist – with food anyway. The day I start recycling my veggie oil to fuel my car is not in my near future. I’ll think about herbal medicines and cleaning supplies another day.

Reading Labels

 I’ll skip over the six hours of shopping I did over the next few days. I’ll block out the only time I have ever let my five year old play his Kindle in the shopping cart so I could compare food ingredients on almost all items to my 27 page list (I’m still recovering from this insanity).

Lets go to my first meal. It is a family staple at our house that I had to revamp for the purposes of my new diet. We call it the Throw Together. It is an old recipe I got from my grandmother (she called it an Oven Put-Together, but I find the name not to be violent enough since I usually make it when I am in a super-big hurry).

Recipe for Throw Together (adjusted for my diet in italics):

  •  1 lb ground beef, hormone free (penicilin is often added to meat and it is grown on taters)
  • 1 Tbs Minced Garlic (I checked the label and no salt was added to mine)
  • 2 Tbs Salt (Sea Salt without dextrose, I have to check the label)
  • 1 1/2 onions, chopped (no adjustment)
  • 1 green pepper, chopped (no adjustment)
  • 1 tsp chili powder (it took forever to find one without salt added)
  • 1 can organic, salt-free tomatoes (this particular kind was on my list)
  • 1 can kidney beans, organic and salt free (also on the list)
  • 3/4 cups Minute Rice–had to find an organic, pre-cooked rice (Thank You Trader Joe’s, or I could have pre-cooked organic rice myself and added it in)
  •  Sprinkle with cheese (I had to find an organic cheese with sea salt)

And for those of you that are interested- you brown hamburger, onion  and green pepper then add all the rest and bake at 350 for about 45  minutes. Sprinkle with cheese.

Back to the meal:

It tasted so good! My hubby, who made the meal for me (he loves to cook and I was still twitching from my insane shopping trip) was oohing and awing over the rich color of the meat as he browned it and the aroma of the chili powder that wasn’t diluted with salt.  The meal itself was delicious. It was denser somehow and the flavors were stronger. We ate less and felt better! The couple bucks that we spent for better food seemed worth it. The meal even lasted an extra night because of our adjusted portion sizes.

Looking back I find that – intolerant foods or not – my meal was just plain healthier and more filling. Who knew? It was obvious to me that I would spend more to eat healthier, but the idea of filling up my tummy and my husband’s tummy with less? Well, that should be exciting to anyone (in my over-stated opinion – that is).
Coffee Grinder at Pantry Paratus

 

After 24 hours on this diet I was feeling so great! I woke up awake. Not the kind of caffeine induced fog of alertness that I usually require after 10 snoozes on my alarm clock. But the kind of awake that happens when your eyes just pop open in the morning and you feel relaxed and comfortable, but ready to DO something – that kind of awake.
There may be some people reading this that already know exactly what I am talking about. I bet they feel this glorious way Every. Stinking. Day. Well, this is a rare treat for me. I am awake on Christmas Morning (no idea why) and maybe six to ten other random mornings throughout a year. I was excited.
 Then Day Two happened: At lunchtime a wave of exhaustion rolled over me as I ate my fourth bite of my Aunt Millie’s chicken salad (I love this southern salad since there is no lettuce in it, but I digress). I recognized this confused sleepy feeling. It was how I normally feel all day – every day.
I decided to backtrack through the food I ate that day. Turns out the healthy coffee cake that my husband and I stayed up late to bake the night before was the culprit.
My body did not care that I ground my own soft white wheat. It snubbed the use of the coconut sugar. The problem was the Crisco that I used. The label didn’t mention any potato on it, but when I cross-referenced my tested list from my nutritionist it came back that Crisco had the trifecta of potato, sugar and fruit in it. Grr.
I was so tired that I had to take a nap. The fog didn’t lift until after I had 2 potato free meals – roughly six hours later.

So I went to bed feeling more awake, but also more discouraged. This was going to take a bit of practice to get potato free down pat in my mind.

I’ll report my progress soon—

Erin, The Reluctant Naturalist

 


Erin is a stay at home mom of two, wife of one. She spends her days homeschooling, shopping, cooking, chauffeuring children and dreaming of chocolate chip cookies. She ponders the important questions in life like ‘should I make my bed if it’s just going to get messy again in 15 hours?’ and ‘why on earth does ice cream have potato in it?’ Look for her novel in a decade. It will rock your world.


 
This article is intended for informational (and inspirational) purposes only and is in no way professional or medical advice.  Please see the appropriate healthcare professional with your specific medical concerns.

9 Comments

Rebecca | LettersFromSunnybrook.com

posted on Monday, October 20, 2014 5:18:52 AM America/Denver

Oh my goodness, I can so relate to this! I am allergic to potato, corn, soy and egg (among others) and it has been crazy trying to identify the ways they have hidden these simple ingredients into virtually all packaged and processed products. I, too, spent days and days reading, learning, and then trying to figure out what on earth I could buy and eat. At first I felt I couldn’t have anything and was so hungry all the time. But then, slowly, I learned to find one or two “safe” foods, learned to cook from scratch and build upon those ingredients until I could have a balanced and varied repertoire of food again. It really does work, too. My body feels so much healthier now. Years of stomach ailments and skin problems just disappeared — things I never realized were a result of these foods. Stay positive and focus on what you can have, rather than what you can’t!

