Hello, it has been a while since we have posted anything on here. We have been busy getting new product ready for sale. Our newest items are the soaps we have been creating. They are getting a very welcome response! Thank you to all who have tried them. Our website is now up! So, we have now moved our blog to the new site and will no longer be posting on this one. Please, stop by, take and look and tell us what you think. Check us out at. pineandprairietradingpost.com Thank you all.
Ed and Amy
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
New product line and new happenings!
Hello and welcome back. Er, I mean, we are back!
After taking a little time off of the blog to get things rolling on the home front, and making sure we are on the right track of who we are and where we want to go, we are making a triumphant return! We are building a new green house that will be ready by the weekend, and can't wait to have all of our own fresh veggies and herbs!
We have put together a product list of what we currently have to offer. I hope you like it. We will blog more on Sunday, it is just too nice of a day to be inside, but I thought I would get this out for you to review. Have a great weekend everyone!
Pine and Prairie Trading Post
Welcome to our little corner of the world!
Pine and prairie trading post was started with an idea.
Well, a dissatisfaction really. Our bodies are constantly being bombarded every day by synthetic ingredients. Man made products that our body just doesn’t know what to do with. Or, petroleum based, so called health products that actually destroy your body, not heal it. Well, we have had enough!
We decided to do something about it. We didn’t want to be constantly wondering if the products we were using caused cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, hair loss, acne, kidney stones, discolored nails, body order, organ failure, etc. There is enough to worry about without adding that to your daily to do list! You can relate I am sure.
So, we started Pine and Prairie Trading Post. The idea behind it is to learn everything we could about living and healing in a natural way. What herbs where beneficial for what part of the body, what was the best way to prepare and store them and what ones worked together to complement each other for maximum benefits to our body. To take what we had found, and create products that we can use every day and feel good about using them.
Here is a product list of what we currently have available. We are adding more each week, and modifying what we have to suit our customer’s needs. Everything we have can be customized to fit your specific needs. That is one of the nice things about working with all natural ingredients. So feel free to ask.
Amy’s healing salve
Created by Amy many years ago, this original recipe has wondrous results. From chapped lips to bed sores, you won't be disappointed with this product. A unique blend of moisturizing oils, beeswax and essential oils. Created with total body healing in mind.
Sugar body scrubs
Available in a variety of scents, you will love these. Choose from, Chocolate Mint, Orange Haze, Botanical Breeze, Wake Up Call, -or- create your own by telling us what you like. Our luxurious scrubs ex foliate & moisturize your skin, leaving you soft and glowing. Even the guys like this one.
Gentle Kiss body lotion
Crafted with all organic oils and butters, vitamins and minerals. This one is lightly scented for those who want smooth silky skin with just a hint of scent.
Facial Cleansers
We offer a line of facial cleaners that ex-foliate, and moisturize your face while leaving it healthy and radiant without the tight dry feeling you get from others. Our main ingredient is lavender. A plant that seems to have been made for the human body. We add other gifts from nature as well, depending on the season. We try to give you face what it needs when it needs it to combat the man made elements. They are full of vitamins, minerals and cell rejuvenating properties. They are all made to order, so please tell us what you like.
Roaring Mouse Bug Spray
This is a huge favorite!
This blend of all organic essential oils is a great alternative to those who, like us, refuse to use the harsh synthetic sprays on the market today. This one is dog safe as well!
Rolling River Hand Cream
This product is great for chapped and cracked hands. For those of you that like to spend time outdoors, this one is for you.
Calm winds ear drops
Just put a couple drops of this 100% organic product in your ears as often as needed. This blend of healing oils and herbs are a welcome relief to discomfort.
Tired feet rejuvenating foot soak
With a foot tingling combination of salts, sodas, oils and flowers. This will help make the perfect ending from a long day on your feet.
Happy toes foot lotion
After you dip your tootsies in a nice soak, help them stay feeling great with this lotion designed just for that reason.
We also carry a line of tinctures for overall body harmony.
We believe that healing starts from the inside. We make no claims that these products heal you in any fashion, as these products have not been evaluated by the FDA.
But we do offer this line of products for those of you know and who wish to use them.
We also have a line of soaps that we are currently testing. They will be available before the end of summer.
Gift baskets are something we do as well. Either for individuals, parties, office gifts or holiday packages. What a great way to say you appreciate them.
Contact us with any of your gift ideas and we will gladly build a custom order for you. No minimum or maximum numbers for this service.
And if you are not sure what you’re looking for, ask us for some ideas!
We value your business and will do our best to fulfill your needs.
After taking a little time off of the blog to get things rolling on the home front, and making sure we are on the right track of who we are and where we want to go, we are making a triumphant return! We are building a new green house that will be ready by the weekend, and can't wait to have all of our own fresh veggies and herbs!
We have put together a product list of what we currently have to offer. I hope you like it. We will blog more on Sunday, it is just too nice of a day to be inside, but I thought I would get this out for you to review. Have a great weekend everyone!
Pine and Prairie Trading Post
Welcome to our little corner of the world!
Pine and prairie trading post was started with an idea.
Well, a dissatisfaction really. Our bodies are constantly being bombarded every day by synthetic ingredients. Man made products that our body just doesn’t know what to do with. Or, petroleum based, so called health products that actually destroy your body, not heal it. Well, we have had enough!
We decided to do something about it. We didn’t want to be constantly wondering if the products we were using caused cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, hair loss, acne, kidney stones, discolored nails, body order, organ failure, etc. There is enough to worry about without adding that to your daily to do list! You can relate I am sure.
So, we started Pine and Prairie Trading Post. The idea behind it is to learn everything we could about living and healing in a natural way. What herbs where beneficial for what part of the body, what was the best way to prepare and store them and what ones worked together to complement each other for maximum benefits to our body. To take what we had found, and create products that we can use every day and feel good about using them.
Here is a product list of what we currently have available. We are adding more each week, and modifying what we have to suit our customer’s needs. Everything we have can be customized to fit your specific needs. That is one of the nice things about working with all natural ingredients. So feel free to ask.
Amy’s healing salve
Created by Amy many years ago, this original recipe has wondrous results. From chapped lips to bed sores, you won't be disappointed with this product. A unique blend of moisturizing oils, beeswax and essential oils. Created with total body healing in mind.
Sugar body scrubs
Available in a variety of scents, you will love these. Choose from, Chocolate Mint, Orange Haze, Botanical Breeze, Wake Up Call, -or- create your own by telling us what you like. Our luxurious scrubs ex foliate & moisturize your skin, leaving you soft and glowing. Even the guys like this one.
Gentle Kiss body lotion
Crafted with all organic oils and butters, vitamins and minerals. This one is lightly scented for those who want smooth silky skin with just a hint of scent.
Facial Cleansers
We offer a line of facial cleaners that ex-foliate, and moisturize your face while leaving it healthy and radiant without the tight dry feeling you get from others. Our main ingredient is lavender. A plant that seems to have been made for the human body. We add other gifts from nature as well, depending on the season. We try to give you face what it needs when it needs it to combat the man made elements. They are full of vitamins, minerals and cell rejuvenating properties. They are all made to order, so please tell us what you like.
Roaring Mouse Bug Spray
This is a huge favorite!
This blend of all organic essential oils is a great alternative to those who, like us, refuse to use the harsh synthetic sprays on the market today. This one is dog safe as well!
Rolling River Hand Cream
This product is great for chapped and cracked hands. For those of you that like to spend time outdoors, this one is for you.
Calm winds ear drops
Just put a couple drops of this 100% organic product in your ears as often as needed. This blend of healing oils and herbs are a welcome relief to discomfort.
Tired feet rejuvenating foot soak
With a foot tingling combination of salts, sodas, oils and flowers. This will help make the perfect ending from a long day on your feet.
Happy toes foot lotion
After you dip your tootsies in a nice soak, help them stay feeling great with this lotion designed just for that reason.
We also carry a line of tinctures for overall body harmony.
We believe that healing starts from the inside. We make no claims that these products heal you in any fashion, as these products have not been evaluated by the FDA.
But we do offer this line of products for those of you know and who wish to use them.
We also have a line of soaps that we are currently testing. They will be available before the end of summer.
Gift baskets are something we do as well. Either for individuals, parties, office gifts or holiday packages. What a great way to say you appreciate them.
Contact us with any of your gift ideas and we will gladly build a custom order for you. No minimum or maximum numbers for this service.
And if you are not sure what you’re looking for, ask us for some ideas!
We value your business and will do our best to fulfill your needs.
Monday, May 3, 2010
A change of the seasons
Ah, the month of May. When spring gives way to summer. We are waiting for the company to call us about our high tunnel hoop garden so we can go pick it up and get the tomatoes, peppers and herbs planted.
We wanted to share a news source that we have found with you. It is called naturalnews.com. It has a lot of good information about what is going on in the medical field, as well as research from universities and private agencies dealing with health and medicines. For the most part, the web site is very informative. The one downside, is that the writer sometimes gets very opinionated with his articles and you can definitely tell what he likes and doesn’t like. But, it does seem to be very factual despite that.
Even though there are some good things about the medical field and treatments they give you. Most, if not all ailments can be avoided by eating right, and listening to what your body has to tell you. Your body is great at telling you what is wrong with it. From acne, to discolored nails, from pain to yellow eyes and everything in between. It is amazing that we as humans, have known all of this for ages, and actually used this knowledge for centuries. But, for some reason, modern medicine has forgotten how to use it, and they only seem to want to treat the symptoms, and not the problems causing them.
That is one of the things that Amy and I have been learning these past few months. How to read our bodies to keep healthy. And, doing the reading and research to know how to correct the problems our bodies encounter on a daily basis. One of the best things you can do to get started, is to eat healthy. We all know this, but most of us seldom do it. We know fast food and the processed in the box food we buy is toxic to our bodies, but yet, most of us eat it every day. Our excuse is we are too busy for anything else. We justify our actions instead of finding ways to make time to cook a healthy meal at home, or to make a healthy lunch to take to work. Or, in today’s economic hard times, I have heard people say that it is just too expensive to eat healthy. I admit, I have to laugh when I hear that.
First of all, when you eat healthy foods that your body can actually digest and get the nutrients it needs, you eat less. Yep, that’s right, you eat less! Your body tells you it is full faster. The reason most of us are hungry all the time, is that your body is telling you it needs more. That you haven’t eaten enough. But you need to interpret that the right way. It isn’t saying we need more of that 14″ pizza that we ate, or another bag of chips. It is saying, “Hey, I know that you just ate a bushel full of food and we are full, but what you gave me doesn’t have what we need to live healthy!” So you eat more, or stay hungry. But when you eat a plate full of raw veggies, or a salad, your not hungry for a long time and you feel satisfied. Ever notice that when you eat a big salad before your main course, your not hungry when it gets to the table? But, you eat it anyway cause your paying for it.
We can honestly say, between what we eat at home, and what we pack for lunch, we can live on about 6 to 8 bucks a day. Hey, a bag of carrots is only 88 cents! I know you can’t do that when your eating processed refined food. And, when the garden is ready this fall, it will be a lot less!
And not only will you save money on food from eating healthy, but you also save on other items you buy as well. For instance, when you eat healthy, your feel better, and your body can stave off illnesses and problems that it can not when it isn’t healthy. So, you won’t take over the counter remedies as often as you do now. If you have allergies, they may get weaker, or go away all together. When your body has less toxins in it, it is better able to deal with the ones from your environment.
Just a side note here. How many of you take antacids when you have stomach problems from eating? Do you know that your only making the process worse even though you feel better? What your stomach really needs is more acid not less. What is happening, is that your stomach cannot break down the foods that are in it because it doesn’t have enough acid to finish the job. Try some lemon juice next time you have that problem. Or, eat foods naturally high in HCL. Like, celery and lemon juice. The real reason for lemon slices or lemon juice in your water at the dinner table is not for looks. It is actually to aid you in digestion!
Ok, back to the topic.
You also lose weight from eating raw fruits and vegetables as well. Believe it or not. Some of the processed, (quick throw it in the microwave) foods are stored in your body as fat, because it doesn’t know how to convert it into usable energy. So, there it sits. And you all know the health costs of being over weight. It is on commercials, in ads, and the news every day. And the one that I found the most amazing! You don’t need deodorant anymore! Your body no longer stinks. Yep, that is correct. So, your not buying toiletries as often. Hey, don’t take our word for it, try it out for yourself. We dare you.
Well, it is time to get back to planting some seeds. We hope everyone has a great week and that some of what we write here actually motivates you to live a happier, healthier life.
Ed and Amy
We wanted to share a news source that we have found with you. It is called naturalnews.com. It has a lot of good information about what is going on in the medical field, as well as research from universities and private agencies dealing with health and medicines. For the most part, the web site is very informative. The one downside, is that the writer sometimes gets very opinionated with his articles and you can definitely tell what he likes and doesn’t like. But, it does seem to be very factual despite that.
Even though there are some good things about the medical field and treatments they give you. Most, if not all ailments can be avoided by eating right, and listening to what your body has to tell you. Your body is great at telling you what is wrong with it. From acne, to discolored nails, from pain to yellow eyes and everything in between. It is amazing that we as humans, have known all of this for ages, and actually used this knowledge for centuries. But, for some reason, modern medicine has forgotten how to use it, and they only seem to want to treat the symptoms, and not the problems causing them.
That is one of the things that Amy and I have been learning these past few months. How to read our bodies to keep healthy. And, doing the reading and research to know how to correct the problems our bodies encounter on a daily basis. One of the best things you can do to get started, is to eat healthy. We all know this, but most of us seldom do it. We know fast food and the processed in the box food we buy is toxic to our bodies, but yet, most of us eat it every day. Our excuse is we are too busy for anything else. We justify our actions instead of finding ways to make time to cook a healthy meal at home, or to make a healthy lunch to take to work. Or, in today’s economic hard times, I have heard people say that it is just too expensive to eat healthy. I admit, I have to laugh when I hear that.
First of all, when you eat healthy foods that your body can actually digest and get the nutrients it needs, you eat less. Yep, that’s right, you eat less! Your body tells you it is full faster. The reason most of us are hungry all the time, is that your body is telling you it needs more. That you haven’t eaten enough. But you need to interpret that the right way. It isn’t saying we need more of that 14″ pizza that we ate, or another bag of chips. It is saying, “Hey, I know that you just ate a bushel full of food and we are full, but what you gave me doesn’t have what we need to live healthy!” So you eat more, or stay hungry. But when you eat a plate full of raw veggies, or a salad, your not hungry for a long time and you feel satisfied. Ever notice that when you eat a big salad before your main course, your not hungry when it gets to the table? But, you eat it anyway cause your paying for it.
We can honestly say, between what we eat at home, and what we pack for lunch, we can live on about 6 to 8 bucks a day. Hey, a bag of carrots is only 88 cents! I know you can’t do that when your eating processed refined food. And, when the garden is ready this fall, it will be a lot less!
And not only will you save money on food from eating healthy, but you also save on other items you buy as well. For instance, when you eat healthy, your feel better, and your body can stave off illnesses and problems that it can not when it isn’t healthy. So, you won’t take over the counter remedies as often as you do now. If you have allergies, they may get weaker, or go away all together. When your body has less toxins in it, it is better able to deal with the ones from your environment.
Just a side note here. How many of you take antacids when you have stomach problems from eating? Do you know that your only making the process worse even though you feel better? What your stomach really needs is more acid not less. What is happening, is that your stomach cannot break down the foods that are in it because it doesn’t have enough acid to finish the job. Try some lemon juice next time you have that problem. Or, eat foods naturally high in HCL. Like, celery and lemon juice. The real reason for lemon slices or lemon juice in your water at the dinner table is not for looks. It is actually to aid you in digestion!
Ok, back to the topic.
You also lose weight from eating raw fruits and vegetables as well. Believe it or not. Some of the processed, (quick throw it in the microwave) foods are stored in your body as fat, because it doesn’t know how to convert it into usable energy. So, there it sits. And you all know the health costs of being over weight. It is on commercials, in ads, and the news every day. And the one that I found the most amazing! You don’t need deodorant anymore! Your body no longer stinks. Yep, that is correct. So, your not buying toiletries as often. Hey, don’t take our word for it, try it out for yourself. We dare you.
Well, it is time to get back to planting some seeds. We hope everyone has a great week and that some of what we write here actually motivates you to live a happier, healthier life.
Ed and Amy
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Change of heart
Hello and Namaste!
I was going to write this week about the evils of Propylene Glycol,Sodium Laural Sulfate and the fiasco that is Susan G. Komen and their ridiculous partnership with KFC. But after a recent trip to Wisconsin, and watching Avatar tonight with a good friend, made me change directions.
As I was driving home today, I was thinking about my weekend with friends, and how we all, eventually, come full circle in life. I was at peace thinking how awesome it is that we were embarking on a new life of organic, and natural living. That we were again connecting with the earth and all she had to offer. And that we were are getting healthier and leaving things like toxic cleaners, chemicals and fast food behind. I was pondering how life must have been 1500 years ago. When you fed yourself and your family off of the land and respected life for what it was. No one cared what your credit score was or what level you were in Farmville or Mafia Wars. Or if you had the newest flat screen television or the biggest truck on the block. How you never had to worry about paying taxes, or keeping up on your insurance payments. Or even fretting about the fact that you might not have the latest Coach purse or were wearing the hottest designer jeans.
