Freezing Chives (and other herbs)

In the farthest corner of my garden sits three sets of garlic chives, and how wonderful they are!  However, since they pop up so early in the spring, I tend to forget about them once the other perennials start arriving or become even more so forgotten when it's time to plant the annual vegetables.  "Rhubarb! Welcome back!" I gasp, and hop-skip over to see the huge green leaves and juicy red stems.  "Raspberries!  Oh, how I've missed you!" It goes on like this until my dear garlic chives sit, plump and lusciously green, squeaking and reaching for my attention, only to have me pass them by.  

Not this year! No sir, this year my darling garlic chives (simply chives that have a garlic flavor...amazing!) become my culinary concentration as I carefully harvested them to be stored in my freezer.  You may also follow these steps for other like herbs which have a thicker stem, leaf, or bulb.  These include basil, borage, chives, dill (better frozen than dried), lemongrass, mint, oregano, sage, savory (both winter and summer), sorrel (better than dried), sweet woodruff, tarragon, and thyme.  Do note that some herbs (such as cilantro, fennel, and parsley) fare better to be dried and stored in glass rather than frozen. 

Step 1: Choose mature, healthy pieces to cut/harvest.

Step 2: Wash in cold water. Remove any grass pieces or damaged/browning ends

Step 3: Cut into desired pieces. For chives I chose 1/2 in cuts.

Step 4: Pat dry, spread onto cookie sheet. Freeze for 10-15 minutes.

Step 5: Store in freezer containers/bags. For chives, I chose to put 1 cup into each baggie.

Enjoy during your next soup, stew, or other culinary masterpiece! Isn't it great knowing exactly where you food came from, let alone the pride in the knowledge of your work?  Happy Healthing!
   

Oven Canning Your Dry Goods!

Our local grocery store recently had an insane sale on flour at a mere $.74!!!!  Let's just say that my husband and I went in daily, each with our allotted two bags.  I was even tempted to send my 2-year old son through the line, but.... ;-P

So what am I to do with all of this flour!  It was of course too cheap to pass up.  I recently have been doing some reading about oven canning, a completely new concept to me.  While I annually can fruits and vegetables, canning dry goods sounded more than interesting to me; it was enticing!  I hope you enjoy my journey into this new and EASY form of keeping your dry goods.

Oven Canning is actually a very old, tried and true method of storing dry goods.  Sadly, for some reason this method fell between the generational cracks and is just now becoming a popular way for homekeepers to store dry goods such as flour, pasta, oatmeal, etc.  Essentially, if it is an oil-free dry good, it is able to be oven canned.  The dry item to stay away from is walnuts as they have a lot of natural oil.  Almonds, dry roasted peanuts, rice, and even sugar are on the list of "canable" items.  Haha!  Get it? "Canable"? Oh, I crack myself up...

Step 1: Gather clean, dry canning jars.
TIP!  I reserved my non-mason (old mayo jars, applesauce, etc) WIDEMOUTH jars for this project because they are easy to get my hand into for cleaning, and also because I want to reserve my non-mason SMALL MOUTH jars for juice later in the year.  I prefer small-mouth non-masons for juice because I use the plastic lids from mayo jars to cover left over canned goods in the fridge.  

Step 2: Preheat oven to 200 degrees F

Step 3: Fill jars with desired dry goods.

Here is a list of what items are able to be canned, but this is just off the top of my head, so I am sure there are more! 
Oatmeal, oat groats, brown rice, white rice, pasta, flour, sugar, powdered sugar, cake mix, bread mix (minus the yeast), crackers, ground graham cracker crumbs, coffee, tea, any dried herb, dehydrated fruits and vegetables (onion, carrots, apples, etc), tapioca pearls, barley, split peas, any kind of dried bean, and popcorn (needs to be 450 degrees before it will pop so we are safe at 200 degrees).

Items I know of that CANNOT be oven canned:
brown sugar (because of the molasses), walnuts, baking powder, baking soda, (I am not sure why baking soda and powder cannot be, but my CountrySide magazine said not to, so I am going to pass that along).

Step 4: Put lidless jars onto a cookie sheet and slide into heated oven. "Bake" 1 hour.
 During this time you can prepare the next batch for the oven, clear counter space with a towel down to put the hot jars on when they are done, and towards the end of the hour start a small pan with water on low to soften the rubber seals of your canning lids.

