I know I’ve said this before, that I don’t really like zucchini. Sorry if you are getting repeat info.. but I really don’t like it. Maybe I’m growing up and actually becoming a big girl and my tastes are changing! I had zucchini coming out my ears and needed to find something to do with it. Continue reading “Stuffed Zucchini”
A few weeks ago I took the kids blackberry picking and we had a great time! They picked for about.. hmmm… 5 minutes? And that is pretty generous! But, while I picked they played with sticks, found animal poo (this was VERY exciting for little boys and has been a conversational piece for weeks), threw rocks, explored the woods, pushed dead trees down, stepped in stagnate water in the ditch, collected rocks, flowers, and other treasures in their pails and had a great time! Continue reading “Pickin’ Blackberries”
I just found this recipe last week in the Everyday magazine by Rachael Ray. This is a baked dessert from Puerto Rico and it is out of this world! Continue reading “Cazuela Baked Apples”
We finally did it! We got rid of it! What a relief and what exhilaration!
I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time and we finally took the plunge! Since we have young kids it is so much easier to heat things up lickity split when there is a melt down due to low food intake and immediate sustenance being a necessity! However… it will just take a bit more planning on my part and a little more preparation so that we aren’t needing something post haste! Continue reading “No More Microwave!”
We (or should it be I!) have been craving some crispy snacky treats. We don’t often buy snack food and on occasion I do make some nut crackers, but that wasn’t cutting it. I NEEDED something with some crunch and with pizzazz and excitement! Crispy carrot sticks wasn’t going to cut it. Continue reading “Homemade Potato Chips”
Who knew? Over the last year I have learned so much about these two banes of our existence. Not just for us, but just about every other American! These two components of health are given so much importance and are touted as the indicator of cardiac health! Cardiology is a HUGE medical industry and a MAJOR money maker for the pharmaceutical companies. I’m not griping or complaining about it, just rejoicing that there is a MUCH simpler and natural way!
How many people do you know that have histories of high cholesterol, high blood pressure or high blood sugar? According to the Center for Disease Control 1 in 6 adult Americans have high cholesterol, 1 in 3 adult Americans have high cholesterol, and 3.5 in 10 adult Americans over age 20 and 1 in 2 adult Americans over the age of 65 have high blood sugar and are labeled as prediabetic.
What is going on in our nation? What is causing this? What has changed in the last 50 years that there would be such a drastic decline in health. Did you know that our generation is going to be the first generation that has a SHORTER lifespan than our parents? What is that?!?!?!
After all this bad news, I have some better news from firsthand experience. Our story isn’t over, but it is so much better than it was! My husband has had high cholesterol since he was a kid and it only increased as he got older. Once we got married we really decided to get a handle on it and figure out what needed to be done. His mainstream doctors wanted to put him on Lipitor (a cholesterol medication – which his HORRIBLE for your liver) and a blood pressure medication even though he had GREAT blood pressure. They wanted him taking an aspirin a day and were treating him like he was 60 years old! HELLO!!!! He was only in his 20s at the time. What were they thinking? Could he really take these medications for the next 60-80 years and not ruin his liver and other organs?
Soon after hitchin’ (as they say down South) we decided to ditch that doctor and find someone who would help to find and treat the cause instead of just treating the symptoms with pills. The first homeopath we found worked very hard with us and we saw change… good change! Dear hubby was treated with herbal medications and vitamin infusions and a low fat diet. His cholesterol went from 356 to 265 (should be under 200) in 10 months and his triglycerides went from 1800 to 497 (should be under 150). They came down quite a bit, but still not low enough. About that time we lost our amazing homeopath and then didn’t do anything for about 4.5 years. I know, it’s a horror considering I’m a nurse and know better than to do such a thing.
But now we are back on track! In September of 2010 his cholesterol was 322 and triglycerides were 785 with no diet restrictions and no medications. About this time we found a new naturopath and she is AMAZING! It’s a little pricy and a little bit of a drive, but so worth it. If we don’t have health what do we have? We do have Christ and He is ALL worth it, but how do we serve him if we don’t take care of our bodies? We can be so more effective for the Gospel when in good health! However… I guess the doctors and nurses need to hear about Jesus too! Ok, ok… we just feel our effect would be more profitable if healthy. That is our conviction, but not necessarily the conviction of all! 😉
About the time we started with Dr. Kim we were also investigating [amazon_link id=”0967089735″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Nourishing Traditions[/amazon_link] and the Weston A. Price way of eating and living. Dr. Kim is a huge supporter and has been immensely helpful in working with us in that direction. Brian was put on a few herbal meds and then told to remove as much starch and sugar as possible from his diet. It is hard, but we have worked harder! By April of this year, 2011, His cholesterol is 228 and triglycerides are 258. These are the best numbers we have seen in over 8 years, maybe longer (We don’t have any health information/lab results from him during his college days or younger childhood).
