Jun! The Champagne of Kombucha! For some of you, this culture is old news . . . for others, you may have never heard of it. Jun is a cultured food similar to kombucha but supposedly its own separate thing. It is brewed with a SCOBY culture that is light in color and is made…(Read More)
My 23-year-old son, DJ, called me from his home. He was very sick with a stomach flu and was in a considerable amount of pain with stomach cramps throughout the night. With a half cup of pickle juice in hand I went over to his home. I went into his room which was…(Read More)
When? Saturday July 16th and August 20th We have two new classes coming up this summer. I hope you can make one of them and learn all about the Trilogy! Have you heard about the Trilogy? Kefir, kombucha, and cultured veggies are three foods that can change you life and your body. These are three…(Read More)
I get a lot of people writing me letters indicating that they are afraid they are going to get sick from eating cultured foods. They don’t understand cultured foods and how they work; preconceived ideas and the media have created fear, a lot of fear. I get a lot of letters about one particular…(Read More)
A recent study, published in the journal PNAS, suggested that bacteria in the gut may play a role in alcohol addiction and the risk of relapsing after rehab. The study was done on 60 alcohol-dependent individuals. They tested their intestinal bacteria composition and found that 26 out of the 60 alcohol-dependent subjects suffered…(Read More)
Yesterday my daughter Holli came running into the room and burst into tears. She cried and said, “Help me! My stomach hurts so bad.” And then she ran to the bathroom and started throwing up. She had spent the night with a friend who had just had the same thing, so I’m pretty sure…(Read More)
Prebiotics + Probiotics = Probiotic Powerhouse In the last few years I have been researching, and ingesting, a lot of prebiotics and what I have discovered is that prebiotics are just as important as probiotics. What is a prebiotic and why is this so important? Prebiotics are certain indigestible fibers that nourish the good bacteria…(Read More)
Everybody knows we should eat more salads, but if you make probiotic salads you quadruple the benefits. The most powerful food combo you can have is prebiotics (food for bacteria) and probiotics (cultured foods) together in a meal. These salads will do just that. When you eat a probiotic salad, you’re getting billions of…(Read More)
Lots of articles are popping up about reasons you should have kefir, but few of the people writing the articles have actually drunk kefir every day for 14 years. This post is specifically talking about milk kefir and not water kefir. My reasons for drinking kefir are very personal and specific to me. But here…(Read More)
First time I heard about the power of the cultured vegetable kimchi was during the bird flu epidemic. It was a scary epidemic that hit Asia in 2005 – about 60% of those infected with this virus died. Scientists were searching frantically for ways to protect humans and poultry from this deadly virus. Koreans have…(Read More)
It astonishes me that everybody doesn’t know about Cultured Veggies – they are such powerful little scrub brushes for the colon and deliver such powerful anti-virus abilities. Over and over again I have seen these veggies knock out colds and flu and even work magic on food poisoning. The thing that most surprised me…(Read More)
Coconut water is my favorite water kefir. I love how it tastes, how easy it is to make, and how it makes me feel. In the early days of making cultured foods, coconut kefir was a huge part of my daughter Maci’s recovery from food allergies and IBS. It was something she really liked…(Read More)
The legend goes . . . in China, 2727 BC, the Emperor Shen Nong, who was known as “the divine healer,” was boiling his water to clean out impurities. The pot was underneath a tea bush and several leaves fell into the pot. The pot had such a wonderful fragrance, color, and taste that the…(Read More)
YES, you can reuse the brine from cultured vegetables, but you’ll need to know a couple of things before you do…(Read More)
This little guy in the picture is my puppy Scoby (pronounced like kombucha SCOBY) enjoying his kefir. Kefir is incredibly good for dogs and we hear many stories of how it helps them in so many ways. Did you know that your pets need probiotics, too? In fact, most vets and animal experts have known…(Read More)
I make Kefir. What’s your superpower? Kefir can be made with many different kinds of milk, be it non-dairy or dairy milk. It differs in calories and nutritional differences depending on which type of milk you use. Kefir is far superior to regular milk. Fermentation is the alchemy of milk. It chemically breaks…(Read More)
“Is it just a coincidence that as the portion of our income spent on food has declined, spending on health care has soared? In 1960, Americans spent 17.5 percent of their income on food and 5.2 percent of national income on health care. Since then, those numbers have flipped: Spending on food has…(Read More)
