We've been experimenting lately with making some snacks in the dehydrator. I generally prefer to provide snacks that are not dried, as it can be hard keeping N hydrated and I do count the water in food toward her hydration. However making some snacks in the dehydrator has been really fun and gives us some healthy foods to enjoy, especially when we've been traveling.
One of the things that is great about dehydrating snacks is you don't really need a recipe, you can make the quantity you want, pop it in your dehydrator and wait a while. Test them as you go. Our dehydrator has a timer and a temperature control and I like drying at 105 degrees or less to retain enzymes.
Some favorites so far:
Kale Chips
You can use any kale but I like using the curly variety as it holds the oil and flavorings and seems to dry better as it is lifted off the drying sheets. We wash the kale, then tear it in to pieces, stems removed and spin dry in the salad spinner. (Save the "scraps" for juicing if you want.) In a large bowl add olive or coconut oil and season to your taste. Give the kale a nice massage so you get the oil and seasonings all over. I use about three tablespoons oil for about three bunches of kale. Sea salt is a classic flavor, but we have also tried curry powder with coconut oil for a change - yum! Place into the dehydrator at 105 for 6 -12 hours or until done.
Butternut Squash Chips
We have tried butternut squash and summer squash in the dehydrator using this recipe.
The butternut one are ...hmmm.... buttery and very rich. The summer squash was more mild and N especially liked them.
Onion Rings
I sliced up some onions and seasoned them and popped them in. Tested them along the way. They didn't come out crispy and the flavor got stronger. I liked them in soup and on salad and N really liked them and ate them from a bowl.
Apple Rings
The girls and I just made them and they are fun and taste great. Again 105 temp and put them in for about 12 hours.
Crackers
We've made crackers from vegetable pulp and those were ok (I made up the recipe and didn't use Em's!) and have also made these seed crackers using a blend of sunflower and pumpkin seeds since we don't use sesame here yet. They were great!
Crispy Seeds and Nuts
You must soak seeds and nuts before eating them to increase digestibility and decrease the anti-nutrients in seeds and nuts (google for phytates). Soaking and then dehydrating them makes the taste so great! We generally soak 12-24 hours, covered with spring water with a teaspoon or more of sea salt (depends on how big of a bowl of seeds or nuts), covered with a towel. Then drain and rinse well and dehydrate at 105 for 24 hours. The time it takes to make these, though hands off, surely makes one appreciate this snack. I give the seeds out in small portions. The nuts are for Chris.
Jerky
This is the snack - that's why I saved it way down here at the bottom - so you'll be sure to go make it! We followed this recipe but I suggest increasing both the sea salt and the seasonings. I don't mind flavor! However, the girls gobble, gobble, gobble it up. We used two pounds grass finished ground beef and used the seasonings in the recipe following her measurements (which are for three pounds of beef). I am sure this would also be great with turkey, but we want a higher fat content. I wonder how lamb would be?
There are recipes for using a roast, like this one, but I think the ground meat is easier to get to an even thickness.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Our First Illness While on GAPS
We are having our first real illnesses while on GAPS. L started a cold on Friday, which after a bowl of soup took a three-day hiatus and started again today. N started with congestion on Sunday, after our weekend camping trip. No doubt the mountain air, which was fresh but also filled with dust, campfire smoke and likely some sort of pollen, contributed to it. She is following her typical pattern of congestion, followed by not enough nose-blowing which leads to an asthma attack. She literally can't catch her breath. It's painful to witness and gives me flash backs to my childhood asthma experiences. She also runs a fever.
So last night at midnight I discovered that her inhaler expired in July. But Albuterol for her nebulizer is good until December so she basically had a treatment every two hours through the night - which is too much to not be seen by a doctor.
So we visited our Osteopath today. It's hard to explain how it works, but it helps N a lot to get a treatment from her. She has by far given me the best advice for managing these respiratory/asthma situations of all the doctors we've seen. She advises taking magnesium because it helps relax the whole system, including the lungs, Espom salt baths (more mag), a homeopathic remedy called Pulsatilla, rubbing small circles on the upper back/shoulder blades, lots of liquids. Today she also recommended garlic-mullein oil drops for the ears. N spent almost the entire day on the couch reading, doing a puzzle, being read to and having a few more sessions with the nebulizer.
