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I feed my sourdough starter every day or every other day....... and after a few days, if I don't bake with it, the jar gets too full. Normally, you would dump some of the starter before feeding again, but that seems like such a waste! So, I found this recipe here for gingerbread made with sourdough starter. It uses an entire cup of starter so I didn't have throw away any as my jar got full. Try some, it's quite yummy!
Several months ago, after reading the book The Vintage Remedies Guide to Bread, I ordered a French sourdough starter on ebay. Did you know that the TYPE of grain you use in bread is not as important as the process you use to make it? A long-rise fermented bread made with white flour actually has more bio-available nutrients, lower gluten content, and a lower glycemic index than a yeast made whole wheat loaf! Making a good loaf of sourdough is a bit more labor intensive, but so worth the health benefits! I killed my first starter........ I forgot to feed it (much like I forget to water my plants)! This time, I will remember to keep a 'spare' in the fridge! This is my first loaf with the new starter........ it's not light and fluffly like I'd prefer. I need to keep experimenting with my technique and I'll be sharing my sourdough journey on this blog. This one was made with half AP flour and half spelt flour. The good news is that it tastes really good and will most likely be gone tomorrow as my eldest son has taken a liking to it (as evidenced by the big chunk that I noticed missing this afternoon)!
Recipe and information updated! Click Here!
My eldest son came down with a cold. We had a bit of elderberry syrup in the fridge from a couple of months ago - but I knew he was going to deplete that jar. So.......... it's time to make more!
Elderberries are very good for the immune system. They are particularly good at fighting influenza - in fact, some studies show that taking elderberry syrup is better than vaccines at preventing the flu! It can be used both as a defensive measure against respiratory illness as well as an offensive treatment.
I don't mind taking it straight, but the rest of my household prefers to mix it in a bit of orange juice. Once the weather starts to cool down, I will take it daily! Here's the recipe (you don't need the echinacea if you are using it as a preventative):
2 cups filtered water
1/2 cup dried elderberries
1 Tb grated fresh ginger (optional)
1 TB dried echinacea (optional)
cinammon stick
1 cup honey
Bring all the ingredients to a boil except the honey. Let it simmer on the stove (warning: it doesn't have a great smell while it's cooking) for about 40 minutes or until the liquid reduces to about half.
Strain the liquid and mix in the honey until dissolved. Keeps in the fridge for a month or two.
As a preventive, I just take a spoonful a day. As a treatment, we take a spoonful several times a day!
If you plan on making this for flu season, it's best to get the elderberries now because in the fall, many of the herb stores will sell out of them!
I love hummus! While not necessarily considered 'gastroparesis-friendly' - I seem to be okay with it in small amounts. The recipe was simple. I used my Vitamix, but you could use a food processor as well:
2 cups of chickpeas (you can used canned, but I bought mine dry and cooked them - less expensive, no salt added, and no worries of BPA leaching from the can!)
3 oz of Roasted Red peppers
2 TB fresh lemon juice
1/2 garlic clove
1/2 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
Mix it all up! I ended up adding a bit of water because it was a bit thick. Enjoy!!