eatkamloops.org

Traditional Sour Cabbage Rolls

At this time of year, I’m cleaning out my freezers for the summer months. I am always looking for recipes to use up frozen tomatoes, ground meats, organs and bones. Traditional Sour Cabbage Rolls are a great food for cold winter days or even rainy summer weather like today. This recipe does not use brown rice so is safe for people on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet. If you would like, add 1/2c of raw brown rice to the recipe. Note the optional organ meats. Try adding the organs meats to casserole type meals and see if anyone notices the change. Joette Calabrese in Secret Spoonfuls: Confessions of a Sneaky Mom, recommends adding organ meats to increase the nutrient content of a meal.

Rolls
1 head of sour cabbage
2lbs. ground pastured beef
1lb. ground pastured pork
1/2lb. ground organ meats (optional)
2c finely chopped onions
3-4 minced cloves of garlic
1T paprika
1tsp sea salt
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Sauce
3-4 frozen garden tomatoes, skins removed
2-3c bone broth
You can make your own sour cabbage, if you have time, or buy it from a store. Carefully peel the cabbage leaves off the head. You will need to cut through the heavy vein at the base of the stem to get the leaves off. After removing the leaves, cut the leaf in half and remove the large central vein in the middle with a knife. This vein gets in the way of forming the cabbage roll. Use about 2-3 tablespoons of the raw meat filling and form into a oval shape. Place the filling on the half leaf and start rolling from the vein end towards the edge of the leaf. Tuck in each end to close the roll. Do not over stuff the cabbage roll. The rolls should be placed one at a time into a large Dutch Oven with the seam side down. (If you have an enamel Dutch Oven this is the time to use it, due to the acids in the tomatoes and sour cabbage.) Make two or three layers of rolls for the best results. Top each layer with one or two hand crushed tomatoes. Pour as much bone broth as needed to completely cover the cabbage rolls. Bake uncovered at 300F for two hours. The cabbage rolls taste even better the next day after the flavors meld together.

Milk, Milk and More Milk

Patty is into her flush of milk. Even though Patty is feeding two adopted calves, she is producing over 56L of milk and cream a week. It is time to freeze milk for the winter even through it is hard to think about the cold winter months when the summer heat has just started. There are some good reasons to milk seasonally and freeze milk:

1. The best milk is from cows on fresh green pasture which is only available for part of the year in Kamloops.
2. Unless you have a herd of dairy cows and can stagger pregnancies, having fresh raw milk all year round is almost impossible. Milking cows need to be dried off at some point in their pregnancy. The milking cow will be physically stressed by any third trimester milking. This stress may negatively affect the calf’s health and the cow’s longevity.
3. The Milker needs a break from the twice a day labor of milking. Milking in winter, in the dark and cold, isn’t any fun.

Last year, I experimented with freezing milk with and without the cream. Skimmed milk freezes very well and when unfrozen is similar to a commercial 2% milk. Milk with a cream layer has a lumpy texture when unfrozen. Last year, I tried freezing in glass jars to avoid using plastics. This did not go very well. I had some breakages which made me realize that sometimes it is better to use plastics even though I do not consider plastics in contact with food safe.

This year, I will skim off the cream and freeze the milk in 2L rectangle plastic containers. I will pop the frozen milk out of the plastic container, use two layers of plastic bags to protect the milk from off flavors, and date each brick. I will need put away about 110, 2L bricks of milk to make it through Patty’s dry period. This spring, we consumed frozen milk which was about five months old. I could not detect any off flavors, so storing for six months seems possible.

Freezing milk is easy and can save money. My family goes through about 8L of milk and about 1L of cream a week. Of course, I can’t get raw milk from the Industrial Food System but the closest product, organic milk, would cost my family over $2000 a year. My family goes through about two or three pounds of organic butter a week, which costs over $1000 a year. If you are interested in how to make butter please read Making Raw Sweet Butter or Raw Cultured Butter.