Many people wonder if probiotic pills provide the same benefit as probiotic foods since they seem to be marketed in the same way—healthy bacteria for our guts. However, probiotic foods work significantly better because of their construction. To get into the small intestine and colon, where they do the work of breaking down and…(Read More)
Somebody asked me the other day how I come up with recipes for cultured foods. Many times they come suddenly into my brain. This will often make me miss my exits while driving on the highway because I am thinking about the specifics of how to make it. Another way they come is through a…(Read More)
Viruses, yuck . . . my family used to get them a lot. Colds, flus, you name it, we got it. But so did everybody else I knew. It’s normal, right? Well, it’s actually not. Every year at Christmas we would go to my mom’s in Virginia and somebody would inevitably get sick, and then…(Read More)
Did you ever stop to taste a carrot? Not just eat it but taste it? You can taste the beauty and energy of the earth in every bite. A Bright Orange Liquid I was young, nine years old, and sitting in a classroom staring at my teacher’s desk. She had a thermos; and from…(Read More)
Sold OUT! Saturday, February 20th, 2016 Where: The Kitchen – located in the Santa Barbara, California Public Market Have you heard about The Trilogy? Kefir, kombucha, and cultured veggies are three cultured probiotic foods that can change your life and your body. These are three of the most powerful superfoods you can eat and…(Read More)
Sometimes food is more than food. That’s what I call kefir. It’s cold and raining outside, and I perform one of my usual morning rituals. I throw together a cup of coconut kefir, a spoonful of cocoa powder, a few heaping spoonfuls of coconut flakes, a few cashews, a little stevia and stir…(Read More)
2015 has been a busy year at Cultured Food Life. We launched many new products in our store and shipped four tons of products last year. I started a weekly radio show on Hay House Radio. My new book came out: Cultured Food for Health and we expanded our Biotic Pro membership site with many…(Read More)
The holidays are coming to a close and a new year is starting. Do you want to set a new intention to eat better but always feel like you fall short? Why is it so hard to change? Neurons and microbes You’re redefining who you are through your choices every day, and the hardest…(Read More)
A sourdough starter has only two ingredients: flour and water. Combined with unseen organisms of bacteria and yeasts and its mysterious ability to transform food, you’ll have a universe of possibilities. It’s Tuesday night and I usually make bread on Wednesdays. I take my sourdough starter out of the fridge to feed…(Read More)
Sold Out! Saturday, February 6th, 2016 Have you heard about The Trilogy? Kefir, kombucha, and cultured veggies are three cultured probiotic foods that can change your life and your body. These are three of the most powerful superfoods you can eat and Donna wants to teach you how to make them a part of…(Read More)
I love almonds and they make wonderful kefir. Some people call almonds the healthiest food in all the world and they have tons of health benefits. But I know a thing or two about almonds that perhaps you do not know. Almonds Provide Protection Against Insulin and Blood Sugar Issues Researchers fed fifteen healthy subjects…(Read More)
I love kefir grains, but I didn’t start my journey making kefir using kefir grains. I started with the powder kefir and was very glad I did. I was pretty much a wreck at that time in my life and I needed something easy and foolproof or it wasn’t going to happen. Making…(Read More)
I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me. I felt off, kind of loopy in the head and couldn’t think straight, and not myself. I was tired and wanting to rest a lot and didn’t want to exercise. This was not like me, and it scared me. Then I got a…(Read More)
Is kombucha good for you? Is it alcoholic? As of late, kombucha has been getting a lot of press. Kombucha has become a 0.6 billion dollar industry and is causing quite a stir in the beverage business. Its popularity has grown strictly by word of mouth and is growing at an incredible rate. Even…(Read More)
I was struggling and I called my editor to say, “I’m having a really hard time writing this chapter in my book. I hate writing about sickness and disease. I so believe in wellness that writing about this is really hard for me and I’m having a hard time finishing it.” Laura, my…(Read More)
I had just started my blog in April of 2010 and was afraid that nobody would be interested in cultured foods. I decided to do it anyway. I believe we are all guided to do things but it comes in whispers, not loud sounding trumpets. One such whisper came from my daughter Maci. She told…(Read More)
My grandparents knew. They knew the grandkids were eating badly. They fussed at our parents but nobody listened, because the foods we were eating were so addictive. We reasoned that they were the older generation and they were just being cranky. They didn’t like it when we ate sugar-laden cereals for breakfast or…(Read More)
Your own healing is a healthy contribution to the healing of everyone What is a healing crisis? A “healing crisis” is something that happens when the body starts a detoxification process which is really a program of natural healing. This is a common occurrence among some individuals who start consuming cultured foods. When you start…(Read More)
My daughter Maci moved to Mission Viejo, California, in April and I went to visit a few months later. I was blown away with all the healthy food choices and health food stores on every corner. We would get up at 6 a.m. and spend our days going to the beach, farmers markets, and…(Read More)
For years I’ve been trying to find something to naturally thicken kefir without heating it and adding gelatin. I wanted to make it thick like pudding, and adding chia seeds seemed to work well; but there was a better answer and it was a probiotic’s best friend. The prebiotic psyllium husk makes the…(Read More)
I get an overabundance of kombucha SCOBYs (Symbiotic Colony of Bacteria and Yeast). Every time you make a pot of kombucha you get another SCOBY. So what to do with them? I usually just put them in my garden. The plants love the B vitamins in the kombucha SCOBYs and they seem to nurture the…(Read More)
We have a cherry tree in our backyard. My husband is constantly telling me to get all the cherries before the birds do, but I seldom do. In the early hours of the mornings I hear the birds singing a sweeter song than normal as I watch them eat the cherries. People ask me all…(Read More)
Life changing events Each day, you’re headed down a certain path knowing for the most part how your day will unfold. Then suddenly an event takes place that rocks you to your core. A whole series of powerful events changes your trajectory and in the process can change the focus of your mind, your…(Read More)
I have always had an obsession with cows and goats. I’m not quite clear why, but when twelve goats wound up in our front yard on the 4th of July one year, I begged to keep them. They had knocked their fence down after being scared off by fireworks and they came to the…(Read More)
Do you want to get started eating cultured foods? Then you need to try a smoothie. Do you think that cultured foods are hard to make? Then you need to make a smoothie. Do you want to change your health and start craving healthier foods? Then you need to drink a smoothie. Many years ago…(Read More)
Captain Cook was one of the first people to make cultured sauerkraut a healing modality. When he took his first vessel and crew on a long voyage in 1768, a violent storm arose. The waves tossed the ship about violently, and many crewmen were injured. To save the men from gangrene, the ship’s doctor…(Read More)
When I was growing up, my mom had a huge garden. She grew lots of broccoli and we would pick it for her. Even though broccoli is one of the plants least affected by pests, it is not uncommon to find worms on broccoli heads. Without a doubt, I was always the one to find…(Read More)
I am very excited about the new veggie starter culture, Cutting Edge Cultures. I decided to make a video about it and share a fun recipe. Making cultured vegetables is easy and fun. People can be intimidated by making cultured veggies and are afraid they will do it wrong and get sick. This is the…(Read More)
This is a guest blog by – Shelley Hanna. Shelley came to one of my classes and found tremendous help from cultured foods. She has become one of my dearest friends and greatest supporters. She strongly encouraged me to write my first book when I didn’t think I could, made the graphic pots you see…(Read More)
Apple Kraut
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The reason I like to add fruit to my cultured vegetables is that many of these are prebiotics. Prebiotics allow the bacteria to proliferate and make more probiotics. Lemon and orange peel, apples, and berries, along with many vegetables such as onions, carrots, and garlic are all prebiotics. The more cultured foods you eat along…(Read More)
Here is one of the very first videos I ever made. The first half of the video explains why I started drinking kombucha and how much it helped my family and me. The second half shows the process of how to actually make kombucha. I hope you enjoy the video and you will learn not…(Read More)
Last year on my thirtieth wedding anniversary we took a cruise to the Caribbean and stopped in Cozumel, Mexico. We took a Salsa Salsa class where we made lots of salsa, guacamole, and Margaritas. We had so much fun and since I don’t really drink, but loved the taste of Margaritas, I wanted a…(Read More)
To culture your own food you must love and respect microbes. Turning that love into a product puts you on the Cutting Edge. I am very excited to introduce you to Cutting Edge Cultures – Vegetable Starter. Several collaborators knowledgeable on fermentation and probiotics joined together to make the strongest vegetable starter on the market today…(Read More)
I’m excited to be a part of the Hay House World Summit 2015. Before I ever started my business, I spent several years learning from the many authors and teachers at Hay House. I did this by reading books and attending online courses like the Hay House Summit. This allowed me to write a…(Read More)
People have the mistaken idea that I only eat cultured foods all day long. Although there are a lot of days that I do eat only cultured foods, this is not the norm. I mostly eat them because they’re easy for me to prepare and are what I call healthy fast food. You…(Read More)
When we were healing my daughter’s Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) many years ago, I didn’t realize that, along with cultured foods, we were including a powerful addition that made a huge difference in her recovery. I actually just discovered this in the past year, and it has opened an entirely new world for…(Read More)
Kefir grains love to eat the sugars (lactose) in milk. These sugars are the primary food for this culture. Fresh milk kefir is only 1% sugar and live kefir grains contain over 50 different types of yeast and bacteria existing in a symbiotic relationship. (Click to see which types) The powerful microbes in the kefir…(Read More)
Ginger is powerful medicine! I have been consuming ginger every day and found it to be very effective in helping with any kind of inflammation – especially hay fever in the springtime. Ginger is anti-viral and anti-inflammatory as well as being a powerful antiseptic and antihistamine. They say it works powerfully on allergies to…(Read More)
True Confessions My childhood nickname was “Tiger.” I always hated that name and got teased about it quite often. Then this year on Valentine’s Day, my husband wrote me a sweet card and in it he told me that he tells everybody I am a force to be reckoned with. We had just come…(Read More)
I usually make sourdough bread once or twice a week. I make sourdough more than sprouted bread as my family likes it better and I enjoy making it so much. There is nothing as special as having a sourdough starter that has your own unique yeasts from your kitchen and hometown – that makes it…(Read More)
The greatest medicine of all is to teach people how not to need it. Have you heard of Dr. Max Gerson, the health pioneer ? His story is something straight out of a movie, but his treatment for disease is pretty impressive. Max Gerson (1881-1959) was a German physician who fled to the United…(Read More)
My husband was called for jury duty this week and found himself in jury selection for a case involving a very popular restaurant. The complainant was a woman who said she got carpal tunnel syndrome on the job, was treated, and then six months later was fired. My husband was picked as Juror Number Two…(Read More)
This is the bread I make at least two or three times a week. As my business has been growing and I found myself with less time, this bread recipe has become the bread I make most often. It only has four ingredients and takes about 5 minutes to throw together. Then I let it…(Read More)
A few weeks ago I had a dream about kefir. I was watching TV in my dream and heard a newscaster say that kefir had swept the world and there was now kefir in every kitchen. I woke up and carried that dream with me for weeks. If everybody drank kefir, the world would be…(Read More)
Your body’s ability to heal is greater than anyone has permitted you to believe. My husband is used to my crazy new ideas and has become accustomed to my enthusiasm for whatever happens to be my latest discovery. He goes along for the ride but never jumps in with both feet until coaxed. Kombucha…(Read More)
It’s January and it’s cold here in the Midwest. All I want is hot tea and soup. It’s hard for me to want a cold smoothie when I am craving warmth and comfort, but high heat kills the probiotics in my cultured foods. Well, not all is lost because I have found…(Read More)
Kombucha, pronounced kôm-bo͞o-CHA, is a beverage produced by fermenting sweet tea with a culture of yeast and bacteria. The good bacteria and yeasts eat the sugar out of the tea and make probiotics and then produce a naturally-occurring carbonation. You don’t get tons of sugar because the bacteria eats…(Read More)
It’s New Year’s Eve and I’m writing my blog and reflecting on 2014. I experienced so many changes in my life and business, blessings that I count every day, but mostly it was my own body that once again has taught me the most. I am always wanting to be better and…(Read More)
This has been a busy year at Cultured Food Life. I don’t do this alone and I have a wonderful team helping me. Many thanks to Ron, Chris, Jane, and Maci for all the support and strength they give me. I couldn’t do it without you nor would I want to. You’re…(Read More)
I made a series of videos for my Biotic Pro Members called The 12 Days of Kefir. These 12 videos are all about making holiday Christmas recipes with kefir. It was super fun (and crazy) trying to film it all in a couple of days. It was so intense filming these videos that my video…(Read More)
These are recipes that I make and create during the holidays. Eat probiotic foods during the holiday and they will help you stay in balance. Remember – the probiotics in cultured foods eat the sugars in the food. Then they eat them in you when you consume them. This creates more balance in the body…(Read More)
Several years ago I taught a Cultured Food Christmas Class where we had all kinds of cultured food Christmas dishes. One of them was Coconut Kefir Eggnog. We had tons of samples, but when we passed around the samples of Coconut Kefir Eggnog people began to moan and ask for more. Eggnog was an early…(Read More)
