Spices and Herbs by Elaynn

When you hear or see the word TONIC what comes to mind? For some, it is spring tonics that we have heard the old timers talk about. For others, a good way to rid your body of serious illnesses, such as cancer. Still others, think of quackery. Actually, all three are correct.

My research goes back to the days of the Middle Ages when a group of religious hermits, who shut themselves away from society, and were called monks, grew herbs to use for medicinal uses to keep themselves from contracting plaques and other disease that were rampant during that period of time. The first medicinal gardens of the battered medieval Europe were sown in early monasteries. These monks not only grew herbs, but they studied how to use them. They formulated many herbal tonics that worked very well and people came to trust the monks.

Around the 1700's, the Shakers, originally known as the Society of Followers, had a successful manufacturing of herbal products and medicines and were similar to the monks. From around 1784 until after the civil war, the Shakers enjoyed growing, formulating and selling all over the United States and other countries, tonics and other herbal medicines. They had an excellent reputation of taking great pains to ensure that their products were always of the highest quality.

Somewhere around the mid 1800's, other imitation herbalist decided to get on the bandwagon and, being unable to extract from the Shakers the exact formula, and perhaps not being able to obtain the correct herbs, made up bogus tonics and started selling their wares to the general public. Today's soft drinks were originally linked with tonics. Drinks like root beer, sarsaparilla, and sassafras were created from an array of herbs reported to boost health. Mixed with soda water, they were served at pharmacies advertised as “pick-me-ups”. Coca-Cola, originally included traces of cocaine. Many fakes endured at that time. Fake medicines were advertised far and wide with flyers and medicine shows. They were packaged in appealing containers with bright labels that announced miraculous cures. Just as today, many hucksters back then, were quite skillful at pushing their products.

There were some honest herbalist during that time, such as Lydia E. Pinkham of Massachusetts, who around 1875 made up and sold her own herbal tonics. There were other people who truly wanted to help themselves, families, and friends to get well from various illnesses and diseases. These people made a sincere effort, just as the monks, and the Shakers of years ago, to use the proper herbs for each illness and disease in order to get the desired results.

So, what exactly are tonics? A tonic is a medicinal preparation used to restore tone and vigor to the body for people suffering from a deficiency. A tonic is a healthful brew designed to invigorate the body so that it can fight disease. Tonics are herbal extracts that contain high vitamin and mineral content designed to strengthen and purify the body and to improve the immune system. Tonics have been known to cure devastating illnesses and can fight diseases. They can break up toxins in our bodies and flush them from body tissues, tone organs and restore balance.

When one first starts taking a tonic, they may notice that they feel worse than they did before they started the tonic. This is actually a good sign because what we are really feeling is the body working to throw off toxins and wastes. Some of the “worse” symptoms may be vomiting and diarrhea. But, how else do toxins leave? Toxins are what? Poisons. They don't belong in your body and it is your body's way of kicking these out! Tonics can take anywhere from one month to a year to complete their “job”. Tonics work slowly through our bodies. Figure one month for every year of sickness, and, that includes the time that one didn't even know they were sick!

So, what type of tonics would we use and why? Spring tonics come first to my mind. These tonics go back in America to the colonial days. After a long winter of nothing much more than root vegetables, deer and rabbit meat, it was nice to finally see dandelion greens, asparagus, early cresses, thistles, pursalane, lamb's quarters, etc growing. Many a housewife, if not all, made up their spring tonics using these ingredients to help purge the family's digestive system and help in cleaning the rest of the organs. A sort of renewing effect. Dandelion especially , was used. Dandelion greens detoxify the liver, kidneys, blood and tissues as well as fight gallbladder infections. Dandelion today is also used after cancer treatments and other extreme drug therapies. It can be used for treatment of alcoholism as well.

Other tonics were used during the Civil War to restore the spirits, cure coughs and increase morale. Both the Union and Confederates used these tonics. Even doctors back in the eighteen and early nineteen hundreds used tonics.

If we use real tonics, which contain good-quality herbs and ingredients, we will begin to feel better and to recover from illnesses.

What herbs are used in tonics? Dandelion ( cleansing, stimulating efficient removal of waste products) ; echinacea ( immune system stimulant); goldenseal, ( antibiotic, checks hemorrhages or secretions by coagulation of proteins on the soft surface); nettle ( same qualities as dandelion and goldenseal); ginseng ( energizes) ; hawthorn ( good for the heart and blood circulation); garlic, (antibiotic); milk thistle ( good for the liver) ; licorice ( energizes, good for respiratory and digestive systems); burdock ( used for tumors, skin disorders, liver); clary sage ( general cleansing of the body); yellow dock ( also a cleansing tonic) ; fennel ( kidney stones, gout, liver, lungs); Oregon grape ( kidney disorders, heart burn, skin problems); sweet woodruff ( liver disorders, blood purifier, kidney and bladder obstructions, gallbladder ). There are hundreds of herbs that can be used as tonics. Generally, two to five herbs are used .

How can one purchase tonics? As a liquid ( tincture) , in tea bags, or in bath herbs.

I sell tonics as drinking teas and bath teas. I will be introducing more tonic herbal blends in the very near future and I invite you to try them!

The herb Chaparral refers to three herb species: Larrea tridentata, Larrea divaricata and Larrea mexicana, a/k/a creosote bush, greasewood, or hediondilla

Scientific/medical name(s): Larrea divaricata coville, Larrea tridentata (DC) coville

The Chaparral shrub grows in the Western United States and parts of Mexico and is used traditionally by the indigenous people of these regions to treat such conditions as rheumatism, arthritis, stomach pain, cancer, tuberculosis, bowel cramps, venereal disease, HIV, colds and bronchitis.

Proponents claim that Chaparral can help relieve pain, reduce inflammation, aid congestion, increase urine elimination, and slow the aging process. It is also promoted as an anti-cancer agent and an antioxidant (a compound that blocks the action of free radicals, activated oxygen molecules that can damage cells). Some promoters call it a “cleanser” or detox herb. A bitter and unpleasant-tasting tea or a tincture, Chaparral is also sometimes used with other herbs in “anti-cancer tea”.

Chaparral tea was used widely in the United States from the late 1950s to the 1970s as an alternative anti-cancer agent. Experimental studies in the 1960s showed that Chaparral could cause problems with kidney and liver function.

The FDA has recommended since 1968 that Chaparral not be swallowed or taken internally by any other route. Chaparral can be highly toxic and has been reported to cause severe and permanent liver disease that can be fatal.

The growth of interest in alternative medicine led to increased use of Chaparral in the 1980s. By the early 1990s, there had been many reports of Chaparral-linked illnesses, and the FDA issued a warning. This resulted in sellers voluntarily removing many Chaparral products from stores. Despite many concerns and warnings, Chaparral has become available again, and is advertised and sold from Internet sites, but, not mine!

Since February 2006 - Health Canada has warned consumers not to ingest the herb Chaparral in the form of loose leaves, teas, capsules or bulk herbal products because of the risk of liver and kidney problems.

Nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA), the principal ingredient in Chaparral is a potent antioxidant. At one time it was thought to be potentially useful in the treatment of cancer. However, studies were done on rats, not humans. NDGA possesses considerable toxicity.

Chaparral is considered a dangerous herb that can cause irreversible, life-threatening liver damage and kidney damage, including cysts in the kidney and kidney failure. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cautioned against the internal use of Chaparral

I personally would even caution against using Chaparral as a topical, since herbs go right into the body even quicker through the skin than even ingesting.

Chaparral very toxic and can cause serious and permanent kidney and liver damage and possibly death. It can also cause:

• Stomach pain

• Diarrhea

• Weight loss

• Fever

• Skin rash and itching

• Tiredness

• Acute inflammation of the liver (hepatitis)

• Kidney cysts

• Kidney cancer

   

^{Chaparral contains compounds that can both increase the risk of sunburn and cause skin irritation to parts of the body not exposed to sun.}

The herb has also been associated with severe hepatotoxicity, with some cases requiring liver transplantation .

Chaparral may cause dangerous interactions and interfere with how some drugs work, especially those that may also affect your liver and kidneys. Blood-thinning medications (anticoagulants); diabetic drugs; some antibiotics, and non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (for example, pain medicines such as aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, and others). Chaparral can also interfere with a type of antidepressant called a monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI).

It is important that we test each active ingredient in the plant. When you take a complete plant as a medicine, it can be a bit ‘hit or miss’ because you take hundreds of different chemicals together. Any of these could affect you, the cancer, or other medicines you are taking.

^{Be very cautious about believing the information on websites. Also, don't believe them when they say that Chaparral is ok to use. It isn't.}

There seems to be a lot of information on the web regarding using Henna for coloring hair red. I too, use Henna.

Most of us know that Henna is of Egyptian origin and is an integral part of the Eastern culture.

The quality of the Henna and the color it imparts to the hair depends on its source and country of origin;

Persian Henna is the finest, producing a deep rich red;

Egyptian Henna gives more orange results

and Chinese is the cheapest, being of inferior quality.

Henna can be mixed with other organic substances to modify the color: such as, coffee, wine, eggs, lemon juice and onion skins. Indigo shoots and Betel nut may also be added.

I have seen Black English Walnuts hulls also be suggested to bring a darkening reddish hues, although I personally wouldn't suggest anyone to use Black English walnut hulls for dark hair color. I had some experience with hulling walnuts by hand and the hulls literally burned the skin on my hands a crispy black! Talk about hurt and sting! The skin peeled and after about a month, my “new skin” came in. However, my nails had a moon on them that was much darker and it took almost 4 months before that cleared up.

Some people like to use a combination of Henna and indigo to get the color they desire, such as a darker brunette, black or light brown. Indigo is a very deeply pigmented blue plant. When mixed with Henna, it can produce lovely shades of color for those with darker hair.

Often times Henna and indigo dyes are mixed with something acidic to help the color take, such as lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. While the process is a bit more time consuming than traditional commercial hair colors, it is usually well worth it. Many who use natural dyes feel that it makes their hair look shinier and healthier.

I have and do use Henna in my hair, as I like the reddish tones. I have found that when I bought red hair coloring products in the store, they didn't last very long and the color would change every week. Not only that, we all know that there is a possibility of the commercial hair dye products being dangerous to those of us who like to dye our hair quite frequently.

