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Let’s make it again! Immunity Soup

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Good health is beautiful. GARLIC, onions, ginger, thyme turmeric, cayenne, black pepper, veg broth, coconut milk. That pansy (which survives the winter) has antioxidant & anti-inflammatory properties.
  • 6 BIG bulbs of garlic, separate into cloves only smashing & peeling half of the cloves
  • 1 huge white onion, peeled & sliced
  • 2 T ghee & 2 T olive oil
  • 1/2 cup minced ginger
  • 2 t fresh thyme
  • 1/4-1/2 t cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 t fresh milled black pepper
  • 1 lemon, juice & 2 t grated peel
  • 4 cups vegetable broth (Magic Mineral Broth)
  • 1/2 to 1 cup coconut milk (I like the 1 cup)
  • sea salt, a bit added while sautéing & final then for seasoning
EVERYTHING ORGANIC! 6 BIG bulbs of garlic. 350°F oven.
Place have of the cloves, unpeeled in a baking dish. Toss with olive oil, cover and bake 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, smash the remaining garlic cloves and peel them. Set aside. Melt 2 T Grass-fed ghee in a 2-quart or larger pot. Add 1 huge white onion peeled & sliced, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme , 2 heaping tablespoons of turmeric*, 1/2 cup chopped ginger, 1/4 or more cayenne as you like, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1/4 t sea salt & half of the remaining garlic. Cook until the onions are transparent. You might need to add broth because the turmeric wants to thicken & stick so it can turn everything in your kitchen golden. Add the oven roasted garlic – popping each clove out of its skin. Add 4 cups of vegetables broth.** Simmer 20 minutes * I juiced fresh turmeric and added about 2 tablespoons of juice & 2 level tablespoons of dry.
**I love Rebecca Katz & her Magic Mineral Broth.
Well, I love all of her recipes. http://www.rebeccakatz.com

Puree the soup. Return to pot. Add coconut milk & heat through. Add remaining garlic cloves RAW, whole or chopped, your preference. Taste for seasoning and adjust.

Eat hot or cold. On rice or cauliflower. Tame it a bit with broth and vegetables. JUST BE SURE TO EAT IT! To be beautiful and smell like garlic. Refrigerate up to 7 days. Freeze some. Hey how about in ice cube trays? A little immunity shooter anytime. Straight-sided Ball jars work great. Be sure to leave 1″ of headroom to allow for the expansion during freezing. DATE ’em & eat within 3 months of freezing.
  • Garlic & Onion Cut at least 10 minutes before eating to release their power!
  • One clove of garlic has manganese, B6, C, selenium, calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, iron, B6. BOOSTS IMMUNITY!
  • Turmeric is a strong anti-inflammatory. Inflammation compromises your immune system. Turmeric must be eaten with black pepper & fat to best be absorbed. REDUCES INFLAMMATION!
  • Thyme C, A, copper, iron, manganese & disinfects & stops coughs. SANITIZES & BOOSTS IMMUNITY!
  • Ginger improves digestion (helps with turmeric absorption & allium digesiton), reduces inflammation, may protect respiratory system, fights infections! DOES A LOT!
  • Coconut Milk is full of antioxidants C, E, & electrolytes potassium, magnesium, phosphorus & antiseptic properties & is an anti-inflammatory & has ZINC & is a strong gut health supporter. MIRACLE FOOD!
  • Black Pepper is high in antioxidants is anti-inflammatory, boosts nutrient absorption & gut health. BRING IT ON!
  • Cayenne – I go light on cayenne, a personal preference and intolerance to night shades, but it can aid digestion among many other benefits for folks.
  • Lemon VITAMIN C and then some. For immunity boosting Vitamin C (time release) is recommended. I drink the juice of half a lemon every morning in warm water to detox my liver a bit as well.

Dark Chocolate Walnuts Périgord

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A Perfect Gift From France!

After a trip back to Le Vieux Couvent to study with ARTISTS Rita Carpenter & Stacy Levy hiking around a lot in The Lot, munching the delicious Périgord walnuts, and falling over in a food coma—I decided I should try to make the decadent morsels here in North Carolina. You are asking, “What was I thinking?” After all of those croissants and other irrésistibles how will your zippers cooperate?

