Weekly Roundup - Living On Nothing Edition [Survival Today

http://londonvegetablegarden.blogspot.com/

Guerrilla Gardening...
Aside from the obvious environmental benefits of growing your own produce (not to mention the reduction in food waste), one simply can’t ignore the aesthetic qualities of gardening. Growing plants and flowers for visual pleasure has been a time-honoured past-time throughout civilisation and one that evokes images of country houses, landscaped gardens and public parks. So how does a bleak pavement in an industrial area fit into this?

Whilst much of Hackney is rapidly being gentrified in preparation for the forthcoming 2012 Olympic games, many parts of it remain bleak, industrial and run-down. In areas such as these, gardening seems an impossibility – or does it?

This week I was pleasantly surprised to notice this large flower bed had suddenly appeared in the middle of the pavement! Guerrilla gardening is becoming much more prevalent in urban areas, due in part to a number of reasons. Fed up with local authorities dragging their heels over planning permission and bureaucratic red tape, many urban city dwellers are taking affirmative action and constructing urban garden displays overnight.

Although guerrilla gardening is not a new concept, its prevalence is certainly increasing. I was genuinely surprised to see this flower display pop up and I think you’ll all agree, it makes such a difference to the bleak surroundings. A friend of mine lives in the locale and has already seen neighbours watering the flowers and talking to each other about its sudden appearance.

What a wonderful way to highlight the pleasure people can derive from gardening – and the fact that guerrilla gardening in particular, shows that community spirit is not as dead as we feared.

Posted by Callum

http://www.journeytoforever.org/seeds.html

Seeds of the world
“The earth was not given to us by our parents, it was loaned to us by our children.” — Kenyan proverb

Seeds and our future
Seed resources
Genetically Engineered crops
The Green Revolution
Seeds and our future

Traditional varieties of vegetables and grains are a vital heritage: they could be the key to our food security in the future. But, where hundreds of varieties of a crop were once grown, now there may be only two or three, or the crop itself may have been abandoned.

Plant Patenting Laws have made seeds big business, largely controlled by a handful of big companies. (The top 10 seed companies control about 33% of the US$24.4 billion global seed trade, with the top three companies controlling 20%.) Varieties that do not have a world market lose their place and may no longer be sold. Soon they vanish, forever.

Yet the lack of genetic diversity in food crops greatly increases their vulnerability to pests and disease — while breeding new resistant varieties requires the germ-plasm of the old varieties which are being lost.

And at a time when the global climate is changing in unpredictable ways, nobody knows what sort of crops may be needed in the future — the meagre number of commercial varieties available could prove useless in the new conditions.

Green Revolution high-yielding hybrid rice
The brave new seeds of the “Green Revolution” are hybrids — so-called HYVs, high-yielding varieties that will not breed true and must be bought anew from the seed companies each year.

Others have renamed them HRVs — high-response varieties, increasingly bred to respond to high levels of chemical fertilizers and for resistance to toxic pesticides. Seldom are the high yields reported in the test fields reproduced on actual farms, less still on the small farms most Third World people depend on for their food supply. And the new seeds lack the nutritional content of the traditional varieties.

High-yelding hybrid corn — about as nutritious as tissue paper
Other tests have shown that old varieties, grown with good soil management and NO chemicals, can equal the yields of the hybrids and far surpass their nutritional quality.

And, unlike the traditional varieties, the new hybrids do not last long — even with high levels of chemical protection, they succumb to pest attack after a few years and have to be replaced by another newly bred hybrid.

And here lies the problem: the germplasm for the new seeds comes from the old varieties, but the new seeds displace the old — often where once scores or hundreds of old varieties were grown, now there’s only one, the same new variety that now needs replacing.

As one expert commented, it’s a strange technology that destroys the very foundation it depends on.

The development of GE (Genetically Engineered) seeds (also termed GMOs — Genetically Modified Organisms) that contain genes from quite different plants — or from life-forms that are not plants at all — has now taken the erosion of sustainable crop varieties to a whole new level of risk.

In collaboration with food crop conservation organizations, Journey to Forever will collect seeds of useful local varieties of food crops wherever we go, saving them for the future as well as redistributing them to other farmers further along our route. We will work with concerned NGOs to ensure that peasant plant breeders’ rights are protected.

See: Seed patents threaten world food resources

[Has links to all the important information on seeds, both articles and sales]

http://www.journeytoforever.org/farm.html

Snipped from a full page of articles on small farms farming.

Wise farmers are small farmers who listen to their cows.
References

“If we are concerned about food production, small farms are more productive. If our concern is efficiency, they are more efficient. If our concern is poverty, land reform to create a small farm economy offers a clear solution. The small farm model is also the surest route to broad-based economic development. If the loss of biodiversity or the sustainability of agriculture concern us, small farms offer a crucial part of the solution.” — Peter M. Rosset, Food First/The Institute for Food and Development Policy, “The Multiple Functions and Benefits of Small Farm Agriculture”, FAO/Netherlands, September 1999.
http://www.foodfirst.org/en/node/246
Condensed version: On the Benefit of Small Farms:
http://www.foodfirst.org/pubs/policybs/pb4.html

See the USDA National Commission on Small Farms report, “Time to Act”, 1998 — Executive Summary:
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/ag_systems/in_focus/smallfarms_if_time.html
Full report (860kb pdf):
http://www.csrees.usda.gov/nea/ag_systems/pdfs/time_to_act_1998.pdf

“Our nation’s economic foundation is built on the backs of America’s small farmers. Their survival and success is not only important to their families, but to consumers, rural communities, the environment, and the global economy.” — Former US Congressman Harold Volkmer, Chairman, USDA National Commission on Small Farms.

Many studies have shown that industrialized factory farms do not outyield organic farms.

“Can Organic Farming Feed Us All?” by Brian Halweil, Worldwatch, May/June 2006 — “The only people who think organic farming can feed the world are delusional hippies, hysterical moms, and self-righteous organic farmers. Right? Actually, no. A fair number of agribusiness executives, agricultural and ecological scientists, and international agriculture experts believe that a large-scale shift to organic farming would not only increase the world’s food supply, but might be the only way to eradicate hunger.” Concise but thorough outline and analysis, 4,400 words, 800kb pdf:
http://www.organic-center.org/reportfiles/EP193A.Halweil.pdf

“Can organic farming feed the world?”, by Colin Tudge, July 12, 2005, Eve Balfour annual lecture, UK Soil Association — “Suppose all this received wisdom is not true. Suppose the core belief of the world’s most powerful governments, and some of its biggest industries, and all its most valued experts, turns out simply to be mistake. Suppose, after all, we really don’t need all that agro-chemistry, and those vast and labour-free estates, and those enormous animal sweat-houses. Suppose, biotech in reality is just another example of commercial kite-flying, in a world where the sky is full of kites. Suppose there is an alternative after all; and suppose that that alternative is the thing that the powers-be treat as a side-show, and often openly disdain. Suppose organic farming really could feed us all — and indeed do it better than the industrial kind. That, surely, would make a difference to all our thinking and to our prospects. Wouldn’t it?”
http://www.colintudge.com/articles/article06.php

“Feeding people is easy: but we have to re-think the world from first principles”, by Colin Tudge, Public Health Nutrition: 8(6A), 2005, 7,000 words: “We could all be well fed. Indeed, everyone in the world who is ever likely to be born could be fed to the highest standards of gastronomy as well as of nutrition until humanity itself comes to an end. We already have most of the necessary technique – perhaps all that is needed. We could always do with more excellent science but we need not depend, as we are often told from on high, on the next technological fix. The methods that can provide excellent food would also create a beautiful environment, with plenty of scope for other creatures, and agreeable and stable agrarian economies with satisfying jobs for all. In reality, in absolute contrast, we have created a world in which almost a billion are chronically undernourished; another billion are horribly overnourished, so that obesity and diabetes are epidemic, and rising; a billion live on less than two dollars a day; and a billion live in urban slums – a figure set to increase and probably at least to double over the next half century; while other species are disappearing so fast that biologists speak of mass extinction... If we get food right, everything else we need to do can fall into place.”
http://journeytoforever.org/bflpics/feedingpeople.pdf

One 15-year study found that organic farming is not only kinder to the environment than “conventional”, intensive agriculture but has comparable yields of both products and profits. The study showed that yields of organic maize are identical to yields of maize grown with fertilisers and pesticides, while soil quality in the organic fields dramatically improves. (Drinkwater, L.E., Wagoner, P. & Sarrantonio, M. Legume-based cropping systems have reduced carbon and nitrogen losses. Nature 396, 262–265.) Acrobat file, 239 kb:
http://www.biotech-info.net/legume.pdf

A Rodale study found that organic farm yields equal factory farm yields after four years using organic techniques.

