Kick what ailes you Tonic!!!

 Our brewing tonic

 What the tonic looks like after it's strained,

as you can tell I need to get another batch brewing

The finished and strained tonic on the left

and the brewing tonic on the right

In an early post about tonic I shared the amazing effects tonic has had on our family. It truly has been amazing! I also wanted to post the recipes for the tonic. I am going to post two recipes. I have only made the first recipe and I can personally give my seal of approval on. The second recipe I haven't tried yet, but might be a little bit more kid friendly, but I don't know yet since I haven't made it. But it is next on my list to try!

Master Tonic #1

- A Natural Antibiotic: antiviral, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-parasitical.

1 part fresh chopped garlic

1 part fresh chopped Onion

1 part fresh grated Ginger Root

1 part fresh grated Horseradish Root

1 part fresh chopped Cayenne Peppers or any peppers available.

Apple Cider Vinegar (Raw Unfiltered Unbleached Non-distilled)

Fill a glass jar 3/4 of the way full with equal parts by volume of the above fresh chopped and grated herbs. Then fill jar to the top with raw apple cider vinegar. Close and shake vigorously

Shake at least once a day for two weeks, and then filter the mixture through a clean piece of cloth or filter, bottle and label. Make sure that when you make this tonic that you shake it every time you walk by it, a minimum of once per day. Remember that all the herbs and vegetables should be fresh (and organically grown if possible) and use dried herbs only in an emergency.

This tonic is extremely powerful because all the ingredients are fresh. Its power should not be underestimated. This formula is a modern day plague tonic and when added to an incurable routine it can cure the most chronic conditions and stubborn diseases. It stimulates maximum blood circulation, while putting the best detoxifying herbs into the blood. This formula is not just for the sniffles, it has helped to turn around the deadliest infections like some of the new mutated killer viruses that defy conventional antibiotics.

The dosage is 1 or 2 ounce, two or more times daily. Swish and swallow. (Don’t dilute with water.)

For ordinary infections, a dose taken 5-6 times a day will deal with most conditions. It can be used during pregnancies, is safe for children (use smaller doses and as a food is completely non-toxic. Make up plenty as it does not need refrigeration and lasts indefinitely without any special storage conditions.

Ingredient properties:

-Garlic cloves (anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-parasitical)

-White Onion, or hottest onions available (similar properties to garlic)

-Ginger Root (increases circulation to the extremities)

-Horseradish Root (increases blood flow to the head)

-Cayenne Peppers, or the hottest peppers available, i.e. Jalapeno, etc. (a great blood stimulant).

Garlic is a broad spectrum antibiotic, destroying both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Unlike chemical antibiotics that kill off the millions of friendly bacteria that your body needs, Garlic only kills the bad guys and even promotes and increases your healthy bacteria. It is also a very potent anti-viral which really makes it a specific for colds, influenza and upper respiratory infections. Garlic is also a powerful anti-fungal and literally destroys any antigen, pathogen and any harmful or disease causing micro-organism that can hurt you. Onion is Garlic’s next of kin and has a similar but milder action. Together they are a killing duo. Horseradish is a potent herb for the sinus and lungs. It opens up the sinus passages and increases the circulation there, where, most doctors agree, the common cold and influenza often starts. Cayenne and Ginger are like a nuclear blast to your body’s circulation. This powerful tag team will unblock anything, anywhere!

So just imagine, you have the two strongest herbs to kill EVERY germ known and the three most powerful herbs to blast them around your entire body. It doesn’t get any better.

Master Tonic #2

• 1/4 c. ginger root, freshly grated
• 1/4 c. onion, freshly chopped
• 1/4 c. fresh rosemary, chopped
• 1/4 c. fresh sage leaves, chopped
• 1/4 c. grated horseradish
• 4 cloves of garlic (you can up it to 6, if you feel adventurous)
• 2 Tbsp. ground cayenne pepper
• organic apple cider vinegar to cover

1. Combine all the ingredients in a quart size mason jar, and fill to the top, leaving 1 inch head space.
2. Shake daily for two to four weeks, then strain, squeezing out all the liquid.
3. Heat gently over heat, and add 1/4 c. of honey, stirring to dissolve.
4. Rebottle, and use as needed to kick any feeling of sick right out of you!

