Sourdough Bread

I am very glad to report that my first attempt at sourdough bread (real, old-fashioned, slow-rise, no yeast sourdough bread) was successful! I made a half recipe, which was two medium loaves, last night. It's definitely a different taste, but we like it. It's not a bad different.

Here's all I did. Last Friday night I put two cups of rye flour (I used Hodgson Mill's brand which I bought at Walmart) and 2 cups of water in a big bowl. I set it in the oven to keep any bugs out. Then every night for 6 more nights, I added 1 cup of flour and just over 1 cup of water; I stirred it in and moved it over to my other big bowl. (I don't think it matters which order you do those three steps, except I guess the stirring.) I did run out of rye flour on the next to last day (I think), and then just used whole wheat flour. I was following Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions recipe, and she says rye flour makes the best starter. So I bought one box of rye flour and used it up and finished my starter with whole wheat.

Then, to make my bread, Saturday morning I measured out 4 cups (1 quart) of the starter into my other big bowl (the rest I put in the freezer for later) and added some salt; mixed it in good and then added some whole wheat flour. (I'm forgetting the quantities right now; I just made a half recipe from what she says in the book. I could look them up and let you know if you needed them.) Then I kneaded it in the bowl for 10-15 minutes. I cut it in half and put it into my two loaf pans and let it rise for most of the day; I think probably about 7 or 8 hours. Then I baked it at 350 for about 45 minutes. And then, yummy! Fresh sourdough bread. I think it's neat that the only ingredients are flour, salt, and water. No yeast, and no oil. (Some of my low-fat dieters may like this feature of this bread!)

I put my leftover starter into two containers, one quart already measured and ready to make two more loaves from, and about 2 cups extra for my next batch of starter. I feel like I will probably be doing both -- baking more bread and beginning more starter -- later this week.

Sally Fallon says the slow-rise breads are the most nutritious. I don't understand much about those details yet. We do still, and will continue to for now, eat the "quick-rise" breads, including the baking powder breads (muffins, pancakes) and the yeast breads (rolls, bread machine loaves), but maybe I can begin to shift us over to slow-rise sourdough. Hey, I'm just proud Try #1 went well. That's a confidence booster!

Health Hints from Dr. Ted Broer

From Dr. Ted Broer's health update email (3/9/07):

Some Health Tips for Feeling Better and Losing Weight:

*Drink half your body weight in fluid ounces of purified water per day. If you weigh 200 pounds drink 100 ounces or 10, ten ounce glasses per day. Don't drink diet sodas. I have an article on Aspartame listed on my web site, healthmasters.com. Just drinking more water will make you feel better. It's amazing most people run around in a chronic state of dehydration. Sip on the water throughout the day.

*Don't eat fat free meals. Fat helps to keep you full. Because it slows down the digestive process. Good fat is necessary to help you burn fat. Plus, the body in many of the metabolic processes uses fat.

*Don't eat powdered eggs or eggbeaters or anything that doesn't look like a real egg. Powdered eggs wreak havoc on your cardiovascular system. Use only organic, no hormone eggs. They are great for kids and adults. By the way, the reason eggs have a yellow yolk is because they are high in sulphur. Sulphur is critical for healthy hair, nails and skin. I try to eat 2 - 3 organic eggs daily. By the way, my cholesterol is perfect. Real eggs do not make your cholesterol go up, however powdered eggs will make your cholesterol go up. Studies showing that eggs increased cholesterol used powdered eggs. Real eggs in the shell, that you have to crack, have never been shown to raise cholesterol. You should cook your eggs in extra virgin olive oil, organic butter or coconut oil.

*Don't use canola, corn, soy, safflower or cottonseed oils; they are loaded with Omega 6. When you get too much omega 6 it messes up your body chemistry and can lead to heart attacks, diabetes, cancer, asthma, arthritis, blood clots plus a whole bunch more problems.


Aleecia's note: I liked that what he said here matched, once again, with what we've read from so many other sources. I figure when people from all different angles are telling us the same advice, you have to take notice. These hints from Dr. Broer all fit with what David and I believe now and try to practice.

Happy health!

