You might be thinking, 'Why is this blogger so obsessed with being healthy?' I thought we were all supposed to be obsessed with God, not with food!"
That is exactly true! God is to be our focus in life, not food. But why does food have such a priority in our lives, and why am I focusing so much on nutrition and health on my blogs and on Facebook?
In a nutshell, here is the reason why; All my childhood years, and first years of marriage, I never felt good. In fact, I felt terrible most of the time. When I was an infant, I had colic for 7 months, and believe that set the stage for everything that happened during the following years. For one thing, I never slept right. As a child, I would fall asleep around midnight or one in the morning. I never ate anything. My parents and grandparents tried everything to get me to eat. As a teenager, I still didn't eat, but I discovered junk food, which tasted pretty good.
When I was first married, I had stomach problems. Every night, I would have a hard time sleeping because of my stomach. To cure this, I would go out to the kitchen and eat Debbie Cakes. I didn't realize what I was doing until I started a Good News Club, and one of the participants was a young man who lived next door. He lived much like I did, eating Debbie Cakes and skipping meals. I could see how this eating habit was affecting him physically.
A couple of years later, I started selling 'Shaklee' products and went to their weekly classes. That was the beginning of my learning about nutrition and the affects of nutrition on our bodies. But the knowledge was so limited that it wasn't very much, yet it was enough to stir up my interest in the subject.
Years later, I finally figured it out. If I could eat right and sleep right, I would feel better. That would involve cutting out sugar from my diet (which is the hardest thing I had to give up). I could buy local produce that hasn't been sprayed with pesticides, and I can eat grass-fed beef and drink raw milk for the nutritional benefits.
I actually feel good physically now. I write this to explain why this is so important. When I was in high school, I came to Christ and was converted. I now had a new life, and new goals and desires. Life suddenly became very meaningful. I was so happy and grateful to have been rescued that I wanted everyone to know. This was exciting, but I was not trained to do evangelism, and there were no opportunities to go out with people to practice, so eventually, I put evangelism aside, and focused on my family.
I did not feel good during the time period when my two older children were small. I homeschooled them and got pregnant with others, but I still didn't feel good. I did a lot of things wrong, and with the knowledge I gained about how to be healthy, I didn't put it into practice for me or for my family. I just didn't have time for that. And I think we all suffered, because I, as the manager of our home, could not do my job well, because I didn't feel good.
The kids are grown now, and I returned to evangelism, with vision and zeal. Evangelism became my life goal. But I can't do evangelism the way I would like, because I don't feel good. How can that be remedied?
I have visited many nursing homes. I have seen elderly people with dementia. I have seen people with Alzheimer's. I have watched many people die at a young age from cancer. I talked with people who have diabetes. I see people who can't do the things they dreamed of doing one day, because they are unable to, due to poor health.
When I am in my 90s, I don't want to be in a nursing home. I certainly don't want to be in the grave! I hope to not be confined to a wheel chair. I want to be out on the streets talking to people about the Gospel.
If you have a vision to do something for God, go for it! But if you are a typical American, you might be resigning yourself to a nursing home when you get older. You might be assuming that you will get Alzheimer's because your mom or dad had it.
God gave each one of us a little bit of time on earth. That is all we get. How will we use it? Will we use it by feeding ourselves junk food and by ending up in a nursing home when we are older? Will we spend our lives living for pleasure and convenience, and dying of cancer before we are 60? What is it that God has put into your heart to accomplish for Him during your short stay on earth?
God created us to worship Him, but instead we worship other things and live for ourselves. We don't take care of our bodies because we don't see the connection between what we eat and how it relates to our health. We, out of ignorance, live on junk food and processed food because that is the American way, yet, will we have strength to live for and serve the One who gave us life? Can we give up our Oreos and soda pop in order to have the strength to do the will of the One who created us?
"Whatever you do, do it heartily to the Lord." Can we do this if we don't feel good? If we could change this, how could we change it? I wonder if we really believe that we could feel good and have strength if we took care of our bodies? I wonder if we our really willing to pay the price in order to feel good?
Cooking is Like Science
Cooking is Fun & Healthful!
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
How To Beat Cancer - What The FDA Doesn't Want You To Know
I am on a lot of 'health' type mailing lists on the internet, and I feel like I have gone to college by the time I get done reading the many articles that come to me, especially the ones on health and healing.
In 1985, my father died of cancer. We were not ready for this. It never entered any of our minds that my dad would go to a doctor in August, because of a pain in his shoulder (must have really been painful, for my dad would never have gone to a doctor), and that we would lose him in January. By the time we knew he had cancer, it was almost too late to do anything, because he had already lost his appetite.
In 1985, there was no known cure for liver cancer. If you were diagnosed with liver cancer, the doctors gave you no hope (outside of a miracle). People who got liver cancer, were either people who lived in an Asian country, worked with certain chemicals, or drank liquor. My dad didn't really have any of those qualifications, except that he went to Korea for the Korean War.
My dad and mom opted for the chemo treatments. There was no guarantee that chemo would cure my dad. There were no other options though, so he went on chemo and became very ill. I believe that the chemo made his death come earlier than it would have if he would not have had chemo.
During the time after we found out he had cancer, I began to do some research. The only place where you could get any holistic information, was at the health food store. I picked up a book that was about macrobiotics. The book told the story of an actor who was on the A-Team, who beat cancer by eating foods that were categorized as macrobiotic. I still can't remember what all that was about, but was always intrigued when I would hear a cancer story of a person who beat cancer.
The Internet came out when my son was 2. Of course, we couldn't figure out how to use it until years later. Now I sit hear and collect email everyday from health organizations, companies, groups, and emailing lists, which bare much information on health. I always wanted to be a dietitian, and maybe this is how it will come to pass.
I am posting a link to a story of a woman whose father had beaten cancer by eating certain foods which help combat cancer. On her page, there are links to other pages with recipes, and more information on how to beat cancer by eating properly.
Katie's dad had terminal cancer, and was given a series of chemo treatments. He survived the cancer and you can read the story for yourselves at this link : http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2014/07/28/recipe-connection-cancer-fighting-vegetable-soup-with-an-asian-twist/
If you are on Facebook, you can join my page called, 'I Can Be Cancer Free' at https://www.facebook.com/groups/159145600961312/
Here is a book, which I have not personally read yet, but looks promising:
Another one is:
Should you or a loved one ever hear the terrible words from a doctor, saying, "I'm sorry. There's nothing more we can do", please don't feel doomed! I watched a video of 5 different people who had terminal cancer and all 5 were able to beat cancer. The first man had brain tumors. He was at the stage of his life where he wasn't even functioning. During this last stage of his life, he did much research and put what he learned into practice. He is now fully recovered and living a normal life. But how can a man who is in the last stage of cancer even survive?
The reason why we don't survive cancer is simply because we are all part of the 'system', which means basically, that today, in America, everything we do, the way we live, the food choices we make, the health choices we make, and even what we believe will work or won't work, are based out of a philosophy which causes us to believe that we are supposed to buy food from a grocery store, visit a doctor when we get sick, go to a hospital when we get cancer or pneumonia, and take certain medicines for certain illnesses. It's like a chain of disaster waiting to happen. The food we buy from the grocery store, we buy it because we don't know there are other options. We assume ever since time began, people went to grocery stores and bought their supplies to put together meals, but that is not what happened. Grocery stores are a fairly recent invention (1946), with the intention of making our lives easier, and for those in the upper management levels of the grocery chain, to make a lot of money. I am not saying here that it is wrong to go to a grocery store, or to a doctor when we are sick. But what Americans want today, will sell in the grocery stores. Grocery stores will sell items that people are buying. If people stopped buying certain things, the store would stop selling them.
