Grace&Violets

A party sounds great! I didn't realize so many people had been gone. Welcome back everyone who has been away!

Thanks, everyone! It's good to be back! I've missed you all! Mt_Rider, you are probably right. It was probably one of those crazy things that happen! Gosh, so much has happened since I was last here! I think I had my baby by the last time I logged on. He is definitely our last! He's 6 now and the sweetest, most ornery little thing! My oldest is now in HS and we have two more in MS. We were able to adopt our daughter, whom we've had since she was a year old. That was one of the best days of my life. <3 We moved again since our last house was a temporary thing, but are back to our old neighborhood. I went back to school again and am just finishing up with an AAS in CIS. It's pretty exciting! Right after the recession, I had tried to get a job for over a year...between 125-150 resumes submitted in a year and only 2 calls. This new degree should really help. Apparently, the unemployment rate in this area for IT jobs is hovering around 2.3%. In the meantime, I've let my stores and preps fall behind, unfortunately. It's time to get serious again. I can't wait to catch up with all of you and hang out. G&V

For some reason, I haven't been able to log onto here for years!! I've tried to reset my password, create a new user profile, etc... but have not been able to log on! I've even tried several computers and IP addresses. After a very long time, I decided to give it a try tonight and am finally able to log on! Honestly, it's so strange, I really can't figure it out. One day, my logon just wouldn't work anymore. It kept saying my password wasn't right, but wouldn't let me reset. Anyway, hi to everyone! I'm not sure if any of you even remember me anymore... I'm friends with a couple of you on FB, but am really excited and happy to be back on here. I can't wait to catch up on all I've missed! G&V

Tropical Traditions also sells in 50# buckets. They have several different grades of it, too. Extra virgin, virgin, gold label, etc...

I use coconut oil all the time and love it! I used it tonight for a stir fry, I use it in baking, popcorn making, on toast, etc. If you want to get more into your diet, you can also float some on hot tea, which tastes really good. It's also really nice to use in the bathroom for moisturizer on your face and skin, oil pulling, extra dry patches, etc. I personally haven't lost any weight using it, but I've heard a lot of testimonials that say they have lost weight.

I simmer my stock for at least 24+ hours, too, but I've never considered using the bones in a meal. Something for me to think about... As for the head cheese, When I was about 2 1/2 months pregnant, I took my Gram grocery shopping. We went to a local store that sells head cheese and she asked for some at the deli. Well, as soon as they took it out of the case, I immediately had to run to the bathroom! One of those first trimester aversions that I don't think I'll ever get over, to be honest. I'm sure I must have eaten it when I was a kid, since she bought it all the time and cooked at our house a lot. I think I have some preconceived ideas/notions that I know I need to deal with, as far as food is concerned. Since the OP mentioned getting as much nutrition as you can from your food, I think I'll bring up ferments. Ferments have tons of probiotics, which are very important to overall health and immunity. Milk kefir is a good way to add nutrition and digestibility to dairy. A bite of lacto-fermented veggies with each meal can help with digestion. Water kefir is made with just the grains, water and sugar. I'm not sure what you could use if sugar is scarce, because honey will ruin the grains... Probiotics are important in keeping your gut healthy, and if your gut is healthy, you will be able to absorb nutrients better.

Good to know! Thanks for the links.

Can you do something with those or are they goners?

This is an area I'm still very new to, in fact, I haven't really tried fermenting much. The one I've tried is kefir, which I'm giving another go of. I received some water kefir grains from someone on another board and am going to give them a try. I had a lot of success with milk kefir, before I had some circumstances which made me forget all about the kefir. Anyway, if anyone has a great water kefir recipe, I'd love to hear it! Thanks!

Here's the one I use. First I put a small bit of coconut oil under my arms. Next, I use a cotton ball to apply the following: 1 part cornstarch to 1 part baking soda, add in some drops of tea tree oil and some lavendar oil. I store in an airtight container in the bathroom. I used this during my student teaching and it even prevented sweating, most of the time. I've never heard of orris root or calamus... sounds interesting.

MommaDogs, are you still doing this? Let us know how it's going!! Thanks!

sjllm, your story is very similar to some women on another site. Congratulations! If you did it once, you can do it again, right? PatriotsFan - I've used CO for oil cleansing method (OCM) for a few months and I really like it. It took a little while for my skin to get used to it, but I also had to experimen a little to make it work for my skin. At first, the CO actually dried out my skin really bad. But now, I just add back a little onto my face really lightly. Sometimes I will use a combo of CO and EVOO. I use at least 1 tbsp and warm it up in between my hands until it's liquidy. Then I spread it on my face and massage all over my face for at least 5 minutes. No less. That's important. To get it off, I get a wash cloth as hot as I can stand it with tap water. I lay the wash cloth on my face until it starts to get a little cool, then wipe off the oil. I keep doing this until the oil is completely off my face (the hot washcloth, letting it cool and wiping it off). It takes at least 5 times or more. Since like dissolves like, the oil does a great job of getting rid of the excess oil on your face, which is also why I put a little back on my face. Another important thing is to make sure there is none of the dirty oil left on your face, because it has nasty toxins and dirt in it and will soak back into your skin if it's not all taken off. Check out www.theoilcleansingmethod.com to learn more and to hear from people with more experience. It makes my face glow and even my DH notices the difference. The only times that I've gotten blemishes since starting, is when I don't do it for a while, but then I go back. Good point. Vegetable oils oxidize easily and cause oxidation in your body, which can make you look older. Good saturated oils don't do this. I certainly have problems eating off the spoon, but it's so good on toast made with sprouted grains! Someone else had mentioned that they spread it on each bite of a banana as they eat it. Haven't tried it, but sounds interesting.

I have several hfs's in our town and the largest size of kefir I've found is a quart. It is possible to make it yourself, if you find that you are drinking a lot of it. You need to find someone that can give or sell kefir grains to you. There is also a drink called water kefir that is supposed to be a fizzy water drink that you can add fruit juice to. I don't think you can buy it at the store, though. You have to get special water kefir grains from someone. Traditionally, people gifted these grains to each other, but now days you can buy them online. I have a Yahoo Culturing group I belong to and the members sometimes offer extras to whomever.

I've heard that kefir has more probiotics, but they are not necessarily the same ones that are in yogurt. If I don't eat yogurt and/or kefir while taking antibiotics, I get all sorts of problems. One of the biggest reasons I started researching and looking into traditional diets is because of my DS with asthma. He tends to get sick with anything that happens by, so I'm trying to build his immunity and possibly get rid of his asthma. I guess I have a lot of faith in God that he gave us the knowledge and ability to heal ourselves with food. MommaDogs, you are so right about this being perfect for if TSHTF. Lack of refrigeration gave us these wonderful fermented foods, especially as a way to preserve milk. It could be important in the future, as a way of survival. It could be a way of survival now, for those of us wanting optimal nutrition. Kimchee and sauerkraut optimizes the vitamins, especially C, in veggies. Raw milk and raw fermented milk products have plenty of lactase to allow a greater number of adults to digest dairy, not to mention they have enough vitamin A and D without it having to be added back in as synthetics. There is some research that says that the synthetic versions of these vitamins can be toxic if taken in excess. I need to look to see if there is a local WAPF chapter near me. The last time I checked, they showed one but it wasn't active.

I totally agree with all of this. Nourishing Traditions is the first book I bought and read. It just made so much sense! Thanks for the links. They are some of my most visited on this topic. Along with the coconut oil, I drink kefir, kombucha, CLO, sometimes molasses, etc. I think that the wonderful and educated people on this board are different, but in the "mainstream" people insist that low fat, high carb diets are the answer to all the health problems. I think that for some people with certain problems, that may be true. However, I feel that most people would fair well with higher fat. I'm still learning, but I know that traditional diets were so different than today's, especially the saturated to nonsaturated fat ratios. Please keep educating me! I need it.

I find it hard, almost impossible, to eat CO straight off the spoon. Instead, I like to spread it on toast with about an equal amount of butter (pastured). It is SOOO good! If you either make your bread from sprouted wheat or buy Ezekial bread, then you are giving yourself a real treat!

sjllm, what did you do to lose that weight? I read on another message board that some people eat a tbsp morning, noon and night and it's helped them. I'd be interested to hear how you did it. HM, $250 doesn't really sound that bad, especially when you consider my little jars cost between $10-$15.00. The one in my kitchen is 20 oz. but I don't remember exactly how much it cost.

Mother, thanks for that link. Another link that I have read is http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/ Another good one...http://realfoodcure.blogspot.com/ and http://www.ninaplanck.com/index.php?page=real_food_book

I've heard of The Cholesterol Myth, but haven't read it. Maybe the library carries it. Two other books I've heard that are supposed to be good are "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" by Barbara Kingsolver and The Omnivore's Dilemma (not sure of the author). I need to figure out where I can get the 5 gallon buckets of CO (coconut oil). I have a jar in my bathroom that I use for OCM (oil cleaning method) for my face, in my hair, as moisturizer, on my lips, etc. And I have a jar in my kitchen that I use for popcorn, to spread on toast, eat spoonfuls, in oatmeal, in cooking and baking, etc. Do you know how long coconut oil stays good? I would hate to buy more than I would use before it went bad.

