The worst place I ever got poison ivy was in my belly button. At that time, I had one of the worst cases of poison ivy that I had ever experienced. Angry, red rashes that resembled chemical burns were plastered all over my body, but the little rash inside my belly button was the worst. When I got hot or moved the wrong way, the folds of my belly button rubbed together exacerbating the awful burning itch exponentially.

The amazing thing was that I hadn’t come into contact with any poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac plants for the previous few days. My husband and I had been on a camping/canoeing trip, and I had been very careful not to expose myself to the plants.

Unlike me, my husband does not get poison ivy, oak, or sumac. He can roll in it and not get so much as a bump. So when we came to our riverside campsite and found that the tree under which we wanted to pitch our tent was covered with an old, dead, fuzzy-looking poison ivy vine, I told my husband we’d have to find another site. My husband liked the seclusion of the spot and so went to work ripping the old vine down with his bare hands and tossing it far into the woods beyond. I watched from a safe distance. Now that the threat of the plant was gone, neither of us thought anymore about it. As far as we were concerned, the matter was taken care of, I was safe, and we worked together setting up our campsite. The trip was wonderful, but two days later, I was in utter agony. So how did I end up with such a bad case of contact dermatitis from a plant I didn’t even touch?

My husband gave it to me.

In order to understand how, you need to understand the nature of the poisonous triplets: poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. These three plants all contain a resin known as urushiol [oo-roo-shee-awl]. This oil is the culprit that causes the angry, red rashes. Anytime this oil comes in contact with the skin, it will attach itself to the outer layer of skin cells and to the layer of live cells below. In approximately 85% of people, this will cause an allergic reaction. The degree of your rash will depend on your sensitivity.

Urushiol is just as potent outside of the plant as it is inside the poisonous triplets. So you do not have to come in direct contact with any plants. If you touch an object that has urushiol on it, it will still cause contact dermatitis. That is how my husband gave it to me. Once he touched the vine he had urushiol on his hands. Everything he touched from there became contaminated, until he washed his hands. The camp ax, our towels, our life vests, the camping gear, the cooking utensils were all compromised. If he touched something, handed it to me, and I grabbed the area that he touched, my hands were contaminated. Once my hands were contaminated, every time I touched a part of my body, I got urushiol on it.

The tricky thing about urushiol is that the same patch of oil can reinfect you time and time again. So if you were weed eating and urushiol got sprayed on your shoelaces from hitting a poison ivy plant, it can get on your hands every time you tie your shoes. Last year’s garden gloves, with which you pulled weeds, could still be contaminated. Pets that run through plants can get the oil on their coats. Contaminated clothing can transfer the oil to furniture. It is possible for urushiol to remain active on surfaces for years. Until contaminated items, or pets, are washed, they can infect a sensitive person.

Once the oil touches you it can take between 12 to 48 hours for a rash to develop. The length of time it takes for the rash to appear varies depending on the sensitivity of your skin. Rashes resulting from the same incident of contact may take different lengths of time to develop. For example, if your hand comes in contact with urushiol, and then you touch your face, the rash on your face may develop two days before the one on your hand will. This is because the skin on your hands tends to be thicker, and therefore less sensitive, than the skin on your face.

Poison Ivy Myths

The characteristics of urushiol have given rise to a few myths about poison ivy, oak, and sumac.

Myth # 1: Poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac rashes are contagious from person to person or from one spot of your body to another. If you touch the rash in one part of your body it will transfer to another part of your body.

Myth #2: Poison ivy, oak, and sumac can travel through your bloodstream to produce new rashes.

Myth #3: Popping the blisters on a rash will release more urushiol that will spread the rash.

Poison ivy is spread through the dissemination of the urushiol resin. Wherever the resin has touched a sensitive person’s body, the rash will spring up. Because there can be a delay of 12 to 48 hours, it can seem as if a person is doing something to cause it to spread even after it has been washed off the skin. Blisters are the body’s reaction to the oil and do not contain urushiol.

Myth #4: Drinking poison ivy tea or eating it will make me immune.

Consuming any of the poisonous triplets will only give you some very nasty gastrointestinal problems and could cause death in some cases. These plants are not safe for human consumption.

Myth #5: I can’t touch the leaves of poison ivy, but I can touch the stem.

Myth #6: Poison ivy is safe to touch in the winter.

All parts of the poisonous triplets contain urushiol, so, if you are allergic, neither the leaves, the stems, or the roots are safe for you to touch with bare skin. The poisonous triplets contain their highest amounts of urushiol in the spring and summer. Wintertime may lessen the amount of urushiol in their surviving plant parts, but it is still there, capable of giving contact dermatitis even in the coldest temperatures. Not even dead plants are safe to touch.

Once you come in contact with the oil, most people usually have a window of opportunity to wash it off before they become affected. Opinions vary on the length of this window, but the shortest one is about ten minutes. If you know you have come in contact with one of the poisonous triplets, wash the area as soon as you can.

There are many suggested methods of washing urushiol off your skin. Using soap, dishwashing detergent, rubbing alcohol, vinegar, commercial cleansers, and mineral spirits are all possibilities that can aid in removing the offending resin. Washing with hot water will open skin pores and possibly allow the urushiol to penetrate deeper so use cool water instead. The most important thing is that you get the oil off your skin without spreading it to other parts of your body.

But what about those times when you are out in the woods, ten miles away from the nearest sink, and you don’t have any rubbing alcohol, mineral spirits, or even soap with you? If all you have is a water bottle, you can get some of the urushiol off with that. It may not be 100 % effective, but it will help. Recalling folk remedies of using mud to draw poisons from a body, I personally have used it and puddle or creek water to get the oil off when I had nothing else. It was effective. I just gently smoothed soft watery mud over the affected area and then rinsed it off. I would avoid hard rubbing or using sand as this might create scratches in your skin, therefore making it more welcoming for the urushiol to soak in.

Relief for Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac: The Poisonous Triplets

If you have a rash, despite your efforts to avoid the plants and the urushiol, many methods exist for you to choose from to alleviate your pain. There are many over-the-counter washes that can aid in treating and soothing your rash. In most pharmacies, they even have their own section. Just ask your pharmacist where they are. If you have any drug allergies, double check with your pharmacist to make sure it is ok for you to use the product.

When you live far away from a pharmacy, or when a rash springs up during an inconvenient time, a home remedy may help. If you prefer a home remedy you can see which of these suits you: salt, vinegar, rubbing alcohol, vodka, oil of oregano, osha-root tincture, a baking soda paste, aloe vera, soaking in oats, witch hazel, or tea tree oil. Methods of application for all of these are easily found on the Internet. As with most home remedies, trial and error will help you determine what is most effective for you.

All of those may be fairly well-known, but there are two Appalachian folk-remedies that may be of interest: coffee and jewelweed.

Washing the poison ivy rash with cold, plain, black coffee is one old remedy. The interesting thing to note is that an anti-inflammatory, chlorogenic acid, is contained in the coffee bean. Although not proven by scientific studies, some people have found relief from it.

Jewelweed is another remedy that is a personal favorite of mine. Jewelweed grows in abundance in our area. We find it around the moist, shady banks of creeks and streams. Also known as the “Touch Me Not”, this plant produces yellow to orange flowers with red spots that look like pendants, or slippers. If you do not know this plant, it is well worth getting acquainted with. According to Peterson’s Field Guide for Medicinal Plants and Herbs, a 1957 study found that out of 115 people treated, 108 found it effective. This plant contains a compound called lawsone in its leaves. Lawsone is an anti-inflammatory and an antihistamine.

