by Melanie Dearing | Mar 4, 2016 | Cultured Creations
I was introduced to kefir, komucha and cultured vegetables about a year ago. I was very impressed with the different probiotics in all three. I was a little skeptical of growing these crazy looking creatures in jars in my kitchen, but as a former homeschool mom, I was willing to try. I was even blessed enough to take a wonderful “Trilogy” class through Donna Schwenk at beautiful Casa Somerset bed and breakfast.
I reluctantly admit, that I used the excuse of the busyness of life to set this incredible process aside for many months. Through a variety of circumstances, the health benefits of fermentation as come back as a high priority for me and my family. To my surprise and amazement, my komucha scoby’s and my water kefir grains were still very much alive and active. (More information, stories and pictures in a later post).
I wanted to post a very easy and simple cultured vegetable recipe just to begin to introduce this onto our site. Again, much more will be coming very soon on this topic. To watch an expert doing this and to know where to buy materials I have placed the link here Cultured Food Life
Donna is the very best
Here is a picture of my first attempt back at cultured vegetable. I made a gallon and I plan to store this mix in smaller quart jars in the refrigerator.
Easy Cultured Vegetables
Author: Melanie Dearing
Course: Cultured Foods
- 1 head organic cabbage
- 2 organic red beets
- 4 organic carrots
- ⅛ cup red onion, chopped
- ¼ cup organic red cabbage
- ½ cup red kale, chopped
- 1 Tbsp. Celtic sea salt
- 1 packet cultured vegetable starter
- Filtered water
- Open cultured vegetable starter and mix with 1 cup filtered water. Set aside.
- Shred all vegetables a food processor, and place in large mixing bowl. Toss gently until well mixed.
- Sprinkle with salt and mix well.
- Place mixture in gallon jar.
- Pour in cultured vegetable starter.
- Fill with filtered water, leaving 2-3 inches empty at the top of the jar to allow for expansion.
- Gently make sure all veggies are under the water.
- Cover with an air lock lid.
- Set in a cool place out of sunlight for 6-7 days.
- Remove air lock lid and replace with regular lid and refrigerate. (i place in smaller jars first)
- This mixture will last at least 9 months in the refrigerator.
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by Melanie Dearing | Feb 17, 2016 | Breakfast, Recipes
The incredible edible egg – what a wonder of nature. Eggs are a great source of protein and are one of the foundational items that you can add in and change up in an unlimited number of ways. Eggs can be fried, poached, baked, boiled and scrambled. (I am beginning to sound like “Bubba” Blue from Forest Gump) This recipe post is similar to smoothies in that the options you choose are totally geared to your own personal taste preferences. This is also one of those recipe choices that are very easy to apply the “eat the rainbow” philosophy.
I am blessed to have neighbors who free range chickens and literally deliver my eggs from their farm to my table. I have learned that when the hens are laying abundantly, I can freeze raw eggs for up to a year. You can read more here: incredible egg
Versatile Paleo Eggs
- Step 1:
- Select the amount of eggs you want to make. I try to make extra if I can.
- This recipe suggests scrambling them, but you can bake them in muffin cups as well (I find they tend to be a little rubbery when reheated). Scrambled eggs do reheat well. As an example, I will make these suggestions based on using 12 eggs (1 dozen).
- Step 2:
- Choose the add ins you prefer for that day. These are options or suggestions and the amounts are geared for the 12 egg scramble amount, so adjust amounts to your liking in the amount of eggs you are preparing. This list is long, so mix and match to suit your preferences.
- ½ red onion, diced
- ¼ cup green onion, chopped
- ½ cup asparagus chopped
- ½ cup mushrooms, chopped
- ½ cup peppers, chopped
- ¼ tsp. garlic, minced
- 1 cup cooked nitrate free bacon, crumbled
- 1 cup nitrate free Canadian bacon, chopped
- 1 cup ham, cubed
- 1 cup cooked breakfast sausage, crumbled
- 1 cup cooked steak, cubed
- 1 cup cooked Salmon, flaked
- 1 cup cooked shredded sweet potato
- ½ cup spinach, chopped
- ½ cup kale, chopped
- 1 tsp. herbs and/or seasonings of choice (basil, rosemary, turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, 21 salute…)
- 1 tbsp. healthy fat or oil of choice (ghee, bacon, avocado, coconut…)
- In large mixing bowl, crack the 12 eggs and whisk lightly until well mixed.
- Add herbs or seasonings of choice and mix well. Set aside.
- In large skillet, heat oil/fat and add any add ins you have chosen. Sauté until well heated and veggies are cooked through.
- Pour eggs into skillet and continue stirring gently until eggs are cooked through.
