Author: Rick

We recently had a birthday party for my oldest and youngest daughter.  As we planned the party we started to think about what we could serve.  We wanted to have things that fit into the different dietary needs of the whole family.  Considering that and the fact that I am a bit adventurous when it comes to food, we decided to cook a whole hog.

So I started doing all sorts of research on how to cook a whole hog.  It turns out for every person that writes about it there is a different way of doing it.  I picked out all parts of the different methods that made the most sense and honestly seemed the simplest.  The point of this post isn’t to talk about the process. (I may do a post in the future about that.) It is to write about the results.

Once the pig was done, my plan was to pick the meat off the pig and bring the meat in on a platter.  My brother Jon set me straight on that plan. He said we should bring it in whole.  I was glad he felt so strong on that.  It was 100% the right call.

You might expect that there would be people that would be uncomfortable with seeing a whole pig, snout to tail.  I sure was thinking that, but everyone seemed to really get into the experience of it.  It was fun to watch everyone’s reaction and to watch the kids be completely fascinated by the different parts of the pig. It probably didn’t hurt that it tasted so good either.  I, as the good host, lead the way by trying one of the eyeballs.

My hope is that it gave people an experience and a memory that we can recall as a family for years to come.  It will sure stick in my mind.  It will be an anchor used for me recall that party and that time.  These get-togethers can take big commitments for the people putting them on as well as the people attending.  After this party, I better understand that it is important to have anchors for these parties.  We might as well put in a little more effort and have some strong memories of them.

I would like to hear from you about things you do to provide these anchors.  Please leave them in the comments below.

Coconut oil according to Wikipedia is an oil extracted from the coconut that is highly saturated which allows it to not go rancid.  We have been using it around our house long before we adjusted our diets.  We not only use it in our cooking but also use it for its other health benefits.

I am not a doctor and therefore not qualified to be medical advice.  So please do your own research and consult a physician before making any health-related decisions.   Coconut oil is high in saturated fatty acids, which have been shown to have adverse health side effects.  There are some studies know that show that there could be benefits to coconut oil and that it isn’t as risky as once thought.  I will focus mostly on my experiences.

Coconut oil is solid at room temperature and since it doesn’t quickly go rancid it doesn’t need to be stored in the frig.  It has a relatively high smoke point so it can be used in all sorts of applications.  The fact that it stays solid at room temperature makes it ideal for substituting for butter if you are avoiding dairy.  You can use it in baking and recipes of butter or shortening.  I recently saw a post on Facebook where someone said it didn’t work in pie crusts.  I think it might if it was chilled to firm it up much like you do with butter in a crust.

Virgin coconut oil does have a mild coconut flavor.  I seem to pick up that flavor more than the rest of my family.  It is something that can be used to the benefit of what is being prepared, so it is just something to keep in mind.

Coconut oil is largely made up of MCT, or medium-chain triglycerides.  MCT are more easily metabolized than long-chain triglycerides.  Which makes the good source of quick energy.  People who follow a Keto diet (more on that in a future blog) will use coconut oil because it is a good source of quick energy that will not raise your insulin levels.  I have added it to my coffee in the mornings on the days that I am intermittent fasting.  Once your brain is adapted to burning fats instead of carbs that shot of MCTs in the morning will give you the energy you need without breakfast.

I used coconut oil as a base for salves.  I will mix in some essential oils and apply it topically to help support my skin health.  It can also be used as a natural shaving cream.  You can check out this article for many more uses.

We would love to hear from you with any ways you like to use coconut oil.  Please leave them in the comments below.

It was always my intention once we moved to our new home to grow most of the food that we ate. I was tired of all the processed foods with all the hidden chemicals. It just felt like there had to be a better way.

Good intentions don’t always lead to the correct actions. As I am sure, you can all agree life gets busy especially with now three little girls. Sure we took some steps, we have a flock of chickens and ducks that give us more than enough eggs. They even provide a little meat in the fall. We planted some pretty modest gardens with even more modest results. We just never seem to kick into that next gear.

Well, that all changed at the end of this summer. Our oldest daughter, Reagen, had been struggling with what appeared to be allergies. She would get some bad rashes that just never seemed to go entirely away. We weren’t getting much help from the traditional medical doctors, so we took her to get muscle tested.

The results showed that she was sensitive to gluten. We went right to work removing gluten and coming up with substitutes for as many of her favorite foods as possible. It was a big adjustment for all of us, but the results were worth it. She skins cleared up. She became less tired and irritable.

Next, it was my turn. Let just say it was no big secret that I was overweight. So it didn’t surprise me at all that at my doctor’s appointment I had some issues. My liver functions were out of whack, due to a fatty liver. I had very high fasting blood sugars and A1C. The doctor wanted to put me on me out diabetes medication. I convinced her to give me a shot at making a change myself first. I could tell that she wasn’t putting much faith in me being able to make that needed modifications to my lifestyle. I can hardly blame her. It wasn’t like the extra pounds had snuck up on me, and I have a strong family history of diabetics.

I knew for sure the first thing to cut out was the pop. I had become too used to drinking the sugary drinks. After doing some research online, I found that there were doctors that were endorsing a low carb diet to cure diabetes. That was a smaller amount of carbs then the conventional diabetic diet called for. After cutting the carbs, the pounds started falling off, and my blood sugar levels dropped dramatically.

Next, my wife and second daughter, Kennedy, did the muscle testing. Kennedy needs to stay away from corn, including corn syrup (which is in everything), dairy and red food dye. Joleen was off of gluten and sugar. We are just starting down this part of our journey. It has been a challenge to find things to eat that will work in all of our diets.

Our goal and hope are to bring you all along with us on our journey. Let you know what worked, what didn’t and let you learn from our experiences.

Someone from my past recently passed away.  It is too bad that sometime it takes a death to look back and realize what a big impact the person had on your life and who you are.  All you can do is reflect on the past and say a little pray of thanks out of appreciation.  One of my high school classmates wrote some words about this much better than I ever could.  So I share this link with you.

Saying Goodbye to Drew