Peter Piper Picked a Peck of.....

Y'all know how we Texans love our gardens, right?   Well, I love me some peppers, but this year, my banana pepper plants yeilded a total of......drum roll......one (1) yes, #1 pepper!     

Sweet Banana Peppers

You may know that peppers of all kinds are one of the highest forms of Vitamin C around! An excellent way to spice up soups, curries, and sauces, green chillies provide the most vitamin C than any other food with 242.5mg (404% RDA) per 100 gram serving, 181.88mg (303% RDA) in a half cup chopped, and 109.13mg (182% RDA) in a single green chili pepper. Red chillies provide 144mg (240% RDA) of vitamin C per 100g serving, 108mg (180% RDA) per half cup chopped, and 65mg (108% RDA) per pepper.

A friend of mine came over with a big box of these beauties, and I was jumping for joy!~

Honestly, the thing I like about  Subway Sandwiches the most, are those bright yellow green sliced banana peppers they put on their sandwiches. At the grocery store, these beauties cost around $3.50 for about a pint, so I decided to pickle me some peppers faster than you could say Peter Piper!

Here's what you need:  

• 1/2 lb banana pepper, seeded and sliced crossways into rings

Pickling Juice

• 2 cups white vinegar
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seed

Directions:

1. 1
   Sterilize 2- 1/2 pint jars.
2. 2
   Bring the vinegar, sugar, mustard seed and celery seed to a rolling boil.
3. 3
   Place peppers in the 1/2 pint jars.
4. 4
   Pour on the hot pickling juice and bring liquid to within 1/2" of the top.
5. 5
   Be sure the edge of the jar has no juice on it.
6. 6
   Place lids and screw on bands finger-tip tight.
7. 7
   Seal jar and leave for 2 weeks.
   
   
   
   
   I decided to water process mine, just well because. You can see from the size of these quarts, that it will take a family of 3 awhile to eat them all!  So I want to preserve them to use later.
   
   
   For more information about canning your harvest, check out Ball Canning Jars.
   
   
   Have you ever preserved your food?  What kinds of things do you can?

Flied Lice?

Natural Treatments
for Head Lice


When I was growing up, my mom made us believe that head lice was something to be ashamed of, like bed bugs or such horrific little vermin. I remember going to the movie theater, and she would bring a special towel to put behind our heads on the seat backs!  

But once we moved to the country we learned that sometime head lice just comes with the territory.  In fact, as I write to you tonight, I am told that if you  have school aged children, chances are, at least one time you may indeed come face to face with this pesky little problem.

Doo Do Do Doooooo!    Aromatherapy to the rescue!  Why douse your child with unecessary chemicals yet again?  Nature's pure essential oils have the remedy,  and we have three recipes just for you!

Recipe #1


3.38 oz or 100 ml vegetable oil
10 Drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil
20 Drops Rosemary Essential Oil
20 Drops Lavender Essential Oil
10 Drops Geranium Essential Oil




Measure out your oils, and funnel into a dark glass container or plastic PET bullet bottle.  Add the prescribed drops of essential oils and shake well to distribute.  Apply this oil mixture to WET HAIR! This will help you in being able to shampoo out the oils when the treatment is over. Massage the mixture deep into the scalp and make sure to have it thoroughly cover the hair. Put on a cap, like a shower cap, or even plastic bag. Leave on 3 hours, and then shampoo your hair thoroughly.


Be sure to remove any dead lice and nits with a fine toothed comb or lice comb, and repeat this same treatment twice more at three day intervals.


Recipe #2


Head Lice Bug Buster Treatment
1 drop Eucalyptus essential oil
1 drop Lavender essential oil
2 drops Tea Tree essential oil
Blend with 1 tblsp (15ml) Sunflower oil and massage into the scalp. Cover with a plastic shower cap and leave on for an hour or overnight. Shampoo out the next morning - rub the shampoo in before adding water to get rid of the greasiness of the oil. As a preventative measure add 2 drops of Tea Tree oil and 1 drop of lavender oil to 1 tsp of mild shampoo and use to shampoo hair.

Recipe #3

Add ten drops of each of the following essential oils to an empty two-ounce bottle:

• lavender
• eucalyptus
• rosemary
• peppermint
• tea tree

Then, fill to the top with a carrier oil, such as apricot kernel, jojoba, almond, or even the olive, peanut or safflower oil that you cook with! Cap the bottle, place it between your palms, and roll back and forth between your hands for several minutes to combine. (It is a good idea to repeat this before every use.) To apply, add a few drops of this mixture to a cup of water. Rinse hair with this mixture every night, massaging into the scalp, to relieve itch, kill lice, and reduce your risk of future infestation.

Now, off to make one of these recipes; my friend has 4 very vivacious little boys who like to play outside in the dirt, and she asked me to mix her up a cocktail to treat their heads!  Should you need some relief, please don't hesitate to contact me through my shop or within!

I have quantities of pure natural essential oils just waiting to serve you!  It would be my pleasure to provide you with safe, natural alternatives to dangerous chemicals for your precious children!  It's just what we do!

Have a fantastic evening, dear friend!  And a wonderful day tomorrow!

Summer Salad and Appetizer Recipes - Summer Salads Recipes - Delish.com

Summer Salad and Appetizer Recipes - Summer Salads Recipes - Delish.com: "
I love salads, and summer is the time to really chow down on all the bounty that nature has to offer!
I clipped this from Delish.com, and there's several good ones!   Click on through to several great dishes
that are quick, easy, FRESH, and chocked full of color, crunchiness, antioxidant power, and delight!

Clipped from: www.delish.com (share this clip)

"Which one are YOU going to make?
I like the BEET SALAD with Watercress and Fresh Pecorino.   (Not even sure what
Pecorino is.....but this looks DELISH!~

Well, it's Day 3 of my beautiful daughter's Youth Camp, and I feel I've gotten very little done.
Today will be spent on SEO, and getting ready for a meeting with my Coach tomorrow morning!

Have a fantastic day, friends!
Love you!
Kelly

EASY At Home Sunburn Relief

 

Ouch!  Do you have sunburn?  Relief may be as close as your spice or medicine cabinet!






The all-purpose household product strikes again! For large burns on your back or legs, (Or for kitchen fires ;) (see here) pour a half cup of baking soda in the tub and soak for at least ten minutes. If your burn is just in a small area (like your shoulders or arms), mix baking soda and icy water and apply to skin with a wash cloth. This multi purpose powder is highly alkaline and it also has antifungal properties to ward off infections.

Want extra relief?   Chamomile essential adds healing properties and I have a lovely blend just for babies, as well as a soft blend of chamomile, neroli and petitgrain that you can add a few drops to the bath for a true spa experience.   I can mix up either one of those blends; add some Vitamin E oil and precious aloe vera and jojoba oils for a true healing experience!  Just inquire within and I can fix you up real quick!


Our skin is so precious!  It is our largest organ. Although it looks great to have a tan like the stars, PLEASE don't do what I did on the beautiful sunny beaches of Southern California; please don't bake your skin!   One day you will truly regret it.   In general, stay out of the sun between intense  UV times of 10 AM - 2 PM, and if so, use a high SPF on your tender facial skin!   One day, you will thank me.......;)


Thanks for stopping by today, friend!  So glad to have you!


Have a GREAT week!

Grilled Chicken Spinach Salad with Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Clipped from: chroniclesofacountrygirl.blogspot.com (share this clip)

Wow Wednesday Recipe: from The Kitchen Blog

OMGosh!   I'm gaining weight just looking at this tempting dessert; but it's a keeper...don'tcha think?
I can resist alot of temptations, but C R E A M Y is NOT one of them!
Enjoy!

