How to Make and Use Herb Preparations
Making your own herbal concoctions for medicinal purposes is really not that difficult. And since the
best herbal preparations are those made when the plants are fresh, the better off you are to grow
your own herbs and construct your own preparations.
But even the best plants can be ruined if you use the wrong kind of process in preparing your
remedies. Your choice depends on the parts of the plant to be used, the form in which the remedy
will be taken, and the desired result.
Remember that herbal remedies are not one-shot wonder cures. Their effectiveness is based largely
on a gradual cure.
The following ways of preparing your fresh herbs are those most fairly often used in herbal medicine.
Always utilize an enamel or non-metallic pot.
Infusion - this is a beverage made like tea, combining boiled water with the plants and steeping it to
extract the active ingredients. The normal amounts are about 1/2 to 1 ounce of the plant to one pint
of boiled water. You should let the mixture steep for five to ten minutes, covered, and strain the
infusion into a cup.
Cold Extract - preparing herbs with cold water preserves the most volatile ingredients, while
extracting only minor amounts of mineral salts and bitter principles. Add about double the amount of
plant material used for an infusion to cold water and let sit for about 8 to 12 hours, strain and drink.
Decoction - this method or preparation allows you to extract primarily the mineral salts and bitter
principles rather than vitamins and volatile ingredients. Boil about half an ounces of plant parts per
cup of water for up to 4 minutes. Steep the mixture with the cover on the pot for a few minutes.
Juice - chop and press fresh plant parts to build juice, then add a bit of water and press again. This
is excellent for taking vitamins and minerals from the plant. Drink the juice right away for the best
results.
Syrup - build a basic syrup to which you will add medicinal ingredients by boiling 3 pounds of raw,
brown sugar in a pint of water until it reaches the right consistency.
Powder - grind your dried plant parts until you have a powder. the powder could be taken with water,
milk, soup, or swallowed in gelatin capsules.
Ointment - quick method: combine well one part of your powdered remedy with four parts hot
petroleum jelly or lard. For purists: Add the decoction of the desired herb to olive oil and simmer
until the water has completely evaporated. Add beeswax as needed to get a firm consistency. A little
gum benzoin or a drop of tincture of benzoin per ounce of fat will help preserve the ointment.
Essence - dissolve 1 ounce of the herbs essential oil in a pint of alcohol; this method preserves the
volatile oils of many plants which are not water-soluble.
Poultice - to make a poultice, you just crush the medicinal parts of the plant to a pulpy mass and
heat. Mix with a hot, sticky substance such as moist flour or corn meal. Apply the pasty mixture
directly to the skin. Wrap a hot towel around and moisten the towel periodically. A poultice will
draw impurities from the body.
Herb Bath - herbal baths include the make use of of various herbal additives to enhance the natural healing
power of the water. They are baths to which plant decoctions or infusions have been added. There
are full and partial herbal baths. For a full bath some of the medicinal plant parts should be sewn into
a cloth bag and then boiled in a quart of water; the strained mixture is then added to the bath.
Sometimes you might put the bag right into the tub for a more thorough extraction of the herbal
properties.
How to Use Herbs in Your Meals
Its no wonder that herbs are so widely valued as culinary additions. Their pungent fragrances and fairly often beautiful appearance adds both orally and visually to any meal.
Moreover, the flavor of each herb is very unique, adding a particular character to each dish you cook up. Whether dried or fresh, herbs add a wonderful dimension to cooking.
Plainer dishes really benefit from the depth of flavor that herbs add. Combining several herbs in one dish impart excess sophistication for discerning palettes.
How you make use of herbs in your food is limited only by your creativity and experimental nature in the kitchen. Moreover, if you grow your own herbs you will never have to run to the sell at the last minute because you’ve forgotten to buy dill or oregano.
You’ll have the freshest ingredients right at your disposal whenever you positive need them. Growing your own herbs is cheaper than buying them, and they taste so much better when they’re right off the plant.
Adding herbs to a dish while it is being cooked will result in the flavor becoming more deeply ingrained in the food. Its the same principle as with herbal infusions: heat releases the character of the herb. If you want to really get the herbal aroma and taste into your meal, add the herb early on in the cooking process.
