gilthingles: HERBAL AND FLORAL RECIPES AND REMEDIES

HERBAL AND FLORAL RECIPES AND REMEDIES

Carpet/Floor Refresher

1 cup baking soda
1/2 cup salt
2 Tbsp dried mint
1 Tbsp dried lemon peel
1 Tbsp dried lavender
1 Tbsp rosemary
1 tsp ground cloves

Grind herbs, combine with baking soda, sprinkle over carpets and floors.

Let sit 2-8 hours, then vacuum or sweep. Discard used powder.

Herbal or Floral Water for Spritzing or Cleansing

Sterilize a wide-mouthed bottle or jar with a lid.
Place two handfuls of herbs or flowers (e.g. mint) inside.
Heat water to a boil and pour in until plants are covered.
Stir and cover, or cover and shake.
Keeps a week or two, refrigerated.

To make herbal vinegar for salad or cleaning: Use white vinegar instead of water in the recipe above.

Vinegar cleaning water: In a container combine 1 cup water, 1 Tbsp salt, 1 Tbsp vinegar, 3 cloves and leave to steep in the sun 1 hour before using as wash water on exterior door thresholds. Substitute peppermint oil for cloves if ants are trying to enter the house.

Hand Sanitizer Gel

I copied this recipe from a book I'd bought for my daughter when she was working with chickens. The author blended essential oils that help protect against certain pathogens and that have antibacterial properties to make a non-toxic hand sanitizer. Some people find cinnamon oil quite irritating but this chicken farmer found a blend of lavender, cinnamon, peppermint, thyme and sage with a little more cinnamon than the other oils to be effective and not terrible-smelling. Blend the ingredients and then put it in a clean, empty hand soap bottle with a pump.

6 oz. aloe vera gel
6 oz. witch hazel
1 Tbsp liquid vitamin E
30-40 drops essential oils, choose a blend from these essential oils:: Basil (protects against E. coli), Cinnamon (protects against E. coli and staph), Lavender or Thyme (protect against staph), Peppermint (protects against salmonella and E. coli), Sage (protects against salmonella.)

Bath

Add 1/2 cup baking soda to your bath water for soft, smooth skin.

Adults can dissolve epsom salts in bath water to relax.

Breakouts

Dab zinc cream (diaper rash cream) on the area before bed and pimples will shrink by morning.
Spot treatment: crush an uncoated aspirin tablet and mix with facial cleanser as a paste, apply to the spot.

Essential Oil Blends Ann Murphy Hiscock's recipe blends

Home and Hearth: 1 Tbsp carrier oil (grapeseed, almond, jojoba or light oil) + 4 drops lavender oil + 2 drops each frankincense and sandalwood oils + 1 drop each jasmine, rose, pine and cinnamon oil.

Cleaning Blend: 1 Tbsp carrier oil + 5 drops each lemon and orange oil + 3 drops lavender oil + 2 drops peppermint oil Add a few drops of this blend to floor washing or counter cleaning water.

Purifying Blend: 1 Tbsp carrier oil + 5 drops frankincense + 3 drops sandalwood + 2 drops each lemon oil and lavender oil and rose oil.

Spiritual/Blessing Blend: 1 Tbsp carrier oil + 4 drops each frankincense and rose and sandalwood oil.

Sealing Oil: 1 Tbsp carrier oil + 3 pinches salt + 1 clove + 1 sage leaf. Combine in a bottle, leave in sunny spot to infuse at least 9 days. To use, dip finger in oil and draw a line across or along the area or object being protected.

Herbal Oil

Another recipe from Ann Murphy-Hiscock's 2009 book The Way of the Hedge Witch.

In a small saucepan, pour 1 cup almond, olive, or safflower oil in a small saucepan.
Add a handful of herbs.
Heat on low 15 minutes then pour into a sterilized jar.
Cover jar with a double layer of cheesecloth old with a rubber band.
Keep jar in a sunny spot 10-14 days, then strain oil into a clean bottle and cap it, discard herbs.
If herbs were edible, the oil may be used in cooking, as a body or hair oil, bathwater ,or for anointing.
Discard when oil no longer seems fresh.

