Handcraft Your Own Chili Powder Seasoning

This chili powder seasoning gives a kick to about anything and a few teaspoons can be used to perfectly spice a whole pot of chili.

It's no ordinary blend, combining both powdered green and red jalapeños, as well as a variety of dried chili pods. Homemade onion, garlic and cumin powder make it a seasoning you'll want to use on everything.

Ingredients:
1 large whole yellow onion
2 green jalapeño peppers
1 red jalapeño pepper
30 cloves of garlic
1 oz arbol chili pods
1.5 oz NM red chili pods
1 oz puya chili pods
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp black peppercorns
1/4 cup dried oregano

Directions:

Slice thin and dry completely in the oven at its lowest setting:

1 large whole yellow onion

2 green jalapeño peppers

1 red jalapeño pepper

30 cloves of garlic

Toast in the oven for 1 hour at 170 degrees:

1 oz arbol chili pods

1.5 oz NM red chili pods

1 oz puya chili pods

Toast in the oven for 15 minutes at 170:

2 tbsp cumin seeds

With everything dried, and the chilis prepared (seeds, veins & stems removed), grind everything to a powder in a clean coffee or spice grinder. Combine it together well and store in an airtight container.

Note: it is easier to take off the stems, seeds and veins before drying the chili pods in the oven, however I like to do this afterwards. I am left with this yummy mix of super hot seeds and broken pieces of pods. I blend all of these scraps up into a fire hot seasoning! This stuff will burn you up if you use too much, so use it very sparingly!

I know all of this is a bunch of work! A whole day's worth if you consider that I bought everything fresh at the farmer's market. So, I made several batches and can sell 1oz reusable jars of this seasoning, as well as the super hot chili spice for $5 each + shipping. Send me an email for info or view this item on Etsy at the link below. Thanks. :)

http://www.etsy.com/listing/152295356/handcrafted-chili-powder-seasoning-so

Enjoy!

100 Posts & Counting - the 80 Cures adventure continues...

This article marks my 100th blog entry here on 80cures.com. I thought this would be a good time to recall what brought me here in the first place, as well as consider the direction of this online scrapbook of mine.

Around the World in 80 Cures started really on the day I turned 40 in early 2012. Two big things in my life crossed roads at that time for me - I had started my career early and felt like I had surpassed reaching its pinnacle, and my children moved on, having finally reached adulthood.

I had always been in a mode of rushing to the finish line and needed to take time to readjust and to develop a virtue I had always lacked - patience. I chose to focus on learning about myself and things that interested me that weren't work-related...herbalism and Ethnobotany being amongst my new interests.

I seized an opportunity to visit Alaska, where I lived in an RV in a remote area for a month. There, I started learning about local folk remedies and herbal cures and began recording my adventures on the 80cures website, calling it the Around the World in 80 Cures.

I have since traveled several times in search of new treatments and for the sake of understanding different cultures' uses of their ethnobotanicals. It has been challenging and fun at the same time and I have really enjoyed logging my findings on this website, www.80cures.com.

There are now officially 26 cures in the 80 cures collection, more coming soon. At this pace, I don't know when I will finish this not-so-little project of mine...I hope I never do. :)

Lately it seems, I have been posting more on music, art and recipes, than cures and travel. But, I anticipate that it will continue to be a general mix of natural healing and meditation-type stuff, served up with the occasional sass and smileys. Lots of smileys. :)

One of the coolest things that has come out of my adventures, has been my exposure to some charities that I have been lucky enough to help. JustUsAtl being one of those groups. This organization is a youth-led group serving the local GLBT youth of Atlanta.

I have been lucky enough to meet these cool kids - an experience that has far surpassed the rewards of donating alone. So far, I have been helping them to raise awareness and money. As a part of this blog post, I am going to donate $100, $1 for each blog I've posted here, to their 1st Anniversary event this Saturday. Anyone can purchase a ticket and attend this dinner party or help them in lots of other ways - please visit them online at www.justusatl.com.

Well, there ya have it - 100 blogs posts. 100's more to come!

Enjoy! :)

Rooibos

Rooibos, as it is simply called, is a traditionally South African tea prepared from the leaves of a legume plant found there. The leaves are normally fermented in the preparation, giving it a reddish/brown color and distinctive flavor.

Rooibos has lower tannin levels than tea, no caffeine and is very good for you, with lots of health benefits. Traditional medicinal uses of rooibos in South Africa include alleviating infantile colic, allergies, asthma and dermatological problems.

Rooibos is prepared in the same way as black tea - with hot milk, sugar and sometimes spices and flavors. Without any flavoring, rooibos is earthy, with hints of caramel and tobacco.

I was introduced to this alternative to coffee and black tea by a friend and former proprietor of a boutique coffee shop. She sells some 20 or 30 varieties of teas and coffees, including a line of flavored Rooibos. She is putting together a site now -I will share the information here in an update soon. 

