Archive for the ‘Blog’ Category
Egg Drop Miso
Post holiday recovery means nutrient dense food that is warm and nourishing. Winter stretches out before us even as the days grow slowly longer. This simple dish is something I make regularly for breakfast and lunch. It is protein rich, a live probiotic food, deeply nourishing and filling with all the broth! Of course you can add veggies to this, shiitakes and burdock/gobo root would be a natural addition, but this is the simple way to start your day recipe. Once you have the technique you can literally have it steaming in your bowl in 5 minutes.
Egg Drop Miso with a glisten of sesame oil
Egg Drop Miso — Serves 2
* Begin bringing 1 quart of water to a low simmer in a sauce pan.
* Add a bit of your favorite seaweed and allow to steep. I love sea palm crumbled, but wakame or kombu works well. If you’re opting for nori save it for garnishing with at the end.
*Now flavor up your water by adding some combination of salty, sour and, if you’re game, spicy:
1 TBL Tamari, 1 tsp ume plum vinegar or squirt of fresh lemon juice, whole ume plums, 1 TBL coconut aminos, squirt of sriacha sauce , diced seranno chili, etc.
*Scramble 2-3 eggs in a small bowl. Make sure your water is at a low simmer. Too high and your eggs will clump. Too low and you will get a milky broth from the yolks. Pour one third of the eggs into the water waiting a second before you run a fork through the mass in the pan pulling the strands out into wisps. As the water comes back to temperature repeat with the second third. Wisp out the egg and allow water to return to temperature before pouring the final eggs in and repeating the steps.
*Remove from heat. Ladle out some broth into the small bowl you beat eggs into and mix in 2-4 heaping spoonfuls of miso paste and dissolve. Add the dissolved miso back to the slightly cooled pot and stir. You never want to boil miso or bring it to extreme temperatures as you will the live culture.
*Garnish with some thin slices of green onions and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil.
Relax, Sip and Enjoy.
I am off to India and Thailand for 6 weeks on an herbal and healing adventure. I am sure I will have lot of stories and pictures to share upon my return stateside. Please join me on Facebook if you want to see updates and photos of the trip as it happens! www.facebook.com/backyardremedies
Cold & Flu Season – Solutions for the Masses
One of the most important things we can do for our health is to receive adequate sunlight and keep our vitamin D levels high.
Seriously, this one of the major interventions I make with clients across the board. The results are sometimes staggering. I love the Vitamin D Council for their clearing house of great information, analysis of current studies and championing the cause of D supplementation. I will not bore you here with all the details but please check them out for all your further questions. www.VitaminDCouncil.org
A Dietary Supplement Providing 2000 IU of Cholecalciferol per Drop
and Backyard Remedies Flu & Virus Formula
Rx Vitamins sells exclusively to health professionals and is one of the few products I sell that I do not make myself. Their LIQUI-D3 provides cholecalciferol, a highly bioavailable form of Vitamin D, in a nutritious, olive oil base. They recommend that physiologic requirements for vitamin D may be as high as 4000 IU per day. I personally take around 4000-10,000IU in the winter months.
Low levels of Vitamin D have been associated with rickets and osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, tuberculosis, at least 16 types of cancer, depression, autoimmune disease, eczema, etc. The Vitamin D council recommends that we keep our levels at 50-80 ng/dl year round.
You can have your blood tested for 25-hydroxy-vitamin D AKA 25(OH)D by your doctor or order the test yourself here: http://www.zrtlab.com/vitamindcouncil/ . Personally, I have never tested myself preferring to take the research at its word and monitor my sun exposure. I supplement D in the late fall, winter and early spring and find that it suits me just fine!
Vitamin D Council Recommended Amounts
Based on the body’s indicated daily vitamin D usage, Vitamin D Council recommends the following amounts of supplemental vitamin D3 per day in the absence of proper sun exposure. Due to the variable response discussed above, these are only estimated amounts.
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Healthy children under the age of 1 years – 1,000 IU.
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Healthy children over the age of 1 years – 1,000 IU per every 25 lbs of body weight.
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Healthy adults and adolescents – at least 5,000 IU.
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Pregnant and lactating mothers – at least 6,000 IU.
Additionally, children and adults with chronic health conditions such as autism, MS, cancer, heart disease, or obesity may need as much as double these amounts per the Vitamin D Council’s recommendations.
Fifteen minutes of sun exposure to 40-percent of the body is suggested daily for fair-skinned individuals, and more time for dark-skinned people. People with dark skin pigmentation simply don’t make as much vitamin D as Caucasians.
These folks are not making any vitamin D (photo from www.momentaryawe.com/blog)
Vitamin D Winter and latitude
Average levels in middle-aged folks in North America in March are about 16 ng/mL, a level at which some children will manifest rickets and at which flu symptoms & pneumonia are more severe.
When the sun at noon is lower than 45 degrees, all the UVB is absorbed and this is known as the “vitamin D winter.” So check your latitude and the sun’s angle where you live to determine if you need to supplement D in the late fall, winter and early spring months. If you’re not living on the equator chances are you can benefit from supplementation.
Estimated Vitamin D Winter months according to latitude:
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Latitudes from zero degrees to around 35 degrees north or south allow year-round vitamin D production, though the amount produced will decrease as latitude increases. 35
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Latitudes above 40 degrees north will experience Vitamin D Winter from around November through early March.
