Whole Foods Friday - Colorful Double Bean and Veggie Salad

Are you rolling in tomatoes like I am here?  Not that I'm complaining!  We LOVE tomatoes in this house and I love finding all kinds of fun ways to use them.  I found this delicious recipe on my sister's blog, Whole Foods on a Budget.

So, hop on over to her blog and check out this recipe for a delicious double bean and veggie salad.  Enjoy your Labor Day Weekend!

Homeopathy and the Broken Toe

Two days ago, it was a busy morning as usual.  I was packing my husband's lunch and set a pyrex dish with some leftover lasagna in it onto the kitchen counter.  What I didn't realize was that it was not set firmly on the counter and over it went, with the pyrex handle smashing directly onto my middle toe.

Wow - I don't think I have ever experienced pain like that!  I stuck my foot into a bowl of ice water immediately but knew that I needed to do something else right away as my toe was immediately turning purple and starting to swell.

Thankfully, I have a homeopath that I see who is available as needed via email and phone.  I had also bought the home remedy kit that she recommended (pictured below and found HERE).

I took the arnica and hypericum that she recommended and within a few hours the pain was gone (except for walking) and the bruising and swelling were improved.  To look at my foot, you would not know right off that I have a broken toe (well, suspected since I never went in for an xray).  Though I cannot walk on it yet, it is doing much, much better than I ever imagined it would.

I highly recommend this kit.  You will save a lot of money buying all these remedies in kit form.  It comes with a very simple booklet with a list of symptoms and matching remedies.  I also recommend Homeopathy, An A-Z Home Handbook and The Family Guide to Homeopathy.

(I am an affiliate with amazon.  Using the links I provide is like leaving a tip and helps with the costs of keeping up this blog.  Thank you!)

(Featured on GNOWFLGINS)

Sealogica on Sale!

Just wanted to let all my readers know that Sealogica is currently on sale!  Take advantage of this sale to try this wonderful, whole food, a vital source of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and so much more!

Below are some questions and answers about Sealogica:

Why Sea Vegetables?
Today our foods are loaded with chemicals and preservatives, and our soils are sodepleted of nutrients that our foods are nutrient poor. We must get our food from sea vegetables if we desire nutrient-rich, chemical-free whole foods as nature intended for ultimate health.

What is Sealogica?
Sealogica is a whole food blend of seven wild-harvested sea vegetables, harvested from  the coldest waters from around the world in their region of origin. TheSealogica synergistic blend of sea vegetables contains every vitamin, mineral, trace mineral, and amino acid in Natureʼs perfect balance—plus enzymes, antioxidants, flavonoids and many other powerful nutrients found in nature required for ultimate health.
Why is Sealogica considered a raw food?
Sealogica uses a special eco friendly proprietary hand-harvested process to select and collect 7 types of Wild Sea Vegetables from their region of origin. Then it goes through a special cold water scrub, wash and rinse process to insure the purity of the sea vegetables. [No Chemicals are used just pure cold water] Then sun dried for 48 hours and blended into this proprietary rawsuperfood.

Why is "Wild Harvested" important?

Wild harvesting is the act of harvesting natural resources direct from their native environments. Nature imprints our food with more than just the physical substance we need to live. Kirlian photography has shown that there is a subtle energy or "prana" in food our as well. Modern agricultural methods intervenes in this process. Eating foods grown in the wild means that you receive the energy from the plant directly from Nature with no intermediary. All the energetic and vibrational qualities are present as intended. Also wild harvest - assures the products' ecological purity.

What can Sealogica do for me?

We can't say what it will do for you because each person's nutritional needs differ. However, 99% of consumers report an increase in energy in just a few days, and many report a significant weight loss, blood pressure normalization, blood sugar stabilization in approximately three months, reduction or elimination of hot flashes, an end to constipation, disappearance of painful menstrual cycles, elimination of headaches, improved sleeping, and an overall feeling of well being.
Do I need to take any multi-vitamin and mineral supplements while takingSealogica?
No. Multi-vitamin and mineral supplements are synthetic and actually do more harm than good for your body. Almost all health care professionals recommend supplementing your diet. Sealogica is afar superior alternative, plus it will enhance the effectiveness of other whole foods and whole food supplements such as herbs or herbal combinations.Sealogica is a Superfood and contains a tremendous variety of vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, amino acids, and phytonutrients in natures perfect balance. Try Sealogica and Experience Nature's Power!

