One Important Plant to Have in Your Kitchen

One Important Plant to Have in Your Kitchen

I have a new home, so I decided to try out this new stove of mine.  It is older, the knob on the baking temperatures is kinda rubbed off so you have to guess at how hot the oven is going to get.  I rummaged around in my cupboard and found I had a homemade pre-mix of oatmeal raisin cookies, a small batch that only makes 12 cookies, but they are soft and wonderful cookies.  With the spices, I thought it would give the house a nice cozy smell and I would have some warm cookies to munch on.  This being on my own after 41 years is a strange thing.  You have to relearn keeping yourself company and taking care of yourself with no one else to worry about.  At the store the other day, I got a pound of shredded ham---that was always my hubby's favorite.  Getting home I looked at the large package and realized that this would go to waste.  I only needed 1/4 pound probably.   And then I realized I could get things I really liked, like organic grass-fed ground beef, which was expensive, but since I don't use very much, all very affordable.  If I wanted fried chicken livers, or cereal for supper, I could just do it.  I still miss my hubby terribly, but these little things help to keep me going.  I absolutely hate waste, so cooking for one is going to be something I will be delving into whole heartedly.

I'm making the cookies and realizing that I still haven't found or unpacked my hot pads, so I use the dishtowel to remove the cookies from the oven.  And big mistake, I go to move the pan without the dishtowel and burn my thumb pretty badly.  My first instinct is to reach for my Aloe vera plant, pinch off a bit of the leaf, and spread all that plant jelly all over the thumb.  Within minutes, the stinging is gone.  If I hadn't had that, I surely would have blistered.  In fact, the next day I couldn't even tell I had been burned.  If there is one plant to have in the kitchen, it is the Aloe vera.

Aloes are succulents, which means they have a cactus look to them, with thick green leaves and serrated edges.  They hate wet feet, so make sure to plant them in a pot with drainage.  They will love soil made for cacti and succulents, a kind of sandy soil with perlite.  I water mine once a week.   That is it for its' care.  Just make sure it is in a window with indirect sunlight (full hard sun can cause the leaves to turn reddish). 

Since ancient times, the healing power of Aloe has been used for over 6000 years.  Because it was so healing, Aloe became important in the traditional medicine of ancient Egypt, Rome, Greece, Persia, and India, and throughout Asia and Africa.  It eventually spread to Spain and the Americas.  Inside the leaves, the gel substance within takes away pain and helps to heal everyday burns, sunburn, abrasions, bruises, boils, canker sores, and other mouth sores. It can also help with herpes (both cold sores and shingles), hemorrhoids, psoriasis, and acne as well as dental problems. As a skin moisturizer for the face, you can scrape out the gel and spread it over your skin, let dry and then wash off.  It helps to soften, cleanse and renew skin wonderfully.  It is such an easy and immediate helper to have on hand, I don't think I'll ever be without it.  Try it and see if you don't agree.