Longevity Basics

Sprouts at Home Mason Jar Method

Product Review: Fage

The Greeks ate yogurt with honey - plain and simple.  Many American companies are co opting a health food and loading it with awful ingredients.   Ingredients should contain ONLY milk and active cultures.  If you are eating yogurt as a substitute for desert and need the sugars, etc.  - you are on your own.  "Yogurt" the nutritious one - is a good source of calcium, probiotics, and protein.  Also, knowing how the animals are raised, grazed, and milked is as important to the product result as the product ingredients.  Our first choice should be a small farmer/producer that you can visit or trust method of production and humane animal care.  Here are some suggestions - Simply Greek, Siggi's - see our reviews by clicking the "greek yogurt" LABEL to the right of this blog.

If you do not have access to a small local producer than this yogurt is possibly the best alternative:

Grade A Pasteurized Skimmed Milk, Live Active Yogurt Cultures (L. Bulgaricus, S. Thermophilus, L. Acidophilus, Bifidus, L. Casei).

Tribute: Jack Lalanne 1914 -2011

Of his 97 years, Mr Lalanne had many accomplishments - he was really one of the first fitness and nutrition guru's in the U.S. and his shows ran for more than 30 years! Watch some of his black and white videos on youtube.com and you'll see some of his teachings plus nostalgia!

Cooking Shows

I enjoy blogs, websites, and shows on the internet - it allows us to explore a wide range of interests from everyday people.  This is entertainment and learning and culture.

Here are the links:

http://www.ciaoitalia.com/episodes
this is a great old show with old Italian recipes

http://www.hippygourmet.com/
lots of healthy eats!  best watching these shows on youtube.com and type the show name in search box

http://renegadehealth.com/blog/
really good tips on health and nutrition plus videos on making "raw" dishes from this young couple

http://underthetuscangun.com/category/food/video-recipes/
I liked these guys better when the website was video only.

http://foodandstyle.com/tag/video/
Love the accent, plus the clean and natural cooking techniques offered here by Viviane.  Here again some changes to website - videos are under "cook"

want more links?
...I 'll  be posting them as I remember/discover them!  Enjoy and cook dinner tonite!

There are puff mushrooms which grow every spring wild in the fields - they are huge but best eaten small- not the tastiest of mushrooms!

"...if we all stuck to our traditional food-habits and lifestyle and ancient food-wisdom of growing and eating food, without the additives in processed; preserved foods, refined, irradiated, sterilized, genetically modified, chemically altered and highly chemicalized foods grown with toxic pesticides etc. and without the flesh foods of factory animals; ate conciously; with a conscience, I think we will all live long and healthy lives... as for ‘water’... spend a few minutes in the morning blessing it and thanking the water and cells for doing such a great job in keeping us well and alive!

----http://renegadehealth.com/blog  

Italian Farmhouse Recipes: Veggie Panini

One of my favorite summer sandwiches is simply tomato and mayo with hot Italian bread rubbed with a freshly picked garlic clove.  I only eat tomatoes in the summer grown by me and sandwiches in the summer - with veggies of all kinds.

My justification for eating a fat laden sandwich - I am farming - so I need the energy to work in the fields and sandwiches are easiest quick and can either be hot or cold! The Italian bread of choice is from a very old bakery in N.J. - Calandra's- they make really good textured crusty french loaves and sliced bread.  I don't know the recipe but they are consistent in quantity and quality for as long as they have been in existence.  They wholesale to stores and markets as well as retail bakery locations in Farifield, Caldwell, and Newark N.J.  I have to thank my cousin Tommy for stocking us every time he visits - the bread freezes really well - warmed in the oven (wrap in Aluminum foil to seal in the steam) and you will taste bread as if it was made fresh that day!  Go to one of the bakeries and they are churning out warm fresh made bread constantly...

this photo from cookingfoodie blog shows the layers - simply pesto, tomato, zucchini, and goat cheese.

Which brings me to another favorite sandwich - Veggie Panini with or without cheese - this has a layer of grilled or sauteed fresh picked garden zucchini sliced, farm picked heirloom tomatoes, garlic or pesto and/or freshly made goat cheese.  Here on the farm our options are endless but simplicity in a sandwich appeals to me - you can taste the fresh veggies or cheese or garlic or herbs or or peppers that may be picked on any given day.  Who needs cold cuts?  Veggie is the healthy option and in my opinion the much tastier option.
Just remember to start with some really good bread!

Product Review: Wheat Bran

-this product is great for muffins  -  the directions on the back of the box does call for regular flour in addition to the wheat bran - so they are not as healthy if you were only using the bran!
-each box makes approx 3 batches - feel free to add things like nuts and dried fruits - these are a good way to start the day.

As a comic once said - muffins are an excuse to have CAKE for breakfast!!!  I am all for it...

3 cups unprocessed wheat bran
1 cup boiling water
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 1/2 cups white flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups buttermilk
Directions:
Mix 1 cup wheat bran with 1 cup boiling water; stir and let water absorb into bran.
In a separate bowl blend sugar and butter.
Measure and combine flour, baking soda, and salt.
Combine the moist bran with the beaten eggs, the remaining 2 cups of bran, buttermilk, blended sugar-butter mixture, and the flour, soda and salt.
When preparing to bake, preheat oven to 400 degrees.