Olla Plant Watering System Saves Time & Water

Everyone gets thirsty during the hot summer months -- even your plants. An olla can help reduce your water usage and make gardening less time consuming. What is an olla? Simply stated, it is a ceramic pot. Ollas used for plant irrigation are unglazed.

This ancient form of plant irrigation uses seepage from buried pots to deliver a steady supply of water beneath the ground. The vessel is placed in a hole and covered with soil, leaving the opening above soil. The olla is then filled with water and covered with a lid. The permeable properties of the unglazed pot will then allow water to gradually seep through its sides into the surrounding ground. Plants are placed in the ground near the pot. As long as the olla is kept filled with water, the plant has water at its roots.

Four benefits of using olla irrigation pots are:

* The pots don't clog or lose water to evaporation as other systems can.

* Plants aren't overwatered as they only draw as much water as they need.

* Water usage is greatly reduced.

* Gardeners don't have to be on hand for frequent watering.

Ollas retail for around $27 for a large pot. However, you can make one yourself for about a third of that cost -- or FREE if you have the materials on hand!

You will need two unglazed terracotta flower pots that are the same size, one 4" pot, duct tape, Gorilla glue and silicone waterproof sealant.

Place duct tape over the drain hole of one of the larger pots. Use a caulking gun to fill the hole with silicone sealant. Wet the lip of one pot and apply the glue. Invert one pot on top of the other.

Moisten the bottom of the 4" pot with water and glue it on top of the pot with the OPEN drain hole, making SURE the holes are aligned.

Wrap these with duct tape for stability and allow to cure overnight. The glue will expand.

The next day, remove the tape and scrape any excess glue from the sides. Check the top drain holes and make sure they are still opened. If the glue has expanded to close the hole, you'll need to ream it back open using the narrow end of a file.

Your homemade olla now looks like a space capsule. Apply silicone sealant to the seams at the middle and where the 4" pot joins the top.

Let this cure overnight. The next day, check for leaks by filling the pot. You will notice a pleasant glugging sound as it fills.

If there are leaks, use a pencil to mark the spots, invert the pot, let it drain, dry and re-apply sealant. Test again for leaks after this application cures.

Watch your filled pot and you will notice the terracotta changes color as the water permeates through the sides.

Another alternative is to bury a tall pot and use a

dinner plate as a lid. Here's a video demonstrating that method:

To use your olla, bury it leaving the 4" pot elevated above the ground. I painted the 4" section white to make it watertight and prevent any seepage from the above ground terracotta. A small saucer or large flat stone can be used to cover the opening, discouraging mosquitoes and preventing water loss. Here's a video demonstrating how to incorporate an olla in your garden.

read more “ Olla Plant Watering System Saves Time & Water ”

The DaVinci Road -- Blazing a Trail for Learning

Rebekah Anast brings her unique perspective to her newest book, The DaVinci Road. I half-expected to find tales of her jungle adventures, fun childhood, devotional gems, poetry or parenting tips. By the time I reluctantly turned the last page, I had not been disappointed. All of this and more are contained in The DaVinci Road.

The DaVinci Road expounds upon the learning method of observation to arrive at a conclusion. The author reflects upon her varied experiences and brings them into the classroom setting and beyond. Using DaVinci as her model, she encourages others to look and see the evidence for themselves. She urges all of us to continue to seek, to chase after the truth and to not grow complacent in that endeavor.

Her observations about life, children and academic instruction are sprinkled throughout along with some of her favorite recipes. She shares methods that have worked for her and others when dealing with a learning difficulty. The reader is left with a challenge to pursue the adventure that is this life with both eyes and ears wide open.

If you are interested in receiving a free ebook, here's the author and her husband with details on how this can be done.

NOTE: If you've got a computer and an Amazon account, you can use their Kindle application free. In other words you don't need a smartphone or some other personal electronic device (other than your computer) to read the book online. Here's the link for Kindle https://kindle.amazon.com/

read more “ The DaVinci Road -- Blazing a Trail for Learning ”

STOCKING UP ON SAVINGS -- ARE COUPONS WORTH THE EFFORT?

Keeping a well stocked pantry, medicine cabinet and a good supply of various household items on hand has long been recommended by various preparedness and survival experts. This strategy, however, can also be used to help save money and insulate your household from fluctuating prices.

The biggest hurdle that families on limited incomes have is that there just isn't that much disposable income with which to accumulate a stockpile of items. When you are thinking about getting the funds to acquire the tools to preserve and store food items -- and the foods also -- it can seem like an impossible task.

Instead of trying to do everything at once, I recommend you break it down into three gradual steps.

STEP ONE: Create a 'Buy Price List.'

This is a two-step process that involves writing down each item you purchase, the size and the price. If you are using paper, use a separate sheet for each major category. I use the following categories: Baking, Beverages, Bread, Canned Goods, Cleaning, Clothing, Condiments, Dairy, Dental, Grain/Dry Beans, Hair Care, Household Items (batteries, etc.), Kitchen Tools, Meat, Medicine/Supplements, Paper, Personal Care/First Aid, Pets, Produce, School & Office, Seasonings and Snacks.

There will be duplicate entries because you'll keep this up for about two to three months. Eventually, you will notice that there are times when you get a better price than others. On a separate sheet of paper, you'll write down each item you normally purchase and the best price or the 'Buy Price' for that item. An example would look like this:

Household Items -- Batteries -- AA Alkaline Batteries -- $.37 each -- $5.99 for pack of 16

This is important because your 'Buy Price List' tells you when prices have dropped to the best price for your area. When prices hit the range on your list, purchase enough to last you for 6 weeks or so. Why six weeks? Because retail stores have sales cycles that range from 6 to 8 weeks. You'll have enough of an item in your home to hold you over until it goes on sale again. This means that the same products you already purchase will (eventually) only be purchased by you when you see the price drop.

There are online sites that offer guidelines on what is considered the lowest price, but these seldom take into account things like organic vegetables and/or the ingredients that you might use if you make things from scratch. You'll want to make your own list in order to know when something like your favorite bulk herb or Bragg Apple Cider Vinegar is available for a good price.

Step Two: Combine your buy price with coupons.

I know. Food coupons often promote processed foods and less than healthy options. However, consider for a moment how many items come home in your shopping bag that aren't actually foods. You probably purchase clothing, hair products and accessories, toothbrushes, batteries, canning jars, storage bags, garbage bags, paper products, etc. By combining manufacturer coupons with sales prices, you can greatly reduce the cost of these items, leaving more money for the healthy foods you prefer.

Many stores offer store coupons in their sales fliers and on their web sites. These can be printed off at home and redeemed in the store. Most stores will allow you to use a store coupon AND a manufacturer coupon for the purchase of single item. My husband was able to use this strategy to purchase two loaves of sprouted grain bread. The store coupon and the manufacturer coupon actually totaled more than the cost of the bread. He went through the checkout and got paid to leave with some very healthy bread.

Step 3: Leverage your savings

Now that each dollar is being used to get products at lower prices, and you are stocking up on the items you regularly use, you should notice a drop in your spending. This can take a few months to kick in, but it will happen. Once this occurs, you'll have a little nest egg. Use that as seed money to invest in tools to increase your savings. Whether it's as small as a well-organized coupon book, or as large as a durable wheat grinder, tools like these pay for themselves.

Maybe you've been thinking about raising your own eggs with some backyard chickens, or you'd like to find a rock bottom price for some bulk grains, or you need to build a sturdy pantry -- whatever your needs, consider purchasing something that increases your ability to be self-sustaining and thereby further stretches your dollar.

Your savings will also allow you to collect items that would be a blessing to a family in need. Imagine how a basket of toiletries and cleaning products would be received by a family that had just lost their home. What you were able to collect for free (or nearly free) could be a great bounty to them.

If you are interested in learning more about how to effectively coupon, here are some resources I recommend:

Books & Couponing tools at Morrison's Mercantile

Southern Savers

Coupon Mom

The Krazy Coupon Lady

read more “ STOCKING UP ON SAVINGS -- ARE COUPONS WORTH THE EFFORT? ”

SOME SAVING STRATEGIES

Getting quality ingredients that are packed with nutrition has become increasingly difficult on a tight budget. Finding someone to tell you how to keep expenses down can become even more confusing because every family has different needs and there are TONS of methods for saving on groceries.

So, what I will share in this article are a few things that work for me. These are not hard fast rules. I will not send the Learn and Live Well police to your home to check for violations. These are simply guidelines that I use which have proved helpful. Hopefully, there is enough here to help you get the most for your money.

Become a Low Price Expert
Your family's grocery shopper may not have a lot of influence over the household and food budget. Regardless of your circumstances, you can make yourself a student of pricing in your area. Knowing how much an item costs -- what is actually a good price and what isn't -- will make you a smart shopper. If you've only got $5 to spend, you may as well get the most out of your limited budget. One way to do this is to start a price comparison notebook. Give a separate page for each item you regularly purchase. Include cleaning products, snacks, toiletries and food. You can use your receipts, sales fliers or just walk the aisles of your favorite store and record the size and price of each item, along with brand name and a short description. Once you know what's a good price for an item, you can watch the notices for sales and make purchases when you see the price fall to that level.

Use Basic Ingredients
Another way to save money is to stop purchasing convenience items. Processed foods don't just compromise your health, they lower your bank balance. Learning how to organize your kitchen and cook from scratch isn't too overwhelming if you just begin with one thing at a time. Mastering one dish will encourage you to attempt more ambitious things. For instance, knowing how to make bread can lead to grinding your own grain which can lead to learning how to make your own tortillas and pasta . . . . all of which will be more nutritious and less costly than the name brand item you are purchasing now. I can get organic brown rice cheaper than the regular off the shelf version by knowing how to find it cheap, store it and prepare it.

Of course, this will change the items you purchase and your price comparison notebook will reflect the change. Instead of the best price on glass and surface cleaner, you'll want to know the best price on vinegar and baking soda. The good news is that you'll automatically be spending less by purchasing the ingredients AND you'll save more on top of this by finding the best price on those ingredients.

Invest in Local Farmers
It's one thing to tell everyone they should be eating farm fresh produce, but it's quite another to find a way to accomplish it in practice. Unless you have years of farming experience and plenty of acreage outside of a residential area, you may find the task a daunting one. Not everyone has the vision and abilities that Jules Dervaes has demonstrated by turning his little city lot into a working farmstead. (Check out the Dervaes' story on www.urbanhomestead.org you might be inspired to plant a tomato or two.)

Instead, you can do the next best thing. Consider purchasing shares in a local farm. Find farmers near you that are willing to allow you to invest in their farm. These are called CSA's which stands for Consumer Supported Agriculture. Using the web site www.localharvest.org we were able to find a farmer near us that had a good reputation and a wide variety of produce. After touring his farm (and meeting his lovely family), we agreed on a price and purchased shares in all three 7-week growing seasons in our area. In addition, we were able to make arrangements to purchase some beef in advance of processing. This required some up-front money, but it also insured that we would have weekly baskets of fresh produce and a freezer full of beef without a hint of pink slime. *blech!*

Purchase Bulk Dry Goods
Organic staples like dried beans, brown rice, wheat berries, grits, corn meal, etc. can be difficult to find at good prices. One way to make sure you have them on hand is to purchase them in bulk. These are often found in 25 pound bags or larger. The dry goods can be kept in a large freezer or at controlled room temperature in pest-proof containers. I've found that placing a bay leaf in containers keeps them weevil and bug free as well as placing them in wide-mouthed canning jars that I vacuum seal using a FoodSaver Vacuum Sealer using a Wide-Mouth Jar Sealer attachment. Combining this with a well built shelving unit has freed up my freezer space (for the beef I purchased from our CSA *smiles*).