Jesus: "I am come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly." John 10:10

Sick!

Well, we have a confession to make -- but it's actually a praise and a testimony. Saturday night David came down with something, which Monday we found out was strep throat. We're figuring he caught it at school; we have heard it's going around. This is the first time any of us have been sick since beginning our journey to better health. The praise and testimony is that even though it was strep throat, and he didn't feel too great, it was a very mild case. He had a sore throat and a little fever which lasted about 48 hours. He was able to rest and took it easy for most of Sunday and Monday, and by Tuesday was almost back to normal. He drank echinacea tea, took grapefruit seed extract, had a few zinc lozenges, and put peppermint oil on his wrists and feet for his fever. He did end up taking some ibuprofen as well, but we feel like even though he caught a bug he was able to recover quickly and had a mild case because his immune system was fairly strong from trying to treat his body right. I've had another sick family member, too: Jayden vomited several times yesterday. But even through that she was able to rest and play; she hasn't vomited today and has played all day, so we're planning on her going back to school tomorrow. Here again, even though she did catch a little something, it didn't seem to be bad at all, and it didn't last long! We think that's really cool.

I'm trying to keep Joshua and me from catching either of their maladies, and so far so good. We're being careful not to share dishes and I'm trying to keep my hands washed well. I've had some extra drainage/congestion for about three weeks now, but I've felt fine. I just keep the tissues within reach. =-) I'm hoping this will go away soon. I add grapefruit seed extract to my orange juice and try to get Vitamin C and not much sugar. I need to drink more water and probably need to add some echinacea tea, too. I had a zinc lozenge yesterday.

Oh, and something not related to being sick, but about diet: I wonder how many other 18-month olds ask for more broccoli? (Supper tonight was spaghetti and broccoli.) Maybe a bunch, I don't know. But I'm proud of her, regardless.

Lentils

I fixed lentils for us this week, and they turned out well (a definite do-over!), so I wanted to post about it. Lentils are new to both of us. Neither of us remember having lentils at home growing up. I think I first heard of lentils when I was in Paris. I had leftover lentils and cornbread for lunch today, along with a sweet potato -- and it was a very yummy lunch! And we still have more leftovers for this week. Here's what I did for my lentils:

I soaked two cups of lentils in filtered water overnight. Then the next day I drained and rinsed them, and cooked them (bring to a boil, then simmer) for about an hour in turkey stock with one added bay leaf. (I think I actually used too much turkey stock; my lentils turned out more like a soup, but it's still good.) I cooked some onion and garlic in butter and then added them to the lentils towards the end; next time I may just add them to the pot and let them cook with the lentils. At the end, I added one can of diced tomatoes. And that's it! Lentils are cheap, good for you, and we really enjoyed them. I have some other lentils recipes I plan on experimenting with; if they turn out good, I'll share!

Nourishing Traditions babies

I enjoyed reading this and wanted to share:

http://www.westonaprice.org/children/babies2.html

Sweet Potato Soup

I love new recipes! Check out this one I just found on abcnews.com (of all places!). (I was on the site to find out more about the Nightline program tonight -- they'll have a story about PMD! I'm eager to watch it.)

SWEET POTATO SOUP RECIPE

3 large sweet potatoes, diced
1 large white onion, diced
1/3 oz olive oil blend
16 ounces of chicken stock
1 small bunch-fresh sage
2 bay leaves
Couple sprigs of thyme
Light brown sugar to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
10 oz. heavy cream
8 oz. whole unsalted butter
Pinch of nutmeg

In a medium to large pot over high eat, add olive oil blend, sweet potatoes and onions, sweat until caramelized. Add chicken stock and bring to simmer. Tie up all fresh herbs with butcher string and add to simmering soup. Once sweet potatoes are tender, with a slotted spoon remove potatoes from pot and place in a food processor. Strain off cooking liquid and set aside, disregarding herbs. Slowly add cooking liquid, butter, brown sugar, salt and pepper to taste to food processor and mix well. Pour pureed soup into another pot and bring to a low simmer, add heavy cream and butter. Simmer. Finish by sprinkling nutmeg.