You might even create a bouquet garni by tying up a bunch of herbs into a piece of cheesecloth; drop it into soups and stews and remove the whole bundle from the pot when you’re about to serve. If you just want a hint of the flavor, on the other hand, sprinkle on fresh ground dried herbs or scatter chopped fresh herbs on after your cooking is done.
For example, you could add chopped chives to a baked potato, parsley to a plate of chicken and rice, or cayenne pepper to a dish or chili. Remember, though, that dried herbs are more concentrated and pungent than fresh herbs. If you choose to make use of dried herbs, utilize about a quarter less than you would if you we are using fresh.
Cooking With Fresh Herbs
Herbs are fun and elegant to grow. When harvested they construct even the simplest meal seem like a gourmet delight. By using herbs in your cooking you can easily change the flavors of your recipes in many different ways, according to which herbs you add. Fresh herbs are great in breads, stews, soups or vegetables. Every measure you add a different herb you have completely changed the taste.
If you are a beginner beginning slowly, add just a little at a instant adjusting as you go along until you have it just right. You will see in most instances that an individual herb is associated with a particular food merchandise . Basil is paired with tomatoes, Oregano with sauces, Rosemary with lamb and Chives with butter or cream cheese. Of course, none of them are limited to these items, but you will see them paired most often with that particular food. Use your imagination and experiment, experiment, experiment!
You might construct herb vinegars for salad dressings, marinades, or soups. Herb oils are very useful in cooking whenever a recipe calls for it.
Fresh herbs as garnishes dress up any dish building it look truly spectacular. Lay individual sprigs of rosemary over broiled lamb chops. Chop fresh parsley and sprinkle it over the top of your potato salad. The combinations are endless and the outcome delicious.
Fresh herbs will keep in the refrigerator for several days but then you must freeze them. They may be frozen by laying them a paper towel and putting them in a plastic bag. Once they are frozen only utilize them in cooking not as garnishes. A friend of mine washes them, puts them an ice cube tray, covers them with water and then freezes them. When she needs them for soup, stews or sauces she just drops a cube in.
My most adored herbs to grow are basil, oregano, lemon balm, parsley and mint. Mint is successful but be careful, mint might over run your garden. A tip here would be to bury an empty coffee can and plant the mint in it. The can prevents the mint from creeping all through your garden.
I love to make herb butters. Take a half of a cup of softened butter and mix in about 4 tablespoons of a fresh herb. Lay out a piece of saran wrap, place the butter in the middle roll the saran wrap up to form a log out of the butter. Put in the refrigerator and anytime you absolutely need a pat of butter just cut it off the log. (Hints for log butter: potatoes, bread, steaks, noodles or any kind of sauce).
A fresh herb in any salad dressing really makes it sparkle. You can make use of any herb or a combination, be creative.
I learned a trick a long instant ago using basil, lemon and avocados to create and instant natural face mask. Put a big handful of basil in a blender and run it on high. Once the basil has been pulverized, throw in a half of an avocado and a large teaspoon of lemon juice, mix until smooth. Wash your face, pat it dry and gently rub the avocado mixture on. Leave it on as long as you like, then use warm water to it wash off.
These are just a few ways you can utilize fresh herbs from your garden. I am sure you will come up with many more. Happy cooking
A Guide To The Effective Use Of Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy has been practiced for around for almost 3500 many years and its application in daily lives is as old as our civilization itself. It is the exotic art, and science, of using oils extracted from aromatic plants and herbs to enhance health, emotional well being and beauty. Apart from the physical benefits, essential oils may have soothing effects on the mind and emotions. The essential oils taken from plants and employed in Aromatherapy have been described as their “critical factors” - they are needed critically for the plants biological process, as well as being the substance which gives them their scent and aroma. Synthetic oil, even if chemically similar, lacks all the natural factors, and that vital critical factor, that construct essential oils so valuable.
Another reason why synthetic oils are not acceptable and desired is that the minor constituents are never identical in structure and composition. Essential oils are extracted from flowers; herbs; spices; woods and fibers, usually by distillation, expulsion and solvent extraction. Solvent extraction is only acceptable for aromatherapy, if the solvent used is completely removed after the manufacturing process and no traces are identifiable.
