December, 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...
Aloe Vera
From The Herb Patch
Hello friends!
Once again it is time to put together another newsletter! I don’t know what’s wrong with me, it’s certainly couldn’t be Age. I think I have too many irons in the fire. Anyway, there are probably some of you who wonder why I keep writing and spending the time and money on these newsletters. The answer is that for a long time prior to actually starting to do this, the Lord kept putting into my heart and mind a desire to do a newsletter. At the time I was working a minimal part-time job at a Chiropractic Office and wanted to start a newsletter for my Lady Boss (Dorothy), but she declined. I had this desire and started tossing the idea around in my head about an Herbal Newsletter. So, the idea was born and still remains a part of me and my Lord Jesus Christ! I do believe it is helping someone out there to focus on what we have naturally around us and I know it is helping me to write this because I have to read and write the information I am sending to you. It helps me to learn more about plants and how to use them. Okay, I admit it’s in my blood!
This month I have decided to write about a plant that most are familiar with—the Aloe Vera! It is a plant that I feel is terribly neglected. I have had an Aloe Vera plant for the last few years and even now hardly take advantage of its medicinal value. It is sitting on my porch in a BIG Pot. I neglected this plant last winter after I brought it inside and thought it was dying, but lo and behold after replanting it in the late spring, it started thriving again! It’s a wonder plant.
Description: Aloe Vera . A tender succulent plant 2-3 ft tall, with clusters of elongated, very fleshy, greeny-grey leaves, spiked at the edges, and tubular yellow flowers. (Mine has never had flowers). It needs a well-drained soil, full sun and a minimum temperature of 41 ºF. In cold climates it can be successfully grown as a conservatory or house plant. Pot up in gritty compost (soil mix), do not overwater, and allow to dry out completely between waterings.
Parts used: Leaves, sap. The leaves are cut and the sap is used fresh, preserved and bottled or dried to a brown crystalline solid for use in creams, lotions and medicinal preparations.
According to Jerry Baker’s Herbal Pharmacy, the U. S. Navy once stockpiled Aloe Vera for use against radiation burns in case of an atomic attack.
Aloe Vera is jam-packed full of special enzymes and antibacterial and antifungal ingredients that ease swelling, reduce redness, and keep the area from getting infected. Plus, it doesn’t hold heat the way oily ointments or salves can. In the winter, Aloe Vera can help against frostbite as well. And don’t forget: Aloe Vera is a favorite ingredient in many hair-care products and skin lotions because of its natural moisturizing qualities.
The easiest way to use Aloe Vera as a medicine is to snap off a lower leaf near the center stalk. Remove any spines and then split the leaf in half lengthwise. Scrape out the gel and apply it directly to sunburn, minor wounds, or dry skin. The fresher the gel, the faster the healing. Aloe Vera works well on first-degree kinds of burns, often preventing scar tissue from forming.
I didn’t know this!! You can also make an ointment out of Aloe Vera by collecting gel from a few leaves. Put the gel in a small saucepan and simmer on low heat until it cooks down to a thick paste. Store the paste in clean glass jars with lids—in a cool place—and use as needed.
It is taken internally for digestive tract problems and there is also some evidence that it may help conditions where the immune system is not functioning well. It has laxative properties and “bitter aloes” is the name for the strong, purgative medicine that is made from the leaves.
Caution: Should not be taken internally by pregnant women.
Cool-Aid for Sunburn
Fend off minor sunburn pain with this fail-safe concoction. In a small bowl, mix together:
4 oz. of aloe gel ½ tsp. of lavender oil
2 capsules of Vitamin E
(just use a knife tip to open 1 tsp. of apple cider vinegar
and squeeze out the oil)
Carefully dab this mixture directly on the sunburned area. Add as much as you need to keep your skin feeling cool, clean, and comfortable.
Storage Tips: Aloe Vera is what professionals call a ready-when-you-need-it medicinal botanical. You can make and store an ointment (as I explained earlier)—but better yet, just snap off a leaf or two the next time you get a minor burn, cut, or poison ivy and apply the fresh gel to the affected area. Easy as pie!
Tips for Health
Last month I said I would write a little this time about osteoporosis and dairy products, but I am going to wait until next month for this. I feel it is more important to introduce to some of you the concept of eating the Biblical way! Before entirely shutting me off, allow me to explain myself.
Due to having problems a few years back with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), whenever I went anywhere I had to first “case the joint” to see where the nearest restroom was. Of course, I would always sit as close to the restroom as possible. It was a horrible life. IBS is very debilitating. It can cause severe cramping in the stomach and bowel area and on and on. The medical professionals will put a person who has this on medication which not only relaxes the bowel, but also relaxes the bladder, etc. which causes other problems. So goes the drug world! I have had many problems with medications in the past and at all cost I will always seek an alternative way of dealing with physical problems. That is a whole story in itself! Sometime in the future I will talk about it.
Somehow the Lord allowed me to find out about a young man by the name of Jordan Rubin who almost died from a severe disease known as Crohn’s Disease. This type of disease doesn’t allow anything that is eaten to actually be nutritionally used by the body. There is constant diarrhea, fever, etc. until the person (in his case)becomes emaciated. This went on for a long time and his parents spent a lot of money taking him to all kinds of doctors until he finally was put in contact with a doctor who told him he needed to find out from the maker of our bodies what we needed to eat to take care of it and to keep us well. Jordan Rubin decided to follow this advice and in a matter of days began to get the healing he needed for his body. He eventually got well from this and started using his experience to help others become aware of available help for physical problems.
It reminded me of an Evangelist by the name of Lester Roloff who preached the same thing. And later in life I read a book by a Jewish author entitled “God’s Key to Health and Happiness”. In this book the author talks about why the Levitical law given by Moses is so vital for health. After reading about what the “hog” eats and the fact that in four hours what he has eaten has turned into the flesh in his body, and also realizing that all the seafood that is mentioned as unclean are the known scavengers in the water....it makes one realize the truth behind the scripture that God said this is for your health! Of course it is not only about the meat we eat, but also about herbs and plants, nuts, seeds, and grains, etc. that we need to eat (especially raw food with enzymes).
Jordan Rubin’s first book is entitled “The Makers Diet” and if you can get a copy it is well worth the reading. Another book worth reading is “The Great Physicians Rx for Health and Wellness”. He has since developed his own nutritional products.
I have recently started using a product he sells “Garden of Life” Perfect Food. It is a combination of dried organically grown greens, fruits, enzymes, etc. and I have just about stopped taking any other supplements. As I stated in the past, it is very important to grow and eat organically grown (no pesticides, etc.) food for health benefits. He is a big fan of buying local produce instead of food shipped from other countries in which you don’t know what has been put on them and how long it has taken to get them to the market before we eat them. I hope you will take the time to find out more about this person.
Enough of that!
RECIPES FROM ALICE'S KITCHEN
The recipes I feature in my newsletters will eventually find their place in an Herbal Cookbook (the Lord willing). As I said before, this cookbook will feature herbal recipes and remedies, as well as some family and friends’ recipes. But, that is down the road a little further. Most of the recipes I put in this newsletter have been tried by me before actually featuring them. I wouldn’t want someone to cook a bad tasting batch of something. But, I also know we all have different ideas about what taste good and what doesn’t. Some things have to “grow on you”.
The following recipe was taken from a Grandma’s Molasses jar!
Molasses Crinkle Cookies
¾ cup softened shortening (I used butter and coconut oil)
1 cup light brown sugar (packed) (I used raw sugar)
1 egg ¼ cup Grandma’s Molasses 2 ¼ cup flour
2 tsp baking soda ¼ tsp. salt ½ tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp ginger
(I used more)
Directions
Mix shortening, sugar, egg, and molasses. Stir in remaining ingredients. Chill dough. Heat oven to 375º. Roll dough into balls the size of walnuts, dip tops in sugar. Place sugared side up on greased baking sheet. Sprinkle cookies with 2-3 drops of water each for a crackle surface. Bake 10-12 minutes. Makes about 4 dozen.
*Get your grandma out more often!
For more great recipes visit grandmasmolasses.com
A note from Alice: I thought this was funny and worth passing on! I made these cookies and they actually turned out great—to my surprise. I deviated a little from the directions. After making the dough, I rolled it into a log form and wrapped in waxed paper; then put this on a plate in the refrigerator for about ½ hour. After chilling the dough, I unwrapped it and cut in thin slices, put on cookie sheet and sprinkled sugar on top (a little), then sprinkled a little water on them. They were great and crispy! Delicious!
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This next recipe is a favorite from my husband’s side of the family. It has always been a favorite made by my mother-in-law (who is deceased) for her Christmas dinner. When I was in college, I made this for a Speech Class in which I had to demonstrate. I also made it for an Office Party with some variations and everyone enjoyed it! And I have been making it ever since. I’m going to name this Me Me’s Cheeseball mainly because I have added some stuff to make it even better.
Me Me’s Cheeseball
2-8 oz packages cream cheese 2 teaspoons lemon juice
(at room temperature) 2 tablespoons bell pepper, grated
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese dash of salt and pepper (optional)
1 teaspoon onion-grated 1 tablespoon garlic powder or granules
1 cup pecans, finely chopped 2 tablespoons crushed pineapple (optional)
Directions
Combine all ingredients in large bowl and mix well. Shape into large ball. Roll in chopped pecans. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator for at least 24 hours before serving.
Serve with crackers.
Note: There is an option of using red bell pepper instead of green or both. I have tried it both ways and also have put the pineapple in it. Also, to make the cheeseball easier to handle it can be put into the refrigerator for a few minutes and then shaped into a ball. It is delicious.
ENJOY!!
I found out a while back that the recipe that I gave in a summer newsletter for Fruit Cobblers actually was very tasty (according to my daughter Beth) but the pan needed to be bigger. Thought I would pass this on. I always like feedback on the things I write.
I am presently preparing to put an ad in the Mecklenburg Cooperative Magazine for January in hopes of selling my organic salve, however, it will be under the name of Me Me’s Organic All-Purpose Herbal Salve. Watch for it!!
UNTIL NEXT YEAR!!
