Tag: The Weston A. Price Foundation

A Chicken Soup Version

Turkey Tracks: February 8, 2022

A Chicken Soup Version

Remember the chicken carcasses and bones I’ve been freezing?

I have two now, plus some chicken bones added in from other meals. It’s time to make chicken soup, so I defrosted the bones last night.

*Note that I cook by method, so just read the whole recipe, then if you must, create a list of what you need or would like.

Today dawned with icy slush and rain, so the trip I was going to make to get some chicken thighs to add to this soup will not happen—especially after my morning police call (to see if I’m ok) said ”Stay Home today.” And when I ventured out to the garage, I saw why: 2 inches of slushy ice rested on the driveway. It will freeze later, and…oh my.

So, I’ll make the soup from what I have here in the house. First, cover the bones with water, add some salt, bring everything to a bubbling hot, turn down to a simmer for at least 40 minutes. (You could also add savory veggies at this point, but I’m in a hurry as today is also cleaning/laundry day, and my veggie supply is limited. Note that after cooking you would discard these savory veggies.)

Yes, those are the giblets wrapped in paper—which I had to remove. But look at all the lovely fat coming out of the bones. Skim as needed.

Meanwhile, assemble the veggies you want to have in the soup. Here’s what I had on hand. I’m eating the rainbow today! The radicchio is going in as it needs to be eaten, and I thought its bitter taste would add some interest. I later added in some frozen corn too. I’m finding in winter I would rather have these organic frozen veggies than the tired veggies shipped in her from the other side of the world. I wish I had some celery though, especially with a chicken-based soup.

I will saute these in the duck fat I keep on hand. And I will use a big dollop, probably about 1/4 cup, as I do not want my veggies to burn in the pan. And based on a lot of research I believe clean animal fats are really good for you. (See Mary Enig and the Weston A. Price Foundation for more information.) Except for really good olive oil and coconut oil and red palm oil, I avoid the plant-based oils. I cut the greens off the 3 leeks before I took this picture. More on leeks down the page.

Leeks are in the allium family—along with all the onion and garlic vegetables. This family provides us rich sources of the sulfur that has been so depleted in soils. And sulfur is crucial to good health. Some cannot tolerate the allium family—if you can’t, you likely know that by now. (If you are interested in the sulfur issue, go to Stefanie Seneff’s web page for more info—she runs a research team out of MIT.)

Leeks can have some dirt in the end toward the upper green stem—so take a close at the inner layers of the stem so you can rinse out the dirt. Or, put the cut bits into a strainer and wash the dirt off there. Don’t be afraid of getting some dirt into the mix if you see some on the cut leeks in your pan. Remove and rinse the offending piece then. Actually, there are lots of goodies in dirt, and too many of us don’t get these critters anymore, which is why swimming in ”wild water” is a good idea. I cut mine in half and ruffle the green end to check for dirt. If the dirt isn’t gritty, which I don’t want, I don’t get too picky.

No dirt here:

AC is well aware of everything I do at all times.

With these veggies, I want to saute the veggies that need more cooking first (leeks, onion, garlic, carrots, cauliflower), and then add in the more tender veggies—in this case the cabbage, the yellow squash, the red pepper, and the radicchio. Frozen veggies go in last. Remember to cook down the veggies, without burning, until they start to turn golden and ”grunge” is forming in the pan. Then start adding in the more delicate veggies, turning and stirring until they, too, sweat out and melt down. Last, in a cooking whim, I added about 1 1/4 cups of short grain brown rice and turned it around in the hot veggies for a bit—just to give it some flavor too. Too much rice, and the mixture will become thick and lose its liquid—just add more water after all is cooked.

Here I added some ladles of broth to stop the cooking and to get all the good grunge loose in the pan. A big ladle like this one is a go-to tool in my kitchen.

I strained off my broth. Look at the beautiful color, even after only 40 minutes of simmering. And the trip to the garage was to put the kitchen garbage in the bins out there. Chicken bones will smell in a few hours.

I now clean my pot and put all the ingredients into it, including the frozen green beans and corn.

Bring the pot up to a simmer so the rice cooks—taste as you go along—it will take about 25 minutes to cook rice. Otherwise, simmer until the carrots are soft—that doesn’t take long. DON’T COOK TOO FAST OR TOO HOT. Taste to check on the herb and salt levels. If you wanted to use fresh herbs, here’s where you would add them.

When the rice is done, the soup is done. So, ladle up yourself a bowl and enjoy!