I'm reading a book called Eat Fat, Lose Fat by Dr. Mary Enig and Sally Fallon. I highly recommend it and Real Food by Nina Planck. I'm learning so many things about the foods we eat and the lies we've been told about fat. By now, everyone has heard about the evils of trans-fats...but you've also heard that saturated fats are BAD for you. Well, after researching (and I'm not done), I'm here to tell you, we've all been duped! Did you know that in traditional societies, they eat up to 60-70% of their diet in animal fats? The Inuits (Eskimos) actually eat 96% of their calories from animal foods! Yet, they average over 60 points LOWER in their cholesterol! AND, they have a lower BMI than modern Americans! There is so much data to support the inclusion of GOOD saturated fats, that is, saturated fats from pastured meats and eggs, coconut oil, butter, etc. Heart disease is a modern epidemic. It was virtually unheard of before 1900, before the industrial age. With the industrial age, came industrial foods, and industrial age diseases. Societies have eaten cream, butter, fatty meats for 1000's of years, yet heart disease is a modern disease. Why? According to Real Food, sugars and hydrogenated foods are a big part of the problem. And lack of certain vitamins. (There's more, but I'm still researching). I personally have noticed that when I eat less fat, I feel awful! My blood sugar gets messed up and my head feels fuzzy. But, when I eat like I did when my Gram lived with us, I felt great. She grew up on a farm, eating HEALTHY lard sandwiches. Healthy, because they came from pigs that were raised naturally with no antibiotics or hormones and contained healthy fats. She scooped the cream off the top of the milk and ate it as a dessert. She also ate real, fermented saurkraut with good bacteria and probiotics. (another part of a healthy diet). And now for coconut oil. According to Eat Fat, Lose Fat, coconut oil is an "all-systems healer." It explains in great, scientific detail why it has the following properties. Too much detail for me to include here. Coconut has healing benefits for the following: *Chronic fatigue *Low energy *Anxiety *Depression *Mood Swings *Thyroid imbalance *Hypoglycemia *Insulin Resistance *Food cravings *Gallbladder ailments *Bacterial infections *Fungal isues, like candida *Viral infections *Digestive problems, including irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn's Disease *Gas and bloating *Skin problems such as eczema, dry skin, scaly patches *Sagging, wrinkled skin *Dandruff, lifeless hair *Liver support Another benefit of adding "good" fats (and not the "good" fats modern medicine claims) is weight loss. Fats make you feel fuller calorie for calorie. I know that when I eat fat, I eat less. Mostly because I'm not as hungry. I don't walk around the kitchen looking to graze. Well, I do sometimes if I'm bored, but not out of hunger. But, when I was younger, I ate tons of fat and was healthy and good weight. I tried the lower fat thing and gained weight and started getting gross things like (tmi) dandruff and skin problems. Super dry skin and *gasp* crow's feet! My hair was dry and not healthy. When I eat the proper fats, coconut oil, butter and fatty natural meats, those problems go away. I'm not a scientist or a doctor, but what I've been reading makes so much sense. I've always avoided artificial anything and low-fat nonsense, but it was more instinctive. Now I feel like I am learning the "why." Btw, I didn't put this here to start any arguments. I know it's controversial, but I stand by it. Everything that gets published in medical mags is totally political. Brought to you by whoever has the most $$ and the most to gain or lose from the direction the "research" leans. Dr. Mary Enig was threatened by corporations and special interest groups for publishing her finds. Just something to think about.

Great! Something else to keep me glued to Mrs. Survival!

Thanks for bumping Cat! This is a good post.

Between the lining and the bucket of the diaper pail. Put in an envelope and tape it on the bucket. I like the lip balm idea. I'm going to have to try that. Although, when I had my purse ransacked, the thief took my hand lotion and lip gloss, as well as my coin purse and wallet. He (or she) left most everything else.

I copied the recipe to Word and am going to try it tonight. I currently have kids with coughs. Sorry Nana, but I may have to cut a little of the pepper, so the kids can eat it. But not much.

Thanks for posting these! I really liked that last one... If I could just get my HOA to change our covenants...