Traditional Cajun Chicken Wings

According to the late great novelist Mark Twain, "New Orleans food is as delicious as the less criminal forms of sin". See what exactly Mr Twain meant by cooking up a veritable storm with my traditional Cajun Chicken Wing recipe featured below!

12 Chicken wings -- tips removed
5 Bay leaves -- crumbled into bits
3/4 teaspoon Caraway seeds
1/2 To 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon Ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon Ground coriander
4 Garlic cloves -- finely
1 1/2 teaspoons Dry mustard
2 teaspoons Paprika -- preferably 3/4 teaspoon Dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Brandy
2 tablespoons Fresh lemon or lime juiceCAJUN CHICKEN WINGS

Defat the chicken wings by cooking them in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a large mortar and pestle, grind together the bay leaf bits, caraway seeds, cayenne pepper, coriander, cumin, garlic, mustard, paprika, thyme and salt for about 10 minutes. Add the brandy and lemon or lime juice to the pulverized herbs and stir into a thick paste. With a pastry brush, cover both sides of each wing with the herb paste. When no more remains in the mortar, squeeze the last few drops from the brush. Arrange the chicken wings on a baking sheet. Bake until the skin turns deep brown and is quite crisp approximately 30 minutes. Takes about an hour to prepare.

Magic Potions We All Need This Time of Year

As winter descends we begin to feel the chill of shorter days and less sunlight. For many of us, less hours of light combined with colder temperatures results in us feel less light emotionally. For some of us, who actually have SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) gloom really sets in. This gloom often has to be offset by either full spectrum lighting and/or various psychotropic medications.

Then, of course, I returned home to all the mundane chores--the first one being preparing dinner. However, I did have my magical potion still running through my body giving me an infusion that carried me through the rest of that night. Thus you see how magic can happen when we design mental health formulas designed for each person!Perhaps I'd get to ride on the swan boats downtown at Boston Common, feed the pigeons and grandpa would buy me a balloon. Or maybe we would be going to visit a relative and I would be offered a wonderful box of chocolates from which to pick one or two special selections. Then I would get to dance and show off and receive some well appreciated praise.Mental Health Magical Potions: Suggestions to Consider in Creating Your Individual Compound2. Stay alert for magical potions that can help your body as well as your mind stay feeling good this season. Do you like to walk? If yes, it's a really great idea to walk as much as possible this time of year. Are you more of a couch potato? Well, maybe there is still some enlivening things you can do, even moving your arms in various circles and motions as you sit watching television. Even that amount of exercise can help the mind/body connection stay in a more positive state.Here's another example of a simple, magical potion that compounds beautifully for me. This past Sunday was a lovely day but by 4:00 pm, shadows were already appearing suggesting the inevitable gloom I feel as sunlight disappears and dusk arrives by 4:30 or 4:45 pm. Rather than stay at home, perhaps even doing some necessary paperwork or even a more household-like chore such as tidying my front hall closet, I abandoned my house and took myself down to the boardwalk near where we live.How lovely to bring all that back in a flash! I want to thank the crow that was up in the tree today for being there and so exquisitely offering me the exact mental health potion that I needed to start my day.These vague memories are without a clear storyline but do seem to take me back to my grandmother Rose Silverman that I loved so much. The crow's call starts a memory trace that includes Rosen Road where my grandparents lived. I do not remember any crows calling, but I do remember lying in my bed and experiencing the wider world through an open window. I felt content lying there, enjoying the aromas of flowers and cooking, the street noises, including children's voices laughing and shouting, cars and, of course, nature's voice: the birds chirping, and the trees rustling. All of this made me feel so safe, drowsily content and anticipating what our adventures that day would be.Or they may be vague ('shadow prints'), such as the way I enjoy driving down this street more than that street but I don't know why. It doesn't matter. Look for your magical potions wherever you can find them during these dark days of winter.We're going to continue to talk about mental health magical potions again in the next issue. Let's stop for the time being so you can begin to prepare your individual mental health magical potion!For people with mild versions of feeling down or sad at this time of year, I'd like to suggest a way to lighten ourselves and bring more light back into our lives. My suggestion is the use of magic potions. Did I say "magic potions?" You thought I was a positive psychologist, not a magician or a medieval enchantress of some type! Yes, I said "magic potions" and yes, indeed, I am a positive psychologist. So what do I mean? Let me explain.For many, many years I've wondered why. The best I can determine is that I have memories, partially forgotten, which I call in my book, THE ENCHANTED SELF: A Positive Therapy, "shadow prints of the mind."Now let's look at what makes a mental health potion real magic. The best way I can initially teach you about these magic potions is by example. For me, a magic potion this time of year is simply to walk outside of the house, as I did this morning to listen to a crow up in a tree calling its song. This ordinary bird, not usually sought after for its song, has always quickened my heart and unleashed a momentary but real sense of well-being.When I talk about magic potions--an expression I use to add drama and fire to our cold winter days--I am really talking about individual mental health formulas designed for each person. These are available in various sizes, shapes and compositions. Just like the old fashioned pharmacy where the pharmacist got out his mortar and pestle and mixed a compound for you when you didn't feel well, our mental health magic potions are that unique, requiring individual mixing. In fact, a compound that agrees with me may not agree with you. So it is very important to take the time to mix exactly what each of us need. This is necessary for the full affect of joy and rejuvenation that each of us so deserve this holiday season.1. Stay alert to moments during the day that seem to please you or refresh you. I had to become alert to my responses to the call of a crow before I was able to realize that his call filled me with a sense of well being. There are probably sounds, aromas, visual scenery, or even certain people you see during the day that also arouse positive reactions in you. You may know exactly why, such as when I see Sally her smile is just like my Aunt Rose's.

