Hodge-Podge

I want to point out a couple of interesting places I've visited recently. Andrea of Chicky-Bit Run (in itself a most interesting blog) turned me on to a great soup page, Soupsong. On this page you can find tons of soup tales, soup jokes, soup this and soup that, including hundreds of recipes for... you guessed it, Soup! As soup is one of my all-time favorite things to eat, I think I'll be spending lots of time here. As I mentioned to Andrea, even though I almost never make a soup exactly as a recipe describes, I have maybe 4 or 5 soup cook books. I even love pictures of soup. Here's a link to a duck soup I'll definitely want to try. I once made a stew out of duck, sweet potatoes and wild rice. It was one of the best things I'd ever made, since the textures and flavors melded together into a heavenly dish. Makes my mouth water to think of it. YUM.

The other site I stumbled upon the other day, I'm not sure how. Probably through following links from other blogs. Anyway, it is called Pretty Smart Natural Ideas. It's not a huge blog with lots of posts, but check the past months and the links. You'll find lots of interesting herbal creams and ointments, lip balms, cleaning formulas and other useful and interesting ideas. The author lives in New York City, but is certainly up on natural ideas! Worth checking out. I'll be back to blogging tomorrow, it was a busy week!

Onwards,

HM

A Couple of Devastating Articles from NaturalNews

Whew. I just got done reading a couple of really informative articles from Natural News. If you are concerned at all about your well-being and health, then check these out. The first article is about how GlaxcoSmithKline hid the fact that its diabetes drug Avandia can lead to heart attacks and death. The FDA, of course, knew about this and DID NOT pull the drug from the market, even though its own scientists had recommended it. This one should scare you. Here's a quote from the article:

Do the math on this: if Avandia is linked to 83,000 heart attacks, and 50% of those are fatal (that's just an estimate) then Avandia could concievably be the cause of 40,000 deaths. The terrorists attacks of 911 killed roughly 3,000 Americans and yet just one drug that has been kept on the market by the FDA appears to have killed more than 10 times as many Americans as the terrorists.

My brother Terry is a type II diabetic. He is no longer insulin dependent because he eats right. When he got here we all went on an Atkins style diet--low carbs, high protein, high good fat (butter, olive oil). He still has to watch his blood sugar levels, but he lost a lot of weight and is far healthier today because he switched his diet. Cheap and effective, food as medicine. He could have been killed by BigPharma, but instead is healthy.

The second article is just as bad: Big Pharma researcher admits to faking dozens of research articles, articles that were published in peer-reviewed, respected medical journals. This researcher, Dr. Scott Ruben managed to conceal his fraud for 13 years! And this guy is only one "researcher" for Big Pharma. There must be lots of them. And as Health Ranger Mike Adams says, how are we supposed to know the difference between a real scientific study and these made-up fake ones if they all appear in "peer-reviewed" and "respected" medical journals?

Now, I haven't trusted the American medical system for years and years. But I'm still shocked by these articles. I mean, I knew it was bad, fraudulent and fairly idiotic, the medical system in this country, but even so, these kinds of articles are devastating. What the hell are they talking about when they say "evidence-based medicine"? By evidence I guess they mean those "scientific studies" but now, just like the global warming frauds, we can't trust them an inch. Be careful out there folks. If your doctor wants you to take some pharmaceutical, then do some research on the web and find out all you can before you take the damn pill.

In the Handmaiden's Kitchen

From my last post, y'all know we've been snowed in for the last bit of time. Oh, the 4 wheel drive trucks can get out, and the snow plow has been through, but my brother's van only has wet pavement tires and they don't handle snow at all, let alone snow on top of ice. So here we be. Yes, cabin fever has set in amongst most of us, potentially making us irritable and nasty, but so far we've avoided that.

So I've been in the kitchen cooking and baking. I had a bunch of onions that were just beginning to get soft and then sprout. I needed to find something to do with 'em. I turned to my trusty pile of cookbooks (I love reading cookbooks in the wintertime), and found a recipe for slow-cooker carmelized onions. Hot damn! Just the thing for these onions. And it could not be more simple: cut up a bunch of onions (I did about 8 or 10 of them), toss them in the crockpot, toss in 1/4 pound of butter (that's a stick of butter to you), and let them cook on low for 12-14 hours until they turn a rich, deep brown. Use them to make a carmelized onion soup, use as flavorings for stews and soups, use the butter juice in them in rice, use them however you want. They're great! I used to make carmelized onions on the stovetop, but believe me, the crockpot method is superior as you don't have to worry about them at all, they won't burn or scortch.

