French Toast

Starting my budget meals off with a bang.  The kiddo had a friend over so I got fancy for breakfast with French Toast and fruit.  Worked out to be $1/serving.

I realized it's going to be hard to calculate some things because  if I've had them in the house  won't likely remember how much they cost.  Also milk & coffee are luxury items for me so I don't count them against the budget.  

Milk as a luxury?  Yeah, I prefer the taste of raw milk.  It's WAY WAY WAY more expensive than regular supermarket milk.  It's also something that can be eliminated from the monthly budget if I feel tight that month.

With coffee, it's more complicated.  I'm not going to eliminate it and I'm not going to drink cheap coffee ever.  Maybe it's a necessity, not a luxury.  I do save money by roasting my own beans.  That makes it about 20 cents a serving most of the  time.    That's a big savings over 45cents a cup from the kind I buy when I purchase roasted.  Funny thing even that is cheaper than those darn K-cups which are not not not good coffee (and bad for the environment).  Some people think it's fancy and rave over them, but gag - no.

Coffee is an experience for me.  From roasting to hand grinding to pour over brewing.  I don't take cream or sugar in it very often now.  Good coffee will do that.  You learn to enjoy the taste and don't want to hide it with other stuff.  You can follow my coffee life on one of my other blogs www.krulewich.com  I'm posting my year in coffee there.  On my instagram I post a cup a day from my collection  I love thrift shops and have tons of cups.  Too many.  I'm displaying them this year and as part of my minimizing my life I will keep a select few and sell the rest.  They are almost all vintage cups and as much as I enjoy them - I just don't have the space.  I'll post a link when I get around to that.

Back to budget food:

Lunch is leftovers and dinner will be black beans cooked in stock made from the bones of those hams I bought yesterday.  I boiled them with some peppers and made 3 quarts of stock.  Two will be saved for later and one was used today.  Black beans with a bit of ham and some gf cornbread from a mix I have on hand.  Today's food will come in at around $3 per person.  That's a tiny bit lower than my goal.  Good, because some days will be over a bit.    It's a rough estimate of course.  I'm not sure how to count the ham stock.  Mostly those would be trash, but I was able to get some good eating out of them and turn the stock into several more servings.

Oh well, as long as I only bring in $300 worth of new groceries for the month.

Raw Milk Fast - Day 12

Down to the home stretch


b/p 117/73
allergies - congested, but I had to load balloon aprons and the dust always gets to me
energy - good, a bit tired in the morning, but not bad otherwise
exercise - making balloons for hours


the heat killed me yesterday.  It was brutal with a heat index of way over 100.  At least today is not supposed to be that bad.  Got down to 71 last night, which helps cool things off a bit.  No more hunger.  Not like the day before.  Overall this has been a very easy fast.

related posts:

Raw Milk - Day 0

Raw Milk Fast - Day 1

Raw Milk Fast - Day 2

Raw Milk Fast - Day 3

Raw Milk Fast - Day 4

Raw Milk Fast - Day 5

Raw Milk Fast - Day 6

Raw Milk Fast - Day 7

Raw Milk Fast - Day 8

Raw Milk Fast - Day 9

Raw Milk Fast - Days 10/11

Raw Milk Fast - Day 12

Raw Milk Fast - Days 13 - 14

Raw Milk Fast - Day 10/11

Got too busy to post yesterday about Day 10, so two for one

Day 10

b/p  120/74
allergies - very mild
energy  - Very good.
exercise - 20 min on the bike and lots of lifting around the house

nothing really different to report.  b/p is still high because son still won't let me have some peace.  Not sure what he's looking for, but I don't think it's what he thinks he's looking for.  I gave him what he wanted - I have no problem stepping back and letting him enjoy his life with a woman too lazy to apply for welfare (not making that up)  I think he's looking for my approval and that he won't get.  The end result is that he calls and I get stressed.  I don't get stressed about a lot of things, but kid stuff hits you in a different place.  It's hard not to feel pain when you know something is hurting one of your children, even when that thing is the kid in question.

my daughter's cat in a tutu being forced to dance by her boyfriend.  Just because it made me smile.  Don't think it did much for the cat's mood though.  LOL

Day 11

b/p 118/74
allergies - very mild
energy - good
exercise - some time on the bike.  Not enough probably, spent too much time running around with the oldest kid.

