Sharon Hubbs-Kreft, Herbalist - Amazing Grace Herbals LLC

Hello Everyone!!!

Just wanted to spread the word that I am on Facebook, just search "Amazing Grace Herbals LLC"!

I try and post new articles everyday on herbs, nutrition, good health, gardening and many other things to help build and keep a healthy lifestyle.

Come check it out, I love receiving comments on the wall and will be starting "giveaway's" soon!

Peaceful Blessings and Happy Planting!!!

A beautiful article I can across entitled "Plants to Look At in Lent" by Mary Ann Castronovo Fusco - I found it beautifully explained the flower and plant and was very symbolic to this time of year. Whether you are spiritual or not, it is a lovely and meaningful description that was honored many years ago.

Enjoy!

Here is a link to the article in case it doesn't all show up here, the site has pictures to which help you to see what they are explaining - http://www.cptryon.org/prayer/season/fusco-fl.html

Tradition holds that St. Patrick used shamrocks to explain the mysteries of the Christian faith to the people of Ireland. In the New World, Spanish missionaries used the passion flower, which is indigenous to the tropical Americas, in much the same way.

The priests christened the flower (right) they encountered in the Caribbean “la flor de las cinco llagas” — the flower of the five wounds — for its various parts were seen as symbolic of various aspects of Christ’s crucifixion.

“Early explorers felt that the passion flower had a special purpose to promote the spiritual life among the people where it grew,” wrote Patrick Jesse Pons-Worley, author of The Passionfruit Cookbook (ChloroPhorms Books, 2001; $17).

The spiraled tendons of the plant, he notes, were taken as symbols of the lashes Christ endured, and the central flower column as the pillar of the scourging. The 72 radial filaments of the flower were seen as the crown of thorns; the three stigmas as symbols of the nails used in the crucifixion, as well as the holy Trinity; the five anthers, as the five wounds of Christ; and the style as the sponge doused in vinegar used to moisten Christ’s lips. Taken together, the five petals and five sepals were used to refer to the ten apostles who did not either betray or deny Christ. The fragrance of the flower, continued Pons-Worley, helped recall the spices used to embalm the body of Christ.Finally, its globular egg-size fruit was taken as a symbol of the world that Christ saved through his suffering.

More about Passion Fruit

In Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries, the delicacy we know as passion fruit came to be called “granadilla,” which means small pomegranate, probably because the orange flesh is composed of seedy transparent sacs like that of a pomegranate, explained Pons-Worley, a botanical artist who raises passion fruit at his home in Royal Oaks, California.

To Elizabeth Schneider, author of Uncommon Fruits and Vegetables (Morrow, 1986; $28), the inside of the fruit “gives the impression of a tablespoon of fish eggs about to hatch or paramecia gone mad.” On the outside, she writes, “it looks like a partly deflated rubber ball left in the rain, then dried.”

Despite the fruit’s ungodly looks, passion fruit disciples contend that its taste is divine. “It’s like a fruit caviar. It tastes like a combination of pineapple and guava, a flavor like nothing else,” said Pons-Worley. “There’s a floral scent that’s wonderful. Just the fruit itself smells really good, and it carries through.”

Both that heavenly flavor and aroma can be put to practical use in a variety of beverages and dishes, including salads, entrees, desserts, jams, and jellies. Pons-Worley’s cookbook, which he sells at http://www.ponsworley.com, contains more than 180 recipes using the fruit. But sometimes simplest is best. “If you’ve got a good ripe one, just cut it in half and scoop it out and eat it, or put it on ice cream or cake,” he explained.

