The Major Oak

Probably the most famous resident of Sherwood Forest (after Robin Hood of course), the iconic Major Oak is an ancient giant that absolutely cannot be missed.

The Major Oak is arguably the best known and certainly one of the most enormous oak trees in Britain, with a canopy spread of 28 meters, a trunk circumference of 11 meters, and an estimated weight of 23 tonnes.

It’s unclear whether the Major Oak is one tree or multiple saplings that have fused together.

There’s one character we can’t ignore – Robin Hood.

Legend has it that when the forest was home to this famous outlaw, Robin and his Merry Men used the Major Oak for shelter; camping beneath its branches and hiding inside its massive trunk.

Nowadays, the Major Oak provides a home and shelter to hundreds of living things: beetles, bats, fungi, squirrels, and spiders amongst much more!

Read more at https://www.visitsherwood.co.uk/explore-the-forest/the-major-oak/

Have a wonderful day 😉

Irena

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Summer - ice cream and ice cubes.

The recipe for Acorn Coffee Ice Cream is here.

The recipe for Ice cubes Acorn Coffee is here.

Have a wonderful day 😉

Irena

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What is balanophagy?

Balanophagy—the practice of eating acorns.

Balanophagy the practice of eating acorns from the oak Quercus and Notholithocarpus, has played an important part in the diets of many cultures around the world. 

In fact, the  Roman natural philosopher, Pliny the Elder, regarded the sacred oak as the “tree which first produced food for mortal man.”

Read more at https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-reintroducing-acorns-into-the-human-diet-a-nutty-idea/

Have a wonderful day 😉

Irena

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The biggest oak tree in Europe.

Where is the biggest oak tree in Europe?

"Uncle Google" offers several answers.

One of the answers is in Lithuania.

The king of Lithuanian forests, the largest and oldest in Lithuania, Stelmužė oak can be one to two thousand years old. It is one of the oldest trees in Europe.

It takes 8-9 people to make a living chain around its trunk, whose diameter at the base is as much as 13 meters.

In its lifetime, the tree has witnessed ancient Lithuanian dukes, Teutonic Knights, and Swedish soldiers, as well as Napoleon's army.

source: https://www.lithuania.travel/en/place/stelmuze-2

Another answer is in neighboring Austria.

In the region of Bad Blumau, which is best known for its thermal baths.

This 1,000-year-old oak, with its considerable girth of 8.75 meters, is widely considered to be the oldest oak in Europe.

It stands on a meadow surrounded by a forest. You will come across it on the hiking trails from Weinbergweg to Bierbaumberg.

You can relax in its shade or sit and reflect on the many, sometimes stormy, times this majestic tree has lived through.

Source: https://www.bad-blumau.com/en/region/ausflugsziele/1000-jaehrige-eiche/

The last answer is in Denmark.

And this oak is probably REALLY the oldest oak in Europe.
This tree is called "Kongeegen".

The oak, called Kongeegen (which translates to King's Oak), is the oldest oak in Europe and the most famous tree in Denmark, located in the Nordskov forest.

They say that the tree was already quite old during the reign of King Gorm the Old (916-958).

A scientific survey of the tree rings in 1965 indicated that the tree was at least 1,450 years old, but could be as old as 1,900 years.

Source: https://www.monumentaltrees.com/en/dnk/capitalregion/frederikssund/942_jaegersprisnordskov/1698/

Have a wonderful day 😉

Irena

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The hormonal state of your body.

The thyroid gland is a small gland located in the lower part of the neck, below the throat. 

The thyroid gland secretes hormones* that regulate the body's metabolism, so improper functioning of the thyroid gland can cause many problems.

May 25th is World Thyroid Day.

You can read more about Thyroid HERE.

Some words about hormonal imbalance.

Hormonal imbalance in the body can be caused by several factors, including improper diet.

Among the most common types of food that can cause a bad hormonal state in the body are:

• Refined sugar and carbohydrates: A large amount of refined sugar and simple carbohydrates in the diet can cause an abnormal increase in insulin levels in the body, which can cause hormonal imbalance.
• Trans fats: Foods that contain trans fats, such as fast food, junk food, and processed foods, can cause inflammation in the body, which can affect hormone production.
• Caffeine: Caffeine can cause increased secretion of cortisol, the stress hormone, which can lead to hormonal imbalance.
• Dairy products: dairy products that are high in fat can affect the production of hormones in the body.
• Alcohol: excessive consumption of alcohol can cause hormonal imbalance, especially in women, as it can cause disturbances in the menstrual cycle.

However, it is important to know that diet is only one of the factors that can affect the hormonal state of the body.

In addition, hormones are very complex, so determining the causes of hormonal imbalance requires professional advice from a doctor.

Have a nice day 😉

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Soup with Acorn Flour.