Another product we make is ice cream. High quality ice cream is very expensive. During the hot summer months, we make about 1L of ice cream ever day. If you would like to learn some of our favorite ice cream recipes, please read Cream, Cream and More Ice Cream Recipes. Our girls can eat as much of this delicious food as they want. I feel very good about the quality of the ice cream knowing every ingredient that went into the dessert. I know the raw cream is full of healthy fats that will help my girls grow into strong women.

Cream, Cream and More Ice Cream Recipes

Making ice cream at home, will save you money, and the product will be better than anything available commercially. There are so many nasty additives in commercial ice cream. None of these additives are necessary, and some may harm your family members. In fact, commercial ice cream has become an ersatz food and should be avoided. Raw ice cream made at home is a superfood. Do not worry if your children eat a lot of this delicious food.

I have just started using a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker, but a machine is not needed for making ice cream. I do not like the idea that ice cream makers have an inner lining made of aluminum. The Wise Traditions Study Group considers the aluminum used in this manner is “safe”. There is no heat used so no metal is transferred to the food.

If you do not have a ice cream maker, pour the ingredients into a shallow container and place in the freezer. Every hour, remove the container and mix the contents vigorously to break up the ice crystals. This will give a creamy smooth texture to the ice cream. If you forget about the ice cream and it freezes solid, just cut the ice cream up into small squares and blend in the food processor until smooth and creamy. I made ice cream for years with this method.

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
4 cups raw cream
3 raw pastured egg yolks
1/4c raw local honey
2T organic vanilla extract
small amount of freshly ground vanilla bean (optional)
This ice cream is an all time favorite in our household. If you cannot find raw cream, use a quality organic whipping cream without additives. Using a raw local honey is a great way to help your immune system if you have seasonal allergies, but the honey must be local and raw to be helpful. Blend the honey, egg yolks and vanilla together and then add the cream. Pour the ingredients into an ice cream maker or use a shallow container in the freezer. The egg yolks gives this ice cream a rich yellow color. You will never look at the “white” color of commercial vanilla ice cream the same again.

Very Berry Ice Cream
3c raw cream
2c frozen strawberries, blueberries or cherries
2 raw pastured egg yolks
1/8c raw local honey (optional)
At this time of year, I am digging into the bottom of my deep freezers, emptying out fruit picked last season. Use a food processor to puree the frozen fruit. If you cannot find raw cream, use a quality organic whipping cream without additives. Add the other ingredients and blend. Pour the ingredients into an ice cream maker or, if you do not have a ice cream maker, pour into a shallow container and place in the freezer. This ice cream will be ready very quickly because of the frozen fruit.

Updated July 6, 2010: Here is a recipe for Birthday Chocolate Ice Cream.

Lacto-Fermentation Horseradish Condiment

Making fresh horseradish condiment at home is very easy. Making condiments at home saves money and the condiment will be of better quality than any product available from the Industrial Food System. If you have a sensitivity to the Nightshade Family, using horseradish instead of hot peppers is a good substitute. Common symptoms of Nightshade Family sensitivity are the many forms of Arthritis, digestive disorders, and unexplained pain and stiffness that does not go away with treatment. If you would like more information about this topic please read an essay from the Weston A Price Foundation called Nightshades.

2c finely grated and peeled horseradish root
1T sea salt
1/4c live whey culture
extra filtered water if horseradish root is very dry (optional)
Clean and peel the horseradish root. Grate the horseradish root in a well ventilated space or work outside. Or chop up the horseradish into small pieces and grind into a fine paste using a food processor. The vapors that come off horseradish root makes crying from onions seem like a joke! Add the sea salt and homemade whey. Store the horseradish in a glass jar with extra space at the top to take the expansion during fermentation. If you do not know how to make whey please read Making Homemade Lacto-Fermentation Whole Seed Mustard. Let the horseradish sit in a warm place in your kitchen for 2-3 days until you can see many bubbles forming in the condiment. The horseradish condiment will last for months in the fridge. The horseradish’s flavor will continue to “evolve” and mellow from the action of the live whey culture in your fridge over a number of months. You can serve the horseradish as is, or remove an amount you are going to use that day and add an equal amount of heavy fresh cream. I like it the best this way.

BC Supreme Court Gives Injunction Against Raw Milk

Fraser Health Authority has won a permanent injunction from the BC Supreme Court against Home On The Range and contracted milker, Alice Jongerden, in Chilliwack, BC. The Abbotford News said:

B.C. Supreme Court Justice Miriam Gropper ruled farm operator Alice Jongerden is “willingly causing a health hazard” and must stop packaging or distributing raw milk or related products for human consumption.

Home On The Range argued an Ontario court ruling upholding a similar raw milk co-op there set a precedent exempting operations where members don’t pay directly. Members hoped a victory would effectively legalize raw milk in BC and allow more cow-shares to form. Nor, she said, did it matter that the co-op provides milk to members rather than via direct sale to the public. “The remedy for the respondents is to convince the government to change the legislation,” she found.

Gordon Watson is an active owner and member of the herd share co-operative. He stated that the raw milk with continue to flow. “We’re going to keep on dairying within the letter of the law” said herd share member Gordon Watson. “The threshold is in the milking room… That’s where she’s not allowed to handle milk for sale.”

The dairy herd is jointly owned by the shareholders. The dairy herd must be milked and cared for regardless of the ruling. There are many shareholders willing to come in and care for the diary cows which they all jointly own. Gordon Watson is one of about 400 shareholders of Home on the Range. He said: “The milking is continuing and people are getting the raw milk today. I will be taking responsibility for the packaging and distribution.”

I guess the next step for the government is to get injunctions against all 400 herd share members! I hope you are feeling really safe and protected with our government restricting your rights to co-own a herd of animals and enjoy the products from those animals. Just remember it’s for your own good. You are too ignorant to develop a safe food production and processing system on your own. That’s why they are called Fraser Health “Authority”, because they know what’s best for you. Your personal freedoms are secondary to their “good works”.

For other postings on this issue please read: Canadian Government Appeals Michael Schmidt’s Acquittal, Michael Schmidt, Raw Milk Activist, Acquitted!, and Raw Milk Contamination?.

Here are some links for more information:
The Bovine
Abbotsford News
National Post

As I have been following the raw milk story in the media, I have been surprised at how much misinformation is out there. There are so many factual errors in reporting it is hard to maintain respect and trust for media coverage. I have received an education about how issues are reported and twisted in the media. I have learned that only deeper research on a given topic will allow a person to understand complicated issues such as raw milk.

Updated April 4, 2010: Here is a link to read the judgment by Her Honourable Madam Justice Gropper by the “Petitioner”, Fraser Health Authority and the “Respondent”, Alice Jongerden DBA Home on the Range. Remember, granting an injunction is to restore the status quo ante which is to “make whole again someone whose rights have been violated”. In this case, it is the Fraser Health Authority “whose rights have been violated” and restored.

Dreaming In the New Year

New Year’s Day is a time to reflect on the past year and contemplate the future. Many people use this time as an opportunity to make New Year’s Resolutions. I don’t make New Year’s Resolutions, but I find myself thinking about what I would like for my future. I have only so much energy and resources, so I must carefully focus my intentions, so I may arrive at my destination.

In my last blog I shared my dreams. I sometimes feel I have taken the long road to my dreams. Obstacles get in the way, and I find myself going in directions that I never intended. I find these side trips to be incredible learning experiences. At the end, I find I better understand my underlying motivations and resolve.

There are many dreams that have been left at the side of the road. Below are a list of dreams from my past and present. They have been sustaining dreams. I wonder what miraculous forces will shape these dreams into my future.

1. Meditation, Mindfulness and Lovingkindness are three practices common in some form in all religions.
Mettā Meditation: The Practice of Lovingkindness
Birken Forest Monastery (Abbot: Ajahn Sona)

2. Autodidactic Learning is self-directed study. I can’t give any links to sources because there is no authority on this topic. Nor can there ever be. Autodidacticism is self-directed learning without an authority figure to direct the course of study. Along with the process of autodidactic learning is the process of “unlearning” lessons taught by authorities which may impede the ability to learn new ideas.