Combine Coupons With Sales on Items You Use
There are a lot of web sites out there which tell you how to accomplish this. In fact, by making so many things from scratch you will already be beating most couponers in the low price game. However, when it comes to ANYTHING you buy off the rack -- from tires to toilet paper -- you can save some MAJOR money using coupons. One store near me sells organic canned vegetables for more than $1 per can. I wait until those same items go on sale for $.60 and then load up my cart with enough to keep the pantry full until the sale hits again. I use my customer loyalty card that gives me an additional discount on certain days and saves me money when my husband gets gas for the vehicles. For more discussion on whether coupons are worth your time, check our this post: STOCKING UP ON SAVINGS -- ARE COUPONS WORTH THE EFFORT?

Here are my three favorite sites for information on how to save money with coupons.

Southern Saver -- I like this site for practical strategies and information for beginners. She includes a lot of in-store videos that demonstrate her methods. She also gives workshops. Check her calendar.

Krazy Coupon Lady -- This site helps those who already use coupons increase their savings with various strategies. They also have a really good book available on the subject called: Pick Another Checkout Lane, Honey: Save Big Money & Make the Grocery Aisle your Catwalk!

Coupon Mom -- This site includes a very handy searchable database to investigate the sales in your area and tell you where to find coupons.

Check out the coupon helps section of Morrison's Mercantile.

read more “ SOME SAVING STRATEGIES ”

How to Make Your Own Facebook Banner

There are many applications that allow you to create banners on the new Facebook Profile. However, each application comes with limitations in your ability to customize or create. If you'd prefer to make your very own banner, it takes just a little time following a few guidelines.

The 'banners' that you see on people's profiles are actually images that are tagged with that person's name. The order that those images appear in are related to WHEN those tags were placed. The images appear in order from the most recently tagged to the 5th oldest one.

In order to create your own banner, you'll need to find an image that is horizontally oriented, or one that can be cropped to be oriented in this way. Once you have this image on your hard drive, you'll need to size it properly to begin creating your banner.



Using your picture editor, size your banner to 490 pixels wide by 68 pixels high. These overall dimensions can be divided into 5 equal segments that will fit together like puzzle pieces that create your banner. To divide your banner, select the upper left hand corner of your image and draw a box that is 98 by 68 pixels. Copy this selection and paste it as a new image and label it 'imageA'. Return to your original image and draw another box that is 98 x 68, position it's starting point at the 98th pixel from the left border of your image. Copy this section and paste it as a new imaged named 'imageB'. Return to the original image and repeat this process three more times.


Here are the starting pixel positions of each 98 x 68 segment of your 490 x 68 original:

98
196
294
and
392

Once you've created all five images, go to your social networking page and upload these five images. Place them in a folder together. Tag each photo in that folder with your own name moving from the last to the first. If the images are lettered A, B, C, D & E, then you will need to tag with your name in the order of E, D, C, B, and A. View your profile page or wall to see how the images look. If they are out of order, you may need to remove the tags and go through the process once more, saving after each tag. If you tag them without saving your work between each tag, the order can sometimes be mixed.


There you have it! You now have your own customized banner without having to share your information, current email address or friends list to acquire it.

If you'd like to use the banners I've made for my own Facebook page, feel free. Just add Kay Morrison to your friends list, browse through my photos and use any banners that you enjoy.

read more “ How to Make Your Own Facebook Banner ”

GET RID OF TAB MARKS IN PASTED TEXT

I wanted to take the time to post a short note about something I found to really make my life a little easier. I enjoy sharing tools that make life easier!

If you've ever had to copy and paste text into a word processing application, you may find that there are numerous tabs scattered throughout your copy. Removing them can be tedious -- especially if you are working with a lengthy document!

I've found a handy way to solve that problem. Pull up your find/replace feature and type ^t into the 'find' text box. The “^” symbol is made by pressing the shift button while striking the 6 key on most keyboards. Follow this with a lower case letter “t”. In the 'replace' box hit the space bar. Activate the find/replace and the tab keystrokes will be replaced with a space.

After this, you may have too many spaces in your document. You can use the find/replace feature to correct this by placing two spaces in the find window and a single space in the replace window. Repeat find/replace until you no longer have a string of spaces making gaps in your document.

Easy Peasy!

ADDITIONAL HELPS:

Too many returns

To get rid of too many returns in your document, type ^p into your find box. Leave the replace box blank. Be sure you are using the replace option. For the first search click on the button 'Find Next.' If it finds one of the stray returns you wish to eliminate, click 'Replace.'

Continue to use the 'Replace' button throughout your text. In this instance, using the 'Replace All' button doesn't work well. You do have to move through the document and deal with each paragraph mark individually, but the search/find option makes it go a little quicker.

How can I tell where there are tabs and paragraph marks in my document?

There is a way to see what keystrokes have been made in your document. In order to see them, press the Ctrl key while you strike the * symbol. To get the *, you will have to hold the shift key and press the 8 key at the same time.

This is a toggle feature. That means that if you want to see the keystrokes in your document, you can press Ctrl+* and if you wish to turn the feature off, you simply hit Ctrl+* once more. I work with this feature on so that I can tell what is creating blank space in my document.

read more “ GET RID OF TAB MARKS IN PASTED TEXT ”

NASAL SPRAY FLU VACCINE EXPOSES POPULATION TO LIVE VIRUS

A nasal spray influenza vaccine is being offered as an alternative to injections. This cultivated live virus is so concentrated that the person receiving it can infect others with the flu virus for three weeks after getting the vaccine. Once a person receives this spray, that person begins to shed flu virus cells. In practical terms, any time you are around someone that has received this form of vaccine -- at the grocery store, at the local pharmacy, at school, at work or other social gathering -- you risk being exposed to an artificially introduced and powerful form of the flu virus. Even if you haven’t been around a person that is sick with the flu, you could become ill from such an exposure.

