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The Kitchen Is Your Lab:

Your kitchen will supply you with most of the utensils you need for preparing herbal products.

Rule Number One:  Never Use Aluminum.  No aluminum pans, bowls, molds ect. 

Aluminum is "Toxic" and the toxicity is easily released by heat into your, food and herbal products. 

Use:  Glass, stainless steel, ceramic, cast iron or enamel cookware. 

Other useful items:  beeswax, organic olive oil, other carrier oils, some essential oils of choice, herbs, alcohol, canning jars for storing herbs and making tinctures and liniments, cheesecloth or fine muslin for straining herbs, coffee grinder reserved for grinding herbs, not coffee, grater reserved for grating  beeswax, large, double-meshed, stainless steel strainer, measuring cups, stainless-steel pots with tight fitting lids. 

Recommended Books:   Please Support Your Small Business Book Store! 

Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health

The Herbal Home Remedy Book , by Joyce A. Wardwell 

Purchase Of Bulk Herbs and More: 

https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/

Herb Learning Site: 

http://www.herbmentor.com/

Infused Herbal Oil 

Herbal infused oils can be used on their own or as a base for salves and ointments.   You can either make strong medicinal oils or sweet scented massage oils.   I like to use organic olive oil but you can use other good quality organic  oils, such as almond, apricot, coconut, sunflower, jojoba ( do not use soy or canola)

Solar Infused Oil:

Place the herbs and the oil in a glass jar, cover tightly.   Place the jar in a warm, sunny spot and let steep for 2- 3 weeks.  Strain the oil through cheesecloth or muslin.  When the oil has been poured off, put the herbs in the cheese cloth or muslin and wring thoroughly and squeeze all the oil you can get.  If you want a stronger oil, add a fresh batch of herbs to the oil and infuse for 2 more weeks.  Strain again.  This will give you a very potent medicinal oil.   

Use of the solar infused method is the preferred method to extract all the healing benefits of the herbs. 

Double Boiler Method: 

Place the herbs and the oil in a double boiler and bring to a low simmer.  Slowly heat for 30 to 60 minutes, checking frequently to be sure the oil is not overheating (preferably between 80- 100 degrees Fahrenheit).  The lower the heat, the longer the infusion, the better the oil.  

Turn off let sit a few hours, then repeat the above instructions.  Do this for a third time. 

Strain, wring, squeeze, bottle and label. 

Much care needs to be taken when creating herbal oils this way because you do not want to deep-fry your herbs! When placing herbs into a crock-pot, double boiler, or electric yogurt maker  cover with organic extra virgin olive oil (or other carrier oil of choice) leaving at least an inch or two of oil above the herbs. 

Second Quick Option:

Gently heat the herbs over very low heat (preferably between 100 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit) for 1-5 hours until the oil takes on the color and scent of the herb.  Some texts recommend heating the oil 48-72 hours at a controlled temperature of 100 degrees Fahrenheit.  Turn off heat and allow to cool. Once that the oil is ready, strain using cheesecloth, and bottle into dry and sterilized amber bottles for storage.  Store in a dark and cool place.

Crock Pot Method: 

 Place herbs and oils in crockpot and set on lowest possible heat. You will have to experiment with your own crockpot as the strength of the heating element can vary quite a bit, but as a general rule 2 to 4 hours will do it.  One of my crockpots  is just too hot for this method, so I do one hour and a few hours off.  I repeat this method for a few days.

More on Infusing oils:

 http://www.anniesremedy.com/chart_remedy.php?prep_ID=30

http://wildroseherbs.blogspot.com/2012/05/savvy-tips-for-herbal-sal...

Making A Salve: 

Step one, prepare an infused oil following the above instructions.

Step two, to each cup of herbal oil, add 1/4 cup of beeswax.  Heat until the beeswax is completely melted.  To check for consistency, place 1 tablespoon of the mixture in the freezer for just a minute or two.  If it's too soft, add more beeswax, if too hard add more oil

Step three, remove from heat immediately and pour into small glass jars or tins.  Store any extra salve in a cool, dark place.  Stored properly, salve will last for months, even years. 

Making Salves: 

http://mountainroseblog.com/diy-herbal-salves/

Compress

A compress is made by soaking a cloth in an herbal tea for 5 to 10 minutes, wringing the cloth out and then laying it on the affected area.

Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil.

Add 1/2 ounce of dried herbs

Cover and steep 20 minutes.

Soak wash cloth in tea for 5 to 10 minutes.

Wring out cloth (you may need to let it cool in a separate bowl for a few minutes before wringing).

Place cloth on affected area and lie still for 20 minutes.

Repeat as needed for healing.

Do not reuse, if you are treating infection or open wounds! 

Poultice

A poultice is mashed plant material applied directly to the body on the affected area or wrapped in thin cloth and then applied.

A poultice is similar to a compress, except that plant parts are used rather than liquid extraction. Dried herbs or fresh, if you are using fresh, mash or crush fresh plant parts.  Add herbs to a pot of boiling water turn off, put lid on and steep for 5 minutes . Apply the pulp directly to the skin, as hot as can be tolerated, holding it in place with a gauze bandage. 

When making poultices from fresh plant material you can use the spit poultice method (simply chewing up the plant material and mixing it with your saliva) or add water and crush the plant material in a mortar and pestle or blender.

Apply directly to the wound and hold in place with a band-aid.

Poultices can also be wrapped in thin cloth and then applied to the skin.

Herbal Wash: 

A wash is simply an herbal tea splashed on an affected area of the body.

Edible Wild Fir, Evergreen And Cedars

Side Note:  The Yew is not edible

Cedar Infused Oil

Place some needles into a mason jar one quarter full; add olive oil until all the needles are covered. Let infuse for 4 weeks (out of direct sunlight), then strain.  You can use this to make salad dressings or to cook with.

Nutrients in Coniferous Trees

Pine needles are loaded with vitamins A and C, and it doesn't end there. The vitamin C levels are so high (on average 5 times greater than lemons) who needs oranges! 

• Vitamin C is considered to be important in preventing cancer.
• Pine oils, according to Russian studies,  lower cholesterol and aid in lowering the blood pressure.
• Proanthocyanin and resveratrol are potent anti-aging compounds.

Making Coniferous Teas

It was once believed that vitamin C will be destroyed if extracted into boiling water – this is not true. Vitamin C boils at over 500 degrees centigrade and this is a temperature that cannot be reached from boiling water on the stove or in a kettle – therefore you will benefit from all that vitamin C!

Fir, Pine or Spruce Tree Powder

Take the dried needles and powder them in your blender. Store the final product in a mason jar. Use this powder to add a lemony taste (yes, there is a lemon-taste to these) to your cooking – fish, chicken, and even in some of your desserts! To make tea, use one teaspoon of powder per cup of boiling water and infuse twenty minutes.

Balsamic Vinegar

Fill a mason jar with (preferably) white pine needles. Douglas fir, balsam pine or spruce will work as well.  Fill the jar with apple cider vinegar and let infuse minimum six weeks in a dark location.  Strain and decant. (Important – do NOT use a metal lid from the mason jar as the vinegar can cause it to corrode. Use plastic wrap or a sandwich baggie to seal the jar.)

Pine Needle Syrup

Fill a mason jar with finely cut up organic lemon with the peel and pine needles.  Pour honey into the mason jar until the jar is filled.  Cover and let sit for 3 weeks.  Strain and decant.  This is am amazing syrup which can be used as a beverage, poured over ice cream and it tastes great. Some people use this as a cough syrup due to the healing power in honey and the high content of vitamin C in the pine needles.

Cedar

Take a fresh sprig of cedar and place it in your mug – add water and let infuse twenty minutes. Cedar can also be dried and powdered and stored to be used for tea.

Herbal Liniments:  EXTERNAL USE ONLY 

Note: Rubbing alcohol is typically used to make liniments because it extracts the therapeutic herbal constituents, rapidly penetrates and evaporates from the skin.  I personally will not use rubbing alcohol because it is made from petroleum.  I use Everclear to get the same effect as rubbing alcohol.

 You could also use Vodka, Witch Hazel Extract, or Vinegar as a solvent.  Basically, you’ll need a menstruum to extract the properties of the herbs which will absorb quickly and deeply to penetrate skin.  If alcohol alone is too harsh or drying on your skin, try mixing it with Witch Hazel Extract or Vinegar until you find a medium that works for you. - 

Simple to make, herbal liniments are a great element for any home medicine cabinet!  They offer instant relief for pain, inflamed muscles, bruises, and sprains.

Depending on which botanicals are included, liniments can be used to disinfect cuts and wounds, and may benefit a variety of conditions including sore and inflamed muscles, joints, circulation problems, arthritis, rheumatism, sprains, strains, and bruises.

More On Liniments:

http://mountainroseblog.com/making-herbal-liniments/

Muscle Liniment: (we made this in class)

In this liniment we are using cayenne and cinnamon as a warming herbs that will help increase circulation in the area affected.

The valerian root will work to relax the muscles.

The comfrey and calendula are soothing herbs that will help with healing bruises and injuries. This combination can also be helpful in easing the pain of arthritis.

1 ounce (weight) of comfrey root (NOT powder) 

3/4 ounce valerian root (NOT powder) 

1/2 ounce calendula flowers (NOT powder) 

3/4 ounce cinnamon (powder) 

1/4 teaspoon cayenne (powder) 

1 quart  grain alcohol such as Everclear (available in liquor store in some states).

A quart jar

A strainer

Cheesecloth

A #4 coffee filter with filter holder (for straining out the ground herbs)

How to make;

Weigh out the appropriate amount of each herb and put them into a quart jar.

Pour  grain alcohol (preferred) over the herbs to fill the jar.

Stir to release any bubbles, and put a lid on the jar.

LABEL the jar.

Stir or shake once each day for two weeks.

Strain through cheese cloth, squeezing the herbs to extract as much liquid as possible.

Pour into new jar through coffee filter to get out any extra particulates.

LABEL the jar you are storing the liniment in.

How to store your liniments:

Store the liniment in a spray bottle or small jar in your medicine cabinet. Be sure to label the jar with the words: “For external use only.”

Dr. Kloss Liniment: 

The Herbal Kloss Liniment is an extremely old but very strong remedy created by Dr. Kloss. Together with the revisions made by Rosemary Gladstar in her book Family Herbal, it is one of the most effective recipes for disinfecting wounds you could ever have on hand. However, this liniment is not only useful for disinfecting, it is highly beneficial in treating the following:

-all pains
-insect bites
-painful swellings
-bruises
-boils
-skin eruptions of any kind (i.e. pimples, eczema, etc.)

How to Make the Herbal Kloss Liniment

-1 ounce Echinacea powder
-1 ounce goldenseal root powder
-2 ounces myrrh gum powder
-1/2 ounce cayenne pepper powder
Everclear to cover, approximately 1 quart

Directions: In 1 quart glass jar combine all of the powders. Pour alcohol over herbal powders to fill jar, leaving 1-2 inch head space. Mix thoroughly. Place lid tightly on jar and let mixture stand in a warm and dark location.

