Great Music and Books

http://www.nazarite.net/
Various CDs, books, and free music.

Qodesh
Young Talent giving their all for YHVH!

The BEST Jean Skirts!

Here is a link to my favorite place to get long skirts (no slits!). They have them for all sizes, including girls. I have emailed them and asked if they would consider making maternity skirts (specifically in larger sizes)! They replied and said they will consider it.

Also check out their very cute aprons. :-)

http://www.denimskirts.com/

Nutritional Herbology

Nutritional Herbology, A Reference Guide to Herbs, by Mark Pedesen
This is a wonderful resource to use to find out what nutrients are in herbs to make your own teas and herbal mixes. I have never seen anything like it. It gives you the chemical breakdown and amounts of the components in many many herbs. It gives a comprehensive description of each herb, its individual components and its uses, A very worthy resource for anyone who uses herbs to heal and be well!

http://www.amazon.com/Nutritional-Herbology-Reference-Guide-Herbs/dp/1885653077

Great Homeschool Resources!

I am very excited to announce a new source for great Homeschool resources!

I found myself searching for something a little more structured to help me teach English to my spirited new adopted daughter who just came home from Haiti, 4 weeks ago. She is five, and has learned some English letters in her preschool at the orphanage, but only identifying them and writing some. She doesn't seem to have any understanding that they have their own sounds. She has a very limited attention span. I also realized what I did for my other children would not be so easy to do with her. The only English she knows are the few words she has picked up since she has been here. This is very different from teaching my birth children who had a basic command of the spoken English Language and a vocabulary to connect things to! Not to mention I have been reading them books daily since they we about 6 month old! My newest daughter has not had any of that. My approach would have to be different. Not to mention, I have an active three year old and another adopted daughter who just came home at the same time (the older one's little sister) who is 2 1/2, but behind equivalent to a 1-1 1/2 year old in development. And if that is not enough to add to my challenge...I am pregnant with little lamb number six and am well...a bit queasy these days! :-) My cup runs over and I wouldn't change a thing....but I just realized I needed a little more help than I did before. :-) So...I started searching for some good materials. I found a company whom I think I am going to be VERY pleased with. I just received their materials today. And while this review has NOTHING to do with the new Phonics and Math program I got from them for my 5 and 3 year old....but another book I got at the same time.. the Complete Guide to Celebrating Our Messiah in The Festivals. I have a chance to review the first 186 pages during nap-time today and boy am I excited!!! So excited, that I came down stairs and ordered their Science Curriculum for my older ones (Considering God's Creation) and am hoping to order their two Bible Study/Ancient History Guides (Remembering God's Awesome Acts , and Remembering God's Chosen Children) which cover the first five books of the Bible and I think she has a third in the making. That is... after I talk with my Husband about them I really want Him to see these. (I didn't get a chance to go through the Math and Phonics ones sitting on kitchen counter as I type. I think it's gonna be a long night of browsing tonight after bedtime!) :-)

This book to the left is the size of a phone book and exceeds the only other book I have seen similar to it- BY LEAPS AND BONDS! (almost 700 pages!) It is a priceless tool for families who want to learn/teach about Our God's Appointed Times together! It is newly released. Well done!!

You may recognise some of their things from large distributers like CBD but to check out all their resources go directly to their website:

http://www.eagleswingsed.com/

Ooohh this is gonna be a good school year!! Eww the baby is waking... Enjoy!

Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health

***** five stars
This is a wonderful resource, especially if you are new to working with herbs. Rosemary's style of writing is very inclusive and instructional and besides having lots of great recipe to start with, she equips you to be bold and try your own recipes by teaching you how to do the different things! Teas, tonics, tinctures, salves, lotions, poultices, lozenges, syrups, capsules, baths. You name it!! From personal care to health care. And this book breaks things down for children, special women's need, men's needs, and elderly needs. This book is a fabulous resource for any home health library! (She has other books, I am looking forward to checking them out too.)
It is safe to say we don't have the same spiritual beliefs...but you find that very hard to find in most herbal resources available out there. That has kept a lot of believers (especially those in Brickianty) away from the amazing things that YHVH has created for us to use and master for health and maintenance of our bodies. Don't this be a stumbling block for you, it is subtle and not worth getting uptight about. I say we all need to learn more, write materials and make them available, so we can get the body off of man made chemicals and drugs! :-) (I'm working it! It takes time.)

Canning Without Sugar

Canning and Preserving Without Sugar, by Norma M. Macrae, R.D.


This book has turned out to be a wonderful resource for canning without sugar! It has several alternatives to sugar, grape juice, apple juice and honey to name a couple. It also explains how to use Agar Agar for a thickener instead of gelatin for thickening jams and such (instead of gelatin). It is a valuable tool for those who want to preserve things a better way. It is loaded with recipes and charts and general canning knowledge. I was confident to fiddle with things myself after reading this book, it really helped take the "mystery" of canning for me. Most people don't even know you can can without sugar because there is so little guidance out there in this area. I'm here to say, "YOU CAN - CAN WITHOUT SUGAR AND IT TASTES GREAT!"

I've made blackberry jam, peaches, peach butter, and tomato sauce so far. I've got a lot more planned, it takes a little doing to get started...but its easy once you get going!

Ushpizin

" I laughed, I cried, I got a stiff neck from reading the subtitles. This is a heart warming film that glorifies the Father!! So worth it - a classic - I give it *****!" review by MommySetFree

Ushpizin means "guests" loosely translated from Hebrew.

This is a WONDERFUL film we are blessed to have in our family collection. It has won many awards. It is set in modern day times and is about a couple in Jerusalem, living in an Orthodox community, (he is a rabbi) who is struggling with life issues as they receive unexpected secular acquaintances from the past as guests for Sukkot. It is a rich film filled with faith, struggle and real people. ( I don't want to give any of the story away!) We all loved it!

A knowledge and understanding about the holiday and culture will make this film even more delightful, but it is not necessary.

It is rated PG for thematic elements. We weren't quite sure what that meant. It seems that they were referring to the conflicts in the film that kept arising. Parents please review materials, because our opinions may be different on what is appropriate for children. There is a couple displays of violent tempers as well as a some drinking of alcohol which may bother some people. We pre-screen things for our children steer clear of most of Hollywood/Disney, etc. We tend toward religious and documentary viewing. We felt this was appropriate and allowed our reading children to watch it. (They loved it.)


You can find the trailer here and can also purchase the video here.

http://www.ushpizin.com/home.html

What do you use?

Because people know I do the natural thing, they often ask what we use to when we get sick. So I thought I would make a list of products I always keep on hand. I would like to get into making my own remedies, but until I do. I can recommend some things that we have come to love over the years of lots of experimenting and owning a healthfood co-op/store. Here are things things I always make sure I have on hand. I use most of these things on my littlest one starting at 1 year and up to adult.

• Herbs for Kids It was a line developed by a mom and in my opinion is a cut above the rest. I have used them for 10 years from 1 yr up. Here is a link http://www.herbsforkids.com/ . (Horehound and Cherry bark are my faves.)


• Traditional Medicinal Teas, http://www.traditionalmedicinals.com/ For the littlest ones, I let them cool off to warm and put them in their sippy cups (now regular cups for the big kids). I always have them in stock and they are good for parents too! :-)


• I always have bulk tea on hand too, Rosehips, Hybiscus and Peppermint are staples. Fresh ginger and lemon teas are also very helpful.


• Olbas http://olbas.com/index.html is extra nice if you are experiancing resperitory issues. We use ALL their products. They are exceptional! The inhaler is wonderful to carry in your coat or purse and cuts through stuffy nose symptoms on the go. I use the oil like a natural Vick's chest rub, it help open brochial passages. I also use it in the atomiser at night.The tea is so tasty and effective...it is pure comfort!


• Soveriegn Silver, is a wonderful immune booster, that I really load up on. It is a clear liquid that tastes like water, you take it from a dropper. My kids love it and line up like little birds as I drop it in. (Same witht he herbs for kids.) If your kids don't see the wonder of it like mine, dropper liquids are really easy to hide in a beverage of choice. http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/search/en/query.jsp?q=sovereign+silver&st=ps&source=go&campaign=MAP_Brands&adGroup=Sovereign_Silver&gcid=S19283x001&keyword=sovereign%20silver&gclid=CP6hqPyGzZUCFRoSFQodRnMcjQ


• Young Living Essential Oils http://www.youngliving.us/ are the only medicinal grade essential oils sold and made in the US. I researched it extensivly. They aren't cheap, but they are effective. I run a special vaporizer in the the bedrooms at night or if they are wiped out of commision on the couch. We have three vaporizers in our house, one for each bedroom at night! (including Grama's) There are lots of uses for essential oils, the "real stuff" does so much more than "smells good". Young living has a medical desk reference, that outlines exactly how to use which oils for what, it is a priceless resource. The anitmicrobial and antibacterial properties are strong and real. My kids have never use antibiotics..never.


