leanstead

leaning up to build the lives we want and helping others do the same

Make Natural Rehydration Drink at Home

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Making a natural rehydration drink is something you can easily make at home. No chemicals or ingredients you can’t read. You likely have everything in your kitchen right now.

Why hydrate?

Our bodies are made up of nearly 80% water and in order for our organs to function at their best, we must maintain that water supply. We we fail, we can experience headache, fatigue, dry mouth, weight gain and more. But those are just a few of the symptoms we see or notice. We are actually doing more harm to our organs when we allow dehydration to set in.

Spring has sprung and if you are like me, you are spending a lot more time outdoors. Physical exertion coupled with increased temperatures means we all have to be careful to stay hydrated. Failure to do so can cause all sorts of problems.

Just drink more water? Not so fast…

The solution to avoid dehydration seems to be to just drink more water, right? Well, not so quick. We do need to increase our water intake, especially in warmer weather when we are sweating. However, often we need a little more of a boost with some electrolytes.

ingredients for savory lemonade on countertop

The benefit of a natural rehydration drink

If you are like me, you’ve likely consumed more than your share of some of the old faithful rehydration drinks that have been around for ages. You know, the ones that come in every color and flavor imaginable with an ingredient list that would make your head spin.

There’s just something about combatting the heat and exhaustion with chemicals that just doesn’t sit right with me. This journey to better care for the body God has given me has me questioning a LOT of old habits. I’ve also done more research regarding nutrition over the past couple of years than ever before.

I’ve found that one of the most important ingredients in a natural rehydration drink is a good quality salt. Weston A Price Foundation posted a great article about the benefits here. There is also a link to the Wise Traditions podcast interview on the same topic. If you have the time, it’s a great listen or read. It definitely inspired me to be more intentional about making wise choices regarding salt in my diet.

Last summer, I began experimenting with natural rehydration drink recipes. Some were winners and some, well, not so much. I’ve come up with a four ingredient version of rehydration drink that I call Savory Lemonade and it has become quite popular in our home. You probably have all of the ingredients in your kitchen right now. So, how about whipping up a small batch right now?

Yield: 3 cups

Savory Lemonade Rehydration Drink

ingredients for savory lemonade on counter

Rehydrate your body naturally with this Savory Lemonade sure to perk you up on summer days or anytime you are feeling drained. Forego the energy drinks that only dehyrdate you further and replenish with this tasty drink.

Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 3 c water
  • juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 tsp Himalayan salt (or other mineralized salt)
  • 2 tbsp sugar

Instructions

  1. Warm 1/2 c water with the salt and sugar to dissolve the crystals.
  2. Add juice of half lemon to a storage container with the salt and sugar mixture.
  3. Add remainder of water and stir.
  4. Store in the refrigerator.
    Category: Health

    Easy Hack to Save Time and Money in the Kitchen

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    ONE chicken and FOUR meals

    Looking for an easy hack to spend less time and money in the kitchen and more time outdoors? Make this approach to meal planning part of your spring schedule.

    Spring is in the air and if you’re like me, you just want to be outside. I mean, like ALL THE TIME. Spending time outdoors doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice good food to be outdoors. We also don’t have to rely on the drive through for quick meals. We just need to practice planning out our time and our meals. Preaching to myself here!

    Recently, I’ve taken full advantage of this easy hack for meal planning. It has freed up a lot of time plus it saves us money. That hack is taking advantage of an instant pot and a whole chicken. Preparing a whole chicken on Monday allows me to use that meat to create at least four evening meals. This lasts us throughout the week.

    Prepare your chicken

    Begin with preparing a whole chicken in your favorite way. This can be in an Instant Pot, slow cooker or roasting in the oven. Personally, I love the flavor of roasted chicken. But since we raise our own heritage breed chickens, they tend to have less fat on them. I’ve learned that the best method for our chicken is in the instant pot. My recommendation, though, is to use the cooking method that blesses you most. It may not sound like it, but this investment is truly going to save you time and money. You can check out my process for preparing a chicken here.

    dish with cooked chicken next to a instant pot
    A little time spent on preparing this one meat can save you time and money throughout the week.

    I generally like to make the chicken versatile for other recipes. So I prepare my chicken by brushing with olive oil and sprinkling salt, pepper and garlic powder. Then I place it in the instant pot with half a cup of water in the bottom of the pot. I then set my instant pot on pressure cook mode and cook for two hours. Depending on the breed of chicken, you could probably lower your cooking time. However, I find that two hours gives me a well cooked chicken with meat that literally falls off the bones.

    Allow the chicken to cool about twenty minutes so you don’t burn yourself while handling it. Once it is comfortable to the touch, start to pull the meat away from the bone and place it in a separate container. Generally, I begin with pulling the breast meat sections off first, then move on to the thighs, legs and wings.

    Once you have all removed the meat, make a batch of bone broth with the leftover bones and chicken parts. Here you can find more about the benefits of bone broth and how to make it. This can be used to sip hot for a spring morning boost, as a base for soups or as a liquid for sauces.

    One bird, four ways

    Now that you’ve got your meat set aside, visually divide it into four sections. Typically, this will mean meat from legs and wings, thighs and then the two breast for four separate meals.

    First night

    square plate with bbq chicken and sides
    Chicken with barbecue sauce served with deviled eggs, slaw and macaroni and cheese.

