Cal Orey's Blog, page 80

Powers of Herbs & Spices: Timeless Treasures Touted by Woman's World Book Club -- Best Books of the Week

  Cal Orey

The mega-popular Healing Powers series from bestselling nutrition writer Cal Orey continues with its 9th installment, The Healing Powers of Herbs and Spices, exploring the many ways fresh herbs in your fridge and dried spices in your kitchen cupboard can provide medicinal powers, home cures, weight loss benefits, beauty treatments, and adventurous flavors and textures to enhance plant-based dishes. 
And during the pandemic there is a spice surge because of the home-cooking comeback! The key to vibrant health for all generations is in your kitchen...
Anise, bay leaf, garlic, parsley, turmeric, and more (I use a lot of the McCormick classic brand) --for thousands of years, herbs and spices have been praised for preserving and flavoring food, as well as preventing and curing illnesses. The latest research reveals that the seasonings already in your pantry--or easily found fresh in your supermarket or garden--can lower your risk for cancer, heart disease, and obesity. This A-to-Z guide catalogues the most popular and versatile herbs and spices, drawn from the Mediterranean Diet but suitable for any diet plan. You will learn how to harness herbalism to heal your body and mind.

Discover how to use nature's gifts including allspice, chives, fennel, oregano, pepper, tarragon, saffron, and special blends like Herbes de Provence to:

●Bring abundant zest to your table while lowering your cholesterol, balancing your blood sugar, and revving up your metabolism--at any age!
●Ward off colds and flu, banish a hacking cough, and even ease PMS or menopause woes, by adding tasty plant therapy to your favorite food or drink.
●Lessen your anxiety and boost your mood with aromatic natural ingredients found in dried and fresh flavorings.
●Soothe aches and pains without harmful side effects--and trigger feel-good endorphins--using sweet and savory garnishes, including edible flowers.
●Create in-home spa treatments using the same herbal potions featured at luxury spa resorts.
Caraway Breadsticks, anyone? How about Cilantro Lime Slaw, Herbal Greek Bean Soup, or Roasted Paprika Cornish Hens? With over 50 taste-tempting recipes, along with personal stories and fascinating historical anecdotes on medicinal uses dating back to biblical times, The Healing Powers of Herbs and Spices is your go-to guide to embracing limitless energy and healthy longevity while feasting on memorable meals full of aroma and deliciousness!

Ghostwriter for Hire -- Perfection Plus

 By Cal Orey Perfection PlusLooking for a ghostwriter?Dial-a-Muse! Consultation: 30 minutes 50.00, 1 hour 100.00 (PayPal)Available Now!(Ask the Question: Agent? Publisher? Self-Publish?)CONTACT: 530-541-1964, COrey39184@aol.com

Stop the search. Let me create a project for you!  Fast. Reliable. Creative.
Word Count: 50,000 - 80,000 Self-help n on-fiction books  Memoir  Autobiography Cookbooks Word Count: 30,000 Coffee table books Novella Word Count: 10,000 Kid's books
SPECIAL:  Business booklet/brochures 10 pages, 1000 words, $1000 in 5 days Pair with your photos Printer Referral, Affordable
Perfect Projects in the Past
* Health lifestyle-cookbook for a former chef * Humor book on global warming for a comic* Booklet for a Winery-Vineyard Ranch* Property listings, website copy for a luxury real estate company* Memoir for a businessman's personal life* Biography for a well-known scientist, his life and accomplishments* Love stories from women of men in the service (as told to)* Biographies for authors, including John Steinbeck, Jack London 
* Speech edits for a high profile Realtor* Humor book written from the pets' point of view* Self-help health book for medical doctors -- holistic and conventional* Articles for a medical school newsletter


