Amazing Miracle Cleaner

Amazing Miracle Cleaner

I copied this recipe from who-knows-where a long time ago.  I have no idea what the original source was.  It was originally touted as a bathroom cleaner.  I've found it to be oh-so-much more than that!

The very first thing I used it on was my sink.  The hard water stains came off without any scrubbing at all.  I just wiped them away.  Amazing!  Then I used it on my stove top.  Fantastic!  It worked much better than what I'd done before.

The reason I photographed it on my apron is because that apron was so stained and gross before I used this cleaner on it as a pre-treatment for the laundry.  It got everything out.  Simply terrific!

I've been looking for something to replace Sol-U-Mel, a Melaleuca product.  I'm no longer with Melaleuca, and it's difficult to replace some products.  Sol-U-Mel is one of them.  This will do many of the tough things that Sol-U-Mel does.  Give it a go!

Amazing Miracle Cleaner

Place a clean spray bottle into the sink or some place else that it won't matter when the cleaner foams up and out of the bottle.  I had mine sitting on a cutting board when I mixed it up.  I also had a funnel in the top.  The funnel helped with the foam, too.  It kept it from going absolutely everywhere!  Alternatively, it could be mixed in a large bowl and poured into the bottle.  I haven't done it that way, though.  This is how I did it.

Add the ingredients one at a time and allow the suds to dissipate before putting the sprayer back onto the bottle.  I have to keep my bottle screwed closed or it leaks.  This is some powerful stuff!

Pour into the bottle:

10 ounces (1 1/4 cup) filtered water (the bottle should be marked)

8 ounces (1 cup) white vinegar

4 ounces (1/2 cup) lemon juice

2 ounces (1/4 cup) liquid dish soap

2 teaspoons baking soda

Use this cleaner anywhere things are dirty.  I've not tried it on carpet or furniture.  Test a hidden spot if it's going to be used for that.

Banana Cake with Avocado in a Slow Cooker (Crock Pot)

Banana Cake in a Slow Cooker

Like many folks, I'm trying to eat healthier.  This Banana Cake in a Slow Cooker has organic sugar and organic coconut sugar, whole wheat flour, yogurt and avocado in it.  Avocado in a cake?  Sure!  It's a very healthy fat source, loaded with monosaturated fats, (like coconuts are), also, according to Acocado Central

Avocados contribute nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, including 4% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) for vitamin E, 4% vitamin C, 6% folate, 8% fiber, 2% iron, 4% potassium, with 81 micrograms of lutein and 19 micrograms of beta-carotene.

 Yay for avocados!  

I, also, got a new slow cooker for Christmas.  I've seen a lot of slow cooker recipes floating around and several were for desserts.  I thought I'd take a try at Banana Cake in a Crock Pot since I had several over-ripe bananas, and I used the avocado because I have quite a few of those, as well.

Banana Cake in a Slow Cooker

Spray a 7-quart slow cooker with olive oil cooking spray.  Put the lid on and pre-heat the crock for about 5 minutes while making other preparations.

In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer cream on medium-low speed:

3 ripe bananas (about 6" long bananas)
1 ripe avocado (about 1/2 cup -- or butter, coconut oil, etc.)

Add and continue mixing:

2/3 cup yogurt (either plain or vanilla)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Add, continuing to mix:

3/4 cup coconut sugar
3/4 cup organic sugar

Add while mixing:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 teaspoon sea salt (Real Salt or Himalayan)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Mix on medium speed for two minutes, then pour the batter into the prepared slow cooker.  Place the lid on the cooker and bake the cake for approximately 1 1/2 hours, or until a knife inserted off center comes out clean.  Remove the stoneware and place it somewhere to cool for approximately 10 minutes with the lid off.  Carefully turn the cake out onto a plate, platter or rack, and allow it to cool completely before frosting it with Cream Cheese Frosting, (recipe follows), if desired.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Frosts one cake 

Beat in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy:

6 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)

1/2 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Gradually add while continuing to mix until well combined:

1 1/2 to 2 cups powdered sugar (organic preferred)

Use to frost cake as desired.  Refrigerate covered any leftovers.

