If you only master two things....

If you only make two things from scratch, let them be BROTH, and some kind of FERMENTED FOOD, like pickles, yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut, etc.

Broth has been used for years medicinally, and for excellent health. Broth has all the major vitamins and minerals, except Vitamin C and Vitamin K. It seals and heals the stomach lining. It's a POWERHOUSE!

I already posted how to make sauerkraut, (which is a fabulous source of Vit. C). I will post other ferments in the future, but ferments are ALIVE foods. They are great detoxers, and are also a powerhouse of good bacteria, (which most Americans are seriously lacking.)

At the beginning of our diet, we had to drink broth or have soup at least three times a day, times that with 5 people, and that was a lot of broth. I started making broth a month earlier, and I stocked up on quite a bit. Unfortunately, I didn't care about making it taste all that good, because I just wanted to quickly make a ton, without a lot of the extra ingredients. (Basically just water and chicken.) Big Mistake! I learned quickly, that taste did matter, and that broth was quite yummy and comforting when you made it right. It was a little bit of a struggle to get my kids to drink it at first. We had a sticker chart, and if they drank all the broth that they needed in a week, then we did a fun family outing. My two older kids caught on, but my 2 yr. old just didn't get the concept. I first had to hold the cup in order for him to drink it, and then he wanted me to stand right by him when drinking it. He had the hardest time. I was always trying to convince him somehow. About 4 months in, one day my youngest asked for seconds on broth, I about fell out of my seat. Now, he asks for it all the time. :) Yeah!

Chicken Broth:

1 whole chicken
Just enough water to cover the chicken
a bunch of fresh parsley
2 carrots (or some peelings and tops)
2 celery
2 twigs of fresh rosemary
a few peppercorns
salt to taste


Put the whole chicken in a stock pot. Fill the pot with water, til' the chicken is covered. Bring the water to a boil. At this point, some scum will appear on top of your water. Turn the heat down to a very low simmer. Skim off the scum, and discard. Add the remaining ingredients, and put the lid on. Let it simmer on a very low heat for about 3-4 hours. Pull out the chicken. Strain the broth, add your salt, and viola, you have homemade broth you can add to soups, gravies, savory dishes, etc.

Enjoy...oh yeah, when you put the broth in the refrigerator, the fat will form a white crust on top. Do not skim it off! That is good animal fat. The kind that is good for the body and the brain. It will melt back into your broth when warmed up! Enjoy!

Keep eatin' fat!

Brittney

My Fav!

There have been a few recipies that have been my fav, since starting the GAPS Diet. I'm going to name a few in hopes to post them all at some point.

Homemade Chocolate Bar
Homemade PB (So Yummy!) (Spread a little PB on the chocolate bar, and Heaven has been made!)
Cauliflower Potatoe, Sausage Soup
Graham Crackers
Honey Sausages
Carrot Cake Cupcakes
Brussel Sprouts w/ Bacon
Crepes
Butternut Squash/Spaghetti Squash (Ok, this isn't really a recipie, but my kids insisted I post this too!)


Since we are licking every drop of our bowls tonight, I thought I would post the Cauliflower Potatoe, Sausage Soup. (And for those of you who tried it on Halloween night, I made it with ground beef instead of sausage, and it was YUCK, in comparison to the sausage.) Tonight it has warmed my soul!

CAULIFLOWER POTATOE, SAUSAGE SOUP

2 T. Butter (plus a chunk of butter for later)
1 onion Chopped
4 cloves of garlic minced
3 Lrg. heads of Cauliflower
4 C. of Chicken broth (Try to make some of your own if u can!)
3 T. salt
1 T. Pepper
6 carrots diced into smaller chunks
1 lb. of ground pork, seasoned with about 1/4 tsp. salt, pepper, sage, thyme and fennel

I feed 5 in this family, and always try to make double or triple of everything we eat, so we can have leftovers. So, when your done, this fills an 8 qt. Stock pot.

Ok, put about 2 T. of butter or Ghee in a stock pot on medium heat. Throw in the onion and minced garlic. Stir it around til' the onions become translucent. (About 5-10 min.) Chop up your cauliflower and add it to the pot. At this point I add more butter, (maybe another Tablespoon).  Stir til it's all mixed up a bit. Add your Chicken stock. Put the lid on, and bring it to a boil. Once it's at a boil, I turn it down to a medium heat, (still boiling). Let it cook til' the cauliflower is really soft. (About 20-25 min.) While that is going, I boil my chopped up carrots until soft, and I make up my ground sausage w/ seasonings in a medium skillet. Once the Cauliflower is soft, I take my immersion blender and blend the whole soup together til' it's all smooth. I then add the chopped carrots, sausage, salt and pepper, and a hunk of butter. (A hunk is usually about 2 T.) Enjoy!

On the Gaps Diet, we can't have any starches. Unfortunatly the bad bugs like them too much, so lucky enough, cauliflower can be steamed, blended up with butter, salt and pepper, and you have mashed potatoes. I was missing a creamy potatoe soup, and I thought, well why can't I make soup with cauliflower to mimic potatoes, luckily I had made some sausage that morning, and I thought that sounded good in it too. So, with a few carrots later, our Cauliflower Potatoe/Sausage Soup was born!

 I can't leave you hangin', so I wanted to post a treat too! The Carrot Cake Cupcakes are not my recipe, but you can search for it over at wellfedhomestead.com. There called "Coconut Flour Carrot Muffins". Super Delish!!

Keep Eatin' Fat!

Brittney

( I think it's more fun when pics. are posted. This is my now 6 year old daughter at 2 yrs. old. So cute, they grow so fast!)