Healing Herbs

Herbs for cooking and Healing

This month I’m writing about herbs and their uses in both historic and present day times. Herbs are the fresh and dried leaves generally of temperate plants and are usually green in color.

Throughout the Bible we find references to herbs and their use. It is believed they were grown in the Garden of Eden and were highly prized for their medicinal qualities. Early Egyptians used herbs and spices to preserve their mummies.

The leafy green herbs run from the licorice flavor of anise of the parsley family to the pungent aroma of oregano. Plants like basil were even kept in the homes to bring the family happiness.

Unusual uses of herbs include using anise on the pillow to ward off bad dreams, bay leaves to bring good luck and ward off evil, laurel leaves to make wreaths to crown victors in Greece and Rome, and basil used as a symbol of love and fertility.

Herbs have been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times by the Chinese and Greeks. Evidence of use 5000 years ago has been found on a Sumerian clay slab from Nagpur and in Chinese writings at least 2500 years old. Even ancient Indian writing in their holy books mentions treatment with plants. Other ancient writings also include mentions of plants and herbs being used as medicine.

Those ancient remedies were said to cure coughs, headaches, fevers, parasites and pain. They were uses as diuretics as well as laxatives. As science progressed and new discoveries made, the use of herbs to treat ailments decreased. Antibiotics like penicillin began to take the place of herbs in healing. Herbs were and still are considered an important part of cooking, but looked upon as “old wives tales” for medicinal purposes. However, people still enjoy enjoy the soothing qualities of a cup of Chamomile or Peppermint tea today for their relaxing qualities.

The most common herbs still in use today will be found as living plants, dried, crushed or ground, in teas, and certain condiments.

Chamomile: A plant that resembles a daisy. Its leaves are dried and crushed and may be used as a sedative for anxiety or for relaxing. Europeans may still use it for wound healing and to reduce inflammation or swelling. Chamomile is used as a tea or applied as a compress. It is considered safe by the FDA, and may be considered an aid to fighting cancer. However, chamomile may interfere with the way the body uses some medicines.

Basil: Also called great basil or Saint-Joseph's-wort. Basil is native to tropical regions from central Africa to Southeast Asia. It is a tender plant, and is used in cuisines worldwide. Basil is most commonly used fresh in recipes, but it can also be dried. A cook will generally add basil at the last minute because the flavor can be destroyed in cooking. Basil is one of the main ingredients in pesto—a green Italian oil-and-herb sauce.

Garlic: A pungent plant used to flavor many ethnic dishes. Medicinally, garlic is used for lowering cholesterol and blood pressure. Although studies today have shown hat it may cause small reductions in total HDL and LDL cholesterol, positive effects have been distorted. The FDA considers garlic safe, but it should no be used if a person is on warfarin because garlic may affect clotting.

Oregano: A flowering plant in the mint family. It is native to temperate Western and Southwestern Eurasia and the Mediterranean region. The flowers are purple, 3–4 mm long, produced in erect spikes. Most commonly used in Italian cuisine, its pungent flavor and aroma are best when dried and crushed.

Sage: Salvia officinalis is the scientific name for this plant, a perennial, evergreen subshrub, with woody stems, grayish leaves, and blue to purplish flowers. As a member of the mint family, it is native to the Mediterranean region. It’s most commonly used as a dried herb and is most familiar as a popular seasoning at Thanksgiving.

Thyme: Is any member of the genus Thymus of aromatic perennial evergreen herbs in the mint family Lamiaceae. Thymes are relatives of the oregano genus Origanum. They have culinary, medicinal, and ornamental uses. Although the leaves are available fresh, it usually dried and crushed to be used in most recipes.

Parsley: Parsley or garden parsley is a species of flowering plant that is native to the central Mediterranean region, but has naturalized elsewhere in Europe, and is widely cultivated as a herb, a spice, and a vegetable. We see it used fresh as a garnish and dried in stews to add flavor and a bit of color in cream cheese 
spreads.

Peppermint: This aromatic herb is one of my favorites and is easily grown in most soils whether for herbs or not. It is used to flavor tea, hot chocolate, and even coffee. The leaves give off an aroma that can begin healing even before it is consumed. It is very good for colds, flu, and fever because it acts to relieve multiple symptoms at once. Because of its pleasing aroma, it a popular essential oil for and acts as a relaxant to ease pain and congestion and even to settle stomach problems.  

Rosemary: With its pungent aroma, rosemary is a favorite herb of many cooks.

It is a perennial evergreen shrub. Although native to the Mediterranean area, it now grows widely in much of the world, particularly in warm, sunny climates. You’ll recognize rosemary by its long, spiky needles that are green on top and silvery underneath, as well as small, blue flowers. It is available as a fresh herb, as a dried whole herb, in oil, or dried in capsules. Its medicinal qualities range from relieving stress, improving memory, hair loss treatment, relief of aches and pains, improve memory loss and concentration, and to relieve indigestion and stomach distress. 

Many other herbs are available and are said to have medicinal qualities dating back to ancient times. Be wary about using them for these purposes today and do more research before dropping prescribed medications and going the herbal route.

Martha Rogers is a multi-published author and writes a weekly devotional for ACFW. Since receiving her first novel contract at age 73, Martha has written and published over 50 books. Martha and her husband Rex live in Houston, Texas where they are active members of First Baptist Church. They are the parents of three sons and grandparents to eleven grandchildren and great-grandparents to five. Martha is a retired teacher with twenty-eight years teaching Home Economics and English at the secondary level and eight years at the college level supervising student teachers and teaching freshman English. She is the Director of the Texas Christian Writers Conference held in Houston in August each year, a member of ACFW, ACFW WOTS chapter in Houston, and a member of the writers’ group, Inspirational Writers Alive.

