How to Find Lasting Relief for Nasal Congestion

Do you know someone who suffers with chronic nasal congestion? I’m not referring to nasal congestion that cold, the flu, a sinus infection, or hay fever. I’m referring to people who feel healthy overall, but can’t figure out why they usually feel stuffed up. http://chetday.com/nasalcongestion.htm


Teff -- a Nutritious Little Grain

In this fun to read and informative article, Karen Railey takes a close look at a little-known grain called Teff. If you want something new in your diet, check this out. Recipes provided for pancakes and cookies.http://chetday.com/teff.html

Today's Crockpot Recipes Courtesy of John Chapman-chetday.com

Walnut Raisin Apple Bake:

1/2 cup apple cider
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons raisins
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground walnuts
4 large Macintosh apples, cored

Pour the cider, lemon juice, and maple syrup into an electric crockpot.Combine the raisins, cinnamon, and walnuts in a small bowl. Place the apples in the crockpot. Using a spoon, fill the center of the apples with the raisin mixture. Cover and cook on LOW until the apples are

Apple Cobbler in the Crock

4 medium tart apples
1/2 cup honey
1 grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
1 dash cinnamon
3/4 cup natural cereal with nuts and fruits

Oil to grease pot. Grease side of your crockpot lightly with oil. Core, peel and slice apples; place in crock. Add honey, lemon rind, lemon juice and cinnamon. Combine butter and cereal. Add to crock; mix thoroughly. Cover. Cook on Low for 6 to 8 hours or High for 2 to 3 hours. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped topping, if desired.

Note from Lucy: I do have a friend that has constant nasal congestion and I am getting this information to her asap. I can't imagine having to live with a box of tissue as my constant companion..

TF and I went in to get him pre registered for his surgery on Tuesday. He filled out a ton of forms, donated a pint of his own blood (just in case they need blood) and they took blood for testing. He had a good red blood cell count and now I am to feed him spincah to build his blood back up before surgery. I'm glad we have that behind us. The surgery is scheduled for July 6th. What is funny is that his brother is having shoulder surgery the very same day. On July 7th our nephew is getting married, so I will have a full weekend.

Tonight I have a meeting with the ward emergency preparedness committee and we will be working on our "plan" for the members of our ward church group. This is a lot of work but well worth it. I am also getting ready for company this weekend. A friend of ours is getting married and his aunt will be staying with us for four days. She has MS and tires easily, so she will stay with us in a quieter enviorment when she is not with the family. I have been trying to get the house ready for our guest as well as keep up with everything else. I am looking forward to enjoying her company. This summer is just flying by, for that matter, this year is flying by....YEKS! Have a good weekend everyone.

Here are two wonderful cookie recipes that I found on the www.chetday.com website. Yummmmm…

Apple Oats Breakfast Bars

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup raisins or chopped dates
1 or more cups unsweetened coconut
1 cup unsweetened chocolate chips
2 small apples, chopped, or 1 jar of applesauce
2 or more cups milk
1 cup chopped almonds (or other nuts)
Optional seasonings such as cinnamon or apple pie spices

Measurements may vary depending on size of pan.

In an 8" x 8" baking dish, sprinkle 1/2 cup of nuts, 1/3 cup of coconut and 1/3 of the oats on the bottom of dish.

Next, layer 1/2 of the raisins, 1/3 of the coconut, another 1/3 of the oats, 1/2 of the chocolate chips and all of the apples (or applesauce), and top with spices.
Pour on 1/2 of the milk.

Continue by adding the rest of the raisins, chips, oats and coconut, and spices. Top with the nuts and sprinkle with cinnamon. Pour on the rest of the milk. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes.

These bars freeze well and are always ready.


Oatmeal Cranberry Raisin Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups quick cooking oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cardamom
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup raisins
1 cup dried cranberries - usually sweetened, see label

Cream butter, brown and white sugars, eggs, spices, and vanilla for about 5 minutes, until well blended.

In another bowl, combine oats, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to butter mixture a little at a time mixing well.

