Carousel Changes

Just a really quick FYI...I'm excited about just having updated the carousel at the top of this page. I am limited as to the amount I can offer and didn't want to lose some I've been recommending all along. But I just had to add one of Joel Salatin's books, (in my personal opinion, THE sharpest guy out there regarding sustainable farming...and to add to his expertise, the guy's a flat-out hoot!) The hard part was in deciding which one to add. For now, we'll settle with this one...Enjoy as you learn!

I am also very happy to show-off a 5-star-reviewed book on something close to my own heart...URBAN Homesteading. As they say, "You can take the girl out of the country, but not the country out of the girl." Well, I'm glad about that, to tell the truth...and glad to find this book to help us convert our small city back yard into something more on the sustainable, and yes...country side of life.

As always, there is The Book...which is the version of the Bible that drew me to knowing Jesus.

And Nourishing Traditions is a must-have in any traditional foods kitchen.

Education about the truth of fats, the good and the bad, (if not familiar with traditional foods, you may be surprised at the fallacy in what our culture has been taught), is a must for this site, as is the information about real, unadulterated milk. (ie: raw)

Peruse. Click. Read reviews. Choose. Always keep learning!

Piima Milk and Gently Pasteurized Milk-Alternatives to Raw (Part 1)

With all the current hoop-la over raw (real) milk, not too many folks even know about an alternate way to restore nutritive value to pasteurized milk. There are a few catches, which I'll tell you about and then lead you to the best routes I know around them. It takes some effort to get started, but once the starter is created,  it's a pretty easy go.

Why would anyone want an alternative to raw milk?

Before I get started, let me clarify about this raw milk thing. I'm talking about unadulterated milk from clean facilities and reputable farmers, preferably farmers that we know. Proper raw milk from cows that graze on grass, grass, grass. Yes, there are times of the year when grains are supplemented, or in the best cases, hay is fed, but for the most part, it's a grass thing. This is important. Very important. The "Food, Inc." documentary, (which may be watched via Netflix), tells us that a cow's system can be detoxed in a period of about two weeks...Two weeks on a pesticide-free grass diet. 

Let's look at the cost of unadulterated milk. Whether it's via cowshare, as in Virginia, or directly bought from the farm, as in Texas, it's going to cost more than store-bought, pasteurized milk. A cowshare may run from $50.00 to $100.00. Monthly boarding, which covers vet care, feed, milking, etc, runs around $35.00. This varies from farm to farm. The cowshare owner reaps about 4 gallons of milk/month and usually either travels to the farm to get the milk or shares the cost of transport with other owners. That's nearly $9.00/gallon before the original cost of the share and travel are computed. That's nothing to laugh about. Consumers pay big because farmers have to pay big to jump through the same hoops as mega-bucked industrialized corporations. They have less quantity to offer the public. Common sense tells us that it's going to cost more. And the truth is, better quality costs more...usually. Consumption of real milk does cut deeply into the pocket and is a viable reason, especially in the current economy, for many to pass on the raw milk opportunity. But I have watched since I first began to consume real milk, and in spite of the cost, more and more families are opting in...many of them running on single incomes. There are so many 'newbies', in fact, that my transport group has had to split and both groups are maxed out because a single car/van can only carry so many jars. (It's a good problem to have!)

I am not going to spend a whole lot of time on the why's of this phenomenon, but here is what many are looking at as the trade-off: They simply spend less on doctor's bills because this enzyme and nutrient rich product is healing digestive disorders and, falling in line like dominoes, a plethora of other health disorders.

But there are those pesky "Diet Dictocrats", so aptly named by Sally Fallon Morrell of the Weston A. Price Foundation. They have demonized non-pasteurized milk for so long and with such vehemence, largely funded by pasteurized milk manufacturers, that most of us have inadvertently bought into the lie. And while there was a time when non-pasteurized became dangerous because of TB, this is a thing of the far past. Read more about that HERE. (I strongly encourage readers to educate themselves on the truths of real milk!) Or you can look back into my archives and read more about it, HERE. So, because we believe the lies, we hesitate, for love of health, to venture into this brave, 'new' world of traditional eating that just about begins and ends with unadulterated milk.

