NEW! My Pregnancy Notes Series

Here I am about halfway (about 21 weeks) through! I may not look that big, but I feel big... LOL!

While I haven't been doing a whole lot on my blog and just throwing up a post when I felt like it or found the time... all that is going to change for a while.

I finally found some inspiration!

Ta-da!

Now that I am pregnant with #4 I thought it would be fun to share with you some of my pregnancy "notes" on what I've done in my previous pregnancies and again doing with Bebe Cuatro. That way you can be blessed with some great information and I can have a place to keep all my notes for future references!

My "notes" will be a mixture of recipes, remedies, tips and encouragement... don't expect me to cover every detail or share cures for every pregnancy ailment that is common among us preggy Mamas. There are some things, such as morning sickness, that I did not have a big problem with during all my pregnancies and therefore won't be sharing much on that subject.

Now, if you are not yet a Mama... no problem! This series of "notes" will be excellent for you to save for when that day comes when you are pregnant for the first time. There are some information among these "notes" that actually apply to you now because it is vital to start preparing your body before you conceive, not after.

Think of it has "getting the house ready" for the baby... you want your body to be clean, strong & healthy before your baby moves in, grows in your womb for the next 9 months and drinks your milk for however long you decide to nurse!

For those who are Mamas, have children and done... don't pass this off too quickly. These "notes" may have valuable information for you and your family's health. If you have daughters that are growing up, getting married and ready to have babies... this is great to pass on to them! Plus, this series can be great to pass on to your other Mama friends! Thanks so much for sharing the love  :o)

For those of you who are still planning to have more kids, then you will find much that you can use for your next pregnancy! With each pregnancy I've learned new things and add in one or more things to improve my pregnancy, labor & birth.

Here is a tentative list of "notes" I plan to share over the next few months and are not in any particular order:

• Top 11 Pregnancy, Childbirth, Breastfeeding & Postpartum Books/DVDs
• Super Happy Belly Tea {recipe}
• Whole Food Supplements
• 7 Superfoods for Mama & Baby
• Homeopathy Remedies
• Treating Group B Strep Naturally
• Exercising the Right Muscles for Labor & Birth
• Hospital Birth, Home Birth & Unassisted Birth
• Soothing Postpartum Pads {recipe}
• Mama's Rich Milk Tea {recipe}
• Postpartum Herbal Sitz Bath {recipe}
• DIY Natural Nipple Cream {recipe}

If there is something you would like me to share that I might've missed in my list of notes... please let me know! It helps to get ideas from other Mamas who have been there and done it. With being pregnant, sometimes I forget some very important ones... ah! That's something I could write about! Curing forgetfulness during pregnancy! LOL!!

While I am sharing my "notes" I want you to remember that I am only sharing what has worked for me through each of my pregnancies. Also, please don't feel like you have to do EVERYTHING I do or have done. Find what you think will work for you! I am not a doctor or anything... just a mama who likes to share and has been blessed with 3 beautiful pregnancies, births & babies! Now I am looking forward to making it a fourth one  :)

I hope you will enjoy my notes and if you have anything you would like to share, have questions or want to add more thoughts into the posts, please write in the comments area! Thanks!

PS- in case you are wondering, that is me pregnant with Tabitha (#2). This was taken a few hours before she was born  :o)

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Mexican Chocolate Coconut Tres Leches Cake (Gluten-Free!)

I have a confession to make...

I've kept this recipe from you all for 2 years now...

Why? Well, life happened! Moved to Honduras, no internet for 9 months, pregnant with little man and a year of adjust to the cultural shock all rolled together in the last 2 years.

Will you all forgive me? Will you still love me?

Whew! Glad to get that out in the open. I am thrilled to finally get this yummy, moist, rich cake out of my secret files and share it with you all!  ;o)

So... yeah, I made this cake back in Christmas of 2009 when we were living in Costa Rica. I mentioned this cake back when I was doing the Heavenly Sugar giveaway and my friend Katie (who won the giveway) requested the recipe for this cake. So sorry it took this long, Katie! Thanks for understand ;o)

As most of you probably already know... Tres Leches is Three Milks Cake and is a very popular cake among the Latin Americans. I remember having my first taste of it back when we were missionaries at Rancho Sordo Mudo (located in Baja California).

It was sugary, soggy and milky... yeah, I didn't like it.

I would always try a bite whenever a family would bring their kid a Tres Leches Cake for their birthday... hoping there might be one that I would like. No luck.

