Nourishing Broths

Jamie's prompt this week - "How do you wish to be nourished?"

* In a little while, I'm receiving a massage from my coworker, Jackie (my goal is 2 massages each month)
* I love epsom salt baths with candles
* dancing
* meeting with friends
* hanging out with my 21 month old cherub of a grandson
* a luxuriant, abundant garden

* my most recent passion~ brothmaking ~

"Good broth will resurrect the dead"  - South American proverb.

I've always 'occasionally' made stock/broth; Wm Michael & I used to get 'dog bones' & make Dog Bone Soup (more meat than 'soup bones!' & I usually save chicken bones, & add them to my veggie trimmings for stock .... here's an excellent article on 'Bone Broth' from the Chinese medicine perspective! I love the idea of adding adaptogen herbs!  

After 9 months eating 'Plant Strong,' with little meat, I've gone through another shift - still LOTS & LOTS of OG veggies (mostly local & in season) to adding in more meat & fish - & dropping the grains & dry legumes, at least for a time, as many in the GF community feel this enhances healing the digestive system. (Paleo, or low carb, high fat) Gluten Free RN (who went GF ~ 6 years ago) has been eating this way the last 2 years, & shares her favorite resources here. (an unexpected side effect - though I was already ~ my HS weight, I've trimmed down a bit more, & now my 'skinny jeans' are baggy!!)

Cindy Micleu, MTCM, LAc. writes: "Winter is the ideal time for nourishing the Kidneys, and soup is the perfect winter food. Bone broth is prepared in cultures around the world as both a tasty, healthful soup and an easily digested medicinal food. The prolonged cooking of bones in water results in a broth rich in nutritional constituents that promote strength, tonify blood, nourish in times of sickness and rehabilitation, and help to prevent bone and connective tissue disorders.

"Chinese herbs such as Huang Qi (Astragalus) and Dang Shen (Codonopsis) may be added to increase the medicinal properties of the broth. These herbs not only enhance the nutritional status of the broth, but are flavorful and add to the sweet taste. Huang Qi and Dang Shen tonify the qi, support digestion, build energy, and strengthen immune function. Gou Qi Zi (Lycii berries) may be added for additional blood tonification."
(I have a 'soup packet' from our LAc, Lisa Pool, that I'll add to the next batch! Now, to get some *good* bones from pasture raised animals!)

********* Veggie Trimmings

When I lived at Breitenbush in the mid 90s, one of my housemates was a chef, & taught me to freeze my veggie trimmings!  This is great, as in the past, I'd often just left them in the veggie drawer, they they get mushy ....
I save many trimmings:  mushroom ends, peels, carrot tops & tips, beet & leek tops, asparagus ends, parsley & other herb stems etc etc. in a container in the freezer, & onion & garlic skins in a container on the counter. When I'm ready to make stock or broth, in they go! Bones are generally simmered first (the article has excellent instructions) & the veggie trimmings/whole veggies added for the last 1-2 hours.

Fish stock is even quicker - about 4 hours simmer time.

Brassicas (which overpower general soups/stocks) I keep separate, & simmer a brief time, for cauliflower, broccoli etc soup.

Here in the relatively warm Willamette Valley, I have sage, rosemary & even true Bay leaves available throughout the year, & I add some of those, a handful of dandelions & other wild edibles, as well as a splash of Apple Cider Vinegar to the broth as it brews. & I add a strip of seaweed, usually Kombu.

My CSA farmers made the shift to 'low carb, high fat' (rare beans or grains, but they use cream & fermented milk from their own pastured cows) last fall. & commented they're eating EVEN MORE GREENS than they were before! They pour some broth over the greens & let them cook down (40+ minutes), I pour over some coconut milk kefir, while they might add a dollop of fresh cream! mmmm 

Here are some other stock making articles - from the Healthy Home Economist  & Sally Fallon, & a great bit on making 'portable bouillon' from stock! (ever wonder what folks did 'on the road' before cup-o-soup type things?)

May you be well nourished!

Happy Hallows!

Changing season, rainy & windy here in Oregon - but not NEARLY the storm that the East Coast has been experiencing (Sandy) ....

This evening friends are gathering for Halloween at Nancy's house. Her street decorates for holidays, & as many as 300 T or Ters come to her door! So she has us over for a little potluck & party.

I'm bringing my Pumpkin Pie Quinoa bake - it's in the oven as I type! Today I used a Cup of quinoa (out of amaranth) 3/4 C pumpkin, 2 C water, the 'usual' other ingredients, plus 1/4 C shredded coconut, 1/4 C carob powder & 1 Tbsp cacao nibs. Mmmm - hope some's left over!

