hi all,

went c'mas shopping with my daughter yesterday.....this is the medical student kid, who was home for the weekend, and the shopping took place at a little mennonite country store not far from me.

the store is a funky mix of health food store, baker's supply (which is what draws me there) and farmer's supply (things like casings for making your own sausages)......it's small, not much larger than a 7-11, and plain, as u would expect from mennonites, with simple shelving and no razz-ma-tazz like music and flashing signs.....the prices r good, the people who work there r unfailingly kind and helpful, and it's just spotlessly clean and tidy.

after reading the "rude people" thread, i'm almost ashamed to admit how much fun we had, but we did have a lovely time......cass found lots of interesting but inexpensive gifts for those on her list.....like little gift bags of munchies ranging from the very healthy dried-fruit-and-nuts variety to the shamelessly UNhealthy, like S'mores trail mix, full of marshmallows and chocolate bits.....i found some intersting ingredients that will save me money, like dried horseradish -- now i can mix up a tiny bit at a time, and stop throwing away half-finished jars of the stuff..... we had a wonderful time exploring every shelf in the place, which i've never really done before.

and that's the point of all this.....in the herbal tea section, we spotted "senna leaf tea" .......and my daughter mentioned that they had just talked about that in school ..... she couldn't remember why, which was really bugging her (they're currently studying anesthesia and pain meds).....so we splurged on some of the stuff ($2 worth) and brought it home where she looked it up in her notes.

the reason it was discussed is that it's often used as a laxative for folks with opiod constipation, especially in short-term opiod use.....it's a stimulant, rather than a bulk-forming fiber type, so it can't be used on a daily basis, and there r some contra-indications (high blood pressure meds, pregnancy and several more) so it shouldn't be used UNTIL APPROVED BY YOUR DOCTOR, but since constipation is one of the most common side-effects of pain relief drugs, i thought i would pass along the info.

if any of u r having problems that don't respond well to the usual laxatives, consider asking your doc about senna leaf tea.....PLEASE discuss this with the doc before trying it on your own!!!

hope this will be useful!.....but please be careful with it.

Hello Liz: I did not know there is such a thing as dried horseradish. I like horseradish, but like you, have to throw out the unused portion . I remember helping my father make homemade horseradish. He used a manual grinder and it really burned your nose and made your eyes water. It was delicious!!

I also remember boiling sassafras roots and making a wonderful tea. The kind you buy at the grocery store is not at all like the real sassafras.

If you go to the store again, see if the have any sassafras. I think you will like it. I have heard that it is a natural blood thinner, so be careful. Regards, Lil