Corn-Based Water Bottle with Filter . . . yay

My husband loves to camp.  He wanted to stay at the farm last weekend and camp overnight, I wasn’t really feeling that.  It’s still hot in Alabama and the mosquitoes love me and the Yipiyuk.  I will go camping and usually enjoy myself but I don’t really love it.  He was recently very excited about a new water bottle and filter system he purchased for his latest camping trip.  I was excited too.  He would no longer be forced to lug around heavy water; he could just boil some river water and then filter it (I’m sure he didn’t boil it…).

 

Now, I’m wondering if the water bottle and filter were made from corn.  I jokingly mentioned this possibility to him to which he replied, “It’s a good thing you aren’t going, you wouldn’t have anything to drink.”  I’ve known that the bottles (and the water themselves) from PepsiCo, Cola and Evian contain or are completely comprised of plant-based material (corn and some other things); but this water bottle and filter completely caught me off guard.  We will have to be more diligent when planning our camping trips now to ensure health and safety.  Here’s the companies main website.  Luckily most product companies are proud of their eco-friendly, corn/plant based plastics and products and readily disclose their usage.  I wish the same could be said food producers.

 

Here’s a quote from the website.  They are very interested in their customer’s well-being:

 

“You and your family’s personal wellness program isn’t complete without an on demand source of purified water. We manufacture drinking water filters, shower filters, bathtub filters and “on the go” filters. All of our filters offer on demand “all you want anytime you want it” purified water”.

As a complement to your right to purify your own water, we manufacture a complete line of reusable bottles: Stainless Steel, Eastar^TM Resin, and Corn Resin. Sizes range from 8 oz to 5 gallon.”

Quick Post: Curried Lamb

A few days ago I made curried beef.  I was lacking most of the necessary ingredients so I had to make them from scratch (curry powder, coconut milk, vegetable broth).  It was very time consuming, however I had lots of leftovers so tonight I’m going to try to do the same thing with some safe lamb.  Up until this point, I had not figured out the best way to cook the lamb.  It always turned out tough, greasy/fatty, and unappetizing.  Last night’s experiement was to cook the lamb the same way we cooked the roast beef   We seared it and placed it in a 175 degree oven.  It cooked for 20 hours.  Best tasting lamb so far!  It was moist and fell apart in my hands (shredded it for the curry).

 

All of the other steps are identical to the curried beef.  I wanted to share my excitement of the successful lamb experiment!

 

This week I am going to tackle homemade, organic buckwheat noodles.  I’m both scared and excited but I think it will be successfully!  I’ll let you all know how it turns out.  Fingers are crossed!

Homemade Pickles

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Kristy from Living It Up Corn Free gave me a great (and simple) recipe for fermenting produce.  I’ve tried it with pickling cucumbers, carrots and radishes thus far.  I’m not a big fan of pickled carrots but pickled cucumbers and radishes make my mouth happy.  As you all know I purchased 2-3lbs of pickling cucumbers from the farm this past Saturday.  Saturday night we washed them all, cut them up in the food processor (cuisinart food processor), packed them into mason jars and covered them with our brine.

 

I wanted to try something new, so I made a separate brine, added a tablespoon of garlic to it and used it in two of the jars. I wanted to add some wasabi to one of the jars but the hubby talked me out of it.  It’s the Eden Foods wasabi powder.  I vaguely remember trying it once but it would make me sad if I found out I react to it and ruined a whole jar of pickles.

 

The pickles should be ready by Tuesday night, at which point I’ll probably eat a whole jar.  They taste so very good!

 

Brine:

• 1 quart water
• 2 tbsp Redmond’s Real Salt
• 1 tbsp Garlic (added to separate brine)

 

Procedure:

 

Wash cucumbers and cut off ends.  Feed into food processor to slice the cucumbers.  Fill the mason jars, leaving an inch of room at the top.  Pour in the brine, covering pickles.  Allow the pickles to sit on the counter for 3 days and then refrigerate.  I flip my pickles upside down (stand them on their tops) during the last 24 hours of the fermenting process.  Kristy recommends using clean pebbles (decorating rocks) to hold the pickles down.  I don’t have any of those.  (Around day two you should begin to smell a distinctive pickled smell.)