It's understandable that many would hesitate. The internet has put out some really scary stories...even for someone like me who has been drinking real milk for years. Even in my 'seasoned' state, I read one article and felt my pulse quicken from the fear it generated. So sad. I am inclined to believe, after looking at this for several years now, that people get more angry over food choices than religion. Indeed, some have made food their religion.


And while I do get angry myself about the depth of deceit that has spun its web around our food world, making the subject of nutrient-dense food into a religion is not going to happen here, even if I do believe strongly in what I teach and share.

So, maybe at this time, you just can't cross the line into traditional eating or specifically, raw milk. Still, because you are aware of the lack of nutrients contained within pasteurized milk, you may feel backed into a corner, but there are a few courses you can go. The first would be to omit milk altogether from your diet. If you are not drinking rBGH or rBST- (hormone-) and antibiotic-free milk, I would recommend this route. At the same time, if your milk is from a conventional dairy and isn't treated with antibiotics, that's a bit scary, too. The cows at conventional dairies are over-crowded, live in bacteria-spawning environments and don't get grass, their natural diet. (Major cattle industry has become so defensive about this that they are trying to get laws passed that no passers-by may take pictures.) Sorry, but the truth is, to keep these cows from producing pus-ridden, sick milk, to keep them well enough to pass inspection, antibiotics in large amounts are necessary. 

So although you do know your pasteurized milk is nutrient-starved and that pasteurization kills precious enzymes and nutrients, milk is a part of your life and...you want your milk. 

Then there are those who know all this, have the funds, but for whatever reason, don't have access.

This article is for all of you.

Piima milk may be for you. Gently pasteurized is another option.

Piima milk is a cultured milk, some compare it to buttermilk. It will not be exactly like what you're used to. Although some of piima starter retailers claim it may be used to regenerate life and nutrients into any milk, it is strongly recommended that the milk be whole, organic, not ultra-pasteurized, and not homogenized. Since the Weston A. Price Foundation is known for being a food purist, I would lean toward thinking that what they recommend is the BEST way...but not the only way. Get the very best quality milk you can. Stick with whole...this we know we can still get anywhere!

Remember, the fat in God's food works for more than taste...It works in synergy with our bodies for the best assimilation of that food. If God made it with fat and told us it's okay to eat, if the smell of burning fat was pleasing to him as documented in the Old Testament, then there is something good to it. Science has found that good. The problem is that toxins find their way to fats. So, if the food is toxin-laden, the toxins are going to be found in the fat. If you're consuming meats from suppliers that don't incorporate the use of green, organic fields into their animals' diets, leave the fat behind.

Piima is a culture that comes from cows that feed on the butterwort herb. Apparently, milk from cows eating this herb clabbers better than milk from cows eating regular grass. (If milk clabbers well, it is an indication of some good enzymatic power going on.) Piima is needed to 'start the starter', and may be purchased at Cultures for Health. To make starter, add the piima to the best quality cream you can find. It is taught that ULTRApasteurized is a 'no-no'. While pasteurized cream/milk retains some nutrients, enough to allow piima to create enzymes and nutrients, ultrapasteurized apparently does not. Once the starter is made, it can be used in pasteurized milk to restore nutrients and enzymes. Retain some of the finished product to use as starter for the next batch. This is sometimes referred to as 'serial culturing'. (Retain 1 Tbs./Qt.)

It can be difficult to locate cream that is not ultrapasteurized, so you may need to start with an online source for a cream that's 'gently pasteurized', like Trickling Springs of Pennsylvania. Because creameries using low temp pasteurization, as Trickling Springs does, are more localized, (shelf life is less, so they don't ship cross-country), you may have to do some research to find gently pasteurized milk/cream in your area.

For those with funds and desire, but not the desire to put forth the effort to create piima milk, you may want to go with just ordering gently pasteurized milk. It's not the best option, but it's at least a step better than what can be found in stores.

A word of caution: Do your homework! Understand that the word, 'natural' is not regulated...even MSG can fall into the 'natural' category if it's found in another ingredient. Also, even the word, 'organic' has loop-holes. I know...we so want to trust everyone that smiles at us while telling lies, don't we? But Jesus was cunning. (Yes, it's true, even though we don't sing of that aspect of his character in our pious hymns.) Let us be imitators of Christ and be cunning, too. At least to the point of not being deceived in our food choices!  The best way to get it right is word of mouth from others who perhaps investigate more deeply than ourselves, (Weston A. Price Foundation chapter leaders, for instance), or by interviewing the farmer ourselves. As much as possible, KNOW YOUR FARMER.

Making piima milk starts with making piima starter. We'll get right to it in the next post!

Baby Bottle Choice Affects Breast Milk Vitamin Retention?

Most people traveling to this site are going to be of the mind that breast-feeding is best. I believe the same. But it's not the only way to go. Not when breasts become infected. Not when moms return to work. Not when parents want and need a night out. Sometimes, in today's culture, we have to use alternative methods to nourish baby. The bottle is the only reasonable option I know.

But with bottles comes burps. Gas. Bloating. Crying. Maybe screaming. Perplexed first-timer parents may think they're bad parents...or worse, from frustration, become bad parents.

The good thing is, we've had an answer since the latter '90's. The bad thing is, a lot of us didn't have a clue. But now that nearly everyone has internet access, we are better educated.

Let me tell you about Dr. Brown's bottles. Here are the only two things you really need to know about them:

1) Follow the directions, and
2) They work.

Funny how we've attributed baby's gassy belly to mother's milk, or other milk, for so many years. And while casein at times is the culprit, we really jumped on the bandwagon of the idea that "SURELY, there is something man-made that is better!" (Enter the demon, soy...And now we have the reports of arsenic in baby formula. I don't want to scare people, and I know that many are looking at arsenic found in playgrounds, etc, and saying it's not really so much of a problem. But do we really want to unnecessarily add arsenic to baby's consumption? I think not.)

Okay, so some reading this are using formula. If you're using soy, get your baby the heck off of it.*  And I do feel it's important to find out if your formula is among those sited for arsenic. If you're using anything else and still experiencing colicky symptoms, and you probably are, try Dr. Brown's Natural Flow bottles.

So, what if you've already made the switch from breast milk to formula? It's not like you can go back once the well's dry, so you need to find alternatives. If you're stuck on formula, I'd like to say, and would have yesterday, to find a good organic one. But since the arsenic was found in organic baby formula, now I have to qualify that recommendation by guiding you to look for an organic, soy-free formula that doesn't use organic brown rice in it's equation, since it's organic brown rice that appears to be the greatest problem. If you can take the jump into something really different, but quite effective, may I recommend goat milk? As water is the 'universal solvent', goat milk is the 'universal milk'...often tolerated by babies with diary intolerance. Goat milk is said to be lacking in some necessary vitamins babies need, but those who have a problem with this will simply put vitamin drops directly into the milk prior to feeding.

There is so much more to this dairy intolerance issue. It has been found in many cases to stem from the lack of living enzymes in today's pasteurized milk. The enzymes from real, clean, unpasteurized milk are the little critters God created to help bodies digest and assimilate everything good in milk. The bacteria within milk, the good bacteria...(Oh, you didn't know there was such a thing?...Oy!)...they are the soldiers, the first line of defense, and they kick butt when it comes to bad bacteria. They make homes in the intestinal tract, (think, "yogurt", in which healthy strains of bacteria have been reintroduced...it's a thing called, "probiotics"), and work in synergy with the all the body's many defense mechanisms to keep disease away.
In fact, pasteurized milk, because it has much less self-preservation, (the good  bacteria found in unpasteurized milk kills off bad bacteria, but when milk is pasteurized, ALL the bacteria, good and bad are killed), is left defenseless from contamination, thus we have the reason for treating pasteurized milk with antibiotics.  


Back to the bottles...These are great in that they don't allow air in. That's great for that poor little distended belly as well as for nutrient retention. Recent research has proven that as breast milk is oxidized, (exposed to air/air mixed in), it loses its nutrient value.

Woop-woop! That morsel requires attention since this site is dedicated, (mostly), to nutrient retention and enhancement! How wonderful to discover something of modern science that really adds to our quality of life! If plastic worries you, forget it. BPA-Free bottles. OR, choose glass. How's that for being relieved that somebody's listening!? The nipples are made of silicon and although I haven't looked into the nitty-gritty, Dr. Brown's claims they are helpful in the problem of nipple confusion.

