Friday, December 18, 2009

Edible Flowers

Here are a list of edible flowers, and this link here gives you an idea of what some of them taste like. Here is another link that is good.

Calendula
Carnations
Clover
Citrus Blossoms
Basil Flowers
Bee Balm
Chamomile
Chive Flowers
Roses
Violets
Snapdragons
Pansy
Nasturtium
Lilacs
Lavender
Hollyhocks
Impatiens
Hibiscus

Friday, December 11, 2009

Herbal Sleep Pillow

Fill a square 6 in cotton square bag with a mixture of-
4 parts- Melilot
3 parts- Orange Blossom
3 parts- Chamomile
3 parts- Lavender
3 parts- Lemon Balm
3 parts-Rose Petals


Comfort Pillow for Babies-

Equal parts-
Chamomile and Hops

Herbal Salve

2 oz dried herb, roughly ground
1/3c. oil
1 oz melted bees wax

Heat the oil till almost too hot to touch, pour over the herb, let set till starts to cool, stir in the melted beeswax. Pour into the desired contatiner. Store in the fridge for up to 1 year.

Good oils for this-
Sweet Almond- keep in mind nut allergies
Avocado
Sunflower
Safflower

Good herbs for salves-

burns- Chickweed, Hyssop, Lavender
bug or bee bites-Calendula, Echinacea. Lavender
cold sores- Hyssop,
sores- Lavender

This is a great site I found with some info on herbs- Annies Remedy

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Drawer Sachets

A great mixture for a Women's drawer sachet-

3c. spearmint leaves
3c. rose leaves
1c. cloves
1- oz orris root- for preservation

For men's drawer sachet-

2c. lemon balm
1c. thyme
1c. nutmeg
1-oz orris root

Bath Powder

Use 1/4c. dried herb of your choice
1/2c. baking soda
1/2c. Epsom salts

Process in a food processor until ground into a fine powder, store tightly covered.
Sprinkle a Tablespoon or 2 into a hot bath.

Herbal Bath Bags

You can buy, or make your own, little bags made of muslin. Fill with a mixture of your preferred herbs, store these in a zip baggie or tightly covered container to keep fresh. Toss one into a hot bath for a special treat.

My favorite mixtures-

Lavender, lemon balm, thyme

lavender, eucalyptus

eucalyptus, ginger root

Rose, lavender

Massage Oil

Mix 5 ml of essential oil to 45 ml carrier oil

You can do a mixture of essential oils- eucalyptus, lavender go well together.

Good carrier oils for this are-

Jojoba
Apricot Kernel
Avacoda
Safflower
Sunflower
Sweet Almond- be aware if the person/people have any nut allergies.
Coconut

Here is a site- Kitchen Crafts- that has suggestions for massage oil recipes.

Cold Infused Oils

1- pack a jar tightly with the herb/s, cover with oil. Put the lid on tightly and leave in a sunny spot for 2-3 weeks- dried herbs work best for this.

2- Strain well.

3- Using new herb but the same oil repeat steps 1 and 2.

4- Strain well, and store.

St. Johns Wort and Marigolds are good ones for this.

Hot infused Oils

You would use 250 grams dried herb (twice that fresh)
500 ml oil

1- put herbs in a glass bowl
2- heat oil till warm/ not hot
3- pour over the herb/s
4-let set overnight
5- strain and bottle

Use within 1 month.

1 of my favorite recipes for an herbal cooking oil is-
1c. fresh basil
4 cloves garlic
small handful of peppercorns
small handful of fresh thyme
2c. olive oil