Homemade lip balm

 On one of our many snowed in days, Small and I found ourselves itching to do something. We decided to make chapstick.

 

Using the chamomile and goldenrod we dried in late summer, bees wax (brought with us from Kansas) and sunflower oil, Small and I created a healing, very soothing lip protectant. Medium used it on his cracked lips, and within a few days it was healed up. Small is very proud of himself.  



 

 

 

6 cups dried flowers (goldenrod and chamomile)

2 cups sunflower oil

a scant 2 cups of grated bees wax

 

I don't have a double boiler, so I use a metal bowl over a pot filled less than half way with water. Place your dried flowers and oil into the bowl, and bring it to a simmer. Allow it to simmer for 1 hour.

 

Strain through a colander lined with cheese cloth, into a clean bowl. Once it cools down enough to handle, squeeze the cheesecloth, removing as much oil as possible.

 

If using the same double boiler or bowl, make sure it is clean and dry before pouring your oil into it. Bring to a simmer and slowly add the beeswax, stirring it until all is dissolved. 

 

Carefully pour the hot liquid into your containers. Allow to fully cool before using.

Homemade Anti-itch Balm (jewelweed)

6 cups chopped jewel weed

2 cups olive oil

1 3/4 cups grated beeswax

Simmer olive oil and jewel weed together for at least an hour.

Cover and set aside over night.

Reheat to a simmer. Use a food mill or colander and spoon to mash the mix, reserving oil. Strain again to get rid of any unwanted particles.

Use a double boiler, or put water in your pot, about half full, place an aluminum bowl over top. Bring the oil to a simmer in the bowl. Slowly add the beeswax. Melting it down.

Pour into jars, and allow to cool.

You can add essential oils for a different, not so earthy smell if you want.

Awesome for bug bites or poison ivy rash.

( since I am not allowed to do physical labor, this is what I am doing)

Jewelweed

When did testimonials become product labeling to the FDA ?

I am serious. I thought testimonials were just that, testimonials. Not product labeling. Does our government really think that the general public is that stupid? Must we really be saved from ourselves?

When I look up reviews for a product, I do just that. I look at the reviews the testimonials, and the labeling of said product. I take all these things into consideration. The good the bad and the ugly.

I know the law states that you can not claim natural herbs cure or benefit certain ills on your websites and labels. Did I miss the part about customers opinions?

And even after receiving a warning letter, and complying with the demands, you still get your business ripped out from under you. I really hope that there is more to the story or we are looking at a lot of business being raided over opinions.

From Prison Planet;

On Thursday, April 14, 2011, dozens of agents from the FDA, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) conducted an unprovoked, full-scale raid on Hood River, Ore.-based Maxam Nutraceutics, a company that produces and sells nutritional supplements primarily for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and Alzheimer’s disease.

Back in October 12, 2010, the FDA sent a warning letter to Jim Cole, Founder and CEO of Maxam, notifying him that several of his company’s products were not labeled in accordance with the US Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. The letter also stated that Maxam had fifteen days from the receipt of the letter to notify the FDA compliance officer of the specific steps it planned to take in order to correct the violations. . . .

Oddly enough, the vast majority of the “unapproved labels” in question were not actually labels at all. They were merely customer testimonials about the products that had been accumulated over the years from satisfied customers, and posted online alongside product descriptions on Maxam’s website. Nevertheless, the FDA considered the testimonials to be marketing violations that automatically rendered the products as drugs. read entire article here>>>

You too can have your very own pop bottle garden!

It's all the rage. Only the coolest of the hip have them. And I know you don't want to get left out.

First you need a Husband bent on burying you alive in your house



Then some wood flooring, and build some tiers.



Then a bunch of pop bottles cut in half.



Now you have a gorgeous, colorful garden of plastic.

oh, and there is something about placing herb seeds and plants under those pop bottles creating a terrarium that will help keep your new sprouts safe from the coolness that is swing season.

Mad Dog SkullCap

No, it isn't the beanie. I do wear one of those by the bye.

I use skullcap for my migraines. It helps dull it better than any of the other herbs I have found. It is native to the US and can be found in moist shady environments.

The flowers bloom in May through August. When they bloom, harvest the above ground parts, dry and store.

It is used as an anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, slightly astringent, emmenagogue, febrifuge, nervine, sedative and strongly tonic.

And if you overdose on it, it can cause similar effects as marijuana. Be careful as there are claims that this herb has been linked to liver damage. So the high isn't really worth it.

Uses for this herb include epilepsy, insomnia, hysteria, anxiety, delirium tremens, withdrawal from barbiturates and tranquilizers. It helps promote menstruation and should never be used by a pregnant woman.

I smoke it, but I am a smoker, you can make a tea as well. Seep 1 oz dried skullcap to 1 pnt boiling water for 10 mins. You need only drink 1/2 teacup every few hours.

Where to buy the seeds;

Prairie Moon

Seed Bloc

Sand Mountain herbs

And hopefully next year, me.

Except for the massive Migraine

It was a pleasant weekend.

I smoked some skull cap for the migraine. It didn't get rid of it like my friend claimed it would, but it did help me sleep and kept me asleep a little longer than normal.

Skull cap is in the mint family. But when smoking it, it tastes a bit like a whole other herb. So I went in search of what exactly skull cap is all about, and my side now hurts from laughing. (all the bad kids know why) I found out why it didn't help my migraine, I don't have nervous headaches, or stress headaches. Mine is a chemical imbalance. But it helped me sleep, and that is usually the best thing for my migraines. Go here to see what all skull cap claims to be able to do.


We have a pepper! And several squash are coming in. All the tomatoes have blossoms, and a finally have cucumber up. The bloody Butcher corn I planted came in fast. It will be knee high by the 4th.

oh! Coffee's done. I am late getting up this morning. I was up late last night, trying to get some of the things done that I couldn't with the migraine, and with the heat. But it is only suppose to be 90 F today. I should be able to get a bunch more done.

I was just chatting with husband, he says in theory that the skull cap should help my restless leg syndrome. I told him the next time I get jumpy, I will try it and see. Does anyone want to know if it works for me?

As soon as I am done with my first cup o' coffee, I need to go milk. Some days I am just not motivate to go out there. I really dislike that part of myself, but I force myself to go. It's only 30 minutes out of my day, and it's not like I have a bunch of other things to be doing. I milk, working in the garden until it gets too warm, then I do inside chores and play with the boys until it starts to cool back off and then go out and work in the garden and milk again. Life can get a bit boring at times. I think that's why I am looking forward to this party. Melissa, you guys still coming?

We actually have enough money to buy groceries this week. WHOOHOO! I need something in my diet besides pork. Seems like that's all we have been eating for the past month.

Don't Bogart that Herb, man.

I was asked about 3 specific herbs yesterday, here are a few things you can do with them.



Chive Butter
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon sour cream
2 tablespoons chopped chives

Combine butter, sour cream and chives in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high 45 seconds, or until butter is melted. Drizzle onto hot rolls.

Lemon Chive tartar sauce
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives
2 tablespoons minced sweet gherkins
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

in a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, chives, gherkins, and lemon zest. Mix well.
Salt and pepper to taste

Chive Dumplings makes about 20
2 1/2 cups flour
4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup chives
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
2 large eggs

In medium bowl, using a fork, mix together the flour, baking powder, chives and salt. In a small bowl, combine milk and eggs. Stir milk mixture into flour mixture just until blended. Bring your broth to a boil, (chicken is best) Drop in the dough 1 tablespoon at a time. Cover with lid and simmer 20 minutes.

Cheese Ball (no, really)
1 glass Old English cheese
1 glass blue cheese
1 (3 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
Chopped chives
1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 onion, grated fine for juice
Garlic salt to taste
Chopped nuts

Mix cheeses by hand add remaining of ingredients except nuts and mix well. Place in refrigerator until set. Roll into ball. Roll in chopped nuts, wrap in wax paper. Keep chilled.



Oregano-Garlic Vinaigrette
3 tablespoons dried oregano
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1½ cups mild olive oil
½ cup red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Rub the oregano with your hands to warm it and release its oils or toast in a dry skillet for a minute or two. Whisk all the ingredients together.

Sage Tea
4 cups water
16 sage leaves, fresh or dried
1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. sugar

Bring water to a boil. Add sage leaves and remove from heat. Let steep about 3 minutes, or longer for stronger tea. Strain and serve sweetened with sugar to taste.


Don't forget that your herbs can be dried and mixed in with toasted bread cubes to make stuffing later. Or use them to pre-make your dry ingredients for your canning recipes.

What's in now in Kansas? Clover

Red Clover Tea (you can use white as well)

1 cup red clover blossoms
2 tablespoons mint (spearmint or peppermint)
4 cups water
honey, to sweeten (or use sugar)

Inspect flowers and make sure there are no bugs. Also make sure the flowers have not been sprayed Bring the water to a boil. Remove from heat. Add clover blossoms and mint. Steep about 10 minutes. Strain. Add honey or sugar to taste

Clover Jelly
2 1/2 cups apple juice OR white wine
1 cup fresh rose petals or scented geranium flowers and leaves or clover blossoms
4 cups sugar
1/4 lemon juice
3 ounces of liquid pectin

Bring juice or wine to a boil and pour over petals. Cover and steep until
liquid has cooled, then strain out flowers leaving only liquid. Combine 2
cups of this flower infusion with sugar and lemon juice.
Bring to a boil over high heat and as soon as the sugar has dissolved, stir
in the pectin. Return to a rolling boil, stirring, and boiling for exactly 1
minute. Remove the jelly from the heat and skim off any foam

ALASKAN HONEY

2 1/2 c. water
18 blossoms fireweed
30 blossoms red clover
30 blossoms white clover
1/2 tsp. alum
10 c. sugar

Bring to boil. Stir for 10 minutes. Strain. Bring to a boil. Add sugar
and alum. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes

Clover Honey
10 cups white sugar
3 cups water
36 white clover blossoms
18 red clover blossoms
3 pink roses (the petals)
1 teaspoon alum

In a medium pot, bring sugar and water to a boil for 6-7 minutes. Stir in alum Remove from heat and add blossoms. Let stand for 20 minutes. Strain through a double layer of cheesecloth and bottle.

