What is ancestral eating?

After three years of recording podcast episodes, we thought it was about time we tackled this topic head-on. Because, although the word ancestral has become much more mainstream since we started, there is still much confusion about eating and living this way.

In this episode you will first hear us talk about what ancestral eating isn’t (including how it is different from eating carnivore or paleo) before we get onto defining what ancestral eating is. We will explain that it is not prescriptive, it's a philosophy and we will share what it means, practically, in the kitchen.

We both eat ancestrally, but our individual diets and kitchens look different we will outline that for you before talking about Who's Who in the ancestral eating world and giving you accessible and fun ways to move forward in your own ancestral kitchens.

Episode 100 is a huge milestone for us two ladies who love cooking and eating this way – please do share this episode and our podcast with anyone who you think would benefit from what we are up to.

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One Earth Health make the grass-fed organ supplements we use and trust. Get 15% off your first order here and 5% off all subsequent orders here.

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For more tips, inspiration and recipes sign up for Alison's newsletter here!

Get our two podcast cookbooks:

Meals at the Ancestral Hearth

Spelt Sourdough Every Day

Alison's course, Rye Sourdough Bread: Mastering The Basics is here, with a 10% discount applied!

Alison's Sowans oat fermentation course is here, with a 10% discount applied!

Get 10% off any course at The Fermentation School: click here and use code AKP at checkout.

Get 10% off US/Canada Bokashi supplies: click here and use code AKP.

Get 10% off UK Bokashi supplies.

Visit our (non-Amazon!) bookshop for a vast selection of ancestral cookbooks: US link here and UK link here.

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Our podcast is supported by Patrons in ancestral kitchens around the world!

Come join our community! You can choose to simply sponsor the podcast, or select from a variety of levels with benefits including monthly live Zoom calls, a private podcast feed stuffed with bonus content from Alison and Andrea, and a Discord discussion...

Ask us anything, we said! Grill us like a cheese sandwich! And you did! Our podcast supporters sent in questions for Alison and I to answer for this final episode of 2024 and we had a lot of fun answering them. Some of them were crazy! Some would take an entire podcast episode to answer thoroughly, and they were all really fun - like, "What are some non-ancestral things you do, or ancestral things you don't plan to ever do?" Or, "Tell us about Alison's past life!" Alison and I also came with some questions for each other, and we did not tell each other in advance what they would be, and we had a lot of fun answering them. We also recorded our aftershow and included it in this main feed episode as our gift to you. What other questions would you have asked? What are your answers to these questions? Do you think we answered them right? Tell us your thoughts after you hear this episode.

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One Earth Health make the grass-fed organ supplements we use and trust. Get 15% off your first order here and 5% off all subsequent orders here.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For more tips, inspiration and recipes sign up for Alison's newsletter here!

Get our two podcast cookbooks:

Meals at the Ancestral Hearth

Spelt Sourdough Every Day

Alison's course, Rye Sourdough Bread: Mastering The Basics is here, with a 10% discount applied!

Alison's Sowans oat fermentation course is here, with a 10% discount applied!

Get 10% off any course at The Fermentation School: click here and use code AKP at checkout.

Get 10% off US/Canada Bokashi supplies: click here and use code AKP.

Get 10% off UK Bokashi supplies.

Visit our (non-Amazon!) bookshop for a vast selection of ancestral cookbooks: US link here and UK link here.

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Our podcast is supported by Patrons in ancestral kitchens around the world!

Come join our community! You can choose to simply sponsor the podcast, or select from a variety of levels with benefits including monthly live Zoom calls, a private podcast feed stuffed with bonus content from Alison and Andrea, and a Discord discussion group.

To read more about becoming a patron and explore the various levels, click here!

Do you dislike all the fuss, packaging and stress that a mainstream Christmas involves? So do we! Both of us have spent many years cultivating Christmases that are low-key, close to zero-waste and calm. And they are beautiful. Listen in as we share our tips for experiencing a green and peaceful Christmas.

Our 2024 Christmas Hamper is now available for all companionship or above supporters of the podcast. It's full of Christmas gift ideas, recipes and routines that will support you to have a wonderful festive period. Much love from both of us for the holidays.

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One Earth Health make the grass-fed organ supplements we use and trust. Get 15% off your first order here and 5% off all subsequent orders here.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For more tips, inspiration and recipes sign up for Alison's newsletter here!

Get our two podcast cookbooks:

Meals at the Ancestral Hearth

Spelt Sourdough Every Day

Alison's course, Rye Sourdough Bread: Mastering The Basics is here, with a 10% discount applied!

Alison's Sowans oat fermentation course is here, with a 10% discount applied!

Get 10% off any course at The Fermentation School: click here and use code AKP at checkout.

Get 10% off US/Canada Bokashi supplies: click here and use code AKP.

Get 10% off UK Bokashi supplies.

Visit our (non-Amazon!) bookshop for a vast selection of ancestral cookbooks: US link here and UK link here.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Our podcast is supported by Patrons in ancestral kitchens around the world!

