Blueberry Crisp

Posted on July 16, 2018 by Cat

Blueberries at market

By Cat, July 16, 2017 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

A good friend has a blueberry orchard, so I’m always interested in trying a new way to fix them. This recipe, from the weekly “American Profile” insert in our local Daily Inter Lake newspaper, caught my eye. I’d also like to try it with huckleberries, which grow wild here.

The original recipe for the topping uses brown sugar but I prefer stevia with a bit of molasses; and white flour, but I prefer to pre-soak whole wheat flour. The filling uses instant tapioca as a thickener. Instead of regular sugar, I prefer to sweeten the filling with stevia.

Not yet tested

See also: 1. Fruity Treats Menu; 2. Yogurt-Spelt Crumble Topping; 3. Soaking & sprouting grains (before or after grinding/rolling)

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Posted in Baked, Berries, Citrus, Fat or oil, Flour, Grain, Soaked, Spices, Starch, Stevia, Sweetener | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Keto Cacao Shake

Posted on July 11, 2018 by Cat

Rapunzel Organic, Free-Trade Cocoa Powder

By Cat, July 11, 2018 (Photo, right, from Amazon (4))

I have been following a keto eating plan, with intermittent fasting (14-16 hours of fasting every night, including sleep time) for several years and can attest to many benefits. and I’m always on the lookout for interesting keto recipes. I found this one on Mercola’s site (1), but it is originally from PaleoHacks blog (2), and just had to give it a try. It is high in good fats including coconut milk and coconut oil, plus avocado; and flavored with cacao powder, cinnamon and stevia. The original recipe calls it a “Milk Shake” but it is not chilled like those made with ice cream, and is fairly bitter, even with a fair amount of stevia added. So I’m working on how to make it better, and will track my testing here.

See also: 1. Beverages Menu Continue reading →

Posted in Avocado, Blended, Chocolate, Cocoa, Fat or oil, Spices | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Strawberries with Balsamic-Basil Topping for Ice Cream

Posted on July 11, 2018 by Cat

Strawberries in Basket

by Cat, July 11, 2018 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

I love to make my own ice cream, because I’m in control of the ingredients. Most commercial ice creams are so full of questionable additives that it’s disgusting. See all my ice cream articles and recipes. I’ve been making my own since the 1970s and it is so worth it. I usually eat it plain because most toppings contain sugar, so I was excited to see this recipe in my local daily paper, the Daily Inter Lake. It has a light sweetness from the berries and a savory sourness from the balsamic vinegar.

See also: 1.Dessert Sauces, Frostings & Fillings Menu; 2. Frozen Desserts Menu; 3. Cat’s ice cream articles and recipes Continue reading →

Posted in Berries, Leafy Veggie, Simmered, Spices, Vinegar | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Making real soap at home

Posted on July 10, 2018 by Cat

Handmade Soap

By Cat, May 2008, moved to it’s own page July 2018 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

Real soap, such as what you can make at home, has many advantages over commercial “soaps” that are not soap at all, but rather are detergents made from ingredients primarily synthesized from petroleum, such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). Perhaps the most important advantage to real soap is that it has antimicrobial ability (whereas detergents require the addition of synthetic antimicrobials that can be harmful, such as triclosan.

In this post, I provide instructions for making bar soap, and liquid soap from a bar.

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Posted in Cleaning, Fat or oil, Health | Tagged | Leave a comment

Caesar Dressing with Commercial Avo-Mayo

Posted on July 6, 2018 by Cat

Avocado Signature

By Catherine Haug, July 6, 2018 (source of image, right, has been lost)

I have long avoided commercial mayo because they use soy, corn and/or canola oil, none of which a healthy (the high-pressure process to separate the oil from the seed creates harmful free radicals and turns the oil rancid in the bottle). But in the last few years, oil made from avocado fruit (not the seed), has become popular because it is cold-processed, making it a more healthful oil that can also withstand the high-heat of frying. To learn more, see CalPure Foods (1) and California Avocado (2) on how avocado oil is produced.

So I bought a bottle of Organic mayo to make a trial batch of Caesar dressing. This version differs from that included with my Caesar Salad recipe because that version uses homemade mayo made with olive oil, and this version uses avocado oil.

See also: 1. Dressing, Marinades & Dips Menu; 2. Caesar Salad and Dressing; 3. Olive Oil: The Real Deal, or Adulterated/Fake

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Posted in Blended, Citrus, Fat or oil, Fish, Onion family, Spices, Whipped | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Artificial Trans-Fats no longer Recognized as Safe

Posted on June 18, 2018 by Cat

Vintage Crisco Can

By Cat, June 18, 2018 (I originally published this post on The EssentiaList) (photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

This is GREAT news! The FDA finalized its determination in 2015, and it became official today, June 18, 2018. Why the delay? They allowed time for food producers to adjust their recipes. Up until now, they were allowed in foods as long as total trans fats were less than 5% per serving, but they had to include the grams of trans fats on the label.