I know that some of you will be thinking, yea, but Ed, 1500 years ago, you didn't have the safety and security we have now. We didn't have air conditioners, cars, cell phones, ipods and all those other things that make life so easy and comfortable. How did we ever survive?? Wasn't it miserable back then? Well, we managed not only to survive, but to get to a place where most of us no longer feel comfortable and wish to take a step back and live simple again. We have seen what fast has to offer, and it isn't all it is cracked up to be. It costs more than it is worth sometimes. Or dare I say, most of the time. Big corporations do not have your best interest in mind, no matter what the commercials say!
When was the last time you took the time to admire the beauty of a trillium? To crush the leaves of a mint plant between you fingers and smell the beauty that it is, or had the pleasure of blowing the seeds from a milk thistle across a meadow on a late summer afternoon and wonder where they would land. Or how about the last time you stepped outside in bare feet and felt the chill of the morning dew as it kissed the last wisps of sleep from you mind. Do any of you who wake up in the morning listening to the birds singing, know what birds they are?? I would venture to guess not, and I would venture to say that it has been way too long since most of us has experienced nature.
What is on my mind tonight is the fact that we are at a pinnacle in society as we know it. We have to make a choice. We have to make a conscious effort to do what is right for our kids and for generations to come. We are at the point were disposable living, no longer makes sense. Where teaching others about sustainable living is in our best interest. Where taking the time to grow a garden or stop and help a neighbor in need, should be in itself, reward enough for the day.
Where does the movie Avatar come into this? Well, without giving anything away to those that have not watched it yet, I will just say that their entire planet is connected and that the survival of one species depends on all of the rest. Doesn't that sound a lot like the planet that we currently reside on? Isn't our future dependent upon the soil and water that give life to the plants that feed us and the other animals living on this globe we claim as ours? Think about it. Without clean soil, water and air, things on this earth would not survive. We are all connected with the environment around us. And yes, I do realize the the sun is the driving force that fuels it all, but we do not, directly have control over that. Which is a good thing, I am sure some mighty (for toxic oh err um I mean ahh for profit) corporation would find a way to screw that up if they could just only find a way to make money from it! But, that isn't where I am going with this.
I guess what I want to say is simply this, that we all need to take the time to think about the actions we take everyday, and what the consequences of those actions may be. For instance, where, does your garbage go? Why can't you use that one more time before you throw it away? Can you fix it, instead of going out and buying a new one? How about this one simple act. Instead of buying small bottles of water, get a water bottle and take it with you and fill it up as you go. Most bottled water is tap water anyway. Can you imagine what you would save every year by not spending that two to three dollars a day buying bottled water?(Lets see, 3 times 365 is $1,095.00 and we all know we spend more than that on crap ever day), Not to mention what your not throwing away every day by buying disposable.
Never mind the fact that soda, regular or diet, is toxic to your liver and kidneys?? But of course the advertisements won't tell you that. You can't really believe that they care about your health?? If they did, they wouldn't use things like High Fructose Corn Syrup and Aspartame.
I am not trying to be a preacher an Imam or Da'ee. I am just simply trying to say, that it isn't a bad thing to respect and honor what we have and what will ultimately come to pass. To realize that we are all connected and that our actions leave a lasting impact. That a little bit of sacrifice and a small amount of good deeds, will not only go unpunished, but will benefit us all. I am glad that I have had the opportunity to experience the frosty mornings when I can see my breathe, or the heat filled afternoons that have made me sweat and long for shade and a cool drink. Or for the warmth of a friendly camp fire that greets myself and friends at the end of the day. And admiring all that mother nature had to offer for us that day. And I hope you don't forget where you came from and what is most important. Most of all, I hope you want the same for your future sons and daughters. After all, self destruction, is not the next chapter in history, it is the sad ending of fools.
Enjoy a good glass of wine, turn off the tv, and get outside once in a while.
Ed and Amy.
I was going to write this week about the evils of Propylene Glycol,Sodium Laural Sulfate and the fiasco that is Susan G. Komen and their ridiculous partnership with KFC. But after a recent trip to Wisconsin, and watching Avatar tonight with a good friend, made me change directions.
As I was driving home today, I was thinking about my weekend with friends, and how we all, eventually, come full circle in life. I was at peace thinking how awesome it is that we were embarking on a new life of organic, and natural living. That we were again connecting with the earth and all she had to offer. And that we were are getting healthier and leaving things like toxic cleaners, chemicals and fast food behind. I was pondering how life must have been 1500 years ago. When you fed yourself and your family off of the land and respected life for what it was. No one cared what your credit score was or what level you were in Farmville or Mafia Wars. Or if you had the newest flat screen television or the biggest truck on the block. How you never had to worry about paying taxes, or keeping up on your insurance payments. Or even fretting about the fact that you might not have the latest Coach purse or were wearing the hottest designer jeans.
I know that some of you will be thinking, yea, but Ed, 1500 years ago, you didn't have the safety and security we have now. We didn't have air conditioners, cars, cell phones, ipods and all those other things that make life so easy and comfortable. How did we ever survive?? Wasn't it miserable back then? Well, we managed not only to survive, but to get to a place where most of us no longer feel comfortable and wish to take a step back and live simple again. We have seen what fast has to offer, and it isn't all it is cracked up to be. It costs more than it is worth sometimes. Or dare I say, most of the time. Big corporations do not have your best interest in mind, no matter what the commercials say!
When was the last time you took the time to admire the beauty of a trillium? To crush the leaves of a mint plant between you fingers and smell the beauty that it is, or had the pleasure of blowing the seeds from a milk thistle across a meadow on a late summer afternoon and wonder where they would land. Or how about the last time you stepped outside in bare feet and felt the chill of the morning dew as it kissed the last wisps of sleep from you mind. Do any of you who wake up in the morning listening to the birds singing, know what birds they are?? I would venture to guess not, and I would venture to say that it has been way too long since most of us has experienced nature.
What is on my mind tonight is the fact that we are at a pinnacle in society as we know it. We have to make a choice. We have to make a conscious effort to do what is right for our kids and for generations to come. We are at the point were disposable living, no longer makes sense. Where teaching others about sustainable living is in our best interest. Where taking the time to grow a garden or stop and help a neighbor in need, should be in itself, reward enough for the day.
Where does the movie Avatar come into this? Well, without giving anything away to those that have not watched it yet, I will just say that their entire planet is connected and that the survival of one species depends on all of the rest. Doesn't that sound a lot like the planet that we currently reside on? Isn't our future dependent upon the soil and water that give life to the plants that feed us and the other animals living on this globe we claim as ours? Think about it. Without clean soil, water and air, things on this earth would not survive. We are all connected with the environment around us. And yes, I do realize the the sun is the driving force that fuels it all, but we do not, directly have control over that. Which is a good thing, I am sure some mighty (for toxic oh err um I mean ahh for profit) corporation would find a way to screw that up if they could just only find a way to make money from it! But, that isn't where I am going with this.
I guess what I want to say is simply this, that we all need to take the time to think about the actions we take everyday, and what the consequences of those actions may be. For instance, where, does your garbage go? Why can't you use that one more time before you throw it away? Can you fix it, instead of going out and buying a new one? How about this one simple act. Instead of buying small bottles of water, get a water bottle and take it with you and fill it up as you go. Most bottled water is tap water anyway. Can you imagine what you would save every year by not spending that two to three dollars a day buying bottled water?(Lets see, 3 times 365 is $1,095.00 and we all know we spend more than that on crap ever day), Not to mention what your not throwing away every day by buying disposable.
Never mind the fact that soda, regular or diet, is toxic to your liver and kidneys?? But of course the advertisements won't tell you that. You can't really believe that they care about your health?? If they did, they wouldn't use things like High Fructose Corn Syrup and Aspartame.
I am not trying to be a preacher an Imam or Da'ee. I am just simply trying to say, that it isn't a bad thing to respect and honor what we have and what will ultimately come to pass. To realize that we are all connected and that our actions leave a lasting impact. That a little bit of sacrifice and a small amount of good deeds, will not only go unpunished, but will benefit us all. I am glad that I have had the opportunity to experience the frosty mornings when I can see my breathe, or the heat filled afternoons that have made me sweat and long for shade and a cool drink. Or for the warmth of a friendly camp fire that greets myself and friends at the end of the day. And admiring all that mother nature had to offer for us that day. And I hope you don't forget where you came from and what is most important. Most of all, I hope you want the same for your future sons and daughters. After all, self destruction, is not the next chapter in history, it is the sad ending of fools.
Enjoy a good glass of wine, turn off the tv, and get outside once in a while.
Ed and Amy.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Kifer
We had a great day planting yesterday. Ed's parents were digging up their back garden to put other things there, and we were there to take what they didn't need anymore. About 60 strawberry plants, a 5 gallon pail of horse radish roots, 6 raspberry plants, several seedums, Iris flowers, chocolate mint and rhubarb! It took the whole day to get them in.
Last week, we talked about Kombucha and had great responses and questions about it. And we still have 3 left we can sell yet before we have to wait for more to grow. We would like to talk about Kifer this week.
Kifer can be made from milk, water, coconut water along with other varieties of milk, such as soy, rice or almond. Our favorite is the water kifer that has been fermented with mango. Very tasty!! Here are some of the health benefits and how to make it.
Kefir is a cultured, enzyme-rich food filled with friendly micro-organisms that help balance your "inner ecosystem." More nutritious and therapeutic than yogurt, it supplies complete protein, essential minerals, and valuable B vitamins. Easily digested, it cleanses the intestines, provides beneficial bacteria and yeast, vitamins and minerals, and complete proteins. Because kefir is such a balanced and nourishing food, it contributes to a healthy immune system and has been used to help patients suffering from AIDS, chronic fatigue syndrome, herpes, and cancer. Its tranquilizing effect on the nervous system has benefited many who suffer from sleep disorders, depression, and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
According to most experts the regular use of kefir can help relieve all intestinal disorders, promote bowel movement, reduce flatulence and create a healthier digestive system. In addition, its cleansing effect on the whole body helps to establish optimum health and longevity.
Kefir can also help eliminate unhealthy food cravings by making the body more nourished and balanced, because of its excellent nutritional content.
To make kifer, you need about 1/4 cup of what is called the grains. It is the starter culture you need to ferment the liquid. If you're making milk kifer, you just add 1 quart of milk to the 1/4 cup of grains. Make sure you use a glass jar. Once you mix the two together, just place a cloth over the lid and secure it with a rubber band. Let is sit for 2 or 3 days and then strain the liquid off and enjoy! It will last in the refrigerator for several weeks.
To make the water kifer, you just mix 1/4 cup of the kifer grains, with 1 quart of water, coconut water, etc, and 1/3 cup of sugar. You can then experiment with dried fruits, there are some that are not good to use because they will actually destroy the kifer grains. Click on the link we posted, it lists the fruits you can and can not use. As with the milk kifer, make sure you use a glass jar. Cover it with a cloth and secure it with a rubber band. Let it sit for 3 days on your counter top, strain the grains out, and enjoy.
There are several combinations you can use for flavors, and different recipes. We have included a link for more information. http://www.kefir.net/intro.htm
If you wish to start your own kifer, we do have grains available for purchase. Please e-mail us at pineandprairietradingpost@yahoo.com
Well, off to enjoy a glass of kifer ourselves! Hope you have a happy and healthy day.
As always, we appreciate your time.
~Amy and Ed
Last week, we talked about Kombucha and had great responses and questions about it. And we still have 3 left we can sell yet before we have to wait for more to grow. We would like to talk about Kifer this week.
Kifer can be made from milk, water, coconut water along with other varieties of milk, such as soy, rice or almond. Our favorite is the water kifer that has been fermented with mango. Very tasty!! Here are some of the health benefits and how to make it.
Kefir is a cultured, enzyme-rich food filled with friendly micro-organisms that help balance your "inner ecosystem." More nutritious and therapeutic than yogurt, it supplies complete protein, essential minerals, and valuable B vitamins. Easily digested, it cleanses the intestines, provides beneficial bacteria and yeast, vitamins and minerals, and complete proteins. Because kefir is such a balanced and nourishing food, it contributes to a healthy immune system and has been used to help patients suffering from AIDS, chronic fatigue syndrome, herpes, and cancer. Its tranquilizing effect on the nervous system has benefited many who suffer from sleep disorders, depression, and ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder).
According to most experts the regular use of kefir can help relieve all intestinal disorders, promote bowel movement, reduce flatulence and create a healthier digestive system. In addition, its cleansing effect on the whole body helps to establish optimum health and longevity.
Kefir can also help eliminate unhealthy food cravings by making the body more nourished and balanced, because of its excellent nutritional content.
To make kifer, you need about 1/4 cup of what is called the grains. It is the starter culture you need to ferment the liquid. If you're making milk kifer, you just add 1 quart of milk to the 1/4 cup of grains. Make sure you use a glass jar. Once you mix the two together, just place a cloth over the lid and secure it with a rubber band. Let is sit for 2 or 3 days and then strain the liquid off and enjoy! It will last in the refrigerator for several weeks.
To make the water kifer, you just mix 1/4 cup of the kifer grains, with 1 quart of water, coconut water, etc, and 1/3 cup of sugar. You can then experiment with dried fruits, there are some that are not good to use because they will actually destroy the kifer grains. Click on the link we posted, it lists the fruits you can and can not use. As with the milk kifer, make sure you use a glass jar. Cover it with a cloth and secure it with a rubber band. Let it sit for 3 days on your counter top, strain the grains out, and enjoy.
There are several combinations you can use for flavors, and different recipes. We have included a link for more information. http://www.kefir.net/intro.htm
If you wish to start your own kifer, we do have grains available for purchase. Please e-mail us at pineandprairietradingpost@yahoo.com
Well, off to enjoy a glass of kifer ourselves! Hope you have a happy and healthy day.
As always, we appreciate your time.
~Amy and Ed
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Kombucha
Happy Easter to everyone! It is a warm and sunny day here in Lac Qui Parle, we hope you are experiencing the same enjoyable weather! Today we are making lard, kombucha and kifer, as well as working a little in the garden.
We have had several questions regarding Kombucha and Kifer. We will explain some of the health benefits, how to grow them, and where to get the cultures to get started.
We will talk about Kombucha this week and Kifer next week as we do not want these blogs to get too long.
Kombucha is fermented tea. You can use green or black, doesn't matter. Kombucha has a wide range of organic acids, vitamins and enzymes that give it its extraordinary value. It contains the range of B vitamins, particularly B1, B2, B6 and B12, that provide the body with energy, help to process fats and proteins, and which are vital for the normal functioning of the nervous system. There is also vitamin C which is a potent detoxifier, immune booster and enhancer of vitality.
The probiotic case for Kombucha is that it encourages healthier intestinal flora by introducing lactic acid-producing bacteria. These work in a similar way to acidophilus bacteria, the active ingredient in live yogurt. An old saying, ‘healthy gut, healthy body,’ puts it simply. The acidity level of the gut is all-important, as is the health of its microbial flora which play a crucial role in the functioning of the whole body. There are many other benefits to Kombucha, but I think you get the idea, it makes you belly and body happy!!
To make Kombucha, you first have to obtain a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast). Make sure that you clean all the pots, jars and utensils that you will be using to make the Kombucha. You don't want to introduce foreign bacteria, or things that might hinder or kill the fermentation. After you have done that, bring to a boil 1 gallon of distilled or filtered water in a stainless steel pot. Do not use city tap water as the chlorine and other additives in it will kill the SCOBY or not allow the tea to ferment. Once the water comes to a boil, add 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of sugar and stir it in till it dissolves. We recommend organic cane sugar, but you can use white sugar as it is all used up in the fermentation process and you won't be ingesting it as sugar. Turn the heat off and add 6 bags of green or black tea, or 6 teaspoons of loose tea and let it steep for at least 10 minutes. We let it steep for about 20 minutes. The reason we do this is because the longer you steep it, the more nutrients you get from the leaves for the SCOBY to grow. Do not use herbal teas, some of them contain oils that the SCOBY does not like. Once you have made a few batches, feel free to experiment though.
Once the tea had cooled to room temperature, add 10 to 15% of already made kombucha (roughly 2 cups) and the SCOBY mushroom. If you get the SCOBY from someone, it should come with enough liquid to start your fermentation. If it doesn't, you can just use white vinegar. Cover your jar with a cloth and place a rubber band around it to hold it in place and to keep bugs and flies out Let it sit in a warm and dark place for 5 to 10 days. 70 to 85 degrees works the best. The longer you let it sit, the stronger and less sweet it will taste. Experiment with this as well to find the taste that you like. Your Kombucha will produce a second SCOBY every time you make some. The original is called the mother, and the second one is called the daughter. You can use this to make additional batches, or to replace older ones. You can use them in cosmetic applications, or they make great compost for your garden. Some people even grow extremely large SCOBY's, dry them to a leather state and makes sculptures out of them, pretty cool looking!!!
If you let your kombucha ferment for a lot longer, don't throw it out. It will turn into a living culture of vinegar. This has it's own health benefits that we are very excited about.
Please, do some research on Kombucha as there is a lot of information out there, as we just scratched the surface here today.
If you are wondering where to get your Kombucha SCOBY or your Kifer grains. We have them for sale. Please contact us at pineandprairietradingpost@yahoo.com if your interested in purchasing some. Or, just leave us a note here on the blog. Feel free to contact us if you have other organic and healthy living questions as well. We love to help.
Have a great week everyone! Live happy and healthy!!
Ed and Amy
We have had several questions regarding Kombucha and Kifer. We will explain some of the health benefits, how to grow them, and where to get the cultures to get started.
We will talk about Kombucha this week and Kifer next week as we do not want these blogs to get too long.
