I hope you’re all doing well, staying health and washing your hands a lot.
So what’ve you been doing while you’re at home?
Have ya been doing some cooking, trying some new recipes or experimenting with old ones? Cleaning closets, dusting corners and catching up on a “to do list”?
Or are you like our family, is your job an “essential services”? Are you working non-stop to keep us all going? Let me know in the comments what you’ve been up to the last several weeks.
Our jobs are considered “essential services”. We’re both still working full-time. I’m lucky enough to get to work from home most of the week. But my husband still has to go out every day.
We leave the house as little as possible to get what we need. But being home a lot doesn’t bother either of us. We both really enjoy having so much time at home.
But that means while I’m at home I get to experiment a lot with new things.
I have celery growing from organic celery scraps bought from the store.
Just a few days in.
Can’t wait to see how this turns out. I can tell you it’ll be a while before I know.
This was my first one, planted about 3 weeks ago. That’s Big Princess in the back ground enjoying her pillow.
I have sweet potato slips in the works started from organic sweet potatoes from our local organic market.
Baby sweet potato slips.
I’ve canned everything from cornbread to meatloaf to beans. All of which are new to me. I can’t promise any of it is approved by the USDA. But it all worked for me. And it was fun.
I’ve started making my own tortillas. They’re so easy and good
A fresh batch of tortillas on a rack cooling.
And I’ve got a mess of seedlings started in the house, ready to plant in the garden soon. I started a few things too early and they need to be in the ground, but the garden isn’t ready yet. Hopefully they’ll hold on for another couple weeks.
And….I dehydrated marshmallows!! I know, it sounds so easy, and it was. But who actually thinks to dehydrate marshmallows? So Good!!
One of three jars of dehydrated marshmallows.
Let me know what you’re doing while you’re staying at home. I’d love to know what you’ve been experimenting with.
If you are working at one of those “essential jobs”, thank you for what you’re doing. Please know you are appreciated.
It’s almost garden season again. Have you thought about how you’ll preserve all your garden bounty yet?
I only recently discovered fermented food and was surprised to find out how much I Iike it.
Fermenting food has been around for centuries.
Historians have found evidence of fermentation dating as far back as 7000BC.
Sauerkraut mixture ready to ferment.
While no one really knows how it came about, it’s likely that our ancestors figured out that they could store foods much longer with fermenting.
And around the time of the turn of the last century, fermented drinks were probably much less likely to make you sick than the water you drank.
There’s some really great benefits to eating fermented foods.
The bacteria that ferments your foods also makes the nutrients of that food much more readily available for your body to use.
The process of fermentation also produces additional vitamins for your body and enzymes that are highly beneficial for your digestion.
And good digestion can support everything from great skin to a strong immune system.
Some of the supplies you need to ferment.
Fermenting supplies
It really doesn’t take much to get started fermenting. Here’s a list of the basics, in no particular order.
Canning jars. I have found wide mouthed jars easier to use.
Some kind of lid. There are several to choose from. You can be as basic or as fancy as you like. I’ve used sandwich baggies and I have special fermenting lids.
A sharp knife for chopping or (as I just discovered recently) a food processor. It all depends on what you’re fermenting and what you like.
Some kind of masher comes in handy if you’re making something like sauerkraut.
Water or apple cider vinegar. You probably won’t want to use city water from your tap if it has added chlorine or fluoride. See more on that below.
Salt for preservation
Veggies.
Last but not least all kinds of herbs and spices or onions, garlic and peppers. Be creative and try what you like. Make smaller batches with different mixtures to determine your favorite.
I’m pushing a “puck” down over my sauerkraut to make sure my veggies stay submerged.
Now there are several types of fermentation. You can ferment grain or fruit as in beer or wine. You can ferment tea as in kombucha. And I’m sure you can ferment a number of other things but, what I’m talking about here is preserving your garden harvest and creating different flavors from all the veggies you’ll get from your garden.
A little about the water you use.
I have well water, so I never thought about this until I did the research.
City water generally has several additives like fluoride and chlorine. Some places add a chemical called chloramine too. Chlorine is not to much of a problem in that you can just let the water sit out for about 24 hours and it’ll evaporate. Or you can boil water to get rid of chlorine.
But, that doesn’t work with fluoride or chloramine. You can’t boil or charcoal filter these out of your water either.
If you have a home filtering system you can check what it says about what all it removes from your water. Otherwise, bottled water might be your best bet.
The fermenting process.
Fermenting takes a little time, but it’s not a hard process. It’s a great way to help preserve all of that garden bounty and give a your veggies a variety of tastes.
Step One
Clean whatever veggies you want to ferment well then chop them into bite sized pieces. In the case of a sauerkraut type ferment, you can shred them with a knife or better yet, with a food processor. I’m embarrassed to say I just realized the food processor thing. I’ve almost never use it….until now.
Step Two
Salt is the key. In most cases you’ll add 1-3 tablespoons of salt to a quart of water and allow it to dissolve. In the case of using cabbage or another high water content veggie you can use some of it’s own water content in place of what you would otherwise use. The salt will also help release the water from your veggies. I’ve got a recipe for sauerkraut here, if you’d like to give it a try.
Step Three
Fill the quart jars with your veggies. You can combine many different kinds, or not, it’s entirely up to your tastes. Experiment with different batches to see what you like best. Add your spices and herbs now too.
Step Four
You want to make sure the salt water mixture you pour over the veggies covers them completely. The point is to not allow any air to reach your veggies during the fermentation process.
Step Five
Next your going to add a lid to keep critters out, BUT you need to allow the resulting gases to escape. If you’re highly diligent you can just put a lid and ring on the jar very loosely and remember to just kind of lift it once a day to let those gases out.
There are several brands.
I know myself better than that, I’m not that diligent and would never remember to do that. So, I bought a kit. It comes with what’s called pucks and breathable lids. These kits aren’t real expensive and it makes the process so much easier.
They run as low as $20 and you can probably spend as much as you want. There are several kinds, so you can decide what works best for your.
When I first started making sauerkraut I didn’t have the kit. I found a method that used sandwich baggies covering the veggies and then filled with water. I got to say it really was pretty inventive. You can see this method here.
Once you have prepared your veggies and got them in your jars, filled it with your salt water and situated a lid, now you wait.
Make sure you set it on a plate of some type because most of the time it will bubble over and will make a mess. Ask me how I know this 😉
How long do you wait?
As a rule you let your ferment sit from a few days to 6 weeks. The warmer it is the faster your food will ferment, but ultimately the amount of time is entirely up to you.
Sauerkraut ready to ferment.
The taste will continue to evolve the longer it sits. Different foods have a different suggested minimum amount of time to ferment. Each recipe will give you timelines to follow. The trick to getting the taste you like is to test it periodically once you get to that minimum amount of time.
Once it gets to the flavor you like, put it in the fridge. The cold will slow the fermentation process to almost a stop and it will stay pretty much like it is. I’ve never had a ferment go bad in the fridge. So far, I’ve had sauerkraut sit in there for several months and catsup longer than that..
The fermenting process adds a tang to your food. But recently, someone told me they had tasted sauerkraut that had sit for 6 months and it was the best and mildest they’d ever tasted.
Now I can’t attest to that yet, but you can bet I’m going to try it.
Share what you know.
Leave a comment below to let us know what food you’ve fermented and how you did it. I would appreciate any inspiration you can leave.
If you haven’t yet, but you plan to try, let us know what you come up with. I can’t wait to hear!!
It’s cold and flu season and using an herbal anti-viral can be an easy step in helping your body fend off an illness.
Adding honey sweetens anything.
If something as easy as drinking tea can help, you’ll want to choose the best herbs for the job, right?
There’s a ton to choose from. Some are really tasty, others not so much. But everything is sweeter with honey, right?
I’m not going to tell you’ll be safe from a virus using an anti-viral herb, because herbs just don’t work that way. But I will tell you, that it will help support your body in fighting off a virus and if you do catch one, it can help your body fight it off.
It’s not a cure all, but it’s one more barrier between you and the virus.
What is an anti-viral or antimicrobial herb?
An anti-viral kills or inhibits the replication of a virus. An antimicrobial is something that kills microorganisms. Microorganisms includes bacteria, virus and fungus. They’re the heavy hitters, not harsh, just tough.
Herbs aren’t like the drugs of modern medicine. You don’t just take this herb for that problem. What may work for one person, may not work for another.
So if the first one you try doesn’t work for you, find anther one. There are tons of anti-viral and antimicrobial herbs out there.
Here’s a list of 5 of my favorite, easy to find anti-viral or antimicrobial herbs.
This list of herbs are ones you can find really easy. That makes it super simple to use them as often as possible. Drinking 2-3 cups of tea a day is really the best way to use herbs in a preventative way.
1. The Elder Tree
Elderberries.
One of the most popular anti-viral herbs is the elderberry. Actually the leaves, flowers and berries are all anti-viral, but generally the berries are what everyone knows. I wrote about making elderberry syrup here. This is great because kids like it and it’s easy to get it in them.
You can also make jam with the berries. I haven’t done that yet, but it sounds good. I kinda think with all the sugar added to the jam, while it would taste good, might negate some of the benefit….but maybe not. Who knows.
2. Lemon Balm
This is another one of my favorites. I put this in a lot of my teas because of its benefits and because I think it tastes good. It’s also a relaxant so I love that extra benefit too.
A bunch of lemon balm
It’s super simple to grow. It’s part of the mint family so you probably want to plant it in a container or it will eventually take over your yard. I wrote a whole article about lemon balm here, if you’d like to know more. There’s some really cool folklore behind this herb.
3. Lavender
Lavender is an antimicrobial.
Lavender is great to cook with, like these Lavender Shortbread cookies and in all different sorts of tea. And it smells divine. But I’ve found a little goes a long way. Too much in your tea and that’s all you can taste. It can overwhelm if you’re not careful.
If you’d like more information about lavender, you can read about it here. It’s another one that has a ton of uses, so I hope you’ll check it out and find all kinds of ways to use it.
4. Rosemary
Organic dried Rosemary
Yep, that’s right. The same stuff you have in your spice rack. Besides adding it to your favorite dish (I like it on my eggs), you can also drink it as a tea.
But you don’t have to drink it as a tea to get its antimicrobial benefits.
I’ve found most recipes call for a teaspoon of this or a half teaspoon of that. Try adding more than what it calls for. Though, you still want your recipe to taste good, I’ve found adding more than what it calls for can add more than just flavor. Just add small amounts at a time so you don’t overwhelm your food.
5. Thyme
Dried Thyme
Again, here’s another one from your spice rack. Who knew?
Thyme is another antimicrobial with an added benefit of being an expectorant.
Lore says that in ancient times soldiers drank it as a tea and used in their bath before going to war to increase their bravery and courage.
I have to admit it wasn’t too long ago that I actually tried these kitchen herbs like a tea. And I got to say, I was kind of surprised that I liked them. I didn’t expect that. Putting them in food is one thing, but you just never think of drinking them like a tea.
Get your anti-viral brew started.
Have a couple cups of tea a day or a good long soak with a bundle of herbs in your bath (or even pour a strong brew of tea in your bath) or just cook with them, or better yet a combination of these. Any of these methods will work to support your body in fighting against a virus.
Do you have any herbs you use to help fight off colds and flus? If you do, share them in the comments.
These are just my favorite, I’d love to know yours.
Subscribe and like if you liked the information here today. And I’ll talk to you again soon.
Until then –
Health, Wealth & Blessings ~Tracey
Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This article is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or illness. It is for educational purposes only. Please do your own research to find what is best for you and your family.
Here’s one my new products. This Calendula Oil is more versatile than you think!
🌼 Calendula has anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties, making it not only great to help relieve and calm eczema and rashes, but also to soothe bug bites!
We use Sweet Almond Oil as our carrier oil. It has lots of Vitamin E which is anti-aging and helps soften and smooth fine lines. The fatty acids in it also help the skin to retain its moisture, to heal the skin. Now, I know some of you may be intimidated to use an oil on your face however, Sweet Almond Oil is non-comedogenic and also has Zinc in it which helps to heal acne scars! So you see, this oil is a great go-to for everyone! 🥰
This Calendula Oil makes your skin feel silky soft. And the Sweet Almond Oil absorbs so well and it doesn’t give you that greasy and oily feeling.
