Wormwood ~ Useful Bitter Herb

How many times have any of us come home from a great vacation, only to come home and be a little bloated and "draggie" from all the vacation foods we ate that are not normally in our diets? ESPECIALLY, if we went to a seaside area and enjoyed local seafood. 

Or do you eat a lot of sushi or under-cooked meat and have a bloat and maybe some gas that just won't go away?

Chances are that while enjoying the local seaside cuisine or under-cooked meat, you have unintentionally brought home a little "friend." 

For those of us who are normally land locked, eating sea food that is not from our geographical area or eating the raw fish in sushi or for those who do not properly cook through their meats, worms and parasites may have crept their way into your diet. 

Yes, sad but true. Eww.

But . . . there is a very easy way to rid yourself of those little "friends." A truly bitter herb called Wormwood.

The true bitterness of this herb is part of what helps to rid those varmints from our bodies. As with all bitter herbs, it stimulates the stomach, liver and gallbladder, making it an excellent parasitic and worm cleanse.

Even though Wormwood is best known as a parasitic cleanse, it also has other benefits . . . 

As mentioned, it stimulates the digestive juices in the digestive tract, stimulating bile to help with bloating, gas, reflux and other digestive issues. It is also known to ease stomach pain, help with anemia, ease a fever and is a mild antidepressant.

 From my own home apothacary

Wormwood may be used in several ways ~ blended with other bitter herbs in an infusion (a strongly brewed "tea" made from the leaves, made to sipped on throughout the day), a tincture (a liquid, medicinal herb or herb blend; very easy to make, just time consuming), a capsule or your own tea. When using as a tea or infusion DO NOT SWEETEN, the bitterness is part of the cure, and only take on a daily basis for 2-4 weeks at a time.

So, the next time you bring home a little uninvited "friend" from vacation or restaurant meal, remember that you can easily evict them with the bitter herb, Wormwood.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

**See obligatory disclaimer at bottom of blog**

**Please consider fully cooking your meat. As my husband has been known to say to rude waiters who turned their noses up at our request for "well done" meat: "I grew up on a cattle and hog farm, if you knew what they ate, you'd want yours well done, too."

Sometimes You Wish . . .

"Sometimes, you wish they could come back for just one more conversation, one more laugh, one more hug, one more memory." ~Kim Wolf

 Clockwise ~ Bigmom, Daddy, Mother, Grandpa C.

 Our darling Jessica

Sometimes, you just miss people.

Don't you?

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<>< 

Making Heap Big Medicine

I know I usually write about my medicinal teas, but I also like to make capsules for our family. 

THE Man was fighting off a virus-bug that is going around his office, so I needed to make some more goldenseal capsules and while I was at it, I made some more ashwagandha capsules. 

Just as an FYI, I like to use size 0 capsules which are generally 350-500 mg per capsule. You can get empty capsules at most health food markets.

Making your own medicine is easy-peasy. Make it ahead of time so that you always have it on hand.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

*Please see the obligatory disclaimer at the bottom of the page*

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#155~ Treasure

"Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written." ~John 21:25

I am a pushover for a good book. Oh, my goodness, how I can get sucked right into a captivating plot line or even researching something that I am passionate about.

It's hard to put the book down when your main character is accused of a wrong that they didn't do and are coming perilously close to being caught by the bad guys . . . 

Or a courtship or a suitor pursuing his love . . . 

Or some sort of miraculous escape from what looked like certain death . . . 

Or the return of the Hero to save the day!

Do you realize that ALL of that happens in the Bible?

The Bible is NOT some somber book. It's not just FULL of knowledge and truth, but it's FULL of adventure . . . and they are ALL TRUE!

Proverbs is a book of wisdom and godly knowledge.

Are you excited by stories of adventure?  Read about Moses and the Children of Israel and their dealings with Pharaoh. How God confounded Pharaoh and miraculously saved the Israelites. (~Exodus 2-14)

Do you think that there is no romance in the Bible? You obviously have never read the Song of Solomon. Not only is this a love story of a human level, but it parallels God's great wooing and love for us ~ The Bride of Christ. 

