NT June Thread - Page 14

[TopazBlueMama]

You always have such great ideas, mountain mom!

[mountain mom]

Ah, you guys are making me blush. :

[Hibou]

Originally Posted by knittinclothmama

and then brown rice or potatoes usually but are they NT friendly and should I be soaking them?

Potoatoes are fine. Rice, I think is suggested to soak for 6 hours min., but I think is lower in phytates than other grains, so in a pinch unsoaked rice is a better option.

I made the quick ricotta today with raw milk. It didn't curdle so much the first time, so I ended up adding more vinegar than the recipe called for and then re-straining it. It worked much better the second time. The cheese has a slight vinegar taste to it which I don't care for, but maybe next time I'll try a different vinegar or more lemon juice.

Had a discussion with DH lastnight in regards to his um...reluctance to jump in to our healthful eating (it's been nearly 2 years now!: )... He too complains about coming home hungry, and reaching for junkfood because there's nothing instant to eat. So, we decided that I would try to keep thawed, cut, marinated meat in the fridge so he can do quick stir-frys and stuff like that. Once again crossing my fingers and praying that this will make the difference.

[chasmyn]

So does anyone here have the turbo oven that Dr. Mercola recommends? There's a thread about it but I thought I'd ask here, too, to cover all the bases. We're thinking of getting it but I cannot find any reviews anywhere. Anyone?

[knittinclothmama]

Originally Posted by Hibou

Potoatoes are fine. Rice, I think is suggested to soak for 6 hours min., but I think is lower in phytates than other grains, so in a pinch unsoaked rice is a better option.

I made the quick ricotta today with raw milk. It didn't curdle so much the first time, so I ended up adding more vinegar than the recipe called for and then re-straining it. It worked much better the second time. The cheese has a slight vinegar taste to it which I don't care for, but maybe next time I'll try a different vinegar or more lemon juice.

Had a discussion with DH lastnight in regards to his um...reluctance to jump in to our healthful eating (it's been nearly 2 years now!: )... He too complains about coming home hungry, and reaching for junkfood because there's nothing instant to eat. So, we decided that I would try to keep thawed, cut, marinated meat in the fridge so he can do quick stir-frys and stuff like that. Once again crossing my fingers and praying that this will make the difference.

Thank you!!

[knittinclothmama]

Originally Posted by yitlan

I would use coconut oil or butter or a combo of both.

Okay, thank you!!

[knittinclothmama]

Originally Posted by mountain mom

I don't make the corn chips, I buy em! Heh.

But for the dip its really easy. Sprout the bean of your choice. I use garbanzos a lot.

Onced sprouted cook and strain and chill.

Take about 1/2 - 3/4 cup tahini to 2 - 3 cups beans and process in the blender or food processor.

Add diced garlic, carrot, and any other veggies you love that would work. I also add about 1/2 cup of hemp oil and hemp hearts for added nutrition. Sea salt to taste and viola! Bean dip.

I also make a pinto/tahini/musturd combo that is awesome with bison sausages on sprouted hotdog buns.

Once you have the beans, nut butter ratio down you can create many interesting dips.

Sounds yummy!!! My dh would love to have bean dip around on a regular basis! Do you use canned beans or dry?

[knittinclothmama]

Originally Posted by mountain mom

We always have various versions of the sunflower brownies ready to nosh on as well as the fermented buttermilk muffins. I also make a sprouted bean dip of some sort each week to eat with sprouted corn chips and fresh cut veggies.

I just got back from grocery shopping and I have some raw pecans soaking right now so I can make the sunflower brownies!
Do you use the buttermilk muffin recipe from the NT book? The basic muffin recipe? And do you freshly ground your flour?? I'm not at that point yet, just using whole wheat flour from the health food store.... I know it's not as good!!

[mountain mom]

I use dry beans. I soak them overnight and then strain and sprout for about 3 days. Then I cook them.

I use flour I buy from a wholesaler. I don't grind my grains. Haven't got to that point yet.

[AnnC]

Originally Posted by mountain mom

I use dry beans. I soak them overnight and then strain and sprout for about 3 days. Then I cook them.

I use flour I buy from a wholesaler. I don't grind my grains. Haven't got to that point yet.

I've been at this for 9 years, and this year I instituted my last step -- grinding my own flour. For me, at least, it seems like the advanced course! I feel good about doing it, though. It doesn't take long when I only need 3 or 4 cups for a loaf of bread.
Before that, I just got the best flour I could find, usually Bob's Red Mill organic white whole wheat, mixed with hard spring whole wheat. Or King Arthur makes good flour, too. My holdout is I still use a little white unbleached flour. It just makes it all hold together and rise better. I suppose a little of it won't kill me!

These things are time consuming, but not too bad with planning. Bread rising and stock in the crock pot is pretty self-sufficient while you are doing other things -- you just have to pick a day when you are home to monitor. I use my bread machine for the mixing and kneading, then take it out to rise in a glass bowl; punch it down, rise again; then hours later, I shape it for the final rise. It takes all day, but doesn't involve much work. It's worth it for the flavor, and knowing what's in my bread!

The worst, I think, is the cleanup after stock making!

Here's a question: I thought I read somewhere in Sally's writings that bulgar is pre-soaked wheat. I bought some, and it's chopped into little pieces, meant for cereal, and it says it has been "steamed". Is that going to affect those phytates? I thought I could grind it in my mill, and use it for biscuits, cookies, things where it just seems it wouldn't work to soak or sour the flour. Does anyone know if bulgar can just be used without soaking or souring?

Ann

[knittinclothmama]

Originally Posted by mountain mom

I use dry beans. I soak them overnight and then strain and sprout for about 3 days. Then I cook them.

I use flour I buy from a wholesaler. I don't grind my grains. Haven't got to that point yet.

Good to know on the flour.... I've just been buying King Arthur's whole wheat lately.
With the beans after you soak overnight you strain and then soak again for 3 days? If so do you drain the water and use fresh water each day or does that matter? I don't know why beans don't seem difficult but wheat berries do!?? ha ha

[mountain mom]

After I initially soak them, I put them in my sprouting tray rack and sprout them. Google sprouting and there will be many websites to peruse.

We only use spelt flour around here.

[knittinclothmama]

Broth in the crockpot is very interesting!! I could totally do that I think.... anyone want to tell me how???
Sorry if I'm bugging y'all w/ my questions!!

[memory maker]

Originally Posted by mountain mom

I don't make the corn chips, I buy em! Heh.

But for the dip its really easy. Sprout the bean of your choice. I use garbanzos a lot.

Onced sprouted cook and strain and chill.

Take about 1/2 - 3/4 cup tahini to 2 - 3 cups beans and process in the blender or food processor.

Add diced garlic, carrot, and any other veggies you love that would work. I also add about 1/2 cup of hemp oil and hemp hearts for added nutrition. Sea salt to taste and viola! Bean dip.

I also make a pinto/tahini/musturd combo that is awesome with bison sausages on sprouted hotdog buns.

Once you have the beans, nut butter ratio down you can create many interesting dips.

thanks sounds great!

[Midwesternmomma]

Amber, I just wanted to let you know that you are not alone in your questions. I am a newbie to this, well... not even a newbie really, I am just in the reading the book stage... and I am loving your questions.

[Annikate]

Hi mamas! I'm a newbie too. I've been slowly incorporating NT into our lives with a b'feeding babe who is highly allergic to wheat/gluten and *was* reactive to some other foods as well so I"m going very slowly w/her and watching what I eat as well.

I'm totally new to the grains section of NT and am thinking about adding either millet or quinoa (yep, I know it's not *technically* a grain. .. ) to dd's diet. Since I had quinoa in the house here's what I did:

I am soaking Quinoa flakes in some whey and yogurt right now. I'm hoping that they'll be useable tomorrow - - maybe cooked w/some butter for dd.

I did not follow any particular recipe, I just added 2 tbsp. of whey and when I realized that was not enough, just dumped some yogurt on top, mixed it, and covered it up.

Is this okay? Will they be at all edible do you think?

[OceanMomma]

Hibou my dh is exactly the same. There can be literally a fridge & cupboards full of real food that you need to prepare & he will complain there is nothing in the house. I've not found a solution yet.

re: the ricotta. We made that on my cheese making course from the whey from the other cheeses. You need to heat the whey to about 80degC & add the vinegar. It needs to be white vinegar too as the others aren't strong enuf ( cider vinegar ) or colour the cheese ( malt vinegar). I've got the exact proportions written down somewhere. You can make mascarpone in the same way from raw milk, raw cream & lemon juice. 3 litres of milk, 500ml of cream & the juice of 2 sour lemons. Except you hang it to drain & ricotta you skim off the surface of the pot. It is really yummy & so easy.

I have a kefir question. Can you adapt kefir milk grains to work with water ? We're heading towards the end of raw milk season this year : So I need to make some sodas or something else tasty to make up for it.

[bhawkins]

Originally Posted by OceanMomma

Hibou my dh is exactly the same. There can be literally a fridge & cupboards full of real food that you need to prepare & he will complain there is nothing in the house. I've not found a solution yet.

Well, I'm glad to know I'm not the only one busy ! It really sucks when the "grown up" challenges the new foods more than the kids:

[carnelian]

Originally Posted by OceanMomma

I have a kefir question. Can you adapt kefir milk grains to work with water ? We're heading towards the end of raw milk season this year : So I need to make some sodas or something else tasty to make up for it.

Yep, I've been doing this for several weeks now. The converted grains won't grow but they will continue to ferment the juices tho not sure how long. There's a whole thread with lots of great info on this topic probably on page 3 or 4 of this forum by now.

[caedmyn]

Originally Posted by OceanMomma

I have a kefir question. Can you adapt kefir milk grains to work with water ? We're heading towards the end of raw milk season this year : So I need to make some sodas or something else tasty to make up for it.

Yes but they will stop growing. GaleForce and Xenabyte both have water kefir grains, you can PM them and see if they can get you some.