JoAnne's Blog

Mosquitos

I am never bothered by mosquitos in Sidney; but here, in Ontario they are a nuisance.  The question then becomes, what do you do to avoid being a bug's dinner?  Most insect repellants are loaded with toxic chemicals, of which DEET is one.  I do not wish to purposely put any known chemical on my body. 

Years ago, when we were travelling across Canada on our motorcycle, we came upon a campground that was making and selling an insect repellant by the name of "Bite Me!"  It was made from essential oils and it worked.  I have never been able to find it again.

But the good news is there is a spray called Burt's Bees Herbal Insect Repellant that contains essential oils.  There is also a push-up stick that you rub on your skin called Badger Anti-Bug Balm which contains 100% USDA organic essential oils.  Even better news is that both are completely safe even for children and pets.  They are also paraben free, phthalate free and ph balanced.   Now, I need to find these products here in London, Ont

However, if I can't find either of these, I just might make my own.  Here is an all natural recipe that I found.

Combine the following essential oils:

1/2 ounce citronella oil or peppermint oil
1/4 ounce lavender oil 
1/8 ounce tea tree oil
1/8 ounce jojoba oil or almond oil – preferably organic

Dilute in 16 ounces of  witch hazel and pour in a squirt or spray bottle. As a general rule, do not use essential oils undiluted.

Have fun and don't let the bugs bite!

Parsley

Parsley looks nice as a garnish on the side of your plate.  But, have you ever wondered about the benefits of parsley?   For one, it supposedly helps to freshen your breath.  But did you know that parsley provides plenty of antioxidant power.  Further, and more importantly, parsley contains volatile oil components that have been shown to inhibit tumor formation, partiularly in the lungs.  You can read more at livestrong.com - an article about parsley juice and lung cancer.  The research from the University of Missouri also claims that parsley is an important food to digest if you have breast cancer.

Having said that, I have included a couple of recipes to help you consume more parsley.  The first one I found was called 

The Body Can Heal Itself Juice
 
5 Carrots
4 Handfuls of Fresh Spinach
1 Handful of Fresh Parsley
4 Sticks of Celery

Juice all ingredients and serve.

This recipe is taken from the The Diva's Guide to Juices and Cocktails available from The Raw Diva Store.

Another recipe I found was from Kalyn's Kitchen

Carrot and Parsley Salad

6 medium sized carrots, peeled, then grated
1 bunch parsley, chopped fine (about 1 cup chopped parsley)
1 1/2 T fresh lemon juice
3 T extra-virgin olive oil
salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Peel carrots, then grate coarsely, using a food processor or the large side of a hand grater. Wash parsley, spin dry or dry with paper towels, then chop finely with food process or chef's knife. Put carrots and parsley in mixing bowl.

Whisk together lemon juice and olive oil, then mix into salad. Season with salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste (I barely used any salt). Serve immediately.

This recipe has been adapted from Bistro Carrot Salad in Jack Bishop's book Vegetables Every Day.