Raw Milk Mama

Soaked Flour Whole Grain Frozen Berries Muffin Recipe

2008-06-18T11:33:00.001-07:00

Yum! My kids loved helping me make (and eat!) some delicious soaked-flour berry muffins we adapted from another recipe. They helped me mix, measure, and add the largest berries to the center of each muffin. My daughter liked to see the top of the berries poking out, while Son #1 wound up pushing them all the way under.

Working carefully, helping together

Soaked Flour Whole Grain Frozen Berries Muffin Recipe

(Makes 2 dozen muffins)

4 cups fresh ground white wheat flour
1/4 cup fresh ground oat flour
1/4 cup fresh ground Kamut
1/2 tsp yeast

1 1/2 cups yogurt
1/4 cup milk

1 to 1 1/2 cups Rapadura or Succanat

4 eggs, beaten, room temp
7 oz (200 ml) coconut oil, liquid
4 tsp vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups frozen mixed berries

Mix together flours, yeast, 2 TB Rapadura, yogurt and milk and allow to sit, covered with cloth, overnight on the counter.

The next morning, prepare muffin pans and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Stir together eggs, coconut oil and vanilla extract.

Mix berries and remaining sugar into flour and yogurt. Add in egg mixture and stir until combined.

Fill muffin cups and bake for 25-35 minutes.

Watching the muffins bake ... "Are they done yet?"

Variations:

Reserve 24 large berries and put them in the centers of each filled muffin cup.

I used 1 cup succanat, but the original recipe called for 1.5 cups of sugar and would be sweeter that way.

Delicious Berry Muffins and raw milk!

What's your favorite recipe to make with kids? What baking steps can they handle themselves?

This post was included in the Carnival of Family Life ~ Welcome Summer edition. Check it out!

An Emergency Food Storage Plan: Getting Started

2008-04-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

Have you thought about gathering an emergency food storage stash in your home? In the case of a job layoff, natural disaster, crop shortage, power outage or other crisis, having thought ahead could make a huge difference for your family and allow you to continue to eat well even with limited funds or lessened food availability.

I've been reading Making the Best of Basics: Family Preparedness Handbook and it's an excellent resource. If you feel overwhelmed, start with the LDS food storage calculator, which is very simple. However, the amounts seem to be a bit less than the recommendations in Making the Best of Basics.

With the rising price of grain, building an emergency food storage is more expensive than it used to be, but possibly cheaper than it will be for some time. The key is to buy whole natural foods, in bulk, at the best price you can find. My mother-in-law bought my wheat in Kentucky because it is $10 cheaper per 50-lb. bag there than it is where I live. I found bulk peanut butter online, and bought it at $2.20/lb. before finding it at Trader Joe's for $1.69/lb.

I found bulk coconut oil and other natural products at Wilderness Family Naturals, which I recommend. Definitely go for a quality oil rather than cheap soybean oil which will NOT nourish your family. The five-gallon expeller pressed coconut oil is an excellent buy. Shop around and build your reserves up; you'll never know when you might need it most.

Want to get started on your own emergency food storage? Here's an in-depth primer: How to Store Food for Long-Term Survival.

Grass Fed Beef That's Tender: It Exists!

2008-03-29T11:04:00.000-07:00

We just purchased a side of grass fed beef from Shagbark Mountain Cattle in Maryland/ West Virginia. It is amazingly tender and absolutely delicious. John and I happily enjoyed our rib steaks the other night, especially since we'd been eating only chicken since ordering our beef a month ago. The flavor of this grass-fed beef is excellent, in my opinion, with an incredible tenderness.

Finally, we've found beef that meets the high standards we're used to after being spoiled by John's family's grass fed beef in Kentucky. We previously bought beef from another farm, in Virginia, a half one summer and last fall, but the results were not as good. The meat had a gamy taste to it and while the ground meat was good, the steaks and roasts tended toward dryness. Even rare, the meat was not as tender or flavorful as we expected.

My friend Anne (who got me into Nourishing Traditions in the first place ... but that's another story) found the Shagbark Mountain through EatWild.com and spoke at length with the rancher before placing an order for a whole animal, which we split.

According to their listing, Shagbark Mountain raises "Black Angus and Simental cattle on over 200 acres of clover, broome and orchard grass—naturally without hormones or chemical fertilizers." We enjoyed meeting the owner and his sons, who kindly showed our kids the goats, kids, sheep and donkey near the office while we completed the transaction.

