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How to Make Ghee

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How to Make Ghee

Ghee is an Indian version of clarified butter. It’s not very often used here in the States but ever since I first started reading about how regular butter is different from ghee, I have been using it a lot. And I mean, really a lot. You will see why in a minute.

How to make Ghee

Advantages of Using Ghee

It might seem confusing at first. I mean, why would you go through the trouble of making your own ghee if you could have some delicious grass-fed butter instead?

Have you ever tried using butter for frying foods but had trouble with the butter burning when you used temperatures that were too high? Yup, that happens a lot. I remember being frustrated and just throwing away whatever I had in my frying pan just to start again from scratch and resorting to regular canola oil despite knowing it wasn’t good for me. So not only I wasted time but I also waster precious grass-fed butter that could have been utilized in different ways.

Higher Smoking Point 

It is possible to fry using butter but it’s difficult due to butter’s low smoke point (only about 300 degrees Fahrenheit!). No wonder it burns so easily. But ghee, or any clarified butter for that matter, has a smoke point of a whopping 482 degrees. Higher than most vegetable oils. This makes ghee perfect for cooking at high temperatures.

Low in Lactose

Ghee doesn’t contain any whey (where lactose is) or casein protein. This means that ghee can be easily digested even by people with lactose intolerance or general sensitivity to dairy. If your stomach gets upset easily, try using ghee instead of butter for a few weeks and see if you can see any difference. If you feel better then you will know that the most probable cause of your digestion issues is dairy.

Ghee is easier on the stomach and for this reason, it is recommend that you substitute butter with ghee during your GAPS diet, or at least its introductory stage.

High in Vitamin K2

Ghee has plenty of vitamin K2 which is vital for mineral absorption. But the trick is that vitamin K2 works best when combined with vitamins A and D. So when I eat seafood (which is full of vitamin D), I always use ghee instead of butter to give myself that extra vitamin K2 boost!

To make ghee at home, you will need regular butter, an oven, and some free time. And when I say “regular butter”, I really do mean regular store-bought or pasteurized butter. Technically you could use raw butter for this but I feel like that would be wasting of raw butter’s properties.

Necessary equipment:

  • a baking dish OR a French oven OR a Dutch oven
  • a ladle
  • a glass bowl
  • a cheesecloth
  • a canning funnel
  • a glass jar with a lid for storage

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
  2. Place the butter into your baking dish.
  3. Bake for an hour. You should see three separate layers once the butter is finished baking: milk solids at the bottom, butter oil in the middle, and a foamy layer on the top.
  4. Take your butter out of the oven.
  5. Carefully skim off the foamy top layer and discard it.
  6. Now you need to separate the middle layer (which is the actual ghee) from the solids at the bottom. You can use a ladle to skim off some of the ghee and transfer it to your glass storage jar but it is unlikely you will be able to get all of it with just this method. What I do is I set a cheesecloth over a glass bowl and put the baked butter on top of it. The solids stay on top of the cheesecloth while the liquid ghee drains into the glass bowl.
  7. Transfer all of the ghee in a storage jar and leave to cool at room temperature. It should gradually solidify and your ghee will be ready to use!

You can keep ghee at room temperature for several weeks but it will hold longer when in the fridge (usually about half a year). If you put it in the freezer, it will hold for one year.

A Guide to Vitamin K2

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A Guide to Vitamin K2

Vitamin K2 isn’t talked about that much. This is a real shame since it cannot be overstated how much it matters to the proper functioning of our bodies. The reason it isn’t as well-known as other vitamins is probably the fact that it wasn’t discovered until 1945.

Why Vitamin K2 So Important?

Dr. Weston Price first described the newly discovered substance as “an activator” that acted in a similar way to other vitamins. He named it Activator X. He claimed that this “activator” plays a big role in how the human body absorbs and utilizes minerals and vitamins. It also is responsible for strengthening our bones, including prevention of tooth decay, improved brain function, and protection against cardiovascular diseases. His research showed that this new compound was found mainly in meats and fats that came from animals with a grass-based diet. Vitamin K2 is converted from vitamin K (now called vitamin K1) found in grass and other rapidly growing plants by animal tissue.