(The gorgeous fabric in the picture above is the napkin created by Raleigh City Farm’s Artist in Residence, Julia Einstein. You can purchase the napkins and fabric from Spoonflower at Designs by j-einstein.)

Well, I am not in a French walnut food coma but I am in a very dreamy place with my Pacific Northwest Organic Walnuts. Back in the U.S., I also sauntered into my local La Farm Bakery just to ease my transition from all the REAL French (in France) butter, chocolate, and wine. The result, mon cher? I lost a few kilos in Paris from running up and down Metro stairs but gained a few pounds when I returned (obviously depressed) to the U.S. binging on croissants and these walnuts. Enjoy!

  • 16 ounces of walnuts
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 4 ounces of bittersweet or semi-sweet baking chocolate
  • 2 teaspoons of French butter (salted or not)
  • 1 cup Dutch dark cocoa
  • 2 tablespoons (+/-) confectioner’s sugar
  • +/- 1/4 teaspoon Fine sea salt (optional)

WALNUTS: Roast 16 ounces organic walnut halves at 350° F for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes. Set aside.

GLAZE: Set a cooling rack over a large baking sheet lined with parchment for the glazed walnuts. Cook 1 cup sugar + 1/2 cup of water in a large skillet (big enough to hold the walnuts in a single layer) swirling the mixture until it’s a toasted a golden caramel color. You’ll need to work fast or the glaze will become too dark too fast.

Toss in the walnuts, stirring quickly to thinly coat them with the glaze. Quickly spoon them onto the cooling rack that is over the parchment-lined baking sheet. THIS will burn your fingers terribly so do not touch the glazed nuts until they have cooled a bit. Once a bit cool, break them apart into single walnuts or similar chunks. Let. cool completely.

CHOCOLATE: In a double-boiler (stainless steel bowl over a saucepan of hot water), melt 4 ounces bittersweet baking chocolate (not chocolate chips) and 1 teaspoon French butter. Stir until smooth. Remove the bowl from the heat and toss in the walnuts. Spread the chocolate-coated nuts on the parchment-lined sheet left from the glaze procedure above. Sprinkle immediately with the cocoa mixture and let cool completely.

COCOA: Sift together 1 cup Dutch dark cocoa powder and 2+/- tablespoons of confectioner’s sugar. I add 1/4 teaspoon very fine Fleur de Sel (sea salt, pulverized) but it’s optional. Sprinkle this mixture through a sieve over the chocolate-coated walnuts. Let the nuts cool completely, then toss in the cocoa mixture left that did not stick to the nuts.

Store in an airtight glass (not plastic) container at room temperature in a dark dry place.

I hide them from myself—because—Je ne peux pas les empêcher de sauter dans ma bouche. I can’t stop them from jumping into my mouth.

Multi-Marvelous Magnesium(s)

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Basil, one of many herbs with significant magnesium, is combined with other good sources—chickpeas, pistachios, coriander, sesame seeds. EVOO, onions, garlic, tomatoes, turmeric, eggplant, salt, and pepper add more nutrients and flavor.

Check with your health care professional before taking any supplements. This post is not medical advice. My personal experience is that magnesiumS (the correct ones for me) really improved my health.

Magnesium is critical for every function in our body. Which kind though? And how much for what? This blog is based on information from a couple of my favorite go to resources: Dr. Livingood (lots of great YouTubes) and Dr. Heather Finley (Love Your Gut podcast).

My personal experience? What doctors thought was a heart attack was low magnesium. Luckily my heart was/is in great condition. Before the faux attack I would get tightness in my chest when I hiked and so I had a lot of heart (and lung) tests. No doctors found the magnesium issue or even mentioned it until I ended up in the hospital. By the time my low magnesium showed up in this regular blood test, it was really low. Because of our nutrient-depleted soil, our food is very low in magnesium. Check out Dr. Hyman’s advice for magnesium. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq27w7y1pdc

Magnesium is needed for over 500 functions in our body including a healthy microbiome, strong bones, healthy muscles, easy digestion, calm nerves, and a focused brain. Stress depletes magnesium.

Chelated magnesium is more easily absorbed.

Magnesium Aspartate: aids muscle creation & energy, reduces muscle tension & cramping I take Magnesium Potassium Aspartate for my heart and also for avoidance of sore muscles from intense exercise.