Amber, Head Pixie

posted on Monday, October 20, 2014 8:37:05 AM America/Denver

Phew, do I hear you. I’ve fought chronic candida myself, only coming ahead in the past few years when I’ve dramatically cut sugars and processed foods from my diet…I also do a lot of fermented foods and live, raw foods to help boost the probiotics in my gut. Enjoy the *clarity* that a low sugar diet can bring! 🙂

Anna@Green Talk

posted on Monday, October 20, 2014 11:06:45 AM America/Denver

It is so important to find out your food intolerance. Mine are brewer yeast and yeast in general. I am glad you are feeling better.

Anna@Green Talk

posted on Monday, October 20, 2014 11:07:19 AM America/Denver

It is so important to find out your food intolerance. Mine are brewer yeast and yeast in general. I am glad you are feeling better.

Joellen

posted on Monday, October 20, 2014 1:42:10 PM America/Denver

Wow! It is clear you are taking this seriously and are becoming an expert! I hope and pray this helps. Will be praying for your healing.

Erin – Reluctant Naturalist

posted on Monday, October 20, 2014 9:09:26 PM America/Denver

Rebecca you are so right! It does work and positivity is the key. If I focus on the bread that I can’t have then I won’t learn what I can because I am too irritated. And Amber, I am just learning about fermented foods. The word ‘fermented’ is very foreign to me. It sounds kind of creepy and I have to get over that feeling about the word so I can get even more healthy. I just ate a tortilla that advertised itself as ‘sprouted’ (this was a big step for me). I am not sure why my mind automatically assumes that anything with healthy connotations is automatically gross. So far, I’ve learned that I actually like most of the new things that I am trying. This realization is still surprising me. Thanks for all the support.

Kristie

posted on Thursday, October 23, 2014 12:09:23 PM America/Denver

I would like to know how that you were tested. How did they know for sure what things you should avoid? Do you feel lots better now? I am very interested in your results! 🙂

Erin – Reluctant Naturalist

posted on Friday, October 24, 2014 9:50:14 PM America/Denver

Kristie – The naturopath did a test for enzymes. It is one they developed 50 years ago. I am told they have trained other locations to do this test, but it is not mainstream. Basically, if an enzyme is missing then your body can’t digest that food. It treats it like a poison. And therefore you should avoid eating it because your body can’t process it. I’m still reluctant to tout this as the end-all-be-all way to live. I have several friends who go to this particular naturopath and absolutely swear by it, but I am still waiting on full results before I go THAT crazy. Hope that helps.

Gaucho Max

posted on Wednesday, October 29, 2014 9:51:36 AM America/Denver

I discovered a few months back that I have celiac disease, and modified my grocery list accordingly. Yet, most symptoms did not disappear, although strongly diminished. So I make a few dietary experiments (dutifully consigned in a food journal) and, to my great surprise, *potatoes* causes the exact same symptoms than gluten. I just never ate enough in a short period of time to notice it. I must have eaten around 17 pounds of potatos on two weeks, and at the end of it, I was depressed, had sinusitis-like symptoms, and acne was spreading mildly around my upper body. Exactly like wheat. I’m a little shocked to say the least, as I was not expecting another food item to causes the same cascade of bodily reactions. At least I now know fasting for a while accelerate the dismissal of these symptoms…

Preserving Summer’s End (Part 2)

Preserving Summer’s End (Part 2)

Making the best of the sunshine last through the winter

I like fruits and vegetables all year round.   Since I am not living in the Southland but am in Montana,  I need to find a way to preserve the best of summer for the rest of the year.  I showed you how I dehydrated the bulk of what I bought at the farmer’s market in the first blog in this series; now I want to wrap up the dehydration and cover some fermentation.

Produce from Farmers' Market

Truth be told, I like dehydrating the best.  In fact, Chaya was just teaching about it at the Zone 4 Live! event in Pray, MT!  Dehydrating is my favorite because it is so hard to mess it up.  I love a nifty kitchen gadget, but the simplest one that I own is the Excalibur Dehydrator.  It is the work horse for DIY food preservation.
Chaya adds: “Wilson is right, it is hard to mess up, and once you own the dehydrator there is no recurring costs to it.  It preserves more of the nutritional value than any other preservation method and the food has a shockingly long shelf life.  You can’t beat it!”

 

Parsley & Basil

Dehydrated Parsley

I am going to combine these two herbs into one section because to process them is identical and I made an error in taking the photos.  Here it goes . . .

Cutting Parsley

First thing I do is to cut the parsley.  This is not all that scientific, and you need not worry yourself with how even the cuts are.  Once the parsley comes out of the dehydrator you can crush it up to be as small as you like.  For now, I am just going to chop and drop it right onto the mesh dehydrator tray.

Weighting Down Herbs

Weigh down herbs by adding a mesh lining on top and placing

something like chopsticks on top.

Now, I have never seen this written in a book anywhere, but I believe that I can save you some frustration here.  I take one extra mesh dehydrator tray and put it on top of the cut herbs.  When either parsley or basil are hydrated, they will not blow away in the moving air from the dehydrator fan.  However, after the moisture is removed, they will migrate to the front of your dehydrator and if you are lucky you can sweep up the best parts in the bottom of the dehydrator. Chaya recommends using paraflexx sheets underneath; although not necessary, sometimes the small dehydrated bits fall through the mesh; it’ll keep your dehydrator cleaner and make it simpler to jar the dehydrated herbs. If you try this method (I added the chop sticks for extra ballast) you can keep almost all of your herbs and not experience an attrition like I described.