My natural hair color is blond and it does depend on your skin color how Henna will turn out for you. For instance I'm very fair skin and if I don't mix the Henna properly, it will turn my hair orange or yellow. So, the darker a person's skin is, the easier, in my opinion, it is to get the desired results.

Here's my formula that I fiddaggled around with and finally seem happy with:

( before you get started: don't make the dumb mistake like I did the first time I did this of using coffee grounds! What mess that was to get out of my hair!)

OK, here we go:

½ coffee scoop of coffee. Make the coffee like you make your morning coffee. When the coffee is ready, keep about 1 ½ cups hot.

1 coffee scoop of Henna (or 1/8 cup)

1 egg

½ teaspoon of ground cloves

1 tablespoon lemon juice

( you can also add ¼ cup of red wine)

Take a small saucepan that is non aluminum, and put in the Henna and pour the coffee in. Mix real well. Add the egg and ground cloves, mix again. Add the lemon juice, and red wine if you're using it. Mix again.

It's a puke color and should be similar to looking at fresh cow poop.

Heat this mess in the small saucepan til hot, but, not boiling.

On your hands rub cooking oil or olive oil and rub it all thro your hair and scalp.

Put on rubber gloves, and rub the mess you just made in the saucepan all through your hair. Bring it through from the scalp to the ends of your hair. ( this is a whole lotta fun!) Work fast, this mess has to stay very warm.

Pile your hair up on top of your head, and put a shower cap over your hair. Wrap a towel over that, turban style.

You need to keep your head warm, so, sit in the sun (but, not outside) or near a wood stove. Maybe under a full hair dryer, put on low.

After about 1 ½ to 2 hours it should start turning blondish. Wait another 15 minutes more. It needs to stait turning reddish. You can only tell how it's doing by looking at the edges of your hair. ( kinda, sorta) The longer it stays on, the redder it gets. However, be careful that it doesn't start to turn orange.

Rinse out,very well. Then shampoo. Towel dry your hair, enough so that it is not dripping wet and add a conditioner and leave on for 45 minutes. Then rinse that out. You really can't tell what the color will be til your hair is dried. Don't worry, it won't be green.

Fortunately, you won't have to do this for another 2 or 3 months.

You will have to experiment to get the right color that you want. I suggest writing down everything that you do, so, that when you finally get it right, you can follow your written instructions. If you are fair skinned, give my instructions a try first, then, you will be able to get an idea about tweaking things to get the color you like.

Well, this is way off herbalism and I thought I'd give you all a rest!

Do you know where the military “taps” that we hear at funerals for those who at one time served in the military, came from or what the words are? Many people don't, and I would like to share with you what I read , about twenty years ago, in a local newspaper ,written by a local historian.

The “taps” song came out of the Civil War. In 1862, a Captain in the Union forces ,heard during the night, the moans of a person. He had no idea if the person was of the Confederate or Union army, but, he crawled over and pulled the man over out of danger, only to find the man died. Also, the man was of the Confederate army and when the captain shined a light on the man's face, he discovered that the man was his own son!

The young man had been studying music in the south when war broke out and without telling his father, had enlisted in the Confederate army. On his person was a piece of paper with musical notes. Heartbroken, the father asked for permission from his superiors to give his son a military burial despite his enemy status and asked that the musical notes be played. Thus, what we know today as the “taps”. Here are the words:

Day is done/Gone the sun/From the lakes/From the hills/From the skies/All is well/Safely rest/God is nigh.

Fading light/Dims the sight/And a star/Gems the sky/Gleaming bright/From afar/Drawing nigh/Falls the night.

Thanks and praise/ For our days/Neath the sun/Neath the stars/Neath the sky/As we go/This we know/God is nigh.

The words were nothing like what I had thought they would be. Glad to share them with you!

I have made three blogs on medication vs herbs. My last blog had to do with taking herbs AND vitamins before a known surgery date. In that blog, I suggested that if you are scheduled for surgery to NOT take ANY herbs or vitamins for two weeks before your surgery date. One month would be even better. I would like to take this just a little bit further.

For the most part, we can do just fine taking a regular supply of herbs and vitamins to keep ourselves generally healthy. I've done it for myself and my family, by doing my own research .

When we have a medical condition, however, that is beyond our knowledge to “fix” ourselves, such as in my recent case, a hernia, then we need the expertise of the medical establishment. When we go to a surgeon and ask that person to remedy this situation, we are putting ourselves in their care. I have not met one doctor, nurse, anesthesiologist, or emergency personal say that they love losing patients. I've never gone to medical school, never even been a CNA but, I do know that all of these people in whatever medical fields they have trained in, want their patients to get well .

WHEN WE DON'T TELL OR WE LIE, about the herbs and vitamins that we are taking prior to surgery, we are tying these peoples' hands behind their backs, without their knowledge. When we ask a surgeon to do an operation for us, it is not our place to tell that surgeon how he/she will perform the operation. The nurses in the operating room know their jobs; the anesthesiologist is the person keeping us alive.

For most of us, when we have surgery we are “out”. However, while we are out  we are putting our lives in their hands. When these folks are done with the operation, they need to be able to bring us back up into wakefulness. Stop and think about this a minute.