Magnesium Citrate: calming, reduces acid reflex, aids digestion (but can cause upset stomach and has a laxative effect) very absorbable

Magnesium Chloride: topical preferred by Dr. Finley (I’m researching this one further.)

Magnesium Glycinate: aids rest & recovery, lowers inflammation, calming, aids sleep I take this one for calming and sleep.

Magnesium Malate: Magnesium and malic acid reduces fatigue, muscle aches, and chronic pain. Check what form of magnesium is used.

Magnesium Orotate: Heart and blood vessel energy production (I take Bioptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough which has multiple types of magnesium.)

Magnesium Oxide: (magnesium hydroxide) common, aids digestion (draws water to colon & can be too strong), headache relief, blood pressure regulation, calming, cost effective

Magnesium Taurate: aids in weight loss, blood sugar regulation, blood pressure regulation

Magnesium Threonate: supports cognitive function and brain health, relieves anxiety, promotes sleep

Magnesium Sulfate: (Epsom salts) Soaking for muscle relief and calming Food grade is ingestible as a laxative.

HOW MUCH? It’s an individual thing. Work with your healthcare professional to start slow and low. Maximum dosage is 350mg a day but that’s variable depending on the type of magnesium. It is worth the investment in time and trial for your long term health.

Top Magnesium Rich Foods: Dark chocolate, avocados, nuts, legumes, tofu, tempeh, seeds, fatty fish, leafy greens, whole grains, bananas, okra, scallops, oysters, yogurt, broccoli, algae .

Hope this helps to solve some of your WHICH magnesium questions. Here’s to your health!

TERRIFIC TASTE — NO ALCOHOL

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My first blog for 2024 (after a serious sabbatical) is about delicious NON-ALCOHOLIC beverages.

From beer and wine, to cocktails (skip the sugary ones) to virgin versions of your favorites plan to capitalize on your longterm health by not consuming alcohol. I really like Athletic Brew’s hoppy RUN WILD IPA.

Touring some Speak Easys (what fun!) soon to see what they’re offering that’s exciting (and non-alcoholic).

GREEK ROASTED VEGES

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Here’s my favorite meal—roasted vegetables. Here’s the recipe

Preheat oven to 425°F. Same for convection.

Line a sheet pan with parchment.

Fresh vegetables, cut various sizes. Broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, mixed color carrots, fennel, and beets are pictured here. Onions, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, parsnips, radishes, garlic, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and more are also great roasted. For all the vegetables to be done at the same time, the trick is to cut the vegetables in various sizes depending on their water content and firmness. For example, above the carrots are cut smaller to cook in the same length of time as the other vegetables.

Olive oil to drizzle over the vegetables. For the above tray, I used 1/3 cup of EVOO.

Greek seasoning to sprinkle over the vegetables. For the above tray, I used 1-1/2 teaspoons of seasoning. I like Penney’s which is a combination of salt(Y), Turkish oregano, marjoram, garlic, lemon, and black pepper. Fresh rosemary finely chopped with salt and pepper is a good option instead of the Greek seasoning, too. If you like smokey flavor, try smoked salts.

EVOO-drizzle, spice-sprinkle, and hand-toss the cut vegetable pieces to distribute the EVOO and spices. Place each type of vegetable in its own area of the baking sheet. That way if one type of vegetable gets done sooner than the others, it’s easy to remove it from the oven.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, checking after 20 minutes. Serve with a Balsamic glaze or a Truffle infused vinegar.

For the Kids…Lavender Sugar Cookies

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Raleigh City Farm — Homeschool tour today—we munched on some delicious cookies. Sugar to make us energetic and lavender to calm us. Here’s the recipe.

2-1/2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1-1/2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, beaten
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
6 drops organic lavender essential oil
2 tablespoons organic lavender flowers

Sift flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl. Cut in butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs. Add egg, milk, vanilla, lavender oil, and lavender flowers. Mix well and divide dough into two portions. Flatten the dough into discs; wrap them in wax paper and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 375°F/350°F convection.

Sprinkle a clean surface with confectioner’s sugar. Roll the dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Bake eight to ten minutes until the edges are barely golden. Cool on a wire rack. Store in an airtight (preferably glass) container.

Delicious with a glass of lemonade and a group of laughing children.


IT’S SPRING! LEMON POPPYSEED TEACAKE

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I was about to post a healthy a green recipe, but alas, here’s one more sweet thing to celebrate spring.
My friend Helene said, “Kenny Paul loves this Canyon Ranch lemon cake.” And so I made it because Helene knows all about capital D–Delicious. 

However, of course, I thought it could use improvement. It has morphed into a “project” recipe which means it does take a bit of planning. However, it is now a DELICIOUS creation. Just sayin’. I serve it with Cocojune coconut yogurt, strained so it’s Greek style thick, berries, a bit of brittle or nuts. Crown it with a few (if in season) pomegranate jewels (seeds).

3 tablespoons poppy seeds
1/2 cup buttermilk or coconut milk
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon lemon extract
1/3 cup coconut yogurt
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter, melted
1-1/4 cup sugar (divided)
1 egg 
2 egg yolks
2/3 cup unsweetened applesauce (I peel and cook a large Granny Smith apple.)
3 egg whites
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Lemon Glaze: 

1 cup confectioner’s sugar
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350°F. Convention 345°F.

Prepare 4 mini loaf pans with parchment liners. 

In a small saucepan, combine the buttermilk/coconut milk and poppy seeds and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and add the lemon zest, extracts, and yogurt. Mix well and refrigerate overnight.

In a medium bowl, mix all the dry ingredients except sugar. In another bowl combine the wet ingredients; add 1 cup of the sugar and mix well. Combine the two mixtures and stir just until all the dry ingredients are well incorporated with the wet ones, but do NOT overmix. (Overmixing will activate the gluten in the flour and make the bread chewy.) 

Whip the egg whites, 1/4 cup sugar, and the cream of tartar, until stiff peaks from. Fold the egg whites into the batter. 

Spoon the batter equally into the 4 parchment-lined mini loaf pans. Prepare glaze by mixing all the ingredients together. Set aside.

Bake 30 minutes, checking after 25. They are done when an inserted cake tester comes out clean. Immediately remove the breads from the pans, leaving the parchment on, set on a wire rack, and poke holes in the tops. Drizzle one-half of the glaze over the tops. Let the breads cool completely, remove the parchment, and finish the topes with the remaining glaze.

Store in an airtight (preferably glass or ceramic) container at room temperature for three days. Refrigerate if you prefer and they’ll keep well for a week. You can also freeze them for up to six months. 

OH! HO HO HO Clothespin Cookies

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Some family traditions are worth the sugar rush.
Clothespin Cookies – Use the old fashioned kind of clothespins.
Easy to make dough. Swirl onto greased pins.
These are ready for a roll in the sugars.

THE RECIPE

COOKIE DOUGH

  • 2 1/2 t dry yeast
  • 1/2 c milk, heat to 115
  • 4 c all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 c unsalted butter
  • 4 eggs, beaten
  • 4 T sugar
  • 1 t salt
  • Decorating sugars 

Dissolve yeast in milk and set aside. Mix sugar and salt into flour. Cut butter into flour mixture until it resembles course crumbs. Mix eggs and yeast/milk mixture together. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the yeast/milk/egg mixture. Mix well and knead a few times. Wrap in wax paper and a damp tea towel and refrigerate overnight.

Grease about 50 clothespins with vegetable shortening. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 300º F. 

Divide dough in half. On lightly floured surface roll each half into an 8″ wide X 20″ long rectangle. Dough will be about 1/8″ thick. Cut off rough side edges and set aside to roll again later. Cut rectangle in to 3/4″ strips and roll onto clothespin with floured side on the clothespin, overlapping edges. Do not wrap to “shoulder” of the clothespin as removal is difficult. Set rolled curls aside to warm a bit as this helps decorative sugars to adhere a bit better. Prepare all cookies.

Gently roll cookies in sugars. Roll with the swirl so you don’t uncurl the cookie. Place seam side down on parchment lined baking sheet. Double pan and bake 30 minutes until just golden on the bottoms. You can prepare filling while cookies bake.

Cool on wire racks for a few minutes and gently remove each cookie from the clothespin. Eat one. Let the rest cool to room temperature.

FILLING

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup salted or unsalted butter divided in two
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla (Penzy’s double strength)
  • 1 cup whipping cream

Heat sugar and 1/2 cup butter in a saucepan just until butter melts. Place in mixer bowl. Add milk and vanilla. Beat at high speed until mixture combines, about 10 minutes. It will look curdled at first. Add whipping cream and continue to beat at high speed. Add 1/2 cup butter a small piece at a time until the mixture becomes a fluffy frosting. This filling is a bit fussy to make but worth it for the taste. You could opt for your favorite Italian or French buttercream or stabilized whipped cream.