I’m a vegetarian—can I take Sealogica?
Yes. Sealogica is vegan certified and is an excellent source of plant-based whole-food nutritional support.Is Sealogica gluten free?
Yes.

Is Sealogica raw?

Yes. All of the ingredients in Sealogica have been "cold processed." Many sea vegetables found in the health food store have been heated and dried, a process which harms the enzymes which are senstive to heat above 120 degrees. By cold processing the sea vegetables in Sealogica, we insure that all that Nature intended for you is delivered to you!

Is Sealogica Sugar Free?

Yes. Stevia is used to sweeten the berry flavor and studies have shown that Stevia is one of the few "sweeteners" available safe even for diabetics as it has a low glycemic index and will not raise blood sugar levels.

What ab

out the bottle—is it BPA free?
Yes, our bottles are free of Bisphenol A and Phthalates (BPA is a high-production industrial  chemical used to manufacture polycarbonate plastics and epoxy linings of tin cans).

Does Sealogica contain any preservatives?
No. Sealogica is 100% preservative free because the sea vegetables contained in this product are very high in antioxidants which act as a natural preservative.

(As with any supplement, please consult with your health care practitioner before starting Sealogica, especially if you have a thyroid condition or are currently taking any thyroid medication.)

(Featured on Real Food Renegade)

Cultured Mondays - Green Bean "Pickles"

We have been swimming in green beans the past few weeks.  I wanted to make something a little different than just plain salt brine with these, so I added pickling spices and boy, these came out good!

Green Bean Pickles

*5 L Pickl-it
*4-5 pounds green beans
*2-3 fresh stems dill
*1 T yellow mustard seed
*1 T brown mustard seed
*1 T coriander seed
*1 T peppercorns
*1 tsp cardamom pods
*10 cloves
*3 cinnamon sticks
*4-6 dried bay leaves
(If you do not have these individual spices, you can use 4 T pickling spices.)
2% brine (19g salt to 4 cups water)

Wash off the green beans and remove the stem end.  Pack densely into the pickl-it.  Add spices, and lastly the brine.  Place airlock and leave in a dark, cool place for about 3 days, or until bubbling stops.  The ideal fermenting temperature is around 70 degrees, so in warmer weather, they may be done sooner and if it is cool, then leave out for an extra day.

Enjoy!  These are great for dipping, chopped on salads, or just plain!

Whole Foods Friday - Creamy Roasted Tomato-Eggplant Soup

When I saw this recipe on my sister's blog, Whole Foods on a Budget, I decided I just had to make this!

What a delicious way to use the bounty of summertime tomatoes that we have right now!  So, hop on over to Whole Foods on a Budget and try this delicious recipe!

Raw Honey for Wound Healing

I recently had a little benign growth removed from my leg.  It was a bit of a deep shave where it was taken off and after a couple of days, I noticed it was getting a bit red and sore.

I remembered reading in the book Gentle Healing for Baby and Child about the antibacterial properties of honey and how raw honey can be applied to wounds to help heal and prevent infection.  I opted to give this a try rather than use a topical antibiotic cream.

Picture Credit: food-nutrition.knoji.com

I applied a dab of raw honey (the honey must be raw - this will not work with pasteurized honey) to my wound and right away I saw the white foaming action of the natural peroxide at work from the honey.  It was pretty cool to watch - similar to pouring hydrogen peroxide on a wound.  I simply covered it with a piece of gauze and changed the dressing with new honey every 12 hours.  Within a couple of days it was free of redness, soreness, and had scabbed over nicely.

This is a great wound healing remedy you can use for minor wounds on children (would wait until child is two) and adults.  If the wound is serious or you have any questions about infection, please consult your health care professional.

If you would like to read more about the wound healing properties of honey, read HERE.

Raw honey can often be found in health food stores and I have also enjoyed the raw honey I have purchased at Tropical Traditions.

