Funny title, right? Well, I thought it could be interesting for some of you if I shared what kinds of advance preparations I had going on in the kitchen from time to time. As we have adopted the Weston A Price (WAPF) way of life, we have learned so much about the preparation of traditional foods. Things definitely weren't grab and go like much of today is. People took time in preparing their foods. They soaked and fermented and simmered things for hours at a time. It has definitely taken planning and self-discipline to adopted this new principle. Some times I'm better at it than others. The holidays and vacation definitely put a damper on it, but I am trying to get back into a routine. Today just happened to be one of those days where several prep projects came together at once.
I've got 4 things prepping over night in the kitchen tonight.
- Rye Sourdough Starter
Awhile back I tried making my own sourdough starter and bread. It didn't pan out too well. So I've been looking for another way. I recently started to wonder if whey, leftover from making yogurt, could help jump start a sourdough starter. Sure enough, as I wondering around Google this morning, I found this blog. She made a sourdough starter in just 12 hours from combining whey and flour. So I decided to give it a try today.
I also decided to try it with rye flour instead of wheat. We recently recognized that Donald has a sensitivity to wheat at the very least. We're not sure if it just wheat or gluten or if its all grains, so we're experimenting. WAPF highly recommends rye flour as a good alternative because it is much easier to rid it of the anti-nutrients that inhibit us from absorbing all the nutrients in whole grain flours. I'm hoping to make sourdough pancakes if this starter is successful! I'll keep you posted.
- Chicken Stock with Whey
Chicken stock is something I make at least a few times a month. I like to have a big stock of it in the freezer, especially in the Fall and Winter. I had put up probably 30-40 cups worth by the end of Thanksgiving (so of which was Turkey Stock -- so good!). Boy am I glad I did! I got something like the stomach flu the week of Christmas and was down for the count for at least a week. Nothing sounds good except soup! We literally went through all but 6 cups of the broth I had in the freezer and that was on top of a new batch we made during the week! So I am definitely in the restocking phase right now.
Something I've been wanting to try for a while is making stock from left over acid whey. Acid whey is what is leftover after making cheese. I was making ricotta pretty often in October and November, so I had a big gallon size baggie of it in the freezer. I've read that it makes a very flavorful broth, so I thought I'd give it a try. I could go on for several paragraphs about the benefits and method of making homemade stock, but I think I'll save that for another post.
- Homemade Yogurt
Yogurt is a staple for us and I usually end up making it about every week! Its super simple to make and I love that I can pick the milk I use to make it. I have a blog post here that explains the recipe and method I use.
- Soaking Nuts for Grain-Free Granola
I've been super craving cereal lately. Just something about the crunch and the milk. Just sounds so yum! There are days I just miss my granola, but unfortunately I had a sensitivity to oats. I had heard of grain-free granola recipes and after toying with the idea for a few days, I decided I wanted to try it. I knew that I wanted to do it was a WAPF twist and soak my nuts first to remove all those anti-nutrients. I just used what I had in the pantry, which was walnuts, pecans, and some slivered almonds. They say to sprinkle some salt and then cover with water for 6-8 hours. Mine will end up with a bit longer soak than that though, just because its easier to leave them overnight. In this picture they had already been soaking for several hours, so much of the water has already been absorbed. In the morning, I will dry them in the oven for a bit. If my granola recipe is a hit, you will be guaranteed a blog post about it! (Are you noticing a theme? I do A LOT of experimenting in my kitchen, cooking and baking based on my hunches of what will work and taste good. If its a success, I love to share. And sometimes, the failures are worth sharing too ;-)
Do you use any of these traditional practices to prepare your foods? Does this inspire you to try a new idea or recipe you've been waiting on? Do any of these recipes particularly interest you? Please share in the comments!
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