Shop your values to create sustainability and social justice using your wallet. Shopping with social justice and sustainability in mind can change the world one purchase at a time. Connect your values to your pocketbook or wallet. World-wide problems such as hunger, mental illness, health, ecological concerns and others fill individuals with a sense of hopelessness due to their enormity. What can one individual do to right the imbalance in the world?
Recently I read the book How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas by David Bornstein. It was inspiring to read the accounts of ordinary individuals who saw the needs of others and enacted solutions. It left me considering my impact on the world.
I want to leave the world a better place because I lived. I found a way to implement my desire in entrepreneurs who were adopting a business model that sowed resources into a social problem or need with every sale. By partnering with these companies through my purchases, I could have a part in making the world a better place. I could use my pocketbook to help change the world. I could live the maxim, “Put your money where your mouth is.”
Sustainable Healthy Food
High Plains Food Co-op—Farm to table & Organic produce, Eat What you Grow
In 1962, Rachel Carlson’s groundbreaking book, Silent Spring, shared the dangers of pesticides, and could be considered a key component of the foundation of the Farm-to-table movement, advocating for food being grown in accord with nature.
In the face of a world food crisis, the Farm-to-Table movement offers a partial solution for a quality, sustainable food supply. Farm-to-Table enterprises include Farmers markets, community-supported agriculture (CSA), and other venues where people can buy food directly from growers, with the table being the one at your house.
As a culture, when we move away from industrialized and processed foods that create soil erosion, air and water pollution, and the need for synthetic pesticides — we step into the realm of sustainable food and farming. And we meet a wealth of health benefits (for both ourselves and the world).
Pros & Cons
My son and I were discussing the pros and cons of joining a local Farm-to-Table Co-op. I suggested that the food was slightly more expensive. He countered with more pro’s than my lone con:
The food is delivered to your door saving on transport cost.
Much of it is organic.
Your purchase supports local agriculture and community farmers.
The cost to join a co-op is minimal
The quality impact it could have on your food.
New produce could lead to more culinary recipe explorations.
The High Plains Co-op represents 50+ family farmers across the high plains of Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska – organic-minded farmers who want to heal the land. and spend more time with their families. Some are fifth generation farmers who want to bring jobs and children back to their family farms and rural communities by:
Sustaining small family farms through fair income, connections to the marketplace and support for growth.
Being transparent about production, processing and handling methods while connecting consumer with food production.
Earth Breeze Eco Sheets are liquidless detergent sheets which easily dissolve in hot or cold water to provide a powerful clean. This company addresses the issue of plastic litter on the planet.
Earth Breeze Eco Sheets are liquidless detergent sheets which easily dissolve in hot or cold water to provide a powerful clean. This company addresses the issue of plastic litter on the planet.
Over 700,000,000 plastic jugs end up in landfills and oceans each year. Plastic island is over 1 million square miles. It is estimated that about 9% of plastic actually gets recycled. Even with recycling, hardly any of it is reused. By 2050 it is estimated that there will be more plastic than fish. We need to start protecting our wildlife.
Earth Breeze comes in an earth-friendly cardboard package instead of a wasteful plastic jug! Cardboard is much more sustainable, biodegradable, and eco-friendly than plastic. Plastic can take up to 1000 years to decompose. Earth Breeze is paraben free, pthalate free, phosphate free, bleach and dye free, vegan and cruelty free, works in high-efficiency machines, and is gray water and septic safe.
The company is a member of 1% For the Planet: https://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/ . One percent of company revenue is given to non-profits in the most impactful ways possible. By supporting Earth Breeze, you support the planet. https://www.earthbreeze.com
Social Justice for Child Health With Alovea
Alovéa is a Public Benefit Corporation (social business) with nutritional products that was founded by two international not-for-profit organizations in order to provide sustainable solutions to the world’s most challenging health concerns.
Give the gift of health to children at risk
The rise of chronic and infectious diseases continues as a growing world challenge. Immune deficiency, caused mainly by malnourishment and poor sanitation, makes children highly susceptible to chronic and infectious diseases. Over 6 million children die every year from these conditions while tens of millions more become disabled or mentally challenged for life.
Alovea’s Mission
Alovea’s mission is to provide the marketplace with the most proprietary, scientifically advanced nutrition products. Through the Buy 1, Nourish 2TM platform for social giving, Alovea donates that same nutritional support to the world’s most vulnerable, medically fragile chldren. for every serving of product purchased from Alovea, a serving of HOPE BoostTM is provided to a child in need.
HOPE Boost is a nutritional dense Alovéa AE™ infused powered blend that can easily be added to any type of meal, turning whatever these children have to eat, into the most nourishing meal they’ll ever eat. In areas of the world where access to health care is either deficient or non – existent, the activation of a child’s immune system has proven to be one of the most effective strategies for saving lives.
