Welcome to Alice's World

The purpose of this blogsite is to bring glory to my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. There will be many different topics discussed, so hopefully you will enjoy your visit with me. Some of the topics may be very controversial, while others may be the normal stuff everybody already knows a little about. Because I am a Christian as well as an herbal enthusiast and also grow and am always learning about organic gardening and heirloom seeds and plants, I believe in going to what I believe to be the "book of books," meaning the Authorized King James Version of 1611 Bible, for most of the things discussed here. The things mentioned will be involving these topics. Of course, from time to time you may see pictures of my family (my grown children and my grandchildren as well as my other half, i.e.HUSBAND), but for now I would just like to say THANKS for joining me!







Sunday, October 30, 2011

Margie's Memorial

Hopefully you have read the story prior to this entitled Margie. If not, it is necessary to do so in order to understand what this story is about.

After being told that Margie had passed from this life into the next, I began to plan what I would say and sing at the Memorial. I knew there would be no one there to play the piano for me, and Pam had told me that I would need to supply my own music. After praying about this, I had two songs that came to my mind..."Amazing Grace" and "When They Ring The Golden Bells". I knew I had the music to Amazing Grace...Celtic Music that I had sung to before when I volunteered with some other people to do a singing and testimony to raise money for a little girl named Haley who was dying from a brain disorder.  But I tried hard to find the music to the latter one, to no avail. So, I prayed and asked the Lord to help me with this and if I couldn't find the music, I would just sing it without music. This I was a little worried about due to not knowing how well I would do in front of people I did not know, etc. But, it turned out to be exactly what I needed to do.

The  day of the Memorial turned out to be a nice "sunny" day.  I especially took time to find the lyrics online and print them out so that  I could have them in nice "big" print. While going online to find the song "Amazing Grace" Lyrics by John Newton, I also  realized there was much more to this song than what was in the usual song book, of which I will print at the end of this story.
I asked God to give me calmness and peace about what I had to do that day. I had already asked if I should just tell what happened with me and Margie or tell a little testimony about how I got saved before going in to what happened at Margie's. So, I decided to do the testimony, knowing it would be long, but I believe the Lord wanted me to do this.

The same day I assumed there might not be any other music playing that would make this Memorial a memory for everyone and if there was music I could just leave mine in the car. So, I copied some of the Celtic Music to a disc and took it with me.  After getting to the church, I quickly found out there was nothing prepared in the music department. I was so thankful I went on a hunch about making the copy and asking if the Pastor minded if we played it. I also took my small CD player so that we would have something to play the music on. Pastor Wetherington was glad for this. He had printed up some papers with how the Memorial was to proceed, which had:

Opening Word
Scripture Reading--Psalm 23
Read Obituary
Then....me!!!!!!1
Alice Russell
     Testimony
     Songs (2)
Toni Blanks--Read Poem
Pam Walker--Testimony
Brianne Walker--Testimony
Open Testimonies??
Message
Closing Prayer

*Note: Brianne Walker did not speak at the Memorial. Toni read her poem and Pam spoke about her mom's last minutes before death. There were no more testimonies.

Memorial Dinner: Home of Michael & Sarah Hughes, etc.


Alice Russell speaks:

When I was a little girl my brother and I were picked up by an older married couple who took us to a Methodist church where we learned about Bible things and as a child I was "sprinkled" for salvation purposes. But, I was not saved at this time. As time went on, I had a friend in school who had invited me to a revival meeting at Black Walnut Baptist Church. The preacher preached hellfire and damnation that night and I got under deep conviction about going to that hell he talked about. I went forward, but the Pastor of the church asked me if I wanted to rededicate my life to God...To make a long story short, I did not know how to anwer him, I expected him to tell me what to do. So, eventually he sent me back to my seat. I did not get saved this night!!

As time went on, I became a teenager deeply involved in the things of this world.  I had friends in Ash Avenue Baptist Church in which I attended some and one Sunday a bunch of them went up to get baptized...so I went too. I got baptized that day, but I was not saved....I knew it later. I continued in my path of doing my own thing and later at the age of 18  I got married. My husband's dad was a barber, so I decided out of the blue to go to Hairdressing School. And this is where I ran into Hilda. Every day Hilda talked about hell, the lake of fire and how we were going to end up there if we did not get "saved". Well, at first I was angry about having to listen to this "fanatic" talk to me about these things. Day after day we had to endure this, but unknowingly the Holy Spirit was dealing with me about what Hilda was saying.

As time went on I began to give a lot of thought about what she was saying, especially since I had in the past been in some churches who talked of salvation. I had in the past also attended Revelation Baptist Church with a friend named Claire and heard the real truth about salvation. But, Hilda really drove this home to me...Never had I seen anyone so worried about another's soul. After a while, I realized that this way of salvation was right. One Friday night in March 1974, I laid in my bed, feeling that any minute I would drop off into hell, I cried out to God in the best way I knew how and asked Him to forgive me for everything I thought was wrong at the time. I asked Him in the best way I knew how to save my wretched soul. I already knew that He had died and suffered a terrible death for my sins.  I felt that He cleansed me. The next morning I had to go to school. I wrote Hilda a note and told her I had gotten saved that night before. She looked skeptical at me, mainly because I still had a cigarette pack in my pocket and still had my "britches" on. But, I knew I was saved!!!! It was a great thing to me.

The next thing I talked about at the Memorial was how my husband was saved and that I had been in a Revival Meeting where a preacher was preaching on giving our all to God. "Whatever It Takes" was being sung. I responded in my heart to this. Later as time went on my husband was called into the ministry. So he and our family ended up being in a street ministry where we dealt with different kinds of people about salvation.

I believe the Lord used all this, coupled with my prayer for someone to go visit to be able to talk to Margie and know how to deal with her. She was ready when I got there, especially since I told her that the Lord sent me there, which he did! I also realized that Margie had finally come to the end of her life and had no where else to turn. She had become desperate. There was no way of getting out of her situation. She needed someone to make her understand that she needed to repent and receive the free gift of salvation. Margie had let me know that she wanted her family to know what she had done that day with me. So, I figured the best way to do this would be to give a testimony at her Memorial.

The following song is a Memorial to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ:

AMAZING GRACE
Lyrics By John Newton
Amazing grace! how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.

Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear, the hour I first believed!

The Lord has promised good to me, his word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be, as long as life endures.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come;
Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail, and mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil, A life of joy and peace.

The world shall soon dissolve like snow, the sun refuse to shine;
But God, who called me here below, shall be forever mine.

when we've been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise, than when we'd just begun.

John Newton

Then I told them that Margie would not come back here to this earth if she could. Why would she want to come back to a world full of sorrow, pain, and heartache. The next song that I sung was fit for Margie and where she is now!

WHEN THEY RING THE GOLDEN BELLS
Don't Daniel de Marbelle

There's a land beyond the river, that we call the sweet forever,
And we only reach that shore by faith's decree;
One by one we'll gain the portals, there to dwell with the immortals,
When they ring the golden bells for you and me.

Refrain:
Don't you hear the bells now ringing?
Don't you hear the angels singing?
Tis the glory hallelujah Jubilee.
In that far off sweet forever,
Just beyond the shining river,
When they ring the golden bells for you and me.

We shall know no sin or sorrow, in that haven of tomorrow,
When our barque shall sail beyond the silver sea;
We shall only know the blessing of our Father's sweet caressing,
When they ring the golden bells for you and me.

Refrain

When our days shall know their number, and in death we sweetly slumber,
When the King commands the spirit to be free;
Nevermore with anguish laden, we shall reach that lovely Eden,
When they ring the golden bells for you and me.