Kombucha is fermented tea. You can use green or black, doesn't matter. Kombucha has a wide range of organic acids, vitamins and enzymes that give it its extraordinary value. It contains the range of B vitamins, particularly B1, B2, B6 and B12, that provide the body with energy, help to process fats and proteins, and which are vital for the normal functioning of the nervous system. There is also vitamin C which is a potent detoxifier, immune booster and enhancer of vitality.
The probiotic case for Kombucha is that it encourages healthier intestinal flora by introducing lactic acid-producing bacteria. These work in a similar way to acidophilus bacteria, the active ingredient in live yogurt. An old saying, ‘healthy gut, healthy body,’ puts it simply. The acidity level of the gut is all-important, as is the health of its microbial flora which play a crucial role in the functioning of the whole body. There are many other benefits to Kombucha, but I think you get the idea, it makes you belly and body happy!!
To make Kombucha, you first have to obtain a SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast). Make sure that you clean all the pots, jars and utensils that you will be using to make the Kombucha. You don't want to introduce foreign bacteria, or things that might hinder or kill the fermentation. After you have done that, bring to a boil 1 gallon of distilled or filtered water in a stainless steel pot. Do not use city tap water as the chlorine and other additives in it will kill the SCOBY or not allow the tea to ferment. Once the water comes to a boil, add 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of sugar and stir it in till it dissolves. We recommend organic cane sugar, but you can use white sugar as it is all used up in the fermentation process and you won't be ingesting it as sugar. Turn the heat off and add 6 bags of green or black tea, or 6 teaspoons of loose tea and let it steep for at least 10 minutes. We let it steep for about 20 minutes. The reason we do this is because the longer you steep it, the more nutrients you get from the leaves for the SCOBY to grow. Do not use herbal teas, some of them contain oils that the SCOBY does not like. Once you have made a few batches, feel free to experiment though.
Once the tea had cooled to room temperature, add 10 to 15% of already made kombucha (roughly 2 cups) and the SCOBY mushroom. If you get the SCOBY from someone, it should come with enough liquid to start your fermentation. If it doesn't, you can just use white vinegar. Cover your jar with a cloth and place a rubber band around it to hold it in place and to keep bugs and flies out Let it sit in a warm and dark place for 5 to 10 days. 70 to 85 degrees works the best. The longer you let it sit, the stronger and less sweet it will taste. Experiment with this as well to find the taste that you like. Your Kombucha will produce a second SCOBY every time you make some. The original is called the mother, and the second one is called the daughter. You can use this to make additional batches, or to replace older ones. You can use them in cosmetic applications, or they make great compost for your garden. Some people even grow extremely large SCOBY's, dry them to a leather state and makes sculptures out of them, pretty cool looking!!!
If you let your kombucha ferment for a lot longer, don't throw it out. It will turn into a living culture of vinegar. This has it's own health benefits that we are very excited about.
Please, do some research on Kombucha as there is a lot of information out there, as we just scratched the surface here today.
If you are wondering where to get your Kombucha SCOBY or your Kifer grains. We have them for sale. Please contact us at pineandprairietradingpost@yahoo.com if your interested in purchasing some. Or, just leave us a note here on the blog. Feel free to contact us if you have other organic and healthy living questions as well. We love to help.
Have a great week everyone! Live happy and healthy!!
Ed and Amy
Monday, March 29, 2010
Chemical free Easter egg dye and organic tinctures
It is finally gonna happen! Winter is going to allow spring in the door. Temperatures in the high 60's to low 70's this week. We might be able to get our potatoes in by Good Friday after all! And, the snow around the chicken coop is almost gone. I see baby chicks in our future this weekend. Probably 8 to 10 layers and 20 meat birds to start.
While reading in Mother Earth News this week, we came across a neat idea for the upcoming holiday. Chemical free Easter egg dyes. And we thought it would be a great idea to share this week. Why do this? Egg shells are porous, and what ever you put on them will leech in to the egg itself, so why not go natural? And what would be more fun than making the dye with the kids as well as coloring the eggs! We will include some of the dye recipes at the bottom of the blog. Now mind you, these are just some of the things you can do. You can also use several roots seeds, and flowers to make different colors, (like blood root) however, since most of those are still buried in snow and the leaves are not up, so we can locate them, we will have to gather them this year and try them next year and report back to you.
Some of Ed's all organic tinctures are now ready. He has made clove and mustard this week, and will have oregano, pepper, cinnamon and rosemary by the end of the week. These will be used for health reasons as well as in food recipes. Why tinctures do you ask? Well, the main reason why you make them is that you can concentrate all the goodness from the plant, root, seed or flower and they will last for a minimum of 10 years if it is done properly. And, they are great for you and can cure certain ailments. For example. Take clove. Did you know that clove has the highest concentration of antioxidants of anything you can take. Let's do a comparison. Most people think that acai berries and goji berries are the highest antioxidant things you can eat. And, although they are good, the pale in comparison to clove, cinnamon, rosemary and oregano. The units of measurement for antioxidants are called ORAC's. (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity). Goji berries have 25,300 units, acai berries have 102,700 units or ORAC. Now compare this to clove which has 314,446 units of ORAC! Now, concentrate that in a tincture, and you are over 1,000,000 units of ORAC. Talk about health benefits!! Sumac is the second highest and cinnamon is third in ORAC value. Followed closely by oregano and rosemary. With all that being said, do not go out and eat a pound of clove a day. For one, your mouth will go numb, and second, it is best to get your antioxidants from more than one source every day. So, a combination of high ORAC value foods should be in your diet on a regular basis.
Our web site will contain the health benefits of all the tinctures Ed is making and they will all be for sale. In fact they are now. So if anyone is interested, feel free to leave a post, or email us. We will respond to any and all questions and inquires. Tune in Wednesday to hear about an awesome experience we had with Earthbound farms. They are one of the organic vegetable growers you find in most grocery stores. We were very impressed by them. And as usual, our weekly post next Sunday. We hope everyone has a great week!
Ed and Amy
Recipes for Natural Dyes for Easter Eggs
RED
2 cups beets, grated
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 cups water
Substitute: strong Red Zinger tea, or chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
YELLOW TO GOLD
3 large handfuls of yellow/brown onionskins
1 tbsp white vinegar
3 cups water
Substitute: strong chamomile tea, or 2 to 3 tbsp ground turmeric
BLUE
1 pound frozen blueberries, crushed
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 cups water
Substitute: red cabbage leaves, coarsely chopped, create lavender
OTHER COLORS
Mix combinations of the primary dyes (in separate cups) to make secondary colors: red and yellow for orange, yellow and blue for green, and blue and red for violet. The proportion of one color to the other determines the shade.
Follow the recipes to make the dyes, using individual stainless steel, glass or enamel saucepans for each color. Combine the ingredients and boil each color mixture separately for 15 minutes before dyeing eggs. The vinegar acts as a fixative — without it, the dyes won’t stick to the eggs.
• Before dyeing, hard boil white eggs and let them cool.
• For uniform color, strain each dye mixture through cheesecloth or a fine strainer.
• For a mottled, tie-dyed or spotty effect, leave all the ingredients in the pans.
• Use crayons to make designs — circles, geometrics, your name — on the egg; the crayoned part will not take up any dye. White crayons work especially well.
• The longer the eggs remain in the dye, the deeper the color.
• For special effects, dip half the egg in one color, the other half in another.
While reading in Mother Earth News this week, we came across a neat idea for the upcoming holiday. Chemical free Easter egg dyes. And we thought it would be a great idea to share this week. Why do this? Egg shells are porous, and what ever you put on them will leech in to the egg itself, so why not go natural? And what would be more fun than making the dye with the kids as well as coloring the eggs! We will include some of the dye recipes at the bottom of the blog. Now mind you, these are just some of the things you can do. You can also use several roots seeds, and flowers to make different colors, (like blood root) however, since most of those are still buried in snow and the leaves are not up, so we can locate them, we will have to gather them this year and try them next year and report back to you.
Some of Ed's all organic tinctures are now ready. He has made clove and mustard this week, and will have oregano, pepper, cinnamon and rosemary by the end of the week. These will be used for health reasons as well as in food recipes. Why tinctures do you ask? Well, the main reason why you make them is that you can concentrate all the goodness from the plant, root, seed or flower and they will last for a minimum of 10 years if it is done properly. And, they are great for you and can cure certain ailments. For example. Take clove. Did you know that clove has the highest concentration of antioxidants of anything you can take. Let's do a comparison. Most people think that acai berries and goji berries are the highest antioxidant things you can eat. And, although they are good, the pale in comparison to clove, cinnamon, rosemary and oregano. The units of measurement for antioxidants are called ORAC's. (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity). Goji berries have 25,300 units, acai berries have 102,700 units or ORAC. Now compare this to clove which has 314,446 units of ORAC! Now, concentrate that in a tincture, and you are over 1,000,000 units of ORAC. Talk about health benefits!! Sumac is the second highest and cinnamon is third in ORAC value. Followed closely by oregano and rosemary. With all that being said, do not go out and eat a pound of clove a day. For one, your mouth will go numb, and second, it is best to get your antioxidants from more than one source every day. So, a combination of high ORAC value foods should be in your diet on a regular basis.