Do you love quinoa? Or is it 'so-so' for you? Here's another blogger's take on ways to spice it up - "Quinoa, like anything else, has to be cooked right to taste right..."

My mama would have been 100 this fall (made it to 93!) & my daddy died 20 years ago last summer - so am thinking of them as we turn the page of the year


Happy Hallows!

Yomogi

I have a new favorite herb - Yomogi, or Japanese mugwort,
学名：Artemisia princeps

A few days ago I bought another Artemisia, Southernwood, from my herbalist friend Kate, & she asked if I might be interested in the Yomogi, which a customer at her other market had brought for her, along with a sheet on its uses. '& I certainly don't need 4 clumps!!' So yesterday she dropped some off (a gift) - & it's lovely! Rounder leaves, sweeter flavor ...

So today I looked up some uses for yomogi - besides the ones Kiyoko listed: 
Fresh YOMOGI juice - 1 Tbsp every morning
(promote health) (high blood pressure)

Yo Mo GI tea 
Yomogi leaf (dry in the shade)
(asthma - hip pain)
& to repel mosquitos, bees, wasps etc - extract elements from Yomogi (Yomogi & Alcohol) 

In the National Geographic 'Blue Zones,' (areas of the world with higher than 'usual' numbers of centaurians) one 104 year old woman in Okinawa said she cooks her rice with a Yomogi leaf or two; so I'd begun doing that, using my Western mugwort (Artemesia vulgaris). The traditional meal blessing is the Confucian-inspired adage "hara hachi bu—eat until your stomach is 80 percent full.” 


Another use of Yomogi - as an ingredient in Kusa mochi, sweet rice desert balls! I found several recipes/methods - from Garden Fairy's rememberance of her 'obaachan's garden, & sending away for Yomogi seed, to the 'old school way,' cooking the sweet rice & adzuki beans from scratch (rather than using mochi 'sweet rice' flour & red bean paste!) ...

To Bunkyo Women's college steaming the mochi then adding the yomogi, & lovely description of gathering: "When the grass and trees in the mountains and fields begin to sprout in the spring, many Japanese people enjoy walking in the mountains and picking wild plants. One of the most famous of these wild plants is yomogi (mugwort)."

& then there's the quick & easy microwave version from 350* oven!

I'm looking forward to getting to know this new plant, ... now, where to put her .... 

 

Summer Time

Jamie's prompt today - 'What do you wish for this summer?'

After a rainy spring, summer seems to 'finally' be here, & today's the longest day!

I WISH -  for bountiful gardens, full of good food for the rest of the year - I've been working up some new beds, & attending to the old; things are growing, & my CSA share offers delightful goodness each week. I just got a wonderfully cared for 'reel' mower, & am attempting to get my lawns in order so it will gracefully cut them!
My raspberries are ripe, & I've been enjoying some in my breakfast bowl, & sharing them with the fam ...

I WISH - for my grandchildren to have a lovely summer! Last year, my daughter was home with her girls & new baby, as he was born in May, so her leave came in summer. This year, I've been watching him 4 mornings a week (till ~ 1:15) & will have his sisters as well - when they're not busy (science camp for the 12 year old this week, VBS - that I'll assist with - next month, dance camp ...) my son's 2 will join us for some of the summer fun!


I WISH for times of fun with my family & friends, & some good dancing! We had a 'hobo dance' on Saturday, & this weekend I go with galfriends to the beach for a few days. There are mini vacations planned throughout the summer - hmmm, would be nice to have a BIGGER vacation ....

My daughter & I dream of going to Mexico again in the fall - probably not practical, but appealing ....

I WISH for some wonderful books to snuggle up with, after the day's chores are finished - summer always was my time for reading as a child, & while I read pretty constantly, I love finding new authors at the library, or perhaps I'll spend more time finding what my son put on my little 'tablet' ....

What are YOUR summer wishes?

Garden of Delights

Jamie's prompt today is 'What do you wish to DELIGHT in?'
Ooo - the lovely greening - veridatis - of the gardens, flowers, growing veggies, ploting & planting.

And my grandchildren!! My grandmothers, Minnie VESTELLA & Mary Irel, both died in the decade before my arrival, so I never had the blessing of sitting on their laps & hearing their stories. So I've made a point of being more involved in my grandchildren's lives!

My daughter's 3 see a lot more of me, & I of them, as we live in the same town. My son's are a bit trickier to network with, as they're 2 hours away, & their mom is home with them, so I don't kid sit as much. Memorial weekend my youngest granddaughter & I visited, & again, with the cousins together, I don't see much of them!!

