Super Glue And Sugar Scrub

Today I had an incident that involved my kitchen counter, a paper towel, my hands and a bottle of open super glue.  I won't go into details but the end result was my hands covered in super glue with bits of paper towel stuck to them.  No, this was not my finest moment.  I tried using acetone nail polish remover to no avail.  I tried hot soapy water with a gentle brush, no luck.  Finally I scrubbed some of it away with some rubbing alcohol and went about my business, occasionally getting snagged on the furniture with remnant glue, and decided to whip up a batch of organic sugar facial scrub.  Lo and Behold!  When I had finished almost all of the glue was gone from my hands.  I scooped up the leftovers from the bowl and scrubbed my hands real well and now they are about 98% back to normal, with just one fingertip stubbornly holding on to the glue.  Sugar scrubs for my hands are now going to become a regular part of my skin care routine!

Here is my basic sugar scrub recipe and I hope you'll try it!  It leaves your skin, yes even super-glued fingers, feeling young, soft and wonderful!

Ingredients:
1 cup organic fine sugar
1-1 1/2 tbsp. rosehip seed oil or sweet almond oil
10-20 drops essential oil of choice.  I prefer Lavender because it is so healing and good for the skin

Directions:
Mix all ingredients in a small mixing bowl until well mixed.  If too dry, add a bit of your carrier oil.  If too wet, add a bit more sugar.  When you have the right consistency put into jars or plastic containers.

To use on your face, simply dampen your face with warm water and rub sugar scrub gently into your skin in a circular motion, using your ring fingers because they are the gentlest to the skin.  Avoid the eye area completely because those tissues are too fragile for exposure to the sugar.

To use for a hand scrub, wash your hands well and apply a small amount of sugar scrub to your hands.  Rub well as if you were washing your hands.  Rinse and repeat if necessary.   It feels really good!  It also is nourishing to your nails and cuticle and will give your nails a natural glow. This sugar scrub also makes wonderful gifts and Mother's Day is just around the corner!

Enjoy this free recipe and remember it if and when you ever have a superglue disaster of your own!

Fight Cancer With Asparagus!

Today I received an email from a friend who, like me, is always interested in natural alternatives to medications whenever possible.  This email is all about Asparagus and the way it fights Cancer.  Maybe you know someone with Cancer or even have it yourself.  If so, please read this article and invite Asparagus back into your kitchen!

 

Asparagus -- Who knew?  My Mom had been taking the full-stalk canned style asparagus, pureed it and took 4 tablespoons in the morning and 4 tablespoons later in the day. She did this for over a month. She is on chemo pills for Stage 3 lung cancer in the pleural area and her cancer cell count went from 386 down to 125 as of this past week. Her oncologist said she will not need to see him for 3 months. THE ARTICLE: Several years ago I met a man seeking asparagus for a friend who had cancer. He gave me a copy of an article, entitled"Asparagus For Cancer" printed in the Cancer News Journal, December 1979. I will share it here, just as it was shared with me: I am a biochemist, and have specialized in the relation of diet to health or over 50 years. Several years ago, I learned of the discovery of Richard R. Vensal, D.D.S. that asparagus might cure cancer. Since then, I have worked with him on his project. We have accumulated a number of favorable case histories. Here are a few examples: Case No. 1, A man with an almost hopeless case of Hodgkin's disease (cancer of the lymph glands) who was completely incapacitated. Within 1 year of starting the asparagus therapy, his doctors were unable to detect any signs of cancer, and he was back on a schedule of strenuous exercise.  Case No. 2, A successful businessman, 68 years old, suffered from cancer of the bladder for 16 years. After years of medical treatments, including radiation without improvement, he began taking asparagus. Within 3 months, examinations revealed that his bladder tumor had disappeared and that his kidneys were normal. Case No. 3, On March 5th 1971, a man who had lung cancerwas put on the operating table where they found lung cancer so widely spread that it was inoperable. The surgeon sewed him up and declared his case hopeless. On April 5th he heard about the Asparagus therapy and immediately started taking it. By August,  x-ray pictures revealed that all signs of the cancer had disappeared. He is now back at his regular business routine. Case No. 4, A woman had been troubled for a number of years with skin cancer. She developed different skin cancers which were diagnosed by the acting specialist as advanced. Within 3 months after beginning asparagus therapy, the skin specialist said her skin looked fine with no more skin lesions. This woman reported that the asparagus therapy also cured her kidney disease, which had started in 1949. She had over 10 operations for kidney stones, and was receiving government disability payments for an inoperable, terminal, kidney condition. She attributes the cure of this kidney trouble entirely to the asparagus treatment. I was not surprised at this result as `The elements of materia medica', edited in1854 by a Professor at the University of Pennsylvania , stated that asparagus was used as a popular remedy for kidney stones. He even referred to experiments, in 1739, on the power of asparagus in dissolving stones. Note the dates! We would have other case histories but the medical establishment has interfered with our obtaining some of the records. I am therefore appealing to readers to spread this good news and help us to gather a large number of case histories that will overwhelm the medical skeptics about this unbelievably simple and natural remedy. For the treatment, asparagus should be cooked before using. Fresh or canned asparagus can be used. I have corresponded with the two leading caners of asparagus,Giant and Stokely, and I am satisfied that these brands contain no pesticides or preservatives. Place the cooked asparagus in a blender and liquefy to make a puree. Store in the refrigerator. Give the patient 4 full tablespoons twice daily, morning and evening. Patients usually show some improvement in 2-4 weeks. It can be diluted with water and used as a cold or hot drink. This suggested dosage is based on present experience, but certainly larger amounts can do no harm and may be needed in some cases. As a biochemist I am convinced of the old saying that `what  cures can prevent.' Based on this theory, my wife and I have been using asparagus puree as a beverage with our meals. We take 2 tablespoons diluted in water to suit our taste with breakfast and with dinner. I take mine hot and my wife prefers hers cold. For years we  have made it a practice to have blood surveys taken as part of our regular checkups. The last blood survey, taken by a medical doctor who specializes in the nutritional approach to health, showed substantial improvements in all categories over the last one, and  we can attribute these improvements to nothing but the asparagus drink. As a biochemist, I have made an extensive study of all aspects of cancer, and all of the proposed cures. As a result, I am convinced that asparagus fits in better with the latest theories about cancer. Asparagus contains a good supply of protein called histones,which are believed to be active in controlling cell growth. For that reason, I believe asparagus can be said to contain a substance that I call cell growth normalizer. That accounts for its action on cancer and in acting as a general body tonic. In any event, regardless of theory, asparagus used as we suggest, is a harmless substance. The FDA cannot prevent you from using it and it may do you much good. It has been reported by the US National Cancer Institute, that asparagus is the highest tested food containing glutathione, which is considered one of the body's most potent anticarcinogens and antioxidants. Just a side note... In case you are wondering why this has not been made public, there is no profit in curing cancer! Please send this article to everyone in your Address Book.The most unselfish act one can ever do is paying forward all the kindness one has received.

R. E. “Bo” O’Heffernan

“IN GOD WE TRUST”

“NOT SO WITH OUR U.S. POLITICIANS”

“ESPECIALLY PRESIDENT OBAMA”

Are You Getting Enough Dietary Fiber?

Getting enough dietary fiber is important in our daily diet.  Are you getting enough?  How do you know if you are getting enough and how do you know which types of fiber you should be filling up on?  I found a great article about fiber at Webmd.com and wanted to share it with you.  I hope you will find the article as helpful as I did! In this age of confusing nutritional and diet information I hope this helps clear some confusion for you!

Fiber: Give Yourself a Fresh Start for Health

Just a few changes of habit can give a big boost to your diet's fiber profile.

By Wendy C. Fries
WebMD Feature

Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

We hear it on all fronts: We need more fiber in our daily diet. The questions for most of us: How much do I need, and exactly how do I get it?

If you think the answers involve unreachable goals and endless raw veggies, fear not. Boosting your dietary fiber is as easy as acquiring a few simple habits and as delicious as eating the meals you already love.

FOR THE REST OF THE ARTICLE GO HERE:

www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/fiber-give-yourself-fresh-start-for-health

Now that you've read the article, will you be making any changes to your current diet?  Will you be adding fiber or are you already getting enough?  I find that increasing the fiber in my diet is helpful for many things, such as aiding in digestion, lowering my cholesterol and making me feel full between meals.  How does fiber help you?  I'd love to hear your thoughts!

A Nutty Egg Substitute!

I know there are plenty of people out there who are limiting their intake of eggs for many reasons;  allergies, cholesterol, vegan diet, just to name a few.  I found an awesome egg substitute for baking that adds protein and works better as an egg substitute than using plain egg whites.  I found this recipe on www.sparkpeople.com, a site that has a plethora of information on healthy eating, and wanted to share it with you!  Here it is...

Flax Seed Egg Replacer (For Baking Only)

Ingredients:
3 tbsp. ground flax seed
6 tbsp. water

Directions:
Mix flax seed and water.  Microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir well, then microwave for another 30 seconds.  Stir again.

This recipe equals 2 eggs and can be easily adjusted for any recipe.

Happy Baking and let me know how you like the flax seed replacer!  I find it works AWESOME in quick breads, such as pumpkin or zucchini, and you'll never miss the egg!

Fun Facts From The Almanac

I don't know about you but every year I look forward to getting the new Farmer's Almanac and reading it cover to cover.  I enjoy this almost as much as I enjoy perusing my herbal journals and magazines when they come.  It is like having an old friend come to visit and I carve out some quality time just to spend reading.  The Almanac is always full of great information about gardening and planting and tide tables and astronomy guides but it is also chock-full of interesting facts and awesome tips from readers that can really help you in your garden and home, not to mention the great ideas for frugal living you can find.  I thought I'd just share a few of the great stuff I found in this year's Farmers Almanac, though there are so many it was hard to choose just a few!  I recommend you pick up your own copy so you can have the full scope of this awesome information!

Some of my favorite tips for 2012:

1. Corn Circles: Blues guitarist Elvin Bishop, famous for the melody "Fooled Around And Fell In Love," has
   this unique tip for growing corn - In his 10x10 plot Elvin lays down a water drip line in a spiral of ever  
   increasing circles spaced 1 foot apart.  The circular planting formation allows for more even pollination,
   resulting in a better yield of corn.

2.  Instant Compost:  Put fruit, vegetable peels, rinsed egg shells, coffee grinds and other compostable items in
   a blender.  Add water and process.  Spread wherever you need compost.  Works great for container
   gardens!

3.  Eggshell Starts:  Place small amount of dirt in bottom of rinsed eggshell.  Plant seed and allow to sprout.
    Once sprouted, simply plant the whole thing, eggshell and all!  I LOVE this idea!!!

4.  Use leftover deli chicken containers as mini greenhouses!  When I think of all the deli containers I have
    recycled...I wish I had read this tip years ago!

5.  Perfume Paint:  Mix one tsp. of Vanilla, or other flavored extract into one gallon of paint.  What a great
    idea!  I have to paint my bathroom soon and I will definitely be trying this, though I will likely replace the
    vanilla extract for a tsp. of Lavender essential oil!

Those are just a few of the great ideas to be found in the 2012 Farmer's Almanac.  I can't wait to try these
ideas around my own home and garden!

What great home and garden tips do you have to share?  I'd love to hear them!
   

Why I've Been M.I.A.

I have not written anything in quite a while now and I have to confess to you it's because I've been down in the dumps, uninspired and unmotivated.  I guess everyone experiences burn-out occasionally and I'm no exception.  I still love herbs and natural healing, still enjoy cooking and trying new recipes, still make and sell herbal products to boost health and beauty, but for some reason I have just not felt like writing.  With spring and the onset of gardening season I will likely be too busy to write.  So what is my problem?

First, I've been unemployed for too long.  I work per diem shifts here and there but that only amounts to 4-5 days per month.  I have all this time on my hands but I've become lazy...a million projects to work on and no motivation.  So, I'm going to Texas at the end of the month, a gift from my sister and am hoping to feel rejuvenated when I return home.  She has a yard project for us to work on and I am hoping that will get my blood flowing again!

Second, I don't have much of a following so it is hard to feel strongly motivated to write when no one is reading!  However, I have reminded myself that I don't do this blog for anyone but myself and so the writing is for me, not readers!  Since I don't do FB, this is the closest thing I have to social networking.

Third, winter is always a dreary time for me!  Arthritis keeps me pretty miserable from Halloween to Easter and when I'm hurting I don't feel like writing, typing or being creative.

SO...I'm taking the bull by the horns!  I'm going to commit to posting at least 2 blogs per week.  They may be very short posts or very long ones.  They may be a simple picture or new recipe to share.  They may be just be a shared article from the web that I found interesting.  Whatever they are, I am making a promise to myself that I will write at least twice per week.  If I'm particularly inspired I may write more!

Gardening time is almost here.  I have my seeds ready and just need to start them indoors.  I am giving up my herb garden space to my husband this year for our vegetable garden.  Where my main herb garden sits is the best site for veggie gardening so I decided to sacrifice my space and pull up the plants so that the veggies may have the sunniest spot and I will plant my herbs in containers this year.  I will transplant a few of my well established plants, such as Rosemary and Sage, but will plant the rest new.  I am excited about this but when I think of all the work involved...GROAN!  I believe that we will have our most successful vegetable garden this year so the work will be worth it!

I have decided to grow less herbs this year and concentrate on growing the plants I use most for making my medicinals and beauty products.  I need to be less wasteful!  I also am bugging my husband about building me a cheap composting unit and hope to be blogging about that soon!

What will you be growing this year?  Do you garden in the ground or containers?  I would love to hear about your gardening plans!