Hello Herb Lovers,

Since our winter never really happened and the temperatures are rising surprisingly fast, I made a batch of Elderflower Cordial.  Everyone knows that I just adore elderflowers – for their taste and their benefits.  Elderflower cordial is incredibly refreshing  and this recipe couldn’t be any easier.

Jekka McVicar whom Jamie Oliver endorses wholeheartedly as “the queen of herbs” wrote this recipe in her book, New Book of Herbs. Me being me, I made a couple of changes.  Firstly I changed a couple of quantities. I like nice round numbers, so 1.2 litres of water and 1.8 kg of sugar just didnt gel.  Secondly, I can not get any fresh elderflower heads so I had to use dried and guesstimate the correct quantity. Oh, and on another note: It says that the recipe makes 2 x 500 ml bottles but that maths doesnt work if you start off with 1.2 litres of water. My batch yielded 2.5 litres all up.

Elderflower Cordial

1.5 litres water
2kg  raw sugar
6 lemons – peel & juice
30ml apple cider or white wine vinegar
20 heads of elderflower (I used 20 teaspoons)

Pour boiled water into a sterilised non metal container. Add the sugar, stirring until dissolved. Cool.  Add the lemon rind, lemon juice, vinegar and elderflowers.

Cover with a muslin cloth and leave to infuse for 24 hours. Strain the cordial through the muslin and pour into glass bottles with metal levered caps. Once made, leave the cordial for 2 weeks. Then serve chilled, diluted with still or sparkling water to taste.
Store in a cool, dark place and use within 3 months.

Since I can not find a cool place in my house I store my bottles in the fridge. One problem with the above recipe I tell you right now, you will not be able to wait 2 weeks before you start drinking it. I’ve had to make an extra batch just so that I can see what it will be like in two weeks, since the first one never made it that far.

Give this recipe a go! You’ll be glad you did.

Stay herbal

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Hello Herb Lovers,

The kids and I have just spent a wonderful morning in the herb garden.  With winter well and truly here my garden had been neglected for too long.  This morning the sun was shining brightly and the boys jumped at the chance to get their hands dirty. Well, Pixie Boy squealed really, since he can’t jump yet.

There was much weeding, cutting back of deadwood and some harvesting to be done.  Little Trouble found Mr Slug, green jumping spiders, two baby strawberries and needed some convincing that maybe he did not wish to eat one of the pretty red chillies.

Pixie Boy supervised the proceedings bouncing happily in his chair. He occasionally gave directions with a delighted squeak and was generally enjoying his morning in the sun (he is now fast asleep in his bed).

 
I have a basket full of goodies – last remnants of basil, black chillies, golden oregano, lemon grass and an abundance of sheep’s sorrel – does anyone want some sorrel?  It’s eeeeeeeeeeeeeeverywhere!!!

Even though the growth cycle has slowed down, do yourself a favour and spend some time getting the garden ready for spring.
 
 
Stay herbal
 
 
 

Hello Herb Lovers,

Life has been pretty chaotic in our part of the world – which kinda explains why there haven’t been any posts recently.

Herbs as usual have been my salvation from completely losing my mind to stress – my famous Hugs-In-A-Cup tea works wonders on my nerves by easing anxiety, instilling a sense of calm and improving my mood.  Apart from my daily tea I have also found a marvellous new pillow at my local store.

The Herbafill Scented Pillow really took my fancy when I saw it. It comes filled with either Peppermint to relieve stress or Lavender to improve sleep.  Sleeping isn’t a problem for me, I just need to find the time to do it.  So stress relief sounded great to me – and I LOVE the scent of fresh peppermint.

At first I was concerned that peppermint would be too invigorating to allow good sleep but a few weeks in now it has not made my mind any more alert at bedtime.

When you first open the wrapping a strong scent of peppermint fills the air and you wonder if you made the right choice.  But soon you realise that the scent is no longer overwhelming but soothing.  After a few weeks of use the pillow definitely still holds the scent but it has mellowed to a really nice level now.

Does it work?  Well, I might be imagining things but I believe that I am dealing a lot better with my interrupted sleeps, and the day that follows.
Pixie Boy still wakes many times during the night so I have not had the pleasure of a complete night’s sleep for a very long time. And I believe that I would usually be a lot more affected by the disruptions than I am of late. Whether that is due to the peppermint pillow or that my mind has decided to just go with the flow – *shrugs* who knows, I love the pillow and I am less stressed. Sounds like success to me

For those of you who do not wish to trade their favourite pillow for a new herbal one do not despair.  Herbal pillows have been popular for centuries.  You can make a small pillow filled with your favourite sleeping herbs and pop it in the bed to scent your bedding.  Popular choices are lavender pillows and hops too has been known to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep.  There are many other type of dream pillows you can make e.g. to enhance your dreams, to calm nerves – benefit from the power of aromatherapy in your sleep.

Stay herbal

Hello Herb Lovers,

It’s that time of the year again when the Queensland Herb Society puts on their annual Herb Awareness Weekend.  Held, as usual at the Mount Cootha Botanic Gardens it looks like it will be an interesting and educational weekend.

Guest Speakers

Saturday 16th May

9.30 am ——- Annette McFarlane – Questions and Answers and Book Promotion
10.45 am ——Linda Brennan – Healthy Soils for Healthy Herbs
12.00 noon — Nigel’s Cheese Making Demonstration
1.15 pm ——–Noel Burdette – Creating an Aromatherapy Garden – A Garden for the Senses
2.30 pm ——-Steven – All Rare Herbs – Growing Medicinal Herbs in South East Queensland

Sunday 17th May

9.30 am ——-Belinda – Cooking something Herby!
10.45 am —–Stuart Glastonbury (NHAA) – Medicinal Herbs – from Growing to Using.
12.00 noon –Valerie – Cooking up a Curry!
1.15 pm ——-Sandra Nanka – Herbal Teas for Health and Enjoyment.
2.30 pm——-Ian Twyford – Lemon Myrtle
3.30 pm ——Draw the Raffle Prizes

Demonstration Area

Saturday 16th May

10 am ——-Making Toothpaste – Bettina
11.30 am —Making a Herby Damper – Deb
1.00 pm—- Making Herby Butters – Elspeth
2.30 pm—- How to grow Herbs with or without a Garden – Deb

Sunday 17th May

10 am ——Making a spice Blend – Deb
11.30 am –Making Cough Mixture – Bettina
1.00 pm —Making a Bouquet Garni – Peter and Belinda
2.30 pm —Making Herb Teabags – Bettina

Hope to see some of you there

Stay herbal

Hello Herb Lovers,

By now you’ll all know that I was raised in Germany.  As such I grew up with some very old traditions, one of which was painting Easter eggs.  Sure, these days you get commercial colouring kits with which you can create some amazing works of art.  Or you can get stickers if you are not feeling all that creative.  But in the old days eggs were dyed with herbs and other natural materials.

I have found a lovely article in a Rabbit Hill Gardens Herb Farm newsletter teaching how to dye eggs the old fashioned way – including colour charts, recipes and  technique.  Who knew that red cabbage makes a robin egg blue dye?

“Naturally-dyed eggs have a lovely matte finish reminiscent of old milk paint, but eggs can also be oiled to a satin shiny finish. After eggs have dried, rub them with an edible vegetable oil such as canola oil or olive oil using a paper towel. Wipe with a dry paper towel and buff lightly. “

I’ll try and have a go at these ideas this Easter and I’ll post some pics. Feel free to do the same, I’ll happily feature your efforts.

Stay herbal

Hello Herb Lovers,

My little Pixie Boy has some skin issues I am not at all happy with.  I suspect that he has inherited possible food intolerances from me and that the dermatitis on his legs and back are a symptom of this.  Since I dont do cortisone on babies I went out to look at natural alternatives.

While I was out and about I found this little gem.  A body wash that is based on herbs, essential oil and homeopathic ingredients.  Natralia Nourish – Eczema & Psoriasis Wash can be used as a body wash and shampoo, it smells great and seems to be helping Pixie Boy with his skin issue. It is PH balanced and free from fragrances, nut oils, synthetic colour, soap and the dreaded SLS.

You’ll find it contains these goodies:
aloe vera juice
calendula flowers
chamomile flowers
lavender oil
bergamot oil
sandalwood oil
borax
graphites
natrum muriaticum
kalium sulphuricum

It is very gentle and safe for use on children.  They also have a baby range (so my research tells me) but I am happy to use the big people version as long as I dilute it a lot.  My eldest – Spawn – has eczema and I like a one product for everyone approach keeping down the number of bottles littering the bathroom.