 

Enjoy!

I Have to be Honest…

Ok.  This is very hard to admit and I’ve been denying it for a few days now but…

 

We did react to the sample of beef.  I wanted to ignore the reactions in myself and blame the Yipiyuk’s reaction on something else but there’s nothing else to blame and the reactions are difficult to ignore.  I realize our beef won’t be nearly as contaminated as the sample of beef from the farmer, at least that is the hope I cling to as I prepare to order 1/2 a cow.

 

The reactions we experienced were typical of a “corning,” corn allergic reaction.  I became itchy and disoriented as the fumes from cooking the beef filled the air. After ingesting the beef (one bite) I became increasingly itchy and within 30 minutes had a headache.  Twelve hours later I realized I was swelling but it wasn’t noticeable to my hubby so I choose to ignore it.  24 hours after the initial bite, I ate the curried beef for dinner.  MAN was it good!  Withing five minutes my scalp and nape of my neck were on fire.  I tried to hide the itching but no luck.  Twelve hours late my stomach was distended, I’d gained 8 lbs, I had a mock sinus infection and stuffiness, and my skin was super dry and itchy.  It was a good experiment.  The Yipiyuk reacted to my milk with a rash and swelling (she’s gained a whooping 9 oz…that’s a lot for my kid, especially in 12 hours).

 

We’re still planning to move forward with ordering 1/2 a cow, we just need to make 100% sure that the butcher is going to follow our instructions on processing.  Wish us luck!

Our Trip to the Farm

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Wow.  My hubby is helping me write this post.  :-D

 

That was the longest car ride we’ve had since April.  We’ve been running the ozone producing machine in the car for two weeks in preparation for the trip. The car still has a perfumey smell but it is better.  It did not take very long to reach the farm from our house, which is great when you’re traveling with a 14 month old Yipiyuk.

 

We drove up the dirt/gravel road and saw a sign, “Beware of dog, Honk horn.” Hmmm…  I became a bit nervous as did the hubby.  I’m TERRIFIED of dogs.  I know, I know.  I have a dog, but she is more like a bunny rabbit.  We honked and waited until we saw someone.  Suze emerged from the farm house (full brick older home with lots of character) and greeted us with a big smile.  We were relived to realize we’d made it to the right place!  She had all of the produce waiting for us and gave us a little back story for each item.  The apples weren’t grocery store perfect, but I can’t eat those.  They were blemished, all different shapes and absolutely beautiful.  She did not know the exact  name for the muscadines/scupernongs we purchased; they came with the farm.  We bought all of the remaining smaller cucumbers they had (SO sad) and she gave us a recipe for the okra.  She also gave us a good idea of what to expect for fall produce.  We purchased a bushel of apples, lb of pears, 2 lbs of okra, 2 lbs of peppers (sweet and hot), LOTS of pickling cucumbers, 1 lb of muscadines/scupernongs.

 

We met the farm dog, Kaley, Carrie…I don’t remember =(.  It was a mixed breed of Rottweiler and Black Labrador.  Very sweet temperament.  I wanted to take her home with me and so did the Yipiyuk.  I don’t think Doodle would have been very thrilled to have a new, rather large friend.  We also saw a peacock (SO COOL), a rooster, and a chicken.  The peacock was the most interesting creature of the three.  I’m not quite sure why they have three peacocks.

 

Here are pictures of the produce.  Overall it was a wonderful trip and we were able to enjoy the wonderful weather without threat of sickness or allergic reaction.

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups – Oh SO Good!

 

I was going to wait until Sunday to post this but the excitement is keeping me from sleeping.

 

 

 

Alex at Spoonful of Sugar-Free posted this wonderful recipe and I found it by chance. And what a wonderful find it was!  It took a bit more preparation than just using store bought Baker’s chocolate and non-dairy milk but it was totally worth it. Luckily I’ve been on a cooking/baking high this week so I had most of the ingredients on hand (i.e. the homemade coconut milk and apple syrup).

