Living Local - Beneficial Soil Bacteria

Today I was taking some homemade cheese out of the fridge (making Lasagne!) and noticed a bit of reddish mold had started to grow on it…..of course my mind immediately went to – I wonder what kind of mold that is? Would it make a nice rind on a cheese and how would I cultivate it!!!!

To be honest I have caught myself thinking like this over and over lately in all kinds of situations and realized that is fairly close to the mindset I would have had when I was growing up.

I don’t know about you, but if there was mold on cheese in my house….well, it was cut off and the rest was eaten. Then, there was a relative or two who would also eat the mold….but that’s another post!

Likewise, if there was a bit of mold growth on the jam…it might be stirred in as much as scooped out….most food was generally fresh and eaten fairly quickly, however, nothing went to waste, under any circumstances.

Milk that had gone 'off' was used in breads, baking and given to animals as feed. Wilting vegetables were used in soups and stews. Old, stale bread went into puddings, toast and bread crumbs. 

Our bodies should be able to tolerate low levels of naturally occurring organisms that grow in, around and on our food. But, one thing that must be pointed out here is these days most food is so far removed from ‘normal’ the organisms we might find on it are in themselves a disaster.

When we go to a modern day supermarket to get our carrots….they are all neatly lined up in a bin looking nearly identical to each other, as clean as a whistle with nothing to distinguish them from any other carrot. The same goes for pretty well all other vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds and fresh produce.

Sterilized food. There is nothing living in there and the vegetables themselves are lacking in nutrients mostly because they are depleted of these beneficial organisms every step (from soil, water and lack of direct sunlight) along the way of this mass production.

This is why I spend my time in the garden, wild foraging and shopping in local farmers markets – my body requires real, living food in order to function at optimum levels. Not to mention just for basic health and survival.

One of the things I love about market shopping….we get as much as we possibly can from our local markets and of course, I am equally participating in this local community endeavor – is the lack of packaging, the variety and the life to be found there.

Our food is meant to be alive inside and out….which includes healthy, normal soil bacteria. Start getting your fruit, veg and some of your foods at your local farmers market….you will notice a difference in your digestion and your social interaction!

April

Sauted chanterelles with garlic & onions.....wild foraging in West Cork!

The Memory of Water - An Essential Ingredient in Our Food

I just realised I haven't mentioned how my feta cheese turned out...and I wanted to post a photo of it. So far, it was my favourite cheese to make (it is easy!) and after it was in a salty brine for about a week or so, it was gorgeous.

To make any cheese is an art. One foodie area I hope to some day become part of with some fine culinary delights and offerings for my own family. So far our cheeses taste great (at least they do to us!) and I can't say they really compare to shop bought or mass produced cheese.

Just this morning I had some of my chèvre cheese on toast....and once again loved it! Only this time I think I was far less critical of it and just enjoyed the sharpness of the cheese together with the sweetness of the fig jam. 

It was heavenly.

So, back to my feta - this is a cheese that I have always loved. Ever since my youthful days spent roaming the Greek section of Toronto with all the restaurants and great authentic foods. Then having spent quite a bit of time in Greece - enjoying homemade and local foods....it was the exquisite taste of the feta I have long remembered.

And that is the taste I want to reproduce (as much as possible) in my own kitchen, from my own goats. I know the taste of anything has to do with the local environment, the way the animals are fed and treated as well as the technique of the artisan food maker.

BUT....I also know what is discounted here and that is the fundamental element of absolutely everything I do, think, talk about and is essential to all of my work. That is WATER. The water makes the food, starting with the animals and the plant that grows...

Water alters a foods' vibration with whomever is working with it, using it in anyway (even transporting it) and especially in their cooking. Your own personal vibration is transferred to your final cooked product through the specialized memory of water.

A low vibration will give poor food...and even if it tastes great (initially!) the person will feel 'bad' sometime after eating it. However, it will also work to lower your vibration and does us no good whatsoever. 

These things are so important to me and my family and the food we eat - that's why I make everything myself! LOL

By the way...for some great 'vibration' food products check out my growing on-line shop. I am still getting it organized - most of these are 'starter' products (you have to go and make the food yourself LOL) which are based on it's energetic frequency. 

April

Homemade Feta Cheese with Olives, Olive Oil & Oregano

Homemade Spelt Pasta

Yesterday the children wanted pasta – this is not something I have traditionally enjoyed much myself, however I know they like it – so it gets made for them once in a while.

