'Hoarding Food' or '5 Ways to Stock Up for Winter Even If You Don't Have a Garden'

Indooring gardening failures aside, I am quite concious of the challenges that await me during the winter months ahead. Last year we had trouble eating locally and seasonally during the off season. The winter was long and punishing. By January we were seriously tired of winter vegetables. By February our Winter CSA share was over. And by March I had virtually given up. Deeper into the season, it seemed like every vegetable we bought was from California save our apples, onions and potatoes, oh and the occasional butternut squash. Pastured meats and milk are available year round, but instead of a 50/50 farmer's market/ grocery store split to my food spending, it ended up being more 25/ 75. I prefer to buy local, but that wasn't the biggest issue. It was that in an attempt to eat more local, we ate fewer vegetables overall. Winter veggies are hard to prepare. They require chopping and peeling and boiling. And insanity or not, I felt some guilt buying things that were technically out of season for my locality. But eating locally just wasn't working for me 100%.

So this year I am trying to take action now. I only have one fridge and in it a moderately sized freezer. I store all our meat in the freezer which doesn't leave a ton of space for frozen vegetables but I am trying to stock up on items that I know we won't have in a couple of months.

1-Frozen Greens I have mentioned it before, but we have gotten alot of greens this summer at our CSA and I haven't quite gotten through all of them. So I have chopped and frozen much of the kale I got this year. I have made pesto from the basil and spinach. And I have heard that one can even make pesto from swiss chard. I have to try that since I have two bunches of chard on hand and I am going on vacation soon. Pesto freezes so beautifully! That'll be delightful on a pizza in mid winter.

2-Chicken Feet Pastured chicken is a truly seasonal item, available only in the summer and early fall. I have mentioned before that we just don't eat as much chicken these days. Chickens are expensive to raise ethically. I find the pastured varaities for around $8 a pound. That's high, but then you have to buy a 5 pound bird? There you have a special occasion, $40 meal. Then consider that much of the bird is inedible, even if you make stock from the bones. That's the reason we are eating more pastured beef. Beef is cheaper and I can buy a pound at a time as I like. But chicken feet are a wonderous thing! The dairy farm that provides my milk also raises pastured chickens. And while the feet would be throw away parts for many producers, they make the BEST chicken stock! I regularly buy up all of her feet. And at $6-$7 for a bag of feet that produces 4 quarts of stock that stands up as thick as jello, I'd say that's a bargain. But the chickens will only be around a few more weeks. So I need to stock up on feet if I want them during the winter.

3-Pasture Butter I normally buy Organic Valley's Cultured Butter, a great product. But every summer they produce a green foiled Pasture Butter. It became available in June and when I first bought it, I noticed the difference right away. The smell is sublime and the color is a deep yellow like egg yolks when the butter is melted. I don't have access to pasture butter year round. My dairy does not currently produce butter. And while I could make my own from the Milk Thistle cream, $8 for a half a pound of butter seems especially steep when I consider the effort expended. I mean, I do have a full time job and two kids. If I ever win the lottery maybe I will start making my own butter. But until then I don't think it is a viable solution. Even the local butter by Ronnybrook Dairy (another exceptional dairy) is only okay. It is good, but I happennto like the OV Pasture butter better. Since it is a seasonal product I have been slowly stocking up all summer. I currently have 7-8 pounds of butter in the freezer. We go through about 1/4-1/2 a pound of butter every week (who am I kidding, 1/2 a pound) so I figure I have 14 weeks of butter. I think I'd like to get just a teensy bit more. Thank goodness my ice cube maker isn't working because that has freed up space for butter storage.

4-Sweet Corn Corn is such a wonderful thing. This summer it has been especially plentiful and exceptionally sweet. Our CSA has been providing 4-5 ears per week. That's enough to feed our need for corn on the cob, but not enough to store. So I hve started to buy extra ears at the FM. I plan to take the corn, cut it off the cob, blanch it in hot water for thirty seconds and then cool it, bag it and freeze it. So far though all those extra ears of corn have just gone into my family's bellies.

5-Dried Herbs Fresh herbs have been so wonderful to have around this summer! I have enjoyed dill in my potato salad, hottttt cilantro and jalepeno salsa and basil and kale pestos. But all good things must come to an end. So slowly I have been trying to dry the inexpensive bunches of fresh herbs that I can get at the farmer's market, dill, basil and even chamomile. I have saved some small glass spice jars for storage. Though it has been tough. Drying the herbs means that I can't just eat them fresh.

