garden apothecary

This time of year my hands are especially prone to becoming rough and dry – constantly in the dirt planting, weeding and digging. I rub them daily with lotion, to restore lost moisture and smooth any roughness (this and this have been my all time favorites for years).

Last week I finally decided to try my hand at making my own lotion with herbs we grow here in our gardens… Let’s just say, it is a little bit ridiculous how excited I am at the outcome. I don’t know why, but I didn’t think I would achieve such an amazing final product. It’s pretty much everything I could hope for in a nourishing cream – save for a super minor tweak here and there. I’m psyched. Totally!

I did some research to get a sense of the process. I started with, “A Complete Book of Herbs – A practical guide to growing and using herbs,” by Lesley Bremness. I also found a few online resources. I knew I wanted to use lavender – possibly my favorite floral herb,  and we have an abundance of the notoriously skin-supportive calendula blooming right now. I have also been learning about the healing properties of elder flowers, which are blooming right now, so they felt like a natural addition as well.

With a general feel for the ratio differences between salves and lotions, a sense for what I wanted as my outcome, the help of this site for the process and quantities,  and then with what I had on hand, my recipe ended up something like this:

Approximately 1/2 cup of a mixture of calendula flower petals, elderflower and dried lavender

then fill to 3/4 cup with olive oil

.4 ounce beeswax

1/2 ounce witch hazel

3 1/2 ounces calendula infused water

15 drops lavender essential oil

(ounces are by weight)

A little bit about the herbs I chose:

Calendula – Reduces inflammation and soothes the skin. It is a wonderful herb for the general care of skin irritations of all kinds. “Calendula has been used for centuries to heal wounds and skin irritations. Calendula has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, astringent, antifungal, antiviral, and immunostimulant properties making it useful for disinfecting and treating minor wounds, conjunctivitis, cuts, scrapes, chapped or chafed  skin, bruises, burns, athlete’s foot, acne, yeast infections, bee stings, diaper rashes, and other minor irritations and infections of the skin.” (mountain rose herbs – http://mountainroseblog.com/healing-calendula/).

Elderflower – Soothes dry skin and has anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties. It is a supportive tonic for all skin types, particularly mature skin. Reputed to soften skin and smooth wrinkles, fade freckles and soothe sunburn.

Lavender – Has antiseptic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, soothing and stimulating. A healing and gentle cleanser and tonic for all skin types. Aroma-therapeutic as well, acting as an uplifting nerve tonic.

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I measured a generous 1/2 cup of calendula petals, dried lavender flowers and elder flowers (separated from the stems), and then covered this combination with organic olive oil until I had a total quantity of about 3/4 cup.

I poured the mixture into a double boiler, covered it, and slowly warmed it, letting it set at a very low heat for about 3 hours.

I weighed out nearly 1/2 ounce of beeswax

and made an infusion of calendula petals and purified water.

When the oil and herbs were steeped to my satisfaction, I strained them into a jar,

squeezing any excess oil out with clean hands.

The oil infusion was then placed back in a warm pot of water and gently heated with the beeswax, until the beeswax was fully incorporated.

Once incorporated, I set the jar on the counter to cool to room temperature, blending periodically with an immersion blender. Then I measured out my witch hazel, calendula infusion and essential oil.

All the ingredients were gradually blended until I reached my desired consistency.

The final step of blending was the most exciting, as the whole mixture gradually transformed into something beautiful and creamy.

The cream is smooth and silky, and not too heavy or oily – particularly when applied to freshly washed skin. Steven is appreciating it as well, for dry elbows and knees, and areas that have been exposed to a lot of sun recently.

Next time I will try different, more deliberately chosen oils, and will explore some other herbs with properties specific to my skin and it’s particular needs at the time. My skin is loving this combination though, and my hands haven’t felt so soft in quite some time!

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wild medicinals

Red elder trees are blooming everywhere right now. They are all along the roadsides out here near the lakes on the edge of the woods, and there are a couple growing right in our yard. Until recently, when I was reinspired by a photo of elderflowers intended for cordial, by a fellow instagrammer halley roberts, I had pretty much ruled them out as a useful plant, knowing that the leaves and fruit contain toxic “cyanoglycoside sambunigrin” (with further research, the fruit turns out to actually be edible if prepared correctly (cooked, de-seeded), and is used by some to make jam). I did some further research and learned that the flowers of red elder are safe and gentle for internal and external use, and can make a beautiful, healing addition to the medicine cabinet. The flowers of the elder tree – both red and black – are the most mellow part of the plant.

