Kimchi (Napa Cabbage and Bok Choy) and Fermented Radish & Kale [Paleo][Low Carb]

Kimchi is a traditional Korean dish of spicy fermented cabbage. Napa cabbage, usually. An excellent example of the power of the wisdom in traditional diets, kimchi combines the "superfood" elements of cabbage with those of onion and cayenne. As I have mentioned previously,

Cabbage:

• protects against a wide spectrum of cancers
• is a great source of glutamine
• is healing to the digestive system
• has a mild cholesterol lowering effect*
• provides antioxidants
• is a good source of vitamins A, C and K, and anti-inflammatory polyphenols.

The George Mateljan Foundation has an in-depth summary of the health benefits of cabbage and kale. A particular cabbage glucosinolate, sinigrin, has been the focus of anticancer research. In addition,

Kimchi:

• provides additional detoxification benefits due to the high sulfur content of onions and garlic
• boosts metabolism (cayenne)
• provides more vitamin A and C (cayenne)
• helps lower cholesterol* (cayenne)

Fermented foods like kimchi are a great source of "good" gut bacteria. When made properly with salt or whey (lactofermentation), kimchi and sauerkraut provide an especially important and less common bacterial strain, L. Plantarum. It is one of the few flora strains which sticks to the intestinal wall rather than being processed out by the body like other strains of "good" bacteria. Lactic acid produced in traditional fermentation is one of the most valuable organic acids since it can be used in the body more immediately than other important fermentation by-products like acetic acid.

My kimchi is based on Dr. Ben Kim's recipe. Dr. Ben Kim, from whom I adapted this basic recipe, focuses on the use of Napa cabbage and gives a great pictorial step by step method of traditional kimchi. As anyone who knows me can vouch, however, I cannot follow a simple recipe and have thus fermented a few other varieties of my own "kimchi" using kale and bok choy. Who can pass up such vibrant vegetables in the produce section? Certainly not me, though it would be better if they were growing out of my garden...

Ingredients for the Napa Cabbage Kim Chi: (substitute Bok Choy for Napa cabbage below for the Bok Choy version)

• 1 large Napa cabbage
• 1 bunch fresh scallions
• onion, yellow chopped
• garlic, minced. I used about 5 cloves
• 1-2 T. salt (use the second T. salt if not using whey)
• 1 T. cayenne powder
• ~1/4" chunk fresh ginger root
• 1 organic green apple (to puree) or applesauce, unsweetened
• optional: 2-3 T. sea vegetable flakes

Ingredients for the Fermented Kale and Radish 'Kim Chi':

• 1 large crisp bunch kale
• ~ 5 radish
• onion, yellow chopped
• garlic, minced. I used about 5 cloves
• 1-2 T. salt (use the second T. salt if not using whey)
• 1 T. cayenne powder
• ~1/4" chunk fresh ginger root
• organic green apple (to puree) or applesauce, unsweetened

Procedure:

1. Chop up the Napa cabbage, bok choy, and kale into bite sized pieces. Place in separate bowls. Note: Dr. Kim states that the brassicas shrink about a quarter in fermentation so the end product will have smaller pieces than it initially seems.
   
   

   

   Chopped raw Napa cabbage (L), kale (C), and bok choy (R)

   
   
2. Thinly slice 4 oz. of the radish and either chop or slice the onion. Measure out or pinch desired amount of kelp or other sea vegetable. Set aside.
3. Measure out 1/4 c. sea salt.* I used Celtic sea salt but really all you need is a basic pure salt and preferably without fillers which will cloud the final fermented product. The Celtic sea salt is a great source of trace minerals and is unrefined. It is not processed with chemicals or at high heat which can damage the healing properties of the salt as many commercial salts are. This brand in particular is "doctor recommended" if that is important to you. *Note: Salt such as Celtic sea salt or table salt with with iodine will slow fermentation. Use pickling salt (iodine free canning salt) if you would like a shorter 2-4 day room temperature fermentation. (Thanks Ima for clarifying that!)
4. Dissolve the sea salt into warm water and then add the brine to the cabbage batches. Mix the brine and cabbages. I wore gloves so the salt wouldn't sting however the salt is very healing for the skin and will naturally exfoliate and gently detoxify the skin with its astringent quality.
   
   

   

   Salting the cabbage
   
   

5. Cover the salted cabbage batches and let sit at room temperature for about four hours. If it is significantly cooler in your kitchen then you can let it sit a bit longer.
6. After 4 hours, rinse squeeze dry.
   
