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Playgroup in Tucson - Page 119

post #2361 of 2509
8/16/09 at 3:36pm
Becca, Sarah, and Danielle, did any of you make jelly yet? I'm going to attempt it today and wondering if you succeeded. It seems that the amount of sugar is specific to the fruit. I haven't started googling yet, so I thought I'd just see if you experimented yet.

Jen, sounds fun! Relaxin' with some tunes.
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post #2362 of 2509
8/16/09 at 11:28pm
The jelly came out beautiful. I used the recipe from Homegrown Evolution. Also, someone posted a link to that blog last year and it looked interesting. Well, now I'm looking at it like, "Why wasn't I more interested in this before?" I want try EVERY project! Homegrown revolution, baby, yeah!

Also, Becca, Sarah, and Danielle... if you haven't processed the juice yet, you might want to freeze it. One of the jars I opened today seemed like the bacteria were already starting to process it for themselves. A little off smelling. But I just kept tasting it and convincing myself that it was okay. That one I tried making into a syrup by boiling it with some honey and pineapple juice (I get all experimental). It doesn't seem very syrupy at all, but I think it would make a good base for a sweet drink.
post #2363 of 2509
8/17/09 at 10:46am
haha, a lttr on my kyboard stoppd working--can you guss which on? yp, it's that lttr b'n w & r.... so sorry for th crazy typing!

I am taking th comp in to th shop today, and it's by connor park, so w'll b thr prob around 9 if anyon wants to join us.

I just noticd that th numbr b'n 2 &4 dosn't work! oh no!
post #2364 of 2509
8/17/09 at 11:25am
I didn't make any jelly but I tried to make a small batch of syrup. I boiled it down for ages but it didn't thicken on its own, so I added a tiny bit of sugar to help things along. Holy Cow was it sweet! That juice does not need any help. I think maybe I'll just put some lemon it to make it a little bit tart and a wee bit of corn starch in and pour it over waffles. Yum.

Sarah, your post is funny! Poor computer. I don't think we'll make it to the park today though.

Jen, we were up on the mountain yesterday too! Wasn't it a beautiful day with beautiful music?
post #2365 of 2509
8/17/09 at 1:50pm
Becca, when you boiled it down, did it turn brown? I think the saguaro syrup gets real dark. I guess that's what syrups do, turn brown cuz the sugar cooks? Who's the syrup master?

I used my syrup for sweetening the tea. It's watery thin too. Weird too cuz I read that the prickly pear has lots of natural pectin. The jelly got real nice and thick though. Maybe next jelly batch I'll try the no-sugar, applejuice version instead. But the cost of the apple juice is prob more than sugar per jar of jelly. Hmmm... health? No, not listening to health today.

I'm thinking that next time I juice the prickly pears (which will be soon I think) I'm just going to can the juice straight into quart jars and give it the hot water bath pasteurization technique. Not cook the juice first, but it will pasteurize in the jars in the boiling water for 10 mins. That way it will (hopefully) be shelf stable and can be jellied or syruped later.
post #2366 of 2509
8/17/09 at 5:47pm

Why breast milk (and other stuff) is good for wounds

I just read this article, called Slime City, in the July/August edition of Discover Magazine. I should probably post this in the Health and Healing forums too.

I am excited because I read some information that us moms can use to fight bacterial infections in our kids. The article was all about biofilms, the slimy matrix that bacteria use to protect their colonies. In the biofilm bacteria release chemicals to communicate with each other. For example, when Staphylococcus aureus reach a certain population size they flood the biofilm with chemical information telling every bacteria to release massive amounts of toxins, which turn tissue into soup that is easier for the bacteria to eat, but causing painful stuff like cellulitis, pneumonia, endocarditis, etc.

A scientist named Naomi Balaban discovered a naturally occurring chemical that blocks that chemical communication. The bacteria still try to tell each other to release toxins, but they can't receive the chemical on their cell surface--they can't hear each other. The chemical that does this is called hamamelitannin, an extract of witch hazel bark! This is especially interesting to me because I have been meaning to buy more witch hazel, as it is one of the only things that cools my nurses when they flare up with insane itchiness at night sometimes. Especially after M has been nursing forever. (Side note, also shea butter seems to be nice for the nips, but waiting for money to fall from the sky, 'til then it's some desert healer salve I got at Native Seed/SEARCH or (gulp) vaseline.)

ANYWAY... back to the bacteria story... a doctor who specializes in wound care (Randall Wolcott, if you want to google) started using the hamamelitannin along with what he was already using, xylitol and lactoferrin, with amazing results. (To be fair, he also uses antibiotics in the cocktail, but clearly antibiotics alone wouldn't work.) Xylitol is just artificial sweetener (which happens to break down biofilms) and can be easily purchased. And lactoferrin is found in milk and saliva and kills bacteria by trapping the iron that bacteria need to function properly.

SO... witch hazel, xylitol, and breast milk on a bad wound (along with scrubbing it to break up the biofilm) may work wonders if you ever need wonders on a wound.