Here are some of the most common uses that are associated with essential oils:
For Massage:
This is the most workable method of using the oils, combining their properties with the therapeutic power of touch. The oils should never be used undiluted, but should be diluted with an odorless carrier oil, such as grape seed, sweet almond or peach kernel. A dilution of 3% essential oil to carrier oil is a recommended level. This is approximately one drop essential oil to two milliliters of carrier oil. Essential oils are needed in very minute quantities. The skin is the largest surface part of the body and is planned to keep out contaminants from the skin layers.
For Bath:
Using oils in baths is a simple, effective and pleasant exercise to relax and receive the therapeutic and soothing effects. It is well known that water itself has therapeutic value, which further enhances the powers of the oils. For daily bathing, add 6 to 10 drops of essential oil or a blend to the surface of the water, and then bathe yourself for about 20 minutes, whilst you deeply inhale the vapor. Be a bit careful about the quantum oil you use while bathing your children.
For Compressing
Add 5 to 10 drops of essential oil to 100ml of warm water then soak a piece of clean cotton in the water, wring out the excess and place the cloth on the affected part.
For Inhalation
Add 5 to 10 drops of essential oil into a bowl of steaming water then place a towel over your head and the bowl and inhale the vapor for a few minutes. Feel yourself rejuvenated and free of price of tension.
For Vaporization
All essential oils are known antiseptic and evaporate easily, thus build very great air-fresheners. Different oils usually create different atmospheres. For example, relaxing Sandalwood or Clary Sage are grand for ravishing parties; or cool Peppermint clears your mind when you need to work. Diffusers might be used to make oils diffuse slowly in your working room or living quarters.
As Perfumes
It is very effortless to make your own explicit perfume by skillfully blending different oils. Try blending with different combinations, which might be mixed with a carrier oil or non-fragrant alcohol. Do your own experiment.
Storing Essential Oils
Because essential oils are affected by sunlight and higher temperatures, they should be stored in dark glass bottles, with tight stopper caps. Cap should be secured properly and the bottle stored in an upright position. Maintain a uniform temperature and moisture. Never allow these oils to come in contact with children. Never store essential oils in plastic bottles. Good Essential oils have a shelf life of several months if properly stored, though the oils derived from orange, lemon and lime will not keep as long. Patchouli is rare kind oil which actually gets better as it ages.
Mixing Essential Oils
Blending different oils in various proportions may yield you some fabulous products. You should have right information and a will to experiment various combinations. It is strongly recommended that you utilize a great dropper so that you might measure the actual number of drops easily. Do not mix up oils as they are known to get unstable too quickly. Use a different dropper for different oil to avoid cross contamination.
Uses that are associated with aromatic essential oils are various; different oils have their own special applications and benefits. How ever, no single oil is exactly similar to another in its application, aroma, scent and appeal. It means any essential oil has its own charisma and special niche. Go ahead and enjoy the exotic presence of your own aromatic oil.
Lavender Soap
Lavender is a traditional cottage garden plant. Its gray-green spikes of foliage and purple flowers provide color all year. Since the Middle Ages, the dried flowers have been one of the main ingredients of potpourri. Fresh sprigs are included in herbal bunches known as tussie mussies, which have been used for hundreds of many years to mask unpleasant odors and ward off illness.
Today, “talking bouquets” give new meaning to the popular phrase, “Say it with flowers.” A tussie-mussie or word poesy is a small circular nosegay of flowers and herbs, tightly gathered and constructed to carry a special message in the language of flowers. The traditional tussie-mussie is composed of fragrant herbs surrounding one central flower, a rose.The language of flowers spans the world of the ancients from Greece and Turkey to the Aztecs of South and Central America.
In England during Elizabethan times, judges carried tussie-mussies into their courtrooms to protect against “gaol fever.” Today judges at Englands highest court, the Old Bailey, celebrate this tradition by carrying a tussie-mussie into court six times a year. During the Victorian era tussie-mussies were carried close to the nose to ward off the stench in the streets and the plague and we are composed primarily of scented herbs such as rosemary, thyme, and rue. The age-old custom of strewing pungent herbs on the floors of homes was thought to protect the gentlefolk from germs and provide herbal fragrances - early aromatherapy.
