Blog Posts

King's Cupboard Brings Back the Old World Richness of Organic Caramel and Hot Fudge Sauces Without the Work

3/25/2015

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There should be a warning label on this product for love at first taste.
If you already have a weak spot for "Hot Fudge or Caramel Sauce," you will fall hard for King's Cupboard. The flavor comes from quality ingredients true to the simple richness of old world recipes blended to a sweet creaminess not easily forgotten. You've been warned. This level of taste for just opening a jar adds to the pleasure.

This is what happens after you open a jar of King's Cupboard Hot Fudge Sauce, you find reasons to come up with new ways to use it like for a holiday recipe. If you have NadaMoo "Lotta Mint Chip" in the freezer, and it's St. Patrick's Day, you can't help but get ideas on how perfect the creamy green mint iced coconut cream and warm fudge would go together. Don't really use the microwave, but put that fudge sauce in for 15 sec on high and got just the right heat to pour over the NadaMoo.

It is half vegan and all organic. Every bite as delicious as you might think. Sometimes compromise can be good.

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Chocolate and Vanilla Candy Cane Cookies

12/21/2014

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Make this easy recipe as a quick cookie that most anyone will love. Since it requires the use of play dough skills be sure and invite all the kids in the house to help with the rolling and shaping of the dough to create the candy cane cookies. Sound like fun? You can make a lot of small or big cookies. May need just 1/2 the recipe, or you can freeze half the dough for later unless lots of cookie monsters to feed. Cookies store well too.

Make the Dough First

Choose how to mixing tool:
Food Processor
Bowl with Hand Mixer
Deluxe Mixer
By Hand

We used a food processor that worked great on the dough until we added cocoa powder which made it get thicker so had to finish mixing my hand to avoid burning out the motor.

Much harder by hand and takes awhile that way but you will get there.

Start by thoroughly mixing everything but the flour and salt. It is only after these are completely mixed do you start to add the flour and salt. Keep adding the flour until it disappears and then add more about a half cup at a time.

Split dough equally in half and then mix the cocoa and extra butter or shortening starting with the extra fat before powder.

Better to first add one more tablespoon of butter or shortening before adding the cocoa powder and allow it to mix in so will not get as thick from the cocoa powder.

If you use melted chocolate you may have to add more dry ingredients or nothing at all.

Goal is for both vanilla and chocolate dough to have the same consistency.

You want enough flour so that the dough does not stick to surface, but not too much so it cracks and will not stay together so needs to stay pliable like play dough. Will be very dry cookie after it is cooked if too much flour is added.

Ingredients for dough:
1/2 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Shortening
1 Cup Powdered Sugar
1 Egg
2 teaspoons vanilla (imitation not recommended)
1 teaspoon Peppermint Oil (optional)
2 1/2 Cups Flour or 2 Cups Flour and 1/2 Cup Almond Flour
1 teaspoon Salt (Real Salt or sea salt. Morton has GMOs and processed)

For Chocolate Dough:
After dividing dough in half, mix one half of dough with a 1/4 Cup of melted chocolate or 1/8 Cup of cocoa and one tablespoon butter or shortening.

How to make the Candy Cane Dust
3/4 Cup Candy Cane dust and chunks (Trujoy only organic choice).
1/4 Cup Sugar

It might be easier to just try and roll out small amounts of dough at a time. You can make all the cookies the same size or make many sizes. There's no right or wrong way. Roll the chocolate and vanilla separate, and then put them together and start to twist the dough and form the candy cane.

Flatten each end of the candy cane and then flatten the top so that the candy cane sprinkles will stay in place when you add them later. You may want to make sure after flattening that the cookie is not stuck to the pan. Play with the dough to get the desired shape as may take a little work.

Make sure the oven is preheated to 375 degrees and don't over cook. Took mine out right before turned brown or around 9-11 minutes. Bigger cookies will take a little longer to cook than the smaller ones so be careful not to burn.

Next time will try and put on the candy cane sprinkles half way through cooking and see it they will stick to the cookie better. Here we put them on as soon as we took the cookies done out of the oven so can do that too.

