Mango, mint, vinegar, and presciption drug deaths

    I have been reading an interesting  book this week by Kathy Garber called A Mother's Guide to Herbal Extracts.  She gave birth to a little boy with serious lung problems. Surgery and traditional medicine did little to help him so she studied herbal healing and today he is a healthy normal teen ager, due to her efforts to help him in a natural way. Along the way she found that 32,000 people die every year due to unreported prescription drug use.  The FDA approves drugs that are not safe, they are handed out and people die. So many other countries are far advanced over the US, their doctors learning to treat the whole person, fix the problem, not mask it with drugs. Why are we so behind the times? I think because we are a nation of people who enjoy being sick. Too lazy to eat right and exercise and be proactive.  If you are taking any prescription drugs, read all the fine print, know the side effects. If you ,like me, have a problem with small print, ask your pharmacist, they know all the reactions. They can tell you alternatives and better options, doctors don't really know all they should about drugs. I laugh every tine I see a drug ad on TV, they tell you the side effects, ending with "and death" at the very end. Yep, they have warned you, Sure, you have to be cautious with herbs too, and know what they do for and to you.  But they have far fewer risks than drugs.  The last 3 or 4 years I have been learning all I can about herbs for health, have learned to make teas for coughs, colds, flu and make my own cosmetics, cleaners, household items like air spray, all non toxic and much better for you. Its so easy, and mostly cheap.
  I learned when I was an 18 year old bride that there are doctors out there who have become disillusioned  with standard medicine and have gone holistic. I have met some very knowledgeable ones in health food stores, who can tell you alternative ways to improve your health and prevent problems. If you have such a store in your area, get to know the owner, you will find their insights soooo valuable.
  Mango. Hmm, tastes very good, almost like candy. It can improve your glucose levels, maybe because its high in fiber. It slows sugar absorption so is very good for diabetics to eat.  It's high in polyphenols and carotenoids as are most of the orange colored foods. Try adding it to your diet. I like it chopped and stirred into my one ingredient Greek yogurt.
 One of the herbs I grow is mint.  I love it brewed into iced tea or added to salads etc.  There are many uses for it,  it destroys bacteria that cause sinus, bronchitis and walking pneumonia. Add some to boiling water, steep 5 minutes and drink a cup. Can be used in your pesto to add a fresh note,  or you can toss it into your smoothie in the morning.  It regulates bacteria in your tummy so soothes  discomfort by relaxing tummy muscles.  TO make a great garnish for meat,  chop 12 fresh mint leaves and combine with 1/2 tsp each of dried rosemary, thyme and cinnamon, 1/4 tsp each of sea salt and oregano,  1 and 1/2 tsp honey, 1/4 cup lime juice and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Use as a marinade for your meat to grill. The last few years I have been making a thermogenic tea for use to stop colds, flu and bronchitis, using equal parts of dried mint, yarrow and elderberry flowers. My daughter has had bronchitis since she was little due to a bout with pneumonia, and she says it helps her ward off a full blown attack if taken early on.
  Vinegar again, a few more uses for it, put in a spray bottle and have at the weeds in your driveway, or sidewalk cracks.  If you have hard water, use it on a cloth to wipe away hard water stains on your dishes and glassware.. Sanitize you kitchen sponges by soaking in a bowl  of it for at least 5 minutes, and if your kitchen has unwanted odors, pour some in a bowl and leave on the counter to absorb those odors. I should own stock in a vinegar company, buy a gallon every couple of weeks these days.
  I am working on a yard problem, we have had more than our average amount of rain for the year already, and my yard is a scooped out area on the mountain, leveled out to build my little house on. This year the rain has been relentless. And my back yard is a mucky puddle. The side walk I had been using, made of  pressure treated lumber, has been washed out  so many times it's not going to get put back. Have been working on a new walk, with landscape timbers raising it up and boards screwed onto them making a one piece, too heavy to float down the road walk.  This week I have used a crow bar and pried the boards out of the mud. Yesterday I sat them on end and washed the mud off one side. Need to flip them over today and do the other side. There is still standing water so no way of working on the new walk yet, and worse, more rain is due in tomorrow.  At least it has not been too terribly hot this summer, mostly just humid. Some days you sweat just standing still. The weather girl says next week our nights will slip down into the 50's, that will be great sleeping weather. I leave the windows up and pull up my blanket and enjoy the coolness. Early this summer, some of the stones my daughter and grandsons used to build a retaining wall slipped out, and when I pulled them out to redo, found a new resident in my yard. An orange lizard guy with black spots., He or she just sat there and looked at me. I beat a hasty retreat. When my NE kids were here, they went looking for the critter who was of course, long gone. It was a salamander, very bright. Not harmful but I am not into that kind of creature. My son who lives here is a wood worker and has been re stacking lumber piles this last week. He has found copperheads in the stacks. Today he is working on another pile, I can hear the boards as he re stacks them. Hope it's a snake free day for him.
 Seems so odd to think that summer is winding down already, our kids start back to school Aug 1. Wow. That's only a week away. So mom, you get a little time to yourself for morning coffee again. Take care, read labels . Be healthy!

