Easy Mango Blackberry Swirl Ice Cream Pie {nut, dairy & grain-free crust!}

That is a piece of sunshine.

Perfect for the dreary, cloudy, rainy day that we had on Father's Day.

I asked my wonderful Man what he would like me to make for him on Father's Day. He asked if an ice cream pie was possible.


Hmm.


Never made one before, but didn't think it would be impossible.


I did a search on google and came across this recipe (it was first on the list) from the famous Pioneer Woman. Her recipe was the springboard for me to make my own truly homemade version.


I made possible...


A delicious & easy toasted coconut meringue crust. Homemade tangy & fragrant mango frozen kefir (recipe in my ice cream ebook!). And freshly picked & sweetened blackberry sauce.

It was so easy to make and so so so good! My girls are begging me to make more ice cream pies. I think I will do this more often... sure puts a fun twist on having homemade ice cream!

Jon wanted a fruity ice cream and I had a perfectly ripe mango sitting in my fruit bowl along with a mason jar full of fresh kefir. The mango had a wonderful floral smell that always gets my mouth watering and the kids screaming for a bite. Heavenly.


While I was thinking about how to make the meringue crust that should pair up perfectly with mango frozen kefir... I thought coconut flakes, then took it a step further and toasted the flakes in my toaster oven. It smelled so good. Perfect.


I love how I could use the egg whites to make the meringue crust and whip in those rich egg yolks into the fruity mixture to give the homemade mango frozen kefir a nourishing boost. Nothing is wasted!


Next, I knew I needed to add some color to the ice cream. Pioneer woman made her boring looking ice cream pie look eye-appealing with that homemade caramel sauce. Well, the girls and I picked fresh blackberries that morning. Yesss... luscious, blood red blackberry sauce. Couldn't keep my fingers out of the pot while it was simmering. Yummy.

Easy Mango Blackberry Swirl Ice Cream Pie

{diary-free options and nut & grain-free crust}

Crust:

1/3 cup egg whites (about 3 eggs)

1/3 tsp sea salt

1/3 cup raw sugar, rapadura or coconut sugar (you can use stevia, start with a few drops and taste)

1 1/2 cups coconut flakes, toasted

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly rub coconut oil on a non-glass pie pan. Beat egg whites until frothy (I used my lovely KitchenAid mixture). Add your choice of sweetener and the sea salt. Beat on high until stiff. Fold in toasted coconut flakes. Spread the mixture over the bottom and sides as evenly as possible. Be sure to get up the sides well. Bake for 15 to 25 minutes and watch it towards the end to make sure the crust doesn't get too brown. When crust is golden brown, remove from the oven and allow the crust to cool completely.

Blackberry Sauce:

3 cups fresh or frozen blackberries

3-5 Tbsp rapadura, coconut sugar or raw honey (stevia can be used too)

1 Tbsp arrowroot powder

pinch of sea salt

Put everything in a blender and give it a whirl until smooth. Pour into a small pot and bring to a simmer over low medium heat. Simmer until it thickens slightly, about 5-10 minutes. Set it aside and allow it to cool. Stir a few times while it is cooling to prevent it from getting jelly-like.

Mango Frozen Kefir:

2 cups pureed mango

1 1/2 cups kefir (you can use regular coconut milk or coconut kefir for a dairy-free option!)

2-4 Tbsp raw honey, if needed

2 or 3 egg yolks (leftover over from the meringue pie)

pinch of sea salt

Put everything in a blender and let it whirl until smooth. Pour mixture into your ice cream machine maker and follow the maker's instructions. When done, scoop out about half the frozen kefir and spread evenly on the coconut meringue crust. Swirl some of the blackberry sauce on top. Spread the rest of the frozen kefir on top of the sauce and swirl in more blackberry sauce. Take care not to over mix it or it won't have that pretty swirling look when you cut the pie into pieces! Cover the beautiful ice cream pie with plastic wrap and foil. Put it in the coldest section of your freezer and freeze until very hard. 

Use the extra blackberry sauce to decorate the plate or simply drizzle it on top of the pie.

