All Natural . . .

I've always had a great interest in the outdoors.  Like my previous post  Fence Needs Fixin. . . Peaches Need Pickin. . . , I've always wanted to utilize everything nature has to offer.  The simplicity of life without the outside world, the electronics, the hustle and bustle of everyday, is something we are definitely not used to.  We are constantly bombarded with things to distract us from living a peaceful life.  So, in search for that peace, I've been researching new things to try and to use that brings me closer to the organic and natural side of things. 

I think often of how life would be like without all the 'necessities' we've come to enjoy.  What would I do if all of a sudden, things in the world went crazy and I had to fend for myself and my family?  When I read about the life of the pioneers I envy their knowledge in home remedies used to help cure and prevent certain ailments.  Right now, it is so easy to just go down to a CVS or Walgreens and pick up some cold medicine or a box of bandaids.  But, what if you couldn't?  What if for some reason you didn't have access to a car?  Or at least in this economy the extra money?  What about the things we already have in our cupboard that we can use?  These questions have always pushed me on to find the 'natural' way to go about things.  So, I wanted to share a few with you that I have discovered!  These are quite interesting!

Stop Bleeding with This Spice!  (Found in virtually every cupboard)  I was seriously amazed at this one.  :)  Never thought this would actually work.

Next time you nick yourself in the kitchen, reach for the black pepper, says Roberta Lee, M.D., vice chair of the department of integrative medicine at the Beth Israel Medical Center. 

Run cold water over the wound to clean it, using soap if you were handling meat.  Then sprinkle on the pepper and apply pressure.  In no time, the bleeding will stop.  Turns out, black pepper has analgesic, antibacterial, and antiseptic properties.  

And don't worry - it won't sting.  :)

Disinfect a Wound with Honey!  (I've actually used this one before, I ran out of Neosporin)  

No Neosporin in the house?  Dab the cut with honey before covering it with a bandage.  Believe it or not, honey has powerful antibacterial properties.  A study in the Archives of Surgery found that honey is capable of destroying almost all strains of the most common wound-infecting bacteria. 

Prevent Claustrophobia by Smelling This Fruit!  

If you get nervous in small spaces such as the bus, elevators, and that closet of an office you work in, visit your local fruit stand.  A sniff of green apple may help relieve claustrophobic sensations, says Dr. Alan Hirsch, M.D., director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation.  Also, if you're selling your house, placing a basket of fresh green apples on the table may make potential buyers perceive the house as larger.

So those are just a few things that I've learned on my search.  And I'll be happy to share what else I find to live my life more organic, more natural, more green.

Flavorlicious Friday

Friday = date night.  Well, it usually does.  But, we've been trying to stay home more often and cook our own meals instead of going out and paying a fortune for fatty food at a restaurant .  So now, Friday = stay at home and cook something new and delicious and hope there are leftovers night.

I didn't want to turn on the stove in the house because it's 112 here in Texas most days and it makes the house unbearably hot.  (Big Stove, Small House)  So, what did I decide to do instead?  I decided to cook outside on the grill in the sun. . .   hmmmm... ok, I know I could have made a nice cold salad inside while enjoying the air conditioning but darn it I wanted to 'cook'!

So I've been looking through recipes lately to try and find a new protein to cook with.  We've cooked with beef and chicken, never fish because hubby doesn't like anything that swims, and the occasional feijoada (which by the way is one of the best Brazilian dishes out there... delicious).  But, I haven't ventured out of my comfort zone and cooked with really anything else.  Until. . . I came across the pork tenderloin.

Did you know that ounce for ounce, pork tenderloin has less fat than a chicken breast? (According to Men's Health)  And According to USDA.gov, a 3 oz. serving or pork tenderloin contains as much as 15 g of protein.  It's also a great source of B vitamins and delivers 36 percent of the recommended daily intake of zinc.  Ummm... why have I never cooked with this before?

So, I contemplated on whether to use a 'dry rub' or a 'sauce' with this pork tenderloin  and decided on a sauce.  I think the flavor comes out better when it can sit in the sauce for like 6 hours just soaking up all the goodness.  But, I didn't want just any store bought barbecue or marinade sauce.  I wanted to make my own. : )

I found a recipe I wanted to try with a few teaks here and there, and the end result was delicious.  This recipe has a nice taste of sweetness to it.  If you like your meat sweet this is amazing.  So, stay home on a coming Friday instead of going out and try this recipe.  If you're crazy like me and want to cook it now in the sweltering summer heat, leaning over a fire go for it!  If not, tuck this recipe away for when it gets colder, but don't forget it.

Ingredients needed:

2 (1b) pork tenderloins
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 chopped onion (you can use dried minced onion if you like or green onion)
2 TBL Olive Oil
1 chopped garlic clove (or pinch of garlic powder)

and the secret ingredient . . .

1 tsp of ground cinnamon


Directions:

*  Place soy sauce, brown sugar, onion, cinnamon, olive oil, and garlic into a large resealable plastic bag.
*  Seal and shake the mix together.
*  Place pork in bag with the marinade, seal, and refrigerate for 6 to 12 hours.

*  Preheat grill for high heat.
*  Lightly oil grate.
*  Place tenderloins on the grill.
*  Sear all four sides of the pork for about 3 - 4 min. each, that way it seals in all the wonderful juices.
*  Turn grill down to medium, close lid and cook for an additional 15 minutes or to desired doneness.
*  Slice pork, and enjoy.  :)

Let me know if you try this and how it turned out.  :)