Do you want a ghostwriter to give you the book you wish you wrote?
Cal Orey, M.A. , is a health expert, food writer, on-air personality and author of The Healing Powers series, including The Healing Powers of Vinegar, Olive Oil, Chocolate, Coffee, Tea, Honey, Superfoods, Essential Oils, and Herbs and Spices. (The collection has been featured by the Good Cook Book Club and One Spirit Book Club, Newsmax Media (the outlet buys and promotes the series).
She has a master's degree in English (Creative Writing) from San Francisco State University, and for three decades has written hundreds of articles for national and international magazines, specializing in topics such as health, beauty, nutrition, relationships, science, and pets. She has written for Woman's World, The Writer, Woman's Day, and Newsmax, and countless online magazine websites. Currently, she is a newspaper and magazine regular columnist and author of the Healing Powers series.
Her website and blog calorey.com  and books at kensingtonbooks.com/author.aspx/24200.
* * * By Cal Orey
AT THE START of a writing career, your name may seem so perfect ... but as time goes by, sometimes a pen name becomes a must-have tool of the trade. And it's not just the famous writers who use one. Here's why playing the name game can be smart.

For privacy and safety. Using a pen name provides protection. If a topic is controversial or crime-related, going "undercover" may be wise. I did just that when I wrote an expose for a popular men's magazine about escort services (which provide customers with a companion for dates). I didn't want the local escorts or managers to harass me if they didn't like what I wrote about their business. So I took a double identity, just as they did, to stay out of harm's way.

To get very personal. If you want to write about something embarrassing to you, switching names is the ticket for sharing your story. Forget blushing. I wrote an intimate, first-person piece called "I fell for the guy next door" for Complete Woman magazine. By altering my name and the subject's, I got to tell my tale of woe and get paid for it.

To explore different genres. I spin many subjects, from nonfiction health to erotic fiction. In the 1980s, adult magazines for men (and women) were hot. Because I wrote from a woman's perspective, I got assignments. But I was also creating a name for myself in mainstream women's magazines. I chose an alias for the risque work, which allowed me to explore two worlds apart without offending more conservative readers or losing my writing position.

For maximum marketability. Using a pen name can make an author more noticeable, too. Jane Doe might be too plain a name to stand out next to J.K. Rowling (another pen name). "The main reason I use Lady J is because it gets more attention," says children's writer Teresa Jose of Ontario.

For pragmatic gender bending. As a rookie, I fell into technical writing. After a swarm of rejections, I sensed that my real name, Denise, was too feminine to be taken seriously. So I made a gender switch to help market articles. I chose Cal for its masculine sound, and because California is my native state. When I received my first acceptance letter addressed to Mr. Cal Orey, I knew I had chosen the right name.

To find anonymity. Using a nom de plume gives an author the freedom to keep his identity separate from work. One author who is a gambling expert maintains a low profile. If he uses his real name, he risks being blacklisted from the gaming industry. Putting a pen name to work as he does offers the best of both worlds. It's a win-win situation.

Some famous aliases:

THERE ARE many examples of pen names among famous writers. Here is a brief sampling:

Pearl Gray dropped his first name and wrote his Western novels under his middle name and with a slightly different last name, Zane Grey.

Stephen King has written four novels under the name Richard Bachman. "I did that," he explained, "because back in the early days of my career, there was a feeling in the publishing business that one book a year was all the public would accept."

Samuel Langhorne Clemens used an old riverboat term, Mark Twain, as his pen name. Often called out on deck, the phrase meant that the water was 2 fathoms, or 12 feet, deep--deep enough for safe passage.

Mary Ann Evans wrote under the name George Eliot.

Ellery Queen was actually a single name for the collaborative team of Frederick Dannay and Manfred B. Lee.
-- C.O. The Writer 

Gourmet Cookies? Spice 'Em Up with Ginger!

 By Cal Orey

About one year ago, when we experienced our first South Shore lockdown, I remember the supermarket shelves with lacking my favorite baking items. No flour. No butter. I’d forage for items online. The prices were super high or the “out of stock” words were sobering. The talk around town was, savvy bakers were scoring the fancy butter and premium flour.  And, baking buffs, like me, went without like in the Great Depression.

