Being overweight is not easy. It takes a toll physically, mentally and emotionally. You may be tired all the time, or have health problems related to your weight, such as a bad back, or diabetes, or high blood pressure. Your physical state affects your mental state; you may have negative feelings about yourself, and negative feelings can feed bad habits, such as eating to feel good. It affects you emotionally, because people are often cruel or dismissive of overweight people; this is especially true among children, who often bully the "fat kid" on the play ground. This is even true among "health professionals", who very often have "fat blinders": whenever an overweight person arrives in their office, those blinders go down over their eyes, and they can't see you for anything other than those extra kilos you carry.
I was that "fat kid". I am that overweight adult being patronized by her doctor. I have been shamed for my extra weight. I have eaten to make myself feel better. I have been depressed and pessimistic because of my health and my size. I have hated people for their cruelty and rudeness.
But my sassy nature finally came through for me: my response to those people was to essentially give them a middle finger salute and go do my own thing.
How did I do that? I found like-minded people with similar problems, and I listened to them. I read books, I looked up information. I did my research, and said "Well, it won't hurt to try."
Back in January sometime I developed a bit of a freaky health problem that I went to a doctor to address. I won't bore you with too many details, but that was when I started encountering those "fat blinders". In fact, those fat blinders are so prominent, that I'm still stuck going back to the doctor in order to chivvy them along to figure out the actual complaint I came in with is, because all they do is look at me, pat me on the head, and say that I'll be fine when I lose some weight.
I dunno about you, but that is so NOT okay to me. I go to the doc when I have a problem I want figured out, not to be judged on my weight. I know I'm overweight, and I'm doing my best to change that. I don't need you to tell me that.
But I digress.
Back around the beginning of the year, I decided that I needed to do something about my weight. Going on some good advice, I went low carb. I kept a food diary, tracked the carbs I was eating, drank a lot of water, etc. But you know what? Keeping track of everything is hard work, and it sucks. Being the ADD Adult that I am, I did it for a while, diligently, and then moved on to other things. I managed to lose a couple kilos, but for the most part, I noticed no change in my weight.
Then I got a brilliant book from the library. Wheat Belly opened my eyes to the possibility of other problems causing my weight gain, as well as a variety of skin issues I'd been plagued with for years (eczema, psoriasis, etc). So I went wheat/gluten free.
When the weight started coming off a little quicker, AND my skin issues started clearing up, I became encouraged to stick with it just a little more. Sure I had cravings, and naughty moments, and fell off the wagon, but the important fact is that I stuck with it, and didn't give up. I moved on to cutting out sugary things, like fruit juice and soda, upping my healthy fats intake, and getting just a bit more exercise than I normally would get. And I kept on going.
So what is my point? You can do it too.
I started this journey at 145kg (319lbs). When I checked my weight yesterday, I was 133kg (293lbs). That's a 12 kilo (26 pounds) drop! Granted, it took me several months to get this far, but I did it nonetheless, and I intend to keep going with my low carb high fat lifestyle until I reach my goal weight of 70kg (154lbs).
This is not an advertisement for any diet. It's me, an overweight person jaded by society, trying to lose weight, telling everyone else who is discouraged about it that it's possible. I'm telling the world that I can do it, that you can do it, and that we most definitely don't need the rest of ignorant society to tell us what they think about it or us. Do your research, talk to to like-minded people, and do what works for you, but never give up, and don't feel bad or bully yourself if you lapse. Just get up, dust yourself off, and get back on that horse.
So here's to our weight loss journeys, and the encouragement we can provide each other, and may we all look at the patronizing, bullying jerks in the world, and give them our middle finger salutes.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
Dietary Woes: Breaking Up With Wheat
Recently I've decided that wheat products don't agree with me. (You really don't want the details.)
After I finished crying about it (I love bread) I decided to look for alternative ways to fix my favorite, usually wheat-based goods.
Unfortunately, bread is hard to replace. It might be one of those things that I'll have to keep to occasional intake, and just suffer the consequences afterward. Pasta is down to occasional intake as well, but I can use gluten free pasta, so it's not so bad. After reading the Wheat Belly book, I decided not to rely on gluten free products, as they are more likely to spike blood sugar even higher than wheat would. So, the pasta is my only gluten free food "crutch".
I have attempted to make wheat free "breads", with varying forms of success. Most, like the wheat-free almond butter bread, are expensive to make, unless you have the capacity to make your own almond butter at home (I currently don't). Some, like the coconut flour pancakes, are disgusting (yeah; texture, mouth feel, flavor, all massive fails). I Found one recipe (almond meal biscuits) that came fairly close to being a good bread replacement, so far. it's a never ending search.