Tomorrow I’ll probably buy some boned chicken (I would prefer thighs) and add it to the soup. So I’ll just refrigerate the pot of soup when it cools. To this basic soup, you can also add a bit of cream. Or, an egg yolk beaten into a bit of some hot soup in your soup bowl to give a velvety smooth texture and lovely taste. Then add more soup. Added cheese is nice. Without the rice, putting hot soup over noodles is nice.

I could go on…

Turkey Tracks: Improv Sauteed Cabbage

Turkey Tracks:  December 31, 2016

Improv Sautéed Cabbage

I hardly ever use recipes any more.

I collect the good clean food found in one of our co-ops or that comes from my summer CSA or garden and just…cook it.

The other day I had one small cabbage, the size of a large softball,  left from the summer CSA, Hope’s Edge.  Cabbage keeps really well in a produce drawer.  I don’t wrap it.

I had some leftover meatloaf, and it was lunchtime, and I was hungry.

So I put the meatloaf into the oven to warm–takes only about 15 minutes–and started sautéing the cabbage in some of my Wilderness Family Naturals centrifuge extracted, unheated coconut oil.  (I order this coconut oil by the case and am always willing to see a jar to someone at cost as it is much cheaper to bulk order.)

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I added a hunk of raw butter for added flavor and browning and good fat, some chopped shallots, some Penzey’s spices, local sea salt, and pepper.  Penzey’s spices are highly rated by the Weston A. Price Foundation.

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It’s looking good!

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And it was…

The meatloaf got a little brown on top as someone stopped by to give me something.  This one had added grated carrots and a handful of the greens I dried and whirred into tiny green flakes in the food processor last summer.  (A recipe for meatloaf is elsewhere on this blog.)

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But this lunch was delicious, nourishing, and filling.

Interesting Information: The Scandal of Infant Formula – Weston A Price

Interesting Information:  April 21, 2016

The Scandal of Infant Formula

If you know anyone feeding a baby infant formula, please try to get this information into their hands.

What industry has put into infant formula is one of the huge scandals of our time.

Here’s the opening bit:

Infant formula lacks many key substances for development and growth. If a key nutrient is missing or not available, the body cannot adequately accomplish the task. • Infant formula is primarily composed of sugar or lactose, dried skim milk and refined vegetable […]

Source: The Scandal of Infant Formula – Weston A Price

PS:  BE SURE TO SCROLL WAY WAY DOWN TO SEE WHAT THE DANGERS OF SOY INFANT FORMULA ARE.

 

The Weston A. Price Foundation is an invaluable source of information on the nutrients in food, disease, etc.  They have “no dog in the hunt” in the sense that their sole purpose for “being” is to try to get really good, science-based information into YOUR hands/mind/body.  The scientists in their group have great credentials for what they study–among them are many biochemists who specialize in the relationship between food, medicines, and the chemistry of the human body.

Also, The WAPF has solid guidance on what is good to feed your children, like alternatives to industrial dried infant fourmulas.

 

 

Interesting Information: Blood Pressure Meds: Yes or No?

Interesting Information:  February 24, 2016

Blood Pressure Meds:   Yes or No?

In the past few weeks, I’ve run across a handful of friends who have mentioned that they are taking meds to lower their blood pressure.

I love it when the universe begins to send me information regarding something about which I have questions.

I’m reading the winter issue of WISE TRADITIONS, the Weston A. Price journal.  Inside there is a review of an audio CD by Dr. Donald K. Weber, DC called HEALTH 101 SIMPLIFIED, page 80.  (This issue is not yet online but will be eventually.)

Here’s a quote written by the reviewer:

Dr. Weber’s views on blood pressure are a little different from those of most other doctors.  He believes that your blood pressure is what it is supposed to be.  In other words, artificially adjusting it with drugs is not “correcting” anything.  Blood pressure is controlled by oxygen levels in the brain.  If the brain is not getting enough oxygen it raises the blood pressure until it does get enough oxygen.  Normal blood pressure is considered to be around 120 over 80, although the pharmaceutical companies would like to lower those figures so that they can make a whole lot more money selling their drugs to a lot more people.

The ratio of 120 over 80 is 3:2.  If your pressure is higher but is the same ratio (150 over 100, for example), then you are dehydrated, according to Dr. Weber.  I’m pretty sure there is not a drug in the world that cures dehyderation, but I’m not a doctor.  Weber also mentions that chemicals from things like processed lunch meat can raise blood pressure.

Many doctors seem to prefer prescribing expensive drugs to lower blood pressure.  Do they work?  Well, they lower pressure but they do that by weakening the heart.…The result is insufficient oxygen to the brain resulting in dizziness, light-headedness or even blackouts.  That is a known side-effect of blood pressure medication.  Over the long run, brain cells start dying when they don’t get enough oxygen.

