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Thelma and Louise

February 4, 2016 By Recipe Renegade Leave a Comment

Did I happen to mention how much I love our chickens? Chickens are one of our best investments. This is Thelma and Louise. I know we shouldn’t name them, but I can’t help myself. They each have their own unique personality. So how could we not name them??? These Barred Rock chickens look exactly the same. I can tell the difference because Louise always runs up to me and starts talking. I wish I understood ‘chicken speak,’ but I’m pretty sure she’s always saying the same thing – “Please give me more organic oats!”

Which is Healthier – Juicing or Blending?

February 4, 2016 By Recipe Renegade 1 Comment

Someone is always asking: Which is better – juicing or blending?

Which is better? Juicing juice or blending smoothies? If you’re looking to improve health, there’s no question. Juicing removes the pulp/fiber which allows the body to quickly absorb nutrients. Using a blender, even a high-priced blender, keeps the fiber which slows nutrients from entering our bloodstream. Because the fiber remains in a smoothie, we feel fuller and it’s impossible to get the quantity of nutrients available with juicing. We simply can’t drink that much fiber. There’s a reason Gerson Therapy® uses juicing–juicing can improve health. Don’t get me wrong–smoothies can be beneficial, too, especially when we replace non-foods with real food.

In case you don’t already know, “The Gerson® Therapy is a natural treatment that activates the body’s extraordinary ability to heal itself through an organic, plant- based diet, raw juices, coffee enemas and natural supplements.”

I was long overdue when I finally replaced my centrifugal juicer with a masticating juicer. I knew the masticating juicer had a bigger health benefit; the only thing holding me back was the price. My Jack LaLanne juicer had served me well for many years and was a good price at under $100. I purchased it when I was first becoming a ‘foodie,’ and knew nothing about juicing and probably less about health and wellness. A masticating juicer is easy to disassemble and cleans up fast. The pulp is much drier and my chickens love it. (Coming soon – my cracker recipe using all that pulp!)

When researching juicers, one quickly learns the health benefit isn’t the same for all juicers. A masticating juicer keeps the enzymes alive longer than a centrifugal juicer, since the centrifugal can heat up. My personal experience proves centrifugals are harder to clean. Much harder to clean. That alone is reason for me to choose masticating over centrifugal. The surface area of the strainer that’s exposed to the fruits and vegetables in a centrifugal is much, much larger than a horizontal masticating juicer. The strainer in the Omega horizontal is tiny in comparison.

My Omega NC800HDS juicer is not only capable of juicing fruits and vegetables, making nut butters, and making frozen desserts, but can juice wheat grass, and extrude pasta. Even though pasta isn’t a staple in my home, I’m happy to have a way to make it using my own healthier ingredients, like glyphosate-tested Jovial’s Einkorn Flour. It’s great that I not only didn’t have to pay for extra parts to use this for more than a juicer, but I also didn’t need to find extra space in my kitchen to store other big, clunky accessories.

Four things that impress me most about my Omega juicer:

1. It goes together and comes apart easily and quickly. (I like that I don’t need my reading glasses to put it together or take it apart.)

2. I can juice wheatgrass.
3. It comes with extra parts to make desserts and pasta.
4. And best of all—cleaning is a breeze. I spend much more time washing my fruits and vegetables than I do washing this juicer. A brush is included which makes cleaning the strainer easy.

Why I chose the Omega NC800HDS over other masticating juicers:

1. Successfully juices wheat grass without purchasing extra parts.
2. Makes frozen fruit sorbet/desserts without purchasing extra parts.
3. Horizontal model is easy to clean, with less parts than the vertical model.
4. Includes 6 nozzles and 1 juicing screen.

This particular model, according to the Omega website, has a ‘bigger’ chute for the fruits/vegetables. The Omega website states, “The size of the feed chute is larger so you spend less time prepping before juicing.” (I would honestly hate to see the smaller chutes because it is quite small.)

Two things I learned about this juicer:

1. The drum locking clip tends to stick. I keep a spray bottle with water handy and, after unplugging the unit, I carefully spray the drum locking clip to force out any juice so it won’t stick.
2. The juice strainer sometimes needs extra cleaning. I need to occasionally soak the juice strainer in hot water and dishwasher detergent and scrub it with a toothbrush. I then wash and rinse. (Never put any parts in the dishwasher!)