Let jar stand for at least 4 weeks, shake well every day. After 4 weeks strain liniment well using a piece of cheesecloth and re bottle. Note: Be sure to clearly label For EXTERNAL USE ONLY.

Dosage: Apply the liniment every few minutes for an hour or two in acute instances. Otherwise, use freely until desired results are achieved.

Tips:

Re- bottle  liniment in 2-4 ounce spray bottle for ease of use.

- By applying the liniment to the temples, back of the neck, and to the forehead it can be used as an excellent remedy for a headache.

-Spray on to painful and swollen joints to relieve the symptoms of arthritis.

-Useful as a treatment for athlete’s foot. Apply frequently and saturate the affected area thoroughly.

-Treat a toothache or sores in the mouth by saturating a cotton ball with the liniment and then cleaning the mouth with the medicated swab. Focus on the area surrounding the toothache/mouth sore. Take extreme caution not to swallow the liniment; spit it out.

First Salve We Made:  

Solomon Seal- for treating injuries to the musculoskeletal system. It is used  to treat broken bones, sprains, injured tendons and ligaments, tendonitis, arthritis, dryness in joints and "slipped"/herniated discs. Solomon's Seal has the remarkable ability to restore the proper tension to ligaments, regardless of whether they need to be tightened or loosened. This makes it a valuable remedy for sports & activity related injuries, used either before resorting to or along with conventional surgical procedures.

http://www.herbcraft.org/solseal.html

Birch Bark is a natural pain reliever containing salicylate, the compound found in aspirin.  Birch Bark relieves the inflammation and pain associated with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout and generalized muscle pain. Another reason birch calms arthritis and gout is it's cleansing diuretic action that eliminates toxins and excess water. 

Comfrey Root - Rich in allantoin and mucilage, comfrey is highly valued for its soothing qualities and is a common ingredient in poultices, salves and ointments.  It facilitates and activates the healing of damaged tissue.  It is one of the best herbs for treating torn ligaments, strains, bruises, and any injury to the bones or joints.  Comfrey root and the leaf have similar properties; the root is stronger, but the leaf is more palatable.  use them both in salves and ointments.  

Juniper Berries - The juniper berry has anti-inflammatory properties and it’s of great help to those suffering from arthritis, gout and other diseases such as rheumatism and pain in the joints and muscles. These joint related ailments occur because of the fluid retention around these joints, and the juniper berry with its diuretic action relieves this pressure considerably. Juniper also helps in reviving the muscle tone and significantly reducing the effects of ageing for most people.

Peppermint- Cooling, for swelling, inflammation, and areas that are hot due to sprains, bruises, and other injuries. 

Essential Oil Of Rosemary

Second Salve We Made:  Added Cayenne and Cinnamon:  Name:  LR Salve 

Soloman Seal- for treating injuries to the musculoskeletal system. It is used  to treat broken bones, sprains, injured tendons and ligaments, tendonitis, arthritis, dryness in joints and "slipped"/herniated discs. Solomon's Seal has the remarkable ability to restore the proper tension to ligaments, regardless of whether they need to be tightened or loosened. This makes it a valuable remedy for sports & activity related injuries, used either before resorting to or along with conventional surgical procedures.

Birch Bark--is a natural pain reliever containing salicylate, the compound found in aspirin.  Birch Bark relieves the inflammation and pain associated with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout and generalized muscle pain.  l. An other reason birch calms arthritis and gout is it's cleansing diuretic action that eliminates toxins and excess water. 

Comfrey Root- Rich in allantoin and mucilage, comfrey is highly valued for its soothing qualities and is a common ingredient in poultices, salves and ointments.  It facilitates and activates the healing of damaged tissue.  It is one of the best herbs for treating torn ligaments, strains, bruises, and any injury to the bones or joints.  Comfrey root and the leaf have similar properties; the root is stronger, but the leaf is more palatable.  use them both in salves and ointments.  

Juniper Berries- The juniper berry has anti-inflammatory properties and it’s of great help to those suffering from arthritis, gout and other diseases such as rheumatism and pain in the joints and muscles. These joint related ailments occur because of the fluid retention around these joints, and the juniper berry with its diuretic action relieves this pressure considerably. Juniper also helps in reviving the muscle tone and significantly reducing the effects of ageing for most people.

Peppermint-   Cooling, for swelling, inflammation, and areas that are hot due to sprains, bruises, and other injuries. 

Cayenne - excellent warming and circulatory herb

Cinnamon - warming and aids circulation

The Art Of Making Herbal Remedies

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure

 The best way to treat a cold and flu, is prevention.  Working on heather life style habits that boost your immune system, can keep you from getting sick frequently.  Good health is the practice of living healthfully every day.  If you or your family members become susceptible to illness, lack vitality,feel unfocused or lethargic it is  generally due to lack of exercise, poor sleep,  to much  screen time (video games, movies, social media etc.) poor dietary practices and lack of  quality time with family and friends.  Fighting infection is best handled by building up the strength of the whole body.

Let’s start with prevention

Get Plenty of Rest

Our bodies need rest and of a sufficient quality and quantity. It is during sleep, when our body is at rest, that it is able to optimally rejuvenate and heal.

Stay Hydrated

A large part of our body is comprised of water (55 – 70% by some sources). Water flushes harmful toxins out and is vital for the proper functioning of all body systems. The standard requirements state 8 glasses of filtered water daily but this will vary due to many factors; amount of exercise, body weight, climate, etc.

Dry Skin Brushing:

Our skin is our shield to the outside world. Keeping it healthy promotes a healthier body. Dry skin brushing is a great way to cleanse and promote a healthy lymphatic system, vital for our immune system and general well-being.

Brushing the skin before a shower or bath has numerous benefits such as helping with detoxification, removing dead skin (exfoliation) to open the pores, stimulating circulation, cleaning the lymph system and increasing cell renewal. With a dry, natural bristle brush, begin at the feet and work towards the heart stroking with gentle to moderate pressure. Be sure to cover all areas of the body up to the heart. Then begin at the hands and brush the arms. Start again at the neck and work again towards the heart until all areas of the body have been brushed. The first few times your skin may fill a little sensitive but will become accustomed to the brushing.

Eat Healthy :

Eating healthy during the cold and flu season is one important step to take. We are what we eat and eating healthier will lead to a healthier body and stronger immune system. Skip the junk foods and reduce sugar consumption. As little as 1 teaspoon of sugar (from any source) can suppress the immune system for up to 4 hours. Reduce your meat consumption, your body has to work harder to digest meats.  Eat organic, grass fed, and pasture raised animals.  Especially stay away from processed meats such as bacon, sausage and deli meats.  Add in more fruits and vegetables which will increase your intake of balanced vitamins and nutrients. Limit your intake of processed foods and dairy. Spend 20 minutes outside in the sun daily to increase your levels of vitamin D. Supplement with vitamin C and add zinc into your diet. Both garlic and onion have anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral properties which will help fight infection and strengthen the immune system. 

Take Probiotics:

Probiotics are healthy bacteria that reside in the digestive tract. Increasing the healthy bacteria will reduce the unhealthy bacteria and lessen the load on the  immune system. Yogurt  without sweetener and fermented foods contain the healthy bacteria or supplements are available.  Look up Dr. Mecola on youtube on probiotics.

Exercise:

Moderate exercise is important to keep the body and immune system healthy. Exercise helps remove toxins from the body and cleanse the lymphatic system. Exercise is also a great way to reduce stress.

Stress Reduction:

Stress is our reaction to any life event that upsets the body’s balance. Stress has become a major factor in all of our lives. If not handled properly, stress throws our bodies out of balance and into a state of dis-ease – not only physically but emotionally and spiritually. Stress reduces the immune system’s effectiveness.

There are many ways to reduce stress in our lives. A happy, positive attitude is one of the easiest ways. We all have the choice to live life from a positive or negative perspective. Turn off the media and reduce negative influences from your life. Stay away from the drama!

Take time for yourself, listen to relaxing music, meditate, immerse yourself in a hobby, enjoy nature, have body work such as massage or Reiki done.

Life is what you make of it. Change your thoughts, be happy!

Flu Prevention Using Fresh Herbs To Your Daily Diet: 

Garlic:  Add 1 to 2 cloves of fresh raw garlic into your daily diet.  Sprinkle it on salads, soups or bread. Mix it with honey to minimize possible stomach upsets. 

Thyme:  The herb has potent antiviral and antibiotic qualities.  Start drinking thyme as your daily beverage when everyone around you is getting the flu.   If it is too late and you already are feeling the effects of the flu coming on, thyme tea will generally, lesson the duration and severity of the illness. 

Rose Hips:  These are one of nature's best sources of vitamin C!   Other great sources of vitamin C are alfalfa, catnip, lemon balm, plantain, strawberry leaf, violet leaf, and white pine needle. 

Violet:  The common violet acts as a gentle immune-system stimulant.  Drink a tea made from teh whole above ground portion of the plant.  Other herbs that help stimulate the immune system are ST. Johns wort, white pine, and strawberry leaf. 

Wash Hands Often and Don’t Touch  Your Face or Eyes

Stay away from toxic hand-sanitizers!

Nourishing Infusions:  Susun Weed 

http://www.susunweed.com/An_Article_Fatigue_AW3.htm

What to do when the bug hits:

Remember the earlier you can catch an illness, often the easier it is to beat.

There are a lot of things you can do when you are sick ,because of this I am going to do only a small list.  I will give references at the end of this blog.  

 Nettle Leaf- Some natural doctors say this is the only herb needed for illness treatment. It contains large amounts of vitamins and trace minerals and helps the body stay hydrated and remove toxins. In a tea with Red Raspberry Leaf, Alfalfa and Peppermint, it makes a powerful immune supporting and illness preventing remedy.

Edlerberry- Elderberry is well known for supporting the body, especially during flu. You can find conventionally made elderberry syrups at many stores now, or to save money, make your own.  To make: Boil 3 cups of water with 1/2 to 3/4 cup dried elderberries. Once it has boiled, reduce heat and simmer about 45 minutes. When cool, mash berries and strain to get liquid. Add 1 cup of honey to the liquid and mix well. Store in the fridge for up to 3 months and take 1-2 tablespoons a day (adults) or 1-2 teaspoons a day (kids) for illness prevention. Take three times that dose if suffering from illness.

Ginger- In capsule form, ginger can greatly help with nausea and vomiting associated with the flu. It can also help with high fever and headache. Fresh ginger root can be steeped in boiling water to make a tea that is very effective against sinus symptoms and congestion.

Yarrow: Unsurpassed for flu and fever, and great for children. If used abundantly in tea or tincture at the beginning of an illness, it will usually shorten the illness to less than 24 hours. It is especially good for fevers as it induces perspiration and is great for all childhood type illnesses. It is naturally bitter, so it is often good to include peppermint and stevia leaf when making a tea. It is great for the liver and kidneys and supports the endocrine system.

Chamomile- An absolute staple, especially for kids. Chamomile calms the nerves, helps children sleep better and reduces inflammation or fever. Soaking a chamomile tea bag in warm water and placing over an eye for 15 minutes every 2 hours will relieve pink eye in less than 24 hours. Chamomile tastes great and is easy to get kids to take. We use it in tea and tincture formula. It is also great for regulating hormones and for the skin and can be used regularly for good sleep.

