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Saturday, March 7, 2009
On Mission To Back To Basic~Essential Oils
This Central New York old fashioned winter has become never ending of day in day out GRAY!
There was this comic on Comedy Central a few years ago who performed a skit about his recent visit to Central New York. I can't remember his name but he nailed it and had me rolling in laughter. He described New York in the many different shades of gray he never knew existed and ended the skit yelling,"And just when you think the sky can't get any grayer....you think it might be a great idea to slit your wrists just to see some color!"
I would never let winter render me suicidal but it can make you stir crazy and blue!
While at St. Elizabeths during which my father was getting his pace maker tweaked. My mom and I discovered there was a book sale down near the cafeteria. So down we went to pass some time. There were many great books and at great prices. Mom bought me a copy of the Readers Digest The Complete Illustrated Book of Herbs. Like I need another herb book. I've got so many from my college days at Morrisville. It's a lovely book and only cost fifteen dollars so she snapped it up for me. It made the wait in the hospital wait go quicker reading and renewing my knowledge of plant materials.
In Mr. Soucy's plant material class we had to identify 10 different trees and shrubs every week. Both the common name and the botanical name. I was pretty good in that class and packed my brain each week with all this information. Sadly because I don't work in the field. I've lost most of it. So another mission of mine is too re-learn my plant materials, annual and perennial.
Anyway back to my new book. There are some really good recipes for natural beauty. For skin care, hair care, foot care, facials, pregnancy and mental I'm mean meno-pause. Also in this book are recipes for homemade gifts, green cleaning around the house and a ton more. GET THE BOOK If you see it. Its a keeper.
So I've been interested in the essential oils. I love going to the health food stores and smelling from these little power house jars filled with these kinda like sacred oils. But you really need to know what you are doing with them.
An Essential Oil Starter Kit suggests starting with these different oils:
Geranium And I quote,Astringent and refreshing, this oil has a balancing effect on the skin, making it a great choice for homemade massage oils and footbath. Invaluable for the female reproductive health. I helps overcome irritability and bloating caused by premenstrual syndrome.
Lavender:Helpful for cramps headaches nervous disorders and insomnia. Healing and antiseptic, this oil helps heal burns and other skin disorders, and prevents scarring. It's also a great insect repellent.
Peppermint: Stimulating, digestive and anti-inflammatory. Use in an inhalation to relieve nausea and respiratory problems or in a bath to soothe muscle aches.
Rosemary: For mental fatigue headaches, colds and flu.
Tea-Tree: Renowned as an anti-fungal and antiseptic, this oil can be used for clearing yeast infections, athletes foot and acne, and also as for firtst aid for minor wounds.
Tips To Know:
*Do not take essential oils internally. Except for lavender oil, they should not be applied nest to the skin.
*Pregnant and breastfeeding woman should avoid essential oils, unless on the advice of a qualified aromatherapist.
*Certain essential oils such as bitter orange and grapefruit can cause skin photosensitivity.
*Some oils such as lemongrass can also irritate sensitive skin.
There was this comic on Comedy Central a few years ago who performed a skit about his recent visit to Central New York. I can't remember his name but he nailed it and had me rolling in laughter. He described New York in the many different shades of gray he never knew existed and ended the skit yelling,"And just when you think the sky can't get any grayer....you think it might be a great idea to slit your wrists just to see some color!"
I would never let winter render me suicidal but it can make you stir crazy and blue!
While at St. Elizabeths during which my father was getting his pace maker tweaked. My mom and I discovered there was a book sale down near the cafeteria. So down we went to pass some time. There were many great books and at great prices. Mom bought me a copy of the Readers Digest The Complete Illustrated Book of Herbs. Like I need another herb book. I've got so many from my college days at Morrisville. It's a lovely book and only cost fifteen dollars so she snapped it up for me. It made the wait in the hospital wait go quicker reading and renewing my knowledge of plant materials.
