Why You Should Make Useless Things | Simone Giertz

Kupa Kupa (Plantain)

Many people go to all sorts of crazy measures to eliminate this "weed" from their gardens and yards. But! There are some astonishing uses for this little plant. It is, actually and herb that is native to Asia and Europe. You can find it all over the U.S. It is called Plantain or White Man's Foot (I don't know why). Other regional nicknames include:
Doc Leaf
Indian Tobacco
Kupa Kupa (New Zealand) I like this name!

There are two variants of Plantain – Broadleaf and Lance. The leaves of this herb are edible, and you can cook, steep, chew, crush, juice, and use it in salads. It is normally found growing in the rocky, poor soil alongside the dandelions. The great health and medicinal values of plantains are numerous. There is even a pill form called plantago mayor or Llanten. People who have allergic reactions to grass and weeds might want to avoid this -- get tested for this specific plant. Be SURE you are not using a plant that has been sprayed or affected by pesticides!

Plantain can be a wonderful solution for hikers and all nature lovers, who are highly susceptible to mosquito bites. This astringent nature of this herb enables it to extract the insect toxins from human body. Simply crush (or chew up) the leaves and place leaves on the bite as a poultice. This is helpful for bee stings, also. There is usually immediate relief.  

It can also be used as a natural cure for rashes, acne, slivers, and glass splinters.
After applying the poultice, cover the area with a clean and soft cotton cloth and leave on four to twelve hours for the healing to take place. 

You can easily incorporate these weeds in your DIY natural emergency kits to prepare insect repellent balms. 
The uses continue!  It is an effective ingredient in  homemade skin wash.
Steeped like a tea, it can be applied as a natural solution for hemorrhoids.
The leaves and seeds of Plantain have a positive impact on the human digestive system. It has a soothing and healing effect, especially for those whose digestive system is affected by the prolonged use of anti-inflammatory, analgesic, or antibiotics drugs. Plantain is also beneficial for those who have Celiac disease or food allergies.

While leaves can be used in the form of tea or prepared into soup, seeds are either used in ground or soaked form. The ground seeds of this astonishing herb bulk up the absorbant fiber, mucilage.  The plant is closely related to psyllium. 

Consuming this before meals is known to aid in weight loss.
 
Plantain is a good source of silica and is a gentle natural expectorant. These properties make it an ideal natural formula for colds, coughs, and lung disorders. The natural diuretic properties of this herb transform it into a powerful solution for various kidney disorders. Plantain helps soothe menstruation by slowing down the blood flow. As a styptic, you can use it topically to ease the bleeding from wounds. It is also beneficial for healing various types of skin disorders.
From the digestive issues to the skin disorders, menstruation troubles to arthritis, plantain is a one-stop solution for various troubles affecting the humans. Include it in your diet as a salad leaf or chew it to quench your thirst. This versatile herb is worth learning about and incorporating into your life.


Sources:
– http://www.lifeadvancer.com/this-little-weed-is-one-of-the-most-useful-medicines-on-the-planet
– Project.Nsearch: Most Useful Medicines on the Planet
– Wikipedia: Plantago Major
– Prescription for Herbal Healing: 2nd Edition – Phyllis A. Balch, CNC
– Hygieia: A Woman’s Herbal – Jeannine Parvati
– Healing Secrets of the Native Americans – Porter Shimer

Other good references:  
Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss 
http://www.urbanoutdoorskills.com/cookingplantain.html 


A side dish recipe:Wash leaves thoroughly. Younger leaves are less bitter.
Boil (?) for a minute.  (NOTE! Many people stress that boiling it kills the nutrients)
Soak for 3-4 hours
Rinse 2-3 times; squeeze leaves a little to remove some of the bitter juice.
Mix with garlic, soy sauce and perilla oil
Stir fry
Soak them again for 3-4 hours
Put leaves back in the pan over medium heat for a few minutes stirring occasionally.
Let them cool down, mix with sesame oil and seeds.
Enjoy!

Another recipe and good detail:

http://www.urbanoutdoorskills.com/cookingplantain.html
There is really a sweet spot between 3 and 5 minutes of boiling. 3 minutes for young leaves (nice bright green) and 5 minutes for older leaves.
For simplicity's sake: You can boil both for 4 minutes.

Place in cold iced water and call it a day. 

Some of the leaves can be a tad bitter after 4 minutes (nothing wrong with bitter) and it helps adding some salt to the water when boiling.

The "algae" characteristics makes it perfect for creating Asian-style dishes. The leaves won't taste like algae but you can add the right condiments and you could fool many people into thinking that  they're actually eating algae.

Seasoning:

1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy
1 garlic clove
and, in my case because I didn't have sesame seeds I used roasted white sage seeds and some of my California black walnuts.

Mix and let rest for 5 minutes. Super yum!

Now THAT'S Hand Dancing!

How to Stitch . . .