Americans want food that is attractive, easy to prepare, cheap, and very tasty. The problem is, we can have that because those who work for the Big Ag industry are banking on this, and that is what is produced in our food factories and Industrialized farms. Problem is, there is very little nourishment in this kind of food, and many additives and chemicals are part of the food we eat that is processed and sold in grocery stores. Even in the produce section, it is dangerous because much of the produce is sprayed with toxins to protect from bug damage.
You might be thinking, 'What other methods can farmers use then, to protect their crops, and to make their food big and pretty?' There are other methods, but they take a lot of work, and work is something that Americans today avoid like the plague.
There was an article on the Internet explaining why organic gardening wasn't all that great. I don't even remember what the reasons were, but a friend who had read the article caught something the article said, that was interesting. The article pointed out the organic gardening was bad for us because it involved pulling weeds by hand, and the article continued saying that we should not subject our women to having to do such hard work.
Which is easier, do you think; Pulling weeds out of a garden on a regular basis, or, taking care of a spouse or loved one who is dying of cancer?
The answer to the food dilemma is simply to support our local farms. Many farmers today are moving toward organic gardening/farming. Farmers love their farms and their animals, and want to produce the best food for everyone they sell to. You won't find that in Industrialized farming though. Cows are tied to posts to stand in the same area every day. Chickens do not even see the light of day. Imagine, you are eating chickens who have never seen sunlight. Do you know what kind of mental affect happens when people do not ever see sunlight? Do you know the affect of what happens in a person's body because of his or her never seeing sunlight? And the chickens we buy at the store haven't seen sunlight (which provides vitamins), have been given antibiotics, and growth hormones.
Why do they give chickens growth hormones? Well, it makes the chicken a lot bigger, in a much shorter period of time. What does that reveal? That reveals the fact that we are not willing to take time to produce a good product. We are pragmatic. We want something, and we want it now! Plus, people will buy fat chickens and it puts lots and lots of money into the pocketbooks of those who work for Industrialized farms.
You could take some chickens and feed them the proper diet and let them grow the way they should. It would just take longer and it could only be done on local farms. But did you know that the FDA is not thrilled about local farms, and governmental authorities have shut down organic farms, especially those which sell raw milk (which, according to the 'authorities' is 'dangerous').
I know this involves politics, but if we don't see what is going on, eventually we will have no local farms. Farmers today are discouraged because of the pressure on them to comply with rules they don't agree with. But the farmers are beginning to fight back, and I believe if they continue, we will be ok and will still be able to have many local farms which are producing food that is fit for us to eat.
So, in short, we have produced a society which prizes convenience, taste, appearance, and cost, and have traded that in for the nutrition that we could have, if we were to have continued cutting out the Middlemen and just buying our food from tables at the farmer's markets. We have been cheated out of nutrition, and have placed additives, chemicals, growth hormones in our food instead, in order to have the luxuries of today.
The missing nutrition is the key reason why we are sick. The FDA knows this, and has come up with the answer in the pharmaceutical industry. You eat food lacking in nutrition. You get sick, You go to the doctor and get a prescription. You feel better. You recover and go out and buy more food that is lacking in nutrition. You get sick again. Do you see what is happening here? You are a product of the 'system' but the good news is, you don't have to stay there!
We are a very sick people, and it is not without reason. Don't let people tell you that cancer is genetic. All of us have cancer cells in our bodies, but we can keep them from becoming active by eating properly, moderate exercise, breathing in clean air, and building up our immunities.
Some steps we can begin to take; Buy food from local farms when possible, buy raw milk and dairy products made from raw milk, eliminate white sugar and white flour from our diets as much as possible, eat fruits and vegetables that have been grown organically and have not been sprayed with pesticides, take vitamin D-3, fish oil, COQ10, and DHEA for supplements (make sure they are from a pure company). Also, I highly recommend Juice Plus+ which helps a person get the nourishment from the recommended 13-17 servings of fruit and vegetables we need daily. Juice Plus+ and go to the tab 'Clinical Research' and find the results of many, many tests that have been done, showing the power of Juice Plus in keeping us healthy and building our immunities . Also, if possible, grow some of your own food. You can get a bean sprouting kit and grow your own sprouts to add to salads or recipes (Sprouting is really easy). Start a small garden. It can expand over time.
Yes, with all the chemicals and additives in our foods, it is no wonder we are a sick people. The cancer rate is one out of every two males will get cancer in their lifetimes. If this trend continues, cancer will be 100%. That is what everyone will die from. Do you want to die from cancer, or would you rather live a full life and die at a ripe old age from natural causes?
One more quick note: With all the recent knowledge of health issues, and all the articles being posted on the Internet, the FDA and other such groups are coming back with their versions of why the new health discoveries aren't working. They will tell people that GMOs are good for the world, and that vitamins and supplements are not necessary and are harmful. They will tell you that colloidal silver is bad for you, and they will promote the American Cancer Society, which they will never admit to the fact that the ACA had not come close to finding a cure for cancer. Problem is, they never will, for if they did, and people were actually cured from cancer, guess what? The pharmaceutical companies will take a big financial loss. Think about how much money comes in because of people needing chemo and pain killers. If that were gone, a lot of people would be layed off and would lose their jobs, but can you imagine how many other decent jobs could be created, if everyone were healthy and felt good enough to do whatever it is that they were designed to do?
In 1985, my father died of cancer. We were not ready for this. It never entered any of our minds that my dad would go to a doctor in August, because of a pain in his shoulder (must have really been painful, for my dad would never have gone to a doctor), and that we would lose him in January. By the time we knew he had cancer, it was almost too late to do anything, because he had already lost his appetite.
In 1985, there was no known cure for liver cancer. If you were diagnosed with liver cancer, the doctors gave you no hope (outside of a miracle). People who got liver cancer, were either people who lived in an Asian country, worked with certain chemicals, or drank liquor. My dad didn't really have any of those qualifications, except that he went to Korea for the Korean War.
My dad and mom opted for the chemo treatments. There was no guarantee that chemo would cure my dad. There were no other options though, so he went on chemo and became very ill. I believe that the chemo made his death come earlier than it would have if he would not have had chemo.
During the time after we found out he had cancer, I began to do some research. The only place where you could get any holistic information, was at the health food store. I picked up a book that was about macrobiotics. The book told the story of an actor who was on the A-Team, who beat cancer by eating foods that were categorized as macrobiotic. I still can't remember what all that was about, but was always intrigued when I would hear a cancer story of a person who beat cancer.
The Internet came out when my son was 2. Of course, we couldn't figure out how to use it until years later. Now I sit hear and collect email everyday from health organizations, companies, groups, and emailing lists, which bare much information on health. I always wanted to be a dietitian, and maybe this is how it will come to pass.
I am posting a link to a story of a woman whose father had beaten cancer by eating certain foods which help combat cancer. On her page, there are links to other pages with recipes, and more information on how to beat cancer by eating properly.
Katie's dad had terminal cancer, and was given a series of chemo treatments. He survived the cancer and you can read the story for yourselves at this link : http://www.kitchenstewardship.com/2014/07/28/recipe-connection-cancer-fighting-vegetable-soup-with-an-asian-twist/
If you are on Facebook, you can join my page called, 'I Can Be Cancer Free' at https://www.facebook.com/groups/159145600961312/
Here is a book, which I have not personally read yet, but looks promising:
Another one is:
Should you or a loved one ever hear the terrible words from a doctor, saying, "I'm sorry. There's nothing more we can do", please don't feel doomed! I watched a video of 5 different people who had terminal cancer and all 5 were able to beat cancer. The first man had brain tumors. He was at the stage of his life where he wasn't even functioning. During this last stage of his life, he did much research and put what he learned into practice. He is now fully recovered and living a normal life. But how can a man who is in the last stage of cancer even survive?
