Wendy’s Healing Bone Broth

I constantly get asked for my bone broth recipe.  Bone broth helps to heal leaky gut…overcome food intolerances and allergies…improve joint health…reduce cellulite…boosts immune system and more!

I make bone broth all the time in my crockpot….I usually let it go 24-48 hours and It’s so high in calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus content that I feel neglectful if I toss the bones.

In addition, glycine is required for synthesis of DNA, RNA and many proteins in the body. As such, it plays extensive roles in digestive health, proper functioning of the nervous system and in wound healing.

Glycine aids digestion by helping to regulate the synthesis and of bile salts and secretion of gastric acid. It is involved in detoxification and is required for production of glutathione, an important antioxidant.

Glycine helps regulate blood sugar levels by controlling gluconeogenesis (the manufacture of glucose from proteins in the liver). Glycine also enhances muscle repair/growth by increasing levels of creatine and regulating Human Growth Hormone secretion from the pituitary gland. This wonderful amino acid is also critical for healthy functioning of the central nervous system. In the brain, it inhibits excitatory neurotransmitters, thus producing a calming effect. Glycine is also converted into the neurotransmitter serine, which promotes mental alertness, improves memory, boosts mood, and reduces stress.

Proline has an additional role in reversing atherosclerotic deposits. It enables the blood vessel walls to release cholesterol buildups into your blood stream, decreasing the size of potential blockages in your heart and the surrounding blood vessels. Proline also helps your body break down proteins for use in creating new, healthy muscle cells.

Homemade, nutrient dense bone broth is incredibly easy and inexpensive to make. There is no comparison to the store-bought versions which often contain MSG or other chemicals and which lack gelatin and some of the other health-boosting properties of homemade broth.

In selecting the bones for broth, look for high quality bones from grass fed cattle or bison, pastured poultry, or wild caught fish.

Since you’ll be extracting the minerals and drinking them in concentrated form, you want to make sure that the animal was as healthy as possible.

There are several places to find good bones for stock:

Save leftovers from when you roast a chicken, duck, turkey, or goose (pastured)From a local butcher, especially one who butchers the whole animal. From local farmers who raise grass fed animals (ask around at your local Farmer’s Market)Online from companies like US Wellness Meats (also where I get grass fed Tallow in bulk- they sell pre-made high quality broth)

This recipe for broth is my favorite and is an adaption of the recipe in Nourishing Traditions.

Place bones into a large stock pot and cover with water.Add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to water prior to cooking. This helps to pull out important nutrients from the bones.Fill stock pot with filtered water. Leave plenty of room for water to boil.Heat slowly. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer for at least six hours. Remove scum as it arises.Cook slow and at low heat. Chicken bones (or other bones) can cook for 24 hours. Beef bones can cook for 48 hours. A low and slow cook time is necessary in order to fully extract the nutrients in and around bone.You can also add in vegetables such as onions, garlic, carrots, and celery for added nutrient value.

After cooking, the broth will cool and a layer of fat will harden on top. This layer protects the broth beneath. Discard this layer only when you are about to eat the broth.

Love and Blessings, Wendy C.
“Healing Mind, Body & Soul

http://www.cukierski.com/blogs/news/16874412-wendys-healing-bone-broth#.VMeJ1WIo6BY

Slow Cooker Skinny Thai Soup

Thai-Style Chicken and Coconut Soup
from America’s Test Kitchen Healthy Slow Cooker Revolution

Serves 6
Cooking time: 3 to 5 hours on LOW
Slow Cooker Size:  4-7 quart

Why this recipe works: Since the star of this aromatic Thai soup is the broth, we set out to make it rich and flavorful. After some initial testing, we decided to skip over homemade Thai curry paste, which was a time-consuming a ingredient-intensive endeavor, and reached for the store-bought variety. Using a generous amount of curry paste and blooming it with onions and oil in the microwave worked to deepen the base flavors. For our protein, we added chicken and infused it with rich flavor by poaching the breasts on low in the broth before shredding the meat.  To round out our Thai-style soup, we included bell peppers, snow peas, and mushrooms.  Quickly steaming the vegetables in the microwave with a small amount of water and adding them to the soup just before serving ensured that they remained fresh and crisp.  Stirring in light coconut milk at the end preserved the soup’s clean, fresh taste and added richness without excess fat.

2 onions, chopped fine
3 Tbsp Thai red curry paste
1 tsp canola oil
4 cups chicken broth
1 Tbsp fish sauce, plus extra for seasoning
Salt and pepper
2 (12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breasts, skin removed, trimmed of all visible fat
2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
8 ounces snow peas, strings removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ounces white mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
1 (13.5 oz) can light coconut milk
1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp lime juice, plus extra for seasoning

1.  Microwave onions, curry paste, and oil in bowl, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes; transfer to slow cooker.  Stir in broth, fish sauce, and 1/2 tsp salt.  Nestle chicken into slow cooker, cover and cook until chicken is tender, 3 to 5 hours on low.
2.  Transfer chicken to carving board, let cool slightly, then shred into bite-size pieces using 2 forks; discard bones.
3. Microwave bell peppers, snow peas, and mushrooms with 1 Tbsp water in covered bowl, stirring occasionally, until tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Drain vegetables, then stir into soup.
4. Microwave coconut milk in bowl until hot, about 2 minutes. Stir into soup along with shredded chicken and let sit until heated through, about 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro and lime juice and season with salt, pepper, extra fish sauce, and extra lime juice to taste. Serve.

Per 1 2/3-cup serving: Cal 190; Fat 5 g; Sat Fat 2.5 g; Chol 45 mg; Carb 15 g; Protein 22 g; Fiber 3 g; Sodium 1030 mg; *To reduce sodium level to 780 mg, use unsalted broth.

Garlic Mashed Cauliflower

Ingredients

2 large heads of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 shallot, diced
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 tablespoons cream cheese or Greek yogurt
1 cup shredded parmesan
Salt
Pepper
Bacon bits and chives for garnish (optional)
Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees.
Put your cauliflower florets on two baking sheets and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Roast for 15-20 minutes or until the cauliflower just starts to brown on the edges.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the shallot and minced garlic to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until soft and fragrant.
Put the roasted cauliflower in a blender or food processor.
Blend the cauliflower until smooth.
Add the cooked shallot and garlic to the blender and blend until well combined.
Add the cream cheese or greek yogurt to the blender. Blend until well combined.
Add the shredded parmesan to the blender and blend until well combined.
Transfer the cauliflower mixture from the blender to a medium pot and heat over medium heat until warm.
Serve warm and garnish with bacon bits and chives.

Posted on Jillee’s site

Wellness Mama’s Vanilla Extract

How to Make Vanilla Extract

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Prep time
5 mins
Total time
5 mins

Homemade natural vanilla extract with only two ingredients is amazing and fragrant for baking, cooking or coffee.
Author: Wellness Mama
Ingredients
8 ounces of organic or non-GMO Spiced Rum, Brandy, Bourbon or Vodka
7-8 Vanilla Beans (I got mine here)
A glass jar (taller is better)
Time
Instructions
Slice vanilla beans in half lengthwise to reveal inside of beans. Cut if needed to make them fit into your jar.
Place in glass jar.
Pour alcohol over the beans.
Cap tightly and shake gently.
Store in a cool, dark place for at least a month, shaking occasionally. I prefer to leave 2-3 months for best flavor. I also just use straight from the jar and replenish the alcohol as I go.
Notes
Note: If you need a sweeter vanilla extract for a recipe, just add a little raw honey or maple syrup for a corn-syrup and refined sugar free option.