Self Reliance Tip #31

This month we will be focusing on getting back to basics with food storage. When you talk about beans, it is way more than the musical fruit. Beans are the MAGICAL fruit. When prepared properly they are loaded with nutrients. I just made this salad last night and I was surprised with how well my family received it. It could easily be turned into a year supply meal.

http://goodlookingcook.blogspot.com/2009/07/black-bean-salad.html

Soaking and sprouting beans and other grains breaks down the stuff in them that make them hard to digest causing the need for "beano".

The referenced website teaches:

Sprouting changes the composition of starch molecules, converting them into vegetable sugars, so the body recognizes and digests sprouted grains as a vegetable. Enzymes are also created that aid digestion, complex sugars are broken down which can eliminate painful gas, and vitamin and mineral levels increase. Furthermore, sprouting neutralizes carcinogens and enzyme inhibitors, as phytic acid that inhibits absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc.

"Enzyme inhibitors" sounds like a pretty sophisticated thing. That basically means the seed is protected until it time for planting to grow a new plant. Sprouting takes more time than soaking, but makes it even better for you.

Beans beans....oh yeah!

And another thing....


....From Heavenly Father's medicine cabinet.

Remember, I'm not trying to be anyone's doctor. I've discovered some cool stuff along the way and wanted to share. Self-reliance has many faces.

I have been dying for years to be able to say this. Let me give you a little background first.

Ours has been a journey of many days of strep-throat. We had been on antibiotics for several months when we lived in Thatcher (partly because of mold in the walls of our home). I know what it looks like, I know what it smells like and it has stricken fear in me many times "Oh, not again!" When we moved to Safford it stopped for a while, but it started up again and I was so desperate. After many prayers and trial and error, I discovered that Oregon Grape Root extract (also called a tincture) would kill Step in my son and husband, but it wouldn't kill it when I got it.

Well, Kayla had it just recently and Oregon Grape Root didn't kill it for her either. But a friend told me that Golden Seal Root extract would also kill it. Well, I got some and it worked! I also used Mullein tea to bring the swelling and inflammation down in her throat. And last but not least, I used Yarrow to clean her blood. It worked swimmingly!