Author: vanessa

Steam, Cleanse and Moisturize Your Face all in One Step

Craft a Natural Home Medicine Kit

~ DIY Facial Spa ~

November 12, 2015

How I get Double the Benefit from my Fire Cider!

I make a new batch of Fir Cider about once every two months. I take it daily as a preventative to ward off colds and flus. It is incredibly effective. However, there is a way to get even more benefits from Fire Cider.

Normally, when making a remedy like this, you follow the process that I have detailed in this post. Most people like to strain the plant matter out and compost it after 6 weeks and bottle the remaining liquid to use as the remedy.

However, to get double the amount of remedy from your batch of Fire Cider, you can keep the plant matter after you strain the mixture and create Fire Cider spread with it!

Here’s how:

You will need to gather your equipment: a hand blender, a strainer, a couple of bowls and your jar of Fire Cider.

Strain the liquid into one bowl.

And place the strained plant matter into the other bowl.

Use your hand blender to blend the chunks of herbal plant matter smooth.

Once it is blended into a spreadable consistency, you can place it in a jar and keep it refrigerated. It should last for months.

Now you have a spread that can be used on bread, crackers, as a dip for veggies, in marinade and in soups!

What a delicious way to keep healthy this winter! Have you made Fire Cider spread before?

October 27, 2015

Aromatherapy 101 Series – Part 3 Essential Oil Profiles

In Part 1 of this series we talked about some of the controversy around essential oils and how to use them safely. Part 2 delved into blending techniques using aromatherapy notes and families.

Here, in Part 3, we are going to go over some of the most common and popular essential oils and their medicinal qualities, to help you learn how to develop healing remedies to use for mind body and spirit.

Learn about common essential oil profiles in my guest post at Hybrid Rasta Mama today.

Head over to read the rest of this post on Hybrid Rasta Mama.

More posts you might enjoy:

Steam, Cleanse and Moisturize Your Face all in One Step

Craft a Natural Home Medicine Kit

~ DIY Facial Spa ~

October 20, 2015January 18, 2025

Fire Cider Tutorial

Fire Cider (also called Master Tonic sometimes) is one of my favorite winter remedies for several reasons.

First, it’s very effective; made with ingredients such as garlic, ginger and cayenne, it is seriously anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory and detoxifying.

Second, the apple cider vinegar that is the medium for this concoction is not only a great preservative, so it will keep for a long time, but it has a plethora of health benefits itself, such as killing bacteria and soothing inflammation.

Last, and perhaps best, is that it is so easy to make!

Here’s a step-by-step tutorial showing you just how simple it is to make your own cold and flu prevention remedy, so you can be prepared for the winter season:

1. Mince garlic, onion, ginger, cayenne, turmeric and any other ingredients you would like to add, such as horseradish, rosemary or oregano.

2. Add all ingredients to a clean glass jar. I’ve also added a bit of black pepper, since it helps the other ingredients to be more bio-available.

3. Cover the ingredients with apple cider vinegar by about an inch. The ingredients may float to the top at first.

4. Place lid tightly on jar and store in a dark, cool place. Shake daily for a few weeks.

That’s it! Easy peasy! Once the mixture has macerated for a few weeks, you can start using the liquid. You can do that either by straining out the chunks, or, if you’re like me, just leave them in and pour the liquid off the top when you need it.

Take a spoonful, diluted in water, every day for prevention. Or, if you are already sick, take it every few hours.

If you’d like more comprehensive instruction on how to make fire cider for yourself along with detailed information on the benefits of the ingredients, check out my Create Your Own Medicinal Fire Cider Remedy! Workshop here.

Have you made Fire Cider before? What are your favorite ingredients to include? Let me know in the comments!

October 6, 2015

5 Winter Cold Remedies

1. Elderberry – Elderberry is an excellent immunomodulator, meaning it can assist the body in regulating it’s immune response to the appropriate level needed for the situation; it is a powerful anti-viral, directly inhibiting the influenza virus by disarming the virus of its ability to invade healthy cells and multiply; and, Elder flowers are a tried-and-true diaphoretic, encouraging perspiration and the release of heat from the body, useful for colds, flus and fevers. Excellent for children and, of course, elders 🙂

2. Fire Cider – Made with ingredients such as garlic, ginger, onion, horseradish and cayenne, Fire Cider is one vinegar infusion that really packs a punch! Incredibly anti-microbial, this concoction will keep you warm and healthy all winter long!

3. Oregano Essential oil – Oregano oil is getting a lot of press lately, mainly because of it’s virtually unmatched germicidal properties. It can be used when dealing with just about any kind of microbial infection. It is a great oil to diffuse in the air during the winter months to keep germs at bay.

4. Oscillococcinum – This homeopathic remedy can reduce the severity and duration of flu-like symptoms, especially when taken as soon as symptoms start to appear. Perfect for the kinds of flus that produce symptoms such as fever, headache, chills and body aches.

5. Lemon Ginger Honey tea – Lemon is detoxifying and an excellent source of anti-oxidants; ginger is warming and can alleviate GI distress; honey is a natural anti-microbial as well as an excellent way to soothe a sore throat. Together they make the perfect winter cold remedy!

