Have you ever known a fellow human being who bellyached a little or a lot? Well — there’s a plant known as “Bellyache Bush” (Jatropha gossypifolia). It’s a shrubby perennial originating from warmer parts of the world, bearing many flowered panicles of small reddish-purple blooms in season. As for its common name Bellyache Bush — nobody seems to know the origin, but it’s reputed in some form or other to be a source of treatment for leprosy. Is a bellyacher a complainer with a short fuse who knows it all or thinks so, or has a me-first attitude in importance and lacks depth and consideration for others? On the highway such an individual might be a road rage driver. What’s your take or experience in this connection? Let me cite a short account where time and life experience were catalysts that brought about a complete change for the better to someone at an early age. The brief details go like this. “When I was a youthful lad of 14 and thought I knew it all, my dad was so ignorant and lacking knowledge that I was embarrassed and could hardly stand being around the “old man” with others near. But — when I became 21, I was astonished at how much my dad had learned in seven years.” Society is full of endless stories.
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Consider new ideas on the farm with a learner mindset
When people want some influence and agency to try something new, and are faced with “This is the way the grandparents always did it,” enthusiasm and creativity can be dampened.
Another plant, this one with edible conical cream-white narrow roots has one of the strangest common names I’ve ever encountered. It’s called “Johnny-go-to-bed-at-noon.” It belongs to a group of plants known as salsify (Scorzonera). Perhaps Johnny could have been a night shift worker who gardened in late afternoon and early evening, then slept during daytime. Salsify is a popular traditional plant in Europe whose roots provide an oyster flavour to soups. Hence its other common name — the oyster plant.
Wow! Have I got a brownies recipe for my Grainews family of readers and it doesn’t call for any flour. There is one ingredient in the recipe you’ve possibly never used before when you made brownies. Learn what it is further along.
How’s your breathing, i.e. taking air in and out? Most of us wouldn’t think that eating fish could help improve breathing challenges. Researchers found that to be true whether the cause resulted from smoking, air pollution, forest fires, wind and dust, vehicle exhaust or whatever. If you’re a fisher and catch your own or you buy fish, there’s food for thought straight ahead between eating fish regularly and improving breathing difficulties.
One of my sons posted a picture he took on Facebook when I was changing a faded Canadian flag for a new one. A notation says: October 2, 2021. My father’s birthday today. Happy birthday Ted Meseyton, a patriotic Canadian. A reminder that as human beings we all fade some with passage of time. Flags on my flagpoles are changed frequently. The deep-red side sections blend so well with the red maple leaf and purest white. It reminds me of the crimson apple crabs yet to be picked from the Kerr apple tree in the garden. Well it’s time for my usual tip o’ the hat and I’m up to bat with the rest of my ramblings straight ahead, so here’s my welcome shout-out to all.
Two minutes of your time
The date of the Grainews issue this column is printed in (November 2), reminds me that Remembrance Day on Thursday, November 11, 2021 is close at hand. The intention of the day is to honour the men and women who have served and continue to serve Canada during times of war, conflict, and peace, both at home and abroad. The poppy is also the symbol of remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice. In the run-up to Remembrance Day, replica poppies are sold by the Royal Canadian Legion to provide assistance to veterans. Some words follow from a great song about the sacrifices our veterans made to ensure our freedom, and how we often take them for granted. Thank a veteran.
Terry Kelly wrote:
Take two minutes would you mind,
It’s a pittance of time
For the boys and the girls who went over,
In peace may they rest,
May we never forget why they died,
It’s a pittance of time.
Black bean brownies
- 1 can black beans (540 ml) drained and rinsed
- 2/3 c. almond butter or peanut butter
- 2 tbsp. pure cocoa or cacao powder
- 1/2 c. coconut sugar, organic sugar or raw cane sugar
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 to 1 c. chocolate chips
Method:
Set your oven to 350 F.
1. Place the rinsed beans, nut butter, cocoa or cacao powder, your choice of healthy sugar and baking powder into a food processor and work it all together. Stop after about a minute to remove the lid from the food processor and use a spatula to scrape down the sides then continue the batter processing until it’s smooth.
3. Line an 8×8-inch or a 9×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper or spray with canola or coconut oil and then scrape the batter into the pan. Use your spatula to spread it out so it’s evenly distributed.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Using a clean finger touch the top of the baked brownies batter. If it bounces back up quickly it’s ready. Or stick a toothpick in the centre and consider it done when the toothpick slides out with nothing clinging to it.
5. Remove pan from the oven and let it cool for at least 10 minutes, then use a knife to cut brownies into whatever sizes you’d like and serve. Don’t reveal the mystery ingredient (black beans) until brownies are eaten and folks begin asking: What makes these brownies taste so good? Get ready to give out the recipe.
6. Three Ifs: If you don’t have a food processor, the black beans can be mashed by hand using a sturdy kitchen tool such as a potato masher until smooth before stirring in the other ingredients. If you’re a recipe tester you might experiment with using some pure maple syrup for part of the sweetener. One recipe tester formed brownies batter into cookies using a cookie scoop and baked them using a baking sheet and reported the brownies cookies baked quicker this way. If you decide to try this recipe, let’s hear how it turned out, what you think and even send a picture.
Eat fish for multiple protection
Now there may be some truth to this fishing tale that says:
When the wind is in the north,
The skilful fisher goes not forth;
When the wind is in the south,
It blows the fly in the fish’s mouth.
Today of course we are better dressed for weather and less sensitive to changing conditions, yet periods of variable weather and wind still affect our attitudes, behaviour and how well we feel. Countless folks acknowledge they’re capable of determining weather changes in advance dependent on how their arthritic joints feel.
Maybe those who like to fish know this already because they eat what they catch. Countless other folks are not aware that eating various kinds of fish — pickerel, tuna, salmon, cod, sardines — can improve breathing difficulties caused by smoking and other forms of smoke inhaled from various sources. If you’re trying to quit smoking or live with someone who smokes, eating fish is one way to help reduce chronic breathing and damage to lungs. Nutritionists have long advised us to eat less fat, especially fats in animal meat and dairy products to help reduce risk of certain types of cancer. However, the fat in fish is a healthy exception. There’s excellent evidence that eating fish provides protection against breast and colorectal cancers and even heart disease. In a study involving 24 European countries, British researchers found that people who regularly included fish in their diets were much less likely to get cancer. They estimated that having small servings of fish three times a week in addition to decreasing intake of animal fats would reduce death rate from colon cancer in men by nearly one-third. Another study by researchers looked at fish-eating habits of over 1,000 expectant mothers in an area north of the United Kingdom. They found that the more fish moms-to-be ate, the larger their babies were likely to be, and on average about a half-pound heavier. This is important, they said, as larger babies are usually healthier than those who are underweight.