Note: I wasn't sure what the crust would be like, but I am happy to say that it was amazing. Just the right amount of sweetness & flavor. It didn't get soggy and held up well. Don't expect the crust to come out of the pie pan perfectly. It will stick a little (that's why I say to use some coconut oil on the pan), but the Pioneer Woman said it was normal and imperfection is permitted because the crust is so darn good! I have to agree  :o)

Ready for a luscious bite?!

linked up at Real Food Wednesday

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Frugal & Wholesome Tips for Road Trips

Whew! Can’t believe we have been traveling by car in the states for a month now! We celebrated the girls' birthdays with family by the lake (picture above). It has been a great time of fellowship, good food and family time for us (please read our update at RO4Y.org), but I am getting a little road weary. Thankfully, we will be having some down time in between road trips and speaking at churches in AZ & Calif.

Now, most of you remember my recent post about preparing wholesome food for traveling via airplanes and how it is a total myth that you can’t bring food on the plane. Now, I want to share with you the frugal system we’ve set up for ourselves with food and water for our road trips.

Let's be honest, it isn't always easy to eat healthy on road trips! But with some planning and searching on the internet... nowadays you can find awesome little co-ops that serve great meals, restaurants serving local delights and a Trader Joe's or Whole Foods in just about every major city! But eating out can be a bit pricey for a family of 5... so what do we do?

First, we search for farmer's markets and friends with gardens. We've been enjoying tons of fresh tomatoes straight from the gardens of my families and friends. Oh my... I honestly forgot how good a fresh, ripened tomato tasted. You don't find that in Honduras. It has also been SO nice to be able to shop at REAL farmer's markets and buy fresh produces from people who raise them... not from a couple old guys who buy boxes of commercial veggies in Tegucigalpa and spread them out on old tarps or sacks on the ground throughout the week. Yeah, that is my "farmer's market" in Ojojona, Honduras. NOTHING like the farmer's market we went to every Friday in Costa Rica... that was a HARD change for me and still is sometimes. But I am motivated to get several square-foot, raise bed gardens going when we get back. Jon and I would like to see that we grow our own veggies all year round, which is possible where we live! Pray that we succeed, for it is our goal to teach the locals too!

Second, we've been enjoying the opportunities to shop at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods and local co-ops for our meals when possible. We don't have that luxury in Honduras! A roasted chicken can go a long ways for us... I was even able to borrow a crock pot to make chicken soup with the leftover bones and meat! We've also been super blessed by friends who have farms and raise their own meat & eggs. Has anyone ever had lamb hamburgers?! Delicious! Especially with garden grown tomatoes and homemade mayo. One of my goals when we get back is to purchase two weaned lambs, raise them on our property and butcher them for meat. Has anybody done that?

Be Healthy On the Road!
Here are several things we have done to make our trip as frugal & wholesome as possible:

Travel Berkey Stainless Steel Water Filter – This is by far the best investment we’ve made for our USA travels over the last few years. Almost daily my hubby makes a comment about how he is so glad that I suggested the idea of getting one. Through my WAPF group a gal was selling her 1.5 gallon Travel Berkey for a seriously awesome deal (Thanks C Bear!!). The timing was perfect, Thanks to the Lord! Our biggest concern when traveling in the states was getting good sources of water that is free of chlorine, fluoride, arsenic, pollutions and still have a good amount of natural minerals. Yes, we could buy water bottles – but they don’t really taste very good, aren’t always pure and add up waste with all the plastic.  Yes, we have water bottles with filters that we often use in Honduras, but they don’t filtered out fluoride. 

One gal even asked me what was the big deal with drinking a little chlorine and fluoride… it is a big deal because we end up with stomach cramps & loose stools from the chlorine and fluoride is also known to be used for rat poisoning, has been linked to osteoporosis & many other health issues. So, we bought the Berkey PF-2 post filter fluoride, arsenic reduction elements to add into our little Berkey guy. How can we survive without good, pure water? It is important to us that we do our best to be in good health during our travels. I’m sure many of you would agree!

Blender (Vitamix, Blendtec or other) – My awesome friend, Kristine from Wisconsin, generously load us her Vitamix for the whole 2 months! She even arranged to bring it to us when we arrived to Chicago. Thank you Kristine!