3. Nonviolent Communication is a method of communication where everyone gets their needs met. When everyone’s needs are met the world indeed becomes wonderful.
Marshall Rosenberg on Nonviolent Communication Part I
Marshall Rosenberg on Nonviolent Communication Part II
Marshall Rosenberg on Nonviolent Communication Part III

4. Financial Independence is having enough resources to live comfortably without having to work for the basic necessities of life. If a person has simple needs, this state will be achieved earlier than a person with complex needs. When this state is achieved it opens up time to “work for love not money”.
Vicki Robin on Your Money or Your Life

5. Permaculture is a system of designed human settlements that mimics the relationships found in natural ecosystems. It is based on perennial agricultural and integrated animal husbandry.
Behind Greening the Desert with Geoff Lawton
Permaculture Water Harvesting with Geoff Lawton
Bill Mollison on The Permaculture Concept Part I
Bill Mollison on The Permaculture Concept Part II
Bill Mollison on The Permaculture Concept Part III
Bill Mollison on The Permaculture Concept Part IV
Bill Mollison on The Permaculture Concept Part V
Bill Mollison on The Permaculture Concept Part VI

6. An Earthship is a home built with recycled materials and is completely energy self-sufficient.
Earthship 101 Part I
Earthship 101 Part II
Dennis Weaver Builds His Earthship

May all living beings be well, happy and peaceful. May no harm come to them. May no difficulties come to them. May they always meet with success. May they also have patience, courage, understanding, and determination to meet and overcome the inevitable obstacles in life.
Somewhere Over The Rainbow with IZ

Boxing Day: You Are What You Buy (Believe)

Boxing Day has a long history but is now primarily known as a shopping holiday in North America. I haven’t participated in Boxing Day “celebrations” for decades. But at this time of year, I can’t help but think about what we “buy into”, will make the world we live in.

I dream about a world where my needs can be met without those needs costing someone else dearly. I dream about food that will nourish the body and community that will nourish the spirit. I dream about producing food for our families in a way that won’t cost “the world”. I dream about a world where our children are surrounded by a caring loving community that thinks about our shared future.

How do we become more enlightened about our behaviors so we can live our dreams? How can we change our thinking so our actions will follow? Maybe we need to just “buy into” a new vision. Of course, this vision isn’t new but very old. Maybe we need to learn how to tame our technology and harness our brilliance. All the answers are out there, we just have to apply them.

While I was at the Weston A Price Foundation 2008 Conference in California, I had the opportunity to see some new ideas being worked out in the real world. I visited the Three Stone Hearth in Berkeley, CA. They are running a Community Supported Kitchen (CSK). Jessica Prentice is one of the co-founders of Three Stone Hearth and author of Full Moon Feast: Food and the Hunger for Connection. I hope you enjoy an interview with Jessica Prentice Part I and Part II. If you would like to see inside the Community Supported Kitchen run by Three Stone Hearth please watch Business With Passion.

People who feel themselves in chains, with no hope of ever getting them off, want to put chains on everyone else.
John Holt

eatkamloops.org is a Distributor for Green Pasture’s: Questions and Answers

1. What Green Pasture’s products does eatkamloops.org carry?

eatkamloops.org offers a limited number of basic products from Green Pasture’s. Green Pasture’s products are NOT considered a food by the Canadian Government so PST and GST is changed. If you are looking for other products, please order directly from Green Pasture’s. We are a small, family-run business without the resources to have the whole line of Green Pasture’s products. We carry:
Fermented Cod Liver Liver (FCLO) 237mL (unflavored): $44.00 plus GST/PST
High Vitamin Butter Oil (BO) 237mL (unflavored): $64.00 plus GST/PST
Fermented Skate Liver Oil (FSLO) 237mL (spicy orange): $44.00 plus GST/PST
Organic Virgin Coconut Oil (CO) 3.8L: $69.00

