Halloween Horror

I was thinking of food this morning. Actually, I think about food a lot. Afflictions I've had over the years have been food related--my most recent Alpha-Gal allergy.

And, I often think of things I could have done differently raising my family. The elimination of FAST FOODS being one of them. It is one of my greatest shortfalls as a mother to admit that some of my daughter's first words were "Fench fwy" and "coke".

I was young and unwise.

Now I am old(er) and wise(er.

Since ubiquitous McDonald's was the first fast food we frequented, and is available on every other corner, I usually use them for my example. This is not to say other fast foods are not equally as guilty of faux food.

Today kids will be suiting up for trick/treating and moms will be scurrying around trying to make it happen. The perfect time for fast food. In my mind I see little ghosts clutching french fry packets, the undead gobbling down a burger and Justin Bieber look-alikes guzzling a diet coke.

It makes my stomach tighten. The lists of BAD things you are eating along with that #1 are no secret. But, we get busy and we forget. We are in a hurry so we justify.

Please, moms. THINK about the horror that years of fast food will do to your child.

A good way to keep reminding ourselves of the damage hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oil will do to our bodies is to read, Read, READ. The research has been done for you folks. GMO and high fructose corn syrup are villains masked as nutrition; not just for Halloween, but every day.

And, if you want to see a real fast food HALLOWEEN HORROR go HERE

HOW-TO-TUESDAY Calcium

I have so many women ask me about calcium that I decided to re-post an article I wrote a year and a half ago.

Today's HOW-TO is about calcium and how to actually get it inside so your body can use it. So many of the calcium supplements cannot be utilized, broken-down or put to good use inside you. As an herbalist, I have a couple, three actually, good ways to get calcium. Good usable calcium. Calcium that will actually affect your bones by making them stronger and yes, even help to relieve that old-fashioned aching in your bones.

Chances are you have been throwing yours in the trash or grinding it down the garbage disposal, or, if you are really "green", you are tossing your calcium on the compost pile. What the heck am I talking about?

E G G S H E L L S

This first tip is so stinkin' easy your first thought will be that it can't possibly work. Well, it does! When making your next recipe that calls for eggs (please use local farm-pasture-raised eggs!) just follow these simple rules:

1) Save your eggshells.
2) Wash your eggshells.

3) Pour boiling water over your eggshells.

4) Let them cool.

5) Add some lemon. (1/2 tsp per 6 shells)

6) Strain into jar and cap.

7) Use or freeze. Ice trays work wonderfully.

How easy was that? A "dose" is about 1/4 cup of eggshell water. You can just drink it, add it your favorite juice or fruit smoothy. (I have great recipes for smoothies on my website)

Second tip: Instead of water, cover the eggshells with apple cider vinegar DO NOT USE WHITE VINEGAR or I'll have to come out there and get cha! (that's "farm" for get you), organic is BEST. Let it sit at least 2 weeks, 6 weeks is better. Dose is 1 tsp per day.

Third tip: Calcium Tea. If you want to make it yourself the directions are on my website HERE in the Library section under Calcium Tea. It has delightful herbs that are chock full of a lot of minerals, not just calcium. Or, if you want it "ready-made" I also have it for sale in my on-line store HERE

Now, it's your turn to share. Just type in your name and your website or blog address. Your name will appear and folks can click it to be magically transported to your HOW-TO. Thanks for sharing.

Good Chickens Do Good Fences Make

Some of you may remember when we erected a five foot chicken fence between us and our neighbor. It was the result of said neighbor's dog attack on my Mables. I had 15 at the time.

Now, in all fairness, the Mables probably instigated the attack. Unintentionally of course. Our neighbor keeps a large pan of dry dog food in his garage which he subsequently leaves open for his dogs to eat a la carte. Mabels had developed quite a taste for it and I'm sure that played a part in the fatal ambush of most of my Mable flock.

After burying multiple Mables FarmBoy Gary and I put up the fence between chickens and dog food. The problem was that at one end of the fence there was a space of several feet occupied by large LARGE and thick and did I say large poison ivy vines, bushes and small hedges. Neither of us wanted to tackle it in it's present leafed out state.

Eventually a few chickens found their way through the poison ivy jungle. One of those chickens was Milly. She did this recon prior to her adoption of 20 chicks. This week they have ventured further and further from the hen yard.

Today Neighbor called to say Milly and all her chicks were pecking away happily at the dog food. How rude.

Consequently, FarmBoy and I scuttled our previous plans for the day and tackled that poison ivy so we could finish the fence. Since we've had several freezes the poison ivy patch was manageable and the fence is up.

Milly and her delinquents will have to find other diversions tomorrow.

How To Milk A Goat

I have the most precious goats ever. I am milking two right now:

Daisy (the highest one) and her kid, Button who isn't old enough to milk yet. They are Saanens. They LOVE going up to the loft in the barn.

This is Tessa. She is half Nubian/half Alpine: Nupine.

These two girls are so incredibly sweet. And, smart. At milking time they know exactly what to do, where to go and when to go there.

I keep a jar of disinfectant that I make myself in a cabinet in the barn. I also keep clean cloths, small, small plastic cups, a roll of paper towels, herbs and a brush. I dampen a cloth and wipe off the entire udder area, inside legs and underbelly.

I squeeze out a few squirts of milk into a cup. This first milk has bacteria so I dispose of it.

I use stainless steel to milk into and NEVER EVER set it directly on the milking stanchion. I put a paper towel or clean cloth under it. When I'm done I cover the milk and set it in a sterile bucket and put a cloth over the top of that. So the milk is covered twice until I get it into the house to process.

Last I dip both teats into the disinfectant.

Usually Daisy is finished with her ration by this time and I let her out.

Tessa is a little slower to eat...she likes to lick the bowl..so I brush her while she finishes. Sometimes she takes so long I have time to brush Daisy, too!

HOW-TO-TUESDAY Herbal Vinegar Cleaner

I won’t go into how much household cleaners cost—you already know that. I’m not even going to launch into the dangerous chemicals that lurk in commercial cleaners —you know that as well.

Vinegar has SO many uses—cleaning being one of them. But, let’s face it—most folks wrinkle their noses at the thought of vinegar. So today we’re going to make a cleaner from vinegar that you’re going to love.

Begin with the cheapest CHEAPEST white vinegar. I buy it by the gallons and use it for so many things here on the farm. I keep a gallon in the Herb Cottage, one in the feed room in the chicken house and one in the barn. Oh, and, of course, one in the house.

Assemble supplies: White Vinegar—excellent anti-microbial properties.

Quart jar w/lid

spray bottle any size works.

Thyme – about a cup. Thyme has anti-microbial attributes. Our grandmothers used thyme infusions to clean wounds; we use it to clean houses. (It’s also excellent in the medicine chest, but we’ll discuss that another time.) Thyme is going to make your cleaner a beautiful shade of red. This thyme is from my garden. I LOVE harvesting my herbs—the aroma is so therapeutic.

Lavender flowers – about a cup. Lavender also has anti-microbial power which adds a triple whammy to your cleaner. Plus, it smells like a meadow on a warm summer day. I didn’t grow enough lavender to do all the lavender projects I have so this cup is from my super secret supercalifragilisticexpialidocious herb supplier. But, for you I’ll share. Shhhhh…go HERE.

Pour herbs into jar.

I added rose petals just because. Some were dried and some were fresh. My thyme was also fresh but dried works well.

Pour vinegar into jar and put on the lid.

Leave it alone for 24 hours. OK, you can take a peek—it's hard not to watch the vinegar turn red.

Strain the herbal vinegar into another jar and put the used herbs in your compost bin. Isn't it beautiful?

Fill spray bottle with vinegar solution: you can use it straight or dilute it half/half with filtered water--chlorinated if that’s what you have. Clean away! Spray on and wipe off like any cleaner. I hope you enjoy using this as much as I do.

The straight vinegar mix is good for greasy jobs in the kitchen, grime on the floor, dog puke on the carpet and scum in the bathroom. The diluted mix works great for appliances, general dusting, well basically anything. You can use it for windows and mirrors but it’s overkill as it only takes a tiny bit—like a teaspoon in a quart of water—to get sparkling glass.

Caveat: DO NOT USE ON MARBLE COUNTERTOPS—granite is ok. The vinegar will make little PITS and etchings. I learned this the hard way. It’s not a pretty sight.