   

   

   After 4 hours of salting: Napa cabbage, Kale, and Bok Choy. Rinse well and squeeze dry (far right)
   
   

7. Measure out 1/4 c. cayenne powder or red chili flakes/powder. Mix with warm water to make a paste.
   
   

   

   Make the cayenne paste
   
   

8. Mince and/or sliver fresh garlic and ginger. Measure out your T. garlic and ginger (I used a hefty scoop of organic bottled ginger and slivered some of my garlic and minced the rest in the Vitamix later).
9. Slice the green onions. I do so at an angle for visual appeal.
   
   

   

   Prep the ginger and scallions.
   
   

10. Puree a few Vitamin C tablets (not necessary but they keep the mix from browning. Lemon juice could also be used I suppose), the cored organic granny smith apples, about 2/3 of the onion, and the remaining 4 oz. of radishes in the Vitamix with 1/2 c. water to make a natural sugar substitute for the cabbage to use as food for fermentation. Note: Dr. Kim's recipe uses apple, pear, and onion but I didn't have pears plus I wanted to add radish and my own twists (read: I can't follow a recipe to save my life, ha!). This puree is the replacement for white sugar, the fermentation food in commercial kim chi and fermented vegetable varieties.
    
    

    

    Slice the radish and onion. Puree the apples, remaining radish, garlic (if not minced), and onion with water and Vitamin C for fermentation sugar base.

    
    

11. Add the kelp (sea veggie)*, sliced scallions, onion, cayenne/ginger/garlic paste to the kimchi base (the rinsed brined cabbage). Add about 1/3 of the apple puree, the green onions, and the red chili paste and ginger to each of the cabbage batches. You will have to make a full red chili paste batch as in step 7 for each cabbage batch (one for Nappa, one for bok choy, and another batch for the kale). *Again note that the high mineral (iodine) content of the sea vegetable will slow fermentation a bit.
12. Mix well with gloves.
13. Using a wide mouth funnel (such as a canning funnel made for Mason jars), spoon the kimchi into sanitized glass jars. Leave some head space (a little room) at the top for expansion as the brined mixture ferments. Leave the jars out at room temperature for at least 24 hours before refrigerating. I actually leave my fermented vegetables out longer than this personally, but for spoilage sake I would recommend 24 hours if you are inexperienced. Otherwise if you are wise in the ways of the age old tradition of fermentation use your best judgement.
14. Enjoy it! The refrigeration process slows the fermentation, though the batch will slowly continue to cure and become more sour with time.

Kelp and Sea vegetables are high in healing polysaccharides (long chain sugars) and nutritious whole foods.

Kelp and Sea vegetable benefits include:

• thyroid support through bioavailable trace minerals (most notably iron and iodine)
• high antioxidants
• natural cholesterol lowering effects*
• vandium, an essential component in nutritional support for diabetics/pre-diabetics which helps to regulate blood sugar
• fucoidan polysaccharides. Anti-inflammatory, antivirual, and high in sulfur like the raw garlic and onions added to the kimchi. David Wolfe's new video on polysaccharides discusses how certain polysaccharides protect against strains of the herpes virus.

*Much research supports the fact that low cholesterol is not a preventative measure for heart disease. For women, the higher the cholesterol the better since the cholesterol-hormone interaction and blood sugar versus fat is more prominent in women (especially post menopausal women) than men. The Weston Price foundation has many research articles on the benefits of high cholesterol including how high cholesterol increases longevity.

Though kimchi is a delicious superfood, don't overdo it on cruciferous vegetables (cabbages, kale, collards, broccoli, etc) since they can slow the thyroid if overeaten. Raw and fermented cabbage contains goitrogens which block thyroid hormone production. The natural iodine and minerals in the sea salt and sea vegetable will help to balance the goitrogen effects, however fermentation actually activates the goitrogens. The Weston Price foundation says the following on fermentation and the "dangers" of goitrogens in crucifers:

Fermentation of sauerkraut actually activates the goitrogens from their precursors. It also has the beneficial effect of reducing the nitrile content to half of what would be generated by cabbage upon digestion. Since nitriles appear to be more toxic than goitrogens and their effects cannot be mitigated by dietary iodine, the overall effect of fermentation is positive. More importantly, if sauerkraut is used as a condiment, the amount of goitrogens consumed is very low and very unlikely to exert any harm. However, it is important to realize that unreasonably high intakes of sauerkraut could have adverse effects.

