quotes for the day

Quotes to inspire us today;

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.  Do everything in Love.”  - I Cor. 16;13

“In times of stress, be Bold and Valiant.” – Horace

My 16 year old son told me this morning on the way to school that the secret to having an amazing day is to smile, then smile some more, even when you don't feel like it, just smile.  It sets your attitude in motion.

Hope your day is great!

St. John's Wort tincture

St. John's Wort herb and tincture

The St. John's Wort was abundant up in the mountains this year.  I saw it growing all along the highway on our travels.  I didn't even think to take a picture on our wild harvesting trips so here is one of flowers after they were dried.

Drying St. John's Wort:  These flowers are so easy to pick and dry, multiple ways would work but I have found the easiest way for me is to throw them in a big brown paper bag, close it, label and toss them in my pantry cubby and forget them for awhile.  I prefer that so no heat is used, labor lost, or dust collected.  Of course, I live in high desert country so everything dries quickly here.

My St. John's Wort tincture is so strong now it is the darkest shade of red.  (These bright yellow flowers turn the prettiest deep reddish pink color when crushed or added to liquids and have been used as pink dye.)

Easy tincture making:  Tinctures are easy to make.  Alcohol tinctures keep the longest (3-4 years) and seem the most potent.  But vegetable glycerin or vinegar are appropriate at times and effective also.  I fill a mason jar half full of the desired herb, in this case st. john's wort, (make sure it is crushed or blended finer), then top off jar with an inexpensive 80 proof clear alcohol, I usually use vodka.  Label with name and date and store in a cool, dark place for 2-3 weeks or longer, shaking jar 3-4 times a week.  When it is dark and herby smelling, strain off the herbs with cheesecloth and bottle the tincture in dark bottles.

Uses for St. John's Wort tincture:  An eye dropper of tincture under the tongue is a fast and easy way to calm the nerves and help lift depression.  It also has a sedative and pain reducing effect which can be helpful for uncontrolled muscular twitching, nerve injuries, afterpain in childbirth.  Use externally for relief of local pains and bruises.  St. John's Wort is also used for persistent mucous problems in the lungs and bowels.

This information is for educational purposes only.  Not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any illnesses.

Fenugreek tea

fenugreek in garden this October

Fenugreek tea

Fenugreek seed is a wonderfully useful herb this time of year with the weather changing and more cold and flu bugs in the air.  It helps expel mucous from the sinuses and when combined with marshmellow, st. johnswort, slippery elm and/or yarrow can get you over colds and flu within 24 hours.  None of this 7-10 day sick stuff for us.  Get congestion out of the system fast with a tea of fenugreek, hot lemon water and lots of rest.

Other medical uses:  Fenugreek is a intestinal lubricant and is healing for ulcers and inflammations in the stomach and intestines.  It can help prevent migraines, headaches and digestive disorders and has been used for allergies, lung conditions, coughs, fevers and more.

Other ways to use fenugreek:  Although it is used in cooking and baking, in tea fenugreek seed can be bitter and so I always add a teaspoon of raw honey to my tea. Some people toss it into salads. And there is a wonderful goat cheese made here locally by Tumalo Farms using fenugreek which gives it a nutty depth of flavor. 

fenugreek seed

You can find fenugreek in our Heavenly Harvest Tea which is designed to support your immune system and the specific conditions that challenge us this time of year.