Now, seriously, for those who are on a budget or simply desire to eat healthier on road trips… a blender is a must. I’ve been making breakfast smoothies with yogurt, raw milk, free-ranged raw egg yolks, fresh fruits and powdered herbs almost every morning to pour over sprouted cereal or have with some sprouted bread spread with nut butter. We have been leaving our hotels feeling good and satisfied.

Some of you might be asking... why not eat at the hotel? Pretty much all hotels now provide hot breakfast nowadays. It looks good until you read the details of how it is made. Eggs are powdered mixed with hot water or cooked in the microwave, waffle batter is made out of a box, bacon have nitrates (and we don’t eat pork) & usually warmed up in a microwave, processed cereals that our bodies can’t digest, yogurt made with pasteurized dairy & processed sweeteners and fruits that are usually listed on the Dirty Dozen (bananas are the only ones not listed). See where I am going with this? Yeah, it is food, but is it food that will have us stay in good health? No.

I know it is free, but it still comes with a price: our health.

We also have a great gizmo that can be used in the carjack, plug the Vitamix into and whip up green smoothies using frozen fruits, spinach and water if I wanted to! I haven’t tried it yet, but I will! Just make sure you are parked where you can find a water spout to rinse out the container and cups.

But that's not all! You can make soups, sauces, dressings and flour with a Vitamix or Blendtec if you wanted be adventurous!

Coleman PowerChill Thermoelectric Cooler with Power Supply – Now, this is not just any ordinary cooler… this is a cooler with a cooling system in it that we can plug into the car and into the wall. It keeps our raw milk, kefir, yogurt and raw cheese cold without any need of ice! We LOVE it because we don’t have to deal with soggy food, draining out water and refilling the cooler with ice to keep the milk cold enough to stay fresh. I have milk in there right now that is over a week old and still tasting fresh!

It is a little pricey, but so worth it! We bought ours (my parents pinched in because they will be using it for their travels too!) at Walmart along with a year warranty that if the cooler broke down… we can simply return it and get a new one. No questions asked. Well, it is a good thing we did that because as we were getting ready to head out of Kansas and found that the cooler wasn’t working anymore. We think the plug was bad. Thankfully, we found a Super-Walmart within 10 minutes that had the same cooler! We got a new cooler with no hassles and got back on the road in good time. God is good!

Sourdough Starter – I asked Kristine, the same friend who lend us her Vitamix, if she could give us some of her sourdough starter to take with us. It is great to use for making sourdough waffles at the hotels that serve hot breakfast! It is so easy to whip up using the Vitamix and simply pour onto the waffle iron. Yes, some planning ahead it required… but so worth it! Make sure you have some REAL maple syrup with you!

Milk and Water Kefir Grains – Again, my amazing friend went above & beyond! She gave us some of her milk kefir grains and water kefir grains thinking we might use it. Healthy bacteria, also known has probiotics, is essential for good health! The milk grains are great to use when the milk starts to turn a little. Great for our smoothies! The water kefir grains… I have not used them YET. I plan to while we are driving through the West Coast.

I know it would be easier to just buy some already made at Whole Foods or a Co-op and we've done that a few times by buying Kombucha, but it is more frugal to just make your own from milk or water kefir grains! It really isn't that hard, just need to give it a place to happily do its job while we coast on the road :o)

Raw Milk - This is a huge one for us! We recognize the need for a superfood like milk to sustain us during our travels. The girls have been having milk every night before going to bed to insure that they have a good night's sleep. I noticed that Naomi's skin, which is normally very dry & rough, has become softer and smoother since I started getting her to drink more milk. Praise the Lord!

The easiest way for us to find a source of fresh milk is through friends and word of mouth. You can also look on WAPF's site for locations... that's how I found a delicious milk source near Chicago.

Lacto-Fermented Veggies - A must have for good digestion! It is easy to feel bloated and yucky after sitting in the car for several hours with no physical activity, but we have found eating kraut has helped lessen that feeling. Lacto-ferments are also a rich source of vitamins and minerals along with abilities to protect our bodies from the daily pollution of everything.

