Herbs Archives - Page 3 of 5

June 11, 2019June 11, 2019

Homemade Bug Spray

Homemade bug spray is easy to make. Your homemade bug spray can be as organic as you want it to be, there are no chemicals and best of all it works.

Homemade bug spray is not going to be near as long lasting as the store bought stuff. I don’t know what they use to make it stick to you so long, but this homemade bug spray doesn’t have it.

My batch of bug spray. Sorry for that crooked picture.

What we buy in the stores has so many ingredients in it we can’t pronounce that I’m just not willing to use on me and mine, if I can at all help it. And like so many things we buy these days we just don’t know where that stuff came from or how it was made.

I use this homemade spray on my grandkids, my furbabies, and myself so I want it to be as natural and safe as it can be.

Like most homemade stuff, it doesn’t have the staying power the industrial stuff you buy from a store does. You have to remember to reapply it every few hours especially if you are sweating badly or getting wet. But that’s okay because it smells good and it’s all natural so it can’t hurt you.

What Attracts Mosquitoes

There are several things that attract mosquitoes to the human body. Here’s a short list of the primary ones.

Carbon dioxide. This is the gas that we expel when we breath. This is what lets them know there is a food supply nearby.
Body Odor. If you sweat, make sure you wash off regularly to help prevent the growth of bacteria. The bacteria that grows from sweating is what creates the odor that attracts mosquitoes to you.
Secretors. Sounds terrible doesn’t it? Apparently about 80% of the human population are what’s considered to be “secretors”. These people secrete saccarides (a sugar based chemical) and antigens. These antigens indicate your blood type and mosquitoes like type “O” blood most and type “A” blood least. Who knew?
Lactic acid. We emit lactic acid through our skin through activity and by eating certain foods. So the more activity, the more lactic acid you will emit. Foods like soured milks, kefir, yogurt and some cottage cheeses contain the lactic acid your body emits.

The above items are all related to scent which is the primary attraction for mosquitoes. Some other things that attract them are heat, moisture, movement and color.

I found out that pregnant women are shown to exhale 21% more carbon dioxide and tend to be warmer in the belly area. So any pregnant ladies may want to wear light weight long sleeves and pants to avoid as much exposure as possible.

I also found out they like dark colors. I’m kind of fond of wearing dark colors too, so that’s a problem for me. I might have to change up what I wear when I’m home in the evening.

Most things you buy for any kind of bug control either contains or at least smells like citronella. And there’s a good reason for that.

Citronella

From what I read in researching for this post citronella works because it helps mask the carbon dioxide from our breathing and the lactic acid that we emit through our skin.

Lavender

I use lavender because I like the smell and for all the other reasons I mentioned in my previous post here. But I also found out that mosquitoes just flat don’t like the smell. I actually read they they will avoid it “at all costs”.

From what I’ve read, mosquitoes don’t like several of the heavily scented plants and herbs like geraniums, basil, several types of mints, and rosemary, just to name a few. You know, all those herbs that you can run your hands through and then smell the oils on them.

I like the smell of citronella and lavender, so that’s the mixture I’ve gone with. You can use the mix that you like best using the essential oils mentioned above. You can research other herbs too to find those that you might like that I haven’t named.

Homemade Bug Spray Recipe

This recipe is so easy. It consist of water and essential oils. The only caveat is that you use real essential oils, not the synthetic equivalents. They won’t have the same potency that the real essential oils have.

You can choose the potency you like best, but this is how I mix it.

About 1-1/2 to 2 Cups of water in a spray bottle.

I added about 100 drops of essential oils. 50 of Citronella and 50 of lavender.

Remember you’ll have to shake your spray bottle every time you use it. Oil and water don’t mix, so you need to help that along every time you use it.

There are several places you can get your essential oils. Most of the organic stores in your area will sell essential oils. I get my oils from doTERRA. I actually became a doTERRA consultant for the discounts because I found I used essential oils for so many things. You can see what all they have here, if you like.

Several different essential oils you can use.

There are several places to get your spray bottles. Depending on what was in it, you could reuse an old spray bottle. You’d want to make sure it never any anything kind of toxic or harmful liquids in it previously. Make sure you clean it thoroughly before using, including the sprayer nozzle.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Experiment with different scents to find the one you like best. You could actually make specific scents for specific people. Play with it and have fun. Let me know what you come up with by leaving a comment below. I really would like to know.

Until next time –

Health, Wealth & Blessing ~ Tracey

June 4, 2019June 26, 2019

Sunburn Gel

Hope you all enjoyed your Memorial Day Holiday Weekend.

