With leaf raking and wood cutting and splitting beginning to be a part of the routine, it is time to make a new rice bag. This is our old fashioned pain reliever, but it works better than anything more modern to soothe aching muscles.
To make the bag, I prefer flannel, but any tightly woven material will work. I have a variety of sizes, but my favorite size is a 5x7 bag. Cut two pieces of flannel that are 6x8 inches big. With right sides together, stitch them on three sides about 1/2 inch from the edge. I usually do this twice to make the seams very tight. On the fourth side, stitch the opening only about half way closed leaving enough space to put in the rice. Turn the bag right side out and fill 3/4 full with whole grained rice. You can also add a bit of herb to it if you like. With the rice in place, finish stitching the fourth side closed. I do this as close to the edge as I can to keep the seam line even.
Now you can put your rice bag in the microwave and heat it up. I usually heat mine for about 3 minutes, but this will vary depending on the size of the bag and the microwave. It is better to have to reheat it than to get it too hot initially. Be careful when you take the bag out - it will be hot. Wrap it in a towel to protect you skin and place it on the aching muscle.
These work even if the electricity is off. During an ice storm we were without electricity for almost two weeks. I simply put a cookie sheet on top of the wood stove and put the bag on the cookie sheet to warm Worked like a charm!
No comments:
Post a Comment