I not gonna lie…this week has been pretty amazing. About a week ago I had a private dance party with myself while watching (and singing along with) one of my favorite bands, NO DOUBT, when they were on the Jimmy Kimmel show. It was awesome. “You got me feeling hella good so I’m gonna keep on dancin!” Words to live by! Then it’s just been one things after another. I had a day where I got to make yogurt & sauerkraut (read on for the how to), a group of friends and I are going to start the journey of reading

“A Course in Miracles”
over the course of the next year (more on this later, I’m sure), a second meditation group has sprung up in our little town–other than the one I co-lead (which is Mindful Meditation Mondays on FB) and I have enjoyed exploring the chakras there each week, I started reading the fantastic book

“Into the Wild” and am utterly fascinated by it, I got to lead another wonderful yoga retreat, I am surrounded by amazing family, friends and clients, and my cat started sleeping under my arm like a stuffed animal. I mean, come on, life is GOOD!
Make sure you stop to take a minute to count your blessings, small and big, and then jump back into the present moment and feel them first hand!

Now, let’s get down to business. I am lucky that in NY I am great friends with a couple who loves healthy, organic cooking, and are interested in making more things from scratch. Together, we tried our hand at (another) fermented food, sauerkraut! If you love the taste of sauerkraut, then you’re going to love this because it is OH SO VERY EASY to make. (If you’re not a huge fan, I still urge you to give this a try and make a mild version because it is so good for you).

Quick Overview

The following info is from my new book “Real Food Fermentation” by Alex Lewin and the website www.naturalnews.com.

Sauerkraut has been around for several thousand years and was created as a means of preserving food for the winter. It is super healthy for us because it provides us with all the benefits of cruciferous veggies (cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower) like high levels of vitamins A and C, phytonutrient antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, and the ability to lower cholesterol levels and fight cancer! Now when you ferment, or pickle, the cabbage, you get the probiotic advantages and turn it into a superfood! (Probiotic basically means beneficial live bacteria that are essential for many vital bodily functions like digestion). To get the most benefits from sauerkraut, you need to make it yourself or get it freshly made.

How To

Get some jars with lids (reused from your kitchen or canning jars)

A good knife

Large cutting board

Large mixing bowl

(optional food processor)

2 tsp of sea salt per pound of cabbage

some heads of green and red (purple) cabbage (about 1 2lb head per quart jar)

Chop cabbage. Sprinkle salt. Massage for 10 minutes. Squish firmly into jars, making sure that liquid covers the cabbage and leave an inch of space at the top. Place in cool, dark place. Open every few days, sample if you desire, and then pack it pack down. You will begin to see the bubbling and the color change as it ferments. Eat as early as 1 week later and keep going as long as you like. It will get more sour the longer it ferments. When you are ready to eat or stop fermentation, place in the refrigerator. For more benefits, do not heat beyond 115 degrees F.

Watch step by step HERE!

Lessons from last week, for this week:

Count your blessings and enjoy it all

Have private dance parties

Make super healthy and easy sauerkraut

and one other thing I learned this week—it’s Brussels Sprouts not Brussel Sprouts. Who knew?

Mucho love & Namaste’

CountryGal