In Mr. Soucy's plant material class we had to identify 10 different trees and shrubs every week. Both the common name and the botanical name. I was pretty good in that class and packed my brain each week with all this information. Sadly because I don't work in the field. I've lost most of it. So another mission of mine is too re-learn my plant materials, annual and perennial.
Anyway back to my new book. There are some really good recipes for natural beauty. For skin care, hair care, foot care, facials, pregnancy and mental I'm mean meno-pause. Also in this book are recipes for homemade gifts, green cleaning around the house and a ton more. GET THE BOOK If you see it. Its a keeper.
So I've been interested in the essential oils. I love going to the health food stores and smelling from these little power house jars filled with these kinda like sacred oils. But you really need to know what you are doing with them.
An Essential Oil Starter Kit suggests starting with these different oils:
Geranium And I quote,Astringent and refreshing, this oil has a balancing effect on the skin, making it a great choice for homemade massage oils and footbath. Invaluable for the female reproductive health. I helps overcome irritability and bloating caused by premenstrual syndrome.
Lavender:Helpful for cramps headaches nervous disorders and insomnia. Healing and antiseptic, this oil helps heal burns and other skin disorders, and prevents scarring. It's also a great insect repellent.
Peppermint: Stimulating, digestive and anti-inflammatory. Use in an inhalation to relieve nausea and respiratory problems or in a bath to soothe muscle aches.
Rosemary: For mental fatigue headaches, colds and flu.
Tea-Tree: Renowned as an anti-fungal and antiseptic, this oil can be used for clearing yeast infections, athletes foot and acne, and also as for firtst aid for minor wounds.
Tips To Know:
*Do not take essential oils internally. Except for lavender oil, they should not be applied nest to the skin.
*Pregnant and breastfeeding woman should avoid essential oils, unless on the advice of a qualified aromatherapist.
*Certain essential oils such as bitter orange and grapefruit can cause skin photosensitivity.
*Some oils such as lemongrass can also irritate sensitive skin.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Antioxidate! Cheap! And Sun Dried Tomatoes Except In The Oven.
Ok...back to normal. Holidays be gone!
LIving in a quaint little college town is wonderful. But there are advantages and disadvantages as there is every where.
Advantages are getting out of the house for a glass of wine with a friend at a local bar and having the Swinging Gates from Colgate pop in for a spur of the moment practice. Darn. No camera on hand for that. But there they stood in a half moon circle in Nichols and Beal one snowy cold night. 12 of more lovely young beautiful girls most of them dressed to the nines in perfect acappella harmony. Another adavantage is being able to go to Colgate for art shows and music concerts which are only 7 miles down the road. I don't have to drive 5 hours to New York City to get a little culture. Hamilton has a fine mix of culture right here.
One disadvantage though is grocery shopping! I popped in to the local Grand Union for jar of sun roasted tomatoes and they wanted $6.99 for a four ounce jar! There probably wasn't one tomato in the jar! Who ever prices these products should be arrested! So I bought my own vine ripened tomatoes and slow roasted them in the oven. Just slice the tomatoes. Toss them in extra virgin olive oil. Salt and Pepper them and put them in the oven at 200 degrees for 4 hours.
Homework lesson for this summer's tomatoes is to sun dry my own. I'm also gonna look into buying a Food Dehydrator.
Another expensive products around town in the health food stores and coffee houses are these bottled green tea and organic juices. Sure they are good for you but spending 3 dollars on one 24 fluid ounce bottle is ridiculas Give it up!
And the thought of all these glass and plastic bottle in landfills just turns my stomach! Not every state recycles!
I learned that visiting family in Ocean City Maryland where beaches and beers go well together.
So pretty much everyday I make two pots of tea. A pot of regular Liptons black tea. And a pot of green tea.
I'm not big on the taste of green tea but it sure does taste good with a shot or two of Northlands Pomegranate Cranberry all natural no sugar added! In the summer I'll make a whole pitcher of it. My tall tea pot holds about 5 cups of water so I use about 3 tea bags. Then after seeping when ever I get thirsty I just grab a glass of ice. Pour about 3/4's of the glass with green and top it off with a good antioxidant juice! Lots cheaper than buying a case of individual bottles thats for sure!
Oh and watching one of the Food Network shows I realized there were two kitchen utensils that I didn't have in my ten year kitchen! A hand held parmesan cheese grater and a fruit juicer thing! How did I live with out these!
LIving in a quaint little college town is wonderful. But there are advantages and disadvantages as there is every where.
Advantages are getting out of the house for a glass of wine with a friend at a local bar and having the Swinging Gates from Colgate pop in for a spur of the moment practice. Darn. No camera on hand for that. But there they stood in a half moon circle in Nichols and Beal one snowy cold night. 12 of more lovely young beautiful girls most of them dressed to the nines in perfect acappella harmony. Another adavantage is being able to go to Colgate for art shows and music concerts which are only 7 miles down the road. I don't have to drive 5 hours to New York City to get a little culture. Hamilton has a fine mix of culture right here.
One disadvantage though is grocery shopping! I popped in to the local Grand Union for jar of sun roasted tomatoes and they wanted $6.99 for a four ounce jar! There probably wasn't one tomato in the jar! Who ever prices these products should be arrested! So I bought my own vine ripened tomatoes and slow roasted them in the oven. Just slice the tomatoes. Toss them in extra virgin olive oil. Salt and Pepper them and put them in the oven at 200 degrees for 4 hours.
Homework lesson for this summer's tomatoes is to sun dry my own. I'm also gonna look into buying a Food Dehydrator.
Another expensive products around town in the health food stores and coffee houses are these bottled green tea and organic juices. Sure they are good for you but spending 3 dollars on one 24 fluid ounce bottle is ridiculas Give it up!
And the thought of all these glass and plastic bottle in landfills just turns my stomach! Not every state recycles!
I learned that visiting family in Ocean City Maryland where beaches and beers go well together.
So pretty much everyday I make two pots of tea. A pot of regular Liptons black tea. And a pot of green tea.
I'm not big on the taste of green tea but it sure does taste good with a shot or two of Northlands Pomegranate Cranberry all natural no sugar added! In the summer I'll make a whole pitcher of it. My tall tea pot holds about 5 cups of water so I use about 3 tea bags. Then after seeping when ever I get thirsty I just grab a glass of ice. Pour about 3/4's of the glass with green and top it off with a good antioxidant juice! Lots cheaper than buying a case of individual bottles thats for sure!
Oh and watching one of the Food Network shows I realized there were two kitchen utensils that I didn't have in my ten year kitchen! A hand held parmesan cheese grater and a fruit juicer thing! How did I live with out these!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Leigh Yardley's Homemade Pasta
In these trying, frustrating economic and political times. I think we should all gather more for dinner parties.
If you know me...I'm Pamme, Pamme the party planner! I love them!
I've switched over from white flour pasta to the healthy whole wheat pasta with ease and can't even tell the difference.
But I gotta tell you that Leigh's homemade pasta that we rolled out the other night was light and so delicious! And fun to make!
All she does is take 2 cups of flour. She used white flour but I expect you could use any flour you want, four eggs and a wee amount of water and mixed it up enough to form a ball. This amount of flour and eggs makes about a pound of dough.
She then cut it up in to smaller sections then sent it through her Atlas pasta maker each time setting the caliber lower to flatten the pasta. We all decided on Linguine and sent the flatten dough for the last time through the Linguine stage of cutting.
This pasta cooked up in no time in a pot of boiling, salted, olive oiled water and was sooo good with a home made cream sauce of sauteed garlic, sliced onion and orange pepper (about two cups). She then threw in about a cup of white wine to deglaze followed by a bowl of baby scallops,shrimp and orange roughy and a pint of heavy cream.
I also added some steamed broccoli for more veg and color.
