Summer Garden Tuna Stew

/ Gina / Leave a comment

IMG_20160708_123915 (1)

This summer our CSA farmer has had a bounty of delicious veggies. We are so blessed to have a such a great, affordable resource for our family. Enjoying our second year of hosting a CSA drop, the benefits just keep coming in! I had to make way in my fridge for a new load this past week and needed to make a tasty dish that was packed full of these veggies. After the birth of our 10th baby, I also required some extra minerals and nutrients as I continue to recover and nurse the newest sweet bundle – so I used a chicken stock made from a dear friend with the feet and bones of chicken for a super broth. Here’s the gist of what I did:

Summer Garden Tuna Stew

serves a small army

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 gallon homemade chicken stock
  • pink salt to taste
  • freshly ground pepper and minced garlic to taste
  • 8 potatoes, finely chopped
  • 1 purple onion, finely chopped
  • 4 roasted tomatoes
  • 3-4 roasted (or fresh) summer squash or zucchini, finely chopped
  • 4 carrots, julienne style
  • 1/2 lb roma beans, cut
  • 2 glass jars of tuna, drained
  • 2 sweet corns, cut off the cob
  • almost 1 quart of soured raw cream
  • handful of chopped fresh basil

Method:

  1. Combine all ingredients except the cream and basil into a large stockpot and heat until simmering.
  2. Allow to cook on a gentle simmer for about 30 minutes.
  3. After the potatoes are softened, add cream and basil and continue to cook for another 15 minutes.
  4. Serve with some toasted sourdough and ENJOY!

 

 

Dr. Mom Medicine Cabinet List

/ Gina / Leave a comment

Here is the list of items we went over at our workshop this past week.

Medicine Cabinet

  • Olive Leaf, Oregon Grape Root, Yarrow, SuperImmune, Garlic, Ginger, Cinnamon, Goldenseal, Feverfew in Extract or Capsules
  • Silver, Probiotics
  • Peppermint, Thieves (like), Respiratory Blends, Frankincense, Lavender EO’s
  • Ginger, Cayenne Powders
  • Epsom and Pink Salts
  • Medicinal Herbal Tea blends
  • DE, Bentonite Clay, Charcoal
  • Coconut Water
  • Cayenne, Lobelia, Shepherd’s Purse extracts

Burns

  • Aloe Vera
  • Comfrey paste (raw honey) or B&W salve
  • Lavender, Peppermint EO
  • Comfrey, Plantain, Burdock, or Grape leaf
  • Non-adhesive dressings
  • Paper tape
  • Gauge wrap

Wounds

  • Sodium Ascorbate
  • Colloidal Silver
  • Steri-strips

Nutrition 101 for Kids

/ Gina / Leave a comment

One of the requirements for high school graduation in our state is in nutrition and health. Unlike the modern and highly incorrect dietary information that is current with our cultural teachings, I put together a reading program for the Real Health and Nutrition minded family. I have found several books useful for various age-levels as well as documentaries that I require of the course for the high school student. Here are a list of books we use in order of simplicity:

cutehannah

  • The Nourishing Traditions Cookbook For Children – by Suzanne Gross and Sally Fallon Morell – this little jewel is like the original except that each section is written in a language an elementary student would readily grasp. Complete with easy recipes to follow, explanations about broth, real milk, grassfed meats, and the like, the book is spiral bound (handy for in the kitchen) and has colorful illustrations.
  • Nutrition 101: Choose Life!  – this is more of a classical textbook/workbook style format. It has a lesson that describes different body systems, how they function and what they need to function optimally. It has recipes, activities, and book references. We have used this for a homeschool coop class and liked it fairly well. I use it has a bare-bones book to give my high schoolers a bit of basic foundational knowledge about the body and nutrition. My only caveat is that there is no real discussion about the importance of raw dairy, sourdough bread or grassfed proteins. These key points I would be sure to have covered through the documentaries and other books.
  • From Scratch – Easy Recipes for Traditionally Prepared Whole-Food Dishes – by Shaye Elliott. This book I originally bought as a basic cookbook for my budding 9 year old chef. She wanted written out recipes she could follow. The book is a little over her reading level, but with guidance she is able to find what she needs. The photography of the farm is beautiful and the recipes are fun.
  • Nourishing Traditions – by Sally Fallon Morell and Mary Enig. This book is THE staple of nutritional education. It covers what is wrong with the SAD approach and explains why traditional cultural foods are nutrition supreme to our “modern” food industry. A must read for all older students (and adults).

Additional Reading: If there is enough interest, I have them read the Omnivores Dilemna, The Untold Story of Milk, and The Maker’s Diet.

For documentaries: see my list of documentaries here and I usually require 2-3 for the credit. I also encourage them to watch the Nourishing Our Children documentary.

Throughout the year I like to have them tell me about the book, write up a review, or just have a conversation with me about what they learned. I love that I can share what I have studied over the past years with my children, that it has become just the way it is instead of un-learning years of harmful habits and struggling to replace them with healthy new ones. God can use our mistakes and turn them around for a blessing to our loved ones and even stretch out to those our children will eventually bless in their lives. God bless your endeavors!

 

Overcoming Colic Naturally

/ Gina / Leave a comment

Dealing with colicky babies can be quite maddening. Poor babies with upset tummies who won’t sleep, cry inconsolably for hours, cannot sit in a car seat without crying constantly even on the smallest of trips. It is enough to drive any mama crazy! I have dealt with this with my past five babies. Getting to the root cause of the tummy issues is ultimately the key to helping the baby overcome this issue naturally. As with any issue, in order to heal completely and naturally, one must get to the source of the symptoms and resolve it in order for the body to repair and function as it was designed by our Creator. We have an amazing body that was created to heal itself when given the right tools and nutrients, clean out any hindrances, and heal any damage. Each baby is different and each situation warrants a slightly different approach, but here are some underlying root causes to consider and their natural solutions:

First, address the baby’s diet: if baby is nursing, this would be the mama’s diet. If the baby is drinking formula – the easiest to digest and assimilate with no digestive complaints is a goat milk based one. See the Weston A. Price video on how to make your own. For mama’s diet, here is a list of common offending ingredients that would upset baby and should be cut out of mother’s diet:

  • conventional or otherwise any kind of cow dairy (including milk, cheese, cream, ice cream, etc.)
  • wheat products of any kind (try sprouted flour or authentic sourdough instead)
  • corn products of any kind (look at your ingredients! A derivative of corn is pretty much all conventionally processed foods and restaurants)
  • spices (the orange, yellow and red spices)
  • soy products of any kind
  • citrus (lemons, grapefruit…)

I would highly recommend sticking to a Weston A Price lifestyle and diet as closely as possible while nursing. Your baby’s health is too important to leave to the Standard American Diet. It takes about 18-24 hours to get from mom’s digestive system to the milk, so if you think back to what you had for dinner last night (if baby is upset every evening) that might help.

A visit to the chiropractor regularly for a little while, or visiting a cranial-sacral chiro would be ideal as well. Many times the baby’s neck was misaligned in the womb or after with improper seating in car seats (or prolonged sitting time – babies do better being held than in chairs all day). This misalignment in the upper neck or even in the cranial will directly affect the digestive system and its ability to produce the enzymes and digest the food given. We had to visit a cranial-sacral chiro for our 6th baby and immediately after getting adjusted, he slept in the car on the way home for the first time ever and did not cry at all! He was 4 months old at the time. We had been to a regular chiro without those kind of results. Getting it back into alignment should make a dramatic difference if coupled with the dietary changes.

JamesatWedding

If you find that you’ve done all the above, and baby is still miserable, the following could be considered:

  1. parasites in baby’s digestive system (and other systems like the central nervous system)- very common to have gotten from the mother in utero or in a hospital setting;
  2. food allergies caused by nutritional deficiencies (most allergies need a nutritional counterpart to be able to be dealt with – make sure baby’s diet is rich in amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and probiotics via mama’s milk or otherwise);
  3. major toxins stuck in baby’s liver and digestive systems (and other systems) from a conventional diet from mother, frequent eating out on mother’s part, toxic medications given at the birth or during pregnancy, or vaccinations.

Recommended approached for each of the above issues:

  1. If baby has parasites, chances are mom has them too! The best approach is to find a natural health consultant who can use MRT (muscle response testing or applied kinesiology) to find out exactly what kind of parasites you’re dealing with and the correct herbal or eo combinations to kill them out – different kinds of parasites need different combinations and there is no “one size fits all” supplement for this. Precision Herbs is one company I have used for these type of issues with great success. Also, baby has to be old enough to use the eo’s or herbal combinations to kill them out. If baby is nursing, the mother can take the herbs for baby and pre-digest them for baby so to speak. But again, it is best to find a trusted natural health professional to aid in this process. (See contact page if assistance needed or Precision Herbs.)
  2. Food allergies can be addressed by detoxing out gently any allergens stored in baby’s system (either given through the umbilical cord or developed from parasites). There are herbal combinations that can be used – again see a natural health professional to aid in the selection. Also, filling any nutritional voids for baby is essential. Read up on the Nourishing Our Children website or Weston A Price for the most nutrient dense diet.
  3. For toxic overload, if baby is nursing, the mother can take a gentle herbal detox or detoxifying tea. This should be done carefully and only when baby is old enough for it (every child is different and ages range from 4-8 months). Seeing a natural health professional to get the right formula for mom and infant would be best to take out any guesswork.

For our children, they all had a parasite we had obtained from a highly polluted lake in Iowa. Many agricultural states have devastated eco-systems with lakes and land over-run with harmful pathogens because all the good ones have been killed off with harsh pesticides, herbicides, pharma drugs, and insecticides. The parasite had been everywhere, including in the reproductive system, which was why each of my following children (after we moved away from there) were affected. We have since killed out, detoxed and done much in the way of healing the damage caused from this seriously harmful pathogen. It has been a very long road, but I am grateful God led me to the answers to get to the root of the problem instead of just addressing the symptoms. Through our cleanses, herbal combinations, and eo’s, we have healed from IBD symptoms, bi-polar tendencies, major skin issues (like eczema, severe acne), hypothyroidism, low milk supply, major behavioral issues. low immune function, and much more. To God be the glory for giving us the solutions to all our needs before we could even ask. He loves to help His children who honestly seek Him for guidance and wisdom. May He bless your family with the direction and the right people who can aid in the healing process.