My other go-to person with heart and other issues is Dr. Sherry A. Rogers.  She’s a big believer in the notion that we are all low in magnesium–which cause all sorts of heart problems and high blood pressure.  (She backs up everything she says with citations from leading studies and journals.)  She recommends an easy to find magnesium product, Natural Calm, taken twice a day.  She has a book on blood pressure, THE HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE HOAX, but here’s a quote from IS YOUR CADIOLOGIST KILLING YOU?

There are so many ways to lower and permanently CURE high blood pressure that it boggles the mind why we insist on merely bludgeoning it for the rest of our lives with drugs.  Especially drugs that guarantee you will require more drugs, while bringing on an avalanche of more side effects, symptoms and diseases (15).

Remember that docs do not get any nutritional training.  Most don’t begin to know how to use foods to CURE problems.  (Rogers says eating four stalks of celery a day will magically lower blood pressure.)  Docs are practitioners, not scientists or nutritionists.  They only know what those pesky drug companies are telling them about health problems.  They’ve lost the whole vocabulary of “CURE.”  They are now just managing illness–and contributing to it far to often.  AND, they have become “workers in the system,” in that if they do not follow the “standards of care,” they are driven out.  That’s how a strong market works to increase its market share.

So….

Before you buy into thinking you even have high blood pressure, get one of those inexpensive cuffs from the drug store and take your blood pressure over the course of a few days at different times over each day. Figure the ratio.  If it’s “high” or not 3:2, drink water and test again.

My late husband’s blood pressure zoomed so high in ANY doctor’s office that they would threaten to hospitalize him on the spot.  At home it was just fine.

I hope this little post gives you some information on this very serious subject and that you will investigate more before taking any medication.

 

Interesting Information: Officials Cover Up Dangers of HPV Vaccine – Weston A Price

Interesting Information:  January 18, 2016

HPV Vaccine Danger Cover Up

Well here’s another crack in the HPV/Gardasil vaccine corruption/scam.

Enough young women have been hurt now that the truth is coming out.

Baseline truth:  public/private partnerships DO NOT WORK when the “public” part is staffed by those from the “private” part and who are benefitting financially.

Here’s some quotes:  read the story for more details AND for Lee’s letter.

“Dr. Sin Hang Lee, MD, Director, Milford Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, has submitted an official, open-letter complaint to the Director-General of the World Health Organization about the cover up of HPV vaccine risks.”

“Dr. Lee has submitted a lengthy letter detailing communications between health officials from the US, Canada, Japan, and the WHO, which demonstrate that these officials knew that HPV vaccines cause an inflammatory reaction greater than other vaccines, yet reassured the public in official hearings and statements that the vaccines were safe.”

Source: Officials Cover Up Dangers of HPV Vaccine – Weston A Price

Books/Recipes: NOURISHING BROTH, Sally Fallon Morell and Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD

Books/Recipes:  April 14, 2015

NOURISHING BROTH

 

The “nourishing” genre of food/cookbooks has been enriched by one:  Sally Fallon Morell and Kaayla T. Daniel, PhD’s NOURISHING BROTH.

You may recall that Sally Fallon Morell wrote NOURISHING TRADITIONS with Dr. Mary Enig, who fought the good fight to show how dangerous trans fats and vegetable oils are and how good for you saturated fats from healthy animals are.  And you may recall that Jennifer McGruther recently published NOURISHING KITCHEN and has a great web site that is a constant resource–as is the Weston A. Price Foundation’s web site.

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So, you cannot read this blog for long without knowing I am a big fan of and great believer in real, homemade bone broths.  Of course I ordered this new book anyway–and it is chock full of the science of bone broths, of why they are so good for us.  And, of course, the book tells you all the ins and outs of making bone broths and how to use them in all sorts of soups, stews, sauces, gravies, and so forth.

After reading the book, I have been defrosting my stored bone broths and heating a cup full for breakfast–instead of drinking tea.  I add raw milk and salt if needed, and am thinking of adding a beaten raw egg, such as you might find in a Chinese or Greek egg soup.  I am finding I have no need for coffee/tea after this gorgeous drink–one that feels good right down to my toes.  And look, ma, no sugar/honey in the morning.  Many cultures drink a hot bone broth soup for breakfast–while we are eating and feeding our children a nutrient nightmare of sugared cereal.  It didn’t take me but one morning to realize what I had been missing.