• Emergen C http://www.emergenc.com/ is another thing I always have on hand. It is great to build that immune system and it's easy to drink. They come in little packets like Kool-Aid. Theya re great to keep your immune system up while traveling. Poor them in your bottled water and you have an immune booster all day long.


• Headaches? First, I have to say headaches are one of the body's warning signals that other thins are wrong. It is a symptom of something else. Of you get head aches alot, it is very important than you find the root of that problem! Rub pepperment oil (mixed with olive oil) on your temples, behind your ears, and above the eyebrows (careful not to get it in your eyes!). Dehydration is often a cause of headaches. (This can be caused by caffiene, smoke, sodiom or sugar pulling Vitamin C from the body too. Just to name a few causes, but there are many more.) So rehydrate yourself and stay hydrated.

All of these things are body building products. I use them to attack sickness that may come and also to prevent things from taking hold, that we may have been exposed too. This is why I always have them on hand, so I can "act swiftly". (Like when you are sitting next to someone who is tell you how sick they are! Or traveling, or when life gets really busy and you aren't getting proper rest or food, camping, stressful times, etc.) They are all tasty and "easy to take", unlike some pills and elixers. They can be combined with each other. Fresh lemon water and garlic are always good things to use too. We don't get sick often, nor do we stay sick long... I think it is because we try to live healthy and stay strong and we treat things naturally if we do get hit with things. Herbs are amazing once you learn how to use them!

The Hebrew Yeshua VS. The Greek Jesus, by Nehemia Gordon

This book is a wonderful work--we learned so much! It is packed with insight into Hebrew culture and Judaism - which may be a red flag for some people but I want to encourage you to check it out; it is easy to understand and interesting, so don't be intimidated. It is a short book, 92 pages double spaced - not counting the glossaries and intros (which are well worth reading!). It is loaded with footnotes at the bottom of each page, so you may further investigate things he is explaining. This man has helped translate the Dead Sea Scrolls among many other projects and has dedicated his life to the study of the Scriptures. If you are local, I can lend you mine.

Some things you will learn are:

• The difference between Torah and Traditions of Man (Takanot).


• The History of our Scriptures and how they have come about...and He makes a very strong case of the possibility of the Gospels, Acts and Revelation first being written in Hebrew, by his understanding of the syntax and culture of the language.
  
• Learn things you never knew about the book of Matthew.


• Learn about the root languages our Scriptures have been written in and the complexities of the translators through the ages.

If you want to see his oral presentation of this material I found it on You tube! It runs 2 hours and is worth your time. He goes through it pretty quickly, but you can always watch it again. :-) or get the book to take your time with it. If you watch it, or read this material, I would love for you to come back and give your comments below. Here is the video presentation: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7948003226656941071

Additional comments added 9/6 --
We posted this info and then a friend brought to our attention a couple of articles critiquing Nehemia's position. We had a very busy week of serving, and pulled this post until we had a chance to effectively read the articles. We did not want to be posting bad resources. If you are interested in the articles the links are at the bottom of the page.

I must clarify a couple of things. These two articles are written by Tim Hegg. They are specifically referencing a different article that Nehemia wrote, not the book/talk that I have listed above. However, it is the same topic matter--so it is relevant. The first article states his objections pretty clearly, and the second is longer with more detail. Some might consider this article splitting hairs in some ways it is, but so is Nehemia's declaration of some very small translation issues; So again..it is fit discussion. People who are still trying to figure out whether Saturday really is the Sabbath and whether or not the Torah "applies to them" will be overwhelmed by this. But for those don't mind putting an air tank on and going under the surface for a while. It will spur even more questions and hopefully stir something in your soul that glorifies Yahweh in the end.

Our Review of Tim's Review: We have to disclose that we do not know where Tim Hegg is coming from (his theology), simply because this article is our first exposure to him. He is related to http://www.torahresource.com/ which we know nothing about, at the time of this writing, but are curious to investigate further. We found a few of his points lacking substance, but a few other points worth considering.

Tim raises some question as to Nehemia's agenda, which I did not see before and is worth paying attention to. Any man's motive influences his fruit. Being a Karaite Jew, and a former Orthadox (which was plainly stated) not only gives him the authority to share the weaknesses of their Philosophy, but it should also be recognized as a motivation to disprove it. I can relate to that position. Having come from the other end of the Christian Doctrines...the additions of man which I see as a great detriment and obstacle to the Truth of the Scriptures, we quickly associate with Nehemia's position. However, later in Tim's article Tim shows how this motivation kept some relevant information "out of the spotlight". It is an age old story isn't it???!! We still think that much can be learned from Nehemia's book/talk on this topic. We just think it is best viewed with the understanding that it is being filtered through his motivation. Since Nehemia does not profess Messiah, Messiah is not his motivation. Does that make sense?

Are we defending Pharisees? NO and yes. Let me explain....It is not as black and white as we would like it to be. The beginning of Mat 23 being a fine example of that. We are learning to read Scripture in context. We read the whole chapter, the one before the one after and measure it against all of Scripture to see how it fits. We are learning to see patterns and make Torah the benchmark by which to measure things, just like the writers of the NT Scriptures did. We could not do this until we studied the old testament with people who understood it in its historical context (www.torahclass.com/lessons, http://www.wildbranch.org/ to name a couple of good resources). We will continue too as long as we have breath! While we have accepted that we are never going to "figure Yahweh out", we are learning to see patterns and threads from the beginning to the end. We are seeing things about our Creator that we were blinded to before, and also better realizing what our part in the whole thing is...according to His Word. As we learn the finer points of the context of Yahshua's time here on earth before He was hung on a stake...we see how much MORE sovereign Yahweh is, and how much more AWESOME the works of Yahshua were/are. In other independent studies, which help us to understand the Hebrew culture better, we are learning that Yahshua observed many cultural traditions that were NOT specifically given in Torah. It is not so black-and-white as to say that any tradition not specifically written in Scripture is bad...because Yahshua seemed to practice some of them without explanation and He was sinless. (That's a whole other can of worms!) Yes, HE railed against the Pharisees in many ways, but along with that, we see that He used some of the other traditions to glorify Himself and The Father. Yahshua Himself seems to have practiced traditions that seemed to glorify YHVH. (Yes it would have been so much easier to draw a thick line we could not cross - that certainly would have been our preference--but, YHVH is not that simple. (We are...but HE is not.) SO what we are trying to say is, that our "initial reaction" is to cut out all things "extra" in Judaism for fear that we would be swayed to other forms or man made doctrine that would distort Pure Torah. As a matter of fact that is where we are bent. Because we see that Yahshua did in-fact give us many many warnings as to this danger. We want to heed these warnings with great care and discernment, and not jump from the pot (the former Christian traditions we have come out of) and into the fire (the former Judaic traditions Paul came out of). Instead with much study and prayer we try to discern the difference between the doctrines of man that glorify HIM and the ones that don't. We desire to stay true to PURE TORAH, as best we can in the time and place which Yah has placed us. I thank Yahweh for His never ending grace that allows us to search out these mysteries, question things, and Trust in Him fully through it all.

The heart of the matter is this: As we walk with our Messiah--If we pursue Him and His ways with passion and if we can walk in humble adoration (No small task in itself!!) then what we understand now will be very different than what we understand this time next year...we will tread more lightly on the opinions of which we hold fast to today because Yahweh will have given us greater understanding than we had the year before (and so on). We will measure things carefully and remain ever teachable and ever humble. It is when we strive to find specific formula's that are black and white that we enter into a great place of danger. One which often results in a stagnant spiritual condition or a place of un-teachability because we "know all we need to know" and are quite comfortable with it. The fact is, that Yahshua warned us is his teaching and parables in various ways that this walk is neither comfortable nor black-and-white. We put our trust in HIM as we try to sort out the details in Scripture and manage the convictions He has put in us. If we put our trust in the actions (i.e. rules, method, philosophy, works, doctrine, application of our faith) above our trust in the Living Elohim, the action (even if clearly ordained by YHVH) now becomes our obstacle, our idol, our "religion", our barrier to recognizing His truth.

Having said all that....We decided to re post this information in its entirety, because we learned a lot from the experience. I pray it has brought us one step closer to understanding the teachings of our Messiah, and the difference between doctrines of man and Divine Torah, Writings and the Prophets. It is not our position to be "right", rather it is our desire to search out the truth - no matter the cost to our personal desires and comfort.

These articles are taken from Tim Hegg's TorahResource.com

Tim Hegg's Articles:

http://www.torahresource.com/EnglishArticles/Matt23.3Gordon.pdf

Nehemia Gordon's responce to Tim Hegg's Article:

http://www.torahresource.com/EnglishArticles/was_yeshua_a_pharisee.pdf

Tim Hegg's rejoiner to Nehemia's Responce:

http://www.torahresource.com/EnglishArticles/GordonResponse.pdf

Messiah: Prophecy Fulfilled, by Nick Mancuso

This FILM is delightfully refreshing as it is woven with prophecy connections showing our Messiah's (Jesus/Yahshua) Divine fulfillment of one of Yahweh's Appointed Times. The focus is on seeing Messiah in Passover. It is just a glimpse into this precious Appointed Time - but so wonderfully done!

