Maggie the Beagle

Maggie was C-sectioned today. She had 8 (can you believe it? 8!!) puppies. One of them didn't make it, but we brought Maggie and 7 puppies home this afternoon. She's having a lot of pain and doesn't seem too interested in nursing them. I gave her some pain meds so she can hopefully relax a little. The puppies were starving when we brought them home. They are so tiny that they had a hard time finding a teat, latching on and staying latched on. I went ahead and bottle fed them so they could sleep. They are sound asleep right now in their big box under a heat lamp. Maggie is cleaning them, sniffing and counting them and comes when they cry, but she just doesn't want to nurse. I may wind up as a puppy mama. Here's a picture or 2 to share with you. They all look like their daddy, the lab.

Hair Treatments

Hair Conditioners:

Egg Conditioner

1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp olive oil
3/4 cup lukewarm water
Beat egg yolk until it is thick and light colored. Slowly drizzle drops of oil into egg, beating well. Slowly add and beat the water into the egg mixture. Transfer mixture to a container. After shampooing, massage all conditioner into hair and leave on for a few minutes before thoroughly rinsing.
Protein Conditioner
Beat 1 egg white until foamy. Add to 5 Tbsps plain natural yogurt. Apply to hair in small sections at a time. Leave in for 15 minutes. Rinse.

Split End Treatments
1) Mix 1 tsp honey with 2 Tbsps olive oil, then beat in 1 egg yolk. Massage on hair in small sections. Wrap head with shower cap for 30 minutes. Rinse and shampoo.
) Massage hair and scalp with warm avocado or olive oil. Wrap hair securly in a towel. Leave oil on hair about 8 hours or overnight. If left on overnight, put a shower cap over head to avoid staining pillows and bedding. Wash hair, then rinse with a vinegar /water solution.

Hot Oil Treatment
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup boiling water
Place olive oil and boiling water into large glass bottle or jar with a lid. You may need to wrap a towel around the bottle to avoid burning yourself. Shake very well until oil is emulsified. Massage into hair, taking care not to burn your head. Put a shower cap or plastic bag over your hair and wrap your head in a hot towel that has been soaked in hot water then wrung out. Leave mixture on your hair for 1/2 hour, then shampoo as usual

Mayonnaise Conditioner
To recondition the hair, shampoo hair with homemade shampoo or a shampoo from the natural foods store. Rinse and towel dry. Apply regular mayonnaise (not salad dressing) to the hair. Massage in. Let sit for 10-15 minutes, shampoo again lightly and rinse with an apple cider vinegar and water solution.


Dandruff
1) Make an infusion of 1 ounce each of fresh or dried rosemary and sage in 2 cups of water. Let steep for 24 hours, then use daily as a hair rinse.

2) Boil 5 heaping Tbsp dried thyme in 2 cups water for 10 minutes. Strain and cool. Pour 1/2 mixture over clean, damp hair. Massage into scalp, do not rinse. Use second half of solution another day.

3) Instead of shampooing, massage handfuls of baking soda into the hair and scalp to absorb oil and to loossen dead skin on scalp. Rinse thoroughly, use no other shampoos. While initially the hair may seem dry, after several weeks, dandruff will be gone and hair will be smooth and shiny.

4) Mint Rinse
Boil:
1 cup water
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 handful of fresh mint leaves
Strain and pour into a container. With fingertips, massage solution into the scalp, let dry without rinsing out.

5) Use the hot oil treatment recipe given on this page.

6) Soothing Herbal Hair Rinse
Combine equal parts of dried rosemary, comfrey, witch hazel leaves and nettles to make about 1/2 cup. Add to 2 cups of water in a covered pot. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let steep overnight. Strain. Shampoo and rinse hair then use herb tea for a final rinse to relieve itchy, flaky scalp.
Hair Coloring
Herb, Fruit & Vegetable Rinses for Color and Highlights
These rinses work over a period of time to subtlely color and add highlights to the hair. First wash and rinse hair, then pour any of these rinses over the hair 15 times catching the excess in a bowl or the bathroom basin as it runs off the hair, then pouring it over the hair again.
For Brunettes
1) Cook an unpeeled potato in boiling water. Cool slighly. Dip a pastry brush or cotton ball in the cooking water, cover and saturate hair, being careful not to get any on skin. Leave on hair for 20 minutes then rinse out.

2) Make an strong infusion of any of the following herbs and teas then use as a rinse:
Rosemary
Sage
Raspberry leaves
Parsley
Ivy Berries
Catnip
Black coffee
Black Tea (for chestnut highlights).