Mmm, sounds good! I think I'll take the easy way out and just use my dried, ground spices and may try to just use my hand mixer in the pot rather than dirtying another pot. I may use Joshua's blender, though. I'm not sure what I'll do about the cream; I'll take any ideas! (I usually use yogurt for my dairy when I don't have goat's milk available, but I'm not sure about substituting yogurt for cream -- ??) Oh, and I'll probably leave out the brown sugar; I'll put a little honey or maple syrup, or even a little stevia, if it needs anything. It'll probably be next week, or at least the weekend, before I'll even have a chance to try it -- but maybe I can make it soon and let you know how it goes!

Really cute

http://www.mercola.com/2006/dec/23/its-a-wonderful-life----fast-version.htm

Having trouble finding the time to watch It's A Wonderful Life this year? Then check out this cute little quick version ....

Christmas Is ...

(From Focus on the Family ... this was good)

Christmas is more than music, merriment, and mirth; it is the season of meditation, miracles, and the manger.
Christmas is more than a time of gaiety, greenery, and gifts; it is a season of wonder, worship, and wise men.
Christmas is more than a time of tinsel, trees, and toys; it is a season of preparation, prayers, and peace.
Christmas is more than a time of carols, cards, and cookies and candy; it is a season of direction, decision, and dedication.
Christmas is more than Santa, stockings, and surprises; it is Christ, His care, His love, and His concern.
Christmas is more than parties, presents, and pleasures; it is a star, a stable, and a Savior.

Used by permission: Hickam AFB Chapel Staff

Motherhood

I found this article this morning (from Focus on the Family), and it was both very interesting and very convicting. It's not about health, but I thought it was worth sharing nevertheless. Plus I wanted to have it handy for me, because I know I'll need to read this one again -- and probably often. I'm definitely guilty of spending too much time on the "good" and then not having enough time or energy left for the "best."

http://www.family.org/parenting/a000000423.cfm

Cornbread

I've been making cornbread often this winter to go with all of our beans recipes (we've been eating a lot of beans, yum!) -- and other recipes, too. Plus I like it just as a snack to munch on. I'm good at munching.

Here's my cornbread recipe and how I make it:

1 cup cornmeal, 1 cup whole wheat flour
Baking powder (I use 4 tsp) and salt (about ½ tsp)
2 eggs
Water/milk (liquid) – about 1 cup – add a little extra if batter is too thick
A little applesauce (2 tbsp?)
2 tbsp – ¼ cup oil (I don't measure I just pour)
Optional: a little honey

Whenever possible, I put my cornmeal on to soak the night before. I put my cup of cornmeal in my mixing bowl with enough lime water to moisten the meal. Then the Nourishing Traditions book says to add the flour the next morning with additional water or buttermilk (or I've used yogurt sometimes) and let it sit and soak during the day before making the cornbread that night. I’ve tried that a few times but I’m not as comfortable with that step yet. Lately I’ve just been soaking the corn. I still have to work on the part about soaking the wheat flour.

Lime water is just pickling lime (I got mine at my grocery store) added to water; I mixed it up in a pitcher that now stays really handy for me to have ready whenever I make my cornbread. Once I’ve learned about this I started noticing several products made with corn that say “treated with lime” – like tortilla chips, etc. I did see at my grocery store this past week a Mexican-type corn meal that said it was already treated with lime. The cornmeal I have right now came from Wild Oats Market in Little Rock, but when I run out of it I’ll probably buy that Mexican corn meal.

I make my cornbread in my cast iron skillet. When I get ready to make the bread, I turn the oven on to 400 degrees and then put a pat of butter (1/2 tbsp?) in my skillet, and put the skillet in the oven to melt the butter. By the time I get ready to pour the bread into the pan, and sometimes a little before, the butter is melted in the pan. I rotate the pan around to coat the bottom with butter.

Mix up your batter and pour it into your hot skillet. You can let it rest for a few minutes before putting it in the oven; I’m not sure how much of a difference it makes with the rising if you do let it rest or don’t. Bake the cornbread for about 25 minutes. That’s all there is to it! Enjoy!

