There is a great station on tv called Veria. It shows how organic gardening is much more productive, and safer, than fields using chemicals. Farmers have been brainwashed into believing they need chemicals for bigger yields. Not so. Go to any of the 30 countries that ban GMO's and look at the differences. For example, in the Himalayans, one acre will support 4 crops, Instead of being neatly planted in rows as we do here, they are bunched together in groups. And the yield is fantastic, in the TONS for an acre. The only thing used on those fields is cow manure. Oh yes, there are bugs, but they are beneficial ones, lady bugs, honey bees, and those bugs help control the "bad" bugs. The fields with chemicals are killing all the bugs, good ones too. DO you wonder why we are loosing our honey bees? And without them to pollinate crops, we will loose valuable crops too. I remind you of the tomato crops grown in our area, picked green, ripened in ethylene gas, and packed in cans with white linings, also poisonous. And then, they spray the fields of ripe tomatoes they don't want with a deadly poison that kills the plants in 2 days, putting up signs saying if these are picked and eaten, you will die. And of course, then that poison is turned back into the ground. If this does not make you think about canned tomatoes, I am shocked. There are organic ones available , look for them instead. The price is not that different. And the taste is superior. We are lucky, grow our own and can for use.
Yesterday my son brought me a huge, heavy basket of gorgeous ripe pears. I put up 14 pints, plus 3 more pints of sauce. Will be nice for winter eating. It takes time to peel and chop them all, but well worth it. My hands and arms are still sore today, but not complaining.
If you think you are being healthy by eating oatmeal for breakfast, make sure it's not Quaker. Interesting, I got into a live chat with a rep from there last week, checking to see if they are GMO free. He told me they did not use GMO seeds. BUT _____ Quaker is one of the top 5 companies that support not labeling for GMO's. Pepsi is in that same category, along with Ed Rendel, Rick Perry, Barack Obama and George Bush. Don't take my word for it, check it out at http://www.bluenc.com/pepsico-quaker-oat. Scary reading , and enough to make me angry. Why are so many(at least 30) other countries wise enough to ban these harmful products, but not the US? We are so brainwashed by big business. Quaker oats are not grown with GMO seeds but are stored with sulfuryl fluoride, enough to emit 19,000 pounds per year. And it's in your oats.
Thinking it might be nice to move to the Himalayans. In some respects, the US is a good place, but I do not feel we are now a place that is of the people, by the people and for the people. We have little say in anything these days, guess we just have to stand up and keep yelling.
We have had a lovely taste of fall lately, cool nights, upper 40's or 50's, and in the 70's daytimes. The days are shorter, I used to leave for town to shop before 7 am and it would be light, now its almost an hour later, and it gets dark much earlier too, but love the temperatures. Fall and spring are my favorite seasons, wish they lasted longer. Planted a squash vine this week, hope we have enough time for growing a crop before winter sets in.
I have been fighting a gnat invasion, and the pears yesterday drew in a lot more of them, so today I have been swatting and setting out containers of honey water to draw them in. Don't like using sprays and chemicals in the house, hate the smell and it's not healthy.
Are you seeing red leaves yet? The news this am talked of snow in Washington state, wow, think CO may have had some already too. So now we start thinking and planning ahead for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Time has a way of flying by, that's a good thing, change keeps us on our toes. I have done most of my Christmas shopping and have even wrapped a few things. It's easy because I only buy for the very young grandkids and great grandkids. Otherwise we do calls, visits and maybe share canned goods or consumables. We all have so many possession's we don't want more. My faves are always pictures, or coffee or tea. Hope you are enjoying these lovely fall days, with the bright blue skies and crisp air, take care, stay well. Watch what you eat!
Friday, September 27, 2013
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Helps to get through the winter naturally, and healthfully
This is the first week end of fall, it's raining here, and has been lovely the last week or so. Cool nights, 50s to 60s and around 80 daytimes. If I could pick the nicest weather of all, it would be just this. Hope it lasts for many weeks before we face winters challenges. But with this time of year, colds, allergies, flu and all that come along, so I am reminding you today of things to do to stay well, and to help get you better when you are feeling icky.
Please keep a good supple of onions and garlic in your kitchen and cook liberally with them. Both of these veggies are considered natural antibiotics, and can help your system stay well. I am lucky to have fresh ones from the garden to use when ever I like. Last night I did a pasta dish ala Mario on The Chew. Started with a bowl of fresh tomatoes, cored, and an x cut on the bottom, dipped in boiling water about 6 seconds, then plunged into ice water, peeled and chopped and set aside. In my skillet, I chopped green onions and whole yellow onion, and celery. Sautéed that until soft, then added the tomatoes. Now the pasta gets cooking, slightly less than called for on the package, 2 minutes, rule of thumb. When pasta is ready, drain and add to tomato mix, then add fresh herbs, I have rosemary, oregano and thyme and basil. Add a scoop of the pasta water and cook slightly. Remove from heat, plate, drizzle with olive oil and grate some parmesan over the top. Yum, and takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. So much better than jar stuff.
When you are shopping in the produce aisle, pick up a piece of fresh ginger. This can be brewed into tea, or added into muffins, bread etc. I made pear ginger muffins this last week. Ginger is good for inflammation and pain, so use as much as you can. If I have more than I can use, I grate it and freeze in tablespoon amounts for tea or other recipes.
Menthol, and eucalyptus are great for congestion, you can put a pot of water on the stove, and when it boils, lower the heat and add essential oil of either type, let simmer and breathe deeply.
I found a blend of herbs a few years back that I make for my daughter and sister, it's equal parts of dried yarrow, mint and elderberry flowers, brew 10 minutes and drink several cups a day if you feel a cold coming on, this needs to be early on to back off the cold.
If you have a sore throat, chew on a small bit of fresh garlic for instant relief. It coats the throat and gives instant relief.
