Pioneer Woman at Heart

I made an herbal hair tonic to encourage hair growth and repair.  You can read the original post   here .  Why I made it is written below.  The hair tonic is made with all nettle, but I'm considering adding burdock root now.  The tea infusion I am drinking is made differently. I have researched this through a few books and online, and do feel calcium helps hair and nails, so I made sure I was also drinking nettle and tulsi teas (infused for a stronger tea). I made my tea infusion using 3/4 cup dry nettle and 1/4 cup dry oat straw.  Both are good combination for calcium, and hair and nail health.  I used a quart canning jar, poured boiling water over the herbs, placed the lid on, and steeped it for 4 or more hours, sometimes making it at night and steeping all night.  Drinking within 36 hours, before it goes rancid.

I'll have to start getting outside much earlier to pick nettle.  I was out a 7:30am, but the bees were already awake and swarming.  It appears ants like nettle too.  I salvaged what I could.  Then it was a full workout inside, then back to the garden and flower beds.  I managed to un-bury the raspberry bushes, and clean up the roses out by the roadside.  I brought in a very large tick also.  I had a hat on, and it fell from my hair (also tied up) and onto my shoulder.  Thankfully, I saw it before it attached.  It was very large, and I never get ticks.  I had forgotten to put on my tick oil (won't do that again). The temperature heated up to 87°F so I

I got a small batch of English muffins made.  I love these for making breakfast sandwiches.  I used the recipe at Edible Existence blogspot.  I t requires very li ttle ingredients (1 Tbsp . of ho ney) compared to the H oney Wheat recipe tha t King Flour has. Once my einkorn flour arrives,

I brewed a canning jar of home picked, wild growing nettle yesterday.  It tasted so good.  I am running low, but I have many other teas to enjoy this winter - chamomile, ginger root, tulsi, lavender, lemon balm, catnip....the list is long.  The health benefits are awesome. I'm gearing up for a possible "Farmer's Market" season this year.  I may only do a few dates, as it 's taking a long time to create the "goods" to sell.  This is one "set" I am creating - over sized pot holder, hot pads to match, one crocheted flower dishcloth, and a soap saver bag.  I am using up extra "country yellow" yarn, but many not have enough to knit a matching dishcloth.  I guess we'll see.  I like to make an entire matching set, even if I put them all in separate groups to sell.  One customer once told me she buys "matching sets" for three family members each Christmas.  That put a light bulb on for me.

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 , whic h i s always important when you want "guard" dogs.

The new recipe I made, is a raw vegetable cracker.  You soak chia seeds, raisins and sun dried tomatoes, and add other blended vegetables.  (spread out on parchment paper before drying in the dehydrator) The interesting part, is that they are dried in the dehydrator.  Now, I imagine you can bake these in the oven, but when it's 82° out, I preferred not to.  Although yesterday it was 60°F.

It's been over eight weeks now, since I have been drinking the "high calcium" tea mixture.   First, let me begin by telling you all why I tried the tea.

Last night we had a beautiful sunset.  They sky was filled with pink hues.  Just gorgeous. My boxes of homemade items