Peppermint- Great for all digestive disturbances and for lowering fever. It can be used as a tea or tincture or rubbed on the skin to bring a high fever down. It is antimicrobial and antiviral and kids usually love the taste. It can be consumed as a hot tea or cold tea during illness in any amounts.

Catnip- A traditional cold and flu remedy, and a great herb for children. It helps induce sleep and settles the stomach. As a tincture or tea, it is a great herb for combating flu, cold or other illness.

Red Clover- Very high in nutrients, Red Clover purifies the blood and relaxes the body. It has been used in hormonal preparations, but is also useful in treating almost any illness. Can be used in tea or tincture.

Coconut Oil- Coconut oil is high in lauric acid and is thought to dissolve the  lipid coating around some viruses and make them more susceptible to attack by the immune system. If sick, aim for 5-6 tablespoons per day in food or melted and stirred into hot tea. Coconut oil has many other health benefits as well and is known to boost the immune system.

Onions and Garlic on the Feet at night- For extreme cases of illness, I slice onion and garlic and place all over  the bottom of the infected person’s foot (rub olive oil on the foot first). I then wrap the foot in saran wrap and place a sock on overnight. Onions and garlic have been shown to pull toxins and help the body heal. Some natural practitioners even claim that having cut onions around will absorb toxins and keep others in the family from getting sick, though I have not tried this.

Apple Cider Vinegar  Drink- Yes, it tastes awful, but if you are sick enough, you won’t taste it anyway. Drink a tablespoon in water with a little bit of honey, at the first sign of illness and repeat hourly until symptoms disappear. This alkalizes the body and helps kill viruses and bacteria.

The List When The Bug Hits: 

Removal of all grains, dairy, sugars, etc

No sweets of any kind!!!! 

Sleep, sleep and sleep

No screens or limit your use to a super minimal

No screens in the bedroom

Make energizing bone broth: Recipe

http://mcminnvillehealthdefense.ning.com/profiles/blogs/bone-broth?...

A lot of hot herbal tea (Filter your water)

Strong infusions made from  nettle, mullein and oatstraw -  sip throughout the day.   

Chamomile, Yarrow, Catnip and Peppermint tea 1 cup every three hours

Edlerberry syrup every 2 hours - Adult dosage 2 tablespoons every 3 hours 

Fire Cider Tonic  - Drink 1 tsp 3 times a day (adult dosage) 

Stay Hydrated!!!  Lots of water

Magnesium

Vitamin D

Cod Live Oil

Mushroom cocoa (recipe on this site)

Onions and garlic on feet during sleep OR cold sock treatment (directions below)

Vitamin C every 2-3 hours in small doses until bowel tolerance

Curried onions

If there is a cough, I give them my special cough syrup (Stephen Buhners Recipe) This is the best cough syrup I have ever made! 

Immunity tincture - If needed.  Ingredients, echinacea, osha, garlic, horse radish, golden seal and cayenne

Herbal Teas are my favorite and my family's for preventive care and when they have bee hit with a bug.  

High C Tea (Family Favorite) Infusion 

4 parts rose hips

3 parts hibiscus

2 parts lemongrass

1 part elderberry 

1 part cinnamon chips

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container.  Prepare as an infusion. 

Respiratory Tea: Infusion- Rosemary Gladstar book:  Herbal recipes for vibrant health

4 parts fennel

4 parts rose hips

2 parts lemongrass

1 part calendula

1 part coltsfoot

1 part mullein

1 part red clove flowers

Combine all ingredients and store in an airtight container.  Prepare as an infusion. 

Sore Throat Tea: Decoction 

2 parts licorice root

1 part cinnamon

1 part echinacea

1 part marsh mallow root

1/8 part ginger 

Decoct the herbs as instructed for decoction.  Drink several cups of tea a day 

Infusion:  Are made from the more delicate parts of the plant. Simply boil 1 cup of water to 1 tablespoon of herb .  Pour water over the herbs and let steep for 30 to 60 minutes.  

Decoctions:  Are made from the more tenacious parts of the plant, such as the roots, bark, and seeds.  These require a slow simmer.  To make a decoction, place the herbs in a small saucepan and cover with cool water.  heat slowly and simmer, covered, for 20 to 45 minutes.  The longer you simmer the stronger the tea will be. 

Another family favorite is Elderberries.  Here is a recipe for elderberry syrup: 

Elderberry Syrup:  

Elderberry syrup is one of the most popular cold remedies in Europe. Elder has been used for centuries and is one of the most well documented herbs for colds and flus. It’s also great for lots of other stuff, but we’ll keep it simple for now.

You can give the syrup by the teaspoon (kids love it) every 2-3 hours while sick, or even use it regularly in your food, such as on pancakes! Elder is VERY high in bioflavonoids and is a great antioxidant.  For kids under 2, add the syrup to hot water to kill any microbes in the honey that might make them sick.

1 – 4 oz. package of dried elderberries

5 cloves

1 cinnamon stick 

1 tablespoon of grated ginger

2 cups of water

1 cup of honey

You will need a small saucepan and a fine mesh  strainer

How to make elderberry syrup:

1. First put 1/2 cup of dried elderberries into the small saucepan. Add the 5 cloves, cinnamon stick, 1 Tablespoon grated ginger, and 2 cups of water.
2. Cover and bring the water to a boil.
3. Turn down the heat, leave covered, and simmer until the liquid is reduced by 1/2.  This usually takes 20-30 minutes.
4. Strain into a bowl and add 1 cup of honey.

How to store your syrup:

Store the syrup in a closed jar in the refrigerator. Syrups have a relatively short shelf life. We generally make these in small batches and store them in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

Fire Cider

http://mcminnvillehealthdefense.ning.com/profiles/blogs/fire-cider?xg_source=activity

Fire Cider:  Is a warming, energizing concoction   Rosemary Gladstar says this will light your fire! It can be added to your salad dressings, used to flavor your steamed veggies or grains (like rice) 

This is a perfect remedy for someone who needs a fiery kick to his or her immune system. A blend of spicy and sweet flavors were combined to enhance your circulatory and digestive system. Will come in handy for those cold months when you’re prone to sinus infections, or when you feel cold coming on.

Take cider when you feel a sinus or congestion coming on. Take fire cider in small amounts to
boost your immune system. Take in small amounts to defeat constipation.

1/2 cup organic grated garlic

1/2 cup organic grated horseradish

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup grated fresh ginger

1/2 tsp. cayenne 

organic apple cider vinegar

honey 

4 cup jar with plastic lid (you do not want to use metal lids with vinegar)

Chop horseradish, garlic, onion, and ginger. Place them and cayenne in a quart jar, fill with apple cider vinegar. Cover with lid and shake well. Let it sit at room temperature for 4-6 weeks. Strain and add honey to taste. Store in a cool place. Your fire cider will keep for several months

HOW TO MAKE TINCTURES: 

http://mountainroseblog.com/guide-tinctures-extracts/

Let's Not Forget The Weedy Wonders

The weedy wonders will be in your yard, country fields and many other places.  Remember do not pick from areas that have been sprayed with chemicals, especially road sides! 

Burdock, chickweed, cleavers, dandelion, nettle, plantain, st. Johns Wort,  yellow dock.    It would be great for you, your children and friends to get know these weedy wonders,they are full of nutrition  most will be growing very close by.. 

Kitchen Aids For Cold and Flu: 

Black pepper, chives, cayenne, cinnamon, garlic, ginger and horseradish.

Herbs, Gardens and an Understanding of Nature: 

I am a big advocate of growing a garden and your own herbs.  This very act is healing.  It involves, watching nature, and moving within the seasons.  By doing this, you gather more knowledge and  an understanding about the herbs and food you have planted.  When you grow and gather you are more likely to use you herbs and produce, therefore gathering demands that you create a person relationship with nature which in turn reduces stress and  dis-ease.  Remember start small ! 

References:  

Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health by, Rosemary Gladstar

The Herbal Home Remedy Book by, Joyce Wardwell 

Where to purchase great quality herbs:  Mountain Rose Herbs

Herbal Healing for Children by, Demetria Clark 

Cold Soc Treatment:  I have friends that swear by this one 

The Cold Sock Treatment is a simple hydrotherapy technique that is especially effective for relieving nasal congestion in bed at night (frequently better than medications and without the side effects). It also helps to stimulate the immune system in the upper respiratory tract and is relaxing for aches and chills, and helps bring on a more restful night’s sleep when sick. We find it helpful in such conditions as colds, "flu" (not the "stomach flu"), earaches, sore throats, and sinus infections. It is useful with people of any age from infants to the elderly. The Cold Sock Treatment is especially good to use with the nasal congestion of colds and influenza.

Preparations. In the evening before going to bed, prepare by having a pair of cotton socks and a pair of wool socks. They must be at least 90% cotton and 90% wool, respectively. Most sporting goods stores and some department stores carry wool socks. For small children you can use safety-pins to hold a wool sock on that is too large, or rap wool cloth around each foot.

Step 1. Soak the foot part of the cotton socks in cold tap water and wring them out thoroughly. Place the socks close to the basin or bathtub used in the next step. Note: If your feet are already warm (e.g., you have already been in bed) you can skip to Step 3.

Step 2. Put your feet into a basin or bathtub of hot water to warm up your feet. Soak them for a few minutes until they are hot and pink.

Step 3. Remove your feet from the hot water and quickly dry them off. Immediately put on the cold wet cotton socks, and then over them, put on the dry wool socks.

Step 4. Go directly to bed and keep the feet covered through the night. The therapy does not work if you or your feet are uncovered, such as when walking around or sitting in a chair uncovered.

When the Cold Sock Treatment procedure is followed correctly the feet will start warming up within a few minutes of getting covered in bed. The congestion will usually start to be relieved within 30 minutes. It will often work better than a decongestant or antihistamine to relieve congestion during sleep. In addition, it is not uncommon to see a small child or infant fall immediately to sleep after they are put to bed with the Cold Sock Treatment. After approximately four hours the socks should be totally dry, the feet warm, and the symptoms will be much improved (if not gone).

If necessary the Cold Sock Treatment can be repeated through the night or used on consecutive nights. In repeating the treatment in the same night or if an illness starts during the night, it is not necessary to warm the feet in hot water since they will already be warm. Simply apply the wrung out cold wet socks and the dry wool socks and go back to bed.

My thoughts on the health of our digestive systems.

ARE YOU DIGESTING LIFE: by Sue Sanders
The digestive system is interesting and complicated. It is full of winding paths, good bacteria (your friends) and bad bacteria (bad people). It has the good, the bad and the ugly.
Just like life…
And after you have a good dump, the world feels wonderful and you are at ease and ready for your day.
Our Digestive System is who we are in our lives.
The mouth is like a birth canal. It gives life from the nutrients we chew, it speaks, it has a voice, if the voice does not speak, the fire burns the path within us (acid reflux)
The esophagus, gives us our breath, it is the wind tunnel of life.
For some the nutrients of life get stuck, along life’s winding path, holding on, not letting go, anger, constipation, holding in negative emotions. For some the nutrients of life are let go too quickly, (not dealing with life).
For some the nutrients of life are breaking away and getting lost from their path, only absorbing life in little fragments and loosing life in little fragments with a feeling of not being complete, partial elimination, not living life fully.
Absorbing life part way is toxic to ourselves.
It is important to let loose, let go of what does not serve us, but not squirted away before it is healed, because then life will leave you dehydrated and thirsty.
Same is true with holding back, holding back, constipates one’s life, then life becomes a toxic cesspool, reliving toxic emotions over and over again will leave you stuck.
Too much fire burns your path, creating dark charred areas of fear, worry and hate, only to leave a burning hole in your insides.
Somewhere in your path, maintain that fire, keep it warm, otherwise, that hole grows bigger, darker and rage starts to consume your path eating up life inside you.
If the fire is being put out, then the nutrients of life are not being used. It is time to stoke up the fire and take steps into your life path.
The end of the winding path is a reminder that life is recycled.
Where there is an end there is always a beginning.
When you hold back at the end and leave things unfinished, you’ll be feeling the bumps of that life decision.
Sit back and relax.
Fear makes you hold on to tight.
No sweating over the small stuff or big for that matter.
Don’t worry, so life can be smooth.
Grow healthy bacteria, take care of your community and live life more fully.
Just let go and breathe
So you can poop out life with ease.

Cottonwood

Common Names:  Black Poplar (Populus nigra) Balm of Gilead (Commiphora opobalsamum) Balsam tree,

Description:  Belongs to the Salicaceae family.  There are 10 species that grow across North America..  Populus biasamifera, p. candicans, p angustifolia, p deltoids and p trichocarpa.   All of these trees have medicinal value.  They are fast growing and have short lives.   When a tree falls or is cut down, it will vigorously re-sprout.   It is a large deciduous tree with spreading branches that arch downwards and brown, later grayish-black, deeply furrowed bark (alligator skin), up to 65 feet tall in height.  The Lombardy poplar (var. italic of this species) may reach 130 feet. The leaves are deciduous, rhomboidal or triangular (personally they remind me of hearts).  The reddish-brown buds are long, sticky and curve upwards at the tip.   Black poplar with orange male and red female flowers  catkins that open early in spring before the leaves appear.   Although, some trees there leaves come out first.   The fruits are small capsules, containing seeds covered with cottony hairs which aid their dissemination by the wind.    You find cottonwoods near wet lands, side of streams and rivers.  They love water.   They are a fast growing tree and is often planted as a screen beside roads and industrial buildings.    The buds are covered by a hard shell for protection during the winter.   This shell is covered with a sticky resinous substance which is very fragrant.   The resin is collected by the bees to make propolis.   Propolis is a sticky substance that bees use to seal their hives and protect it from invaders.  The cottonwood is in the same family as willow.  

Parts Used: Bud, leaf, bark,

Medical Properties:   The buds and bark are used .  Sometimes the leaves.   Cottonwood resin is cooling and drying.  The major constituent of the resin is a group of aspirin-like compounds, or salicylates, that relieve pain and inflammation (inflammation of all kinds).  Antiseptic, expectorant, diuretic, anti-inflammatory, anti-rheumatic, antibacterial, stimulant, pectoral, analgesic and anodyne, anti-galactagogue, antipyretic, cholagogue, antioxidant and tonic 

Analgesic - herbs that relieve pain

Anodyne - Herbs that reduce pain by reducing sensitivity of the nerves

Antibacterial - Active against bacteria 

Antigalactagogue - decrease the production of milk secretion of nursing moms

Anti-inflammatory - herbs which help the body fight inflammation

Antioxidant - herbs that render free radicals harmless

Antipyretic - herbs that reduce fever

Anti-rheumatic - herbs that alleviate the symptoms of arthritis

Antispetic - inhibit growth of bacteria and prevent infection, cell decay and pus formation

Astringent - herbs that have a binding action on skin or mucous membranes that helps dry up mucous discharge, tone local blood vessels, stop bleeding

Cholagogue - herbs that stimulate the flow of bile

Diuretic - increase the flow or urine, used to treat water retention, lymphatic swellings... 

Expectorant - herbs that help the body to remove excess mucus 

Pectoral - herbs that strengthen the lungs

Stimulant - herbs that cause an increase in body functions

Tonic - herbs that strengthen and support the function of a specific organ or whole body 

History:  The genuine Balm of Gilead, highly esteemed by the ancient Arabs, Egyptians, Turks, Greeks, and Romans was extracted from this small tree.  At one time the  sweet-scented resin was so highly prized that guards watched over trees cultivated in the gardens near Cairo.   The herbs popular name is derived from the Greek balsamon, meaning a fragrant oil, while Gilead refers to its ancient cultivation on Mount Gilead in Israel.  There are biblical references to the Balm of Gilead in Genesis and Jeremiah, and the queen of Sheba is said to have presented a tree to Solomon as a gift.  The black poplar is dedicated to Proserpina and the white to Hercules.  The raw resin from this tree is thick, whitish and strongly perfumed.  It solidifies on exposure to the air but is soluble in alcohol,.  Balm of Gilead was valued for its scent and once used as a beauty aid by ladies of the royal courts.  True Balm of Gilead is scarce and supplies are likely to come from related north American trees, Populus candicans or P. balsamifera.  These members of the poplar family took the name of their biblical counterpart on account of the sticky, heavily scented resin that covers the young buds.

At one time the bruised buds were added to fresh butter which was then left in the sun to melt, and used by peasant women in China to give a sheen to their hair.  

Native American Uses:  The cottonwood tree was sacred to many Native Americans, particularly in the Southwest. The Apache tribes considered cottonwood trees a symbol of the sun, and some northern Mexican tribes associated cottonwoods with the afterlife, using cottonwood boughs in funeral rituals. Cottonwood roots were used for carving kachina dolls, masks, and other ceremonial objects by the Hopi, Pueblo, and Navajo tribes. The cottonwood was also viewed as a medicine tree in many Plains Indian tribes, with sacred poles and sun dance artifacts often being made from cottonwood trunks and branches. Cottonwood bark and leaves were also used as medicinal herbs by many different tribes, particularly to treat wounds and swelling.  The white poplar (similar properties to the black cottonwood)  has been used medicinally by American Indians for many centuries. 

Modern Day Herbalist Use:  Juice of the leafs is used to relieve pain of earache.  

Externally (ointment or liniment) for skin rashes, cuts, scalds, burns, boils and hemorrhoids. A liniment for helping to relieve pain, arthritis  and rheumatic joint (anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic), Use a tincture to clean cuts and wounds (antiseptic and antibacterial)

Internally:  Tincture/tea/decoction) for infections of the upper respiratory tract, sore throats,  fever reducer, laryngitis and bronchitis.   As an expectorant, meaning it helps the body to remove excess mucus.   Make a bitter tonic or  digestive aid (stimulates the flow of bile), diseases for the urinary tract (kidney and bladder) and gout (it reduces the amount of uric acid in  the blood).  As a diuretic, it can help with chronic kidney and bladder problems.   It makes your urine more acidic and has antibacterial and antiseptic properties.  

The resin, (the sticky substance in the buds) does not break down in water.  You must infuse them in oil or alcohol to use them medicinally.  

Preparations: The buds and bark are used.  Sometimes the leaves. Infused oil, tincture, liniment, digestive aid, poultice, decoction/tea

RECIPES

Infused Cottonwood Oil: 

Fresh Cottonwood buds

Organic oil of choice, apricot, jojoba, olive etc. 

Jar with lid

Cheese cloth 

Fill a jar about 1/3 full with the buds.  Add oil.  Cover with cheese clothe and then ring.   

Important:   If you decided to not use the cheese cloth and use the lid with the ring, please let the air out of the jar once a day.  Do not screw the lid on to tight, keep it lose.   My first year of infusing cottonwood buds, I lost a jar because it had to much pressure.    To my knowledge this only happens with cottonwood buds.  

Let sit by a wood stove or sunny window for 6 weeks

Strain, date and label 

Double Boiler Method and more information on infusing herbs in oil: 

http://www.motherearthliving.com/natural-beauty/infused-oils-salves-infusion-method.aspx

Balm Of Gilead Salve: 

8 oz cottonwood infused oil  strained 

1/4 cup bees wax or 2 oz 

Jars or stainless steel tins to pour your salve in

Labels

Wood spoon

Stainless steal ladle 

Double boiler 

Put oil in the top of the double boiler and add beeswax

GENTLY heat and melt bees wax

Ladle or pour into jars before it is cooled 

Cool and label

Infused Cottonwood Honey

Fresh cottonwood buds

Real raw honey,  local is best 

Double boiler, mason jar with lid, knife, spatula, labels

Fill jar about 1/3 full with the buds and cover with the honey.   Use your knife to push the honey down.  The buds need to be completely covered with the honey.  Once it is blended together now pour it into the top of your double boiler.  

GENTLY HEAT FOR ABOUT 20 MINUTES.    You do not want to kill all the medicinal properties of the honey, by overheating it.

Now pour the mixture back into the original jar.  Label and let sit in a sunny window for about 4 weeks. 

Strain or leave the buds in 

Use this honey to sweeten your tea, or what ever you like to put honey on.    You could also use it as a first aid remedy.  Burns, cuts etc.  

Cottonwood Liniment

Fresh cottonwood buds and twigs 

Everclear ( I personally never use rubbing alcohol for my liniments, because it has petroleum in it) 

Mason jar with lid, labels 

Pull the buds off of the twigs and put them in the jar.

Next, remove the bark form the twigs (I use my pocket knife) 

Add the bark to the buds in the jar and fill it 1/2 full with this material

Pour the alcohol to fill the jar.  Put the lid on and shake.  

Label and Mark EXTERNAL USE ONLY 

Let sit for 4 to 6 weeks (plus), shaking daily.  It will be ready to use in 6 weeks.  The longer it sits the stronger it gets.  

Use then for muscle spasms, sprains, aches and pains.   You could also use it for a first aid remedy. 

Cottonwood Tincture

Fresh cottonwood buds

Vodka that comes in a glass bottle 

8 oz jar with lid, label

Add enough buds to fill the jar 2/3 full.  Pour vodka to the top of the jar and place the lid on 

Label

Shake Daily, give it some love 

Let sit for 4 weeks, strain 

Cottonwood Rooting Hormone Mixture: 

http://radicalbotany.com/2012/12/11/black-cottonwood-and-the-balm-of-gilead-populus-balsamifer-ssp-trichocarpa/

More on Cottonwood: 

https://wildlettucegal.wordpress.com/tag/cottonwood-tree-native-american-legends/

http://bearmedicineherbals.com/harvesting-medicine-making-with-cottonwood-bark.html

http://www.ryandrum.com/twobudsoneleaf.htm

https://feralbotanicals.wordpress.com/2015/02/18/harvesting-cottonwood-buds-for-medicine/

Rejuvenating Rose Hips, beauty for your eyes, their colors reminding us that  fall is here and it's time to reconnect to our roots, by slowing down and  taking care of our gut.   How's your digestion?  How are you digesting  life?  Are you living to much in your head and forgot about your feet?     

The colors of red, orange or a mixture of both let us know it is time to harvest these beauties but to live with bliss, and to seek the  pleasures of life on a daily basis.        

On a physical level orange relates to the colon, bladder, and gallbladder. It is part of  digestion and assimilation.  When you look at the orange color of the rose hips it makes sense that it is a carminative 

On a physical level red relates to the adrenal glands.   The high vitamin C content of rose hips gives your adrenal gland a super antioxidant boost.   

It is as if nature is telling us by providing the colors of fall and fall nourishment to slow down, root yourself back into the ground, reflect, to connect with the deep voice of self, to listen to your gut feelings (not screens), to follow wisdom and how much free radical damage are you generating or using in your life (fried foods, tobacco, non organic food, using perfume, hair dyes, petroleum based body care etc..) 

Rose Hips are sour, astringent, carminataive, nutritive, tonic, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antispasmodic and aperient (gentle laxative).   They are recognized as one of the highest sources of vitamin C.   Rose hips have bioflavonoids, they are great for colds, infections, to detox your body from free radical damage, carminative properties aid in absorption of nutrients and  are loaded with other vitamins and minerals.   

Harvest rose hips when they are bright red or orange.  If you can harvest after the first frost of autumn because they will be sweeter.  You don't want any brown spots and pick when it is dry to prevent them from molding. 

Do not eat them raw unless you cut them in half and scrape out the seeds and tiny hairs.   If you want to dehydrate them you need to do this to. 

 To use them fresh for a syrup or  jam you do not need to cut them in half and scrape out the tiny hairs and seeds.  

To buy rose hips or other herbs: 

https://www.mountainroseherbs.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjwmqHPBRBQEiwAOvbR8-nR_eLKnFZHDlzuqWRXosG5FAMl-Sl1qUGmnPi1WBLoSvBGwJ2TxxoCoe4QAvD_BwE

High Vitamin C Tea Recipe: 

Ingredients:  rose hips, hibiscus flowers, lemon grass, cinnamon chips

Note:  Vitamin C is a noted antioxidant with disease-fighting abilities.  

Rose Hips:  They contain more vitamin C than almost any other herb, many times the amount found in citrus fruit when measured gram by gram.  

Hibiscus:  high in vitamin C and bioflavonoids.  It has slightly astringent properties.  It is useful for treating mild colds, flus, bruising, and swelling. 

Lemon Grass:  http://planetwell.com/lemongrass-health-benefits-and-healing-proper...

Cinnamon:  Although cinnamon is considered to be simply a spice by most Westerners, herbalists have been using it for centuries as a warming digestive aid.  It is a wonderful mild stimulant and can be combined with ginger to treat circulatory and digestive problems.  It has antiviral and antiseptic activities, making it useful for fighting infections.  

4 parts rose hips

3 parts hibiscus

2 parts lemongrass

1 part cinnamon chips 

Rose Hip Spice Jam

Using fresh rose hips 

1 lb Fresh rose hips (ends pulled off)

1 cup filtered water

1 cup raw real honey

2 tablespoon orange spice (recipe below)

Love

Gently simmer rose hips in the water until fruit is tender.   

Rub through a sieve

Return to heat and add honey and spices 

Gently simmer until thick, stirring frequently

Spoon hot into hot sterilized jars

Seal

Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes 

Label 

Orange Spice Sprinkle 

2 TBL.  orange peel pd.

3 TBL. cinnamon pd.

1/2 tsp. ginger pd,

1/2 tsp. cloves pd.

1/2 tsp. cardamom pd.

Mix and put in a spice jar and label.  

Urtica dioica - Nettle 

Stinging Nettle

Parts Use:  Entire Plant

Medicinal Properties:  

Pectoral - Relieves disorders of he chest and lungs, such as an expectorant. 

Diuretic - Promotes the production and secretion of urine

Astringent - Herbs that are drying and drawing.  Externally astringents can be used to ease bug bites and burns and infections from a wounds. Internally, they work to help tone mucus membranes and dry up conditions of excess, like diarrhea or too much urine.  

Tonic - Herbs that restore and strengthen the entire system  

Styptic  -  Astringent, arrests hemorrhage and bleeding 

Rebefacient - An agent that reddens the skin by increasing the circulation when rubbed on the surface. 

Nettle is a weed most people dislike because when they touch it, it stings, but what some don't know is that this is a wonderful plant with medicinal and nourishing properties.  Handel with care or she will let you know.   Nettle has small sharp spurs that can cause stinging and irritation.    When you harvest nettle leaf make sure they are new plants not old.  

A rhyme from the book Garden of Eden, by Jethro Kloss

"Tender-handed grasp the nettle

And it stings you for your pains.

Grasp it like a man of mettle

And it soft as sil remains." 

Stinging Nettle is a super tonic herb, a blood purifier.  It is consider the "long life" herb and is a vitamin factory, rich in iron, calcium, potassium, silicon, magnesium, manganese, zinc and chromium as well as a host of other vitamins and minerals.   It even makes a great hair tonic! 

Cooked you can use them like you use spinach.  You can use them to make a tea, pesto, infused vinegar, steamed  and they taste really good..  

Stinging Nettle activates the metabolism by strengthening and toning the entire system.  Great for growing pains in young children.  Nettle is used for alleviating the symptoms of PMS, menopause, and is excellent for making a  reproductive tonic for men and women.  Rosemary Gladstar says "it is a superb herb for the genitourinary system and will strengthen weak kidneys, essential for vitality and energy".  Also great for liver problems and is excellent for allergies and hay fever. 

Here is a list of things Nettle can do.  Of course this also means changing your eating habits and life style habits to.  To achieve great health one must seek balance in all areas of their life.  

Nettle Can Be Used For: 

Spring tonic

Daily infusions for better health, increase energy

Eczema

Tea made from the leaves of the nettle will expel phlegm from teh lungs and stomach.  

Tea hair tonic, massage into scalp

Excellent for kidney troubles and kidney tonics, use in formulas to expel gravel from the bladder and to increase flow of urine. 

A poultice of the green steeped leaves can relieve pain, but can raise blisters if kept on too long. 

For liver disorders

To tone the nervous system, make a lemon balm and nettle tea

Reduce allergy and hay fever symptoms (with dietary changes to)

Drink 3 cups a day for edema

And so much more. ....

Information about Nettle Seeds: 

http://whisperingearth.co.uk/2010/08/23/harvesting-nettle-seeds/

Now is the time of year to go look for it and harvest some.  I also like to dry it for future use.  Remember wear gloves! Make sure you do not collect Nettle where someone has sprayed chemicals!  

How to harvest: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eth05p_UYh8

How to make a Nettle infusion.  I really recommend this! 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRoMWmQaWvU

 Of course you cook Nettle, there are some who eat it raw, but if eating it is new to you I do not suggest doing this yet.  Here are just a few great recipes that you can make using  this wonderful plant.  

Nettles Pesto

2 cups stinging nettles leaves, packe

1 cup basil leaves, packed

3 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons organic olive oil

2 medium cloves garlic, coarsely chopped

These days there is a lot of talk about heart health.  It is the number one killer of men and women.  There is tons of information out there on the top healthy foods for a healthy heart, but I want to dive into the emotional side of it.    You can eat all the organic healthy, holistic, awesome food out there, take the best herbal tonics, exercise regularly  and still have heart problems if you are not taking care of the emotional side of your heart.   Not only can you build walls in your arteries from a bad diet, but you can also build walls in your heart due to the negative emotions, fears, loss, sadness, ego, anger, that you do not process or let go of.     There is only so much your heart can take before it implodes or hardens and stops.  

So, here I will begin with my story of understanding I was Hopelessly Holding On.... 

Humans hold onto way to much.  To much storage of physical things and emotional things.. 

I have been concerned with heart health.  You can do all the right things with your health, like eat organic healthy food, finding out your food allergies, exercise, etc. 

But, if we don't laugh enough, get stuck in the fast pace of life, a life that does not feel like it  completes you, a stressful job, no community and holding on to the past,  this will  clog and malfunction your heart.     These negative emotions, will give you a traffic jam in your system. Broken Hearts, (either physically broken,emotionally or both) are the number one killer for humans.  

They say that you heart is your brain  and that 40,000 sensory neurons  relay information to the brain from the heart.   The heart connects to your nervous system,  it produces hormones and it receives energetic information from strong electrical and electromagnetic fields. 

The heart is a muscle and if it is not worked on it will become weak.  It provides the body with nourishment and oxygen.  If you are not being emotionally nourished it would be hard for your heart to produce it's breath of life (oxygen) to feed all the other organs of the body.  Therefore you get stagnation and stagnation brings pollution and pollution brings disease.  

Dis Eases of life.  

Your heart carries away waste, but if it is clogged with negative emotions and holding on to what will never be, how can it carry the waste away?  If your system is short circulating due to this process, where will this waste end up?  Holding on to waste is toxic and it can effect you physically and mentally.

The heart consists of chambers, arteries and more, which to me represents the paths that you have walked in your life and where you have lived.   And from the paths, if there was stress, hurt, anger, jealousy and unforgiving, these negative hurtful times are the brick and mortar of the cement walls that are being built in your arteries.   And for some, this process started at a very early age, literally ones heart is bursting from the overload of heartache 

There are two chambers, one chamber of your heart gives and one  receives.  

If the giving and receiving in life are off balance this can negatively effect your chambers and fill them up with waste.  If you give too much, because you do not set boundaries and people keep coming and taking from you, this negatively fills you up with emotional waste.The other side of this, is you do not give enough to community at large, family or friends and this leads to sour heart becoming tight and stiff (remember the story of the Grinch).  

Your receiving chamber of your heart, do you receive giving from others well?  Or do you expect it, Has your receiving made you a taker?  Hoarding and taking to much,  builds walls within this same system... 

As you can see with two chambers it is much like a yin yang symbol. It really is all about balance. 

Holding onto happy memories that are  dear to ones heart feels good, but if you hold on to them hoping you can have it back again, then this is not good for ones heart.  Which means you are  building cement walls within the tiny paths within the chambers of your life, a hardening of the arteries, stagnation and shut down in the system.   

Holding on to negativity eats your heart out like acid...  Acid Relfux, heart palpitation, insomnia, anxiety and stress induced asthma, 

I wish I could deny the fact that I have had serious turmoil in my life.  No glass slippers here.  It has been ongoing since I was a child.   My heart is stacked full.   I believe my heart has been speaking to me and I am glad I am listening.   Most people would either ignore it or medicate it.  Ignoring builds more walls and medicating it adds more toxic waste.  

It wasn't until I hit my two year anniversary from the bad accident, that  I had  been hit with some serious emotions from the past.    There was a couple of times that some serous quietness, deep thinking and depression had hit me for a couple of days in a row.  During these times I was seriously in my head, which really meant I was trying to break down the walls that have been built in my heart for to many years.  

I have been known to be a person who does not cry and if I do I stomp it out quick, I am full of fire, stubborn.   Being very connected to the earth, I find that at this age, I get even more angry towards,farmers, the city, the  county, with their chemical applications that they toxify the earth with.   I am also past the middle of my menopausal journey.. This means, I am going through a journey of my past, present and who I am going to become..  It is a bit painful at times but this process is important.  Just as important as a butterfly hatching out of its cocoon.  You can't help it otherwise it will be deformed.  Menopause is just the same, it is a process that can be hard, painful and joyous all at the same time.   I feel blessed to be on this journey and especially blessed that I am listening..  For the men out there, you also go through a process it is called Male Menopause.  Some might call it mid life crisis 

It was December 21st 2015, Winter Solstice, seven days from my TWO year anniversary date of my accident.   I was dealing with a lot of emotions.  I was feeling dragged down by all the things that have been left undone, physically and mentally in my life.  I already had  big list of to do's, prior to my accident.  The list is now bulging and I am feeling overwhelmed and trying to find a starting spot to continue the journey.

 When your activity has been reduced to a minimum and you have so little help with things, life just feels overwhelming.    Starting points seem unclear but you have piles and piles in front of you.  

On Winter Solstice, something was stirring in me.  My husband and I headed up the mountain with our animal family, tea pot, candle and smudge stick.  It was beautiful and quite.  We talked of changes, heart aches from our past, enjoyed a cup of tea, had prayers and mediation time.

That night I had something come to me that spoke so strongly that it stuck in my head.  The message was this "LET GO OF WHAT DOES NOT SERVE YOU"   It was if I had a revelation of some sort.   A few days later, I am headed up the mountain to the spot that I had my accident.  I was going to sit there and have tea and work on letting go.    As my husband and I were walking the horses up the mountain they  made a turn down another road.    This never happens on this road.  I usually have to lead them down.   My husband asked me what I wanted to do, at that point they ran.   At first I got tense, but then a few seconds after I realized my message was happening right in front of my eyes.  "LET GO OF WHAT DOES NOT SERVE YOU"   It was time to finally let go of what happened to me, not only from the accident but from everything that has been backed up, clogged up in my heart center.  This means a purging process has begun and that I need to make sure it does not get damned back up.  

I know most people were looking for a blog from my husband about our New Year.  They were probably expecting a funny story about his wife (me) and our empty nester experiences.  But our New Year experience has been about purging. We have been taking dump loads of stuff from our past or things that are just not going to get done, to the dump.    Believe it or not some of these things have been holding me back without me realizing it. Storage is nothing but a place to store things that do not serve you.  Some of those things you hold on to tightly hoping to feel that feeling again... These things effect your heart,  your center and they take you off balance.

As I am purging I am getting things done, as I purge it is opening up opportunity's in my life to heal and have new experiences.

Today January 8th 2015 marks another step.  We had a old dodge van.. She just left to live the rest of her life to be scrapped out and become something new again.   As the man was loading her up. I kept having to hold back tears.  I thought how funny that would be if this strong woman started crying as the man was towing away a rusty old metal dodge van.  I held strong, took a few pictures, helped him out of the drive way and cried as he drove away.     

 I am going from a Mom that was needed, to a Mom that is finding herself as her kids find out who they are because they have spread their wings in the flight called life.  

That beast of a van held so many fun memories when we were a family of 8..    Memories that I cherished and loved.  It was a time of me being mommy and step mom.  I loved being a mom ( I am still mom)  Kids laughing in the back seat, singing, sleeping, being grumpy, being excited, fourth of July fun on the beach and so much more.  I can still here the kids singing we will rock you in the van.   I can still hear my son Brandon laughing in the back seat and years later on my birthday I sat in back as he drove us home from the beach.  

Having a mixed family was not easy and this is what I have held on to.  Hoping for the good memories to come back. This has built up in my heart and letting this beast of a van go is the last purge of the past.  

The "Time Of The Van", there were life changes, people changes, people come and go and we all had to to except that without it affecting our hearts.   

Holding on to that which is not...

To much hope and change, without change becomes stagnation and no growth

Holding on to happy memories is what  also creates holding onto  to much hoping to create that situation again

You never know until you finally release something that holding on was holding you back

Yes, there is such a thing as hope but one must realize that holding hope for too long can hold you back

Release breaks up stagnation

Release is what brings in the new

You can't fix what has been lost

Let Go Of What Does Not Serve You

What serves your heart? 

This is my year of new,  It is my new birth year, a new year to birth out new ides, more happiness, more nature, more epic adventure out in the Oregon Wild, success, community, knowledge, love, peace and for me it is the year  to 'LET GO OF WHAT DOES NOT SERVE ME)

Besides a fantastic diet, herbs  and exercise this is what will heal my heart and yours.   For the heart is the brain and this brain controls the functions of you... 

If you don't take care of  your body,

where are you going to live?

Mickey Spillane

What Is Good Heart Medicine?

21 Principles That Keep Your Heart Happy and Healthy

1. Put your emotional life in balance

2. Keep it  corny, laugh and play frequently

3.  Make life juicy, not dry

4.  Peel the extra layers of heaviness off of your life

5.  Size matters, eat many small healthy meals a day

6.  Reject violence with your whole heart, but if violence is used on you, fight back with your whole heart

7.  Practice daily acts of kindness towards yourself and others

8.  Keep it cool in life

9.  Shake it up,  dance more

10. Perfect you smile, use it more

11.  Light you fire, kindle the flame inside you, what are your desires?

12.  Rest your head, nap when you can, cat nap when you can, go to bed early, winter time get more sleep

13.  Ease back on stimulants and addictive substances (if you can’t fall asleep at night by 20 to 30 minutes you could             be drinking to much coffee,  eating to much sugar or having to much screen time) 

14.  Remember a negative environment breeds illness.   Positive grows  happiness

15.  Exercise, this is a must

16.  Eat simple, delicious, unadulterated foods and liquids

17.  Eat organic berries

18.  Eat good clean sources of protein

19.  Summer lovin,  get your daily dose of sun, as much as you can

20.  Make bone broth

21.  Include the cardiovascular nurturing herbs in your daily diet

Hawthorn flower, leaf and berry– Cardiovascular tonic -Motherwort—Calms the heart, reducing heart palpitations—Ginkgo– peripheral vasodilator( Peripheral vasodilators are agents which act on the most distal parts of the vascular system i.e. the arterioles and venules. They dilate these distal blood vessels and lower the blood pressure, therefore makes it easier for the heart to pump blood through these peripheral blood vessels).—Passionflower– calms—Yarrow– vascular tonic—Garlic normalizes blood pressure -Cayenne and Ginger—circulatory stimulants

Recipes For Heart Health

Hawthorn Leaf, Flower and Berries

Grandmother Hawthorn, the tree of the heart. Hawthorn is the 6th tree of the Celtic Tree Ogham, representing Love, fertility, protection, the release of blocked energy and preparation for spiritual growth.

Hawthorn is the prime remedy for the heart, the circulation and is safe to take over long periods,  The flowers, leaves and berries can all be used as a safe heart tonic,  Hawthorn is helpful for high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, heart palpitations and all heart conditions. The leaves, flower and berries also have a beneficial effect on the nervous system, relieving stress and anxiety They bring calm sleep if drunk at night.

Hawthorn Recipes: 

http://natural-healing-guide.com/Therapeutic-Teas/Hawthorn-tea.htm

Linden Leaf and Flower Tea, relieves nervous tension, calms the mind, could help with insomnia, soothes the digestive system and is a great heart tonic

2 tsp. linden leaf and flower

1/2 tsp. rose petals or a couple of rose buds (organic only)  

Bring a cup of water to boil, add herbs, cover and steep 10 minutes, strain and enjoy. 

I personally make 4 cups at a time in a french press and steep it longer.   I also make linden leaf and flower infusions.   For more information on herbal infusion click on link below. 

http://www.susunweed.com/herbal_ezine/September08/anti-cancer.htm

Kale and Nut Pesto

Small bunch of kale (4-6 leaves, remove the thick part of the stems*)

1/4 cup walnuts, toasted or soaked dehydrated almonds or  soaked and dehydrated pumpkin seeds.

1/2 to 1 clove of garlic

1/4 cup olive oil (or more for a smoother pesto)

Juice & zest of one lemon

Salt & pepper to taste

Optional: grated raw cheese, or organic Parmesan 

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice and water.
2. Blanch kale for about 30 seconds, remove and place in the ice bath to stop the cooking process.
3. Dry the kale a bit, squeeze out some of excess water and set on a towel for a few minutes more.
4. Blend everything together in a food processor. Pulse to create a chunky pesto, blend longer to create a smoother one. Taste and adjust, adding more salt, pepper, lemon, olive oil, as necessary.

High Vitamin C Tea

Ingredients:  rose hips, hibiscus flowers, lemon grass, cinnamon chips

Note:  Vitamin C is a noted antioxidant with disease-fighting abilities.  

Rose Hips:  They contain more vitamin C than almost any other herb, many times the amount found in citrus fruit when measured gram by gram.  

Hibiscus:  high in vitamin C and bioflavonoids.  It has slightly astringent properties.  It is useful for treating mild colds, flus, bruising, and swelling. 

Lemon Grass:  http://planetwell.com/lemongrass-health-benefits-and-healing-proper...

Cinnamon:  Although cinnamon is considered to be simply a spice by most Westerners, herbalists have been using it for centuries as a warming digestive aid.  It is a wonderful mild stimulant and can be combined with ginger to treat circulatory and digestive problems.  It has antiviral and antiseptic activities, making it useful for fighting infections.  

High Vitamin C Tea Recipe: 

4 parts rose hips

3 parts hibiscus

2 parts lemongrass

1 part cinnamon chips 

Information on beef heart:  

Beef heart is a muscle like other cuts of steak, but more dense with a higher content and additional protein. Beef heart contains all essential amino acids, zinc, selenium and phosphorus. It has more than double the elastin and collagen than other cuts of meat and a highly concentrated source of coenzyme Q10, also known as CoQ10.  Make sure you purchase organic grass-fed beef rather than grain-fed beef because it may have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

Below is the link to the information about how to cook the beef heart: 

http://ruhlman.com/2011/08/how-to-cook-beef-heart/

Mountain Mama CSA

Mountain Mama Weekly Wellness Box . 

CSA stands for community supported agriculture, where individuals pledge support to a farm in return for high quality food and farm products. Members, also called shareholders, invest in a local farm by funding the whole season’s budget in advance. In return they receive a proportion of the harvest throughout the growing season. CSA farming creates a very strong relationship between the consumer and producer, which benefits all that are involved.

What it means to you:
Your weekly Harvest Box will be filled with fresh-picked, top-quality produce every week for 20 weeks starting June 8th through Oct. 19th. You will pick up your share/box every Wednesday at the Wild and Weedy Apothecary from Noon - 6:00 pm 

I use no herbicides, no insecticides no pesticides, no fungicides. I grow food using permaculture ideas, bio-dynamic practices and old school methods, there are no toxic chemicals ever used.  I do  not use any chemical applications or synthetic fertilizers.. 

Each box comes with an on-line newsletter with recipes and news from the farm. 

Save shopping time because your produce is already gathered and ready to pick-up.
Feel a closer connection to nature as you see the progression of the seasons in your Harvest Boxes.
Your membership helps keep our family farm contributing to a vibrant local economy

How the farm benefits from your membership
As we share our produce with you, we receive respect and appreciation directly from you. That feels awesome! 