It is the story of the Disciple/Talmudine Judah, as he returns home one year after the crucifixion of Yahshua for it's anniversary feast; the Passover. His family struggles with the fact that he follows the Messiah they are concerned that Yahshua was a false profit and their son/brother is deceived. However, Judah's faith and testimony of what He witnessed as Yahshua's disciple/talmudine... It is electric! He shares how he has come to understand how the Messiah is revealed throughout the Passover meal. This same thing is repeated in homes of believers who keep Yahweh's blessed Holy Appointed Times as Yahweh has told us to do until the end of time.

It is a wonderful tool to share with Christian friends and family who don't understand how the Appointed Times are for BELIEVERS, not simply "Jewish feasts" that don't apply to us. It portrays the Sovereign Richness of how Yahweh and Yahshua have told us how to remember and celebrate the precious gift of The Savior. The whole "Easter bunny, egg laying rabbit, ham eating, egg dying traditions" that the Christian Church has blindly adopted from the Catholic traditions of Constantine can't even come close to how the NT church lived and celebrated our LORD. This is how our family chooses to celebrate HIS PRECIOUS GIFT TO US...the way HE told us too...the way the Early Church did, the way Yahshua really taught.

This film is hard to find, because it's not being produced anymore. It is a wonderful item to have in your family library. If your can swing it in your budget...don't hesitate get this film!

http://www.amazon.com/Messiah-Prophecy-Fulfilled/dp/5552354842

A Personal note: We have decided that IF following Yahshua as the Scriptures teach us to, means that we have to loose the religious system we were once a part of, we will do it with great thanksgiving in our hearts knowing that - that is exactly what Yahshua and His disciples did...so we are in good company. His ways are higher than ours. We want to be the "called out" ones (ecclesia in Greek, it is one of the names for the New Testament Church in Scripture, the followers of "The Way" of Yahshua, showing us how to live out "Pure Torah"). The "remnant", that strives to live out the Scriptures as best we can, without the added doctrines of man that cloud the magnificence of His Sovereign plan. We want to live like the Bereans who test everything against the Holy Scriptures to determine it's validity. It is not the popular way...it is the narrow way.

Scriptural Songs Kids LOVE (and parents too!)

Music has always been a big part of our family life. My children have been raised singing praises to Adonai. Even our two year old has a song in his heart and Scripture on His tongue; It's a beautiful thing. Here are the wonderful resources that have blessed us. Each is a priceless gift for children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews! Below are samples for you to review.

Steve Green: Hide Em in Your Heart 1 and 2

http://www.worshipmusic.com/spd1245.html

Family LIfe, Adore Him (samples below)

http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/product?item_no=CD81717-11&netp_id=419534&event=EBRN&item_code=WW&view=covers

Judy Rodgers

This is the link to her website. While "Go to the Aunt" is our Kid's favorite, we have them and love them all!
http://judyrogers.com/catalog.php?item=3&catid=CDs&ret=judyrogers.com%2Fcatalog.php%3Fpage%3D1%26category%3DCDs

Seeds of Faith

http://www.worshipmusic.com/883727000320.html

Seeds of Courage

http://www.worshipmusic.com/883727000221.html

Seeds of Purpose

http://www.worshipmusic.com/883727000528.html

Cookbooks

Here is a list of some of my favorites:

1. American Whole Foods Cuisine, Goldbeck
2. Rodale's Basic Natural Foods Cookbook
3. The Good Breakfast Book, Goldbeck
4. Bread For Life, Beth Holland (Vol 1,2,3)(These books expects that you are grinding grain and dehydrating food.)
5. Whole Foods for the Whole Family, LeLeche League
6. Sue Gregg's Series of Cookbooks (Her way of writing recipes, took me a little while to get used too, but she has a lot of good things in her books...so I did.) :-)
7. Gourmet Health Recipes, Bragg (eating raw!)
8. Nourishing Traditions, Sally Fallon (Not all Biblical diet, but still many good things to learn.)
9. Joy of Snacks, Nancy Cooper (Healthy snacks!)
10.Smart Cookies, Jane Kinderlehrer (Healthy cookies!)
11. Country Beans, Bingham (A priceless resource for everything beans, what a healthful and in expensive way to eat!)
12. Joy of Cooking -NOT REVISED (The old versions, no later than the 70's - things were revised to ta disadvantage to more "modern ways". It uses sugar for the sweets, but has so much to offer otherwise.)
13. Sproutman's Kitchen Cookbook, Meyerowitz (I don't subscribe to all that is in his book, but the man knows sprouting!!)
14. Preserve it Naturally, Excalibur (An Awesome dehydrating resource, I am just starting experiment with it, but thought it was worth a mention!)
15. The Herbal Companion, Webb (A wonderful easy to read guide about growing and using herbs!)
16. What the Bible Says About Healthy Living, Russel


These are WONDERFUL Whole foods cookbooks, that use whole grains, and honey as the primary sweetener (along with other natural sweeteners too). Unlike some "health food books" this food is tasty and not too "weird" to introduce to the family. It takes a lot of food you are familiar with and shoes you a better way to make it. The first seven books listed are wonderful foundational cookbooks for eating the whole foods way. (The kind that should be at every bridal shower!) They cover a variety of methods and tips on becoming great cooks. They are wonderful for those who are learning "from scratch" without the tutelage of other women "in the know". These books are more than just recipes, they are a "great read"! The last 9 books, are more "specialty books" for those topics that you may be interested in.

We strongly support eating home raised raw dairy from trusted local farmers who are organic, grass feeding and naturally treating their stock, as well as producing or purchasing as much of your food as you can locally from people whom you know and trust their methods.

Dancing for Joy - Book Review

Dancing for Joy; A Biblical Approach to Praise and Worship
by Murray Silberling

This is a wonderful book which outlines the history of Davidic Dance. It also gives practical wisdom in how to start a dance ministry and what the basic steps are. It is a an "easy read" (short book and short chapters) and great inspiration for anyone who feels/hears the Lord calling them to worship Him with "all themselves" in song.

There is something Divine about moving for God and becoming inspired to be moved BY Him in worship. These dances steps come from traditional Hebrew dances and range from simple to advanced depending on their arrangement and your stamina. :-) However, their is a place for everyone in the circle of worship, young, old, man, woman.

Our family has just discovered dance worship this year and we absolutely love it! There are also ministries out there that offer videos to help people learn. Churches of all denominations are opening their doors to this form of worship that King David himself was known for (hence the name Davidic Dance). AS the Scriptures say, David was man after God's own heart, a true worshipper, through life, study and music (singing, dancing and playing instruments). Davidic Dance is a wonderful expression of worship to The Father, together with others.

You may also find dance ministries in your local Messianic Congregations who come to churches or teach others. Not to mention their doors are always open during service times on Shabbat and visitors are welcome.

A DAVIDIC DANCE SAMPLE BELOW:

Make Your Own Natural First-Aid Kit

Make Your Own Natural First-Aid Kit
By LAUREL VUKOVIC

I love to travel, and experience has taught me the benefits of packing light. But no matter how lightly I travel, I always carry along an herbal first-aid kit. Being prepared with my favorite remedies gives me peace of mind on the road or trail, and keeps me from having to search out herbal products in an unfamiliar town — or from having to resort to padding my heels with mullein leaves to ease the agony of a broken blister while on a backpacking trip.

I’ve had plenty of opportunities to put my first-aid kit to use, from treating blisters and bug bites to motion sickness and colds. I choose simple, multipurpose remedies and store them in a small padded nylon lunch box that’s always ready to toss into the car. For backpacking trips, I pare my kit down to arnica gel, echinacea, peppermint and chamomile tea bags, crystallized ginger, insect repellant, a tin of herbal salve, a tiny bottle of lavender essential oil, and an assortment of bandages and moleskin.

With the following herbs and essential oils, you should be able to treat just about any common condition you are likely to encounter in your travels.

The Herbal First Aid Kit: What to Buy
These are my favorite remedies — the ones I consider indispensable for a travel first-aid kit. All of the remedies are available at any well-stocked health-food store and by mail-order. Be sure to buy pure essential oils, not fragrance oils. To prevent breakage, wrap glass bottles in small pieces of thick flannel.

Aloe vera gel: Cooling and healing, aloe vera (Aloe vera) soothes the inflammation of sunburn and common kitchen scalds and burns.

Arnica gel or cream: Arnica (Arnica montana) flowers have anti-inflammatory and circulation-stimulating properties; the gel or cream is excellent for sore muscles, sprains, strains and bruises. Do not apply arnica to broken skin.

Calendula-comfrey salve: The bright yellow-orange blossoms of calendula (Calendula officinalis) have astringent, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties. Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) contains allantoin, a compound that stimulates the growth of new tissue and helps heal wounds.

Chamomile tea bags: With its delicious distinctive flavor, chamomile (Matricaria recutita) makes a tasty tea. Gentle enough for children, chamomile has mild sedative, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It promotes relaxation, relieves indigestion and, when applied topically, soothes skin irritations.

