Today I had the grand privilege of adding wood to the boiler. It was sooooooo cold outside! It wasn't an easy job, as I struggled to get the boiler shed door open - right now there are 3-4 foot drifts all around the door, with a little bit of room right next to the door, and snow up against it. And guess where the shovel was? Inside. I was able to open the door enough to reach in and pull it out, then dug away enough snow to open the door to get inside. Then to dig out some wood from the snow, throw some cardboard in the boiler, toss in some wood, all the while holding my breath and coming back out for air regularly, so as to not inhale the smoke, which was copious! I was really glad to get that job done. The payoff is enjoying a nice toasty house on a bitterly cold day! And a healthy dose of appreciation that hubby does this ALL THE TIME for us (without complaining!). And today the sun was shining - the solar panel was doing it's job nicely, too.
A while after I came in, it was brought to my attention that my face was all red and lumpy - I have hives. Lovely. I think I have a cold allergy or something.
The forecast tonight is for -48 Celsius windchill (-54 Fahrenheit). I guess January is getting one last hurrah! I console myself with the fact that January is almost over, and the days are getting longer!
January 29, 2008
January 28, 2008
MILK! It does a body good. The right kind, that is!
I've been doing some reading on the benefits of drinking raw milk (which is milk that has not been pasteurized or homogenized). I'm nearly converted. I say nearly only because you cannot buy raw milk in Manitoba. If you own a cow in Manitoba, you are not even supposed to GIVE milk away. It's practically considered a biohazard or something! So, consequently, about the only way you can drink raw milk in Manitoba is if you have your own cow. Which makes me sad! :o(
Here are some things I found out during my research.
1) People who are lactose intolerant can drink raw milk!
2) Allergy to pasteurized cow's milk is the #1 food allergy.
3) When milk is pasteurized, bacteria within it that is good for you is destroyed, such as lactobacillus acidophilus, which is in some yogurt. This is the bacteria that normally lives in your gut (unless it's been killed off by a round of antibiotics!).
4) When the good bacteria is killed by pasteurization, the bacteria cells break open and can cause your body to respond by producing histamine, which triggers an allergic response.
5) When milk is pasteurized, enzymes in the milk that help with digestion are destroyed, as are nutritious vitamins. Which is why they figure they need to plop the vitamins back in! But I would think the plopped-in vitamins are synthetic??
6) When milk is homogenized, the fat globules in the milk are made into very small particles, which are not naturally that small. Some scientists believe that these unnaturally small fat globules clog arteries more readily than the fat globules in non-homogenized milk. See also: http://realmilk.com/heart_disease.html
7) Pasteurized milk rots when it sours. When raw milk sours, you get . . . sour milk! And it is great to bake with, etc.
8) Canada has not approved the use of bovine growth hormone (can increase milk production by 40%). I was glad to find that out! At least there's some good news!
9) If you're going to drink raw milk, it's important that it comes from grass-fed cows.
10) Powdered milk is added to skim, 1%, and 2% milk. Powdered milk is unhealthy, because of the way it's processed. It is high in nitrites, and contains a bad kind of cholesterol.
11) Pasteurizing milk makes the major part of it's calcium insoluable, making it harder for the body to absorb.
12) Pasteurizing milk changes the structure of the proteins in it.
13) The sale of raw milk is legal in 28 out of 50 states.
For more information, see: http://www.thehealingjournal.com/prev_issues/2007_apr_may_raw.htm
You can also check out www.mercola.com (I do not blindly follow everything on this website - some of it is, in my opinion, weird. But there is lots of good stuff here. :o)
Maybe we should get a cow????? We've actually talked about it.
Here are some things I found out during my research.
1) People who are lactose intolerant can drink raw milk!
2) Allergy to pasteurized cow's milk is the #1 food allergy.
3) When milk is pasteurized, bacteria within it that is good for you is destroyed, such as lactobacillus acidophilus, which is in some yogurt. This is the bacteria that normally lives in your gut (unless it's been killed off by a round of antibiotics!).
4) When the good bacteria is killed by pasteurization, the bacteria cells break open and can cause your body to respond by producing histamine, which triggers an allergic response.
5) When milk is pasteurized, enzymes in the milk that help with digestion are destroyed, as are nutritious vitamins. Which is why they figure they need to plop the vitamins back in! But I would think the plopped-in vitamins are synthetic??
6) When milk is homogenized, the fat globules in the milk are made into very small particles, which are not naturally that small. Some scientists believe that these unnaturally small fat globules clog arteries more readily than the fat globules in non-homogenized milk. See also: http://realmilk.com/heart_disease.html
7) Pasteurized milk rots when it sours. When raw milk sours, you get . . . sour milk! And it is great to bake with, etc.
8) Canada has not approved the use of bovine growth hormone (can increase milk production by 40%). I was glad to find that out! At least there's some good news!
9) If you're going to drink raw milk, it's important that it comes from grass-fed cows.
10) Powdered milk is added to skim, 1%, and 2% milk. Powdered milk is unhealthy, because of the way it's processed. It is high in nitrites, and contains a bad kind of cholesterol.
11) Pasteurizing milk makes the major part of it's calcium insoluable, making it harder for the body to absorb.
12) Pasteurizing milk changes the structure of the proteins in it.
13) The sale of raw milk is legal in 28 out of 50 states.
For more information, see: http://www.thehealingjournal.com/prev_issues/2007_apr_may_raw.htm
You can also check out www.mercola.com (I do not blindly follow everything on this website - some of it is, in my opinion, weird. But there is lots of good stuff here. :o)
Maybe we should get a cow????? We've actually talked about it.
January 22, 2008
Tough little kids!
We raise 'em tough here on the prairies. This morning I was reading the elementary school newsletter where they included a little blurb about their policy on recess in cold weather. When the windchill is -27 C or warmer, recess is outside. When it's -27 C to -35 C, the staff decides. When the windchill is -35 C or colder, recess is inside. So, recess could be outside when the windchill is -34 C! Hopefully everyone has warm boots and snowpants! :o)
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