“In the USA, for example, the top quarter sustainable agriculture farmers now have higher yields than conventional farmers, as well as a much lower negative impact on the environment,” says Jules Pretty, Director of the Centre for Environment and Society at the University of Essex, “Feeding the world?”, SPLICE, August/September 1998, Volume 4 Issue 6.
http://members.tripod.com/~ngin/article2.htm

New studies are finding that it’s not industrialised farming or GMOs that will feed the world of the future.

Biotech has bamboozled us all: Studies suggest that traditional farming methods are still the best — “The truth, so effectively suppressed that it is now almost impossible to believe, is that organic farming is the key to feeding the world.” — The Guardian, August 24, 2000
http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,5673,358055,00.html

The UN’s landmark International Assessment of Agricultural Science and Technology for Development (IAASTD) report on world agriculture of April 2008 said GM technology is not a quick fix to feed the world’s poor. The report is highly critical of genetically engineered crops and saw little role for GMOs in feeding the poor on a large scale. It said GMOs are highly controversial and would not play a substantial role in addressing the key problems of climate change, biodiversity loss, hunger and poverty. “Assessment of the technology lags behind its development, information is anecdotal and contradictory, and uncertainty about possible benefits and damage is unavoidable.” Asked if GMOs could solve world hunger, Professor Robert Watson, the director of the IAASTD study, said: “The simple answer is no.” IAASTD website:
http://www.agassessment.org/

GM soy produces less food — A three-year study at the University of Kansas shows that GM soya produces 10 per cent less food than its conventional equivalent, undermining claims by the pro-GM lobby that a switch to the controversial technology is needed to solve the growing world food crisis. The new study confirms earlier research at the University of Nebraska. Both studies suggest it is probably the process of GM itself that suppresses productivity. — “Exposed: the great GM crops myth”, The Independent, 20 April 2008:
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/green-living/
exposed-the-great-gm-crops-myth812179.html

“Organic farming can ‘feed the world’” — British scientists say organic farming could produce enough food to feed large populations. — BBC Science, September 14, 1999
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/specials/sheffield_99/447337.stm

“The Greener Revolution”, New Scientist, 3 February 2001 — It sounds like an environmentalist’s dream. Low-tech “sustainable agriculture”, shunning chemicals in favour of natural pest control and fertiliser, is pushing up crop yields on poor farms across the world, often by 70 per cent or more. A new science-based revolution is gaining strength built on real research into what works best on the small farms where a billion or more of the world’s hungry live and work. For some, talk of “sustainable agriculture” sounds like a luxury the poor can ill afford. But in truth it is good science, addressing real needs and delivering real results.
http://www.biotech-info.net/greener_revolution.html

“An Ordinary Miracle”, New Scientist, 3 February 2001 — In the world’s largest study into sustainable agriculture, Jules Pretty, professor of environment and society at the University of Essex (UK) analysed more than 200 projects in 52 countries. He found that more than four million farms were involved — 3 per cent of fields in the Third World. And, most remarkably, average increases in crop yields were 73 per cent. Sustainable agriculture, Pretty concludes, has most to offer to small farms. Its methods are “cheap, use locally available technology and often improve the environment. Above all they most help the people who need help the most — poor farmers and their families, who make up the majority of the world’s hungry people.”
http://www.mindfully.org/Farm/Let-Weeds-Do-Work.htm

See: “Reducing Food Poverty with Sustainable Agriculture: A Summary of New Evidence” Centre for Environment and Society, University of Essex
http://www.essex.ac.uk/ces/esu/occasionalpapers/
SAFErepSUBHEADS.shtm

See: “47 Portraits of Sustainable Agriculture Projects and Initiatives” Centre for Environment and Society, University of Essex
http://www.essex.ac.uk/ces/research/susag/safew47casessusag.shtm

Cuba Leads the World in Organic Farming — Cuba Leads the World in Organic Farming — Faced with the possibility of widespread starvation, the Cuban government foresaw that a full-scale mobilization of domestic resources, both human and natural, would be required in order to increase production to meet the demands of a hungry populace. And with few options to import food given the stringency of the U.S. embargo, Cuba turned over a new leaf by converting almost entirely to an organic production system within 10 years. — Cuba’s security in fresh produce, ENN, September 12, 2003:
http://www.foodfirst.org/archive/media/news/2001/cubacensored.html

In 1990 Cuba’s cheap supplies of grain, tractors and agrochemicals were cut off with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Pesticide use halved overnight, as did the calorie intake of its citizens. Strapped for cash, Cuba was forced to embrace low-input farming or starve. Today, oxen have replaced the tractors, and farmers have adopted organic methods, mixing maize with beans and cassava and doubling yields in the process, helping average calorie intake per person rise back to pre-1990 levels. — “An Ordinary Miracle”, New Scientist, 3 February 2001.
http://www.mindfully.org/Farm/Let-Weeds-Do-Work.htm

A group of Iowa farmers, professors, and students traveled to Cuba in June 2000 to view the country’s approach to sustainable agriculture. Cuba relies on organic farming, using compost and worms to fertilize soil. “In many ways they’re ahead of us,” says Richard Wrage, of Boone County Iowa Extension Office. Lorna Michael Butler, Chair of Iowa State University’s sustainable agriculture department said, “more students should study Cuba’s growing system.” — AP, 5 June 2000

Despite the US embargo, Cuba has turned a severe food crisis into a sustained recovery in food production... Some have called Cuba a national laboratory in organic agriculture... Imports of pesticides and herbicides actually dropped from 1995 to 1998, yet food production rose over the same period... Forty years after the birth of the Cuban revolution, Cuba can claim greater diversity in its production and in its trading partners than it ever has had in modern history. Remarkably, Cuba has brought about this dramatic change in agriculture in the middle of a massive economic crisis.”Cuba: Going Against the Grain” — Executive Summary:
http://www.oxfamamerica.org/publications/art1164.html

Sustainable Agriculture - A Case Study, Peter M. Rosset, co-director of Food First/The Institute for Food and Development Policy — When trade collapsed with the socialist bloc in late 1989 and 1990, the degree to which Cuba relied on monocrop agriculture proved to be a major weakness for the country. Searching for the most efficient solution, the Cuban government launched a national effort to convert the nation’s agricultural sector from high input agriculture to low input, self-reliant farming practices on an unprecedented scale. By mid-1995 the food shortage had been overcome, and the vast majority of the population no longer faced drastic reductions of their basic food supply. In the 1996-97 growing season Cuba recorded its highest-ever production levels for ten of the thirteen basic food items in the Cuban diet. The Cuban experience illustrates that we can feed a nation’s population well with a small or medium-sized farm model based on appropriate ecological technology, and in doing so we can become more self-reliant in food production.
http://www.farmingsolutions.org/successtories/stories.asp?id=117

Use of ANY pesticides on most organic farms is minimal — fewer than 10% of organic farms in the US use even the approved plant-based organic insecticides on a regular basis. See Walz, E. 1999, Third Biennial National Organic Farmers’ Survey, Santa Cruz, CA: Organic Farming Research Foundation:
http://ofrf.org/publications/pubs/3rdsurvey_results.pdf

“Kicking the Chemical Habit” by Peter Rosset (Food First/Institute for Food and Development Policy), New Internationalist, May 2000 — Giving the lie to the agribusiness myths that pesticides are indispensable or that large farms are somehow more productive than small farms.
http://www.newint.org/issue323/kicking.htm

Contrary to the modern practice of growing monocrops of one variety, mixed species of rice were planted in Yunnan, China, with control plots of monocultured crops. Disease-susceptible rice varieties planted in mixtures with resistant varieties had 89% greater yield and blast was 94% less severe than when they were grown in monoculture. The experiment was so successful that fungicidal sprays were no longer applied by the end of the two-year program. — “Genetic diversity and disease control in rice”, Nature 406, 17 August 2000
http://www.mindfully.org/GE/Rice-Diversity-Yield.htm

1. Hutspot met klapstuk
Posted by: “Richard

Hutspot met klapstuk

Serving Size : 4

1 pound lean boneless chuck — (thin flank)
salt
1 pound onions
4 pounds potatoes
2 pounds carrots
milk
4 tbsp fat — butter or margarine
pepper

Wash meat, boil in 2 cups water and salt for about two hours. Scrub and
mince carrots. Peel, wash and slice onions add them to the meat together
peeled and cut potatoes and carrots. Boil until done (about 30 minutes).
Remove meat from pan. Mash all the vegetables and add fat, butter or
margarine and pepper. If too thick add some milk (but a spoon must stand
up in it). Serve with the sliced meat. This dish is eaten as a main meal
dish, either with some soup to start, and followed up with fruit, as the
dish is very nourishing. This amount serves 4 people in Holland (they
have big appetites).

Source: “The Netherlands Cookbook”

Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 600 Calories; 14g Fat (20.1%
calories from fat); 13g Protein; 111g Carbohydrate; 15g Dietary Fiber;
12mg Cholesterol; 101mg Sodium.

Exchanges: 5 1/2 Grain(Starch); 5 1/2 Vegetable; 2 1/2 Fat

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2. HACKFLEISCHTASCHEN
Posted by: “Richard

HACKFLEISCHTASCHEN

GERMAN SPICED BEEF PIES

To make about 25 pies

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 pound boneless beef, ground
Salt
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. paprika
Ground allspice
Freshly grated nutmeg
Dried rosemary and thyme leaves
2 eggs, 1 lightly beaten, 1 yolk separated from the white and both
lightly beaten
1 1/2 pounds rough puff dough

Heat the oil and sauté the onion and garlic until they are transparent.
Add the ground beef and cook for five minutes. Add salt to taste and
season with the cayenne pepper, paprika and a pinch each of allspice,
nutmeg, and rosemary and thyme leaves. Let the mixture cool slightly,
then stir in the beaten egg. Roll out the dough thin and cut it into
about twenty-five 5-inch squares. Brush the squares with the beaten egg
white. Put 2 tablespoons of the filling in the center of each square and
fold the corners to the center, pressing the edges to seal them. Brush
the pies with the beaten egg yolk. Place them on a baking sheet
sprinkled with water and bake them in a preheated 425 F. oven for about
25 minutes, or until golden brown.

ROUGH PUFF DOUGH:

To make 1/2 pound dough

1 cup flour
1/4 tsp. salt
8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, or half butter and half lard, chilled and cut
into small pieces
3 to 4 Tbsp. cold water

Mix the flour and salt in a bowl. Add the butter and cut it into the
flour rapidly, using two table knives, until the butter is in tiny
pieces. Do not work for more than a few minutes. Add half of the water
and, with a fork, quickly blend it into the flour and butter mixture.
Add just enough of the rest of the water to enable you to gather the
dough together with your hands into a firm ball. Enclose the dough in
plastic wrap or wax paper and place it in the refrigerator for at least
one hour,
or put it in the freezer for 20 minutes, until the surface is slightly
frozen. The dough will keep in the refrigerator for two days or in the
freezer for a month. If frozen, let the dough defrost in the
refrigerator for one day.

TO ROLL OUT ROUGH PUFF DOUGH:

Place the dough on a cool, floured surface and smack it flat with the
rolling pin. Turn the dough over to make sure that both sides are well
floured, and roll out the dough rapidly into a rectangle about 1 foot
long and 5 to 6 inches wide. Fold the two short ends to meet each other
in the center, then fold again to align the folded edges with each
other. Following the direction of the fold lines, roll the dough into a
rectangle again, fold it in the same way, enclose it in plastic wrap,
and refrigerate it for one to two hours or freeze it for 15 to 20
minutes. Repeat this process two or three more times before using the
dough. Always let the dough rest in the refrigerator or freezer between
rollings.

Source : Recipes Of A German Grandma

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3. Egyptian Roses - cookies
Posted by: “*~Tamara~*”

Egyptian Roses - cookies

1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon rose water
2 cups all-purpose flour
salt to taste
colored sugar crystals

Beat shortening, sugar, eggs and rose water until light and fluffy.
Add salt and flour.
Chill several hours or overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Lightly grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
Separate the dough into 2 or 3 parts.
Work with one part, keeping the remaining dough refrigerated, roll dough into balls walnut-sized balls.
Place on cookie sheets about 2” apart.
Flatten with the palm of your hand.
Make 4 cuts equidistant from each other going form the outside edge of the cookie almost to the center. Do not go all the way to the center, you don’t want to cut the cookie in half.
Pinch and lift the center of the cookie.
Gently pinch the “petals” to form the shape of rose petals (between the slits).
Sprinkle with colored sugar crystals.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned on bottom. Cookies should not brown of the top.

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4a. Moroccan Logs - Morocco
Posted by: “*~Tamara~*”

Moroccan Logs
Cookies with an almond filling.

makes: 4 dozen

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
4 tablespoon iced water
1 cup butter
8 ounces almond paste
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup ground almonds

Sift flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
Cut butter into flour/salt with a pastry blender or clean hands until the mixture is crumbly.
Add the iced water and blend until moistened.
Shape into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Combine almond paste, sugar, egg, and ground almonds.
Roll out dough between two pieces of wax paper until 1/4” in thickness.
Peel off top layer of wax paper.
Cut dough into 3” x 5” rectangles.
Spread a small amount off filling on dough.
Carefully roll into logs and place on ungreased cookie sheets about 2” apart.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.
Transfer to wire racks to cool.

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4b. Moroccan Logs - Morocco
Posted by: “*~Tamara~*”

Moroccan Logs

Cookies with an almond filling.

makes: 4 dozen

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
4 tablespoon iced water
1 cup butter
8 ounces almond paste
2 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup ground almonds

Sift flour and salt in a mixing bowl.
Cut butter into flour/salt with a pastry blender or clean hands until the mixture is crumbly.
Add the iced water and blend until moistened.
Shape into a ball and wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Combine almond paste, sugar, egg, and ground almonds.
Roll out dough between two pieces of wax paper until 1/4” in thickness.
Peel off top layer of wax paper.
Cut dough into 3” x 5” rectangles.
Spread a small amount off filling on dough.
Carefully roll into logs and place on ungreased cookie sheets about 2” apart.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.
Transfer to wire racks to cool.

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5. Peanut Cakes - Nigeria
Posted by: “angelchef.tamara”

Peanut Cakes - Nigeria

Place flaked coconut into a food processor and process until finely ground.

makes: 1-1/2 dozen

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3/4 cup finely ground peanuts, unsalted
1/2 cup finely ground coconut
1 egg white
1 tablespoon milk

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in the egg and vanilla.
Gradually stir in dry ingredients.
Stir in coconut and half of the peanuts.
Form dough into a ball, cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350F.
Lightly grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.
Roll out dough between two pieces of wax paper until 1/4” in thickness.
Cut into shapes.
Place on cookie sheets about 2” apart.
Beat egg white with milk and brush on cookies.
Sprinkle cookies with the remaining peanuts.
Bake 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.
Transfer to wire racks to cool.

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6. Sweet Potato Cookies - Senegal
Posted by: “angelchef.tamara”

Sweet Potato Cookies - Senegal

makes: 2 dozen

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1/4 cup butter
1/8 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 cup honey
1 egg
1/2 cup grated, raw sweet potatoes
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon water

Preheat oven to 350F.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and; set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar.
Mix in the lemon zest, nutmeg, honey, and egg.
Stir in the grated sweet potato.
Blend the flour mixture into the sweet potato mixture.
Drop by the spoonful on to cookie sheets about 2” apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 7-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
Transfer to wire racks to cool.
To make glaze, combine powdered sugar with lemon juice and water.
Spread the glaze on the cooled cookies.

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7. Soetkoekies - Spicy Wine Cookies - South Africa
Posted by: “angelchef.tamara”

Soetkoekies - Spicy Wine Cookies

makes: 3 dozen

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup cold butter, cut into small pieces
2 eggs
1/4 cup red wine
1 egg white, beaten

Preheat oven to 350Â°F.
Lightly grease cookie sheets.
Combine flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, ground cloves, brown sugar, and almonds.
Cut in the butter.
Stir in the eggs and red wine.
Roll dough into walnut-sized balls and place on cookie sheets about 2” apart.
Dab tops with beaten egg white.
Bake 12-15 minutes or until bro
wn around the edges.
Transfer to wire racks to cool.

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8. Ho Yow Ngow Yuke
Posted by: “Richard

Ho Yow Ngow Yuke

Oyster Sauce Beef

This Chinese way of preparing strips of meat or chicken, with a marinade
that includes cornstarch, always results in wonderfully moist and tender
morsels. The juices seem to be sealed in as the meat cooks.