Inflammation info, disposal tabs, watermelon uses

 I had a very nice visit with my sis and her hubby from NE last week. We went to SC to visit my son and daughter in law on Saturday, they have purchased a pretty much wrecked house and are restoring it. Its lovely, and the yard is to die for, wish I could do just a few of the things he has done. Was good to share time with family, and now my sis is traveling on, should be in New England by now.
 We had a few dry days, was getting to the point of working in my back yard swamp, but the last few nights, we have again had thunderstorms, complete with some rather nasty lightning.  The first night we got an inch of rain, have not checked yet this morning but don't think it will be as much from last night. This pattern is due to continue most of the week. At least the temperature is less, the humidity is fierce though. Sweat happens pretty fast ,
  You know I have spent most of my life trying to stay healthy. Both my folks had arthritis, mom's hands were knarled in her 50's.  When I was 18 and newly married, I started talking to the owners of health food stores, getting their views on preventing problems. I learned a lot and started taking ginger and turmeric early on. I am 76 now, and have no aches or joint pain. Or any other Pain. And now they are finding that the ginger and turmeric are good for a host of things. Your body reacts to inflammation by causing various ills. Most inflammation is caused by what you eat. Learning to avoid the bad stuff, like the 5 whites, flour, sugar, salt, shortening and rice, gets you started on a better lifestyle. Chronic inflammation is damaging, causes arthritis, heart disease, Alzheimer's,  cancer and many other problems.  Its so easy to check out foods on line now and find things that are better for you. To tackle some of these issues,  requires life style changes,  managing stress,  exercise, better diet and many herbs are helpful. Herbs are cheap and healthy. A few to add to your diet are Devil's Claw  which reduces osteoarthritis pain, back and neck problems.  Boswellia, for arthritis, Crohn's,  Cayenne, for diabetes and obesity, use liberally  for those, Ginger,  for heart disease, aches and pains, this really stops inflammation, you can use the root which is available in your produce section, or buy powdered or capsules.  And of course, good old  Green Tea which is good for many things, including arthritis, heart disease, hepatitis, IBS, stomach cancer and more. It's hot so brew a bit and ice it to stay cool. And healthy.
 If you have a garbage disposal, and it needs a little smell help, here is an easy way to fix.
In a bowl, mix 3/4 cup of baking soda
                         1/2 cup salt
                         stir to remove lumps, then grate a lemon, stir in the peel, cut lemon in half and add the juice. Stir all this til it resembles sand, then using a small scoop, put half scoops onto a pan lined with parchment paper. Let set overnight or until dry. Place your half balls in a jar, and when you want to fix smell in disposal, put a couple down there and grind them through.
  It's watermelon season. Besides just eating it, there are lots of things to do with it, including  granita's, salsa, ices etc. And a good thing to do for your face.  Puree a couple of spoonsful til smooth, spread on your face and let sit 20 minutes. Rinse well. Watermelon is full of vitamin A and C and makes your skin soft and smooth. So set aside a bite or two next time you are having a slice.
 Made up some eczema salve this morning, the stuff has been brewing on my cupboard for 6 weeks, it's simple, just dried plantain and comfrey, half and half, covered with organic oil and steeped six weeks, warmed and beeswax stirred in to form a salve. My next  quest today will be to refresh my supply of cream soup base, so nice to have handy for casserole's, soups and other dishes. Have had the recipe on this blog before, look in archives if you want to use it.
 It's still cool this morning, so another cup of coffee is in order.  Hope you are enjoying your summer, not long until you will be getting the kids ready to go back to school. Somehow, time just slips away faster every year. Always have things to get done, but that makes life interesting. Stay cool, brew some green tea and take care til next time.