Then Michael got on to batter breads, lord knows why. He found a recipe for Oatmeal Batter Bread and I made it. Man, this is a tasty bread! Very healthy for you too iffen you don't pig out on it. Michael found the recipe online, so I'll pass it on to you thataway. If you are like me, and while a good cook, immensely capable of screwing up yeast breads, try batter breads. You don't have to knead them, but you are using yeast--at least it is sort of an introduction to baking with yeast. And do make this recipe--it makes a delightful flavorful loaf of bread. For fun, I'll also be trying this recipe, English Muffin Bread. I love English muffins but have never made them.

Then, because I was reading a novel about a Chilean woman in San Francisco during the gold rush who made money by selling her empanadas to hungry miners (Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende), I decided to make empanadas using a recipe I found in Craig Claiborne's New York Times Cookbook. While the filling was delicious, the dough was tough and hard--entirely my fault as I'm the world's worst dough-maker. I have never made a good dough, ever. But a snowed-in February means I've got the time to at least learn more about making dough, even though the husband and brother might have to suffer through it. :) Anyway, I won't share that recipe with you, there's other ones available on the web here. Claiborne's recipe called for 3 TBS of raisins in the filling, which, along with the garlic, onions, tomato, ground beef, black olives and spices, made such a savory filling. YUM.

I wanted to make something with some of the fruits I dried this summer: peaches, nectarines, apples, apricot-plums, raisins, blueberries. Good grief, just typing in those lovely fruit words made my mouth water. In my How to Dry Foods book I found a recipe for German Pancake which sounded like just the thing for a light lunch. It turned out to be delicious and wasn't overly sweet until we put some blueberry syrup on it. :) Here's the recipe:

German Pancake

Boiling water
1/2 to 3/4 cup chopped dried apples, apricots, cherries, dates, figs, pears, raisins or dried currants
6 TBS butter
6 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup flour
Lemon juice and powdered sugar or berry jam or jelly, if desired

Pour boiling water over dried fruit to cover. Let stand to soften 5 - 15 minutes; drain. (DON'T throw away this water--it makes a wonderful fruit tea!) Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In preheating oven, melt butter in a 13" by 9" baking pan, checking frequently to avoid scorching. (Or melt butter in the microwave, high for one minute.) In blender, combine eggs, milk, sugar and vanilla. Blend lightly to mix. Add flour. Stir in softened dried fruit. Pour into baking pan on top of the melted butter. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until puffy and golden brown. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and powdered sugar or serve with jam or jelly.

This was a delectable treat, heavenly with the blueberry syrup. We each had a piece or so and Michael had more of it for dessert after dinner.

Besides these treats, for dinners we've had barbequed ribs, venison stew with carmelized onions over brown rice, and parmesean chicken. We ain't all about beans and polenta, though that's one of my favorite meals.

Today it'll be back to some soup or another. I love soup and could basically live on the stuff. I don't know what soup I'll make yet--but something bean and bacony would be delicous. Cooking is fun, messin' in the kitchen is fun. Most of the times, things turn out not only edible but healthy and delicious, but there have been times when I've had to compost the results. Par for the course, since we don't learn without making mistakes.
Onwards,
HM

The Winter of Our Content

That's what the huge pine trees across the pond look like this snowy morning. It's basically white out there, all visuals hazy with a mist of snow blowing over all. Wow. It's beautiful! I don't think I've even seen a 4 wheel drive truck go by on the roads this morning. We're all sitting tight.

I haven't been blogging in a while, this computer was in the shop with virus problems. Got it back late last week and we can get back into the swing of things again. With the snow, there's not much else to do anyway!

I don't know why I called this post the Winter of Our Content--I suppose, lifting it from Shakespeare ("Winter of our discontent") but to express the mixed emotions of this particular wintertime. I've had many setbacks the past few months: wrecked a car, been snowed in for a week at a time, computer down and out, friend Fred broke his leg and is in the hospital, aggravating sinus problems, not to mention major doom and gloom predictions from the Gruff Lord, Michael of Staying Alive. All the news has been horrible. So why am I not depressed as I usually am in winter, with seasonal affective disorder (SAD)? Damned if I know, but I'm not. I think it is because I'm getting better at letting go of non-essentials. What I would have considered essential a few months ago, say a functional auto, a working computer, somehow just didn't seem so necessary to me. I could work around it. If I needed a ride to town, I could ask a friend. And my sense of independence wasn't wounded by that. I could relax and let it be. In other words, I wasn't stressing out over all the problems. Some switch in me got flipped and I could look at the reality of what was, but not necessarily call it "a problem."

How did that happen? How did not having a functioning car become a non-problem? I'm not sure--there's no magic pill or herb for this one. But rather than be upset and nervous, twitching my nights away worrying about it, I've somehow moved it from the category of "awful problem" to a new category "we'll solve that one when we have more options." This is somewhat unfamiliar territory to me and I'm in the process of wondering about it, trying to figure it out. But it's interesting at any rate. Feels like one of those big changes people go through every ten years or so--a new psychological stance of some kind. I feel more adaptive, or rather, more able to adapt to what it without demanding that Reality conform to my desires. I suspect this change will stand me in good stead. I hope anyway.

Well, enough blathering about inward landscaping. I think maybe I'll get dressed up in all my deep snow accoutrements and go out and play. :) (I can barely see across the pond...will I be able to find my way home if I go to a neighbor's house for a cup of coffee? Hmmmmmm)

Enjoy your days in all the ways you can!
Onwards,
HM

Tumeric for Allergy/Sinus + Health Drink

A while back I posted on Earth Clinic's January newsletter. In that, there was a lady who said that a daily dose or two of tumeric in water helped cure her awful sinus problem, which lead in her case to migraine headaches. Since I'm prone to both awful sinus issues as well as migraines, I started using the tumeric in water. But I was already taking a "health drink" so I added the tumeric to is. Here's what I take: In a glass of water, 6-8 oz, I add 2 T of apple cider vinegar, a tsp of brewer's yeast, tsp of diatomaceous earth, and a heaping tsp of psyllium husks. To that I now add a tsp of tumeric and a drop or two of Iosol Iodine (an iodine nutritional supplement).

Since I've added the tumeric, my sinus problem--nasty post nasal drip, tickly throat, massive buildup of phlegm in my system, etc.--has cleared up. For the most part. I still get the sniffles and have to blow my nose, but that is not a problem. Very interesting, and what a blessing! That allergy/sinus thing was driving me nuts.

So, if you've got some nagging physical problem, you might want to check up on it at Earth Clinic and see if there is some simple, inexpensive already-in-your-kitchen spice or herb you could use. In all my reading there, I've seen very little that could harm you, and quite a bit that could help!

Keep in mind that this is not medical advice. This is just kitchen advice. :) Even though we have the 1st Amendment to the Constitution, the FDA feels competent to regulate speech that might interfere with the profits made by Big Pharma and Big Medicine. The FDA has not approved of this message, and probably won't in our lifetimes.
Onwards!
HM

More on Planting by the Signs

In Foxfire's first volume, there's a chapter on Planting by the Signs. I've posted about this already. In that chapter, there is a really neat chart from T.E. Black's Lifetime Planting, Business and Fishing Guide: Information in regards to everyday affairs compiled from 13 years experience. While I cannot reproduce the chart in this post, here's a few tidbits to help you get a little more info:

3rd Sign, Gemini, The Arms
This is an Air sign. I find it one of the second best signs for planting and transplanting All Crops, root crops and crops that bear above the ground. Favors talking things over with people. Also favors making jelly, preserves and pickles.

1st Sign, Aries, The Head
Known as a very fiery sign. Hot, dry and barren. Very good for planting beets, onions and tobacco. Not good for planting and transplanting other crops. Favors welding, getting hair waved, all cooking, making preserves, pickles and jelly. Also destroying weeds and bushes. Good for hunting, fair for fishing.

2nd Sign, Taurus, The Neck
An Earth Sign. No. 1 for all root crops. Peanuts, potatoes, and etc. Transplanting all plants, second best for all crops bearing above the ground and all flowers. Favors buying, attend sales, deal with creditors. Very good for fishing, making pickles and canning.

4th Sign, Cancer, The Breast
A Water Sign. No. 1 top sign for all flowers, planting and transplanting all crops that bear above the ground. When I say bear above the ground I mean cotton, corn, cane, tobacco, peas, beans, peppers, watermelons, squash, cucumbers, okra, wheat, rye, oats and etc. all cover crops, all grasses, all leaf crops. This sign also No. ! for all root crops. Biddies hatched in this sign for laying hens, pigs born for males and brood sows. Good for all cooking, changing jobs, momving, cut hair to stimulate growth. Good for fishing, making potato beds and seed beds.

6th Sign, Virgo, The Bowels
An Earth sign. Doesn't favor planting nor transplanting no crops. Barren sign, but very good for business.

8th Sign, Scorpio, The Loins
This is known as a Water Sign. No.1 for all crops that bear above the ground. Also for flowers. Second best for all root crops. When I root crops, I mean all potatoes, peanuts, chuffas, onions, beets, carrots, turnips, rutabagas, etc. Setting out plants, biddies for laying hens, pigs for males and brood sows. Set out fruit trees. Flower bushes and vines. Good for fishing and hunting.

10th Sign, Capricornus, The Knees
Known as an Earth Sign. No. 1 for all root crops. Second best for all flowers. All crops that bear above the ground, all transplanting. Pull teeth, mark hogs, prune trees and vines. Good for business. Fair for fishing. Canning.

12th Sign, Pisces, The Feet
Water Sign. No. 1 for planting and transplanting above-ground crops. And all flowers. Second best sign for all root crops. Biddies hatched for laying hens, pigs for brood sows. Best for pulling teeth, makring hogs, prune and set out trees, bushes and vines. Good for fishing. Wean babies and animals.