Dear past, thank you for all the lessons. Dear future, I am ready. ~Donna I was twelve years old and taking a school field trip to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where the largest battle of the American Civil War as well as the largest battle ever fought in North America, took place. Little did I know that…(Read More)
Cashew Kefir
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The tallest tree in the forest was once just a little nut that held its ground. This is a cashew apple tree. Cashew nuts are actually the kidney-shaped seeds that adhere to the bottom of the cashew apple grown mostly in Brazil. Interesting, isn’t it? Cashews are all the rage these days and…(Read More)
Try to understand your kefir. If you pay really close attention, the billions of organisms will transform your food and then transform you. Is your kefir separating into whey and curds? Is your kefir thin and runny? Most of the time this is because it is over fermenting and you need to add more milk…(Read More)
All the forces in the world are not so powerful as wisdom that has been discovered by someone who needs it. I had no idea just exactly what I was making when I created this recipe several years ago. I just thought the combination tasted good and seemed to give me spectacular results during cold…(Read More)
People often ask me about water kefir and milk kefir and which type of kefir I think is more beneficial. Water kefir is a nondairy kefir that is gaining in popularity. Many people start with this method of making kefir because it’s so easy and fun and they want a nondairy option. It…(Read More)
Wisdom Kraut
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this is an excerpt…(Read More)
The bubbly kombucha wasn’t opened yet. But there was an audience to watch I assure you. This is the process at my house. My daughter Maci got married and moved to a farm with her husband. She has a couple apple trees and she’s making tons of recipes with apples in them. Before…(Read More)
Meet the new Superfoods that can heal you when nothing else works. I am excited to be going back to New York to teach – The Trilogy, three foods that changed my life and can change yours too. This will be the most extensive class I have ever taught. This is a crucial time…(Read More)
It was early 2002 and my sixteen year old daughter climbed out of bed and stumbled into the kitchen. “How do you feel this morning?” I asked. Her response broke me. “I never feel good anymore mom. I feel bad all the time. My stomach hurts after everything I eat.” What had happened to my…(Read More)
Every year I plant my garden, anxious for my fruits and veggies. But each year I don’t plant cucumbers because each year they come back anyway. They will sprout in different places in my garden, always in a place where they can have lots of room. It just makes me laugh and excites me…(Read More)
It was 12:30 am and once again I found myself wide awake. It is an interesting phenomenon that has been happening to me this summer. It seems that I am needing less and less sleep. The older I get, the younger I feel. “What is up with this?” I said to myself that particular…(Read More)
Once upon a time, there was a young girl named Donna. She lived at the edge of the Cultured Food Forest with her family. One morning, Donna went deep into the forest to gather berries for her Kefir Breakfast Pudding. It wasn’t long before she lost her way. Donna wasn’t scared though, and…(Read More)
Do you feel alive each day? When your feet hit the ground in the morning are you pumped about the day? Do you feel appreciation and love for others? Do you have energy that will last all day? Did you know that you are supposed to feel this way? It is not something that is…(Read More)
Happiness often sneaks in a door you did not think was open. One of my favorite things about summertime is the farmers markets and fresh veggies. Turing fresh produce into perfectly preserved cultured veggies makes me so happy, but it wasn’t always that way. When I was growing up, every summer my mom and…(Read More)
Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad. This is a favorite summertime salad made with cucumbers, tomatoes, and red onions that are abundant in the summertime. The taste is so light and fresh that I can eat gallons of this salad. I have had this…(Read More)
A few weeks ago my daughter, Maci, came to me asking for cultured food at her bridal shower. She was wanting some cultured veggies and the next thing I knew I had a whole bunch of cultured foods to make. I don’t know why I do these things to myself; but after all, I…(Read More)
I often make fermented vegetables using a canning jar with a lid, but there are many methods and vessels you can use to make cultured vegetables. Some say you should only use an airlock jar to culture vegetables. They claim that the canning jar method doesn’t seal well enough to remove the oxygen (removing…(Read More)
It’s time to make Delicious Cultured Veggies! People ask me all the time what I use and how I culture my veggies. DO YOU NEED A STARTER CULTURE TO MAKE CULTURED VEGGIES? No, you do not need a starter culture to make cultured veggies. However, by using a starter you will receive more probiotics…(Read More)