On the plus side, both children got probiotic foods, broth, fats, and juice into their systems today as well as TWO detox baths(one at 5 am and the other a 6:30 pm) - oh - and so did I! I told L that the cold butternut squash soup I was spooning to her was ice cream and she ate it, though when I served it warm earlier in the day as soup she told me she did not like it. Good thing I worked in sales and marketing for so many years!
I am hopeful that tonight will bring easy rest for all of us and that more healing foods will be consumed tomorrow. This is N's first respiratory illness since March and that is an amazing stretch of time for her.
Garlic-mullein oil is great for ear infections, congestion in the ear/nose/throat and you can make it yourself (or buy it). So since cold season is coming, here's a GAPS friendly health care recipe, which if you make simply from garlic you could also use as a nice garlic flavored oil for eating. Find dried mullein in a bulk herbs section at your local herb supply store or online.
This is from Aviva Jill Romm's book, Naturally Healthy Babies and Children, a wonderful resource for health via herbal remedies and nutrition. It is a great way to learn more about herbs and how to use them in infusions, tinctures and more.
Garlic-Mullein Oil
Makes one pint - so make less if you don't need that much
1 whole bulb finely chopped fresh garlic
1 ounce dried mullein flowers
1 pint olive oil
Today I used about 5 cloves of garlic, a scoop of mullein and a 1/3 cup olive oil.
Slow method: Place all ingredients in a pint-sized jar, stir, cover and place in sunlight for one week. Strain into a clean jar, cover and store in refrigerator for up to two years.
Need it soon: Place all ingredients in a small pot, simmer very gently for 30 minutes being careful not to brown the garlic. Strain and store.
To use: Place 3 to 7 drops in each ear 2-4 times per day and do a gentle massage. I like to have the girls lay down on their sides for this. I also warm the oil by holding a lit match under the spoon or dropper for 1-2 seconds. The warm oil feels really nice. The garlic is antimicrobial and works on both bacterial and viral infections. The mullein is an analgesic, so is a gentle pain reliever. Plus you smell like garlic bread and that is always a treat!
So last night at midnight I discovered that her inhaler expired in July. But Albuterol for her nebulizer is good until December so she basically had a treatment every two hours through the night - which is too much to not be seen by a doctor.
So we visited our Osteopath today. It's hard to explain how it works, but it helps N a lot to get a treatment from her. She has by far given me the best advice for managing these respiratory/asthma situations of all the doctors we've seen. She advises taking magnesium because it helps relax the whole system, including the lungs, Espom salt baths (more mag), a homeopathic remedy called Pulsatilla, rubbing small circles on the upper back/shoulder blades, lots of liquids. Today she also recommended garlic-mullein oil drops for the ears. N spent almost the entire day on the couch reading, doing a puzzle, being read to and having a few more sessions with the nebulizer.
On the plus side, both children got probiotic foods, broth, fats, and juice into their systems today as well as TWO detox baths(one at 5 am and the other a 6:30 pm) - oh - and so did I! I told L that the cold butternut squash soup I was spooning to her was ice cream and she ate it, though when I served it warm earlier in the day as soup she told me she did not like it. Good thing I worked in sales and marketing for so many years!
I am hopeful that tonight will bring easy rest for all of us and that more healing foods will be consumed tomorrow. This is N's first respiratory illness since March and that is an amazing stretch of time for her.
Garlic-mullein oil is great for ear infections, congestion in the ear/nose/throat and you can make it yourself (or buy it). So since cold season is coming, here's a GAPS friendly health care recipe, which if you make simply from garlic you could also use as a nice garlic flavored oil for eating. Find dried mullein in a bulk herbs section at your local herb supply store or online.
This is from Aviva Jill Romm's book, Naturally Healthy Babies and Children, a wonderful resource for health via herbal remedies and nutrition. It is a great way to learn more about herbs and how to use them in infusions, tinctures and more.