We ended up with 191 pounds of meat, and 5 pounds of organ meats. The price per pound, packaged in the freezer, came to $3.87. (Hanging weight price was $2.85/ lb.) That's ground meat to sirloin steak, and everything in between. I didn't even include the soup bones and suet in that price calculation, although the butcher delivered them as promised.

There are several grass-fed beef ranches near us, but we're so pleased I expect we'll order from Shagbark Mountian again, if we don't have our own cattle by then. We've even recommended them to our friends already -- some things are too good to keep secret.

I'm looking forward to marinating and grilling and spicing and roasting our meat over the coming months. My friend Anne recommends the Grassfed Gourmet cookbook, which I will buy as soon as the budget allows.

What's your favorite source for grass fed beef? I'd love to hear from you!

Natural Health & Nutrition Links

2008-03-24T13:59:00.000-07:00

I'm busy this week, but don't want to ignore Raw Milk Mama. So, to provide you with some reading material and to be concise at the same time, I've decided to share with you some links for further reading on topics I love. Some articles I even wrote myself, so it keeps me from feeling like I'm neglecting you.

What makes Raw Milk so healthy? Check out this page at Real Milk to learn more.
Curious about switching to whole foods and what to stock? Check out the Natural Food Pantry List at my Natural Health Information site. While you're there, subscribe to the Natural Health Information Blog and stay on top of my latest articles.
Looking for a substitute for commercial sports drinks for the summer season ahead? Try coconut water and enjoy a delicious, hydrating beverage that has nothing artificial.
If you've switched to grass-fed beef, you'll want to check out the Grass-Fed Gourmet cookbook, which is nice enough for a wedding shower gift.
Do you know someone with autism? Learn more about a autism diet that is changing children's lives.

That should provide a little reading material until I check back in.

What books do you recommend, and what online sources have inspired or helped you? Let me know in the comments, below.

Simple Container Gardening Tips

2008-03-19T12:25:00.000-07:00

My soil is clay and full of rocks, discouraging to even the most avid gardener. My green-thumb sister tried planting cabbages in my backyard but gave up. After a couple disappointing summers, I turned to container gardening as both a creative outlet and means for food production. Container gardening is simpler – and more productive – than you may imagine.

There are many benefits to container gardening, especially for a beginner. It's easy to start small, with only a few varieties in several pots, and grow more each season without feeling intimidated by a large untamed garden plot. You can also start your plants inside late in the winter and move them back indoors after the summer, extending your growing season.

This spring, I felt very inspired and have started 150 seedlings as my container gardening project for the year. I planted tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, herbs and more. Peas and cucumbers will follow, but I'll start those later this spring in outdoor pots.

Want to try container gardening for yourself? Pick some seeds, find some containers, and get started!

Seeds

My favorite seeds are heirloom varieties, and I love the huge selection at Seed Savers. But really, any seeds will do, and organic varieties are widely available. Just avoid hybrid seeds in order to save the seeds from your plants each year. Choose several varieties, keeping in mind your family's preferences.

Containers

There is no need to spend a lot of money – or any money, if you're creative – on container gardening. This year, my containers are an eclectic group of nursery plant pots (saved by my sister from her home landscaping projects) old enamel pots (from a junk heap) and 5-gallon plastic pails someone discarded. To ensure proper drainage, drill several holes in the bottom of each container and put a layer of gravel or clay pot pieces under the soil.

Soil

Use any combination of your native soil, potting mix, composted horse manure, chicken manure, and compost that is possible. Use a soil test kit to learn what your soil needs. If it is low in nitrogen, add a little chicken manure.

Plant Food

I prefer to avoid chemical fertilizers, so I use an organic sea mineral supplement to feed my plants. Also look for organic fertilizers and plant food in stores if your soil is not rich in nutrients. See minerals are an excellent way to add nutrients to the soil.

Container gardening really is that simple. Choose your containers, prepare them with proper drainage, mix and add your soil, plant your seeds ... and expect great things from your container garden. I can't wait to make a tomato salad from my garden's bounty.

Inspired? Pass it on! Share your container gardening plans (or tips) with other readers, below.

Making Bread with Fermented (Soaked) Flour

2008-02-26T07:06:00.000-08:00

One of the principles of traditional diets is that whole grains must be soaked, sprouted, or fermented before cooking and eating.

When life is busy, this is one of the hardest steps to do since it requires planning ahead and knowing what you will back days before you make it.