So there you go! 5 Ways that even a city girl with an itty bitty freezer can store local foods to get ready for the winter. Thus far my husband has been very supportive of my 'crunchy' eating habits, but he has been unwilling to buy a stand up freezer to compliment the tiny one we already have. His biggest problem? That the freezer won't fit in the kitchen and would have to live in the living room. Well...I guess he has a point!!

This post is shared with Real Food Wednesdays and Healthy 2Day Wednesdays and Simple Lives Thursdays and Fresh Bites Fridays and Fight Back Fridays

Herbs, Basics and Safety

      For thousands of years, herbs have been both as medicines and for magick. Even though our modern pharmaceuticals have supplanted some of the traditional uses of herbs, 80% of the world population continues to use herbs as their primary means of medical treatment. For thousands of years traditional herbalists, healers, root doctors, shamans, and medicine men and women have passed on a rich tradition of medical knowledge. When herbs are used therapeutically within the context of a cultural healing tradition, they are used safely. But when the use of herbs becomes separated from their cultural and historical context they can be misused. For that reason, I found it very important to cover some of the basics of using Herbs Safely!

First, Do No Harm

      Medical professionals are also bound by a similar rule, the "Hippocratic" oath of Primum non nocere ("First do no harm"). Spiritual traditions which use herbs for healing usually include a similar rule. Because of this, whether you are working as in either a medicinal or spiritual capacity, no treatment should be administered which causes harm. In general, you'll find that herbal medicines offer a wider range of safety than do pharmaceuticals, and they do less harm.

     This situation presents a healthy challenge to modern homeopathic medicine, and should serve to stimulate more research on the healing properties of herbs. Regardless of what type of healing tradition is used, it is better to give no medication at all than to use medication indiscriminately.
For best results, all healing methodologies need to be integrated within a holistic context which includes a nutritional diet, adequate rest, regular exercise, a positive outlook on life, fulfilling work, and a non-stressful lifestyle. Often paying attention to these basics is sufficient to bring about healing without having to resort to other methods.

Self-diagnosis

      Doctors still have Doctors, and although it may seem easier to simply diagnose yourself, it's just as easy to misdiagnose yourself. Diagnosis is a science and an art, and even if you are a skilled diagnostician, it is not possible to be completely objective when diagnosing one’s self. For this reason, if you attempt self-diagnosis discuss your ideas with a qualified health professional or other skilled holistic healer before you proceed with treatment.

Side effects and allergic conditions

      All medicinal herbs (and even foods) have side effects to some degree. The side effects depend on dosage, individual physiology, age, sex, temperament, illness, or pregnancy. Each persons body is different and it is possible for anyone to respond in atypical fashion in response to treatment. One advantage of using herbs for treatment is that there tends to be fewer negative responses compared to treatment with pharmaceuticals. Properly used, herbs should be free of side effects within the window of healing, and the person’s constitution should be supported by the action of the herbs.

      When taking herbal supplements, keep good records, listen to your body, and if you experience any unusual or unpleasant reaction, stop taking the herb. The first time you take an herb, use only a small amount so that you can be sure that there is no immediate adverse reaction. Use this rule even when starting to take herbs which you have taken in the past. Our bodies can develop allergies at any point in our lives even without showing any general health changes.  It's also not a bad idea to alert friends or family that you are starting a new herbal supplement, in the case of a negative or unusual reaction they need to know what you are taking.

     When using herbs for an extended period of time, it may be advisable to discontinue use of the herb for a few weeks, from time to time. This is to allow you to determine whether you still need the herb, or perhaps to keep the herb from becoming ineffective.

Herb/drug interactions

      Most people are aware that drugs may interact with each other, or with certain foods in the diet. Such interactions may cause the drug to be ineffective or could produce an adverse side effect. The same principle applies to herbs. There are numerous examples of how herbs mixing herbs or not following a proper diet can end badly. If you are taking prescription drugs, you should consult with a knowledgeable pharmacist or herbalist before using herbs for medication. It's also very important to make sure that you ask about possible food interactions and are always open and honest. Hiding things such as birth-control, smoking, drinking or street drug usage can be deadly! If you are in the position of giving advice about herbs, make sure you know all the interactions of the herb as well as the lifestyle and medications of the person needing help!

