Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures

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Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« on: March 09, 2007, 05:00:02 PM » by Isaacsmama

I did a search for 'nourishing traditions' and didnt come up with much, so I am sorry if this is adressed already.

Has anyone else made a recipe from NT that was awful? I have made some good stuff from there but some really bad recipes too. What a waste, we couldnt even eat them and that was a lot of food money thrown away. I thought maybe people could list some recipes to stay away from or ideas on how to make them better. Or maybe list the recipes that you really really like. I know it would help me to know which ones not to bother with. thanks

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #1 on: March 09, 2007, 05:27:00 PM » by abbilynn

I'm having this problem too! Undecided

The other day I made the cultured salsa. I let it sit for two days and opened it today - yuck!! It tasted like a salt block! So I made chili and used it for the sauce, thinking the meat and beans would downplay the salt taste but it didn't work. No one would eat it! I have to throw away all that chili. Angry

Are all cultured veggies this way? If so, I will definitely be avoiding them!

abbilynn

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #2 on: March 09, 2007, 05:34:21 PM » by Rene

The only thing I've made from NT that I liked a lot was the Red Meat Chili. I have a friend who loves the pickled garlic, but I've not tried that yet.

I'd love to hear what others have had success with as well.

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #3 on: March 09, 2007, 06:03:32 PM » by mommyjen

Quote from: abbilynn on March 09, 2007, 05:27:00 PM

I'm having this problem too! Undecided

Are all cultured veggies this way? If so, I will definitely be avoiding them!

abbilynn

Did you follow the recipe exactly and did you use all salt or salt and whey?

Thanks!

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #4 on: March 09, 2007, 06:05:37 PM » by Isaacsmama

I made the gingered carrots with the lentil pecan patties. The carrots were OK, I wouldnt eat them plain, but hey are good as a condiment. I didnt put all the salt in (NT stuff seems really salty) and I omitted the lemon rind in the lentil patties.
I am going to try to sauerkraut soon.
I made the oat stuff for breakfast one day and used the listed amount of salt, it was REALLY salty, we couldnt eat it. I made the tapioca and it was awful, after buying that rapadura stuff, it was a lot of $ going in the trash. I wonder why so many of the dessert type things have grated lemon rind in them. A whole lemons worth of grated lemon rind seems a lot.
I was going to try the salsa, maybe I'll half the salt per the suggestion above.

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #5 on: March 09, 2007, 06:24:27 PM » by abbilynn

Quote from: mommyjen on March 09, 2007, 06:03:32 PM

Quote from: abbilynn on March 09, 2007, 05:27:00 PM

I'm having this problem too! Undecided

Are all cultured veggies this way? If so, I will definitely be avoiding them!

abbilynn

Did you follow the recipe exactly and did you use all salt or salt and whey?

Thanks!

I didn't use whey b/c my kids have dairy allergies. So I used salt like it said to do. Maybe less salt would have been better and it still would have worked? Huh

I have tried the ginger carrots also and put them in soup. They were okay, but all three boys had runny, yucky stools the next day.

abbilynn

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #6 on: March 09, 2007, 07:09:09 PM » by lotsaboys

I've noticed that a lot of recipes seems to ask for too much of one thing, like the caraway seeds in the sauerkraut, red pepper in the ketchup, lemon juice in the mayo, etc. So when I'm leery of something that seems like it will be too strong-tasting, I just go with less and so far have had better results.

I still haven't have great success with any of the soaked flour cakes or breads... Sad

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #7 on: March 09, 2007, 07:57:15 PM » by healthyinOhio

You can read many of my NT complaints in this thread:
http://www.welltellme.com/discuss/index.php/topic,583.msg17051.html#msg17051

From what I have learned with NT is you have to watch what you are making very carefully because the cooking times and measurements are not off by a few, but by a lot. I think all of the nutritional information is worth the $15 that I spent on it, but the recipes need all of my help they can get!! Cheesy

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #8 on: March 09, 2007, 08:16:50 PM » by diaperswyper

The biggest problem that i see is the cooking time. Just don't bake the recipes near as long. I've made the carrot cake, banana bread, apricot bread, sauerkraut, beet kvass, kombucha, bread and carob brownies with great success. The carob brownies weren't anything special the first day but then i put them in the freezer and when i got them out and kept them in the fridge, wow, they were awesome. I had made the cream cheese frosting in NT and added peanutbutter and put that on top. That was good too. I think a yr ago i wouldn't have liked the food as good, but it seems our tastes have changed. My ds won't even touch the free cookies at the store because he thinks they're way to sweet.
Oh, i've also made the buttermilk biscuits and yogurt dough and they were both good. My dh loves that slightly sour taste, so maybe that makes a difference.