Natural aids for aches and pains include feverfew and willow bark, both of these can be had at Swanson Vitamins, or Mountain Rose Herbs. They are good for headaches, fever etc. No side effects.
Any one read Woman's Day magazine? There are fall decorating ideas in the new issue, and the cutest frog choir made from acorn squash. Cut them in half, shape out the mouth on both top and bottom half, create eyes from the cut out pieces and toothpick to head, and make a tongue of a bit of the squash flesh. Put the halves back together. Put tea lights inside and sit a row of them on your table, so cute.
My sons dog is healing nicely from the snake bites, but sure makes us watch for the snakes when working outside. This is the first year since I moved here that snakes were a real problem. I used to have a fish pond in the yard with a fountain, loved the sound of splashing water to sleep to at night, but so did a lot of critters, including snakes so the fish pond, which was a horse tank, got turned into a sweet potato garden. Anyone need a stock tank heater?
have one for sale cheap. The sweet potatoes should be ready to harvest soon, looking forward to a supply of those.
The iced tea will soon be replaced with hot tea, and the heater will be used instead of the air conditioning. Seasons change, sometimes I forget to be grateful for each one I get to see. There is so much beauty in our world, if we just look for it and give thanks for it. Possessions have lost their hold on me, I have far too many things. Instead, I treasure the songs of birds, the grandeur of the mountains, and the beauty of the changing seasons. Take time to enjoy what we have been given, time is an uncertain thing, and tomorrow is sketchy at best. Have a great fall, and start now to stay well!
Please keep a good supple of onions and garlic in your kitchen and cook liberally with them. Both of these veggies are considered natural antibiotics, and can help your system stay well. I am lucky to have fresh ones from the garden to use when ever I like. Last night I did a pasta dish ala Mario on The Chew. Started with a bowl of fresh tomatoes, cored, and an x cut on the bottom, dipped in boiling water about 6 seconds, then plunged into ice water, peeled and chopped and set aside. In my skillet, I chopped green onions and whole yellow onion, and celery. Sautéed that until soft, then added the tomatoes. Now the pasta gets cooking, slightly less than called for on the package, 2 minutes, rule of thumb. When pasta is ready, drain and add to tomato mix, then add fresh herbs, I have rosemary, oregano and thyme and basil. Add a scoop of the pasta water and cook slightly. Remove from heat, plate, drizzle with olive oil and grate some parmesan over the top. Yum, and takes about 20 minutes from start to finish. So much better than jar stuff.
When you are shopping in the produce aisle, pick up a piece of fresh ginger. This can be brewed into tea, or added into muffins, bread etc. I made pear ginger muffins this last week. Ginger is good for inflammation and pain, so use as much as you can. If I have more than I can use, I grate it and freeze in tablespoon amounts for tea or other recipes.
Menthol, and eucalyptus are great for congestion, you can put a pot of water on the stove, and when it boils, lower the heat and add essential oil of either type, let simmer and breathe deeply.
I found a blend of herbs a few years back that I make for my daughter and sister, it's equal parts of dried yarrow, mint and elderberry flowers, brew 10 minutes and drink several cups a day if you feel a cold coming on, this needs to be early on to back off the cold.
If you have a sore throat, chew on a small bit of fresh garlic for instant relief. It coats the throat and gives instant relief.
Natural aids for aches and pains include feverfew and willow bark, both of these can be had at Swanson Vitamins, or Mountain Rose Herbs. They are good for headaches, fever etc. No side effects.
Any one read Woman's Day magazine? There are fall decorating ideas in the new issue, and the cutest frog choir made from acorn squash. Cut them in half, shape out the mouth on both top and bottom half, create eyes from the cut out pieces and toothpick to head, and make a tongue of a bit of the squash flesh. Put the halves back together. Put tea lights inside and sit a row of them on your table, so cute.
My sons dog is healing nicely from the snake bites, but sure makes us watch for the snakes when working outside. This is the first year since I moved here that snakes were a real problem. I used to have a fish pond in the yard with a fountain, loved the sound of splashing water to sleep to at night, but so did a lot of critters, including snakes so the fish pond, which was a horse tank, got turned into a sweet potato garden. Anyone need a stock tank heater?
have one for sale cheap. The sweet potatoes should be ready to harvest soon, looking forward to a supply of those.
The iced tea will soon be replaced with hot tea, and the heater will be used instead of the air conditioning. Seasons change, sometimes I forget to be grateful for each one I get to see. There is so much beauty in our world, if we just look for it and give thanks for it. Possessions have lost their hold on me, I have far too many things. Instead, I treasure the songs of birds, the grandeur of the mountains, and the beauty of the changing seasons. Take time to enjoy what we have been given, time is an uncertain thing, and tomorrow is sketchy at best. Have a great fall, and start now to stay well!
Friday, September 13, 2013
Gluten free or chemicals , home made suasage, tuna and snakes
Let's start with snakes, my son has a big dog, 90ish pounds. Actually he has 2. Last Sunday night the dogs were raising heck just before bedtime, they were tethered for their last outside visit before night. When my son flipped on the porch light to see what was going on, there was a copperhead on the porch between the dogs. It bit one of the pups on the face and mouth several times. Oh sure, it's night, vets are closed etc. So he got in touch with a friend of his that works at the animal shelter, and followed her instructions til morning. Dog's face and tongue got really swollen causing problems eating and drinking, but after treatment and a course of anti biotics, he seems to be recovering., This does raise some odd thoughts, why are snakes right up on the porch, and how likely are we to encounter them in the yard while working. It's been a wet, snaky summer. I am not fond of the critters, so will be glad to see them slither off to their dens for the winter.
We had a discussion this week about a lady who is gluten intolerant. She was on vacation in a European country and salivating over their gorgeous fresh baked breads. Finally decided to taste even if it made her sick. No bad results. She ate more, and then tried other kinds, no problems. After questioning the baker, she found that GMO's are banned in most foreign countries so all goods are wholesome, and non poisoned. Back in the states, she can not eat the breads, grains etc. We have such a strange way of treating people here. Go ahead, feed us bad stuff, make us sick, then hand out mega medicines that cause more trouble. And cost a lot. Our country is run on greed, by manufacturers and our government. People don't seem to count for much. Of course, there are millions of people who don't read or know about our food chain, and continue to eat what they like, at the cost of their health. I am grateful that we grow most of our own veggies, and fruits too. I volunteer for the agency on aging here, and call and chat with people who are alone and not well, so many are so much younger than I am and in such bad shape, bad backs, arthritis, cancer, aches etc. My constant hunger for knowledge on foods and health has been good to me.
Have you ever thought about making your own sausage? Buy a pound of lean ground turkey, and add to your taste garlic powder(or fresh finely chopped), oregano and fennel seeds to taste. No salt needed. I would put the seeds in my mortar and pestle and smush them up , not fond of the whole seeds in stuff. You can shape this into patties, or sauté loose for use in casseroles, soups or eggs etc.
Instead of the usual burger, try a tuna burger. I look for the bags now, no water or oil, and there are organic ones in the store. Anyway, mix 4 chopped green onions, 3/4 cup of whole wheat bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon of chopped dill, a splash of lemon juice and a little salt and pepper. If you like spice, a little hot pepper sauce can be added. Shape into patty's and sauté in a little oil. Use on whole wheat buns with lettuce, onion slices, tomato slice etc, whatever you like and have a great tasting, healthy burger. This for me would require at least 2 bags, maybe 3 of tuna. Recipe calls for 2 5 ounce cans. I would also add an egg to bind ingredients together, this recipe does not add that. Topping with cabbage slaw sounds good too.
Halloween is fast approaching. My magazines are full of creative ways to make a pumpkin festive, most are no longer carved, but stenciled, decoupaged or painted. Some in stacks, some are white, just use your imagination, maybe create a theme and run with it to decorate your porch or windows. I fancy the white ones with green designs, fresh.
Our pears are golden on the trees this year, usually they fall off while still green. It's been about 5 years since I did a lot of canning with them, but looking forward to making pear butter and canning up some for the winter again, I like adding cinnamon to mine.
A while back my son told us how to use the tomato skins to create a dry tomato paste powder, so I have some of that set aside. Now I find you can take the peels and cores of your apples and make your own apple cider vinegar. It's fairly simple but takes a while, if this appeals to you, a lengthy set of instructions can be found on Grit magazine's site. Mostly it's easy, just letting the peels sit until they process, changing out the tops on the jars once in a while. It's nice to know that so much of what we normally toss out can be used to make healthy products.
We had a few cracks of very loud thunder last night, some lightening and rain, didn't last long and was not severe, but it ushered in a cold front. The air is cool and fresh this morning, sitting here by the window and my bare feet are chilly. Feels so good! The next week will be much cooler, near 80 days and in the 50's at night. Plan to leave the windows up and pull up a blanket. My cat went under the bed at the first crack of thunder, and stayed til the storm had passed by. After that she was tucked in next to me for the night. She is good company, and if I talk to her I am not crazy, like being alone and talking to the walls. She is always close by, sitting by my feet or waiting to chase a string. Pets are good for your health, keep your blood pressure down and make good companions. It's sad the world is full of abused unwanted pets, much like kids. Compassion people, find some. Look after others, help those you can, make our world a better place. Sometimes a kind word or a smile can lift some one's dark mood and make the day better for them.
Change the world this week, do a good deed of some sort, anything helps. AHave a good weekend and a safe week, see ya next time.
We had a discussion this week about a lady who is gluten intolerant. She was on vacation in a European country and salivating over their gorgeous fresh baked breads. Finally decided to taste even if it made her sick. No bad results. She ate more, and then tried other kinds, no problems. After questioning the baker, she found that GMO's are banned in most foreign countries so all goods are wholesome, and non poisoned. Back in the states, she can not eat the breads, grains etc. We have such a strange way of treating people here. Go ahead, feed us bad stuff, make us sick, then hand out mega medicines that cause more trouble. And cost a lot. Our country is run on greed, by manufacturers and our government. People don't seem to count for much. Of course, there are millions of people who don't read or know about our food chain, and continue to eat what they like, at the cost of their health. I am grateful that we grow most of our own veggies, and fruits too. I volunteer for the agency on aging here, and call and chat with people who are alone and not well, so many are so much younger than I am and in such bad shape, bad backs, arthritis, cancer, aches etc. My constant hunger for knowledge on foods and health has been good to me.
Have you ever thought about making your own sausage? Buy a pound of lean ground turkey, and add to your taste garlic powder(or fresh finely chopped), oregano and fennel seeds to taste. No salt needed. I would put the seeds in my mortar and pestle and smush them up , not fond of the whole seeds in stuff. You can shape this into patties, or sauté loose for use in casseroles, soups or eggs etc.
Instead of the usual burger, try a tuna burger. I look for the bags now, no water or oil, and there are organic ones in the store. Anyway, mix 4 chopped green onions, 3/4 cup of whole wheat bread crumbs, 1 teaspoon of chopped dill, a splash of lemon juice and a little salt and pepper. If you like spice, a little hot pepper sauce can be added. Shape into patty's and sauté in a little oil. Use on whole wheat buns with lettuce, onion slices, tomato slice etc, whatever you like and have a great tasting, healthy burger. This for me would require at least 2 bags, maybe 3 of tuna. Recipe calls for 2 5 ounce cans. I would also add an egg to bind ingredients together, this recipe does not add that. Topping with cabbage slaw sounds good too.
Halloween is fast approaching. My magazines are full of creative ways to make a pumpkin festive, most are no longer carved, but stenciled, decoupaged or painted. Some in stacks, some are white, just use your imagination, maybe create a theme and run with it to decorate your porch or windows. I fancy the white ones with green designs, fresh.