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by Melanie Dearing | Feb 17, 2016 | Beverages, Recipes
Smoothies are one of the simplest ways to provide a variety of healthy nutrients into your system. It is especially helpful if you or someone you know has a hard time eating enough vegetables. I also believe that because the blending process breaks down the food particles so small, it is easier for your body to digest and more quickly absorb the nutrients. Plus you retain all the great fiber from whatever produce you use. In addition to all that, smoothies can easily be tailored to each individuals personal taste preferences and physical needs. They are fast and easy to make and fast and easy to drink. There really is no down side here. Smoothies should be a regular part of your morning routine. I am going to list options for this very generic recipe. You decide what works best for you. (The best smoothie: Is any smoothie you will drink – just watch to be sure to limit the amount of sugars in the fruit). There are a multitude of books written on smoothie recipes. These steps are the easiest I have found to help the average person just get started and make a habit of drinking a smoothie daily.
Paleo Smoothies Made Simple
Author: Melanie Dearing
Course: Beverages
Cuisine: recipes
- Step 1:
- Choose the type of blender you will use (I use a NutriBullet or a Vitamix blender). There are so many good products on the market, you have lots to choose from. Find one that fits your budget and is easy for you to use.
- Step 2:
- Be sure you dedicate at least ½ of your smoothie to organic dark green leafy vegetables. Easy examples here are kale and or spinach (there is also Swiss chard and arugula, I find them a little bitter). I recently found a delicious red kale that I love. A quick, easy tip here to keep these from going bad before you get a chance to use them up: I buy the largest containers of organic spinach or kale. I bring them home, wash and dry them well (a salad spinner works well) and immediately bag them in smaller portions and freeze them. Once they are frozen, I smash the contents in the bag into small pieces to condense the space they take up. I can use them then for smoothies, eggs, soups, casseroles…….
- Step 3:
- Choose a creamy thickener like avocado or frozen banana (watch the sugar with the bananas) or even a spoonful of healthy nut butter with no sugar (avoid peanut butter). I like using frozen bananas. It is easy to store them and they give the consistency of ice cream.
- Step 4:
- Choose organic fruit of choice. Remember those darker berries are the best; blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries. Costco has a wonderful selection of frozen organic fruits (and veggies). Again, I find it helpful to buy the large bags and repack them into smaller smoothie size bags to use more easily. This can save time in the morning, especially if you have a favorite mix or blend. You can venture into other fruits like pineapple and mangos as well.
- • Optional:
- Now is the time of many, many optional add- ins. There are lots of great green powders on the market (I like Green Superfoods) or other superfood powders like Mangosteen, Goji, Acai, Marqui Berry, etc… You can also add unsweetened shredded coconut, raw hemp seeds, raw pumpkin seeds, raw sunflower seeds, chia seeds, cashews, walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, etc…. This is where you can experiment and create your own special favorite flavors. I try to keep a variety of these items on hand. I use many of these items to make power balls (see recipe under Sweet Treats) and I also use them in non-dairy coconut yogurt.
- Step 5:
- Place your chosen ingredients into blender with ¼ cup filtered water or unsweetened non-dairy milk (coconut milk, almond milk, hemp milk) of choice and blend until smooth. Drink immediately for best results
- Place your chosen ingredients into blender with ¼ cup filtered water or unsweetened non-dairy milk (coconut milk, almond milk, hemp milk) of choice and blend until smooth. Drink immediately for best results.
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by Melanie Dearing | Feb 12, 2016 | Beverages, Recipes
There is a wonderful beverage called “Bullet Proof Coffee” and I wanted to give you the true original site that you can go to here Original Bulletproof. That entire website has been one that as exploded since I first came across it and you can go here to see for yourself Bullet proof site. His line of products, including cookbooks is growing every day. I was impressed but I knew that I had my own financial limits. As you can see, many of the items were a little out of my budget, so I just had to do what I could with what I could afford. So I buy organic coffee I can afford and brew it in my Bunn coffee maker. I pour the pot of coffee into a large, slender pitcher and use a hand held immersion blender to froth the coffee ingredients. I do have a Vita-Mix which can also be used, but requires more set up and clean up.