THE BASICS

* casting on with two needlescasting on with two needles
* knit stitchknit stitch
* purl stitchpurl stitch
* stocking stitchstocking stitch
* starting a new ballstarting a new ball
* casting offcasting off
* weaving in endsweaving in ends
* dropped a stitch?dropped a stitch?

MORE KNITTING STITCHES

* casting on with one needlecasting on with one needle
* cable cast oncable cast on
* decreasingdecreasing
* increasingincreasing
* rib stitchrib stitch
* loop stichloop stich
* ladder stitchladder stitch
* moss stitchmoss stitch
* bobble stitchbobble stitch
* intarsiaintarsia
* fair-isle/carry the yarn overfair-isle/carry the yarn over
* triple yarn overtriple yarn over
* neckline and strapsneckline and straps
* fringues fringues
* buttonholebuttonhole
* joining your workjoining your work
* customisationcustomisation
* make a braidmake a braid
* circular knittingcircular knitting
* make one ball of yarn with 2 + ballsmake one ball of yarn with 2 + balls



http://woolandthegang.com/en/videos/index

(Grocery) Store Wars - May the Farm Be With You!

CLASSIC!

 These are dark times, young Cuke!

Seduced by artificially lower prices, people don't even want to know where their food comes from.

A growing resistance called the Organic Rebellion is fighting back!

Help me, Obi-wan Cannoli, you're my only hope!

Chew-Brocolli!

That's no moon, that's a melon! The Death Melon! That giant fruit threatens us all!

Darth Tator.  He's now more chemical than vegetable.

Toxic Brew

This is a serious, life threatening problem. Fortunately there is a simple solution to protect you and those you love.

Could your home be healthier?
Learn how to get rid of toxins. . . it is worth it. 

This video clip is from a news program (CBC) in Canada.  The United States of America's Code of Federal Regulations is like Canada's in that; if a product is used for personal, family or household use.... the manufacturer does not have to tell us what is in it" (Section 1910.1200C, Title 29, Section 1500.82 2Q1A)

Link back to SOURCE:
http://video.aol.ca/video-detail/cbc-marketplace-report-toxic-brew/966454477/?icid=VIDLRVENT08
(you may need to scroll down)

Best Version Yet -- Better Than the Original

OK, so I LOVE that video and I give it a High Gold!!

<~~~~~~ This one  . . . . .  has not impressed me one iota!

One Home at a Time

A Wake-Up Story from Healthy Child Healthy World on Vimeo.

I'm Yours

I simply could not resist posting this. My husband performs this song and I can't wait to show this to him!

Science Tricks You "Gotta" Try

For more quirky science visit http://richardwiseman.wordpress.com
Prof Richard Wiseman's daily blog

Did He Just Say, "Castrating a Lamb With His Teeth?"

This is well worth viewing. How many knew that this guy was so intelligent and well spoken! This video is not ground breaking but I found it funny and inspiring. Get a cuppa tea or a cuppa jo and "listen for a spell."


Drawing on his experiences picking up roadkill, feeding swine, and castrating a lamb with his teeth, Mike Rowe, host of Discovery Channel's Dirty Jobs, discusses how modern American culture belittles necessary labor.
Note: might not be suitable for young ears. Case in point - the title of this post!!

Mike Rowe has, most probably, had more jobs than you. In fact, Mike has probably had more jobs than anyone. As the creator and executive producer of Discovery Channels Emmy-nominated series Dirty Jobs With Mike Rowe, Mike has spent years traveling the country, working as an apprentice on more than 200 jobs that most people would go out of their way to avoid.

From coal mining to roustabouting, maggot farming to sheep castrating, Mike has worked in just about every industry and filmed the show in almost every state, celebrating the hard-working Americans who make civilized life possible for the rest of us.

On Labor Day 2008, Mike launched a Web site called mikeroweWORKS.com, where skilled labor and hard work are celebrated in the hope of calling attention to the steady decline in the trades and bolstering enrollment in trade schools and technical colleges.

Mister Rogers

Mr. Rogers' Theme sound bite

"It's a beautiful day in this neighborhood, A beautiful day for a neighbor. Would you be mine? Could you be mine?... It's a neighborly day in this beauty wood, A neighborly day for a beauty. Would you be mine? Could you be mine?... I've always wanted to have a neighbor just like you. I've always wanted to live in a neighborhood with you. So, let's make the most of this beautiful day. Since we're together we might as well say: Would you be mine? Could you be mine? Won't you be my neighbor? Won't you please, Won't you please? Please won't you be my neighbor?'"

A Proven Neurotoxin in the H1N1 Vaccine

Straight No Chaser - The 12 Days of Christmas (well, sort of)

I have been saving this for you since last year when I first saw/heard it. Enjoy!
ps) We have the CD at The Best Nest. Come get yours!

French Documentary

This is a must --- please take the time to watch this even if you do it in sections.
This is a documentary aired on French television - a documentary that Americans won’t ever see. The gigantic bio-tech corporation Monsanto is threatening to destroy the agricultural biodiversity which has served mankind for thousands of years



H/T: Nicene Truth