Our pears are golden on the trees this year, usually they fall off while still green. It's been about 5 years since I did a lot of canning with them, but looking forward to making pear butter and canning up some for the winter again, I like adding cinnamon to mine.
A while back my son told us how to use the tomato skins to create a dry tomato paste powder, so I have some of that set aside. Now I find you can take the peels and cores of your apples and make your own apple cider vinegar. It's fairly simple but takes a while, if this appeals to you, a lengthy set of instructions can be found on Grit magazine's site. Mostly it's easy, just letting the peels sit until they process, changing out the tops on the jars once in a while. It's nice to know that so much of what we normally toss out can be used to make healthy products.
We had a few cracks of very loud thunder last night, some lightening and rain, didn't last long and was not severe, but it ushered in a cold front. The air is cool and fresh this morning, sitting here by the window and my bare feet are chilly. Feels so good! The next week will be much cooler, near 80 days and in the 50's at night. Plan to leave the windows up and pull up a blanket. My cat went under the bed at the first crack of thunder, and stayed til the storm had passed by. After that she was tucked in next to me for the night. She is good company, and if I talk to her I am not crazy, like being alone and talking to the walls. She is always close by, sitting by my feet or waiting to chase a string. Pets are good for your health, keep your blood pressure down and make good companions. It's sad the world is full of abused unwanted pets, much like kids. Compassion people, find some. Look after others, help those you can, make our world a better place. Sometimes a kind word or a smile can lift some one's dark mood and make the day better for them.
Change the world this week, do a good deed of some sort, anything helps. AHave a good weekend and a safe week, see ya next time.
Friday, September 6, 2013
Truth in Advertising? Lets pick on some. Gentle face cleanser recipe
Ever see those ads on tv for mascara? Your lashes go from blah to fab with just an application of this wondrous mascara. Well, guess what, they fake you out, the models are all wearing fake eyelashes to get the effect. I fell into the trap, have bought the ones that say you will have triple the lashes, etc. We will never get the desired look unless we glue on false lashes before applying the mascara. I think that sucks. You are not getting something they promise in the ads. Guess that's why mine are all in the back of my make up drawer.
I had a yen for lemon pudding last week, so while in the grocery store picked up a package of instant lemon pudding. This is way out of character, usually I do not buy processed foods, but had made this for my diabetic husband years ago. Well, AFTER I got home, I read the ingredient list. Aspartame. Jello, shame on you for using a poisonous substance in your mixes. It went in the trash. You could use stevia or agave. There are companies that listen, one brand of yogurt quit using corn syrup, some hot dogs no longer have nitrates, but you sure have to read labels to find ones that are better. It does show that we have a say in our foods, and make a difference if we stand up and complain. It takes a lot of people but we can cause good changes. In the mean time, if you put 2 cups of milk in a pan, and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, then choose the flavor, vanilla, chocolate, butterscotch, just add the flavor and sugar etc and stir til thickened, what could be easier and better for you. And they taste so much better.
Back to the processed foods, are you still on the bandwave that says, I will eat what I want, the heck with what happens to my body? Well, processed foods are well know to contain transfats and those cause inflammation(yep, sinus, arthritis, all those things that make you feel yucky). If you still buy processed, read the label, there should be no hydrogenated anything. The label may read 0 transfat, but the law, allows it, under a certain amount, be sure it does not list anything hydrogenated, even 1 teaspoon of this a day can cause heart attacks, inflammation and lots of illnesses. You really are what you eat. It sure beats me why people choose to be sick. All that pizza, hot dogs and hamburgers will get you sick fast. The first rule of good health is to eliminate the 5 whites. Flour, sugar , salt, rice and shortening.
Heard a couple of good tips on The Chew this week for laundry. Like the show, but they are way too heavy handed with salt. I use more herbs and less salt and find the recipes still work. Anyhoo, the wash, if you are doing colored clothes, turn all inside out and add 1 teaspoon of salt to the wash water to keep colors bright. When it hits rinse, add 1 cup of white vinegar to soften clothes, and when you get to the dryer, take about an 18 inch strip of aluminum foil, crumple it into a ball and toss in the dryer. It will come out much smaller, but you can use this sameball for about 6 months, to eliminate static cling. If you use the 7 cents a load laundry soap I gave you the recipe for, this makes electricity(or gas) about the only cost. Saves big bucks over a years time. And of course nothing to make you itchy.
The debate goes on over safe storage containers. Plastic is not the best, and please don't microwave in it. There are some good products, Nordic ware makes some with silicone lids, can freeze, or microwave. Pyrex glass is wonderful, goes in the oven too. These all go back to the good old days, before plastic.
I don't usually remember dreams, once I wake up there are fuzzy ideas, but mostly they disappear. Except the first of this week, I woke up remembering clearly details, with images in my head. I had been with my mom, helping her clean up her floor that was littered with gritty red sugar. The kitchen was large, high ceilings and cupboards that went way up. I remember telling her I was moving closer and would be able to help her more, as I could just pop in without it being a long trip. And there were images of my home, also with tall ceilings, and big rooms. That's all I remember, but it's odd because except for one house, my folks never had a big house, and mostly I have lived in small, cozy homes, so the space is making me wonder. Why is this sticking in my head. Mom passed on in 98, so has been gone a long time now.
Can't leave without one recipe, let's make some Gentle Face cleaner. In a blender, put one cup of milk(mine would be soy or almond) 1/2 cup whole oats, and 1 tablespoon of honey. Blend until creamy. Keep in clean jar in frig, and use a small amount in the palm of your hand, massaging into your face well, then rinsing with warm water.
Saw a cute thing from my son this am , we are now into hallothanksxmas season. Summer is coming to an end. I actually have begun Christmas shopping. Little by little, bit by bit I am getting ready. Hope you are doing well, take care until next time.