Get to know Trujoy Organic Candy Company

You won't find GMOs, High Frutose Corn Syrup (HFCS), GMO Sugar Beet Sugar, Chemicals, Artificial Flavors or Colors, but instead a safe and delicious alternative to other popular candies such as Starbursts. The flavor is perfect and new Choco Chews are also very satisfying.

Go here to find more companies like Trujoy!

CHOOSE YOUR COOKIE FAT WISELY

Organic Butter over conventional butter and shortenings is ALWAYS a better substitute for good Omega 3 fats, Vitamin D, flavor and texture. A combination of butter and shortening can also work well.

Organic, Organic Grassfed, and Organic Raw Grassfed butter all add good fats and flavor to cookies.
Our favorite brands.

Spectrum is part of Hain, a corporation that has a history of buying out successful organic companies. Many begin as family start ups. Organic selections downsized after Hain takes ownership.

Spectrum is made from palm oil. Large corporations have NOT harvested sustainably so years later much has been lost and now gone or endangered. Arrowhead Mills was also purchased by Hain Celestial Group and makes organic bulk grain and flour products used in cookies.

Bob's Red Mill is a product choice you can feel good about when baking products are needed. Bob's Red Mill should not be confused with Arrowhead Mills, a Hain Celestial owned company and one of the biggest food corporations in the country. Bob's Red Mill owner Bob Moore transferred ownership of the company to employees in year 2010 so profit paid to employees, not stockholders.

Choose mindfully when you buy. Our collective dollars are what keeps the corporate machine going, stop or change it.

Giving our dollars to local, family and ethical businesses that are doing things right now, not after forced to do keeps consumers one up. Being a smart consumer not only protects your health now but in the future by keeping diversity.

Corporate control has already turned the organic switch off companies once they own it so willing to change any product from organic to non organic no matter it was always that way or not because all about increasing profit margin and cheaper ingredients, same volume, gets you there fast, and many times it takes awhile for consumers to notice the change.

In the end te consumer ends up with less organic choices and organic farmers lose business.

In the end consumers lose the power of choice.

Nutiva is a company worth supporting and has given back to campaigns to improve food label transparency. Nutiva puts sustainability and quality organic ingredients first. They specialize in coconut products. There are special fats in coconut that are also showing promise for providing our brains and other parts of our bodies with the the nutrients they need to stay healthy. It is always a good idea to fit coconut and coconut oil in when possible and your health will benefit.

Coconut oil does not give you as much moisture in baking so may create a "dryer" product so be careful to not add too much flour if this is a fat you choose.

Why the fat you choose is so important:
Since this is a basic cookie recipe, the fat source is a big part of the texture, flavor, and calories for the cookie. Pick calories that bring nutrition too.

Fat is an essential nutrient if you pick the right ones. Otherwise "bad fats" can do more harm than good, like trans fats for example.

We encourage you to try different combinations. Luckily there are more choices that ever especially if you are a vegan or trying to reduce you total animal intake.

You can try making your cookies 100% from one fat, a 50/50 combination, or your own balance of different fat sources.

Most important is to keep it real, organic, and from a sustainable local source when possible. The oils we eat in the USA is a global issue where choices we make here can impact endangered species of plants and animals in other countries, and the livelihood of the local people that live there.

By choosing sustainable oil sources we can not only make the world a better place for all, but improve our own health. There are many traps to fall into when choosing an oil such as trans fats, GMOs, rancidity, fraud, and low Omega 3s. It is important to have a balance and choose the best sources. You can have too many of the wrong kind of fat sources and not enough of the good kind! Keep it Real and organic.

Decorating Christmas Cookies Ideas

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Turn Dried Up Pomegranates Into Delicious Juice Cocktail

12/14/2014

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Turn Dried Up Pomegranates Into Delicious Juice Cocktail

Don't throw out dried pomegranates since they can still contain juice that can be easily extracted.

Most important is to BE CAREFUL WHEN YOU CUT THEM. The outside can be as tough as leather and you don't want to lose a finger. We use this technique, but can still be dangerous so BE CAREFUL!

This juicer has lasted about 25 years and juiced lots of fruit. It's electric and speeds up the juicing process. You can use a manual one as well, but can get one of these for about $20 so might be worth it. Did not want to even think about trying to get the seeds out, and no need with this juicing method.

Pomegrante Juice!