Fill the curls. Immediately eat them. Refrigerate or freeze those that aren’t eaten within an hour of filling. Refrigerate for up to ten days. They freeze for months – which makes the sugar rush last longer.

Merry Christmas and EVERY other holiday that happens this time of year!

Seriously Delicious Immunity Soup

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Good health is beautiful. GARLIC, onions, ginger, thyme turmeric, cayenne, black pepper, veg broth, coconut milk.
That pansy has antioxidant & anti-inflammatory properties.
  • 6 BIG bulbs of garlic, separate into cloves only smashing & peeling half of the cloves
  • 1 huge white onion, peeled & sliced
  • 2 T ghee & 2 T olive oil
  • 1/2 cup minced ginger
  • 2 t fresh thyme
  • 1/4-1/2 t cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 t fresh milled black pepper
  • 1 lemon, juice & 2 t grated peel
  • 4 cups vegetable broth (Magic Mineral Broth)
  • 1/2 to 1 cup coconut milk (I like the 1 cup)
  • sea salt, a bit added while sautéing & final then for seasoning
EVERYTHING ORGANIC! 6 BIG bulbs of garlic. 350°F oven.
Place have of the cloves, unpeeled in a baking dish. Toss with olive oil, cover and bake 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, smash the remaining garlic cloves and peel them. Set aside. Melt 2 T Grass-fed ghee in a 2-quart or larger pot. Add 1 huge white onion peeled & sliced, 2 teaspoons fresh thyme , 2 heaping tablespoons of turmeric*, 1/2 cup chopped ginger, 1/4 or more cayenne as you like, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1/4 t sea salt & half of the remaining garlic. Cook until the onions are transparent. You might need to add broth because the turmeric wants to thicken & stick so it can turn everything in your kitchen golden. Add the oven roasted garlic – popping each clove out of its skin. Add 4 cups of vegetables broth.** Simmer 20 minutes * I juiced fresh turmeric and added about 2 tablespoons of juice & 2 level tablespoons of dry.
**I love Rebecca Katz & her Magic Mineral Broth.
Well, I love all of her recipes. http://www.rebeccakatz.com

Puree the soup. Return to pot. Add coconut milk & heat through. Add remaining garlic cloves RAW, whole or chopped, your preference. Taste for seasoning and adjust.

Eat hot or cold. On rice or cauliflower. Tame it a bit with broth and vegetables. JUST BE SURE TO EAT IT! To be beautiful and smell like garlic. Refrigerate up to 7 days. Freeze some. Hey how about in ice cube trays? A little immunity shooter anytime. Straight-sided Ball jars work great. Be sure to leave 1″ of headroom to allow for the expansion during freezing. DATE ’em & eat within 3 months of freezing.
  • Garlic & Onion Cut at least 10 minutes before eating to release their power!
  • One clove of garlic has manganese, B6, C, selenium, calcium, copper, potassium, phosphorus, iron, B6. BOOSTS IMMUNITY!
  • Turmeric is a strong anti-inflammatory. Inflammation compromises your immune system. Turmeric must be eaten with black pepper & fat to best be absorbed. REDUCES INFLAMMATION!
  • Thyme C, A, copper, iron, manganese & disinfects & stops coughs. SANITIZES & BOOSTS IMMUNITY!
  • Ginger improves digestion (helps with turmeric absorption & allium digesiton), reduces inflammation, may protect respiratory system, fights infections! DOES A LOT!
  • Coconut Milk is full of antioxidants C, E, & electrolytes potassium, magnesium, phosphorus & antiseptic properties & is an anti-inflammatory & has ZINC & is a strong gut health supporter. MIRACLE FOOD!
  • Black Pepper is high in antioxidants is anti-inflammatory, boosts nutrient absorption & gut health. BRING IT ON!
  • Cayenne – I go light on cayenne, a personal preference and intolerance to night shades, but it can aid digestion among many other benefits for folks.
  • Lemon VITAMIN C and then some. For immunity boosting Vitamin C (time release) is recommended. I drink the juice of half a lemon every morning in warm water to detox my liver a bit as well.