Black Bean and Corn Salad

This recipe is from my sister Kelli. It is sooo good, I recommend making a double batch so you have leftovers. I made it for a banquet Sunday and everyone asked for the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup fresh lime juice

1/2 cup olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels

1 avocado - peeled, pitted and diced

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 small container of grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

6 green onions, thinly sliced

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place lime juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and cayenne pepper in a small jar. Cover with lid, and shake until ingredients are well mixed.

2. In a salad bowl, combine beans, corn, avocado, bell pepper, tomatoes, green onions, and cilantro. Shake lime dressing, and pour it over the salad. Stir salad to coat vegetables and beans with dressing, and serve.

Drying and Storing Herbs

Now is the time to dry your fresh herbs for storage. Don't wait until late summer or fall when you are busy canning! Now is the time!

The plants should then be gathered as follows:
*barks in the spring,
*leaves before the plant flowers,
*flowers on the first day of opening, and
*roots are best in the autumn (when lifting a root an effort must be made to get out the entire root, so a long spade or fork is needed)

The best time to cut herbs for drying is just before they flower. This is when the leaves have the most oil. Different varieties of herbs flower at different times of the season, so look for buds or newly opened flowers as your clue for harvesting. But, if your herbs have already flowered, they can still be harvested and dried. It is better to harvest herbs mid-morning when the leaves are dry but before the hot midday sun, but early evening is also good!

For some herbs you can cut and hang. For other herbs you must dry them quickly due to moisture content, or they will mold, ruining the entire bunch.

For herbs such as lavendar, cone flowers, goldenrod, oregano, and sage:

To harvest, cut the whole stems within a few inches of the base of the plant, gather into groups of 5-6 stems, tie and hang in a warm, airy location. When dry, strip off the leaves, store in a covered container such as a jelly size mason jar.

You can then tie them in loose bundles, and hang in a warm, airy place until dry. Make sure they aren't crowded so that air can circulate around them.

If you are harvesting echinacea (cone flowers) for medicinal purposes see this page, as you will also need to harvest the roots.

For high-moisture herbs such as lemon balm, basil, tarragon, mints, dandelion, nettles, and red raspberry leaves:

Remove individual leaves, or dry on stems. Lay in a single layer in a food dehydrator and dehydrate until very dry. Remove leaves from stems (if you haven't already) and place into air tight containers (mason jars, vacuum sealed bags, etc)

You can also dry these types of herbs in an oven. Heat over to 200 deg. Turn off. Place your herbs in a single layer on a cookie sheet and place in warm oven. When dry, place into air tight containers (mason jars, vacuum sealed bags, etc).

You can also lay herbs on mesh screens in front of a dehumidifier over night, and store when dry.

All herbs need to be stored away from direct sunlight or heat as these rob the herbs of their potency. Enjoy your herbs!

Coming soon: herb butter, and vinegars and oils infused with herbs..

Homemade Ketchup

(without all that nasty high fructose corn syrup)

Summertime brings BBQ's and what's a BBQ without ketchup? But have you ever looked at the label? Here is a healthy alternative to store-bought.

1 6-oz can of tomato paste

1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar

1 Tbsp sweetener (I prefer agave or honey)

1 tsp Braggs Liquid Amino's or soy sauce

1/4 tsp dried basil

1/8 tsp paprika

1/8 tsp salt

2 1/2 Tbsp water

Combine ingredients in a small pot or saucepan, simmering for 10-15 minutes on medium heat, stirring often. Allow to cool, then store in the refrigerator in a mason jar. Usually lasts 2-3 weeks.

Basil

One of my favorite things about summer and gardening is basil.

More specifically..pesto.

The aromatic leaves can be used fresh or dried to add flavors or spices in stews, vegetable, poultry, vinegars, pesto and pasta dishes.

Aside from its culinary use, basils have medicinal uses. Basils have long been known to treat headaches, coughs, diarrhea, constipation, stomach aches, worms, warts and kidney malfunctions.

