I have recently found that I love having fruit syrups on hand to make a variety of fermented foods with. They are useful to add into coconut water kefir or kombucha for a delightful second ferment. They also make a great syrup to pour over a bowl of yogurt and nuts, or just as a syrup for pancakes, ice-cream and many other tantalizing treats. I don’t have the exact amounts here, but the great thing about these syrups is that if you haven’t added enough honey, you can always add more later. Your fruit will also have different levels of sourness depending on how ripe they are so it is probably a good idea to taste test as you make your syrup anyway.

• raspberries, fresh or frozen
• water (use about 1/3 c water per cup of fruit)
• rosehips, fresh or dried (if fresh be sure to remove seeds and hairs before using)
• honey

Method:
Put your raspberries into a pan with water to get the process started. Place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat, cook for about 2 mins. Add honey. I usually will add about 1/4 c of honey per cup of fruit, allow this to reduce slightly. Add in the rosehips and cook about 2 mins. (I add the rosehips in later so that they will get less cooking as the heat destroys vitamin C, rosehips need to be cooked to remove an enzyme that destroys vitamin C faster than cooking)

A GAPS/SCD friendly version of candied citrus peel is very simple to make. Use organic or home-grown lemons, limes and oranges to be sure there isn’t harmful pesticides on the peel. Although citrus fruits aren’t allowed until much later in the diet, small amounts of candied citrus peel can be used on special occasions, especially in the later stages of the diet.

• 4 lemons
• 3 limes
• 2 oranges
• 1/2 c honey

I recently posted about the benefits of miso soup in cases of radiation poisoning. Miso soup is easy to make and is extra beneficial when made with the Japanese stock dashi because of the kelp (kombu) that is used when making that stock. More information on how to detoxify radiation poisoning and other toxic conditions here.

Variations of dashi can be made with only kombu or with an addition of shittake mushrooms. Kombu dashi has a lot of iodine from the seaweed and is helpful if you are exposed to radiation. The addition of traditionally made hatcho miso to your dashi stock has quite powerful radiation detoxing abilities. But commercial miso has also been found to work as well.

I couldn’t believe it a second ago when I looked up this recipe and realized I haven’t actually posted it yet. It is very simple so I don’t really think of it as a recipe, just things tossed into a pot! The main thing is to use some good bones. Marrow bones are excellent, but it is good to spend the money and get some grass-fed bones if at all possible. It is worth it, especially if you think of it as a nourishing superfood and all the money you are saving on hospital bills.

• bones, try to get joint bones or marrow bones. Pork, beef and chicken are all fantastic bones to make a good broth with, you can also put in a whole chicken.
• small handful black peppercorns
• small handful coriander seeds
• 3-5 bay leaves
• juniper berries
• cinnamon
• star anise
• cloves
• ginger
• kombu (kelp)

In order to make nuts more easily digested, and to be more sure of the quality of your nut, Sally Fallon Morell, among others, recommends that nuts are soaked and lightly roasted or dehydrated before eating. Although it takes time, it is a very simple process that in reality only takes a few minutes over a couple days. It is best to start with a raw, organic nut for the best results. Nuts are expensive so they are best to buy in bulk, when at all possible.

This is quite a lovely idea for people who make their own yogurt at home–a herbal infused yogurt. It is VERY simple, yet exotic–using only milk, yogurt culture and your choice of aromatic herb(s) or spice(s). Some delightful herbs I have used are keffir lime leaves, lemon verbena, rosemary, mint, jasmine, lavender, rose, but I am sure there are many others that are fantastic as well. It is good to think about what you will be using the yogurt for, and what herbs go well with a sour flavor. Generally I strain it in to cream cheese and make it into a dip or use it to make cheesecake or other baked items, but it is also fantastic as yogurt. A nice rosemary yogurt added into a carrot and lamb stew is a very delicately delicious addition to a potentially heavy meal….