Do great escapes and miraculous interventions pique your interest? Be sure to read about how an angel of the Lord miraculously rescued Peter from prison. (~Acts 12:1-19)

And there's nothing like the return of a long-awaited defeat of a great enemy with the return of a great King to His kingdom. If that is what you are looking for, then be sure to read the last 4 chapters of Revelation. The ULTIMATE Return of the King! (~Rev. 18-22)

But the very best part of all of these stories in the Bible is that THEY ARE ALL TRUE . . . OR WILL BE.

If you do not read your Bible regularly, or if you have never read it, try it. You have been given a great gift ~ a treasure ~ the Word of God ~ a Book written in your own language that tells you things that THE ONE TRUE GOD wants YOU to know. He will use this precious Book to help you to get to know Him, to draw you closer to Himself, to show you His love for you and the sacrifice He has made so that YOU may spend eternity with Him.

He loves you. You are His treasure. 

Don't believe me? Read it for yourself.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Yes . . . I'm Still Around~

Hello dear readers ~

I just wanted to let you know that I am still around and will be back to blogging in the VERY NEAR future. Thank you, for your concern over my absence. Sure makes a girl feel good. <3 b="">

THE Man has been doing some things from home and has needed the computer during the day, and his projects are of greater importance than mine, at the moment.

Hope to get back to blogging SOON! Until then, please read some of my older posts and visit me on Facebook.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Men's Health Tea

I am married to the most wonderful, godly man. That's why I refer to him as "THE Man". . . because to me . . . well . . . he is. We will soon be married 31 years! WOW. Where did the time go?!

I try very hard to take care of him. He does deal with some issues as a result of a car accident he was involved in about 7 years ago. And . . . as with so many men . . . they turn into 8 year old boys when it comes to taking something for their own good ;-) ~ whether a supplement, a pain killer or sometimes even eating foods that are good for them.


But something that I recently mixed up is definitely a hit with THE Man, and that's my Men's Health Tea. 


He enjoys using my medicinal tea blends and I think it's because they don't seem like medicine, they taste like they are something good for you. When it's high allergy/sinus times, he asks for and enjoys my sinus tea blend. When he can't sleep, he asks for my sleep tea. When his back aches, he likes a blend that takes away the pain. And when certain "manly" issues began, he asked me if I thought I could "mix me up" a tea that would help?

Why, OF COURSE I CAN! :-D 

So, as I do so often, I started looking through my herbs, did some research and put together my own special blend. And THE Man REALLY likes it. He drinks at least one mug full and many times, two a day.

It's simple, it's easy, it's tasty and all you need to do is put these ingredients together in a glass jar to keep them fresh and you will have it whenever you need it. 

You Will Need:

**This recipe makes a large batch so that it's already mixed for future uses**

~~large 3-fingered pinches of . . . 

~saw palmetto berries ~ one of the most well known, and highly effective herbs for the prostate
~white willow bark ~ an effective pain killer that has been used for years, especially for headaches and joint pain
~nettle leaves ~ an anti-inflammatory that is one of the best herbal sinus relievers, opens up the breathing passages
~whole cloves ~ pain reliever, calming, warming and is just plain yummy in a relaxing mug of tea
~skullcap ~ a calmative and aids in relaxing, pain relief and even hysterics
~dried orange peel ~ a good dose of vitamin C for keeping his immunities built up
~holy basil ~ one of the best adaptogen herbs; calms, relaxes, and is wonderful for the adrenal glands for stress relief
~hyssop ~ wonderful healing, tonic herb; helps with joint pain, inflammation, muscle spasms, wrinkles, blood flow
~whisk
~small bowl
~glass jar with air-tight lid
~tea ball or infuser

Directions:

1) put the large 3-fingered pinches (or more) of each herb into the bowl
2) whisk the ingredients together until they are well blended but not so much that they turn to powder
3) carefully pour the herbs into the glass jar and keep in a cool, dry place

To Use:

~fill tea ball or infuser with 1 ts. of the mix per cup OR 1-1/2 ts per mug
~heat water to boiling
~put filled tea ball or infuser into a mug and pour hot water over the herbs
~let steep for at least 10 minutes
~add honey if desired
~enjoy

**NOTE** to make this a nice, soothing night time version, add a small pinch of Valerian root to an individual serving.

Let me know how your man likes this tasty, helpful blend.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

How Does My Garden Grow? . . . .