So, when I got the Heavenly Sugar packet to review and saw the 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk in the box... I knew exactly what I was going to make.

I started looking around online for recipes, I did not see anything that interested me because I wanted to go for something more unique & healthy (of course!) with the flavor and ingredients.

Found NOTHING... well, I did find a couple gluten-free recipes, but they called for all these different kinds of flours that I don't use and weren't exactly healthy.

I started thinking... what about coconut flour?

The coconut flour is PERFECT because all the eggs it calls for creates a wonderful sponge to absorb the tres leches... YES!

That's how I came up with this unique & healthy Mexican Chocolate Coconut...

Chocolate Coconut Tres Leches Cake (Gluten-free!)

Chocolate Coconut Cake
3/4 cup coconut flour, sifted
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp baking soda
10 eggs, separated
1 cup coconut oil or butter
1 cup raw honey
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp cinnamon


Set oven at 325 F. Greased a 9x13 pan and dust with coconut flour.


In a small bowl combine the flour, cocoa, sea salt and baking soda. In a large bowl blend together the egg yolks, oil, honey, vanilla and cinnamon. Add dry ingredients into the large bowl and blend together till smooth (very well combined). 


Put egg whites in a clean glass bowl, sprinkle some lemon juice and beat till stiff peaks form.
Fold egg whites into the batter and be careful not to over mix!


Pour mixture into 9x13 pan and bake for 35-40 minutes. Before taking it out, test it with a knife and if it comes out clean… it is done.


Remove cake from the oven and allow it to cool completely. If desired, turn the cake unto a large plate or keep it in the pan.




Tres Leches Sauce
8oz Heavenly Sugar sweetened condensed milk
1 14oz. coconut milk or evaporated milk
1 cup whole milk or cream


Pour milks into a large jar and mix very well. Pour over the cake slowly in sections. Do not pour it all at once!


Note: if the coconut milk is very thick, you will need to water it down till it is the same consistency as regular evaporated milk.




Mexican Chocolate Sauce/Frosting
1 cup dark chocolate
1/2 cup coconut oil or butter
1-3 Tbsp raw honey
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of sea salt
pinch or more of hot chile powder (optional)


In a small saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate and coconut oil or butter. Stir in honey, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and optional chile. Let it cool. Heavily drizzle it over the cake (if desired) and serve!


If you want it more frosting-like… place the sauce in the freezer for about 15 minutes. Remove from the freezer and whip the frosting with a hand blender until fluffy and thick. Carefully frost the cake and serve!


Have a wonderful Merry Christmas! Please let me know if you make this... I do hope the recipe with give you the same success I've consistently had over the last 2 years.


My family raved over this cake and I will be making it again this year  ;o)

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Sourdough Journal #5: Banana Blueberry Nut Sourdough Bread/Muffins

Remember how I said before that I felt like these muffins were going to be a challenge? Well, as you can see from the picture below... they didn't exactly come out the way I know they should've. I doubled the recipe and followed the directions... everything looked great and the sourdough was bubbling very happily.

I did the first batch in the muffin tins and while it was baking... I decided to pour the rest into 2- 9 inch round pans because I was ready to call it a day (I was making these at 8:30 in the evening... I was still figuring out the how the whole sourdough schedule worked, ha!) and watch a movie with my hubby.

Boy, am I glad I made that last minute decision to bake the rest of the batter in the 9' round pans! As you can see above, it looks great, but the muffins... which don't even look like muffins (see below)... came out flat and ugly. Even though they flopped, it did taste yummy and we enjoyed them for breakfast the next morning! LOL!

So, I head over the the GNOWFGLINS eCourse Forums to find out what went wrong and this is what I learned:

Your batter set aside to sour MUST be on the thick side. If your batter is too thin after the souring, your muffins will not rise as you like. The taste will be delicious and the texture pleasing, but you will not see the rise. When making the initial batter begin by stirring your starter and milk. Add your oats. Stir. Add one cup of flour. Stir. Add MORE flour until you have a thick batter. The thicker the batter the better the rise. You don't necessarily want it stiff but most definitely thick. If in the morning you wonder if it's too thin, use only one egg, use a dry sweetener, and only stir in non-wet add-ins.

I made them this morning being mindful to stir in more flour initially. I use a thicker starter anyway and store bought 100% hard red flour. I added a little more than 1 1/2 cups flour to my batter. After the souring I chose to use only one egg and added a large grated carrot. My muffins had nice rise, delicious taste, and a perfect texture. 