It was really good.
We followed our meal with discussion over this upcoming election and parfait cups of sherbert, The grand finale of the night was rousting out this dude with a head lamp and a gun jacking fox out of the field above my house!
Yep, never a dull moment out here in sunny south Hamilton!
If you know me...I'm Pamme, Pamme the party planner! I love them!
I've switched over from white flour pasta to the healthy whole wheat pasta with ease and can't even tell the difference.
But I gotta tell you that Leigh's homemade pasta that we rolled out the other night was light and so delicious! And fun to make!
All she does is take 2 cups of flour. She used white flour but I expect you could use any flour you want, four eggs and a wee amount of water and mixed it up enough to form a ball. This amount of flour and eggs makes about a pound of dough.
She then cut it up in to smaller sections then sent it through her Atlas pasta maker each time setting the caliber lower to flatten the pasta. We all decided on Linguine and sent the flatten dough for the last time through the Linguine stage of cutting.
This pasta cooked up in no time in a pot of boiling, salted, olive oiled water and was sooo good with a home made cream sauce of sauteed garlic, sliced onion and orange pepper (about two cups). She then threw in about a cup of white wine to deglaze followed by a bowl of baby scallops,shrimp and orange roughy and a pint of heavy cream.
I also added some steamed broccoli for more veg and color.
It was really good.
We followed our meal with discussion over this upcoming election and parfait cups of sherbert, The grand finale of the night was rousting out this dude with a head lamp and a gun jacking fox out of the field above my house!
Yep, never a dull moment out here in sunny south Hamilton!
Monday, October 20, 2008
Boiled But Beautiful Cookies
Boiled Cookies is really a gross name for these tasty little treasures! Eating one of these is like eating candy!
I have no idea where this recipe came from. I'm thinking from my Aunt Barb. I've been making these cookies since I was a teenager. I have to say that they qualify as healthy as they are loaded in oatmeal. A healthy in moderation cookie.
Here ya go Aurora!
2 cups of sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
Combine these first four ingredients in a large sauce pan and bring to a rapid boil for a good minute!
Remove from heat and stir in the following:
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups Quaker quick oatmeal
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup of coconut
This mixture should thicken up good.
Spoon out on wax paper to cool and harden up.
Try not to eat them all in one day
Good Luck!
I have no idea where this recipe came from. I'm thinking from my Aunt Barb. I've been making these cookies since I was a teenager. I have to say that they qualify as healthy as they are loaded in oatmeal. A healthy in moderation cookie.
Here ya go Aurora!
2 cups of sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
Combine these first four ingredients in a large sauce pan and bring to a rapid boil for a good minute!
Remove from heat and stir in the following:
1/2 cup peanut butter
3 cups Quaker quick oatmeal
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup of coconut
This mixture should thicken up good.
Spoon out on wax paper to cool and harden up.
Try not to eat them all in one day
Good Luck!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
If I Buy Comet...I Can Afford Peter's Cornucopia!
Now that I've re-discovered Comet and boy is it CHEAP! A six pack of 24 oz can's at BJ's cost just a little over two dollars! I can justify spending a little more on these organic products that I get from Peter's Cornucopia in Utica. I LOVE that store.I just wonder why they don't have rest rooms there? They do serve food and very good food to say the least! Wait a minute here. I should justify buying these products as I have high cholesterol! Yep! It wasn't pretty.
I learned the hard way by taking the blood test after indulging in a liverwurst sandwich with my father a few days after baking about 20 dozen of different Christmas cookies with my best friend Jen. There had to of been at least 10 lbs of butter room temping on the counter!
Anyway those days are over. I have here a jar of Grapeseed Oil Veganaise. Egg Free, Dairy Free, No Preservatives and GMO free as well. Its absolutely delish! Really and I'm a mayonnaise lover from way back. Price tag on this jar is $8.49 which is right up there for a 32 Fl.Oz. Jar but is worth every penny.