Timing, frequency, and duration of doses

      In standard drug treatment, one is usually taking a single chemical compound which has a certain half-life in the body. The half-life is the time period it takes for half of the drug to be eliminated from the body. In herb treatment, one is using extracts of plants that contain hundreds or thousands of ingredients, many of which are phenomenologically active with different half-lives. The therapeutic effects of herbs are often multifaceted. In the words of herbalist David Hoffmann, "the nutritional matrix of plant biochemistry profoundly modifies the activities of specific chemicals." Some of the ingredients of an herbal preparation may have specific targeting effects on biochemical processes. Other chemicals may enhance or potentate the actions of other herbal components, while still other chemicals may have synergistic and nutritive effects. Always pay attention to the recommended dosage. Do not subscribe to the "more is better" viewpoint. Higher than recommended doses could produce adverse or paradoxical effects. Because of their nutritive and supporting nature, many herbs may take a few days to a few weeks for the desired effect to be achieved. When herbs are used for chronic conditions, it is better to take them in small doses over an extended period of time. As a general rule, dosage should be related to body weight. Large people require larger doses than small people.

Dosage for children

      There are no absolute guidelines for administering herbal medicines for children, but there are some recommendations and rules. Note that some herbs such as comfrey root, poke, may-apple, and Ma Huang, should not be used with young children. There are at least three different methods for determining children’s dosage.

      Clark’s Rule: Divide the child’s weight (in pounds) by 150. This gives the approximate fraction of the adult dose. For example for a 50 lb. child, the suggested dose is 1/3 of the adult dose.

      Cowling’s Rule: Divide the child’s age (in years) at the next birthday by 24. For example, a seven year child will be eight on his or her next birthday. To calculate the dose, divide 8 by 24 which equals 8/24, or 1/3 the adult dose.

      Young’s Rule: Divide the child’s age (in years) by a factor of 12 plus the age. For example, for a child of 9 years, divide 9 by (12 + 6) which equals 9/18 or 1/2 the adult dose.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

      There are quite a few herbs that are contraindicated during pregnancy. According to herbalist Deb Soule, the following herbs should not be taken during pregnancy. These include barberry root, cascara sagrada, feverfew, juniper berry, mugwort, pennyroyal, poke, rue, senna, southernwood, tansy, thuja, and wormwood. Dr. James Duke would add balsam pear, chervil, Chinese angelica, hernandia, hyptis, may-apple, and mountain mint. The absence of other herbs on this list does not imply that they are safe to use during pregnancy. Some of the above herbs should also not be used while breast-feeding. Again, check with a qualified health professional before using herbs during pregnancy or breast-feeding.

New Herbs at CHI

You will notice in our right side column that we recently added Bulgarian Miracle Herbs to our approved products.  We benefit through your purchases which helps us continue this educational project, Natural Health News.

This line of fine herbal ELIXIRS® is an exciting reunion for me.

You will find more information here about a few of the 700+ formulas.  I've posted the immune enhancing formulas as we are moving in to cold and flu season now, above the equator.

Thank you for your consideration.

Healing Foods

Last November 2009, I attended the annual conference organized by the Phil. College for the Advancement of Medicine (PCAM) where I learned tons of information on natural healing.

I would like to share some of them in this blog. I will do it in parts and start with the talk of  of Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, former Secretary of Health.

Kamote Leaves and Tubers

Food, diet and nutrition constitute important components in the maintenance of a person's total well-being and in the promotion of human health and the prevention of diseases.  However, not yet fully appreciated is the concept of food as medicine and that certain foods or their combination have healing properties.  Healing foods have always been an Asian tradition.  And more recently, Europeans and North Americans have become more aware of this concept.

Turmeric/Luyang Dilaw and Malunggay (moringa)

Nutrition scientists have now given the name "functional foods" to foods that heal.  The European Union Food Supplement Directive 2002/46/CE has officially defined a functional food as food "consumed as part of a susual diet that is similar in appearance to, or may be, a conventional food, and is demonstrated to have physiological benefits and/or reduce the risk of chronic disease beyond basic nutritional functions."

Below are samples of foods, which aside from providing the macronutrients and micronutrients needed by our body, also provide phytochemicals and anti-oxidants that give relief to ailments and illnesses:

Kulitis and Saluyot

Food that Heal the Kidneys - Leaf shoots of the kamote (Ipomea), Kulitis (Amaranth), malunggay (Moringa), Sili (Capsicum) and Saluyot (Corchorus) taken as a salad of pickled or mixed into a soup or porridge after its cooking.