I have recently gotten into a rhythm with my bread making, however, and begin soaking the flour for the next day's bread while the previous loaf is baking. Now, we don't run out of bread and the process is painless for me as it has become habitual.

This is my recipe for soaked grain bread:

1 cup water (warm)
1/4 cup butter or coconut oil
1 TB whey (or 1/4 c yogurt)
3 cups whole wheat flour (fresh ground at home is best)

1 TB Rapadura (succanat)
1 TB honey
1 tsp warm water
1 1/2 tsp yeast

1 egg, beaten
1 tsp sea salt
extra flour as needed

First, combine first 4 ingredients to form a dough. I use the bread machine and allow it to mix them into a dough before unplugging it. Allow to soak/ferment for 18-24 hours.

Remove dough from mixer/ bread machine. In mixer/ bread machine, combine next four ingredients (sweeteners, yeast, warm tsp. water). Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. Add egg and salt.

Begin breaking the dough into small pieces and add a few to the machine. Turn on and keep adding more pieces of the dough until incorporated. You will need to add a little flour to get the right consistency. For this, Sally would be ok with unbleached white flour, you could also do sprouted grain flour if you have it. I just use wheat.

After the dough forms, allow the bread machine to continue on dough setting. When done, remove and put in buttered floured loaf pan and rise for 45 mins or until doubled and bake for 30 mins. on 350 F.

I hope that recipe works for you; you will likely need to experiment a little. I adapted it from Sally Fallon's recipe as well as my conventional bread machine recipe. If you have a KitchenAid but not a bread machine, you should allow it to rise for about an hour after it forms a good dough and is kneaded for about five minutes. After the hour, punch down and form into a loaf, then continue as directed.

Longing for a Farm

2008-01-08T07:08:00.000-08:00

Top 10 Reasons I wish I Lived on a Farm:

10. For space to live without feeling crowded.

9. To return to my roots, having grown up on a small vegetable farm.

8. Baby animals in the spring.

7. To reclaim part of the earth for organic, sustainable living.

6. Chickens and farm fresh eggs.

5. Real work, that mattered, for all of us.

4. The chance to grow heirloom vegetables.

3. For increased self-sufficiency.

2. Our kids' childhoods would be farm life experiences.

1. Fresh, raw milk from our own grass-fed cow.

Local Harvest: Finding Natural and Organic Food Near You

2007-12-10T10:59:00.000-08:00

Local Harvest is an incredible concept and an excellent resource for locating natural foods nearby. It is similar to the website Eat Wild, but seems to have a more extensive listing of local farms and also features a Local Harvest blog, Local Harvest Newsletter, information on Community Supported Agriculture (CSA), a web forum and more.

The Local Harvest slogan is "real food, real farmers, real community," all three aspects of which are dear to my own heart. I want to feed my family real food, the way God intended it, not the way some Big Ag company decided to make the most money off of it. I want to support real farmers when I can't produce the food myself (currently, that's 100% of the time). And in supporting real farmers, I want to be better connected to my community.

I put in my zip code on Local Harvest and found two farm listings of people I already know, several farms I'd heard of or done business with, and plenty more I'd like to explore. The chickens at Beatrix Farm (photo on right) are happy and healthy in their grass pasture. What's available in your Local Harvest?

Staying Healthy with Raw Milk

2007-11-30T11:49:00.000-08:00

It's almost December, and thankfully, none of the five of us -- two adults and three children under age 5 -- has even had a cold yet.

The secret is the raw, organic milk.

Kevin has a bit of a runny nose, but he gets that when he's teething. Otherwise, we are blessed with robust health that I do not take for granted.

We drink six gallons of raw milk each week. If money were no object, we'd consume eight or nine... maybe make yogurt out of some of it, but probably drink it before I would have the chance, if I know my family.

Megan likes to flex her little arms and say "I'm SOOOO strong! 'Cause I drink raw milk!" The funniest part is that she is naturally very petite, so to hear her say that she is getting "So HUGE!" from consuming the delicious superfood makes me smile. I don't disapoint her, however, as I reply that she is so big, she's going to be taller than Mama soon.

Raw Milk

2007-11-19T05:25:00.000-08:00

By Maria September 21st, 2007
For the past 18 months, we have been exclusively drinking local organic raw milk. While my husband gew up milking his family cow and drank fresh raw milk daily as a young teenager, I had only ever had the plastic-jug-pasturized and homoginized stuff sold under the lable “Vitamin D Milk.”