 

Nowadays, my pantry is my pampered baby. I’m talking jars of peanut butter, all types of flour, and the fridge has my European-style butter. Lately, flourless cookie recipes are touted on TV and online. Three ingredients and the bakers promise a perfect peanut butter cookie. The other night, curiosity pushed me into the kitchen to give it go. The recipe was oh so easy. The results?  Flat coin like circles – and the flourless wonders smelled like burnt toast. But I didn’t give up.

The next morning, I was on a mission. I baked a fresh batch of cookies. I did it my way. And yes, I had the essential ingredients. Nope, I didn’t go flourless, nor did I use my mom’s staples, such as margarine and baking powder. Before the cookies were baked, I knew I hit the jackpot. They looked pretty and plump. My inspiration came from surviving the pandemic days without my favorite baking goods.

 

Gourmet Peanut Butter Cookie Sandwiches with Ginger

 

½ cup European-style butter

1 cup white granulated sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 brown egg

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1//2 cups self-rising flour

1 teaspoon ginger, ground

¼ cup granulated sugar (for rolling)

 

Peanut Butter Frosting

 

½ cup peanut butter

¼ cup European-style butter

2 tablespoons half and half

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

In a medium bowl, combine softened butter, sugars, egg, and vanilla. Add flour. Mix and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Form balls and roll into sugar. Place each ball onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for about 10 minutes. Remove and cool. In a bowl, combine butters, half and half, and sugar. Mix until smooth and creamy. Spread one cookie and top with another cookie. Repeat until peanut butter sandwiches are completed. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. Makes about 6 to 8.

Serve with tea, coffee, milk or wine. These cookies are decadent. Forget flourless. The chewy and thick cookie itself is the perfect texture. The ginger gives it a spicy, molasses kick and scent to love. And with the frosting? Ah, once you savor one of these sweet delights you’ll feel like Goldilocks. It’s the perfect peanut butter cookie.

Cal Orey, M.A. Is an author and journalist. Her books include the Healing Powers Series (Vinegar, Olive Oil, Chocolate, Honey, Coffee, Tea, Superfoods, Essential Oils, and Herbs and Spices.) published by Kensington. (The collection has been featured by the Good Cook Book Club.) Her website is  http://www.calorey.com .

5 Valentine’s Day Wines & Chocolate Partners

 By Cal Orey, The Writing Gourmet

CHOCOLATE LOVE

In my book the Healing Powers of Chocolate,  Kensington (1.99 ebook sale), I pour the health perks of red wine and dark chocolate. Scientists reveal that both red wine and white wine is good for you and is included in the Mediterranean diet, ranked #1 for the fourth year.
Wine guru Anita L. LaRaia, author of Pick a Perfect Wine in No Time, knows the perks of wine, and chocolate, too. In a nutshell, it's the double dose of good for you disease-fighting and anti-aging antioxidants from dark chocolate and red wine that make it all good. Here are the five wine and chocolate marriages made in heaven.

 

1. Blane de Norie-Sparkling Wine: A chocolate truffle or bar, 41 percent cacao; deep milk chocolate with hickory-smoked almonds and grey sea salt.

2. Zinfandel (California): "Zinfandel is a good match for semi-sweet dark chocolate--and there is a sweet Zinfandel chocolate port that's made as a chocolate sauce for pouring over ice cream, or for dipping strawberries," notes the wine wizard.

3. Malbec: Wine experts recommend teaming Malbec with a seven-layer chocolate cake, which will provide a touch of elegance.

4. Pedro Ximenez, Sweet Dessert Wine, Montilla, Spain: The wine gal advises pairing this wine with a bittersweet chocolate mousse cake.  

5. Ruby or Vintage Porto: And last but not least in this mini wine and chocolate menu selection is a sweet red, high 20 percent alcohol dessert wine from Portugal. Porto is a perfect partner with chocolate cheesecake or chocolate pecan pie.