Sour Dough Juice Pulp Quick Bread

 Sour Dough Juice Pulp Quick Bread

Sour Dough Juice Pulp Quick Bread

Lately I've been experimenting with sour dough starter and the resulting baked goods.  I've not yet successfully ventured into regular breads, but I've had some successes with coffee cake and pancakes.  Also, I've been juicing since Christmas when my children got me a juicer.

When I was juicing this morning, I had the thought, "Why not combine my two new-found interests into one thing?"  Here you have it: Sour Dough Juice Pulp Quick Bread!

Remember, when using juice pulp, be sure the pulp goes with the recipe.  For instance, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to use the pulp from peppers in this recipe.  However, they would be fine in the Pulp Burger recipe.  Also, be sure and run the pulp through the juicer twice so that it's well ground and as dry as possible.  In this particular recipe, I used carrot, celery, apple, kiwi, lemon and cranberry pulp.

Sour Dough Juice Pulp Quick Bread
Makes 1 loaf

Pre-heat the oven to 350F.  Spray a loaf pan with olive oil cooking spray, and set it aside.

In a mixing bowl combine  well:

1 1/2 to 2 cups juice pulp (see paragraph above for explanation)
1 cup sour dough starter

1 cup organic sugar
1/4 cup olive oil (could be reduced to 2 tablespoons)

Add and mix well:

2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup water  (this may need to be adjusted, depending on how thick the sour dough starter is)

Add and mix until combined:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup unbleached flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger*
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves*

*I forgot to put the ginger and cloves in mine.  It really would be good with them!

Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Smooth the top with the back of the mixing spoon.

Combine and sprinkle over the top of the batter:

1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Bake the prepared dough at 350F for about 50 to 60 minutes or until a knife inserted off center comes out clean. 

 Cool on a wire rack or tipped up on its side if one isn't available.

Serve warm with butter, or wrap in plastic wrap and chill before slicing.  Enjoy!

Elderberry, Who Knew? Notes about Asthma

Elderberry, Who Knew?  Notes about Asthma

A couple of years ago a friend of mine suggested that I take elderberry syrup for a cough I had.  I went to my local health food store and what I ended up with was some cough suppressant drops.  Not elderberry syrup, but I didn't think much about it at the time.  The cough drops helped, and I went on my way.

Fast forward to this year.  I've been really struggling with asthma -- this is a relatively new thing for me.  I was diagnosed with "influenza induced asthma" by the doc I was seeing a couple of years ago.  Since then, I've had bouts with it.  Recently, like the last six months or so, I've been having a really rough time with it.  I broke my nose, which I really think was the catalyst.  (We haven't had insurance, thanks to O*care, so I've not been able to get it repaired.)  Then we went on a trip in late August, I got severely dehydrated; and it's been getting progressively worse.  I've not been able to sleep in a bed for months because when I lay down, I start coughing.  When I'm at home, I sleep upright in my recliner.  I still wheeze, but at least I can sleep.  Turns out dehydration is particularly bad for asthma.  I'm currently reading "ABC of Asthma, Allergies and Lupus" by Dr. Batmanghelidj.  (He's the pioneer behind "Your Body's Many Cries for Water.")  I'll be doing a book review soon.  Long story short, though, I've increased my hydration level significantly, but I'm still having trouble breathing.  I got exposed to some nasty chemicals yesterday plus this past week has been particularly bad.  When the wind blows, it's definitely worse.  I was miserable!  

Thankfully, last week when I placed an order with Pure Formulas, I finally remembered to order some elderberry syrup.  Took me long enough, eh?

This is the product I ordered from Pure Formulas.  The link will take you to their site.  Just use the search tool and look for Black Elderberry.  I'll get referral credit towards my future purchases if you purchase through my link.  Thanks :)

Last night I probably had the worst asthma attack I've had in recent memory because of that chemical exposure I mentioned, above.  I did take some lobelia tincture, (Nature's Answer Lobelia Herb Tincture from Pure Formulas) which helped.  I've been using the lobelia since diagnosed with the asthma.  However, I'd misplaced my bottle.  I think, perhaps, this is why things got so out of control this week.  The lobelia and water helped me sleep through the night without a lot of wheezing or any further attacks.