The reason why we don't survive cancer is simply because we are all part of the 'system', which means basically, that today, in America, everything we do, the way we live, the food choices we make, the health choices we make, and even what we believe will work or won't work, are based out of a philosophy which causes us to believe that we are supposed to buy food from a grocery store, visit a doctor when we get sick, go to a hospital when we get cancer or pneumonia, and take certain medicines for certain illnesses. It's like a chain of disaster waiting to happen. The food we buy from the grocery store, we buy it because we don't know there are other options. We assume ever since time began, people went to grocery stores and bought their supplies to put together meals, but that is not what happened. Grocery stores are a fairly recent invention (1946), with the intention of making our lives easier, and for those in the upper management levels of the grocery chain, to make a lot of money. I am not saying here that it is wrong to go to a grocery store, or to a doctor when we are sick. But what Americans want today, will sell in the grocery stores. Grocery stores will sell items that people are buying. If people stopped buying certain things, the store would stop selling them.
Americans want food that is attractive, easy to prepare, cheap, and very tasty. The problem is, we can have that because those who work for the Big Ag industry are banking on this, and that is what is produced in our food factories and Industrialized farms. Problem is, there is very little nourishment in this kind of food, and many additives and chemicals are part of the food we eat that is processed and sold in grocery stores. Even in the produce section, it is dangerous because much of the produce is sprayed with toxins to protect from bug damage.
You might be thinking, 'What other methods can farmers use then, to protect their crops, and to make their food big and pretty?' There are other methods, but they take a lot of work, and work is something that Americans today avoid like the plague.
There was an article on the Internet explaining why organic gardening wasn't all that great. I don't even remember what the reasons were, but a friend who had read the article caught something the article said, that was interesting. The article pointed out the organic gardening was bad for us because it involved pulling weeds by hand, and the article continued saying that we should not subject our women to having to do such hard work.
Which is easier, do you think; Pulling weeds out of a garden on a regular basis, or, taking care of a spouse or loved one who is dying of cancer?
The answer to the food dilemma is simply to support our local farms. Many farmers today are moving toward organic gardening/farming. Farmers love their farms and their animals, and want to produce the best food for everyone they sell to. You won't find that in Industrialized farming though. Cows are tied to posts to stand in the same area every day. Chickens do not even see the light of day. Imagine, you are eating chickens who have never seen sunlight. Do you know what kind of mental affect happens when people do not ever see sunlight? Do you know the affect of what happens in a person's body because of his or her never seeing sunlight? And the chickens we buy at the store haven't seen sunlight (which provides vitamins), have been given antibiotics, and growth hormones.
Why do they give chickens growth hormones? Well, it makes the chicken a lot bigger, in a much shorter period of time. What does that reveal? That reveals the fact that we are not willing to take time to produce a good product. We are pragmatic. We want something, and we want it now! Plus, people will buy fat chickens and it puts lots and lots of money into the pocketbooks of those who work for Industrialized farms.
You could take some chickens and feed them the proper diet and let them grow the way they should. It would just take longer and it could only be done on local farms. But did you know that the FDA is not thrilled about local farms, and governmental authorities have shut down organic farms, especially those which sell raw milk (which, according to the 'authorities' is 'dangerous').
I know this involves politics, but if we don't see what is going on, eventually we will have no local farms. Farmers today are discouraged because of the pressure on them to comply with rules they don't agree with. But the farmers are beginning to fight back, and I believe if they continue, we will be ok and will still be able to have many local farms which are producing food that is fit for us to eat.
So, in short, we have produced a society which prizes convenience, taste, appearance, and cost, and have traded that in for the nutrition that we could have, if we were to have continued cutting out the Middlemen and just buying our food from tables at the farmer's markets. We have been cheated out of nutrition, and have placed additives, chemicals, growth hormones in our food instead, in order to have the luxuries of today.
The missing nutrition is the key reason why we are sick. The FDA knows this, and has come up with the answer in the pharmaceutical industry. You eat food lacking in nutrition. You get sick, You go to the doctor and get a prescription. You feel better. You recover and go out and buy more food that is lacking in nutrition. You get sick again. Do you see what is happening here? You are a product of the 'system' but the good news is, you don't have to stay there!
We are a very sick people, and it is not without reason. Don't let people tell you that cancer is genetic. All of us have cancer cells in our bodies, but we can keep them from becoming active by eating properly, moderate exercise, breathing in clean air, and building up our immunities.
Some steps we can begin to take; Buy food from local farms when possible, buy raw milk and dairy products made from raw milk, eliminate white sugar and white flour from our diets as much as possible, eat fruits and vegetables that have been grown organically and have not been sprayed with pesticides, take vitamin D-3, fish oil, COQ10, and DHEA for supplements (make sure they are from a pure company). Also, I highly recommend Juice Plus+ which helps a person get the nourishment from the recommended 13-17 servings of fruit and vegetables we need daily. Juice Plus+ and go to the tab 'Clinical Research' and find the results of many, many tests that have been done, showing the power of Juice Plus in keeping us healthy and building our immunities . Also, if possible, grow some of your own food. You can get a bean sprouting kit and grow your own sprouts to add to salads or recipes (Sprouting is really easy). Start a small garden. It can expand over time.
Yes, with all the chemicals and additives in our foods, it is no wonder we are a sick people. The cancer rate is one out of every two males will get cancer in their lifetimes. If this trend continues, cancer will be 100%. That is what everyone will die from. Do you want to die from cancer, or would you rather live a full life and die at a ripe old age from natural causes?
One more quick note: With all the recent knowledge of health issues, and all the articles being posted on the Internet, the FDA and other such groups are coming back with their versions of why the new health discoveries aren't working. They will tell people that GMOs are good for the world, and that vitamins and supplements are not necessary and are harmful. They will tell you that colloidal silver is bad for you, and they will promote the American Cancer Society, which they will never admit to the fact that the ACA had not come close to finding a cure for cancer. Problem is, they never will, for if they did, and people were actually cured from cancer, guess what? The pharmaceutical companies will take a big financial loss. Think about how much money comes in because of people needing chemo and pain killers. If that were gone, a lot of people would be layed off and would lose their jobs, but can you imagine how many other decent jobs could be created, if everyone were healthy and felt good enough to do whatever it is that they were designed to do?
Nourishing Traditions - A Great Way To Learn How To Work With Food
I have all kinds of cook books and most of them are helpful. But if you really want to get back to basics, Sally Falon's cook book called Nourishing Traditions is the book you want to have.
Cooking properly is not as simple as opening a couple of boxes of prepared food and throwing something into the microwave! But in the olden days, people knew how to cook right. There were no other options, because grocery stores had not come on the scene until 1946.
There are a lot of footnotes in this book, as well as recipes. The recipes though, aren't your typical recipe. Some of them have a little work involved.
There are recipes to make cheese as well as fermented drinks. I especially like the recipe for 'Crispy Nuts' as following the recipes will help prevent digestive problems. Since I use nuts a lot, I make a batch up occasionally and will store the nuts in a container and use them as needed.
Cooking properly is not as simple as opening a couple of boxes of prepared food and throwing something into the microwave! But in the olden days, people knew how to cook right. There were no other options, because grocery stores had not come on the scene until 1946.