2. Stay alert for magical potions that can help your body as well as your mind stay feeling good this season. Do you like to walk? If yes, it's a really great idea to walk as much as possible this time of year. Are you more of a couch potato? Well, maybe there is still some enlivening things you can do, even moving your arms in various circles and motions as you sit watching television. Even that amount of exercise can help the mind/body connection stay in a more positive state.

Author: Dr. Barbara Becker Holstein

Okra - A Vegetable or Not?

You might think that okra is a vegetable but it is actually a flowering plant from the mallow family. Known as ladies fingers (a translation of the Igbo - spoken in Nigeria), okra is grown in tropical areas and it is actually the seed pod of the plant which, when picked young, is used as a vegetable.

"Vitamin C and Arthritis" http://tinyurl.com/6z4jr"Genetic Factors Play Small Role in Rheumatoid Arthritis Relief" http://tinyurl.com/6gadt3 onions chopped2 cloves garlicFried Okra* 6 T glycerine.* 1 t lavender essential oilCombine the vinegar and essential oil and shake together well. Add to the final rinse. This mixture not only adds a delicate scent to the washing as well as softening the fabric."Benefits of exercise decline over time in osteoarthritis sufferers" http://tinyurl.com/6ynwcAlthough okra is used in eastern Mediterranean and Arab countries, usually in stews and in the USA, breaded and fried, it is in Indian cuisine that it is best known. Called bhindi in Hindi, ladies fingers should be about the size of the ring finger of a small woman; any larger and they will be too tough and hairy to use.1 tbsp chaat masala (see spice mix below)Serves 4 as a side dish* 1 cup baking soda* 1 cup ordinary table saltTo read more about these natural and effective alternatives to arthritis, type the product numbers found below into the search box found here: http://tinyurl.com/4zg4x.Combine the salt with enough vinegar to make a stiff paste. Coat the brass with the paste, then leave it to work for about five minutes. Rub off with a soft damp cloth, using a little elbow grease as needed.3 green chillies, halvedLemon juice*1 cup bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)500g okra, cut into 2cm pieces25g root gingerAdd the glycerine and soap flakes to the hot water and stir together. When it cools, it will form a grey-white translucent gel. Add the essential oil once the mixture has cooled. Store in a screw-top jar or bottle. To use, add about half a cupful to a bucket of lukewarm water (not hot) and soak stained items overnight. Alternatively, rub a tablespoon or so into the stained area and leave it to work for about an hour before washing the item.* 1 cup methylated spirits, isopropyl alcohol or strong spirits (e.g. vodka)Pour all ingredients into a pump-action spray dispenser. Shake together for a minute or so. This can be used straight away, or it can be left to sit for a week to allow the essential oil to blend thoroughly with the alcohol and vinegar. Spray onto glass and wipe off with a soft lint-free cloth or scrunched up newspaper. The essential oil will help kill mould spores and germs. This mixture can also be used as a disinfectant, as the essential oil and alcohol are strong germ-killers.Peel the root ginger and the garlic and make into a paste with a little water. You can use a small food processor or just elbow grease and a pestle and mortar if you prefer.Most natural