Pioneer Woman at Heart

One Flourishing, Frugal and Fun Family!

One family learning to live off the land, cut back on expenses, and to live a simpler and a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Adopted Motto

"Eat it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Or go without."
~A Pioneer Sampler, by Barbara Greenwood~

Showing posts with label Tinctures. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tinctures. Show all posts

Saturday, July 6, 2019

Heat Index Returns ~ Keeping Chickens Cool


Friday the heat index was predicted to be up to 100°.  It reached 98°F in our area. Weeding is still at a halt for me.  Just not worth the risk to be out there.  The humidity is sooo thick and my camera lens steamed up.



Chickens were iced again.  Did you know that although they eat the ice to cool off, they also pick some up and put it under their feathers?  Mine do anyway.  Just an FYI for those undergoing the same heat as we are, and raise chickens.  When we had goats, we froze water in small bottles and added them to their water buckets.

Nothing really "homesteady" to share today.  Youngest Daughter ditched me for another sister and is spending a few nights with her, so I'm unsupervised for a few days.

Bought myself this. . .


I sure hope I take the time to read it now, lol!

I have yet to deliver roosters to those taking them, but they are crowing now.

Thanks to being stuck inside with the AC this week, I have new projects on the handiwork to-do list.  They will be fun too.  I'll update as I finish them.

Dinner was once again salad and fresh cold fruit.  Too hot to cook a darn thing, and with the heat this bad, we all have non-zippity do-dah appetities.

Saturday, October 13, 2018

Lemon Balm Tincture ~ Echinacea Tincture ~ Sage Tincture


Remember all of that lemon balm I grew?   I dehydrated it for teas and tincture making.   Well it's tincture time.  I'm making all three mentioned.  Only one will be made later, as it is currently out of stock and I did not grow it this year (echinacea).



Not only will they be utilized individually, but together.  I have a daughter who often gets canker sores in the fall, after school starts, and this combination is said to work.

You can read about the canker sore relief at LearningHerbs.

The lemon balm tincture can be helpful as a sleep aid, and a lemon balm tea can be used to help sweat out a fever. Lemon balm is soothing and also an astringent.  It helps relieve colds and flu.  It's also known for helping reduce a headache, and an aid to reduce or prevent cold sores.

The sage tincture aids healing sort throats and mouth irritations due to it's antiseptic and astringent qualities.

The echinacea tincture aids the healing process of wounds.  Echinacea has been known to purify the blood.

Saturday, February 24, 2018

Tincture Time ~ Eye Strain Relief

In the past, I have used a poultice to place on my eyes for eye relief.  I believe I made it from chickweed. I'd have to read over my past blog posts, or read my homesteading journal to be sure....



I'm now experimenting with a tea with a combination of goji berries and chrysanthemum buds.  

Sunday, November 5, 2017

Reubens ~ Homemade Grahams ~ Mullein Tincture

First thing yesterday morning, after warming up with a pot of hot organic coffee, I put corned beef into the crock pot.  Yum.  It smelled so good cooking all day.  Remember that homemade sauerkraut I fermented?  


Well, we enjoyed ruebens again.  Using that delicious loaf of homemade bread, the meat, sauerkraut, homemade thousand island dressing (made with my canned sweet pickle relish and canned ketchup) and swiss cheese.


I also made a batch of chocolate grahams - homemade of course.  Yum.


Started a new jar of mullein tincture.  Only this time I have to use dry herbs vs. fresh.  I am tickled I found it growing wild this year though.  It's just not enough. Unfortunately, this will take 6-8 weeks to sit before I strain it.  I don't use anything higher than 80 proof either.  Stronger is not always better.

To read about the uses and benefits of mullein, there are many herbal books at the library  (and you can google it online too). 

I recently borrowed this book to check it out (because there is not one complete herbal book printed just yet).   I don't always like to share a link anymore. The ads are terrible on some sites.

Hubby had to work Saturday, and it rained off and on, and continued to be cold.  The girls were both gone, despite neither feels completely better.  So, happy to be home alone, I got up to 6697 words out of this month's 50,000.  Not including the short story. 

Hubby texted he'd be rather late, so we would be skipping the wedding reception.  I guess a mechanic had to go to the hospital for stitches.  Anyway, it was getting dark early, so I put the hens in for the night (more on that later), took the dogs out one more time, and put on my cozy clothes, aka pajamas.  

I spent the night crocheting a handmade gift for one of the girls.  I just hope it turns out nice, that I can finish it, and that I can keep it a secret.  The kids may be getting all homemade gifts this year.