Garlic-Mullein Oil
Makes one pint - so make less if you don't need that much
1 whole bulb finely chopped fresh garlic
1 ounce dried mullein flowers
1 pint olive oil
Today I used about 5 cloves of garlic, a scoop of mullein and a 1/3 cup olive oil.
Slow method: Place all ingredients in a pint-sized jar, stir, cover and place in sunlight for one week. Strain into a clean jar, cover and store in refrigerator for up to two years.
Need it soon: Place all ingredients in a small pot, simmer very gently for 30 minutes being careful not to brown the garlic. Strain and store.
To use: Place 3 to 7 drops in each ear 2-4 times per day and do a gentle massage. I like to have the girls lay down on their sides for this. I also warm the oil by holding a lit match under the spoon or dropper for 1-2 seconds. The warm oil feels really nice. The garlic is antimicrobial and works on both bacterial and viral infections. The mullein is an analgesic, so is a gentle pain reliever. Plus you smell like garlic bread and that is always a treat!
Monday, October 1, 2012
Happy Golden Birthday, Natalie!
Happy birthday to my amazing seven(!) year-old! This child has taught me so much about who I am and who I want to be - she's the gift that transformed my life. She has a strong and sweet personality - curious and persistent and full of creative ideas. She can be shy and tentative at times too. Almost daily she writes me a love note, I am a lucky mama!
We recently celebrated Natalie's golden birthday and what a fun celebration it was! We started a few weeks in advance by reading Isabel Wyatt's Seven Year Wonder Book and I loved hearing N's intake of breath when we read the chapter (first thing birthday morning) where the main character turns seven. This book is very sweet and full of fantastic stories, which we really enjoyed and will read again! It really set the stage for the joys of being seven.
On N's birthday, she woke covered in gold sparkles! They are still evident in her hairline, despite repeated swims and baths. (Found a lot under the bed too!) There were some magic gifts from the fairies and the friendly dragon who visits our home, gifts from us, and a bouncy house! Both girls had been adamant that a bouncy house was going to appear for their birthdays, so we thought since a golden birthday comes but once a bouncy house would be fun. And it was.
We had a lovely family celebration with N's requested dinner of rabbit and squash and used the coconut cake and frosting recipe with some new changes, inspired by this recipe. We liked it even better this time! I used about a half cup extra coconut milk and I did use the 1/2 tsp of baking soda, as well as added 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar. The ACV is a tip I learned from a sugar free cookbook for providing some lift without egg whites. This cake had a bit more moisture than L's, but was still nice and dense.
I used the same frosting recipe as L's and colored it a nice golden yellow using the juice of a golden beet and a bit of turmeric. I also added in the zest of half a lemon and that was really lovely. A hint about the frosting is that it doesn't spread like buttercream I worked with it like one probably does with fondant. I patted out pieces and smoothed them on. The frosting requires refrigeration and creates quite a solid layer!
We celebrated further with a party with friends, serving all GAPS foods we could think of that were golden-hued - yellow peppers, tomatoes, grapes, carrots - there were even golden eggs laid by N's hen (my first knitting project - I woke in the night and finished her as a gift for Natalie - she is purple with gold tail feathers, stuffed with golden wool and lays gold eggs of course!). Both L and N ate some egg white that day and seemed to have no issues. I wasn't anticipating introducing egg white that way to L, so watched carefully for the week and noticed nothing amiss. We will likely introduce eggs whites to her in the proper way at some point this fall. But I digress....we also had mango coconut ice-cream courtesy of the Vitamix. To serve four: blend 1/4 cup coconut milk (or milk of choice) and 2 cups frozen fruit and serve! What a nice easy treat that is. Birthday picture at some point! :)
We recently celebrated Natalie's golden birthday and what a fun celebration it was! We started a few weeks in advance by reading Isabel Wyatt's Seven Year Wonder Book and I loved hearing N's intake of breath when we read the chapter (first thing birthday morning) where the main character turns seven. This book is very sweet and full of fantastic stories, which we really enjoyed and will read again! It really set the stage for the joys of being seven.
