About Me

I am a geek. I love to research. I love to see how our bodies interact with our surrounding and food. I love to learn more about how our bodies metabolize different foods and "non" foods. I love to bust open myths that we all believe as Americans...and I love the quest for learning...

All of our Bodies truly are fearfully and wonderfully made! Not a single one of us is the same. If there is one thing I have learned after 10 years of research it is this! There are so many things that make our bodies tick, not a single 40 food diet is the answer for everyone. My quest here is to introduce to you all what I have come to believe is healthy, and for you to figure out which of those foods actually work well with your system...


For example: while we use dairy in our recipes, you might find dairy doesn't sit well with you. It isn't that dairy is bad for you...it is just that your body doesn't process dairy well...so it is a food you should avoid...but everyone doesn't need to avoid it.

Muddling through the nonsense we have all come to believe about "health" is an uphill battle. The Gods of Money and Corporations are powerful, and learning "truth" in the midst of lies is tough.

I have been on my fair share of "low fat" fad diets and almost any other "diet" that was trendy while I was in College, and all produced no results...and left me feeling worse. I was only 16 when I was diagnosed with a disease called Reflex sympathetic Dystrophy, a disease in your central nervous system, that left me unable to walk. After 2 plus years in the "traditional" realm of medicine I found myself 3 surgeries, and lots of prescription pills, and I was still in pain.

I was first introduced to "alternative" medicine via an Applied Kineseologist and chiropractor who immediately diagnosed me with a systemic yeast infection...and put me on the candida diet for 6 weeks. It was the worst thing I had ever endured...removing all my sugar laden foods from my diet was hard...especially in college, but it was well worth the effort. This is what started my journey into "health." When I was done with the diet...I was done with prescription drugs for the RSD and Pain killers, constipation, sinus infections, and weight I just couldn't lose.

I instantly became a "believer" in the healing power of food the way the Lord gives it. The journey has been long...but the benefits worth it! Understanding more about our bodies and food, has brought me to a greater understanding of who the God of the Universe is!

I am now a wife, to Jonathan, and mother to a fabulous eclectic dude Noah with lots of special food needs, and a heart melting Isaac. I spend a lot of my time in the kitchen cooking for my family and I have found I have come to view it as an art form! It isn't about how long something takes to prepare, but rather how nourishing the end product is.

On a side note: I hate doing laundry and scrap-booking...and I still love a great cup of coffee with cream!

Buckwheat Noodles Baby! (GF and Overnight Soak)

So, first let me say sorry it has been so long between posts. Our family has been quite busy...between surgeries and a seizure, I haven't had a tremendous amount of time to update my recipes. But with no further ado I bring you the best addition, to date, to our families menu planning....Buckwheat Soba Noodles.

Pop Quiz: Is buckwheat a grain?
If you answered yes, you are in the same boat I was a week ago, after all buckwheat does have the "wheat" name in it. But the answer is actually no! Buckwheat isn't a grain at all, and it doesn't contain gluten despite what one might conclude. It is actually in the same family as Rhubarb So, it is a "safe" alternative for allergy ridden families!

After the discovery that buckwheat wasn't a grain and in the same family as quinoa, which N can eat, I got so excited and just had to try a recipe with it.

While I was contemplating a recipe one of my favorite blogs, The Nourishing Gourmet posted a Buckwheat noodle recipe, perfect timing. I took this as a sign from above that Soba noodles should be one our menu this week!

One thing worth noting is that Buckwheat is considered a complete protein, so no "meat" is required when using these noodles. Which I really appreciate with the budget being tighter these days.

Here is the recipe:
2 cups freshly ground buckwheat groats (hulled buckwheat is light in color and can be found at Wegmans, Lori's Natural foods and or Feel Rite in Buffalo)
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar

The above made enough for N,J, and Me with enough for 2 lunches, and we ate it as a Main meal, not a side dish. I would double if you are feeding more than 4 adults as and using this as a main dish.


The night before you want to eat your noodles, measure out 2 cups of freshly ground buckwheat groats and place it in a large glass or non-reactive bowl. Slowly stir together 1/2 cup water and vinegar and add, mixing with a non reactive spoon, to the flour. The mixture will be dry and clumpy.

Start to hand knead the flour and water together. (side note: this is an extremely sticky and messy process. You might think you have done something wrong because the flour is just stuck to your hands, but you haven't! Just keep going, it will get better.) When you have most of the flour in a ball, feel free to knead on a clean surface a few times till a stiff, but not too dry ball is formed.

Clean the bowl and return the dough to the bowl. Place a wet, but not dripping, towel over the bowl and let sit for 12-24 hours.

Now, normally I hate rolling dough out, but I have to say these were easy and quick to roll out. I managed to complete rolling and cutting all the pasta within 20 minutes!