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #9 on: March 09, 2007, 08:36:49 PM » by lotsaboys

Quote from: diaperswyper on March 09, 2007, 08:16:50 PM

Thanks for the tips! I'm not sure if the cooking time is my problem. Things like the banana bread and poppyseed cake just fall so bad. When it comes to baking in general, I'm known for flops now and then, so it might just be me.

We eat them anyhow because they TASTE great. Our boys are like yours- they won't eat boughten baked goods.

I like the idea of freezing the brownies. I might try that with some other baked things. Oh, and we like the cream cheese frosting too!

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #10 on: March 09, 2007, 09:03:51 PM » by Isaacsmama

Quote from: lotsaboys on March 09, 2007, 07:09:09 PM

So, what would you suggest for caraway seed amount for sauerkraut? I have the cabbage and want to make this.

I have made the pancakes twice, once soaked in yogurt, and once soaked in buttermilk. The yogurt ones were yummy, the milk ones not so good. Just a tip.

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #11 on: March 09, 2007, 09:46:20 PM » by likemanywaters

I think I used half the caraway seed amt. But I actually LOVE the taste of them, so I could probably add more.

I've made her soaked muffin recipe and it always turns out GREAT! Grin

Some flops for me have been: Gingered Carrots, Gingerbread Tongue

, Gingerale (don't think I did it right), hmmm... and I know there have been others... Get back here later with my cookbook.

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #12 on: March 10, 2007, 11:12:06 AM » by lotsaboys

Quote from: Isaacsmama on March 09, 2007, 09:03:51 PM

Quote from: lotsaboys on March 09, 2007, 07:09:09 PM

I would use half the amount of caraway seeds. I like their taste, its just with the full amount that is practically ALL we can taste and I want to be able to taste the cabbage too.

As for soaked stuff, I've had great results with things like pancakes and biscuits, its the cakes and breads that fall for me.

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #13 on: March 10, 2007, 01:11:46 PM » by diaperswyper

Some of my breads have fallen too and it seemed to happen worse when i used spelt......................

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #14 on: March 10, 2007, 04:59:00 PM » by Isaacsmama

Quote from: diaperswyper on March 10, 2007, 01:11:46 PM

Some of my breads have fallen too and it seemed to happen worse when i used spelt......................

You know, I thought I was crazy, but the same thing happened to me. I made the buttermilk bread with spelt, yuck! Then with wheat, and it was good. Dont know why, I never had trouble with spelt before.

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #15 on: March 10, 2007, 06:17:08 PM » by petrimama

I think spelt is very different from wheat. It takes a while to perfect any bread recipe, and when switching to a new grain, I think it is just like starting from scratch. I love my whole wheat bread recipe, but whenever I use that same recipe with spelt flour it's terrible. I did have a good recipe for spelt bread, but I've lost it. ~L

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #16 on: March 10, 2007, 09:06:00 PM » by kayinpa

spelt doesnt have the amount of gluten as wheat (which is why it is a good grain for those who are gluten sensitive), it is probably the reason that it doesnt rise as well as wheat in bread recipes!

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #17 on: March 10, 2007, 09:55:46 PM » by Anneatheart

I've made the ginger carrots and cucumbers-- too salty. I've made the muffins which weren't sweet enough, biscuits that were ok, but not fluffy. (my fault though I didn't follow the recipe exactly) I made the ginger ale and it tasted like salt! It wasn't sweet at all...I was very disappointed in that one. I've made the Roman Lentil soup and Jamaican rice with good results. I've made pancakes,which were fine but not fluffy, and soaked oatmeal which we love. I am planning to try making saurkraut soon, but I hate the store bought version. I also make kombucha, but not using her recipe. A lot of the recipes aren't much different than what I already make, besides soaking things ahead of time or making stock. I've also been wanting to try the yeasted buttermilk bread but I keep forgetting!

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #18 on: March 12, 2007, 02:17:56 PM » by TrinaMama

I use NT all the time and generaly love it, but have to admit she is a bit heavy on the salt Undecided

. I love her recipies for sourdough bread, dosas, sweet pototo pancakes, and fly to name a few. I do disagree with her totoal ban on caffine (I love green tea and occasional chocolate).

Fermented veggies take a bit to get use to, but we enjoy them as a condiment. I make mine with whey (the one time I tried salt they were nasty). As for the soaked grain baked goods, our family has gotten use to the diffrence in texture (usualy quite flat and chewy). I did make a sourdough chocolate cake this weekend, using whole wheat flour and sucanat that tasted great and had the nice fluffy texture of what my brother calls "real" cake. In the future, I intend to do more expermenting along that line for my baked goods.

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #19 on: March 13, 2007, 01:45:27 AM » by Isaacsmama

Quote from: TrinaMama on March 12, 2007, 02:17:56 PM

I use NT all the time and generaly love it, but have to admit she is a bit heavy on the salt Undecided

How did you do a sourdough cake, I dont remember that recipe.
Yes, I will say that the recipes seem to have way too much salt, or way too much lemon rind. I mean a whole lemon rind grated. A bit too much, and I like lemon.

Also, I really like the crispy pecans, but the crispy almonds were not too good. Mine had skin on them though, not sure how to get unskinned almonds. Plus drying time for the nuts was about twice as long for me.

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #20 on: March 13, 2007, 02:01:33 PM » by TrinaMama

Sorry...I should have been more clear on the sourdough cake. I took a recipie out of an old book (called for white flour/sugar and no fermentation of the additional flour) and doctored it up a bit to fit my dietary guideline. I did "cheat" by melting about half a bag of chocolate chips on top in place of frosting, but hubby isn't quite into naked cake yet.

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #21 on: March 13, 2007, 02:46:32 PM » by Kellyj

I've used some of the recipes in NT with great success: buttermilk biscuits (cut cooking time to 20 min), soaked oatmeal (eat it everyday for breakfast), sauerkraut but only the second time; the first and third times didn't turn out too well, flaky pie crust, mayonnaise (I use acv instead of lemon juice and add 1/4 cup coconut oil mixed with 1/2 c olive oil which makes it thicker), potassium broth, chicken and beef broth, cream of vegetable soup, pepper steak, ginger ale (dh liked it not me), apple cider (let it sit in fridge for about a month before drinking it), beet kvass for dh, baked beans, bulgur flour, hamburgers, traditional pot roast (I may nothave soaked the meat long enough as it tasted no different than usual), hash browns, and crispy almonds.
The things that didn't turn out were the ginger carrots, cream cheese (maybe I'm not letting all the whey out it?), all raw cheese cake, grape cooler (I think it turned to wine while sitting for 3 days!), banana bread, brownies (dh doesn't like the taste of carob), berry syrup, sourdough using rye flour-it never bubbled, and ketchup. I still have a lot more that I would like to try. I like some of the recipes in Eat fat, Lose fat also.
Kelly

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #22 on: March 13, 2007, 04:05:49 PM » by leslieincali

I mainly use this book as a nutrition book of principles. The recipes are mostly too complicated for my life right now. I have had better success with a website that Nickole posted. This lady lists lots of NT friendly recipes that are a little more practical. She also has some GF/CF stuff. http://cookingnt.com/default.aspx Here are my NT successes and flops.
Success
Basic Dressing(with all variations)
Baked Salmon
Red snapper, Mexican style
Basic Baked Chicken
Brains in Wine Sauce(Just kidding Tongue

)
Black Bean soup(was kind of dull like it was, I kept 2 cups of beans out before pureeing and added some chopped chicken and whole beans back in)

Flops
Mexican saurkraut(too hot)
Cream cheese and whey(the whey was fine, the cream cheese I did not care for)

I can't think of anything else I've made. I find it easier to just try and cook regular stuff and change ingredients to fit within the NT principles. I wnat to get a fermentation cook book. I already do Kombucha and yogurt but want to make myself eat more of the cultured veggies.