P.S. I still think colloidal silver was a miracle treatment, along with homeopathic immune booster and probiotics (which I also read can be a major help for people suffering from autoimmune disorders such as celiac's disease--Celiac Disease Insights article in recent Scientific American).
post #2367 of 2509
8/17/09 at 6:04pm
So, lactoferrin probably helps explain why breastfed babies, despite the sugar content in breast milk don't get plagued with as much tooth problems as bottle-fed babies. (My mom is a dental receptionist, so I have heard many teeth horror stories, such as baby teeth growing in with cavities already in them from "letting baby sleep with bottle".) Lactoferrin sequesters the iron needed by bacteria, leaving baby with a sweet-smelling less-bacteria mouth.

So lactoferrin helps explain why ped's still freak abt breast-fed babies' iron levels. But the sequestered iron is possibly protecting baby from bacterial outbreaks! Hmmm...
post #2368 of 2509
8/17/09 at 7:44pm
Thanks for the lesson, Lisa! That is so cool. BM is amazing!!!!

And as for the prickly pear juice, other uses we found for it were making ceviche (prickly pear juice was in the marinade, yum!), and I also made a marinade for chicken--I mixed prickly pear juice w/ balsamic vinegar and boiled them down for a while to make a kind of glaze/marinade for chicken.

we're going out of town thurs night for 2 weeks, so I hope to see some of you this week!!
post #2369 of 2509
8/18/09 at 1:14am
The chicken marinade sounds yumalish. And the ceviche sounds good in theory... [insert smilie-ducking-from-a-thrown-tomato which I swear MDC used to have, but can't find]
post #2370 of 2509
8/18/09 at 2:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by OliveJewel View Post
I just read this article, called Slime City, in the July/August edition of Discover Magazine. I should probably post this in the Health and Healing forums too.

I am excited because I read some information that us moms can use to fight bacterial infections in our kids. The article was all about biofilms, the slimy matrix that bacteria use to protect their colonies. In the biofilm bacteria release chemicals to communicate with each other. For example, when Staphylococcus aureus reach a certain population size they flood the biofilm with chemical information telling every bacteria to release massive amounts of toxins, which turn tissue into soup that is easier for the bacteria to eat, but causing painful stuff like cellulitis, pneumonia, endocarditis, etc.

A scientist named Naomi Balaban discovered a naturally occurring chemical that blocks that chemical communication. The bacteria still try to tell each other to release toxins, but they can't receive the chemical on their cell surface--they can't hear each other. The chemical that does this is called hamamelitannin, an extract of witch hazel bark! This is especially interesting to me because I have been meaning to buy more witch hazel, as it is one of the only things that cools my nurses when they flare up with insane itchiness at night sometimes. Especially after M has been nursing forever. (Side note, also shea butter seems to be nice for the nips, but waiting for money to fall from the sky, 'til then it's some desert healer salve I got at Native Seed/SEARCH or (gulp) vaseline.)

ANYWAY... back to the bacteria story... a doctor who specializes in wound care (Randall Wolcott, if you want to google) started using the hamamelitannin along with what he was already using, xylitol and lactoferrin, with amazing results. (To be fair, he also uses antibiotics in the cocktail, but clearly antibiotics alone wouldn't work.) Xylitol is just artificial sweetener (which happens to break down biofilms) and can be easily purchased. And lactoferrin is found in milk and saliva and kills bacteria by trapping the iron that bacteria need to function properly.

SO... witch hazel, xylitol, and breast milk on a bad wound (along with scrubbing it to break up the biofilm) may work wonders if you ever need wonders on a wound.

P.S. I still think colloidal silver was a miracle treatment, along with homeopathic immune booster and probiotics (which I also read can be a major help for people suffering from autoimmune disorders such as celiac's disease--Celiac Disease Insights article in recent Scientific American).
My husband has had an ankle infection/cellulitis. I've had him doing hot packs wrapped in plastic wrap and taped to the ankle all night long. I wish I'd thought about putting breastmilk on it, but he's halfway to Oregon and will hopefully be healed when he returns on the 28th.

By the way, lansinoh always worked wonders when my nipples were tired from excess nursing.
post #2371 of 2509
8/18/09 at 2:51am
Quote:
Originally Posted by OliveJewel View Post
So, lactoferrin probably helps explain why breastfed babies, despite the sugar content in breast milk don't get plagued with as much tooth problems as bottle-fed babies. (My mom is a dental receptionist, so I have heard many teeth horror stories, such as baby teeth growing in with cavities already in them from "letting baby sleep with bottle".) Lactoferrin sequesters the iron needed by bacteria, leaving baby with a sweet-smelling less-bacteria mouth.

So lactoferrin helps explain why ped's still freak abt breast-fed babies' iron levels. But the sequestered iron is possibly protecting baby from bacterial outbreaks! Hmmm...
My guy had cavities in 6 teeth by age 20 months. I have no cavities, my husband has few, so genetically he should have been fine. He'd never had sugar at that point, was exclusively breastfed, and met his first toothbrush when he got his first tooth.

