Chest congestion remedy

1 small piece of ginger root
2-4 black pepper corns

Boil the above in 12 oz  of water for 2-3 minutes then pour it through a stainer in a glass add a tablespoon of honey and drink it. It'll not only cure mucus but also the congestion and cough. Use it at least  2-3times a day.

Alleviate pain and swelling from a tooth

Alleviate pain and swelling from a tooth with this gargle. Takes only minutes to make, twenty minutes to sit, and is amazing on how well it works.

3/4 cup boiling water
2 pinches Thyme leaves
1 tablespoon salt

This is what it looks like after it has set. Then just strain and gargle as needed. I used it every 1-2 hours for 4 hours then went to bed. Then  3 times the next day and found relief buy the time I woke up after 3 gargle sessions.

Rhubarb insecticile for flowering or ornamental plants

Take three rhubarb stalks with leaves
Chop the leaves and stocks then put them in a large pot with a gallon of water

Bring to a boil and simmer 1 hour, cool, strain and put into a spray bottle.

Spray on plants every three days for ten days, then as needed.

NOTE: Rhubarb leaves are poisonous to insects and humans so do not spray on herbs or in food garden. Also wash knife, cutting board and pot well.

Check out this recipe from wellnessmama

http://wellnessmama.com/8111/pain-relief-lotion-bars/

New hope for cancer Chinese herb can kill 98% of the cells

I believe anything is worth a try in that situation. Chemo isn't an answer. Shooting yourself full of poison to try to kill something before the poison sets in and you die yourself is not an answer to anyone who knows the medical profession. Don't allow anyone to rail road you into anything without at least checking out options. This may be your option

http://www.nationofchange.org/little-known-chinese-herb-and-iron-kill-98-percent-cancer-cells-16-hours-1387207052

Here is what wikipedia has to say

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemisinin

For when the winter howls at your door

Corn starch your way through the house

  Other Uses:

Ornaments - mix 1 cup cornstarch, 2 cup baking soda and 1 ½ cup water in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium heat until the mixture becomes thick. Remove from heat and cover with a damp cloth. When cooled to the touch knead until smooth. Roll out to ¼-inch thick, cut  and place on a baking sheet in a 250 degree oven for 20-30 minutes.  Paint. 

Water color paints - mix 1 tablespoon white vinegar and 2 tablespoons baking soda in a small bowl. When mixture stops foaming add 1 tablespoon cornstarch and ¼ teaspoon glycerin. Add food coloring to tint.


Clay - mix 1 cup cornstarch, 2 cups baking soda and 1 ¼ cup water. Knead until well mixed. 

face paint - mix 1 cup corn starch with 1/2 cup cold cream and tint with food coloring 

Jewelry beads or trinkets - mix ½ cup cornstarch, ½ cup salt and ¾ cup flour. Slowly add warm water to create clay. Shape as desired and air dry. Paint.  

 Finger paint-  mix ¼ cup cornstarch and 2 cups water in a sauce pan. Boil until the mixture has the consistency of paint. To tint add food coloring.
 




Old fashioned paste - mix 3 teaspoons cornstarch and 4 teaspoons cold water. Mix well.


Borrowed from facebook link http://www.flusterbuster.com /2013/04/cornstarch-uses-37-unique-uses.html

swollen ankles check out herbal solutions

This site offers some good advice

http://campwander.blogspot.com/2012/12/essential-oils-for-swollen-ankles-legs.html

My first herbal book is up and running at amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Hedge-Witch-Herbal-better-health/dp/1492961418/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1382705978&sr=8-2&keywords=a+hedge+witchs+herbal

The kindle version will be on kindle and kindle matchbook Hedge Witch Herbal
(ASIN: B00G5SO35E) within the next 48 hours.

It is also on the European  version of amazon.

Within the next 48 hours it will be on kindle matchbook and you will be able to purchase the   kindle version if you have bought the paperback for only 99 cents.

