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Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Apple Nut Bake



Apple Nut Bake
8 apples peeled and diced
100g of pecans - Activated
100g of Walnuts - Activated
300g of Almond meal
400g butter
5 TB of Honey


Put the apples in the base of a baking dish. Sprinkle chopped Pecans and walnuts over the top, Cover with Almond meal. Sprinkle chopped butter over the top, with drops of honey. Bake in the Oven on 180C for 45mins.

Yum!

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Kefir Pancakes.



Ingredients
2 cups of Flour (grain of your choice)
1 1/2 cups of Milk Kefir
2tbs Baking powder
1/4 sweetener (your choice)
2 eggs
Extra Kefir, or Milk.

1. The night before combine your flour and your 1 1/2 cups of Kefir. Then leave in the fridge to soak over night.
2. After Soak, add all remaining ingredients, then enough extra Kefir or milk to make a nice batter constancy.
3. Pour and Fry your pancakes is a well grease pan with coconut oil or butter.
4 Serve and Enjoy!

*We enjoy ours with a berry reduction and Yoghurt, with a little coconut shaved over the top. Brings smiles all round.


For those of you that actually know my family, know that my husband has some very painful stomach issues. Over the years we have done a number of things that have really helped, like introducing probiotic foods, like kefir, kombucha, sour dough breads, fermented veggies and so on. However the stomach pain is still hanging on. So now we have decided it's time to take some more drastic steps to actually healing the gut. So after about a year of considering, pondering, researching, and planning, we have decided to take the plug and do the GAPS Diet. Now we are doing it not only for his health but also mine. I'm currently over weight and have been struggling with Gestation Diabetes with all my pregnancies, and we as a few other things. So I'm hoping that this time will be a healing time for us all. I would love to get my body in line/ order before having another baby. I dream of one day being able to have problem free pregnancy and birth. Also my husband and I are currently both studying natural Medicine. Ben is doing Herbal Medicine, and I am studying to be a Naturopath. For me I can see how the GAPS Diet would be helpful for a large number of people, so if it's something that I would proscribe I would like to have first hand experience with it. SO on my Cultures page I was asked if I was blogging about this experience and at the time I didn't really think about doing that. However as I think more about it I actually think blogging about the experience would be helpful to me and to other as we go along.

SO Yes I'm going to blog about it. If you would like to read about our personal journey with GAPS please following along on my personal blog, http://thejoyofthehome.blogspot.com.au/

Sally Fallons Sour Dough Recipe.




This Recipe makes 4-6 loaves.


2 Quarts (8 Cups) of sour dough Starter ( will add a recipe Later)13 Cups freshly Ground spelt, kamut, or hard wheat, (I used unbleached white flour)2 1/2 Tablespoons of sea salt/about 1 1/2 cups of Water.

Your started should be room temperature.

Place starter, salt, and 1 Cup of water into a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until the salt crystals have dissolved. Slowly Mix in the flour. Towards the end you will find it easier to mix with your hands. You may add the other 1/2 cup of water if the dough becomes too thick. It should be rather soft and easy to work. Knead by pulling and folding over, right in the bowl, for 10 to 15 minutes; or knead in batches in you food processor.

Without Pressing down the dough, cut or shape loaves into the desired shapes or place into 3 large well buttered loaf pans or 5-6 smaller loaf pans. Cut a few slits in the top of the dough, cover and let rise from 4 to 12 hours, depending on the temperature. Bake at 350F ( 180C degrees) for about an hour. Allow to cool before slicing.

The bread will keep up to a week without refrigeration.

* When I made this recipe I halved the mixture to make two big loaves.

** Recipe found in Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon.

Water Kefir - Recipe/ Instructions






Ingredients
1-2 Tbs of Water Kefir Grains
6 Table Spoons of Sugar, Raw, brown, molasses, Rapadura work well for propagation and healthy Grains
Water flitered
Dried Fruit, Sultana's work well
500mls to 1 litre Jar

Optional extras
a few slices of lemon
1/2 an egg shell- add calcium

1. Start by making a sugar water by mixing 3/4 a jar of water with you sugar, stir until dissolved
2. Once dissolved you then add you Grains, Dried fruit and the optional extra's if you wish.
3. Add Lid or cover with a cloth. Leave for 24 -48 hours, if you have problems with sugar you can leave for a bit longer, but you will get a more bitter taste.
4. you will know that your water Kefir is ready for drinking when you sultana's are floating on the top, when you remove the lid you may hear a hissing sound.
5. Remove sultana's and strain grains out and put aside for the next batch.
6. You are now ready to add flavour if you wish. Also start you next batch of water kefir fermenting.
7. Once you add you flavour you can leave to ferment for another day, or leave for a an hour, then drink.

Flavours
Flavours that we have tried and like.
Vanilla = homemade creaming soda.
Mandarine/orange peel = Fanta like flavour
Lemon Juice or peel = Homemade lemonade
Ginger= ginger beer
Grape juice, = a delicious refreshing drink.
Add Vanilla, cinnamon and lime juice for a cola "like" flavour.
Any Fruit that you can get your hands on should work, Berries are great and really refreshing.

# recommend only using organic sugar, and fruit products that come into contact with the grains.

Have Fun and Enjoy your Water Kefir. Christina

Making Kombucha





~DIRECTIONS FOR KOMBUCHA TEA~
1 litre boiling water
2 – 3 tea bags
1/4 - 1/3 cup of sugar
100 ml starter tea (previous brew of kombucha tea)
Piece of Kombucha mushroom from previous brew

1. Boil a litre of water in a stainless steel pot - no aluminum. No Microwaves. You can boil for 10 minutes to remove the chlorine if your filter does not remove chlorine.

2. Add 1/4 - 1/3 cup sugar and mix until dissolved. NO metal utensils. Metal, even rings on hands should NEVER touch the kombucha. We use a wooden spoon.

3.Add 2-3 tea bags and steep and cool to room temp. Remove bags.

4. Place kombucha and 100 ml starter tea (your culture will be floating in the starter tea) in glass jar - plastic may leach into tea so only use glass.

5.Pour tea you made into jar but leave about 1-2 inches room for tea to "breathe" while brewing.

6. Cover with the cotton cloth and secure with rubber band (to keep fruit flies out) & cover with cotton towel to keep light out. Place in pantry or on counter (just not in direct sun) and do not disturb!

7.Optimum temperature 23 to 30 deg. Will start to die over 35 deg.

8. Start tasting after 4-5 days (you can use a straw) and let it brew until your preferred taste. The longer you brew, the more acidic/vinegary it gets. When you see bubbles at the top of the liquid, it should be just right, nice and tart and sparkling. Ours takes about 5-8 days, although it can take up to 10 and even longer in cooler months. For Diabetes brew 14 days. In the warmer months it does not take as long.

9. Remove the mushroom and the baby mushroom (new mushroom) which may have attached itself to the first. Bottle or drink. Start all over again!You can store in fridge to slow further fermentation after the brew is done. Even though the mushrooms are out, it will still continue to ferment slowly and develop dead yeast cell strings.

10. Add your flavourings fruit berries, for Jams, juices, for sweet ice tea drinks. You can also add ginger and spices and make a more savour flavour. Try and few things and see what appeals to you. This stage is called the second ferment, and you can leave it for 6 hours - a few days.

# I do suggest starting slowly with Kombucha consumption, it's a detoxify drink and if you drink to much at once you will have some bathroom issues. Also drink with plenty of water.

## There is a lot information that suggests not drinking while pregnant or breastfeed. I advise that you do your own research, and then make an informed choice. If you do choose to drink while breastfeeding and pregnancy, and you are not a regular drinker before, I would recommend starting with small amounts, even adding water, very slowly increasing over a long period of time, until your body has adjusted. So listen to your body, and follow it's lead.

Friday, May 25, 2012

Vanilla Bean Birthday Cake - GAPS Friendly


Well I have finally found my camera cord, so here as promised is the pictures from my Bean cake, that we enjoyed so much for my daughters birthday.

Recipe
3 cups of white navy beans.
9 Tbles of coconut oil
1 cup + 2tbls of honey
6 eggs
2 Tbles of Vanilla, I used my homemade vanilla essence.
3/4 tsp of good quality salt.
1 tsp of baking soda. Aluminum free.

Mix all ingredients together in a blender or food processor, until well combined. Pour into a with greased cake pan. Bake for 40-45 mins on 180C, or a little longer if not quite set.

I served mine with Yoghurt mixed with kvass to make it pink, drizzled over the top, and then covered with berries. :0)

So here is it again with the birthday girl :0)

Now I didn't get think this fabulous idea up on my own, I found the recipe on Modern Alternative Mama blog http://www.modernalternativemama.com/blog/2011/2/10/recipe-collection-white-bean-vanilla-cake.html Go check it out, has lots of great recipes that you can try. :0)

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Making Milk Kefir




Ingredients
1 Litre of full cream milk of your choice, whatever is available to you,
Raw, Pasteurized, Homogenised - if that's all you have, Also Goats milk is another great option.
2 Tbs Milk Kefir Grains
A clean Jar (5 cups) with lid or cloth cover.

Method
Put your Grains in the Jar.
Fill a clean glass jar with 1 Litre of fresh milk.
Stir gently with plastic or wooden spoon 2 or 3 times during culturing to move the grains through the milk.

Depending on the temperature of the day the kefir will be ready in 12 to 24 hours in the summer.
Winter could take up to 48 hours.
When ready the kefir will smell sour and the kefir grains float to the top of the milk. The milk will have thickened. Thickness will depend on the milk used and the length of time you leave the kefir to culture. You can culture for a longer time till the milk separates into curds and whey and then strain. Very beneficial culturing to this stage. Do not throw out curdled kefir milk. This is what it does. Stir gently to mix it up with the separated liquid and then strain, using the grains for a new batch of kefir.

These grains will multiply and you will have spare to share with family and friends.

You can use a plastic strainer or a good Stainless steel strainer. Do not use any other kind of metal in contact with the kefir as it will harm the kefir.
Hygiene is important as you’re working with a living organism.
Keep kefir out of the sun.
Never squeeze the grains to get all the milk out. (this will harm the kefir grains) Always keep the grains in milk.

If you care for your grains, making sure they have food, they will keep growing and you can have them for a life time.
If you wish to take a break from kefir, simple put feed them and then place them in the fridge, for up to two weeks.
Also you can feed them and put the in the freezer for longer storage.

Enjoy your Milk kefir with all it's wonderful benefits, and the many delights that can be made with it.


Thursday, May 17, 2012

Caring for your Sour Dough Starter


Sour Dough Starter is a living bacteria, so it needs the same as anything to live, water food, and air to live and grow strong. I normally feed mine 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of water daily, of more depending on how much I am using it.


It's YOUR starter! So you need to find what works best for you! If you bake regularly(daily and several times a week), leave yours out at room temperature and feed daily, if not so regularly put in the fridge and feed weekly or when ever you bake with it, replacing what you take.
Good homes for your starter are containers that your bug can breath in, crock pots, glass Jars, Tupperware containers ( Tupperware being the only plastic that I would recommend) You can cover the top with a cloth, paper towel, and loose fitting lid, what ever works for you, during the winter I often don't cover might with anything, as it reminds me to feed and stir it.
Also giving the bug a new/clean home once a month. You don't need to be too finicky with this, but don't leave it too long.
Changing your starter Base
So you have a whole wheat starter and want a rye starter for a particular recipe. Here's what you do, you could make a brand new starter. But the easiest, quickest way is.

Take 2 Tbs of your Starter and put it into a clean jar, add 2 tbs of rye flour and 2 tbs of water stir and leave in a warm area for 2 hours, after that add another 2 tbs of rye flour and water, leave for another two hours continuing the process until you have just over 1 cup of starter. You don't have to be strict about the two hours if you have something to do and it's longer before the next feed don't worry, just don't feed before the 2 hours. Once you have 1 cup of starter you can then feed the start 1 cup flour and 1 cup water. If in a hurry every two hours or daily, Again what ever works for you!

