stevia

I just ordered some organic stevia seeds. And I'm looking forward to growing it for the first time this year. For now, I have some dry leaf stevia (crushed up) which I use to make a very sweet "tea" and then I store that tea in the frig and use it as an added sweetener to foods and drinks. To make the tea, I put 1 tsp. green stevia leaves in 1 c. boiling water and steep it like hot tea for 5-10min. Strain with a cheese cloth. It's an amazing plant. It's a super sweet herb with no sugar in it. It has an herbal green bitter taste as well, so it's not anything like cane sugar. But it's sweetness is nice in small quantities. My kids like chocolate milk made with stevia (no sugar) and unsweetened cocoa, and I like to make baked goods using half the amount of sugar it calls for and then add stevia to desired sweetness. If you grow Stevia this year, let me know. I'd love to compare notes.

Wikipedia says: In relation to diabetes, studies have shown stevia to have a re-vitalizing effect on β-cells of pancreas,[10] improve insulin sensitivity in rats,[48] and possibly even to promote additional insulin production,[49] helping to reverse diabetes and metabolic syndrome.[50] Stevia consumed before meals significantly reduced postprandial insulin levels compared to both aspartame and sucrose.[51] A 2011 review study concluded that Stevia sweeteners would likely benefit diabetic patients.[52] A 2009 review study found that stevioside and related compounds have anti-hyperglycemic, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-diarrheal, diuretic, and immunomodulatory actions.[61]

Classic Carrot Cake

• Last week, Veritas Academy won their first district girls varsity basketball game. It was like a made-for-movie kind of exciting game. After being down 17-1 in the first quarter, and struggling thru most of the game, we came back to tie and we won in overtime. I couldn't sleep that night because I was so excited for them. The next day, I made this recipe with my kids in full gear helping in the kitchen. This gluten-free carrot cake was loved by my whole family. It is very high in protein and low in sweetener. I omitted the raisins and used light olive oil instead of grapeseed oil. Both are fine. I frosted it with my own rendition of cream cheese icing (sorry no measurements used). But the ingredients were organic cream cheese, powdered sugar, and a tiny splash of milk. Yes, I know that powdered sugar is not "God Food" in the sense of being an unprocessed food. But I am not a purist. And I've learned over the years that having a balance is unique to each of us. Enjoy this amazing recipe from http://www.elanaspantry.com/carrot-cake/

Classic Carrot Cake

• 3 cups blanched almond flour
• 2 teaspoons celtic sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
• 5 eggs
• ½ cup agave nectar
• ¼ cup grapeseed oil
• 3 cups carrots, grated
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 cup walnuts

1. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg
2. In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, agave and oil
3. Stir carrots, raisins and walnuts into wet ingredients
4. Stir wet ingredients into dry
5. Place batter into 2 well greased, round 9-Inch cake pans
6. Bake at 325° for 35 minutes

Teaching Others

• I started home schooling my oldest daughter and coaching girls varsity basketball almost at the same time about 3 months ago. Both went well, but made for a big challenge to my little brain. Since I've never home schooled or coached, I had to learn two new skills at the same time. Our basketball season just ended yesterday at our 2nd district game. It was very exciting! I've been feeding the basketball team on game days because eating together is fun and I believe that they will play to the level that they are fueled (physically, emotionally, and spiritually). Meals have pretty much been made in the same vessel. Over the past 3 months, I've found that if it can't be made in a crockpot, I didn't make it. :) I also purchased a rice maker (for rice and quinoa) and had many meals consisting of chicken and quinoa, tacos, chicken corn soup, chili and rice, etc. Everything I made was gluten-free because I need that for my own diet...and the girls basketball team liked everything just fine. Teenagers sometimes get a bad reputation for wanting nothing but junk food, but I see a lot of teenagers who truly want healthy bodies and are willing to be led in the right direction. They in turn lead others. They are worth it.

Citrus just arrived from Florida!

I am unashamedly using my blog as advertisement for "Oasis" because if I were you, I'd want to know about one of the "best kept secret" in Lancaster. Certified organic oranges and grapefruits just arrived from Uncle Matt's in Florida. Picked Friday... How exciting! Just in time for your Christmas table... located at 60 N. Ronks Rd., Ronks, PA. Not far from Miller's Natural Foods. Let me know if you have any questions. Enjoy God's candy!

