A few days ago, we had beautiful, chilly fall weather here in Northern California. Baking yummy fall treats was just the distraction I needed to take my mind off of my 41-week pregnant belly. Now, on this night, the windows are open at 8:30pm and it was 80+ today. Go figure. Nevertheless, several folks have asked for some recipes lately, so when there are recipes I haven't posted before, I like to make them available to all....enjoy!
Baked Pumpkin Oatmeal (This from my friend Kori Hurley, via The Ungourmet.)
Ingredients:
3C. old fashioned oats
1C. pure maple syrup (Kori said she used half this with success. I used 1C. honey and loved it too.)
2tsp. cinnamon
1tsp. nutmeg
1/2tsp. ground ginger
1/2tsp. salt (I always use sea salt)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4C. dried cranberries (I might use a touch more next time. Raisins would also be tasty.)
1C. diced apple. (I had a Granny Smith. Loved this addition.)
1 & 1/2 C. milk
1C. pumpkin puree
4tbsp. melted butter (I actually doubled this.)
2 large eggs
Whisk milk, butter, maple syrup, pumpkin and eggs. In a separate bowl, combine oats, spices, baking powder, cranberries and apples. Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix just until combined. Pour into greased round casserole dish (I assume a square 8x8 would do as well). Bake at 350 for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve immediately, topping with milk. I happened to have some leftover whipped cream. We topped the hot oatmeal with this and it was divine. MMMMM!!!!!
Peanut Butter and Carob Chip Cookies
I'm not a huge carob fan. At all. However, they go perfectly in this recipe, toning down the peanut butter and yet not taking away from it too much. Of course, you could always do chocolate chips, but I want to avoid the sugar and really, there is no compromise in taste here.
Ingredients:
1/2C. butter
1/2C. unsweetened peanut butter
2/3C honey
1 egg
1 & 1/2C. whole wheat pastry flour
1/2tsp. (heaping-ish) baking powder
1/2tsp. (heaping-ish) baking soda
1/4tsp. salt
1C. carob chips
Cream the peanut butter, honey and butter until light. Add egg to this mix and mix until almost fluffy (2-3min., occasionally scraping bottom and sides of bowl). Blend flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt - the reason we do "heaping-ish" tsp. of the baking agents, is because of a little extra flour added when using honey, thus you need just a touch more of the baking powder and soda, to make the cookie texture just right. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and combine. Add the carob chips. Bake on a greased cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Cool on pan for 2 minutes, then transfer cookies to a cooling rack. Enjoy!
Danneca
Monday, November 15, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
a great Christmas gift if you like to plan ahead
Every year we like to give gifts to several different friends, coworkers, etc... Last year, I made homemade vanilla extract and it was a success! The extract was wonderful and it could not be any easier. You just have to have time - - eight weeks, to be exact. So if you like to plan ahead for your gifts, this is a great one. You can make them all now, let them sit, and pull them out close to Christmas and have a fabulous gift to give away.
Here's what to do:
-Acquire all the necessary supplies: vanilla beans; rum (or vodka); pretty, sterilized bottles; fun labels
-Sterilize the bottles
-Split three vanilla beans lengthwise and put them in the bottle (I used an 8 oz. bottle with 3 vanilla beans)
-Pour in the alcohol
-Close tightly
-Put in a dark spot to sit for the next 8 weeks, shaking once a week or so
That's it! So easy, so yummy, and useful.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Saturday Morning Breakfast
Breakfast at our house on Saturday morning . . . nothing fancy -
just eggs, toast, juice & coffee but it was a beautiful morning so I wanted to share!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Sweet Tooth Satisfied
I hate it when people look at my kids like they are starving children in Africa when my children (who, by the way are total believers in the movement), tell them that we don't eat sugar. "You mean you never get treats?" HA! We have treats all the time! Like the last 2 afternoons....this fall-ish treat takes 10 minutes and is SUCH a treat. Enjoy!
Healthy Carmel Corn
8 cups popped popcorn
1 cup nuts
1/3 cup honey
3 tbsp. pure maple syrup
2tbsp. butter
Spread popcorn and nuts out on greased baking sheet or 9x13 pan.
Heat honey and maple syrup in a small saucepan on medium-high heat to boiling. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted. Pour mixture over popcorn and nuts, stirring until popcorn and nuts are covered evenly. Try not to let the mixture sink to the bottom of the pan while stirring.
Let cool and enjoy!
This also makes a nice homemade gift at Christmas time, when nicely wrapped.
I don't often add the nuts. I prefer the popcorn to be more heavily covered in the sweetness. Either way, this totally satisfies my afternoon sweet tooth!!!
Posted by Danneca
Healthy Carmel Corn
8 cups popped popcorn
1 cup nuts
1/3 cup honey
3 tbsp. pure maple syrup
2tbsp. butter
Spread popcorn and nuts out on greased baking sheet or 9x13 pan.
Heat honey and maple syrup in a small saucepan on medium-high heat to boiling. Boil for 5 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter until melted. Pour mixture over popcorn and nuts, stirring until popcorn and nuts are covered evenly. Try not to let the mixture sink to the bottom of the pan while stirring.
Let cool and enjoy!
This also makes a nice homemade gift at Christmas time, when nicely wrapped.
I don't often add the nuts. I prefer the popcorn to be more heavily covered in the sweetness. Either way, this totally satisfies my afternoon sweet tooth!!!
Posted by Danneca
Friday, September 10, 2010
Dairy & Wheat Allergies
Everyone knows someone who has food sensitivities or allergies. Chances are you have one in your household. This doesn't have to be the end of the world. Recently, I've had lots of questions on recipes, etc. for this dilemma. Here are a few suggestions and thoughts.
First of all, a short word on causes. If you are wondering why your grandparents didn't have these sorts of problems, one reason to blame are drugs and vaccines, which strip your gut of it's ability to be the healthy part of your immune system it was designed to be. Holes are created in the gut, which allow scary things to leak into the rest of your body, creating things all the way from food allergies, to AD/HD, to autism. I won't elaborate on this point further today, as I'm not a doctor and can't diagnose or treat you, but if you wish to learn more, I recommend the following books: Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, and Unraveling the Mystery of Autism. The second book is not just for those dealing with autism, it goes into much, much more. A very enlightening read.
That said, I'd like to touch on how to strengthen your body to dealing with food sensitivites. Many times, those who have sensitivities to wheat don't have trouble when the wheat has been properly soaked, releasing it's natural digestive enzymes. Read up on this in Nourishing Traditions. Basically, our ancestors didn't have to do this, b/c the wheat sat in the store house, where it became damp and it's enzymes were released. You can buy sprouted wheat bread, at your health food store. This bread has like 5 grams or more of protein per slice!
Dairy sensitivities have a similar remedy sometimes. Raw cow's milk doesn't usually cause problems, because it hasn't been stripped of it's natural digestive aids, and lots of other properties that were meant to help digest and use the milk for the body's good. Without these, milk is terribly hard for anyone to digest.
It's all about enzymes. Taking digestive enzymes are essential for those with food allergies/sensitivities. I like the Whole Foods brand, "Wholezyme," but there are a million others. Just follow the package directions, and take extra when you're eating food that you know gives you trouble.
Finally, avoiding the foods you're highly allergic to is best, as your body is getting stronger. Focus on building up your immune system and especially things that will restore your gut.
In the meantime, spelt is a nice substitute to wheat, but I still recommend soaking it. Almond flour is nice too. Goat milk is marvelous and goat cheese is divine. Raw goat milk is the closest to mother's milk, full of antibodies and enzymes. Goat butter (ghee) is a very nice butter substitute.
Once again, I'm not a doctor and none of my suggestions are meant to treat, diagnose or prescribe remedies for illness or disease. You need your own doctor's advice.
Posted by Danneca
First of all, a short word on causes. If you are wondering why your grandparents didn't have these sorts of problems, one reason to blame are drugs and vaccines, which strip your gut of it's ability to be the healthy part of your immune system it was designed to be. Holes are created in the gut, which allow scary things to leak into the rest of your body, creating things all the way from food allergies, to AD/HD, to autism. I won't elaborate on this point further today, as I'm not a doctor and can't diagnose or treat you, but if you wish to learn more, I recommend the following books: Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon, and Unraveling the Mystery of Autism. The second book is not just for those dealing with autism, it goes into much, much more. A very enlightening read.
That said, I'd like to touch on how to strengthen your body to dealing with food sensitivites. Many times, those who have sensitivities to wheat don't have trouble when the wheat has been properly soaked, releasing it's natural digestive enzymes. Read up on this in Nourishing Traditions. Basically, our ancestors didn't have to do this, b/c the wheat sat in the store house, where it became damp and it's enzymes were released. You can buy sprouted wheat bread, at your health food store. This bread has like 5 grams or more of protein per slice!
Dairy sensitivities have a similar remedy sometimes. Raw cow's milk doesn't usually cause problems, because it hasn't been stripped of it's natural digestive aids, and lots of other properties that were meant to help digest and use the milk for the body's good. Without these, milk is terribly hard for anyone to digest.
It's all about enzymes. Taking digestive enzymes are essential for those with food allergies/sensitivities. I like the Whole Foods brand, "Wholezyme," but there are a million others. Just follow the package directions, and take extra when you're eating food that you know gives you trouble.
Finally, avoiding the foods you're highly allergic to is best, as your body is getting stronger. Focus on building up your immune system and especially things that will restore your gut.
In the meantime, spelt is a nice substitute to wheat, but I still recommend soaking it. Almond flour is nice too. Goat milk is marvelous and goat cheese is divine. Raw goat milk is the closest to mother's milk, full of antibodies and enzymes. Goat butter (ghee) is a very nice butter substitute.
Once again, I'm not a doctor and none of my suggestions are meant to treat, diagnose or prescribe remedies for illness or disease. You need your own doctor's advice.
Posted by Danneca
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Resurrecting Our Blog (!): Don't Let Achy Joints Slow You Down
Arthritis and joint pain can slow down active people of all ages. This should not be, my friends. Here's a quick and simple guide to improvement.
First of all, for pain, there's a dynamic duo that for which I have testimonials from many. Bromelain. This is an enzyme, so if you want to use it for inflammation, you have to take it on an empty stomach, and preferably 30 minutes before eating. It comes in capsules. Get it with as few other ingredients as possible. If you already take enzymes, you can use those, just take them before your meal and then after, as usual. Second: Tumeric. This is a potent herb used in yellow curry. We buy the powder from bulkherbstore.com and fill the larger gelatin capsules. You can probably get them as capsules or a tincture at a health food store. This, you want to take with food. Tumeric is also great for fevers too, by the way. Take these two daily if you have joint pain. Keep uping the dosage until your pain goes away or greatly decreases.
