Who do you trust?

My boys were recently watching a movie with a catchy phrase that kept repeating, "Who do you trust? Who do you listen to?" I think it's an appropriate question in relationship to current events.

I want you to think about your impression of our government. Local, state, and national. How is our government doing?
Here's some areas I've been thinking about:

Education: No Child Left Behind and the Common Core. Our kids are where they should be now, right? - Don't worry. You can trust our government.

Healthcare reform: You can keep your health insurance plan. Don't worry. You can trust our government.

Foreign affairs: Trust me, you don't need to see my private emails. Don't worry. You can trust our government.

Department of Defense: Yes, there are weapons of mass destruction. Don't worry. You can trust our government.

FDA: Vioxx and Yaz are totally safe. Don't worry. You can trust our government.

I'm not here to bash our government. There are many well-intentioned, hard working people in our government. The problem is that our government is made of people. People are fallible. They make mistakes. They can't always foresee what consequences will come from their decisions. They don't always have all the information.

So what part of our government do you trust completely? What group is free of error and free from influence by lobbyists and outside interest groups? What part of our government has a clear and honest relationship with private industry? Do you trust our government enough to had over your rights to this group? To trust people to make decisions for you and your family?

This is the issue all over my newsfeed right now. People are calling on the government to enact laws to force parents to vaccinate their children. They are saying that they trust the government's decisions so much that parents should be stripped of their right to informed consent before a medical procedure is performed on their child.

So, my questions is, "Who do you trust?" Do you trust a parent, who loves their child more than life itself, to research these issues carefully and make health care decisions thoughtfully? Or do you trust the government to make a one-size-fits-all decision? (Oh, and the private industry and doctors have been legally absolved of all liability if there's a problem.)

Before you think this is only a parents' rights issue, remember the health care workers who were fired for refusing the seasonal flu shot. For a seasonal flu shot that failed to protect against most of the seasonal flus.

The CDC says you should still get your flu shot. Don't worry. You can trust our government.

If you are interested in contacting your legislators about current bills that would reduce parental rights, you can find out more information at National Vaccine Information Center.

Real Food Down the Shore

It's Wednesday, and we're heading to the shore this weekend for a week of family time, sand, and eating. In our pre-real food days, this meant pigging out on caramel corn, cotton candy, frozen custard, taffy, Mack 'n Manco pizza, and lots of homemade desserts. We always joked about how much weight we'd gain in the one week. Even early morning bike rides on the boardwalk were just an excuse for fresh donuts. 

Now that my in-laws have switched to a real food diet too, the menu at the shore is changing! Pizza and McD's nights are gone. Home-cooked meals are in. Tons of dessert options are gone. Honey-sweetened homemade treats are in. From a health perspective, these are amazing changes. From a packing and prep mommy perspective, we just added a bunch to our workload. (From my husband's perspective, he still wishes someone would make peanut butter rice krispy treats. :-)) 

 Strategies for eating real food "down the shore:" 

1. Have a plan. 

Create a meal plan for your vacation time, and don't forget to include snacks, desserts, and drinks. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. My mother in law planned simple dinners like tacos, meatloaf, pulled pork, and Barbeque chicken. Everyone else will bring sides. Our CSA begins tomorrow, so I'll bring lots of greens. 

2. Shop before-hand. 

I've haven't been very impressed with the old grocery store in Ocean City, NJ. Many items are over-priced compared to home, and I don't expect to find organic options. We stopped at Trader Joe's last night to load up on items for our trip. 

3. Bake and cook what you can before-hand.

Yesterday my boys and I made Flourless Peanut butter chip cookies, and today we made Grain-free Strawberry Streusel muffins. I also want to make some Soft and Chewy Double-Chocolate cookies. These are all going into the freezer until we leave. I'm going to measure out ingredients for our home-made waffle mix, and then we'll just have to bring the wet ingredients. I've heard that my husband's 90 year old grandma even helped to prepare some fruit crisps for the trip. My mother in law gave her some sucanat to substitute for regular sugar. 

Strawberry Streusel muffins

4. Make healthier substitutes for traditional favorites.

I didn't think our homemade ice cream would transport down to the shore, but I wanted to have a healthier option for frozen treats. I decided to buy some organic strawberry lemonade, and I'll add it to our popsicle molds when we are at the shore. I also found some salt water taffy at Trader Joe's. It's made with coconut oil and is colored with vegetable extracts. 

5. Have healthy drinks available

We bring our reusable water bottles everywhere so that we aren't tempted to buy sugary drinks. I'm also going to bring some kombucha flavored with sparkling clementine juice and coconut water for beach days. 

6. Be prepared for upset tummies.

When we're really careful about what we're eating at home, I've noticed that I'm more sensitive to the artificial junk when we indulge and eat out. I'll be bringing our probiotics and my Young Living peppermint and Di-Gize essential oil blend to help with digestive issues. I found this to be a helpful article for what supplements to bring on vacation.

7. Relax and enjoy! 

My family and I will be eating home-cooked meals during the week, and we'll have our snacks and drinks from home for beach days and outings. If we decide to have ice cream on the boardwalk one night, I'm going to join in and thoroughly enjoy it. A few special treats during the week are not going to undo the benefits of our regular healthy diet. Shore time is time to make memories, and I plan to play with my family without worrying about food.

Resources for Healthy Living at the Jersey Shore and Delaware Beaches

1. Health food stores in New Jersey

2. Farmer's markets in New Jersey

3. Rainbow Earth Foods - Rehoboth Beach, DE

4. Farmer's markets in Delaware

It's strawberry season!

After such a long, snowy winter, it's wonderful to taste fresh, ripe, red strawberries! We typically get our strawberries from local Amish farmers, but today we ended up getting a flat from Fifer Orchards in Delaware. Now strawberries are #2 on the dirty dozen list for pesticides, so I would love to always get them organic. However, I learned a few things about Fifer's strawberries to make me feel better about their conventional produce. First, they till the soil in their strawberry fields every year, so they aren't trying to use pesticides for weed management like they do in no-till farming. They also use black covering between the plants to reduce weeds. I figured I was going to use a produce wash on the strawberries as well, so we would enjoy local and seasonal food, even if it wasn't certified organic. My mother-in-law just paid $4.50 for a quart of strawberries from one farm, but we got the flat of 8 quarts for only $30. Always ask about wholesale prices!

