Bonks and Bangs

Early on I discovered that Geranium is one of my favorite essential oils. Why you might ask? Geranium is the "go to" oil for when you get hurt. Geranium stops internal damage decreases swelling get the body fluids moving to where they need to be, and helps to soothe the pain.

Three years ago I landed hard on my tail bone and crunched my rib cage, three days after the fact  and still in a great amount of pain, it finally clicked in my head that I should have rubbed Geranium on. Instantly I was rubbing on the geranium, sweet relief.  Recently I fell down the stairs while carrying my toddler, seriously sprained my ankle and put a small fracture in the end of my elbow. Ouch! Before I even got up from the fall my daughter was rubbing Geranium on my foot and elbow. Then there was the time.....you get the picture.

Geranium isn't just for big injuries, my children love our "Bonks and Bangs" mixture that we have put together. Anytime they fall, hit their head on the corner of a wall, drop something on a toes, jam a finger, collide with each other, etc. we rub this mixture on them and they feel loads better. To make "Bonks and Bangs" in a 4oz dropper bottle place 8-10 drops geranium oil and fill the rest of the way with a carrier oil (I prefer grape seed oil). If you want to boost the healing properties of this mix you can add 2 drops of Lavender oil to the bottle.

If it happens to be summer time and my children hit the asphalt a little too hard and they have an open wound, then instead of using the oil in a carrier oil, I take a mister bottle with filtered water and add Lavender, Tea Tree, and Geranium and we are as good as new. We honesty have not used neosporin, triple antibiotic, or any other such band-aid cream for several years.

A New Kind of Thickener

 A while back I got a large bag of arrowroot powder for making fabulous cookies for my soon to be teething baby. Well now that her teeth are in I still had that large bag of arrowroot powder, funny how that happens.  However I have discovered over the last few months that that arrowroot powder is a mighty fine tool to have on hand. If you are like me you are in the process of shying away from anything that is a gmo-corn product, cornstarch included.  Arrowroot powder is a great cornstarch replacer, and it has no flavor.

So here is how it works:
Use one Tablespoon Arrowroot powder per cup of liquid. So if you have a pot that has 2 cups of liquid you would add 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder. However you do not just add it too your liquid. First you get your liquid to the boiling point hot, and while your liquid is getting hot you make a slurry with your arrowroot powder and an equal amount of cold water. Once your slurry is made and your liquid is hot you mix the two together, within 30 seconds your hot liquid will thicken. It is important to not stir your liquid for very long otherwise it will go runny again.

We have used arrowroot powder for thickening chicken broth to pour on baked and mashed potatoes, mixed in with orange juice to make a sugar free sauce for pancakes,  I have mixed it in with soups to help them be a bit thicker, and in Asian cooking when you want your sauce to sit on the rice and not sink into the rice. I have a friend who told me that her brother, who is a baker in San Francisco, uses arrowroot powder to thicken glazes they pour on cakes. Yum!

Easy Tooth Powder

We recently discovered a very inexpensive tooth paste/powder and love it. Best of all it is extremely easy to make. You can start off making a small portion and give it a go and see how you like it.

Mix together 1/2 cup of baking soda and 1 tablespoon of salt. Then mix in 10-15 drops of preferred essential oil (peppermint, tea tree, etc.)  Stir really well until you are certain the oils have been completely dispersed.

When you go to brush your teeth you just dip your wet brush into the jar and give your teeth a good scrub. You'll be amazed at how much cleaner your teeth feel, and over time how much whiter they seem.

Sore Throats

Sore Throats are never fun. Feeling a sore throat coming on is a very daunting feeling. Being in the throws of a sore throat and not getting to enjoy anything tasty in your mouth let alone the feeling of it going down your throat is the worst.

