Carob Pods as a Teething Alternative!

I recently found this article on the Raw Mom Blog, soon after I posted the article about our new love of fresh carob pods. In the article, Ruth Hofer states that local aboriginal women living near her in Australia used the whole dried pod of the carob tree for their babies to suck on as teething rusks. I thought this was amazing! I had actually thought about giving the pods to Noa because they seemed to be hard enough and wouldn't break off in pieces as she chewed it. I was a little concerned about the seeds, but she doesn't seem to chew off enough to reach them inside.

I am loving this fresh alternative for teething! The pods even contain a mildly analgesic effect to help numb sore gums. I have them with me now all of the time. I snack on them in the car and usually give one to Noa for the car ride as well. She loves playing with them and holds them in her hands while I shop and run errands.

I was so thankful that Paul decided to order more! We went through 10 lbs. in almost 1 month! He didn't want to overdo it, but I am still craving them and love how satiating they are. He gave in, ordered 10 more pounds and he is loving them just as much!

Noa's teething does not seem to be too uncomfortable for her now, but when and if it does become painful, I will probably try a little clove oil. A friend also suggested trying chamomile too for teething. But these carob pods are keeping us both busy for now!

Garden Collard Wrap Recipe and Update!

I know it has been a while since my last post, and I am ready to get this ball rolling again. We had a busy holiday season, and Paul's mom Elaine came and visited us for 3 weeks. It was really nice having a helping hand and I was a little nervous when it came time for her to leave. I loved that Noa could spend time with her Grandma. But now we are back to normal, and keeping busy. Paul is in Dallas, Texas this weekend. He has a packed travel schedule for the next 6 months and he's excited to spread the message about health and healing naturally. Noa and I will be joining him on a few trips, but we'll be home most of the time.

Our garden is flourishing and we love being able to pick fresh greens and herbs daily. I use the collards to juice and make wraps for lunch.

Here is a simple recipe for any wrap:

First, I spread a walnut pate on the collard leaf.
Walnut pate:
3 cups walnuts
2 TBSP nama shoyu
2 carrots
1 handful cilantro
2 celery stalks
cumin and sea salt to taste

Then I topped it with the following:
avocado
tomato
sprouts
chopped lettuce
dulse
sprinkle chia seeds

I then topped it with a cashew ranch dressing:

1 cup raw cashew pieces
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 TBSP honey
2 TBSP fresh lemon juice
2 TBSP apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup of water (or desired consistency)
2 tsp parsley flakes
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
3/4 tsp dill
1/2 tsp garlic powder
3/8 tsp salt
1/4 tsp basil

These wraps were so simple and delicious! You can use any greens like romaine, or even nori sheets to make these wraps.

I have been making the herbal infusions daily and loving them! It looks like I am no longer craving kombucha because these infusions quench my thirst and are so refreshing. Right now, I am only making the oat straw and stinging nettle infusions, but I'll keep you all updated as I continue.

Interview with Rhio from Hooked on Raw

Rhio and her partner Leigh recently visited Paul and me in West Palm Beach and set up our kitchen for their radio show Hooked on Raw with Rhio. We had lots of fun and touched on some interesting subjects!

Check out my interview running this week or download the podcast here!

Herbal Infusions

Herbal Infusions

Recently, I began to make my own herbal infusions after being inspired by Susun Weed and her interview on The Raw Mom Summit. I purchased the herbs stinging nettle and oat straw to experiment. I followed the instructions from www.susunweed.com and soon discovered how simple and easy it was to make these delicious and nourishing infusions. An infusion is different than steeping the average tea bag. Keeping the jar covered and steeping it for more than 4 hours allows for the nutrients and minerals to transfer to the drinking water, which makes these infusions so medicinal.

They are so many nutritional benefits to these infusions!

Stinging nettle is used for the following :

* diuretic
* breaking down arthritis crystals and gout
* heavy menstrual bleeding
* anti-allergy and hay fever
* shrinking enlarged prostate
* hemorrhoids
* detoxifier
* increased breast milk production
* asthma
* skin complaints including eczema

Oat Straw benefits:

* fighting osteoporosis
* building bones
* pain relief
* calming hyperactive children
* soothing elderly people
* fighting anxiety
* panic attacks
* boosting immune system
* depression and nervous exhaustion
* antidepressant

It’s so easy:

1 ounce of dried herb (approx. 1 cup)
Fill 1 quart glass container with boiling water. Seal tightly, and let it sit overnight.

The next morning, strain out the herb, and refrigerate the tea. It will stay fresh for about 3 days. We return the used herb to the earth by putting it back in our compost.

I find these teas refreshing and light and sip on them all day. You can drink them warm or iced, and adding a little mint leaf or lemon will make them even more refreshing.

Herbal Infusions are a simple and economical way to boost your immune system and keep you healthy!

