Dandelion’s Secrets

The secret of the dandelion is that they really aren’t a weed, they are actually a very useful herbal remedy supporting everything from digestion to water retention.  They are also extremely resilient and adaptable, even to mowing.  Have you ever noticed, that if you mow them, they just grow shorter.  I’ve even seen flowers growing just on top of the ground. 

The Miracle Herb:

The dandelion is nothing short of a miracle herb, usable from top to bottom, and one of the most diverse “weeds” in your yard. 

The Lore:

Dandelions have been referred to as the “Shephard’s clock” because the flowers always open around sunrise and then shut around dusk.  It’s also been known to predict weather as well.  Once a flower has gone to seed, if it’s going to be sunny, that seed pod will open up into the fluffy ball we are so familiar with.  But, if it’s going to rain, the pod will close up and will remain shut while it rains, only opening when the rain stops.

Precaution:

One thing to remember is to always choose your plants carefully.  You never want to pick or use any plants that have been sprayed with anything for at least three (3) years.  Make sure when you pick a plant, that it is far enough away from any area that may have been sprayed by any weed or bug killers.  You don’t want to ingest anything that may have been sprayed on them.

To top it off, dandelions are highly nutritious and they just taste good.  You really can use every part of this plant and for far more than just an herbal tea.  Here’s just a couple of uses for each part of the plant.

Dandelion Flowers:

You have to say that the flowers are sunny, bright and beautiful.  You can pull the petals and sprinkle them over your salad.  What a beautiful addition to your food.  You can also add them to cookies and breads. 

They also make a delicious jelly that looks like honey and sunshine all rolled up in one jar.  The jelly is so pretty, it makes a marvelous gift for anyone.  

I’ve read they make a great wine as well, but I haven’t yet had a chance to try that. 

Dandelion flowers also have constituents that support your eyes, which is only fitting, really.

Dandelion leaves:

The leaves contain several minerals including iron and calcium, rivaling other beloved greens like spinach.  They have a slightly bitter taste and this is what triggers the digestive process to begin.  The younger the leaves the better tasting they are.  The larger and older the leaves, the more bitter they become.

Many people turn them into pesto just as you would basil, or cook them as you would spinach.  They can also be made into a tea as a great after dinner drink.

Have you ever wondered why salads were served before your main meal?  The salad got your gut ready for the main course.  This can help to eliminate indigestion and incomplete digestion, which can cause stomach gas and can sometimes be accompanied by pain. 

The salads of yesteryear were not the salads of today.  Back in the day, salad greens had a much more bitter taste than our various greens of today.  Today we have worked to grow the bitter taste out of our greens losing some of the benefits that bitter tasted offered us.

The leaves are also a strong diuretic.  They are used most commonly to address swelling, and symptoms of high blood pressure.  

While the name “dandelion” comes from the French words “dent de lion”, meaning “teeth of a lion”, referring to the leaves, the French actually most commonly call a dandelion “piss-en-lit”, pronounced peace-on-lee, which literally translates to “pee the bed”.

Dandelion Roots:

Dandelion roots are considered a liver tonic, supporting liver function in eliminating toxins from our body.  Inefficient liver function that can’t adequately get rid of the toxins in the body will generally show up in your skin first.  So if you are having skin problems, that’s always a good place to start.

Roasted roots are also considered a good replacement for coffee.  A dandelion, as a general rule, has one large tap root that grows straight down and they can be hard to pull without breaking.  Use a weed puller or a screwdriver and run it down beside the root and wiggle.  This will help loosen the root.  If you do break the root, no worries, another dandelion will grow again next year!

Wash it, slice it and spread it out evenly on a cookie sheet then roast in an oven on a very low heat for 3-5 hours with the door open to dry it.  Then turn your heat up to about 350 deg. And roast it for about 40 min.  Once it’s good and roasted, let it cool, then ground it.  I haven’t had an occasion to try this yet, but it is on my list.  I hear as it’s roasting it smells like mocha.

