Weekly Wellness Letter July 30th 2013

[suzanne sanders]

"

"Changing How You Eat, Will Change The World"... "If You Eat Bad Foods, Your World Is Toxic, Your Body Is Toxic, If You Eat Organic Nutritious Foods Your World Becomes Healthy...."

Prescription for Good Health

Choose it or lose it! 

Your health, that is..... There are more than four million tons of farm chemicals spread on U.S. soil every year..... 

The standard American Diet ( S.A.D.) has a hidden agenda.  Missing on the labels of most foods are the dozens of chemicals used to grow, make, or preserve that bit of something about to go into your mouth.  Just imagine your reaction if organic farmers could take back their native tongue, and their organic strawberries were simply strawberries again and their counterparts were called " chemical or genetically engineered or irradiated strawberries."  Their certified label would have to list the 25 or so chemicals or procedures that had become a part of the strawberries very makeup.   And they would pay for an annual inspection, instead of the organic farmer (Organic farmers pay thousands of dollars every year to "certify" their food that they grow).  With the label table turned around, I think chemical foods would die a slow death on grocery store shelves.  

Would you buy a carton of strawberries with a  skull and crossbones on it?  

Remember, what you can't see can hurt you. 

  If you do not belong to my CSA then make sure you are shopping the farmers market. Search the farmers markets for  organic produce and organic meat.

 If you have not done this yet, what are you waiting for?  Make a goal this week to get over to the next farmers market near you.  

This Weeks Farm Produce: Nettle, comfrey, fennel fronds, apple mint and nettle tea mix, basil, celery,  salad mix (nasturtiums, rose petals, sheep sorrel, Swiss chard, beet greens, spinach, lambs quarters, bitter lettuce, lettuce and baby kale), kale, collard greens, carrots, onion, beets, zucchini and  cabbage.

For those of you who have not figured it out I love different types of pesto.  Here is another version of an awesome nutritious pesto:

Kale and Nut Pesto

small bunch of kale (4-6 leaves, remove the thick part of the stems*)

1/4 cup walnuts, toasted or soaked dehydrated almonds or  soaked and dehydrated pumpkin seeds.

1/2 to 1 clove of garlic

1/4 cup olive oil (or more for a smoother pesto)

juice & zest of one lemon

salt & pepper to taste

optional: grated raw cheese, or organic parmesan 

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
2. Blanch kale for about 30 seconds, remove and place in the ice bath to stop the cooking process.
3. Dry the kale a bit, squeeze out some of excess water and set on a towel for a few minutes more.
4. Blend everything together in a food processor. Pulse to create a chunky pesto, blend longer to create a smoother one. Taste and adjust, adding more salt, pepper, lemon, olive oil, as necessary.

Kale and Basil Salad

4 cups finely chopped organic dinosaur kale
1 lemon, juiced
½ orange, juiced
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

½ cup finely chopped basil

½ cup diced organic red bell pepper
4 teaspoons hulled  toasted sesame seeds
1 cup chopped organic walnuts

1/4 cup chopped organic sweet onion

Optional:  You could add some chopped apples or orange slices

Wash the kale thoroughly, then roll up the leaves together tightly (like a cigar) and chop across the roll, making very fine ribbons. Unravel and place in a bowl. Add the lemon juice, orange juice, and apple cider vinegar, and massage the kale for a couple minutes (so it softens), then set aside. Chop the basil the same way as the kale, and add to the kale mixture. Chop the bell pepper and add as well. Add the sesame seeds and walnuts last, and toss everything together.

Notes: You may also use other types of kale, as well as collard greens. 

Cabbage and Bean Salad:

Ingredients
1/2 head small-medium green cabbage, very thinly sliced (about 4 cups), core removed
2 carrots, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
2 ribs celery, diced or one  cup of chopped celery from your wellness box 
3 green onions/scallions, chopped
1/2 medium cucumber, peeled and diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil 
1 1/2 cups cooked organic garbanzo 
1 organic avocado, diced

1/2 of a organic red bell pepper chopped

Dressing:
2 lemon, juice from (about 1/4 cup)
2 tablespoons organic Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
ground black pepper to taste

Options:  If you want to add color, add in a little purple cabbage,

Directions
1. Slice the cabbage so that the strands are very thin, and place into a large bowl. Add to this the grated carrots, celery, onion, cucumber, basil, beans, and avocado. Toss.

2. In a small bowl, combine dressing ingredients and blend with a fork. Add dressing to bowl of vegetables and toss thoroughly. If you are making this ahead of time, add the diced avocado just before serving.

