The Awesome Lemon

by ladypbwiggins

The lemon is known for many attributes. It is known as a purifier, flavor enhancer and makes great lemonade. Today I read an article about using lemons to clean the microwave. I tried it. It worked. It was so simple. It said to let sit for 5 minutes. I didn’t. To get rid of the stains I repeated the process. If I had waited the 5 minutes, I might not have. Nevertheless, in less than 10 minutes I had a clean, purified microwave (including the splatters on the door).

I decided to try it on the stove top. Those of you who cook a lot know how hard it is to get the grease build up off the stove back. You know where the clock and controls are. You try to clean it off as you cook but sometimes you don’t get it all. I decided to use the hot lemons from the process above and I rubbed it all over those areas. I let it sit for 2 or 3 minutes. It wiped off.

I have used lemons to sanitize my counter tops and cutting boards. Now I will add the microwave and stove to the list. Grease and food splatter that soap and water doesn’t completely get is now the victim of pure lemon juice.

Here is the link to the process. http://lifehacker.com/use-a-lemon-to-make-cleaning-the-microwave-easy-1525960405

Is There a Food Cartel?

by ladypbwiggins

I woke up yesterday morning thinking of cartels. I guess I was influenced by the CSI:New Orleans episode I watched the night before. We usually think of the drug trade south of our borders when we use the word cartel. I decided to look it up because I realized that I really didn’t know what it meant. This is a definition from one of several sites.

car·tel

  1. an association of manufacturers or suppliers with the purpose of maintaining prices at a high level and restricting competition.
    “the Colombian drug cartels”

    • historical

      a coalition or cooperative arrangement between political parties intended to promote a mutual interest.

When I read it I thought this seemed awfully familiar. The definition below is what I remembered from a business class I attended.

 OLIGOPOLY
A situation in which a particular market is controlled by a small group of firms.An oligopoly is much like a monopoly, in which only one company exerts control over most of a market. In an oligopoly, there are at least two firms controlling the market.

When a market is controlled, doesn’t that include prices and restricting competition?

There is a campaign going on against foods containing genetically modifies organisms. The battle is mainly against the Monsanto corporation. But it doesn’t seem like they can have the kind of power they are having without help. Some believe members of our Congress have been bought by Monsanto. Others believe the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) is in the mix. The things that have been happening certainly make you wonder. I just read an article about the meaning of “natural” on our food labels. This is an excerpt

“What is important to understand is how natural flavors are created. Scientists, or flavorists as they prefer to be called, blend natural or synthetic chemicals to create flavorings. The only difference between artificial and natural flavorings is the original (natural) source of the raw ingredients/chemicals. The formulas for both are the same although a small change can result in a different flavor.” The bold is mine.

These are FDA approved foods. Is this what you think of when you want natural? If you are like me, you thought natural meant devoid of artificial or chemical anything. I was in the 2/3rds mentioned below. Are you? We have been deceived for years.

“When we see a product labeled as such we perceive it as better for us, in fact a Consumer Reports survey found that two-thirds of Americans think the word natural on the label means it contains no artificial ingredients, pesticides or genetically engineered organisms and as a result has launched a campaign to ban the use of the word “natural” on both packages and in all marketing for foods and beverages.”

Read the rest of the article. The FDA has no clear definition of what “natural” means.

So now we have Monsanto and the FDA appearing to be working together to control what is in our food. What part is Congress possible playing in this. Antitrust and fair trade agreements? All I know is that it seems others profit at our expense.

The last parties to this perceived cartel is the medical profession and the pharmaceutical concerns. I don’t mean all doctors. I am referring to the system that they have to operate in. Treat the symptom, don’t search for the cause. Prescribe a pill because it cost too much to spend the time searching for the cause. Doctors are required to operate in that 15 minute window unless they are private practices that control their own offices. I had an interesting conversation with one of my husband’s doctors. Because of some heart problems, he has been prescribed Warfarin or Cumidin, rat poison. I asked the doctor if he could regulate the situation with foods that are natural blood thinners. She said no. I asked why. She said because they could not track it. This is how they track it. Take a certain number of tablets and check the blood. If the thinness is in a certain range you are okay. If it is too high, decrease the number of tablets. If it is too low, add more tablets. If the blood test is the telling factor, you could eat more or less of the vegetables depending on the thinness level. They rather he take poison, so they can regulate the dosage, rather allow him to eat fresh, certified organic vegetables and get healthy. Does that even seem reasonable to a rational, thinking mind?

I love my country but “the love of money” has removed standards and logical reasoning that can be trusted. What cartel should we fear first?

The end of the article mentioned above states the only way you can be sure your food is natural is to purchase USDA certified organic products. I am also buying from stores who have verified their products as non-GMO. I don’t know what those organisms will do to us.I am choosing to go that route. I hope I can trust the USDA.

I Remember That Night

by ladypbwiggins

Yesterday, I felt the lonliness and foreboding reflected in hsteinhayer101’s post  This Is Really Bad.  The story was told so well that I felt I was there. The “not knowing what to do” and the danger of making the wrong choice touched me. Her situation was far more serious and intense but her words took me back to my front porch over 30 years ago. My world was dark and lonely. It should have been one of the happiest times of my life. I had a newborn son, a wonderful husband and a helpful daughter. Nevertheless, my world was dark and lonely. The one overshadowing thing about depression is feeling all alone. I didn’t realize it at the time but I was suffering from Postpartum Depression. I just knew I wanted to end my life because for some reason I thought my family would be better off without me.

hsteinhayer101’s decision was choosing the correct place to sit. My decision was which direction to run that would guarantee getting far away to kill myself or be killed. I lived near two very busy streets that had a lot of traffic. A woman walking down the street in a thin nightgown would draw attention. It sounds silly now but that night I would have appeared to be a runaway from a mental asylum and the police would have picked me up. My husband found me and held me. I didn’t even know how to accept that at first. I felt he had spoiled my plans. When you are depressed and in that deep. dark place all you see is how good ending it all would be.

So many of us suffer from mental dis-ease and don’t realize it. We don’t consider depression from job loss or grief from a death mental dis-ease but it is. It may not last long or be as intense as others that cause them to seek escape in drugs or the control from another person.

I thank my husband and my Lord for bringing me through that time. The shadows of depression still linger just on the outskirts of my consciousness but I recognize it. It will not conquer me.

Letter To My Dream Reader

by ladypbwiggins

Letter To My Dream Reader]

A Letter To My Dream Reader

It is a joy to explore the world through your eyes. Everything is seen with wonder and excitement. Hearing the question “What’s that” in that little voice makes me smile. I felt the same with your mother and uncle has they began their exploration of the world around them.

Every twinkle in your eye, every little side-eye smile signals the brain-circuitry is firing on all cylinders.

My dream for you is that you never lose that curiosity, that desire to learn and experience  new things. You have no fear. Move through your life with confidence and wisdom. Rely on your parents’ teaching and guidance. There may be times in your life that you disagree with them but don’t every discount their wisdom. Remember, they have been where you have yet to go.

Remember, Grandma loves you.      Heart

 

 

This was my original post. I tried to post it as my new-thing to me and let you read my letter as a PowerPoint presentation. It did not work quite like I wanted. I guess I have to go through the Slideshare route.

Thanksgiving Cooking Experiment

by ladypbwiggins

I posted this on ladywiggins.blogspot.com  for Thanksgiving. I thought I would repost it here. Vegans out there please share your recipe successes.

I hope you had a wonderful time with your family. It was just my husband and I. Our children were away this year. I had a ball. Not because they were away though. I experimented with our traditional recipes. I was motivated by my newly vegan son and my dairy-intolerant grand-baby. I had wanted to try vegan cooking for a while and I figured now was a good time.

Mac and Cheese

Attention went first to my mac and cheese. This is my grandmother’s mac and cheese so the flavors are sacred. I decided to use rice elbow macaroni. I never used it before. Next concern: How do you bring those southern flavors to vegan world: Butter, real milk, sharp and mild cheddar cheese? I was skeptical but I went all in. I replaced the cheese with veggie cheese. I replaced the milk with flax seed milk. I found it to be creamier than almond and other nut milks I’ve tried. However, what to do about butter? I found some vegan butter in my favorite organic store but the cost was ridiculous. Google came through. I found several vegan sites that had recipes for making your own vegan butter without using soy products. I made my first non-dairy butter. The results were good but I still didn’t know how it would work in my mac and cheese. It was wonderful. That gave me hope for my sweet potato pie.