Oasis at Bird-in-Hand

It's 65 degrees outside on this late November day in Lancaster. How beautifully mild. I want to tell ya all about a project that has been in the works for quite some time. I've had the privilege of being a part of the steering committee for Oasis at Bird-in-Hand which is a group of (mostly Amish) farmers who care very much about taking care of their farm land and animals so that we in the community can be as well as possible. You can order delicious local in-season chemical-free food and join their co-op at www.lancasterfoods.org (click on Farm Share) or you can visit their newly opened store at 60 N. Ronks Rd., Ronks, PA 17572. Store hours are: Monday-Friday 9-6 and Saturday 9-12. Closed Sunday. Phone 727-288-2154

I was at the store today and saw that all kinds of potatoes are in season as well as some beautiful butternut squash, celery, and a vast array of free-range grass-fed meats, eggs, and raw milk cheeses. The meats are offered by the same people who run the grass-fed meat stand at Lancaster Central Market (Country Meadows Farms). Excellent beef, chicken, lamb, and pork!

Note: Oasis at Bird-in-Hand store is a smaller space shared within a larger warehouse building with Lancaster Agriculture Products and Heritage Floors. You will get there via Rt.340 to Ronks Rd. or Lincoln Hwy. to Ronks Rd. Parking lot available.

Happy shopping!

Amy

Chicken Basil Peanut Soup

There are plenty of times when I just "throw together" a meal and it's kinda blah. But this afternoon, I threw together something worth sharing. Very simple and flavorful. I'm calling it:

Chicken Basil Peanut Soup

Wisk the following ingredients:

4 c. Hot chicken stock, salted to taste. Note: Use leftover baked chicken carcass in crockpot of water, garlic, and bay leaf overnight. Reserve 1 c. chicken meat.

1/2 c. Natural peanut butter – creamy or chunky. Option: Combine peanut butter and almond butter for another tasty variation.

2 tsp. Fresh minced garlic

Stir in the following ingredients:

1 c. Fresh shredded carrots

1 c. Diced cooked chicken

½ c. Fresh spinach or swiss chard cut into little strips

Garnish with the following ingredients:

Fresh cut basil (cut into thin strips)

Fresh sliced green onion

Peanuts

White pepper or hot sauce

Serve hot immediately or put into a crockpot or stovetop on low heat for a few minutes. I prefer not to cook it again because I like the nutrients of the raw veggies in the hot soup.

Serves 4

Have a beautiful rainy afternoon! Amy

Cast Iron

What's the easiest pan to clean? Of course, teflon. But it's non-stick surface is also made of toxic chemicals which off-gas when heated. Not worth it. Keep in mind that whatever a pan is made of, it will leech out some of that substance into your food every time you cook. So, it's pretty cool that you actually get a little more iron in your diet when you use cast iron pans. Steer clear of aluminum and teflon. No one needs that in their diet. Use stainless steel, cast iron, ceramic, and stoneware.

I have found that stainless steel pans are fairly easy to clean as long as I soak them in water for 10 minutes first. The one exception to this rule is eggs. They stick! In fact, I just figured out that scrambled eggs are much easier to clean out of a cast iron pan than a stainless steel pan. It's the heaviest cookware, but it will last forever and benefit your health.

Just use a stable fat to grease your pan each time (like coconut oil, butter, clean lard, etc.). I like the taste of coconut oil with eggs and salt.

I use a mild soap and water to soak and then scrub out my cast iron pan with either a wash cloth or a little scrubby pad. I've read that you shouldn't let water drops sit in your cast iron pan or else it will rust. I haven't experienced that, but it's best to dry the pan right away.

I just read this in wikipedia:

Because ordinary cookware cleaning techniques like scouring or washing in a dishwasher will remove or damage the seasoning on a bare cast iron pan, these pans should not be cleaned like most other cookware. Some cast iron aficionados advocate never cleaning cast iron pans at all, simply wiping them out after use, or washing them with hot water and a stiff brush.^[4] Others note that grease left on a pan will eventually become rancid, and advocate washing with mild soap and water, and then re-applying a thin layer of fat or oil.^[5] A third approach, advocated by television chef Alton Brown, is to scour with coarse salt and a paper towel or clean rag.^[6]

Living within your means...