Not Just Tea:

My husband is not a tea drinker and not much of a salad eater either, so I like to make a tincture with it as well.   For those who aren’t thrilled with the taste of teas or just don’t drink teas, tinctures are always a good choice.

I hope this makes you want to try using the dandelion and begin to think of it as an ally, rather than just a weed.  The internet is full of information and there are many websites that have recipes and other uses for dandelions.  I hope you do some research and find a cool way to use the dandelions from your yard.  Share in the comments any recipes or uses you come up with, I'd love to hear them.

Easy Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar

I’ve made my own apple cider vinegar long enough I really don’t know how much it costs per quart at the store anymore.  But, I’m pretty sure homemade costs less and taste better than store bought. If you are using apples for any apple dish, you can make your own apple cider vinegar.

Chamomile, A Flower or a Weed

Is Chamomile a flower or a weed?  I guess that depends on who you ask.  Even some in the herbal community will call it a weed.  I never thought of it that way, although my husband does.

When I first planted Chamomile, I thought it was so pretty and it smelled remarkable.  On top of that it's full of uses, the best of which is drinking Chamomile tea.  At that time, I had no idea how it spread.  Even so, I think it's great, BUT, you have to learn to control it.

From my garden.

Chamomile, the first year

Years ago I planted Chamomile in a raised bed.  It was a circle bed about a foot & a half round.  It grew so pretty and made so many flowers.

I picked and picked and dried the flowers and used them for many different things.  At the end of that year, we had to move the bed.  I was going to lose my Chamomile, but I knew I could always plant some more.

Chamomile, the second year

The following year, I found little plants along the driveway and the patio.  I was so excited, I really didn't lose all my Chamomile!!

So I protected them by not letting my husband mow them down and I picked and picked the flowers again.  I was happy.

Chamomile, the third year

Then came the next year.  I found Chamomile in every corner of my yard.  The leaves are so feathery, the flowers are so pretty and smell so good and it makes magnificent tea, so no worries.

This time I had to really work to convince my husband to leave various patches alone so they could grow.  I even had to make a deal with him that he could cut that area down, if he would leave this area alone.  And I continued to pick flowers.

Some people may say that makes for a nuisance weed, I just think it makes the yard look nice.

There are so many things you can use Chamomile for, that I just can't imagine ever thinking of this plant as a nuisance.  Besides the fact that it smells divine, it taste great as a tea.  For those teas that don't taste so good, but are good for you, all you have to do is add a bit of Chamomile to make it palatable, to help the medicine go down, as they say.

Comment below and let me know what you use chamomile for.  I'd love to hear!!

Natural Weed Killer

It wasn’t until I had grandkids that “organic” and “natural”  even became a thing to me.  I actually felt bad enough for not thinking of it while my own son was young, that I apologized to him.

When the thought of having a grandchild actually became a reality, I couldn’t imagine bringing her around anything that was so full of chemicals.  The more I read the labels the more I didn’t want any of that stuff around my grandkids or us, for that matter.  I decided then and there, that there had to be a better way or at least a more chemical-free way.

We live in the country and have a very large driveway made of rock.  My husband wanted to keep it as weed free as possible since we can’t mow it.  When the kids come out and play on that driveway, so I wouldn’t let him spray any of that poison on it.  I had to come up with a better solution.

I searched the internet and found several different recipes and ideas, some worked okay and some not at all.  The more I read the more I started noticing common ingredients in a lot of them and decided I could  make my own.  When I finally put it together, it WORKED!!!  I was so happy.  Sadly it only kills the top of the plant, the part that the solution touches.  I can live with that.

            It actually impressed both of us.  This recipe is too easy not to try.  So I had to share.

Natural Weed Killer:

1. Add 1 cup of salt to a quart jar.
2. Fill the jar with water and let it sit for a week to dissolve as much of the salt as you can.
3. Put 1 gallon white vinegar in a 2 gallon sprayer
4. Add the quart of salt solution.  Rinse and get as much of the salt as you can out of the quart jar.  
5. Continue to let it sit for a short while longer to melt as much more of the salt as you can.  You want to melt as you can, so it won’t clog your sprayer.  (Don’t ask me how I know that.)
6.   Add a few tablespoons of dish soap to the sprayer (or actually I use the soap I make dish soap with)
7. Shake it up completely (or as best you can in a 2 gallon sprayer container).
8. Soak the plants with a sprayer on a day that you have lots of sun.  I’m not positive, but I think the sun helps kill the plant.  I’ll have to test that sometime.

          Within hours you will begin to notice weeds turning brown.  With large clumps of grass it may only kill the outside of the clump.  You may have to spray those more than once, but apparently, from what my husband tells me about the old “store bought” weed spray, it still worked faster and better.

Saturday 1 pm

Sunday 8am

This plant continued to die off until it became dust and blew away!!!  YAY!!!

           If you have some weeds to get rid of, you might give this a try.  If you do, let me know how it works for you.  We were highly impressed with how fast the weeds died.  

           Do you have a recipe that you use that works great?  If so, please put it in the comments.  The more ideas the better, in my humble opinion.

Essential Oils

I've just recently REALLY discovered essential oils.  I mean, I've always known about them and used them occasionally.  But recently, I've discovered how good they REALLY are and have started using them daily.  I didn't realize how handy they are.

Since our grand-daughter was born our lifestyle has moved to a more and more organic and natural one, making most of our household products and using less and less store bought cleaning supplies and personal products.  The oils just fit in perfectly.

I began seeing Doterra Oils a lot.  What I first liked about them is they are delivered through the mail!!!  I love that I can have them delivered because I really hate shopping.  Then I found out how to get discounted oils.

Doterra allows you to pay a fee (kind of like Costco) and you get wholesale pricing.  Nothing minimum to buy, just buy what you use, if you want.  You can go on to sell them if you want, but it's not necessary.  From what I read there are a lot of people who are making a really good living.  I like the mixtures they sell, and their oils are first rate and I'm happy with that, so they are worth the fee.  And considering how much we use them that discount way out does the fee.  If I go on to sell some, that's a bonus.

As time goes on I'll learn more and more.  I'm so happy with what I've learned and experienced so far I can't wait to share.  It's the easiest "help yourself" I've ever run across.  Besides, they smell awesome, make the house smell great and I can even use them for perfume.  If you'd like to look it over yourself and read some great information on your own, you can visit here.

I hope you come back for more as I hope to post some more information on oils.  I hope others can get as much out of them as we have.  And I'd love to know what you've discovered about essential oils and their uses.  Leave me a note on how you use them.

The End of the Weekend

Tis true, Sunday evening and the weekend is almost over. 

Ah well, a hot bath, candles, the right essential oils, a glass of wine and a homemade face mask will make tomorrow morning okay again.

Have a great evening and I hope your weekend was a great one.

Good Night.

Practicing to Relax

Do you ever feel like you need to work at relaxation?  Sounds like an oxy-moron, doesn't it?  But nonetheless, it's true.  For most of us relaxation actually is close to impossible.  In our day in age, relaxation has become an art...a hard earned art and only if you practice it.

I have to remind myself several times a day to relax.  It's not something I remember to do naturally.  If I don't my shoulders and neck start to hurt and I can get a headache before I even realize it's starting.

I've learned to relax in a number of different ways, depending on where I am and what I'm doing.

If I'm at work, I have to be able to use a quick method and is pretty low key as to what I'm doing.

I sit at a desk all day and in some cases I can sit there for several hours at a time using a computer so I try to stop every hour or so.  I'll put my hands in my lap, sit up straight, feet flat on the floor and take several deep breaths with my eyes closed.  While doing this I visualize a white/yellow light above my head and as I exhale, that light rains down on and through my head and body.  With each breath my shoulders and/or neck will feel just a little more relaxed.  After about 4 or 5 breaths, I'm ready again.

