Yarrow

Hopefully, once you read this post, you'll wonder: Why don't we hear more about Yarrow? Or even . . . Why have I never heard of Yarrow?

Yarrow is native to Europe and is a known wound healer and ointments/salves/balms made with this herb have been used for centuries in Scotland and the UK for wounds and, as such, helps to heal ulcers as well. Yarrow is also known to help regulate periods, help with digestion and ~ adding just a ts to Baby's bottle or squirted into Baby's mouth with a dropper ~ can help with colic. 

An anti-inflammatory, it can also help with hay fever, allergy symptoms, lowers blood pressure and gives relief for poor circulation and varicose veins.

It is a wonderful herb for women ~ it's wound healing properties allow it to ease menstrual pain and is a must for women with irregular periods and heavy bleeding. 

And as if those uses are not enough, Yarrow also reduces fever and is an ingredient in my Ulcer Tea because it eases and helps heal most digestive disorders and ulcers. 

Yarrow is one of those Bitter Herbs that should be in everyone's Homemade Natural First Aid Kit, in one form or another ~ whether herbs for tea, tincture, balm/salve or essential oil.

Click on these links to make your own Yarrow . . . 

~Medicinal Tea
~Tincture
~Balm/Salve

Let me know when you try Yarrow for the first time and how much you LOVE it :-) 

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><
**See disclaimer at bottom of page**

Wormwood ~ Useful Bitter Herb

As some of you may know, there are several herbs that fall under the category of "Bitter Herbs":

• Dandelion
• Goldenseal
• Rue
• Wormwood
• Chamomile
• Angelica
• Horehound
• Peppermint 
• Milk Thistle
• Yarrow

Biblical (Original) Bitter Herbs are: 

• Wormwood
• Milk Thistle
• Chamomile
• Peppermint 
• Spearmint
• Chickory
• Endive
• Coriander
• Sorrel
• Chicory (a.k.a. Cowboy Coffee)
• Wild/Romaine Lettuce
• Horse Radish

Many of these I use in several of my medicinal teas and, as of this date, I have only written about Dandelion but I am seriously considering doing a blog series on Bitter Herbs. :-)

As the name would imply, Wormwood is very popular as a parasitic cleanse. Whether by taking as a capsule, tincture or in a tea, it is very effective and seems to cause the least amount of bowl discomfort. 

This blue-green "weedy" plant is something some of us in the Mid-West and Eastern USA have passed during walks through open fields or seen on rural roadsides; it grows very well here in Ohio but is originally from Europe. It is a perennial, so if you plant this in your herb garden, you will enjoy it for a long time. If undisturbed, it can grow into a bush about 3 ft. high and has a rather "loud" but pleasant fragrance. The leaves (which looks a little like parsley) can be munched when fresh or, preferably, dried along with some of the blossoms and lightly crushed for tea or a tincture. 

If you haven't tried it, by the time you finish reading this you'll wonder why not. Wormwood is good, as mentioned above, as a parasitic cleanse for worms or other parasites, to encourage weak digestion, helps boost energy for those suffering from anemia, encourages a sluggish liver (and can be blended with Milk Thistle for the liver), relieves gas and bloating and even contains cancer fighting Lignans (like flax seeds). 

To use as a tea . . . 

You Will Need:

~1 to 1-1/2 ts dried wormwood

Directions:

1) put herb in a tea ball/infuser, steep for 10 minutes. 
2) DO NOT add honey or other sweetener. 
3) This tea is meant to be slowly sipped.

**This herb IS bitter, BUT you WANT it to be.**

The bitter taste on your tongue causes a reflex action throughout your digestive system that kicks your digestive juices into action. It stimulates your system into increasing stomach acid and bile which not only improves digestion and assists your gall bladder, but sets the into motion the expelling of any parasites during a parasite cleanse.

For a tincture . . . 

