Do you feel overwhelmed by the tasks in your kitchen?
I know I often have…
With all that we have on our plates these days (pardon the pun) it is no wonder that many people feel overwhelmed by the time it takes to make wholesome food from scratch.
All these years I have been stepping into each day looking at all that I need to get done (in my kitchen) like it needed to happen all at once- no wonder it often seemed like such an insurmountable task!
But out of nowhere a simple shift in my perception changed the way I feel about my time spent in the kitchen?
While I have been practicing living in tune with the moon, my focus has been on housework and business tasks. It never occurred to me that I could use moon rhythms in the kitchen- after all meals need to be made 3 times a day, 7 days a week!
When I finally saw my kitchen tasks inside of the cycle of the moon’s rhythms, it completely altered my perception of what is possible!
Prior to this time, I couldn’t see the obvious because the truth is I pretty much live in the kitchen between driving the kids to school, working and housework- I was so often living there in maintenance and catch up mode, that I never stopped to stand back and look at the bigger picture.
And here’s what I ‘got’ inside of my new vantage point….
Instead of being caught up in the minutia of minutes -and wasting my thought energy by focusing in on every little task that needs to be done- I can now clearly see an easy flow that follows my natural energy and attention fluctuations!
I threw out my kitchen to do list because there is no hope in catching up with all the tasks that lie ahead anyway- as soon as we do them, they are right back up there on the top again anyway- and that’s just a recipe for failure and dissatisfaction!
Instead my kitchen tasks now have a cycle and a season -and when they are done- I feel done for awhile -instead of feeling like everything needs to be maintained and started all over again at once (after all they are eating it faster than we can cook it, aren’t they?)!
The tasks that I do now, naturally match my energy levels so that I don’t set myself up for failure. Sure I still have to follow the basic rhythm of 3 meals on the table, 7 days a week, but I do my prep work according to the moon cycles, rather than simply because the cookie jar is empty. When the cookies are out, I don’t need to think of cookies. There are plenty of other things to snack on….
Using the moon as my guide, I get a break from certain tasks (a 3 week one at that), AND my need for variety is built right in- thus increasing the pleasure I experience in my kitchen!
Now doesn’t that just make you breathe a sigh of relief!
Here is how I conceptualize the time I invest in my kitchen……
New Moon Kitchen During the new moon our energy is low and it is not the best time to do a lot of cooking or housework. Now is the time to make simple salads to add to quick crock pot meals, leftovers and food that you’ve made and frozen ahead during the waxing moon cycle. Have as much food prepared ahead so that you can take a break in the kitchen. Now is the perfect time to vision the month ahead. Put on some tea, light a candle, lay out those cookbooks and do some meal planning for the upcoming weeks.
Waxing Moon Kitchen During this time your energy is building and you are ready to do the work for a month of smooth sailing in the kitchen! Shop and cook in big batches so that you have plenty of food on hand when you need to grab n’go!
Full Moon Kitchen Your energy is at it’s peak right now so that means you’ll be working and playing hard. Integrate your social and fun time into the kitchen! Expand your palette, get creative in the kitchen and invite friends over for dinner!
Waning Moon Kitchen Your energy is beginning to recede. Now it is time to take stock of what is working and what isn’t for you. It’s also the perfect time to do some extra food prep to coast you through a restorative new moon experience. Tie up loose ends in your kitchen so you can take a break from the kitchen in the new moon.
I have to tell you that I am sooo inspired by my new way of being in the kitchen that I want to share this practice with you! If revamping your kitchen in tune with the moon sounds like just what you need, then join me on my upcoming COMPLIMENTARY teleseminar ” Kitchen Rhythms: Using the moon’s cycles to get organized so that you can stay on top of it all -without becoming a slave to the stove! Click here to register for FREE!
Concerns abound over pork. Some are realistic- like concerns over parasites, but others are nebulous -such as the widespread phobia of saturated fat.
Another partially revealing concern that my clients have is about how eating pork is shown to aggregate blood cells in live blood cell analysis.
Traditionally, pork was prepared by marinating it in an acidic medium (usually vinegar), to preserve it before the age of refrigeration.
But can we still benefit from the traditional preparation of pork today and is anyone still doing it?
According to Sally Fallon author of Nourishing Traditions and expert in food traditions from around the world “Pork is traditionally marinated in vinegar in the Philippines and in Argentina; in Europe it is fermented or cured; even America has her tradition of pickled pigs’ feet and vinegar-marinated barbecue.”
Lacto fermentation has incredible benefits in and of itself, but marinating our meat in an acidic medium has the added benefit of making it more digestible and thereby increasing nutrient assimilation.
So what if there was a way to make pork not only more digestible, but free of parasites while forgoing the platelet aggregation?
Lacto fermentation can help you do all that -and best of all it is easy!
The beauty of lactic acid fermentation is that it makes the environment inhospitable to parasites and pathogenic bacteria- reducing the chances that you could be infected with a parasite.
You can consider ‘cooking’ as your second line of defense, instead of your only defense against roundworm and tapeworm.
Better Oven Baked Bacon
What you will need:
glass baking tray
bacon
unpasteurized apple cider vinegar
How to do it:
Step 1: Put bacon in a glass oven safe large rectangular baking dish.
Step 2: Pour unpasteurized apple cider vinegar on top- just enough to cover.
Step 3: Let marinate overnight to make the bacon more digestible and to destroy any potential parasites (don’t pour off the vinegar in the am- it keeps the bacon from burning and sticking to the pan!).
Step 4: Turn your oven on to 400 degrees F and put the bacon in straight away (as in don’t preheat oven).
Step 5: Bake for approximately 20-34 min,depending on how thick your bacon is and how crisp you prefer it- I personally have a preference for VERY crisp bacon so I bake it 34 min.
Looking for an alternative approach to introducing solid foods to babies that is based on nutrition from REAL food, digestive physiology and intuitive wisdom of the ancients?
Given that our grandmothers lived much closer to the natural course of the rhythms of life, they were likely more in tune with nature`s plan for feeding babies than we are. It seems reasonable and responsible not to stray too far from the path they have paved.
Additionally, we would do well to call into question the modern prevailing dogma that babies first introduction to solid foods should be iron fortified and processed rice cereal- which seems just a little ridiculous from the perspective of the “nature of things“.
We must reconsider the way we commonly introduce food to our babies to optimize their digestion, encourage a strong constitution (basis of health) and to prevent the likelihood of allergies and food sensitivities.
It is best to introduce 1 new food (traditionally prepared) every 5 days to ensure that baby is digesting that particular food well. Begin as early as 4-6 months if baby is formula fed or as late as 9-12 months or so, if baby is exclusively breastfed.
Getting started…
I came up with the following acronym to help share traditional food wisdom for feeding babies. I especially think it is relevant because people LOVE sharing food with babies. The mood with which we feed our babes is as important as the quality of food, so let’s have a FUN TIME feeding them!
Acronym:
F-Feed them Fat
U-“Unrestrict“ the Unrefined Salt
N-Nutrient Dense
T-Traditionally Prepared
I-Intuitive Wisdom of Our Ancestors
M-Meat and Bone Broths
E-Easily Digestible Foods
1) FEED THEM FAT: Saturated fats such as grassfed butter and coconut oil for the optimal growth of your child, to optimize immunity, build a strong nervous system, seal the gut lining and to enable optimal mineral absorption.
2) “UNRESTRICT“ THE UNREFINED SALT: Include a TINY pinch of unrefined salt (with all minerals provided in their natural ratios, to increase the secretion of digestive juices and nutrient assimilation). DO NOT FEED BABY`S TABLE SALT or other foods containing refined salts or the white salts that health food stores mistakenly sell as sea salt- these are even according to conventional advice considered to be dangerous for babies.
3) NUTRIENT DENSE Real Foods-such as stewed whole fruits, baked vegetables, soaked nuts and seeds, butter, ghee, homemade stock, organ meats and egg yolk.
4) TRADITIONALLY PREPARED Food Prep Methods (soaking, sprouting, sourdough leavening, cooking, blend or puree) to reduce strain on the baby’s immature digestive system by deactivating anti nutrients like phytic acid.
5) INTUITIVE FOOD WISDOM OF OUR ANCESTORS- Fermented vegetables and the juice of fermented vegetables, liver and organ meats, pastured fed meat and raw or fermented dairy such as yogurt and milk kefir, chicken stock and fermented Cod Liver Oil should all be on the menu to ensure that the small amounts of food that our babies do eat, are nutrient dense foods including the fat soluble vitamins, Vit.A and Vit.D (especially in northern climates and since babies and young children cannot convert beta carotene into Vitamin A).
6) MEAT BROTHS and Meat -Feed babies food that is in line with the natural maturation of their digestive enzyme system (babies have the enzymes to digest protein and fat long before they produce the pytalin needed to digest starches). Meat, meat broths and bone broths are a highly digestible form of nutrition.
7) EASY TO DIGEST- Emphasize the most easily digested plant foods first such as fruit and less starchy vegetables (cooked and pureed with plenty of butter or coconut oil and a pinch of salt). Next add properly prepared legumes and then non glutenous grains all soaked overnight and preferably, later cooked in meat stock. In addition, crispy nuts and seeds soaked to eliminate phytic acid and then dehydrated later, are a nutritious and delicious finger food! Last to be introduced (around the age of 2 or later when the molars are fully developed and pancreatic amylase is produced in appreciable amounts) are the glutenous grains (paying special attention to soaking and sprouting and sourdough leavening preparation for digestibility).
