FIRST AID KIT GOES "AU NATURELLE"

 

 

There has been a big shift in switching to natural foods and products. Just better for our bodies, anything that occurs naturally is unprocessed and un-manipulated. Even the basis for our modern medicines is mainly plant derivatives. Willow bark was used for thousands of years and was the forerunner of our modern aspirin.

So, it just makes sense to swap out some things in your first aid kit for more natural products. Many of these are items that you already have around the house and can be replenished readily. On top of that, many times they are way cheaper than buying the traditional products…and you know exactly what you are getting.

Whether the kit is for your home, your camper, on your boat or in your backpack, here are some natural alternatives for your first aid items:

*ALOE VERA GEL. This has been used for ages for cooling, soothing and healing burns and scrapes. Plants can be grown both inside and outside. To use the gel, simply cut off a leaf and scrape out the white gel inside. Store it in a clean glass jar. Be careful not to use the yellow gel, only the white.

*ARNICA GEL OR CREAM. These are anti-inflammatory and circulation stimulating. They are applied topically for relief for sore muscles, strains, sprains, bruises and anything in between.

*CALENDULA-COMFREY SALVE. Calendula is the bright yellow and orange flowers that bloom in your summer garden. But it is more than a pretty asset to your flower beds. It has astringent, antibacterial, anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and wound healing abilities. Often, calendula is combined with the herb comfrey for salves. Comfrey contains allantoin, a compound that stimulates growth of new tissue and heals wounds. However, it also has compounds which can cause severe liver damage, even if it is only absorbed through the skin, so it is best to find a product only containing calendula or make your own.

*CITRONELLA INSECT REPELLENT. Citronella is a naturally occurring oil that is derived from two types of grass. It is as effective as chemical repellents like Off without containing the chemical DEET, which has been of concern to some. However, citronella needs to be applied generously and often, usually every two hours, because it evaporates quickly.

*ECHINACEA. This is one of my favorites and my go-to whenever I feel the sniffles or some bug coming on. For me, it knocks it out flat and has warded off colds and flu. This effect is due to its immune-stimulating compounds. Derived from cone flowers, echinacea can be used for any type of infection, used both internally and externally.

*ELDERBERRY JUICE OR CAPSULES. These will stop a cold or flu from ruining your vacation or other plans. The berries contain compounds that prevent cold and flu viruses from invading and infecting cells. Besides being a preventative, elderberry can hasten recovery time if you do catch a nasty bug.

*ELEUTHERO. This is a new one to me. The standardized extract is an adaptogen, meaning it helps the body adjust and adapt to stress. It was used by Soviet cosmonauts to help them adjust to space travel and is effective in preventing jet lag.

*EUCALYPTUS ESSENTIAL OIL. This is a potent antibiotic and antiviral. It is excellent for colds, flu and sinus infections when used as a steam inhalant. Do not take internally.

*GINGER CAPSULES. These are great at soothing digestive upsets and they are antispasmodic. It has been proven that they help motion sickness better than Dramamine.

*GOLDENSEAL CAPSULES. You know that traveler’s diarrhea that can literally ruin a vacation. Goldenseal, an antimicrobial, is known for stopping it in its tracks. Also an antiseptic, it can be sprinkled on wounds to stop bleeding.

*GRINDELIA. Also known as gumweed, it contains resins and tannins that relieve the pain of itching plant rashes.

*LAVENDAR. Besides smelling good, this versatile gem helps with anxiety, insomnia, headaches, wounds and burns.

*LAXATIVE HERBAL TEA BAGS. Most herbal laxative teas rely on senna to “get things going.” However, senna has a bitter taste, so it is normally combined with licorice, cinnamon, ginger or some other flavoring to make it more palatable. Laxative herbal tea bags are good to have in your kit because they produce effects but are not as harsh as other laxatives. Let’s face it, when you are out and about, more times than not you are likely to suffer from either constipation or diarrhea…it pays to be prepared for either.

*PEPPERMINT. High in menthol, this is just a good all-around go-to for the medicine bag. It soothes upset stomachs, clears sinuses and relieves itching from insect bites.

