New Year Recipe Blitz!

  I've been thinking about how things are really going to be coming down to the wire this next year, economically speaking. If I only put up a recipe a week, that wouldn't give you a whole lot of time to experiment, tweak, and stock up on your necessities for your pantry. 

  So, in that mode of thought I've decided to post AT LEAST one recipe a day this next week, so you can get cracking and try them out, if not at least written down. So be checking back every day, or as often as possible, and have a pen and paper handy. 

  Also want to call your attention to the new button on the right side of the page there. Feel free to share it on your own page and let others know this soon to be vital information!

See the Recipe tab for a complete listing of recipes including ones for the New Years Blitz!

Blessed Thistle

Cnicus benedictus

  Earlier this year our youngest child (2 years old) got a hold of some Tylenol PM after sneaking out of bed. The medicine had been transferred to a non-childproof container after the original had been broken. Because of recurrent migraines my husband has it is one of the few pharmaceuticals we do have in the house.

  After immediately calling poison control we took her into the ER*. By the time I got back to her after filling out paperwork at the desk, my husband had to help hold her down while they inhabated and catheterized her because she was throwing fits and hallucinating. She was sedated for a while till after she was transferred to a larger children's PICU about 30 minutes away.

  As soon as she was awake on her own and they were able to un-rig her from all the tubes, I began giving her some drops of Poke Root tincture I made. This was to immediately start working on cleaning out and restoring her liver. The doctors didn't know about it and were surprised that her blood work showed such significant improvement in such a short time. My initial choice was Poke Root, as nothing less than a very strong blood cleanser and liver stimulant would do for the threat of liver failure.
  As of lately Ive needed some help with my liver as well since suffering with boils and decided the both of us could use a little liver cleanse and some support to make sure things were working smoothly.
  Blessed thistle was my first choice and I'm sorta kicking myself for not thinking of it earlier in the year when suffering with so many boils. Usually I'd go with the Poke Root for myself again, but such a strong herb isn't reccomended when you're expecting and the babies organs cannot handle that level of cleansing and functioning when they are forming. It is quite an awful lot for a 2.5 year old for normal support as well. 
  The School of natural healing says this:

Blessed thistle is wonderful for nursing mothers, stimulating the production of mothers milk. It is very useful in purifying the blood, aiding circulation, and for all liver problems. As a tonic it strengthens the brain, heart, and stomach.

My Peanut

Blessed thistle is gentle and helps with liver congestion and toning it so it can perform at peak. It's also a great tonic for the whole digestive track, but positively tones every organ to some degree and thus produces an increase in energy. I don't think a 2.5 year old really NEEDS MORE energy, but Im glad that I can giver her something safe that has no negative side effects or complications.

  As for myself, I'm glad to see immediate results in the amount of pregnancy / hormone related acne and boils in just two days of taking it.

  As always do your research, check with your health care provider before using any herb, especially in extracted, and or mega doses. The natural form of the whole plant is always better and more useful (as well as safer) than some scientifically rigged product.

* N.B.

I and my husband both believe we could have avoided the hospital completely by inducing vomiting. We caught her just as she had eaten the "candy" (another good reason to avoid pharmaceuticals!) and had available herbs (lobelia, and ipecac) to accomplish this. This would have prevented the capsules from even dissolving to begin with. However, the Poison Control Center told us NOT to induce vomiting for fear she might asphyxiate on the vomit, should her breathing reflexes become unresponsive. I would agree with them if the case had been that we had found her some time after she had consumed them, however this was not the case. I feel if we had followed our instincts, our daughter could have been spared a lot of trauma and the possibility of organ damage.

Home Made Dressings

 Dressings are an important part of our repertoire as we eat salad on an almost daily basis. I could really almost be a vegetarian if it weren't for bacon :-) These are some tried and trues that we use. Being able to make your own lets you choose what ingredients you need, especially if you have a particular diet, such as sodium free, or like my husbands MSG free diet. Any and all sweeteners if called for are up to your discretion. Stevia is wonderful for those watching sugar intake. Write these down, and keep them in a safe place- when grocery stores are no longer affordable or supplied by shipping routes, a little comfort can go a long way. Most of the ingredients necessary in these recipes are common and can be stocked up on. Look for some good salad oils such as Expeller pressed safflower, olive oil, and the higher quality light oils (yes they are a bit more expensive). Our family chooses to avoid Canola oil as it can be very toxic to the nervous system. Having one child with Cerebral Palsy and emerging seizures, we aren't willing to take those risks.

Good Seasons Italian Dressing Mix

1 t. carrot (grated chopped and dried)

1 t. bell pepper

3/4 t. lemon pepper

1/8 t. parsley 

1 t. salt

1/4 t. garlic

1/8 t. onion powder

2t. sugar

1/8t pepper

2t pectin 

Pinch of oregano

Add dry mix to 1/4c vinegar,  2/3 oil, 2T water in cruet or jar, shake well refrigerate.

Russian Dressing

1/3 c. Ketchup

2T. sugar (or honey)

2T. red wine vinegar

1/2 t. salt

3 T. grated onion

1t. worchestershire sauce

2-3 T olive oil or salad oil

Blend thouroughly. Refrigerate.

Honey French Dressing (my own recipe)

1/2 cup ketchup

1/2 cup Miracle Whip

1/2 cup honey

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 tablespoon salad oil (I use grape seed)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon celery seed

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

Mix all ingredients as listed in a small bowl, or in blender. If you prefer, try substituting fresh onion and garlic for the powdered, to taste.

Dry Packet Ranch Dressing Mix (Same as the mixes you buy at the store)

1/2 cup dry buttermilk (SACO Brand or bulk)

1 tablespoon dried parsley, crushed

1 teaspoon dried dill weed

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon dried onion flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

Because this recipe doesn't have commercial thickeners in it use 1 1/2T of  mix to 1/2 cup milk and 1 c. mayo. To make it taste like the store bought and prepared mix that I remember, I only use Kraft Mayo, but use whatever you are used to using. I tried Hellmans and Best Foods, what my Gram used to use, but it just didn't do it for me. By trial and error, Kraft was the only one that held up to the test. I make this in a huge batch and use almost a whole container of dried buttermilk. Great because it doesn't have the MSG that the name brand does.

Catalina Dressing (Kraft copycat recipe)

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons salt

1 dash paprika

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

grated onion, to taste (I use 1/2 t. onion powder)

1/2 cup vinegar

2/3 cup ketchup

1 cup vegetable oil

Combine in blender or with egg beater and chill.

Raspberry Vinegrette

1/2c. oil

2T. honey

1T. (scant) dijon mustard

3T. red wine vinegar

1t. lime or lemon juice

1/2c. fresh or frozen raspberries

salt and pepper to taste

Combine and blend in blender or with stick blender. Refrigerate.

Strawberry Dressing -excellent seasonal dressing -NEW
1/2 cup sliced strawberries
3/4 cup safflower oil
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons poppy seed
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon sea salt

Blend and refrigerate.

Hobbies vs. Skills- A Pet Peeve of Mine

  Sometimes it really burns me when filling out questionnaires, and getting-to-know-you type forms when I get to the "hobbies and interests" blank.

  Why you ask? Being the 'old soul' that I am I find it ludicrous and demeaning to the women who learned the arts and skills they used to keep their families fed, clothed, warmed, and cared for reduced to "hobbies" and "handy-crafts"- (pardon me while I gag on that word).

 I think a few definitions are in order:

• 2 craft: to make by or as if by hand
• 1 crafty: skillful, clever
• 2 skilled: having acquired master of or skill in something
• 2 hobby: a pursuit outside ones regular occupation engaged in esp. for relaxation.

  So first of all, I doubt the old frontier women had time to go "outside their regular occupation" for much of anything. These women were busy propping up a budding nation. Hobbies in those days were for those rich enough to afford servants and had time to play lawn games, and pursue painting.

  Even though craft and crafty related to skill when this word originated (1816) in our modern times it has taken on a more...ornamental and trivial connotation.

  Like anything that requires skill, these crafts are usually embellished during their development furthering the artistic ability and product of the crafter thus pushing them into the realm of "artisan". This aura of ability furthers competition among the "artisans" and the ornamental product becomes less and less practical and function-able.

  After industrialization made materials easier to come by, the finished products weren't far behind. Mass production and availability reduced the need of these once strictly hand made items. 

  Knowledge of these skills began to fade away until the artisan realm, and celebrity stardom made them fashionable and "chick" to do in the spare time, seeing that it no longer held the position as a necessity, since cheaper and more ornate products were widely available.

  Even with the revival of these hobby/crafts (to which they were demoted), over availability has permanently and ever after cast  a shadow on these valuable skills.

  Countless are the times that I've felt guilt and heard "confessions" of guilt laced projects from  a busy mother and homemaker who actually stole time away from her more important and pressing duties to work on.

  Wherein lies the guilt? In the cultural projection and mentality of materialism and greed that pushes manufacturers to make an " easy buck", flooding markets and minds with the in-necessity of practicing these once important and necessary skills ourselves.

  Will these skills ever be treated as such and given their value and rightful place again? My bet is that until manufacturing, importation and mass marketing ceases or is significantly crippled will we ever see the restoration of and abolition of guilt associated with producing the necessary items once again to feed, clothe warm and care for our loved ones. 
  Until then please pardon the chip on my shoulder when I hear someone refer to my skills as mere hobbies or handy-crafts. I'll do my best not to discredit your activities and interests as shallow busy work with no real value and necessity as well. Pardon me, do you have a tissue, my sarcasm is running.