Cultures and Coconut

I have been making my own yogurt for some time now.  I had always used store-bought yogurt, but I recently purchased a starter online.  In using store-bought yogurt, the homemade raw yogurt came out very strong.  The kids wouldn't touch it.  This particular starter created a very mild tasting yogurt, like the packet says.  I warmed the milk a bit, to a little over 100 degrees and added one starter packet.  I stirred, wrapped in a towel and placed it in my oven with the light on.  It sat there for almost 24 hours to make sure the lactose was all gone.  The milk I used (gasp) was slightly soured to begin with.  So the yogurt was, too.  But the kids didn't seem to care.  Score 1.

Coconut.  GAPS friendly coconut.  Coconut is important to our family.  We can't eat nut flours, so coconut flour is awesome.  It's much denser than other flours and requires a lot of eggs to create a palatable result.  I've made really yummy muffins with coconut flour.  However, the next day, they're not so yummy.  Tropical Traditions has a ton of delicious recipes to try out.  I didn't buy their flour this time around, though.  I wanted to try another company...Wilderness Family Naturals.  The prices were comparable to what I would pay via Amazon.com, with shipping being the just about the cost of one 1.1 pound bag of flour.  I haven't priced how much it costs in the stores...I should probably do that.  I like that Wilderness Family Naturals is family run and maintains it's relatively small status. 

I haven't tried the coconut flour yet.  I'm waiting until I move out of the intro diet.  I also purchased a jar of coconut spread.  I cannot wait to try it. 



Day 26, Stage 5

I haven't been cooking anything extraordinary enough to take pictures.  I've had a raw slice of cucumber.  I have been baking food, like sausage with veggies.  Below:  zucchini, roma tomatoes, and onion, tossed with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Baked until done.  Yum!

Here's what the top of my stove looks like on any given day.  Meat defrosting for that night's dinner.  Crockpot full of broth.  Raw yogurt or soured cream fermenting, wrapped in a tea towel, next to the crockpot for warmth.  Soup.  This soup actually is not for me.  

I ate a piece of raw cheddar cheese about ten minutes ago.  We'll see...

Day 18, Stage 4 (day 2)

Today was pretty boring as far as food goes.  I was out a lot, so I made my ol' standby - broccoli and ground beef soup with onions and garlic.  I made a big pot and brought it from place to place, stopping at home to fill up as needed. 

My cravings are disappearing.  People can eat bread and sweets in front of me and I don't feel like taking them down like a crazed hyena only to rip away their sacred treat. 

I start the day off with a glass of water and my probiotics. 

A half hour to an hour later (depending on how the morning is going) I have my juiced carrots, celery, beet and ginger along with my cod liver oil supplements. 

I just think it's so pretty, don't you?

I do mix it before drinking. 

While I'm drinking the juice, I'm cooking either pancakes, eggs or soup. 

There is plenty of time to allow for my body to digest the probiotics, juice and cod liver oil.  I simmer the soup for 25 minutes.  And then it needs to cool.  If I'm making pancakes, it takes that long, too. 

I made soured cream the other day.  I poured a gallon of raw milk into a pitcher.  I waited 24 hours.  I took it out of the fridge and carefully scooped the cream off the top.  Use a pitcher you can see through.  There will be a definitive line separating the cream from the milk.  I put the cream into a 32oz glass jar.  I added 3 heaping tablespoons of greek yogurt.  I wrapped it in a towel, put it next to my crockpot and left it there for 24 hours.  It went into the fridge until I needed it. 
It definitely smelled soured.  But not bad...just sour.  And it was thick.  I mean thick. 

I was able to incorporate it into soups very nicely.  It went into yesterday's asparagus soup.  Yum.  It doesn't taste sour in the soups.  It was pretty yummy on it's own, too.  It'll be nice when I can have a little honey with it.  *drool*

Day 17, Stage 4 (day 1)

Non-boiled food.  *heavenly sigh*
Tonight I had a pork chop.  Baked w/sage, salt and pepper sprinkled on it.  I had wanted to brine it overnight but I just plum forgot.  I read a awhile ago that pork negatively affects your red blood cells.  When you eat it, it's makes them all go crazy.  That is, unless it is marinated for 8+ hours in apple cider vinegar, or some acv concoction - like bbq sauce.  Also, bacon does not have this same effect because it's salted and smoked.  So, I try to soak my pork before I eat it.  I can imagine what the pork chop I just ate is doing to my precious little blood cells right now. 
The following pictures are from the Weston A. Price Foundation site.


FIGURE 1. Microphotograph of blood of male, 52, before consuming the unmarinated cooked pork chop. RBCs are seen as round cells, and small white patches of platelet aggregates are seen. This is the picture of normal, healthy blood.




FIGURE 3. Microphotograph of blood of male, 52, five hours after consuming the unmarinated cooked pork chop. RBCs are entirely stuck together in rouleaux (stacks of coins) formations, and a high level of fibrin, white threads, means that early blood clotting has transpired.


I didn't have time to take a picture of anything tonight...dinner was rushed and I was starving.

I made a delicious creamy asparagus soup:

1 bunch of asparagus cut into chunks
1/2 sweet onion
1 clove garlic
3 cups of chicken broth
sea salt
pepper
4 tbs. coconut oil/butter or both

1 cup soured cream

Saute the onion and garlic on medium in the fat until translucent.  I used 1/2 coconut oil and 1/2 butter to appease my family's tastes.
Add in asparagus, salt and pepper.  Saute a little longer...maybe 5 minutes.
Pour in chicken broth, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes.
Puree in blender or using an immersion blender.  Puree well - the asparagus is stringy and if you don't puree enough you'll end up with thread-like stringy pieces that compromise the overall enjoyment of the soup.  My kids can attest to that. 
Stir in 1 cup soured cream until throroughly mixed in.  Yum.

It was a beautiful light green and super creamy.  It was good even after it was room temperature.  I'll be making this one again. 

I've also been doing well with the soured cream.  I have not been gassy at all.  Hopefully my blood cells will settle down and stop clotting for no good reason.

Day 7, Stage 2 (day 4)

I introduced raw homemade yogurt yesterday. 
I didn't have a bowl movement.
I was also gassy beginning late afternoon.

I'm cutting out yogurt.  I'll try it again next week.

According to Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride
"In cases of stubborn constipation, introduce freshly pressed juices earlier in the diet, from stage 2: start from carrot juice first thing in the morning and take your cod liver oil at the same time.  The juice will stimulate bile production as many cases of persistent constipation are due to poor bile production.  When there is not enough bile, the fats in the food do not digest well; instead they react with salts and form soap in the gut, causing constipation.  Removing dairy may also help."

I don't have a juicer just yet.  I think I'll head out today for one. 

Juicing is expensive - both the juicer and the produce.  I'm not sure how much juicing I'll actually get to do. 

Today's breakfast -

1 chicken breast
1 sweet onion
2 carrots
1 sprig parsley
sea salt

I keep a perpetual crockpot of broth going.  Last night I threw in 2 chicken breasts with bones into the crockpot.  This morning, my chicken was ready.  Yum.