HERBAL CANDY CHEWS

Herbal candy chews made with a combination
of herbs and extracts, protein powder and sesame
seeds.  It is still warm but cool enough to cut and
shape

I have to admit I have a sweet tooth but store bought candy does not satisfy my cravings.  Store bought candy is either too sweet, or has a lot of unhealthy fats.  It also has stabilizers and preservatives I do not want to put in my body.  Remember I do want to control what goes in my body.  If I don't care, who will?.  So I make my own.  My family loves it.  I know its not the healthiest thing but sometimes we need to satisfy that sweet tooth.  My son couldn't wait to get his hands on it.  LOL.Can you see his fingerprint right in the middle, and the left edge he was trying to roll off?  I caught him and made him wait till after my picture shoot. 

Still warm I rolled them into balls and
popped them on a stick

Ready here goes...

Ingredients:

• Sugar 2 cups
• herbal butter extract 1/2 cup  (this particular herbal butter was 1/2 coconut oil and 1/2 ghee)
• herbs  3 grams  ground or two tea bags opened
• herbal extract citric acid  size of small gumball crumbled
• coconut milk powder. 1/4 cup (If you use liquid, omit the water)
• sesame seeds 1/4 cup
• whey protein powder chocolate or vanilla. 
• water  1/8 cup
• vanilla 1 teaspoon
• salt 1 teaspoon

I put everything in a pot and cooked it down
stirring occasionally to avoid burning.
It took approximately 30 minutes of low stove
top cooking.

Done, I poured this mixture in a another pan to
 spread out to cool.  Be very careful  as it is hot.
Don't line pan with paper like I did.
 It really sticks and you
will lose some candy

I individually wrapped them and put them
in a zip lock baggy and stored them
in the refrigerator

Another delicious herbal candy that you and your family will love.  You cannot really taste the herbs at all if you use herbs like green tea.   Homemade is always better in my books. You can always fancy it up by shaping the balls better and putting a nice wrapper and even a ribbon.  It makes a great little snack that is sweet and yet power packed with nutrition.  Well that's it for tonight.  God Bless and goodnight.

Thank you for allowing me to be of service and please feel free to share my blogs

Mary Helen

CLARIFIED BUTTER and HERBAL EXTRACTION 

Ghee, also known as clarified butter is one of my favorite oils I use daily.  .  Ghee is made from unsalted real dairy butter. All the milk solids are removed from the butter by the process of slow cooking then strained. In Ayurvedic medicine it is recommended to drink/eat two teaspoons of ghee daily for optimum health.  One of my favorite ways to use ghee it is a base for herbal extractions.  Ghee helps extract oil based nutrient's including micro-nutrients that normally cannot be extracted with water.  It extracts the plants natural chemicals like,  phytochemicals (a anti-immune suppressant and cancer fighting agent).   Because ghee has an abundant amount of nutritional value, our body recognizes ghee as a necessary ingredient to our body and greets it with "gusto".  Meaning, our skin readily absorbs and assimilates the ghee and any medicinal properties from the herbs.  Ghee hardens at cool temperatures, and becomes an oil at a room temperature of approximately 78 degrees.  Ghee is great for cooking.  Vegetables are always better stir fried in butter. Right?   Okay, now that we know that ghee is a great base for herbal medicine let me mention some of its nutritional benefits.

HERBED GREEN TEA AND PEPPERMINT EDIBLE BODY BUTTER EARLY STAGE
I set my ground herbs (any herbs) in the Ghee and put the jar in a pot of hot water.  I
put the pot on the stove, and adjust the burner on low for several hours.  Making
sure to refill the water in the pot as it evaporates.  Crock pot works fine too.

Did you know that ghee is 86% vitamin A and D.  Vitamin A also known as "Vitamin A Retinol"  and contains beta caratene.  It is needed by the retina of the eye.  It also functions as a irreversible oxidized form "retinoic acid.  Folks this is an important hormone like growth factor for 4 basic types of skin tissue.