Apple sauce! Everyone knows how to make it, I have found a way to do it with minimum processing and I love to add lots of spices to my apple sauce. This is great for Almond Pancakes or for Apple Sauce Souffle.

• 5 lb organic apples
• water to cover the bottom of the pan
• vanilla pod
• 1 inch ginger root, sliced
• 1 stick cinnamon bark
• 4-5 cloves, whole
• 4-5 cardamom pods, whole
• 4 black peppercorns
• 2 handfuls of pitted dates

Method:
Cut the apples into quarters and core them. Add water to cover the bottom of the pan and the spices and vanilla pod. Allow to simmer covered until the apples are very soft (I let mine simmer on low for a few hours, the smell of apples cooking lowers blood pressure and smells fantastic). When the apples are nearly ready add the dates and cook until soft.

Let the apples cool and then peel the skin from the apples and remove all of the whole spices. Mash the apples with a potato masher or moulie. This combination of spices gives the apple sauce a chai flavor.

This recipe is developed from Nina’s Basic Medical Marijuana Recipe and can be used by people on the GAPs, SCD or other low-carb, no-grain diets. This method creates a marijuana flour which can be substituted for regular wheat flour in any of your favorite recipes.

1. Using a coffee or spice grinder, process the medical marijuana until very fine, like flour. Sift the ground marijuana through a fine sieve and grind any larger particles again. Grind up as much as you need for your recipe.
2. Melt 1/4 c butter in an iron skillet or other thick-bottomed pan.
3. Add in the marijuana flour and saute on the absolutely lowest heat for at least 40 minutes. Keep stirring the mixture and do not let it burn. If necessary add more butter or add in some water to keep it from sticking. Keep an eye on it and don’t let it burn. Keep the mixture dry but don’t let it stick or it will burn.

After it is cooked allow it to cool and then use it as flour for any recipe.

Variations on this recipe have been around for a while. Basically, keep the temperature of the infusion low. Keep an eye on your butter to make sure it doesn’t boil. If it gets too hot, add an ice cube or cold water to cool it down. Stir it every so often to make sure it isn’t burning.

Use organic butter for your medical marijuana cannabutter as agro-chemicals become concentrated in industrial farmed dairy products. Amounts are variable depending on the quality and quantity of your ingredients, but these are the ratios that are commonly used:

• 1 pound butter
• 2-4 c water
• 1 oz medical marijuana leaf, fine ground

There are a variety of methods for making this oil and various lengths of time suggested for the infusion process. My favourite is using a crock pot on low for around 24 hours. Many people only infuse the oil for 40 minutes to 3 hours and are happy with the results, but I like the longer process for maximum extraction.

Various fats or oils can be used. Do not use highly processed refined vegetable oils such as canola, soy or corn as these oils damage the body and are not helpful when your health is compromised. Do not use cold-pressed oils such as sunflower or flax-seed because heating causes them to oxidize.

Extra virgin olive oil is a good option. Coconut or palm oil are excellent as they are easy to digest, full of immune boosters and anti-oxidants among other things–they are very healing oils in general. Organic sesame, peanut and hemp oils are also good alternatives, but be aware that they have their own flavours which can be incorporated into your dishes very nicely as well. Oils can also be mixed–a peanut-coconut combination might be nice for brownies, for example.

Amounts are not precise and the strength will vary depending on the quality of your ingredients. Here is a general guideline:

• 1 litre or quart of oil or fat
• 1 oz of medical marijuana leaf

Method:
Grind up the medical marijuana in a spice or coffee grinder until very fine. Put into a crock pot. Pour over oil until covered and heat on low for about 24 hours. The oil will smell up the house, so you may want to put it in a back room.

Strain the oil through a cheesecloth and wring out as much of the oil as you can. You can also cook up oatmeal raisin cookies with the leftover mass.

The oil will keep quite well and can be used in cooking either for meat dishes such as curry or pasta or for baked items such as cakes and brownies. It can also be mixed into a salad dressing.