Anyway, I found the bottle of Black Elderberry Superfruit Tonic when I fully unpacked my Pure Formulas order.  I was having the urge to cough, so I took a dose this morning.  I took 1 tablespoon, as directed on the label, and I immediately felt a calming sensation.  The urge to cough completely went away.

Later, I needed to eat breakfast, and what I found, is what I usually find, that once I eat, the benefits of the medicine aren't as dramatic.  Apparently, that is something that's true of folks with asthma.   Asthmatic kids are often afraid to eat because it makes their symptoms worse.  I can understand that.  I've often said I feel better when I don't eat!  I think that's part of why I do well with juicing.  (See my article here.)  However, I am rotating my remedies -- the water and sea salt, lobelia, Rescue Remedy (good for any kind of stress as a general system calming agent, also available at Pure Formulas), and the elderberry syrup.  My hope is to stay off the inhaler while still being able to breath calmly.

Bottom line:  The elderberry syrup helped me even more than my inhaler does. It's really rather amazing. 



More Information about Elderberry

Information about elderberry medicinally

It turns out elderberry is one of those "super foods" we keep hearing about.  It's health benefits are broad reaching. From the above linked source:

Elderberries were listed in the CRC Handbook of Medicinal Herbs as early as 1985, and are listed in the 2000 Mosby's Nursing Drug reference for colds, flu, yeast infections, nasal and chest congestion, and hay fever. In Israel, Hasassah's Oncology Lab has determined that elderberry stimulates the body's immune system and they are treating cancer and AIDS patients with it. The wide range of medical benefits (from flu and colds to debilitating asthma, diabetes, and weight loss) is probably due to the enhancement of each individual's immune system.   

When I saw the comment about "debilitating asthma" -- I was hooked!


Missouri Wild Flower Guide I found this link, about which I'm super excited!  We live on about 80 acres in Missouri.  To say we have an abundance of wild flowers in season would be a gross understatement.

Apparently, we, as in people living in Missouri, have access to an abundance of wild elderberries here.  I'm looking forward to finding out come summer.

This site has a lot of practical information about locating the elderberries as well as how to use them.


Recipe for elderberry syrup -- This recipe can be used as a cough medicine or pancake syrup.  How cool is that?  I'm looking at getting some dried elderberries online.  I'll post if I'm able to do it.


A couple of recipes for elderberry cough syrup were posted in reviews on Amazon.  Here's the first:

It is much cheaper to make your own than to buy store brands like .... You just boil 3/4 to 1 cup of the dried berries in a quart of water until the liquid is reduced by half, strain it through a cheesecloth, add 1/2 to 1 cup of raw honey, sugar or pure maple syrup according to taste, and put it in a jar in the fridge. If that's too much work you can make an elixir by steeping about 3 oz of the berries in a pint of good brandy with about half a cup of raw honey (or more to taste) in a sealed jar in your cupboard for 6 weeks.

and another:

Simmer 1 cup of elderberries to two cups of water for 30-45 minutes. Strain liquid into a mason jar, pressing the elderberries. Let cool. Mix with raw local honey in a 1:1 ratio. Store in the fridge for a month.
You can also add hibiscus, cinnamon chips, fresh or dried ginger to the berries as they simmer to change up the flavor and add additional benefits.

I hope this information is of benefit to someone else who's struggling.

Blessings!
Sharron 

Notes on Sour Dough and Sour Dough Starter Culture

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Sour Dough Coffee Cake recipe here

I've recently gotten into making my own sour dough.  It's really pretty amazing stuff.  It's just unbleached flour with filtered water allowed to ferment for a few days before using it.  The flour and water "catches" the wild yeasts and such in the air and create the starter spontaneously.  Once ripened, the mixture will have a healthful blend of yeasts and bacteria that are essential for good gut health -- and it tastes good.  What's not to like about that?

