Why I Think What I Think

Today I began my second post-secondary program (my first was an Honors BSc in Nutritional Science from UWO) at the Academy of Natural Health. I am currently studying towards my registration as a Certified Holistic Nutritionist. This may seem to some a step backwards, receiving a less known albeit less credible designation behind my name directly after spending four years on an undergraduate degree at a well known University. I've chosen this path because I believe in holistic health care and I'm positive there is much for me to learn. So why do I subscribe to this alternative to conventional medicine?

Holistic health care is simply an approach to well-being that is achieved by natural means, taking into account the whole body (not just symptoms and ways to eliminate them), and focusing on prevention rather than treatment. It is one that I've found encourages self-study, a partnership between practitioner and patient, and supporting the body to heal itself. On the other hand, allopathic medicine sees medicine as a means to reduce problems, generally with no great amount of time spent on root causes, and ultimately ignoring systemic balance for the sake of treating single parts.

Stats Can recently found that 20% of Canadians use alternative health care and the rates are on the rise. There are now 25,000 Canadians employed in natural health with 42,000 products available and $2.5 billion spent per year. It is an industry that I intend on being a part of for a long time and one that I plan on endorsing and assisting in the growth of within my city.

I'm simply disenchanted with the conventional system. The Journal of the American Medical Association is now 75% funded by pharmaceutical companies. Two-thirds of allopathic research this year will be done at for-profit companies' facilities, instead of Universities. An independent watch-dog organization found that studies by drug companies are 3 - 5 times more likely to recommend a drug than studies by nonprofit researchers, despite gathering the same data. A famous study by the New England Journal of Medicine in 2006 tested the effectiveness of arthritis medications. It was found that the natural remedy (glucosamine chloride with chondritin) offered a higher overall pain decrease in participants than the prescription drug (Celebrex). A placebo was also included. However, because in the area of "20% pain reduction" the Celebrex had a 70% response rate and the glucosamine had a 66.5% response rate the study authors concluded and publicly reported that the natural remedy did not reduce pain effectively. Subsequently the New York Times reported that no effect was found with patients using the natural remedy. It is interesting to note that 11% of the researchers were on pharmaceutical company payrolls.

This is not to say that I would slather a severed limb in calendula salve and hope to live, or even that this past week when I suffered from a severely painful dry-socket from a wisdom tooth extraction that I didn't dabble (for the first time) in the world of codeine, but in general I use and promote natural remedies and health care philosophies.

You are welcome to post comments below. I encourage it. Let's talk about what you think on the topic.

Roasted Vegetables

About this time of year, every year, my mom and I get the last harvest panic and begin doing crazy things like taking out a second mortgage to buy things at the farmer's market and canning things from the garden for a full day without breaks. It's just a scary thought that, in this climate, we're heading into a few months that local vegetables won't be fresh and available. This type of thinking can explain my mad posting streak about things I preserved with family and friends a few weeks ago, and can also explain my recipe today.

Root vegetables are hardy enough to make it through the winter. Some varieties (carrots, parsnips) can be left in the soil til spring. Because my only garden is in clay pots on my outdoor kitchen table, I store mine in hard paper bags. The key is to sort out the bad seeds (anything rotting) so that the ethylene gas won't spread and ruin the whole batch. If only a few pieces are bad, separate them and make sure to use them first, cutting off the bad sections. Most vegetables are best stored with their follage intact (darn it, I bought beets with no greens) and unwashed. They do the best in a very dry, cool place with no light. That place, for now, is my balcony. It's not a bad idea to empty the bags once a month and check for anything weird like roots growing from your potatoes. If they go green, they're poisonous. When it gets really cold (indicated by the inability to bike to work anymore) put a blanket over the potato sacks so that they stay above 0.

I picked up some bulk root vegetables and around 4 o'clock today realized that dinner was in a few hours and I had no plan. Then I did this:

Preheat the oven to 425F.

Chop 4 cloves garlic into a large dice.
Eighth 4 medium yellow onions.
Wash and dice 1 large beet.
Wash 2 large carrots and chop into large coins.

Then I mixed it all together with a few Tbsp oil and a few tsp sea salt infused with rosemary.

I baked it for an hour in a cast iron skillet.

During this time I threw on some brown rice in the steamer and had Jordie BBQ some hot sausages that Calvin picked up. These things are probably not local - sorry!

I added the grilled sausage to the mix once I chopped it up and served it on rice. Voila! Tasty enough that the boys won't care that it's good for them and the environment. Mission accomplished.

