Drought and Food Ravages Future Food Costs

Did anyone see the national news on ABC on March 28, 2009?
They did a story about the 3-year drought in California causing drops in crops. Last year the drop was noticeable, a loss of 100,00 acres in Central Valley in 2008. But this year the acreage planted is dropping by as much of 450,000 (in Central Valley alone), there will be a loss of as many as 40,000 jobs, and a lose of as much as 1.5 billion dollars in revenues. Current unemployment in Central Valley is at 35%.

How that translates to you…food costs are going to rise, swiftly! The cost of fresh California produce will go out the ceiling this year. Frozen vegetables and fruits, and canned products based on California produce will skyrocket as well.

You saw the stories on the Fargo, North Dakota floods, on the late winter blizzards over the plains states as far south as Oklahoma in late March, and the flooding all the way through the Gulf Coast of Mississippi all these coupled with drought in California will cause massive impacts on your food budget. Did I say budget? Forget a budget, just to eat you will have to increase your outlay for food by gargantuan amounts.

Now add into the above natural disasters the increase again in gas costs occurring, and then you swell the energy and transportation costs as well. Add all this up and you spell disaster on a grand scale for the simple American just trying to support their families with just the basics.

All of the above news supports the concept of returning to the Victory Garden. Plan and plant a garden this season. If you have never done it, now is the time to start! If you have had a garden in the past, consider enlarging it, so that you grow enough for the year, and maybe have some to share. Learn to freeze, can, and dehydrate your foods for storage. Learn about safe storage practices! Prepare, prepare prepare!

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of planning for your families needs. Buy what you think you will need of the staples that you cannot grow, in advance of the rising costs. Flour and sugar, rice and oatmeal, toilet paper and other paper goods can be gotten and stored for future use while the costs are still down.

If you live in an apartment the issues become more difficult. There is virtually no room to grown food in and very little extra storage space in an apartment. But here are a few ideas people have utilized for many years: use the patio or balcony for potted and hanging plants, store food in plastic containers under beds, behind the sofa against the wall, and buy locally! Buying locally grown food cuts all the shipping costs out, keeps the food fresher and healthier, and keeps the economy stronger in your area. Try finding Community Garden spaces; some people will even rent out an area on their property so that others may garden.

Victory Gardens - An Old Idea Revisited

During World War II when food and so much else was rationed, people made their ration stamps for food go further by growing Victory Gardens. Today when there is so much pressure on us all to cut back our family budgets, going back in time and revisiting the Victory Garden seems a wise idea. If we just shuffle through our memories from last summer we would dredge up the salmonella scare on fresh fruits and vegetables. By growing our own, we eliminate that threat to our families. Two very good reasons to plan a garden now…. plant it…. tend it…. and harvest it.

It is time to stop complaining about rising food costs and try and do something for our own benefit for a change. It is time to stop looking to the government and big brother for the next fix. Our new president is doing everything in his power to help the American people come through this economic crisis. They are even planting a garden on the White House grounds this season…If the Obamas can do it, why can’t you?

An idea I was toying with was encouraging everyone to write Mr. President, request him to remind people about the Victory Gardens of the WWII era, and ask him to encourage the American people to follow his lead in just that effort. The rest of us can go to our local Town Councils and ask for Community Garden Space to be made available. We can grow more than we need, and knock on the single mothers door down the street, or the aged guy in the apartment complex where your elderly mother lives (you know the kind of people I mean!) and share your produce. Some food banks even accept produce that is locally grown, call, and find out if your excess can feed someone else this year. Someday you may need the same help!

Many of us have already cut expenses to the bone…. we own no credits cards, no loans, drive as little as possible, cut the car insurance back to state legal limits, have cut off cable or satellite TV, and have started our own Victory Garden…. We are making the effort to conserve…how about joining us?

Clean & Green

Recent clinical findings show that we are not staying healthier by cleaning with anti bacterial products, but the reverse, we are becoming sicker! But how do you clean so that things are clean, really clean? We do not want to spread viruses or bacterial infections, so what are some other effective ways to clean?

Baby Bottles…. Back in the day before disposable liners in baby bottles women sterilized bottles in a boiling water bath. Now that seems like lot of work, and it is. But there is a simpler method if you have a dishwasher…. just clean all the parts of the baby bottle (bottle, ring, and nipple) in the dishwasher. The water temperatures in the dishwasher are high enough to sterilize all parts of the bottles.

Vinegar…. especially apple cider vinegar, is disinfecting. Vinegar is actually weakly acidic, making it a powerful cleaning agent. The acid in vinegar cuts through grease and germs found on counter tops while also inhibiting bacteria and mold. Vinegar can be used to naturally disinfect bathrooms, counters, and floors. You can clean using a diluted solution (1:1) of vinegar and water. Far less cost and just as good a result. If you’re worried about the odd smell of vinegar being left behind in your home, don’t fret. The smell will dissipate and you’ll be left with an odor free home. Add a ½ part of rubbing alcohol to the mixture and use it to wash windows and glass surfaces. Apple cider vinegar can be used to rinse your hair after washing it with baking soda. Your hair will be shiny and soft as if you used an expensive shampoo after using the baking soda/apple cider vinegar combo for a while.

Cuts grease and removes stains; removes soap scum and cleans toilets (add a bit of baking soda if you like). Pour down drains once a week for antibacterial cleaning, and add to water in a spray bottle to kill mold and mildew. White vinegar in the washer will soften the water and help remove stains from laundry. In fact, if you put a cup of vinegar in a wash load of colored articles, your colors won't "bleed" into white clothing.

To clean showerheads and faucet aerators with calcium build up that has affected the nozzle function, either remove the showerhead and soak it in the vinegar or fill a plastic bag with vinegar and place the bag around the showerhead like a feedbag for a horse. Fully immerse the showerhead in the vinegar. Tie the open end of the bag with a twist tie and let it soak for 24 hours. Let it run for a minute after you remove the bag and then use it.

To clean showerheads and faucet aerators with calcium build up that has affected the nozzle function, either remove the showerhead and soak it in the vinegar or fill a plastic bag with vinegar and place the bag around the showerhead like a feedbag for a horse. Fully immerse the showerhead in the vinegar. Tie the open end of the bag with a twist tie and let it soak for 24 hours. Let it run for a minute after you remove the bag and then use it.

Baking soda… is great natural cleaner for scrubbing tubs and showers, freeing stoves and pans from baked on grease and neutralizing odors. Make a paste with water and baking soda and scrub away. More water will equal a softer, more liquid scrub and less water will give more oomph. Baking soda can also be used for brushing your teeth, washing your hair, and exfoliating your skin. It is the gentlest, while it will still be extremely effective, scrubber to be found in the chemical-free cleaning world.

An all-purpose cleaner especially effective for cleaning glass coffee pots and glassware, and removing red-wine stains from carpeting. A paste (made with water) can shine stainless steel and silver, and remove tea stains from cups and saucers. Make a paste with a castile- or vegetable-based liquid soap and a drop of essential oil (tea tree or lavender) to clean sinks, countertops, toilets, and tubs. Pour 1 cup down the sink to clear a clogged drain, followed by 3 cups of boiling water or better yet, hot vinegar. Baking soda and vinegar also clean the toilet bowl.

Use baking soda to freshen up the scent in any room that has carpet by shaking some into the carpet. Let it sit for at least 15 minutes to absorb any odors, and then vacuum it up. Sprinkle some into the bottom of hampers, trashcans, litter boxes, ashtrays, or anywhere else that bad odors reside. And of course we all know about leaving a box of baking soda in the refrigerator to absorb smells. You can do this trick in any cupboard or closet as well

Drain Cleaner
Pour approximately ½ cup of baking soda into your drain, followed by a generous cup of white vinegar. This will start fizzing and popping (the best part!), cleaning away any moderate grease or dirt blockages in your drain. Cover with a stopper for a few minutes, and then pour boiling water down the drain for a final clean. Great maintenance recipe!

Alcohol, Rubbing…a natural cleaning product that will kill germs is easy with rubbing alcohol. Along with removing gum and paint, rubbing alcohol can be used to disinfect surface after they are contaminated with raw meat. However, rubbing alcohol should not be used on wooden cutting boards at all because they will dry them, crack them and allow more bacteria inside. Hydrogen peroxide is a good natural cleaning product choice for cleaning wooden cutting boards.

Bleach…. Bleach has been used for ages as a disinfectant on glass, plastic, and wood! It is not just for your clothes! To insure that water is drinkably safe after a disaster, bleach can be added to the water, allowed to sit for 30 minutes, and consumed safely.

Coarse salt… Cleans copper pans and scours cookware. Sprinkle salt on fresh spills in the oven, then wipe off. Sprinkle salt on rust stains and squeeze a lime or lemon over them, let sit for several hours and wipe off. When you burn the inside of a pot while cooking, put some water in it, add a generous amount of salt and this will loosen the burnt food, which you can then scrub off more readily with steel wool.

Grapefruit seed extract… Add to water in a spray bottle for an odorless way to kill mold and mildew. I use only 20 drops to a spray bottle of water. You can also use it to wash produce to get rid of pesticides, and take it internally to kill parasites and most "bad" bacteria and viruses. It's also a better way to disinfect kitchen surfaces than by using bleach or other cleaners. I use it on and find that my counter tops feel cleaner than when I use commercial cleaning products.

Lemon juice: Lemon Juice is one of the strongest food acids, marked by its sour taste. Because the pH is so low, lemon juice can kill most household bacteria, while also leaving your home smelling fresh. Lemon juice is an all around natural cleaning wonder. With it, you can remove lime scale, make windows and mirrors shine, polish copper or brass, clean kitchen and bathroom surfaces, and remove sweat stains. Use as a bleaching agent on clothing, and to remove grease from stoves and countertops. Add 2 Tbsp lemon juice to 10 drops of (real) lemon oil and a few drops of jojoba oil to clean and polish wood furniture.

Olive oil: Use to lubricate and polish wood furniture (three parts olive oil to one part vinegar; or two parts olive oil with one part lemon juice).

Furniture Polish recipe #2
Mix together ½ cup olive oil to ¼ cup lemon juice. Add a couple of drops of lavender oil to this mix – smells amazing! Rub in a small amount to the wood surface and then wipe clean with a soft dry cloth. Lovely shine with a hint of lavender!

Tea tree oil: Can be added to vinegar/water solutions for its antibacterial properties. Use it to kill mold and mildew, and on kitchen and bathroom surfaces instead of chemical products. Add 50 drops to a bucket of water to clean countertops and tile floors.

Borax or Boric Acid… Borax has many defining properties that make it an excellent cleaning agent. When mixed with water, borax reacts to make a hydrogen peroxide / water solution. It also can act as a chemical buffer when cleaning, so the pH is what it needs to be to make something effectively clean. Borax is best known as an alternative to bleach. However, this natural cleaning product also cleans, deodorizes, disinfects, softens water, and effectively renews painted and wallpapered walls.

Add Borax to deodorize laundry. Also use ½ cup Borax with ½ -cup vinegar & 1 gallon of hot water as a general purpose cleaner. 2 Tbsp Borax, ¼ cup lemon juice and 2 cups hot water in a spray bottle is a good cleaner, too.

Note: While borax has a wide array of uses, and is naturally occurring, it can irritate the skin, and is toxic if ingested. Please keep borax out of reach of children and pets, and make sure to rinse clothes and surfaces before use.

Cornstarch… is actually derived from corn and is known for its fine, silky texture. Since it is a great deodorizer and can get into very small spaces, cornstarch is great for cleaning carpets and shining smooth surfaces. Also, as a starch it can be added to water to make a liquid starch solution perfect for ironing.