Tea and Chocolate for V-Day Month (The Healing Powers of Chocolate Ebook 1.99 sweet sale)

 PERFECT MATCH: 

 Tea and Chocolate

By Cal Orey
Special Sale Price Drop
The Healing Powers of Tea and
Chocolate Ebooks!
Chocolate and tea can be found as the perfect match in tea rooms to gifts for January's National Hot Tea Month and February’s  American Heart Health Month and Valentine’s Day--and year-round. 
Q: Why do you think chocolate and tea are a perfect match?Both superfoods have amazing powers to help nourish the body, mind, and spirit. Pairing this mighty duo is like apple pie and vanilla ice cream or salt and pepper. Chocolate and tea are Mother’s Nature’s finest work and deserves kudos.

Q: Do you have a favorite chocolate and tea pairing?

This is a Sophie’s Choice question. If I have to make a decision today in the middle of winter with snow covered ground in the mountains, I’d choose a dark almond chocolate muffin with a cup of White Peony Tea.

Q: What's an interesting fact about tea that most people don't know?

A: You can cook and bake with chocolate paired with tea--leaves or brewed. You can incorporate chocolate and tea in recipes like Chocolate Lavender Torte, and Rosemary-Infused-Chocolate Fudge Cake.

Q: How is your new book The Healing Powers of Tea different than other tea books?

A: I focus on teas (black and white) that other authors have not. Also, I pair herbal teas with classic teas and new tea trends to give it an edge. Not to forget the health spin of the superfood is woven throughout the book full of original stories, including my own travels on the road while all types of tea and tisanes are my constant companion.

Q: Do you share chocolate recipes in your new tea book?A: Ah, there are so many sweet recipes from pro chefs for the tea lover to choose from--I'm certain chocolate and tea pairings sprinkled throughout the pages will romance anyone this winter!Rocky Road Tea Bark

* * *

7 premium baking chips, 60 percent  

cacao bittersweet chocolate or white chocolate

7 ounces premium baking chips, milk chocolate

1 cup miniature marshmallows

1 tablespoon macadamia nut oil

½ cup macadamia nuts, chopped                             

¼ cup tea leaves (green tea with

citrus notes) crush into bite-size bits

                                               

Melt dark chocolate chips in microwave for about two or three minutes, stir occasionally until melted. Stir the dark chocolate and spread it onto a nonstick cookie sheet (or line with parchment paper). Spread and shape into a rectangle. Chill in freezer for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, nuke milk chocolate chips. Once the chocolate is melted, stir in marshmallows and nuts. (Save half of the nuts for the top.) Take out dark chocolate from freezer and frost with rocky road mixture. Sprinkle with nuts and tea on top. Put back into freezer for 10 minutes. Take out and pick up the entire chocolate candy slab, place on a plate. If you use parchment paper, take off. Break into peanut brittle-like square pieces. Place in airtight sealed containers and keep in refrigerator.