Of course, now, if we want pasta, it has to be made from scratch (just like everything else!) and that was going to be the fun part. I remember many years ago, making pasta dough and really liking the fact that I could make something very fresh.

I also remember buying freshly made pasta or at least not the dried stuff from the shops – and it was nicer to not have gone through any extra processes. But, for something with so few ingredients, it should be fairly easy to make.

And of course, it is. For the most part it is only flour, water and salt – you can get fancy with your recipe and add things like eggs, flavourings, colours and so much…I wanted to do my own thing and naturally to add my own things too.

For my recipe I just used about 4 cups spelt flour, ½ teaspoon sea salt and 1 ½ cups (or a little more) warm water to make a basic spelt pasta dough. But then to dress it up a tiny bit I added in some dried thyme and finely chopped seaweed.

Then I let the dough sit for about 20 minutes or so to settle and come to room temperature. I cut the dough into about 6 smaller pieces and flattened them out on a floured surface with my hand.

Once they were flat enough I started moving them through the pasta roller to thin even more, gradually getting them thinner until they were thin enough and easy to handle to make the pasta.

We decided to just make a linguine type of pasta – so each flattened piece of dough was now wound through the cutter and long pieces of linguine were pushed out the other end.

It really is a simple process (especially with a hand operated pasta roller and cutter) – the pasta can then be placed directly into boiling water and cooked until the desired consistency is reached.

I like spelt pasta because it is not as heavy as wheat pasta and I like it without eggs, but plan to try making some with an egg in it very soon to see how it turns out. If you haven’t tried making this yourself, you are really missing out on some fun (especially with children) and such a refreshing meal when made from your own hands.

It's too easy not to give it a go!

April 

Home made spelt pasta 

Super Foods

I have been asked lately what foods would I consider to be super foods...and I know many people would immediately list off several wonderful foods - such as kale, broccoli, onions and fish. And each of these are wonderful - I eat them as often as I can. 

But there are a couple that really jump out for me - I would use them exclusively for their healing or energy shifting ability and then marvel at the successes I have had because of them. 

I would have to start with herbs, I use and enjoy many different ones - both dried and fresh, but there is one stands alone from this kingdom for me and that would be garlic. I simply love this food, remedy, herb and all round great healer.

Personally I have seen garlic work miracles in my own body, for my children and for many others around me as they literally astound themselves by healing without 'meds' while using garlic and a healing diet. 

The other super food - is perhaps something no one really considers that much at least not in the way I think they should...and that is water. Water is an essential element, and yes I would also have it listed as a food and it makes up the basis of my own food pyramid.

You cannot live without water. Absolutely every body function, process and system requires water to operate. And your body cannot cleanse, detox, heal, or eliminate debris when you are water deficient. This food is so important even your brain shrinks when there isn't enough to go around.

Other than that - a super food for me would be anything home made - sugar free, additive and toxin free, then carefully prepared by someone who enjoys working with food. Believe me, you can taste the difference...

April 

Fruit salad is a good place to start...

Natural Immune Boosters.... A Lifestyle!

Keeping with the theme of staying healthy during these winter months it comes to mind to mention some natural ways to boost our immune systems... Of course this being my blog and all about The Pagan Diet - I would start with fasting as the easiest and best way to boost your entire body.

Right now I am on day 3 of my December detox and I am feeling great. To be honest, other than consistently eating a clean diet, fasting is probably the fastest way to boost your internal systems and the overall function of your entire body.

However, I would have to say your diet would need to be great in general to reap the full benefits - as well as a healthy lifestyle, unlike that being promoted through the airwaves. If you take care of your body, treat it well and do your utmost to remove toxins - your immune system will naturally benefit.

It is also important to detox regularly - thus the mention of fasting, which in my mind is the easiest way to cleanse because you allow your digestive system to virtually shutdown while you clear away old debris. And please don't think - oh, I did that a couple years ago, so I'm good - you are only scratching the surface...

So, as far as immune boosting goes there are a few approaches a person can take - start with food. On the days you are eating, include foods such as garlic, elder berries & blueberries, broccoli, oats, wild fish, sweet potatoes, pumpkins and seaweeds. And Vitamin C rich foods such as kiwi, oranges and parsley.