Our web site will contain the health benefits of all the tinctures Ed is making and they will all be for sale. In fact they are now. So if anyone is interested, feel free to leave a post, or email us. We will respond to any and all questions and inquires. Tune in Wednesday to hear about an awesome experience we had with Earthbound farms. They are one of the organic vegetable growers you find in most grocery stores. We were very impressed by them. And as usual, our weekly post next Sunday. We hope everyone has a great week!
Ed and Amy
Recipes for Natural Dyes for Easter Eggs
RED
2 cups beets, grated
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 cups water
Substitute: strong Red Zinger tea, or chopped fresh or frozen cranberries
YELLOW TO GOLD
3 large handfuls of yellow/brown onionskins
1 tbsp white vinegar
3 cups water
Substitute: strong chamomile tea, or 2 to 3 tbsp ground turmeric
BLUE
1 pound frozen blueberries, crushed
1 tbsp white vinegar
2 cups water
Substitute: red cabbage leaves, coarsely chopped, create lavender
OTHER COLORS
Mix combinations of the primary dyes (in separate cups) to make secondary colors: red and yellow for orange, yellow and blue for green, and blue and red for violet. The proportion of one color to the other determines the shade.
Follow the recipes to make the dyes, using individual stainless steel, glass or enamel saucepans for each color. Combine the ingredients and boil each color mixture separately for 15 minutes before dyeing eggs. The vinegar acts as a fixative — without it, the dyes won’t stick to the eggs.
• Before dyeing, hard boil white eggs and let them cool.
• For uniform color, strain each dye mixture through cheesecloth or a fine strainer.
• For a mottled, tie-dyed or spotty effect, leave all the ingredients in the pans.
• Use crayons to make designs — circles, geometrics, your name — on the egg; the crayoned part will not take up any dye. White crayons work especially well.
• The longer the eggs remain in the dye, the deeper the color.
• For special effects, dip half the egg in one color, the other half in another.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Easy yogurt cheese
The snow banks in the back yard are getting smaller and smaller every day. Soon we will have the chicken coop ready for the new birds. It will be interesting to see what Marlin (our new puppy) will think of them!
Last week we shared with you how to make yogurt. Hopefully a few people tried it. This week, we will share with you how to make yogurt cheese! Yogurt cheese, called yocheese, is a very healthy snack that can be made to suit almost every craving. It can be made in virtually any flavor you desire. For instance, we have made a fruity one for toast in the morning, as well as an onion chive and hot peppery ones for snack crackers when company comes over.
What you will need:
a jelly bag
a blender
a glass jar for the process.
Instructions:
Take your yogurt, put it into the blender, as well as what ever you want to use for flavoring it, blend well. For instance when we made the onion chive spread, we just added our home made garlic powder, onion powder and dried chives. There really are no boundaries as to what you can create!
Place the jelly bag suspended inside the glass jar. Make sure you leave enough room on the bottom on the jar because the whey will separate from the curds and drip into the bottom of the jar. We usually leave about 2 inches.
After you have blended your yogurt and ingredients together, pour the mix into the jelly bag that is hang in your glass jar. Then set your creation on a shelf, on top of your refrigerator, in your refrigerator, anywhere really. It doesn't need to be refrigerated for the process to complete.
You let it sit anywhere from 8 hours to a couple of days. Depending on how strong you want the flavor to be. The longer you let it sit, the thicker it will get. When desired thickness is achieved, take the cheese out of the jam bag and enjoy. It will last in the refrigerator for about a week and a half to two weeks. Besides spreading your yocheese on toast, or crackers, you can add it to what ever your cooking. For instance in pasta. And if you make the fruity cheeses, those can be used a very healthy desert! Yocheese is very addicting, once you make it. I think most of you will not only enjoy the process and taste of the yocheese, but will also feel artistic in your creations.
Do not throw the liquid in the bottom of the jar away! The whey is also very healthy for you. Here is some information on what the health benefits of yocheese and whey. Remember, that the yogurt is a living culture so it keeps fermenting. It is already full of probiotics, and when you add things that are high in antioxidants, to it when making cheese, it will increase the antioxidant effect by 20 to 50 times in just a couple of days! Yocheese will boost your immune system. Will detoxify you and can knock out stomach or intestinal flu in 8 hours just by adding cinnamon!
The whey can be used in protein shakes. It is what body builders spend lots of money on to add to theirs. We add it to our smoothies in the morning. It is also very good for your liver, and has anti-cancer properties.
Our product review for the week is a little different. We would like to recommend a seed company for those of you that have a garden. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. This is the second year we have bought from them, and are very satisfied with everything we have received so far. Their seed selection is amazing. Over 1000 different varieties to date. Germination has been amazing! Almost 100 percent. And we plant a lot of seeds, over 500 every year, so to have that kind of germination is amazing! Their website is rareseeds.com Go check them out. We would also like to tell you about an amazing new site that we came across this week. It is called Natural News. It is a web site dedicated to natural health, natural living and natural news. Check it out at naturalnews.com
Need a menu idea for company? This is what we are having tonight for our friends that are coming over: Appetizers are sweet potato and prime rib roll wrapped in bacon with a wasabi cream dipping sauce, bruchetta (homemade of course) over Eddies homemade rye bread, and an avacado dip, served hot from the oven, with blue corn tortilla chips. For supper: Northern pike ala griglia with brussle sprouts and herb salad.
We want to thank everyone that takes the time to read our blog and are happy with the questions we receive every week. We will be launching our new web site soon! It is called Pine and Prairie Trading Post. We will have lots of interesting articles as well as links and our on-line store on there. Stay tuned!
Thanks for your dedication to us as we continue ours to you.
~Amy and Eddie
Last week we shared with you how to make yogurt. Hopefully a few people tried it. This week, we will share with you how to make yogurt cheese! Yogurt cheese, called yocheese, is a very healthy snack that can be made to suit almost every craving. It can be made in virtually any flavor you desire. For instance, we have made a fruity one for toast in the morning, as well as an onion chive and hot peppery ones for snack crackers when company comes over.
What you will need:
a jelly bag
a blender
a glass jar for the process.
Instructions:
Take your yogurt, put it into the blender, as well as what ever you want to use for flavoring it, blend well. For instance when we made the onion chive spread, we just added our home made garlic powder, onion powder and dried chives. There really are no boundaries as to what you can create!
Place the jelly bag suspended inside the glass jar. Make sure you leave enough room on the bottom on the jar because the whey will separate from the curds and drip into the bottom of the jar. We usually leave about 2 inches.
After you have blended your yogurt and ingredients together, pour the mix into the jelly bag that is hang in your glass jar. Then set your creation on a shelf, on top of your refrigerator, in your refrigerator, anywhere really. It doesn't need to be refrigerated for the process to complete.
You let it sit anywhere from 8 hours to a couple of days. Depending on how strong you want the flavor to be. The longer you let it sit, the thicker it will get. When desired thickness is achieved, take the cheese out of the jam bag and enjoy. It will last in the refrigerator for about a week and a half to two weeks. Besides spreading your yocheese on toast, or crackers, you can add it to what ever your cooking. For instance in pasta. And if you make the fruity cheeses, those can be used a very healthy desert! Yocheese is very addicting, once you make it. I think most of you will not only enjoy the process and taste of the yocheese, but will also feel artistic in your creations.
Do not throw the liquid in the bottom of the jar away! The whey is also very healthy for you. Here is some information on what the health benefits of yocheese and whey. Remember, that the yogurt is a living culture so it keeps fermenting. It is already full of probiotics, and when you add things that are high in antioxidants, to it when making cheese, it will increase the antioxidant effect by 20 to 50 times in just a couple of days! Yocheese will boost your immune system. Will detoxify you and can knock out stomach or intestinal flu in 8 hours just by adding cinnamon!
The whey can be used in protein shakes. It is what body builders spend lots of money on to add to theirs. We add it to our smoothies in the morning. It is also very good for your liver, and has anti-cancer properties.
Our product review for the week is a little different. We would like to recommend a seed company for those of you that have a garden. Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. This is the second year we have bought from them, and are very satisfied with everything we have received so far. Their seed selection is amazing. Over 1000 different varieties to date. Germination has been amazing! Almost 100 percent. And we plant a lot of seeds, over 500 every year, so to have that kind of germination is amazing! Their website is rareseeds.com Go check them out. We would also like to tell you about an amazing new site that we came across this week. It is called Natural News. It is a web site dedicated to natural health, natural living and natural news. Check it out at naturalnews.com
Need a menu idea for company? This is what we are having tonight for our friends that are coming over: Appetizers are sweet potato and prime rib roll wrapped in bacon with a wasabi cream dipping sauce, bruchetta (homemade of course) over Eddies homemade rye bread, and an avacado dip, served hot from the oven, with blue corn tortilla chips. For supper: Northern pike ala griglia with brussle sprouts and herb salad.
We want to thank everyone that takes the time to read our blog and are happy with the questions we receive every week. We will be launching our new web site soon! It is called Pine and Prairie Trading Post. We will have lots of interesting articles as well as links and our on-line store on there. Stay tuned!
Thanks for your dedication to us as we continue ours to you.
~Amy and Eddie
Monday, March 15, 2010
Yogurt and good things to read
It has been another exciting week here in western MN. A lot of the snow is gone and we are enjoying being outside a lot more. Some of the diver ducks are starting to migrate north and it is fun to see the changes happening every day! We have been doing research on tapping maple trees, and have had some success with Amy's parents in Northern WI. So, we think we have a pretty good idea on how to get it flowing next spring. We have started our seeds for the garden. 338 tomatoes so far and lots of other seeds to go. No, we are not planting that many, be we had lots of requests from friends and neighbors to buy our plants last year. Every thing we grow is heirloom and organic. And it seems that a lot of people are tired of genetically modified and are looking to plant better gardens.
We want to take the time to let you know about a magazine that we think is just outstanding! It is called Mother Earth News. It is by Ogden Publications. Ed has been reading it for a couple of years now, and it is full of great ideas and information for anyone looking to be more self sufficient, a better gardener, a better livestock farmer, and just better living all around. And it has a lot of information about organic growing and living as well. We have gained some very valuable information from this magazine. For example. We will be building a chicken coop and a bee box this spring from designs in articles that we have read. We really recommend this magazine to anyone looking for information in these and other areas. It is also are available on-line and you can get some very valuable information there as well. Go check it out! We haven't found another magazine with as much information for the same price. It is really reasonable. $14.95 a year, and you can get a renewal for $10.00.
They have two other magazines out as well that are called GRIT, and The Herb Companion. We don't know a lot about these, as we have just subscribed to them. But if they are anything like Mother Earth News, We are very excited about receiving them.
We have had some people ask us how to make yogurt. And we are happy to share! It is a very easy process. The best milk to use is raw unpasteurized. I know that not many of you will be fortunate to be able to get that, but if you live anywhere near an organic dairy, as we are, you will be able too. Otherwise, use organic whole milk from the store. You can use milk that isn't organic, but we wouldn't advise it.
All we do, is heat the milk to 100 degrees fahrenheit, add two tablespoons of yogurt culture, per quart of milk and keep at 110 degrees for 8 hours. Then store it in your refrigerator. That is it! The easiest way to keep your newly made yogurt at 110 for 8 hours is to have a nice sized dehydrator that has a timer and a temperature setting. If you don't have that and if your oven goes low enough, you can use that as an option.
Most people however, place their jars on a heating pad and wrap them in a blanket for 8 hours. That maintains a high enough temperature for the culture to grow. We use quart mason or ball jars for ours and it works out quite nicely. For those of you that don't go through that much yogurt a week. You can always use pint jars, or share or barter with your friends and family.
For the yogurt culture, just use plain yogurt you can buy from the store. We use Stonyfield organic. It has worked well for us. After the first use, you can just use your own yogurt after that.
Thanks for all the comments and questions that we have been receiving. It has been really amazing to hear from so many people. If you have questions you can email us at pineandprairietradingpost@yahoo.com. Or just leave a post on here. We will respond to you individually, or in a future blog if there is a lot of interest on the same topic.
We are still working on our website, and are looking forward to sharing that as well.
Have a great spring and enjoy the nice weather as it comes. And if you enjoy the small amount of information we have to pass along, please, let your friends know about us!
Have a great week!
Eddie and Amy
We want to take the time to let you know about a magazine that we think is just outstanding! It is called Mother Earth News. It is by Ogden Publications. Ed has been reading it for a couple of years now, and it is full of great ideas and information for anyone looking to be more self sufficient, a better gardener, a better livestock farmer, and just better living all around. And it has a lot of information about organic growing and living as well. We have gained some very valuable information from this magazine. For example. We will be building a chicken coop and a bee box this spring from designs in articles that we have read. We really recommend this magazine to anyone looking for information in these and other areas. It is also are available on-line and you can get some very valuable information there as well. Go check it out! We haven't found another magazine with as much information for the same price. It is really reasonable. $14.95 a year, and you can get a renewal for $10.00.
They have two other magazines out as well that are called GRIT, and The Herb Companion. We don't know a lot about these, as we have just subscribed to them. But if they are anything like Mother Earth News, We are very excited about receiving them.
We have had some people ask us how to make yogurt. And we are happy to share! It is a very easy process. The best milk to use is raw unpasteurized. I know that not many of you will be fortunate to be able to get that, but if you live anywhere near an organic dairy, as we are, you will be able too. Otherwise, use organic whole milk from the store. You can use milk that isn't organic, but we wouldn't advise it.
All we do, is heat the milk to 100 degrees fahrenheit, add two tablespoons of yogurt culture, per quart of milk and keep at 110 degrees for 8 hours. Then store it in your refrigerator. That is it! The easiest way to keep your newly made yogurt at 110 for 8 hours is to have a nice sized dehydrator that has a timer and a temperature setting. If you don't have that and if your oven goes low enough, you can use that as an option.
Most people however, place their jars on a heating pad and wrap them in a blanket for 8 hours. That maintains a high enough temperature for the culture to grow. We use quart mason or ball jars for ours and it works out quite nicely. For those of you that don't go through that much yogurt a week. You can always use pint jars, or share or barter with your friends and family.
For the yogurt culture, just use plain yogurt you can buy from the store. We use Stonyfield organic. It has worked well for us. After the first use, you can just use your own yogurt after that.
Thanks for all the comments and questions that we have been receiving. It has been really amazing to hear from so many people. If you have questions you can email us at pineandprairietradingpost@yahoo.com. Or just leave a post on here. We will respond to you individually, or in a future blog if there is a lot of interest on the same topic.
We are still working on our website, and are looking forward to sharing that as well.
Have a great spring and enjoy the nice weather as it comes. And if you enjoy the small amount of information we have to pass along, please, let your friends know about us!
Have a great week!
Eddie and Amy
Monday, March 8, 2010
Link to Maylee's Garden Soaps
Oops. We forgot to add the link to the laundry soap we use. Enjoy! Ed and Amy.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Laundry detergent
Hello to all our friends and followers!
Another week has come and gone and we have made new concoctions (the yogurt and yogurt cheese is fantastic!!) and sampled a few products. As promised, we want to tell you about a product that we have tried and really like.
Product#1-
It is an eco-friendly laundry detergent made by Maylee's Garden Soaps. It was given to us by a friend to try. We have been in a search for recipes to make laundry detergents of our own and decided to try this one while we continue the search. The one we tried was the Cinnamon vanilla blend. You only need to use one teaspoon per load and can be used in HE washers.
Ed works in a factory making Sprayers and tractors so you can imagine how dirty his clothes can get. We tried it on several loads, and not only did it get his laundry clean, it left all of our laundry smelling fresh. We highly recommend this product. And, we don't get any kick back or recognition for mentioning it. I doubt they even know we have tried it. You can check out the products on the link we will provide.
A little background as to why we no longer use commercial laundry detergents. After researching what was in commercial laundry detergents, and believe us, it wasn't easy. We found out that the base ingredients are petroleum product based and formaldehyde, we decided not to use them anymore. And that nice scent that you smell when you open the bottle? It is the cover scent for the formaldehyde. You wouldn't buy it if the smell of formaldehyde came flowing out of the bottle, now would you? Formaldehyde is not only known as a cancer causing agent, it is also the base for embalming fluids and was the reason why all those temporary homes were rejected as housing for Katrina victims. They paneling was full of formaldehyde and is a known health hazard.
Back in the early 1900's, it was frequently added by US milk plants to milk bottles as a method of pasteurization due to the lack of knowledge regarding formaldehyde's toxicity. This resulted in numerous deaths in both orphanages and homes, particularly in the MidWestern states, where infants were fed the tainted milk, which resulted in a high death rate at several large orphanages in Indiana, Illinois and Missouri.
So you can see from this information we were able to uncover, we had no hesitation in excluding commercial laundry detergents from our lives.
Our Product#1-
On our way home from my parents in Northern Wisconsin, we decided to stop at a cheese factory in search of some cultures to make cheeses of our own. There I saw a tube of chapstick from a very well-known beeswax brand (Ernie's friend, hint hint!) that is sold at 0.15 oz costing $2.99, and it made me think... 1 ounce divided by 0.15 is 6.67, so if you multiply 6.67 x $2.99, the cost of 1 ounce is $19.94, that is crazy!!
Why are we paying SO much for so little amount of the product?! With that said, I have made and am releasing to the world(once again), my salve formerly known as Lunchbox Butter. Which is now called Pine and Prairie Healing Salve.
So whats so great about it??
First, here is a list of the ingredients in alphabetical order: beeswax, cocoa butter, lavender oil, olive oil, rosemary oil, tea tree oil, and vitamin E.
Each containing it's own healing property. And Each has a WIDE spectrum of properties, I will stick to the ones pertaining to my salve and it's purpose.
Beeswax: Not only an antiseptic, but also improves the skin compatibility for healing.
Cocoa Butter: Known as a GREAT moisturizer, softens the skin for easier healing while also creating a shield against the environment. Properties found in cocoa butter also help boost the immune system and fight cancer. (Note, we are not stating that my salve can fight or cure cancer,I wanted to add that because I thought it VERY interesting fact!)
Lavender, Rosemary & Tea tree oils: all are mild antiseptics
Olive oil: Helps to relieve itching, great for those that are using the salve for fresh tattoo's during the healing stage. I can tell you from personal experience, tattoo's do itch, and this DOES help!!
Vitamin E: Good for cell repair.
Originally I created this salve to heal new tattoo's. Over time, my friends and neighbors would use it on burns, chap lips, scrapes and cuts. What I found is that it aided in healing all of them.
My friend Sean's dad was dying from cancer and had REALLY bad bed soars. His hospice nurses gave many topical ointments but none of them helped. So I gave a tin of my salve to Sean to "give it a try." Three days later he called me and asked if I had anymore of the salve. When I asked him why, he said because they used it on the bed soars and they had shrunk to 1/2 the size they were just three days earlier! My jaw fell to the floor. Jim (Sean's dad) said that he would give a testimony for the salve, that if it could help him, it could help anyone. Jim meant a lot to me, and if I could make his last days on earth a little more comfortable, I have already succeeded. I never did get his testimony, primarily because I didn't know that someday I would be starting this business.
So what I offer to all of you and the rest of the world is my Pine and Prairie Healing Salve, 1 oz tin for $7.00 plus S&H. A far cry less expensive than the other brand previously mentioned.
If anyone is interested, please contact me at pineandprairietradingpost@yahoo.com
Thank you all for taking the time to listening to the wonderful story of salve.
Stay tuned next week for the recipe of our yogurt cheese, your going to LOVE it!!
And as always, we appreciate your time at our blog. ~Amy & Eddie
Another week has come and gone and we have made new concoctions (the yogurt and yogurt cheese is fantastic!!) and sampled a few products. As promised, we want to tell you about a product that we have tried and really like.
Product#1-
It is an eco-friendly laundry detergent made by Maylee's Garden Soaps. It was given to us by a friend to try. We have been in a search for recipes to make laundry detergents of our own and decided to try this one while we continue the search. The one we tried was the Cinnamon vanilla blend. You only need to use one teaspoon per load and can be used in HE washers.
Ed works in a factory making Sprayers and tractors so you can imagine how dirty his clothes can get. We tried it on several loads, and not only did it get his laundry clean, it left all of our laundry smelling fresh. We highly recommend this product. And, we don't get any kick back or recognition for mentioning it. I doubt they even know we have tried it. You can check out the products on the link we will provide.
A little background as to why we no longer use commercial laundry detergents. After researching what was in commercial laundry detergents, and believe us, it wasn't easy. We found out that the base ingredients are petroleum product based and formaldehyde, we decided not to use them anymore. And that nice scent that you smell when you open the bottle? It is the cover scent for the formaldehyde. You wouldn't buy it if the smell of formaldehyde came flowing out of the bottle, now would you? Formaldehyde is not only known as a cancer causing agent, it is also the base for embalming fluids and was the reason why all those temporary homes were rejected as housing for Katrina victims. They paneling was full of formaldehyde and is a known health hazard.
Back in the early 1900's, it was frequently added by US milk plants to milk bottles as a method of pasteurization due to the lack of knowledge regarding formaldehyde's toxicity. This resulted in numerous deaths in both orphanages and homes, particularly in the MidWestern states, where infants were fed the tainted milk, which resulted in a high death rate at several large orphanages in Indiana, Illinois and Missouri.
So you can see from this information we were able to uncover, we had no hesitation in excluding commercial laundry detergents from our lives.
Our Product#1-
On our way home from my parents in Northern Wisconsin, we decided to stop at a cheese factory in search of some cultures to make cheeses of our own. There I saw a tube of chapstick from a very well-known beeswax brand (Ernie's friend, hint hint!) that is sold at 0.15 oz costing $2.99, and it made me think... 1 ounce divided by 0.15 is 6.67, so if you multiply 6.67 x $2.99, the cost of 1 ounce is $19.94, that is crazy!!
Why are we paying SO much for so little amount of the product?! With that said, I have made and am releasing to the world(once again), my salve formerly known as Lunchbox Butter. Which is now called Pine and Prairie Healing Salve.
So whats so great about it??
First, here is a list of the ingredients in alphabetical order: beeswax, cocoa butter, lavender oil, olive oil, rosemary oil, tea tree oil, and vitamin E.
Each containing it's own healing property. And Each has a WIDE spectrum of properties, I will stick to the ones pertaining to my salve and it's purpose.
Beeswax: Not only an antiseptic, but also improves the skin compatibility for healing.
Cocoa Butter: Known as a GREAT moisturizer, softens the skin for easier healing while also creating a shield against the environment. Properties found in cocoa butter also help boost the immune system and fight cancer. (Note, we are not stating that my salve can fight or cure cancer,I wanted to add that because I thought it VERY interesting fact!)
Lavender, Rosemary & Tea tree oils: all are mild antiseptics
Olive oil: Helps to relieve itching, great for those that are using the salve for fresh tattoo's during the healing stage. I can tell you from personal experience, tattoo's do itch, and this DOES help!!
Vitamin E: Good for cell repair.
Originally I created this salve to heal new tattoo's. Over time, my friends and neighbors would use it on burns, chap lips, scrapes and cuts. What I found is that it aided in healing all of them.
My friend Sean's dad was dying from cancer and had REALLY bad bed soars. His hospice nurses gave many topical ointments but none of them helped. So I gave a tin of my salve to Sean to "give it a try." Three days later he called me and asked if I had anymore of the salve. When I asked him why, he said because they used it on the bed soars and they had shrunk to 1/2 the size they were just three days earlier! My jaw fell to the floor. Jim (Sean's dad) said that he would give a testimony for the salve, that if it could help him, it could help anyone. Jim meant a lot to me, and if I could make his last days on earth a little more comfortable, I have already succeeded. I never did get his testimony, primarily because I didn't know that someday I would be starting this business.
So what I offer to all of you and the rest of the world is my Pine and Prairie Healing Salve, 1 oz tin for $7.00 plus S&H. A far cry less expensive than the other brand previously mentioned.
If anyone is interested, please contact me at pineandprairietradingpost@yahoo.com
Thank you all for taking the time to listening to the wonderful story of salve.
Stay tuned next week for the recipe of our yogurt cheese, your going to LOVE it!!
And as always, we appreciate your time at our blog. ~Amy & Eddie
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Who we are
Hello! Welcome to Pine and Prairie Trading Post.
To give you a little back ground of our company, you first need to know who is behind PPTP. Our names are Eddie and Amy Hightshoe. We are two people that have decided to make a difference in our lives by "getting back to nature," not only by changing the way we think, eat, clean, garden, create our home, but also by making healthy living top priority in our lives. Going back to natural products, being chemical free, and self sufficiency is just the beginning.
One of the major contributing factors in all of this change is that through the process of re-educating ourselves, we have realized that cultural societies such as the Natives American Indians and the Celts, had respect for our earth and all it had to offer. By doing so, they lived healthy and harmoniously with all of natures bounty. It was an awakening to our souls that we could also live as the natives once did, for the most part, in todays society.
So that brings us to our trading post and blog, we have decided to share our experiences with any like-minded people. We hope if that is you, we can be a guide to an enlightening experience in your own life. What PPTP has to offer is not only natural products such as salves, lotions, tinctures, and soaps, but also to test and rate other natural products that we use and sell in our store. To be a reference of products you might be interested in acquiring, as well as providing information on books, periodicals, and magazines that are related to any of these topics.
We hope you enjoy reading our posts about products we try, our experiences, discoveries, and educational gains as much as we enjoy writing about them. In addition to cleaning and consumable products, Amy is in the process of completing her pottery workshop. Raku as well as traditional style pottery will be available, custom orders encouraged. Keep looking for our update as to when our store opens and when the clay throwing begins!
Pine and Prairie Trading Post will also be a source of links to other sites that offer natural and organic products, as well as artistic merchandise.
Thank you for your time, we hope to hear from you soon.
~Amy and Eddie Hightshoe
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