Honey

Natures Gift of " Liquid Gold"

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AS A FOOD
Honey is such a versatile and wonderful product, my husband keeps some bees and I find their life within the hive and organisational abilities quite awe inspiring. Have you ever studied bees, they are truly amazing. The Queen, Drones & Worker bees all have their role to play, and they are not just four winged stinging insects as many perceive them to be! These little creatures can fly miles & miles in search of pollen and yet still know where home is, they work so hard creating a vibrant hive of activity and honey as their food source, so it is vitally important to never rob their hives of all the honey if collecting some for personal use. We also like to feed our bees in the Winter months to maintain a strong and healthy community; a food source can be very difficult for them in the cold, especially if honey reserves in the hive are low.
If we only use honey for it's sweet taste and glorious texture, we miss out on a whole spectrum of other applications. A small collection from my husband's bees of organic, unpasteurised raw honey offers a wealth of nutritional benefits and digestible simple sugars, but honey is much more than just a delicious food. Honey contains minerals like iron, calcium,potassium and magnesium, and it can boost energy levels, I often think of it as "liquid gold" with all its many uses and benefits;
Bee Pollen Granules, Propolis and Royal Jelly are additional products that are readily available in Health Food Shops. The bees collect pollen from the flowers & this is highly nutritious & acts as the main nutrient source for the bees and their only source of protein. For this reason alone, I like to think that the bees welfare is seriously considered when harvesting any product from their hive;  Bee Pollen Granules, Propolis and Royal Jelly are found on our shelves & are considered amazing health products; propolis is made when the bees collect plant resins which they add to beeswax and a little honey & enzymes, it protects the hive from disease and has strong antibiotic properties; Bees Pollen is considered Nature's Multi Vitamin with enzymes, amino acids, folates and minerals, and is  highly prized in many circles as a natural health giving solution for many ailments.
For those of you who follow a purest Vegan diet, then honey will not be for you, but from this post, I hope those who enjoy honey, may be a little more interested in who you purchase it from.....farmer's markets can tell their own story & it is usually possible to access the integrity of the product you are buying & the treatment of any animal or creature on their farm in the process.
FOR HEALING
I have often used honey for scrapes and cuts or to soothe a small burn. It has natural antimicrobial properties, so can act like an antibiotic cream with superior antiseptic and healing qualities. Manuka Honey is well known for knocking out the antibiotic-resistant MSRA bacteria. I remember many years ago my father-in-law had a nasty ulcer on his leg which was not healing and Manuka Honey came to the rescue.
Most of us would have had our mothers bring out the lemon & honey for coughs, sore throats & colds as children, some think a tablespoon of raw honey in some warm water is as effective as cough mixture in calming down nagging coughing fits.
FOR PARASITES
If any of you have backpacked, particularly through Asian Countries, you have probably taken some honey & apple cider vinegar along with you, to mix in some purified water each day, to keep parasites at bay.This little mix is fabulous for destroying these intruders!
AS A BEAUTY TREATMENT
Honey naturally draws moisture to the skin and there are numerous recipes that hydrate and moisturize dry areas; for elbows; simply leave some honey on them for 30 mins & wash off, the result will surprise you. I like to use it as a facial too, add some mashed up avocado to some honey & relax with a blend of this on your face! A bit sticky & messy but your face & skin will love it!
Hair responds well to a teaspoon of honey in some warm water as a rinse after shampooing. Those frizzy parched locks and unruly hair is given a glossy finish.
PRODUCTS GALORE
Beeswax Candles, aren't they wonderful and such an array to choose from these days. I have even seen Beeswax Furniture Polish which I can imagine would be excellent for those precious old pieces.
REMEMBER PETER RABBIT
With his chamomile tea & a teaspoon of honey before bedtime..... definitely a recipe for a good nights sleep!

What a gift these tiny creatures bring to our World. Without them we would starve to death in a short period of time, as they are also responsible for our crops producing food. They fly from bush & tree to bush & tree pollinating as they go so that fruit & vege can develop after flowering; many farmers lease large numbers of hives for their orchards for this very purpose when the trees are in flower, we saw this being reported in the almond orchards this last year in Australia; bees are becoming less in number world wide due to disease outbreaks in some Countries and this could pose a serious threat to food production if these issues are not addressed. It is refreshing to see Community Groups honoring these beautiful little creatures & including a hive or two in many Community Gardens, within our Cities. They seem to adapt to most situations & continue their busy lives working not just for their own survival, but for ours too. Thank You to our Bees!

Coconut Oil

I just love Coconut Oil, and I find myself using it more & more in recipes; it is very versatile as it is a magic ingredient in Raw delectibles, but is also yummy in stir fries and as a replacement in some cases for other oils. Some brands influence the overall taste of the dish with a strong coconut flavour so you may need to do a little experiment & find a brand you like.
There is evidence to suggest coconut oil has excellent benefits if used in moderation.  It’s also a great alternative to butter for vegans and lactose intolerant people.

