for a cough: boil a cup of water. add a few spoonfuls of honey* and a good squeeze of fresh lemon. honey coats the throat, relieving coughs, while the lemon cuts through with a good dose of vitamin C (which helps reduce histamines).
for constipation: cut leaves from organic strawberries. wash them well, then boil them in some good, clean water. strain out leaves and drink liquid. you may need to add a little sugar to get your child to drink this; it’s a very effective, natural laxative, but it does not taste great.
for a sty: any piece of real gold jewelry should be sterilized, then rubbed on the sty. there is a chemical reaction that will kill the sty very quickly.
for bug bites: make a paste of baking soda and water and smear a small patch on the bug bite. this dries out, keeps the itch away, and pulls out any poison.
for indigestion, heartburn, or nausea: grate 1tsp fresh ginger into one cup boiling water. allow to steep for 10 minutes, then strain out the ginger and drink the “tea”. though research for thousands of years has proven ginger as an effective treatment for these ailments, scientists still aren’t sure quite why.

does your family have some “folk” remedies? feel free to share them with all of us – we’d love to know!!
*a regular dose of raw, local honey has proven effective to treat pollen allergies, but be cautious giving your children raw animal products!

*tofu is good source of calcium, iron and copper, and a very good source of protein and phosphorus.

here is a few related comments from our friends at mercy for animals (please visit the site to see citations on the information referenced):
* a recent UN report concluded that animal agribusiness causes more global warming than all forms of transportation combined…through greenhouse gases contained in manure and intestinal gas of farmed animals, deforestation to grow feed crops exclusively for animals, and the massive amounts of energy used to produce the feed crops, heat and cool animal housing, and transport, process, and refrigerate meat.
*a recent study done by cornell university found that the US alone could feed 800 million people with the grain we feed our livestock. on average, 6lbs of plant protein are required to produce only 1lb of animal protein.
*factory farms produce 1.4billion tons of manure every year, which emit methane and ammonia into the air and water (through manure runoff).

1box (1.4oz) jell-o instant chocolate pudding mix*
1 package (12.3oz) lite silken* tofu, chilled
1/2-3/4cup almond milk
a few strawberries or raspberries for serving

in a strong food processor, puree the tofu with the almond milk until smooth. sprinkle over with pudding mix and blend to a creamy texture. scoop into four serving bowls and dot each serving with a few raspberries or slices of strawberry. chill until ready to serve.
*A FEW NOTES on this recipe – you can use any flavor pudding mix, just check the ingredients for milk. also, you needn’t use the sugar-free; if you are worried about artificial sweeteners, just use regular instant, but NOT cook & serve, pudding mix. PLEASE be sure to use silken tofu (the kind in a box) rather than water-packed chinese tofu!! the amount of almond milk will depend on how thick you like your pudding.

*tofu is a great source of complete protein, calcium, and iron.

cook onion & garlic in a little olive oil over medium heat until soft. stir in quinoa and v-8. lower heat to a simmer; cover and cook 20minutes. in each tortilla, place1/4cup spinach, 1T cheese, and a good scoop of the quinoa. drizzle over with a little hot sauce (if desired), roll up and serve to some happy breakfasters!

*quinoa is high in complete protein and calcium. it’s also got plenty of fiber and iron.
*spinach has calcium, vitamin A, vitamin C, and iron.
*V-8 juice also has plenty of vitamins A & C, and some calcium and iron.

but as i approach my shearing, i have learned that there is another worthy cause in which my hair could serve a purpose. the massive oil spill on the east coast this year has spawned a need for innovative (all be it low tech) solutions. the company matter of trust has set up a donation system so that people can send hair, fur, used nylons, and many other types of materials to help with the oil spill cleanup. (for more details on how that works, please see the website. i am a vegan, environmentally concscious mom, not a scientist.) i am curious to know what you all think – where should my hair go, to the oil spill, or to locks of love?

put frozen bananas into the food processor and pour over with agave nectar, almond milk, and extract of choice. allow to sit a few minutes, then blend on high until creamy and smooth. (you may need to add a little extra almond milk, but don’t add too much! it will cream out eventually, i promise!) scoop into chilled ice cream bowls and serve with favorite toppings (or naked)!
*bananas are high in vitamins C & B6 while being fat free and very low in sodium.
*almond milk is a good source of protein and is naturally creamy and sweet while lower in calories than dairy milk or soymilk.
*agave nectar, if you are able to find the right brand, can be high in iron. it also has a low glycemic index.