31,813,421 servings of nutritional support to children in need… and counting.
“Our world is grappling with epidemics of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and addiction that modern pharmaceutical approaches often fail to adequately address. Psychedelic-assisted therapy is life-saving medicine that the world needs now, especially highly traumatized populations like veterans, first responders and marginalized communities generally. Our family is no stranger to severe depression and anxiety, and I’ve personally experienced the deep healing that these medicines can provide.”
said David Bronner, Cosmic Engagement Officer (CEO) of Dr. Bronner’s.
Clinical Trials Show Promise for Psychedelic-assisted Therapy
Psychedelic-assisted therapy has shown great promise in clinical trials at John Hopkins, NYU, UCLA and elsewhere for treating severe psychological disorders. In 2017 and 2018, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted “breakthrough status” for MDMA-assisted therapy for treatment-resistant PTSD, and psilocybin-assisted therapy for treatment-resistant depression, respectively.
Natural Medicine for treating mental illness
Breakthrough status means that the FDA considers that these therapies may demonstrate substantial improvement over other available options and prioritizes review of safety and efficacy studies in clinical trials accordingly. Canada recently approved psilocybin-therapy for people who are terminally ill and grappling with severe end-of-life anxiety.
$3,000,000 Donated this Year
Dr. Bronner’s, family-owned maker of the top-selling natural brand of soap in North America, has launched its Heal Soul campaign to support public education efforts, advocacy organizations, and political campaigns around the country, The company is working to mainstream psychedelic-assisted therapy and medicines to treat depression, PTSD, addiction, and end-of-life anxiety. The company has donated over $3 million this year to support these efforts and created a special limited edition “Heal Soul!” label on its 32oz. Castile Liquid Soaps now available nationwide. The label aims to educate the public about these life-saving therapies and medicines, and the advocacy organizations and ballot initiatives that are advancing this work. To read the “Heal Soul!” label in its entirety, please visit: https://bit.ly/2EUnoxb.
Healthy Lifestyle Choices
“Used in the right settings, in combination with good diet, fitness, and other healthy lifestyle choices, psychedelic-assisted therapies and medicines offer dramatic healing for many people suffering from depression, end-of-life anxiety, PTSD, and other mental health conditions,” said Michael Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s.
“Our Heal Soul message and campaign is about mainstreaming this conversation in a rational and compassionate way, to help enable access to these life-saving therapies as soon as possible with the goal of evaporating the misguided stigma that these medicines face.”
Endangered species–Chocolate bars to save the animals
Each year throughout its history, the Endangered Species company continued to commit to species, habitats and humanity around the globe. Besides crafting delicious chocolate, it also contributed over $2,600,000 to their GiveBack partners in support of conservation while supporting independent farmers in West Africa through Fairtrade sourcing. By donating 10% of the annual net profits to conservation organizations, they can continue to do their amazing work on behalf of wildlife every day.
OVER $2.6 MILLION TO THEIR CONSERVATION PARTNERS SINCE 2016
Micro-economics for Under privileged—Kiva loans for social justice
Kiva envisions a financially inclusive world where all people hold the power to improve their lives. More than 1.7 billion people around the world are unbanked and can’t access the financial services they need. Kiva is an international nonprofit, founded in 2005 in San Francisco, with a mission to expand financial access to help underserved communities thrive.
Social Justice through Crowdfunding Loans
Kiva uses crowdfunding loans to unlock capital for the underserved, improve the quality and cost of financial services, and addresses the underlying barriers to financial access around the world. Through Kiva’s work, students can pay for tuition, women can start businesses, farmers are able to invest in equipment and families can afford needed emergency care.
Kiva’s belief that lending alongside thousands of others is one of the most powerful and sustainable ways to create economic and social good. Lending on Kiva creates a partnership of mutual dignity and makes it easy to touch more lives with the same dollar. Fund a loan, get repaid, fund another.
$25 to Change the World
By lending as little as $25 on Kiva, you can be part of the solution and make a real difference in someone’s life. 100% of every dollar you lend on Kiva goes to funding loans. https://www.kiva.org/
What’s your favorite social business? Comment on this article to share your favorite way to make an impact on the world.
If cooked, each gift takes less than 5 minutes to cook.
Here are five gifts you can make in 5 minutes for less than $5. Christmas is a busy time and a great opportunity to build relationships with those who live next door or across the street. We’ve lived in the same neighborhood for the past 45 years and like to greet newcomers to the area with a welcome gift to introduce our family. It’s one way to build communication and community for everyone’s good. These recipes are quick, easy and economical to prepare. Have fun and make acquaintances in the bargain.
This is my husband’s birthday cake every year. It’s wacky as it has no eggs or milk and has a surprise ingredient (vinegar) which enhances the cocoa taste. Besides being easy and delicious, it mixes directly in the pan reducing kitchen clean-up.
I use recycled quart jars to package this cake mix. I add these ingredients in this order to the jar:
1 ½ cups flour, 1 teaspoon soda, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ cup cocoa, topped with 1 cup sugar. There will be a little headspace that will allow the mix to be shaken by the baker. I decorate the lid and add a card with the mixing and baking instructions shown below attached with ribbons.
Wacky Cake
Shake ingredients in jar to mix.
Pour mixed ingredients directly into ungreased 9×12 cake pan.
Add 3 tablespoons vinegar, 1 cup cold water and 6 tablespoons vegetable oil.
Stir in pan and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
Frost as desired or try sheet fudge icing below.
Fudge Icing
1 cup sugar
¼ cup milk
1 tablespoon cocoa
3-4 tablespoons butter or margarine
½ teaspoon vanilla
Cook until boiling and frosting reaches soft ball stage. Remove from heat. Add vanilla. Stir until cool enough to spread and pour over cake. Frosting will harden as it cools to a fudge covering for the cake.
Makes one gift.
Peanut Butter Fudge
I made this fudge last year and put it in a cellophane gift bag tied with a ribbon. Every Christmas I receive address mailing labels with beautiful Christmas stickers included, so I decorate the bags with a holiday sticker and an address mailing as a gift tag.
Peanut Butter Fudge
2 cups sugar
½ cup milk
¾ cup peanut butter
Bring ingredients to boil for 2 ½ minutes while stirring constantly. Pour into buttered 8 x8 pan. Makes 2 gifts.
Chex cereals have come out with flavored cereals that create a variety of trail mix variations. This gift doesn’t even have to be cooked. Just fill a jar or bag with alternating layers of the following ingredients, decorate and deliver.
Chocolate Chex Trail Mix
Chocolate or Peanut Butter Chex cereal
Spanish salted peanuts
M& M’s (milk chocolate, dark chocolate or peanut M&M’s)
Makes 4 quarts of trail mix or 4 gifts.
No Fail Chocolate Drop Quickies
My sister-in-law loves these cookies but was unsuccessful in making them until I sent her this no bake, never fail recipe.
2 cups sugar
½ cup milk
½ cup butter or margarine
½ cup peanut butter
3 cups quick, uncooked oatmeal
1 teaspoon vanilla
Add sugar, milk and butter to a four-quart sauce pan and bring to a boil stirring constantly. Boil for two minutes and remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter, oatmeal and vanilla till blended. Drop by spoonful’s onto parchment paper or waxed paper till set. Makes 2 gifts.
Peppermint Bark
Ingredients:
Oreos
White chocolate
Candy canes
2 Tablespoons oil
Directions
Crush oreos into chunks and spread in 9 X 12 cake pan.
Crush candy canes in blender.
Melt white chocolate with oil in double boiler. Add crushed candy canes. Pour over chunked oreos. Drop pan several times to rid mix of air bubbles. Refrigerate till firm.
This treat can be stored in freezer which will enhance flavors, so it’s a great make ahead treat for the holidays. Enjoy your holiday and your neighbors! Makes 2 gifts.
Recently we found that my husband had developed a reaction to gluten which we diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Researching gluten-free bread substitutes led us to sourdough products,
Sourdough starter culture is rich in Lactobacilli bacteria. Lactobacilli, besides being great for the gut microbiome, makes the bread more nutrient rich by neutralizing the undesirable phosphorus, or phytic acid, found in the wheat’s bran.
Phytic acid in conventional bread binds to important minerals like calcium, zinc, iron, and magnesium, making these nutrients bio-unavailable to us, meaning we are unable to absorb them. Being a fermented food, sourdough is rich in prebiotic and probiotic bacteria, acting as a positive aid in balancing the microbiome.
Wild Yeast for Sourdough Starter
Our research led us on a hunt for air born yeast needed for a sourdough starter. My husband and I are intrigued by the invisible phenomena of wild yeast. We had not yet heard that there be “wild yeast” having only been introduced to the yeast found in little foil packets at the grocery store, so we set a trap to hunt the invisible guests floating though our airwaves.
Following information on Pinterest I mixed 1/4 cup flour with 1/4 cup distilled water. It was important to use filtered or distilled water as the chlorine in tap water kills the airborne yeast that we are trying to capture in the flour and water mixture. I didn’t have any cheesecloth, so I used a coffee filter secured with a rubber band on the jar mouth to keep marauding insects or dirt from harassing my wild yeast which were small enough to enter my restaurant trap.