The Victorians also turned flower giving into an art. It was common practice at the start of a courtship for suitors to give their intended a tussie-musssie. Floriography, the art of sending messages by flowers, brought a new dimension to tussie-mussies. Dozens of floral dictionaries were published listing the meanings of each flower and herb. The symbolic meanings we are adapted from classical mythology, religious symbolism, ancient lore, and a bit of creativity on the part of the floral designer. The study of botany and the discovery of new plants from all over the world brought new and exciting ideas to this language of flowers.
Description
The plant might grow to a height of 3 feet, but there are dwarf forms for edging which reach only about 10 inches. The stems are thick and woody, and become straggly if left unpruned. The leaves are long, spiky, and very narrow, and branch out near the ground. To keep lavenders beautiful year after year, prune them in early spring or fall, or at harvest. Low growing varieties should be cut back 1 to 2-inches. Taller varieties (3 to 4-feet in height) should be pruned back to approximately one-third of their height. Pruning helps to keep these plants from becoming very woody. The Sunset Western Garden Book recommends start the pruning regime during the second years growth. The tiny tubular flowers are
Learn to grow, harvest and maintain beautiful lavender plants. This booklet also shows you how to cook with lavender and utilize your harvest to prepare simple medicines, in crafts, and to construct fragrant potpourri.
Fresh lavender flowers can be used to flavor syrup for jellies. Mix 6 flowerheads into each pint of apple jelly syrup. Remove the lavender before bottling. It is also used to flavor fruit salad and milk and cream for deserts. Flowers be candied to decorate cakes and puddings. Use lavender instead of rosemary when cooking chicken. Lavender ice-cream is a real treat.
Medicinal Uses
Use an infusion of lavender on insect bites. Dried flowers and seeds are used in herbal sleep pillows and baths for soothing and calming frayed nerves. Lavender oil applied at the temples will relieve a headache. Three flowerheads in a cup of boiling water makes a soothing tea at bedtime.
Other Uses
Bunches of lavender are said to ward off insects. Fresh or dried flowers are used in rinsing water for clothes and hair. Dried flowers and seeds are generally used in potpourri and sachets. The stems are used to weave decorative baskets.
To dry the flowers, cut them as soon as they start to open and hang upside down in bunches in a well-ventilated area.
Easy Lavender Soap
10 tablespoons finely grated castille soap
8 tablespoons boiling water
2 tablespoons crushed dried lavender flowers
4 drops lavender oil
Melt the soap in the water in a bowl placed over a saucepan of hot water, stirring frequently, until smooth.
Crush the flowers to a powder and take the bowl off the saucepan. Stir the flowers into the soap with oil.
Store in a glass or plastic bottle.
Night Cream
Ingredients
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon aloe vera gel
1 tablespoon shea butter
2 teaspoons grated beeswax
1 tablespoon rosewater
1/4 teaspoon lecithin
oil from two capsules of vitamin E
3 drops chamomile or lavender essential oil
Instructions
Melt oil, butter, and beeswax in heatproof glass measuring cup, over boiling water or in microwave. (low heat) Remove from heat just before beeswax is completely melted. Finish melting by stirring in warm oil. Add the vitamin E oil and lecithin and stir in between additions. Mix rosewater and aloe together and slowly add to main mixture. Continue stirring with a small metal whisk. Once mixture is cooled, add the essential oil and stir. Store inside drawer or cabinet. Try to keep away from sun and heat.
Use nightly-especially in cold or dry weather.
Vinegar of the Four Thieves
One part each {all plants are dry] Rosemary, Wormwood, Lavender, Sage, Mint
Place in a jar and cover with vinegar let set 7 days
Put on cloth and exposed skin repels ticks, fleas, and chiggers
Cold Remedies
Coughing, sneezing, runny nose, sore throats, aches and pains? Got a cold? Feeling miserable? Whats in the cupboard that might construct you feel better? What will help you get over your cold quickly? There are many natural remedies that can help, some you already have at home. Try some of the following.
Ginger is a efficient warming herb to enjoy during winter. It warms you up by grasping your circulation moving. Ginger tea may help to break fevers and remove mucus construct up in sinuses, throat and lungs. Grate about 2 tablespoons of fresh ginger root, pour 2 cups of boiling water over, cover and allow to sit for 30 minutes. Drink a cup of this warm delicious tea every 2 hours.
