Homemade Cultured Colostrum Butter

Finally! I did it... I made butter!

It was so easy…

tastes so delicious…

looks so golden…

feels so creamy...

I can’t believe I actually made butter!

Now I am hooked on making my own butter. I probably won't be able to make it all the time, but when I do have the opportunity… I’ll for sure do it again, again and again!

sound bite:

Since man began to make and use butter, he made it from ripened matured cream — sour cream. A change to unsoured or sweet cream butter came only during the 1940's. The reasons for the change were purely technical. Machines work most economically and profitably when they run permanently. Buttering machines were constructed that transformed sweet cream endlessly into butter. Sour cream at this time resisted this process. You had to fill the churn with one batch of sour cream, finish buttering, clean the churn and start again. Thus, for purely technical reasons, people became used to sweet cream butter. -The Case For Butter

What motivated me to finally do it? Well, I have to give 90% of the credit to my good friend, Diana. She made her first batch and posted it on her blog. The 10% I give to the family who gave me a 1/2 gallon bottle of fresh cow colostrum for free! I’ve known for a long time that making butter has gotten much easier to make in our modern world, but I was afraid to go for it. Muchas gracias Diana for the motivation!

sound bite:

Colostrum is the first milk of mammals. Like human colostrum, colostrum from cows is rich in immune factors, antimicrobial fatty acids, vitamins and minerals--all necessary to protect the calf from infection and insure adequate growth during infancy. Colostrum has a long history of use in the practice of medicine, especially in Ayurvedic medicine, and has been successfully used to treat a host of chronic diseases including allergies, autoimmune diseases, respiratory ailments, digestive disorders, diabetes, osteoporosis, heart disease, gout and depression. In fact, colostrum is said to be the perfect anti-aging food and has been used in expensive spas for years. -Wise Traditions

I let my cream mature for a week on my counter in a mason jar covered with a paper towel (you can use a cloth napkin). By the end of the week the cream was thicker and had a wonderful cheesy smell. I stored it in the fridge overnight before making the butter. I did two batches because I had over a quart of colostrum/cream and had a liquid limit line on my food processor.

I place my cultured cream in the food processor fitted with a steel blade and process till butter forms. It took about 15-20 minutes, but be careful not to let it go too long or it will all melt and turn into a creamy glop.



Then I strained it to separate the buttermilk and butter. Save the buttermilk in a glass jar… it makes a killer dessert.


Transfer the butter to a bowl and press out the buttermilk with a spoon (save the buttermilk). Wash the butter by adding a little water and pressing some more. By this time I put the butter in the fridge because it was getting too soft. After I let it harden up a little, I finished washing the butter till the water stayed clear. I added Celtic Sea Salt (about 1/2 tsp.) and mix it in.

Form butter into a ball, pull it out of the bowl and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the butter in a crock or container (butter may be frozen for long-term storage).

sound bite:

Why Is Butter Better?

It protects against us against heart disease, cancer, arthritis& osteoporosis. It strengthens our immune system, thyroid gland and gastrointestinal health. It ensures healthy growth and development for children. Provides quick energy and weight loss.

Butter is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, CLA, glycospingolipids and cholesterol…What?! Cholesterol is an anti-oxidant?! Yes, indeed cholesterol is a potent anti-oxidant that is flooded into the blood when we take in too many harmful free-radicals, usually from damaged and rancid fats in margarine and highly processed vegetable oils.3 A Medical Research Council survey showed that men eating butter ran half the risk of developing heart disease as those using margarine.

-Why Butter Is Better & Butter Is Better

Let me know if you decided to take on the challenge of making butter!

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Soaking Grains... Why?

Soaking whole wheat flour for pancakes

I want to take the time to explain a nourishing practice that I consider important to our health. Many recipes that I am planning to share with you in the near future will call for “soaking” of whole grains and flours. Read on and enjoy the benefits of adding this practice to your daily diet.


Why Soak Whole Grains

We all know that whole grain food have many nutritional advantages compare to refined flours. Whole grains retain vitamins, minerals, and fiber that are very important to our health.

Unfortunely, in all whole grains there are enzyme inhibitors that interferes with digestion and other natural substances that blocks you from absorbing all of those important minerals and vitamins.

