Cuckoo for Coconut!

My first memory of coconut is the scent....the scent of sun tan lotion that I would wear as a teenager just so I could smell it! I have always loved coconut's scent and the flavor, but I admit, I have never cracked one open myself. I have always been intimidated by the rather large nut, that looks very hard to crack. Then, what to do with a bunch of fresh coconut? So, the by-products are usually what I find myself buying, eating, and wearing. There are entire blogs dedicated to this one nut. Check out the Coconut Mama. Wow. I thought hemp was versatile, but this nut is pretty amazing!

Great reasons to go coconuts:

*contains high amounts of lauric acid (rarely found anywhere else) that converts into an anti-viral/anti-bacterial/anti-protozoa property.

*coconut oil is nature's richest source of MCFA's (medium-chain fatty acids) similar to the amounts found in human breast milk, which act as a carbohydrate in your body, providing energy without the insulin spike- thereby helping your body burn calories

*great for our hearts

*coconuts have one of the highest fiber contents of any plant food

*acts as a vermifuge (expels parasitic worms)

*supports the thyroid gland

*is great for hair and skin's health

*its sugar and syrups are low on the glycemic index

*its oil is versatile in cooking and baking and superior in health benefits to most other oils

*its flour is a great gluten-free alternative in baking

*its cream is wonderful in smoothies, desserts, and more

Some of my favorite coconut products:

Coconut vinegar (no taste of coconut)

Dairy free, made with coconut milk, organic ice cream, love this stuff!!!

This coconut cream comes in a solid, concentrated form. It's great to add a little here, a little there for whatever recipe (rather than opening a can of coconut milk and not using it all).

Unrefined coconut oil for baking, sauteing, cooking, and moisturizing

Although I have tried coconut sugars and syrups, and I do like them, I have read that the methods for farming the sugars from a coconut palm tree render the trees useless after the harvest. This is not a sustainable practice and I will probably no longer purchase coconut in sugar form. Honey, maple syrup, agave, and "old fashioned" cane sugar will continue to be my sweeteners of choice for now. 

I will be sure to post coconut recipes here and there.....until then, what's YOUR favorite coconut product and why?

Favorite Mexican Layer Dip Recipe!

I am not sure if my love of Mexican (American style) food started with my first ever waiting tables job or not....Wait a minute, start over. Yes, my infatuation began when I worked at the only Mexican restaurant for miles....before this, my only exposure to Mexican food was a boxed burrito kit (Old El Paso) and a few tacos from Taco Bell. (If you only knew how much junk food I ate while growing up, you might wonder where I grew to love organic, whole foods!) There isn't much that I will not eat on the menu at a Mexican-style restaurant. Caldo de pollo is always a favorite. So many delicate flavors in one bowl of chicken soup, yummo! Avocados are heaven to me, absolute heaven. I only wish that they could be purchased perfectly ripe when I desire to eat them right away. Lime juice, cilantro, jalapenos, oh my....the melding of so many spices, and fresh flavors, I just love it! My only complaint is the time needed to prepare most of the Mexican style recipes. So much to chop and slice. But, this is what makes it a super fresh, wonderful treat. When I need my Mexican fix, this is a go to that requires little prep and has just enough flavor to get me through until the next big Mexi-feast. It's a naturally gluten free, meat free recipe that I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 can of organic refried beans (your choice)
1 small can, chopped green chilis
1 small chopped tomato
1/2 of green pepper, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream
1 avocado, smashed with salt and pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheddar and/or monterey jack cheese
**If you happen to have it (and love it as much as I do) add some freshly chopped cilantro

 Layer in ramekins or small baking dishes, the refried beans, tomatoes, sour cream, the green chilis, green peppers,  the avocado mash and top with the cheese. 

 Place in oven at 350 degrees F for approx. 12 min. Take out and top with any remaining ingredients.

Oh the melty goodness!

 Serve with warmly toasted, organic corn tortilla chips. Ole! 

Find raw cheddar cheese here: Organic, raw cheddar cheese, order here

Sliders made with Green Finished Beef

At my niece's wedding this fall we were introduced to a beautiful rendition of sliders, sans buns. These mini burger bites were the cutest little burgers I had ever seen. And, how thoughtful, as the menu offered many naturally gluten-free foods, which meant our daughter could partake in almost everything but the cake! (Although the bride had also been thoughtful enough to have wonderful chocolates and truffles aside just for our daughter in lieu of cake).

So here is the easy recipe just for you!