A sizeably successful old fashioned home made chicken and vegetable soup could be a great comfort when suffering from a cold or flu. It is warming and full of vital nutrients to help get over sickness. Include in your soup plenty of vegetables that are high in Beta-carotene such as carrots, sweet potatoes, turnip greens and spinach. Adding herbs and spices might help bring relief and loosen up mucus. A pinch of Cayenne pepper in your soup can help to fight off some of the aches and pains as well as helping to reduce the fever. Maintain a healthy diet, especially at this time. Avoid sugary and fatty foods; concentrate on nutritious fruit and vegetables, soups, and oats.
Lemons are well known for their healing properties, especially when it comes to colds and flus. Hot honey and lemon drinks are popular. This delicious drink may be made with hot water, adding honey and lemon to taste. However, for more effect try straight lemon juice, warmed with honey. Don’t drink it straight down; swish it around in your mouth first. Other common additions to this lemon drink are garlic, ginger and or brandy.
Honey is an age-old remedy for so many different things. When it comes to colds, it may be used as a cough reliever and it has some anti-biotic properties. A teaspoon of honey on its own could be beneficial, or a cough mixture could be made up. Chop up 4-6 cloves of garlic and place them in a jar of honey. After a few weeks the garlic could be removed, leaving a sizeably effective mix for coughs and sore throats. Garlic is a very workable tool against colds. It is a strong antimicrobial and antiviral agent. Include garlic in your soups and cooking when ever possible.
Soothing teas for coughs and sore throats might be made out of herbs found commonly in your herb garden or spice rack. Sage and Marjoram have antiseptic qualities, while Thyme is antimicrobial. These herbs could be mixed together or taken separately. Take 1-2 teaspoons of the herbs in a cup of boiling water; allow steeping for 30 minutes. Drink warm. This tea is nice for soothing coughs, sore throats and tonsils, while also killing germs. (Add these herbs to your soup.)
There are many products available in health food stores that might assist your recovery. Antioxidants such as Vitamin C and A, along with Zinc, might help reduce the duration and severity of symptoms. These are also very useful as a preventive. Herbs such as Echnicaea, Cats claw, and Astralgulis might fight against colds and flus and strengthen the immune system.
When cold or flu hits, the most important advice that anyone can follow is to rest. At this instant you need to get more sleep. The immune system functions at its best while we are sleeping. Allow your body the measure and opportunity to fight back. Dont rush back into a full schedule as soon as you beginning to feel better. Take it slowly for a few days, get some early nights, to really allow your body to recuperate. Giving yourself the time to fully recover will help prevent a recurrence.
Drink plenty of liquid, water and herbal teas. When the mucous membranes become dehydrated, they are more hospitable to viruses. A high liquid intake will help repel the virus and also help to flush out the system. Juices and sugary drinks should be avoided. A high sugar intake decreases the ability of the white blood cells to kill bacteria.
At the first sign of a cold, initial treating it at once. Increase your vitamin and mineral intake, especially the antioxidants. Start using any of the above treatments or get onto some herbs or tissue salts. The more quickly you start to treat a cold, the less severe it is likely to become. A cold should only last a couple of days, if you are no better after a week, seek advice from your health practitioner.
When you are recovering from illness, it is a grand instant to change your toothbrush. Your toothbrush may harbor the germs you have just been fighting off; changing it now may prevent reinfection.
Without getting care, your illness might change from being a mild cold to something more serious. Remember to take care of yourself.
A Natural Remedy for Gingivitis, Toothaches, and Mouth Sores
Everyone has a variety of bacteria in their mouth. Some have more than others. This bacterium helps you by start the digestive process.
Excess bacteria in your mouth have now been found to cause more than tooth decay, gingivitis or gum disease. So, you need to understand , even though you might not have gingivitis, how to control these plaque-building bacteria in your mouth.
Bacteria that create gingivitis live in your plaque and cause your gums to inflame, bleed, and separate from your teeth. You may also have bad breath when you have gingivitis. In more severe cases, your gums become sore, teeth hurt, gums recede, and teeth loosen.