Please do your research, and always double triple quadruple check when identifying a plant that is new to you, if you plan to consume it or apply it to your skin.

I harvested a few elderflowers from each tree in our yard, and a few from a few different trees off a roadside nearby. It’s getting late for collection and I think I just made it. Many flower clusters are now transitioning toward the fruiting stage.

I made a tincture with some of the flowers, and used the rest for another project I will share soon. For the tincture, I separated the flowers from the stems, loosely chopped them, and filled a jelly jar (about 7 ounces) with them. I covered the herb with 3 parts Everclear to 1 part water. I labeled my jar, and tucked it into a dark cabinet and will shake it each day. It should be ready for use in 4-6 weeks.

[I would have been more selective in my alcohol choice, but Everclear is what we had on hand. As a little aside, Everclear makes an excellent disinfectant. We fill small spritz bottles with it, and take it with us when we are out and about to keep our hands clean.]

Elderflower has diaphoretic, diuretic, anti-inflammatory and expectorant properties. The flowers have long been used to treat many kinds of inflammatory and congestive conditions of the respiratory tract, and has been traditionally used to treat flu, colds, mucus, sinusitis, feverish illnesses and other upper respiratory tract problems, as well as hay fever.  Externally, elderflower soothes irritable, itchy skin.

I will try to report back in a month or so, when it’s time to strain and bottle our tincture.

Do you make your own medicinals? If so, what are some of your most used medicinal herbs?

[a few references:

Prescription for Nutritional Healing by Phyllis A. Balch

http://www.sacredearth.com/ethnobotany/plantprofiles/elder.php

http://www.ageless.co.za/herb-elder-flower.htm ]

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make your own yogurt

I love yogurt all ways – made up sweet in a smoothie with fruit, savory with seeds and herbs, as a topping on meals or a spread on sandwiches, as a supplement to swig down doses of flax oil and molasses… the list goes on. It has always been an important dietary staple in our home, and the benefits of eating cultured dairy are many. My only qualm, in past years, was with the countless plastic quart containers that accumulated with our yogurt consumption.

I don’t know how it took me as long as it did to discover how easy it was to make yogurt myself. It’s really, really easy!

There are many yogurt tutorials out there, I am sure, but we all do things a little differently so I thought I would share my method. Now that I’ve developed a rhythm, I find the process to be so easy I can do it almost without thinking. While it takes many hours from start to completion, the actual time required of you to be in the kitchen is maybe 10 minutes, as most of the time is simply letting your yogurt do it’s thing.

I make one gallon of yogurt at a time, but you can make any amount that works for your household. I like to make the most of my yogurt-making sessions, and typically we (mostly I!) consume about a gallon of yogurt every 2 weeks.

Ingredients and Materials:

Milk

Plain yogurt (for your starter)

Jars or other seal-able glass storage containers

A milk thermometer

A pot or pots large enough to hold your milk

Stainless measuring spoons

Stainless or glass stirrer

A few notes: You will need as much milk as the amount of yogurt you want to produce. For example, to make a gallon of yogurt you need a gallon of milk. I use Organic Valley Whole Milk. I wouldn’t recommend using skim, but a lower fat milk should work fine. You will need about 2 Tbs of yogurt per quart of milk. I use Nancy’s organic whole milk yogurt. You will need enough storage jars to accommodate the full quantity of milk, plus a small amount of extra (equal to the quantity of yogurt starter you use).

To Make:

The short… heat milk, cool milk, mix in yogurt starter, pour into containers, incubate, refrigerate.

The long….

1. Clean all of your materials thoroughly (pots, jars, stirrers, etc). Since we are dealing with fermentation, and are attempting to cultivate healthy bacteria – not unhealthy bacteria – cleanliness is very important, and is the easiest way to insure success. You can use the sanitization method of your choice. I scrub everything thoroughly, rinse with very hot water, and then do a final rinse with purified water and drip dry (this isn’t “sanitization” per se, but it works well for me).

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2. Pour your milk into your cook pot/s and heat to 170-175 degrees, stirring occasionally. I set my stove to a medium low temperature and let it heat slowly, so that if I get distracted it’s unlikely I will burn the milk. I have accidentally allowed it to reach 190 or so without burning, due to the slowness of the temperature rise. You don’t want to burn your milk! It will taste yucky.