If you decide to bring along some... make sure you put the jar in a ziplock bag to prevent the smells from getting into your butter and cheese! I learned that the hard way  :o)

Snacks and More - We also make sure that we have a good supply of nuts (soaked and dehydrated), fresh veggies & fruit, sprouted bread, nut butter, raw honey, butter, raw cheese, dried fruit, coconut oil and a bag of chips with fresh salsa. I also like to have oatmeal (soaked for 24 hours) on hand for when we have opportunities to use a stove.

We've also been enjoying fresh, organic peaches & strawberries (YUM YUM!)... not something we can enjoy in Honduras due to the fact that they are on the Dirty Dozen list. I am looking forward to farmer's market in California next week! I hope to enjoy some fresh veggies that we don't normally have in Honduras... like artichokes!

What about you guys! What tips can you share with us to make a road trip wholesome and healthy??

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New Online Lacto-Fermentation Class: Get Cultured!

Have you been aspired to learn how to make naturally fermented food, but don’t know where to start? Feel a little bemused? Intimidated? Overwhelmed?


Now you can overcome those feelings with this awesome online lacto-fermentation class, Get Cultured! How to Ferment Anything, done by Jenny of Nourished Kitchen.


Go Get Cultured!

Learn how to ferment/culture with dairy, coconut milk, veggies, fruit, grains, soybeans, meat, fish and much more!


Would it be wonderful to learn how to make homemade probiotic-rich ketchup, hot chili sauce, mayonnaise & barbecue sauce? How about some delicious sauerkraut & salsa? Cured meat & fish? Honey wine & Beet kvass? Sourdough? Fruit chutneys?


Click here to see the intensive list of lessons this class offers!


See for Yourself!

Want to make the foods you already eat even better? Want to enhance immunity and increase digestion? Fermentation, the same practice that gives yogurt its tartness and bread its rise, is the answer. The process of lactic-acid fermentation actually increases vitamins, enzymes and beneficial bacteria naturally present in all foods – improving flavor, enhancing digestion and boosting immunity. It’s a simple and easy solution that greatly improves the nutritive value of the foods we all consume. –Jenny of Nourished Kitchen

The Package

When you join this 13-week class, you will get full lifetime access to:
50 video tutorials
100 recipes
60 tutorials
Regular conference calls to get your questions answered


PLUS a free 36 page e-book, Get Cultured: Probiotic Recipe from the Nourished Kitchen, thrown in with the package!

Sign Up and Get Culturing!
Enrollment ends February 28th and class starts March 4th


Sign up with a one-time payment of $149 and get full lifetime access to all 13 classes, video lessons, recipes, online forum and regular conference calls to get your questions answered.


Lifetime access? Oh yeah! Once you are enrolled, you can go back through all 13 classes, video lessons and recipes as much as you want. Learn it all in your own pace!


$149? This is a sweet deal! For less than $12 per lesson, you can learn the art of lacto-fermentation right in your own kitchen. You will become a pro in no time! Remember, you will have full LIFETIME access to all 13 classes, video lessons and recipes with a FREE e-book thrown into the deal!


Psst! This is a special launch price… the price of the class will go up after this.


Can’t commit to 13 weeks? No worries! You can sign up for individual classes of your choice for only $20 each.


Save $20!
This is great! Jenny is offering you all a sweet discount. Use the coupon code: SOURPICKLES and get $20 off!


Now start culturing! The coupon expires February 19th and this is the one and only coupon code that will be offered for this class.


Sign up now and get culturing!

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Daddio's Oatmeal Cinnamon Raisin Buttermilk Pancakes

Wow, that's a mouthful... and a good mouthful too!

A while back, my dad requested that I make him some oatmeal pancakes and I told him to find me a recipe because I didn't have a clue how to make strictly oatmeal pancakes the way he wanted. He came up with a few recipes from different food blogs, but one in particular from Simply Recipes grabbed my attention because it was simple and required soaking. I made several changes and decided it should be renamed it for my dad. Love you Daddio :o)

These pancakes were deliciously fluffy and full of flavor. I prefer to chop up the raisins because I personally don't like big gobs of raisins in my pancakes. I liked how there were little bits of raisins evenly mixed into the pancake batter... leaving a good balance of sweet and chewy. These pancakes are very frugal, easy to make and a nice change from oatmeal porridge.