This movement to ban artificial trans fats started in 2006 in New York City and spread to other cities/counties: Philadelphia, PA; Seattle/King County, WA; Montgomery County, MD; and also the state of California (1). It continued to spread to other communities and is now effective in all 50 states as a result of the FDA decision.

This is a major change that affects products like Bisquick, cake and frosting mixes, pancakes & waffles, most margarines, most fried and deep-fried foods, Crisco and other vegetable shortening, non-dairy creamers, most ice creams, doughnuts, crackers, cookies, frozen dinners, and more.

Why this big change? Read on for more Continue reading →

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Detox soup from Thanksgiving leftovers

Posted on June 15, 2018 by Cat

Root Veggies in a Stock Pot

By Cat, June 14, 2018 (Photo, right, from Wikipedia, but I’ve lost the link)

I’ve been following online health docu-series that feature Functional Medicine practitioners; one of the things that is consistent in all these series is the importance of detoxing regularly. There are many ways to detox, from a water fast to eating specific foods.

This recipe from Dr. Partha Nandi, appeals to me because I love a good brothy soup, and it is full of ingredients that help with detox – the very reason homemade chicken soup is so good when you have a cold or flu.

See also: 1. Soups & Stocks Menu; 2. Natural Healing Remedies Menu; 3. Homemade Chicken Stock

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Posted in Fat or oil, Health, Herbs, Leafy Veggie, Medicinal, olive oil, Onion family, Poultry, Root Veggie, Sauteed, Simmered, Spices, Stock, broth | Leave a comment

Gorgonzola Dressing

Posted on June 9, 2018 by Cat

Gorgonzola

By Cat, June 9, 2018 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

This is probably my favorite salad dressing. My mom taught me to love Danish blue cheese dressing, so when I first ate at a real Italian restaurant after moving to Portland, Oregon, I just had to try the gorgonzola (once the waitress explained it is a type of blue cheese). Like regular blue cheese dressing, it was very creamy with a slightly different ‘blue’ flavor. I was hooked.

Years later, I had dinner at a restaurant on the Oregon coast. They didn’t have an Italian menu, but one of their dressing choices was gorgonzola (and I later learned the owner was part Italian). When my salad came with the dressing on the side, it was not white and creamy, but rather like a blue olive oil. And it was amazing! That type of gorgonzola dressing has been my preference ever since, but is harder to find here in rural Bigfork Montana. I include my version here (and may add the more American-style creamy version later).

Our Old Bridge Pub and Sub’s chef makes a creamy gorgonzola dressing by simply mixing gorgonzola cheese with sour cream. He pours it over the salad then adds crumbles of gorgonzola on top. Delicious, and keto too!

Posted in Citrus, Dairy, Fat or oil, Herbs, olive oil | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ginger Expectorant, Cough Syrup, Decongestant Recipes

Posted on June 4, 2018 by Cat

Ginger & Turmeric Rhizomes

By Cat, June 3, 2018 (Image, right, from Lisa’s Project Blog (2))

Expectorants and decongestants help us get rid of respiratory debris from the action of our immune system against seasonal allergies, colds and flu viruses, etc.; they aid in clearance of phlegm and mucus from the airways, lungs, bronchi, trachea and sinuses that may cause coughing or breathing difficulty.

They work by signaling the body to increase the amount of hydration in secretions, resulting in more, yet clearer, secretions and as a byproduct, lubricating the irritated respiratory tract. (1)

There are many OTC (over the counter) and prescription cough syrups, but in my experience, homemade versions work better and don’t have bad side effects. Ginger is a common ingredient in such recipes, or in a tea, as it is an amazing expectorant and also a delicious flavor.

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Posted in Citrus, Health, Herbs, Honey, Raw, Simmered, Spices, Vinegar | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Clove Bud Oil Expectorant

Posted on June 3, 2018 by Cat

Dried clove buds

By Cat, June 2, 2018 (Image, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

Expectorants help us get rid of respiratory debris from the action of our immune system against seasonal allergies, colds and flu viruses, etc.; they aid in clearance of mucus from the airways, lungs, bronchi, and trachea that may cause coughing or other difficulty.

They work by signaling the body to increase the amount or hydration of secretions, resulting in more, yet clearer, secretions and as a byproduct lubricating the irritated respiratory tract. (1)

There are many OTC (over the counter) and prescription expectorants, but in my experience, homemade expectorants and cough syrups work better and don’t have bad side effects.

Continue reading →

Posted in Fat or oil, Health, Infused, Spices | Tagged , | Leave a comment