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Latitudes below 40 degrees south, around June through August.
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Latitudes above 50 degrees north, October through early April. 3
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Latitudes below 50 degrees south, mid-April through July. 4
Ok, to simplify just remember this, “If your shadow is longer than you are tall, you are not making much vitamin D.”
$20 per 1 oz bottle, which lasts me a whole season.
Flu & Virus Formula
Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)
Ok, but I use echinacea already, why do I need this?
A teacher once told me that using echinacea alone is like pouring chlorine into your pool, but not turning on the pump; the herb by itself has no innate power to expel. This formula is designed to warm up our bodies, stimulate the immune system and help us move and excrete the nasties. Many of the herbs help our pores to open and detoxify waste and aid the lymphatic system in the movement and refining of toxins and invading agents.
This formula is very aromatic meaning that disinfecting essential oils extracted in the tincture will be excreted through our lungs, skin and ureters.
I like to use the Flu & Virus formula preventatively taking small doses throughout the day or week. If I know I have been around sick folks, I may increase the frequency of the dose, but I stick to about 10-15 drops.
If did come down with the flu this aids in allowing the fever to run its natural course without hurting the body. It is very important that we not suppress fever with NSAIDs as suppressed fevers can cause a variety of health issues and recurring illness. Boneset, one of the herbs featured in the formula, is specific for the bodily aches and pains that flus are want to cause. I like to take the formula in warm water or tea if I am actively and acutely ill.
$10 per 1 oz. bottle
Buy both of these winter warriors together for the special price of $27 until January 15th
Pickles, Chutnies and Sauces – Canned Goods for sale!
Most creations come in both Pint (16oz.) and 1/2 Pint (8 oz.) jars.
1/2 Pints = $5
Pints = $8
They ship in a $11 flat rate mailer that accommodates at least 7-13 jars depending on the size combination.
Available while supplies last.
I will be shipping until Saturday, December 18th! THANK YOU!!
pickles, chutnies and sauces galore!
SWEET
I will be the first to admit that I am not a fan or jams and super sweet concoctions. These are not overly sweet and can be used in savory ways as well.
Apple-Ginger Marmalade — A thick apple spread that accompanies cheese plates, pork chops and morning toast with equal joy and satisfaction.
Pear Butter — sublimely spiced with cardamom and friends.
Peach Chutney — Sweet & Spicy and delicious in chicken or tuna salads; great with meats of all kinds.
SWEET & SAVORY SAUCES
Apple Catsup — This recipe of my great-grandmothers is a sweet and savory and begging to be eaten with pork. Onion, black pepper, apples and sugar combine in this delightful sauce.
Tomato ketchup — Corn syrup, aluminum and additive free; made from organically grown “Heinz” tomatoes.
Sweet, Smokey and Spicy Ketch-a-Que Sauce — I was trying to make a smokey ketchup, which my husband rightfully pointed out is really BBQ sauce. We split the difference. With organically grown “Heinz” tomatoes, smoked paprika, chipotle peppers and my Moroccan magic spice blend.
Sweet and Tangy Tomato Chutney — This is a bright and vibrant tomato sauce was created to accent Asian flavors of all kinds. I suggest it as a base for a Pad Thai sauce. Made with organically grown “Heinz” tomatoes, preserved lime, ginger and garlic.
!!!PICKLES!!!
I’m often told, “my kids {husband, daughter, mom…} only eats Vlasic, but they loved your pickles.”
Crisp, flavorful pickles without aluminum and artificial dyes.
Curried Green Tomato Pickles — My suggestion is saute some ground beef or lamb with some onions and add the tomatoes for the last few minutes. Instant picadillo-ish dinner.
Zucchini Hot dog Relish — Every child that came by my booth bought one this season.
Chow Chow — A Southern Tradition. This version of the relish is only slightly sweet but still features full flavors from the cabbage, peppers, corn and onions that make it a staple for salads, sandwiches and summer salads alike.
Sweet Dill Chip Pickles — crisped with grape leaves and dill seeds.
Dill Pickle Slices — Lemon cucumber slices with the traditional trappings of a great pickle.
Mixed Dill Pickle Spears — Cucumbers with accents of carrots, squash, green beans and garlic. Crispy and delicious in its “pickleness”.
Plump Little Dill Spears — Many of my cucs where more round than long this year, hence the “plump” moniker. Homegrown dill leaf and seed with our grape leaves and garlic.
Bread & Butter Pickles — Traditional flavor with less sugar. Onions and zucchini from our garden!
Jicama, Chayote and Bell Pepper Pickles — Spicy, crunchy cubes ideal for accompanying Mexican meals.
Pickled Cauliflower Florets — Indian spices with onions and lots of color! My favorite.
Super Immune Stock — Broken Bone Broth $20 for 32oz.
Suggested Use: Freeze contents in ice cube trays and add 1-3 cubes to any meal in place of other liquid. Alternatively, use 1/8-1/2 c stock in meals as a deeply nourishing and building medicine. Cook with grains or eat as broth.
Ingredients: Organic chicken/turkey, codonopsis, turkey tails, birch polypore, lion’s mane, red belted polypore, astragalus, hawthorn berry, burdock root, seaweed, garlic, cilantro, parsley, leek, onions, carrots, bay, thyme, marjoram, chili peppers, bell peppers, celery, summer squash and apple cider vinegar.