Step 5: Take out one jar at a time with a potholder or towel in hand, and quickly wipe the rim of the jar with a damp paper towel.  Quickly dry a lid from your small pan, and put on the jar and twist on the appropriate rim.  Set on the towel to cool and seal.  Repeat with each jar.  When cool, don't forget to label the lids as many kitchen dry goods look similar.  Be sure to put the date so in later years you can see how long they have lasted!

TIP: You may use old spaghetti, salsa, mayo, etc jars AND their lids as long as that lid some sort of a rubber inner lid for sealing.  However, take care that the jar does not smell strongly of the food it has in it before.  I.e. a pickle jar may not be a good choice... ;P 


CONGRATS!  You have officially oven canned!  From my reading, it seems that the majority of properly sealed oven canned goods will last you a miraculous 30+ years!!!  I am excited to explore this form of canning for use in my emergency stash. If one or a few of yours do not seal, simply store them in the cabinet to use next as they are already bacteria-free from the heat and critter free due to the glass storage. :-)  

**As with all home-canned goods, check the seals after a severe storm or tornado as the drastic pressure change can actually unseal some of the weaker-sealed goods!**

Happy Healthing!

 

Bread Maker-Ready Bread Bags

One of my most prized kitchen appliances (besides the fridge, of course!) is the bread maker.  After stumbling repeatedly (Divine intervention? Yes!) across nutritional information about the average store-bought loaf of bread, I have gradually cuddled closer and closer to my little white friend on the kitchen counter.

Did you know that the average sandwich made from the "cheap" loaf of bread from the store contains enough enriched (code for overly-processed) flours and sugars that it turns into the equivalent of a candy bar in your stomach!?

On a related note, I recently did an experiment with the store brand hot dog buns where I left them on the top of the fridge until they got moldly, wanting to see how long they would last.  Also note, that this bag of buns was purchased near its sell-by date, therefore this test began when the food should have been starting to go bad.  We waited, and waited...then waited some more.  Finally, after THREE WEEKS of the buns sitting on the fridge, I threw them out, but NOT BECAUSE OF MOLD, but because I was beginning to get a little freaked out by the strength of the preservatives in this bread!

I decided it was time for a change. Now, I have been baking my own bread for my family here and there for the past four years.  Finding a bread machine at a garage sale (plus the recipe book!) for $10 was heaven-sent.  However, after the experiment from above, I have had a true change of heart and can't see myself going back to store-bought bread as a staple form of bread in the house.  Granted, I am not to the point of making my own hamburger and hot dog buns, but I am a work-in-progress. :-)

To help ease the time constraint of making your own bread, a woman from our previous church gave me the idea to make bread bags.  Bread bags are quart ziplock bags holding the dry ingredients for a particular bread machine (or by-hand bread) recipe.  Then, all you have to do when you need a loaf for the day is dump in the dry ingredients, quickly measure in the wet ingredients, and push the right buttons on your bread maker!  While this idea sounds not completely necessary for saving time, I like it because in a rush, I A GUARANTEED TO HAVE ALL THE DRY INGREDIENTS. How often do we go to make something, only then realizing we are short a half cup of sugar, or other ingredient?  This helps avoid that problem.

Rye Bread Bag

I also needed an organized way to store the bread bags, so I made a 2-paneled box to keep the bread mixes, labeling one side "White" and "Wheat" while the other side says "Potato" and "Rye", as these are the top 4 breads I use in my house.

Lastly, it is helpful to bookmark the bread recipes or even better is to write them out on separate recipe cards for easy access when it's time to add the wet ingredients.
NOTE: yeast does NOT count as a dry ingredient and should be kept in the fridge until time for baking. :)
Here are the recipes I use for the four different breads (each makes 1.5 lb. loaves):

I made 20 bags in 30min!

White Table Bread
Dry: 3 cups bread flour (I use basic white flour)
4 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
Wet: 1 cup milk
1/4 cup water
4 tsp butter, olive oil, or coconut oil
1 tsp active dry yeast



Whole Wheat Bread

Loaf of Whole Wheat Bread

Dry:  1.5 cups whole wheat flour
1.5 cups bread flour (I use basic white)
3/4 tsp salt
Wet: 1 cup milk
3 T water
4 tsp honey or sugar
1 T butter, olive oil, or coconut oil
1 tsp active dry yeast

Potato Bread
Dry: 3 cups bread flour
1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes or buds, flavor of choice
1 T sugar
3/4 tsp salt
Wet: 1/2 cup water
2/3 cup milk
1 egg
2 T butter, olive oil, or coconut oil
1 tsp active dry yeast

Rye Bread
Dry: 2 cups bread flour
1 cup rye flour
2 T gluten flour (I used a product called Vital Wheat Gluten)
2 T brown sugar
1.5 tsp caraway seed (gives that tangy rye flavor, but opt)
3/4 tsp salt
Wet: 1 cup water
2 T butter, olive oil, or coconut oil
1 tsp active dry yeast

As another note, you can even oven-can into canning jars these bread starters! Google "oven canning" for more information on how to do that, but I promise it's easy!

HAPPY HEALTHING!

Soothing a Teething Baby

Red cheeks.  Fussy whimpers. Low-grade fever.  And the DROOL!  Your baby is teething.  I proudly welcome a good friend of mine from Ohio to chime in on her wisdom of teething children after having gone through it with three kiddos. Please enjoy!

Well,  I am on my third teething child and while I’m sure I have more to learn, I know I would not want to go through it without a few essential items. I would like to share them now with you.

#1: Teething Oil:

I read how to make this concoction in the book “Aromatherapy: A Lifetime Guide to Healing With Essential Oils” by Valerie Gennari Cooksley and I am in love with it so much I started giving vials of it away. Here is the recipe I use:

½ oz amber bottle with screw top

good quality olive oil

Roman Chamomile essential oil (I purchase my oils from www.mountainroseherbs.com)

Put 3 drops of oil in your bottle and fill with olive oil leaving a little space at the top. Screw on the lid and shake well. To give to your child, shake well, take off the lid, place your finger over the top, turn the bottle upside down, and rub on your baby’s gums. I usually do this two to three times per application. Within 10 minutes your baby should be much calmer.

I also know people who have used this method to help an older child who is having trouble going to sleep. If your child has teeth already, you can rub it between their lip and gum.

This concoction for me has been WAY better than Hylands Teething Tablets, however if you cannot afford to purchase the Roman Chamomile Essential oil, the next best thing I find is Hylands Chamomile Tablets 30x. Start with 1 tablet and increase to 2 or 3 at a time as you find necessary for your child.

#2: Baltic Amber Teething Necklace:

With my second teething child, I decided to purchase an amber teething necklace to see if it helped any. What a difference! Now that I’m on my third child, I wouldn’t let them go through teething without one! At about 3 months old I put it on my child and only take it off for bathing. If I forget to put it back on after bathing, within 12 hours or so I notice a huge difference in the amount of fussiness my child shows!

So you might ask, what makes these necklaces so wonderful?! As a trained chemist, I will try to explain a little bit. The compound in amber is succinic acid and amber necklaces contain 3-8% succinic acid (the darker the amber, the higher content of succinic acid).  Succinic acid is a known analgesic, or essentially a pain reliever. When the amber is in contact with skin, the succinic acid can be slowly absorbed into the system and act as a gentle pain reliever.

If you choose to order one of these, be sure that you order Baltic amber and that there is a knot between each bead. That way if the necklace breaks, only one bead will be lost. Technically you are supposed to take them off while your child sleeps, but I never have.

Fore more information, check out this website: http://www.amberartisans.com/frasqu.html

#3: Favorite Teething Toy:

My children have never really enjoyed frozen items to chew on while teething, they have some sensitivities to hot and cold temperatures (at 3.5 years, my oldest still doesn’t like ice cream because of how cold it is… more for me I guess!). A few years a neighbor told me about this rubber banana toothbrush and since then it has become the ultimate teething toy in our house. The soft rubber bristles massage their gums and the whole thing is flexible silicon. The other end of it has nice ridges to chew on as well. This does not work as well once they have teeth as they can bite the little bristles off and bite into the soft silicon. 

The other thing that we are using that is new for kiddo #3 is a Dr. Brown’s teether.

I am loving this, especially because it can be attached to my kiddo with a pacifier clip so its not thrown down onto the ground when we are out and about. The brown ridge along the bottom really gives them something to chomp on that massages and soothes their gums. It is really easy for my child to hold as well.

 I hope that these 3 ideas help you to sooth your teething child! 

A note from Maggie: I would also like to add how important calcium is for a teething baby.  The low-grade fever is a sign that your child does not have sufficient calcium in her body to amply prepare/carry out this particular round with a new tooth.  Be sure she is getting extra calcium at this time! The link above goes to my blog post concerning calcium. Happy Healthing! :-)

Mommy's Command Center

My mother is an insanely organized person.  Somehow, luckily, she passed on to me a TINY bit of those skills, and today I'd like to share with you how to make a Mommy's Command Center.  Last night I even went so far as to host a party for friends of mine who are also young mothers, and we made these binders.  The total cost for this project was only $10!

Before we begin, please not that this is YOUR binder to help keep your life as a wife/mother more organized.  That being said, you may (and should!) tweak this project to fit YOU.   

Materials Needed:

- 1 three-ringed binder, preferably with the clear plastic pouches in the front/back (for personalizing later)

- 25-pack of plastic sheet covers (or more, if you're crazy-addicted to them as I am)

- Notebook paper

- 2-pocket insertable plastic dividers  (Follow link to see what they look like.  These are great because they are color-coordinated, have pockets, but most importantly they stick out beyond the regular papers that will be in your binder for easy access to each section.  There are 5-tab folders and 8-tab.  I went ahead and got myself the 8-tabbed one because I would rather diversify than not have enough tabs to meet my needs.)

- Treat yourself to a nice pen. Mine is Batman ;P 

 

- EXPO marker (I have found this brand does not rub off the plastic sheet covers) 

- double-sided tape or glue

- construction paper, opt

- ruler

- scissors

- Personalizing Part: fun pictures from magazines or old calendars to make your front and back covers. Pictures of your family are great to put on there, too!

**The total cost for the binder, pack of 25 plastic sheet covers, the 2-pocket insertable folders, a new pen, and an EXPO marker was right at $10**

Step 1: Create your tabs

This part is the most challenging piece of this project, and many women struggle to find just the right topics for each tab.  Mine is separated as follows:

GENERAL- holds the daily/weekly/monthly schedules, as well as random important info that doesn't fit in the other categories

FOOD- meal plan, store ads, coupons, recipes, etc

HOUSE- cleaning schedule, chores, projects needing done, etc

BILLS-  self explanatory, sadly ;P

NEWFIE BUSINESS- my home business is breeding Newfoundland dogs, so I have a section dedicated to this with all of her certifications and pedigree information, along with vet records.

GARDENING/CANNING- garden plans/sketch, list of veggies, notes on each, as well as canning recipes I come across.

FOLDER PER CHILD- Especially if they are in school, and DEFINITELY if they are homeschooled.  This can be used to keep their school activities and announcements separate, or for the homeschooled child it could be a nice way to keep track of their learning/assessment items.  For now with our almost-2 year old, I keep printed worksheets I find online or lists of books we want to get from the library, as well as an on-going wish list for birthdays and Christmas.

While those are MY tabs, just remember to make the tabs according to YOUR family.  For example, if you aren't the one to open the mail or do the bills, a BILL section probably isn't for you.  The same goes for if you aren't the main shopper/cook.  However, if you live on a farm, it might be productive for you to have an animals section, especially if your children show the animals in 4-H.  Speaking of children's activities, if you happen to be in charge of or a leader of a group, I would also make a section for that.

Step 2: Personalize!

The front of my Command Center

Examples of some fronts of binders

This is the fun part!  Take time to create your own beautiful collage or design for the front and back (and even a slab for the side tab!) of your binder.  Again, I grab a few of the free calendars from Hallmark in the fall to use for making these Command Centers as gifts throughout the year.  Magazines, online printing, and even family photos also make great choices!  GET CREATIVE! :-)

Examples of some backs. I try to find pictures of the same number of children as the person receiving the binder has.

Step 3: Add and Sort

For this last step, you again have to find what works for YOU.  It's time to find (or make, if you're that creative) your own style of scheduling and print them off and place in the appropriate folders.  Over time, I have found via various blogs I follow different daily schedule forms or household project ideas I like and have added them to my binder.  Some of the items I have in my Command Center can be found via Wellnessmama.com's blog. Katie "Wellnessmama" is my favorite blog to read, and her "football" is actually where I got the original idea to put my family's life into one, organized binder.  However, a simple google trip can find you schedules galore (especially if you go to the "images" section after your google search), as well as Christian character-shaping chore charts for children, children's prayer sheets, worksheets for home and church, entire deep-cleaning household chore lists, and of course recipes!

Don't forget to include your favorite pen and an EXPO marker.  The marker works great for marking on the schedules VIA the plastic sheet covers the schedule is kept in.  That way, you aren't printing off a new schedule every day/week/month to use, and that way you can save on some paper and ink!

In closing, I would argue that organization is next to cleanliness, which we all know is next to godliness. :-)  It will do your mood and spirit well to sift through the clutter we all feel as wives and mothers and take a few moments to put them in a designated place where they belong.  Happy Healthing! :-)

An Herbal Home Pharmacy

Many of you have asked, "Maggie, could you make me a list of what you have in your cupboards and diaper bag?" 

Sure!  This is a great idea, and I have been meaning to find the time to make this post.  Before I begin the list, please note that my husband and I are on a tight budget, so the companies listed may or may not be the best and most effective out there.  Most were a company's sale items to get me as close as possible to the best, and if that is the case, I put in parenthesis what I would have LIKED to have bought instead.  Also, instead of going through the trouble of taking and posting a ton of pictures here, the items can be clicked on to find their picture and company website online. :)  Please don't be afraid to ask questions or leave comments!  I have had many of you facebook or email me with some GREAT questions, and I feel honored to be a part of your exploration into the natural living world! Happy Healthing! 

In my kitchen "herb" cabinet:
- coconut oil (mind is refined, which is used mostly for cooking, whereas unrefined would be best for health uses)
- prenatal taken daily BEFORE pregnancy
- prenatal taken DURING pregnancy (I think this product is better so I save it for when I am actually pregnant)
- calcium citrate plus D (calcium carbonate is a "lesser" form of calcium)
- activated charcoal
- liquid elderberry extract
- liquid echinacea
- chewable Chamomile tablets (for both teething and labor pains as it helps you relax safely)
- Tea Tree oil (make sure it says it was made in Australia as the American version uses a different distilling process that alters the product)
- Lavender essential oil (used mostly for fragrance in lotions, soaps, etc)
- Motherwort tincture (the tincture I had was made at home, but the link is for information about motherwort and its benefits in the world of motherhood)
-Lobelia tincture
-Fenugreek capsules (nursing productivity)
-L-Lysine (immune function)
- 2lb. block beeswax for making salves, lotions, lip chap, etc
- bentonite clay (used in our remineralizing tooth powder recipe from Wellnessmama.com) 

In my Tea cabinet:
- rose hips
- Chamomile tea (this is just the type from the local grocery store, but has worked great so far)
- red raspberry leaf tea (since purchasing this, I have found how to harvest my own leaves from our raspberry plants each spring)  
- nursing support tea (can be found at Target)
- homegrown catnip 
-basic black tea (used for making a warm eye soak for pink eye)


On my wish list:
These are items I will either be growing, exploring, and harvesting this year OR items I will be purchasing soon with my husband's hard-earned money. :)
- Chamomile (Roman) essential oil (scroll down. Note how expensive 1/8 oz is, but it's a very powerful and useful item.  Just a few drops carries heavy weight for many natural remedy recipes.  I am also growing this item this season, but will not have near the quantity or equipment to harvest any essential oil.  I will be keeping the flowers for tea.)
- spearmint
- peppermint
- catnip
- calendula
- lemon balm

Pills I 'Pop' Daily:
- 1 of the BEFORE pregnancy prenatal
- 2 calcium-magnesium 
- 4 NFX (fertility support)
- 1 generic folic acid
- 2 prolamine iodine (thyroid support)
- 1 B-12 vitamin
**I also try to drink a few cups of iced red raspberry leaf tea with my calcium water mixed in. Don't forget the honey! :-)** 

Great General Items to Keep on Hand:
- fresh garlic
- white vinegar
- apple cider vinegar
- baking soda  
- otoscope (GREAT item to put on your birthday list!)
- stethoscope and blood pressure cuff set (I haven't used mine yet, but am ready if I need to!)  
 

Calcium-Infused Water

What a great, easy way to get calcium!  This recipe was found in Shosanna Easling's book, Making Babies.  However, I took her quart-jar method and tweaked it a little to fit the busy mom's schedule. ;P  PLEASE NOTE that farm-fresh eggs are the best way to go, especially chickens that are on non-GMO feed, as my family has been so blessed to enjoy from nearby friends. :)

Step 1: Rinse and save 8 eggshells.

Keep in the fridge :)

                                                    Step 2: Hulk. Smash!






Step 3: Using a coffee maker, fill reservoir with 4 cups of water.  Pour crushed eggshells into coffee filter, as you would grounds.  Press start!  When finished, I add my calcium water to a big batch of herbal iced tea that I will drink during the week, and compost the eggshells. If this method is not convenient for you, you may also boil the 4 cups of water in a pan, dump in the shells, let sit until cool, and sift out the eggshells after.  Happy Healthing!  :-)