Excerpt from The Healing Powers of Tea

Book Reviews for the #9 Release The Healing Powers of Herbs & Spices

 By Cal Orey 

 ...we're thrilled about the new offering in the Healing Powers series from bestselling author Cal Orey featuring 50 recipes and A-to-Z guide cataloguing most versatile herbs and spices for flavoring food, as well as preventing and curing illness." -- Woman's World magazine, Book Club: Nonfiction
As in her previous bestselling books, Cal Orey combines groundbreaking research into all these health and weight loss benefits with home cures, cosmetic uses, household hints, dozens of heart-healthy Mediterranean style recipes, legends, nutritional charts, and heartwarming anecdotes. --Tathaastu Magazine, book review
Not only is the book a guide for people who love to cook and bake, but it offers a fun way to learn through legends, stories and many of Orey's experiences derived from both childhood and present times. -- Tahoe Daily Tribune, book review
The Healing Powers of Herbs and Spices: A Complete Guide to Nature's Timeless Treasures. The ninth installment of the Healing Powers series from nutrition writer Orey explores how herbs and dried spices can provide home cures, weight loss benefits, and beauty treatments.  -- Publishers Weekly
... Orey's ninth title in her Healing Powers series is part cookbook, part healthy living reference...After the educational parts and charts, most pages are devoted to nearly 80 recipes for almost every possible eating occasion: jumbo anise biscotti, cayenne spicy salsa, saffron baked custard, spicy meatless shepherd's pie.... An herb a day just might keep the doctor at bay. Includes glossary and resources. --Booklist 
Herbal medicines can be helpful in treating many medical concerns as well as be used to support our health. These natural healing modalities discussed in Orey's refreshing book for  the 21st century well-being  have been part of my integrative family practice for nearly 50 years. -- Elson Haas, MD (ElsonHaasMD.com) is the author of 11 books including Staying Healthy with the Seasons and Staying Healthy with NEW Medicine.
I loved the complexity of it: there are personal stories from the author which bring flavor to the pages, there are a lot of details about the chemistry and the history of the spices and, of course, their benefits for health. These benefits are represented in many forms, each spices has a dedicated page, but here are also charts and several health issues that have suggested herbs that can alleviate these issues. There are folk types of advice mixed in, beauty and home benefits from using herbs and a lot of recipes. -- Reviewer NetGalley
It's very refreshing to come across a book packed with solid, helpful information on healing and wellness that doesn't try to discredit modern medicine. There is absolutely a place for both in our lives, and crucial information is being lost in the delirium of "internet research." -- Reviewer NetGalley

I Predicted Pandemic Weeks Before It Happened...Author-Intuitive Remembers

 Friday, March 6, 2020

Anti-Germ Essential Oils for the Worried WellBy Cal Orey"In mid-February, the novel coronavirus outbreak has not been called a pandemic (a global epidemic)—but because it’s unstable it’s possible if it spreads and if more deaths occur in other countries." March, 2020 
Enter the virus of 2019-2020. The outbreak of the respiratory illness caused by novel coronavirus (COVID-19) was first pinpointed in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. It has infected more than 67,000 people around the globe—mostly in mainland China. Since the outbreak, there have been reported more than 2,698 deaths—the majority in mainland China.  The new statistics as of March 6 are sobering:
* The total number of global cases more than 100,000; spread to 90 nations; more than 3,400 fatalities.* Regions of outbreaks at least 20 states in the U.S., which will undoubtedly be more.* The World Health Organization officials are not declaring a pandemic--but preparation is taking place.* Home quarantines include more than 8,000 in S.F., to closing schools in WA state.* Panic buying is happening around the nation and world. Food to mask sales are soaring.* America does not have enough testing equipment so those infected will go without a definitive diagnosis.* The travel industry, large events, and lives of people with underlying health conditions and elderly with weakened immune systems are advised to stay home.* Stocks plummet due to fear of the coronavirus and its effects on the world economies. 
A Global Crisis on the Verge of Pandemic Currently, this virus (with symptoms of a cough, fever, and shortness of breath) may not be as deadly as the 1918 Spanish flu—but it is contagious and the world is on edge. The coronavirus has killed more people than SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome which first appeared in China, 2002). And it has complicated challenges, whereas people are quarantined in hospitals to stranded and isolated on cruise ships. People in dozens of countries are coping but fear the unknown.   The respiratory illness comes with an unpredictable and longish incubation period (two to four weeks).  Worse, the infected may not know they are sick and can pass in to others.  Like in the film "Outbreak" coronavirus is spread from infected people to others through the air, by coughing and sneezing (refer to the movie theater scene when an infected person sneezed), and touch objects or surfaces with the virus on it. While most people with healthy immune systems are not immune—they do recover. But the elderly (especially those people with underlying health issues) are the most likely group to face physical challenges--even death.
The outbreak ignited in December 2019. Ground zero is Wuhan, China which is believed where the virus originated at a fish market—like the “Contagion” film--and quickly spread from person to person. There are theories of exactly how the virus started. Some say bats like a money in the film “Outbreak.” Speaking of sci-fi thrillers, there is also a theory, reported by newspapers that the lethal virus epidemic spreading worldwide may have been created in a Wuhan laboratory. It is believed by some reports to be linked to China’s secret biological weapons program, by the Chinese to use it as a bio germ warfare weapon. Whatever the virus’s origin (which may be covered up), it spread in China—and isolated cases have been discovered in Italy, the UK,  United States from California to Washington—and significant outbreaks continue.