Produce Wash

I found a pin on Pinterest for produce wash, and I wanted to give it a try. The recipe said,

"Just a few drops of Essential Oils will wash off germs and parasites. Let your produce soak in this Fruit & Vegetable Wash or spray it and let sit for 5 minutes: FRUIT & VEGETABLE WASH RECIPE In a BPA-free Spray Bottle Add: 1 cup Water 1/4 cup distilled white Vinegar 2 TB Sea Salt or 1 TB Baking Soda 5 drops of Young Living Essential Oil (Lemon, Lime, Purification or Thieves)." 

Since I had so many strawberries, I decided to use my kitchen sink. I washed the sink first, and then added 1 gallon of purified water, 4 cups of white vinegar, 16 TBL of baking soda, and about 10 drops of Young Living Lemon essential oil. After soaking, I hulled the strawberries, placed them on parchment lined cookie sheets, and I popped them in the freezer. Did you notice I may have missed a step? The directions didn't mention rinsing, but they should have! After finishing 2 quarts, I popped a strawberry in my mouth and it was gross. :-( A good rinse with water was all they needed. I pulled the cookie sheets out of the freezer, rinsed, and put them back. 

This produce wash works. Here's the amount of dirt that came off of just 2 quarts of strawberries! By soaking in vinegar, it kills mold spores on the fruit, so the fruit will last longer. 

Since I realized I needed to rinse after soaking, I changed my routine for the rest of the strawberries. Here's my recipe. 

Produce Wash Recipe for 1 quart of fruit

Ingredients: 

4 cups purified water

1 cup white vinegar

4 Tablespoons baking soda

5-10 drops of Young Living Lemon essential oil

Fill large glass bowl with ingredients and stir to combine. Add enough fruit to fill top of bowl, and soak for 5 minutes. Rinse fruit well in colander.  Repeat with rest of fruit. 

What's your favorite strawberry recipe? Here are some I want to try: 

1. Berry Fruit Snacks

2. Homemade Jello Jigglers

3. Kombucha Fruit Snacks

4. Kefir Fruit Leather

5. Fruit Roll-ups

6. Grain-free Strawberry Streusel Muffins

7. Strawberry-rhubarb Omelette

8. Fabulous Fruit-filled Crepes

Thieves "Make and Take" Party

I had hope that the weather for my March 25 party would feel spring-like. Instead, my guests ventured out in the "last (I hope!)" snow storm of this long winter. Thanks for coming! We made four thieves-inspired projects, and here's the details in case you want to try these at home. If you are curious about the Thieves blend of essential oils, you can read up on why I love it here.

1. Moisturizing Antibacterial Foaming Hand Wash

Studies are showing that the triclosan found in most conventional "antibacterial" soaps can create health problems with hormones and resistant bacteria. Here's a recipe for hand soap without the junk!

Ingredients: 

1. One 8oz or 250ml bottle with a foaming pump. You can reuse one or I found mine here. There are directions for making adorable Mason jar containers with foaming pumps, but I didn't have time to cut the lids for this party.

2. 2 Tablespoons unscented castile soap. I bought mine from Amazon.

3. 1-2 teaspoons fractionated coconut oil. I found it on Amazon.

4. 10-15 drops of Thieves essential oil blend. You can buy it from Young Living.

Directions:

1. Pour the castile soap and fractionated coconut oil into the bottle.

2. Add the essential oils.

3. Fill the rest of the way with water, leaving room for the pump.

4. Screw on the top and shake gently. 

I charged $5 for the soap with my bottles, and just $3.50 if someone brought their own bottle.

2. Hand Sanitizer with Thieves Oil

Here's where I found this recipe for hand sanitizer without the nasty triclosan. 

 Ingredients:
1. 2 Tablespoons aloe vera gel. I found the gel on Vitacost.com.
2. 1 Tablespoon filtered water
3. 1/8 teaspoon Vitamin E oil. I also found this on Vitacost.
4. 5 drops of Thieves oil.
5. A 2 oz. squeeze bottle. There are great ones on Amazon for about $6, but I found cute ones in the travel section at Target.

Directions:

1. Combine the aloe vera gel, vitamin E oil, and the Thieves oil. 

2. Add some water to thin it until it is thin enough to coat your hand. 

Option: One friend brought a small spray bottle, and she made the sanitizer thin enough to spray onto her kids' hands at the park.

I charged $3.50 for the hand sanitizer, and only $1.50 if they brought their own container.

3. All Purpose Thieves Cleaner

Do you know how many toxic ingredients are found in conventional cleaning products? Thieves Household Cleaner uses safe and effective essential oils to clean. 

Ingredients:

1. 32 oz. spray bottle. I found some on Amazon. 

2. Water

3. 2 Tablespoons Thieves Household Cleaner. 

Directions:

Fill the bottle with water to just below the "fill line." Add Thieves Cleaner and screw on top. Shake gently to mix.

I charged $5.00 for the cleaner. I would just charge $2.50 for a refill.

4. Bug Repellent Lotion Bars

Every summer we get tons of mosquitos in our backyard, and I'm hesitant to use typical bug repellents, especially on my little kids, because the DEET is poisonous. I'm excited to try these bug repellent lotion bars this year. You just rub them on your body before heading outside. I'll make sure to include a review of them later this spring. The recipe makes 6 .5-.75oz bars.  If you do get a bug bite, here's an article about an easy remedy that you can find in your kitchen.

Ingredients: 

1. 1/4 cup coconut oil. I bought my oil from Tropical Traditions.

2. 1/4 cup grated shea butter. I found it on Amazon.

3. 1/4 cup grated beeswax, firmly packed. I bought it from Amazon. 