There are a lot of footnotes in this book, as well as recipes. The recipes though, aren't your typical recipe. Some of them have a little work involved.
There are recipes to make cheese as well as fermented drinks. I especially like the recipe for 'Crispy Nuts' as following the recipes will help prevent digestive problems. Since I use nuts a lot, I make a batch up occasionally and will store the nuts in a container and use them as needed.
Friday, July 25, 2014
The Results of the Homemade Root Beer Are In!
I followed the directions to make homemade root beer from 'Wellness Mama's recipe on her blog. This isn't the type of recipe where you just buy some root beer extract and add it to club soda, like I had been doing. This recipe ends up being a fermented drink, and the carbonation comes from the fermentation.
Of course, I am skeptical about how fermentation can lead to such great carbonation, but we will see, as this recipe unfolds in my kitchen.
I filled 2 bottles and a half of another bottle with this probiotic mixture which would lead to authentic root beer, and had it sit on the bottom of the pantry for 2 days. I opened only one bottle to check on the fermentation. I was definitely beginning to ferment, but not much carbonation was there yet. My husband and I tasted it, and he didn't care for the taste. Of course, he is used to the store bought kind, over ice, with a lot of sugar in it. I thought it tasted different, but had potential.
Two days later, I opened the other two bottles and was surprised at the amount of carbonation in them. It was a good thing I opened them then, because if I would have waited another couple of days, the bottles may have exploded!
It made a mess which I had to clean up (by the way, if you ever open fermenting bottles, you might want to take them outside). Root beer was everywhere in the area of the kitchen where I opened the bottles. Even the one I opened in the sink was surrounded by root beer covering the counter tops!
The verdict is in (if I am the judge of the final product!). The root beer tastes authentic, but it must be chilled before you can experience the real root beer test. After it was well chilled, it tasted good, with a lot of other flavors which enhanced the root beer flavor, but it was not very sweet. I cured that by adding some liquid Stevia to it. Now, I take a glass with ice in it, pour some liquid Stevia on the ice, then pour the root beer onto that. Now that is some drink!
Now, onto learning how to make Ginger Ale, or Ginger Beer. Stay tuned!
* For those interested in the recipe for homemade root beer, go to this site: http://wellnessmama.com/11392/homemade-root-beer/
* There is a problem with the link that goes to making the 'Ginger Bug' so here is the link for that: http://wellnessmama.com/8942/ginger-bug/
Note: You can find many of the ingredients on amazon.com and are listed on the right side of this page. Amazon.com also carries liquid Stevia, which doesn't contain the malto-dextrine or dextrose that the dry Stevia products contain.
Of course, I am skeptical about how fermentation can lead to such great carbonation, but we will see, as this recipe unfolds in my kitchen.
I filled 2 bottles and a half of another bottle with this probiotic mixture which would lead to authentic root beer, and had it sit on the bottom of the pantry for 2 days. I opened only one bottle to check on the fermentation. I was definitely beginning to ferment, but not much carbonation was there yet. My husband and I tasted it, and he didn't care for the taste. Of course, he is used to the store bought kind, over ice, with a lot of sugar in it. I thought it tasted different, but had potential.
Two days later, I opened the other two bottles and was surprised at the amount of carbonation in them. It was a good thing I opened them then, because if I would have waited another couple of days, the bottles may have exploded!
It made a mess which I had to clean up (by the way, if you ever open fermenting bottles, you might want to take them outside). Root beer was everywhere in the area of the kitchen where I opened the bottles. Even the one I opened in the sink was surrounded by root beer covering the counter tops!
The verdict is in (if I am the judge of the final product!). The root beer tastes authentic, but it must be chilled before you can experience the real root beer test. After it was well chilled, it tasted good, with a lot of other flavors which enhanced the root beer flavor, but it was not very sweet. I cured that by adding some liquid Stevia to it. Now, I take a glass with ice in it, pour some liquid Stevia on the ice, then pour the root beer onto that. Now that is some drink!
Now, onto learning how to make Ginger Ale, or Ginger Beer. Stay tuned!
* For those interested in the recipe for homemade root beer, go to this site: http://wellnessmama.com/11392/homemade-root-beer/
* There is a problem with the link that goes to making the 'Ginger Bug' so here is the link for that: http://wellnessmama.com/8942/ginger-bug/
Note: You can find many of the ingredients on amazon.com and are listed on the right side of this page. Amazon.com also carries liquid Stevia, which doesn't contain the malto-dextrine or dextrose that the dry Stevia products contain.
 |
| Homemade Root Beer. Recipe From 'Wellness Mama' |
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Broccoli With Cheese Sauce
I went to Whole Foods the other day and was delighted to find so many neat items. One item I found was Applegate Farms Emmentaler Swiss Cheese, so I bought some. I had not seen this cheese anywhere else, so far. I like the taste of it too.
Here is what I made with 2 small heads of broccoli that I had to use up. I actually put the heads of broccoli in a large slow cooker that was cooking a chicken and making chicken broth. I took the broccoli out and made a cheese sauce with it using the Emmentaler Swiss Cheese.
Broccoli With Cheese Sauce
1 large head broccoli or 2 small heads, steamed
1/2 cup milk
1 TBS. corn starch
2 slices Emmentaler Swiss Cheese
Salt, to taste
Butter
Steam the broccoli first. Add corn starch to milk, and heat until thickened, until it starts to boil. Stir until the cornstarch and milk are completely combined. Once the sauce is thick, add the cheese to it. Let the cheese melt and pour over broccoli. Add salt and butter, if desired. Serves 3-4.
Here is what I made with 2 small heads of broccoli that I had to use up. I actually put the heads of broccoli in a large slow cooker that was cooking a chicken and making chicken broth. I took the broccoli out and made a cheese sauce with it using the Emmentaler Swiss Cheese.
Broccoli With Cheese Sauce
1 large head broccoli or 2 small heads, steamed
1/2 cup milk
1 TBS. corn starch
2 slices Emmentaler Swiss Cheese
Salt, to taste
Butter
Steam the broccoli first. Add corn starch to milk, and heat until thickened, until it starts to boil. Stir until the cornstarch and milk are completely combined. Once the sauce is thick, add the cheese to it. Let the cheese melt and pour over broccoli. Add salt and butter, if desired. Serves 3-4.
Friday, July 18, 2014
Homemade Root Beer - A Fizzy Experiment!
I did it. After all these years, I made root beer from scratch! I found a good recipe from Wellness Mama, and followed the directions as given. Of course, we will not be able to find the complete results until late tomorrow night as you can start testing it two days after it has been bottled.
Will it be flat, or will it explode? I received a gift certificate for amazon.com and decided to invest in bottles and the ingredients, which were a little on the expensive side.
So, after boiling the mixture (which contained the sassafras bark, wintergreen leaf, allspice, and cinnamon chunks in filtered water) for 15 minutes or so, the water turned the right color! Then I added the other ingredients and strained the liquid and poured it into the bottles. I want to make another batch of this as I could drink root beer all day. Root beer goes great with Pizza, and even though I do not advocate drinking soda with a meal, I think there is something safe about drinking homemade root beer with a meal, occasionally.
