Ruth's Real Food: December 2011

Three Top Posts of 2011

This blog started with a post on the last day in June, 2011. I didn’t know exactly how and why and what I was going to write, but my motto was “just start”. Since then, I’ve written 126 posts, read a lot of interesting comments, and had a lot of fun.

If I wanted to define my readership by the most popular post, I’d have to say that my readers are beaver butt aficionados. My post, Mom!My Vanilla Ice Cream Has Beaver Anal Gland Secretions in It! is my all-time most popular post!

Photo credit: Paul Stevenson

In second place is my post on how every ingredient in mycarrot patties has been replaced with one of higher quality.

Carrot Patties - Yummy!

Third place is the very yummy tomato soup recipe (which reminds me that I haven’t made it in a while).

Tomato Soup

Wishing you all a healthy, fruitful, delicious, and fun 2012!

Replace Dryer Sheets with a Chemical Free Alternative

Dryer sheets fulfill two purposes.

1. They stop static cling.

2. They perfume your clothes.

The first purpose is useful. The second, not so much. We take it for granted that every product we use gives off a scent, but do you honestly need your clothes perfumed over and above the scent they get from detergent and fabric softener (if you use it)? And that comes in addition to your deodorant, soap, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, hand cream and so on…

When you smell perfume on your clothes a week after you washed them, it is because the chemical that gives off that scent is still in the fibers. Dryer sheets are one source of chemicals that is easily avoided.

A year and a half ago, I bought dryer balls. They somehow, magically, stop static cling. Can’t quite figure how they do it, but they do – and they don’t add any chemicals to my clothes while doing so. The balls are inert. They are now exactly as they were when I bought them, so I imagine they’ll last for many years, which will save me money. One less product to buy.

These are the particular ones I use. My guess is that other brands work just as well.

This post was shared with Nourishing Gourmet, Real Food Freaks, Natural Family Awareness, Gnowfglins, Hartke is Online Real Food Forager, Whole New Mom, The Nourishing Gourmet, and the Healthy Home Economist.

How Can I Get Kids to Eat Real Food? Tip #3

If you’re reading my blog, you probably want to improve your diet. But for many, getting the kids on board is the biggest stumbling block. Parents like the idea but want to know, “how can I get my kids to eat healthy food?” This is the third in a series of posts that will help you put theory into practice, and get the whole family happily eating real food.

“You must be the change you want to see in the world.”

... Or, to paraphrase Mahatma Gandhi:

You must eat the foods you want to see your kids eat.

Let me explain why I think this, (while not enough) is a powerful force of change.

Let’s take two families. In both, the children eat a diet which consists of nothing but processed, denatured and generally unhealthy food, such as sugary boxed cereal, chicken nuggets, ketchup, potato chips, soft drinks, and a variety of takeout fast foods.

In family #1, the parents eat the same food as the kids.

In family #2, the parents eat real, home cooked foods made with good quality ingredients.

Welcome. Real Food 101 is the place to share:

* easy recipes a real food beginner can tackle

* tips on learning to cook with real food

Note: If you're reading this through a feed, click to view all the great posts other bloggers have shared.

Here's my featured post from last week:

Halva Cookies

These cookies have only two ingredients (and neither of them are flour).

It has the consistency of a cookie, and the taste of halva.

Amazing!

The recipe for these cookies is… well basically there’s no recipe.

Just mix:

2 parts tahini paste

1 part honey

That’s it. I’ve made as little as 2 tbsp. tahini paste + 1 tbsp. honey or you can whip up a big batch.

Mix the two ingredients vigorously with a fork. Keep mixing until it gets a more solid consistency. Wet your hands while forming the balls (so the dough doesn’t stick to them). Pat each ball down lightly and bake on a cookie sheet in a 150 C (300F) oven.

Extras:

Garnish with a pecan or almond on each cookie, or bury a piece of chocolate inside.

I have to warn you. While this recipe is super easy, the cookies are also a little finicky. They really don’t like to be over-baked, even a little. On the other hand, they don’t really change color, so it’s a bit hard to tell when they’re done.

My son (who introduced me to this great recipe - thank you!) baked them for 40 minutes. I needed a little less in my oven. My suggestion is to time them carefully and see what works for you, then do the same each time.

Note: This is an extremely kid friendly recipe. Got pre-schoolers at home? I’m sure they’d love to make homemade cookies with you.

Enjoy!