What is coconut oil?

Coconut oil is extracted from the meat (flesh) of mature coconuts. It has a very high smoking point, which makes it ideal for all types of cooking, especially high temperature frying. It is also extremely stable, meaning it won’t go rancid if stored for a long time (up to two years).

Vegans in particular love it, as coconut oil can make perfect pastry, flaky scones and creamy icings without using dairy. It tastes naturally sweet, with no bitterness and has a slight nuttiness that works well in sweet treats, savoury dishes or stir-fries.

Although coconut oil is high in saturated fats, these are the medium-chain saturated fatty acids (MCFAs), which are now thought to be beneficial, as opposed to trans-saturated fats, which carry risks of heart disease and high cholesterol.

 I don't usually recommend specific brands and I do not have a financial interest in any of them but I just love this brand of Coconut Oil. It's reusable glass jar with a re-sealable lid adds an additional bonus to the purchase. The purchase of this product ( usually available in your Health Food Shop or online) gives you the opportunity to help towards supporting a whole Village in New Guinea, the people of Napapar, through Fair Trade. Niugini is locally owned & operated and this means that those farmers who are registered suppliers are guaranteed of a market for their coconuts and guaranteed an income for their families.They receive a higher price and the farmer is paid on the day of collection. Volume Sales World Wide mean more farmers are given the opportunity to become part of this scheme.

The number of health benefits ascribed to coconut oil by its fans is staggering. They include improved heart health, a better immune system, younger looking skin, improved digestion, more stable blood sugar and reduced sugar cravings. However, it’s important to note that some of these benefits are scientifically unproven at this stage and all of them relate to 100% pure virgin coconut oil, not partially hydrogenated coconut oil, which contains unhealthy trans-fats.

A little more on Greens

You may or may not know how many of us felt about greens as a child. I for one, hated them & I still observe many parents to-day struggling to get their child to eat even a morsel of any kind of vegetable! What's going on? Those born in this era are fortunate enough to maybe have  Mum make green Smoothies & Green Juices, & incorporate veggies into all kinds of deliciously Raw & lightly cooked recipes. Sixty plus years ago I had to wade through a plate of over boiled spinach, beans or peas, totally killed off, grey in colour & without even a wiff of sauce or butter! Yuck! We didn't have the variety of greens seen readily in supermarkets & fruit stalls these days; even the packets of Mesclun lettuce are an example of this, offering such a variety of different & interesting lettuces all in one spoonful.

We still tend to like certain greens more than others even when making creative dishes. It is so easy to throw a handful of English Spinach into every shake, smoothie or juice rather than explore incorporating other options.This can lead to the possibility that you might be overdoing it by focusing so much on just one or a few types of greens. Your good intentions can lead you to be out of balance nutritionally with too much of some nutrients or acids, and too little of others. The solution then is to always aim for a variety of foods in your diet, including your greens.

Spinach in particular tends to be one green that many people overdo. This is because it’s tasty, readily available, familiar and very mild so it’s a great addition to juices, smoothies and salads.

The problem with this, along with the fact that it only provides a certain profile of nutrients, is that even though spinach is a wonderfully healthy food, it is high in oxalic acid, which in large quantities can imbalance the body. 

This falls in line with the overall idea that we wouldn’t overeat on one particular food, ignoring all the other options available to us. This is why eating seasonally is important and this alone can mitigate a lot of the risks of overdoing one particular type of food.

When it comes to greens, we have a huge abundance of delicious greens available to us to keep in rotation, so we are always getting a variety of different nutrients. They all have their own unique flavor and you can play around with them in salads, cooked veggie meals, juices, smoothies, soups, in wraps, in dips or any other way you would like to enjoy them.

                                                                                                                                                                                                Here’s just some of them for you to explore:  Cabbage, Mesclun, Romaine, Oak, Butter & Cos Lettuce, Swiss Chard, Spinach, Kale, Collards, Endive, Bok Choy, Broccoli, Dandelion, Mustard Greens, Herbs like Parsley, Coriander/ Cilantro, Dill, Thyme, Rosemary etc Watercress & Arugula.

And there are many more, this is just a start. As you can see, there are plenty to choose from!

Aim to have at least 4-5 different greens each week and rotate them where possible so you’re not eating the same greens more than 2-3 times a week. This will help ensure you maximize all the nutritional benefits that greens have to offer and help you avoid deficiencies as well as oxalic acid toxicity.

Coconut Cream

Although I understand this method of making vegan cream has been used for eons, it has to be my latest yummy discovery!
The science behind this whipped cream is incredibly simple. In every can of coconut milk, you have coconut water and coconut fat. If you shake and open the can, the two will be mixed together into a creamy liquid, but if you let the can sit overnight in the refrigerator, the fat rises to the top and solidifies while the water sinks to the bottom. Try a few different brands as some are definitely better than others, although I recently used a Store Brand, the cheapest, and it worked equally well!
To make the whipped cream, you want to chill a sealed can in the refrigerator overnight. After at least 8 hours, carefully remove the lid and you should have a solid white block of coconut fat along the top of the can. Scrape this into a cold bowl, taking care to leave the runnier parts behind. Most of the solids can be easily removed and you will see the clear water remaining at the bottom. I suggest you save the clear water for smoothies, etc..







Next, with a small whisk or hand mixer (recommended), beat the coconut fat into a firm whipped cream. It will start out fairly runny and become thicker over 3-5 minutes. When the consistency is right, add in a little sweetener. Stevia works well or 2-3 teaspoons of a liquid sweetener like maple syrup, but this can make your final product a little more runny. If this happens it will thicken once it is placed back in the refrigerator. Once the sweetener is combined, then add in one of the following flavorings.

To make a Vanilla whipped Cream, simply add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and beat until combined.

Chocolate whipped Cream is my favorite. To make this variety, take about 2 tablespoons of cacoa or vegan chocolate and melt in a bowl over hot water. Then, slowly drizzle it into the whipped cream while mixing. The heat from the chocolate might make the whipped cream become more runny, but it should firm up again when chilled.

                                                                                                                                                                                         Strawberry Cream, mash 2-3 medium strawberries until they become very soft. Break them up into small chunks and add to the whipped cream. Beat thoroughly until the strawberries are completely incorporated. The whipped cream will become a gorgeous pink color, but it will turn grey after several hours so this one is best to make right before using.
No matter which variety you choose, the whipped cream can be used immediately or kept in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

The first time I made this I could not get over how amaaaaazing it tastes. It doesn't taste like coconut
which was very surprising so it is worth always keeping a tin or two in the refrigerator for use at a moments notice.

You can use this whipped cream just like regular dairy whipped cream. I like to use it in desserts,cakes & frostings, and then store my creation in the refrigerator until ready to serve; it’s also amazing over a simple bowl of fruit or pancakes. The options are really endless!
Have fun making different kinds of flavours and fooling your friends and family, as most will think it is a dairy cream!
I am wondering if Sour Cream can also be made this way, using lemon juice and fiddling a bit with the recipe! At the moment I use a cashew sour cream but it might be a change not to always use nuts.I would love to hear from some of you who  might have some ideas as my husband loves to dob sour cream on his potatoes and top his avocado salsa with sour cream before eating his tacos!

Microwave Ovens

We are always looking towards making our lives easier with new innovations. Microwave ovens are certainly not new to the average kitchen or family,but what we fail to understand is that not all innovations are  necessarily good for our health.Microwave ovens are such an invention and is widely considered a healthy convenience, although research would indicate otherwise. There is a huge body of research out there to support that using one is a very unhealthy practice and destroys the nutritive value of our food..

If you use a microwave to heat or cook food you may want to reconsider your choices, before placing your overall health in the hands of a so called "harmless" man made invention. Over the last couple of decades, microwave ovens are considered almost a necessity for reheating food quickly, daily food preparation or cooking vegetables; rarely will you find a kitchen without one! They are convenient, fast and energy efficient but at what cost to our health? They are so easy to use as it only takes minutes to put a cooked meal on the table, but if we consider logically what happens to the nutritive value of the food in the process, we may wish to reconsider.
You probably already know that a microwave oven essentially uses microwave radiation to heat the polarized molecules in the food. Unfortunately these microwave radiations actually distort the molecule structure of the food, and the healthy nutrients in the food are destroyed during heating in these ovens. What happens when radiation is used to zap cancers, it kills and destroys all the healthy as well as the cancerous cells in the area where the rays are focused, doesn't it? Why do you think the Russian Government banned them in their Country from 1976?

Imagine what happens when baby formula and baby food is zapped in one, a common practice in many households. It's like feeding fake food to the child without any real nutrients; the same applies to many Restaurant meals that we pay good money for.....ironical, isn't it?

Vegetarian to Vegan, is this a Change to Consider Making?

GREETINGS EVERYONE!

Six months ago I was in this very position of moving from a vegetarian to a vegan diet, and I really struggled with the addictive emotions associated with dairy products and the constant craving for them, especially cream and cheese; eggs were a little different as I had never been particularly keen on them after looking after our chickens as a child, feeding them and collecting the eggs and even having to observe their slaughter and at Dad's insistence, pluck those singled out for the dinner table! Eating their flesh was an obvious "turn off" although I have had to learn how to substitute something else rather than eggs in recipes to still have a delish creation on my plate! 