Large portions of the population do not receive the flu vaccine and, in doing so, avoid having antifreeze, carbolic acid, formaldehyde, aluminum, mercury, and things grown in monkey, chicken, guinea pig, calf or embryonic cells injected into their system. Unfortunately, the administration of live virus in the form of an intranasal influenza vaccine is capable of contributing to an increased incidence of the flu among the general population.

Families with persons that are immunocompromised need to be very alert to this danger. The vaccine manufacturer warns recipients of the spray to avoid being around immunocompromised individuals. This may seem like a simple matter until you realize that immunocompromized individuals include: people with eczema, cancer, organ recipients, or people with (possibly undiagnosed) HIV or AIDS. Add to this number those individuals that are on medications such as corticosteroids that suppress immune response. These include medications given for allergies, asthma, emphysema, eczema, Crohn’s disease, herniated spinal discs, multiple sclerosis, acute muscular pain or any type of rheumatoid or autoimmune disease. A very large percentage of the population can be considered chemically immunosuppressed.

Some people have concluded that the real danger to the population is that unvaccinated people become sick when exposed to those who receive this nasal spray. Their belief is that the entire population should be willing to have annual injections or sprays in hopes of avoiding a flu strain which they most likely wouldn’t have been exposed to if it weren’t for this spray. This is a form of logic to which I cannot adhere.

Admittedly, I’m no doctor and don’t pretend to be one, but here is an evaluation of the introduction of this live virus into the population by Dr. Sherri Tenpenny:
http://drtenpenny.com/flumist.aspx

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If you wish to avoid public places that are offering the flu vaccine, you can use this widget to see where those places might be located near you.

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Following are three videos that show medical professionals speaking about the nasal spray vaccine.

Dr. Leonard G. Horowitz DMD, MA, MPH

offers this advice regarding the intranasal influenza vaccine.

This video is a portion of a presentation made 10/15/09

by a Registered Nurse working in Nashville.

He begins to address the intranasal vaccine at about 1:34.



Dr. Kent Holtorf, an infectious disease expert, is interviewed

about the safety of the flu vaccine.

He explains his reasons for not vaccinating his children.

read more “ NASAL SPRAY FLU VACCINE EXPOSES POPULATION TO LIVE VIRUS ”

DVD Review: MAKING HERBS SIMPLE VOLUME 2

This video is great by itself and even better as a compliment to volume 1. MAKING HERBS SIMPLE VOLUME 2 has all of the features I enjoyed in volume 1 and more.

Once again, Shoshanna takes you into the wooded areas around her home and introduces you to a variety of herbs in their natural habitat. Art projects, syrups, yummy teas, and healthful remedies are all part this video. Shoshanna teaches viewers how to make a healing salve. You'll learn about a herb that can be used as a laundry detergent and cleanser. Debi, a retired midwife, returns to discuss nutritive herbs that boost female reproductive health. Kristen testifies to the effectiveness of a home remedy for poison ivy.

You'll want to watch it from start to finish when it arrives. However, this isn't a DVD to be left sitting on a shelf. It's segmented into topical chapters and bonus features that are easily accessed from the menu, helping you review portions as needed. This video is highly entertaining, but also very educational! It would be a great compliment to a more indepth study of each of the herbs.

For added convenience, Bulk Herb Store has also included a handy pocket guidebook printed on heavy stock and in full color. This means that you will have images that help you identify the plants as well as printed recipes for the applications mentioned in the video. There's even a hardiness zone map with corresponding information on each featured herb. It's nice to see that Bulk Herb Store continues to look for ways to give more information to their customers.

MAKING HERBS SIMPLE VOLUME 2 would be a great gift for anyone that wants to find inexpensive ways to incorporate herbs into every day life. . . . That is, if you don't just decide to keep it for yourself!

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FOR A LIMITED TIME, Bulk Herb Store is making BOTH volumes 1 & 2 available for one low price. FOLLOW THIS LINK for more information.

Below, find an excerpt from the DVD MAKING HERBS SIMPLE, VOLUME 2

read more “ DVD Review: MAKING HERBS SIMPLE VOLUME 2 ”

THE BENEFITS OF GINGER ROOT

Ginger is a valued ingredient in recipes around the world. This herb is found as a seasoning in a variety of foods including cakes, cookies, breads, beverages, sauces, fruit dishes, and Asian cooking.

More than just a spice, Ginger Root is a powerful weapon in your arsenal against sickness. This potent root protects the stomach and is useful in the treatment of bowel disorders, cleansing the colon. In treating stomach upsets, it is strong enough to relieve the nausea of chemotherapy patients and gentle enough to ease morning sickness associated with pregnancy or colic in an infant. Ginger can help relieve diarrhea along with indigestion, motion sickness and vomiting.

Ginger reduces spasms and cramps, making it an effective treatment for muscle pain and the pain associated with menstruation. Because it helps stimulate the circulatory system, it can also help relieve poor circulation.

These qualities combine with Ginger Root’s anti-inflammatory properties to make it a good selection when dealing with osteoarthritis. Ginger has been beneficial in dealing with the symptoms associated with ulcerative colitis. Studies suggest that this herb may lower cholesterol levels and prevent the blood from clotting. Further studies have found that ginger may have some anticancer activity.

A strong antioxidant, effective antimicrobial and an anti-viral: Ginger Root helps fend off pathogenic microorganisms like bacteria, fungi and viruses. Additionally, these qualities make it a good choice for healing poultices applied to wounds.

Taken internally, this herb helps protect the liver and cleanse the kidneys while moving excess toxins from the body. It is traditionally used to treat the common cold, flu-like symptoms, headaches and other pains.

It’s no wonder this herb is found in many traditional tonics and herbal cleansing blends. In our family, we like to use it in a tea at the first sign of congestion and love the flavor it adds to stir fry dishes. Look for ways to incorporate this beneficial herb in your daily living today.

CONGESTION CLEARING TEA
1 Tbsp fresh minced ginger root
1 Tbsp fresh minced garlic
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
Honey to taste

Place ingredients in a mug and add 8 ounces of boiling water. Cover, and let steep for 10 minutes. Strain the bits from the liquid, enjoy.


MORNING LIVER TONIC SMOOTHIE RECIPE
Have this first thing in the morning before eating.

In a blender, puree the following until smooth. Adjust the ingredients to suit your taste preferences.
• 1 inch fresh ginger, minced
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin cold pressed olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 apple, chopped small
• ½ small beet, diced
• 1 stick celery, chopped small
• a few sprigs of parsley, chopped small
• 1 cup filtered water

The apple cider vinegar helps the oil and water emulsify. Garlic will lose its potency once it’s cut. For these reasons, it is best to drink this tonic before it separates.

If you want to intensify the effects of this tonic, increase the number of tablespoons of olive oil and the number of garlic cloves over a few days. For example, on the 2nd day use 2 Tbsp oil and 2 cloves, on the 3rd day use 3 Tbsp and 3 cloves and so forth, but don’t go beyond five tablespoons and cloves.

Blend and enjoy!

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TAKE NOTE: Information and ideas presented here are for the reader’s use and enrichment. This is not offered in lieu of solid medical advice. The opinions and ideas expressed are fallible and that of the author. Readers are encouraged to be well-informed and draw their own conclusions.

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Here’s a video of another variation of the “liver flush.”

Here is a CBS news segment about a mother and daughter who bake ginger snaps for cancer patients.

read more “ THE BENEFITS OF GINGER ROOT ”

DVD Review: MAKING HERBS SIMPLE VOLUME 1

MAKING HERBS SIMPLE takes the viewer into the woods of Eastern Tennessee. Shoshanna locates nine herbs in their natural habitat and gives the viewer tips on how to recognize them. Later, she joins her friend Kristen to demonstrate how to dry herbs for storage and how to use them to make poultices and simple tinctures. Along the way, you learn interesting tips and tidbits about the properties and uses of each plant.

If you've ever wondered about other ways to use the herbs growing around your home, you'll be glad you watched this. This video isn't just for wildcrafters. Hints for how to incorporate packaged dried herbs are discussed. It's nice to see what the plants look like growing wild, even if you normally use them dried.

That's not all! There's a segment featuring the herbalist's herbalist, Debi Pearl. Shoshanna and Debi discuss how to preserve herbs and create your own remedies to meet your family's unique needs.

I appreciated the way the DVD is segmented into topical chapters. If you need to review some information, just go to the menu and select the desired subject -- no need to fast forward through other footage! This feature is great for teachers who might want to reinforce botanical lessons with short video clips.

Bonus features include a demonstration of how to use Bulk Herb Store's BEAUTIFUL HAIR herbal blend. These scenes are humorous at points as you discover beauty can be a messy business! The DVD comes with a booklet that gives you summary information and full-color pictures of the featured herbs. The companion guidebook is sturdy and pocket-sized so that you can easily take it with you to help identify these plants in your own backyard or keep it handy as a quick reference for selecting just the right ingredients for cooking, teas and other uses.

MAKING HERBS SIMPLE makes a sometimes overwhelming subject fun. It's an encouragement to people on all levels of expertise to enjoy getting creative with preparations and applications. It's a reminder that herbs can be simply and joyfully incorporated into daily life.

Whether you are interested in natural medicine, herbs, or plant identification, MAKING HERBS SIMPLE is great to own or give as a gift.

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Available at Bulk Herb Store.

Click on the image to order.

read more “ DVD Review: MAKING HERBS SIMPLE VOLUME 1 ”

DVD Review: HOMESTEADING FOR BEGINNERS

HOMESTEADING FOR BEGINNERS is just the video for those who are considering the possibility of moving to the country. This video gives a delightful overview of life on a small family farm. Erin and Mark Harrison invite the viewer into their home to learn and laugh with them and their five children through the many adventures of homesteading.

You gain insight into all that it takes to get a REAL chicken dinner onto the table from the ground up – literally, from seed to supper. All of the scenes are filled with a beautiful rural setting and happy, healthy, helpful children keep popping up into almost every scene.

Learn how to make butter and cheese using kitchen tools you likely already have on hand. See how this family raises and harvests chickens and eggs. Get an introductory demonstration on wood splitting, building a simple chick pen, learn how to start seeds and tend a low-maintenance garden. Mama takes the time to show you how to freeze and can your produce and meat, gives you the recipes, and then shows you how to prepare the meal. Pamper your inner flower-child and learn how to make a wild-flower crown to adorn your head. If you watch carefully, you might spot Mike and Gabriel Pearl giving a knife-throwing demonstration.

The attentive viewer may even pick up some tips on how to incorporate child training and education throughout the busy day. Washing eggs becomes a math and chemistry lesson taught by a curly blond-headed little girl that needs a step-stool to reach her mama’s kitchen sink. It’s one of my favorite scenes in the film. A take-charge big brother is happy to demonstrate how to use scraps of wood to make signs for the garden. Listen carefully as Papa patiently explains how to milk a cow while little voices comment on the condition of the barn floor (you’ll have to rewind here as your laughter might drown him out).

Grandpa and Granny loved watching with us as little ones stole scene after scene. Grandpa said, “I can see now, if I wanted to homestead, I’d have to find some little helpers.”

HOMESTEADING FOR BEGINNERS should come with a warning label for parents that are used to children sitting peacefully in front of the television all day. After viewing this video, those children could be inspired to go enjoy the great outdoors more often. They might begin asking for some chickens or a cow of their own . . . possibly even some pigs to ride!

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Available at Bulk Herb Store.

Click on the image to order.

Review an excerpt from the video here:

read more “ DVD Review: HOMESTEADING FOR BEGINNERS ”

CRUCIAL DECISIONS ABOUT YOUR CHILD’S HEALTH

While the US medical system is one of the most advanced in the world, it is fallible. Health care workers have the same human weaknesses as the rest of us.