Grains require careful preparation because they contain a number of antinutrients that can cause serious health problems. Phytic acid, for example, is an organic acid in which phosphorus is bound. It is mostly found in the bran or outer hull of seeds. Untreated phytic acid can combine with calcium, magnesium, copper, iron and especially zinc in the intestinal tract and block their absorption. This is why a diet high in improperly prepared whole grains may lead to serious mineral deficiencies and bone loss. The modern misguided practice of consuming large amounts of unprocessed bran often improves colon transit time at first but may lead to irritable bowel syndrome and, in the long term, many other adverse effects.

Other antinutrients in whole grains include enzyme inhibitors which can inhibit digestion and put stress on the pancreas; irritating tannins; complex sugars which the body cannot break down; and gluten and related hard-to-digest proteins which may cause allergies, digestive disorders and even mental illness.

-Be Kind To Your Grains

BUT…thankfully, there is a solution!

Traditional societies usually soak or ferment their grains before eating them, processes that neutralize phytates and enzyme inhibitors and in effect, predigest grains so that all their nutrients are more available. Sprouting, overnight soaking, and old-fashioned sour leavening can accomplish this important predigestive process in our own kitchens. Many people who are allergic to grains will tolerate them well when they are prepared according to these procedures. Nourishing Traditions… By Sally Fallon

So, for all those who have digestive troubles when eating whole grains, this could be part of the answer for you. For the rest of us, it will help make sure we don’t develop digestive issues and insure that we are able to fully absorb all of those vitamins and minerals we can get in our whole grains!


How To Soak The Grains

It’s quite simple.

The first thing to do for preparation is to soak the whole grain flour in an acid medium and liquid. Basically, soak all the flour with the liquid ingredients and add 1 Tbsp of an acid medium per cup of liquid called for in the recipe.

Acid mediums (dairy acid mediums must be cultured):

-cultured buttermilk

-kefir

-cultured yogurt

-whey

-lemon juice

-vinegar

Brown rice, buckwheat and millet:

low phytate content and only need to be soaked for 7 hours.

Whole wheat, spelt, oats, kamut and others:

higher levels of phytate content and should be soaked for 12-24 hour.

Oats are said to be the highest and therefore best soaked for 24 hours.

Second, leave your grains to soak at room temperature on your counter or in your oven (I do that to keep bugs out…we’ve got lots of ‘em here). Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a plate to prevent drying (especially when making dough).

Third, after you’ve soaked the grains… add the remaining ingredients and proceed with the recipe.

Like I said… it’s quite simple. These are the basic guidelines and I have personally found that it not much more work to add this step. Just need to think ahead. It is definitely worth it for our family’s health.

A great bonus I’ve found in soaking grains is how the liquids absorbs and expands the grains… making a larger quantity in the end. This is especially true when I soak our oatmeal. It increases the quantity, more satisfying and very filling as well. I love how it really helps the food budget because we eat less and gain more nutrients in the process.

To wrap this up… soaked whole grains, overall, are much more satisfying and fill you up longer than processed flours or unsoaked grains. More nutrients being taken in and less money being spend! Sounds good to me!

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Pomegranate Ice Cream

After a crazy weekend of completing our residency process, making cultured colostrum butter, cooking up yummy food (will post them later) and spending wonderful time with my family... I am finally able to sit down, do some much needed writing and share a recipe with you all.

So, it is official! We are residents of Costa Rica. It is amazing that we were able to finish the process in less than a year. God is great! Please read about our day on our RO4Y blog.

After we were done with all that... we went to one of the few Asian markets in downtown San Jose. I had a list of specific things I was hoping to find:

Dried anchovies

Coconut sugar

Coconut milk/cream

Now, you are probably thinking "Dried anchovies?! Why?!" Well, I read a post by The Nourishing Gourmet and was motivated to try it. I am always on the lookout for new snack ideas for us, especially for Naomi. Well, I couldn't find anchovies... BUT I was able to find the next option: Sardines. Looks pretty appetizing, huh?

I went ahead and got them because I recently read an article posted by Sustainable Table on my Facebook. I learned that Sardines are making a sustainable comeback. They are very healthy (full of omega 3s and contains less mercury), environmentally fished and much better for the earth than eating a huge chunk of tuna or swordfish.