Living on farms all of my life,I associated dairy products with being nurtured in my childhood, at least this is how I had viewed it, although strictly not true. What happened about me loving animals and my body by only eating the rich variety of goodness in plant based foods that God has provided.                                                                                                                                             We can tell ourselves the most amazing stories and excuses to justify our actions and suppress our emotions; I certainly could, even though I had a clear understanding of the unloving practices in dairies and on egg farms, free range or otherwise. The massive effect on the Environment and my lack of self love were prime aspects where shame and regret lurked under my behaviour; the Planet is the most beautiful playground for humanity to share and enjoy and my small part in preserving it's pristine state where I can, is precious to me, and I would like to think that I am working towards creating less of a personal footprint on Earth's resources.

I came across Sarah Taylor's Vegan Fusion recently and I thought you might like to know about her book "Vegetarian to Vegan" which intellectually supports people in making the change; as you may have gathered by now, I am about making the emotional change as well! I can personally vouch for the success of including this in any change you may consider.

Here is Sarah's Article, thank you Sarah.  

Are you a vegetarian looking to make a shift towards the vegan diet and lifestyle? Look no further.

The life-changing new book, Vegetarian to Vegan, written by Sarah Taylor and with recipes by Mark Reinfeld, is now available.

Vegetarians across the world are wondering if it is time to take the final step and become a vegan. And they're asking many of the same questions: What is inhumane about eating dairy products? What's wrong with eating organic, cage-free, free-range eggs? Doesn't a vegetarian diet that includes fat-free dairy and yolk-free egg products already offer protection against chronic diseases? How does a little cream in my coffee contribute to global warming? Isn't it hard to be vegan if you travel, have client dinners, or eat out a lot socially. And, is it really possible to give up cheese?

If these questions have been going through your mind, this book was written just for you. Sarah delves deeply into the issues specific to dairy and eggs that you need to know to help you make an informed decision about whether to adopt a vegan diet. You'll find the motivation you need to make the change, the tools you need to succeed, and recipes by award-winning vegan chef Mark Reinfeld that prove how delicious life can be...without dairy and eggs.

Tempeh

Happy New Year Everyone! I wonder what you have planned for 2014 and if you are committed to including more Healthy Food Choices in meal preparation for yourself, family and friends. I feel everyone will benefit if you do, especially the environment & your health; when meat, dairy products, excess sugar & processed foods become a thing of the past, the rewards will be great on many levels so I encourage you to give it a try. An array of fresh vibrant living plant foods are a gift supplied by God; they keep us healthy & free from disease when we are living in harmony with God's Laws. Supporting the Earth in gratitude, by lessening my day to day footprint is something I am planning on improving in my life this year.  
This is not for 100% Raw Foodies out there ( of which I am not one!) but I have recently discovered Tempeh which I think may be a healthier choice than Tofu in a vegan or vegetarian diet.Tofu is made from curdled soy milk, whereas Tempeh is generally made from fermented whole soy beans & is less processed; it has a higher protein content & more dietary fibre, calcium & iron than Tofu. It has a slight earthy sweet taste, textured & nutty, adding a chewy consistency. Slice thinly or dice or cube into small pieces, great in stir fries, soups, pasta dishes & salads. Gourmet Tempeh is a speciality using chickpeas & sunflower seeds, instead of soy; this is available from "Margaret River Tempeh" in Western Australia.

           Orange Pan-glazed Tempeh Recipe

This recipe is equally good made with tofu. You can make a meal out of this by pairing it with some lightly sauteed seasonal vegetables, or popped over sprouted Quinoa with salad greens.The recipe and picture comes to you from Jude Blereau, a Natural Food Chef from Western Australia.                 Thank You Jude 

1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (3-4 large juicy oranges)
1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons tamari (or soy sauce)
1 1/2 tablespoons mirin
2 teaspoons maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 small garlic cloves, crushed
roughly 10 ounces of tempeh (or extra-firm tofu)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 lime
a handful of cilantro (coriander) leaves

Put the orange juice in a small bowl. Squeeze the grated ginger over the bowl to extract the juices, then discard the pulp. Add the tamari, mirin, and maple syrup, ground coriander, and garlic. Mix together and set aside.
Cut the tempeh (or tofu) into thin-ish, bite-sized pieces, and if working with tofu, pat dry with a paper towel.
Put the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add the tempeh and fry for 5 minutes, or until golden underneath. Turn and cook the other side for another 5 minutes, or until golden. Pour the orange juice mixture into the pan and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced to a lovely thick glaze. Turn the tempeh once more during this time and spoon the sauce over it from time to time.
Serve the tempeh drizzled with any remaining sauce and a squeeze of lime, with the coriander scattered on top.