Citronella-based insect repellant: Most herbal repellants contain citronella, a pungent citrus-scented essential oil distilled from an aromatic grass that grows in southern Asia. Herbal insect repellants work well, as long as they’re applied liberally and frequently (as often as every two hours).

Echinacea liquid extract: Rich in immune-stimulating chemicals, echinacea (Echinacea spp.) can be used for any type of infection. Liquid extracts are the most versatile because they can be used both internally and externally.

Elderberry capsules or liquid extract: Elderberry (Sambucus nigra) is essential for stopping a cold or flu from ruining your vacation. The berries contain compounds that prevent cold and flu viruses from invading and infecting cells. If you’re flying or otherwise potentially exposed to viruses, taking elderberry is a good preventive. If you do come down with a cold or flu, taking elderberry can hasten your recovery time.

Eleuthero standardized extract: An excellent adaptogen, eleuthero (Eleutherococcus senticosus) can help prevent jet lag; it was even used by Soviet cosmonauts to help them adjust to space travel. Standardized extracts guarantee that you’re getting sufficient amounts of eleutherosides, which herbalists consider to be the herb’s active compounds.

Eucalyptus essential oil: A potent antibiotic and antiviral, eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) is excellent for treating colds, flus and sinus infections when used as a steam inhalation. Dilute with oil or witch hazel extract before applying to the skin, and do not take internally.

Ginger capsules, tea bags and crystallized ginger: The antispasmodic and gas-relieving properties of ginger (Zingiber officinale) soothe digestive upsets. Ginger also has been proven to relieve motion sickness better than Dramamine, the conventional drug treatment.

Goldenseal capsules or powder: A powerful antimicrobial, goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) is effective against a variety of microorganisms that cause traveler’s diarrhea. The powder has antiseptic properties and can be sprinkled onto cuts or wounds to stop bleeding. Do not take goldenseal internally during pregnancy.

Grindelia poison oak/ivy tincture or spray: Grindelia (Grindelia camporum), also known as gumweed, contains resins and tannins that help to relieve the pain and itching of plant rashes. It’s available as a tincture and also as a spray specifically for treating poison oak/poison ivy rashes.

Lavender essential oil: Virtually an all-purpose remedy, lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) has sed- ative, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. It’s helpful for anxiety, insomnia, headaches, wounds and burns. For most people, lavender essential oil can be applied directly to the skin. Do not take more than 1 to 2 drops internally.

Laxative herbal tea bags: Travel constipation is a common complaint. Most herbal laxative teas rely on senna (Cassia senna), which contains compounds called anthraquinones that stimulate intestinal activity. Because senna has a bitter, unpleasant flavor, it’s often combined with tasty herbs such as cinnamon, fennel, licorice and ginger.

Peppermint essential oil and tea bags: With its high concentration of menthol, peppermint (Mentha xpiperita) soothes an upset stomach, clears sinuses and curbs itching from insect bites. If you have sensitive skin, dilute peppermint oil before applying. Taken internally, peppermint may aggravate heartburn.

Valerian tincture: The sedative properties of valerian (Valeriana officinalis) make it useful for relieving anxiety, insomnia and tension; it’s also a mild pain reliever.
Witch hazel extract: Distilled witch hazel (Hamamelis virginiana) has mild astringent, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, making it useful for insect bites and skin irritations. It’s also an excellent base for diluting essential oils for a variety of simple, topical herbal first-aid remedies. Do not take it internally.

Additional First-Aid Essentials

• Adhesive bandage strips: Various sizes, including butterfly closure bandages.
• Alcohol: Small plastic bottle for removing poison oak/ivy oils from the skin.
  Bandage materials: Sterile gauze pads, a roll of gauze, adhesive bandage tape.
• Cosmetic clay: With drying and drawing properties, clay is useful for healing skin rashes and insect bites. Store in a small plastic container.
• Elastic bandage: For sprains or strains.
• Electrolyte replacement: Powdered drink packets such as Emergen-C.
• Moleskin: Blister treatment.
• Scissors: Small pair for cutting bandages, adhesive tape, moleskin.
• Thermometer: Instant-read type.
• Tweezers: For removing ticks and splinters.
• Waterless hand sanitizer: Travel-size bottle.
  

Quick Natural Remedies for Common Conditions

Anxiety:
• Drink chamomile tea, 3 cups a day.
• Take valerian tincture, 1⁄2 to 1 teaspoon up to 3 times daily.
• Take a bath with 10 drops of lavender essential oil or place a drop of lavender oil on a tissue and inhale as desired.

Blisters:
• To dry a blister, soak a gauze pad in witch hazel, lay it over the blister and cover with an adhesive bandage. After blister has broken, wash with a mixture of echinacea extract diluted with an equal part of water. Finally, apply calendula-comfrey salve and cover with an adhesive bandage.

Bruises:
• Immediately apply ice to relieve pain and swelling.
• Apply arnica cream or gel twice daily.

Burns:
• Immediately immerse the affected area in cold water until the burning sensation subsides. Then apply aloe vera gel mixed with lavender essential oil (5 drops of lavender oil mixed with 1 tablespoon of aloe vera gel).
• For sunburn, soak in a cool bath with 10 drops of lavender essential oil.

Colds and Flus:
• Take 1 dropperful of echinacea extract four times a day until symptoms subside.
• Take 1 dropperful of elderberry extract four times a day until symptoms subside.
• To relieve congestion and soothe a sore throat, drink hot ginger tea with honey. • To ease congestion, add 2 drops each of eucalyptus and peppermint essential oils to hot water; inhale the steam vapors.
• Add 1 dropperful of echinacea extract to 1⁄2 cup of water as an antiseptic wash. • To stop bleeding, sprinkle goldenseal powder directly into the wound and apply pressure with a clean cloth.
• Apply a salve made from calendula-comfrey — only after a scab has formed, to prevent trapping bacteria.

Diarrhea:
• Replenish lost fluids and soothe the digestive tract with chamomile or ginger tea.
• For diarrhea caused by infectious microorganisms, take 1 capsule of goldenseal three times daily for up to two weeks.
• To boost immunity and fight infection, take 1 dropperful of echinacea four times daily.

Headache:
• Drink chamomile tea as often as desired.
• For more severe headaches, take 1⁄2 to 1 teaspoon of valerian root extract; repeat every two hours until pain abates.
• Take a warm bath with 10 drops of lavender essential oil.
• Massage 2 drops of diluted peppermint essential oil onto temples, forehead and neck. Keep away from eyes.

Indigestion:
• Sip warm chamomile, peppermint or ginger tea.
• Chew on a piece of crystallized (candied) ginger.

Insect bites and stings:
• Cleanse the bite with echinacea extract.
• Apply a drop of undiluted peppermint or lavender oil to relieve itching and as an antiseptic.
• Mix clay with enough water to make a paste, and apply to the bites to relieve itching and draw out toxins.

Insomnia:
• Drink a cup of warm chamomile tea.
• For stronger sedative action, take up to 1 teaspoon of valerian tincture before bed.
• Take a warm bath with 10 drops of lavender essential oil.

Jet lag:
• Take eleuthero (100 mg of standardized extract) three times daily for one week or more before traveling and for one week or longer following the flight.

Nausea:
• Take 1 to 2 capsules of dried ginger every 15 minutes until symptoms abate.
• To prevent motion sickness, take 6 to 8 capsules of powdered ginger about 45 minutes before departing.
• To calm a queasy stomach, chew on a piece of crystallized ginger.

Poison oak/ivy:
• Immediately wash the affected area thoroughly with soap and cool water, or sponge with alcohol to remove the oily resin.
• If a rash occurs, spray with grindelia extract several times a day.

Strains and sprains:
• Immediately elevate and apply an ice pack to the affected area to reduce swelling and inflammation. After 24 hours, apply hot compresses to increase circulation and speed healing.
• Soak in a hot bath with 5 drops of eucalyptus essential oil.
• Apply arnica cream or gel to the affected area three times daily.

Herbal First-Aid Kit Resources
Creation Herbal, www.creationherbal.com , Comfrey-calendula salve

Lewey’s Eco-Blends, www.buzzoff.us, Buzz-Off natural insect repellant

Red Moon Herbs, www.redmoonherbs.com, Herbal first-aid kit

— Laurel Vukovic writes and teaches about herbs and natural healing from her home in southern Oregon. She is the author of 1001 Natural Remedies and Herbal Healing Secrets for Women (Prentice Hall, 2000).

Search Recipes by Ingrediants!

My name is Pamela and I am a cookbook addict...OK I said it.

I love to read cook books! I get such great ideas, and have learned about the wonderful science of cooking this way. Yet, when I want to find something, I will often go online, because it so much more efficiant then thumbing through my bookshelves when I need to make a shopping list or get dinner going. So I was excited to find this website. You can search recipes by ingrediant. So if you have cornmeal or kumquats and you don't know what to do with them, go to this site and punch in the ingrediants and it will list hundreds of possibilities!

This is a wonderful way to help change your families diet too, by using whole foods. Maybe you want to bake with honey instead of sugar, or whole wheat flour instead of all-pupose but you don't know where to start...here you go!