Oh Oh, long standing stuff must go. Chia pops

  I received a package last week, with a bottle of dish soap I was to test for a company I do surveys for. When I was very little, my mom washed me with Ivory soap and I broke out in a nasty rash called Lichenplanus.  It took over a year for it to go away, and along the way we found out I was allergic to coconut in any form, and later formaldehyde was added to the list. The rash is nasty, and itchy and something to avoid, so I have learned to read labels and avoid any allergens.  The bottle had nothing on it so I took to the web and did an ingredients search. Holy bedsheets Batman, the stuff is full of hazardous  things. And I didn't stop there,  I also looked up the soap I have used for years. Guess what, more bad stuff. So I started looking for homemade recipes for dish soap. It' s easy, and will be a little different as there will not be suds like we are used to , but it cleans and disinfects. The best, easiest recipe was on a site I use often, DIY, with Matt and Betsy Jabs.  Here goes, it's fast . In a pan put 1 and 1/2 cups of water, heat to almost boiling, remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of grated castile, or Fels Naptha or home made soap plus  1 tablespoon of borax and 10 to 20 drops of your favorite essential oil scent. Like maybe 10 drops lavender and 10 drops lemon. You could leave the essential oil out, but both lemon and lavender are antibacterial so valuable, Put the well stirred potion in a clean , empty squeeze bottle and use as any other dish soap.  Once again, reading labels is so important, who would have thought a common product would contain such bad stuff. Live and learn.
  I also ran across a  recipe for Chia pop cycles.
1/3 cup chia seeds
1/2 cup orange or juice of choice
1/4 cup water
Mix well, pour into molds and freeze.  Lots of options for change here, use your imagination.
  Did you know if you are stuffed up with sinus or a cold, mustard has great unstuffing properties? You could just buy a spicy type at the store, but hey, why not make your own? Its  not hard and you know what 's in it that way.  Just snarf down a spoonful when you need unplugging.
1/4 cup brown mustard seeds
1/4 cup yellow mustard seeds( you can just use yellow, I can't find brown)
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon lavender flowers
1 teaspoon salt.
 Put seeds in a glass bowl and cover with vinegar. Cover and let soak for 2 days. Put this in a food processor, add the rest of the ingredients and process til smooth. Keep in jar in refrigerator.
  It's been a frustrating week, the carrier for my cell phone cut me off, despite not being due for payment and knowing this is a bank draft payment. Took 2 of my kids and a lot of work to get it working again. Felt kind of lost without it. My Windows 8 is causing me problems getting into my online bank account, somehow the bank and I just can not get things in sync.  Ended up with a major headache several times lately, and still have no access. The bank is trying, think we are just not compatible. Not sure what to do, but may have to move to a new bank to resolve the issue.
 And still it rains, it's off and on but still coming down. Out west they need it so badly to help with the fires, too bad we can't share.  What a shame about those fire fighters that died fighting the big fire in Arizona.  My heart goes out to their families.
  We recently passed some new laws in this country, and right off the bat a lot of strange things happen. Today a woman legally married a bridge, check it out, I found it on my MSN news page.  Wonder what all people will decide to marry in coming years, may get more than a little weird. To each his own, not my place to say what any one can or can not do, but things sure do change.
 Making pickles again, need to go see what's going on, have a great weekend, hope you celebrated the 4th with friends or family. Take care!!!