Ya know you would think that if these health food stores wanted to make more money it would market to the people who don't have a high income! Keep them healthy too as there are a lot more poor people in this world than rich. Why is it the rich get the best of everything. Duh cause they are rich AND informed...Oh boy big can of worms there, better not go!
The other product I love here is called Earth Balance Organic buttery spread made from "Expeller-pressed Natural Oil Blend...blah blah blah and crushed soybeans. No MSG, alcohol or gluten. Non dairy, no transfat and an excellent source of ALA Omega -3! There's a big fat price tag of $4.99 on this tub of 13 oz. and an expiration date.
Just thought I'd share this with ya! A tuna sandwich sure would taste good right now!
Homemade Wheat Thins! Fresh!
I made these the other day an they turned out really good! This recipe is from the King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking Cook Book. I hope they don't mind me sharing their recipes. You can buy the cook book your self at http://www.kingarthurflour.com/.
Its a great book!
Heres the recipe for your very own homemade Wheat Thins!
1 3/4 cups Whole wheat flour, traditional or white whole wheat
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon of paprika
4 tablespoons of butter (1/2 stick)
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
additional salt for topping
TO MAKE THE DOUGH:
Combine the flour, sugar, salt and paprika in a medium bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and mix it thoroughly, using your fingers, a pastry blender, a mixer or a food processor. Combine water and vanilla, and add to the flour mixture, mixing until smooth.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheets or line with Parchment Paper.
TO ROLL AND CUT THE DOUGH:
Divide the dough into four pieces; keep the other pieces covered while you work with one piece at a time.
Lightly flour your work surface and your rolling pin and roll the piece into a large rectangle which should be at least 12 inches square when trimmed. Keep your pin and surface evenly floured. Flip the dough frequently to keep it from sticking, but to much flour will make it difficult to roll. Keep rolling until you get the dough as thin as you can get it with out tearing, at least a 1/2 inch thick. Trim the dough to make even edges using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter and cut squares approximately 1 !/2 inches wide. Transfer squares to the prepared baking sheet; you can crowd them together as they don't expand while baking. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
TO BAKE THE CRACKERS:
Bake the crackers, one sheet at a time until crisp and brown, 5 to 7 minutes. If some thinner crackers brown to quickly, remove them and return the remaining crackers to finish baking. These crackers bake quickly so watch them closely.
Remove crackers from oven an cool. Store in airtight containers.
Its a great book!
Heres the recipe for your very own homemade Wheat Thins!
1 3/4 cups Whole wheat flour, traditional or white whole wheat
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon of paprika
4 tablespoons of butter (1/2 stick)
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
additional salt for topping
TO MAKE THE DOUGH:
Combine the flour, sugar, salt and paprika in a medium bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and mix it thoroughly, using your fingers, a pastry blender, a mixer or a food processor. Combine water and vanilla, and add to the flour mixture, mixing until smooth.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease baking sheets or line with Parchment Paper.
TO ROLL AND CUT THE DOUGH:
Divide the dough into four pieces; keep the other pieces covered while you work with one piece at a time.
Lightly flour your work surface and your rolling pin and roll the piece into a large rectangle which should be at least 12 inches square when trimmed. Keep your pin and surface evenly floured. Flip the dough frequently to keep it from sticking, but to much flour will make it difficult to roll. Keep rolling until you get the dough as thin as you can get it with out tearing, at least a 1/2 inch thick. Trim the dough to make even edges using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter and cut squares approximately 1 !/2 inches wide. Transfer squares to the prepared baking sheet; you can crowd them together as they don't expand while baking. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough.
TO BAKE THE CRACKERS:
Bake the crackers, one sheet at a time until crisp and brown, 5 to 7 minutes. If some thinner crackers brown to quickly, remove them and return the remaining crackers to finish baking. These crackers bake quickly so watch them closely.
Remove crackers from oven an cool. Store in airtight containers.
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