I'm in northern California (sf bay area) and while I'm not wealthy I am willing to spend on food, such as raw dairy, pastured soy and corn-free eggs from local farms, and grass-fed beef (although I get the beef at Whole Foods and always feel vaguely worried that I can't trust them - but since I'm unwilling to freeze, I can't find another source). I have AV book, and have used some of those recipes, although none of them will work for my husband. I also am reluctant to send obviously raw meat to school with my 6-year-old kindergartener because the cliques are already hell and I don't want to give them any ammunition. She does eat raw beef and butter just as prescribed in the weight-loss cycle of AV primal diet, and drinks a shake most days, as well as a tiny amount of the green veggie juice he prescribed for me (celery, cilantro, cucumber, zucchini, and carrot + raw honey). It would help to have some meal planning/shopping list type help that would allow me to easily provide other alternatives that she and my husband could eat so I'm not making 2 or 3 different meals or having to do entire meals every day - although most menu planners I've sampled end up accomplishing that by using batch prep/freezing, and I'd rather not do the freezing (although, if I'm willing to bend and allow some cooking, maybe I might as well bend and allow freezing too, sigh....)

Goodsamaritan, just wondering how it goes with the Blue Ice?

I was thinking of trying a yogurt starter from Cultures from Health for counter-top culturing for more consistent and perhaps tastier results, but they have been freeze-dried and I wonder about the effects of that.

I had my sister, 50-ish and pretty vegetable-oriented (anti-raw) with recent weight-loss, fatigue and anxiety, convinced to try the Green Pastures CLO + butter oil, and then she had some testing done by some provider that showed she is "sensitive" to dairy and brewer's yeast and egg whites. She now believes it's best to avoid fermented foods, condiments, and food products containing dairy, baker's yeast, and brewer's yeast, hence the Green Pastures CLO + butter oil is also out. She wants to try the Nordic Naturals CLO. Can anyone share any reasoning that would alleviate the concerns about dairy and fermentation, also whether Nordic Naturals would be acceptable alternative to Green Pastures? I did suggest that pasteurization is more likely the problem than the dairy per se, and am also going to mention that AV suggests unheated honey can also cure the enzyme deficiency that causes some to have problems even with raw dairy.

Does anyone know the maximum temperature cheese can be made at and still be considered raw, according to AV?

OP stopped making the unsalted cheese about 6 months ago due to lack of demand

Thanks for the comments.  Still not sure how to tell if the mature brown ones are really free of pesticides, none locally carry the organic label.

Does anyone have a source for organic coconuts, preferably local to bay area CA?

I'm curious how Primal Diet adherents feel about kombucha and beet kvass?  I was interested in kombucha because it helps my husband stay away from soda, of course the tea is cooked in the process. Beet kvass is raw, although not as appealing to him in that way. Any other fermented foods that you eat or believe to have some value?

Can anyone recall the temperature above which AV says honey cannot be heaten? Gibson's Golden honey claims their honey sits in a heated jacket before going to the bottling pump. They claim it doesn't go above body temp.

In the new products list I got in November, a source for raw cocoa beans is listed.  I understood AV didn't recommend any chocolate at all, instead carob is a substitute.  Does anyone know if he has changed his stance on that?

Aajonus mentioned at a recent talk that carbs shouldn't be eaten until 6 hours after getting up, at which point all the glycogen has been made for the day from pyruvate.  I'm not sure why this is important - and why glycogen made from glucose isn't ok - does anyone have an answer for that?  Also, he recommends a coffee substitute in his book made with hot water, 2-5tbs honey, and 1/2 lemon +/- vanilla extract, and since most people drink coffee in the a.m., I'm wondering how this squares with the first recommendation and would be interested in any thoughts about this.