Some people drink the leaf-tea as a preventative for poison ivy. Although I cannot attest to jewelweed tea’s efficacy in rash prevention, I can say my family and I have found jewelweed very effective in soothing that horrid, burning itch. Because the plant is not available year round, but poison-ivy rashes are, I have made herbal salve from jewelweed that has proven very useful. I made this particular batch at least two years ago, and according to my son, it was still effective this very morning.

Jewelweed Salve Recipe

• 1 to 2 stalks of jewelweed, chopped
• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil (any kind except olive, which burns when heated)
• beeswax
• 2 vitamin E caplets

Gently simmer the chopped stalks of jewelweed in the oil for approximately five to ten minutes.

Strain the mixture through a coffee filter or clean cloth.

Put mixture in clean, empty baby food jar or 1/2 cup mason jar.

Place mason jar in a pot or pan of water, making double-boiler or water bath.

Add contents of two capsules of vitamin E (poke the capsule with a sharp knife or needle and squeeze into the jar.) Stir to mix.

Grate beeswax and place in jar.

Heat and stir gently until beeswax is melted

Test consistency by taking a small amount out on a spoon and letting it cool. If the consistency is too runny for your tastes simply add more beeswax.

Store in the refrigerator.

I left my concoction a bit runny. When in the refrigerator, it is rather hard and I often use a fork to help me separate a chunk for use. Once in my hands, it begins to melt and I rub it straight onto the rash. Although the vitamin E helps to preserve the salve, like anything in your refrigerator, it can turn moldy over time, so inspect it before each use.

If you do not have the ingredients to make the entire salve, I have found sources that said some people found relief by making a tea and freezing it into ice cubes. Rub an ice cube over the rash to help soothe the rash.

Prevention offers the best protection to those of us who are sensitive urushiol. Getting rid of plants in areas of your yard where you or your pets can come in contact with it is important.

There are several commercial herbicides that will take care of offending plants. However, for those of us that do not want to use them, there are a few other options. One method is to find someone like my husband and have them rip out the whole plant, roots and all. If you have to try to do it yourself, wear thick disposable gloves. Put the ripped up plants in a trash bag; be very careful handling the trash bag after you put the plants in them. Remember that once you touch the plant, you’ve got urushiol on you. If you then touch the trash bag, it will have urushiol on it.

Even though it may be very tempting, do not burn the plants. Doing so can cause the urushiol to become airborne. Inhaling it can cause serious respiratory tract problems and even death.

Another method of getting rid of the poisonous triplets is to employ a goat. There are many animals that are not affected by eating poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac. That could be the one saving grace of these plants: they feed wildlife, such as deer that graze on the leaves and birds that eat the berries.

My misadventures with poison ivy have guided me to learn more about urushiol and how it works. The knowledge leaves me forearmed. Although I would like to live a life free from worry of the poisonous triplets, I know I can’t. I won’t always be able to control who touches what and when they touch it. However, now I feel confident that I can deal well with the wicked three (and their hell-spawned urushiol), and teach my family to do the same.

The post Relief for Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, and Poison Sumac: The Poisonous Triplets appeared first on Homestead.org.

Yes, friend, you can!

The herbs you grow on your homestead can be crafted into phenomenal DIY herbal beauty products that are all-natural, inexpensive, and work just as well as store-bought skincare.

You may be growing many of these already, so incorporating herbs in handmade skincare is just one more way to make the most of your herbal harvest (and another step toward self-sufficiency). New to DIY herbal skincare? There are recipes below to help you turn your herb harvest into handmade green beauty products.

If these herbs don’t have a place in your garden yet, you’ll also find tips below on how to grow them. Don’t worry, they’re all easy-care plants and perfect even for beginner herb gardeners.

And these herbs pull triple duty: they can be used in DIY herbal skincare products, can be used in the kitchen for cooking, baking, and teas, and make lovely additions to your landscape. 

Calendula

This cheery orange flower, also called pot marigold, is pure gold when it comes to DIY skincare. In traditional medicine, calendula is used topically for skin irritations, rashes, wounds, and bug bites. Its beneficial properties bear out with modern research as well.

Calendula blooms prolifically from summer until the first frost and looks beautiful in the landscape.

The flower heads, specifically the petals, are the part of the plant that is used therapeutically. Harvest when the blossoms are half-open to fully bloomed, but before they start to wilt or dry on the stalk.

Remove the flower head and lay it on a mesh screen in a well-ventilated area to dry. You could also place the flower heads in a dehydrator.

Once the flower heads are completely dry, pull the petals from the heads and store them in a jar with a lid.

These dried petals can be used whole in bath soaks and bath teas. Finely ground, calendula petals can be added to soap bath bombs, and facial masks, where they give a gorgeous yellow-orange color to your DIY skincare products.

Calendula really shines when infused in oils and incorporated into soothing salves, lip balms, and body butter. Another fun benefit: the petals are edible and look pretty sprinkled in baked goods or on salads.

How to Grow Calendula

As its folk name “pot marigold” suggests, calendula grows well in pots. It also does well in beds or simply scattered in a sunny spot on your property.

Calendula prefers full sun, but it will tolerate some light shade especially in warmer climates.

This herb grows easily from seed. Sow them directly in the soil just after your last frost date. Calendula likes rich soil and regular water.

Although it is grown as an annual, it readily self-seeds so you can have an easy crop pop up every spring if you leave some blooms on the plant to go to seed.

Calendula Facial Oil Recipe

This facial oil is incredibly nourishing and soothing, with the added benefit of being quite simple to make.

Fill a half-pint mason jar approximately 2/3 of the way with fully dried calendula petals. Pour in equal parts rosehip seed oil and evening primrose oil until the jar is completely full and the petals are submerged. Loosely screw on a lid and let infuse in a sunny windowsill for six weeks.

Strain out all pieces of calendula petals and add these to the compost pile. The resulting oil is skincare gold.

To use, massage a small amount over cleansed face, neck, and chest. The oil rapidly absorbs into the skin. Use twice daily. This calendula facial oil has a shelf life of four months.

Chamomile

Chamomile is a lovely little herb that blooms with delicate, daisy-like flowers. Of course, chamomile makes a soothing cup of tea, but it also has incredible benefits when used topically.

Chamomile has skin healing, soothing, and anti-inflammatory properties (2). It can reduce skin irritation and redness, and may help repair the skin’s barrier function (3).

Like calendula, it’s the dainty flowers that are used therapeutically. Harvest chamomile as you would calendula, by pinching off flower heads and drying them.

No need to remove the dry petals from the head, though, as the petals are tiny and the whole process too fiddly. Besides, the entire flower head provides skincare benefits.

Use the flower heads whole in bath teas and bath soaks, or infuse into oil. Ground into a fine powder, chamomile makes a soothing addition to facial masks, body scrubs, and bath bombs.

One important note: If you are allergic to ragweed, chamomile is best avoided in topical products because it belongs to the same family.

How to Grow Chamomile

German chamomile is the species that is most often grown for tea and medicinal purposes, although both German chamomile and Roman chamomile have skincare benefits.

German chamomile is an annual, has an upright growth pattern, and can reach about 24 inches in height when it’s happy. It does well in pots and in the landscape alike. German chamomile grows easily from seed and self-seeds freely, so you’ll probably be treated to volunteers each spring.

Roman chamomile has a lower, creeping growth pattern and is best grown as a groundcover. It is a perennial in USDA hardiness zones 3 to 9, but in the colder areas it will die back to the roots during the winter and reemerge come spring. Roman chamomile isn’t quite as prolific a bloomer as its German cousin.

Both types of chamomile prefer full sun to light shade and are drought tolerant. Let the soil dry out between watering.

If you’re torn between the two, here’s a possible tiebreaker: German chamomile does better in poor soil and requires less water than does Roman chamomile.

Chamomile Oatmeal Facial Mask Recipe

Chamomile makes a lovely facial mask for all skin types. This mask is gently cleansing and soothing, and will leave your skin looking bright and feeling refreshed.

• 1/2 cup oats, finely ground
• 1 tablespoon powdered milk
• 2 teaspoons dried chamomile, finely ground

Stir together all ingredients until well blended. Store dry mask base in a half pint mason jar.

To use, mix 1 tablespoon chamomile oatmeal mask base with enough water to make a smooth, spreadable paste. For dry skin types, you can mix the mask base with grapeseed or olive oil instead of water.

Massage over face and neck and let set for five to 10 minutes. Rinse well with warm water.

The dry mask base has a shelf life of one year. Prepared mask should be used immediately; discard any leftovers.

Lavender

What would a skincare garden list be without lavender? Not much of a list, considering the abundant benefits lavender has on the skin.

Lavender is high in antioxidants and helps stimulate skin renewal. It is a remarkable herb, with pain-reducing and anti-inflammatory qualities. Lavender is also antimicrobial and antifungal.

Historically, lavender was used to cleanse and heal the skin. Today, this fragrant herb is used to improve skin issues such as acne, eczema, and psoriasis.

And you can’t overlook lavender’s long history of relieving stress and soothing an anxious mind.

Harvesting lavender is as simple as cutting of the flowering stalks and hanging them to dry. Once dry the buds, which contain the volatile oils, are easily shook loose for use and storage.

Lavender buds look beautiful in bath teas and soaks, as well as sprinkled into soap. Infused lavender oil lends gentle fragrance and soothing properties to DIY lotions, lip balms, and body butters.

How to Grow Lavender

Lavender is a perennial bush that thrives in dry, sunny conditions. It’s a hardy herb; it prefers lean soil, is drought-tolerant, and doesn’t require much maintenance.

It can be grown down to hardiness zone 5, but in those cold weather areas you should give your lavender some winter protection. Another option is to keep your lavender in a pot and bring it inside to spend the wintertime a sunny window.

The key to growing happy lavender is to provide it with well-drained soil and let it dry between watering. Lavender does not like wet feet.

With chamomile and calendula, you’re rewarded with blooms the first year. Lavender requires a bit more patience. Expect your plant to start flowering at two to three years old. Because it takes some time to get started, and seeds germinate slowly, you’ll get the best result from planting lavender starts rather than sowing seeds.

Lavender Milk Bath Soak Recipe

One of my personal favorite ways to enjoy lavender is in a relaxing bath soak. Bonus: it’s easy to make!

• 1 cup Epsom salts
• 1/2 cup powdered milk
• 2 tablespoons dried lavender buds
• Optional: 30 drops lavender essential oil

Mix together all ingredients until well blended. Store in a pint-sized mason jar or similar. To use, pour approximately 1/2 cup bath soak into running bathwater. Soak for at least 20 minutes.

This bath soak has a long 12-month shelf life. 

Lemon Balm

Lemon balm, also called Melissa mint, has a bright citrus-y fragrance that is worlds away from other mints.

Lemon balm is a popular ingredient in green beauty products not only for its herbaceous lemony scent, but for the powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging qualities it has.

This herb can be safely used by all skin types, but oily skin especially loves it. Lemon balm is astringent and has antimicrobial properties that make it helpful for skin prone to blackheads and breakouts.

In folk medicine, lemon balm is used to relax the muscles and relieve tension so it makes a special relaxing treat when incorporated into DIY bath and body products.

Frequent pinching back keeps your lemon balm healthy. Snip off stems as needed and use fresh steeped in water for an easy facial splash. Dry the leaves to incorporate into facial masks, bath teas, and body scrubs. Lemon-balm-infused oils can be used for DIY body butters and amazingly tasty lip balms.

How to Grow Lemon Balm

Lemon balm is a lovely, easy-to-grow perennial for the herb garden. But unless you have a large space where you don’t mind it taking over, keep lemon balm in a pot. It self-seeds freely, often to the point where it becomes a nuisance.

Like most mints, this herb likes regular water but it doesn’t care to be overly saturated. Plant in well-drained soil to keep it happy.

Lemon balm likes full sun and can thrive in hardiness zones 4 through 9.

Lemon Balm Whipped Body Butter Recipe

This creamy body butter has a frosting-like consistency and is nourishing for dry skin.

• 1/2 cup fresh lemon balm, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup sweet almond oil
• 1/4 cup shea butter

Place lemon balm into a small heat-safe bowl or a pint-sized mason jar. Add sweet almond oil and shea butter. Put the container into a small pan filled half-way with water, to make a bain-marie of sorts.

Warm and hold over low heat for one hour to infuse the oil and shea butter with lemon balm-y goodness. The shea butter should be just melted, but never allow the oils to simmer. Keep an eye on the water level in your pan and add more water as needed.

Carefully strain out the lemon balm leaves (toss this into the compost pile) and allow the oil mixture to cool and partially solidify. With a hand mixer, whip until the mixture is fluffy and stiff peaks form. You’re looking for a whippy, frosting consistency. This will take about five minutes or so. Spoon into a jar with a lid.

To use, massage your lemon balm whipped body butter over all dry areas of the skin. It’s especially effective when used immediately after bathing or showering. It’s also nice to use just before bed to help soothe you to sleep.

This whipped body butter has a shelf life of six to eight months. 

Peppermint

Sprightly peppermint is a popular perennial in the herb garden. It’s incredibly easy to grow and will provide a prolific harvest nearly year-round in warmer climates.

While the topical benefits of peppermint aren’t as widely studied as some of the aforementioned herbs, the research that has been done shows it can relieve itching and is mildly antimicrobial. In herbal medicine, peppermint is used topically to cleanse the skin, relieve irritation, and reduce inflammation.

Peppermint also gives a cooling and refreshing feel to all your DIY skincare products.

The frequent cutting back of peppermint stimulates the plant to regrow, so harvest as desired. Dry the leaves and use them in soap, body scrubs, and bath products. Peppermint is especially nice in foot soaks and foot scrubs.

Infused in oil, peppermint is lovely in lip balms and salves. Fresh peppermint leaves can be steeped in water for a refreshing summertime body spray.

How to Grow Peppermint

Peppermint sends out lots of underground runners and can quickly become an invasive nuisance in the garden; it’s best to keep this one corralled in a large pot.

Peppermint likes partial shade. A place where it can get morning sun but protection from hot afternoon sun is ideal. Keep the soil uniformly moist but not soggy.

This is a hardy herb and is tolerant of temperatures down to hardiness zone 3. It will die back to the roots in the winter in cold climates and remerge come springtime.

In very hot climates, you may need to grow this mint as an annual, or look for varieties that can tolerate a bit of heat.

Peppermint Body Polish Recipe

This refreshing peppermint body polish helps remove dead skin cells, leaving your skin silky smooth and soft.

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup olive oil (you can use peppermint-infused olive oil for extra peppermint punch)
• 2 tablespoons dried peppermint

Stir together all ingredients until well blended. If the body polish seems too dry for your liking, add more oil, one tablespoonful at a time, until you get a consistency you’re happy with. Place in a container with a lid for storage.

To use, measure out about 1/4 cup into a shatterproof container (because broken glass in the shower is never good, my friend). In the tub or shower, massage the polish over the entire body. Rinse well. Do take care because the oil can make the floor of your tub slippery.

This scrub will leave your skin feeling incredibly soft and moisturized. It will last four months unrefrigerated.

Sage

This little herb is often overlooked in beauty products in favor of its showier compadres, but sage has exquisite skincare benefits for all skin types.

Sage is filled with antioxidants which can help protect the skin from free radicals and, ultimately, keep your skin looking young. In fact, a 2016 study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology found that sclareol, a chemical constituent of sage, was effective at protecting the skin against photoaging and may help prevent wrinkles. Not bad for a humble herb!