cleaning products use a range of basic ingredients combined in different ways - these are must-haves on your shopping list, and not just because you can scrub up your house with them. Some of them you can eat. Essential oils are other common ingredients listed in recipes for natural cleaners. While these are often included for their pleasant scent, they also have disinfectant and antiseptic properties. Recipes often list specific essential oils, but feel free to mix and match as you need - often, one fresh-smelling essential oil with antiseptic properties (e.g. pine or lemon) can be substituted for another (lavender or eucalyptus). Natural cleaning products often call for soap or soap flakes. If you can't find pure soap flakes in your supermarket, you can make your own by grating a bar of cheap soap with as little extra this and that (e.g. fragrance) as possible - or even try making your own. Alternatively, you can try the penny-pinching method of saving thin sl!Serves 4 as a main or 6-8 as a side dish* vinegar to mixOkra is very versatile and can be stuffed, steamed, curried and fried, but here are a few suggestions for tasty dishes.Pulverise the soap flakes to powder in a blender or with a pestle and mortar. Mix in the baking soda and chalk, then add in the glycerine to make a thick paste. It won't look pretty, but it does a great job. Store in a wide screw-top jar to keep it from drying out.500g potatoes300g okra, cut into pieces1 tsp ground cuminFurther historical proof is found in 1792, Alexandria, Virginia. Three Hundred homes nestled near the Potomac River; on Fairfax Street, Edward Stabler, a Quaker pharmacist, started a family business which operated until 1933. To this day, many of Stabler's herbs, potions and paper labels in his apothecary desk. Stabler like other apothecaries of his day prescribed Native American Indian remedies like witch hazel for external treatment of inflammatory conditions.Heat the oil and fry the onion over a medium heat until lightly browned. Add all the powdered spices and continue frying for a couple of minutes. Add the okra, lemon juice and salt to taste. Mix well, cover and cook for another five minutes until the okra is cooked but still firm.Glass cleaner:Crispy OkraThe Internet serves a library of information and resources. We all have to be careful about self-diagnosis and prescription. Read wisely by cross-referencing the content. These articles may be of further benefit as you search relief for your arthritic pain. You may read the source for these references by reading the entire article in the Echievements article library: http://www.echievements.com/articles/2534.1 medium onion, finely sliced* � cup glycerine

Deep fry the okra in small batches until crisp and drain on kitchen paper. Toss with the onion, tomato and coriander leaves. Squeeze over the lemon juice and season to taste with the chaat masala spice mix and salt.

Author: Liz Canham

Make Your Own Natural House Cleaning Products

Instead of looking in the cleaning products aisle for powders, liquids, sprays and pastes to get your home clean, hygienic, smelling nice and looking shiny, why not look in your pantry or kitchen cupboards? Making your own natural home cleaning products is an excellent way to reduce the amount of toxins in your household environment (some proprietary cleaners are really nasty), which is good for the environment, your skin and your health. And natural house cleaning products are often cheaper, too!