I will make one note of suggested improvement: the beets were slightly less tender than the rest of the dish. It seems to me they require a longer roasting time. In the future I will either send the beets in the oven for a 15-minute prep roast before adding the remaining vegetables, or I will chop the pieces much smaller so they'll roast quicker. I will also wash my cutting board right after doing the prep, but if you try this recipe you'll already know what I mean. Enjoy.

Next week: honey?

DIY Salsa

I am quickly becoming a preserviphile. Anything in a jar brings a smile to my face. So it won't surprise you that:

We made salsa!

May I share how?



We began by chopping 6 medium onions, 5 cloves of garlic, 3 green bell peppers and 5 jalapenos.

Then we easily removed the skins of 40 roma tomatoes by freezing them for a day then dipping them in hot water. The skins come right off. We quartered the tomatoes.

To a saute pan we added everything but the tomatoes. We sweated the vegetables, then added the tomatoes.

In a separate pan we boiled 2 cups of white vinegar, 1 cup of sugar and 3 Tbsp pickling spice. Then added this to the vegetables, simmering for 2 hours. Then we removed from the heat and added 2 cans of tomato paste.



We added to sanitized jars leaving 1/4" head room, wiping down the rims, and processing with new lids and rings for 15 minutes.

Please note: if you, hilariously, add ten raw jalapenos, including seeds, to one jar as a prank for your husband's band practice, the boys will in fact think this is awesome.

100 Mile Diet and DIY Home Roasting Coffee

I've recently started reading 100-Mile Diet by Alisa Smith and J.B. MacKinnon. It is a book about a couple who spend one very interesting year consuming only food and drink grown within 100 miles of their BC home. This time last year I attempted to organize a 100 mile diet Thanksgiving dinner for my friends and I but convincing people to go out of their way to research and source southern Ontario foods was harder than expected. The moral of the story is that it's great and honourable to attempt local eating, however the theme of this blog is, ironically, how to roast coffee at home.

Coffee is quite a beast for me because on one hand it is my favourite beverages, hands down, and I am often asked if I love it so much why don't I marry it? (The answer is because I'm already married, and that's the only reason.) On the other hand, it is one of the most underpaid industries in the world, bordering on slave labour in some parts, and it is a crop that simply can't be grown around here, necessitating long transportation and the inevitable toll on the environment. Here is where the two themes collide.

In my opinion, Fair Trade* practices and certification alleviate some of the moral burden of purchasing and consuming items like coffee, tea, cocoa, spices and sugar. These are things that we have to import if we want to enjoy them - they will not grow here. I will note that there are many teas and spices that are native to Canada, and there are also sugar alternatives like maple syrup and honey that are equally if not more delicious, but that's neither here nor there (I've always wanted to use that phrase in a blog). Now on to what I do with my fair trade coffee, besides the obvious.

A few years ago I began roasting my own coffee, both to save a few dollars per pound and to do something fun and productive with my mom. It's truly one of the funnest Saturday morning activities a person can get up to, after they're home from the farmers market of course. Here's what you'll need:

85 grams of green (unroasted) coffee beans - if you live in London go see Dave, Pat or Jason at the Fire Roasted Coffee Company in the Western Fair Confederation Building - www.fireroastedcoffee.com
An air popcorn popper - just the cheap kind you buy in a hardware store or at a garage sale
A metal colander
A wooden spoon

Begin by measuring out 85 grams of green beans.While you are seeking out a professional baker or drug dealer to borrow a scale from, heat up your popcorn popper so it's good to go when your beans are. A minute will do.

Drop the beans into the popper and immediately start mixing them around with the back of the wooden spoon, even if your popper is doing a nice job of stirring them around with its whirling motion.

Watch as the colour changes from light green-grey, to golden to dark espresso. The aroma will change dramatically too. As you roast more often you will be more in tune with what the smells and colours mean. I keep the lid off because I roast outside and don't care about the chaff flying around. If you do this inside, you need to know a few things: number one, there will be smoke, and number two, the outer layer of the coffee bean is separated during the roasting process and will be lifted up in the air creating a mass exodus of papery chaff that won't be fun to clean up no matter what childhood song a clown named Luna is singing (ha ha?).

Less than 5 minutes in, if you're listening, you'll hear a cracking noise. This is aptly named first crack and signals the beginning of the time that you can choose to finish roasting. Beans taken off at first crack will be quite light in roast, best suited for a Latin American coffee as far as I'm concerned. Not long after you'll hear a second, different crackling noise and this, as you may guess, is second crack. Finishing the roast at second crack or beyond will yield a dark roast, so you should probably invite me over. Dark roasts are nice for African coffees or anything you'll be using for espresso. When you want to pull the beans, turn off the popper and quickly dump the beans into your metal colander, then sift the coffee around like you're looking for gold. This will remove any last chaff and will get cooler air flowing through, thus stopping the cooking process.

Now the hardest part: rest the coffee for 1 - 5 days. It needs time to degas. This is why you should be doing a roast a few times a week. Don't worry if you make too much coffee, I will drink it. When your newly roasted coffee has had time to sit, then pull out a fresh press, just some filtered water heating, and grind up a batch.

Congratulations, you roasted coffee. 




* For more information on what Fair Trade means, request that I write a blog about it!

Oh Cleaning: Green Methods for a Squeaky Clean House

Guest blogger: Ashley Long

Some would say I am a bit obsessed with cleaning. Afterall, I grew up in a very clean home and for the last three years I professionally cleaned with an employer who taught me to see and clean up dirt in places that no one else might notice.

Many nasty chemicals are used while cleaning and we have no idea the effects they are having on us, our future families, and the environment. The other problem with chemical cleaning is that it covers up smells and dirt but doesn`t thoroughly clean the suface. This is a totally new way of thinking for me. I believed that chemicals made surfaces clean and shiny and smell nice.

It is hard to make adjustments to old habits. Just like the grime in my toilet must leave, so must my unhealthly choices with cleaning. Let`s explore some alternatives, shall we. 

• Vinegar -Let`s be honest. Vinegar is the best solution to any cleaning problem. I`ve been researching a little and here`s the low down on this great smelling liquid.

It`s cheap

Non-toxic for everyone

Deodorizes rooms

With a bit of baking soda it can declog a kitchen sink. (thanks mom)

It`s an all-in-one cleaner - toilets, sinks, countertops, all flooring, windows, etc.

But I will say that it doesn`t remove stains on a white countertop.

So the search continues.

• Charlie`s Soap - A vegetable based, biodegradable cleaner which comes in an all-purpose spray as well as laundry detergent. Retail stores only in the U.S. Bummer, I know, but you can order online. I have not used this product, although my friend does and swears by it. A little on the pricey side if you are frugal like me.
• Norwex microfiber cloths - These cloths have silver particles in them that disinfects surfaces and the cloth itself. Use only water with these cloths and a deeper clean can really been seen.Stained countertops can finally be clean again with no bleach! I will be attending a Norwex party the end of the month to see this magic myself. If anyone is interested in attending, email me. ashley.j.long@gmail.com
• Baking Soda -I use some vingar and baking soda on my cutting boards. Just let the mixture sit for a little bit and scrub off. Also good for deodorizing the fridge and cleaning stuff animals touch, like a water bottle. (rinse thoroughly)
• Hydrogen Peroxide- Good for cuts on guinea pigs and humans; only if consent is given. Also good in your bathtub and sink. Peroxide kills germs. Try it out! Pour some around your bathroom sink drain and see if it starts fizzing. It is so much fun.
• Fresh Wave spray- odour neutralizing spray. All natural, smells a bit like pine needles. Works great to get rid of crazy smells like urine, stinky socks and shoes, and bad hallway closet smells. Find this amazing stuff at McHardys Vacuum.

That is it for the list but if I may rant quickly...Stick to the green method that is affordable and works best. Dont get suckered into buying products on the shelf at the store that are supposedly green and double the price as normal cleaners. Rip-Off. Ok I had to get that out. Im done now.

Ponder these ideas. Test them out. Save some money and your lungs. Yay!

Ashley Long is my long-time, always-willing lead acoustic guitarist. Her immense vegetable garden would make your garden shudder in awe. She serves coffee by day and crafts it up like no one's business by night, and one day hopes to open a charity coffeehouse. If you've never tried her berry muffins - you aren't living.

Starbucks Veganized: Ginger Molasses Cookie

You may remember that I like to take classic Starbucks treats and morph them into vegan goodies hot out of my oven, here's an example:

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Earth Balance
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp ground flax + 1 Tbsp water
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 Tbsp tahini
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ginger
• 1 tsp ground cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg
• 2 cups flour (or GF Flour Mix)

Preparation:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Cream together the margarine, sugar, flax and water until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine well.

Roll the dough in to 1 inch balls and place on a baking sheet. 

Bake 12 minutes or until America's Funniest Home Videos is over.

DIY Dill Pickles

We began our experiment with a bounty of market fresh vegetables. The dill sounded lovely in a pickled form so we began:

Photo by: Sarah Goertz

Photo by: Rose Goertz

The cucumbers (about 8 lbs) soaked in ice water while I filled tall mason jars with dill and garlic cloves.

Photo by: Rose Goertz

Each pickle was lovingly washed and inspected then added to the garlic and dill.

Photo by: Sarah Goertz

We boiled 4 cups vinegar, 12 cups water and 1/3 cup pickling salt then added it to the jars with 1/4" headroom.


We processed for 15 minutes to seal and will leave them for around 3 months to fully become delicious.

DIY Bread and Butter Pickles

Wash and slice 6 cups of cucumbers, yielding 1/8" coins. Chop 3 medium onions and 1 green bell pepper.

Photo by: Sarah Goertz

Add to cucumbers and mix with 1/2 cup canning salt. Let stand for two hours.

Rinse off excess salt. Combine 2 cups vinegar, 2 cups water, 1 tsp mustard seed, 1 tsp celery seed, 1/2 tsp turmeric and 1 1/2 cups sugar and bring to a boil. 

Combine with cucumber mix and boil for 5 minutes.

Pack into sterilized jars leaving 1/4" headspace. Wipe rim of jar and process to seal.

DIY Red Pepper Jelly

Chop three red peppers into small pieces.

Cook in a large pot with 1/2 cup cider vinegar and 1 cup water until peppers are soft, allowing water to cook off. Blend peppers until smooth.

Return to pot. Add 1 Tbsp cayenne pepper, 6 1/2 cups sugar and 1 cup cider vinegar. Boil for 5 minutes.

Cool 2 minutes. Add one full package organic gelatin or pectin.

Pour into sterilized jars and seal.

DIY Tomato Sauce

There's nothing I love more than reigniting old world skills that are slowly being lost like crocheting and roasting coffee. Yesterday a fellow old-world-skill-lover, Ashley, and I canned tomato sauce with mostly things we'd grown ourselves. Here's how we did it:

1. Harvest any tomato sauce appropriate vegetables and herbs from your garden. We found tomatos, onion, garlic, bell pepper and basil. We also procured honey from a local farm.


2. Chop up all ingredients. We used 5 lbs hothouse tomatoes, some onion and green bell pepper, 4 cloves garlic, a handful of basil and other Italian herbs.

3. Add all to a large pot along with sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper, lemon juice and honey. Maybe 1 tsp of each.

4. Let simmer with no lid until the volume has reduced to half. While it is simmering, continuously crush the larger pieces. Also, watch a Ricky Gervais movie.

5. At the same time, sanitize 4 small mason jars and in the same water, boil the lids.

5. Using a submersion blend, whirl everything to a thick sauce with no large pieces left behind.

6. Ladel the sauce into each mason jar with 1/2" head room. With a cloth to avoid burns, secure the hot lids on and gather ribbon to decorate.

7. We experimented with re-boiling half the jars in the water and leaving half out. Both sealed.

So that's that. Now we have eggplant cassarole for months to come!

How to Make Kombucha

Kombucha is a sweet, strong-flavoured fermented tea, made with a bacteria-yeast culture, that is currently one of the trendiest beverages in the health world.

Photo by: Sarah Goertz

Health claims are vast and mostly unproven, but studies have shown that it contains compounds that are supportive to liver detoxification as well as cancer cell prevention.

I recently became a "kombu-mommy" when a friend offered me a jar of his "baby". The whole set up looks like a flat mushroom suspended in iced tea with another smaller mushroom pancake on top at the surface. If you're lucky enough to get your hands on a baby, here's how to make kombucha:
1. Brew 2 L of black, white, oolong or green tea using 2 tea bags for 15 minutes.
2. Discard the bags, add 1 cup white sugar and allow to cool to room temperature.
3. If you've been given a mother and baby, compost the mother and get rid of (drink, after filtering) all the liquid in your jar except 1 cup.
4. To the jar with the baby and liquid, add the cold sweet tea to the top. Place cheesecloth, but no lid, over the opening.
5. Allow to brew for 5 - 14 days. If after 5 you like the taste, drink up making sure to filter through cheesecloth. A new baby should be forming. After 14 days the liquid may taste stronger and more like vinegar, this is okay! Once the liquid has brewed this long it is more of a kombucha vinegar and is slightly alcoholic but if you like the taste, and I do, then drink up.

If your braveness is still rising toward make-kombucha levels and hasn't gotten there yet, you can purchase bottled kombucha in an array of flavours from Quarter Master Natural Foods at 176 Wortley Road in London.