On Saturday, my empty sink spoke to me. This hasn't happened before. So it really got my attention. Ha! See, although I love making healthy foods, I get overwhelmed by the resulting mess and dishes. What to do? So, here's how the revelation started... I made spelt pecan waffles for breakfast and cleaned up every last dish and fork right away. This is out of character for me... who often leaves a lot of dishes here and there for the end of the night when, by that time, it's a serious discouraging pile-up that I'm forced to reckon with. So, on with my story. For lunch that day, I fired up the stove top and re-heated beans, rice, leftover duck (Christmas freezer) and took my hot pot outside to the back yard where Steve and the kids were building a snow fort. The kids loved our faux camping lunch, even "the one" who doesn't usually like beans. Must taste better with snow pants on! Anyway, when I trudged back up to the house with the empty pot and dirty cups and spoons, I came upon a completely clean sink which gave me such a surprised feeling of relief and energy to start the task that it spoke to me and said, "You're living with in your means." Huh! I needed that. I usually think of that phrase as pertaining to finances, but it is equally important to live with in our emotional and physical strength and energy "means" as well. Thank you God for talking through my sink.

Rice Browns

Sort of like hash-browns, but rice instead. Soooo good! I got it from my new favorite magazine called "Clean Eating." You'll love it. Click the title of this blog entry to get linked up to it, or go to www.cleaneatingmag.com. They show it served with Picadillo Chowder. I ate them for breakfast this morning, salted with celtic sea salt, and pecans. My little boy ate one with a bit of maple syrup. Here's the simple recipe:

Rice Browns

3/4 c. brown rice, already cooked (I used leftover rice from last night.)

2 egg whites

Gently combine rice and egg whites, with a fork. Put about 1/8 cup fulls of mixture into a hot skillet of coconut or olive oil (repeat until skillet is full of patties) and gently press down to make a flatter patty out of each one. Brown them on one side (4 min.) and then carefully flip over to brown the other side. Serve crispy and hot! Let me know what you think.

Snowy white beautiful day!

Amy

Merry Christmas cookie

Hi friends and family,

Here's a great cookie recipe for ya. I have been craving peanut butter for some reason, and so I've made a batch a day for about 4 days now. Super easy. Wheat-free. I came up with the recipe by trial and error and tweeking a few recipes I saw on-line. I'm calling them...

Sesame Peanut Butter Cookies

1 c. natural peanut butter (chunky or creamy... doesn't matter)

1/2 c. sucanat (or turbinado or rapadura or brown sugar)

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1/4 tsp. celtic sea salt (optional)

Set aside: 1/4 c. sesame seeds in a small bowl (optional)

Mix up all the ingredients with a fork... except the sesame seeds. Form into balls. Roll each ball in the sesame seeds to cover with seeds (optional) or just put the plain cookie dough balls on an un-greased baking sheet/ baking stone. Use a fork to gently push down on each ball to slightly flatten it, and then do it again the other way so fork-lines are perpendicular... I love that word. Ha! Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet so they set-up. Then scrape the spatula under each cookie to lift them to a plate. Melt your favorite dark chocolate in a double-boiler and top each cookie with a big dab of melted chocolate. Allow to cool. Fantastico!

Quick double-boiler suggestion:

The best way I found to melt chocolate is to use my big glass measuring bowl and fill it half-way with water (which means about 4 cups water). Microwave the water until boiling (3 min. approx.). I then break up some dark chocolate squares (roughly 1 cup) and put them into my smaller glass measuring cup with handle. It has a 2 cup capacity. I lower the smaller cup into the larger one's hot water, and hang the smaller's handle over the edge of the larger's rim. It melts very smoothly and just can't burn or overcook. That's what I like about it!

Merry Christmas!

Faith, hope, and love.... but the greatest of these is love!