Find Martha at:  www.marthawrogers.com, www.hhhistory.com                           Twitter:  @martharogers2    
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarthaRogersAuthor

Cowboy Candy & 5 Chapters Giveaway

Old-fashioned peppermint candy

Peppermints seemed to be a favorite cowboy candy in the Old West, when available. They were tasty, portable, and at least the cowboys thought they covered up the smell of other vices. And they provided other uses too.

Medicinal Uses of Peppermint

While the origin of peppermint candy is unclear, historical accounts reveal peppermint oils have been used since ancient times to calm the stomach and for other remedies. Farmers in Europe began commercially growing the plant, which is a natural cross between watermint and spearmint, in the late 1700s.

Oil of peppermint contains menthol that is an antiseptic and anesthetic. Chewing a few peppermint leaves is thought to relieve a toothache. Indigestion, cold and flu sufferers can find some relief by drinking peppermint tea. However, peppermint tea can cause insomnia and it is therefore best avoided at night.

Peppermint oil is useful in combating flatulence and mild indigestion. Many over-the-counter stomach aids contain peppermint to both enhance the taste as well as the effectiveness of the medicine. However, in a strange bit of irony, peppermint is something of a trigger food for many suffering from acid reflux and may cause their symptoms to worsen.

History of Peppermint in the United States

When European settlers came to America they found that the American

Modern Wrapped Peppermints

Indians were already aware of the importance of mint, though they were growing different species of mint, native to North America. The settlers brought peppermint and other non-native mints with them and they quickly became naturalized and spread.

Some sources state commercial peppermint history in the United States is believed to have begun in Wayne County, New York in the early part of the 1800s. Others mention the first commercial growing of peppermint in the U.S. began in 1790 in the state of Massachusetts. 

Smith Kendon developed Altoids® in 1780 to relieve intestinal discomfort.

Homemade Peppermint Pillows

A recipe for straight peppermint candy sticks, white with colored stripes, was published in 1844. The first historical reference to the candy cane being in America goes back to 1847, when a German immigrant called August Imgard decorated the Christmas tree in his Wooster, Ohio home with candy canes.

The growing popularity of mint flavored toothpaste, gum, and candy at the turn-of-the twentieth century created a domestic market for high quality peppermint and spearmint oil.

In 1912, Clarence Crane of Cleveland, Ohio invented a mint flavored hard candy that had a strong resemblance to a lifesaving ring that you throw out to someone in distress in the water. In the 1930s, LifeSavers® salesmen made their rounds in distinctive cars shaped like a roll of LifeSavers® candy. They experimented with a variety of flavors, but Pep-O-Mint, flavored with mint, was always one of their most popular flavors.

Peppermint in the Bible

Mint was so valued in Egypt that it was used as a form of currency. In the Bible (Luke 11:39) Jesus tells the Pharisees: But woe unto you, Pharisees! For ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Other cowboy candy:

In 1847 Oliver Chase invented a machine for cutting lozenges and the fabled Necco Wafer® was born.

In the 1880s Wunderle Candy Company created candy corn.

In 1890 The Piedmont Candy Company manufactured Red Bird Peppermint Puffs in Lexington, North Carolina

In 1891 Claus Doscher opened Doscher Brothers Confections and a few years later introduced taffy after first tasting it in France

In 1893 William Wrigley, Jr. introduced Juicy Fruit® Chewing Gum and Wrigley's Spearmint® Chewing Gum

In 1893 Thomas Richardson introduced Pastel Mints at a department store in Philadelphia, PA

In 1896 Leo Hirshfield, a New York confectioner, introduced Tootsie Rolls®, named after his daughter's nickname, "Tootsie."

In 1890, legend claims an unnamed Southern lady made taffy but added the wrong ingredient resulting in the first batch of peanut brittle

Cowboy Candy Jalapenos

Modern versions of cowboy candy include Pickled Jalapenos and Candied Jalapenos, a combination of maraschino cherries and jalapeno peppers in sweet pickle brine. You can eat this treat with cream cheese on crackers or on a juicy hamburger. 

Find recipes here: 

http://tastykitchen.com/blog/2011/09/candied-jalapenos-cowboy-candy/

or here:

http://www.food.com/recipe/candied-jalapeno-or-cowboy-candy-453141

Or there’s cowboy coffee stirred with a peppermint stick.

Favorite cowboy desserts in the Old West days on the trail were Hounds Ears,

Cowboy Candy with
cream cheese & cracker

Whirlups & Pooch. Find bonafide recipes for these delights on my website: http://www.blybooks.com/2010/01/cowboy-dessert/

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Janet Chester Bly

About Author & Free 5 Chapters Giveaway Offer…

Janet Chester Bly has written and co-written 32 books with her late husband, award-winning western author Stephen Bly. She and her three sons completed Stephen’s last historical novel for him, Stuart Brannon’s Final Shot. Read about the story here: http://www.blybooks.com/category/finishing-dads-novel/.

New release Wind in the Wires, Book 1, Trails of Reba Cahill, is her

Wind in the Wires

first solo adult novel. It’s a contemporary western mystery. It’s a road adventure with a touch of romance. She calls it CowgirlLit. 

Find Wind in the Wires here:

Amazon.com   Nook Book  Barnes&Noble  BlyBooks.com

For free 5 Chapters of Windin the Wires to receive right now, sign up for Bly Books Almost Monthly News here: https://blybooks.leadpages.net/5-chapters-witw-optin/