You will need:

~1 qt-sized canning jar w/tight-fitting lid (metal or gasket)
~1 pt OR 1/2 pt-sized canning jar (for a possible container)
~1 amber colored eye-dropper OR dropper-bottles (for a possible container ~~ dropper bottles work better than jars for convenience) ~up to 1 or 1-1/2 c (total) of the herb
~vodka (w/no added sweeteners or flavors) ~vegetable glycerin ~plastic wrap

Directions: 

1) stuff the herbs in the qt-sized canning jar (approximately 3/4 full) and pour in enough vodka to cover the top, preferably about 1" over the top of the herbs **NOTE** most tinctures that are taken orally use 80% glycerin/20% vodka; don't let the vodka "scare" you, it is used the draw the "medicine" from the herbs and self-dilutes, much the same way that beer is merely used as yeast in beer bread. There will be less alcohol in your tincture than in cough syrup. IF you truly have a concern, use 90% glycerin/10% vinegar
    
2) cover top of canning jar with plastic wrap and then screw on the metal lid or close the gasket lid tightly
 
3) Shake 30-45 times
 
4) store the jar in a cool, dark place for 4 weeks
 
5) **REMEMBER** shake jar for about 30 seconds EACH DAY for 4 weeks 

6) at the end of the 4 weeks, strain the herbs through a fine strainer; press or squeeze the herbs on the strainer to get as much of the liquid as possible for your tincture
 
7) pour tincture into another canning jar OR into amber dropper-bottles (which ever you choose for your container); store in a cabinet out of the light, tincture should last about 2 years
 
To Use:
 
~drop 2 full droppers of the tincture into a cup of cold water and drink once per day as a supplement OR 2-4 times per day during a cleanse. **DO NOT use THIS tincture more than 4-5 weeks at a time.

Such a useful herb. 

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

The Truth Behind Valentine's Day

I do not celebrate "saints", but I do enjoy treating THE Man extra special on Valentine's Day. But . . . we need to remember the REAL person and the REAL reason this day is named after him. So, next time someone complains about Valentine's Day being a Hallmark holiday, remind them of this . . . 

"On this day, in the year AD 298, a Christian pastor was brutally martyred. First, he was beaten with clubs. then stoned, and finally he was beheaded. His crime - standing for biblical marriage, that intimacy outside of marriage was sinful, and that marriage was designed by God as between one man and one woman. His name was Valentinus, a man who loved Jesus above all else and who refused to deny the faith. Today, as you enjoy your chocolate and trinkets, remember that the one who is now called St Valentine gave his life in defense of biblical marriage, not rampant promiscuity or perversion. He did not succumb to the politically correct of his day. February 14 is a day that is not rose red, but blood red." -Pastor James MacDonald

I Hope you read and pass it on. Spreading the truth like ripples in a pond.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Homemade Rosemary and Sea Salt Crackers

Some folks at our church and our family are doing the Daniel Plan. It's a book and website by Pastor Rick Warren (author of "The Purpose Driven Life"), and focuses on faith, food, fitness, focus and friends. Not just a "diet plan", but a Biblical life plan. I don't have a scale, but in about 2 weeks I've gone down two holes in my belt and I'm on the last one!! Whoot! 

Our friends posted this rosemary and sea salt cracker recipe that is suitable for the Daniel Plan on their Facebook and I JUST made it. Yes, the fragrance of warm, wonderful rosemary is still wafting through my home. **contented sight** And don't forget how healthy rosemary is for you, especially for women.

These crackers are low carb and gluten free. So . . . here's the recipe so you can enjoy them, too!

You Will Need:

~1-1/2 c almond flour
~1/2 ts Celtic sea salt
~2 TB coconut oil (melted)
~1 egg
~1 TB finely chopped fresh rosemary OR slightly ground-up dried rosemary
~1/4 ts black pepper
~large bowl
~medium bowl
~waxed paper 
~parchment paper OR grape seed cooking spray

Directions:

1) Preheat oven to 350* F

2) In a large bowl, combine the almond flour and sea salt

3) In a medium bowl, combine the melted and slightly cooled coconut oil, egg, ground rosemary and black pepper

       **NOTE** You want the coconut oil to be melted and slightly cooled, being careful 

that it's cool enough not to cook

 the egg and still liquid enough to blend

4) Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix

5) Roll the dough between 2 pieces of EITHER waxed paper OR parchment paper until dough is about 1/4" thick

6) Cut the dough into even vertical strips ~ horizontally and vertically. I cut mine about the size of Wheat Thins (Makes about 36 crackers) **If some of your cut cracker edges are a little skimpy, simply press them onto a larger cracker with rough edges so that none is wasted.

7) Place the cracker pieces ~ with a little space in-between ~ on EITHER parchment paper OR a baking stone lightly sprayed with grape seed oil

**NOTE** At this point, I sprinkled a little

bit of Celtic sea salt over the crackers; you 

could also use Kosher salt

8) Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until golden

Eat just the crackers alone or spread with cheese or hummus . . . mmmm . . . whatever you like.