« Last Edit: March 13, 2007, 04:07:52 PM by leslieincallie »
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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #23 on: March 13, 2007, 04:13:17 PM » by hollyolly123

Personally I like to find other recipies that call for enough liquid (milk or water) to soak the flour in, add my tablespoon(s) of yogurt (or just use homemade buttermilk or sour milk), and then proceed as the recipe calls for the next day.

Blueberry Muffins

3 cups ww flour
1 1/2 cups liquid (water or milk) plus 1 1/2 TB yogurt etc.

Next Day:

Add 3/4 cup oil (I use olive)
   3/4 cup honey
   1 egg (or two if you find batter thick)
   1 1/2 tsp salt
   1 tsp baking soda
   1 or 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
cinnamon, vanilla etc. optional (1 1/2 tsp of each) Nutmeg- 1/2 tsp

   1 1/2 cups blueberries!

Bake in a 400 oven for 28-32 minutes. The tops will be brown, and this recipe makes 12 nice tall muffins. We love these!

I tried the NT Pancakes and they were awful. Maybe the atmosphere is different in England? I find a bread recipe that comes out beautifully in the cold months of Massachussettes has worked in no other place and no other time of year in MA. And when it is humid, I often find my batters runnier. Just a thought.

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #24 on: March 13, 2007, 10:31:50 PM » by Whiterock

Quote from: Kellyj on March 13, 2007, 02:46:32 PM

brownies (dh doesn't like the taste of carob),

I "discovered" a great trick for carob brownies... Make them with peanut butter! I made two batches of carob brownies for my mom (she can't eat chocolate) and added walnuts to one batch and added all-natural peanut butter to the finished batter of the other batch, just before putting them in the oven. I didn't change the recipe in any other way (it was not the NT recipe). And the batch with the peanut butter tasted fabulous! You couldn't tell it was carob at all, it tasted just like peanut butter and chocolate brownies. The other batch tasted good too, but you could still tell it was carob.

WR

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #25 on: March 13, 2007, 10:38:31 PM » by Kati*did

Quote from: Whiterock on March 13, 2007, 10:31:50 PM

I "discovered" a great trick for carob brownies... Make them with peanut butter!
WR

So about how much did you put in? Did you mix it completely into the batter or swirl it through? I want to try this!

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #26 on: March 13, 2007, 10:51:11 PM » by Whiterock

I don't know, I didn't measure (it was a last minute whim). I just swirled it in by the spoonful, but I didn't skimp on the peanut butter just to keep the swirls pretty so a lot of it got mixed together pretty good by the time I thought "enough".
WR

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #27 on: March 13, 2007, 10:54:28 PM » by Kati*did

Quote from: Whiterock on March 13, 2007, 10:51:11 PM

Thanks..I'm going to try this out! I want to use carob more, but don't like it...so this is good news. Grin

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #28 on: March 21, 2007, 06:55:17 PM » by Isaacsmama

OK, I made the Nt sourdough with the rye starter that Ive been 'growing' for 7 days. It turned out mildy sour and the loaves were like little bricks, not soft at all. Sad

they did rise, for 11 hours, but they didnt end up soft. I am assuming that is not how they are suuposed to be, so I would say this was a flop. but, I do know others have had success with sourdough, so I guess maybe I need help.
I used rye for the starter. then spelt for the bread, but I had to add some wheat and a smidgen of white cause I ran out of spelt.

Also, I love the hash brown potatoes, the ones you shred and soak overnight. They always turn out great!

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Re: Nourishing Traditions Flops/Failures
« Reply #29 on: March 21, 2007, 07:09:04 PM » by lotsaboys

Quote from: Isaacsmama on March 21, 2007, 06:55:17 PM

OK, I made the Nt sourdough with the rye starter that Ive been 'growing' for 7 days. It turned out mildy sour and the loaves were like little bricks, not soft at all. Sad

I'm not gonna be any help for your sourdough bread since that is EXACTLY how mine turns out, doing it the same way you described!! I'm waiting for any helpful tips...

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