Friday, February 8, 2013
Living More Naturally: Birthday, Sinus Tea, Foaming Face Cleanser
Living More Naturally: Birthday, Sinus Tea, Foaming Face Cleanser: Long ago(ha) on February 8, in a galaxy far away called Texas, a baby boy was born in the midst of a snowstorm. Amarillo is in the panhan...
Birthday, Sinus Tea, Foaming Face Cleanser
Long ago(ha) on February 8, in a galaxy far away called Texas, a baby boy was born in the midst of a snowstorm. Amarillo is in the panhandle, and has some strange weather. From red dust storms to deep snow, enough to cover a car, it runs the gamut. When my first son was due, we had a huge snow storm . His dad was frantic and wanted to shovel the road from our home to the Air Base. However, being a wise child, he waited until the snow plows had cleared the roads.
One of the gifts he received was a pair of tiny white cowboy boots. I did so wish they made tiny jeans and cowboy shirts. Being inventive, I took a pair of dad's worn out jeans, cut part of a leg off and fashioned it into a tiny pair of jeans. A bit of white satin and some fringe became a cowboy shirt, Somewhere there is a picture of a barely over 6 pound baby, all dressed up like a tiny cowboy. Great memories. And now this young man is a writer, farmer, woodworker, foster dog parent, and active in his comunity and church. Time flies, can't believe I am a great grandma.
My travels to see family in Nebraska left me with a few assorted problems, frozen septic tank lines, heat pump doing something weird, and the car has a new wrinkle, the indicater on the ge ar shift is not working, though the shift itself does work. Means taking time to count changes and be sure its in the right gear. This car has strange periods, the electric system went out for a good 3 years, but came back, the windshield wipers quit for a couple of months then started up again, now this. I don't panic nowdays, figure whatever is ailing will mend, and if it doesn't. so what.
How are you doin? Staying healthy? Had any sinus woes this winter? Try going to your spice shelf and putting a tea egg full of thyme leaves to brew in a cup of boiling water, let it brew 10 minutes, and drink. Simple, but should help unblock the sinus cavities.
Is your skin dry from the winter weather? Try mixing 1/2 cup of oil, olive, safflower, jojoba etc, whatever you have, with 3 drops of essential lavender oil and open a vitamin E capsule and add. Keep by tub and put on after bath or shower.
If you would like to make your own foaming face cleanser, try this:
1/4 cup of liquid castile soap
1/4 cup of water
2 teaspoons almond or jojoba oil
2 teaspoons liquid glycerin
8 drops your fave essential oil
Blend all but soap in blender, add soap last. Put in pump bottle.
I started spring seeds for the garden last week, the arugula is already quite large, may be eating it before it ever gets planted outside. Nice to think in another month we will be doing some outside garden prep again. This winter has given us a more than ample amount of water in the soil, January had a period that left 7 inches of rain, and even today we are getting more rain. Twice this winter the copious amount of rain left our well with mud in it, and lovely red water to cope with. Learning to keep jugs of water stored now for the days we can't drink the well water. At least it doesn't happen often.
Super Bowl is over, football has ended. Soon baseball will be the sport of the moment. Spring is my favorite season, watching everything bloom and green up again, here on the mountain by early March the daffodils and forsythia are in bloom. There are already new calves in the fields.
Hope you are ready to spring clean, break out the vinegar and soda, leave the chemicals in the store, and freshen up your home for the new summer coming. Will be good to have fresh produce growing again.
Take care, stay well and look forward to spring.
One of the gifts he received was a pair of tiny white cowboy boots. I did so wish they made tiny jeans and cowboy shirts. Being inventive, I took a pair of dad's worn out jeans, cut part of a leg off and fashioned it into a tiny pair of jeans. A bit of white satin and some fringe became a cowboy shirt, Somewhere there is a picture of a barely over 6 pound baby, all dressed up like a tiny cowboy. Great memories. And now this young man is a writer, farmer, woodworker, foster dog parent, and active in his comunity and church. Time flies, can't believe I am a great grandma.