 

I started by making my chocolate.  I used 6.5 oz of cacao paste and 1.5 oz of cacao butter.  I melted the mixture using a double boiler over medium heat.  I took the mixture off of the heat to cool the chocolate and returned it to the heat for a short while in an effort to temper the chocolate.  This took about an hour. After the chocolate was ready I began following the recipe.  *You can add a dollop (or two) of honey, or any other sweetener, to the chocolate to make it sweet.  You can also add a little milk to make a milk chocolate.*

 

I made a few changes, of course.  Alex at Spoonful of Sugar-Free does not use any sugar in her baking.  I use homemade apple syrup for a sweetener; no other type of sweetener likes me.  I also had a bit more chocolate than the four ounces called for in the recipe; but I came up with a creative idea for the remaining chocolate…  that’s another blog post.  I opted not to use muffin liners as I’ve only found one company with supposedly safe, corn free paper liners.  I would have needed to purchase new muffin tins for the liners, as well as the liners themselves (smallest pack was a case of 12).  Instead, I opted to get 100% silicone muffin bakeware.  It worked marvelously, the chocolates popped right out!  They are beautiful!

 

This recipe was so very SIMPLE!  The end result is absolutely delicious.  If you can have honey I recommend adding it to your homemade chocolate while you are melting your cacao paste/butter.  I like the taste of bitter, unsweetened chocolate; however, if you are accustomed to something sweeter you will want to make the adjustments for your taste buds.  I’m sure this recipe would work well with almond/soy/nut/dairy milk also.  You should look for pure peanut butter that does not have any added ingredients.  I used Once Again Organic (NSA) Peanut Butter.  Quick edit from last night:  Someone on Facebook posted that their daughter could not have peanut butter.  I think any nut butter would work you will just need to add a little extra milk to ensure it blends well and is creamy and fluffy!

 

 

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

~Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, corn-free, soy-free, cane-sugar free! 

 

Ingredients

• 6.5 oz cacao paste, 1.5 oz cacao butter 
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup +2 tbsp coconut milk
• 1/4 – 1/3 cup apple syrup

 

 

Melt the cacao paste and cacao butter using a double boiler over medium heat.  Remove from heat and allow to slightly cool. Return to heat and stir for 10 minutes.  Fill the bottom of each muffin pan/compartment with a smear of melted chocolate. Freeze for five minutes or until solid.

 

Whip the peanut butter with the coconut milk until fluffy.  Add the apple syrup and continue to whip.  Add the 2 tbsp (more if needed) of coconut milk to return the mixture to the fluffy state.  Put a dollop of the mixture into each muffin pan/compartment. Then, top with extra melted chocolate and freeze for another five minutes or until chocolate solidifies.  Enjoy!

Curried Beef with Mung Bean Noodles

Let me start by saying, this tasted like a real meal.  I love curry sauce.  One of my favorite restaurants was Surin.  I could’ve eaten the red curry duck everyday.  I needed curry back in my life so I set out to make it happen.  It turned out great!  There were many steps involved in the process, I wasn’t able to just open a can of anything and dump it into the pot.

 

I began by making/starting a vegetable/lamb broth.  It included black eyed peas, mung bean noodles, broccoli, sweet peas, radishes, lamb, salt, and garlic (generous amount).  I removed the black eyed peas, noodles and lamb after 30 minutes (that was my lunch), added the remaining ingredients and let it simmer for 6 hours (the peas and radishes made a good side for the meal).

 

I then made coconut milk using shredded coconut and water.  Here’s a link to the video if you’re interested.  Mix 7/8 cups of shredded coconut with 1 cup of hot water and blend for 2-3 minutes on high.  Strain it through cheese cloth (or an old tshirt).  Repeat with the same shredded coconut and 1/2 cup of hot water, blend for an additional 1-2 minutes.  Strain.  Yields about 16 oz.  I repeated the process because I needed 32 oz of milk.

