Monday, May 10, 2010

Bitter is Better~ The Forgotten "Taste"

Dear Friends,

Welcome to our cottage today! We hope you had a very wonderful Mother's Day yesterday, and that every day you can find something to celebrate, if you are a mother. We were blessed to be able to gather at my mother's with my brothers and their families, to enjoy fellowship with her (and to enjoy her yard full of beautiful blooms!).




~And we found some catnip that we just might share with the cats :).


~Oh yes, and Frankie found a friend.

Last week, Tasha and I hauled out our tincture press and finally pressed out all the various tinctures and oils that had been patiently waiting for us (Mr. Graham had to help with pressing the last hard bit)~



And Tasha even labeled all of them, so we actually know what is what, instead of having to guess by taste and smell!


What a nice feeling it is to have that done!


We have been doing some herbal studies lately, and wanted to share with you this insightful article that we encountered concerning bitters, and why they're so important in our daily diet. I'm the type of person who is much more likely to do something if it is explained WHY I should be doing it, and this article does just that. It is rather long, being a PDF file, so I would recommend printing it out and studying it when you have time. I really hope you will, for it is so important, and could change the health of your family for the better! I really like what he says about the fact that when we crave sweet foods, we are actually craving bitter, and that if we eat something bitter instead of sweet, that sweet craving will go away. Try it! I would challenge you to add a few more bitter greens to your salads each day. Go ahead, take a nibble on a dandelion leaf and see what your body's response is!

May you have a blessed, wonderful day today, dear friends, in whatever you may be doing.

Love,

Marqueta

**********************************

Counting My Blessings

Not once a year, but once a day
I count the blessings that come my way;
The world just showers its gifts on me
If I but pause to hear and see.

There's the rose of dawn, the robin's song,
A tree pointing Heavenward all day long;
There's the kindly rain, the drifting snow,
There's the sunset grand and the fire's warm glow.

There's a baby's smile, a friendly hand,
There's someone who's sure to understand;
There's a memory of those "passed on;"
There's a hope that whispers, "They are not gone."

With benedictions everywhere,
Each day is a joyous, happy prayer;
A grateful prayer to Him above
Who fills this earth with His boundless love.

~Agnes Just Reid

12 comments:

  1. Dear One,

    What joy to see you smiling and surrounded by your lovely family :)

    I agree about craving something bitter, I have been doing that and it actually works!

    Praying that your day is full of wonder and peace,

    Maria

    ps: How are you doing? You look wonderful...

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  2. Oh your garden of tulips looks lovely with the man in the moon gazing ball:-) All those tinctures--lucky you!!!

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  3. Sweet Friend, I love the picture of your family! I don't see any grumpies!! :)

    Thanks for the reminder about bitters. I need it, especially on days that I type. Do you know what I crave as I sit here for 8 straight hours? Sweets, of course. I am much more prone to eating well when I'm active.

    Thanks for the reminder to eat well all day even when boredom is telling me to nibble on sweets.

    Love,
    Lynn

    PS -- I don't have a tincture press! Lucky you. Am working actively to put back much this year though in the way of tinctures and dried herbs. Wish we could live close by and run an herbal store together.

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  4. What loveliness...
    you have a beautiful family!
    It's always a joy to visit you!!

    Happy Mother's Day!

    Blessings~ Miss Jen

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  5. I was inspired to pick wild lettuce today because of your post. I haven't picked it this year we've been picking dewberries and I have passed over the bitter plant. But today I picked it for my salad at lunch.

    Erika

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  6. Your children are beautiful....and I love the look on your little girl with the flower dress..she looks like she did not want to be there...lol

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  7. Your beautiful daughter Tasha has been working hard~I see how nice she has put lables on everything for you!! I am going to read that article on craving something bitter instead of sweet. I have been on an 80%raw and 20%cooked healthy eating regime and it has helped me so much. I see that you love herbs and tonics also! I am trying to get a nice herb/spice garden going myself~I don't have much space in my backyard, though. God bless,Rose

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  8. I'm trying to learn more about herbs and my dd told me about your blog, so I've been enjoying reading it. Thanks for stopping by. Linda

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  9. Very Nice pictures looks like it is warming up there such pretty blooms my catnip is not doing well at all. I can tell it is going to be very challenging in this new climate we live in to grow anything. Enjoyed your post Blessings Heather

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  10. So lovely to see your beautiful joyful face and glad you were able to share Mothers Day with your family.
    Thank you for sharing about bitters.
    Warm wishes, Tonya

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  11. What a lovely blog. :)

    My MIL loooooves dandelions.

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Thank you for coming to visit — I look forward to hearing from you!