My travels to see family in Nebraska left me with a few assorted problems, frozen septic tank lines, heat pump doing something weird, and the car has a new wrinkle, the indicater on the ge ar shift is not working, though the shift itself does work. Means taking time to count changes and be sure its in the right gear. This car has strange periods, the electric system went out for a good 3 years, but came back, the windshield wipers quit for a couple of months then started up again, now this. I don't panic nowdays, figure whatever is ailing will mend, and if it doesn't. so what.
How are you doin? Staying healthy? Had any sinus woes this winter? Try going to your spice shelf and putting a tea egg full of thyme leaves to brew in a cup of boiling water, let it brew 10 minutes, and drink. Simple, but should help unblock the sinus cavities.
Is your skin dry from the winter weather? Try mixing 1/2 cup of oil, olive, safflower, jojoba etc, whatever you have, with 3 drops of essential lavender oil and open a vitamin E capsule and add. Keep by tub and put on after bath or shower.
If you would like to make your own foaming face cleanser, try this:
1/4 cup of liquid castile soap
1/4 cup of water
2 teaspoons almond or jojoba oil
2 teaspoons liquid glycerin
8 drops your fave essential oil
Blend all but soap in blender, add soap last. Put in pump bottle.
I started spring seeds for the garden last week, the arugula is already quite large, may be eating it before it ever gets planted outside. Nice to think in another month we will be doing some outside garden prep again. This winter has given us a more than ample amount of water in the soil, January had a period that left 7 inches of rain, and even today we are getting more rain. Twice this winter the copious amount of rain left our well with mud in it, and lovely red water to cope with. Learning to keep jugs of water stored now for the days we can't drink the well water. At least it doesn't happen often.
Super Bowl is over, football has ended. Soon baseball will be the sport of the moment. Spring is my favorite season, watching everything bloom and green up again, here on the mountain by early March the daffodils and forsythia are in bloom. There are already new calves in the fields.
Hope you are ready to spring clean, break out the vinegar and soda, leave the chemicals in the store, and freshen up your home for the new summer coming. Will be good to have fresh produce growing again.
Take care, stay well and look forward to spring.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
More Scary Stuff i Our Food
Watched Dr Oz Wednesday, January 30. Got me doing a lot of research on line, checking out things he pointed out. I am blown away with some of this, had no clue about a lot of it.
Let's begin. Again, they picked on pop and sports drinks, the citrus flavored ones. They contain a substance called BVO's, or bromulated vegetable oil. This substance has been banned in over 100 other countrys but not in the US. Why are we so behind? This is a carcinogenic substance that needs to be banned. If you want the scary info, try these websites for good information: http://www.ctvnews.ca, or http://naturalsociety.com. This stuff is used as a flame retardant in clothing, and is definetly not meant to be ingested. The good news is, Gatorade has decided to pull it and has added a different chemical to the drink instead, effective in a couple of months. Can't say a new chemical will be much better, but at least the company is making an effort to change a harmful product.
The next thing I learned is very strange. Foods that we like brown and crispy, and cook that way, are highly dangerous. Funny, these are natural foods, no additives, but we change them with our cooking methods. Two of the worst culprits are potato chips and fries. They change when cooked and contain acrylamides. The browner, the worse for you. Toast, cereal, potatoes we cook like hash browns and get crispy, the browner the worse. This one we can change. make your toast on a lighter setting, bake your fries and don't get them as dark, You can soak your potatoes in water before cooking for 1 hour and remove a lot of the starch. That's the culprit, starch that browns when cooked with high heat I think we can all adjust this one with no major problems. A good link to check this out is http://wwwfda.gov.food/foodsafety/foodcontaminates or http://www.foodnavigation.com. Both sites are full of worthwhile information, much better than I can shorten down for you. Just remember to cook things on slower, lower heat, getting them done but without turning them a dark color.
The third one is again, the BPA's. Lots of things are better than they were, baby bottles have been changed, and some food storage containers. You still have to read the labels for content. Cans of soup , tomatoes and other vegetables are bad. If you see a white lining in the can, its full of BPA. A person who eats one bowl of soup a week has a 100% higher level of BPA than those who avoid cans. Babys are born now with a high BPA and that causes early maturity in girls, heart desease, kidney damage and obesity. Instead of cans, look for frozen or products in pouches or jars. There are more of these than you might think, just start looking for them. Harvard has done some really scary studies you can pull up.
It's been a season of colds and flu, and the new norovirus is hitting a lot of folk. There seems to be a conection to El Nina years, each cold year is followed the next year by more viruses. The recipe for flu and cold tea I shared a while back has worked well for my family. You need it at the onset of symptoms. I am out of herbs, next year will grow a lot more and keep on hand.
I also have an easy ear drop recipe for you, to keep on hand for those problems. in a jar put 3 cloves of chopped garlic,1/4 cup mullein leaves, cover with olive oil and steep in sunny window for 3 days. Warm before use. Mountain Rose Herbs has this.
Hope you have found some good tips here, and are staying warm and well. It's nearly Feburary, which for us here in the south means another month and the daffodils and forsythia will be in bloom. Still might have some cold weather but its close to spring. Saw some baby calves last week on my way to town, hope they don't have much more cold to cope with.
Keep reading, and learning all you can, your health is worth protecting and if you let it slip away, you can't get it back. Til next time
Let's begin. Again, they picked on pop and sports drinks, the citrus flavored ones. They contain a substance called BVO's, or bromulated vegetable oil. This substance has been banned in over 100 other countrys but not in the US. Why are we so behind? This is a carcinogenic substance that needs to be banned. If you want the scary info, try these websites for good information: http://www.ctvnews.ca, or http://naturalsociety.com. This stuff is used as a flame retardant in clothing, and is definetly not meant to be ingested. The good news is, Gatorade has decided to pull it and has added a different chemical to the drink instead, effective in a couple of months. Can't say a new chemical will be much better, but at least the company is making an effort to change a harmful product.
The next thing I learned is very strange. Foods that we like brown and crispy, and cook that way, are highly dangerous. Funny, these are natural foods, no additives, but we change them with our cooking methods. Two of the worst culprits are potato chips and fries. They change when cooked and contain acrylamides. The browner, the worse for you. Toast, cereal, potatoes we cook like hash browns and get crispy, the browner the worse. This one we can change. make your toast on a lighter setting, bake your fries and don't get them as dark, You can soak your potatoes in water before cooking for 1 hour and remove a lot of the starch. That's the culprit, starch that browns when cooked with high heat I think we can all adjust this one with no major problems. A good link to check this out is http://wwwfda.gov.food/foodsafety/foodcontaminates or http://www.foodnavigation.com. Both sites are full of worthwhile information, much better than I can shorten down for you. Just remember to cook things on slower, lower heat, getting them done but without turning them a dark color.
The third one is again, the BPA's. Lots of things are better than they were, baby bottles have been changed, and some food storage containers. You still have to read the labels for content. Cans of soup , tomatoes and other vegetables are bad. If you see a white lining in the can, its full of BPA. A person who eats one bowl of soup a week has a 100% higher level of BPA than those who avoid cans. Babys are born now with a high BPA and that causes early maturity in girls, heart desease, kidney damage and obesity. Instead of cans, look for frozen or products in pouches or jars. There are more of these than you might think, just start looking for them. Harvard has done some really scary studies you can pull up.
It's been a season of colds and flu, and the new norovirus is hitting a lot of folk. There seems to be a conection to El Nina years, each cold year is followed the next year by more viruses. The recipe for flu and cold tea I shared a while back has worked well for my family. You need it at the onset of symptoms. I am out of herbs, next year will grow a lot more and keep on hand.
I also have an easy ear drop recipe for you, to keep on hand for those problems. in a jar put 3 cloves of chopped garlic,1/4 cup mullein leaves, cover with olive oil and steep in sunny window for 3 days. Warm before use. Mountain Rose Herbs has this.
Hope you have found some good tips here, and are staying warm and well. It's nearly Feburary, which for us here in the south means another month and the daffodils and forsythia will be in bloom. Still might have some cold weather but its close to spring. Saw some baby calves last week on my way to town, hope they don't have much more cold to cope with.
Keep reading, and learning all you can, your health is worth protecting and if you let it slip away, you can't get it back. Til next time
Friday, January 25, 2013
Welcome Home!