This root beer recipe is a probiotic drink as well, which means it contains probiotics which can help put good microbes into your gut. The reason why it is probiotic is because of the 'Ginger Bug' I made to put into the root beer mixture. Grated ginger is placed in filtered water with sugar. Each day, a little more sugar and grated ginger is added to the mix. It should be bubbly in 5 days, and can be used, or, it can be refrigerated and brought out at another time to use. Wellness Mama has recipes for both the root beer and the 'Ginger Bug'.
http://wellnessmama.com/11392/homemade-root-beer/
http://wellnessmama.com/8942/how-to-make-a-ginger-bug/
Will it be flat, or will it explode? I received a gift certificate for amazon.com and decided to invest in bottles and the ingredients, which were a little on the expensive side.
So, after boiling the mixture (which contained the sassafras bark, wintergreen leaf, allspice, and cinnamon chunks in filtered water) for 15 minutes or so, the water turned the right color! Then I added the other ingredients and strained the liquid and poured it into the bottles. I want to make another batch of this as I could drink root beer all day. Root beer goes great with Pizza, and even though I do not advocate drinking soda with a meal, I think there is something safe about drinking homemade root beer with a meal, occasionally.
This root beer recipe is a probiotic drink as well, which means it contains probiotics which can help put good microbes into your gut. The reason why it is probiotic is because of the 'Ginger Bug' I made to put into the root beer mixture. Grated ginger is placed in filtered water with sugar. Each day, a little more sugar and grated ginger is added to the mix. It should be bubbly in 5 days, and can be used, or, it can be refrigerated and brought out at another time to use. Wellness Mama has recipes for both the root beer and the 'Ginger Bug'.
http://wellnessmama.com/11392/homemade-root-beer/
http://wellnessmama.com/8942/how-to-make-a-ginger-bug/
 |
| Homemade Root Beer as it Ferments |
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
Why We Need Fresh Air and Oxygen - Let The Fresh Air In!
When I was a kid, in the 1960s, I lived up North for a long time. Kids were always outside playing. I spent quite a bit of time outside, except when it was snowing. It was normal to see a group of people playing softball in the street, or riding bikes.
We moved down to Florida in 1965, and we were still outside much of the time. We definitely got our fresh air intake and exercise from riding bikes. But all that has changed.
My children were born in the 80s and 90s. They spent some time outside, but most of their activities were done indoors. Maybe it was because it was so hot outside. Perhaps watching television or playing video games was more fun than riding bikes.
I go to a clinic where were learn about the 5 M's of Maximized Living. They have to do with eating right, exercise, eliminating toxins, building muscles, and breathing clean air. But why is oxygen so important to us?
There are two things human beings cannot live without for very long. One is water, and the other is oxygen. Water is necessary for our bodies to make blood with. If we go without oxygen for even a short length of time, we could die or our kidneys could shut down. Plus, our cells need to breathe, and they need oxygen for respiration.
We need to have good, unpolluted oxygen in our lungs. With so much pollution in the air today, it is challenging to get clean air, but it can be done.
Human beings breathe in oxygen, and give off carbon dioxide. Plants take in carbon dioxide, and give off oxygen. It is good to live in an area where there are a lot of trees and plants, for this reason alone.
With our artistically perfect, artificial world we live in, we are being cheated out of getting the real thing. If there is a choice to have a real tree or plant, or an artificial one, pick the real one. No oxygen can come from a plastic tree!
There are ways we can even renovate our yards and homes, in order to make our ambience serve us. Edible landscaping is a way of gardening that not only produces food, but it makes the landscape look aesthetically acceptable. Plus, with all the green, lots of oxygen is being produced, which is beneficially to us as well as the produce.
Clean oxygen and lots of oxygen is what we need. Clean food and water is necessary too. So, the tip for today would be to plant lots of plants. Also, when the weather isn't so hot, open the windows and doors if possible, to let the fresh air in. Let the stale air out and the new air into the house. Let the wash dry in the sun, or let it freeze dry, like they did in the days of 'Little House'.
We moved down to Florida in 1965, and we were still outside much of the time. We definitely got our fresh air intake and exercise from riding bikes. But all that has changed.
My children were born in the 80s and 90s. They spent some time outside, but most of their activities were done indoors. Maybe it was because it was so hot outside. Perhaps watching television or playing video games was more fun than riding bikes.
I go to a clinic where were learn about the 5 M's of Maximized Living. They have to do with eating right, exercise, eliminating toxins, building muscles, and breathing clean air. But why is oxygen so important to us?
There are two things human beings cannot live without for very long. One is water, and the other is oxygen. Water is necessary for our bodies to make blood with. If we go without oxygen for even a short length of time, we could die or our kidneys could shut down. Plus, our cells need to breathe, and they need oxygen for respiration.
We need to have good, unpolluted oxygen in our lungs. With so much pollution in the air today, it is challenging to get clean air, but it can be done.
Human beings breathe in oxygen, and give off carbon dioxide. Plants take in carbon dioxide, and give off oxygen. It is good to live in an area where there are a lot of trees and plants, for this reason alone.
With our artistically perfect, artificial world we live in, we are being cheated out of getting the real thing. If there is a choice to have a real tree or plant, or an artificial one, pick the real one. No oxygen can come from a plastic tree!
There are ways we can even renovate our yards and homes, in order to make our ambience serve us. Edible landscaping is a way of gardening that not only produces food, but it makes the landscape look aesthetically acceptable. Plus, with all the green, lots of oxygen is being produced, which is beneficially to us as well as the produce.
Clean oxygen and lots of oxygen is what we need. Clean food and water is necessary too. So, the tip for today would be to plant lots of plants. Also, when the weather isn't so hot, open the windows and doors if possible, to let the fresh air in. Let the stale air out and the new air into the house. Let the wash dry in the sun, or let it freeze dry, like they did in the days of 'Little House'.
 |
| Plant a tree in order to get oxygen! |
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
How Can Americans Become Healthy Again?
Years ago, the word 'cancer' meant an automatic death sentence. Sadly, although many advances have been made, it is still a scary word. More people get cancer today, in America, than ever before. Many are prone to diabetes, and Lyme Disease is even becoming more widespread. Isn't there anything we can do to help us prevent sicknesses?
I believe there is an answer. I have heard, many times where people who are 'gluten intolerant' can go to another country and eat bread without any problem. People have come up with valid cures for cancer, but they go to prison. The point is, there is hope.
The best way to not get sick is to prevent the sickness in the first place. Modern medicinal thinking would lead us to believe that sickness is inevitable, and that we treat it whenever we get sick, but there really is a better way.
I have heard of people beating cancer by eliminating certain types of food items, such as sugar, from their diets. We have a friend who is beating Chron's Disease by this same type of diet. No preservatives, no sugar, no white flour products (in America today, we also include all grain products, possibly due to GMO or the wheat being sprayed with toxic chemicals).
I have a page on Facebook called, 'I Can Be Cancer Free' which discusses different ways people have beat cancer.
On the page, whenever I find articles of how someone beat cancer, I will post the article. I have read where people have been cured from cancer by using baking soda. I have heard other stories of different things people did to get rid of cancer. There is a science behind everything that happens in our bodies, and there are scientific ways of working with our bodies to prevent sickness.
I Can Be, Cancer Free
If you are a reader and read current health articles, you may find conflicting information. Sometimes, it is done intentionally, such as the modern American medical groups, who find natural advances to curing cancer disturbing. But there are other difficulties as well. For example, strawberries are very good for you to eat. So, while you are eating your strawberries, you might want to be aware of the fact that strawberries are heavily sprayed with insecticides. Years ago, while being on a bird email list, I read about a woman's parrot that died because it ate an apple. She explained that the bird ate the part of the apple closest to the core. I would have thought that the skin of the apple would have been worse, but as she explained how the chemical, whether it was an herbicide or pesticide, I don't know, was taken in by the tree's roots and the core of the apple was where the toxin settled. I think that if my bird is ever to get apples, I would make sure they are organic before she eats them. But, other than the spray, apples are excellent for nourishment.