It's also a great tool for budgets! Maybe you see a great deal on ripe tomatoes or banana's at the store, buy a bunch and make a bunch of yummy things and freeze them. This is also wonderful this time of year with fresh produce and such. (I just got a food dehydrator and will be doing alot of these things wiht htat. I will be sure to post my dehydrating adventures too. )

It's quick and free. Two wonderful things. Happy Kitchen Science!

www.RecipeLand.com

Bread for Life - Whole Grains

This is a wonderful article pasted from Beth Holland's Website, http://www.breadforlife.net/
the newest link on the blog. I share so many convictions with her (except we differ on soy in general:-)) - I couldn't have written the rest any better myself, so I thought I would share it with you. I testify - her resources are wonderful! I use a Nutramill and DLX and a Zojirushi when I'm feeling lazy. My goal is to eventually eliminate all prepared foods (crackers, pasta's etc.), we are well on our way!

Getting Started
How long does it take to mill your own grain and make bread? With today's technology, you'd be amazed at how fast and easy this is! With an electric mill and a bread machine like the Zojirushi, it takes about 5 minutes. With a mixer like the DLX, it takes about 2-2 ½ hours, however, your “hands on” time is about 20 minutes divided in two 10 minute segments to produce up to 6 loaves of whole grain bread. If you want to fill them with fruits and nuts or cheese, etc., or do rolls, etc, then the time goes up proportionately to the intricacy of the recipe.

I wish I could do this, but I just don't have time! Money is a big problem as well. How do you do it? Do you have 5 minutes? If you do, then you can do this!
As for the money, I can tell you that I have seen God provide in some mighty mysterious ways, through the years. To borrow a pastor's wife friend's expression, "The King pays for what the King wants." If this is the path God intends for you to pursue, He'll not only pay for it, He'll instruct you how to do it!

I had one couple, a May-December romance, (who had pre-school children!) come to my seminar. She wanted to lose weight and he was facing some health problems. After attending, they were convinced that this was what God wanted them to do, but hadn't the funds as they were basically living on his SS. Anyway, they talked to me and I urged them to put their need before the Lord. They did and within a week they got a call from an attorney who was with a class action suit that the husband had been a part of YEARS before! He had been trying to find them for MONTHS, and had just caught up with them. They came to me rejoicing, saying that had that money arrived sooner, they knew they'd have spent it on something else, but because it arrived WHEN it did and they had prayed for God to make a way, they KNEW that the Lord had kept that money for them for the perfect time!

Another young lady came to me after a seminar in tears, she was so moved by the Lord that this was the way she was to go. But, she was concerned because her husband had been out of a professional job for a year and money was very tight. I told her the same thing I'd told the other couple, and she agreed to place it before the Lord. She called me within a month and said, "I've got the money!! I can buy my mill!! I had a WRECK!!" I was stunned until she explained that she had been in a fender-bender and that the insurance company had paid her MORE than the estimate to get her car fixed! (How many times does THAT happen!!) She not only got her mill, she was able to get plenty of grain to get started and has had a wonderful time making wonderful whole food for her family.

Her children are benefiting and her husband, whom she termed "a JUNK FOOD JUNKIE" is loving the bread, too and has experienced health benefits from it. I have her testimony letter on file.

I can tell you that when we began milling our own flour, my grocery bill dropped substantially! This is A VERY inexpensive way to live and eat. Yes, there is an initial investment in the equipment, but once you have it, that's it. We recouped our cost in less than a month! Our mill was $280.00 12 years ago (a Whisper Mill is now less than $200.00 online) but when we began using it, there were no more doctor/drug bills, so it paid for itself immediately. A 6 gallon bucket of grain lasts the average family of 4, 2-3 months and averages $25.00. Can you feed a family of equal size on $25.00 for ALL bread products for 2-3 months, even from a day old bread store? No! AND the bread from a day old bread store will not have the life-giving properties that bread from freshly milled flour has. (I have the testimony letters to prove this!) So, this is a much less expensive way to go, both in the cost of food and the cost of medical care.

So, bottom line is this, if this is God's path for you and you are willing to follow Him in this, then put the need before the Lord. He WILL make a way for you. He has for others, and He is no respecter of persons!

Be encouraged. NOTHING is impossible with GOD!

Where do I get the grains to mill? There are numerous grain suppliers in the US . Just search the web and you'll find plenty! Be sure to find out whether or not their grain is for human consumption and whether it has been (at least) triple cleansed. Most electric grain mills need a triple cleaned wheat, at the very least, to insure no stones and trash are in the grain you are going to mill and consume.

Is this “yucky” tofu and bean sprouts type of eating? NO! I have “meat and potato” loving men come to my seminars and chow down everything there AND say to me, “This is GOOD for me?” in an amazed tone of voice. They are thrilled to find that “healthy” and “real food” can be compatible and that this way of “healthy eating” can be pain free.

Where do I get recipes for this “pain free” change? My cookbooks! The recipes have been “kid tested and approved” to make sure that they have a broad appeal. So far, most all of the men and kids who have eaten my recipes like them and would eat them again. I also don't believe in a lot of “fussy” directions, so they are pretty straight forward. No, “bread an egg into the bowl and whisk briskly” stuff for me! In some, I tell you to combine all the dry ingredients, combine all the wet ingredients and then tell you how to mix them together. Pretty easy!

How has the change to freshly milled whole grains affected you and your family? My family was VERY sick and I prayed and sought God for an answer. This was the answer to which He led us. We had spent $1688.00 in THREE months, (my DH is self-employed and we have no health insurance!!) on doctors and pharmaceuticals. For 6 weeks, we didn't even leave the house unless it was to see a dr. or go get drugs! When I came across this information, I got my husband to look into it and we took the last of our savings and purchased a home flour mill. (after I thoroughly researched various mills) When we began milling our own grains, we were finally able to stop what I call “the antibiotic cycle” – you get on them, you get off, you get back on, you get off, etc, etc , so milling our own flour ended our doctor visits and rounds of medicines. Our bodies began to get stronger and we no longer needed all the drugs. Then I KNEW that I'd found truth, but I didn't understand HOW it worked. That led me to 10 years (and counting!) of investigating WHY this had worked. God has been so faithful to me to teach me and then to confirm it. He has given me an M.D., a nutritionist, two food scientists and research scientists to confer with about the information I research. From that the Bread For Life Seminar (Class) was born.

What do you eat? We eat real food. Instead of grocery store bread products, we make our own. The ONLY thing I did that “revolutionized” our health was to put a loaf of plain bread on the table at each meal. I didn't do anything else, nothing fancy; just a loaf of bread. Seeing the value of this one change led us to making others. I do not buy pre-packaged foods, foods with chemicals or things I can't pronounce in them. I don't buy anything with hydrogenated oils or partially hydrogenated oils in them. I use cold pressed, first pressing extra virgin olive oil and cold pressed extra light olive oil packed in either glass or tin (plastic bottles leach carcinogens into the oil). I use raw honey as my top choice for a baking sweetener, I use Stevia in my tea and coffee and use Sucanat as a substitute for brown sugar and Sucanat with Honey (also known as Savannah Gold) as a substitute for white sugar in recipes where honey just doesn't work well. I use raw milk butter we make ourselves, our farm eggs (or organic ones from the store), I purchase ½ a cow per year and have it packaged to my specification and freeze it. I no longer have a source for free range chickens so I purchase Perdue chickens. I kosher any meat that isn't kosher butchered. That means that I soak it in salt water to remove the blood. Eating blood is forbidden in both the Old and New Testaments. (Leviticus 3:17; Acts 21:25) I eat and cook with fresh fruits and vegetables as much as possible, dehydrate as much as I can, then choose frozen and last canned. Instead of a packaged sugary cereal for breakfast, we'd have eggs and whole grain toast. For lunch we might have soup and/or a sandwich and/or a salad. I carefully read labels and usually make my own salad dressings, too. For supper, I might cook a roast in the crock pot with vegetables, have a salad on the side with whole grain bread. Sometimes we have dessert, but mostly we have fruit. Desserts are usually saved for special occasions, but if you want them, there are plenty in the cookbooks! (I love to bake.) Surprisingly, this way of cooking is less expensive than all the processed and prepackaged foods and in the long run saves MUCH more since you are sick less often, miss less work and school, and won't be contributing to your increased risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc., which are epidemic on the typical American diet.

Do I have to have the machines to do this? The only one that is ABSOLUTELY necessary to do what I teach is some type of grain mill. You don't have to have a bread machine or a mixer to do this. Yes, you can do it by hand and I've had several customers through the years who prefer to do it this way. The beauty is that you can choose which way suits you and your lifestyle. If you are pressed for time, then technology comes to your rescue. If you prefer to putter in the kitchen and want to do this by hand, then you may. If you need to do it by hand to save money, then you can do that, too. The outlay of money on a machine is usually recouped within a year or less, if on nothing but the cost of grain vs. purchasing devitalized (and expensive) baked goods in the store. A 6 gallon bucket of wheat can be found for $10-$30, depending upon your supplier and shipping charges. This lasts, on average, a family of four for 2 ½ to 3 months. Can you spend that little to feed a family of four devitalized, pre-made grocery store bread products? No, you can't. And those made from freshly milled grains give you all of the fiber and nutrients God put in that little package for your good.

