Today I'm doing a quick blog with an article from Herb Companion. Ill be out and about today. Also Ive had limited time on here since my bfs computer died, and we are sharing. That should be remedied soon!

OTHERS WHO HAVE HERB BLOGS ARE:

Rochelle has a link on hers for Herbs for Beautiful Hair http://rocheller49.multiply.com/journal/item/240?mark_read=rocheller49:journal:240&replies_read=2

Kathyinozarks has two for you one about Blueberries http://kathyinozarks.multiply.com/journal/item/993?mark_read=kathyinozarks:journal:993
and one for Liberty Tea for the holiday

Nothing is more refreshing than a cold beverage when temperatures rise. If you’re bored with the same old iced tea, make your own herbal drinks to help you stay cool this summer. Get creative with garnishes — instead of the usual lemon slices or peppermint sprigs, try skewered fruits or vegetables. Any edible herb or flower looks beautiful adorning a glass.

Before you get started, here are a few tips:

Serving Summer Beverages

• When serving drinks in a serving pitcher, be sure to chill the empty pitcher beforehand. Do not add ice to the pitcher or it will dilute the drinks. Instead, add the ice to each serving glass. Sliced lemons, limes and oranges are best when added to the pitcher or glass just before serving.

• Make your own decorative ice cubes by filling ice cube trays with a single berry, herb leaf, citrus peel or edible flower. Fill each tray half full with water or apple juice and freeze. Fill the ice cubes trays to the top and freeze again until firm. This method ensures that the item you’re freezing doesn’t float to the top of the ice cube.

• To keep your frozen drinks from becoming too diluted on a hot summer day, make some ice cubes out of the same beverage you’ll be drinking. If you want perfectly crystal clear ice cubes, use bottled water instead of tap water.

• To make sugared rims, put some superfine sugar on a small plate. Rub a lemon or lime on the rim of the glass and dip it in the sugar.

Mango Iced Tea

Serves 6

Fresh mango (or thawed frozen) purees easily in a food processor. To save time, you can use mango nectar instead of the pureed mango called for in this recipe.

• 4 cups water
• 4 teaspoons black tea leaves
• 1 1/2 cups pureed mango
• 1/4 cup sugar, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons fresh peppermint leaves
• Crushed ice
• Thinly sliced mango, to garnish

Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and add black tea. Cover and steep for 5 minutes. Strain and add mango and sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour into a serving pitcher with peppermint leaves. Chill. Pour into glasses filled with crushed ice. Garnish each glass with a thin slice of mango.

Chamomile Apple Cooler

Serves 4

Chamomile and apple juice combine to create a relaxing and tasty beverage. You can substitute two chamomile tea bags for the dried chamomile flowers. Try serving this tea at your next children’s party or with dessert.

• 2 tablespoons dried chamomile flowers
• 2 cups boiling water
• 3 cups apple juice
• Lemon slices, for garnish

Hibiscus-Lime Sun Tea

Serves 4

Dried hibiscus flowers, high in vitamin C, sometimes are sold in Hispanic markets under the name jamaica (pronounced ha-MI-ca). They also can be found at health-food stores. Hibiscus flowers are what make some commercial herbal tea blends that brilliant shade of red.

• 1/4 cup dried hibiscus flowers
• 4 cups water
• 3 tablespoons mild honey or agave nectar, or to taste
• 2 limes, sliced
• Crushed ice

In a large glass pitcher, mix hibiscus and water. Cover and let sit outside or in a sunny spot for 6 hours or until bright red. Strain and stir in honey until dissolved. Add sliced limes to pitcher. Serve tea over crushed ice.

Iced Green Tea Chai

Serves 4

Look for whole green cardamom pods at your health-food store or at an Indian market. This energizing drink is a great alternative to coffee. Try making it to help you get started in the morning. Green Tea Chai is also great as a hot drink.

• 4 cups water
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tablespoon green cardamom pods
• 1 teaspoon whole cloves
• 2 tablespoons sliced fresh gingerroot
• 4 teaspoons green tea leaves
• Milk or non-dairy milk, to taste
• Sweetener to taste

Bring water to a boil. Add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and gingerroot. Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and add green tea. Cover and steep for 10 minutes. Strain and chill tea mixture. Serve in chilled glasses with cold milk and sweetener to taste.