Kindle is also up and running
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G5SO35E

Need a cure for diarrhea in the woods

Fall is here and bow hunting has arrived with riffle right behind it. A time of hunting, drinking and lets face it a time of poor food choices as you set out to the hunting camps. In the morning you may feel a urge to run to that "port a potty". Here is a quick cure.

Anti- diarrhea Tea

2 teaspoons dried or fresh blackberry or raspberry leaves (crumbled if fresh)
1 cup boiling water

Allow to steep for 10 minutes and drink up to three cups a day. Drink other liquids also as it it quite astringent.

Don't forget to check out my other hunting tips on here.

http://returningtotheoldways.blogspot.com/2013/02/that-hunting-trip-products.html

Mullein (a backyard herbal)

Tis the season to talk Nutmeg

With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season approaching there is no better time to discuss a holiday favorite spice, NUTMEG.


Nutmeg tea 
For restless nights.
1 whole nutmeg 
1 cup boiling water
Put the whole nutmeg into a cup and pour boiling water over it. Allow to steep 15 minutes then drink and go to bed.


Nutmeg brandy
As a flavorant or sleep aid
3 oz whole nutmeg
1 qt mason jar
4 cups good brandy
Grate the nutmeg into a 1 qt mason jar and fill with a good brandy. Cover with lid and shake every day for 30 days. Then pour into another container without disturbing the sediment.

3-4 drops will flavor a drink like coffee, tea, eggnog, or milk

For a sleeplessness put 10 drops into a glass of hot water or milk. Can repeat dose after 2 hours, but most likely you will not need to.  

Nutmeg Honey 
Use to flavor drinks or take a teaspoon to relieve nausea gastritis, and indigestion ailments
8 oz honey
10 whole nutmeg
Put nutmeg in a  plastic bag and strike with hammer to break the nutmeg open (don"t crush). Then add to the honey in the jar. leave 2-3 weeks and strain out the chunks of nutmeg.


Nutmeg have many therapeutic applications in many traditional medicines as anti-fungal, anti-depressant, aphrodisiac, digestive, and carminative functions.
Is a good source of minerals like copper, potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, zinc and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese and copper are used by the body as co-factors for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Iron is essential for red blood cell production and as a co-factor for cytochrome oxidases enzymes.

It is also rich in many vital B-complex vitamins, including vitamin C, folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin A and many flavonoid anti-oxidants like beta-carotene and cryptoxanthin that are essential for optimum health.

For illnesses related to the nervous and digestive systems. The compounds in this spice such as myristicin and elemicin have been soothing as well as stimulant properties on brain.

Nutmeg oil contains eugenol, which has been used in dentistry for toothache relief.

The oil is also used as a local massage to reduce muscular pain and rheumatic pain of joints.

A freshly prepared decoction with honey has been used to relief of nausea, gastritis, and indigestion ailments.

orange peel recipes

Summertime brings lots of citrus. You can use orange, lemon or lime for each of these recipes. Although each will give you different benefits.

Oranges – cuts grease, smells nice,

Limes - cuts grease, smells nice,

Lemons - cuts grease, smells nice,

Lately I have had a urge for oranges, something I am usually not really interested in. Since all those peels would usually wind up in a compost pile I thought of a few other uses. Note: citrus peels in a compost pile will make the soil slightly acid but will deter some insects. ?????

Orange (the oil is 90-95 percent Limonene) Helps prevent cervical and breast cancers.

Kitchen cabinet and counter cleaner

Cleans and brightens work space areas in kitchen. Orange oil extract disinfects and helps remove grease while adding oils ability to refresh your cabinets.

½ cup orange tincture (Special recipe below)

1 tablespoon dish washing soap

1 (24 0z) plastic spray bottle for cleaners. (Can buy at Ace and places like big lots, home depot, dollar general)

water to fill.

Mix all together and spray cabinets and wipe with a damp cloth, also works well on kitchen counters and stove areas.

