Seasons Greetings and Merry Christmas!
The arrival of the holidays, for me, means Christmas songs stuck in my head nonstop. I don’t mind, though, because I have to fill up on a years worth of Christmas songs in only 30 days!
This time of year makes my heart sing because it means:
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pulling out my tattered Charlie Brown Christmas piano book and rocking out some jazzy, festive tunes
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Lighting our beeswax candles in the advent wreath
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Cozy fires, warm robes and fuzzy socks
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I have survived another round of finals. Last test next week and then I’m free (for a few weeks, at least)!
November favorites!
It’s time to share some some awesome posts from my friends at their real food and healthy living blogs. Here are a few favorites:
Do you think cast iron is a safe cooking material? You may think again after reading this post about the safety of cast iron pans.
Sure, soft and snuggly towels are nice but are you using a toxic fabric softener to get those results? Try this homemade fabric softener instead!
I often get asked where I get lard for my Spiced Coconut Flour Lard Biscuits. I am able to buy it from a farmer, but if that is not an option for you, Tiffany shows how to render lard in a crockpot.
Does raw meat scare you? Caroline loves her raw meat and tells us why raw meat is healthy!
Do you remember how useful fermented foods are in boosting your immune system? Here are some great ways tips to incorporate fermented foods into your diet.
You know I’m crazy about butter, so I started salivating immediately when I learned that the secret ingredient in this chocolate mousse is butter. Butter + chocolate + mousse… just wow.
Holistic Squid gives has a great idea for homemade Christmas presents–homemade lemongrass bath salts!
How did you cook your Thanksgiving turkey? I might give this unique Five Spice Turkey a try next year.
This caramel sauce for apple cider, made with honey and cream, sounds divine for chilly winter nights.
If I ever have the opportunity to made venison, I’m making this comforting woodland venison stew.
November at Empowered Sustenance
In case you missed them, here are the popular November posts at Empowered Sustenance:
Perfect Spaghetti Squash Hash Browns (No potatoes? No problem!)
Crockpot Acorn Squash (Easiest side dish ever)
2 Ingredient Pumpkin Pancakes (guest post at Wellness Mama)
5 Reasons Why Calories Don’t Count (really… calories are a stupid, warped concept)
Coconut Flour Pumpkin Muffins (one bowl, 5 minute awesomeness)
Eat well and heal!™
Photos 1 and 2 from SXC and I added the text
Hi, Lauren! I’ve been reading your site for several weeks now, and wanted to tell you how impressed I am with your recipes, the success you’ve had treating your disease and the information on healthy eating you present on your blog.
Having said that, I have to cry foul on the link to the “dangers” of cast iron. For someone who praises traditional foods and their preparation, I’m a bit surprised that you would be so quick to condemn what is perhaps the most traditional cookware available today.
Nor do I believe that the iron in cast iron is poorly absorbed or malabsorbed; I have spent most of my life (and I’ll be 50 in 3 weeks) chronically and severely anemic, but in the last 10 years or so that I’ve been cooking with cast iron, my iron levels are normal without the need for supplements or any other medical intervention, and without the darkened stools or constipation that often accompany the use of iron supplements.
Indeed, if you use well-seasoned, well-made cast iron (I use Lodge almost exclusively; the stuff made in China should be avoided at all costs), the only deleterious effect I’m aware of is to that of people suffering from hemochromatosis, a genetic disorder that prevents the body from processing and ridding itself of iron. Sufferers of this condition should not eat food prepared in cast iron.
Jan, thank you for sharing your thoughts!! I thought the information presented in the link was interesting and thought others might, too. I certainly am going to do more research on this topic… I LOVE my cast iron pans so it is going to take a lot more to convince me to give them up. I’m happy to hear your experience with cast iron and your iron levels. I was also not aware of hemochromatosis. Thanks again for taking the time to share your thoughts and experience!
Wishing you well in December, Lauren! Thank you for sharing my venison stew recipe, too.
What a great line-up of recipes!! Great picks, Lauren.