Yep, have been traveling again. My daughter from Illinois drove to TN on the tail of a windstorm, stayed over night and we headed back to Illinois, still driving in wind. Stayed at her home a few days, got to see both of her sons, and my grand daughter and her hubby and baby girl. Her hubby is a wounded warrior, waiting since November for surgery, in a lot of pain. Can not believe they have not scheduled surgery yet.
On a Sunday morning, we headed for MO. My Nebraska son met us in Columbia, and we started for his home. Got there by supper time, and I got to meet my new grand daughter, Sam. She is something else. At 2 months old, already liking to smile and chat, so had a great time getting to know her. My other grand daughter there is 3, and we enjoyed reading, puzzles, and just hanging out. It was a great visit, including Christmas. My 2 sisters dropped in for a visit too.
Return trip was thanks to my sis and her hubby who were on the way to Florida for a conference. and a great chance to visit on the way home, again stopping at my daughter in Illinois home overnight. Drove through KY, pretty state.
However, a slight revolt tookplace while I was gone. Found out real quick the plumbing was out of whack. Power auger didn't work so called a plumber. took three hours to thaw ice out of the septictank line. Insulation got wet so that is dryin out and he will come back next week and put a seal in one toilet, and align septic tank lines. We used a good share of my towels to sop up water thatwas running on my bathroom floor.My wonderful brother in law payed for repairs,going to pay him back. While plumber was under the house, he could hear heat pump, and told me the bearings were going out. Wonderful, more repairs.
If that were not enough, I got in my car yesterday and drove the 12 miles to town, to bank, post office and to get a much needed hair cut. Shortly down the road, I found the gear shift is not workin right, the indicator no longer moves.I think I had it in the right gear, but it made funny noises. will need to figure that out. My previously cracked windshield has also developed more cracks.Maybe there is message here, like, stay home and take care of stuff.Whatever, I am still glad to be back on the mountain, and my cat who was ably cared for by my son here,was glad after a month to see me. She kept me awake, the first night, sitting on top of me, giving me a licking. The second night was better and now she is sleeping curled up beside me, so we both get to sleep.
I can't leave without giving you a recipe I found,have given you a recipe for cream soup base, and if you use onion(powdered) soup in envelopes, you will love this one.
Onion Soup Mix
2/3 cup of dried organic onions
3 tablespoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
sprinkle of black pepper
Place all in container and shake well.
To use, add 4 tablespoons in place of an envelope of commercial dried onion soup.
Much healthier as you control all the ingredients.
Well, hoping by next week to have most of the home coming problems behind me, wishing you and yours a healthy, happy week. I also want to thank my kids for all their help, this trip would not have occured with out them. And my sis and brother in law too. Glad they are in Fla enjoying some sun, we are getting an ice storm today. Take care
On a Sunday morning, we headed for MO. My Nebraska son met us in Columbia, and we started for his home. Got there by supper time, and I got to meet my new grand daughter, Sam. She is something else. At 2 months old, already liking to smile and chat, so had a great time getting to know her. My other grand daughter there is 3, and we enjoyed reading, puzzles, and just hanging out. It was a great visit, including Christmas. My 2 sisters dropped in for a visit too.
Return trip was thanks to my sis and her hubby who were on the way to Florida for a conference. and a great chance to visit on the way home, again stopping at my daughter in Illinois home overnight. Drove through KY, pretty state.
However, a slight revolt tookplace while I was gone. Found out real quick the plumbing was out of whack. Power auger didn't work so called a plumber. took three hours to thaw ice out of the septictank line. Insulation got wet so that is dryin out and he will come back next week and put a seal in one toilet, and align septic tank lines. We used a good share of my towels to sop up water thatwas running on my bathroom floor.My wonderful brother in law payed for repairs,going to pay him back. While plumber was under the house, he could hear heat pump, and told me the bearings were going out. Wonderful, more repairs.
If that were not enough, I got in my car yesterday and drove the 12 miles to town, to bank, post office and to get a much needed hair cut. Shortly down the road, I found the gear shift is not workin right, the indicator no longer moves.I think I had it in the right gear, but it made funny noises. will need to figure that out. My previously cracked windshield has also developed more cracks.Maybe there is message here, like, stay home and take care of stuff.Whatever, I am still glad to be back on the mountain, and my cat who was ably cared for by my son here,was glad after a month to see me. She kept me awake, the first night, sitting on top of me, giving me a licking. The second night was better and now she is sleeping curled up beside me, so we both get to sleep.
