The Carpenter's Daughters: self sufficient

Good news... I love good news! "Hey, good news I found my car keys!" "Good news I found a hundred bucks I thought I lost!" "My wife had a baby, it's a boy!"... or my favorite, "Good news, I accepted Christ and he's changed my life!" Good news.

I scroll through my Facebook feed looking for others' "Good news", I just love it. But what about those days when you don't have any good news to share. What about the day you wake up, with a cold, your cat got loose, you stubbed your toe, the hot water heater gave out and your car won't start. Well, guess what, I've got "Good News" for you! Philippians 3:20-21 "But we are citizens of the state (commonwealth, homeland) which is in heaven, and from it also we earnestly and patiently await [the coming of] the Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [as] Savior, Who will transform and fashion anew the body of our humiliation to conform to and be like the body of His glory and majesty, by exerting that power which enables Him even to subject everything to Himself."

So if we are to be like Him... how do we get there? Well, I've got more good news, He's our Father and He teaches us!

2 Corinthians 6:18, "And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty."

So I know what it is to be a Carpenter's Daughter, I know what it's like to feel that safety, that protection, that provision that a Father, in fact the Heavenly Father, gives to his daughters. He shows me how to live like a proper daughter of such a Man should be. He shows me how to treat my family, friends, loved ones, (even enemies), and also He shows me how I should be treated when I become a wife.

But what must it be like to be a Carpenter's Son? How does it differ from how a Father treats a daughter? Society today has labeled sons and daughters alike, but we aren't, not by a long shot. The Carpenter's sons learn how to provide for, protect and shelter their loved ones- in short- to emulate their Father. But the Father doesn't leave them to fend for themselves, He teaches them to lean on Him, to always hear his voice, and then He provides all a man needs in order to care for his family. He teaches His son how to lift up his wife spiritually, to draw her closer to God, to lean on His steadfast promises. He teaches His son how to train up his own sons and daughters in the ways of righteousness so that when they are old, they will be a solid foundation. Thus, for generations to come, his posterity will know the one true Carpenter and how to be His sons and daughters forever.

I have had the privilege of seeing the Carpenter at work in the "shop" with two of His sons lately, one He has been working with for a couple of years, the other just joined the lessons. The former is hard at work, milling a large intricate piece, with incredible detail. He is far along in his project and has learned much in his work as an apprentice under the Master Carpenter. The other, while younger and less experienced is eager to learn, a quick study and easily grasps a hold of the lessons being taught. Both are a miracle and a wonder to watch. The skills being taught here aren't for the faint of heart, they take will power, self discipline, patience, love, bravery, wisdom, responsibility, time, self sacrifice, and a willing heart. The Master Carpenter has big plans for each of his sons and will give them more and more responsibility as they prove fit for each new task.

As the youngest of a half brother, two (almost step brothers), a sister and two male cousins who were like brothers to me, I have a pretty good idea of what it would be like to be a son. Sadly, that includes knowing how one shouldn't raise his sons and daughters. However the vision of what it means to be a godly man, came to me through my Father so I would know when the right one came my way and God's frame work for such a man is detailed and beautiful! A family friend often jokes with my sister and I every time we go to tackle a manly project and says, "well, you're just a girl." He says it in jest and while many women would get offended, I take it as a compliment. I can use a chainsaw, solder a pipe, frame a window and fix my breaks... but I can't be a man. I don't have the gifts and even if I did, I wouldn't want the responsibility- and I shouldn't want it. God made me the way I am, He built me and wired me to love loving, to love nurturing, to love serving, but also to love being loved,

to love being nurtured, to love being provided for and protected. I love caring for someone on their way back to health when they are sick, I love being needed. It fills me overflowing with joy and pride! Thus it's easy for me to see the flip side. The same joy I get out of being a daughter and doing the things I am wired to do, is the same joy and

pride a son feels in being a man. It's not a curse, it's a gift. It's a gift to be what God has called us to be, and that's what I call Good News! Once we know what God wants us to be, the rest of life comes easy! Think about Jesus, all the time think about Him, He is the original Carpenter's Son! Think about what it means to be a Carpenter's son, a Carpenter's daughter. There is nothing that can stop you from obtaining the prize of the high calling God has for you when you think about Jesus, think about the Carpenter! Throw yourself wholly into the skills and lessons the Father wants to teach you and you will watch the masterpiece- that is your life- be handcrafted right before your eyes, what Good News!

Ephesians 3:6 says, "[It is this:] that the Gentiles are now to be fellow heirs [with the Jews], members of the same body and joint partakers [sharing] in the same divine promise in Christ through [their acceptance of] the glad tidings (the Gospel)."

Ephesians 3:14-15 says, "For this reason [seeing the greatness of this plan by which you are built together in Christ], I bow my knees before the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,For Whom every family in heaven and on earth is named [that Father from Whom all fatherhood takes its title and derives its name]."

Whew! Where to begin!! Right now I feel like a TV salesman, except I'm not selling anything. I just want to share with ya'll how much fun I've been having making tons of gut goodness in our cowboy inspired kitchen. Let me start by saying I had no idea what lacto fermentation was until I picked up a book at the library called Nourishing Traditions. To be honest, it showed up on the hold shelf under my name but I have no clue how it got there..Insert: twilight do do do do...Maybe it was the Lord, maybe I just stumbled on it and forgot, either way, I was HOOKED! I began to read about how for pretty much all of time, peoples all over the world have been very creative in the kitchen with good tasting, healthy foods and drinks that actually fight off disease and heal! Not only that but by fermenting foods with different starters such as whey and salt, some foods can be kept for long storage such as Captain James Cook who took 60 barrels of sauerkraut on his second voyage around the world. They lasted 27 months and not one crew member got scurvy! (Healthly Benefits of Fermented Foods)

Right to left: Fermenting cauliflower, carrots,peach kvass, jalapenos, ginger soda, and making whey from yogurt

Now, Michelle and I, and Matt included all seem to have intestinal issues. Michelle's started a few years back due to stress, Matt thought he was lactose intolerant growing up and he too has gut problems do to stress. And let's be honest, whether you're going too much or not enough, or have enough hot air coming out the backside to send a balloon to the upper atmosphere, no one likes to have things out of balance.

Enter, REAL FOOD!!! Wow, what a thought- to allow the foods we eat to NOURISH us and keep us in balance! With all the processed foods found in stores and restaurants, it's no wonder the Probiotic industry is expected to reach close to $50 BILLION dollars by 2018! Wowza!! It would seem that all this processed food, in order to be more convenient and have a super long shelf life, is not treating our digestive systems all that well! 60- 70 million people in the US suffer from some digestive disorder.

Great News!! You can transform your kitchen in just a few simple steps, into a complete, nourishing, digestive haven that tastes great, is easy to prepare, and will give you time to do other things then spend too much time on the porcelain throne!

I started out with pickles and boy were they ever good! Here's a GREAT fermented Pickle Recipe!

Lacto Fermented Mixed Vegetables and Sauerkraut

Pickles and cabbage are by far the easiest to start out with as all they require is a bit of filtered water and salt- you can add some spices like garlic, dill, and peppercorns to the pickles that will make them taste like Clauseen's and make your gut sing praises to your Maker!

TIPS TO REMEMBER:

1. Make sure your veggies (or fruit) are completely submerged until the brine. You want to keep the oxygen out so the lacto fermentation can begin to eat away bad bacteria

2. Use glass or ceramic cookware, not plastic as it leeches chemicals. I'll use plastic items a time or two to keep my veggies submerged.

3. Have fun, be creative, and don't be afraid! Following a few simple instructions like the brine ratios (salt and water) will keep things healthy and safe!!!

4. Use filtered water as water with chlorine in it can stop up the fermentation process

On with the show!!

So here are some pictures and recipes of what my family has been trying out lately!!!

Garden Peaches being boiled to help get skins off

Pureeing peaches to make fermented recipes: (click links!) peach sauce/apple sauce or Fruit Leather

Here's our home grown ginger! Ginger is used to make a soda water which I'm soo excited about!!
Fruit Soda Recipe!!! Yum!

So, here is my very own recipe
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Pudding
2 cups of the cream cheese leftover from making whey
1 can Pureed Pumpkin
1 large package vanilla Pudding
2 cups milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 Tbl Cinnamon, 1 tsp ea: ginger, all spice, ground cloves
Optional: Maple Syrup drizzled on top!!!!

1.Combine cream cheese and pumpkin with spices
2.Combine milk, pudding, and condensed milk
3.fold together
Enjoy a healthy alternative you don't have to feel guilty about!

Now, what makes this recipe so special is it combines the leftover cream cheese you will be making as a result of straining out the whey from full fat yogurt. Because this is made from yogurt, guess what? You've got probiotic, GOOD GUT cream cheese!!!

I also took some other recipes and adapted them to what fruits we had. I made fermented Pear Butter out of a Lacto Fermented Apple Butter Recipe
Salt helps to keep bad bacteria away and it has a slight salty tinge to it. I've been adding it to apple cider and mixing it with a little extra ginger and cinnamon... and it's FANTASTIC! It's also great knowing it's so good for us!

I don't have a picture but the Lacto Fermented Salsa Is a Hit!!! Everybody likes it, even Matt, who helped make it. We added some pears to ours and ground cherries. It's one of those recipes you can do by volume just making sure you add the recommended whey, salt, and lemons or limes!! I have to say, this one was FUN FUN FUN and QUICK to make! I then mixed the salsa with my good probiotic cream cheese along with some roasted jalapenos from the garden for a queso like dish- being careful not to heat the cheese just kinda melt it a bit- don't wanna kill the good gut buggies!!!

HOW TO MAKE WHEY FROM YOGURT
Take full fat plain yogurt and put it in a cheese clothe or strainer. I found I needed a thinner cheese clothe or to have dampened it first as on my first attempt I got cream cheese alright but my towel soaked up all the whey!!!

Then, I found if I just put it in a strainer but itself, no clothe, wa-la!! whey out, cream cheese left in strainer. I think I'm going to invest in some high quality stainless steel ones for larger production!

So, here's another recipe. Fruit Kvass

Michelle and Matt got a good big glass of this Peach version this evening. They've been working hard outside and I thought I'd take them something that was good for them, cold, and tasty! I like the idea of the Kvass as it is easy to make and has a nice fizz to it. You can add some extra sugar like I did or leave as is. Here I'm pouring the whey over the peaches. You can see the "cream cheese" left behind. And, yes, it tastes just like cream cheese from the store, only it's better for your gut!

Oh man!! This one is my FAVORITE- and another tweeked recipe.

Leah's Lacto Fermented Pumpkin Dip!

This one is based on this Lacto Fermented Ketchup Recipe

It's actually the same ingredients as this recipe- apple cider vinegar, sea salt, maple syrup, and whey, but instead of tomato paste- we added pureed pumpkin! Man oh man! Tastes great as is, can't wait to eat it and know I'm putting good little probiotics in my tummy for good digestion and healthy...well...you know!

There is SO MUCH healthy goodness going on in the kitchen right now and the fam is having a blast testing it all out. I look forward to sharing more with ya'll on new recipes, tweaked ones, successes and misses! Please leave a comment or suggestion. I'm a canning veteran but new to lacto fermentation but getting the hang of it pretty quick. Thanks for reading ya'll!