Body Scrub

Mix white granulated sugar with coconut oil.

Separate in small containers. Tint with gel food coloring and mix in a few drops of essential oil for scent if desired.

Burns

Wear long sleeves while cooking. Hot grease splatters will leave white marks on your skin.
Ease pain from a minor burn with cold running water.
Hold a cold raw peeled potato on the spot.
Snip a piece of fresh aloe, peel back the skin and apply the aloe gel to the burn spot.
Seek medical advice for blistered burns to prevent infection.

Colour energy

Wear black to blend in unnoticed and for banishing.
Blue for happiness and peace, blue beads for protection or psychic awareness.
Brown for health, grounding, steadiness, to have a sense of home with you.
Gold to reflect the energy and prosperity of the sun.
Greens to calm and soothe, inspire the feeling of being in the natural world, for growth, fertility, money.
Grey for neutrality, peace.
Orange promotes energy and conversation, attraction, success.
Pink inspires affection, love, friendship.
Purple to feel regal.
Red for courage, good fortune, inspiring passion.
Silver reflects the cool radiance of the moon.
Yellow inspires intellect and confidence.

Dry Shampoo (non-aerosol)

Sprinkle in arrowroot powder or corn starch. Mix in some cocoa powder if you have dark hair. Brush through. Don't inhale powders.

Eyes

A cucumber eye mask soothes skin around the eyes and helps with puffiness. To release the active enzymes, grate the cucumber over a clean cotton cloth (or use paper towel) on top of a plate. Wrap the cloth over the grated cucumber like a burrito, compressing tightly. Lean your head back and apply the compress over closed eyes for 5 minutes. Or lie down with cold cucumber slices on your closed eyes.

Refrigerate a used tea bag and put the cold, drained teabag over your closed eyes.

Face Masks & Toners

Aloe Mask:

Aloe has anti-inflammatory and moisturizing properties for calming, softening and plumping.

Mix milk and sugar and then stir in aloe vera to make a mask, then apply to a clean face and let sit 15-20 minutes before removing with warm water.

1/2 Tbsp milk or nut milk
1 Tbsp sugar (brown or white)
4 Tbsp aloe vera juice or gel

Antioxidant-Rich Blueberry and Cucumber Mask

1 Tbsp ripe blueberries
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp cucumber juice
2 Tbsp baking soda
2 Tbsp water

Blend, apply to face, let sit 15-20 minutes before rinsing.

Coffee Skin Mask

Ground coffee makes an exfoliating, invigorating skin mask. Buff on clean skin then rinse off. Stir together:

1/2 cup finely ground coffee beans
1/2 cup yogurt or milk
1 Tbsp honey

Honey-Oatmeal Face Treatment for Brightening and Anti-Redness

1/4 cup honey
1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup cooked oatmeal

Buff onto clean face, then rinse.

Exfoliating Lips

Stir together and buff on lips with a new soft toothbrush:

1 tsp coconut oil
1 tsp honey
2 Tbsp raw sugar
dash lemon juice

Rinse and apply lip balm.

Hydrating Cocoa

On clean skin, avoiding eyes, apply a mixture of 1 Tbsp each:

cocoa powder
sour cream (lactic acid softens)
honey (hydrating)
1 egg white (protein, tightens skin)

Let dry, then rinse.

Kiwi

Kiwi fruit and seeds have antibacterial and skin-sloughing properties. Rub this mixture only clean skin with a circular motion then rinse well with warm water:

1 kiwi, peeled and mashed
2 tsp brown sugar
A few drops olive oil

Papaya Mask

The acids in papaya exfoliate, egg whites add protein and tighten pores.

1/2 papaya, seeds removed, diced
1 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt
1 Tbsp white tea, brewed and cooled
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 egg white

Blend ingredients until they form a paste, then apply to clean face and neck.

Leave on 20-30 minutes then rinse with lukewarm water.

Apply moisturizer.

Tea Toner

Anti-inflammatory, purifying and calming.

In a French Press, combine:

1 tsp peppermint tea leaves
4 tsp white tea leaves
1/2 cup distilled water, boiled
2 drops lavender oil

Let steep 10 minutes, then pour into a glass container to cool.

