How to Render Fat

Here is my suggestions for rendering fat, although there are some variations on this and you could check the web for others.

I usually buy 2 kilos at a time of port back fat or beef suet. Some butchers sell “grated” suet, it is more expensive but it comes in little granule that you can add direct to your cooking. I prefer to do the rendering myself and save the money.

I like to put the fat in the oven in a large/deep baking tray and cover it with another baking tray to stop it spattering everywhere. I cook it at about 150 Celesius for about 40 – 60 mins. Basically just keep checking it and when there is a nice pool of fat at the bottom of the pan you can pour it off into some jars. Then stick it back in the oven to cook some more and you will usually end up with another pool of fat that you can pour off. This process can be continued several times but the fat at the end starts to become a little browner and I like my lard/tallow to be white.

The jars you use need to made of nice thick glass with wide necks. Any mayonnaise or pickles jars will do the trick. I tried using some glass jars that I had bought at a discount store and they broke when I poured the hot fat in. The sides where obviously too thin.

You also need to sterilize the jars before putting the fat in, and it is a good idea to put the fat into a warm jar anyway, so the way I sterilize them is to just lay them on their sides, (without lids) in the oven for a few minutes before I am ready to pour the fat. They get hot really quickly so when you pull them out use an oven mitt.

I just place them in the sink on a couple of paper towels and then pour the fat in. The paper towels catch any drips.

Leave them on the bench for several hours until cooled and then refrigerate the lard (from pork) and the tallow (from Beef) can be left in a cool place – although I do put mine in the fridge.

Now is the fun part the cleaning up. I usually get fat on everything. LOL. Dump out the big grizzly lump of fat that is left, into the bin. Then wipe out the fat tray using a paper towel. I then also use my enjo grease mitt to get the last of the grease off and then was with soapy water.

No more sore throat

A few weeks ago I got really sick of being sick all the time and decided to scour the web for a cure to the sore throat I have had for the past 2 years.

This has probably been the most annoying symptom I have had, as unlike all the other body issues I have, it has not responded to the diet.

So while searching for a solution I stumbled across the following suggestion for teeth brushing:

Equal quantities of salt and bicarb soda, mixed with hydrogen peroxide 3%.

I started brushing my teeth with it several times a day. Any time that I noticed my throat was sore again, I brushed my tongue, teeth and then gargle the mixture. It really foams up when it comes in contact with the bacteria in my mouth, which is very satisfying at the times when I feel really gross and my breath really smells - it makes a wonderful visual and sensory show of killing all those bugs.

In my desperation, I also decided to tweak a few more things in my diet to see if that would help. I cut out all nuts, legumes, and fruit, as I read that others have found this helpful.

The diet changes and the new dental hygiene routine really did the trick. For the first time in years I have been free of a sore throat - for days on end!! (And now weeks on end).

I have tried adding back the fruit, but it brings back the sore throat within minutes!! Weird but true.

The same happens with nuts but it takes longer.

Ive cut back the brushing to just twice a day as I don't need the extra oral cleanse now that my sore throat is gone.

My diet does seem very restricted without all those extra yummy foods, and Im eating a LOT of eggs as snacks. But it has been soooo worth the change.

Herbal Insect repellant

This recipe is from http://www.bulkherbstore.com/VFT I had to add it to my blog as it looks so interesting and the testimonials sound great. I haven't had a chance to make it yet but with summer coming on I will definitely be giving it a go.

Recipe

2 tablespoons Rosemary
2 tablespoons Sage
2 tablespoons Lavender
2 tablespoons Wormwood
2 tablespoons Peppermint
2 tablespoons fresh, chopped garlic
2 quarts of apple cider vinegar


Directions

Combine 12 tablespoons of the premixed herbs and 2 quarts of vinegar in a sealed glass jar, and steep in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks or so, shaking daily. Then, strain out the used herbs, and retain the herbal liquid mixture.

Add several cloves of crushed garlic, and close lid. Let soak for three days, and strain out the garlic fiber and discard.

This liquid tincture needs to be stored in a cool place, like the refrigerator. It can be preserved for a very long period of time by canning. To do so, fill canning jars with boiling liquid tincture to within one-half inch of top. Cap with rubber seal canning lid, tighten ring, and turn hot jar upside down; leave it undisturbed until it cools to room temperature. This will cause the jar to seal.

Don’t forget to date and label it.

This is for external use ONLY. DO NOT use it internally. DO NOT use on broken skin.

Cheating

This last few weeks have been up and down for me. I haven't really "cheated" on the diet. I am still GAPS legal, but I have been eating foods that are just too advanced for my gut at this stage.

The frustrating thing is that I was going so well and seeing some definite strides forward, but I was struggling with the intro diet during the course that I did several weeks ago and so I allowed myself some fruit each day, and a GAPS legal bread that contains a small amount of honey.

