Friday, June 28, 2013

PREPARED - A Fictitious Story Based on True Events

The main focus of the book is about preparing for an unknown disaster.  Whether the disaster or emergency situation is weather related, loss of power and/or water, man made, or God's judgement- we need to be prepared.  I believe The Harbinger book and The Mystery of the Shemita book have been written as warnings to us.  My book, "Prepared" is a fictional book about the main character's struggle with 'preparing' for an upcoming tragic event.

Book Two: "Virus" (written years before this current Ebola virus issue) is about population control, genetic manipulation and survival.

PREPARED
A Fictitious Story Based on True Events



~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

 It's a story about one woman's journey toward living a sustainable healthy life, preparing for an unknown uncoming tragic event and her fight against a big chemical company that also manufactures most of the world's genetically engineered food.

It was my research for healthy foods (see my story below), my dreams (later described by Alex toward the end of this book) and my love of zombie type movies that led to this book.  

"All that is necessary for evil to triumph
is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke

~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~     ~

Introduction (Why I Wrote This Book)
The main character in this book, Kristy, is a lot like me.  I developed digestive issues that resulted in $1000s of medical bills, a colonoscopy, ultra sounds, a CT scan and eventually the removal of my fibroid ridden uterus. 

No doctor could help me or offer any advice as to what was happening and how I could improve.  I came across many women who had the same or similar symptoms and the same unproductive medical advice.  No doctor ever suggested it was food related. 

In November 2011, my husband and I started enjoying nightly ‘night caps’ of Irish Cream and milk.  It was delicious, but, the liquor was destroying the precious balance of gut flora, over working my liver, reducing my immune system, stressing my already stressed out adrenal glands, and putting on extra weight.

For Christmas 2011, I received an at-home-soda marker.  I had asked for it.  It seemed to be the perfect gift since I was an avid diet soda drinker.  My former diet soda contained aspartame.  I had experienced arthritis like pain and what is called aspartame poisoning on numerous occasions, but I would lower the amount I drank until the pain went away.  [Side note:  Aspartame is a known excitotoxin].

The at-home-soda maker used Splenda in the diet drinks.  I thought this was going to be better than the aspartame.  I had done research on Splenda (years ago) and could not find any adverse issues.  I later discovered Splenda is known (documented- scientific- studies- known) for killing (destroying all) gut flora. 

In January 2012 I started experiencing embarrassing and painful digestive symptoms.   I no longer had regular bowl movements- actually I stopped having bowl movements all together … unless I took powerful medicines to produce one.  I went to my general doctor who referred me to a gastroenterologist.  She ran tests, did blood work, did a CT, ultra sound, then finally a colonoscopy.  Nothing was found.  Nothing was ever suggested.  I was only given different prescriptions to try. 

The ultra sound did reveal an enlarged uterus and uterine fibroids but my ob-gyn said it was nothing to worry about.  I later changed ob-gyn docs- but that’s another story.

While reading my colonoscopy report I came across my doctor’s notes: “possible IBS”.  She didn’t say anything to me about it.  If I hadn’t had read that… I would have never known.

I started researching safe foods for a person with IBS-C to eat.  I knew that certain foods either helped or aggregated my digestive issues.  I believe the Lord led me to the Blood Type diet which led me to the GenoType Diet both by Dr. Peter D’Adamo.  He’s a leader in epigenetics.

Following my safe foods list and increasing my consumption of fermented foods and beverages, switching to raw dairy products, giving up all diet sodas and pasteurized milk, and almost all processed foods has greatly improved my digestive issue.  I’m not at 100% yet, but I’m on my way.



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What other readers have said.....



"Great read."  "Very informative."
"Scared to buy groceries now without knowing more of where the food came from."  
"Thought provoking."


Shared ....



Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Easily Make Butter from Raw Milk

I live in Tennessee and I'm a member of a local herd share.

I get wonderful, beautiful, delicious raw milk from my precious farmer and her family.


The wonderful raw milk


What wonderful people!  Fall Creek Farms.

I searched high and low for how to make butter.  Most sites I found the blogger had a fancy kitchen-aid with paddle attachment.

I don't.

Using my hand held beater just made whipped cream.

I knew that had to be a way....

I read that it is the 'concussion' that makes the butter.  


     Concussion, from the Latin concutere ("to shake violently") or concussus ("action of striking together")

Slamming the cream into the sides of the container or using an electric paddle or a churner- is what causes the separation of the butter fat.

Anyway, below is how I make butter.  I sometimes use my butter to make ghee.

I use the butter's 'milk' (the left over 'milk' from the butter making process for my waffles, biscuits, muffins etc.