4. 1/4 teaspoon Vitamin E Oil (optional). I found it at Vitacost.

5. 1/4 teaspoon Purification oil blend. You can buy it at Young Living.

6. 1/4 teaspoon Thieves oil blend. You can find it at Young Living.

7. Silicon mold - I bought a Wilson mold at Michael's with a 40% off coupon. 

Directions: 

1. Using a glass bowl or double boiler over a pot of boiling water, gently melt the beeswax, coconut oil, and shea butter.

2. Stir the ingredients until they melt.

3. Remove from heat. Add the essential oils and Vitamin E. 

4. Stir until blended, and then pour into a mold. 

Allow the bars to cool before removing. You can put them in the refrigerator to cool them more quickly. They can be stored for up to 6 months. Keep them in an airtight container. 

I charged $3.00 for each lotion bar. 

Next Steps: How can I get some Thieves oil?

1. You can order on Amazon or directly from Young Living for retail prices. 

2. You can sign up to be an Independent Distributor for Young Living, and you'll receive wholesale prices. The Premium Starter Kit is a great deal with a diffuser and 10 oils including Thieves. 

3. If you're interested in jumping in on my monthly order, I'll pass on my wholesale prices and cheaper shipping to you.

If you register as a retail customer or distributor with Young Living, you need a member code. My number is 1513256. 

Getting ready for spring while we wait for the next snow storm

Another snow storm may be predicted for this week, but I'm dreaming about green grass and warm sunshine. Even though fresh veggies may be months away, here are some ways you can prepare now to enjoy your CSA or local farmer's market.

1. Save your plastic produce bags, fruit containers, and grocery bags. 

These bags and containers are handy when you pick up your share from a CSA. They can also extend the life of your greens when you wrap them in paper towels and put them in a bag in the refrigerator.

2. CSA and farmer's market gift ideas

-Market basket: My mother-in-law bought me a beautiful, fair-trade African market basket.
-Small cooler: I've seen cute ones on Zulily and Amazon.
-Sun hat: You don't want a sunburn while you pick cherry tomatoes.
-A good seasonal recipe book: I have Mark Bittman's "How to Cook Everything," but I'm sure there are many other resources with seasonal recipes.

3. Get ready to preserve summer's bounty

-Dehydrator: I have an Excalibur Dehydrator, and it's amazing what it can preserve. This year I'm going to work on blanching the spring greens and then drying them. 

-Canning supplies

-Fermenting supplies: Fermenting foods creates an amazing amount of beneficial bacteria for much less cost than probiotic supplements. I use the Pickl-It system that has an air-lock to produce an anaerobic environment. You only have to buy a few expensive Pickl-It jars, and then you can move the ferments to the less expensive Fido jars.  If you want more information about fermenting, the Intentionally Domestic blog has videos and explanations. 

CSA Selection - NFL Combine style

My husband gets the credit for the analogy between choosing your CSA (Community supported agriculture) and the NFL Combine. I enjoy cheering for the Eagles, and I understand a lot of the game, but I'd never heard of the Combine. For anyone confused by the comparison, here's a quick explanation. Every February, the top college athletes are asked to demonstrate their strength, speed, and skills before coaches and scouts. Essentially, it's a way for teams to compare players in one place before the draft. Even though the football season doesn't begin until fall, the coaches want time to plan their rosters. For those of us wanting to eat affordable, local, and seasonal foods, February is CSA sign-up time. The harvest doesn't begin until June, but the farmers need time to plan crops, quantities, and have money to buy seeds. Before you draft your vegetables for the next season, here is a comparison of your options.

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The Tests: 

1. Speed Test: How much time does it take to get your food during a pick-up? 

It is really important to find a CSA that matches your schedule and availability. When we were part of  Red Hill Farm, I could spend 1-1.5 hours during a pick-up because of all the wonderful, but time-consuming, options for the u-pick portion of the share. I needed to allocate enough time each week to sample cherry tomatoes off the vine and cut a bouquet of sunflowers. We split a full share with another family, so I only had to do the pick-up every other week.  In comparison, I spent about 5 minutes during a pick-up from Red Earth Farm. All of my items were already in a box, and I just had to transfer them to my bags. I could pay extra for flowers if I wanted them, but there weren't any free u-pick items. How much time will your schedule allow this year?

2. Volume Test: How many vegetables can you eat or preserve each week?

I've grown suspicious of the descriptions from CSAs that guide your choice about a full or partial share. This past year, I read that a full share was good for a family of four or a couple that eats a lot of vegetables. Since we had four family members, I figured we should go for a full share. Oops. We were drowning in vegetables, and I felt ashamed at how much went to waste before I could cook it. This year, we will be splitting a full share with another family. Instead of 10 items every week, we will have 5. I will be able to include the 5 vegetables in our weekly meals, and with Red Earth Farm I can always order extra if I have time to preserve more. Unless you eat tons of vegetables, I would recommend splitting a share or getting a partial share. You can always buys more vegetables at a local farmer's market, but too many vegetables can lead to an over-stuffed refrigerator and waste.

3. The Green Test - Does the farm use organic or conventional methods for fertilization and pest management? 

I have been a member of three CSAs, and none of them were "Certified Organic." It is costly for a farm to apply for federal organic certification. Instead, all of the farms I joined follow organic techniques. Before signing up for a CSA, make sure you ask whether the farm uses organic or conventional methods for fertilization and pest management.

4. The Selection Test - Do you get a choice about what vegetables you receive each week? 

Red Earth Farm allows you to see a list of available vegetables each week, and you can select which ones you would like to receive. We were able to avoid some vegetables that we struggled to eat in the past, and we could plan the weekly menu in advance. Many CSAs provide the same vegetables for everyone. This leads to some surprising items in your weekly share, but it can be a fun challenge learning how to cook new foods. I definitely recommend getting a thorough recipe book like Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything. The weekly surprises in our CSA box have expanded our palates and we've found new favorites that we'd never tried before.