It cost us $2,000 to fix his teeth. Fillings in 4 teeth, caps on two teeth. General anesthesia.

According to a LLL person, breastmilk doesn't promote cavities. However, breastmilk AND starches (such as crackers) does. Guess what our guy got as snacks a lot back then.

However, xylitol is amazing for teeth. If a mom will chew gum with xylitol 2 or 3 times a day from birth to age 2, there is a 60% to 70% reduction in toddler cavities. Toddlers who have xylitol rubbed on their teeth two or 3 times a day have a huge reduction in cavities. So, with baby 2 we've been doing "Firstteeth" toothpaste with xylitol twice a day. One downside is that when you swallow xylitol, you can kill off the bugs in the gut and get diarrhea. I'd forgotten about that. So the baby has had loose stools for over a month (since before she hit her head and we took her to the ER.) The other night, I'd just cleaned up a loose stool and was about to put xylitol on her toothbrush when I made the connection. I've been giving her yogurt and we've stopped the xylitol and the poops seem to be better.

When I can get to Aldrich, I may buy some swiffies and just rub her teeth down with xylitol that way so she won't swallow it. Only problem is they are SO SWEET. Her birthmom has dental problems and I'd really like to avoid another huge dental bill (and general anesthesia.)
post #2372 of 2509
8/18/09 at 1:44pm
Xylitol is amazing! I never made the connection between bacteria on your teeth and bacteria in wounds both able to be treated by the same thing.

Another teeth thing I want to try is strawberry pulp and baking soda. I think it just whitens, but maybe cleans too. Not sure where I read that one.

Micah was up in the middle of the night for at least an hour, lots of frutstrated screaming as he crawled all over me and played with toys in Noah's room while me and Noah tried to ignore the screams and sleep on the bed. Finally he fell asleep on the floor, with just a shirt and nakey butt. I let him stay there 'til morning when we got up. Brain feels slightly puffy today.
post #2373 of 2509
8/18/09 at 2:18pm
Anybody want to try to get together tomorrow morning? Zoo? Botanical Gardens? Bentley's?


It has now become a pattern that Carter is up from 3am-5am about twice a week. Is sleep a genetic thing? My mom, brother, and father all get up for a few hours in the middle of the night--did they pass this trait on to Carter?!?!
post #2374 of 2509
8/18/09 at 3:08pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by sarahtdubb View Post
Anybody want to try to get together tomorrow morning? Zoo? Botanical Gardens? Bentley's?


It has now become a pattern that Carter is up from 3am-5am about twice a week. Is sleep a genetic thing? My mom, brother, and father all get up for a few hours in the middle of the night--did they pass this trait on to Carter?!?!

I DO!

I had tentative plans for tomorrow just get broken up! so I had planned on the early wake already! it was gonna be a bummer to stay home AGAIN!

LOL lots of exclamation points!

anywhere sounds fun for us. we havent done the zoo or botanical gardens in a long while.
post #2375 of 2509
8/18/09 at 5:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by tallulahma View Post
I DO!

I had tentative plans for tomorrow just get broken up! so I had planned on the early wake already! it was gonna be a bummer to stay home AGAIN!

LOL lots of exclamation points!

anywhere sounds fun for us. we havent done the zoo or botanical gardens in a long while.
let me know what you guys want to do! we're happy with anything, and can start early.
post #2376 of 2509
8/18/09 at 6:40pm
how about the zoo when they open at 9? we will probably go there straight after dropping off jared and play at one of the parks....
post #2377 of 2509
8/18/09 at 6:48pm
That sounds great! we'll probably be there before 9, so I'll look around for you or call.
post #2378 of 2509
8/19/09 at 11:21am
this is late notice, but we are having a couple friends over tonight for rob's birthday (his birthday is actually next week, but we'll be out of town). we'll have cupcakes, snacks, and beer. Would love to see you and your families if you feel like coming by. We don't have tons of kids toys, btu we do have chickens and they are endlessly entertaining!!!

We've invited people to drop by anytime between 5:30-8:30. Our address is 1724 E Miles.
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post #2379 of 2509
8/19/09 at 12:46pm
you know how things go right....as soon as you buy something new/used it breaks! the trucks fuel pump went caplooey already. *sigh* so we're back to a one car family for a week. i guess it forces me to stay home and PACK! anyone is welcome to come help! lol.

we haven't done anything with the prickly pear juice yet although Anthony used it to make a glaze/marinade for a pork loin a few days ago and it turned out pretty decent. also up in picture rocks all along the roads near our house (but still technically in people's yards) are tons and tons and tons and tons of prickly pears. i wonder how long they keep on the cactus? and how long it would take to get them all off if people would let me take them. although then there's the problem of what to DO with them all!

sarah~ i'll talk to Anthony and see if he's up for it tonight, yesterday was a LONG day because of the truck (and i was tired/ m/s all day too yuck!)
post #2380 of 2509
8/19/09 at 1:35pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by dhinderliter View Post
and how long it would take to get them all off if people would let me take them.
Ya gotta leave some for the wild animals to eat. (LOL)