Come join our community! You can choose to simply sponsor the podcast, or select from a variety of levels with benefits including monthly live Zoom calls, a private podcast feed stuffed with bonus content from Alison and Andrea, and a Discord discussion group.

To read more about becoming a patron and explore the various levels, click here!

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5* reviews on Apple Podcasts, mean the world to us!

Here's how you can leave one:

1. Open the Apple...

In this wonderful episode, I got to sit down with Christine Muldoon, who is a friend, the creator of NourishtheLittles.com, a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, a mother and wife, and also a follower of the Weston A Price principles of food. She is also the co-host of the podcast Modern Ancestral Mamas with her amazing co-host, Corey Dunn. I wanted to tap into Christine's incredible knowledge base and wisdom for post-partum care, and really nourishing mom in the post-partum window of time. I wanted to highlight WHY it is so important, why is the rest so important, and what are some of the foods we should be focusing on and types of foods we should be eating. Christine absolutely delivered in this episode, I enjoyed hearing all her wisdom and great advice as well as some humorous stories along the way.

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One Earth Health make the grass-fed organ supplements we use and trust. Get 15% off your first order here and 5% off all subsequent orders here.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For more tips, inspiration and recipes sign up for Alison's newsletter here!

Get our two podcast cookbooks:

Meals at the Ancestral Hearth

Spelt Sourdough Every Day

Alison's course, Rye Sourdough Bread: Mastering The Basics is here, with a 10% discount applied!

Alison's Sowans oat fermentation course is here, with a 10% discount applied!

Get 10% off any course at The Fermentation School: click here and use code AKP at checkout.

Get 10% off US/Canada Bokashi supplies: click here and use code AKP.

Get 10% off UK Bokashi supplies.

Visit our (non-Amazon!) bookshop for a vast selection of ancestral cookbooks: US link here and UK link here.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Our podcast is supported by Patrons in ancestral kitchens around the world!

Come join our community! You can choose to simply sponsor the podcast, or select from a variety of levels with benefits including monthly live Zoom calls, a private podcast feed stuffed with bonus content from Alison and Andrea, and a Discord discussion group.

To read more about becoming a patron and explore the various levels, click here!

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The personal...

How do you eat ancestrally and seasonally even during winter, when the produce stands maybe are shut down and your garden may be covered over with snow for the season and your body needs a different kind of support than it does during the busy, active days of summer? In this episode Alison and Kathie, who is a longtime listener, supporter and friend of the podcast, got to talk about all of these topics and much more. Kathie is the creator of Homespun Seasonal Living, one of my favourite websites for pulling recipes, and Kathie is an expert and authority on all things food preservation, gardening and storage.

In this episode they covered some great winter vegetable and fruit options, storage of winter produce, and of course preservation methods including canning, freezing, dehydrating and fermenting, and of course the often debated topic of nutrient loss during preservation. They also discussed aspects of combatting winter food boredom by creating variety in the diet and ways to alleviate the heaviness of winter food. They also covered some interesting ideas for using spices and sauerkraut, different ways of using microgreens and sprouts, and Kathie created a wonderful Winter Eating Guide that listeners can download in the show notes. Kathie is also the creator of one of my very favourite mailing lists, and you can sign up for her mailing list in the show notes right now and get the Winter Eating Guide as well as some other benefits on top that if you like. I love the recipes I've gotten from her mailing list and she is so creative with her use of herbs and her different cosy beverages and things that she comes up with. I am looking forward to hearing how you enjoy this episode and what you and your family do to keep things cosy and local during the winter.

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One Earth Health make the grass-fed organ supplements we use and trust. Get 15% off your first order here and 5% off all subsequent orders here.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For more tips, inspiration and recipes sign up for Alison's newsletter here!

Get our two podcast cookbooks:

Meals at the Ancestral Hearth

Spelt Sourdough Every Day

Alison's course, Rye Sourdough Bread: Mastering The Basics is here, with a 10% discount applied!

Alison's Sowans oat fermentation course is here, with a 10% discount applied!

Get 10% off any course at The Fermentation School: click here and use code AKP at checkout.

Get 10% off US/Canada Bokashi supplies: click here and use code AKP.

Get 10% off UK Bokashi supplies.

Visit our (non-Amazon!) bookshop for a vast...

What is a Christmas pudding and how did it develop into the U.K.'s favourite festive dessert? What's inside one and, importantly, how can you make one in your kitchen?

In this episode we'll talk about the fascinating history of Christmas pudding and then dive into the practicalities of making your very own festive pudding.

What are the ingredients? How can you combine them? What's the cooking method? How do you serve it and what can you do with the leftovers?

We'll cover recipes from as far back as 1300 right up to the modern day and you will leave excited and ready to bring to life this traditional British Christmas desert in your own kitchen wherever you live in the world.

