THE CARROT

Among of all of crops, the richest treasure in the garden is certainly the Carrot, since it has a lot of medicinal properties. Once upon a time people were very happy that instead of gold in the ground they at least found Carrots.

Older people were saying that the Carrot gives your body the blood. It is now scientifically proven that Carrot increases the number of red blood cells and that it is the best medicine for the liver.

Every year I grow crops and most of the garden space I have reserved for Carrot. Usually I plant one big patch of red Carrot and one another patch of yellow Carrot, because it contains a lot of vitamins, such as: vitamin E, vitamin H (known as fertility vitamin), vitamin A, B1, B2, potassium, folic acid, etc.

 

Respiratory problems, especially in the winter, I reliving them with Carrot juice, which I drink early in the morning. Also the Carrot juice helps against anemia and digestive disorders.

About a year ago I had problems with my hair loss. I removed this scourge with the Carrot. I ate raw Carrot, I made a salad from it, cooked Carrot soup or make some sauce from it.  After a month and a half my hair loss problems had disappeared. It wasn’t so important how I made it, raw or cooked, but it only mattered that I ate it.

After my children got older than four months, I was making Carrot based foods almost every day for them, because it’s healthy for eyes and mucous membrane.

Baby diarrhoea can be as severe nuisance, I know it myself. When my children had digestive problems, for that I cooked Carrot soup, this is the oldest, tested, natural cure, that’s why I recommend it to all young mothers.

RECIPE FOR BABIES (with digestion problems), RED CARROT porridge:

 

We can make it like this:

 

1. First we have to wash a quarter of a kilogram of RED Carrot.

2. Then we skin the Carrot and cut it on circles or squares.

3. After that we put it in cooker and pour a half of litre of water, then you cook the Carrot until is soft but do not overcook it.

4. Then we mix Carrot in blender and add some boiling water, salt, if it’s necessary.

JThe baby meal is done. Usually takes 3 to 4 days for digestion to regulate.

I also reduce problems with excess stomach acid with Carrot soup. I cook some Carrots, cut it in circles and salt it, pour some water and cook it for 20 minutes. I eat warm soup. This Carrot soup treatment for stomach acid lasts for 2 weeks.

Carrot absorbs excess juices in the stomach, that’s why it’s appropriate to eliminate heartburn.

Carrot supplies us with carotenoids (especially with vitamin A) and protects us from carcinogenesis, especially from the lungs and prostate. Very important carotenes are alpha and beta.

In the kitchen we use the Carrot at least three times a week in soups, side dishes, salads, desserts and even for decoration purposes, because of its colour (orange is a happy colour) It puts me in a good mood.

For Carrot (especially baby Carrots) we say that it is a hormone of happiness, because it contains a lot of folic acid.

BLACK ELDERBERRY

The Elderberry is a medicinal plant which deserves the highest recognition for its healing properties. We used to have a blackberry bush near every house, but today it is only found at the brink of a forest or in a glade. People do not always realize that the elderberry is very healthy.

Elderberry leaves and blossoms stimulate the sweat glands, and increase urine output and toxic substances from the body.

Each year I gather fresh Elderberry blossoms and dry them on fresh air, but not on the sun.

The colour of the blossoms must remain yellow golden in colour. When they are dry I keep them in a paper bag.

When I have a strong cold or a bronchial infection, i prepare myself some Elderberry tea.

Elderberry is very efficient at regulating blood sugar levels, therefore I recommend it to diabetics. Elderberry tea also purifies the blood.

When the Elderberries are ripe in the autumn, I prepare myself some juice. I put around 2 kilograms of berries in the juicer and squeeze them. I cook the juice for an hour and a half and then add 20 dekagrams of honey. When the juice is lukewarm, I pour it in a bottle and store it in a dry and dark space. I drink one spoonful three times a day. Elderberries contain a lot of vitamins, such as vitamin A, B, B1, B2, and C.

I prepare Elderberry tea at least three times a week. I pour boiling water over two tea spoons of dry flowers, strain it after ten minutes and add honey. The tea is very effective against bad body odor. I also use it for rinsing my eyes (without the honey).

Tea from the leaves and tree bark helps with constipation and urinary leakage.

