I am a coffee addict. There, I said it. I live for my daily cup. Or three. While coffee may have gotten a “bad for your health” rap a few years ago, growing research is showing that moderate coffee consumption is actually GOOD for you. Which makes me a happy homesteader. Like I said, I …
When you get sick with a bacterial infection, you will usually need antibiotics. Before antibiotics were discovered, many infections were healed by herbs or allowing food be medicine. Once antibiotics hit the medical scene, they became the wonder of medicine. In the 1950’s, when penicillin first made it’s appearance, doctors thought they could “close the …
Dandelions are a first food for tired, winter weary bees. The bright yellow flowers have so much to offer us from blossom to root. The roots can be carefully harvested, rinsed, dried, and made into a wonderful dandelion tea. You can also make a delicious dandelion coffee with this recipe here. Dandelion is also known by …
I love making herbal vinegars to add zip and zing to homemade cooking. Fruit infused vinegar can add a touch of flavor for salad dressings, as well as play a part in healthy skin care. They are so easy to make and are great for adding an extra boost of flavor. Are you ready to …
Herbal Vinegars For Cooking, Cleaning and Beauty Read More »
Dandelions abound in the Spring. They are a first food for bees, and the pretty yellow blossoms create a gorgeous blanket of color among the newly green grass. Dandelions are spring magic to me. Their Latin name is Taraxacum officinale, and they are very beneficial for a variety of healthful functions. Dandelions are diuretic, laxative, …
Shaving happens…on the legs, pits, face. It is a part of life for a lot of us, but it’s not always our favorite activity. Those memes that depict hairy rabbit legs revealed, proclaiming how glad we are that it’s winter and we don’t need to shave? Yeah, that’s how I like to roll. My daughter …
Taking a handful of supplements everyday isn’t the most exciting way to get your vitamins and it certainly isn’t the most natural way. However, your body needs essential vitamins and minerals to stay healthy. If you can eat your essential vitamins every day, you can skip the pills and still stay healthy. Plus your body …
When many people think of making herbal extracts, their first thought is to use alcohol. But, what if you don’t use alcohol for any other reason, or you simply want an alternative? You can try using a food grade glycerin to get what is called a glycerite. Glycerin is a great way to extract the …
Herbal tinctures, glycerites, and infusions are a great way to get the medicinal properties of herbs into a usable form. Your herbal medicine cabinet is probably already full of different herbs in each of these forms. You will get some of the best qualities from each herb, depending on how you use them. So, what …
The Difference Between a Tincture, Glycerite, and Infusion Read More »
A tincture is an herbal extract that uses an alcohol menstruum to extract the medicinal qualities. To make a good quality tincture, the highest alcohol by volume (80%) is most often used. This may be brandy, vodka, or everclear. The cheapest, bottom shelf alcohol is fine for this. The alcohol does the job of pulling …
