May | 2015 | Betty's Tips

How to Ripen Green Tomatoes

Five Tips on How to Ripen Green Tomatoes

Leave them on the Vine as long as possible. Take the time to cover them with plastic if your temperatures are low. Don’t be tempted to pick them just because it feels like the season is over. They will ripen the best left on the vine.
Place them on a sunny window sill. This is a hit or miss solution and works best with cherry tomatoes (tiny ones). Tomatoes are more stable sitting on their stem side however, they will rot less readily if you can place them blossom side down.
Wrap individual green tomatoes in newspaper and layer in a box, no more than 2 layers deep. Place the box in a dark, dry spot and check weekly for progress. It usually takes 3-4 weeks for the tomatoes to ripen, but check frequently and remove any fruits that show signs of rotting.
Place the green tomatoes in a paper bag with a ripe apple or banana. The fruit gives off ethylene gas, which speeds up ripening. Check the bag daily.
Place the green tomatoes in a cardboard box and place fruit inside of the box. It’s important not to let them touch each other – you want space between each tomato and the fruit. Cover box and store in a dark location. Check daily and remove ones as they ripen.

See Related Post: Green Fried Tomato Recipe

Home Made Organic Ketchup (no sugar)

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well:

1 6 oz can organic tomato paste

¼ cup apple cider vinegar (more if needed)

1/8 cup water (more if needed)

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dried organic oregano

½ teaspoon organic cumin

⅛ teaspoon organic pepper

1 teaspoon organic mustard powder

Original Recipe is from Cupcakes and Kale Chips Website – I modified it to my liking.

How To Substitute Honey for Sugar

In general, substituting honey for sugar seems to be a matter of taste. Some people use it cup for cup, others prefer 1/2 cup – 2/3 cup of honey per cup of white sugar. Reduce the amount of other liquids by 1/4 cup for every cup of honey used.

However, you might need to experience with different amounts of honey depending on the recipe. For example, I used honey instead of sugar for a toffee bar recipe which involved boiling a sugar mixture. Honey does not boil the same way and when I poured it over the crackers it was super thin and slid right through. I was able to save the toffee bars by freezing them immediately but the toffee was on the bottom of the bar and not the middle. The next time I made the recipe I used much less honey and a little bit of sugar to get the consistency I needed up boil. I also selected a darker honey.

Sites on how to Substitute Honey for Sugar: Cooks.com, LiveStrong.com, and WholeNewMom.com

25 Uses for Fabric Softner

25 Alternative Uses for Fabric-Softener Dryer Sheets – read full article by curbly

1. Dusting: used dryer sheets can knock the dust off nearly any surface.
2. Keep bugs away: Tuck some in your picnic basket or under lawn furniture to repel bees.
3. Keep your clothes fresh: tuck a few fabric-sheets in your drawers
4. Scrub your showers: Lightly wet a used dryer sheet, and scrub to remove soap build-up
5. Freshen your home: Place (or tape) a dryer sheet on your HVAC vents to scent the air circulating through your home.
6. Reduce static cling: Pat your self with a sheet to combat static on your clothes, stockings, and even long hair!
8. Clean your laundry room: When you finish drying a load, hold on to the dryer sheet, and wipe down the inside of your dryer’s drum, your lint trap, the outside of your washing machine and dryer.
9. Scrub the bugs from your car: Simply wet your car down, and use a dryer sheet to scrub away carnage with ease.
10. Wipe up hair: The cling of a dryer sheet is perfect to wipe up pet hair from your furniture, or even your own hair from your bathroom.
11. In your shoes: Toss a dryer sheet in the toes of your shoes to minimize odors and prolong the just-purchased smell.
12. While traveling: Place a few dryer sheets in between items in your suitcase to keep both your clothes fresh.
13. In your crafts: Use dryer sheets to add texture to cards, scrapbooks, etc. Also use for reinforcement in appliqué and quilting work.
14. For diapers: Keep your used dryer sheets in your diaper bag, and roll one up in the diaper to prevent odors before you have to chance to throw it away.
15. In the kitchen: Soak cookware with burnt or baked-on food in warm water, with a dryer sheet or two. Makes clean-up easier than you’d expect. Also works on cook tops and dingy cabinet doors.
16. Clean paint brushes: Soak your used paintbrushes in warm water with a dryer sheet, and that pesky latex paint will come off in under a minute.
17. In books: placing a dryer sheet in new books or photo albums will keep them smelling fresh, and can combat the musty paper smell of used or old books. Also works as a killer bookmark.
18. In toilet paper: Roll up a dryer sheet in your toilet paper roll. Each time you spin, it releases a little freshness into your bathroom.
19. As you sleep: keep a fabric-softener sheet in your pillow case and under your mattress or mattress pad for sweet dreams of summer all year ‘round.
20. While sewing: use a dryer sheet to store your needles while threaded to keep them from tangling, for paper piecing whilst you quilt, and for backing for embroidery.
21. Repel rodents: Use dryer sheets to keep out mice, skunks, squirrels, rats, etc from your basement, garages, boats, campers, and clubhouses.
22. In your car: stash dryer sheets under your car seats and floor mats, and in your glove box and trunk for fresh scents as you travel.
23. At work: Hide dryer sheets in drawers, behind computers, and in cabinetry to keep your workspace fresh.
24. In you vacuum cleaner: Place a dryer sheet in your vacuum bag or dust containment unit. As the hot air moves as you vacuum, you’ll bulk up your cleaning efforts. (Make sure this is in NO WAY a fire hazard)
25. In storage: tuck dryer sheets in your rarely used items such as luggage, camping gear, sports equipment.

Hydrotherapy & Deep Tissue Concentrate for injuries

Directions:

Hydrotherapy – 6x or more –
1 minute in hot water than 1 minute in cold water.
Circulates the blood and carries away the extra blood that cause swelling and pain.
This assassinate the deep tissue concentrate to reach the healing levels.

Rub inDeep Tissue concentrate and cover with saran wrap to keep it working,
Ace bandage wrap to keep saran wrap on.- it will burn so use it sparely at first.

Products are $2 to 4 less with Northern Botanicals
This treatment really works on repairing tissue, my Mother swears by it and many others do to.

Or call 1-800-herbdoc (437-2362) – Dr. Schulze website He doesn’t list all of his products on his site so you might need to call and ask for specific products.

If you don’t order call to be put on his mailing list. You will receive his free product catalog (shows health issues and remedies for them and includes the list of products on order forms)

See Related Post: Deep Tissue Healing

Deep Tissue Healing

Here is some information on Healing deep tissue. Please see related post Hydrotherapy & Deep Tissue Concentrate for Injuries.

Most large Health food store should have assortment of products for 1st aid injuries, etc. Dr. Schulze recommends his “Deep Tissue Oil”. Jason Cooling Mineral Gel seems to have about the same proprieties. Jason is a brand name for other products.

The person at Farmington Better Living Center (health food store) said the Jason Cooling Mineral Gel has tree tea oil for pain relief, the essential oils and menthol oils for healing torn and damage tissues, and there are no animal products in this bottle.

Some people would call this mixture ligament. I think it is similar to what vets use on animals and what mom used to have years ago for sprains and strains.

Deep Tissue Oil (Schulze)

Ingredients from Dr. Schulze’s catalog 1-800-herb-doc. See directions below.
Wintergreen Oil, Peppermint oil, Cayenne, Ginger, Arnical flower, Calendula, Marigold flower or
St. Johnswort Flowers, Olive Oil

Dr. Schulze directions: do the hot & cold therapy first. Than apply 1 or more droppersful of the deep tissue oil, rub in well for 10 minutes. Wash hands afterwards, do not get in eyes.

Jason Cooling Mineral Gel

Information from Better Living Center in Farmington, ME

Essential oils – avocada, primrose, Menthol oils *, Tree tea (pain relief),
No animal products

*Note: menthol oils are wintergreen, peppermint and spearmint, etc.

Trama oil

Info from Better Living Center, Farmington, ME.

Arnica and St. John’s Wort

OLD FASHIONED COUNTRY POT ROAST ~ FROM GRAM

POT ROAST

(300 degree oven)
• 3 ½ or 4 lb. rump or chuck roast
• 3 or 4 baking potatoes
• 4 large carrots about 1” in diameter
• 4 large yellow onions or 12 small onions
• 3 stalks of celery
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 envelope of onion soup mix
• 1 – 2 tbs. soy sauce
• ½ cup of water
• 1/4 cup of red, dry wine

Line a roasting pan or a Dutch Oven with tin foil and bring the tin foil up high enough so you can wrap it over & around the vegetables and the roast that will be placed on top of the veggies.

Cut the vegetables in quarters, put in the Dutch Oven/roasting pan that has enough length of the tin foil to roll up and cover the roast; you can crisscross the tin foil in the pan.

Put the following over the vegetables:
• 1-2 tbs. of soy sauce
• ½ cup of water
• ¼ cup of red, dry wine
• 1 bay leaf

Place the roast on top of the veggies, fat side up. Do not brown the roast first
Rub the top and all 4 sides of the roast with corn starch, be generous with the corn starch (but don’t go crazy). Mix up the dry onion soup mix and sprinkle it over the entire roast & veggies.

Close the ends of the tin foil over the roast & veggies so that it is tight. Cover the Dutch Oven/roasting pan, place into a preheated 300 degree oven and bake for 4 ½ to 5 hours.

Lift meat to cutting board, let sit for about 5 minutes or so for the juices to settle back into the meat. Mean while lift the veggies out and place into a bowl, cover to keep them warm.

Drain all juices into the Dutch Oven/roasting pan to make the gravy.
• Add 3/4 – 1 cup or more of water (don’t use too much or your gravy will be weak)
• Bring to a boil and thicken with corn starch for desired consistency.

Enjoy! Bon Appetite ~ Ellie

Tetanus Shots Available at Pharmacies

This tip was sent in by a followers of this blog. He needed a tetanus shot and got the run-around from Doctors when trying to find a location to get the shot. They wouldn’t see him unless he was a regular patient – not even for a shot. Long-story-short he discovered that his local pharmacy gave the Tetanus Vaccine. Who would have known?! This is truly new information to me and a great tip to know so I’m sending it along to you.

Check your local Walgreens, CVS, Walmart or other Pharmacy for more information.

The many uses of Hydrogen Peroxide

The benefits of that plain little old bottle of 3% peroxide you can get for under $2.00 at any drug store. (seen on the internet)

Take one capful (the little white cap that comes with the bottle) and hold in your mouth for 10 minutes daily, then spit it out. (I do it when I bathe.) No more canker sores and your teeth will be whiter without expensive pastes. Use it instead of mouthwash. (small print says mouth wash and gargle right on the bottle).
Let your toothbrushes soak in a cup of “Peroxide” to keep them free of germs.
Clean your counters, table tops with peroxide to kill germs and leave a fresh smell. Simply put a little on your dish rag when you wipe, or spray it on the counters.
After rinsing off your wooden cutting board, pour peroxide on it to kill salmonella and other bacteria.
A friend had a fungus on their feet for years – until they sprayed a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water on them (especially the toes) every night and let dry.
Soak any infections or cuts in 3% peroxide for five to ten minutes several times a day. My husband has seen gangrene that would not heal with any medicine, but was healed by soaking in peroxide.
Fill a spray bottle with a 50/50 mixture of peroxide and water and keep it in every bathroom to disinfect without harming your septic system like bleach or most other disinfectants will.
Tilt your head back and spray into nostrils with your 50/50 mixture whenever you have a cold, or plugged sinuses. It will bubble and help to kill the bacteria. Hold for a few minutes then blow your nose into a tissue.
If you have a terrible toothache and cannot get to a dentist right away, put a capful of 3% peroxide into your mouth and hold it for ten minutes several times a day. The pain will lessen greatly.
And of course, if you like a natural look to your hair, spray the 50/50 solution on your wet hair after a shower and comb it through. You will not have the peroxide burnt blonde hair like the hair dye packages, but more natural highlights if your hair is a light brown, faddish, or dirty blonde. It also lightens gradually so it’s not a drastic change.
Put half of a bottle of peroxide in your bath to help rid boils, fungus, or other skin infections.
You can also add a cup of peroxide instead of bleach to a load of whites in your laundry to whiten them. If there is blood on clothing, pour directly on the soiled spot. Let it sit for a minute, then rub it and rinse with cold water. Repeat if necessary.
Some people use peroxide to clean mirrors with, and there is no smearing which is why I love it so much for this. I could go on and on. It is a little brown bottle no home should be without! With prices of most necessities rising, I’m glad there’s a way to save tons of money in such a simple, healthy manner.

Wound Healing & Cleaning

To heal a wound:

Bath tub soak with 1-3 cups of Epson salt – water must cover the wound.
Apply Goldenseal powder & cayenne powder part or Goldenseal & Slippery Elm
End with a sterile gauze pad & tape. May be done 2x day for quicker healing.

Helpful hints on wound cleaning:

Do not use alcohol when cleaning wounds,
Peroxide or a solution of povidone-iodine and water to irrigate a wound (wash it out)
If infected use a wick or a piece or strip of sterile gause to keep a wound open to drain infection out. Prevent skin from healing over before the infection is out.

Good site for using garlic as natural remedies
but it doesn’t go into how to use a garlic clove on a wound to pull infection out. Using garlic clove for wound infection is tricky because garlic burns on skin and sometimes leaves scars.

Betty's Tips

Month: May 2015