You can use essential oils with or instead of herbs but I like the hands on method of infusing the herbs. To me it cleans better—maybe it’s because I’m putting my own energy into it which I firmly believe plays a part in anything you make. Like dinner.

And, if you have something you know HOW TO do please share with us. Add your name/URL at the bottom of this post. We’d LOVE to hear from you. To add a comment CLICK on the word comment--easy peasy.

Snakes and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails

My dog chases cars. I hate that. He started by following the neighbors dog when she chased the school bus. I've done everything I could think of to break him. But, twice a day, Monday through Friday, he tears off after it.

Rocky is only 15 months old and not street wise like the other dog--his mentor so-to-speak. She runs in the ditch. He runs in front of the bus. You see my concern.

Then he began chasing Harleys, cyclists in full cycling gear, loud monster trucks and kids on horses. Well, he didn't actually chase the horses, just tormented them from the sidelines.

The inevitable happened. Rocky is a beautiful dog. And, a super great guard dog of chickens and goats. He lives up to his ancestral Anatolian name.

Here he is last week--note the long beautiful tail.

Saturday evening FarmBoy and I heard a dog whelp and cry; we went to the door and Rocky was running as fast as he could toward us away from the road. Neighbor's dogs still in the road and a pickup truck was backing up the road. We knew one of the dogs had been hit.

By the time FarmBoy got his shoes on the truck had driven on, neighbor's dogs disappeared and Rocky was in the back yard still barking furiously.

Upon inspection Rocky is covered in blood and it's difficult to tell just how badly he is hurt. Now, when I say inspection I mean a good ten feet away as Rocky won't let anyone near him.

By Sunday morning Rocky had calmed down and let me examine the damage. His leg wound was deep but not large. But, the tail is ruined. A good twelve inches is nothing but bone and bleeding. He had left six or seven inches of hair and a tiny bit of tail in the road where we think the truck applied his brakes and skidded on the tail.

I doctored him with my herbal farm vet kit and worried that all of that exposed bone would surely invite infection. He wouldn't let me near him after that prefering to take care of it himself.

I wondered if it would be better to cut the tail off rather than take a chance of something more serious invading the wound. I was going to call the vet this morning but nature or Rocky himself took care of the situation: the entire exposed tail is gone.

This morning the bus came right on schedule--it was barely daylight. Rocky laid in his usual spot. I watched. Would he or wouldn't he?

He perked up his head, let out one disinterested whoof and laid it back down. Let's pray that attitude prevails after he is feeling up to par.

He went up the mountain with me and the goats as is our usual morning ritual and he had eaten all his food (laden with echinacea) this morning--both good signs of recovery.

Half a tail is a small price to pay for a life saving lesson. Let's hope he always remembers it.

These Boots Are Made For Workin'

Everyone needs a good pair of work boots. I mean at some point you are going to be shoveling, sanding or sorting. I searched far and wide for these and I love them.

I don't baby my boots. They hike in rocks. They shovel in manure. They plant in dirt. They carry hay and feed. They rake leaves and catch chickens. They run after a coyote, chase the dog chasing the bus and build a cold frame. They clean out the stock tank and take folks for a farm tour. They do the milking and carry in firewood. And, they look it!

Since I have this nice new jar of "Furniture Polish" -- which is code for Wonder Wax--(Hey, I think that's what I'll call it.) I thought I'd clean up my boots.

I use the Karate Kid method: wipe on/wipe off. It really is that easy. The entire process took 7 minutes--photography included. I don't like to double dip my dirty cloth in the wax, so I use a spoon to scrape out a small amount, wipe it on the rag and apply to the boot. Or whatever you're polishing/waxing.

Half done.

All done.

And, if I was so inclined, I could have buffed them with a cloth to make them really shine.

My hands get as rough a workout as my boots. In fact a farmers market friend makes body products. She took hold of my hand one day at market and said, Oh My Gosh, this is terrible!

So, I rubbed the wax into my hands and kept them out of water all afternoon while I did computer work. My friend should feel them now....ummmm smooth! I actually had a man kiss my hand the other day in saying good bye. How lovely and continental.

I hope you are inspired to try making the Wonder Wax...I know you'll like it.

HOW-TO-TUESDAY Furniture Polish

I was recently asked about making a natural furniture polish or wax out of beeswax. It reminded me of this SIMPLE wax that has MULTIPLE uses. You don't need spray waxes, polishes or dusting aids. Once you make and use this wonderful, versatile wax you will be sold on it.

Don't be timid; this is Easy to make with a capital E.

Assemble supplies: double boiler or other pan, multiple cup transparent measuring cup, vegetable oil, beeswax and essential oil is optional. Any kind of vegetable oil will work: olive, almond, coconut, grapeseed, jojoba...well you get the picture.

I use olive oil because I always have it on hand.

I DO NOT USE MINERAL OIL. Mineral oil is a petroleum product and has no place in my recipes!

You can make any amount of furniture polish you want--just use a 1:4 rato. One part beeswax to 4 parts oil.

An easy breezy way to get your ratios correct: Pour one cup oil into measuring cup, then add beeswax until the oil measures 1 1/4 cups.

Pour oil and beeswax into a pan. Heat GENTLY over low fire--a double boiler is best--until beeswax is melted.

Let cool slightly, add essential oil. Make it as strong or subtle as you like. I like lemon or orange...makes the furniture smell clean.

Remove from heat.

Pour into wide mouth jar for easy retrieval. Leave the lid off until it is completely cooled to prevent condensation.

YOU ARE DONE! Could it be any easier!

Shelf life is about a year....longer if you refrigerate.

Apply to wood rubbing gently and working it into the wood then wipe off with soft cloth. Here's the best thing: you only need to do this once a year. The rest of the time just dust! This polish will clean, polish and protect your furniture. It is good for unfinished or finished wood. And, it's FABULOUSLY natural for home made wooden toys--WALDORF style.

And, another perk: because this "polish" is made from wonderful natural safe ingredients it can be used for so many other things. You'll notice how soft your hands are after using! So use it for those rough calloused places on your feet. Olive oil has many healing properties so it can be used for "owies"--bites, scratches, etc. Can be used on kids,animals and husbands!

On the farm I use it for my goat's hooves and horns. It's a great leather conditioner--boots, bags, saddles. Be creative.

OK, folks. Time for YOU to share. Type in your name and your website address below and your name will appear after my post for others to click on and see your HOW-TO.

Last Week...

Canned beans...

Spread manure on the gardens...

Watched the goats during playtime...

And observed Mother Nature dressing for autumn. Life is Good.

Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater

Alternative use for pumpkins.

It's that time of year--PUMPKINS have invaded. Farmers markets are dotted with orange spheres big and small and everything in between. And, even though this ubiquitous squash comes in other colors with every imaginable kind of marking there's no replacing the good ole perfectly round, lusciously orange, Sleepy Hollow kind of pumpkin.

I didn't intend October 12 to be my own personal pumpkin day but I see I posted about pumpkins last year on this date. Take a look HERE to learn how to cook a pumpkin.

Pumpkins are not only fun, they are one of natures most perfect foods. That lovely orange color I mentioned is brought to us by those immune-boosting antioxidants the carotene twins: alpha and beta. They are precursors to vitamin A and help keep our eyes looking good.

Other nutrients also hang out with pumpkin: vitamin C and E along with magnesium, potassium and iron. Pumpkins are a wise choice for pies as they only contain 49 tiny little calories per cup. Of course, you will add a sweetener but when you start with such a small caloric count you can splurge a little on other ingredients.

And, don't forget the high FIBER count that's so important to our bodily functions.

One of the best pumpkin parts is the seeds! I love their other name: pepitas...isn't that adorable?

Folk medicine praises the pumpkin seed so much this was instrumental in the scientific community initiating a host of studies. A gram of roasted seeds contain a significant amount of tryptophan which is being studied for anxiety disorders. Although not enough for major depression the seeds are being used to prevent anxiety attacks and other mood disorders. So munch away to keep the blues at bay.

Pumpkin seeds have also been said to help with arteriosclerosis and to regulate cholesterol. They are rich in carbohydrates, amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids. Seeds contain most of the B vitamins along with C, D, E and K. Minerals abound with calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron and phosphorous.

Studies show they can relieve arthritis and protect our bones. The World's Healthiest Foods blog has a great article on pumpkins seeds HERE.

Native Americans used pumpkin seeds for parasites and kidney problems and called them cucurbitas--the Latin name for squash.

To roast seeds of pumpkins or winter squash just clean, season and pop in oven at 300 for 10-15 minutes. Ymmmmm.

HOW-TO-TUESDAY Cough Syrup

I am so excited to share this with you. The recipe comes from one of my herbal mentors--Rosemary Gladstar. I met her years ago at an herbal conference. She is a wonderful, sweet lady and an excellent herbalist.

Autumn is here and with it weather ups and downs. It's the perfect season to get that tickly sensation in your throat that signals the onset of something worse.

OTC cough medicines are laden with all kinds of things I would rather avoid--especially for children. This simple remedy is tasty, effective, inexpensive and you don't have to run to the pharmacy or grocers. You can make it from items already in your kitchen.

Gather ingredients: Large onion, honey.

Wow, that WAS easy.

Slice onion in half; slice into half moons.

Put into saucpan.

Cover with honey.

Heat over low until onions are soft.

DONE!

Take by spoonfuls as needed.

Strain or not, it's up to you. If you leave the onions in they will continue to release their oniony goodness into the honey. Transfer to jar and store in frig.

You can alter this recipe by adding other stuff in your kitchen such as garlic and cayenne.

Rosemary's books are available in my MUST HAVE BOOKS in the right hand column.

I would love for you to share something YOU know how to do. Just fill in your name and your URL below and your will be added. Then others can go to your website and learn even more today!

GMO Ticking Time Bomb - Gary Null - Part 1

I used to love Star Trek...well, heck, I still do. They obtained their food thru a vending-type machine that manufactured your choices on demand. OMGSH! They are eating fake food! I was shocked and appalled at what it was doing to the health of the Star Trek crew.

Well, now thanks to GMO engineering we are doing the same thing. Fake foods line the shelves at the grocers. We opt for convenience over healthy choices because we have crammed our lives so full of activities.

Our bodies are gloriously and wondrously made. There are millions of interactions happening at lightening speed to keep us up and running. Do we really want to toy with these intricate mechanations? Do we want to interfere with the marvelous interactions of our body systems that are responsible for all of the body's functions?

Our bodies are designed to run on food from the earth--animal and vegetable. When we alter that food there are bound to be consequences. We are upsetting the delicate balance required to fuel and replenish our bodies. The results may be slow to develop but you can be assured that the changes to your body will happen and they will not be of a positive nature.

Take time to get informed about GMOs. Learn about the food you are feeding yourself and your loved ones so you can make intelligent decisions about health. Take a few minutes to watch this film. hh

Baby-A-Coming

Tessa and Charlie sittin in a tree

K I S S I N G

First comes love

Then comes marriage

Then comes Tessa with a baby carriage!

Tessa is one of my milk goats; Charlie is my little boy goat. What a stud.

This is my first ever experience at breeding goats so I am super excited....and praying for GOOD WEATHER on March 1! But, even if March comes in like a lion, I have a plan B.

It involves heat lamps and garages!

I took some cute pictures of them yesterday (Tessa and Charlie) but I just realized my camera is over in the herb cottage. And, it's still dark outside (No thanks, Ben Franklin) and I'm still in my jammies. So, pics to come later.

I've been feeding Tessa a special diet in preparation for motherhood. (More on that later) She is fresh now and this baby will be her second.

Gotta run, but just wanted to share the news.....

Remedies

When I was a little girl I always spent part of the summer with my grandparents--Grandpa Henry and Grandma Lizzy. It was the highlight of my life. Kittens. Cousins. Featherbed. Outhouse. Adventures untold. It's where I fell in love with farm life.

This is Grandma Lizzy. Isn't she beautiful?

And chickens. I loved Grandma's chickens. Grandma let us girls gather the eggs and by some magic known only to seven year olds some of the eggs landed in our "kitchen" instead of Grandma's.

Eggs are good for a lot of things such as stuffing tiny halter tops just to see what being grown up feels like. (Wonder of all wonders, not one egg ever broke in our clothes.)

Dorothy and her infectious smile.