Refrain

At this time I truly thanked Sandy (who was sitting out there) and Pam (Margie's daughter) for allowing me to go to see Margie and the Lord using them to answer that prayer of mine. I would not trade it for anything in this world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AMEN


Margie

Sometime near the end of July and the beginning of August after being on the street passing out tracts with a church in the Virginia Beach area, I became burdened about being able to once again lead a soul to the Lord. Somewhere in the years before I have had experience in talking to people who the Lord put in my life and the privilege of leading the person to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. But, I had gotten "rusty" in actually talking to an individual mainly due to personally having a "Chick Tract Ministry" in which I put these little comic gospel tracts in bathrooms, on car windshields, personally handing them out and putting them inside of magazines, etc. while in bookstores, etc. Well, because not much is said while doing this, I sort of lost touch with actually talking to a person about salvation.  So, I began praying that the Lord would lead me back to this by opening a door for me to be able to go see someone who "really" needed to be saved. And what I mean by this is someone who actually was asking for someone to talk to them...

As time passed by, I sort of put the thought of this prayer on the back burner and forgot about it. But, one day while being at my grandaughter's birthday party, my daughter Beth began telling me about a 65 year old woman who was dying from pancreatic cancer. She knew about this because a friend of hers named Sandy had told her about this woman. The daughter named Pam had put her mother on the prayer list at church. Her name is Margie! This same day my daughter Beth said Sandy was trying to find someone to go visit Margie and wondered  if I would go  and talk to her about her soul. Of course, I thought about it and said "Yes"!  I decided to wait and get more information on what kind of person Margie was in order to know how to deal with this situatiion and because I knew Sandy was coming to the birthday party I waited to talk to her. She told me that Margie had lived a lifestyle in which she had spent a lot of time in alcohol and drugs and had been pretty rough as a woman.

After praying about when to go see Margie, I decided to go the next day, Sunday afternoon...mainly because I didn't want to waste time before going. And that's when it all began! During this time, I remembered my prayer about talking to someone about the Lord and this really helped me focus on how to go about talking to Margie. I remember that day that I tried my best to get as much information (scriptures) as I could in explaining salvation to an individual. After a lot of frustration, I just prayed and asked the Lord to help me say and do the right thing. I left that afternoon on a trip to the nearby city, South Boston which is where Margie lived. I knew the whereabouts because it is where my deceased mother-in-law lived before moving down in our area. But, after arriving in the Mobile Home Park, it seemed that no one knew where Margie lived. I finally picked a mobile home to just "ask again" if they knew where Margie lived. Well, after knocking on the door, an older woman on the telephone came to the door and told me that she was Margie...I told her that the Lord had sent me by to talk to her about Him!!! To which she responded..."Please come in, I've been waiting for you!" This surprised me--first of all because I thought Margie would be sick enough to be in bed and that she responded the way she did really helped me to do what I feel the Lord had me do that day.

After going back to my car to get my Bible, I went inside and tried to introduce myself to Margie. I had not known her in the past and couldn't recall that I knew anyone that was a relative of hers. We talked about her illness...at this time she told me that she had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and only had 4 weeks to live...and that she was afraid of dying. So, I talked to her about why she was afraid. Was it because of what she would have to go through to die (like I am afraid of) or because of where she would spend eternity. She said she was not sure of her eternal destiny. I kept asking the Lord to show me how to go about talking to Margie about salvation.

 I began by focusing on "where sin came from...Adam and Eve and then how they fell into sin and got put out of the Garden of Eden". We talked a little about how she felt about that and if she understood why that was. Then, I briefly talked about how God knowing that man had fallen made a way for man to be redeemed. I talked a while about Jesus Christ coming as a babe, growing up and at 33 years of age was crucified for our sins. I focused on this a while because I wanted Margie to fully understand what our sin costs Jesus Christ. He not only died but was brutally beaten beyond recognition. The blood was literally running off  of Him. All our sins were placed on his body. I read some of the scriptures that talked about this. She briefly mentioned the movie  which I recalled "the Passion of Christ" in which said she did not see because she did not want to see how bad it was. So, I focused on this a bit...Jesus Christ knew he would be brutally beaten, publicly embarrassed, spit upon, buffeted, smote with rods and beaten with whips containing glass. He knew all this before he went from the garden before His crucifixion. He also knew He had the power to stop this from happening, which was what the prayer in the garden was about before going before Pontius Pilate. "All This I Did For Thee".