One of the many things that Morell and Daniel point out is that with the advent of fake bouillon cubes (which have no meat in them and are the beginning of the dangerous excitotoxin MSG), we lost the nourishment we were getting from bone broths that were the base of much of the food we ate.  Bone broths build…bones.  Bone broths are full of gelatin (if made right) and lots of minerals and good fats–all mixed up in a hearty hot broth.

So, in a restaurant, if you encounter a “homemade soup,” ask if the soup is made from bones/meat in the kitchen or if a “base” is used.  Avoid the base soup as it is all made from fake products.

Here’s a little video of Kaayla T. Daniels talking about bone broths and bones:

“Bone Broth” Builds Bone Not Because of Calcium.

Interesting Information: “Studies Show that Vaccinated Individuals Spread Disease”

Interesting Information:  February 13, 2015

“Studies Show that Vaccinated Individuals Spread Disease”

The measles epidemic and vaccines are all over the news at the moment.

Rampant among the many news stories is the mindless repeating of vaccine myths.  The media is simply NOT doing its job with regard to the vaccine issue.  Neither are the local doctors who mean well, but are uncritically accepting what they are being told.  There is plenty, plenty of research out there that throws up red flags about vaccines in many ways.

Here’s a statement put out by the Weston A. Price Foundation, refuting the myth that unvaccinated children are somehow infecting vaccinated ones.

Folks!!  The real culprits spreading measles are anyone who got a recent vaccine AND, possibly, all the adults who have not had boosters…ever.

Here’s a quote–those numbers are footnotes to studies which are listed at the end of the article:

Scientific evidence demonstrates that individuals vaccinated with live virus vaccines such as MMR (measles, mumps and rubella), rotavirus, chicken pox, shingles and influenza can shed the virus for many weeks or months afterwards and infect the vaccinated and unvaccinated alike.1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10

Furthermore, vaccine recipients can carry diseases in the back of their throat and infect others while displaying no symptoms of a disease.11,12,13

Let’s be clear that babies are at risk for getting measles.  Why?  Their mothers are no longer passing along their (the mother’s) natural immunity–which is new in history.

There have been no measles deaths in the United States for ten years.  Zero.  Nada.  And maybe these babies getting measles will be, in the end, lucky since they will acquire an immunity that will protect them in their adolescent years, when measles is much more severe.

By the way, the other dirty little secret is that none of these vaccines has lasting protection,and the protected time might be just a few years.  Vaccines do not work at all for some people–and that might be due to a specific vaccines ingredients.

And then there is the issue of what strain of a disease is in a vaccine and the effect those choices are making on the wild disease viruses…

Studies Show that Vaccinated Individuals Spread Disease | Weston A Price.

Interesting Information: Bill Hyde: “The Real Cost Of Real Food”

Interesting Information:  January 13, 2015

“The Real Cost of Real Food”

When Bill Hyde, PhD, retired from academia, he and his wife bought a seven-acre farm outside of Denver, Colorado.

In the Summer 2014 issue of The Weston A. Price Foundation journal, Wise Traditions,” Hyde walks through what it takes to put one dozen eggs into someone’s hands.  He considers ALL of his expenses–which is something industrial egg providers do not do in order to price their eggs.  For one thing, industrial egg providers do not have to pay for the “soil, air, and water deterioration and pollution that their farm practices create.”  Nor for “remedying the health problems of farm workers and consumers caused by eating and contacting these so-called foods.”  Further, they get breaks through tax policies that favor them, and small real farmers do not.

Hyde’s list of BEFORE PROFIT expenses includes buying and raising the chick (5 or 6 months until they start to lay), shelter and a yard, mobile tractor, feed, utilities , labor, packaging of eggs, transportation, cost of land, and chicken supplies–all of which adds up to $11.52 for a dozen eggs.

Think how we use eggs today.  They’re so cheap and so available all the time (did you know chickens don’t ordinarily lay in the winter months??? or that they are SO NOT vegetarians) that we don’t value them AT ALL.  (Yes, I’m screaming at how we take eggs so for granted.)

But, but, these commercial eggs are OLD when you get them (45 days or more is ok with our government organizations), are made by hens fed inferior food, and made by hens that are terribly mistreated.  (I dare you to watch one of those videos of a commercial layer hen operation.)  That’s why the yolks of a commercial chicken are pale, pale, pale yellow–hardly distinguishable from the white.  A REAL egg yolk is bright pumpkin orange.

Again, as it cannot be said enough, REAL farmers who husband the land and their animals get very, very little support from our nation.  That’s US folks.  Hyde says the following:

Incidentally, I do not believe my situation is unique. In talking to a variety of small farmers, CSAs, and farm co-ops, I have not found one that did not (1) inherit their land, (2) receive grants, (3) use volunteer labor, (4) have a spouse or partner with a real job, or (5) have a day job themselves. While it shows resourcefulness to patch together whatever is necessary to keep a farm operating, my point is that I don’t think it constitutes a viable long-term model for feeding our nation real food.