On N's birthday, she woke covered in gold sparkles! They are still evident in her hairline, despite repeated swims and baths. (Found a lot under the bed too!) There were some magic gifts from the fairies and the friendly dragon who visits our home, gifts from us, and a bouncy house! Both girls had been adamant that a bouncy house was going to appear for their birthdays, so we thought since a golden birthday comes but once a bouncy house would be fun. And it was.
We had a lovely family celebration with N's requested dinner of rabbit and squash and used the coconut cake and frosting recipe with some new changes, inspired by this recipe. We liked it even better this time! I used about a half cup extra coconut milk and I did use the 1/2 tsp of baking soda, as well as added 2 tsp of apple cider vinegar. The ACV is a tip I learned from a sugar free cookbook for providing some lift without egg whites. This cake had a bit more moisture than L's, but was still nice and dense.
I used the same frosting recipe as L's and colored it a nice golden yellow using the juice of a golden beet and a bit of turmeric. I also added in the zest of half a lemon and that was really lovely. A hint about the frosting is that it doesn't spread like buttercream I worked with it like one probably does with fondant. I patted out pieces and smoothed them on. The frosting requires refrigeration and creates quite a solid layer!
We celebrated further with a party with friends, serving all GAPS foods we could think of that were golden-hued - yellow peppers, tomatoes, grapes, carrots - there were even golden eggs laid by N's hen (my first knitting project - I woke in the night and finished her as a gift for Natalie - she is purple with gold tail feathers, stuffed with golden wool and lays gold eggs of course!). Both L and N ate some egg white that day and seemed to have no issues. I wasn't anticipating introducing egg white that way to L, so watched carefully for the week and noticed nothing amiss. We will likely introduce eggs whites to her in the proper way at some point this fall. But I digress....we also had mango coconut ice-cream courtesy of the Vitamix. To serve four: blend 1/4 cup coconut milk (or milk of choice) and 2 cups frozen fruit and serve! What a nice easy treat that is. Birthday picture at some point! :)
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Farmer's Market Fun
We LOVE the Farmer's Market here (we go to the Little Italy one). The farmers we frequent know us now and often treat us to extra eggs or a special item...you know like beef heart and chicken feet. We are the best egg customers at one stall and I was called "hard core" at the meat farmers, because I obviously bought enough to last the month. As she put it, most people don't buy all their meat straight from the farm and she said it with a thanks.
My helpers love to come and buy flowers and often ask for other special items like purple artichokes or fresh figs or honey sticks. It's always an adventure. I love being connected in this way to where our food comes from. Here's a feature (pg 24-26) on the folks who grow the eggs, chicken and rabbit that we get!
My helpers love to come and buy flowers and often ask for other special items like purple artichokes or fresh figs or honey sticks. It's always an adventure. I love being connected in this way to where our food comes from. Here's a feature (pg 24-26) on the folks who grow the eggs, chicken and rabbit that we get!
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| The double doll stroller is full of eggs and fresh herbs! See N's cute market basket? |
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| Beautiful quail eggs...given as a gift. |
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| Our haul that day way back in June. |
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Happy Birthday, Laurel!
I love celebrating birthdays and milestones, and often celebrations involve food. That seems tricky when you are on a special diet, but does not have to be. Creativity and a celebratory spirit are what is needed!
Here is how we celebrated:
On her birthday she received three kisses from all of us in the morning. She found a special gift from her dragon friend, named Chou Chou. It was a beautiful green stone. The fairies left her a "3" that fits in wooden celebration ring on our table. She opened some gifts - a book (Goldilocks and the Three Bears), a bike bell, a ring. We had our morning juice and eggs.
At lunch we told the story of her birth. I wonder now if it was a coincidence that I went into labor with her in the produce department of the Skagit Valley Co-Op? We had homemade chicken/vegetable soup and sunflower sprout salad for dinner three hours before she was born. I made a snack of red peppers and salami for Natalie to eat during the birth and labor was so fast I didn't even need to eat the honey sticks we had for energy.
