What Seth has to say

One of my most favorite bloggers is Seth Godin, author, blogger, speaker, and founder of Squidoo.

Seth's daily posts are typically short & sweet, timely AND amazingly thought-provoking.

I encourage you to check his work out and see if you might appreciate subscribing to his blog as well.

The main link to Seth's blog.


Today's post outlines eight things we can learn from the iconic and recently deceased Jack LaLanne, may he enjoy a blissful rest!

Kitchen Remedies

EDIT 10.09.12: As a strong medicinal herb, comfrey has been the subject of much recent controversy, centered on its actions on the liver. James Green, author of The Herbal Medicine Makers Handbook, suggests that comfrey root not be taken internally by young children, pregnant women, or people with manifest liver disease. While comfrey has a long history of being helpful with coughs, I am no longer including comfrey root in my cough syrup preparations. I encourage you to conduct your own research on this issue.



Coping with a cold or sinus infection on top of multiple food allergies can be a real challenge - most children's cough syrups we've encountered contain at least one of Archer's allergens/intolerances (usually corn syrup and/or red food coloring). And stuff that comes in capsule or pill form frequently contains corn starch (often listed as "modified food starch") as a filler. Commercial cough syrups without corn syrup can be very helpful in the short-term, but at $8-10 per 10 oz. bottle, if you need to take cough syrup for more than a day or two, it can get pricey.


Following are a few simple recipes that we have used for years to feel better fast. The recipes for Tess' Garlic Syrup & Tess' Cough Syrup both came from my dear friend Tess Fox, who shared them with me. Tess is not only trained in reflexology, herbalism, and energy work, she's also an accomplished bellydancer, who leads and teaches Troupe O-Wa here in Olympia.

Disclaimer: this information is not intended to diagnose or treat any illness, and you are STRONGLY encouraged to rely on the advice of your personal medical professional.

You are ALSO STRONGLY encouraged to use your best judgement and common sense. Essential oils and herbs can be quite effective, however you should NOT deviate from the recipe measurements given OR the dosage of a particular remedy. (e.g. don't "double" or "triple" the measurement or dose of something, just because it's made with herbs or essential oils - I encourage you to approach these remedies with the same amount of diligent caution as you would any conventional cold remedy.)

Raw, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar, a tablespoon in a cup of water, 2-3 times a day, is a terrific immune system booster anytime you're feeling like you're starting to pick up a bug. It's so diluted in the water that it's not really that bad to chug down.

I make a blend of essential oils for sinus infections; we've been using this blend for a few years now, and I find it's much more effective for treating these buggers than antibiotics. The essential oils have antibiotic/antiviral properties and work really well. I put this blend together based on information from the Complete Book of Essential Oils and Aromatherapy by Valerie Worwood.

Here's the recipe:
9 parts tea tree essential oil
9 parts lavender essential oil
6 parts eucalyptus essential oil
6 parts peppermint essential oil
15 parts rose geranium essential oil

I use disposable pipettes to measure the essential oils, using a different pipette for each essential oil. I usually measure in milliliters; a 2 ounce bottle is plenty big to hold a batch of this blend, as measured in mls. Make sure the bottle is colored glass - essential oils are light-sensitive. If the bottle does not have a dropper lid, an orifice-reducer is very helpful when it comes to dispensing the blend, one drop at a time.

To use: Use no more than 3 drops in a bowl of steaming water for one minute (I usually count 10 inhalations). Cover your head with a towel to keep the steam on your face. Steam your head 2-4 times a day. You do not want to overdose on this stuff - it'll do a serious number on your sinuses.

Make sure your e.o.'s are from a reputable source. My favorite supplier of essential oils is Essential Oil University, but I also like to order from Liberty Natural. EDIT: 3.5.13: Alas! Essential Oil University is no longer - my new favorite supplier of essential oils is Eden Botanicals.