Amy

Relief

Hi friends and family,

I've struggle on and off with the pain of carpel tunnel syndrome in my wrists, hands, and fingers. It started when I was a teenager bussing tables, and has gotten worse over the years. I just turned 38, so I've been dealing with the problem for over 20 years. Wow. Anytime you claim anything for over 20 years, there's just a sense of oldness. And that's how ailments make you feel. In the past month, the pain shot from my head to my fingertips daily. Throbbing. Severely. So, now you know why I haven't been blogging lately. Using the computer keyboard was too painful. But.... YES THERE IS A BUT! I am really thankful for some great relief lately. I just had my second appointment with a very skilled massage therapist and aromatherapist named Deb Stoltzfus. It's a love/hate kind of thing. I look forward to going there just because the word "spa" is on her door, but this woman is not interested in any foofy pampering. Granted her massage therapy room above her home is beautiful, smells wonderful, and has peaceful instrumental music playing.... but this woman is serious about the therapeutic part of massage. She wants to know your problem and eliminate it. She's focused. She's strong. And just like during contractions before child birth, I found myself trying to breathe through the pressure she delivered, especially to my neck. Since getting 2 massages, the carpel tunnel symptoms have really let up, and so I had to write to tell you about her healing gift. Lately, my arms, wrists, and hands are feeling so much better. God is glorified! Her business is called "Inshanti Wellness Spa" and is located on 48 Slaymaker Hill Rd. in Kinzers, PA. You will also love her essential oils. She has her own lab and is a purist when it comes to choosing and mixing these wonderfully healing oils. Check out her website by clicking on the title of this post or go to www.inshanti.com Thanks Deb!!

Amy

Farm to School

I went to Millersville University last night to see the movie "Two Angry Moms" and hear the discussion afterward. It was really good. It told the story of two moms who mobilized school lunch reform and how they are helping others do the same thing. The words that stuck in my head were "farm to school" because the tastiest meals come from the freshest ingredients... and kids learn best when they see the whole process in action. Have you ever heard of an edible school yard? Click on the title of this post or go to this website to check out what one great Pennsylvania school is doing at: http://kimberton.org/about/food-for-thought

Just may be worth a field trip!

If you want to help your school's staff and families increase their food I.Q. and get healthier hot lunches, let me know. Also, you'll find good resources on the facebook page of "Lancaster Buy Fresh Buy Local." Linda Aleci has posted some really great info! Thank you Linda.

Movie Night Friday

The public is invited to a movie screening of "Two Angry Moms" ... sorry for the late notice on my blog... but I hope you can come! There will be a movie and discussion. I've never been to any of these events... sounds intriguing to me.

Reframing Lunch: Movie screening of TWO ANGRY MOMS

Location:Meyers Auditorium, McComsey Hall, Millersville University

Time:7:00PM Friday, October 15th

Time	Friday, October 15 · 7:00pm - 9:00pm
Location	Meyers Auditorium, McComsey Hall, Millersville University
Created By	Lancaster Buy Fresh Buy Local
More Info	Fed up with the deplorable state of school lunches? Find out how 2 angry moms took action! Movie screening and discussion with Dr. Julie Lombardi and Dr. Adele Ruszak of Millersville University. Free and open to the public.

Don't worry...

If you can't prepare a healthy meal tonight because of time constraints, do not eat your fast food take-out with guilt and regret. Stress blocks nutrients from being absorbed. So, just take a deep breath, relax, be glad, and eat with ease and thankfulness. Slowly.

Remember that what goes into your body becomes a part of you. If your meal is poor, make sure to boost wealth to the rest of your body by drinking pure water, breathing fresh air outside, keeping a running dialogue with God, and getting 7-8 hours of sleep tonight.

For tomorrow, anticipate healthy creativity in the kitchen. Throw together a savory stir-fry with clean meat, shredded carrots, shredded cabbage, chopped broccoli, and sliced red pepper. Start your saute with onions and garlic in cold-pressed virgin coconut oil. End it with a simple sauce of Bragg's Liquid Aminos and fresh grated ginger... both can be found at any health food store or here:

http://bragg.com/zencart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=5

Enjoy!

Amy

My First Public Meeting in Harrisburg

My family's nutrition is sustained by local farmers. What a great concept. They do what they are good at doing... and then I buy their whole foods and milk ...and this helps farmers to keep farming. It's a great relationship.

It sounded strange to my ears the first time I heard someone say that we have to defend our rights to buy affordable high quality food from local farmers. Who are we defending ourselves from? Well, I got a taste of the answer yesterday.

I received an email invitation to a public hearing where government officials would vote on a proposed regulation which would supposedly promote milk sanitation. I am all for milk sanitation, but get this! The regulation would require PA dairy farmers to buy a machine that would bottle and cap plastic milk jugs... and this would have to be done in a separate room from the milk tanks. This sounds simple for a factory, but terribly expensive and ineffective for a small farmer. It's like using a chain saw to cut bread. My needs are being met so well by an Amish girl who fills my glass milk bottles each week with clean hands right from the clean milk tank in the clean milk house. It just works.