Cut the dough into 3 or four sections and heavily flour the surface of a large wooden cutting board or counter top if you don't have one. Make sure you have ample flour, if the dough is sticking at all, add more flour to the surface of the dough. Roll out one section of the dough until about 1/8 inch thick. You may roll thinner or thicker depending on the thickness of pasta you like. The thinner you roll it, the easier it breaks into pieces post cooking when trying to toss with sauces etc.

When you have reached a desired thickness cut noodles in desired width. I cut mine the thickness of fettuccine, but have fun with this. The kids could even help. To make it slightly easier to cut. I folded my dough into thirds so it was less cutting, again important to make sure they are well floured and not sticky! When noodles are cut, hang over the edge of the bowl. Repeat process with the remaining dough. LET THE DOUGH REST FOR 10-20 MINUTES.

Bring a pot of water with ample salt to a rapid boil and boil your noodles for about 2 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water, and toss with desired sauce immediately. They will get sticky quickly, so have your sauces ready! Enjoy with finely sliced carrots, cabbage or broccoli.

N and J both really liked them, and we were all glad to have some sort of pasta back in our diets! :)

I wanted to let you all know we did this recipe with traditional tomato sauce and it was amazing! So, for those of you who wonder does buckwheat work well with italian dishes? Yes, is the answer!

Kitchen Freedom

So, usually I like to steer clear of politics, but I feel some of the bills on the table right now could severely impact our ability to have “freedom” in our food selection. While I'm sure we all have different convictions about what exactly is healthy, and or not, we all have the right to make those decisions for our families. We have the power to decide where we buy our meat from, and same goes for our produce. Small farms have the right to raise their animals in a way they see fit and best for the animal. The farmers and we as consumers have the freedom to pick what our animals have been feed, and what our produce has or has not been sprayed with. Personally, I like that freedom!

All of these things could change, however, if some of the proposed bills are passed through the house and congress. (disclaimer: I'm not blaming the Obama administration for any of these bills, many of terrible national regulations on small farms were started under the bush administration, and I don't blame him either, it is just an awful circumstance that will affect the whole nation, not just republicans or democrats, but our rights as citizens. So regardless of your political affiliation, this will affect you!)

Food, essential to our survival and health. No one can live without it, and when you eat Nourishing foods that breath life into the body, it produces life and health. When food is consumed for pleasure, convenience, taste, or cheapness, one is simply missing the point, and laying the ground work for illness, disease, and a general lack of health. We aren't meant to sustain our bodies on Cheetos, and I would love to see someone try. There are so many issues surrounding our food supply in this country. We, as a nation, have quickly forgotten, that food ISN'T for pleasure, but for survival. Quality food is step one in preventing illness and disease, not our HMO provider or annual physicals. Having the choice and the freedom to put truly nourishing food on our tables for our families is a great honor, and we have had the freedom to do this in our country.

We can buy our locally grown, organic or not produce from the farmer down the street, or the CSA just outside the city. We can buy beef or chickens from whomever we choose. We can build a relationship with the small farmers and learn about their animals or crops and why they feed them the way they do. We can buy raw milk (a life giving food) from a farmer who is certified to sell it, without fear of imprisonment. We can buy and sell heirloom seeds without wondering is our neighbor will turn us in to the feds for “seed saving.” We have these freedoms. Why? Because no one, and I mean no one totally controls the food supply in this country. The individual states have the right to govern the laws surrounding the food production within their own state. The Federal Government does not.

With the proposed legislation coming up for vote in the house, this could all change. HR 875. Have you heard of it? Probably not. I don't say that to be mean, but it has received no mainstream media attention. In fact, if you Google the bill, there is not a single major national media outlet that has even mentioned it! Why do I think that this is so outrageous? Simple, the bill lays the ground work to eliminate organic farming in this country, and the small family farmer, all in one swoop. The bill alone will threaten our freedom as consumers to purchase food from whomever we chose. The bill will institute organization to make regulations for the entire country. The protocol they develop will be required on all farms, no matter how large or how small. The goal of this bill, so they say, is to maximize “safety” in the food supply. While that is a goal that looks nice on paper and one that we all should support, we need to take a look at what the implications of this bill really means.

Once food safety protocol is determined farmers will have to comply. The bill will allow for inspections of all farms at any point in time, and unannounced to make sure compliance with the regulations is occurring. So, farmers will loose their ability to determine what is best for their animals, how to treat an ill animal, or even what to feed their animal. Farmers know best, not the federal government. If the federal government decides it is safer to plant all Monsanto crops and use Monsanto pesticides, that is what will have to be done, all in the name of safety of course.