Tell me something about bread for life -- have not heard about that. What is it?? A bread baking group??I teach nutrition from a Biblical perspective, using 100% freshly milled grains. This sounds MUCH more complicated than it really is! I have been doing this for 11 years, and have written two cookbooks (Bread For Life volumes 1 and 2) and a book on afternoon tea (Tea Time with Bread For Life) and two other booklets. The basic concept is eating foods made by God instead of foods made by - or altered by - man. God created the perfect foods for our health. In trying to do things "our way", we have produced sickness, dis-ease, and death. (There is a way which seems right to a man, but the way ends in death." Proverbs)
Through my 10 years of doing this, I have seen myself and my own family, as well as countless others, go from sickness to health, (and from larger to smaller!) and I have testimony letters on file telling of some of these amazing stories. Many are printed in the back of my cookbooks so that people can see what this one small change can make in their lives.

You may ask, "WHY would anyone want to do this?" Well, besides better health, my belief is that God is calling to His body to get ready for what is coming: a great harvest which will need MANY workers (didn't Y'shua [Jesus] say to PRAY for workers for the harvest? Perhaps that's because He knew how sick we'd become before the end of the age!)
Hope that informs you without being too "preachy". You DID happen to hit upon a passion of mine! (Getting the body of Christ back to His word and provision, so that they can fulfill the call of God upon them on this earth.)

How do you get started making the change to whole grains with your family and toward more healthy eating? Don't you have to use some grocery store flour to make this work? I highly recommend that you begin just with a loaf of 100% freshly milled bread. The vast majority of kids like this bread (at least made from my recipe, which I know you'll be using), so there's no reason to mix devitalized flour in unless you absolutely must in order to get them to eat it. If you begin with all freshly milled flour and they love it, you've lost no time or ground! If they balk, then I would do as mentioned above, but only then. I recommend the baby steps approach. Don't try everything you see on my videos all at once! You'll burn out, for sure! You'll hear me mention that I am YEARS down the road from where you are beginning and that the ONLY thing I did which changed our health was to put a plain loaf of bread on the table at every meal. So, you do the same; just begin by placing a loaf of plain, sandwich type bread on the table and then little by little branch out into other things like cinnamon rolls, cinnamon apple coconut bread, pumpernickle, Russian black bread, garlic breadsticks, pizza dough, croutons, quick breads, muffins, cakes, etc. The most challenging items to make are the yeast breads. It's much easier to begin adding in other freshly milled products like quick breads, (pancakes, muffins, coffee cakes, "banana breads", etc.) scones, and cookies. Gradually tackle more yeasted breads and harder recipes. This quick and easy approach produces a far better long term success rate!

And lastly, children are more apt to eat what they've had a hand in producing; the pride of hard work, I suppose. So, let them join you in bread making and creating these new recipes and you're much more likely to hear them talk about how great the food is than complain about it being different to the white flour/white sugar, processed foods to which they are used to eating. Can you please share any tips to help us out in this area. It is my desire to move in this direction but I need help.I'll try!! I teach this information in a seminar, and the only way I know that you can get the "whole thing" is through a video of my seminar, which is 5 1/2 hours long!! At least with a video, you can watch it at your convenience AND you can stop and start me, as you like!!
Basically, I follow these two rules (which you'd hear on the tape)1. Eat only what God has created as good for food.2. Eat it as closely to the way God made it as you possibly can.Most of this type of food is on the outer edges of your grocery store. Live food requires refrigeration, but does NOT require a label! No one has to tell you that broccoli is broccoli, or celery is celery! If it takes a label to identify it for you, AND/OR if you cannot identify the ingredients ON the label, don't eat it!

The exceptions to going into the interior of the grocery store are paper products, cleaning products, coffee, tea, dried beans, etc., all fruit spreads and NATURAL peanut butter, which says "Peanuts, salt" for ingredients. This is the type you have to stir before using because it has not had hydrogenated oils added, or sugars. Hydrogenated oils cannot be broken down under 300 degrees! If your body reaches 300 degrees, believe me, you are DEAD!! So, don't eat things with these oils in them.

The other thing that I do, and which you may have seen at home school curriculum fairs, is grind my own flours with a home flour mill.

God made PERFECT provision for us in the food He created for us to consume. Like other areas of sin, man has wanted to do things his way instead of God's way and it has led us to destruction of our health. At present, America is facing more serious diseases, more obesity, (beginning earlier and earlier with our children), and more ADULT onset diabetes in CHILDREN than has EVER been seen before! "There's a way that SEEMS right unto man, but the end thereof is death."

I would like to say "Bravo!" to you for being interested in this information, as I see that God is revealing more and more about this to His people and calling those who will listen to walk in this way - a way that builds the health of His people to stand ready for the call of their King. Isn't it interesting that the only two phrases used in addressing all seven churches in Revelation are: "To him who HAS AN EAR TO HEAR, let him hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches." and "To him who overcomes...."
There's no way that I can cover the material of a 5 1/2 hour seminar. To get the best picture, I recommend you invest in the two video set of a live class seminar.

I am so interested in living like this, but really don't know where to start. I don't know much about wheat grinders, wheat, etc. Can any of you recommend a good, easy-to-read book or website? Do you know anything about soy being bad for you? Thank you! I have a booklet on this called Common Nutritional Fallacies , and also, Dr. Rex Russell, M.D. has written a book entitled, What the Bible Says About Healthy Living . It is wonderful! In my 24 years (total) of studying nutrition, I can tell you that it is the ONLY book I agree with 100%. The only way that a homeschooling mom in Georgia and a medical doctor in Arkansas could come to the EXACT same conclusions is because we both asked the same BIG God!!

Dr. Russell doesn't go into the detail I do (in my seminar, available on video) on whole grains, grinding your own, and some other subjects, like dehydration, but we do have the same Bible and the same conclusions! Dr. Russell has copies of my cookbooks and has even sent people to me from Arkansas to get my cookbooks, because the recipes are compatible with his principles, which are also mine. I don't use any refined, processed or man-made/man-altered foods, (fresh fruits and vegetables, meats, olive oils/butter, grind my own flour from grain, etc.)
Much of the "health food" industry is in it for the money, just like any other business. There are tons of “health food” products, not all of which are really healthy. We can never forget that Y'shua warned us that "The LOVE of money is the root of all evil"!!

As for soy being bad for us, this information has been repeatedly popping up recently. However, with the word of God as our guideline, I cannot agree with this "take." I find that most people in the nutrition industry are swinging from side to side like a pendulum. They get onto something new and promote it as THE answer, without really having the whole picture. Then, after a bit more research and after a few more years, they'll come out and reverse themselves or change their view and the American public follows them as they swing from side to side, ever searching for THE truth. Well, we have THE truth! It's all in the Word of God. If it's not there blatantly, then it will be there in principle.

The principle for soy beans is this: in Genesis 1, God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree which has fruit yielding seed; IT SHALL BE FOOD FOR YOU." In Genesis 9: 3-4, after Noah came off the ark, God added meat to man's diet, but also repeated what He'd said in Genesis 1:29, "...I give all to you, as I gave the green plant." So, how can we, who have the Word of God say that a plant which bears seed, which man has eaten for eons, be BAD for us and shouldn't be eaten? If there is a danger from soy beans, it is from what man does to them, not from what God created.
Anyhow, we switched from organic pasteurized milk to raw milk and have noticed some differences--teen acne nearly disappeared, 5 year old incontinence much improved for starters .I am in complete agreement with you here. This fits the above mentioned rules for eating God's perfect provision. In trying to do things differently, in trying to "improve" on God's creation, we bring about problems we can not even foresee. "There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death." Proverbs 14:12. I also have testimonies from people who have made this change and have seen the benefits of it.

What is raw milk and where do you get? And this from a girl who grew up in dairyland. You pray and ask God to bring someone across your path who has raw milk! It is "illegal" for anyone in the dairy industry to sell you raw milk, as the dairy industry has worked long and hard to remove all sources of raw milk from the public. The name "raw milk" is misleading and really a misnomer as God created milk to be used straight from the cow or goat, or whatever animal was milked. Read your Bible and you'll see quite a few domesticated animals AND the use of "raw" milk products. (see previous post for this info from Genesis)

The dairy industry coined the term "raw" milk to denote that it wasn't cooked or pasteurized, and thereby implying that it was "uncooked" and "unsafe". The opposite is actually true. For all the details, you can get " The Milk Book " by William Campbell Douglass, M.D. (original title, The Milk of Human Kindness is NOT Pasteurized") Bottom line, Dr. Douglass documents that children, the elderly and people in general thrived on "raw" milk as opposed to the many problems we see from pasteurized/homogenized milk. P/H milk is THE number ONE food allergen. Is this supposed to be? If it is, then why did God call the Promised Land "the land flowing with milk and honey"??