So here is what we do when it comes to sore throats:

Tea Tree Lick Trick
The moment you feel the sore throat coming on place one drop of Tea Tree Essential Oil on the back of your hand lick it off swirl it around in your mouth and hold it at the back of your throat for a few seconds before swallowing. You repeat this method every minute for ten minutes. So by the time you are done you have licked ten drops of tea tree in all. Tea Tree kills anything virus.

And just for the record I am not a fan of this method, Tea Tree hits my gag reflex every time and I am usually only able to make it 3 licks. However I have seen others make it the full ten licks, with great success.

My preferred method when it comes to sore throats  to place three drops of tea tree on my palm and rub it all over my neck making sure to include my mastoid process. When I am getting into bed this is when I do this method, and then I pull the covers up to my nose and inhale moist Tea Tree air. By morning the Sore throat is gone or very minute. If I wake during the night and my throat is feeling sore from nasal dripage that has happened during the night I quickly rub tea tree on and get under the covers.

During the day if I feel the sore throat coming on I quickly make up a batch of Traditional Medicinals Lemon Echinacea Throat Coat Tea. That tea works mircales. Evening if your throat is feeling the worst pain the tea helps to soothe your throat.

If your throat hurts from an abundant amount of cheering and screaming or reading out loud for 8 hours straight Lemon Honey Water is very soothing.

Raw Cereal

I am so excited! I just had a dear friend send me an ingredient list for a raw cereal and the basic directions for how to do it. So we got to try our first raw cereal. It was delicious.  I was completely shocked that we had never eaten it before. The idea was so simple, extremely easy and very tasty. We have not had box cereal in a very long time. So it was nice, especially now that it is summer again, to be able to have a cold cereal that we could pour milk over and enjoy.

The concept is very simple and portions don't matter. You can do this however your family likes. What I am saying is that there is no wrong way to do it.

In my cabinet I have a variety of dried berries and nuts, along with several different grains and seeds. Our first raw cereal included: hulled buckwheat, sunflower seeds, almonds, cinnamon, dried apples, goji berries, cranberries, and currants. Really simple.

The best way is to prep the mixture the night before. Put the mixture you want into a bowl, toss in a dash or two of cinnamon, and then cover with water and let soak overnight.  In the morning, drain off any excess water, dish into bowls and serve with milk or fruit juice. Grab a spoon and enjoy.

From Stale to Wow

So we seem to be on an old food kick lately, or maybe it is that I am finally clearing out the back corners of my cabinets. In all I found 5 opened and never finished bag of tortilla chips. More than stale, and in some cases like trying to eat bark. So I whipped up some home made enchilada sauce and layered chips, cheese, chicken, chips, and cheese in a rectangular baker.  Poured the warm enchilada sauce evenly over the top of it all,  topped with more cheese, covered and let it set for 30 minutes. After it looked like the chips had absorbed a lot, I stuck the pan in the oven and baked it covered for 30 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Tasty and very easy.

More Than What You Think of as Edible!

 

It is incredibly fun to forage in the yard and around in the garden for a meal. More than what you think in your yard is edible, more than what I know of out there is edible. Everyday I seem to learn about something new out there that can be eaten.  

We eat our weeds, my husband likes to tell people "we take our revenge out on the weeds by eating them. " I remember a time when we would pull up every weed muttering curses at the birds that spread the seeds in the yard. Now I find my self purposefully not pulling every weed and making a mental note of where to go in the yard the next time I am foraging for a salad.  

Weeds in our yard that we eat:

Dandelions

Lambs Quarters 

Purslane

Flowers in our yard that we eat:

Dandelion

Nasturtiums

Squash 

Chive (Ten times stronger and only good before they dry on the stem)

The other part of the Garden you can eat:

Carrot tops (preferably when they are still young and tender)

Broccoli Leaves

Beet tops (preferably while young and tender)

Grape Leaves

Truth be told not everything that is foraged and edible taste good. Some definitely fall into the bitter herb category. And there are certain ones that I will never throw into a smoothie again. I love green smoothies, but sometimes that "green flavor"  can be a little too green. 

They say there are people who go to bed hungry while there is a whole meal in their backyard.

Serendipitous Old Beans

I cooked up some old white beans the other day and they never went soft during the cooking process, and oh boy did I cook them. So while the beans were warm I threw them into the blender with dried onion, dried parsley and created a delicious bean puree/paste.  I served the bean mixture on top of brown rice with shredded cheese, chopped tomatoes, and chives = very delicious! And everyone begged for seconds, thirds, and even a few fourths.

Keeping Us Healthy One Dish at a Time!

I am a hand washer when it comes to doing dishes. I did own a dishwasher for 9 months before giving it the boot. So call me an antique I love to hand wash. I take this opportunity while hand washing the dishes, to help keep us a little healthier.

So here is how it works:

Tea Tree kills Bacteria
Euclyptus kills Virus

Whenever I wash dishes and especially if I am worried about some serious sick germs on the dishes I mix in a few drops of Eucalyptus Globulus in with my dish soap before filling the sink with water.  The extra added benefit to doing this is the wonderful aroma that surrounds me while washing dishes. Mixing the oil in with the dish soap makes it so that the oil gets fully dispersed into the dish waster, and doesn't just float on top of the water.

This is also doable if you have a dishwasher. When you fill your soap dispenser just mix in a few drops of essential oil with the dishwasher detergent.

Keeping Ants Away

When we first moved into our home almost 4 years ago we discovered that we had several trails of ants that passed through our main level. We battled the ants for 2 months trying to persuade them to not come in. I swept up all the crumbs tirelessly, the children would lay on the floor and smash every ant that came by. And then I remembered something our real estate agent said to us. "Get Diatomaceous Earth". He explained to us that it was made from crushed fossils and that it would cut up the exoskeleton on ants and their little bodies would dry up without an intact protective covering. Within the week we were sprinkling diatomaceous earth around our property and seeing instant results.  I also learned that ants do not care for peppermint, so I created a peppermint spray (Windex style plastic spray bottle with water and 15 drops peppermint oil) and would use it where I couldn't spread the diatomaceous earth.  Thanks to all these efforts for the last  3 1/2 years that we have been here our home has no longer been the transit stations for these little critters.  Although I did keep my floor cleaner when they were a problem ;-)

We have also learned since then that diatomaceous earth has many uses. You can dust your chickens with the powder to keep away parasites, people consume it for health benefits, you can mix it in with your grains you have stored to keep bugs out of your food storage,  and it can be used to enrich your garden soil.  A warning though, because it is powdered fossils it can also be harmful to humans if you inhale the loose powder particles in the air. So be sure to use a mask of sorts when spreading it around. 

You can do a search on the internet and find out all about this nifty powder and its many uses.

Would you like a little SEA WEED with that?

I have to admit that, while growing up, the thought of eating sea weed was not something that brought a smile to my lips. Thankfully, as a child, times when I actually had to eat sea weed were few and far between. Now, as an adult and in my home, sea weed is an exciting addition to our meals, even for my children. Which goes to show, if you start them while they are young and talk about doing it in an exciting way, you can get your children to like anything. Well, almost anything...sauerkraut might take awhile.

Anyway, back to sea weed. We mainly use two types of sea weed in our home: Kombu and Wakame, with an emergent third sea weed, Dulse, making its debut in our home.

BEANS
When I cook beans, I first soak them for 72 hours, changing the soaking water morning and night. When it's time to cook, I get the pan of beans boiling on the stove, skimming off any scum that shows up. After five minutes, throw in a palm-hand size piece of Kombu. The Kombu, for the most part, will dissolve while cooking and impart a great deal of sea minerals into your beans. Good quality sea weed does not have that horrible sea flavor or smell that most people associate with sea weed, so no worries. When the beans have boiled for ten minutes I cover the pot and turn it down to simmer. Each time I stir the beans while they are simmering the piece of Kombu breaks up and dissolves faster. I once tried chopping my Kombu up pretty small before adding it to the pot of beans, thinking it would dissolve faster. Surprisingly, it didn't. Instead all of the pieces stayed the same size. When my now mineral rich beans are done cooking I use them for whatever we need beans for. A lot of the time I will just mix in onion and parsley, simmer a little longer, and serve it over rice. Simple and delicious. 