So, it seemed that because of Margie's being in church off and on in her life and having a daughter (Pam) and a sister (Nita) already knew about a lot of  what I was telling her. But, I don't think she had actually really thought about the death of Jesus Christ and how horrible it really was and that it was done for "Margie" as well as for me. I said, "Margie, if you were to die right now, where do you think you would spend eternity?" She said, I really don't know...I am afraid to die! She also said that she had been so bad that she didn't think God would forgive her!  I said Margie, no matter what you've done in your life, God will forgive you if you will repent and turn to Him. This is what God sent Jesus Christ to this earth for.  I said, "Margie, you need to settle your eternal destiny today and make sure that when you leave this life you will go to be with God and not to Hell!" She agreed.  I said, "Margie, you need to pray and ask God to forgive you and save you...You can either say your own prayer or I will help you pray, but I will not say this for you"...She said she wanted me to pray with her. So, I told her she had to mean what we were praying, if she didn't mean it there was  no need in doing it. She said she did and I told her to repeat what I said and mean it with her whole heart!

The following prayer went something like this:

Lord, I know I'm not ready to die.
I know I am a sinner before you.
I have greatly sinned. Please forgive me of my sins.
I know you took all my sins on your body and bore that cross for me.
Forgive me for rejecting you all these years.
I want to receive you as my Savior.
I pray that you will wash me and make me clean.
Thank you for salvation!

Then we talked about assurance and prayed about it.
I said, "Margie, if you meant what you just said to the Lord, you are saved. There is nothing else you can do to be saved!!!!!

At that time her sister Nita knocked on the door and came in...I told her about myself and why I was there. She was so glad to hear that Margie had settled her eternal destiny that day. 
I prayed for the family and then left.

I thanked God all the way home for what had happened and still couldn't quite believe that this had happened to me.

The next time I saw Margie I found that she was in the hospital. So, I went to see her and after she realized who I was, I talked to her a little about her future destiny and then prayed with her. She surprised me by wanting to say a prayer for me. Margie again surprised me with what clarity she prayed this prayer for me. It went something like this...
God, I thank you for sending Alice into my life. Thank you for letting me get saved. I pray that you will give Alice the desires of her heart. Help us to become good friends. AMEN!

It so totally surprised me that I found myself almost crying over it. After a little visit I left.

The next time I went to see Margie was at her home and I stayed there for a little visit. Then, about a week later, I heard from her daughter Pam that she was in the hospital and she wondered if I would go and visit her. The day I decided to go it was raining terribly. I had to drive our old pickup truck because my car had a flat tire. I drove to South Boston and on my way an old man and woman slowly pulled out broadside from the road at the left of me...I realized that they were not going to get out of my driving path, so I braced myself for a collision. But, something took control of the steering wheel and gently guided me just about 5 inches to the left of the oncoming vehicle and I missed being either killed that day or terribly hurt. I know it was the Lord! I figured out later why this probably happened.

After I got to the hospital to see Margie, she was in and out with sleep. I prayed with her and sung a few songs. When I decided to leave I had already left a note to the family saying that I would be glad to give a testimony of Margie's salvation and sing at the Memorial they would have after her death. I prayed that if this was the Lord's will it would be done.