Food prices are high enough. If these regulations were put into place, then farmers would understandably have to raise their prices or quit farming. So, I went to Harrisburg yesterday, and I got the privilege of hearing about 20 PA dairy farmers (many of them plain folks), plead this noble case. Wow, it was an intense 3 hour meeting with lots of heart-felt testimonies from people who just wanted to keep working hard on their farms with out being over-regulated.

I arrived at the 10:00am meeting just in the nick of time. It was held on the 14th floor at 333 Market St. in front of the PA Independent Regulatory Review Commission. I would say there were 50-60 people in the room for the same reason. Many of them were dairy farmers. I bet they never saw public speaking in their job descriptions. But they did it anyway. It's nerve-wracking being in front of government officials in suits and ties... oh, and one woman chief counsel... with all the standard protocols that we know nothing about.

When each farmer would get up and tell his/her testimony (with shaking voices) telling why this regulation would be too expensive for them and ineffective, the other farmers would clap supportively for him or her. The chairman told everyone not to do that. He said this is not a broadway musical where were get applause. We need to keep to the business of the law. Well, there was so much suspense in the room, and everyone tried their best to hold their applause until the very end ...when the proposed regulation was actually voted on ...and it was disapproved by a close vote of 3 to 2. Yeah!!!! The whole room erupted in a relief of clapping and cheering that justice was served. The chairman scolded the group again saying, "I asked you not to do that!" What an interesting 3 hours.

I'm sure this is not the end of the story. The Independent Regulatory Review Commission felt that the PA Dept. of Ag. could resubmit a proposed regulation that was separate from the federal standard of mechanized bottling and more suited for small farmers. I appreciate the regulations which keep us safe, but I will support our Pennsylvania farmers as the experts they are in their field. When I got up to speak at the meeting, I simply said that as a raw milk consumer I trust my local farmer's milk sanitation practices because he is serving the same milk to his own family, and he is an intelligent man with many years of expertise in food safety.

Love live trustworthy farmers! Long live just law makers!

Amy

P.S. For more information on behind the scenes defenders of local sustainable agriculture, go to http://www.pasafarming.org/

Baked Pumpkin and The Country Barn

I went on a field trip with my 3rd grader's class yesterday to "The Country Barn" on Donnerville Rd. in Lancaster. Great place, but man... was it cold and wet! We lived to tell about it and had fun anyway. The kids got to walk through the muddy fields and choose their own live pumpkin to pull off the green vine. They also got to watch 4 pigs race and yell suuuu-weeee and all that good stuff. Farmer Jim made a point of informing the kids of where their food comes from. He dug up potatoes for them to see. He was a wealth of whole foods information. He held one of his free-range chickens and her fresh brown egg as he asked the kids how many eggs do most chickens lay in one day? Most of the kids thought it was about a dozen or more. The correct answer is one... with an average of 360 eggs per year per chicken. Brown eggs come from colored chickens and white eggs come from white chickens. It was all good information for the non-farm kids and grown-ups... which would be most of us.

When I (with pride) told Farmer Jim that I had just boiled a big pumpkin the other day and made pumpkin cake roll and pumpkin pie, he informed me that I had poured all the nutrients down the drain after boiling. Hmmmm.... I said to myself, deflated. He said, "Bake your pumpkin and it will be the best tasting pumpkin you've ever had, and it will keep it's nutrients. I have to agree. And will definitely do that next time. Makes sense.

To bake your pumpkin, just wash it, cut off the stem, cut in half, scoop out the seeds and strings, lay it face down on a baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees for about an hour or until soft. Cool. Scoop out the flesh and throw away the peel. I've attached a recipe for pumpkin spice cookies that looks fabulous from "natural papa's" website.

http://naturalpapa.com/food/recipe/ridiculously-good-pumpkin-spice-cookies/

"The Country Barn" is open to the public. You can interact with the animals or shop at their farm market. Here's the website: http://www.countrybarnmarket.com/index.htm

Have another cheerful rainy day! I gotta keep telling myself that. Ha!

Amy

Pumpkin seeds

We went to Lancaster Farm Fresh's stand at Central Market on Saturday, and each of our kids picked out a favorite pumpkin for carving. They were sooooo excited! Each drew a picture on his and her pumpkins, and we cut the tops off and pulled out the seeds and guts.

After washing the seeds and letting them air dry overnight, I cracked open one of the white hulls and pulled out the tender green seed inside. Yum! I also like to buy a bag of pumpkin seeds from the natural food store (always buy them from the refrigerated section so you know they are fresh) and add this nutrient-dense food to berries and yogurt.

The rest of this post is some great info on pumpkin seeds from Whole Food's website:
Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are flat, dark green seeds. Some are encased in a yellow-white husk, although some varieties of pumpkins produce seeds without shells. Pumpkin seeds have a malleable, chewy texture and a subtly sweet, nutty flavor. While roasted pumpkins seeds are probably best known for their role as a perennial Halloween treat, these seeds are so delicious, and nutritious, that they can be enjoyed throughout the whole year.

Tips for Preparing Pumpkin Seeds:

While most stores sell pumpkin seeds, it is fun and easy to make your own. To do so, first remove the seeds from the pumpkin's inner cavity and wipe them off with a paper towel if needed to remove excess pulp that may have stuck to them. Spread them out evenly on a paper bag and let them dry out overnight.

Place them in a single layer on a cookie sheet and light roast them in a 160-170ºF (about 75ºC) oven for 15-20 minutes. By roasting them for a short time at a low temperature you can help to preserve their healthy oils.

A Few Quick Serving Ideas:

Add pumpkin seeds to healthy sautéed vegetables.

Sprinkle pumpkin seeds on top of mixed green salads.

Grind pumpkin seeds with fresh garlic, parsley and cilantro leaves. Mix with olive oil and lemon juice for a tasty salad dressing.

Add chopped pumpkin seeds to your favorite hot or cold cereal.

Add pumpkin seeds to your oatmeal raisin cookie or granola recipe.

Next time you make burgers, whether it be from vegetables, turkey or beef, add some ground pumpkin seeds.

Nutritional Profile
Pumpkin seeds are a very good source of the minerals phosphorus, magnesium and manganese. They are also a good source of other minerals including zinc, iron and copper. In addition, pumpkin seeds are a good source of protein and vitamin K.

Farm Talk

I buy fresh (unpasteurized) milk from a few different local organic farmers. One of them is an Amish farmer named Leroy Miller. And I trust his farming values and practices. He puts his jersey cows out to graze in the grass whenever there is grass, and feeds them grass hay in the winter. No feed with chemicals or pesticides. He doesn't give them steroids or antibiotics. He is very open to talking about his farm. It's easy to drive up and see his happy pigs, sheep, cows, turkeys, horses, and their living conditions.

My kids and I especially like the pigs cuz their ears flip-flap when they skip around, their tails do a curly-Q, and their snouts dig really fast when they're looking for food. One time, we were quietly tip-toing closer and closer to a cozy group of about 20 sleeping piglets who were huddled-up together with their moms. Suddenly, one of my kids coughed, and all the piglets simultaneously popped up their heads and oinked a gasp in stereo. With synchronized ear-flopping! We couldn't stop giggling because it startled us too.

I usually go to Leroy's farm once a week. Raw milk lasts 7-10 days. If you're interested in buying anything from his milk house, bring cash or check. No cards. The person behind the counter will ask you if you're a CARE member. This stands for Communities Alliance For Responsible Eco-Farming. It is a private organization consisting of 42 farmers and more than 5500 community members, which requires a $20 annual membership in order to obtain food from the farmers. The money supports the small local farmers. And they also gather together to support one another's good farming practices through meetings, publications, mutual-inspections, etc. If you say no, then they'll ask you if you want to be, and they'll give you a short form to fill out.

Bring your own glass bottles or buy their plastic bottled milk. They are open on Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, & Sat. Closed Wed. and Sun. He also calls his farm:

Life Enhancing Acres

2931 Miller Lane

Bird-in-Hand, PA

...but you won't see a sign. Just a little red building next to his barn. Simple. Functional.

I was at Leroy's milk house a couple days ago and wrote down his prices for you:

Whole Raw Jersey Milk $5.50/gallon or $3.00/half-gallon or $1.50/quart

Raw Cream $9.50/quart or $5.00/pint

Yogurt $4.00/quart

Butter $11.00/ lb.

Sour Cream $5.50/pint

Cottage Cheese $4.25/pint

Kefir $6.00/quart or $1.50/pint

Fertile Eggs $3.50/dozen

Broiler Chickens $2.75/lb.