Had some organic oranges from a 100 year old tree in my neighbors backyard who lets me come and pick them (would be wasted otherwise) so juiced those also and made a couple of VIRGIN cocktails. If you want a real Organic TEQUILA SUNRISE we would like to suggest a couple of favorite tequila brands below.

POMEGRANATE SUNRISE
Make it a virgin or add
organic tequila or vodka.

Organic Tequila

Green Bar Distillery makes an entire
line of premium Organic Spirits!
Visit their website here.

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Naked Buns Organic Chili Dog

12/14/2014

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INGREDIENTS

Naked Buns Organic Chili Dog

All the flavor without the buns.

Super easy and fast to make.

Cut up peppers and onion. Can add extra onions and even garlic if you want to pump up the sulfur power in the chili if you like. Can just put all ingredients including the peas and corn in the pan with the can of Amy's Chili Spicy or Mild, stir, and cook until hot, or you can saute the onions and peppers in a little olive oil until just turning golden color and then add the rest of the ingredients.

Add more flavor with spices. What I like to add to pump up the flavor, especially when adding lots of vegetables. Choose organic if you want spices with the most flavor and active ingredients that could also prevent chronic disease. Conventional spices are irradiated (exposed to radiation) and many have the oils removed to extend shelf life and that is where most of the flavor and special nutritional powers are located.

Real Salt
Paprika
Cheyenne Pepper (hot)
Cumin
Turmeric (helps prevent cancer)
Chili Powder
Black Pepper

Recommend choosing frozen veggies over canned ones whenever possible to avoid BPA contamination. Companies like Natural Value and Eden have been very good for reducing BPA in canned products.

You can cook your Applegate hot dogs on the grill, in a pan of boiling water, or my method is the toaster oven as like how it cooks the outside of the hot dog and the end flavor. Try them all.

To put it all together, just take a couple of romaine lettuce leaves on plate, hot dog, chili, fresh onions, cheese.

Can pick up and eat with your hands, or pre cut so can eat with a fork.

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Key Lime Avocado Pudding

11/21/2013

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Key Lime Avocado Pudding or...Lime Avocado Cheesecake

You are going to love the taste of this cheesecake pudding! If you love lime, the creaminess of cheesecake, and the nutrition you get from avocados, you will want to make this a go to for satisfying those sweet tooth urges.

Easy to make. Can mix it all together in a food processor or blender and spoon it right from there into dessert dishes.

Organic ingredients:

1 package creme cheese (our favorite is Organic Valley)
1 large avocado (or two small ones)
1/2 can Santani Organic Sweetened Condensed Milk
3 large limes juiced (about 1/2 cup of lime juice)
Zest from two of the limes (could add more if you like it)
2 T Raw honey or agave for smooth texture
2 T Fiber Plus Three Salba Chia seeds

Put all ingredients in the food processor. Best to cut creme cheese into chunks so it mixes easier. Just keep mixing until it is smooth, fluffy and creamy.

This is enough for four servings. Spoon into dessert dishes and garnish with crushed nuts or pomegrante seeds. The pomegrante seeds tasted so good with the lime cheesecake pudding that we just kept adding more and more.

The Fiber Plus Three Salba Chia seeds not only give the perfect thickness and consistency without changing the flavor, but pump up the fiber so that the sugar in the ingredients does not raise your blood sugar which can help prevent fat storage. Fiber Plus Three expands 16X it's size, so has super fiber properties. Also adds Omega 3s to your dessert. What a bargain, flavor, fiber, and Omega 3s!

Real Food Ingredients

Organic Valley is always our first choice for creme cheese. No GMOs, pesticides, antibiotics or hormones. Sooooo good!

Find more Organic Valley recipes here.

Avocados packed full of nutrition and fiber. Great Vitamin E source if avoiding whole grains. Keep you satisfied so don't get as hungry.

Only organic sweetened condensed milk choice! Makes recipes easier, sweet, and creamy!

Use juice of three limes. You want the zest from at least two, but you can use all three if you want to pump up the flavor even more! Suggest using grater with small holes. Remove the zest (outside of lime) before juicing while still firm.

Organic Raw Honey is always our #1 choice as best sweetener. It is a real food in it's natural state and offers over 100 nutrients.