I remember the batter being pretty thin when I was getting ready to bake them and remember wondering if that was going to be a problem. So, next time I will make sure to add more flour to thicken the batter. I will try to remember to post about it if they come out the way they should  ;o)

Like I said... even though the muffins flopped, they tasted delicious. I was very surprised that the sourdough tang wasn't strong at all! My girls loved it with with lots of butter and honey drizzled on top. It also made a great snack... my hubby was in and out of the kitchen a few times and snacking on them  :o)

Banana Blueberry Nut Sourdough Bread

1/2 cup sourdough starter (fed in the previous 12 hours)
1 cup coconut milk (or milk of your choice)
1 cup plus MORE of whole wheat flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1-2 eggs
1/3 cup butter or coconut oil
1/4 cup raw sugar (rapadura or coconut sugar)
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1 cup blueberries
1/2 cup chopped pecans or other
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
butter or coconut oil for greasing baking dish


In a large bowl, stir together 1/2 cup sourdough starter and 1 cup coconut milk. Add in the oats and stir until oats are wet. Add in 1 cup of whole wheat flour, stir well and add more if needed. Your dough should be wet, sticky, and thick. Cover and set aside to sour for 8 or more hours.


8 or more hours later...


Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease your muffin pans or bread pans with butter. Set aside.


In a small bowl whisk together eggs, melted butter, sweetener, vanilla, cinnamon and sea salt. Pour into the soured batter and stir with a wooden spoon, gently mix until incorporated. (Note from creator: It is important to break up as much of the soured batter as you are able. This will give you a deliciously tender and moist muffin. Bits of batter that have not been broken up will be a different texture (more firm) and a different color (lighter) than the rest of your muffin. The taste, however, will not be affected.)


Gently stir in mashed bananas & blueberries (or hold the blueberries and sprinkle them on top of the batter after you've poured them into your pans... that way they won't fall to the bottom). Mix in the baking powder & baking soda into the batter. Quickly and carefully stir to incorporate. Spoon into prepared muffin tins or pour into your 8" or 9" baking pans. Top with chopped pecans or your choice of nuts.


Bake for 15 to 25 minutes (it took about 10 minutes longer because I am in higher altitude) or until a toothpick inserted in a center comes out clean. Remove from oven and leave to cool for about 10 minutes before serving it topped with butter and honey... with fried eggs on the side!


These guys freeze great and store well in a sealed container on the counter or refrigerator for up to a week!

What are your favorite flavors of muffins and bread? Have you joined the Sourdough eCourse, yet?

Next, I am gonna make pizza! Can't wait!

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Simple Lives Thursday #38

Woohoo! Today is Simple Lives Thursday... A fun blog hop dedicated to anything and everything about simple living. Please share with us how are you living your life simply... we all want to know!


There is so much to learn about living simply these days... making lacto-ferments, raising animals, living off-grid, cooking with real food, gardening, raising family, homeschooling, homemade body products, natural cleaners, frugal ways, creating art with recycled materials, homesteading, homeopathy, growing herbs for health and much more!


Simply hosted by:

• Wardeh @ GNOWFGLINS
• Diana @ A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa
• Annette @ Sustainable Eats
• Alicia @ Culinary Bliss
• And me... the Noisy Mama  :o)

Be Simple and Share Your Post!

Make your "Simple Lives Thursday" post on your blog and come back here. Below you will find the Linky box where you can post your simple ideas, tips & recipes. Please add a link to this post at the end of your blog post entry and share with your readers that it is part of this week's Simple Lives Thursday. Feel free to download the badge above and upload it to your post!

Also, when you link here... your post will appear on all five blogs!

For those who don't have blogs... Please share your ideas, tips and recipes about simple living below in my noisy comments area. Don't get left out!

Everybody, take the time to visit the linked blogs. Sharing your favorites on Facebook or Tweet would be awesome! Spread the wealth of simple living!


Oh! One more thing... Don't forget to enter for the Sourdough A to Z Giveaway! I will be wrapping it up and announcing the winner on Saturday. Thanks!


Hugs!

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Sourdough Journal #2: Rosemary Sourdough Crackers & Honey Cinnamon Sourdough Crackers

These crackers are SO GOOD! I really need to set up a weekly schedule with making crackers for my family. They are terrific a snack to take with us when we need to head into the city or just to simply have in hand for the girls’ daily snack routine. It is so nice to have nourishing snacks in hand at home or when traveling. It feels good knowing that I am giving my girls food that will strengthen them. Why buy processed crackers when you can make your own?