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3. Once your milk has reached temperature, take it off the heat, stirring for a minute or so to avoid scalding on the bottom. Now let it cool, down to about 110-115 degrees. This will take some time, so you can go on to do other things for a while. (Heating the milk is a precautionary measure, to kill any unwanted bacteria that may compete with the bacteria you are trying to grow to make your yogurt. Cooling the milk is important so you do not kill your starter).

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4. When the milk has cooled to 110-115,  pour a small amount of it into one of your jars, and mix with the appropriate amount of yogurt starter per the quantity of milk in the pot you drew from. Stir the small mixture until the yogurt is dissolved, and then pour it back into your pot of milk. Now mix it in so that it’s well dispersed throughout the pot of milk.

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5. Pour your yogurt milk into jars, lid them loosely, and now it’s time to ferment.

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For the incubation period, I set all of my jars on a heavy glass bake pan and place it in the oven.* I heat the oven to 100 degrees and then promptly turn it off.  Every few hours, I turn the oven heat back on (a minute or less, set at the lowest temperature possible) and then turn it back off. I usually leave my yogurt to ferment for 12-18 hours (this is relatively long, so you may like to experiment with different fermentation times).

*Note about using an oven: My oven doesn’t maintain a  temperature lower than 170 degrees. It has a digital readout though, that tells me what temperature it is inside so I can monitor the rise and turn it off at the appropriate time. I have a rule for myself that I CAN NOT multi task while waiting for it to heat.  It is too easy to get distracted. I have nearly cooked/killed my yogurt before. Take care not overheat and kill your yogurt. If your oven can maintain a heat of 100 degrees on it’s own, you have the perfect yogurt maker!! If you do not have a digital readout, a minute or less of heat is plenty. You are simply providing assistance in the fermentation process by creating a warm environment. I aim for around 100 degrees for yogurt fermentation, though lower temperatures will work as well. It will just take a little longer.

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When your yogurt is finished, seal your containers snugly and store them in the fridge.

I find it really satisfying to put away a gallon of fresh yogurt! Your yogurt will have firmed up quite a lot – something like creamy pudding – and will firm up a little more once it refrigerates. It should have that pleasant, slightly sour/sweet smell. Home made yogurt is not as thick as store bought (in my experience), but the thickness will depend quite a bit on how long you ferment for – firming up more (as well as becoming more tart), with longer fermentation time.

Now that you have your own yogurt made, you can use it as your starter for the next batch. I have read that if you are using your own starter, it should be no more than 2 weeks old, and if it is older than that to start with a new starter again, though I haven’t verified how important this actually is. I usually use my own starter 2 or 3 times, and then start with a new one again.

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If you have never made yogurt before, I hope you try it! Feel free to ask any questions you might have.

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doing it myself / week 4

This week I repaired an old favorite sweater.

My work can be hard on my clothes, so I have a few designated “work sweaters.”  This wool sweater, even though it’s ill fitting and really kind of frumpy, tends to be my favorite. It’s loose and warm and easy to toss off and on throughout the day.

Some time last year, one of the elbows developed a hole, which got so big I stopped wearing it, afraid I would ruin it forever… But I missed that old sweater…

Before patching, I sewed the hole up, loosely but securely, so it wouldn’t continue to unravel.

I almost could have called it done at this point, but that fix is not nearly as fun or lasting as patching.

I made a patch pattern to my desired shape and size, and then cut 2 patches from an old leather skirt. Then I marked out and punched my stitch holes.

The location of the hole was the perfect reference for where to place the patch. For the other sleeve, I matched it to the first by measuring, and then eyeballing it into position.

I think that now it’s better than new! I also like to think my sweater even looks a little less frumpy now.

Are you a fan of elbow patches? I love how this look has made a comeback in recent years.

More patches from the past – tweed on cashmere.

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doing it myself / week 3

Last week’s linen project… a set of humble, hard working dish towels and a couple table napkins, too.

This is one of the easiest projects ever. Simply cut to your desired size – leaving room for seam allowance – and hem. I included loops on the towels, to allow us to hang them from a cabinet knob next to the sink.

This week I’m working on something from my wardrobe. This project is a mix of fun and practical. I’ll share once I’m done.

 

Aaaand, I’ll be back soon with a post on how I make yogurt! I have had a few requests over the last year, and have been meaning to post about it for a while.

Enjoy the weekend, friends…

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doing it myself / week 2

This week’s DIY project was a little something for our car. We like to have the basics set up so our vehicle stays organized, and so we are prepared for spontaneous day trips or long days out running errands. One thing we needed was a functional place to put waste, like banana peels, apple cores, small recyclables, etc while on the road. It didn’t need to be large, would preferably be washable, stable so it didn’t tip over, and easy to access from the driver and passenger seat.

