Sealed Jars Of Milk Thistle (5)

I had wanted to do this over a month ago and then suddenly someone was torturing my Dad. It was just a few weeks before his birthday, which is Nov. 1. And one minute he was like sure, and then he was being tortured and he said no, don't do it. Or he wouldn't use it, but with all the torture, I pretty much figured out some group was being obstructive, for WHATEVER reason. They are always afraid of something.

So I didn't for awhile, because I was worried.

But I decided to do it anyway and if no one else will use it, I will. It's a milk thistle tincture for purposes of extracting the silymarin, which is supposed to be excellent for certain things.

I wanted Everclear, specifically, as a brand, but I'll use that next time.

I had watched my mother make blackberry jam and she sealed several jars with the regular canning process, which I've seen my whole life as a kid. But with that, with regular canning, you have to have the liquid hot and the jars hot and that helps seal it. You can't have cold products.

My mom left 5 jars out when they left to the wedding.

So I looked up paraffin wax and decided to use this.

So I wanted to put it in regular jars and I figured out how to do the jam seal, and tried it with water, where you pour parrafin directly into the jar, over the substance and it stays separate and doesn't mix but forms an airtight seal. So I tried this with water and it works. It forms a seal right over water. But when I tried 190 proof alcohol, it warped and didn't form a seal around the edges. So I figured the alcohol content was too high for the wax seal so I had another idea, to use my bottles that have a narrower neck and little plastic stoppers. So I plugged the stoppers with wax and filled the jars with the stuff and then pushed the stopper in and turned the bottle upside down then and dipped it repeatedly in paraffin.

It reminded me of candle-making when I was a kid in 4-H.

I filled the bottles halfway full with milk thistle. Then I filled the bottle with 190 proof grain alcohol and then purified water the other half of the way.

I happened to have exactly 5 stopper-style bottles and had no idea I'd be using them this way, and the liquor (I used all of it, not a sip) made exactly 5 bottles.

Just like my mom's 5 jars of jam.

They're clear jars and usually you use dark ones, but I just stored them in a dark place and sort of like being able to see how the tincture is progressing.

I swear, my mom knew. I swear she knew I would be making 5 jars of this and that it would end up being this much and she set aside 5 jars of jam ahead of time.

I have a little milk thistle seeds leftover, but no more alcohol or bottles. So I would have to buy more and use them. They were all I had and I had absolutely no idea I would be using them. I had 2 amber jars because it said to use this, preferably, but I wanted to seal my tinctures for safety so I randomly ended up using my other empty stopper bottles. And it was exactly 5. It was from 2 balsamic vinegar bottles, 2 olive oil bottles, and one star red wine vinegar bottle.

I wanted something to seal my things anyway. I mean, there have been some odd residues and people in my place, so I wanted to find something I could use to seal my food or drink while I'm away and then I could know if it's tampered with or not.

I'm sort of glad that now I know how to use paraffin to seal cold items and then can with hot items. I would like to try pickling and things. I just like the idea of knowing how to seal and keep my food safe and also, it's good to know for future ideas.

I was looking for an air popcorn popper at the thrift store the other day. The woman showed me two and then said, "Or you could use this!" and she showed me this iron thing with a handle that you crank and I laughed and said, "I'm not THAT pioneer...maybe with kids, they've like it, but not for me."

Then I found a different "gadget" and asked her what it was for. It said 5 on it and had five spots for things and then a section you lift up and underneath 5 round holes with an imprinting thing. She said maybe the bottom part is for mini hamburgers and I thought how cool and then said what about the top? eggs maybe. So then she said maybe you could make sausage and then have poached eggs on the top. Or, I was thinking vegan, hashbrowns on the bottom. Anyway, so many fun kitchen gadgets out there.

I picked that up first and then was looking inside the popcorn poppers and the smaller one had the exact same imprint in a butter melter tin inside. I said, "Oh, it's the same thing!"

I postponed because right now I'm not eating popcorn, but when I go back to it, I will be eating as much as I did in 1995-1997. I grew up with an air popper and popcorn and movie marathans was a big deal in my family. I loved the smell of the popcorn popcorn and the butter melting in the top tray and would grab a bowl to catch it all.

So when I had my own, out on my own, I had the same thing, popcorn with real butter melted and salt, but I also added a lot of cayenne pepper. I had popcorn almost every day or other day for a snack. It's super cheap, and a good filler and gives you something to munch on idly while doing other things. And I had the best recipe for carmelized-toffee popcorn balls. They were incredible. Sort of an almond toffee crunch.

While vegan I imagined instead of butter I can use coconut oil. Popcorn, coconut oil, salt and cayenne.

I have been thinking though, I think I will not be vegan and vegetarian forever. I am not sure. When I think about animals, I know I can do it, but I think I might add in eggs again. Maybe not milk or other things, but eggs possibly, free range ones. The thing is, when I'm eating I can eat vegan no problem and feel great. But I've done a small fast and man, usually being vegan is no problem at all, but on water alone, I am thinking of all these great things I haven't had in a long time. I think I'll be fine when I'm eating again.

