Carob Pudding

Carob, also known as St. John’s Bread, is a legume from the Mediterranean whose seed pods provide a fruit that is nutritional and often used as a substitute for chocolate!  This is a truly guilt-free recipe that will fool even the most discriminating youngster.

1/4 cup whole oat flour
2 T. short grain brown rice flour
1/2 tsp. agar-agar powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. roasted carob powder
2 cups water
1 T. pure vanilla
3 T. pure maple syrup
2 T. barley malt

In a medium saucepan combine everything except the vanilla, maple syrup and barley malt.  Bring to a boil; stir often.  Reduce flame and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring often.  Remove from heat and add the remaining ingredients.  Pour into a blender and blend until smooth.  Pour into serving dishes or 1 large bowl.  When cool, refrigerate for at least 45 minutes before eating.  Serve at room temperature.  Keep refigerated.  Makes 2 cups.

Recipe From Macrobiotic Desserts by Sandra Lynn Shuman
Published by Dictionart, Los Angeles, California (1981)

Tags: Add new tag, agar agar, barley malt, blender, boil, brown rice flour, carob powder, carob pudding, chocolate substitute, free recipe, legume, los angeles california, macrobiotic recipe, maple syrup, medium saucepan, oat flour, pure vanilla, room temperature, sandra lynn, sea salt, seed pods, serving dishes, short grain brown rice, youngster

Editor’s note: this is a topic so very dear to my heart.  Raised in an Ecuadorian family, meat has always been a central staple in the diet, but in Ecuador we eat from natural grass-fed sources based either in Ecuador itself or from Argentina.  In America, where type 2 corn, driven by government subisidies (that produce Ethanol, plastics as well as the multitude of chemically altered corn-by products that make up most fast food) has led to massive erosion of both the landscape, the farmer’s trade and the economy with a model of sharp diminishing returns.  Please read this and get informed.  Support small-local farmers, and become more-conscious of the the difference between locally produced, sustainable farming vs. industrial organic (ie. the majority of Whole Foods suppliers).

You Are What Your Animals Eat
by Jo Robinson                                                                       

In my investigation into pasture-based farming, I’ve stumbled upon an alarming state of affairs: few animal scientists see any link between animal feed and human food. “Feed animals anything you want,” say the experts, “and it makes no difference to their meat, milk, or eggs.” Because of this mindset, our animals are being fed just about anything that enhances the bottom line, including chicken feathers, sawdust, chicken manure, stale pizza dough, potato chips, and candy bars.

vs.

Here’s a glaring example. A 1996 study explored the desirability of feeding stale chewing gum to cattle.(1) Amazingly, the gum was still in its aluminum foil wrappers. Wonder of wonders, the experts concluded that bubblegum diet was a net benefit—at least for the producers. I quote: “Results of both experiments suggest that [gum and packaging material] may be fed to safely replace up to 30% of corn-alfalfa hay diets for growing steers with advantages in improving dry matter intake and digestibility.” In other words, feed a steer a diet that is 30 percent bubblegum and aluminum foil wrappers, and it will be a more efficient eater. With a nod to public safety, the researchers did check to see how much aluminum was deposited in the various organs of the cattle. Not to worry. The aluminum content was “within normal expected ranges.” As always, there was no mention of the nutritional content of the resulting meat.

When I first read the bubblegum studies, I assumed that no one would actually feed bubblegum to their animals, despite the “positive outcome” of the research.. Then a professor of animal science drove me by a Beechnut gum factory in upstate New York where dairy farmers bought truckloads of bubble gum to feed to their cows.

The view from the other side of the fence is just as sobering. Most experts in human nutrition are equally blind to the feed/food connection. To them, beef is beef, eggs are eggs, and milk is milk. Thus, when the USDA says “eat less red meat,” the edict applies to all red meat, whether it’s a fatty steak from a grainfed cow, or a lean steak from a grassfed cow with its invisible bounty of omega-3s, vitamin E, beta-carotene, and CLA.

I’ve spent the past four years trying to forge the missing link between animal and human nutrition. It’s been tough going, especially when it comes pasture-raised animals because virtually all the studies focus on feedlot animals. To fill in the gap, I’ve searched through yellowing journals published before the advent of factory farming, pieced together small studies financed by farmers, and combed through the research from Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand—parts of the world where animals are still kept home on the range.

