"Spring Into Health" Recipes Using Stevia and Pumpkin Seeds!

For my "Spring Into Health" blog event, the "Frontier Coop" sent some samples of their stevia powder, pumpkin seeds and barley grass to try out and use for a review and giveaway on my blog!
I thought it would be great to share some recipes for the stevia and pumpkin seeds, and hope you will enter the giveaway so you can try out these great products from "Frontier Coops"!
I highly recommend that you visit "Frontier Coop" and check out their great site and try out their products! They are Top quality and a great place to buy your healthy foods!



Now for some Recipes I found using Stevia:

Berry Jam (Wow! I need to copy this off for my summer canning!)!

•1 1/2 quarts fresh berries
•1 cup unsweetened fruit juice concentrate
•2 tsp. pectin powder
•3/4 tsp. powdered stevia extract

Wash, rinse, and sterilize jars.
Clean berries, remove hulls, and mash. One and one half quarts of fresh berries will be 3 cups mashed. Place in a sauce pan.
Add 4 tsp calcium water to the berries and stir well.
In another small sauce pan bring the juice concentrate to a boil.
Place in a blender. Add 2 tsp of pectin powder and blend 1 - 2 minutes until powder is dissolved.
Bring fruit to a boil. Add the dissolved pectin. Stir vigorously 1 minute.
Stir in the stevia extract. Bring back to a boil and remove from heat.
Fill jars to 1/2 inch from the top. Screw on 2 piece lids. Boil 5 minutes.
Remove from water and let jars cool. Lids should pop to be sealed."

"Coconut Fig Chews"
1/2 cup chopped figs
•1/2 cup unsweetened fruit juice or water
•1 cup unsweetened coconut
•1/2 cup unsweetened sesame seeds
•1/8 tsp salt
•1/2 tsp powdered stevia extract
•2 tablespoon cashew butter
•1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a cookie sheet
Stew the chopped figs in the fruit juice or water for 8 to 10 minutes. Add the coconut to the pan, mix and set aside.
Grind the sesame seeds in a blender. In a mixing bowl, place the stewed figs and coconut, ground sesame seeds, salt, stevia extract, cashew butter, and flour. Mix well. Shape the cookies with your hands. Place on the cookie sheet and flatten slightly.
Bake for 12 to 14 minutes
Note: You may add 1 tsp of powdered stevia herb


"Blueberry Muffins"
Yield: 12 muffins
•6 oz. pineapple juice
•1/4 cup oil
•1 egg
•1 1/2 tablespoons SteviaPlus®
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1/2 cup plain yogurt
•2 oz. milk
•1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
•1/2 cup rolled oats
•1 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
•1 teaspoon baking soda
•1/4 teaspoon salt
Pre heat the oven to 375°. Oil muffin pans. Soak the oats in the pineapple juice for 10-15 minutes in a small bowl. Beat together the oil, egg, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. Thin the yogurt with the milk and add to the other liquid ingredients. Beat. Mix in the soaked oats. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet, stirring as little as possible. Fold in the blueberries just before the flour is completely blended. Spoon the batter into the muffin pans and bake for 25-30 minutes.

"Chocolate Zucchini Muffins"
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ginger powder
1 ripe banana, mashed
1.5 tsp stevia powder
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup plain cow or non-dairy milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup shredded zucchini
1/4 cup chopped walnuts or other nut (optional)

Preheat oven 350F. Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices together. In another bowl, mix together mashed banana with applesauce and stevia. Add in milk, vanilla, zucchini and nuts to wet mixture and mix. Add flour mixture to the wet mix in 3-4 batches and stir until combined and mixture is moist. Spoon into a greased muffin pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean.

There are a lot of great cookbooks on using stevia, like this one on Amazon!
For more recipes using stevia visit this link!

Now for some Pumpkin seed recipes!

The first is by Serene Allison, From her cookbook, "Rejuvenate Your Life! Recipes for Energy"! By the way, I love her cookbook, and Highly recommend it! =) This sounds like a great and healthy smoothie!
"Zinc Standard"
2 hearty handfuls of raw pumpkin seeds
2 cups purified water
1 TBSP. tahini (or any raw nut meat)
2 hefty TBSP. squished dates or a handful of regular dates
4 frozen bananas (chopped roughly before adding)
A dust of cinnamon
Whiz, whiz (in a blender) and guzzle."