So how do you know that your baby is happily and healthily nourished by the food that he or she is consuming?
We know that our babies are thriving on the nourishment that we provide them when they are happy, growing optimally, sleeping well and FREE of the following symptoms: bloating, gas, rashes, eczema, hives, runny nose, stuffiness, red itchy eyes, swollen eyelids, dark circles under the eyes, constant tearing, diarrhea, mucous stools, intestinal upset, tummy aches, a red rash around the anus, fussiness, irritability, colic, vomiting or increased spitting up or chronic spitting up, ear infections, asthma, undigested food in the stool and poor weight gain.
What about dairy? Introduce fermented or pastured raw dairy when making a significant shift from breastfeeding towards more solid food- ideally somewhere in the range of being as early as 9 months or as late as 18 months. Pasteurized and homogenized milk should be seen for what they are- a processed food that is not well tolerated by most people. However, the quality of pasteurized milk can be improved by culturing it with beneficial bacteria such as yogurt or kefir starter since the casein and lactose are close to completely pre-digested by the beneficial bacteria. This makes the milk more digestible, and the nutrients it contains within it more easily assimilated.
Avoid feeding your baby or child low fat dairy products because fat is essential for your baby to absorb and assimilate minerals, and of course because plenty of saturated fat is essential for your child’s optimal growth, immunity, to build a strong nervous system and to seal the gut lining.
Remember that breast milk is very high in saturated animal fat (human mothers are mammals after all!) and that we must compensate for this high percentage of calories from fat when transitioning our little ones onto solid foods. It is essential that our children are not transitioned onto a low fat standard north American (SAD) diet or a vegan diet, especially if mother chooses to wean baby or her toddler altogether. Ideally for the purposes of optimal nutrition and immunological purposes, we would continue to breastfeed until the age of 4 or 5 years of age (or less if the child self weans).
For whatever reason, if this is not practical or desirable, then special attention must be paid to dietary practices that compensate for the nutritional quality of human milk and reinforce excellent immunity for the child. An excellent way to acknowledge and account for this is to adopt a traditional whole foods diet. By emphasizing nutrient dense vegetal and animal foods (ones that are non irritating and easy to digest), raw or fermented dairy from pastured cows, along with the proper food preparation that eliminates anti nutrients (such as phytic and oxalic acid which bind to minerals and make them unavailable to our babies).
Once we have established the FUNTIME habits, we can rest assured that we are essentially doing everything that is in our power to nourish our young children in a way that promotes optimal digestion, resiliency and vitality!
References:
Gut and Psychology Syndrome by Dr. Natacha Campbell Mc Bride
Digestion: Inner Pathway to Health David W. Rowland
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig
http://thebabybond.com/Beyond%20Breastmilk.pdf
http://thebabybond.com/NaturalWeaningAgeFORWEBSITE.pdf
One of my favourite breakfasts growing up was a bowl of piping hot and steamy Chocolate Oatmeal.
This morning I ran out of dried fruit for our regular chia cereal, so out of necessity I had to come up with a quick and easy alternative.
Then it occurred to me…. could I make something akin to ‘chocolate oatmeal’ with chia seeds?
Why yes, mam you can! And it’s better than the original (I prefer chia over oats any day).
Instead of chocolate, I used carob powder because it is a fruit that tastes like chocolate- without the caffeine. While using cocoa would be delicious, save that for dessert and start the day off right with this more nourishing version.
This recipe is kid tested and approved!
Chocolate Not Oat Meal
(serves 1)
1/4 cup chia seed
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbsp boiling hot water (or more to the texture you like).
1 tsp carob powder (or to taste, but you might have to add more water to absorb it)
1 tsp honey (or to taste)
pat of butter
cinnamon
1/4 cup cream/milk
optional: sliced banana on top!
How to do it:
Step 1 Boil water in a kettle.
Step 2: Place all ingredients in a bowl except cream and cinnamon.
Step 3: Pour boiling water on top and stir until butter is melted and the carob is distributed evenly.
Step 4: Pour in the cream, sprinkle cinnamon on top and stir.
Step 5: Let sit for 3 min.
Step 6: Serve with fresh ripe banana rounds on top!
This healthy homemade fudge packs a powerful protein punch not only because of the peanut butter, but also because of the beans! Along with the nourishing and grounding nutrition of coconut oil, these are not only nutrient dense, but a delicious treat you can feel great about serving up as a lovely afternoon or after dinner snack!
