I’ve been searching and searching for a Raw Milk supplier that is close to my home. Right now the best option is easily an hour trip. And with gas prices as high as they are, I’m not certain that it’s feasable. It would be one thing if we headed that direction on occassion, but the truth is we never go that way and it would always be an “out of the way” trip for us.

The solution would be that we would make the trip only once every six weeks and buy six weeks worth of milk in one sitting. But at 2 gallons a week and $6.00 a gallon that means we’d have to put aside seventy some odd dollars for each trip.

Long term, that wouldn’t be an issue. But it was the upfront cost of finding that $$ PLUS continuing to buy pasturized milk at $3.75 a gallon that was causing a problem.

So we’d sort of stalled out.

Not to mention we’re leaving town in a little over a week and I didn’t want a to buy a bunch of milk that I may not be able to use. (Although, I guess I could just freeze it and all that.)

Anyway, today I sat down at the computer and started emailing people. I emailed the local WAPF (Weston A. Price) chapter to see if they knew of any milk “clubs” that were open to new members and I emailed another local farmer that’s closer who advertised on greenpeople.com. They didn’t advertise milk, but I figured being farmers they may have a family cow they use or know of a local rancher who has extra milk to sell.

I even planned on contacting our local FFA to see if there were any known farmers near our area who’d be willing to share their milk with us for a little bit of extra cash.

Seriously, we’re practically a stones throw from deep country living. We’re SURROUNDED by ranches and open land. I know there are more than a couple pasture milk cows out there that are feeding their ranchers… Why is it so hard to find my own supplier?

In the midst of all this earnest research I got a call from a woman I’d gotten into contact a while back about a possible co-op for Raw Milk. She told me that she’s found a supplier that is willing to deliver to her town (just down the highway from us) and was wondering if I’d be interested in ordering any milk! The price sounds reasonable. $6.00 for a gallon, and the butter is $5.00 for a pound and a half of raw butter. She also sells buttermilk and suggested that they’d be offering organic pasture beef for sale as well as free range eggs.

The price she quoted for the eggs was 1.50 for a dozen!

No joke!

You can’t get free range eggs that cheap ANYWHERE around here.

I can’t tell you how excited I am! I really hope this works out. It could be exactly what I’m looking for!

In my never ending quest to do it myself and be healthier, I decided to start sprouting my own beans. Bean sprouts are chalk filled with yummy goodness. Things such as vitamins A, B, C, D, E, and K as well as magnesium, poshorus, potassium, zinc and even a little bit of protein. (Specific nutritional values relate to the specific beans you choose to sprout.) In my case I decided to give Mung beans a go. I saw them at our local natural foods store for about a $1.80 a lb. Although I ended up spending about $1.57. So, I’m thinking I just didn’t get exactly a pound. P.S. I saw online that Mung Beans are selling for almost 5 dollars a pound! So check your local grocer first!

According to sproutpeople.com Mung Beans have a seed shelf life of 2 - 4 years (at 70 degrees) and a sprout shelf life of 2-6 weeks in the refridgerator.

A little interesting fact:

Mung Beans are grown in China by farmers - often with little machinery. After harvest they are left to dry on gravel roads - so they are dusty. So: Prep before Soaking, by running water through them until the exiting water runs clear. It doesn’t take long - they aren’t very dirty nowadays. Is that not cool?! The dust/dirt you just washed off of your Mungs was part of a Chinese road!!!

So here is how I started the process. A measuring cup and a bag full of mung beans

I measured out a half a cup of beans (just a fraction of that pound of beans) and washed them off and then soaked them in about 1.5 cups of warm (80 to 90 degree) water. Give or take. I put the cup of beans in my cupboard to soak overnight. About ten hours of soaking. I think the recommendation is anywhere from 8-12 hours. It’s not an exact science. If anything it’s a fairly forgiving process.

The morning after they soaked I noticed my beans had more than doubled.

I transfered my soaked beans into a collander and rinsed them off again before placing them in a dark warm room. In my case, I chose my laundry room. Not nearly as hot as outdoors, but warmer than the rest of our home.

