Herbal Tuesdays- Week 1

I've decided to start writing more about my personal herb week on Tuesdays in honor of my apprenticeship!! (It will be a simple and completely random bullet list.)

My hope is by posting weekly I will update here more often as I often cycle out of touch with my blog and I really want to post more consistently!

So, I'm really enjoying my apprenticeship thus far! It's been really awesome and I am learning a lot. I am feeling much more connection with my surroundings as well. Looking forward to whats to come!

Things I've learned & done herbal related this past week;


-There are many, MANY umbel shaped white flowers.

-Lemon balm continues to be my favorite plant in my personal garden for the second year in a row. We have a huge stand of it in the herb garden and I've been harvesting and drying it daily and trying to find as many ways as I can to use it! Thus far I've made tea, lemon balm pasta with a cheese sauce, vinegar, pesto, lemon balm berry pie, elixir & honey! Plus there is more to make. My next post will be a roundup of lemon balm recipes I've collected!

-Rose honey is addictive. So is handmade cocoa/rose lip balm!

-Plants I discovered in my yard this week; rosa rugosa, valerian (lots!), evening primrose, wild indigo, mugwort, a hidden red raspberry leaf patch, cinquefoil, goutweed and wood betony.

-Plants I harvested and processed this week. Rose, oregano, lemon balm, sage, thyme & lady's mantle.

- I long for more gardens and specifically a women's health and wellness themed garden, a garden for nervines and also an immunity and children's section. But I am just not there yet. Doing a little at a time though. I'm so glad I have the space here!!

-I started an herb blog for kids. Well really for MY kids but I thought it would be fun to share. They are really into "helping" so we might as well make it into a learning experience just for them & maybe share ideas, right? I am just starting it really, so stay tuned!

-Planted some more seeds. Yes, even though it is late June. Crazymaking I tell ya! ;)

- I'm wishing for a greenhouse this fall. Hoping to pull that together money and time permitting.

-Registering for Botany 1 this fall.

-Made a list of herbal & food galactagogues.

-Harvested and in the midst drying a small batch of red clover.

-Studied marshmallow, elder, elecampane, meadowsweet & vitex.

-Tried my first herbal Ghee! MMMM!! (Putting on the must make list!)

-Made a supply list. Need to buy a stash of alcohol, bulk honey, containers, etc. as I have used up every last drop of menstruum's in the house this past weeked! Of course there's much, MUCH more potions and goody making to be had this summer! I also need a couple of random things like another blender, large glass jars and a new cutting board. A sun hat and a harvesting basket for treks through meadows & woods is also on the list among other random items!

-Made a reading list of herb related books I want to read for the duration of my apprenticeship.

25 Medicinal Uses for Lemon Balm

I really can't get enough of lemon balm these days! I'm so thankful to have a huge stand of it in the garden! It's really such a versatile plant and there are so many ways to use it.

Here are 25 uses for lemon balm medicinally;

1- Anxiety
2- Mild depression
3- Colic
4- As a facial steam for dry skin & stubborn acne
5- As a galactogogue to increase a nursing Mother's milk supply
6- Hyperthyroidism
7-Promotes menstruation(good for bringing on a cycle)
8- Analgesic (good for painful periods, headaches, general aches and pains)
9- Nourishing
10- Allergies
11- Fatigue
12- Relieves stress & hypertension
13- Nightmares
14- Indigestion & digestive issues caused by stress
15- Heart palpitations
16- Mildly sedative (good for sleep issues)
17- Herpes sores (both oral and genital)
18- Nausea
19- Has memory improving qualities
20- Wound repair and insect bites
21- Stimulates the appetite
22- Flatulence
23- Coughs, colds, flu, bronchitis, laryngitis asthma (antiviral)
24- Fevers (promotes sweating)
25- Grief

Apprenticeship

I've been sort of MIA these last few weeks. I am trying to finish up one class before another begins and my herbal apprenticeship at Blazing Star Herbal School started as well! It's been so fun and Tuesdays are quite literally the highlight of my week these days! I'll write more soon but wanted to give a quick update!

Spring Tonic Roundup

Here are some of my favorite links regarding Spring Tonics! I will be adding and updating to this list as I go through my bookmarks!