2. Where can I pick up my Green Pasture’s products?

We offer the products for sale at the Weston A. Price Kamloops Chapter potluck on the third Sunday of each month. If you cannot come to the monthly potluck, email us at info(a)eatkamloops.org or call Caroline Cooper at 250.374.4646 to ensure we have in stock the items you want. Come and pick up your products at:
GO BOX Storage (Map to home of eatkamloops.org)
2853 Bowers Place, Kamloops, BC V1S 1W5

3. What happens if I cannot come to pick up the products in Kamloops? Will you ship the products to me?

The cost for shipping and handling within B.C. is $17.00 plus GST for any two of the 237mL containers. The package is sent by Canada Post Regular Parcel service. It will have insurance for the value of your shipment and will be delivered within three days.

4. What if I want to order more than two 237mL containers?

We need your address and postal code for a shipping quote. We need to know all the items you want to ship because the cost is based on weight and size of package. Your price will include insurance to cover the value of your products. We ship by Canada Post Regular Parcel service. These rates are subject to change. Contact us for the current rate. There is GST payable on the shipping.

5. What types of payment do you take?

If you come for pick up in Kamloops we can take cash, debit, VISA and Mastercard. If you wish to order by mail, please send money orders or call us with your credit card information. For security reasons, it is best NOT to email your credit card information.

6. Do you offer the volume discounts as seen on the Green Pasture’s website?

We do not offer volume discounts. Please contact Green Pasture’s directly for volume discounts.

7. How do your prices compare to ordering directly from Green Pasture’s?

First our prices are in Canadian dollars and the Green Pasture’s prices are in US dollars. If you order from Green Pasture’s, you will be responsible for the cost of shipping and any customs fees. At eatkamloops.org, we cover the costs of bringing Green Pasture’s products into Canada. You will be responsible to cover the costs of shipping within Canada, if necessary.

8. Will you be bringing in other Green Pasture’s products in the future?

Presently, eatkamloops.org will only carry the basic product line. If we have enough interest in a given product, we might consider bringing it in as a regular item. If you would like to order something special, contact us and we can put the item in with our regular order. You will have to prepay and wait for the item. If you want a specialty product right away, please contact Green Pasture’s directly.

9. Can I flavor my unflavored fermented cod liver oil or high vitamin butter oil?

Yes, you can. Add one teaspoon of sea salt to the FCLO to give it a “salty cod” flavor. You could add essential oils, safe for internal consumption, to either the FCLO or the BO. To test it first, use a small amount of FCLO or BO with the essential oil to find a combination that you like.

10. I find the taste intense. What should I do?

Some people like the taste of fermented oils, but others find it unusual or unpleasant. Try chasing the product with water, raw milk, apple sauce, or a small amount of juice. Some mothers use a small amount of raw honey with their children. My children like sucking on a wedge of lemon or lime after consuming fermented oils.

11. How much FCLO or FSLO should I take daily? How many servings will I get with each bottle?

Dose is adjusted by age. Children 3 months to 12 years need 1/2tsp (2.5mL) per day. This is 95 servings per bottle. Children over 12 years and adults need 1tsp (5.0mL) per day. This is 47 servings per bottle. Pregnant and nursing women need 2tsp (10mL) per day. This is 24 servings per bottle. Please go to Cod Liver Oil Basics for further information.

12. How much BO should I take each day?

Use the same amount of BO as FCLO or FSLO for your age.

Update November 11, 2009: For more information about why eatkamloops.org is carrying Green Pasture’s products read eatkamloops.org is Now a Distributor for Green Pasture’s Products.

The Garden of Fertility

The Garden of Fertility by Katie Singer is a guide to help a woman chart her monthly fertility using basal body temperature, changes in vaginal secretions, and cervical texture. This book will help a woman and her partner to avoid pregnancy without the use of dangerous endocrine disrupting hormone treatments. This book will help with strategies for the couple having problems conceiving a child, a situation becoming more and more common.

For the older and younger woman alike, fertility awareness will help with assessing endocrine health. Fertility awareness will give the woman early warning of hyperthyroid or hypothyroid problems, low progesterone levels, risk of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and miscarriage. Charting gives a method to assess if changes in diet and lifestyle are successful in reversing a problem. The Garden of Fertility has a whole section on how to improve gynecological health with night-lighting techniques and nourishing traditional foods. For more information about pre-conception diet please read: Thinking about Motherhood.

The Garden of Fertility is a book I wish had been available when I was a young woman. I have found this book so useful, I will teach the method to my daughters when they reach sexual maturity. Early training in charting gives a young woman a better understanding of her changing body. Charting gives the young woman safer choices regarding methods of birth control. It is my hope that an early understanding of how their bodies work will last a lifetime.

Katie Singer’s has written two books called The Garden of Fertility and Honoring Your Cycles: A Natural Family Planning Workbook. Both books are available at the Kamloops Public Library. Katie Singer maintains a website where you can download fertility awareness charts at: gardenoffertility.com.

Updated August 5, 2010: If you are having trouble conceiving Dr Andrea Hansen specializes in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture. She teaches Natural Fertility Awareness Method. For more information:
130-546 St Paul St, Kamloops, BC V2C 5T1
T: 250.682.7289
E: dr.andreahansen(a)gmail.com

Cholesterol: Foe or Friend

Our Society’s views about cholesterol are based on the work of Ancel Keys and the Lipid Hypothesis. The Lipid Hypothesis “proposes a connection between plasma cholesterol level and the development of coronary heart disease”.

In the last few years there has been increased questioning of the Lipid Hypothesis. What if the Lipid Hypothesis is wrong? This would mean there is a lot of misinformation in the general population. Our society has spent an enormous amount of resources to battle the evils of cholesterol. There is a whole industry developed to fight this scourge. This means there is a lot of resistance to change, because so many people’s livelihood depend on the battle continuing.

The Weston A. Price Foundation does not support the Lipid Hypothesis. This is part of an email correspondence with someone interested in the views of the Weston A. Price Foundation on saturated fat and its evil twin cholesterol:

I have written very little about cholesterol on eatkamloops.org. This is mainly because of embarrassment. I completely believed the Lipid Hypothesis. It was very hard for me to admit I could be so wrong. The only writing on this topic that I can find is The Grease Bucket - Something from Nothing.

The issue around fats is a very important area to get clear on. There is research that shows that people with cholesterol below 150mg/dL are at a high risk of cancer. Also, that women with the highest cholesterol levels live the longest. The research is very confusing and I am not going to tell you I know the answer because I don’t.

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet radically improved my health but it was after going high fat with the Specific Carbohydrate Diet that my health problems finally resolved. I would have never gone high fat if it wasn’t for the Weston A. Price Foundation and their materials. I was brainwashed. I couldn’t see that what I thought was a “healthy diet” wasn’t working for me. I nearly crashed my endocrine system. I will say this: a low fat diet is a slow killer. If you stay on it long enough, you want to die, because you feel so crappy and are sick all the time.

The Weston A. Price Foundation’s website has a number of excellent essays on this topic. Do your own research. Check out the facts, and make your own informed decision:

Know Your Fats Introduction
The Skinny on Fats
Cholesterol and Heart Disease: A Phony Issue
The Oiling of America
Cholesterol: Friend or Foe?

And no, I do not think industrial vegetable oils are safe at all. Remove all new fangled foods from your diet. Eat butter, coconut oil and grease for cooking. Use organic extra virgin olive oil on salads. The other “healthy” cold pressed oils high in omega 6-9 can cause inflammation in some people. So anyone with asthma, allergies, joint pain, or other inflammation disorders should eliminate these oils for a few weeks and see if their condition improves.

If you are looking for a laugh, please watch the trailer for the movie Fat Head called Big Fat Lies. In the eternal words of the creator of Fat Head, Tom Naughton:
“You’ve been fed a load of bologna.”

Updated December 5, 2009: Here is a link to an interview with Utte Ravnskov called Does High Cholesterol Really Cause Heart Disease? Utte Ravaskov is the author of The Cholesterol Myth. If you would like further reading about cholesterol Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes will give a historical perspective on the issue. Both books are available at the Kamloops Public Library.