Herbs 101 Plants are Important Friends!

Join me

 Feb. 6th , Monday night for

Planning a First Aide Garden 

Check out other great classes in your local Community Ed programing!

Go to www.washougal.k12.wa.us/wcer

or call 360-954-3000

Plants are our friends!

Are Plants superior beings?
Can anyone be more, "IN THE NOW, than the plants?"
Have you ever wondered what plants think?
“Be Here Now” says the plant to the person. “Sit by me, smell and taste my leaves. Now sink your roots deep into the luxurious soil, relax your trunk and let your hairs feel the breeze like leaves waving in the wind.
Be Here Now, be trusting and content. “

“Like you, we are made by our Creator who doesn’t' make junk or mistakes. We trust that we will find what we need to survive. Our mission in life is to be the best we can be, thrive where ever we get planted and multiply. If you notice the more we are trimmed and used the faster we grow. We are happy to share our millions of years of expertise in living long and well on this planet.
We have the same adversaries as yourselves. The big 6 virus, bacteria, yeast/mold, parasites, solar radiation and oxidation.
We offer our special protection in your herbs and daily wholesome foods.
You are often like an adolescent rebelling against your parents, claiming you know better than the parents what you need to eat.
We Plants are waiting for you to notice we are waiting to be your best friends like we have been for millions of years. We truly are all around you all the time waiting to serve you.
Will you grow up, respect and value our unique contributions and regain your God given health? “
　
Using herbs for medicine is really about your relationship with each plant. With out respect the plant is present but not its’ spirit.

Are you using herbs here and there not sure of the effects? Do you know how much of what herb and when and why to take it? How can you tell if it is really what the label says?
When a person starts studying herbs for their ailments they ask which one should I take? My answer is what do you already have on hand? Parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, basil and garlic have most all the healing properties we need. Thyme is a bronchial dilator, rosemary has over 20 antioxidants and oregano is an excellent anti fungal. The best herbs and foods to use for our health are the ones we will use moderately and consistently.
The taste of an edible plant can help clue us in to the amount we need. If a food is good all by its self like kale or spinach or tomatoes and squash we probably could eat a lot of it.
If the plant is strong like cayenne peppers, ginger, or thyme it probably needs to be used consistently as a spice. It is more important to look at what we consume daily than what we take occasionally for our health.
If a plant is really strong flavored like goldenseal or Echinacea they are medicine with medicinal dosing.

If you swallow your food and medicine in pills or tinctures you by pass your tongue. Your tongue tells your brain how much of something to eat. How many cups of peppermint tea do you enjoy at a time. Maybe 2-3 for myself. If I take capsules I am more likely to take more “you know if one is good more is better?”
　
Learn to trust your taste buds. Get out one herb or spice you already have and crush and smell it. Taste it, look it up on line or your favorite books. I have put many of my trusted author’ s books on this site to direct you to who I trust. Now find a way to use a little daily. Experiment with tastes. Each person experiences tastes differently. The protection plants offer are from consistent use so find ways to enjoy your herbs daily.
　

Plants trust our creator.

Plants don't worry if they can succeed, be useful or get praise.

A plant knows and trusts its seed will land in soil eventually, receive the blessings of the rains and perfect sunshine.

A plant doesn't ask how tall it should grow, it will give everything it can to reproduce, honoring the promise to beatify this orb with each plants unique gift and beauty.

Plants trust that their contribution to the planet is good, to sow their seeds.

Plants seem meek, “the meek shall inherit the earth.”

Plants love and give of themselves freely to everyone equally.

They just ask you let their seeds survive.

Plants have devised chemical combinations to protect them from bacteria, viruses.

Plants have devised ways to protect themselves from parasites and molds.

Plants have had to deal with climate change many times. They have devised sun protection and antioxidants for radiation.

Plants have many many secrets to share.

Plants are waiting to be your best friends too!

Go Soak Your Nuts

Why bother soaking your raw seeds and nuts before eating them?
 Try it, you might like it!
 Eat a handful of raw unsoaked nuts and check in with your stomach in 1/2 an hour. Then soak the same kind of nuts over night, and eat the same amount. It takes 20 minutes for our brains to register that we have eaten. So in a 1/2 hour I can tell which nuts digested easier and lighter. 
By removing the enzyme inhibitors and other natural nut protections, we can eat and digest nuts much easier. The nut is transformed from a nut to a vegetable. Everything comes alive and we benefit from the miracle of life.
 Just add water.

If you look closely you can see the jars have nuts in water. Look at the stuff that comes off the nuts and clouds the water. Yukk !

 Nuts and seeds contain protein and when you put them in water bacteria can grow so treat them with respect and keep them refrigerated after soaking.

1.Put 1/4 cup raw nuts in a jar and fill couple inches over the nuts with clean water.
2.Set the jar on the counter overnight.
3.In the morning you will have dirty looking water like in this picture.
4.Drain out the water and rinse and inspect the nuts.
5.Any nut that isn't looking right, toss.
Now you have washed off the enzyme inhibitors and natural deterrents nuts and seeds have for their own protection.
6. Store the jar of rinsed and drained nuts in the refrigerator uncovered and rinse once daily and eat from the fridge. They must be kept under refrigeration and inspected and smelled before eating. They are good for about three to five days.
The cold storage gives them a delicious crunch.
Other nuts good to soak are filberts, almonds, cashews, and pecans.

 I add soaked nuts and seeds to green drinks or fruit smoothies for a complete protein drink . They add great taste and crunch to salads, or stir fry vegetables.

Dry the nuts and seeds after soaking then, they can be carried without refrigeration dried.

This is just the tip of the iceberg of what nuts and seeds can do for us!

Gratefully, Pixie