Today, I had planned on writing about making your own bug spray this week, but after working in the garden this weekend, I thought I would write about sunburn gel instead.

Bet you can guess why.

I’m not one of those people who tan all nice and pretty brown. I can eventually get there after lots of time in the sun with oils and water to cool you off. But that was in my younger days, not so much now.

We were finally able to get into our garden this weekend and finish planting. I know it’s late, but we had about 30 inches of rain during the month of May. That’s an entire years’ worth of rain in a month. It was crazy and a muddy mess.

This is my Chinese Yard Long Bean trellis. I can’t wait.

It’s also been fairly cool so far this spring. Usually by this time we are getting temps in the mid to upper 90’s and it’s miserable. And while it was pretty warm this weekend, it wasn’t near what I would consider “hot and miserable”. It was simply a beautiful sunny weekend.

We had a nice breeze blowing through the garden and I was determined to get some stuff done. And it was great to just be able to get outside without drowning.

By the time we got done my husband told me I looked like a lobster. I was pretty red, but it really didn’t hurt. We did finally turn the AC on this weekend.

The Recipe for Sunburn Gel

A few years ago I made this mixture just cause I thought the ingredients would work well on a sunburn. It actually surprised me how well it worked. It’s perfectly natural and very easy to make and it will cool your skin like no other.

What’s left of my mix over the last few years. I love this stuff.

It’s made 50/50 coconut oil and aloe vera gel. Super simple. I just shake it before each use.

Coconut Oil

I know they say not to put oils on a burn as it may cause the burn to continue to worsen. I also know this can be true from first hand experience.

But I’ve been using it mixed with aloe vera gel for a few years now and have had nothing but relief.

I’ve even used this mix on a burn my husband got from work on his arm and it relieved that pain too.

So you may want to mix just a little and test it on yourself before you use it on anyone else. Everyone I’ve ever suggested it to has loved it, but everybody is different too. So test it out first in a small spot before rubbing it all over you or someone else’s back.

Aloe Vera Gel

Everyboby knows aloe vera is good for burns. You can just cut a leaf from the plant and use it on a burn. But I actually buy aloe vera gel in bulk and use it in several different lotions I make, but I have it around most of the time.

Our newly replanted aloe vera plant. My husband is so proud of this plant. We’ve had this plant since it was a baby, about 10 years ago. We’ve just replanted it again.

I buy my aloe vera gel at Mountain Rose Herb or at Bulk Apothocary. I’m sure there are plenty of places to buy it, but these are my favorites.

Aloe vera is an anti-inflammatory, it promotes circulation and inhibits the growth of bacteria, all of which are great for burns. BUT, it also just cools a burn, which is what we are all looking for after a sunburn.

My new little garden buddy. He loves grub worms.

Now, we have to use some common sense and not stay out till you blister. When my husband told me I looked like a lobster, I was pretty red, but it didn’t sting to just touch my shoulders. They weren’t comfortable in a shower though, by any means.

But after I used this mixture on my shoulders and arms, I instantly felt relief and by the next day I was in the garden again with no pain. I did remember to use sun screen before I went outside this time so I didn’t repeat the process.

The Sun and Your Skin

I used to lay out in the sun for the perfect tan when I was younger. I always did and I still do think that tanned skin looks healthier than untanned skin. But I know now there is a difference in how much tan is healthy and that too much is really too much.

Today, I’ve discovered all that hours and hours in the sun was probably not the best way to go. While exposure to the sun can help the skin manufacture vitamin D, too much exposure to the ultraviolet rays from the sun can be too harsh.

This is the beginning of my cantaloupe hill. Be sure to use your sun screen when you make these.

Excessive exposure to the sun can reduce elasticity and cause premature skin aging. It can also damage or even kill skin cells. I don’t think that’s the best way to go for my older skin. Worst of all it’s the chief cause of skin cancer too. No thanks.

So now I still enjoy the sun, but I try to remember to use sun screen and limit my time out in the hot afternoon. I still like the look of tanned skin and still feel it looks healthier than untanned skin, but I’ve also altered my opinion of how much tan that needs to be.

Do you have a remedy for sunburn, (other than not going out in it, of course)? Share it in the comments. I’m excited to see what you’ve come up with.

Thanks for coming by and Until Next Time –

Health, Wealth & Blessing ~ Tracey

April 30, 2019April 29, 2019

Homemade Potato Salad

Okay, so homemade potato salad isn’t so over the top or different, but it is practical and better yet, it’s customizable to suit your own tastes.

My husband loves potato salad, specifically dill and red potato potato salad. We actually only found it in a few places and he really didn’t like those. He didn’t think they had enough dill in them.

So I set out to make my own.

This has several spices in it as well as real mayo. I think next time I make it though, I might exchange some of the mayo with sour cream,maybe about 1/2 cup, just to see what it’s like.

As I was making this it occurred to me I didn’t think to weigh the potatoes, but I did count them. We started out with 16 new red potatoes that were smallish to medium size.

We don’t peel our potatoes, so I just chopped them into small pieces before I boiled them. It would be easy enough to peel your potatoes if you don’t like the peel. You could also use another kind of potato if you wanted to. Maybe you have a preference.

In this recipe I used dijon mustard. You could use regular mustard or whatever suits your taste best.

I also used lemon juice instead of apple cider vinegar, which I think I’ll try out a little later. I’m curious to taste the difference.

I used the spices we like the most that I thought would suit this recipe, paprika, garlic and onion powders, dill of course, and salt and pepper. Pretty easy and straight foward.

I also found that mixing the mayo and the spices before adding to the potatoes made sure that everything was mixed evenly and actually made everything that much quicker. I just mixed them all together while the potatoes were cooking.

I have to say when I added the mayo to the potatoes I was a little nervous. As I mixed it up it seemed like there was way too much mayo mixture. But as it turned out after it cooled in the fridge for a while, it was just right. My husband like a creamier mix, so it was fine. Again, this is something you can adjust to your own liking.

I will say it does taste much better after sitting for several hours.

Homemade Potato Salad

Ingredients

Please think of these as suggested measurements. Suite them to your family’s taste.

2 Cups Mayo or salad dressing, your choice
1 Tsp. Paprika
1 Tsp. Garlic powder
1 Tsp. Onion powder
2 Tsp. Dill seed
1 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Pepper
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
16 small to medium red potatoes, peeled or unpeeled, your choice.

Directions

Cut the potatoes in smaller pieces. I tried to get mine cut to about 1/2 pieces or smaller. I don’t want them to go to complete mush when you stir them up. We both like chunky potato salad.

Add them to your sauce pan and cover with water. You can see I didn’t get a big enough pan. I made a mess I had to clean up later. Boil your potatoes to fork tender.

While your potatoes boil, mix all your spices together and pour into your mayo and mix well.

Once the potatoes are done, drain well and put into your bowl. Pour your spiced mayo over your potatoes and mix well.

Put in the fridge to cool and to allow all the flavors to mingle.

When I was growing up, my mom made homemade sweet pickle potato salad all the time. I learned to do that as a matter of course. I’ve never measured anything I ever put into it, I just knew what was there.

This homemade potato salad was a little different. We didn’t use dill much for anything except for the canning mom did and I didn’t know much about that.

I’ve discovered I really kinda like it. So I planted some dill. I know it’s only an annual here where we live, but I’ll be planting it every year from now on, I think.

I hope you’ll give it a try. Mix it up and make it your own. Let me know what changes you made, I’d love to hear them.

If you haven’t subscribed yet, now’s a great time to do that. I have some good stuff coming up.

Until next time – Health, Wealth & Blessings ~ Tracey

April 23, 2019April 5, 2021

Making Dandelion Jelly

I love making dandelion jelly. Besides the fact that it tastes great, people just look at you funny when you tell them you got some dandelion jelly made this weekend.

It makes a bright yellow jelly that’s almost as bright and yellow as the actual flower and has a slight honey taste.

It’s really good and really easy to make. Here’s how.

Ingredients

About 3 cups of dandelion flowers
6 Tablespoons of pectin
6 Cups of sugar
3 Tablespoons of lemon juice

Instructions

You’ll want to pick flowers that are fully open, at least I did. I picked about 3 cups or so.

I didn’t really measure, I just filled the bowl I had.

I’ve seen recipes that say you need to pull the petals out of the green bottoms and only use the petals because the green parts can taste bitter.

I’ve never separated the flowers when I made it and I’ve never had an issue with bitter. But to each his own, I suppose. So you can do try which ever way you want. I would guess you would need more flowers if you’re going to pull the petals.

Side note: Did you know each “petal” is actually it’s own flower? Cool hu?

Once you’ve picked the flowers, you’ll want to wash them well, of course. Tiny little bugs get down into those petals and sometimes, they don’t come out easily. I use the sprayer on my faucet and it usually works pretty well.

After thoroughly washing your flowers, put them in a sauce pan and cover with about 3-4 cups of water. Bring your water to a rolling boil and let it boil well for about 10-15 min.

Straining dandelion flowers — Straining your flowers. I’ve used a strainer and a coffee filter to ensure no floaties.

Then strain your flowers from the water. Make sure to squish all that liquid out of the flowers. Then you can compost the flowers. You’ll notice the water that’s left isn’t that pretty yellow color. That worried me the first time I made this recipe. Don’t worry, it’ll look better later.

Let the water cool back to room temperature. I’m not real sure why this is, but I’ve seen it in more than one recipe and I just haven’t tried it another way yet. It’s always been convenient to let it sit while I got something else done so it’s not been an issue.

Dandelion juice in a cooking pot. — 4 cups of dandelion juice.

In the end you’ll want 4 cups of liquid. If you didn’t get 4 cups from the boil, you can add some kind of apple juice or just add more water to make 4 cups.

Add your liquid back into a sauce pan or a stock pot and add your sugar, pectin and lemon juice.

Dandelion juice, sugar and pectin in the cooking pot. — Melting the sugar and coming to a boil.

Heat this up slowly to melt the sugar and once you get to a boil, boil for 2 minutes while stirring constantly so it doesn’t scorch or burn.

Foam from the cooked jelly. — This is the foam I removed from the top of my jelly before I put it in jars.

After this boil, there may be some foam that forms on the jelly. If so, just spoon it off into a bowl. You don’t want that in your jelly jars.

Filling jelly jars with dandelion jelly. — Filling my jars and getting ready to can them.

Now it’s done. Pour it into your jelly jars.

And now you’ll notice the pretty yellow color. I told you it would look pretty later.

Jarred jelly ready to be canned. — I canned 3 pints and put the rest in the fridge.

At this point you can add it to the fridge, give it away or can it. If you don’t can it, you’ll want to refrigerate it and share with others, cause this recipe makes about 4 pints. That’s a pretty big batch of jelly for me anyway. I’m the only one in the house that eats jelly.

The pretty color of dandelion jelly. — Look at the beautiful color.

I water bath canned most of this jelly, and put the rest in the fridge to use. I’ll give some away and have some sweet golden goodness for later too.

For canning I water bathed them for 15 minutes.

I’ve talked before about how great dandelions are here. I hope you’ll learn to love them as much as I do.

Let me know if you’ve ever made dandelion jelly, and if so, how it turned out. Did you like it? Did you separate the petals or did you just use the whole flower? I’d love to hear.

Until next time – Health, Wealth & Blessings ~ Tracey

February 19, 2019February 24, 2019

Homemade Vanilla Extract

I love using homemade vanilla extract when I cook. The flavor and aroma of homemade vanilla is incredible.

I’ll take homemade vanilla over chocolate any day of the week.

Vanilla

A vanilla bean is actually a fruit from an orchid. And it’s the second most expensive spice after saffron.

This recipe only takes 2 ingredients. It just can’t get any easier than this.

I try to always use organic beans.

Jars

Since you get to choose, choose jars that you like. I don’t know about you but I have a collection of jars of all shapes and sizes. I liked these.

I had 5 beans left, so I divided them evenly. I’ll just let it sit longer than I usually do before I begin to use it.

I generally like to use 4 beans per bottle. But I’ve used 2 to 3 before too.

You can use bottom shelf vodka for this, but use the highest proof you can get. I think this was 80 proof. I would have preferred 90, but…

Make sure you fill to cover your beans. Then put in a dark place and let it sit for at least 6 weeks.

This is my current bottle. You can pull your beans when it gets to the flavor you like. But I leave them because I don’t think you can ever have too much vanilla.

Homemade Vanilla Extract

Ingredients

2-4 Vanilla Beans
1 1/2 to 2 cups (about a pint) of vodka

Instructions

Add beans to a glass jar
Fill the jar with vodka, enough to cover the beans
Sit in a dark place for at least 6 weeks.

I think the longer it sits the better it is.

Try using your new vanilla extract in a batch of lavender cookies from last week

I really hope you’ll give it a try. If you do, let me know how it turns out. If you have a different recipe, feel free to share in the comments below.

I hope you all had a fabulous Valentine’s Day.

Next week I’ll show you how to make a corn dollie. A fun craft for you and your kids or grandkids.

Until next time – Health, Wealth & Blessings ~ Tracey