The budget crunched on us again.  

Another medical bill showed up.  And it's larger than the last one I shared.  Gulp.  I am calling insurance Monday morning to be sure the bill is correct.   


On a happier note.  I didn't let that bill stop me from enjoying my day.  I also put up Christmas tree #1 - the bathroom tree.  It's red, white and blue, ha ha!  Not on purpose.  One string of lights stopped working too.  I don't have the money to buy blue lights on white cords, nor a new tree skirt (as planned), so the old red lights went on, with my thrift store blue ball ornaments (obtained several years ago with an all blue Christmas in mind).  Sort of looks funny, but in the day, very pretty.  My "happy" part of my day.

Tuesday, October 24, 2017

Random Tidbits

On Monday I totally forgot to post a Happy Homemaker post.  Sorry about that.  I had a "paperwork" day with bill paying, filing. I even filed some recipes I had out and used, filed some of the new ones, and cleaned up the "office" area a bit.

Rain arrived just as they said it would.  It will soften up the soil and make weeding the garden much easier.

Pear picking is on hold until the rain stops, but I hope we get that window of opportunity before our hard freeze arrives this weekend.  I'm collecting new pear recipes to try (like I need more).


The hens have gone from molting and laying 1 egg a day, to 4 now.  However, this little one on the left sure looks like a new layer egg, ha ha!  They are not back up to laying the amount we need on daily basis.  I'm also certain the Araucanas (blue/green eggs) are not laying at all.  Last winter they started laying again.  I guess we'll see.  I don't want to be feeding layers organic grain, and getting zero eggs either.  

I've just learned about Propolis tincture.  Bee keepers, have you made this?  And have you used the tincture, and does it have good results?  Just curious, as I would have to buy it (I can't keep bees here due to the amount of crop spraying next door).  I'm told it's great for keeping sickness away and other things.



I have a new treadmill!!! I just have to clean it up a bit more.   It's a used free one.  Not the best quality of brand, but it works.  I already put miles on it.  Hubby tightened the belt, which was slipping, and we'll have to rig up some higher handles.  They are too short for this tall gal.  Hubby should be able to figure something out for me.

The last dig of sweet potatoes weighed in at 12#. I'll have a post later with how I'll make them last all winter/spring.

The Harley is running again.  As far as Hubby can tell, it was a junk battery.  So far the new battery is charging well, so it's not the charging system.  

We tried a new recipe - Millet stuffed Peppers.  I'll post the recipe tomorrow.

Thursday, September 22, 2016

Tincture Tip

I have finally ordered, and received my bottles to properly bottle and label my tinctures.

Guess how I "washed" my bottles and droppers?


I used vodka.

I visited a brewery in KY once, and they "wash" their bottles with bourbon, so they do not water down the content.  

Brilliant!

Just thought I'd share that info.

Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Tincture Time ~ Bilberry Vinegar

(sorry for the blurry picture)

I strained the two tinctures I made recently - mullein, and bilberry.    Now I'm ready to make one that I feel will be good for varicose veins.  

It includes:

Barberry Bark
Bilberry leaf
Bilberries

However, after I got my herbs out, I started wondering if an infused oil (to make a rub) would be better?

Sunday, July 3, 2016

Lemon Extract ~ Tinctures

I drained the last jar of lemon extract I had in the making.  this will last about a year or longer in our house.  It's not used as much as vanilla extract, which we go through a lot faster.

Sunday, June 26, 2016

Mullein Tincture

I finally made it to the store to get vodka to make a mullein tincture.


I used fresh mulleinI've read that you do not want to cut more than 40% of your plant, but I am typically careful not to over harvest mine. 

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Catnip Tincture ~ Insomnia

In September of 2015, I made my first catnip tincture.  I used a portion of it for making homemade bug spray, which works wonderfully by the way.

Bug Away Spray (Mountain Rose Herbs Recipe)

The other portion, was placed into a dropper bottle.  Hubby had been having trouble sleeping, and would wake up in the middle of the night.

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Herbal Journey ~ Catnip Tincture ~ Bug Spray

The mosquitoes are terribly thick this year, and we are seeing swarms of them in areas we never saw before.

So......

I decided to dig a bit deeper and found a recipe on Mountain Rose Herb's blog.  Less messy, and easier to tote along for possible camping trips. They posted one using catnip, other essential oils, and witch hazel extract.

I had all of the ingredients but a few, and even found catnip to make the tincture for it.