Someone needs your know-how. (Bonus Recipe below!)

Here's a funny thing.  It never occurred to me that someone who posts something like a recipe for BD in a public place - like the internet, on an open website - might have an issue with that recipe being reproduced.  I mean with the recipe instructions being reproduced, not the food resulting from it, if you get my meaning.  I might understand from a proprietal point of view, you know; "it's mine and should be attributed as such" but all of the (very few, admittedly) instances of this have come from people being very careful about being seen to give advice.  They're happy for people to view their recipes in a controlled context - their own website, book, online forum group, whatever - but don't want them reprinted, or reposted, anywhere else.  In case someone then uses the recipe, does themselves harm, and comes to blame the author of said recipe, who then presumably not have the seeming protection of the controlled and suitably-disclaimed environment the recipe was originally published within.  Or something along those lines.

So naturally I will not be reposting the recipes or recipe information of those who do not wish it so here.  I do, however, intend to link to their websites etc where appropriate and authorised (I do believe in asking as a general rule).  

But regardless, there you have it.  I get the reasoning, even if I don't subscribe to exactly the same view of life.  I mean, look at my disclaimer page on this site.  Still, it's sad to live making decisions based on fear so I am intending to subvert that and to do it, people, I need your help. 

Yes, your people need you, people.

Overwhelmingly what I'm hearing is that people want to see - and many want to share - sample recipes.  It happens all the time on various forums and that's wonderful.  When I started this site the idea was at its core to provide in one place some distillation of wisdom on the things that people new to tubefeeding seem always to be asking about.  And one of those extremely common things is "what should I put in my blend?"

Now look, before we go any further, I'm aware that there are those who have some dogmatic attachment to a notion that people - parents of tube-fed children in particular - should figure it out for themselves, in particular should devise their own recipe from scratch first, as some sort of necessary step towards self-empowerment.  Of course I respect the right to believe as one chooses.  I however think that "shoulds" and attempts to decide for someone else what's best for them, however subtly done, are just a wee bit redolent of power games and insecurities being played out, so I'm not buying in.  There is nothing wrong with trying a recipe you come across that seems a good fit for your situation and it does not make you a lesser carer or less committed to your own empowerment, OK?

As I mentioned just before, I link to different sites.  Groups like the Blenderized Diet Group are excellent sources too, but can be hard to navigate for things like recipes etc.  What I am proposing here is sort of an open-source BD recipe list, comprised of recipes you submit or agree to have reproduced, in a relatively navigable format. I don't know how I'll organise it exactly yet, but there will be a way.



What this won't be is a list of suggested ("should") recipes, or in any way partisan or judgemental.  If the contributor (you, for example) wishes not to be acknowledged by name (or wishes to use a particular name) then this is fine.  I'll be posting the recipes on this site and taking responsibility for any blowback myself.  I have a tip-top disclaimer, but anyway, I just don't have an issue with sharing honestly.  If you are wanting to make claims on behalf of a recipe (ie OMG, like, CURES ALL CANCER!) then I will most certainly be attributing that statement directly to you, the author.  These things can be well worded, as we all know.  In the litigious society we inhabit, where entities like pharmaceutical corporations wield very big legal and financial sticks around to protect their commercial territory, we have come to read between the lines of the weasel words this situation forces us into. You know, "may be of assistance in.....has been reported to improve...."  Adapt and survive, we do, just as in all of nature.

These days I do my best to avoid the whole judgement and cynicism issue with corporate greed / Big Pharma and anti-life practices (oops, there's me judging right there!), instead adopting a practice once taught to me by a precocious unconscious master to improve and enlighten relations with the traffic police.  Whenever I see those flashing lights in the rear view mirror I just say to myself  "I love the police; the police are my friends".  And do you know what?  They pretty much always are. You can try it next time you see a story about a drug company that makes your blood start to rise.  "I love drug companies, drug companies are my friends".  They do do some good work, you know.

What it will be is a list of good ideas for blends of all sorts.  I'm thinking (just off the top of my head for now) starter blends for infants, vegetarian/vegan blends, super-hi-cal blends, ketotic diet blends, gluten-free blends, super-antioxidant blends, the easiest blends in the world to make and clean up after, great blends for if you've only got a wimpyish domestic blender, tasty blends for kids weaning.......you get the idea.  Get amongst your thoughts and ways, folks; how you do it just might help someone else - and I think putting a whole bunch of such stuff in one FREE spot would be a Good Thing To Do.  But it won't work without you, now, will it?


The demand is strong for this, but is the will to be involved and help others equally as strong?  My guess it is probably even stronger than the current demand.  One thing I've learned about us tubey types is that we seem to be well-above-average in our willingness to share and help others (even if some of us do it in odd ways :-P) so apologies right up front if this snowballs on me and I have to dig for a bit to get it into shape.  Anyone who has good ideas on info and organisation is *so* welcome to throw their 5 cents worth in.  Or more, if you can spare it.

Sharing = Good Thing.

So please, comment away down below or email me here with your recipes, ideas, inspirations, permissions, and anything else even remotely on-topic (or not if it's a good read!).  Please use the 'share' functions below too to spread this out to anyone who might be able to contribute or might benefit from the ideas here if you feel that's appropriate.

With many people chipping in just their own little bit, we can make a wonderful one-stop free resource for getting ideas and guides about how others have done it.  Maybe you, like me, invented your own wheel with this?  I think this is a good thing for people to have available.  I sincerely hope you do to, and can help, even if it's just your daily blend guide.


That's all for now.  Except I promised you a recipe, so here's what went into my blender last time (as always, going by memory, with my patented weights and measures system).

500ml slow-cooked roast pumpkin soup:  I made this with roasted pumpkin, roasted onion, garden fresh paprikas, vegetable stock, basil, ginger, caraway seeds, black and red peppercorns, and tahini.  Apparently it tasted good.
Almonds, small handful
Walnuts, larger handful
Pepitas/Sunflower seeds/Pine nuts mix, rather largish handful
Goji Berries, maybe 30 or 40 I think.
Organic Sunflower Pumpernickel bread, about 100g I'd say. Yay leftovers!
A banana, frozen.
A fennel bulb, mediumish
Kale, maybe 12 leaves or so, raw.
Flaxseed meal, probably 1/4 cup, maybe less.
Very fresh lovely local EV Olive Oil, a big gurgle and then some.
Wakame seaweed, large pinch
Fennel seeds, ground ginger, ground cardamom, maybe 1/2 tsp each
Organic oat and honey milk, 1 litre.
Pomegranate juice, about 500mls.

That's about it I think, and ended up with just over three litres of not-quite-gravity-tubeable blend, so about 8 400ml feeds.  This way I can dilute at feeding time with hot water (adding about 50ml) in my 500ml containers, shake, and have a nice warm feed via gravity.  So much less messy, I find.

NEXT TIME I'm going to try and organise (remember) to measure and weigh it all and do a calorie count and breakdown for y'all (and for me, it's been a while) and I'll pop it up here.

OK then, recipes ahoy, folks!

Someone needs your know-how. (Bonus Recipe below!)