As well, it is counter productive to eat a lovely meal full of wonderful veggies and fish - then to chase it all down with a bottle of wine and a sugary dessert. If you are going to do this, keep it to a minimum and remember that positives do not outweigh negatives as far as food is concerned. Poisons and toxins win and do damage every time...

For the herbs that you might want to include in your weekly diet - try growing your own in pots (this can be done year round inside). Some of the best ones are coriander, parsley, basil, rosemary and thyme. But there are many others you can cook with - for instance elder berry mentioned above can be used in a stuffing, and you can make a tea from the flowers. 

As for a list of herbs which strengthen our immune systems some of the best ones to use are echinachea, goldenseal, ginger, turmeric, ginseng, astragalus and of course garlic as already mentioned. You can get some of these into your favourite foods and meals and make a tea with the rest. Start a new habit of having herbal teas in the evening for instance...

I must have been a water fairy in another lifetime because I am so fussy and sensitive about the water I drink. I remember being 8 months pregnant and running out of water while on a training course. I waited until I got home to have a drink - it was that important to me to only drink clean unprocessed water. 

It should be the same for all of us - our bodies are 66% water and this is the number one cleansing agent as well as being the primary ingredient in nearly every function and reaction inside our cells. If you want to boost any part of your health and well-being, drink only clean untreated water. 

Another natural way to boost your immune function and put yourself in a feel good mood is to exercise. Any kind of movement will do, but the ones I like the best for boosting our systems would be Yoga, pilates and dance. Aim for about 60 minutes per day (that's right) for each day that you eat food...

There is a lot to be said for an organized, tidy, low stress home environment and the amount it can potentially contribute to our inner workings. I happen to know that when my home life is lower in stress levels (that's not always easy to achieve) then my body works and feels better. There is the mind connection to all of this as well.

For us here, we don't deliberately go out of our way to avoid the flu (or try to get it either!) but, should it come our way, we would be ready and more then able for it. You could reduce the severity and length of any illness by taking some of these things on board and sticking with them during the winter months. 

April

Porridge with sugar free homemade jam and banana

Food Memories and Associations...

Today and yesterday have been full of food memories for me - I ate some venison and really enjoyed it by the way - but that wasn't the entire story. I think the meat triggered some long buried food associations and tastes I never knew where there.

The venison was perfect, I was very careful with it - taking the time to marinade, turn and then roast it in one of my clay pots (soaked for a while in water) on a low temperature over most of a full day. Only in the last hour or so was the heat up a little.

The meal in general is what triggered some long forgotten feelings in me and I am still trying to sort through them. First of all, what we ate was wild game meat and lots of fresh veggies from our own garden. It was fresher then fresh, processed food free, entirely homemade and very tasty.

However, the only words that come to mind right now as I am struggling to describe what I feel is - alive. My meal was alive. The game meat also had substance to it - as if the animal itself had a very different vibration from something like a lamb....

Is it because the deer was free to roam and live as he pleased? Where as a lamb is not. Might there also be some other factors involved here? Do animals have a spiritual dimension and perhaps a spiritual function within their bodies and then ours when we eat them?

At this point I would venture to say yes - because that is exactly what I am sensing has changed inside of me. Some earth energy has arrived together with the meal - perhaps from the combination of everything. And it feels good - like a positive charge.

When I mention the food memories - I actually grew up in a house where we all hunted, fished and lived off of the land. I never ate a beef steak until I was nearly 20 years old. We ate what we could catch and there was plenty to be had (rabbit, moose, sea ducks, partridge, all kinds of fish). 

I took it all for granted and of course I didn't remember fully the differences between this type of eating and the food you can get at the supermarket. Until now.

April 

Roasted venison out of the oven

Does it Really Have to be This Way?

As you might have already guessed, while I am a Clinical Nutritionist with many years of experience in the food industry as well as seeing clients, teaching and living this way - I do not subscribe to the current way of thinking when it comes to food. 

I have found through trial and error, sickness and health, that the way we are being told and taught to eat even as nutritionists, is fundamentally flawed. And as you have already read, I have tried nearly everything in an attempt to be at a reasonable weight, re-gain health, heal inflammation and so forth. What I have done then, is come to my own conclusions about food, diet, exercise and we are living proof that this works.

For instance, I do not encourage people to eat 3 meals a day plus multiple snacks as I find that this generally does not work for very long. Although this would be the standard nutritional line, eating this way made me put on weight and I know of far too many who complain of the same thing. 