Remember, the longer you soak the oatmeal... the more you will be able to easily digest and assimilate the nutrients. I loved how the buttermilk gave the pancakes a slightly sour tang after I soaked it for 24 hours. You can use cultured dairy buttermilk or buttermilk leftover from making butter. It almost tasted like I was eating sourdough pancakes... yeah, it was good and I will be making these for Christmas morning!

Daddio's Oatmeal Cinnamon Raisin Buttermilk Pancakes

• 2 cups Old Fashioned Oats
• 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
• 3 cups buttermilk (I used buttermilk leftover from making butter)

Put oats & flour into a large bowl, add the buttermilk. Let them soak in the buttermilk overnight or up to 24 hours.

• 3 eggs, well beaten
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 2-4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 Tbsp coconut oil, melted
• 1-2 Tbsp raw honey
• 3/4 cup raisins, chopped finely (if desired)
• Butter or extra coconut oil for the griddle

Mix in the eggs, baking powder, salt, and coconut oil.

Heat a flat iron surface - griddle or large pan - to medium high heat. Oil the pan with butter or oil... make sure to turn down the heat if it gets too hot. Ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle to the size you want. When air bubbles start to bubble up to the surface at the center of the pancakes (about 2-3 minutes), flip them over. Take a peek under them for doneness in a minute or so. When golden or darker golden brown, they are done.

Remember that cooking the second side takes shorter time then the first side and the second side doesn't brown as evenly as the first side. Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

Dress up your pancakes with butter, maple syrup or honey & your choice of fruit if desired.

We had a wonderful time with Jon's parents exploring the Caribbean. I honestly wanted to stay a few more days because there was so much to see! We met many wonderful people, learned so much and saw some awesome things. I was especially excited about the large organic community in Puerto Viejo and the surrounding areas. Stay in touch!


Now, enjoy your day and Merry Christmas!!

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Strawberry Coconut Muffins w/ Strawberry Cream Cheese

Update: Please head over to our RO4Y blog and read about our time in Honduras! We will be posting more over the next few weeks, but it is a start... we are so excited!

Before we talk about these yummy yummy muffins... I want to announce the winners for the Spunky Coconut Cookbook & Organic Evaporated Palm Sugar giveaways!

The winner of the fantastic Spunky Coconut Cookbook is: Ann Marie! Congratulations!! I seriously wish I could give every one of you who entered the giveaway a free copy! This book is simple and inspiring... a must have for those who are trying to live a gluten, dairy & sugar free lifestyle.

Now, the winner to receive a free bag of Organic Evaporated Palm Sugar is: Brittney Harmon! Funny, she's a great friend of mine from CA... Woohoo Brit! Now you must make your chai for me :o)

Now, speaking of gluten, dairy & sugar-free lifestyle... the muffins...

These are THE. BEST. muffins we've had so far made with coconut flour. Oh my! I actually made these girls over a month ago and we've enjoyed them a few more times since then. Since I made them I was trying to decide if I should post these muffins or not... then after a few weeks went by I decided to go for it. Share the love, right?

I made a few changes, but it breaks my heart that I can't claim this recipe completely mine :o) LOL!! I actually found this over at Elana's Pantry, she made them with blueberries.... which can be bought here at a "gringo" grocery store for a whopping $12 a bag (a very small bag & Dole brand) of frozen non-organic blueberries. No thanks, I'll just stick with a local fruit that is in season... strawberries!!