So, I’ve been learning more and more about the benefits of sourdough through the GNOWFGLINS Sourdough eCourse. One of the benefits of using sourdough for your baking needs is the increase of nutritive value. The lactic acid presented in the sourdough breaks down the phytates by 62%! Phytates are naturally presented in whole grains and acts as an enzyme inhibitor. This enzyme inhibitor is what keeps the grain from sprouting until the proper conditions are present. Which is why it is important to properly prepare whole grains before consuming to get all the nutritional benefits.


When using sourdough… the fermentation from lactic acid begins to dissolve the mineral blocking phytates and allows our bodies to fully absorb the minerals (iron, zinc, magnesium, copper and phosphorous) that are vital to our health. Another wonderful benefit from using sourdough is that the fermentation process makes the grains more digestible and breaks down the gluten. Does all this make you want to whip up a batch of these delicious crackers?!

Seriously, they are super easy to make and SO crispy when done right. I mentioned before that I’ve made soaked version of crackers, but I am now so hooked on these sourdough crackers. I don’t think I’ll be making the other kind anymore :o) One other thing I love about these crackers is that you can use the discarded starter! Instead of throwing it away (which I can't bring myself to do!) or feeding it to my chickens… I just simply store it in a jar, in the fridge, till you get the amount you need.


When making these crackers I decided to split the dough in half and do two different flavors… savory and sweet. The rosemary is simply heavenly and wonderful with tang you get from the lactic acid in the dough. The honey cinnamon was good, but next time I make these I will not let the dough sit as long. The tang is a little too much that you can’t really taste the sweetness of the honey or the spicy cinnamon. Don’t get me wrong… it’s still very good! My girls (and hubby) love both flavors and have been begging for them since I made them!


With the Rosemary Sourdough Crackers… I basically followed Erin’s and Katie's recipes (which you can find in the e-course). But with the Honey Cinnamon Sourdough Crackers… I wanted to try and see if I could get something like graham crackers. After rolling out the dough, I drizzled honey and sprinkled cinnamon on top. Next time, I plan to add the cinnamon into the dough with a little honey on top. I'll try to remember to post the recipe, but it needs a little work for now.

Well, what’s next on my list to conquer? Hmmm… I think I will try making pancakes! Will keep you all posted. Come along with me as I learn the beautiful art of making sourdough!

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Thyme for Roasted Garlic Chicken (Crockpot or Oven)

I LOVE garlic! I feel like I could never have too much garlic. I know some people who can't stand the smell or taste of garlic, but I love it. The smell is so warm and spicy... the taste is so rich and satisfying.

Yeah, I can't get enough of this wonderful, immune-boosting herb!

How many of you love a simple roasted chicken with lots of pepper, sea salt and a herb or two?

Now, take it a step further and add 30-40 cloves of garlic... Ahhh! The smells coming out of my oven was amazing.

The taste was indescribably gar-licious.

Of course, I had to save all that good fat in the bottom of my pot. I took all the garlic, fat drippings and mashed it up into a thick gravy-like sauce. I usually serve this over rice or baked potato wedges.

Oh man, I need to make some soon... but I will have to wait till Tobi is a little older. Don't want to make his little tummy gassy from all that garlic! LOL!

Thyme for Roasted Garlic Chicken

1 chicken (preferably free-ranged)

4-6 whole heads of garlic

several fresh thyme sprigs

sea salt and pepper

2-4 Tbsp coconut or olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 F

Break the heads of garlic. Crush them (using a rock is great) and peel the paper skin off. Stuff about 20 cloves of crushed garlic in the chicken. Put the rest under and on top of the chicken in a roasting pan or pot.

Pull the thyme leaves off the sprigs, but save a few still on the sprigs. Crush them with your fingers. Stuff some inside the chicken and sprinkle the rest over the chicken. Throw in some sprigs on top. (NOTE: If you don't have fresh thyme, dried works great OR/AND you can use your favorite choice of herb.)

Season with sea salt and fresh pepper to your liking. I always use a lot... especially on top where the skin will get crispy. SO YUMMY!

Pour oil over the chicken and cover.

Cook in the oven for 1 1/2 hours. If you would like the skin to be crispy (highly recommend it! It's my girls' favorite part), simply take the cover off and let it cook for another 30 minutes or so. Keep an eye on it so that it doesn't burn!

If you are using the crockpot... do everything above and turn the cooker on low for 7-8 hours or 5-6 hours on high. If you desire to have that crispy skin... turn your oven on to 400 F and take the cover off the cooker. Let it cook until skin is crispy, about 30 minutes.