Today's wheat free experiment is chocolate cake. It's based on a Whipped Cream Cake recipe I've had for a few years now. It is my most favorite recipe to use, and since I offered to make a cake for a friend's birthday on Thursday, I want to be able to have cake without it's undesirable effects. So here's the recipes, the original and the altered:
The Original Whipped Cream Cake (White)
2 c cake flour, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
3 egg whites
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c cold water
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
Wheat Free Whipped Cream Cake (Chocolate)
1/2 c cocoa powder
1 1/2 c almond flour
3 tsp arrowroot powder
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 egg whites
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c cold water
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 325F. Butter two 9" cake pans (or one 9" spring form pan). Dust with cocoa powder (or flour, for the wheat version).
Sift together the salt, almond flour, baking powder, arrowroot powder, cocoa powder, and set aside.
Whip the egg whites until stiff, adding 1-3 tb sugar to keep them from graining. They should be stiff, but not dry. Over-whipping the whites will make for a dry cake.
Whip the cream until stiff, and fold into the whites.
Fold in the remaining sugar.
Fold in the dry ingredients, alternately with the water, mixing well.
Add the extract(s), and mix well.
Pour into pan(s) and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let cool in pan(s) for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
The cake is out of the oven, so I am looking forward to seeing how it's turned out, but if I can judge anything by the bits left on the ring after I removed it, I'd say it's a success. I shall use this recipe to make the cake for Thursday, and top it with a chocolate ganache, sparkler candles, and a massive in-joke we currently have going.
For all you folks struggling with similar dietary woes, just remember: it's not the end of the world. There are alternatives out there, you just have to be wide eyed, curious, and very active in the finding them. And of course, you must experiment, just like I did.
Happy baking!
After I finished crying about it (I love bread) I decided to look for alternative ways to fix my favorite, usually wheat-based goods.
Unfortunately, bread is hard to replace. It might be one of those things that I'll have to keep to occasional intake, and just suffer the consequences afterward. Pasta is down to occasional intake as well, but I can use gluten free pasta, so it's not so bad. After reading the Wheat Belly book, I decided not to rely on gluten free products, as they are more likely to spike blood sugar even higher than wheat would. So, the pasta is my only gluten free food "crutch".
I have attempted to make wheat free "breads", with varying forms of success. Most, like the wheat-free almond butter bread, are expensive to make, unless you have the capacity to make your own almond butter at home (I currently don't). Some, like the coconut flour pancakes, are disgusting (yeah; texture, mouth feel, flavor, all massive fails). I Found one recipe (almond meal biscuits) that came fairly close to being a good bread replacement, so far. it's a never ending search.
Today's wheat free experiment is chocolate cake. It's based on a Whipped Cream Cake recipe I've had for a few years now. It is my most favorite recipe to use, and since I offered to make a cake for a friend's birthday on Thursday, I want to be able to have cake without it's undesirable effects. So here's the recipes, the original and the altered:
The Original Whipped Cream Cake (White)
2 c cake flour, sifted
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
3 egg whites
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c cold water
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
Wheat Free Whipped Cream Cake (Chocolate)
1/2 c cocoa powder
1 1/2 c almond flour
3 tsp arrowroot powder
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 egg whites
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 c sugar
1/2 c cold water
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 325F. Butter two 9" cake pans (or one 9" spring form pan). Dust with cocoa powder (or flour, for the wheat version).
Sift together the salt, almond flour, baking powder, arrowroot powder, cocoa powder, and set aside.
Whip the egg whites until stiff, adding 1-3 tb sugar to keep them from graining. They should be stiff, but not dry. Over-whipping the whites will make for a dry cake.
Whip the cream until stiff, and fold into the whites.
Fold in the remaining sugar.
Fold in the dry ingredients, alternately with the water, mixing well.
Add the extract(s), and mix well.
Pour into pan(s) and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Let cool in pan(s) for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
The cake is out of the oven, so I am looking forward to seeing how it's turned out, but if I can judge anything by the bits left on the ring after I removed it, I'd say it's a success. I shall use this recipe to make the cake for Thursday, and top it with a chocolate ganache, sparkler candles, and a massive in-joke we currently have going.
For all you folks struggling with similar dietary woes, just remember: it's not the end of the world. There are alternatives out there, you just have to be wide eyed, curious, and very active in the finding them. And of course, you must experiment, just like I did.
