Chlorella what?

Chlorella is a type of algae that grows in fresh water. The whole plant is used to make nutritional supplements.

As a medicine, chlorella is used for preventing cancer, reducing radiation treatment side effects, stimulating the immune system, improving response to flu vaccine, increasing white blood cell counts (especially in people with HIV infection or cancer), preventing colds, protecting the body against toxic metals such as lead and mercury, and slowing the aging process.

I use chlorella in my kombucha!

Chlorella is also used to increase “good” bacteria in the intestine in order to improve digestion; and to help treat ulcers, colitis, Crohn's disease, and diverticulosis.

Some people also use chlorella for the prevention of stress-related ulcers; treatment of constipation, bad breath, and hypertension; as an antioxidant; to reduce cholesterol; to increase energy; to detoxify the body; and as a source of magnesium to promote mental health, relieve premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and reduce asthma attacks. It is also used for fibromyalgia.

Chlorella is applied to the skin for treating skin ulcers, rashes caused by radiation treatment, and a sexually transmitted disease called trichomoniasis.

How does it work?
Chlorella is a good source of protein, fats, carbohydrates, fiber, chlorophyll, vitamins, and minerals. The cell wall of chlorella must be broken down before people can digest it.

For more info on chlorella check out webmd.com

Black Bean Salad

Dressing:
1 small clove garlic
Pinch salt, plus 2 teaspoons
Juice 1 1/2 limes (about 3 tablespoons)
2 teaspoons sea salt
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil or extra virgin coconut oil

Salad:
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears)
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil or extra virgin coconut oil
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1 smallavocado, halved, seeded and diced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, leaves and stems

Make the dressing:
Smash the garlic clove, sprinkle with a pinch of the salt, and, with the flat side of a large knife, mash and smear the mixture to a coarse paste. Whisk the garlic paste, lime juice, salt and chili powder together in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the olive oil, starting with a few drops and then adding the rest in a steady stream.

For the salad:
Cook the corn, bell pepper, and onions in the olive oil until beginning to brown over medium-high heat in a skillet. Toss in the black beans and cook until warm. Add the dressing and toss to coat evenly. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and gently fold in the tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro. Serve.

Walnut and Blue Cheese Coated Grapes

• 2/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
• 6 ounces crumbled Cabrales (Spanish blue cheese), Roquefort or Gorgonzola may be substituted 
• 4 ounces cream cheese
• 20 loose seedless red grapes (about 1/4 pound with stems) (I used green grapes and they were great too)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

On a sheet pan spread out the walnuts and toast in the oven for 7 to 9 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

In a bowl with an electric mixer, blend the blue cheese and the cream cheese until smooth. Put one tablespoon of the cheese mixture in the palm of your hand and roll a grape in it.  Coat the mixture around the grape.  Cover the remaining grapes and chill on a sheet pan for 15 minutes. Roll the cheese-coated grapes in the walnut mixture and chill for 30 minutes or until coating is firm.

The Magic of Mushrooms

Mushrooms have been used for thousands of years both as food and for medicinal purposes. They are fungi.  There are over 14,000 types of mushrooms,but  only 3,000 are edible. Of the 3,000 mushrooms that are edible, 700 have known medicinal properties, and fewer than one percent are recognized as poisonous.
Some people like to pick their own mushrooms.  When I was recently at Patrick's Point Park in Humboldt County, I saw signs every where about mushroom picking.  A lot of people had signs that they would buy your picked mushrooms on their mailboxes.  However, identifying mushrooms can be a real challenge.  It is important to properly identify the mushroom that is collected so you are not eating a poisonous species.  The Pharaohs prized mushrooms as a delicacy, and the Greeks believed that mushrooms provided strength for warriors in battle. The Romans regarded mushrooms as a gift from God and served them only on festive occasions, while the Chinese treasured them as a health food.

Here are some interesting statements about mushrooms and their health benefits:
1. Mushrooms contain about 80 to 90 percent water, and are very low in calories (only 100 cal/oz).
2. Mushrooms are an excellent source of potassium.
3. Mushrooms are a rich source of riboflavin, niacin, and selenium.
4. Mushrooms stimulate the immune system, help fight infection, and demonstrates anti-tumor activity.


According to a John's Hopkins study, when ground beef was replaced with sauteed mushrooms people ate 420 fewer calories and 30 grams fewer fat that day, yet reported feeling just as satisfied.

Minestrone Soup

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 stalk of celery, chopped
• 2 medium carrots, chopped
• 1 cup of fresh or frozen green beans
• 1 medium zucchini, chopped
• 1 package (10 ounces) of frozen chopped spinach
• 1 can (28 ounces) of tomatoes
• 1/2 cup of uncooked macaroni (could be whole wheat or spinach or other)
• 1 can (15 ounces) of navy beans with juice
• 1/4 teaspoon of basil
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano (optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• Water as needed.

