Our Basics

Let me tell you a story. Several years ago, Dr. Cox came home from work one day with something on his mind. He had been invited to a seminar put on by a company called Standard Process (a whole food supplement manufacturer) which would discuss nutrition as it related to health. There were two seats available and he pondered inviting Patty. Later he told us he'd faced the invite with some dread, knowing that if he and Patty attended, our family's eating lifestyle would change considerably. The truth is, like many Americans out there, our family and social life often revolves around mealtime. And while we have never been much into fast food or microwave dinners, we had not yet realized that food can be a tasty tool to use for fuel and healing. 

That seminar inspired them to look at food differently. There have been some struggles, certainly some resistance, and not a few heels dug in, but now real food, clean food has become something we're passionate about. We laugh about the fact that now our family time often revolves around making food, enjoying the process, and the things that we are learning, instead of just eating. The funny part is, the process no longer just pertains to our food. In the past couple of weeks, we have gotten excited about making our own hair care products, make-up, and yesterday, we made lotion! Luxurious, creamy, yummy lotion!  

We want to share with you some of our basics, basic recipes that is, that are the foundation of our daily eating routine. Each of these are pretty simple to make and yummy to eat. Here is a list of what we have come up with so far. Every week, we will choose one recipe to share! 

Sprouted Nut Granola

Berry Smoothie

Garlic Cilantro Hummus

Bone Broth

Flat Bread

Lentil Pattycakes

Mashed/riced Cauliflower

Roasted Root Vegetables

Spaghetti Squash

Kombucha

Please let us know if there is anything you would like to see added! We love experimenting to find clean ways of enjoying many of our favorite comfort foods. 

Today I would like to share an easy bone broth recipe. Last week, Patty chatted about gut health, and one of our newer discoveries is that bone broth, yes, like our grandparents used to make, actually helps heal the gut. It contains gelatin which is good for a lot of other things, including: joint healing, collagen production (healthier skin, nails, and hair), aiding liver in detoxification process, and immune system building. We like to think of it as a super food! 

Bone broth is very versatile. You can use it in many recipes in place of store bought stock or bouillon cubes. We love it in soups or in our pot pie! We also take it medicinally throughout the year. It may sound strange, but there is nothing like a steaming mug of bone broth to warm you to the core on a cold winter day! I also like to add a little bit to my baby's diet. He is just six months old so we have not started solid foods yet, but research shows that bone broth is great for their digestion and who doesn't want to pump their baby full of lots of great nutrients.  For more information on that, check out Holistic Squid or The Healthy Home Economist. 

Bone broth can be made from the bones of any animal your family may use for protein (beef, bison, chicken, lamb, fish, etc). We save all the bones from our meals throughout the week and then get our bone broth going on the weekend. 

Here's what you'll need!

1 1/2 to 2 lbs of bones 

Filtered water

2 TBS Apple Cider Vinegar

1 tsp Sea Salt

Roughly chopped vegetables (carrots, onions, garlic) that you like for flavor.

Preparation

1. If any of your bones are uncooked (we sometimes like to add beef knuckles to our broth), brown or roast them in the oven. 

2. Place bones, vegetables, and salt in a large crock pot set to HIGH. 

3. Add water, making sure that water level is 1 inch above bones. 

4. Add apple cider vinegar. This helps break down the bones and draw the nutrients into the water.

5. Bring broth to a boil and then change setting to LOW.

6. Allow the broth to cook for 24 hours. You can cook for a minimum of 8 hours, but the longer it is cooked, the more nutrient rich your broth will be. 

7. Allow broth to cool and then remove bones and other pieces. You can save these and use them in your next batch of broth! As long as the bones are not falling apart, they are still able to be used.

8. Ladle broth into glass jars. Store in the fridge or freezer. You can also pour it into ice cube trays and break out a couple for each recipe.

     Note: It is important to keep the broth fresh. If you store it in the fridge, pull it out and bring to a boil every 4 days.

Enjoy!