First day in awhile where I was hungry for something besides milk.  I had a very hard time resisting the urge to eat, but I didn't crave bad foods.  A very big step forward for me!  I know I go on and on about that, but it's so huge for me to NOT want the bad stuff.


related posts:

Raw Milk - Day 0

Raw Milk Fast - Day 1

Raw Milk Fast - Day 2

Raw Milk Fast - Day 3

Raw Milk Fast - Day 4

Raw Milk Fast - Day 5

Raw Milk Fast - Day 6

Raw Milk Fast - Day 7

Raw Milk Fast - Day 8

Raw Milk Fast - Day 9

Raw Milk Fast - Days 10/11

Raw Milk Fast - Day 12

Raw Milk Fast - Days 13 - 14

Raw Milk Fast - Day 9

9 down, 5 to go.

Today's check in

b/p  120/78.  Higher than normal, but only because it skyrocketed last night.  The back story is that I have a son who is an addict.  Currently he's traded drugs for a toxic relationship. (she is pregnant with her drug dealer's baby and he gave up an excellent job and his sobriety to work in a chicken house and take care of her while she stays home.  Baby daddy doesn't plan to contribute)    Said son called to complain to and about us, and though I didn't actually talk to him I could hear him over the phone and it was upsetting to say the least.  b/p was 163/95 last night.  I'm happy it has dropped.  I think the clean eating helped as did meditation and reminding myself

• I Didn't Cause It
• I Can't Control It
• I Can't Cure It

For a long time I didn't say much publicly about his problem, but I don't feel the need to be ashamed anymore.  I have 4 children and did my best to raise them all.  One chose drugs, stealing and lying at an early (13) age and I tried for years to stop it.  I did what I could.  It's time for him to heal himself. He's 21 and I can't fix him.

energy - pretty good all day.  Got quite a bit done.  Even dyed my hair, which it sorely needed.  Normally I go for a darkish violet.  This time I added some aqua bangs.

exercise - Got up early and went for what was supposed to be a 3 mile walk/run.  I probably should NOT have had the milk right before going out.  The sloshing in my tummy threw me off and I felt awful, so it was a 1 mile outing with some yoga afterwards.

I'm having zero cravings lately.  I know I've mentioned that before, but it's just so exciting.  I've always been one who has a hard time to resisting certain foods and I'm not feeling that at all right now!  I've actually been thinking about what I am going to without so much milk every day.  I'll still be drinking raw milk, but obviously not every meal.  when I first started I wondered how people managed to do 30 day milk fasts.  I have never found it easy, even with juice.  Now I can see how easy it would be to do.   I'm trying to pick out my first meal when I eat again.  Leaning towards my fermented eggplant with tomato sauce and a salad.  None of my tomatoes will be ready but I can get some from the Liberty Market this weekend.  Or maybe I'll have black lentils and some fresh salsa.  mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm  All I can say for sure right now is that it will be clean and not pesticide infused.  

related posts

Raw Milk - Day 0

Raw Milk Fast - Day 1

Raw Milk Fast - Day 2

Raw Milk Fast - Day 3

Raw Milk Fast - Day 4

Raw Milk Fast - Day 5

Raw Milk Fast - Day 6

Raw Milk Fast - Day 7

Raw Milk Fast - Day 8

Raw Milk Fast - Day 9

Raw Milk Fast - Days 10/11

Raw Milk Fast - Day 12

Raw Milk Fast - Days 13 - 14

Raw Milk Fast - Day 8

Less than a week remaining!

b/p: 118/73
allergies:  as always some congestion when I woke up, but I'm not sure sleeping next to the fan doesn't contribute to that.  Pretty good all day otherwise.
energy: good.  got lots of housework done
exercise:  20 min on the bike

Most common question this week?  Don't you have to spend your entire day in the bathroom?

ummm, no.  I do pee more than normal, but I'm drinking 3 quarts of milk a day and adding water to that.

My best friend lives in NW Arkansas and she is trying to find raw milk where she lives, but it's hard.  It's only been a year since sales were legal.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she's able to locate some and that it becomes more common.  It's a rough area for natual though.  Lots of hippie types so you might think otherwise, but also a LOT of big AG and the Walmart hq, so money money money to keep the little farmer/merchant down.

