Herbal Legacy Newsletter September 26, 2007
Published: Wed, 09/26/07
Sponsored by The School of Natural Healing & Christopher Publications
Dear ,
Welcome to this week's issue of Dr. Christopher's Herbal Legacy Newsletter.
Today's humorous and well-written article by Master Herbalist Anna Lovett-Brown and recipe from Traci in Wyoming are perfect for the changing of the seasons and the harvest of Fall's favorite fruit - the apple.
Be happy & healthy-
Dr. Christopher's Herbal Legacy Newsletter
OTHER: A Call for Salads
(NOTE: The following article is from Master Herbalist Anna Lovett-Brown's Master Herbalist thesis, titled Apples. To read her entire thesis on Apples, please click on the link below this article.)
Apple is a word that I can't even think or say without feeling instantly cheered. This is partly due to the taste and partly due to the nostalgia. When I lost my two front teeth as a child, I had a hard time eating my favorite snack. My mother taught me to break the apple pieces off in my mouth using my side teeth. This is a very noisy and sloppy sounding way to eat an apple. My mother deeply regrets teaching me to eat my apples this way. I have been perfecting this for nearly three decades.
I get chuckle from remembering the pitiful looking apple tree that grew near our chicken coup. One year a nest of yellow jackets set up shop in a hollow portion of its trunk. It wasn't the menacing presence of these stinging insects that nearly killed the tree, rather, the gallon of gasoline and matches applied by my older brother. As most twelve year old boys would believe, this was a perfectly safe and effective form of pest control.
Apples also bring to mind my grandmother, Ruby. As a child she would climb out onto the branches of the apple tree at the old farm. This was at the behest of her grandmother to retrieve the ripe fruit. "Cut it across the bloom", she would tell her. Then Ruby would scrape the pulp for her because she had no teeth. This same grandmother taught me to make a hair rinse of apple cider vinegar for my dark hair. She said it would keep it dark. Her hair stayed shiny and nearly all black even up until her death at age 91.
Like all good and trustworthy people I have loved apples since I can remember. However, for a time I wasn't willing to eat them. As a teen and young adult, eating apples seemed to interfere with my diet. It was a diet, fed intravenously, of chocolate, pizza and cheesy pasta. When I would eat an apple I would experience cramping and pain in my abdomen. This must have been due to an actual digestive process. Digestion was not something I did well as a teen.
All joking aside, I can report of health benefits I have received through apples. I have done several three day juice fasts. My experience was positive. I began to loose weight- down twenty pounds to date- which I know is a result of my juice cleansing. The cleanses helped me kick my milk and dairy addictions. It helped me desire better foods. I can easily tolerate large amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables where I could not before. I can breathe easily now, with no more stuffy nose when I wake up. The added energy, especially just after a fast, is always a blessing. The benefits for my mind and spirit are the biggest reasons I continue to do juice cleansing. It seems there is an inexplicable hope and excitement in all that I do. During the quiet, low-key days of fasting, I have received my most treasured inspirations. Apples are the first fruit recommended for babies. This is good advice for anyone who finds themselves at the beginning, regardless of age, on a path to improved health.
I get chuckle from remembering the pitiful looking apple tree that grew near our chicken coup. One year a nest of yellow jackets set up shop in a hollow portion of its trunk. It wasn't the menacing presence of these stinging insects that nearly killed the tree, rather, the gallon of gasoline and matches applied by my older brother. As most twelve year old boys would believe, this was a perfectly safe and effective form of pest control.
Apples also bring to mind my grandmother, Ruby. As a child she would climb out onto the branches of the apple tree at the old farm. This was at the behest of her grandmother to retrieve the ripe fruit. "Cut it across the bloom", she would tell her. Then Ruby would scrape the pulp for her because she had no teeth. This same grandmother taught me to make a hair rinse of apple cider vinegar for my dark hair. She said it would keep it dark. Her hair stayed shiny and nearly all black even up until her death at age 91.
Like all good and trustworthy people I have loved apples since I can remember. However, for a time I wasn't willing to eat them. As a teen and young adult, eating apples seemed to interfere with my diet. It was a diet, fed intravenously, of chocolate, pizza and cheesy pasta. When I would eat an apple I would experience cramping and pain in my abdomen. This must have been due to an actual digestive process. Digestion was not something I did well as a teen.
All joking aside, I can report of health benefits I have received through apples. I have done several three day juice fasts. My experience was positive. I began to loose weight- down twenty pounds to date- which I know is a result of my juice cleansing. The cleanses helped me kick my milk and dairy addictions. It helped me desire better foods. I can easily tolerate large amounts of fresh fruits and vegetables where I could not before. I can breathe easily now, with no more stuffy nose when I wake up. The added energy, especially just after a fast, is always a blessing. The benefits for my mind and spirit are the biggest reasons I continue to do juice cleansing. It seems there is an inexplicable hope and excitement in all that I do. During the quiet, low-key days of fasting, I have received my most treasured inspirations. Apples are the first fruit recommended for babies. This is good advice for anyone who finds themselves at the beginning, regardless of age, on a path to improved health.
Anna Lovett Brown's Master Herbalist Thesis - Apples:
Ingredients:
*4 large or 6 small apples, sliced into small chunks (peeling optional)
*1/3 c honey + 2T, divided
*2 T cinnamon, divided
*1 c raw almonds, soaked 8-12 hours
*1/2 c almond powder (see note)
*3 T safflower oil, divided
*Dash sea salt
*4 large or 6 small apples, sliced into small chunks (peeling optional)
*1/3 c honey + 2T, divided
*2 T cinnamon, divided
*1 c raw almonds, soaked 8-12 hours
*1/2 c almond powder (see note)
*3 T safflower oil, divided
*Dash sea salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine apples, 1/3 c honey and 1 T cinnamon, stir well and place in 9x13 baking dish. Drizzle with 1 T oil.
3. Dry soaked almonds with a kitchen towel and grind in a food processor until very fine.
4. Add remaining cinnamon, almond powder, 2 T oil, 2 T honey and salt to processor, pulse to mix, forming coarse crumbs.
5. Top apples with mixture.
6. Bake at 350 until topping begins to brown, about 10-15 minutes. Serve with Cashew Whipped Cream.
Note:
When I make almond milk, I strain off the pulp and dehydrate it until it is a powder and save it for baking.
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Combine apples, 1/3 c honey and 1 T cinnamon, stir well and place in 9x13 baking dish. Drizzle with 1 T oil.
3. Dry soaked almonds with a kitchen towel and grind in a food processor until very fine.
4. Add remaining cinnamon, almond powder, 2 T oil, 2 T honey and salt to processor, pulse to mix, forming coarse crumbs.
5. Top apples with mixture.
6. Bake at 350 until topping begins to brown, about 10-15 minutes. Serve with Cashew Whipped Cream.
Note:
When I make almond milk, I strain off the pulp and dehydrate it until it is a powder and save it for baking.
For a printable version of this recipe click:
We would like to add a bunch of new, healthy salads to the Herbal Legacy site. Will you please share a recipe with the other readers, ? We would really appreciate it!
To submit a recipe you can just reply to this e-mail or visit:
http://www.herballegacy.com/Recipes.html
You will find a place to submit recipes about half-way down the page.
Herbal Legacy
http://www.herballegacy.com
This newsletter is sponsored by:
The School of Natural Healing http://www.snh.cc
Christopher Publications: http://www.christopherpublications.com
Christopher Publications: http://www.christopherpublications.com