The Best Kind of Bubbles

It all started with kombucha. I love kombucha and I was drinking a couple bottles a week. Well, at $5 per bottle it was really adding to our grocery bill. I had researched kombucha making before but it made me nervous. To be honest, all fermentation made me nervous. I made a few batches of sauerkraut a couple summers ago and they all developed mold. I felt like fermenting was not something to be done in my home.

Before venturing into fermentation any further I decided I needed to know more. I ordered The Art of Fermentation. It has just about anything you could want to know about fermenting in it.  Kombucha seemed like a really good place to start. I didn't need a fancy jar, weights or any special equipment, just tea, sugar and SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast). I was lucky to find a local pal willing to share a SCOBY so I jumped right in.

Kombucha making has been so easy and delicious. I've been experimenting with second ferments with my booch. So far, I'm head over heals for ginger lemon. Once I felt good about my kombucha I needed to explore this fermentation thing further. I got kefir grains from another local pal and started trying my hand at water kefir. I don't like it as much as kombucha but it's much faster. Again, second ferments are where I'm focusing right now. Pineapple water kefir was really tasty.

I had read in an issue of Taproot that many people ferment their condiments such as mustard and ketchup. I recently started sprouting seeds and with my starter kit I got a package of yellow mustard seeds. I decided to give grainy mustard a try. It's still not quite ready though I did add a couple tablespoons to our Sloppeh Joe mix the other night for some kick! I'm definitely making ketchup next. My kids love ketchup with everything so if they get a dose of probiotics with their ketchup all the better.

Early in my fermentation journey I started a sourdough starter. It seemed so simple; water and flour left out for several days to collect wild yeast. Needless to say, it was not nearly as simple as I imagined. It needed to be fed twice daily and mine just never seemed to have enough yeast for a good loaf of bread. Finally, I reached out for support and someone suggested using some kombucha in my start. That was exactly what it needed! Only two days later I was ready to make bread. I played around with the recipe a bit and found a long rising time made a lovely, light loaf. Oh boy it was tasty! Even the kids were reaching for more.

Next in my plan to add more probiotics to our diets is to ferment veggies. I think I will wait until summer though so I can use the vegetables from our garden. Fresh is key with pickling vegetables like cabbage, cucumbers and carrots. I tried pickling beets last month when they were on sale at the store but they did not turn out well. It's a learning process but it's fascinating and fun. I find myself very motivated to keep trying new things when I'm sitting sipping lemon water kefir and munching fresh sourdough.

Taking Care of Myself

 

I can't believe it is the end of January already! I must admit I'm disappointed I went a whole month without posting here. The day after Christmas however, I decided it was time to take care of myself. I really pushed myself to make Christmas just as I imagined it and I was burnt out. On Christmas day my dad showed me this TED talk. A plant based diet is something I've been toying with for a while. I read this book many years ago and then watched Forks Over Knives this summer and on Christmas day I decided it was time to commit to a plant-based diet.

A few weeks into my lifestyle change I got hit with the flu. It's been years since I've had the flu and this one really dragged on. My body has been struggling. For years I've battled crippling migraines, painful periods, skin conditions, allergies and asthma. My doctors have always told me it's simply a matter of losing weight. I don't see that as the solution. I was a size 8 when this all started. I was at a healthy weight and living an active lifestyle. There must be something else missing. My body needs more than just shedding a few pounds.

For the past month I have been working on nourishing my body. My goal is to get as much nutrient dense food in my diet as possible. I've been devouring leafy greens in almost every form, adding mushrooms to meals, eating sea vegetables, feeding my gut with probiotics and making to change to healthy fats. I have completely eliminated processed food from my diet. Sugar is also off the menu (which is sad because I have so much glorious honey that I'm just not eating). It's taking a fair bit of experimenting to find food that appeals to my palette and is completely nourishing. Thank goodness for my blender and food processor!

Of course caring for my body goes beyond just diet. I've begun a daily yoga practice. I also attend a core strength class once a week. One of my favorite things however has been going cycling with the kids. We recently purchased a Madsen bike so I can cycle with both children. I love leaving the car behind. I need to fashion a rain cover so that not even rainy days can keep us off the bike. Our weekly hike has also been a big part of my wellness. I try to push myself on the trails so I get the workout but when I'm among the trees, listening to the birds, feeling the coolness of the forest around me, it never feels like exercise. It feeds my soul as well.