Happy baking!
Monday, April 1, 2013
Summer Wrap Up
Well, we all know that all good things must come to an end, and it's the same with summer. All those gorgeous summer gardens in Tassie are gradually coming to a close, and mine is no exception. I've been breaking things down for the winter here, cleaning up and preparing for fall and winter crops.
I had a whole bunch of starter pots at the side of the house near the gate, just sitting there, with (I am embarrassed to admit) a few dead, brown twigs sticking out of them. So, I cleaned up that mess, dumped the soil out into the bigger pots to bring them up to level (no matter how much soil you put in, it always seems to disappear), before lining a few up neatly under the window. I now have two empty pots flanking my basil, my jalapeno chilies, and a volunteer tomato plant that amused me by popping up randomly in a vacant space.
The starter pots and water dishes are stacked up, ready for storage in the shed as soon as I can make the room to get them in there. I swept the sidewalk, and did some weeding, and started pruning that big bush by the corner of the fence, until I developed a blister, so I just threw the limbs onto the pavers in the yard to be dealt with later. Hubs said he'd get up there and cut it back all the way for the winter. it helps the sun reach the house better if we do.
I also cleaned up the front porch "nursery", where I keep the mini greenhouse in spring. Shook the dirt off the door mat, swept the steps, swept the drive to neaten it a bit (discovered a large nest of honey ants in the process...ick!), took in all the small starter pots there to be emptied and put away for the winter with the others, trimmed that south african bush (whatever it is) back to let the sun get to the porch (and considered removing it completely...), and then set up five large pots with Fordhook Giant Silverbeet, Rainbow Chard, Perpetual Spinach, Lacinato Kale, and Tatsoi seeds. *GASP!* The pots are artfully arranged with staggered heights on the porch steps. Artfully, I said. I do try to be stylish. ;)
We'll see if I can get myself some pots of greens growing before it gets too cold to germinate.
And, I consistently forgot to remember it was Easter, as I wasn't baking anything special or making chocolates. I did, however, bust open that big pumpkin I had harvested from the plots and baked up a few chunks, and decided that I've found the PERFECT pie pumpkin. Huge, thick, fleshy walls, relatively thin skin, nice dark orange flesh. Some pumpkin pie might be in our near future. I'm definitely saving the seeds.
All in all, I hope your holiday weekend was a good one, and that your gardens are going well, and may everyone have an enjoyable upcoming season, whatever it may be.
I had a whole bunch of starter pots at the side of the house near the gate, just sitting there, with (I am embarrassed to admit) a few dead, brown twigs sticking out of them. So, I cleaned up that mess, dumped the soil out into the bigger pots to bring them up to level (no matter how much soil you put in, it always seems to disappear), before lining a few up neatly under the window. I now have two empty pots flanking my basil, my jalapeno chilies, and a volunteer tomato plant that amused me by popping up randomly in a vacant space.
The starter pots and water dishes are stacked up, ready for storage in the shed as soon as I can make the room to get them in there. I swept the sidewalk, and did some weeding, and started pruning that big bush by the corner of the fence, until I developed a blister, so I just threw the limbs onto the pavers in the yard to be dealt with later. Hubs said he'd get up there and cut it back all the way for the winter. it helps the sun reach the house better if we do.
I also cleaned up the front porch "nursery", where I keep the mini greenhouse in spring. Shook the dirt off the door mat, swept the steps, swept the drive to neaten it a bit (discovered a large nest of honey ants in the process...ick!), took in all the small starter pots there to be emptied and put away for the winter with the others, trimmed that south african bush (whatever it is) back to let the sun get to the porch (and considered removing it completely...), and then set up five large pots with Fordhook Giant Silverbeet, Rainbow Chard, Perpetual Spinach, Lacinato Kale, and Tatsoi seeds. *GASP!* The pots are artfully arranged with staggered heights on the porch steps. Artfully, I said. I do try to be stylish. ;)
We'll see if I can get myself some pots of greens growing before it gets too cold to germinate.
And, I consistently forgot to remember it was Easter, as I wasn't baking anything special or making chocolates. I did, however, bust open that big pumpkin I had harvested from the plots and baked up a few chunks, and decided that I've found the PERFECT pie pumpkin. Huge, thick, fleshy walls, relatively thin skin, nice dark orange flesh. Some pumpkin pie might be in our near future. I'm definitely saving the seeds.
All in all, I hope your holiday weekend was a good one, and that your gardens are going well, and may everyone have an enjoyable upcoming season, whatever it may be.