Sage is also healing when used topically and has anti-inflammatory effects.

You can harvest by snipping branches as needed, just never harvest more than one third of the plant at one time.

Dried leaves are wonderful in bath products and facial masks. Dried sage makes an especially nice add-in to handmade soap. Handmade milk soap with sage and sweet orange essential oil is awesome!

Fresh sage can be made into face and body splashes, like the recipe below.

How to Grow Sage

Sage likes full sun to partial shade. It will be equally happy in pots or in the ground, provided it has well-drained soil. Sage likes regular watering but does allow the soil to dry out between.

This hardy perennial grows best in hardiness zones 4 to 11. It doesn’t care for intense summer heat, though, so protect your sage from late afternoon sun if needed.

Sage is a slow grower, so if you want a quick harvest buy older plants. If you’re the patient sort, sage grown from seed will be ready to start harvesting from when it’s two years old.

Sage Facial Splash Recipe

This facial splash is refreshing and toning, with a lovely herbaceous scent.

• 1/8 cup fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 tablespoon witch hazel

Place the chopped sage leaves in a heat-safe mug or mason jar. Pour 1/2 cup steaming, but not boiling, water over the herbs. Steep for 30 minutes. Strain out leaves and add them to the compost pile. Let cool completely, then add witch hazel and stir to incorporate.

To use, pour a splash into a small spritz bottle and lightly mist the face, neck, and chest after every cleansing. (You could also apply it to a soft cotton cloth and gently smooth it over the skin.) Follow up with your favorite moisturizer or facial serum.

Your sage facial splash has a short four-day shelf life when left unrefrigerated, but it is so easy to make you can easily whip up a fresh batch as needed. Refrigerating the splash extends the shelf life to 14 days.

Thyme

Fragrant with dainty leaves and even daintier flowers, thyme is a staple in Mediterranean cooking. The scent permeates the herb garden, especially after a warm summer rain.

This herb has plenty of benefits for the skin when used topically. Thyme is rich in vitamins A and C, both important vitamins in terms of skin health. It’s also high in antioxidants. Studies have shown it to be anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal, and healing.

To harvest, cut stems back and hang to dry. Thyme can be utilized in facial splashes and soap. Thyme-infused oils make a good base for DIY balms, butters, and lotions.

How to Grow Thyme

Thyme loves full sun, thrives in hot conditions, and is very drought tolerant. Stick it in the ground and forget it (until you need a few sprigs, that is!)

Thyme doesn’t like to be fussed with too much once it’s planted, and I’ve personally found thyme doesn’t like transplanting. If you’re not putting it directly in the ground, plant thyme in a large pot so that it has plenty of room to grow without the need for frequent transplants.

In the garden, thyme has a low growth-pattern and looks nice as a ground cover. It grows well in hardiness zones 5 to 9.

Thyme Salve Recipe

Given its therapeutic properties, thyme makes a wonderful skin salve. Smooth a bit on dry cuticles, chapped lips, bug bites, and other minor skin irritations.

• 1/4 cup thyme-infused sunflower oil
• 2 tablespoons shea butter
• 2 tablespoons beeswax (for a vegan balm, use a plant wax such as candelilla)
• Optional: 15 drops thyme essential oil

Begin by making an infused oil. In a pint-sized jar, fill 2/3 of the way with sprigs of dried thyme. Fill the jar with sunflower oil and let set in a sunny windowsill for six weeks.

To make the salve add thyme-infused sunflower oil, shea butter, and beeswax to a small heat-safe bowl or a pint-sized mason jar and place in a small pan half-filled with water. Set pan on the stovetop over low heat until beeswax is fully melted. Remove from heat and stir in essential oil, if you’re using it.

Pour melted salve into small wide-mouth containers and let sit undisturbed to cool and firm up. Once the salve is completely cool, affix lids.

To use, massage a small amount of salve into dry or irritated areas. This salve has a long eight- to 12-month shelf life.

The post Grow an Herbal Skincare Garden: 7 Easy-to-Grow Herbs for Naturally Healthy Skin appeared first on Homestead.org.

Now, there are as many different concerns regarding health as there are people.  But, throughout that vast sea of diversity, there are a lot of similar complaints that we share.  We are, of course, only human.  I have made my list of medicines after observing several very common, and very uncomfortable, complaints shared by many patients and family members alike (including even myself, from time to time, unfortunately).  I have grouped the list around major symptomatic themes, such as aches and pain, fever, stomach upset (either going too much or not enough), and simple infections.

Of course, as with everything medical, it is best to run medication choices by your primary care provider (PCP).  Based on your own medical history, medication allergies, and what medicines you are taking currently, your PCP will decide the safety and efficacy of the suggestions below.  For example, if you are the blood-thinning medicine Plavix (clopidogrel) for heart attack or stroke prevention, or if you have a history of recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding, then you should avoid taking aspirin, as it can thin your blood even further, and increase your risk of bleeding—perhaps uncontrollably.

One other state of health should have you in constant contact with a medical professional also—pregnancy.  I do not presume to know what medications you might be on while you are pregnant, but every one of the medications listed below should be discussed with your healthcare provider before taking it.  Most of these medicines are taken by mouth and enter the bloodstream, affecting the developing baby as well as you.  So, please, if you are pregnant, evaluate this list and consider the risks and benefits.  But please also talk with your PCP about your situation, and whether or not it is safe for you to be on some of these medicines.

A word of caution as well: this list does not include prescription drugs.  These medicines are presumably prescribed for a reason—to treat or manage a particular diagnosis (for example, a blood pressure medicine like metoprolol for treating high blood pressure).  You are supposed to be on these medicines already, and they should occupy an important space in your medication cabinet.  Going back to the pantry analogy, prescription medicines are like that must-have ingredient your grandmother insists you keep on-hand for that special family dinner (i.e., kale in a special soup).  It is essential for your recipe and cooking style, but not necessary for the next person’s pantry down the hall (he has a weird allergy to kale).

A special category of prescription medicines are ones that need to be refrigerated.  These are usually injectable, like insulin and medicines for diseases like rheumatoid arthritis or multiple sclerosis.  Please make sure that you have an adequate supply available, that your prescription is not going to run out soon, and, if it is, that you call your provider’s office at least two to three weeks in advance.  These medicines are very important to your health and well-being, and you should never be without them, or the appropriate supplies to administer them, like syringes, batteries for medical equipment like an insulin pump or glucometer (to test your blood sugar), and test strips.  Stock up on these supplementary supplies, follow your prescription and fill it religiously.  Know when it is time to get your refill, and when you need to have another script.  It is your health, and you need to be responsible for it, too.

Finally, this list does not include emergency medications, like an epi-pen for allergic reactions, or rescue inhalers for asthma.  You need them to live.  Keep them in your medicine cabinet, and check the expiration date regularly.  My father thought that he “outgrew” his allergy to bee stings… until he got stung.  Luckily, he still did have one epi-pen around and was able to prevent disaster.

Now, without further ado, here are eight medicines to have on hand that I feel are worthy of your consideration:

1. Aspirin:  A great, time-tested medicine that should be present in some form in your house (with a few notable exceptions, which I will explain below).  Aspirin, or acetylsalicylic acid, has proven very effective in reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke in millions of patients.  This medicine works by inhibiting the function of platelets—components of the blood that help us clot and form scabs.  Unfortunately, this process can also happen inside blood vessels, and if that clot completely blocks off blood flow, then, depending on where it is (the heart or the brain), the tissue cannot get nutrients and oxygen to live, and dies.