The second remedy is so simple, you won't believe it. I stole this one from the folks at bulkherbstore.com. Take the shells of 4 or 5 free range organic eggs and crumble them into a small pot or bowl. Pour 2 cups of hot water over the shells and mix in 1tsp. vinegar. Cover and let steep for 2 hours. Strain and store in refrigerator. Start with a couple sips a day until join pain subsides. This is good for children and adults who don't suffer from joint pain too. Those without pain should stick to 2-3 sips per day. It's LOADED with calcium and vitamin D, so you don't want to overdo it.
Third, make homemade chicken broth at least once a week. Take the bones of a free range chicken that hasn't been slow-cooked. Place the bones and everything but the kitchen sink into a large stock pot (no need to peel whatever you decide to place in the pot) - carrots, onions, garlic, celery, peppercorns, herbs, etc. I just cut the onions and garlic in half, so they can release their stuff, but don't bother peeling! The most important ingredient to this mixture is raw apple cider vinegar. Use about a 1/4 cup, if you're making a half gallon or less, more if you've got a nice, big stock pot and room to freeze extra stock. Cover your ingredients with water and boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 8 hours, preferably 12 or more. This stock is so delicious, you don't have to put much into your soup to make it tasty. I use it for making rice too.
Lastly, and for more long-term healing, eat foods that are kind to your gut and do a systemic cleanse twice per year. Toxins, metals, etc. settle in our joints and make them stiff.
Now off to the track, the trail, the garden and beyond....pain free!
First of all, for pain, there's a dynamic duo that for which I have testimonials from many. Bromelain. This is an enzyme, so if you want to use it for inflammation, you have to take it on an empty stomach, and preferably 30 minutes before eating. It comes in capsules. Get it with as few other ingredients as possible. If you already take enzymes, you can use those, just take them before your meal and then after, as usual. Second: Tumeric. This is a potent herb used in yellow curry. We buy the powder from bulkherbstore.com and fill the larger gelatin capsules. You can probably get them as capsules or a tincture at a health food store. This, you want to take with food. Tumeric is also great for fevers too, by the way. Take these two daily if you have joint pain. Keep uping the dosage until your pain goes away or greatly decreases.
The second remedy is so simple, you won't believe it. I stole this one from the folks at bulkherbstore.com. Take the shells of 4 or 5 free range organic eggs and crumble them into a small pot or bowl. Pour 2 cups of hot water over the shells and mix in 1tsp. vinegar. Cover and let steep for 2 hours. Strain and store in refrigerator. Start with a couple sips a day until join pain subsides. This is good for children and adults who don't suffer from joint pain too. Those without pain should stick to 2-3 sips per day. It's LOADED with calcium and vitamin D, so you don't want to overdo it.
Third, make homemade chicken broth at least once a week. Take the bones of a free range chicken that hasn't been slow-cooked. Place the bones and everything but the kitchen sink into a large stock pot (no need to peel whatever you decide to place in the pot) - carrots, onions, garlic, celery, peppercorns, herbs, etc. I just cut the onions and garlic in half, so they can release their stuff, but don't bother peeling! The most important ingredient to this mixture is raw apple cider vinegar. Use about a 1/4 cup, if you're making a half gallon or less, more if you've got a nice, big stock pot and room to freeze extra stock. Cover your ingredients with water and boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 8 hours, preferably 12 or more. This stock is so delicious, you don't have to put much into your soup to make it tasty. I use it for making rice too.
Lastly, and for more long-term healing, eat foods that are kind to your gut and do a systemic cleanse twice per year. Toxins, metals, etc. settle in our joints and make them stiff.
Now off to the track, the trail, the garden and beyond....pain free!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Clearing Up Your Complexion
My sister and I both struggled with acne big time in college. Everyone knows that this affects every area of your life. If you or your teen are struggling with this, hopefully this post will help. Here's what I'd do....
First of all, acne, like most ailments, is never caused by the same thing for every person. As always, I can only help as much as you are willing to help yourself. Sometimes this means checking out your diet. Refined foods put a stress on the body and definitely contribute to acne for many reasons, one of them being that it causes a sluggish liver. If you have acne, I'd start by doing a liver cleanse and do them every six weeks until your face is clear. For teens who are involved in sports or other physically demanding activities, you may not be able to do it as often, but, the more, the better. You can find out how to do this in my recent post on cleanses: "A Clean Start."
One nice thing about my remedies for this is that they are not expensive. I would purchase a bunch of bentonite clay or pascalite clay from either of these sources: bulkherbstore.com or pascalite.com. Immediately begin using it in these ways:
1. Use as a mask 1 or 2 times a week by making a paste like this: mix clay and pure water until a paste forms. Cover affected areas with the paste and let dry for 30min. Rinse thoroughly.
2. Wash face twice daily by using the same paste, but instead of letting the paste dry, rub it on, scrubbing and rinsing.
3. Drink it. Mix 1 to 2 tsp. of the clay with 8-10oz. pure water and drink. It doesn't dissolve, so you have to keep stirring as you drink. Do this once a day until your acne clears up. This clay acts as a sponge on the inside and sucks up toxins from all over your body. You MUST cure acne from the inside out. Drink LOADS of water while you're cleansing this way.
We all know most acne is due to hormonal surges and dips. For this, you can dry taking black cohosh (get this in a tincture from your health food store and take according to pkg. directions). Do this in ADDITION to the aforementioned remedies.
