Mistletoe Legendary Magical Powers Not Limited to Kissing

Mistletoe is a parasitic evergreen plant that lives on trees such as oaks, elms, firs, pines, apples and elms. Mistletoe berries are known to be poisonous to cats and other small animals.

Mistletoe is known popularly most to people in the west as the plant sprig that people kiss beneath during the Christmas season. The custom dates back to pagan times when, according to legend, the plant was thought to inspire passion and increase fertility.

In the centuries since mistletoe has acquired a reputation as an all-purpose remedy which has been used in folk medicine as a digestive aid, heart tonic, and sedative. It was also used to treat arthritis, hysteria and other mental disorders, amenorrhea, wounds, asthma, bed wetting, infection, and to stimulate glands.

And although mistletoe continues to be used as a remedy for many of these maladies there is significant disagreement among medical experts about the safety and effectiveness of the herb. Probably best to play it safe and restrict its usage to kissing beneath during the Christmas season.

Happy holidays to all.

Celery Leaves Actually More Nutritious Than the Stalks

Native to Europe and Asia, celery is usually found on marshy grounds where water is slightly saline. Celery became popular in Italy in the 17^th century and during the following 200 years spread throughout Europe to North America.

The Latin generic name apium is derived from the Celtic apon, water, referring to its favored habitat, while graveolens means heavily scented, alluding to its aroma.

“Trench celery”(so called for the method used for blanching the stems) is very hardy and harvested from the late fall to early spring, while the most recently developed self-blanching and American green types have a shorter growing season and are less hardy, cropping from midsummer until mid-fall. Less succulent, but full of flavor is the smaller stemmed “cutting celery”.

Celery is low in carbohydrates and calories, but high in potassium. Celery leaves are actually the most nutritious part of the plant containing more calcium, iron potassium, beta carotene and vitamin C than the stalks. Cultivated varieties are said to be beneficial in the treatment of rheumatism and as a diuretic.

Highly Nutritious Okra Synonymous With Gumbo

A close relative of the ornamental hibiscus, okra has been cultivated for centuries and originated in Northern Africa around the upper Nile and Ethiopia – eventually spreading eastward to Saudi Arabia and India. One of the earliest records of it growing in Egypt describes the plant, its cultivation and its uses in vivid detail.

Okra was introduced to the Caribbean and southern North America by slaves who brought the crop from Africa. The name “gumbo” comes from a Portuguese corruption of the plant’s Angolan common name.

Low in fat and calories okra is rich in calcium, iron, potassium and vitamin C, and also contains vitamin B6, thiamin and magnesium. Okra is used most often in soups, stews and curries as a thickener.

Mucilage from okra has been effectively used as a demulcent, soothing inflation. In India, infusions of the pods are used to treat urino-genital problems as well as chest infections. Okra is also added to artificial blood plasma products.

Salad Favorite Cucumber Once Prized as Fertility Charm

A member of the same plant family as melons, pumpkins and winter squash, cucumbers have been cultivated for many centuries. The first record of the cucumber was in Mesopotamia around 2000 B.C. in the earliest known vegetable garden, and cucumbers were known to have been grown in India 1,000 years later.

First century A.D.  Romans cultivated cucumbers in baskets or raised beds mounted on wheels so they could be moved around “as the sun moves around the heavens”. When the day cooled they were moved back under frames glazed with oiled cloth known as specularia. Ruler Tiberius found them tasty and was said to have eaten them every day.

Early varieties of cucumber were quite bitter and were boiled with oil, vinegar and honey. They were a common ingredient in soups, stews and as a cooked vegetable until the 19^th century. The 18^th century English recipes include cucumbers stuffed with partly cooked pigeons (with head and feathers left on). The whole was then cooked in broth and the heads garnished with barberries.

Columbus introduced cucumbers to the new world. Cucumbers were recorded being planted in Haiti in 1494 and grown by English settlers in Virginia in 1609.

Today cucumbers are used primarily in salads. Commercially cucumbers are used to make pickles and relishes.

Low in calories, cucumbers have moderate amounts of potassium and small amounts of beta carotene which are mostly in the skin of the cucumber which is typically peeled and discarded. Cucumber juice contains some alpha hydroxy acids which improve the effectiveness of facial masks and other cosmetic products.

Cucumbers were used by the Romans against scorpion bites, bad eyesight, and to scare away mice. Among the most notable folklore concerning cucumbers, wives wishing for children wore cucumbers tied around their waists, and they were carried by midwives and thrown away once the child was born.

Nutritious Brussle Sprouts Outgrowth of Cabbage Plant

First recorded as a spontaneous sprout from a cabbage plant found in the Brussle region of Belgium around 1750, this vegetable had reached England and France by 1800. However, the Brussle's version may not have been the first occurrence. A plant described as Brassica capitata polycephalas (a many-headed Brassica with knoblike heads) was illustrated in D’Alechaps’s Historia Generalis Plantarum.

A stalwart among winter vegetables in cool temperate zones, Brussle sprouts are extremely hardy and crop heavily, but are rather fussy to prepare. Sprouts plucked fresh from the garden are best to eat when steamed or boiled. Its recommended that a small cross cut be made into their base to ensure they are evenly cooked.

Low in calories and high in fiber Brussle sprouts are an excellent source in vitamin C. A good source of protein, folate, beta carotene, iron and potassium, sprouts also contain bioflavonoids and other substances that protect against cancer. Like other members of the cabbage family, sprouts may cause bloating and flatulence.

Low Calorie Rutabagas Actually a Turnip and Cabbage Hybrid

Also known as the “Swedish” turnip, rutabagas are one of the hardiest root crops. Eaten in France and Southern Europe in the 16^th century, they came to Britain from Holland in 1755 and rapidly became popular as the “turnip-rooted” cabbage. Rutabagas are actually derived from a cross between turnips and cabbage.

First used as winter fodder for sheep and cattle, rutabagas were known for improving milk production during a traditionally lean period. During times of famine, rutabagas were eaten by country folk and still has the reputation as “peasant” food.

Low in calories and carbohydrates rutabagas possess small amounts of niacin (vitamin B) and vitamin C. Rutabagas have been used in folk medicine for the treatment of a wide variety of maladies including coughs, kidney stones and whooping cough, though their efficacy has never been recorded.

Rutabagas are a wonderful accompaniment to sprouts as a winter vegetable – particularly when mashed with butter, cream and spices.