Local Market: Nalls Produce in Alexandria, Virginia

This weekend I met with Valerie Nalls whose family has been sharing produce and plants with their Virginia community for more than 50 years. Things are quiet now,  in January,  but there was a steady stream of customers coming to collect their CSA boxes. I love nurseries and farms so this was a real treat. Valerie wanted to see Brainy Belly Bone Broth for herself, to see if it might appeal to the group embarking on a Paleo Whole30 later this month.  The link offers more info if you'd like to join in.

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It was great  to hear how a passionate community has coalesced around this family business in a Washington DC suburb.  It's clear that Valerie and her staff are attuned to the needs of their customers and working to find creative ways to connect and serve. 

I am pleased to say that they are now stocking our Bone Broth and suggest a visit whether for the Whole30, fresh produce or your garden dreams.

Nalls Produce
7310 Beulah Road
Alexandria, Virginia 22315

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Local Markets: Brainy Belly Bone Broth now at YES Organic Markets

It was at the October Union Kitchen Tasting that John Parks, of Yes Organic Markets came striding towards my small stretch of table, saying "let me taste your broth!" He peppered me with questions regarding our sources for bones, how they were raised , whether the broth gelled when cooled and what other ingredients were included. 

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He nodded approvingly as he tried each flavor, took my marketing materials, spoke quietly with an associate and disappeared.  That was on a Friday, and Sunday evening a purchase order appeared, for a case of each variety to go out on the following Tuesday morning, to each of six DC area YES Organic Markets. And just like that our production moved into a whole new gear. 

When your mission is to make quality bone broth available, whether for those on a healing diet or anyone wanting to give their cooking a major flavor upgrade, this is excellent news. We've been shipping broth all over the country but now it is easier than ever to walk into any of six YES Organic Markets and purchase Brainy Belly Bone Broth for immediate use. No waiting for the Fedex delivery truck. Defrost at will, and enjoy! 

Please look for it at the following locations:

Adams Morgan

1825 Columbia Rd. NW
Washington, DC 20009
202-462-2069

HOURS
Monday - Saturday 7 am - 10 pm
Sunday 8 am - 9 pm

Brookland

3809 12th St. NE
Washington, DC 20017
202-832-7715
Free customer parking available

HOURS
Monday - Saturday 7 am - 10 pm
Sunday 7 am - 9 pm

Capitol Hill

410 8th St. SE
Washington, DC 20003
202-546-4325

HOURS
Monday - Saturday 7 am - 10 pm
Sunday 7 am - 9 pm

Cleveland Park

3425 Connecticut Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20008
202-363-1559

HOURS: CLOSED TEMPORARILY FOR RENOVATIONS
(Reopening in late December)

Petworth

4100 Georgia Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20011
202-291-5790
Free customer parking available

HOURS
Monday - Saturday 7 am - 10 pm
Sunday 7 am - 9 pm

14th St.

2123 14th St. NW
Washington, DC 20009
202-232-6603
Garage parking validation available for customers

HOURS
Monday - Friday 7 am - 10 pm
Saturday - Sunday 8 am - 10 pm

Hyattsville, MD

5331 Baltimore Ave.
Hyattsville, MD 20781
301-779-1205
Free customer parking available

HOURS
Monday - Sunday 7 am - 10 pm

Using Bone Broth Every Day

Here's a few ideas for how to bring bone broth into your daily cooking. My personal favorite is to use beef broth when I saute swiss chard in a bit of olive oil with onions. Once the onions have become translucent add the chopped and washed swiss chard, stirring to coat the chard with oil. As it begins to wilt reduce the heat and add 1 cup of broth. Cook until sauce is thickened and enjoy!

What is your favorite use for bone broth? Please share in the comments section below. Or tweet using the hashtag #UsingBoneBroth. It's always the big question that I get at demos so let's talk about it.

Local Market: The Market at River Falls: Sharing Bone Broth

Spent a few hours at the beautiful Market at River Falls in Potomac, Maryland sharing hot bone broth samples and recipe ideas.  

Owner Jim McWhorter in the background, the case filled with incredible grass fed beef and fresh seafood. 