. . . Let me show you . . . 

This year, I didn't plant any veggies. With my busy schedule and because varmints got into my cucumbers, zucchini and squash the last two years, nope . . . didn't even plant tomatoes. I went the easy route and just planted herbs and some wild flowers. I'm still happy with what I have.

I have echinacea and lavender . . . 

echinacea, rosemary, sage, basil and English Daisies . . . 

I love my sage bush, it's now about 5 years old and when it blooms it's full of gorgeous purple flowers.

This year, I went with simply seeding the front bed with two large packages of assorted wild flowers and I couldn't be happier with how pretty and happy-looking they are.

I still have chamomile, dill, cilantro and oregano on my kitchen window sill. I'm debating whether to take them outside in planters.

Special kudos to our friend, Chet, who did all the preparing and weeding for me, this year, to make it look so good and to my DD#2 who often helps me keep it looking so nice and healthy.

What did you plant this year?

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<>< 

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#154~ Precious in the Sight of the Lord

Precious in the sight of the LORD

is the death of His saints.

O LORD, truly I am your servant;

I am your servant, the son [daughter] of Your 

maidservant;

You have freed me from my

chains."

~Psalm 116:11

". . . All the days ordained for me 

were written in Your book

before one of them came to be."

~Psalm 139:16

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." ~Rev. 21:4 

It seems that the last couple of months has seen much loss and many setbacks for our loved ones . . . 

 Safely Home

Ron DiCianni

A few weeks ago, a long-time friend passed away from a rare lung cancer. She had never smoked and was very self-aware about her body. It was simply amazing how it all crept up on her. She was diagnosed on April 7th and passed on June 7th. Her family is still reeling from the swiftness of it all, although they find much comfort that she is with the Lord.

  ~ Terri ~
such a sweet soul

Last week, a very dear friend lost her earthly battle with breast cancer and is now dancing through heaven. Her 5 girls and our 2 girls grew up together in our local homeschool community and played on our homeschool volleyball team. How much fun I had serving with and enjoying this sweet soul over the years ~ the daughter of missionaries, she grew up all over the world, spoke 8 languages with no accent and I OFTEN told her that I could sit and talk with her for hours at a time. Truly, one of the most interesting and entertaining people I've ever met. I will miss her smile and chuckle as she would shake her head at me and say, "You're so funny" or "You're a nut." lol. 

Two nights ago, a dear aunt lost her husband as he came to the end of a long, courageous fight with cancer. Sadly, he is the 2nd husband that she has had to bury. 

A few months ago, another dear aunt lost one of our family's favorite uncles. She is strong and courageous and even though she will surely waves of heartbreak, she too is rejoicing that he wonderful husband is with the Lord.

And on July 7th, a dear great-nephew of ours was in an ATV accident while on vacation with his dad and uncle (our nephews), 2 of his brothers (one who plays football at West Point) and a couple of friends. While he was driving, the road gave out from under them and he, one of this brothers and their friends went over a cliff!!! This nephew was the only one seriously hurt, he broke his back and partially severed his spinal chord. He cannot feel his entire left leg or his right leg from the knee down. He was about to start his Freshman year playing football at a KY college. He is now in a spinal injury facility in GA. Please keep him in your prayers.

Yes, this is a fallen ol' world, BUT . . . GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE! And He has a reason for all of this and it will all work out for His glory. No matter what we go through, or whether ~ in our opinion ~ we lose loved ones to an "untimely death," all of our days are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. NONE of these things are a surprise to God. He IS good and He sustains us through it all. Unless the Lord comes back soon, none of us are getting out of this alive. Why are we so stunned when He takes us home? I suppose it's the price we pay for love.

So . . . as we are not promised tomorrow, love each other today, preach the gospel with your life and rejoice when heaven gains one of our loved ones. 

Someday, someone will be rejoicing at our homecoming, as well.

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." ~Phil. 1:21

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Homemade Healthy Tonic Tea

Well, here we are, the middle of July and already I am hearing early sounds of fall ~ the cicadas are already "calling" fall to the area, just as doves (a.k.a. rain crows) call when rain is coming. So, does that mean that we will have an early fall? Mmmmm . . . we can only hope. Only the Lord knows for sure, but as much as I love fall, I wouldn't mind.

And as fall has it's own charm ~ abundant color, the smell of leaves burning, crisp cool air that charms us outside for a walk after donning our favorite sweater; or curl up with a cup of tea and your favorite comforter for cozy night by the fire.

Fall is also a time when we need to make sure that our immune system is boosted and working at it's peak.

Government school and private school kids will be going back into the classroom and breathing in a host of new germs; homeschool kids will be rejoining their clubs, gym classes, sports, dance and other group activities where they will, also, be greeted by others' germs. And if your family's immune system isn't built up, germs will be passed around to each other like a supper plate. 

Almost daily, I enjoy my favorite Wellness Tea blend, but from time-to-time ~ especially if a family member has a cold or if I start to feel some little tickle that could be the precursor of something coming ~ I boost my medicinal tea up a notch and mack my Tonic Tea.

You Will Need:

For a large batch ~
~1 TB. freshly grated ginger root
~1/2 ts. cinnamon
large 3-fingered pinches of . . . 
~lemongrass
~astragalus root
~licorice root
~echinacea leaf OR root (I prefer the root)
~lemon essential oil
~1 large tea ball OR 2-3 small tea balls
~tea pots ~ 1 for boiling water, one for steeping ~ OR 1 medium pot

Directions:

1) fill a tea pot or medium cooking pot with water
2) fill a tea ball(s) with first SIX ingredients
3) bring water to boil 
    ***if you are using the tea pots, once water comes to a boil, place tea ball into pot and pour water into pot...
    ***if you are using a pot, place tea ball into pot of water and let come to boil...
4) once water boils, remove from heat ~ steep for at least 15 minutes, more if you want it stronger
5) then remove tea ball and discard used herbs
6) add 3-6 drops of lemon essential oil to the tea and stir a little to blend
7) fill your tea cup or mug
8) add local honey to taste, if desired
9) settle down, get comfy and drink in that tasty immune-building tea . . . ahhhhh . . .

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#153~ Men After God's Own Heart

"....The LORD has sought out a man after His own heart..." ~Samuel 13:14

These last few days, my prayers keep returning to those godly men ~ young dads, middle-aged dads, grandpas ~ who ARE STRIVING to actually BE godly men in this fallen world; even if they have to fight an ungodly system or culture to do it. So many obstacles in the way of our men.

MEN . . . 

PLEASE KNOW that we are praying for YOU. 

According to some of my seminary notes, the way it's worded in the Greek, the "great cloud of witnesses" standing and applauding you! So, your families are not only praying for you, but we are standing and applauding YOU along with that great cloud of witnesses! We are praying for YOUR endurance and for YOU to succeed with your family!

Ladies, let us love, respect and help our men.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Mullein ~ Useful for All Ages

So often, we use only certain parts of an herb. A whole, beautiful plant may have to be harvested simply for the root, or leaves or flower. However, there are some plants that have value in every part. One of those is Mullein.

Mullein is most commonly known from being used in earache drops, and well it should be as there is hardly anything better! But it is a plant full of healing properties.

The leaves and beautiful, long, yellow flowers are wonderful in a poultice or salve for nearly any and every skin irritation ~ rashes, insects bites, minor cuts ~ AND even for respiratory tract infections and congestion.

You can also use the leaves and flowers in a tea, or infusion, for any bronchial distress ~ colds with deep chesty coughs, bronchitis and asthma ~ best used with local honey. 

