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Tranquil Pine and Star Anise Bath (or foot soak)

This recipe cleanses and helps center your body .  Both Pine and anise have stimulating and antiseptic properties.  This will help your body detoxify, ridding it of stress and impurities. 

BUT FIRST.... Let's go over a few very important things about this recipe. 

This recipe is going to activate some things that might be asleep in you... 

It is a great anti-dote for many... 

Rain or shine take a walk and look for some pine

I know its been a long day or week at work

Trying to  balance family life

I can hear you moan

I can hear you say, I will do this another day

This is not an ingredient you can leave out

Nature is the antidote, take it everyday

This  is not something you should put off day by day

Nature is the antidote

This walk is part of the recipe

It requires you to look around

So, put those cell phones down

Take a breath, 

Look for some pine

Spruce and evergreen will be fine

They are calling you

Giving off their sweet scent 

The euphoric scent of waking through a pine forest,

The scent of sweet Douglas fir or  even coastal spruce 

Euphoric scents that slow your breathing and reduce stress

Pine, Douglas fire and spruce filling your nostrils and going deep within

Restores your emotional state to calm

Clears the heart and mind, to allow more creativity

Nature as an antidote will give

Greater physical health

Deeper sense of spirit

Sense of play

These awards await you

Just take a walk rain or shine and 

Look for some pine 

I am well again, I came to

Life in the cool winds and 

Crystal waters of the mountain

----John Muir 

Take Two Hours Of Pine Forest and Call Me In The Morning:

Great Article 

http://www.outsideonline.com/1870381/take-two-hours-pine-forest-and-call-me-morning

Tranquil Pine and Star Anise Bath For One

An evening soak to give calm to your inner spirit.  Can be used as a foot soak 

You will need:  scissors, bag, dress for weather

Take a walk (leave cell phones in pockets) your mission is to find some pine, douglas fir or spruce.  If you are not sure about your trees go to the library or the local book store and get a book on trees.   

Word of caution:  Please be respectful of the trees and how you harvest.  

1 cup of fresh pine needles, douglas fir or spruce (pesticide free)

1/2 tablespoon organic fresh ginger chopped

3 star anise or 1 1/2 tablespoons of broken star anise 

2 cups filtered water

Pan (no aluminum or Teflon)

In a saucepan place above ingredients.  heat gently until mixture begins to boil

Remove from the heat, cover and steep for 30 minutes

Strain out all of the solids

Pour scented water in your hot bath and stir

Soak in the tub for 40 minutes 

Be careful after, you will feel really relaxed 

For a foot soak, just pour strained ingredients in a foot tub and enjoy! 

Evergreen Tea (pine, fir or spruce)

1 tsp. evergreen needles (pesticide free) 

2 cups filtered water

Bring to a boil, cover, simmer 10 minutes, strain and enjoy 

Before you enjoy this tea..

Please consult a physician if you are pregnant or nursing.  

Fresh Evergreen  Facial Toner(pine, fir or spruce) 

The power fragrance lifts the spirits and relieves stress. 

All skin types can benefit from this recipe.  This slightly astringent evergreen water improves circulation, giving skin a healthy glow.  

Make sure evergreens are pesticide free

1 cup evergreens

1 cup distilled water

1/4 cup witch hazel ( I suggest Mountain Rose Herbs)

Pan ( no aluminium or Teflon)

Place evergreen needles in the pan and cover with the water

Bring mixture to a boil

Remove from heat, cover and cool completely

Strain liquid into a clean bottle

Add witch hazel

Shake gently to mix

Label

To use:  Apply to your skin with a clean cotton pad after cleansing ( do not rinse) 

As you can see we are not short on trees

Oregon, Mt. Hood Area

This Winter Balm ( It has a texture, just like a salve) has been really fun to make.  Don't get me wrong, I love everything about my other salves.  My first Herbal Salve gave me adventures in the mountains, collecting the herbs that I needed.  I loved watching it as it was being sun infused during the summer weeks.  Going from no color to deep red.  My second salve, the Invigorating Salve, I fell in love with the herb Rosemary.  Rosemary has so many healing qualities, it is incredible   Such a simple herb to grow.  The comfrey in both the salves was from my own comfrey patches.  If I would say I had a favorite herb, I would say comfrey is on  the list.  It is also, great horse, goat, chicken and duck food.  I will make sure I harvest enough  next summer!  

So, what is so special about the Winter Balm?  The smell!  It smells incredible .. Imagine you just picked a sprig of evergreen off of a cedar branch.  Now imagine putting that smell on you body, your sore joints, your arthritis or on your chest if you have a chest cough.  There is more.  It has dried juniper berries and grated orange peel in it.  It is also used for aromatherapy  it will take away your unhappiness, your fears, your tears by rubbing this amazing balm on you.  Feel sad, feel fearful, feel angry, just apply as much as need throughout the day.  Breath it in, in many deep breaths and it will pull those negative emotions away.  

It smells so good some people buy this for a truly natural perfume. 

Winter Balm Ingredients

Evergreen, cedar, juniper, orange peel, infused in olive oil, almond oil, sunflower oil and love.  

Evergreen and cedar are a  beautiful combination for aromatherapy. 

The juniper is used for aromatherapy  for congestion in coughs and colds, it eases aching muscles, helps with rheumatic and arthritic pain.  

The orange peel, just gives it the last great kick of feeling like it is summer

The Winter Balm is great for warming muscles, helping sore and achy muscles.  Speeds  up healing for chapped lips or cracked skin.  A mild chest rub for chronic coughs or chest congestion.  Aromatherapy for what ales you emotionally.  

Winter Balm Price: 

1 oz $ 6.00

2 oz 12.00 

4 oz $20.00 

Edible Evergreens

Most Evergreen trees are edible, but for safety and simplicity, stick to the Pine, Fir and Spruce family.

It was discovered back in the days of scurvy that these trees are extremely high in Vitamin C, as well as vitamin A, quercetin, flavonoids, anthocyanins and volitile oils that are beneficial for respiratory conditions,coughs, colds and flus as well as being anti inflamatory.

Pine Power

The pine has been revered and used all over the world. It was used as a traditional remedy by the Native American Indians, and there is a Taoist practice of surviving only on pine needles to gain supernatural powers that has its roots in the pine tree’s symbolism of integrity and honour. The Scandinavians used pine branches in saunas, and many cultures stuffed mattresses with pine needles to repel lice, fleas, and other insects. In fact, pine-needle mattresses are still used today in the Swiss Alps, as a remedy for rheumatism.

A cup of pine needle tea may supply five times as much vitamin C as in a lemon.

Studies in both China and Russia have also found it to be Anti-Fungal, Anti-Bacterial & Anti-Viral, AntiOxidant & Anti-Aging, Helpful for Weight, Cholesterol & High blood pressure, Relieves Sore, Aching Muscles, Stimulating to the Liver, Astringent for the Bladder, Relaxing to the Mind and Stress Relieving, AND Helpful in Restoring Overall Balance to The Body! 

Identification

Pine trees usually have quite long needles, sometimes up to 8 inches.

Spruce and fir have much shorter needles, with the fir being more sparse.

Pine Needle Tea

• ½ cup of pine needles
  (or other needles from fir or spruce trees)

Crush the needles slightly & add to a pot of boiling water (3-4 cups). Simmer for 15-20 mins.  I love making a lunar infusion when I go backpacking: 

You can add a spoon of honey or other liquid sweetener (maple syrup, agave, etc), as well as herbs such as rosemary or green tea, to this wonderfully aromatic brew.

Left over tea can be added to a bath, poured over the stones in a sauna, or used as a rinse for the hair to combat dandruff!

 Douglas Fir Green Smoothie Recipe

• 10 Tips of Douglas Fir
  (gather the fresh young tips in spring)
• 2 cups of spinach or your favourite green
• 2 bananas
• 2 cups of water

Simply blend and Enjoy!

Swap recipes around with different young green tips of either Spruce or Pine. Use some foraged Wild Edibles instead of Spinach, and add in some berries to boost the Vitamin C content for Winter Wellness. For example, add in freshly foraged rosehips!

The fresh green spring tips are also great to add to salads. You can also run a few needles through your juicer to add extra oompf to your juices.

Alternatively, take 10-15 fresh pine needles and chew them thoroughly. Swallow the juice, but spit what is left of the needles!

Pine Needle Vinegar or Oil

• 500ml Glass Jar
• 500ml of either Cyder Vinegar or Organic Cold Pressed Oil
• Several handfuls of Pine Needles

Make sure the jar is very clean and dry. Slightly crush the pine needles with a rolling pin and pack them into the jar. Pour on as much vinegar or oil to fill and cover the jar. Allow to infuse for up to 6 weeks. Strain and use or if you wanted a stronger infusion, or pack in more fresh crushed needles. For a more balsamic tasting vinegar, add a tablespoon of coconut sugar.

Both are wonderful aditions to salad dressings. The vinegar is also great to take in a cup of warm lemon and honey to ward of colds and flus, while the oil is great to massage tired aching limbs.

Pine is also reputed to relieve skin conditions, such as psoriasis. You can use the oil or make an ointment to rub on irritated skin or fungal infections.

Spruce Butter

Melt a pound of coconut oil gently over a bain marie, then add ¼ cup of young fresh spruce tips.

Allow to infuse for a couple of hours or overnight. Melt the oil again and strain out the needles.

Use as a flavoursome butter or to add an interesting twist to your recipes. Good as a tonic for the hair and skin as well!

Pine Needle Sugar or Honey

Place crushed pine needles into a jar of honey or coconut sugar and leave for several weeks or months.

Use in teas, desserts or other creative concoctions. 

Pine Bouquet Garnish

Make a little bunch out of sprigs of pine, rosemary, thyme, bay leaves and tie together with a little hemp or organic cotton string.

Drop it into the pot if you’re making a stew, soup or grain based cooked dish and allow the flavours to permeate the dish before removing.

Preserving your Needles

To freeze, just snip the needles into smaller pieces and place in a zip lock bag in the freezer until ready to use.

You can also dehydrate them, or dry out over a stove or in an airing cupboard.

When dry, you can store in a jar, or more interestingly you can process them to a powder in your blender and use to add an aromatic flavor to various recipes.