Peppermint Slush

Serves 4

This refreshing concoction is made just like you’d make a granita. The icy texture and the coolness of the mint are very welcome on a hot day. You can substitute other types of mint, such as spearmint or chocolate mint, and vary the amount of sweetener.

• 4 cups boiling water
• 1/4 cup loose dried peppermint
• 1/4 cup sugar or to taste
• Fresh peppermint, for garnish

1. Pour boiling water over peppermint and cover. Let steep for 5 minutes. Strain and add sugar. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Pour mixture into a shallow baking pan.
2. Freeze mixture for 30 minutes and then break up partially frozen mixture with a fork. Return to freezer for another 30 minutes then break up mixture again. Repeat this process twice more.
3. To serve, scrape pieces with a fork into four wide glasses. Top each serving with some fresh peppermint.

Fresh Ginger and Lemon Soda

Agave nectar is a terrific choice for sweetening iced drinks because it dissolves instantly and has a mild flavor. The strained ginger puree used in this recipe also is a great addition to regular iced tea.

• 1/4 cup sliced fresh gingerroot (about 2 ounces)
• 2 cups water
• 3 tablespoons agave nectar
• 1 lemon, sliced
• 2 cups sparkling water, club soda or seltzer
• Lemon quarters, for garnish

In a food processor, puree the sliced gingerroot and 1 cup water. Pour into a pitcher with the second cup of water and stir in the agave nectar. Cover and chill for 24 hours. Strain and add sliced lemons. For each serving, pour equal parts ginger puree and sparkling water into a glass. Garnish each glass a with lemon quarter.

Icy Tomato-Herb Tonic

Serves 4

This hearty drink tastes a lot like a Bloody Mary without the vodka. If you can’t find fresh lovage, substitute minced celery leaves.

• 4 cups tomato juice
• 1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
• 1/4 cup minced fresh lovage
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce, or to taste
• Celery sticks, for garnish
• Whole parsley and lovage sprigs, for garnish

Mix tomato juice with minced herbs, black pepper and soy sauce in a large pitcher. Chill for several hours. Garnish each serving with a celery stick and more fresh herbs.

Pink Herbal Lemonade

Serves 4

The lavender and hibiscus flowers turn this refreshing lemonade a gorgeous hot-pink color. You’ll get the most juice from lemons that are at room temperature. If you can’t find hibiscus flowers, substitute four large strawberries, thinly sliced.

• 4 cups water
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons dried lavender flowers
• 4 whole dried hibiscus flowers
• 1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 large lemons)
• Lemon slices and whole lavender sprigs, for garnish

Bring water to a boil. Remove from heat and add sugar; stir to dissolve. Add lavender and hibiscus flowers and steep, covered, for 5 minutes. Strain and add lemon juice. Chill for several hours before serving. Garnish with lemon slices and lavender sprigs.

I'm doing a quicky blog today with an article from Herb Companion magazine. Ive had a busy morning and might be out today.

Others who have Herb blogs today are:

Heidi has one about Lemon Verbena http://starfishred.multiply.com/journal/item/466?mark_read=starfishred:journal:466

kathyinozarks has one about Lavender http://kathyinozarks.multiply.com/journal/item/981?mark_read=kathyinozarks:journal:981&replies_read=2

jayaramanm has one on Pineapple    http://jayaramanms.multiply.com/journal/item/212.



 Nix the Itch with Herbs
Stop the madness with these remarkable remedies.

July/August 2004 By Maria Noël Mandile  

Welcome to summer and all that it means: barbecues, hiking, evening walks, lush gardens — and poison ivy, poison oak and bug bites. Welcome to the downside of summer. We all look forward to the barbecues, hiking and long hours in our gardens. But what about the bee stings, bug bites, and poison ivy and oak? One serious bout of poison ivy is enough to make you want to hide indoors and avoid the entire season.


But take heart: You really don’t have to hibernate or spend the entire season scratching. Many of the best anti-itch remedies are as close as your back yard, kitchen or local health-food store. These remedies work in various ways: They can neutralize the irritant that’s making you itch, draw out the toxin, block your inflammation response or quell the nerves that send irritation signals to your brain.

Not every remedy will work for everyone every time, says 7Song, the director of the Northeast School of Botanical Medicine in Ithaca, New York. Experiment with what you have to see what works best for you.