This post was shared with Simply Gluten and Sugar Free, Real Food Forager, Whole New Mom, The Healthy Home Economist, Nourishing Gourmet , Real Food Freaks, Natural Family Awareness, and Gnowfglins ..

Ann Cooper, Renegade Lunch Lady, Speaks Out.

Here’s a great TED talk - from back in 2007 - given by Ann Cooper. She’s a renegade lunch lady, striving to make a change in school lunches.

This is a woman who has made it her mission to change children’s relationship to food.

What You Need to Know About GMOs

I’ve read a great deal about food and health related topics, however, I haven’t read as much about genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Why? Because, for me, the jury is in. It is very clear to me that GMOs are something I definitely want to avoid.

Say no to GMO

What do I know?

Something Oily and Delicious for Chanukah

It is traditional to eat something oily for Chanukah, such as a potato pancake, a.k.a. latke. I made something similar - I think this is more like hash browns. Whatever it is, I love it.

All you do is grate potatoes. Squeeze out all the moisture – really give it a strong squeeze. Melt plenty of butter in a pan. Add a thin layer of grated potato (even thinner than in the picture above). Sprinkle with salt. Flip. Eat. Flip out.

This picture doesn't do it justice, but I can't take a better one because I ate it as I was writing this post.

Real Food 101: Dec. 19, 2011

How Western Medicine Gets it Right… and then Wrong

I see the following sequence of events occurring time and time again.

Step one: There is a medical problem. Most people don’t have it, but small minorities do, and they suffer from it. Let’s say 2% of the population has this particular medical problem.

Step two: A brilliant (or lucky) researcher finds a treatment. This brings great relief to the 2%. So far so good.

Tumeric Sweet Potatoes

It’s yummy.

It’s easy.

It’s pretty.

It’s healthy.

You seriously need to eat this.

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Start to finish: 15 minutes

Ingredients

1 onion

2 medium sized sweet potatoes

1 tsp. coconut oil (or other healthy oil)

½ - ¾ tsp. turmeric

Water

A few sprigs parsley

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Let’s Cook

1. Chop the onion.

2. Melt the coconut oil and fry the onion over a low flame until it softens and just starts to brown.

3. Cube the sweet potato and add it to the onion. Add enough water to cover the sweet potato about half way. Cook on low heat.

4. Add the turmeric and chopped parsley and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally. As you cook, keep an eye on the water. You don’t want to fill the pot with water so that you’re boiling the sweet potatoes, but you don’t want it all to evaporate either. I add a little water several times as it cooks.

5. After it’s softened enough to tastes, add the salt and pepper.

Enjoy!

This post was shared with the Healthy Home Economist, We Are That Family, Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Whole New Mom, Real Food Forager, Simply Sugar and Gluten Free, One Artsy Mama, and Hartke is Online.

How Many Times a Day Do You Hear the "Low Fat = Healthy Equation?

If you weren’t specifically listening for it, you might not notice, but if you pay attention, it is EVERYWHERE! By “it” I mean the message that low-fat is synonymous with good health. It’s the sort of thing people say without feeling any need to prove it. It’s axiomatic.

Just yesterday, I was watching a British cooking/dating show (?). The premise is that a guy has dinner on three consecutive nights at three different women’s homes. The guy invites the winning chef/date out on a second date at a restaurant. When one of the women served kangaroo, the announcer informed us that it’s a healthy meat because it’s low in fat. Why thank you for that lesson in nutrition!

Yea! No fat. Never mind that it has Tricalcium Phosphate, Aspartame*, Potassium Sorbate Red #40 and other goodies.

Look at the “healthy options” on any given menu. They’re the ones with the low-fat cheese or lean meat. Listen to any standup act or sitcom long enough, you’ll hear some joke based on the fact that we all know that fat is bad. And every other item in the supermarket is trying to get you to buy it by showing how wonderfully healthy it is – in other words, by showing how low fat it is!

Enough already! The science has never backed up the idea that traditional fats cause heart disease.

The only time low fat = good health is when you’re talking about an unhealthy fat, such as margarine, soybean oil, corn oil, or canola. Those are worth avoiding. Our body needs good fats to function, fat such as those from beautiful fresh butter, olive oil, coconut oil, and the fat naturally occurring in dairy and meat.

It’s hard to break the idea that fat is evil. We’re quite literally brainwashed into believing it. Break free! Eat some healthy fat! Your body and taste buds will thank you!