I mix in about 2 – 3 Tbsp. of unsalted grass-fed butter or ghee, about 2-3 Tbsp. of organic coconut oil (or brain octane from bulletproof), and about 1 Tbsp. of Monk Fruit and Chicory Root for sweetener and mix with immersion blender for about 10 seconds. That creates a lovely frothy top and it is delicious. For a Christmas gift I was given some true Bulletproof Brain Octane and I am very impressed. Again, research and explore for yourself, but I do love this every morning (so does the rest of my family and any guests that come to visit). There is even a real Bullet Proof Coffee shop in California. Who knows, there may be a whole chain of shops coming soon. I need one in my front yard.
by Melanie Dearing | Feb 12, 2016 | Breakfast, Desserts, Recipes
When I began exploring trying to incorporate healthy Paleo options into my diet, I started with muffins and desserts. I knew that if I could find healthier ways to make these items, the rest would be a “piece of cake” (I wanted it all to be a piece of moist delicious, healthy, time effective, cost effective yummy cake! ha!) I usually explain to people in my workshops that I found when I typed in the work “paleo” in front of any recipe I was looking for, the options were incredible. Since I began several years ago, those options have totally exploded! I am often overwhelmed by all the choices. Again, part of the purpose of WellStone Gardens was to help to narrow some of those choices by allowing workshop participants the opportunity to taste a recipe before going to all the time and expense of blindly shooting in the dark. This recipe has been tweaked and tested several different times in several different arenas and it continues to be a crowd-pleaser. (It’s not considered “cake” but it is moist and delicious).
Favorite Bluberry Muffins
Author: Melanie Dearing
Course: Breakfast/Sweet Treat
- 2 cups blanched almond flour (I use Honeyville)
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
- ⅛ tsp. sea salt
- 4 tbsp. maple syrup (or raw honey)
- 1 cup coconut cream (I use heavy coconut cream from Trader Joe’s)
- 4 tbsp. grass-fed ghee, melted (or melted coconut oil; organic unrefined; cold pressed – I use Costco’s)
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries (I use smaller frozen wild blueberries when I can- Costco’s)
- 1 tsp. fresh orange or lemon zest (optional)
- ½ tsp. orange or lemon extract (optional)
- 2 tbsp. coconut sugar to sprinkle on top (optional)
- Preheat the oven at 350°F
- In a large bowl mix the dry ingredients – almond flour, baking soda, salt.
- In a separate bowl mix the wet ingredients – coconut cream, eggs, maple syrup and melted ghee. (zest and extract if using)
- Combine wet and dry ingredients and gently mix the batter.
- Fold blueberries into the batter ( I sometimes wait and add them later to each muffin cup)
- Sprinkle with coconut sugar if using.
- Scoop batter into paper lined muffin pan cups (or I use silicon cups) and bake for 20-25 minutes or until tops turn golden brown. Wait until they are completely cool before removing them from the baking pan.
- Recipe makes18 regular muffins or 36 mini-muffins. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
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by Melanie Dearing | Feb 12, 2016 | Desserts, Recipes
There are a multitude of no bake, ball shaped snack recipes available. This recipe was a power packed healthy on-the-go snack I originally created during our home school coop days. The kids joked at the time that this was the equivalent to the “Miracle Max” pill from the movie Princess Bride. They called it Miracle Mel’s power ball (to be used only when you are “mostly dead” ha!) I have revised it a couple of times since then, but once you have accumulated these potent powders, rest assure they last a very long time because you use so little of each one. Once again, don’t be afraid to sub out or adapt these items to fit your personal taste or budget. My job as an educator is to help teach you to understand how to “catch a fish” not just to catch one for you. Feel free to always think outside any sample “box” I may suggest.
I used this same recipe a couple of times giving a healthy snack workshop with kids for Live Blue KC. They kids loved helping to mix and roll the balls. All the kids loved the taste (several were eating them as fast as we were making them). Enjoy and remember – eat them only when your “mostly dead”! (Just kidding)
Melanie's Paleo Power Ball Recipe
Author: Melanie Dearing
Course: Sweet Treat
- 1 cup almond butter
- ⅓ cup raw honey
- 4 Tbsp.. unsweetened shredded coconut
- 2 Tbsp. cacao powder
- 2 Tbsp. finely chopped almonds (optional pecans, walnuts, cashews)
- 1 Tbsp. goji powder
- 1 Tbsp. maca powder
- 1 Tbsp. acai powder
- 1 Tbsp. hemp seed
- 1 Tbsp. sunflower seeds, ground
- 1 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds, ground
- 1 Tbsp. chia seeds
- 1 Tbsp. chopped dark chocolate bar (at least 55% or higher)
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- (1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, chopped nuts of choice or hemp seeds for rolling finished balls in to coat the outside)
- Place all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until well mixed. Remove and roll into one large ball. Then divide by rolling into small meatball sized balls. Roll small balls into unsweetened shredded coconut, chopped nuts such as almonds, pecans or walnuts or raw hemp seeds. Best after refrigerated for at least 1 hour. Store in refrigerator in a closed container.
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