Sweet Potato Pie


This was not completely vegan but it was still an experiment. I used my non-dairy butter, a blend of flax and evaporated milk and egg. I thought my husband had bought an egg substitute but he bought egg whites instead. The filling was good. The real experiment was the pie crust. I decided to try gluten free flour. Who knows why? I used coconut oil instead of vegetable oil or shortening. I either had a crumbling mess or something that was very oily looking. I wanted that flaky crust I was familiar with. As it turned out, the taste was great but the texture was too thin. Saved by the flavors.

I have learned a lot through this experiment.

  1. I will never plan to buy dairy butter again.
  2. I have since found a recipe for homemade baking shortening. That’s next.
  3. Coconut oil, refined and unrefined are my new best friends. It has so many uses besides cooking.
  4. I have found a website of a vegan sweet potato expert. Things are looking up for my Christmas pies.  http://sweetpotatosoul.com/2014/01/how-to-make-vegan-sweet-potato-pie.html
  5. Sunflower oil has entered my pantry.
  6. I found non-soy, non-gluten, non-wheat egg replacer. They also gave the ingredients and I have them in my cabinet. I wonder if I can make my own?
  7. I just found an egg replacer recipe using chia seed. Who knew? Got to try this. http://www.foodrenegade.com/how-make-egg-substitute-chia-seeds/

I also found this link for powdered egg replacer recipe. If any of you have used these recipes, I would certainly like to hear from you. My holiday baking begins in about a week and a half. I am planning to experiment ahead of time.

Vegans out there please share your experience and wisdom. I am on fire to test things out.

Who I Am and Why I Blog

by ladypbwiggins
This an assignment in Blogging University.
Looking back on my life, sharing what I had learned was what I did. I guess that was the teacher in me. Early in my life, first grade, I was projected into speaking before large groups. I have come to a place in my life where I feel like I am bursting with thoughts about a lot of things. And I am still learning. I decided to try blogging as my teaching and speaking platform. I like to provoke thought and conversation. I am an interactive teacher and I respond to verbal and nonverbal feedback when I speak. This allows me to read other people’s thoughts. Their thoughts and opinions inspire me to research and study more.

I have several strong interest presently. They are nutrition, mental wellness and the Bible.

Several years ago my husband and I did a Daniel Fast. That fast is based on the dietary practice of the prophet Daniel and his friends in the book of Daniel. In one instance, they ate only plant-based foods for 21 days. The results for them were clarity of thinking and glowing countenance. The result of our fast was an elimination of beef and pork. The following year it was an elimination of chicken. The other result was an interest in vegetarian cooking. My new interest is vegan cooking because of the dairy free recipes. I am lactose intolerant. I still eat turkey and fish, so I am not truly vegan. The reasons for vegan recipes have increased to include gluten-free, soy-free, certified organic foods. You can thank GMOs for that. I am decidedly moving in the non-GMO direction as much as possible.

My community activities are in the area of decreasing the stigma associated with mental illness and therapy in the black community. I have a heart for helping black boys become strong black men. One of the obstacles they face is learning style. I have encountered so many who have felt that they cannot learn, when the problem was not theirs. It was our school system. Studies have shown black and brown young men flourish in an activity filled learning environment. They have to touch it, feel it, build it, explore it. In other words, the “sit still” lecture environment is not that helpful to the majority of them. In this endeavor, I have discovered that nutrition is a factor in our academic success. As I learn about brain and emotional health’s relationship to food, I would like to share that.
My biblical belief is the foundation and framework for all that I do and I would like to share my new finds as a I study.
I can’t wait to converse with you all.

For I Know The Plans I Have For You

by ladypbwiggins

Many of us who are Christians have heard and clung to the statement, “For I know the plans I have for you.” Jeremiah 29:11  We use it to explain why we should have hope and not give up when things go bad. It is a comfort during those times because it reminds us that God has our back and all of this is a part of His plan. I have found comfort from it while waiting for direction. But is that all it means? Is that the only lesson we can learn from it?

To answer these questions, I went back a few chapters to get the context. As I suspected, we have missed the full impact of this statement.

 It all comes down to a promise, the conditions and consequences of not fulfilling the conditions. God promised Judah that He would not bring calamity on them if they turned back to Him. He desired them to keep His statues and commandments and serve Him only.  If they chose to continue to disobey Him, He would gather the nations from the north to attack and King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon to enslave them for 70 years. It is recorded that the king, prophets and priests of Judah chose to continue to disobey God. God promised to destroy the king and those who did not go into captivity as He directed. Those who did go into captivity were promised time to return to God, to get to know Him and once again be His people and He their God. The captives were to build homes and grow their families as if they were home in their homeland. During this time they would learn of Him, they would seek Him call on Him and learn to serve Him with their whole being. Then they would be His people and He their God. At the end of the 70 years He would restore everything to them. This was His plan for His people.

For those of us who believe we the inheritors of Abraham’s and his descendants promises by faith we can learn much from Judah’s experience. If we keep the word of God that we say we believe, He will not bring calamity on us. If we choose to disobey Him count on being punished. Our captivity can be a variety of things, manifested in a variety of ways. We can become captive to habits, mental illness, anger, resentment, depression, poor finances or bad relationships. During this time, use it to get to know your God and return completely to Him. Know that He is keeping all of your “good stuff” safe and protected while you are learning. It will all be restored. This is His plan for you and me.

Eating to Be Arthritis Free

by ladypbwiggins

Arthritis is my new friend. I thought it was due to the injuries I experienced as a child and young adult. I fell so much in college that some of my friends nicknamed me “ace bandage.” I wasn’t overweight then but now I know my weight exacerbates my clumsy problem.  I decided to research which vegetables or oils would be beneficiary to arthritic people. It would help me, my husband and my mother.

To my surprise many of my favorite vegetables should be avoided. They are called the “nightshade” vegetables.

“The nightshades include numerous vegetables: potatoes, tomatoes, sweet peppers, hot peppers, eggplant, tomatillos, tamarillos, pepinos, pimentos, paprika, and cayenne peppers. Hot sauces made from the hot peppers are considered nightshades. Also, ground cherries, garden huckleberry, naranjillas, and even tobacco are considered nightshades.”

This article also questions if that is a fact for everyone or are some people more sensitive than others. I also read the a gluten-free diet would aid in relieving the pain caused by arthritis. That seems reasonable since gluten-free keeps popping up in all inflammatory ailments that I research. So here is my dilemma. I have decided to try a gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan diet for the twenty-one days. Should I eliminate the nightshades also? I love most of the nightshades.

Ghost pepper

I find it interesting that the capsaicin in the peppers would be the reason they should be avoided. Capsaicin is in some popular arthritic pain ointments. I would also like to know how an american who grew up on potatoes and tomatoes will function without them? Can you hear that tiny violin?

In the 21 days I expect to change habits, detox and improve my spiritual well being. Still should nightshades be included in the experiment? Does anyone out there in healthy land have a suggestion? I will begin the fast on the 6th.

 

 

 

http://arthritis.about.com/od/diet/a/Are-Nightshades-Bad-For-Arthritis.htm

Was He Preparing Me?

by ladypbwiggins

Today, I watched a video about mental illness and mental wellness. As I watched my mind drifted back to my childhood and I got a powerful jolt. Was God preparing me for this new direction in my life even then? Let me explain.

The last few years I have been involved with the African American Family Wellness Group which is the black cultural competency component for the Department of Mental Health. My interest in joining the group was birthed in my dealing with the young men and women that participated in our after school program. These children had varying mental wellness issues. Some were diagnosed as ADHD; others had image problems that resulted in acting out. Still others were academically deficient but there was no learning disability present. They got behind in their grade level, behaved badly and ended up in special education where they continued to slide down that slope to dropout land. That just exacerbated the problem which were originally unnoticed, unattended, emotional problems stemming from family drama, bullying or some other trauma. I realized that the parents of these kids needed help so they could help their children.

I never had any intent to get involved in mental health. Like most people, when mental illness is mentioned I thought of the clinically insane, mentally challenged people that need medication, continuing therapy and observation and possibly institutionalizing. That was my experience.
When I was a young child, one of our neighbors gathered us neighborhood kids up to take us to entertain people in the minimum security section of the local mental hospital. We called her and the ladies with her, The Gray ladies, because they wore gray uniforms. I knew we made the people happy but I didn’t like it when they wanted to hug us and kiss on us. It was creepy. But we had to let them to a point. We were shown how to minimize their contact without hurting their feelings.  Was this the first step in my training?

My next phase of training occurred at age 16. A government employment program designed for underprivileged kids (aka black kids) was the tool used. We were assigned to the Park and Recreation department of Bryce Mental Hospital. Yes, the very same hospital with the Gray Ladies. We assisted the psychologists and therapists with physical activities and games. That was a very educational summer. Our clients included the criminally insane, nymphomaniacs, manic depressives, schizophrenics, and a young lady of society placed there because she embarrassed her parents by getting pregnant.

My last phase at this hospital was while I was in college. I was employed as a file clerk. Phase Three. I worked directly with the Supervising doctor and his nurses. I had access to all their records. That is why I was amazed that I didn’t know the gentleman who cleaned my office was a paranoid schizophrenic with homicidal tendencies until my last day there. I knew he was ill but I never had a reason to fear him. That day he asked me if there was anything he could do for me, my office, before Monday. I told him I would not be back. It was my last day because I had to return to college. He lost it. I was trapped in my office. He never threaten me. My fear or panic was short lived. I felt sad that I had triggered him. He was whisked away to be medicated.

Was I being prepared for this next phase in my life? I have a passion for the mental wellness of Black male kids and their families. I want to interrupt the prison pipeline. I want to restore their esteem and understanding that they were created for greatness not prison slavery. I want to wake up my community to the power they possess to change these dynamics. I want to save their lives.

I am more awakened and ready for this journey. Let’s do this, God. Thanks for preparing me, even when I could not recognize your hand or your presence.

Journey Through My New Food Frontier

by ladypbwiggins

 I originally posted this on Blogger. I wanted to compare WordPress views with Blogger views. I am still comparing them.

I had the most amazing day at Barnes and Noble. A few weeks ago I began my food experiment journey into the world of gluten-free and dairy free recipes. I am happy to report the non-dairy butter was and is awesome. I found a recipe for non-dairy shortening. I haven’t tried it yet but since it is from the same cook I expect it to be amazing as well. That experience combined with my new love for certified organic foods got be excited to learn more. I went to Barnes and Noble on a search for a gluten-free, dairy-free, vegan cookbook. That was kind of silly since vegans are dairy free. 😀

Nevertheless, I spent some time searching for a cookbook that would satisfy my education and cooking for my Thanksgiving dinner. I wanted to find a particular book that I had seen in an Adventist market. I didn’t see it so I went to customer service like a good little researcher and asked about the book. I didn’t find the book but I did discover that I had only tapped the service of Barnes and Noble’s cookbooks. The WHOLE back wall contained cookbooks. I just HAD to come back another day when i could explore.

Much like that little kid at Christmas, I couldn’t wait. I was so excited that I came back and purchased a gluten-free, dairy-free cookbook without the research.. I got home and decided it really did not do it for me. The next day I returned the book and spent that amazing day searching for a cookbook that would meet my needs.

I found it! I found it! I found the perfect book for me. It has recipes but it is more of a “How to make your own” book. It is a Vegan substitution cookbook, The Complete Guide to Vegan Food Substitutions by Steen and Newman. Guide to Vegan Substitution bookThe guide explains the relationship between items used to prepare a meal for carnivores and herbivores and how to make the substitutions for the best results. As I said in the last post, I was expecting a diverse set of dietary needs to visit my home for Christmas. I needed to change my mac and cheese and sweet potato pie ingredients to accommodate animal product free, dairy free, and gluten free allergies. Rather than guessing and serving the meals with trepidation, I went boldly into the kitchen to prepare the requested dishes. The mac and cheese was a hit. I know because there was very little left over. We  ate so much that we didn’t have room for the pies. That was left to today’s dining experiences.

By the way, corn allergy is coming to visit for the weekend. What’s one more. Corn, in some form,is in almost everything.  Read your labels people.Got to label read!