Even though we haven’t been die hards, he has worked hard and it shows! He has meat almost three times a day and as much animal fat as he wants! I know it sounds like a death wish! We have been eating a lot of meat, veggies and fruit and trying to make a few baked goods using almond flour and coconut flour. We do have beans or potatoes every now and then, but I feel like there are health benefits that these foods offer as well and it wouldn’t be healthy to completely cut them out either.
Oh! And to top that! He has lost 25 pounds eating as much as he wants! The rest of us do still eat a little bread and grains, but we try to keep it at breakfast or lunch when dear hubby doesn’t have to watch and test his self control. I certainly don’t hide it, but I try to serve him as much as possible.
I don’t have time here, but I do want to talk about Weston A. Price and [amazon_link id=”0967089735″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Nourishing Traditions[/amazon_link] more in the future. [amazon_link id=”0967089735″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Nourishing Traditions[/amazon_link] is on my ‘2011 to read’ list and I’m thinking that I’ll try and read a chapter a week and write a short weekly summary of the chapter for the blog. That way, if you don’t have time to read it, you will at least get a pretty detailed overview. Please let me know if this is something you would be interested in!
Happy reading and cheers to good health!
Medical Disclaimer: This information is meant to inform and not diagnose or treat illness or disease. Before trying any of the ideas posted please research for yourself in order to make an educated decision. Also, consult your doctor if tying to treat medical conditions.
What to do about soy? As I’m sure many of you know soy (unless fermented) really isn’t a good idea to eat a lot of. We used to eat tofu once weekly to make it easier to have a meatless meal and save a few bucks (or quite a few bucks if buying the good stuff!). We have severely cut down on the tofu and now eat it only about once a month. I’d like to try a few recipes with tempeh since it is fermented and actually quite good for you, but haven’t worked myself up to it. I need to find a few recipes that sound good before I purchase it! Any ideas or recipes would be quite helpful! Continue reading “Spicy Thai Tofu with Red Bell Peppers and Peanuts”
The following information was disseminated from the Weston A Price website. This is verbatim copied from them. I felt this was important to get out there! Let’s make a change! This type of activity is ludicrous. What freedoms do we have anymore if we can’t even buy from a co-op without government intervention?
Rawsome Farm Buying Club Raided Again
Written by Kimberly Hartke
Wednesday, August 03 2011 18:51
Weston A. Price Foundation
For Immediate Release
RAWESOME FARM BUYING CLUB RAIDED AGAIN
CLUB MANAGER, FARMER AND WESTON PRICE CHAPTER LEADER ARRESTED
PROTEST RALLY PLANNED FOR 8:00AM THURSDAY AUGUST 4
August 3, 2011—Los Angeles, California—Public Health Officials today descended once again on a buying club, that specializes in raw foods. Club organizer, James Stewart was arrested at his home, the locks to his personal residence were changed, his papers, money and computer seized. At the same time, farmer Sharon Palmer and Weston A. Price Foundation volunteer chapter leader Victoria Bloch Coulter were arrested. All three were charged with Section 182A-Conspiracy to Commit a Crime. Bond for James Stewart was set at $123,000. Bail for Bloch is recommended at $60,000. Bail for Palmer is recommended at $121,000.
All this, in a state where raw milk is perfectly legal to sell, and even available through retail stores. The issue seems to be the club’s use of a herdshare or boarding agreement for its dairy goats. Recently, the California Department of Food and Agriculture issued a cease-and-desist order to a farmer boarding dairy animals for the animal owners. Another farmer, Mike Hulme of Evergreen Acres goat farm in San Jose, received a cease-and-desist letter from the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office. Hulme and several people with ownership interest in goats kept at the farm are suing the state and county for interfering with their right to enter into a livestock boarding contract.
The state insists the farmers need dairy licenses to conduct such operations.
“It is apparent that there is an orchestrated effort on the part of public health officials to curb raw dairy access in California, and around the nation,” declares Pete Kennedy, Esq., President of the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund.
Arraignment is scheduled for tomorrow in Department 30, Los Angeles Superior Court, Fifth Floor, Criminal Justice Center, 210 W. Temple St., Los Angeles. Court opens at 8:30 a.m. The District attorney’s office says it is likely they are to go before the judge during the morning session.
A protest rally on the Los Angeles Courthouse Steps is planned for 8:00am tomorrow morning, when the three food rights activists are before the judge. Citizens concerned about access to healthy, locally produced foods are urged to attend.
