How to Make and Use the Legendary Four Thieves Vinegar Blend

History and Folklore of the Four Thieves Vinegar Blend

As most of you know by now, I have been studying Herbs for some time now, on and off for years, since we have been staying in place now for over 3 weeks, due to the Covid-19 pandemic I have been getting more study time in.  So i Thought I would share one of my favorite recipes with you with most interesting folklore. And if your interested in learning more I put a link on the side bar for you to enjoy a Free Mini Course.  

 

In medieval times, four thieves were said to rob the homes of those suffering from illness and those who had died from the 17th-century plague, the Black Death. It is said that on moonless nights in Marseilles, France, the thieves would anoint their bodies in vinegar that had been infused with “protective” herbs now known to have antibacterial and antiviral properties. This herbal vinegar was thought to give the thieves an advantage against contracting the illness. Fleas were thought to be one especially sneaky carrier of the plague. In addition to its antimicrobial potential, the thieves’ aromatic cloak may have also acted as a natural flea repellent!
At first, the four thieves’ behavior wasn’t of much consequence, as folks assumed the plague would eventually take hold of them. However, the thieves’ resistance was strong, and their thievery continued. When they were finally apprehended, judges offered a less agonizing form of execution if they would be helpful by sharing their immunity secret. 
An alternative to this tale is that the four thieves had been caught for their acts of robbery and were then sentenced to bury the dead after the plague hit. In order to try and stave off catching the disease, they created this potent herbal vinegar in which they rubbed behind their ears, on their temples, and in their hands. 


Whichever myth is true, the recipe they revealed has been a well-known bit of folklore ever since, and today, I will share it with you! 


When making the Four Thieves Vinegar Blend, feel free to use fresh or dried herbs, depending on what you have on hand. The following recipe calls for dried herbs, as these help to extend the shelf life of the preparation. If using fresh herbs, simply double the amount that is called for in the recipe (1 teaspoon of dried herb equals 2 teaspoons of fresh herb) and know that since fresh herbs contain water, the shelf life of the Four Thieves Vinegar will be reduced, and the preparation will need to be used more quickly.

Four Thieves Vinegar Blend

• 
  

Get ready to make perhaps one of your most versatile, spicy herbal blends! This infused vinegar can be used internally, externally, as an ingredient, or even as a cleaning item. You may find you enjoy (or grow used to) taking a swig each morning or night to promote wellness, or keeping it on hand for days you feel you may have had contact with someone who is sick. If nothing else, you can use it just as you would almost any other vinegar!

Ingredients

2 cups (16 fl oz) organic apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dried sage (Salvia officinalis) leaves
2 teaspoons dried rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) leaves
2 teaspoons dried lavender (Lavandula officinalis) flowers
2 teaspoons dried juniper (Juniperus communis) berries
1 teaspoon black peppercorn (Piper nigrum) seed, crushed
1 teaspoon dried thyme (Thymus vulgaris) leaves
1 bulb fresh raw garlic (Allium sativum) cloves, chopped

Directions

• Fill a quart-sized canning jar with the herbs and top off with organic apple cider vinegar to 1-inch below the top of the jar. Stir the mixture with a clean spoon to remove any air bubbles and to ensure the herbs are thoroughly saturated with the vinegar.
• Seal the jar with a plastic lid, or place a piece of parchment paper between the jar and a metal lid to prevent the vinegar from corroding the metal and touching any coating on the lid.
• Let the mixture macerate for a month in a dark cupboard. Shake the jar daily to keep the herbs and vinegar mixed as this will ensure a better extraction.
• After a month, strain the vinegar using a sieve and layered cheesecloth. Reserve the liquid and compost the herbs.  Bottle the liquid in an amber-colored bottle to protect from light and label.

There are many ways to utilize the benefits of the Four Thieves vinegar blend! Use your Four Thieves blend wherever vinegar is called for in a recipe. If you are looking for a mocktail, add the blend to fizzy water and relax. Do you like to make your own salad dressings? If so, use your Four Thieves vinegar blend to make a delicious and flavorful vinaigrette base. If you feel a cold coming on, use this vinegar blend as a tincture or take it by the spoonful. It can also be a creative addition to the vinegar portion of a Fire Cider formula, or you could simply mix the vinegar with honey and enjoy as an easy oxymel. 
This Four Thieves vinegar blend can also be used externally as a household cleaner for any kitchen or bathroom surface. Because of its antimicrobial action (Serafin, Shah, & Yagnik, 2018), it discourages the overgrowth of certain types of microbes when it comes into contact with them, thus helping you to keep your home healthy during cold and flu season.   

Finally

Making a Four Thieves vinegar blend can be an easy, creative, and fun way to combat seasonal colds, flu, and infection. This all-purpose aromatic vinegar is just what you need to stay unplagued and healthy especially with a global pandemic going on.
God Bless
Enjoy!
Allison

Grandma's Ultimate Mac and Cheese

I have been making this decadent,  creamy macaroni and cheese for as long as I can remember. One year to save time I bought Stouffers. While I love Stouffers frozen foods, I've never lived that down and some of my family think that is what they have been eating for years. Lol  So to save face I am giving the rest of my family the recipe. 

I hope your happy ! Brent,Jason,Timothy, Nicole, Amelia and Camila♥️

 

3 Cups uncooked elbow macaroni 

1 package 16oz Velveeta cubed

2 Cups shredded Mexican cheese blend

2 Cups shredded White Cheddar cheese OR Sharp cheddar ( I use Sharp usually)

1 and 3/4 Cups whole milk

1 Can (12oz ) evaporated milk. NOT CONDENSED!

3/4 Cup of butter melted

3 large eggs lightly beaten 

Grease you crock pot with butter.

Cook macaroni in salted boiling water till Al dente.about 7-10 min. DRAIN.

( Don't cook to long you want it a little firm because it's still going to cook in the crockpot. )

After you drain the macaroni add it to the crockpot,  put cheese in,

Mix your eggs, milk, evaporated milk, and butter in a bowl till combined. 

Now pour that into the crockpot and stir till combined. 

Cook covered for 2 to 2-1/2 hours on LOW

stirring once halfway through cooking time. At the half way point you can add a little more milk if not creamy enough, but usually it's perfect.

Enjoy!

Allison

Mom

Grandma

Grammy♥️🥰

Beet Pickled eggs

Beet pickled eggs  • 1can of  beets sliced 1 cup beet juice, I just use the whole can• 1 cup cider or white vinegar whatever you have on hand.• 1/2 onion, sliced • 3/4
Cup granulated sugar • 2 garlic cloves smashed and cut in half • 1 bay leaf • 6 hard cooked eggs, peeled.
Put peeled eggs into a clean glass jar.
Bring all other ingredients to a boil, till sugar melts.
Let cool slightly then pour into eggs, cover and refrigerate.  Will keep for months, but ours never last that long.  The longer they sit the more flavor they develop,  but we've eaten them the next day , sometimes you just can't wait lol
Enjoy!
Allison

Polish Potato Dumplings (Kopytka) Recipe

Polish Potato Dumplings (Kopytka) made with mashed potatoes, flour and egg. These dumplings are perfect served with garlic, onion, mushrooms and bacon.

Or just some melted butter and sauteed onion.  Or like I made today sauteed with butter and added to a big pot of sauteed cabbage,onions,garlic, and apple. Which becomes my version of Haluski(Fried cabbage and noodles).

The ultimate comfort food 

Kopytka are popular in the southern part of Poland. They are made with mashed potatoes, egg and flour. 

They are cooked in salted water, I add chicken  broth. when they float they are done. and can be served right away or sauteed in pan for a crispy exterior. 

• 2 cups mashed potatoes cold
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup all purpose flour 

Place mashed potatoes in a mixing bowl. They should be cold, so this is a great way to use up leftover potatoes.

Add egg and flour and mix until the dough comes together. 

In a large saucepan or pot, boil water and add 1 teaspoon of salt. I add chicken base to my water, that's why it's yellow!