I usually use 2 tablespoons in a cup of hot water, and sip it as needed. I've also used it in chicken broth as well, to give an extra boost of nutrition when I haven't felt up to eating anything.

Now all that's needed is to decide which recipe is right for you and your family!http://markandrobinrussell.blogspot.com/2011/12/tonic.html

Tonic

My husband suffers from chronic sinus infections, infections that have been known to lay him flat for weeks. He has tried antibiotics, but his gut cannot handle the antibiotics. I believe he does not have enough gut flora to handle the large doses it takes to kick it from his body. Every time he took antibiotics he had to take another medicine to help him with the nasty side effects of the antibiotic. We were desperate to find something to help him without the nasty side effects from other medicines. After researching different remedies on the Internet I found a website that had a recipe for what they called 'tonic', it sounded nasty, but it also sounded like everything in it would kick whatever ailed him! Kicking what ailed him and then some! We made our first batch the end of September, he took his first dose and it was amazing! He said he could feel his sinuses opening immediately, he could feel the mucus draining from even his ears! He takes the tonic pretty much every day, BUT he has NOT had a sinus infection in the time he has been taking the tonic! He knows his body well enough that he can tell when he's about to get a sinus infection. When he feels his body going through the motions of a sinus infection, he takes the tonic, and he kicks whatever causes the infections out of his body.

Mark and I also have 23 month old twins Naomi and Titus, who are on their third round of pneumonia. I have desperately wanted to introduce them to the tonic. But it is potent stuff and I didn't want to torture them. I got to a spot were I was desperate to try anything! Again we were dealing with antibiotics, but they were also introducing the twins bodies to steroids. Both which make me shutter for the affects they are doing to their little bodies.  A few days after Titus was diagnosed with pneumonia again, Naomi got it again too. They are a little too good at sharing. Naomi sound croupy and hoarse and started getting wheeze. After consulting Mark and having him give me a pep talk, I got out the tonic. I dosed out a 1/4 of a tsp and gave it to Naomi. Her face said everything I thought it would! The look of mom this stuff is disgusting, icky! But, she drank it and I gave her a chaser of juice after it. Literally one and half hours later she was sitting on the couch playing with her toy computer, a little later she was down playing! Her croupy cough had cleared up, her wheeziness had cleared up! She came to me a little bit later after playing and was tired of course, she is still fighting something in her body, so I put her down for a good old fashioned nap! When she wakes up I fully intend to give her another 1/4 tsp. of tonic, and I will give her another one at supper. I will post later how the tonic works for her as we go along.

For now, everyone in our family is going to take tonic everyday! Mark and I will take about 3 Tbsp, 3x's a day. The kids will take 1/4 tsp., 3x's a day. We are going to take it until whatever funk is in our body gets kicked out!!!

I was hesitant to give the tonic to our kids. I didn't want to be mean, I didn't want to torture them, BUT I did want to heal them!  My cousin Angie was a GREAT encouragement to me to get the kids use to it when they are little instead of waiting until they were bigger. I gave the tonic to our soon to be 5 year old. She said mommy not that yucky stuff! I said, Maddie you can either get sick and not be able to play with Grandma or your friends or you can take the yucky medicine and be able to play! She voted for the nasty medicine!

Meaningful, frugal, resturant feel kinda dates

Mark and I celebrated our 6th Wedding anniversary. We dropped the kids off at a brave relatives house then went back home. We had decided that we wanted to stay home for a couple reason. The obvious reason is we wanted to save money, the second reason is we didn't want to have. The kids already required the kitchen sink for packing, so we opted for a stay cation.

Frugality started with our meals. The only meal we ate out was lunch on Friday in which we splurged and ate at a great restaurant called the Pita Pit. We then spent a few dollars on hamburger buns and a few other odds and ends we'd need for the weekend. For supper on Friday I bought refrigerator tortellini and made fresh Alfredo sauce, with shrimp, with homemade Alfredo sauce.

Saturday breakfast I used leftover ham, sauteed onions and chopped some leftover roasted potatoes and sauteed them with the onions and ham. I then filled our omelets in the meat and veggie mix, added some cheese, and folded the omelets. A couple pieces of toast with homemade apple butter! Delicious!

Saturday supper was one of Mark's favorites! Grilled Hamburgers with sauteed onions, with cheese, lettuce, mayo, and ketchup with homemade fries!

Sunday Breakfast we went to church and had keifer smoothies and then went to pick up our kiddos and had leftovers with our kids when we got home.

Our anniversary continued on in the week when I made french dip sandwiches for Monday supper.

In between meal times we enjoyed being home. Mark painted and I cooked and baked. We read books and enjoyed each others company and bodies. We went for a walk at our local state park, we rearranged furniture, and watched movies later than we normally would be able to. We slept in as long as our bodies would let us. We enjoyed sleeping in our own beds, using our own shower, not having to unpack and do extra traveling laundry.

We saved money, enjoyed our home together, got some projects done, had delicious meals in the privacy and comfort of our own home. Time together is not about where you go, but whom you are with! A little effort put into the kitchen, some planning for the menu and grocery shopping (this way you can watch for your menu items to go on sale), some chopping and prepping and you have a relaxing, tastey, amazing time with your honey!

What ideas do you have for frugal dates?

Grocery Frugality

Mark and I have been enjoying our house thoroughly, the extra room, the time we are able to invest in others because we finally can fit more than our family in one space. While our home is wonderful and we are grateful for it we are having to pinch our pennies tighter. Our energy bill is WAY more than what we paid for at our apartment. Usually two months out of the year we had a credit to us from the energy company, not this year.

One area we are able to save is groceries! It's one area we can reduce while eating nutritiously. How do we accomplish this. One we have a grocery store literally down the street from us and they have a bin with reduced priced meat in it. Meat that is almost out dated but still good so long as you use it right away or freeze it. This can save us tons of money, while eating some yummy stuff. I've bought brats from this bin and just today I bought some stakes from this same bin. I also buy veggies that are on sale this week and cater my menu planning to the meats and veggies I bought. This can reduce our grocery bill down to $20 or $30, at times this will last us two weeks!

Roll over meals. A roll over meal is any meal that you made once, that can be made into other meals later in the week. Some examples. Have Taco night one night, then the next day for lunch or supper have taco salad. A beef roast can be roasted in a crock pot with yummy veggies and turned into a hot beef sandwich, beef and veggie stew, or BBQ beef. A roasted whole chicken can make tons of different meals through our the week. The bones can be added to veggies you've chopped over the week and made into broth. The skins can be made into yummy crunchy good for you baked skins. The chicken can be divided up for soups, chicken and rice, chicken salad, chicken burritos, chicken enchiladas. Brats can be had with sauerkraut one night and the extras cooked brats can be chopped up for spaghetti, soups, we've used them in omelets in the morning or egg baked. Chopped up in bits they work in pizza. Leftover Ham can go lots of ways! Scalloped potatoes and ham, fried ham and eggs, ground into ham salad, ham sandwiches. There is lots of room for creativity with one meal that can be mad into many meals for the coming week.

Almost any meal can be turned into a soup. Last night we had stir fry with pork and a variety of veggies I had on hand. I two cans of tomatoes, some beef broth, and some veggie juice. This super will feed us tonight as well as provide for lunches this week! Soups are so nutritious for you in so many ways. The broth is amazing for you! It doesn't have to be digested so nutrients, vitamins, and minerals gets absorbed right into your body without giving your body the workout of digestion. Broth is a super protein.

Another grocery frugality is putting more effort and time into the kitchen. This is going to take a bit more of your time preparing, freezing, and making meals. However more time in the kitchen does two things. One, it saves you money because are are not buying prepackage meals that are full of preservatives and things you cannot pronounce. If you can't pronounce the ingredients, you probably shouldn't eat it!

Another thing I have started to do is buy generic diapers. I have been Leary of generic diapers, it is not worth it to me to buy a cheaper diaper that my child will leak through and destroy their clothes, thus actually costing me more money than what I saved. I prefer Target brand diapers, but we don't have a Target in our town so it's not very cost effect. Walgreen diapers fall in second, they are absorbent, the tabs are hard to pull off so toddlers who are suppose to be napping but aren't can't take their diapers off. Walgreen's also often has buy one get one free on their company brand products, when that's the case I stock up on the Walgreen diapers and wipes. Walgreen thick wipes are also my wipe of choice. They keep the poop on the wipe, not on my hand, and they handle multiple swipes of little bottoms!

Keeping my needs to absolute needs. Crackers, chips, ice cream, fruit or veggies not on sale are not needs. A new shirt or new shoes are not always needs. Planning ahead and having menu plan and list of grocery's I need for that meal plan are crucial. Training yourself not to buy something that isn't on your list often takes diligence but can be done.

Mark and I are determined to allow me to be able to stay home with our children. There are going to have to be sacrifices made in order for us to accomplish this. We have sacrificed vacations, junk food, new clothes for ourselves and our kids. We shop at thrift stores and the salvation army. Honestly, to spend $20 on a pair of jeans makes my stomach sink like the drops on a roller coaster. However, to spend $20 on a bag of clothes from a thrift store makes me giddy and excited!

These are just some of the things that Mark and I do for frugality. What are some of the things you do to save you money?

Everything it's crack up to be...or is it?

We started out as friends, it turned into love,

then it turned into comitted love!

In two weeks Mark and I will have been married for six years! It has been an amazing six years of growth and LOTS and LOTS of changes. Did I mention LOTS of changes! Mark and I had been married for a little over a few months when we were at a benfit banquet for a friend with cancer. We were helping at a booth and we were standing in each others arms, nothing inapproriate we just had our arms around one another. Another older couple came up and asked us how long we had been married and their response was, "oh that explains it, wait until you have been married longer". I looked at Mark and I said honey, I hope we never say that to another couple. I hope we can tell other couples, it only gets better.

Growth lessons in order:
1. We got married, it is absoultely hullarious that God often puts people who have absoultely nothing in common and are polar opposites and allows them to be married! What once were cute and things I admired became not so admirable and actual a bit annoying to be honest. Yet it is this everyday annoyances that helps me to become more holy and Christ like.

2. Six months after we got married we got pregnant with our daughter Maddie. She wasn't planned but she wasn't unwanted. She was loved from the moment we knew we were pregnant. But it wasn't easy. Having a baby meant that I had to give up my independance that I loved very much. I had to give up sleeping at nights. Maddie's first year of life was one of the hardest years I have every had in my life. It was this year that Mark and I grew to appreciate the fact that we had choosen to move to Albert Lea, MN and be near family. Minnesota is NOT were either of us would have choosen, it's still not our dream destination, but we do have family, and that far outways the mountains...most days. :)

3. Oregon or bust. Mark had lost his job, he couldn't find a job and we were desperate and Mark needed to get out of Minnesota. So pack our bags and moved to Medford, Oregon for seven months. Seven of the loneliest months I had ever experianced.  Through this move God brought Mark and I to a place of contentment when we moved back to Minnesota seven months later. Mark got layed off and we choose to go back to MN were he started school not soon after we moved back.

4. Mark enters school, which would last for three years. Two of those years I worked full time while being wife and mommy. There were many mornings I would cry as I left Maddie at my moms, because I wanted to be her mommy and I wanted to be there for her, not working. Then in Mark's second year of automachanics we got pregnant again. This time we found out we were having twins! In Mark's last semester the twins were born 7 wks early! On top of the twins Mark was attempting to do finals and pass his classes! The twins were in intensive care for 7 weeks. Again we learned and experianced the value of living near family. Mark passed his classes with straight A's AND showed me that no matter what he would be there for me and his family! I had never felt so loved.

5. Mark orginally went to school for automachincs, which then turned into one more year for web design. I became a single mom more often than not. Mark would work full time during the day and go to school full time in the evenings. I had three little kids, but I learned to put Mark first. I learned what it meant to be a supporting role. The little time Mark and I did find for each other meant so much more beacause there was so little of it.