I had a yen for lemon pudding last week, so while in the grocery store picked up a package of instant lemon pudding. This is way out of character, usually I do not buy processed foods, but had made this for my diabetic husband years ago. Well, AFTER I got home, I read the ingredient list. Aspartame. Jello, shame on you for using a poisonous substance in your mixes. It went in the trash. You could use stevia or agave. There are companies that listen, one brand of yogurt quit using corn syrup, some hot dogs no longer have nitrates, but you sure have to read labels to find ones that are better. It does show that we have a say in our foods, and make a difference if we stand up and complain. It takes a lot of people but we can cause good changes. In the mean time, if you put 2 cups of milk in a pan, and 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, then choose the flavor, vanilla, chocolate, butterscotch, just add the flavor and sugar etc and stir til thickened, what could be easier and better for you. And they taste so much better.
Back to the processed foods, are you still on the bandwave that says, I will eat what I want, the heck with what happens to my body? Well, processed foods are well know to contain transfats and those cause inflammation(yep, sinus, arthritis, all those things that make you feel yucky). If you still buy processed, read the label, there should be no hydrogenated anything. The label may read 0 transfat, but the law, allows it, under a certain amount, be sure it does not list anything hydrogenated, even 1 teaspoon of this a day can cause heart attacks, inflammation and lots of illnesses. You really are what you eat. It sure beats me why people choose to be sick. All that pizza, hot dogs and hamburgers will get you sick fast. The first rule of good health is to eliminate the 5 whites. Flour, sugar , salt, rice and shortening.
Heard a couple of good tips on The Chew this week for laundry. Like the show, but they are way too heavy handed with salt. I use more herbs and less salt and find the recipes still work. Anyhoo, the wash, if you are doing colored clothes, turn all inside out and add 1 teaspoon of salt to the wash water to keep colors bright. When it hits rinse, add 1 cup of white vinegar to soften clothes, and when you get to the dryer, take about an 18 inch strip of aluminum foil, crumple it into a ball and toss in the dryer. It will come out much smaller, but you can use this sameball for about 6 months, to eliminate static cling. If you use the 7 cents a load laundry soap I gave you the recipe for, this makes electricity(or gas) about the only cost. Saves big bucks over a years time. And of course nothing to make you itchy.
The debate goes on over safe storage containers. Plastic is not the best, and please don't microwave in it. There are some good products, Nordic ware makes some with silicone lids, can freeze, or microwave. Pyrex glass is wonderful, goes in the oven too. These all go back to the good old days, before plastic.
I don't usually remember dreams, once I wake up there are fuzzy ideas, but mostly they disappear. Except the first of this week, I woke up remembering clearly details, with images in my head. I had been with my mom, helping her clean up her floor that was littered with gritty red sugar. The kitchen was large, high ceilings and cupboards that went way up. I remember telling her I was moving closer and would be able to help her more, as I could just pop in without it being a long trip. And there were images of my home, also with tall ceilings, and big rooms. That's all I remember, but it's odd because except for one house, my folks never had a big house, and mostly I have lived in small, cozy homes, so the space is making me wonder. Why is this sticking in my head. Mom passed on in 98, so has been gone a long time now.
Can't leave without one recipe, let's make some Gentle Face cleaner. In a blender, put one cup of milk(mine would be soy or almond) 1/2 cup whole oats, and 1 tablespoon of honey. Blend until creamy. Keep in clean jar in frig, and use a small amount in the palm of your hand, massaging into your face well, then rinsing with warm water.
Saw a cute thing from my son this am , we are now into hallothanksxmas season. Summer is coming to an end. I actually have begun Christmas shopping. Little by little, bit by bit I am getting ready. Hope you are doing well, take care until next time.
Friday, August 30, 2013
BUGS in your Yogurt? Yuck! Roasted tomatoes, face cleaner etc
If you have had your tv news on at all the last week, you would have caught the blurbs about yogurt. If you are still buying the flavored type, shame on you. And now another reason to skip them, they use bugs to get the color for the red ones, strawberry, cherry etc. Plus you know they have as much sugar as a can of soda, or use bad stuff like aspartame. So glad I switched to plain Greek yogurt several years ago, its so good, and I control the add ins, put strawberry's or blueberry's or honey and vanilla. Oh, another point, if you buy regular honey at the store, many of them have corn syrup added to them, did not know that til this week. Try and find local brands, they help your immune system too, could keep those allergies at bay if you eat a spoonful a day.
My son's garden is producing a ton of cherry tomatoes, and after so much sauce, we start looking for other ways to preserve them. Yesterday, I split a cookie sheet full of them, cut in two, and mixed about 3 tablespoons of olive oil with a teaspoon of lemon juice, a splash of balsamic vinegar and a bit of fresh thyme and basil. Drizzled the oil over the tomato halves, added a touch of pink salt and put them in a 425 degree oven for 40 minutes. They do brown a little. I let them cool, and put them in containers in the freezer, they will add a great flavor to soup, stew and other dishes this winter. While that was going on, my box of fresh mushrooms got chopped and sautéed and put in the freezer too, love having those ready for making homemade mushroom soup to add to casseroles., and for other dishes.
Let's create a natural first aid kit. Here are the items to stock:
Bandages, various sizes
Vitamin E capsules or oil
Tea tree oil(Walmart has)
Lavender oil
A potted Aloe plant
Unprocessed Honey
Ginger capsules( I keep fresh Ginger root, grated , in the freezer)
Peppermint tea
Baking soda
And what do I do with these? If you get a kitchen burn, run cold water over it at once, for 10 minutes or more. Then grab an aloe leaf, or a bit of the vitamin E. My daughter badly burned her face when she was young, we took her to the hospital where they treated the burn with salt water, it made it hurt so much worse, I went down the street and bought vitamin E caps and squeezed them all over her face. At first the doc was mad at me, but as he watched her heal with little scarring, he became convinced that they worked better than salt water. Ok, on to minor cuts, not needing stitches, wash with soap and water after you have stopped the bleeding with pressure, use the tea tree or lavender oil to disinfect, and bandage. Stomachache -- try ginger tee, or peppermint. If you have gall bladder problems, enteric coated peppermint oil capsules will sooth that and indigestion as well. I also keep DGL(de glcerized chewable Licorice) caps on hand, they work wonders. Tried Tums etc, but even those all have an effect on your body if used long term. If you are stressed, try rubbing your temples with lavender oil. There are also herbs, like Ashwaganda, gensing, valerian root that help you stay calm. And the soda is for grease fires in the kitchen, or adding to your bath water. Mine is mixed with Epsom salts and lavender oil for bathing, very relaxing.