Yes, I did mentioned that strawberries pretty much grow year around here in Costa Rica, but they are at their peak time right now. Thankfully, I found a source of organic strawberries because they are listed on the Dirty Dozen. I've been buying 2 kilos every week now and storing them away in the freezer for smoothies and baked goods. I am so glad to have strawberries around now that mangos are not in season anymore. I was going crazy for a few weeks trying to find something to replace my mango addiction... yeah, it was tough :o)

Anyway, the reason why I say that these muffins were the best we've had is because I've tried 2 other muffin recipes that call for coconut flour. They tasted good, but had a very heavy and dry texture. Elana's muffins are light & fluffy with just the right amount of sweetness. I'm sure the blueberries taste wonderful, but the strawberries were fantastic with just the right amount of tartness to balance the mellow sweet flavors of the coconut flour. We've been enjoying them for breakfast topped with Strawberry Cream Cheese and we were surprised to find them very filling. My girls loved them and chowed them down, but Tabi's favorite is the cream cheese... she couldn't keep her fingers away even while I was taking pictures of the extras:

See how she dug her finger in there?! I was scolding her while she was sitting there waving that cute little finger over the muffins. She had on the this adorable mischievous face and was giggling like crazy... finally she snuck her finger in there while I was snapping away. I decided to just go with the flow and kept snapping away while she licked her finger and dung back in for some more. Then, Naomi sneaked over and decided to join in on the fun with the other muffin! My girls are so fun and crazy:

She got one last strawberry cream cheese finger coated lick... I took them away...

then we ate them :o)

Strawberry Coconut Muffins

• 1/2 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 6 eggs
• 1/3 cup raw honey
• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup strawberries, fresh or frozen & chopped

In a small bowl, combine coconut flour, salt and baking soda.

In a large bowl, mix well the eggs, raw honey, coconut oil and vanilla. Mix dry ingredients into the wet, blending with a hand mixer or simply with your hand and a fork. Gently fold in strawberries.

Place batter in paper lined muffin tins OR oil small individual glass bowls and pour batter in about 1/2 - 3/4 full.

Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes. Take them out and let them cool and serve topped with Strawberry Cream Cheese.

Strawberry Cream Cheese

1 cup homemade cream cheese (store bought is fine)

1 cup chopped strawberries, fresh or frozen

1 - 3 Tbsp raw honey

Put everything in a blender or food processor and blend till smooth. Store in an airtight container in the fridge. When muffins are ready... generously top each muffin and enjoy!

So YUMMY! I wish I could go make some right now, but we are taking off tomorrow to the Caribbean side of Costa Rica with my in-laws. They wanted to take us there for Christmas and I am excited to explore the food over there. We will be back next week and hopefully I will have time to share about our time before we take off to the states...

Have a great week!

This is part of the Real Food Wednesday hosted today @ Kelly the Kitchen Kop.

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Sweet Wholesome Wednesday: Mango Mesquite Smoothie

I'm so sorry everybody... I forgot today is Sweet Wholesome Wednesday! I had a busy day with my mom and the girls that it just completely slipped from my mind. Oh well, at least there's still a few hours left of Wednesday to post :o)

Anyway, I have another mesquite yumminess to share with you all! Last week I shared the Vanilla Mesquite Macaroons and how mesquite is more than just sweet powder. This week I'm going to share with you the RAW way to enjoy this sweet stuff... in a smoothie!

The smoothie was a big hit in the family and everybody was begging for more! It was deliciously filling and tasty. The interesting combination of mango, mesquite, orange juice, ginger & kefir really made our mouth dance and brighten up our morning!

Mango Mesquite Smoothie

• 4 generous cups chopped mangos, fresh or frozen
• 2 bananas
• 5 frozen orange juice cubes or 1/2 cup fresh-squeezed
• 1 frozen ginger juice cube or 1/2 inch chunk of fresh ginger (optional)
• 2 cups kefir
• 2-3 Tbsp mesquite powder
• raw honey
• coconut oil

Put mango, banana, orange, ginger, kefir, mesquite powder in the blender and give it a whirl. While the motor is running add in raw honey and coconut oil.

This is part of Weekend Herb Blogging which I am hosting this week. Organized by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything At Least Once.

Now, I'm going to post my DPP photo for today!

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Rise & Shine Breakfast Smoothie

Good morning everybody!! Rise and shine! Don't you remember your mom telling you that when you were a kid? Mine did and still does every once in a while :o) LOL!

