It's that time again.

Although it still feel like summer here in the South, the return of school and enclosed spaces has led to the return of coughs, colds, and the dreaded stomach bugs.  It didn't take long for the latter to find our house! 

Lack of sleep and loads of laundry aside, when your little one is feeling sick, you can feel so helpless.  Holding back hair, and murmuring comforting words just doesn't feel like enough sometimes.  So we do what we can, and hope it helps to ease some of our loves suffering. 

I have a few tricks up my sleeve that I pull out for these dreaded nights and the following days of recovery.  Hopefully you won't need them!  But just in case, here ya go:

1. We start with Lavender.  When you or your little one is feeling nauseous, lavender is a great way to calm the stomach while at the same time disinfect the area.  I make a Lavender Spray, and spritz generously.  It also helps ease tension, worries, and assists in falling asleep.

Lavender Spray:

8 oz. Water
1 tsp. With Hazel
10-25 drops of Lavender Essential Oil

Mix thoroughly and place in a clean spray bottle.  Shake before each use.

2. Once the stomach has calmed a little we move onto teas.  It is important to use only clear liquids until vomiting has stopped for 6 hours.  Slippery Elm Bark and Chamomile work great. Slippery elm bark is very nutritive and soothing for the stomach and the esophagus.  Chamomile is an antispasmodic, that will calm and warm the stomach to relieve nausea.  Make a weak tea, and give in teaspoon doses.  Add honey to taste.  Feel free to add herbs like peppermint, catnip, ginger, cinnamon, and lemon balm according to taste preference.

3. Last but not least, comes the broth.  There are many kinds of clear broth out there on the market.  I recommend using a home-made vegetable broth, but if you don't have one on hand (which most of us don't when we most need it!), find a low-sodium healthy veggie broth.  You want to be able to dilute it if necessary.  Start slowly, to avoid overloading the stomach.  Below is a great broth recipe, from Mary Bove's Enclyclopedia of Natural Healing:

Potassium Broth:

1/2 inch outer peelings, including skins, of 3 potatoes
Bunch of fresh parsley, chopped
3 scrubbed, unpeeled carrots, cut into rounds
Handful of greens, chopped
2 medium onions, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
Other leafy greens & herbs desired
2 Quarts water

Wash and prepare veggies.  Simmer in water in large covered pot, 30-40 minutes. Strain.  Excess broth my be stored in refrigerator for up to 2 days.


We hope your family stays healthy and happy over the coming Fall and Winter months!  To help support you in this, we've put a large selection of our teas and tinctures on sale here. 

Work preventatively, and stay healthy!
Kristin

Recognize these? 

These are the red, hot, itchy little buggers covering my little one right now.  Hives, or Urticaria, are raised, itchy, red welts on the surface of the skin. They are usually an allergic reaction to food or medicine.  But in our case, it's a result of the latest virus going around.  So not only is my little one hot and stuffy, but itchy as well.

Is it Spring yet?!

Hives are one of those signs that gets parent's hearts beating a little faster.  Since they are normally associated with an allergic reaction, we worry that it will lead to swollen throats and trouble breathing.  Scary stuff.  And not to be messed with.  However, if they are not associated with an allergic reaction (and you've talked to your doctor), there are lots of ways to treat hives naturally.

Think cool and soothing.

1. Cold Compresses- place a cool cloth over the affected area, changing frequently.  Even better is soaking the cloth in a cool tea of peppermint, spearmint, or lavender.

2. Aloe Vera- the cool gelatinous insides of Aloe are perfect for cooling down the inflamed areas of hives. The gel is widely available. Just make sure it is 100% Aloe.

3. Tumeric Paste- You might have Tumeric sitting around in your spice cabinet.  It's a great addition to a lot of meals!  It is also a well-known anti-inflammatory.  Take 1 tablespoon of Tumeric powder, add enough water to form a thick paste, and then apply. 

4. Oatmeal and Marshmallow Root Bath- If you have hives all over the body, you might want to try this one.  Take about 1 cup of rolled oats and grind into a fine powder.  Do the same with 1/2 cup of Marshmallow Root.  You can also use Slippery Elm Bark, but it's an at-risk plant, so make sure you have a reputable source.  Sprinkle the mixture into the running bath of lukewarm water. Make sure the water isn't too hot, or it will further aggravate the hives.  This colloidal treatment will cool and soothe those hot itchy bumps. 

Apply any of these treatments as needed and hopefully you (or your little one) will find some relief! 

Be Well!
Kristin
 

If you are anywhere near the Northeast, you've probably (hopefully!) heard of the impending Super Snowstorm.  They've even given it a name.  Nemo.  Somehow that name just doesn't conjure up images of driving snow that could bring down power and bury us all in 2 feet of snow. 


So while you are out there stocking up on the necessities, and the not-so-necessities, consider adding some of the ingredients for these yummy natural marshmallows to your list.  Snow days in my house = lots of snow play, lots of hot chocolate with marshmallows, and lots of board games.  Usually in that order, and usually repeated throughout the day. 