Information
Spring Tonics
Spring Tonics: It's What You Get, It's How You Get It
Spring Tonics

History & Around the World
Chervil- The Spring Tonic Herb
Sassafras Tea: THE Spring Tonic
Time for a Spring Tonic

Medicinal Recipes
Cleavers Tincture
Ground Ivy Infusion

Food Recipes
Nettle Shitake Stir Fry
Pot Herb Pie--A Spring Tonic 
Omelet, Salsa, Salad and Greens Recipes
Strawberry Rhubarb Pound Cake
Rhubarb Citrus Soup
Nettle Soup 

Spring Tonic Syrup

Elderberry (Sambucus) is known as an immune boosting flu remedy but did you know it purifies the blood and circulatory system? Making it a a great (and tasty) spring tonic, but is often overlooked as one. This little berry can do wonders helping us transition from one season to the next.

Here's a syrup I just made the other day for my family to use as a spring tonic. You can put this on pancakes, ice cream or just take a couple of tsp everyday. My kids like to mix it in with their water to make tea in a roundabout way. Hey, whatever works, right?!

~Spring Tonic Syrup~

1c. dried elderberries 
1/2 c. dried rose hips
1/8 c. dried licorice
1/8 c. dried ginger
1 cinnamon stick

2 c. honey

4 cups water

Combine all ingredients in a soup pot. Bring to an almost a boil and reduce to low heat and simmer for 20 minutes or so. Strain into a clean glass jar or bottle, using a mesh strainer. Add in honey and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 months.

Next time I make this I am going to play around with the recipe more and maybe add some dandelion, nettles and violets to this for the next batch.  (We'll have all three in abundance by the time we run out of our current supply!)

Spring Cleansing "Roots" Soup

This nourishing soup boosts immunity and is also a wonderful spring tonic. Spring tonics help add vitamins and minerals to your diet and gently cleanse the lymphatic system. They can be taken for a week or so as you acclimate to the warmer weather and need a boost and cleanse from higher fat and starchy winter diets. This "root soup" is good for strengthening the lungs, purifying the blood and cleansing to the liver and gallbladder. It is also useful for treating colds, sinus infections, arthritis and gout.

Here's a quick lowdown on how these roots cleanse and tone the vital organ systems;

Dandelion root- Liver tonic. Promotes bile flow.

Burdock root-Cleanses the digestive system as well as the lymphatic system. It is immune boosting to boot!

Astragalus- Increases the production of white blood cells and strengthens the immune system. Is a great energy tonic.

Ginger- Ginger is a wonderful circulatory and digestive stimulant.

Garlic & Onions- Are good immune boosters.

You can find fresh burdock, dandelion, astragalus, sea veggies and the shitake mushrooms at your local co-op or health food store. Dried can be substituted for fresh but fresh is optimal. You can reconstitute dried roots by soaking them in water for a bit. Slice thinly.

1 ounce dried astragalus root
4 ounces fresh dandelion root
4 ounces fresh burdock root
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
1 tablespoon dried kelp, dulse, or other sea vegetable
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
7 medium-size fresh shiitake mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
herbs and seasonings to taste
1/2 cup miso paste

Bring 3 quarts of water to a boil and reduce heat. Add astragalus, dandelion, burdock, ginger, and sea vegetable; cover and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour. Strain, return broth to pot, and keep over medium heat. In a saute pan, heat olive oil over medium heat; add onion and mushrooms, and saute until tender. Add garlic; saute for a few more minutes. Add entire mixture to broth. Turn off heat, and stir in miso paste. Season to taste.

This makes 3 qts of soup.


(This post was originally posted on April 4th, 2009. Reposting to kick off my spring tonic week!)

Self Care Sunday - April's Bliss Sugar Scrub Glow

This is a series devoted to easy to make body care recipes for self care! I hope you enjoy!

~April's Bliss Sugar Scrub Glow~

1 c. organic raw sugar
1 c. powdered organic rose petals
1 tsp. organic vanilla extract
2-4 tbsp. organic carrier oil (olive/almond/avocado/jojoba)

Combine all ingredients and mix well with a fork. Store in a glass jar with a lid and let sit overnight to let the vanilla infuse into the dried mixture..

When your ready to mix up an application in a separate dish, you can add  2-4 Tbsp. of oil to 1/2 cup of salt per application. (You can basically play with the consistency..) You want it to be thick enough to scoop up with your hand or a spoon.

To use; scoop or spoon some into the palm of your hand and rub generously over elbows, knees, arms, legs, feet & hands and rinse well. Your skin will be silky soft! If you want to make the scrub extra aromatic you could add a few drops of rose otto and/ chamomile essential oil  or infuse the carrier oil with a vanilla bean. Mmmmm!!!

Mine are adorned with some whole roses just for prettyness sake.. If you choose to do this, just scoop these out of your bath/shower so they don't clog up the drain!