In Rubicon, Wisconsin rolling hills and narrow country roads welcome you to the Siegmann family's organic dairy farm...aptly named "Back to the Best." It buzzes with a hum of productive, purposeful activity. Smiling friendly workers (they all seem to know one another quite well), heavy delivery trucks, the smell of fresh hay, grazing, roaming cattle, John Deere tractors, and the sound of children laughing from the family farmhouse/schoolhouse capture your senses.
A dear friend, Stacy Scherzer and her sweet son Jake took me grocery shopping! Stacy is light-years ahead of me with her family's nutritious plan of eating healthy, whole foods. She follows a conscientious Paleo diet and easily throws around terms like, "I plan to use the remainder of the chicken carcass for a nutritious bone broth soup." Or off-handed comments like, "Last year we bought half a cow, we currently have a pig on order." She also shared with me a delicious gluten and dairy free banana chocolate chip muffin that she just happened to have fresh baked in her kitchen. Stacy is a physical therapist by trade, mom of 4 active children, and currently doing significant research and study in functional movement and restorative exercise. She is a champion for encouraging schools and businesses to consider alternative arrangements for the learning/working environment. Suffice it to say...sitting for 8 hours a day in an effort to absorb information is likely not the best option for our brain or body. But this is a later post and one I hope Stacy will share!
How cute is Stacy's son Jake? Jake knows his way around the country store and he was quick to point out the organic bananas, mangoes, and fresh lemons. When asked if I could take his picture in front of the fruit stand he was naturally already smiling! As I was checking out the cashier was surprised to hear I was a new customer. She quickly reached under the counter and pulled out a folder of information detailing their family, farm, country store and array of products.
Thumb through this informative, written introduction and you learn the farm was certified organic in 2001. They farm nearly 600 acres and have hundreds of cattle, heifers, pigs, chickens, horses, and goats. They have 8 children and their son Noah raises the meat chickens in pasture pens which are pulled ahead to new grass on a daily basis. Another son Noah has egg-laying chickens out in the pasture which are housed in a couple of large but cozy school buses...a happy hen house! The egg from the chicken is considered to be the "most complete" protein source in a single food. In fact, the amino acid complex in eggs is so well proportioned that eggs are used as the reference point for judging the quality of protein in other foods. Browse through the info packet and you learn about the terms, "organic;" "lacto-fermented" foods and beverages like Kombucha tea; "sprouted" and sourdough breads; fats and oils that supply your body with its requirements for energy, cell building and repair and a healthy nervous system. Back to the Best has a substantial section of organic butters, coconut oils, flax oil, and extra virgin olive oil.
My family has recently begun to ask for kale chips over potato chips...victory! Ron and I agree that a year ago we probably had never heard of the word "kale," but now we all know it is a superfood and can be prepared in a variety of flavorful ways enjoyed by our entire family. We (primarily my son and daughter) still argue about why white sugar should be avoided. I thought the info packet did a good job explaining its detrimental effects to our body. A brief portion: " Refined white sugar is lethal when ingested by humans because it provides only that which nutritionists describe as empty or naked calories. In addition, sugar is worse than nothing because it drains and leeches the body of precious vitamins and minerals through the demands sugar makes on digestion, detoxification and elimination upon one's entire system." Sugar taken every day produces a continuous overacid condition, and more minerals are required from deep in the body in the attempt to rectify the imbalance. (Karen Urbanek from Karen's Energy had made this point last week.) If you want to stop osteoporosis then stop eating so much sugar. If you create a mineral imbalance in your diet then your body will pull minerals from your bones (rather than die!) but thus contributing to weak, brittle bones and decalcified teeth and decay. Excess sugar eventually affects every organ in the body. To keep organs and blood pH functioning properly your body must have minerals. If sugar is leeching your minerals then your body will give up its bones' minerals in order to keep your heart beating properly.
Stacy and Jake were both familiar with the check-out process. Bring your own bags, only cash or check, and allow time to visit the family petting zoo. I get the impression Stacy rarely goes to a true grocery store anymore. With her focus on grass-fed and organic beef and chicken ordered directly from the farmer; her efforts to limit dairy and gluten (her youngest has significant allergies); and her knowledge that powerful foods can repair, heal, and strengthen our bodies she seeks out only the best. Getting Back to the Best brings us back to our roots of replenishing our bodies with naturally concentrated, important nutrients, that come right from the earth.
This week I experimented with making my own home-made larabars/power bars/ trail bars! Call them what you want, they were very tasty. Stacy also deserves credit for my inspiration as nearly a year ago she hosted a book club in which she shared her own version of date/nut /power protein balls.
To make these larabars you need no measuring devices. I wish I could tell you exactly how I made them but I made them two different days; a few varied ingredients; each batch tasted differently but both delicious! Auburn and Trey took them to school for snacks and Ron took them to work. The ingredients I used are inspired from Stacy as well as Karen Urbanek's recipe she shared at her Healthy Living Kitchen Class workshop last week. Even though Karen listed measurements I just dumped it all together in my Ninja blender then pressed it onto parchment paper in a 9X13 dish...freeze 30 minutes....cut...and refrigerate.
1 1/2 cup Dates soaked (once blended this will make a paste)
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup flax meal
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup almonds
2 cups rolled oats
splash of vanilla
Also, Karen added 1 cup of olive oil as she dehydrates the bars to make them crunchy. I don't own a dehydrator so I experimented with adding a little distilled water, honey, almond milk and molasses to aid in consistency--one batch had more crunchy texture--the other more creamy like Larabars. I think the honey/molasses made the difference. I also added cacao nibs, cinnamon, and hemp seeds for fun.
To make these larabars you need no measuring devices. I wish I could tell you exactly how I made them but I made them two different days; a few varied ingredients; each batch tasted differently but both delicious! Auburn and Trey took them to school for snacks and Ron took them to work. The ingredients I used are inspired from Stacy as well as Karen Urbanek's recipe she shared at her Healthy Living Kitchen Class workshop last week. Even though Karen listed measurements I just dumped it all together in my Ninja blender then pressed it onto parchment paper in a 9X13 dish...freeze 30 minutes....cut...and refrigerate.
1 1/2 cup Dates soaked (once blended this will make a paste)
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup flax meal
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup cashews
1/2 cup almonds
2 cups rolled oats
splash of vanilla
Also, Karen added 1 cup of olive oil as she dehydrates the bars to make them crunchy. I don't own a dehydrator so I experimented with adding a little distilled water, honey, almond milk and molasses to aid in consistency--one batch had more crunchy texture--the other more creamy like Larabars. I think the honey/molasses made the difference. I also added cacao nibs, cinnamon, and hemp seeds for fun.
Back to the Best!
Thank you for reading!
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