Thyme Tea

 

How to make thyme tea - Boil a pot of water and then add the leaves of the plant. Let the tea steep for 5-7 minutes before drinking.

 

Used on a regular basis in cooking, thyme is one of the most common herbs on the planet. The thyme tea can help you with a number of different things. It can be used as a mouthwash, and its antiseptic qualities will help sore throats, infected gums, and more. It's a common ingredient in most major mouthwashes, in fact. The tea itself also has numerous antifungal properties and is often used to combat skin parasites and athlete's foot, used in both oral and topical application.

Thyme tea has also been show to help with headaches and pain from inflammations like rheumatism. Gas and flatulence are also lessened through its use, and its healing properties for treating coughs due to colds and flu are well documented. It can also help ease bronchial troubles as well as providing assistance in overcoming anemia. Even some intestinal problems can be relieved through the use of this versatile tea.

Thyme cures styes and aids pink eye. It cleans scrapes and cuts immediately with its antiseptic and disinfectant properties. Thyme treats women with menstrual cramps and PMS symptoms also. Some people claim that it may help the alcoholics quit their habit.

Super-fast Salad!

Ingredients for 1 salad:

a handful of fresh parsley, use all the stems too

cherry tomatoes

1/3 cup cucumbers, cut into bite sizes

1 plum, cut into bite sizes

The dressing of your choice.

Directions: Wash everything well. Cut them into bite sizes and toss them together. Enjoy!
This is a perfect salad for when you come back from work or for your lunch.

Why parsley? Parsley is the world's most popular herb with high nutrient content. It derives its name from the Greek word meaning "rock celery" (parsley is a relative to celery). It is a biennial plant that will return to the garden year after year once it is established.

 

Banana - Pumpkin Buckwheat Cake

 

As I was looking in my pantry and found some pumpkin cans, I was going to experiment and try something new since I did not care too much about the can goods and it was a perfect trial without being very sorry about wasting the ingredients. I can't wait to try this recipe in the fall when real pumpkins come out.

   

Ingredients:

1 can of pumpkin mix or make your own mix (the mix has sugar in it, but if you make your own mix, may omit sugar) or use 2 cups of grated raw pumpkin

2 ripe bananas

2 eggs

½ tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup cream of buckwheat

2 tbsp coconut oil or melted butter

1/4 cup water or OJ (if sugar not added)

 

Directions:

Place all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. Pour batter in a pre-greased glass baking pan. Bake at 375F for 30 min. Allow to cool. May use confectioner's sugar to garnish (optional).

Lunch at work!

What is Orthodox Christianity?

Greetings,

I wanted to share with you that after three years, What is Orthodox Christianity? An Answer in Three Parts is finally complete!  It is a three-part slideshow movie that aims to:

1. Answer the question for a contemporary American audience with some familiarity of Christianity.

2. Offer some basic orientation for those who may be exploring Orthodox Christianity. 

It tries to do this using the aesthetics and resources of the Church, rather than conventional movie-making techniques. Therefore, the decision to use still images, to use readable text (rather than voiceover), and other aesthetic choices are deliberate and are inspired by what is already present in Orthodox Christianity. 

It features 363 icons, 162 photographs, 68 other pictures, and 92 explicit references to Scripture.

The three parts are available here:

Part One; "The Teachings of Christ" (running time 40 minutes): https://vimeo.com/133268270

Part Two: "Falling Away From Christ" (running time 45 minutes): https://vimeo.com/132086893

Part Three: "The Life in Christ" (running time: 40 minutes): https://vimeo.com/132791183

This movie was made to be shared with others...so please do so.

With love in Christ,

Fr. Daniel

  

St. Paisios of Mt. Athos

 

Saint Paisios of Mount Athos (Greek: Ὃσιος Παΐσιος ὁ Ἁγιορείτης), born Arsenios Eznepidis (1924–1994), was a well-known Eastern Orthodox ascetic from Mount Athos, who originated from Pharasa, Cappadocia. He was respected for his spiritual guidance and ascetic life and many people worldwide highly venerate Elder Paisios, especially in Greece and in Russia.
Venerable Elder Paisios was canonized on 13 January 2015 by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, and the church commemorates his feast day on July 12.