For the patties:

1 lb. Green Finished ground beef (from Beyond Organic's ranch)

1/2 small onion, minced

salt and pepper

*Mix ingredients and shape approx. 2 Tbsp. of the meat mixture into a patty, and do the same with remaining meat. Fry patties in medium hot, heavy bottomed (or iron) fry pan with real, organic, salted butter. Fry until each side is browned nicely and middle is barely pink. Set aside when finished.

My daughter loves to help me cook!

Try to keep them the same size so they will all cook at the same temperature

Cooked patties resting and waiting to be dressed up for the occasion!

Condiment toppers:

2-3 small dill pickles, sliced

3-4 grape tomatoes, sliced

your choice of cheese (I used Beyond Organic's raw milk cheddar cheese) cut into small pieces

sturdy lettuce (romaine is my choice) torn into small pieces

*Stack one of each condiment on top of each other and spear with a toothpick, until you have enough for each patty. Then place speared condiments on top, then spear the toothpick through each patty.

And here they are, cute as buttons! A tasty, fun way to get your CLA's (Conjugated Linoleic Acid), vitamins, minerals, and Omega 3 fatty acids!

A wonderful appetizer or snack for beef connoisseurs of any age!

Where's the beef you say? Well, here it is: Green Finished Ground Beef and don't forget the Organic, Green Fed, Raw Cheddar Cheese:

"Green Finished" Beef (what is it exactly?)

Healthy, happy cows, "outstanding" in their field

"Green Finished" Beef is a trademark name from Beyond Organic, a company who believes that we are what the animals ate (if you eat meat or dairy products). Green Finished means that the cow was born, raised, and finished entirely on legumes, pasture grasses, and/or alfalfa (when it's winter) with absolutely no grain in the diet (corn, etc.) Beyond Organic owns its own several thousand acre ranch in southern Missouri where its special A2 type cattle grazes on organic pastures, just as happy cows should. These cows are never administered antibiotics or hormones. They are treated and cared for with compassion and handled according to biblical standards and kosher ideals.  The ground meat has a clean, delicious flavor and is very tender. Beyond Organic is a brand new company and only offers its Green Finished Beef in the forms of ground beef and all beef hot dogs right now.

Where does your beef come from?

Gorgeous Beef!

Marinating in: Organic Tamari (wheat-free soy sauce), garlic powder, sea salt and pepper

A few days before Christmas I found myself in denial. Denial that it was a few days before Christmas. Typically I plan things ahead of time (although I have noticed that with my "older" age, comes more of a "go with the flow" agenda).  Now that I do not micro manage myself as much, I need to accept the fact that I reap what I sow.

So, there I am standing in the middle of Whole Foods/paycheck, when I realize that we may not have that wonderful, standing prime rib roast that I like to make for Christmas dinners. As I approached the butcher counter and inquired, my hunch was right. I did not order mine ahead, so I get to choose from whatever is left over. They did have some choice rib roasts, beef that is "Step 1" according to Whole Food's meat "5-step Animal Welfare Rating" system.  Step 1 requires that "Animals live their lives with space to move around and stretch their legs." That's only one of the several things I look for in buying meat. Looking ahead to "Step 5", this is the stipulation to qualifying, "Animals get to live their whole lives with all the body parts they were born with." This just sounds horrific to me, although I had a slight chuckle (evil laugh) because this sounds like a no brainer that a cow would need all the body parts it was born with in order to be a productive end product. Obviously I am not a farmer, a rancher, or a butcher. I am a "Volvo-driving Soccer Mom" (warning, that link is rated PG-13) who tries REALLY hard to make sure my family eats well enough (to make up for all the years I "let" them eat McDonald's Happy Meals, ugh) and help them build a foundation of food knowledge. And, now that we are in the Beyond Organic business, I am learning more than I ever began to think about in terms of every thing that comes into play with where my meat truly comes from, how it's handled, and how nutritious it really is.

After the Whole Foods butcher explained to me that the marbling was better in the lower rated cuts of beef (because the animals are fed corn to fatten them up) and tried to sell me on it, I just wasn't going for it.  They were Step 1 rated, and although better than "Walmart meat", I was not about to pay the high price for Step 1.  Almost everything in life has a spectrum. There is the poor cow that lived a life in crowded feed lots, eating corn all day, never knowing what life was supposed to be like for a cow, standing in mucky urine and feces, possibly diseased, and requiring antibiotics and hormone injections to make him grow faster so he is ready for the slaughter house a whole year earlier than his free roaming, grass eating counterparts. Then there is the cow (or pig, turkey or chicken....) who gets to live life as it should, grazing on organic green pastures, so healthy there is no need for antibiotics, no need for hormones. Yes, they all have be slaughtered eventually, but it does make me feel a bit better to buy the cow who was treated humanely and slaughtered by biblical methods. Some say it is too expensive, but I always view it as, "Why would I PAY for the bottom of the barrel meat?" The burger meat at fast food places, the chicken nuggets that are more like tendons and muscle meat from chickens farmed in unsanitary conditions, the pig who was killed on the "death floor" by literally being squished to death......why would I eat this meat for FREE let alone pay for it?