Grandkids, Ginger Ale, Bottle planters

 Yesterday I got to watch a video of my youngest  grand daughter, doing her first crawling. Aw.  The notes said she had also fallen off the couch and pulled dad's computer off the arm of the couch. Shades of Deja Vu, I remember her now almost 4 year old sister doing the same things when I was visiting 3 and a half years ago.  These are my youngest grand babies, I miss them a lot. My oldest grand daughter is married, and has two adorable kids, and her hubby is recovering from back surgery in a military hospital in Texas, due to an injury sustained in Bahrain. I hope he is recovered and able to return home soon, he has had a long time away from his family. This Grand daughter is raising the two  kids and has established her own business, the most creative cakes I have seen! Ones with mermaids, bears, just so imaginative and wonderful. She is super busy designing and creating cakes for customers. My next grandson is working at McDonald's corporate office, will be getting married soon. His brother has just started a new job at a store in Illinois, hope that goes well for him. He is so good at fixing cars and painting them. A grandson in between those two is a grad student, doing post grad studies in  forensics, very smart and studies very hard.  I am so blessed to have such a great family, my kids have done a remarkable job raising their children. I wish I could see them more often but they are between 500 and 1000 miles away, so makes that very hard to do. There are some rifts in the family I have prayed would be healed before I die, but that does not seem to be in the cards. Never the less, I feel truly blessed by all my family.
  I found a great recipe for your own home made ginger ale on a web site this last week. Ginger root is available in grocery stores in the produce section, you need to peel it and then can chop or grate it for use. I keep it in my freezer ready to go. Here is the simple recipe:
 2 lemons, cut one in half, cut the other with a thick slice out of the center, save the slice. Juice the other two parts into a pan. Add 1 cup of chopped ginger and 1 and 1/2 cups organic cane sugar. This
is is in the baking section , in a plastic jug, not hard to find.  Add 2 and 1/2 cups of filtered water and  bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain. Measure so you know how much you have, then simmer to reduce by half. Put this syrup in a jar in your refrigerator. When you are ready to drink, add 2 Tablespoons of the syrup to a glass, and pour in  1 cup of seltzer or sparkling water, stir, ice and enjoy.
 I can only do this idea if someone comes to visit and leaves water or pop bottles behind, but it's a nifty craft. You can use large size pop bottles or smaller water bottles. Cut off the top 1/3 as smoothly as possible, insert cotton cord tied in a knot so it won't slip through into the neck of the bottle, put water in the bottom of the cut off bottle, upend the cut off top half with the wick in the water, fill  the top with potting soil and plant your herbs, flowers etc . Self watering pots. You could decorate the bottles if you wanted.  A good way to recycle  some bottles that might end up I the land fill.
 I am making my first round of zucchini pickles this am, I sliced 3 medium sized zucchinis, and a medium onion, put  them in a bowl with2 tablespoons of kosher salt, ice and cold water and let them soak for 2 hours, now they are simmering in a brine of 1 cup of sugar, 1 and 1/2 cups of white vinegar, 1 teaspoon of mustard seeds and 1 teaspoon of turmeric. They simmer for 5 minutes, then are packed into canning jars and water bathed for 15 minutes. These are really good pickles, and easy to make. Have a great week,  we are looking at more rain, but it does keep the garden producing heavy, Take care til next time
 

Food IS medicine, you really are what you eat. Lemon's anyone?