The post was shared with Gnowfglins the Healthy Home Economist , Hartke is Online, We Are That Family, Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Whole New Mom, Real Food Forager,and The Nourishing Gourmet.

Real Food 101: Dec. 12, 2011

Welcome. Real Food 101 is the place to share:
* easy recipes a real food beginner can tackle
* tips on learning to cook with real food

Note: If you're reading this through a feed, click to view all the great posts other bloggers have shared.

Here's my featured post from last week:

What Causes Anorexia?

The instinct for survival and the desire to nourish oneself are so basic to the human condition, and yet, anorexics defy this instinct. It’s a puzzling disorder. The explanations generally given involve psychological disposition (anorexics tend to be overachievers, perfectionists, and so on) and social pressures (young women are bombarded with impossible images of perfect beauty). While this certainly plays a part, it never seemed to me like the complete story. If not, what does make a person want to starve himself - or more usually - herself, even to the point of death?

What causes anorexia?

Dr. Natasha Campbell McBride offers what sounds to me like a more complete hypothesis. She describes a series of interconnected events that occur something like this:

How Dr. Terry Wahls Cured her Multiple Sclerosis with Diet

Dr. Terry Wahls was in bad shape, suffering from a degenerative disease. When she singled in on which nutrients she was missing, she designed a food plan that turned around her health. What to know what worked for her? Hint: it wasn’t by eating boxed cereals, pop tarts, and eggbeaters.

Note that she started out by taking vitamins and then switched to real food. Way to go, Dr. Terry Wahls!

This post was shared with Butter Believer, Healthy Home Economist, Kelly the Kitchen Kop, Gnowfglins, The Nourishing Gourmet.and Real Food Forager.

Cauliflower Soup

When you have stock in the freezer, it’s easy to whip up a delicious, nourishing pot of soup. Bone broth is inexpensive to prepare and full of minerals and other essential nutrients. Here are instructions on how to prepare chicken stock at home.

This soup is quick and easy. If you know how to cut up a cauliflower, you can turn broth into a mouth-watering soup.

How Can I Get Kids to Eat Real Food? Tip #2

If you’re reading my blog, you probably want to improve your diet. But for many, getting the kids on board is the biggest stumbling block. Parents like the idea but want to know, “how can I get my kids to eat healthy food?” This is the first in a series of posts that will help you put theory into practice, and get the whole family happily eating real food.

Tip #2 is: Take kids shopping. But tip #2½ is: Don’t take kids shopping.

Getting kids involved in the process of growing, buying, cooking, and serving food is great. But you have to know when and where you can take kids shopping, and which kids you can take.

A trip to a green grocer, a local farmer, or a health food store with a small child can be a lot of fun and a great learning experience to boot. Fisher Price couldn’t have designed a better learning environment than a fruit and vegetable store. You have colors, shapes, textures, counting and you can teach the names of all the fruit and veggies while you’re at it. Do so, and you save your kids from landing in a first grade classroom and not knowing what a tomato is, like the kids in this video.

Welcome! Real Food 101 is the place to share:

* easy recipes a real food beginner can tackle
* tips on learning to cook with real food

Note: If you're reading this through a feed, click to view all the great posts other bloggers have shared.

Here's my featured post from last week:

Homemade Yogurt: High-Tech and Low Tech methods

In a previous post, I explained why you should consider making your own yogurt. Now let me show you how to do it.

To make yogurt by any method, there are four basic steps.
1. Heat milk to 85C (185F) degrees.
2. Cool the milk to 43C (110F) degrees
3. Add a starter.
4. Wait.

I’ve only made yogurt the simple, old-fashioned way, meaning I’ve heated the milk in a regular pot, let it cool, then added the starter. The alternative is to use a yogurt maker..

Interview with Dr. Mary Vernon

I wish this woman were my doctor, but the living in a different continent issue makes it impractical. In this video, she is interviewed by the wonderful Andreas Eenfeldt, MD (who I also wish were my doctor).

Dr. Vernon explains how she started out treating her patients the way she was taught to treat them. And then she found a way that actually helped them get better. Have a look.

How the Food Industry Convinces You to Eat Fillers

In the beginning, there was fresh food. Then someone found a way to powder this and pasteurize that and processed food was born.

And then someone asked, how can we make this product cheaper? What if we swapped out part of an expensive ingredient, and replaced it with something cheap and tasteless like soy powder and wood pulp? But why would a consumer buy an inferior product?

The answer is presented right here in the 60-Minutes video.

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