Be Good to Your Gut!

Green Fed A2 type cows, grazing on thousands of organic pastures in southern Missouri produce this unique, extremely beneficial product, new to the market place. Can be delivered to your door!

Beyond Organic's GreenFed Raw Cheddar Cheese contains healthy probiotics

I have been told time and time again that my health starts with my digestive system. This makes a lot of sense to me since the average person has almost 30 feet of guts. Its the place where food enters and it's nutrients are supposed to be absorbed into the system. For those who suffer "IBS" symptoms (and let me preface by saying that I believe IBS is just a generalized dump-bucket term that some doctors choose to lean on), more than likely they will also have a "leaky gut" which is the lead culprit to the IBS symptoms. Leaky gut syndrome damage occurs to the lining of one's intestinal wall from repeated ingestion of foods containing gluten, certain medications, excessive alcohol, certain antibiotics, and other triggers. This damage leads to a permeability in the intestinal walls where toxins literally flow through the intestines into the blood stream rather than being moved along and voided. Having this condition causes many symptoms such as abdominal bloating, excessive gas and cramps, fatigue, food sensitivities, joint pain, skin rashes, and autoimmunity. 

Beyond Organic's dark organic chocolate contains toasted flax seed for Omega 3s, fiber, with probiotics and antioxidants. Who wants some chocolate?!

So, how to heal the gut from damage already done (or keep your gut running optimally and healthy)? PROBIOTICS! It is a simple way to help heal one's gut, keep things moving along, and put healthy flora (or healthy bugs/bacteria) back into the digestive system. Probiotics are a NECESSITY if one has ever been on antibiotics. Antibiotics kill ALL the bugs, good and bad. Probiotics must be taken after the last round of antibiotics have been taken in order to give the gut a chance to restore its normal flora. However, it is truly necessary to take probiotics at all times, and just up the intake after a round of antibiotics, sickness, or disease.


How probiotics benefit and help to heal the gut:


1. Boost your immunities and help fight against anything trying to "get" you
2. Increase bowel movement
3. Discourages overgrowth of "bad" bacteria
4. Reduces intestinal allergies
5. Helps alleviate "IBS", gluten intolerance symptoms
6. Produces nutrients in the lining of the gut 
7. Lessens occurrence of yeast

With our daughter suffering from gluten intolerance, our favorite way to get probiotics into our diet is by drinking Amasai, a living whole food. Here are the highlights of Amasai:

• GreenFed - cattle intensely graze on organic grasses and greens - no grains
• Cultured - with over 30 types of probiotics, making it an easy-to-digest, smoothie-like beverage
• True Whole Milk - never skimmed, always teeming with protein, healthy fats and fat-soluble vitamins

For more information on how to have Amasai delivered to your door click here: organicformylife.com

The Bottled Water Debate

I have a Mother. A wonderful, knowledgeable, helpful Mother. She is the reason for getting my brain thinking "Where does that water come from in that bottle?".  She is the reason for my pondering many things, but let's just ponder this one for now. About 6 years ago, when my husband's Navy job had taken us to Canada on an exchange tour for 3 years, I was on a huge mission to make myself healthy, lose weight, and spend more time on myself, ultimately improving myself as a whole. When I had decided that I was sick of being overweight, I managed to lose about 70 lbs. I spent countless hours at the gym and drank water like there was no tomorrow. Here's my "results not typical" success story .  We have lived in the States for the past few years and I had surgery to remove my gall bladder 3 years ago. Someone told me that having my gall bladder removed would promote weight gain. I guess it makes sense knowing the main purpose of the gall bladder is to aid in the digestion of fats from food. Because of the fact that the United States feels the need to triple food portions, plus my overall love of food, not to mention a wee bit of depression from moving around all of the time, I have gained a few pounds back. For those reading, trying to lose weight: Don't get discouraged, it can happen, and the pounds can stay off.  I was skinny for about 5 years after losing all that weight originally. I have to say that life comes into play, and I am guilty of losing all control the past 2 years. Now, I will have to work double time to get back to 130 lbs. Anyway, (I am so good at losing sight of the current topic!) this is about water, no? WATER....the most important element in our bodies. About 60% of our body weight comes from water. As we already know, water is more important than food when it comes to survival. But, water can also be bad for us. How so? Water can carry contaminants, carcinogens, diseases, and more. The bottle the water is in can contain leaching chemicals (like Bisphenol A).  When truly giving this topic consideration, we need to go back to the initial source of any water, bottled, tap, or otherwise.