For Blondes
1) Marigold gives golden highlights to light hair and brings out red and gold highlights in light brown and red hair. Saffron, tumeric, calendula, mullein, privet and yellow broom in addition to any yellow blossomed herb or flower also add color and highlights for blondes.

2) Rinse hair with a solution of 1 tablespoon of lemon juice to one gallon of water after shampooing.

3) To restore hair that was once blonde, mix 10 grams of licorice root with 10 grams of oat straw, add a pinch of saffron. Cover with water and boil to make an infusion. Strain and use a s a rinse after shampooing. It should be allowed to soak into the hair and NOT rinsed out.

4) To bring out highlights and lighten blonde hair, steep 1/2 cup of camomile tea in one quart of boiling water . Strain and cool slighyly. Shampoo hair until oil free, then rinse with the tea infusion.

5) Add 4 tablespoons of chopped rhubarb to 3 cups of hot water, simmer for 15 minutes. Strain, cool, then use as a rinse after shampooing.


For Redheads
1) Use strong black coffee as a final rinse

2) Use a strong rosehips tea

3) Make a decotion of red hibiscus tea, use as a rinse

4) Make a rinse from calendula

5) Use an infusion of saffron for a rinse.


For Grey Hair
1) Potatoes: Boil potato peels in water, strain, and cool. Use the strained water as an after-shampoo rinse to darken grey hair

2) Sage covers the grey when used consistently over a period of time. Simmer 1/2 cup dried sage in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes. Steep for 2-3 hours. Strain, use as rinse on clean hair. Leave on until hair has dried, then rinse out.

3) Mix 1 oz. sage, 1oz. rosemary and 1 pint of water. Simmer for 30 minutes and strain. Massage into the scalp and grey hair.

4) Mix 1 tablespoon of apple-cidar vinegar with one gallon of warm water, use as final rinse.

5) Use an infusion of hollyhock (blue-purple flowers) to remove the yellow cast from grey hair.

6) Use betony as a rinse to cover yellow in grey hair.

For All Hair Colors
Make an infusion of any of the following for color, conditioning, highlights and shine:
Catnip: Make a rinse of catnip and water to promote hair growth and shine.
Nettle
Parsley
Rosemary: good as a hair tonic for thinning hair and dandruff and to stimulate hair growth.
Thyme: makes a great stimulating shampoo.
Yarrow: Use a yarrow rinse for mild cases of dandruff.

Shampoos:
Nana's Egg Shampoo
1 large egg separated
3 Tbsp castile soap
In a bowl, beat egg white until foamy. Blend in yolk followed by the castile soap. Wet hair with warm water. Massage half the egg shampoo into scalp. Rinse well then massage remaining shampoo into scalp. Leave on hair about 1 min. Rinse thoroughly with warm water.

Egg Shampoo #2
1 egg
1 tsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp castile soap
1/2 cup water or herbal tea
Drop of fragrant essential oil of your choice (optional)
Combine all in blender and whip until smooth. Shampoo with mixture using warm, not hot water for the shampoo and rinse. Store any remaining shampoo in the refrigerator for use the next day.

Herbal Shampoo
1/4 cup of your favorite herbal tea, strongly brewed
8 oz liquid castile soap
Add soap to tea. Stir over low heat until well blended. Store in a capped bottle.

Vegetable Soup, My version

½ head cabbage, shredded or chopped into bite sized pieces
2-4 stalks celery chopped into 1 inch pieces
2 cans tomatoes or 6-8 medium sized fresh tomatoes
1 onion cut into quarters and pulled apart
3-4 potatoes cut into cubes. Leave the skins on.
½ can of corn or whatever leftovers you have in the fridge
2 cans of green beans or 2 cups fresh green beans
1 Cup of sliced carrots
1 pound hamburger fried, rinsed and drained (or leftover beef roast cut up)


Add all together in a large pan and simmer until meat is tender and vegetables are cooked.. Add a couple of dashes of garlic salt, salt and pepper, a pinch of basil or oregano and let simmer for awhile (15-30 minutes).

If you want to add noodles, do so during the last few minutes of cooking. Noodles do not freeze well, so if you plan to freeze part of the soup, ladle out what you want to freeze before adding noodles.

Leftovers can be frozen and used later.