Your membership fee paid in the spring allows us to afford all of the up front costs of bringing this high quality produce to you during the harvest season. There are no government subsidies for small food producers like us.
Your support encourages us to continue sustainable land stewardship. Remember my farming practices are holistic and chemical free. 
 
Our box relies heavily on familiar items. A seasonal assortment of vegetables, greens, roots, and herbs. Again, Recipes are provided for less familiar vegetables.

How many people will this harvest box feed? 

This is by far the most common question we get.  We have found that the amount of produce a household consumes varies greatly. This depends on how often people eat out or entertain, whether people are vegetarians, vegans, or omnivores, and whether they are going to supplement their diets with things like bananas, oranges, avocados and other things that don’t grow in your area.  
We only offer full shares, If you think a full share could be to much for you then one option that might work for you is to find a friend or neighbor who would like to share it with you.

There are lots of families that will find that their wellness box suits their needs. Others will love our Wellness box, but will desire more produce than we provide, so they purchase additional local produce at the farmers market.

Honestly if we were eating the amount of veggies we should be eating on a weekly basis, a full share is really not enough.

The fresher your produce is, the more vitamins and minerals it has. We do not use machinery or chemicals. On that note here are some things to consider. I want this to be a great experience for you and me, Again I want to remind you that we are a small farm and your food is local , no chemicals and very fresh,

Depending on what you are used to there could be some produce that you do not like or have never had. This can be very hard for some people. The people who will enjoy our wellness box the most are those who enjoy most kinds of produce and like trying new things.  I want you to keep in mind that I make no guarantees that you will like everything in your box.  It is important that I make that clear right from the beginning. 
If your primary goal is to get the most nutrition out of your produce for your dollar then this is the place for you.  Welcome aboard.

The 2016 Season: Sign ups start in June 
Starts June 8th through Oct 19th That is 20 weeks of receiving a wellness box     
The price for  a full weekly wellness box share is $725.00 for the full 20 weeks. If you break that down it is only $36.25 a week or approximately 5.17 a day.   That's less than most peoples coffee drinks a day.  


You can pick up your weekly wellness box every Wednesday. Pick up time is from Noon -  6:00 pm at the Wild and Weedy Apothecary.  Once you sign up you will receive more information about pick up.  
Call or email our farm if you have any more questions.

To sign up: 
Call 503-503-472-6656

E-mail:  wildweedyherbs@gmail.com

Make Checks payable to: Wild and Weedy Apothecary,llc

 Wild and Weedy Herbal Wellness Box 

This is a great way to build your herbal medicine chest and stock your kitchen pantry with nourishment.  This is a six month journey into the beauty and benefit of herbs.  It goes from June to November

Let us be your person guide on your journey to wellness . 

Monthly wellness boxes will be either seasonal or have a theme.   Herbalism creates a deeper connection to healing for most people than other methods.  It provides nourishment to your body to prevent disease in the first place.

It is ideal for anyone who would like to use natural healing on a more regular basis, through nourishing their bodies and boosting their immune system.  The wellness boxes will help to build your herbal medicine chest. As we all know being prepared when illness and injury hit is half the battle.   You will  receive items that will help with your kitchen cookery. Becoming a better cook puts  you on the path of taking responsibility with your health and builds  your immune system.  All items are petroleum free products.  

You will receive 3 items , handmade new products each month. Often times these ingredients will be wild crafted or grown on our farm.  

Items range from: pesto, elderberry syrups, tinctures, elixirs, powders, creams, salves, soaps,  fun teas, cold and flu products, infused oils, infused vinegar, body care products, medicinal teas, infused salts and more. 

You will learn more about new plants and herbal products

All products made with intention and love

from your local herbalist.  

 This is a six month commitment to learn about natural ways to boost your immune system and care for yourself. With the cost of health care on the rise, this truly is one of the best decisions you can make for you or your family's health.    

This is an investment in your health 

March to May is a 3 month commitment

Cost:  $180.00 

USPS Mail Shipments Add  $27. 00 for the 3 months

June to November Is a 6 month commitment

Cost $360.00 

USPS mail shipments add $54.00 for the 6 months 

3 cups of GF Organic Namaste perfect flour blend or GF flour blend  of choice

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking soda 

1 1/2 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp clove powder

1/2 tsp cardamom powder

1/4 tsp nutmeg powder 

1/2 cup organic maple syrup

1/2 cup organic butter

1/2 cup organic molasses 

4 tablespoons of chia seeds soaked in water, needs to be like a thick gel OR 1 egg 

1 tsp organic vanilla 

1. Whisk together all the dry ingredients. 
2. Now add 1/2 cup butter, mix until the mixture is crumbly (use a pastry cutter)
3. In a seperate bowl mix chia seeds, maple syrup, molasses and vanilla, stir until well blended 
4.  Add wet ingredients to the dry  ingredients and mix until incorporated 
5. Divide the dough in half, and place each half on a piece unbleached wax paper. Pat the dough into flat disks, wrap completely, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours, or overnight 
6. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
7. Remove the the dough from the refrigerator and roll disks out about 1/4" thick.
8. Cut the dough with your choice of cutters,
9. Allow to cool completely before decorating 
10. Yield: 24 more or less.  Depends on your cookie cutter size

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting: 

1/2 cup organic butter softened

1 organic cream cheese softened 

Mix until light and fluffy

Add a few tablespoons of organic maple syrup (You might want to add more, if you want it sweeter)

1 tsp real vanilla extract 

Ideas on Natural Food Coloring:

1.  I would imagaine you could squeeze some pomegranate juice in the frosting to make it red

2.   Some elderberries for purple

3.  Activated charcoal for black  

Internet Ideas for natural coloring: 

http://www.ashleysgreenlife.com/2013/06/how-to-color-frosting-naturally-quickly.html

Coconut Ranch Dressing

1 cup olive oil
1 cup Coconut Milk (use canned to get the thicker texture)
1 Tbs apple cider vinegar
1 Tbs prepared dijon mustard
2 tsp Dill
2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 tsp Onion Powder
1 Tbsp Chives
4 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1  tsp Parsley
1  tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp Sea Salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper (to taste)

Optional, 2 garlic cloves, 1 bunch of green onions.  You could also try using powdered mustard instead of prepared mustard. 

Combine all ingredients in a blender or magic bullet and pulse until well combined.  Chill for about an hour.  

FIRE CIDER

I am really excited about this recipe.  I have heard wonderful things about it's healing properties.  It will  be full of fire and awesomeness.  At this point you are probably wondering what it is.  The recipe comes from Rosemary's Gladstars book, Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health, link below. 

Fire Cider:  Is a warming, energizing concoction   Rosemary Gladstar says this will light your fire! It can be added to your salad dressings, used to flavor your steamed veggies or grains (like rice) 

Rosemary Gladstar's Book:  Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health

http://www.amazon.com/Rosemary-Gladstars-Herbal-Recipes-Vibrant/dp/1603420789

This is a perfect remedy for someone who needs a fiery kick to his or her immune system. A blend of spicy and sweet flavors were combined to enhance your circulatory and digestive system. Will come in handy for those cold months when you’re prone to sinus infections, or when you feel cold coming on.

Take cider when you feel a sinus or congestion coming on. Take fire cider in small amounts to
boost your immune system. Take in small amounts to defeat constipation.

The first recipe I made a it for my husband Joseph.  He has a hard time with spicy stuff, so this one is the milder version ( I think lol ) 

So-Called Mild Fire Cider

1/8 cup grated organic garlic

1/4 cup grated organic horseradish 

1/4 cup chopped organic onion

1/4 cup grated fresh ginger

2 Ginseng roots, dried

1/4 tsp.  cayenne pepper

organic apple cider vinegar

Honey

4 cup jar with plastic lid (you do not want to use metal lids with vinegar)

Spicier Fire Cider 

1/2 cup organic grated garlic

1/2 cup organic grated horseradish

1/2 cup chopped onion

1/4 cup grated fresh ginger

1/2 tsp. cayenne 

organic apple cider vinegar

honey 

4 cup jar with plastic lid (you do not want to use metal lids with vinegar)

Chop horseradish, garlic, onion, and ginger. Place them and cayenne in a quart jar, fill with apple cider vinegar. Cover with lid and shake well. Let it sit at room temperature for 4-6 weeks. Strain and add honey to taste. Store in a cool place. Your fire cider will keep for several months

REVOKE FIRE CIDER TRADEMARK

https://www.change.org/petitions/united-states-patent-and-trademark-office-revoke-fire-cider-trademark

A few plus years ago we bought a new garden hose for our Kung Fu School business.  I hooked it up and right away all this white looking liquid was coming through the hose and it smelled terrible.  It was toxic !  That was my wake up call that another thing in my life needed to be banned.  It was time to do some research and find a safe alternative.  At that point we purchased for our home use, hoses that were semi-safe.  

Another wake up call for us was last summer, my daughter Sophia and I were at a garden store.  She picked up a sprinkler.  It had a California warning label on it and after holding it,  she noticed a toxic smell on her hands!  For most people who are not aware or wear scents on themselves, they wouldn't notice. Again, we were remind of how we need to stay on top of it to protect ourselves, our garden and the earth.  Big corporations, big industry do not care about any of that.  They only care about their bottom line.  

I came across (Thanks to Wildly Organic Women, on Facebook) this great article about the problem of toxic garden tools, hose's, gloves etc.  It also has some great references.

 Please!! to protect yourself and the earth, ban these things in your life and pass the knowledge on.

BPA In Your Garden?  Maybe, If You Use These Gardening Products 

Wouldn’t it just irk you more than a bunch of weeds  to find out that the gardening products you use are dirtying up your organic garden with BPA, phthalates and lead? Unfortunately, a new study by the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Ecology Center has shown just that.  Click on link below

http://www.organicauthority.com/organic-gardening/chemicals-in-your-organic-garden.html

Healthy Stuff: Researching toxic chemicals in everyday products 

http://www.healthystuff.org/

Short video: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I1l5KNV2cno&feature=youtu.be

Report: 

http://www.healthystuff.org/release.050312.garden.php

 Semi-Safe Hose

http://www.healthystuff.org/product.details.php?bcmode=search&getrecno=26740

Wildly Organic Women:

http://www.facebook.com/WildlyOrganicWomen

 There is a plague going on in America, food allergies are on the rise

Between the GMO foods, package processed foods and eating to much of the same thing we have created a society that is reacting to food.  Food allergies are on the rise. 

Food allergies are your bodies way of shutting down to the specific foods that your body does not want you to ingest anymore.  Your body is protecting you and also telling you ( if you are listening) that you need different healthy foods, a variety of nutrient dense, local, seasonal eating, no spray foods. Sadly,  most Americans do not know what real food is anymore.  They have been taught to be busy, and eat on the go.  Eating the on the go creates a situation where you are eating the same thing all the time and if you are not being careful you are filling up on GMO Foods.  

