SUPER SIMPLE (and fast) BROTH

I am just about to make a bit pot of turkey soup and wanted to let you in on an amazing tip:  pressure cookers make the BEST broth.  I even amazed myself last night when after Christmas dinner I proceeded to pick all the turkey meat off the bones, put away leftovers, and still have the energy (and desire) to make broth.  The reason for this my friends, is that I was dying to try making broth using my pressure cooker because I knew it would only take 30 minutes.  What?!  That's right, you can make the awesome, nutrient dense bone broth that we all know is so good for us, in as much time as it takes you to watch a sitcom on tv.  I know, I know, I even posted a vlog detailing the 12-24 hour bone broth marathons I used to have - but no longer.  I am a pressure cooker convert.  I am not exaggerating when I tell you that this was the best turkey broth I have ever made.  It even looked beautiful, a lovely golden yellow.  So, if you are out there with a fridge full of turkey and a carcass just begging to be made into soup, try using your pressure cooker - I swear you will thank me.  

TURKEY BROTH (that will raise the dead)

Okay, so just to pre-empt this recipe, my pressure cooker is big, but not huge, so I had to divide the carcass and only put half in my pot.  Don't worry, the other half is tucked in the freezer for another cold winter day when I am in the mood for soup.

1/2 organic free range turkey carcass

1 large organic carrot, chopped

2 organic leeks or onions, chopped

2 organic celery stalks, chopped

1 tsp organic apple cider vinegar

1 tsp sea salt

organic black pepper, ground

optional- bay leaf, thyme

Method:  Place all ingredients in a pressure cooker pot, close lid and bring to high pressure, lower heat just enough to sustain pressure (like 1 or 2 your stove dial) and let cook for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow the pressure to subside on it's own.  Strain and reserve stock for soup or freeze.  Another tip:  I like to freeze my stock in stainless steel bowls in the freezer and then I either forget about them and the bowls stay in the freezer until I make soup, or I tip the frozen stock chunks out and store them in a freezer container until ready to use - no plastic!)

HOLIDAY BAKING

It's hard to believe three months have passed since I last wrote a post on here.  Life became so FULL with so many important and exciting things that just seemed to overshadow so many other important and exciting things in my life.  But I'm back and happy to be in immersed deeply in the celebration of winter holidays.  I've been up late sanding, painting, and knitting special gifts for my little boys.  Days have been full with cookie baking and playing in the snow.  Speaking of which, today I am sharing a recipe for Spelt Shortbread that I made using coconut sugar.  Coconut sugar is quickly becoming my all time favorite sweetener because:

* it is natural, with no added chemicals or additives used to make it

* it is organic

* it is high in minerals like potassium, magnesium, zinc and iron - it also contains vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6

* it has twice the iron, four times the magnesium and over 10 times the amount of zinc of brown sugar

* it has a low glycemic index

* now readily available and can be used 1:1 for granulated sugar

What's not to like? 

SPELT SHORTBREAD

Makes 2 trays of cookies

2 cups organic spelt flour ( I used white and whole spelt flour)

2/3 cup organic white rice flour

1/2 cup organic coconut sugar (I grinded it to a finer powder in my Vita Mix)

1 cup organic unsalted butter

pinch of sea salt

Method:  Sift all dry ingredients into a bowl and rub in the butter with your fingers.  Turn onto a board sprinkled with flour, roll out and cut.  Bake at 350* for about 10 minutes.