Chai Tea - a healthy and exotic alternative to coffee

A cup of chai tea has less than a quarter of the caffeine as a cup of coffee and is packed with lots of health benefits. 

Chai spice blends can help reduce stress while improving health - the antithesis of coffee basically.  This traditionally Indian beverage is a combination of black tea, spices and warm milk. 

Chai is traditionally boiled with fresh spices, but can be more readily prepared by adding powdered spice blends to black tea. It is also available in flavored teas. Either way it is delicious, especially when prepared with hot milk. 

Chai's exotic flavor varies with the spices used in its preparation. It is traditionally prepared with cinnamon, clove, cardamon, black pepper and nutmeg, among other spices like ginger and vanilla.  The aroma is amazing and the beverage is served just as well iced as it is hot. 

I was recently inspired to experiment with making my own chai blends. These handcrafted spices are actually quite easy to make and would be great as gifts. I am shocked at the difference a fresh ground spice makes!

I prepare all of my spices & blends with the freshest ingredients possible. For example, I buy fresh ginger, then dry and grind it. While not necessary, I think it's worth the extra effort. 

I am including a recipe here for a basic spice blend, as well as a list of the spices and their health benefits.  You can make a chai blend on your own or contact me if you're interested in me selling you some of mine. 

Enjoy!   :)

Chai Masala Spice Blend Recipe

Makes 1 and 1/2 cups of powder. 

1/4 cup cinnamon sticks

1/8 cup cloves

1/4 cup black peppercorns

1/4 cup green cardamom seeds

6 black cardamom seeds

1/4 cup mace

1 tbsp ground nutmeg

3/4 cup dried ginger powder

Dry roast all ingredients except the dried ginger powder and powdered nutmeg in a cast iron pan on low heat for 5-7 mins. Remove to a plate and cool before grinding into a very fine powder in coffee or spice grinder.  Add the nutmeg & ginger and grind some more. 

Store in a cool place in an airtight container. 

 

Here are a few possible creations...

banana bread flavor, orange julius, oatmeal cookie, ginger snap, creme brûlée and pumpkin donut. 

You could also add some of these wonderful ingredients and spices...

chocolate, lemongrass, saffron, licorice root, bay leaves and coriander.

Here are a few ingredients, along with a few of their health uses and known benefits:

Cinnamon - increases circulation, open breathing, increase awareness and vitality. 

Cardamom - for the lungs, kidneys, and heart. Improves mood. 

Clove - pain-relieving and antiseptic attributes. Increases the potency of other herbs.

Black Pepper- Improves circulation and supports metabolism.

Nutmeg-relieves sciatica and promotes digestion.  Nutmeg has also been used to treat the kidneys and lymphatic system. 

Chinese Star Anise-cough remedy and breath freshener. 

Ginger-stimulates the circulatory and immune systems. 

Fennel-is used to treat both kidney and ocular problems and laryngitis.

Entheogens - Another Path to the Divine Within

An entheogen is a psychoactive substance used in a religious or spiritual context.

Entheogens act as divine sacraments for some various practitioners and facilitate transcendent experiences. It is a term derived from the Greek 'entheos', translated to mean "having God within" and 'genesthe' meaning "to generate".

The word entheo has been used to describe poets, musicians and other artists, as well as hippies. And even though these substances are also enjoyed recreationally within these cultures, the term entheogen is a strictly reverent term for the enthnobotanicals, such as peyote and ayahuasca, used by practitioners dating back tens of thousands of years.

Most entheogens are illegal and their use is not to be taken lightly. The use of some of these plants is permitted in limited areas within the US as a protected religious practice, but is generally prohibited in most parts of the world. The Netherlands is an exception and tolerates the use of several psychoactive substances, including peyote, ayahuasca, truffles (mushrooms) and San Pedro cactus.

In Amsterdam, you will find 'Smart Shops' and 'Dream Lounges', places which sell the aforementioned drugs and provide advice and safe environments for their use. This would be a more secular environment than where you can also have a drug-enduced spiritual experience (cutting to the chase) domestically at certain churches in the Southwest.

From what I have found, these 'churches' seemed to be formed for the exact purpose of providing these drugs to whoever can afford their 'membership fee.' I haven't joined, so I cannot speak from personal experience, but it seems you can pay a fee for a 'spirit walk' on their property in Arizona.

Even though I have spent a lot of time in recent years in the Southwest, I never explored these 'churches'. Rather than going back there though, I decided I would finally travel to Europe. So, I booked a trip to Amsterdam for a week in July. One of my goals there - to experience these entheogens myself at one (or more) of these Dream Lounges.

While there, I will also be taking in a music festival (www.rootsinthepark.com), as well as my share of windmills, tulips and wooden shoes. But, I am going to talk openly here about my experiences with these psychoactive plants.

As a practical matter, I am going to be writing an emergency contact number on my skin with a sharpie when I'm over there. :)

As well as discussing these drugs, I will also be adding some experiences relating to solo travel abroad. It's been a few years since I have been overseas like this alone and I am excited to see what all unfolds.