Sure enough, the next day saw our trap bubbling with yeasty bubbles. Of course, once captured, I was responsible for feeding the little critters just like any other pet with a daily ration of ¼ flour and ¼ cup distilled or filtered water stirred into the existing concoction. I fed the mixture for seven days. The wild yeast needs food to digest every day to continue producing yeast.
The sourdough starter will expel alcohols on its surface. They can be stirred back into the starter or poured off before adding more flour. I pour it off as the alcohols may adversely affect IBS sufferers.
Making Sourdough Bread from Culture
After seven days of feeding, I removed ¼ cup of the yeast mixture, placed it in a clean jar, and fed it with ¼ cup flour and ¼ cup distilled water to start a new batch of sourdough. I placed the new starter in a warm counter location and turned my attention to making bread.
Recipe
I used the 4 Ingredient Sourdough Bread recipe from the Practical Stewardship blog. The recipe calls for ¼ cup of starter, 2 cups flour (and more for kneading later), 1 ½ cup distilled or filtered water, and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix these four ingredients together in a glass bowl, cover with plastic or a dishtowel, and place in a warm spot overnight.
My 8 cup mixing bowl makes it easy to see how much the sourdough has risen.
Kneading
The sourdough mixture will look somewhat sponge-like after rising overnight. After 12-16 hours, scoop the sourdough mixture onto a well-floured counter. It will literally pour out of its container. At this point I sprinkle 1 teaspoon of baking soda over the sourdough mixture. I found that this gives a lighter loaf when baked. Gently fold flour into dough until it does not stick to the floured surface. I use a spatula to fold in flour at this point as the dough is very wet. Continue adding flour until you can knead the dough without having it stick to your hands. The outside of the dough should not be sticky although the middle dough may be somewhat sticky. This process may take up to 1 cup of flour and sometimes more.
After kneading to a bread dough consistency, I place the dough into my crock pot which I line with parchment paper and coat with cooking spray. Let rise until almost double. Then cook on low for 2 ½ hours. To check on progress, gently lift parchment paper to examine crust. The sourdough will not brown on top, but the bottom will turn a light brown when done.
Bake in Crockpot
Sourdough bread can also be baked at a low temperature in a crock pot for a longer time. A lower temperature and longer cooking time help preserve the nutritional value of the grain and aids in breaking down the gluten protein.
The remaining sourdough starter may be used as it is in recipes for biscuits, waffles, pancakes, muffins, dehydrated, or disposed of if unneeded.
Some people are driven to create a better world for their fellow men. It’s like they have an internal mechanism that propels them into activities that make the world better for the recipients of their vision and work. They see desperate needs and set about seeking practical solutions to change the circumstances crushing the lives of others. David Bornstein in his book How to Change the World calls these individuals social entrepreneurs.
Past examples of social entrepreneurs include people like Florence Nightingale who changed nursing practices and founded the Red Cross. Ghandi embodies a world changer whose philosophy of passive resistance freed India of colonial rule and inspired Martin Luther King in his passionate pursuit of civil rights in America.
Rather than rely on government to implement effective change in the challenges of poverty, crime, drugs, mental health and other social ills, Bornstein has documented the growth of private citizens and organizations that are responding to these crisis with innovative ideas and solutions.
Grassroots Social Changers
Bornstein met one such citizen, Bill Drayton. Bill Drayton created the Ashoka Foundation that searches for today’s grassroots social changers, for those persons who were making a difference in the world with their vision and ideas. Drayton and his team began interviewing people in many countries who were demonstrating new approaches to social ills.
Drayton wanted to find out how these unusual social entrepreneurs developed a strategy for change; how did they develop institutions, and how did they market their ideas for the greater good?
Social Entrepreneurs
Examples of today’s social innovators includes a Bangladesh economics professor who began extending small, collateral free loans for self-employment to some of the world’s poorest people. Extending “micro-credit” enabled poor families to overcome poverty. The Grameen bank founded in 1976 pioneered the “microfinance” model that by 2005 had inspired 3100 “micro-credit” programs in the world reaching 81 million of the world’s poorest inhabitants.
Childline connects children to emergency services
Childline is a 24-hour helpline and emergency response system for children in distress. Childline was begun by a young woman in Bombay where street children lived in abject conditions. Childline rescues children and is the vision sprung from the needs seen by one social worker. It has spread to 42 cities in India and had fielded 2,700,000 calls. Its founder is working to make Childline an international organization with a global help desk for children in distress.
This book is a chronicle of hope in a world often overshadowed by social ills. Social change is not the venue of government alone. The power of change rests in individual hands as well. One can change the world. Be encouraged and inspired by Bornstein’s book, How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas, available on Amazon.
Married in 1969, my husband and I had three young children and lived from paycheck to paycheck on less than $1000 a month. As young adults we had drifted away from our Christian heritage. Our family was headed for disaster before we reversed our life and pointed our feet in the direction of prosperity and abundant living
50th anniversary
Celebrating 52 years of marriage, I marvel at the financial blessing and abundant life we enjoy and want to share the secret we discovered of how to prosper and create an abundant life.
Our finances were under a curse.
In 1982, my husband and I, newly baptized in the Holy Spirit, found our way to Christ for the Nations Institute summer session. Freda Lindsay, co-founder of Christ for the Nations Institute in Dallas, Texas, instructed new students at CFNI on giving tithes and offerings. Mrs. Lindsay taught on how to prosper and lift the curse from one’s finances by tithing. In Malachi 3:8-9 scripture says,
“Will man rob God? Yet you are robbing me. But you say, ‘How have we robbed you?’ In your tithes and contributions. You are cursed with a curse, for you are robbing me….” Her teaching was a revelation to us.
In Malachi God said to put Him to the test about this scripture.
“Bring the full tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. And thereby put me to the test, says the LORD of hosts, if I will not open the windows of heaven for you and pour down for you a blessing until there is no more need.”
Though Dennis was unemployed at the time, and I had only a modest teaching salary, we committed to tithing a tenth to the Lord.
Malachi 3:10
By mid-summer we had fallen in love with the vision at CFNI. We decided to return to Colorado in the Fall, sell our home and possessions, and get to Dallas as soon as possible to begin full-time studies and preparation for the ministry. Anticipating the sale of our house, we made our first pledge of $1000 that summer. God immediately responded by doubling our income! The new superintendent of the school district where I taught, called and hired Dennis over the phone as an art teacher that Fall! Now we had two teaching incomes to provide for our family.
Promises of Abundant Life Fulfilled
Two years later in God’s perfect timing, our house sold. This income permitted us to pursue our hearts’ desire, and in 1985, we were blessed and returned with our three children to Dallas and enrolled at CFNI. Meanwhile, we had made two more pledges; and God blessed us abundantly! While Dennis took courses at CFNI and the children attended Life Christian school, I found a job at Southern Methodist University. One of the job benefits was a tuition waiver for employees; so, I enrolled in a Master’s program at SMU for the next two years. Consider—at that point, there were five of us attending private schools on the salaries of 1 ½ jobs!
Business Supplied to Prosper
In our second year we pledged for a Native Church and for a Bible school in Jamaica. God blessed us again. This time we found ourselves encouraged to begin our own sign business. The sign business was portable and would create an abundant income to support our family for the next 20 years.
As our two years were coming to an end, Dennis felt a pull on his heart to go on the CFNI summer outreach to Israel. God again opened up the windows of heaven and poured out His blessing. We had $20 to contribute to the needed funds of $2000 for the outreach. By summer God poured out His blessing and all the funds needed for the trip were supplied. That’s a 100 fold increase to what we could contribute.
What Next?
Courses ended and diplomas granted to Dennis from CFNI and to me from SMU, our hearts questioned, “What next, Lord?” And with His abundant blessing, He proved that if you give to the poor, you lend to God and that He is a debtor to no man.
God gave us back the house we sold to follow Him. The buyer was unable to sell the house in a depressed real estate market and desired a larger home. He wanted to return the house that we had owner-financed. In answer to prayer God led us beautifully through the Ezekiel 36:11,”….and I will settle you after your old estates, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings; and you shall know that I am the Lord.” So, we journeyed back to the area where we are well-known and began ministering to friends, family, and neighbors.
Abundantly, Exceedingly, More than Enough
You can’t out give God! This testimony only acknowledges a fraction of the financial blessings He has poured out on us. The miracles He performed in the restoration of our marriage; the deliverance from drugs, alcohol and nicotine, the physical healings, and a renewed call to the ministry are other testimonies for another time.
Break the financial curse from your life and watch God prove Himself on your behalf and open up the windows of heaven to pour out blessings on your family.
Enjoy more insights into God’s plan and provision for you. I wrote a book focusing on the words of Jesus. What does Jesus say about our lives? Click on the link to order it from Amazon and be blessed.
Pickling green beans is a snap, and one great way to preserve the bean harvest. I pick a double handful of green beans every morning from my small garden patch. The abundance of beans provide enough to can and eat fresh.
Green beans are one of my favorite veggies to grow. They hide so well– camouflaged with the leafy branches of green– that they provide a delightful game of “find me if you can.” Wax beans have a harder time of undercover work as their pale yellow sunshine is much easier to spot than their green counterpart. I grow both to star in my Four Bean Salad.
The Secret Recipe
Fermented foods are great probiotics.
My friend Lea brought green bean pickles to our church “pot bless” dinner. One bite and I knew that I had a new favorite canning recipe for green beans. When I asked for her recipe, she let me in on her secret. She bought Mrs. Wages Quick Process Kosher Dill Pickle Canning Mix on the canning aisle at King Soopers and simply added the vinegar and water to it. The recipe made more than a half gallon of pickling juice.
The remaining brine for pickling green beans can be kept in the refrigerator in a glass jar or other non-reactive container for the next small batch. Brass, copper, iron and galvanized kettles should not be used when making pickles as these metals are likely to cause undesirable color changes or react with the acid or salt to produce unwholesome substances.
The Process
I started with just three pints of whole green beans placed in sterilized jars. After pouring boiling pickling juice over the beans and capping them with a canning lid, I put them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Leave ½ inch of head space in each jar before capping. Quarts should be processed for 15 minutes. The mix made enough brine for 7 quarts of pickles. Even though green beans are a low acidic food, when pickling green beans, the vinegar adds the necessary acid, and they are not susceptible to salmonella and do not need to be pressure canned. The hot water bath process will destroy bacteria, yeast and mold that could affect the pickles.
After 10 minutes I removed the jars from the hot water bath and let them sit on the counter to cool for 24 hours at which point they were ready to eat. I heard the lids seal with a pop as they cooled. Make sure to hot water bath according to the directions. Check that the seal is good, and the center of the lid is down and not up. If a jar does not seal, store it in the refrigerator and use it first. Our daughter and son-in-law visited, and I brought out a pint of green bean pickles, cooled in the refrigerator. They were an instant hit.
More Recipes
These green bean pickles are as easy as my recipe for Easy Peasy Sweet and Sour Dills made with cucumbers found in my cookbook Eat What You Grow: Easy Garden Recipes for the Backyard Homestead. I might have to increase my bean patch next year.
Click to order from Amazon.
Thank you for providing recipes that are simple to prepare yet are still delicious. As a new gardener, I appreciate these recipes and look forward to trying them all!
Add a sunny windowsill and water to grow basil all winter long.
Basil is so easy to propagate and grow on your kitchen windowsill for inclusion in everyday cooking. Side branches cut from a mature plant will root easily in water or when sown directly into potting soil and kept moist. It grows so quickly requiring only water and sunshine to thrive. Fresh basil is ever present on my kitchen windowsill to add to pasta, salad and soups all winter long.
Cloning Basil
To clone basil from an existing plant merely cut a side
branch that is 3-5 inches long with a sharp razor, knife or scissors. The cutting can be placed in water until
roots form and then transplanted into a small to medium size pot. Basil is shallow rooted and does not need a
large pot. I usually skip rooting the basil
in water and plant it directly into potting soil and keep moistened until
well-established.
Basil cuttings in water to root
To promote leaf growth and bushiness, top basil plant when it reaches 8-10 inches. Also snip off any flower blossoms as flowering will cause the plant to stop producing leaves. Enjoy fresh basil all winter long with a pot of basil on your kitchen windowsill. Basil is so easy to propagate that I start extra plants to use as housewarming or hostess gifts.
Healthy Benefits
Basil is a storehouse of healthy vitamins. It is an excellent source of vitamin K and
manganese; a very good source of copper, vitamin A (in the form of carotenoids
such as beta-carotene), and vitamin C; and a good source of calcium, iron,
folate, magnesium and omega-3 fatty acids.
Basil also reveals anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties.
Lab studies show the effectiveness of basil in restricting growth of numerous
bacteria. It has been shown to provide
protection against unwanted bacterial growth. These anti-bacterial properties
of basil are not associated with its unique flavonoids, but instead with its
volatile oils.
The eugenol component of basil’s volatile oils has been the
subject of extensive study. The enzyme-inhibiting effect of the eugenol in
basil qualifies basil as an “anti-inflammatory” food that can provide
important healing benefits along with symptomatic relief for individuals with
inflammatory health problems like rheumatoid arthritis or inflammatory bowel
conditions.
Declare God’s word over your city to see transformation.
In the Lord’s Prayer we ask, “Let Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” We become the mouthpieces of God to declare His will as expressed in scripture into the atmosphere when we pray. The universe is “voice-activated,” as expressed in Genesis with creation as, “God said,” and whatever He spoke was created. As we are made in His image, our prayers are seeds dispersed through the atmosphere to manifest in the earth. We plant God’s word, and His promise is that whatsoever we ask in His name according to His word shall be done.
In the New Living Translation Romans 4:17 is expressed as, “That
is what the Scriptures mean when God told him, “I have made you the father of
many nations.” This happened because Abraham believed in the God who brings the
dead back to life and who creates new things out of nothing.
