Kitchen Basics, Natural Beauty

How to Make & Use Ghee

Ghee is clarified butter — a fragrant, flavorful oil that is well suited for cooking, as it doesn’t burn easily. It’s more shelf stable than butter and can be stored outside of the fridge for up to 6 months.

In the process of turning butter into ghee, the milk solids are removed. So, even folks who have a milk protein intolerance can consume ghee without issue.

Ghee is made by gently heating butter until the water evaporates and skimming & straining out the milk solids so that only the liquid fat is left. Slowly heating the butter on low heat is important as it helps retain vitamins and minerals.

Ghee is rich in antioxidants, vitamin E, and vitamin A. Cooking with fat-rich ghee may help improve bioavailability and absorption of certain nutrients in your food.

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Herbal Remedies

Make Your Own Immune Boosting Fire Cider

Updated March 1, 2022

Fire ciders are a well loved folk preparation that have been used traditionally to boost digestion, aid healthy body processes, warm one up on cold days, and help to ward off illness. Autumn is the perfect time to make a big batch of fire cider so that it can be used to promote health throughout the winter months.

Fire cider is simple to prepare, but it does need to infuse for some time before it’s ready. Depending on who you ask, the exact recipe varies, but the basic formula remains the same: vinegar + health boosting herbs + honey.

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Recipe Roundups, Recipes

50+ Ways to Enjoy Your Favorite Summer Berries

An abundance of fresh berries is certainly one of the best things about summertime in the Midwest. Many hot afternoons during summers I spent in Michigan were devoted to collecting sweet, ripe berries for eating and using fresh and for preserving to enjoy during the long, cold winter months.

This recipe round up features fifty-two delicious ways to enjoy a variety of summer berries this year. Below you’ll find some classic recipes you know and love mixed in with some fresh, fun recipes that just might become your new summer favorite. Enjoy!

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Recipe Roundups, Recipes

Ode to Beets: 150+ Reasons to Love this Root Veggie

Beets, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. 

Beets are definitely one of my favorite vegetables. One of the most amazing things about them is how good they are for your health. They are loaded with nutrients and are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, folate, magnesium, iron, copper, & phosphorus. They also provide fiber and antioxidants.

This root veggie also has some medicinal benefits. It helps to cleanse the liver and can be helpful for promoting healthy digestion. Because beets contain nitrates they aid in improving blood flow, lowering blood pressure, and can even boost stamina so you can excerise longer. They also contain betaine, an anti-inflammatory amino acid that helps to protect the body from environmental stress.

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Main Dish, Recipes

Spicy Nettle & Tofu Soup

Updated February 26, 2022

This past winter was long and cold — as Midwest winters often are. To cope, I cooked a lot of soup for about five months straight. Now that the weather has been warmer, I have been taking a break from this comforting dish. But, some chillier temps and cool spring rains have had me craving a warm bowl of soup again.

This light, spicy soup utilizes one of my favorite foraged springtime greens, nettle. Fresh nettle greens are quite delicious and extremely nutritious. But, if you don’t have any or don’t know where to get them, you can substitute any other spring greens you have on hand, like spinach, chard, collards or kale.

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