Eating multiple meals each day would help someone whose diet is particularly poor at the beginning when making changes, as it enables a person to focus on food, eating and nourishment. 

However, when you are exercising, and trying to live this way - the energy intake from the food is far too high, and besides, so much time and effort is spent cooking, sourcing, planning, and eating all of this excess food. Many people who used to eat this way have been turning away from this thinking while moving towards various forms of fasting in an effort to reduce weight or body fat, return to health and improve strength. 

Water is key to all of life and is fundamentally ignored by most professions including nutritionists. It is mentioned, and people are counseled to consume 8 glasses a day of bottled, filtered and otherwise processed water. However, for the most part, there is no real training or guidance in detox, cleansing or healing through water and food because there is little understanding of these concepts. 

Speaking as a Clinical Nutritionist, anything that comes out of the mains tap is toxic, poisoned beyond recognition and is not beneficial to health - you simply cannot drink this water and expect to maintain health. What's more, your body will certainly not be efficient at removing toxins from your tissues.

Water for me means that it is living – alive from the ground, untouched and fresh. Then I will drink it- there is not one person alive who can tell me that there is no difference to the human body. Of course there is – we are 66% water, that should tell us all we need to know. 

Your water is the vital link for spirituality and higher levels of consciousness as well as your main method of cleansing and detoxing. Find a well or spring and drink from that source. 

Supplements are not medicine, and contrary to popular belief they are not a food group either. This is a manmade compound of mostly synthetic chemicals which in my opinion accomplish two basic things in the body. First, they completely unbalance and skew the other vitamins and minerals present in our systems pushing and distorting internal mechanisms for homeostasis. Or in other words they will affect the balance and levels of all other nutrients in a negative manner. 

Secondly, chemicals made in a lab are easy food for the yeasts, molds and non-beneficial bacteria now present throughout the gut (due to over use of antibiotics and poor diets) who are looking for an easy meal. Personally, I have not taken a supplement since 1997, when I finally realised they were getting me nowhere and in fact made me feel worse. 

Likewise, petrol chemical (plastics) substances are not your friends, they should never be around food, they will affect your health and weight, in fact, plastic is one of the most noxious substances on the planet. And in case you haven’t already noticed it is notoriously difficult to get rid of - think about it, if we can’t get rid of it outside, we are certainly having problems on the inside as well. 

Awful stuff, remove this from your food the minute you buy it, and if you can, shop at farmers markets where the vegetables and fruits are not in plastic, buy in bulk and store you food in glass, ceramic, wood and paper. 

This is much to be said about the food we eat, the way we are eating it and the packaging it is wrapped in - just because it is on a shelf and someone somewhere dictates all these products, does in no way mean we must buy it and play along. 

Perhaps it is time to wake up and start to really carefully consider how manipulated we have become by the marketing industry that controls the food we are expected to eat. 

Just what are we feeding? 

April

Baby duck taking a bath 

You Can Make Anything With...The Basics

These past few days I have been thinking of making a cake, however I held off, mostly because we had so many other goodies to eat first. But, then again I caught myself thinking I needed to dig out my recipes in order to find something to make.

Today I could smell very ripe bananas in the kitchen (that sticky sweet banana smell) and knew something needed to be done with this bunch or I would lose them to compost. Of course, the most obvious choice is to make a banana bread.

So, I started to go and look up my recipes - but then stopped myself. This is simple, making ANY bread, any cake, any dessert can be a basic, simple start with just 3 or 4 ingredients, then we just add on from there to provide different tastes or textures. Right?

I mean, think about it - the basics for any cake or bread are; flour, water or milk, baking soda, salt, and then butter or oil, perhaps something sweet if needed. If we only put 2 cups of spelt flour, bread soda and salt into a mixing bowl - this could be the start of nearly anything!

Bananas in flour

Well, that is just what I did. I took 2 cups of spelt flour, 1 teaspoon of bread soda, some sea salt, 1 cup of goat's yoghurt/milk and a duck egg. This was my basic cake mixture to start off with. I wanted to make a banana bread, so to this I added 3 mashed bananas, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg, a little more yogurt and kept stirring.

Then I looked around the kitchen to find something nice to put into the bread. I really like the taste of apricots and walnuts, a handful of these went in as well. By now, it was looking very much like a cake batter, smelled great and had enough flavour packed into it, so I just added a little date syrup to sweeten it.

