I love feta and Marinated feta is a staple at our house.
There is nothing like a small bowl of marinated feta, olives, artichoke hearts and pickled capsicum  with a selection of crackers and flatbread for a light lunch or to share over a glass of wine.

It is so easy to marinate your own feta and  it only takes a few minutes to prepare.

Marinated Feta

You can use any number of flavourings in your marinated feta.  I generally choose several items from the following:

• Peppercorns
• Coriander Seeds
• Fennels Seeds
• Oregano
• Chilli Flakes
• Basil
• Sage
• Bay Leaves
• Garlic Powder
• Dried Lemon Rind
• OlivesGather a small quantity of each of your selected flavourings ( I always choose Garlic Powder as it give a lovely base flavour to the feta) – say 1/4 teaspoon and place in a mortar.
  Slightly crush the seeds, spices and herbs.  No need to grind into a powder.
  Cut your chosen feta into 1cm cubes and place in a clean jar.
  Add your herb/spice/seed mix
  Cover the contents of the jar with sunflower oil. (I prefer this to olive oil as it solidifies when kept in the fridge.)
  Place the lid on the jar and invert several times to mix the flavourings through.
  Let the feta marinate for at least 24 hours allow the flavourings to permeate the cheese.
  Keep the feta in the fridge and use as needed.
  I tend to use the feta within three weeks of making.

While Danish feta is very rich, I prefer to use Australian Feta… usually fat reduced but full cream works just as nicely.  The firmer the feta the better.

It is important to use a mild bubble agent in any bath product... that is why at Moon Haven we use mild, gentle to the skin Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate - SLSA not the highly irritant SLS

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)  vs Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (SLSA)

We have made our NEW bubble bar slices with a wonderful Naturally derived surfactant – Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (SLSA).

I can almost hear the inward gasps of shock and horror from here.    “Did you say SLS?”

No -  we are NOT using the highly irritant Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) but the infinitely more milder and gentler on the skin Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate. (SLSA)
SLS is harsh on the skin and is highly irritant
Whereas SLS -Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is cheap to use and produces a large number of bubbles… it is very harsh on the skin because it is made up of a relatively small molecule and so penetrates the skin barrier easily causing irritation and sensitisation to many.

SLSA is extremely mild – perfect for sensitive skin
Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (SLSA) on the other hand is derived from coconut and palm oils.
It is listed as being able to be used in ‘organic’ certified products and is much milder than most other surfactants. This is why it can be used in the most sensitive skin formulations where bubbles are required.

The reason for the mildness of this wonderful ingredient is that a Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacete molecule is so large that it cannot penetrate the skin… and so greatly reduces its ability to irritate it!

So we are very pleased to be able to use it as our primary bubble maker in our products.

How many bubbles in a Moon Haven Bubble Bar Slice?

Leonie tests our NEW Bubble bar Slices to see just how many bubbles they make. Just 1/3 of a slice makes a wonderfully bubbly bubble bath.
The secret is to really smoosh the bubble bar under running water and then splish splash around in the bath – the bubbles are prolific and last a long. long time!
So if you like lots of bubbles… you’re going to love these Bubble Bars

NEW from the Moon Haven Mavens - Stress Less Bubble Bar Slices

If you like bubbles then you’ll love our latest formulation – our Stress Less Bubble Bar Slices.
Just crumble a 1/4 of a bar under the tap as you fill your bath and Voila – a bathful of relaxing bubbly heaven.

The NEW Bubble Bars:

• make tons of wonderful bubbliness in the bath,
•   smell divine (especially if you love our Stress Less EO Blend with  lavender, clary sage and patchouli)
•   are gentle on the skin and even better yet…
•   you don’t need all that wasteful packaging like you do when you use a messy bubble bath liquid.

Why Bubble Bar Slices?
You see while we have loved our Bubbling bath Salts powder we found that at times the bubbles could be a little disappointing unless you used a whole heap of powder.
Plus at Moon Haven we have made the conscious decision to move toward naked products – using the least amount of packaging possible.
So the idea of formulating a solid bubble bath was very attractive.

Soafter the amazing success of our Bath Bombs Leonie and Laura started looking for the perfect solid bubble bath formulation. We have tested and tweaked and finally come up with what we think is a winner.

We’ll put these on the www.moonhaven.com.au website soon – when we havemade enough to keep both the moon haven cottage in supplies as well as look after our mail order clients.

REference: Australians to suffer summer of rain pain – ABC News Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Interesting article from the ABC this morning.

It’s official – Arthritis pain is affected by changes in the weather .

Dr Graeme Jones, professor of rheumatology and epidemiology at the Menzies Research Institute, says the days of mythical rain pain are long gone.

He says arthritis sufferers’ pain levels are without a doubt affected by the weather.

