Christmas Spirit Returned

Christmas carols playing in the background, the tantalizing scent of my Pine Cone soup, wafts of cinnamon, clove, ginger and orange.  Snow decoratively adorning the yard and trees.  Plans to pop and string corn, in the mix, for a real tree, my first in many years.  My "bahumbug", "blue christmas", gruff Scrooge impression, is packed away for good, or so I hope.  MY Christmas spirit has returned.  I'm able to once again, rejoice in the season, it's biblical implications, and the festive side.  Starting new traditions this year, with new people, new friends, even new family.  My precious "Pumpkin", and her "lil pumpkin", bringing joy, peace and love into my life and my heart, every day.  At this time of year, "birth" is a well retold account, and I can add my re birth this year, to all the others.  For my friends and loved ones, still travelling along a path of darkness, anger, and/or pain, please continue on, there is light, there is hope...I know, because I found it!!  And it is worth every treacherous, heartbreaking, miserable step.
It wasn't always this way.  There were many years, where I could not face this season, for obvious reasons, and even ones only I knew.  It came and went with dread, anxiety, sadness, and empty loneliness.  One of the hardest thing for any heart to endure.  But endure I did, and here I am.  I found my way, my way back to myself, my way back to the real home of my heart and soul..back to ME.  God bless, and happy wishes for you all, and if not a Merry one this year...we will meet again, and try for the next and the next, until all of those I love, stand with me again in Love and Peace. Or at least on their own, in Love and Peace.  Give and you shall receive?  
At a time when gifts can either be a plenty under a warm roof, beneath a beaming tree.  A time, when the absence of such gifts, or that of loved ones, make it the coldest dreariest time of year. I have already unwrapped my gifts, just before the anticipated Eve.
No ribbons and bows, no silver and gold, but just an unveiling of things that my eyes take in and shine with delight!  Goose bumps of disbelief and wonder!!  My hands holding my head as my mouth opens wide in surprise.  And in the words of my oldest niece, when giving her a handed down jewelry box, "My own? My very own? It's for me?" (she was four).  And now my turn, to utter those profound words, that lit up an entire room, out of the mouth of a precious, innocent young child, I now too..feel the glowing warmth of light and wonder at having finally unwrapped my heart to find Love, Peace, Joy, Forgiveness, and Compassion.  
There is no expiry date, so I plan to keep them near me every day, and go forward and live a life worth living, and be the person I knew I could be.

Merry Christmas!

Kitchen Magician!!

My kitchen is a multi functioned room.  It is where I prepare foods, to nourish and feed.  It is where I prepare all my "concoctions and brews" to treat mild and severe health symptoms naturally.  It is also where I make lovely treats, with an aim to make them more healthy than their alternative.  Along with all of my "conditions", I am engaged to, and living with, an incredible man with diabetes, just to start.  With that, if you start with the basic concept, "you are what you eat", you can curtail so many negatives of such a condition.  I have also, in the past, used such a regimen, to keep my Fibromyalgia under control, or at least some of my symptoms at bay.  If you could let your "gut" lead the way in your healing and health, isn't that an easy place to start?  I try to use mostly ingredients, with no list of ingredients.  In other words, the most whole, raw, natural state, and even organic where I can.

In my 20's I was very successful with this, and I am hoping to get back on that wagon, and wave a healthy hand!!  That having been said, I will not toss my traditional pharmaceutical medications out the window.  That would just be foolish, and possibly harmful to my health.  Now what I can do, is find a balance between food and medicine.  This is being done with close supervision by my proactive, wonderful local Pharmacist, and my Personal Healthcare Provider (Family Dr.).

I am not here to force my ideals on anyone.  My opinion and attempts, are simply that, Mine!  If they work for you too, great!!  But always make sure to consult a professional, (pharmacist and/or doctor), because real foods and even over the counter vitamins, need to be examined for interaction with current medications, and/or personal health needs.

What I have, is personal experience.  What I don't have, is any medical or herbal or naturalistic degrees or certificates.  I'm just an every day woman, with a passion and a drive to heal myself naturally, and learn to live off of what Mother Nature already provides.
Here are the pictures, of my kitchen magic yesterday.  Keep in mind, I do have the typical symptoms, and almost all of them, of Fibromyalgia, along with some mental health issues.  If I can find a good day to manage this, I hope you can do.  And the hopeful result is, more days to spend in my kitchen, experimenting, concocting, and growing my own Natural Health supplies.  Good luck on your own journey and I hope you enjoy following mine.

My first project of the day, haul out my food processor, all my ingredients, and make my Master Tonic.  Much cheaper than any thing I am currently taking, and with a blender or food processor, not too much work. Please find the link for the Master Tonic Recipe on my main page.

My next project was my Pine Cone Soup, (Recipe on Main page)
I took the ginger peelings from my Master Tonic scraps, and tossed in some more stuff I had on hand!!  DO NOT EAT, lol.  I dip gathered, dried pine cones in it, for the comforting smells of winter brews, which is better than chemical sprays and gels, for scenting your home, and uses up scraps that I have left over, from other preparations.

And then, I moved on to make something that smelled just as delightful as the Pine Cone Soup, that we could eat.  Not as health friendly as I'd like it yet, but very yummy!!  Made with my own raspberries, grown out back with love, sunshine and fresh rain, that's it!!  Squeezed in a bit of lime (to use up one I had cut for in a glass of water) to give it a bit of a margarita flare, and served it up with small portions of frozen greek yogurt instead of the traditional ice cream.  No one complained or noticed the difference.  And as a tip...if it is healthier, or healthy..don't tell everyone until they are dabbing their lips with a napkin, after devouring it.  Works every time!!

Master Tonic

I am embarking on my first time, making and using, Master Tonic (recipe is compliments of Heal Thyself!) which is promoted to have the following qualities, "Natural antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, and antiparasitic".

Master Tonic and more

It has to "brew" for 2 weeks.  I had hoped to make it following the moon cycle, as indicated on the site, but my desire to have it, and item availability, decreed that my first batch, as to be made randomly.  I am very excited about trying it, and posting my own results and comments.  I hear it is very potent, but I am pretty sure, there are no bad side affects (excluding contractions from the ginger, while pregnant), except perhaps the taste. I already know, from taking far too strong a whiff, of the horseradish root crushed in my food processor.  That could have cleared any sinus blockage, and maybe even removed wallpaper, lol.

I have to thank, and give credit, to the lovely Pat...founder of Heal Thyself! for her recipes, knowledge, and information that she shares for all of us.  If you love learning,and you share my passion for "natural health remedies", you must check out her site.

13 more sleeps, then bottoms up!!