I don’t have a fancy sprouter. I just can’t imagine buying one. For those curious my collander really did work terrific. I’m thinking about stopping by the dollar store and picking up three new ones just for sprouting different beans at different stages. The dollar store has large white collendars for a dollar. Just an FYI.

I kept a prefold under the collander to catch any drips and I covered my collander with a clean cloth.

The advantage of the collander is that you can rinse the beans without disturbing them, and they recieve maximum air circulation.

The morning of the third day (Approximately 36 hours into the process) this is what greeted me.

I rinsed my beans about 2 to 3 times a day (starting on day 2) for about thirty seconds. Trying not to disturb the beans too much, but ensuring they recieve proper mosture. According to sproutpeople it’s a good idea to soak the sprouts (after they’ve formed a little more) for one 10 to 20 minute soak. I didn’t do this step. Maybe I’ll try to remember it next time. As it is, my beans turned out great!

I didn’t get a picture of the beans on day 4, but this morning my beans were doing great!

I transferred them to another bowl were I eventually seperated them. Half was for tonights stir-fry and the other half for the fridge. I did make the mistake of rinsing them one last time. Apparently it’s good to let them dry after the last rinse about 8 - 12 hours before storing them in the fridge. It extends their shelf life if they’re stored “dry” and not “wet.” Oops!

I thought you’d be interested to see how much a half a cup of mung beans yeilds in sprouts! Not bad! It’s also a fair warning that you are going to need a MUCH larger container than maybe you first thought.

Anyway, the sprouts are a big hit around here. I can hardly wait to try out another variety. I think I’m going to try Lentils next and then maybe something like peas. I’d love to dabble in some sprouts that are more exotic, but am cautioned by the price point on some of the seeds and availability at our local market.

Either way, we’re having fun!

In my ever growing attempt to eat more whole foods, fresh veggies, and home-made meals. I am making Chili purely from scratch tonight. Normally I kind of cheat and toss in a can of bush’s chili, a can of tomato, a can of paste, a can of kidney beans, and some meat and call it good. Tonight I cooked up the meat and onions. Added some bone broth instead of water. Then blanched fresh tomatos to add to the chili. (To take off the skin.) I added my own chili spices. Including a little garlic, salt, and pepper. Plus a whole container of kidney beans I had soaked and cooked overnight.

I just tasted it and it’s REALLY good.

If the girls weren’t here I’d add at on of pepper spice to make it spicey. (LOVE spicey chili)

Anyway, it’s on the stove right now simmering and waiting for Dh to get home.

One thing I did do was get rid of all the evidence that this chili is homemade. I put away the spices, threw away tomato skins, and otherwise disguised the whole kitchen scene so that Dh doesn’t know that it didn’t come out of a can. He’s a funny guy when it comes to his dinner. He doesn’t like me “messing” with things. He knows I’m trying to eat healthier, but he’s only coming along kicking and screaming. And he CERTAINLY has a history of not liking something just on the face value that it’s “different.”

So, I’m keeping my fingers crossed!

The cliff-notes version of our dental hygene set up in our bathroom:

8 toothbrushes

- 2 per person so that they can dry completely between brushing. This will hopefully prevent against bacteria build up in the brushes. I also intend to disinfect the brushes once a week with a peroxide rinse or a hot water soak.

Spry toothpaste with flouride

- this is made with Xylitol which is a great resource in the fight against bad bacteria in the mouth. For more information on Xylitol google “Xylitol” and “dental care.”

Spry mouthwash

Mouthwash cups

-No more sharing cups. Which means each person needs their own individual mouthwash cup. Right now I’m thinking of just buying cheap disposable cups… Although the non-disposable hippy in me is thinking about maybe finding four little glass votives to keep in the bathroom. I just need to find a way to identify each one so that nobody ends up sharing.

MI paste or Oravive.

-To be used at night right before bed and right after brushing. This is to help with remineralization of the tooth.

Dental Floss

- I purchased a pack of those disposable flossers from the Dollar General. 50 flossers for a dollar. Much cheaper than the Xylitol floss at Cox farms… although without the added goodness of xylitol, flouride, or any other anti-caries agent.