Want a gentle, effective facial cleanse, sans chemicals and additives? And cheap too? Try this. Put a cup of soy, rice, almond etc milk in your food processor, with 1/2 cup of whole oats and a tablespoon of raw honey. Blend well. Store in clean jar in refrigerator. To use, put small amount in the palm of your hand and gently massage into your face. Rinse well.
Watching the leaves on the maple tree turn red, seems early. Also sweeping lots of leaves off the porch lately. The pears are getting ripe so will be time for pear butter and canning soon. Not a fan of winter, hope this is not telling us it will be a long, cold one. We are having some very humid weather now, but next week looks good, only upper 70's and dryer.
Hope you are enjoying your days, take care, stay well.
My son's garden is producing a ton of cherry tomatoes, and after so much sauce, we start looking for other ways to preserve them. Yesterday, I split a cookie sheet full of them, cut in two, and mixed about 3 tablespoons of olive oil with a teaspoon of lemon juice, a splash of balsamic vinegar and a bit of fresh thyme and basil. Drizzled the oil over the tomato halves, added a touch of pink salt and put them in a 425 degree oven for 40 minutes. They do brown a little. I let them cool, and put them in containers in the freezer, they will add a great flavor to soup, stew and other dishes this winter. While that was going on, my box of fresh mushrooms got chopped and sautéed and put in the freezer too, love having those ready for making homemade mushroom soup to add to casseroles., and for other dishes.
Let's create a natural first aid kit. Here are the items to stock:
Bandages, various sizes
Vitamin E capsules or oil
Tea tree oil(Walmart has)
Lavender oil
A potted Aloe plant
Unprocessed Honey
Ginger capsules( I keep fresh Ginger root, grated , in the freezer)
Peppermint tea
Baking soda
And what do I do with these? If you get a kitchen burn, run cold water over it at once, for 10 minutes or more. Then grab an aloe leaf, or a bit of the vitamin E. My daughter badly burned her face when she was young, we took her to the hospital where they treated the burn with salt water, it made it hurt so much worse, I went down the street and bought vitamin E caps and squeezed them all over her face. At first the doc was mad at me, but as he watched her heal with little scarring, he became convinced that they worked better than salt water. Ok, on to minor cuts, not needing stitches, wash with soap and water after you have stopped the bleeding with pressure, use the tea tree or lavender oil to disinfect, and bandage. Stomachache -- try ginger tee, or peppermint. If you have gall bladder problems, enteric coated peppermint oil capsules will sooth that and indigestion as well. I also keep DGL(de glcerized chewable Licorice) caps on hand, they work wonders. Tried Tums etc, but even those all have an effect on your body if used long term. If you are stressed, try rubbing your temples with lavender oil. There are also herbs, like Ashwaganda, gensing, valerian root that help you stay calm. And the soda is for grease fires in the kitchen, or adding to your bath water. Mine is mixed with Epsom salts and lavender oil for bathing, very relaxing.
Want a gentle, effective facial cleanse, sans chemicals and additives? And cheap too? Try this. Put a cup of soy, rice, almond etc milk in your food processor, with 1/2 cup of whole oats and a tablespoon of raw honey. Blend well. Store in clean jar in refrigerator. To use, put small amount in the palm of your hand and gently massage into your face. Rinse well.
Watching the leaves on the maple tree turn red, seems early. Also sweeping lots of leaves off the porch lately. The pears are getting ripe so will be time for pear butter and canning soon. Not a fan of winter, hope this is not telling us it will be a long, cold one. We are having some very humid weather now, but next week looks good, only upper 70's and dryer.
Hope you are enjoying your days, take care, stay well.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Heal yourself with diet
Quite a few years ago, one of our children, a baby we adopted , was quite ill with a blood problem. We moved to a small acreage in the country, planted a very large garden and learned to eat natural foods. We dumped the sugar totally, used honey, and bought wheat from farmers that didn't use chemicals on their farms. We ground it and made bread from scratch. All our fruits and vegetables were home grown. We bought goat milk for the sick child, and used it for ice cream and baked goods. From this venture, we found out a lot of things. None of us had a cold, or flu etc for all the years we ate this way. Sugar, is like poison in your system, leaving you open for all kinds of illnesses. Oh, I know, what good is life if you can't eat what you like. But what good is life if you are sick from doing just that? As we get older, our body's work less well and we need to protect ourselves from aches, pains, cancer etc.
Yesterday for the first time in a long while, I watched Dr. Oz. Because my favorite doc was on the show, Dr. Andrew Weil. He was a regular medical doctor at one point, but became aware that the meds he was handing out did not cure anything, and often added more problems. So he has traveled around the world, finding cures for illnesses, not just band aids. We are an impatient people, who go to our doctors with a problem and ask for a pill to instantly make what ever is wrong better. Fact is, those pills just mask symptoms and often cause another problem, thus another medicine. Like ripples in a pond where you toss a pebble, it goes on and on. And you don't feel better.
Again, Dr. Weil stressed that almost all illness is caused by inflammation in the body. And inflammation comes from diet. Processed foods and trans-fats are the worst offenders.
Here are 5 rules to get you back on track and help yourself to glowing health.
