Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Soaking grains


As I continue to learn things about healthy living and eating I have come across this old practice of soaking grains before eating them. I feel like I have a lot more to learn about this, and I will be posting more in the future. I am trying my first batch of bread today. The flour was pre-soaked and slightly fermented for about 21 hours. There is an element in grains and legumes that is called phytic acid. This has a binding affect on minerals, meaning most of the minerals in the bread or grains we eat is not being absorbed by our bodies, but carried right out by the phytic acid. There are studies being done on phytic acid and there are some instances in which it presents itself as a helpful agent in people with the need to draw heavy metals out of their bodies, but for every day health it looks like we need to be soaking our grains and legumes to get maximum nutrition out of them. I am not sure how the processes are done yet, but I am starting, and I encourage you to look into the idea of soaking your grains before eating them.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Hummus


Spread or dip~
Ingredients:
1 can of garbanzo bean or chickpeas (my can was 15.5 oz)
1/4 cup of liquid from can
1/4 cup of lemon juice (you can build up taste by tablespoon if you don't want a strong lemon flavor)
1/4 cup of olive oil
2 T of sesame seeds (more if you want)
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp of salt (again it is something you can build to your desired taste)

Put in a blender or food processor and let her rip.. starting out on low that is :-)
Store in the fridge in an airtight container.

This tastes so yummy and is so healthy! Traditionally it is eaten with pita bread. Try it with crackers, corn chips, bread, or anything you think will taste good!

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Watch out for Wild Parsnip



This pretty looking flower that looks similar to fennel and dill is not very friendly. If you get the plant oil on your skin you will get what is called phyto-photo-dermatitis. The plant oil combined with sunlight makes for an unpleasant sun burn feeling or blister. Essentially the skin is chemically burned. The leftover result will be a dark brownish-red color on the skin. These markings can last for a very long time. I myself have had mine for about 2 months and they are now starting to fade. Some people have reported having the markings for several years. If you have had contact with the plant oil try washing the places that you think have been touched. The best thing to do is avoid the plant or wear gloves and long clothing if it needs to be moved from your yard.

Dill and Fennel will both have feather like leaves.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Wheat crackers


After looking at some inspiring blogs this morning I decided to make some crackers. They are very easy to make and very simple. This is a great basic recipe that could have herbs or cheeses or any sort of yummy thing added to them.



Recipe:
* 2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour (freshly ground is best on pastry setting)
* 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 3/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil or whatever oil you have on hand
* 1 cup water
* salt for sprinkling

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F after you have mixed your dough
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Pour in the vegetable oil and water; mix until just blended.Using a fork is the easiest.
3. On a lightly floured surface or for less mess use parchment paper, roll out the dough as thin as possible - no thicker than 1/8 inch. Cut into squares or use cookie cutters. Place shapes on an ungreased baking sheet as close as you want. Prick each cracker with a fork a few times, and sprinkle with salt by hand so as to get the salt on the just the crackers.
4. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until crisp and light brown. Baking time may be different depending on how thin your crackers are. When cool, remove from baking sheet,and store in a bag or airtight container.

This recipe was adapted by me from allrecipes.com