*VALERIAN. When things have you up tight, this little herb helps you calm down, relieve anxiety and tension and helps with insomnia.

*EPSOM SALTS. These little granules are treasures in themselves by relieving aches and pains from pulled muscles and over exertion. They also aid in making removing splinters easier.

*BAKING SODA. Make a paste of baking soda and water to relieve the discomfort from everyday bug bites and bee stings.

*WITCH HAZEL. An astringent, witch hazel can be applied directly to the skin for the relief of itching, pain and swelling. It is an antiviral and anti-inflammatory.

*APPLE CIDER VINEGAR. Not only is this good for rashes, but it can be taken internally for upset stomach, acid reflux and other conditions.

*HYDROGEN PEROXIDE. This is a must for the initial cleansing of wounds. However, after cleansing with a good dose of this, clean the wound with water so as not to kill off all the good bacteria. Hydrogen peroxide is also beneficial for ear infections.

*GARLIC OIL. This will kill the parasites that cause diarrhea and is also good for colds and ear infections.

*WHITE VINEGAR AND EGG WHITES. This sounds like a weird combination, however there is nothing better for burns. Recently, while making fudge, some of the hot liquid spilled on the palm of my hand. Before I could get it off, it caused quite a burn. After removing the burning liquid, I poured white vinegar over my palm followed by rubbing in an egg white. Yes, the vinegar burned when applied, but where I should have had a large blister, I had none and no scarring and no more pain. This combination works wonders for burns.

 

For almost every common ailment or minor injury, there is a natural treatment that works as well or better than formulated medicines. One huge warning here though: Just because they are natural does not mean they are all safe. They still pose interactions with other drugs or conditions. So, before using a natural herb or remedy, talk to your doctor or use it cautiously until you know how your body reacts. After all, some of these are strong compounds which is why they work so well.

 

Another point is that many of these will work for the same condition. You have to know what works for you.  For example, echinacea will stop a cold dead in its tracks for me but does not work for Ron. Something else may work for him and not for me.

Just know there is a whole medicine cabinet waiting to be discovered from nature. Many of these are more in tune with our bodies than the chemical alternatives. Do your body a favor and check them out.

 

 

SOURDOUGH BREAD AND ITS BUDDIES

 

 

After various tries, I finally made a successful batch of sourdough starter. I followed all the guidelines before, but sourdough is its own little person and can be persnickety once in a while. I had to get it right to my house temperature, my flour and my timing. Then I made my first sourdough loaf of bread and it was love at first bite.

Sourdough peaked my interest because it is usually tolerated better than regular yeast breads for those of us with stomach issues. It is actually touted as the healthiest bread because of the fermentation process which produces probiotics to keep the gut happy. 

It draws its rising power from wild yeast and lactobacillus rather than commercial yeast. This yeast neutralizes the phytic acid which is found in the bran part of the wheat. The lower phytate levels make it more digestible and nutritious and less likely to spike blood sugar levels. The downside is that the wild yeast requires a longer rising time, However, this in turn starts breaking down the bran of the grain, making it more digestible.

The trouble is that, every time you “feed” the starter, you discard part of it or it would literally take over your kitchen. This seemed such a waste. So, I started doing a little investigating and found that sourdough isn’t just for bread. There are sourdough pancakes, waffles, cookies, pizza crust, dumplings, gravy, white sauces, batter for root vegetables and fish, flatbreads, soft tortillas, cakes, muffins and more!

So, move over bread, and let us try some of your buddies like:

 

SOURDOUGH PANCAKES

 

4 oz sourdough starter (can be the discard)

1 ½ cups buttermilk

1 ½ cups flour

1 T honey

2 eggs

4 T melted butter

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

Mix the first four ingredients and let it set in fridge overnight. Add the rest of the ingredients and then drop by ½ cup fulls on hot griddle.

 

PIZZA CRUST

 

1 ½ cups flour

½ cup sourdough starter

½ cup water

2 T olive oil

1 tsp salt

1 T honey or sugar

Mix the flour and salt then add the rest for a rough dough. Knead 5 to 7 minutes then place in an oiled bowl, turn once to coat all sides. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let set for at least 6 hours and up to 10.

