Lavender Flowers and Herbal Cough Syrup

I've been using Lavender in Essential Oil  form for a long time.  I use it as a fragrance for my homemade soap and in a hot bath for relaxation.   I've even used it on a warm cloth to help relieve headaches, but until yesterday I had never actually used Lavender Flowers. 

I ordered Lavender flowers from The Bulk Herb Store a while back to use in soapmaking, but have never actually gotten around to using them.  Since I love to learn about herbs, I have been doing a lot of research on different herbs and their medicinal uses and was very impressed with all of the health benefits of Lavender.  AND, since my precious grandaughters have been battling a cold, ear infection and pink eye this week, AND since the sweet little angels decided to share all of the above with their "RoRo" I decided this would be a good time to put it to the test.

I brewed a pot of Lavender and Rosehips tea yesterday afternoon and drank about two cups of it.  It really wasn't bad.  I prefer the taste of Rosehips over the Lavender, but it wasn't THAT bad.  Lavender tea tastes just exactly like it smells, if that makes sense.  I brewed another pot last night using a little less Lavender and a little more Rosehips and it was quite good.  I chose to mix the Rosehips and Lavender, because Rosehips are high in Vit. C and good for fighting infection and Lavender is good for colds and can help induce sweating to reduce fever.   

I'm not a doctor or an herbalist so I can't tell you that the tea is what made a difference.    It could have been the steam or something like that, but I do know that my head started feeling better and I was breathing a good bit easier by the time I went to bed.

I also persuaded my sixteen year old son, Ferrell,  to drink a cup in the afternoon and again last night.   Ferrell seems to be taking the same cold that the girls and I have and he had also been coughing in a way that made me think he might need a breathing treatment for his asthma.  He really hates taking a breathing treatment, so I told him we would try the tea, but that if I wasn't convinced it was making a difference he WOULD be taking a treatment.  I can't say for sure that he's "out of the woods" as far as a breathing treatment goes, but he didn't cough during the night and doesn't seem to be tight at all and has not had a treatment yet. Yay!


It's always a good idea to check with your personal physician before trying any herbal remedies, especially if it's not something you feel really sure about. The internet has a ton of information available for anyone interested in learning more about herbs and their benefits and there are also some really great books on the subject. I've gotten several from Amazon and Ebay.


As for me, Lavender Flowers will definitely have a place in my herbal medicine chest!

The label is kind of hard to read in this picture but it says:  As a tea, oil inhalation, or vapor rub, lavender is effective for colds, coughs, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, flu, tonsillitis, and laryngitis.  A warm compress will relieve chest congestion, and help with bruises and insect bites.  In a tea or tincture, it can also be taken for stomach and bowel infections causing vomiting or diarrhea.  Hot lavender tea causes sweating and reduces fevers.  It helps to detoxify the body by increasing elimination of toxins via the skin.

I also thought I would share the recipe for a simple herbal cough syrup that I make whenever we start taking a cold.  We've been using it for a couple years now and it seems to do the job for us.  Amanda also gives it to her girls in a sippy cup with juice and just lets them sip on it.  It really seems to make a difference.  I helps to relieve the symptoms and for me it seems to shorten the duration of the cold. 

Herbal Cough Syrup

1 quart water
1 tablespoon licorice root
1 tablespoon mullein
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon slippery elm
1 tablespoon rosehips
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup rice syrup, fruit syrup or honey

Bring everything, but the syrup, to a boil.  Remove from heat and let steep 30 minutes.  Strain.  Return to heat and simmer.  While warm, stir in the syrup.  Let cool.  Give 1 tablespoon as needed.  Store in the refrigerator.

I don't have slippery elm on hand and only recently have had rosehips.  In the past I've made it with just mullein,  thyme,  and licorice root and it's still worked good.

Rosehip Tea

I am always excited when my orders from The Bulk Herb Store arrive!   I absolutely LOVE learning about herbs and how to use them to benefit my family and someday I hope to be able to raise all of the herbs we use myself.  For now, I rely heavily on The Bulk Herb Store. 

Yesterdays delivery consisted of Rosehips, Hawthorn powder and diatomaceous earth.  I've been wanting to try Rosehips for a while now, but for some reason have never ordered any.  Rosehips are very high in Vitamin C and are good for a number of things like stress, heart, and infections to name a few. 

I made my first cup of Rosehip tea this morning and I have to say it was REALLY good!  The flavor is just the tiniest bit tart and tangy, which is exactly what I like.  I suppose you could add a sweetener (like honey) if you choose, but as for me, I like it "straight."   I look forward to making it a regular part of my herbal tea consumption :)

Label on the bag of Rosehips from The Bulk Herb Store

My first cup of Rosehip Tea.  Delicious!