The most important reason to have aspirin in your medicine cabinet is that, if you think that you are having a heart attack and have called 911, then the operator might tell you to take aspirin tablets (325mg, or four baby (81mg) tablets), and chew them.  That’s right—chew them.  Studies have shown that the chemical gets into the bloodstream quicker if you chew the tablets than if you swallow the pills and let them dissolve in the stomach.  But, aspirin is a powerful medicine, and I do not think that anyone should start taking it without the direction and supervision of their primary care provider.  I say this for a couple of reasons.

First of all, aspirin can interact with a lot of other medicines.  As I mentioned before, aspirin and Plavix are both medicines that thin the blood, and taking both medicines can cause someone to bleed excessively.  Aspirin is also filtered out of the body by the kidneys, so any medicines that are also filtered by the kidneys (such as ibuprofen and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, or NSAIDs), can make the kidneys work very hard, and can actually damage them, potentially causing kidney failure.

Besides its interactions with other medicines, aspirin should also be used very cautiously with certain medical conditions.  These are mainly chronic diseases that predispose someone to bleeding a lot.  Some examples are stomach ulcers and other gastrointestinal bleeding problems, like a colon polyp, or clotting disorders like hemophilia (a rare genetic disorder).  It may still be safe to take aspirin, if you also suffer from heart disease or are at risk for a stroke, but you need to be monitored routinely by a medical professional and checked regularly for any signs or symptoms of bleeding.  People with kidney disease should also use aspirin under a doctor’s supervision, as it can worsen kidney function in high doses.

Another VERY important point about aspirin is not to give it to children to treat fevers (except in very rare circumstances, and only approved and followed, and probably even given, by a doctor).  This is because of a rare, but very serious, association between viral infections and aspirin use known as Reye’s syndrome, a condition which causes liver failure and brain damage.  It is VERY serious – potentially fatal – so don’t do it!  There are also people who have a known allergy to aspirin, and they also should absolutely avoid the medicine.  In fact, they should have a medical-alert bracelet stating that information, in the event of an emergency.  So, while aspirin has the power to potentially save your life in the case of an emergency, it can also be very dangerous and must be used and monitored with the care and cooperation of a trained professional.

2. Acetaminophen:  The active ingredient in Tylenol, this is another old, but very effective medicine.  Interestingly, Tylenol works on the same proteins as aspirin, but does so mainly in the central nervous system (which is the brain and spinal cord).  Both of these medicines are known as anti-inflammatories—they work to reduce pain, warmth, and chemical changes that are produced in response to an injury or illness.  Tylenol is very effective at quieting pain signals as well as reducing fevers.  But since it works in the brain, it doesn’t have the anti-clotting properties.  Because of this fact, Tylenol is considered safe in treating pain and fevers in patients who cannot take aspirin (as listed previously).

But like any medicine, there are important and potentially dangerous side effects that you need to know about to avoid.  The main ones with acetaminophen arise from the fact that it is filtered out of the body by the liver.  There is a set amount that the liver can filter daily.  If it gets more than it can handle, toxic by-products of the degradation process can build up and poison the liver, causing it to fail, and making someone very sick, or even be fatal.  Therefore, people who have liver disease (like cirrhosis) or hepatitis C (a chronic viral liver infection), really should try to avoid acetaminophen.  For healthy individuals, research has shown that the upper safe limit for daily acetaminophen use (which you should try to be well below, if possible) is about four grams.  If you are taking a 650mg tablet of Tylenol, that means your daily maximum limit is six (650mg x 6 tablets = 3900mg).  Of course, a lot of other medicines can have acetaminophen also, especially doctor-prescribed pain medicines (like Lortab, Percocet, and Vicodin, for example).  So, if you are taking these medicines, and Tylenol as well, you need to sit down with your healthcare provider and figure out what your daily maximum dose is, in order to be safe.

3. Ibuprofen:  Ibuprofen is very effective at treating a majority of everyday aches and pains.  It is the active ingredient in many arthritis and pain relief medicines, like Advil and Aleve, for example.  As with aspirin and Tylenol, it is an anti-inflammatory medication, a member of the NSAID family.  It works by a mechanism very similar to aspirin, but again has less (but not completely absent) effect on platelets and bleeding.  But it is a very potent anti-inflammatory drug, which makes it ideal for treating many of the muscle strains and sprains that we all suffer around the farm (we all know how I should have lifted that hay bale, but that twinge in my back lets me know that I used the wrong technique again).

The main concerns for ibuprofen are very similar to aspirin, namely bleeding and kidney problems.  However, there is one big contraindication for ibuprofen (and other NSAIDs, like Motrin and Celebrex)—and that is a history of heart disease or stroke.  Research has shown that people who take NSAIDs are at greater risk for having a heart attack or stroke.  So I would talk to a medical professional about your health problems and current medicines before taking ibuprofen.  But once it is approved, and if you use it sparingly (no more than two or three days in a row—if the pain has not improved by then, it’s time to go see a doctor), ibuprofen can be a very powerful ally in treating those occasional muscle aches and joint pains.

4. Muscle rub ointments:  Along the same lines as aspirin, acetaminophen and ibuprofen, external analgesic salves and ointments (translation: pain meds that are absorbed through the skin) can help relieve muscle aches and pains, and are very useful to have on-hand.  Most of these formulations, including common trade names like Bengay, have a compound in the same family as aspirin: methyl salicylate, also known as oil of wintergreen.  Some others, like capsaicin cream, have compounds derived from hot peppers that over-stimulate and inactivate pain receptors.  Both are very good medications for relief of localized pain like that found in arthritis or backaches.

The major benefit of taking medicated compounds in an ointment, compared to by mouth, is that the ointment works right where it is placed.  When you take a medicine like aspirin, however, it goes throughout your body, and interacts with nearly all of your tissues.  Besides keeping the therapeutic action right where you need it, external analgesics also help reduce the chances of medication side effects and drug interactions.  So with methyl salicylate, for example, you don’t need to worry about bleeding disorders or kidney problems, like you do with aspirin.  However, people who are allergic to aspirin, or peppers, should still be very careful when using these ointments, since they could also react to these ointments as well.  It is also important to use common sense, and not to ingest these medicines by mouth.  They are toxic when taken internally!  So please use common sense, and use them as effective local pain relief as directed.

5. Triple antibiotic ointment:  Another great weapon in the medicine arsenal is a topical antibiotic. (I know, I just went from the pantry metaphor to the war metaphor.  But with antibiotics, it’s convention I think.)  These are medicines that help reduce the risk of serious secondary infection, especially for those minor cuts and scrapes we all suffer on the homestead.  Antibiotics help slow bacterial growth, but do not cure the infection alone.  That is left to the body’s natural defenses (antibodies, white blood cells, and the like).

Topical antibiotics, therefore, allow people to safely and judiciously apply a potent and powerful medicine in a relatively safe manner in order to prevent a more dangerous infection or illness, and allow our body to help heal itself a little bit faster.  But as with all medicines, and especially for antibiotics, it is important to know what you are using, and how to use it.  The application is very straightforward—clean wound under running water to get rid of dirt, grime, and other yuckiness that might harbor pathogens, then take tube, squeeze ointment on cut, place bandage over medicine, and proceed with daily chores, repeating daily until cut is scabbed over or healed.  The medicines themselves, however, are a little more complex.

Most triple antibiotic ointments have three medicines: polymyxin B, neomycin, and bacitracin.  Huh?  Okay, so all of these medicines are pretty strong antibiotics that attack bacteria in different ways.  They work in a combined fashion on the bacterial cell wall and internal cellular proteins.  The important things to know is that these are very strong antibiotics, and are very poisonous if ingested.  So don’t eat them!  People who have allergic reactions to medications that contain sulfa compounds should also avoid using this medication.  Finally, after using the medicine, you still need to monitor the wound closely.  You need to call your doctor if the cut continues to look infected after several days (signs include redness, pus, or increased leakage of fluid from wound), or immediately if you have a new onset of fever, chills, weakness or dizziness with a worsening wound.  At that point, you might have a serious body-wide infection that requires intravenous antibiotics and hospital care.

6. Hydrogen peroxide:  I just want to say a brief word about hydrogen peroxide, since most of us know what it is and what it’s used for.  It is a compound that is unstable and readily forms oxygen free radicals—compounds that are poisonous to cells.  And that is ALL cells—yours, mine, bacteria, fungi, everything.  So it is nonselective in how it works.  My family likes to use it on our calves after we cut off their horns, to help prevent infection.  The secret with hydrogen peroxide is to use it immediately after the cut or injury happens.  You want to kill any potential bugs or threats from entering the wound, but then you need to give your own cells time to grow and divide, and heal the wound.  If you keep using it, though, it will kill those cells that are trying to heal the cut.  So, when I use hydrogen peroxide, I like to use it in combination with a triple antibiotic ointment.  I use it first to clean out the cut, then I apply the antibiotic to act as a barrier, with a bandage covering it all.  And, as always, use common sense—please do not drink hydrogen peroxide (it hurts the lining of your digestive tract).  People do brush their teeth with it, but just remember to spit it out.

7. Stool softener:  Now I would like to transition to some medicines, that, at first glance, might not seem as fancy as the pain relievers or antibiotics above.  But what they might lack in style, they more than make up for in substance, helping many people through some difficult situations.  The first, and most useful, are stool softeners. These include medicines like docusate and senna, and come with brand names like Colace and Dulcolax.  Many hospitals include them on their admission check lists, in order to save the patient (and frankly, a lot of the hospital staff) difficulties later on down the line.  All of these substances are types of fiber, and work by drawing water into the small intestine and colon, in order to lubricate and soften the stool and help keep the bowels moving.

There are not a lot of side effects with these medicines, and not many people have reported allergies to them (since they are inert fiber, and are passed out of the body anyways).  One main concern with these medicines is the possibility of worsening small bowel distention, or bloating, if someone has been constipated for a while, and the stool is starting to act like a plug.  The usual recommendation for stool softeners is to use them for two to three days as a trial.  If you are able to move your bowels while taking the medicine and relieve the constipation, then the trial is successful and you can go on enjoying life.  If there is no movement in the two or three days, however, then you might have constipation that requires an enema (using water or soapy water, mineral oil, or another marketed product, under some moderate pressure to the area), to try and relieve the blockage.  But for mild symptoms of constipation, stool softeners can be very effective, and save a lot of time, money, and discomfort.

8. Pepto-Bismol:  Then there is the other side of the equation.  We have all had those nights, when we’ve had one too many slices of pizza (or the entire thing, unfortunately), and your stomach is churning and rumbling.  I like having some bismuth subsalicylate (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol and similar digestive aids) handy, in order to calm things down.  It works by helping to slow the increased muscle activity of the stomach, as well as reducing irritation in the stomach lining by coating it, and acting as a mild anti-inflammatory.  The subsalicylate in the compound is actually a weaker formulation of acetylsalicylic acid (also known as aspirin, described above).

The main side effect of Pepto-Bismol is constipation, if taken in excess.  It should be avoided in children who are dehydrated, since this increases the chance of causing constipation.  It should also be avoided in children and teenagers who are suffering, or recovering, from a fever or known viral illness, because, as discussed above, there is the potential danger of developing Reye’s disease.  But I know that there are a lot of people out there (myself included), who have used and benefited greatly from using Pepto-Bismol or something similar, in order to enjoy a good night’s rest.

Well, there they are.  My eight must-have medicines.  I realize, however, as I said earlier, that there is going to be a lot of discussion and variation out there, and I think that is a good thing.  I had a lot of trouble paring down the list to these eight, since I did want to add a couple more, like antacids, and antihistamines like Benadryl, especially as an ointment (wonderful stuff!).  In fact, now that I think about it, there might be a couple of additions in potential future writings.  But, for right now, this is a good starting point.  I feel it is an important foundation for any homestead medicine cabinet, and will help treat a wide variety of mild to moderate medical conditions that we run in to on the farm.  By knowing how these medications work, how powerful some of them are, and when to stop taking them and consult a medical professional, we gain an understanding and respect that serves us well and helps us live more healthily and independently.

The post Eight Medicines to Have in Your Cabinet… and Why appeared first on Homestead.org.

Now, we are in an age where people are looking to deconstruct their over-processed lives, and I think it is an excellent time to challenge the ideas around food and convenience.  Are frozen pizzas easier and faster than pizza made from scratch?  What about that old TV-dinner standard, the turkey dinner?  Does it truly take less time to microwave dinner for your family than to make it by hand?  The answer, on both counts, is no.  The burden of home-cooked food is a marketing myth designed by the food companies to turn us away from natural, whole food and towards their over-processed Frankenfoods.  In this article, I will put myself and my fairly average cooking skills against the clock to prove so-called convenience foods fall conveniently short of their promise of good food in less time.

For the sake of this exercise, let’s assume we are cooking for a family of four.  Let us also assume that we are buying all of the ingredients and convenience foods from the same grocery store.  This will allow us to put the travel time and gas needs of all the food on the same level.  I will break the cost of the whole food down by the ounce to give an accurate account of the expense of the whole food versus the processed food.  Lastly, let us assume that herbs, spices, oil, etc. are something generally available in all kitchens and do not need to be included in the price.  So, let us begin.

Frozen Pizza

If you’re like me, you grew up eating pizza in one form or another.  It is a food that is synonymous with American childhood.  Pizza Night was a frequent occurrence in my house growing up, and when it came to frozen pizza, Tombstone brand frozen pizzas were standard.  My mom always pulled the pizza out with a flourish and ask, “What do you want on your Tombstone,” in a horrible Western accent.  The flat, rock hard, cracker-like pizzas were the cornerstone of homemade pizza for me, and it wouldn’t be until I had a family of my own that I learned that homemade pizza can be so much more than the folks at Nestle` led me to believe.

When it comes to comparing homemade pizza in terms of convenience foods, let’s address the biggest issue first: the dough.  Pizza dough takes a long time to make. You have to mix up the ingredients, let it rise, punch it down, and let it rise again before you can even start rolling out your pie.  This takes hours.  One way that frozen pizza companies like DiGiorno and Frechetta try to address this issue is by adding a bit of chemical leavening to their dough, like baking soda or powder, which don’t need the time to rise like yeast.  This works to an extent, but the resulting dough has a cakey texture that does not really feel like pizza.

The key to making this process convenient is a bit of forethought: make the dough in advance.  I know this sounds simple, but it takes about five minutes to mix up a batch of dough.  Once you mix it, you can leave it out on the counter overnight to rise.  In the morning, simply punch it down, wrap it in some plastic wrap, and stick it in the refrigerator.  Your dough can sit there for up to a week, just waiting to be used.  The wonderful part of this method is that as the dough sits in your refrigerator, it gets better.  While the dough is in the icebox, the yeasts slowly ferment the sugars in the flour starch, creating thousands of small gas pockets that will make your dough rise in the oven when the heat expands the gas.  In addition, enzymes in the flour are given a chance to develop that luscious flavor and texture found in popular gourmet pizza chains.  Many of these restaurants use the same technique to improve the quality of their pizza dough.  If you want to save your dough for longer than a week, give it an extra wrapping in plastic and stick it in the freezer for up to a month.  When you think you might want a pizza, pull it out of the freezer in the morning, and it will be ready to use by lunch.