Related posts:

Raw Milk - Day 0

Raw Milk Fast - Day 1

Raw Milk Fast - Day 2

Raw Milk Fast - Day 3

Raw Milk Fast - Day 4

Raw Milk Fast - Day 5

Raw Milk Fast - Day 6

Raw Milk Fast - Day 7

Raw Milk Fast - Day 8

Raw Milk Fast - Day 9

Raw Milk Fast - Days 10/11

Raw Milk Fast - Day 12

Raw Milk Fast - Days 13 - 14

Raw Milk Fast - Day 7

It's been a week, and I don't think the 2nd week will be too rough.  Kind of in a groove now.

b/p 118/78
allergies- not too bad.  again, some congestion when I wake up, but the rest of the day was pretty clear
energy - good, didn't need a nap at all
exercise - another work day for me.

resisting the smell of chinese food was harder than the pizza.

I'm drinking more water.  At first I was drinking it, then a couple of days in it was mostly milk.  Now I'm back to water.  I think at first I was having a harder time telling the difference between hunger and thirst.   Cravings continue to be fairly non-existent.  I don't want sweet, I don't want salty, I don't feel the need to devour cheese.  I'm good.

I do have a tiny amount of sweet in my water.  I infuse the water with lemon, mint and a few stevia leaves.  Most people would not say it tastes sweet, but I can taste it.

stevia leaves

Related posts

Raw Milk - Day 0

Raw Milk Fast - Day 1

Raw Milk Fast - Day 2

Raw Milk Fast - Day 3

Raw Milk Fast - Day 4

Raw Milk Fast - Day 5

Raw Milk Fast - Day 6

Raw Milk Fast - Day 7

Raw Milk Fast - Day 8

Raw Milk Fast - Day 9

Raw Milk Fast - Days 10/11

Raw Milk Fast - Day 12

Raw Milk Fast - Days 13 - 14

Raw Milk Fast - Day 4

b/p  117/76
allergies - some congestion on waking, a little during the day
energy - SUCKED in the morning.  exhausted exhausted exhausted, until about 6pm then I felt like I had just ingested a pot of coffee and had all sort of energy.  then my  mind wouldn't shut up so I could go to sleep.

That's never been me.  I have a million things to think about before sleep and last night it felt like 2 million.

exercise - lots of housework.  Trying to minimize the amount of stuff I own, so that it doesn't own me and I've been going through everything.

Detox was heavy in the morning.  I felt like I was experiencing hot flashes with all the sweating.  I was hot, everyone else kept saying it wasn't hot.  The tired that I talked about.  Brain fog - couldn't remember the words for anything.  Them BAM it was gone.  I got up great this morning, not tired, not begging for extra sleep - or just taking it like yesterday.  Lots of energy and a great mood.

I didn't have my kombucha yesterday.  Just didn't have the urge.  I have noticed that I don't see my trigger foods and want them either.  Cheese is a huge one for me.  I see cheese and then I eat cheese.  It's hard to resist when I am fasting - but right now I can see it and not want it.  Same goes for chocolate.  The amount of milk I drank yesterday decreased a little too.  A couple of times I wasn't hungry when it was time for my glass.  I don't force myself when I'm not hungry, so I skipped those.  They were both in the evening.  Trying to keep the water up though.  Added some mint from the garden to my water.  Very tasty.

Today will be interesting since it's my first work day after starting the fast.  Ballooning can be intense and exhausting.  Will see how it goes.

Raw Milk - Day 0

Raw Milk Fast - Day 1

Raw Milk Fast - Day 2

Raw Milk Fast - Day 3

Raw Milk Fast - Day 4

Raw Milk Fast - Day 5

Raw Milk Fast - Day 6

Raw Milk Fast - Day 7

Raw Milk Fast - Day 8

Raw Milk Fast - Day 9

Raw Milk Fast - Days 10/11

Raw Milk Fast - Day 12

Raw Milk Fast - Days 13 - 14

Raw Milk Fast - Day 3

b/p  123/80  

allergies:  congested in the morning, but less so.  Later in the day I had some pain in my throat.  Just a little sore, not burning or anything

energy:  Good  energy.  short nap - maybe 20 min or so.

exercise:  Lots of housework, but not much else.

definitely going through detox.  It's gentler than with other fasts I've had, but I can feel it.  Energy is flagging a bit this morning, but I worked hard yesterday, so I couldn't tell you what caused it - the milk diet or the workout.  Likely the second.  I got plenty of calories yesterday.  