    On the first night, my usual meal will be the chicken on it’s own and topped with barbecue sauce. I pair it with some veggies. Here I chose mac and cheese, slaw and deviled eggs. This is a bit more than I would typically make for a Monday night. I just happened to have some boiled eggs leftover from the weekend.

    Second night

    two bowls of chicken pot pie
    Chicken pot pie is a great one pot dish.

    The second night was a bit chilly. So I sautéed my chicken with some carrots, peas and mushrooms. Then I added a pie crust topper and created a chicken skillet pie.

    Third night.

    Night three had me longing for some pasta. I sautéed some carrots, mushrooms and peppers along with the chicken, created a sauce and then added spaghetti. Topped off with a sprinkle of parmesan, it was delicious.

    Pasta salad with chicken is always a hit at our house.

    Fourth night

    On the last night, I used the remaining chicken breast. I chopped it along with some apple, celery and walnuts to make a chicken salad. I coupled it with a large green salad and crackers.

    plate of salad and chicken salad
    A scoop of chicken salad and green salad

    More ideas

    If those four dishes don’t seem to fit your taste, never fear. Here are some additional options for using that chicken and stretching your time and money.

    • chicken noodle soup
    • curry chicken and rice
    • chicken stir fry
    • quinoa salad with chicken
    • chicken and dumplings
    • tortilla soup
    • chicken casserole
    • chicken tacos
    • chicken sandwiches
    • chicken flat bread pizzas
    • baked potatoes topped with bbq chicken (load it up with peppers and cheddar)
    • chicken tetrazzini

    No time to cook that chicken? No problem.

    Are dealing with an already packed schedule and don’t even have the time to cook that chicken? No problem. There are always even more short cuts. Almost all grocery stores now have rotisserie chickens available in their deli section. This is a great way to get the benefit of multiplying that bird, but in even less time.

    Now get out there and enjoy this gorgeous weather, knowing dinner is in the bag!

    Healthy bone broth: Why you should make some now

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    Healthy homemade bone broth is super simple to make and can be so useful and beneficial. You’ll wonder why you never knew about this old homesteading staple.

    instant pot with bones and juices

    If you are like me not so long ago, you may have never made your own bone broth or even be sure you know what it is. That’s okay and all the more reason to continue being a lifelong learner. It was just a few years ago that I started to read and begin to understand the just how powerful good food can be for us and the healing power it holds. At the time of my dad’s pancreatic cancer diagnosis, I was on the search for ways to help with his nutritional needs. I discovered an excellent cookbook for cancer patients and those caring for them.

    The biggest takeaway from that book, though, was healthy bone broth. Over the years, it has gradually become a staple in my kitchen and now that we are raising our own chickens, I have established an easy routine of preparing a whole chicken each week and using the bones from that chicken to make a batch of delicious and nutritionally dense bone broth.

    Benefits of bone broth

    1- Helps with digestion issues. Many people suffer from leaky gut and other digestive issues which can be helped by the gelatinous elements of bone broth. This element of bone broth helps to ease the discomfort of damaged lining of the digestive tract.

    2. Boosts your immune system. Bone broth is almost like a superfood for a weakened immune system. Because the main ingredient in this liquid gold is bones and the marrow that is steeped from them is a great source of nutrients and vitamins.

    3. Great source of amino acids. Bone broth contains several different amino acids including proline which is great for helping to reduce wrinkles. Hey! That should motivate many of us women to plop a chicken in a pot for a day or so. These amino acids are also great for heart health.

    4. Promotes joint health. Bone broth contains glucosamine which can be a big help keeping your joints pain free. This is probably my husband’s favorite reason to sip on bone broth.

    white mug of broth next to notebook, pen and tray
    Hot bone broth soothes achy joints

    Additional uses for bone broth

    While one of the most popular ways to consume bone broth is simply by the cup, there are also many great uses in the kitchen. Here are just a few:

    1. Use as a base for soups and stews. Many recipes will call for water or stock, but bone broth is a sure way to beef up the nutritional score of any recipe.
    2. Use as the liquid for gravy and sauces. Many recipes will work to substitute bone broth for other liquids.
    3. Use in the place of water for cooking rice. You’ll get instant flavor, not to mention better nutrition.
    4. Add to leftover dishes as you reheat them either in the oven or on the stovetop to keep them from drying out. Sometimes rice or pasta dishes need a little extra liquid and this is a great way to boost the flavor and the minerals.
    Making bone broth is simple and a great way to save you time while building a healthy body

    It’s as simple as this

    Making healthy bone broth is very simple using an instant pot or slow cooker, but you can also use a regular stock pot on the stovetop. All you need to do is toss a few ingredients into a pot, top with water and your favorite leftover raw veggies like carrots, celery, onion and garlic. I recommend simmering the broth for at least 12 hours, but the longer it simmers, the more nutritionally dense your broth will be. I aim to keep the pot simmering for 24-48 hours.

    instant pot with bones and veggies
    adding water to instant pot of bones and veggies
    Ingredients are few but they pack a punch.

    Once you have reached your desired time, allow the pot to cool a bit and prepare several jars to store your bone broth. I usually end up with one half gallon jar plus an additional quart size jar of broth. Place a strainer inside a funnel over the top of the first jar and ladle the liquid into the strainer. You can speed the process along by scooping out the larger bones and vegetables in advance. This process takes about five minutes and the reward is great!

    Sip from a cup (add salt to taste) or add to your favorite recipes. You’ll love knowing you have done something great for your family!

    Looking for ways to use that chicken meat? Check out these ideas here.

    Enjoy!