Clove Oil & Teething

Last week, I was experiencing an earache and gum soreness because of a wisdom tooth coming in. I have yet to have any of my wisdom teeth removed, and I don’t plan on having this procedure done anytime soon. I feel that these teeth are there for a reason, and I don’t experience any issues except for maybe a few days every year when one of these teeth seem to break through even more. There seems to be enough room for these teeth, and I am aware that it is important to keep them clean. But of course, every time I go to the dentist, they try to pressure me to have them removed. Maybe someday in the future I may consider it, but now that I am breastfeeding and plan to have more children, I don’t want to burden my body with anesthesia and unnecessary surgeries.

So, as this tooth began to break through from the surrounding gum line, I realized that soon, Noa will be getting teeth and it might be a little sore and painful. Two of her bottom teeth have come in without any pain or problems, but I heard that some of the others might not be so easy. Usually I just bare through my wisdom teeth dilemma without any relief from the irritating pain. I just pray and hope that the Father imparts to me some “wisdom” that I might need at this period in my life. But this time, I wanted to try and find some relief so I will know how to help Noa when her other teeth and molars arrive.

Clove oil has been used in the past to help with toothaches and pain, and I had some on hand so I gave it a try. I put a few drops on a cotton swab and rubbed it on the sore gum and tooth. Instantaneously, I felt relief! It was incredible! I couldn’t believe how quickly the clove oil worked and how long it lasted. For 2 hours, I completely forgot about the pain. Once the oil’s effects wore off, I just reapplied the clove oil and was relieved again. It seemed to also speed the recovery process. By the next day, the gum surrounding the wisdom tooth was not as sore and I didn’t even need to apply the oil.

It amazes me how quickly these essential oils can work in our bodies. Clove oil has been used in dentistry for centuries. It has very strong pain-killing properties, as well antimicrobial and antifungal uses to help heal acne, warts, scars and parasites.

I know I will definitely be using it to help Noa through her teething process. I may dilute the clove oil with an edible oil like olive or coconut, so it is not as strong for her. I highly recommend using clove oil first before trying any pharmaceutical methods for teething. It is another miraculous, natural healing tool given to us by our Creator.

Carob: The “Better Than Chocolate” Alternative

This week, John Kohler came to visit us again. He is our friend who helped set up our urban homestead in our tiny courtyard. He flies in from California, and this time he brought us the most delicious dried carob pods from Ojai! I had never tried carob like this before, and I was amazed at how much flavor they had and how satisfied I was after eating a few.

I learned about the carob pod when I started using it as an alternative to chocolate at the beginning of my health journey 10 years ago. But I had never eaten it directly from the pod, I always bought it in a powder form. I used it to sweeten raw desserts and other cake and cookie recipes. It has a roasted, chocolate flavor without the negative stimulating side-effects that chocolate has. It tastes like a sweetened cocoa bean, without the bitterness. Carob pods are loaded with antioxidants and can be used as an expectorant, laxative and demulcent.

There are possible biblical references to carob. It is reported that John the Baptist subsisted on “locusts and wild honey.” In Matthew 3:4, the word “locusts” may have been mistranslated to grasshoppers instead of carob because it is also known as the “locust bean.” Also, in Luke 15:16, the Prodigal Son desired to eat the pods he was feeding to the swine because he was starving. These pods were probably from the carob tree because it is resilient to harsh climate and drought and the pods were fed to the swine to save on resources.

Carob pods are also mentioned in the Talmud: Berakhot reports that Rabbi Haninah subsisted on carob pods. Pods were eaten in Ancient Egypt and were known as a sweetener. Carob juice drinks are drunk during the month of Ramadan in the Islamic faith and a dried carob fruit is traditionally eaten on the Jewish holiday of Tu Bishvat.

I love carob, and now love to eat it directly from the pod! It is such a delicious snack, and fun to eat. Be careful of the small sized seeds that are hard like pebbles. I suggest taking small bites around the edges first so you can see the seeds inside and remove them before eating. If you are in Ojai (Tiffany!) then try to find this local source and try these carob pods. I’ll be doing some research in the meantime to try and find more resources and will let you all know and maybe we can get them on the website soon too.

I think I may never go back to chocolate again. Maybe I shouldn’t say “never,” but at least now I know there is a more delicious, healthier alternative to eating chocolate.

Avo-Lime Pie Recipe!

Crust:

2 cups grated coconut
1/2 cup cashews
2 TBSP raw honey
1 TBSP lime zest*
2 TBSP water
sea salt as desired

Filling:
3 ripe avocados
1/2 cup lime juice
1/2 cup raw honey
Zest of 6 limes*
2 TBSP coconut oil
2 TSP vanilla powder or extract
sea salt as desired

1/2 cup chia get or 2 TBSP psyillium husk powder

Process crust ingredients in food processor until ball forms, then press into a springform pan.

Blend all ingredients for the filling in a high speed blender, add the psyillium husk powder, then blend again, or stir in chia gel by hand.

Pour in the filling on top of the crust, and let stand in the refrigerator until it sets.

Enjoy!!!

*Lime zest is the outermost skin layer of citrus fruits. You can remove the zest with a citrus zester, paring knife or vegetable peeler. Use only the colored part and add to the recipe. You can also squeeze the oil out of the zest using a sprout bag.

We will be posting a how-to-video for this recipe soon, so check back!!!