I delight in friends, I delightin delicious fresh & mostly local OG veggies & FRUITS, which are just beginning to ripen!!

I what do YOU delight, this day after the Venus 'eclipse' of the sun!!?

Home Sweet Home

Jamie's prompt today - 'What do you wish for your home?'
I love her picture of tools hanging on a wall!!

Practical: 
Boy - I'd love some solar panels on the roof, trim painted (2 story, so not by me!) & probably some work on the roof itself

My little 'old computer room' to magically transform into a luxurious pantry for all my staples, GF grains, beans, water jugs (from my friend's well) etc - here's a lovely post that I'll puruse when it's not so sunny (garden calling!!!)

A sun room/green house to the West of the house .... I love sitting outside on my porch swing (when I'm not putzing in the garden) ... would be fun to have a place to sit when it's not quite that warm that still takes advantage of the sun

& energetic - for my home to feel warm & welcoming to all who enter!
That's improving, ... visited friends on the weekend, & I'm always impressed when I'm in a home with no piles tucked here & there! Clear counters, beautiful bamboo cabinets & kitchen stools, lots of light in the living room .... such a pretty home.

We went to dinner at a McMansion - which was beyond beyond beyond anything I've ever lived in - grand piano in ONE OF the sitting rooms, glass sink on a pedestal in the bathroom (I'm always intrigued with pretty bathrooms) ...

I love my little home!! & wish it to know I love living here, the wood floors, the pretty colours, the books, harps, simple kitchen, tucked away laundry closet .... & the LOVELY big back yard full of garden space, fruit shrubs & trees, an herb garden, & lots of room for veggies!

What do you wish for YOUR home??

Pumpkin Pie Quinoa Bake

Last fall I found a great recipe 'just in time' for my son-in law's BD! He & I both LOVE quinoa in any form, and as soon as I made this the first time, I knew it would become a family favorite! Leanne of 'Healthful Pursuit' is a nutritionist in Canada, & has a wonderful blog full of recipes & tips for healthy eating, many GF & vegan!
Her recipe was made for 2, so I expanded it, & also began with boiling water, as I'd learned that trick oven baking rice 35 years ago! So here's my version!

I begin with fresh squash from my farmers, Katie & Casey of Oakhill Organics, & often bake another while I have the quinoa in the oven, as I like to have fresh baked pumkin or squash on hand for smoothies & including in recipes.
Following their suggestion, & just poke the squash with a knife a few times (like a baking potato) & put in a pan with a bit of water in the bottom. After it's baked, I cut & scoop the seeds, which I sprinkle with a bit of salt & perhaps curry powder or pumpkin pie spice, & stick back in that hot (but turned off) oven - or do that later. The seeds make GREAT snacks!

Pumpkin Pie Quinoa bake (my version)
vegan & gluten free, does contain coconut
- heat oven to 350* & lightly oil a quart or larger casserole

1 1/2 C boiling water
1/2 C OG pumpkin puree - I chop  pre-baked squash in the blender & process with water or coconut milk,  {you could use tinned}
1/2 C quinoa
1/4 C amaranth (total of 3/4 C, could use all quinoa)
1 Tbsp Teff (for extra nutrition - can skip if you don't have any)

1 Tbsp coconut oil
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp vanilla


optional additions:
1 T maple syrup
2 Tbsp cacao nibs,
1/4 C dried fruit: raisins,  cran-raisins, currents ...

Bring water to a boil
puree pumpkin with sufficient liquid to blend

Mix spices & other ingredients with pumpkin puree
Heat coconut oil in a pan on stove top, & lightly toast quinoa & amaranth for a few minutes, stirring; then pour boiling water over
mix with pumpkin & rest of ingredients
Transfer to baking dish, cover & place in oven
Bake COVERED for 30 minutes, then remove cover & add topping; bake an additional 10 minutes UNCOVERED

Topping:
1/4 C coconut shreds mixed with sunflower seeds (can pre-toast if you wish)
1 Tbsp coconut oil in chunks
sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice & cinnamon
1 tsp or more maple syrup if you wish

You can use this method to bake quinoa plain or with onions, garlic etc - any additions you'd use on top of the stove. It turns out very fluffy - it's important to bring the water to a boil first, as that allows it to cook in the alloted time! I tend to mix quinoa with amaranth, & often add a Tbsp teff (for nutrient density, the seeds - African Millet - are tiny, so mostly bran & germ)

I often bake a batch, either plain or with pumpkin, while I'm roasting veggies, it takes a little longer than stove top, but is nice if have something else to do while it's cooking!