It’s Marshmallow Root Time!

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Over the years, I’ve noticed that as the weather gets colder, my digestive tract gets irritated. Yes, my allergies change but I also get acid reflux. I have no idea why this happens, but the first year it was very painful. In fact, it woke me up in the middle of the night it was so uncomfortable. Since I prefer to try to heal myself before I go to the doctor, I did a lot of research.

Of course, my first line of attack was to remove the cause. I looked at my lifestyle and tried to identify any changes. Why was my esophagus getting irritated? Why was my stomach acid backing up into my esophagus? Truthfully, I couldn’t come up with a solid answer. However, after several years, the only conclusion I could come to was that it had to do with the changing of the season, because it starts to happen every autumn and rarely any other time of the year. Then, I looked at remedies. Most of the allopathic (conventional) remedies reduce the acid in the stomach so it does not irritate the digestive tract anymore. Most people need to take it for the rest of their lives. I understand the logic but I need (as we all do) the acids in my digestive system, I need them to do their job ~ digest my food, allowing my body to absorb nutrients from it. I need those nutrients to maintain a healthy body.

Dried Marshmallow Root

There are lots of remedies and theories out there, for example, when and what to eat. But what I really needed to do was heal the irritation in my digestive system so it could work properly and I could be comfortable again. Luckily, I knew about Marshmallow Root (Althaea officinalis).  It is very soothing and mucilaginous. It coats, protects and heals all inflammatory digestive disorders and enhances the immune system.  All I need to do is simply drink a cup of cold infusion after each meal and feel the discomfort melt away. Depending on the severity of the heartburn, relief happens instantly or may take a couple of days.  You can find Marshmallow Root in the bulk section of most health food stores. One thing I really love about Marshmallow Root is that after my system has been healed, I can stop using it. I have found that the infusion tastes better if I keep it in the refrigerator.  One important thing to know about Marshmallow Root infusions ~ they can be very thick and mucilaginous, in turn coating the digestive tract, which can inhibit the absorption of some medication. So, if you are taking any medication, be sure to take it at least an hour or more before or after you drink the Marshmallow Root infusion.  Here’s to relief from heartburn!

All information is shared for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

If you are having a difficult time finding Marshmallow Root locally, Healing Spirit Herb Farm is a wonderful company to order from.

 

It’s Hanukkah! Time to make the apple sauce!

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So what does apple sauce have to do with Hanukkah? Well, we love it with our potato latkes, which is a traditional meal to eat during Hanukkah. Some people eat them with sour cream or apricot jam but we simply stick with apple sauce.

Over the years, people have asked me for the secret to my apple sauce. Interestingly, I think of my apple sauce as being no doubt tasty but rather simple and common. But who am I to argue when I am told it is extraordinary? After all these years, I have struggled with why, but have finally come up with the only possible answer ~ my ♥ and intention while making it. Yes, of course I try to find the best local ingredients, but I think it must be the added ingredients that makes it stand above the rest.
There are two other secrets as well.

  1. I only use apples but not common baking apples. I also make sure there are at least five different varieties in my sauce, such as Fuji, Honeycrisp, Baldwin, Empire, Golden Delicious, Gala, Jonagold to name a few. Sure, you can use the standards like McIntosh or Cortland, but make sure you include some other varieties. This makes the flavor more complex and delicious.
  2. I use apple cider instead of water.

peeling apples

Debbie’s Naked Apple Sauce

Ingredients

  • A variety of local apples
  • Red Jacket Apple Cider (if you cannot find it, ask your local grocer to stock it or use another local apple cider)

Peel, core, and slice apples. Make sure there is a nice mixture of sweet and tart apples. Add apples to a large sauce pan. When the sauce pan is full of sliced apples, fill the sauce pan with about 1 ½ inches of apple cider. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for about 20-30 minutes, until the apples are soft and mushy (yes, mushy is a technical term). Then remove from stove and use a potato masher to well – mash the apples. You can use a food mill but I like chunky apple sauce.

Well, there you have it – now you can make you very own Naked Apple Sauce to go with your potato latkes, no sugar, no spices – just ♥. I highly recommend that you get to know who is growing your apples, without a doubt, it tastes so much better – ENJOY!

May peace prevail on earth so we all get to celebrate the way we want to.

Happy Hanukkah!