All-Natural Stomach Ache Relief

I've been doing this for so long, it's just second nature to me. However, I thought that I'd share it since some of you may find it helpful.

Whenever you have a stomach ache, turn to your refrigerator for remedies. Plain yogurt provides the solution for me. It needs to be plain yogurt without any added fruits, sugar or other ingredients.

Simply eat the yogurt. It's a form of medicine, actually. Plus, once you get used to the taste, it's enjoyable. Yes, you can become accustomed to eating plain yogurt. If you make your own, it can be a pure taste treat. (Making your own yogurt will be another blog post).

Choose your favorite brand of yogurt. Most offer a “plain” version. If a yogurt manufacturer does not offer a “plain” version, I wouldn't waste my time buying any type of yogurt from that manufacturer.

Eat as much yogurt as you feel necessary. Usually, I eat between ¼ to ½ cup. And, VIOLA!! no stomach ache. Results are rather instantaneous for me. As soon as the first couple of spoonfuls go down, my stomach feels better. Nice..

Your results may be different, but it works for me. It may work for you, too. Hopefully this can help others going through the same thing.

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An Experience with Raw Goat's Milk

Anyone who has drank soy milk can understand what I am going to say. There has to be a tastier alternative that does not have added sugar. So, I am always on the look out.

When I was at the local Farmer's Market, one vendor was selling goat milk products. I know goat cheese can be pretty tasty. However, I had never had goat's milk. When offered a sample, I figured...”What the heck?”. I had heard that lactose-intolerant people can consume goat's milk. So, I tried it. It was DELICIOUS!!

I purchased a half gallon of it. Then, about 30-45 minutes later, I started getting a mild headache that originated in my left eye muscle. (I know, because I've had issues with my left eye for 35 years). And, I started feeling a little strange. I blamed it on the sun since it was a beautiful, sunny day.

When I got to my car, I read the milk label. There was a waiver of liability stating that raw milk may contain bacteria that can cause harm to some people. Oh oh. My system can be pretty sensitive. I needed more fact finding. I went back to talk with the goat milk lady and discussed what raw milk is. She was knowledgeable about raw V pasteurized milk. Truthfully, I had no knowledge about the subject area. It sounded like a chemotherapy equivalent. Chemotherapy kills healthy cells while also killing harmful cells. Pasteurization kills bacteria while also killing healthy enzymes.

When I got home, my headache got worse. It did not progress to the migraine stage, luckily. It was a concern, though. I knew that if I went out into the heat, it would get worse. I know my body well enough to know how I react to direct sunlight for an extended period of time (even 10 minutes). So..I stayed in.

I started getting very tired. I was planning on attending a social event in a couple of hours, so I layed down for a nap. My nap lasted for six hours! I missed my social outing along with tons of fun. Oh well.

I decided to do online research regarding goat's milk. A nutritional breakdown revealed 7 grams of saturated fat per cup. Considering I'm used to .5 to 1 gram per cup, that's quite a difference. (No wonder it tasted so good.) :) There were a variety of other beneficial nutrients, including calcium.

I'm not certain what caused my reaction to goat's milk, but I am not drinking anymore raw milk products. If I drank more than a sample size portion, who knows what the results would have been. I don't want to find out.

Hope this helps others.
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Using Grains in Soup

Grains can be used interchangeably in soups. Instead of the traditional barley or brown rice, how about using new ones? Experiment with spelt, millet, quinoa and/or wheat berries. Here's a recipe highlighting a new way to use spelt. This recipe is great for anyone with gluten intolerance.

Prepare 1 cup of spelt by soaking it in cold water for one hour. Drain. Now, it's ready to be used.

Spelt, Chickpea and Tomato Soup
1 cup soaked spelt
2 T olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and cut
1 celery stalk, diced (I like to peel mine)
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 t paprika
2 bay leaves, crushed
1 t cumin, ground or powdered

4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups tomatoes, crushed or diced
1 pound chickpeas (known as garbanzo beans)

Put olive oil into bottom of large dutch oven. Heat oil over medium heat. Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic to the oil. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for five minutes. Add paprika, bay leaves and cumin, spelt, broth and one cup water.

Bring to boil. Stir. Reduce heat to simmer. Cover and cook 30 minutes, until spelt is tender.

Add tomatoes and chickpeas. Stir thoroughly. Cook for another 20 minutes.
Remove bay leaves.

Serve in soup bowls. Place a sprig of parsley on top of the soup, if desired.


Original recipe developed by Finn River Farm
Adapted by My Unique Cookery

Edible Wedding Bouquets

Yesterday was Farmer's Market day. Upon looking over a variety of scrumptious-looking fresh produce, one vendor had some remarkable broccoli for sale.

Store-bought broccoli has nothing over this organic, local farm grown jewel. The bunch was asymmetrical. It was a beautiful shade of dark green. There were no blemishes or discolorations. The stalk was very fresh and HUGE. All in all, it was quite a pleasant sight to see. There was no smell of chemicals.

While checking out the broccoli, I picked up one bunch and was amazed at its natural beauty. “This needs to be a wedding bouquet”, was my comment to another veggie-lovin' customer. Wouldn't that be cool? An edible wedding bouquet. Instead of throwing away the typical flowers, you could take a picture of the bouquet. Then, steam it up for your dinner. That's what I call recycling.


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How To Remove Coffee Cup Stains

Here are a couple of stain removal techniques. Both remedies are found in your home products. Neither require great expense.

All natural:
Apply some baking soda onto a wet cloth. Use elbow grease to scrub the stain until the stain no longer exists. Rinse the dish. Enjoy your newly cleaned dish. :)

Not all-natural, but effective and cheap:
Apply a drop of bleach into your stained coffee cup. Add warm water to fill the cup. Let sit until the stain disappears. Rinse and wash the cup thoroughly before using. (You may need to scrub the cup a little to completely remove the stain).