Stay tuned! :)

Beth Hart

Imagine every amazing and influential musician you can possibly dream of, all rolled up in one mind-blowing voice...there you'd have Beth Hart! This woman's music will make everything else on your iPod sound like shit, I swear.

It's like Jim Morrison and Janis Joplin had a love child - one raised by Etta James and Led Zeppelin. But, it doesn't stop there - you'd have to throw in some Erykah Badu, Alicia Keys, Amy Winehouse and Adele to get a good picture of what her music really sounds like.

It's not just her voice though that makes Beth unsurpassable, she is an artist in every sense of the word. She plays the guitar and piano like no one else I've ever heard, and she bares her soul completely with every single lyric she writes, sparing nothing in all of her performances.

Beth Hart is in a category all of her own, going from the Blues one minute, to hard rock and then she can take you straight to church with some crazy upbeat gospel. It's nothing short of awesome! Her album, Don't Explain with Joe Bonamassa, is a great example of how dynamic she is. If I were you, I wouldn't waste another second before downloading it!

I swear I'm not her promoter, although I've been accused of it. :) It just excites me to see someone expressing their art like this. It inspires my creativity as well. I hope you will appreciate Beth's music half as much as I do. Here's a video of hers. Enjoy!


*Note: on some browsers, you may not be able to see the embedded video here. If that's the case for you, use this link: http://youtube/oNj_JpWJqEg

Reducing swelling and pain from a sprain

I tried this compress the other day when my son sprained his wrist playing football.  He started using it on a Saturday and by Monday he was at least 80% better.

To prepare the compress:
Simmer 2 cups of loose peppermint leaves and 2 tablespoons of coriander seeds in 2 quarts of water for at least 4 hours.  Strain and keep in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.

Using the compress:
Pour a cup or two at a time into a container and heat up in the microwave or on the stove until it's very warm, but not too hot as to burn the skin.  You can either soak your injury directly in this warmed up mixture, or you can apply it with a wet compress to the area.  Either way, let it soak for about 20 minutes and keep repeating this every few hours until you feel better.

Healing a head cold at the spa

I suffered from the nastiest head cold for about a week before I woke up one morning, so tired of being sick, that I was determined to do just about anything to cure the stuffy head, crackling ears and sore muscles.

I had a choice - return to the doctor, where I'd surely be getting a steroid shot and probably some more antibiotics, or I could find a way to beat this thing holistically. I opted for the latter and searched Google until I found just what the witch doctor ordered.

I discovered a favorite local spa of mine, Natural Body & Spa, offered a special service specifically for sinus treatment. Their website describes the service as,

"Discover relief from sinus pressure or headaches due to allergies or colds with this therapeutic massage. Lymphatic and pressure-point techniques are combined with an analgesic essential oil blend including eucalyptus, lemon and pine to open and drain blocked passageways. Pairs well with reflexology."

After speaking with their Buckhead location and describing the symptoms of the head cold I had been experiencing, I scheduled an appointment to go there almost immediately. When I arrived, they served me a piping hot cup of peppermint tea and provided me with a comfortable seat while I waited briefly for Nicole, my new favorite massage therapist.

The consultation Nicole provided was text book perfect! She asked me about my symptoms and decided on a treatment that would include reflexology, aromatherapy, lymphatic stimulation and a massage that focused on my upper body.

As I was situating myself on the table, I prepared myself for the treatment by setting my intentions. I decided to focus on my breathing while visualizing myself inhaling the healing energy of touch. On exhale, I concentrated on seeing the toxicity exiting my body.

Over and over throughout the treatment, I repeated to myself, "Breath in the healing, breathe out the sickness."

This hour long experience included more than I could have expected and Nicole's intensity was palpable as she worked to heal me through her touch.
She massaged hot towels into my shoulders and feet and included a combination of deep massage to the stiff areas in my shoulders and a light touch to stimulate my lymphatic system.

The aromatherapy was applied through a mask, pillow-type thing she put across my eyes and nose. It completely opened up my sinuses and I was surprised to find that my breathing was clear throughout the entire treatment. I took the pine and eucalyptus essential oils deeply into my lungs with the help of my concentrated breathing and I could feel it opening up my chest and loosening up all of that crud inside of me.

As Nicole suggested in her discussion with me about after care, the cold did intensify after the treatment. I went home and took the Mustard Seed Bath that she recommended and slept very well that night. The next morning I was coughing and hacking like crazy, but I was relaxed and happy and felt like going to work for the first time in over a week.

For me, this spa treatment was as effective as any antibiotic or steroid shot I could've received, it cost significantly less ($105 including the Mustard Seed Bath) and it was no problem getting an immediate appointment. I would definitely recommend Natural Body for a holistic approach to healing a head cold. You can check them out at: www.naturalbody.com.