What's the Dilly, Yo?

I heard you. You hate sweet pickles, same here. Yesterday I put up some Kosher Dill Pickles.

4 quarts water
6 tablespoons coarse white Kosher salt
18-20 cucumbers, scrubbed
8 cloves garlic, unpeeled and lightly-crushed
2 tablespoons pickling spice (recipe below)
6 bay leaves
1 large bunch of dill, going to seed, washed

In a large pot, heat 1 qt of the water with salt until dissolved. Add the remaining water.

Sterilize 3 quart canning jars

divide the garlic, spices, bay leaves, and dill amongst them.

Pack the cucumbers vertically into the jars, making sure are very tightly-packed.

Fill the jars with brine so that the cucumbers are completely covered. Hot water bath for 20-30 minutes. Ready to eat in 3 days.

Pickling spice:

2 tablespoons black peppercorns
2 tablespoons mustard seeds
2 tablespoons coriander seeds
2 tablespoons hot red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons allspice berries
1 tablespoon ground mace
2 small cinnamon sticks, crushed or broken into pieces
24 bay leaves, crumbled
2 tablespoons whole cloves
1 tablespoon ground ginger.

In a small dry pan, combine peppercorns, mustard seeds and coriander seeds. Place over medium heat and stir until fragrant, careful not to burn them. Keep the lid handy in case seeds pop. Crack peppercorns and seeds in mortar and pestle (or use the side of a knife on cutting board).

Mix together all ingredients. Store in a tightly sealed plastic or glass container.

Horehound

This is an herb that isn't very picky about the type of soil it grows in. If you plan to grow your own, be careful it can take over an area.

Horehound is great for teas, cough syrup and candy. It is a little bitter in taste, some people love that and others don't, just add a whole lot of sugar.


recipe to make your own candy;

2 cups fresh horehound, leaves, stems and flowers (or 1 cup dried)
2 1/2 quarts water
3 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup corn syrup
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. butter
1 tsp. lemon juice (or 1 sprig lemon balm)

Using a large saucepan, cover horehound with water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Strain through a cheesecloth and allow tea to settle. Ladle 2 cups of the horehound tea into large heavy pot. Add the brown sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar. Boil, stir often, until mixture reaches 240 F. Add the butter. Continue to boil until candy reaches 300F (hard crack). Remove from heat, add lemon juice {or lemon balm tea}. Pour at once into buttered 8" square pan. As candy cools, score into squares. Remove from pan as soon as it is cool. Store in an air tight container.

Preserving food by drying

In my previous entry, I talked about dehydrating my onions. I can't stand to waste my hard earned veggies, so before they can go bad, I will place them in a dehydrator and store them in a recycled mayo jar, until there comes a time that I can turn them into something else. Dehydrated onions can be used to make onion powder or thrown into your favorite soup recipes.

Besides my onions, I dehydrated tomatoes and sweet peppers. My orchard hasn't began to come in yet, but fruits will be on my list later. With fruits you can make fruit leather {fruit roll-ups} I thought about that while making strawberry jam one day.

For drying my herbs, I place them in a paper bag {something that I can reuse} and hang them up outside. As long as the threat of rain is non existent, I can keep the bagged herbs outside, where air can circulate until they are fully dried. I also store these in recycled glass jars.

Sun drying, I have attempted this and have yet to be successful. I tried it with my tomatoes, placing them on a try and covering them with cheese cloth to keep bugs and animals off of them. I brought the trays in a night to keep the tomatoes from re-hydrating, yet I still ended up with mold. Maybe it is too humid here. I will try again this year.

I was asked what does one do with beets. Beets? I have never really cared for them. Our second year at gardening, my husband accidently picked up a packet of beet seeds. He claims he thought they were radishes {I know he can read} We planted them any way, and got back more than enough for our needs. {As the confused husband is the only one that eats them} But for those of you that end up getting lots of beets and have no more ideas as to what to do with them here is a few recipes.

Beet Roulade

Borscht

Pasta and Beet salad

edited; 1/28/07 The beet recipe links are dead, if you want the recipes, please ask for them.


removed amazon link, I am no longer using them.