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 HORSERADISH -

Cochlearia armoracia, Amoracia rusiticana,

Amoracia lapathifolia:  Cruciferae 

Spicy and Hot

Affects the lungs, colon and kidney

Properties:  Stimulant, diuretic, rubefacient (rebefacients increase blood flow to the surface of the skin.  Their function is to draw inflammation and congestion from deeper areas.  Useful for arthritis, rheumatism, joint problems and sprains.  Rebefacients include mustard seed oil, cayenne, black pepper, pine oil, thyme oil, eucalyptus and cinnamon), expectorant, mild laxative, carminative, hepatic and antiseptic. 

The root is rich in minerals, vitamins including Vitamin C.  It's warming antiseptic properties make it a great herb for asthma, catarrh (excessive discharge or build up of mucus in nose or throat) and lung infections.  

Can be used as a digestive aid especially after heavy meaty meals or oily fatty foods.  This has been used as a Old Household Remedy, wherever a stimulating herb(aids digestion, moves mucus) is called for and for influenza and fevers.    It is a powerful circulatory stimulant with antibiotic properties due to the mustard oil contains.   

Got allergies?  You can try a daily does of garlic and horseradish, Folk Medicine used it  to help build resistance to allergies, (along with a balanced organic nutritive diet).

My MATERIA MEDICA with REPERTORY,

BY, BOERICKE, WILLIAM, 1927 

States:  Raises vital forces.  Used as a gargle in scorbutic (scurvy) gums (gingivitis) and sore throat.  Internally in gonorrhea, useful as a condiment , in enfeebled( make weak) states of the stomach.  An infusion of the root in cider, for dropsy causes, copious diuresis(increased urination) and locally cures dandruff.  

Horseradish has been used in cases of urinary infections, gout, rheumatic diseases, bladder infections, colitis, phlegm, damp lung problems, sinus congestion, asthma and added to baths for chilblains.  

Horseradish has most of the advantages of garlic, including being high in sulphur (the antibiotic principle)

To Dry The Fresh Roots:

Wash and hand dry

Cut into thin strips

Dry on a low temperature in the oven or use a dehydrator

Externally it can be used as a poultice for rheumatic joints and to stimulate blood flow.  It  relieves congestion (bronchitis etc),  in those conditions where mustard plasters are used so if you do not have mustard to make a mustard plaster try horseradish instead.  Please keep in mind you do not put it directly on skin for a plaster or poultice.   Put a cloth on the area being treated first, then you can follow through with your plaster or poultice.   

Grate horseradish root, apply topically, acts as a counter irritant for injuries and bruises.  

Infused vinegar can be used externally as a liniment and yes you can use Fire Cider for this.  

RECIPES:

FIRE CIDER

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/...

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.

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...

Horseradish Honey Syrup for Cough:

Horseradish syrup quells coughs and soothes a sore throat; grate a small piece of horseradish into a small saucepan. Squeeze the pulp over the pan to extract additional juice. Add a little honey and enough water just to cover the pulp; boil for 5 min. let the pulp cool, and then squeeze the pulp again to catch any additional juice; discard the pulp. Mix the horseradish juice with enough honey to make a palatable syrup. Take up to 5 tbsp. of the syrup a day.

Folk Remedy - Horseradish Plaster

Horseradish can be used in place of mustard.  Externally horseradish stimulates circulation and relieves congestion,  Use in  conditions where mustard plasters are used.  Mustard Plasters were used for home remedies for the flu, coughs, colds, pneumonia and many other ailments. 

To Make A Horseradish Plaster:

Equal parts grated horseradish, flour and water. 

Mix the horseradish and flour.  Then add the water to make a paste. The paste should be smooth and easily spreadable but not too thin so that it runs or is watery.

Take a clean towel  and put it on their chest.   Spread the paste evenly on the towel. Then put plastic on top of the plaster, and then another towel.  Put a heating pad on the lowest setting  and place on top of the towel.  Cover them with a blanket.  Leave on for 20 minutes.  Shower after. 

Towel, plaster, plastic, towel, heating pad on lowest setting, blanket

Do not apply paste directly to skin or it may cause blistering.  

More on Plasters: 

http://thewellspring.org/mustard-plaster-for-stubborn-chest-congestion/

Folk Remedy - Poultice 

3/4 cup linseed meal (flax)

1 cup boiling water

1/3 cup grated horseradish

Folk Remedy Horseradish Foot Bath

2 to 3 tablespoons grated horseradish to 2 to 3 gallons of water 

Folk Remedy - Toothbrush and /or Mouthwash

1 or more horseradish roots, cut into 6 inch strips, about 6-8 inches

2 to 3 cinnamon sticks

1 tablespoon cloves

1 pint brandy 

1 tsp tincture of myrrh

Filtered water to simmer roots

Put cloves and 1 tsp myrrh tincture in the jar

Fill half way with Brandy

Un-strip or unravel one end of each horseradish strip

Now simmer the strips in the water with cinnamon sticks

Just add enough water to cover them

Cook until roots are tender 20 to 30 minutes 

Take the strips and cinnamon sticks out of the pot and place in the jar with the brandy and myrrh tincture and cloves.  Pour the rest of the brandy in the jar.

