Rosehip Vinegar Recipe

Rosehips are completely free and are best known for their extremely high vitamin C content.  This is the first year that I have got around to experimenting with them so I started researching the best methods of preparing them with 2 main objectives...

1. Preserve the vitamin C content by avoiding cooking (as with traditional syrups)

2. Find an easy method with no 8 stage* preparation instructions 

*Rosehips are renowned for their itchy hairs and at school they were called itching berries (we used to put them down each others backs).  Many recipes require you dry the berries  to extract the seeds and hairs - this one doesn't!)

So, with these goals in mind I found a recipe for rosehip vinegar and adapted it to make it as easy as humanly possible!



Josie's Rosehip Vinegar


Ingredients:

1. Rosehips - I used a standard sized punnet and managed to fill it. There are no rules here but simply the more hips you use - the more vinegar you need - the larger your jar must be. 
2. Vinegar - I chose to use organic apple cider vinegar because it has such wonderful healing properties so seemed like the perfect partner for my nutrient rich rosehips.  You could however use any vinegar you like.





Method: 

1. Take the ripe rosehips and cut off the hairy end, squidge them between your clean fingers so the centre (seeds, hairs pulp and all) comes out -throw it all into the jar.  Repeat this until your jar is fulled with a mash of rosehips.  

2. Pour your chosen vinegar over the hips so they are concealed (anything popping out the top could mould). 

3. Transfer your jar to the fridge so the vinegar can infuse with the rosehips (other recipes used a shelf or window sill but thinking of my goal of preserving the vitamin C I thought the fridge would be better) and leave to infuse for 10 days.

4. After the 10 days strain the vinegar through a muslin cloth and pour the sifted (hair and seed free) vinegar into a bottle. 

Delicious and nutritious!

Enjoy.

Josie.x

The healing benefits of the common Dandelion.

The drawback of many healing herbs and foods is that they seem to come with a high price.  The wonderful thing about dandelions is that they are deeply healing and completely free.  Some people get confused about dandelions and think that the weeds that grow in your back garden are different to the healing herbs which are made into shop bought remedies - the truth is that they are exactly the same.  There are certainly more than one type of dandelion, but it is easy to look up the variety that grows in your lawn or flower bed and find out if it will make a good salad or not.

So which part of the plant should we use?  The great news is that the root, leaves and flowers all have their own individual benefits and can be used in different ways...

The leaves can be used in salads just like any other salad leaf or can be blended into soups
for a nutritious boost.  The flowers can be infused as a tea or can be added to meals to add colour and healing power.  The root is best used as a tea infusion once dried, but can be added to any broth or soup to add to its healing power.  For recipe ideas follow this link: http://www.eattheweeds.com/dandelions-hear-them-roar/

Dandelions are a rich source of vitamin K and provide 535 percent of the recommended daily allowance.   This is an important source of plant-based vitamin K which plays a role in strengthening bones, but may also play a role in fighting Alzheimer's disease by limiting neuron damage in the brain.  They are most commonly used to help the liver and have been found to aid in detoxification.

Dandelion greens are high in fiber, vitamins C and B6, thiamin, riboflavin, calcium, iron, potassium and manganese, folate, magnesium, phosphorus, copper and are also a good source of vitamin A which acts as an antioxidant carotenoid beneficial for the skin, mucus membranes and vision. 

So, pop into the garden and have a look for any dandelion 'weeds' as they may be more valuable than you first thought!

Josie.x

Resources:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23256442

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23256442

http://www.eattheweeds.com/dandelions-hear-them-roar/

http://foodfacts.mercola.com/dandelion-greens.html

Summer Green Smoothie Recipe

The summer is a wonderful time to be enjoying green smoothies because there is so much fresh produce about.  I particularly love using berries as they are low in sugar but blend really well and combine easily with greens.  Smoothies are great as long as you balance them well with protein and fat to give a balanced nutritional hit.  Smoothies made with fruit alone or made with high sugar fruit (e.g. mango/banana) may disrupt blood sugar levels.  To avoid this aim to have 30% fruit and 70% green leaves/vegetables, seeds, nuts and oils.

Try my summer smoothie recipe!

Ingredients:

1 small handful of blueberries
1 small handful of strawberries
4 handfuls of kale
I tablespoon of coconut oil
1 tablespoon of ground flax seed
Water to blend.

Method: 

Starting with the fruit and a little water first can give the greens a better base for blending but basically you are simply adding all the ingredients in a blender and whizzing together until smooth.  

Enjoy!

Josie.x

Changing with the Seasons - My Top Lifestyle TIps?

Although the end of summer brings a fear of dread into most, it is definately one of my favourite times of year.  The sun still shines high in the sky but as it sits slightly lower, the afternoon  light does magical things to nature as it dapples through the trees.

Although summer may feel as though it is drawing to a close, in the UK we have blackberries  hanging off the bushes in handfulls and a light cardigan is still enough to keep us warm when the sun is out.  September is a magical time as we realise that there is still a lot of warmth to enjoy and those who are brave enough can dip into the sea for a final soak (I must admit I have not done that since I have moved back from Thailands warmer waters!) but it is possible...which is the main thing to bear in mind! ;)

So, when it comes to diet and lifestyle, here are my top tips as we leave summer behind...

1. Squirell away the summer berries! Top up on summer berries and fill your body with vitamin C.  As vitamin C is water soluble it passes out the body within a few hours, so stocking up your freezer with fresh summer fruit is a great way to ensure the colder months are also full of local fruit.

2. Long Walks. This is a lovely time of year to connect to nature.  As the weather changes so do our own lives and we can reflect on what the more active months have brought us and decide on what we like to leave behind in this new phase.  A walk in nature is an ideal place to make these subtle changes.

3. Multivitamin and Superfoods.  The change of seasons does take its toll on the body so it is an important time to make sure you are supported nutritionally.  Ideally you should start enriching your diet with lots of extra raw salads, hearty soups and fresh fruit.  When time is short a good superfood powder or multivitamin will fill in the gaps.

Love the Seasons as each one brings its own magical changes.

Josie.

Salad Recipe for June...Josie's Som Tam

I love salads, they are fabulous meals which can be so full of goodness that they tick every nutritional box. But not just any salad! Forget a few shavings of ice burg lettuce and some sliced tomatoes. I am talking about abundant, rich and juicy salads! 

Here is my recommendation for June: 

Josie's Summer Som Tam 

After living in Thailand for 3 years I still have a love for Thai flavours, so this British twist on the Thai's favourite salad takes me back to my days in the sun.


Ingredients

2 carrots 
1/4 cucumber 
4 french beans
1 Lime
5 cherry tomatoes
1/2 or 1 whole fresh chilli dependent on your taste
1 teaspoon honey
A handful of Cashew Nuts

Directions 

1. Get a pestle and mortar or a bowl and mash together the chilli, lime, cherry tomatoes and honey.  It doesn't need to be a paste, but make sure it is all well mashed together and the juice of the tomatoes is all blended with the ingredients (it should all look nice and juicy).

2. Grate the carrots or use a peeler to create long thin strands of carrot (whatever you have the patience and preference for).

3. Cut the green beans into inches.

4. Pour the salad dressing over the carrots and beans and mix it all together really well before serving on a plate.  Sprinkle the cashew nuts over the top.

5. Slice the cucumber and place it on the side of the plate as a garnish.  This cuts through the spice of the chilli if it starts to build up on you.

Enjoy! :)

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