This is a start and should clear up most acne. If this doesn't help, you should take a good, hard look at your diet. Sugar is an definite enemy to your skin (and the rest of your body)! If you really want to attack fast and hard, you can also try taking chia seeds from chiaseedsdirect.com like this: mix 1/3C. chia seeds with 2C. pure water, whisk for 3min. and store in fridge for 4hrs. Take 3-5tbsp. of this mixture after EVERY meal.
Lastly, examine your conscience. Seriously.
First of all, acne, like most ailments, is never caused by the same thing for every person. As always, I can only help as much as you are willing to help yourself. Sometimes this means checking out your diet. Refined foods put a stress on the body and definitely contribute to acne for many reasons, one of them being that it causes a sluggish liver. If you have acne, I'd start by doing a liver cleanse and do them every six weeks until your face is clear. For teens who are involved in sports or other physically demanding activities, you may not be able to do it as often, but, the more, the better. You can find out how to do this in my recent post on cleanses: "A Clean Start."
One nice thing about my remedies for this is that they are not expensive. I would purchase a bunch of bentonite clay or pascalite clay from either of these sources: bulkherbstore.com or pascalite.com. Immediately begin using it in these ways:
1. Use as a mask 1 or 2 times a week by making a paste like this: mix clay and pure water until a paste forms. Cover affected areas with the paste and let dry for 30min. Rinse thoroughly.
2. Wash face twice daily by using the same paste, but instead of letting the paste dry, rub it on, scrubbing and rinsing.
3. Drink it. Mix 1 to 2 tsp. of the clay with 8-10oz. pure water and drink. It doesn't dissolve, so you have to keep stirring as you drink. Do this once a day until your acne clears up. This clay acts as a sponge on the inside and sucks up toxins from all over your body. You MUST cure acne from the inside out. Drink LOADS of water while you're cleansing this way.
We all know most acne is due to hormonal surges and dips. For this, you can dry taking black cohosh (get this in a tincture from your health food store and take according to pkg. directions). Do this in ADDITION to the aforementioned remedies.
This is a start and should clear up most acne. If this doesn't help, you should take a good, hard look at your diet. Sugar is an definite enemy to your skin (and the rest of your body)! If you really want to attack fast and hard, you can also try taking chia seeds from chiaseedsdirect.com like this: mix 1/3C. chia seeds with 2C. pure water, whisk for 3min. and store in fridge for 4hrs. Take 3-5tbsp. of this mixture after EVERY meal.
Lastly, examine your conscience. Seriously.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Books Read in 2010
Here's a list of books that I've read so far this year and a mini-review of them. Lest you think I'm reading on a third grade level, we preview most of the books that our six year- old reads and I read aloud to the kids quite a bit, so I'm including those books. I'm linking to the books on Amazon, but most of these books can be found at your local library.
The Quotidian Mysteries: Laundry, Liturgy, and Women's Work by Kathleen Norris. If you want to appreciate the little things in life, like laundry, cleaning, and the like, this is a good book. It also offered some insight for me into how doing daily things can ward off depression (or even just a bad day) . . . getting up, praying, cooking breakfast. It's a short book and a fairly quick read.
Understood Betsy by Dorothy Canfield Fisher. Betsy lives with her overprotective aunt in the city until a situation arises that causes her to move to the country with family that she has heard of but never met. A friend suggested this book for my eldest daughter and I finally got a copy. It is the sweetest book and it's one of those books that you could read when you're young and then read it over and over and glean new things from it. I loved Betsy's willingness to learn from others. I cried three times! And I'm not a crier over books, really.
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. A wonderful story of two cousins who find a secret garden that changes their lives. I'd actually never read this before (I know! The horror!). An excellent book. A classic. Our library had a copy that was illustrated by Tasha Tudor and I thought it was especially sweet.
Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes. A story about the Pye family and their newly acquired dog, Ginger. The kids loved this book. I love how the author writes the book to appeal to children, yet throws a few jokes in there every now and then that only adults or older kids will chuckle at.
Two Part Invention: the story of a Marriage by Madeleine L'Engle. This was a wonderful book about the L'Engle's marriage, but I thought of it as a wonderful love story as well. It was interesting to see how she and her husband loved each other and made their marriage endure over time. I cried at the end of this one as well. Maybe I'm am a crier over books?
The Swiss Family Robinson by Johann David Wyss. We're still reading this one aloud. This one, also a classic, is more entertaining for my son to listen to, although the girls have been listening almost as closely as him. It's so fun to see what the father (and the narrator of the story) will contrive next in the book in order to make the family's life better on a deserted island. I'll be back soon with my favorite children's books. We LOVE books around here! My children probably think they live in a library. :-)
Thursday, January 28, 2010
birth story: how I became a happy mama the first time
When I got married, my husband and I knew that we wanted to have children right away. I won't go into the details of our decision (okay, truthfully there aren't that many details about our decision, we just knew that's what we wanted to do). So when I found out I was pregnant 2 months after being married, we were thrilled. My first pregnancy was pretty much a breeze. Yes, I was sick and tired and all of those things that come along with a pregnancy, but nothing really out of the ordinary. I had a very normal, healthy pregnancy. We found a wonderful nurse midwife and had read a book given to me by a friend on natural birthing. I read up on all of the things that I wanted/didn't want. We wanted a natural, drug free birth without the use of any added unnecessaries. (We read this book, if you're curious, although I definitely took some things in there with a grain of salt)
So about a month before my due date, we went to a conference a couple of hours from home. We stayed at a dear couple's house while attending the conference. The second night of the conference, I had contractions for a few hours in the night. When I woke up in the morning, the contractions were gone and I had slept some of the night. The lady we stayed with commented, "I prayed for you last night! I just thought you might have a baby last night!" She knew nothing of my contractions, but it was very cool that the Lord had prompted her to pray.