You now have a Rye Starter and can make that Rye recipe that you have be wanting to try. :)

Ok when looking into Sour Dough along the way you may run into the advice of not letting anything metal touch your starter . This is true of all metals except stainless steal. Now I don't recommend using stainless steel for your starters home, but using spoons, mixing bowls and other stainless steel utensils is fine.

Now if you have forgotten about your starter for a a little while and think you may have killed it, try feeding it every couple of hours before throwing it out. You may be surprised to see it come back to life, if you get no reaction then it probably is dead, but they are pretty resilient, so worth checking first.

Hope that Helps.
Mathewson's Cultures

Starter Kit




Want to jump into the world of cultures. Why not try out starter culture kit. With Milk Kefir, Water Kefir, and Kombucha.

$30.00 Only Available in Australia





Sour Dough Starter.




Sour Dough starter, containing wild yeast, use to bake your very own Artisan bread, and baked goods. Sour dough Bread, Cakes, Pancakes, Crepes, Cinnamon Rolls, and list goes on and on with what you can do with this incredible culture. When ordering you can choose from Rye, Spelt, and Whole wheat Starters.


$12.00, Only in Australia





Water Kefir Grains


Water Kefir grains are used to make a refreshing probiotic drink that your whole family will love. Lots of different flavours to try out. What will be your favourite. Lemon, Raspberry, Orange, Creaming soda, and so many more.

$12.00 Only Available in Australia






Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Kombucha Scoby


Kombucha Scoby.


Kombucha has been used Traditionally by many people over the globe for centuries in aiding good health, and aid in relief of many common aliments like Constipation, Arthritis, Cleansing the colon and gall bladder, stomach cramps, Diarrhoea, Relives Bronchitis and asthma. Clearing Candida yeast infections, Clearing Acne, and the list goes on and on.



Besides all the health benefits of drinking Kombucha there is the lovely taste, which is like drinking and Ice tea, when served chilled. Adding seasonal fruits to make a refreshing beverage.

$12.00 Only Available in Australia




Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Gut Flora

Good health depends on a number of things. One of those being the balance of micro oganisms that live in the digestive system, also known as "Gut Flora". In the twenty first century these Gut floras are under attack more than ever with the invention of Antibiotics, refined food in the diet, Pesticides, Preservatives, and generally the western lifestyle and Diet.

One way that we can help our bodies come back into balance is by consuming fermented foods. Fermentation is an almost forgotten way of persevering food naturally, that increase the good bacteria in the Gut which produces beneficial enzymes, increases levels of vitamin and mineral absorptions, and aids in digestion.

Cultured Dairy Products have an important role to play in our diets, helping to aid the growth of these beneficial micro organisms, which in turn produce a natural antibiotic and anti carcinogenic substances, help to the body natural immune system to fight disease, infection, and cancer.

So I encourage you to enjoy your cultured beverages, veggies, fruits, condiments, cheeses, and breads. Don't be frighten to give it a try, I'm sure you will enjoy them as much as our family has, and you will be surprised by how easy they are to make.

For information on tradition cooking and sour dough baking I highly recommend signing up for the e- courses available from www.gnowflins.com

# We use these cultures in our daily lives and enjoy the many benefits from consuming them. However please don't take my word for, I encourage you to do your own research deciding for yourself if they will benefit your life. I'm sure like us you will find some wonderful articles and information about the great benefits available and will enjoy the delights that you too could be making.

Monday, May 14, 2012

Milk Kefir Grains


Milk Kefir Grains


Milk Kefir Grains used in the making of Cultured milk products, like Kefir, cultured farmers cheese, Sour Cream, Cultured Butter. Also in the creation of whey used in Lacto-fermentation of fruits and Vegetables, persevering them and increase nutritional qualities. Great Flavoured with berries, and honey. Makes great smoothes, and culture Ice cream.

$12.00 Only Available in Australia