Co-Owner Jim McWhorter sent out an email about Brainy Belly to his customer list and I met lots of people following special diets who were pleased to find a quality bone broth in the freezer.  So a big HELLO! to Potomac, Maryland. Brainy Belly Bone Broth is in the freezer, now at The Market at River Falls.

THE MARKET AT RIVER FALLS

10124 River Road
Potomac, MD 20854
301-765-8001

email@MarketRiverFalls.com

Store Hours:
Monday – Friday 10am – 7:30pm
Saturday 10am – 7:30pm
Sunday 11am – 6:30pm

Dancing Creek Farm and Mick's Chickens

It is with great pleasure that I am able to announce Dancing Creek Farm as a supplier for organic, pasture raised chickens for our bone broth and 'about to be introduced' Chicken Comfort Soup.

Thanks to the North Atherton Farmer's Market for the photo of Mick and his son, now a few years older.

I have been buying chickens from Mick for several years at the Sheridan School Farmer's Market in Washington DC and it took many weeks of waiting for him to decide to be a Brainy Belly supplier.

Ever since a trip to England in the 1980's I have been on the hunt for chickens that tasted like the ones I had during my visit. They had a flavor that was more than the touted neutral taste of most US market birds with a certain richness and meatiness that was missing from birds purchased at home. And once I started making chicken bone broth, it was obvious that the birds sold at a grocery, often only 10-12 weeks old when butchered just did not produce the gelatin rich broth that I wanted. 

Dancing Creek's birds were a revelation. They are larger and older than most market birds, weighing 3 - 4 pounds. Not only is the meat delicious however it is prepared, but the bones make wonderful broth with significant gelatin content and a hearty, comforting flavor. Mick also brings small bags of chicken feet to market and often has packages "For Stock" which are the backs and necks of birds left after breasts and legs are removed for specialty packaging. And his farm is certified organic and follows organic farming practices. 

He has a limited web presence but you can find more information and his market schedule here: Dancing Creek Farm.

Dr. Terry Wahls and The Wahls Protocol

In Cedar Rapids, Iowa this past Thursday - Saturday, Brainy Belly shared samples of Bone Broth as well as the excitement surrounding The Wahls Protocol. Dr. Terry Wahls, pictured below sharing a cup of Brainy Belly broth with me, Janalee Redmond, presented a fascinating three day seminar designed to educate patients and practitioners alike on the science and practices of her protocol to treat Multiple Sclerosis. Because of the steady decline she was suffering personally due to her own MS, she made dramatic shifts in her diet and treatment approach. Today she feels that she is in remission, free of the symptoms which placed her in a wheelchair and almost unable to function only seven years ago. She's since written best-selling books on the topic, given a widely viewed TED talk and conducted a small clinical trial which successfully replicated her results. She is rolling out an online coaching and training practice for patients and practitioners in the next few months.

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The presentation of complex microbiome and epigenetic information was so well done that all participants remained engaged and benefited enormously. Seldom have I participated in a seminar that faced the emotional toll of serious illness with such courage and generosity. Dr. Wahl and her family discussed what they each experienced as her illness progressed and took questions from the audience.

V Capaldi, aka PaleoBOSS Lady shared her personal regime of stretching, yoga and massage balls with great aplomb. Several of Dr. Wahls professional colleagues shared diet guidelines, relaxation techniques and experiences from tailoring The Wahls Protocol for the needs of patients. Darryl Edwards, The Fitness Explorer flew in from London to share his Primal Play program, which makes movement, not exercise the goal. The requisite long hours, filled with fascinating information were offset by breaks for delicious Wahls Protocol smoothies, lunch and dinners of Wahls Protocol meals (prepared by the very helpful Cedar Rapids Marriott, great conversations and many new friends.

Advances in our understanding of the Human Microbiome is exciting science, but seeing those who have restored their health and reversed their MS share stories of how they succeeded through changes to their diet and lifestyle was a true inspiration.

Dr. Wahls books on Amazon.

The Wahls Foundation, Inc. is a nonprofit entity created May 11, 2011 whose mission is to educate the public and health-care practitioners about the benefits of an integrative approach to optimal health for those with multiple sclerosis and other chronic disease issues, emphasizing adoption of health behaviors.