I can't leave without giving you a recipe I found,have given you a recipe for cream soup base, and if you use onion(powdered) soup in envelopes, you will love this one.
Onion Soup Mix
2/3 cup of dried organic onions
3 tablespoons dried parsley
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
sprinkle of black pepper
Place all in container and shake well.
To use, add 4 tablespoons in place of an envelope of commercial dried onion soup.
Much healthier as you control all the ingredients.
Well, hoping by next week to have most of the home coming problems behind me, wishing you and yours a healthy, happy week. I also want to thank my kids for all their help, this trip would not have occured with out them. And my sis and brother in law too. Glad they are in Fla enjoying some sun, we are getting an ice storm today. Take care
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Gratitude, Grief, and Prayers.
. Long ago when I was much younger and more energetic, our home was graced with a series of tiny foster babys. Most of them went on to be adopted. The mothers were young, 12 or 13 years most of the time. In those days, girls went to "visit" a relative and came back without a child.
One of our little ones was not well when she arrived. We kept her for a year. A year filled with trips to emergency rooms, wearing pillow splints, caring for eczema etc but she was such a little doll that when orders came to move on to another base, we decided to adopt her. The first few years went well, then she started bruising. We were sent via military aircraft to a wonderful hospital in Denver. Many sick children and returning wounded vets were all mixed together. We found out our babe had in laymens terms, aplastic anemia. This is the failure of the bone marrow to make platelets so she bled easily. I had been told she might live 6 months.
We moved into a country setting, grew our own fruits and veggies, had chickens, horses etc and gave her 5 years. This kind of lulled us into thinking she might survive. But when she was ten, we lost her. Like the parents in Conn. this last week, grief was overwhelming. I know first hand the horrid wrench of loosing a child, so symapthize deeply with those parents and families facing this Christmas without the joy on the faces of small ones whose gifts have been planned for months.
My life changed then, guess I really unraveled. But as it does, life went on. I had even prayed that God take me and let my baby survive, she had so many years of living to do, and I had been around longer.
God had given my the three best children in the world, and the little one we lost. All my kids have grown up to be kind, caring, loving adults. My one regret is that one of them does not keep in touch, and I miss hearing from him very much.
After life settled down, I remarried and had one more son. He is now the farthest away. And has a new daughter, his second. So I am packing up to travel the thousand miles to meet this new little girl. But this requires a lot of travel on the part of my wonderful kids. My daughter in Illnois will head this way in a few days, and the next day we head back to Illinois. There I will get to visit with 3 of my grandchildren and 2 of my great grandkids. Then on to Nebraska, part way across MO we will meet my son from Crete and I will go the rest of the way with him. I am so grateful to have kids that want to do this, its a great many miles, weather is always a concern, and safety. So many prayers are being sent out for safe travel.
Having Christmas with the 2 youngest grand daughters will be a treat. And the son here in TN is also invaluable, as he takes care of my companion and friend Miss Libby while I am gone. She is a 6 year old kitty from our local shelter and my constant friend. She knows I am packing and is very upset, knowing she will be alone except for feeding times.
How could any one be more blessed, I have the greatest kids, grand kids and great grandkids on earth, and I am thankful for every one of them.
I will not be forgetting the heavy hearts of others this year, and sadness will be taking up a small part of my heart, but God has a way of getting us through tough times. Let us all be grateful for the blessings we have in our lives, even if they seem few sometimes, we likely have more than we realize.
May your holidays be richly blessed, filled with family, songs, food and happiness. Take time to give thanks for homes, families, food, and most of all love, it's our greatest blessing of all.
One of our little ones was not well when she arrived. We kept her for a year. A year filled with trips to emergency rooms, wearing pillow splints, caring for eczema etc but she was such a little doll that when orders came to move on to another base, we decided to adopt her. The first few years went well, then she started bruising. We were sent via military aircraft to a wonderful hospital in Denver. Many sick children and returning wounded vets were all mixed together. We found out our babe had in laymens terms, aplastic anemia. This is the failure of the bone marrow to make platelets so she bled easily. I had been told she might live 6 months.