Next, either discard the thyme sprigs or pull the leaves off and sprinkle on the chicken. Put the chicken on a platter. Scoop out all the garlic and fat drippings. Put in a pan with the flame on low. Mash the garlic as much as you can and add in a little arrowroot or flour to thicken the sauce.

Serve with rice or potato wedges and a big salad!

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Chunky Strawberry Chocolate Ice Cream

I have to confess that I made this ice cream while we were in Costa Rica. I meant to post it for Valentine's Day last year, but... some pretty big life changes happened and my blog had to be put aside for a while. Now, I am slowly getting back into blogging and hope to share several recipes that have been sitting in my files since we moved to Honduras. 

Now, first out of the files I am bringing before you strawberries and chocolate... who doesn't love that combination?! There is something about them that just makes my taste buds dance with delight! Making ice cream with these two is purely delicious, but I couldn't stop there. I had to add some crunch and character... pecans and coconut flakes. Altogether, this makes a wonderful treat for Valentine's Day and any other day when you are in the mood for chocolates and strawberries with crunch & character  :o)

Look closely at the picture below... see that cute little hand sneaking in there? LOL! Tabi decided that she had to add some character to my pictures. Remember how she did that with the Strawberry Coconut Muffins? I can't believe how much she has grown since these pictures!

Chunky Strawberry Chocolate Ice Cream

• 3 cups whole milk and/or cream (or coconut milk)
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 Tbsp. arrowroot
• 1/2 cup raw honey or raw sugar (add more if you want it really sweet)
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 3/4 cup chopped strawberries (fresh or frozen)

In a blender, mix milk, egg yolks, arrowroot, raw honey, vanilla & cocoa till smooth. Pour into a container and let it chill in the fridge for a few hours or overnight. Pour into your ice cream machine maker and follow the instructions.

About 5-8 minutes before ice cream is done. Pour in coconut flakes, pecans & strawberries.

Scoop out ice cream and either store it into a plastic container and let it set in the freezer or enjoy it right away!

NOTE: If you DON'T have a ice cream machine maker. Simply mix everything together, pour into a plastic container and put in freezer. When frozen, set it out and let it soften before putting it back into your blender.

It won't be chunky unless you choose to sprinkle the coconut, pecans & strawberries on like toppings, but the ice cream base will have the consistency of soft-served ice cream. So yummy!!


Enjoy this and hope you all have wonderful Valentine's Day... Especially you Daddio! Happy Birthday and enjoy your bowl below... wish I could make it for you on your special day.

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Honey Bee Buckwheat Cakes (Gluten-free & Soaked)

Spring is totally in the air around here! Today was warm, fresh and beautiful with green grass shooting up everywhere and trees showing off their beautiful flowers. Ahhh... who doesn't love spring?!

Wait... you must all be wondering what I am talking about because we don't have spring in Honduras... sorry! I am actually in the states with my in-laws right now! We are here for a few weeks for my brother-in-law's wedding and visiting a couple churches. We are so glad to be here!

Anyway, spring is a beautiful season of new life, warmth and amazing colors that stretch up to the sky. It is a so fitting that Easter falls in the spring season... the resurrection of the earth after the long, cold winter is a beautiful sight and is a visual reminder of the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ! He overcame death and gave us a future & hope! Awesome!

Now, I want to share with you a simple & yummy-tummy recipe of Buckwheat Cakes... along with a surprised visit from a honey bee! This little guy came buzzing along and decided to check out the cakes & slurp up some honey while I was shooting pictures. I was actually really grateful that he came along because I wasn't too happy with how the pictures were coming out. Before he came along, the pictures looked flat and boring. I just love how the pictures came alive with character and life with him hanging out there and being a bee! LOL!!

Okay, okay... I'll stop talking about him.

The cakes are amazily simple to make and so good. I love the smooth earthy flavors and rich texture. If you are not a big fan of plain buckwheat, you can go half and half with whole wheat or spelt to tone down the buckwheat flavor a bit. I also like that this recipe is gluten-free and buckwheat is actually a seed, not a grain. Its phytic acid is much lower than the grains... making it much easier to digest and does not require a long soak. I acutally prefer to soak it close to 24 hours because we really enjoy the nice tangy kick... great with ripe fruits on top. Here I topped it with raw mango butter, butter and raw honey. I bet blueberries would be fantastic too!