I then poured this mixture into a loaf pan lined with unbleached parchment paper and put it into the oven at 180 degrees for nearly an hour. And voila! Here we have it....

Banana loaf cooling on rack

It was the nicest banana bread I have ever made and there is hardly a crumb left right now. It was fragrant, light, tasty and very moist. Perfect in every way, I have never had one turn out so well. I think it was because I completely followed my internal 'recipe', the same way I make my spelt bread. 

No measuring, no thinking, just intuitively listen and follow your heart - all the way home. 

Have a lovely day,

April 

Banana bread slices

Loving our feast and other weight loss stories

This is grueling, day after day of non stop eating!! LOL

Back into the kitchen again today to make crackers, gingerbread men, spelt breads, naan bread, garlic butter, pot of jam (use up fruit), chilli con carne with lamb mince, and the list goes on. All of that today and I still found time to make our meals, get some gardening done, read, write and exercise.

It all just seems to fall into place, of course it really helped that the day was bright sunshine for most of it, warm and pleasant all around. Everyone felt great, the kids kept themselves busy, the work got done and all with smiles on our faces because of the sun.

One of my favourite breads to make are naan bread, I made them especially to go along with the chilli (tomato free of course) and used my handy food mixer to make the garlic butter. I needed an excuse to use it! 

Naan bread dough

What makes naan breads different is the goat's yogurt I use to make it. Otherwise it is a simple easy bread to whip up in minutes - whole grain spelt flour, soda bicarbonate, salt, goat's yogurt, water and sesame seeds. Mix these ingredients together, with more yogurt then water, place onto a flat pan for baking and into the oven for about 20 -25 minutes or so.

Naan breads ready for the oven

The result is a very soft flat bread that tastes great with a stew or chilli. I also add herbs into the mix and sesame seeds on top to give it some more texture. Naan bread is great with garlic butter or used as a bun for burgers too.

Naan bread cooling on rack

After all that baking and cooking, I even had a chance to do some reading online - looking through some nutrition articles I came across one mentioning the problem with weight being stuck or doing all the right things and still not losing the excess weight.

That was me not so long ago. Excellent diet, exercise program, busy lifestyle and still the pounds crept on. Of course it is hormonal for the most part for nearly all of us, but what brings down our hormones and where does it all end?

For me, the answer lies in the toxins carried around, buried deep within inflamed cells. It has long been established overweight and inflammation go hand in hand. Of course, high levels of toxicity are also present in any site of chronic dysfunction.

The one area each of these articles missed was glaringly obvious - remove the toxin load from the body and you will reduce the inflammation, while losing excess weight and balancing body systems. It really is this simple. They mentioned nearly everything else, but the absolute necessity of detoxification.

Cleansing your body on the inside is as easy as cleaning it on the outside and should be carried out nearly as often. Using water, our bodies will be gently detoxed of embedded poisons over a period of time - this has changed my life or I should say simply given my life back to me. 

All of life, eating, living and being who we are should be simple, otherwise, why would we do it? 

Have a healthy day,

April 

Lamb tomato free chilli 

Here's what I am 'eating' right now during my cleanse...

A few of you have been asking, exactly what am I eating or drinking during a Master Cleanse - what gets taken in and how much. Well, today I thought that I would post this for you, here is my recipe and an explanation of why it is different. 

Today and for 9 days during a Master Cleanse, I drink a tea mixture with lemon juice, maple syrup and a tiny bit of black pepper. I mention drinking it only 9 days because the first full 24 hours I only take in water or straight herbal tea.

Starting with day 2 - I make litres of water, herbal tea, juice of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup and a pinch of ground black pepper. Throughout the day I might drink over 2 litres of this but not usually much more than that. 

April's Master Cleanse ingredients

I also drink water with this and late at night some herbal tea, lots of liquid coming in but not overdoing it either. I also sip this during the day, I don't drink large amounts in one go, unless I am outside in the sun and working etc.

These particular ingredients I have found over the years since I have been regularly detoxing, are important for a couple of reasons. First, the water must be natural well or spring water, not stored in plastic bottles or treated in any way. You are gently flushing your tissues to remove toxins, this is not the time to introduce more of them.

Secondly, lemon is a natural cleaner, it is alkaline once in the body and has a host of positive benefits on internal organs. Lemon promotes and enhances;

• immune system health
• cleaning of internal gut tissue
• stimulates the liver 
• aids digestion
• contains Vitamin C, folic acid, potassium and phosphorus 
• aid weight loss

And much more. I use organic lemons to remove toxic debris, keep my tea/juice as clean as possible and not slow down my detox in any way. 