My cousin Dorothy and I through much trial and error created the best recipe for using eggs:

2 parts fine dirt like the kind chickens love to dust bathe in

1 part well water, hand pumped and ice cold.

1 small handful leaves torn into bits--these always work better if they are gathered in a fit of giggles.

Mix thoroughly and vigorously with Grandma's borrowed spoon. Or, if caught before we got out the door, two sticks work almost as well.

Blend well--a few lumps are acceptable--then add the crowning touch. That magical part that transforms a muddy concoction into the perfect culinary masterpiece: one egg. Or, if we were feeling particularly adventurous and brave, two eggs. Bake in sun for 15 minutes. Five minutes will work if you are really busy or if you see Grandma filling the old galvanized tub with water and you know "swim" time is imminent.

Garnish with an acorn. Wah-la: the perfect Kansas Pie.

I've often thought that maybe this is why I love to mix up herbal concoctions. I dig in the dirt. I mix and measure by parts. I get that same feeling of satisfaction. Healing comes in the making as well as the remedy itself. Thank you, Grandma, for those experiences. And, thank you, Dorothy, for all our adventures.

If you like to stir things up once in a while and like the idea of healing naturally then you'll love my herb classes. Next Tuesday in the herb cottage here at the farm we will be learning to make creamy herbal salves for all those little owies and herbal extracts that nudge the body into wellness. No eggs involved. So, come on out-- we'll sip herb tea, talk and make magical mixtures of wellness. There may even be a giggle or two.

Tuesday October 9

10 AM to noon

Rocky Creek Valley Farm 37009 W. 156th St Rayville, MO 60484

$20

Call or email to register. 816-853-0440 or lizzy@rcvfarm.com View the entire herb class schedule on our web: HERE.

HOW-TO-TUESDAY Install a Web Button

Well today is THE day.

Welcome to the first official HOW-TO-TUESDAY. It's sooo easy-- just fill in the blanks at the bottom to link this page to YOUR how-to on your page.

Since I spent so much time trying to figure out web buttons, I decided to share it. HOW TO ADD A BUTTON TO YOUR BLOG. I use Blogger.

Decide on a photo.You can edit it in photobucket to add text or whatever.

Upload photo to photobucket. (You could use another online photo storage, but I KNOW this one is easy and FREE.

Click on IMAGE LINKS. Click on the link. It automatically copies it when you click it.

Copy this link into your blog gadget box--DIRECTIONS FOR THAT BELOW:

Click on Design up in the tool bar.

Click on Layout on the left-hand side.

Click on Add A gadget.

Scroll down to HTML/Javascript.

Copy the code from Photobucket into the box and add a title at the top. SAVE. DONE!

It's Coming...

I've worked most of the day on this button:

Tomorrow we begin.... gather your thoughts, sharpen your pencil (ok, I know you're not writing with a pencil) and get ready to post. What would you like to HOW TO?

HOW-TO-TUESDAY

New Ventures get my blood coursing, surging, racing! And, even though this is not EXACTLY something new, it's close enough.

Way back in 2011 I happened upon this extraordinary blog (http://stiesthoughts.blogspot.com) via a friend. She started How To Tuesdays. This is her button and link to her site. Tomorrow I will have a new and different button.

Genius. I loved it. It gave voice to all of you out there who want to share ideas. But, then, for reasons unknown (heaven knows I have plenty of those) no time, the dog ate my idea, a change of heart, my Inspiration Blog stopped doing How To Tuesdays.

I have racked my brain trying to come up with a new title, but nothing rings as true as How To Tuesday. So, why reinvent the wheel?

Tomorrow is launch day. Gather your wits about you and get ready to share. It doesn't have to be earth-shattering or Nobel Prize worthy. Just tips or tricks you have learned or conjured to make life easier, quicker or more enjoyable. An instructional minute with or without photos.

If I can garner my cyber wits about me and figure out widgets, buttons and code there will be a place to "sign in" that leaves the cyber address of your blog or wherever you post your How To. Readers can click on it and be magically transported to your blog. The subject can be ANYTHING. Food. Crafts. Gardening. Construction. Kid-raising. Writing. Animal, vegetable, mineral. Anything.

Life can be complicated. Let's share and make it easier for all of us. So, get ready--Let's How To Tuesday.