Preheat oven to 450* then turn dough out on stone or pan. Flatten to a disc, taking care not to deflate all the gases. Keep pressing outward until desired size. Oiling hands helps it not to stick. Top with your favorites and bake 10 to 15 minutes.

 

SOURDOUGH ENGLISH MUFFINS

 

2 ½ cups flour

1 ¾ cups warm whole milk

1 cup sourdough starter

2 T honey

2 ½ cups bread flour

¼ cup softened butter

1 ½ tsp salt

Cornmeal for dusting

 

Mix the all purpose flour, starter, milk, honey and butter. Cover with a cloth and let stand 30 minutes.

Add bread flour and salt and work dough until completely combined then knead 5 to 8 minutes. Grab a small bit and pull on it, if the fibers tear quickly, keep kneading but if it stretches and pulls smoothly the dough is ready. Form the dough into a smooth ball, cover it and let it rise at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours until it puffs up soft and spongy. After this rise, it can be put in the fridge overnight or cooked immediately.

Sprinkle a clean surface with cornmeal, roll dough to ½ inch thick. Use a biscuit cutter or a wide mouth Mason jar ring to cut rounds. Set on parchment-lined baking sheet, cover and let rise 1 to 2 hours.

Cook 7 to 9 minutes on each side in a hot griddle sprinkled with cornmeal. A thermometer should read 180* in the center when they are cooked through.

 

SOURDOUGH DOUGHNUTS

 

2 cups all purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp salt

 

¼ tsp nutmeg

½ cup milk

¼ cup canola oil

1 egg

½ cup starter

 

GLAZE

 ¼ cup milk

2 cups confectioners sugar

2 tsp vanilla

Combine all doughnut ingredients, knead 2 to 3 minutes until dough is soft and supple, not sticky. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rest 30 minutes to an hour. Refrigerate for up to 24 hours or make immediately.

Roll dough to ½ inch thick, cut doughnuts and lay on tray covered with parchment paper. Cover with a towel and let rise 1 to 1 ½ hours. Pour 2 inches of oil in a 3-quart pan. Heat to 350*. Drop 2 or 3 doughnuts at a time in. They will sink to the bottom then float to the top. Cook a couple minutes on either side.

For glaze, heat the milk until simmering, whisk in the confectioners sugar then add the vanilla. Dip the doughnuts in the glaze or roll in your favorite sugar.

 

SOURDOUGH IMPOSSIBLE PIE

 

1 ½ cups starter

3 eggs

Salt to taste

Mix all and pour over any casserole filling such as stew, pot pie filling or others. Bake at 350*, pie crust will rise to top of dish and the filling will stay moist under it.

 

GRANOLA BARS

 

2 cups quick cooking oats

1 cup starter

1 cup dried fruits

1/3 cup pumpkin seeds

1/3 cup walnuts

2/3 cup chocolate chips

1/3 cup maple syrup

Mix all ingredients, pour in medium sized pan and press dough down. Bake at 350* 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cut into bars.

These are just some of the ways to use discarded starter or regular starter. The discarded can also be refrigerated for a few months or frozen for up to a year. It also makes a great batter for fish or roasted vegetables, just add your own spices to it.

Sourdough anything is healthier for your digestive system than regular yeast. Sometimes it takes a little getting used to that tangy flavor but once you do it will make all those breads, cookies and other baked goods so much better for you.

Sourdough isn’t just for bread. Once you start using it for all these other treats, you may just fall in love with that natural bubbly little pet yeast in a jar sitting in your fridge!

 

 

 

THE DIRTY TRUTH ABOUT DIGGING DOWN UNDER

 

 

There are hobbies and then there are hobbies. Who would have ever thought that finding where poo has been would lead to buried treasure?

That is exactly what outhouse diggers, also known as privy diggers, do. I thought it was crazy and maybe an isolated incident a couple years ago when I heard that a “privy digger” was coming to my hometown to try and find treasure under what used to be an outhouse.

However, since then I have learned that this can be not only big business, but a lucrative one at that, and that there are societies of people around the country who seek buried treasure where outhouses used to be.

