Benefits from the herb Oat Straw

Oat Straw

Oat Straw is one of the best anti-osteoporosis herbs – same others are alfalfa, horsetail, nettles and red clover blossoms. Oats is rich in calcium and vitamins needed for building bones. Use of oats, oatstraw on a daily basis helps reduce cholesterol, helps stabilize  blood sugar levels, brings about noticeable improvement….Also improvement with  bone density, balance, memory, sensitivity to pleasant stimuli, clarity of thinking and overall calmness.

Oat Straw is a anti-depressant, that nourishes strong nerves, helps people deal with stress (Vitamin B complex), maintains restful sleep patterns, reduces the frequency and duration of headaches and useful for menopausal symptoms particularly insomnia, depression, anxiety, memory loss, restless legs, calming hyperactive children, soothing elderly people…

Tea: Put 2  tsp. of the dried straw in your tea fuser & add  in a cup of boiling water and let steep for 10-15 minutes. You can add it to just about all my herb tea blends.

Calcium and Vitamin D work together – herbs that have both are :

-Alfalfa
-Nettle

Calcium and Magnesium work together – herbs that have both are:

-Oat straw
-Kelp
-Nettle
-Horsetail
-Sage

Add New Oils to Use in Cooking or Salad Dressings

Avocado oil

Pressed from the fleshy pulp. Nutty-flavored oil, like olive oil, is rich in monounsaturated fats. Has a high smoke point, which makes it good for sautéing or stir-frying fish, chicken, or vegetables. It’s great in vinaigrette dressing.

Grapeseed oil:

Extracted from the seeds of grapes, and typically imported from France, Italy, or Switzerland, this also has a high smoke point, which makes it good for sautéing or stir-frying. It is great in salad dressings. Some imported oils have a rather grape-y flavor, but many are quite bland or nutty tasting. Try a few to see what you like best.

Nut Oils:

The good thing about nut oils, such as almond, hazelnut, macadamia, peanut, pecan, pistachio, and walnut oils, is that they provide the same monounsaturated fats that are found in the nuts themselves (but it doesn’t contain the fiber). Since overheating will diminish the flavor of nut oils, avoid cooking with these oils and use them instead in salad dressings or drizzled over cooked pasta or vegetables. Nut oils can go      rancid quickly, so store them in the refrigerator to keep them fresh.

Pumpkin seed oil:

Made from roasted pumpkin seeds, this very flavorful, dark green, opaque oil is best used in combination with lighter oils for sauteéing or in salad dressings. It can also be used undiluted to add a distinctive flavor to fish or steamed vegetables.

Safflower oil:

I recommend using relatively flavorless safflower oil because it contains more polyunsaturated fats than any other oil. It also has a high smoke point, which makes it fine for sautéing or stir-frying. You can mix it with more flavorful oils for heart-healthy salad dressings, too.

Kitty’s Supreme

Kitty’s  Supreme

(Sardines,Liver and Rice)

Ingredients

2 Flat cans of sardines in oil

1 c Cooked rice

1 jar of baby food  Liver

1/4 c fresh Parsley, chopped finely

Procedures

Combine all ingredients. Stir with a fork to break up sardines into little-sized pieces. Store unused portion in refrigerator, tightly covered.

All Purpose Seasoning No Salt

All Purpose Seasoning No Salt

Ingredients And Procedures

3 tbs Minced dehydrated onion

2 tbs Sesame seeds

3 tbs Parsley flakes

2 ts Oregano

2 tbs Garlic powder

1 tbs Celery seed

1 ts Dried basil

1 ts Spearmint

1/2 ts Dill seed

1/2 ts Thyme

1/2 ts Coriander

In a mini food processor or blender, blend dehydrated onion into finer pieces. Add remaining herbs.

Blend to mix well, but do not make into a powder.

To keep herbs fresh, store in shaker top bottle with tight fitting lid. Can be used on all cooking, and at the table t0 use instead of salt.

Yield about: 1 1/2 oz

CHEDDAR CHEESE DOG BISCUITS

CHEDDAR CHEESE DOG BISCUITS            Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2 c whole wheat flour

1 1/2 c Shredded cheddar cheese

1 cl Garlic, finely chopped

1/2 c Vegetable oil

4 – 5tb Water     ( start with 4 than add if u need more)

1. Preheat oven to hot (400 degrees)

2. If you don’t have a dog bone cookie cutter you can use a dog treat bone & copy on cardboard….Or use houses, bone or what ever cookie cutter you have

3. Combine flour, cheese, garlic and vegetable oil in container of food processor. Cover,mix until mixture is consistency of coarse meal. While food processor is running, slowly add water until mixture forms a ball.