One of it’s most amazing cleaning qualities is its ability to remove grease stains. Not many products can claim to do that!

Depression Era Revisited

The economic outlook for America is pretty gloomy right now. Much like the Great Depression of 1929-1932. Our Grandparents made do with less. So can we. Bringham Young once said, “Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” If we live by that as our motto, as our grandparents did in the Depression, we too will survive as they did.

Following are a few of the recipes from that period. I have laid them out like menus. It makes it easier to imagine eating it! There is something here for any meal, so browse, try them out, and enjoy spending less, doing with less and doing it well!

Day 1

Breakfast:

Depression Rice Pudding
½ cup long grain white rice
½ cup sugar
1 can evaporated milk, diluted to make one qt [must use evaporated milk]
1 cup raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
Cinnamon to taste
Grease a glass 9" x 13" Pyrex dish with solid shortening.
Preheat oven to 300F.
Place all ingredients except cinnamon in pan.
Generously sprinkle top with cinnamon.
At least once during the baking, stir cinnamon crust into the rice and sprinkle top again with cinnamon.
Let bake until rice is tender, or approximately 1-½ hours.
Let cool and serve either warm or cold.

Hard Times Coffee
Mix well 2 qts. Wheat bran and 1 pt. yellow corn meal.
Add 3 well-beaten eggs and 1-cup sorghum molasses.
Beat well, spread on pan and put in dry oven, on very low heat. (Wood stoves were kept warm at all times.)
Take great care to stir often while browning.
A handful is enough for two people.

Lunch:

Potato Soup

4 large potatoes, rinsed, peeled, cubed
Water
salt & Pepper
4 Tbsp plain flour
butter

Cook potatoes in water until overdone and falling apart.
Take some of the broth in a coffee cup.
Add the flour and wish with fork until smooth.
Pour into the potatoes and stir. Add Butter and serve.

Quick, Muffins

1/2 cups of flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup of butter or butter substitute

Mix into a bowl the flour, and baking powder, salt, sugar and egg.
Add milk, pour gradually into the bowl with other ingredients, beating with a fork as it is added. When the mixture is smooth, add butter or butter substitute melted.
Beat until the dough is smooth and creamy; this takes but a moment.
Grease the tins and only fill them half with the batter.
Place in hot oven 400 degrees F. Bake 25 Min.

Blackberry Tea

Pick the blackberry leaves and dry them. When you want to make tea, just crumble a couple of teaspoons of leaves to one cup of boiling water. Steep for five to ten minutes, and you have blackberry tea.

Dinner:

Meatless Loaf

1 cup rice
1 cup peanuts crushed
1 cup cottage cheese
1 egg
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt

Combine all the ingredients together.
Bake in a loaf pan, for 30 minutes, or until loaf is good and set.

Scalloped Corn

1 can corn
3 eggs
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups sweet milk
1/2 cup soda cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Beat eggs separately, put 1 teaspoon of butter in baking dish and 2 tablespoons butter melted butter into cracker crumbs. Add yokes of eggs, milk, salt and sugar to corn, fold in whites of eggs. Bake in casserole dish for fifty minutes in moderate oven.

Dessert:

Candied Orange Peel

4 oranges, peeled
2 cups water
2 cups sugar
8 drops oil of peppermint
1/2 cup cinnamon candies

Cut orange peel into thin strips with scissors.
Put in a saucepan, cover with cold water and let come to a boil.
Drain, cover again with cold water and bring to a boil again.
Drain; Add sugar and water.
Bring to a boil; Add cinnamon candies, continue to cook slowly until all but one tablespoon of syrup has boiled away.
Dredge in sugar.

(My kids are adults now….and every Christmas my son still begs for this candy!)


Day 2

Breakfast:

Creamed Chipped Beef on Toast

Makes a white sauce with butter melted in the bottom of the pan. Turn off the heat and add flour until it is a thick paste. Slowly add milk, whisking constantly to keep smooth. Add enough milk to dilute to the consistency you want. Slice on package of chipped beef and add to the white sauce. Turn the heat back on and warm though.