5. The Google Images Test - Are items labeled or do you have to guess what you have through a search of Google Images? 

This question was generated by my first CSA experience. I split a share with a friend through a Maryland-based CSA. The food came in a box without labels, and we had a great time trying to figure out what we had. Alien broccoli, anyone?

I spent two seasons with Red Hill Farm, and they have a large dry erase board with a list of items for the week. They also label each basket. I discovered that the camera on my phone was helpful so that I could remember what some of the unusual items were called. The box from Red Earth Farm has a print-out of items you selected for the week.

6. The Extras Test - What other options are available? 

Sometimes a CSA will allow you to also sign up for a fruit, yogurt, egg, or cheese share. Red Hill Farm always has free u-pick items as part of the weekly share. One of my favorite memories of Red Hill was picking strawberries during a warm summer rain. Red Hill also has a winter market where members can buy fresh vegetables throughout the winter season.

Additional questions:

1. Is there a safe area for kids to play on the farm during pick-ups?

2. Is there a newsletter or other resources with ideas for recipes?

3. Are there any community parties or ways to get to know other members?

4. Are you expected to volunteer on the farm?
5. Are work shares available?
6. Is the payment due at once or can it be paid in installments?

Draft Time:

So, are you a suburban wanna-be farmer who loves getting some sun while picking raspberries or a busy mom with young kids who values speed and convenience at this stage of life? Hopefully, these tests will help you evaluate your local CSAs and draft one that meets your needs for time, budget, and refrigerator space.

Delaware County, PA CSA Options:
1. Hillside Farm, Media, PA
2. Red Earth Farm -many pick-up locations including Swarthmore, Wallingford, Media, and Philadelphia
3. Red Hill Farm, Aston, PA
4. SIW Vegetables, Chadds Ford, PA - attached to a farmer's market and has some unusual options
5. Thornbury Farm, West Chester, PA
Looking for a CSA in your area? Check www.localharvest.org for farms near you.

Are you a CSA member? What do you look for in your CSA?

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Where can you find nutritious food when it's not in your neighborhood grocery store?

I've been on a journey towards traditional foods for the past three years, and finding healthy foods is one of the biggest hurdles I've encountered during this process. I would read about the benefits of raw milk or grass-fed beef, but then I wasn't sure where to buy them. I live in a suburb of Philadelphia, and we don't have dairy farms or chickens in our backyards. With a little investigation, I've discovered raw milk, grass-fed beef, pastured poultry and eggs, and raw honey within a 20 minute drive of my home. During a typical week, I may purchase food from 3-4 sources, so it's definitely not as convenient as one-stop shopping at the local grocery store. However, I know I'm buying fresh, healthy food, and I'm directly supporting local farmers. Here are some of my sources, and I'll continue to add more to the list as I find them.


View Our Food Map in a full screen map

Butter from grass-fed cows: 

1. Your Family Farmer

2. Trader Joes or Wholefoods  - I buy Kerrygold butter.

3. Local health food store.

4. My local milk co-op (see raw milk section) has found a source of raw butter and raw cream. It's not always available, but I was really excited about the option.

Coconut Oil:

1. Trader Joe's or your local grocery store
2.  Tropical Traditions - also has coconut flour, coconut milk, and tomato products in glass jars instead of cans
3. Vitacost

Organic Produce:

1. CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture) - We have been part of Red Hill Farm and Red Earth Farm. Red Earth Farm has delivery points throughout the Philadelphia area. 

2. Indian Orchard - A tiny, hundred-year-old family farm where you can pick peaches, blueberries, pears, and apples. It's located near Linvilla Orchard in Media, PA.
3. Farmer's Markets - Ridley Park (Thurs. 4-7pm), Swarthmore (Sat. 9:30am-1:30pm), and Media (Thurs. 3-7pm). Here's a link to information about many farmer's markets in the Philadelphia region. 
4. Your Family Farmer
5. Door to Door Organics
6. BJ's Wholesale and Costco often sell organic produce

Raw milk and pastured eggs: 

1. The most affordable milk I've found ($4/gallon!) is through a local milk co-op. We pick up from Green Ridge Farm in Parkesburg, PA. You can find many more farms that sell raw milk in PA at the www.realmilk.com.
2. My local health food store Martindale's sells raw milk, cheese, pastured eggs, grass-fed beef, and organic produce.
3. Your Family Farmer is a group of farmers that sell raw milk, raw cheese, pastured poultry and eggs, woodland pork, and grass-fed beef. They deliver every 2 weeks to drop-off points throughout Pennsylvania.
4. When I've traveled, I've found sources of raw milk in CT, FL, and NH through the website www.realmilk.com. It has a "real milk finder" with information about each state in the United States. One of our favorite vacation memories was meeting a three day old calf at a dairy farm in NH when we stopped to buy raw milk and cheese.

Pastured Chickens and Grass-fed beef:
1. Canter Hill Farm in Malvern, PA. They sell at local farmer's markets, and they sell retail in Wolff's Apple House in Media, PA.
2. Forks Farm in Orangeville, PA. They also sell at local farmer's markets, and they have a monthly drop-off in Media. There is a Facebook group you can join if you are interested in their drop-off.
3. Your Family Farmer - They have weekly drop-offs in Media, and they have weekly or bi-weekly deliveries all over the state of PA.
4. Farmer's markets - Ridley Park (Thurs. 4-7pm), Swarthmore (Sat. 9:30am-1:30pm), and Media (Thurs. 3-7pm). Here's a link to information about many farmer's markets in the Philadelphia region.

The Weston A. Price Foundation produces an annual "Shopping Guide" with 'Best, Good, and Avoid' categories for all kinds of food.  I have several copies of this guide if you would like one, and you can get more information or request one at www.westonaprice.org. 

Christmas = family petri dish of germs

While blogging has fallen by the wayside for a period of time, my efforts at real food have continued. I've been learning and trying new things, made it through a pregnancy, and now have another baby boy.  I've grown increasingly cautious about turning to conventional medicine for everyday aches, pains, and mild illnesses, but I didn't have many "all natural" or holistic tools to offer my family as an alternative. A friend kept posting about the wonders of essential oils, and I finally decided to give them a try.