Or, I'll take a deep breath and lift and tighten my shoulders, hold both for a count of 4 or 5 and then release my breath and relax and roll my shoulders slowly, again to a count of 4 or 5.  Repeating this for 4 or 5 times.

While I'm at home I can use longer methods that are a bit more involved and more fun.

Sometimes a hot bath with epsom salts, or maybe some bubble bath always with essential oils and of course candles.

A bit of music maybe a mask made of crushed oats, yogurt and honey.

Listening  to music and just watching the flame dance on the candle can be magic.

Maybe take a walk and enjoy nature.

As the saying goes, stop and smell the roses (so to speak), enjoy the view, listen to the birds and even the wind blowing through the trees.

 The point is instead of thinking of all the things that need done, just listen to what's around you, enjoy what you see.  Look for the simple things and fill your head with paying attention to those things.

Whatever works for you, use it.  We don't do it enough and it makes all the difference in dealing with stress and strain in our full everyday lives.

Keeping a 3 year old Entertained

Early last month my grandson was born.  It was SO VERY AWESOME!!!  He was born on a Wednesday, so that afternoon and the rest of the week I kept my 3 year old granddaughter.  I have her overnight about every other weekend regularly, so I didn't think this would be a big deal.  Obviously, I was wrong.  It's been 34 years since my son was born and I am WAY out of practice, even after 3 years.  My granddaughter isn't a bad girl but her attention span is about a quarter inch long.  OMG, that lovely little girl wore this old lady OUT!!

She was so excited for her new "baby brother".  As far as she's concerned he belongs to her.  It was really cute to watch.  First thing I heard every morning was "Is it time to go see my baby brother?" and again every 10 minutes after that.  Just an FYI, that's a 25 mile drive.

It was so hard to keep her attention after coming home from the hospital. We tried everything.  We made Yule/Christmas presents with glitter, glue, paint and crayons.

What 3 year old doesn't love that stuff.  She did love it, but only about about 30 min at a time and then she was ready for something else.  I truly thought glitter would last a lot longer than that.  Glue and glitter should have had an hour life, at least, I thought.  Man, was I wrong....try 20-30 minutes and then she was actually ready for bed so it would be morning and she could go see her baby brother again.

It's been more than a month and she still is highly enamored with him.  She loves touching him and staring at him, which is so cute.  I must say there was nothing more exciting than seeing her baby brother.  I can only hope that continues as they grow up.

The Cute "Baby Brother"

By Friday afternoon mom and baby brother got to go home and she wanted to go home with them.  Grandma's place is cool, but can't compare to her new baby brother.  Oh well, that's okay, I can't blame her.  He's pretty cute and I was ready for the rest too.

She loves to come to grandma's place now, but after an overnight stay and all day, she's ready to go home to "mommy, daddy and her little brother".  Next I think we'll work on teaching her his actual name.  She knows it, but I think she may forever call him "my baby brother".

Meditation Is Easy

I have a friend who has been having anxiety issues.  She's had them for a while and was on medication, then she quit taking it for about a year, started taking it again and recently the anxiety has gotten worse and they have almost doubled her meds.  This has all been over about a five year period.  She told me she doesn't want to be on all these meds and asked  my opinion.  My idea was exercise and meditation.

She knew both of these answers but like most of us, it's more effort than we want to put out.  I told

Holiday Season Blessings

This year stands out to me as one of the best in a very long time.  I lost my dad in 2011 and my mom in 2015.   In between that time there was turmoil among family members which just made get-togethers somewhat uncomfortable and tense  We've also had 2 new grand kids during this time.   These last several years have had so much change.

Since then, we've, or at least I, have been trying to build some new traditions.  Something that is solid to look forward to every year in getting ready for such a hectic time of year.  From Thanksgiving through January we have many birthdays along with the holidays.  It's almost constant.

