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Going ‘KETO’? BRAISED can Support You!

Many of our newest customers and farmers’ market friends are trying out the newest fad in food, the Ketogenic Diet. At BRAISED we have been living out various degrees of the ketogenic (and paleo) lifestyle for the past 15 years. I became a fan when I was in nutritional clinical practice and witnessed how it helped children on the autistic spectrum as well as those with epilepsy lessen the amount of seizures experienced. It was truly fascinating, especially coming off the heels of my conventional education that taught fat was bad.


Unlike the trends driven by food marketers (i.e. the low fat craze) we know that the ketogenic diet is based in sound science and from a physiological perspective it just makes common sense. Indeed, we believe trends like these are not fads at all - but lifestyle movements here to stay. But how do you eat a high fat, moderate protein, and very low carb diet day-in day-out when the world we live in is not set-up to service this way of eating? We believe this is where bone broth comes in...


With no carbs and 11 grams of very simple/digestible protein, BRAISED bone broth is the perfect keto-friendly ‘vessel’ for more healthy fat by adding some of our favorite stir-ins like Bulletproof Brain Octane Oil or grass-fed butter. Deep flavor and dense nutrition makes a mugga broth a satisfying meal replacement with the right ratio of macronutrients to meet the goals of the ketogenic diet or even intermittent fasting.


Our new friends stopping by our booth at the farmers’ market are having phenomenal successes - 20, 50, 80 pound drops while living the ketogenic lifestyle and incorporating (our) bone broth into their everyday routine! Never before have I heard so many positive weight loss testimonials. It is so encouraging to support them in reaching a healthy weight AND - most importantly - in finding true health along the way.


If you’re on the fence about trying keto for yourself, I get it. It can seem a little extreme and difficult to implement, but BRAISED is here to help you in your transformation. Our broth and concentrate products make it convenient for you to add the right nutrition for your keto needs and I am always available to answer questions should you need some nutritional support. Email me anytime at kate@braisedbonebroth.com.


We hope you’ll stop by our trailer at a pop-up event or at the Downtown Des Moines Farmers’ Market to receive our preferred customer pricing (we will be there this coming weekend then again in the fall). Our products are also available on our website or several retail locations around the Des Moines metro.



The Gathering Soup: A Holiday Recipe from the BRAISED Kitchen

 

Potato Gathering Soup

A Soulful Creation from the BRAISED Kitchen: Gluten Free/Grain Free/Primal

Ingredients
1 large onion diced
½ cup carrots thinly sliced
1 lb nitrate-free turkey bacon chopped
2 stalks organic celery diced
3 cloves garlic minced
8 organic potatoes cubed (Yukon gold work well)
1 ½ pouches of BRAISED Superfood Chicken Bone Broth or enough to cover potatoes
3 Tbsp of grass-fed butter
3 Tbsp tapioca starch
1 cup of organic grass-fed heavy cream
1 tsp dried tarragon
½ cup kale stems removed and finely chopped
Redmond’s Real Salt, to taste

Directions

  1. Cook bacon in some avocado oil or ghee in a Dutch oven or heavy soup pot until crispy. Remove the bacon, reserve the grease. Add celery, carrot and onion into the bacon grease and saute until soft. Stir in the minced garlic, cook for 1 minute more. Add cubed potatoes, toss to coat and saute for 3-4 more minutes. Add enough chicken broth to the pot to cover the potatoes, cover and simmer until potatoes are tender. 
  2. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, whisk in the tapioca starch. Continue to whisk for an additional 2 minutes or so to remove the tapioca taste then (while still whisking) add the cream in a slow stream to the mixture. Heat and whisk until mixture thickens, then stir the cream mixture into the soup pot with the potatoes.
  3. Season with salt to taste, and stir the tarragon and kale into the pot.
  4. Ladle into bowls and serve with sauteed bacon on top. 
  5. Additional optional toppings include shredded raw cheddar cheese, chopped fresh parsley, chives or micro greens as pictured.  

Recipe and Lifestyle Notes from Kate
This soup is obviously rich with the addition of heavy cream so a perfect holiday gathering recipe (no wonder it’s so crowd-pleasing, right?!). In the BRAISED Kitchen we follow the 80/20 rule, honoring everything in moderation - or better stated - most things in moderation with certain caveats. We view food and eating holistically with a sense of balance and family in mind and through a lense of the paleo/ancestral/traditional food philosophy. We believe in slow food that is whole, well sourced, and offers dense nutrition. This recipe calls for dairy, but it can be substituted for full-fat coconut milk if desired (although proportions might vary). When making this soup for an average weekly night dinner, this is how we’ll make it again - dairy free - but if you can afford to (from a health perspective) try the recipe as written, you won’t be disappointed! This recipe easily doubles to accommodate a large family gathering and of course leftovers for when no one feels like cooking.

And now the recipe backstory...