'Nuff said. Now feast your eyes and then ferment up some veggies to feed your tummy! Don't forget hearty winter greens are a great source of vitamin C and vitamin K (though not as good of a vitamin K source as animal products like raw butter).

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Green "Muffins" [Paleo][Low Carb]

Want a healthy Halloween appetizer, snack, or just a plain old hearty munchie? Try some ghoulishly green muffins (don't fret they're just spinach egg muffins).  I was trying to find a good Cindalou option for a Halloween party dish and Jon suggested that I just make some of my normal food- something gross looking and green goo-ish.  For once we agree ;)

I adapted this recipe from Steal This Meal Spinach Egg Muffins, though I have made similar in the past with coconut flour.  This time I added egg whites (since I had them) and used my Vitamix (since I'm lazy).  Steal this meal also has a nice kale recipe for those kale fans out there... that's me, of course.   They have a great Paleo recipe and lifestyle site so check it out.  No, I don't know them I just like their stuff.  Not everyday you can mash the superfood vitamin and mineral packed bags o' spinach and farm fresh free range eggs into a Paleo party bite.  Well, around here it is an everyday thing...  You can almost sing the alphabet in vitamins in this dish- give me a "A," "K," "MaGNESIUM."  Not to mention bioavilable B12, choline, selenium.  You get the idea.  Alas, onto green goodness:

Ingredients:

6 whole fresh eggs

1/4 c. dried egg whites (or 6 egg white equivalent or just more eggs) + water (see below)

3 cloves raw garlic

3 lbs. frozen spinach

1 T. lemon juice (optional)

sea salt and pepper, to taste (about 2 t.-1 T. each)

spices to taste: I used ~1 T. crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, and 1 t. cayenne)

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Steam the 3 lbs frozen spinach with 1 T. water and 1 T. lemon juice (if desired) until vibrant green but soft and cooked (7-10 mins depending on temperature). Set aside and let cool. 

Line muffin cups and spray with nonstick spray or coat with coconut oil (or real butter). Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

In the Vitamix (or your blender) add the powdered egg whites (I used 1/4 c. dry egg whites= 6 egg whites of the Deb El Just Whites brand) and water (1/2 c. then additional 1/4 c water to make smooth consistency) and blend on low until dissolved (1-2 minutes, varying speed). 

 

Using a jam press or slotted spoon drain the spinach until very dry. I also used my flat fold colander to help squeeze out all the liquid, though hands work fine also. 

Add the spinach to the egg white-water mixture in blender. Blend on medium for 1 minute to help mix. Add 6 raw eggs. Add garlic and spices (also pepper, 1 T. Italian seasoning and 1 T. crushed red pepper) and extra virgin olive oil. 

Blend on medium mixing with Vitamix damper. When well mixed (2-3 minutes) turn to high and mix vigorously until well blended and bright green (my favorite!) Spoon into muffin cups and bake at 350 for 15-17 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Best toppings (as if they need 'em): raw organic almond butter or coconut oil (butter for ya'll dairy folks out there).  Actually a kalamata olive would go nicely too...

Yield: About 22 medium "muffins" (I swae that count is before I ate half the batch!)

I added this recipe to Nutrition Data for the stats and label: 

Read More http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/recipe/2308774/2#ixzz1btYk6byI

Army of green goblin goodness... ahh yum!

Fall Chickens and Updates

So that kimchi post is still a'coming, I swear it!  I've been swallowed by the yard, farming, and a bit of  art (finally!).  We had a bad run with the last batch of hens- multiple raccoon and possum attacks cleaned us out of our entire black star flock as well as Rand, my baby Old English Bantam rooster, and a Dominique hen.  We lost our friendliest birds and were left with a handful of roosters and flighty, aggressive Americanas.  But as time flows (well entropy at least is increasing) so does life... and we are back in the chicken business with a new batch of young hens and more hatchling black star hens and another bantam rooster. 

 

For your viewing pleasure (and as a distraction to the fact I'm slacking on the blog), here are some clips of the new birds.  The first is the young hen batch of 2 Australorp, 2 White Brahmas, and 2 Rhode Island Reds (who I mistake for New Hampshires in the video -- similar breed).  Our Dominique rooster Zebe is also in there taking up camera space.  He was the only bird we saved from the raccoons in the middle of the night when I woke up to chicken cries.  He had his rear munched on and leg hurt, but, after a short recovery inside, he is alive and well. 