Pour the mixture into a 4-oz spray bottle and fill to top with:

aloe vera gel

Shake, refrigerate, when cool spritz on face.

Mood Boosters:

Avoid refined sugar, artificial sweeteners, processed and fast foods.
Good-mood foods are whole grains, oily fish (salmon), fresh fruits and vegetables.
Laugh. Watch a comedy.
Tell someone else what you really like and appreciate about them.
Do a random act of kindness for someone else.
Go for a walk in a forest, meadow, or near water.
Spend time with a dog or cat.
Sit near a tree.
Plant a tree.
Work in a garden.
Cinnamon, cloves, allspice and ginger will make you feel more productive.

Detox

Dr. Ashley Brown of London's St. Mary's and Hammersmith Hospitals says there's no science behind detox diets. Practise moderation in all things. Drink water to keep your liver healthy and flush toxins. At the very least, 3 consecutive days a week should be alcohol-free.

Faith Healing

The key ingredient to faith-healing is having faith.

The Foxfire Book (Anchor Books, 1972) describes interviews with elderly Appalachian faith healers in in the 1960's. These people could heal burns by "blowing out" or "drawing" the fire, stop bleeding and cure thrush. Healing power came from verses repeated silently from the Old Testament. "Each illness has its own appropriate verse, and the verse is never uttered out loud." p. 347. If spoken, the speaker might lose the power to cure.

Healer Nora Garland said the verse to stop bleeding is in Ezekiel, "You don't have t'read any farther than th' sixteenth chapter. You memorize it by heart, but don't leave one little thing out. If you do, it won't stop." (352-354). According to the folklore site vintagepathways.com, the verse to stop bleeding is Ezekiel 16:6

And when I passed by thee, and saw thee polluted in thine own blood, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live; yea, I said unto thee when thou wast in thy blood, Live.

The verse to blow out a burn is based on Revelation chapter 7, verse 2. Speak or silently say these words, then draw in the fire by inhaling with your mouth 1-2 inches from the burn, and turn to exhale away from the burn:

There came an angel from the east, bringing Frost and Fire. In Frost, out Fire. In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, Amen.

The Foxfire writers noted:

The elderly healers with whom we talked are quiet, simple, strong and sure. They are people with a faith of such quality that the differences between them and us were abundantly clear. They have faith in themselves, and they have faith in their God, believing that it is through Him their words carry weight. They do not heal in tents before throngs. They do not cry out over radios. They do not accept money for their work. They work with neighbors and neighbors' children individually, when asked to help, and they respond as a gesture of friendship and concern. (p. 346)

Fever

A fever that won't come down with medicine needs to be treated by a doctor. If you don't have access to a doctor or medicine: cool compresses, adding cool water to a tepid bath, onion compresses under the feet. Hundreds of years ago before aspirin, a tincture made from boiling and straining young willow bark was used to bring down fever.

Germs

1 Tbsp bleach in a gallon of water will disinfect surfaces.
A solution of 3% hydrogen peroxide sprayed on faucets will disinfect.
Wash hands throughly
A raw onion cut in half and left on a windowsill will attract germs. Do not eat chopped onion left out uncovered for long, as it attracts and holds in stray bacteria.
Include onions and garlic in your diet for health.
Cook with garlic, salt and rosemary to keep illness away.

Hands

To clean hands, rinse with clean water, then wash with soap (between fingers and under nails) for 20 seconds (sing the ABC song or the Happy Birthday Song twice) then rinse again for 20 seconds, dry hands well.
For work-worn, dry rough hands, soak your hands in 2-3 cups of warm whole milk for 5-10 minutes.
Rub coconut oil into hands.

Hand Sanitizer

6 oz. aloe vera gel
6 oz. witch hazel
1 Tbsp liquid vitamin E
30-40 drops essential oils* try a blend of cinnamon, lavender, peppermint, thyme and sage.