As a mother, taking care of my mental well-being is essential. It is so easy to get burned out by the endless demands of such small people. Yoga has certainly helped clear my head but my goal is to make time for meditation as well. When I was in university I used to ride my bike to a local beach and meditate on the rocks. Listening to the waves and letting go healed me. If school burned me out, that was what I needed. For now I'm trying to remain mindful. Live in the moment. It's easy for me to get caught up in worrying about money, sleep, cleaning, appointments, kids, gardening, everything. I can easily spend a whole night worrying about things in the past. So I remind myself multiple times a day to be present. Listen, feel, breath.

As a final note on this post, I'd like to share a recipe with you. This smoothie is my favorite way to start my day. Tweek it of course. Make it right for you. I hope you enjoy it as I do.

Green Banana Smoothie

1 large ripe banana
2 large kale or chard leaves
1 heaping tbsp almond or hazelnut butter
1 tsp probiotic powder
2 tsp ground flax seed
1 tbsp hemp protein powder
1 tbsp spirulina powder
1- 1.5 cups unsweetened vanilla almond milk

Add all ingredients to a high powered blender. Blend until liquified. Enjoy!

So it Begins

The first big virus has hit our family. It's been cycling through the kids and finally got me a few days ago. It's a rule in our family that we don't go spreading our germs so we have been hunkered down at home while we do our best to kick this chest cold to the curb. It seems mild enough until night hits and everyone begins coughing. Sleep has been difficult to come by this week.

We have been trying to keep April (and everyone else) from going stir crazy with simple activities. Lots of stories are being read, lots of pictures drawn (the autumn coloring sheet is from Little Acorn Learning's Facebook page), lots of warm baths. The weather has been fair so April and Jon have been working together to collect leaves from the yard for our compost. It's been a relief to get outside, no matter how briefly.

It's also been important for me to work to build up our immune systems. They need as much support as possible to help us fight off this bug and the many more we will encounter this autumn and winter. I've had thieves oil in the diffuser and humidifier all week. I plan on making some thieves soap too. I have a batch of healing bone broth in the slow cooker and we've been sure to add as much garlic to our meals as we can stand. It's also the time of year for elderberry and echincea. I find the best way to get all that immune boosting goodness into the kids is in popsicle form.

Here is my recipe for our Immunity Popsicles.

2 cups elderberry juice (I make this by soaking dried elderberries over night and staining before use)
1 cup frozen blueberries
1 tbsp powdered probiotics
1-2 tsp liquid echincea
7 drops of liquid vitamin D
1-2 tbsp raw honey (DO NOT add this if you are giving to children under 1 year of age)

Add all ingredients to blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze overnight. Enjoy!

Smoothies are the next best way to deliver nutrients. Strawberries are a great source of vitamin C and smoothies are easy to hide supplements like probiotics and liquid vitamins in. I've also been please that April has had a couple cups of hot water with lemon and honey. I'd like to add ginger but she says it's spicy. Jon just harvested some honey from our hives so we have been taking advantage of the benefits of that raw honey for our sore throats.

Wish everyone a health autumn and please share any other immune boosting tips you might have!

Raw Energy Balls

April is a huge fan of Larabars. So much so that we were spending quite a bit of money each month buying just the bars for her. I had tried making my own before but ended up with a sticky mess. Then we went camping with some friends and she brought along what she called "Laraballs". They were so good, I felt the need to race home and make a large batch of my own. She was kind enough to share her recipe which I have tweaked to make right for us.

I love seeing April eating foods that are healthy and nourishing. She calls these "cookies" and honestly I would rather see her eating a dozen of these than a dozen chocolate chip cookies. There is a lot of room to customize this recipe so make it what your family with enjoy.

Raw Energy Balls
You will need:
1/2 cup dried fruit (I used dates, dried cherries and goji berries)
1/2 cup raw nuts (I used almonds, cashews and walnuts)
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4-1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

In a food processor pulse dried fruits and vanilla extract until it forms a ball. Spoon the ball out into a bowl for now. Add the nuts to the food processor and pulse until fine. Add the ball of dried fruit back into the food processor. I like to pulse the two together a couple times then add the cocoa powder. Pulse until well incorporated. Take about a tablespoon of the mixture and squeeze and roll it into a ball. Roll the formed ball in a dish containing the shredded coconut. Repeat until all mixture has been formed. Balls with keep at room temperature in a sealed container for several days.

Spinach Tuesday

At some point over the weekend my spinach decided it was done for the season and went to seed. So I decided today I'd better pick it before it goes yellow. I hauled in two baskets full of spinach and declared today to be Spinach Tuesday.
We made a big batch of spanakopita for dinner, made Green Monster muffins for tomorrow, had a spinach omelet for breakfast and whipped up a berry and greens smoothie for an afternoon snack (my usual smoothie is strawberries or blueberries, banana, milk, spinach or kale, honey, ground flax seed and cod liver oil). We definitely got a good dose of iron and folic acid today.
I still have a bag of spinach in the fridge with plans of making yet another smoothie tomorrow morning and the Farmer's Market Salad from The Rhythm of Family for dinner. Tomorrow the chickens get their dose of spinach too as I'm planning on pulling out what's left in the garden to make room for the fall brussels sprouts that I will be starting soon. There will be more spinach in our future though since it makes an excellent fall veggie around here.
What's your favorite way to use spinach?

Rhubarb from the Garden

I almost forgot I had rhubarb in my garden. It was buried under some dirt which was screened last fall. It was buried all winter. Finally in February, as I began preparing for the vegetable garden, I found it. I quickly uncovered it and surprisingly, it grew. It was actually quiet enormous when I went out to collect the first harvest of the year yesterday.
Rhubarb is not really a favorite around here, but one year at the Organic Islands Festival I tried rhubarb cordial with lavender water. It was delicious. Since then I've been buying my cordial locally. It seems so silly now since I have rhubarb in my yard, and cordial is not a challenging recipe. So I made cordial (2 cups chopped rhubarb, 2 cups water, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup honey: boil for 15 minutes, strain and chill). To me, rhubarb cordial is best served over ice with sparkling water. So refreshing, a perfect spring drink! I have more rhubarb out in the garden that needs a few more weeks. I think next time I will have to make these bars, they look divine!

Recipe: Mussels in Garlic Cream Sauce

This recipe is our go-to fancy dinner recipe though it really isn't all that fancy. We get our mussels locally from Saltspring Island. If you are afraid to try them or don't really like the "fishy" taste, this recipe is a good one to try. I always approximate so go ahead and make this to your taste.

You will need:
2 dozen large mussels
2-3 tbsp organic butter
1/4 cup white wine
3-4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 cup heavy cream
chopped parsley (optional)

In a large skillet heat butter over medium high heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Add white wine and cook for another minute or so, stirring regularly. Add heavy cream and reduce to a simmer. Rinse mussels well and add to the sauce. Cook until all the mussels have opened and the meat has started to lighten. Serve hot over rice or orzo. Sprinkle with chopped parsley if you desire.

Recipe: Shrimp and Zucchini Tostadas

We are desperately trying to use up all this zucchini so this was a recipe I found on foodgawker and altered to suit our tastes. It is so yummy and uses a whole zucchini each time I make it. It is a light summer dish. Enjoy!

You will need:
4 flour tortillas
olive oil
1 1/2 cups of shredded extra old cheddar cheese
1 clove of garlic, minced
2 medium or 1 large zucchini, quartered lengthwise and then thinly sliced
Sea salt and ground pepper
1 lb large peeled deveined shrimp
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
cilantro
Baja mayo

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Lay tortillas on a baking sheet. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese is melted and tortillas are crisp.
In a frying pan heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook for 2-4 minutes or until zucchini is tender. Add shrimp and cook. Stirring frequently until the shrimp are opaque. Stir in lime juice. Spoon shrimp mixture onto the prepared tortillas. Serve hot with baja mayo and cilantro.

Baja Mayo

You will need:
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup mayo (we use Vegannaise)
2 tsp lime juice
pinch of salt
1 tsp hot sauce
2 tsp chili powder

In a bowl combine all ingredients. Adjust to taste. Serve chilled.

Recipe: Glazed Pear and Yogurt Cake

This recipe is adapted from the one in the season's Rhythm of the Home. I made some changes that I think make for a denser but creamy cake. It is a pretty delicious cake! I'm pretty sure you could use just about any fruit in here. I'm think of trying it with peaches when I can get them and strawberries when the ones in my garden are ready.


You will need:

2 cups flour

1 cup light brown sugar

1 stick of melted butter or margarine, cooled

1/8 tsp. salt

3/4 cup cream

2 eggs

1 tbsp. baking powder

1 tbsp vanilla

3/4 cup of plain yogurt

2 pears

1-2 cups of powdered sugar

2 to 4 tbsp of water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Dice up the pears (skin and all) and set them aside.

Add the milk, sugar, and two eggs to the melted butter, whisk until the sugar dissolves.

Whisk in the flour, baking powder, salt and vanilla. Whisk in the yogurt. Whisk until it is a smooth batter. Fold in the diced pears. Pour the entire mixture into a lightly oiled baking dish (I used a 7 x 11 pan).

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the top gets golden brown and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan.

Whisk the powdered sugar and water together, adding water as needed to make a thin consistency.  Pour the glaze over the top while it is still a bit warm and let rest. I used only 1 cup of powdered sugar for my glaze which is less than original recipe called for. I'll leave it up to you but I found it was plenty.

Recipe: Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

These are my absolute favorite muffins. My mom used to make them as a treat for us because they are so decadent (for muffins!). My mom was awesome enough to make these for me as a postpartum treat and let's just say they didn't last long.
Little side note: This is a great recipe for using up those little pie pumpkins from the garden!

You will need:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp clove
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup cooked (or canned) pumpkin
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup chocolate chips
2 eggs

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Grease or line muffin tin. Combine dry ingredients and set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Stir in pumpkin, melted butter and chocolate chips. Blend well. Add dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Spoon into muffin tin. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Enjoy!

Recipe: Salmon and Sweet Potato Cakes

This is a recipe from Mothering magazine. We had these the other night for dinner and they were so tasty! They would make a great appetizer for holiday potlucks.

You will need:
12 oz canned wild salmon
2 large sweet potatoes, cubed
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 shallot, finely chopped
1/3 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 scallion, chopped
3 tbsp ground flaxseed
3 eggs
3 tbsp olive oil

Boil sweet potatoes for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and mash in large bowl. Add drained salmon and remaining ingredients, except the oil. Mix well. Shape mixture into palm-sized patties.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add patties and cook until undersides are slightly golden (about 3 mins per side). Serve and enjoy.

Recipe: Not-so-candied Yams

We had these for the first time this Thanksgiving and they were heavenly. I love yams but find the traditional candied yams to be too sweet. I decided to make up something that had a little sweetness but was not overwhelming and still highlighted the awesomeness of yams. These have a little more nutritional value too. The yams themselves are great for vitamin C, the dates have fiber, the cheese has calcium and the nuts have some healthy fats. This is an approximate recipe so adjust it to your taste and to the number of people you are serving. This could easily serve 10 people.

You will need:
2-3 yams, peeled and diced
1/4 cup cream
1 tsp nutmeg
1-2 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp honey
1 package of fig goats cheese
1/2 cup chopped dates
1/4 cup pecan pieces

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add diced yams and boil until tender. Strain and mash with cream. Stir in spices and honey. Transfer mashed yams to a 8x8 baking dish. Crumble goats cheese over yams, then sprinkle chopped dates and pecan pieces over top. This dish can be stored like this in the fridge for up to one day.
When ready, in a 350 degree oven, bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is soft and the top of the yams have darkened.

Feel free to make substitutions here. I chose the fig cheese because it had a hint of sweetness that went really well with the dates and the yams but you could use plain goats cheese or a different flavor. Also feel free to try this with different nuts. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Peppermint Extract

A while ago I saw a post on Sensible Living about making your own peppermint extract. I decided I had to try it this year. Last year I just hung my mint to dry and used it in tea but it would be nice to have some more diverse options for using all the mint from the yard.

You just take clean fresh mint leaves and bruise them a bit in the bottom of a jar. Then pour in enough vodka to cover all the leaves. Let sit for a month or so.
I'm really hoping this works out because this will be perfect for all my holiday baking that's coming up!

Recipe: Curried Apple Chutney

This is an amazingly delicious chutney. I'm not a huge chutney fan but I ate almost a whole jar of this at just one dinner. I promise it is not spicy at all but rather a sweet and savory chutney. Now is the perfect time of year to try this recipe since the apples are coming ready. This recipe is taken from the Well Preserved Cookbook.


You will need:
9 cups peeled, chopped and diced apple
2 cups finely chopped onion
2 cups golden raisins
2 cups brown sugar
1.5 cups cider vinegar
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1.5 tsp salt
1 tsp dried chili flakes
1 tsp curry powder
0.5 tsp each of ground turmeric, cumin, coriander, cardamom and ginger

Prepare the preserving jars.
Combine all the ingredients in a pot. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours or until thickened, stirring often. Stir almost constantly during the last 15 to 20 minutes of cooking time to prevent scorching.
Remove from heat. Ladle the chutney into hot, sterilized jar leaving 1/2 inch head space. Wipe rims clean. Seal and process jars.

Recipe: "Orange Julius"

I will admit that every time I walk past an Orange Julius I crave an original Julius so badly. But the reality is that I just can't afford to be constantly buying Orange Julius so I decided to make my own. They are so yummy and way cheaper than running to the mall whenever I crave one. Just in time for summer, here is the incredibly simple recipe for a original "Orange Julius"

You will need:
1 cup orange juice
1 cup milk
1 tbsp sugar or honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
10 ice cubes

Add all the above ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve cold and enjoy. (Makes enough for two).