Finding the amount of vitamin E in grassfed meat has been one of my biggest challenges. I began the search when I learned that grass has 20 times more vitamin E than corn or soy. Given the magnitude of this difference, I reasoned that meat from grassfed animals must have an extra helping of vitamin E.

At long last, I located one American study that broached the subject. The impetus for the study came from disgruntled Japanese buyers who complained that American beef spoiled more quickly than Australian free-range beef. Knowing that vitamin E helped prolong shelf life, the American researchers investigated the amount of vitamin E in the two types of meat. Lo and behold, they discovered that the meat from grassfed cattle had three to four times more vitamin E than feedlot beef, thanks to all that vitamin E-rich grass.

Now, what did the researchers do with this finding? True to form, they began studying how much synthetic vitamin E to add to synthetic feedlot diets. I doubt that it even occurred to them to investigate pasture-based ranching.

Why this lack of interest in the natural model? Much of our animal research is funded by commercial interests—specifically the grain, chemical, pharmaceutical, farm equipment, and meat-packing companies. Together, these vertically integrated behemoths have a multi-billion dollar stake in perpetuating factory farming. The USDA, meanwhile, aids and abets the feedlot industry by focusing virtually all of its efforts—and our tax dollars!—on tweaking the system. For example, the USDA Meat and Animal Research Center in Lincoln, Nebraska, is more willing to spend $100,000 researching how quickly feedlot manure seeps into the water table than to spend a similar amount of money investigating pasture-based ranching, the holistic model that keeps the contamination from happening in the first place.

What will it take to draw more scientific attention to pasture-based ranching? Pressure from an enlightened public. And what will it take to enlighten the public? The national media.

I have a fantasy how this might happen. First, a prominent media source such as “60 minutes” or The New York Times will decide to spotlight pasture-based farming. Building on this ground-breaking work, an award-winning TV producer will create a documentary that deepens the discussion. The program will conclude—as it must—-that raising animals on pasture is better for consumers, the animals, the environment, and small farmers. Before long, dozens of news shows, newspapers, and magazines will follow suit.

As the momentum builds, grassfarming will become the talk of the town. Serving organic meat won’t win points in Los Angeles anymore unless it’s grassfed as well. Meanwhile, Ted Turner will stop sending all of his bison to feedlots to be fattened like cattle, and by 2005, his “Turner Reserve Grassfed Bison” will be the thing to serve at celebrity gatherings. Propelled by this groundswell of interest, private and government institutions will finally devote more time, money and energy to exploring pasture-based farming.

Will grassfarming ever become the darling of the media? Only time will tell. But even if the media misses the boat, the good news about grassfarming will keep spreading on the grassroots level, one satisfied customer at a time!

1) Wolf, B. W., L. L. Berger, et al. (1996). “Effects of feeding a return chewing gum/packaging material mixture on performance and carcass characteristics of feedlot cattle.” J Anim Sci 74(11): 2559-65.

Article Source: http://www.eatwild.com/articles/youare.html

Tags: alarming state, alfalfa hay, aluminum content, animal scientists, beechnut gum, bubble gum, CAFO, chicken feathers, chicken manure, dairy farmers, digestibility, dry matter intake, ethanol, feed animals, glaring example, grass fed beef, grass-fed, human nutrition, natural food, nutritional content, organic farms, organic food, organic produce, ruminants, USDA

Editor’s note: Halloween has become, for better or worse, synonymous with letting down your hair and pigging out on sugary stuff.  The following recipes, are certainly not macrobiotic, but they are certainly easy to do, and decidedly less toxic than a lot of other recipes we have seen out there.  Besides, when you prepare food at home, you have a lot more control over what amount of processed goods you ultimately use.  

Processed sugar can be replaced with Agave nectar (which is about 1.5 times as sweet as cane sugar) or brown rice syrup (which is about half as sweet as cane sugar.)  Also, if you want to stay away from Type 2 corn byproducts, consider using Quick Cooking Tapioca in lieu of cornstarch.  So have some fun and enjoy:

Quick And Simple Halloween Recipes
By Jeff Layer

Bat Wings

1 dozen organic chicken wings
1 cup soy sauce or Tamari
1/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon ginger, crushed and chopped

Mix together soy sauce, honey, and ginger. Marinate chicken overnight. Grill in oven or barbeque.