We'll both be cooking up a Christmas pudding this year, we love it if you would join us. Check out the free download with folklore, recipes and tips that's available for all listeners below.

Thanks to our supporters Andrea and I have recently invested in some new recording equipment. This means that future podcasts will be clearer. But, as we all know, new technologies have teething problems. And we experienced them here. This episode is clear, but, some of it isn't as high-quality as you are used to from us and we apologise for that. It won't take away from your enjoyment of Christmas puddings.

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One Earth Health make the grass-fed organ supplements we use and trust. Get 15% off your first order here and 5% off all subsequent orders here.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For more tips, inspiration and recipes sign up for Alison's newsletter here!

Get our two podcast cookbooks:

Meals at the Ancestral Hearth

Spelt Sourdough Every Day

Alison's course, Rye Sourdough Bread: Mastering The Basics is here, with a 10% discount applied!

Alison's Sowans oat fermentation course is here, with a 10% discount applied!

Get 10% off any course at The Fermentation School: click here and use code AKP at checkout.

Get 10% off US/Canada Bokashi supplies: click here and use code AKP.

Get 10% off UK Bokashi supplies.

Visit our (non-Amazon!) bookshop for a vast selection of ancestral cookbooks: US link here and UK link here.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Our podcast is supported by Patrons in ancestral kitchens around the world!

Come join our...

This is such a great episode covering Seven Ancestral Swap That Will Save You Money. We are assuming you are already well on the way to eating ancestral diet, so these are not swapping ancestral foods for conventional foods; these are swaps within the ancestral food paradigm that Alison and I have utilized to save money - within saving money. Everyone is tightening up their budgets right now and we are no exception to that. The conversation around fats, dairy products and drinks and so much more in this episode is so interesting; and the last, most complex swap is a very interesting one that has saved our family thousands of dollars, and it is well worth the time and effort it takes to investigate it.

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One Earth Health make the grass-fed organ supplements we use and trust. Get 15% off your first order here and 5% off all subsequent orders here.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For more tips, inspiration and recipes sign up for Alison's newsletter here!

Get our two podcast cookbooks:

Meals at the Ancestral Hearth

Spelt Sourdough Every Day

Alison's course, Rye Sourdough Bread: Mastering The Basics is here, with a 10% discount applied!

Alison's Sowans oat fermentation course is here, with a 10% discount applied!

Get 10% off any course at The Fermentation School: click here and use code AKP at checkout.

Get 10% off US/Canada Bokashi supplies: click here and use code AKP.

Get 10% off UK Bokashi supplies.

Visit our (non-Amazon!) bookshop for a vast selection of ancestral cookbooks: US link here and UK link here.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Our podcast is supported by Patrons in ancestral kitchens around the world!

Come join our community! You can choose to simply sponsor the podcast, or select from a variety of levels with benefits including monthly live Zoom calls, a private podcast feed stuffed with bonus content from Alison and Andrea, and a Discord discussion group.

To read more about becoming a patron and explore the various levels, click here!

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What we cover:

• Use regional fats
• Swap sour cream for other home-made milk...

Today we got to sit down again with Meredith Leigh, a butcher and author of The Ethical Meat Handbook, and ask her a lot of questions about Confit, Rilette and Terrines. Meredith has a course on these three items - including headcheese, by the way - a course which Alison and I both took, and made use of in our own kitchens, and we loved the tasty results so much we wanted to ask Meredith more and get her on the air so you could hear her talk about these incredible versatile and thrifty preparation and preservation methods of storing meat, fat and scraps that honestly would often otherwise end up in the trash. Gary and I learned to make our new favorite lunch meat spread by going through this process, and made what is now going to be a staple every time we process a pig - and we cannot wait to try these processes with ducks, sheep, beef, turkey and other animals we raise on the farm. I look forward to hearing about all the variety of spices and means you will use to make these delightful, ancestral dishes. Enjoy the episode, and - warning - you might get a little hungry.

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One Earth Health make the grass-fed organ supplements we use and trust. Get 15% off your first order here and 5% off all subsequent orders here.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

For more tips, inspiration and recipes sign up for Alison's newsletter here!

Get our two podcast cookbooks:

Meals at the Ancestral Hearth

Spelt Sourdough Every Day

Alison's course, Rye Sourdough Bread: Mastering The Basics is here, with a 10% discount applied!

Alison's Sowans oat fermentation course is here, with a 10% discount applied!

Get 10% off any course at The Fermentation School: click here and use code AKP at checkout.

Get 10% off US/Canada Bokashi supplies: click here and use code AKP.

Get 10% off UK Bokashi supplies.

Visit our (non-Amazon!) bookshop for a vast selection of ancestral cookbooks: US link here and UK link here.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Our podcast is supported by Patrons in ancestral kitchens around the world!

Come join our community! You can choose to simply sponsor the podcast, or select from a variety of levels with benefits including monthly live Zoom calls, a private podcast feed stuffed with bonus content from Alison and Andrea, and a Discord discussion group.