This definition table comes from the FDA:

Table 1. Various types of bottled water.

TYPE	DEFINITION
Artesian Water	Water from a well tapping a confined aquifer in which the water level stands at some height above the top of the aquifer.
Mineral Water	Water containing not less than 250 ppm total dissolved solids that originates from a geologically and physically protected underground water source. Mineral water is characterized by constant levels and relative proportions of minerals and trace elements at the source. No minerals may be added to mineral water.
Purified Water	Water that is produced by distillation, deionization, reverse osmosis or other suitable processes and that meets the definition of "purified water" in the U.S. Pharmacopeia, 23d Revision, Jan. 1, 1995. As appropriate, also may be called "demineralized water," "deionized water," "distilled water," and "reverse osmosis water."
Sparkling Bottled Water	Water that, after treatment and possible replacement of carbon dioxide, contains the same amount of carbon dioxide that it had at emergence from the source.
Spring Water	Water derived from an underground formation from which water flows naturally to the surface of the earth at an identified location. Spring water may be collected at the spring or through a bore hole tapping the underground formation feeding the spring, but there are additional requirements for use of a bore hole.

Growing up we had artesian well water, and it tasted great! It was cold from the tap, especially in the winter. "Town" or "City" water would be considered purified. I have lived with this kind of water all over the United States. In Southern Texas, the city water was so full of chlorine that when I took a shower it smelled like an indoor swimming pool area and my eyes would burn. At one house I lived in there was an ample amount of sulfur in the water so the water smelled of rotten eggs. That was not nice. I also worked at a restaurant where the water was so bad, a customer walked into the back kitchen, holding her glass of foul smelling water while yelling, "How dare you serve this water?".  Water has so many variables. There are so many things that can contaminate it and spoil it's taste or consequently, enhance it's flavor with benefits (minerals).

I can barely remember when bottled water hit the market. It was definitely a luxury item at first. Most bottled waters that I would see on the store shelves were from other countries, like Iceland or France. Evian is the first brand I recall ever seeing and it cost about $2 per bottle, if not more.  I thought to myself, at the time, who the heck would PAY for a bottle of water? Now look at "us". What office or waiting area doesn't have a huge water cooler? What soda machine doesn't have a bottled water selection? Most cafes and eateries only offer bottled water (and you have to shamelessly beg for "free" water out of the tap if you don't want to pay for the bottled water).

Investigations have been performed to dissect bottled water brands. Here are the findings that were conducted for the Environmental Working Group on some name brand bottled waters and the chemicals that were carried in these waters: http://www.ewg.org/reports/BottledWater/Bottled-Water-Quality-Investigation


Bottom line of the reports:

"Two of 10 brands tested, Walmart's and Giant's store brands, bore the chemical signature of standard municipal water treatment — a cocktail of chlorine disinfection byproducts, and for Giant water, even fluoride. In other words, this bottled water was chemically indistinguishable from tap water. "

 So, some bottled water is just expensive tap water- in a bottle.

It would be so nice to know EXACTLY where my water comes from (just as I wish I knew exactly all of my food comes from).
In my own conclusion, I feel that spring water, out of a real spring, that is no where near industrial sites, or anything that can contaminate it's underground source, is the way nature intended. Of course, I want it tested before I drink it ;o)
Because of all that I have read on this subject, I did not believe there was a water out there that is true SPRING WATER, tested for purity then put direct into a bottle to be sold.  There is one such brand of bottled water available by Beyond Organic. It comes from a true spring, at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains in North Georgia surrounded by 130 acres of organic land. Here is it's story: http://organicforlife.mybeyondorganic.com/Web/us/en/products-beverages-overview.dhtml
To purchase this true "Reign" spring water, it costs less than $.90 per bottle.  It's packaged in a BPA free, recyclable bottle. My children seem to go for anything that is packaged (rather than re-filling a water thermos). I prefer they grab one of these waters from the refrigerator than run out of the house without any hydration. It's also nice for us when we are in a hurry to leave and need to grab some water for the road. For the benefits of true Spring water, I think it's a deal.

