Ingredients:

• 1 can coconut milk of choice – Native Forest brand recommended, no BPAs, or Natural Value, no gums or thickeners (recommended for GAPS/SCD)
• culture of choice – Custom Probiotics (recommended for GAPS/SCD), Cultures for Health Vegetal Dairy-Free starter, or HMF Superpowder are all good, available online. Look for dairy free.

Directions:

Pour a little coconut milk into a pint sized mason jar. Mix in culture of choice – a smidgeon of the Custom Probiotic, a quarter tsp of the HMF powder. Add the rest of the coconut milk. Cap tightly. Shake well. For Cultures for Health Vegetal Dairy-free starter, follow the manufacturer’s directions.

Keep warm in a yogurt warmer, in an oven with the light or pilot on, in a dehydrator set at about 95 – 100 degrees, or wrapped in a heating pad set on low. Shake occasionally. Yogurt will be mild after one day, a little more tart after two.

Alternate method – mix in culture of choice as described above and shake well. Leave at room temperature for 4 days, shaking occasionally. This method will result in a thicker product, with a slightly fizzy flavor.

Recipe: Edible Face Scrub

Amazing magic today – we’ve had a swarm of bees in our backyard pear tree for a week. Thought it was a hive that we’d never noticed (clueless about bees here, except knowing they are vital to the health of the earth).

A visiting friend explained the swarming behavior this morning. She explained that when a suitable hive spot was found the swarm would take off with the queen all at once, and abandon the tree. What we thought was a hive, a mass about 10 inches across and 18 inches from top to bottom, was actually a cluster of bees. Holy moly! That’s a lot of bees.

Here's what they left behind!

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The Pacific Northwest is heavy with green. This is my second spring here, and while I find myself a little tired of the rain and gray skies (okay, a lot tired), I’m claiming it as my favorite season in Portland. The ground is saturated and verdant, and the riotous Mardi Gras parade of blooms leaves me breathless and in love. The contrast of bright colors amongst deep greens brings to mind fresh pesto with colorful vegetables to me, hence this article. It feels apropos to this time of fresh, new growth.

I choose to eat a low carb diet for health reasons – both specifically for health challenges, and because I feel it supports my overall wellbeing. My clients who also choose this lifestyle at some point in their process often hit a wall. A wall of boredom. “I’m so tired of meat and vegetables. I want some variety! Please! Some flavor and texture other than… meat and vegetables.” Even the clients who still eat grains and potatoes will feel this at times. Cutting out the unhealthy versions of any foods can leave a palate trained by processed junk unsatisfied at times.

There are many remedies to the problem. Alternative low carb flours for baking, nut and seed crackers for a little crunch, stevia sweetened chocolate are some of my favorites. But they all take effort and time. They’re certainly worthwhile to make for special occasions and when you have some leisure time and extra energy on your hands, but how often is that for most of us? I find something I can make once that will last me a few weeks, is easy to use and has multiple applications is a necessity.

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