For a less expensive look at this information, I have a pamphlet covering this and more, called Commmon Nutritional Fallacies, which could answer a lot of the questions I've gotten since yesterday. Either that or the two video tape of my seminar would be helpful for many of you who have expressed an interest in this information. I have to be honest here and tell you that there is NO way I can cover all of this by email. I've been typing responses for four hours to your questions!! ºÜº

So, if you want a really good introduction to all the information, the best thing to do is get my 5 1/2 hour seminar. I cannot come to each of you and spend that amount of time, but the video can, AND you can watch it in snatches at your convenience. You can also get your DHs to watch it in short doses. I have many Dhs who come for the entire 5 1/2 hours (and eat and eat!! ºÜº), but I know that most men would appreciate this in smaller doses! Everything you all have asked me about is on the video - bread, nutrition, picky eaters, raw milk, incorporating this into your busy lives, how to make it, what all you can do with it, recipes to get started, dehydration, whole foods vs. processed/refined, tea and coffee, vegetarianism, organic foods, and the list goes on and on!

If you need any help, do email me and I'll try to help, but please understand that I can't give you the seminar by email! It is simply impossible!

I have a long way to go in changing our diet (we still eat a lot of pasta and store-bought bread, for example) but this start is encouraging.You have made a really good start, but I would encourage you to pray about beginning to mill your own grains. I think it interesting that scripture calls Y'shua "the bread of life". If He is the beginning of our spiritual life, do you think it possible that the Biblical parallel of bread was showing us that God's provision of bread (freshly milled, not chemically laden, pre-milled and devoid of nutrients, not processed or refined) is the beginning of bread FOR life for us on the earth? If Y'shua, the bread OF life is our foundation for all of life and life eternal, could not bread FOR life be the foundation of our life here, in order to accomplish what God created us for?

This has been my experience and the experience of countless of others with whom I have worked in the last 12 years. I have testimony letter after testimony letter of the health problems this ONE change has affected. The stories include children being removed from Ritalin, edema disappearing and daily Sudafed dependence leaving, regularity becoming the norm vs irregularity, uncontrollable high cholesterol dropping with this one change when the doctors had given up on it, intestinal problems disappearing, picky eaters loving the bread products, "celiac sprue" (total gluten intolerance) being discovered to be instead an allergy to rancid oils in pre-milled flours, weight loss, diabetics decreasing insulin, and the list goes on and on. So, I really urge you to pray about this. If it is God's answer for His people, then He'll confirm it to you. ºÜº
I hope this encourages you to continue on the way you've begun, and challenges you to seek God for the next step.

Recipe Questions
What is the difference between red and white wheat? Soft and hard wheat? Winter and spring wheat?Red wheat has that nutty, robust, “whole wheat” flavor associated with whole grains. White wheat was designed to have a more bland flavor, more in common with pre-milled flours from the grocery store. I use red when I want that wonderful flavor and I use white when I want a delicate flavor (like lemon or orange) to stand out.
Soft wheat is pastry wheat. It is great for quick breads, cookies, cakes, pastries, but will not make a successful yeasted product. A recipe that uses yeast requires a hard wheat which has the gluten/protein content necessary to create the cells in the bread for the bread to rise.
Winter and spring denote the season in which the wheat is grown.
I have noticed that different recipes can depend upon different ingredients. Besides the obvious ingredients (wheat, honey, etc) is there a short list of ingredients which I will require for most of your recipes? A variety of wheat, another sweetener, other items which I will be unable to find at my local grocery and can pick up enough of to try a number of recipes as we find out what we like? This would be very helpful. I mostly use "normal" ingredients, but there are a few that are lesser known that I do use and recommend. Most of these are optional, not necessary.
I recommend powdered lecithin to add to bread dough. It is a fat emulsifier, which means that it breaks down fats, helps to lower serum cholesterol and has the added benefit of giving a wonderful texture to your bread and helping aid in its "shelf life". I also recommend adding flax seed to give you a good source of the essential fatty acid Omega 3, most commonly found in fish. Flax is an inexpensive, vegetable source for this very important fatty acid. My budget cannot always afford fish, but I can afford (and easily store!) flax seed. Just grind a tablespoon or so in a blender and toss into muffins, breads, on oatmeal, etc., as you desire.
The only other ingredients I do use and which you would feel are necessary to have for my recipes are Sucanat and Sucanat with Honey. These are simply dehydrated sugar cane juice. It is not refined. The Sucanat with Honey (also known as Savannah Gold) has had honey added to it while in the liquid state and easily replaces white sugar. My top sweetener of choice is raw honey. I use Sucanat and it successfully replaces brown sugar in my recipes, and in recipes with chocolate or coffee or to sweeten coffee, it is fabulous!!
Other than that, I can't think of anything which you couldn't find in a regular grocery store in either produce, frozen produce, dried beans, etc. I do recommend using REAL butter, REAL vanilla (artificial has the same base as is used for paint thinner!) and aluminum free baking powder, (Rumford), all of which are easily available at the grocery store. Of course, I recommend raw milk, but if you can't get it, use what you can get.
I made your sourdough and I have a few questions. Do you always leave it out? Do you cover it? I made the sourdough pancakes and they were good .I leave it out when getting it cultured, (the 10 days) then I refrigerate it. Then I try to take it out to warm up a bit before using it. I have even frozen it when going out of town.

We went to a party yesterday, well more like a picnic and ate old style food. Everyone was quite under the weather afterward. Most of the sweets tasted too sweet. Everything seemed slimy to me. That sounds bad. maybe because I am used to the firmer texture of whole wheat. I thought I would like the old food because I miss it sometimes but it just didn't taste as good as I remember.This is not an abnormal event. Your memories are more "tasty" than the real thing! Once you switch to good, wholesome, God made foods, the other stuff just doesn't measure up; it tastes very bland once you've made the change to whole grains.

I am working on a little unit of manners with my daughter and I want to reward her with a tea party. I would like to start a tradition of afternoon tea as well. Do you have my book, Tea Time with Bread For Life ? It would go right along with what you are doing, though the info might be a bit over a younger child's head, at present. However, it would be great for you to read and simply teach her by putting into practice the etiquette and ideas in it, as well as the two of you making the recipes and building memories as you bake together.

I made the whole wheat muffins with blueberries from your vol.1 cookbook using the DLX, my first recipe with both. The DLX didn't blend the stuff in the middle of the bowl. Did I not do something right? About the roller, it says to move the arm away from the edge of the bowl depending on how much flour you use, if you move the roller away from the edge it won't spin. How does this work then? Muffins are a stirred recipe and don't require the DLX. For a quick bread, the DLX would over-mix them as quick breads don't take kneading and require JUST enough mixing to incorporate the ingredients. Stirred recipe? That is different. I used to make everything in my Kitchen Aid, muffins and biscuits and quick breads. Everything was definitely over mixed. See BFL v.2 Quick Bread Helps & Hints for more info on stirred quick breads.

I saw you using a scale to weigh your dough. Is that helpful? I usually eyeball it but sometimes my eyeballs don't "see right". It would probably for more uniform breads. Your swirls and braiding technique are quite impressive. Your daughter was quite good too.It is helpful, but not necessary. The scales like mine are quite expensive ($50-100, depending on which one your purchase) but you can make bread without them. If you just hate not having uniform loaves, then it might be a worth-while purchase. Mine came from a restaurant supply store. The place where I find it most useful is in making rolls and hamburger buns, and thanks for the compliment!

How do you make tortillas successfully in the press? Mine “blow up” when I press them.It helps to weigh out the dough for each tortilla, let sit and rest about ten minutes before pressing and then place the ball of dough near the hinge side of the press. Press gently, until you hear a "squeal." STOP when you hear that. Open the lid, check the size and how even it is in thickness, adjust if needed. If one side is thicker, turn it toward the hinge and GENTLY press to flatten. Then open the lid, recheck and cook. When there are brown spots on the first side, flip and cook the other. Cool on a wire rack. You can eat fresh, or put waxed paper between them (once cooled) and slide into a freezer Ziplock and freeze for future use. The tortillas are FABULOUS with the Garlic Bean Burrito filling or with the Lamb Gyro filling. All of these recipes are in Bread For Life Cookbook, V.1.

Which Mixer Questions and the DLX
I have been considering buying a mill and an ultra stand kitchen aid mixer to make my own bread with. If you have the time to explain the difference I would be so grateful as I want to make a wise choice here.I know how you feel! Once upon a time, I was the consumer in your shoes, trying to make the best choice because I knew that I could only afford to purchase this type of machine ONE time!!

See the page comparing the various mixers to my preference, the Electrolux DLX by Magic Mill.
I was also curious to know if the recipes in your books work well with other mixers or are they best with the equipment that you use?They were tested with my mill and DLX mixer but would work with any mixer. In volume 2, I give step by step directions to make bread with the DLX, D2000, Bosch and by hand. The other department store type of mixers simply aren't contenders for this type of baking. I have many women use my book who already had purchased a Bosch and they've had great success with the recipes. These two machines work entirely differently, so there are some adjustments that have to be made with a yeasted product.
If you are getting started and don't have a machine, I HIGHLY encourage you to get the DLX. I can tell you that in 10 years, NO ONE has regretted purchasing it, but I have PLENTY of people who regret other purchases once they see the DLX in action!