4. Divide dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll out each piece to 1/2″

thickness. Cut out bones. Transfer to ungreased cookie sheet.

5. Bake in preheated hot oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until bottom of

cookies are lightly browned. Carefully transfer bones to wire rack to cool completely. Refrigerate in airtight container.

All-Wrapped-Salad Fixings

All-Wrapped-Salad Fixings

Ingredients

• 2-whole grain, whole wheat burrito tortillas
• 1 cup shredded romaine
• 1 of  fresh spinach
• 1/2 of an avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and sliced
• 1/2 of a cucumber, halved lengthwise, and thinly sliced
• 1 large thinly sliced tomato ( halved)
• 1/2 of small red onion slice thinly
• 2 ounce  (1/2 cup) of your favorite low fat cheese shredded
• used your favorite low fat or fat free salad dressing for topping

Directions

On each tortilla, layer romaine,spinach, avocado, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion  and cheese. Roll up tightly. If desired, halve tortillas diagonally. Wrap each tightly with plastic wrap. Chill for up to 4 hours.

Serve with favorite low-fat or fat free salad dressing

Homemade Cleaner

Homemade Cleaner

Suitable for acrylic, ceramic tile, wood, marble and granite.

Earth-friendly “green” cleaner suitable for many household surfaces.

Ingredients:

2 cups water

1/2 cup distilled white vinegar

1 tsp pure castile soap (found at health food store)

3/4 cup hydrogen peroxide

25 drops tea tree oil

25 drops lavender oil.

Directions:

• Mix all ingredients in a 32-ounce plastic spray bottle.

Natural Vanilla Cinnamon Air Freshener Spray

Natural Vanilla Cinnamon Air Freshener Spray             

Ingredients

1 cup water

1 cinnamon stick

8 TBS vanilla extract ( you can add 1 tbs at a time til you like the scent…)

Directions

• Put all ingredients in a medium pot & bring to a boil then simmer over medium heat for two minutes.
• Remove from burner and allow to cool. Take out cinnamon stick
• Then pour liquid into spray bottle, shake and use as needed.

I love vanilla so I like mine strong…..

How to Protect Your Family From Swine Flu

How to Protect Your Family From Swine Flu

As the number of swine flu cases worldwide continues to rise, it’s wise to take precautions to prevent the illness. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend a few simple steps to reduce your chances of infection:

- Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. When you don’t have a tissue handy, use an arm or elbow, not your hand.
- Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
- Try to avoid close contact with sick people. Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through the coughing or sneezing of infected people.
- If you get sick, the CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

For the latest news, visit the CDC’s information page on swine flu. Also check out CDC’s guidance on how to plan and prepare. CNN, a New York Times blog and ABC offer answers to common questions.

Eat all you want

Hi all,

Here are some options for you if you are looking at keeping  your weight under control or help you lose some weight by using these for snacks & incorporating more veggies at meals…

Eat All You Want

• Artichoke
• Artichoke hearts
• Asparagus
• Baby corn
• Bamboo shoots
• Bean sprouts, Alfalfa Sprouts
• Beans (green, wax, Italian)
• Broccoli
• Broth or bouillon (low sodium)
• Cabbage
• Cauliflower
• Celery
• Cucumber
• Eggplant
• Garlic
• Green onions or scallions
• Greens (collard, kale, mustard, turnip)
• Hearts of palm
• Herbs (fresh or dried)
• Horseradish
• Hot pepper sauce
• Jicama  ( Mexican turnip)
• Kohlrabi  (German turnip)
• Leeks
• Lemon juice
• Mixed vegetables (without corn, peas or pasta)
• Mushrooms (fresh)
• Mustard
• Okra
• Onions
• Pea pods (Love them put them in salads)
• Pimento
• Bell peppers
• Radishes
• Rutabaga
• Salad greens (lettuce, romaine, chicory, endive, escarole, arugula, radicchio, watercress)
• Spices
• Spinach
• Squash (summer, crookneck, zucchini)
• Sugar snap peas
• Swiss chard
• Tomato (fresh or canned)
• Turnips
• Vinegar ( I love Pompeian pomegranate infused red wine vinegar this makes the best salad dressing.I just purchased the Blueberry flavor too but haven’t  tried it yet will let you know)
• Water chestnuts
• Wine (used in cooking)