I cant' say there is any difference in my gout.  Or anything else really.  Too soon into this to be leaping to conclusions.

I've been asked a couple of questions about the raw milk.  Aren't I afraid?  & Is it legal?

I'm not afraid of raw milk.  I've been the farm I buy from and Scott & Rachel maintain fantastic standards.  It's how they make their living, they don't want to jeopardize that.    Also people are hurt far more often from factory approved foods.  Just recently there was another outbreak of ecoli in hamburger sold in my area.  

You could tell me that it does happen -but "it" does happen with lots and lots of food.  3330 people found that out from eating their veggies in the past decade.

Is it legal?

Not everywhere.  It is where I live, but the rules vary widely across the US & Canada.

Meanwhile in Europe you can buy it in vending machines

Related posts:

Raw Milk - Day 0

Raw Milk Fast - Day 1

Raw Milk Fast - Day 2

Raw Milk Fast - Day 3

Raw Milk Fast - Day 4

Raw Milk Fast - Day 5

Raw Milk Fast - Day 6

Raw Milk Fast - Day 7

Raw Milk Fast - Day 8

Raw Milk Fast - Day 9

Raw Milk Fast - Days 10/11

Raw Milk Fast - Day 12

Raw Milk Fast - Days 13 - 14

Raw Milk Fast - Day 2

Yesterday was the day I meet my "milk dealer" in a parking lot.  yes, that's right, I buy my milk from the back of a van in a parking lot.  LOL

b/p  123/78  

allergies:  congested in the morning.  Later in the day I had a lot of drainage and pressure in my back sinuses.  So did my husband and kid.  I'm thinking something was lurking in the air.

energy:  More energy.  No nap.

exercise:  stationary bike, 3 20min sessions

Evening craving for food was an issue again.  It's not the food really, just the act of eating.  It comes when I am cooking dinner for the family.  I want to sit down and eat with them.  

I don't have hunger during the day. Spreading the milk out means I am  constantly getting something in, so hunger isn't an issue.  Lots of time in the bathroom, but mostly because I have to pee.  With juice fasting the first day or so meant lots of time in the bathroom too - but not just because I had to pee.  Had a bit of that yesterday, but not nearly as much.  Even though it's juiced there is still quite a bit of fiber in the liquid veggies.  Not as much as eating them of course, but more than with milk.  

Woke up with runny eyes.  Not sure if that belongs under allergies or if it's die off.  Days 2-5 are usually when I experience die off.  Did have a bit of dizziness and fogginess yesterday, but not the night sweating.  Breakouts are just starting.  Always on my back first.  Good thing I don't plan on wearing a swimsuit this week.  Interesting thing about my skin problems when I am detoxing. I always get pimples, but not whiteheads exactly.  There are waxy plugs in the bumps.  It's not like they are old pimples as I have seen suggested online.  It only happens when I am detoxing.  So far I've dealt with it by taking hot showers and using scrub on my face made with honey, sugar and castille soap.  Seems to help.  In a few days my skin will be looking great.  A nice side effect to fasting - I always get great skin.  It lingers until I start eating badly again.  Goal this time is to keep eating clean after the fast.  Not that it's not always a goal, but I'm dedicating myself to it again.

Related posts:

Raw Milk - Day 0

Raw Milk Fast - Day 1

Raw Milk Fast - Day 2

Raw Milk Fast - Day 3

Raw Milk Fast - Day 4

Raw Milk Fast - Day 5

Raw Milk Fast - Day 6

Raw Milk Fast - Day 7

Raw Milk Fast - Day 8

Raw Milk Fast - Day 9

Raw Milk Fast - Days 10/11

Raw Milk Fast - Day 1

Day 1 - 

b/p  127/78  Better than yesterday.  Still in the pre-hypertension stage, but much more normal for me than the reading I got yesterday.

allergies:  congested when I got up, mildly sniffly since then.

energy:  about the same as yesterday.  not go go go, but not sleep sleep sleep.  Just kind of muddling through.

exercise:  stationary bike, 3 20min sessions

Overall, felt good.  Still a bit lethargic, but I really do miss the sunshine.  I should never move to Seattle or London.  Can't handle this much rain.  Wasn't really hungry, but did have to fight off the craving for eating.  Not food, but the act of eating.  