Fiber Plus Three contains super fiber, concentrated whole food nutrition, Omega 3s, and when added to water expands 16X its size to keep you full for hours and to control blood sugar.

Avocados are not just for guacamole anymore!

Avocados with their high nutrition content are being added as a "good fat" to all kinds of recipes to replace other fats that might not be as healthy or contain GMOs. We never stop being amazed at what creative creations people can come up with avocados and other non traditional ingredients that give you more of the foods and the nutrition that comes with them and lowers risk for chronic disease at the same time so a win-win effort! Find a wide variety of avocado recipes on our "AVOCADO BOARD" on Pinterest.

Follow Elaine McFadden Avocados on Pinterest

You might want to check out some of our other "Special Treats" while your visiting us on Pinterest.

Follow Elaine McFadden Special Treats on Pinterest

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Whipped Persimmon Mousse

11/19/2013

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Whipped Persimmon Mousse

Ingredients
2-3 Ripe Hachiya Persimmons
1/2 - 1 cup organic whipping creme
1-3 drops vanilla (Organic Madagascar Vanilla #1 pick)
1-2 Tablespoons of raw organic honey or agave syrup

Easy recipe that can be made using a food processor, blender or electric mixer.

Start with 2-3 soft "Hachiya Persimmons." Not the "Fuyu Persimmon" which is eaten hard like an apple. Hachiya persimmons have to be eaten soft so the pulp is like jelly inside. Can just spoon out and eat the pulp plain. If you try and eat them too soon, the will taste bitter.
Use real liquid whipped creme, not the pre whipped kind and NEVER USE COOL WHIP. Is full of ingredients you never want to put in your body. Otherwise known as "fake food." We use only REAL FOOD INGREDIENTS such as Straus organic whipped creme, (comes in a glass container), or Organic Pasteur's raw creme. Start with a 50/50 mix of the ripe persimmon to the whipping creme. So one cup to one cup.
To prepare persimmons you would want to remove the small black seeds inside and stem at the top. Can just pick the seeds out or strain the persimmons. The skin is eatable, but you may want to remove the skin first. Only fill the strainer half full so you can stir without making a mess. Just keep adding and stirring pulp in strainer with a spoon until most of the pulp has went through the strainer and discard seeds.
Measure one cup pulp and one cup creme just evenly match how much pulp you have with creme into food processor, blender, or bowl for whipping with mixer. Add a couple of drop of vanilla and 1-2 Tablespoons of organic raw honey or organic raw agave for smoothness. Sugar is too grainy.
We also add 1-2 Tablespoons of Fiber Plus Three Salba Chia whole seeds for extra fiber, nutrition and Omega 3s.
Keep whipping until gets thick. Spoon into dessert dishes. Top with crushed nuts such as raw unpasteurized almonds, hazelnuts, and some more chia seeds. Could also top with a slice of a Fuyu persimmon or pomegranate seeds for more color and fiber.

Make this recipe vegan!
For vegan version use thickened coconut milk. To thicken organic coconut milk, open can lid. leave loosely on top and put can in refrigerator for at least 24 hours to dehydrate and allow excess moisture to escape so coconut milk gets thicker and will be easier to make into whipped creme.

Make this recipe raw!
You can make this raw by using raw organic creme like made by Organic Pasteur's or you can use raw coconut milk.

Make a Persimmon Creme Pie!
Just double the recipe add add all the mousse to a pie crust. Could top with more whipped creme or whipped coconut milk. Try mixing in extra pomegranate seeds.

Make a Frozen Sorbet!
Can make sorbet with or without creme. After straining pulp put in a food processor or blender, mix in organic raw honey or agave to taste, a couple of drops of vanilla, and then pour into a container or plastic storage bag to freeze. If you want a creamy sorbet, make recipe above, freeze, blend. Right before serving put frozen puree into a food processor or blender to make the frozen sorbet. Keep blending until it makes a smooth thick slush. Serve immediately before melting.

Make a Smoothie or Sauce!
Add hachiya persimmon pulp to smoothies, dips or sauces to sweeten and/or pump up the fiber and nutrition. Persimmons are perfect for athletes or anyone that needs a concentrated energy source so perfect for starting the day.

Choose from two varieties of persimmons because both are full of antioxidants, fiber, and Vitamin A!