Finished Dehydrated Basil

When you are getting the finished product into the jar, you will inevitably get some on the table or counter which is not a big deal, just sweep them up and add those to the jar.  Other than that, you can see that this is $1.50 in parsley—try getting that on the spice aisle in the grocery store!  This is really the way to get fresh herbs into your diet through the winter at a fraction of the cost.

Sweeping up Parsley

 

Montana Kimchi

Adding Onions to Kimchi

So, I would love to tell you that this is a secret family recipe that was passed down to me, but that would not be true.  Actually, this came from some adverse times when Chaya and I were very poor.  We would ask the produce people at the local grocery store to put aside the “trim” from that day in a box and we would pay some nominal fee for it.  What is trim?  That is what they pick from the produce displayed in the grocery store and throw away because it is not visually appealing; what was not edible for us was a treat for the chickens, ducks, and goose.  So, if you do not mind bruises or a few brownish spots, then you had a real bargain.  From these boxes of produce we started making “Trim-chi” which was upcycled to “Montana Kimchi” later on and has remained with us as a favorite.

Use Exterior Leafy Green

While we are not starting with oozing onions anymore, we are still working off the premise of not wasting anything (actually, my Italian Nonnie would be very proud if she were still alive to read this).  Here I am starting off with the exterior green tough layers from the cabbage.  Since I bought this at the farmer’s market, and I know (because I could ask her) that they did not spray it with pesticides, therefore the outside leaves are edible*, so I cut them up and toss them in the mixing tub.

Cut Cabbage into small wedges

When it comes to cutting cabbage for fermentation, the best tool hands down is a food slicer.  However, I wanted to show the manual method here and one particularly useful trick is to cut the dense cabbage in small wedges.  While my OCD tendencies would make me want to slice it uniformly into thin bands (thus, my affinity for the food slicer) all the way across the head of the cabbage, this works out to be cheaper than therapy and more efficient for food preservation.

Cabbage for Kimchi

Do you recall from Part 1 where I had you set aside the stringy root bits and carrot tops?  Here is where we use them.

Carrot Tops in Kimchi

As the saying goes, “It’s all good for Gumbo.”  Well, I do not actually venture into putting squid into my Montana Kimchi, but just about anything is good to add and carrot roots and tops are no exception here.

Chard in Kimchi

 

I did the same with the chard leaves and stalks, the green chive tops of the onions.

Adding Chard to Kimchi

Just about anything is good to add try apples, garlic or hot peppers; I have even heard of people using potato peels.  Fermentation is equal opportunity goodness. 

Where dehydration is pretty generous and hard to mess up and baking bread is more of an exact science, fermentation falls somewhere in the middle for level of difficulty.  There are a few things that you want to know upfront: you will mess it up at least once, always provide for oxygen (avoid anaerobic conditions!), let the bacteria do the work and have patience.

Non-iodized salt is important

In this particular batch, I am counting on the lactobacillus on the cabbage and chard to start the process, but to help it out and to keep the other bacteria at bay I need to lower the pH.  To do that I am adding non-iodized salt (canning salt, sea salt from Pantry Paratus, or kosher salt will work) and kneading/mixing thoroughly by hand.  The salt has two functions: lowers the pH to create an acidic environment that the lactobacillus can work in, and it draws moisture out of the vegetable matter to create a liquid solution.

Splash of Wine-Vinegar

You will be surprised at how compact the vegetable matter becomes after the salt starts to work.  As the water follows the solute (salt), you will also notice a lot of liquid at the bottom of the bowl or tub in which you are kneading this—this is a good sign.  For this batch, I am adding just a splash of a home-fermented wine vinegar with mother mixture to lower the pH and get the fermentation party happening quicker.

Pack Kimchi into jars

Lastly, I packed the Montana Kimchi into half gallon jars using a wooden spoon handle to compact it. You may be wondering, “How much salt do I add?”  The answer is, “to taste,” but to be more precise, you will see the water draw out and it should cover what is being fermented.

Cover with Fluid

If you feel that you need to add a splash of water to cover it, then you may need to re mix and add more salt.  The better solution is to just add the salty water that you have just extracted by kneading the mixture.

Dehydrator Yield

Here is the whole project completed.  It took about two hours for the Montana Kimchi and the rest of the food was processed as I had room in the dehydrator over the next few days–and this is the sum total of the $18 in produce I purchased at the Farmers’ Market on a rainy day.  All in all, I love to see this on my shelves as a reminder of peace of mind that comes from forethought.

You may be wondering, what the dish is for under the half gallon jars?  As the salt continues to work, you will see the liquid start to seep out of the top of the jar, this is normal.  For this reason, and to let the carbon dioxide out, we just loosely put the lids on and the bands are only on there half a turn.

 

 

Pro Deo et Patria,

Wilson

 

P.S. As a public service announcement and reminder, nothing goes to waste.  If you cannot use it, your soil can so compost it.

*The lady at the farmer’s market stand actually said to me regarding the cabbage, “If you see any green friends crawl out, just pick them off.”  I replied, “If the bugs do not want to eat it, why would I?”  Moral of the story: shop locally!