The big picture here. When someone controls what we all need to survive, they have gained control of you! This is a very very big deal. Think about Wars that have been fought throughout the world. When the food is seized, the “prisoners” have little say in what they can eat... The federal government has no business being in our kitchens, determining what we should feed our families, or our family cow for that matter. There is much more to be said about this piece of legislation, but in the name of brevity, I will stop here. Please, please visit the links for more information, and get involved. Send a letter to your senator or representative. (note: I'm not saying that the large factory farming operations don't need more food safety requirements, just think peanut outbreak, but it isn't right for them to take advantage of that incident to take control over all the farms and our food supply in this country.)

The Actual Bill H.R. 875

http://www.opednews.com/articles/Goodbye-farmers-markets-C-by-Linn-...

Monsanto's Dream Bill

Free Speech TV covering the Bill

Federal Take over of Food

Coconut Cream Pie with Crust and Whipped Topping (Gluten-Free)

So, this isn't the healthiest thing on the face of the planet, b/c of the quantity of sugar, but it beats the heck out of a box or store bought dessert...and hey, it was for J's birthday! Awesome, awesome, awesome dessert! If you don't like the stringy texture of coconut, you can always omit from the custard. This recipe is completely starch free! Including the crust...so for those of you with Gluten allergies, you are in luck! Eat your heart-out! ;) For those with dairy issues, I hear you can use coconut cream in place of cream, and coconut milk in place of the milk....and you can always use coconut oil instead of butter! If anyone does the dairy substitutes please let me know how they turn out! ;)

1 3/4 cup heavy cream (preferably from grass-fed cows, and definitely not ultra-pasteurized!)
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups sweetened coconut shreds
2 egg yolks (or 1/4 cup flour or arrowroot to thicken)
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan heat the milk, cream, vanilla and coconut until it temps at 150. In a separate bowl combine the yolks, eggs, and sugar. Beat until combined. Make sure your cream mixture is still near 150 degrees. Add the cream mixture by 1/3 of a cup to the egg mixture stirring the whole time. Place all liquid back in the pot. Place on medium-high heat stirring constantly until the mixture thickens and reaches about 158 degrees...10 minutes or so. When mixture has thickened remove from the pot and place in a bowl. Stir in the 1/4 cup of butter until melted, and place the whole bowl in an ice bath, stirring occasionally until cooled.

When mostly cooled, place in the refrigerator.

For the Crust
2 1/4 cups finely grated coconut
1/2 succanant
1/4 cup melted butter or coconut oil
1 egg

place the coconut, sugar, melted butter and egg all in a bowl. Stir until combined. Press into a 9-9.5 inch pie crust. Pre-heat the oven and bake for 20 minutes on 350 or until edges are slightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Fill the crust with the custard and top with homemade whipping cream.

Whipping cream:
1/2 pint of cream
2 Tbsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla

Place the syrup and cream in a "frozen" mixing bowl and beat until stiff peeks form.

Thickening Agents

It is J's birthday today! In an effort to make him a delicious "cake" like substance to celebrate I resorted to one of his favorite pies! For those of you who don't know, J doesn't much care for cake, and much prefers pie. Pumpkin is his favorite, but Pumpkins aren't so much in season right now. Alas we found ourselves in the kitchen looking for a substitute for his favorite pie, that He, N and I could all enjoy together!

Coconut cream pie it was! J and I love it! The only problem was I wanted Noah to be able to have it. The recipe I had mad previously had corn starch or flour, or arrowroot in it, all of which, N can't have. So, I began a hunt for another thickening agent! I am happy to say, I found one that worked, how do I know it worked? The pie "sat" up!

So, I have discovered that Egg Yolks are a wonderful thickener for "custard" like substances or sauces, when you would usually have to use a starch in some variety. The trick is determining the amount of egg YOLK required. I emphasis Yolk, because the yolk is the thickener, and too much of an egg white in a recipe can really throw off the texture and flavor.

So, what do you do? In general for sauces or custards, omit up to 1/3 cup starch with 2 egg yolks. 1/3 of a cup b/c all starchs are used in different quantities. If a recipe only call for 2 Tbsp or less of starch, add one egg yolk.

The trick is in cooking. For "starch" thickeners it generally doesn't matter if the mixture comes to a ferocious boil, as long as it doesn't burn to the bottom, but when you are dealing with egg binders it does! You need to pay careful attention to the temperature. Don't allow your mixture to reach higher than 158 degrees or the egg separates. It is also important to slowly bring the egg up to temperature. Just like you premix your starch with cold water until dissolved prior to add to a hot mixture, you need to fully beat your egg yolks and than slowly add in a "warm" mixture 1/3 of a cup at a time to avoid "cooking" the yolk.

The mixture will thicken in several minutes at a temperature of 158 with constant stirring. Good luck and happy "starch free" foods! :)