I tracked down a quart sized yogurt container (which was satisfyingly difficult to find since I make my own yogurt now), and built a small fabric container around it. I installed snaps on the fabric container, and also on a leather strap I cut, so it could snap in and out of where ever it was hung, with ease. The container is made with a heavy hemp canvas (my favorite fabric in the world!), and lined with a waterproof nylon material I had leftover from a custom order some time back.

It’s hanging from the seat frame down near the floor now, but can also be hung from the back of the headrest. We don’t generate a lot of trash (especially not while in the car), so the size is perfect.

Do you organize your car? Any fun tips?

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Last week’s DIY here.

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REgrow your own

Over the years we have tried to grow, regrow, and propagate many kinds of things. Steven has tried to regrow some things that I thought were pretty far fetched, but it’s amazing what plants can do. Once, we even had a totally far out (far out as in nearly rotting) stalk of broccoli start to put out new growth in our compost pile, and this was discovered after turning it up from 2 feet deep!

I can’t remember if we ever tried celery, but when I saw this by the clever folks at 17apart, and decided to give it a try, the first thing Steven said when he saw it was, “that looks like something I would do!” Celery is steadily growing, and it’s happening remarkably fast.

The first photo up at the top was taken 4 or 5 days after I cut the stalks off and put the end in water. I have just potted it in soil and am excited to see how it does from here.

So before you scrap that veggie end, consider a little experiment with regrowing it!

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a little striped skirt

While cleaning up some piles of fabric a few nights ago, I came upon this striped jersey material I had found some time back at the thrift store. It suddenly seemed like a great idea to make a little skirt.

I used an old skirt of mine to get the basic shape from, and traced it onto paper as a pattern. The waistband is a wide, doubled over strip of a stretchy bamboo knit. In less than an hour I had a new little skirt!

If there is some interest, I may try to create a simple tutorial. This is a very easy project if you have a serger. And even if you don’t, some simple variations could be made to work with a sewing machine.

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catchment

This week Steven got our catchment system hooked up. The 325 gallon tank is already over half full, after just 1/3 of an inch of rainfall. We are pretty excited!

The roof over our garage is flat, which is not great for much, but it does lend itself well to the easy collection of water. The water runs down the slight slope of the roof into the gutter, where it then flows into the downspout and through the Clean Rain Ultra. Steven did a lot of research before deciding on this device, and was ultimately swayed by it’s smart and simple design, which includes 4 features all in one relatively small package. After a “first flush,” which prevents accumulated contaminants from entering your tank, the water is then diverted into the storage tank. This divereter valve can also be adjusted manually. A fine stainless steel screen is included in the system to keep things like grit, fir needles and even mosquitoes out, so your tank doesn’t become a mosquito breeder; and a rain head keeps leaves and other larger debris out. When the tank is full, it is made to divert to a little pond down the hill. We still need to work out the details of how to get the water to the point of use, but that shouldn’t be too hard at this point.

It’s exciting to think how much water we will be able to save, and it makes us feel a little more ready in case of emergency. Essentially, we live in a rainforest. We receive an average of 80 inches of rain per year here – which, if the math whizzes did the math right, means about 4 gallons per hour, every hour, just from our garage roof! Steven is starting to research small scale hydro power, with the idea of creating some electricity with all the rainfall we get. It seems totally possible.

For now though, I am just hoping to be able to water the garden almost entirely with collected rainwater this summer. I think the plants will be happier with that too.

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++ UPDATE (with an even more recent photo coming soon). This post gets so many hits, I thought it would be worth showing a slightly more updated version. The cedar surround is there partly to conceal the tank, but also to protect it from sun. Sunlight allows for unwanted bacterial and algal growth, and your water will turn green. The visible side here (south) was shortened to allow a roof to be put on. A wall was put up on the west side as well. A few adjustments were made to the piping to accommodate.

It’s so great that so many people are interested in harvesting rainwater!

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small details

Are you a details kind of person? I tend to notice little details. When we got this duvet cover (during our virgin Ikea voyage last October), the blue, fabric-covered, metal buttons were a detail that bugged me. I don’t know why. They seemed chintzy. A few days ago I had this sudden, unstoppable urge to finally change those buttons out. I love the simple change. Plus, I am just crazy about wood. It is so warm and approachable.

It’s fun to make something your own by adding your own personal touch. Do you do little things like this?

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