Sound bite:

Eating smaller fish also offers health benefits. Because sardines eat mostly plants, they do not accumulate high levels of mercury or PCBs the way larger, carnivorous fish such as tuna or salmon do. Sardines also live shorter lives: six years vs. about 10 for tuna, meaning less time in the ocean to absorb hazardous toxins. Those factors, say the Sardinistas, plus high levels of protein and omega-3s, make sardines an excellent option for pregnant women, children and eco-conscious college students on a budget. -Jane Black / The Washington Post

I also checked and saw that the sardines were dried and packaged in Japan. Which is a good thing because they have better food standards then China. So, I'll let you know how it goes with the family :o)

Next on the list: Coconut sugar

I was hoping so hard that I would be able to find some, but no luck. The staff there had never even heard of it. Sadly, I'll have to wait till I go to the states in July and look in the Asian stores near where I used to live.

Last on the list: Coconut milk/cream

I love coconut products! I wanted to stock up and was excited to find a overstock sale on the brand I liked. A big box of fresh coconut milk (with NO preservatives or flavorings) for about $3.00... I bought 6 boxes! I am planning to make some Thai curries, ice cream and have fun ideas to try.

So, after picking up all these... I decided to wandering around a little and explore. I wanted to find something unusual and found: Pomegranate Molasses! I instantly had the idea to make ice cream with it, which is what I did after we got home. It was so yummy! It gave my mouth a wonderful sweet, sour tingle. I wish I could find fresh pomegranates in Costa Rica to beautify the ice cream with berries, but this is good enough.

Pomegranate Ice Cream

By Marillyn Beard

• 3 cups fresh whole milk or cream
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 Tbsp. arrowroot powder
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla
• 4-6 Tbsp. raw honey
• 1/2 cup pomegranate molasses

Put all the ingredients in your blender and give it a whirl for a minute. Pour into *ice cream maker and follow your maker's instructions. When done, scoop it out into bowls, drizzle honey over it and garnish with fresh pomegranate berries. Store the rest in a plastic container in your freezer.

*This recipe is for a 1 1/2 quart size ice cream maker.

NOTE: If you DON'T have a ice cream machine maker, just pour into a plastic container and put in freezer. Once frozen, you can put it back in your blender, let it thaw a little and cream it up.

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Soap Nuts Giveaway!

I have been wanting to try these soap nuts for a while now and I am excited to share with you a giveaway being done by Passionate Homemaking!

Here's a sound bite from Passionate Homemaking -

Soap Nuts are an incredible green/natural product that continues to fascinate me the more I learn. God supplied us with a fruit from His creation that cleans our laundry with no additives! It grows on trees! Just a simple dried nut placed in a small bag and thrown into your laundry! I am in awe of how He beautifully supplies all we need without any harsh chemicals.

Soap Nuts clean effectively without the addition of softeners. 100% natural, chemical-free, frangrance-free, biodegradable and hypoallergenic. Extremely low cost per load! I love how you can convert these soap nuts into a liquid detergent or a powder detergent or just use as they are - whatever method you prefer. Soap Nuts are definitely the most natural and frugal laundry detergent option on the market!

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Breastfeeding/Enzymes/Food

I recently came across this and thought it would be good to add on to what I shared recently about why I am choosing to breastfeed exclusively for a year. Hope this will be helpful for those of you who are considering going in this direction.

KEEPING DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS AT BAY

taken from Take Charge of Your Child's Health pp.123,124 by George Wootan, M.D.

Another good reason to keep your baby on a diet of breastmilk alone is that a baby's intestinal tract is not fully developed until several months after birth, perhaps as late as 18 to 24 months. Digestion is a complicated breakdown process that begins in the mouth when food is mixed with saliva, and continues throughout the digestive tract, with the stomach, pancreas, liver, and intestines all playing a unique role. Various enzymes are involved in each stage of digestion, speeding up the breakdown of food and converting it into a form that can be utilized by the body. Some of these enzymes are present only in very low levels or are entirely missing from the infant digestive system.

One of these enzymes is amylase, which plays a key role in the digestion of carbohydrates. The common suggestion for a baby's first food is cereal or fruit, both carbohydrates. However, amylase is present at just 10% of adult levels in an infant's small intestines, and is virtually nonexistant in the pancreas until at least six months of age. Ptyalin, an enzyme in saliva that breaks down carbohydrates, does not appear until around 12 months of age. When carbohydrates are introduced into a baby's diet too early, he may be unable to digest them completely. The result can be poor nutrition due to failure to absorb the nutrients in the food, and possibly diarrhea.