Tess' cough syrup: (herbs are dried, not powdered)

1 ounce marshmallow root

1 ounce comfrey root (EDIT 10.09.12 - see notes at top of post)

1 ounce thyme

1/2 ounce licorice

1/4 ounce cinnamon bark

1/2 ounce hops

1/2 ounce catnip

1/6 ounce dried ginger

Put all ingredients into glass or enamel pot. Top with one quart of distilled water. Simmer down to one pint (reduce by 1/2). You can measure the depth with a chopstick. (Of course, you have to remember to do this when you first put it on the stove, LOL) Strain liquid and put liquid into a pan. Add 2 pounds of honey and simmer for five minutes. If scum forms, skim scum off surface.

Store in glass jar in the refrigerator. Take one tablespoon every 2-3 hours.

Tess’ garlic syrup – good for sore throat, cough, heart, high blood pressure, nervous disorders, colds, viral things

wide-mouth gallon jar

1 lb. peeled minced garlic
1 quart apple cider vinegar

1 quart distilled water

--

1 cup vegetable glycerine

1 cup honey

Combine garlic, apple cider vinegar and distilled water in wide-mouth gallon jar. Cover and let stand in warm place for 4-7 days – shake a few times each day. At the end of that time, add one cup of glycerine and let it stand for another day. Strain and filter mixture through a muslin or linen cloth, giving a good squeeze. Add one cup of honey, stir until thoroughly mixed – store in cool cupboard, not fridge. Shake well before dispensing. Take 1 tbsp. 3 x daily with/after meals.

My mom shared the following recipe with me, as the majority of commercial electrolyte drinks contain ingredients that Archer can’t ingest.

Citrus Sports Drink (electrolyte drink)

1/3 cup granulated sugar

½ tsp. salt

½ cup boiling water

½ cup fresh orange juice, preferably pulp-free

¼ cup fresh lemon juice

7 cups cold water, preferably filtered

1. In a glass pitcher or jug, combine sugar and salt. Pour in boiling water; stir to dissolve sugar and salt.
2. Add orange juice, lemon juice, and cold water; stir to mix. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 week. Stir before serving. Makes 8 (one-cup) servings.

For a lime version, omit orange juice, increase lemon juice by 2 tablespoons, and add 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice.

Chris’ edits:

I used a combination of lemon, lime, and tangerine juices – figuring ¾ cup of citrus juice per recipe. I juiced everything I had, and wound up with about 6 cups of juice. This is enough to make 8 batches of the drink. I’m going to mix the sugar, salt, boiling water, and juice, then divide it into canning jars and freeze it, one batch of concentrate per jar. Then all I need to do is take a jar out of the freezer, add 7 cups of cold water, and viola! electrolyte drink. Here are the measurements if you want to do the same:

2-2/3 cups granulated sugar

4 tsp. salt

4 cups boiling water

6 cups citrus juice

Combine per above directions, omitting the 7 cups of water. Divide evenly among 8 freezer jars, and freeze.

Lemon Bars! (yes, no wheat, no corn, ALL good!)

Now that you've made up a batch of Four Flour Bean Mix and a batch of corn-free baking powder, you're all set to make Lemon Bars. Enjoy!

Lemon Squares, from Better Homes & Gardens New Cookbook [Recipe doubled. CH]

12 tablespoons butter or margarine

½ teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups of Four Flour Bean Mix plus 1-1/2 teaspoons guar gum

4 eggs

1-1/2 cups sugar

4 tablespoons Four Flour Bean Mix

½ teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel

6 tablespoons lemon juice

½ teaspoon baking powder

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9” x 13” baking pan.
2. Beat butter for 30 seconds; add the ½ cup sugar and the ½ teaspoon salt, beating till fluffy. Stir in the 2 cups of flour. Pat dough onto bottom of pan. Bake in a 350° oven for 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, beat eggs; add remaining 1-1/2 cups sugar, 4 tablespoons flour, lemon peel, lemon juice, and baking powder. Beat 3 minutes or till slightly thickened. Pour over baked layer.
4. Bake in a 350° oven 25 to 30 minutes longer or till light golden brown around edges and center is set. Cool. Cut into squares. Makes 32.

