Chicory

Chicory is a beautiful plant, tall and graceful, with wonderful bluish purple daisy-like flowers. The leaves are much like dandelion leaves and when young they're often mistaken for dandelions. Chicory frequently pops up among fields of Queen Anne's Lace and Black-eyed Susans, like jewels in a forgotten jewelry box.

Most people know Chicory as a substitute for coffee and tho it's slightly bitter and has no caffeine, a hot cup of roasted chicory root will wake you up in the mornings. It's best use that way however is to extend your coffee. You can dig the roots whenever you find them, clean well and roast in a low oven for about 4 hours, until they're dark brown inside. Then grind them and mix them with your coffee to make it go further.

But Chicory has many other uses as well.

The leaves, gathered before the stalk comes up, can be eaten as greens but are very bitter and best when added o other, milder tasting things. The flowers can be added fresh to salads, used to decorate other foods or make a tasty jelly. The spring root can also be baked and eaten, with a parsnip like taste.

Chicory is also used medicinally.

Internally, a tea made from the spring root and leaves can be used to calm an upset stomach or as a mild laxative. It's been used to treat the liver and jaundice.

Externally, A soothing eye compress can be made simply by soaking a cotton ball in the tea and applying to a closed eye. And the leaves can be bruised and applied directly to skin irritations to reduce swelling and has been useful in treating swollen joints cause by rheumatoid arthritis.

As with all things please use care and common sense when trying something new. Do research and investigate fully, never take one persons word as the final say. And always talk to your Care Provider first :)

Some Natural Pain Relievers

Always check with your Care Provider first. Anything can have adverse effects and anything can become addictive. If you're treating ongoing pain without an apparent cause please talk to someone who can help you identify the cause and treat it instead.

There are actually many natural pain relievers available. And, depending on what's causing the pain, treating the actual ailment will likely relieve the pain without any extra help. For instance, if the pain is due to swelling and the cause of the swelling is treated or the swelling itself is treated, then the pain should dissipate.

However, there are times when a separate pain reliever is needed and the ones I use most often and feel safest with are ....

White Willow Bark - it's very bitter and leaves a bitter aftertaste but can be mixed with honey which really helps. It's essentially aspirin but works much better in tea or liquid form. You can also make a compress and use it on aching joints. It also has anti-inflammatory properties as well making it good for conditions that involve swelling. However, it can cause stomach upset so take with care.


Chamomile - the mildest of pain relievers is often passed up with the thought that because it's so mild it won't work. However, many people find that it helps them greatly simply because it's rarely used for that purpose so no tolerances have built up. It's generally very safe to use and rarely interacts badly with other herbs or medications. It's gentle enough to use for children.

St. Johns Wort - this is also a pain reliever that's often over looked for this purpose. It works well for many people, especially those with nerve pain. It also helps reduce pain by calming the mind and body, a relaxed body will generally hurt less and muscle and joint stress is eased. However, when taking St. Johns you should take care about being in the sun because it causes sun sensitivity.

Birch Bark works well for many people and is fairly safe and easy to use. You can simply peel or pick up some bark, rinse it and boil it for tea. You can sweeten with honey and it mixes well with many other herbs. However, it's also a mild diuretic, so take it with care.

Also, many people find help with Valerian It works in much the same way Marijuana does for pain. Neither are actually pain killers but both work to dull the nerve receptors. They both also relax you and when you're relaxed you hurt less. However, in most states Marijuana is illegal so if you can find a legal alternative, please do. It's not worth breaking the law if something else can be found to work.

Anything can become addictive but belong relived of pain in itself is addictive making the source more likely to be depended upon and abused. If you're unable to afford health care and don't have anyone you can talk to try contacting a Pharmacist or local Midwife, they may be able to help or direct you to someone who can.

Healing House Teas on LocalHarvest.org

The wonderful people at Local Harvest have been helping people find local organic and all natural vegetables, dairy and meat for years. I've used them many times to search out local farmers markets and the like. Now they've accepted my add for Healing House Teas http://www.localharvest.org/member/M23255 I'm so thankful! Check them out for local harvests in your area as well.

High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

High Blood Pressure, also known as Hypertension, affects millions of people all over the world. However I believe that Americans may be at the top of the list. In my opinion, the two main factors in high blood pressure are, stress and diet.

Steps for lowering blood pressure naturally are as simple as ...

Quit smoking
Yoga (or some other form of exercise)
Meditation (or some form of relaxation)
Eat less salts
Limit alcohol use

There are several herbs which are often recommended for lowering high blood pressure but the only one I recommend is garlic. Simple, plain, versatile garlic. Garlic has been used for ages for everything from acne to intestinal parasites and, when taken daily, has been shown to reduce high blood pressure.

Medicinal doses of garlic vary depending on ailment but to lower blood pressure the equivalent of one tablespoon garlic powder (**never garlic salt) per day for 2 to 3 months, should significantly lower blood pressure.

Medicinal doses of garlic should not be used while pregnant altho eating garlic in foods should be safe. Also, large amounts of garlic can irritate the stomach and should be taken with care.

Foods that help lower blood pressure naturally are, most greens, potatoes, pumpkins, bananas, beans and broccoli. Eating red meat can cause or trigger high blood pressure so a vegetarian diet or eating lighter meats like poultry would be best.

Adding soy to your diet has been show to lower blood pressure and has many other benefits including being believed to kill some bacteria in meats.

In the end simple living and a more peaceful life is the best medicine for many ailments. A simple kindness to some other living thing has the powerful ability to strengthen overall health and promote feelings of well-being and worth. A peaceful walk each day can greatly improve health of mind, body and spirit.


High Blood Pressure Tea
1/2 teaspoon Hawthorn berries
1/2 teaspoon Ginger root powder
1/2 teaspoon Valerian (stinks terribly but works well)
1/8 teaspoon Saffron
2 cups boiling water.

Pour boiling water over herbs and allow to steep 20 minutes. Strain and drink two cups per day.

** Always check with you Care Provider first.


Namaste :)

Day Lilies

Day Lilies, one of natures great bounties, are an excellent food source. They can be used fresh, dried, frozen or canned. Eaten raw, baked, fried or added to other foods.

You can eat all parts, including the tubers which taste a little like a mild radish when eaten raw and like a mild potato when cooked.

Day Lily Fritters are a favorite here. For fritters, the days flower is best. You can use the day after flower or the unopened bud as well tho. The recipe I use for Day Lily Fritters is basically a pancake batter with 2 T. vegetable oil added. You can chop the Day Lilies and add to the mix and fry in a little oil. Or, you can dip the whole Lily in the batter and fry.

They're also excellent in scones. And they're very good with a little cinnamon.

You can add all parts fresh to raw salads, cook all the parts for a vegetable and cut up the tubers and boil or bake them to eat like mashed potatoes.

The day after flowers (spent and drooping) are very good in soups and stews.

Day Lilies only bloom for a day so it's good to pick them in the evening or early the next morning. The open flowers are easy to dry, just turn upside down on your drying rack or screen. The buds and spent flowers take a little longer but well worth it to have plenty for the winter. You can dig and eat the tubers year round unless the ground is to frozen to dig them up.

They are as easy to grow as they are to eat and will grow in full sun to almost full shade. They grow in almost any soil and divide themselves each year. A beautiful and nutritious addition to every yard and garden.

St. Johns Wort

St. Johns Wort is a very simple unassuming plant. It's very easy to grow up to zone 5 and does well in full sun or partial shade. It can be used fresh or dried and all aerial parts are used and should be harvested in summer.

It has long been used to treat anxiety, irritability, depression, emotional instability and some conditions where there is nerve pain. It's easy to use in teas and tinctures but doesn't mix well with many other herbs, so research anything you intend to add with it. I much prefer using single herbs whenever possible anyway tho you can add other complimenting medicinals. But remember also that many things will counteract or change other things.

Topically, it can be use in balms and salves for burns, inflammation and muscle aches. You can make a wonderfully relaxing massage oil by adding St. Johns Wort oil (which is very red) to other oils such as almond oil.

St. Johns Wort can also be used in soaps and candles as aromatherapy, with similar effects. If you can't make or get soap or candles, you can easily take some fresh St. Johns Wort or essential oil, and add it to some simple Epson salt or sea salt. For fresh, bruise gently and add to salts in a container with a tight lid and room for the salts to move around. Store in a cool dry place out of sunlight and each day shake or mix with wooden spoon. After 7 to 10 days it's ready for use. Just throw a handful under running water when preparing a bath. If you use fresh and don't want leaves in your bath, just wrap them loosely in cheesecloth or add them to a muslin bag before adding to the salts. In a gallon size jar of salts I add around 3 large handfuls of St. Johns Wort. The salt will desiccate the herbs a bit and I quite like them in the tub.

St. Johns flowers are also gathered and used by natural dyers for yellow and gold.

Emergency Glop Recipe

1 pack unflavored gelatin
1 cup water

Boil water and mix in gelatin, then set aside to cool a bit.

1 can goat or sheep milk (you can use evaporated milk if you have to)
2 T plain whole yogurt
2 T regular mayonnaise
1 T light Karo syrup
1 egg yolk (beaten)
1 cup of Pedialyte liquid - unflavored

Mix all other ingredients together and add cooled gelatin.

Keeps in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Always warm to room temperature or a little warmer before feeding.

This was originally for kittens but we've used it to feed rescued babies of all kinds. It can also be used to feed humans who are unable to eat normally. You can also add a jar of baby food meat for humans, kittens and pups.

This basic recipe can be adjusted to fit a number of needs and has saved countless lives.