Coconut Bean Nut Butter Fudge
What you will need:
3/4 cup of dried navy beans
1 cup peanut/almond butter
4-6 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup coconut oil
warmed to a liquid on the stove.
alteration: use butter instead of coconut oil or a combination of the two
How to do it:
1) Soak beans overnight in plenty of water plus a splash of apple cider vinegar, then the discard water and cook in a crock pot with fresh water on low for 8 hours.
2) Rinse cooked beans and process with remaining ingredients.
3) Spread into a pie plate or other suitable dish (a la your desire) and then refrigerate until firm.
4) Cut into small pieces and serve immediately or layer into a food storage container with parchment or wax paper in between the layers.
This recipe is inspired and adapted from my new favourite cookbook: Grain Free Gourmet (if you are grain free, run, don’t walk to get this cookbook)!
I was trying to make their lemon cake but totally didn’t read the instructions! I thought the lemon custard part was the icing, but it was supposed to be part of the batter!
This time the mistake was a blessing really, because this basic cake recipe works well with pretty much any kind of icing on top- we’ve done chocolate too! It is easy and no one will know it isn’t wheat, especially if you use a less granular almond flour.
Almond Flour Birthday Cake
What you will need:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup honey (add a 1/4 cup if you are going to serve them as cupcakes)
1/2 tsp unrefined salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 cups almond flour (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup water
3 whole eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract (optional)
How to do it:
1) Mix almond flour, water and yogurt in a glass or stainless steel bowl.
2) Cover with a cloth and let stand 4hrs (optional).
3) Melt butter and honey (if solid) on the stovetop.
4) Blend all remaining ingredients into the batter with a fork or electric mixer.
5) Generously coat a muffin tray with butter or coconut oil.
6) Bake at 325 degrees for 40 min.
Variations: Add citrus juice 1/4 cup, plus the rind (as shown in the photo!)
Read the label on that box of Jello and you’ll discover that along with gelatin, it includes: white sugar (or artificial sweetener), artificial colour and artificial flavouring.
Sounds like the perfect recipe for bouncing off the walls, doesn’t it?
No mother wants that, yet most children love jello! What to do?
Want to discover the perfect alternative to conventional Jello?
I love this simple homemade juice jello recipe.
Not only does it make a great snack, but it can help the kids transition off of the juice habit.
Gelatin is not only a protein rich, nourishing and easy to digest food, but it also helps to mitigate the impact of the concentrated sugars in juice-by slowing down their absorption and thus preventing your child from suffering the emotional roller coaster ride of sugar highs and lows.
Juice Jello
Ingredients:
2 Tbsp Gelatin (from animals raised on pasture) ie: Great Lakes 2 cups juice (Ceres Mango in the photo)
Instructions:
Step 1 Mix the gelatin into 1/2 cup of the fruit juice in a medium sized saucepan on low heat. Stir or whisk until dissolved completely.
Step 2: Mix with remaining juice and pour into dish or gelatin mould (I found mine at a second hand store).
Step 3 Cover with lid (or plastic wrap) and refrigerate overnight or until set.
Step 4 Serve with a generous dallop of whipping cream or slightly sweetened crème Fraiche on top for added nutrition and that grounding quality that keeps the kids calm.
I remember the first time I heard of GAPS pancakes- it was hard for me to conceptualize that one could even make pancakes without flour!
At the time I watched a youtube of a lady making the tiny toonie size pancakes and the whole idea seemed time consuming and delicate -so I never bothered.
This year though, as our family speeds through the intro stages for a digestive reset, I decided to give them a try. As you can see from the photo, they are a wee bit overcooked (I was busily flipping pancakes and whipping up answers in our Cultured Kitchen forum at the same time)!
The recipe is adapted from Internal Bliss– my version includes baked squash for more depth and nutrition. These are totally delicious and BTW- you can’t taste the squash! These are kid tested and approved (and my kids are totally squash phobic)!
What you will need:
1 very ripe and large banana
2 heaping tablespoons of peanut butter (seed or other nut butters would work well too)
3 whole eggs
the end of a squash cooked (see photo below)
pinch or two of unrefined sea salt
ghee (clarified butter)
How to do it:
1) Puree all ingredients in a food processor.
2) Add more nut butter if you guess that the batter is too thin (but as you can see from the consistency in the photo, the batter is quite runny and mine still flipped fine on a stainless steel pan)!
3) Turn your element onto medium heat and add generous amounts of ghee (let the ghee heat up before pouring the batter to avoid having it stick to the pan).
4) Let the top of the pancake bubble evenly before flipping.
5) Serve with a pat of ghee on top and drizzled honey.
If you are interested in learning more about our upcoming ‘getting started with GAPS’ e-course, get on the wait list!
I love this simple homemade juice jello recipe.