I've been trying to drink the milk evenly throughout the day.  Can't do every half hour like the milk cure, but I can manage every hour.  If I drink 6oz every hour I am awake that's 3 quarts.  Then I'll also have my water and kombucha when I'm thirsty, not hungry.  Three quarts is between 1800-1900 calories depending on who does the figuring.  If I stay moderately active that should be a good amount.   If I feel bloated or like I am gaining weight, I'll cut back

I'm not a fan of washing dishes, so I am drinking from a pint sized mason jar.  They have measurements and I don't need to get a measuring cup dirty too.  It may be just one extra dish, but if I am doing this 18 times a day, that's 18 extra dishes to wash out every time.  A few seconds here and there add up to a lot in my life.  I have about a billion things I'm already  not getting to on my list.  After I drink my milk, I rinse the jar and refill it to the 6oz line.  Then it's ready for next time.

related posts:

Raw Milk - Day 0

Raw Milk Fast - Day 1

Raw Milk Fast - Day 2

Raw Milk Fast - Day 3

Raw Milk Fast - Day 4

Raw Milk Fast - Day 5

Raw Milk Fast - Day 6

Raw Milk Fast - Day 7

Raw Milk Fast - Day 8

Raw Milk Fast - Day 9

Raw Milk Fast - Days 10/11

Raw Milk Fast - Day 12

Raw Milk Fast - Days 13 - 14

Raw Milk Fast

I often use fasting as a way to cleanse my body when I've ingested gluten.  I can have a pretty severe reaction to it and fasting seems to help me recover.

I've done water fasting and several rounds of juice fasting, but this time I've decided to try a milk fast or "milk cure" depending which articles your read. I'll do a 14 day fast this time around.  I'll have to increase the amount of milk I purchase for the month, because from what I've read I'll need more than the 1 1/2 gallons a week we buy  now.  most people drink between 1/2 & 1 gallon a day.  I'll schedule another milk pick up on Friday since we get 2 gallons on Tuesday.  That should give me enough & keep my fridge from being over full.  Also it means the milk will be fresher.

With the milk "cure" bed rest was advocated.  Not going to happen in my life.  I will tone it down if I have to because I'm not feeling it, but otherwise, it will be life as normal.  Also if I find that I am not doing well, I'll just discontinue the whole thing.  Not everything works for everybody, so I'll see how my body does with this thing.  In addition to the milk I'll be having filtered water and 1 bottle of kombucha a day.

What I'll be "eating" for the next couple of weeks.

Day 0- This was getting ready day.  Ate very light and all clean foods.  Drank normally and had a bottle of kombucha.  

b/p  143/81  Didn't expect it to be that high, I'll have to keep an eye on that.

allergies: sniffly, but not too bad

energy - hit or miss all day.  not sure how much of my lagging was due to the gray day outside and how much was from just not eating much.

exercise:  I was lazy, so just whatever I got while doing housework.

Raw Milk - Day 0

Raw Milk Fast - Day 1

Raw Milk Fast - Day 2

Raw Milk Fast - Day 3

Raw Milk Fast - Day 4

Raw Milk Fast - Day 5

Raw Milk Fast - Day 6

Raw Milk Fast - Day 7

Raw Milk Fast - Day 8

Raw Milk Fast - Day 9

Raw Milk Fast - Days 10/11

Raw Milk Fast - Day 12

Raw Milk Fast - Days 13 - 14

Allergies

The family is suffering -I'm relatively allergy free. a HUGE change for me.  Spring is usually miserable.  At least it has been since we moved to the midwest.  Not so many problems in Texas where we lived before here.

I don't know if that can attribute it to my raw milk consumption - but it's something to think about.  There is a lot of anecdotal 'evidence' that says drinking raw milk can help with allergies.  

All I know for sure is that I drink it two or three times a day and I am pretty sneeze free.  Eyes don't itch and I can breathe.  I'll take it - no matter what the cause!

I'm either going to die in the next 5 seconds or live forever.

I'm a vegetarian who drinks raw milk and home brewed kombucha.   Depending on who you ask - government or over zealous health food advocate I'm done for...or I will live forever.  I suspect neither is terribly accurate.

I was looking up something on Kombucha.  According to WebMd (the webs leading source on why you are about to die)

Did some research (I googled stuff) and while anthrax does live in the wild you are more likely to catch it FROM ANY INTERACTION WITH COWS AND OTHER FARM TYPE CRITTERS.  The spores can come inside on shoes/feet and they can get into your kombucha, or fridge, or plate of food on the counter.  So should farmers quit farming because of the high risk of anthrax??  Or is the risk simply not that high and people only use it to illustrate why you should buy into big business?  Guess where my money is.

But obviously it's poison!  People have died from it.  In the case cited most often two women were made very sick - 19 years ago.  One died. One didn't.  Both had been drinking stuff made with the same scoby.  In the ensuing 19 years lots and lots and lots of people have died from big pharma or "food" that the government is all for us consuming.  We can eat the heck out of twinkies and guzzle gallons of corn syrup goodness in the form of soda, but this drink that's been around thousands of years is probably unsafe for most adults.  I know WebMd isn't officially the government, but I have long suspected a relationship between them, the fda & big pharma.  Too much pushing of too many chemicals and all the natural stuff is called suspect.

No, drinking kombucha hasn't fixed any and all of my medical issues.  I still struggle with my weight, I still have gout, I still need reading glasses.  But I enjoy drinking it and making it, so I do.

Then there is raw milk.  I choose to spend a bit more on milk so that I can

1)buy from a small family who is trying to make a living by doing things the right way without hormones, chemicals of gmo feed

2)drink milk from cows that ate GRASS.  Not corn, not anything unnatural for a cow to eat.

3)have no growth hormones in my milk

4) drink milk I can actually enjoy.  Until raw milk I had not had a glass since I was 5.  I detest the stuff sold at grocery stores.  This tastes different.

Again, I should be dead according to the fda.  But I can math.  The risk is low.  Chris maths better than I do and he did all the numbers.  Check out his article here.

http://chriskresser.com/raw-milk-reality-is-raw-milk-dangerous

My reasons for starting to use raw milk were a bit different from most.  I did because they said I shouldn't.  I'm just a rebel that way. I found that I really enjoy the taste and I have continued to buy it.

I do find that having a glass of milk before my workout really gives me extra energy.  Might work with conventional milk too, but I hate the stuff so I'll never test it to find out.

The whole vegetarian thing was in response to gout.  There are few things I fear more than another gout flare up, so I am trying this whole eat super healthy thing.  I apparently don't fear being obese and unhealthy as much as I fear gout, since in the past staying on the clean eating path has been hard.  Intense pain is a great motivator so I eat much better these days.  I've not had a flare up since - but it's only been a couple of months, so time will tell if I can avoid medication with diet.

Where the diet is

It's been a little while since I went vegetarian and it's not always easy.  I do still have the occasional craving for meat and at first I was eating too much cheese.

Actually at first I was just plain eating too much.  As the weeks have progressed I have noticed that I need to cut back on the amount of produce I am buying.  We simply are not eating it all.  I'm spending less and we're wanting to eat less.  This is NOT true if we've had junk food or eaten out.  Then cravings start and the overall food consumption goes up.

I'm sure my family missed the meat and I do cook them some - just not a lot.  I'm not a fan of cooking two meals for the same dinner.  They don't cook - therefore we eat vegetarian.  If one of them wants to learn, then I'll have to find a way to make do with what they cook.  (never ever going to happen - not in a million years )

I've started making/growing my own

yogurt
butter
ice cream
sprouts
kombucha
beet greens

Next up is tofu and as soon as i get a crock - sauerkraut  mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

raw milk in my fridge

I've been drinking raw milk (what the butter was made with but not the yogurt)  which comes from grass fed cows and eggs from truly free range chickens.  Saw them all over the farm, no cages for these girls.  Overall I feel pretty good.  The changes have been very positive for me.

I've also discovered foods I didn't know I liked.  I didn't know I liked milk until I drank raw milk.  Tried a new way to cook beet greens and I am in love.  I am now attempting to grow some more from the tops of beets.  Sprouts really fill out a salad.  I already made my own tortillas (corn) but have found new and wonderful ways to fill them with tarziki sauce and veggies, or peppers and spices.  The change has made me very creative

Beet greens in the making - I hope

The gout flare up that triggered this diet change has never 100% gone away, it's not painful, just twingy and it does get much worse after I cheat or eat processed food.  It's under control enough that I don't want to cut my own foot off.  I don't need pain meds and I can wear actual shoes.  Most of the time I just feel a twinge and think "Oh yeah, I have gout in that joint"

freshly made butter

Hopefully diet changes will help, so will exercise and weight loss.  My goal is to control this without taking medications.  pain or otherwise.