So in honor of dear Nemo, I've dug up this old post on how to make your own delicious, natural marshmallows.  Enjoy!

Originally from Snow Day!

We like to put our own herbal spin on things around here, so I thought I'd share a fun recipe to making real marshmallows.  Those air puffed, spongy white things don't contain any marshmallow at all, which is actually a very healing herb.  Marshmallow root is renowned for its abilities to sooth skin and heal inflammations in the body.  It's one of my go-to herbs for sore throats. 

Go on, I dare you try making these.  Super easy and SO delicious.

This recipe is adapted from Lesley Tierra's (2000): A Kid's Herb Book. 

Ingredients:
-2 eggs
-1/2 tsp Vanilla
-1/2 cup sugar
-2 tablespoons marshmallow root powder


-Preheat oven to 275 degrees F
-Separate 2 eggs, keeping the whites.  Beat whites until foamy and not quite stiff.
-Add in 1/2 tsp. Vanilla or other delicious flavoring
-Slowly beat in up to 1/2 cup (it's okay to use less!) sugar, 1 tsp at a time
-Beat in 2 tablespoons marshmallow root powder
-Drop mixture using teaspoonful at a time on a lined cookie sheet.
-Bake 1 hour
-Remove from sheet and let cool.  Yum!

*Refrigerate extras (if there is any) for several days

Be Well,
Kristin

 

This week as I've been starting into the holiday season, I find I've been finishing a lot of the bounty from the growing season.  The snow peas, so carefully frozen in June are now all gone.  The shelled peas suffered the same fate a few weeks ago, and the blueberries....well, they didn't even make it into September.  Each time I come to the end of a bag, or a jar, I have to sigh a little bit.  Not only for the deliciousness that I won't experience again until the next growing season, but for each memory tied to that particular food or medicine. 

So much of the world has lost this kind of meaningful connection with their food.  I feel so very grateful to my CSA, Riverland Farms, for working incredibly hard to feed the people of my community.  They have nourished our bodies and our souls! And truly, it gives real meaning to the celebration of the harvest.  Hope your holiday is full of gratitude, and butternut squash!

Be Well,
Kristin

p.s.  Find a CSA near you!  Sign-ups are happening now for the next season.  Check out LocalHarvest.org and change your life!

It feels like the world has been spinning out of control for the past few weeks.  Super storms, trick or treating, nail biting elections, and Nor'easters.  No wonder the kids succumbed to the infiltration of the latest virus going around school. Obviously, the Halloween candy did not help matters.

First one, then the other of my little ones got hot!  Both had fevers that went up pretty significantly.  Enough to make my mama alarm bells go off.  It's hard to remember that really, fevers are our friends.  Fever simply represents our bodies normal response to killing off the virus that is invading our bodies.  Raise the temperature of the body, and the virus will eventually die off. 

Since both of my kids are over one month old (in which case you should go to the doctor if temp is over 100.4 degrees F), I took a deep breath and did what I could to make them comfortable. Nothing quiets those alarms bells like action.  I brewed tea.  I made them rest.  The herb fairy came and sprayed lavender hydrosol and put cool washcloths with peppermint essential oil on their little foreheads to calm them. All the time pushing fluids, fluids, fluids.  My herbal ally in this fight: Yarrow.  Here's the breakdown:

Scientific Name: Achillea millefolium
Common Names: Yarrow, Milfoil
Description: Stem is angular and rough.  Alternate leaves, 3 to 4 inches long and 1 inch broad, clasping the stem at the base, bipinnatifid, the segments very finely cut, giving the leaves a feathery appearance.  Flowers white, like tiny daisies, in flattened, terminal, loose heads, or cymes. The whole plant is more or less hairy, with white, silky appressed hairs.
Habitat: Grows everywhere, in the grass, in meadows, pastures, and by the roadside throughout N. America and Europe. Horticulture varieties of various color are cultivated widely, but are not as potent.
Blooms: June to September
Uses: Diaphoretic, astringent, tonic, stimulant and mild aromatic.  Translation: Yarrow helps to raise the body temp enough to break a fever, it can help arrest bleeding, has antibacterial properties, and can even help repel bugs.  The whole plant can be used.

Truth be told, this one can taste a little bitter.  So I made a tea blend with other fever-supporting herbs like peppermint, elder blossoms, lemon balm, and even catnip. My kids drank loads of this tea, sweetened with a bit of honey.  Heck, they even bathed in a strong infusion of Yarrow, which brought considerable relief as it opened up their pores. 

Eventually they cooled down and perked up.  My mama alarm bells stopped ringing.  And as of this beautiful sunny morning, the world has stopped spinning quite so rapidly.