Friday, January 25, 2013
The "Cage Free" Myth
Coles is so proud of their "cage-free egg policy" that they wrote an article about it in their free magazine, and I just couldn't stop myself from looking into it. They say, quote:
Oh really? I think you need better experts. Well, here's a bit of a heads up for you consumers: 1 hectare is 10,000 square meters. Do the math. That's one square meter per bird. (In contrast, the Free Range Farmers website page on Hen Welfare describe a 1500 hen limit per hectare to be considered free range for commercial producers, and all FRFA member farms have a stocking density limit of 750 hens per hectare.)
http://www.freerangefarmers.com.au/hen-welfare.html
Anyone who knows anything about chickens knows that they scratch at the ground and poke about for bugs, grass, etc. They tear up the ground pretty good in a few days. If you had *4* hectares and rotated the birds, you wouldn't have enough room to give the ground enough time to recover, to give the chickens the best possible grazing. They go on to say:
You mean... like the cost of your free range eggs? They vary anywhere from $5 to $7, depending on what brand you get. And, right back to the Free Range Farmers website, they say free range isn't as free range as you might think:
Can I get a big ol' WTF here? With a heaping side serving of "Why am I your customer again?"
It makes me wish I had the room to raise my own chickens.
So, consider this your consumer wake up call for the week. I, for one, will continue buying my free range eggs from the local guy, for 3 dollars a dozen.
"We consulted many experts and set a target at 10,000 birds per hectare for cage-free layer hens. It was about finding a balance between egg affordability and welfare."
Oh really? I think you need better experts. Well, here's a bit of a heads up for you consumers: 1 hectare is 10,000 square meters. Do the math. That's one square meter per bird. (In contrast, the Free Range Farmers website page on Hen Welfare describe a 1500 hen limit per hectare to be considered free range for commercial producers, and all FRFA member farms have a stocking density limit of 750 hens per hectare.)
http://www.freerangefarmers.com.au/hen-welfare.html
Anyone who knows anything about chickens knows that they scratch at the ground and poke about for bugs, grass, etc. They tear up the ground pretty good in a few days. If you had *4* hectares and rotated the birds, you wouldn't have enough room to give the ground enough time to recover, to give the chickens the best possible grazing. They go on to say:
"It would be detrimental to drive down to lower density levels if it meant ending up with eggs costing six or seven dollars."
You mean... like the cost of your free range eggs? They vary anywhere from $5 to $7, depending on what brand you get. And, right back to the Free Range Farmers website, they say free range isn't as free range as you might think:
"The Egg Corporation admits that a third of eggs labelled as free range are from intensive farms, some with 40,000 and even up to 100,000 hens per hectare."
Can I get a big ol' WTF here? With a heaping side serving of "Why am I your customer again?"
It makes me wish I had the room to raise my own chickens.
So, consider this your consumer wake up call for the week. I, for one, will continue buying my free range eggs from the local guy, for 3 dollars a dozen.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Say Cheese... Part 1
So, my latest experiment has been making a sort of hard cheese without using cheese cultures like most hard cheeses have. It all started when I decided to try making ricotta salata, after I was given two liters of whole, un-homogenized milk by a friend cleaning out her fridge before she went on holiday. I followed the directions, but I do think they could have been a little clearer about the drying process.
I left the cheese to dry out on a plate in the fridge, rubbing it periodically with salt, as per the directions. I wasn't sure what to expect, but what I got was this odd, hard, crackly skinned yellow hocky puck type thing. It looked like something that had hitched a ride in from another planet. Not very appetizing looking, but it was certainly some kind of happy accident. Once I'd sliced it open, I realized that under the weird rind, the inside was a very smooth, fairly dry, salty firm cheese that was extremely tasty. Especially with fresh, homegrown cherry tomatoes. Oh yes.
Hubs demanded I make more of it. (Partly, I think, because he wants me to impress at the Saturday arvo dinner we're having with friends.)
So here I am, at round 2. I bought 4 liters of milk this time (four 1 liter bottles, same kind of milk; they were discounted!), and made two batches, following the same cooking directions. I did do it slightly differently at the end though:
I pressed them for a while in the ricotta basket, like the instructions said, but then I pulled them out, salted them, wrapped them in a single layer of cheesecloth, then pressed them again, using a small plastic cheese dip container saved from who knows when. I'd poked a few holes in the bottom of the container and weighted it.
