Beneficial Bone Broth

About a year and a half ago,
I started having health issues.
Having been an active person my whole life,
this came as quite a shock.
I've always exercised (I actually enjoy it),
ate pretty cleanly, and kept a positive attitude.
This recent bout of malaise didn't sit too well with me.
It completely transformed my day-to-day life.
There were times when I needed help getting from one room to the next,
and many days when all I could do was sleep.
The worst part of that is that it didn't seem to help.
I never felt rested. 
The weakness in my limbs was unreal,
sometimes not even being able to support myself.
I hadn't experienced such fatigue 
since I worked overtime after Hurricane Andrew.
A few days of R & R had me right back to my typical energy.

But this, this, was something that I never expected and couldn't seem to resolve.
I've been to doctor after doctor, had test after test,
even traveled to a specialist at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida to get answers.
No one could figure out what was going on.
After ruling many things out,
my PCP tagged it Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
That seems a catchall diagnosis, 
but nothing else really added up.
It's been a frustrating experience,
as I am the type who likes closure.
So I decided to look for answers myself.




That's when I started researching bone broth.
I'd heard about it, read about it,
but wasn't sure about the efficacy for my situation.
I tried it anyway.
Since I don't eat meat, I decided to begin with fish broth.
I've been making a few quarts of it each week for a few months now.
My dear friends Faye & Lynn have kept me in bones,
thanks to their fishing endeavors.
I haven't made any other types of intervention.
Unbelievably, 
it seems to have made a massive difference.
I'm able to get my chores done, gone back to regular exercise,
and wake feeling more rested than I have in months.
Without the renewed energy I have,
I never would have gotten through an interstate move and all its trappings.
I can't say for certain that this is the reason that I'm feeling so much better,
but I can't think of a single other thing to which it can be attributed.
The bonus is that it may help with my osteoporosis.
If someone you know has lingering health issues
that can't be explained, it's worth a try.
I'm a believer.

This recipe comes from the book, 
Bone Broth by Quinn Farrar Wilson.
I altered the ingredients just a bit to my own taste.
It's the process that's important. 
There are also recipes in the book for beef and chicken broths, 
if that better suits your needs.

Fish Bone Broth  
2 fish heads
1 lb. fish bones
1/4 C apple cider vinegar
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1/2 white onion, sliced
1/2 medium fennel bulb, cored and sliced (I omitted)
1 garlic clove, cut in half

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roast bones in pan on parchment paper for 10-20 minutes.
Transfer bones to slow cooker and fill with water and add vinegar.
Allow bones to steep in crockpot for 15-20 minutes (turned off).
Skim off any scum that surfaces.
Add remaining ingredients to crockpot.

Turn slow cooker on low and cook for 4-6 hours.
Skim off any scum that forms on top several times while cooking
(I haven't had to do this).

Remove bones from slow cooker and compost or discard.
Let broth cool at least an hour.
Pour strained broth into containers and refrigerate.
Use as needed.

Here's a great article about this amazing healer.

Paper Trout

Although I'm not a vegetarian anymore,
I still don't eat beef, pork or poultry.
It was always a struggle for my mom 
to get me to eat meat when I was a kid.
The last time I remember eating steak (not ordered by me),
I covered it in ketchup
and my mom finally decided to give up on the idea of me being a carnivore.
It has just never felt right for me, 
so I embraced a meat-free diet for a good, long time.
For the last 15 years or so, I have eaten fish regularly,
and feel fortunate to be able to find a good selection at our local grocery store.

 

As we are trying to eat as locally as possible,

this North Carolina trout seemed to fit the bill.

I bought the whole fish so that I could keep the bones

to make my homemade bone broth.

(I'll tell you about this magical elixur soon.)

Cooking the whole fish is not something I've done before,

but I remembered a trick my mom had used.

Parchment paper is the secret ingredient.

The technique is known as "en papillote"

or "in paper", 

and it's one of the easiest ways to cook fish.

The bonus is that clean up is a breeze!

The fish was rinsed, dried and seasoned with salt, pepper and a little olive oil.

Any choice of your favorite seasonings would work.

They were wrapped in the parchment and the ends were twisted tight.

This helps the fish to steam and keeps all of the juices inside.

 

They were placed on the same baking sheet as some veggies 

I was cooking for a soup base.

After about 20 minutes in a 375 degree oven, 

they were done.

Open the package carefully, as it is extremely hot!
The fish comes out moist, tender and delicious.
The bones are easily removed 
and can be added to my stockpile in the freezer.

The same technique can be used with chicken, turkey 
or cooked beans for a vegetarian option.
I haven't tried it, 
but I imagine this would work on the grill too.

Each package is like a small gift for each diner to open.
Who wouldn't enjoy a tasty token?