1. Be sure you eat 5 to 7 vegetables and fruits a day, the brighter the color, the more anti oxidants.
2. Eat only whole or cracked grains, no chips, crackers or cookies unless they are 100% whole grain. Those white ones with all the fat and ickies in them cause sugar spikes. Eat 3 to 5 servings of whole grain per day.
3. Oils . Good oils are like olive oil, nuts, avocados. The Mediterranean diet is the best one to follow.
4 . Sea food. Black cod is best, but I sure never saw that in any store. Look for good quality salmon or tuna, the safe ones.
5. Herbs and Spices. These are truly wonder foods, that help your body heal many problems. Some to try and use on a regular basis are rosemary, basil, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric and ginger. People who eat these have the lowest rate of Alzheimer's.
Now a recipe, for soup that will help heal aches and pains. Its made with cauliflower. Dr. Weil uses yellow, but I have not seen that in the store. Regular will work. In your food processor, put 1/2 cup of raw cashews, and 1 cup of cold water, blend until creamy and smooth. In a skillet, sauté a sliced onion in olive oil until caramelized. In a pot, put your chopped up head of cauliflower, add 1 Tablespoon each of turmeric and curry powder. 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and cumin, a touch of salt. Cover with water and simmer until soft. Add a small pinch of organic sugar. Then with an immersion blender, blend until smooth, add the cashew milk, blend again, and serve with the onions on top. I don't have an immersion blender, use my Magic Bullet and get the job done, you can always just work with what you have some way or another.
A new secret elixir for pain is sea buckthorn, interesting fruit, ages old in other countries, but just now becoming known here. Again we are behind in natural helpers.
It's been a difficult week here on the mountain, my lovely daughter in law became very ill last Thursday and ended up in the CCU at the hospital. She is home now, but still weak and tired and trying to recover from this serious illness. Will be so glad to see her on her feet, her old smiling self again, hope it's not a long time coming, take care dear one, want you better.
Some of the Maple trees have a few red leaves already. I took out a good share of the garden last week, the constant rains caused leaf mold on a lot of the squash and big leafed plants. Still have okra, tomato and pepper plants, and of course herbs. School has started, which always makes it seem that fall is near, and sadly winter follows. At least the winters here are not as cold as the Midwest ones I grew up with.
Hope you have had a good week, please listen to your body, feed it nourishing food and feel better. We are the most overfed, under nourished country in the world. Looking at the grocery store products you can see why, most of our foods are over processed and not healthy. Try cooking from scratch with real food, your body will love it. Til next time, take care.
Yesterday for the first time in a long while, I watched Dr. Oz. Because my favorite doc was on the show, Dr. Andrew Weil. He was a regular medical doctor at one point, but became aware that the meds he was handing out did not cure anything, and often added more problems. So he has traveled around the world, finding cures for illnesses, not just band aids. We are an impatient people, who go to our doctors with a problem and ask for a pill to instantly make what ever is wrong better. Fact is, those pills just mask symptoms and often cause another problem, thus another medicine. Like ripples in a pond where you toss a pebble, it goes on and on. And you don't feel better.
Again, Dr. Weil stressed that almost all illness is caused by inflammation in the body. And inflammation comes from diet. Processed foods and trans-fats are the worst offenders.
Here are 5 rules to get you back on track and help yourself to glowing health.
1. Be sure you eat 5 to 7 vegetables and fruits a day, the brighter the color, the more anti oxidants.
2. Eat only whole or cracked grains, no chips, crackers or cookies unless they are 100% whole grain. Those white ones with all the fat and ickies in them cause sugar spikes. Eat 3 to 5 servings of whole grain per day.
3. Oils . Good oils are like olive oil, nuts, avocados. The Mediterranean diet is the best one to follow.
4 . Sea food. Black cod is best, but I sure never saw that in any store. Look for good quality salmon or tuna, the safe ones.
5. Herbs and Spices. These are truly wonder foods, that help your body heal many problems. Some to try and use on a regular basis are rosemary, basil, cinnamon, ginger, turmeric and ginger. People who eat these have the lowest rate of Alzheimer's.
Now a recipe, for soup that will help heal aches and pains. Its made with cauliflower. Dr. Weil uses yellow, but I have not seen that in the store. Regular will work. In your food processor, put 1/2 cup of raw cashews, and 1 cup of cold water, blend until creamy and smooth. In a skillet, sauté a sliced onion in olive oil until caramelized. In a pot, put your chopped up head of cauliflower, add 1 Tablespoon each of turmeric and curry powder. 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and cumin, a touch of salt. Cover with water and simmer until soft. Add a small pinch of organic sugar. Then with an immersion blender, blend until smooth, add the cashew milk, blend again, and serve with the onions on top. I don't have an immersion blender, use my Magic Bullet and get the job done, you can always just work with what you have some way or another.
A new secret elixir for pain is sea buckthorn, interesting fruit, ages old in other countries, but just now becoming known here. Again we are behind in natural helpers.
It's been a difficult week here on the mountain, my lovely daughter in law became very ill last Thursday and ended up in the CCU at the hospital. She is home now, but still weak and tired and trying to recover from this serious illness. Will be so glad to see her on her feet, her old smiling self again, hope it's not a long time coming, take care dear one, want you better.
Some of the Maple trees have a few red leaves already. I took out a good share of the garden last week, the constant rains caused leaf mold on a lot of the squash and big leafed plants. Still have okra, tomato and pepper plants, and of course herbs. School has started, which always makes it seem that fall is near, and sadly winter follows. At least the winters here are not as cold as the Midwest ones I grew up with.
Hope you have had a good week, please listen to your body, feed it nourishing food and feel better. We are the most overfed, under nourished country in the world. Looking at the grocery store products you can see why, most of our foods are over processed and not healthy. Try cooking from scratch with real food, your body will love it. Til next time, take care.
Friday, August 16, 2013
Taking back a recipe, news on soda and new recipes
First, I gave you a recipe for bubble bath a few weeks back. Don't make it. It doesn't bubble. I will keep looking for a better recipe.
On the GMA news this week, Pepsi and other soda brands are trying to resell customers on the safety of Aspartame. Sales are down and they are worried. Well, they should be. You are finally aware that Aspartame is as good as drinking poison. If they want your business, company's need to learn to make products that don't add to weight gain, and don't kill you off at the same time. We have put up with poor quality stuff for far too long. Regain your health, read labels, be aware of what you put in your body, it does matter. You really are what you eat. If you make it a habit to eat things that do only something good for your body, you will get rid of a lot of your health issues.
There is a new ingredient to add to your "I won't use this" list. It is Brominated vegetable oil. It's in sweetened drinks, sodas, PowerAde, Mountain Dew etc. Studies now show that using over a period of time causes skin lesions, memory loss and nerve disorders. While I am on this subject, NIH researchers that studied 264,000 drinkers of soda found that it makes you 30% more likely to depression, and other sweet drinks are worse .The link seems to be the sugar.
Recipe for a healthy wrap.
There is a company called Once Again that makes organic, safe products. Their peanut butter and honey are used in this recipe.
Start with a whole wheat tortilla. Spread it with peanut or almond butter. Drizzle the honey over that. Then mix 1 tbsp. mayo, 1 tsp orange juice, 2/3 cup small dice apple, 6 grapes, quartered, 1tbsp raisins and 1 tbsp. chopped almonds, or nuts, stir and put in center of wrap, roll up and enjoy. Bet even the small ones in the family would like that.
How about new uses for old stuff, lets do Olive Oil today.
Makes a great furniture polish, mix 1/4 cup olive oil with 4 tbsp. vinegar and 2 tsp lemon juice, spray on rag and dust away. Got a stuck zipper? Try rubbing a bit of oil on it. Oil your squeaky hinges on doors and cupboards with a drop or two. Use to help remove residue from labels on objects. Helps shine your shoes, just rub in and buff. Great for your skin and hair, just rub in a little either place and leave on. Guys, if you run out of shaving cream, use a little oil instead, leaves your skin silky. And of course, use it on your salads, its good for you.
Saw an ad for a book this week, some of the tips were interesting, if you have mice, put peppermint oil on a cotton ball and leave it where the mice are, they hate it and will leave., Also, if you have ants around your pet bowls, draw a line with chalk around the area, ants will not cross chalk.
My lovely daughter in law got really sick yesterday, her BP shot way up, she has had a rough day or two. Just got a call from my son saying they had her pressure down, and she is doing better, but will need meds to control it. Hope we can keep her in our prayers and avoid a repeat, she will need some recovery time and a lot of prayers and good wishes.
This week brought some really refreshing cool temperatures, in the 50's a couple of nights, really felt good. Some of the leaves on the maples are already turning red and if we have a little breeze, leaves are swirling and falling. Hope this isn't an indication of an early winter, and a cold one, some folk are saying they are seeing big fuzzy caterpillars already.
Hope you have a good week, do something healthy for yourself, take care and stay well.
On the GMA news this week, Pepsi and other soda brands are trying to resell customers on the safety of Aspartame. Sales are down and they are worried. Well, they should be. You are finally aware that Aspartame is as good as drinking poison. If they want your business, company's need to learn to make products that don't add to weight gain, and don't kill you off at the same time. We have put up with poor quality stuff for far too long. Regain your health, read labels, be aware of what you put in your body, it does matter. You really are what you eat. If you make it a habit to eat things that do only something good for your body, you will get rid of a lot of your health issues.
There is a new ingredient to add to your "I won't use this" list. It is Brominated vegetable oil. It's in sweetened drinks, sodas, PowerAde, Mountain Dew etc. Studies now show that using over a period of time causes skin lesions, memory loss and nerve disorders. While I am on this subject, NIH researchers that studied 264,000 drinkers of soda found that it makes you 30% more likely to depression, and other sweet drinks are worse .The link seems to be the sugar.
Recipe for a healthy wrap.
There is a company called Once Again that makes organic, safe products. Their peanut butter and honey are used in this recipe.
Start with a whole wheat tortilla. Spread it with peanut or almond butter. Drizzle the honey over that. Then mix 1 tbsp. mayo, 1 tsp orange juice, 2/3 cup small dice apple, 6 grapes, quartered, 1tbsp raisins and 1 tbsp. chopped almonds, or nuts, stir and put in center of wrap, roll up and enjoy. Bet even the small ones in the family would like that.
How about new uses for old stuff, lets do Olive Oil today.
Makes a great furniture polish, mix 1/4 cup olive oil with 4 tbsp. vinegar and 2 tsp lemon juice, spray on rag and dust away. Got a stuck zipper? Try rubbing a bit of oil on it. Oil your squeaky hinges on doors and cupboards with a drop or two. Use to help remove residue from labels on objects. Helps shine your shoes, just rub in and buff. Great for your skin and hair, just rub in a little either place and leave on. Guys, if you run out of shaving cream, use a little oil instead, leaves your skin silky. And of course, use it on your salads, its good for you.
Saw an ad for a book this week, some of the tips were interesting, if you have mice, put peppermint oil on a cotton ball and leave it where the mice are, they hate it and will leave., Also, if you have ants around your pet bowls, draw a line with chalk around the area, ants will not cross chalk.
My lovely daughter in law got really sick yesterday, her BP shot way up, she has had a rough day or two. Just got a call from my son saying they had her pressure down, and she is doing better, but will need meds to control it. Hope we can keep her in our prayers and avoid a repeat, she will need some recovery time and a lot of prayers and good wishes.
This week brought some really refreshing cool temperatures, in the 50's a couple of nights, really felt good. Some of the leaves on the maples are already turning red and if we have a little breeze, leaves are swirling and falling. Hope this isn't an indication of an early winter, and a cold one, some folk are saying they are seeing big fuzzy caterpillars already.
Hope you have a good week, do something healthy for yourself, take care and stay well.
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