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Chamomile, A Flower or a Weed

Is Chamomile a flower or a weed?  I guess that depends on who you ask.  Even some in the herbal community will call it a weed.  I never thought of it that way, although my husband does.

When I first planted Chamomile, I thought it was so pretty and it smelled remarkable.  On top of that it’s full of uses, the best of which is drinking it in tea form.  At that time, I had no idea how it spread.  Even so, I think it’s great, BUT, you have to learn to control it.

CHAMOMILE, THE FIRST YEAR

Years ago I planted Chamomile in a raised bed.  It was a circle bed about a foot & a half round.  It grew so pretty and made so many flowers.

I picked and picked and dried the flowers and used them for many different things.  At the end of that year, we had to move the bed.  I was going to lose my Chamomile, but I knew I could always plant some more.

The following year, I found little plants along the driveway and the patio.  I was so excited, I really didn’t lose all my Chamomile!!

CHAMOMILE, THE SECOND YEAR

So I protected them by not letting my husband mow them down and I picked and picked the flowers again.  I was happy.

CHAMOMILE, THE THIRD YEAR

Then came the third year.  I found Chamomile in every corner of my yard.  The leaves are so feathery, the flowers are so pretty and smell so good and it makes magnificent tea, so no worries.

This time I had to really work to convince my husband to leave various patches alone so they could grow.  I even had to make a deal with him that he could cut that area down, if he would leave this area alone.  And I continued to pick flowers.

Some people may say that makes for a nuisance weed, I just think it makes the yard look nice.

There are so many things you can use Chamomile for, that I just can’t imagine ever thinking of this plant as a nuisance.  Besides the fact that it smells divine, it taste great as a tea.  For those teas that don’t taste so good, but are good for you, all you have to do is add a bit of Chamomile to make it palatable…to “help the medicine go down”, as they say.

Share in the comments what you use chamomile for.  I’d love to know!!

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DIY Apple Cider Vinegar


I’ve been making my own apple cider vinegar long enough I really don’t know how much it costs per quart at the store anymore.  But, I’m pretty sure homemade costs less and taste better than store bought. If you’re using apples for any apple dish, you can make your own apple cider vinegar.

The first time I made it, I couldn’t believe there wasn’t more to it.  I kept thinking I was leaving something out, but it really is that easy.

Getting It Together

Any time you use apples for a pie, apple crunch, applesauce or apple butter, or a batch of anything else apple, save all your scraps, including cores, seeds, peals, everything, then stuff them tight into a quart jar, or 2 if you need to.

In a separate container mix 1 TBLP of sugar to every 1 Cup of water. Stir to dissolve the sugar and pour over the apples in the quart jar. The end result you’re looking for is to cover the scraps in the jar with the sugar water.

At this point you don’t want to cover it tightly.  The sugar water mixed with the apple scraps will make the apples begin to ferment.  The fermentation process, creates a gas which needs to be released. So you don’t want to cover the jar with a solid lid. I use ball canning jars and instead of using solid lids, I use coffee filters and fit them down with the canning rings.  This keeps any little critters out of the mix and still allows the gasses created from the fermentation to pass through and escape.

When you finish putting it together it will look something like this.


This picture was taken September 23, 2018.

Let it Sit

So now all that’s left is to let it sit in a dark, warm place for several weeks. 


Depending on how strong you want your vinegar, it can take anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks. 


During that time check the jars occasionally to make sure the apple pieces are below the liquid and that any white scummy foam that shows up is spooned off.  


This was taken Oct. 14, 2108.  I think it still needs another week, for my taste.

After your 2 to 4 weeks, strain it and jar it up.  I’m telling ya, it smells awesome when you’re done. Drop the strained pieces in the compost pile and now you have….Easy Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar.

I never would have thought of apple cider vinegar as smelling good.  But the difference in what you make at home compared to what you buy in the store is huge.  Homemade smells and tastes so good.

I’m still learning how to cook with ACV.  I know the amount of flavor this adds to a dish from experience, but I’m still learning to just remember to use it.  

There are so many things that I haven’t tried because I’m afraid “it can’t be that easy”.  So don’t let yourself overthink it to the point that it scares you, because it really is that easy.  Give it a try and let me know in the comments below your results or any other recipes you’ve used.  

Easy Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar

  1. Use any and all scraps from any apple dish you may make, including apple pies, applesauce, apple butter, an apple crisp or any other version thereof.  
  2. Put all scraps, packed tightly into quart or pint jars.  
  3. Mix 1 TBL of sugar per every cup of water in a separate container and pour over the apple scraps in the jars to just cover the scraps.  
  4. Cover with a coffee filter or something similar, sufficient to allow the gasses produced by the fermentation process to escape.  
  5. Set in a warm, dark spot for 2-4 weeks.  
  6. Check every few days, to ensure all apple parts are submerged in the sugar water.  And to ensure any foam or scummy looking foam is spooned off. 
  7. After the first few weeks, every time you check it, just give it a smell.  This is more personal preference than science.  If you like a little stronger taste, then let it sit a week or so more.  If you like a lighter taste, then maybe 2 weeks is all you need. 
  8. Once it’s set to your desired taste, strain all the apple parts out and toss them in the compost.   
  9. Bottle your apple cider vinegar and label with the date you made it.

This can be used for any kind of cooking you would regularly use apple cider vinegar for.  

Let me know in the comments how you use Apple Cider Vinegar.

Share this recipe with anyone you think might enjoy trying to make apple cider vinegar for themselves. And don’t forget to subscribe to get a notification anytime a new diy or homemade post is made.

Enjoy

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DIY Teacher’s Gift

My grand-daughter is in kindergarten this year and she LOVES school!!  Makes me so happy.  I know it probably won’t last, but a grandma can wish, can’t she?  Anyway, I thought it would be kinda cool if she could make presents for her teachers.

I have to admit, as easy as it was to put this together, it is kinda girly.  She also has 2 male teachers.  I haven’t yet come up with what to get or make for them, but I’m working on it and I’ll let you know what I come up with.

So this year, we made sachets and bath tea bags for the lady teachers.  Just guessing the guys may not enjoys these so much.  I bought pretty bags for the sachets and I have small muslin bags I bought several months back for a “just in case I need them” kinda thing.

So I went to our local organic store and bought several different herbs.  I bought lavender, catnip, orange peel, rose petals, chamomile and red clover.  

I’ll tell you how we combined the herbs and in the coming weeks, I’ll go over each herb and tell you the reasons why I chose each one.

Sachets

I found these bags in the wedding craft section of Wal Mart and had way more than I needed.  That’ll leave me some for another project some time.  I like that kind of excess.

For the Sachets, I used lavender, rose petals and orange peel.  I loved the colors, the combination of the smell and the different types of textures each showed through the bags.

First I poured the herbs in red plastic cups so my grand-daughter could spoon the different herbs from them easier.

I held the bags for her and had her use a plastic teaspoon, putting 3 spoonfuls of each of the herbs lavender, orange peal and rose petals into each bag.  That didn’t fill up them completely but made it a nice each size.

Now you have to realize some spoonfuls were way bigger than others.  I tried to keep it pretty even, but sometimes, it was “just good enough”.  

Every time we finished one, she was very proud.  She couldn’t believe how good it smelled.  I was a little shocked myself.  I wasn’t sure if I would need to add essential oils or not, but truly it wasn’t necessary.

I put each one in a plastic baggie to help contain the scent, for one because it’s so long until Christmas/Yule and for another, it’s just so strong!!  I think they turned out great.

Bath Tea Bags

Next we did this bath tea bags.  These are made to put into your tub to steep, just like tea, and then soak in them.  

Did you know you can soak in the goodness of the herbs through your skin and get good out of it just like drinking the tea?  Well, it’s true.  You can drop these tea bags into your bath and get the same goodness as if you drank it.

For these I used chamomile, red clover and catnip.  These herbs help support relaxation and are good “for what ails you”.

These were just a little smaller than the other bags and a little harder for a 5 year old to get the spoon in, so I actually did most of these.

I have to admit by this time she’s had enough too.  They can only sit still for so long.  We made 10 of the sachets and 10 of these.

Now she’s worried we’ll forget her guy teachers.  I’ve assured her we won’t.  Now I just have to come up with something just as cleaver for them as we did for the ladies.

I bought some of these bags at Mountain Rose Herb and I’ve also gotten some of these from Bramble Berry.  Both places have great things for different purposes. 

When buying herbs, make sure you are buying from a place you trust, whether that’s a brick and mortar or an online store.  I have sources for both and trust them, using them over and over.

So let me know what you think.  Have you done something similar?   If so, let me know what you did different.  Leave pictures and links in the comments so we can see your creations too.  I know I’d love to see them.

Keep a watch out for future posts on each of the herbs used in this project.  I’ll explain why I chose them and how they can support you.

Until next time….

Health Wealth & Blessings ~Tracey~

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Dandelion’s Secrets…

The secret of the dandelion is that they really aren’t a weed, they are actually a very useful herbal remedy supporting everything from digestion to water retention.  They are also extremely resilient and adaptable, even to mowing.  Have you ever noticed, that if you mow them, they just grow shorter.  I’ve even seen flowers growing just on top of the ground. 

The Miracle Herb:

The dandelion is nothing short of a miracle herb, usable from top to bottom, and one of the most diverse “weeds” in your yard. 

The Lore:

Dandelions have been referred to as the “Shephard’s clock” because the flowers always open around sunrise and then shut around dusk.  It’s also been known to predict weather as well.  Once a flower has gone to seed, if it’s going to be sunny, that seed pod will open up into the fluffy ball we are so familiar with.  But, if it’s going to rain, the pod will close up and will remain shut while it rains, only opening when the rain stops.

Precaution:

One thing to remember is to always choose your plants carefully.  You never want to pick or use any plants that have been sprayed with anything for at least three (3) years.  Make sure when you pick a plant, that it is far enough away from any area that may have been sprayed by any weed or bug killers.  You don’t want to ingest anything that may have been sprayed on them.

To top it off, dandelions are highly nutritious and they just taste good.  You really can use every part of this plant and for far more than just an herbal tea.  Here’s just a couple of uses for each part of the plant.

Dandelion Flowers:

You have to say that the flowers are sunny, bright and beautiful.  You can pull the petals and sprinkle them over your salad.  What a beautiful addition to your food.  You can also add them to cookies and breads. 

They also make a delicious jelly that looks like honey and sunshine all rolled up in one jar.  The jelly is so pretty, it makes a marvelous gift for anyone.  

I’ve read they make a great wine as well, but I haven’t yet had a chance to try that. 

Dandelion flowers also have constituents that support your eyes, which is only fitting, really.

Dandelion leaves:

The leaves contain several minerals including iron and calcium, rivaling other beloved greens like spinach.  They have a slightly bitter taste and this is what triggers the digestive process to begin.  The younger the leaves the better tasting they are.  The larger and older the leaves, the more bitter they become.

Many people turn them into pesto just as you would basil, or cook them as you would spinach.  They can also be made into a tea as a great after dinner drink.

Have you ever wondered why salads were served before your main meal?  The salad got your gut ready for the main course.  This can help to eliminate indigestion and incomplete digestion, which can cause stomach gas and can sometimes be accompanied by pain. 

The salads of yesteryear were not the salads of today.  Back in the day, salad greens had a much more bitter taste than our various greens of today.  Today we have worked to grow the bitter taste out of our greens losing some of the benefits that bitter tasted offered us.

The leaves are also a strong diuretic.  They are used most commonly to address swelling, and symptoms of high blood pressure.  

While the name “dandelion” comes from the French words “dent de lion”, meaning “teeth of a lion”, referring to the leaves, the French actually most commonly call a dandelion “piss-en-lit”, pronounced peace-on-lee, which literally translates to “pee the bed”.

Dandelion Roots:

Dandelion roots are considered a liver tonic, supporting liver function in eliminating toxins from our body.  Inefficient liver function that can’t adequately get rid of the toxins in the body will generally show up in your skin first.  So if you are having skin problems, that’s always a good place to start.

Roasted roots are also considered a good replacement for coffee.  A dandelion, as a general rule, has one large tap root that grows straight down and they can be hard to pull without breaking.  Use a weed puller or a screwdriver and run it down beside the root and wiggle.  This will help loosen the root.  If you do break the root, no worries, another dandelion will grow again next year!

Wash it, slice it and spread it out evenly on a cookie sheet then roast in an oven on a very low heat for 3-5 hours with the door open to dry it.  Then turn your heat up to about 350 deg. And roast it for about 40 min.  Once it’s good and roasted, let it cool, then ground it.  I haven’t had an occasion to try this yet, but it is on my list.  I hear as it’s roasting it smells like mocha.

Not Just Tea:

My husband is not a tea drinker and not much of a salad eater either, so I like to make a tincture with it as well.   For those who aren’t thrilled with the taste of teas or just don’t drink teas, tinctures are always a good choice.

I hope this makes you want to try using the dandelion and begin to think of it as an ally, rather than just a weed.  The internet is full of information and there are many websites that have recipes and other uses for dandelions.  I hope you do some research and find a cool way to use the dandelions from your yard.  Share in the comments any recipes or uses you come up with, I’d love to hear them.