July 11, 2013 by maggielane

Cooking with Garlic Skins.

You may have a puzzled expression on your face after reading the title of this post. However, I state it in all seriousness. Recently I’ve stopped peeling my garlic. Yes, you read that right. Now, I don’t do this for everything that I use garlic for. However, when it comes to making broth I’ve started throwing my garlic cloves in peels and all. I was just reading up on how onion peels and garlic peels are high in quercetin which is helpful in preventing allergies and stopping allergic reactions. Since members of my family struggle with this I thought it would be useful to give it a try and stop throwing that precious quercetin away. So, whenever I’m making broth I toss in those cloves skins and all. It saves me a lot of prep time peeling all those little garlic cloves. I do peel and discard the skins when cooking anything that requires chopped garlic, but if you’re going to simmer anything like broth or herbal remedies where you are going to strain the cloves out, try leaving them on. It’s definitely easier and hopefully has added health benefits too.

Do your own research on quercetin. Prescription for Herbal Healing has a good section on it explaining it’s health benefits. And if you have issues with food sensitivities or allergies like our family does, check out my Allergy-Friendly Recipes.

July 8, 2013 by maggielane

The Family Doctor: Food Sensitivities

“The Country Doctor” by Norman Rockwell

Food sensitivities are on the rise. How many of us have a child with a food intolerance? And if you don’t, I bet you have a friend who does. What do we do? The allergists can’t help us since they aren’t actually allergic to anything and finding a pediatrician or alternative doctor who has solutions is like finding a needle in a haystack. So, what’s left? You become the “expert” on your own child and help them as best you can. You are now the Family Doctor trying to provide comfort, promote health and find that elusive balance between protecting your child from offending foods and helping them feel like they live a normal life outside of their restrictions. Continue reading to find out what we’ve done.

May 28, 2013 by maggielane

A tiny bit of oil can solve all those tiny troubles…

When our child needs comfort it can seem like their little worlds are falling apart. Whether it’s the scraped knee or squished fingers, any discomfort however small, can feel really big. I started mixing up this oil blend (click here) to soothe and disinfect the scrapes and cuts, and prevent bruising. It must do something to help them as soon my kids started coming and asking for some even when the hurt really didn’t warrant a remedy. But, they just wanted to feel like something was helping them with that bumped elbow or squished finger. It disinfects, helps with pain, and makes a great replacement to using standard antibiotic ointment.

April 15, 2013 by maggielane

Fermented foods…. sound strange and scary? Add some spice to your table with this fermented relish.

My favorite seasonings – garlic, jalepeno and onion. So, I decided to try them as a fermented relish. Add a little bit of it to anything that needs some spice. It’s one of my new favorites. And if you’ve never tried fermented foods, it’s easy. Click here for directions.

And if you’re nervous about trying ferments check out the book Fermented Vegetables by the Shockey’s. It chock full of delicious recipes to inspire you and gives you the knowledge you need to be creative and come up with your own.

Still not sure and need a little hand holding? Homesteading Family’s Fearless Fermenting course is a video course that will walk you through the process of fermenting all sorts of vegetables. Carolyn gives you good recipes to try and helps take the fear out of fermenting.

September 30, 2012 by maggielane

Keep your family healthy – herbal drops your kid will love!

Cold season is upon us. It’s time to boost up those immune systems and help fight off all those pesky germs that come around this time of year. I credit these drops for keeping my kids healthy and cold-free this past year. I give mine the Well Drops almost daily. And double and triple up if they are fighting something off. Rummage through the Herb Shed and read up on how to make your own. It’s really not that hard. All you need are the ingredients, a jar, a crock-pot and water. Stay healthy!