There are two kinds of persimmons, the hard and soft variety. The hard Fuyu Persimmon here is perfect for eating hard like an apple. Just bite into a Fuyu, slice them before eating or cut in smaller pieces and add to salads. Fugu's are already a perfect low cal snack by themselves or you can brush slices with a balsamic vinegar and roast for 5-10 minutes to warm and help balsamic flavor penetrate into the fruit/berry. Learn more about organic flavored balsamic vinegars and how they can help you lose weight here from top maker.

The soft Hachiya Persimmon is full of tannins and will make you pucker if you try to eat them too soon. They have to be soft inside and still be a nice orange color on the outside. If they start turning brown they are too ripe. The soft pulp can be eaten with a spoon, made into a puree and used in many types of recipes that require cooking or no cooking.

Health benefits of persimmon fruit

Persimmons are really a berry and one of reasons so high in fiber and nutrition as berries are some of our most concentrated sources. Play a key role in the prevention of chronic diseases that are also some of our biggest killers and and causes of loss in quality of life.

Persimmons are low in calories (provides 70 calories/100g) and by itself a FREE FOOD so eat all you want. Just one persimmon contains six grams of fiber, which is already about a quarter of your recommended daily value. Fiber digests slowly, so it keeps you fuller longer and doesn't raise your blood sugar like when you drink juice where fiber has been removed. Drinking plain juice by itself trains your body to be a diabetic because all that sugar will raise your blood sugar. Fruit comes with sugar locked in fiber for a reason, to prevent that have happening. A serving of juice is only four ounces, yet people drink as much as 20 ounces by itself.

The fiber in persimmons, called pectin, is responsible for another appetite-controlling feature: pectin helps regulate blood-sugar levels to keep them from spiking, which can help prevent blood-sugar-crash-related cravings.

Persimmon does have laxative and diuretic properties and is particularly recommended for people suffering from liver problems. It is also an energy-dense fruit. That’s why it is recommended for children, people playing sports and people who are physically or mentally tired.

Persimmon is rich in vitamin A, C, the B vitamins. In the minerals department, it is dense-packed with calcium, potassium, iron, manganese, phosphorus and copper.
Persimmons contain health benefiting phytonutrients which are flavonoid poly-phenolic anti-oxidants like catechins and gallocatechins as well as important anti-tumor compound betulinic acid. Catechins are known to have anti infective, anti inflammatory and anti hemorrhagic (prevents bleeding from small blood vessels) properties.
Fresh persimmons contain anti-oxidant compounds like vitamin-A, beta-carotene, lycopene, lutein, zea-xanthin and cryptoxanthin. Together these compounds function as protective scavengers against oxygen-derived free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) that play a role in aging and various disease processes. To deactivate a free radical could prevent the chain reaction of a serious disease such as cancer.
Zeaxanthin, an important dietary carotenoid, selectively absorbed into the retinal macula lutea in the eyes where it is thought to provide antioxidant and protective light-filtering functions; thus, helps prevent "Age-related macular related macular disease"(ARMD) in the elderly.
Persimmons provide a good source of vitamin-C, another powerful antioxidant (especially native Chinese and American persimmons; provide 80% of DRI). Regular consumption of foods rich in vitamin C helps the body develop resistance against infectious agents and scavenge harmful, pro-inflammatory free radicals. It is also great for the skin and will give you an extra glow.
The fruit is good in many valuable B-complex vitamins such as folic acid, pyridoxine (vitamin B-6), thiamin...etc. These vitamins act as co-factors for numerous metabolic enzymatic functions in the body.
Fresh Persimmon fruits also contain healthy amounts of minerals like potassium, manganese (15% of DRI), copper (12% of DRI), and phosphorus. Manganese is a co-factor for the enzyme, superoxide dismutase, which is a very powerful free radical scavenger. Copper is a co-factor for many vital enzymes, including cytochrome c-oxidase and superoxide dismutase (other minerals function as cofactors for this enzyme are manganese, and zinc). Copper is also required for the production of red blood cells.

