Each day while milking my Saanen goats, I’m reminded of all the reasons we have these wonderful ruminate animals around our homestead. Years ago when first being acquainted with goats, I met the large eared Roman nosed, Nubians; a very popular dual purpose breed in the US. Sadly the impression Nubians gave me discouraged my desire to ever own a goat. They were loud, rough, stubborn, and always trying to escape.
This spring, I was given my first of three Saanen goats and boy, did my impression of goats change. Saanens have a remarkably different demeanor than any other goat I’ve met. I’ve had experiences with Pygmies, Norwegian dwarfs, Nubians, and Angora. These light haired Swiss Saanens are known for their relaxed, mild temperaments, even regarded by some as living marshmallows. Of course, they are heavy milkers and can be used for meat, but after being around my three goats for just one summer I’ve found there are other reasons Saanens are important for homesteaders.
Each day in spring and summer, I receive about 1 gallon of milk from each Saanen. As the days grow shorter they tend to give me less. We are considering breeding our two older goats this November then breed the youngest in late winter, allowing for a year-round milking cycle. With the abundance of milk, after drinking to our hearts content, I make yogurt of kefir (an awesome probiotic) and then freeze the rest either as homemade soft cheese or simply as milk. I have not yet made hard cheese but I do look forward to mastering that skill soon. Recently while reading a library book about food from the middle east, I found that there is a certain tribe in Arabia that consume strictly goats milk for several months out of the year, when their goat’s milk is the only thing available for them. If a wide scale food crisis arose, milking goats would be a precious as gold, fresh daily milk that the whole family, even the very young can survive on.
While Saanens are usually bred for milking they do still make good meat for a family. After kidding, keeping the abundance of goats is not always realistic. The farmer must consider which goats will serve the families needs best and either sell or butcher the rest at the appropriate age. Again, in a time of serious need, a family with an abundance of goats will fare better both in the aspect of milk and meat.
Recently, I learned that goats can carry a 1/4 of their own body weight and have been used efficiently as pack animals for sportsmen. One thing to remember is the very quite mild nature of Saanens, making them well suited for such a task. This summer I discovered how easy it is to keep your goats in your view. It is really so easy. Goats think of the farmer/milker as the “lead goat.” When you move to the left, they quickly move to the left. When taking my goats farther from their usual path they watch my every move and stay close by even while looking for the most nutritious greens.
Unlike sheep, horses, mules etc, goats thrive on forest brush, pine needles, bark, and many other wild plants naturally indigenous in North America. You would not need to carry feed for your goats if you allow them to eat along the way.
Though, I have yet to butcher any goats, my fellow goat-owner friend speaks of the usefulness in using the goat’s hide for rugs, upholstery and any other “leather” needs.
We happen to live on land with areas of brush overgrowth, making it difficult to put up fence or even get to specific berry bushes. Thankfully, goats do an excellent job clearing land, making paths and opening areas for the farmer to use.
Goat manure makes excellent free garden fertilizer! Keeping your goat yard clean, can later help your garden.
Lastly, goats can be taught to pull carts. Goats are strong for their size (just try to tackle one to the ground to trim their hooves). They do not require as much space nor feed as horses, cows, and mules. While they need less, they can be very useful for pulling light loads.
We use coconut oil for more than cooking at our house. With the naturally occuring anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-candida properties, coconut oil is a good friend in our home. Remember, coconut oil is not a bad fat, though for years it was given a bad rap. It is full of saturated fats and medium chain fatty acids which are very important for your brain, heart and digestion. See Mary Enig’s A New Look at Coconut Oil for more info on the health benefits of coconut oil. Also see Research on Coconut Oil for info on the negative campaign against coconut oil.
Here are several uses for extra virgin coconut oil:
Lotion Coconut oil not only moisturizes your skin, it heals and protects it. When applied topically, coconut oil absorbs into you skin and through your cells, protecting the skin from sun damage and free-radicals formation (which is what ages your skin). It leaves your skin soft, by moisturizing and removing dead skin cells. Many have found relief using it for skin diseases, sores and wounds when applied topically, because of its anti-bacterial nature.
Hair Care Use coconut oil to control dandruff as well as moisturizing your scalp and ends by rubbing through your hair before washing. Every few months I spread it though my hair, put my hair in a braid and allow it to moisturize as I sleep. The next morning wash and style your hair as usual. It works wonders!