Number of Servings: 2 Serving Size: 1/2 of recipe

Ingredients

beef strip loin 8 oz
cornstarch 1 tbsp
light soy sauce 2 tsp
hot pepper sauce 2 drops
canola oil 1 tbsp
green onion, sliced 6
water 1/2 cup
oyster sauce 2 tbsp

Preparation Instructions

1. Cut the steak into thin strips.
2. In bowl, combine 1 tsp cornstarch, soy sauce, and hot pepper sauce.
Add steak strips, and toss to coat each piece with soy sauce mixture.
Marinate for 15 minutes.
3. In a nonstick skillet, heat oil over high heat. Stir-fry steak strips
for 2 minutes.
Add onions and stir-fry for 1 minute.
4. Stir together water, oyster sauce, and remaining cornstarch until
smooth. Add to skillet, stirring, for about 1 minute or until thickened.

Nutrition Information Amount Per Serving

Calories 292 Calories from Fat 153 Total Fat 17 g Saturated Fat 4 g
Cholesterol 61 mg Sodium 512 mg Total Carbohydrate 7 g Dietary Fiber
Sugars Protein 25 g

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9. Native American Catfish with Pine Nuts
Posted by: “~*Piper*~”

Native American Catfish with Pine Nuts

1/4 cup pine nuts, ground
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup oil
1 pound catfish fillets
2 tablespoons pine nuts

In a bowl combine ground pine nuts with cornmeal, flour, salt, cayenne pepper, and cumin. Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over moderate heat. Dredge catfish fillets in the cornmeal mixture and pan fry about 4 minutes per side, or until opaque. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Serves 4.

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10. Thai Fried Rice with Chicken
Posted by: “~*Piper*~”

Thai Fried Rice with Chicken

* 1 cup jasmine rice
* 1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch
pieces
* 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 1 teaspoon bottled minced garlic
* 1 teaspoon bottled minced ginger
* 1 (10-ounce) package frozen peas
* 1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
* 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
* Chopped peanuts (optional, for serving)

Cook rice according to package directions, fluff with fork, and set aside.
Meanwhile, in the bottom of a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the
canola oil and sauté the garlic and ginger for about 1 minute. Add the
chicken pieces and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 to 3 minutes,
until chicken is cooked through. Add the frozen peas and pineapple, and cook
for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and soy sauce,
stirring well to mix, and serve. Top each portion with chopped peanuts, if
using.

Serves 4

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11. Butterflied Cuban Style Pork Chops
Posted by: “~*Piper*~”

Butterflied Cuban Style Pork Chops
4 servings

3/4 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh oregano leaves
6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup canola oil
4 (8-ounce) pork chops, butterflied and thinly pounded
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 (1/4-inch) thick slices Swiss cheese
8 (1/4-inch) thick slices boiled ham
2 sour dill pickles, thinly sliced (need about 16 slices)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves
1/4 cup olive oil

Heat the grill to high.

Whisk together 1/2 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup lime juice, 3 tablespoons oregano, the garlic, cumin, and canola oil in a large baking dish. Add the pork and turn to coat. Cover and let marinate for at least 15 minutes and up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Remove the pork from the marinade and pat dry. Place the chops on a flat surface, cut-side up and season with salt and pepper. Place 1 slice of cheese, 2 slices of ham, a few slices of pickle and another slice of cheese on 1 half of the chop. Fold over brush the top with oil and season with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

Place the chops on the grill, oil side down and grill until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the chops over and continue grilling until the bottom is golden brown and the cheese has melted, 2 to 3 minutes longer.

Whisk the remaining orange and lime juices, oregano, and the cilantro with the olive oil and salt and pepper, to taste. Spoon over the chops and serve.

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12. Vietnamese Chicken Salad Rolls from Pei Wei Asian Diner
Posted by: “~*Piper*~”

Vietnamese Chicken Salad Rolls from Pei Wei Asian Diner
Makes 6 rolls - 5 1/2 “ long

3/4 lb. Chicken Poached and Shredded
1 1/2 Cups Thin Cooked Rice Noodles
1/2 Cup Green Scallion Rings
1/8 Cup Mint Cut Thick, Julienne
1 Cup Cabbage Sliced, Julienne
1/4 Cup Roasted Peanuts, Chopped
2 Cups Carrot Thin, Julienne
3/4 Cup Lime Vinaigrette Prepared (see recipe below)
12 Butter Lettuce Leaves (2 per roll) Fresh, Rinsed, Separated
6 12 inch round rice paper wrappers (available in Asian markets)

Combine chicken, rice noodles, scallion, mint, cabbage, peanuts and carrot in a large bowl.

Whisk lime vinaigrette dressing (see below) to emulsify. Just before rolling, add to mixture in the bowl and toss thoroughly to blend.

Dip rice paper in warm water. Place rice paper flat on a warm, white towel. Cover rice paper with a second warm, white towel allowing two rice paper wrappers to soften at a time.

Place one lettuce leaf, rib-side and cut-end down, in bottom third of rice paper.

Add 1 cup of mixture to the bottom of the wrapper on top of the lettuce leaf. Top with second lettuce leaf, rib-side and cut-end up.

Roll wrapper and fold outside edges shut like a spring roll. Grab bottom corner of wrapper and, in a forward motion, roll tightly about 1/3 way. Fold in outside edges and continue to roll forward into a tight roll.

The rolls may be served with a hoisin or chili sauce, both of which should be available in the Asian food section of your local grocery store or at your local Asian market.

Lime Vinaigrette
1 Cup Canola Oil
1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
2 TB Sugar
1/4 Cup Fresh Lime Juice

Thoroughly mix ingredients and blend until emulsified.

This great group is owned by *~Tamara~*

To visit
group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/world-recipe-fiesta/

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/ta_alcoholism.html

Alcoholism Cure - Herbs and Ayurvedic Remedies, Alcoholism Treatment
By: Tom Alter

Alcoholism is defined as an irresistible urge to consume alcohol. People suffering from alcoholism are very well aware of the dangerous effects alcohol could have on their bodies, but still they are unable to resist the urge to consume it. They will usually drink beyond acceptable limits and will be in an inebriated state most often, causing embarrassment and inconvenience to the people with them.

Most people who consume alcohol have more than they can manage. This is seen in alcohol drinkers who lose control of their senses when they have one drink too many. Such an overstepping of limits is called as alcohol abuse. People who abuse alcohol are having more alcohol than their body allows them, but they have not yet come totally under the control of their alcohol habit. However, if they continue drinking for long, then they will not be able to resist alcohol and will become totally addicted to it. This situation is called as alcoholism.

Constant alcoholism will interfere with the functioning of all the vital organs of the body. The major organs affected are the liver, brain, heart and kidneys.

Liver is perhaps the most seriously affected in the long run. With prolonged alcoholism, the liver may develop cirrhosis, which is scarring of the liver tissue. Once cirrhosis sets in, it is very difficult to return the health back to normal.

In the stomach, alcohol can cause several gastric problems which may interfere with digestion. At the same time, each time a person has alcohol, it numbs his/her nervous system. In due course, the person may lose some or all of the fundamental senses.

(1) Useful Herbs in the Treatment of Alcoholism

1. Aloe vera (Aloe vera)
Aloe vera helps to strengthen the liver which is the first organ to be affected by the habit of alcoholism. Aloe vera can improve the functions and strength of the liver, and can prevent cirrhosis which is developed due to continuous intake of alcohol.

2. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)
Ashwagandha is an herb that is taken to reduce vata vitiations. This is important since vata plays and important role in strengthening the brain and nervous coordination. Use of ashwagandha can make the alcoholic person stronger.

3. Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica)
The gotu kola herb revitalizes the brain. This is essential in people who want to overcome the withdrawal symptoms accompanied with alcohol.

4. Musk (Nardostachys jatamansi)
Known commonly in Ayurveda as Jatamansi, musk is a nervine for the vata vitiation. Its cooling effect helps the body to fight against then effects of alcoholism.

(2) Ayurvedic Treatment for Alcoholism

Ayurvedic treatments for mada work on various levels. There are different kinds of treatments for people with different degrees of alcoholism. Common therapies employed are cold irrigations on the head, providing a cold diet and applying cold mud packs on the body.

However these therapies work only for people who are not habitual alcoholics. These are the people who are beginners to drinking and hence get intoxicated easily. Ayurvedic medicines like Brihat vata chintamani rasa, Vata Vidhwansa rasa, Brahmi ghritam and Sarvatha choorna can be given to the alcoholics.

But if the person is a habitual alcoholic, then severe treatments are necessary. The medication is done based on the doshic constitution of the person.

1. For people with a vata constitution, the prescribed Ayurvedic treatments are Suvarachala choorna, Shuktapana and Amla Snigdhaadi yoga.

2. For people with a pitta constitution, the prescribed Ayurvedic treatments are Vata Srugadi pana and Kshundramalaki hima.

3. For people with a kapha constitution, the prescribed Ayurvedic treatments are to induce vomiting, fasting and to provide digestive medicines.

(3) Home Medications

Fruit juices are very effective in lowering the effects of alcoholism. For removing the effects of a hangover, the juice of a lemon or orange will be very effective. Eating an apple or banana helps to flush out the toxins from the body which collect due to alcoholism.

Both grapes and dates are very beneficial in reducing the urge to consume alcohol. If alcoholics are kept on a diet of only grapes for a couple of weeks, then most likely the temptation to drink will be totally gone.

Introduce many other drinks in the person’s diets so that the craving for the alcoholic drink is reduced.

When the person feels the urge to consume alcohol, having a glass of carrot juice will help to reduce the temptation.

For an alcoholic, avoiding alcohol could be a very difficult task. The withdrawal symptoms of alcoholism may be very severe. So it is not advisable for a hardcore alcohol to stop drinking entirely. Instead, the alcohol should be carefully phased out.

The following steps can be taken to reduce alcohol intake

1. The person must be made to take interest in constructive hobbies and sports.

2. Love and affection from family members and friends could strengthen the resolve of the person to give up alcoholism.

3. Attending meetings of Alcoholics Anonymous will show the alcoholic how people have managed to kick their boozing habits. This will create a very positive outlook in the alcoholic.

4. Instead of alcohol, other drinks with less alcohol in them can be used, such as wine and cocktails. Eventually even these can be stopped.
The Author

Read More on Alcoholism Cure by Ayurveda and Acidity Home Remedies.
Read more about Ayurveda at World’s Largest Portal on Ayurveda and Ayurvedic Remedies - The Free Ayurvedic Encyclopedia.

Article Source: http://www.articlesphere.com/Article/Alcoholism-Cure-—Herbs-and-Ayurvedic-Remedies—Alcoholism-Treatment/73899

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/coldandflu.html

Fighting Colds and Flus

People spend billions of dollars every year trying to fight off the misery of the common cold. Want to try something different? Garlic is said to work wonders. Take a large clove, peel and keep it in your mouth. Bite down every so-often to release the natural juices. Replace with a new clove every four or five hours. Your cold symptoms are reported to be to gone in twenty four, to forty eight hours.

Your nose all stuffed up? Try eating some hot or spicy foods which should open up those blocked nasal passages and you won’t have the rebound effect of taking too many nose drops! Not hungry? Try a few minutes of vigorous exercise. The increased oxygen demand of your body will almost certainly cause you to breathe deeper and help open-up your blocked nasal passages naturally. Chest congestion can be effectively cleared up by breathing a mixture of hot vinegar, or white wine. Breath in the vapors for a few minutes, and you should get relief!

Coughs and sore throats can be controlled with several home remedies. A classic requires a large lemon. Start by slowing roasting it until it just splits open. Now take up to half a teaspoon of honey with the juice from the lemon. Repeat at hourly intervals until the cough is under control.

Hot Lemon

1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon honey
1 cup boiling water

Squeeze the juice from a fresh lemon into a cup of boiled water, add honey for taste. Sip while warm.

Hot Orange & Ginger

1 orange
1/2 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ginger (helps to soothe the throat)
1 cup boiling water

Squeeze the juice from a fresh orange into a cup of boiled water, add ginger & honey for taste. Sip while warm.

For Colds and Flus:

Drink 3 cups of cayenne tea daily.

3 drops of Eucalyptus essential oil in a vaporizer is good to relieve upper respiratory.

For congestion relief, make a tea of fresh parsley, steep the parsley in hot water for a few minutes then sip tea slowly. Drink daily.

For breathing problems: eat something spicy, such as eating a chili pepper, whole garlic or gargle with tabasco sauce in a cup of water.

Onion cough syrup

Cook 4-5 large onions in a pot with 3/4 cup honey. Simmer for approx 1 1/2 hours-2 hours, strain. Take as often as needed for relief
. Use warm.

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/fr_colds.html

Aromatherapy at Home: Beating the Cold Bug
by Francoise Rapp

It seems that nearly everyone I know has been either fighting or recovering from a cold or flu these last few weeks. And many of my clients have been asking how essential oils can help them prevent or heal their illnesses. There are a few things you can do to prevent yourself from catching a bad cold:

· Diffuse eucalyptus essential oil at home to clean and purify the air.

· Take a “winter bath” once or twice a week with the following aromatherapy blend to boost your immune system and keep you healthy during the chilly winter!

In a 10-ml bottle, pour the essential oils first and then add an organic vegetable oil to fill:

· 15 drops of Ravensara
· 8 drops of Rosemary
· 6 drops of Thyme officinalis

Pour a big package of Epsom Salts into the bathtub and add your aromatic blend. Make sure you allow at least 20 minutes to breathe in the vapors, adding more hot water as needed to keep steaminess at a maximum. Wrap yourself warmly when you get out, and enjoy a hot herbal tea prepared with Echinacea and Ginseng.

Do you already feel a cold coming on? Have you been experiencing chills, mild fever, headache, stuffy nose, dry sore throat, and fatigue? To help you battle your cold or flu, take a hot bath with the following aromatic recipe once or twice a day if necessary.

In a 10-ml bottle, pour the essential oils first and then add an organic vegetable oil to fill:

· 15 drops of Ravensara
· 10 drops of Rosemary
· 8 drops of Thyme officinalis
· 8 drops of Eucalyptus

Click here to purchase your organic essential oils:
===> http://www.myzticisle.com/essentialoils.htm

Pour a big package of Epsom Salts into the bathtub and add your aromatic blend. Make sure you allow at least 20 minutes to breathe in the vapors, adding more hot water as needed to keep steaminess at a maximum. Wrap yourself warmly when you get out, then treat yourself to a good hot soup such as Miso Green Onion, Hot and Sour (Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai), or good ol’ Chicken Soup.

Don’t underestimate the power of soup! In one study, participants who consumed chicken soup experienced an increase in the flow of nasal secretions (when compared to just plain hot and cold water). The taste and aroma is believed to be part of the therapy, as well as the inhalation of the vapors. In another study, researchers found that chicken soup had anti-inflammatory properties, even when extremely diluted.

Also, drink plenty of orange juice (rich in Vitamin C) and purchase echinacea-goldenseal tincture that you will take according to the directions on the bottle.

But foremost...rest, rest, rest!
The Author:

(c) Francoise Rapp. Internationally renowned aromatherapist and alchemist, Francoise Rapp, shares her expertise in using essential oils to heal and revitalize body and mind. Highlights include aromatherapy classes, recipes and aromatic treatments for health and wellness, and a free weekly newsletter. Discover the power of aromatherapy today!

The original page can be found on-line at http://www.pioneerthinking.com/kh_coldflus.html

Common Cold and Influenza
The Difference between these two Ailments
By Knut Holt

Both common cold and flu give symptoms from the ear, nose and throat, fever and symptoms from the rest of the body, and the symptoms of both diseases can vary between mild and very bad. By common cold, the symptoms from the windpipe comes first and remains as the main symptoms.

By flu fever, pain in the rest of the body, nausea, feeling of weakness and other general symptoms are predominant. Symptoms from the windpipe are usually milder, but can gradually get somewhat worse. The symptoms from the windpipe may sometimes nearly lack.

The Causes and Symptoms of Common Cold

The common cold is caused by a large variety of viruses, which mutate quite frequently during reproduction, resulting in constantly changing virus strains.

The common cold is generally transmitted when drops coming out when a person sneezes or coughs get airborne and then are inhaled by another person. Transmission by direct contact with a sick person is also frequent. Between one-third and one-half of all people exposed to cold viruses become infected and develop symptoms after 1-2 days.

The symptoms from the windpipe are the strongest by the common cold:

- The throat feels sore, and a sore throat is often the starting symptom.

- There will then be increased secretions of mucus from the nose, resulting in running nose and drier secretions building up in the nose.

- The throat will also secrete more mucus, resulting in a wheezing sound, and possibly building up of drier secretions.

- There will be swelling in the nose and throat.

- Cough and sneezing are important symptoms of the common cold. These reactions are stimulated by the building up of secretions and of the swelling in the windpipe.

There may also be mild symptoms from the rest of the body.

- Mild to severe headache is common.

- A mild fever may occur.

- Some persons experience a little neck stiffness and pain in the neck when trying to flex it, but this symptom must not be great. If this symptom is great, it can be a sign of meningitis, a very serious disease.

The Prevention and Treatment of Common Cold

Staying away from people being sick and strict washing habits can prevent the transmission of common cold, but it is difficult to carry through a strict enough regime of this sort in a populated society.

Because of the frequent variations of viruses causing common cold, successful immunization has not been developed.

The immune system of the body usually manages to beat down the infection within some days. By having the common cold one should hold an activity level that feels comfortable. It is not necessary to strictly restrict the daily activities level.

High doses of Vitamin C have been proven to help prevent colds and gets rid of the cold faster, but the doses that must be used are impractically high if Vitamin C is used alone. However, a combination of lower doses of Vitamin C with other natural substances may be useful.

Common treatments of colds have the aim of relieving symptoms and of strengthening the immune system so that it can beat the infection better. Pain killers such as aspirin and paracetamol relieve the pain by the common cold effectively, and is the most common treatment for this disease. However, both drugs can give adverse reactions if they are used in greater amounts than recommended and even recommended doses can sometimes give dangerous effects.

Aspirin can cause internal bleeding and both aspirin and paracetamol can cause liver damage. For children and teens it is advised to use paracetamol, because the liver damage caused when young people take aspirin can be very severe. The drugs should therefore be used with caution and not for a long period of time.

Drugs to loosen mucus, to decrease swelling, to decrease mucus production or to suppress the cough reflex can be effective to relieve symptoms. These drugs are often made to mainly loosen mucus or mainly suppress exaggerated cough, but these two effects can be blended in the same drug. These drugs may be liquid, be prepared as nasal spray or as tablets to suck on. To choose the right drug for your child or yourself, you must examine to find out what are the main symptoms: Mucus production, whether the mucus is loose or hard, swelling or exaggerated cough.

Steam inhaling is a traditional treatment long used in many countries. The treatment can help loosen the mucus so that the windpipe is easily cleared by cough. The treatment may also to some extent destroy the virus.

The drug Pleconaril is meant to attack the viruses causing the majority of common colds, picornaviruses. The drug has been developed by ViroPharma Incorporated and Schering. The drug is available in oral form and inter-nasal formulations are being developed, but the efficacy of the drug is not clearly established and the drug is not yet approved for general use.

Interferons are used nasally in Eastern Europe to treat common cold. Interfeons are natural proteins than regulate the function of the immune system.

There are herbal and mineral supplements on the marked that may strengthen the immune system and thus prevent colds from occurring, ameliorate the cold if it still occurs, and help the body to fight down the disease faster. These supplements often contain extracts of Echinacea Angustifolia. Treatment with this herb should not exceed two weeks.

The Causes, Symptoms and Complications of Influenza

Like colds, influenza is caused by virus strains that mutate frequently, but there tends to be one main virus strain each year that spreads throughout the globe.

The transmission of the disease occurs by secretions from sick people. These secretions can be carried as drops through the air, contaminate surfaces people touch, or get into the food. Symptoms start one to four days after the virus has entered the body.

Flu often begins as a diffused lack of wellness that persists for some hours, and sometimes for a couple of days. Sometimes the flu does not progress past this stage. However, after some time the symptoms often suddenly get worse with a great degree of general discomfort. By flu the symptoms from the windpipe are the same as by common cold, but they are weaker:

- The throat or nose feels sore, but usually mildly.

- There can be some increased secretions from the nose and throat.

- There will be swelling in the nose and throat.

- Cough and sneezing are symptoms.

Symptoms from the rest of the body are the strongest by flu. The symptoms can be distributed throughout the whole body:

- Flu often gives high fever. High fever is the most important symptom to separate influenza from the common cold.

- In spite of the fever, there is often a feeling of coldness in some parts of the body or of general coldness.

- There will be nausea, often severe, and often vomiting. Severe nausea and vomiting are also good indications of influenza, especially by children and teens.

- There is often a marked feeling of tiredness and general weakness.

- Mild to severe headache is common.

- Stomach ache and digestive disturbances often occur by flu.

- Aching around in the body, for example in muscles and around joints is common.

- Some people experience a little neck stiffness and pain in the neck when trying to flex it, but this symptom must not be great. If these symptoms are distinct, the disease can be meningitis.

- The eyes can be red and irritated.

- Also skin redness can occur.

Having the flu decreases the resistance against other viral and bacterial diseases substantially, especially if one does not get enough rest and comfort when having the flu. Lung infection and throat infection by bacteria are common complications by flu.

The Prevention and Treatment of Influenza

As with the common cold, staying away from people being sick and a strict washing regime may also prevent the transmission of the influenza virus, but such a regime is difficult to carry through.

It is often possible to prevent the flu with a vaccination. However there are many strains of the flu viruses, and therefore the vaccination must be given exactly against that strain being epidemic at any given time.

By flu it is important to reduce the activity level and keep oneself warm and comfortable until all the symptoms have resided. By severe symptoms, bed rest is recommended. Straining and stressing during a flu episode easily result in an aggravated disease and additional bacterial or viral infections.

It is advised to stay away from tobacco when you have the flu.

Aspirin or paracetamol can be used to relieve the pain and bring down the fever. As by cold, paracetamol is commonly recommended, especially for children and teens. The drugs should not be taken in higher doses than recommended and even recommended does shall be used with caution, and not too long.

There are modern drugs that help against the proliferation of some strains of influenza virus in the body, and thereby alleviate the disease and shorten the time it takes to get rid of the disease. The two classes of anti-virals are neuraminidase inhibitors and M2 inhibitors (adamantane derivatives). Neuraminidase inhibitors are most often preferred, for example the drug Tamiflu. These inhibit the action of the enzyme neuramidase that the virus uses. There is a reluctance to use these drugs because strains of virus not susceptible to the drug can develop, and the stores of the drug can easily get short with extensive use.

Drugs to decrease swelling, inhibit mucus production, loosen mucus and suppress coughs can also be used by influenza as by common cold.

The same natural supplements used to improve the immune system against colds may also be of help to prevent flu and to help the body to overcome the disease faster, like supplements with Echinacea and vitamin c. Some herbs in the genus Scutellaria (skullcaps) contain a natural neuramidase inhibitor and may also help against flu. Scullcap is often prepared as tea.

Distinguish Cold and Flu from Meningitis

Meningitis is a serious disease that requires immediate treatment. Meningitis may begin with the same symptoms as cold and flu. There are however two symptoms that strongly suggest meningitis:

By meningitis there is often severe neck stiffness. If bending down the neck is very difficult and causes severe pain, the condition may be meningitis.

The other symptom is red spots in the skin that do not get pale when pressing at them. These spots can occur anywhere on the body.

The Importance of Checking a Person Having Cold or Flu-Like Symptoms

When some poeple, and especially a child, gets sick with cold or flu-like symptoms it is necessary to measure the temperature, check for neck stiffness and to look at the whole body to detect any red spots. These checks should be done several times each 24 hours. In this way one more easily distinguishes between common cold and flu, and meningitis is more easily discovered in time.
The Author

Knut Holt is an internet consultant and marketer focusing on health items. ——TO FIND natural supplements to help slimming and to help for diseases like: Cold, flu, allergies, acne, eczema, hypothyroidism, fatigue, depression, hemorrhoids, joint pain, hypertension, high cholesterol, circulatory problems, digestive ailments, rheumatism and more, PLEASE VISIT:-— http://www.panteraconsulting.com/salg2.htm

Thanks for the emergency beacon.

How do you set the posts at 250?

I discovered over the weekend that you can prepare regular rice and then dehydrate it, producing instant rice..

Brilliant.

Can’t wait to get home to try it.

I wonder if you could pulse it when cutting in shortening for pie crusts or biscuits?

“dehydrate it, producing instant rice..”

Can you give us more details? Thanks.

Home Remedies For Canker Sores

Posted By TipNut On March 3, 2009 @ 9:28 am In Beauty & Health | 31 Comments

Spoonful Of Honey
Canker sores are located inside the mouth around gums, inside of cheeks and lips and around the tongue area. It’s unknown what causes them exactly but it’s suspected that stress and diet can play a big factor. These aren’t contagious like cold sores [1], but they can be quite painful. Sores can last 2 to 3 weeks.

Here’s my collection of home remedies for canker sores, some can sting quite a bit on the initial application. I used to get canker sores regularly when I was younger (it seemed to be 2 or 3 times a year), but I haven’t had one for several years now. It’s likely because I grew out of them rather than doing anything to make myself immune to them (score 1 for aging!).

Canker Sore Remedies

* Salt (stings): Apply salt directly to the sore or rinse your mouth a couple times a day with a strong salt water solution.
* Crushed Aspirin (*Careful): Dab the crushed aspirin directly on the sore. *Although I’ve experienced no problems with this, you may get an aspirin burn (see comment below).
* Baking Soda: Sprinkle onto sore or make a paste of baking soda and water then apply. You can also rinse your mouth with a strong baking soda and water solution.
* Tea Bag (wet): Tannin from the tea helps sooth the sore, apply a wet tea bag directly onto sore and leave for a few minutes at a time. Use a fresh tea bag for each treatment (do not reuse). Can also help soothe the pain.
* Aloe Vera [2]: Dab gel from a fresh Aloe leaf or pure aloe onto sore, can also help soothe the pain. Do this several times a day.
* Honey: Dab honey onto canker sore 2 to 3 times a day, can also help soothe the pain.
* Vodka, Rum or Whiskey (dabbed onto the sore): Will likely sting, apply alcohol full strength to the stain by dabbing it on with a q-tip.
* Listerine Mouthwash (original): Swoosh mouthwash around your mouth focusing on the sore area for as long as you can stand it (will likely be painful), do this a couple times a day until sore is gone.
* Apple Cider Vinegar (stings): Dab onto sore several times a day, although it stings at first it can help soothe the pain as well.
* Mix a 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide and water, apply directly to sore.
* Dab Milk of Magnesia onto the sore several times a day, helps soothe as well.

Pain Relief:

* Apply a topical dental gel such as Anbesol or Orajel to the sore, will usually relieve the pain temporarily.
* Mix 1 tablespoon of Milk of Magnesia (Maalox) with 1/2 tablespoon of Benadryl (two treatments), use half to swish around in your mouth over the canker sore area. Spit out, don’t swallow.
* Apply an ice cube or ice chips to sore as needed, will help numb the pain.

Note: If a sore persists and won’t heal or is accompanied by a fever, make sure to see your doctor.

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* 23 Home Remedies From The Spice Rack [3]
* Wasp Stings: Treatments & Home Remedies [4]
* 15 Bee Sting Home Remedies & Tips [5]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/canker-sores/

URLs in this post:

[1] cold sores: http://tipnut.com/cold-sore-tips/

[2] Aloe Vera: http://tipnut.com/how-to-heal-with-aloe-vera-plants-tips-guide/

[3] 23 Home Remedies From The Spice Rack: http://tipnut.com/home-remedies-spice/

[4] Wasp Stings: Treatments & Home Remedies: http://tipnut.com/wasp-stings/

[5] 15 Bee Sting Home Remedies & Tips: http://tipnut.com/quick-tip-bee-sting-relief/

- TipNut.com - http://tipnut.com -

23 Home Remedies From The Spice Rack

Posted By TipNut On May 11, 2009 @ 6:02 am In Beauty & Health | 3 Comments

Assorted Herbs & Spices

1. Allspice: Relieves muscle aches and pains. First grind Allspice into a powder then add water to make a paste. Spread on a strip of clean muslin and apply to sore area.
2. Anise: Helps congestion from allergies, colds or flu, and settle upset stomach with gas. Make a tea by steeping 1 teaspoon of anise seeds in 1 cup of boiling water. Strain before drinking. Also chew a couple anise seeds as needed for bad breath.
3. Basil: For relief of cough, make a tea of dried basil (1 teaspoon) per 1 cup boiling water. Steep then strain, add a spoonful of honey then drink.
4. Bay Leaves: Helps with dandruff. Make a rinse by crushing a handful of bay leaves to one liter water (first brought to boiling then removed from heat). Cover and steep for 20 minutes. Strain and cool. Apply to hair and leave for 45 minutes to 60 minutes. Rinse clean.
5. Black Ground Pepper: Stops bleeding, sprinkle a generous amount on a cut and voila! painfree (see Stop Bleeding With Ground Black Pepper [1]).
6. Caraway Seeds: Chew on a few seeds to help with flatulence. You can also make a tea by steeping 1 tsp seeds per cup of boiling water. Strain before drinking.
7. Cardamom: Digestive aid, brew a tea with 1 teaspoon cardamom and 1 cup boiling water. Steep. Drink tea with meals.
8. Cayenne Pepper: Sprinkle a pinch of Cayenne Pepper on meals to clear sinuses. Also a natural appetite suppressant and increases metabolism. Sprinkle cayenne pepper on a toothbrush or add to a glass of water to gargle/rinse mouth–helps prevent gum disease and speeds up healing gingivitis (also see Gingivitis Home Treatments & Tips [2]). For toothaches, make a paste with cayenne pepper and water, apply to sore area.
9. Celery Seed: Relief from fluid retention: Make a diuretic tea by roughly crushing 1 1/2 teaspoons celery seed and steep in 1 cup boiling water (20 minutes). If you’re menstruating late, this infusion can be used to bring on menstruation. Also helps with high blood pressure and anxiety.
10. Cinnamon: Mix 1/2 tsp of cinnamon to coffee or tea to help raise good cholesterol levels. Arthritis pain: try 1/2 tsp cinnamon mixed with 1 tsp honey. To help with heavy menstruating, add a bit of cinnamon to tea, coffee or sprinkle on foods.
11. Cloves: Chew one clove for bad breath. For toothache pain, rest a clove against the sore area until pain goes away. You can also chew on a 3 or 4 cloves to relieve nausea. To relieve a sore throat, slowly chew on a few cloves.
12. Coriander: Boil one teaspoon of coriander seeds in 1 cup of water, drink. Helps with high cholesterol.
13. Cumin: Boil 1 cup of water with a teaspoon of cumin seeds, simmer for a few seconds. Strain and cool. Drink for cold relief.
14. Dill Seed: Try swallowing a teaspoon of dill seed to stop hiccups. Also see this tip for hiccup relief: How To Stop Hiccups [3]. Mask bad breath by eating a bit of dill seed.
15. Fennel Seeds: Chew a couple fennel seeds for bad breath. For stomach cramp relief, you can brew a tea by steeping 1 teaspoon seeds per cup of boiling water. Strain before drinking. Crush seeds slightly when making tea and is good for flatulence.
16. Garlic Powder: Mosquito Repellent: Make a garlic powder and water paste. Apply to pulse points, behind knees, on shoes and ankles and a dab or two on your cheeks or somewhere on your face and neck–-keep out of eyes. See How to Prevent Mosquito Bites [4] for more ideas.
17. Ginger: Brew a tea with 1/2 teaspoon ginger per cup of boiling water. Strain before drinking. Helps with nausea (also see 12 Home Remedies for Nausea [5]). If you have fresh ginger on hand, chewing a bit is more effective than ginger tea. For headache relief, make a paste of ground ginger and water, apply to temple area, also see this headache soother: Home Remedy: Headache Soother Sachets [6]. Mix 1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger with 1 teaspoon of honey for cough relief. Drink tea to fight motion sickness (or chew on a fresh piece).
18. Mustard Powder: To relieve congestion, mix 1 tablespoon of mustard powder with 1 liter of hot water then soak feet.
19. Mint (peppermint or spearmint): Brew a tea with 1 1/2 teaspoons dried mint per cup of boiling water. Strain before drinking. Helps with stomach aches and cramps.
20. Sage: Control hot flashes (caused by menopause) by drinking sage tea three times a day. Boil 1/2 teaspoon sage per 1 cup boiling water. Steep (10 minutes), strain and drink.
21. Salt: Canker sore remedy: Apply salt directly to the sore or rinse your mouth a couple times a day with a strong salt water solution–stings. See Home Remedies For Canker Sores [7] for more remedies. For mosquito bite relief, make a salt and water paste then apply to bite area (see Over 40 Mosquito Bite Itch Relief Tips [8]).
22. Thyme: Sooth a cough with thyme tea. Brew 1 tablespoon dried thyme in 1 cup boiling water. Strain then drink (for sore throats, gargle with this tea). Helps relieve gas and stomach cramps. Brew a tea with 1 tsp dried thyme per 1 cup boiling water. Strain before drinking.
23. Turmeric: Fever relief: Mix 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder with 1 cup of warmed milk, add a teaspoon of honey.

Note: These are simply home remedies I’ve collected, they’re not professional medical advice. Be aware that some spices and herbs may conflict with prescribed medicines–always check with a doctor before treating yourself with any home remedy method.

