This is a mild, unscented calendula soap bar that’s gentle enough to use on almost everyone from babies to grandmothers. It’s made with calendula infused oil and calendula tea. This is a Cold Process Soap recipe. All measurements are by weight. You must have an accurate digital scale to make soap. Calendula Soap Recipe 21 oz […]
...read the full article.
This week on the blog, I’m sharing ways that you can use calendula. What I really love about this sunny flower is that it’s: extremely easy to grow from seed is safe enough to use on a baby or pet is a potent skin healer and is a powerful fighter of germs and inflammation By […]
...read the full article.
Today, we’re going to turn roses into lip balm! To make this, first you’ll need some rose petals. You can either go outside and gather these off of the roses growing around your home, or you can order dried, organic petals online from a place such as Mountain Rose Herbs. If using fresh roses, spread […]
...read the full article.
This delicious way to use dandelions was sent to me by a reader in Denmark! She was kind enough to translate and share a few traditional Scandinavian foraging recipes with me, including this one for Dandelion Syrup that she makes each summer. Thank you Tina! You can visit her Danish blog by clicking HERE. […]
...read the full article.
Roses are not only edible, but are traditionally used for the following health benefits as well. They are: cooling astringent anti-inflammatory uplifting nervine (beneficial to the nervous system) emotion balancing helpful for PMS & menopausal symptoms In the past, I’ve written about how you can make Rose Glycerite and Whiskey Rose Cough Remedy, but today […]
...read the full article.
I was in the bookstore the other day with my family and ran across the coolest book: The Complete Illustrated Book of Herbs by Reader’s Digest. It’s filled with beautiful pictures and a lot of great ways to use herbs. I flipped through it a few moments and saw these sneaker fresheners (which they called […]
...read the full article.
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 […]
...read the full article.
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 […]
...read the full article.
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 […]
...read the full article.
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 […]
...read the full article.
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 […]
...read the full article.
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, […]
...read the full article.
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. […]
...read the full article.
Not long after my children went on a gluten free diet, they came down with chicken pox. It sounds silly, but I couldn’t stop dwelling on the sad fact that I couldn’t use the traditional oatmeal baths and lotions and such that are so helpful for itchy skin afflictions. As soon as I learned how, […]
...read the full article.
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 […]
...read the full article.
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, […]
...read the full article.
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 […]
...read the full article.
It never fails… this is the way the end of every year goes for us: November: feel great December 1 – 24: feel great December 25: go hang around a bunch of sick, coughing people in small, closed-in spaces December 26: feel great December 27: whole family wakes up at 3:00 a.m. with sore throats, […]
...read the full article.
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 […]
...read the full article.
Today, I’m sharing my favorite family tradition! For a decade now, I’ve made it a habit to take a picture of my children on New Year’s Day. I then ask them a few questions about their favorite foods, colors, games, what they want to be when they grow up, what they think their sibling will […]
...read the full article.