“There are three things in the weather that have an effect,” he said.

“The higher the ambient temperature the better the symptoms are; the higher the humidity or dew point the worse the symptoms are; and changes in the barometric pressure, so when a cold front is coming through and when the pressure drops, people tend to ache in their joints before that.”

So with this seasons La Nina weather event happening.. it looks like the wetness and humidity of the east coast of Australia will be more than a pain in the neck for many.  While Western Australia should experience dry and therefore a more stable weather pattern (and hopefully less ‘pain events’)

Eric all compression bandaged up!

Lymphoedema (also lymphedema) has plagued Eric ever since he started chemotherapy last year.  His lower legs then thighs fill up with lymphatic fluid, swelling to the point where he can’t wear trousers and lymph fluid leaks out of his pores or any scratch or nick in the skin. And of course he also has to deal with the significant amount of fluid build up in his abdomen and back.

All this is linked to his carcinoid Neuroendocrine Cancer. We have been using lymphoedema massage to help clear his  legs but this has ceased being effective some months ago.

So we  were referred to  Meeta Pillar from the Bunbury Primary Health Service  Lymphoedema Clinic to see what could be done to help Eric. So last Wednesday  we drove to Bunbury to see Meeta…

Eric’s legs were huge.. and we could only fit him into 5XL  pyjama pants and even then these were tight on him.

Meeta took one look at him and decided that she would teach me (Leonie) how to compression bandage Eric’s . Some 2 1/2 hours and over 120 metres of bandaging later, Eric was fully compressed.  Well at least his legs were!

Thankfully we had his dressing gown with us as there was no way Eric was going to fit into trousers with the banadaging on. You see there is 4 individual layers on each leg, and to walk is to waddle!

1. First the comfort stocking to absorb sweat and save the skin from itching
2. Soft wadding bandages to pad the legs and help keep the pressures even on the skin.
3. The first layer of short stretch bandaging to compress the legs and allow the leg muscles to pump the l.ymph fluid out of the leg.
4. The second layer of short stretch bandaging applyed even firmer than the first.
   

   Eric's skinny legs after compression banadaging for lymphedema

The idea was to keep the bandages on for 24 hours then a quick wash and change over to a new set of bandages… allowing the smaller circumference of the leg to be squished even further…BUT… Eric’s legs had other ideas.

You see within 6 hours ,the compression bandages were starting to slip down the leg.  They were working so very well that the leg had alsready shrunk significantly .So the bandages came off for the night.

The next day we bandaged Eric’s legs again…and these stayed on until early the next morning.

And the results… nothing short of amazing. Eric’s legs were skinny… to the point that the skin was all wrinkled … and you could see how much weight he has lost over the past few months. Of course he still has some residual cellulitis….that’s a another story… which we continue ot treat with antibiotics.

Our aim now is to get Eric’s legs to a point wheree there is no more extra lymph in his leg and we can put him in compression stockings… which will save that 2  1/2 hours of bandaging every day.

If you would like to know more on Lymphedema (lymphoedema) click this link to the Lymphoedema Association of Australia

This recipe for Easy Peasy No Knead Bread is just that.. simple and easy to do.

3 cups bakers flour (this is stronger than normal flour and makes a great bread)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon of dried yeast (yes only a 1/4 teaspoon!)
1 5/8 cup water
You will also need a large heavy pot with a lid – I use our cast iron camp oven but a heavy duty casserole dish with lid would do just as well.

Method:
Using a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and yeast and make a well
Pour in the water and mix until combined.  The dough should be sticky as well as a little stringy.
Now cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warmish place (20-25degrees C) for 12 to 18 hours.
The dough is ready when the surface is covered in small bubbles.

Lay out another piece of plastic wrap and lightly flour it. Place the dough on this and sprinkle with a little more flour.
Fold the dough over on itself once or twice and cover with plastic wrap- let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

Remove the plastic and coat your fingers with flour and gently shape the dough into a ball in a couple of movements by folding the dough under itself a couple of times.
Place and lightly flour the plastic wrap on the bench again and lay the ball of dough seam side down onto it.
Dust the dough with more flour and cover with plastic wrap and a clean tea towel.
Leave to rise for 2 hours

When the dough has been rising for 1 1/2 hours turn on oven and set at 230 degrees Celsius. (at camp we get the camp oven in the coals… mmm scrummy yummy)
Place your heavy baking dish with lid in the oven as it heats.
When the dough has been rising for 2 hours, remove the dish from the oven, remove lid.
Remove the upper coverings from the dough and slide hands under the wrap and dough.
Quickly turn the dough over into the dish removing the wrap as you do so.
Don’t worry if the dough looks uneven in the dish – just give it a good shake and it will level out.
Place the lid onto the dish and place in the hot oven.

Bake covered for 30 mins, then remove the lid and bake for another 15 to 30 muntil the bread is browned to your liking.
Remove from oven and cool on rack.

You should end up with a wonderfully rustic loaf with large holes and a crisp crust.  I find the bread chewy and, like most artisan bread. even better when toasted.  It reminds me of a good ciabatta bread and is exquisite with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

A world without antibiotics is a very scary possibility.

The World Health Organisation is already very concerned about the status of 21 varieties of disease causing organisms, including tuberculosis, gonorrhoea, Golden Staph (Staphylococcus aureus), Salmonella, E.Coli and Malaria. (1) All of which are showing varying levels of resistance to antibiotic and anti-microbial therapy.

Antibiotic Resistance

With the growth of antibiotic resistance becoming a huge concern in the medical field we are seeing more and more researchers looking to what the natural world can do to help.

You see the plant world has evolved alongside these pathogens. Through the survival of the fittest and other mechanisms they have found ways of developing a resistance to and becoming less susceptible to the organisms.

Plants to the Rescue

What is amazing is that plants have an almost limitless ability to synthesize aromatic substances (essential oils), many of which contain compounds that have been found effective in combatting bacteria and other organisms.

Almost 12,000 substances have been isolated so far. This represents only 10% of the estimated total compounds available to be tested…so there is a long way to go! (2)

Identifying and Using Plants Natural Defence Mechanisms

What has been found is that in many cases, these aromatic compounds (derived from essential oils) serve as plant defence mechanisms against predatory bacteria, yeasts, viruses, fungi, insects, and herbivores – and it is these substances that science is now looking to help with combatting the brave new world where antibiotics are no longer effective.(3)

Many of the herbs and spices used by humans to season food yield useful medicinal compounds including those having antibacterial activity.

Whole Herbs and Aromatics have been found to be effective

Not only are aromatic compounds but whole herbs (e.g. Calendula) and substances – such as Red Gum and Jarrah Honey – have been found to have strong antibacterial or bio-organisms fighting properties.

So there is hope for us in a world where antibiotics are no longer effective – but more and more it is the natural world which is showing us the way forward.

References:

(1) http://www.who.int/drugresistance/AMR_Importance/en/index.html

(2) Singh G, Kapoor IP, Pandey SK, Singh UK, Singh RK (2002). “Studies on essential oils: part 10; antibacterial activity of volatile oils of some spices”. Phytother Res

(3) Thuille N, Fille M, Nagl M (2003). “Bactericidal activity of herbal extracts”. Int J Hyg Environ Health 206

• It’s resistant to most common antibiotics
• It can survive for up to 2 years on hard surfaces
• The only way to rid a surface of it – is to cleanse with a 10% bleach solution – all other disinfectants are useless against it.
• It is now endemic throughout Canada, USA and Europe.
• It is most dangerous to the frail, aged and immunocompromised
• The first case were discovered in Perth in 2009 in a woman who acquired it in the USA.
• Last year 10 cases were reported in a Vicrtorian nursing home

While most strains of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) have been around for a while and usually respond well to treatment, a particularly resistant strain -Clostridium difficile – ribotype 027, has now hit Australian shores, according to the latest edition of the Medical Journal of Australia.

A particulary difficult strain to treat

This particular strain has an increased resistance to antibiotics and causes more morbidity and mortality than the run of the mill C. difficile. This infection can cause conditions ranging from mild diarrhoea to toxic megacolon and can be fatal.

Apparently the superbug releases a powerful toxin that inflames the lining of the colon and makes it bleed, and takes on a characteristic appearance called pseudomembranes. Take a look at the picture above – ewwwww!

Rivals Golden Staph as the most common infection acquired infection

What is most worrying is that in the U.S. C. difficile is the most common cause of hospital-acquired diarrhoea, and now rivals methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSRA) or Golden Staph as the most common health care-associated infection.

So what can we do about it?

Well the Australian Medical Association is calling for all hospitals and care facilities to closely monitor for the bug and up the infection control procedures.
But it seems that it’s our continued over prescription and use of antibiotics is of major concern in the fight against this infection.
Once again the Medical Journal of Australia found that treatment with antimicrobials (usually antibiotics) in suseptible patients was a significnat risk factor for in-patients contracting C.difficile

Wise use of antibiotics

So what can we learn from this?  It is obvious that we need to really look at our use of antibiotics. The antibiotic era has been a golden era in health care.
But as we are now coming to realise, our indiscriminate and over use of antibiotics has been a significant contributor to the rise of these superbugs .

The name of the game after all – is the survival of the fittest – and it looks like c.difficile ribotype 027 is one of these survivors -  but  the question is – can we survive it?