I didn't see a reaction straight away, which was wonderful, but now several of my old symptoms are back and worst of all, I am finding it very hard to go back to the intro diet again. Each day I wake up and promise myself that I will stay away from the GAPS muffins that I make for my son, and that I wont eat any fruit, but each day I end up CRAVING something else to eat. Its not really hunger as I often grab an egg or another bowl of soup when I am hankering for something, but often I am still left with a desire for something more "filling". At least that is the word that seems to go with the feeling I have. Im assuming that in the past I have felt that craving for carbs and assumed it was actually hunger. Im realising it is not, but am still finding it hard to resist the desire to fill the gap with carbs.

My current symptoms are: sore throat, fatigue and eczema. This is still a lot less symptoms than I have had in the past, which I am grateful for, but it is time to move forward and put a stop to these too.

Ive been ruminating on how I face the craving monster and I have come up with a few strategies.

1. I need to address the sore throat and it just so happens that there have been some terrific suggestions on the yahoo group about that this week. (Ill post them at the bottom of the page).

2. I need to find a low carb filler that allows me to transition back to the diet I was on before my course. I thought I would try the "carrot cake bread" that I make for the kids, minus the honey. My kids call it carrot cake bread because it does taste a bit like carrot cake. However, it is meant to the a bread substitute. It does contain nut butter, so I will experiment with some pecan butter and see how I go. (I will include the recipe in the next blog entry).

3. I will try adding a couple of electrolyte drinks per day, as the lemon juice might help quench the carb cravings. (Electrolyte drink is just a glass filtered water with half teaspoon salt and juice of half a lemon)

4. I have started adding a teaspoon of coconut oil before each meal to help keep my bowels moving, and I am also hoping that this will help the cravings

5. I need something more for lunch than just soup. I have made extra dinner tonight so I will have that for lunch along with the soup.

6. I need to do some more research on intro recipes. Ill post what I find.

Here are the Sore throat cures:

• Chew and swallow a clove of garlic. It is not pleasant but works wonderfully to get rid of a sore throat. It would help the thrush too. Followed with cup of strong mint tea to freshen the mouth.
• Gargle with warm water with some cayenne pepper and sea salt. I do them separately, but you can put them together.
  I make the cayenne as hot as I can stand it. It is also known as an antifungal so should be good for thrush as well.
• Rub oil of oregano (small amount) or essential oils on the outside of your neck/throat.

Autism and GAPS link

Here is a terrific link that I found explaining some of the diets that are commonly used for healing Autism - Gaps being one of them.

http://mindd.org/serendipity/uploads/pdf/AlburyWheelrightHandout.pdf

Pizza

This is an adaptation of Baden's "Sunflower Carrot Pizzazz"

I made this dish recently and it was soooo delicious I intend to add it to my regular menu. I didnt start out with the intention of making pizza. I just wanted to cut the cost of our meat bill and so I had been looking for some vegetarian options and stumbled on Baden's recipe. As I was making it it occurred to me that it needed a little something so I added cheese to the top and then when I served it up with dinner, we all agreed that it tasted a little like pizza even without the tomato paste base.


1 cup ground sunflower seeds (soaked and then dehydrated before grinding in coffee grinder)
2 very large carrots grated
1 very large beetroot grated
1 large onion finely diced
Basil and oregano
Salt to taste
egg (optional) I didn’t use one and it still held together fairly well
Coconut oil (optional)
Your choice of veges and cheese for the top

• Put all ingredients except veges and cheese into food processor and make into a paste
• Grease a glass lasagna dish and spread paste in the base
• Bake at 140 C for 20 mins
  

For the topping I didn’t bother with the tomato paste but you could if you like that. I just layered slices of broccoli and zucchini on the base along with some thyme and basil and then topped with a very sparse covering of grated cheese. Of course you can use any topping but broccoli is my all time favourite on pizza so it was a must for us. I also don’t like to have too many toppings, but add as many as you like

• Put the whole thing back in the oven and Bake until cheese is brown (dont forget to turn the oven up a little for the second bake)

This was even better the next day with salad

Aloo ki tikki

This is an a GAPS rendition of the Indian dish called Aloo ki tikki. Usually made with potato I have modified the recipe to be made with pumpkin and carrot as well as swapping the besan flour for sunflower seeds.

These little vegetarian patties are to die for. Such a treat for me and a great break from the monotony of meat.

300g carrot
200g pumpkin
1 T fat
2 green chillies finely chopped
1/2 large onion finely chopped
2 cm piece of ginger, grated
1 t turmeric
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
1/2 t garam masala
2 T sunflower seeds pre-soaked and dehydrated, then milled in coffee grinder.
1 T lemon juice
Salt
Fat for frying

Steam or boil carrot and pumpkin
Drain and mash
Saute Onion, chilli and ginger in 1 T fat for 2 mins
Add spices and saute until fragrant
Mix in with the mashed vegetables and add lemon juice and salt to taste.
Stir in the sunflower seed flour, adding more if a firmer patty is preferred
Make little patties and fry in 2mm of fat.

These didnt hold together very well, so I intend to add an egg next time to improve this. Despite this the rissoles where absolutely delicious and there were no left overs for lunch the next day, much to my disappointment.