Later, I received a phone call from Pam saying how appreciative she was that I was willing to testify and sing at the Memorial. As I look back on things now, I realize this was very important for the family to hear due to the many prayers that had been said for salvation on their behalf, which is why I believe I almost got killed that day.  I found out later that Margie had been put in Woodview Nursing Home, they expected her to die soon, but then found that she temporarily got better. During this time, I decided to go to Mountain Road Baptist Church where we would be doing the Memorial in order to get a "feel" of how the church was before I was to speak and sing. It just happened to be Homecoming Day, which is a good time to go visit a church since there are usually other visitors on that day. As I sat down next to a blonde haired middle aged woman, she asked me if I usually came there. I responded with, No. I asked her the same and in conversation I asked her what her name was and she said "Pam Walker". To my surprise I had actually sat next to Margie's daughter whom I had never met but had only talk to on the phone. This, I knew was truly the Lord's doing!

Margie finally succumbed to death on October 14, 2011. Our friend Sandy called me to let me know and that Pam would be getting in touch with me. The rest of this story about what happened after this with the Memorial Service is in the following posting on this blog entitled, "Margie's Memorial".
Please ready more about this.

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

October Newsletter



October, 2011

He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herbs for the service of man: that he
may bring forth food out of the earth...

 
Eucalyptus and  Rosemary

From The Herb Patch

Once again another month has past by swiftly! It seems to me that time just “flies by”. By the time I get one newsletter finished and out the door, it’s time for another. I thank the Lord that I am able to do this. It is a part of my ministry to the Lord and the people he has laid on my heart. So, feel free to copy or lend anything that I send out so that others may benefit.
The month of October is one of my favorite months because it is “fall time”, or “autumn” whichever one you wish to call it. This is so because of the unique “smells” and “colors” of the leaves in our area. But, as my son in law Todd so bluntly said to me when he first moved to our area from Texas years ago, “The smell of the leaves here just happens to be mold”. Oops! that sorta “busted my bubble” at the time. I was caught up in the nostalgia of the sights and smells of autumn! Also, the air at some point becomes crisp and cleaner smelling until the folks around the country area in which I live start burning leaves... which I am highly allergic.
And whether or not this means anything to my readers, I do not participate in Halloween! This is because I know that it is a pagan holiday used to promote witchcraft...And so greatly it does. I am amazed at how “big and important” this holiday has become. Even more amazed at how soon the stores and places of business start portraying the “witch” decor. No longer is it just “pumpkins”, it has become a “ghostly horror house”.


Last month I said that I would be finishing up the discussion on the herbs in Me Me’s Muscle Rub—Eucalyptus and Rosemary. So, here we go!
Eucalyptus genus comprises over 500 species of aromatic trees and shrubs with deciduous bark. It is a tall evergreen tree native to Australia, including Tasmania. The most common species, Tasmanian Blue Gum (globulus), has a blue-gray trunk, blue-green juvenile leaves, green adult leaves, and white flower stamens. Eucalyptus leaves, scented of balsamic camphor are used by Australian aboriginals to bind wounds; the flower nectar gives honey; and the oil, distilled from the leaves and twigs, is used in medicines, aromatherapy, and perfumes. Eucalyptus oil is antiseptic, expectorant, and antiviral, treats pulmonary tuberculosis, lowers blood sugar levels, and is useful for burns, catarrh, and flu. It is used in salve preparations for wounds and skin inflammation. According to Herbalist James Duke, aromatherapists often suggest adding eucalyptus oil to the pain-relieving essential oils of lavender and peppermint. The compound cineole, which is found in eucalyptus, speeds absorption of the other aromatic pain relievers through the skin.
This is an herbal recipe taken from Jerry Baker’s Herbal Pharmacy and I intend to try it, by using eucalyptus oil I made myself last winter.
You can keep your house (especially your bathroom) smelling lemony fresh and kill germs floating in the air with this herbal disinfectant spray.