 

 Past Plague, Magical Medicine

Viruses are nothing new. During the Middle Ages, four robbers in the French town of Marseilles preyed upon the homes and belongings left behind by the people who fell victim to the bubonic plague, or "Black Death" of Europe. Eventually they were caught and brought before French judges, who wondered how these four thieves had protected themselves from the deadly plague while looting plague-ridden possessions. The legend is that the four thieves bargained and exchanged the famous Four Thieves vinegar and herbs formula for freedom. They explained that they washed themselves with the antiviral and antibacterial infection-fighting liquid every few hours.

Ebook/Paperback No one seems to know who wrote the formula, which differs from recipe to recipe, but it is basically the same and it works in various ways. It can be used to disinfect sick rooms. If diluted with water, if can be used as a body wash. It can be used as a preventive measure to stave off viral infections, such as the flu.

5 Essential Oils to Guard Your Immune System

The antiviral and antibacterial compounds in essential oils can help guard your body against germs and contracting the virus. Dr. Kurt Schnaubelt, founder of the Pacific Aromatherapy Institute points out that “the most effective essential oils for viral infections are those with sizable contents of cineole, mono terpene alcohol, and mono terpene hydrocarbons.” He adds, “These three types of components form an effective antiviral synergy.”

Here are five oils containing antiviral and antibacterial compounds, which may help you, like the four thieves, to guard against getting the virus.

1.     Eucalyptus: This oil is one of the best essential oils to help keep the flu at bay because it boosts your body’s immune system. It contains cineole which is effective for viral infections. Try It! It can be used in baths and showers, saunas and steams, and a vaporizer.

2.     Lavender: It is touted for its antiseptic, antiviral and antibacterial properties, which can help treat respiratory infections. It can also soothe aches and pains in the joints and muscles. Try It! Inhaling this oil in a steaming vaporizer, baths, or even used as a culinary oil infused in tea blends and foods.

3.     Lemon:  This essential oil contains mighty flavonoids (super antioxidants) which may also help fight viruses. The citrus oil can also be used to relieve coughs, fevers, and a sore throat. Try It! It can be used in soaps and household cleaners.

4.     Peppermint: This essential oil can ease muscle pain due to its cooling effect, like eucalyptus oil. Its ingredient menthol can help to relieve congestion from a cold. Try It! It can be used in a foot soak, diffuser, or one small drop neat (undiluted) under your tongue or on your forehead or back of your neck.

5.     Tea Tree: Medical research shows tea tree oil contains antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties called terpinen—ol and a-terpinol. These two components may help disease linked to bacteria and infection. Try It! It can be used in a vaporizer or diffuser. But note, it is not a culinary oil.
      Other immune-enhancing oils include: basil, cedarwood, cinnamon, and sandalwood.Essential oils are budget-friendly and available year-round at your health food store and online.

Bacterial Fighting Citrus Hand Soap

If you don’t want to use store-bought hand soap, this DIY method is not difficult. Here is a liquid hand soap recipe. It contains germ-fighting citrus essential oils, and knowing this will give you peace of mind when you wash your hands, especially during the flu and cold season.

