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‘Staying Healthy’ Covers my Entire Counter

You can tell a lot about a person when you see what they have on their kitchen counter.  On a daily basis on mine, you will find essential oils, ferments, herbs/spices, and teas.  Okay, other stuff too,  things just keep appearing; I’m sure you know what I mean!

Here is a recent photo of my counter.

I am often asked, ‘Renee, what is all this stuff?’ My reply is easy; these are the things I use on a daily basis.

I have embarked on a complete lifestyle journey because I have realized what limited information is readily available on the food we put in our bodies.  A personal mission to learn and live by what it means to be healthy for myself and family.

We live in a world of misinformation and half-truths when it comes to transparency about health. I use the following foods, oils, and spices to aid in protecting the health of my family and self on a daily basis, or as often as I can.

The truth is, if I had more space for storage I would prefer to put all the stuff away. 🙂 Continue reading ‘Staying Healthy’ Covers my Entire Counter

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Easy Baked Chicken Recipe

Are you ready to learn my now-not-so secret recipe on how to bake a whole chicken and keep all the juices and flavorings contained?

baked chicken

Start by purchasing a whole chicken from your local farmer or Amish store.  Supporting local farmers allows us the opportunity to buy chickens raised in humane conditions and helps our farmers.

The farm we buy chickens from they can be seen running around the farm, how cool is that!

Now we are ready to get ‘er ready for a cooking

  1. Rinse the chicken with water and pat dry.
  2. For a crispy coating rub chicken with some butter, yum!
  3. Next, coat generously with homemade dry rub.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  5. Bake for approximately 1 and 1/2 hours or until internal temperature of whole chicken reaches 165 degrees.

Continue reading Easy Baked Chicken Recipe

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7 Ways Bell Peppers Benefit your Health

Fresh red sweet pepper on a wooden rustic board
Fresh red sweet pepper on a wooden rustic board

With so many people jumping on the “get healthy” band wagon this year, it’s been interesting to see that bell peppers have joined the good diet list.

Bell peppers, particularly the brighter colored ones, are favored for their mild heat and lovely taste. They can jazz up your favorite salad or be eaten alone as a flavorsome roasted snack.

But did you know that bell peppers impact your health in beneficial ways?

See for yourself.

Continue reading 7 Ways Bell Peppers Benefit your Health

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Get the Benefits of Elderberries Infused with Kombucha [Recipe]

Word of warning:  Not all elderberries plants are edible and can contain trace amounts of cyanide which is toxic.  For this reason, I suggest purchasing from a reputable source.

With all the benefits of the elderberry plant, I decided to incorporate it into kombucha.  Fermentation pulls the medicinal properties out of herbs.  So I figure let’s give our kombucha an extra boost by fermenting elderberries into it! Here are the steps on how I did it, and you can too!

  1. Once you have brewed your kombucha to your taste, strain it into your glass bottles.
  2. Start by adding one teaspoon of dried elderberries per liter of kombucha. Increase or decrease the amount to achieve your desired flavor.
  3. Let sit capped on the counter for 24 to 48 hours (I like 24hrs more, but try both).
  4. Strain before serving.
  5. Store in refrigerator.

Below are photos I took during the second ferment happening.

Cool, right?

 

Continue reading Get the Benefits of Elderberries Infused with Kombucha [Recipe]

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Do you need your appendix?

First off, if you think you may need to have your appendix removed, stop reading this article and get yourself to a hospital PLEASE, there is no DIY fix. We visited the US Department of Human and Health Resources who identified the symptoms of when you might need to have your appendix removed.

If you don’t know me yet, I’m all about digestive health.  Why?

Proper gut health leads to a healthy body and mind.   So that leaves the questions,  does the appendix play a part in this digestive influence? If so, then what is the REAL function of the appendix?

The latest research indicates that Continue reading Do you need your appendix?

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Maintain a Healthy Gut for a Healthy Body & Mind

Are you taking probiotics for better digestive health? There is a more natural way.

improve gut health with probiotics from fermented foods

Would you be surprised if I told you the best probiotic for gut health does not come in pill form?

For thousands of years, people have been fermenting vegetables and fruits for preservation.  Little did they know that by preserving foods with fermentation, they added many health benefits beyond extended shelf life.

Even the US National Library of Medicine published Continue reading Maintain a Healthy Gut for a Healthy Body & Mind

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Crunch into a Fermented Green Bean “Pickle”

Crunchy Dilly Green Beans, as we call them are a delightful and healthy treat.

ingredients for dilly beans

After leaving the farmers market with an overwhelming amount of green beans, or after collecting a large crop, ferment them!

Crunchy dilly green beans taste similar to a dill pickle.  How fun is that!

These fermented green beans are super easy to make and a great complement to any meal.  Not to mention that adding a fermented food during meal time will help break down your meal during digestion.  Which means the nutrients already found in the food you eat will be more bio-available. Continue reading Crunch into a Fermented Green Bean “Pickle”