Tag Archives: #WAPF

Seasonal Foods: White Bean Salad

Posted on by
white-bean-salad

White Bean Salad makes a nice winter meal and is good topped with homegrown sprouts.

This recipe is safe for someone on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet.

Even though some types of beans are allowed on the SCD, I have avoided eating beans for many years. Recently, I have tried to reintroduce a small amount of beans into my diet.?I have found that careful soaking and numerous washing of the beans has helped make eating beans possible.?If you are on the SCD and find beans difficult to digest you might find these methods useful.

Soaked, Cooked and Rinsed White Beans
2c dried organic white beans or cannelloni beans
6c-8c filtered water for soaking
Soak the beans overnight in enough water to cover them with about 2-3 inches of water above the beans. Pour off the soaking water and rinse the beans very well. A large colander or sieve works well for rinsing. Pour the soaked beans into a large sauce pan and cover with fresh water. Have at least an inch of water above the soaked beans. Bring the soaked beans to a boil and simmer for two hours. After cooking, wash the cooked beans again in fresh, cold water until the cooked beans run clean.

White Bean Salad Dressing
2-3 organic garlic cloves, finely grated
1-2T local raw honey
1tsp sea salt
1tsp dried organic dill weed
1T Homemade Whole Seed Mustard or organic Dijon mustard
1c organic cider vinegar
1c organic extra virgin olive oil
Finely grate the garlic cloves and put into a mason jar. Add the honey, sea salt, dill weed, mustard, cider vinegar and olive oil. Shake well and set aside for later use.

White Bean Salad
1 large onion, sliced thinly
1-2c White Bean Salad Dressing
4c frozen organic green beans, chopped
5-6c cooked white beans, rinsed and drained
Finely slice the onion into thin rings. In a large bowl, add the onions to 1c of White Bean Dressing and stir well. Let the onions soak in the dressing for about an hour to soften them. During this time, lightly cook the green beans in a small amount of water for 5-10 minutes. Cook the green beans less for a crunchier salad. Drain the green beans and add them to onions and dressing and stir well. Add the drained white beans and stir well. Taste the salad and add extra dressing, if needed. Chill the bean salad before serving. Any remaining dressing can be used with any salad.

Pantry Foods: Sprouts

Posted on by
sprouting-2

Sprouts are a good winter substitute for lettuce. Here’s some chicken pate, sprouts and dehydrator sesame seed crackers.

“When eating bamboo sprouts remember the man who planted them.”
Chinese Proverb

Sprouts are full of chlorophyll, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes. Broccoli sprouts in particular are a rich source of sulfurophane — a powerful detoxifier — which has been found to lower the risk of developing some types of cancer.

Sprouts are a wonderful winter food when greens at the grocery store are starting to look less than appealing while costing a small fortune. Sprouts can be cooked or eaten raw. This sprouting mix is designed to be eaten raw. The mix can be used as a substitute for lettuce or any other salad green. The fenugreek and radish seeds give the mix a spicy favor.

Winter Sprouting Mix
1 part organic broccoli seeds
1 part organic fenugreek seeds
1 part organic radish seeds
3 parts organic French green lentil seeds or other small lentil

Sprouting is very easy. Add 4T of the sprouting mix to a 2L mason jar. The seeds should be rinsed 2-3 times a day with filtered water. Cover the mouth of the mason jar with a cheese cloth kept in place with a elastic band. An alternative is to use a metal or plastic sprouting lid. Place the jar on its side in a warm place. The sprouts should be ready after 4-6 days depending on the temperature. A good trick is to start a second jar in 2-3 days for a continual supply of sprouts.

When the sprouts are ready to eat it is better to remove the sprouts from the sprouting jar and transfer the them to a glass container covered with a plastic bag and kept in the fridge. In the fridge, sprouts should be good for about one week but the sprouts will be much better eaten within a few days.

sprouting-1

Cover the top of the sprouting jar with cheese cloth held in place by a rubber band. Here’s a stainless steel sprouting screen that uses part of a mason jar lid.

Homemade Christmas: Easy Thieves Oil

Posted on by

“The recipe for this blend is believed to have originated from thieves during the 15th century. According to popular theory, the concoction was created by a group of four thieves and grave robbers to protect themselves from contracting the plague while robbing the bodies of the gravely ill and deceased. When apprehended, the thieves admitted to using the formula and disclosed the recipe in order to receive a less severe punishment for their crimes.”
Mountain Rose Herbs: Thieves Oil

ek-thieves-oil

Thieves Oil is a multipurpose antibacterial agent. You can dilute Thieves Oil with water, vinegar, or any oil of your choice. I diluted the Thieves Oil with witch hazel extract and jojoba oil. The girls particularly likely the Thieves Oil with witch hazel extract. Thieves Oil makes a great gift!

Thieves Oil has long been used as a multipurpose, anti-bacterial agent. There are many versions of Thieves Oil but this version is from Mountain Rose Herbs.

4.0 parts Clove Bud essential oil
3.5 parts Lemon essential oil
2.0 parts Cinnamon Bark essential oil
1.5 parts Eucalyptus essential oil
1.0 part Rosemary essential oil
Don’t worry too much about getting the ratios just right because the Thieves Oil will still work well. When I made my blend, I mistakenly added too much lemon essential oil but the resulting Thieves Oil was very pleasant.

Label this bottle as undiluted or pure Thieves Oil. Essential oils are very powerful agents. Thieves Oil should be diluted before using. You can dilute with water, cider vinegar, alcohol, witch hazel extract, or any oil. For a 1% dilution add 6 drops of Thieves Oil to 1oz (30mL) of the carrier of your choice. For a 2% dilution at 12 drops of Thieves Oil to 1oz (30mL) of the carrier of your choice. For more information please see Mountain Rose Blog: Dilutions and Conversions Guide.

Once the Thieves Oil is diluted it can be used directly on the skin. Remember to shake the dilution before using. Some people put a few drops of the pure Thieves Oil in a spray bottle for disinfecting the kitchen or bathroom. Others use a few drops of the pure Thieves Oil in a essential oil diffuser to kill germs in their household.

thieves-oil-2

Remember to label your Thieves Oil with the type of carrier used for dilution.

MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR! May your family be blessed with health and happiness in the new year!

Homemade Christmas: Frankincense Oil and Frankincense Salve

Posted on by

“Boswellia is one of the most ancient and respected herbs in ayurvedic healing. Researchers and clinicians are finding that boswellia is a potent anti-inflammatory, antiarthritic, and pain reliever without any side effects. The gum and the oil also are used in cosmetics, perfumes, and skin-care products.”
Prescription for Herbal Healing by Phyllis A Balch

frankincense-oil

Frankincense Oil reduces inflammation, boosts immunity, improves mood and is good for the skin. It smells nice too!

Frankincense Oil

1/4c organic frankincense resin, ground
2/3c organic olive oil
2/3c organic shea butter
1/2oz pure bee’s wax, small pieces
60 drops frankincense essential oil (optional)
Grind the frankincense resin in a mortar and pestle into a very find powder. Put the frankincense powder into a Pyrex measuring cup and add the olive oil. Half fill a sauce pan with water and put the Pyrex cup into the sauce pan. Bring the water to a boil and simmer the frankincense and olive oil for 3-4 hours. Cool the frankincense infused oil overnight. The frankincense powder will drop to the bottom of the Pyrex cup.

Carefully, pour off the frankincense infused olive oil into another Pyrex cup. Try not to disturb the frankincense powder at the bottom of the cup. Leave some of the olive oil behind, if desired. Reserve this mixture for making Frankincense Salve. Add the shea butter and bee’s wax. Half fill a sauce pan with water and put the Pyrex cup into the sauce pan. Bring the water to a boil. Simmer until the shea butter and bee’s wax are melted. Stir in the frankincense essential oil, if desired. Carefully, pour the hot oil into containers and label.

“Laboratory studies have shown that boswellic acids, active components in boswellia, deactivate the hormonal triggers for inflammation and pain in osteoarthritis.”
Prescription for Herbal Healing by Phyllis A Balch

frankincense-salve

Frankincense Salve is vigorously rubbed into sore joints or tissue.

Frankincense Salve

This salve is more like a scrub because of its granular texture. The salve is intended to be vigorously rubbed into the skin and left on the skin to absorb.

1/4c frankincense mixture from making Frankincense Oil
1/4c frankincense infused oil (optional)
1/4oz pure bee’s wax, small pieces
30 drops frankincense essential oil (optional)
Pour off the any extra frankincense infused oil into another Pyrex cup. In a clean mortar and pestle, grind the frankincense mixture into the smooth paste. Get the paste as smooth as possible by doing small amounts. Pour the smooth paste into the Pyrex cup before starting a second amount. When completed add the bee’s wax. Half fill a sauce pan with water and put the Pyrex cup into the sauce pan. Bring the water to a boil. Simmer until the bee’s wax is melted. Stir in the frankincense essential oil, if desired. Carefully, pour the hot mixture into containers and label.

The following information about frankincense comes from The King’s Medicine Cabinet by Dr Josh Axe.

Frankincense is also known as boswellia. It has been regarded as a holy oil in the Middle East for centuries. It is well known as one of the gifts given to Christ at his birth. “In ancient times, frankincense was valued above gold because its use to treat every illness.”

“Recent research published in the Journal of Oncology has found frankincense to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells better than chemotherapy.” The essential oil has also been used with much success to treat issues by reducing inflammation and improving immune function.

Benefits

  • fight cancer
  • reduce inflammation
  • boost immune system cleanses and detoxes body
  • improves depression and mood
  • spiritual awareness
  • fights infections
  • heals skin scarring, sunspots and acne

Uses

  • Rub topically behind ears, on chest and neck to improve immunity
  • Put topically on age spots, scars and stretch marks to improve skin
  • Take internally to reduce inflammation or put topically on areas of joint pain
  • Use topically after a trauma to recenter and calm yourself
  • Diffuse in air when praying or doing spiritual reading
  • Diffuse in air to reduce seasonal allergies
  • Take internally, diffuse or use topically for cellular health and increasing longevity and lifespan