1 cup castile soap

2 tablespoons sweet almond essential oil

2 teaspoons vitamin E oil

50 drops steam distilled lemon essential oil

30 drops steam distilled essential lime oil

Mix all ingredients in a pump bottle. Store in a cool place. Use as needed.

(Courtesy: Plant Therapy)

The bottom line: Your best line of defense is similar to the four robbers in the Middle Ages. Wash your hands often. Also, do wipe down objects and surfaces. Essential oils can be helpful to bolster your immune system and disinfect your world as the world is in a wait and see mode.

In mid-February, the novel coronavirus outbreak has not been called a pandemic (a global epidemic)—but because it’s unstable it’s possible if it spreads and if more deaths occur in other countries. And note, medical workers are not safe—more than 1,700 have been infected by coronavirus, and at least six have died.  Also, someone who is infected may not show symptoms. There is currently no vaccine to prevent infection.

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is monitoring the unpredictable virus. And the word is, health experts are preparing the U.S. for more cases. So, this contagion is not over. It may be just the beginning of a nightmarish scenario or foreshadow for something even more cataclysmic. Or we could develop a vaccine and be even better prepared for the next outbreak or pandemic.

 For more information, go to https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/about/symptoms.html .  (Adapted from Cal Orey’s The Healing Powers of Essential Oils: A Complete Guide to Nature’s Most Magical Medicine, published by Citadel Press Kensington. You can find the Infection-Fighting Four Thieves Formula recipe and dozens of home cures and recipes for the body and household.)

 

Cal Orey, M.A. Is an author and journalist. Her books include the Healing Powers Series (Vinegar, Olive Oil, Chocolate, Honey, Coffee, Tea, Superfood, Essential Oils, and Herbs & Spices) published by Kensington. (The collection has been featured by the Good Cook Book Club.) Her website is  www.calorey.com  .

Wintertime Cilantro Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread Rx (RECIPE)

By Cal Orey

Winter Blues? 

This herb-alicious recipe is inspired by the bruschetta I was served and the cilantro I tossed due to ignorance.  

I was not enjoying the adventure of trying new herbs! Years later, when shopping at the local grocery store, I picked up a round loaf of artisan bread. It was wintertime when the body craves hot, comfort food such as read and cheese. I put together this easy recipe and wow! I was pleasantly surprised at the amazing flavors of the herbs and spices. I dedicate this cilantro treat to the woman who taught me to open my mind and mouth to new and interesting eats.

1/2 cup of European-style butter, melted

1/4 cup fresh parsley, fresh

1/4 cup cilantro, fresh

1 teaspoon garlic clove, fresh, minced

Ground black pepper to taste

1/4 cup each cheddar, mozzarella, Parmesan chees shavings, chopped

1 small 12-inch by 12-inch round artisan sourdough bread

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a bowl, melt butter in microwave. Add parsley, cilantro, garlic, and pepper. Slice the top of the bread in horizontal and vertical lines to create crevices. Drizzle the butter herb mixture on top and allow it to drip into the cut holes. Stuff cheese pieces into the openings. Place bread onto foil and cover. Put on baking sheet. Bake 15 minutes until cheese is melted. Remove top foil. Turn up heat to 400 degrees F and back about 10 more minutes until cheese bubbles and top of bread is golden. Remove from oven. Serve immediately. 

Serves 6 to 8.

Rx Tidbits: Due to the antioxidant quercetin in cilantro, scientific research hints that cilantro may help guard against cancer and heart disease. This chemical compound is known to help bolster the immune system, too. Psst! This herb also may lessen anxiety.