Mason Jar Sauerkraut:

I can't wait to do this one myself! 

Click on link below: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=397Dua09VUI

For those of you who are  ready to get really serious with your sauerkraut skills: 

http://nourishedkitchen.com/homemade-sauerkraut/

Four Thieves Vinaigrette

Variations of this recipe have been treasured since Medieval times.  Legend has it that four grave robbers first used this strong antibacterial formula to protect them against the deadly plague.  Turning this classic remedy into a delicious salad  dressing helps the medicine go down easy. 

1/4 cup organic lavender flowers

1/4 cup organic sage leaf

1/4 cup organic rosemary leaf

1/4 cup organic thyme leaf

raw organic apple cider vinegar

organic extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves organic garlic, crushed 

sea salt and pepper

Place the herbs and garlic in a pint jar and fill to the top with gently warmed apple cider vinegar.  Use a piece of natural parchment paper under the lid to keep he vinegar from touching the metal.  Allow the vinegar concoction to extract for four weeks in a sunny window.  

Strain the vinegar into  a clean glass jar.

To make the vinaigrette, add 1 part vinegar to 3 parts olive oil.  Add the salt and pepper to taste.  Blend until well combined 

Zucchini Chips: 

http://www.freshbitesdaily.com/zucchini-chips/

Chocolate Zucchini Bread or Muffins 

1 cup rapunzel organic whole cane sugar

1 cup organic sunflower oil or coconut oil 

3 organic eggs

3 teaspoons vanilla extract

2-1/2 cups organic wheat, spelt or  organic white

1/2 cup organic baking cocoa

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups organic shredded peeled zucchini

Optional:  1 tsp cinnamon, a pinch of all spice and a 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

• In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla until well blended. Combine the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, cinnamon; gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended. Stir in zucchini. Transfer to two 8-in. x 4-in. oiled loaf pans
• Bake at 350° for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely. 
• Yield: 2 loaves (12 slices each).

Gluten Free Chocolate Zucchini Muffins: 

Special Notes:  When we bake with Gluten Free Flour we never use products that contain (or when we make our own gluten free flour mix), potato flour or starch, soy flour, corn starch and corn flour.  We do not use these food products because they are toxic.  If you can find a potato flour or starch that is organic then go ahead and use it.  But stay away from the non- organic soy and corn products, they are highly toxic... Also, stay away form xanthan gum, it is made in a lab!

Stick with products that have guar gum.

2 cups sorghum flour OR gluten-free all purpose flour mix

1 1/2 teaspoons Guar Gum (don't add gum if using a GF flour mix that contains guar gum)

Never use products that have xanthan gum 

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 cup organic unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup organic agave or Rapunzel organic whole cane sugar

2 large organic eggs

1/2 cup organic light olive oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup organic sour cream (for dairy free version substitute organic applesauce)

3 cups shredded unpeeled zucchini

Optional:  1 tsp cinnamon, a pinch of all spice and a 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350° F / 176° C 


Oil two 8-inch loaf pans OR two 12-cup muffin tins with sun flower oil or coconut oil 

Place flour, guar gum, salt, baking soda and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Use a wire whisk to combine.

In a large bowl, place oil, sugars, eggs and vanilla and mix with an electric hand mixer until fluffy. Stir in sour cream (or dairy free substitute) and shredded zucchini. Stir flour mixture into batter until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Divide batter between prepared loaf or muffin pans and bake for 50 minutes for loaves or 25-30 minutes for muffins or until a toothpick inserted in the center of loaf or muffin comes out clean.

Allow to cool on wire rack for 10 minutes before turning out.

Yields about 24 muffins or 8-10 slices per loaf

I had some questions about amounts of bees wax to use, when you are making salves.

 This is what I do: 

1 cup herbal infused organic olive oil

1/4 cup shredded bees wax

Always, test your salve before  you add more bees wax.  It is easier to fix, if you do not have enough bees wax than if you put to much in. 

Take a spoon and dip it into your salve and put it on a plate in the freezer, wait a few minutes.  

Then test the  consistency of your mix, by rubbing some on the back of your hand.  

I will be teaching a  salve making class, end of August or September (2013)  Details will be coming soon. 

Feeling the herb connection?  Need more information?  Here is a great site to join and it is well worth the $9.00 a month! 

http://public.herbmentor.com/

More information and recipes coming soon: 

Nut Spread

Pizza Dough

Pumpkin Gluten Free Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Picky kids and waste