• animal tissue (our skin)
• connective tissue
• muscle tissue
• nervous tissue

These skin layers not only protect our whole body, and its organs, it controls our thermal temperature, such as sweating, and absorption.  Our skin is the largest organ in our body. These epitherial cells are nourished by the foods we eat.  And because we eat differently is why some of us age faster than others.  So it's true when they say, you are what you eat.  I apply herbed ghee to my face and body daily.  I call it  my herbed edible body butter.  I make sure I ingest it in food some way or another or I take as is. I cannot even begin to touch the "ice berg" so to speak because there is such an abundant amount of useful information regarding GHEE and its medicinal benefits on the internet. Well folks, you have to find out for yourself, as I did.

Funny though, how I found out about the healing properties of GHEE, a total accident, as I was investigating mink oils (a touch of mink, etc) and their cosmetic benefits. I was just about to click on purchase, when I thought, "do I really want to put mink oil on my face"?  For some reason a chilling thought came across me and I thought of that poor mink that I was asking for it to be killed for my cosmetic benefit.  Yuck.

I forgot to take a picture when I made this last month.
But, this is what my green tea peppermint
edible body butter looks like.  Remember, you can
use any ground herbs.  Just decarb in the oven for
15 minutes if the herbs are still moist, before
you put in your butter.  Now it's a medicated
butter right?  Food is Medicine

Well in continuing my research looking for similar chemical compositons, to keep it short I found it in butter.  As a matter of fact I use GHEE in all my cooking as well as my natural organic cosmetics.  Truly it does absorb and is easily assimilated.  I have felt and noticed a tremendous difference on on my skin.  It feels cleaner, and for my age has a glow.  And i'm not talking grease.  lol!  Now that I am mentioning grease is my  face has always been EXTREMELY oily (get the picture).  I was always avoiding most creams because of the greasy look and waxy feeling I would get after 15 minutes of wearing it.  And adding GHEE on my face was never on my agenda.  But I reluctantly applied it to my clean face. Wow, in less then 2 minutes my face had absorbed all and any oil.  All that was left was a softer, smoother me cleaner me..  Again considering my age at 63 all I can say is "WOW THIS STUFF REALLY WORKS".

The picture you see in my profile was taken a few months ago at age 63.  No more store bought chemicals for me. So now I make my own organic body  butters, and medicated ointments, and.  Yes, I found when it is massaged on my skin,  my skin feels and looks so much more youthful.  My family and friends  love it too.

So folks get your unsalted butter out, clarify it and use it.  However being that it is a good fat, you might want to remove another fat hopefully an unhealthy fat from your diet.  Fat is fat and you dont want to over do it.  Just be wise and use a good fat  that will benefit you and not add pounds of unhealthy fats.

One more time, I hope you like this post,.please feel free to share my  blog, or any one of my other blogs sharing my  $$ $aving healthier recipes.  Thanking you in advance for allowing me to be of service.  Many blessings to all.

Sincerely,
Mary Helen

Posted 9th October 2011 by Maria Vasquez

HERBAL EXTRACTS VIA CITRIC ACID

1/4 once of dried oregano extracted in citric acid in 4 days.
 It's still powerful even if it has lost its green color.
Its loaded with phyto-nutrients.  This too is great medicine,
 and dissolves in any liquid.

I like the Citric Acid method for herbal extraction because once the herbs has been chemically changed by the citric acid, it dissolves easily in any liquid I found. Even water! Thus making it ready for oral ingestion via any form of food, mixed with liquid.  If you want a lemon herbal tea in water, just take a pinch off your extract and dilute it in water.  So easy.  It also mixes great in vinegar, salad dressing, sauces, soup and even soda.