I think the name “activator” really well describes the function of vitamin K2. That’s because it acts as a catalyst (it “activates”) vitamin A and D.

Here is a quote from Vitamin K2, menatetrenone that explains how vitamin K2 works:

“The synergism Weston Price observed between vitamins A, D and K2 now has a solid mechanism. In a nutshell, vitamins A and D signal the production of some very important proteins, and K2 is required to activate them once they are made. Many of these proteins are involved in mineral metabolism … For example, osteocalcin is a protein that organizes calcium and phosphorus deposition in the bones and teeth. It’s produced by cells in response to vitamins A and D, but requires K2 to perform its function. This suggests that the effects of vitamin D on bone health could be amplified greatly if it were administered along with K2. By itself, K2 is already highly protective against fractures in older people. It… also protects against vitamin D toxicity.”

The relation between these three vitamins is fascinating to me. I love how our bodies have found a way to balance all of the nutrients out.

The Power of Grass-Fed Foods

You might remember me mention vitamin K2 before. I do it often when the recipe I’m writing about uses a lot of butter. Grass-fed butter or grass-fed Ghee are an excellent source of this nourishing vitamin that is so important for our health. And not only butter but also all grass-fed dairy products. By choosing to buy grass-fed foods, you are choosing the health of you and your family.

Vitamin K2 is also often found in fermented foods like sauerkraut. That’s because the fermentation process encourages its creation. One food in particular, natto (fermented soybeans), is abundant in vitamin K2.

It would be best if our bodies, just like cows and goats, would be able to convert K1 into K2, but unfortunately that’s not how it works. That’s why we need to go slightly out of our way to get enough of it to maintain proper vitamin balance. Our ancestors didn’t have that problem because their diets were rich in grass-fed foods anyway. But currently, we as a population lack all that necessary vitamin K2.

Here is another quote from Vitamin K: The Missing Nutrient:

“However, although animals can convert vitamin K1 to K2, a significant amount of evidence suggests that humans require preformed K2 in the diet to obtain and maintain optimal health. The strongest indication that humans require preformed vitamin K2 in the diet is that epidemiological and intervention studies both show its superiority over K1. Intake of K2 is inversely associated with heart disease in humans while intake of K1 is not…and vitamin K2 is at least three times more effective than K1 at activating proteins related to skeletal metabolism.”

Can you see why we should care more about our food selection now?

How to Get More Vitamin K2 in Your Diet?

Incorporate more traditional grass-fed and fermented foods. Here’s a quick list that should hopefully help you out:

  • fermented foods like natto or sauerkraut
  • grass-fed beef
  • pastured chicken
  • chicken liver
  • egg yolks
  • high vitamin butter oil
  • hard and soft cheeses

I hope I convinced you to give these foods a try if you aren’t eating them yet!

When NOT To Work Out – 10 Good Reasons

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I am going to say something controversial today: I believe there are times you shouldn’t be working out.

Everyone says that exercising is good for you. And I agree that the general idea behind that statement is indeed true. I am not denying the benefits of working out.

On principle, regular exercise will keep you in shape. It will revitalize you and give you more energy to function. You will be able to eat more because of the calories you burn while working out and your sleep quality will improve.

Any form of activity is good. You can go on long walks with your dog, go hiking, play basketball, lift weights, do aerobics or yoga. As long as you squeeze in those three 1-hour sessions of exercise a week, you’re good right? I’m not so sure about that.

I know for a fact that sometimes working out can bring you more bad than good. Here’s why:

Exercise is putting stress on your body. And your body is not always well-equipped to handle it. Working out can sometimes be the worst thing you can do to your body. If you are struggling with other health issues, you need to treat those first and then think about exercise and improving your stamina.