The single biggest difference in my methods of detoxing and what I recommend for people is to use herbs in the recipe. Herbal teas (which can be a few of many that are gentle) are a natural way to balance, regulate and improve body function while you do your cleanse.

I have always used herbs and it was a natural follow on for me to include them in my Master Cleanse formula. Of course, I also grow, harvest and make many of my own herbs for the teas - so I know exactly how they are handled and of course they are pesticide free. 

Lastly, I include a small pinch of black pepper as opposed to the cayenne in the traditional recipe mainly because I know the detrimental effects of Night Shades on health and spirit, but also because I do not particularly feel that cayenne pepper is particularly healing. Many people have problems with it.

Black pepper has several beneficial properties such as working as a mild diuretic, encourages the body to sweat (helps eliminate toxins), digestive aid, breaks up congestion and cleans the taste buds in the mouth. I like it because it has a nice energy and use an organic whole peppercorn which we grind. 

During a Master Cleanse such as I am doing right now, this is what I drink every day until I am finished. Each day that I do this I feel more and more like myself, I love my fasting days nearly as much as my food days and my life has dramatically changed for the better as a direct result of following The Pagan Diet - Food, Fast & Feast.

Remove the toxins, free yourself

April

Sunlight shining through the Master Cleanse juice - Juice Angel!! 

Water is Life

I don't know if I could ever say enough about water - it is everything for us here as humans and I have changed my life as a result of it. Today is the start of my 10 day Master Cleanse for August, the last one that I committed to doing and of course, I am thinking a lot about water.

In the last few years I have gone to great lengths to find clean sources of water for drinking and cooking whenever we have not had access to a well in our house. Where ever we go, we bring our own water and I think that I started a trend (amongst Nutrition students) years ago by using only glass jars for my drinking water. 

When I completed my masters thesis, the only topic that interested me and I wanted to study, was water - so I ended up undertaking a research project on the bottled water industry. At the time it had reached a peak and was then in decline because of the ban on plastic products in some areas. 

My interest in water has not waned, but has only gotten stronger over the years since. Now with following and living The Pagan Diet, water is a huge component of detox and cleansing, while real water makes an enormous difference to the taste of your cooking and the nutrition in food.  

Of course, I make a distinction between tap water (or any other form of treated, bottled and commercial water) and water that comes directly out of the ground, which to me is real. There is simply no substitute for clean untreated water in your diet and for your body in general.

Water has many interesting properties as well and I believe makes our food taste far better when we use water that is living. Even the bible mentions 'living water' - which to me has come to mean alive with minerals and nutrients from the earth and not processed in the manner of tap water. 

So, why is water so important? First of all, we can live perfectly well for quite some time without food, however we cannot live without water. It makes up more than 66% of our body cells and perhaps as much as 73% of brain tissue. 

Athletes (remember the recent Olympics?) build up muscle cells which store even greater amounts of water necessary for hydration during training and competition. Breast milk for human babies is also nearly 88% water - showing us how much of a vital substance this is for all growth and development. 

Water is the Universal Solvent (for those of us doing regular detoxes and Master Cleanses) this fact tells the story of all that water means for us. More substances are dissolved in water then any other. This is why we take showers with water and not any other liquid! LOL 

Water cleans our bodies inside and out - loosening up embedded debris, toxins and pulling out built up by-products of digestion and metabolism. I would never even consider drinking anything other then the cleanest water, right out of the ground. 

So, for the next 10 days, I will be drinking my Master Cleanse juice, which is mostly water, while I allow my body to empty out another layer of toxins, clean up, balance and heal. 

Following a 'processed food free' lifestyle also includes removing sources of manufactured water which is full of chemicals, medications, pollutants and other contaminants. All sources of toxins must be considered here if we want to do this properly and clean up our bodies. 

Perhaps it's time to take action where water is concerned in your life?

April

Water droplets collect on Lady's Mantle in my garden

Our Daily Bread

What is so difficult about making our own bread - and since when have we all become so 'fussy' (or whatever it is) that only something that is pure rubbish from a shop can be called bread and even eaten on a regular basis in most people's diets? 

For nearly 7 years I went without bread of any kind in an effort to remove anything that might be causing or contributing to gut and digestive issues (and nearly everything else!) that I was having. And of all the things that I gave up for such a long period of time, bread was the one food that I really missed.