If you have not become pro-active about your health, I'm sorry.  It's been well proven that what you eat is what your health reflects.  At this point in life, I am trying to eat sustainable produce, no red meat, and very little chicken and fish. Protein is found in dried beans which are cheap and easy to cook, and can be tossed onto a salad or into any dish you are making. Looking for GMO free and organic products also lets Monsanto and others know you don't approve of poisoning the seeds they plant. I'm very lucky in that I have a small garden and my son has turned the side of the mountain into a large garden. Yesterday after days of rain, I was out early in the sun, picking beans, yellow and green, the first zucchini  of the season(oh boy, pickles soon) and a wealth of fresh herbs, basil, thyme, oregano, mint, chives, and I have yarrow drying for winter cough and flu ailments.  Supper last night was a tasty sauté of zucchini, onions, garlic tomatoes and fresh thyme and basil. My son's garden afforded me some Yukon gold potatoes, garlic and onions, and a lot of lettuce.  So I added a potato salad to the veggies. I will be freezing as much as possible, and canning after the freezer is full, but it looks like all the early rains have made the gardens go crazy.
  I subscribe to a magazine called Mother Earth, it gives me so many good thoughts, and I want to share an article in the new one. Its another item to watch for in the foods you buy, says: Concentrated milk protein, known as MPC's, next time you shop, check ingredients in yogurt, cheese,  and frozen dairy products.  Made when milk is put through an ultra filtration system to remove all liquid,  concentrated milk protein is a high protein additive used to artificially thicken dairy products rather than use a lengthy natural process. Problem is, this is being imported from foreign countries and is putting our dairy farmers out of business.
  This is not a problem for me as I have not used real dairy in 40 years, much prefer plant based soy or almond milk. No cholesterol problems etc with it, and love the taste. Also does away with many stomach problems, as many people are allergic to milk and don't realize that.
  Let's talk lemons, bet you had no idea how many things a lemon could do. They are excellent grease cutters, add some to your dish pan or baking items to help soak off grease, can be put on a grease stained clothing item, let sit over night and wash to remove stain.
 If you have copper bottom items, squeeze lemon juice on and add a sprinkle of salt, and scour to a shine.
 Put some lemon peels down your disposal to get rid of food odors.
 Lemon can whiten your clothes, just add a healthy squeeze or two to your laundry load,  it brightens and of course leaves a fantastic citrus scent.
 It's good for your hair too, leaves a nice shine. Having white hair, I am not sure if I would try it, but the younger ones might find it useful.
 Good for sore throats, just add to hot tea and sip.
 And of course if you cut into an avocado, peach etc, rub a little on the left over piece to prevent browning til you use the next day.
 Lastly, a clear glass bowl of these lovelies makes a charming table decoration. oh of course, I should not forget that you can rub lemon juice on age spots to help reduce their appearance.
 Today is the first day of summer and the longest day of the year. Guess we will now start loosing a minute a day until we get to winter, however that is far away at the moment and I am set to enjoy some warm weather and sunshine.  My sis from Nebraska and hubby will be coming this way in a few weeks, always enjoy visiting with family from home. Took a wonderful trip with them a year or so back to Myrtle Beach, we had such a good time. That's one beautiful spot. We were on the 12 th floor or so, overlooking the ocean, sunrises were spectacular.  Had not really stayed on a beach before, there is a smell you don't forget,  and watching the water is wonderful. 
  Have a wonderful week, enjoy some sunshine and fresh air, and of course time with family and friends. Take care.

Long lasting fresh strawberries, home made wipes and weed killers, sad news about stevia