Thanksgiving Organic Sugar Pie Pumpkin Pie

Organic Sugar Pie Pumpkins!

Start with an organic Sugar Pie Pumpkin. I got mine from the local grocer, but it originally came from Tutti Frutti's Farm (click here).

Roasting Your Pumpkin:
A medium sized pumpkin will be enough for one pie and use any extra for custard (the pie filling without the crust) ***Here, I roasted 2 pumpkins because I wanted to freeze any extra puree I had for using later on.***  Roasting a pumpkin is very simple. Take off the stem. Cut the pumpkin in half.

 

I have always wanted better knives!Scoop out the pumpkin seeds and reserve. You can roast them later for a delicious snack.

Using a sturdy spoon with a sharp edge, scoop out the stringy stuff and save the seedsTurn the pumpkin halves cut sides down on a cookie sheet and roast at 400 for 30-40 minutes, or until you can stick a fork in the outside of the skin and have it pierce easily.

They look like I oiled them, but it's just them getting sweaty in the hot oven!

Roast the seeds for an amazing and healthy snack! Try one of these recipes: roasted pumpkin seeds

Let the pumpkin cool and scoop out the insides. Process the pumpkin innards in a food processor until smooth or use an immersion blender (my personal choice).

 

You can freeze the pumpkin puree or refrigerate it for up to 7 days.

ON TO BAKING THE PIE:

Is a Cow's Milk Really Just for Baby Cows?

A2 Cattle from Jordan Rubin's "Beyond Organic" Ranch

As I sit down to write this, I have a plate of snacks to keep me motivated. On my dish are slices of an organic Granny Smith apple, organic crackers (I am a sucker for gluten, not an advocate), a glass of organic orange juice (again, I am human, my OJ is pasteurized and from a carton) and last, but certainly not least, a huge hunk of Monterey Jack cheese (not organic, because I cannot find any organic cheeses usually, but at the very least it's "hormone-free").

Raw Cheddar Cheese Wheels made from healthy, Green-Finished TM cows!

I was told by a naturopath to avoid gluten and dairy. NObody should be told these things in the same year, let alone in the same sentence! Some of you reading this are probably already gluten and/or dairy free eaters. Way to be! I mean that honestly. If you are able to satisfy your cravings without giving into or eating these two "food groups", then you are one step ahead of me. So, this is how I look at it. I am a foodie. There is really no getting around it. I LOVE FOOD. Until it affects me in an obvious way, I will push the envelope.

Dairy is a huge part of my food chain. So long as I have no health symptoms that are apparent from eating dairy, I will continue to do so. There are really only 2 schools of thought on cow dairy (you either think it's healthy or you don't) I have to say I have teetered on the fence over the last several years between the thought of whether it is healthy for us or not. I have read literature before that states cow milk is the closest to human milk in its properties.  When our oldest was done nursing from me (and there are some people now stating that even breast milk can be unhealthy, ugh), I thought I was being a health guru (pre-internet) by giving her rice and soy based milk in lieu of cow's milk. (Excuse me for a moment, I need to go get some more cheese) So, after the invention of the internet, it has come to my attention that rice milk offers nothing truly nutritious in value, I really don't know why I ever thought it would?  Soy milk is ok for those who don't have a history of breast cancer in their family, since it can disrupt hormones and cause some havoc. Soy does have a lot of protein. If you are of Asian descent, you are clear to drink it for the most part, it's a gene thing.

 There's goat milk, almond milk, sheep milk, hemp milk, coconut milk and more. All of these contain better health qualities than soy and rice, but definitely possess different flavors than cow milk. So, what's the 'problem' with drinking cow milk? Well, to start with, it's the cow that's the problem.

 Dr. Thomas Cowan (I am not making this up, there's something in a name)- has spent most of his career researching this debate on cows' milk- the cows' genetic make-up, how they are treated, fed, and how the milk is handled thereafter. In a nutshell here is the explanation on why most of the western world's cattle, including the United States are no good for most of us. They mostly hail from the A1 beta-casein gene pool (such as Holsteins). This is important to note because beta-casein also contains an amino acid called BCM-7, which is a powerful opiate linked to negative health effects such as diabetes 1, heart disease, auto-immune diseases, and more. Where as the A2 cows, from more ancient blood lines are more healthy and favorable. The A2 type cows (which the proteins are very close to sheep and goat's milk) are very rarely found in the U.S., but if you are lucky to find a farmer with Jersey cows, they are A2 type. You are even luckier if this farmer sells you the milk raw  so you can reap its full benefits.

Jordan Rubin's pastures in Missouri