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Heya Hive peeps. I hope you all had a lovely weekend and are ready to rock this new week. I certainly am excited. In the past week, so many things have changed and we might have found a buyer for the bakery. Wednesday we will know more. It would be perfect if they say yes. We know the people very well and it would be nice if we don't have to go through the whole process of putting it up for sale and having endless business talks with potential buyers.

Also, another big change of plans! As some of you know, we had the plan to move to South America in 6 months. This week, however, we decided for many reasons that it would be better if we go to Portugal first for a year or two. We don’t need visas, it’s a crypto-friendly country, it’s beautiful, and property is so cheap there. We already saw a few beautiful plots and houses for sale!

Plus, as my hubby’s mom and my parents are getting older we are looking forward to being closer to home and seeing them more often. Portugal-Belgium is only 2,5 hours by plane.

Also, traveling from Portugal to South America is so much easier. This will help us to make a better decision on where to go and where to buy some land to start our off-grid dream.

Though I will still be needing the Spanish I just learned in the past year, Yesterday I started learning Portuguese… at first glance, it doesn’t seem too different from Spanish.

If you are reading this post and are Portuguese, all tips about Portugal are welcome in the comment box below!

Don’t you love life… it never gets boring if you keep your mind open to change! Yeahhh for flexibility! The friend we made all the plans with for South America will be joining us in Portugal too.

Though I am not too worried about the whole move to Portugal, I am a little nervous about selling the bakery. It is a lovely, profitable business so it shouldn’t be a problem…. But my friend, hubby and I are so ready to make the change that things can’t move fast enough at the moment…. So cross your fingers for me that I get good news on Wednesday!

But let’s talk probiotics and fermented food now.

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PROBIOTIC-RICH BEETROOT SAUERKRAUT

Traditional sauerkraut consists of cabbage and salt. Though it is very yum and healthy, I thought I could pimp this recipe and add some zing! My fermented beetroot sauerkraut is a combo of raw beetroot, cabbage (white and red), carrot, turmeric, ginger, garlic, and Himalayan pink salt.

This versatile beetroot sauerkraut can be tossed through your lunch salads and piled on top of your smashed avo toasts. You can even serve it as a side of many other dishes like Indian-style curries, soups, and veggie burgers.

Probiotic, fermented foods are jam-packed with good bacteria which improve digestion, boost immunity and help us maintain a healthy weight. Since fermented foods are a hot topic, more research studies are emerging showing just how important our gut is for overall health.

Keep your gut happy and healthy with these good bacteria and your gut will return the favor by keeping you happy and healthy!

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 1 1l JAR)

8 cups white and red cabbage, shredded (I used a mandoline)
2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
1 small red beet, grated
2-3 carrots, grated
2-3 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
2-3 tbsp fresh turmeric, grated
3 closed of garlic, minced

DIRECTIONS

Add the cabbage and salt to a large mixing bowl. Massage the cabbage for 3-5 minutes or until it breaks down and becomes soft. Then let it sit for 10 minutes or so until the mixture has wilted a bit and released more salty juice.

Meanwhile, grate the other ingredients and add them to the bowl with the cabbage. Massage for another 3-5 minutes. Start with 2 T ginger and turmeric, taste the mix, and add more if you like a strong ginger-turmeric flavor.

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NOTE: make sure to wear gloves when handling turmeric. I was wearing gloves when I peeled and grated the fresh turmeric root. Then I took them off to do something else... After I was so eager to get my hands into the bowl to massage the mixture I forgot to put the gloves back on…… This was the result…. Though It was a little less after taking a shower and washing my hands often, I had to go to work with yellow hands the next day!

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Pack the mixture and juice into a clean glass jar. Firmly pack down until the liquid comes up. The liquid should lightly cover the mixture. There should be enough liquid to completely cover the sauerkraut. Leave at least 1-2 inches of space at the top for expansion.

If there is not enough liquid to cover the cabbage, mix 1 tsp salt with 1-1.5 cups of water, and add until the water level is enough to cover the mixture.

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You will notice that the mixture will float to the top again so press down with a smaller jar or weights. I used this plastic thing I recovered from a store-bought jar of gherkins. I added clean marbles on top to weigh everything down. If you don’t have a similar plastic thing or small jar that fits in the bigger one to weigh everything down you can use an outer cabbage leaf and add marbles on top to make sure the mixtures stay submerged.

Cover loosely with a lid or a cheesecloth/coffee filter and rubber band. Place on your kitchen counter in a shaded place for 3-5 days. The number of days for fermenting will depend on the room temperature.

The next day tiny bubbles should rise to the top, indicating the fermentation has started. If scum appears, remove it with a spoon.

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After 5 days, screw the lid on the jar and place the sauerkraut in the fridge to slow down the fermentation process. The longer it ferments, the better it will taste! In about 10 days you can start eating.

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