Saturday, April 21, 2012

Zuppa Toscana - Key Lime Pie - Arthritis Salve

Yesterday was chilly, so I decided soup was going to be for dinner instead of salad.  I started thinking, instead of the typical chicken noodle or beef vegetable soup; I was going to make something different.  I had a craving for Italian sausage and kale.   So, I figured Zuppa Toscana would hit the spot.  Bulldog Man and Tank enjoyed the soup; I made enough to have the next day for dinner.

Zuppa Toscana
1 ½ pounds of Italian sausage
½ onion chopped
3 white potatoes - diced
1 garlic clove
3 cups chopped kale
8 ounces of chicken broth
1 quart of water
1 ½ cups of heavy whipping cream
½ cup of cooked bacon pieces
Directions
Remove sausage from casing and chop into small pieces and brown.
Place onions, potatoes and garlic in pot. Add broth and water. Cook until potatoes are done. Add bacon, salt and pepper (to taste).  Add kale and cream, cook for 8 – 10 minutes, and serve.


I also made dessert, Key Lime Pie.  It was so good and a favorite for Bulldog Man.  He doesn’t eat many sweet things but when I make this he can’t help himself.  Usually, I would make a homemade graham cracker crust but I had a store bought one in the pantry and needed to use it.



                                               Key Lime Pie
1 (9 inch) graham cracker crust
½ cup key lime juice
1 (14 ounce) can of sweet condensed milk
5 egg yolks
                 
Directions

Beat egg yolks.  Add sweet condensed milk, lime juice to egg yolks and mix well.  Pour into unbaked graham cracker crust. Heat oven at 375 degrees and bake for 15 minutes.  Allow pie to cool and top with heavy cream whipped topping and serve.



I also made an arthritis salve for our first aid kit.  Both Bulldog Man and I suffer from arthritis and would rather use something natural instead of something commercially made.  This salve contains Ginger Root, Echinacea Herb, St John’s Wort, Boswellia Serrata, Olive Oil, Bees Wax and Vitamin E.  You can purchase this Herbal Mixture from http://www.bulkherbstore.com/ like I did.  Place Herbal Mixture in a pint mason jar (2/3rds full).  Fill jar will oil (olive, coconut or sweet oil), 1 inch from rim.  Tighten lid, place a wet wash cloth on the bottom of your crock pot, place the pint jar on top of the wash cloth, add water to crock pot just at the top of the jar before the rim of the lid,  place lid back on crock pot, set cooking temperature on low.  Cook for 3 days straight on low.  Make sure to constantly add water to crock pot to ensure the water level is at the top of the jar before the lid.  After cooking, remove from crock pot; strain your herbs out of your oil.  Place a sauce pan on your stove, poor your oil into sauce pan.  Add chopped/grated bees wax (approximately 2 oz for every 8 to 9 oz of oil) in sauce pan and melt.  Once melted, add a drop of vitamin E oil for every ounce of oil.  Pour the oil mixture into a large mouth container.  Let sit over night until salve is solid. Place lid on tight and label.  An instruction on making this salve also comes with the Herbal Mixture.



















Vitamin E added to melted bees wax and the strained oil.

Completed oil poured into jars to solidify.


Oil solidified overnight into salve (Arthritis Salve).


 


 
SHARE:

12 comments

  1. I take it the salve actually helps. How much trouble would I be in if I forgot it was on my hands and rubbed my eyes?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This is the first time I'm using this type of salve, I will have to let you know it this one works after using it a while. It's all natural, the bees wax may it may irrate the eyes a little. All you would need to do is just flush your eyes and things will be fine.

      Delete
    2. Please do update! I have arthritis in both hands, so I can't use the commercial rubs cause if I forget and rub my eyes.....yah not cool.

      Delete
    3. Ruth, Sure, I will update you when we use it. Probably would have to use it a couple of times before we see a difference. Yes, not cool to get all those chemicals (from commercial rubs) in your eyes.

      Delete
  2. I do love me some Key Lime pie.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Stephen,
      The entire family loves Key Lime pie too! My down fall is true Key Lime pie. I lived in Florida for many years and was introduced to it and can't get enough of it. Lord knows, I would't get any Key Lime pie in Oklahoma unless you know how to make it yourself :-)

      Delete
  3. Sandy - the soup looks delicious and jambaloney looooves key lime pie! i will have to try your recipe! do you find the salve works? do you use it on your hands/wrists?

    your friend,
    kymber

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kymber, The soup was out of this world fabulous, so was the key lime pie (the boy's killed the pie, no let overs). It's a relatively easy recipe to make. If I want another piece of pie, I'm going to have to make another pie and hide it, so the boys don't get it first, lol. This is the first time I've made salve. This particular recipe is for any location of the body that has arthiritic pain.

      Delete
  4. Sandy
    I can't pronounce that soup, but it sure looks yummy. I'd like to try it!
    I've never tried key lime pie, but this sure makes me want to.
    I'd like to try your salve too. I wonder if it would work on sore muscles too. Do you know? I like to use natural salves too when I can get them.
    Happy Sunday-Kimberly

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kimberly, Hey! Pronounce it "Soup" with a "Z" instead of an "S", then add an "A" at the end (ZoupA), lol....I hope that helps :-) The pie will have a little bit of a tart taste to it, if you like tarty things, you'll like Key Lime. In regards to the Salve, this was the first time I every made it by hand with a little help from The Bulk Herbal Store (they mixed the herbs), I cooked the Salve. When we use it a couple of times, then I can let you know if it works good. What did interest me though was a premade Salve called Eden Salve. This Salve, had all kinds of positive right ups. So, I had to purchase it and place it in my first aid kit too. It supposed to be great for burns, bits, pain ect... I've have attached the website name below, check it out when you have a chance.

      http://www.bulkherbstore.com/

      Delete
  5. Very interesting .. the arthritis salve. Your soup looks very delicious .. I LOVE kale in soup. Let your readers know how the new salve works. It looks like it turned out good :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Mrs. Mac, The soups is delicious, especially if you like italian sausage. The salve came out great, now we just need to use it. We will use it very soon, when the pain starts. I will make sure to post the out come of the salve on my blog.

      Delete

BLOGGER TEMPLATE CREATED BY pipdig