Serve over toast

Lunch:

Depression Salad

1 can yellow hominy, drained
1 can black eyed peas, drained
1 green pepper, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, diced
1/4 cup cooking oil, optional
1/4 cup vinegar salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the above ingredients together and serve hot or cold.

Dinner

POOR Man's Casserole

1 small head of cabbage
2 large potatoes
1 large onion, diced
1 1/2 pounds of hamburger
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 stick butter or margarine
1/2 teaspoon salt, more or less.
Depending on taste pepper to taste
Dash of paprika

Cut cabbage into cubes, salt and pepper to taste and cook until well done.
Drain. Peel and quarter potatoes. Salt and cook until well done.
Drain and mash potatoes with butter but make sure the mash potatoes are on the dry side.
Place hamburger in large skillet, add onion and cook until well done.
Drain off all the fat. Stir in the cumin. Line baking dish at least 3" inch deep with cabbage.
Place the meat mixture on top of cabbage.
Cover the top with the mash potatoes, sprinkle with paprika.
Bake for 25 minutes at 350/o. makes 4 large servings.
In the casserole you had your whole meal.

Wilted lettuce
1 large bowl of fresh clean garden picked lettuce pieces
8 slices of bacon fried and crumbled. (More if you like)
1 small onion diced small
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons sugar

Break lettuces into a large bowl and salt and pepper.
Add remaining ingredients to bacon fat in frying pan. (Use not more than 4 tablespoons of the bacon fat)
Bring this to a boil stirring constantly, pour over the lettuce, and toss lightly with salad fork and spoon until the lettuce is wilted.

Poor Man's Bread

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Water
Stir in enough water to make a batter and pour into greased skillet. (Use a cast iron skillet.)
Fry until brown on each side like a pancake.
Tastes great with homemade butter and jam.

Dessert:

ScrewdoodlesRoll

A piece of bread dough into a 8" rope, twist, fold in half and pinch ends. Fry in hot oil until golden brown, sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon. (This was always my favorite part of the meal!)

Saving Money with Cooking Basics

With the economy in the state it is, with people losing their jobs, families moving in together to conserve, and costs rising while incomes dwindle we all need to find ways to conserve. One of the best ways to do this is to make your own…go to the basics and find ways of conserving.

Stale bread – Why waste it? As long as it has gone stale before it has gone moldy there is no reason not to still use it. Granted it will not be very good for a sandwich anymore, but we can still keep from spending money on bread based items using stale bread.

1. Seasoned Bread Crumbs:
6 slices bread, dried out and crushed
¼ tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp Parmesan, Romano, and Asiago cheeses mixed

Mix these and store in a recycled glass jar with the lid secured.

2. Dry Bread Crumbs: Save all your stale bread in plastic bags and store in
the refrigerator. (Whole wheat and rye bread crusts are also useful, but store and prepare them separately.)

Place bread on jellyroll pan and dry completely in a very slow oven (about 250º) until golden brown. Remove from oven and pulverize small batches in a blender. Or, put the dried bread crusts in a plastic or paper bag and crush with a rolling pin. These crumbs will keep several months if stored in a tightly closed container and, kept in a dry place.

3. Croutons: Croutons are an essential ingredient for Caesar salad, split pea,
or lentil soup, stuffing and many other dishes. To make them easily at home:

Bread (any type will do)

Remove the crusts from slightly stale bread. (Save these crusts to make breadcrumbs). Before bread is completely dried, cut into half-inch cubes, spread them out on a dry, flat jellyroll pan. Set the oven as low as possible (sometimes the pilot light will make it warm enough) and place pan in center of oven for about 3 hours, or until croutons are very dry.

Storage: They will keep several months in the refrigerator if stored in a heavy plastic bag or airtight container, and even longer in the freezer.