 

Honey Bee Buckwheat Cakes

• 2 cups 100% buckwheat flour (or 1 cup buckwheat & 1 cup whole wheat or spelt)
• 2 cups buttermilk, kefir, yogurt or water w/ 2 Tbsp lemon juice or raw vinegar
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tbsp raw honey
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 Tbsp melted butter or coconut oil

Soak flour with liquid in a warm place for 12 to 24 hours.


Lightly beat the eggs and pour into the soaked flour. Stir in the rest of the ingredients and thin the batter to desired consistency with water if needed.


Cook on a hot, oiled griddle or cast-iron skillet. These pancakes cook slower then unsoaked whole grain flour or white flour pancakes. When bubbly on top and golden brown at the bottom… flip over and cook for a few minutes till golden brown.

Top with mango butter or your choice of fruit, butter, raw honey and a honey bee (optional). Enjoy!!

Have a great week and don't forget to check out the giveaways and enter for a chance to win 2 ecousable bottles or an Action Baby Carrier!
Hugs,
Mare

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Something Deliciously New: Nourishing Oxtail Farro Soup

I am happy to share with you a gut-happy, nourishing soup that we all enjoyed very much... even my girls slurped up their portions! It left us feeling satisfied and comforted.


Some of you might be wondering, but it's not hard to find oxtail... well, at least around here! Latin Americas love oxtail soup and you will often have to go early to your favorite butcher to get that one oxtail before someone else takes it. We even tried to have our butcher save us the next oxtail after two tries, but that wasn't possible for him to remember. So, thankfully we were able to snatch some up early one morning after it was freshly removed from the carcass. Yeah, it's that fresh... and no... it doesn't smell bad because they bring in a fresh carcass 3 or 4 times a week! So, we know we are getting fresh meat no matter what and grass-fed too!


Now, normally... most people use barley in their oxtail soup, but I didn't have that... but I had a small bag of Farro (also known as Emmer). This grain is an ancient grain that is making a comeback in the states. I found it at a grocery store when we were up in La Fortuna celebrating our anniversary. It was a bit pricey, but I wanted to try it and that was over 8 months ago!


I'm so glad I bought it and saved it till now!


The grain has a wonderful nutty taste that is different from wheat or spelt. We loved how it added a nice flavor to the oxtail soup. It was a nice change from rice or noodles that we sometimes have with our soups. I would like to try using grains once in a while in our soups to add a variety. I'm always using the grains for making breads and baked goods... why not throw it into something savory like soup?!


Also, I've made this soup with and without the wine. I find that using the wine adds a richer flavor, but the soup still tastes excellent without for those who wish not to use the wine.


For those who are not sure where they can find oxtail... locate a local butcher in your area OR a local farmer that sells grass-fed meats. You will find one somewhere, I'm sure... BUT remember, there's only one per cow... so you must find the one before its gone!

Oxtail Farro Soup

• 4 pounds fresh oxtail
• water
• 1/2 cup red wine
• 1/4 cup raw vinegar
• 2 onions, peeled & chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled & chopped
• 2 celery stalks, peeled & chopped
• fresh thyme sprigs, tied together
• 1-2 tsp dried peppercorns, crushed
• generous pinch red pepper flakes
• 1 cup farro, roasted in the over & soaked at least 7 hours
• sea salt & pepper
• chopped parsley for garnish

Place oxtail in a baking pan and bake at 350 F for about 1 hour or until well browned. Transfer oxtail to a stainless steel pot and pour out grease.

Add wine and a little water to the baking pan and deglaze by bringing it to a rapid boil, while stirring the loosen any coagulated beef juices in the pan.

Pour the liquid into the pot and cover all the oxtail with cold water. Add raw vinegar and let it sit for about 30 minutes. Bring to a boil and skim off any foam. Add thyme, onions, carrots, celery, red pepper flakes and peppercorns. Cover and simmer for at least 24 hours.


Remove oxtail and allow to cool. Strain 3 quarts of stock into another pot and add soaked farro. Reserve any extra broth for other uses. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 30 minutes or till farro is tender.


Meanwhile, pick the meat off the bones and chop finely if needed (mine pulled apart very easily). When farro is tender, add the meat. Season with sea salt & pepper generously.


Serve in bowls and garnish with chopped parsley.

I really hope most of you out there will be adventurous to try this soup! Just think... the tail is full of meaty goodness and the bones with fantastic minerals... all in one pot! So nourishing and excellent for your gut.


This post is part of Real Food Wednesday hosted this week by Kelly the Kitchen Kop and I've also included it in the Pennywise Platter Thursday @ The Nourishing Gourmet.

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