My granddaughter choked, gasped, spit up, cried, screamed and fussed, passed gas, gas, gas and cried some more...before we switched to Dr. Brown's. Now, all that stuff is almost completely a thing of the past. And it happened just like that. (Click your fingers.) As "The Nourished Nana", I am especially pleased about the research concerning retention of milk vitamins. Nice news.

I don't see any really good reason to reiterate here all that can be taken straight from the horse's mouth via a link, so go HERE to learn about the mechanical science of Dr. Brown's bottles.
go HERE to learn more about the research about oxidation of milk causing nutrient loss.
Go HERE to learn what others have to say about them. (And if you lean towards suspicions when it comes to testimonials on a site that promotes itself, check out what folks at Amazon.com have to say about them!)
Go HERE to learn about arsenic in baby formula.
Go HERE to see how concerned we need to be/not be about arsenic consumption.

*Learn about soy.
Soy, Babies and Beyond
Soy, Sex-What Next?
What about Other Milk Substitutes?
Busy Days and Mayonnaise

Next Post: Hoping to tell you how to make pineapple vinegar. (If you're not using iodized salt anymore, you'll be happy to know that pineapple is one very good food source for natural iodine. Somebody say, "YUMMMM!) I started a batch today and it should be ready to go in about 34 more hours. One way it's used is in Mexican Sauerkraut, but I bet you can find lots more!

Raw Milk, How do I Love Thee? (Let me count the ways...)

The most healthy milk comes straight from the source!

Yes, I'm back here again. Back on the 'raw milk thing'. But truly, I cannot help myself. I love sharing good news with people. I don't write to create converts, even though to you, it may feel that way. I just love sharing good news. As I discover more about God's real foods and time-proven preparation methods that squeeze the best nourishment out of those foods, I get so excited, I just have to tell somebody.

I just can't keep from spreading the news that this is something that is helping my husband and I feel better. So, I share our good news by talking to those who want to listen in my every day life and by writing here, where I hope eventually, more will come to read.

If you are a processed food eater who has stumbled upon this blog and you end up deciding to modify your eating habits a bit after reading anything I write here, so much the better...for you.

I've been away a little while as my computer was on the blitz, but in that time, I have continued with my classes at GNOWFGLINS. There, I am currently learning more about yogurt, kefir, and cheese making...all from my weekly dividend of raw milk. In the lesson on 'just like the store yogurt', the guest instructor, Katie, stated that she had figured out that by making yogurt, she saves her family about $300.00 a year. After my second try at yogurt making, I was successful, and my mind was free to wander a bit off the focus of just getting it right. That's when I remembered what Katie said about saving money.

I have to admit that I haven't always been victorious over the guilt-bug that tells me I'm over-spending in the dairy department. As I'm sure you know, in the grocery stores, we have the basic hormone- and antibiotic-containing milks that are both pasteurized and homogenized. These are at the lowest end of the cost totem pole, regardless of whether they are non-fat, partially, skimmed, or whole. There is a reason for this low cost. Then, we get the ones that are hormone and antibiotic-free. The non-addition of these two items costs you a couple dollars more. Every now and then, you might get lucky enough to find milk that hasn't been subjected to the final humiliation of homogenization. The lack of that process will cost another dollar or two per gallon, but it's definitely worth it for the cream on top.

And right there, some of you just said, "Whoa!" I'm going to pay extra for fat!? And the Nourishing Traditions answer to that is that this fat is GOOD for you, and when you read the facts on saturated fat there, you will discover that contrary to the bologna we've been fed over the years (pardon the pun) about fats, this is totally true. But I'm not here for debate, I'm here to tell you what I found out about my grocery money.

As we continue to climb the milk scale, we next find 'lightly pasteurized' milk that has been heated to the lowest degree possible to be allowed to pass as pasteurized. This milk hasn't been subjected to 'violent' pasteurization, and because of this, some of the beneficial enzymes have survived. This is often non-homogenized as well. This is the best, next to raw milk and you will, of course pay for that quality.

So, we eventually get to the cream of the crop, (there is a reason 'cream of the crop' means the best, you know), and that is unadulterated but clean, raw milk. The enzymes and beneficial bacteria thrive within, as well as perhaps as much as 3 inches of cream.

This is what I use, from my cow that a local farmer keeps, tends and milks for me. I am paying for my part of this cow, (I share in it's cost with others), and the cost of her shelter and superb farmer and vet care. (It's how we roll with our cowshares here in Virginia.) My husband and I absolutely love the taste and the benefits drinking our cow's milk brings us.

But still, the cost of food and board is quite a bit above the cost of just going to the store to pick up a gallon of milk, so I have sometimes had to re-talk myself into the benefits.

This is true no more, thank you, Katie.

As I said, Katie inspired me. I sat down and put a few numbers together. When I figured out how much I am saving by making my own yogurt and butter, (still leaving plenty of cream to help with the absorption of the milk's nutrients), I immediately saw that I was only paying a little over $2.00 more per week than I used to when I purchased store milk...and that was the cheap kind. That was enough, but then I remembered that I also make cream cheese about every other week from yogurt. Not only do I get the cheese from the procedure, but whey as well. Whey is long-lasting in the fridge and I use it in many of my soaked grain recipes-several times a week.  There's also the occasional batch of creme fraiche, a type of sour cream that's more cultured and not as thick as the kind bought in the stores. And let's not forget that wonderful-for-biscuits, buttermilk!  Also, I probably make whipped cream as much as once each month, too. Then, there's the greatest probiotic offering of all, (about 9x more than yogurt)...kefir. I just learned how to make that at GNOWFGLINS, and am sure I'll be adding it to our weekly foods.

So now, we come out, not barely behind, not just neck-and-neck, but ahead of the game both financially and gut-wise. It really is enough just knowing we are building immunity as we build the flora of our intestines. It is enough knowing we are not consuming what has been proven to be toxic synthetic vitamins A & D when consumed in their non-natural states. It is enough knowing we are absorbing all the nutrients milk affords. Really, it is enough.

But still...as it turns out, we're saving bucks while saving our guts...How great is that?

It's so good to know that on the money end of things, raw milk is literally worth every penny. And 'old Nana' that I am, I guess I might be a little on the naive side because I still believe if this kind of news makes me happy, it's going to make you happy, too.
Just for fun, I'm adding a few pictures to today's post of some of the ways I use our raw milk:

 

Buttermilk is the 'whey' product from butter making. Some love to drink it just as is, but most of us Southerners know it's a great ingredient to add to biscuits. In fact, it just might not be 'real' Southern without it. And if you happen to have some tough meat, try soaking it in this...You'll  chew the difference!





Herbed Cream Cheese is simple to make just by adding your choice of herbs to the cheese made by 'hanging', (a type of slow strain), yogurt. Other ways to enjoy it are as-is, mixed w/honey or homemade jams, spices such as cinnamon, or even small bits of fruit such as pineapple. I have discovered that leaving it alone in the fridge for about a week after making causes it to taste milder with less 'twang'.

   

Cream for Coffee...I learned via GNOWFGLINS that the topmost cream is the thickest and best for butters & whipped cream, while the bottom 'layer'...the part closest the milk line...is best for mixing into warm beverages.



 

 



Heavy Cream for Butter making or even Whipped Cream!
I never use all the cream from a jar, because the fat is so important
to the assimilation of milk's nutrients. Instead, I ladle a little off the
top of several jars, sometimes over a couple of week's time.
Remember, raw milk does not spoil, but instead, cultures...And culturing
actually increases it's nutritional benefits!



Butter Spread from raw butter & coconut, flax, sesame & EVO oils.







Whey is the by-product of strained yogurt (see the cheese above.) It is useful in soaking grains & beans to neutralize phytic acid by releasing enzymes. It is also full of protein and therefore a great addition to soups and other recipes. It has preserving powers so it adds shelf-life when added to such things as bread recipes and mayonnaise. Don't confuse it with powdered whey. It's value and purity far exceeds that!




Creme Fraiche adds richness to all sorts of dishes, just as our typical sour cream does. It is a creamy, smooth and delicious cultured cream.