The Healing Powers of Herbs & Spices: Timeless Treasures (Kensington, 2021)

Reviews for The Healing Powers of Herbs & Spices: Timeless Treasures

By Cal Orey 

Book Reviews for the #9 Release  The Healing Powers of Herbs & Spices

* ...we're thrilled about the new offering in the Healing Powers series from bestselling author Cal Orey featuring 50 recipes and A-to-Z guide cataloguing most versatile herbs and spices for flavoring food, as well as preventing and curing illness." -- Woman's World magazine, Book Club: Nonfiction
As in her previous bestselling books, Cal Orey combines groundbreaking research into all these health and weight loss benefits with home cures, cosmetic uses, household hints, dozens of heart-healthy Mediterranean style recipes, legends, nutritional charts, and heartwarming anecdotes. --Tathaastu Magazine, book review
Not only is the book a guide for people who love to cook and bake, but it offers a fun way to learn through legends, stories and many of Orey's experiences derived from both childhood and present times. -- Tahoe Daily Tribune, book review
The Healing Powers of Herbs and Spices: A Complete Guide to Nature's Timeless Treasures. The ninth installment of the Healing Powers series from nutrition writer Orey explores how herbs and dried spices can provide home cures, weight loss benefits, and beauty treatments.  -- Publishers Weekly
... Orey's ninth title in her Healing Powers series is part cookbook, part healthy living reference...After the educational parts and charts, most pages are devoted to nearly 80 recipes for almost every possible eating occasion: jumbo anise biscotti, cayenne spicy salsa, saffron baked custard, spicy meatless shepherd's pie.... An herb a day just might keep the doctor at bay. Includes glossary and resources. --Booklist 
Herbal medicines can be helpful in treating many medical concerns as well as be used to support our health. These natural healing modalities discussed in Orey's refreshing book for  the 21st century well-being  have been part of my integrative family practice for nearly 50 years. -- Elson Haas, MD (ElsonHaasMD.com) is the author of 11 books including Staying Healthy with the Seasons and Staying Healthy with NEW Medicine.
I loved the complexity of it: there are personal stories from the author which bring flavor to the pages, there are a lot of details about the chemistry and the history of the spices and, of course, their benefits for health. These benefits are represented in many forms, each spices has a dedicated page, but here are also charts and several health issues that have suggested herbs that can alleviate these issues. There are folk types of advice mixed in, beauty and home benefits from using herbs and a lot of recipes. -- Reviewer NetGalley
It's very refreshing to come across a book packed with solid, helpful information on healing and wellness that doesn't try to discredit modern medicine. There is absolutely a place for both in our lives, and crucial information is being lost in the delirium of "internet research." -- Reviewer NetGalley

The Healing Powers of Tea is on Sale for Wintertime!

Cal Orey

Last  August 1, The Healing Powers of Tea once again gets bestselling banner on amazon! It's a perfect read for any season to escape with travelogues, DIY home cures, and recipes...


Also, The Healing Powers of Tea has attracted readers on a variety of online bookseller websites, including amazon, barnes and noble, walmart, kobo, apple, and google.

This book is #6 in the Healing Powers Series... 

Also, the popular, prestigious Fairmont Hotel in Victoria, B.C., Canada will be carrying both The Healing Powers of Tea and The Healing Powers of Honey in their tearoom gift shop. Foreign rights to Estonia! Publisher's Weekly Review! It's a favorite in the Healing Powers Series. *Healing Powers of Herbs and Spices: Timeless Treasures is ready for pre-order, coming this December!

The Healing Powers of Tea Kindle Edition(Amazon)by Cal Orey   (Author)4.9 out of 5 stars    #1 Best Sellerin Coffee and Tea See all 2 formats and editions
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$10.97 31 Used from $4.4154 New from $10.22

File Size: 1871 KBPrint Length: 321 pagesPublisher: Citadel (December 26, 2017)Publication Date: December 26, 2017Sold by: Penguin Random House Publisher ServicesLanguage: EnglishASIN: B06XZQKD4FText-to-Speech: Enabled X-Ray:Not Enabled Word Wise: EnabledLending: Not EnabledEnhanced Typesetting: Enabled Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #280 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)#1 in Coffee Tea (Books)#1 in Coffee Tea (Kindle Store)#1 in Health Reference