 


Proviso:

Nothing in this blog constitutes medical or legal advice.  You should consult your own physician before making any dietary changes.  Statements in this blog may or may not be congruent with current USDA or FDA guidance.

Preserving Summer’s End (Part 1)

salting zucchini for the dehydrator

Preserving Summer’s End (Part 1)

How to Dehydrate: Apples, Zucchini, Onions, Carrots

If you are like me, you loathe paying $4 for mealy tomatoes in January.  There are two things that really put me over the edge about that: one is that tomatoes are cheaper in the summer, much cheaper! And secondly,  a January tomato from the store does not even taste like a tomato.  So, I have done all that I can over the years to leverage food preservation to our advantage because I really like tomatoes, but not at $4 lb!

$18 at the Farmers Market

In the last blog, I gave a shout out to all the people faithfully manning the booths at the farmer’s market, we really do appreciate it.  In the above picture, here is my haul for $18—not bad.  Now to preserve it all.  As a reminder, nothing goes to waste.  If you cannot use it, your soil can so compost it.

 

Apples

Dehydrated Apples

The first thing that I processed was the apples by running them through the dehydrator.  In retrospect, I wish that I would have done the herbs first because they go so quick, but are so aromatic that they can impart flavor to other things in the dehydrator like the apples and should be dehydrated alone.  But back to the apples: here is how to do it:

 

Apple Peeler

We use this apple peeler from Pantry Paratus, but you can check out our other great apple tools in our Fruits & Nuts section.

 

You will find that nutritious apples with dense juicy flesh dehydrate best when they are sliced to uniform thin slices.  The best way to do this is the apple peeler.  We leave the skin on as fiber is always good to have, but if you like them peeled by all means the apple peeler and slicer will make you wonder why you ever did this with a paring knife.  It’s also great fun with kids.

 

How to dehydrate apples

Next, I take the “apple spring” and run a knife down one side to cut the coils and make the rings from the coil-sliced apple.  To control the amylase sugar browning on the apples, I dip them in lemon juice (about a ¼ cup to 2 cups of water).  Chaya juiced & froze an entire box of lemons earlier in the season; I used that but I also used the stuff from the grocery store too.

Dip in lemon juice

I happen to have this handy thrift store glass cup (picture above)  which is exactly the size of the apples so that I can economize my lemon juice and make it go further.

 

Apple Rings

Before

Dehydrated Apple Rings

After

 

I like to do my apples low and slow.  That is put them in the dehydrator on low heat for a longer period of time.  To me, the apple rings are dehydrated and ready to put away when they have a noticeable click and bounce when you drop them on the table.  I like mine to snap when you break them, but other people like theirs chewy so pull them out of the dehydrator when you like their texture.

 

Zucchini

Dehydrated Zucchini

 

I know, I know.  I am probably the only person who cannot grow zucchini well, but these beauties are actually going to make one of my favorite snacks—zucchini chips!  Careful though, you do not want to eat too many of them, they are higher in fiber than you think!

zucchini

First thing is first, slice them up into discs.  Since zucchini dehydrates so well, you do not need to worry (as much as with other foods) about uniformity, but just get them onto the tray.

lighltly salt the zucchini

Next for zucchini chips, I like to lightly salt them.  You will be surprise how little salt you need here.  If you are putting zucchini away for long term storage, skip the salt as it will not be optimal for storage.  If you feel adventurous, sprinkle some garlic powder on them as well for a real treat.  Still not enough?  Find your favorite fresh herbs and make a pesto, dip the zucchini discs in the pesto, then dehydrate them.  I will bet that you cannot eat just one!

Dehydrated Zucchini on tray

Zucchini (especially with the light salt) dehydrates very quickly, so you can usually turn these around in a day or less.

 

Onions

Dehydrated Onions

These onions from the farmer’s market were so tasty, we were eating them like an apple.  Usually, this indicates low sulfur in the soil, but I am not complaining here.  Actually, I found a new side salad dish: fresh lentil sprouts, some finely chopped fresh farmer’s market onions, light sea salt, parsley and some nutritional yeast to taste.  Wow!

Cut Onions

Slice the onions and lay them out on the tray.  I was not all that particular here, so the object is to just get them onto the tray.  Since they shrink so much, you can overlap them if need be.  This may mean that you have to break them apart at the end, but the increase in throughput makes up for it.

 

Dehydrated Onions

 

Chaya adds: It’s hard to explain, but the flavor seems to get even better.  If you are from the Midwest, you remember those chemical-laden onion-things that people put on green bean casserole, right? Well, these are better, way better.  Very nearly a candy.

 Carrots

Dehydrated Carrots

The last thing that I wanted to show you today is the carrots.  These were itty bitties that the kind lady at the farm stand gave to Bugaloo, my daughter,  a token for how brave she was to even come out with her rain coat and boots.

Shred Carrots

The first thing that I do is to pick off the stems (which are actually related to parsley and are edible) as well as the stringy root bits and I set them aside.  Stop by for part 2, and I will show you what to do with those.  Since these carrots were so small, they were hard to shred.  You can dehydrated carrots sliced, too, but Chaya prefers them shredded because they rehydrated much more thoroughly and quickly.

 

Shredded Carrots

Shredded carrots can be placed directly on the tray.  Actually, I just shred them right over the mesh dehydrator mat—done!  If you are going to cut the carrots into coins, I recommend blanching the cut slices first, then dehydrating them as this will prevent case hardening.

Dehydrated Carrots

Come back next time for Preserving Summer’s End Part 2.  I will show you how to dehydrate herbs (read: $avings!) as well as my Montana Kimchi.  See you then!

Pro Deo et Patria,

Wilson

 

Knives

 

P.S. Do you know what the difference is between these two knives?  Why is this difference important for dehydrating?  Leave a comment with your answer.

 


Proviso:

Nothing in this blog constitutes medical or legal advice.  You should consult your own physician before making any dietary changes.  Statements in this blog may or may not be congruent with current USDA or FDA guidance.

Recipe: Buttermilk Biscuits (using powdered buttermilk)

Buttermilk Biscuits

 

I do not keep buttermilk in the refrigerator routinely, mostly because I do not use it frequently enough to warrant the cost and short shelf life.  It is easy enough to make your own homemade buttermilk and that is preferred; but for many of us, having powdered buttermilk on hand saves a last minute trip to the store, saves money and waste, and is easily used in any recipe calling for buttermilk.    The convenience and shelf life, along with the ability to get bulk pricing make it a must-have for your pantry shelf.  In fact, check out this article on making buttermilk from the powdered stuff by Mom Prepares.

Oh, and if you are new to Pantry Paratus, you should know that we are advocates for whole, home-milled flour.  This recipe (as all of my recipes) use it; if you are using a store bought flour (even if they claim it to be whole wheat) it will have a different texture and you will want to adapt the recipe by adding the flour slowly until you get the right texture (it will likely mean using more flour than called for in this recipe).   * Because of our corn allergy, we do not use baking powder; you could substitute 2 tsp baking powder for the cream of tartar and then cut the baking soda in the recipe down to 1/2 tsp, if you like.

This recipe makes exactly 12 biscuits using this $3.00 cutter.

What You Need:

preheated oven at 400 °

3 cups flour (soft white wheat is best)

3 T. powdered buttermilk

4 T. home rendered lard ( use bacon grease or butter as substitutes)

2 tsp cream of tartar*

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp sea salt

1 egg

1 cup water

 

1) Mix 2 cups of flour along with the other dry ingredients (powdered buttermilk, cream of tartar, baking soda, sea salt).

2)  Cut in the 4 T. of home rendered lard.

3)  In a measuring cup, lightly beat the egg and then add enough water so that the egg & water combined equal 1 cup.   Add this to the dry ingredients until just mixed, then let it sit for 5 minutes.  It should seem like a runny pancake batter at this point.

4) Slowly stir in the remaining flour until the texture is a smooth and flexible dough.  Then turn out onto floured surface.

5)  Knead the dough for 3-5 minutes (but no more).  Use a rolling pin and spread dough to 1/2″ thickness (or slightly less) and cut into 12 round biscuits.

6) It is optional (but delicious) to brush butter over the tops.  Place on either a greased or floured baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes.

Biscuits cut out

 

Enjoy,

Chaya

 


 

 

Blueberry Pancakes: An Allergy-Friendly, Gluten-Free Recipe

Blueberry Pancakes
An Allergy-Friendly & Gluten-free Recipe

 

Allergy-Friendly Blueberry Pancakes

 

I really love to forage for wild berries, especially blueberries.  But what do I love to do even more than find them?  Eat them!  And I can think of few things as exciting as fresh fruit and pancakes! 

 
Since our family is plagued with an abundance of food allergies, I had to come up with a special pancake recipe so that everyone in our home could enjoy.  Not being able to cook with things like wheat flour or gluten, eggs, or even dairy products present a regular challenge in my kitchen.  In the end, a tasty recipe just took a little creativity and outside the box thinking! 

 

What you’ll need…

2 c almond flour
2 c buckwheat flour (mill your own with a Wondermill)
1 tbsp. baking soda
1 tsp sea salt
2 c fresh blueberries
1/2 c extra virgin olive oil
1 egg or egg substitute
1.5 c liquid of your choice
Additional liquid or water, if needed 

1.   Mix dry dry ingredients.

2.   Mash blueberries, using a fork or potato masher, and add to your mixing bowl.

3.   Add olive oil & egg, or try one of my egg substitutes

4.   Add liquid of your choice & stir/mix. If the batter is still too thick, slowly stir in additional water as needed. Sometimes the batter thickens as it sits (while I’m cooking the pancakes) & I have to add in more water.

5.  Cook in olive oil on low heat. It’s about time to turn the pancake over when the uncooked side is filling up with little bubbles in the batter.

6.  Smother pancakes with extra berries, syrup, or your other favorite toppings and enjoy!


Blueberry Pancakes


That’s it!  It really is pretty easy to make a tasty pancake using fresh berries.  If you don’t have blueberries in your area, try substituting with another berry that you do have available. 

What’s your favorite way to enjoy pancakes?

Krystyna Thomas
 
Spring Mountain Living –  Life, naturally. 


Krystyna from Spring Mountain Living

Marine Corps Veteran and homeschooling mother of two active boys, Krystyna stays busy helping her husband (and best friend!) with the daily demands of life on the farm. With a family to nurture, food to grow and preserve and animals to raise, there is never a dull moment in her life. Krystyna is a city girl gone country and natural living enthusiast who is passionate about sharing her homesteading experience with others. She hopes to help readers climb the ladder of self-sufficiency and encourage others in their journey towards a greener (and healthier) lifestyle.

Catch Krystyna Here:

 

 

 

Recipe: Blackberry Vinaigrette

blackberry vinaigrette is easy to keep on hand to dress up a salad!

Recipe:  Blackberry Vinaigrette

 

One of the biggest black holes at your local supermarket is the salad dressing aisle.  They are charging you for flavorless chemicals; they are stifling your creativity and making you pay for it.  Salad dressings are fun! Not everything in the kitchen benefits from your pinch-a-this style of cooking, but salad dressings and vinaigrettes a fantastic outlet for flair.

A vinaigrette by definition is a dressing made of vinegar and oil in a 3:1 ratio.  The oil should be a fine, healthy oil such as extra virgin olive oil but you can certainly use others such as flax.  They need to have a delicate flavor.  Many vinaigrettes are balsamic, referring to the vinegar used.  Although this is traditional, it is not necessary.  In this recipe I prefer organic apple cider vinegar because the hint of fruit pairs well with the blackberry. 

I make the honey optional; I have tried it both ways.  Although I liked it just as well without the honey and some might think it’s too sweet with it, it helps to emulsify the oil and water.  If you you a wisk or one of these bad boys, or your blender, they will merge with or without the honey, but the texture will last longer with it.  You will have some separation of ingredients at the table whether you go with the honey or not, so use a container that allows for shaking. 


This vinaigrette recipe is sweet and tangy.  You can adjust the ingredients how you so choose–we use more garlic in ours than I am recommending for you, so play with the levels and don’t be afriad to taste and tweak as you go.  The garlic brings the fruit flavor back down to earth and bridges the gap between a “fruit sauce” and a vegetable salad.  Don’t skip the garlic!

Overripe berries work best, or you might want to put them in a small sauce pan with just enough water in the bottom to keep them from scalding, and let them soften for a few minutes.  Alternatively, I once soaked the berries in the apple cider vinegar overnight–that made them mushy and ready for blending!

 

Blackberry Dressing

Blackberry Vinaigrette

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/8 tsp black pepper
  • 2 tsp garlic (we like 1 Tbs)
  • 1 tsp dehydrated onion
  • 1 Tbs honey (optional)
  • 1 clamshell Blackberries (or to taste–less is just fine)*

Add ingredients and blend in a blender that will puree the berries well.   Put into a jar that allows for shaking.  Refrigerate the unused portion.  This serves approximately 6-7 salad bowls.

*Alternatively, I’ve made this using the last of blackberry preserves–since I make my jam with honey, I omit that ingredient and add just a tad bit more oil…it works great!


 

 

Using Cacao Part 4: 58 Recipes (Many for special diets)

58 Recipes for Cacao Powder (Many for Special Diets)

Using Cacao Series Part 4 (& Final)

58 Recipes for Cacao Powder

 

 

You learned how to make organic, fair trade cocoa powder from your cacao nibs.  Awesome!  Now what?  We bring 58 gourmet recipes that range from gluten-free, grain-free, paleo, dairy-free, and just-plain-nourishing!  There are even some homemade cosmetic recipes!

 

 

Hot Pumpkin Spice Cacao, Fresh Bites Daily

 

Beverages

Rainy Day Paleo Hot Chocolate (Dairy Free) by Hollywood Homestead

Honey-Sweetened Hot Chocolate by Recipes To Nourish

Avocado Banana Cacao Smoothie (Raw, Vegan) by jarOhoney

Real Chocolate Milk by Economies of Kale

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Smoothie by jarOhoney

Chocolate Banana Shake with Coconut Oil by Delicious Obsessions

Healthy Hot Chocolate by Health Extremist

Hot Cacao Drink (As Good As, Better Than? Coffee) by Fresh Bites Daily

Hot Pumpkin Spice Cacao  by Fresh Bites Daily

 

Rainy Day Hot Chocolate

 

 

Grain-Free Black Forest CupcakesThe Kosher Cave Girl

 

Brownies, Cupcakes, and Cakes

Roasted Blackberry Brownies by An Organic Wife

Paleo Chocolate Pumpkin Brownies by Paleo Gone Sassy

Peanut Butter & Jelly Brownie (Vegan, gluten-free & sugar-free) by Green Press

Paleo Chocolate Cupcakes (Gluten Free & Dairy Free) by Hollywood Homestead

Gluten-Free Chocolate Mousse Cake with Cardamom by Healing, Yoga and Qigong

Hazelnut Silk Petit Four (Raw, Vegan) by jarOhoney

Real Food Chocolate Cake by The Toups Address

Super Fudgy Chocolate Walnut Brownies (Gluten Free, Grain Free) by Delicious Obsessions

Raw Brownie Bites by Live Simply

Paleo Chocolate Chip Muffins by Paleo Gone Sassy

No Bake Chocolate Fudge Fridge Cake (Raw, Vegan, Paleo) by Gourmande In The Kitchen

Grain Free Black Forest Cupcakes (& an amazing real food frosting) by  The Kosher Cave Girl

Coconut Flour Brownies by Health Extremist

 

Real Food Chocolate Cake

 

Cookies

Chocolate Nut Butter Cookies (Gluten Free, Grain Free) by Delicious Obsessions

 