The book is amazing: Elder Paisios of Mount Athos Hardcover – 2012; by Elder Isaac (Author)                                     
St. Paisios please pray for us always!

Why Orthodoxy

This is an excellent interview with Fr. Josiah Trenham, a terrific speaker who is very informative!
I highly recommend taking the time to see this video- you won't regret it!
His book is available from: http://store.ancientfaith.com/
"This book has been written for three purposes. First, to provide the Orthodox reader with a competent overview of the history of Protestantism and its major traditions, from its beginnings in the 16th century to the present day. This overview relies heavily upon the Reformer's own words as well as the creeds of various Protestant faiths, in order to avoid misrepresentation and caricature. Second, to acquaint Orthodox and non-Orthodox readers with a narrative of the historical relations between the Orthodox East and the Protestant West. Finally, to provide a summary of Orthodox theological opinion on the tenets of Protestantism.
About the author: Father Josiah Trenham is a native Southern Californian. He was ordained to the Holy Priesthood in 1993, and was awarded the Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Durham, England, in 2004. He has served as pastor of St. Andrew Orthodox Church in Riverside, Ca. since 1998. Father Josiah is the founder and director of Patristic Nectar Publications which produces both recordings of patristic works as well as recordings of lectures and homilies available in direct download formats (www.patristicnectar.org). Father Josiah's weekly homilies and additional theological reflections are published weekly on The Arena podcast on Ancient Faith Radio: www.ancientfaith.com/podcasts/thearena. "

"Rock and Sand": Part I : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=piVdrtgo7Xw&feature=youtu.be

Zuchini, Moringa and Buckwheat Pilaf

Ingredients:
3 cups of fresh moringa
1 chopped onions
3 cups zucchini cut in 1 inch pieces
oregano, basil, salt, pepper to taste
4-5 garlic cloves, diced
2 cups cream of buckwheat
2 tbsp. coconut oil
1 tbsp. lemon juice
Directions:
In a stainless steal skillet saute in coconut oil the onions for 10 minutes. Add the spices, zucchini and moringa. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add 1 cup water, lemon juice and cream of buckwheat. Simmer for another 20 minutes.
Note: for more info on moringa see my post from: September 14, 2014:" Tiny leaves- Enormous Benefits: Moringa"

Almond, Walnut, Mango Upside Down Cake

Ingredients: (a no sugar, gluten-free recipe)

1.5 cups of almond meal

3 eggs

2 tbsp. milk

pinch of salt

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 box of mascarpone cheese

1 ripe mango

1 ripe banana

2.5 cups of chopped walnuts

 

Directions:

In a mixing bowl add the almond meal, salt, banana, vanilla and milk. Mix all ingredients very well (a blender would make the job easier). Separately, blend together mango and cheese.

Cover a 4X4 inch glass pan with 2 cups of walnuts. Add the almond batter. Bake at 350F for 30 min.  Remove from oven and allow to cool down to room temperature. Cut in the serving portions (6). Cover tightly the pan with a serving dish and invert so the walnut side is up. Cover with

mango-cheese mix.  Serve. Garnish with the left over walnuts. (optional)

 

Avocado-Banana Chocolate Ice-cream

This is a raw & vegan recipe, great for all ages, but especially for kids! For those who are following a paleo diet is a must try:

Ingredients:
3 ripe bananas
1 avocado
2 tbsp. coconut oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. chocolate powder
honey to taste
pinch of salt

Directions:
Place all ingredients in a blender, mix until smooth. Pour in a container provided with a lid and place in the freezer for 12 hours. Enjoy!
Note: The photo shown has also some Mango Banana Ice-cream too  (1 ripe mango, 1 ripe banana, coconut oil, salt, mint, vanilla extract)