Radish and Gotu Kila/Takip-Kohol

Foods that Heal the Liver - Radish (labanos), Turmeric/Luyang Dilaw (Curcuma)), and gotu kola/takip-kohol (Centella) eaten as salad or pickled.

Duhat

Foods that Heal the Pancreas - Ampalaya (Momordica) leaves and fruits, Kamote (Ipomea) leaves and tubers, Duhat (Zygium) fruits and leaves.

Tanglad/Lemongrass

Foods that Heal the Heart  and Vascular System - Bawang/Garlic (Allium), Luyang dilaw/Turmeric (Curcuma) and coconut oil (Cocos), Tanglad/Lemon Grass (Andropogon), Pandan (Pandanus), Kamote leaves (Ipomea).

Dengue and its possible Herbal Cure

This was shared to me by my schoolmate Conrad Favorito and I believe the findings are very important so I decided to post it in this blog.

Speak out: Cure for dengue?
By Bernardo Rocha Calibo, Director, National Police Commission 7

THERE is hope that the dengue scourge will be obliterated.

I was in a meeting in Manila recently with other Napolcom officials. While waiting for my flight back to Cebu, I happened to talk with friends. The conversation eventually turned to dengue. Some of their statements shocked me. I called up the persons concerned and they confirmed these revelations.

Computer technician Wenceslao Salesale Jr., 27, was downed by dengue. His platelet count plunged from 180 to 80. He was rushed by ambulance from Novaliches to Manila. Inside the ambulance, a relative, acting upon the advice of a missionary priest, made him drink soup made from camote tops (purple sweet potato).

The following day, his platelet count was normal.

Dengue attacked the 7-year-old daughter of engineers Mar and Lita Budlongan of Kaloocan City. Her platelet count read 80. The same treatment was used. The following day she was back to normal.

The 15-year-old daughter of businessman Nepomuceno Salaga of Sampaloc, Manila had a dangerous platelet count of 80 due to dengue. The same treatment was followed. The following day she was back in school.

I asked a doctor of medicine about herbal cures and he said that many, if not most, medicines come from plants. He also said that under the Hippocratic Oath, doctors are bound to encourage anything that can cure a patient.

Research

We need not do research deep in the rainforests of the Amazon or venture into the ocean depths in search of the elusive cure for dengue. It is right there in the backyard.

The following information is from Wikipedia:

“In 1992, the Center for Science in the Public Interest compared the
nutritional value of sweet potatoes to other vegetables. Considering fiber
content, complex carbohydrates, protein, vitamins A and C, iron and calcium,
the sweet potato ranked highest in nutritional value. According to these
criteria, sweet potatoes earned 184 points, 100 points over the next on the
list, the common potato (NCSPC).”

“…Sweet potato tops are excellent sources of anti-oxidative compounds,
mainly polyphenolics, which may protect the human body from oxidative stress
that is associated with many diseases including cancer and cardiovascular
diseases. Sweet potato greens have the highest content of total
polyphenolics among other commercial vegetables studied.

“Sweet potatoes contain protein, dietary fiber, lipid, and essential
minerals and nutrients such as calcium, phosphorous, magnesium, sodium,
potassium, sulfur, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, aluminum and boron. Sweet
potatoes are also important sources of vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin,
niacin and ascorbic acid.”

Camote

In the case of Salaga, he bought five sheaves (bugkos/ bigkis) of camote cuttings. Each sheaf consists of about 12 cuttings. Each cutting measures about one foot. A sheaf costs about P5.

Camote tops are boiled in water to extract the juice. The boiling lasts for about five minutes. A little salt is used to give flavor to it. The patient is made to drink slowly and gradually. The body’s immunity system is thus revived, making dengue helpless against the body’s natural defenses. Camote enables the body to heal itself.

Now you know why I earlier said that my friends’ revelations shocked me.

They were shocking because people are needlessly dying all around us from dengue, while their very cure is also all around us.

In the past, many were fond of using the derogatory statement, “Go home and plant camote.” Now, camote is big news. It can save lives. What could be bigger than that?

So, to fortify your family against dengue, “Go home and plant camote!”

Originally written January 25, 2008