Market days start early and are chaotic in our household. We are fortunate to have parents able to watch our children and keep things grounded during farmers’ market season. Nita has never been the best sleeper so it’s common for her to wake up EARLY to the sound of scuffles in the hallway or muffled voices in the kitchen as we go through our pre-opening checklist. Grandma “GG” often has a snuggle nest ready to go in the living room and the rule is no talking until it’s light out! Once resettled - often with the help of Disney’s Moana - Mama B makes her way to the laundry basket for folding or to the kitchen to prepare meals for the day (which always includes her famous traditionally fermented sourdough). We are SO blessed! This past weekend’s creation was particularly yummy and thoroughly crowd-pleasing so I have to share. I left for market after giving mom one inspiration - “I’m really wanting a stick-to-your-ribs warm and comforting CREAMY soup (can you say postpartum cravings?) - Go!”

With the holidays in our midst, BRAISED celebrates and values family and those we consider family. What a special time to show how much you love and care for those around you and no better way to do it than to open your home and to gather around a bubbling pot of soup. And, trust me, this is the proper nourishment for this purpose. It will forever be named our “Gathering Soup.” Enjoy.

Let us know what you think of the recipe or the modified dairy-free version on social media. We’d love to peek out your own soulful creations!

 

Last Chance to See Our Farmers' Market Faves Tomorrow

Image may contain: 1 person, textHere at BRAISED we celebrate and promote other local small businesses. Come to the last Winter Market of the year, stock up on your broth for your holiday gifting and cooking, and visit a few of our friends:  

Wallace Farms—My family’s personal farmer and known for their grass-fed beef and sustainably produced meat products. Nick is set up right next to us (lower level in the ballroom along the East wall) and selling his maple hams, bacon, and some other holiday-friendly favorites.

Grade A Gardens: Known for their garlic (a great cuppa broth stir-in) and certified organic produce - Jordan and Whitney's high tunnel allows for some winter produce sales like watermelon radish, sweet potatoes, and Napa cabbage (if you're early enough). 

Fresh: That Wheatgrass Girl! I love their celery juice and I believe in it so much I recommend it as an addition to my BRAISED Bone Broth cleanse. Kerri is a great friend of mine and I was one of her first wheatgrass customers over 10 years ago when she first debuted her healthy creations at the Farmers' Market. 

Des Fresh (find on Facebook at Des.Fresh.Foods or Instagram at des.fresh.foodtruck): Grab breakfast or lunch with their beautiful plant-based locally sourced meals. These guys are right across the aisle from us and I noshed on their loaded lentil nachos today (VERY yum).

Agri-Cultured (find on Facebook at Agri-Cultured or Instagram at Agri-Cultured Foods): Sara transformed her own health with fermented foods and has blazed the trail with her traditionally cultured foods ever since. Add more ferments to your diet for gut health—their kombucha is a must!

HOQ: Usually set up outside, their breakfast burritos are Matty B and Turner's favorite and "everything is sourced locally except the salt and pepper." 

La Mie: For your sweet tooth—everyone deserves a treat! Joe and Christina were the first folks to introduce me to 'local style' when I began go to their cafe/bakery yeeeears ago. Joe would bring by a complimentary piece of bread pudding and ask about my life and I swore off chain restaurants right then and there. 

Hope to see you tomorrow, friends!

 

Farmers' Market Wrap-up This Weekend

This year has been a blessing for us at BRAISED Bone Broth. After much deliberation we took the leap and became a vendor at the Downtown Des Moines Farmers’ Market at the end of last season.  As a developing small business it is easy to get bogged down in the every day details and behind the scenes stresses (especially now with two babies in tow), but the farmers’ market changed all of that for us! We are so inspired and motivated by the face-to-face connection to our customers and now have thousands of people sampling our product providing instant feedback. There is nothing better than seeing a satisfied BRAISED Bone Broth customer and knowing they are on their way to better health.  We even love the unfiltered haters (yes, there have been a few) who make us laugh and help to lighten up the often intense entrepreneurial life. 

While many of my fellow market vendors are winding down for the year and thinking about vacation (what's that?), we at BRAISED are gearing up for our busy season. Winter.  A good time for immune-boosting, prioritizing health and new beginnings, and crafting a comforting crock of soup for the perfect [holiday] gathering. 

Need to stock up on BRAISED for your winter self care arsenal? The last farmers' market of the year is coming up this weekend (Dec 14-15) at Capital Square from 8AM-2PM. Along with our pouches and concentrate products we will have bone broth shots and mugs for sale. New at the market for your unique, local, and healthy holiday gift giving will be our Start Up Bundle!

The Start Up Bundle with special FM pricing of $90 includes:

  • 1 Superfood Chicken Bone Broth Concentrate - (16 oz) makes 56-88 oz finished broth or about 10 mug servings
  • 2 Superfood Chicken Bone Broth Pouches - (20 oz each)
  • 1 bottle of Bulletproof Brain Octane Oil
  • 1 brick of Kerrygold Grass-fed Butter
  • 1 bag of Anti-Inflammatory Superfood Seasoning
  • 1 bag Chaga-Thyme Immune-Boosting Superfood Seasoning
  • 1 bag Dried Organic Chives
  • 4 Redmond’s Real Salt Pocket Shakers
  • 1 bottle Wildbrine Probiotic Smoky Jalapeño Sriracha
  • Seasonal soup recipe from the BRAISED Kitchen
  • FAQ and Craft Your Daily Cuppa Insert
  • Additional private consultation available for purchase

We will hope to see you! If nothing else, come say hi. Happy sipping and Happy Holidays from BRAISED. 


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