Lubricant Coconut oil is an awesome lubricant both for squeaky doors and intercourse. Try it, it works great!
Yeast Infections The natural anti-bacterial/fungal properties make coconut oil perfect for applying on yeast infections. It is safe for both internal and external use as well as using while pregnant (when most women are prone to yest infections).
Candida When taken internally, beginning with a minimal amount and gradually increased, coconut oil helps kill candida. Candida thrive on carbs, so while using coconut oil for killing candida, limiting carbs is ideal. If you suspect you have candida, see a list of Candida Symptoms as well as Bee’s Healing Plan
Animals Recently, I just tried using coconut oil for my chickens. I noticed some very watery stools coming from several of our new chickens, I sprinkled a few teaspoons of coconut oil over their feed. That was several days ago, and since then I haven’t seen any fresh watery stools. Coincidence? Not likely with how well coconut oil kills bad bacteria!
Teet Rub Instead of dipping my goat’s teats in a store bought solution before milking, I rub coconut oil over her teets as well as my hands. I do make sure to wash her utters first with a rag that has been sterilized under boiling water. My method is: wash with rag, rub with oil, milk with hands. Coconut oil is the perfect thing to use for utters, and breasts for that matter, it moisturizes while it cleans.
Diaper Rash Diaper rash is usually a sign of an allergy either from foods or from a certain diaper brand or soap. However the occasional rash can be treated with coconut oil and then allowing the bum as much access to air as possible.
Beard Moisturizer My hubby specifically wanted me to mention how well coconut oil works on softening his beard. It really is nice to touch his beard after using coconut oil…especially for kissing! He usually rubs coconut oil on his beard during his shower or before bed.
In order to simplify meals in our house, for breakfasts and snacks we make up a warm bowl of gluten free porridge. Having the same thing for breakfasts may seem boring but in reality it is a comfort that never leaves me wondering “what will I make for breakfast today”? My dear husband prefers his Gluten-Free Coconut Granola but my little one and I eat this hot cereal instead. And have enjoyed it for almost a year now without getting tired of it.
In Africa, some tribes eat millet porridge every single day and sometimes at every meal. They are very healthy and thriving because they prepare their grains and seeds in a way that increases nutrient absorption and digestibility. Eating porridge with raw milk, butter or coconut oil, sea salt and a small amount of natural sweetener like raw honey or stevia and an added egg makes for a complete meal.
As a kid we ate grits all the time but with a high metabolism, I always got hungry after an hour. We ate our grits with sweetener but no butter. Unfortunately carbs do not hand on long but the attition of fat causes them to not only fulfill hunger longer but also assist in slowing down blood sugar levels. Growing children especially need good fats like eggs and coconut oil in order to be healthy.
Here is how we prepare our Everyday Porridge: First choose which grains or seeds you like to use. Quinoa, Brown Rice, Buckwheat, are just a few to choose from. For two people I grind about 3 cups of grain each week for our porridge. I store the flour in a jar in the fridge and take what I need each day. For brown rice and buckwheat it is not critical to soak your flour over night but amaranth, quinoa and millet must be soaked overnight (See: Why Soak Grains and Seeds).
For Unsoaked Grains: For 1 serving, Place about 1 cup of cold water in a saucepan. Sprinkle about 1/2 cup ground grains into the water and stir in one egg. Heat over medium heat until thick. Add desired raw milk, sea salt, sweetener and fat (butter or coconut oil). Do not skimp on the fat, that is your body’s longest burning fuel!!!
For Soaked Grains: Stir soaked mixture into about 1/3 cup of water and proceed with directions above.
Normally, for breakfast and snacks I eat my Everyday Porridge recipe but occasionally I sneak a small bowl of my hubby’s gluten-free granola. Here is a recipe I perfected for him since he dose not care for porridge. He likes it warm out of the oven with milk. As always, feel free to adapt and experiment as you wish.