I use the half and half for pots de creme (recipe later).
My husband uses it the half and half in his coffee.
Sometimes we leave it in the milk.  Shake milk before drinking.

I sometimes make kefir (blog later).  And Paneer (blog later).

I use my leftover whey from the paneer or clabbered milk for my fermented foods and drinks.

An easy way to make butter....

First, I boil all the things I use and let dry.  I usually clean my kitchen counter (the area where I make butter) with my vinegar, lemon, and herb natural cleaner (blog later) but I did refer to it here  Fermented Ginger Ale.


My containers (I forgot some in the pic)


Can you see the darker cream at the top?

If you can't see the cream on the top of the milk... let your milk sit for several hours to a day (in the refrigerator) to let the cream rise to the top.

I get my milk in clear 2 quart jars.  I can easily see the cream at the top.


Items I use
1/4 cup measuring cup
big measuring cup
a larger container with tight lid to shake the cream in
container with lid to hold butter
container with lid to hold 'milk' from butter making
mesh strainer
spatula
my husband to shake the cream into butter or I do it.
salt (optional)

After sterilizing everything......

SCOOPING CREAM
I scoop out the cream using the 1/4 cup measuring cup.
Cream is thick.  Milk is watery looking.  It will take some practice to scoop out just the cream.  

Watch the liquid as you scoop.  You can tell when some milk gets in your scooper... just pour it back into your jar and try again.  If some milk gets into your cream shaker- that's ok- it will just take longer to make the butter.

Put each scoop of cream into the container.

There is usually a small amount of cream left in my milk jar.  See above uses or just shake up milk prior to pouring.


Be careful to get the cream only


SHAKING THE CREAM
After scooping most of the cream out of your milk, put the lid on your 'shaker' container.  Make sure it's on tight.

Now shake.

And shake.
And shake.

It's the shaking that makes the butter.




My husband usually will shake it for me while he watches a football game or a cowboy show or an old movie.
OR... I do it. 

If I do it... I usually make an (low) aerobics routine out of it. lol


It's liquidy.


I step side to side or I'll jump on my rebounder or walk on my treadmill... but usually just step side to side while I watch TV or read my next protect.  This time I was reading how to make lacto fermented mayo from a recipe by Food Renegade.



Food Renegade's blog and lacto-fermented mayo!
I'll post my variation later.  But is was delicious!  


I'm too hyper to sit still do it.  I sit all day at work.  I like the movement.  But my husband sits while doing it.

The cream will go from cream to whipped cream to the butterfat separating into solids.


It's almost whipped cream.  And yes, those are my comfy house shoes  It was a Saturday.


The time it takes depends on the temperature of the room, of the milk, how much milk got into the cream, and other factors that I'm not aware of...

Just keep shaking.  And when you are absolutely convinced that there is NO way this will turn into butter... you are almost there- keep shaking.

THEN..... you should notice a different feel in the container, or in the sound, or something.... it will sound liquidy again.  There will be a ball of beautiful butter fat and the liquid.


Not there yet, but almost.
Back and forth

Now left hand
     (Above is when it gets real hard to shake.  You're really close.  But it will take some more time and muscle.  I slam it right then slam it left.. over and over.  I try shaking a few times.  Then go back to slamming it back and forth until I feel and hear the difference.)


There it is.  There's that butter fat separated from the milk. lol

STRAINING THE BUTTER FAT
Pour your butter fat through the mesh strainer into the container that you (will hopefully) store your butter's 'milk'.  Pets love this.  Use it to bake with. You can drink it.  But I don't like the taste.  You can freeze the butter's 'milk', toss it, or whatever.  Use within a few days or freeze.

Take the butter fat from the strainer and put back into the 'shaking' container.  Rinse with filtered water a few times.

Pour the butter fat over the mesh strainer again.  You can use the measuring cup to catch the water.  It will be cloudy looking.  I pour this liquid down the drain.  Some people say repeat the process 4 times.  I usually just do it once or twice.  The washing rinses away the 'cowy' taste.




This is the liquid left over when the butter fat separates.  Great for baking. 
Rinsing butter with filtered water



FINALLY IT'S BUTTER
After your last rinsing, use your spatula to squeeze all of the water out.  Stir your butter around and that will help to release the water. 

You can sprinkle some salt over the butter and stir.  The salt acts as a preservative.

Using your spatula scrap the butter into your butter container.  Cover.  Keep in refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Yea!  The one on the left will be ghee.



Ghee blog later....