Here's a delicious and simple smoothie to get you on a good start for the brand new day. I make this whenever there are organic strawberries available, which isn't often and LOVE it. There is just something wonderful about the combination of mangos and strawberries that I find very addicting! Right now mangos are slowly going out of season and costing more... boohoo! At the farmer's market yesterday I only saw two stands that had mangos and couldn't buy my usual 8-10 pounds worth of mangos... oh yeah... I buy a lot! Thankfully I froze several bags worth of mangos for the off season and dehydrated some to make Mango Butter (recipe coming soon!!). Now, I just need to find a consistent source for organic strawberries as they are in season pretty much year around here. I want to grow my own... someday :o)

Now, go make yourself this delicious, creamy smoothie to brighten up your day... anytime of the day!

Rise & Shine Breakfast Smoothie

• 2 1/2 cups kefir, yogurt or buttermilk
• 1 whole mango, fresh or frozen
• 2 handfuls strawberries, fresh or frozen
• 1 or 2 frozen bananas
• 1-3 Tbsp. raw honey
• Spoonful of coconut oil
• 1 Tbsp. freshly ground flaxseed (optional)
• Raw egg yolks (optional)
• Coconut flakes

Pour your choice of cultured dairy into the blender. Add in mango, strawberries, bananas and honey(add flaxseed and/or egg yolks if desired). Give it a whirl till smooth and while it is blending... add coconut oil and let it run for a minute more. Pour into a tall, large glass and top with coconut flakes.

Sit outside in the sun and enjoy your smoothie while getting in your Vitamin D dose for the day! Have a GREAT weekend, y'all!!

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Homemade Whey & Cream Cheese

Whey is an excellent starter culture for lacto-fermented veggies and fruits, for soaking grains and as a starter for beverages. The cream cheese, a by-product, is much healthier than the commercial variety, which is produced by putting milk under high pressure and not by the natural beneficial action of lactic-acid-producing bacteria.

sound bite:

Whey is such a good helper in your kitchen. It has a lot of minerals. One tablespoon of whey in a little water will help digestion. It is a remedy that will keep your muscles young. It will keep your joints movable and ligaments elastic. When age wants to bend your back, take whey... With stomach ailments, take one tablespoon whey three times daily, this will feed the stomach glands and they will work well again. -Hanna Kroeger / Ageless Remedies from Mother's Kitchen

Homemade cultured whey can be made from various types of cultured milk, good quality yoghurt or even fresh raw milk. I usually make whey and cream cheese when the milk is starting to turn. It will sour and separate naturally when left at room temperature for several days. Cream cheese and cottage cheese are traditionally made by letting the fermentation process continue for several days until the white curds or casein-containing portion of the milk separates from the whey.

sound bite:

When this cream cheese is weighted down or inoculated with further cultures, it undergoes as additional fermentation process resulting in many different types of cheese. Modern cheese makers consider whey a waste product, but in earlier times it was used to produce a variety of other fermented foods and beverages. -Nourishing Traditions

I love making the cream cheese as it is a great snack for my family and a good addition to many recipes. Our favorite snack with this is Homemade Whole Grain Crackers topped with cream cheese and dried cranberries. We also like to throw in salmon, cream cheese, garlic and lots of spices in the food processor and make a creamy spread for sandwiches or crackers. The whey is a great bonus as I use it a lot for making my kraut and soaking my grains.

The first time I made it I left it out too long and it had a strong blue cheese flavor (which I don't like, but my hubby and mom loved it). So the second time around I was more careful about the time and was much happier with the taste. Below is a recipe from Nourishing Traditions. Very easy and straight-forward.

Homemade Whey & Cream Cheese

Makes about 5 cups whey and 2 cups cream cheese

• 2 quarts piima milk, whole-milk buttermilk, yoghurt or raw milk

If you are using piima milk or whole-milk buttermilk, let it stand at room temperature 1-2 days until the milk visibly separates into white curds and yellowish whey. If you are using yoghurt, no advance preparation is required. You may use homemade yoghurt or good quality commercial plain yoghurt. If you are using raw milk, place the milk in a clean glass container and allow it to stand (covered with a lid) at room temperature 1-4 days until it seperates.