We moved into a country setting, grew our own fruits and veggies, had chickens, horses etc and gave her 5 years. This kind of lulled us into thinking she might survive. But when she was ten, we lost her. Like the parents in Conn. this last week, grief was overwhelming. I know first hand the horrid wrench of loosing a child, so symapthize deeply with those parents and families facing this Christmas without the joy on the faces of small ones whose gifts have been planned for months.
My life changed then, guess I really unraveled. But as it does, life went on. I had even prayed that God take me and let my baby survive, she had so many years of living to do, and I had been around longer.
God had given my the three best children in the world, and the little one we lost. All my kids have grown up to be kind, caring, loving adults. My one regret is that one of them does not keep in touch, and I miss hearing from him very much.
After life settled down, I remarried and had one more son. He is now the farthest away. And has a new daughter, his second. So I am packing up to travel the thousand miles to meet this new little girl. But this requires a lot of travel on the part of my wonderful kids. My daughter in Illnois will head this way in a few days, and the next day we head back to Illinois. There I will get to visit with 3 of my grandchildren and 2 of my great grandkids. Then on to Nebraska, part way across MO we will meet my son from Crete and I will go the rest of the way with him. I am so grateful to have kids that want to do this, its a great many miles, weather is always a concern, and safety. So many prayers are being sent out for safe travel.
Having Christmas with the 2 youngest grand daughters will be a treat. And the son here in TN is also invaluable, as he takes care of my companion and friend Miss Libby while I am gone. She is a 6 year old kitty from our local shelter and my constant friend. She knows I am packing and is very upset, knowing she will be alone except for feeding times.
How could any one be more blessed, I have the greatest kids, grand kids and great grandkids on earth, and I am thankful for every one of them.
I will not be forgetting the heavy hearts of others this year, and sadness will be taking up a small part of my heart, but God has a way of getting us through tough times. Let us all be grateful for the blessings we have in our lives, even if they seem few sometimes, we likely have more than we realize.
May your holidays be richly blessed, filled with family, songs, food and happiness. Take time to give thanks for homes, families, food, and most of all love, it's our greatest blessing of all.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Christmas Greetings, ice help, pinwheels for your holidays
Hi all, time is flyin by and Christmas will soon be here. Hard to believe it's only 10 days away.
Are you having company? Need a pretty snack to serve? Here's one to try, easy to make.
CRANBERRY PINWHEELS
1 package sweet dried cranberries
1 8 ounce block of cream cheese, softened
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions
4 large tortillas
Mix first 4 ingredients, and spread on the tortillas. Roll tightly, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Can be longer so you could make these a day ahead. Slice each into 12 slices and serve.
It's gotten colder, and there are now many frosty mornings, ice will be a part of the scene soon. If you have slick walks, porches, decks etc, try this. Mix 1/2 gallon of hot water(very hot) with 1 teaspoon of Dawn dish soap and 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol. Stir or shake well and pour onto icy surface. It will melt the ic e and prevent it from coming back.
Watched a very interesting Dr Oz show this week. Several doctors doing research on cholesterol have found that people with high good cholesterol levels out live those with low levels. They are concluding after all their research that cholesterol is not a bad thing and should never be treated with drugs. The statins so widely used are so bad for your body, destroy your health in the long run. Instead, learn to eat sardines, salmon, and foods high in omega 3's and throw in anti inflammatory things like pomegranite and turmeric. You can add turmeric to your soups and stews etc and its so very beneficial. Also helps prevent arthritis. Nice to know that taking it all these years has given me a lot of bonuses.
Headed to town yesterday, the weather didn't say a thing about fog, but there it was. Pea soup stuff. Got to town and missed my turn into Walmart, couldn't see any lights, good thing there is a traffic light at the 2nd turn. Navigating the parking lot was a great challenge, visibililty was nil. Didn't improve while I was shopping, and heading home I missed the turn off on to our mountain road. There is another chance down the road, but don't use it often and was unsure of landmarks. Had a guy on my tail that was in a big hurry and sure was glad to find my turn. Nearly missed the road up to our house, was so grateful to get home! Took a long time for the fog to lift. This morning the news said there is heavy fog, guess what, none here. The sun is coming up and it's still frosty but will warm up by afternoon.