Blood and Guts with Eyeballs

1 package green spinach pasta (elbow macaroni is best)
1 jar organic spaghetti sauce
stuffed Spanish olives

Boil pasta according to package instructions. Heat spaghetti spaghetti sauce. Cut olives in half to make “eyeballs” and place on top of the “blood and guts.”

Easy Caramel Corn

3 quarts popping corn
1 cup brown sugar (or 1/2 cup agave nectar)
1/4 cup corn syrup (or 1 cup brown rice syrup)
1 stick of butter
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Put popcorn in a heavy paper bag. Melt butter in a saucepan and mix together sugar, syrup, and salt. Add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and stir well.  Pour into paper bag and stir with a wooden spoon.

Put bag in microwave and cook on high for 1 1/2 minutes. Take out and shake well. Cook for another 1 1/2 minutes.  Shake bag again and pour into a large container. Serve in paper baggies that kids can decorate.

PUMPKIN RECIPES

Yummy Pumpkin Dip

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 large 30-ounce can of pumpkin
4 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons ginger

Whip together and serve in hollowed out small pumpkin. Serve on a plate covered with black licorice “worms” or any Halloween-ish candy such as candy corn. On the side place ginger snaps for dipping. Toasted Treats

pumpkins seeds
shredded coconut
slivered almonds

Rinse the pumpkin seeds and remove all pumpkin. Dry on paper towels. Spread pumpkin seeds, slivered almonds, and coconut onto a shallow baking pan.

Bake at 350F degrees for 5 to 10 minutes until golden.

Easy Pumpkin Cheesecake

1 9-ounce Graham cracker pie crust
2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 16-ounce can of pumpkin
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger

Bake crust for 5 minutes in a 350F degree oven then set aside.

Mix together in a large bowl cream cheese, sugar, and eggs. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, and ginger and mix until blended. Pour pumpkin mixture over pie crust.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 350F degrees. Let cool and refrigerate overnight. Plop a dollop of whipped cream on top of each slice and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Pumpkin Bread

3 cups sugar
1 cup oil
3 eggs
2 cups pumpkin
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon allspice
1 cup pecans, chopped

Mix together sugar, oil, eggs, pumpkin, and vanilla in a large bowl. Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl, add to pumpkin mixture, and stir well. Then add nuts. Bake in 2 loaf pans or coffee cans in a 350F degree oven for 1 hour 10 minutes.

This bread is always a hit!

Pumpkin Ice Cream

1 gallon vanilla ice cream
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

Icing:
6 cups whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6-7 drops red food coloring
5-6 drops yellow food coloring
1/2 banana
chocolate syrup

Prepare this recipe the night before the party. Chill two 1/2 gallon freezer bags. Than put each freezer bag in a bowl. Let the ice cream soften a little, then scoop half the ice cream into each freezer bag and sprinkle pumpkin pie spice on top of ice cream. Freeze overnight. Chill a large bowl and beat together whipping cream, sugar, vanilla, and food coloring to make a pumpkiny orange color. Refrigerate icing.

The next day remove ice cream from bags and place on a clean surface. Form into a pumpkin shape. Place it on a cookie sheet. Spread the orange icing around the ice cream. Use a spatula to make the pumpkin ridges. For the stem, take half a banana, dip it in chocolate syrup, and stick on top of the pumpkin.

Put the ice cream pumpkin in the freezer until ready to serve. Then transfer it to a serving tray. You can make jack-o-lantern eyes, nose, and mouth out of Halloween candies, too. Serve with chocolate syrup.

APPLE RECIPES

Apples are an important part of the Halloween festivities. Try this healthy apple on a stick recipe in place of caramel apples.

Healthy Apples on a Stick 12 apples (plus 12 popsicle sticks) peanut butter raisins dried cranberries shredded coconut Rinse apples, pat dry, and remove apple stems and insert a popsicle stick into stem of each apple. Cover apples by spreading peanut butter. Roll in raisins, dried cranberries, and shredded coconut. But, hey, if you love caramel apples, try this caramel apple recipe…

Caramel Apples

12 apples (plus 12 popsicle sticks)
4 14-ounce packages of caramels
8 tablespoons heavy cream crushed nuts

Rinse apples, pat dry, and remove apple stems and insert a popsicle stick into stem of each apple. Combine the cream and caramels in a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir constantly until caramel is melted and smooth.  Dip the apples into the caramel until completely covered. Let the extra caramel drip back into the saucepan.   Roll in crushed nuts. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.   Place apples upside down on waxed paper and refrigerate.