When I started adding foods back into my diet after some level of healing had taken place, I wanted it to be the best and it had to be gut friendly. The best grain for bread as far as I am concerned is spelt (whole grain organic) which is easy to work with but does take some getting used to and is well worth the effort.

Seeds and bread soda in the bread bowl

To make a nice loaf of bread from spelt flour there are only a few rules that should guide you:

-once it is wet you have about 4 minutes to mix (don't over mix) and get it in the oven

-when used for baking (scones, pies etc.) keep the dough cold and it works better

-water is the magic ingredient for taste and texture (clean well water is key)

As well, try not to get into the same rut as the rest of our cooking and meals where bread is concerned, there are so many kinds that can be made at home with common ingredients around the kitchen, so variety is easy to be had.  Below is a list of some of the breads that I would be baking throughout a typical month; 

• Rosemary olive bread (leftover olives from the market are great for this)
• Honey oat bread (use local honey)
• Herbed bread (I often use thyme, oregano and rosemary)
• Cinnamon raison bread (with loads of seeds)
• Plain Soda bread
• Goat's cheese & herb bread (chèvre and thyme, rosemary or tarragon)
• Onion & herb bread (any kind of herb with scallions)
• Naan bread (lovely with sesame seeds)
• Scones (any kind! But I love fruit such as cherry and goat's yogurt)
• Buns and rolls (quickly made for a meal)
• Muffins of all kinds (my favourite are cheese and herb, or sweet ones

When it comes to bread it is nearly impossible to run out of ideas and each day the bread can be made with slightly different ingredients depending what you have on hand. Bread is best made in small batches fresh each day, just a loaf or two at the most. 

Spelt flour being mixed in with the seeds and soda etc

In damp, wet climates such as Ireland, soda bicarbonate has traditionally been used when baking bread and does not cause any of the problems found with yeasted breads. I would recommend using baking soda for all your baking and staying away from yeasts and molds as they cause problems with the gut and digestion.

Another thing that I wanted to mention here as well - bread is usually not the problem when it comes to digestion and gut issues in general. There are far worse 'foods' coming into the diet that can be removed first and improvements will be seen. Start with sugar, caffeine, dairy, wheat, alcohol, Night Shades, processed foods and ready meals if you want to see some immediate benefit to your health - there are lots of ways to make positive changes in any diet.

Herbed bread

Off to make some more jams, 

Have a lovely day,

April

**Believe it or not there are some great quotes about bread, it is that important to us as humans -

"How can a nation be great if its bread tastes like Kleenex?"
--Julia Child

"There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread." --Mahatma Gandhi

Thick, thick, thick..

The words thick, thick, thick have been going around in my head over the past 24 hours or so as I try to figure out how to get my jams to be a little thicker. I am trying all the usual means - well, you know, that means that I am attempting to make pectin myself!

Strain the cooked apples into a bowl

Last night I followed all the directions carefully on a website that was explaining how to make your own pectin for jams and jellies. Of course, I probably did not have the exact right kind of apple, however, all apples are supposed to contain some pectin - I did manage to produce a thickish syrup from the apples, which seemed to slightly thicken the jam I was making. However, I would have liked it a little bit more jammy.

Today, it is back to the drawing board - I asked around at the market in Skibbereen this morning as well, looking for unripe tart apples. No luck so far. So, I will try my hand at this again tonight with another batch of jams that I want to make this time using a different kind of apple.

Yesterday I used up the last of my raspberries to make raspberry kiwi jam - for something that has no sweetener whatsoever, it does taste really good. I am just not that happy with the consistency of it, but the rest of the family loved it (they ate it without complaint!).

So, that was yesterday, more jam (the cupboards are filling up) and today we are home again from the market with more fruit ready to be made into jams and preserves. However, this time I am going to do some experimenting with carrageenan, agar flakes and the homemade pectin to see what I can come up with.

I keep telling myself that as long as it is homemade (no recipe found yet for agar flakes) and wholesome, our bodies will appreciate the effort being made to remove any kind of processed foods from our diets.

And eventually, I will be more adept at all of this with my own recipes down to a T!

Well, today there is sun, so I am harvesting and drying some herbs from my garden, the entire house smells divine - pictures tomorrow.

April

Raspberries, Kiwi and Apple ready to cook into jam