**

Orange tincture

This is for cleaning or as a muscle rub only do not take internally.

Use only fresh Orange peals cutting away as much white as possible. Break into small pieces and place in a glass jar and cover with 1/2 cup (91%) rubbing alcohol. Place in a dark place for three weeks. Shake it at least every other day. The jar should be almost filled to the liquid top with orange peals, but without them above liquid. I used 1 large orange peal only and put it in a ½ pint jar. Make sure the orange is fresh and not old. The peal should be high in oils.

You can create a oil based tincture the same way (just replace the alcohol with olive. jojoba or sweet almond oil. You would use that in salves.

**

Muscle rub

1 part orange tincture (from recipe above)

3 parts straight rubbing alcohol

Mix together and rub on sore areas.

**

Muscle rub #2

1/8 cup orange tincture (from above)

½ cup sweet almond oil, Jojoba oil or olive oil

Mix together and rub on sore areas

Orange perfume.

Make an orange tincture to create this lovely fragrance, perfect for a teen, young child or a spring day. This can also be used as a spray to freshen the room.

2 tablespoons orange tincture (Can use 2 tablespoons orange Vodka instead of tincture)

1 (4 oz) spray bottle

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

water to fill

Mix well in spray bottle and spray on self or as an air freshener..

**

Orange Vodka

1 (pint Or 5th) vodka

2 large oranges sliced or chunked small(Peal only cutting away as much white as possible.)

¼ vanilla bean split and thin sliced

1 qt mason jar with lid

place all in the mason jar and shake well. Put in a cool dark place (cupboard/closet) for three weeks shaking daily. Strain and put back into cleaned vodka bottle. Serve over ice, in mixed drinks, add to cakes, or make the drinks below.

**

Orange perfume.

Make an orange tincture to create this lovely fragrance, perfect for a teen, young child or a spring day. This can also be used as a spray to freshen the room.

2 tablespoons orange tincture (Can use 2 tablespoons orange Vodka instead of tincture)

1 (4 oz) spray bottle

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

water to fill

Mix well in spray bottle and spray on self or as an air freshener.

**

Orange vanilla Shake

French vanilla ice cream

Orange vodka

a little milk

Put first two in a blender, add just enough milk to make it the thickness you want and serve with an orange slice.

**

Orange Vanilla Cooler

1 pint French vanilla ice cream

1/2 cup orange vodka

1 cup cream soda or sprite

Blend together and serve with an orange slice

Week #3 ~Backyard Herbal ~Trillium (May flower)

Mosquito trap - No more mosquito!!

Cut the top off a 2 liter bottle. Invert the cone and place it inside the bottle. Glue the two pieces together. Add 1 tsp yeast and 1/2 cup sugar to some luke warm water, and pour the mixture into the bottle. Mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide that you exhale. The yeast feeds off the sugar and emits the same gas, so the mosquito enters the bottle, thinking she will find food there. FLIES LOVE THIS!!!

www.bearcovevillage.com
RV sites & Cabins
Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

Photo and recipe from http://velacreations.com/waste/inorganic/item/64-pet-bottles.html

Week #2 Backyard Herbal ~ Chickweed

 

I understand there are a couple with the same label but if you look they are used for different things and the ingredients are different. Feel free to share as you please anywhere you please. My hope is simply to get people using natural ingredients that you can find in your back yards.

MAGIC PAIN RELEIVER SALVE

Mix together 1 oz of chickweed (reduces inflammation and aids in healing), 1 oz of
wormwood (a great pain reliever), and 1 ounce of yarrow (an anti-bacterial agent that
also helps relieve pain). The yarrow plant contains achillein and achilleic acid.
These substances reduce the clotting time of blood, so they help stop any bleeding.
Yarrow also has pain-killing and anti-inflammatory properties that are similar to aspirin.
Add the mixture of herbs to 2 pints of olive oil and simmer 3 hours.
Strain and add 3 ounces of beeswax and 1 teaspoon of tincture of benzoin.
Test for consistency before pouring into wide mouth containers.

 From facebook  witches and pagans

Natural homemade make-up made easy

I am out of my element on this one. never use it myself. haven't in over 40 years. I have one recipe that I use and then 4 you can use to create about anything you want

Lip gloss from sample lip sticks or left over bottom of the container lip sticks

But if you want to turn any already bought lipstick into a lip gloss I can help there. take your leftover lip stick or samples and add them to equal parts of cocoa butter. heat in microwave until barely melted and mix well. mix again as it starts to solidify. and place in  a fridge for ten minutes or so. wait until hard before capping it.

You can also do it with 1/3 lip stick, 1/3 cocoa butter 1/3 Coconut oil. This makes it easier to spread like with a pot of lip-gloss and it makes it shinier and nicer for smaller children who love sharing your make up.

Here are links for mascara http://thankyourbody.com/all-natural-homemade-mascara/

mineral foundation http://www.humblebeeandme.com/diy-mineral-make-up/

Lipstick http://wellnessmama.com/5830/homemade-natural-lipstick-recipe/

and bronzer http://www.humblebeeandme.com/homemade-bronzer/

Week #1 ~ blackyard herbal ~Plantain

I was asked to create some recipes for plantain because a friend on JAP has lots of it in her back yard. Here is what I have. Will also make some pretty picture recipes to add here later today with this information. It is the first in a weekly series I will continue each week all summer long.

Plantain
Botanical: Plantago major (LINN.)
Family: N.O. Plantaginaceae

Synonyms---broad-leaved plantain, ripple grass, waybread, slan-lus, waybroad, snakeweed, cuckoo's bread, englishman's foot, white man's foot, buckhorn plantain, dog's ribs, hock cockle, lance-leaved plantain, rub grass, dooryard plantain, round-leaved plantain, (Anglo-Saxon) weybroed, Che Qian Zi (China), Breitwegerich (German), Tanchagem-maior (Portuguese), Llantén común (Spanish), Llantén major (Spanish)

Parts Used---Root, leaves, flower-spikes.
Of course as with all herbal medicines, you are your own best doctor - listen to your body and pay attention to it's interaction with the herb, and you will undoubtedly figure out your own best uses and dosages. Plantain is not associated with any common side effects and is thought to be safe for children, however, some allergy sufferers may have a reaction to plantain pollen, so if you feel this may be a problem for you, you may want to only use the plantain leaves for your herbal preparations.

Uses

It was considered to be almost a panacea - a cure-all, and that is has historically been recommended as a treatment for just about everything including dog bites, ulcers, ringworm, jaundice, epilepsy, liver obstructions, and hemorrhoids!

Plantain is very high in beta carotene (A) and calcium. It also provides ascorbic acid (C), and vitamin K. Among the more notable chemicals found in plantain are allantion, apigenin, aucubin, baicalein, linoleic acid, oleanolic acid, sorbitol, and tannin.

Plantain is a mild anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, anti-hemorrhagic, and expectorant actions. Acubin has been reported in the Journal Of Toxicology as a powerful anti-toxin. Allantoin has been proved to promote wound healing, speed up cell regeneration, and have skin-softening effects.

Historical uses of plantain as a wound healer, and as a treatment for lung conditions such as bronchitis or asthma. Medicinally, plantain is astringent, demulcent, emollient, cooling, expectorant, antimicrobial, antiviral, antitoxin, and diuretic. Plantain is approved by the German Commission E (a sort of German "FDA" that studies and regulates herbs and herbal uses) for internal use to ease coughs and mucous membrane irritation associated with upper respiratory tract infections as well as topical use for skin inflammations. Two Bulgarian clinical trials have said plantain is effective in the treatment of chronic bronchitis. 

 

Information gathered from books, personal knowledge and internet.