Here's an excerpt from "Lancaster Buy Fresh Buy Local" guide to local foods:

Life Enhancing Acres

2931 Miller Lane, Bird-in-Hand, 17505

Phone: 768.7848

Fresh chickens: May-Oct, turkeys: Nov, eggs & frozen meats all year. M,Tu,Th,F 8 - 5, Sa 8 -4 Pastured poultry, turkey, eggs, beef, lamb, fruits & vegetables

Sugar, Rapadura, Sucanat, Turbinado, Demerara,etc...

Sweeteners! When I started expecting real nourishment from my food, I stopped buying many over-sweetened processed chemically preserved foods and started sweetening my own yogurt, baked goods, and oatmeal, etc. with natural sweeteners. I quickly realized that the possibilities are vast. What are they all? What do they do? How do I substitute for white sugar in recipes? So, I read some books and web articles and made each birthday another baking experiment in the kitchen over the past couple years.

My son just turned 7 last Thursday, so I experimented with 4 kinds of brownies. My older daughter will be 9 tomorrow, so I made an angel food cake today with raw honey. I found a handy substitution guide that's working well for me so far at: http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/guides/tips_sweeteners.html

It's great to use local foods as much as possible. For Lancaster, our local natural sweeteners are definitely honey, maple syrup, and local fruits and fruit juices. Of this list, I like raw honey because it is the least processed and contains enzymes that help digest carbohydrates. The substitution guide above says to use 1/2 c. honey wherever a recipe calls for 1 c. sugar, then reduce the liquid content of the recipe by 1/8, reduce oven temp. by 25 degrees, and bake a bit longer. This worked well for my angel food cake today.

Reminder: Don't give raw honey to kids under the age of 2 because their digestive tracts are not mature enough to deactivate the bacteria spores. As for the rest of us - enjoy!

Regarding cane sugar forms, I'll list them in order of least processed (which contain the most nutrients) to most processed (which contain the least nutrients): muscovado, rapadura, sucanat, turbinado, demerara, sugar in the raw, brown sugar, and white sugar. If you see the terminology "evaporated cane juice," this doesn't really tell you anything specific because all of these are some form of that. Muscovado and rapadura are the two forms of evaporated cane juice which do not have the molasses separated out of them. This is good because the molasses contains the trace minerals and nutrients you want like calcium, magnesium, potassium, and phosphorus. It also has a toffee like flavor, which is much deeper than the neutral flavor of white sugar, so you need to be aware of the difference and decide how you like it. (I like the toffee flavor, but not full-strength, so I cut it by using honey or agave nectar with rapadura in many baked goods and homemade icecream.) To see the nutrition info. on rapadura, go to an old post of mine at http://foodfromgod.blogspot.com/2010/02/sugar-cane.html

Sucanat also has some molasses, and although it contains less than the aforementioned, it still has some worthwhile trace minerals and nutrients while delivering a milder flavor than rapadura.

The rest of the "brown" sugars are turbinado, demerara, sugar in the raw, and brown sugar. Am I missing any? Probably... cuz there are various brand names that are some form of those listed. And in each of these, all the molasses is removed and then a very small amount is put back in. It's such a small amount that it's nutritional content is pretty close to white sugar which is devoid of nutrients altogether. But it can be used as a bridge if you are trying to get used to sucanat or rapadura. Since it has some of the molasses flavor, it will help your taste buds become accustomed to something new.

I was just at Miller's Natural Foods today (on Miller Lane in Bird-in-Hand, PA) and wrote down some prices of sweeteners on their shelves. Everything listed is price per pound unless otherwise specified:

Organic Rapadura $2.65

Sucanat $1.50

Unrefined Demerara $0.79

Organic Evaporated Cane Sugar $0.75

Evaporated Cane Juice (white) $0.67

Fructose $1.35

Maple Sugar $10.00

Stevia powder $54.64

Stevia herb powder $22.00

Date Sugar $5.95/ 11 oz.

Raw honey $9.80/ 2.5 lbs.

Liquid Stevia $18.75/ 4 oz.

Organic Raw Blue Agave Nectar $9.26/44 oz.

Pure Maple Syrup $13.20/32 oz.

Xylitol $12.49/ 2.5 lbs.

Let me know if you have any questions! And thank you Melissa for writing to me about it.

Amy

Gut Feeling

It's amazing what the body can do with rest. And the digestive tract is no different. Fasting is resting for the digestive tract. And a full 12 hour fast each night (like 7pm-7am) makes all the difference for me. The daily cleanse of eating nothing at all for those 12 hours feels like renewed strength for my gut each morning.