If you have a child who suffers from dermatitis of some sort and you have tried a myriad of lotions and potions, you might want to give this natural product a go.

Once Pixie Boy has had his bath I use a baby oil I make myself which contains calendula flowers, elderflowers and lavender flowers which keeps his skin moisturised and soft, while at the same time utilising the healing powers of those three ingredients to treat the skin disorder in a very natural, gentle way.  Learn how to make your own infused oils.

Now that I have found a way to successfully treat the symptoms all I have to do is to figure out the cause of his skin issues.

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Hello Herb Lovers,

I recently made some additions to the Herbology library and while I was perusing some wonderful new herb recipes I came across the old favourite – Lemon Barley Syrup.  There was barley in the pantry, bay leaves on the tree and fresh lemons in the fruit bowl so I was able to try out this recipe straight away. The result was very yummy!  We took it with us for a long weekend at the beach and it made a very refreshing drink in the heat.  I also found that when added to hot water it made a very pleasant hot drink (I actually thought it tasted even better than the cold version).

Lemon Barley & Bay Syrup

Ingredients
1/2 cup pearl barley
3 lemons
4 bay leaves
75g sugar
ice cubes, lemon slices and
sprigs of lemon balm to decorate

1. Cover pearl barley with boiling water.
Stir well, then rinse until water runs clear.
Put in a pan with 4 cups of boiling water. Bring to
the boil, cover then simmer gently for 45 minutes.

2. Scrub lemons and pare off rind with a sharp knife. Squeeze juice and reserve. Put pared rind in a bowl with bay leaves and sugar.

3. Strain hot barley over the sugar mixture and stir until sugar disolves. Cover and leave overnight.

4. Strain, then add the lemon juice and transfer to a jug. Chill for up to two weeks.

Now the recipe says to drink it undiluted.  But I found that it is the most refreshing when diluted with water at a ratio of one part syrup to two parts water.  Do try it hot, it’s really yummy!

Recipe found in cooking with herbs through the seasons

Stay herbal

Happy Friday 13th Herb lovers,

Today is already the second Friday the 13th in 2009,
a third will fall on the 13th of November so I thought
it would be a good idea to have a look at other
superstitions – of the herbal kind.
Thanks to Gerina Dunwich’s Herbal Magick

Angelica – Associated with Saint Michael the Archangel, angelica was once thought to dispel lustful thoughts and protect against sorcery, the Black Death, attacks by rabid and venomous beasts, and a wide variety of illnesses.

Blackberry – In England, it was once believed that bad luck would befall anyone who dared to pick blackberries after the 11th day of October (the old date of the Christian feast of Michaelmas). Legend has it that on this day many eons ago the devil fell into a thorny blackberry thicket and laid a curse upon the plant.

Daffodil – If the very first daffodil you lay your eyes upon in the spring or summer hangs its head towards you, this is said to be an omen of bad luck for the remainder of the year. This herbal superstition, which is centuries old, continues to live on in many parts of Great Britain.

Garlic – To keep vampires and evil spirits at bay, apparently only garlic gathered in May can truly be effective. Garlic is also said to absorb the diseases of man and beast, as well as trap and destroy negative vibrations and evil influences in cursed or haunted dwellings.

Hydrangea – According to old English lore, the hydrangea is an unlucky plant for young ladies who wish to find a husband. Grown near the house – especially near the door – hydrangeas are said to curse daughters of the house to be cursed with lonely lives of spinsterhood.

Ivy – Illness will befall anyone who picks a leaf from an ivy plant growing on a church wall. If ivy growing on a house wall suddenly dies it is said to be a sign of impending death in that household.

Leaves – Any type of leaves blown into the house are said to be omens of bad luck. If you make a secret wish while catching a falling leaf on Halloween it will surely come true.

Mugwort – Mugwort is a magical herb linked to Pagan goddesses Artemis and Diana. Ancient tradition dictates that the plant must be picked on the eve of Summer Solstice in order to activate its magical properties. In the Middle Ages, Christians usually made the sign of the cross to ward off evil spirits before harvesting mugwort.