I hope you don't mind all these questions. I just want to be as well informed as possible and am praying about this also as I do not wish to make a hasty decision.Good for you! I am in complete agreement as I feel the same way about making decisions, myself! If we are spending the money God has entrusted to us, then it is very wise of us to be good stewards of it.

I just purchased the DLX and am curious how far in do you put the roller when making only one loaf of bread (3 cups of flour)? How about 2 loaves (6 cups of flour)? Only move the roller in when the dough mixes over the top of the roller. You move it just far enough to keep it mixing evenly. For 7 cup of flour, I move it in about 1 inch. For 14 cups of flour, I move it in about 2 1/2 inches.

With the DLX what do you use the food processor for?The DLX "food processor" really needs to be called a "shredder/slicer" because that's what it does. I have a food processor, the closed bowl with the blade inside, which I use for other things. I use the DLX "food processor" when I'm canning or drying LOTS of something. For instance, when we can salsa, we use the DLX, FP for shredding LOTS of onions, bell peppers, etc. That way, I don't have to stop and start to unload the bowl of a typical FP. I can just let the shredder/slicer of the DLX dump into a 6 gallon bucket placed under it and keep going. It saves TREMENDOUS amounts of time and effort. It is also a favorite attachment for those who "Mega cook," making 6 months of entrees at one time.

Did I read it right that the DLX comes with a choice of two things - one of which is the whip/plastic bowl combo? That is the way I would like to go. Yes. There are two choices, the DLX with the double whisk bowl or with the dough hook. I highly recommend the DW bowl since it does the one thing the roller and scraper won't - whip and aerate. I have never found a use for the DH in all of my 10+ years with this machine.

Can I use the DLX Grain and Spice mill to grind grain for bread baking? The DLX grain and spice mill was designed as a CRACKING mill, to crack corn to make grits, to make cream of wheat (a cracked cereal), to grind coffee, allspice, etc., but it was not designed to be a primary grain mill. That said, you can use it as such, but it is slow and the grain has to be processed through it twice in order to get a grind fine enough to make a decent loaf of bread. If you want a grain mill in order to make baked goods for your family out of freshly ground wheat, purchase a Whisper Mill. It has a life time warranty, a long (GOOD) track record and you'll have talcum fine flour in minutes. The fine texture of this MICRO-nizing mill gives you the ability to produce soft, finely textured, comparable to grocery store quality bread products. This makes the recipes you make from the flour very "Kid friendly" since most of them don't like heavy, dense breads.

I was wondering if the hand crank Family Grain Mill parts (the flaker and the grain mill) can be adapted for electric use on the DLX. Is there a part that can be purchased so that the grain mill can be attached to the DLX? How much does it cost? If you have a DLX and a family GM, they are not usable together. The fittings on the FGM don't fit the DLX. Can the DLX routinely be used for mixtures of two loaves of bread (six cups or less of flour)? Does it work with dough batches that small? What's the smallest batch you've made? I use the DLX all the time and the smallest batch I've even made was one loaf of bread (less than 3 cups of flour) and it does a grand job every time.

Miscellaneous Questions

I purchased a Whisper Mill a few months ago and have been so very happy with it. I keep it right next to the bread machine in our pantry and good bread is so easy now. I had a problem with the mill for the first time this evening....it stopped grinding almost right away. I read my booklet and followed the instructions for a clog and it is working now (I did the popcorn thing). My concern is that it is the humidity of the last several days that has changed the quality of the grain and is causing the trouble. I keep the wheat in a big glass jar with a glass lid, in the pantry....is this letting too much moisture in do you think? Will I have to keep the wheat in a plastic container with a tight seal...or perhaps glass with a screw-on lid? I am wondering if the summer humidity in our un-airconditioned house will be too much to overcome? I certainly hope not, because air-conditioning is not possible...nor is the thought of giving up our freshly-ground flour! I would be so grateful for any advice you have on this subject . Occasionally, this happens. It could be caused by the humidity so for safety sake, try to keep most of the amount in a cool place, like under your house in the crawl or basement and just take out what you need, a small amount at a time. However, I wouldn't be terribly concerned, as I have not had this report before. My grain stays in my large laundry room, which isn't air conditioned and it does fine in the mill AND I live in GEORGIA ! You just can't get worse humidity than here! Are you milling the corn on WIDE open? The dial on the front of the mill should be set a 3:00 instead of approx.10:30. After milling corn, since it has been the one to "stick up" the mill, just mill about 1/2 c. of wheat to clear it out. Reset your dial as you usually do, and keep milling! That should take care of the problem. I certainly wouldn't want you to have to quit milling, either! I was introduced to the Hallelujah Diet by George Malkmus and we have started juicing also I don't know if you have heard of it, but he stresses "raw" foods. My children don't always like my "new recipes" and it gets wearing to be always encouraging them to try it. Then I get stressed or something and go on a very unhealthy eating splurge of which my children see and en joy !!! Do you struggle with staying consistent? My husband is pretty supportive and will try most anything, so I can't blame anything on him.

Does your video address children and changes, transitional recipes? Also lifestyle changes, like do you ever eat out? We don't go to fast food very often, but I have been doing some reading (The Food Revolution and Fast Food Nation) and I am determined to cut that out completely, but it is so hard in our culture! Maybe I am just weak and undisciplined. I don't mean to whine, but I do want to be honest. If you got to the end of this, Thank you for taking the time and any input would be appreciated.
Sincerely, C

Dear C, GOOD FOR YOU!! I'm so GLAD that you grind your own!!
Yes, I am familiar with Rev. Malkmus and agree with him on a few points, but disagree with him on many. I see no problem with juicing, but don't see a Scriptural basis for it being a part of your daily life. If we believe that the word of God includes ALL instruction for our lives, (2 Timothy 3:16 -17), then I can't say that juicing is "thus saith the Lord." Neither can I say that about his basic premise, which is based upon Genesis 1:29. Let me ask you a question, do we still live in Genesis 1? What happened between Genesis 1 and Genesis 3? Are we still in the garden? Are we still in an un-fallen state? What are we to do with Genesis 9:3-4? "Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you, I give all to you, as I gave the green plant. Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood." (blood if forbidden in both Old and New Testaments, see Leviticus 3:17 and Acts 21:25) In Genesis 8:20, we see that Noah already knew the difference between "clean" and "unclean", so the Levitical laws, which Y'shua, himself, followed, (Y'shua didn't eat pork or shellfish) were not broken, as Noah had this knowledge. My other problem with Rev. Malkmus' stand being "thus saith the Lord, be vegetarian,” is that Y'SHUA ate meat! He ate the Passover lamb and fish, as seen in the feeding of the 5,000 and 7.000. Certainly He wouldn't serve bad food!! And are we not told to be like Him in ALL things? So, you can see why I cannot totally agree with him. I agree that raw vegetables and fruits should make up a good portion of our diet. I think this might be seen in the story of Mary and Martha. If Martha had just put the food Y'SHUA created on the table the way He had made it, then perhaps she wouldn't have been so “overworked.” (see John 1, I love the KJV for this as it is so poetic: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. ALLTHINGS were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made." V. 1-3 [caps mine for emphasis]). I DO recommend that you get your food as closely to the way God made it as you possibly can. That means natural peanut butter, raw milk and raw milk cheeses (can be ordered very easily), etc.

As for the difficulties you are having with your family, I highly recommend getting at least one of my cookbooks and trying the recipes out. I have men and children eat my recipes and LOVE them! I've even had some who attend my seminar (we serve lunch) ask me, "This is GOOD for me?!!" and then see them BEG Mom to cook this way! I've been offered catering jobs and constantly hear that I should open a restaurant or bake shop. (No thanks!) So, I think, perhaps, you need some "kid tested and approved" recipes to work with! You could also get started with my video. Yes, it does address all of this, plus you have the added bonus of stopping and starting me at your convenience! I also address the balance of how to do this, yet still live in the world and our culture; how to "be in the world, but not of the world". I think that the video will encourage you and also address most of your questions. It allows me to “be with you” and tutor you when it is physically impossible for me to do so.

No, you are NOT whining! You are crying out for an answer and God DOES have it for you!! That's why He has “older women teach the younger women,' (Titus 2). We are farther down the road than you are and we are SUPPOSED to reach back and give you a hand to help you along the way. Why did I go through 13 years of illness? In order to cry out to God for answers, get them, implement them, get healed and then be able to have a TESTIMONY to help others! Joyce Meyer is famous for saying that we want a testimony, but we don't want the "test"! All we have are the "monies"!! ºÜº But, God allows these tests so that we can live out 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Y'shua Messiah, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort; who comforts us in our affliction SO THAT we may be able to comfort those who are in ANY affliction with the comfort with which WE were comforted by God."
I hope this will encourage you and help you.