I'm not going to post pictures and instructions because there are a lot of folks out there that have done quite admirable jobs at it.  My friend, James, gave me instructions, then I found a site that gave the same instructions with pictures.  This is the link to that site.  

I will say that a lot of sites offer to sell you sour dough starter, and while that may be all well and good; I wanted to make my own.  There's just something really satisfying about creating your own starter culture and then baking with it.

Here are some links that I've found to be useful in this process:

Helpful starter instructions with pictures here.  This is what I did.

Here's a recipe that looks easy for starting out with an Artisan type bread.

And another recipe.

Sour Dough Pancake Recipe here.  I made these and they turned out great!

Lots and lots of sour dough recipes!

From my friend Julie:  "I have tried this -- it makes HEAVENLY bread-- use it in
 any yeast bread recipe to make it exponentially better than with yeast packets! The BEST way to use up the "discarded" starter is to make sourdough egg noodles-- 1 c starter, 3 c whole grain flour, and 2 eggs-- mix, roll, cut, boil. easy as pie-- well, way easier than pie."


Once we've baked with it, at some point it will need to be stored.  I've read several differing opinions about storing the starter.  What I read here seems the most reasonable.  She says to NOT cover the sour dough starter tightly because the expanding gases during the fermentation process can cause the container to explode.  Explosion = bad.

Sour Dough Coffee Cake

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Sour Dough Coffee Cake

Several months ago, a friend of mine, James, suggested I give sour dough a try.  It's taken me a while to get it going, but roughly a week ago, I started my sour dough starter.  I'm not going to post pictures and instructions because there are a lot of them out there that have done quite admirable jobs at it.  James gave me instructions, then I found a site that gave the same instructions with pictures.  This is the link to that site.  

I will say that a lot of sites offer to sell you sour dough starter, and while that may be all well and good; I wanted to make my own.  There's just something really satisfying about creating your own starter culture and then baking with it.

My sour dough starter was ready to use yesterday, but I didn't know what I wanted to do with it.  I've not been feeling well the last few days, so I didn't want to do anything very involved.  Another friend suggested I make a sour dough coffee cake.  That sounded good!  I found a recipe online, tweaked it, and here's my take on the Sour Dough Coffee Cake.  I hope you like it!

Sour Dough Coffee Cake

Pre-heat the oven to 350F.  Spray a 9" square baking pan with cooking oil spray and set it aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine 

1 cup sour dough starter

1/3 cup olive oil (or equal parts olive oil and coconut oil)

1 egg, beaten

In another bowl combine

1 cup unbleached flour (I use King Arthur because it isn't brominated)

1/2 cup sugar (organic preferred)

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir until they are combined.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  

In another bowl mix the topping until crumbly

1/4 cup coconut sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar (organic preferred)

1 tablespoon flour (as above)

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Sprinkle the topping over the cake batter.  Bake the cake at 350F for approximately 35 minutes or until a knife inserted off center comes out clean.  Allow the cake to cool for about 10 minutes before serving warm.  Delicious!

Homemade Chicken Soup

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Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

When I'm sick; I want chicken soup.  The store bought kind had lots of things in it that aren't good for me, or if they aren't full of junk; they're expensive or don't taste nice!

Chicken Soup, made from scratch, really isn't that difficult.  It does take some time if having to start from the beginning with making the stock and such, as I did today, but if the parts are done ahead of time; it can be quickly put together.

This recipe will show how to do the basics then give suggestions how to do variations on the basic Chicken Soup theme.

Let's start with the stock or broth.

How to Make Homemade Chicken Broth or Stock

Place one whole chicken into a large pot.  Add carrot peelings, celery tops and garlic if available.  Cover it with water and a lid.  Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmering.  

Skum.  Yuck!

Use a spoon to skim off any of the floating foam and fat that rises to the surface and discard it.  These are the impurities that cause stock to be bitter and why a lot of folks don't like soup.