4. Garlic Croutons:

1-cup croutons
2tbsp butter
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

Take all ingredients and sauté in a large skillet until golden brown. Let cool and use as desired

5. Italian Croutons:

1-cup croutons
2tbsp butter
1 ½ tbsp olive oil
1clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp Italian seasoning (or 2 tsp basil, 1 tsp oregano. 1 tsp parsley)

Take all ingredients and sauté in a large skillet until golden brown.
Let cool and use as desired

Bouquet Garni: Is a collection of herbs (traditionally fresh parsley, fresh or dried thyme, and bay leaf) that are bundled together and cast adrift in your pot to flavor a soup, stew, or broth. They are tied together so they can be removed easily at the end of the cooking. Below are some suggestions.

1. Fresh Herb Garni

Make a fresh herb bouquet garni by gathering together

3 sprigs of parsley
1 sprig of thyme
1 bay leaf.
If you want a hint of citrus, add a curl of lemon or orange peel.

Tie the herb sprigs together with a piece of kitchen twine. Drop the herbs in the pot and tie the other end of the twine to the pot's handle or the top of the lid.

Remove the garni from the pot when ready to serve the pot's ingredients. Simply untie the string from the handle and throw the garni in the trash.

2. Dried Herb Garni

Cut a square of cheesecloth or tulle and lay it out on the counter.

Measure out herbs and spices appropriate to the dish you're making.

Place the herbs and spices in the center of the square. Gather the corners together and tie with kitchen twine. This bouquet garni will be easy to find in your dish so you don't have to tie it to the pot handle or lid.

Use a slotted spoon or small hand-held colander to remove the dried garni from the pot, and then throw it away.

3. Bouquet Garni Seasoning
2 tsp. parsley flakes
2 tsp. thyme leaves
2 tsp. oregano leaves
1 tsp. rosemary
1 tsp. basil leaves
1 tsp. marjoram leaves

In a small jar with a tight fitting lid combine all herbs; shake well. Store in cool dry place. Shake before using, measure and crush slightly. Use 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon for 4 servings. Can be used in stews, soups and with meat, fish, poultry or vegetables.

Bath and Body Cleaning Substitutions

Over the years Americans have gotten used to running to the market or pharmacy to get all the little personal cleaning aides needed. From shampoos to toothpaste to mouth wash to soap and beyond. Often these things are not always earth friendly, they leave footprint in our lives and on our Mother that are not healthy or wise.

In the old days these products were not available, so how did our ancestors survive? They used more earth friendly, often earth provided things to do the same jobs.

Egg Shampoo for Dry Hair: Beat two eggs until frothy and massage well into scalp. Leave on the hair for a few minutes and rinse off with warm water (hot water will cause the eggs to congeal.) To cut the film left from the whole egg shampoo add 2 or 3 tablespoons of cider vinegar to rise water for brunettes or the juice of half a lemon for blonds.

Avocado Deep Conditioner for the Hair: Ingredients: 1 small jar of mayonnaise, 1/2 avocado Directions: Peel avocado and remove pit. Mash avocado then mix all ingredients in a medium-sized bowl with your hands until it's a consistent green color. Smooth into hair. Use shower cap or plastic wrap to seal body heat in. Leave on hair for 20 minutes. For deeper conditioning wrap a hot, damp towel around your head over the plastic, or use a hair dryer set to a low to medium heat setting. Store extra in refrigerator.

Rosemary as a Versatile Hair Aid: Add an infusion of rosemary to the final rinse after a shampoo to prevent oiliness and give a sheen to dark hair. A rosemary rinse also makes hair more manageable and easy to set. It is said to help with dandruff also.

Bath Oils: Turkey-red oil, a derivative of castor oil, acts as an emulsifying agent on other oils so that they do not leave a film of oil on the skin or the bathtub. Mix three parts turkey oil with one part essential oil of your choice and add a few drops to your bath.