There are herbs and vitamins that what I call “fight” the medications that these folks use to help us. Some complications from taking herbs and vitamins are ; lowering or increasing the blood pressure; creating a rapid heartbeat, slowing the heart down; seizures; blood clotting, breathing problems, vomiting; and even death.

Imagine the scene in the operating room, if as soon as the surgery gets underway, your blood pressure plummets alarmingly or you can't breathe! If this wasn't suppose to happen or wasn't foreseen previously, you have added an emergency situation to what was supposed to be a routine operation! You could also die.

The medical professionals NEED to know if you are taking any herbs and vitamins so that they can work around them or even delay surgery. That's why I suggest that if you are taking vitamins and herbs to please do NOT lie about them and please stop taking them two weeks to one month before your surgery. Your life depends on it.

A lot of people like to make bath teas or bath herbs for themselves. Some of the recipes that I've seen however, are way too much for a single bath. It seems that people think the same way with herbs as they do with medicine. If a little works good, a lot should work even better! This is a dangerous attitude to have. Herbs are potent, just as medicine is potent. Whenever I make up a formula it is just the right amount for a certain amount of small bath teas. 

If a large (5 x 7) bath tea is just tossed into a tub full of water, the very first bath is dangerous for you to take! Look at the color of your bath water! Is it a rust, or bright green or can you see bright color at all? If you can, there are TOO MUCH herbs in your bath! And, you should not get in that tub!

A small tea bag or muslin bag (3 x 5) is all you need for one ½ to ¾ full bath tub. And that same tea bag can be used one more time! You will see a very light color in your bath water,such as; light green or light yellow, but, your bath water color shouldn't change dramatically. You also should not spend more than 20 minutes in your herbal bath. Nor, should you be using other soaps, bubble bath products or what have you. When you step out of the tub, take a rough towel and dry yourself. Do not use lotions, otherwise you have just destroyed the good of the herbs.

The only time a large tea bag can be used is if you make it in a concentrate form; using 2 gallons of water, heat the water til boiling; drop ONE large tea bag in and let it steep NO MORE THAN 5 MINUTES. Take the bag out of the water. Let the water cool and pour the water into 2 glass gallon containers. When you want to take a bath, use NOT MORE THAN 1 cup of the concentrate that you just made, in a tub full of water.

That is the correct way to use a large (5 x 7) bath tea.

If you are taking herbs and vitamins, in any form, and you are scheduled for surgery, here is something you might want to consider.

For those of you who are taking vitamin supplements or herbal extracts ( this includes all herbal teas and baths) on a regular basis, if you know that you are going to have surgery, try very hard to not take your vitamins or herbs at least 2 weeks before your surgery date.

It is amazing how long certain vitamins, such as E can stay in the system. The same with herbs, many herbs can still be in your system for weeks, even if you are not taking them all the time and even if you are not taking a lot of any one herb or vitamin.

In any surgery, you are going to have antibiotics and pain medication, and the last thing you need is more trouble. The herbs and vitamins will fight the antibiotics and pain medication.

Use this same timing after surgery, as well. In fact, Don't go back on your schedule of vitamins and herbs after your surgery until two weeks AFTER your very last dose of pain medication and /or your last dose of antibiotics.

I like watching the ALL CREATURES GREAT AND SMALL movies. Much of what the veterinarians in the movies depicted about various ailments of the animals were true. However, I kept noticing that back then the farmers and the veterinarians kept having problems with the cattle and pigs in that area contracting foot and mouth disease.

In the early and right up to the mid part of the 20th century, (1900 to 1950) farmers in Europe were forever having problems with their cattle and pigs getting foot and mouth disease. If they would have fed their animals comfrey leaves before giving them their feed, this would have prevented the disease from ever starting in the first place. This horrible disease literally wiped out every farm around when one farmer had the problem. He would be quarantined and couldn't even leave his property, because this disease was spread on the farmers boots. I don't know if farmers have problems with this disease now, but if they do, they should invest in some comfrey plants. You just pull the leaves, put them in a bucket or something to carry them. Give each animal two or three of the leaves right before their feed. At first, they won't eat it, but, then they see that after they eat it, they get their feed. After a couple times, they are good about taking it. If they were my animals, I would give it to them at least every other day. Every day won't hurt.

Sometimes we see labels on products that will say 100% organic or 100% natural or 100% organic and natural. Obviously, if we are using both words, organic and natural, they are not interchangeable. But, in a nutshell, what really is the difference?

Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm. Or in the words of the National Organics Standard Board, "Organic agriculture is an ecological production management system that promotes and enhances biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity. It is based on minimal use of off-farm inputs and on management practices that restore, maintain and enhance ecological harmony.

Sometimes we also see "Certified organic". This is a labeling term that denotes products produced under the authority of the Organic Foods Production Act. The act provided for a National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) that develops and recommends the standards for the National Organic Program (NOP) as administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). A certified organic product means that a state or private certification organization that is accredited by the USDA has verified that the product meets its strict organic standards. The certifier inspects the location where the organic product is produced and handled to ensure that all the rules necessary to meet USDA organic standards are being followed. In order to maintain their accredited certifier status with the USDA, certifiers are required to conduct annual on-site inspections of all their clients.