Pick basil leaves when young during summer. Freeze, dry or use to flavor herbs or vinegar right after picking or pack in jars of oil to preserve them.

Easy Pesto

In blender:

handful washed basil leaves, no stems (about 1/2c packed)

2 cloves garlic, peeled (more if you really like garlic)

1/4 c fresh parmesan cheese

cover with good quality olive oil (1/2- 3/4c)

Pulse until blended. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Blend again. Spoon over warm pasta, or use as a dip for warm bread.

Delish.

Master Cleanse

Everybody needs to "change their oil" once in awhile. We are systematic about doing it for our vehicles, but what about our bodies?? What about all the gunk that is collected there?

Enter the Master Cleanse.

The Master Cleanse, also known as the Lemonade Diet, or the Maple Syrup Diet is a program created by Stanley Burroughs Burroughs states that it is a detoxification program that aids in the removal of harmful toxins from within the body, as well as a reducing diet for loss of weight, and a cure for ulcers and "every kind of disease," resulting in "the correction of all disorders."

The Master Cleanse is a way to rid the body of toxins and remove the cravings associated with drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and eating junk food. "Coffee, tea, and various cola drinks, as habit-forming beverages, also lose their appeal through the marvels of the lemonade diet." The cleanse involves drinking only lemonade made from fresh lemon or lime juice, maple syrup, water and Cayenne pepper. No solid food is eaten for the entire cleanse.

My husband is on day 6 of the Master Cleanse. Day 1 and 2 he felt pretty rough, we are guessing from lack of caffeine (coffee). But he has never once been hungry. We have done other fasts, and thought (*grins*) we were starving to death. So far he has lost several pounds, his dandruff is completely gone, he is starting to taste and smell again, and his shoulder pain (from what we suspect is a partially torn rotator cuff) is almost gone. We are hoping this fixes his sinus issues. He looks and feels GREAT! He plans to continue for 10-14 days..

I really recommend reading the book before starting the cleanse so that you understand the dynamics of the cleansing and healing process.

What is Kombucha? (pronounced kom-BOO-cha)

Some call it a tea, some call it an elixir. Either way, it's a miracle, and it's been used around the world for hundreds of years to help restore balance and vitality.

Kombucha is not a supplement, drug, or medicine... it is simply a super healthy food that helps the body to find (or regain) its natural balance in the body, which promotes overall well being.

Kombucha supports:

digestion

metabolism

immune system

appetite control

weight control

liver function

body alkalinity

anti-aging

cell integrity

healthy skin & hair

To put it in simple terms, Kombucha will make you feel good!

I LOVE this stuff! Yes! You can make your own, although I have never tried it. I LOVE the Synergy brand..so yummy!

Crock Pot Yogurt
for easy and delicious homemade yogurt..
from Nourishing Days

Recipe notes: This recipe uses a 2 quart crock. In using a 4 or 4 1/2 quart crock I found the yogurt to have a bit of a “springy” texture. I was able to alleviate this by heating the milk an additional 15 minutes for a total of 2 hours and 45 minutes.

Turn your crock pot to low and pour in 1/2 gallon of milk.

Heat on low for 2 hours and 30 minutes.

Once 2 hours and 30 minutes have elapsed turn your crock pot off and unplug it. Let the milk cool in the crock with the lid on for 3 hours.

After 3 hours remove 1-2 cups of the warmed milk and place in a bowl. To that add 1/2 cup of yogurt with live active cultures and mix very well.

Pour the yogurt-milk mixture back into the milk and whisk thoroughly.

Place the cover back on the crock and wrap the entire crock pot in a thick bath towel or two.

Let it culture overnight, 8-12 hours.

In the morning stir yogurt (if desired) and store in glass quart jars or a container of your choice.
For optimum texture, refrigerate for at least 8 hours before using.

We then sweeten with pure maple syrup and vanilla extract, or blend with fruit and agave nectar or honey.