The October Unprocessed Vault: Day 20

Michelle Stern keeps a flock of chickens in her backyard. Upon learning this, I immediately asked her to write a guest post about her chickens. Figuring that pictures speak louder than words, she decided to put together a video instead.

Lee Greene founded The Scrumptious Pantry with the goal of selling “Real Food from Real People.” I’ve asked Lee to share her thoughts on “processed food,” how she’s fighting back against the modern food industry, and where she thinks we’re headed.

Any number of products including corn syrup, rice, or barely products are combined to create "funny honey."

Last year my father lost two hives to starvation, so this year he wanted to get a jump start and make sure they have plenty of store for the winter.

Kombucha is crisp, refreshing, bubbly, tangy and leaves you with a feeling of well-being – and when you make it yourself, it can end up tasting even better than the stuff you buy in the store.

I eat like a cavewoman. Not the spearing-wooly-mammoths-and-wild-cats kind of cavewoman, but the hunter-gatherer type. Here’s why.

We hear so many mixed-messages about fat, calories, and carbs every day, it’s dizzying. So how are you supposed to make the right decisions?

Homemade chutneys are a terrific way to amp up either a snack or a meal without adding too many extra calories or salt.

This lemon-lime sports drink is super refreshing and tastes just like my flavor of choice back when I was a kid. Only it doesn’t come in a big green can. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to mix up and how clean its ingredients list is.

While this dish may be a little more involved, it is completely worth it! My advice is to take the time on a leisurely Sunday afternoon while watching football or the food network, and make this dish. It will make your Sunday dinner special!

Why not switch up the grains in your diet and add an ancient grain like kamut? It’s not just healthy, it’s delicious! We used this grain to make a side dish at one of our cooking classes. It’s pretty enough for company (it’s twice the size of modern-day wheat) and it’s not the same, boring rice side dish you may have made zillions of times.

Making beer at home in small batches is attainable without having to buy large amounts of specialized equipment. Even better? Home-brewed beer is Unprocessed!

We often think our body is asking for sugar. However, the body is really tricky. What it is actually asking for is nutrients, but it is sending signals to our mind saying it wants a quick fix. So, what are some good alternatives?

If you already use agave nectar, maple syrup, or honey as a sweetener instead of refined white or brown sugar, it’s time to add date syrup to the list as well. Making it is easy and worth the minimal effort.