This lack of enzymes presents no problem to the breast-fed baby, since human milk contains more than 20 enzymes that become active in the stomach so that the milk is easily digested. One of the most important enzymes contained in breast milk is lipase, which helps to break down fats, from which 40 to 50% of the energy in both human milk and formula is derived. Not only is formula completely lacking in lipase, but at least one researcher has suggested that 'these compensatory, or complementary, mechanisms for fat utilization...are less effective when cow's milk fat or other fats are introduced into the diet'--so that the baby who is fed supplementary formula may have more trouble digesting even breast milk than if he were on a diet of breastmilk alone.

Some lipase is produced at the back of the infant's tongue as he nurses. You may have noticed the 'milking' action that's made with the back of the tongue as an infant sucks. It seems probable that this action helps to stimulate lipase secretion and to mix the lipase with the milk to begin digestion. Since drawing milk from a bottle involves just sucking, this effect is eliminated if a baby is bottle-fed.

Because formula contains no enzymes, the bottle-fed baby is more prone to digestive problems. Protein molecules, which may cross the underdeveloped intestinal lining before they have been completely broken down, can be particularly troublesome. These molecules can then act as antigens, causing an allergic reaction. Digestive problems are often compounded when modified food starch, a common ingredient in commercial baby foods, is added to the diet. Modified food starch, usually derived from corn or tapioca, has an even lower level of digestibility than othehr carbohydrates. In order for modified food starch to be effective, it must make up approximately five percent of the product. While this may not sound like much, at this level it contributes about 32% of the food's total calories.

My recommendation regarding solid foods before one year is to start with protiens rather than carbohydrates and to introduce them no earlier than at eight months of age, but preferably not until one year. Hydrochloric acid, which helps digest protein, begins to appear in the stomach around the seventh or eighth month of life.

It would seem, therefore, that the body would first be ready to digest proteins (at eight months) and then carbohydrates (at one year). By holding off on introducing any solid foods (or formula) until the age of one year, you can be certain that the digestive tract is sufficiently developed to be able to handle the foods you put into it. Remember, too, that breast milk contains everything your baby needs to thrive and be healthy for at least the first year of life, probably for the first two. There's really no reason to feed him anything else, and there are several good reasons not to.

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Fudgy Rich Black Bean Brownies

I came across this recipe from Mothering.com and was instantly curious. Black beans? No flour? No sugar? These are actually HEALTHY, GUILT-FREE brownies that would I feed to my daughter without any reservation. But I wanted to see who else had good experience with these "beany" brownies before I tried it. I googled around and found a good recipe in 101 Cookbooks, but I made a few changes to fit what I had in my kitchen.

I made the brownies for Wednesday Bible Study and only told my hubby what I was making. He LOVES chocolate (especially brownies) and was looking forward to trying it out, even though it sounded quirky. So, when the time came to pass out the brownies... I could barely contain myself. I tried some earlier and could not believe how delicious it was. After they all tasted it and started raving on the texture and rich taste... I told them.

Wow, the looks on their faces was PRICELESS! They could not believe that something so yummy, rich and moist could have black beans in it without the "beany" taste. The amazing texture and moisture is actually from the pureed beans. If I had time I would've made a mint sauce or homemade vanilla ice cream to go with it. I had to keep some of the brownie away from my hubby because he couldn't stop eating it. Obviously, I will have to make it again soon :o)

For BEST results: Put brownies in refrigerator for several hours or preferably overnight. The flavors improve when cold and it will sliced better. You can used natural coffee substitute, but if you can't find any or have gluten-sensitivities... instant coffee works great.

Fudgy Rich Black Bean Brownies

• 2 cups black beans, well drained (15 oz canned is fine)
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 4 large eggs
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp. instant grain coffee substitute
• 1/4 tsp. sea salt
• 1 cup honey
• 1/2 cup melted butter, coconut oil or combination
• 1 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, almonds or nut of your choice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Oil or butter an 8x8 baking dish or cake pan (if you want it thick like mine) OR 11 by 18 inch baking pan (if you want it thinner).