🩹Moms, toss it in your handbag for those impromptu scrapes, cuts or bug bites for the kids! Keep another at your vanity, to moisturize your face after cleansing! Keep another in your first aid kit at home! The list goes on with how you can use this product!
It’s packaging is also for easy use, just spray! Clean and simple! 👏🏼
I know you’ll love it and so will your skin. Contact me at tracey@simplymediy.com. I’d love to tell you more.
Be sure to follow us on Facebook & Instagram @traceysenchantedherbals. Check us out on Facebook to see what all we have to offer.
I love making all that I can from scratch to avoid all the weird stuff in the store bought stuff these days. But sometimes I don’t have time to make it from scratch.
I used to beat myself up a lot because I worked really hard to make it all from scratch. I’d learn something new and I thought, “Now I never have to buy it again”.
Starting supper
But then life would get in the way. Between a full-time job, the drive time to and from work every day and just keeping house, doing laundry and cooking as many meals as I can, there just aren’t enough hours.
It would really bother me when I needed something and I had to buy it because there wasn’t time to make it.
Do you ever feel like that?
I had to work hard at letting that go.
I can’t imagine trying to do all the things I do now if I had kids at home. I’m so in awe of those mothers with one or more kids at home that work a job, take care of a house and still make anything from scratch.
Those moms (and probably some dads too) need some major kudos. If this is you, please share a few tips on how you keep your head above water. I’m sure someone else can use them too.
My view all day long.
It took time to convince myself, it’s okay to not be able to do it all. Although it still frustrates me.
I didn’t want to work frantically to get it all done and then be frazzled from working so hard. What I really wanted, is to get a fair amount done and then sit outside and enjoy our farm.
Evening on the patio.
I work in an office all day. At 8:30 am I get to work and I don’t leave the building until 5:30 pm. I truly have no desire to be inside any more than absolutely necessary when it’s decent outside. Living in Kansas, for the biggest part of the year you can be outside, even if you have to wear a coat.
I like sitting on our patio looking at my garden and the yard and enjoying the feeling that this is ours, watching the dogs run and play and just listening to the birds.
But the guilt I got from spending that time outside enjoying the place, kind of countered my enjoyment of it.
It took some time, but I finally got there.
I read story after story of other people who did homesteading. Constantly making their own stuff and cooking from scratch, growing a garden and tending to animals.
Not all, but a big portion of those people that I read about, were full-time homesteaders and didn’t work an off the farm job. They work, and they work hard, but for the most part they work on their farm.
One of my patio flowers.
The people who do have jobs, aren’t always able to do everything from scratch, just like me. But I didn’t seem to notice that so much.
I ‘d love to be one of those on the farm, full-time homesteaders one day. And that’s my goal …. some day.
But, until then, I’ll do what I can from scratch and when I don’t have the time or the gumption, I’ll just have to buy the best quality I can buy. I’ll enjoy my flowers, watch the dogs play and just enjoy being home.
I’m learning to live seasonally.
That’s not an easy thing to do. I was raised in a grocery store. Mom and dad had a garden and as much as dad didn’t like store bought, mom really didn’t mind it so much.
She cooked from scratch and grew the garden and we ate from the garden most of the time, but when mom wanted something out of season she had no problem going to the store to buy it. I don’t think dad even thought about that too much.
When you’re used to having anything you want and any time of the year you want it, you never actually think about if it’s in season or not.
As I decided I wanted to be more seasonal, working towards growing our own food and being more sustainable, I realized we didn’t eat that way at all. I also realized that took a lot more cooking. The kind of cooking I didn’t know much about.
So I continue to learn, I continue to do what I can and when I can’t get it all done, I get over it.
Some day I hope to be that full-time homesteader, that completely sustainable, able to enjoy the outside during the working hours homesteader, so I can get things done on my schedule.
But until then, I’ll do the best I can and relax and just enjoy the process.