We baked her GAPS friendly birthday cake in the afternoon. I used this recipe, for the cake and frosting. I did not use egg whites but added extra coconut milk to replace whites, used less honey for both cake and frosting and used the juice from half a beet to turn the frosting pink. Funnily enough this is her first birthday cake that looks like a birthday cake - previous years the cakes have been made with garbanzo bean flour and butternut squash "frosting." Put a candle on anything though and it is a celebration!
We went to the pool for an hour and came home to make the birthday girl's requested dinner: squash, beets, peas and eggs! While dinner cooked we made paper birthday crowns to wear, even some for the dolls.
We sang songs, opened some more gifts and took pictures. We shared the meal and the cake and L was most excited about the blueberries decorating it - sweet girl.
We continued our celebration later in the week with a simple gathering with our close friends from down the street. The children played outside, the adults talked and played and blew up balloons. We served chicken, squash, broccoli and the Vitamix made a wonderful mango coconut ice cream. Popped a candle in L's dish and sang her happy birthday. It is amazing the silence ice cream can bring on a summer night.
Happy birthday, sweet Laurel!
Monday, September 3, 2012
A French Inspired Dinner - Ratatouille and Cherry Clafoutis
Last week when I made eggplant lasagna I thought I was going to use a lot of eggplant, so I bought three. I ended up only needing one. That left me in the predicament of figuring out what to do with the extra eggplant. Lying in bed the other night, it struck me - I'd make ratatouille.
Ratatouille is thick vegetable type stew that can be eaten hot or cold, as an appetizer with bread or as part of a meal with chicken or fish. I have only made ratatouille once before and that was 12 years ago in France when my sister and I were staying for a few weeks at the home of our aunt's friends who had a daughter our age. I vividly remember making the dish, cooking the vegetables in batches, stripping the thyme leaves from their woody stems and peeling off the skins of the fresh tomatoes, but I couldn't really remember at all what it actually tastes like.
So with ratatouille in my mind I decided to make a whole French themed Sunday dinner out of it - with a roasted chicken and a clafouti for dessert!
Clafoutis is a french country dessert that is basically an thin pancake-type batter that is poured over fruit and baked in the oven until it is golden brown on the top. Traditionally, it is made with cherries, but other stone fruits or even peaches/pears/apples would work well too. I went with the traditional cherry and it actually came out pretty amazing. I also used real butter in this dish - I am moving forward with introducing dairy into my diet and that is the first step. It has been about 18 months since I last had butter and I forgot how amazing it tastes.
First the Ratatouille -
Ratatouille
3 medium zucchini
2 small eggplant (I used the light purple Italian eggplants)
2 peppers (one red, one yellow)
2 large tomatoes
1 onion
14 oz jarred tomatoes (I use Eden Organics)
3 cloves garlic (or more if you like)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Bay leaf
Basil
Thyme
Chop eggplant and zucchini in cubes and set in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and let stand as you chop the remaining vegetables. Pat dry any moisture that has released from the zucchini and eggplant. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and saute just the zucchini and eggplant until tender, about 5 minutes, remove from the pan and set aside. Add a little more oil to the pan and saute the onions and peppers for a few minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, jarred tomatoes and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes then add the zucchini and eggplant back into the pan along with the seasoning and herbs. Let simmer on low heat for about an hour.
Cherry Clafoutis - I based my recipe on this one attached.
4 large eggs
1 cup coconut milk (homemade - dried, unsweetened coconut flakes, water, salt blended in Vitamix)
3 dates
1/3 cup almond flour (not homemade, I am lazy)*
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1 cup frozen cherries
1 tablespoon butter*
Preheat oven to 325°F. Put the butter in your casserole dish and place in the oven to melt while you prepare the custard. Put the coconut milk and three dates into a blender and blend until smooth. Add the eggs, almond flour, vanilla and spices to the blender and mix until incorporated. Remove the warmed casserole dish from the oven and swirl to coat the bottom with butter. Pour in the custard and place the cherries throughout the custard. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the center is set and the top is brown. Clafoutis can be served warm or chilled - it is good either way.
*This recipe could probably be made with a few tablespoons of coconut flour instead of the almond and coconut oil or ghee for the butter.
Ratatouille is thick vegetable type stew that can be eaten hot or cold, as an appetizer with bread or as part of a meal with chicken or fish. I have only made ratatouille once before and that was 12 years ago in France when my sister and I were staying for a few weeks at the home of our aunt's friends who had a daughter our age. I vividly remember making the dish, cooking the vegetables in batches, stripping the thyme leaves from their woody stems and peeling off the skins of the fresh tomatoes, but I couldn't really remember at all what it actually tastes like.
So with ratatouille in my mind I decided to make a whole French themed Sunday dinner out of it - with a roasted chicken and a clafouti for dessert!
Clafoutis is a french country dessert that is basically an thin pancake-type batter that is poured over fruit and baked in the oven until it is golden brown on the top. Traditionally, it is made with cherries, but other stone fruits or even peaches/pears/apples would work well too. I went with the traditional cherry and it actually came out pretty amazing. I also used real butter in this dish - I am moving forward with introducing dairy into my diet and that is the first step. It has been about 18 months since I last had butter and I forgot how amazing it tastes.
First the Ratatouille -
Ratatouille3 medium zucchini
2 small eggplant (I used the light purple Italian eggplants)
2 peppers (one red, one yellow)
2 large tomatoes
1 onion
14 oz jarred tomatoes (I use Eden Organics)
3 cloves garlic (or more if you like)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Bay leaf
Basil
Thyme
Chop eggplant and zucchini in cubes and set in a colander. Sprinkle with salt and let stand as you chop the remaining vegetables. Pat dry any moisture that has released from the zucchini and eggplant. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet and saute just the zucchini and eggplant until tender, about 5 minutes, remove from the pan and set aside. Add a little more oil to the pan and saute the onions and peppers for a few minutes. Add the chopped tomatoes, jarred tomatoes and garlic. Saute for 5 minutes then add the zucchini and eggplant back into the pan along with the seasoning and herbs. Let simmer on low heat for about an hour.
Cherry Clafoutis - I based my recipe on this one attached. 4 large eggs
1 cup coconut milk (homemade - dried, unsweetened coconut flakes, water, salt blended in Vitamix)
3 dates
1/3 cup almond flour (not homemade, I am lazy)*
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
1 cup frozen cherries
1 tablespoon butter*
Preheat oven to 325°F. Put the butter in your casserole dish and place in the oven to melt while you prepare the custard. Put the coconut milk and three dates into a blender and blend until smooth. Add the eggs, almond flour, vanilla and spices to the blender and mix until incorporated. Remove the warmed casserole dish from the oven and swirl to coat the bottom with butter. Pour in the custard and place the cherries throughout the custard. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the center is set and the top is brown. Clafoutis can be served warm or chilled - it is good either way.
*This recipe could probably be made with a few tablespoons of coconut flour instead of the almond and coconut oil or ghee for the butter.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Who says a GAPS diet lunch is boring? Eggplant Lasagna
I served it alongside some sauteed green beans with red onions and yellow cherry tomatoes and had lunch (and a few dinners for the week).
Eggplant Lasagna(makes one large casserole and one small casserole)
2 lbs ground beef
1 large eggplant
2 large tomatoes
24 ounces tomato puree ( I like Eden Organic)
1 pepper
3 zucchini
2 medium carrots
1 onion
2-3 garlic cloves
bunch of basil
Saute minced onion and garlic in a pot until soft. Add tomato puree and chopped basil and simmer for 15-20 minutes. While this is cooking brown the ground beef in a skillet, season with salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and oregano. Slice circles of eggplant as thinly as possible (very important - these are the 'noodles') Using a vegetable peeler, peel strips of carrots and zucchini to make ribbons. Using a large casserole dish make layers with the vegetables and meat starting with a layer the eggplant on the bottom, then tomato sauce, ground hamburger, zucchini, basil leaves, pepper etc. Top the last layer of the lasagna with fresh basil leaves and cover with fresh slices of tomato. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 35-40 minutes until vegetables are soft.
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