Wheat- & Corn-Free Pancakes!!!

3.15.11 EDIT: Added picture of pancakes, cooking up on the griddle. Yep. They were delicious!

Happy Saturday!

No, I didn't forget. I'm finishing up those mixed media paper art charms - they are thisclosetodone - just need to seal them, then I'll post pics and how-to's as fast as I can.

In the meantime, I'll keep posting my favorite wheat- and corn-free recipes.

Following is the BEST recipe for wheat- and corn-free pancakes I've found - from Special Diet Celebrations, by Carol Fenster. (I found Special Diet Celebrations at our local library - when I checked on Amazon for the book just now, it appears that the second edition has been renamed Gluten-Free Celebrations: Memorable Meals without Wheat - and couldn't find the book under either title on Carol's main website, though she has a number of other books on gluten-free cooking.)

GF BEST Pancakes

• 4 large eggs
• 2 cups plain or vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup garfava flour
• ½ cup potato starch
• ½ cup tapioca flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 4 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp salt
• 4 tsp vanilla (omit this if you’re using vanilla yogurt)
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

Whisk egg and yogurt in bowl. Add remaining ingredients and blend, just until mixed. Cook over medium heat.

* You can also replace the garfava flour, potato starch & tapioca flour with 2 cups of the Four Flour Bean Mix.

Pizza Crust recipe (wheat/corn/gluten-free)

Today's post will enable you to make PIZZA without wheat or corn! Both of the following recipes are from Bette Hagman's book, The Gluten-free Gourmet Bakes Bread. The first recipe is for French Bread/Pizza Mix; once you have this mixed up, it's a snap to prepare delicious pizza at home. As always, I've made a few modifications to the recipes to suit our family's needs as follows:

• use guar gum in place of xanthan gum (xanthan gum is produced using corn products, not OK for us)
• omit egg replacer in dry mix, substitute with an extra egg in the wet ingredients

French Bread/Pizza Mix, p. 190, The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread, Bette Hagman

makes 12 cups of mix

• 7 cups white rice flour
• 5 cups tapioca flour
• ¼ cup guar gum (I found the best price on this at Barry Farms)
• 1 ounce unflavored gelatin (I buy gelatin in big cans at Cash & Carry, you can also use 4 7-gram packets)
• ¼ cup egg replacer (you can delete this ingredient and add an extra egg per single crust to the wet ingredients)
• ½ cup sugar

Stir together well or place in a plastic bag and tumble. (I use a plastic 1 gallon juice container.) Store on your pantry shelf, no need to refrigerate.

Seasoned Pizza Crust, p. 191, The Gluten-Free Gourmet Bakes Bread, Bette Hagman

To freeze for later use, bake for the first 10 minutes, coo, then wrap and freeze. To use, thaw completely, then top and bake.

CH Note: We use stoneware pizza pans for the best results – otherwise, the crust turns out soggy and limp. I got our stoneware from The Pampered Chef.

For 1 crust:

Dry Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups French Bread/Pizza M
• 3 tbsp. dry milk powder
• ¾ tsp. Italian seasoning
• ½ tsp. salt
• 2-1/2 tsp. dry yeast granules

Wet Ingredients

• 1 egg (2 eggs if you omitted the egg replacer in the dry mix)
• 1-1/2 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
• ½ tsp. apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup + 1 tbsp. warm water

Preheat oven to 400°F (375°F if using stoneware pan). Lightly grease baking sheet.

Blend dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Place wet ingredients in bowl of heavy-duty mixer and blend. Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mix. Beat on high for 3-1/2 minutes.

Spoon dough onto prepared pan, and spread to within ½ inch of pan edges. Dough is really sticky and will be a challenge to work with initially.

Let crust rise about 10 minutes, then bake for 10-15 minutes while you prepare pizza toppings. Top crust with sauce, cheese, and additional toppings. Bake again for about 25 minutes. Lift crust with a spatula to see if it’s golden and done.