How did I get here? I was a new mother at 41 years old, falling apart, and paralyzed with fear. I was sick with diabetes and suffered from high blood pressure. I also had a brand new premature baby girl in my lap. I knew that I was in trouble and I desperately needed help…(Read More)
This last month my husband and I had our 30th wedding anniversary. Ron and I and our three kids are a tribe and we’ve always done everything together. This was the first vacation we have had alone since our honeymoon which we spent on a houseboat in Lake Powell, Utah. So it seemed only…(Read More)
My dad had his pilot’s license and would take me flying with him. I remember the very first time he took me flying. I was pretty little and as we took off to the skies I watched the houses and trees get smaller and smaller. I squealed and told my dad it looked like…(Read More)
Are you ready to master kefir and eat it every day? Most diseases begin in your digestive system, including physical and mental disease. Once you heal your gut, your digestive system will begin to work properly again and disease symptoms will begin to resolve. Kefir is a great place to start. I have had my…(Read More)
My family has a history of high blood pressure. I struggled with high blood pressure on and off for years and was told to just expect to take medication for it. This made me fighting mad, and I didn’t want to accept it as predetermined destiny that I had no choice over. I wanted…(Read More)
As a kid I spent many summer vacations in Nova Scotia on a small island (Cape Sable) where my grandparents lived. Their home was right on the water and it was over 100 years old (see pictures above). My great grandpa, Captain Horatio Brannen, was a sea captain and built the home there. He was…(Read More)
Kombucha is growing in popularity and for good reason. The detoxifying power of kombucha is enormous. It has been recognized for its ability to counteract liver cell toxicity. As you drink kombucha, you will notice a flushing of toxins from your body as it filters toxins through the kidneys and the bowels. It purges you…(Read More)
Five Reasons to Eat Sprouted Flour. 1. Sprouting changes everything in the bread. It puts vitamin C, B, B2, B5, B6. and carotene, which are converted to vitamin A. The nutrients increases dramatically, sometimes eight-fold when the bread is sprouted. 2. It deactivates Phytic acid, which is a known mineral blocker that inhibits the…(Read More)
Fairest and best adorned is the salad whose dressing is cultured. I have been making this salad a lot lately. Last week I had my nephew, his girlfriend, and my older kids spend a few days with me due to a snow storm. I watched these five young people devour this salad and ask for…(Read More)
A habit is something you may not know you are doing; but once you realize you are doing it, you can stop doing it or keep it going. So why don’t we stop doing things that bring negative consequences into our life when we do them? Perplexing, isn’t it? You just know somewhere…(Read More)
This is a guest blog by Annabelle, a California Country Gal with a great blog and yummy recipes. I love her recipes and her new book on Real Food Cupcakes made with whole real foods. She made a super easy cultured food recipe, and I’ve been making it several different ways. It’s…(Read More)
Have you heard of the fermented probiotic drink called Rejuvelac? The first time I heard of it I was just beginning with all things fermented and this drink intrigued me. I was fermenting so many things and I wanted to try this drink that so many raved about. What is Rejuvelac? A drink made from…(Read More)
“As the crust of a sourdough boule protects the tenderness within, so it is with the artisanal baker” Sourdough was one of the last cultured foods I tried. I found it had more of a learning curve than the other cultured foods but wasn’t hard, just new. I didn’t have anyone to help…(Read More)
“You must give up the life you planned in order to have the life that is waiting for you.” ~ Joseph Campbell The summer of 2012 I was sitting at home reading emails when I got a new one in my inbox. It looked like an ordinary email, but this particular email was one that…(Read More)
I have a lot of people who ask me about weight loss, so I thought I would share with you somebody who has made a big impact on my life and diet mentality. I love Jon Gabriel and his book The Gabriel Method. Jon is a biochemical researcher who lost 226 lbs and wrote an…(Read More)
Cultured Holiday Class in Pasadena California When: Sunday November 10th 2013 Time: 3:00 – 4:30 Where: Unity Church of Pasadena 3053 Del Mar Blvd Pasadena, CA 91107 http://www.unityofpasadena.org/ I am excited to be going to Pasadena, California, to teach a cultured food class. It will have a special holiday theme. Learn…(Read More)
“Our own physical body possesses a wisdom which we who inhabit the body lack. We give it orders which make no sense.”~ Henry Miller About ten years ago I went to a class on “How to Make Sourdough Bread.” My daughter had gluten intolerance and we found that she could eat sprouted bread without the…(Read More)