Both recipes below are by Serene Allison, From her cookbook, "Rejuvenate Your Life! Recipes for Energy" She uses pumpkin seeds in a lot of her recipes, like the "Crunchy Surprise balls" (below) and her Rejuvenation granola!

"Crunchy Surprise Balls"
"Throw in some of the unblended "Energy Flat Bread" (recipe below)mixture in a bowel and start chucking in whatever you want-
A handful of raw pumpkin seeds,
A handful of sunflower seeds
A handful of sliced olives,
Maybe a smattering of sun-dried tomatoes

Roll into balls and dehydrate until crispy. Throw them in your salads, or munch as is for a savory treat!"


"Energy Flat Bread"
7 1/2 cups sprouted buckwheat
3 1/4 cups soaked golden flax seeds (measured after soaking)
3 1/4 cups carrot pulp (made from the process of making fresh carrot juice)
This adds bulk to the bread and gives it a beautiful color. You could mix beet in your juice for a rich salmon-colored bread.
4 TBS raw honey
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 to 1 1/2 TBS sea salt

This makes about a months supply or maybe a weeks worth for large families. (it usually lasts us a little over a week)

Mix it in batches in your food processor and transfer to one bowl. Lightly grease 5 teflex solid dehydrator sheets and cover with dough, a scant 1 cm thick. If making pizza crusts form into rounds. If making flat bread to tear off when desired make large squares. If you want to make sandwich slices, score beforehand into cracker shapes.

Dehydrate the flat bread at 105 degrees for a few hours until a crust is formed on one side and then flip them onto the mesh sheet below and dehydrate until thoroughly dry - about 12 to 16 hours.

When they are very well dried, they will keep well wrapped in loose linen and a plastic bag in a cool, dry place."


While looking for recipes I found this one on Soaked Granola!

» 8 c. rolled oats. (I buy my organic rolled oats through a food co-op. 25 lbs. for $17.00)
» 1/2 c melted butter
» 1/2 c. melted coconut oil. (Please don’t buy the nasty tasting stuff at Wal-Mart. Use that to lube your car engine.)
» 1 1/2 c. yogurt
» 2 cup water
» 1 cup raw honey.
» 1 tsp. sea salt
» 1 tsp ground cinnamon
» 2 cups of nuts

Visit the link above for how she made it. I think I will try it not soaked sometime!

~Health Tip Tuesday~ Dandelions!

Dandelions!
The past few days, our front yard has had a huge spread of dandelions blooming in it! I just love dandelions! Funny, most folks do not like them and many think they are a weed, but you can use the whole dandelion plant for many different remedies and recipes!

Dandelion recipes from Learning herbs!

And many more recipes:
How to Make Roasted Dandelion Root Coffee,
Dandelion salad, wine, etc.,
Dandelion Potato Salad Recipe
Cream of Dandelion Soup Recipe

Dandelion-Pineapple Juice
"Cool off with a refreshing glass of dandelion-pineapple juice. It's easy to make, and loaded with the vitamins and anti-oxidants that your body needs.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
•1 large handful fresh dandelion greens, washed
•10-12 ounces pineapple juice
•5-6 ice cubes
Preparation:
1. Place the dandelion greens and pineapple juice in a blender and puree.
2. Add ice to the blender and pulse or serve in a tall glass over ice."

Dandelion Soup
(From Herbalpedia)
2 Tbsp butter
1/8 tsp thyme
2 Tbsp flour
1 bay leaf
2 cups milk
1 hard-boiled egg, peeled and sliced (garnish)
2 cups dandelion flowers
1/8 tsp celery seed
Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan
over low heat. Mix in the flour to form a paste.
Stir in the milk a little a time until smooth.
Mix in the dandelions, celery seed, thyme and
bay leaf. Simmer until the flowers are tender,
15-20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf before
serving. Garnish with slices of hard-boiled
egg.

Also from Herbalpedia
"How to Roast Dandelion Roots
Cut off the leaves and scrub the roots. Lay the
roots on a baking sheet with the oven turned to
its lowest setting and the door ajar. It may take
3-4 hours until the roots are shriveled and snap
easily. They are done when the insides of the
roots are dark brown."
You can read about dandelion Here and Here on Herbal Legacy!
And Here at Botanical.