A decent source of vitamin A and potassium, passion fruit is available throughout the year from various regions. If you don’t see it, ask your produce manager about availability. When shopping for passion fruit, keep these pointers in mind:

 

• Purple-skinned varieties are most common; but you may also see yellow-skinned passion fruit. The flesh of the purple types is usually sweeter.
• “Wrinkled fruits are more ripe than non-wrinkled fruits,” noted Jonathan Crane, a tropical fruit specialist with the University of Florida. “If you want to use it right way, get a wrinkled one.” If none of the fruit is wrinkled, leave it out on your counter for a few days.
• Darkening is another sign of ripening.
• The fruit’s seeds are edible (and provide a good dose of fiber). If you prefer not to eat the seeds, strain them out by placing the flesh in a strainer and pushing on the pulp with the back of a spoon.
• Read labels of packaged passion fruit carefully. If it contains only passion fruit, you will have to add water and perhaps sugar to make a fruit drink. Some passion fruit beverages, however, already contain water and sugar.
• Passion fruit may be marketed under several Spanish names. These include labeled chinola, granadilla, maracuja, parcha, and parchita.

Looking to the Cross for Nourishment

Over the past several years doctors and nutritionists worldwide have been advising their patients to eat cruciferous vegetables: broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, turnips, and watercress. According to the American Institute for Cancer Research, “Several laboratory studies have suggested that cruciferous vegetables help regulate a complex system of bodily enzymes that defend against cancer. Components of these vegetables have shown the ability to stop the growth of cancer cells in various cell, tissue, and animal models, including tumors of the breast, endometrium, lung, colon, liver, and cervix.”

But why the term “cruciferous”?

The dictionary tells us that the root of the word is the Latin crux, which means “cross,” and that one of the definitions for “cruciferous” is “bearing a cross.” Botanists use the term to describe a family of plants whose flowers have four petals arranged like the arms of a cross. It could just well be that humanity’s long-awaited cure for cancer may lie in the cross, the ultimate symbol of salvation.

Hello All!

It's been a while since I have posted a blog, been busy and trying to keep up with life in general that when I do have a second, its late and time for some Chamomile Tea and off to bed!

I have so many herbal blends and remedies in addition to what I list here on Local Harvest and so many wonderful folks have asked me to please add them to the Local Harvest website - so - I have!!!

I have recently added:

B Vitamin Herbal Tea Blend which is a wonderful way to get all of your much needed B vitamins in their raw form.          http://www.localharvest.org/b-vitamin-support-tea-C22496

Adrenal Stimulating Tea which really helps get the adrenals going when they are sluggish and not working at their most efficient. http://www.localharvest.org/adrenal-stimulating-tea-C22497

Sinus Steam Herbal Blend great for stuffy noses, allergies, cold or if you just want to hydrate your nasal passages. Can be used in a neti pot if you like.                                                          http://www.localharvest.org/sinus-steam-herbal-tea-C22498

All of my blends are accompanied with a fact sheet of information, directions for use as well as other natural suggestions.

I will try to add more but I have one nice lady (and you know who you are if you are reading this) that LOVES these above blends and has been using them for years so, I decided to finally sit and take a few minutes to add them so everyone else can enjoy them too!

Many blessings and enjoy each day!

Hello All -

There are only 2 days left to take advantage of the 15% off medicinal herb sale here at Local Harvest!

This is a great way to stock on on all your teas, tinctures and pet needs for the winter months ahead!!

If you have any questions on remedies, please feel free to contact me!!

Thank you to all and many blessings for the seasons ahead!

Sharon Hubbs-Kreft

Amazing Grace Herbals

www.localharvest.org/store/M10524

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful women who have touched our lives!!

Enjoy the day and relax  . . . garden, plant and reconnect with the best mother of all  . . . Earth!!

Many blessings and enjoy the day!

Hello all  . ..   due the beautiful weather here, I have an early batch of my Grandmom's Queen of Hungary's Water is back in stock!!!

This remedy takes quite a while to make and the batch turned out to be absolutley wonderful!!

May all of your senses and skin enjoy!!

Here is a link - http://www.localharvest.org/grandmoms-queen-of-hungarys-water-C4528

Peaceful Blessings !

The spring sunshine has started to melt the snow and as I was weeding and working in the gardens this past weekend I happened to notice the new sprouts!

Already we have thyme, chives, lemon balm, fennel, cilantro, peppermint and chamomile sprouts!!

We are getting some heavy rains so radishes will soon be popping up too. How exciting to see the rebirth of the herbs and watch them slowly peek their little sprouts out of the soil.

If the warm weather keeps up, there may an early harvest of chives or maybe even some lemon balm. Ran is expected through the weekend so I am not anticipating any garden prepping this weekend.

Peaceful Blessings, happy seeding and happy weeding!

I would love to hear what you have sprouting too!!

What is fiber?

A variety of definitions of fiber exist. In an attempt to develop one definition of fiber that everyone can use, the Food and Nutrition Board assembled a panel that came up with the following definitions:

• Dietary fiber consists of nondigestible carbohydrates and lignin that are intrinsic and intact in plants. This includes plant nonstarch polysaccharides (for example, cellulose, pectin, gums, hemicellulose, and fibers contained in oat and wheat bran), oligosaccharides, lignin, and some resistant starch.
  
  
• Functional fiber consists of isolated, nondigestible carbohydrates that have beneficial physiological effects in humans. This includes nondigestible plant (for example, resistant starch, pectin, and gums), chitin, chitosan, or commercially produced (for example, resistant starch, polydextrose, inulin, and indigestible dextrins) carbohydrates.
  
  
• Total fiber is the sum of dietary fiber and functional fiber. It's not important to differentiate between which forms of each of these fibers you are getting in your diet. Your total fiber is what matters.

You may also hear fiber referred to as bulk or roughage. Call it what you want, but always remember that fiber is an essential part of everyone's diet. While fiber does fall under the category of carbohydrates, in comparison, it does not provide the same number of calories, nor is it processed the way that other sources of carbohydrates are.

This difference can be seen among the two categories that fiber is divided into: soluble and insoluble.

• Soluble fiber dissolves in water to form a gel-like substance. Sources of soluble fiber are oats, legumes (beans, peas, and soybeans), apples, bananas, berries, barely, some vegetables, and psylluim.
  
  
• Insoluble fiber increases the movement of material through your digestive tract and increases your stool bulk. Sources of insoluble fiber are whole wheat foods, bran, nuts, seeds, and the skin of some fruits and vegetables.

How much do you need?

Adults - The National Academy of Sciences established an Adequate Intake (AI) level of 38 grams of total daily fiber for males 19-50 years of age and 25 grams for women in the same age range.

Children 3 to 18 years - A simple formula can be used to determine the number of grams of fiber recommended for children:

Child's age + 5 = fiber grams per day

As you gradually increae your fiber intake per day, you should also consume more water, juice or milk (daily fluids).

Beans and legumes are great sources of fiber and usually contain about 6-7 grams of fiber per 1/2 cup cooked serving. They can blend into almost any meal, even mashed potatoes, soups, sauces or as a nice side dish. If beans make you "toot" check out my blog on why beans make us toot and my helpful suggestions to aid with cooking with beans and adding good fiber sources into your diet.

Happy Fiber Hunting and Peaceful Blessings!

So you have a picky pet that will not take anything, no vitamins, no tinctures, no oils, nothing . . . how do you get them to take what's good for them if they go and hide when they see you coming with the dropper? I get asked this question pretty much daily and decided to blog about it to help folks out that just are just at their wits end with picky pets.

Cats can be easier then dogs despite their independence! If you have a capsule (vitamin, probiotic, herbal supplement) first try breaking open the capsule and sprinkling it over the food. Most cat's will take it especially if you are mixing it with a canned food they enjoy. Tried this, still no luck, try adding the supplement to tuna juice. I know my cat's little jowels cannot water enough when she hears the can opener opening tuna! Tuna is pretty much a fail safe with any herbal remedy (tincture, tonic, infusion, decoction, oil) or supplement. Still no luck, try adding the remedy (whatever it may be) to a small amount of ground beef, turkey or chicken - cat's are carnivore's and should eat it with no problems and will never be the wiser to know they was something good for them in the "magic meatball"! If you have an ill cat that has difficulty eating, you may want to try a vitamin supplement with a milk base found at your local pet store, add the supplement ot remedy to the milk based product - added nutrition plus the remedy. Cat still fussy, tried all the above and she still runs away? Try adding your supplements to plain milk, however, if you cat suffers from feline acne, I do not recommend this. Dry food or kibble can always be soaked with chicken/beef or vegetable broth and then the supplements added too.

Dogs usually take almost anything you give them, I know my Golden Retriever takes any herbal remedy or vitamins with no problems but there are some finnicky pups out there. Same as with a cat, try sprinkling any capsule based remedy over the food first, if no luck add it to wet food or if your pet is on a "you cook for him diet" then add it right to the stew you are cooking up. If can still sniff it out, try putting the caspules, oil or tincture into a piece of bread, basically, let the liquid soak in the bread and then give it as a treat. Did that too  . . . ok, just as a cat, dogs are carnivore's too, so when all else fails, add the remedy/vitamin/medication or whatever you are giving to a meatball of your choice. This usually works every time! Try soaking the kibble in broth of your choice and add fresh or steamed veggies for a more enticing meal, most dogs love veggies so you should see him clean the plate.

For vegan pets - you can make a "cheat ball" - mix brown rice, grains or choice, coucous or even make a smoothie for your pet using plain yogurt. Add the supplement and watch them enjoy!

I like to recommend plain yogurt as a treat for pets because it is full of natural probiotics and will aid in their digestion and overall health. Cats love it as do dogs, some picky cats will eat a yogurt treat added with supplements of your choice but I have found that some will detect the scent especially if you are administering a strong aroma based herbal remedy.

Most of my pet remedies are organic vegetable glycerin based and I do this for many reasons but one of the one main ones is for ease of administration - how do you say? Simple, vegetable glycerin is thicker and stickier then water, alcohol or any other aqueous based tinctures so when you drop it out of the dropper it will stick to their fur! If all else fails and you are administering an organic glycerin based tincture, drop the directed dosage amount on your pet's paw, I promise, he will lick it off, it's in their nature so they will be getting the tincture despite their stubborness  . . problem solved  . . if you are administering a tincture made with another menstruum you may have to try th above suggestions as most will roll off the fur and your pet will not be getting the recommended dose.

My pet's are very good vitamin and herb taker's, it really is all they know but I get the occasional cold shoulder from my feline friend and have come up with lots of other ways too of getting the gooodies in! My cat and dog love Acidophilus, they both lick it off my hand like the world's best treat - you can try this with your pet too - especially cats's, I have rarely come across a cat that does not like Acidophilus (probiotics), scent is similar to milk and they usually will almost lick the skin off your hand being sure they get it all!!

I hope this helps answer the question . .how do I get this good stuff in my pet?

If you have any questions or need other suggestions, please feel free to email me at wintersaurora@yahoo.com

Peaceful Blessings to you and your pet!

Many blessings to all for a Happy and Healthy 2010!

We pray that our fields will be full of new life and our pantries stocked with Earth's blessings. From our pantry to yours, all the best and many more!

As the New Year begins, it is a time to think about detoxing and getting your body back on track. I will get into this more with my next blog but just wanted to mention it since so many folks contact me with the "after holiday cookie blues!" LOL!!

Peaceful Blessings and enjoy the Blue Moon!

Hello everyone, my apologies for not blogging in a while, things have been very hectic here with the holidays upon us.

I wanted to send everyone warm winter wishes for the holiday season and all the best of blessings for 2010. A special thank you to all of my customers throughout the years and to everyone at Local Harvest for all the hard work and time to make the site a success!

A quick note, if you are still looking for some great New Years treats, you can try something we have done for many years. If you enjoy my Snuggle Up Tea and would like to add a twist, try adding a teaspoon of Apple Schnapps to your infusion before serving. It's a great winter warm up and folks at your party will love the flavor.

If you like Peppermint and want a added touch, we add a dash of Peppermint Schnapps to the infusion before serving and then garnish with a candy cane . . . folks love it!!!

Just a couple little things we do every year in place of traditional spirits for our guests, give them a try and I am sure your party guests will love them too. You can find both teas and others which you can add spirits too as well here at my Local Harvest store.

Peaceful Blessings and Holiday Greetings to all!

Just thought I would pass this along, great link!

http://fto.co. za/opinion/ obama-declares- swine-flu- national- emergency- what-about- his-own-children -2009102515569. html

Peaceful Blessings!

I was recently flipping through a great magazine and came across a little blurb about 1,4-dioxane and would like to share it on the blog roll. There was no author listed on the blurb but I would like to credit whoever wrote it for sharing great info.

In cosmetics, 1,4-dioxane is the byproduct of a chemical process used to soften harsh ingredients. Although the FDA says 1,4-dioxane levels in cosmetics aren't hazardous to consumers, the National Toxicology Agency says even its prescence - even in a trace amount - is cause for concern, and the EPA lists its as a probably human carcinogen.

Research from the Environmental Working Group revealed 1,4-dioxane in many children's bath products. Steer clear of the toxin by avoiding products with the ingredient names that include myreth, oleth, laureth, ceteareth and any other -eth, PEG, polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, polyoxyethylene, or oxynol.

Peaceful Blessings and please read your labels and as always, buy local and organic!!!

The food additive monosodium glutamate, or MSG, has been linked to many health concersn including migraine headeaches and even hyperactivity in children.

If you see the word "hydrolyzed" in any ingredient list on any food item, the product contains MSG. Some companies try to not use the term MSG and will use other terms such as hydrolyzed and terms from the list below to make their customers think the product is MSG free.

These terms are other hidden sources of MSG -

Autolyzed yeast, calcium caeinate, gelatin, glutamate, glutamic acid, hydrolzed corn gluten, hydrolzyed protein (such as wheat, soy or vegetable protein),  monopotassium glutamate, sodium caseinate and textured protein

Please read all product labels and be sure there is not a hidden source if your favorite grocery item. The above are most commonly found in processed and boxed foods.

Peaceful Blessings!

By now, all of us with children have at least purchased one sugar pumpkin or jack be little to keep out little one's quiet and yet excited for the Halloween season. But, how many sugar pumpkins can you really have, why not make one of the best and healthiest snacks for your "little monsters" this autumn season and even give them a scare on Halloween!!

How to make oven roasted pumpkin seeds:

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Scoop out the inside of your pumpkin with a heavy spoon.

2. Seperate the seeds from the "goo" and place them in a strainer. My daughter loved doing this for the first time last year, she was covered in pumpkin goo from head to toe! Here's a little trick though, when you plan on carving the pumpkin, bring it inside for at least a few hours before you carve - I say this because the insides are very cold and your little one's hands will get pretty chilly if they are digging around in the pumpkin.

3. Rinse off the seeds and shake off the excess water - best the adult do this, I had seed everywhere last year when my daughter wanted to give it a try.

4. In a large bowl (make sure its a big bowl when the kids do this, seeds tend to get everywhere), toss the seeds with a bit of Grapeseed Oil (my favorite, loaded with Omega-3's) a dash of Sea Salt and other spice you may like. I use Cinnamon and Nutmeg for a pumpkin pie flavor. I also like Cinnamon and Clove. Turmeric, Cumin,Curry and Coriander are great too and if you have someone who loves hot stuff, try a little Cayenne pepper - good but spicy! You can also add a dash of brown sugar to the above spices if your kids have a sweet tooth rather then the salt, also good if you cannot have salt. Of course, you don't have to add any of the above and just roast plain.

5. Spread the seeds evenly on a large greased cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Your kitchen will smell so yummy!

6. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes and remove from cookie sheet with a spatula. I like to store them in a glass jar.

What to spook the little monsters . . . tell them they are baked,dried, crusty fingernails from a mummy and leave them around the house on Halloween to give all a scare!!!

We try and save every seed we can so the seeds will last us through the winter and spring. They are a great, healthy and nutritious snack. You can use the pumpkin meat too, there are lots fo recipes online and here in the Local Harvest blogs for making pumpkin soup and pies.

Baking blessings and enjoy!!