Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label recipes. Show all posts

Monday, June 1, 2015

Nothing but Bone Broth


I didn't plan on doing absolutely nothing this weekend, but had no choice because of the discomfort I have been experiencing post egg retrieval. I took today off work to recover fully and am finally feeling and looking much more like myself. Phew. 

So this weekend was full of nothing, but I did muster enough energy to make my first batch of bone broth. I had planned on making it prior to retrieval, but life happens.  

I ordered a plethora of goodies from Green Meadow Farms including a bag of raw grass-fed beef bones with the intention of making my first batch of bone broth. 

I had heard of bone broth in the past, but haven't really thought much of it.  I actually hate bones.  I will not eat meat from a bone.  I know it was once attached to a bone, but I just cant eat it that way.  I know I am a bit crazy.  So, bone broth was not something that interested me.  That was until my acupuncturist made one nutritional recommendation to me which was adding bone broth to my diet for both its nutritional benefits and warming my QI and blood from the inside out.

The benefits of bone broth are endless but include gut healing, immune support, energy, inflammation reduction, skin health, joint health, digestion and the list goes on. Bone broth is chock full of calcium and magnesium.  It is also full of the amino acids, proline and glycine. Proline and glycine are very important in a variety of things such as DNA synthesis, gut healing and blood sugar regulation among other things. 

So ya, a lot of benefits.  How could I not give it a try? Bones and all.  

Here is the recipe I used. I adapted it from a recipe given to me by my acupuncturist. 


Beef Bone Broth

2.5 lbs of grass-fed beef bones
1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar
water to cover bones (about 3 quarts)
1 Tbsp peppercorns
4 celery stalks chopped
4 carrots chopped 
1/2 onion with skin on 
Parsley

1.  Roast bones for 30 minutes at 350 degrees
2.  Place bones in a stock pot, cover with water and vinegar.  Soak the bones in this mixture for 30 minutes. 
3.  Add celery, carrots and onion.  Bring to a boil. 
4.  Skim foam from the top and dispose
5.  Add peppercorn
6.  Reduce heat to a low, low simmer for 36 hours (I transferred from the stock pot to the crockpot at night)
7.  Add parsley 30 minutes before finished
8.  Strain through a mesh strainer or cheese cloth
9.  Store in mason jars for enjoyment over the next 7 days 

Once the mixture is cooled there will be a layer of fat (if from grass-fed bones this is healthy for you)  You can either leave it or pull it off.  I personally pulled it off and kept it in a separate container for cooking.  

Drink up!

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Obviously

this blog is becoming an infertility blog, and I do not offer any apologies.  As I have said before, writing is my catharsis.  Also, if I provide one person who is going through what I am going through some type of comfort then I am beyond satisfied. My original plan for this blog was nowhere near as personal as it has become, and if you know me in real life and do not feel comfortable reading or feel reading this blog will change the way we interact in real life, then please do not continue reading.

Alas, I am trying to focus on sustaining a "normalcy" in my life because I know in my heart that is the right thing to do, but nowhere near as easy as one would think.  It's very easy to be consumed and I am aware of it, so I need to work hard to maintain some level of normalcy.

So what has been going on?

So bullets.
  • We have no carpet on our stairs as we are waiting to schedule a day for carpet installation because NO TIME.  We are starting to like the industrial look.
  • Busy season at work is keeping me busy, but the end is quickly approaching which I have very mixed feelings about.
  • The juice/smoothie I drink every morning is doing wonders for my morning energy levels. You can find the recipe below.
  • I am currently reading "Smart Women" by Judy Blume.  It was given to me by my dear and fabulous friend Tiffany.  I am realizing reading fiction will be a good addition to my bad TV obsession.  It keeps my mind elsewhere, which is just what I need.
  • While looking for an age appropriate night out at a club outfit for my sister's 21st birthday I decided to check out asos. I have heard fabulous things about this website and ordered a couple of tops.  I love the selection, free shipping and return shipping when you spend $40, quality and prices.
Wheat Grass & Maca Juice
 
 
 
1 scoop dried wheat grass juice powder (equivalent of 13 shots of wheat grass)
1tablespoon maca powder
1/2 cup coconut water or plain H20
splash of natural pineapple juice
drop of vitamin D3
handful of Cascadian Farms Organic Antioxidant Blend Harvest Berries. I love the convenience of these berries and they are quite reasonable at Costco.
 