Here are my top ten reasons not to work out:

  1. You suffer from chronic stress. If you are already stressed out all the time, why add an additional strain on your body? Forcing yourself to work out despite stress won’t make you feel better. It will only make you feel worse because you won’t see the effects you want to see and that will only stress you out further. Now, if it’s an activity you really enjoy doing (not for the sake of losing weight etc.) then feel free to keep it up. But otherwise, drop it for now.
  2. You don’t get enough sleep. Sleep is vital for our health. It’s when our bodies recover from the stress of the day. If you don’t have the time to get that 8 hours of sleep every day then don’t bother working out, it will not do you any good. And definitely do not sacrifice the time you could spend recovering for working out!
  3. You are exhausted all the time. Same as being stressed, feeling tired won’t go away after you tire yourself out further. Focus on recovery first and exercise later.
  4. Your basal temperature is low. If you’re not doing it yet, I recommend you take your body temperature each day, as soon as you wake up. It’s a good indicator of your overall wellbeing. If your basal temperature is regularly around 97.2 degrees and doesn’t go up throughout the day, don’t work out.
  5. Your body temperature drops after you work out. That’s the sign indicating your body perceives working out as a stress source. You want your temperature to be higher after you work out, not lower.
  6. You are recovering from trauma or PTSD. This is similar to suffering from chronic stress. You need to first work on your mental health and only then can begin thinking about working out.
  7. You have an untreated physical injury. You’re not going to jump around with a broken leg, right? That would be crazy. So don’t go jogging again until that sprained ankle fully heals. Similarly, don’t go weight lifting while running a fever. Focus on getting your physical health in order first.
  8. You have been doing restrictive diets. Have you spent the last month eating under 1000 calories each day? Your body doesn’t have enough energy to function, let alone work out!
  9. You have been doing low-carb diets. Carbs are the main source of energy for our bodies. I know that hating wheat is all the rage now but you better embrace grains and starches if you want your exercise to bring positive effects. Focus on getting all the proper macronutrients and once you are sure you are not missing anything, you can start working out.
  10. Working out feels like a chore. Don’t do activities that you don’t enjoy! How is that supposed to do you any good? If you have been forcing yourself to do a particular form of exercise for the past week and still don’t feel any joy, it’s time to put a stop to it. Try something different if you need to. Or better yet, do a variety of activities instead of just one all the time.

As you can see, there are plenty of good reasons not to work out. But what should you do if you want to feel like you want to work out again?

Work on your metabolism first.

  • Read the Diet Recovery and Eat for Heat. You will learn everything about how metabolism works and what to do to improve it.
  • Do the Anti-Diet Challenge to challenge your views about traditional diet. You will be surprised!
  • If you are low carb and want to fix that, read my post about eating carbs on GAPS. It contains some helpful tips, even if you aren’t doing GAPS.
  • Sleep, sleep, sleep.
  • Focus on relaxing first.
  • Let go of the “I must work out to be healthy” mindset. I know it’s difficult but you will be better off in the long run.

And if you genuinely feel that you can’t wait to work out and move your body, that’s when you’re ready to do so.

Traditional Peach Cobbler made from scratch

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Traditional Peach Cobbler made from scratch

A peach cobbler is a true classic of American desserts. I strongly associate it with Sunday family dinners which were the only time my mom would pull out all stops to treat us to something delicious and homemade. The peach cobbler was often on the menu for those occasions. In summer, we would serve it with vanilla ice cream on top. The ice cream would melt and drip all over the sides, creating the absolute peach-themed dessert – a combination of juicy peaches with a rich cake and fragrant vanilla ice cream.

Peach Cobbler

The one thing I didn’t know about that peach cobbler at the time was that it was made using a store-bought cake batter mix and canned peaches. And even if I did know that I probably wouldn’t care. Obviously, I didn’t know anything about real foods as a child. And besides, everyone was using convenient cans back then because why wouldn’t they? It’s only now that we are starting to realize the true consequences of those bad eating habits.

That’s why in the recipe below you will not find any canned substitutes. I tried my best to make this peach cobbler as healthy as possible without losing its classic flavor. I replaced canned peaches with soft simmered peaches that I brought fresh from a local health store. And you won’t need any cake mix because I’m going to introduce you to a real simple batter recipe that anyone can do.

I buy a lot of fresh peaches when they are in season. I don’t really like eating them on their own, but they are great for desserts! Peach cobblers, peach pies, you name it, they all taste delicious! And when I have a lot of peaches at hand that I know I won’t have the time to use, I’ll can them and use them up later, when they aren’t in season.