To stop the inflammation and gum separation use this natural remedy to kill some of these bacteria and strengthen your gums in your mouth.
Here are the herbs and the formula you will absolutely need to build a remedy for a mild case of gingivitis:
2 parts white oak bark herb powder
1 part myrrh gum herb power or granules
3/4 part Peppermint leaves converted to powder
part anise herb power or seeds
1/8 part clove - powder
If herbs and leaves are not in powder form, grind them in a coffee grinder. Use this formula to construct as much powder as you want.
Place the mixture into a small container. I usually utilize a small-unused vitamin bottle.
I usually mix a small amount and make use of a tablespoon as my measuring tool. For example, 2 tablespoons of white oak, 1 tablespoon of myrrh gum, tablespoon of peppermint leaves, and so on. The measurements do not have to be so precise.
How to make use of it:
To control bacteria in your mouth, make use of this power once a week. If you have gingivitis, you might make use of this 3 times a day. Place some powder on your toothbrush and brush your teeth and gums. After brushing spit out, a few measure , the saliva and residue powder. Don’t rinse out your mouth since you want to keep the active herb powders in your month. You may swallow any that remains in your mouth with no problem.
This powder combination is bitter, but quite powerful and will get the job done. You can add more peppermint powder to construct it less bitter, if you like.
For severe cases of gingivitis and toothaches, you might also moist some powder with distilled water and then place the paste all along the your teeth and gums front and back. Leave the paste in your mouth as long as you might . Do not worry about the herbs getting in between your teeth. This remedy works.
There have been other clients that have used this remedy for a month and successfully avoided having the dentist apply gingivitis treatment. In cases of severe gingivitis, go see your dentist and at the identical instant use this remedy.
How To Get The Most Health Benefits From Garlic
Its reputed to fight infections, colds, bacteria and lower cholesterol - no wonder this herb tastes so nice ! Garlic has been used as an herbal remedy for over 5000 years and has long been recognized for its anti bacterial powers and has even been used by medical doctors to fight off infections in wounds.
Garlic, the pungent herb that we associate with Italian Foods is loaded loaded with vitamins and minerals including Vitamin A, B and C, selenium, potassium, calcium, zinc and magnesium. It has antibacterial and antifungal properties and claims to lower cholesterol and blood pressure. A recent study even shows that getting a garlic supplement once a day can reduce the risk of grasping a cold by 50% and help you acquire a speedy recovery if you do happen to catch one. In addition, garlic is thought to help athletes foot, worms, respiratory ailments, some cancers of the stomach, colic, ear aches, and bladder problems.
So what gives this herb its powerful healing properties? Researcher say it is in the allicin which is released when garlic is crushed. This phytochemical is also what makes it so pungent and is best when eaten raw and shortly after crushing. For the best effects, you should chop or crush the garlic into the tiniest pieces possible then let it sit for 10 minutes or so and eat it raw! If it sits for too long, it will initial to degrade and lose some of its power. Cooking it also causes it to become less potent so if you are planning to combine it in a sauce or with cooked food try just adding it during the last 5 minutes of cooking to preserve some of the healing properties.
If you are trying to serve yourself a garlic herbal remedy by adding garlic to your foods then make sure you crush it a bit ahead of instant and don’t add until the final 5 minutes of cooking. This will give the allicin enough time to develop and will insure you don’t cook all the garlic health out of it. My most admired way to enjoy the health benefits of this powerful herb is to generate a garlic bread as described below.
1) Crush 3 or 4 cloves of garlic
2) Cut up some Italian bread
3) Pop the cut up bread in the oven or toaster
4) Spread butter on the toasted bread along with a generous amount of the crushed garlic
5) Enjoy!
Garlic may have an affect on blood clotting, so don’t beginning eating more of it unless you discuss it with your physician first especially if you are on blood thinning medication or due to have surgery in the near future.
Make Your Own Herb And Spice Mixes
I love inventing new herb and spice combination to increase the flavor of our meals. Variety is the spice of life and with all the 1,000s of herbs and spices our palates should never be bored!