This fall I signed up for an introductory pack of essential oils and a diffuser from Young Living. One of the oil blends is called Thieves. According to the Essential Oils pocket reference, 5th Ed., the clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus, and rosemary oils in the blend have antiviral, antiseptic, antibacterial, and anti-infectious properties. There was a study held at Weber State University in Oregon in 1997, and it showed that after 20 minutes of diffusing Thieves, there was a 99.3 percent reduction in the number of gram positive Micrococcus luteus organisms. Since I had no idea what that organism was, I looked it up on Wikipedia. Essentially, it is a bacteria that is typically found on human skin, and it can colonize in the mouth, nose, throat, and upper respiratory system. It doesn't usually cause illness, but it can be dangerous for people with compromised immune systems.

Since November, I've been diffusing Thieves in our home in an effort to kill bacteria and nasty germs. As a family, we made it through November and December with just some congestion and mild coughing. As we packed to visit family for Christmas, we heard that my two nieces were diagnosed with Type A influenza three days before we would see them.  The diffuser and Thieves were on the top of our packing list. During our trip, I diffused Thieves in the kitchen and the bedroom where we were sleeping. Even though my sister-in-law said she felt achey on the day we arrived, her symptoms didn't get worse, and no one else got the flu. We came home with some mild cold symptoms, and my three year old had minor tummy issues, but overall, we were just fine. After spending five days together with 14 people in one house, we were rejoicing that the flu and other illnesses were held at bay. Unfortunately, I learned today that my sister-in-law was diagnosed five days after our trip with walking pneumonia, but we're praying she gets better soon.

One day after we came home, we packed and drove down to spend some time with my in-laws. During the week before our visit, various people from that side of the family had bad colds and pink eye. As we drove, we heard that our nephew was running a fever. The next morning, during our visit, he was diagnosed with strep. Before the doctor's appointment, my oldest son was sitting next to my nephew. The boys were being silly and breathing on each other while their faces were just an inch away from one another. The diffuser and Thieves came out again. We ran it in the kitchen and in the playroom during the day and in our bedroom at night. We had 8 children under the age of 6 and 8 adults in the house. The incubation period for strep is usually 2-5 days. It's been 6 days, and no one else got strep. My mother-in-law has been ill, and my baby and I have been congested, but strep did not spread.

Merry Christmas 

and a 

Happy and Healthy 2014 

from our family to yours!

I'm so grateful to have found essential oils as one of my tools to support health. This Christmas we were exposed to a host of illnesses, and we walked away relatively unscathed. I'm going to continue giving my family probiotics, fermented cod liver oil, bone broth, and raw milk kefir to build their immune systems, but it's nice to have a strategy to fight germs in our home and when we are traveling. I know essential oils can be expensive, but they are worth the cost to me compared to the copayments at doctor appointments, missed work, and prescription costs for antibiotics.
For my local friends, I'm going to be organizing a Thieves party soon where we can make hand gel and household cleaners with Thieves. Please let me know if you're interested, and I can get you more information. I can also help people get Thieves for wholesale prices.

Essential oils pocket reference. United States of America: Life Science Publishing, May 2011. Print.

"Micrococcus luteus." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. np. Last modified 7 Dec 2013. Web. 3 Jan 2014.

Here's a link to a video that explains more about how to use Thieves.
Thieves Video 
Here's some of the Thieves products and more information:
Thieves Booklet

Signs of Change

My two little boys are in their playroom setting the table and pretending to make food. I just overheard Curious George say to Happy Dancer, "I'm scooping your cod liver oil." Wow, how our diet has changed!

Since we are drinking raw milk without added Vitamin D, we needed another source of Vitamin D in our diet. The Weston A. Price Foundation describes cod liver oil as "our most important superfood." Their website has detailed information about the importance of cod liver oil, and they have recommendations for the best brands.

Every day we take our butter oil/fermented cod liver oil from Green Pasture. We began with the Chocolate cream, and the combination of chocolate and fish was initially gag-inducing. My husband couldn't stand it, so he switched to the capsules. Since our little boys can't take a capsule yet, we had to find a way to tolerate the smell and taste. I discovered that if I coated the spoonful of cod liver oil with applesauce, I could swallow without wanting to lose my lunch. Amazingly, my palate has really changed over the last 6 months, and now I don't really need the applesauce. I don't even smell the fishy aroma anymore. For variety, we tried Green Pasture's Cinnamon Tingle flavor of cod liver oil. They aren't kidding about the "tingle" part. The tingle was so strong that it made Happy Dancer cry. We had to separate his 1/2 tsp. serving over several bites with lots of applesauce. Now we are back to the Chocolate Cream flavor, and everyone happily takes their cod liver oil every night.

Heart Surgeon Speaks Out On What Really Causes Heart Disease

My grandma and two of my uncles died from heart disease. I'm praying that the changes we are making to our diet will stop the pattern of people dying too young in our family.

Heart Surgeon Speaks Out On What Really Causes Heart Disease -- Health & Wellness -- Sott.net: http://www.sott.net/articles/show/242516-Heart-Surgeon-Speaks-Out-On-What-Really-Causes-Heart-Disease

Pumpkin Chip Muffins: A recipe in progress

 Pumpkin Chip Muffins get a healthier make-over.

Pumpkin and chocolate are such a great combination, and I was thrilled when I found a delicious recipe for pumpkin chip muffins from www.tasteofhome.com. My boys devoured these sweet muffins. As I progressed in our real food journey, I loved the flavor of these muffins, but I hated the 2 cups of refined sugar and 3 cups of white flour. I started substituting better ingredients as I learned more and acquired the healthier ingredients. I started with fifty percent white flour and fifty percent whole wheat flour. I recently tried a new grain-freee pumpkin chip recipe with coconut flour, but my dear hubby was not a fan. Now I use a mixture of whole wheat flour and sprouted wheat flour. Some day I hope to be only using sprouted wheat, but I haven't experimented with that yet. I tried a few different brands of stevia for a portion of the sugar, but I thought they had a strange aftertaste. Then I moved to maple syrup and maple sugar. I've cut the amount of sugar in half, and now I use sucanat. Coconut oil is substituted for the canola oil. The muffins aren't quite as sweet with the current recipe, but they are still delicious, and all my guys gave them the seal of approval. They are an easy, portable breakfast for my husband who grabs breakfast to go. 

