SPICE UP YOUR LIFE!

According to the March 2009 issue of Prevention Magazine there are seven super spices that just might minimize the aging process. These spices could also help with diabetes. The University of Georgia findings show that the antioxidants in these spices help to block compounds associated with aging and may inhibit tissue damage caused by high levels of blood sugar.
I have always been a great fan of spices and love spiced tea. My spice cabinet runneth over. I add spices to most dishes I make in my kitchen.
Below is a list of the seven super spices that fight aging along with brief paragraph about each one and other healthy uses recommended by herbalists.





Cloves - Used to treat indigestion, diarrhea, hernia, and ringworm, as well as athlete's food and other fungal infections and toothaches. This spice has antioxidants that help prevent cell damage that eventually causes cancer.
Try in cakes and bread for a spicy sweetness.




Allspice - The consumption of allspice with meals results in stronger digestion, reduces gas and bloating, and can ease nausea. It also has blood sugar regulating effects, and controls appetite.

Add to ground beef for unexpected twist to hamburgers or meat loaf.


Sage - Useful in treating diarrhea, colds, and excessive perspiration, hot flashes, to dry up phlegm, and you can gargle with the tea to treat coughs and tonsil or throat infections. It can
be used as a hair rinse for dandruff, oily hair, or infections of the scalp. It reportedly restores color to gray or white hair.
Try in tomato sauce recipes.





Oregano - This herb has been used to relieve bloating, gas, urinary tract problems, painful menstruation, rheumatoid arthritis, and swollen glands.
Great on homemade garlic bread or pizza.





Thyme - Used for respiratory problems such as bronchitis and asthma. An easy homemade remedy can be made by finely chopping thyme with a spoon of local honey. It soothes the lungs and air passages. Can be used in baths for neurasthenia, rheumatism, paralysis, bruises, swellings, and sprains. In a salve it is helpful for shingles. Use in scrambled eggs for a flavor boost.



Marjoram - Great for blood circulation, water retention,muscle spasms, fatigue, insomnia. Use in tomato soups, sauces, oriental salads.

Cinnamon - helps ward off diabetes, good for heart health, has anti-inflammatory qualities and helps reduce triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. Try on whole wheat toast drizzled with honey.

So now we can be younger and cure all our ills with just a few simple spices.

Evidence shows the use of herbs and spices dates back to before recorded history and has been passed from one generation to another. My mother used to drink sassafras tea and thought it to be medicinal. I hated the taste of that tea.

Do you use spices in your recipes or have one special spice you like better than others? Do you think spices are medicinal and can cure certain ailments?

RECESSION OR DEPRESSION, A MATTER OF OPINION!

My parents went through the Great Depression and so did my older sister. I can remember my mother telling me stories about how my father could not get work. My sister was born in 1932 and was a baby during this time. It was a terrible time for families and people that survived never forgot the hardship.

My mother saved everything she ever came in contact with from then on and my sister is almost as bad!

The Great Depression was the worst economic slump ever in U.S. history. The cause is still a matter of debate today. Some believe the collapse of the stock market in October 1929 played a major role. Two months later, stockholders had lost more than $40 billion dollars. Some of the nation's largest banks were failing to maintain adequate reserves and were investing heavily in the stock market or making risky loans. Bank deposits were uninsured and when the banks failed, people lost their savings.
People from all classes stopped buying. This caused less items to be produced which led to a reduction in the workforce and less jobs. Millions of Americans were jobless, homeless, and penniless. The number of commercial banks failing between 1929 and 1933 was 10,763.

America had lent large amounts of money to Europe and UK, to help rebuild after the first world war. Therefore, the U.S. economy spread to the rest of the world as America called in loans.

Some say the end of the Great Depression came in December 1941 when America became involved in World War II and nations increased their productions of war materials. This provided jobs and put money back into circulation. The government under Franklin Roosevelt took over the responsibility for the elderly with the creation of Social Security. Unemployment compensation was created for those involuntarily unemployed. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) helped to restore confidence in banks. Several other bills provided mortgage relief for homeowners. This changed the relationship between the government and the people as they came to expect and accept a larger federal role in their lives and the economy.