Meals

I'm at work and taking a little break to eat my lunch, so I thought I'd take the time to post what's been on my mind to write for weeks. I've been asked several times to provide recommendations or suggestions for meals. I figure this will be an ongoing and sizeable project, but a great place to start is just to share what we're eating now. Then over time I can just add to the list and add recipes and such, and we'll see what it turns into.

My lunch today is probably similar to what many Americans are eating today -- a turkey sandwich (Thanksgiving leftovers!) . I have a turkey sandwich dressed with homemade cranberry sauce on homemade wheat bread. It is very good. And it was a fast meal -- the turkey and cranberry sauce were already made (and neither of those were difficult; the turkey was just roasted in the oven -- and turned out really good -- and the cranberry sauce was very easy to make, too. I actually ended up making two batches this Thanksgiving, which was my first time ever). I make bread on a regular basis, too, but it's also easy, since the bread machine does all the work. I paired my sandwich with some celery sticks and fresh fruit, and it makes a great lunch!

Today is my long day at school, so I've also brought supper, which is leftovers from Sunday lunch. I made a type of white chili/turkey soup. It's good -- not "incredible!" but good -- and definitely a "do over." I soaked a package of navy beans over night Saturday night. Then Sunday morning I drained and rinsed the beans and put them in the crockpot, adding a chopped onion, a can of green chilis, a bay leaf and some chili powder and red pepper, and turkey broth with turkey bits (from boiling the leftover turkey carcass from Thanksgiving). I might try great northern beans next time rather than navy beans, and I might also add some green bell pepper if I have it; I didn't have any yesterday. I also thought about adding some barley. I let it cook while we were at church; when we got home, I added salt (I've read to add your salt at the end rather than while cooking your beans, because it keeps them from getting soft), and we paired it with some cornbread (already made from the weekend) and had a good lunch, with seconds and leftovers.

Yesterday afternoon I made some "orange juice pancakes" (I use orange juice in the recipe rather than water, and add spices like nutmeg and cinnamon and cloves, mmm!) which made a nice snack and had plenty leftover to enjoy this week. I had one with my breakfast this morning -- which also included a big bowl of banana oatmeal. We eat oatmeal almost every morning for breakfast, and really enjoy it. Buy the old-fashioned, natural oats. Put them on to soak the night before, or even longer is better (when I'm doing really well, I put the next day's oatmeal on to soak when we finish breakfast -- but this hasn't happened lately. I've only managed to get them ready before going to bed). Just like with your beans, soaking makes your grains easier to digest and better for you. All seeds -- beans, grains, etc. benefit from soaking before we eat them. But that's a different subject for another post, another day. I add a little bit of whey from my yogurt (the runny stuff that separates from the solid yogurt) to my soaking water when I have it; when I don't have yogurt, I use a little bit of apple cider vinegar (1 tsp or so) -- this helps the soaking process. Then the next morning, turn on the heat, I usually add some honey and some salt (maybe 1 Tbsp honey and 1/2-1 tsp salt) and let the oats cook for a few minutes, then add some fruit (today, a banana, sliced -- some days apples w/ cinnamon, or peaches, or blueberries -- or some days just plain) and I usually add a little bit of fresh goat's milk (when I have it available) at this step, too. Let it cook another minute or two, and then enjoy! We eat it almost every day and still love it. I think it will be a while before we're tired of oatmeal. Oatmeal is very good for you, too. Some days we'll also have boiled or scrambled eggs with our oatmeal -- sometimes we'll add salsa or sauteed bell peppers and onions to our scrambled eggs, which we enjoy. Some days we'll have some extra fruit or a slice of bread with jam or honey, and sometimes pancakes.

In the summer, we ate a lot of salads and fresh fruits and vegetables; I really didn't do a lot of cooking other than making my bread. This winter I am cooking more, but doing a lot of soups (with cornbread, most of the time), and beans and rice, and steamed vegetables, and baked sweet potatoes. I cooked and froze several pumpkins that I've made some dishes with (I talked about that in an earlier post, I think). The other day I made a Harvest Beef Stew that turned out really good. I'll make it again someday. We try to eat greens (turnip, mustard, or collard) a few times each week; we get two meals out of each bunch. So one meal we enjoy and have eaten often is a baked sweet potato with greens and cornbread. Mmm, good Southern cooking!

Alright, I've written long enough and need to get back to work. I have many things to get done over the next few days! I'll write again when I can.

Pesticides in Food

http://www.mercola.com/2004/mar/10/pesticides_food.htm

I especially like the list he includes in this article of the foods highest and lowest in pesticides.

Trans fats

From mercola.com:

There is an enormous amount of confusion distinguishing between saturated fat and trans fat. Essentially, many health professionals have not carefully differentiated saturated fat from trans fat in the studies that implicate saturated fat.
Had this distinction been performed they would have likely not vilified saturated fat and found the real culprit was trans fat.
Trans fat is an artery-clogging fat that is formed when vegetable oils are hardened into margarine or shortening. It is found in many foods, including fried foods like french fries and fried chicken, doughnuts, cookies, pastries and crackers.
In the United States, typical french fries have about 40 percent trans fatty acids and many popular cookies and crackers range from 30 percent to 50 percent trans fatty acids. Doughnuts have about 35 percent to 40 percent trans fatty acids.
Trans fats can cause major clogging of arteries, type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems, and have been found to increase the risk of heart disease. Many food companies use trans fat instead of oil because it reduces cost, extends storage life of products and can improve flavor and texture.

Aleecia's comment: note, it's the trans fat, and not saturated fat (meat, butter, etc.) which is the problem. It goes with the key principle: what has man made versus what has God provided?

Pumpkins

I wanted to share my new experience with pumpkins this year. Keep in mind, I enjoy being in the kitchen, but I've had to learn most things on my own. So this was all brand new to me. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to buy a pumpkin -- not to carve, but to eat. A new concept! I ended up buyng two more. I cut them in half and baked them. I did try a bite -- it was just a plain taste, reminding me of spaghetti squash (have you discovered spaghetti squash yet?). Well, I did end up freezing a good bit, but so far I have made pumpkin pancakes, I pureed some and mixed it with applesauce and some cinnamon for a nice snack, and last night I made pumpkin soup! It turned out good; it's not a new favorite, but it's something different, and I bet this winter it may make a really nice treat. Plus, I was just proud to try something new and have it turn out successfully.

I'm already thinking about Harvest Day and what I want to bring; I always enjoy cooking for Harvest Day, and this year is also my first to be on this new healthier plan. If you have any thoughts or questions, be sure to let me know!

12 Foods to Buy Organic

From Prevention magazine (www.prevention.com):

http://www.prevention.com/article/0,5778,s1-3-58-104-7453-1,00.html

Milk: Pasteurization

from mercola.com:

http://www.mercola.com/2003/mar/26/pasteurized_milk.htm

Is Organic Milk Healthy?

from mercola.com:

http://www.mercola.com/2003/mar/26/organic_foods.htm

McDonald's French Fries

from mercola.com:

http://www.mercola.com/2001/feb/7/french_fries.htm

Preparing Whole Foods at Home

This is a GREAT article from mercola.com:

http://www.mercola.com/2004/may/29/whole_food_cooking.htm

Olive Oil

From mercola.com:

Virgin Olive Oil Healthier Than Other Vegetable Oils
Virgin olive oil is the superior choice when it comes to vegetable oil, according to European researchers. Not only is it high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat, but also it is the only vegetable oil that's rich in antioxidants called polyphenols, which may help prevent cancer, heart disease and neurodegenerative diseases. All other vegetable oils are heavily refined, and during this process the polyphenols are lost. Even regular olive oil (the non-virgin variety) has a lower polyphenol content because it is processed more. Men in the study who used virgin olive oil for three weeks had higher levels of good HDL cholesterol and a decline in markers of dangerous oxidative stress. Another reason why I always recommend avoiding vegetable oils (except for extra virgin olive oil), is that they are full of omega-6 fats and will only worsen your omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Extra virgin olive oil is clearly a healthy oil, great for salad dressings and other non-heated purposes, but you should be aware that it's not the best oil to cook with.