And don't forget the black stars and Raj.  I need to hold onto this Bantam rooster- he's my third one and I'm running out of good r rooster names.  We've already had Roy and Rand.  Sorry Abba but we are not having a Ron :)

Summer Chickens

Here's a short video of my birds (a continuation of the excuse for not finishing my kimchi post still, yes I know).  Hope you enjoy!  Keep cool and stay well hydrated- just be sure to avoid the sugar or toxic sugar free sodas and flavored waters in this heat.  Aspartame and  sucralose (Splenda) are among the more detrimental sweeteners out there masquerading as "healthy" sugar substitutes.  More on sugar free poisons in a much later post.  Until then cheers! (Try some sparkling water or seltzer with lemon or lime and stevia for a nice refreshing twist instead). 

For those of you out there counting there are 32 birds in all- that's a lot of chicken feed!  Let's not forget our 5 cats and garden.  But then again the cats and tomatoes don't crow for you every morning and afternoon :)

Previews and Excuses for Blog Negligence

So as proof that I and thus Cindalou's is still alive and well, I am sending out a hollar (and various excuses for my blog neglect).  Gardening and a new flock of chickens has sort of taken over my life... that's what I get for a spring planting craze beginning in February with my indoor greenhouse for seedlings.

 

We also recently acquired 23 chick hatchlings which I raised from 5 days old.  Let me tell you when it is 90-100 degrees outside and I have 23 baby chicks inside in my pantry/laundry room with a space heater at 98 degrees you never get a break (from the heat or the cat-policing to protect the babies from our 3 cat's famous "cat curiosity").  

5 day old Americana chick(L) and more chicks on top of my dryer, aww!

Fast forward to now about a month later the flock is outside.  Now I watch and police our two new outdoor cats when they're around the chicks.  The two new cats came in the midst of chickens and planting, by the way (as mole control).

A month later... their size shows where all that chick feed went!

Guess I never learned my lesson since we are getting 6 more hens tomorrow! The yard alone could monopolize my life- I can't get bored here, that's for sure.  Don't fret though, Cindalou's is still cooking, fermenting, and raising general culinary havoc.  As proof I present pictures of my fermenting the spring's bounty of hearty greens and brassicas.  For those like it hot I'll be posting my three variations on traditional kimchi.  

Jars of pipin' hot "kim chi" goodness, yum!

 I'll also follow up with my tweaked red cabbage kraut based on my mother in law, "Ima's," famous munchie.  

Counter o' red cabbage and traditional sauerkraut variations.

  Of course there will be plenty of health ranting and trivia about glutamine and cabbages, thyroids and unfermented brassicas (why I ferment 'em), and the highlights of the hearty greens.   I know it is late for the heart greens as far as seasonality.  Hey you have other blogs with attentive bloggers who are on the ball with cherry and blackberry recipes.  

Trust me the kimchi is a fantastic salsa replacement for my eggs.  Eggs require salsa, by the way :)  Other than that picturesque proof of my blog laziness, I am sure I've been up to other things around here.  Who knows? One thing is for sure: nothing is safe from my reach ;)  So look for an upcoming series on fermented veggies and their "superfood" benefits!

Mexican Pumpkin and Turkey Sausage and Shredded Chicken Stew [Low Carb][Paleo]

Cindalou's is hitting the road (hoping it isn't still iced over on our killer mountain driveway!) with a spicy low carb stew to warm even the coldest of frozen toes and fingers. It's Mexican theme at girls' night this weekend and I wanted to bring something with a little variety. For a small handful of ladies, there are enough Mexican dishes already there to feed a small Army... or a large one. All the classic Mex entrees and sides are already taken- beans, guacamole, taco salad, chalupas, quesadillas, flan, dips, and chips galore! I thought something a little different would be nice. Well, that and the fact that the hubby just bought a case of organic canned plain pumpkin from an Amazon deal last month! That's a whole lotta pumpkin for two. My stew is a variation on a common Tex-Mex pumpkin chowder, but I omit the high glycemic corn and use low carb substitutes with much more nutrition.

As you recall, pumpkin is a great low carb winter "superfood," packed with Vitamin A, C, E, magnesium, iron, and a host of other minerals. One common mistake: be sure to use the plain pumpkin, not the pumpkin pie mix!

Cilantro is a fantastic herb for detoxing the body of heavy metals. It is also a great source of B vitamins, zinc, and selenium as well as a host of other vitamins and minerals. In general, dried herbs are nutritionally dense foods, though potency of certain nutrients can be lost in the drying process.

Tomatoes and salsa provide more Vitamins A and C (better than oranges, plus less sugar), and the organic coconut milk and virgin oil provide brain nourishing and metabolism boosting medium chain good fats (the MCTs). Don't fear the coconut fat, it is burned as fuel for and repairing the body, not stored like longer chain polyunsaturated fats (bad fats like soybean, corn, and peanut oils to name a few). Vitamins A, C, E and the B assortment help strengthen your immunity in these blistery wintery days. Don't reach for a pill or softgel for health either- your body knows how to assimilate and nurture itself with vitamins and minerals from real food. Those supplements have their place but shouldn't replace basic real food... hey, you can always start with a big dollop of my warm spiced up stew! :)

Note: The turkey sausage is optional for vegetarians or vegans. For a non-Paleo ("Caveman") version add black beans. I just had a pack of gluten free Andoullie turkey sausages on hand and I wanted to combine the ideas of a typical Mexican pumpkin soup with a Brunswick stew. (Brunswick stew is out for us kosher southerners who don't do pork).

2 15 oz cans organic pumpkin (not pie mix)
1 15 oz can organic coconut milk
3/4 c water (or low sodium free range organic chicken broth- adjust for your consistency preference)
1 15 oz can Rotel tomatoes, Mexican Style Lime and Cilantro OR 1 15 oz can organic fire roasted tomatoes with green chilies (undrained)
1 7 oz can green chilies, drained
1/2 c. hot salsa (Kroger brand is gluten free according to the last list

1 T. organic virgin coconut oil
1 package Andoullie turkey sausage (I used Garrett Farms brand gluten and antibiotic free sausages)
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded before serving (see below)
lime juice, to taste (I usede about 1/4 c)
stevia glycerite,~ 1 T.
1 tsp organic unsulfured blackstrap molasses (great vegan source of iron and B vitamins), optional

spices:

cilantro, ~ 2 tsp
sea salt and pepper, dash each
cumin, ~ 2 tsp
cumin seed, pinch of whole seed braised with pestle and mortar
oregano, ~ 2 tsp
thyme, ~ 1 tsp
Badia curry powder (it is gluten free, I asked the company and posted the reply on Celiac Forums at the end of the thread), ~ 1 T.

garlic powder and onion powder, ~ 1 tsp each
turmeric, ~ 1 tsp
parsley, ~ 1 tsp
paprika and cayenne pepper, ~ 1 tsp each
pinch crushed red pepper flakes (for color)

optional: 1 Reynold's slow cooker liner (makes for easy clean up)*

Preparation:

Line your slow cooker with the liner if you choose to use it.* Add the coconut oil and turn to high to melt the oil and swash it around the bottom (you can also spray the cooker or liner). Add the chicken breasts to the bottom. Add the pumpkin, undrained Rotel or fire roasted tomatoes, and coconut milk. You may wish to thin the stew with either water or organic free range chicken broth. Stir to mix well, though leave the chicken on the bottom. Cook on high for 3 hours. Check the chicken breasts with a fork and shred them a bit into large shreds if you can (to preserve the texture). My breasts were still a bit raw so I did most of my shredding at the end.

Since the sausages are already precooked and I didn't want them to get mushy, I decided to wait to add them until after the chicken had cooked a bit. The sausages can be sliced into bite sized pieces now and added to the stew. Or if you prefer, the whole sausages can be fished out at the end and sliced, though that method is a bit messy. Add the rest of the ingredients: broth or water, the drained green chilies, spices, lime juice, and salsa. Stir well. Cook on low for another 3-4 hours or until chicken is fork tender and shreds easily. Adjust the lime juice and cayenne to suit your taste. You can always cook it all on high for a shorter time as long as the chicken is well cooked. Since I have the time I wanted to let the spices and flavors simmer on low for the last few hours and "marinate" rather than just throw it all in on high for shorter.

Alternative Method (The Quickie): Throw it all in and cook on low for 6 hours or until chicken is fork tender and shreds easily.

Shred the chicken (and slice sausages if not done previously) before serving. This goes great with some guacamole or avocado and a dollop of (nondairy) sour cream (I would use my homemade coconut milk or cultured (fermented) soymilk 'yogurt'). Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro and dig in!

While this stew has a nice spice to it, feel free to experiment with spice amounts. I prefer things fiery myself :) Don't forget cayenne pepper and those healthy coconut MCTs help reduce inflammation and rev up that sluggish winter metabolism, while pumpkin and tomatoes give a low carb and low glycemic vitamin and mineral punch. Keeping up your immunity naturally and holistically with healing, warming foods and proper exercise helps balance the body. Now go run in place as hard as you can for 1 minute- burst train and stretch those lungs and achy legs! Whew, now I'm all warm and toasty!

Other add ins that would be nice are 1 c. chopped white onion and diced tri bell peppers like a frozen mix of veggies and chunks of celery and torn bits of kale. I didn't have any on hand at the time though, what a shame to miss kale!!

Note: This was not spicy enough for my taste, but a T. or so more cayenne would help.

*Note on the slow cooker liner: It does not give material but I can tell it is some form of plastic which has been apparently "approved" as food grade. I am skeptical about the liner (as well as the ceramic Crockpot) leaching into the food (acids and fats tend to degrade plastics and break them down into possibly toxic by-products like dioxins and PCBs). However since I am traveling with this whole shebang, I wanted a quick and cleaner way to transport this stew. Yes, even Cindalou up on her health soapbox chose convenience :)

Blast from the Past

So as many of you may have noticed, Cindalou's has been on hold for awhile, lurking behind that hotel room door with the polite "do not disturb--I am turning my life 180 degrees out of phase." Oh wait--they don't give you those door tags anymore- guess printing the paper cost too much in this economy. Alas, I'm back and have more than a few updates for you all (as if you had not already heard about agave nectar, it is now a no-no). A big no-no as in "worse than high  fructose corn syrup." I'll leave it to the professionals like Dr. Mercola and CBS on that one. Who knew? I was certainly on the agave bandwagon and had to find use (trash) for 3 pantry bottles of the amber nectar myself. Sigh, Se la vie I suppose.

As for as why the heck did Cindalou's go hide under a rock for a year or so (who's counting, really)? Time flies when you're having fun. Or moving to another state and leaving your astrophysics PhD at UNC at the drop of a dime. Literally, we bought a house, moved, and rented out our Chapel Hill apartment in 3 or 4 days. More on that later. Oh and the move to the great state of Tennessee was in the midst of moving to Connecticut.  Who's complaining when your husband gets his dream job, you get your dream house in the area you've always wanted to live, and you can now move on to other things?  "Other,” in my case involves my catering to 3 cats, 6 chickens, a rooster and 2 acres.  I don't have to listen to a blip of the egg recall mess either--our free range backyard eggs are a nice freedom from the grocery store.

Occasionally I squeeze in my fledgling attempts at artwork, gardening, and doing a study program in naturopathy.  Oh, and yoga complete with cat assistance.  A 180? Perhaps.  Or maybe not...shall we continue with more mindless musings and some delicious roasted summer vegetables?  Or maybe some zucchini spice coconut flour Paleo-esque muffins? 

 

To celebrate the first zucchini I grew, I chopped up way too many veggies in the wee hours of the morning (before espresso nonetheless!). Plus I use every excuse to use curry. I've converted my husband, his family, and a few other unsuspecting house guests with my curry oatmeal. Sound gross? It is delicious- how can you go wrong with cinnamon, curry, graham Marsala, and other random spices from the cabinet (a dash of mystery spice at my whim every morning makes a good old non-recipe). More on the recipes later. We have plenty of great bloggers out in cyberspace cranking out every seasonal page-ranking recipe they can conjure up in the skulls, so I'll leave that to them for now. I'll be back with recipes soon (it's a promise and a threat :)). Until then, hunker down to some curried zucchini red pepper wild cod with poached eggs. Uhh, actually unless you get safe eggs, maybe nay to the eggs, or come visit me on my mountaintop! Curry Oatmeal (gf oats for you gf kind of folk out there) and some Roasted Summer Vegetables a la' Madras coming up soon... until then as they say "espresso yourself" and have a blessed day!

Perhaps low carb Paleo coconut flour zucchini spice muffins don't look all that sexy... but the espresso compensates, I can assure you ;)

A special thank you to my sister Sandy for proofreading my terrible stream-of-consciousness blog draft!  Also a big hug and thanks to my family and friends (new and old are as good as gold, right BJ?).  I hope your shoulders are not too sore from all of the leaning I did on them...