Shared on ..... The Chicken ChickA Rural JournalTillys NestNourishing SimplicitySunny Simple Life

Friday, June 14, 2013

Fermented Ginger Ale


The following is a wonderful healthy probiotic drink.
Easy to make.
Great for you.

While recovering from a hysterectomy.... I found Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist.  Wonderful site.  Great information.  Lots of yummy recipes.

So far I have made the cream cheese, fermented lemonade, fermented ginger ale, and the fermented pickles.

So here is my fermented ginger ale recipe adapted from Sarah's site.  It has helped me kick my diet soda habit.


REGARDING LIQUID WHEY....
Refer to her video about how to get liquid whey from clabbered milk.  Or strain the whey from yogurt.  OR I just made paneer cheese using the recipe from Journey Kitchen.   This produced a crazy amount of whey.  I'll try it for my next batch of fermented drinks.

First, why fermented?  Well, because they are sssoooo healthy for you.

Learn about fermented foods and their health benefits ... 

here

The Healthy Home Economist

here

Weston A Price Foundation

and here....

Nourished Kitchen

Anyway......

Here's my recipe.... (you can tweak it for your family's taste).

6 small limes
1 lemon
1/2 cup sugar- (I use white sugar for my kombucha and fermented drinks- the 
                 good bacteria eats most of it anyway).
1/4 cup liquid whey
2 tsp ground ginger (you can use fresh ginger.... ground is easier.  I get mine 
                              from EarthFare).

2 quarts (more or less) filter water
big glass jar (at least 2.5 quarts)
     (I use a recycled or re-purposed big apple juice glass jar I bought
                    at EarthFare.  Works great!)


[pretend there is a picture here of my glass jar]


** Using a funnel to pour the ingredients in the glass jar makes it easier.**

1) Put the ground ginger and sugar in first (if using the funnel) then all the rest of the ingredients.  Leave at least an inch of space at the top.  If you don't, mold could form.  It needs the air space.

[pretend there is a picture here of me pouring the ingredients into my glass jar - pretendingly pictured above]

2) Stir with a wooden spoon.  Put the cap on it and leave it on the kitchen counter for two days.  Stir with wooden spoon each day.  I 'burp' it each day by opening the cap.  I got in the habit of 'burping' my flavored kombuchas (during the second ferment). 

3) Put it in the refrigerator for a day or longer.  The taste improves the longer it sits in the fridge.  

I add one pack of stevia to my glass of ice before I pour my fermented ginger ale into it.

ALSO- you can omit the ginger and use 6 lemons and 1 lime (or not) for fermented lemonade.


AND FREEZE THE LEMON/LIME RINDS for ....

**I use a lemon rind for my roasted chicken (post to come later) or I adapted my recipe from Robin at Thank Your Body (search for chicken broth).

**I lay some rinds around my kombucha brewing jars to repel ants and fruit flies (it's just me and my husband- most of the time at our house- if company comes I can quickly throw them away to have a 'clean' counter.  Then get some more lime/lemon rinds out of the freezer again once they leave.

AND

**Here's the best easiest cleaner ever!!!

I let a lemon or lime or both sit in a bowl of filtered water overnight.  I add a sprig of rosemary and oregano from my garden.

The next day I pour that into my spray bottle add some vinegar and shake.  I spray it on my counters, sink etc, sprinkle baking soda and use the lemon (or lime) rind as my scrubber!  Genius!  Thank you!

This kills bacteria, mold, mildew- whoo hoo!

But throw away after a few days and make a new batch.




I will try to post real pictures later.  I mean well.  BUT really.... the pictures in other's blogs get on my nerves... most the time... I want to see the recipe.  I want to read what to do.  OR better!! I'll watch the video.  But a still shot does nothing for me.

I'm shy- so no video.

And I'm forgetful so probably no pictures.

But I'll try.... if it bothers enough people... I'll try harder.  lol






Be Happy With You

Hello.

I will admit... I don't write regularly.  I forget to.  

I think a lot... but don't put it down on "paper".

I don't take a lot of pictures.  AND if you have noticed some of my blogs... I didn't know I had to keep the pictures on my computer in order for them to 'stay' on the blog.

Oh well.

I'm learning.

I'm happy being me.

I hope you are happy with being you. 

It took me a long time to be o.k. with how I am.  I talk too loud, too much, wear my heart on my sleeve--- BUT I'm funny, caring, giving, organized (in most areas) and much more.

Be happy with you.

Or learn to be.

For some it's a long journey.

For others - they don't get the struggle.

Oh well.

Now... go and make at least one ... hopefully more... people glad they ran into YOU today.

Hugs n Kisses.

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