Maple Baked Apples

6 apples
6 tablespoons brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter

Maple Sauce:
1/2 cup apple cider
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Rinse apples and pat dry.  Core apples (remove the seeds) without piercing the bottom. Peel upper half of apples and place in a baking dish.  Drop a spoonful of brown sugar in each apple.  In sauce pan, dissolve cornstarch in cool cider.  Add lemon juice, maple syrup, brown sugar, and spices.  Stir well over medium heat until thickened.  Fill each apple with the maple sauce, then top apples with 1 tablespoon of butter each.  Pour 1/2 cup water in baking dish and bake for 1 hour in a 375F degree oven.  Top with raisins or chopped nuts.

Serve hot with vanilla ice cream on the side. You can also pour the remaining maple sauce over the ice cream or sprinkle ice cream with cinnamon.

HALLOWEEN DRINK RECIPES

Orange Punch

1 gallon orange juice
1 liter ginger ale
1/2 gallon orange sherbert

Mix together orange juice and ginger ale. Scoop sherbert and add to punch.

Green Ghoul Punch

1/2 gallon limeade
1 liter ginger ale
1/2 gallon lime sherbert

Mix together juice and ginger ale. Scoop sherbert and add to punch. Add marshmallows and maraschino cherries to float in punch.

Easy Apple Cider

1 gallon apple cider  
4 cinnamon sticks  
16 cloves  
1/4 cup sugar

Mix together and boil for 10 minutes, then remove cinnamon sticks and cloves. Serve in a black cauldron.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jeff_Layer http://EzineArticles.com/?Quick-And-Simple-Halloween-Recipes&id=774223

Tags: apple recipes, baking soda, bat wings, blood and guts, brown rice syrup, caramel apples, caramel corn, chicken wings, cinnamon, corn 3, cup brown sugar, cup corn syrup, cup honey, cup soy sauce, drink recipes, elbow macaroni, halloween, halloween recipes, jar spaghetti sauce, macrobiotic alternatives, ounce packages, popping corn, pumpkin recipes, spanish olives, spinach pasta, spooky food, teaspoon ginger, wooden spoon

Check out the new episode of the KeramCast.com by Taste Odyssey author Keram Malicki-Sanchez where he discusses the Raw Food diet vs. Macrobiotic, blender vs. juicer, the major problem with Corn in America, how much water a person really should drink and how to eat healthy when you are stuck in a tour van in Nevada.

Tags: all-in-one facial product, blender, corn, keram malicki sanchez, Macrobiotic, malicki, moisturizer, odyssey, omnivore's dilemma, raw food diet, type 2 corn

Pumpkin Marmalade
Author: Diana Griffiths

This wonderfully golden Marmalade is a real treat on scones or used as a tart filling.

* 1.5kg Pumpkin
* 1 litre water
* 2 oranges, thinly sliced into semi circles
* 3 lemons, thinly sliced into semi circles
* 100g fresh ginger root, finely shredded
* 1 kg granulated or preserving sugar

Peel the pumpkin and remove all the seeds and fibers. Grate coarsely, trying to keep the strands as long as possible. Put the pumpkin in a preserving pan and add the water, oranges, lemons and ginger. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 30 minutes until the citrus peel is tender.

Add the sugar and stir until dissolved. Bring back to the boil and cook over a medium heat for a further 30 minutes, by which stage the mixture should have thickened. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the fruit to settle for a few minutes. Pour into sterilized jars and seal. This recipe has a shelf life of about 2 years.

Salamander Cookshop Blog – Our cookshop blog features regular articles and recipes for you to try. Each article gives helpful tips, from choosing the right frying pan, to selecting essential cookware for your kitchen. We are also building a selection of recipes, including fish and meat dishes, stews and desserts. Feel free to leave a comment or get in touch. Also take a look at our favorite sites.

Previously published on the Salamander Cookshop Blog. Author: Diana Griffiths – We will be publishing lots more articles and recipes soon – including sweet, savory and snacks.

Tags: article source, autumn recipes, blog features, citrus peel, cookshop, frying pan, ginger root, grate, helpful tips, marmalade, meat dishes, medium heat, oranges lemons, preserving pan, preserving sugar, pumpkin, salamander, savoury, scones, shelf life, stews