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer about 30 minutes, until all vegetables are tender. Add water if necessary to make enough liquid to cover ingredients.
Makes about 12 cups.
Per 1 1/2 cups: 137 calories, o Cholesterol, 7.5 g. dietary fiber, 1 g fat, 207 mg. sodium.

Sweet and Spicy Candied Pecans

Ingredients

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 3 tablespoons real maple syrup
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or a dash or two more if you like them extra hot)
• 1 1/2 cups pecan pieces

Preparation: Preheat oven to 325;°F. Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray. Combine maple syrup and next 4 ingredients in large bowl. Stir to blend. Add pecans; stir gently to coat. Transfer to baking sheet. Place large piece of foil on work surface. Bake pecans 5 minutes. Using fork, stir pecans to coat with melted spice mixture. Continue baking until pecans are golden and coating bubbles, about 10 minutes. Transfer to foil. Working quickly, separate nuts with fork. Cool. (Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)

Cashew Cream

Cashew cream is a vegan-chef staple that stands in for dairy in a variety of ways.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole raw cashews (not pieces, which are often dry), rinsed very well under cold water

Directions:

Put the cashews in a bowl and add cold water to cover them. Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Drain the cashews and rinse under cold water. Place in a blender with enough fresh cold water to cover them by 1 inch. Blend on high for several minutes until very smooth. (If you're not using a professional high-speed blender such as a Vita-Mix, which creates an ultra-smooth cream, strain the cashew cream through a fine-mesh sieve.)

To make thick cashew cream, simply reduce the amount of water in the blender, so that the water just covers the cashews.

Celery Root Soup with Granny Smith Apples

Ingredients:

• Sea salt
• 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 medium celery roots , peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 stalks celery , chopped
• 1 large onion , chopped
• 2 quarts faux chicken or vegetable broth (try Better than Bouillon brand)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup thick Cashew Cream  (see recipe below)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 unpeeled Granny Smith apple , very finely diced
• Chive oil  (see recipe below)

Directions:

Place a large stockpot over medium heat. Sprinkle the bottom with a pinch of salt and heat for 1 minute. Add the oil and heat for 30 seconds, being careful not to let it smoke. This will create a nonstick effect.

Add the celery root, celery, and onion and sauté for 6 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until soft but not brown. Add the stock and bay leaf, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the Cashew Cream and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

Working in batches, pour the soup into a blender, cover the lid with a towel (the hot liquid tends to erupt), and blend on high. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls. Place a spoonful of the diced apple in the center of each serving, drizzle the Chive Oil around the apple, and serve.
(recipe by Oprah)

Sesame Stir Fry

This is quick, easy and delicous and you can subsitute whatever vegetables you'd like.

1. Preheat skillet on medium low.
2. Chop broccoli, red onions. mushrooms, brussell sprouts, tomato, spinach, garlic and use whole snap peas.
3. Coat pan with sesame oil and add garlic and let cook for a minute. 
4. Add broccoli, brussell sprouts, and mushrooms.
5. Let cook for another 2 minutes.
6. Add spinach, tomato, red onion and snap peas and let cook for 2 more minutes.
7. Remove from heat and sprinkle with sesame seeds. 
8. Serve Hot or Cold

Homemade Sage Bundles

My sage is thoroughly dry and I have finally made some bundles.  I pieced the dry plant together and tied them together with string.

Maple Almond Granola

This I just threw together and it turned out great.  Make sure you use a nonstick pan, or grease before/  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  You will need whole almonds, rolled oats and pure maple syrup (plus whatever nuts or fried fruit you can thing of). Combine all ingredients in bowl and stir. Place in greased baking pan, press down the mixture and add more syrup if you want on top.  Bake for 10-15 mins.  Remove from oven and take out of pan and place on plate to cool. 

My wonderful helper Cara

Cara is pouring the Maple Syrup

Finished Product

Garnet Mining

Garnets

There is a garnet mine in Brookfield, CT called Green Farms Garnet Mine.  It's on private property but the mine  is open to the public for $5 per car, left under the doormat.  You walk past the homeowners garage through a little trail and then you are on top of the mine.  Garnet is found all over, in and out of these rocks.  You can find them on the trails and it doesn't take but a minute until you find your first garnet.  All you need are safety glasses, a hammer and a pick or chisel. Larger garnets are found in the harder rock which requires some professional tools to extract.  But smaller garnets are found all over in softer rock that you can chip away at with a hammer or even pull off with your fingers. 

more garnets

hammer and smash rock

Lower end of mine, my favorite spot

Results of plant pinching

My organic basil plant is doing very very well! My intended results for growing a plant that has two to four main budding tops is a success in phase one.  Where there once was one main growth point I have made my plant grow two points by pinching the tops off.  Now that they have produced the result, I am going to pinch the tops off of those two points and I will have four nodes instead of one stalk growing straight up.  This produces  bushier plant as opposed to a single stalk skyscrapers.

two new stalks growing out of one node "V" Shape

Two New Stalks growing out of one node plus a fan leaf on the side

Homemade Organic Pizza

Brilliant Idea of the Day: Homemade Pizza. So much fun to make, and easy too (a two year old made one with me, as well as is 4 year old sister and their 7 year old big sis). Making a station for each chef is key to success.

Step 1: Go to your organic market and buy kid and adult friendly toppings as well as dough, sauce and cheese.  I bought red peppers and uncured pepperoni, and mini mini mozzarella balls.  

Step 2: Chop and Sort Ingredients into small bowls to make creating easier!

Step 3: Create, top and decorate. It doesn't matter how you make your pizza as long as you use your 3 crucial ingredients, dough, sauce and cheese

My creation. One Love Pizza

Step 4: Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.

Step 5: Admire your creation and eat it, clean up mess after you have fully savored your creation!

Pizzas created by Sean 2 and Cara 4

Honey Ginger Stir Fry in Coconut Oil

Coconut oil! Such a great alternative to so many cooking products and it is not only great for cooking but also great for hair and skin. To begin my journey cooking with coconut oil I made a simple stir fry recipes with items I found lying around waiting to be used...

Chop garlic, yellow onion, broccoli, carrot, white mushrooms, snap peas, red pepper, spinach and basil

Gather your flavoring ingredients, I used Blue Hill Farm Honey (Tarrytown, NY), Raw and Vegan Coconut Butter and Organic Ginger

Add one scoop of coconut butter to frying pan

add garlic

add 1 scoop of honey and sliced ginger

add veggies and let cook for 3-5 mins on medium to low heat.

remove from heat and serve!

Prepating for Cold and Flu Season...Step 1 Probiotics!

Homemade Probiotic Drink: Kombucha

 What are probiotics?

Probiotics are beneficial microorganisms similar to the "friendly" bacteria found naturally in the body's digestive system. Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) of Maryland states that we each house two to five pounds (1.0 to 2.26 kilograms) of live bacteria inside our bodies. 

How do probiotics work?

Unlike antibiotics, which work by killing bacteria, both friendly and unfriendly, probiotics work with your body.  By boosting populations of beneficial bacteria, you effectively crowd out the bad bacteria, at at the very least make it more difficult for them to thrive.

Do probiotics really help with colds and flu?

 Yes.  After an 18 month study that examined the effect of probiotics Lactobacillus acidophilus and Bifidobacterium animalis on children aged 3 to 5, the results showed that:

• the Lactobacillus acidophilus group had 53% fewer fevers, 41% fewer coughs, and 28% fewer runny noses than the placebo group
• the group given both bacteria strains had 72% fewer fevers, 62% fewer coughs, and 59% fewer runny noses than the placebo group
• the Lactobacillus acidophilus group recovered from cold symptoms 32% faster and the two-bacteria group recovered 48% faster than the placebo group, when they did get sick, with less antibiotic use (68% and 84% less, respectively)

In the article "Probiotics and the Flu", the National Kefir Association states:

 Probiotic-containing foods like kefir are essential during cold and flu season for preventing offending molecules from entering the bloodstream and creating reactions that can cause symptoms of ill health. South Africa-based Ingrid van Heerden, D.Sc, "DietDoc" for www.health24.com, says that probiotic containing foods like kefir are important for maintaining a strong natural defense system because they stimulate the production of immunoglobulin in the intestines, which improves the body's immune response.

 A recent survey of kombucha drinkers indicated that 82% felt they had increased resistance to cold and flus.

Other studies have shown similarly positive results. If you consider how much surface area there is in the digestive track (some estimates calculate that it forms up to 70% of the immune system), it makes sense that keeping it healthy helps keep you healthy.

IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and (IBD) inflammatory bowel disease are other ailments that plague many people as they age. New studies are showing that certain probiotics can help with IBS and IBD symptoms, too – without the side effects of medications. To address problems in the intestinal tract, researchers have focused on probiotics that remain intact past the stomach (yogurt is not going to help much), such as Lactobaccilus plantarum 299v. Lactobaccilus plantarum species are commonly found in milk kefir (along with many other beneficial bacteria and yeasts).  (You can see my post on fermenting yogurt and milk kefir here, along with my "secret weapon" for cold weather fermenting.)

If you purchase probiotics, make sure you look for live and active cultures (read the label – you want good bacteria that are still frisky). Watch out for brands that are full of sugar and/or artificial ingredients. These work against your body’s ability to heal.

I know many of us are looking for ways to keep our food budgets low while still preparing healthy foods for our families. Fermenting at home can provide healthy foods for pennies on the dollar compared to store products.  

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Farm to Table Grilled Veggies and Egg Salad

Sport Hill Farm Bounty!

First plate lettuce

Chop a yellow onion

Chop tomatoes

Chop yellow pepper

In non-stick pans add pepper to Extra Virgin Coconut Oil

Add onions

Add tomatoes

crack two eggs on top of veggies

cover for a few minutes to let eggs cook faster

Add some basil leaves

Add some extra sharp cheddar cheese

let cheese melt and eggs cook

Remove and plate on top of lettuce