Girl Gone Domestic

Kids, Cooking, Cleanliness, and a little bit of Wild

The Washington Alliance for Raw Milk

Many of you know my family & I drink raw milk, yes that’s right untreated…or is that untampered?  We have been drinking it for two years without any incident of sickness.  The benefits of raw milk have been proven to be many, and the dangers fewer than you are led to believe.  In fact, you are more likely to get E. Coli from a burger or a bag of unwashed spinach these days.  Raw milk is constantly given a bad rap, take a look at this article, where they immediately blame raw milk for an E. Coli outbreak, tarnish the reputation of the dairy that produced it and all for naught.  The article goes on to say:

“After the infections were discovered, state officials inspected the Dungeness dairy — and have continued to do so — and have found no E. coli bacteria in its milk or in its facilities.”

There are thousands of Washingtonians that drink raw milk “in good health” as the article says.

When I first started drinking raw milk, I purchased it from my local food co-op, at that time they carried two brands.  They are now down to one, and it is often limited.  There is a demand, but it is difficult for these small dairies to keep up with the USDA and its extremely stringent guidelines on them.  I do not think there is a more scrutinized group of food producers than the raw milk dairy farmers.

All this being said, an alliance has been formed, an alliance of raw milk supporters, farmers & consumers in our state.  If you feel the same about having the freedom to consume what you choose, the freedom to use your own discretion when it comes to knowing where your food comes from,  if you feel you are smart enough to know what’s good for you, then you must join The Washington Alliance for Raw Milk.

Update: Here is the website for Alliance for Raw Milk Internationale (ARMi), it has links to all the available state ARMs.

This post has been a part of Fight Back Friday hosted by Food Renegade.

Assignment #3 Real Food Challenge, Improve Your Grains

The Problem with Whole Grains: I know you’re thinking that if white flour is the problem, whole grain must be the answer. Not so fast. Whole grains contain a naturally-occuring plant compound called phytic acid. Phytic acid acts as an anti-nutrient, binding up minerals such as zinc (which you need for immunity and reproductive health), iron and others in your digestive tract and preventing you from fully absorbing them. By consuming those whole grain pastas, cookies, crackers and cereals, you’re again operating at a nutritional loss. For this reason, pre-packaged whole grain cereals, cookies, crackers, cakes and other products should never enter your kitchen. Remember, we’re all about optimal nutrition and maxiizing the nutrient density of our foods where we can on this challenge.

The Solution: Hold back those depressed sighs for a moment. A nourishing, wholesome diet does not have to equate to one devoid of grain, of artisan breads or of crackers, cookies and cakes. (Though plenty of people choose to live grain-free, which is quite acceptable.)

By properly preparing our grains, much as traditional societies did, you can mitigate the effects of phytic acid. The process of fermenting grains as in sourdough bread, sprouting grains or soaking them in a slightly acidic solution mitigates the effects of phytic acid, maximizing the nutrient value of the grain by improving your body’s ability to absorb those vital and life-giving minerals.  (Real Food Challenge Newsletter #3)

This was what our third challenge entails, soaking our grains.  I started soaking grains about a year ago, but have never been consistent, but this Challenge has me back on track!  Last night it took me two minutes to mix up some flour and buttermilk for pancakes this morning, really not too time consuming!  And these were thoroughly enjoyed by my family this morning (wish I could have partaken, but I’m grain free for health reasons):

Soaked Whole Grain Blueberry Pancakes

2 eggs

2 cups whole grain flour  (I used white wheat)

1 cup milk

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons sucanat

4 tablespoons melted butter or coconut oil

2 tablespoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 c. blueberries

The night before, whisk together flour, milk & buttermilk, cover with a dishtowel overnight.

The next morning, beat in eggs. Beat in remaining ingredients. Cook on griddle or in greased cast iron skillet over medium-high heat.


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