Mix in raisins and dried cranberries.

Drop by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets and bake for 12-14 minutes at 350F.


Note from Lucy: Where has this month gone by? Before long it will be the fourth of July and we will be celebrating another year of our country's birth. So much to do, so little time. Have a great weekend everyone.

Drivers' Skin Cancer Risk

You might think there's no reason to worry about the sun's harmful rays when you are driving. But you'd be wrong, as a recent study from Saint Louis University made clear. Researchers there evaluated data from 1,047 people with skin cancer and discovered that 53% of them had skin cancers on the left side of the body. When researchers looked only at cancers that were on the arms, hands, head and neck, they found more cancers on the left side (the side that is exposed while driving), especially in men. Researchers speculate that people who drive frequently may be more apt to have left-side cancers.

GLASS NOT A BARRIER FOR SKIN CANCER
I spoke with Ellen Marmur, MD, chief of the division of dermatologic surgery at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City to learn more about this surprising finding. She explained that for a long time, people assumed that the glass in cars blocked all UV rays, but now we know that while glass blocks most of UVB rays, it only filters less than half of UVA rays, leaving people vulnerable to damage from the sun. Until recently, it was believed that UVB rays were the main cause of skin cancer -- but recent research proved that to be wrong as well, with UVA rays equally potent and dangerous, says Dr. Marmur.
All windshield glass is laminated to protect shattering. As a result, it blocks more UVA rays than the glass in side windows, but still allows 20% of rays through. That plus the rays from the side windows ends up being a considerable amount of exposure. Convertible drivers -- even those whose top-down days were years ago -- have yet another skin cancer concern, says Dr. Marmur, which is skin cancer on the scalp. Hair offers some protection, but not much.

PROTECT YOURSELF
Tinted windows, popular in some areas of the country, have more protection than clear ones, says Dr. Marmur, but even better protection is available from special films that can be applied to clear or tinted glass to reduce UVA rays. Check with your car dealer or local garage for more information. Go to www.skincancer.org and type "UV film" in the search bar for a list of recommended products. However, she still advises everyone to wear sunblock or protective clothing when in the car for extended periods of time and, of course, keep the windows closed to avoid direct sun exposure. She reminds everyone to do a body check -- including the scalp -- each month, looking for any changes on the skin, and to see a dermatologist once a year for a full body check.

Source(s): Ellen Marmur, MD, chief of the division of dermatologic surgery at The Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.

Note from Lucy: I know that when my husband drives, he puts his arm on the car door and exposes his elbow and the arm around it. He tans there easily and now I wonder about his cancer risk....

PS. Yes, I'm still here. If you will remember, my husband was having a problem with severe pain radiating from his back, across his chest and down his right arm from a nerve problem. As of now the pain is practically gone and he has most of the feeling in his right arm and hand back. The doctors were also doing tests on the spot that they discovered on his liver. He also had a "sack of marble" in his gallbladder, which of course was a gallbladder full of stones. Thru testing they found out that there was a spot about the size of an inch down on the left lobe of his liver. There are no cancer cells but they want to go in and remove the spot. They also want to take out his gallbladder at the same time. Surgery is scheduled for July 6th. (the day before my nephews wedding).

I have also been in charge of a first level, ham radio class. It was very successful with 42 people in attendance and over half taking the test and passing. After the last class we had a "radio merit badge" class for the boy scounts in our area. It was a lot of fun watching the boys as they learned about ham radio.

I've also been teaching some food storage classes and busy with that. My new calling of "Ward Emergency Prepardness co-ordinator" is consuming a lot of my time as we are already in hurricane season. There is too much here to even try to tell you about right now, that deserves a blog all on its own and I'll do that later.

I've also baby sat for my two young grandkids while Jennifer and Justin took their first real vacation since they have been married. It was a lot of fun but tiring at the same time. You can tell from the pictures that Jen and Justin had a great time on their trip. Time away is essential you any married couple.

I have also started a new business in my home and that is another complete blog away. As you can see, I've been very busy the last month and that is why I haven't blogged. Glad to be back!