Hildegard's Secret Code
Hildegard invented her own alphabet. It was sort of like Medieval Latin but also had bits that were made up. If you make up just three more letters of your own, you can use Hildegard's alphabet as a secret code. Take the first design -- the one that sort of looks like a lower case "r" -- and make that letter represent "a." The second letter can be a "b." And so on. You will need to create letters for "x, y, and z." Then you can write secret messages to all your friends!
Hildegard invented her own alphabet. It was sort of like Medieval Latin but also had bits that were made up. If you make up just three more letters of your own, you can use Hildegard's alphabet as a secret code. Take the first design -- the one that sort of looks like a lower case "r" -- and make that letter represent "a." The second letter can be a "b." And so on. You will need to create letters for "x, y, and z." Then you can write secret messages to all your friends!
Hildegard listened to God, and God gave her ideas. Some of her ideas about foods that might make our bodies healthy and strong are listed in her books. Here are a few things you can try at home. Some are silly or old-fashioned, but others are interesting and fun!
Those who desire strong, healthy teeth should rinse the mouth with fresh (cold), clean water immediately upon rising in the morning. Brush your teeth often and repeatedly with cold clean water. The build-up of film will not increase and your teeth will be strong and healthy.
It is a good rule not to start any meal with fruit or salad. Start dinner with soup, and eat salad with the rest of the meal.
Spelt porridge, spelt bread and spelt coffee constitute the ideal breakfast.
Since Hildegard said it was healthy, I decided to look up a few spelt recipes. Here's one from Mariano's, for Spelt Coffee. It has no caffeine, so it's safe for children to drink. To make it, you need to buy some spelt kernels from a healthy foods market. And a grown up should do the roasting.
Spelt Coffee
Ingredients: 1 cup washed and dried spelt kernels, water
Preparation: Place the kernels in a heavy 8-inch nonstick skillet, and brown over medium heat, stirring frequently. Transfer all but 2 tablespoons of the kernels to a bowl, and continue roasting the remaining kernels until they are very dark in color, but not burned. Remove the kernels, and mix with the lighter brown ones.
To make 2 cups of spelt coffee, place 2 cups of water in a 1-quart saucepan, and bring to a boil. Add 3 heaping tablespoons of the roasted kernels, and boil for about 10 minutes, or until the water is brown in color. Strain the brew, reserving the kernels, and serve.
Add a few roasted spelt coffee kernels to the old kernels each day, until some kernels start to fall apart. Then discard them and roast a new batch.
Yield: Makes 1 cup
Prep Time: 15 mins.
Cook Time: 15 mins.
Spelt Porridge with Granola
Baked Spelt Porridge with Vanilla, Huckleberries, and Maple Sugar (serves six)
Spelt Bread
Ingredients (Original recipe makes 2 big loaves)
- 8 cups spelt flour
- 1/2 cup sesame seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon blackstrap molasses
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 4 1/4 cups milk
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
- In a large bowl, mix together the spelt flour, sesame seeds, salt, molasses, baking soda and milk until well blended. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
- Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Placing a tin of the same size over the top of the loaf while baking gives it a lovely crust.