I also add my liquid fish oil to the mix which has no taste.  I prefer to drink it in something rather than take it from a spoon like cough medicine.
 
If I am in a smoothie mood I usually add a banana, spinach and a couple of cubes of ice.  Usually I prefer to just chug the juice.  Its not bad, but its nowhere near fabulous.

Sunday, January 25, 2015

A Free Weekend

This is the first weekend in quite some time where there were no plans, and I had a Saturday evening to myself (Yay! Guys Night Out!) It's been crazy over here with the holidays. I am still finding Christmas miscellaneous that I forgot to pack away and still have gifts that need to be put away. It happens. 

Friday night we decided to see American Sniper, because isn't that what everyone is doing? We never go to the movies. It was the 3rd movie G and I have seen together in the almost six years that we have been together. It was hilarious to see how many other people never go to the movies but made the trek out for this particular movie.  "Wow that popcorn is huge -- who could get a refill on that?" "Assigned seating by picking your seats on an i-pad!" "RECLINERS"  The movie was fantastic in case you still had doubts. 

Saturday morning was spent deep cleaning the kitchen and attempting to organize all of the things and in the end not organizing much of anything. Ultimately, I need to make a list and slowly take the time to organize one room at a time. It would also help to enlist someone to come over and direct me with a whip. I wish I could be the type to just throw things in boxes, stick in the attic and forget about them.  I am not that person. I feel everything has a spot.  A tad OCD? Perhaps. G replaced all of the lighting in our house over the last week, so its been even more chaos than the usual.  The lighting is beautiful. I absolutely adore how he is always willing to learn something that he has never done before.  He makes it happen.  So my house is full of beautiful lighting fixtures, but in a bit more disarray than usual.  Gotta learn to roll with the punches. 

Saturday afternoon was spent with my Aunt gathering fruits and vegetables for green smoothies throughout the week. It's not a secret. I despise vegetables and as of lately I am attempting to hide them in anything and everything, so smoothies are a perfect addition to my mission of "HIDING ALL OF THE VEGETABLES". Luckily my nephew is a super picky eater and my sister-in-law has taught me lots of tips with my favorite being egg cups stuffed with cheese, peas, spinach or any other hard to stomach vegetables.  Whatever works!

G had plans with his friends, and I decided to just do nothing Saturday evening. I grabbed a sandwich and watched bad TV cuddled up with Baci. G then woke me up at about 1 am with a Sprinkles Cupcake from the Cupcake ATM machine.  What a guy!

I ate the cupcake early this morning, and quickly remembered a Sprinkles Red Velvet cupcake doesn't necessarily follow the clean eating mission that I am back on. The end of 2014 included a cruise, lots of amazing holiday food and tons of cookies.  The scale doesn't lie.  So, I ate the cupcake and dusted myself off in preparation for all of the green smoothies I will be consuming this week.  

I made a delicious smoothie for lunch which consisted of:

1 cup fresh organic spinach
2 kiwis 
1 organic gala apple
1/2 cup coconut water
Ice

Not bad, not bad at all.  I followed that up with some online Yoga.  

It's been a good weekend, and a "feel good" Sunday in time for a full week ahead. 


Saturday, January 17, 2015

Recipe - Rosemary Cranberry Spread

Need a simple, but delicious cheese spread to add to your appetizer selection? I have you covered.  This is such an easy recipe that I found online and then added ingredients to make it my own!  I think it tastes great with a water cracker, but the options are endless.

Ingredients

8 oz softened cream cheese
1/2 teaspoon - 1 teaspoon garlic powder to taste
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup almonds crushed 
2-3 toothpick pokes of Young Living Rosemary Oil
Himalayan Pink Salt & crushed black pepper to taste

Fold in cranberries and garlic powder to cream cheese, and add salt and pepper to taste

Ninja (or food processor whatever you may have on hand) the chia seeds and almonds together until fine

Add to cranberry/cream cheese mixture

Dip a toothpick into Rosemary Oil (2-3 pokes!) and dip/swirl saturated end into dip mixture- This will be enough! You are more than welcome to taste.

Serve with water crackers or a crunchy baguette!