Raw Double Layer Chocolate Fudge with Cacao

 

Candy, Chocolates, and Candy Bars

Raw, Healthy Fudge by An Organic Wife

Chocolate Sunflower Freezer Fudge by Recipes To Nourish

Hawthorn Herbal Chocolates by Natural Herbal Living Magazine

Chocolate Vanilla Marble Freezer Fudge by Recipes To Nourish

Homemade Candy Bars (or Chocolate Chips) by An Organic Wife

Dark Chocolate Maca Love Truffles by Happy Healthnut

Healthy Dark Chocolate Truffles by Healing, Yoga, and Qigong

Banana Bon Bons (Raw, Vegan, Paleo)  by jarOhoney

Make Your Own Dark Chocolate Bar in 5 Minutes by Learning and Yearning

An Easy Homemade Chocolate Recipe by Economies of Kale

Chocolate Energy Bars (Gluten Free, Grain Free) by Delicious Obsessions

Paleo Chocolate Slice by Economies of Kale

Healthy, Chocolate Powerballs by Economies of Kale

Chocolate Almond Energy Bites by Happy Healthnut

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bon Bons by Little Owl Crunchy Momma

Chocolate Cherry Vanilla Peanut Butter Fudge Bar by Delicious Obsessions

Raw Double Layer Chocolate Fudge with Cacao Nibs by Gourmande in the Kitchen

Cacao Almond Balls by It Takes Time

 

Banana Bon Bons

 

Aztec Chocolate Ice Cream

 

Ice Cream, Pudding

Aztec Chocolate Ice Cream by Food Your Body Will Thank You For

Dark Chocolate Chia Pudding by Family Gone Healthy

Chocolate Raspberry Avocado Pudding by Recipes To Nourish

Homemade Fudgesicles by Recipes To Nourish

Chocolate Smothered Coconut Ice Cream by jarOhoney

Old Fashioned Brown Butter Pudding (with grain free thickener) by Vintage Kids Modern World

Easy Sweet Potato Chocolate Pudding by Delicious Obsessions

Chocolate Chunk Vegan Ice Cream by Economies of Kale

Coconut Chocolate Mousse (Paleo, Primal) by Eat Play Love More

Easy, Healthy Chocolate Mousse by Economies of Kale

Maca Chocolate Pots De Crème (fertility & libido enhancing) by Real Food RN

 

 

 

 

Spreads, Sauces, & Condiments

Chocolate Hazelnut Spread by An Organic Wife

Chocolate Fudge Sauce by Recipes To Nourish

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting by Recipes To Nourish

Delia’s Chocolate Syrup (Or Chocolate Sauce) Recipe by Pantry Paratus

 

Delia's Chocolate Syrup

 

Beauty, Cosmetics

Smooth Finish DIY Organic Foundation with Sunscreen by ScratchMommy

Smooth Finish DIY Organic Foundation

 

Homemade Foundation Powder by Live Simply

 

Homemade Foundation Powder

Get Organic, Free Trade Cacao Nibs Here.


Read up:

Using Cacao Part 1: Is Cocoa Powder & Cacao Powder The Same Thing?

Using Cacao Part 2: Chocolate By Any Other Name (Chocolate Defined)

Using Cacao Part 3: Homemade Cocoa Powder

 

Wilson’s Chocolate Series:

Chocolate Part 1: The History of Chocolate

Chocolate Part 2: The Science (And Art) of How It Is Made

Chocolate Part 3: Chocolate In America

 

Pudding Face

 

 

 

 

 

 


Photos:  All photos are property of the blogs for which they represent, respectively, and were used with permission.  Please visit each blog’s recipe post to learn more about their recipes and photopgraphy.

It’s All Gravy: Reduction Sauce, Roux, Béchamel, Veloute, Mornay

It's all gravy

Reduction Sauce, Roux, Bechamel, Veloute, Mornay

  The word gravy usually refers to the sauce that ramps up the meal in flavor, but few are exacting with its use.  In fact, Italian Americans sometimes use the word to describe pasta sauce.   I actually looked up the definition of the word “gravy” and found that it really only refers to a sauce made out of a meat’s juices. 

 So what is it that my mom makes from butter and flour and milk (with bacon fat if she has it)?  That would be roux (pronounced roo).  This is actually a family joke for us.  Wilson & I were only dating when he leaned over my mother’s shoulder in excitement—“I love roux!” he exclaimed.  Now, Wilson comes from a multicultural family (French is his mother’s first language).  I come from a multicultural family too, if you understand that Southern Ohio and Southern Missouri are completely different cultures.  Although the pronunciation of things like “creek” (translation: crik) and “fire” (translation: fawr) vary widely from my family’s diverse cultural backgrounds, there is only one word for that creamy sauce made from bacon fat:  gravy. 

 I most commonly make what is called a “reduction sauce” to get the yummy bits out of the pan.  I just pour in some wine, which deglazes the pan beautifully.  That means it pulls all of the flavors off of the cast iron and liquefies them.  I might add something like onions or mushrooms and then turn the heat down to let it simmer and thicken, scraping the bottom to get the cooked-on tasties.

