Wheat : the Unhealthy whole grain

I just watched this 20 min video of a presentation given by Wheat Belly author, Dr. William Davis. It is a good introduction to why he believes that 99% of all wheat grown and manufactured today is not fit for human consumption. He gets some of his Biblical facts a little mixed up in the beginning, but apart from that, it is well worth the watch.

Homemade Laundry Liquid

I use Rhonda's recipe at Down to Earth. The photo is actually her laundry liquid, I didn't take a shot of mine before I used up the last batch, but it all looks the same! I tried it without the borax first, because I didn't want to use it, but with my grubby boys it just didn't cut it. So I made it with, and I am very happy with it.We don't use the grey water for anything else, so I don't feel guilty :)

• 1 cup soap - grated or flaked. As much as I hate grating, I grate sunlight soap. If I ever get around to making my own soap I'll be using that.
• ½ cup washing soda (the powder not the crystals)
• ½ cup borax. 

 Put all the ingredients in a large saucepan and add 1 ½ litres of water. Heat the mixture, stirring all the while until all the ingredients are completely dissolved. In a 10 litre bucket measure in about 8 litres of cold water and then add the hot soapy mixture and stir. As it cools, the mixture will turn to gel. Gather some containers and pour it in, but make sure you leave enough room to shake it up before each use as it will separate on standing.  It is absolutely fine to use in cold water, but I have a friend who likes to dissolve it in hot water in the tub before adding the cold. Rhonda suggests using about ¼ cup for each load. I have found I need at least a half a cup. Even so, it is so much cheaper than the store bought stuff, better for the environment and without all the chemicals far better for our overall health. This recipe with a little bi-carb soda added also makes a wonderful creme cleanser for the bathroom. Check out the post at Down to Earth for more details.

I'm off to make another batch now!

Chani's Kimchi

I use the recipe from Nourishing Traditions as a guide, but pretty much use whatever I have on hand that I think might go well in the mix. Most of the time I end up making sauerkraut, because I'm lazy when it comes to grating carrot, which really makes the kimchi in my opinion. Sauerkraut is simply cabbage, whey, salt and caraway seeds. Sometimes I add a little garlic to spice it up a bit. Jono enjoys it with his eggs in the morning and the kids like it on salads too. But they all beg me for kimchi, and so it has become a bit of a treat in our house! Here is my (very loose) recipe.

Channi's Kimchi

1 head of cabbage (small, or half if it's anything like the giant monster cabbages that are growing around here lately!)
3 or 4 grated carrots (and someone to grate them for you if your lucky)
1-2 Tbs grated fresh ginger
2 cloves of garlic, sliced and diced
a pinch of cayenne pepper (more if you like HOT)
4-5 Tbs whey (mine comes from raw kefir cream cheese)
1 Tbs sea salt

(radishes go nicely in this too)

Ok, so the first thing it remember is use plastic or wooden or ceramic bowls and utensils, not metal. The salts and fermentation will corrode it. Metal knives are fine to chop but once everything is in, I use the end of my rolling pin to pound the juices out. So get all the ingredients (except the whey) in a large plastic bowl and pound away! You want to release as much juice as possible, and then add in the whey. Start packing the kimchi into a glass jar (like in the picture, or one with a screw on lid would be fine) using the rolling pin, or your (clean) hand to squish it all down. You want the juices to rise to the top and cover the mixture. Once it's all in, leave about an inch or so on the top, because it will expand a bit during fermentation, and close the lid. Leave it on the bench for 2-3 days, not in direct sunlight, and then enjoy!