And She's Down.....Up Again ~ Another scarecrow?

I've been struggling with allergies, or I thought I was, and have been very tired.  So tired, that I wanted to take a nap lately.  I never nap.  Unless I'm sick.


I took a nap.   

 (Warning:  this is a "grap a cup of coffee/tea" kind of post.  Sorry I was so chatty.  Must be that I'm feeling better today.)

Shocker.  My kids thought I was joking when I said I was leaving the porch and taking a nap.

I overslept one morning, and woke up feeling as if my head would explode.  

Random Tidbits ~ Lavender Antiseptic and Calming Spritzer

 Like many of you, I am like a mad woman in the garden this week.  Rain was of little chance, so I worked my bum off to get seeds in.  We have a slight chance of rain on Sunday, so I am pacing it all out, not to wear myself out (which I already did and had to take a breather).  

Thank goodness I made a recent double batch of homemade ginger-ale. It came in handy for some much needed recuperation.  Plus, more kiddos (and myself) caught the bug Hubby had.

I've also delegated some garden planting to a few girls of ours.  I haven't been happy with the results of their housekeeping help, so outside they go (unless one is still stick).  We'll get daily planting done before it gets sweltering hot around 10:30am-11am.

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.

Rosemary Infused Red Wine Update

A week has passed, and the infused red wine was ready to taste.  I poured Hubby and I a glass just before dinner.  

I paired it with a beef/potato/veggie plate.  Not that I am a wine connoisseur, but anyway....

The taste? 

Leek Confit ~ With Thyme

My "date night" plans went "ka-poot."  Right out the window on Friday night.  Our date was planned for Saturday, but Hubby was called to work a 12 hour shift.

By the time he would be home, it would be way too late for this gal to go out, and way too cold, so I took to the kitchen.

We needed some extra heat in the house anyway.  The warmest hour was about feeling like 0°F.

Rosemary Infused Wine ~ Tonic Wines

Somewhere, in all those library books I have been borrowing, I got the idea to infuse red wine with rosemary.

Mountain rose herbs has a few more recipes on their site too.  I have no idea why I chose rosemary, but it intrigued me.

Herbed Butter ~ A Day in the Kitchen

I have been searching the organic section of our grocer for fresh thyme (sadly I did not put a pot of it in my kitchen last fall).  They seem to be out of it often.

I decided to use my dried thyme and use less of it  (dried is more potent).  Most recipes that use 1 stick of organic butter, require about 3 Tablespoons of fresh herbs, plus garlic.

I did not want garlic in my herbed butter for breakfast toast.  I wanted simply thyme.  Thyme has so many healthy qualities and I love the taste of it on toast with a few eggs.

Stress Relief Cookies

Baking with herbal tea leaves. . .

I had to read this recipe three times to make sure I read it correctly - "contents of one tea bag." 

The recipe was delivered to my inbox, and I could not locate it anywhere online, so I'm sharing it here.

The tea you will need to buy, is made with organic herbs and is non-gmo. 

Yogi tea brands are available in most stores.  This is not to advertise their teas.  I'm just sharing, because the recipe intrigued me.  You need Honey-Lavender tea. 

Fennel Tea ~ Lemongrass Tea ~ Tidbits

I used Hubby as the "guinea pig" for this tea - fennel tea.  I crushed organic fennel seeds, then made a tea with the crushed seeds.  I have read that is a natural antacid, so I did my research, and it was safe for him to take the tea.

Chilly Temps ~ Get Well Soon Box ~ More snow

The school put out a 2 hour delay Sunday night, for Monday morning, but I couldn't figure out why they closed.  Not until I took the pups out the second time, did I realize why.

They were jumping and romping and loving the snow one minute, and holding up their back feet the next - our temperature was "feeling like -8 degrees" outside.  I didn't feel it of course.  Having had -26 over the past winters, I guess I was thinking it was somewhat decent out, ha ha!

Winter has arrived, and other homestead ramblings

It rained here again.  No big news, considering our monsoon year.  In with a bang, out with a bang.  Although it is a new year, so it can stop now.

I'll let you know of the weatherman was right.  We are to get an inch of snow tomorrow.  We haven't had any snow that has stayed this winter yet.

Medicinal Herbs ~ Tea Time

Some days I don't look up an herbal/medicinal tea recipe.  I simply open my encyclopedia on herbs and pick a few I harvest, and brew the tea.
 

