Since the Lord has been showing me and my family so much lately I figured I'd share it with the world! It is our family's goal to eventually become totally self-sufficient. Yeah, like never go to Publix , as glorious as it is, again, make and grow everything we consume, solar panels, all that! And what we can't make we can barter for. Like little house on the prairie but with running water, electricity, and TP ("family cloth" is a no-go). As of right now we are NOT there. We are well on our way, but we have a lot of work to do and this is the journey I'd like to share. We have 4 children and are currently homeschooling the oldest 3. The 1 year old is already proficient in quantum physics and has her PhD in liderachure from Harvard so I don't bother with her. We have a large backyard but nothing considered "acreage" at this point. BUT I see that as a good thing. Starting small and as we learn add in new things. I am certain that as the Lord gives us knowledge He will also give us room. We have started the chicken thing. We have 10 of them who are a month old. You can look for a post somewhere around the 27th when I tell you what I'm doing with the extra roosters. Dun , dun, duuuuuuuuuuun! Yep, I'm going to do that myself too. I know. Anyone remember the prissy, made up, not wanting to get dirty Meg of the past? Well, she's gone. It only took me 4 tumors (ovarian, adrenal, spinal, one huge melanoma) and 8 other melanomas to take a real look at my health, diet, and lifestyle. Getting cut open again, especially for the spinal tumor was not something I wanted to do. I'll warn you, once you go on that journey you'll be a goner too. I learned a ton about nutrition, then where it comes from, who controls and regulates it and boy, it's very depressing. That's when the desire to DIY hits! As of now I make all our food (which is almost totally from the farmers market or local farms) from scratch which also includes fermenting and brewing things like kombucha. I also make all our cleaners and almost all of our personal care products. So, now it's more a matter of producing than knowing what to do with it. Speaking of producing my mom's cousin asked that I produce this recipe for my fermented ketchup, although I suspect he might be razzing me to some degree. I decided to give this a try after a certain ConAgra ketchup company refused to tell me what "natural flavoring" was, or
meant and when the "ingredient research team" called me back again, they couldn't and wouldn't tell me. What are they trying to hide? You really need a
team that researches ingredients not explicitly named? Not comforting! I'll leave you with this SO yummy, healthy, full of probiotics recipe that is insane on sweet potato fries, INSANE or anything, including a spoon. I *may* have eaten some on a spoon. Okay, I ate some on a spoon. Don't judge me.
Lactofermented Ketchup
- 2 cups tomato paste
- 1/4 cup raw honey
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp fresh whey, divided
- 2 tbsp raw apple cider vinegar (or a little more if you want it thinner)
- 1 tsp unrefined sea salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
Blend all ingredients except 2 tbsp whey and put in a mason jar. Tap out bubbles. Add the remaining whey to the top of the ketchup and put the lid on loosely to allow gas to release. Leave it the heck alone for 3-5 days in a cabinet at room temperature. That's it. Blend. Jar. Ignore. Eat! This will stay in the fridge for 2-3 months. (Or on a spoon for <1 second)