Now make your dumplings by taking a teaspoon full of dough and sliding it off into your chicken stock

Add about 8 dumplings at a time to the boiling stock and cook until they start to float to the top. This does not take long.

And poof little magical potato pillows of awesomeness. 

Remove and place on a plate. Repeat with remaining dumplings. There were more, but I had to sample a few, lol

You can serve the dumplings right away as a side dish. Or do as I did and saute with butter and add to cabbage. 

Enjoy!

Allison

Yule Brew🥃A Christmas Eve Tradition 🎄

Every year for Christmas  eve🎄 my family would have a meatless meal, a extra place setting would be set at the dining room table, for our family members who had passed on, and a bottle of whiskey and one shot glass would be passed around the table till it was gone, lol it was a big family 😍

Every one had a garlic clove dipped into salt and sometimes honey for good health for the year.  I remember my husband's first time with this tradition he ate the whole clove at once! Lol😳 instead of little nibbles throughout the meal. Oh well lesson learned. So we have continued this tradition throughout the years and now our son continues as well.

I hope you enjoy the recipe for what I now call our Yule Brew🥃🎄A smooth apple and cinnamon infused bourbon. 

Enjoy

Allison 

Yule Brew

One golden delicious Apple chopped 

2 or 3 -3" cinnamon sticks

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg 

3 cups of bourbon

 A 1/4 cup of simple syrup.

 Place 1st 3 ingredients in a large ball jar or container

 Add bourbon Stir cover let stand at Room temperature at least 4 days I do 7

 Stir once A-day.

Stir to distribute flavors 

Pour bourbon mixture through a fine wire mesh strainer.

 Discard solids.

 Stir in simple syrup and pour into a clean canning jar or fancy bottle cover and store in fridge.🎄

Simple syrup is equal amounts of sugar and water, heating till sugar melts.

Cranberry and Rosemary White Christmas Sangria

Cranberry & Rosemary White Christmas Sangria

1 Granny Smith apple

1 Braeburn apple

1 heaping Cup Fresh cranberries

1 large Sprig rosemary

1 Bottle Pinot grigio

½ cup white grape juice

¼ cup sugar (more, for garnish)

1 Can club soda

You need to chop up the apples, I prefer them in small cubes so you can easily snack on them while enjoying your sangria, or as I like to call it…dinner. I mean, it has food in it so that counts, right?

I try to use good wine for my sangria. I am sure many winemakers would scoff at the suggestion but good wine makes good sangria. Crappy wine makes good sangria too, you just have to add a lot more too it. I prefer to let the wine shine through too. Oh, a little secret…the advantage to using good wine is that you can pour yourself a glass of it while assembling this recipe and it won’t suck.

In a large pitcher, combine all of the ingredients.

Mix it well, so that the sugar fully dissolves.

Place the pitcher in the refrigerator to chill. During this time the sugar will fully dissolve and the rosemary, it will infuse your sangria. If you are wondering why I chose rosemary for this, well, it’s because I like my sangria’s sweet. But I really dislike the sweetness to linger. So by adding rosemary, it kind of cuts the sweetness down on the finish making it much more enjoyable.

While that chills, let’s make the garnish for this drink. I am not really into fancy garnish, personally. And this is far from one. But it is a Christmas drink and I figured if the rosemary could look like it was covered in snow, how effing Martha Stewart is that? To do this, simple place about 1/2 cup of granulated sugar in a shallow bowl. Lightly wet the rosemary and then give it a good shake to remove any excess water. Then roll the sprigs in the sugar until they are coated as you please. Gorgeous, right?

Once the pitcher has chilled for about an hour, it should be ready to serve. How amazing does this look?

Courtesy of:

http://cookingstoned.tv/recipe/cranberry-rosemary-white-christmas-sangria/

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail

This recipe for shrimp cocktail is one of our favorites,  and so easy for the Holidays 🎄

Toss peeled and deveined shrimp with a little olive oil, kosher salt, and cracked black pepper Sometimes I add a little garlic powder and old bay.

Spread single layer on a  cookie sheet, 

Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 8 min.

Serve at room temperature with cocktail sauce.

Happy Holidays 

Allison