Tag Archives: Essential Oils

Pie Perfection

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When I was eleven I wanted to make a homemade chocolate cream pie. My mother gave me the recipe. Then she said, “I will be in my bedroom if you need me.” She later admitted she would have gone nuts watching me cook when I was first learning this skill. The recipe called for 3 tablespoons of cornstarch. I added 3 tablespoons of baking soda instead. The recipe said “bring to a boil.” I couldn’t understand why the pie filling was foaming over the top of the pan. I called my mom into the kitchen.

No sooner did she come into the kitchen when she grabbed a large pan and poured part of the pie filling into the second pan. It just kept growing. This is when my mom started questioning the ingredients I had added. When I got to the cornstarch on the recipe card, I pointed to the baking soda container and said I added cornstarch. I was then told, “This pie filling is no good. When you thought you were adding cornstarch you were adding baking soda.” You can do everything just right except for one thing, ending up with a huge disaster.

Years later when I was 18 I had an opportunity to work at two separate places that made pies. I learned different techniques of pie making from both places. The Saturday before Thanksgiving I spent 18 hours making pies at Marie Callender’s. I am thankful for my training in pie making.

I have found myself showing several women’s groups how to make the perfect pie crust, and delicious pie fillings. My failure as a child was a stepping stone to my success with making pies today.

When you ask questions, not acting like you know it all, you will learn. I still find new ways to make things better from my past mistakes. Learning what works and what doesn’t is part of the joy.

Essential oils are a lot like my early days of cooking, when I made many mistakes with recipes. Now with essential oils I find myself continually going to my essential  oil book which outlines the oil that works best for each condition I might have when I was unfamiliar with how the oils work. I find as in cooking, and with essential oils every time I fail, I am learning important life lessons.

 

My Reading Miracle

Better Living, Essential Oils, Personal stories, , , , , ,

When I was a small child I struggled with my reading ability. I was born with a lazy eye and astigmatism. The first four years of my life I wandered around half blind until I got glasses. This opened up a whole new world where I could see, but I was behind developmentally.

When I was in first and second grades I was at the bottom in all my classes at school. In my effort to catch up and improve myself, one year I received an award for reading 1,000 books to my mother and my two oldest siblings, Ramona and Sherry. The next closest person read only 400 books.

I had many helpful, caring teachers. I remember one machine that helped me read. It would make the sound of a word when you slid a card through the machine. It had a strip of recordable tape attached to cards. You would slide a card through the device, then you would hear the word you just read. I learned how to erase the right word and, replace it with the wrong word instead. The teacher was not happy with my newly discovered knowledge of the reading machine.

I find it interesting that in spite of my difficult past with reading, I have risen above my reading obstacle. I now enjoy writing, and sharing my love of essential oils. I have come full circle, sharing oils that may help small children with their ability to focus which I feel was one of my challenges as a child, and has followed me into adulthood. I have been blessed with an essential oil focus blend, that I have found greatly aids my ability to focus.

Cilantro-Did You Know?

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Did you know Cilantro essential oil is the oil of releasing control? Cilantro makes the detoxification of emotions and debris. It is helpful in lightening your load through the release of issues buried in the body, heart and soul. Those in need of cilantro may attempt to obsessively control other people or manage their surrounding and conditions.

It is a mystery as to where Cilantro originated, but it is thought by many to be from the Mediterranean region of Europe. No one knows exactly, but it appears that cilantro has been used for at least 5000 years. The seeds, also known as coriander, have even been found in ancient Egyptian tombs. Perhaps this was because the coriander seeds were thought by the ancient herbalists to be an aphrodisiac.

The therapeutic and culinary uses of Cilantro have been documented for centuries. Cilantro contains antioxidants known to protect the body’s cells from oxidative stress. Cilantro promotes healthy digestion and acts as a powerful cleanser and detoxifier for the body’s systems. Applied topically, Cilantro is very soothing and cooling to the skin, and it adds a fresh, herbal aroma to any essential oil blend when diffused.

There is also a large amount of literature speculating that cilantro may be an effective chellation therapy for people who have excess mercury in their systems. Some think that mercury poisoning could be the result of metallic teeth fillings. Every time a person with fillings chews, the fillings release minute amounts of mercury gas that may be breathed into the system. Of course, this is all speculative and disputed. Nevertheless, many people who have suffered from mercury poisoning and the “brain cloud” it causes have reported fairly rapid relief by the consistent consumption of cilantro over a period of just a few weeks.

Cilantro’s culinary uses are endless, adding a flavorful twist to meats, salads, dips, and guacamole. A small amount goes a long way, sometimes a drop is too much and overpowering. Just dipping a toothpick into an essential oil bottle, then using the toothpick for stirring is sufficient.