As a child I have fond memories of fried Elderberry flowers, which my mother prepared for dinner, I prepare them even today. I make dough for pancakes and dip elderberry flowers in it (the best are fresh), then I quickly fry the batter, and sprinkle the pancakes with lemon juice, fold and sweeten them with powdered sugar. (Instead of lemon juice I also use honey).

Fresh elderberries should not be eaten raw, otherwise you could get sick or get diarrhoea.



THE CABBAGE

It has been said that Cabbage is food for poor people and if you harvest it at full moon it has the most medicinal substances.

I mostly use raw heated and sour Cabbage. Fresh Cabbage has a lot of vitamin C. Cabbage in acidification excreted very much lactic acid, which prevents rotting processes in the human body. That’s why the excess material immediately eliminates from the intestines. Also the sauerkraut (sour Cabbage) prevents toxic substances to run from intestines into the blood, this affects the health and well-being.

I use Cabbage all year long, in summer and autumn I mostly use fresh Cabbage, in winter and spring I use sauerkraut. When I have headache or back pain, I lie down on fresh Cabbage leaves.

When I suffer from hoarseness I blend Cabbage leaves in food processor and add some of flower honey.  After consuming it I feel better.

Several times that I had stomach problems, I prepared myself fresh juice from fresh and sour Cabbage. I made juice from fresh Cabbage with the juicer, then I drank it for a month, three times a day of two decilitres, beside that I had a suitable diet.

In cold winter when vitamin C is even more indispensable, sauerkraut is the most convenient and healthy meal in any kitchen (it also doesn’t spoil that easy). Cabbage blends well with roast pork and Kranjska sausages.

Salad made from fresh sliced Cabbage with a little boiled, mashed potatoes and whole cumin provide a good companion to every main course and mixed salad.

The most important thing about cooking Cabbage is that you shouldn’t over boil it, especially when you want to use it as a remedy.

 



SAUERKRAUT STEW RECIPE

Here is a recipe for a very tasty stew from sauerkraut.

First I boil sauerkraut slightly, then I separately cook diced potatoes, I do the same with kidney beans (which can be bought canned), meanwhile all that is cooking I add some smoked bacon to sauerkraut. After that I separately make onion roux in a pan, I put chopped onion into hot oil and fry it, then I sprinkle a little flour on it and add tomato paste, after that I add some cold water (this process dissolve the sauce a little), cook it for five minutes and add it to the sour Cabbage. At the end I add one bay leaf and two crushed garlic cloves.

 

 

RIBWORT PLANTAIN

If I even think, how many times a human foot steps on such a useful grass as Ribwort Plantain and crumples it, it breaks my heart. I know two different species of Ribwort Plantain, narrow leaf and broadleaf.

 

 

In past, I used Broadleaf Ribwort Plantain, when my husband had stomach problems. I gathered it, added a little of Dandelion leaves, Yarrow and Camomile flowers. Tea from those herbs helps with inflammation gastric mucosal. It is even more affective when you squeeze juice from leaves and consume it twice a day with spoon.

Now, when I and my husband are a little older, I started to use Ribwort Plantain seeds. In my opinion these are one of the best natural medicines for intestinal problems and hemorrhoids. I use dry seeds when I want to eradicate unnecessary substances from the intestines. I put Ribwort Plantain seeds in water, to swell and become slimy (It is known that Ribwort works anti-inflammatory), then I drink a lot of water and thus facilitate drainage.

Every year I make syrup for respiratory. I make it from leaves, which I ground in food processor, and then add some water, sugar and honey. I boil them all together on a stove, this makes a thick liquid, and then I add some warm water and pour it lukewarm into glasses and put it into fridge. Syrup helps against dry cough.

 

 

From Ribwort Plantain I also make juice, which I ground it, drain it and add some honey, then drink it. This juice helps to drift away toxins from our body, and also works for diabetics and those with gout.

In gastronomy Ribwort Plantain is very popular, I always add it in green salad (especially if I buy a salad from a store), to consume more healthy ingredients. Many times I am using it instead of Swiss chard and spinach.

 

 

 

In my opinion, everybody should know Ribwort Plantain, because it can be found on every meadow.