Keeping it real

Home remedies from the real 'Housewives of Sussex County’, By Laurie Gordon They may not have the bling, glitter (and drama) of the women on “The Real Housewives of New Jersey” television reality show, but they are real, hardworking wives and mothers and they’re proud to call Sussex County, New Jersey, their home. Unlike the TV housewives, they prefer the rural lifestyle to outright suburbia, but living out here can mean some rough winters. Not to worry, the “real housewives of Sussex County” have a medicine chest full of helpful home remedies. Softer skin, shinier hair Katherine Clinton of Fredon couples an over-the-counter aid with an old trick to cure dry hands. “I would say that the biggest thing I deal with in the winter is dry hand skin and those very painful cracks that develop around the fingernails, specifically the thumbs. I have found that what helps the most is to apply a heavy-duty hand cream before bed and put gloves on all night. When you wake up in the morning your hands feel sooo much better and the cracks are so much less painful.“ Jackie Kaufman puts an interesting twist on curing dry cuticles. She loves an all-natural product called Burt’s Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream. Before her weekly long run in the country, Kaufman, who works as a pharmacist, massages the cuticle cream into her nails then dons her gloves and it penetrates into her cuticles and nails while she’s working out. Claire Oelkers of Hampton uses lots of home remedies. She’s also a fan of Burt’s Bees products and particularly raves about their lip balm. “I actually use it on the backs of my daughter’s hands since they get so dry in the winter.” Over in Newton, Christine Maslow Bulko said, “Being a good Italian, I’m a big believer in the wonders of olive oil. I know that olive oil works wonders for dry hair. I wash it less often in the winter (once every two days or so), and every two weeks I comb hot oil through it and leave it in a turbie twist overnight, then wash it out the next day. It stays softer and shinier for a while. Ginny Wask is the president of the Friends of the Fredon Volunteer Fire Company and a pillar in the community helping to make several annual fundraisers come to fruition. She’s also an avid gardener and locally famous chocolate chip cookie baker. “I use a product called Lotil for the painful splits that I get on my fingertips in the cold weather,“ she says. “And I also try to use rubber gloves when washing dishes. If you put the lotion on before the gloves and then wash in hot water, it helps to increase the absorption of the cream.” Lynn Lancaster, owner of Advanced Group.net and AroundtheArea.com, swears by Vasoline for a myraid of winter dry skin ailments. The Newton resident will forego fancy labels for this tried and true remedy. Barb Hoss, of Sparta, agrees about Vasoline and will put it on her face to stop burn and chafing when she’s outside in the winter. Coughs, colds and other annoying ailments Tracey Swenson of Sparta is a former nationally-ranked triathlete and is now the proud mother of 4-year-old twins: Tayte and Karly. When it comes to winter-related ailments, Swenson has found one that couldn’t be simpler. “My fever blister remedy is to put an ice cube on the fever blister as soon as you feel it 'tingle.’ Works like a charm and the blister never erupts.” Shawna Bengivenni is a talented gardener who has won numerous awards at the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show and who sells her vegetables through a co-op and at the Lafayette Village Farmer’s Market. The Wantage resident swears by this old-fashioned recipe for colds: a hot mustard plaster, which was taught to her by her mother. “When you need to break up a really tight congested chest, place one of these on your chest and get into bed. The next morning it is like magic. You can breathe and best of all you can cough all of the built-up congestion out of your lungs.” But, she added: “Word of caution...it will burn your skin if you let the paste come in contact with your skin. My mom always used a really thick paper shopping bag with a handkerchief underneath it and that is what I still do.” “You will feel the bag getting hot a bit. Leave it on all night if possible,” Bengivenni advises. She and her husband own LRB Performance Machine Shop in Franklin, so with the business and the garden, she’s got to be healthy. Bengivenni also is a big believer in eating food as fresh as possible. She cans and freezes many of her vegetables that she grows in the summer so she and her husband, Lou, can eat fresh year-round. Erin Palinski of Vernon is the founder and owner of the Vernon Nutrition Center. With locations in Franklin and Ramsey, she’s on the go a lot helping people with all aspects of nutrition and has a lot of home remedies. She has many certifications in her field. For congestion, Palinski said, “Red pepper, jalape-os and hot salsa will temporarily open up your nasal passages and break up congestion.” To prevent colds and allergies, she recommends green tea. “It’s a natural antihistamine which helps both allergies and colds.” As for warding off winter colds, Palinski recommends trying to eat your way healthy. “Increase your intake of vitamin C-rich foods such as citrus fruits. Vitamin C can help boost the immune system to fight off colds. It can also help counteract the inflammation response caused by allergens.” If you’ve already got a cold, Palinski suggests making a tea with thyme or adding thyme to recipes. Thyme can help break up congestion and relieve a stuffy nose. For fevers, she said to “stay hydrated by drinking at least eight to 10 cups of water and other fluids.” Barb Hoss of Sparta follows two daily regimes that she swears by. “I take Vitamin C daily to prevent a cold and put sun screen lotion on my face when running anytime of the year... even when the sun isn’t out.” Nurse practitioner and aromatherapist Deborah Drumm of Stillwater owns Advanced Behavioral Counseling of Northern New Jersey. She also works for Bridgeway in Sparta and she has many natural remedies for all kinds of health-related issues including seasonal ailments. Here’s one she uses for coughs. It’s her sister’s recipe called “The Doctors Cough Remedy.” Combine one cup of grapes (it’s important to make sure they’re organic and with the seeds) with 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons lemon juice and a dash of cayenne pepper. Mix them in a blender and serve warm. “The warmth of the liquid will not only soothe the throat and lungs, but also helps break down mucus buildup.” Drumm says that a natural compound found in grape seeds is loaded with powerful antioxidants. The honey naturally fights bacteria and is helpful in attacking germs that colonize in the nose, sinuses and lungs. Lemon is a natural cold expectorant. It soothes inflamed throat membranes and makes the throat less vulnerable to irritations which can cause coughing. Capsaicin, or cayenne pepper, has antioxidant powers which can prevent bacterial infections. It makes mucus thinner which helps it move out of the lungs. General well-being Laura DeLea is the business development manager at RCM Technologies and a long-time Sparta resident. Her winter remedy focuses on the mind-body connection, “to help stay clear of those winter blues.” DeLea takes a daily dose of Vitamin D3, makes sure she gets out at some point during the day to take in the natural light and breathe fresh air and then, she goes for a run. Fighting the elements, for DeLea, is a matter of being armed with the proper layers and positive mental attitude. And, despite the cold, she’s going outside. Christine Maslow Bulko of Newton, who works at the Hebrew Academy of Morris County, says she loves to drink herbal tea in the winter. “It helps me get my water in and stay warm at the same time. I like mint tea for tummy troubles and chamomile to relax muscles and stay calm. Lately, I have also been taking maca root — as I heard from a girlfriend it was a good hormonal stabilizer for women. I really like the effects.” Kristin Meredith of Stillwater, who named her daughter Willow, says one of her favorite home remedies is Willow Bark tea. “It’s excellent for a headache and contains the same chemicals as aspirin without the side effects,” she says. Then there’s Meredith’s super concoction for aching joints, eczema, bruises, mosquito/bug bites. “First I collect plantain from my lawn, St. John’s wort flower buds (they grow wild around here and bud in late June through July) and comfrey leaves. You can add any herbs that are good for skin (lavender flowers, calendula, etc).” Put this all in a jar and fill with olive oil. Use a chopstick to push out the air and prevent the oil from going rancid. Place a sage leaf on top. It acts as a preservative, and sage has antibacterial properties, Meredith says. Secure the lid tightly. Leave in a cool dry spot, such as a cabinet, for two to four weeks. Meredith say the solution turns a lovely shade of red as the herbs infuse the oil. After two to four weeks, strain the oil through a mesh strainer into a the top of a double boiler, squeezing the oil out of the herbs with a fist. Discard the herbs or use a fertilizer in the garden or compost. Put an inch of water in the bottom pot and simmer the oil on low only until it is warm to the touch. Do not overheat. Add beeswax until it reaches the consistency you like. Using a spoon, put a bit of the oil on it and stick it in the freezer for a few minutes to see what the consistency has hardened to. Pour into jars or tins and let cool. Now, says Meredith, “You are all set for the daily bumps, bruises and bug bites our kids come home with.” For stomach aches any time of year, Vernon’s Erin Palinski recommends adding ginger to the diet such as ginger tea. “Peppermint also has soothing effects that help stomach aches so stock up on peppermint teas or even mints to fight off a stomach ache.” With the cold and lack of sunshine this time of year, Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, can impact people. For depression of any sort, Palinski is a big believer in regular exercise. “It releases endorphins which help to improve the mood. Aim for at least 30 to 60 minutes most days of the week.” Loretta Chiapperino works for Vernon, Prudential Gross & Jansen Highlands Realty by day. By night she’s an instructor at Simply Dance in Vernon. This Vernon resident says she runs on coffee and chocolate. “It works for me and I’d highly recommend it.” As far as natural home remedies, Chiapperino says her secret to keeping the family’s big kitchen butcher block clean is, rather than using commercial cleaners, to combine lemon juice and sea salt. “The sea salt is the abrasive and the lemon juice gets rid of any fish smells or other things like that.” While on TV, the “Real Housewives of New Jersey” hash out interpersonal drama at fancy restaurants, country clubs and in huge houses wearing Prada, Gucci and Blahniks, their counterparts in Sussex County are happy living the country lifestyle planning for the next Tricky Tray or community event while most often sporting hiking boots or running shoes. When they do dress up, they look stunning, too, but name brands don’t matter so much. Rather than trips to the Short Hills Mall, Sussex County’s kids look forward to the annual Farm and Horse Show, and come winter, instead of heading to Niemans or Bloomies for $200 “miracle creams,” they have some great secret remedies of their own.

Multi-tasking at its finest
Reporter Laurie Gordon is a Real Housewife of Stillwater and she has a home remedy to offer, too. “My remedy for dry winter hair is to — before exercising on my ski machine — put a thick layer of deep conditioner in my hair, don a plastic cap and cover it with a knit winter hat.” While it may look odd, it does a good job and saves her a bundle, she says. “The heat generated while I exercise works with the conditioner to make hair silky smooth and on top of saving a lot on a deep conditioning treatment at a salon, instead of having to sit around and wait, I can multi-task and get in a workout plus a beauty treatment at the same time. One time I also put a green mud mask on my face while on the machine. Unfortunately, my husband came home unexpectedly and found me looking like the Wicked Witch of the West with a green face and hair in a Scooby Doo winter hat jamming on a ski machine to Aerosmith and singing along in a pretty loud voice.” That put a damper on her enthusiasm. ”I haven’t done the mask since.”

How to make a mustard plaster
Bengivenni uses dry mustard — the kind sold in the spice section of any grocery store — and water plus a large paper shopping or grocery bag. Cut the bottom out of the bag so it will not be bulky under a T-shirt or pajama top and so it’s easy to fold and place on the chest. Make a thick paste out of the mustard powder and water. Spread it onto the paper bag in the area where the chest hurts or feels most tight. Fold the paper bag over the mustard mix envelope style. Place the handkerchief on the chest, and then the bag. Next, put on the shirt or pajama top to keep the bag in place. Get into bed.