You may have heard that milk is bad for you. You might have seen commercials where milk is good for you. Who is right? Actually, in a sense, both are. In the olden days, before milk was pasteurized and homogenized, it was very good to drink. Today though, most milk is pasteurized, homogenized, and has additives to it. Also, the cow from where the milk came from, has probably had growth hormones and antibiotics given to her. The farmers on large commercial dairies do that to protect the cow from getting diseases and also the growth hormones help the cow to be bigger, and also to produce more milk. But it isn't good for people to drink milk from such cows. Could this be a reason why girls begin puberty earlier than their grandmothers did?
Raw milk, on the other hand, is an excellent source of nourishment. The more cream it has, the more nourishing it is. Of course, too much of anything will put on weight! Also, it depends upon what the cow has eaten, and if the cow has been given antibiotics and growth hormones. Usually, the farmers who leave their milk raw, also do not give growth hormones or antibiotics to their cows, but it is wise to check anyway, just to make sure. Grass fed cows produce top-notch milk. Do not let any health articles scare you on the so called, 'dangers of raw milk'.
Yes, there are many things we can do to keep ourselves healthy. It is a matter of choice, and for some, it will be a hard choice. With all the information we have available to us on preventing sickness, it is amazing to see the lines at the fast food restaurants as I go to the chiropractor (health clinic). It's hard to give up junk food, and some would rather hold on to it, and die early. That is a choice we all have to make in America today. Do I want to live long, and die a natural death when my time comes, or do I want to die early of a horrible, painful disease at a younger age?
I believe there is an answer. I have heard, many times where people who are 'gluten intolerant' can go to another country and eat bread without any problem. People have come up with valid cures for cancer, but they go to prison. The point is, there is hope.
The best way to not get sick is to prevent the sickness in the first place. Modern medicinal thinking would lead us to believe that sickness is inevitable, and that we treat it whenever we get sick, but there really is a better way.
I have heard of people beating cancer by eliminating certain types of food items, such as sugar, from their diets. We have a friend who is beating Chron's Disease by this same type of diet. No preservatives, no sugar, no white flour products (in America today, we also include all grain products, possibly due to GMO or the wheat being sprayed with toxic chemicals).
I have a page on Facebook called, 'I Can Be Cancer Free' which discusses different ways people have beat cancer.
On the page, whenever I find articles of how someone beat cancer, I will post the article. I have read where people have been cured from cancer by using baking soda. I have heard other stories of different things people did to get rid of cancer. There is a science behind everything that happens in our bodies, and there are scientific ways of working with our bodies to prevent sickness.
I Can Be, Cancer Free
If you are a reader and read current health articles, you may find conflicting information. Sometimes, it is done intentionally, such as the modern American medical groups, who find natural advances to curing cancer disturbing. But there are other difficulties as well. For example, strawberries are very good for you to eat. So, while you are eating your strawberries, you might want to be aware of the fact that strawberries are heavily sprayed with insecticides. Years ago, while being on a bird email list, I read about a woman's parrot that died because it ate an apple. She explained that the bird ate the part of the apple closest to the core. I would have thought that the skin of the apple would have been worse, but as she explained how the chemical, whether it was an herbicide or pesticide, I don't know, was taken in by the tree's roots and the core of the apple was where the toxin settled. I think that if my bird is ever to get apples, I would make sure they are organic before she eats them. But, other than the spray, apples are excellent for nourishment.
You may have heard that milk is bad for you. You might have seen commercials where milk is good for you. Who is right? Actually, in a sense, both are. In the olden days, before milk was pasteurized and homogenized, it was very good to drink. Today though, most milk is pasteurized, homogenized, and has additives to it. Also, the cow from where the milk came from, has probably had growth hormones and antibiotics given to her. The farmers on large commercial dairies do that to protect the cow from getting diseases and also the growth hormones help the cow to be bigger, and also to produce more milk. But it isn't good for people to drink milk from such cows. Could this be a reason why girls begin puberty earlier than their grandmothers did?
Raw milk, on the other hand, is an excellent source of nourishment. The more cream it has, the more nourishing it is. Of course, too much of anything will put on weight! Also, it depends upon what the cow has eaten, and if the cow has been given antibiotics and growth hormones. Usually, the farmers who leave their milk raw, also do not give growth hormones or antibiotics to their cows, but it is wise to check anyway, just to make sure. Grass fed cows produce top-notch milk. Do not let any health articles scare you on the so called, 'dangers of raw milk'.
Yes, there are many things we can do to keep ourselves healthy. It is a matter of choice, and for some, it will be a hard choice. With all the information we have available to us on preventing sickness, it is amazing to see the lines at the fast food restaurants as I go to the chiropractor (health clinic). It's hard to give up junk food, and some would rather hold on to it, and die early. That is a choice we all have to make in America today. Do I want to live long, and die a natural death when my time comes, or do I want to die early of a horrible, painful disease at a younger age?
Saturday, July 12, 2014
Homemade Cereal - Much Better For You Than Boxed Cereal
There is a saying, and I don't remember the exact words, of course, but it goes something like this; The longer the shelf life of a product, the shorter the person's life is, who uses that product. I know, I completely rephrased this, but you get the point.
I want to buy less and less products that are on the shelves (conventional food), so, little by little, I am making my own. I use some items that are on the shelves, and some I make in my kitchen to remake typical cereal.
I was never a cereal eater. My mom was so desperate for me to eat breakfast, that she made it into a game. Some of our bowls had a little mark on the bottom of the bowl. We were to eat our cereal and see if we could find this mark that she was talking about. I wasn't impressed. I found the mark once or twice and went back to not wanting to eat breakfast again.
In case you haven't noticed the ingredient panel on cereal boxes, the main ingredient is sugar. The rest is processed with some additives to preserve, flavor, or color. There is very little nutrition in boxed cereal. Maybe it was a good thing after all, that I never ate my cereal when I was a kid.
I think if a food is genuine, I can eat it now. Here is a basic recipe for a nourishing cereal:
Arrowhead Mills Spelt flakes or sweetened rice flakes
Assorted dried fruit (I use dried cherries, dried peaches, dried dates, dehydrated bananas)
Soaked and dried nuts, chopped up
I just do everything to taste and don't measure. I like a lot of fruit, so I put (probably more than I should) a good amount of dried fruit on. The soaked and dried nuts are made from a recipe in 'Nourishing Traditions' cookbook. You soak the nuts for 12 hours and dry them for 8 hours (or the other way around!) They have to be soaked so they can be properly digested. I use mainly almonds for this, but walnuts are great too!
You can get Arrowhead Mills cereals through amazon.com. Costco has a good selection of nuts.
You can use oatmeal or other grains too, but they must be soaked for many hours if you want to use them in cooking or eating.
When it is all finished, I pour raw milk on it. Yummmmm!
I want to buy less and less products that are on the shelves (conventional food), so, little by little, I am making my own. I use some items that are on the shelves, and some I make in my kitchen to remake typical cereal.
I was never a cereal eater. My mom was so desperate for me to eat breakfast, that she made it into a game. Some of our bowls had a little mark on the bottom of the bowl. We were to eat our cereal and see if we could find this mark that she was talking about. I wasn't impressed. I found the mark once or twice and went back to not wanting to eat breakfast again.
In case you haven't noticed the ingredient panel on cereal boxes, the main ingredient is sugar. The rest is processed with some additives to preserve, flavor, or color. There is very little nutrition in boxed cereal. Maybe it was a good thing after all, that I never ate my cereal when I was a kid.