There is such great health and cost benefit by building your own mixes. You will not have too much salt added to your mixes and you will save funds too! Once you get a whiff or your own herb mixes you’ll never go back to those little tins on the grocery store shelf.
Herbed Rice Mix
1 lb long grain rice
1/3 cup dried minced onion
1/3 cup dried parsley flakes
1 tablespoon dried chives
1 tablespoon dried tarragon
1 tablespoon of ground celery seed
1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons pepper
Mix the ingredients together and store in canning jars
Add a raffia bow and instruction card and you now have a gift!
Put 1 1/3 cup of water in a pan and bring to a boil, add 1/2 cup of rice mix and simmer for 20 minutes , fluff with a fork
you might also add a dried chili pepper to the mix if you like some heat!
Homemade Taco Seasoning mix
2 tablespoon of ground chili pepper(mild, hot or wildfire hot)
1 1/2 Tsp. paprika
1 Tsp. onion powder
1/2 Tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. of ground cumin
3/4 Tsp. garlic powder
Mix together and add to taco meat, chili or other dishes that called for a Mexican , Southwest flavor
Crab or Shrimp Boil
Place in a piece of cheesecloth
3 bay leaves
1/2 tablespoon of dried ginger pieces
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon of brown mustard seed
1 teaspoon of dill seed
1 teaspoon of coriander seed
1 teaspoon of whole cloves
1 teaspoon of whole allspice
Five Spice Powder
Mix together
1 tsp Ground cinnamon
1 tsp Ground cloves
1 tsp ground Fennel seed
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground pepper
African Curry Powder
All ingredients are ground, mix together:
4 oz coriander seeds
4 oz turmeric
1/2 oz cayenne
1 oz ginger
1 oz mustard seeds
2 oz fenugreek seeds
2 oz cinnamon stick (cinnamon is fine)
Making your own herbal hair shampoo
In 1990 I decided not to make use of the commercially made shampoos after reading Aubrey Hamptons book, Natural Organic Hair and Skin Care. In this book Aubrey tells you how to read the label on any product that you put on your skin or hair.
Manufacturers are constantly using toxic chemicals in their skin and hair products and disregard their toxic effects on your body. This is easily seen in the list of chemicals that they utilize. Here are a few of these chemicals found in many product labels:
1 propylene glycol or glycol a petrochemical used because it is cheap
2 cetearyl alcohol emulsifier that could be synthetic or natural
3 methylparaben or propylparaben typical synthetic preservatives
4 distearate this is polyethylene glycol or polypropylene glycol which are petrochemicals
5 isopropyl alcohol used as a cheap solvent to carry synthetic oils.
Here is a natural shampoo that you can generate. This formulation is something that I have been using for months. First collect the following items:
4 oz of castile soap with any scent is that available plain, peppermint, eucalyptus.
oz of rosemary - stimulates the hair follicles and helps to prevent premature baldness
oz of sage has antioxidants and keeps things from spoiling and is antibacterial
oz of nettles acts as a blood purifier, blood stimulator, contains a large source of nutrients for hair growth
of lavender controls the production of sebaceous gland oil and reduces itchy and flaky scalp conditions
2000 mg of MSM provides organic sulfur to your scalp, which improves the health and strength of your hair. It also helps to drive herbal nutrient into the skin and follicles where they might do the most good.
one empty 8 oz plastic bottle, or any other empty shampoo or soap bottle.
Mix the herbs in a mason jar, which has a lid. Boil 2 cups of distilled water. Add 3 heaping tablespoons of the mixed herbs into the boiling water. Pull the boiling water and herbs off the stove. Let the herb mixture sit for 30 40 minutes. Put the 2000mg of MSM into the herb mixture after 30 minutes of cooling. After 40 minutes and the MSM is melted, strain the herbal mixture into a bowl.
Pour 2 to 2 1/2 oz of strained herbal tea into the 8 oz plastic bottle. Now, pour the 4 oz of castile soap into the 8 oz plastic bottle. Cap the bottle and shake to mix the ingredients.
The shampoo is now finished and ready for make use of . Use this as a base for all of the shampoos you make. You can add different herbs as you learn what these herbs do and how they help your hair. You might vary the ingredients according to your taste. But now you have a shampoo that has no additives that can harm you.
« Previous Page — Next Page »