Since making the switch to organic raw milk, it has been incredible to see the health benefits firsthand. My husband and I both feel healthier than before, without sugar cravings and the like. We have not been sick with the flu since we started drinking raw milk; previously, we came down with it every Christmas. My two preschoolers, who were toddlers when we began our raw milk adventure as a family, stopped getting colds and the sniffles, and runny noses ceased. Both began to put on a little healthy chubbiness that had always eluded them. My youngest son, conceived after I started drinking at least a quart of raw milk a day, weighed 9 lbs. 2 oz at his full-term birth. Now 6 months old, he is in the 75th percentile for weight. He weighs more than my daughter did at a 12 months–quite healthy and happy.

Those who drink raw milk or have learned about the benefits of raw milk through Sally Fallon or the Real Milk campaign will be especially frustrated to hear about places where real milk sales are not only illegal, but are compared to selling drugs. The following article Raw Milk: Illegal in North Carolina, USA notes: “And why is it legal to sell uncooked meat, raw seafood, alcohol, tobacco and firearms—but unprocessed milk is more difficult to obtain than marijuana?”

Very interesting question, indeed.

Minimally Processed Meals? Local Food Sources? What a Concept!

2007-11-16T12:12:00.000-08:00

By Maria August 2nd, 2007
I noticed this online article while checking my email the other day:Faux Food: Is It Still Cheese? A decent article in the mainstream media … people are catching on. While it lacks depth, it does present a springboard for the average consumer. I doubt it would in any way enlighten Nourished magazine’s readers, but it could be a good link to share with those who still eat processed grocery store foods. Unfortunately, the article still considers juice an OK beverage, even though it is empty calories–basically zil nutrition.
On the positive side, they give some very basic, good advice:~ Look for foods around the perimeter of the supermarket: fresh and frozen produce, fish, meats, dairy products.~ Avoid foods with “partially hydrogenated oil”
Linked from this article was one on Sources for Local Food — buying directly from farmers — how exciting to see this concept making inroads in the general population! The article suggests visiting local farms and farmer’s market, a concept that may be new to many mainstream readers.
Later today, I will be taking the children down to the orchard a few miles outside our town for an afternoon of peach-picking. This tradition is always part of our summer and they look forward to the ripe, juicy fruit. It’s wonderful for them to see the fruit come from its natural enticing environment and not the austere grocery shelves. We will talk with the family that has run the farm for the last 100 years and connect with our food producers directly. If only all of our food came to us this way.

Cod Liver Oil: Start Young!

2007-11-16T12:09:00.000-08:00

By Maria June 26th, 2007
Family and friends over for a visit are amazed by the ease in which our young children take their cod liver oil– they are shocked to hear the children come up to us after the evening meal and remind their father excitedly, “Oil time! Oil time!” Their exuberance matches that of children asking for a popsicle, and our guests are surprised to see the appearance of the supplement and not some processed sugar product.
Jack (4) and Megan (2) have been taking liquid high-vitamin cod liver oil daily for the past eight months. We began by letting them watch my husband and I take a spoonful, and we spoke highly about the benefits of the supplement, explaining why we thought it was important. We offered them each a taste, so they could get used to the oil before being given a whole teaspoon. For a few days, they got used to the taste and texture by just having a drop of the oil, followed by a chewable vitamin C. Soon enouh, the oil was being licked from the spoon in whole doses.
Many of our grown friends and relatives have a very hard time taking cod liver oil; however, those who received it as children can take it easily now, even if decades of their lives in between were deprived of the supplement. It is encouraging to know that not only are we building our children’s health with the food we give them, but we are shaping their knowledge and their ability to recognize and appreciate that which will nourish their bodies.
Excellent article from the Weston A. Price Foundation, by Krispin Sullivan, CN: Cod Liver Oil: The Number One Superfood

Introduction

2007-11-16T12:05:00.000-08:00

By Maria
June 17th, 2007
Hello! I am an at-home mother of three beautiful children. My husband and I were both raised on farms for a portion of our childhoods, but our own journey to a more natural way of life began when we had our first child at a birthing center and in ernest about a year ago when we read Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions and began drinking raw milk.
We are currently reading “Deep Economy” “Little House on a Small Planet” and several other books that continue to challenge our philosophies and inspire our way of life.We are renovating a cabin in the Shenandoah Valley area, which is smaller than our current home, and hope to move in the Spring. We look forward to embarking on a more simple lifestyle and eventually, owning a farm and growing our own food.
(Note: I am moving my first few posts over from my old blog site, thus the different dates.)