* To protect against E. coli: basil oil, cinnamon oil, peppermint oil

To protect against staph: cinnamon oil, lemongrass oil, lavender oil, thyme oil

To protect against salmonella: sage oil, peppermint oil

Whisk all ingredients together and pour into a clean mason jar with a pump top.
Squirt hands liberally with the gel, rub into skin and let dry.
Shake up the jar when needed to redistribute the oils.

Hair

Test anything new by putting some on the inside of your elbow first, wait for a reaction.

For dry, irritated scalp:

1 cup green tea
2 drops peppermint oil
1Tbsp apple cider vinegar

Mix well, massage into scalp, let sit 5 minutes before rinsing.

For flat, lifeless hair:

1 cup oats
2 Tbsp almond oil
1/2 cup milk

Soak oats in milk overnight or for several hours. Strain out the oats, leaving oat milk.
Mix in almond oil.
Shortcut: mix oat milk with almond oil.
Smooth mask all over hair. Leave on 20-40 minutes, then shampoo.

Detoxify Hair with product build-up:

Mix 1/2 tsp baking soda with your shampoo.

Thicken, strengthen, add elasticity: Blend until pureed then leave on hair 20-30 minutes before rinsing:

2 egg yolks
2 peeled ripe bananas
2-3 Tbsp honey
1/2 cup Greek yogurt or commercial hair conditioner
2 Tbsp olive oil

To repair dry hair: warm 1 Tbsp coconut oil in the microwave, then massage into damp hair, avoiding roots. Tie strands in a bun and cover with a shower cap or hair wrap. Go to sleep and dream of your beautiful hair. Shampoo in the morning.

To clarify dull hair, boost shine, smooth hair's outer layer: Blend equal parts of:

apple cider vinegar
raw honey
coconut oil

Work the blend through damp hair, leave on 20 minutes (at least) then shampoo out..

For greasy, flat hair with dandruff-like flakes:

Remove product build-up with a clarifying shampoo.

Make one by mixing:

1/3 cup shampoo
1- 2 Tbsp baking soda

Stir well, pour over wet hair, massage into scalp, let sit for 3 minutes, rinse thoroughly.

For frizzy hair: Rub just a dab of almond or castor oil between hands and glide a thin layer over frizzy strands on dry hair. Castor oil in large amounts can trigger digestive upset if absorbed through the skin. don't use almond oil if allergic to nuts.

To moisturize scalp and add strength and shine to chemically-damaged hair: Blend

1/2 avocado
1Tbsp olive oil
1Tbsp honey
3 drops essential oil of choice

Apply to wet hair with fingertips, starting at the bottom and moving up.

Wrap in a bun and cover with a shower cap.

Let sit 20 minutes, then shampoo.

Holiday Simmering Scent

The principal at Dave's elementary school used to fill a slow-cooker with apple cider and cinnamon sticks and leave it simmering low and slow, so the scent would welcome parents and children to the school's annual holiday open-house evening. Apple cider can be expensive but if you have these herbs on hand, try heating in a saucepan on low heat:

2 cups water
2-3 cinnamon sticks or 2 Tbsp powdered cinnamon
1 Tbsp dry ginger
1 Tbsp whole cloves
1 Tbsp ground allspice
dried citrus peel (optional) or apple slices (optional)

Incense

I never light it at home because I live with someone who is avid about fire prevention. We have a package of Allman Brothers Band Eat a Peach Incense that has never been lit. I associate it with my sister practising smoking in the basement (she lit Patchouli Incense to mask the smell from my mother) and from Midnight Masses on Christmas Eve when I was so little and sleepy the incense made me feel sick to my stomach and I had to go sit on the steps outside of the church in the dark. But I like the scent of incense at church now, especially frankincense, a spiritual scent to me.

Ann Murphy Hiscock says you can make it yourself, mixing resin with dried plant matter in equal proportions and suggests myrrh resin and frankincense resin with clove, sage and rosemary for purification . To honour an ancestor: myrrh, sage, rosemary.

Longevity

Dr. Mike Roizen and Dr. Mehmet Oz say you can roll back 21.6 years in terms of your body's aging by practising the following:

1. Take 2 baby aspirins a day to prevent gastrointestinal and cardio problems, protect the brain and decrease risk of cancers. Consult your doctor first.