Tamales

2 1/2 pounds masa (Mexican corn meal)
1 pound lard (makes firmer tamale shells than shortening does
1 ounce salt
1 ounce baking powder
1/4 pound red chile pods (hot or mild)
1/2 gallon hot water
1 (4 pound) beef roast or ground beef
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic to taste
Corn husks, soaked in water until softened, then drained and wiped dry

In a mixer or by hand, combine masa, lard, salt and baking powder until well blended.

Deseed the chile pods, then soak the pods in hot water until soft. Puree the soft chile pods.

Boil roast with salt, pepper and garlic until beef is cooked through. Remove beef; shred. Reserve the beef broth.

Mix red chile puree with shredded beef. Add reserved beef broth until moist. Spread masa in a corn husk. Place about 1 1/2 ounces beef in the center of the masa. Fold over sides of tamale, then wrap tamale in wax paper. Place tamales in steamer pot, cover and steam for 45 minutes or until the tamales are firm.

Makes 3 dozen tamales.

San Francisco-Style Sourdough French Bread

1 cup sourdough starter, room temperature
3/4 cup lukewarm water (110 degrees F.)
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 cups bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour*
Cornmeal
* The thickness of your sourdough starter can determine how much flour needs to be used. If you think the dough is too moist, add additional flour (a tablespoon at a time). The same is true if the dough is looking dry and gnarly - add warm water (a tablespoon at a time).


Bread Machine Recipe: Add all the ingredients except cornmeal in the bread pan of bread machine. Process according to manufacturer's instructions for a dough setting. NOTE: Don't be afraid to open the lid and check the dough. It should form a nice elastic ball. When the bread machine has completed the dough cycle, remove the dough from the pan to a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough several times and form the dough into an oval; cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

Standup Mixer Recipe: In a large bowl or in the bowl of a 5-quart stand mixer, add all the ingredients except cornmeal. Using dough hook, mix everything together into a uniform dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until elastic, about 15 minutes. NOTE: In an electric mixer, it should take about 9 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

After resting, knead dough on a lightly floured board by pulling the dough towards you and then pushing down and forward with the palms of your hands (kneading gives the bread the elasticity and lets it rise).

Place the dough in a lightly oiled large bowl. Place a damp towel over the bowl and then cover with plastic wrap (the humidity in the bowl helps in the rising process). Let rise until it doubles in volume (when you can put your finger in the dough and it leaves and indentation and doesn't spring back out) approximately 4 to 8 hours (depending on the temperature and the starter used, the rising time can vary as much as 2 hours).

Oven Bread Rising: Sometimes I use my oven for the rising. Turn the oven on for a minute or so, then turn it off again. This will warm the oven and make it a great environment for rising bread. If you can't comfortably press your hand against the inside of the oven door, the oven is too hot. Let it stand open to cool a bit. Sourdough rises more slowly than yeast bread; Always remember, the longer the rise time, the more sourdough flavor.

Kneading Dough Hints & Tips: Lightly dust your work surface with all-purpose flour or bread flour. Place a small mound or a measuring cup of flour near the work surface as you will use this flour to sprinkle over the dough as you knead to prevent sticking. Also lightly dust your hands with flour to keep the dough from sticking to you. Gather the dough into a rough ball and place on your floured work surface.When you knead, you will use only the heels of your hands. Push down on dough with your hand heels. Fold the dough in half. Turn the dough about 45 degrees and knead with your hand heels again. Continue to knead, fold and turn the dough for the required length of time or to the consistency suggested. Knead the dough around 5minutes. Well-kneaded dough should feel smooth and elastic. Press your fingertip into the dough; it should spring back.

Cool or Refrigerator Bread Rise: If you don't have the time to wait for the rise to finish or think you will be interrupted before the completed rise, do a cool rise. A cool rise is when the dough is place in the refrigerator and left to rise slowly over night approximately 8 to 12 hours. This is usually done after the first rise and the dough has been shaped into a loaf. As this is a longer rise time, it improves the sourdough flavor in your finished bread.

After dough has risen, remove from bowl, and place on a lightly floured board. Knead in flour to feed it one more time before baking. (See Kneading Dough Hits and Tips on the right.)

Shape dough into a loaf shape and place on a jelly roll pan or cookie sheet that is dusted with cornmeal (I use the new silpads instead of cornmeal). Cover with plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, approximately 1 to 3 hours.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. After rising, slash the bread with a bread razor or a very sharp knife making three 1/2-inch deep diagonal slashes. Brush or spray the top of the bread with cold water and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until nicely browned.

A good check is to use an instant digital thermometer to test your bread. The temperature should be between 200 and 210 degrees.

