I’m getting ready to do a pretty big batch of Chop this coming weekend. So I have to do a little shopping.
I discovered a little store a couple of miles away from me called the World Market. One day a few months a go I decided to investigate and I’m so happy I did! It’s sort of an Eastern European food market and even though I’m a “Foodie,” I don’t know what half the stuff that’s in there. As I am always on the hunt for nutritious food for my Chop, I was happy to discover some stuff they don’t have at the  local big grocery stores. They sell buckwheat for instance. And buckwheat rocks nutritionally. It contains all 8 essential amino acids, and it contains a high-quality protein. Google it; you’ll be surprised.
What I have in this photo clockwise from the top left is Barley, (regular barley, not “pearled barley) real bulgur, not the pasta, oat groats, buckwheat flakes, oatmeal and regular buckwheat. I’ll cook the barley and the buckwheat, but the rest is going in as is. The buckwheat flakes appear to be like oatmeal, only it’s made of buckwheat instead of oats. I thought that was kind of cool.
Let me explain something about barley. Barley is a tough little grain and it has to have the husk removed before it can be eaten. Well, that’s all fine and dandy, but when you have “pearled barley,” they also polish it to remove the bran layer. This removes a lot of the nutrition. This is not unlike the difference between brown rice and white rice. White rice is also polished to remove the nutritious brown outer layer. I also have other ingredients I’m using, of course, but those are some pretty neat little items. I’m also adding this:
The wild rice mix is a no-brainer, but I also have unsweetened dried or desiccated coconut as it’s sometimes called, raw hemp hearts, chia seed, and in the upper right hand corner is quinoa flakes. The rice gets cooked and the rest of it goes in as is.
As always, I’ll be undercooking the rice, pastas, and other cooked ingredients so they can more easily absorb some of the moisture from the vegetables. I’ll also be coating the pastas and other grains with coconut oil to help keep the grains and other cooked items from sticking together as well as adding another layer of nutrition. I’ve used flax seed oil as well as hemp seed oil in the past.  I’ll be busy this weekend doing my hunter-gatherer thing. I’m hoping to put some very nice standards into my Chop as well as maybe some more exotic items. We’ll see what I end up with.
October 29, 2013 at 12:33 pm
Thank you for sharing that. Looking forward to go hunting for goodies too. On Oct 29, 2013 12:58 PM, “Parrot Nation” wrote: > > Patricia Sund posted: ” I’m getting ready to do a pretty big batch of Chop this coming weekend. So I have to do a little shopping. I discovered a little store a couple of miles away from me called the World Market. One day a few months a go I decided to investigate and I’m so” >
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October 29, 2013 at 12:47 pm
We’ve got a World Market here, thank goodness, and they have some great stuff. Glad to get new ideas, as always, from you!
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October 29, 2013 at 1:37 pm
You make making chop exciting!! We have a world market near by, so will see what I can find. Love the new ideas!
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October 29, 2013 at 1:42 pm
Patricia, you just did World Market a favor by endorsing them b/c most of us will flock to the store, if we have one nearby – as I do – and pick up many of the items you just mentioned. Oh the power! Thanks for the tips! And what timing – I’m due for a CHOP-making fest this weekend. Cheers and tails up!
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October 29, 2013 at 4:06 pm
I had no idea World Market had food! There’s one right next to our Central Market. I’m so excited!!!
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October 29, 2013 at 4:08 pm
Holly, this is a small local place. I don’t think it’s the same thing.
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October 29, 2013 at 4:28 pm
This is the one that’s here, part of a chain: http://www.worldmarket.com/
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October 29, 2013 at 4:08 pm
Well I’m super excited! There’s a World Market in the same shopping center as the Central Market (where we get our produce) I never knew WM had food items like that. I always thought it was just home goods.
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October 29, 2013 at 4:09 pm
Oops it double posted. It said the first didn’t work oh well
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October 29, 2013 at 4:11 pm
My place isn’t the same as what you have nearby. I hope it works for you but this little joint is nothing but food. And everything in it is from Russia, Romania, etc…
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October 29, 2013 at 4:13 pm
It gives me a reason to investigate either way. I’ve always wanted to go in there. It will be an adventure.
Sorry about the double post.
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October 29, 2013 at 4:15 pm
No Worries, Holly! No worries….
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October 29, 2013 at 5:31 pm
Patricia, Are you going to vend CHOP at the December 15th meeting of Bird Lovers Club? I’m in charge of obtaining vendors for this meeting and it will be a bird mart of sorts. Please let me know. Elise elise negrin info@classyparrot.com 516-855-8369
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October 30, 2013 at 12:47 am
This is awesome!!!! Thank you again for supporting us birdie people and the need to feed. Love every idea and helpful hint available.
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October 30, 2013 at 3:07 pm
I always make my chop and add Sunshine factor. (Palm nut oil). Along with some coconut oil and shredded unsweetened coconut. I am from New Mexico my birds love homemade red chile sauce added too.
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November 2, 2013 at 4:38 pm
I hope this doesn’t sound foolish. . But, what do you mean when you say that you are cooking the buckwheat flour? I just bought some from Sprouts to make people muffins. . would love to include it in my chop. TIA!
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November 3, 2013 at 7:16 am
Susan, this is not buckwheat flour. This is whole buckwheat. It’s in the grain from before it’s ground into flour.
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November 9, 2013 at 3:05 pm
Please change my emails to the following account: stacey.prahl550@topper.wku.edu
stacey
Check out Gingers’ Web blog! http://www.birdchannel.com/blog/viewbio.aspx?apid=109440
Visit me on Facebook! http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1581828593&ref=profile
Date: Tue, 29 Oct 2013 16:58:08 +0000 To: redlored89@hotmail.com
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