Concerned citizens are asked to donate to the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund, an organization that works to protect and expand consumer access to whole, unprocessed foods of their choice, and to pave the way for unregulated, direct trade between farmer and consumer. Visit their website for more details on food freedom and raw milk issues:
Video footage at the scene of the raid, club members expressing outrage:
Official press release about the arrests:
Media Contact: Kimberly Hartke, Publicist
Weston A. Price Foundation, Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund
703-860-2711, cell 703-675-5557, press@westonaprice.org
Ann Marie Michaels, Los Angeles rally media contact
310-482-9643, annmarie@realfoodmedia.com
The Weston A. Price Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nutrition education foundation with the mission of disseminating accurate, science-based information on diet and health. Named after nutrition pioneer Weston A. Price, DDS, author of Nutrition and Physical Degeneration, the Washington, DC-based Foundation publishes a quarterly journal for its 13,000 members, supports 450 local chapters worldwide and hosts a yearly international conference. The Foundation phone number is (202) 363-4394, http://www.westonaprice.org, info@westonaprice.org
Additional Background Information:
Background on the case from Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund website.
News for October 22, 2010
Rawesome Foods raw milk co-op raid conducted by criminal elements of local, state and federal law enforcement
On June 30, 2010, a group of armed agents from local, state, federal and even the Canadian government illegally trespassed on private property and raided Rawesome Foods, a private food buying club in Venice, California. With guns drawn, these agents tore through the property stealing computers, raw dairy products and honey, all while holding some of the volunteer workers hostage for several hours. When the agents finally left, they took with them thousands of dollars in private property as well as the surveillance footage of their armed raid
News for July 4, 2010
What’s the FBI Doing in My Milk?
This past Wednesday, June 30th, the FBI in conjunction with the FDA raided Rawsome, a private membership food-buying club that has supplied my home and much of the Venice and Santa Monica community with super high-quality nutrient-dense foods for the past decade. The club, which opens on Wednesdays and Saturdays only, is extremely popular among raw-foodists and other citizens who choose to eat foods which are unprocessed and “as natural and organic as possible.” The general belief among this group is that these fresh foods are much better for the human body than pasteurized, irradiated, processed foods. The FDA does not share this opinion and has expressed its concern that many of these foods will be dangerous precisely because they are raw and untreated. For example, the FDA has expressed concerns about drinking unpasteurized milk products, which I have personally been drinking (and loving) for years. The FDA has now passed regulations against selling various raw foods, hence the
need for a private club, which legally can operate without a license.
In order to shop at Rawsome, one must first read and sign a document detailing the alleged dangers of consuming natural, unprocessed and unpasteurized food products. Once signed, a would-be patron will pay an annual membership fee to gain the right to shop at the club. The shopping experience is reasonably run of the mill. Many of the foods sold at Rawsome – fruits, vegetables, nuts – can also be found at most any other market. The difference at Rawsome is that the quality is often better as is the possibility of finding heirloom varieties of one’s favorite produce. Regardless, a raid was conducted yesterday and Rawsome has been shut down allegedly for operating without a license – a license that is not legally required for them to operate their private club.
[amazon_link id=”0679774025″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]
[/amazon_link]
All Over but the Shoutin’
By, Rick Bragg
This is memoir is a sad read, but amazing as well. Bragg grew up in poor Alabama with his two brothers, mother and extended family. His father was an abusive drunk and after time left the family. This is an amazing story of how this young man through hard work and dumb luck finds himself as a journalist for the New York Times.
The types of stories he covers are pretty sad and depressing, but isn’t most of the news like that? I didn’t think about it before this book, but there probably isn’t a lot to report on expect people’s losses, tragedies and sorrows.
In reading this book it reminded me of some of our own nations more recent history like the poor relationships between blacks and whites in the south during the 60s and 70s, the riots of the early 90s in Miami and some of the sad and famous stories that were in the headlines for weeks at a time. Rick also went to Haiti twice to cover the oppression of the poor and the atrocities that were occurring there.
I found this a fascinating book and very well written. I came to understand his life a little bit. It made me feel more compassion on the poor and overlooked; the downtrodden. It also makes me appreciate the families who don’t look for a free hand out, but work hard, shoulder burdens and press on.
This book is an example of the American Dream. Bragg does rise from poverty to stability, but you can certainly see how that does not cure his past and he isn’t able to throw away childhood and how it shapes his life.
Mmmm… This soup is one of my favorites. We just had it last week and it still makes my mouth water to think about it! I know this is often thought of as a winter time soup, but we served it luke warm on a 95 degree day with some cool salad and fruit and it was perfect! Continue reading “Butternut Squash Soup”
Home of the Hymn of the Month Community
Striving to preserve what we have graciously been given.
Striving to preserve what we have graciously been given.
Green & Grateful 