I think I picked this one up at a book sale years ago.  Not sure.  It contains a good amount of information on all herbs, but I noticed if I looked up "Stinging Nettle" it only mentions the medicinal use for asthma and regrowth of hair. No mention of allergies, poor circulation or other ailments.

Yesterday's tea was nettle/peppermint.  Nettle grows here wild and the peppermint I grow from organic seeds.

Homestead Happenings

The puppies sleep all night, but get up between 5:30am and 6:30am.  Not a big deal really.  Today they slept until almost 7am.  It helps me get up and going and back to intentional exercise (again).  They don't like going in their crates while I work out, so I've been testing their behavior by blocking them into the kitchen where I can mostly see them.  So far so good.  I have noticed they have exceptional hearing, which is always important when you want "guard" dogs.

Herbal Bath Tea ~ Peppermint

I have only posted one herbal bath tea, and it was difficult to find again.  Blogger is having a few issues I guess.

Herbal Bath Tea ~ Cold and Flu

I purchased chemical and tag free "press n' brew" bags for tea making, but will mostly use them for traveling, and for bath teas.  We used muslin before, but ended up with tea leaves in the bath water each time.  By the way,

Library Loot ~ Beginner Medicinal Herbal Book

I've been borrowing books from the library, over and over, contemplating which is the best medicinal herb book to purchase and have on hand (along with handicraft pattern books).  The above stack came in all at once, and my loving Hubby picked them up for me.  He was struggling to get in the house with them, ha ha!  I had to explain, how it saves us money. 

I do like the recipes in this book - Medicinal Herbs, A Beginner's Guide, by Rosemary Gladstar.  I think I've shared this book before also.  I have one of her books with herbal tea recipes and make the teas.  This book remains on my wish list, unless another one interests me.

These other three have many recipes that may be useful for us too.  There is a headache tea I'd like to try, and a few others, but need a few more herbs planted next year.  For now, I'll borrow these again.

In the process of borrowing books on growing mustards, and making mustards, I located more herbal recipes for meals here.  I actually found enough that I am making a binder for all recipes with herbs (because my recipe box in my kitchen has exploded).

I checked my library account again - 7 more books were in.   The bottom one may be the one home manual I need to buy regarding medicinal herbs.   Most of these I am flipping through quickly, but taking notes and checking costs.  I'm also looking at the recipes.  I do not want to buy a book that has strange ingredients that I do not grow or cannot buy organic at a good price either.  

Now...if I can find a book that contains a great length of information on using turmeric for pain and other health issues, I'll be even happier. 

I have been madly working on handmade Christmas gifts for the girls, writing, and puppy training. 

Last night's dinner?  Homemade meatballs baked and warmed in the crock pot with home canned hot pepper mustard sauce, and roasted brussel sprouts with onions and garlic.   

Library Loot ~ Beginner Medicinal Herbal Book  © Dec 2015 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart

Homemade Herbal Lip Balm ~ 2nd Making ~ Uses for a Salad Spinner

Like most of you, my hands, face, and lips are feeling dried up and awful already (cold and wind).  My younger two girls love the homemade lip balm, and we are almost out of homemade hand lotion.  That is now on my to-do list now also.

The last time I made the lip balm I used small plastic, round containers. 

 This time I used lip balm tubes.  I used 10 of them.

Plantain Healing Salve ~ Homemade "Neosporin"

Remember the herbal oil I was heating in the sun for a plantain/comfrey salve?

Well, it's done, and I melted beeswax with it and wa-la!  Homemade "Neosporin." 

I washed a few lip balm containers, and some recycled baby food jars to store it in.

Puttin' Up Herbs ~ Handiwork Tidbits

Rosemary and sage filled these two drying racks.

Weekend Updates

It rained all day Saturday, but we split wood inside the barn.  I also tackled cleaning the last window blind, and Hubby helped.  We managed to get one air conditioner in storage, and a few windows washed on the inside as well.  It was cold, but I was not going to fire up the wood stove.  No way.  I need the chimney swept first.  We hunkered down with flannel pants/pajamas, and lots of blankets instead.

I've been stocking up more herbs, and getting more medicinal herbs put into jars as well.   I started a jar of plantain/comfrey oil that I'll eventually use to make a salve, and I got a batch of elixir made.

Tidbits ~ Freezing Celery vs. Dehydrating ~ From Pile to File Recipe

Yesterday's sunrise.

I came across some broad leaf plantain in my flower garden yesterday.  You know me.  I had to stop weeding, pick some leaves, and prepare them for drying.