When to think of persimmons:

Eat Persimmons for a flat belly: Persimmons are known for their stomach-soothing properties, so eating the fruit may help you feel less bloated or constipated. Note, however, that in rare cases, eating too many persimmons, especially on an empty stomach, can lead to a bezoar (an intestinal obstruction) because of the fruit's highly fibrous properties.
Cold and flu: Thanks to its content in vitamin C, persimmon is highly effective in enhancing the immune system function and can help relieve the symptoms of flu and cold, as well as many other infectious or inflammatory conditions.
Constipation: Due to its high content in fiber and water, persimmon does have excellent laxative properties that can be a powerful natural remedy for constipation.
Diuretic effect: Persimmon does have excellent diuretic properties, due to its high content in potassium and calcium. Eating a persimmon a day is an effective way to prevent or relieve water retention. Daily consumption of persimmon is better than the use of diuretic drugs, since persimmon does not cause potassium loss which is associated with many known diuretics.
High blood pressure: Helps reduce high blood pressure and prevent many heart conditions associated with hypertension.
Liver health and body detoxification: Persimmon is an excellent source of anti-oxidants which play a key role in liver health and body detoxification. Anti-oxidants help neutralize toxins and other harmful substances in the body, prevent and treat the damages caused by free-radicals.
Natural energizer: Persimmons are highly digestible fruits and also provide a lot of readily available energy (in the form of sugars) to sustain any energy-requiring activity. That’s why they are particularly recommended for children and people who practice sports or other physical activities.
Stress, tiredness and fatigue: Due to their high content in sugars and potassium, persimmon juice can help reinforce the body with energy and relieve the symptoms of stress, fatigue and tiredness without the need to use special energetic and nutritional supplements.

Consumption Tips

When choosing persimmons, keep in mind that there are two different varieties: hachiya, which are orange-red, shaped like acorns, and soft and jelly-like when fully ripe; and fuyu, which are yellow-orange, shaped like tomatoes, firmer when ripe, and can be sliced like apples.

Fully ripe hachiya persimmons are soft to the touch, very sweet and creamy that they can be eaten as they are. Simply cut them into two halves and eat the pulp with a spoon. They can also be used to prepare delicious sauces, creams, jams, jellies and smoothies.

To speed up the ripening process, put persimmons out at room temperature. Storing them in the fridge will slow down the ripening process, keeping them for longer.

Source:
http://www.nutrition-and-you.com/persimmon-fruit.html

Click to download the entire Fact Sheet on Persimmons PDF.

Instructions on Persimmon Varieties, how to know when their ripe, and how to prepare and eat persimmons. Instructor from Australia so different season. In US persimmons Oct-Dec.

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Blueberry Banana Bacteria Smoothie

8/8/2013

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EASY TO MAKE BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE

These are the ingredients we recommend you buy for one serving:

Add to blender:

1 cup ice
1/3 - 1/2 cup water to get blending started
1/2 Organic Pasteur's Raw Kefir
1/3 cup Earthbound Farms Organic Blueberries frozen or fresh
1/2 large or one small Organic Banana
1/3 cup Let's Do Organic Unsweetened Organic Small Flaked Coconut
1 Tablespoon Salba Chia Seeds
1 - 2 Tablespoons Raw Organic Honey (alternative is Raw Organic Agave) to help break up ice crystals

Put all ingredients in blender. Blend for at least five minutes for a smooth yummy tasting smoothie.

Can garnish with some coconut and a few whole blueberries.

Get Vitamin K2 From Kefir and Fermented Foods

Organic Raw Kefir is fermented milk, & good source of Vit. K2 made when bacterial ferment. Kefir contains more good probiotic bacteria than yogurt. Low in sugar as bacteria eat it. Vitamin K2 is key in calcium metabolism and helps it get to where it's needed most such as in the bones and teeth. Keeps calcium where it is not wanted and can compromise health such as in soft tissues and arteries. Kefir also high in calcium, phosphorus, and essential minerals for bone growth.

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Concord Grape Sorbet

8/6/2013

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Concord Grape Sorbet
by BulkNaturalFoods.com

A beautiful purple sorbet, that was adapted from a Martha Stewart Living recipe and is wonderful! Try it!

Ingredients
2/3 cup agave
1 1/2 pounds Concord grapes (1 quart container)
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions
Prepare an ice bath; set aside.

Combine grapes and the remaining water in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the grapes start releasing liquid, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat, and simmer until juices are dark purple and grapes begin to break apart, about 3 minutes.

Pass mixture through a food mill and then through a fine sieve into a large bowl set in the ice bath; stir frequently until completely cool. Stir in the agave and lemon juice.

Transfer mixture to an ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. Store the sorbet in an airtight container in the freezer until ready to serve, up to 2 weeks.

Story behind Bulk Natural Food Coop is also story of love!

How We Eat
This whole co-op developed into what it is now out of a need in our own community – a need for the kinds of natural foods our family was trying to eat. So perhaps knowing the kinds of things we eat as a family will give you a clue about what you can expect to find in our co-op. (However, at the time of this update in February of 2013, we do not have the ability to deliver highly perishable or frozen items such as meat and dairy products, so these items are not yet available. We do have a local food page where you can find a list of farms that do offer these things.)

Since 2002, we have been following a Weston A. Price diet of real, whole, traditional foods: soaked and sour-leavened grains, plenty of good quality butter and ghee, local milk, cod liver oil, organic and minimally sprayed fruits and vegetables, pastured eggs and meats, natural sweeteners, and homemade fermented foods and bone stocks. As a mom, I couldn’t be happier with the results. Our children’s teeth are 90% straighter than Tim’s or mine, their palates are wider, and we have had only one cavity among the five of them – and that, in a baby tooth. All of us are healthy, and we are not plagued with food allergies and sensitivities. I’m thankful to have learned about traditional foods when our kids were still young!

How To Join In
The best way to get involved with Bulk Natural Foods is to sign up on our email list so we can keep you informed about the orders that are taking place. The more people who get involved with what we are doing, the more locations we are able to serve, the better deals we are able to obtain, and the wider the variety of products we are able to offer.

If You Are Outside of Our Local Delivery Area
If you live too far away from Tennessee to participate in our local co-op, you can still order through our store and have products delivered directly to your door.

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Raw Chocolate Coconut Cream Torte

6/30/2013

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Raw Chocolate Coconut Cream Torte

Raw Chocolate Coconut Cream Torte
By Eric Rivkin

Bottom Layer Crust
1 cup raw almonds or pecans, soaked 2 hours, rinsed
1 cup fresh or dried finely shredded unsweetened coconut
1/2 cup pitted dates
1/2 cup raw cacao powder
¼ tsp cinnamon
Dash of cayenne
In a food processor with the S blade, mix until a crumb texture is reached. Set aside.

Coconut Cream Filling
2 cups firm young coconut pulp
5 bananas
1/4 cup coconut oil
4-5 pitted medjool dates
½ tsp vanilla extract or caviar scraped from 1 bean
Blend ingredients until creamy. Set aside and refrigerate.

Top Chocolate Layer
1 cup young coconut pulp
3 Tbsp coconut oil
½ cup raw cacao powder
3 pitted medjool dates
3 black mission figs
½ tsp vanilla extract or caviar scraped from 1 bean
¼ tsp cinnamon
Dash of cayenne
Blend ingredients until thick and smooth, adding just enough coconut water to turn over in blender. Set aside.

Garnish
1 cup assorted berries - raspberry, blueberry, sliced strawberries
1 tsp Agave Nectar or other vegetal sweetener (Stevia extract, maple syrup, etc.)
Mint leaves (optional)
Blend the vegetal sweetener with about a few of the strawberries to make a glaze. Toss gently with the berries and mint and refrigerate until ready to serve.

6-8 large firm strawberries, de-stemmed and sliced 1/8” thick

Assembly:
1. Press crust recipe evenly into a 9” spring-form torte pan with a removable side greased with a little coconut oil.
2. De-stem, then slice the strawberries the long way and press the large pieces against the inside of the torte pan. Use the smaller heels in the garnish..
3. Pour in and spread the Coconut Cream Filling.
4. Freeze for 2 hours to firm up.
5. Pour on and spread the top chocolate layer mix. Refrigerate or freeze again until firm.
6. When ready to serve, first arrange the fruit garnish on top.

It looks complicated, it's not! Once you have assembled all the ingredients, this goes very quickly, and what a reward at the end!!

Image / Recipe: © Eric Rivkin / Viva La Raw
(Recipe was edited in order to make it suitable for vegetarians and vegans.)