The more I read about the Great Depression the more our situation seems to coincide with the events of that time in our history. The 1920s "boom" and then the stock market crash.
President Herbert Hoover supposedly did nothing about the Depression. George W. Bush did nothing to prepare the American people for what we are going through today.

The definition of recession is: a period of reduced economic activity. The definition of depression is: a severe economic downturn that lasts several years.

What do you think about the situation the American people are facing? Are we in a recession or a depression? Do you think things are going to get worse before they get better? What are your thoughts about the bailout?

On a lighter note, two famous songs during the Depression: Brother, Can You Spare Me A Dime and Mr. President Have Pity On The Working Man.

DON'T DOUBLE DIP THAT CHIP!!!

One researcher says that "double-dipping" is like kissing everybody at the party. It's like putting your whole mouth in the dip. They found that on average, three to six double dips transferred about 10,000 bacteria from the eater's mouth to the remaining dip.

I am not a Germophobic but there are certain things that really bother me when it comes to germs and cleanliness.

I used to work with a woman that "double-dipped" every time we went to a Mexican restaurant and they brought out the salsa and chips. That is not all she did. She would eat off someones plate if given the chance. It used to make me almost physically sick and everyone in the office eventually refused to eat anything she brought if we had a potluck meal.

I love to cook and many times I sample what I am cooking but I always get a new utensil to stir the recipe other than the one I tasted it with. My thinking is that I might have some bacteria in my mouth that would be transferred to my guests or family. I don't lick my fingers while cooking either and it bothers me when other people do it. I had to quit watching Paula Deen on television because she is always licking her fingers and tasting stuff. Cold sores, throat infections such as strep, and mono can all be passed by using the same eating utensils.

Another thing, if you are not a big fan of germs, beware of the salad bar. I have seen people sneeze, cough, grab food with their hands, and eat off the serving utensils. I read that the plastic gloves that service workers wear can lure you into a false sense of security. They are purely for show and can get just as contaminated as bare hands if they don't change them often. Actually, they can lure the employee into thinking that as long as they wear the gloves they don't have to wash their hands. This is not true!

Remember the "five second rule" that states a food item dropped on the floor and picked up within five seconds will be safe to eat. Research concluded that there was a potentially significant amount of bacteria transferred in those five seconds.

The single most important way to prevent the transmission of infectious organisms is to wash your hands often - before eating; before and after handling food, particularly raw meat and fish; after having sex; before putting in contact lenses or treating a wound; after using the toilet; after sneezing, coughing, or blowing your nose; after changing a diaper; after playing with a pet or cleaning a litter box; and after gardening.

The kitchen is the room in your house that has the most potential to harbor germs. Kitchen counter tops can have over 488 bacteria per square inch. Clean counter tops before and after cooking. Use a spray bottle of water and 1 teaspoon of bleach. Spray counter, let sit for 2 minutes and wipe with a paper towel.

I might go overboard with some of this stuff but I can't help it. I rarely ever get sick and I don't take any kind of medicine. My health is a big concern to me at my age and I certainly don't want to be contracting germs from other people.

Do you have a thing about "germs" or cleanliness? What are some of your healthy habits?

KENTUCKY NATIVE - ABRAHAM LINCOLN

On Monday, February 16, 2009, we celebrate President's Day. Since Abraham Lincoln was born February 12, 1809 in Hardin County, Kentucky and it is his 200th birthday, I am dedicating this post to "Honest Abe".

Below you will find listed some facts and little known facts about our 16th president:

Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks, died when he was nine years of age from "Milk Sickness" that is caused from consuming contaminated milk.

Lincoln's stepmother, Sarah, encouraged him to study and make something of his life.

Lincoln struggled with depression all his life.

He was engaged several times.

He worked as a ferry boat operator.

He is the only American President to hold a patent.

His youthful sweetheart, Ann Rutledge, died.

Lincoln was a U.S. Congressman.

He married Mary Todd of Lexington, Kentucky on November 4, 1842. She was 24 and he was 33 when they married. They had "Love is Eternal" engraved in their wedding bands.

The Lincoln Bedroom was never a bedroom during his term but was used as an office.

The Lincolns shared the White House with two pet goats named Nanny and Nanko.

The family dog's name was Fido.

The Gettysburg Address was not Lincoln's best speech.

John Wilkes Booth's older brother saved the life of Abe Lincoln's son, Robert.

Lincoln's death masks were made before he was killed.

Lincoln's body was almost stolen.

Lincoln was the first president to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

Lincoln was the first president to sport a beard.

Wife, Mary, was put in an institution after Abe's death by her son due to her mental health.

Lincoln was a man of humble origins whose perseverance and determination helped to end slavery in the United States.

One quote I read from Lincoln goes like this: " I am a firm believer in the people. If given the truth, they can be depended upon to meet any national crises. The great point is to bring them the real facts. " I think this still stands true today!

SWEET DREAMS!

Dreams have always fascinated me. I dream a lot and my dreams are so vivid that sometimes when I wake up I don't know where I am.

The definition of a dream is a story revealed through images that your brain creates while you're asleep. Supposedly, everyone dreams every night. A lot of us can't remember our dreams or don't remember them vividly.

Scientists and researchers still cannot explain why we dream.

Freud believed that a dream was the unconscious mind expressing itself.

Some people have the same dreams over and over again.

There is a myth that if you dream you are falling and hit the ground before you wake up, you will die. I have heard this all my life.

I have also heard if you have trouble sleeping, you are in someone else's dream!

I sometimes wake up crying or screaming from a dream. My dreams are so real to me that I feel like I might pass into another dimension and communicate with people that are deceased.

In my dreams they are always young even if they were old when they passed away. My mother-in-law was very ill and in her nineties. She came to me in a dream and told me she was leaving to go be with her husband and son. In my dream, I was standing in the front yard of the farm we lived on when my girls were young. Johnny, my husband and her husband, John, Sr. were standing about 50 yards away from me. They are both deceased. She was standing between them and she walked over to me and told me she was leaving to be with them. She turned and walked back to where they were standing and they all walked away waving to me. They were all young in my dream. I woke myself up I was crying so loud. She died about three days later.

Another instance involved a person I thought was my friend and she stabbed me in the back and said some horrible things about me that were not true. This ended our friendship. Several years later this person became ill with cancer and died. One night I had a dream she was standing beside my bed asking me for forgiveness for what she had done. I had not thought about this person in years. In the dream I forgave her. I woke up trembling and actually thought she was in the room with me.

Here are some facts about dreams:

1. Everybody dreams.

2. A lack of dream activity can mean a personality disorder

3. Men usually dream more about men, while women dream about men and women equally.

4. People who are giving up smoking have longer and more intense dreams.

5. Toddlers do not dream about themselves. They don't appear in their own dreams until age 3 or 4.

6. If you are snoring, you cannot be dreaming.

7. Blind people dream and whether visual images appear in their dream depends on whether they were blind at birth or became blind later in life.

Do you have vivid dreams or do you dream the same dream over and over? Do you remember what your dreams were about? Do you have a dream that really bothered you?

FINALLY!! BACK ONLINE, PHONE, AND CABLE.

Today, I got back the phone, internet, and cable. That means everything is back to normal except for a few more trees I need to get cut down in the near future. Also, I am on my way to your blog to catch up on what everyone has been writing about and doing while my internet was out. Please be patient with me. I am going as fast as I can. Thank you all so much for hanging in there while all this mess was going on with me. I am on my way to your place.......See ya soon!

AN UPDATE ON ICE STORM SITUATION

Just a quick post from a friend's computer to let everyone know that I am fine. I am back home and do have heat and electricity. I have been without cable t.v., phone, or internet for nine days and no idea of when I will get it hooked back up. They can't even give us a date. I am very lucky to have heat and electric. There are still thousands without both in our state. Yesterday, we had four more inches of snow on top of all the ice we already received. My heat pump went out during the snow storm yesterday but I do have two electric heaters and we got the heat back on this morning. The large tree in the post below this one had to come down and they took it down during the snow storm to keep it from falling on my house because we had high wind along with the snow on Tuesday. It is supposed to be ten degrees here tonight and so many without heat or electric.

Hopefully, everything will be back to normal soon. It is supposed to get above freezing tomorrow and warmer each day.

Thanks to all my blogging friends out there for all the concern and kind comments you have left for me. I hope to be back online soon and will be visiting each and everyone of you so keep the coffee hot!!! Love to all, Judy