1 tsp chilli powderGeneral cleaning paste (non-scratching):* 2 t essential oil of eucalyptus (in this recipe, you cannot substitute this for another type, as eucalyptus oil has stain-removing properties)* 2 cups soap flakes* 1 cup soap flakes� tsp garam masala1 tsp cumin seedsivers of bar soap and melting or grating these to make your own cleaning products.* 2 cups powdered chalk or diatomaceous earth (try a sports shop - chalk is used by gymnasts and diatomaceous earth is used in swimming pool filters)* hot water (about 1 � litres)Lavender is a traditional scent for adding to laundry and acts as a moth repellent. This recipe will help prevent nappy rash if added to a load of cloth nappies, as the vinegar neutralises the rash-causing ammonia in urine.3 tbsp oilPeel the potatoes and either par boil and cut into 2cm dice, or leave raw and cut to about 1cm by 2cm.2 tbsp oil for frying1 tsp ground corianderServes 6-8 people as a side dishSometimes too much information brings confusion; on the other hand, too little information leads to unwise choices. Good health involves your wisdom, discipline, and desire to feel better. As a friend reminds me, I remind you, "Think healthy", and choose your medicine carefully. Always read every label closely. The natural alternatives offered in this article provide you with a safe, natural, and effective arthritis pain reliever.Pre-wash soaking treatmentAlthough pharmaceutical drugs may cause side effects, other studies indicate that glucosamine, a common recommendation for arthritis discomfort, has no effect. You might consider reading this October 2004 study by researchers at the University of British Columbia: http://tinyurl.com/676h6. Whatever choices you make, take time to research, and then take action. Despite these debates, the American Journal of the American Medical Association has considered glucosamine effective when promoting cartilage formation for your joint health. So, why not get some spring back in those steps? You can find relief using high quality natural alternatives to side-effect laden drugs. One manufacturer with years of experience has natural alternatives. This company started in 1955; read about this remarkable company, its philosophy and contributions here: http://tinyurl.com/3ma7w.� tsp chilli powder2 green chillies, splitOdour-absorbing fridge cleaner:4 tomatoes, choppedHeat the oil in a heavy pan and add the cumin seeds. Have a lid handy as these may spit. Add the onions, the green chillies, the garlic and ginger paste and fry until the onions are lightly browned. Add the tomatoes, coriander, turmeric, chilli powder, potatoes and ladies fingers, cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes are done.* 10 drops essential oil of your choice (suggested: lemon or grapefruit)* 1 cup vinegarDid you know that pharmaceutical drugs have their history embedded in herbal medicine? Apothecaries offered medicines with medical care. The cost of medical help was expensive(sound familiar), so many families made home remedies. However, today's pharmaceuticals derive from the the medicines stirred and pounded by the apothecary in the mortar by the pestle. "The history of Merck & Co., Inc. can be traced back to Darmstadt, Germany, in 1668 when an apothecary named Frederic Jacob Merck opened a chemical firm." If curious about Merck's history, learn more about it here: http://tinyurl.com/4m4ft.To make the chaat masala dry roast 1 tbsp coriander seeds, 1 small dried red chilli,1 tbsp cumin seeds and 2 tbsp black pepper corns. Grind to a powder and mix with 1 tbsp dried mango powder. Store in a small airtight jar.Pain Relief - 20667
Read the label: http://tinyurl.com/5p5y6
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Joint & Muscle - 20669
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Joint Health - 20668
Read the label: http://tinyurl.com/6jgo9
Read the product information sheet: http://tinyurl.com/58odo* water to mix Combine the baking soda and the essential oil. Add enough water to make a stiff paste. Rub on with a soft cloth, then rinse off with a clean, damp cloth.Okra Curry

Add the glycerine and soap flakes to the hot water and stir together. When it cools, it will form a grey-white translucent gel. Add the essential oil once the mixture has cooled. Store in a screw-top jar or bottle. To use, add about half a cupful to a bucket of lukewarm water (not hot) and soak stained items overnight. Alternatively, rub a tablespoon or so into the stained area and leave it to work for about an hour before washing the item.