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* 12 Simple Sore Throat Remedies [9]
* Home Remedies For Canker Sores [7]
* 10 Cough Remedies & Treatments [10]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/home-remedies-spice/

URLs in this post:

[1] Stop Bleeding With Ground Black Pepper: http://tipnut.com/stop-bleeding-ground-black-pepper/

[2] Gingivitis Home Treatments & Tips: http://tipnut.com/gingivitis-home-treatments-tips/

[3] How To Stop Hiccups: http://tipnut.com/how-to-stop-hiccups/

[4] How to Prevent Mosquito Bites: http://tipnut.com/how-to-prevent-mosquito-bites/

[5] 12 Home Remedies for Nausea: http://tipnut.com/12-home-remedies-for-nausea/

[6] Home Remedy: Headache Soother Sachets: http://tipnut.com/home-remedy-headache-soother-sachets/

[7] Home Remedies For Canker Sores: http://tipnut.com/canker-sores/

[8] Over 40 Mosquito Bite Itch Relief Tips: http://tipnut.com/over-40-mosquito-bite-itch-relief-tips/

[9] 12 Simple Sore Throat Remedies: http://tipnut.com/sore-throat-remedies/

[10] 10 Cough Remedies & Treatments: http://tipnut.com/cough-remedies/

14 Laptop Sleeves & Cases: Free Tutorials & Patterns

Posted By TipNut On July 26, 2008 @ 6:54 am In Knitting, Sewing | 3 Comments

Here are over a dozen different sewing, knit & felting tutorials and patterns for laptop sleeves and cases. These are my favorite picks of what I found available online for freebies. Enjoy!

Laptop Sleeves & Cases: Free Tutorials & Patterns

1. Whip Up Tutorial: Fabric Laptop Sleeve [1]: A nice and easy sewing tutorial for a fabric laptop sleeve, velcro closure and bag is trimmed with bias tape. Envelope style.
2. Joann.com Felt Laptop Bag Tutorial [2] (pdf): Felt laptop bag with handles and optional decorative strip. Handles are made by zigzag stitching an outline then cutting out the center (buttonhole fashion). Quick & cute project!
3. Ten: Cloth Laptop Case [3]: Sewing tutorial for a padded cloth laptop case, flap closure with buttons.
4. Make Your Own Artist’s Canvas MacBook Sleeve [4]: Made from artist’s canvas and lined with quilted lining (feel free to paint & decorate once it’s made!). If you don’t have a MacBook, the directions are easy enough to adjust for your laptop.
5. Design*Sponge Laptop Cozy [5]: Felt laptop cozy “wrap style” made from felt with velcro dot closures.
6. Instructables Simple Laptop Sleeve [6]: Easy sewing tute for a laptop sleeve, more like a quick pocket & made from thick fabric.
7. Canadian Living Knit An Aran Laptop Cover Pattern [7]: Gorgeous cabled knit laptop cover with a tip to line the bag in felt for extra stability. Fold over flap with three 1” quick release clips sewn in.
8. Pattern for Felted 12 Powerbook Cover [8]: Very nice felted cover, if you don’t have a 12 Powerbook, just adjust the measurements to what you need. Includes instructions for stripe and non-stripe versions. Fold over flap to close.
9. Step By Step: Felted Powerbook Jacket [9]: Instead of a specific pattern (K1 P2), this is a technique study so you can learn how to customize this jacket for your own laptop size.
10. Felted Laptop Sleeve For 13-inch Laptop – Pattern [10]: Mac apple design (cute!) and knitted in the round, double-stranded. It has a zipper around three sides so you can open the sleeve right up.
11. Lionbrand Felted Laptop Sleeve [11]: This site is getting harder and harder to link to particular patterns, scroll down the page until you see the sleeve. You have to be a member to get to the pattern (it’s free), but other than those irritants–the bag is cute. Fold over flap with a strap buckle closure.
12. Laptop bag from a pillow case [12]: Turn a pillow sham into a roomy laptop bag, clever!
13. Placemat Hack: Flaptop Laptop Cover [13]: The placemat might have you thinking this isn’t that cute, but really it is!
14. Sew Your Own Laptop Bag [14]: Nice messenger bag style made from denim and a cotton fabric print.

*List updated and dead links pruned September 18, 2009

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* 21 Free Tutorials For Needle Books & Cases [15]
* Top 10 Makeup Bags: Free Tutorials [16]
* 30 Free Patterns For Knitting Needle Cases, Rolls, Pouches & Organizers [17]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/laptop-sleeves-cases/

URLs in this post:

[1] Whip Up Tutorial: Fabric Laptop Sleeve: http://whipup.net/2007/12/16/tutorial-fabric-laptop-sleeve/

[2] Joann.com Felt Laptop Bag Tutorial: http://www.joann.com/static/project/0706/P188484.pdf

[3] Ten: Cloth Laptop Case: http://alsn.wordpress.com/2008/05/06/ten-cloth-quilted-laptop-case/

[4] Make Your Own Artist’s Canvas MacBook Sleeve: http://wrappers.typepad.com/ipod/make_your_own_laptop_sleeve/index.html

[5] Design*Sponge Laptop Cozy: http://www.designspongeonline.com/2008/01/diy-wednesdays-january-30th.html

[6] Instructables Simple Laptop Sleeve: http://www.instructables.com/id/Simple-Laptop-Sleeve/

[7] Canadian Living Knit An Aran Laptop Cover Pattern: http://www.canadianliving.com/crafts/knitting/knit_an_aran_laptop_cover.php

[8] Pattern for Felted 12 “ Powerbook Cover: http://homepage.mac.com/rebekahmartin/iblog/C105357540/index.html

[9] Step By Step: Felted Powerbook Jacket: http://www.eunnyjang.com/knit/2005/09/ive_had_a_handful_of.html

[10] Felted Laptop Sleeve For 13-inch Laptop – Pattern: http://slumberland.org/wp/2007/03/11/pattern-feltbook-felted-laptop-sleeve-for-13-inch-laptop/

[11] Lionbrand Felted Laptop Sleeve: http://www.lionbrand.com/newsletter/kids-lionbrand/46149

[12] Laptop bag from a pillow case:
http://craftchi.com/blog/?p=531

[13] Placemat Hack: Flaptop Laptop Cover : http://www.curbly.com/ModHomeEcTeacher/posts/4430-Placemat-Hack-Flaptop-Laptop-Cover

[14] Sew Your Own Laptop Bag: http://madebypetchy.blogspot.com/2009/08/tutorial-sew-your-own-laptop-bag.html

[15] 21 Free Tutorials For Needle Books & Cases: http://tipnut.com/26-free-tutorials-for-needle-books-cases/

[16] Top 10 Makeup Bags: Free Tutorials:
http://tipnut.com/makeup-bags/

[17] 30 Free Patterns For Knitting Needle Cases, Rolls, Pouches & Organizers:
http://tipnut.com/free-patterns-for-knitting-needle-rolls-pouches-organizers/

Classic Messenger Bag: Sewing Pattern

Posted By TipNut On August 21, 2009 @ 1:12 pm In Crafty Ideas | No Comments

Today’s feature is from Weekend Designer with this pattern/tutorial for a classic messenger bag: Push The Envelope [1]:

Classic Messenger Bag Pattern By wkdesigner.wordpress.com

Originally created for hard-working couriers, the classic Messenger Bag has been in circulation for several decades. Known for its long-lasting rugged durability and distinctive “envelope” styling, the classic Messenger has been adopted around the world as the everyday all-purpose carryall. Make a simplified version for yourself in hemp, similar to the featured tote from eco-friendly, Ecolution.

I love clean, simple bags like this–they’re so durable and perfect for running errands.

Bag dimensions are approximately 4 x 11.5” x 14”

Materials needed:

* 1 1/4 yards of fabric (hemp or organic cotton canvas recommended)
* 1/2 yard cotton sateen lining
* 1 1/2 yards fusible interfacing
* 1 – 12” long zipper
* 1 buckle slider
* 1 belt tip hardware
* thread
* grid paper

Please visit the site listed above for complete pattern details, nice bag!

Don’t Miss These Tips:

* Simple Six-Pocket Bag: Sewing Tute [2]
* Tote Bag Pattern – Only 1 Yard, 1 Hour! [3]
* Heat Resistant Curling Iron Bag – Sewing Tutorial [4]

Article printed from TipNut.com: http://tipnut.com

URL to article: http://tipnut.com/messenger-bag/

URLs in this post:

[1] Push The Envelope: http://wkdesigner.wordpress.com/2009/08/17/push-the-envelope/

[2] Simple Six-Pocket Bag: Sewing Tute: http://tipnut.com/six-pocket-bag/

[3] Tote Bag Pattern – Only 1 Yard, 1 Hour!: http://tipnut.com/tote-bag-pattern-1-yard-1-hour/

[4] Heat Resistant Curling Iron Bag – Sewing Tutorial: http://tipnut.com/heat-resistant-curling-iron-bag-sewing-tutorial/

So glad to see the article on epsom salts. <<<

Good to know that you wanted it, for LOL, I never know if I am posting what we need or what I find interesting....

I am so glad you are back.