Don’t let itching from poison oak, ivy or bug bites spoil your summertime fun. Natural remedies are as close as your back yard.

Outsmart Poison Oak and Ivy
Poison oak and ivy rashes are caused by potent urushiol oil. As little as one billionth of a gram of urushiol can irritate sensitive skin, and the oil stays active on unwashed clothes and dead plants for up to five years. If you think you’ve come into contact with poison ivy or oak, immediately wash your skin and clothes in cold, soapy water. Use a drying soap, like Fels-Naptha or Burt’s Bees Poison Ivy Soap, recommends Nancy Phillips, co-owner of Heartsong Farm Healing Herbs in Groveton, New Hampshire, and co-author of The Village Herbalist (Chelsea Green, 2001). If you already have a rash, anything hot will irritate it.

“When blood goes to the surface of your body, the itchiness gets worse,” 7Song explains. “When you flush, you itch. If you keep yourself calm and cool, in the shade with a little bit of water, you’ll have less itchiness.” Avoid spicy foods, the sun and hot water. Sip some cool, mildly sedating teas, such as skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora), passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) or chamomile (Matricaria recutita), recommends Margi Flint, owner of Earthsong Herbals in Marblehead, Massachusetts. These will be especially helpful if you’re emotionally worked up from the itchiness.

Grindelia (Grindelia spp.). While working first-aid tents at events like the Rainbow Gathering, 7Song turns to grindelia for cases of poison ivy. He says grindelia, a perennial herb native to the southwestern United States, works for most people. Kathy Abascal, director of the Botanical Medicine Academy in Vashon, Washington, and co-author of Clinical Botanical Medicine (Mary Ann Liebert, 2003), adds, “It seems to reduce the itching and the inflammation.” Grindelia is not well studied, so we don’t know how it specifically works. Apply grindelia tincture straight on the rash or dilute it slightly with water. This should make the itching stop immediately, 7Song says. If it doesn’t, time for another trick.

Jewelweed (Impatiens spp.). This well-known weed tends to grow near poison ivy and historically has been used in all stages of treating a poison ivy rash. Many people simply pick a branch of the juicy herb, crush it up and apply it to the affected area. However, Susun Weed, director of the Wise Woman Center in Woodstock, New York, and author of New Menopausal Years (Ash Tree, 2003), has found another method she says works more effectively. Pick the whole plant — roots and all — and simmer it over the stove for 15 to 30 minutes until the water turns orange. This color is from the reddish roots, which contain chemicals that appear to act like the anti-inflammatory steroid cortisone. Once you strain out the herb and cool the “tea,” you can freeze it in ice-cube trays and apply directly to your skin.

Green or bentonite clay. Rosemary Gladstar, the Vermont–based founder of United Plant Savers and author of Rosemary Gladstar’s Family Herbal (Storey, 2001), once used her toothpaste in desperation on a nasty bout of poison oak. It worked better than her tried-and-true remedies. The toothpaste company is no longer in business, but you can make a paste yourself by mixing green clay, salt and white vinegar, then adding a few drops of peppermint essential oil.

Clay can be used in many ways. Any type will help draw out irritating oils and soothe your itch. Even mud will do in a pinch, says Andrea Candee of South Salem, New York, and author of Gentle Healing for Baby & Child (Pocket Books, 2003). 7Song generally uses bentonite (available at health-food stores and herb shops) because it is strong and cheap. Mix it with your choice of soothing and disinfecting herbs, like slippery elm and goldenseal. Gladstar sometimes adds a few drops of tea tree or lavender essential oil. “You can make [the clay] ahead of time. It won’t dry out as long as the lid is on tightly,” Gladstar says. Spread the damp clay on your rash as often as needed and let it dry there. You also can use this clay on mosquito and black fly bites.

Oatmeal works well for any itchy condition. It soothes irritated skin while also drawing out any remaining toxins. An oat bath is ideal for a large rash that already has settled in. “Make a big pot of soupy oatmeal, strain it into the tub and put the rest in a sock,” Phillips recommends. You will want the bath water to be tepid or cool because hot water can further irritate poison oak and ivy. Use the goopy sock like a sponge and let the oat slime ooze over your rash. “Or grind up the organic oat flakes and make a cold paste and smear it on,” Flint says. “As the oats and water dries, it pulls out the oily exudate into the oat particulate. Your rash won’t spread, and it gives you relief.”

