Flu season is upon us! If you’ve started the sniffling, sore throat, save-me-from-the-cold-sweats this winter, you’ll have to tough it out, but a neti pot can be your saving grace. It helps prevent colds by flushing out the cilia in the nostrils that hold onto the bad nasties you might inhale.
Most colds are acquired through the nostrils. Touching one’s nose and face transfers the bacteria, where it finds the perfect place to breed and wage war in your mucus membranes. I can’t begin to count the times my little friend, Neti, has saved me on my travels. From breathing shared airplane air to community taxi cabs and subways, there are plenty of places to acquire nasty germs.
So, when you’re feeling a little under the weather, get over it with a neti pot. (Please note: always use distilled water.) You can sing this little ditty while you do. Oh, and I should mention, neti pots are best used in the privacy of your own bathroom. Though it’s called muc-US, keep it a me, myself, and I activity.
I’m a little neti pot, short and stout.
Here is my handle, here is my spout.
When you get all stopped up in the snout
Tip me over to get the gunk out!
Click here to buy yours on Amazon.
Color me silly! Karina reached up, on our tip-toppiest of shelves, to grab a new box of printer ink, and almost grabbed our multi-colored calico cat.
That Rascal, she’s at it again …
I’m sure you know that old trick about freezing bananas that have seen better days. You hold onto them until the banana-bread bug bites you bad, and then you embark on a marathon baking session. Well, I’m a devotee of this method—it’s as if the freezer performs some magic to transform fruit that looks too ripe to even touch into an exotic delicacy.
But you know, bread isn’t all those bananas are good for—why not try a smoothie? A frozen banana makes an excellent any-smoothie base because it produces a rich, creamy texture that’s just like ice cream.
LIKE ice cream, but better.
That’s because smoothies are a great way to boost your nutritional intake and still feel like you’re getting away with something. Liquids make more nutrients available than solid food, and are absorbed faster, too. They’re also easier to digest and frequently more appetizing than solid food when you’re rushed, sick, pregnant, or just plain bored.
So grab your blender.
Drop in that banana, add some frozen fruit: flavor-wise, it’s hard to go wrong. Berries, stone fruits, grapes, citrus, and tropical fruit all contribute a tart, punchy kick that’s as intense and colorful as candy.
Now for the veggies.
Yup, that’s right—I said VEGGIES. Smoothies are a great way to use the fresh or frozen vegetables you have on hand. It may sound scary, but don’t run screaming from the blender just yet. Greens may have a big impact on the color of your drink, but they usually contribute a fairly delicate flavor, especially alongside all that sweet fruit. So toss in frozen vegetables like peas, broccoli pieces, or spinach by the handful. Their natural sweetness will make the vitamin boost completely painless.
You can also boost your smoothies by blending in your vitamin supplement, a scoop of wheat germ, a handful of nuts, a smear of nut butter, a chunk of fresh ginger, drizzles of honey or maple syrup, or spoonfuls of milled flaxseed, wheat germ, or ground cinnamon.
Now pour in a little juice, water, or yogurt to help it all liquefy and let ’er rip. Blend everything until smooth, and then taste a bit to see if you need to tweak the flavors or consistency. There are no hard and fast ratios or recipes. Just experiment with what you have and what you know you like.
Still feeling less than confident? Allow me to share a few of my favorite non-recipes:
Ruby Dream: Leftover cooked beets (go easy), frozen strawberries, apple juice, and fresh carrots (Just a note on beets: they, hmmm, walk out the same color as they walked in. So no smoothie-inspired 911 calls, k?)
Sometimes …
no, every time
I hear good news I get a little rush of happiness.
Don’t you love that feeling—knowing something wonderful or playful has happened out there in the world?
Amid chaos and crime, sometimes there’s a quiet gem of a story that shines through,
and makes us feel a bit brighter, lighter.
Take, for instance, this tale of two elephants …
Last month, a pair of middle-aged pachyderms was traveling by truck through Russia’s bitterly cold Novosibirsk region when their wooden trailer caught fire.
Jenny and Magda, ages 45 and 48, were evacuated and had to wait outside to be rescued in temperatures hovering around 40 below zero …
Dear Mary Jane Farmer,
(LOVE how Anne Marie addressed her letter to me.)
“Please find the enclosed Paper Petal ornament that was made and designed from the pages of your magazine especially for you. I hand make each one designed specifically for someone from their old cards, books, magazines, etc. They have made great personal gifts over the years and I thought you might enjoy one of your own! I am including another one so you can see how much they vary, making each one special in it own way. I really enjoy your magazine and wish you all the best this holiday season.”
Anne Marie, NC
Buy props used in MaryJane’s books and magazine!
5% of profits will benefit www.firstbook.org, a non-profit that provides new books to children from low-income families throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Here’s how:
MaryJane will post a photo and a description of a prop and its cost along with a few details as to its condition here: https://shop.maryjanesfarm.org/MaryJanesCurations. It’s a playful way to be the new owner of a little bit of farm herstory.
