Spring Weeds

I've been reading a lot lately about herbs and natural remedies. I have always loved making weird concoctions. One of my most vivid memories as a child, was being at our family farm in Kentucky.

One day there was not much going on, I wandered into the bathroom and saw all of my mother's bag of toiletries on the counter. I loved when we traveled she brought with her a tiny, old, glass Listerine bottle. Ah perfect for making potions! I started grabbing a bunch of items and mixing it in. I remember spraying hairspray in there too, yuck!

(Recent picture of the farm bathroom. Not much has changed. Where the yellow laundry basket is, was where a blue towel was laid and toiletries were set out.)

Something drew my attention away and I left the bathroom forgetting about my potion. The next day my poor mother comes yelling out of the bathroom, "what did you do, are you trying to kill me!"

No mom. I'm sorry, you were never meant to gargle this, I was just making a potion.

Hope after 25+ some years, my mother forgives me, but I still feel bad about it. Today my "potions" are more thought out and you can ingest them and be just fine.

I've been trying to keep an open mind and utilize all of my resources. As I was in the yard doing some spring cleaning, I started to see the leaves of dandelions already springing to life, and this year I am embracing them.

I've know for a long time that you can eat them, and I've bought the expensive tea blends that have the leaves and roots in them. Why am I ignoring these free beauties in my yard?

So I've been picking, washing and enjoying them. According to Wikipedia, dandelion is French for "lion's tooth." Very fitting with the jagged leaves. There are multiple kinds, including false dandelions, but they are all edible. Leaves, roots and flowers can all be ingested.

Some health benefits/vitamins and minerals in dandelions are:
-Calcium
-Vitamin C
-Luteolin
-Iron
-Potassium
-Fiber
-Helps lower blood pressure
-Helps skin issues like eczema and acne
-Stimulate digestion
-Cleanses the Liver
-Can help diabetics by regulate blood sugar

So for now I have dehydrated them and using them as tea. Mixing in some dehydrated berries from last year to sweeten slightly and add more flavor.

I'm still working on trying dandelions cooked and in salads.

I'd love to hear about everyone's foraging for food adventures and recipes if you have any to share!

Winter Blues Salt Scrub

Is anyone else feeling dry and lizard like? I've found myself slathering on thicker hand and body lotions this past month. We've had a mild winter but we finally got a hefty snow. So when I got to come home early from work and shovel out the driveway, I was itching for lotion by the time I walked in the door.

Before slathering on a bunch of lotion, it is best to slough off the old skin. I do have a dry brush I try to use on a relatively regular basis. It is suppose to help increase circulation and help detox your body with help from your lymph nodes. My husband however, threatens to use the brush in the toilet. Haha!

My husband has eczema and usually it is just on his hands. I am determined to find the magical remedy one day to cure his red and itchy paws. (I've read a lot about elimination diets- but my stubborn husband won't give up any kind of food.) So my next solution has been all kinds of scrubs, lotions and oils.  I whipped up this simple salt scrub the other day:

I melted some coconut oil and olive oil together. Then, mixed in Epsom salts to a nice mush.

Then scented with essential oils. For this batch I used equal parts peppermint, lemon and lavender oil.

Easy as that! You can use this on your body and hands and it is delightful! Feel free to change around oils that work best for you and your skin.

At first I thought it would be counter-productive to put salt on eczema skin, but he said he loves it and likes how it feels. The salt does not dry it out like I initially thought it would. He works a lot with his hands and I think the addition of the salt with the magnesium may also help his sore joints in his hands. (Much like taking an Epsom salt bath.)

It does leave my husband's hands a bit oily. But he just pats them dry on a towel and the moisture stays yet he isn't left walking around with a slimy paw.

Have you tried a salt or sugar scrub? What do you do in the wintertime to combat dry skin? Or eczema?

Homemade- All Natural Toothpaste

For a delicious life, I've been working on ridding the toxins out of all aspects of my life. So naturally, I was interested in making my own toothpaste as well. Now that I have been using this for about a year, and I've had a couple of dentist check ups, I feel ready to share with the rest of you. My dentist continues to say everything looks perfect and "keep doing what your doing."

There are a ton of homemade toothpaste recipes online. I use this simple one, just because I have these ingredients on hand on any given day.

I don't measure precisely, but I mix equal parts of coconut oil and baking soda. Then just drip in essential oils to taste. This time around I choose spearmint. But I have used peppermint and thieves and love them all!

I did melt the coconut oil just a touch to make mixing a little bit easier. It will solidify as it cools. (In warmer months of the year this will become more runny.)

Brush up and show me those pearly whites!

I must admit, this toothpaste took some time for me to love. I was used to the sweeter toothpaste blends at the store and initially this tasted bitter and I hated it. After daily use, I am in love. I used a small travel tube of store bought on our vacation a few months back and couldn't stand it. Goes to show you can train your habits and taste buds.