11th Sign, Aquarius, The Legs
Air sign. Very good for planting crops that bear above the ground. Except that seeds are apt to rot. This is a friendly sign. Exchange ideas, seek help from friends, favors dealing with all types of people in all types of business. Favor sports and pleasure.

5th Sign, Leo, The Heart
Fire Sign. Barren Sign favors no planting nor transplanting. Good for destroying bushes and weeds and deading trees. It favors sports, pleasure, love and romance. Ask for jobs. Good for hunting. Get hair waved, baking cakes.

7th Sign, Libra, The Kidneys
Air Sign very good for crops that bear above the ground. Favors friendship and business.

9th Sign, Sagittarius, The Thighs
This is a Fire Sign, fairly good for planting onions and cucumbers. Favors all business affairs. Ask for jobs, deal with lawyers, judges and bankers, work on future plans. Good for hunting. Get hair waved, bake cakes, make candy, preserves, jelly and pickles. Don't transplant anything.

***********************
At The Gardener's Calendar, you can always check to see both the phase of the moon (which quarter, waxing, etc.) and the moon sign. So check first, then pull those teeth! :)

And if any of you are going to try planting by the signs this year, keep in touch and let us all know how it turns out. I'll be reporting on my success and failures here as well.
Onwards,
HM

The Lord Giveth, and the Lord Taketh Away . . .

Just want to let you all know that my computer was attacked by a nasty virus. I thought I had a strong virus protection program, but apparently it disappeared. So, bereft of protection, I got hit. That's why I haven't been blogging lately. Today, I'm writing this on my husband's new-ish computer. Yep, his computer was a goner too and he was out a computer for a couple of weeks. A new friend then generously donated a computer to him, one not new, but nevertheless a nice machine.

What a winter. Car Crash, car's a goner. We were down to just my brother's van. Then it had mechanical problems and was stuck over at someone's house for nearly a week. We finally found a friend to get the van working again, but today the roads are very icy and naturally we got it stuck on the ice (on a hill). Jeez!

I'm learning strongly this winter to do without. For two weeks around Christmas time, a pipe in our building sprung a leak and we had to turn the water off to an apartment upstairs from us, our bathroom, and my brother's room downstairs. So we went without functioning (easily flushed) toilets for two weeks. We hauled water from our kitchen sink in a five gallon bucket to manually flush the toilet. And I was glad we could do that! No running water at all would have been a REAL pain. As it was, it was tiresome and inconvenient, but we could do it. We gritted our teeth and did it.

Items, customs we're used to, convenience, all these things I'm learning that I can do without. The trick is how to remain relatively cheerful and non-complaining while doing without. Grumbling or getting angry does not help the problem; it makes it much worse. It is worse because with a complaining attitude, you focus on the problem so much more than if you simply accepted it and went about your business. I've learned to give thanks to the Lord for all of our blessings. And one of those blessings is learning ahead of time how to do without. If you can learn this trick of ACCEPTANCE IS CONTENTMENT before the coming collapse, crash, or depression, then you will adjust to your situation much better.

Daniel Wright, the man who founded the valley community we live in, had Acceptance is Contentment carved into the mantel over his hand-built fireplace. I've learned the wisdom of that statement this winter. No car? We'll work around it. Broke-down car? Ditto. No flushable toilets (without hauling water)? We've got a five-gallon bucket and running water elsewhere. No sweat. AND I was grateful that I didn't have to haul that water out of the pond!! Items getting lost or disappearing? Make something else do what that item did. No sour cream for a recipe? Make some by adding vinegar to cream, or as I did, to ricotta cheese. It won't be quite the same, but it will do.

In his wise and witty blog, Dimitri Orlov suggests that Americans should learn this semi-detached attitude in order to deal with the slow collapse of their standard of living, and indeed, the collapse of their country and the world as we all knew it. The "American Dream" is gradually turning into the American Nightmare. Rather than a rude and panicky awakening to this reality, learn to deal with it now, slightly ahead of everyone else. If you can let go of stuff, of convenience, of your expectations of what life should be, then you will be much happier and better adjusted to whatever our new reality will be. Most of all, make the effort to enhance your attitude. Accept what IS, and learn to be content with it. Cheerfully.

Why? I'll tell you: it is simply a helluva lot less stressful. Major unaddressed stress can and will make you sick and even kill you. Over time, if not quickly. Adjust your attitude, adjust your expectations, learn to do without and still be cheerful, if not happy. You will not only live longer and better, your companions will love you for it. All of us prefer being with positive folks and we tend to avoid negative complainers and other unpleasantness.

OK, enough sermonizing for today. I will blog when I can, so please stay tuned. And I'll try lots of home remedies to help my computer get over the virus. :)
HM