 And they sure don’t get what the food should cost.

And that’s where a set of statistics is important to understand.  The United States has the lowest food costs in the world…  Today, the average food costs are between 7 and 8 percent of income.  In 1970, average food costs were between 17 and 22%.  As a young married, we were told to allow for 25% on average for food.  Meanwhile in 1970, health costs were from 3 to 7%.  Today they are from 16 to 17%.   Bad food that’s tainted, poisoned, and has no nutrients and fake foods that are artificially flavored and engineered to appeal to your taste buds are making us sick.

So, yes, pay more for real, clean food and pay less in medical costs.  And, taking a longer view, strive to leave a viable world for the next generations.  What we are presently doing is not sustainable.

The Real Cost Of Real Food | Weston A Price.

Interesting Information: The Weston A Price Foundation 2014 Membership Drive

Interesting Information:  December 28, 2014

The Weston A. Price Foundation 2014 Membership Drive

 

I spent some time today balancing my check book, paying bills, and making year-end donations.

I cannot recommend The Weston A. Price Foundation highly enough.

They have “no dog in the hunt” to sell to you.

They work to educate, educate, educate.  And their science is the work of biochemists and others with appropriate credentials and research backgrounds.  These scientists specialize in the chemistry of the human body with an emphasis on what we eat every day.  How can any “healer” heal without taking into consideration what people are eating?  Those are chemical reactions.

They have a legal defense fund which comes to the aid of farmers who are being attacked inappropriately by misguided government officials working from either unscientific belief systems or…from outright corruption at the behest of industry.

The WAPF has a terrific quarterly journal–I often try to guide you to articles from that journal.And, so, today I put some of my money where my mouth is…

My theory is that we have to support small farms and real, clean food.

The current membership drive information, itself, has some nice links.

Take a look?

Membership Drive | Weston A Price.

Interesting Information: Eating for Health as Seniors

Interesting Information:  November 9, 2014

Eating for Health as Seniors

The summer 2014 issue of Wise Traditions, the journal of The Weston A. Price Foundation, is all about aging.

Don’t think that because you are not yet old that this issue will not contain information that concerns you.  Many conditions encountered as a senior began in that senior’s earliest years.

Anyway, I am now a senior, and I’ve been interested in how I eat promotes my health.

Here’s a nice little sidebar of information from an article by PhD nutritionist Sylvia P. Onusic on how to make nutrition an “anti-aging” factor:

 

CONSERVING THE DIGESTIVE FIRE

As we age, our digestive forces weaken. It becomes harder for the body to make hydrochloric acid (for digesting protein), bile (for digesting fats) and digestive enzymes (for digesting carbohydrates, proteins and fats). That means that seniors are often not getting the full benefit of their food, even if they are eating well and the food is nutritious.

Attention to the digestibility of foods is key to ensuring optimal nutrition for senior diets. Soups and stews made with nourishing bone broth are ideal, as bone broth greatly aids the digestive process. Vegetables should be well cooked. Salads may not be the best choice for seniors—soups serve them better, being easier to digest. Vegetable purées made with butter and cream are great comfort foods for seniors. Lacto-fermented foods with every meal will help ease the digestive burden.

Government warnings to the contrary, raw milk is a great food for senior citizens. It contains all the enzymes needed for full digestion and nutrient assimilation and represents a complete nutrition package. It is our best source of glutathione, the body’s leading anti-oxidant. Fermented raw milk products, like yogurt and kefir, supply the digestive tract with beneficial bacteria, as well as digestive enzymes.

All grains should be properly prepared by soaking or sour leavening, for optimal digestion. Hard-to-digest grains like extruded breakfast cereals, granola, granola bars and muesli represent a difficult digestive burden for aging digestive tracts.

In addition to proper food preparation, supplements that can aid digestion include hydrochloric acid and ox bile; while the herbal preparation Swedish bitters aids in the digestive of protein and fatty foods.

The goal is not to live forever, but to ensure that all those years at the end are full of vigor and optimism. Making sure the diet is easy to digest will ensure that the “golden years” are truly filled with golden good health.

Sidebar , “Conserving the Digestive Fire,” in “Nutrition:  The Anti-Aging Factor,” Sylvia P. Onusic, Phd, CNS, LDN, Wise Traditions, Summer 2014, 20-31.

Here’s the whole article, which is full of good information.

Nutrition: The Anti-Aging Factor | Weston A Price.