Hope you have your shopping done, your cards mailed and can enjoy the days before Christmas. Rev up that mug of coffee or cocoa, watch. a good Hallmark movie and enjoy your family.! Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas
Are you having company? Need a pretty snack to serve? Here's one to try, easy to make.
CRANBERRY PINWHEELS
1 package sweet dried cranberries
1 8 ounce block of cream cheese, softened
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onions
4 large tortillas
Mix first 4 ingredients, and spread on the tortillas. Roll tightly, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Can be longer so you could make these a day ahead. Slice each into 12 slices and serve.
It's gotten colder, and there are now many frosty mornings, ice will be a part of the scene soon. If you have slick walks, porches, decks etc, try this. Mix 1/2 gallon of hot water(very hot) with 1 teaspoon of Dawn dish soap and 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol. Stir or shake well and pour onto icy surface. It will melt the ic e and prevent it from coming back.
Watched a very interesting Dr Oz show this week. Several doctors doing research on cholesterol have found that people with high good cholesterol levels out live those with low levels. They are concluding after all their research that cholesterol is not a bad thing and should never be treated with drugs. The statins so widely used are so bad for your body, destroy your health in the long run. Instead, learn to eat sardines, salmon, and foods high in omega 3's and throw in anti inflammatory things like pomegranite and turmeric. You can add turmeric to your soups and stews etc and its so very beneficial. Also helps prevent arthritis. Nice to know that taking it all these years has given me a lot of bonuses.
Headed to town yesterday, the weather didn't say a thing about fog, but there it was. Pea soup stuff. Got to town and missed my turn into Walmart, couldn't see any lights, good thing there is a traffic light at the 2nd turn. Navigating the parking lot was a great challenge, visibililty was nil. Didn't improve while I was shopping, and heading home I missed the turn off on to our mountain road. There is another chance down the road, but don't use it often and was unsure of landmarks. Had a guy on my tail that was in a big hurry and sure was glad to find my turn. Nearly missed the road up to our house, was so grateful to get home! Took a long time for the fog to lift. This morning the news said there is heavy fog, guess what, none here. The sun is coming up and it's still frosty but will warm up by afternoon.
Hope you have your shopping done, your cards mailed and can enjoy the days before Christmas. Rev up that mug of coffee or cocoa, watch. a good Hallmark movie and enjoy your family.! Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas
Friday, December 7, 2012
Winter malodies, building your immune system, staying well
It's unbelievable how many people are ill most of the winter. Our schools here in the area are already closed because of so many absences due to flu. There are a few things you can do to increase the effectivness of your immune system, and if you think about it, why would you want to spend weeks feeling crummy?
To start with, ditch fruit juice. By the time you get that, it's been processeed down to water and sugar. Many docs are telling us now to eat the real fruit instead. So add blueberries, or strawberries to your oatmeal, even dates or raisins work. And mid morning, have a piece of fruit for a snack. Banana, apple, whatever is in season and you like.
Eat as many fresh fruits and veggies as you can, that 11 per day may be a bit difficult, but try working them in. Home made vegetable soup will give you a great boost, use fresh carrots, celery, onions(lots) garlic, whatever you can. If need be, resort to a bag of frozen mixed vegetables.
If you do get sick, it's recommended now that you alternate aspirin and tylenol every 4 to 6 hours, don't just take one or the other.
If you feel like a cold is trying to get you, try mixing 1 teaspoon of honey(raw if you can get it) and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon in a cup of boiling water, cool a bit and drink several times a day so you are having 3 cups at least. Should kick that sucker in a couple of days. You can add a one inch slice of lemon to the cup if you have it, for an even bigger boost.
There is also a bath which helps draw out toxins of colds, run your tub full of hot water and add 3 pints of hydrogen peroxide(3%)plus 2 ounces of ground ginger.This will increase your circulation and help draw out the toxins casing the cold. Be sure to drink extra fluids as this is drawing fluid out of your body.