1/4 oz Medical cannabis extracted from citric acid after 4 days.
 You lose  nothing.  Here is the 1/4 oz I started with.  I will leave
 it in the jar a bit longer till it really looks shiny and tarry.
when done I will  flatten, cut and air dry.  It does medicate.:)

I prefer herbal extracts over drinking herbal tea because you do not get many of the real medicinal properties of all the herbs by just steeping it in hot water.  Yes, chlorophyll is good for you and you get the "green benefits" of the herbs by steeping it.  However, when you use a real herbal extract, you get a lot more nutrition like micro phyto-nutrients that are necessary for healthy living.  You also get the benefits of the oils in the herbs including, plant chemicals pharmaceutical companies make medicine out of. My thought is, why pay them for medication that is easily available with a little know how.  I've been working with herbal extracts for over 40 years and the citric acid is by far one of the easiest methods.  No need to decarb any herbs here.  Nor is there any equipment you  have to purchase.  It's all done naturally with organic citric acid.  Waste not, want not is my motto. No herbs go to waste either. You can purchase citric acid in some markets if your lucky.  I  buy Organic Citric Acids in bulk quantity as I use it for many other homemade recipes like cheeses, candy and bath soap fizzies, etc.  

This recipe can be cut in half or multiplied depending on how much herb you have on hand.  It can be made using most herbs like rosemary, green tea, parsley, cayenne or oregano. To those who medicate using cannabis can also find this recipe very helpful.    Please remember that this is an extract so you want to keep your herbs organic.  You don't want to extract any pesticides right?  Ready?  Here it is...

Ingredients:

• Herbs 1/4 oz (approximately 7 grams)
• Citric Acid  2 teaspoons (use organic and not the chemical one)
• Vinegar 2 teaspoons (approximately just enough to moisten the herb. I used kombucha vinegar)
• lecithin 1 teaspoon (I used powder)
• Small GLASS container with lid

Rosemary in citric acid day 2

Instructions:

• Grind herbs in blender fine ( not necessary if using bagged herbal teas)
• Mix the herbs and lecithin. Mix well.
• Add the citric acid.  Mix well.
• Add vinegar making sure all the ingredients are moist.  Compress your herb in a jar and seal tight with a lid.  Let it ferment if you will.  lol.  I love fermented foods.  They are so good for you probiotic wise.  Set this aside in a dark corner for 5 days. 

By the end of 5 days it is ready to use.  It looks and feels like pliable tar. You can then roll this dark tarry herb into a golf size ball or flatten it out between plastic wrap and roll it out. At this point, you can cut it into smaller serving pieces.  Let it air dry and store in a sealed container.

To use:

• Just pinch a piece off and add to your favorite recipe.  Hot herbal tea anyone?  Yum.:)
• Because it is extracted with citric acid it goes great in vinaiegrettes, and teas, lemonade, and soda.  You chose your own recipe.  I'm just saying its very lemony.  Oh, medicated lemon chicken sounds good.  So does lemon herbed potatoes.

Oregano in citric acid day 2

If you like my recipe please feel free to share this or one of my other food blog recipes with your friends.  I share how to survive and eat well on a low budget.  I do it here at Mary Helen's Test Kitchen.  It's where all the experiment recipes take place.  I for one never follow recipes.  I love to cook and know my herbs. I do my own thing using the simplest utinsils, yet creating delicious meals that have more nutrition than most dishes.   I then share all my findings with you.

My thought for today is this world would be a happier place if we were all healthier right? Remember, Food is Medicine. Herbs have been given to us to use as food. It is a gift from our Heavenly Father. I thank you for allowing me to be of service.  Many Blessings.

Sincerely,

Mary Helen

Medical cannabis in citric acid day 4

Rosemary in citric acid day 4.  It looks the same
but does feel very oily and a lot softer.
Yup it's breaking down

PS:  Pictures coming soon.  It's just that I take 1000's pictures monthly and I have to go way back and search for them.  I will update as soon as I find them.  For now this will do.  My apologies.

Oregano in citric acid day 4.  Very oily