Recipe: Macaroni and Cheese with Broccoli

All I can say is yummy and easy. I have had this sudden realization that I need more calcium (I guess all those osteoporosis ads are getting to me) so I thought this would be a good way to get some added calcium (cheese, milk and broccoli are all sources).

You will need:
2-3 cups macaroni (we used quinoa macaroni)
3 tbsp butter
2 cups grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan or asiago cheese
2 tsp corn starch
1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 cup chopped broccoli florets
2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Grate the cheeses and add together in a bowl with the corn starch. Stir so the cheese is evenly coated with corn starch.
Boil about 2 quarts of water with salt and oil. Add macaroni to boiling water. Cook as per the package instructions. Add the broccoli to boiling water for the last 3-5 minutes. Strain and return to the pot.
Over low heat stir in butter. When the butter is almost completely melted add the cheese mixture and the milk. Stir until creamy. Add the lemon juice and seasonings. Serve and enjoy!

Cupcakes in a Jar

This is an idea from Martha Stewart Weddings. I made it for dessert when we had friends for dinner last week and they were amazing!

It is a layer of homemade triple berry jam, bottom half of a buttermilk cupcake, a layer of cream cheese frosting, top half of the cupcake and more cream cheese frosting. They are heaven! The bottom gets soaked in delicious jam and the frosting is so creamy. I ran out of jars so I did this with the remainder.

Same buttermilk cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting but topped with a raspberry. Also very yummy. The recipe can be found here. I made a little less frosting then the recipe calls for and I used whipping cream instead of whole milk and it gave it a more whipped consistency which I liked.

Recipe: Caramelized Onion, Bacon and Goat Cheese Tart

Man was this delicious. I made it last night and we ate almost the whole thing. This was a meal idea intended to use up the leftover egg from our easter egg making and it was perfect!

You will need:
1 regular pie crust of your choice (we used regular shortening crust but you could use any kind you want)
5-6 eggs
1/4 cup good quality goat cheese
3 tsp of ground black pepper
2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 cup crispy bacon bits (please make your own don't use the pre-made junk)
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1-2 tbsp olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and place rack in the middle. Slice onion and add to a pan with the olive oil on low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft and have a golden color. Cut up bacon and fry it until crisp, set aside. Whisk together eggs, most of the goat cheese (save a tablespoon or more for the top), salt and pepper, pour into prepared pie crust. Sprinkle top with bacon, caramelized onions and the remaining goat cheese. Bake until crust is golden and filling is cooked through (if you jiggle the rack you shouldn't see the filling jiggle), about 20-30 minutes. Enjoy with a side of asparagus or you favorite winter greens.

Recipe: Rosemary Lamb Rose Sauce

This sauce was amazing! I could not get over how good it was. I wanted to write it down so I could make it again and again. I didn't really measure anything so these are approximate measurements. We served it over spinach linguine, which was a really good match. Mmm, my mouth is still watering.

You will need:
250 grams ground lamb
1/4 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 cups crushed tomatoes (I used frozen tomatoes from the summer so ours were somewhere between crushed and pureed)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 sprig of fresh rosemary, chopped
2 leaves fresh basil, shredded
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 bay leaf
dash of sea salt

Begin heating the ground lamb in a sauce pot over medium heat. Chop the onion and garlic and add to the lamb. Cook until lamb is cooked through. Add the crushed tomatoes, cream and spices. Cook until sauce begins to thicken. Reduce heat to low. Put pasta on to cook. When pasta is almost done, add the parmesan cheese to the sauce and remove the bay leaf. Serve and enjoy.

Recipe: Cranberry Relish

I first made this fresh alternative as a way to have cranberries without all the sugar of cranberry sauce. From the first try it was a hit. I made it again last night and it was equally popular. Here it is just in time for Thanksgiving!

You will need:
1/2 bag of fresh cranberries
1 naval orange
1/2 pomegranate
1/4 cup of chopped candied ginger
1/4 cup (or less) of sugar
handful of pecans or walnuts (optional)

Begin by chopping the cranberries in a food processor (don't puree, chop) and transfer to a bowl. Add in pomegranate seeds, chopped ginger and sugar. Slice the orange and just break little bite size pieces of the flesh into the bowl and add nuts if you are using them (a lot of people have allergies so I don't often use these anymore). Stir combine and refrigerate until use.