Line a large strainer over a bowl with a clean cotton dish towel. Pour in the yoghurt or separated milk, cover and let stand at room temperature for several hours (longer for yoghurt). The whey will run into the bowl and the milk solids will stay in the strainer. *Tie up the towel with the milk solids inside, being careful not to squeeze. Tie this little sack to a wooden spoon placed across the top of a container so that more whey can drip out. When the bag stops dripping, the cheese is ready. Store whey in a mason jar and cream cheese in a covered glass container. Refrigerated, the cream cheese keeps for about 1 month and the whey for about 6 months.

*NOTE: I found that I did not need to do this, but you might need to. Just simply pull up the towel like a bag and see if any more whey drips out.

Staying Cultured,

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Homemade Cultured Colostrum Butter

Finally! I did it... I made butter!

It was so easy…

tastes so delicious…

looks so golden…

feels so creamy...

I can’t believe I actually made butter!

Now I am hooked on making my own butter. I probably won't be able to make it all the time, but when I do have the opportunity… I’ll for sure do it again, again and again!

sound bite:

Since man began to make and use butter, he made it from ripened matured cream — sour cream. A change to unsoured or sweet cream butter came only during the 1940's. The reasons for the change were purely technical. Machines work most economically and profitably when they run permanently. Buttering machines were constructed that transformed sweet cream endlessly into butter. Sour cream at this time resisted this process. You had to fill the churn with one batch of sour cream, finish buttering, clean the churn and start again. Thus, for purely technical reasons, people became used to sweet cream butter. -The Case For Butter

What motivated me to finally do it? Well, I have to give 90% of the credit to my good friend, Diana. She made her first batch and posted it on her blog. The 10% I give to the family who gave me a 1/2 gallon bottle of fresh cow colostrum for free! I’ve known for a long time that making butter has gotten much easier to make in our modern world, but I was afraid to go for it. Muchas gracias Diana for the motivation!

sound bite:

Colostrum is the first milk of mammals. Like human colostrum, colostrum from cows is rich in immune factors, antimicrobial fatty acids, vitamins and minerals--all necessary to protect the calf from infection and insure adequate growth during infancy. Colostrum has a long history of use in the practice of medicine, especially in Ayurvedic medicine, and has been successfully used to treat a host of chronic diseases including allergies, autoimmune diseases, respiratory ailments, digestive disorders, diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, gout and depression. In fact, colostrum is said to be the perfect anti-aging food and has been used in expensive spas for years. -Wise Traditions

I let my cream mature for a week on my counter in a mason jar covered with a paper towel (you can use a cloth napkin). By the end of the week the cream was thicker and had a wonderful cheesy smell. I stored it in the fridge overnight before making the butter. I did two batches because I had over a quart of colostrum/cream and had a liquid limit line on my food processor.

I place my cultured cream in the food processor fitted with a steel blade and process till butter forms. It took about 15-20 minutes, but be careful not to let it go too long or it will all melt and turn into a creamy glop.



Then I strained it to separate the buttermilk and butter. Save the buttermilk in a glass jar… it makes a killer dessert.


Transfer the butter to a bowl and press out the buttermilk with a spoon (save the buttermilk). Wash the butter by adding a little water and pressing some more. By this time I put the butter in the fridge because it was getting too soft. After I let it harden up a little, I finished washing the butter till the water stayed clear. I added Celtic Sea Salt (about 1/2 tsp.) and mix it in.

Form butter into a ball, pull it out of the bowl and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the butter in a crock or container (butter may be frozen for long-term storage).

sound bite:

Why Is Butter Better?

It protects against us against heart disease, cancer, arthritis& osteoporosis. It strengthens our immune system, thyroid gland and gastrointestinal health. It ensures healthy growth and development for children. Provides quick energy and weight loss.

Butter is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, CLA, glycospingolipids and cholesterol…What?! Cholesterol is an anti-oxidant?! Yes, indeed cholesterol is a potent anti-oxidant that is flooded into the blood when we take in too many harmful free-radicals, usually from damaged and rancid fats in margarine and highly processed vegetable oils.3 A Medical Research Council survey showed that men eating butter ran half the risk of developing heart disease as those using margarine.

-Why Butter Is Better & Butter Is Better

Let me know if you decided to take on the challenge of making butter!

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