2. Eat wild salmon or trout 3 times a week.

3. Avoid 4-legged food products (red meats).

4. Exercise 4 times a week (at least 30 minutes of brisk walking 4 times a week and do two resistance/strength training sessions on the other days.)

5. Eat 4-5 servings of fruit a week.

6. Eat a small handful (1 oz) of nuts 5 days a week.
.
7. Drink 2 cups of caffeinated coffee a day or spread this out by drinking up to six tiny cups daily (said to help prevent dementia and Alzheimer's.)

My mom says if you want to live long, cook your own food and do your own work, especially housework gardening and yard work. Shop for healthy food and cook it yourself. Drink alcohol rarely if ever and never smoke. Read. Talk to your relatives or friends every day. Be kind, not critical. Help your family, even when you are getting old and it's hard to help yourself. Pray every night for others.

Potpourri

Becca gave me a jar of dried flowers and herbs from her garden. On the coldest winter days I could open that jar and inhale the scent of summer.

Pick flowers and herbs at mid-day when the scent is most potent and hang to dry in an airy room, or lay on a screen.
Add to your jar throughout the summer as flowers bloom and herbs mature, layering the jars content as you add to it.
To preserve the potpourri and its scent, add a tablespoon of dry orris root powder for every cup of potpourri. To boost scent, add 6 drops essential oil per cup.
Opening the jar daily and stirring can help prevent mold.
Potpourri in an open dish needs to be replaced when it collects dust or loses its scent.
Dried potpourri can be added to homemade soaps.
If you simmer potpourri in water over the stove, don't use a pot used for cooking as it can be hard to get rid of the essential oil scent.
Potpourri can be sewn in small rectangles of cotton to tuck in drawers and under bed pillows. Try 2 handfuls of dried lavender, 1 tsp dried powdered orris root in a 5 x 7 pillow from 2 rectangles of cotton sewn on 3 sides, turned, stuffed with potpourri and then sewn together at the open side.

Sleep Better:

Herbs to promote relaxation: rose, chamomile, lavender. Have a cup of herb tea, wear the scent.
De-clutter and dust your bedroom, it needs to be clean and tidy.
Go for a walk in the evening after dinner.
Fix your bed, not as soon as you get up (let it air out a bit) but at least before you go to bed.
Remove electronics. Digital alarm clocks and phones should be kept across the room and not at the bedside. The bedroom wall's not the place for a big-screen TV.
If possible, let fresh air into the room from a window before closing it for the night.
Never go to sleep with damp hair, to keep a healthy pillow. Wash your pillows or get a new one seasonally.
Use a humidifier in the room if the air is dry.
Sleep in cotton bed linens, washed regularly with fragrance-free natural detergent, or lavender oil scented.
Try to keep to a schedule: lights out at 11 pm, wake with the morning light by 7 am., breakfast by 8 am.
To ready yourself for sleep, avoid watching a screen (TV, computers or cell phone) or eating snacks a couple hours before bedtime. In this time, take a warm bath, drink calming herbal tea, read an actual book.
When falling asleep, don't think about the events of today, yesterday or tomorrow or make a mental to-do list.
When falling asleep, breathe deeply and slowly in and out. Then pray, silently chant, count. Send a blessing to everyone in your family, living and passed. Tell yourself a story that sometimes slips into a dream.

Sore Throat

Spray your throat with bee propolis (if not allergic to it.)
Swallow a teaspoon of Manuka honey.
Fresh squeezed lemon juice mixed with any honey and hot water helps.

A stronger mixture:

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp honey

Stress

Anxiety signals that something may be threatening or dangerous to your well-being.
Temporary stress can be a response to a challenge or having to learn something new that could be beneficial in the long-term. A baby may seem cranky, frustrated--and then she walks.
Tell yourself that all you have to do is get through today. Do the hard things one day at at time.
You can walk a long way by taking small steps.
Avoid debt. Save for big purchases instead of buying on credit.
Much stress is caused by too much stuff: wanting more, dealing with more. Make do with less.
Yearning for someone is just another aspect of wanting more.
Visit a library, museum or art gallery instead of a shopping mall.
Steer clear of relationships that don't bring happiness or contentment.
Go for long walks outside, with a dog if you have one or can borrow one.
Turn off electronics, enjoy peace and quiet, let your thoughts wander.
Don't overbook yourself or your kids. Everyone needs quiet time to play and explore their own interests.

Weight Control

Consult your doctor first.
If you carry excess fat on your body, especially around your midsection, you eat more than your body needs. Exercise more or eat less, both of which are simple but not easy, especially as you get older.
Take smaller portions and smaller bites and chew your food longer.
Eat your biggest meal at mid-day (unless you nap in the afternoons) and less at night.
Move more. Get up every thirty minutes.
Express gratitude and appreciation for having nutritious food to eat, don't eat junk mindlessly.
Sip water, the best drink, throughout the day. When you are thirsty your body is already dehydrated.
Add slices of lemon, lime or cucumber to flavour water.
Drink a glass of water before you eat any food to aid in digestion and avoid over-eating.
Drink a glass of water before you have a glass of wine or any alcoholic beverage. Have one glass of water for every glass of wine, cocktail or beer. Limit alcohol to two drinks a week or don't drink it at all.
To stimulate metabolism, add slices of fresh ginger and cayenne pepper to water. Add a sprinkling of cinnamon to coffee.
Choose green tea for a hot drink in the daytime.
Drink non-caffeinated herbal tea after dinner at night.
Remind yourself that what you put in your body impacts your health and longevity.
Buy the best locally grown and produced foods you can afford.
Eat fewer but higher-quality, organic, unprocessed foods.
Try to grow your own vegetables and herbs without using pesticides or herbicides.
Add herbs when cooking to boost flavour and increase satisfaction.
Cook for yourself using healthy oils, fresh herbs, local vegetables, nuts and seeds, whole grains.
Sleep well. The body craves sugars found in carbohydrates when sleep-deprived.
Slow down and fast in the evening, wake with the light and break the fast.
Avoid processed and sugary drinks like soda pop and artificial sweeteners.
Eat a whole fruit instead of having a glass of juice.
Juices and fruit beverages shouldn't have added sugars.
If you've been drinking alcohol during vacation or holiday season, follow up with an alcohol-free month.
Six small meals a day is better than 3 big meals for many people.
Use a smaller plate.
Fill half the plate with vegetables, a quarter with a protein, a quarter with a carbohydrate like potatoes or pasta.
Food combining: At a meal, eat protein with fats and vegetables only (Meat, poultry, cheese, butter, oils, vegetables) OR eat only whole-grain carbohydrates but only with vegetables (Whole wheat pasta or whole grains + tomato sauce + vegetables). This was the basis of Suzanne Somers' diet books, which I believe she said was the French way of controlling weight.
Add a protein to every meal to feel less hungry, Include fish, chicken, Greek yogurt, hard-pressed cottage cheese, eggs at every meal, but no more than 4 oz. per meal (2 large-size eggs, a palm-sized portion of meat.)
The "don't eat things that are white diet" suggests you not eat anything made from white flour, including breads and pastas, or starches, including potatoes, or things made from milk. So basically eat only protein and vegetables and some fruit.
Limit red meat to lean cuts, once a week.
Try a Mediterranean diet: fish, vegetables, olive oil as a fat. But if you're saving the oceans, avoid eating fish and shellfish.
Use a calorie and fitness tracker to see if you're consuming more calories than you use every day and predict your future weight if you continue eating the same way.
Take a walk or two every day, no matter what the weather. Buy yourself a raincoat, boots, snow gear, a dog.

Wish Jar

For years we used the same Wish Jar, a clean old jam jar decorated with bits of tissue paper glued on by my children, around the rim was a bit of gold trim with dangling stars taken from a Christmas gift. At New Year's we'd each put a new wish in the jar for the year to come, and take out our old wish to read to see if we had helped it come true.

Our jar had a simple screw-on lid but you can make wish bottles or jars with little toys inside or symbols or coins, paint the container or decorate any way you like, and seal them with wax if you want.