Even as Abraham, you have spiritual authority over your city or
community. Romans 4:17 encourages you to declare a thing
as though it were real today. The following declarations reflect a biblical
vision of your community. Pray these out loud until you see them manifest in
daily life around you. Sow and believe
and watch for transformation for the glory of God.
OWNERSHIP: I declare that ownership of my city is now deeded to the one True God and His Church.
The heavens are thine, the earth also is thine: as for the world and the fulness thereof, thou hast founded them. Psalms 89:11
COMFORT: I declare that my city’s days of mourning are over and that the people now reflect the joy of the Lord,
“The Spirit of
the Lord GOD [is] upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me To preach good
tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim
liberty to the captives, And the opening of the prison to [those who are]
bound; To proclaim the acceptable year
of the LORD, And the day of vengeance of our God; To comfort all who mourn, To console those who mourn in Zion, To give
them beauty for ashes, The oil of joy for mourning, The garment of praise for
the spirit of heaviness; That they may be called trees of righteousness, The
planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.” Isaiah 61:1-3 NKJV
ATMOSPHERE: I declare that the
spiritual climate of my community now reflects Heaven’s tune and flows out to
the rest of the state.
For the LORD will comfort
Zion,
He will comfort all her waste places;
He will make her wilderness like Eden,
And her desert like the garden of the LORD;
Joy and gladness will be found in it,
Thanksgiving and the voice of melody. Isaiah 51:3
IDENTITY: I declare that my city
is now restored to the name and identity given by the one True God Almighty.
Restore us, O God; Cause Your face to shine, And we shall
be saved! Psalms 80:3
Pray over the entrances to your city: government, schools, roads, courts and churches.
AUTHORITY: I declare Psalm 24 over my city – that my city now lifts up its head as the King of Glory comes in – admitting seekers of God’s word and keeping out all evil.
Who is this King of glory? The LORD strong and mighty, The LORD mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The LORD of hosts, He [is] the King of glory. Selah Psalms 24:8-10 NKJV
LORDSHIP: I declare that the
people of my city are now in full submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ!
That men may know that thou,
whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth Psalms 83:18
REVERENCE: I declare that the people of my city and the county now fear God Almighty rather than man.
The LORD is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall
I be afraid? Psalms 27:1
JOB DESCRIPTION: I declare that the
people of my city now walk in their authority as sons and daughters of the Most
High God.
That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God,
without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye
shine as lights in the world; 16 Holding forth the word of life… Philippians
2:15-16 KJV
UNITY: I declare that the
people of my city now honor one another in John 17 spiritual unity.
That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. John 17:21 #mailmunch-pop-817684
HOPE: I declare that the
people of my city now put their hope and faith in Jesus eliminating all
despair.
For thou art my hope,
O Lord GOD: thou art my trust from my youth. Ps. 71:5
Speak to the mountains your city faces.
FAITH: I declare that the
people of my city now have a deep faith in God above all else as they
stubbornly pursue God and His righteousness.
Jesus answered and said unto
them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only
do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this
mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. Matthew
21:21
REPUTATION: I declare that my city
is now a spiritual city known as God’s holy place.
When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, [there is] shouting. By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked. Proverbs 11:10-11 KJV
REVIVAL: I declare that God’s
glory now pervades my city and county reviving the people, the land and the
weather.
They that dwell under his shadow
shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent
thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon. Hosea 14:7
PROVISION: I declare that my city
now reflects God’s glory, mercy and bounty in every aspect of life.
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers. 3John 1:2
HEALTH: I declare that my city
is an addiction-free, disease-free cancer-free, healthy community basking in
God’s glory.
Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits: Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals
all your diseases, Psalms 103:2-3 NKJV
Jesus came that we might have life and that more abundantly.
REFUGE: I declare that my city
is now a place of refuge blessed with provision for those in need.
Deliver the poor and
needy;
Free them from the hand
of the wicked. Psalms 82:4
GOVERNMENT: I declare that the government of my city now rests on Jesus
Christ.
Of the increase of His
government and peace There will be no end,
Upon the throne of David
and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justiceFrom that time
forward, even forever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. Isaiah 9:7
DESTINY: I declare that all that God has written on His scroll for my
city is now brought forth for His glory.
“Whatever city you enter,
and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you. And heal the sick there, and say to them, ‘The
kingdom of God has come near to you.’ Luke 10:8-9 NKJV
With 149 individual chapters the book makes a very good daily devotional, but can also be picked up and read anytime. I like the fact that it’s content is based exclusively on the words of Jesus. The question format is a classic one and something I enjoy. It is thought provoking and scholarly, yet easy to read. I would definitely recommend it to all!