Remove from oven and place the bread on a wire rack to cool. Let baked loaf cool for 30 minutes before cutting (this is because the bread is still cooking while it is cooling).

Makes 1 large loaf.

Sourdough Starter

2 cups all-purpose flour*
2 teaspoons granulated sugar (optional)**
1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) of active-dry yeast
2 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.) ***

* I have also had excellent results using whole wheat flour. Whole wheat starter does not have as much rising action as that made with white flour; you may have to plan longer rising times. I usually add some whole wheat flour along with the white flour (I have even used some rye flour with excellent results).

** Adding a little sugar will help jump start the yeast process, as yeast feeds on sugar for its energy. Yeast rises by feeding on the sugars in flour, and expelling carbon dioxide in the process. That's why using just a little sugar can help boost this process. Don't overdo the sugar.

*** If the water you use contains chlorine, use distilled water, bottled water, or tap water that you've allowed to set out for 24 hours when you make your starter. Chlorine can stop the development of yeast.

Mix the flour, sugar, and yeast together in a clean and sterile container (use only glass, glazed ceramic or crockery to hold your starter. No metal or plastic) that can hold two quarts. Gradually stir in the water and mix until it forms a thick paste (don't worry about any lumps, as they will disappear).

Cover the container with a dish cloth and let it sit in a warm (70 to 80 degrees F.), draft-free place. NOTE: Temperatures hotter than 100 degrees F. or so will kill the yeast.

The dish cloth will let wild yeasts pass through into the batter. The mixture should bubble as it ferments (this will foam up quite a bit. Sometimes I place the container in my sink (if sourdough spills out onto your counter, it is hard to clean off once it has dried!)

Stir it once a day. Let it sit out from 2 to 5 days. It's ready when it develops a pleasant sour smell and looks bubbly. Once your starter starts bubbling, then start feeding it daily with flour and flour according to the directions below. Then stir it, cover loosely with plastic wrap (allow a little breathing space), and store it on your counter top or in the refrigerator (your choice).


Feeding your Sourdough Starter

Your starter should be fed daily if left sitting on the counter. Every other week, if refrigerated.

Counter Stored Sourdough Starter: Daily remove one (1) cup of starter (use this starter in a baked item, give it to a neighbor, or throw it away) and replace it with one (1) cup of warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.) and one (1) cup of flour. Let it sit out for a few hours to become active before using in your baking.

Refrigerated Stored Sourdough Starter - I find working with a sourdough starter can be very time consuming, especially if you follow what most sourdough books say and feed them everyday. Because I don't use my starter everyday, I store it, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to use.

When I decide I want to use my starter, I then remove it from the refrigerator and let it come to room temperature (usually I let it sit overnight on the counter). I then feed it with one (1) cup flour and one (1) cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees F.). I let this site eight (8) hours or preferably overnight. It is now ready to use in your sourdough recipes!

NOTE: If I have stored my sourdough starter in the refrigerator a long period of time, like a couple of months, I usually need to do the feeding process 2 to 3 times to "wake" it up and get it real active. I take it out of the refrigerator 2 to 3 days before needing to bake with it and proceed with the feeding process every day.
If you think that your sourdough is too sour, throw all of it away except 1 cup. Add 2 cups of flour and 2 cups of warm water to it, and let it ferment for a day or so.
Freezing Sourdough Starter: If you will not be using your starter for some time, freeze it. Two days before you need to use it, let it defrost. Then feed it and let it ferment for a day.

What is Hooch?
As your starter sits or goes quiet in the refrigerator, the mixture separates and a layer of liquid will form on the top. This liquid contains about 12% to 14% alcohol. Hooch is the alcoholic byproduct of the fermentation process. The hooch will have a brownish color. NOTE: The alcohol dissipates during the baking process, Stir that liquid back into the starter before using. If your sourdough starter is on the dry side, just mix the hooch back in. If your starter is already too moist, pour it down the drain.

Important: If your sourdough starter or hooch starts looking pinkish or orange color, throw it away and start over as this means that something bad or nasty has started growing in your starter.

Potato Rolls

1 ½ cup potato water (from the saved water you boiled your potatoes in)
1 cup mashed potatoes
½ cup sugar
2/3 cup oil
1 tablespoon salt
1 package yeast
1 egg
4 cups flour

dissolve yeast in lukewarm potato water. Mix in mashed potatoes, sugar, oil, salt, egg and flour. Dough will be soft. Place dough in well oiled bowl, turning to coat/ Pinch off what you want. Knead, roll and cut. Roll in melted butter. Let rise for ½ hour. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes.