About two weeks ago, my 11-year old son Mikah asked, “Mom, what’s mac and cheese?”

11 years old and he doesn’t know about mac and cheese? That’s part good and part bad.

The good — he doesn’t know about the K-word mac and cheese.

The bad? He didn’t know about homemade, real food macaroni cheese, which is a thousand times better. 

(Actually, he has had real macaroni and cheese — but he was too young to remember it.)

I knew what I must do. Macaroni and cheese was going back on the menu — real food style.

Homemade, Real Food Macaroni and Cheese

• 1 pound brown rice noodles of your favorite shape — I like the Tinkyada brand
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup cream or whole milk
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 4 organic, grass-fed, nitrate-free hot dogs (like these from Applegate Farms — optional)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• sea salt* (optional)

Boil the noodles in salty water according to the package directions. Tinkyada pasta takes 15 to 18 minutes to cook, which is longer than other noodles, but they have a great texture and hold up well, so I like them best. Drain, then rinse in cold water to stop cooking. Set aside.

Cut the hot dogs in half lengthwise, then cut in 1/4″ slices.

In a medium pot over medium-low heat, melt butter. Add cream, cheese, and hot dog pieces. Stir constantly while cheese is melting. Add noodles. Let all warm thoroughly. Add pepper and additional salt (if needed*). Stir, then serve.

No need to say enjoy — you will.

*The noodles are salty if boiled in salty water. The cheese is salty. The butter is salty (if salted butter). And the hot dogs are salty. So…. additional salt is not usually necessary.

Have you made or enjoyed real food macaroni and cheese? How do you make yours?

I’m sharing this recipe with Simple Lives Thursday and Pennywise Platter Thursday.

We often eat lunch with my friend Jami and her kids on our days in town. I try to bring something to contribute, while she always provides a nourishing main dish. We love making a stop for good food, fellowship, and rest, especially on our long errand days.

Jami loves nachos. She’s eaten them all her life, especially the take-out kind. As a stay-at-home mom eating real foods, she figured she had to find a way to keep eating them — at home and healthy. So she did.

We were playing a game during one visit, and nachos came up, and of course we all said how much we wanted to eat them. Jami said she’d make them for us soon, and I said we should make them using the best tortilla chips ever (my specialty).

And this week, we did! They were awesome. The video above shows how we did it. After editing, it is only a minute long, so even if you’re not usually a video watcher, I think you can fit this one in.

Here are some quick print instructions.

How to Make Nachos

Start with sourdough crepes and fry them according to these instructions: The Best Homemade Tortilla Chips. Ever.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Carefully spread out chips on in a single layer on a baking tray. Then add a second layer of chips, filling up all the holes in the first layer. Jami says to do this so every chip gets toppings on it, and no toppings fall through. It really worked!

We topped with shredded cheese (we used some of my homemade cheddar), green onions, seasoned beef, salsa (dripped out so it is not so wet), and more shredded cheese. And a sprinkling of green onions on top for color — another of Jami’s tips to make these nachos better than your average homemade nachos.

Use whatever toppings you’ve got — we often use refried beans, diced onions, sliced olives… whatever you’ve got. Load them up!

Bake until cheese is bubbly and golden. Serve! Or, let them cool just a bit and then top with cultured dairy, like sour cream or soft raw cheese. Probiotic nachos.

Do you make homemade nachos? What are your favorite toppings?

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This post is shared with Simple Lives Thursday, Pennywise Platter Thursday, and Fight Back Friday.

Want to make cheddar cheese, but don’t have a cheese press or a cheese cave? Maybe the thought of pressing cheese or aging cheese just sounds too complicated and you’re not ready for it. I’ve got an idea for you.

Make fresh cheddar cheese curds.

If I’m pressed for time — or just not feeling like going through the extra steps of making a pressed wheel of cheese or aging it — this is what I make. We get all the flavor and stretchy melty goodness of cheddar, plus the ease of skipping some steps altogether. What’s not to like?

When my sister and family were here at Christmas, they loved my fresh cheddar cheese curds. I put a bowl of them on the counter and everyone just munched on them like they were appetizers (what a good idea — I’m taking mental notes).

The process is simple. Make cheddar cheese (or on video in the Cultured Dairy eCourse). Instead of putting the curds in the press, put them in a bowl to stash in the fridge. You should salt them a bit less.

In the fridge, they’ll sort of press together by their own weight, but it is nowhere near like a wheel of cheese because you can peel them apart. They’ll keep for about two weeks. Over time, more whey will be released from the curds. You can drain this off every few days to prevent the curds from getting soggy. During this time, eat them!

Another thing: the curds squeak. I’ve heard this called “Squeaky Cheese” before!

What to do with cheddar curds?

• Dice the curd strips for toppings on rice bowls, tacos, burritos, or other main dishes, etc.
• Dice the curd strips and use in cold grain salads or other salads
• Put strips on top of your almost-fried eggs, cover and let melt
• Use in grilled cheese sandwiches
• Use in cold sandwiches
• Strips or large dices for appetizers — serve with crackers and pickles

Do you have any cultured dairy shortcuts? Have you made or eaten fresh cheddar curds? Please share!

Cheddar is one of the most delicious and easy cheeses we make in the Cultured Dairy and Basic Cheese eCourse. If you’ve been intimidated by the thought of making cheese, cut that out right now. I’d love to help you master it.

This post is shared in Simple Lives Thursday.

Not my best cake in the picture above (read the story here), but the frosting was to-die-for. You do the real food math:

Real butter + real cream + real mineral-rich, tasty unrefined sugar
= really super good real food frosting

It is even better than frosting made from white sugar and “white” butter. (My butter is yellow, yellow, yellow.)

I advise caution. You won’t be able to stop licking your fingers, the bowl, the cake and anything this frosting touches.

Unless you’re like my sister, who would turn down cake for mashed potatoes and gravy any day. Nah. You’re not, right?

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

• 1 cup unsalted butter (2 sticks) — softened, but not melted
• 3-1/2 cups powdered rapadura or sucanat*
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ~4 tablespoons cream or whole milk

*Whiz in blender until fine, fine, fine. It being fine is very important so you don’t have crystals in your frosting.

Cream butter in mixer or food processor. Sift together the sugar and cocoa powder, then add to the butter. Blend to mix in. Add salt, vanilla and cream. Blend for a few minutes until smooth. Add cream or milk, 1 tablespoon at a time for a thinner and smoother consistency. Add more sweetener for a stiffer frosting.

Use immediately, or refrigerate for later. If refrigerated, bring to room temperature to spread more easily. Delicious atop the Sourdough Chocolate Cake.

This time of year, many are looking for treats made from real, whole foods. Thus, I give you our homemade hot chocolate.

This winter, Haniya’s been making this just about every day. There’s no turning down the steaming cups she hands out!

She uses the scant amount of honey because our Jersey milk is already sweet. I have her add the coffee sub to make the chocolate pop. (You’ve probably seen it in my chocolate sourdough cake and the chocolate mousse cake.)

Real Food Hot Cocoa

• 6 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• scant 1/3 cup honey or maple syrup
• 1 tablespoons vanilla extract
• pinch of sea salt
• *1/4 cup instant coffee substitute (Dandy Blend, Caffix, Pero, Roma, etc.) — optional

*Not grain-free.

Whisk all together over medium heat. Stir continuously until warmed to desired temperature. Top with whipped cream or a dusting of cocoa powder. Enjoy!

I hope you’re having a blessed week.

This was my birthday cake. Twice.

On Wednesday, my friend Brenna and her family surprised me with it. It was so good that I called Brenna yesterday morning — my birthday morning, the day I turned 37 (just when did I begin to approach 40? I feel like I should be edging toward 30). I asked her for the recipe so I could make it again for myself. “It was so good and I want more of it.” That about sums it up.

Since I’ll probably take the leftovers as little squares to a Christmas party tonight, I might have to make more of it on the weekend. You might have to make some, too. You just might.

Chocolate Mousse Cake

Dense, smooth and sort of fudgy, the original recipe is in a Betty Crocker cookbook. I’ve added a pinch of sea salt and vanilla, plus the coffee substitute to make the chocolate “pop.”

• 2 cups butter
• 1 cup honey — mild flavor preferred
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• pinch sea salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• *2 tablespoons instant coffee substitute (Dandy Blend, Caffix, Pero, Roma, etc.) or 1 tsp. ground chicory root or finely ground coffee — optional
• 8 eggs

*Use the chicory for grain-free (thanks, Rosalyn!). The others are derived from roasted grains. Some grain-free folks drink these anyway. I’m not sure why. If you’re grain-free and you know why, please let me know in the comments.

Makes (1) 8″ x 11″ pan.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter an 8-by-11-inch cake pan and set aside.

Over low heat, melt butter with honey, cocoa powder, sea salt, vanilla and coffee substitute (if using). When ingredients are smooth and butter is melted, remove from heat.

Lightly beat eggs in a mixing bowl. While whisking, add chocolate mixture. Mix until smooth.

Pour into buttered cake pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Chill thoroughly. Cut and serve. Optional: Spread with whipped cream before serving.

Have a blessed weekend! Got any special plans to which you could take this cake?

Did you tuck a turkey carcass into the freezer after Thanksgiving? Time to get it out! Today, Roxanne from The Holistic Mama shares her easy crock pot (or stockpot) broth method. Plus, she’ll totally win you over to the health benefits of making homemade broth and stock.

My method for stock — taught on video in Fundamentals eCourse — differs only slightly, and mainly in how I flavor my stock with ginger. Thanks, Roxanne. This looks great! –Wardeh

Homemade broths and stocks are essential for optimum health. Making homemade stock is easy and economical, and the stocks are packed with health benefits while they add amazing flavor to any dish. Stocks can be made in a large stock pot on the stove top or in a crock pot, require little culinary skill, and don’t need much attention. You can make a variety of stocks with herbs, vegetables, chicken, beef, fish, or any other meat you like. All are full of health benefits that you won’t find in commercially produced stocks.

Health Benefits of Broth

Throughout history, many traditional cultures have made broths with bones. Stocks are extremely healing and beneficial to everyone. As the bones boil, the minerals from the bones get pulled out into the water, creating a mineral-rich stock. Homemade bone broths are rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and other trace minerals which are essential for optimum health.

Because the minerals in broth are easily assimilated, consuming bone broths is a very easy way to get these minerals in your diet. Bone broths also contain glucosamine, chondroitin and gelatin — components that get extracted from the bones. These nutrients are very good for anyone with joint pain or arthritis.

Meat and fish stocks made with bones are also very healing to the digestive system. They provide building blocks for the rapidly growing cells of the gut lining. Bone broths have a soothing effect on any areas of inflammation in the gut. This has been used for centuries as a digestive aid and a remedy for the digestive tract.

Homemade Broth Saves Money

Homemade broths provide many health benefits that commercially made stocks do not. And in addition homemade broths cost much less! A quart size container of organic chicken broth averages around $3.00. If you filled a 5-quart crock pot with commercial stock, you’re looking at $15.00!

Compare that to the homemade stock I made last night from half an organic chicken that cost me $5.99. That’s half the price of commercial — and don’t forget how much more healthful homemade stock is!

Here’s another cost savings. After making and eating homemade broth for awhile, you may find less need to buy supplements. (Remember, the broth contains lots of minerals plus glucosamine, chondroitin, and gelatin.)

How to Make Homemade Broth

Making homemade broth is so easy. You can make this wonderfully healing food with few ingredients and little time and effort.

My crock pot is almost like a permanent fixture on the counter. I have a broth cooking in it most of the time. To make life easy, freeze containers of stock in small portions ready for use in recipes. It is great to have a lot of stock on hand in the freezer for making soups, beans, rice, sauces, gravies and lots more.

What you need:

• Bones (meaty is fine) from chicken, turkey, beef, fish, or any other kind of meat — including joints, giblets, and/or organs
• apple cider vinegar
• filtered or pure water
• salt and pepper to taste
• a strip of kombu seaweed (optional for added trace minerals)
• vegetables (optional for flavor and added nutrients)
• herbs (optional for flavor and added nutrients)
• garlic cloves (optional for flavor and added nutrients)

Place the meat, bones and parts into a large crock pot or stock pot. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to the pot. Fill the pot the rest of the way with filtered or pure water.

Optional: add any vegetables, fresh or dried herbs, cloves of garlic (you can get creative here!) to flavor the stock. If using a crock pot, turn to low and let cook for 24 hours. If using a stock pot, bring water to boil and then reduce heat and allow simmering for a minimum of 8 to 24 hours. The longer you let it cook, the more health benefits you will receive in your stock. That’s it! This will last a few days in the fridge and 6 to 12 months in the freezer.

What’s your broth/stock routine? Have you noticed any differences in your health when you make and eat it regularly? Do you have any tips to share?

I can’t believe next week is Thanksgiving. Can you? We got snow this morning. To the right you can see the view from the barn during morning milking. It lasted for an hour or so and it didn’t stick — typical for our area of Oregon.

Our heritage breed pastured turkey is coming from our friends Beth and Kerry Olson of B&K Natural Farm. We’ll pick it up next Wednesday. They say most of their flock turned out to be toms this year — meaning bigger birds in general. We’ll either get a small one that fits in my roasting pan, or a larger one they’ll cut in half to fit in my roasting pan. I’m okay with either. Having an extra half a turkey in the freezer for whenever is very nice!

What are you planning for your Thanksgiving menu? We’ll do the usual — turkey, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, salad, cranberry relish and pumpkin pie. I might do stuffing. We don’t usually because there’s already so much food.

Are you looking for last-minute inspiration for your menu? I’ve got some great ideas for you!

Real Food Thanksgiving Menu Ideas

These recipes are from past posts here — with years and years of posts, it is nice every once and awhile to dig for the gems!

• Perfectly Moist Turkey Every Time — learn how to bake a heritage bird to perfection
• Sweet Potato Casserole
• Fermented Cranberry-Apple-Orange Relish
• Pumpkin Pie — this happens to be dairy-free, egg-free and gluten-free, but its main selling point with me (now that we don’t have food allergies) is that it tastes better than any pumpkin pie I’ve ever had
• EggNog — enough said

Whole Foods for the Holidays

Remember what I and some other bloggers did last year? We hosted a real food holiday progressive dinner in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving. It was great! Real food bloggers from all over participated, sharing family favorite holiday dishes made with real foods. We included:

• Soups with me at GNOWFGLINS
• Appetizers with Katie at Kitchen Stewardship
  
• Salads with Donielle from Naturally Knocked Up
• Bread dishes with Diana at A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa
• Main dishes with Stephanie at Keeper of the Home
• Extra side dishes with Kimi at The Nourishing Gourmet
• Desserts with Kate at Modern Alternative Mama 
• Drinks with Michele at Frugal Granola

Please do visit the host blogs — you’ll find recipe upon recipe to round out your Thanksgiving menu!

More Sweet Ideas

35% off through midnight tonight (Fri)! Smart Sweets is the newest (and 4th) eBook from Katie at Kitchen Stewardship. Just in time for the holidays! Many recipes are grain-free or gluten-free. Click here to purchase and use the coupon code 2DAY35OFF — you’ll also get a free copy of MadeOn’s My Buttered Life: Gift-Giving Edition. (You can download a free PDF of Katie’s apple crisp recipe here.)

More Real Food Recipes

Visit eatnourishing.com, too (a free real food recipe sharing site). New recipes are added daily and they look really good! And last but not least, you can browse my extensive recipe archives for more ideas.

Happy Thanksgiving menu planning! Use the comments to share what what’s on your menu — talking menus is always fun for me.

My son Mikah loves, loves, loves lentil sprouts! He got it from my dad. When my mom and dad go on road trips, my dad keeps his sprouts going. He makes stops to rinse and drain sprouts just like he used to make potty stops for us when we were growing up.

I remember vividly the day Mikah fell in love with lentil sprouts. We were in San Fransisco visiting my sister and my parents were there, too. My dad had his bag of sprouts along (of course). He sat on the front steps munching them. Mikah was maybe 3 or 4, something like that. He said, “What’s that, Sido?” (Sido is grandfather in Arabic.) Of course Sido shared. And that was the end of that. Or rather, the beginning, of Mikah’s love for sprouts — especially lentil.

Mikah has been wanting sprouts lately, but I haven’t been getting them going. So he started them himself about a week ago, and he’s been rinsing and caring for them daily. And making our dinner salads with them. (He’s 11.) Here’s his recipe. We hope you enjoy it! (Also check out Erin’s Lentil Slaw, plus two other recipes for sprouted lentils.)

Mikah’s Lentil Sprout Salad

• 4 cups lentil sprouts (directions are here or taught in Fundamentals eCourse)
• 1/8 red onion, finely diced or thinly sliced
• 1/2 cup sliced black olives
• other diced veggies, as you desire — like tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers
• 1 clove garlic, crushed or 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup crumbled raw cheese — feta is really good!
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
• pinch black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil or 2 tablespoons fresh, chopped basil
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Toss all ingredients together and serve.

Do you like lentil sprouts? What do you make with them?

I’m at my friend Shannon’s Nourishing Days blog today, sharing how I make a big batch of cultured butter. How is this different than my cultured butter in the food processor? For one, it is a bigger batch, like 7 to 8 times bigger — instead of yielding 1 pound of butter, I get between 7 and 8. I like this because I can make more butter less often which equals less work. I also employ another time saver — culturing the cream while it’s still in the milk, as you’ve seen in this video.

I’m grateful to Marci from Amazing Graze Farm Store, who told me about using a mixer to increase how much cream I could culture into butter. It is really easy and saves alot of time. Thanks, Marci!

Here’s an excerpt from Making a Big Batch of Cultured Butter:

“With lots of cream around, I’ve got no choice but to make lots of butter! But I do have a choice about how often I make it — and I prefer to make it less often, in big batches and with less work. That’s how I do most of my cooking. Call me lazy or call me industrious, but that’s my style.”

Visit Nourishing Days to read the whole post. While you’re there, do catch up with Shannon and her family, who just moved to land in the south and are completely starting from scratch on an off-grid homestead. I love reading her inspiring, thoughtful and honest reflections.

I’m sharing this post in Simple Lives Thursday.