Soup - prežganka is a soup that warms us up and regulates digestion. 

Prežganka is a soup made by roasting and browning flour.

The preparation is quick and easy. We will need max. 10 minutes.

A very basic recipe contains fat, flour, water, salt, and eggs.

Of course, many variations of this soup have evolved from this.

Recipe for prežganka🥣 with acorn flour 👌.

Ingredients:

✅ half a spoonful of butter or vegetable oil,

✅ spoon of wheat flour,

✅ spoon of acorn flour,

✅ cumin (ground and whole),

✅ pinch of salt,

✅ pinch of pepper

✅ 2,5 dcl of water,

✅ 1 (smaller) egg,

✅ Parsley for sprinkling.

Preparation:

Melt the butter in a saucepan. Then sprinkle a spoonful of wheat flour and a spoonful of acorn flour, and roast/brown them on low heat while stirring. (But be careful not to burn it‼)

Gradually pour in the water, stirring constantly to melt all the lumps. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and cumin (ground and whole), and cook the soup for a few minutes until it boils.

Beat the egg well in a cup and slowly cook it in the boiling soup while constantly stirring. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until the egg is scrambled, then remove the pot.

Beat the egg well in a cup and slowly cook it in the boiling soup while constantly stirring. Cook for another 1 - 2 minutes, until the egg is scrambled, then put the pot aside.

Serve the prežganka on deep plates and sprinkle with a little chopped parsley.

Enjoy.

Have a wonderful day 😉

Irena

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Acorn Flour as a Source of Bioactive Compounds in Gluten-Free Bread

I came across a study with the title

Acorn Flour as a Source of Bioactive Compounds in Gluten-Free Bread

You can read the entire study/article here.

Short summary.

This study aimed to evaluate the use of acorn flour as a source of bioactive compounds and a naturally gluten-free ingredient for baking gluten-free bread.

The study used acorns of Holm oak (Quercus rotundifolia and Quercus ilex) and Cork oak ( Quercus suber).

The nutritional and functional properties of acorns are exceptional:

• rich in unsaturated fatty acids and fiber,
• vitamin E,
• chlorophylls,
• carotenoids,
• phenolic compounds and
• antioxidant properties.

Acorn flour can be considered a good source of bioactive compounds and antioxidants in gluten-free bread.

In terms of sensory properties, the addition of acorn flour had a positive effect on most parameters (texture, volume, color, and general quality), making the bread darker and more beautiful in appearance.

The study found that the 23% inclusion level of acorn flour was the most desirable in terms of sensory evaluation. 

Therefore, the use of acorn flour provides nutrients and bioactive compounds that enable the enrichment of gluten-free bread and at the same time reveal attractive sensory properties.

It is interesting that by rediscovering the value of such an important ingredient in the past, we are moving towards innovation. 

In addition, acorns are an underutilized resource that can be reintroduced into the food chain with multiple benefits.

Acorn Flour is available here.

Have a lovely Thursday 😉

Irena

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Acorn Face Oil

Last month's topic was Acorn Extract.

You can read more here.

You can check that there are already some acorn cosmetic products on the links below:

• https://coscorea.com/products/manyo-factory-zaodam-acorns-pore-care-toner-300ml
• https://acornoak.com.au/product/anti-inflammatory-cream/
• https://n8ivbeauty.com/products/starlight-regenerative-acorn-oil-serum

Of course, you can prepare your own oil version for face and body care at home.

Homemade Acorn Face Oil

Preparation:

• put 5 spoons of almond oil in a container/pan and heat it up a little. 
• Then add half a spoonful of acorn coffee and heat on low heat for 30 minutes and occasionally stir the mixture.
• Cool the oil, *strain, and pour into a bottle.

*Acorn coffee grounds are used for facial peeling.

Have a lovely February day 😉

Irena

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Acorn Extract 🤔🤨❓

This week I found a document that confirms the positive effects of acorn - acorn extract for skin and hair care.

You can view the document here.

Acorn Extract acts as an astringent and healing agent.

Acorn Extract has antiseptic, antieczematous, and lenitive properties. 
It helps to treat inflamed, damaged, irritated, and infected skin. 

Acorn Extract combats sweating and is suitable for skin and oily hair care applications.

Acorn extract can be used in shampoos, conditioners, and body and face skin care.

If you are one of those who use the same ingredients in cosmetic products as in food, then prepare an Acorn Coffee tonic.

Preparation:

• brew acorn coffee according to the instructions (one small cup is enough),
• separate the liquid from the sediment,
• apply the liquid with a cotton ball to the face or other affected area (e.g. scalp), and let it absorb.

Keep the tonic in the fridge.

Have a nice January day 😉

Irena

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We are in a magical✨December 🎄🎀

Here we are in a magical ✨ December.