Once firm, I pulled the cheeses out, placed them on plates, and I've been rolling them in salt and drying their plates periodically all afternoon. I'm going to see what kind of rind I can get on these babies by Saturday. Check them out:
The salt is doing a good job drawing out the extra moisture, though I think one did end up getting pressed longer than the other. One is a little softer to the squish (yes, that is an official technical term: a "squish" being the act of gently squeezing an object with the fingertips while attempting to avoid causing damage.)
One is already beginnign to show signs of developing the yellow rind. We'll see how it goes. I'll post an update on the day of reckoning. Oh yeah, and I guess I should post the recipe, shouldn't I? It's below.
Ricotta Salata
Whole Milk Ricotta
2L whole milk
1 tsp citric acid diluted in 1T water
1 tsp salt
1ml of calcium chloride
1. Add calcium chloride and salt to milk in a pot
2. Heat milk to 90C while stirring constantly. Once you have reached 90C, take pot off the heat.
3. Stir in citric acid.
4. Ricotta should start to curdle immediately.
5. Leave ricotta to cool 1-4 hours.
6. After 1-4 hours the ricotta should be firm enough to scoop into the draining basket.
7. Leave ricotta to drain 20 minutes in the basket before serving.
Happy cheese making!
I left the cheese to dry out on a plate in the fridge, rubbing it periodically with salt, as per the directions. I wasn't sure what to expect, but what I got was this odd, hard, crackly skinned yellow hocky puck type thing. It looked like something that had hitched a ride in from another planet. Not very appetizing looking, but it was certainly some kind of happy accident. Once I'd sliced it open, I realized that under the weird rind, the inside was a very smooth, fairly dry, salty firm cheese that was extremely tasty. Especially with fresh, homegrown cherry tomatoes. Oh yes.
Hubs demanded I make more of it. (Partly, I think, because he wants me to impress at the Saturday arvo dinner we're having with friends.)
So here I am, at round 2. I bought 4 liters of milk this time (four 1 liter bottles, same kind of milk; they were discounted!), and made two batches, following the same cooking directions. I did do it slightly differently at the end though:
I pressed them for a while in the ricotta basket, like the instructions said, but then I pulled them out, salted them, wrapped them in a single layer of cheesecloth, then pressed them again, using a small plastic cheese dip container saved from who knows when. I'd poked a few holes in the bottom of the container and weighted it.
Once firm, I pulled the cheeses out, placed them on plates, and I've been rolling them in salt and drying their plates periodically all afternoon. I'm going to see what kind of rind I can get on these babies by Saturday. Check them out:
The salt is doing a good job drawing out the extra moisture, though I think one did end up getting pressed longer than the other. One is a little softer to the squish (yes, that is an official technical term: a "squish" being the act of gently squeezing an object with the fingertips while attempting to avoid causing damage.)
One is already beginnign to show signs of developing the yellow rind. We'll see how it goes. I'll post an update on the day of reckoning. Oh yeah, and I guess I should post the recipe, shouldn't I? It's below.
Ricotta Salata
Whole Milk Ricotta
2L whole milk
1 tsp citric acid diluted in 1T water
1 tsp salt
1ml of calcium chloride
1. Add calcium chloride and salt to milk in a pot
2. Heat milk to 90C while stirring constantly. Once you have reached 90C, take pot off the heat.
3. Stir in citric acid.
4. Ricotta should start to curdle immediately.
5. Leave ricotta to cool 1-4 hours.
6. After 1-4 hours the ricotta should be firm enough to scoop into the draining basket.
7. Leave ricotta to drain 20 minutes in the basket before serving.
Happy cheese making!
Monday, December 31, 2012
Bring On 2013!
Well! The holidays are almost over, and here, on New Years Eve, I am left trying to find the words to write up a newsletter for everyone. I guess the best I can do is tell it like it is. :)
The best Christmas present I could have ever asked for was given to me with out any real fuss: my permanent partner visa has been granted! The next step in my immigrants journey is getting my dual citizenship set up. I look forward to an even more secure future now. :)
I achieved a few goals in 2012, and have more planned for 2013.
2012 was many things: it marked our second anniversary, my second year living in Australia, a three week long trip to visit home to see all my wonderful friends and family again, my goal of achieving at least some SS values. It was success in my garden, it was a renewal of old skills, and the learning of new skills. I had succeeded in sourcing suppliers of free range eggs and chicken, grass fed beef and, most recently, fresh milk. I had finally made some efforts at coming out of my usual seclusion to meet people and make new friends in the area.
I have all of these successes now to help me further build my confidence for the new year.