2 cups shredded coconut, unsweetened
1 cup gluten-free flour from ground brown rice, buckwheat, corn or quinoa
1/2 cup seeds (flax, sesame, hemp etc)
1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil
1/2 cup organic peanut, cashew or almond butter
1/2 cup honey or sucanat
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
Note: if you are using corn, millet or quinoa flours, it is important to soak the flour for several hours in an acidic environment (see Why Soak Grains). Soak 1 cup of flour in about 1/2 cup water with a T. of lemon juice or in a 1/2 cup of yogurt.
Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl. On low heat, warm the butter, coconut oil, peanut butter, vanilla and sweetener in a saucepan. Pour liquid over dry ingredients and mix well. The mixture should be wet enough to stick together but no more than that. Add more shredded coconut if the mixture is too wet. And more peanut butter or oil if too dry. Bake at 200 degrees for about an hour or until dry. Stir every half hour. Enjoy with raw milk!! Or try it with stewed apples for a treat.
While doing some research on Ayurvedic health, I came across some interesting ideas in regards to the most digestible way of drinking milk. Ani and I are now drinking our goat Zipporah’s milk. I am only milking about a 1/2 pint per day because I am only milking her in the mornings and her little buck is on her 24/7. Both Ani and I have trouble digesting cows milk, even raw. Raw goats and sheep milk seem to be much easier on us, however I have noticed that after drinking it cold, I still feel a little sickly in my throat and nose. I am hoping to find good results from the advice below by warming my milk (warm not hot…don’t want to pasteurize my milk) and adding some spices. I do enjoy a good cup of chai! And I am also looking forward to getting some kefir grains from my mom this week. Cultured dairy is much easier on the gut and sooo tasty.
When speaking of the use of milk in the diet, modern Ayurvedic commentators point out that in the West, milk is treated in ways not considered by the ancients. First, it is pasteurized and homogenized, which, all agree, create a mostly indigestible product for numerous reasons.
Second, milk is usually served cold, straight from the refrigerator. As milk is already a cold food by nature, ingesting it cold increases that quality, along with its heaviness and difficulty to digest. For those people whose own constitutions have a tendency toward coldness, slowness of metabolism and heaviness, drinking cold milk can provoke production of mucus or phlegm and slow down digestion. For anyone, however, cold milk will be something of a douse to his digestive fire. Depending on the inherent strength of one’s digestive capacities, this effect might be barely noticeable, or could produce an unpleasant heaviness in the stomach.
Third, milk is served unspiced. A simple way to mitigate the coldness and heaviness of milk is to warm it and add warming spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, cumin, black pepper or saffron. Honey, which is light and dry by nature, also balances these qualities.
Fourth, milk is often taken in excess, and in combination with other foods; notable difficult combinations are milk with fruit, leafy vegetables, fish and sour things. Milk is a complex and complete food, and is best regarded as such, rather than as a beverage to be consumed with a meal. It can be cooked successfully with other foods such as grains or in custards, where it lends many nutritive qualities in easily digested forms. The common American breakfast habit of eating cold cereal with cold milk and fruit is quite hard on the stomach, and the worst fruit to eat with milk is bananas (though sweet to the taste, they have a sour post-digestive effect, whereas milk’s is sweet).
Here in NW Montana, many refer to this time of year as Dandelion season. Our back pasture as well as every other patch of ground around town is overflowing with bright yellow Dandies. Ani and I spent some time this week collecting several plants along with their roots in order to dry and make tinctures. Regarding the health properties of Dandelions, About.com puts it simply: Dandelions are a great dietary source of calcium, vitamins A and K, plus the antioxidant lutein, which is important for healthy vision. Dandelions are natural diuretics and detoxifiers.
Thankfully my friend sent me a recent page from one of her books that depicts the “right” Dandelions to pick. See image below to be sure of what you are picking. Don’t let those “weeds” go to waste. Happy collecting!
While looking for a more natural approach for worming my new goat, Zipporah, I stumbled upon Molly’s Herbals. I am very impressed with Molly’s standards in quality and care for her livestock. Her wormer formulas can be given safely to all livestock as well as dogs and cats. Using herbs for worming instead of chemicals is a natural approach that does not disrupt an animals good flora. Also, worms can build resistance to chemical wormers while herbal formulas help build the animal’s immune system and overall health making them far stronger to fight off an abundance of worms.
Study Molly’s site and see for yourself, she has tons of hands-on-experience to add to her information! So far, I have yet to find another site so helpful for all my goat and herbs for animals questions.
Here is a fun gluten-free treat to make for lunches or quick grab snacks. Put on your apron and put you little one up to the counter, these nuggets are easy and tasty! Always feel free to adapt and create your own variety of this recipe.
In a large bowl mix together:
1 pound ground chicken
2 gloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sea salt
any spices you prefer, I used 3 Tb, minced cilantro, a dash of onion powder and curry
In a smaller bowl crush about 3 good handfuls of corn or rice chips (preferably non-GMO) as finely as you can with the bottom of a jar. Or crush them in a plastic bag with a rolling pin. You should have about 1 1/2 cups worth of crushed chips. Add additional sea salt to this mixture if desired.
Preheat your skillet on medium to medium high heat with 2 Tb coconut oil and 2 Tb tallow. While waiting for the skillet to heat, stir two eggs together in a small bowl. Prepare an assembly line in order to first shape small nuggets with the ground chicken mixture, next dunk the nuggets into the egg mixture and then dip thoroughly into the crushed chips. Finally place each nugget onto the skillet and allow to cook until browned and crispy on each side about 5 min. Keep the little ones far away from the skillet, maybe near the chicken mixture.
Set fried nuggets onto a paper towel until all nuggets are cooked. Enjoy with mustard or another naturally fermented or cultured dip, such as homemade Ranch dressing made with herbs and raw creme fraiche. Store in freezer or fridge and heat by re-frying them in more coconut oil or tallow. Please note: fried foods as well as corn/rice chips should be eaten as an ocassional treat. The high cooking temperatures used in making both fried foods as well as chips causes the foods to become difficult for our bodies to digest.
I’ll never forget watching Meg, Marmee and Jo preparing bandages for wounded soldiers of the Civil War on Little Women. Recently, I decided to try and make some of our own sterile bandages just in case we do not have access to a local hospital or store bought bandages. You never know what may happen in periods of emergencies, plan prudently now while life is peaceful! Here is how I put mine together.
I found clean cotton and linen fabric scraps and tore them into long strips of various widths and lengths. Then I tightly rolled each piece and tied a few rolls together with thin cotton strips. Next pile your rolls onto a cookie pan or baking dish to a reasonable height, you don’t want them falling off the pan. Bake fabric rolls for 2 hours at 200 degrees with a dish of water sitting in the oven. They shouldn’t burn but stay near in case you accidentally put a roll of synthetic fiber in the batch.
Once cooled, with clean hands, wrap several rolls in plastic wrap or plastic bags. Seal and place bundles into a container or clean coardboard box and seal shut. Keep some in a storage area and some in close reach for emergencies.
Each month I save my shillings for only one supplement for our family. We consume a lot of chicken/beef stock for our minerals, and fermented or cultured foods for our probiotics, enzymes and vitamins. However, in order to fully absorb the minerals we consume, we supplement with a high quality Cod Liver Oil which is high in Fat Soluable Vitamins A and D.
Why take Cod Liver Oil? Being rich in vitamins A and D which are very important catalysts, Cod liver Oil helps your body assimilate the minerals you consume. Many are unaware that consuming large amounts of calcium or other minerals will not assist your body at all if they are not truly absorbed with the help of fat soluble vitamins A and D. Pregnant and nursing mothers as well as young children especially need vitamins A and D for healthy development of bones, teeth and skin. Our bodies absorb animal based vit. A and D much better than any other source, it is impossible to get adequate amounts of A and D from vegetable sources or from the sun.
I have taken cod liver oil for a few years now, especially while pregnant with my daughter. She is now two and takes her daily 1/2 teaspoon with a smile. I notice a huge difference in her attention span, emotional control and demeanor and skin when we forget a few days worth of cod liver. While taking it, she sleeps better at night, she is much calmer and attentive during the day, less tears, and clearer skin and pigmentation.
Quantum Cod Liver Oil contains no cheap oil fillers, binders or additives. No animal gelatin, capsules are 100% vegetable based. Also free of heavy metals. Vitamin E is the only added preservative. Each serving contains:1/2 teaspoon contains:
Vitamin A: 6,250 IU
Vitamin D: 625 IU
EPA: 175 mg
DHA: 253 mg
Vitamin E: 22 IU
Additional info regarding Premier Quantum Cod Liver Oil taken from Radiant Life Catalog:
Our cod liver oil is also rich in the essential fatty acids EPA and DHA. EPA is essential for the production of prostaglandins, which are hormones that direct many important processes in the cells. DHA is vital for the healthy development and functioning of the nervous system and brain.
Years ago I remember reading Sally Fallon’s comment in Nourishing Traditions regarding drinking goats milk on a regular basis. She spoke of the lack of folic acid (also known as folate) and vitamin B12 contained in goats milk compaired to cows milk. While reading that statement I remember thinking… “what about sheep’s milk?”
Well Fallon was correct. Goat’s milk contains only 2.4 mcg of folate per 1 cup of milk whereas cow’s milk contains 12.2 mcg of folate per 1 cup of milk. But get this, sheep’s milk contains 17.2 mcg of folate per 1 cup of milk! As for the vitamin B12, compare the results for 1 cup on milk: Goat’s milk: .2 mcg, Cows milk: 1.1 mcg, Sheep’s milk: 1.7 mcg.
In case you are curious folate is necessary for forming new cells, especially during rapid cell growth which takes place in infancy and in utero. It plays an essential role synthesizing DNA and cell division. While pregnant, if a woman does not have enough folate in her body, neural tube birth defects and low birth weight in the baby are a common result. Lake of folate causes anemia since folate also helps in producing red blood cells.
Vitamin B12 is essential for normal brain and nervous system function. It also promotes blood production. B12 is needed for the metabolism of every cell in the body. It works in correlation with Folate/Folic Acid for DNA synthesis and overall growth. Folic acid and Vit. B12 need to be consumed together for adequate absorption.
Please note: The following data results are taken from pasteurized milk. Results from raw milk will compare differently. See this chart for insight: Which do you Choose?
Egg salad is a staple at our house. It is a tasty low-carb high-fat easy to grab snack or lunch. In an attempt to consume less “store bought” jars, I have tried to create an appetizing mayonnaise-free rendition of our beloved egg salad.
Please note: Making you own homemade fermented mayo with olive oil and whey is a wonderful idea. However, I usually do not like to use up my pricey olive oil on making a ton of mayo (since we eat so much of it). If I’m going to buy “real” olive oil (see The trade in adulterated olive oil ) I usually like to use it for salad dressings since homemade olive oil mayonnaise calls for allot.
Please feel free to adapt and experiment with the following ingredients:
For feeding one person, I use two boiled eggs chopped. Mix in 1 tablespoon sour cream, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon fermented salsa (I used Zukay’s Hot Salsa Viva, but any type will work), 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard, 1 garlic clove, minced (optional) and sea salt to taste.
Since I am sensitive to gluten, I scoop up my egg salad with thinly sliced cucumbers, thinly sliced cheese or with organic corn chips for a rare treat.
Did you know that Native Americans use to place a dead fish on every corn seed they planted for fertilizing the ground? The results were amazing to say the least. The Plymouth settlers were awestruck by the Native methods, how could rotting fish encourage the harvest to become so plentiful? There are several reasons why fish is good for the ground, plants and in turn the consumers.
While the fish is decomposing, millions of microbes are flourishing, protecting the environment from fungus, harmful bacteria and irritating insects. It is almost as though you are equipping your plants with an immune system! Fish also provides vitamins, amino acids, and enzymes. Fish as fertilizer in general is not only preserving the healthy soil but it is also feeding your plants, making them strong and even more nutrient dense. Give your garden a feast this spring and go fishing! Here is a recipe for making your own fish fertilizer:
You can use fresh fish parts or any cheap canned fish. The juices, sauces, or oils in the can can be used to breed beneficial microbes and supply extra proteins in the tea, so use it.
(NOTE: If you use canned fish products, you may want to let it decompose mixed with some finished compost, good garden soil, etc. in a separate closable container for a few days before using. Since most canned meat products contain preservatives, this will guarantee that the good microbes in the tea will not be killed off or harmed in brew making.)
You can use any fresh or dried seaweed. Fresh seaweed has more N in it, but that really isn’t important for seaweed teas. You can buy fresh or dried seaweed at most oriental grocery stores. Seaweed decomposes better if chopped up or liquefied first in water before brewing.
If you are using fresh fish, you need to compost it separately in a 5 gallon closable bucket. Fill bucket 1/2 full with extra browns like sawdust, leaves, or straw. You can add molasses to the fishy mixture in order to build up microbes in order to speed up decomposition. The sugars will also help control odors too. Open the bucket and stir the fishy paste daily or every other day in order to get air in the mix for better decomposition and better aerobic microbial growth in the emulsion. Let this paste rot for at least 1-2 weeks. The browns help control offensive odors and absorb organic nitrogen from the fish so that it is not leached out or evaporated.
Since commercial fish emulsions contain sulfur in the form of sulfuric acid, if you like you could add 1-2 tblsp of Epsom salt to the mix for extra magnesium and sulfur. Or to mimic the acidity of sulfuric acid and add extra trace elements you could add 1-2 tblsp of apple cider vinegar to the mix. NOTE: Recent studies have shown that unsulfured molasses or dry molasses powder is best for faster microbial growth in tea brewing.
You can now safely take the decomposed fish paste from the 5 gallon bucket and add it to your regular hot composting piles or add it to your special compost tea recipes. The more vegetable or fruity organic matter that you add to fishy compost the better you remove the offensive smells and the more trace elements you add to your compost and teas. This of course is optional.
You can add molasses or brown sugar to your teas also. Sugars are high carbon substances that not only can cause speedy microbial growth, but also sugars are an excellent natural deodorizer.
At this point you may want to decide whether you want to make a simple tea or an aerobic aerated tea for your needs.
When you make fishy tea, you need to add the seaweed at brewing time. Let it brew for at least 1 week, stirring every few days. If you decide to brew it aerobically with an air pump, try up to 3 days, or until the brew has a “yeasty” smell, or has a foamy top layer on the tea.
You can apply this fish/seaweed emulsion at a dilution rate from 1:1 to 1:5 ratio (5 gallons of tea to 25 gallons of water).
If you like, you can add a few drops of mild liquid soap per gallon as a wetting agent to get better coverage as a foliar feed at application time. (NOTE: If you are concerned that using soaps may harm the beneficial microbes in your teas, you may want to just use liquid molasses, dry molasses powder, fish oil, or yucca extract as a spreader-sticker.)
You can use this tea as a foliar feed or as a soil drench or both. Soil drenches are best for building up the soil microbial activities and supplying lots of beneficial soluble NPK to the plant’s root system and the topsoil texture. Foliar feeds are best for quick fixes of trace elements and small portions of other soluble nutrients into the plant through its leaves. Foliar feeds are also good for plant disease control. Foliar feeds work best when used with soil drenches or with lots of organic mulches around plants. You can poke holes in the soil around crop roots with your spade fork, to get more oxygen in the soil to further increase organic matter decomposition and increase microbial activity in the soil.
Making your own cloth pads is easy and smart. You not only save on money, you also do your part lessening plastic production and waste. Everyone I know who wears cloth pads say they are so much more comfortable than store bought disposable pads. For those of you who prefer tampons over pads see: The DivaCup
Flannel is the best fabric to use for cloth pads because it is both soft and very absorbent. You can find flannel sheets at the thrift store or bargain bin flannel on most fabric sites such as: Fabric.com I look for darker colors, especially pink or red for hiding any stains. Unless of course you bleach you pads, then lighter colors are fine. Bleaching is not necessary if you are drying them in a sunny spot.
I make two types of pads, some for light days and others for heavy days. The light ones seen below with snaps are made from just two layers of flannel. I put Velcro on each end to keep the thicker pads stationed on top. For the inner liner in the thicker pads I use a baby waterproof crib pad/liner found at either Walmart or Target. For more than 25 pads, I used about 2/3 of the crib pad. My friend uses a different type of pad found at Target that does not have plastic inside, it is just made of very thick cotton. I place the thicker pads on top of the thin pads, attached with Velcro. This is mainly for ease in changing just the top pad and leaving the bottom snapped to the underwear. Surprisingly, this does not feel too thick. But if you like very thin pads try making just one variety, the lined type that have wings to hold on to your underwear.
Extra absorbent pad
Directions:
After pre-washing your fabric, cut them to your desired size and shape. I used a disposable pad for a pattern while cutting. You may want to make a few extra long ones for wearing at night. Remember to allowing a seam allowance.
For the thicker pads cut your inner liner about 1/2 inch smaller all around than the fabric allowing space for the liner to lie flat after being sewn inside the fabric (imagine a pillow being slightly smaller than the pillowcase). I sewed my liner onto my fabric because I didn’t want it to be swimming around in the pad. Once the liner was sewn onto the top fabric layer I sewed the bottom fabric layer to the top layer (back to back). I sewed right next to the liner without actually sewing it. Remember to leave a part to flip right side in. If your sewing machine can handle it you can sew another stitch about 1/4 inch in from the edge to make it nice and flat. Sew on two small pieces of Velcro by hand (or better yet sew them on to the bottom layer of fabric before attacking to the top layer and liner). Be sure to make the Velcro sit at equal distances on all your pads so they all sit well on any thin pad you make.
Front side of thinner pad
For the thinner pads with no liner, cut your fabric with wings. And sew the pieces back to back leaving a section big enough to turn right side in. Add snaps or Velcro to the wings. A snap setter is very cheap at Walmart or other sewing store and pretty easy to use with a hammer and some patience. Add two pieces of Velcro (the same distance apart as the top pad’s Velcro).
After using, wash in washing machine and add vinegar to your rinse cycle. Air dry in sunny spot.
I just recently gave Zukay Live Foods a try, tasting their naturally fermented raw relishes and salsas. I knew the products were overflowing with “life” and nutrients, however with the unpredictability of all fermented foods, I wasn’t so sure how happy my taste buds would be. Boy, was I in for a surprise! Hours after tasting each variety, my taste buds are still dancing.
Growing up with a German grandma who spent hours gardening and preserving her vegetables has rather spoiled my taste buds when it comes to homemade fermented produce. I have never forgotten the glorious taste and smell of her fermented pickles at the dinner table as a child.
Today, while opening a jar of Zukay’s Garlic Dill Relish all those childhood memories came to mind as the fresh smell of cucumber, dill, mustard and garlic filled the kitchen. My hubby who was standing near by perked up and opened his mouth asking for a taste. Right of the spoon we gleefully savored the little morsels of relish. Now, I know these probiotic packed relishes and salsas are to be moderately eaten with your meal, whether smothered on a sandwich or scooped with a chip, but even by its self, Zukay’s live foods alone are irresistible.
The Horseradish Dill Relish has an amazingly delicate flavor for a relish containing horseradish. It is still very “alive” tasting but certainly not overpowering. I happen to love everything about horseradish and look forward to the Passover season when it seems to be easier to obtain in meals. Zukay’s Horseradish Dill Relish has that wonderful lingering zing from the Horseradish without the usual mouth burning sensation. This would taste heavenly on lamb!
As for the Salsa Viva, both mild and hot are outstanding. Seriously the best salsa I’ve ever put into my mouth. In fact, I would seriously eat it right off the spoon. While tasting the salsa, it was reminiscent of the satisfying spirited taste of a well made Kombucha, also abundant with flavors of peppers, onions and lime juice. Oh, I think I want to invite some friends over tonight just to have a Zukay tasting party. I have a few friends who are rather picky about salsas, they just know a good salsa when they taste and smell one. The flavor of Zukay’s Hot Salsa Viva will knock their socks off, especially when I tell them one serving of these raw fermented veggies is like eating a probiotic and enzyme pill and their daily vitamins.
Zukay Live Foods has well exceeded my expectations! I’m not only pleased by their method of preserving foods for optimum life giving properties, I love how Zukay is a forerunner for spreading the taste, nutrition and understanding of tradtionally fermented veggies to the masses!
Keep fermenting Zukay, we love your products and commitment for live foods!
In order to simplify meals in our house, for breakfasts and snacks we make up a warm bowl of gluten free porridge. Having the same thing for breakfasts may seem boring but in reality it is a comfort that never leaves me wondering “what will I make for breakfast today”? My dear husband prefers his 
When speaking of the use of milk in the diet, modern Ayurvedic commentators point out that in the West, milk is treated in ways not considered by the ancients. First, it is pasteurized and homogenized, which, all agree, create a mostly indigestible product for numerous reasons.
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