Tasty Kitchen Blog: "

Clipped from: tastykitchen.com (share this clip)

"

Bitten by the Smitten Kitchen

Deb's been cooking again, and I am SO making these!   Don't they look GOOD?

roasted peppers with capers and mozzarella | smitten kitchen: "

Clipped from: smittenkitchen.com (share this clip)

"

spring salad with new potatoes | smitten kitchen

Food has power, y'all! It has power over us, our husbands, even over our own wills if we let the beast get the best of us! Kingdoms have been fought over, risen, and fallen over just one bowl of stew! I have been following Deb & Alex Perelman in the Smitten Kitchen, and let me tell you, this couple in their tiny kitchen, have produced amazing things!

I've recently discovered in myself what appears to be a gluten "sensitivity" if you will, and was delighted to know that the humble potato, has none of this offender! (whew...love potatoes!)

Enjoy!

spring salad with new potatoes | smitten kitchen: "

Clipped from: smittenkitchen.com (share this clip)

"

a delicious accident

 Hello Lovies!  Here's a little quiz to test YOUR culinary knowledge....

What is this green vegetable?

Good, Good!  Now.......

What is this green vegetable?

I was getting ready to make Carne Asada the other night, and needed a few veggies at the market.
My DH volunteered to pick up what I needed at Kroger's on his way home from the golf course.

Don't know if you ever have experienced this phenomena of the DH going to market for the DW.
One time I requested this:

and DH came home 2 1/2 hours later with this:

to which I demurely replied and or requested him to kindly fire up the chain saw so I could add it to the 

evening meal which happened to be vegetable soup or some such....lol!

I KID YOU NOT!!!!!  Ask him already, it's a family joke!  

That's a background and history behind what happened at our house on Wednesday evening....

In any case, I was needing

and NOT 

although to his credit and the DIScredit to the 18 year old who checked him out and assured him that 

this

WAS even though the TEXT and picture DID INDEED SAY

THAT IT WAS 

and not only that, was also CERTIFIED ORGANIC this, and to boot,

I have 2 big plants of THAT growing as we speak in my organic garden!  LOL!

So you may be wondering the point of all this cyberbabble. but truly there is a point and a recipe!   

I duly Cut off Her Bottom stalks, and put into a big picture of cool water and set her on my counter,

not wanting to waste her!

So anyways, we are a Waste Not Want Not Family as are probably you these days, right?

Wednesday mornings are our one Big Breakfast Mornings.  More on why later.

So I got up and proceeded to make whole grained blueberry muffins, fresh yard eggs, bacon,

and fresh smoothies.   I always freeze bananas and have them ready for our smoothies and just happened to 

have some beautiful strawberries and yogurt and apple juice right there for the "smoothing"!

So I saw the Big Green Organic Green Vegetable Mistaken for This Other Green Mexican Vegetable and 

crinkled my brow, and said to myself....."I'll GET HIM!!!! Mwhuahuahua"! 

 NO!

I said, "I think I'll throw some of that in and maybe no one will be the wiser!"

So into my Oster went:

• Two frozen bananas
• 4 Tablespoons Nature Sunshine's Colliodal Minerals
• 3 Tablespoons frozen concentrated Apple Juice Concentrate
• Big Handful of Ice Cubes
• 3/4 Cup of Dannon Non Fat Non Sweetened Yogurt
•  HUGE handful of snipped Mysterious Mistaken Identity Vegetable.

And I tell you.........

YUMMYLICIOUS!

It was really really good!

Now, at  my house, I would ordinarily be reprimanded for such unseemly conduct, BUT no one complained or even fussed.  It was so cool and refreshing, and fruity and green.....

So here is the Case for Green Smoothies, and I think I will dream up some more recipes for you to enjoy!   But read below what a pack these nutrients punch when eaten raw and fresh:

Sourced from:  Are you getting your phytonutrients?

"Phytonutrients (pronounced “fight-o-nutrients”), also called phytochemicals, are natural bioactive compounds found in fruits and vegetables that works together with vitamins, minerals, and fiber to promote good health.

The National Cancer Institute recommends eating at least 5 – 9 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. Other reputable sources recommend at least 9 servings for men, 7 servings for women, and 5 servings for children.


Research shows that fruits and vegetables are powerful defenders of our health. The research supporting a critical role for fruits and vegetables in good health grows stronger all the time. Scientists now agree that fruits and vegetables should be the foundation of a healthy diet. In addition to helping you feel better eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can also help reduce your risk of many chronic diseases including cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke and other diseases.


The sad part is that despite these benefits, only 10 percent of us are able to follow this advice. I for one, find it difficult to eat this many servings of fruit and vegetables on a consistent basis. For those of you in my situation, we are probably not consuming the necessary dosage of vitamins and minerals that our bodies need to stay healthy, unless we are taking some form of vitamin supplement. However, traditional vitamin supplements do not provide us with phytonutrients.


The bioactive functions of phytonutrients — or the way they work in your body — is an ongoing area of research. Some studies show that phytochemicals can:

• Act as antioxidants
• Stimulate detoxification enzymes
• Stimulate the immune system
• Positively affect hormones
• Act as antibacterial or antiviral agents

Common Phytonutrients include carotenoids, coumarins, flavonoids, indoles, lignans, isoflavones (including genistein and daidzen) organosulfurs and phytosterols. Hundreds of other phytonutrients have been discovered, usually related to the color of fruits and vegetables — green, yellow-orange, red, blue-purple, and white.. This leads to the recommendation that you should eat fruits and vegetables of varied color each day.
Phytonutrient-rich foods:

• red, green, yellow and orange vegetables (apricots, peaches, melons, squashes, sweet potatoes, yams, carrots, pumpkin)
• cruciferous veggies (kale, broccoli)
• dark leafy greens (spinach and romaine)
• fruits (citrus and berries)
• flaxseeds
• whole grains and legumes
• garlic and leeks
• soybeans
• green teas and other herbal teas

Are you concerned about getting the necessary phytochemicals? Juicing provides a great, natural way to get phytonutrients that you need. Remember to juice fruits and vegetables that have a variety of colors to maximize your phytochemical intake. Despite juicing, if you find it difficult to get the 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day – especially in sufficient variety to give you a broad range of phytonutrients, I have recently found an amazing source of Phytonutrients from 24 fruits and vegetables, packaged in a convenient “on-the-go” approach.
For more information on phytonutrients and recommended daily consumption of fruits and vegetables, you can refer to the government's website called Eat 5 to 9 a Day for Better Health. "



What?   You still don't know?  
I sent him to the store for Cilantro, and he came back with Italian Parsley!
LOL!

Ga-Lee Kheow Wan Guy

Good evening, lovelies!   Today I made this:

Bamboo Sugar Cane Shea Butter Soap;  mmm! mmm!

I am in love with this Trapp Designer fragrance and will add it to my Asian Inspired Line.   

 Bamboo Sugar Cane is notes captured from the heart of the sugar cane with a burst of citrus, enhanced with a touch of green bamboo.   Bamboo is this beautiful exotic green kind of tree that grows in Southeast Asia and I am in love with it's beauty.   It just calls to me!

So!  To celebrate my success at using my new Brambleberry.com Baltic Birch mold that has been gathering dust for this 3 months.... and I, being afraid to use it, decided to just bite the bullet today and DO IT no matter if I failed the batch or not!

Let's celebrate with a little Recipe, shall we?

I bring you "Ga-Lee Kheow Waan Guy"

The GaLee = Curry

The Kheow is = Green

The Waan = Sweet

and the poor "Guy" is that poor unlucky chicken who gave his life that you may

EAT!

So let's say it again:    

GaLeeKheowWanGuy!

with a sing song voice, of course!  That's the tricky part!

Let's get started:   You need:

Some "Guy"  breasts; 2 Big ones.  