Author: Nick Vassilev

Sticks and Stones Break My Bones, and Arthritis Always Hurts Me

On September 30, 2004, Merck & Co Inc (MRK) recalled Vioxx due to negative clinical trial results. Recipients of this drug seem to experience increased experience of heart attack, stroke, blood clots, or intestinal bleeding. Both the American Journal of the American Medical Association and the New England Journal of Medicine stress the dangers of this prescription drug. European and American cardiologists recognize the implicit dangers of this highly marketed arthritis prescription. This does not have to happen to you when safe natural and effective arthritis pain relief might provide relief!

Today, most patients visiting a doctor go for cold and flu symptoms or joint and muscle pain. Modern prescriptions provide relief, but sometimes with side effects. Now, you can get temporary relief from minor arthritis pain by using remedies derived from all natural ingredients. For example, the non greasy, penetrating and topical cream referenced below, brings soothing relief quickly. Further relief comes from Boswellia serrata, used in India for centuries as a proven pain reliever."Vegan diet may be helpful in rheumatoid arthritis" http://tinyurl.com/6cm2xOil for fryingFabric softener:A large bunch of coriander leavesDeep fry the okra in small batches until crisp and drain on kitchen paper. Toss with the onion, tomato and coriander leaves. Squeeze over the lemon juice and season to taste with the chaat masala spice mix and salt.Salt"The link between smoking and rheumatoid arthritis in men" http://tinyurl.com/63z5a"Ice beneficial in treating gouty arthritis" http://tinyurl.com/6nk4l2 small tomatoes, seeded and choppedSome basic recipes:* 10 drops essential oil (optional)� tsp turmeric

"Vegan diet may be helpful in rheumatoid arthritis" http://tinyurl.com/6cm2x

Author: A. Raymond Randall

Valentine�s Dinner Recipe - Venison au Poivre for Two

A recipe to do at home on Valentine�s Day � easy and good value with all the tips from the top anyone could need to produce a heartwarming supper for two.