6. Mark graduated and we moved into a house! God's provision for our hard work for the last three years. Yet with a house we have had to sacrifice eatting out, doing special extra things with my family, we are limited in our traveling. Yet, we have more room, we have a fire pit in our backyard. We are able to enjoy being a family so much more and partly because we have a kitchen with a back door that leads to our backyard. Mark and I are learning to budget, we are learning to make groceries last as long as we can. We are learning to be content.

One of the things that has kept Mark and I from destruction is to forgive quickly and let things go. We have both been committed to take our relationship to Jesus, we have been committed to being submitted to the Holy Spirit. We have sought the counsel of wise friends and family when we got into sticky, hard to forgive moments in our marriage.

We do not have the star struck love of newly weds anymore, but we do have a much richer, deeper, committed love. We have a love that says, "I forgive you". We have a love that says, "I will submit to the Holy Spirit". We have a love that is willing to put our pride aside. Mark and I have the ability to hurt each other deeper than anyone else has power to do, we have the ability to be more angry at each other than we have ever experianced and we do have these moments. But I'm thankful for the Holy Spirit who comes and softens our hurts and brings us to a place were we are willing to forgive and talk about the hurt and anger.

Panick

Panic, what sends you into panic? Is it lack of money, lack of love, rejection, lack of food? Does going into a room with tons of people send your mind realign?  Next question, what do you do when you panic? Do you run away? Do you face it and yell at it? Do you break down and can't function, becoming a zombie? Do you turn to God and let him wash over you with his truth?

I panic over lack of money, which brings a lack of food. I panic over rejection and possibly not being loved. I have run like my hair was on fire, I have broken down and sobbed my heart out and walked around like a zombie, functioning but not living. But I have also been taught, yes it's something that can be taught. I have broken down while turning to God, the one who is able to bring peace to confusion, clarity to confusion, the one who is able to give me the whole picture or half the picture, or no picture but still peace. I am blessed with friends who put their arm around me and love on me and yet still they point me to God's truth and God's love.

Today I was panicking about the lack of money for bills, food, much less anything we might "want". Which then goes into a whole bunch of different messages in my head about who I am, what I'm worth, and lots of other garbage I believe but isn't true. But when I turn to God, when I turn to his word he is able to reign in my thoughts, remind me of who I belong to, reminds me what my eternal purpose is. I had a wonderful cousin/friend walk me through my treasures on earth struggle and bring me to a place were I could focus on my treasures in heaven. What a precious gift this friend gave to me today. God indeed used this friend in my life today to point me to Him!

I was thinking of the fact that Mark and I are renting the house we live in for a year. Which is a great picture of my time on earth. I am only renting my time on earth. I own none of my time, I can't take anything with me when I die.

When you come to a panicking moment, what will you do? I encourage you seek truth! You shall know the truth and the truth SHALL set you FREE!

Who's shoes are you trying to wear?

My son Titus is determined to put shoes on. He has learned that it is easier to put my shoes on rather than his own. The Lord showed me a parable in this. When Titus tries to put my shoes on it is usually harder to stand up, he falls down much more easily, and walks more clumsily. What Titus doesn't realize is that by accomplishing the hard task of putting his own shoes on he will be able to walk much more freely. 

This is also true when I attempt to put someone elses shoes on. I see people all around me with straight hair that rarely gets frizzy, I see some who are fabulous teachers, rarely do I see what I have to offer anyone. I attempt or wish that I had someone elses shoe's on. What shoes do you wish you had? What "shoes" are you trying to make fit your feet when that's "shoes" God has for you. When you attempt to put on someone else shoes you are missing the wonderful things God created in you to give to others.

The Lord is reminding me that he has created me with my very  own special shoes. Ones that fit me just right, ones that are able to help me walk straight, ones that are able to help me stand firm, ones that allow me to loves others to my best ability. I have shoes that are mine and wouldn't fit someone else because God didn't make them to fit someone else, he made them to fit me!

God made you with your very own set of special shoes. Shoes that will allow you to walk straight, ones that will help you stand firm, ones that will help you to love others to the best of your ability. Shoes that won't fit anyone else because they were made for you!