Soak strips over night  and then take strips out.  Dry them in a dehydrator or the lowest setting on your oven.  

To use as a toothbrush chew on the frayed end to soften and it is ready to use.   

Leave cinnamon sticks and cloves in the brandy for a few more days.  Strain and put infused brandy in a jar (label) and use it for mouthwash.  

The mouth wash is strong, you will need to dilute it

Please keep in mind the Folk Remedies that I found, the directions are not always clear.   Experiment and have fun 

If you don't have cayenne pepper try substituting Horseradish.  

FOLK REMEDIES - Allergies

For a daily does to help build resistance to allergies: 

Add a quarter teaspoon of horseradish root to organic vegetable juice or mix it in a salad

Folk Remedy for Headaches: 

Make a poultice of fresh grated horseradish in cheesecloth.

Put the poultice on the back of your neck

Then put 2 smaller poultices in each bend of your elbows 

Keep poultices on for at least 30 minutes or until headache disappears

Folk Remedy for NEURALGIA:  

Grate about 3 ounces of horseradish

Mix it with one tablespoon of organic white vinegar or apple cider vinegar

Marinate one hour

Spread it on the painful side of your face, particularly on your temple

Relax for 20 minutes

Meditate with the words

"Love Fills Me With Happiness, Harmony and Healing Energy"

Folk Remedies for Toothache

Grate some horseradish

Place a small amount directly on the problem tooth 

More Folk Remedies:

Syrup of Horseradish

Steep one tablespoon horseradish root in one cup of water

Cover for 2 or more hours

Strain

Add honey

Heat low until thick, 

Bottle, label and store in frig

Decongest the Sinuses

 1 teaspoon grated  horseradish

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

Mix

Chew until the flavor is all gone

Yes, chew, chew, chew

For Influenza or Fevers

Steep 1 tsp horseradish root with 1 cup water for 5 minutes

Drink 3x a day or more often when treating influenza or fevers

GENERATION OLD RECIPES:

Sinus Remedy: Juice one fresh peeled pulped horseradish root, juice of 2 to 3 lemons, combine. Take 1/2 tsp between meals, use over several months until the mucus in the sinus clears up.  WARNING it is sharp and will undoubtedly bring tears to your eyes, but, this is considered evidence of its effectiveness.  Keep in refrigerator and watch for mold.  

EDEMA, 2 cups apple cider vinegar, 4 tablespoons grated horseradish.  Let sit in a warm place for 12 hours, strain, keep in a cool place.  Internally drink 1 tablespoon several times a day.  Externally, heat up liquid apply it on cotton wash cloth to the swollen tissue areas.  

Books Used For References:

Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health, by Rosemary Gladstar

Holistic Herbal, by David Hoffman

Planetary Herbology, by Michael Tierra

New Age Herbalist, by Gaia original, Richard Mabey

Herbal Medicine, The Natural Way to Get Well and Stay Well, by Dian Dincin Buchman's 

Folk Remedies That Work, by Joan Wilen and Lydia Wilen

Herbs for All Seasons, by Sally Freeman

Materia Medica with Repertory, Boericki, William 1927

Please use Organic ingredients as much as possible. Conventional produce, is chemical produce. Invest in your health by investing in no spray, organic food.

Energy Balls:

Recipe

http://mcminnvillehealthdefense.ning.com/profiles/blogs/energy-balls

Video:

http://mcminnvillehealthdefense.ning.com/video/mcminnville-mountain...

Raw Seed and Nut Spread

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup raw cashews

1/4 tsp celtic or hymalian pink salt

1/2 TBLS. chickpea miso

About 1.2 cup water to blend

Soak the seeds and nuts overnight or for 8 hours.

Rinse and puree with remaining ingredients in a blender.

Should be a spread consistency.

Served with rice cakes, gluten free crackers or chopped raw veggies

Video: Nut and Seed Spread and it is blast from the past.

http://mountainwarrior.ning.com/video/mcminnville-mountain-warrior-...

Bean and Quinoa Salad

1 cup cooked kidney beans

1 cup cooked white beans

3 cups cookedquinoa

1/4 head cabbage

2 carrots, grated

1/2 cups green onions or red onion

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

1/4 cup minced parsley

1/2 cup chopped tomato

1 red bell pepper chopped

Dressing

5 TBLS. Coconut amino acid

7 TBLS. olive oil

6 TBLS. apple cider vinegar

8 cloves garlic, minced

Celtic or himalayan salt (to taste)

pepper (to taste)

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp thyme

Make the dressing

Put all the ingredients in a bowl and toss with the dressing.

Marinate and chill for an hour or so.

Chicken and Carrot Salad

1 cup cooked navy beans

1 cup cooked shredded chicken

2 cups shredded carrots

1 bunch green onions, chopped

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 cup parsley, chopped

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

A splash of balsamic vinegar

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. dill weed

1 tsp Celtic salt or Himalayan salt

1/2 tsp cumin

1 cup whole milk (full fat) organic yogurt (not Nancy's yogurt)

3/4 cup toasted sesame seeds, ground

1/2 lime juice from a fresh lime

2 garlic loves, minced

filtered water

Mix all seasonings, oil, vinegar, honey, lime juice, parsley, cilantro, green onions, garlic, ground sesame seeds and yogurt. If this is to thick add a bit of filtered water.