(Featured on GNOWFGLINS, The Healthy Home Economist, Real Food Renegade)

Please note that I am an affiliate for amazon.

Cultured Mondays - Dilly Green Beans and Radishes

The summer produce is rolling in and I have a number of ferments going with about 5-6 more to put up this week!  We will be enjoying all the cultured veggies through the winter this year.

Of all the veggies my son could love cultured, he is a HUGE fan of radishes.  I'm trying to get some in bulk from my co-op, but until then, I picked up a few at the farmer's market this week to throw into my batch of dilly green beans.

Dilly Green Beans:

*1 5L pickl-it
*1 large bunch radishes
*3 large stems of dill
*4-5 pounds green beans
*2% salt brine (19grams fine pink salt to 4 cups of water)

Thoroughly wash the radishes and green beans.  Cut the radishes into halves or quarters depending on size.  Snap stem end off green beans.  Avoid using ones with blemishes.

Place the radishes on the bottom so they do not float to the top of the jar.  Pack in the green beans as tight as possible.  Fill to the shoulder of the jar.

Pack dill into the bottom the jar - I forgot to do this and it's easier to have this packed in the bottom where it will not be floating on the top above the brine.  Add enough of the 2% brine to fill 1/2 inch above the green beans.  Add glass dunkers to keep the beans under the brine.  Place on the pickl-it lid and put in a dark, cook spot for 3 days, then place in fridge.  In this hot summer weather, I am keeping my ferments in my pantry on our cool ceramic tile.

This is after about 24 hours.  See all the active bubbling!  This means the fermentation process is working.

You can see the bubbling at the top of the jar as well.  Enjoy these yummy beans over the next months. They should be stored in an air-tight Fido.  The great thing about pickl-its and Fidos are the lids are interchangeable, which means, once you are done fermenting you can pop off the pickl-it lid and place the Fido lid on the jar.  This helps to keep the integrity of the ferment.

(Featured on the Healthy Home Economist, Homestead Revival, Real Food Forager, The Nourishing Gourmet)

Whole Foods Friday - Sweet Quinoa Salad with Avocado, Papaya, and Tomato

This is the perfect quinoa salad for the last of these hot summer days.  A great way to use up some of those summer time tomatoes.  My sister, Christy, at Whole Foods on a Budget, shares this recipe.  So, hop on over to her blog for the directions!  Happy Friday!

Healthful Benefits of Dandelion Leaf and Root

Photo Credit: Naturopathic-health.co.uk

Dandelion is often one of my "go to" herbs.  It has so many benefits and can be bought inexpensively in dried form (you can find it HERE).

The two forms we use the most in our house is the dried leaf and the dried root (not in powdered form).  I use these two forms to make herbal teas.  With the leaves, I make an infusion and with the root, I make a decoction.  I have written posts about how to make and infusion and decoction and you can read more about infusions HERE and decoctions HERE.


Dandelion is one of the key herbs that is used to purify the blood and support the kidneys and pancreas.  The leaves are particularly helpful as a diuretic and helpful for cellulite and fluid retention.  A combination of root and leaves has been known to be helpful in dissolving urinary stones and gravel.  In relation to the pancreas, this is a key herb for helping to increase insulin secretions, which is beneficial for diabetics.

It is also known as a "bitter", which means that it helps to activate the entire digestive tract and liver, thus helping to ease digestion, increase appetite and the flow of digestive juices, and cleanse the liver.  It is also known to help treat liver disease and sluggish liver as well as help to dissolve gallstones.  The root is also a mild laxative.

Not only does dandelion have many healing and cleansing properties, but it is high in minerals.  It is high in minerals like iron, phosphorus and manganese, and also has significant levels of potassium, calcium, zinc and more.  It is also very high in vitamin A and a good source of B vitamins an vitamin C.

For all you breastfeeding moms, this herb is also a galactogogue, meaning that it helps to increase milk supply.

Dosing with herbs can be tricky.  You will often find different dosages on the internet.  I recommend that you use a resource that you trust.  One book that I have found helpful is Nutritional Herbology.  He includes doses with his herbal descriptions.  I also recommend finding a trained herbalist in your area, as they can be an excellent resource and can help you determine the dose your body will need.

As with any herb, you should check with your health care professional before taking.  Be especially cautious with dandelion if you have a history of gallstones.

Please be aware that I am an affiliate with Amazon and Mountain Rose Herbs.  Any use of the links in my posts is much appreciated and like a tip to help keep this blog going.  Thank you!

(Featured on GNOWFGLINS and The Nourishing Gourmet, Real Food Renegade).

It's Going To Be Busy Around Here!

I wanted to let my readers know that posts will be going down to three times a week instead of my usual four.

I am going to be busy over the next few months, working on the cookbook that my sister Christy at Whole Foods on a Budget and me will be releasing sometime later this year.

I am also continuing my studies to be a Clinical Master Herbalist and Advanced Aromatherapist.

Yup, I have a lot on my plate.

If you would like to read about our cookbook's sneak peek, you can do so HERE.  Our focus will be simplicity; a great cookbook for those who are just getting started with whole foods, but also full of recipes for the seasoned whole foods cook.  We will also have plenty of tips on how to stock a pantry, what kitchen equipment to use, and how to store food.  We have even included a section for the kids!

Fermented Foods Link Love

This week I am going to post some links to recipes by some of my fellow Nourished Living Network bloggers.  These all look delicious and I can't wait to try them out!

In case you missed this recipe last week, here is my post about culturing watermelon rind, using my friend Melanie's recipe, from Pickle Me Too.   It is so yummy - my toddler is a big fan.


KerryAnn from Cooking Traditional Foods, discusses the importance of how to use salt in your ferments.  This is an extremely helpful post for all fermenters to read.

This recipe for Beet Kvass, is next on my list to try along with Water Kefir!  Lydia, a wonderful nutritional therapist, gives us her recipe for this healthy, probiotic rich drink on her website Divine Health from the Inside Out.  

I can't wait to get my fresh water kefir grains from Lydia (above!), so that I can use this recipe from Patty at Loving Our Guts for making water kefir.  This fermented drink is delicious and I am looking forward to getting my family drinking it every day!

Melanie at Pickle Me Too, has this delicious looking recipe for red onions.  I can't wait to try these as we are big onion lovers in our home.

The Hybrid Rasta Mama has a humorous, but informative post about safe practices when it comes to fermenting.  This is an excellent post to read whether you are a fermenting pro, just getting started, or just want to know what it's all about!

If you love carrots, you have to try this fermented garlic and dill carrot recipe.  This looks delicious and I am looking forward to trying this one out as a snack food for the family.


The wonderful thing is that these are all recipes using safe, anaerobic fermentation practices that will protect your ferments from molds and produce delicious tasting ferments every time!  If you have any questions about why I use the pickl-it for my ferments, feel free to leave a comment below.  You can also read THIS post I wrote a couple of weeks back about why I have switched over to using the pickl-it exclusively.

(Featured on The Healthy Home Economist)

Whole Foods Friday - Sunflower Radish Pasta

This is an unusual pasta dish, but looks so yummy!  I have always struggled with finding good recipes for radishes.  I can't wait to give this one a try!  So, hop on over to my sister, Christy's blog, Whole Foods on a Budget, and try her delicious pasta dish...

Some of my Favorite Herbal Resource Books

Over the past two years, I have slowly been building up my herbal/aromatherapy/nutritional library.  It's been a lot of fun and I have found some very helpful books that are my go to books these days.  I thought it would be helpful to list some of these resources for those who are looking to learn more about herbs and want to incorporate them more into their lives.

For those of you who would like to go a step further and do a little bit of home study, Vintage Remedies (where I am getting my Clinical  Master Herbalist Degree) has a wonderful program geared for those who want to learn more about giving herbs to their families, but don't want to invest a lot of time into study.  It's called The Family Herbalist Program, and you can read more about it HERE.  This program is excellent for learning more about real foods, herbs, vaccines, safe cleaners, and more.  It inspired me to continue my studies as a Holistic Wellness Practitioner and Clinical Master Herbalist. 

Here are a few books that I have found to be particularly good resources:

For children, I like Naturally Healthy Babies and Children and Gentle Healing for Baby and Child.  I have used these books time and again for my son.  It's been wonderful to see how healing herbs can be and for little guy is almost 3 and thankfully has never had an antibiotic or even tylenol.

To help my family avoid antibitoics, this book has been a helpful resource; Herbal Antibiotics  (though I see that he just came out with a second edition, which I don't yet have).

And some general all around good books are The Green Pharmacy Handbook, Nutritional Herbology, and Practical Herbalism.

Disclaimer:  I am an affiliate for amazon and vintage remedies.  Buying through my links is much appreciated and goes towards the costs of maintaining this blog.  Thank you!

(Featured on The Healthy Home Economist)

Coconut Butter Cake

I tried this recipe a few weekends ago as a breakfast treat for us and it was SO yummy, I just had to share.

My fellow Nourished Living Network blogger, Patty, at Loving Our Guts, has this delicious recipe.  It is perfect for everyone, and especially those who need to be gluten free.  Very kid friendly!

This cake came out light and fluffy; I could not believe that it was grain free!  I happened to have some lemon curd on hand, so I did not make her frosting recipe, but instead topped it with lemon curd and frozen blueberries.

Divine!

(Featured on The Real Food Forager)

Cultured Mondays - Cultured Watermelon Rind

I found this recipe for cultured watermelon rind from my fellow Nourished Living Network blogger, Melanie, at PickleMeToo.  Since we love watermelon so much in this house, I just had to give this one a try.  I followed her recipe, except that I had enough rind to fill a 5 liter Pickl-it and I added about 1 inch of fresh ginger root, a couple of cinnamon sticks and 10-15 cloves.

This came out so yummy and my toddler and husband both liked them.  These are not sweet, but have a salty, spicy tang to them.  Nice and refreshing snack on a hot day.  The brine is delicious and healthy to drink.  If you are new to fermenting in a Pickl-it or new to fermenting in general, I would recommend starting slowly with how much brine you drink.  A 1/4 cup serving for the day would be a good place to start and give your gut some time to get used to the new good bacteria you are introducing to it.

This is a great way to get some bang for your buck from your watermelons!  I do highly recommend that you use organic watermelons.

(Featured on The Healthy Home Economist, Homestead Revival, Real Food Freaks, GNOWFGLINS, The Nourishing Gourmet)

Whole Foods Friday - Salmon Croquette Salad with Lemon Aioli Dressing

I love creative salads, especially during these hot summer months!  My sister, Christy, at Whole Foods On A Budget, has this delicious recipe!  Hop on over to her blog to check out Salmon Croquette Salad with Lemon Aioli Dressing!

The Second Fridge...

I SO wish I had done this a couple of years ago.  With a growing family and eating and preparing whole, traditional foods, a second fridge really is a necessity.  I was thrilled to find mine this week on craig's list for just $100 and the people delivered it for me!

It's no shining beauty, but it works well and I hope it will last me 4-5 years.  It should pay for itself very quickly just from all the food that I will be able to save from going to waste.  My kitchen fridge and freezer have been so full that I have had trouble keeping track of what I have and often fresh produce has gone bad before I could use it.

Now that I am doing more fermenting and dehydrating, I have needed room to store all these yummy fruits and veggies.  So, now I can buy even more in bulk and be able to save grocery dollars that way as well.

Not only can I now see what I have much, much better, but I am finding that I can do meal prep throughout the day that I could not have done before, as I had no place to put it.  I prefer to do meal prep earlier in the day, as the dinner hour can be a tough one sometimes with a toddler.

Another time saver is being able to make and store my herbal tea in batches instead of having to make it each day.  Most herbal teas are generally able to be stored in the fridge for two days, so I can make a double or triple batch of tea, which is a nice time saver for me.

So, my cold storage now includes two side by side fridge/freezers, one chest freezer, and if needed (I have it turned off right now), and small compact fridge that is build into our outdoor grilling area.  I never thought I would fill that much cold storage, but each unit is being very well used!

(Featured on GNOWFGLINS, The Nourishing Gourmet, Food Renegade)