I miss meat, but I don't regret giving it up.  I like where I am headed.

alfalfa sprouts

Kombucha scoby

My experiments with raw milk

By experiment - I mean drinking it.

Let me back up a bit.  Raw milk?  Huh?  I am referring to milk that has not been pasteurized.  I already bought milk that was vat pasteurized because of the taste and still buy that for my yogurt making.  One day I saw a documentary on raw milk.  (I watch a LOT of documentaries)  Seems that un-processed milk is something the government doesn't like us to drink.  There are a lot of good reasons for that, but some of them have to do with conditions at factory farms not small farms.  More importantly you can't take it across state lines, even for personal use.  (the FDA has backed down on this a bit and won't go after individuals)  The government was going whole hog after some Amish farmers and really screwing them over.  Of all the groups of people they probably deserve that the least.  Not that anyone does, but these people have a history of just being plain nice.  They forgive.  I mean they really forgive.  Most people don't do that even in words, much less in spirit.  Anyway - I get sidetracked.... Obviously the Amish drink raw milk.  Their way of life would not include factory farming.  They remain a pretty darn healthy bunch of people and don't seem to die from it.  They sold to their neighbors and then the FDA had a conniption fit and swooped in disrupting everyone's lives.

There are supposedly a LOT of reasons to drink raw milk.  Lots of websites will give you the good and bad.  I wanted to drink it because the FDA says i shouldn't and in many states it's flat out illegal.  I was always that kid who did the opposite of what I was told for not other reason than someone told me not to.  And some government organization telling me that I can't make my own mind up irked me.  This is from the FDA in a response document

"There is no 'deeply rooted' historical tradition of unfettered access to foods of all kinds." [p. 26]

"Plaintiffs' assertion of a 'fundamental right to their own bodily and physical health, which includes what foods they do and do not choose to consume for themselves and their families' is similarly unavailing because plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to obtain any food they wish." [p.26]

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/028757_raw_milk_FDA.html##ixzz31AB3T3ep

follow the link.  Natural News may be biased but they didn't force the FDA to put stuff in writing.

AND WTF???  I don't have a fundamental right to obtain any food I wish?  Oh yes I do

So I bought some.

Having to sign a release to buy food made my rebellious spirit kind of happy.

Here's what I didn't expect.

I like it.  I mean I really really like it.  I don't drink milk.  The stuff in cartons from the store is NASTY and I have not ever been willing to drink it.  I have always hated it.  Figured I would use this for cooking but had to try at least one glass.  MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM  I've had several glasses since then.  It's so yummy.

It hasn't made me drop 30lbs over night or have endless energy.  There are a lot of claims, but then they say the same for kombucha, vitamin c, raw food, tumeric, green coffee extract...and so on and so on.

It's only been a few days but I have noticed some positive changes.   I sleep better.  I can be a restless sleeper, so this is wonderful.  My allergies are getting better.  Rapidly.  With me spring allergies almost always progress into a difficult to treat sinus infection.  Today I noticed that I was doing activities without needing a rag shoved in my face.  It's much easier to exercise with two hands!

It's early in the "experiment" far too early to say that this is going to make a lasting change.  I'll keep drinking it and see what happens.

I also bought cream.

Put it in the blender and now I have butter!

I cant' say that raw milk is for everyone and there are risks, especially if you buy from a farmer who is less than careful.   I like it so far (only 1 gallon in) and I enjoy drinking it enough to take those risks.  Food borne illness happens with lots of things, bagged greens and badly treated meat come to mind.  I don't see this risk as any greater.  Based on the math of how many people get sick from dairy in general and raw dairy in particular the risk is small.  After all a study from the USDA in 1996 showed that 80% of ground meat contained some bad pathogens.  Cooking kills them, but every so often you hear about people who get sick or die from some hamburger joint not cooking the meat all the way.  In one outbreak alone (1993) 4 children died, 176 were left with permanent kidney problems and over 735 were actually infected.  Since then there have been 22 documented outbreaks (of ecoli in restaurants, not overall in all foods that number is through the roof) and 35 deaths.  Since the 80s there has only been one death from consuming raw dairy.  I'm not so worried.