Let me know how much you LOVE these easy, delicious, healthy crackers.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

On Being "Green"

A friend of mine posted this on Facebook and I couldn't help but share it with all of you. While I believe in being frugal, while I usually bring my own bags to the grocery, while I believe that many of the "old ways" are best, while I believe that the Lord commands us to take care of our world (Genesis 2:15), I am NOT "green." I, personally, think that the EPA and liberal political correctness is a lie and a way to take away our Constitutional rights and liberties by dumbing us down and duping the public with false guilt. I know, because I have been on both sides of the issue. 

Now, having said all that, I hope you enjoy this humorous and truthful post . . . 

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Checking out at the store, the young cashier suggested to the older woman, that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment.

The woman apologized and explained, "We didn't have this green thing back in my earlier days."

The young clerk responded, "That's our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations."

She was right -- our generation didn't have the green thing in its day.

Back then, we returned milk bottles, soda bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were truly recycled.

But we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

Grocery stores bagged our groceries in brown paper bags, that we reused for numerous things; most memorable besides household garbage bags, was the use of brown paper bags as book covers for our schoolbooks. This was to ensure that public property, (the books provided for our use by the school bought with tax-payer money) was not defaced by our scribblings. Then we were able to personalize our books on the brown paper bags.

But too bad we didn't do the green thing back then.

We walked up stairs, because we didn't have an escalator in every store and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn't climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

But she was right. We didn't have the green thing in our day.

Back then, we washed the baby's diapers because we didn't have the throwaway kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy-gobbling machine burning up 220 volts -- wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.

But that young lady is right; we didn't have the green thing back in our day.

Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house -- not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief (remember them?), not a screen the size of the state of Montana. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn't have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the mail, we used wadded up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. 

Back then, we didn't fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn't need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she's right; we didn't have the green thing back then.

We drank from a fountain when we were thirsty instead of using a cup or a plastic bottle every time we had a drink of water. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But we didn't have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar or a bus and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their moms into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn't need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 23,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest burger joint.

But isn't it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn't have the green thing back then?

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#108~ On Defense

"Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah . . . A champion name Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. He war over 9 feet tall . . . For 40 days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand. Now Jesse said to his son David, 'Take this ephah of roasted grain and these 10 loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp . . . They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines' . . . As [David] was talking with them, Goliath, the Philistine champion from Gath, stepped out from his lines and shouted his usual defiance, and David heart it . . . 'Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?' . . . David said to Saul, 'Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him' . . . The he took his staff in his hand, chose 5 smooth stones from the stream . . . and, with his sling in his hand, approached the Philistine . . . 'I come against you in the Name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whome you have defied' . . . and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD's . . . David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him . . . So David triumphed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone . . . " ~Selected verses from 1 Sam. 17 [all emphasis, mine]

I had an interesting conversation with a gentleman I was checking out at work, the other day . . . 

This gentleman was wearing a Duck Dynasty hoodie with a photo of Phil Robertson, his sons Willie and Jase and, of course, Uncle Si. I smiled at him and said, "That is a GREAT hoodie!" And from there, the conversation went like this ~ 

Man: Why? My mother gave me this shirt for Christmas, I've never seen it.

Me: Because that's one of my favorite shows and just love that family.

Man: Why?

Me: Because it's good, clean, family fun and a great show.

Man: So, that guy's "homophobic" remarks didn't bother you?

Me: Phil didn't say anything "homophobic," at all.

Man: [stepping back, a little astonished] Really?

Me: Absolutely not. First of all, he's not afraid of anyone, and that's what "phobic" means, "afraid." Secondly, he was answering a question asked of him and he answered it according to the Word of God. 

Man: Really?

Me: Yes. Did you read the interview or are you only going on what a biased press reported? 

Man: No, I haven't read the interview.

Me: I have, and personally, I think he was set-up ~ there's no way the interviewer didn't know how he was going to answer that question. And if you're going to ask someone a question, don't act surprised when they answer you.

Man: [nodding] Hmm. OK.

And off he went with his purchase. Now, let me also say that this man has been back a few times since this conversation and I have waited on him nearly every time and his was in no way offended. 

All that to say that I feel that not only did I successfully defend a brother in the Lord and the Word of God with truth, but I did it without raising my voice, without violence ~ just by stating the facts. "Just the facts, Ma'am. Just the facts."

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." ~1 Peter 3:15-16

God has commanded us to always be able to defend our faith. Yes, there may very well be times that it may come to ardently defending our faith with raised voices or even going to jail for our faith ~ but whether we are being calmly persuasive or defending the TRUTH of the gospel with our very lives, we ARE commanded to do it. And how can we defend the gospel unless we KNOW it? 

Please stay in the Word of God. Know how to defend your faith. So many in our culture are used to others giving-in to false "politically correct" arguments ~ they're not used to someone standing up for God's TRUTH. The Lord will honor your love of Himself and His Word with victory.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Homemade Soft Flatbread

Hello, my name is Kim and I'm a bread-head. 

If it's bread, you know that I will probably LOVE it. Are you the same way? I've made our own family bread for years and I have recently started making my own Ezekiel Bread, but I also enjoy that lovely, soft flat bread (some call it Naan). 

Soft yummy flat bread makes wonderful quick sandwiches with spreads, chicken salad, thin-sliced turkey or chicken, a twist on tacos or burritos ~  with sprouts, guacamole . . . put it apart and dip pieces in hummus or guacamole . . . mmmm . . . the list can just go on and on. 

Flat bread is very easy, although just a little time consuming, to make ~ 

You will need: 

~1-1/2 c. warm milk
~1/2 ts. yeast
~1 ts. sugar (I use Turbinado Sugar a.k.a. Sugar in the Raw)
~1 ts sea salt
~3-1/2 to 4 c. flour
~4-5 TB melted butter
~olive oil
~1/4 ts garlic powder or granules (optional)
~sea salt for sprinkling (optional)
~herb blend (optional)
~medium-to-large bowl, for mixing
~large glass OR ceramic mixing bowl, for rising in warm oven
~baking stone OR cookie sheet (stone is best)
~rolling pin

Directions:

1) pre-heat oven to 200* (F) or set on "warm"

2) gently warm milk; no warmer than you would give a baby

3) add yeast and sugar to milk and let stand for about 5 minutes

4) in a bowl, mix salt and flour; work through to blend with your fingers

5) gently pour in the yeast mixture into a bigger bowl and add the flour mixture ~ a little at a time ~ to form the dough 

6) sprinkle some flour onto your counter or large cutting board and dust your hands with a little flour, knead dough for about 8 to 10 minutes. As you're adding the flour to your dough, I don't recommend using more than 4 c. The bread will end up flaky instead of smooth

7) pour JUST ENOUGH olive oil in a large glass OR ceramic bowl to rub on the bottom and sides of the bowl

8) form dough into a ball and put in oiled bowl; TURN OVER OFF and let rise in warm oven for 2 hours

9) when dough has risen, punch it down and divide it up into 10-12 pieces and roll into balls and place on cutting board, counter or other smooth, clean surface

10) WHILE YOU ARE MAKING THE DOUGH BALLS, put your baking stone(s) in the oven and heat up to 500* (F)

11) cover dough balls with a clean kitchen towel and leave them for 30 minutes

12) with your rolling pin, roll EACH dough ball out to about the size of a small tortilla

13) carefully place the dough onto the baking stone ~ you can get 3 . . . maybe 4 . . . on a large stone 

***IF you want to sprinkle a little garlic or herbs on your flatbread, now is the time to do it

14) bake for 3-5 minutes ~ watch them ~ they will bubble-up :-) 

15) when you remove them, stack them on a plate on top of each other so that they flatten out; spread just a little butter on each side

16) ENJOY!

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#107~ In the Beginning . . . of Wisdom

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." ~Genesis 1:1 [emphasis, mine]

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." ~Proverbs 1:7

"How long will you simple ones love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?" ~Proverbs 1:22 

Last night was a much-anticipated debate between two different worlds: Believers in God and the truth of His Word (John 17:17) and those who are lost and do not believe. That main participants: Ken Ham and Bill Nye. Both very out-spoken in their fields. 

My simple observations are that ~ 1) Ken Ham was simply great; very competent, assured and calm. 2) Bill Nye made some decent points, but he was very brusk and often tried to keep Ken on the defensive by saying, "when you speak again, I would like for you to address . . . " or ". . . I would like for you to talk about . . . " 3) What a difference between the countenance, demeanor and delivery between someone who is being prayed for, who is confident in God's eternal truths and that of one who is not. 

Shortly after the debate, my Facebook friend, Pat, said it so well:

"Mr. Ken Ham ~ The BEST last words that a person can give on such a large stage of the public to hear! Thank you, for standing strong and speaking clearly, with truth and Great Assurance of what you believe! Great job for His glory tonight! . . . "Man must seek God and want God before God will give you understanding . . ." Might explain why Bill Nye has no understanding!"

"Come near to God and He will come near to you . . ." ~James 4:8(a)

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><