Roses are not only edible, but are traditionally used for the following health benefits as well. They are: In the past, I’ve written about how you can make Rose Glycerite and Whiskey Rose Cough Remedy, but today I want to talk about how you can use your roses plus two more simple ingredients to make…
I recently went to a foraging class and learned a lot of new things! Near the end of the class, we were served dandelion cupcakes with little violets on top. They were so cute, I duplicated them at home. It’s not really a recipe per se, but just general directions. Pick a handful or two…
I started off this past weekend trying to tame an antique climbing rose that had been long neglected and was overtaking my porch. Not that I mind roses overtaking my porch usually, but this one has lethally large thorns and was making it where we couldn’t use our porch swing. I’ve never tried to catch…
So many people express frustration with trying to label their homemade creations that I thought I’d start including printable labels to go along with my recipes, when suitable. The labels are sized to fit the 1 and 2 ounce screwtop type tins that are available from Specialty Bottle. You’ll probably be able to find similar…
I’ve decided that I’ve reached my tolerance level for the winter grunge that has accumulated in my house and hereby designate this coming week as Spring Cleaning Time! I plan to declutter and/or scrub everything in my path with a vengeance. Of course, shortly after I made that plan, I heard that we’re possibly going…
I know I say it about all of my soap recipes – but this hollyhock soap truly is another favorite of mine! Hollyhocks have soothing properties similar to their herbal cousin, marshmallow, and the drawing power of the rose clay makes this soap another one helpful for itchy or inflamed skin. Looking for more ways…
This carrot and honey soap is one of my most popular bars! Most people like to use it as a gentle facial cleanser, but it can be used as a body bar as well. I loaded it up with anti-aging and moisturizing ingredients, so it’s especially suitable for dry, mature skin. Though, having said that,…
Cucumber soaps are one of my all-time favorites! The soothing properties of the cucumber and the drawing power of the French green clay makes this soap recipe especially helpful for acne, bug bites, and other itchy, inflamed skin conditions. Never made soap before? Read through my Soap Making 101 post to find out how to get started….
This skin soothing oatmeal & honey soap bar is filled with gluten free oats & fresh honey. It’s perfect for those with itchy irritated skin! Not long after my children went gluten free for celiac disease, they came down with chicken pox. It sounds silly, but I couldn’t stop dwelling on the sad fact that…
A while back, I bought a copy of Rodale’s Naturally Delicious Desserts and Snacks by Faye Martin. It’s an out of print book, from 1978, but you can still pick up used copies from Amazon.com for only a couple of dollars plus shipping. I found the basis for this recipe in there, and once I…
Quite possibly my favorite part of the year is that time around May when all of my roses start blooming at once. When that happens, I gather together large amounts of rose petals and make all sorts of things from them, including this rosa rugosa soap. If you don’t have access to fresh rose petals,…
This is a follow-up to the post, Soap Making 101. Today, I’d like to show you how I took one simple, plain recipe and doctored it up to create a variety of custom soaps. The point I’d like for you to take away from this, is not that you have to follow my recipes exactly (though…
My foray into homemade herbal shampoo began last summer. Up until that time, I just used whatever cheap shampoo I could get my hands on. Times were tight and my beloved salon shampoos were most certainly not in the budget. However, I was pretty uncomfortable with the thought of us being exposed to all of…
I created this DIY natural rose face and body cream as a gift for my mom. She absolutely adores all things roses and the color pink, so I think she’ll love this! (Update: I never can wait to give gifts to people & already gave my mom some of this. She LOVES it. Success!) :)…
This is my family’s go-to healing salve recipe for soothing pretty much any scratch, cut, scrape, bug bite, dry skin patch, bee sting, hives, and so forth. I have a relative who even likes to use it instead of an eye cream! Think of this as an herbal alternative to something like your typical store-bought,…
The idea for these tasty little honey-based treats originally came from the wonderful cookbook: Grain-Free Gourmet by Jodi Bager and Jenny Lass. They are suitable for anyone on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet or those looking to reduce their intake of refined sugars. Nutty Caramels 1 cup honey 1 cup peanut, almond, cashew or allowed nut…
This lip balm is ideal for active people who spend a lot of time outdoors. Mango butter offers a small amount of protection from UV radiation while the jojoba and coconut oils moisturize dry, chapped lips. Calendula is famous for its skin-soothing properties and castor oil tops everything off, lending a soft glossy shine and…
I knew when I posted about making Herbal Jello as a great way to get therapeutic levels of herbs into a picky kid or too-sick-to-eat-much individual, that there would be some unable to use the recipe because of the sugar and artificial ingredients contained in regular Jello. While you can find Jello without artificial dyes…
You know when you’re a kid (or grownup) and you’re sick and you just don’t feel like eating, much less swallowing some horrid tasting mixture your mom gives you to help you feel better? Well, this is where herbal jellos come into play. They’re ideal vehicles to administer therapeutic doses of herbs to less than…
Medicinal vinegars (Vinegar Extracts) have been around since ancient times and were an excellent way to preserve and dispense herbs before distilled spirits were known about. While alcohol-based tinctures tend to be stronger and have a longer shelf life, vinegar extracts (also known as “aceta”) are ideal for those who want to avoid the use of…