I looked for amaranth today but she was out. Thinking of different things to try. Looking at even grains I don't use a lot, I think barley with vegetable soup is good, and I would like to try amaranth and possibly get buckwheat flour for pancakes. I might experiment more with flax too. Looked up all kinds of recipes for vegan non-dairy, non-yeast, gluten-free pizza crust. I couldn't believe such a thing exists. These are creative people...they're making some of it with beans! beans mashed and mixed up in dough for a crust.

I think I want to do a lot more Mexican food, more Italian and pizza stuff, and Asian foods like try making my own nori and make sushi.

I was reading there is such a thing as "beet spaghetti" and I looked at it and it's the same color as what I ended up with one day. I cooked my spaghetti in beet broth and it turned that color and looked like some kind of asian noodle. It was pretty good.

Anyway, the fast has been for spiritual reasons and some medical as well. I mean, it's good for you, from what I know and have read. But it's also been for spiritual reasons, though I haven't noticed a great change in myself really. I did find some good passages in scripture during this time, and very coordinated too. Like, several about the same thing.

And then last night, or the night before, it was very strange. I got the name "Aaron" and then read something about Araunah. First thing I turned to and right after I got this name "Aaron". Then first thing in the morning I turned first to a passage about Aaron.

The passage about Araunah was good during fasting because it's about how, first of all, God literally spoke through a man, Gad, to tell David to buy a property and it would stop the suffering or plague, and to make it a place of sacrifice for God. So David went to the threshingfloor of Araunah and A said, "take whatever you want, it's yours, and my cattle too." And David said, "No, I insist on paying." and then he added, "What good is a sacrifice if it costs you nothing?" so he paid. And then the misfortune or whatever that was in the land came to an end.

And just other things. A couple of times, landed on the Awake or Arise Zion passage. And I read from the New Testament about self-control and generosity and things. Everything went together, whatever I read one night, it just blended in with the other things.

Anyway, I'm still going to use my amber bottles, but I have to figure out how to seal them. Maybe I should try pouring it over the tincture again, more, and see what happens. Maybe it will congeal properly. I didn't want to use too much of it and have anything go to waste but I still have milk thistle so I will make more.

Several times, while waxing over the stoppers, one of them kept popping up like a champagne bottle. I thought, Oh no, is this what is going to happen? But I hadn't pressed the stopper in far enough so it fit.

AH. I just realized how I can seal the amber ones, or regular jars with wider mouths...I will just screw the lid on and then pour paraffin over the top. So I will know if they've been opened or not, from the outside.

Why didn't I think of that before!!!

During this time, I've defrosted and de-iced my entire freezer and fridge and cleaned it out, cleaned all surfaces, took off window screens and sprayed mold and got rid of cobwebs. Pretty much cleaned everything except the floor.

I guess it was a secret before but now it's almost over (I think). I have done a water-only fast. No tea, no juice, nothing except water. The first day was okay, not unbearable, and the second day was some suffering with headaches and body ache. Then the third day was much, much, easier and I decided to keep going. I did a lot of cleaning on my 3rd day. I am playing it by ear. I knew I was doing at least a 3 day fast but then I am still sort of wanting some answers to things so decided maybe I should continue until I get my answers. (not that anyone has to fast to get answers, bc that would be about works and not faith and God can do whatever he wants whenever, despite our effort or non-effort). I got a lot done and had my mind clear on some things but not having tea or coffee or anything is more of a strain. So I think, it's possible that pushing past a certain zone, endorphins or something kick in and it gets easier. I'm not doing a 40 day fast or anything extreme.

This is what I mean, for example...I just wrote the part about not that anyone has to fast..because that would be about works and not faith..

And then I decided I would randomly look up a scripture or sermon from a "spirit filled church". So I clicked on google tab 4 and then 12 and then it was like 20 or something, and just skipping to whatever and then settled on "John McArthur". (by the way, I was just typing this and someone typed over me and put an "n" in the box for listing labels and then typed in "negligence" and I didn't do it)...So then, I went to the John McArthur site and it had a long list of letters to choose from for alphabetizing of sermons and I randomly landed on "S" and then from the list, I scrolled and prayed God you choose something and then I didn't look as I went to a sermon and it was "Salvation Is By Faith Alone."

http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/1659/salvation-is-by-faith-alone

(as for the person who typed in n and then negligence, I can't think of what that would be regarding other than the defamation of me that led to a false accusation of "negligence" of my child. That never happened and the FBI and U.S. need to take responsibility for that. I was defamed and we were tortured. So yes, while fasting I did begin working on something of a timeline for what has occured. My God knows all and knows that I am completely innocent of all defamatory allegations and that I have been a victim of hate crime)

Anyway, back to the sermon, I landed on this one and thought, "Here it is again. A sermon on the very thing I was writing about, and which is relevant now." He focuses on Abraham mainly, as an example of someone with faith. An amazing faith.