Mix with beans, carrots and chicken

Let mixture sit for a few hours in the frig.

Hummus

First you need to roast a bulb of garlic

4 or more roasted cloves of garlic

A large handful of Italian Parsley

4 green onions chopped

3 cups cooked chickpeas

3 Tablespoons roasted almond butter

6 Tablespoons tahini

3 TBLS avocado oil or olive oil

1 tsp celtic salt or himalayan salt

1 tsp curry powder

1 bunch of chopped cilantro

1/2 cup canned stewed tomatoes (no juice, just tomatoes)

1 Red Bell Pepper, chopped

Place garlic, parsley, cilantro, red pepper, tomatoes, green onions and curry in a blender or food processor

Blend well

Add chick peas, oil, almond butter, tahini and salt

Enjoy with organic sour dough bread, gluten free crackers or chopped up raw veggies

Walnut Dip: This snack takes a bit of prep time, but it is well worth it.

First you need to make Crispy Walnuts.

You can also do this with all nuts and seeds.

You will need a dehydrator or you can use your oven.

I prefer to do this in the morning and I put them in the oven over night.

You need to look at your schedule and see when is the best time to do this for you.

If you are going to be home, then you can soak overnight and then put them in the oven while you are home for the day.

Oven 170 degrees, for 8 hours

Dehydrator works great and for 8 hours or more

1 gallon jug

Filtered water

3 cups RAW organic walnuts

1 TBLS celtic or himalayan salt

1 TBLS cayenne powder

Place nuts, salt and cayenne in the gallon jar. Fill to the top with filtered water

Let sit for 8 hours

Strain

Place on a cookie stainless steel cookie sheet or a glass Pyrex casserole pan.

put in oven at 170 degrees for 8 hours

or

Dehydrator for 8 plus hours

Now you have Crispy Walnuts. They make a wonderful snack and a great addition to recipes. You can do this same method for other nuts and sees. Crispy pumpkins seeds rock!

Walnut Feta Dip

1 cup chopped Crispy Walnuts

1 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 cup organic crumbled feta cheese. Can be goat, lamb or cow

2 cloves of garlic chopped

1 tsp. paprika

pinch of cayenne (optional)

pinch of dried oregano or a few sprigs of fresh

1 to 2 tablespoons of olive oil

Place walnuts and parsley in a blender or food processor, blend

When the nuts are ground, add remaining ingredients, puree until smooth

Transfer to a small bowl, cover tightly and chill

Serve with gluten free crackers, chopped raw veggies or organic sour dough bread.

In Search of the Great Cottonwoods.

This journey starts in January and goes to the middle of February. The Black Cottonwood's bring joy to my heart. A big part of that joy is the journey that we take every year in search of the Cottonwoods. It is magical and beautiful. The places that we go, looking for this beautiful tree medicine, feed my spirit, my body, my heart and my soul. When I find clues that there are Cottonwoods around and it is time to go harvest I get a bit obsessed

I also get obsessed with cuttings, so I can have my own trees. By starting my own, I have been able to watch their growth, which in turn helps me understand its herbal medicine. For those of you who have young ones (or older playful adults), this is really a fun project to do inside. Just find a few Cottonwood branches, a pretty vase and water. Place them in the vase with water in a sunny spot and watch them grow. In the later part of spring when the weather warms up a bit, find a special spot and go plant your little saplings and remember they like water.

The Cottonwoods mark the beginning of my harvest season and it shows spring is on its way.

Cottonwoods love moisture, they love water and these places make great tea spots. Great tea spots pull life's stress right out of your body. A great cuppa tea, some deep breathing and beautiful scenery will have you ready for your week.

The things that I have done, when I see cottonwood branches that have fallen... Yep I will find a way to put them in a car or truck.

Cottonwood honey tastes delightful, Cottonwood liniment helps with muscle strains or sprains, Cottonwood Tincture can be used internally for pain and as an expectorant. I also use the tincture for first aid. For more information on Cottonwoods healing click on link below:

http://mountainwarrior.ning.com/profiles/blogs/cottonwood-populus-n...

Pictured Below, left hand finger swollen. It felt like it was going to pop. Then I applied Cottonwood Tincture and the pain and swelling stopped immediately.

I even found the oldest Cottonwood around. A place where eagles fly, Beavers live and maybe some day I will see a cougar.

As you can see, not only does the Cottonwood give us wonderful medicine, it also gives the gift of beautiful places, that pull out stress and nurture us inside and out.

Picture Below, February 11th, 2018

Last Sunday we took a journey in search of new Cottonwood areas and we found beauty, buds, tea times and great food.

Pictured below: Homemade yogurt cream cheese, gluten free maple muffins and pumpkin milk chaga root chai. All organic

February 2018

We had a great harvest day, the honey is being infused and other medicinal preps.