My goals for 2013 include building my much wanted cold smoker, building and establishing a top bar hive, increasing my garden yields even further (and perhaps finding more customers), finish my hand pieced, hand sewn quilt, finish sewing the doonas for winter bedding, make more friends and connections and, of course, continue learning all that I can. We also look forward to another trip home in September, assuming everything goes to plan, and we think it will.
I am happy. I have a loving husband who I'd do anything for and who I love with every fiber of my being, I have great friends, new and old, and I have great things to look forward to.
Here's hoping you all have a fantastic new year!
The best Christmas present I could have ever asked for was given to me with out any real fuss: my permanent partner visa has been granted! The next step in my immigrants journey is getting my dual citizenship set up. I look forward to an even more secure future now. :)
I achieved a few goals in 2012, and have more planned for 2013.
2012 was many things: it marked our second anniversary, my second year living in Australia, a three week long trip to visit home to see all my wonderful friends and family again, my goal of achieving at least some SS values. It was success in my garden, it was a renewal of old skills, and the learning of new skills. I had succeeded in sourcing suppliers of free range eggs and chicken, grass fed beef and, most recently, fresh milk. I had finally made some efforts at coming out of my usual seclusion to meet people and make new friends in the area.
I have all of these successes now to help me further build my confidence for the new year.
My goals for 2013 include building my much wanted cold smoker, building and establishing a top bar hive, increasing my garden yields even further (and perhaps finding more customers), finish my hand pieced, hand sewn quilt, finish sewing the doonas for winter bedding, make more friends and connections and, of course, continue learning all that I can. We also look forward to another trip home in September, assuming everything goes to plan, and we think it will.
I am happy. I have a loving husband who I'd do anything for and who I love with every fiber of my being, I have great friends, new and old, and I have great things to look forward to.
Here's hoping you all have a fantastic new year!
Friday, October 26, 2012
Don't Be Wasteful
Hey folks, Living and Learning here again, and I just want to point out some interesting facts to you about using off cuts. Off cuts being, of course, the pieces of an animal we don't normally think about using, what's often processed for you, so you never even get the chance to think about using them.
For instance, chickens don't just consist of wings, legs and breasts. They have necks, backs and feet (and, of course, organs), all of which are just as good for cooking as the other parts they market. You can simmer them for broth, soup, stock, the meat shreds easily for meals, sandwiches and snacks, the bones can be boiled until soft and then crushed and dried in the sun to be used as a garden additive, the feet are used to make broth as well, and the organs can be used in numerous recipes for extra yummy nutrition.
Here's what I did the other day. I had the wings, necks and backs left over from from those two roosters I slaughtered in my yard. I bunged them in Hal, my new stainless steel slow cooker with some hot water, and simmered them until the meat was falling off the bones. Then i pulled the meat chunks out, strained the broth, and while the onions, carrots, garlic, and herbs that I added to it gently stewed into a fragrant broth, I stripped the meat off the bones. Check it out:
All the stuff on the left is skin and bones. And on the right? That's all meat. You see that? There's a load of meat there. There's like, a meal for four. Sandwiches for lunch. Snack time heaven. And all that you can usually get for way cheaper at a store than you can buy a whole chicken for. Pressed for cash? Get the cheap cuts like this. (Granted, I did get these for free, but I did have to kill and process them on my own as well.)
Food for thought.
For instance, chickens don't just consist of wings, legs and breasts. They have necks, backs and feet (and, of course, organs), all of which are just as good for cooking as the other parts they market. You can simmer them for broth, soup, stock, the meat shreds easily for meals, sandwiches and snacks, the bones can be boiled until soft and then crushed and dried in the sun to be used as a garden additive, the feet are used to make broth as well, and the organs can be used in numerous recipes for extra yummy nutrition.
Here's what I did the other day. I had the wings, necks and backs left over from from those two roosters I slaughtered in my yard. I bunged them in Hal, my new stainless steel slow cooker with some hot water, and simmered them until the meat was falling off the bones. Then i pulled the meat chunks out, strained the broth, and while the onions, carrots, garlic, and herbs that I added to it gently stewed into a fragrant broth, I stripped the meat off the bones. Check it out:
All the stuff on the left is skin and bones. And on the right? That's all meat. You see that? There's a load of meat there. There's like, a meal for four. Sandwiches for lunch. Snack time heaven. And all that you can usually get for way cheaper at a store than you can buy a whole chicken for. Pressed for cash? Get the cheap cuts like this. (Granted, I did get these for free, but I did have to kill and process them on my own as well.)
Food for thought.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)