Peas – It is good luck to find a pod containing 9 peas and even better luck if the pod contains only one pea. It was once thought that a wart could be cured by rubbing it with a pod of nine peas while reciting special instructions.

Willow – Willow trees have long been held to protect against sorcery and the evil eye. Many individuals will still touch them to ensure good luck. Beware never to share a secret beneath a willow, lest it be repeated by the wind.

Ahhh, it’s all a bit of fun, or is it? Do you walk under ladders? I don’t allow shoes on a table, Light of My Life refuses to open an umbrella indoors – but we are not superstitious, oh no!

Stay herbal

Hello Herb Lovers,

Recently a good friend of mine sprained her ankle very badly. To help ease her discomfort and speed healing I made some comfrey poultices she could apply to the affected area. Comfrey – Symphytum officinale L.- is a brilliantly useful herb to have in your garden. And yes, it can take over so watch where you plant it as you’ll NEVER get rid of it again.

Here is an excerpt from the Herbology Home Herbal – Practical A-Z Guide to Medicinal and Culinary Herbs for the Home….(dont look for it in the shops I am still writing it)….

Hello Herb Lovers, it’s FAQ time again!

Raspberry Leaf Tea is popular remedy for women, particularly when they are pregnant – unfortunately it is also a source of much confusion.

Hi there,

Thanks for your informative help in the past with regard to Raspberry
Leaf Tea, but the time has come to ask some very specific questions of
my favourite herbal resource!

I’m currently 35w +4 days pregnant and in the last couple of weeks have
sporadically been drinking one cup of Raspberry Leaf Tea a day. In
the last few days I’ve had some painful Braxton Hicks contractions
(I’ve been to the hospital for monitoring and an exam to confirm they
are not “real” labour).

My question is, would you recommend that I stop drinking the tea, in
an effort to stop “irritating” the uterus, or increase the dosage of
the tea to try to help tone the uterus and make the contractions less
painful? Also, could you advise herbal methods to help distract me
from the pain?

Thanks in advance for your advice,
Anxious

P.S. I noticed when shopping at the supermarket the other day,
Colgate have a “herbal” toothpaste on the shelves – right down the
bottom! Have you seen it?

Hello Anxious,

As you know, I am not a professional herbalist and as such can not recommend a particular course of action for your particular situation.

However, I can say that Braxton Hicks contractions are “practice contractions” that get the uterus into shape.  When I drank raspberry leaf tea in the last trimester (3 cups a day) I found that my uterus went into overdrive.

I would not have called it irritating but toning, after all that is what it is supposed to do.   Also, as you progress in pregnancy you will find that Braxton Hicks contractions not only become stronger but can also become quite ouchy. And that is without the aid of raspberry leaf.  I have never heard of raspberry leaf making labour less painful, just that it potentially makes it easier since the uterus is well toned. It also helps the uterus contract back to its original size a lot faster.

What you describe sounds very much like what the tea is supposed to do, but if you find that the sensation is too uncomfortable then there is no reason why you couldnt stop drinking it. My advice is ” the more you drink of it, the more you will feel it” so make your decision on quantity based on that bit of wisdom.

In regards to herbal distractions from the discomfort of heavy pregnancy….
Nothing beats relaxation. Your body is being overloaded in so many ways right now. All the muscles, tendons and ligaments are working in unusual conditions and therefore your whole body is out of whack.  A bath infused with relaxing herbs and salts is a must – as is massage.  Some pleasant oils in an oil burner while you elevate your feet and read a good book can ease a lot of the niggling side effects of impending motherhood.  Just make sure herbs or herbal extracts you are using are appropriate for this stage in pregnancy.

Indulging  in some herbal relaxation will also give you a great opportunity to listen to your body, have a bit of a chat to the new family member and spend some quite bonding time while getting in tune with your body. (Actually I dont see it as an indulgence at all, I see it as an essential part of a healthy and sane pregnancy)

This stage of pregnancy is a time where most women are “over it”….but it can be a great time for some introspection, a bit of pampering and getting your mind and body prepared for the wonderful experience ahead.

Thanks for the heads up about the herbal toothpaste .  I have not seen it but I will keep my eyes out next time I head to the supermarket.

I wish you and your family all the very best and a fantastic birth experience to come.
Stay herbal
AnkeB