My Ingredients 

Expeller-pressed coconut oil

Pastured eggs, organic pumpkin, and sucanat

Homemade Baking Power- I found the simple recipe here. 

Prep: 10 min. Bake: 15 min. + cooling Yield: 27 servings

Ingredients

• 4 pastured eggs 
• 1 cup sucanat (rapadura, maple syrup, or other healthy sweetener)
• 1 can (15 oz.) solid-pack pumpkin 
• 1 - 1/2 cups expeller-pressed coconut oil 
• 1 - 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 - 1/2 cups sprouted whole wheat flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt 
• 2 cups or 10 oz. of semisweet chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life brand.) 

The cookie scoop makes filling the muffins neat and easy. 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. 

2. Pull eggs out of refrigerator. Melt coconut oil in small pan on low heat. In a large bowl, beat the eggs, sucanat, pumpkin, and oil until smooth. 

3. In a medium bowl, combine the flours, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. 

4. Gradually add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and mix well. 

5. Fold in chocolate chips. 

6. Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. 

7. Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. 

8. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack. 

Yield: About 27 muffins 

Mmm, now I want to make some more.

This post is linked back to Sunday School at Butter Believer and Monday Mania at the Healthy Home Economist. 

Raw milk to go

We recently spent a wonderful, sunny week in Florida, and as I planned for the trip, I realized that our real food diet wouldn't be easy while we traveled. If I truly value this healthy food, then why would I give my family fast food and junk for a week if I have the ability to plan ahead and I have access to a full kitchen at my destination? I challenged myself to research and think ahead so that we could continue with healthy foods as much as possible. A few problems presented themselves quickly.

• Locating real food: I've spent months figuring out how to find the most affordable sources for raw milk, grass-fed or pastured meats, and organic fruits and vegetables in my own area. How can I find raw milk in another state? 
• Transporting: Real food is often very perishable. What foods should I try to bring in my luggage on an airplane, and what should I buy at my destination? 
• Ingredients: Many of my real food recipes call for ingredients that I've prepared ahead (chicken stock, roasted chicken, soaked and dehydrated nuts, etc.) What recipes could I make at the hotel that don't require other steps to prepare the ingredients? 
• Snacks: I don't buy many snack foods for our regular routine at home, but I knew we would be spending a lot of time traveling or standing in lines. I wanted to be prepared with healthier snack options for my little boys to keep up moral and avoid meltdowns. What are the healthiest, portable, non-perishable snack options for little ones?
• Planning for our return: I usually pick up my raw milk, cheese, cream, and meats every two weeks. Our trip fell on my normal pick-up week, so upon our return we wouldn't have access to our normal source of real food for at least a week. Where could I find another source of raw milk in my area to fill in the gap? 

As you can imagine, it took some work thinking through all these questions. I'll tackle these in a few different posts, and today I'll focus on the search for raw milk. First, I headed to www.realmilk.com, and I looked up Florida. I learned that Florida only allows people to sell raw milk for "pet consumption only." There are many different raw milk sources listed, and they are listed by town or county. We were heading to Orlando, and then we were taking a day trip to Clearwater early in the week. I ruled out the only source in Orlando very quickly. It's a co-op that ships their food from a farm in PA every two weeks. Wow, I was shocked at the prices! I guess it is really expensive to send the food that far, and I had a new-found gratitude for my home state. I wish the sources on the real milk site were organized on a state map because I don't know Florida well, and I was trying to figure out what towns and counties were close to Orlando or our travel route. I decided to focus on Tampa because we were going to drive through. I sent an email to Sarah from the Healthy Home Economist blog, and she sent me a list of natural food stores that sell raw milk in the Tampa area. Tampa is an hour and a half away from Orlando, so I had to plan a way to keep the milk cold during the trip. A soft, collapsible cooler from Trader Joe's and a blue ice fit the bill, and I packed them in my luggage for the trip.

We flew down to Orlando on a Saturday morning, but we weren't going to be in Tampa until Monday night. My family can finish a gallon of milk in two days, so I needed a temporary solution to get us to Monday. I remembered reading that people can bring milk on an airplane if they have a small child. I bought two Thermos before the trip, and I filled them with raw milk before we left. The milk lasted until we reached Orlando, so we didn't have to get the ultra-pasteurized milk in the airport. Score 1 for planning ahead! 

On Saturday night, I shopped for groceries at Whole Food's in Orlando, and I was excited to find some non-homogenized milk from grass-fed cows. I bought enough to last us until Monday. I filled our Thermos again for our day trip to Clearwater. As we drove back through Tampa, I called the natural foods store closest to the highway to check if they had raw milk in stock. We drove 20 minutes away from the highway, and I kept trying to assure myself that all this effort was worth it. The store only had 4 half-gallons of milk, so we bought all of them. Each half gallon cost more than a whole gallon from my local farmer in PA. I don't think we could afford to buy raw milk regularly if we lived in Florida. I know they have some direct buying clubs, so maybe the milk is more affordable if you get it from the farmer. We packed the milk in our cooler and headed back to the hotel. I was so proud of myself for finding raw milk in another state.

My boys went through the first half-gallon by Wednesday. I opened the second one, and there was so much cream on top that I couldn't seem to get the milk to pour out into my son's cup. I shook the container, and then tried again. The milk seemed lumpy, but I chalked it up to cream. At dinner, my son  refused to drink the milk. I assured him it was just full of cream, but when I tasted the milk I realized there was a problem. The milk was sour. :-( I felt sick pouring the whole half-gallon down the drain. When I opened the next two, they were also sour. Ugg. Fail. Three half-gallons of milk down the drain. (ETA: Further proof of my newbie status- Sarah just posted a long list of things to do with sour raw milk. Since we were vacationing, I didn't have many options, but if I have raw milk at home, I'll know what to do now.) My friend, who was vacationing with us, graciously offered my boys her skim milk. While I appreciated the offer, skim milk was not what I was working towards. On Thursday night, I sent my husband back to Whole Food's for the non-homogenized milk.  

I called the natural foods store, and I asked for a refund. They asked if I bought from the direct buying club or if the milk was the left-overs off the shelves. Then the store employee asked me to bring the containers in.  When I explained the situation, they were willing to give me a refund over the phone. I appreciated the refund, but I was so disappointed that all the planning and extra driving had resulted in my kids drinking pasteurized skim milk. The containers didn't have a "best by" date, and my guess is that people don't buy this expensive milk in the store very often.  More reasons to buy directly from the farmer if you can. My guess is that if raw milk was legal for human consumption in Florida, they would have to print a date on the bottle. If it was legal, then I could probably have found the milk in a closer store. Oh, to have raw milk vending machines like they do in Europe! I'm going to keep looking for raw milk when we travel, but I'm going to be suspicious of containers without dates if I can't ask the farmer when the milk was produced and bottled.
When we got home, I visited my local sparkly, new Whole Food's store for the first time. I was disappointed to see that they don't carry raw milk or non-homogenized milk. I needed milk to fill in the gap until I could pick it up from my farmer. I remembered that Martindale's, my local health food store, stocks raw milk, and I was surprised how affordable it was compared to Florida. Two gallons of delicious raw milk (with dates!) from my local store made me happy to be home.

This post is linked back to Sunday School at Butter Believer.

Welcome Spring: Sunny Day Chicken Curry

Curious George asked for a yellow daffodil for his room, and he inspired me to make a bouquet of flowers from our yard. Daffodils, forsythia, tulips, and hyacinth are blooming, and the warm sunshine is calling us outside. I'm realizing how much yard work needs to get done, and I'd rather be working outside than in the kitchen today. I'm grateful for left-over chicken curry in the freezer. I moved it into the refrigerator to defrost this morning, and it will be an easy dinner tonight. I did some batch cooking in February, and now it will pay off. All I have to do is heat up the curry and toast some coconut to sprinkle on top. The chicken curry is a delicious way to use my roast chicken and chicken broth. 

The Chicken Roast-off

My mom is an amazing cook, and she's always willing to try a new recipe. When I was growing up, my parents begged me to learn how to cook with my mom. Unfortunately, I was always too busy and uninterested. When I was in college, I got my first apartment with my friends, and I needed to do some basic cooking. I emptied a bag of rice into a cute jar, and then I threw the bag away. When I needed to cook rice with a meal, I sheepishly called my mom and asked, "How do you cook rice?" (Obviously, those were pre-Google days.) My cooking skills grew with practice, but I was still intimidated by large cuts of meat. I didn't know any recipes for them, and I wasn't sure what to do with the extra meat after the meal.
In 2008, I read an article in Guideposts Magazine about a young woman who used her grandmother's recipe to roast a whole chicken. I was very impressed, and I thought the recipe didn't look too hard. I acquired my first whole chicken, and I set about washing the bird and trying to get out the innards. My only problem was that I only noticed an opening on one end of the bird. The opening was so small that I could only get one finger in. How was I supposed to get the innards out? I tried as hard as I could, but I kept thinking, "There must be a better way to do this." How I laughed at myself when I realized a flap of skin was covering the larger opening! Chicken lesson #1: There are two openings in a chicken, and only one is big enough for the giblets. To my shame, I still didn't now what to do with the giblets, so I just threw them away.
I was watching Oprah one afternoon, and a chef named Cristina Ferrare was talking about roasted chicken. She suggested roasting two at once, and then you can dice up the chicken to use in other recipes. I started storing and freezing two cup portions of roasted chicken, and I tried them in several of her recipes. I haven't adapted the recipes for traditional cooking yet, but her pesto chicken recipe is one of my favorite ways to use homemade pesto.
When I entered Nourishing Traditions land, I realized that how the chicken is raised is important, and you can make wonderful, healthy chicken stock from the innards and bones. (I'll do a future post on making stock). I started buying pastured chickens from www.yourfamilycow.com, and then I roasted two birds at once, saved the extra meat for other meals, and then made broth with the bones. Unfortunately, my regular chicken supplier has run out for this season, and I'm looking for other sources of organic chickens. Out of convenience, I bought two "organic, free-range" chickens from Trader Joe's, and I was really disappointed when I read the fine print at home. The chickens are fed corn and soy, so I'll keep looking for another chicken supplier.
This week I found the Nourishing Traditions recipe for Roast Chicken. I decided to try it with one chicken, and then compare it to a chicken with my usual recipe called "Mo's Sunday Roast Chicken." I had some left-over gravy in the freezer, so I didn't try the gravy portion of the recipe.  Here are the results of my chicken roast-off.

Nourishing Traditions' Roast Chicken 

The Nourishing Tradition's chicken was moist with great crunchy skin. I've never turned a chicken over half-way through cooking, and it really did make a difference. The caramelized onions on the bottom of the pan were amazing and flavorful. My family does not prefer large amounts of garlic, so I only added one head of garlic instead of two. I didn't peel the garlic, and I wish I had. The peels were slimy, and it wasn't always easy to pop out the cloves. If I make this recipe again, I'll probably just add a few peeled or chopped cloves. The meat was tender, but I didn't think it had much flavor. 

Mo's Sunday Roast Chicken

The chicken with my regular recipe is moist and the skin has delicious flavors from lemon and Herbes de Provence. The skin on the top is crunchy, but the skin on the bottom of the bird is wet and limp. I think I'll try turning over the bird the next time.  I love the roasted sweetness and zesty flavors in the potatoes, celery, onions, and carrots. 

Bottom Line: Even though the Nourishing Tradition's chicken was crispy and the onions were incredible, I'm planning on sticking with my regular recipe in the future. I love the Herbes de Provence and lemon flavors in the skin and vegetables. 