Cook the chicken for approximately one hour from the time it comes to a boil.  Internal temperature should check at 180F with a meat thermometer, or juices should run clear when a knife is inserted at the leg/thigh joint.  When the chicken is cool, remove it from the pot and allow it to cool for about 30 minutes before attempting to remove the meat from the bones.

This picture shows the chicken cooling and the heavy tongs I use to get it out of the pot.

This is the meat removed from the bones.  There's a lot of meat there!

This photo is of the broth after about 2 hours cooking

Meanwhile, add about 8 cups of water to the already cooking broth.  Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones.  Put the bones, cartilage and skin back into the pot.  Continue cooking the broth for at least 2 up to 24 hours.  The longer it cooks, up to 24 hours, the richer and more nutrtious it is.  Skim off any fat or foam that rises to the surface during the cooking time and discard it.  

*Edit 9-9-17  I have recently learned that the broth can be cooked for a few DAYS not just hours!  If the broth is cooked until the bones become soft, then they can be separated out and mashed with a potato masher.  Then, the minerals will all be released into the soup.  Additionally, if eggs are used for other recipes, then the shells can go into the cooking pot and the minerals can also be leached out.  Add about 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to the cooking water.  It helps leach out the minerals.

Here it is again after about 9 hours cooking

Allow the broth to cool and strain it with a colander into another bowl or pot.  Freeze it in freezer bags, or it can be refrigerated it for up to about 4 days.  Reserve the meat for use in Homemade Chicken Soup or another recipe.

This is a picture of my homemade bone broth, 

as described here in my other blog.

Homemade Chicken Soup

Makes about 4 servings
(This is low carb and SCD legal)

Cut up and place into a fairly large pot with a lid:

About 6 stalks celery, 1/2" dice

3 good sized carrots, 1/2" dice

(Optional 1 tablespoon parsley or chives or both!)

Cover them with about 8 cups of the broth, described above.  Bring the veggies and stock to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for about 10 minutes.  Again, skim off any of the foam that rises to the surface and discard it.

At this point, several different things can be done with this basic soup.  Here are a couple of easy recipes:

Quick Chicken Ramen Soup

Quick Chicken Ramen Soup

Makes 1 large bowl  

(This recipe is not low carb or SCD legal)

In a large individual soup bowl, place the noodles from one package ramen.  Discard the seasoning packet.  Add about 1/2 cup of the cooked chicken, diced, from above, to the bowl.  Using a ladle, add the veggies and enough of the stock to cover the noodles completely.  Cover the bowl with a lid or plate to create a tight seal for about 3 minutes.  Stir, season with sea salt to taste and enjoy!

Simple Chicken Noodle Soup

Simple Chicken Noodle Soup

Makes about 4 servings

(This recipe is not low carb or SCD legal)

Start with about 8 cups of broth.  Bring the broth and veggies to boiling, and add 1 packet (about 8 ounces) Mexican style vermicelli noodles (they are already cut into about 3/4" lengths -- perfect for soup!) or regular vermicelli, broken up.  Cook the noodles and broth for about 7 minutes or until they are done.  Add about 2 cups cooked diced chicken as desired, and season with sea salt to taste.  (Optional:  Thicken with 2 tablespoons cornstarch stirred into 1/2 cup cold water.  Stir in near the end of the cooking time.)  Enjoy!

Other options:  

Chicken Veggie Soup -- For SCD and low carb, use squash, cauliflower and other SCD legal veggies.  Others, use other veggies like squash, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, okra, rutabaga, turnip, etc., with the carrots and celery.  A great variation is using a "spiralized" zucchini for a delicious low carb / SCD ramen! 

Non-SCD legal:

Use 2 cups cooked rice instead of the noodles for Chicken and Rice Soup.

Make dumplings for Chicken and Dumplings -- I'm going to be playing with a sour dough recipe for that very soon!

Also, instead of the vermicelli noodles, 1/2 package of wide egg noodles could be used for Old School Chicken Noodles.