What is your favorite winter cold and flu remedy?

September 28, 2015

Aromatherapy 101 Series – Part 2

In the first post of this series on the fundamentals of using essential oils for aromatherapy, I focused on how to use essential oils safely and touched on a few of the controversies and misinformation that exists around this healing modality. If you haven’t yet read Part 1, you can do so here.

I’d now like to shift into talking about blending essential oils for therapeutic, medicinal and aromatic purposes. There are a few things that are helpful to know before you begin.

Learn about how to blend essential oils in my guest post at Hybrid Rasta Mama today.

Head over to read the rest of this post on Hybrid Rasta Mama.

More posts you might enjoy:

Steam, Cleanse and Moisturize Your Face all in One Step

Craft a Natural Home Medicine Kit

~ DIY Facial Spa ~

September 26, 2015January 13, 2025

Tutorial: How to Make Elderberry Elixir

Every fall, I try to make sure that I make an extra large batch of Elderberry Elixir. Elderberry is a highly medicinal plant and is a go-to herb for many people throughout the cold and flu season. If you’d like to read more about the benefits of Elderberry, you can do that here, here and here.

I’ve made lots of different remedies with Elderberry over the years, but the one I love most is also the easiest: Elderberry Elixir. Following is a quick tutorial on how to make Elderberry Elixir.

Here is what you will need:

Elderberries
Raw Honey
alcohol (brandy or vodka)
clean glass jar with tight fitting lid
stirring spoon or chopstick

Fill your jar 1/3 of the way with dried berries.

Next, fill your jar 1/3 way with honey.

Then fill the rest of the way with alcohol. I didn’t have brandy on hand, which would have been my first choice, so I used vodka.

Use your chopstick or stirrer to release any air bubbles. Add more alcohol to top off if needed.

Place the lid on tightly and label. Keep in a dark, cool place, give your mixture a shake every now and then and your elixir will be ready to strain in 4-6 weeks!

You can add other herbs to this elixir, such as rosehips, cinnamon, ginger, or cloves, if you like. The options are endless!

What is your favorite Elderberry recipe?

September 15, 2015

5 Benefits of Plantain

One of the best herbs for wound healing, Plantain is anti-inflammatory, astringent and anti-microbial.
Plantain is a great expectorant, making it an excellent remedy for coughs and bronchitis.
Because Plantain is not only astringent, but also demulcent, it is a very effective remedy for sinus issues.
Plantain has the remarkable ability to draw slivers, venom, pus and infection from open woulds and heal them from the inside out.
Plantain is also beneficial for any type of inflammatory gut conditions due to its anti-inflammatory, demulcent and astringent qualities.

September 8, 2015

Step-by-Step Guide to Making Evening Primrose Honey

It is harvest time here in the Pacific Northwest for Evening Primrose! I have it blooming all over my garden this year.

I like to harvest various parts of Evening Primrose for the medicinal effects. The flowers, leaves and roots can all be used for medicine making. To add to the variety, different medicine making mediums can be used, depending on the results you are seeking.

I’ve written about the various health benefits of evening primrose here. You can also find out about the different mediums for making herbal medicine here.

My favorite way to make a remedy from Evening Primrose is to make a flower honey. It’s simple, quick and TASTY! Here’s an easy to follow tutorial:

Ingredients:

clean glass jar
raw local honey
freshly picked and wilted Evening Primrose blossoms

Harvest the blossoms of Evening Primrose and let them wilt for 6-24 hours. This allows some of the moisture to evaporate as well as any critters hiding in the petals to leave…

Place in a clean glass jar leaving some headspace.

Pour honey over the petals until the honey covers the herb by about an inch.

Using a chopstick, or similar, make sure the honey covers the flowers completely and there are no air pockets.

Place the lid tightly on the jar and let sit in a dark, col place for a couple of weeks. The flowers may float to the top. If that happens, don’t worry. I like to turn the jar upside down every so often to help make sure all the blossoms are fully coated with honey.

After a couple of weeks, you can start using your Evening Primrose infused honey! I love to use a bit in my tea, or just take it right off the spoon whenever I feel like I may be coming down with a respiratory issue. It’s a great way to soothe yourself to sleep if you’re having trouble dropping off too!

Have you ever made an infused honey? What is your favorite way to use it?

August 26, 2015

Aromatherapy 101 Series – Part 1

With the proliferation of essential oil companies, and especially MLM companies, aromatherapy has become a booming business these days. As a natural health care practitioner, I am excited to see this effective, natural modality becoming so popular.

However, there is a down side as well. With so many people selling, purchasing and using essential oils so casually, education has gone by the wayside and unfortunately there are a large percentage of essential oil users who have only a sales representative’s marketing materials to guide them.

Unfortunately, more and more avoidable injuries and reactions are occurring on a regular basis with this new surge of essential oil enthusiasts. However, with a little bit more information and education, this can be largely averted and the genuine efficacy of aromatherapy can be truly uncovered.

Learn about how to use aromatherapy safely and effectively in my guest post at Hybrid Rasta Mama today.

Head over to read the rest of this post on Hybrid Rasta Mama.

More posts you might enjoy: