Monkey Bread

Does anything smell better than bread baking in the oven during the autumn months? That rule will certainly be enhanced when baking up monkey bread.

While the origin of the name is still up for debate, we do know it began showing up in American cookbooks in the late 1950’s. The old time actress ZaSu Pitts had a variation of Monkey Bread as did Nancy Regan who served it in the White House during the holidays.

Here is a great recipe to monkey around with and has always been a hit in my home. Many mornings when school is closed due to snow accumulation, I’ll make a loaf and serve it right out of the oven. The smell of brown sugar and cinnamon gives the house a calming aroma as the snow falls and blankets the area. On pasta Sunday, I will make a garlic variation with olive oil that is served out of the oven and there is never a piece left over for the after hours.

Ingredients

1 ½ cups lukewarm water (105°-115° F)

2 packets (1/4 oz each) active dry yeast

3 tablespoons granulate sugar

½ cup nonfat dry milk

2 teaspoons salt

12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter.  (No Margarine!)

5-6 cups bread flour or all-purpose flour

1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/3 cup honey

In a large bowl, combine ½ cup of the water, the yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar.  Let stand for 10 minutes or until foamy.

In a small bowl, combine the remaining 1 cup of water, the non-fat dry milk, the remaining 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, salt, and 2 tablespoons butter.  Stir into the yeast mixture and whisk well.

Using a wooden spoon, beat in the flour one cup at a time until a dough forms.  Knead the dough on the floured surface for about 10 minutes or until elastic.  Transfer to a large bowl that has been covered in butter and cover.  Let rise in a warm place for about one hour.  The dough should be doubled in size.

Punch down the risen dough and knead for two minutes and then let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile butter a 10 inch Bundt cake pan. In a small saucepan, slowly melt the remaining 10 tablesppons of butter, honey and brown sugar.  Pull off golk size pieces of the dough and dip into the sugar mix and stack into the Bundt pan in a circular layer.  Brush the top with the remaining sugar mixture and cover.  Let the dough rise an hour or until doubled in size.

Preheat the over to 375° F.  Bake monkey bread for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until set and firm.  Take the bread out of the over and let cool for 10 minutes.  Turn on rack to cool or serve warm with a tall glass of milk.

Baked Fall Apples

The first fruit that crosses my mind as fall is in full swing is the apple. From the beginning of time, civilizations have been enamored with the delicious fruit. It’s become associated with love, beauty, pleasure, wisdom and temptation to name a few.

It’s mentioned often in the past writings of authors such as Homer and Cicero and plays a major part in the Bible, tempting Eve to savor its sweet flavor and obtain its knowledge. The apple even sprouted a Roman goddess named Pomona. Her name is from the Latin pomum, fruit. "Pomme" is the French word for "apple".

The cultivation of the apple all began within the fertile crescent of Mesopotamia, then moved with the Persians, the Greeks, and finally with the Roman Empire, the apple made its way into Europe . Today, apples are grown all over the world and their medicinal properties more solidified and the folklore of their history just as interesting. Here’s a great autumn idea for baked apples.

Ingredients:

8 cooking apples

8 tsp brown sugar

8 tsp butter, softened

8 tsp chopped almonds or any but of your choice

8 tsp dark mini chocolate chips
1 tsp cinnamon

A dash of clove

8 pieces of aluminum foil (Large enough to hold one apple)

Preheat over to 350 degrees.

Wash and dry apples. Cut each apple into quarters keeping the quarters of the apples together. Core, remove the stems and flower ends.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, butter, almonds, cinnamon and cloves. Mix until all ingredients are combined. Then gently turn in the mini chocolate chips.

Place the apple quarters onto the aluminum foil to form the apple shape and fill the center with 1/8 of the filling. Completely seal the apple in the foil. Repeat for all eight apples. Bake the apples at 350 degrees for approximately twenty minutes.

Check the apples after ten minutes and turn once or twice to ensure even cooking. After twenty minutes, check the apples. The apples should be soft and cooked throughout. The filling should be melted together. Enjoy!

Top Antiviral Herbs

By: sgiustra

Whether we are heading into a new school year or into the cold & flu season or right smack in the middle of the holiday season, the question of preventing & treating viruses naturally becomes an important issue.

It would be nice if we could start to lessen the chances of contracting these nasty viruses. Luckily, using natural herbs that are easy to incorporate into our diets is an effective way to dodge or treat the common viruses.

Other added benefits to using natural antiviral herbs: no side effects, low cost, safe for children & elderly.

Before getting into specific anti viral herbal remedies, a few words on viruses.

Viruses are infinitesimally small particles that do nothing more than reproduce.

They are the agents that lead to all kinds of health problems including cold, flu & herpes.

Viruses are different from bacteria though the two can be confused by the general public. Medicine has antibiotics which can be effective against bacteria but not against viruses.

However, there are few medications that deal with viruses. Two of the popular ones are acyclovir for herpes & AZT for AIDS.

Luckily, there are many good antiviral herbs.

The rest of this page discusses anti viral herbs that have general effects against any number of viruses.

Best natural antiviral herbal remedies

* Echinacea may be the best general herbal remedy against viruses. Echinacea works by destroying viruses & boosting the immune system so that your own body can then eliminate the virus. Especially good for flu viruses. Take supplements as directed, especially right before flu & cold season. Take in cycles of 6 weeks on & 6 weeks off as needed.

* Hypoxis Rooper (African Potato) improves the immune system according to research.

* Astragalus is also one of the valuable antiviral herbs due to its ability to boost the immune system. Take as directed when needed.

* Agathosma Betulina (buchu) is a natural antiviral that has antioxidant & antiseptic activity & helps the body rid itself of toxins. Good as a preventive.

* Mentha peperita better known as peppermint supports the body’s immune system. Scientific studies show peppermint’s is one of the anti viral herbs that shows a good effect on tuberculosis. Using peppermint essential oil or drinking lots of peppermint tea are pleasant, economical ways of using peppermint.

* Dragon’s blood is a lesser known herbal remedy for viruses. Especially useful against herpes virus. May be available in pill form. Take as directed.

* Solidago Virgaurea (Goldenrod) is one of the traditional antiviral herbs, used for hundreds of years. It seems to increase the ability of the body to fight infections.

* What could you say about garlic, an herb that has so many beneficial effects that it is treated with a reverence by many peoples of the world. Most people find garlic to be delicious too. This natural antiviral can be used for flu, cold & any number of viruses. Consume it raw or lightly cooked in any number of dishes including salads, stir frys, soups etc. Take supplements as directed making sure that supplement has active ingredients.

* Onions are also an anti viral herb though not as effective as garlic. Certainly you could come up with many dishes that contain garlic & onion which go together very well.

* Schizandra Sinesis is a powerful Chinese herb, an herbal remedy against viruses that protects against toxins and cell damage.

* Goldenseal is also an immune stimulant. Many supplements pair goldenseal with with other antiviral herbs like echinacea for a 1 - 2 punch against viruses.

* Olea Europea (from olive leaf) is a very valuable herb & natural antiviral. It helps fight numerous germs. The positive effects of Olive leaf have recently been proven in a variety of clinical studies. Olive leaf also stimulates the immune system.

It may also help stop the production of enzymes that a retrovirus, such as HIV, needs in order to change the RNA of a healthy cell. I’ve used it in place of root canal surgery to good effect. Take supplements as directed but you may need to double or triple dose the first day you are symptomatic.

* Juniper is also an excellent anti viral herbal remedy, excellent against flu & cold virus. Makes a good cold season tea that could be sipped throughout the day.

* Lemon balm also makes a good anti viral herbal tea & is especially valued as anti-herpes.

* Licorice is yet another herb that makes an excellent tea. Effective anti viral herb against many viruses. Take supplement or make a tea out of licorice root.

* Shiitake mushroom is also one of our favorite antiviral herbs. Consume in various dishes or use supplements as directed.

* Ginger, like garlic is a superb herb with numerous health benefits including its natural antiviral effects. Use as a tea or in numerous dishes. Juice a small slice along with fruits like apples, carrots, celery, [parsley - to taste for a wonderfully healthy concoction.

Other natural anti viral herbs

Some other herbal remedies against viruses are not as well known for that purpose but have been cited as antiviral. They include:

* Boneset

* Cat’s claw

* Chamomile

* Cinnamon

* Ginseng

* St. John’s wort

Salvator Giustra is a NYC Teaching Fellow, health researcher, clinical psychotherapist & computer scientist. He currently runs three websites (Healthy World) that advance the idea that good health is based on simple, traditional, commonsense knowledge which research tends to support repeatedly. For info on how water affects health, visit: Healthy Water For info on using herbal remedies, visit: Article Source: www.NewAgeArticles.com

Can a Cave Help The Winter Blues?

With winter around the corner, or for some whom already have snow on the ground; it’s time to prepare your home for more indoor living.

Like many others I have struggled with preparing for less daylight and lower temperatures but have decided to look at winter differently this year.  I’m going to prepare for the upcoming season on a more natural level.  I’m thinking about winter from the perspective of a hibernating animal and have decided to turn my home into a cave.

The first thing to prepare your cave is to get rid of clutter. Start with a spiritual cleaning and then pick a main room to act as cave. Get rid of old things you no longer need and put away all spring and summer belongings.  Of course, keeping a pair of flip flops around is still optional.  I know I find myself wearing them even on the coldest days of the year.

Surround yourself with things that you like.  Do you like to watch your herbs dry?  Make yourself an inexpensive rack and hang it up.  Do you enjoy candles?  Place them all around on safe surfaces and bask in the warm glow.  Do you have a fireplace or a wood burning stove?  Light it up and simply sit around one evening for an hour and meditate, watch the shadows of the flames dance on the wall, or simply daydream.  Short mind vacations can help with the hibernating months, too.

Visit the dollar store and decorate for every little holiday imaginable, whether you celebrate it or not.  This year I will be decorating starting with Thanksgiving and find other holidays to celebrate.  A quick search on Google will offer you a plethora of interesting information.  There is a day for just about everything!

Find faithful companions to hibernate with.  I've already announced to my teenage sons that I will be taking the old board games out from the attic and we will hang on Friday evenings, play a silly game and talk.  It’s a great way to reconnect with your children after a busy summer and a nice break from their many activities.  They were amused and recalled last winter when I took the beach chairs out of the shed, blew up two plastic palm trees and make tropical fruit drinks.  We sat around and laughed and if only for the hour or so, I was able to forget the impending snowstorm that was due to arrive that evening.

Buy some fresh flowers once a week.  Carnations are a lovely winter flower, inexpensive and come in so many different colors.  My local supermarket has fresh bouquets and one will be amazed how comforting it is to look at a colorful flower as the snow and ice blankets the outdoors.

Make the cave your own.  Work within your budget, create a cozy space and you’ll be happier when the weather keeps you indoors.  I’m hoping to create a cave where I seldom feel the effects of cabin fever.  Wish me luck. 

With a positive attitude, a higher dose of vitamin D, exercise, and a promise to myself to always get out into the sunshine, no matter the temperature, I hope to finally get my winter blues under control.  I’ll remain optimistic and if all else fails, there’s always beer and Sunday football to look forward to.