Debi Pearl sums up the dandelion very well in her article Here.
"The flowers have traditionally been made into a wine or tonic and used as a liver cleanser. Its effectiveness has been scientifically validated. The leaves can be eaten as a salad, cooked green, or made into a green drink. The root of the dandelion can be roasted for a coffee like drink. Dandelions are high in vitamins and minerals, especially calcium and vitamins A and C. They are high in protein, iron, manganese, potassium, and sodium—all nutritive salts for the blood. It is often used to treat anemia. As a food source, the dandelion could be invaluable. Most physical problems could be helped if not completely cured by a balance of nutrients.
As a medicinal herb the dandelion is a remarkable friend. It is a potent diuretic, which means it helps flush excess water from the body. As a diuretic, it can be used to reduce bloating before your cycle, or anytime you have swelling around your ankles or hands, which might indicate you are retaining water. As a diuretic, it can help keep the urinary passages flushed in case of irritation or infection. It could even bring some relief in congestive heart problems, which is water collecting around the heart.
Dandelion also stimulates the flow of bile, which makes it a good tonic for the liver and gallbladder. Most herb books recommend it for a wide variety of liver disorders.
Dandelion neutralizes acids in the body, thus it is often used by people as they lose weight to help keep the acid levels down, which rise as a person loses weight. Dandelion has antioxidants that help cleanse the body, which is why it is mentioned in many herbals as a help for people suffering with cancer. Because of its anti-toxin activities, many herbalists suggest dandelion to treat various skin problems."

I will be posting our dandelion cookie making sometime soon (hopefully in the next few days!), so keep an eye out for that!
Happy dandelion picking and cooking!
God bless your health!
~Hannah

~Health Tip~ Chickweed!

Here in the south, I have noticed that chickweed grows from fall thru spring! But it does not grow really thick in most places that I have seen it, compared to pictures of it growing up in northern states!
So I have not been able to make anything with chickweed, Yet! Just wait though, (beware chickweed!) I want to make some chickweed ointment, chickweed eye rinse, chickweed pesto, chickweed steamed, chickweed in salad, chickweed on sandwiches, etc!

Here are some chickweed recipes:
Prodigal Gardens,
Learning Herbs,
Herbal Cuisine,
Medicinal Herbs


From Edible Chesapeake:
"Chickweed (Stellaria media)
One of the first weeds to greet us in the spring, chickweed is chock full of beneficial nutrients. It contains vitamins B6 and B12, vitamin C, vitamin D, biotin, choline, inositol and rutin. Chickweed also provides us with a variety of minerals including calcium, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and silicon. It contains saponin, which dissolves thickened cell walls and membranes, giving chickweed a reputation as a weight-loss aid. Beneman likes to use chickweed as a self-sown cover crop for some of her larger, taller vegetables, like tomatoes. She cautions against using it with crops such as lettuce, since chickweed will take up too much space and compete for nutrients. Chickweed has a pleasant, mild flavor and can be used instead of sprouts in a salad or on a sandwich or even wilted like spinach."

Learn more and see more pictures about chickweed at Wildman Steve Brill's!

From More Than Alive:

"Chickweed is high or very high in:
•Aluminum
•Calcium
•Cobalt
•Iron
•Magnesium
•Manganese
•Phosphorus
•Potassium
•Protein
•Silicon
•Vitamin A
•Zinc

Has been used in the following:

•Acne
•Allergies
•Appetite Depressant
•Blood Poisoning
•Blood Purifier
•Boils
•Bowels
•Burns
•Cancer
•Fatty Tumors
•Hayfever
•Hemorrhoids-bleeding
•Obesity
•Plague, blood vessels
•Psoriasis
•Skin
•Sores
•Weight Loss
•Wounds "

From Herbal Legacy:
"For others who suffered from asthma, as well as any respiratory condition. Dr. Christopher developed Lung & Bronchial, a formula of chick-weed, marshmallow root, mullein leaves, comfrey leaves, and lobelia. He chose all of the herbs in the formula for their ability to rebuild the lungs and expel the thick mucus secretions that accompany so many respiratory conditions. Some also soothe inflamed tissue, relieve pain, and heal hemorrhaging tissues in the lungs. In addition to Lung & Bronchial, Dr. Christopher recommended a sound diet, plenty of steam-distilled water, oil massage, and external application of Complete Tissue & Bone ointment.
One of the most valuable herbs in the formula is chickweed. It soothes, softens, and reduces irritation of the mucous membranes while relieving the cough of colds, influenza, and bronchitis. It activates the liver to eliminate the toxins related to these conditions. A powerful expectorant, it increases the secretions of the broncho-pulmonary membrane, facilitating the discharge of mucus."