Regardless of their personal beliefs about the best course of care, many health care professionals are limited in the practice of medicine by treatment protocols which have been established by their medical practice, liability insurance coverage or the hospital where they have privileges. These guidelines can even restrict whether they are able to discuss alternative courses of treatment with you -- even if they believe these courses to be safer or more effective. Rather than freely administering treatments they deem best, doctors must abide by these protocols or jeopardize their employment.

Understanding the limits of medicine and medical professionals is never more important than when you are deciding upon a course of treatment for your little ones.

According to a CNN Health report, the US has the second worst newborn mortality rate among developed nations. It is more likely that a newborn will die within the first month of life in this country than babies born in Japan. US babies die at a rate 2.5 times higher than those born in Finland, Iceland and Norway. We have more neonatologists and neonatal intensive care beds than Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom. Even so, the United States’ infant mortality rate is tied with Hungary, Malta, Poland and Slovakia at five deaths per 1,000 births, near the bottom of the rankings of industrialized nations. Only Latvia has a higher death rate than the US at six deaths per 1,000 live births. This is according the 2006 annual State of the World’s Mothers report.

Infants in the US are injected with three times the number of vaccines to prevent childhood illness and death than other first-world countries. After the implementation of the Center for Disease Control’s mass vaccination programs, this country fell from 2-3 on the international infant mortality list to 41-42.

According to the CDC’s 2010 report, autism affects 1 in 110 children. Two years ago, the rate was 1 in 150 children. Medical authorities continue to insist that they cannot locate a link between this cluster of neurological symptoms and the increased volume of vaccines being injected into children. This epidemic is robbing children of their intellectual potential and our nation of its brain trust. The US government openly acknowledges that approximately 13% of the children in our nation have a developmental disability. Where else in the world is there an instance of a population with more than 10% of its children developmentally impaired?

Being proactive in the preservation of good health is far better than depending upon a flawed medical system to restore it once it has been lost. It’s time to look critically at the cost of relying upon recommendations that are dictated by something other than a calling to promote healing.

I’m of the opinion that decisions regarding our health should be made with an understanding that life is a gift and our bodies are magnificently designed. Take the time to become as informed as possible about ALL of your options before deciding upon a course that hasn’t taken these things into account.

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Below, Michael Pearl discusses how his family dealt with a health care crisis after one of his children was vaccinated. His account of his experience begins at the 6:20 mark.

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The video below is the story of Adam and Lana. They tell of their experience with their son and his recovery from a stroke. Conventional therapies offered them little hope for improvement and disrupted family life.

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ABC News 20-20 1999 report on Hepatitis B vaccinations offered to children Part 1

ABC News 20-20 1999 report on Hepatitis B vaccinations Part 2

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EASY LACTO-FERMENTED DILL PICKLES

Lacto fermentation is a method of preserving foods that does not require hot processing. The food is preserved by lactic acid which inhibits the growth of bad bacteria.

In general, you will want to have enough salt suspended in a liquid to keep mold from forming while the lactobacillus (the organisms that produce lactic acid) take hold and begin to multiply. This salt and liquid mixture is called your brine. Lacto-fermentation enhances the digestibility of the food so that your body can better assimilate nutrients. As with other cultured foods, consuming foods preserved in this manner will help replenish the digestive tract with beneficial enzymes that help aid digestion and fight harmful bacteria.


The seasonings within the jar can be adjusted to suit the individual’s taste and used for many other types of fresh produce. Feel free to experiment with green beans, carrots, corn, beets and other vegetables. I prefer to use pint jars so I don’t have an opened jar sitting for a long time in my refrigerator until it is used up. If I need more, I just open another jar.

Ahead of time:
Boil your jars, rings and lids in water for 3 minutes. Sometimes, I just bring the water and jars to a simmer, turn off the heat, and cover the pot with a lid while I work on other projects. When you are ready to begin, remove the jars from the water and dry thoroughly.

To make about 5 pints:
Dissolve 3 tbsp sea salt in 2 quarts of warmed, distilled water. You can heat the water on the stove, but you don’t want it too hot. Make sure it has cooled to at least 100°F before you use it so that the lactobacillus in your whey is not killed.

When the water and salt mixture is cooled, place the following in your sterilized jars:

• 1 ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp dried dill weed
• ¼ tsp dill seeds
• ½ tsp cracked peppercorns
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• ¾ tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp Grape leaves (this helps keep things crisp)
• 2 tbsp whey
• 3 to 4 Tbsp of the distilled water & sea salt brine

Use a chop stick or the handle of a wooden spoon to stir and mix the seasonings.
Wash and dry enough cucumbers to fill the jars (3 to 5 or so) and slice them ¼ inch thick.
Pack jars tightly, stopping 1 inch below the rim of the jar. I just stop at the point the threads begin on the neck of the jar.

Add enough distilled water/salt brine to cover the cucumbers. This should leave at least ¾ of an inch between the brine and the inside of the lid. The cucumbers shouldn’t float if they are tightly packed.
Cover the jar securely with the lid and rings. Shake the jar to mix the seasonings into the brine. Sometimes, the jar’s contents may shift and rise above the water level. Repack and add more brine if needed.

Loosen the ring only slightly – just enough to let any gas escape, but not enough to let air inside.
Let the jars sit for 3-4 days at room temperature.
Transfer to cool storage.
If the taste is not as strong as you’d prefer, you may leave them at room temperature for a little longer.
The fermentation process produces its own vinegar taste that is pleasant without being overly harsh.

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Here's a video demonstration of another variation of lacto-fermentation. This particular method takes longer and runs more of a risk of mold as it does not utilize a whey starter. However, if you wished to make a large crock of pickles, rather than just pint jars, you could do so and just add about 1/2 cup of whey (for a gallon-sized crock).

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HEALTHY HYDRATION – HOW MUCH WATER SHOULD YOU DRINK?