Mo's Sunday Roast Chicken

Ingredients: 

• 1 large fryer chicken, 4-5 lbs. 
• 1 Tblsp. Herbes de Provence
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 c. olive oil (I used grass-fed butter)
• 1 teaspoon salt (I used 3/4 tsp. sea salt)
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 5 carrots, cut in half
• 6-8 red potatoes
• 1 onion, cut in eighths
• 5 stalks celery, cut in half 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Wash chicken; remove innards. Pat dry inside and out. Mix herbs, garlic, juice of 1/2 lemon, oil, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Rub chicken inside with remaining half of lemon and sprinkling of salt and pepper. Rub chicken outside with some of the herb-lemon-oil mixture. Place chicken in a large roasting pan. Truss the bird, or just tie the legs with kitchen twine. Toss vegetables in remaining herb-lemon-oil mixture. Set aside to marinate. Roast chicken for 20 minutes. Remove vegetables from marinade and add to roasting pan. Continue to roast chicken with vegetables for about one hour, or until done. Baste with pan juices every 20 minutes. 

From Guideposts Magazine, October 2008, page 22. 

Slow Food at its Most Awesome Yumminess

Blood Orange Beef Stew with Butternut Squash

For someone new to traditional foods, I faced a bit of a sticker shock when I started buying organic vegetables and grass-fed meats. Of course they are healthier, but wow, how they've changed our monthly food budget. One of my strategies for stretching our dollars is buying the least expensive cuts of meat. I've been roasting whole chickens and trying to find good ways to prepare stew meat and chuck roasts. 

I've made beef stew two other times this winter, and I was disappointed both times.  I attempted the Nourishing Traditions recipe for All-day Beef Stew, but I had to make so many changes that I didn't give it a fair try. Instead of marinating the meat overnight, I only had time to marinate it in red wine for a couple of hours. I still need to get a cast iron dutch oven, and I tried to use my crock pot instead. I didn't have time to get the food in the crock-pot until lunch time, so I had to cook it on high. The recipe says to add the vegetables for the last hour. This is not true for a crock pot! The vegetables were still hard after 2 hours. Dinner ended up delayed...again. The stew had good flavor, but the meat was not very tender. 

Since stew meat is affordable, I was determined to find a recipe that worked. I was going to try the All-day stew recipe again, and I even remembered to put the meat in the fridge to thaw a few days ago. Yesterday I was on Pinterest, and I noticed a recipe for blood orange beef stew with butternut squash. Pinterest did not steer me wrong! I've never had blood oranges before, and I'm in love with the color. The juice is a beautiful dark magenta. I used two ceramic casserole dishes with lids, and it worked perfectly. The meat is fall apart tender, and the vegetables were very soft. I loved expanding beyond the traditional winter vegetables of potatoes, carrots, and celery. Curious George said it was, "spicy," and I loved the balanced combinations of flavors--not too sweet, citrusy, or spicy. My littlest one summed it up by saying, "Nummy!" 

The only downside of this recipe is that it is SLOW food. I started around two in the afternoon, and we didn't sit down to eat until 8pm. (I did feed the little ones a big snack at 5 to prevent a mutiny.) My goal was to get the stew in the oven by 3:30pm, and it took me another hour and a half. It was a gorgeous spring day, and we didn't get outside to play until dusk. I did cook three pounds of meat, and the recipe only calls for two, so that took longer to prepare. Still, grating orange peels, juicing oranges, and searing the meat takes a long time. I'm so glad the amazing flavor made it worth it. I'm also excited to have enough left-over to freeze for another meal. 

 

Recipe from ciaoflorentina.com

Blood Orange Beef Stew with Butternut Squash Recipe
( serves 4 )

• 1/4 c olive oil
• 1 small onion -diced
• 5 large garlic cloves -whole
• 2 lb organic Chuck Roast -cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 lb organic Butternut Squash cut into 1 1/2 inch cubes
• 4 blood oranges
• 1 large carrot or 2 smaller ones -sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
• 6 thyme sprigs
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes + more to taste
• 3 whole cloves
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper -freshly grated
• 1 1/2 tbs balsamic vinegar
• 2 bay leaves
• nut meg -freshly grated
• 1/4 c Italian parsley -chopped
• 3 tbs all purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp sweet paprika
• 3 cups water -filtered

1. Mix the flour and paprika together in a plastic bag. Season the beef with the sea salt and black pepper and transfer them to the plastic bag. Toss everything together to coat.

2. Heat up 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a cast iron dutch oven over medium flame. Add the garlic cloves and sear until golden on both sides. Transfer to a bowl. Shake any excess flour from the beef and sear each cube for a couple of minutes until golden brown at the edges. Work in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pot and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil in between batches if necessary. Transfer them all to the bowl with the garlic and cover with plastic wrap to keep warm.

3. Add one more tablespoon of olive oil to the pot and saute the onion with a pinch of sea salt until translucent. Add the red pepper flakes and cook one more minute.

4. Meanwhile save two strips of orange peel from the blood oranges and zest the rest and reserve. Squeeze 1 cup of juice from the oranges and add it to the pot together with the balsamic vinegar. Using a silicone spatula make sure to scrape all the brown bits from the bottom. Add the bay leaf, cloves, thyme sprigs and orange peels and allow to simmer for 3 minutes.

5. Add the beef cubes with all the juices and the garlic back to the pot and stir to combine. Add the water and bring to a simmer. Cover with a tight lid and transfer to a 350 F degrees oven. Let it cook for 2 hours.

6. Add the butternut squash and carrots to the pot, give it a good stir, cover tightly with the lid and let cook in the oven for an additional 45 minutes or until the meat and vegetables are tender.
Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs and gently stir in 1/2 teaspoon of the reserved orange zest. Serve hot sprinkled with the parsley and a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg and bruschetta.

Tip: Use chuck roast whenever making beef stew, it is one of the most flavorful cuts and the best for cooking slowly in some liquid.

This post is linked back to Sunday School at Butter Believer.