This is the month of decorating🎄🎀 , tempting smells🍪🧁 , best wishes🤝, toasting 🍾🥂, closure🔚, 🆕 beginnings 🔝 and gift-giving 🎁.

The advent decoration on my working table this year looks like this 👇.

My favorite advent wreath with acorn caps is still this one 👇

I can say that one of the best Christmas gifts is one that you can eat. 

The exception is children and teenagers, they like different gifts.

If you agree with me, you can give cookies 🍪 that you made yourself in a decorated 🎀 jar.

Here is my EVERGREEN recipe for Xmass Cookies with Acorn Flour.

(I use this recipe since 2017 and I love it 💜💜).

1. Ingredients:

• 140 g butter,
• 100g of muscovado sugar,
• 3 tablespoons of honey,
• 175g flour, 175g Acorn Flour,
• a spoonful of baking powder,
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon,
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger,
• pinch of salt,
• a pinch of pepper.

2. Preparation:

Put flour, Acorn Flour, baking powder, and spices - cinnamon, ginger, a pinch of salt, and a pinch of pepper in a bowl.

Melt the butter in a pan, and add sugar and honey. Add this mixture to the ingredients in a bowl and knead a firm dough.

Place the dough in the cold for half an hour.

Then roll it out to a thickness of 4 to 5 mm on a floured surface or on baking paper and cut out the biscuits with a model and place them on the baking tray.

Bake the biscuits in a preheated oven at 180 ° C for about 11 minutes.

Then wait for them to cool. If desired, decorate them with glaze, chocolate, etc.

xoxoxo🎅🏽🎄🎁

I wish you a magical ✨ December.

Have a nice day 😉

Irena

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This is how I prepared bread with acorn flour 5️⃣ years ago.

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Halloween Cookies with Acorn Flour

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Quick "office" snack with Acorn Coffee in a glass.

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Acorn Pie 🥧 with Walnuts and Apples.

Here is a recipe for Acorn Pie with Walnuts and Apples.

1. Ingredients for the dough:

2. Ingredients for the filling:

• 280 g of walnuts,
• 50 g of butter,
• 125 g of sugar,
• 2 egg yolks,
• 2 egg whites,
• a little cinnamon
• grated rind of 1/2 lemon,
• 2 tablespoons of sour cream,
• approx. 4 apples.

3. Preparation:

Sift both flours, and add the butter cut into pieces, which are rubbed into the flour with your hands.

Make a hole in the middle of the mixture, add sugar, vanilla sugar, a pinch of salt, and a beaten egg. Then knead the dough.

When you are done let the dough rest for about an hour in a cold place.

In the meantime prepare the filling. In the bowl mix the butter, sugar, and egg yolks until foamy, then add cinnamon, lemon peel, sour cream, walnuts, and finally the egg white snow

Fill the dough with a walnut filling and place apples on top, which can be sprinkled with cinnamon if desired. 

Bake in a heated oven at 200°C approx. 20 minutes.

Cool and serve 🥧😋.

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Tannins - help with sunburned 🌞skin.

It is summer and the sun is very hot. It can quickly happen that we get sunburned.

Acorns (and of course also acorn coffee) contain tannin.
Tannin has some positive effects on our skin.

 
The term tannin (from Old German, tanna being the Old High German word for oak or fir, as in tannenbaum) refers to the use of wood tannins from oak in the tanning of animal hides for leather.

Hence the word "tanning" means "tanning" for the treatment of leather.

In addition to tanning, there are some other useful tips.

The properties of tannin in skin care are:

• astringent: they have a narrowing and protective effect on the skin, so they reduce the appearance of pores,

• soothing: reduce redness and inflammation,

• photoprotective: tannin has significant anti-inflammatory effects on the skin response caused by UV rays or radiation (this is mainly related to sunburn), and

• anti-fungal.

How to get tannin in a usable form?

By preparing an acorn coffee tonic.

After cooking acorn coffee (one small cup is enough), first cool it and then separate the liquid from the sediment.

Then soak a cotton ball or cloth in the liquid and apply it to the affected area. Let it soak in.

Store acorn coffee tonic in the refrigerator.

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Keto diet with Acorn Flour❓❔

On the link is an article titled your Keto Flour for Yards. 

It is a homemade Acorn Flour in USA.

Let's look at the details below.

A keto diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet.

You eat foods that are rich in fats and proteins.

To put it simply, in a ketone diet you consume 5% carbohydrates, 15 to 25% protein, and 75% fat daily.

vir: https://vizita.si/zdravje/dieta/keto-dieta.html

A few years ago, I wrote that acorns can contain from 1.1% to 31.3% oil.

The fact is that there are more than 600 species of oak trees in the world, and thus also acorns, which differ from each other.

Acorns in our country Slovenia contain about 3-5% oil.

