Self-Reliance Tip of the Week - Perfect Beans and Fun with Fennel June 5, 2014

Who knew fennel could be so fun?

This morning I spent a while making the second video in our Self-Reliance Cooking Series. It is called : How to Make Perfect Beans in a Wonder Oven.

You can watch my skills here :) : http://youtu.be/gyL8r_pRwZ8

If you have any questions let me know!

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What the heck is fennel? Why is it useful? Is it in your spice cabinet? 

My Oma (Grandmother Tenney) had a fennel bush outside her house for years. I always thought it smelled like licorice. Yumm!

Fennel has so many amazing uses! Here are only a few:

#1 When we have trouble digesting food we get gas build up (maybe from too many beans???). Enter fennel - possibly with a cape - fennel helps the body to produce more enzymes!!! Isn't that crazy? Enzymes help us to break down food easier. When we digest better, the whole body functions better.

#2 Fennel is a common ingredient in European cough remedies....hmmmm...why don't we see that here? Probably because they don't want people to assume because you have a cough you're gassy too? Who knows.

#3 I have personally used fennel to increase my milk supply when I wasn't making enough for one of my babies.

This website is one of my favorites for education on herbs and spices and the things they can be used for. 

http://www.herbs2000.com/ 

Here is what they have to say about fennel. I have used fennel for digestive issues before with great success. Here are other uses fennel can help with. Fennel...it does a body good. Pass it...on.

http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_fennel.htm