History of the Peach Cobbler

I also find the history of the peach cobbler fascinating! Here’s what you can read on Wikipedia:

“Cobblers originated in the early British American colonies. English settlers were unable to make traditional suet puddings due to lack of suitable ingredients and cooking equipment, so instead covered a stewed filling with a layer of uncooked plain biscuits or dumplings, fitted together. When fully cooked, the surface has the appearance of a cobbled street. The name may also derive from the fact that the ingredients are “cobbled” together.”

I never thought of peach cobbles as looking like a cobbled street, but I suppose that it does indeed! And to be honest, I also didn’t know that traditionally, the “batter” (biscuits or dumplings) is supposed to go on top of the beaches. In my home, we always did it the other way around: we would pour in the batter and then put the peaches on top of it. The cake batter covers the peaches as it rises higher and higher.

“In the Deep South, cobblers most commonly come in single fruit varieties and are named as such, such as blackberry, blueberry, and peach cobbler. The Deep South tradition also gives the option of topping the fruit cobbler with a scoop or two of vanilla ice cream.”

So, the addition of ice cream is another regional distinction – another thing I didn’t know about. We put ice cream on top of our peach cobbler, but we don’t really have any relatives in the South. I’m not sure where my mother got the idea for that but I’m sure glad that she did! I especially like combining the peach cobbler with my own homemade vanilla ice cream, made with genuine vanilla beans and grass-fed cream and milk.

Necessary equipment:

  • a large baking dish
  • measuring cups
  • a large mixing bowl
  • a whisk
  • a saucepan
  • a wooden spoon
  • a large serving spoon
  • an ice cream scoop

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup of melted grass-fed butter

peach filling:

  • 4 cups of peaches (peeled and sliced)
  • 1 cup of whole cane sugar
  • 1/2 cup of filtered water
  • 1 T. of lemon juice
  • 1 t. of cinnamon
  • 1 t. of vanilla extract

cake batter:

  • 1 cup of freshly ground flour OR sprouted flour (how to make sprouted flour)
  • 1 cup of whole cane sugar
  • 1 cup of whole milk
  • 1 T. of baking powder
  • a pinch of sea salt

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
  2. Pour the melted butter into your large casserole dish. Or do what I usually do: I place the cold butter in the dish and put in the oven that is now being preheated. The butter melts in five minutes, tops. I then take out the dish and set it aside while I prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Cake batter:

  1. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and sea salt in a large mixing bowl.
  2. Add the milk and stir until fully combined.
  3. Pour the batter into the casserole dish, on top of the melted butter spread on the bottom. Let is spread out in an even layer.

Peach filling:

  1. Combine the peaches, whole cane sugar, water, lemon juice, cinnamon, and vanilla extract in a saucepan set over medium high heat.
  2. Simmer for 8 minutes.
  3. Once ready, pour the peach filling on top of the cake batter.
  4. Bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes. You’ll know the cobbler is ready when the batter rises to the top of the peach filling level and becomes nicely browned.
  5. Take the cobbler out of the oven and let cool for up to 10 minutes so that all the layers set nicely.
  6. Serve in small bowls with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top!

Enjoy! Since we’re in the topic of peach cobblers, you might want to also try my peach cobbler with buttermilk biscuit topping and cinnamon.

How to Make Sprouted Whole Grain Flour

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How to Make Sprouted Whole Grain Flour

This is post is a little celebration for having successfully completed my GAPS journey. For the past ten months, I have been following the GAPS diet to aid my gut in recovery from long spells of unhealthy eating habits. Last month I slowly started to reintroduce starches and grains to my diet again. A couple of boiled potatoes, some soaked quinoa, even a raw nut or two. I had no digestive issues whatsoever so I decided it’s time to go back to eating my beloved sprouted flour again.

Sprouted Flour

How did I know I was ready to eat grains again? My body was telling me this. Despite being a heavy grain eater before, I never really felt compelled to break my GAPS restrictions and start eating them again. But it all changed about nine months in. I started to crave grains for no apparent reason. These cravings were weak at first so I ignored them but once they got stronger I understood. They were my body’s method of communicating to me that I am free and healthy enough to eat grains again.

Are Grains Bad?

I strongly disagree with the statement that grains are bad for us. Grains have been with us for centuries, they are one of the first kinds of foods we as humans grew and harvested on our own. How could they possibly be unhealthy if our ancestors ate plenty of them and were just fine? Years of eating modern processed foods can damage your gut enough so that it will be difficult for you to digest grains. And that’s what GAPS is for. To make you able to eat grains again. So if you are ready and you have no digestive issues when it comes to grains, give this recipe for sprouted flour a try. But don’t force it if you don’t think you’re strong enough just yet!

Now that my GAPS journey is over, I want to start following Matt Stone (from 180 Degree Health)’s protocol for raising my basal temperature with foods full of carbs, starches, and grains. I did it once before and the results were overwhelming! To make that happen, I need my sprouted flour.

I am making a batch of sprouted flour almost every week and then later use it in most recipes that involve flour. Why not just use regular flour? Just like with nuts, seeds, and beans, grains are easier to digest if they have been thoroughly soaked. Sprouted flour is great not only for making bread, but also for pancakes, pies, and cookies! Psst, if you really don’t have the time to make your own, you can always buy sprouted flour at most health food stores. But be aware that you will get hooked and begin wanting to cook up a homemade batch. When that happens, come back to this recipe.

To make sprouted flour, you will need something called grain berries, also often called wheat berries. They are the kernels from which flour is made of. There are many types available but as long as they are whole grain, this recipe should work. I usually use spelt or teff berries.

Necessary equipment:

  • half gallon glass jars
  • a canning funnel with a wide mouth
  • a large kitchen cloth
  • sprouting lids
  • a flat dish for dehydrating, e.g. a pie plate
  • a dehydrator
  • a grain grinder
  • a sieve

Ingredients:

  • several cups of raw whole grain berries
  • filtered water

Instructions:

  1. Use a canning funnel to pour the whole grain berries into your glass jars. Make them less than half full.
  2. Fill the jars with filtered water as much to the top as you possibly can.
  3. Cover all the jars with a kitchen cloth and leave to soak overnight at room temperature.
  4. In the morning, drain the water out of the jars and rinse the berries again.
  5. Screw sprouting lids on the jars.
  6. Place your jars upside down at an angle in any shallow dish so that the water can freely drain gradually.
  7. Rinse the berries twice or three times a day, fill the jars with water again, and let them slowly drain in your shallow dish.
  8. After about two or three days, you should the first sprouts. When the length of the sprout is around the same length as the berry, your sprouting is done.
  9. You can use the sprouted grains as they are or dehydrate them to make flour (which is what I usually do).

Making flour:

  1. Layer all the sprouted berries on a dehydration tray and use a dehydrator to dry them out for about 12 hours at least.
  2. Now put your dried berries through a grain grinder, sprouts and everything. Do it gradually because sprouts tend to get tangled and clump when ground.
  3. Use a tightly woven sieve to sift the flour. This will get rid of the bran which is difficult to digest even after sprouting.
  4. Your whole grain sprouted flour is now ready for use! If not used immediately, store in the freezer.

How to Make Shellfish Stock

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How to Make Shellfish Stock

Some time ago, I found shrimp on sale. That shrimp was in its purest form – not de-veined and not peeled. I was over the moon because I had rarely seen this kind of shrimp and now it was even on sale!

Shrimp

Yes, it’s troublesome to peel the de-vein the shrimp yourself. But I’m willing to sacrifice some of my time for this task because I will get shrimp shells in return. Shrimp shells are not technically edible, but I know some people do eat them as well. However, I won’t be eating those shells. I will make a delicious shellfish stock with them.

A homemade shellfish stock is great for whenever you are making any kind of seafood dish. You can turn it into a delicious seafood soup or make a stew. You can also use that stock to make a great risotto!

I use shrimp shells here, but the same stock can be made using any other kind of shells, like lobster shells. Use whatever you have on hand! Save those shells and don’t waste them by throwing them into the trash. A flavorful shellfish stock is a great broth that doesn’t need to simmer for as long as beef stock or chicken stock. And it feels much fancier too! So, add this shellfish stock recipe to your repertoire, especially if you are doing the GAPS diet. It’s very easy to make. You essentially combine all the shrimp shells and veggies and simmer them for a few hours. You don’t even need to peel the vegetables because you will strain them out later anyway. The ratio of effort to flavor is unbelievable in this recipe!

And just a side note about fat before we get to the recipe itself. I used to avoid shrimp and other foods that contain high cholesterol because I was so afraid that it would cause me to have some kind of heart disease. This was one of the many misconceptions I used to hold. Since then, I have realized that high cholesterol is not associated with heart disease. And that statistics say people with high cholesterol actually live longer.

It always seemed weird to me. People all around me were saying that I should avoid these foods because they would make me unhealthy. But how can the natural fat that occurs in shrimp and fish be harmful? Didn’t our ancestors eat those all the time? Why am I no longer allowed to? I think now that avoiding these foods because “fat is so scary, oh no” is what’s unhealthy. I will gladly eat fat now, as long as it comes from a natural source.

Necessary equipment:

  • Large stockpot OR a slow cooker OR a French oven with a lid
  • Mixing bowl
  • Stainless-steel strainer
  • Glass jars with lids for storing

Ingredients:

  • 3 to 5 cups of shrimp shells (or lobster/crab)
  • 1 whole onion
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 celery stalks
  • ¼ cup of tomato paste
  • ½ cup of white wine
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 t. of black peppercorns
  • 1 t. of dried parsley
  • 1 t. of dried thyme

Instructions:

  1. Spread the shrimp shells on the bottom of your stockpot (or slow cooker/French oven).
  2. Add all the vegetables (onion, garlic, carrots, celery stalks) and spices (bay leaves, black peppercorns, dried parsley, dried thyme).
  3. Add the tomato paste and white wine.
  4. Fill the rest of the pot with filtered water. Leave about two inches of space below the rim.
  5. Bring to a boil, cover the stockpot with a lid, and then immediately reduce the heat.
  6. Keep simmering the mixture for at least one hour and up to four hours.
  7. Once the shellfish stock is finished, strain all the ingredients out of the pot.
  8. Transfer the stock into glass jars and keep it for use in other recipes.

Enjoy the unique taste of shellfish stock!

Traditional Italian Lasagna

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Whenever I don’t have much time in the evening to make dinner, I like to make dishes that are baked in the oven, like casseroles. I think my favorite one of such dishes is the Italian lasagna. It’s the ultimate comfort food full of aromatic herbs and flavorful potatoes. In this post, I am going to share with you the recipe I usually use to make trademark lasagna at home.

My favorite aspect of making lasagna is that I don’t need to stand over the stove all the time. I can just assemble all the ingredients in the baking dish, pop it in the oven, and wait for it to be ready with no input from me necessary. It gives me ample time to either clean up the kitchen without feeling like I need to hurry or to relax with my family in the living room before dinner.

I can prepare all the ingredients and assemble the dish beforehand. This is very helpful if, for example, I have some time at noon but know that I will be running errands all afternoon later. When I get back home, I just put the dish in the oven and don’t need to do anything else! Heating the leftovers is also very simple and I sometimes even prepare a piece of the lasagne from the day before as school lunch for my son.

The only thing I regret about this recipe is that I had to resort to store-bought lasagne noodles. I have tried several recipes for homemade lasagne noodles before my none have turned out like I would like them to. If you buy the noodles from a supermarket, like me, be careful to read the ingredients list to check if there aren’t any weird chemicals in your noodles. I noticed that gluten-free noodles tend to be made from better ingredients so maybe try them out.

Necessary equipment:

  • a large baking dish
  • aluminum foil
  • a jelly roll pan
  • a strainer
  • a saucepan
  • a wooden spoon
  • two glass mixing bowls
  • a whisk

Ingredients:

  • 8 to 10 large lasagna noodles (the number will depend on the size of your baking dish)
  • 5 cups of marinara sauce
  • 2 cups of ground beef
  • 2 cups of chopped frozen spinach
  • 2 cups of ricotta cheese
  • 4 eggs
  • dried basil
  • dried oregano
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 6 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/2 cup of grated parmesan

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Thaw the frozen spinach using a strainer over the sink or another large bowl.
  3. Cook the ground beef with salt and pepper in a large saucepan. Set aside to cool.
  4. Prepare your baking dish by lining it with aluminum foil. Use butter to help it stick to the surface.
  5. Prepare the first layer of your lasagne in one glass bowl. Combine three cups of marinara sauce with the eggs, ricotta cheese, salt and pepper. Stir all the ingredients thoroughly.
  6. In another glass bowl, prepare the second layer of your lasagne. Combine two cups of marinara sauce with thawed spinach and the ground beef.

Assemble your lasagna:

  1. Put about 1/3 of your marinara and ricotta layer on the bottom of the baking dish evenly.
  2. Spread out 4 or 5 of your lasagne noodles on top.
  3. Layer half of the marinara meat sauce on top of the noodles.
  4. Put another 1/3 of the marinara ricotta sauce on top.
  5. Sprinkle with two cups of shredded mozzarella.
  6. Cover with the remaining lasagne noodles.
  7. Layer the second half of the marinara meatsauce.
  8. Put the last 1/3 of the marinara ricotta sauce on top (but leave a few large dollops of it for later)
  9. Sprinkle with another two cups of mozzarella.
  10. Ladle the remaining marinara ricotta sauce over the whole lasagne.
  11. Cover with the last two cups of shredded mozzarella.
  12. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese on top.
  13. Season the top of your lasagne with basil and oregano. This will give flavor to the crisp crust that will form later.
  14. Now cover your baking dish with another piece of aluminum foil.
  15. Place the baking dish on a jelly roll pan. You might want to put some more aluminum foil or parchment paper underneath the baking dish in case it bubbles over.
  16. Bake for 55 minutes.
  17. Uncover the top of the lasagne and bake for another 15 minutes.
  18. Take out of the oven and let cool for at least 10 minutes.
  19. Sprinkle with some more parmesan cheese if you want and serve while still warm!

Enjoy! And for another great pasta recipe, try my ricotta spinach pasta.

Divine Chocolate Mint Brownies

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Divine Chocolate Mint Brownies

I made these chocolate mint brownies a few weeks ago for a little party my daughter was throwing for her friends at our house. I chose to make them using regular white flour and white sugar – something that is very unusual for me, as you probably know. Most of the time, I replace these foods with their real food counterparts. My kitchen cupboard is filled with wheat flour, whole cane sugar, organic honey, and other whole foods. So why did I decide to go the other way this time?

Because I wanted to allow myself to chill a little, especially as I was cooking for people who weren’t really used to eating my family’s usual diet. I do know that white flour and white sugar are the bane of dietary problems in America, but I don’t think there is much harm in enjoying one single brownie out of the two pans I made. That one brownie is not going to kill me.

Thanks to completing my GAPS diet, I was able to digest that white garbage food-filled brownie with no issues. My gut is doing better than ever and I no longer need to fear different types of food. Of course, that doesn’t mean that I am suddenly going to start eating those unhealthy things on regular basis. I am fully committed to making my meals in the most organic way possible. But everyone needs a little chill break once in a while.

But if you don’t feel right with it, then absolutely there is no need to force yourself to eat white flour! I know people suffer from different dietary issues that can’t always be healed by going on GAPS. If you want, feel free to eat that commercial flour and sugar. But only do so if you feel strong enough. If you completed GAPS, then one little brownie made with GAPS-illegal ingredients is probably not going to harm you.

Chocolate Mint Brownies

Ingredients:

brownies:

  • 1 cup of butter (about two sticks)
  • 1/2 cup of cocoa powder
  • 2 t. of vanilla extract
  • 3 T. of brewed coffee
  • 2 cups of whole cane sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 3/4 cup of sprouted flour (how to make sprouted flour)
  • 1 1/2 t. of baking powder
  • 1/2 t. of sea salt
  • optional: 1 cup of chopped walnuts or any other nuts (how to soak and dehydrate nuts)

mint icing layer:

  • 1/2 cup of butter at room temperature (about one stick)
  • 1/2 cup of thick raw honey
  • 2 T. of milk
  • 1 t. of mint extract
  • a pinch of sea salt
  • optional: a few drops of natural green food coloring (you can also mix yellow and blue coloring to make green)

chocolate buttercream layer:

  • 1 cup of butter at room temperature (about 2 sticks)
  • 1/2 cup of thick raw honey
  • 2/3 cup of cocoa powder
  • 2 t. of vanilla extract
  • optional: 2 T. of brewed coffee, chilled

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper so that it hangs over the edges by an inch or more. Butter the dish beforehand to make the parchment paper stick to the surface. You can also butter the parchment paper as well so that it will be easier to lift the brownie out when it’s done baking and chills.

Brownie batter:

  1. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan.
  2. Add cocoa powder, coffee, and vanilla extract. Whisk to combine.
  3. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
  4. Once cooled, transfer the batter to a stand mixer’s mixing bowl.
  5. Add sugar and whisk everything together.
  6. Add the eggs one by one, whisking after each one.
  7. Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate mixing bowl.
  8. Add the dry ingredients to your stand mixer’s bowl but do it carefully and gradually.
  9. Your batter is now ready. If you want to, you can stir in some nuts at this point. Use a wooden spoon to do this.
  10. Pour the batter into your baking pan. Smooth the top to make it even.
  11. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. You will know your brownies are ready when you can see the batter is set after you shake the pan slightly. You can also use the toothpick method: insert a toothpick in the brownie and if it’s dry then you’re done.
  12. Remove from oven and leave to cool.

Mint icing layer:

  1. Mix butter and honey using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment.
  2. Add the mint extract, milk, salt, and optionally, the food coloring. Continue mixing, first at low speed and gradually increasing the speed until all the ingredients fully combine.
  3. Put the mint frosting on top of your chilled brownies.
  4. Transfer the brownies to the freezer to harden the icing.

Chocolate buttercream layer:

  1. Mix butter and honey using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment.
  2. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and optionally, coffee. Continue mixing, first at low speed and gradually increasing the speed until all the ingredients fully combine.
  3. Take out the chilled brownies from the freezer and frost them with the chocolate buttercream layer.
  4. You can put the brownies back in the freezer for another 15 minutes to help all the layers set.
  5. Take out the brownies and cut them into square pieces using a sharp knife. The parchment paper should separate from the brownies with no problems.

Enjoy these mint chocolate brownies!

How to Use Honey to Treat Acne

Girl Cooks World
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How to Use Honey to Treat Acne

Oatmeal Honey Yogurt

Years of unhealthy eating have done their damage to my skin. I experienced first-hand how much of a role nutrition plays in the condition of our skin.

As a teenager, I struggled with severe acne that killed my self-esteem. I spent a large share of my allowance on cosmetics that were supposed to cure me and give me that skin I always wanted. Of course, they never worked as they should. I went to a few different dermatologists that would prescribe me various drugs and creams that were supposed to get rid of the acne. They didn’t work either. In some cases, they even made my condition worse!

Now my face has cleared up a lot (after I started eating clean) but I still get the occasional pimple now and then. However, the difference between the past me and the present me is that the present me knows how to deal with it now.

A simple face mask from raw honey is what gives me the best results and I want to show you how I do it exactly.

Raw honey has antibacterial properties that will fight the root cause of your pimples for you (source). It will also soothe the irritated skin and calm it down. Many people claim that just a dab of honey did more for them than any commercial products (source). And I am one of them!

The simplest version of this mask is just putting a teaspoon or so of raw honey on the affected spots and rubbing it in gently using your fingers. However, I like to add some yogurt and oatmeal to my mask to make the whole facial experience feel more-spa like. Yogurt is great for soothing your skin and the oatmeal acts like a gentle exfoliant.

Necessary equipment:

  • a mortar and a pestle
  • a small glass bowl
  • a spoon

Ingredients:

Instructions:

  1. Use a mortar and pestle to grind the oatmeal into fine crumbs.
  2. Mix all the ingredients together in a small glass bowl.
  3. Apply the mask to the affected spots and do not rinse it off for at least 20 minutes. For acne prevention, cover your whole face with the mask in a thin layer. Use every day.
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