I always juice more fruits and vegetables than I can immediately drink. Although it’s recommended to immediately drink the juice before nutrients start to degrade, I seal leftover juice in a canning jar with my Foodsaver Jar Sealer and store in refrigerator. Below is my juicer and the Foodsaver I would buy (with the roll storage) if I needed a new one:

Please note: This is NOT a paid review.I will let you in on a little secret: I love juicing, but can’t always find the time to juice daily or don’t have enough fruits and vegetables on hand, especially in the winter. What I do find time for is–opening a packet of Zija International’s moringa oleifera, adding to clean water and re-hydrating overnight. Moringa oleifera is nature’s most nutrient-rich plant. Zija’s moringa oleifera has been shade dried to keep the best nutritional value. I drink it every day on an empty stomach and know I’m replacing nutrients that have been lost in our food chain. Scientists agree it takes 40 cups of spinach today, to equal the nutrients we got in just one cup, yes, ONE cup in the 1960’s.

Grab this eBook while it’s free! The 40 Best Quick and Easy Juice Recipes: – for Better Health, Weight Loss and Delight

The Norwalk is said to be the best juicer available. With a $2500 price tag, it’s clearly not for everyone, including me. If I was ever told I had cancer, though or seriously suspected I had cancer, I might desperately search for a way to purchase this juicer so that I could properly follow the Gerson® Therapy.

It’s Worse Than Chronic Lyme Disease

January 21, 2016 By Recipe Renegade 4 Comments

What Could Possibly Be Worse Than Chronic Lyme Disease?

Did you know there’s actually something worse than Chronic Lyme Disease? Becoming re-infected and having to recover from it again. And again. And yet again. Especially, when you were finally headed in the right direction and feeling better. If you don’t know anything about Lyme Disease (and you probably don’t unless you have Chronic Lyme Disease yourself) it’s a debilitating disease that steals our lives, our money and for many—our friends and family. There’s no cure and none in the foreseeable future. But that’s a story for another time.

It all started Sunday, when I woke with a sore throat. I thought, great, a second attempt at getting a cold this winter. I’ve not had a cold in at least four years. Mainly, since I learned the importance of good nutrition. It also helps I’m a fan of Andrew Saul who says about Vitamin C, “The reason one vitamin can CURE so many conditions is that a deficiency of one vitamin can CAUSE many conditions.” Whenever I’ve felt a sniffle that feels like a cold coming on, I promptly pay attention to his common sense: Respiratory Illness, (oh yeah, whatever did happen to that bird flu he mentions?) AND I increase my intake of Zija’s Supermix since it has 92 all-natural, from-a-plant nutrients.

Sunday, my symptoms started with a sore throat. I immediately started taking Vitamin C and it didn’t help. Absolutely no relief. Within a couple hours, my temperature soared and I had migrating body aches EVERYWHERE. My symptoms only continued to get worse.

Remembering what a warm winter we’ve had, it suddenly hit me—it’s the Lyme Flu. I remembered back to the other two times I had it. This felt exactly the same. Maybe I should back up.

What’s the Difference Between a Cold and a Flu?

I learned from my daughter’s pediatrician many years ago, the main difference between flus and colds are: with flus we have body aches and fevers, colds we have neither. Antibiotics do not work for either. I later learned we don’t have flus here, in the United States, in the summer.

The first time I realized I had the Lyme Flu was in the middle of summer. I’d been bitten by a tick a couple weeks earlier. I developed a sore throat that, within hours, graduated to a 103.5° temperature and horrible, migrating body aches. The worst sore throat I’ve ever had and body aches were almost intolerable. I couldn’t walk more than 5 feet without wanting to vomit. When the aches seemed to be more concentrated in my knees and neck, I suddenly realized, this is the Lyme Flu.

Since I’d been on high-dose antibiotics for quite some time for Chronic Lyme Disease, I had some leftover antibiotics. I decided the worst that would happen, if it was a regular flu in July, the antibiotics would do nothing. I had nothing to lose by taking them.