Mullein tea, or a syrup made by mixing the tea with honey, can also give some relief to constipation.

In the above mentioned earache remedy, SOME people say to use only the flowers, many use the dried leaves. You may want to try both and see what works best for you. However, unless you grow your own, the dried leaves are more readily available from suppliers. This same oil can be used for far more than earaches, though. You can use the oil in any of your homemade creams, salves, balms and it can be used on insect bites, oozing sores (covered with a bandage), treats bruises and pain similar to Arnica and can be a great relief for hemmorrhoids. 

Another use for the oil? Beard oil! It shines, de-tangles and aids in growth.

You will need:

~1/3 c. freshly chopped OR 1/2 c. dried mullein leaves OR (for stronger medicinal oil) 1/3 c. dried mullein flowers OR 1/2 c. dried leaves
~2 c. olive oil
~1 large garlic clove (NOT FOR THE BEARD OIL!!!)
~small or medium pot
~mesh strainer 
~glass measuring cup with pour spout
~small funnel
~amber dropper bottles

Directions:

1) Put all ingredients into the pot
2) Start warming on medium heat JUST LONG ENOUGH to tell that it's starting to warm nicely, THEN lower heat to medium-low to low and simmer for 1 hour for beard oil OR 1-1/2 hours for stronger medicinal oil
3) Let cool for about 1/2 hour
4) Strain into a pourable measuring cup
5) using the small funnel, carefully pour into your dropper bottles
6) be sure to date your bottles, this should last around 5-6 months

To Use Medicinal Oil:

~For earache: tilt head with aching ear facing up, carefully drop 2 drops in affected ear, put a SMALL piece of cotton in ear, keep head tilted for 3-5 minutes to allow oil to flow into ear.
~For boo-boos: drop 2-3 drops onto a cottom ball or directly onto the sore, GENTLY tap to apply.
 
For beard oil: 

~drop 2-3 drops into palm, rub hands together, and rub throughout the beard.

What a wonderful, useful herb.

Have you used mullein? Tell us how.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><

Word-Filled Wednesday ~#152~ God ~ Color Coordinator Extraordinaire

"And God said, 'This is the sign of the covenant I am making between Me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set My rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth." ~Gen. 9:12-13

If you have read this Marmee's Pantry blog long enough, or maybe searched through some older entries, you may know that I modeled from the time I was 9 years old until I was 25 and was also a make-up artist for 17 years. So, even though I've technically been out of "the business" for years, I still love to play with new colors and now make some of my own make-up.

So, since the make-up and fashion world involves so much color, it's sometimes hard for me not to notice certain color combinations and how they just naturally go together . . . or . . . don't. :-/ lol

And if you will pay close attention, you will notice that God ~ as ALWAYS ~ is THE Color Coordinator Extraordinaire. His natural combinations are the ones that catch our eye and are often copied in color palettes. 

If you have seen The Devil Wears Prada, you've gotten a small, but true, glimpse at how self-important high fashion icons think that they are in world events. Amazing, but true. But these people, in their tight little high fashion worlds, do not realize that all they can do is merely imitate the Master Designer ~ God has already put all of those incredible fashion colors together . . .  

The bright and cheery yellow and black of bees and black-eyed Susans~

The striking red and black of a Scarlet Tanager~

The sweet, restful greens and pastels of Spring wildflowers~

The bold blacks and browns of a Bay horse~

The happy combination of a blue sky dotted with white clouds~

And who isn't made a little happier by a bouquet of white and yellow daisies?~

And even our favorite seasons have their own color pallets ~ the bold, crisp natural tartans of fall ~

And the merry reds and greens of winter and the Christmas season ~ 

And lest we forget, God's ultimate color palette, the rainbow ~ the source of every color imaginable encompassed as the sign of His great promise. (Gen. 9:12-13)

Oh, don't we think we're so smart?

God is so good to give us such beauty. Enjoy it.

Blessings from Ohio . . . Kim<><