When my dad died in 1979,  as a young girl I thought for sure, as I was growing up, that sickness would become less.  I have also lost my mom.   It is the year 2013 and we have more cancer, more disease, more sickness.  It just blows my mind, that this has become worse and supposedly we have better technology?  This mind blowing lesson for me has been my push in life to seek knowledge about health, true health not what the main stream media tells you. My mom listened to the main stream media and western medicine, she is now ashes thrown to the wind.  

The knowledge about our food is there, and it is simple.  Be Simple.  Simple ingredients, no scientific additives, no artificial colors, no artificial ingredients, no gmo food, learn to cook with simple ingredients with beautiful herbs and fresh food.  Simple, fresh, local seasonal food.  

Simple may not be fast. Simple is not a drive through, but a drive through fast food life will get you faster to the emergency room, faster to diabetes,  faster to high blood pressure, faster to arthritis, faster to cancer, and faster to fat.   

Think about this,  you can be pretty sure that  the great Greek doctor and philosopher, Hippocrates, wasn't referring to breakfast at Shari's, snacks from Nabisco   Doritos for lunch or dinner from McDonald's  when he suggested we let our food be our medicine. Rather, he implied eating simply and naturally, so that we nurture our bodies with an array of vitamins, minerals, proteins and fibers found in a well-balanced unprocessed diet. When we eat clean whole foods, we’re not only staying healthy by consuming vital nutrients, but we're also staying healthy by avoiding potentially harmful food additives and GMO foods.

Note on the GMO Food, I really do not want to call GMO foods a food, because they are technically not a food anymore because science has changed its DNA structure from a food to a chemical.   Example:,  GMO Corn is patented at the US patent office.  You can't patent food, but,  GMO Corn is not a food because  it's DNA structure has been changed and  is now  a pesticide  therefore that company owns it, patent's it and the GMO corn and seed is only owned by the creator, the company.  Monsanto ( I like to call them Monsatan) was one of the first to do this.  There are a lot of other bio-tech companies out there now, like, sygentia, dow, pioneer etc.  I can't tell you enough how important it is to avoid and not eat any GMO Food, Period... Never.... Let't put it this way, if you are eating foods that are GMO, you are eating something that is listed at the US patent office as a chemical.  Yuck! 

GMO Foods and food additives are Foreign to your body, therefore it creates dis-ease. .... Inflammation, ..... sickness, .... When there is something foreign being put in your body your body has to fight.  Think of it this way.  Have you ever got a wood splinter, tip of a thorn or a blackberry thorn tip in your finger?  It is stuck under your skin and you can not get it out with the tweezers?  What does your body do to get the FOREIGN object out?  It starts puss up and tries to  push it out.  Now think about what it is like for the inside of your body when you are putting FOREIGN substances in it.  

Food Cravings

The foods you crave are oftentimes the foods that cause you the most trouble, . Common food cravings are milk, ice cream, pasta or bread.

Do You Have A Food Allergy? 

 Questions that can help you determine whether or not you might have a food sensitivity or allergy are:

Do you experience bloating after meals, gas, frequent belching, or any kind of digestive problems?

Do you have chronic constipation or diarrhea?

Do you have a stuffy nose after meals?

Do you have low energy or feel drowsy after eating?

Do you have frequent headaches or migraines?

Does anyone in your family have food allergies?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, you may want to investigate further.

The Elimination Diet 

There are a few food eating plans out there that can help you find our what your food allergies are.  This method is a cheaper way of doing it.  It also teaches you how to listen to your body.  But, remember what I said up above.  First look at your food as being simple, what is in the food you are eating?   Second ask your self the questions up above and remember many people eat the same foods every day. This violates the principle of regular food rotation, (like eating seasonal) and increases your chance of developing an allergy to a certain food.  I gave a link to a site, that I think does a  pretty good job with The Elimination Diet.  They have a lot good recipes and you can download information.  I am very familiar with this diet so if you need help please just ask.   Again, if you answered yes to any of the above questions  you could possibly have a food allergy.   So either do The Elimination Diet or find a Naturopathic Doctor that does the Vega Testing   

The Elimination Diet

http://wholelifenutrition.net/elimination-diet

Vega Testing Information:

http://www.getwellhere.com/pdf/vega-testing.pdf

Easier Method Of Elimination:  

These are the most common Food Allergies:  Tomatoes, dairy, wheat, corn, soy, potato, peanuts, tree nuts, sea food and citrus.  Take all of these out of your diet for 30 days.......................

Then introduce them one at a time in 3 to 5 day increments.  If you get any bloating, acid refux, digestion problems, arthritis flares up, headaches, migraines  mood swings, PMS, stuffy nose or tiredness.  Then that food is not for you. 

Simple Elimination Diet: 

Take wheat and dairy out for thirty days.  Then introduce them one at a time in 3 to 5 day increments

Dr. Mercola on Food Allergies: 

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/06/14/why-are-there-so-many-food-allergies-now.aspx

Food Additives To Avoid: 

http://www.organicauthority.com/health/are-you-allergic-to-food-additives.html

Food Inc, Documentary: Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eKYyD14d_0

Recipe from Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health 

This is where I order my herbs: http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/

HIGH-CALCIUM CHILDREN'S TEA

An excellent blend of herbs that add high quality, naturally bio-chelated calcium and other important minerals to the diet, High Calcium Children's tea is excellent for babies who are teething.  It is also beneficial for children who are undergoing growth spurts or who have had a bone or muscle injury.

3 parts rose hips

2 parts lemon balm

2 parts lemongrass

2 parts oats

1 part nettle

1 part raspberry leaf

1/2 part cinnamon chips

Combine the herbs and store in an airtight container.  To make a tea, prepare as an infusion.

Infusions: 

Infusions are made from the more delicate parts of the plant, including the leaves, flowers, an aromatic parts.  These fragile plant parts must be steeped, rather than simmered, because they give up their medicinal properties more easily than  the tougher roots and barks.   To make an infusion pour boiling water over the herbs and let steep for 30 to 60 minutes.  

Herbal Mixture suggested dosages for children: 1 cup of water/to suggested amount of herb

Younger than 2 years 1/2 to 1 teaspoon

 2 to 4 years 2 teaspoons

4 to 7 years 1 tablespoon

7 to 11 years 2 tablespoons 

Example: If you have a 4 year old.  I cup boiling water poured over 1 tablespoon of herbal mixture.  You can sweeten it with honey while it is warm and steeping.   Strain after 30 to 60 minutes.   Have your child sip away while you read them a book.  

Adult High-Calcium Tea: 

This calcium-rich tea is soothing and calming to the nerves.  This  is most effective when used over a 3 to 4 month period. 

1 part horsetail ( shave grass)

1 part nettle

1 part oats and oatstraw 

Combine the herbs.  prepare as an infusion.  Drink 3 to 4 cups daily 

Calcium

Add Calcium to your diet! Not only is it important for strong bones and teeth, it is also essential for healthy nerve function.   It will help prevent nervousness, irritability, muscle spasms, muscle cramping, hyperactivity, and insomnia.

Digestive forms of calcium are in seaweed, cultured RAW milk products without sweeteners,most dark-green leafy vegetables such as spinach, chard, broccoli, turnip greens,kale, beet greens, and parsley.   Organic RAW almonds and sesame seeds.   

Herbs that are excellent sources of high quality calcium: Amaranth, chickweed, dandelion greens, horsetail, mustard greens, nettle, oats and watercress

Remember milk is touted as a good source of calcium, it is in fact, sorely lacking in the amounts and type needed by our bodies.  Do not rely on getting your calcium  from milk products.....  

For comparison:  

3 1/2 ounces of cow's milk contain 118 mg of calcium.  

The same amount of Hizike ( a mild-flavored seaweed) contains 1,400 mg. Kelp contains 1,093 mg, and wakame, 1,300 mg.  

If you choose to take a calcium supplement, look for supplements that are bio-chelated for easier assimilation and drink the High Calcium Tea.  

Pictured Horse Tail 

We have a friend that sells organic beef, his company is Simply Grown Beef and recently he gave us an organic beef heart to try. I will tell you, I was a little skeptical   I had never eaten it before and I grew up not eating the odd parts of a cow.  It sounded a little strange and it sat in the freezer for a while.  As most of you know I have MCS,   My doctor has been after me for a while to put organ meats in my diet.   Like I said this was strange for me.  I new at one point I needed to do this if I wanted to keep getting better.  Thanks to my wonderful 16 year old daughter, Sophia the beef heart was cooked.  

Originally she had plans to cook it on Valentines day, but it did not defrosted in time.  We did have it the next day.   She searched the internet for some ideas, found a great recipe and added her own special touch.  It was served with an awesome salad and organic sushi rice.  My mind wanted to find something odd about it, but it could not.  It was really good and we plan to eat it often.  

Information on beef heart:  

Beef heart is a muscle like other cuts of steak, but more dense with a higher content and additional protein. Beef heart contains all essential amino acids, zinc, selenium and phosphorus. It has more than double the elastin and collagen than other cuts of meat and a highly concentrated source of coenzyme Q10, also known as CoQ10.  Make sure you purchase organic grass-fed beef rather than grain-fed beef because it may have higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids.

Below is the link to the information about how to cook the beef heart: 

http://ruhlman.com/2011/08/how-to-cook-beef-heart/

Something new to grow, that has some great health benefits: 

Do you know where your pumpkin seeds come from?  Almost, all of them come from China.  For me this does not work, mainly because China is very polluted.  Even if they were certified organic I do not eat foods from China.   There is a small farmer that grows this type of pumpkin and sells the seeds at a local co-op.  But, this year I am excited to grow some for my family and CSA.  Down below are a few links with information about this type of pumpkin and there is some nutritional information about pumpkins seeds. 

Kakai Pumpkin-  This pumpkin has a hull-less seeds:

Pumpkin seeds are a rich source of essential fatty acids, which have numerous health benefits. From providing protection against serious health diseases such as high blood pressure, arthritis and cancer to promoting healthy skin and improving brain power, essential fatty acids present in pumpkin oil offer several health benefits.  They are also known as Pepitas are a rich source of protein. One ounce of pumpkin seeds contains approx. 7 grams of protein. Their oil is high in phytosterols or plant-based fatty acids and their chemical composition is the same as cholesterol. Phytosterols can replace cholesterol in the body, and help in reducing the blood cholesterol levels.

Information on growing them: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BxXUdRKSAU

Where to buy seeds: 

http://www.bountifulgardens.org/prodinfo.asp?number=VPU-5002#.USxHOKV1_54

http://www.johnnyseeds.com/showproduct.aspx?ProductID=5701&SEName=kakai

I had to come on the site and say that Sue made an excellent raw nut spread. Had it for lunch today and it is great. 

Here is the recipe:

Raw Seed And  Nut Spread

1/2 cup each, sunflower seeds, cashews, and almonds

1 Tbs. olive oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 Tbs chick pea miso

water to blend, about 1/2 cup

Soak the seeds and nuts overnight or for 8 hours.  Rinse and puree with the remaining ingredients in a blender until well mixed and of spread consistency.  Serve with raw veggies and crackers.  Makes about 1 3/4 cups

Here is the video:http://mountainwarrior.ning.com/video/mcminnville-mountain-warrior-kung-fu-healthy-snacks-kid-approved

Eat well,

Joseph Bronson