 

Next I used the recipe below to make my own curry powder.  I cannot have any type of pepper right now (black, cayenne, sweet, hot…etc), I’m allergic to cinnamon and the Yipiyuk cannot have cardamom.  Needless to say, I had to find a recipe that would still taste like curry with limited ingredients.  I also have been unable to find safe turmeric.  I made a few changes to the recipe, you can see them below.  It actually tastes and smells like curry powder.  I was surprised!

 

Ingredients

• fennel seeds – 2tbsp
• cumin seeds – 2tbsp
• coriander seeds – 2tbsp
• fenugreek seeds – 0.5tbsp
• 1 clove (I used 2)
• 2 pieces of allspice
• salt
• garlic

Dry fry the mixture of spices and then pound or grind into a powder for use in a delicious curry.  Sift the ingredients using a small strainer.

 

Last, but not least, came the big hoorah – putting everything together.  I always have the feeling of impending dome when trying a new recipe, especially when it takes the majority of the day to bring together.  I try to hide it but I always get so sad when it doesn’t work out.  Don’t get me wrong, I eat it anyway…  Everything was seeming to go well, the house smelled divine and “The guy I live with” was salivating.  I’ve already mentioned that the meal was a success.  I served the curried beef with mung bean noodles and the sweet pea/radish mixture from the broth.  It was delicious!

 

I cannot find the original site for this recipe but thank you so much ______ for posting this wonderful recipe for “Chicken Curry.”  It worked great for my beef roast.

 

Ingredients

* 1 roast cut into bite sized pieces (my roast was pre-cooked)

* 3 Tablespoons of Coconut oil (Tropical Traditions)

* 2 Tablespoons of organic coconut flour (Tropical Traditions)

* 1/2 teaspoon Redmonds Real salt

* 2-3 tbsp garlic (Mountain Rose Herbs)

* 1 Tablespoon + 2 tsp curry powder

* 1-2 cups vegetable/lamb stock (I used one cup.  Will use 2 cups next time)

* 1/2 cup coconut milk

 

Procedure:

In a frying pan sauté garlic granules with coconut oil. Add the cut-up roast, slightly brown the roast. Add vegetable/lamb stock, simmer for 15 minutes. Add salt and curry powder. Cover the pan. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Dissolve coconut flour in 1/2 cup of coconut milk. Stir it into the pan. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes.

The Journey Towards Safe Beef

Beef and I went our separate ways when I was 15.  It made me sick, physically ill.  I didn’t understand why, just thought it another one of my many quirks.  Don’t get me wrong, I ate the occasional beefy nacho and chili burrito from Taco Casa but I always paid for it afterwards.  Avoiding beef wasn’t that difficult, I was expected to cook for myself so I made chicken or ate a salad with fruit (I would love to do that now!).

–

Around the fifth month of my pregnancy, my body and mind started asking for beef.  The cravings were very persistent and intense.  I gave in and had a Five Guys burger.  Nom, nom…  I can’t even handle smelling the food now.  Beef was reintroduced into my life.  I ate a burger every two to three weeks or so.  Month six of the pregnancy is when the terrible edema started.  I didn’t connect all of the corny dots until month nine.

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The Yipiyuk stepped onto the scene and I didn’t crave beef anymore until August 2010.  The “Guy who lives with us” brought a Five Guys burger home and I tried to eat it.  Bad idea.  I broke out in terrible hives, had a migraine, increased swelling (I was still swollen from the IV and corny meds from the hospital) and the poor Yipiyuk was covered in a dry, scaly, rough, red rash.  I said arrivederci to beef again.  At this point I was started to realize something was really wrong with my relationship with food.  Things were getting worse and whatever was happening was progressing quickly.

-

At the end of August 2010 I found the Delphi forum and things began to make sense.  I realized sometime around October 2010 that it was probably not the beef but what had been done to the beef that was hurting me.  Unfortunately, I was reacting to everything at that point, my body wasn’t seeing any difference between foods.  I think that had to do a lot with the pervasiveness of corn, my body was making associations where there were none.  I was too tired to look for safe beef at that point so I just gave up altogether.