Everyone needs reminders that the fact of their being on this earth is important and that each life changes everything. ~Marge Kennedy I get a lot of emails telling me how cultured foods have touched and changed people’s lives. Often, well almost always, they will make me tear up as I read them. You…(Read More)
Check out ten different ways to have kefir ice cream…(Read More)
Having babies is a big event. For me it was life threatening and life changing. My third pregnancy was actually the catalyst for this blog, my website, and my books. My pregnancy was a scary event – things quickly went from bad to worse and they delivered my baby 7.5 weeks early to save my…(Read More)
I am joining Mike and Christine Hursey at their Casa Somerset Villa for a fun class of making probiotic cultured vegetables. These are super foods loaded with powerful probiotics and enzymes. They help you digest your food and remove pathogens, toxins and deliver more minerals and nutrients to your cells all in one spoonful of…(Read More)
If I had to choose only one cultured food, which would it be? If I were banished to a desert island, which one would I take to live with me, leaving the others behind? I really love them all, and it kills me to think about choosing just one. But if I had to choose…(Read More)
I grew up in Laurel, Maryland, which is twenty one miles from Washington, D.C. My dad loved all kinds of foods, so growing up, we always had food adventures. On Sunday nights we went to a crab shack in Baltimore, Maryland, where we got crab cakes on club crackers with a pickle…(Read More)
Cultured Vegetables Can cultured vegetables develop botulism? No. Botulism is reserved for canned goods because the heat used in canning kills all the good bacteria. When culturing foods, the healthy bacteria thrive and make it impossible for the bacteria that cause botulism to survive. How long do I culture my vegetables on the kitchen…(Read More)
I get asked a lot about dairy-free kefir options. I have seen some amazing results with kefir made from coconut, almond or walnut milk. I highly recommend these non-dairy milk kefirs if you want all of the benefits of kefir without the dairy. Of these non-dairy milk kefirs, I have noticed…(Read More)
A few years ago, I had a great plan to sell cultured veggies at a health food store and they were so good they sold out again and again. This all started when I was handing out samples at my cultured food class and people were raving about them. I thought,” I’m gonna sell…(Read More)
These Healthy Cookie Bars are chock-full of all kinds of good things. They are made with sprouted flour and six other healthy ingredients. I am always looking for things to pack in lunches and serve to people who come to my home. When you sprout grains and use the flour to make treats for…(Read More)
Salad in a Fermenting Jar. Travel Food with Culture. I spend almost all of my weekends in the spring and summer out of town at the lake. Because of this, I have to pack coolers and take food with us. I am always looking for things that are easy and ready to eat. Salad in…(Read More)
Have you tried making your own nut milks? Walnut milk is delicious and easy to make. I have been trying a lot of different recipe using different nut milks and I am really enjoying them. Kefir is easy and fun to make using nut milk, and is a great dairy free alternative to regular kefir…(Read More)
Have you tried a million different diet and life style plans? Well I have. I have stacks and stacks of books that I kept by my bed for 25 years that include every type of book on the planet. My husband would laugh at me because he said I could build a room of just…(Read More)
Perhaps you’ve seen this happen, and it even happens to me from time to time: My kefir will get really sour. This can happens for several reasons. During your first ferment you let your kefir ferment too long on your counter, or your house might be warmer than usual. Kefir will also ferment quicker…(Read More)
There are twelve inches of snow here in Kansas City and I have been housebound for three days. I’m starting to go a little nuts and have been working nonstop on edits for my new book. (Coming in October!) I decided I needed a break, so I made my little girl and me some…(Read More)
So many people are struggling today with digestive issues and food allergies. My daughter Maci used to be one with severe food allergies. My daughter and so many of my friends and people who come to my classes have turned their food allergies and digestive issues around. There is a reason so many are struggling…(Read More)
We shot a video at “Casa Somerset,” a bed & breakfast nestled in the middle of Kansas that had the feel of a real Italian villa. This was a special evening with fermenting friends. Most of the foods were cultured and oh-so-good for you. It’s really quite simple to include cultured foods…(Read More)
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“Opposition is a natural part of life. Just as we develop our physical muscles through overcoming opposition – such as lifting weights – we develop our character muscles by overcoming challenges and adversity.” ~Stephen R. Covey, best-selling author and speaker. Would you like to feel better? How about fantastic? Well you can! It is really…(Read More)
It was a winter afternoon eleven years ago and I was sitting in a chair, wondering how in the world I got to this place in my life. My life was filled with sickness and disease and I thought my body had betrayed me. Doctors were telling me this was normal with age. I had…(Read More)
I really believe that these beautiful bodies we live in are always calling us to wellness. If we only knew what the body went through just to digest food and separate its contents, send the proper vitamins, minerals and nutrients for each cell that is calling out for it. Many people think of bacteria as…(Read More)
Looking for something that’s a treat and super fast? This is something I made on Christmas Eve last year. I wanted something little that had portion control but would be super chocolatey and good for me. This is what I came up with and everybody loved it. I have been making it ever since…(Read More)
In the early days of making kombucha I would often let my kombucha go to long and it would lose it’s bubbliness.There was a few times, it turned so sour that it made me squint and gasp. I honestly thought I had killed my uvula. You know that little thing that hangs down…(Read More)
My dad’s (Don) birthday is coming up in a few days. Several years ago he died suddenly. Three months before he passed, my mind was filled with loving and joyful thoughts about my dad. He died suddenly so I had no idea at the time that in a few months he would be gone…(Read More)
This is something special to know about sauerkraut. You don’t actually need a culture to make it. The cabbage combined with salt will make its own good bacteria. These bacteria dominate and crowd out the harmful ones and preserve the food in a safe way. You can make sauerkraut with just salt. You must…(Read More)
It takes guts to get out of the ruts.~ Robert H. Schuller What is your gut telling you? Do you have issues with your digestive system and a long list of foods you cannot eat? Do you know your body can provide a form of guidance and wisdom for you? If you treat it right…(Read More)
I get so many emails from people, who in attempt to help their kefir grains, will rinse them in cool water. You should NEVER EVER EVER do this. It damages them and rinses off the protective bacteria that makes them thrive. So many times they will either die, or stop reproducing or not make kefir…(Read More)
I eat a lot of fermented garlic. My favorite is fermented garlic flowers from Wise Choice Market. They are sweet tasting and one of my favorite fermented foods. Yesterday I wound up eating a half a jar. I could not leave it alone. I actually had to restrict myself because I could make a meal…(Read More)
I posted a blog and asked for your questions on cultured foods. I am going to attempt to answer these questions in short videos and blog posts. Helping you have more success with cultured foods. If you have a question please post below and I will do my best to answer them each week. Remember…(Read More)
Learn how to make Probiotic Cultured Vegetables. These are super foods loaded with powerful probiotics and enzymes, they help you digest your food and remove pathogens, toxins and deliver more minerals and nutrients to your cells all in one spoonful of cultured veggies. Everybody knows that vegetables are good for you but when you ferment…(Read More)
I was a dental assistant in my twenties. This job fell into my lap. A very well known and successful dentist hired me because he wanted to train someone who knew nothing. He wanted to shape me by his own methods and not through a pre-programmed course. He taught me so much and I…(Read More)
Jamie Quinn at http://essentialeating.com/ says; “Sprouted flour does not go rancid like all other flours do, and is more shelf stable? When whole grains are sprouted properly the germ cell is consumed by the endosperm and is no longer in a state that can become rancid. When grain is sprouted, and dried it…(Read More)
Most recipes for root beer kombucha are overly complicated with hard to find ingredients. Since my husband loves the flavor of root beer, and I often buy High Country wild root kombucha for him. I figured it was time to devise my own. The only special ingredient you will need to buy is sassafras bark…(Read More)
This is a wonderful smoothie that can be made into kefir ice cream. This is probably one of the things I make at least once a week. I love it, and so does my family. Kids will never know that this has spinach in it. I have disguised this by saying,” this is a shamrock…(Read More)
The Super Bowl is coming up and we are going to a friend’s house to watch the game. I’m always trying to think of something new to make for the game. It is mostly for my husband Ron that I get extra creative. Many think that because we eat pretty healthy, we’ve…(Read More)
Some of the best friends I have today came to me through cultured foods. I meet people who are looking to be well – they either come to one of my classes or they find me through friends to purchase kefir grains. Dionne is one of those people. I immediately liked her and felt…(Read More)
Kefir, how do you make it? It is quite simple and a lot of fun to make your own kefir. You can make kefir with a variety of milks – dairy and non-dairy milk. There are two ways to make kefir. One with grains that reproduce and will last a lifetime (if you don’t…(Read More)