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer,
believing, ye shall receive. What a
great promise we have in Matthew 21:22 for our communities. Intercessors can get a heads up on the
spiritual climate of their city and target spiritual darkness with prayer.
Recently, our local paper’s headlines read, Cops Uncover
Grisly Sights which was a clarion call for needed prayer. Police had discovered multiple mutilated animal
carcasses in one outlying farm building and an apparent suicide in another. Churches and intercessors are called to
confront this kind of spiritual darkness in their communities so that
righteousness rather than evil inhabit our atmosphere.
What defiles the Land?
Actions of people in our communities affect the entire
population and therefore are a call for prayer.
Isaiah 24:5-6 states, The earth is also polluted by its inhabitants
for they transgressed laws, violated statutes, broke the everlasting covenant.
Therefore a curse consumes the earth; its people must bear their guilt.
Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left.
Scripture reveals four ways that our land is defiled by its
inhabitant’s actions. The four areas concern
sexual immorality, idolatry, the shedding of innocent blood and broken
covenants
Leviticus 18:25 states, and the land became unclean, so
that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. This spewing can take many forms such as: famine,
war, storms, earthquakes, fires, natural disasters, unstable governments,
poverty, plagues, etc.
Cleansing the Land
Prayer warriors are called to cleanse
the land through prayer and intercession for our communities. The
headline of our local newspaper often reveals where to target our prayer
efforts. This particular incident in our
community seemed to involve idolatry as evidenced by animal mutilation which is
often connected to occultic rituals. Animal
mutilation is also often a precursor to demonic oppression that escalates to murder.
2 Corinthians 10:3-4 gives fighting
instructions, though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: For
the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the
pulling down of strong holds; and
again in Ephesians 6:12, For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. One of our primary
weapons is believing prayer.
His [God’s] intent was that
now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the
rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, Ephesians 3:10. With that understanding the church needs to
declare God’s word over the defilements in our communities. We can proclaim over our city, The earth is
the Lord’s and all it contains, the world and those who dwell in it….Lift up ye
heads, O gates, and lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may
come in! Psalm 24: 1,9.
Declare the Victory
The kingdom of God is voice-activated.
Prayer activates God’s will in the earth as it is in heaven. As intercessors our vital role is to help
enforce the victory of Calvary that God’s will might be done on the earth. We can begin with praise to His wonderful
mercy, forgiveness, lovingkindness and power.
Christ has already won the victory
at Calvary. We need to proclaim His
victory to set the captives free, to cleanse the land, to declare freedom to
our neighbors.
As we pray, the headlines will
declare our earthly victories. I especially
love the headline from our local newspaper No SOB’s Allowed. As I read
further, I found that SOB’s referred to Sexually Oriented Businesses. The city attorney had crafted an ordinance
that prohibited adult sexually oriented businesses in our environs. What a blessing for the inhabitants of our
community to prohibit that kind of sexual immorality that would defile our land.
War Tactics
We have a team of intercessors
from various churches in our communities that gather to pray for our government,
churches, schools, youth, families, and community concerns once a week.
On this particular prayer assignment
a team will actually go to the site of the concern to pray. First and foremost, like Daniel when praying
for his people’s release from captivity, we will pray a prayer of repentance for
the iniquities of ourselves and others.
For if we confess our sins. He is faithful to forgive us.
2 Chronicles 7:14. If my people, which are
called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and
turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive
their sin, and will heal their land.
Give thanks and praise for the blood of Jesus that
takes away the sin of the world and ask that His blood would cover and protect
the intercessors and their families. The
team will take communion to declare our remembrance of Him and that it is in Him
and through Him that we have the victory over sin and death.
And I will give unto thee the keys of the
kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in
heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Matthew 16:19. As we have been given the authority of the name of Jesus, we
will bind the powers of darkness of idolatry and murder and loose God’s truth
and life and light in this place. For Jesus came that we might have life and
have it more abundantly.
Declare The earth is the Lord’s and all it
contains, the world and those who dwell in it….Lift up ye heads, O gates, and
lift them up, O ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in! Psalm 24: 1,9.
Agree with God. For You are great and do wondrous things; You
alone are God. Ps 86:10 Tell and bring
forth your case; Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this
from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the LORD? And
there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none
besides Me. Isaiah 25:41.
The victory is already won. The end is sure. Intercessors, take heart and declare the glory of the Lord.
Welcome to Country Parson's Wife, I'm Dr. Mary Ellen, author, teacher and wife of a country pastor for 50 years. My blog is dedicated to a lifestyle built on faith, family, simplicity and self-sufficiency that enhances the health, peace, beauty and industry of our homes and gardens.
My prayer is that you be encouraged and propelled into the abundant life God has prepared for you.
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