Oatmeal scrub: Oatmeal makes an excellent nonalkaline soap substitute. Wrap a handful of dry oatmeal in a wash cloth (a sock can work very well), dampen it, and rub it over your body in place of soap when you shower or bathe. Oatmeal is a soothing, softening cleaner. If your skin is dry, use ground almonds in place of the oatmeal, they are particularly moisturizing.

Honey and Almond Cream: This traditional recipe makes a very moisturizing night cream for dry hands. Melt 2 oz honey in a double boiler and mix in 4 ounces lanolin until thoroughly combined. Remove from heat and allow to cool before stirring in 2 ounces sweet almond oil and a few drops of your favorite essential oil.

Age Spot and Freckle Fading: An old French recipe uses fresh cucumber juice.
Cucumbers are said to be excellent bleaching agents for the skin, and can be used on brown spots. To make a lotion, mix 1 tsp of the cucumber juice with 2 tsps of water. Apply once in the morning and once at night, letting it dry on the skin

In France, a freckle lotion is made from 1 oz. of
powdered alum and 1 oz. of lemon juice in a pint of rose water. Shake well and apply.

In Israel, brown spots are treated with a paste made by mashing 1/3 cup of chickpeas in a little water. Smear on the paste and leave it on until dry and crumbly. Wash completely. You can apply this mixture daily.

Cucumber Facial: Use this facial to soothe and cleanse the skin. Some say cucumbers with lemon juice ease freckles. This recipe is certainly astringent. Cukes also contain a hormone thought to work against wrinkles. For best effect, apply after a shower or facial steaming. Be sure the skin is clean before you apply the mask.

2" chunk fresh cucumber, seeded, and pureed
1 tsp. witch hazel
1 tsp. lemon juice
1 egg white
1 tbsps. cream or plain yogurt
2 tsps. powdered milk

Lip Butter: 20 ounces Almond Oil1/2 pound Anhydrous Lanolin8 ounces Glycerin3 3/4 ounces Beeswax5-10 drops of Essential Oil

Over low heat, dissolve the lanolin in the almond oil, add the glycerin, and stir until all three are dispersed. Add the finely-chopped beeswax, stirring until just melted, add the essential oil, and pour the salve into containers. Stir the pot frequently and pour as quickly as reasonable. If you take too long the lanolin and glycerin may begin to separate

Athletes Foot Remedies: Rubbing diluted alcohol on the affected area with cotton balls is one of the athletes foot remedies.

Applying aloe vera gel twice daily on the affected areas is one of the other athletes foot remedies. Apple cider vinegar having antifungal properties in one of the other widely used athletes foot remedies. Soaking the feet in a mixture of equal amounts of apple cider vinegar and water for ten minutes daily up to ten days or until symptoms disappear is one of the best athletes foot remedies.

Soaking the feet in a solution of baking soda and water for about 30 minutes daily is one of the other athletes foot remedies. This helps change the pH of the skin. Washing the feet in a mild solution of boric acid is one of the other common athletes foot remedies. Chaparral is one of the other effective athletes foot remedies.

Healing Cracked Heels: Clean and moisturize your feet daily. Before going to bed, soak your feet in warm, soapy water for 15 minutes, wash and dab it dry. Take one teaspoon Vaseline, add lemon juice extracted from one lemon. Rub this mixture on your feet mainly the cracked areas. Let the skin absorb this mixture. Do this daily to get maximum benefits.

Mixture of glycerin and rosewater applied on daily basis helps heal the cracked feet.
Cold Sore Treatment: Lemon balm has been known to have strong anti-viral property. In a recent study, patients blisters went away 5 days quicker than patients that didn’t use lemon balm. Another good homeopathic remedy is peppermint oil. Studies done found that peppermint essential oil was found to enter the skin and have a strong virucidal effect on the virus. It was also found to have a strong effect against certain strains of the virus that have been known to be stronger than other strains. Rhubarb and sage cream has also been found to have powerful effects over cold sores. It has also been found to be one of the most powerful creams out on the market.

Acne Treatment: Steam your face for five to ten minutes to clean the pores with hot infusions of lavender, chamomile, or thyme. Rinse your face with honey water, rosewater, or a dilute infusion of marigold tea to tone and close the pores. Do this every day until the skin starts to heal.

Herbal Gargle for Bad Breath: 1 tablespoon (15 ml) fresh lavender (1 teaspoon (5 ml) dried)1 tablespoon (15 ml) peppermint (1 teaspoon (5 ml) dried)1 cup (250 ml) waterBring the water to a boil. Put the herbs into a clean glass jar. Pour the boiling water over the herbs and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain the solution. Now simply Gargle.

Three Sisters Gardening

In late spring, we plant the corn and beans and squash. They're not just plants- we call them the three sisters. We plant them together, three kinds of seeds in one hole. They want to be together with each other, just as we Indians want to be together with each other. So long as the three sisters are with us we know we will never starve. The Creator sends them to us each year. We celebrate them now. We thank Him for the gift He gives us today and every day.
Chief Louis Farmer (Onondaga)

For more years than the people have counted, the Three Sisters, have been planted together. These three plants were the vegetable base for native diets, they provided balance. When the Staving moons were here, and meat was scarce it saved many from death. Many eastern seaboard tribes have claimed the origination of this planting method. The Haudenosaunee (hah-dee-no-show-nee), or "People of the Long house" are just one of many.

These three plants were so important in the lives of the Native American that many rituals revolved around them. Among the Cherokee they were: In late June or July was the Green Corn Ceremony, the dates scheduled for the celebration depended upon the time the first corn ripened. It was performed when the new corn was ripe enough to eat. New corn was not to be eaten until after the ceremony took place. In August or September came the Ripe Corn Ceremony, it celebrated the maturing of the corn crop and is one of the few ancient ceremonies to last into the 21st century

Myths among the people also reflected this importance of these three plants, especially corn. Among the Cherokee there is the story of Kanati and Selu (corn). Among the Sioux we find the myth of The Forgotten Ear of Corn and The Hermit, The Origin of Corn. Among the Abenaki we find The Strange Origin of Corn.

The traditional Three Sisters garden forms an ecosystem by creating a community of plants and animals. This system creates a beneficial relationship between the three plants- each plant helps the others grow. This is a form of companion planting. Corn provides support for beans. Beans, like other legumes, have bacteria living on their roots that help them absorb nitrogen from the air and convert it to a form that plants can use. (Corn, which requires a lot of nitrogen to grow, benefits most.) The large, prickly squash leaves shade the soil, preventing weed growth, and deter animal pests. The three sisters also complement each other nutritionally.

To plant the Three Sisters wait until the soil warms in spring. Make a mound of dirt about one foot high and two foot in diameter. In the center of the mound plant 5 or 6 corn kernels, tamp down the ground well. Space the mound approximately 4 feet apart, remember you will be dodging squash vines to cultivate and harvest.

When the corn sprouts and reaches about 5 or 6 inches high it is time to plant the bean seeds, make sure they are the climbing variety. You will want to plant 6 to eight of them around the top of the mound. You do not have to plant just green beans, grow some kidney beans, or pinto beans if you like.

About 1 week later, after the beans emerge from the ground, plant the squash seeds on the flat ground around each mound. You can plant all the way around or choose to plant just two opposite sides of the mound, to possibly control some of the rambeling that the vines do. If you plant all the way around 6 to 8 plants are sufficient. If just on opposing sides then 2 or 3 per side is fine. Also consider planting diferent types of squash to make a more varied diet.

Good companions to plant either interspersed thoughout the garden or making a border around the Three Sisters are: Marigolds, to keep bean beetles away; Sage, to encourage bees; Nasturiam, to discourage squash borers; Catnip, to discourage been beetles; Summer Savory, discourages the Mexican bean beetles; Dill, French Tarragon and Basil lure bees.

To keep up tradition, plant more than you plan to consume…..first for the wild critters…..seconly, considering todays economic situation, it will give you produce to share with family, friends, less fortunate people or food banks.