Organic Granny

T here was once a dental emergency-- I lost part of a porcelain crown in the front of my mouth-- and lovely Parsnip-Cabbage Soup recipe is part of a 'liquid' diet meant to create less stress on my exposed root and to help me get rid of a cold I had. It worked.   This soup is quite substantial and schmecht gut (as they say in my Duolingo German class)... filling and tasty. Anyone who has done a lot of cooking in the past can freely and intuitively spice up or spice down. For novice cooks, the recipe is quite satisfying, but you might want to add more of your favourite condiments if you find it too bland.   I, personally, love the flavour of parsnips. I have a bunch of them because they were in "the expiry" cart at Edible Island, our favourite health and organic produce shop.   I also love fresh green cabbage (and raw sauerkraut, but that's for another day).   Some of the recipes I looked at called for the inclusion of an apple. I believe that appl...

  This recipe for a fragrant mushroom-celery soup was a recipe I used when I had had oral (dental) surgery in the previous week and was adjusting to the upper dentures and nurturing my still-tender wounds from the several extractions I had undergone.   The recipe is pretty no-frills bland because I was taking recovery medications as well as a beta blocker and anticoagulant as per a previous diagnosis of atrial fibrillation and wanted not to have to deal with possible food and drug interactions.  Although the docs and a pharmacist had all cleared the possibility of any worrisome drug or food interactions, I felt conflicted.   The four meds alone (one of which had apparently been given Trump when he entered the hospital with a positive response to COVID19 testing --dexamethazone) filled me with awe and caution.  A few nights of mild acid reflux-- something I have not experienced-- seemed likely related to the combo of drugs and food.   I had no...

My husband has us trying a week-long campaign to see if taking a shot of ACV (apple cider vinegar with the "mother"*) in our water 3X a day will provide us with the health benefits that are "proven" in medical literature: Weight Loss Lowered Blood Sugar and Insulin Sensitivity after Eating High Carb Meals Since we are eating a plant-based, whole food, low fat way, it is helpful to see if the diet can be additionally boosted by the addition of Apple Cider Vinegar. And I want to continue dropping pounds (I weigh in with TOPS weekly) eating the healthy foods that I do.   We have enjoyed a rather hot summer from mid-July until now, so cold filtered water with ACV (1 teaspoon to start, 3X a day) is a refreshing event.   -------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------- A friend of mine had a drink and commented, "Tastes like kombucha."  She sa...

This Veggie Tofu Stroganoff really hits the vegan spot on a sunny, snow-y day-- or for a summer supper-- well, for anytime, really! Oh, Mama, this is soooo delicious! Here are the ingredients (with suggestions for subs):   INGREDIENTS FOR 4-6 PEOPLE/ VEGGIE TOFU STROGANOFF Extra Firm Organic Non-GMO Tofu Block (16 ounces/ 450 g) 3 T. Organic Soy Sauce (Tamari) (could be GlutenFree) 1 Organic Garlic Clove, Minced or Grated 1 T. Vegetable Oil (or 1/4 C. Water if on Oil-Free Diet) 2 C. Chopped Red Onions 1 Large Bunch of Fresh Organic Chard, Stems Chopped Separate/Leaves Chopped 1/2 tsp. Salt 1 tsp. Hungarian Smoked Paprika (or ground mild Chipotle) 2 C. Peeled and Sliced Carrots 2 C. Mushrooms, Cleaned and Sliced (I used Baby Bella) 1/2 C. Dilute Apple Cider Vinegar (about 1/3 Vinegar/ 2/3Water) or 1/2 C. Dry Red Wine 1 1/2 C. Organic Tomato-Basil Pasta Sauce (Good deals at Walmart & Costco) 1- 2 C. Organic Quinoa (I used the Mixed Colors) 1/2 C. to 1 Cu...

Even if you are not a huge fan of lentils, this particular recipe will answer a deep need on a cool winter's night when you have put out all day for the Man and are just ready for something comforting and satisfying!  It will feed 2 - 4 diners, depending on the hunger and the usual inputs.  I'm calling this Lentil Bowl #1, so expect some more quick and yummy one-dish lentil recipes! The potatoes in the above picture are white 'sweet potatoes' and not the bright orange yams we expect when we say 'sweet potato'.  They have the texture of  sweet potato, and they ARE very sweet (ooze syrup when baked) but they have a more neutral flavour.  Yams work extremely well also, so use either. Ingredients for the Lentil part: 1 T. Coconut Oil 1/2 Small Onion , chopped fine 2     Garlic Cloves, minced 1 C. Pineapple, chopped small (I use Costco's frozen Organic Pineapple-- smells like the tropics!) 3 C. cooked Brown or Green Lentils 2 T. Maple Syrup Shot...

This is the time of the year for succulent berries and fruits -- and unfortunately, many of us will discover the mold has formed on our berries (particularly raspberries) before we get to finish eating the container we brought home from the store or picked in the backyard. But help is here!  I am thankful to my friends who send me simple solutions via email.  Today I got one on how you can use a couple of household items to store your berries while preventing mold.  How? In a glass bottle or mason jar mix together cold filtered water and apple cider vinegar in a ratio of 10:1 Too simple, eh?   Now, merely pour the water over your berries in a large bowl.  Swirl and drain.  You shouldn't need to rinse because the  of the dilution (it's hard to detect the vinegar) but you can if you wish. Pop the berries into the fridge.   Raspberries and strawberries, for example, will keep without going moldy for about 1- 1 1/2 weeks.  Mmmmm.... ...