Let’s be honest with each other – the idea of eating from your preps is probably not all that appealing, right?  I mean, you’ve canned food and all kinds of freeze dried stuff that, while edible, isn’t usually that tasty.  But, what if I told you that you could have tasty fresh pasta right from the preps you already have?  Don’t believe me? Get ready to be proven wrong.

Fresh Pasta Ingredient List

The ingredient list for fresh pasta is made up of things you already are storing up in your preps:

• 2-3/4C All-Purpose Flour (plan on an additional 1C for dusting)
• 6 large eggs (at room temperature)
• 1Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1Tsp Kosher Salt

You’re probably thinking that eggs aren’t in your long-term storage plan.  I’d be willing to be, however, that you would either have some on hand (you’re not raising chickens?) or be able to barter for some in a disaster.  I’ve also read that this recipe can be used by replacing the eggs with 1C of warm water.  I have never tried it, but it makes sense to me.

Directions

Making Fresh Pasta

1. Pile the flour in a large bowl.  Make a large depression in the center.
2. Crack the eggs into the center of the depression.
3. Add the oil and salt.
4. Using a fork, slowly beat the eggs while working in the flour until everything is fully combined.
5. If it’s a little dry, add some water.  If it’s a little wet, add some flour.  This recipe is not an exact science and it’s usually the difference in the size of eggs that causes changes every time you make fresh pasta with this recipe.
6. Flour your work surface (it helps if the work surface is cold) and place the dough on it.
7. Lightly flour your hands and knead the dough by pushing it away from you with the heel of your hand.  Knead away, fold in half, rotate clockwise and repeat.  Add flour as required.  This step should take about 5min but you want to make sure the dough is elastic and smooth.
8. Form the dough into a cylindrical shape and tightly wrap in plastic wrap.  Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (up to overnight).  In a grid down scenario where a refrigerator isn’t available, you can use any cool spot that you have available to you.
9. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and cut into 6 small chunks.
10. Dust a rolling pin and roll out each chunk into uniformly thick pieces (roughly 1/8″ or less thick).
11. Here is where you can diverge.  Traditionalists will use a knife to cut the fresh pasta into the desired thickness.  Others will use a pasta machine to roll out the pasta and cut it.  Both have their advantages – the traditional method is “free” in that all you need is a knife and the pasta machine will give you more uniform pasta and save you some work.
12. Uncurl the noodles once their cut, dust with flour and place on a flour-lined baking sheet.  Cover the noodles with a damp towel until you’re ready to cook.  Repeat until all the chunks are processed

Cooking Fresh Pasta

Fresh pasta cooks much quicker than store-bought dried options.

1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.
2. Add a tablespoon of salt and the pasta.
3. Stir a bit until the pasta is al-dente.  This step should only take 3-4 minutes.
4. Drain and serve immediately with your favorite sauce.

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Recommendations

Fresh pasta is possibly the easiest thing in the world to make in your kitchen.  It is a little time consuming with all the kneading, rolling and cutting but there is no large amount of culinary skill involved.  Anyone can do it and it’s a great meal to make with your kids – my daughters L-O-V-E making pasta with me.

You can go a million different places with pasta – anywhere from a traditional marinara to a white wine and butter sauce complimented with capers and lemons, or anywhere in the middle.  Fresh pasta can be used for any dish you’d use traditional dried pasta in – but I guarantee the fresh pasta will taste a hundred times better.

We typically will throw in some of our homemade tomato sauce (either fresh or from our stored goods) and spice it up with some fresh spices from Harvest Eating.  In addition, a nice wine always goes well with pasta.  I’m a sucker for a good Cabernet Sauvignon, but you can definitely go with a quality Chardonnay for dishes that are highlighted by fish or chicken.

Let us know how this recipe works for you!  We’d love to see pictures on Facebook!

To the uninitiated the Dutch Oven is nothing more than a big heavy black pot, but to those in the know it is a wondrous tool that opens up a world of outdoor cooking possibilities. Besides the obvious soups and stews, a Dutch Oven aficionado can roast meats, bake breads, and even craft fairly complex desserts. In fact, anything that can be cooked in a conventional oven or slow cooker can be duplicated in a Dutch Oven. It might take a bit more work, but the effort is worth it!

The History Of Dutch Oven Cooking

The Dutch Oven, in its most basic form, has been with us for a long time. Initially the Dutch (go figure) came up with a method of using dry sand molds to greatly increase the smoothness of their cast iron cooking vessels. This advancement attracted the attention of an Englishman named Abraham Darby. Darby traveled to the Netherlands to learn the new method.  He eventually brought it back to England where he patented a process similar to the one the Dutch were doing. These cooking vessels made their way to the New World but the name Dutch Oven stuck for good.  Three centuries later we are still using the same basic technology!

In North America, the Dutch Oven underwent a few changes. The familiar legs, to hold it above the coals, were added as well as the flange which keeps the hot coals securely on the top. The Americans so embraced the Dutch Oven that it became the quintessential cooking utensil and headed west with the pioneers as they set out to settle a continent. From Lewis and Clark, to the Western settlers, to the cowboys on the range, everywhere the Americans went so did the Dutch Oven. It was those hardy individuals that mastered the big black pot and proved its versatility on the trail.

Essential  Items

Before you can jump into the world of Dutch Oven Cooking you will need a few things. An actual Dutch Oven comes to mind first but there are several items that will make your first foray into Dutch Oven Cooking a much more enjoyable experience!

• Dutch Oven – A 10-inch Dutch Oven is a good starting point. The big 14-inch Dutch Ovens may be cool but unless you are going to be feeding a small army or doing heavy duty baking they are just to big (and heavy) for daily duty.
• Charcoal Chimney – Once you embrace Dutch Oven Cooking you will find yourself using a lot of charcoal and really appreciating having hot coals at the ready. The charcoal chimney gives you an easy supply of hot coals and as a bonus you won’t burn your eyebrows off fooling around with lighter fluid!
• Welding Gloves – These may seem a little bit “out there” but you will be dealing with a 400-500^oF hunk of cast iron and they are perfect for avoiding disfiguring burns.
• Long Handled Utensils – Like with the welding gloves these are a comfort item. Being able to keep your delicate hands away from the blistering heat is a good idea.
• Dutch Oven Table – If you decide to get serious about Dutch Oven Cooking adding a dedicated Dutch Oven Table to your arsenal is a good idea. Getting up out of the dirt is good for the back and the knees. Dutch Oven Cooking should be fun and not stoop labor!

Key Points of Dutch Oven Cooking

• Top heat makes the difference! Bottom heat is important but stepping up to baking and roasting requires top heat.
• Seasoning is a must. A well seasoned Dutch Oven will make all methods of cooking with it that much easier.
  
• When baking or roasting always pre-heat the Dutch Oven.
• Don’t be afraid to take notes. Dutch Oven cooking is far from an exact science and is highly variable depending on the a lot of factors. Having good  records to fall back on can be very helpful.

Brats, Beans, And Beer Recipe

This is a great recipe to get your feet wet with Dutch Oven Cooking. For the most part it cooks like a stew but the finishing step requires some top heat, so you can get a feel for it. Another great thing is if you mess up with the top heat portion it doesn’t take much away from the recipe.

The Ingredients

• 1lbs of Bratwurst (5 or 6 Brats)
• 2 Large Onions, halved and sliced
• 2 Tbsp + 1 Tsp of Olive Oil
• (2) 15oz cans of Cannellini Beans
• 8oz of beer (a lighter beer works best here)
• 1/4C of seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/4C of  grated Parmesan cheese

The Directions

1. Start 40 coals going in your charcoal chimney. Once they are going nice and hot put 15 underneath the Dutch Oven and start pre-heating the lid with 18 on top of it.
2. Add 2 Tablespoon of Olive Oil and the Brats to the Dutch Oven. Brown them for 5 minutes. Remove them and set them aside. Add the sliced onions to the Dutch Oven and allow them to soften for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally so they don’t burn.
3. Pour in the beer and bring it to a simmer. Dump in the beans (liquid and all) and return the brats to the Dutch Oven. Bring the mixture back to a boil and let it thicken for 2 minutes.
4. Mix the bread crumbs, cheese, and remaining olive oil together and spread over the top of the mixture.
5. Place the pre-heated lid onto the Dutch Oven and move the Dutch Oven onto 6 fresh coals. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Check it at 20 minutes and if the bread crumbs have browned it is done. Otherwise give it a few more minutes. Once it is done remove the lid and serve!

Like this recipe?  Mike’s got plenty more over at The Backyard Pioneer’s Dutch Oven Recipe Page!

Dutch Oven Cooking Wrap-Up

Dutch Oven cooking can be fun and rewarding. It offers a direct link to the brave souls who tamed a continent and is a valuable preparedness skill as well. It is also just a fun hobby as you can challenge yourself with more intricate recipes.

When the weather is bone-chilling cold with gray skies, there’s nothing I crave more than a big bowl of steaming beef stew!  There’s just something warming and comforting about the smell of a slow-cooked stew that warms up your body and puts you in a calm mood.

Yeah, that’s great, but it’s a pain to make, right?  Wrong!  Beef stew is probably one of the easiest things in the world to make.  And, minus maybe a little bit of flour for browning the meat, it’s fairly healthy as well.  Come check out how we make snowy day beef stew on the Suburban Steader Suburban Homestead.

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Recommendation

Beef stew is one of those “stick to your ribs” meals that almost everyone loves.  It’s a pretty easy prep and can be a ‘set-it-and-forget-it’ type meal, freeing you up to do other things around the house.  The one tip I have for prep is to make sure you keep the heat quite low when browning the meat and sauteing the onions and garlic.  You want the bottom of the pan to be brown, not black, when you deglaze it.  Another thing to note is that sometimes this recipe can come out a little watery.  If what you end up with is a little too watery for you, take a few cups of the broth out, make a roux (try 2tbsp flour to 2tbsp melted butter), add to the broth and return to the stew.  That should thicken it up.

The recipe above is for a basic beef stew.  Feel free to change things up as you see fit.  Replace the onion with shallots, add other root vegetables like parsnips, turnips and even turnips if you want.  My wife says the mushrooms give it an earthy flavor so, if that’s not your thing, don’t add them.  What I’m getting at is that the recipe I provided is a fairly basic canvas.  Feel free to experiment and tweak it to make it your own.

In terms of serving, I go very simple.  Beef stew is, at its core, a simple dish and does not need a lot of flash added to it.  A nice piece of buttered sourdough bread goes quite well with it.  I recommend a glass of the red wine you used to deglaze the pan or a good craft beer be served alongside it as well.

Give this snowy day beef stew a shot and let us know how it worked out for you!

We’re going to talk about seasonings today in our second cooking-related Project TWH post.  In case you missed it earlier, our first cooking-related post in Project TWH was about Nutrition For The Suburban Homesteader.

Why Seasoning Is Essential To Homesteaders

Let’s get this fact out-of-the-way right off the bat – bland food sucks!  Monotony does too.  Picture this very realistic scenario:

Your suburban homestead garden is successfully producing this year and you’ve got more tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers and broccoli than you know what to do with.

At first, this problem is anything but a free problem.  The vegetables are fresh and taste great.  But in the not too distant future, you’re getting sick of all these vegetables in your diet.  It’s just annoying to eat the same thing over and over and over and over again despite how fresh these vegetables are.

But, add some seasoning – garlic to the broccoli, sage to the carrots, salt and balsamic vinegar to the tomatoes, dill (with some yogurt) to the cucumbers – and, all of a sudden, these mundane flavors are once again exciting!

Seasonings make food more interesting and also allow you to be creative with your cooking!

Types of Seasonings

We can spend a long, long time talking about seasonings, but let’s start talking about the basics.

• Herbs: The flavor in herbs comes from the leaves of the plant.  A lot of these seasonings can easily be grown in your garden.
• Spices: Anything used to season food that is not made from the leaves of a plant are considered a spice.  A lot of these items are difficult to grow in a typical garden in the U.S., however some like chili peppers and fennel seeds are able to be grown in the U.S.
• Black Pepper: A typical staple in every pantry, this seasoning can only be grown in tropical climates.  It is, however, almost a required, essential seasoning for any setting.  The ability for only a light sprinkle to make an astounding difference is incredible!
• Salt: Due to the fact that it is not a part of a plant, salt is neither a herb or a spice.  It is, however, much like black pepper in that it is essentially a required staple due to its ability to greatly change (most will say improve) flavor in small amounts.
• Onions and Garlic: Both are vegetables and, at the same time, both are used primarily to alter the taste of other food rather than as a major.  Onions have a sweet, but not sugary, flavor to meals.  Garlic has a unique flavor and is able to turn a simple dish (think steamed broccoli) from a mundane dish to a tasty dish.  It has amazing health benefits as well.
• Vinegars: A liquid seasoning that can help you spice up salads and other vegetable dishes.  There are multiple different flavors that range from sweet (balsamic vinegar) to subtle (apple cider vinegar).

Grow Your Own Seasoning

There’s two ways to effectively start using seasoning in your cooking.  The first approach is determining which seasonings you like and thane making dishes that use them.  The second is finding dishes that you like and figuring out what seasonings work well with them.  In the end, it’s probably best to use a combination of these approaches.  That being said, the average suburban homesteader can grow most of the seasonings listed below and could easily try incorporating them in their cooking.

• Basil: This plant is very simple to grow, although it is frost sensitive.  It also has some propensity to experience fusarium wilt in the Deep South.  Basil grows great from seeds that are planted after the frost-free date.  We use basil extensively with tomatoes here on the Suburban Steader homestead – tomato and mozzarella slices with chiffonade basil and balsamic vinaigrette is a terrific appetizer for summer meals.
• Chili Peppers: These peppers are grown just like bell or sweet peppers.  And, much like sweet peppers, the fruits can be eaten.  They can also be dried and used for seasoning foods in the winter.  Chili peppers have a spicy taste to them and are used extensively in Mexican and Asian-style cooking.
• Coriander / Cilantro: A definite “two-for-one” in the seasoning world.  Cilantro leaves are typically used in Mexican-style cooking.  Coriander, on the other hand, is associated with many different styles of cooking.  Both have very unique flavors.  Unfortunately, the Mrs doesn’t like cilantro very much, so it is not used very much on the Suburban Steader homestead.
• Egyptian Onions and Chives: Both of these perennials are grown mostly for their green leaves.  Their taste profile is similar to onions or garlic but neither have as sharp a flavor as the latter.  The Suburban Steader homestead always has some chives on hand for numerous things but one of our favorites is adding these great seasonings to tuna, egg or chicken salads.
• Garlic: Probably my favorite seasoning, garlic has many uses.  Almost every dish, regardless of cuisine, can benefit from some minced up garlic.  Garlic typically goes hand in hand with onion.  We use the age-old ratio of three garlic cloves to one onion in most meals and it works great.  The taste of garlic is wonderful and the health benefits (as mentioned above) are incredible which makes it no surprise that garlic is the most used and appreciated seasoning in the Suburban Steader homestead.  Garlic is planted in the fall and harvested in the summer.
• Mint: Probably the easiest seasoning to grow, mint can also be a problem in your garden.  It is known as a runner meaning that the roots will spread and consume a large area.  It is recommended that you use either a separate pot or root barriers when growing mint.  All that being said, mint is quite a useful seasoning.  It is matched well with some meats – lamb especially – and is also great for making teas.  In addition, mint is a great addition to some adult beverages.  In addition to normal mint, you might want to experiment with different variations like spearmint or peppermint.
• Onions: Just like garlic, onions have almost limitless use.  They can be eaten raw on sandwiches – they are terrific on hamburgers – or diced and sautéed as the base for numerous dishes.  Onions are planted from seed or set early in the spring and the bulbs are harvested mid-summer.  Onions have a unique ability to add a sweetness to a dish that is nothing like the sweetness sugar adds.  The aroma and taste onions add as seasoning to a dish is unique and it is added to many dishes here on the Suburban Steader homestead.
• Oregano: This fast growing perennial is hardy down to Zone 5 (learn about USDA Hardiness Zones here).  Much like mint, oregano can be a runner so make sure you use some kind of root barrier or a separate pot when growing oregano. Oregano is used a lot in both Italian and Mexican cuisines and is a mild, but tasty seasoning.
• Parsley: Much like onions and garlic, parsley is best known for its extensive use in Italian cuisine.  It is a biennial meaning that it is harvested in the first year and bolts to seed in the second spring.  Much like cilantro and basil, parsley is grown for its leaves.  A fine-chopping of parsley is a great addition to any Italian-style dish as well as many soups and pasta dishes.
• Rosemary: This terrific seasoning has many uses but is best known as a great seasoning for most starches.  Our favorite use of rosemary is as an addition to roasted red potatoes.  Rosemary is a perennial that will grow hardly in the South and may die back some in the cold of winter in anything less than Zone 7.
• Thyme: Another perennial that is hardy down to Zone 5, thyme is a great seasoning for both vegetables and different kinds of meat.  Here at the Suburban Steader homestead, we use thyme a lot with chicken.  We’ll take a few chicken breasts, rub them in a little olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika, toss a sprig or two of thyme on the chicken and bake them.  This process makes the chicken tasty and a great addition to salads.

Testing New Seasonings

So you’ve taken the plunge and are growing a bunch of the seasonings from above but don’t know where to start when it comes to trying them.  Do you find the seasonings you like and then find meals that use them?  Or, do you figure out what seasonings you can use to spice up the meals you already like?  Ideally, you’ll do both.

Here on the Suburban Steader homestead, we definitely take the two-prong approach to trying new spices.  For instance, there are quite a few meals that we’ve become very good at making such as different grilled meats, chicken meals and pasta with red sauce.  We’ve begun to play with different seasoning profiles on these dishes to spice them up and change the typically taste of the dishes so we don’t get bored.

On the other side, we’ll occasionally buy a seasoning from the store (sage was one of the latest we tried) and found recipes that highlight it.  Not everything works out well, but it’s opened up our palettes and has allowed us to expand both our taste profiles and our culinary skills.

Exploring new seasonings is definitely a win-win experience in both the taste and culinary skill worlds!

photo credit: Tord Sollie via photopin cc

For some reason, smoking meat seems like a very ‘homesteady’ thing to do. I’m not sure if it’s the presence of fire, the smoke, large cuts of meat or the ‘art’ of it all. In the end, there’s a certain primal instinct that comes out when you smoke meat and I think a lot of us associate that feeling with getting back to the earth and homesteading. I got that feeling this weekend when I smoked some baby back ribs on the Smokenator!

What’s a Smokenator you ask? Well, in short, it’s a nifty little contraption that allows you to turn your Weber One-Touch Gold Kettle Grill into a smoker. You won’t be able to do large quantities of meat on it, but it’s the perfect size for your family – it fits a rack of baby back ribs perfectly. And, with their Hover Grill, you can probably accommodate a decent size dinner party worth of baby back ribs. Don’t know what a Hover Grill is? Click the Smokenator link above and you’ll find out!

Let’s get into the nitty gritty on how I smoked these Baby Back Ribs.

Baby Back Ribs Dry Rub

Full disclaimer, I got this recipe from the good guys over at The Smoker King.

• 1c Brown Sugar
• 1/2c Paprika
• 2-1/2tbsp Ground Black Pepper
• 2-1/2tbsp Salt
• 1tbsp Mustard Powder
• 1-1/2tbsp Chili Powder
• 1-1/2tbsp Garlic Powder
• 1-1/2tbsp Onion Powder
• 1tsp Cayenne

Simply mix all the ingredients together and store in an empty seasoning container. This recipe is great on baby back ribs – or any kind of rib.

Direction

Written direction can be found below the video:
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1. If there is any fat on the baby back ribs, trim them so you have a layer about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick.
2. Trim the membrane off the baby back ribs. Everyone has their own technique for this task. Personally, I use a pairing knife to get under the membrane and give me a little bit of a flap to work with. Then I use a butter knife and work my way down the ribs. After a few times, you’ll get the feel for it. It may help if you use a paper towel to increase your grip.
3. Place the baby back ribs on a cooking sheet and cover both sides of them with olive oil. You can probably use a yellow mustard here as well. I’ve never tried that, so I can speak for it, but it does seem like a lot of people use mustard in this step. The idea is to provide a wet surface the rub will bond to.
4. Apply the rub as liberally or frugally as you want. I tend to be heavy-handed on this step, but it’s up to your own preference. Be aware that this rub does have a bit of heat to it, so choose accordingly.
5. I usually let baby back ribs sit overnight in the fridge with the rub on. This step allows the rub to permeate the meat a bit. It’s not a necessary step – I’ve smoked ribs with applying the rub only a half hour before they were put on the smoker and they turned out good. Allowing them to set up overnight just seems to push the taste a bit.
6. Take the ribs out of the fridge about 1/2-hour before you’re ready to smoke them. The ribs will have less of an effect on your smoker temperature the closer to room temperature they are.
7. Bring your smoker up to roughly 250F. It’s not an exact number. I’ve run them anywhere from 225F to 300F with great results.
8. Place the baby back ribs on the smoker, close the lid and get a beer or two. The only reason you should open the smoker over the next 2.5-hrs is to tend to the fire and smoke.
9. At the 2.5-hr mark, remove the ribs and wrap them in heavy gauge aluminum foil. Put them back on the smoker for another hour.
10. Remove the baby back ribs from the smoker, unwrap and let sit for 10-min. Cut and enjoy!

Recommendations

Recommendation #1: Beer is always good with BBQ!

Recommendation #2: Bring lots of napkins!

There’s really not much more to recommend. As with any BBQ, traditional items like baked beans, mac and cheese, collard greens and cornbread go well as sides. The idea should be to let the baby back ribs speak for themselves and let the sides be supporting players.

This approach is simple and efficient. Your family will love these baby back ribs and you’ll have honed another skill around the suburban homestead. And, if you ace these baby back ribs, you just might earn the moniker of Neighborhood Pitmaster!

When you think of rustic, homestead-style cooking what is the first kind of breakfast you think of? If you’re like me, the first things that pop into your head are eggs, bacon and scratch pancakes.

Yes, I know I talked about how I try to eat as Paleo-centric as possible in this post.  That being said, sometimes you just need to kick back with some comfort foods.  Scratch pancakes are incredibly satisfying and easy to make.  Come check out how we make scratch pancakes on the Suburban Steader Suburban Homestead.

Scratch Pancakes Ingredient List

• 1-1/2c All-Purpose Flour
• 3-1/2tsp Baking Powder
• 1tsp Salt
• 1tbsp White Sugar
• 1-1/4c Milk
• 1 Egg
• 3tbsp Butter, Melted

NOTE: Links to recommended dry goods are located at the end of this post. We always recommend sourcing eggs, milk and butter locally if at all possible.

Directions

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together into a big bowl.
2. Create a depression in the middle of the dry mixture and add the milk, egg and melted butter. Mix until smooth.
3. Put a griddle on medium-low heat. Well-oiled cast iron skillets work great for this recipe.
4. Melt a little butter in the skillet and scoop the batter onto the skillet using approximately a 1/4c for each pancake.
5. Brown on one side until the sides tuck under and bubbles appear uniformly across the pancake.
6. Flip and brown the opposite side.
7. Repeat until all batter is used up.
8. Serve warm with butter and maple syrup.

Recommendation

Pancakes are always a crowd pleaser, especially with a little bacon on the side. In fact, cooking the bacon in the cast iron skillet prior to making the pancakes will give you that little bit of ‘lubrication’ you’ll need to make flipping a breeze. Always be sure to clean any debris from the skillet in between rounds of pancakes. You may also need to add some butter here and there to reduce any sticking.

Pancakes are very amenable to additions. Don’t hesitate to add blueberries, chocolate chips, raspberries, bananas or even crumbled bacon to your mixture. A little vanilla in the mixture is also a great addition. Don’t be afraid to explore and experiment!

Give these scratch pancakes a shot this weekend and let us know how it worked out for you!

I know what you’re thinking. Nutrition? This is a blog about suburban homesteading! What does nutrition have to do with that?

The short answer is: a lot!

Think about it this way: you are the engine that gets work done around your suburban homestead and the food you eat is your fuel. Remember how the gas station has different grades of fuel for your vehicle? Well, that’s essentially what nutrition is for you – it is a quality scale of your fuel and it helps determine well you will perform.

What Does The Suburban Steader Know About Nutrition?

I have something to admit to you – I was a bit of a meathead in my past life. I spent a lot of time lifting weights and building my strength up in an attempt to get into powerlifting. I learned a lot about nutrition as a part of this endeavor. Admittedly, I was concentrating on how to build muscle mass but the knowledge base I acquired serves me well to talk about nutrition as it pertains to any goal.

What Should You Eat?

I could spend hours and hours writing on this topic given my experience. Heck, I could write an entire blog on this topic alone – but I’m going to concentrate on the basics for this post. And the first thing I’ll do is let you in on the secret of nutrition:

Keep It Simple!

Yep, that old KISS rule works perfectly when it comes to good nutrition.

Nutrition, from the athletic point of view, is very specific. Athletes who participate in sports which require large muscle mass – bodybuilders, wrestlers, powerlifters, football players, et – require a large protein intake. They concentrate on lean meats which provide the nutrients needed to build muscle. Conversely, endurance athletes such as marathoners, bicyclists, triathletes and the like concentrate more on diets that provide more extended energy levels. These diets typically involve larger amounts of slow burning carbohydrates.

I’m not an athlete, what do I eat?

OK, I know I’ve been dodging the question about how to eat well for good nutrition. The answer is this – eat natural.

Huh? What does that mean?

It means that the closer your food is to natural, the better the nutritional value. If you look at the ingredients on the box of whatever you are thinking about eating and it sounds more like a science experiment than dinner, I’d suggest putting it down and moving on. Fresh fruits and vegetables are great. Meat that hasn’t been pumped full of hormones, antibiotics and other crap is preferred.

Two things I want to point out:

1. Yes, this approach is very similar to a Paleo diet. While I’m not a complete follower of the Paleo approach (I have no problem with dairy and non-GMO grains in moderation), I believe that the general concept is a solid way to approach good nutrition.
2. Yes, this approach can be more expensive. Eating fresh (non-GMO) vegetables and fruit as well as grass-fed, free range meat is more expensive than the basics you find at the supermarket. I’ve heard this added cost referred to as a ‘six pack tax’ and, while your goal might not be to get into swimsuit model shape, I think it’s a good way to think about this added expense.

4 Quick Steps To Better Nutrition

Still not sure how to get started with improving your nutrition? Here’s four basic steps to get you started:

1. Journal Your Food: I recommend you track everything you eat for at least a week. Keep track of what you eat/drink, how much of it you ate/drank and how it made you feel. Don’t try to game the system by eating healthier – the temptation will be there – because it won’t help you improve.
2. Change One Item: While you keep logging your food, make one change and see how it affects you. For instance, if you have a beer or glass of wine every night, maybe you could cut that out and only have one on the weekend nights. Or, if you find that you’re eating only red meat and poultry, try throwing fish in one or two nights a week. Continue logging your intake and documenting how the foods make you feel. Pay special attention to how the new changes make you feel versus the old habits.
3. Find A New Place To Shop: You don’t have to completely change your shopping habits. Simply tweak it a little. Is there a farmers market you’ve been meaning to hit up? Give it a shot! Maybe you can get some of your veggies or eggs there. Increasing the value of some of your purchased goods will help increase your nutrition.
4. Repeat Step 2 As Necessary: Once your first change becomes habit, go back and make another change. As you work through this change, keep track of how you feel. If you feel better, it’s something you should work into habit. Keep using this approach and you’ll find that your entire nutrition routine is changed for the better in short order. The best part of this approach is that it’s much easier to stick to than changing everything all at once.

Additional Nutrition Resources

Here’s a few places you may want to explore for more information on nutrition:

• RobbWolf.com: Robb Wolf is a former research biochemist and one of the world’s leading experts in Paleolithic nutrition. His website is considered the go-to site when researching Paleolithic eating and nutrition.
• FitDay.com: FitDay.com provides a free online food tracking journal that I have successfully used to track and modify my daily nutrtional intake.
• Harvard School of Public Health – Healthy Plate: The Harvard School of Public Health has published an alternative food plate (compared to the USDA) which they argue “is based exclusively on the best available science and was not subjected to political and commercial pressures from food industry lobbyists.”
• Weston A. Price Foundation: Dr. Weston A. Price was a dentist who went on a search for the cause of dental decay and physical degeneration. During that search, he found a nutritious way of living that is very similar to a Paleo approach. While they differ in approaches, they are very much alike and a lot of information can be ‘co-mingled’ to create a very basic, but very nutritious lifestyle.

Wrap Up

This topic can leave you with your head spinning or it can inspire you to learn more. I hope it’s the latter.  I know you are not a nutrition expert by any means, but I hope that this post has helped you move along in your search for better nutrition.

Remember that, as a suburban homesteader, food is your fuel and nutrition is a way of describing the quality of that fuel. Also, remember that nutrition is an ongoing education – I’ve been involved in this world for the last fifteen years and am still learning every day!

Please let us know any nutrition tips or question you have in the comments or on our Facebook Page.

photo credit: BobPetUK via photopin cc

I spent some time this weekend cooking for the family and decided to make one of my favorite dishes – penne alla vodka. While it’s not one of the most rustic dishes I’ve ever made, I did use a cast iron skillet to make it so it has some ‘suburban homesteading credibility!’

I have made this dish a few times, slightly tweaking the recipe every time. This weekend’s version was the best yet and I decided to share it with you.

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Recommendations

This penne alla vodka dish is always a crowd-pleaser – whether you are cooking a romantic dinner for your better half or making dinner for a house full of guests.  Hearty and filling, it really hits the spot and goes great with a nice cabernet sauvignon or pinot noir.  Add a little fresh grated parmigiano-reggiano and you have a restaurant quality meal that you can make on a budget in about 45 minutes.

Even though this dish is great the way it is, there are a few ways to tweak it.  The first tweak is the amount of sausage you use.  Personally, we like a meal with a lot of meat so we use a full pound of sausage.  If you want more of a pasta dish without meat, try using a lesser amount like 3oz (2 links) of sausage.  Secondly, this dish has a slight hint of heat thanks to the red pepper flakes.  If you want a milder meal, remove the red pepper flakes and if you want a bit spicier meal, use hot sausage and take the red pepper flakes out of th recipe.  Whatever you do, don’t use spicy sausage AND red pepper flakes.  I made that mistake once and it caused the dish to be super hot and not very enjoyable.

Go and try this spicy penne alla vodka recipe and let us know how it worked out for you!