      1 cup of water                        ½ cup of isopropyl alcohol      ½ cup dried eucalyptus leaves  
 2 tsp. eucalyptus essential oil
 In a small saucepan, boil the cup of water and soak the dried eucalyptus leaves in it. Reduce the heat and let it simmer 15 minutes. Then let it cool. Strain out the herbs and pour the infusion into a glass spray bottle, along with the alcohol and essential oil. tighten the nozzle lid and shake well. Spray into the air as needed. This elixir will last up to 6 months if stored in a cool
                              
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant, evergreen, needle-like leaves. It is native to the Mediterranean region. It is a member of the mint family, which also includes many other herbs. The name rosemary derives from the Latin name rosmarinus, which is from "dew" (ros) and "sea" (marinus), or "dew of the sea because in many locations it needs no other water than the humidity carried by the sea breeze to live. Since it is attractive and tolerates some degree of drought, it is used in landscaping, especially in areas having a Mediterranean climate. It is considered easy to grow for beginner gardeners, and is pest-resistant.
Rosemary grows on friable loam soil with good drainage in an open sunny position, it will not withstand water logging and some varieties may be susceptible to frost. It grows best in neutral to alkaline conditions with average fertility. Rosemary is easily pruned into shapes and has been used for topiary. When grown in pots, it is best kept trimmed to stop it getting straggly and unsightly, though when grown in a garden, rosemary can grow quite large and still be attractive. It can be propagated from an existing plant by clipping a shoot (4–6 in) long, stripping a few leaves from the bottom, and planting it directly into soil.

Culinary use

The fresh and dried leaves are used frequently in traditional Mediterranean cuisine; they have a bitter, astringent taste and are highly aromatic, which complements a wide variety of foods. A tisane can also be made from them. When burned, they give off a distinct mustard smell, as well as a smell similar to that of burning wood, which can be used to flavor foods while barbecuing. Rosemary is high in iron, calcium, and vitamin B6. Rosemary extract has been shown to improve the shelf life and heat stability of omega 3-rich oils, which are prone to going rancid.

Medicinal Uses

The real medicine in this herb is in its twigs, flowers, and leaves—they’re packed with volatile oils including eucalyptol, flavonoids, and other healing goodies. Rosemary can work wonders, making tension headaches, gas, and even blue moods disappear. When you put it on your skin, it eases achy muscles and arthritic joints by increasing circulation to those areas.
Herbal Hair Care
Don’t get your dander up! Rosemary works great as a hair rinse. In fact, some store-bought shampoos list rosemary as one of their ingredients. Even if you don’t have dandruff, your hair can look glossy and gorgeous. Just massage a tablespoon or more of rosemary oil (homemade) into your scalp, giving your hair a good going over. Then cover your hair with a plastic shower cap. Wrap a warm, moist towel around your head, like a turban. Leave this on a couple hours. Then wash with a mild shampoo.

On another note...

Since many of us older folks (especially women) need to be concerned about osteoporosis and bone problems, I have decided to do a series on bone health. The following excerpt comes from a magazine The Herb Companion.

BUILD YOUR BONES
By Linda B. White, M.D.

Our bones define us, make us beautiful, provide leverage for movement and allow us to stand upright. We build bone until our third decade. After that, a steady loss begins, like sand slipping through an hour glass. Nevertheless, while osteoporosis has become a major public health problem, it is not inevitable. A number of strategies will keep your bones strong—and some of them run counter to the party line on osteoporosis prevention.

Granted, some of the osteoporosis risk factors are outside of your control—namely being older, female, menopausal or white. Happily, you have some control over a fleet of bone-robbers: being excessively thin; hiding from the sun; and excessive consumption of caffeine, alcohol, sodas, salt and acidifying foods. The point is that you can put the brakes on bone loss. Here’s how.
Move Your Bones
Physical activity tones bone and muscle, and strong muscles minimize the risk of bone-shattering falls. To stimulate new bone formation, the exercise has to stress the bone. Weight-bearing exercises—walking, jogging, jumping rope, climbing stairs—maintain hips and spine. Strength-training exercises (working against the resistance of weights, elastic bands or tubes, or your own body weight also strengthens your bones. It’s never too late to start. Research shows that endurance and resistance training boosts bone mass in elders.