Natural Bug Repellents
One of the best ways to stop itches is to avoid them. While DEET effectively staves off bugs for as long as five hours, it comes with a price: DEET can cause rashes, eye irritation and has been linked to neurological damage. The trick to natural repellents is that you have to try a variety to figure out what best masks your tantalizing human scent, then apply them frequently, herbalist Rosemary Gladstar says.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). Susun Weed, author of New Menopausal Years, swears by yarrow tincture, which she’s used effectively in the woods of New York, even in the bug-rich evenings. Pick the flowering tops of yarrow and cover them in vodka for six weeks, strain and put in a spray bottle. You also can use the yarrow tincture available in stores.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria) essential oil. This modest plant made headlines two years ago when scientists at Iowa State University found that nepetalactone, a compound in catnip, was 10 times more effective than DEET at repelling mosquitoes in the lab. To use, mix 2 to 5 drops of the essential oil in 1 teaspoon of olive oil and apply to your skin, avoiding your eyes.

Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) essential oil. This classic anti-bug oil does a great job deterring bugs, even in the deep woods, Gladstar says. However, the oil is toxic when ingested, and she recommends applying it to your clothes and hat, not your skin directly. Andrea Candee, author of Gentle Healing for Baby & Child, opts to dilute it — 10 drops in 1 ounce of almond oil is safe, she says.

Other essential oils. Eucalyptus, lavender, citronella and geranium essential oils also can be used, though you may need to apply them frequently. “Nothing works for me any better than essential oil of lavender, and it smells so good,” says Nancy Phillips, co-author of The Village Herbalist.

Beat Bothersome Bug Bites

“The thing about itching — it’s a stagnant problem,” 7Song explains. Mosquitoes insert irritating saliva into your skin. The saliva reacts in your skin, making you itch. “The [bug saliva] is localized in your body. Your goal is to neutralize it.” Most of the anti-itch remedies for poison ivy and oak also work for bug bites.

Plantain (Plantago spp.). “I don’t know of any itch that can stand up to plantain,” Weed says. Plantain is a favorite bite and sting remedy of many herbalists, and for good reason. It stops the itch and pulls the bug’s toxins out of your skin. (It also works amazingly well for bee stings, Flint says.) “If it’s growing where you live, bend down, pick up a leaf, chew it (or crush it with a rock) and put it on the itch,” Weed says. “You should experience virtually instant relief.”

Lemon. When people come to 7Song covered in bug bites, he gives them a calming tea (such as skullcap or passionflower) to help soothe their nerves and then a piece of lemon to rub on the bites. Lemon juice seems to stop the allergic reaction to bug saliva. Baking soda and apple cider vinegar work similarly.

Tobacco. “One of the best things for pain or itchiness is tobacco,” 7Song says. “It can be anything — Virginia Slims or [high-quality] organic tobacco. If you have an itch ... just take tobacco, chew it, put it on there and it neutralizes the pain.” He warns that chewing the tobacco can be unpleasant.

Lavender and peppermint essential oils. These essential oils help stop the itching and disinfect the bite. You can apply them directly to the skin or add them to other mediums like clay. Peppermint oil can irritate some people’s skin, so test it on a small patch of your skin first; you also can dilute it in a teaspoon of olive oil or another vegetable oil.

Sangre de grado (Croton lechleri). For a more exotic remedy, turn to sangre de grado. This Peruvian herb’s name means “dragon’s blood” in Spanish, and Abascal learned about it while attending a class in South America. “I went down [to Peru] and did not realize — nobody told me — they had chiggers,” she says. “I managed to get all of these chigger bites that were itchy beyond belief.” She tried steroid creams and other remedies; nothing worked. Then a local shaman came to the rescue. “He showed me this tree and whacked it with his machete. Then he put [the resin] on the bites. It was just incredible in terms of soothing the itching.”

This resin is hard to find in stores, but it’s worth it when you do: It works on the toughest bites, from chiggers to fire ants to mosquitoes — any bite that burns and itches. It also contains some antimicrobial compounds, so it helps fight infections caused by the bites and itching.

Yellow onion. “The onion’s de-toxifying sulphur compounds help neutralize the poison of the bite or venom of the sting, reducing inflammation,” Candee explains. Just slice open an onion and rub it on the bite. Keep doing it as often as necessary until the itching stops.