Outhouses were the go-to, literally for when anyone had to “go” up until the 1920’s when indoor plumbing began to replace these necessary out buildings. It turns out that there were a lot more things than poo that ended up down in the hole. Old bottles, jugs, coins, tools, guns, tea pots, medicine bottles and many other things are found “down there.”

The most popular treasures are old bottles themselves. Many privy diggers are old bottle collectors whose primary reason for digging is to unearth antique bottles that are buried in centuries-old feces. The real finds are bottles that were handmade before machines began cranking them out. Some of these relics sell for thousands of dollars each.

 

Why would bottles end up under a toilet? To start with, back in their day, the bottles were not anything special. It’s only the years that have added to their value. The outhouse was not only used for doing the duty, but also for disposing of bottles and other items that were considered junk in the day.

 

Before it was considered kosher for women to drink alcohol, many women would sneak their whiskey bottles to the outhouse to have a couple snorts and would dispose of the evidence through the hole.

 

There were also a lot of snake oil salesmen or medicine men that would travel from town to town back in the day and sell miracle cures in unique bottles. These concoctions claimed to be the cure-all for whatever ailed a person. Some of the concoctions contained heroin which would become addictive for those with an unhealthy taste for opiates. Many of these bottles can still be found intact on sites where outhouses used to be, a couple have even been retrieved with some of the contents still in them.

This passion isn’t really as dirty or disgusting as it sounds. Pathogens usually die off after three years so the remains is basically just dirt.

 

Since the outhouses have been long-gone for years, the biggest challenge can be to locate where they once stood. One method is to look for an old woodshed since the privy was usually pretty close nearby. Old pathways lined with rocks often led to the outhouse. Depressions or dips in the ground are often indicators of where they once stood. Most were located between 50 and 150 feet from the houses.

 

Old maps can be useful when trying to find city privies. Many of these communal outhouses are now in open fields.

 

Most outhouse diggers use a probe rod (bottle probe) to check for soft soil or voids underground. These probes are somewhere between six to nine feet long with a bulb at the end. The diggers feel for a wall from a brick liner or cistern. A scratchy crunch that wasn’t anywhere else around can be felt where a privy used to be.

 

They also note the color of dirt that is on the rounded tip of the probe. Most soil is varying shades of brown but historical poop is a dark black color. When they see black, they know they have hit pay dirt…literally!

Metal detectors are also helpful in locating digging spots. Deep seeking ones are the best bet to find large collections of treasures. They can’t detect glass but many of the antique bottles had metal lids or rings which the detectors can pick up. Once something is located, an area of three and a half feet square and five feet deep is scanned.

All in all, it is not a very expensive hobby to get into. All the basic equipment that is needed are a pinpointing probe, headphones, a sturdy-handled digging tool and some good gloves…just because!

Scott Hendrichsen is a UPS driver based out of Texas township in Barry county, Michigan. He keeps an eye out for houses on his route whose architecture suggests that the house is old enough to have had an outhouse. He then asks the homeowner for permission to search. Usually, the landowner is as curious as the privy digger to see what is “down there” and readily agrees. Sometimes they agree to split the found treasure.

Some diggers work in crews and travel to different areas, unearthing pieces of the past. What remains underground where there used to be outhouses are time capsules in backyards. Archeologists complain that diggers are tearing up and plundering historical sites. A lot can be learned about our ancestors’ lifestyles by what they left behind or, more correctly, below. Once it is dug up, it is destroyed. It all depends on one’s outlook though; you are either on the side of history or finding buried treasure.

By the way, this little tidbit has nothing to do with digging for treasure, but it is an interesting outhouse fact. Many outhouses have a cut-out moon in the door. This was because, in the time of the outhouse, many folks couldn’t read. So, a moon shape designated a woman’s privy whereas a star stood for men. Eventually, the moon shape, a symbol for women, became the symbol for all outhouses.

I have to say that digging under old privies isn’t exactly something I want to delve into even though it can be very lucrative. Outhouse diggers see it in a different light. Doing the dirty work is a privilege for them.