The term "natural" suggests that products have been minimally processed or are free from synthetic ingredients, but, there are no federal regulations that must be complied with in order to label a botanical product "natural."

Many of us have fond memories of certain types of foods we ate while growing up, especially if our mothers were great cooks! Mine sure was , and I don't remember anything she cooked that didn't turn out well! She really put effort into making good, wholesome meals for her family. As an adult, I don't think anything can beat good, home cooked food!

Since we were of French Canadian origin and lived near the Canadian border, much of our food was, of course, also French Canadian. I grew up calling this recipe that I am about to share with you friends, Meat Pie, but, it's proper name is French Canadian Meat Pie, or Tourtiere. Whatever you want to call it, here is my special recipe and I hope you enjoy it!

FRENCH CANADIAN MEAT PIE

PASTRY FOR 2 CRUST PIE

1 pound ground lean pork

½ pound ground veal

½ pound ground chuck

½ cup chopped onion

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

1 beef bouillon cube

1 cup water

¾ teaspoon ground cloves

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¾ teaspoon ground sage

¼ teaspoon ground thyme (common)

2 - 3 cups cooked diced potatoes or you can use mashed potatoes

In a large cast iron frying pan, combine pork, veal, beef, onion, bouillon cube, salt and pepper. Cook slowly for 45 minutes. Then sprinkle all over the entire mixture  the cloves, cinnamon, sage and thyme, and cook slowly another 15 minutes. Add the drained potatoes and gently stir and mix the mixture.

Turn stove off, cover pan, let this cool thoroughly for about 1 hour, so that the flavors will blend. I also stir slightly a few times during the hour, as well.

Roll out your first pie crust, to go on the bottom of your pie dish ( I like using glass, not metal or aluminum).

Turn the mixture into the pie dish. Roll out the top crust and put it over the mixture. I don't make slits for venting, but you can, if you want.( I also put aluminum foil all around the edge of the crust, so that it doesn't burn. I would take these off after about 30 minutes, try not to disturb the pie any more than necessary and don't take out of the oven.)

Bake in hot oven 400 degrees for 45 minutes to an hour. ( look for the top crust to turn golden brown.)

I have also been known to make turnovers and use this as filling. It makes nice individual servings.

We used to eat this for breakfast on holiday mornings or when we got back from church. We also ate it for supper with just a salad added. We used to put ketchup and /or mustard on it.

ENJOY!

Some years ago, I saw a picture of some huge ice lights adorning a walkway. It was just a picture and it was not the main object of the picture, but, it was pretty just the same. I showed it to my husband and he figured out how to make the “lights”. After that, we did this every winter when we lived in Maine. I thought, I would share it with you and maybe some of you would also like to do this.

I named them NORWEGIAN CANDLES, maybe that is their name anyway, I don't know.

The outcome that you want is:

all along a walkway or even drive way, big huge ice candles on either side.

This is how you do it. Get the kids, because this is fun!

WHAT YOU NEED:

1) A 5 gallon empty plastic bucket, no holes, and preferably with a handle on it.

2) water

3) candles that are either long or big round ones. You can find these in any store. Just buy a few for now, after you get the hang of this, you can figure out what size you want. The candles don't have to be scented. You only need ONE candle per ice light.

You need to mark where you want your NORWEGIAN CANDLES to be. I suggest spacing them at least 3 feet from each other.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1) take your bucket and fill it full of water.

2) Leave it out side, preferably near your site, until absolutely frozen around the edges and thick

3) when frozen put the bucket over your first marked site and slowly, turn it upside down.

Generally the middle part will be hollow. You may have to coax the ice out, don't be rough, you want the entire piece.

4) get your candle, situate it right in the middle in the hole of your ice and light it. ( your candle goes INSIDE and DOWN in your ice. The ice looks something like a coffee mug, with a bottom of ice and yet deep enough to put the candle, so that the wind does not blow it out. )

Continue with the rest of your marked places

Only light the  NORWEGIAN CANDLES  at night. It may take a few days, depending on how many buckets you have around, to get all the NORWEGIAN CANDLES   that you want.

As long as it stays cold out, you will have your NORWEGIAN CANDLES  all winter long. Obviously, you will have to replenish your candles as they burn completely down.

I hope you enjoy your NORWEGIAN CANDLES as much as I did!

A while back, I did a blog on spices and what they go well with. This time I will just use the herb and what foods it will enhance. Look through my blogs and you will also see how to make up your own spice blends, such as PUMPKIN PIE SPICE BLEND, SPICED NUTS, SPICY APPLE PIE BLEND, and more. You will find in another blog what spices will enhance what foods.

For those of you that are artistic, this would make a beautiful gift for someone who likes to cook and bake, or is new at cooking and baking. I had a friend who copied something like this by hand in calligraphy, on a long sheet of paper, dyed the paper some pretty color and made colored scroll work all around the edges, and made a small frame all around and made it so that it could be hung on the wall. She also said a few words of friendship and put her name on the bottom and DATED it. It was a very personalized gift. See what you can do!!

ANISE use in: sweet cream cheese appetizers, soups, fruit salads, applesauce, teas, fruit drinks, carrots, celery, coleslaw, sole, crab, spicy meat mixtures, cakes, cookies, sweet rolls, rye breads

BASIL use in: dips, canapes, all kinds of soups and stews, green salads, especially good on tomatoes, omelets, scrambled eggs, green beans, broccoli, cucumbers, egg plant, peas, spinach, zucchini, shrimp, fish, creole dishes, beef, pork, veal, lamb, all kinds of poultry and stuffing, wine vinegar

BAY use in: bouquet garni, fish chowders, tomato juice and stocks, with poached fish; in hearty fish dishes; and with roast chicken, beef roasts, and beef stew.

BORAGE use in; mild dips, all kinds of soups and stews, green salads, coleslaw, iced drinks, spinach, beets, shellfish, all kinds of meat and poultry and stuffing, cream sauces

BURNET use in: appetizer dips, canapes, cream soups, green salads, potato salad, iced drinks, asparagus, mushrooms, shellfish, tarter sauce, wine vinegar

CARAWAY use in: appetizer spreads and dips, canapes, potato soup, cabbage soups, goulash, coleslaw, potato salad, cream cheese, cottage cheese, cabbage, potatoes, green beans, carrots, red beets, cauliflower, casseroles, German dishes,meatballs, applesauce, cookies, breads,especially rye, apple pie, cakes

CELERY SEED use in: soups, stews, salads, curry dishes, poultry stuffing, fish and meat dishes, eggs, breads, vegetables

CHERVIL use in: potato, spinach and cream soups, in egg and chicken salads, salad dressings and mayonnaise, with fish, shellfish and chicken; in fish sauces and cheese spreads, with lettuce, potatoes, red beets and tomatoes and in a fines herbes combination

CHIVES use in: all kinds of appetizers, all kinds of soups, stews, all kinds of salads, omelets, cheese dishes, deviled eggs, potatoes,carrots, corn, green beans, mushrooms, peas, red beets, summer squash, tomatoes, all kinds of other vegetables, shellfish, broiled fish, all kinds of meat and poultry, tartar sauce, butter sauces,cheese sauces, wine vinegar

CORIANDER use the seeds in curries and pickling spice mixtures; with lentils, lima beans, peas, potato dumplings, in biscuits, breads, lamb dishes; carrot cake and pies.

Use the leaves in: Mexican, Chinese, Indian and Moroccan dishes, in meat, rice and lentil dishes; with corn, zucchini , chicken, and in salads.

CUMIN use in; Mexican, oriental, and Indian and middle eastern dishes, in curries, stews, chili, spicy meat and vegetable dishes; with green beans,cabbage, in deviled eggs; breads and with cheese

DILL use the leaves in:all kinds of appetizers, potato soups,salads and salmon; potato salad, rice dishes and borscht; green salads, coleslaw, cottage cheese, green beans, carrots, cucumbers and potatoes. omelets, cauliflower, tomatoes, halibut, salmon, lamb, ham, cream chicken, tartar sauce, butter sauces, wine vinegar, rye bread

use the seeds in: salad dressings, fish soups, meat dishes, lamb stew,, and egg and potato dishes, cabbage and in breads.

FENNEL use the seeds and leaves with fish; in spicy meat mixtures; with eggs, cabbage, red beets, squash and apples; in stuffings and breads

use Florence fennel as a vegetable; serve raw like celery, braise, bake au gratin or turn into a cream soup.

GARLIC Use with everything except sweets. Use for soups, salads, fish, poultry, meat and egg dishes; in stews, sauces an mayonnaise, in breads and with any vegetables; to make oil and vinegar dressings.

GINGER use fresh ginger in oriental and Indian dishes, with fish, chicken, meats and vegetables

use dried ginger with pot roasts, poultry, carrots, red beets, squash and sweet potatoes; in breads, cakes, cookies, puddings, fruit salads and stewed fruit mixtures.

HORSERADISH use in cocktail and mustard sauces; in sauces for fish, roast beef and in green vegetables; in salad dressings; with boiled meats; in sandwiches and with red beets

LOVAGE Use the leaves and stalks sparingly as a celery substitute in soups, salads, potato salad, stews and stuffings; braise the stalks as a vegetable.

use the seeds in chicken salad, meat loaf, breads and herb butters.

MARJORAM use in: cream cheese dips and appetizers, all kinds of soups and stews, green salads, chicken salad, vegetable cocktails, omelets, scrambled eggs, carrots, spinach, squash,eggplant, cabbage, lima beans, mushrooms, peas, and tomatoes; baked or broiled fish, fish recipes and fish chowders, all kinds of meat, chicken, duck goose, gravies, fish sauces, biscuits, muffins

MINTS use in: green pea soups, split pea soups, fruit salads, teas, iced drinks, , green beans, new peas, baked or broiled fish, lamb, veal, mint sauces, mint jellies, wine vinegar, mint syrups, sherbets

ONION use for all dishes except sweets. Use in soups, stews, salad, egg dishes, fish, poultry, meat and all vegetables, some breads.

OREGANO use in: appetizers spreads, canapes, onion soup, all stews, seafood salads, aspics, omelets, spicy cheese, onions, peas, baked beans, shellfish, all kinds of meats, game, hare, venison, cream sauces, tomato sauces, meat-pie crusts, breads

PARSLEY use in: all kinds of appetizers, all kinds of soups and stews, all kinds of salads, vegetable cocktails, omelets, cheeses, all kinds of vegetables, all kinds of fish and seafood, all kinds of meat, stuffing, tartar sauce, butter sauces, breads, rolls

ROSEMARY use in : cheese appetizers and dips, all kinds of soups ( chicken soup, pea soup) and stews, chicken salads, seafood salads, vegetable juices, omelets, sharp cheese, potatoes, mushrooms, salmon, haddock, cod, all kinds of meats and poultry, wild game, stuffing, gravies, breads, rolls, biscuits

SAGE use in : cheese dips appetizers, cream soups, chowders, sharp cheese, cottage cheese, eggplant, Lima beans, baked or broiled fish, meat loaf, roasts, chicken, turkey, game, stuffing, brown sauce, muffins, breads

SAVORY use in : cheese dips and appetizers, bean soups, chowders, aspics, green salads, vegetable cocktails, deviled eggs, omelets, green beans, sauerkraut, salt water fish, all kinds of meat, chicken, duck,, turkey, fish sauces, cream sauce, meat-pie crusts

TARRAGON use in: all kinds of appetizers, chicken soup, mushroom soup, all kinds of salads, vegetable cocktails, omelets, cream cheese, asparagus, all fish, steaks, chicken, duck turkey, cream sauce, Hollandaise

THYME use in : shrimp dips, vegetable soup and stews, all other types of stews, tomato aspic, lemon tea, cottage cheese, cream cheese, beans, onions, potatoes, all kinds of fish, roasts, meat loaf, ham, stuffing, turkey, all tomato sauces, breads, rolls.

TURMERIC use as a cheap saffron substitute for its bright yellow color. Good in curries, salads, dressings and mustard; with seafood, fish, poultry and meat; in rice dishes; and with eggs

WATERCRESS use liberally in salads, chicken salad, bean salad, potato salad, and coleslaw; in tomato juice, soups and egg dishes; with cottage cheese; and in herb butters.

Here are some more herbs AND spices that go good with certain foods.

ENJOY!

For those of you that are artistic, this would make a beautiful gift for someone who likes to cook and bake, or is new at cooking and baking. I had a friend who copied something like this by hand in calligraphy, on a long sheet of paper, dyed the paper some pretty color and made colored scroll work all around the edges, and made a small frame all around and made it so that it could be hung on the wall. She also said a few words of friendship and put her name on the bottom and DATED it. It was a very personalized gift. See what you can do!!

BEANS, DRIED

cumin, garlic, onions, parsley, sage, savory, thyme

BEANS, GREEN

basil, cloves, dill, marjoram, mints, savory, thyme

BEEF

basil, bay leaf, chili pepper, cumin, garlic, ginger, marjoram, onions, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme

BREAD

anise, basil, caraway, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, dill, garlic, onions, oregano, parsley, poppy seeds, rosemary, sage, sesame seeds, thyme

BROCCOLI

basil, dill, garlic, nutmeg, oregano

CABBAGE

basil, caraway, cayenne pepper, dill, marjoram, savory

CARROTS

basil, chervil, chives, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, dill, ginger, marjoram, mint, parsley, savory

CAULIFLOWER

basil, cumin, dill, garlic, marjoram, parsley, rosemary, savory, tarragon

CHEESE

basil, chervil, chives, coriander, curry powder, dill, garlic, marjoram, parsley, sage, tarragon, thyme

CHICKEN

allspice, basil, bay leaf, cinnamon, curry powder, dill, garlic, ginger, mace, marjoram, nutmeg, onions, paprika, parsley, rosemary,, saffron, sage, savory, thyme

COTTAGE CHEESE

basil, chives, cinnamon, curry powder, dill, paprika, thyme

EGGPLANT

basil, cinnamon, garlic, marjoram, onions, oregano, parsley, savory, thyme

EGGS

basil, chervil, chives, coriander, curry powder, dill, fennel, marjoram, oregano, paprika, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme

FISH

basil, chives, curry powder, dill, garlic, ginger, marjoram, oregano, parley, sage, savory, tarragon, thyme

FRUIT

anise, cinnamon . Cloves, ginger, mace, mints, nutmeg, rosemary

LAMB

basil, bay leaf, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, curry powder, dill, garlic, ginger, mints, onions, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme

MUSHROOMS

coriander, marjoram, oregano, tarragon, thyme

PARSNIPS

basil, curry powder, dill, marjoram, parsley, thyme

POTAOTES

caraway, chives, dill, marjoram, oregano, paprika, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme

SALADS, GREEN

basil, chervil chives, coriander, dill, garlic, marjoram,, mints, oregano, parsley, rosemary, tarragon, thyme

SOUPS

basil, bay leaf, chives, dill, garlic, marjoram, onions, parsley, rosemary, sage, savory, thyme

SPINACH

allspice, basil,, chives, nutmeg, rosemary

SQUASH

allspice, basil, cinnamon, cloves, dill, marjoram, nutmeg, rosemary, savory

STUFFINGS

garlic, marjoram, parsley, onions, rosemary, sage, thyme

TOMATOES

basil, bay leaf, chives, garlic, oregano, parsley, rosemary, savory, tarragon, thyme

TURKEY

basil, garlic, marjoram, onions, rosemary, saffron , sage, savory, tarragon, thyme

VEAL

basil, bay leaf, chervil, marjoram, onions, parsley, rosemary, savory, thyme

I'll be doing another blog starting with the herb or spice and what goes good with it.

A unique shopping experience is just what you will find in my LOCAL HARVEST Store! Come look at all 22 pages full of wonderful , sweet smelling herbal creations of SPICES & HERBS BY ELAYNN!

My herbal teas and culinary herbs surpass anything in a grocery store! My prices are low, but the quality and taste are of the highest!

Gift Ideas from my store:

Potpourri

check out my Winter Wonderland Simmering Potpourri with that Old Timey Nostalgic scents of cinnamon, nutmeg and other spices and herbs for both holidays and winter! (available only from today til December 30!) One tablespoon of this wonderfully wintery scented Potpourri in one pint to a quart of water in a pan and placed on the wood stove , range , or simmer pot will last for 2 weeks or longer!

Herbal Teas

Culinary herb blends

Bath Teas

Room Fresheners

Dryer Bags

Moth repellants

Cats and Dog items

COME LOOK, COME BUY, COME TASTE, COME USE.

ENJOY! THANKS! Elaynn

to order, just scroll back up to the very top of the page here and click on the name SPICE AND HERBS BY

ELAYNN. It will take you into my store. Click on VISIT MY STORE. If you have problems and/or questions

contact me by email elaynn@yahoo.com or the webmaster here on Local Harvest

When you buy herbs from someone who is selling them, whether herbs in bulk, as seasonings, or teas, how can you be certain that the individual is really growing the herbs, and not purchasing them from a commercial company that sells herbs in bulk? Also, what difference does it make?

To address the first question, there are many ways to find out if the person is really growing the herbs that they are selling. For instance, if at a farmer's market, you could look for a growers certificate, and/or organically grown certificate. If the grower has either or both of these certificates, they will proudly display them . You could also ask where their farm is. If they act caught off guard or hesitate, you can be sure that they are probably not growing what they are selling. Another is ,of course, how knowledgeable are they about the herbs?

But, what about online sellers, how can you tell? There are many ways. What does the herbalist say about herself? What do her pictures that she puts on line tell you? Does she blog and if so, are the blogs informative or just advertising for business? Growing herbs takes quite a bit of property, at least 3 acres if one is growing and selling a variety of herbs to be sold in bulk. The reason is that while in the garden, it looks like one has a lot of herbs, but, once they are dried, it's not a lot at all. It takes a tremendous amount of herbs , and time, to sell herbs in bulk. If a person is selling culinary, medicinal, and teas, the herbs are needed for those items.

Then, comes the interesting part: what do the herbs look and smell like when purchased? If your herbs are all cookie cutter perfect, all the same size, with no twigs, you can be sure that the herbalist is not taking the time to do that. It's too much work. And, it's nearly impossible to do, by hand. Another give away is the price. If you're purchasing an ounce of herb at a really cheap price, think this way; easy come, easy go. The herbs are very likely being purchased commercially in bulk, for rock bottom prices. The reason is that these companies need to move these herbs along and, you can better believe that these herbs were on the bottom of the pile. The other give away is the smell. Fresh, dried herbs will scent up the post office in no time. And before you even open your package from the herb supplier, you know what's in it and so does everyone else.

And last, is the taste. Fresh dried herbs, taste so good, and have such flavor, that you just know that they are fresh, whether in tea or culinary.

To address the second question of what difference it makes, for starters, when you purchase herbs that are commercial, your herbs are contaminated. The machinery used to harvest the herbs is also used to harvest other items such as peanuts and nut trees. If you are allergic to peanuts, or, if you should make up a tea or culinary dish, that peanut residue is in the herbs and can cause you or someone else that is allergic to peanuts medical problems or a trip to the emergency room.

There are many individuals involved in harvesting commercial herbs and, not everyone has the same degree of sanitation. Also, animal manure can carry diseases, and most commercial businesses are in business to make, not lose, money. Therefore, they will likely be using pesticides, herbicides, you name it.

And lastly, the herbs for the most part are not grown in the United States. They are grown in other countries, such as Egypt, France, Spain, Bulgaria. I know that many good herbs grow in the middle east and certainly in Europe. The problem, however, is that once the herbs are harvested, they are put in storage (and who knows really if it is hot or cold?) for months, until the commercial company makes an order. Then, after being shipped to the United States, the herbs go into storage, until a business makes an order. Don't think that the herbs ordered have just come from another country last week. More than likely, it was last year. Businesses generally use last in, last out with their products, including herbs.

It really is important to pay attention as to where and from whom, we purchase our herbs! Ask questions, read what the herbalist is telling about herself and her herbs, look at the quantities that she has, and ask yourself if they are reasonable quantities. Take a look at her prices and, stop and smell!

Good Health to y'all!