SOUP
We do homemade soups all the time. Generally, if it is a vegetable soup, I will chop up Wakame in to bite size pieces and throw it in while the vegetables are cooking. Once again, good quality sea weed does not have that icky flavor. Wakame in soup is much like cabbage and kale in soup, down right delicious!


SALT SHAKER
In my salt shaker that sits on the stove, I add 1/2 tablespoon powdered seaweed to 1 cup salt. This is the shaker I use whenever I am cooking at the stove, to impart a little extra goodness to whatever I am cooking.

SNACKING
Very recently, after the nuclear scare associated with the Japan Earthquake, we have acquired Dulse for snacking and getting extra good iodine into our bodies. Back in the early 1900's you would find bowls of peanuts and pieces of this sea weed mixed together on the counters and tables in Irish pubs. This sea weed does have a bit more of a zing to it, so mixing it with other snack mixes makes it very doable.

Until I have the skills, know-how, and live on the coast to be able to hand harvest my own sea vegetables, I depend on Maine Coast Sea Vegetables for all of my sea weed needs. They are the best source so far that I have discovered for obtaining seaweed, plus you save lots ordering from their website in comparison to buying in the store. Plus, anything I have seen in the store, even in Asian markets, is cheap and poor quality with that icky sea flavor.  Maine Coast Sea Vegetables hand harvests their sea wares in an eco-conscious way. Along with that, they carry an organic standard with their wares. You can read about it all on their website.

Bum Spray

Ever since we started using essential oils diaper rash is no longer an issue. Whenever we have any sign of rash I whip out my handy dandy 4oz mister bottle labeled "bum spray" and give the baby's bum a little spritz.  To make your own bottle here is how:

in a 4oz mister fill almost all the way with filtered water and add 1 drop Lavender and 1 drop German Chamomile (that's the blue kind).  Cap it and shake before using.  The babies find it soothing, you don't have to fight with any icky creams, and it smells beautiful when spritzed. Truth be told, I have even grabbed this bottle to do a quick spritz through a room to take care of some unfun odors.

This spray mix doubles for the care of vaginal problems. Whenever my daughters vaginal area looks inflamed (usually after having processed sweets), I spritz her with this mix she feels soothed and within hours the inflammation is gone.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Cookies

I have not yet found a person who doesn't salivate at the thought of getting to eat another one of these cookies.

1 to 1 1/2 cups Rapadura      depending on how much of a sweet tooth you have ;-)
1/2 cup butter not margarine
1/2 cup palm shortening
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. Madagascar Vanilla
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. Real Salt (I think I usually use more like a 1/4tsp)
2 Eggs
3 Cups rolled oats
1 cup whole wheat flour (the more you add the rounder your cookie will stay)

And then of course you can add in dried fruit, nuts, shredded carrots, etc.

Drop by spoonfuls on to tray. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes

Tomato and Carrot Pasta

By the end of the seasons harvest I take the last of the tomatoes cut off the core end and flash freeze whole with the peel still on. Then I layer the tomatoes in an individual layer on cooking trays. Once frozen all the way through I bag the tomatoes  in freezer bags for use winter long.  I use them for spaghetti, and other pasta dishes. This next recipe you can make from frozen tomato stage or with fresh tomatoes.

Whole Tomatoes
Chopped Carrots

Place in a pan with just enough chicken broth to cover, bring to a boil and simmer until carrots are tender. Pour contents of pan into blender and puree. Add two cups of cheese and puree again. Pour mixture over noodles and enjoy. And yes we are cheese-aholics and top it with even more cheese.