I was shocked the next morning when I was actually able to function. I showered and drove a half hour to a scheduled appointment with my doctor. I told her what happened and she said it was probably the plaquenil, an anti-malaria drug, that worked so quickly. She agreed it had to be Lyme Flu because antibiotics don’t work on viruses. I learned antibiotics can be a good diagnostic tool.

You Do WHAT With Bees?

So this Tuesday morning it hit me—this was probably Lyme. Why hadn’t I thought about that possibility yesterday or even Sunday? This has been an unseasonably warm winter—Christmas was almost 70°. My dog had a tick on January 7^th.

By now, I could barely swallow and the thought of swallowing a handful of antibiotics was not pleasant. I’m sure glad I did. Within a couple hours my sore throat started to abate and by Tuesday night, I could swallow without horrible pain. Twenty-four hours later, I was much better and could actually function again.

The pain of knowing I’ll still have to fight this longer to avoid more symptoms will linger a long time. If you’re not familiar with Chronic Lyme Disease, many people try BVT (Bee Venom Therapy) in an attempt to recover. That should help you understand how evil Chronic Lyme is, when people resort to stinging themselves 30 stings a week.

My butler is making me some homemade chicken soup. He’ll add lots of garlic just before serving me. It won’t cure Lyme Disease nor cure Chronic Lyme Disease, but it sure will taste great since my appetite is finally back. Okay, so he’s really my husband, but for today, let’s just say he’s my butler.

2019 Daylight Savings Time Ends US

January 14, 2016 By Recipe Renegade Leave a Comment

Daylight Savings Time Ends in US

Sunday, November 3, 2019, 2:00 AM

Does the Chickenpox Vaccine Make Sense?

January 7, 2016 By Recipe Renegade 2 Comments

I hesitated writing anything about vaccines, because it’s such a controversial subject. Although, I’m not so sure I understand why it’s considered controversial. Every parent has the right to question and should question what might be injected into themselves and especially their children. I felt compelled to share information after having a recent conversation about chickenpox and shingles, and particularly after watching the videos below.

I hope you’ll find time to watch The Greater Good. I found time to watch it over a couple days while working in my kitchen. An internet search might turn up a chance to watch it for free.

Please note this information is posted for informational and news purposes and is NOT to be construed as medical advice nor intended to diagnose, prescribe, treat, prevent or cure any disease, condition, illness, or injury. Please use common sense. If you watch these videos and have ANY questions, please discuss them with your doctor.

Good Parents Vaccinate, Right?

Like any good parent, I made sure my daughter was always up-to-date on her vaccinations. It was an era with no Internet, no World Wide Web, no information highway. We didn’t question anything; we simply trusted our doctors because they were smarter than we were, right? At least that’s how I was brought up. We go to a doctor, he figures out what’s wrong, he fixes us. By the way, I say, “he” because as a kid I never saw a female doctor.

The poster found HERE adequately shows what my daughter received in the 1980’s for vaccines: Polio, DTP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis), and MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) in 13 doses. Today children are vaccinated for, well, too many to count. Here’s the CDC’s vaccine list and schedule: Recommended Immunization Schedules for Persons Aged 0 Through 18 Years UNITED STATES, 2015.

How does Nature Protect Us from Shingles?

Much information is available, by credible sources, that the absence of being exposed to chickenpox is causing a rise in shingles. Information everyone should know. Since the chickenpox vaccine is a live vaccine, shingles can also be caught from someone recently vaccinated. It’s hard for me to understand why we would vaccinate for a mild disease that doesn’t even require a doctor visit, when it’s causing a disease that’s much more deadly. Shingles barely existed when I was a kid. Common sense tells us: Something has changed to cause a 39% increase in shingles.

I only began questioning vaccines a few years ago, after a vaccine discussion in my veterinarian’s office. My recent research taught me the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) and chickenpox vaccines are live and it’s important to keep vaccinated people away from cancer patients, those who are immune compromised, etc. I sometimes wish I hadn’t looked into this subject – ignorance can be bliss, right? When I Googled, safety of vaccines, many more anti-vaccine sites were listed than pro-vaccine sites.

I think it’s important for parents to make informed decisions for both their children and themselves. No matter the decision we make it should be with information from both sides. I believe uneducated complacency and compliance can sometimes be frightfully dangerous. I’ve included a few videos here that made me look at the vaccine schedule differently.

I can’t imagine what it would feel like to be a young parent today deciding if my child should or should not be vaccinated. While I wouldn’t consider myself an anti-vaxxer, I will admit I’m personally against vaccines that:

Simply don’t make sense
Are meant to prevent a disease that would not even require medical attention (like chickenpox)
Cause worst diseases than the disease it’s meant to prevent
Contain numerous toxins and aborted fetal cells
Vaccinate babies for sexually transmitted diseases (Call me crazy, but I don’t think babies are having sex.)

Another Interesting Video

I mentioned to someone I might not post this video, and they said, “What if it IS true? Shouldn’t you present it and let people make up their own minds?” I had to agree. It’s disconcerting to think the information revealed in this video might have something to do with why 13 US doctors (and 2 more recently in Canada) have died. Erin Elizabeth at Health Nut News, has reported extensively about these doctors. (UPDATE: As of today, 6.25.2016 the count is up to over 40!!! UPDATE 7.13.2016 the count is over 50!!!)

Did Bill Gates Really Say That?

In this video, Sanjay Gupta interviews Bill Gates. Mr. Gates talks about vaccines “reducing the population growth.” It’s surely disturbing to hear “reducing the population growth” when it’s in reference to vaccines. What exactly did he mean???

I Didn’t Like Learning About These Ingredients

I was disgusted (and honestly creeped out), when I learned vaccine ingredients MRC-5 and WI-38 are from aborted human, female fetuses. I don’t understand why we took formaldehyde out of our science classrooms, yet it’s okay to be injected with it. We know MSG (monosodium glutamate) is a neurotoxin and we’re supposed to follow hazmat protocol when we break a mercury thermometer. MSG and mercury (Thimerosal) are still in some vaccines. You can see the CDC’s list of vaccine ingredients here: Vaccine Excipient & Media Summary

Former Pharmaceutical Sales Rep Speaks Out

I’ll admit I agree with Brandy Vaughn, that we need to research BEFORE our children are injected with ANYTHING whether it’s a vaccine or something else. “Mexico pulled their entire vaccine schedule . . . yet we are mandating.”

Here’s what the Vatican had to say about vaccines containing aborted fetal cells: On Vaccines Made From Cells of Aborted Fetuses

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. – Vaccine Whistleblower

Ben Swann – The Race Coverup

Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist, reported the CDC admitted SV40, a cancer-causing virus, was found in polio vaccines between 1955 to 1963.

UPDATE: 7.13.2016 I learned this important information from the documentary, VAXXED:

Taxpayer money funds the Vaccine Injury Court
Studies showed the MMR vaccine DOES, in fact, cause autism because the data was manipulated/omitted to give an impression that it did not cause autism (i.e NO this was NOT debunked!)

I hope you’ll consider signing this petition to ask congress to take action!

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The PRO-Vaccine Side

I think this side of the vaccine debate more or less says: Science proves they save lives.

How the CDC Monitors the Safety of Vaccines

Childhood Vaccines are Safe

How Safe are Vaccines?

Vaccine Information

There are videos available at this site including Vaccines: Separating Fact from Fear. From the Immunization Action Coalition – Vaccine Information for the public and health professionals.

www.whyichoose.org

Like I said before, much more anti-vaccine than pro-vaccine info came up while researching. Please remember this information is posted for informational and news purposes and is NOT to be construed as medical advice nor intended to diagnose, prescribe, treat, prevent or cure any disease, condition, illness, or injury. Please use common sense. If you watch these videos and have ANY questions, please discuss them with your doctor.

How to Roll Out and Flute a One-Crust Pie

December 22, 2015 By Recipe Renegade 1 Comment

There is a bit of an art to getting a pie crust to do what you want and to make it look good. This video shows how to roll out a pie crust, a trick for getting it into the pie plate and how to flute the edges. A little practice and you’ll find pie-making an easy task. As always, I use Jovial’s glyphosate-free All-Purpose Einkorn Flour – the only wheat never hydridized. It’s not bromated nor bleached and makes a healthy alternative to today’s hybridized, glyphosate-sprayed wheat.

Watch this video to learn how to roll out and flute a one-crust pie crust:

How to Roll Out, Assemble and Flute a Two-Crust Pie

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