No, not trying to be a smart bottom.  That just came out.

 Brown rice

 NEVER EVER buy the Thai Kitchen brand; you'll be

paying twice what you need to.   Go to the Mexican Food aisle and

get theirs, much more economical.

 Chicken Bouillon

 Thai Fish Sauce

 Available at all Kroger's stores

"shrooms"

Bamboo Shoots!  There's that bamboo again!

Got that?   Oh, and you need 

2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

Chopped Cilantro or Thai Purple Basil.

Start by boiling the Guy Breasts in 1/2 of the coconut milk mixed with some water.

Cover the pot so you don't lose water and burn the chicken, I mean, GUY.

Add some chicken stock  (about 1 Tablespoon)

and squirt some Fish Sauce.

WHAT?  YOU DON'T LIKE FISH SAUCE?   GET OVER IT,   (Where you were already duly chastised) 

Every Thai dish has fish sauce; it is their salt equivalent.  

I am sure it is loaded with minerals as well; the origin being the sea.

When chicken is fully cooked (about 1/2 hour of simmering)

remove from pot and shred finely with a fork.   

(Confession: I just LOVE to sip a little coconut milk; kind of like a kid stealing a cookie from the cookie jar.  Coconut cream is really good for you; today I was doing some light reading about the balance between seratonin and dopamine and the brain (I would post the link but now I can't find it) but they were talking about the benefits of coconut oil.  Coconut oil is also good for hormonal balance.   Young ladies like me find this fact of particular interest....lol.   Oh, I love it!  The Thais cook with it and it is in alot of their desserts as well.  Talk about decadent!)

Place back into pot and add 2 Tablespoons of the 

Curry Paste (more or less to taste)

My husband is informing me, as I type, that tonight I 

did not add enough.  We like it hot around here....

After adding the Curry Paste, add the brown sugar and the

rest of the Coconut Milk.

Add the bamboo shoots and the straw mushrooms

(any mushroom will do in a pinch)

Or, if you have an Asian food store nearby, they have tons

of delectable (and high dollar) mushrooms available.  It 

adds some authentic pizazz to the dish to use the imported ones.

But they all taste basically the same

Gently simmer the soup for about 10 minutes

and while that is happening, chop your herbs and squeeze your lime and add.

Serve over fragrant Jasmine Rice or, we use Brown Rice.

In Thailand, I never saw brown rice.  Brown is so much better than white; alot of protein and all of the vitamins are removed in the milling process.

One day, I asked my friends why no brown rice was to be had.

She answered by saying that it is a shame to consume the brown, for that is

what the lower class. rice workers and laborers ate.  Still, I never saw it, not even one time,

even when I traveled out into the country to minister to the poor rice farmers.

This is such an easy dish to make!

Serve it with some sliced mangoes for dessert with a fresh twist of lime and fresh limeade.

but that will have to wait for another post.

You might try a skewer of sate but

you'll have to wait for that post too.

"Gin Maak Maak, Na!"

"Eat alot alot, now!"

I might as well post a pic or two of some Thai adventure that I had:

Let's see....here's one!   Oh I love the flora and fauna of Southeast Asia!

Everywhere greenery (with humidity!) and orchids everywhere!

See the Thai architecture?   Yes, I used to live in a house with that detail in it.....

They put the ceilings up high like that so that when heat rises it goes up high...

This was the grounds of the opulent Marriott Hotel where we stayed.....

It was the prettiest place I ever stayed at.......

Go ahead, and click the link.  Would that NOT be an awesome

honeymoon location?  Oh my.......the romance of it...

My daughter was fully charmed with this

"lifestyle" though it only lasted 3 days 

and then we were off to the rice fields up country

where she got along just fine with brown skinned

children who could speak one word of English

nor she one word of Thai!

Oh. my I am getting homesick so for now, 

I bid you adieu and i hope you

enjoyed the recipe!

For a more streamlined version, you can visit

here.