Combine the black beans, cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla, instant coffee, sea salt and honey into the Vita-Mix. Blend till smooth, the batter should be thick and will be kinda soupy.

Pour mixture into a bowl. Add butter/coconut oil and nuts. Mix well and pour into prepared dish or pan. Bake 30-45 minutes, or until the brownies are set. If you press your finger in the middle, it should make a little dent. Don't overbake!

Let it cool (and preferably refrigerated) in the pan completely before cutting and serving.

NOTE: I did not do this, but you can line your baking pan with parchment paper and lightly oil it for ease of use.

OPTIONAL: If you love the rich flavor and want to make it even more richer: add 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips.

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The Chicken Fiasco

Fuego, my rooster

Well, yesterday I finally let the chickens out!  Fuego and Moka had been in the coop for two weeks and the three red-egg layers (Dolly, Molly and Polly) were in the coop for a week. At first they didn’t know what to do when I opened their door, but with some worms hanging in front of their faces… they all flew, jumped and scrambled out of the coop.  Naomi and I gave them fresh earthworms that we dug up and Naomi tried to pick up a few of the girls. Even though we got them older… they were very comfortable around us. They were so excited to be outside that they ran around like crazy trying to eat everything at once… greens, bugs and dirt. They obviously were starved for some serious free-ranged food.  If you look closely (click on pictures for bigger size) at some of the pictures you can see the worms hanging out of their beaks.

  

Dolly, Molly and Polly

Everything was going smoothly and Lina, our dog, was tied up so that Fuego and the girls can have some time to explore the land.  Naomi and I stayed out with them for over an hour to make sure they were doing okay.  Then I decided it was time to go inside, eat and finish up with laundry.

Then, 30 minutes later my nightmare happened.

I looked out my kitchen window to check on Lina to make sure she was still there, but she was nowhere to be found. She chewed through the rope and chased the three red-egg layers while we were in the house. I found her with one of the girls gasping to death, I was sick and horrified. Of course, I had to fine the others… Fuego and Moka were doing fine, but two of the other girls were missing. Finally we found one wandering around in shock. I was able to put her with the others, but we weren’t able to find the other one. Polly is the one that died, Molly was founded and Dolly is missing.  Later today I found out for sure what happened to Dolly… Lina must’ve gotten her first… hid her, and then went after the others and got Polly. How I know that? Lina was dragging around some guts today (we put Polly in a bag and out of reach, so we know it isn’t her).

Anyway, I am so mad and upset at our dog, Lina. We are seriously considering giving her back to the gal we got her from. We’ve been praying and talking about that for the last couple weeks. Yesterday just added one more HUGE reason to give her back. My good Tica friend told me that there was a saying in Costa Rica… “Once the dog tastes the egg, burning the mouth won’t even stop it from getting more.” I remember my dad telling me about tying the dead chicken to the dog for a couple days will stop them from killing more. I was able to confirm that with him and another friend who has done it with good success.  We are considering doing that as we kept the body that I found.

Thankfully I was able to get Lina before she killed all of them and I’m sure she would have. Later, I was trying to get Fuego and the girls back in the coop. It was almost dark, but they weren’t going anywhere near the coop. Thankfully, after a scary moment thinking they were gone, I found them huddling next to the storage shed and was able to put them in the coop. I learned from that experience that chickens don’t have good sense or see very well at night. So, that made it VERY easy for me to pick them up (no fighting or running away) and put them back in the coop. So, yesterday ended terribly…

BUT…

Today started great! My special egg-warmer hen, Moka, laid her first egg this morning! I cleaned out the coop yesterday and laid some fresh hay in the laying boxes. I decided to also put some in the other side of the coop, in the corner, thinking they might like something to peck at. Well, this morning I discovered that Moka made what looked like a deep nest with the hay, but didn’t see anything till I pulled back some of the hay… my first egg!

I am so excited and now hoping that we will have some chicks in a few months. My good Tica friend, Shirley, gave me some advises from her friend (who we bought Fuego and Moka from) on how to sort out the eggs for Moka to lay on. I would like to have her lay on some blue and red eggs along with her own once she starts warming them. That way we can hopefully get our red-egg layers back and have some blue-egg layers for some fun variety. Looking forward to that, but hoping I won’t see any more chickens (or chicks) killed by my merciless dog.

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