Homemade Mac' N Cheese

My children love our Homemade version of Mac'  N Cheese. It doesn't have the same brilliant orange coloring due to lack of food coloring, but I consider that an added bonus.

Start off by making your basic white sauce

1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups raw milk

Melt butter in pan on medium heat mix in flour, and slowly stir in milk. Keep stirring until mixture has thickened.

Add 1lb. shredded cheese

Stir till cheese is melted and mixed in. Pour this cheese sauce over cooked noodles of your liking.

One of our favorite ways to have this recipe is by mixing in chopped chicken, peas, and some times carrot shreds also. We call it "Mac Cheese Chicky Peas".

Delicious Broccoli Soup the Year After

Some of my fondest memories from growing up is stopping at various healthy resturants in Northern California and having Broccoli soup. Broccoli soup will always have a special place in my heart, not just because of taste but also for the ease of making it.

So here is the original recipe for a great base soup.  You can tweak it how ever you want, and it is a freezer meal so you can make loads during the fall when all of this produce is available from your garden or spilling over at Farmers Markets.

Cheddar Cheese Soup Freezer Recipe
The classic cheddar cheese soup in OAMC format!
4 1/2 cups diced white/yellow potatoes
3 cups yellow onions, diced
3 cups water
6 cups consomme
3/4 lb shredded cheddar cheese
1 1/2 cups cream
Bring water to a boil in sauce pan, adding potatoes and onions. Simmer ten minutes or until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat and puree vegetables in a food processor or blender. Then add consomme, cheddar cheese and cream until fairly smooth. Freeze in single serving sizes or in a family size.
On cooking day:
Defrost, heat and serve!

My really close version
When I make it I don't quite follow the original recipe 

1 large onion chopped
6 large potatoes chopped

Bring to a boil with just barely enough water to cover. And boil for 10-15 minutes stirring occasionally while the potatoes become easy to pierce with a fork. At this point I pour the contents in my blender usually it fills my blender twice. If I feel like a little more texture in my soup I reserve some of the chopped potato and onion for later.  Once I have blended everything up I return it all to the pot, and start stirring in

3/4 lb. Cheese  (for fun you can use part Pepper Jack cheese if you want a bit of a kick to your soup)
Chicken Bouillon paste or granules (if you are lucky enough to have fresh chicken broth on hand then that is what I would have boiled the onion and potatoes in and skip the whole bouillon part)

Once all of the cheese is stirred in and melted I add

2 cups Raw Milk

Now if you want to use this soup base for broccoli soup, which I usually do,  you can add chopped fresh broccoli to the potatoes and onions when they are first cooking or if you are like me you have ooogles of pureed broccoli in your freezer from the previous falls harvest and you can add a 1qt. bag of broccoli puree. And now you have broccoli soup.

Delicious!

Warm Grain Breakfast

In my family we love warm grains for breakfast, more so than just oatmeal. We have done wheat, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, and a variety of rolled grains. When it comes to warm grain breakfast the possibilities are endless.

The way to make it is very simple. The night before I rinse my grains and bring the needed amount of water to a boil. Once boiling I add the rinsed grains skim the scum cover and turn off the heat. I leave it on the burner and head for bed. In the morning when I come down the grains have absorbed all of the water and look beautiful and fluffy. At this point I then add a bit of milk, honey, cinnamon, dried fruit, and nuts (the last two ingredients are optional and typically 9 times out of 10 I forget to add them) and heat the mixture back up.

So in less then 10 minutes of effort I have created for my family a delicious and nutritious breakfast. And did I mention that it costs pennies compared to boxed cereal at the grocery store. I couldn't tell you when I last bought a box of cereal.

Another method if you have a thermos is to place your rinsed grains in a thermos and pour boiling water over them and close it up. In the morning your grains should still be warm enough to enjoy without any extra cooking.

For Water to Grain ratios the Vegetarians in Paradise website has some comprehensive charts at http://www.vegparadise.com/charts.html.