To prepare your tomatoes, you should remove the seeds and cut these into small chunks. Use a blender to reduce fresh tomato into paste. Add some water and grind well to ensure uniform consistency and texture. However there's nothing wrong with a chunky tomato sauce if you prefer this type of sauce; as long as the pieces are more or less similar in size, then cooking problems should not arise.The first ingredient that comes to mind is salt. Another is sugar. The first one is definitely a requirement while the second one is optional; people who love a sweet-tasting tomato pizza sauce can add sugar.Steak au poivre may be a seventies cult dish, but there are reasons why dishes become cult in the first place. The creamy sauce laced with the flavour of brandy and dark, rich-scented peppercorns feels incredibly luxurious, especially if you pair it with venison instead of the more usual beef. It may be a simple dish but it tastes a million dollars.Cooking time: 5-10 minutesIf you don't have your own tomato patch, then just use the canned stuff. It is best to use slightly thick tomato sauce - it is thick, has enough moisture level yet hasn't undergone as much heating (if at all) as tomato concentrate products. On the other hand, you can buy canned tomatoes that haven't been converted to sauce or paste yet. You can use your blender to prepare your tomato base, in this case, adding as much water as you need to achieve desired glueyness.This talent for combining ingredients so that each one of your pizza spices, for instance, truly complements one another is something developed only through endless trials and experimentation. There's also such a thing as good taste in food - something as innate as good taste in clothes (when you instinctively know which articles of clothing and accessories will result in a phenomenal outfit) or a good ear for music - which a truly great cook must have in order to come up with the best pizza sauce recipe. This skill, in turn, is developed or acquired through experience and training.Simmer for a few minutes more to reduce the cr�me fraiche and check for seasoning Serve with a crisp, green salad and some small, waxy potatoes that you can either roast until crisp in the oven, or steam until tender. It is delicious accompanied with some kind of jelly like rosehip, quince or redcurrant.The secret is to take the steaks out of the fridge about 10 minutes before you cook them so that they can come up to room temperature. Then, the only other must is to get your pan (a heavy steak at the highest temperature possible. -bottomed frying-pan is ideal) smoking hot before you even add fat to it. That way you can really sear the� 150ml waterOther pizza sauce ingredients are cheese, beef stock (or the instant variety if you have no time to make beef stock), and mushrooms. Basalmic vinegar and alcoholic beverages, moreover, are great for imparting a slightly piquant taste to your sauce. The same thing can be achieved with pure fruit juice such as lemon juice.The pizza spices used varies. If you want tasty pizza sauce, use fennel seeds and laurel leaves. If you want an even stronger flavor, use lots of parsley or you can use the laurel bark; however, be sure to remove the laurel bark and the laurel leaves after cooking the pizza. If you want a spicy pizza sauce, however, add some cayenne pepper or some paprika to your pizza sauce mixture.It is clear, therefore, that you need lots of practice if you want to be a pizza gourmet cook or master who has his own trademark pizza sauce recipe. For now, however, you may have to content yourself with the basic pizza sauce recipes that you will find online and in recipe books. In fact, starting with the basics is good preparation for developing your own homemade pizza sauce recipe. This will give you the experience to determine which ingredients you need to retain, which ones you need to change and which ones you need to add to achieve exactly the taste that you want.12 Chicken wings -- tips removed
5 Bay leaves -- crumbled into bits
3/4 teaspoon Caraway seeds
1/2 To 3/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon Ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon Ground coriander
4 Garlic cloves -- finely
1 1/2 teaspoons Dry mustard
2 teaspoons Paprika -- preferably 3/4 teaspoon Dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2 tablespoons Brandy
2 tablespoons Fresh lemon or lime juiceVenison is delicious, unusual and incredibly good for you. Thanks to companies like Donald Russell (www.donaldrussell.com) and Blackface (www.blackface.co.uk) , both online butchers based in Scotland, it is now incredibly easy to place an order on the internet and have a box of steaks arrive on your doorstep a few days later. What�s more, it is better value than beef at the moment.� 1/4 beef stock cubeVenison is very lean so is best eaten rare or it tends to get dry and chewy. When eaten rare the meat is so tender that it is almost like biting through butter. It will continue cooking in the oven while it rests so put the medallions on one of the plates whilst you make the sauce.The Best Pizza SauceTIPIngredients� � onion or 2 baby shallots

Simmer for a few minutes more to reduce the cr�me fraiche and check for seasoning Serve with a crisp, green salad and some small, waxy potatoes that you can either roast until crisp in the oven, or steam until tender. It is delicious accompanied with some kind of jelly like rosehip, quince or redcurrant.

Author: Thomasina Miers

Traditional Cajun Chicken Wings

According to the late great novelist Mark Twain, "New Orleans food is as delicious as the less criminal forms of sin". See what exactly Mr Twain meant by cooking up a veritable storm with my traditional Cajun Chicken Wing recipe featured below!

Now for the best tomato-based sauce, use fresh tomatoes that you have grown yourself. You should avoid supermarket-bought, fresh tomatoes because these are probably ripened through an artificial chemical process. The best type of tomatoes for pizza sauce making is the plum variety.This is not strictly true for there are pizza variants that do not use tomatoes in the pizza sauce. However, tomato-based sauces are the most common types.

Defat the chicken wings by cooking them in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Using a large mortar and pestle, grind together the bay leaf bits, caraway seeds, cayenne pepper, coriander, cumin, garlic, mustard, paprika, thyme and salt for about 10 minutes. Add the brandy and lemon or lime juice to the pulverized herbs and stir into a thick paste. With a pastry brush, cover both sides of each wing with the herb paste. When no more remains in the mortar, squeeze the last few drops from the brush. Arrange the chicken wings on a baking sheet. Bake until the skin turns deep brown and is quite crisp approximately 30 minutes. Takes about an hour to prepare.

Author: Luke Indran