Fried Dandelions

Since Spring is almost here, I thought I would share a "different" kind of recipe with you.  Last year was my first time to try these and I was pleasantly surprised by how good they were.   Dandelions are very good for you.  If you research them you will find that they are high in Vitamin C and also good for other things like the liver.  Anyway, we seem to have a natural abundance of them around here and so rather than kill them, I decided to put them to good use.  The first year I made Dandelion syrup which was very good.  It tasted a lot like honey, but it didn't last long before it became granulated, so instead of syrup I decided to make Fried Dandelion Blossoms last year.

RECIPE

Step one:  Go into your yard (or your neighbors if they don't mind :) and gather as many Dandelion blossoms as you think your family will eat.  You are looking for the yellow flowers, not the white puff balls :)

Step two:  Rinse them in cool water.  Handle them gently and don't let them stay in the water very long, because they will start to close on you and you need them to be open.

Step three:  Lay them on paper towels and gently pat dry and begin heating your oil for frying.

Step Four:  Lightly batter them just like you would okra, squash, or green tomatoes.  Since my son is gluten free I use cornstarch and salt & pepper.  If putting them in a milk & egg mix before coating remember to handle gently.

Step Five:  Fry them until they are golden brown, remove from heat, and drain on a paper towel. 

Step Six:  Eat and enjoy!

My children were very skeptical about this and thought I was crazy for feeding them "grass", but I persuaded each one of them to give it a try.  Everyone of my children (even the most skeptical) ate several of them and actually thought they were good.  The taste really isn't that much different from fried okra.   If you use older, bigger blossoms there may be a slight hint of bitterness, but I really didn't notice it much and probably wouldn't have noticed it at all if I were not really paying attention to every detail so that I could argue (I mean persuade ;) my children into trying them.  They did not seem to notice any bitterness at all.

There are other ways that you can enjoy Dandelions this spring.  In addition to frying the blossoms you can also eat them raw in a salad.  The greens (when picked young and tender) are also good in a salad or cooked as you would turnip greens.  (The older leaves will be bitter.)   Look them up on the internet and you will find all kinds of interesting recipes and nutritional information.  Hope you get the opportunity to give Dandelions a try at your house this spring.  I definitely plan to.

Our Favorite Herbal Tea

Actually, we have more than one favorite herbal tea.  Amanda and I both love herbal teas and have been able to grow some of the herbs ourselves, which for some reason makes the tea taste even better :)  For the herbs that we don't raise ourself, we purchase in bulk from the Bulk Herb Store.  We also use some of the herbal teas found in our local grocery store.  However, with the exception of Celestial Seasonings Red Raspberry Zinger, I really prefer tea blends that I make myself. 

Amanda and I both like the Red Raspberry Zinger on it's own,  but lately I've been adding one tea bag of it to my pot of tea made with the Hawthorn powder from the Bulk Herb Store.  I also, occasionally, use the loose Red Raspberry leaf that I have and mix it with the Hawthorn powder.  We actually drink Red Raspberry Tea because we love it, but it has health benefits as well.  Red Raspberry is good to use during the later part of pregnancy and also helps with things like menstrual cramps, etc.

Another tea that we like, especially in the winter, is Ginger Root tea.  I like the flavor of Ginger Root Tea and it is a good warming tea, but we also use it to help with nausea, diarrhea, immune building, etc.    We sometimes mix it with Peppermint leaves to enhance the digestive benefits and also to enjoy a slightly different flavor.  We've found that the peppermint helps to relieve mild congestion if we have a cold.

Cinnamon Tea is another favorite and we use it mostly during the winter to help with sore throats and mild congestion.  It is also good to help warm you up on a cold day and I have read that it is good for mental stimulation as well, which I desperately need :)

There are several other herbal teas that we enjoy, but the ones listed above are the ones we use most often for the taste and for the medicinal benefits.  Occasionally we make lemon balm, chamomile or maybe  a cup of the Celestial Seasonings Peach or Blueberry.  I also plan to start drinking more dandelion tea, mainly because I've been reading a lot about the health benefits, but also because we have such an abundance of dandelion in the summer.  

I would love to hear from you about the tea your family enjoys.  Leave me a comment!

Hawthorn Tea

I've been interested in raising and using herbs for a few years now and the more I learn about them the more I'm reminded of God's provision for His people.   One of the herbs I've recently begun using is Hawthorn.   According to the book "Practical Herbalism" by Philip Fritchey, research has shown that the historical uses of  Hawthorn for treating congestive heart failure, helping to prevent a heart attack, and helping maintain healthy blood pressure was right on the mark.   

Drinking Hawthorn tea (in addition to implementing an overall healthier lifestyle (diet/exercise)) is believed to be effective in helping maintain heart health.  However, Hawthorn has to be used consistently to gain the maximum benefits. 

Many of my family members (father, grandfather, aunt, cousins, etc.)  have suffered with high blood pressure and heart disease, so in addition to making dietary changes (baby steps) and exercising, I have also begun drinking Hawthorn tea on a daily basis.  

If you are interested in learning more about the benefits of Hawthorn or many other beneficial herbs I highly recommend the book "Practical Herbalism" by Philip Fritchey.   It's packed full of information that is not too complicated for even me to understand :)  

If you are interested in purchasing herbs, I recommend The Bulk Herb Store (http://www.bulkherbstore.com/).  I've used them for several years now and have never been disappointed.  The service is good and we have been very satisfied with all of the products we've purchased.  If you decide to purchase herbs from there I would appreciate it if you used my affiliate link, located in sidebar or just click the link above.  It would help me out and I think you will be pleased with their service.  They also (sometimes) carry the book "Practical Herbalism", but if you can't get it there you can get it from Amazon by clicking this link Practical Herbalism: Ordinary Plants with Extraordinary Powers.  As with The Bulk Herb Store, if you are ordering from Amazon it would help me out if you went through one of my links and will be greatly appreciated.

(I'm sure everyone knows this, but always check with your personal physician before taking any medications, including herbal medicine.  This is especially important if you have a known medical condition or you are taking prescription medication.

Desperate Times

Peppermint

Have you ever heard the expression that "Desperate Times call for Desperate Measures?"  Well, this is one of those times for me.  I woke up yesterday morning with an extremely sore throat and by early afternoon I was running a fever and had a really bad headache.  This is not the time of year that I want to be sick (really I don't want to be sick anytime of year, but especially not this time of year) and combine that with the fact that my youngest grandaughter has an appointment with a pediatric cardiologist in Tupelo on Monday, well, let's just say I don't want to be sick.  Since Amanda has asked me to go with her to Tupelo I decided that I need to attack whatever this crud is, (and fast), because I know that I don't need to go into this clinic of child heart patients while running a fever, coughing, and sneezing.  If it had not been the weekend I probably would have gone to the doctor, but since it WAS the weekend I searched through all of my herbal remedy books and searched the internet and here's what I've been doing. 

Ginger root tea (ginger is a warming herb and helps stimulate the immune system as well as increasing blood flow.  It's also helps settle the stomach.  I usually add a little bit of peppermint (fresh or dried to my ginger root tea. )

Cinnamon tea (soothing to the throat, decongestant, and also a warming herb)

Cough Syrup (made with licorice, mullein, and thyme)

Raw onion and garlic (I made a salsa using fresh tomatoes, raw onion and raw garlic with lime juice, salt and pepper to eat with tortilla chips.  I ate the WHOLE thing by myself.  Needless to say my family is staying far, far away from me:)  Onion and garlic both have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties so I figured they would be good, but I cannot stomach the garlic tea.  It's much easier to eat this way.  Also, I boiled a potato with onion, mashed it up and added raw garlic to that.)

Garlic Foot Bath (Several cloves of garlic chopped into a small pan of water.  Bring to a boil and let steep for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Pour into a shallow pan and soak your feet for about 30 minutes.  I don't know if  the garlic had anything to do with it or if it was just the hot water, but I began to feel better in a short period of time.)  (The foot bath is supposed to help draw out lung toxins.  It's also good for athletes foot.  Just thought I would throw that in there :)

I don't know if what I have is just a brief sinus thing that would be gone within a day without doing all of this or not, but since the flu and strep have been making rounds through our church I decided to take action.  Today, my sore throat is almost completely gone and I have no fever.  I'm still drinking the teas and also eating some raw onion and garlic.  My head congestion is gone and my nose isn't running.  The only real thing I have going on today is that after eating all of the raw onion and garlic, as you can imagine, my stomach isn't feeling all that great.  Nothing major and ginger root seems to be helping that.   Anyway, it looks like, unless I get worse over the course of today, that I will be able to go with Amanda  to Tupelo tomorrow.   Maybe it's all in my head, and maybe these things didn't help as much as I think they did, but I feel better and that's all that counts.