Eat for Bone Health
Acidic Diets Affect Bones
What does acid and inflammation have to do with bones? A lot, as it turns out. Inflammation has been linked to osteoporosis, as well as a number of other diseases. Anti-inflammatory diets—those rich in vegetables, fruits and omeag-3 fatty acids—appear to reduce the risk of osteoporosis. This kind of diet is also alkalinizing (which reduces acidity).
Diets that generate acid cause calcium loss. here’s why: Acid base balance is critical for many bodily processes. When dietary acid enters the blood, calcium compounds come out of bone to neutralize it. Eventually, that calcium is flushed out in the urine. Although the loss is small, the theory is that, over time, acidic diets slowly, steadily deplete the bone’s calcium stores.
On the other hand, alkalinizing foods are fruits (especially dried fruits) and the vast majority of vegetables. While higher-protein foods generally produce acid, plant foods—even those rich in protein—contain alkaline nutrients. Protein is critical for bone health. Plants have that, plus a host of other bone-essential nutrients—calcium, potassium, magnesium, vitamin K, boron and others. And, as noted above, they’re more likely to be anti-inflammatory. Studies have indeed shown an association between high fruit and vegetable consumption and greater bone mineral density. Next month I intend to talk more about different bone-building plants and herbs!

 SMOOTHIES
In the past, I have talked about using fruit smoothies for a quick way to get nutrition without actually eating a lot of food. The following information and recipe is taken from Recipes for Life from God’s Garden, by Rhonda Malkmus. Fruit smoothies are a wonderful taste treat that can be substituted as a meal at lunch time or when life’s activities make it seem impossible to have a meal. Even though they are made of fruit and fruit juice, their creamy consistency reminds one of a shake made from dairy. Fruit smoothies, however, contain none of the dairy, additives, cholesterol, fat or artificial ingredients found in those milk shakes made commercially. (My note: Although, if you want to add milk or something similar you could.) For the weight conscious, it is interesting to note that when fruit smoothies are consumed on an empty stomach, no weight will be gained...only energy and valuable nutrients.

Use bananas that are very ripe and speckled. (If your bananas are green, allow them to set a few days at room temperature to ripen before they are used for this recipe or any other consumption. Until a banana is speckled and no longer green, it is not ready to eat.) Before freezing, peel and place bananas in an airtight container or double bag them in plastic bags. Freeze only as many bananas as can be used in seven to ten days as they begin to discolor if kept longer.

To make a smoothie, place the following in a blender or Vita Mix:
1 cup fresh or organic apple juice 1 cup fresh or frozen fruit
1 ½ to 2 frozen bananas 1 or 2 organic dates (optional)

Blend until a creamy consistency is reached, which takes about 45 seconds. Smoothies are best when consumed immediately, before the bananas have a chance to oxidize and turn brown. ENJOY!!
Note: Smoothies can be made with fresh ripe bananas, cold fresh fruit and cold juice; however, they will not be as cold or thick as when using frozen bananas and fruit.

I have decided to somehow put together recipes using herbs and/or organic vegetables in which sometime in the future will be transferred to an “herbal cookbook”. This cookbook will also include recipes from some of the people in my family. The recipe below is an all time favorite. Use only organic ingredients when possible.

Delicious Garden Salad
1 head leafy green or red lettuce ½ red onion
1 head iceberg lettuce 1 tomato (optional)
3 or 4 fresh mustard leaves 1 carrot, grated
1 medium sweet red pepper ½ can of 3 bean salad mixture (optional)
3 or 4 radishes 1 cucumber
Wash above ingredients; remove stalks from lettuce. Pat dry or run in salad spinner. Cut into bite sized pieces. Combine lettuce and mustard in large bowl. Chop pepper, tomato and onion and add to salad mixture. Add sliced cucumber and carrot. Toss all together. Drain 3 bean salad mixture and add to salad. Mix well. Use dressing of your choice. *Anything from the garden can be added.

Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.
Genesis 1:29