–

Do you remember Patti LaBelle’s song “New Attitude?”  Well, by February 2011 I had a new attitude.  I was going to find safe beef for me and my family.  So began the search for safe, uncontaminated, non-corn/grain feed beef.  We quickly found a safe farmer with 100% grass raised and finished beef.  I was so very excited.  The family was very nice and very helpful.  Unfortunately, their butcher was not helpful or nice.  He refused to work with us on processing and would not listen to me at all about the ingredients in his meat cleaners.  I was feeling defeated, I actively tried to make this work for 3 months.  Someone on the forum posted about potentially safe beef and lamb from KOL Foods.  I decided to try the lamb and was pleseantly surprised that it worked.  I ordered lamb for us and I took a break on the beef for couple of months.

–

July 2011 came I had another burst of energy too find safe beef.  After five phone calls and many posts to the Delphi Forum (thanks for listening guys!) I found a potentially safe source.  The farmer is extremely nice and SO IS HIS BUTCHER.  I have spoken with the farmer and the butcher several times and they are always so helpful and forthright with their answers.  I’ve already contacted the company that supplies the butcher paper and it seems that the plastic coating on the butcher paper is safe.  The butcher has requested detailed instructions from me to ensure that they process the meat correctly (BONUS) and the farmer gave us a roast to try for free.  I slightly reacted to the roast but I know it is because it wasn’t processed to my specifications.  I have very high hopes for this source and for the meat.

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I’ll keep you all posted!

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Jan. 2012 Update:  Even with multiple phone calls to the processor and special processing changes that were made the aforementioned beef DID NOT work out for us.  I did eventually find a safe source.

KOL Foods should have safe beef soon.

Here’s another safe source (I have not tried this meat).

Corn Free Deodorant

I just realized I don’t have a deodorant listed on my Personal Care Products page. Oops!  I make my own. Are you surprised?  Here’s the recipe:

 

5-6 Tbsp Coconut oil
1/4 cup baking soda
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
10-15 drops of Bergamot Essential Oil

 

Mix together, it will set at room temperature. It’s a little coconutty without the essential oil but it still works well.  It is not clear and will show up on clothing.  I store the deodorant in these little containers my hubby ordered.  I’ll ask him for the link and post it later.

 

I was ordering the deodorant from Tropical Traditions but I don’t think they did anything.  I also tried the Crystal Deodorant but it did nothing for me.  A lot of other corn-allergic individuals use and love the crystal deodorant…  my body said no.

Garlic Bread – Attempt #2

New food Attempt #2 was garlic bread.  I needed a bread recipe as well as a garlic sauce recipe.  I adapted the muffin recipe to be the bread.  Here is the recipe with changes:

 

Ingredients

½ cup buckwheat flour

½ cup besan flour

¼ cup arrowroot

¼ cup coconut flour

1 teaspoon soda bicarbonate

1 tbsp ground flax / 1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon vinegar

6 tablespoons oil

1 ¼ cup hot water

 

Method

Sift dry ingredients together. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix well. Pour into muffin or mini-bread loaf. Bake at 320°F (160°C) for 45 minutes.

 

Now, I liked the bread but I do not think it needs the chia seeds.  Actually I think the addition of the chia seeds made me a wee bit nauseated.  I will definitely skip this ingredient addition next time.  Hopefully the muffins will be fine without them and not nearly as nauseating.

 

The garlic spread…  Let me start by saying I don’t like coconut oil if it is not cooked into something.  I tried to use the coconut oil as the base for the garlic sauce as one would with melted butter, it is not my cup of tea.  There are some that absolutely LOVE coconut oil in any state but I am not one of those people.  I tried to eat it though.  Anywho!

 

I would recommend this recipe:

 

• 2 tbsp butter (melted)
• 4 garlic cloves (elephant garlic – minced)
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

 

Melt the Butter, add the minced garlic, onion powder and salt to the hot/slightly warm melted butter.

 

Let the muffins cook fully, slice them and spread the garlic spread over the slices.  Put them back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes.