- RSS Feed All content copyrighted 2012, Lucy McVicker, unless otherwise noted.
They say good things happen to those who wait. If that’s the case than my latest concoction won’t be ready for another 24 hours.
What is it I’m making?
Broth. Amazing, down-home, the-best-broth-of-your-life, broth.
My mother recently took a broth making class here in the Portland area and, upon returning home, apologized for not having made us good broth growing up. So what makes blasé broth amazing? Time. And ingredients. But mostly time.
Instead of going out and buying new veggies, save the scraps of carrots (except the stem ends), celery, fennel, onion peels, and whatever else you may want to add. Also, save everything from the chicken - and I mean everything. If your butcher has cleaned chicken feet, throw a few in as well. If they have chicken skins, throw a bit in, too.
Have fun with the spices - I enjoy fresh thyme, rosemary, juniper berries (only 4 or 5 in a pot), pepper corns, and bay leaves. And then a bit of apple cider vinegar with the mother (this is to taste but usually no more than a 1/4 cup). Bragg’s is a great option. Throw everything in a stock pot and simmer on low for about 15 hours, or until the bones can be broken between your.
Strain the broth and put it back in the pot to cook down. Don’t toss the fat layer on top - it has gut-healing properties, wonderful for people with a leaky-gut. The broth won’t be a light color at all but a deep amber so don’t be worried. Season with sea salt toward the end of cooking or the saltiness will be overwhelming.
And enjoy! I drink it out of a mug, add it to my veggies when I roast them, and make paleo soup. The stock will be highly concentrated so a little bit will go a long way.
What are the biggest culprits of chronic inflammation? Quite simply, they are the overload of simple, highly processed carbohydrates (sugar, flour and all the products made from them) and the excess consumption of omega-6 vegetable oils like soybean, corn and sunflower that are found in many processed foods.
Two months ago, I moved in with a few girls from my church. It’s been fun but it’s also been an adjustment. I’ve been trying to get everything organized, figure out the lighting in my new kitchen (the whole house is just so dark!) and plan a trip to see my friend (who just had to up and move after I up and moved - the nerve!). Throw in training for a few races, it’s been hot in Portland and I’ve been too lazy to cook, some miscellaneous sewing projects and tons of organizing and I have a pretty full life. I currently have about three posts that are in the work however, I get distracted with everything that needs to be done in other areas of my life. I promise I’m working on posts - I made paleo Korean pancakes with a dipping sauce. They were amazing. And there is a post coming for those. And then I made some paleo banana pancakes - yes, singing Jack Johnson’s banana pancakes was a must while I made them, and that post in the works. And there are many many many more dishes that are coming. My goal this weekend is to not only finish a new dress I’m making (to be posted on Life in Everyday America) but to also get somewhat caught up… or in the very least have them done and scheduled to post. I promise you won’t be let down with these recipes. :)