God bless your health!
~Hannah

DISCLAIMER
This information is not intended for the use of diagnosing any disease, condition or prescribing any treatment whatsoever. It is offered for informational and educational use only, and for use in maintaining and promoting good health in cooperation with a licensed medical practitioner.
In the event the reader of this post uses the information without the approval of a health care provider, he/she is prescribing for himself/herself and assuming full responsibility for it. This is his/her right to do so, but Preparing For Our Children's Future assumes no responsibility for his/her actions.

~Health Tip Tuesdays~ Pumpkin Seeds

~Health Tip Tuesdays~

Pumpkin Seeds!

I have not had pumpkin seeds in such a long time! But I have been reading about them lately, and I have already decided to grow some pumpkins this year, mainly for the seeds! (I will also save some of the seeds for planting next year if they grow well).

So how good are pumpkin seeds for you?

Well here is some of the info I have found and combined just for you!

From Rebecca Wood:

"The seeds from pumpkins, or any other variety of winter squash, make a healthy and tasty snack. They're protein rich and an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, iron, zinc, phosphorus and vitamin A.

Commercially available green pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, have had their fibrous white hull removed. To hull your home-prepared seeds, crack each seed individually between your teeth, discard the hull and savor the tender kernel.

It's faster to crunch and swallow the seeds and hulls together. This, incidentally, is a home remedy for expelling pinworms or other intestinal parasites. As the seed and hull pass through your digestive tract, the seed is assimilated and the fibrous, indigestible hull gently scours out unwelcome guests.

To roast pumpkin seeds place them on a lightly buttered cookie sheet and add a pat of butter and a dash of cinnamon or curry powder and salt. Bake for about 15 minutes in a preheated 350°F oven, stirring once, until the seeds are aromatic and lightly browned."

For Parasites and Worms Herbal Legacy says:

"A simple herbal aid for a mild case of worms is to use pumpkin seeds (Cucurbitaceae). It is best when fresh seeds are used. To make the infusion, steep one ounce of crushed seeds for fifteen to twenty minutes in a pint of boiling hot water. Dosage: One teacupful or more (up to one pint daily), six days a week for one to three weeks. Also eat one to two ounces of the pumpkin seeds each day. [HHH p.124]

Another "Seed" Aid is to Combine the Following:

1 part pumpkin seeds, crushed (Cucurbitaceae)
1 part watermelon seeds, crushed (Citrullus vulgaris)
1 part cucumber seeds, crushed (Cucumis sativus)

Dosage: Take one pint of emulsion (two ounces of seeds triturated in honey and distilled water) in doses at two hour intervals; or take one to two tablespoons of the crushed seeds in honey, syrup, etc., in three doses at two hour intervals.

The patient should fast during this treatment, then take an appropriate cathartic several hours after the last dosage such as senna tea or preferably the lower bowel formula [Fen LB]. Use this procedure at least three days in a row. [HHH p.124]".

By the way, is case you are wondering "[HHH p.124]" means that the quote is from Dr. Christopers book, "Herbal Home Health Care". I Highly recommend this book to everyone!

From: REJUVENATE YOUR LIFE: Recipes for Energy by Serene Allison

"ZINC BUILDER MILK

3/4 - 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
3 cups distilled water
1 scant TBS. of honey or pure maple syrup
Optional-1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Blend until creamy and frothy."

And here is a trea from the Bulk Herb Store:

"Smoothies/Blended Drinks
Basic recipe:
1/2 - 1 c. liquid of choice (apple juice, orange juice, coffee, yogurt, milk, water, etc.)
1 banana, fresh or frozen in 1" pieces
1/4 c. fresh or frozen fruit of choice (strawberries, cherries, blueberries, etc.)
1 Tbls. Chia seeds
1 Tbls. seeds or nuts (sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, flax seeds, soaked almonds or brazil nuts)
Directions:
Blend and serve.The more fruit you add the thicker the drink. With a 1/4 cup of liquid you can create a pudding-like dessert from any fresh fruit and liquid of your choice."


You can buy pumpkin seeds from:

Tropical Traditions,
Natural Zing

And you can buy pumpkin seed oil from
Mountian Rose Herbs!

So pumpkin seeds have essential, unsaturated fatty acids, are loaded with zinc, and are a super food! Wow! Sooo much packed into a seed!
I am really looking forward to using them more and introducing them to my children! =)

God bless your health!
~Hannah

~Health Tip Tuesdays~ Drink Your Food & Chew Your Liquids!

~Health Tip Tuesdays~

We live in a day and age where fast food is great and eating on the run is the norm! What a life! No time to sit and enjoy a meal and when we do, we are still in a rush to do something or go on to something or somewhere else!

Growing up I can remember my grandma always telling us to chew our food really good and I thought it was crazy that she made my dad chew like 40 times per bite when he was growing up!

But I have learned the importance of taking your time to eat and drink and as Dr. Christopher says you need to "drink your food and chew your liquids"!

We may eat healthy foods and cleanse our colon ever so often, but as long as we are not chewing our food well enough and getting saliva mixed thoroughly with our food and liquids, our digestion system is going to work poorly to say the lest!

Heartburn, flatulence, constipation, and many other discomforts and health problems are caused by poor eating habits. Once you think about it, doesn't it make more since that we just take our time eating and drinking, instead of hurrying along and suffering thru the aches and pains of poor digestion?

Relax and be happy when you eat! make dinner time a good time and have everyone lay their complaints and stressful discussions aside while ya'll are eating. Discuss pleasant things and laugh a little! =)

Chew, chew, chew! Chew everything very well! your solid foods and your liquids. Swish them around in your mouth and make sure that they get covered and mixed with saliva. Your mouth is the first part of the digestion process and it is important that the saliva is on the foods so that the stomach can break it all up for your body to be able to use it.

Teach your children while they are young, to take their time eating and make eating time a pleasant time, so that their bodies digestion will be much more pleasant!

God bless your health!

~Hannah

For disclaimer and more health tips visit my previous post Here!

New! ~Health Tip Tuesdays~ Health Sites/Blogs

"Health Tip Tuesdays"

I love learning about herbs, eating healthier and finding new ways to apply healthy, whole foods to my family diet! Sadly I am not near the point I would like to be, but I am learning patients and know that if I am supposed to get to where I dream of being, God will open some doors and windows to help me get there!

I also have a deep yearning to help people who are hurting, in pain and poor health, but right now I just take care of my family's health as best I can. I hope to someday complete the School of Natural Healing Herbal home courses and become a Master Herbalist! So far I have only completed the Family herbalist level, but I learned sooo much and know that so much can be treated by simple everyday "weeds", foods and just change in diet!

I have really been wanting to share more about my neat findings and what I learn, here on my blog, and now I am finally going to start doing that, by sharing a little every Tuesday (or every Tuesday I can!)! I am going to call it "Health Tip Tuesday" and want to stress that this is just things I have learned and found in my readings/studies. Everyone should do their own reading/studies and talk with your licensed health care provider to find what best works for them.

Having said all that (and put the disclaimer below) I hope that everyone who reads or joins "Health Tip Tuesdays" will keep an open mind and pray about every health decision that they make.

If you would like to start joining or you already post health tips on your blog, let me know and I will add a linky for you to link up!


Since this is my first "Health Tip Tuesday" post and I want to stress the importance of everyone doing their own research, I am going to share some of my favorite health sites and blogs! If you have some you would like to share, please leave the links in a comment for us! Thanks!



My first and favorite place is "Herbal Legacy".
Chances are most of my quotes and writings will be from and inspired by them!


And "Melaleuca" is, of course, my place for household and bath and body products, some vitamins, etc!


Tracy's Transformational Kitchen is another very great site with tons of info and recipes!


"Health Begins With Mom" is an amazing and very informative blog!
Rebecca Wood has some great information, but I do not agree with her on everything!


Learning Herbs is a favorite of mine! I have learned a lot from them and their HerbMentor is great, but being a Christian you have to be careful on herbal forums, so I just learned what I could for the time I was a member! Would like to get back on and see what I have missed the past few months!


Bulk Herb Store has great info and you can buy supplies from them to make your own herbal formulas too!


The Herbwife's kitchen is another great blog!


There are many more, but I will just have to post them over the weeks to come!

Hope you enjoy these links and learn a lot!

God bless your health!

~Hannah

DISCLAIMER
This information is not intended for the use of diagnosing any disease, condition or prescribing any treatment whatsoever. It is offered for informational and educational use only, and for use in maintaining and promoting good health in cooperation with a licensed medical practitioner.

In the event the reader of this post uses the information without the approval of a health care provider, he/she is prescribing for himself/herself and assuming full responsibility for it. This is his/her right to do so, but Preparing For Our Children's Future assumes no responsibility for his/her actions.