Oral Disinfection Agent

-I’m still not sure what course of action I plan on taking. Chlorhexidine is the recommended route, but there are issues with it causing tooth staining. Not to mention I just saw a study that says it disrupts vitamen K absorbtion and Vitamen K2 is the special “X Factor” that we’re trying so hard to introduce into our diets. Other options include Essential Oil rinses. Although I do not know how a person figures out the right quantities. I did see a Tea Tree Oil Mouthwash at Cox Farms that I’m considering as soon as someone can confirm for me whether it’s worth it or not. Otherwise we may just end up using Listerine. Oral Disinfection is done for one week, twice a day, once a month.

Cotton Swabs for oral disinfection

Xylitol Gum

- We need to ingest about 6 - 8 grams of Xylitol a day to help disrupt the bad bacteria in our mouths. I’m choosing to use the gum option although there are candy and mint options available. The key is the Xylitol needs to be in-mouth for about 5 minutes. Which, for me, makes the gum idea the best plan. 1 piece of gum is 2 grams of Xylitol. So 2 pieces three times a day should be pretty close to sufficient.

The above listed items are part of our “medical” dental hygene approach to dental care. We’re also making significant dietary changes. I’ve written about a lot of that in another thread. But the cliff notes version is”

Greens/Veggies every meal.
Protien
Reduced/eliminated refined carbs and sugars
Raw Milk
Bone Broth
Cod Liver Oil in the morning with 4 ounces of OJ.

I’ve been collecting links and information on Raw Milk and thought I’d share them here. Most of these links came from discussions over at Mothering on Raw Milk. This compilation is really for my own ease of reference and to remind myself to come back and do some more reading. My intention is to update this list as my reading resources expands.

A radio broadcast on 06/05/07 about the Health Benefits of Raw Unpasteurized Milk & Dairy. Special Guest: Dr. Aajonus Vonderplanitz, PhD. A quick synopsis:

Aajonus had eight “incurable” diseases including blood, bone and stomach cancers, developmental autism, diabetes, psoriasis, bursitis and angina all by the age of 20. He was forced to learn the “truth” about how nutrition affects our health on his own, after being sent home from the hospital with only three months to live. He outlives his medical death sentence by 40 years, enjoying excellent health, clarity and energy, now at age 60 after adopting a “Primal Raw Diet”. In 2001, Dr. Vonderplanitz wrote the expert report that changed the laws in the state of California, reversing a 38 year ban on raw dairy. This show is not to be missed, as he will tell you how your rights to unadulterated foods, such as raw dairy, are being jeopardized and how to get them back.

An interesting blog in defense of Raw Milk and the smear campaigns being issued against Raw Milk production and consumption. A particularly noteworthy section is written about an FDA released 66 slide powerpoint on Raw Milk Dangers. David addresses the fact that “45% of the illnesses documented between 2000-2005 came from “suitcase” cheese.” (This is “mystery” raw cheese of unknown origin that vendors bring back from Mexico to sell in the U.S.)

“I removed all the “suitcase” cheese incidents from this data and this is what occurred with only U.S. produced raw milk: 7 events affecting 183 people with no deaths. Of this 183, 123 people in 4 different states became ill from Campylobacter. No one was hospitalized and there were no deaths. According to this data, Campylobacter seems to be the greatest risk for contamination in raw milk. There was one event from Salmonella and 2 events from ecoli 0157:H7.”

According to David, you have a greater likelihood of getting Ecoli from spinach or Taco Bell. Go ahead and take some time to read through his archives. It’s some really interesting reading at the very least.

RealMilk.com is a great resource for locating Raw Milk in your area. The site also includes a list of reported outbreaks of foodborn illnesses that’s worth a glance.

An intersting comparison between conventional pasturized milk, organic milk, and raw milk. One of the many things that jumped out at me was that lactose intolerance isn’t an issue with Raw Milk. Food for thought…

A blog about rebuilding from depression using nutritional tools. There’s a particularly noteworthy article on Raw Milk advertising. Mostly it’s just good reading. Who knows, a person might gain a little deeper insight into the milk industry by scrolling through the archives.