When I was 20 I started taking turmeric and ginger to prevent arthritis as I aged. It has worked perfectly and now I find out that being antioxidants, they also boost your immune system, so I have been getting multiple benefits. There are also a couple of other things I do, astragalus is a great immune booster and also helps you sleep better so I take one of those every night.I always take 1000 mg of vitamin C, and 1000 mg of D3. During the winter, if you are prone to colds, you may need to take more vitamin D3, several thousand units a day will help. There is a product call NAC or n-acetyl-cysteine which is also a great immune booster, these are available at Swanson vitamins, as are the other things I have mentioned.
At the very first sign of a cold coming on, grab your saline nasal spray, it cleans out your nasal pasages and kills bacteria. Its like a magic bullet to help you stay well.
Basically, you are in charge. Cut back on sugar as it breeds a lot of toxins in your body, kick up your fruits and veggies, drink lot of fluids, sleep well and be as cheerful as possible. If you don't take care of your body, it won't take care of you.
Countdown to Christmas is on, only 2 and 1/2 more weeks. Time flies. Hope you have found something helpful here, stay as well as you can. Make yourself a priority, after all, you are in charge of yourself.
If you are getting ready for the holidays, find time to spend with family and friends. Call someone who lives alone and wish them a Merry Christmas, donate what you can to the homeless, poor, and sick. It will make you feel extra good. Til next time , boost your immune system and stay well.
To start with, ditch fruit juice. By the time you get that, it's been processeed down to water and sugar. Many docs are telling us now to eat the real fruit instead. So add blueberries, or strawberries to your oatmeal, even dates or raisins work. And mid morning, have a piece of fruit for a snack. Banana, apple, whatever is in season and you like.
Eat as many fresh fruits and veggies as you can, that 11 per day may be a bit difficult, but try working them in. Home made vegetable soup will give you a great boost, use fresh carrots, celery, onions(lots) garlic, whatever you can. If need be, resort to a bag of frozen mixed vegetables.
If you do get sick, it's recommended now that you alternate aspirin and tylenol every 4 to 6 hours, don't just take one or the other.
If you feel like a cold is trying to get you, try mixing 1 teaspoon of honey(raw if you can get it) and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon in a cup of boiling water, cool a bit and drink several times a day so you are having 3 cups at least. Should kick that sucker in a couple of days. You can add a one inch slice of lemon to the cup if you have it, for an even bigger boost.
There is also a bath which helps draw out toxins of colds, run your tub full of hot water and add 3 pints of hydrogen peroxide(3%)plus 2 ounces of ground ginger.This will increase your circulation and help draw out the toxins casing the cold. Be sure to drink extra fluids as this is drawing fluid out of your body.
When I was 20 I started taking turmeric and ginger to prevent arthritis as I aged. It has worked perfectly and now I find out that being antioxidants, they also boost your immune system, so I have been getting multiple benefits. There are also a couple of other things I do, astragalus is a great immune booster and also helps you sleep better so I take one of those every night.I always take 1000 mg of vitamin C, and 1000 mg of D3. During the winter, if you are prone to colds, you may need to take more vitamin D3, several thousand units a day will help. There is a product call NAC or n-acetyl-cysteine which is also a great immune booster, these are available at Swanson vitamins, as are the other things I have mentioned.
At the very first sign of a cold coming on, grab your saline nasal spray, it cleans out your nasal pasages and kills bacteria. Its like a magic bullet to help you stay well.
Basically, you are in charge. Cut back on sugar as it breeds a lot of toxins in your body, kick up your fruits and veggies, drink lot of fluids, sleep well and be as cheerful as possible. If you don't take care of your body, it won't take care of you.
Countdown to Christmas is on, only 2 and 1/2 more weeks. Time flies. Hope you have found something helpful here, stay as well as you can. Make yourself a priority, after all, you are in charge of yourself.
If you are getting ready for the holidays, find time to spend with family and friends. Call someone who lives alone and wish them a Merry Christmas, donate what you can to the homeless, poor, and sick. It will make you feel extra good. Til next time , boost your immune system and stay well.
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