Lemon Balm Popsicle

Lemon Balm Popsicle

Make a tea from fresh lemon balm.

Add honey to taste.

Pour into popsicle molds and place a popsicle stick in the middle of

each mold.

Let freeze completely and enjoy.

 

Another variation is to place the lemon balm infusion into an ice cube

tray. Then carefully place a small leaf of fresh lemon balm in each ice

cube section. After these are frozen you can use these fancy ice cubes

to further flavor iced tea

Hawthorn Honey

Hawthorn Honey

Gather enough ripe berries to fill a jar.

Cover the berries with honey, stirring well to remove any air pockets.

Let the mixture sit for a couple of days to a week. I like to turn my jar

over each day to further mix things up.

You can enjoy this by the spoonful and as a topping on toast. Keep in

the fridge for long-term storage and be careful with the small seeds.

Ginger Tea

Ginger Tea

Grate a half inch of fresh ginger using a cheese grater, or mince finely

with a knife. Place in a mug.

Fill the mug with boiling water and cover. Let stand for 15 – 20

minutes.

Squeeze some fresh lemon juice into the mug, and add honey to taste.

I don’t strain off the ginger; instead, I munch on the little pieces.

You can also do a decoction of ginger root for a stronger brew.

Garlic Chest Poultice

Garlic Chest Poultice

Pour a generous amount of olive oil into a pan and gently warm an

abundance of minced garlic for a couple of minutes. You can add flour

to thicken up the mixture if desired.

Prepare cheesecloth, or an old t-shirt, by cutting it to twice the size

needed (based on the chest size).

Place the warmed garlic mixture on half the length of the cloth, folding

the other half over to cover the mixture. Place this on the chest.

It’s also beneficial to place an old towel over this to help keep the heat

in. You can also continually place a warm washcloth in between the

garlic cloth and towel for added warmth

Dandelion Coffee

Dandelion Coffee

Prior to decocting the dandelion root, roast the dried chopped root in a

cast iron pan until it is fragrant and has changed color from being off-

white to light and dark brown.

For each 8 oz of water you are making, use 1-2 teaspoons of the

roasted root.

Add the root to simmering water and continue to simmer while covered

for 7–15 minutes. The resulting brew will be darkly colored. I enjoy my

dandelion coffee with cream, and many people enjoy adding honey as

well.

Calendula Varicose Vein Spray

Calendula Varicose Vein Spray

Fill a mason jar with ½ dried calendula flowers and

½dried yarrow.

Cover with witch hazel and let sit for three weeks shaking daily.

After three weeks, strain and add 10–30 drops of lavender essential oil per

quart of spray.

Pour the solution into a spray bottle and a label. This can be sprayed on

varicose veins as often as desired.

How does it work?

The calendula helps to strengthen the capillary and

vein walls (which, by definition, are weak in varicose veins.) Its anti-

inflammatory properties are also useful here.

The yarrow helps to promote the circulation of blood, dispersing any blood

stagnation.

The lavender essential oil adds healing and anti-inflammatory properties that

can help with itching associated with varicose veins.

The witch hazel is a standard remedy for varicose veins because of its

astringent properties that help to shrink the enlarged tissues.

Nettle Pasta

To make nettle pasta you will need:

    2 1/2 to 3 cups of flour
    2 eggs
    8 oz. of fresh nettle

The first step is to weigh (or estimate) and roughly chop your nettle. Be sure to wear gloves for this process since the nettles will still sting until they are cooked or dried. Then…

    Put the nettles into a large steamer pot and steam for 15 – 20 minutes, until they are well wilted and the sting is completely gone.
    Squeeze as much liquid as possible out of the cooked nettles. You can do this through a colander in the sink, or into a bowl if you would like to preserve and drink the extremely nutritious nettle juice.
    Put the nettles and 2 eggs into a blender and puree them.
    Put 2 1/2 cups of flour into a mixing bowl and make a well in the middle of the flour.
    Pour the nettle / egg mixture into the well and mix together with the flour to make a smooth dough of even color and texture. If the dough mixture is sticky at all, add a bit more flour.
    Cover your ball of dough with a damp towel and let it set for 10 to 15 minutes.
    Cut off a small portion of the dough and roll out on a floured surface. You want to roll the dough as thin as you can (a dimes width or less). Cut the rolled pasta into strips. Continue this process until all the dough is rolled and cut.
    Add the cut pasta to boiling water and cook for 2 to 4 minutes (depending on the thickness of the pasta).
    Drizzle with melted butter and garlic and enjoy!