 Hi all, hope you are enjoying this summer, we have had a ton of rain here, causing some trees on the upper mountain to uproot themselves and crash down, an eerie sound. Hope we dry out a little now, the garden needs some sun.  Of course, the sun means warmer temperatures, guess we can't have it all.  The cloudy, rainy days have kept us cool, and it's now mid June so we have been blessed there.
  If you have been buying or picking strawberries, I have a great tip to make them stay fresh for a very long time. They go bad because of bacteria on the berries, so when you get them, do this. In a large bowl put several tablespoons of white vinegar, and add water to be enough to cover your berries. Place them in the bowl and let soak for 20 minutes, then rinse well to remove the vinegar. You can take the leaf off now, and cut them up ready for use, they will keep much longer than if you just washed them in water.
  There was an article on stevia on Facebook this week, I hope you got to see it.  We have grown stevia here, my son has dried it and we have processed it into a powder. It's green of course. And leaves dregs in the bottom of your glass if you sweeten tea etc with it. However,  what you buy is highly processed with chemicals to make it white. Some of it has added sucrose, and some has other additives you don't want to ingest. I buy mine from Swanson and find it to be mostly pure, but it is still white. So think I will start steeping the dried leaves in organic vodka, strain and keep in frig to use as a liquid. Always has to be a way to rain on our parade, we think we are doing something good and get surprised.
  Need some weeds killed in your driveway or on your sidewalk?  In a large bottle, like an empty quart vinegar jug, put 1 cup of salt, and fill the jug with white vinegar, adding  a good squirt of dish soap.  Use this on a hot day, with no rain.  Just pour it on the weeds.
 From a site called DIY natural, I found a good recipe that can save you between $70.00 and $100.00 bucks a year on those wipes we use to disinfect our surfaces. Save your old t shirts, cut them into squares about 8 by 8 inches, be sure they are clean of course. In a quart mason jar,  put 3/4 cup of filtered water, from your faucet if you have a filter, 3/4 cup white vinegar, 15 drops of lemon essential oil, and if you wish 8 drops of lavender essential oil for a nice scent. Stir, and put the cloths in the jar, shaking well.  Keep stored in a dark cupboard. After use, rinse the cloth and toss in wash, when it's clean and dry add back to jar. Easy as pie, and saves you a bundle.
   Lastly today, if you have wood furniture with scratches, put 3/4 cup of canola oil and 1/4 cup of white vinegar in a jar, stir well, apply to scratch, do not wipe off, it will soak into wood and cover the scratch. I might make a smaller amount, would not use that much in a hurry.  Unless you are using it on all your kitchen cabinets or the like.
  Just received a dish of fresh blueberries, from my son's garden, huge things, all the rain  maybe.  Look so good. Hope you are also getting your share of the fresh summer produce, we will miss it come winter.  Time for all that freezing and canning stuff but hey, it is so worth it. Take care, have a good week, see you soon.

Mountain Memories, and ok, now I have officially lost it

Last Sunday my kids from NE arrived for a visit, son, daughter in law and two youngest grand kids, 7 months and 3 and a half years old.  We had such a fun week,  Monday we stayed home and I got to play with the girls. Tuesday we went to Bybee ,TN and the Safari Park.  You drive through a wilderness park and get up close and personal with all kinds of critters, who are trained to know tourists come with buckets of food so if your windows are open, they have their heads in there looking for goodies.  My son's car left with zebra, bison and deer nose prints on the windows and on the car, but it was a fun morning. Stopped at Grill 73 for lunch.  Next day we headed to Ripley's Aquarium, in Gatlinberg, that's an impressive place. Saw so many different forms of water life, Erin petted a string ray. Lunch at Bubba Gump's. And Thursday we drove to the foothills of the Smokies, great view and some good shots  of my oldest and youngest sons and grand daughter standing in front of the Smoky Mountain Range. Lunch that day was at Carver's Apple Orchard. W e had some great evenings visiting with my son and daughter in law that live here, and their 2 big dogs. But the time came to an end, and Thursday night I visited with my daughter in law while she packed. I should point out that I have a cat, about 7 years old, who has been my companion since my husband died. She is set in her ways and expects combing at night and her treats. So I got in a late combing and put the comb on the headboard. Morning came, and breakfast and packing the car took over, and the great week ended as the kids headed home.  How quiet the house was again.  That evening, I headed for the bedroom to give cat her combing. Could not find the comb. Moved everything I could looking for it, even got down and looked under the bed thinking it might have fallen off. Spent the next few days looking, finally went to Walmart and thought I would just get a new one. Well, duh, they didn't have any like that, it's a flea comb but does a good job of removing her under fur so she doesn't eat it all. Decided it had to be under the bed somewhere, so this morning got up and stripped the bedding, and moved the mattress and box springs. Oh my, it did need a good vacuuming, but no comb was there. Well, the bedroom is very clean, used mattress refresher and put on clean sheets. And then I went to unplug the vacuum, and as I leaned down, there on the bookshelf was the lost comb.  I was laughing out loud, because I had to have passed by it dozens of times the last 5 days and never saw it, right there under my nose.  I have a nice fresh bedroom and the lost is found.
Sometimes I wonder about  my head, guess most days it functions ok, but there are days.  Hope you had a good week, too, mine was extraordinary!