The Anti-Inflammatory Diet

/ Gina / Leave a comment

For those healing from major inflammatory issues, but not necessarily needing a major IBD type diet, here are some guidelines to adhere to. Typically, when using this diet, it is most beneficial to be on a detox protocol, of either parasitic pathogens, or toxic medications, food industry toxins, etc. Getting the toxins/parasites/infection that are causing the inflammation in the first place is primary. The diet is an aid to help the body not be so stressed during this healing process. The duration of this diet depends on your specific healing protocol (anywhere from 2 weeks on).

YES FOODS:

  • Goat milk products – from grassfed, organic sources – raw milk, cheese, yogurts or kefirs
  • Soaked brown rice, oats, and quinoa
  • organic fruits, most vegetables
  • grassfed, organic poultry and wild caught fish (some people also test ok for beef, lamb and venison)
  • pastured organic eggs
  • good fats – organic butter, coconut oil, sesame oil, olive oil, palm, fermented cod liver oil
  • coconut milk – unprocessed, homemade no preservatives
  • coconut flour
  • soft beans like lentils and mung
  • raw honey and stevia
  • bone broth soups
  • raw vinegar
  • Real or Pink Salt

NO FOODS:

  • Pork, conventionally raised, non organic meats
  • cow dairy, any conventional dairy
  • nuts or seeds of any kind
  • nightshade family vegetables (peppers – not hot ones, tomatoes, eggplant, etc.)
  • gluten containing grains of any kind (including fermented or sprouted)
  • corn or soy of any kind
  • no sugars of any kind (including syrups)
  • table or Kosher salt
  • any boxed or pre-packaged foods

That is basically it. For a more tailor fit diet, it’s best to have a MRT professional test to see exactly what would be beneficial for the individual. God bless your healing journey!

Spelt Sourdough Bread

/ Gina / Leave a comment

This has become my staple recipe for basic sourdough. I use a Nutri-Mill to grind my spelt berries into flour. I use the Real Salt brand for our celtic salt, and filter the water through our Berkey. I feed my starter organic pastry flour from Azure. For the process on freshening the starter and benefits of sourdough, check out this post. I freshen my starter in the warmer months around 5pm and start the dough at 8-9pm. In the cooler months, I freshen my starter in the late morning sometime and do the dough later in the evening.

updatedbread

(almost ready to bake!)

Spelt Sourdough Bread

(enough for 4 loaves)

Ingredients:

  • 5-6 cups active starter
  • 5 cups filtered water
  • 2 TB Real Salt
  • 14-16 cups spelt flour (check for right consistency as ever flour is different, especially the difference between freshly milled and not)

Method:

  1. Add ingredients as order above in mixer (I use a Bosch), adding flour 2 cups at a time or so.
  2. Mix ingredients until the dough is not too wet and not too dry (you’ll have to check it as you get at the end of the amount of flour added)
  3. Mix on setting 3-4 for about 5 minutes if using a Bosch and on a medium speed if using other mixer for about 7-8 minutes.
  4. Take out and place in fridge (in a plastic or ceramic dish, not metal).
  5. Leave overnight in fridge, next morning first thing take it out.
  6. Grease and dust bread pans (I use palm shortening and rice flour).
  7. Allow to do a second rising until it reaches just to the top of the bread pan (about 3 hours or longer in winter).
  8. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 415 for 15 minutes.
  9. Turn oven down to 350 and continue to bake for another 30-35 minutes.
  10. Take out of pans and allow to cool on their sides (or if the bottom is quite browned, you can cool it on the bottoms).

Sprouted Chocolate Chip Cookies

/ Gina / 3 Comments

In an effort to create recipes that are simple and utilize only a few items, I am modifying some of my baking recipes. My older children are in the kitchen more and needing recipes, so this is one we adapted for them to bake their own snacks.

updatecalebcookies

(Caleb (13) making cookies – nevermind the morning mess on the counter)

Sprouted Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cup organic butter, (we like Rumiano from Azure)
  • 2 cups sucanat
  • 1 tsp pink salt
  • 2 tsp baking soda, aluminum free
  • dash stevia powder
  • 4 pastured eggs
  • 6 cups sprouted flour (we use one from Azure)
  • 1 cup dark chocolate chips

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 375
  2. Mix butter and sugar together until smooth.
  3. Add salt and baking soda and mix until combined.
  4. Scrape sides and then add one egg at a time, mixing in completely.
  5. Add 1 cup of flour at a time until achieving a good firm consistency.
  6. Add chocolate chips (and any additionals – like nuts or coconut flakes)
  7. Mix the rest by hand to be sure all flour is off bottom of mixer bowl.
  8. Scoop out and bake cookies at 375 for 12-14 minutes.
  9. Cool and enjoy with some fresh milk!

sproutedcookies