Gifts for the Holiday Season

Here are some herbal gift ideas for the holiday season. The first recipe is an old Christmas tradition, it involves sticking cloves in oranges. This makes a wonderful smelling gift that can be hung anywhere or placed in a bowl as an air fresher. Start with a handful of whole cloves and several oranges or tangerines, (some stores, like the local Food Conspiracy Coop, have a lovely variety of different tangerines and oranges) then stick the pointed end of the clove into the surface of the tangerine or orange. Create a pattern of your choice.

Next, is a desert favorite: Creosote (aka Chaparrel) Salve. This one involves a blender and a bit of a mess but it is well worth the it! Creosote is a great antimicrobial plant making it good for warts and athletes foot. It can also be used as a first aide treatment for such things as cuts and sunburn. This recipe will create roughly 8 one ounce salves. Here is what you need:

~1 cup olive oil

~1 ounce creosote leaves (dried best)

~1 ounce beeswax

~a blender

~jars

~muslin or an old tee shirt

1. Place olive oil and creosote in a blender. Blend for a few minutes.

2. Strain through muslin or tee shirt into a thick glass jar. (We use canning jars or a glass Pyrex measuring cup is best for pouring)

3. Create a double boil system- We use the ring from a canning jar lid placed at the bottom of a pot of water. Then place the jar or measuring cup on top of this. This is to lift the glass off of the direct heat. Have just enough water in the pot so that your jar filled with oil does not float. Make sure to place the glass in before you begin to heat the mixture as not to crack the glass.

4. Next turn the heat onto medium and add your beeswax. Continue to heat until beeswax melts.

5. Pour into jars

Our last holiday gift idea is a lavender and oats bath soak. All of these ingredients are blended into a fine powder to be bath tub friendly. You can keep it simple with just lavender and oats or add a few things to make it even more therapeutic. The recipe is as follows:

~1 cup lavender flowers

~4 cups oats

~1/2 cup roses

~1/2 cup chamomile flower

~30 drops lavender essential oil

After blending these ingredients well add to a jar, then add the essential oil and shake well.

This always looks great when you label it nice.

Have fun!

Product Update

This is just a little update on some of the new products available this month. We have some really beautiful soaps. Our pumpkin Pie soap that we make every fall is shown in the middle with Star Anise. There is also a moisturizing Seaweed soap & a Green tea Antioxidant bar.

Fire Cider is back. A lot of people were asking for it even through the hot summer months. Fire Cider is a tasty treat which also happens to be really good for your health. One of its main attributes is that it's warming to our insides. It helps to build the fire inside of you other wise known as your metabolism. It is great for those of us with poor circulation to the hands and feet, as well as improving the quality of our immune system. Also the apple cider vinegar that it contains is balancing to the pH of the body. People with acidity problems and even candida can benefit.

Skin Health from the inside out

Skin Health from the inside out

The complexion of our skin is one of our body's ways of communicating our inner health to us. When you are experiencing acne often it is a sign that there is inner heat being experienced by your digestive tract and liver due difficulties metabolizing fats and oils. Inner heat basically means your body is working overtime to get the job done and it's getting a little agitated and crabby about it. Herbs such as Yellow Dock, Red Clover, Dandelion, Oregon Grape root, & Burdock can help to assist cool this heat and aide in our digestion. Sarsaparilla can be added if this heat is connected with a feeling of inner frustration or anger. Sarsaparilla helps to create a sense of balance emotionally as well as hormonally to assist in the release of inner heat.
Another common complaint of the skin is that of rashes. Again it is important to value the message of a rash as a voice from our insides. One of the first things that often surfaces with a rash is a sense of panic that goes something like: "what is this, make it go away." In truth one should say," a rash, what can I do to help you?" Rashes are again a sign of inner heat, often stemming from the liver having trouble releasing and detoxifying. In this case it is sometimes also connected more intimately with our central nervous system as well. Rashes can often correlate with stressful times in our life or even upsetting events. When this is the case.. Soothe. Soothe with adrenal tonics such as Wild Oats that softens the fight or flight response. Also nourish and replenish the nerves with plants like: Lemon Balm, Passion Flower, Skullcap, and Lavender. When rashes are more clearly associated with an allergic reaction stronger herbs which are anti-inflammatory can be used such as Yerba Mansa both topically and internally.
Here is a recipe to make your on Acne Relief tea:
( Drink 2-3 cups daily after meals)
3 parts Red Clover
1 part Yellow Dock
2 parts Dandelion Root
1 part Oregon Grape Root
2 parts Burdock
2 parts Sarsaparilla