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Elaine McFadden, MPH, RD, Host Smart Health Talk Radio Show

With many years of experience with organic farming, produce, and manufacturing, Elaine McFadden wanted to use her experience to help educate consumers to help make the kind of choices for their family that supports health and prevents disease. It is harder than ever to shop for food and know what is safe.

King's Cupboard Brings Back the Old World Richness of Organic Caramel and Hot Fudge Sauces Without the Work

It is half vegan and all organic. Every bite as delicious as you might think. Sometimes compromise can be good.

Chocolate and Vanilla Candy Cane Cookies

Get to know Trujoy Organic Candy Company

Go here to find more companies like Trujoy!

CHOOSE YOUR COOKIE FAT WISELY

Organic Butter over conventional butter and shortenings is ALWAYS a better substitute for good Omega 3 fats, Vitamin D, flavor and texture. A combination of butter and shortening can also work well.

Organic, Organic Grassfed, and Organic Raw Grassfed butter all add good fats and flavor to cookies.
Our favorite brands.

Spectrum is part of Hain, a corporation that has a history of buying out successful organic companies. Many begin as family start ups. Organic selections downsized after Hain takes ownership.

Decorating Christmas Cookies Ideas

Turn Dried Up Pomegranates Into Delicious Juice Cocktail

Turn Dried Up Pomegranates Into Delicious Juice Cocktail

POMEGRANATE SUNRISE
Make it a virgin or add
organic tequila or vodka.

Organic Tequila

Naked Buns Organic Chili Dog

INGREDIENTS

Naked Buns Organic Chili Dog

Key Lime Avocado Pudding

Real Food Ingredients

Avocados are not just for guacamole anymore!

You might want to check out some of our other "Special Treats" while your visiting us on Pinterest.

Whipped Persimmon Mousse

Instructions on Persimmon Varieties, how to know when their ripe, and how to prepare and eat persimmons. Instructor from Australia so different season. In US persimmons Oct-Dec.

Blueberry Banana Bacteria Smoothie

EASY TO MAKE BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE

Get Vitamin K2 From Kefir and Fermented Foods

Concord Grape Sorbet

Story behind Bulk Natural Food Coop is also story of love!

Raw Chocolate Coconut Cream Torte

Raw Chocolate Coconut Cream Torte

Elaine McFadden, MPH, RD, Host Smart Health Talk Radio Show

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It is half vegan and all organic﻿. Every bite﻿ as delicious as you m﻿ight think. Sometimes compromise can be good.

Get to know Trujoy O﻿rga﻿nic Candy Company

CHOOSE YOUR COOKIE FAT WISELY

Organic Butter over conventional butter and shortenings is ALWAYS a better substitute for good Omega 3 fats, Vitamin D, flavor and texture. A combination of butter and shortening can also work well.

Organic, Organic Grassfed, and Organic Raw Grassfed butter all add good fats and flavor to cookies. Our favorite brands.

Spectrum is part of Hain, a corporation that has a history of buying out successful organic companies. Many begin as family start ups. Organic selections downsized after Hain takes ownership.

Decorating Christmas Cookies Ideas

POMEGRANATE SUNRISEMake it a virgin or add organic tequila or vodka.

Organic Tequila

INGREDIENTS

Real Food Ingredients

Avocados are not just for guacamole anymore!

You might want to check out some of our other "Special Treats" while your visiting us on Pinterest.

Instructions on Persimmon Varieties, how to know when their ripe, and how to prepare and eat persimmons. Instructor from Australia so different season. In US persimmons Oct-Dec.

EASY TO MAKE BLUEBERRY SMOOTHIE

Get Vitamin K2 From Kefir and Fermented Foods

Story behind Bulk Natural Food Coop is also story of love!

Raw Chocolate Coconut Cream Torte

Elaine McFadden, MPH, RD, Host Smart Health Talk Radio Show

Archives

Categories

It is half vegan and all organic. Every bite as delicious as you might think. Sometimes compromise can be good.

Get to know Trujoy Organic Candy Company

Organic, Organic Grassfed, and Organic Raw Grassfed butter all add good fats and flavor to cookies.
Our favorite brands.

POMEGRANATE SUNRISE
Make it a virgin or add
organic tequila or vodka.