This year I feel we achieved the new traditions I craved and found a happy medium that everyone can enjoy.  It makes this time of year so much more enjoyable and I'm so glad we've finally got to this point.

Although I miss mom and dad terribly and the holidays will always

Shopping

I really hate going to the store to go shopping.  Anybody else with me here?  Just something about all those people, loud kids and adults, lack of manners, traffic and waiting in line.  I'm just not real good with any of it.  I've discovered shopping online is SOOOO much easier and makes me so much happier.

Did you know you can even buy groceries online?  Apparently, I'm a slow learner, but as long as I

Tomorrow will last FOREVER!!

My vacation starts Monday, so tomorrow will likely last FOREVER!!!

I get to pick up my grand-daughter, Z, tomorrow, so that will be fun.  We'll have a great time and laugh and it will be a great start for my vacation.  Her smiling face always makes it all good.  She's growing up so very fast and I haven't seen her in 2 weeks.  Each time I see her, she's just that much more grown up.  I don't remember it going so fast when my son was little.

My brakes have gone out too.  So my husband and brother are so kind as to change those for me tomorrow.  That will cost me a bit, but at least there's no labor (besides lunch and ice cream).  Can't complain, haven't had too much problem with that car and next month is my last payment.  YAY!!!

There's so many things I want to get done next week.  My list includes deep cleaning, you know, like windows, and Z's toy box, my closet:-).  I also want to get a mess of cooking done, to be frozen for supper and breakfast later.  And strangely I'd like to get some vacation type stuff done too (reading, web surfing and maybe a movie), how dare I, right?.  I'll see, I may pick and choose to get a little bit of everything in.

We aren't getting a lot of stuff bought for our little homestead, BUT....we are getting some of the necessary property work done which needs to be done first anyway, AND our biggest upcoming accomplishment is getting things paid off.  We are very close to being debt-free which, in my humble opinion, would be the important accomplishment in the long run.

I supposed I should get though the next week before I get into paying off everything over the next year or two.  Baby steps:-)  I guess I'll see what all I can get done over the next week then move on to bigger & better things.  There's not enough days to get everything on my list done since I continue to add to it constantly, but I can try.  Who knows...

Did you take your vacation yet?  What did you do, where did you go?

Til later!!

Peach Butter

Recently I read a post regarding peach butter.  It sounded so good, but I didn't have any peaches and by the time I got to the store, of course, I forgot about it. 

2 weeks ago I went to the meat locker for some meat and the farmer's market was out front, and guess what I found!!!!!   Peaches!!!!

So last week I got all motivated after work and made some peach butter.  It's actually very easy and takes no time at all.

Tricks for Home Cooked Food Fast

During the weekdays I leave my house at about 7:30 in the morning and don’t get home until about 6:30 that evening.  This doesn’t leave a lot of time to cook a meal when I get home.   Here’s a few tricks I’ve learned to make home cooked food fast.

On the weekends when I’m really motivated to cook, I’ll cook up a storm.  I’ll make big batches of something, have some for supper and freeze the rest, in meal size. for later.  Or I’ll make several meat loaves or hamburgers (sometimes both), have some for supper and freeze the rest for other nights.  Maybe cook a large ham and use a small portion and freeze the rest in batches for quick ham and beans.  I’m not always in the mood to cook, but when I am, I try to cook big.

In the last year I’ve learned to can meat.  This is a great time saver because there’s no thaw time.

5 Ideas That Have Helped Me Make Healthier Eating Choices

I’ve learned over time you don’t have to have a strict diet to make healthy eating choices. I most definitely don’t deprive myself because, for me, that only leads to binge eating.  But I have found a few little tricks that help me make better choices and I’ve even lost a few pounds along the way.  

Happy Mother's Day

Today is my first Mother’s Day without my mom.  She was my best friend. I was able to tell her anything.  We had breakfast almost every Saturday morning together for the last 30 years.  In the last 10 years or so I began to take care of her and my dad and their finances.  Then dad passed on 4 years ago.  We moved mom to town and continued on.  

Do you really want that cookie?

Yeah, I do.  I LOVE sweets, always have and always will.  In my family, homemade ice was a food group, not just a dessert.  After growing up with homemade ice cream, homemade cookies and cakes I figured out I have to find a way to curb the impulse to eat every sweet I see.  After years of the yo-yo weight gain/loss and attempts at many different methods to avoid the sweets, I found a few things that helped me.  

Store Brand Organic Food

When I first started moving towards organic food, I always bought from the local “Organic” or “Natural” stores in my areas.  As time went on, I was happy to notice natural and organic store brands on the shelf in my local Dillons, Simple Truth and Simple Truth Organic brands.  They were less expensive and most of the time just as good.

I like to save a few bucks where I can but still get the best I can afford.  I’m not always able to eat organic, but I try when and where I can.  What’s nice about the Simple Truth brand is they also

have the natural option, which isn’t “organic” by definition but which still omits 101 artificial preservatives and ingredients, listed here.  It’s different than the organic definition found on their website here, but better than most the well known stuff off the shelf, in my opinion.

On 10/22/14 Business Insider published a story online stating JP Morgan had put out a report showing that within two years Kroger was expected to surpass Whole Foods as a seller of organic and natural foods.

I still occasionally shop at my local organic and natural stores mostly because one of them carries a number of local products from local producers within the state and I like to buy local when I can; and I can’t always find everything I want in my local Dillons.  When I can, I get my produce from the local growers near my home or out of my own garden.

Where do you get your organic food? 

The Thrifty Homesteader: What's so bad about raw milk?

The Thrifty Homesteader: What's so bad about raw milk?: Maybe it's just coincidence or maybe it's just my imagination, but it seems that since Farmageddon was released, the heat has been...

Fall Colors

I'm not real partial to the cold weather, specifically I hate being cold as the cold causes me pain these days, but after seeing the trees in this last week, I'm enjoying the change.  (I guess I'll have to wear another layer of clothes this winter).  In Kansas it's highly unusual that the trees even still have leaves
at this time of year. Generally it gets cold, the leaves turn and in a day or so the wind blows so hard the trees lose their leaves.  So really we usually only have fall colored leaves for about 1-2 days.  This year, it's been different.

These are the leaves on the trees in our yard, the yellow one being a Mother's Day present from my son about 20 years ago and the red one being a gift from my mother also about 20 years ago, although the red one had a tough start and is a smaller tree to begin with, being what's called a Smoke Tree.  I only have a few pretty ones, mostly what we have are hedge that aren't real colorful.  They do look much prettier when the sun is shining especially in the morning, but I had to leave the house before the sun came up that far.  So, when I am able in the next day or so to catch these trees in the sun I will retake these and post new pictures because they really are much prettier than these pictures show.

I work on the 16th floor and have been looking over the city, noting there isn't a lot of red in our landscape, mostly dull yellows and oranges.  As I look down closer to our building I note a number of red fall colored trees, and they're short, I'm thinking you just can't see most of them from my vantage point throughout the city.  Now as I'm driving home from work, I find myself unconsciously looking for more and more tree color in the city.  I don't see as much as I would think or like which is a shame, as the deep, bright and rich reds, yellows and oranges add such depth to the fall colors, they are so bold, bright, so pretty.  We have yellows and oranges, but they just aren't the striking colors you can see in some trees.

However, in the mornings, when the sun comes up, the colors we do have seem bright, like they are alight, maybe even glowing and while on I'm on my way to work, that is what I would call a morning "Smile", making the morning worth the day ahead.

Tell me what you see, what you like in the fall when the trees begin to change.  What are the colors like in your area?  Drop a picture if you like and share.

Enjoy the colors while you can.