 

Gravy

 

People complain about how difficult it is to make gravy but it has more to do with texture than academics; no one can give an exact recipe because of the variables of fat or starch used.  Use the left over meaty bits in the pan, and add some lard or butter if needed, and deglaze.  Turn the heat to medium-low, and slowly add milk while continuously stirring.  Mix in some flour (a tablespoon at a time) to thicken but never stop stirring, not for a moment.  You can let this simmer as long as you must to get your desired consistency.  Some people swear by cornstarch instead of flour, but we do not personally use that; if you are gluten-free, arrowroot or tapioca do the job nicely (rice flour burns too quickly, avoid that).  You’ll add salt and pepper to taste, and that is really all there is to it.  It’s a matter of 4 additional minutes in the kitchen, tops.  It is a great way of scraping the last flavor out of the cast iron skillet.  Taste as you go, go slowly, and do not be afraid to experiment.

 Similar in purpose, but more versatile and delicious—Béchamel (pronounced bay-shu-mell)—actually serves as its own ingredient within other recipes to bring moisture and depth.  It is a French white sauce that is used through most of European cuisine; many Italian, German, and British recipes consider it a necessary staple for things like seafood crepes or meatballs.  Although you will see many variations of this “gravy” most will include the secret ingredient that separates it out from other pan sauces…nutmeg.

 

Bechamel Sauce Recipe

 

Recipe for Bechamel Sauce

  • ½ stick of butter (4 Tablespoons) or ghee
  • 3-4 Tbs home-milled flour
  • ¼ cup broth (or substitute with milk)
  • 1 cup milk  (or substitute with broth)
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Pinch of nutmeg

 1) In a saucepan, warm milk on low while you are melting your butter in a separate skillet.

2) Start by melting butter in a medium-low skillet (butter burns quickly).  Using ghee instead (my secret, shhh, don’t tell) will enrich the flavor and help prevent burning.

3)Stir 3-4 TBS flour into the melted butter until it’s a thick paste.

4)Then immediately pour ½ cup broth (vegetable or animal, either is good) while stirring. 

5) Add about a cup of warmed milk, salt & pepper and –TahDah—a pinch of nutmeg.  You can turn this to low, cover, and walk away for 5 minutes at a time until it is your desired thickness (usually about 10 minutes).

 Feel free to add your favorite herbs or spices (like fresh rosemary or basil), dry mustard, or other spices.  The variations of Bechamel are endless.

 Veloute: Veloute is basically a dairy-free Bechamel.  Make the standard Bechamel, but substitute more broth for the milk.

Mornay Sauce: Make Bechamel, but add about ½ cup grated cheese (such as fresh parmesan or swiss) at the end, stirring well.  This is a wonderful way to make lasagna, casseroles, or a white sauce for pasta.  Use this as a substitute for spaghetti sauce if you have to, just be sure to add plenty of garlic!

 If you do not like gravy, neither do I.  But call it Bechamel, serve it in a crepe or a meatball, and use your best French accent over dinner.  It will make all the difference. 

 

À bientôtor as we say in Southern Ohio, see’ya,

Chaya

 

A note: If you are a connoisseur of delicate international cuisine, I am downright offensive in my oversimplications.  I know.  It’s because I am not afraid to break the rules.

 

Check out our next blog, which is how to make meatballs with dehydrated spinach and Bechamel Sauce!


 Proviso:

 Nothing in this blog constitutes medical or legal advice.  You should consult your own physician before making any dietary changes.  Statements in this blog may or may not be congruent with current USDA or FDA guidance.


 

 

 

Flax Oil Pesto Recipe (in 5 minutes or less)

 Flax Oil Pesto Sauce

Quick Recipe: 5 Minutes Or Less


Quick Recipe: Flax Oil Pesto

 

You likely already know the health benefits of flax, if you have flax oil sitting pretty in your pantry.  You know about the high levels of Omega 3, the high fiber, abundant antioxidants, and its role in preventing chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease.  Are there risks to consuming too much flax?  Well, read more about that here.   But maybe, for you, it is about the flavor!

This is one of my fastest and most brainless recipes, truly.  You can whip out this quick recipe for pesto sauce in five minutes or less and have something deliciously elegant for a party or unexpected dinner guests to munch (while you figure out what-in-the-heck you’re going to serve them).  Keeping a pot of basil growing in your kitchen is great for many reasons (taking a deep whiff of the aromatic leaves is among my fave).  If you do grow your own basil, then you will already have all of the ingredients you need without a shopping trip.

Quick Recipe: Flax Oil Pesto Sauce

  If you don’t care for flax oil or you don’t have any on hand, just substitute olive oil, but go slow adding it—it might take slightly less than what is listed in the recipe.

  •   1/3 cup walnuts
  • ½ cup parmesan (can be omitted, but you might want to lower your oil)
  • 1/8 cup minced garlic
  • 1/3 cup flax oil
  • 2 ½ cups fresh basil leaves (yum!)

 Put all ingredients in your food processor and mix! 

Basil leaves straight from my grow light

My basil straight from the pot.

 Blend in Food Processor

Blend everything together in the food processor.

Flax Oil Pesto

It’s that easy.  This is a 5 minute recipe, and an excellent last-minute addition to a dinner party.

You could also take this Spinach Pesto Salad with Pignolias (Pine Nuts) using this tasty pesto, too!

 

Enjoy,

Chaya

All photos are property of Pantry Paratus, but feel free to share them if you keep proper attribution.  Thanks!