Two more weeks went by. I woke up on a Sunday morning thirteen days before my due date with very light contractions. I knew they were contractions but told myself (like every other mother-to-be) that it was probably nothing. It was just my body getting ready, practicing for the real thing, blah, blah, blah. So we went to church and at church I continued to have contractions, some which I had to stop and breathe through. I consider this labor, but I still don't count this as real labor. Maybe some people do, but this was nothing to write home about. After church we had lunch with some friends, then I went home to take a nap. My husband snoozed away, but my contractions starting picking up. This was around 2:00pm. From 2:00 until around 5:00, I was in "real" labor. Hard contractions 2-3 minutes apart, at least 45 seconds long. I chose to do this laboring at home instead of go to the hospital. I was more comfortable at home and thought I'd be able to tell when I was close. Plus we lived 2 minutes from the hospital. We could make it in plenty of time. Or so we thought . .
Around 5:15 we decided that we should probably make our way to the hospital. We had gone back and forth trying to decide which stage of labor I was in. In the book we read, when describing the stages, they said, "you'll know when you are getting close to transition because you won't want to be laughing or joking around. You'll be serious, all business." (paraphrased) So my husband is cracking jokes and I'm still laughing. So I'm thinking, maybe it's going to get much worse than this. I'm still laughing at his jokes!
When we were first married, we lived in a second floor apartment. So when we decided to go to the hospital, it took awhile to get down that long flight of stairs in labor. The ride to the hospital was supposed to only take a couple of minutes, but with every bump I'd have a contraction and had to have my husband pull over. It took a little while to get there.
We made it to the hospital, got wheeled to the Womens Care center and made it to our room. They asked if I'd like to get into the whirlpool. No, thank you, I'm fine. Nurses in and out of the room, asking questions. One of the nurses checked me and said, "honey, your water is close to breaking."
So - this is the funny part. She stands at the end of the bed kind of holding something up like a water balloon is about to burst, saying "it's gonna be a gusher! it's gonna be a gusher!"
I have one contraction and out comes baby! Her head came with the water intact and then her shoulders broke the water. No pushing that I recall, although I'm sure it had to have been at least one push for baby to come out. No midwife, just the "gusher" nurse (saying, "BABY! BABY!") and my husband in the room at the time. Lest you think this is just a Kentucky thing with no qualified nurses around (;-)), I think she was just an exuberant nurse. I was actually very happy to have her there, funny comments and all.
Our first little one was just 6 and 1/2 lbs. A teeny tiny little thing. Right after she was born and they handed her to me, she did the sweetest thing: her eyes were open wide and she didn't cry; she just looked at my husband and I as if she were finally coming face to face with the voices she had been getting to know for 9 months.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
A Clean Start
Well, I probably should have posted this in December when you were thinking about your new year's resolutions. I'm hoping "better late than never" will be true for this post. Everyone (except pregnant and nursing mothers) needs to cleanse at least once a year, preferably twice. I'm not talking about your cupboards or baseboards here (someone else will have to post on that!). I'm talking about systemic cleansing for your body. There isn't one miracle cleanse, but there are several that will give you a clean start for 2010. I recommend doing them in this order:
Start with a parasite cleanse. This one is the easiest, but more important than any of us care to realize. If you have traveled abroad - ever - you have serious parasites. If you eat pork or have pets you have lots. If you eat meat or eat at restaurants you have some. If you are alive you have at least a few. Anyhow, these little boogers will cause some weird symptoms that almost no one will diagnose as being caused from parasites, including everything from joint pain, to nausea and dizziness. A black walnut-wormwood tincture from the health food store will do the trick. Place 10 or so drops under your tongue once or twice a day for 6 weeks. DO NOT DO THIS if you are pregnant or might become pregnant within a month of the completion of this cleanse. DO NOT DO THIS if you are nursing.
Next, time to move on to your colon. There are several ways to cleanse your colon. I like this way: Mix 2tbsp. olive oil in 8-10oz. water, with the juice of a whole fresh lemon. To this mixture, add as much good-quality cayenne as you can stand. Drink this once daily for one to four weeks. If you've never cleansed your colon, do it for the full four weeks. If you're a pro, you can do less. During this time, to make this cleanse a more systemic cleanse (cleaning out your whole body), you should mix a couple teaspoons of bentonite clay in a cup of water and drink this once daily as well. While cleansing, you should always drink LOADS of water. As your colon lets go of the yucky stuff which has attached itself to the walls of your colon over the years, the rest of your body will say, "Hey! She's cleaning up, let's get rid of our junk too!" Thus, toxins and other junk will be released from your whole body. If you don't have adequate water to take it all the way out, it will rest somewhere else in your body and cause as much or more damage as before.
Lastly, a liver cleanse is also important. This can be done more than a couple times a year and if you want to avoid gallstones at any age, this cleanse is imperative. If you have a stretch between pregnancies where you are neither pregnant nor nursing, I highly recommend this cleanse, as pregnancy can cause gallstones to form. These cause backache, nausea and all sorts of allergies. This one is a quicky, but a little more involved. Choose a weekend when the calendar is free and you have a little help around the house. Don't do this cleanse without doing the parasite cleanse first. If you try to cleanse a liver with parasites in it, you will get very sick. It is also recommended to get any dental work done prior to this cleanse as well, so that your mouth is relatively bacteria-free. A toxic mouth can put a heavy load on the liver. If you don't see a dentist, just swish with peroxide for a couple weeks ahead and a couple weeks afterward. Here are the ingredients:
4tbsp. epsom salts
1/2C. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large or 2 small fresh pink grapefruit
4 to 8 ornithine capsules (from health food store, vita-cost, whatever)
Here's how to do it:
Take NO medicines, vitamins, or pills that you can do without. Stop the parasite program the day before too. Eat a no-fat b-fast and lunch, such as cooked cereal with fruit, juice and bread or honey, but no butter or milk...baked potato and veggies with salt only. This allows the bile to build up in the liver.
2:00pm - Do not eat or drink after 2 o'clock (not even water). If you break this rule, you'll feel icky later. Get your epsom salts ready at this time. Mix 4tbsp. in 3C. water and pour this into a jar. This makes four 3/4C. servings. Set the jar in the fridge to get nice and cold. This can make it easier to drink. The temp. is up to you.
6:00pm - Drink one serving (3/4C.) of the epsom salt mixture. You can drink a few mouthfuls of water afterward to rinse your mouth out.
8:00pm - Repeat by drinking another 3/4C. serving of the salt mixture. Timing is critical for success, so get all your bedtime routines done at this time.
9:45pm - Pour 1/2C. olive oil into the pint jar. Squeeze the grapefruit by hand into the measuring cup. Remove the pulp with a fork. You should have at least 1/2C. or more. You may top it with a little lemonade for taste. I usually don't because I just want less to get down. Add this to the olive oil and shake hard until the mixture is watery. Only fresh grapefruit juice will do this. Now visit the bathroom once more, but don't be late for your 10:00pm drink.
10:00pm - Drink this potion and take 4-8 ornithine capsules to help you sleep. Take it to your bedside to drink. Get it down within 5 minutes. Lie down immediately. You might fail to get stones out if you don't. Don't clean up the kitchen. Lie down flat on your back with your head up on the pillow. Use mind over matter here and picture what is happening in your liver: Stones are traveling along your bile ducts like marbles. It doesn't hurt because your bile ducts are open thanks to the salts. Go to sleep.
Next Morning - Take your fourth and last dose of salts. Don't do this before 6am. Go back to bed, if you want.
2 Hours Later - You may eat. Start with juice and ease your way into more as the day goes on.
Expect diarrhea. You are looking for gallstones in the toilet. They will be green from pea-sized or smaller to as big as a quarter. Only green comes from the liver and not food residue. For your first cleanse, you may only see chaff, which is good too. The stones will float because of the cholesterol inside. Feel free to count them. You will need to release 2000 before your liver is cleansed. That's why you can do this one more often. Until you are rid of all of them, you will not likely experience relief from some of the side effects, because once you move some out, the others that are being stored in your liver move down into the gallbladder. This cleanse can be done every two weeks, but not when you are sick. If you feel, for some reason, that you have very large gallstones, I personally, can't recommend this. I know some people fear them becoming stuck, rather than making them all the way out. I haven't heard of this, but you should check it out yourself. This program comes from the book: The Cure for All Diseases.
Finally, you may do the bentonite clay as a cleanse anytime as well. Again, no cleansing for pregnant or lactating women or for those who may become pregnant. And, drink lots and lots of water. Remember, I'm not a doctor, so these statements are to be judged by your own wisdom and have not been evaluated by the FDA.
posted by Danneca
Start with a parasite cleanse. This one is the easiest, but more important than any of us care to realize. If you have traveled abroad - ever - you have serious parasites. If you eat pork or have pets you have lots. If you eat meat or eat at restaurants you have some. If you are alive you have at least a few. Anyhow, these little boogers will cause some weird symptoms that almost no one will diagnose as being caused from parasites, including everything from joint pain, to nausea and dizziness. A black walnut-wormwood tincture from the health food store will do the trick. Place 10 or so drops under your tongue once or twice a day for 6 weeks. DO NOT DO THIS if you are pregnant or might become pregnant within a month of the completion of this cleanse. DO NOT DO THIS if you are nursing.
Next, time to move on to your colon. There are several ways to cleanse your colon. I like this way: Mix 2tbsp. olive oil in 8-10oz. water, with the juice of a whole fresh lemon. To this mixture, add as much good-quality cayenne as you can stand. Drink this once daily for one to four weeks. If you've never cleansed your colon, do it for the full four weeks. If you're a pro, you can do less. During this time, to make this cleanse a more systemic cleanse (cleaning out your whole body), you should mix a couple teaspoons of bentonite clay in a cup of water and drink this once daily as well. While cleansing, you should always drink LOADS of water. As your colon lets go of the yucky stuff which has attached itself to the walls of your colon over the years, the rest of your body will say, "Hey! She's cleaning up, let's get rid of our junk too!" Thus, toxins and other junk will be released from your whole body. If you don't have adequate water to take it all the way out, it will rest somewhere else in your body and cause as much or more damage as before.
Lastly, a liver cleanse is also important. This can be done more than a couple times a year and if you want to avoid gallstones at any age, this cleanse is imperative. If you have a stretch between pregnancies where you are neither pregnant nor nursing, I highly recommend this cleanse, as pregnancy can cause gallstones to form. These cause backache, nausea and all sorts of allergies. This one is a quicky, but a little more involved. Choose a weekend when the calendar is free and you have a little help around the house. Don't do this cleanse without doing the parasite cleanse first. If you try to cleanse a liver with parasites in it, you will get very sick. It is also recommended to get any dental work done prior to this cleanse as well, so that your mouth is relatively bacteria-free. A toxic mouth can put a heavy load on the liver. If you don't see a dentist, just swish with peroxide for a couple weeks ahead and a couple weeks afterward. Here are the ingredients:
4tbsp. epsom salts
1/2C. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large or 2 small fresh pink grapefruit
4 to 8 ornithine capsules (from health food store, vita-cost, whatever)
Here's how to do it:
Take NO medicines, vitamins, or pills that you can do without. Stop the parasite program the day before too. Eat a no-fat b-fast and lunch, such as cooked cereal with fruit, juice and bread or honey, but no butter or milk...baked potato and veggies with salt only. This allows the bile to build up in the liver.
2:00pm - Do not eat or drink after 2 o'clock (not even water). If you break this rule, you'll feel icky later. Get your epsom salts ready at this time. Mix 4tbsp. in 3C. water and pour this into a jar. This makes four 3/4C. servings. Set the jar in the fridge to get nice and cold. This can make it easier to drink. The temp. is up to you.
6:00pm - Drink one serving (3/4C.) of the epsom salt mixture. You can drink a few mouthfuls of water afterward to rinse your mouth out.
8:00pm - Repeat by drinking another 3/4C. serving of the salt mixture. Timing is critical for success, so get all your bedtime routines done at this time.
9:45pm - Pour 1/2C. olive oil into the pint jar. Squeeze the grapefruit by hand into the measuring cup. Remove the pulp with a fork. You should have at least 1/2C. or more. You may top it with a little lemonade for taste. I usually don't because I just want less to get down. Add this to the olive oil and shake hard until the mixture is watery. Only fresh grapefruit juice will do this. Now visit the bathroom once more, but don't be late for your 10:00pm drink.
10:00pm - Drink this potion and take 4-8 ornithine capsules to help you sleep. Take it to your bedside to drink. Get it down within 5 minutes. Lie down immediately. You might fail to get stones out if you don't. Don't clean up the kitchen. Lie down flat on your back with your head up on the pillow. Use mind over matter here and picture what is happening in your liver: Stones are traveling along your bile ducts like marbles. It doesn't hurt because your bile ducts are open thanks to the salts. Go to sleep.
Next Morning - Take your fourth and last dose of salts. Don't do this before 6am. Go back to bed, if you want.
2 Hours Later - You may eat. Start with juice and ease your way into more as the day goes on.
Expect diarrhea. You are looking for gallstones in the toilet. They will be green from pea-sized or smaller to as big as a quarter. Only green comes from the liver and not food residue. For your first cleanse, you may only see chaff, which is good too. The stones will float because of the cholesterol inside. Feel free to count them. You will need to release 2000 before your liver is cleansed. That's why you can do this one more often. Until you are rid of all of them, you will not likely experience relief from some of the side effects, because once you move some out, the others that are being stored in your liver move down into the gallbladder. This cleanse can be done every two weeks, but not when you are sick. If you feel, for some reason, that you have very large gallstones, I personally, can't recommend this. I know some people fear them becoming stuck, rather than making them all the way out. I haven't heard of this, but you should check it out yourself. This program comes from the book: The Cure for All Diseases.
Finally, you may do the bentonite clay as a cleanse anytime as well. Again, no cleansing for pregnant or lactating women or for those who may become pregnant. And, drink lots and lots of water. Remember, I'm not a doctor, so these statements are to be judged by your own wisdom and have not been evaluated by the FDA.
posted by Danneca
Monday, January 11, 2010
Baby Naming
This link is for my friends who LOVE talking about baby names, which, come to think of it, probably includes almost of you, right? Some like to talk about baby names more than others (you know who you are), but I think every woman loves a good baby name discussion.
Here it is.
And here, just so this post looks prettier, is a picture of my baby.
And no, since some of you might be wondering, I'm not pregnant.
Here it is.
And here, just so this post looks prettier, is a picture of my baby.
And no, since some of you might be wondering, I'm not pregnant.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Happy Mamas and Sick Babies CAN be Used in the Same Sentence
*First of all, I'm not a doctor, and, as always, you should be wise in your decision-making and do what YOU should do.
That said, I'd like to encourage mamas who want to help their sick babies without the use of toxic drugs. Over the years I've tried lots of different things for babies (0-18mos-ish) and believe over the last year and a half or so, I've come to something that works. Most of my wisdom on this subject comes from this book: "The How-To Herb Book," and has been tested repeatedly by yours truly.
Did your Grandma ever tell you about giving enemas to her kids? Well, she was onto something. I can't stand how we abandon motherly instinct for the apparent "quick fix." Ugh. Nevertheless, if your baby is too young to take remedies through a bottle or spoon, and if you are breastfeeding, you can consume the herbs in abundance and it will pass to your baby through your milk. If this is the case, follow my advice in this post: "Navigating the Cold and Flu Season Drug-Free."
If your baby is running a fever and it won't break, an enema may do the trick. I prefer not to go into the directions for this, as babies are such fragile subjects. I have done this several times and each time have found instant success. I followed the directions for this procedure in the above-mentioned book. I purchased a child-sized Fleet enema and emptied the contents and put my own concoction in. This is another way to get the herbal remedies into your baby. Once they have completely emptied their bowels, the remedy will be absorbed by their colon and flow into their bloodstream. I almost always fill it with yarrow tea (1c. water to 1tbsp. yarrow flowers). I wouldn't do it more than once per day, unless you read-up on it somewhere else and are comfortable doing otherwise. For a baby who will drink tea through a bottle, I make the yarrow tea and sweeten it with maple syrup, since you can't do honey under 12mos. I also mix juice with it, as it's still bitter even with the maple syrup. Additionally, you can make your own glycerites, which is perfect for babies and children. Read-up on this here: bulkherbstore.com. Glycerites are herbs aged in glycerine, which is sweet. Since the herbs are aged, you only have to administer a couple teaspoons. For fever, make a tea out of turmeric and mix w/ juice or do a turmeric tincture or glycerite. Yarrow and turmeric are the very best for flu and fever.
For a congested baby, try making an onion poultice: Cook chopped onions in a little water until the onions are translucent. Place a soft towel or cloth diaper over a strainer and pour onion mixture into the cloth. Wrap this up and cool until it is a safe temp for baby's skin, but still warm. Place on baby's chest until it cools completely. Also, cook chopped garlic in water until the steam is "garlicky." Place your face and baby's face over the steam with a towel draped over the two of you, so baby can breath the garlic steam. Your face is there so you can make sure the steam isn't too hot for baby. You can also place this water in a humidifier or vaporizer.
Bulkherbstore.com sells other herbal mixtures that I make into teas, tinctures and glycerites that are helpful, but not as powerful as the above-mentioned aids. For example, their "Cough Tea" is useful, but will not combat the source of the cough, more like a temporary relief, but nice if used in conjunction with the more effective remedies. I also like their "Double E Immune Booster," but similarly, this will help, but not completely cure, as the other herbs, etc.
If you have particular questions on this subject, I'd be happy to help, of course. Finally, however, I have to tell you that I'm quite sure the most effective remedy I can apply to my children, or anyone else, is prayer. I literally thank God for the remedies as I apply them and pray and sing healing over my children as I care for them in their illness. Thanks be to Him, ALWAYS.
posted by Danneca
That said, I'd like to encourage mamas who want to help their sick babies without the use of toxic drugs. Over the years I've tried lots of different things for babies (0-18mos-ish) and believe over the last year and a half or so, I've come to something that works. Most of my wisdom on this subject comes from this book: "The How-To Herb Book," and has been tested repeatedly by yours truly.
Did your Grandma ever tell you about giving enemas to her kids? Well, she was onto something. I can't stand how we abandon motherly instinct for the apparent "quick fix." Ugh. Nevertheless, if your baby is too young to take remedies through a bottle or spoon, and if you are breastfeeding, you can consume the herbs in abundance and it will pass to your baby through your milk. If this is the case, follow my advice in this post: "Navigating the Cold and Flu Season Drug-Free."
If your baby is running a fever and it won't break, an enema may do the trick. I prefer not to go into the directions for this, as babies are such fragile subjects. I have done this several times and each time have found instant success. I followed the directions for this procedure in the above-mentioned book. I purchased a child-sized Fleet enema and emptied the contents and put my own concoction in. This is another way to get the herbal remedies into your baby. Once they have completely emptied their bowels, the remedy will be absorbed by their colon and flow into their bloodstream. I almost always fill it with yarrow tea (1c. water to 1tbsp. yarrow flowers). I wouldn't do it more than once per day, unless you read-up on it somewhere else and are comfortable doing otherwise. For a baby who will drink tea through a bottle, I make the yarrow tea and sweeten it with maple syrup, since you can't do honey under 12mos. I also mix juice with it, as it's still bitter even with the maple syrup. Additionally, you can make your own glycerites, which is perfect for babies and children. Read-up on this here: bulkherbstore.com. Glycerites are herbs aged in glycerine, which is sweet. Since the herbs are aged, you only have to administer a couple teaspoons. For fever, make a tea out of turmeric and mix w/ juice or do a turmeric tincture or glycerite. Yarrow and turmeric are the very best for flu and fever.
For a congested baby, try making an onion poultice: Cook chopped onions in a little water until the onions are translucent. Place a soft towel or cloth diaper over a strainer and pour onion mixture into the cloth. Wrap this up and cool until it is a safe temp for baby's skin, but still warm. Place on baby's chest until it cools completely. Also, cook chopped garlic in water until the steam is "garlicky." Place your face and baby's face over the steam with a towel draped over the two of you, so baby can breath the garlic steam. Your face is there so you can make sure the steam isn't too hot for baby. You can also place this water in a humidifier or vaporizer.
Bulkherbstore.com sells other herbal mixtures that I make into teas, tinctures and glycerites that are helpful, but not as powerful as the above-mentioned aids. For example, their "Cough Tea" is useful, but will not combat the source of the cough, more like a temporary relief, but nice if used in conjunction with the more effective remedies. I also like their "Double E Immune Booster," but similarly, this will help, but not completely cure, as the other herbs, etc.
If you have particular questions on this subject, I'd be happy to help, of course. Finally, however, I have to tell you that I'm quite sure the most effective remedy I can apply to my children, or anyone else, is prayer. I literally thank God for the remedies as I apply them and pray and sing healing over my children as I care for them in their illness. Thanks be to Him, ALWAYS.
posted by Danneca
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