I think if a food is genuine, I can eat it now. Here is a basic recipe for a nourishing cereal:
Arrowhead Mills Spelt flakes or sweetened rice flakes
Assorted dried fruit (I use dried cherries, dried peaches, dried dates, dehydrated bananas)
Soaked and dried nuts, chopped up
I just do everything to taste and don't measure. I like a lot of fruit, so I put (probably more than I should) a good amount of dried fruit on. The soaked and dried nuts are made from a recipe in 'Nourishing Traditions' cookbook. You soak the nuts for 12 hours and dry them for 8 hours (or the other way around!) They have to be soaked so they can be properly digested. I use mainly almonds for this, but walnuts are great too!
You can get Arrowhead Mills cereals through amazon.com. Costco has a good selection of nuts.
You can use oatmeal or other grains too, but they must be soaked for many hours if you want to use them in cooking or eating.
When it is all finished, I pour raw milk on it. Yummmmm!
 |
| The new 'Breakfast of Champions'? |
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
The Slander of Coconut Oil and the Praise of Soy
I was reading a book written by Fran McCullough called, The Good Fat Cookbook, and in the book she explained an incident that took place, I believe in the 70s. I didn't want to go and skim the book to find the info on it, so I did a computer search using some key words, and found this article on it: http://medicalconsumers.org/2003/12/30/the-good-fat-cookbook-by-fran-mccullough/
I was thinking about this because of the promotion of a product called, 'Roundup' which is a product of Monsanto. It is touted to be very effective in getting rid of weeds. What the company doesn't tell you though, are the dangers and implications of this product.
Many years ago, there was a product called, 'Sevin' which was a powder that was used to kill bugs. It was supposed to be pet-safe, or at least that is what the bag said. I sprinkled some on my dog to get rid of the fleas. He got sick after I put it on him. Never again would I do that.
The makers of 'Roundup' will advertise their product and tell you the benefits. Not only is Roundup a chemical that is not good to ingest, but it also is a political ploy.
I am not a conspiracy theory believer, but, if you follow this thinking of Monsanto, and their tactics, you will see something interesting.
Because of our sinful, selfish, greedy hearts (which every person has), when we invent or create a product, and it takes off, we make a lot of money, but the money will never be enough. We raise our standard of living to match our growing income. We become more selfish, and less satisfied. Many who have received money or who have made lots of money end up in debt! Not surprisingly, because we start trusting in our money and it keeps us selfish if we are not careful. That is why the Bible says, 'The love of money is the root of all evil'. Not money itself, but loving it and wanting more of it is where we go wrong.
Monsanto is a big company and is gaining more power every day. Here is where the problem is; there are people who are on talk shows and who write articles saying that there is no danger in genetically modified food. What they don't tell you is that if Monsanto were able to have more control over the food industry, most, of not all, of our food would be genetically modified. If that isn't bad enough, the seeds would be patented, and, unless a farmer buys the license to plant the seed (from Monsanto), he will not be able to use the seed on his farm. You would think the alternative would be to use his own seed. That would be good, but, Monsanto created 'Roundup' which is a weed killer, and all of Monsanto's seeds are resistant to Roundup. The farmer's seeds aren't resistant to Roundup and will not be able to grow the way the genetically modified seeds grow.
If Monsanto gains enough control and governmental support, they could send airplanes to spray anywhere they choose. Any seeds that are genetically modified will survive. Any seeds that aren't genetically modified will die. Do you see what harm could come about if Monsanto gets their way?
Back to the coconut farms. The coconut farms were doing well until the soy farmers realized how well they were doing. The soy farmers decided to slander the coconut farms. The coconut farmers were taken by surprise and were not able to defend themselves, so, their business went way down, while people believed the lie that coconut oil was bad for you, but soy was now known to be good for you. But over time, the coconut industry rebounded and today, people are enjoying coconut products once more.
Here is a quote from Fran McCullough concerning this campaign: "Coconut oil used to be the predominant fat used in cookies, crackers, and most baked goods. In 1986, writes McCullough, the soy industry mounted a campaign to discredit coconut oil and warn the public of its dangers. The campaign was successful, according to McCullough, because “there is no Coconut Council to fund research and send out press kits, take journalists on junkets, and lobby Washington for favorable treatment in the way other elements in the agribusiness food industry cooked up the Dietary Guidelines.”
(I highly recommend Fran McCullough's book called, 'The Good Fat Cookbook")
I find it interesting because so many food items have been misrepresented, and I wonder why? There was a long period of time where people would not eat eggs. Eggs had cholesterol and were supposedly bad for the heart. Eating egg yolks could clog your arteries. I wonder what kind of school taught this?
I can see people's complaints about drinking milk and eating meat. On the one hand, drinking milk and eating meat is bad for you. The reason is, because there are growth hormones, antibiotics, and products fed to cows that aren't suited for them to eat. People have all kinds of reactions to drinking milk, and many cannot drink it. God never intended for people to eat food containing growth hormones and antibiotics. Could our reactions and allergies be due to the processing and all the additives the cows are taking in?
On the other hand, drinking milk and eating meat can be very good for your health. The qualifier is, that you have to drink raw milk from cows that haven't been treated with antibiotics and growth hormones, and have been fed grass instead of grains, for their diet. It is amazing that even today, there are articles out there on the dangers of drinking raw milk. There are no dangers in raw milk. If the cow is sick, then hopefully the farmer won't sell the milk from the cow.
Can you see how greediness is destroying our food system? It's kind of scary, but it has caused me to do a lot of research on food, what to eat, and why we should eat it, and what we should avoid eating. It has taught me how can we carefully work within the system, and how to create our own system.
I am grateful for the internet, where I can learn about almost any subject from many different angles. And I am glad that we have access to good food that is nourishing, and methods that we can produce our own food, safely.
I was thinking about this because of the promotion of a product called, 'Roundup' which is a product of Monsanto. It is touted to be very effective in getting rid of weeds. What the company doesn't tell you though, are the dangers and implications of this product.
Many years ago, there was a product called, 'Sevin' which was a powder that was used to kill bugs. It was supposed to be pet-safe, or at least that is what the bag said. I sprinkled some on my dog to get rid of the fleas. He got sick after I put it on him. Never again would I do that.
The makers of 'Roundup' will advertise their product and tell you the benefits. Not only is Roundup a chemical that is not good to ingest, but it also is a political ploy.
I am not a conspiracy theory believer, but, if you follow this thinking of Monsanto, and their tactics, you will see something interesting.
Because of our sinful, selfish, greedy hearts (which every person has), when we invent or create a product, and it takes off, we make a lot of money, but the money will never be enough. We raise our standard of living to match our growing income. We become more selfish, and less satisfied. Many who have received money or who have made lots of money end up in debt! Not surprisingly, because we start trusting in our money and it keeps us selfish if we are not careful. That is why the Bible says, 'The love of money is the root of all evil'. Not money itself, but loving it and wanting more of it is where we go wrong.
Monsanto is a big company and is gaining more power every day. Here is where the problem is; there are people who are on talk shows and who write articles saying that there is no danger in genetically modified food. What they don't tell you is that if Monsanto were able to have more control over the food industry, most, of not all, of our food would be genetically modified. If that isn't bad enough, the seeds would be patented, and, unless a farmer buys the license to plant the seed (from Monsanto), he will not be able to use the seed on his farm. You would think the alternative would be to use his own seed. That would be good, but, Monsanto created 'Roundup' which is a weed killer, and all of Monsanto's seeds are resistant to Roundup. The farmer's seeds aren't resistant to Roundup and will not be able to grow the way the genetically modified seeds grow.
If Monsanto gains enough control and governmental support, they could send airplanes to spray anywhere they choose. Any seeds that are genetically modified will survive. Any seeds that aren't genetically modified will die. Do you see what harm could come about if Monsanto gets their way?
Back to the coconut farms. The coconut farms were doing well until the soy farmers realized how well they were doing. The soy farmers decided to slander the coconut farms. The coconut farmers were taken by surprise and were not able to defend themselves, so, their business went way down, while people believed the lie that coconut oil was bad for you, but soy was now known to be good for you. But over time, the coconut industry rebounded and today, people are enjoying coconut products once more.
Here is a quote from Fran McCullough concerning this campaign: "Coconut oil used to be the predominant fat used in cookies, crackers, and most baked goods. In 1986, writes McCullough, the soy industry mounted a campaign to discredit coconut oil and warn the public of its dangers. The campaign was successful, according to McCullough, because “there is no Coconut Council to fund research and send out press kits, take journalists on junkets, and lobby Washington for favorable treatment in the way other elements in the agribusiness food industry cooked up the Dietary Guidelines.”
(I highly recommend Fran McCullough's book called, 'The Good Fat Cookbook")
I find it interesting because so many food items have been misrepresented, and I wonder why? There was a long period of time where people would not eat eggs. Eggs had cholesterol and were supposedly bad for the heart. Eating egg yolks could clog your arteries. I wonder what kind of school taught this?
I can see people's complaints about drinking milk and eating meat. On the one hand, drinking milk and eating meat is bad for you. The reason is, because there are growth hormones, antibiotics, and products fed to cows that aren't suited for them to eat. People have all kinds of reactions to drinking milk, and many cannot drink it. God never intended for people to eat food containing growth hormones and antibiotics. Could our reactions and allergies be due to the processing and all the additives the cows are taking in?
On the other hand, drinking milk and eating meat can be very good for your health. The qualifier is, that you have to drink raw milk from cows that haven't been treated with antibiotics and growth hormones, and have been fed grass instead of grains, for their diet. It is amazing that even today, there are articles out there on the dangers of drinking raw milk. There are no dangers in raw milk. If the cow is sick, then hopefully the farmer won't sell the milk from the cow.
Can you see how greediness is destroying our food system? It's kind of scary, but it has caused me to do a lot of research on food, what to eat, and why we should eat it, and what we should avoid eating. It has taught me how can we carefully work within the system, and how to create our own system.
I am grateful for the internet, where I can learn about almost any subject from many different angles. And I am glad that we have access to good food that is nourishing, and methods that we can produce our own food, safely.
Monday, July 7, 2014
A Very 'Cultural' Day
I don't know if I am hungry or if I am just in the mood to do cooking, but I have accomplished many things today in the kitchen.
I have been wanting to make soaked bread for a couple of days now. I am trying to not have to buy bread from the store any more, or just to buy it less often. Of course, that means I will have to make my own. I can't get behind on it either, because, well, when we need bread, we need bread (or, we knead bread!). If I don't plan ahead, I will either have to run out to the store and get some bread from the bakery department, or, I will have to make a loaf quickly using the bread machine. But that defeats the purpose of eating soaked bread. You just don't get the benefits from bread if the grains are not soaked first.
I have been wanting to make cheese for some time now, and I came across a recipe for Farmer's Cheese. It doesn't look too hard to make, but I have to have buttermilk made ahead of time in order to make the cheese. One more thing to prepare that I didn't plan on. Guess the cheese will have to wait another day now, so I can make the buttermilk tomorrow.
I can't make buttermilk tonight, because whenever you make a cultured product, you can have only one cultured product culturing in a room. If you have more than one culture in the same room, strains of the yeast will contaminate the other cultures. So, if I am making yogurt, which I did the other day, I should not have buttermilk culturing on the counter in the same room.
Tonight I am running out of room. I got all of the ingredients for the bread to soak, and I put that mixture in a big, glass measuring cup, and set it on a table in the back room.
One of the things I do when I get some raw cream, is to make cultured butter with it. I took some raw cream and sprinkled some mesophilic starter on top of the cream. It has to sit on the counter for 24 hours, then I will put it in the fridge for 6 hours before I whip it up into butter!
I found a can of nuts and decided to soak them in water with a little salt, then I will dry them for several hours in the dehydrator. Maybe I can make that into nut butter. I put the nuts that are soaking, on a chest in the hallway, so they can soak without being contaminated by the other cultures.
I would put things in the dining room, but that is where the kombucha is fermenting. That has to be separate from all the other cultures as well.
The most interesting thing I am culturing is called the 'ginger bug'. It is necessary to have when making homemade root beer, which I have just ordered the ingredients to make this root beer. I have to feed it for several days, and it should become bubbly at some point.
Here is the list of things that are fermenting or soaking:
1. Dough for the soaked bread
2. Nuts to dry
3. Cultured butter
4. kombucha
5. the Ginger Bug
Tomorrow, we possibly will make homemade cream cheese! By the time the cheese has to hang, everything else should be finished culturing, so I will have a place for the cheese to drain all night.
Guten Appetit!
I have been wanting to make soaked bread for a couple of days now. I am trying to not have to buy bread from the store any more, or just to buy it less often. Of course, that means I will have to make my own. I can't get behind on it either, because, well, when we need bread, we need bread (or, we knead bread!). If I don't plan ahead, I will either have to run out to the store and get some bread from the bakery department, or, I will have to make a loaf quickly using the bread machine. But that defeats the purpose of eating soaked bread. You just don't get the benefits from bread if the grains are not soaked first.
I have been wanting to make cheese for some time now, and I came across a recipe for Farmer's Cheese. It doesn't look too hard to make, but I have to have buttermilk made ahead of time in order to make the cheese. One more thing to prepare that I didn't plan on. Guess the cheese will have to wait another day now, so I can make the buttermilk tomorrow.
I can't make buttermilk tonight, because whenever you make a cultured product, you can have only one cultured product culturing in a room. If you have more than one culture in the same room, strains of the yeast will contaminate the other cultures. So, if I am making yogurt, which I did the other day, I should not have buttermilk culturing on the counter in the same room.
Tonight I am running out of room. I got all of the ingredients for the bread to soak, and I put that mixture in a big, glass measuring cup, and set it on a table in the back room.
One of the things I do when I get some raw cream, is to make cultured butter with it. I took some raw cream and sprinkled some mesophilic starter on top of the cream. It has to sit on the counter for 24 hours, then I will put it in the fridge for 6 hours before I whip it up into butter!
I found a can of nuts and decided to soak them in water with a little salt, then I will dry them for several hours in the dehydrator. Maybe I can make that into nut butter. I put the nuts that are soaking, on a chest in the hallway, so they can soak without being contaminated by the other cultures.
I would put things in the dining room, but that is where the kombucha is fermenting. That has to be separate from all the other cultures as well.
The most interesting thing I am culturing is called the 'ginger bug'. It is necessary to have when making homemade root beer, which I have just ordered the ingredients to make this root beer. I have to feed it for several days, and it should become bubbly at some point.
Here is the list of things that are fermenting or soaking:
1. Dough for the soaked bread
2. Nuts to dry
3. Cultured butter
4. kombucha
5. the Ginger Bug
Tomorrow, we possibly will make homemade cream cheese! By the time the cheese has to hang, everything else should be finished culturing, so I will have a place for the cheese to drain all night.
Guten Appetit!
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