Be Well,
K

There he is.  There's the little bugger who decided to sting me a few days ago.  Okay, so that's not the bugger, but still.  Ouch.  Actually what was worse than the sting (which was acquired by completing minding my own business by the way), was the sense of betrayal.  Bees are my friends. They pollinate all my plant friends, they make the delicious and nutritious honey I use for so many herbal preparations.  They even give me the beeswax that I need to make topical applications.  I have friends who study you, bee.  And I fully appreciate you in all your amazzzzzzzing complexity.  So be nice.

Clearly I'm being dramatic.  But hey, it was the first time I've even been stung (even my kids were stung before me).  So in lieu of screaming and crying, there it is.  Luckily, Plantain was there to rescue me!  Old reliable plantain.  It's everywhere, from the first tentative greens to first frost.  Here's the breakdown:

Scientific Name: Plantago (various species)
Common Names: Ribwort, Greater Plantain
Description: Perennial plant, grows to 0--4 meters. Leaves are long, oval, or lance-shaped.  Usually plantain has a rosette of basal leaves with one flowering stalk, ending in an oblong spike of small flowers. Flowers are densely concentrated along the spike.
Habitat: Almost everywhere.  Throughout N. America, Europe and Northern Asia. Can be found on lawns, pastures, roadsides, fields and meadows. It is a common weed on cultivated grounds.
Blooms: April to August.  But the leaves (which are the most useful) can last through November.
Uses: This is a great plant to use externally for general would healing.  Bites, stings, cuts, etc.  You can also use it internally for for urinary tract infections and inflammation.

Externally, you can simply mash up the fresh leaves between your fingers and apply the poultice to the wound.  Make sure you get some of that good green juice in there! Hold in place until swelling or pain subsides.  Re-apply as needed.  The astringent properties help to stop bleeding, and promote the healing of woulds and injuries.  The cooling nature of this plant helps to decrease the inflammation and relieve associated pain.

To use internally,  make a strong tea out of the leaves and drink as needed until symptoms subside.

This is one plant my kids know really well!  When we are on a bike ride and the inevitable skinned knee happens, we immediately begin to look for Plantain.  It not only takes their minds off the owie, but the plant soothes the pain and allows them to enjoy the rest of the ride. 

See if you can find it growing outside your front door!
~K

It's come.  Tomorrow marks the first day of school for my little ones, officially ending our long days of summer.  I can honestly say that we have squeezed the life out of every single day. Soaking up each moment of sunshine possible, and being as creative and spontaneous as can be.  But even though my thoughts are turning to cool weather and sharing pots of hot tea with friends, it's still not Fall quite yet. 

I liken these transitional times to the pause between the in breath and the out breath.  The brief moment that you hold all that sweet energy in, and it nourishes you all the way down to your lovely little cells.  I encourage you to be aware of that powerful space between the breaths.  And this lovely transitional time.  When you can still feel the warm kiss of sun on your shoulders, but can appreciate the warm cup of tea between your hands as you reflect on your favorite moments from the season past.

Here's some of my favorites.....

~Kristin

If you live in the U.S., you know that this summer has been HOT!  The Northeast and the Midwest seem to have been especially hard hit the past month or so.  Typical forecast:  Hot. Humid. And no rain.  Can you hear my dog panting?

Since most of us in the Northeast don't have central air (or in my case, a window unit or A/C in the car), we have to use other strategies to cool down.  Yes, fans are my best friend right now and we have been practically living in the various swimming holes in the area.  Here's some other ways we have been keeping cool and keeping sane.

1. Peppermint Mist:
   Take a spray bottle and fill with water and 10 drops of peppermint essential oil.  Shake vigorously, spray, and feel  
    refreshed!

2. Smoothies:
    If you read this blog regularly, you know just how much my family LOVES smoothies.  Any kind will do.  Feel free to  
    look up some of my past recipes.  Blend yogurt, frozen or fresh fruit, ice (optional), and any other herb or other
    flavoring you like.  Note:  These are heaven when eaten after harvesting large amounts of peas and strawberries.

3. Frozen Tea Pops
    One of my friends passed on the idea of freezing peppermint tea into Popsicles.  Genius!  I have since been
    experimenting with a wide variety of cooling herbs.  Lemon Balm, Chamomile, and Lavender have been my favorites
    so far.  You can mix in a little honey before pouring into Popsicle molds if you like.  Added bonus: Lemon balm helps
    hot grumpy kids turn into little angels again!

4. Eat Cooling Foods
    Cucumbers and Watermelon cool me all the way down to my toes.  I can literally feel the sensation.  Find those foods
    that do that for you.  Yogurt? Melons? Citrus?  Try them all.  And under no circumstances are you allowed to turn on
    the oven.

5. Siesta!
      That's right.  Take a nap.  And that's an order.  During the hottest part of the day, put a peppermint or lavender tea
      soaked frozen washcloth on your forehead and lay down.  I know it's not always practical (I do have 2 little ones),
      but even if it is for 2 minutes, it gives your body a chance to recharge and cool down.

Rain is on the way for us.  Hooray!  Look for me, dancing around in it.

~Kristin