Therefore, Acorn Flour of Slovenian origin does not belong in the keto diet.

It is different, for some American varieties of acorns. Their acorns are much fattier, they can be compared to olive olives.

Have a nice day 😉

Irena

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A quick snack with acorn flour

This time I have prepared a snack (bread), for which we need just 30min.

Here is a recipe for a quick snack with acorn flour.

1. Ingredients:

(for 10-12 pieces)

• 1 cup flour,
• 1/2 cup Acorn Flour,
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder,
• 1/3 teaspoon baking soda,
• 1/2 teaspoon salt,
• 3 tablespoons softened butter,
• 6 tablespoons milk.

2. Preparation:

Sift flour into a bowl, along with acorn flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Add butter and rub it into the flour with your hands, then add more milk and knead the dough.

Knead it well on a floured surface.

Roll out the dough to 1 cm and cut it into triangles.

Place the pieces on baking paper and bake in a preheated oven at 220 ° C for about 10 minutes.

Wait for them to cool down.

The snacks are crispy and have a very pleasant tasting.

Have a nice day 😉

Irena

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Easter is here. Will you bake bread 🍞at home❓

1. Ingredients:

• 3.5 g of dry yeast (or 10 g of fresh yeast),
• 1/2 cup lukewarm milk
• 1/3 cup butter or other fat
• 1 tablespoon sugar,
• 1/3 teaspoon salt,
• 1 egg,
• 2/3 cup raisins,
• 1 and 1/2 cups flour,
• 1/2 cup acorn flour,
• 1 egg for spreading,
• sugar for sprinkling.

2. Preparation:

1. put yeast in lukewarm milk. In a mixing bowl, froth the butter with the sugar, add the salt, yeast milk, beaten egg, and raisins, all mix well.

2. Then gradually add sifted flour and acorn flour to this mass. Mix everything well and knead to make the dough smooth and pliable.

3. Place the processed dough in a warm place for approx. 1 hour and a half.

4. When the dough rises enough or. double the amount, make loaves of it, place them on baking paper, cover, and leave to rise for another ten minutes.

5. Then brush them with egg and sprinkle them with sugar.

6. Place in a preheated oven at 200 ° C and bake for approx. 15 min. depending on the size of the loaves.

Once baked, place on a wire rack to cool *.

* They go well with butter.

Have a nice day 😉 and HAPPY EASTER 🐰🐣

Irena

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Noodles with Acorn Flour 😋

I am testing the usefulness of Acorn Flour.

This time in noodles.

1. Ingredients:

(for 100g pasta)

• 85g plain flour,
• 15g Acorn Flour,
• a drop or two of olive oil
• 1 egg,
• sol,
• approx. 0.5 dcl of water.

2. Preparation:

1. Put plain flour and acorn flour in a bowl or on the work surface and mix them well.

2. Add salt and a drop of olive oil. Make a hole in the middle to kill one egg and add water. Mix all the ingredients and start kneading. Knead for 10 minutes.

3. Form the dough into a ball; it can be wrapped in stretch foil or covered with a kitchen towel, and let it rest for 30 minutes.

4. Then roll out the dough very well into 0.5 mm thick pieces and cut into strips. 

Noodles can be cooked immediately (freshly cooked for about 5 minutes, depending on the thickness) or dried and used another time.

Noodles with Acorn Flour taste very good. Used them as a side dish or as a standalone dish with any sauce.

Have a nice day 😉

Irena

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Spices with which you will improve acorn coffee.

My top 3️⃣ spices with which I improve acorn coffee and also warm the body are...

These spices are: cinnamon, ginger or cardamom.

1.  Cinnamon

Choose a spice that you simply add to the acorn coffee during the cooking process itself or at the end as a sprinkle. This will improve the taste of acorn coffee and enjoy the effects that the spice has on your well-being and health.

Cinnamon has a warm scent. We know mainly Ceylon or real cinnamon (which is more expensive) and cinnamon, which originates from China or Indonesia.

Its positive properties are: it prevents the formation of blood clots, has anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial effects, regulates blood sugar levels, lowers bad cholesterol and triglycerides.

It is the best antioxidant spice, which also stimulates brain function.

2.  Ginger

Ginger originates from Southeast Asia, India and China. It is best known for eliminating nausea.

It also relieves headaches, relieves menstrual problems and regulates indigestion. 

Due to its antiseptic effects, it is used to ward off colds and relieve respiratory problems.

3.  Cardamom

Cardamom is an Indian spice. Its positive properties are: it helps control heart rate and regulates blood pressure.

Because it is rich in antioxidants, it helps prevent colds and coughs. It alleviates digestive problems and helps detoxify the body.

Warning!

Cinnamon, ginger, and cardamom, like all spices, are consumed in very small quantities. Any exaggeration is harmful.

Have a nice day 😉

Irena

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