Many factors determine the amount of water needed for optimal hydration. Humidity and altitude will increase the need for water as will physical, mental and emotional stress. Water lost through perspiration will need to be replaced. In the event you consume 6 ounces of alcohol or caffeine, an additional 10-12 ounces of water will be required to keep your body hydrated.

The simplest way to know you’ve consumed enough water is to note the color and odor of your urine. If your urine is not neutral in both its color and odor, you lack adequate hydration.

Rather than drinking water throughout the day and visiting the bathroom frequently, you can take scheduled water breaks. In this way, your bladder will be able to eliminate excess fluids after each session. The first dose of water should occur shortly after you awake, before any other beverages and at least a half hour before breakfast. The second and third water breaks should occur 1/2 hour before lunch and ½ hour before your evening meal. The last break should take place about 2 hours before bed time in order to allow enough time to empty your bladder before retiring for the night.

There are some additional advantages of taking in quantities of water during these sessions. This accelerates hydration by completely filling your empty stomach with water. There will be a temporary feeling of bloating as the water is forced past your stomach and into the small intestine. From there, it is pushed to the large intestine where your body can absorb the needed fluids. This flushes the digestive tract to give you a bit of a mini-cleanse, which helps relieve constipation. Another benefit is that you will be giving your stomach a full sensation just prior to a meal which may help you better regulate food consumption.

So, how much water SHOULD you be drinking? A standard guideline for years was that you should drink 8, 8-oz glasses of water per day. This translates into 64 ounces of water per day. Another rule of thumb is that people should drink 2 to 3 1/2 quarts of water per day. However a single amount doesn't take into account the varying needs of different body types. One way to allow for this is to divide the number of pounds an individual weighs in half. The answer is the number of ounces of water that person should drink daily. Of course, heavy physical activity, stress, or the consumption of diuretics will require drinking even more fluids.

If you find that water doesn’t suit your taste, be sure you are drinking the purest water you can find. It is also possible that your sense of taste might be masked. Consuming sugary drinks can contribute to this condition. Consider cutting back or avoiding them completely. As your water intake increases, your body will be better able to rid itself of toxins. This also helps keep the mucus membranes in the nose and mouth moist, which can enhance the sense of taste and smell. As the taste receptors in your mouth are no longer impaired, you will find the taste of water is not objectionable. More likely, you will begin to enjoy it.

Remember, the need for water varies depending on body size and other factors. Watch the color and odor of urine output to determine whether or not you are well hydrated.

The following video has a lot of good information on the benefits of drinking adequate amounts of water daily. I do not endorse the web sites or recommend the products that she discusses towards the end of the video.

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WHY YOU SHOULD LEARN TO START A FIRE

If you are like most people who live with modern conveniences, you may never have considered learning how to start a fire. There are lots of articles written on the methods and tools that can be used to start a fire, but it is also important to know some reasons WHY you would want to take the time to learn this skill. It really is more than just a trick to show off to your buddies. Knowing how to start a fire can help you in several ways.

There is the psychological advantage to being able to start your own fire. The principal reason for that would be that this is a learned skill that few people in technologically advanced cultures possess. Plus others in your group will quickly realize that you are a valuable member to keep around – especially as night falls and you provide the single source of light.

Fire will help you avoid hypothermia by regulating your body temperature. Many will object that this isn't as important in warmer climates and seasons. Certainly that is a valid objection. However you will need to consider that fire can dry any wet clothing, which can contribute to a drop in core body temperature. Additionally night can bring cooler weather, even in warm regions. Cooler temperatures coupled with sweat-soaked clothing can bring on hypothermia, even in the summer season.

Smoke from a fire can be used for personal hygiene. This is valuable when water may be scarce, or if you are trying to avoid hypothermia by staying dry. Standing in the smoke of a fire can help neutralize body odor and rid the skin of harmful microbes. Additionally, smoke from a fire helps repel biting insects!

The smoke from a fire can be used as a signaling device, whether to make contact with others at a distance or to signal for rescue. Distant neighbors can know all is well when they see the smoke from your cook fire at the beginning of the day.

Of course, for cooking and disinfecting water, fire quickly establishes its value.

Naturally the time to learn this skill is BEFORE you find yourself without other means of needed heat. Even with matches or a lighter, experience is required to skillfully and efficiently start a fire. Not only that, it’s actually hard work! So, before you NEED it, NOW is the time to learn how to start a fire.

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THREE DAY PROMOTION FOR PREPARING TO BE HIS HELP MEET

Preparing To Be A Help Meet is a VALUABLE reference! If you know a young person that is ready to embark on the adventure that comes as adulthood looms, you'll want to have an extra volume on hand. There is a restlessness that can tempt a young girl to adopt society’s measures of worth, romance and selection in order to feel that she is moving towards the goals of marriage, home and family. Preparing To Be A Help Meet is a book that will allow you to share its wisdom as a gift, or conduct your own Bible study.

Purchase your book from Amazon on May 11th, 12th or 13th and you’ll benefit from deep discounts with select retailers. Just follow this link to Amazon books, place your order on one of these three days and forward your dated receipt to mcohen@nogreaterjoy.org in order to receive your discount coupon codes.

ADDITIONALLY, for those that purchase TWO copies of Preparing To Be A Help Meet, you’ll receive The Vision Ebook as a FREE GIFT!

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HOW TO QUALIFY FOR DEEP DISCOUNTS:

ON MAY 11TH, 12TH OR 13TH 2010 follow THIS LINK to Amazon and place your order
Forward your Amazon receipt to mcohen@nogreaterjoy.org to receive your coupon codes.
NOTE: All coupon codes expire on 5/17/10 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time.

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BEGINNING A SOURDOUGH STARTER

Place 6 tablespoons of ground, whole grain flour into a wide-mouthed glass container and mix this well with 4 tablespoons of water. Filtered water is recommended as chlorinated water from the tap will be harmful to the bacteria you are trying to culture. Stir this to make sure the water and flour are well-incorporated, scraping any residue down off of the sides of the container. Secure a cover on the jar loosely. This will keep out unwanted pests and protect the new starter from drying. A loosely fitting lid also allows gases (which result as the cultures multiply) to escape without breaking your container.

GIVE IT A GROWING START
Allow your new starter to sit for 12 hours and check it to see whether there are any bubbles by looking at the side of the glass. If you don’t see any bubbles, stir the starter vigorously and re-cover it loosely. Check it again in 12 hours. The presence of bubbles will tell you that there are enough organisms growing to thrive in your starter. Feeding the starter before you see bubbles could dilute the strength of your starter by separating the organisms that need each other to thrive. This happens more commonly in cooler climates

If you still aren’t seeing bubbles after two days, discard the starter and begin again with bottled spring water and a different brand of whole wheat flour.

FEEDING AND MAINTENANCE
When your starter begins to make bubbles, it will be ready for regular feedings. A feeding consists of 6 tablespoons of flour and 4 tablespoons of water. Feedings should take place every 12 hours. I feed mine each morning and evening. The starter should double itself a few hours after being fed. Place a rubber band around your glass jar to mark the level of your starter. This way, you can see how much it rises and how long it takes the starter to double. The rising time of your starter is a good indicator of how much time you will need to allow your dough to rise.

A well-fed, healthy starter will have a stable colony of microbes that will produce enough carbon dioxide to cause your dough to rise nicely. Just as you would with a garden, the key to having a healthy Sourdough starter is to give it a good environment in which to grow. In the absence of proper food, yeast and the lactobacilli will die, leaving your starter to be taken over by bad bacteria that thrive on decay. This is something that definitely WON’T enhance your bread!

When the quantity of your starter reaches 2 cups, discard half of it at each feeding. This provides the starter enough room to continue growing and keeps it from becoming too large to manage. If you wish to bake a large batch of bread at one time, you can continue feeding the starter without discarding any until you have the necessary amount. Just be sure to stir the starter vigorously at each feeding. This shuffles the microbes and allows them to access more food. They don’t have the ability to migrate to better food sources on their own.

Your new starter will be ready to make bread when it accomplishes two things. The starter should be at least 4 days old as this is the length of time required to produce an established colony of microbes. Your culture should produce bubbles and double in bulk between feedings.

If you find that your starter is not doing well, you can add a couple of tablespoons of Kefir to the mixture as a booster shot. The day before I bake a loaf of bread, I feed my starter three times: morning, noon and evening.

TIPS
If your glass container becomes coated, your starter can be poured into another clean jar. I place the food mixture in a clean measuring glass and stir vigorously. Then I add the contents of my starter jar to the food, blending the entire contents well. I clean and dry the (now empty) starter container, return the newly fed starter to the jar and replace the lid loosely.

If you find that you wish to take a break from baking or will be out of town, feed your starter and place it into the refrigerator. When you wish to use it again, remove your starter and feed it. Once you see bubbles, feed it 3 times in one day. After this, it should be ready to use again.

SUBSTITUTING SOURDOUGH IN A RECIPE
The rising times for a recipe made with sourdough will be different than with commercial yeast. Remember to watch how your starter rises to determine the amount of time your converted recipe will require.

A cup of healthy Sourdough starter should equal one package (2 ¼ tsp) of yeast in its ability to rise. To convert a recipe, reduce the amount of liquid by ½ cup and reduce the flour by ¾ cup for each package of yeast you replace with a cup of sourdough starter. You may have to adjust the amount of water and flour to get the proper consistency to your dough.

read more “ BEGINNING A SOURDOUGH STARTER ”

THE SYMBIOSIS OF SOURDOUGH

WHAT’S IN A SEED?
Each unaltered grain of wheat contains elements required to perpetuate life. The outer wrapper of the seed (bran) protects the seed and provides fiber and nutrients. The bulk of the interior of the seed is a starchy substance called the endosperm. The endosperm provides the germinating seed with the nutrients it needs until a root system matures and can sustain the plant. The germ is the tiny embryo of another plant. When wheat is commercially milled into white flour, the nutritious germ and bran are removed, stripping the resulting flour of the minerals and vitamins that are naturally present. Manufacturers are required by law to add 3 or 4 artificial vitamins back into commercial white flour which is then called ‘enriched.’ At least 16 vitamins and 11 minerals exist in an intact grain of wheat.

WITHIN THE SEED – A COMPLETE PACKAGE
The intact wheat berry arrives with strains of microorganisms that live well on grains. A single gram of flour has around 13,000 yeast cells. The yeast that are prominent in your starter will be those that have a taste for (and reside with) your grain. A starter needn’t be exposed to the surrounding air to ‘capture’ wild yeast. Leaving the lid off only attracts insects and unwanted pests.

Sourdough starter is a balanced culture of yeast and lactobacillus bacteria growing in a water and flour mix. The ratio of lactobacillus to yeast at room temperature is well balanced, with yeast reproducing at a slower rate. When refrigerated, the lactobacillus reproduction slows. Generally, you’ll want to maintain your starter in an area where the temperature remains between 65°F to 85°F. If your home is normally cooler than this, your starter may be happier sitting near a light bulb, on top of a refrigerator, on a warm hearth or in an insulated box. If your home is too warm, setting your starter’s container in a bowl of cool water will help protect it from overheating.

A SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP
Baker’s yeast is an isolated strain of yeast and has no lactobacillus while a healthy Sourdough starter has BOTH Yeast and Lactobacilli. These two microorganisms are designed to work together in a symbiotic relationship. Lactobacilli are anaerobic organisms which live off of carbon dioxide. Yeast lives off of the starch in the endosperm and produces carbon dioxide as a byproduct. This enriches the Lactobacilli colonization which then prevents growth of harmful bacteria.

Sourdough starters are simply containers that host this process and (in return for regular feeding) give the bread maker a natural leavening agent.

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