To make the pizza for this experiment, I used:

• 13 oz all purpose flour: $0.06 (This amount of flour is enough to make two pizzas)
• ¼ C. olive oil
• 1 healthy pinch of Kosher salt
• 1 packet of bread yeast: $0.33
• water
• 3 oz shredded mozzarella: $0.47
• 1 can crushed tomatoes: $0.67
• 1 red onion, sliced: $0.43
• Some fresh basil leaves from the garden
• ½ oz kale, torn into bite-sized pieces: $.03
• Pizza stone (optional)

When you put these fresh ingredients next to the Tombstone pizza in all its plastic-wrapped glory, it’s pretty clear which will come out the better pizza.

Since my dough was made the night before, I preheated the oven to 400 degrees and placed the Tombstone pizza inside.  According to the packaging, it takes 20 minutes for the Tombstone to finish cooking in the oven.  This gives me 20 minutes to prepare and cook my pizza.  First, I rolled out my pizza dough and add my crushed tomatoes, sliced onions, kale, cheese, and basil and added salt and pepper to taste.  I then placed my pizza into the oven right above the still-cooking Tombstone.  By the time the 20-minute timer went off, both pizzas were ready to take out of the oven.  The pizza on the left is the Tombstone pizza.  The pizza on the right is the homemade pizza.

With the dough made days in advance, it took exactly the same amount of time to make a pizza from scratch with fresh seasonal ingredients.  This works because the frozen pizza uses the first 10 minutes in the oven thawing out before it even starts cooking.  That’s the 10 minutes it takes to prepare your pizza from scratch.  If you’re wondering about the cleanup, take a look at what was leftover from the homemade pizza:

The knife I used to cut the onions is missing from the picture, but this is not an inconvenient amount of dishes to clean up after such a wonderful meal.

The retail cost of the Tombstone-brand Pizza: $4.99

The total cost of my homemade pizza: $1.99

Turkey Dinner

The turkey dinner is the first truly American meal.  Some people call it THE American meal.  It represents hours of preparation, care, and timing.  The ritual behind the carving of the turkey is something that has been passed down and enjoyed since the turkey became our go-to food for holiday celebrations.  It is no surprise that the makers of the first TV-dinners sought to recreate that spirit when the first began marketing turkey TV-dinners to the public.

Today, microwave turkey dinners are alive and well, and for $3.29, the good people at Hungry Man offer a turkey dinner that will “Satisfy Your Craving” in just nine minutes.  This means that if I want to satisfy my craving for a fresh turkey dinner for four in the same time, I have thirty-six minutes to do it.

To accomplish this, I have to think about my approach.  First, I cannot cook an entire turkey safely in thirty-six minutes, but a convenient turkey dinner does not need a whole turkey, only turkey meat.  So, I purchased a whole turkey from the store and cut the breast meat away from the carcass, leaving the skin on.  I cut up the rest of the turkey and put it in the freezer for future turkey dinners.  A turkey breast has the advantage of being flat, thin, and fast to cook.  It is not necessary to brine a boneless turkey breast, which is convenient since it will need to cook in thirty-six minutes or less.  A liberal dose of salt and pepper will provide more than enough flavor on this cut.  With the turkey breast, my ingredients include:

• 16 oz turkey breast: $19.04
• 3 oz of turkey bones from carcass: $3.57
• 3 oz of peas: $0.10
• 3 oz string beans: $0.12
• 1 Fuji apple: $0.50
• 1 red onion: $0.43
• 1 large russet potato: $1.17
• 3 oz sweetened dried cranberries: $1.87

My first step was to hit the timer.  Then, under the doubtful gaze of my wife and mother-in-law, I set two pots of water to boil and lit the grill.  I chose the grill to cook the turkey because the direct heat would cook the breast quickly, searing the outside to provide extra flavor.  Into the first pot of water, I dropped the turkey bones and halved onion with a large pinch of Kosher salt.  I then chopped the potato into small cubes and dropped them into the second pot with some salt; cutting smaller cubes will help the potato to cook in less time.  Next, I tossed the turkey breast onto the grill and returned to the kitchen chop the apple.  The chopped apple and the dried cranberries went into a small pan to simmer with a cup of water and a tablespoon of sugar.

At this point, I had a few minutes to lean back and listen to the radio before the potatoes were soft.  I scooped the potatoes out of the boiling water with a slotted spoon and placed them into a bowl.  I then dropped the string beans and peas into the pot the potatoes had just vacated and mashed the potatoes with a pat of butter and a splash of cream.  By then, it was time to turn the turkey breast on the grill.  Returning to my turkey pot, I removed the bones and the onion, whisked in a chicken bouillon cube and an ounce of flour (the cost is negligible for this amount of flour), and let simmer to thicken.  Then, it was time to take the turkey breast off the grill to rest.  Next, I added a little salt and pepper to my gravy and strained the peas and beans.

That’s it!  That’s the whole turkey dinner.  When I cut into the turkey breast to serve, it was completely cooked and juicy:

The mashed potatoes were smooth and creamy, the gravy was rich and silky, and the fruit compote was fresh and tangy.  In the end, it took me 35 minutes and 46 seconds to create a turkey dinner for four; fourteen seconds faster than it would have taken to microwave four Hungry Man turkey dinners.

Take a look at the two here.  Which one would you rather serve to your family?

At almost half the price, it is clearly cheaper to buy the microwave dinner, so chefs at home will have to weigh the economic value versus the nutritional value.  The cleanup on this meal was not overwhelming.  A knife and cutting board needed to be washed in addition to the pots and bowls pictured here.

Total cost for four Hungry Man TV-dinners: $13.16

Total cost for the homemade dinner: $26.80

Cooking at home is often about creativity.  We have to eat every day, and some days we have less time than others.  Commercially developed convenience foods are not so much about saving time as they are about liberating us from thinking about what we eat.  The message from the food companies is that their foods are fast and nutritious; you can show your family you love them without slaving in the kitchen the entire afternoon.  The image of the family dinner taking half the day to prepare is a fantasy the food industry created to entice us to buy their high-calorie, nutrient-deficient food.

As I have demonstrated here, in the same time or less than it takes to prepare frozen convenience foods, the cook of the family can produce exceptional, high-quality food that can be fun and exciting to prepare.  I encourage you to approach all meals with this spirit.  A friend’s mother once told me, “The time you spend on your food reflects the time you spend on your life.”  For this discussion, I would suggest that the quality of your food reflects the quality of your life, so go forth, get creative, and don’t worry about the cleanup.  That’s what the kids are for.

The post What’s So Convenient About Convenience Foods? appeared first on Homestead.org.

Skin is the largest organ of the body and we must take care of it.  Spot treatments will relieve dry patches but for optimal skin health, you should soak in a warm bath with Epsom salts, powdered milk, or oatmeal at least once a week.  Apply some type of moisturizer after your bath or shower, while still wet, and pat dry.  Scrubbing dry can irritate skin, and will effectively remove all the moisture you applied.  Store all of your DIY skincare products in a tightly covered glass jar in a cool, dark area.

Scented milk powder is a blend of one cup powdered milk, 1/2 cup baking soda, 1/2 cup cornstarch, and up to 10 drops of essential oil.  Combine the milk, baking soda, and cornstarch in a mason jar and shake to mix.  Add the essential oil and shake again.  Pour one cup into your bath water.

Make a big batch of scented Epsom salts by combining four cups Epsom salt, two cups baking soda, and up to 30 drops of essential oil.  Add a generous scoop to your bath.

To make DIY skincare products, you will use herbs (in the form of essential oils) and carrier oils.  Essential oils are derived from plants and they have therapeutic properties that reduce the discomfort of dry skin.  Never put essential oil directly on your skin; always mix it with a carrier oil.  If you are trying a new essential oil, do a test on a small area of skin to make sure you do not have an allergy.  If you make a skin treatment for a child, it is a good idea to cut the essential oil amount by half.  Arrowroot is also called for in some recipes.  Arrowroot is not necessary, but it does make the lotion less greasy.  The best herbs and essential oils for dry skin relief and repair are lavender, ylang-ylang, tea tree, cedarwood, licorice root, astragalus, calendula, comfrey leaf and root, and marshmallow root.  If you are going to make your own infusions, you can harvest these herbs yourself or order from a reputable herb supplier.

The carrier oils that are best for skin care are coconut, jojoba, sweet almond, apricot, primrose, olive, and hemp seed oil.  To infuse an oil with an herb, wash and pat dry the plant material and place it in a glass jar with a lid.  Cover the herb with the carrier oil of your choice and place it in a dark cabinet for two to four weeks, shaking every day.  Strain oil into a clean glass jar and discard the plant material.

To make a massage oil using essential oils, simply make your base oil by adding 1/2 teaspoon of vitamin E oil to 8 ounces of the carrier oil of your choice.  Add up to forty drops of your essential oil and transfer to a glass jar.  If you want a slightly thicker oil, replace one ounce of the carrier oil with one ounce of cranberry seed oil.

Homemade lotion is inexpensive to make, can be customized to personal preferences, and does not include all of the chemicals found in mass-produced skincare.  It is also easy to make.

Homemade Lotion

• ¼ cup shea or cocoa butter
• ½ cup coconut oil
• 7 drops of vitamin E oil
• Up to 20 drops of essential oil.

Melt shea/cocoa butter and coconut oil in a double boiler.  Remove from heat once melted and cool until it begins to set up.  Add essential oil, and Vitamin E oil and mix with a hand mixer.  Add arrowroot powder while mixing.  Continue mixing until the lotion is light and fluffy.  Store in a glass container.

Body butter is similar to lotion, except thicker, and much more expensive if you buy it in stores.  Body butter is the skincare item I like to give as gifts, as you can match the fragrance to each person’s preference and it is a very luxurious and pampering gift.

Body Butter

• 1/3 cup coconut oil
• 1/3 cup shea butter
• 1/3 cup cocoa butter
• 1/3 cup sweet almond oil
• 2 teaspoons arrowroot powder
• Up to 30 drops of essential oil (one scent or a combination)

Combine all of the ingredients except the essential oil in a double boiler.  Once melted, let the mixture cool until it begins to set up.  Using a hand mixer, beat until fluffy, about 10 minutes.  Add essential oil and beat for one minute more.n Store in an airtight glass container.

Once you become familiar with the ingredients and basic techniques, making DIY skincare products will become a part of your routine.  It feels great to make a product that soothes and protects your family, and it won’t be long before you venture into more challenging recipes.  Skin health has found its way into the news, and expensive skin products are flooding the market.  This puts you in the perfect position to turn your DIY skincare into a marketable product.

Make, use, and share these products, but also take common care sense of your skin.  Apply a moisturizer after washing your hands and wear gloves when you go outside.  Use warm water—hot water damages skin and cold water irritates dry skin.  If you suffer from dry and cracked hands or feet, apply a thick moisturizer before bed and wear thin gloves and/or socks.  Above all, enjoy pampering yourself and your family this winter.  It will be summer soon and we will be making lotion for gardener’s hands!

Many of the ingredients for your DIY skincare products can be found on Amazon.

The post DIY Winter Skincare appeared first on Homestead.org.

What is an oxymel?  These ancient medicines have their origins in Persia and Greece.   According to Persian history, there were over 1,200 different formulas for making oxymels.  Squill oxymel was being recommended as far back as 7th century A.D. by Paulus Aegineta, and can still be found in pharmaceutical textbooks such as Martindale and British Pharmacopeia today.  Yes, oxymels are very old, very good medicine.

Medicinal Benefits of Oxymels

• As a base for medicated expectorant syrups, like Garlic Oxymel
• Cooling febrifuge (reduces fevers)
• Energizing
• Restorative
• Soothes a sore throat when used as a gargle (very diluted)
• Expectorant (loosens phlegm from the lungs and respiratory tract to open the airways)

The two main ingredients are acid (apple cider vinegar/ACV) and honey.  Basic oxymels are a super-simple, easy-to-make formula with many add-in variations that allow for it to address a variety of health issues.  So, any combination of these two ingredients, no matter what is added in, becomes an oxymel.  For example, Fire Cider is an oxymel, as are some salad vinaigrettes and sipping vinegars.

There are several ways to combine your herbs, spices, fruit, vegetables, ACV, and honey to make an oxymel.

General Notes on Making Oxymels

Use raw, local honey and raw (unpasteurized) ACV with “the mother” if at all possible.

The ratio of plants to ACV or honey should be around 1:3 or 1:4.  This means, one part plants to 3 or 4 parts of the liquid.  No measuring needed, here. For the folk-method, you can guesstimate by filling your jar a little less than 1/4 full with plants and pour the liquid over to cover by about two inches.  Make sure your jar is large enough for shaking later.  In general, steep for 4 weeks or longer.

The ACV to honey ratio you choose will depend upon how sweet or how tart you prefer your medicine.  A ratio of 5 parts honey to 1 part vinegar will be quite sweet; while 3 parts vinegar to 1 part honey will be quite tart.  Anything in between is just fine.  I prefer one part honey to one part vinegar.  That is a pleasant sweet/tart flavor balance for me.

Oxymel Making Procedure 1: Steep Separately

1. Combine your healing plants in a bowl and mix thoroughly.
2. Divide your plant matter between two jars
3. Add slightly warmed honey to one jar and ACV to the other
4. Let steep separately.
5. Strain the ACV jar
6. Warm slightly and strain the honey jar
7. Add the strained ACV
8. Cap, shake, label and store in cool, dark place.  Can be refrigerated.

Oxymel Making Procedure 2: Quick Vinegar Reduction

1. This method works well for hearty herbs, roots, bark, seeds; and not so much for delicate or aromatic herbs.
2. Place plant matter into a saucepan.
3. Add double the amount of ACV you want to have for your formula.
4. Simmer over very low heat until the liquid is reduced by half.
5. Strain, cool, and add to your honey in the ratio you choose.
6. Bottle, label, and store in cool, dark place or refrigerator.

Oxymel Making Procedure 3: Stir, Steep, Strain 

1. Add desired plant matter to a jar
2. Lightly warm the honey and combine with ACV in preferred ratio
3. Pour over herbs, cap, and shake
4. Let steep for chosen length of time.
5. Strain, bottle, label, and store in cool, dark place or refrigerator.

How to Use Oxymels

Oxymels are similar to concentrates.  Some folks take it straight-up from the spoon.  Most prefer to place 1-3 teaspoons in a cup of warm water or herbal tea to enjoy.

Contraindications and Precautions of Oxymel Use

According to Paul Pitchford’s book Healing with Whole Foods, these concerns should be taken into consideration:

• Do not take with weak digestion indicated by watery stools.
• Do not take if especially frail.
• Do not take with generalized muscle weakness.
• Do not take with rheumatism.
• Do not take alone for long periods of time.

Basic Any-Berry Oxymel Recipe

Ingredients (for 1-quart jar):

• 1-2 cups of any single berry or combination of berries such as blueberries, cherries, elderberries (especially great for cold and flu season), mulberries, strawberries, etc.
• Any spice or herb combination (to taste) to add warmth and flavor such as basil, citrus zest, fennel seeds, ginger, hyssop, any of the mints, thyme, rosemary, etc.
• Raw ACV
• Raw, local honey

Choose your procedure preference.  If using The Quick Vinegar Reduction method, add your tender, aromatic herbs near the end of the reduction to preserve their fragrant, medicinal qualities.  Enjoy!

Golden Citrus Fire Cider Oxymel Recipe

I make at least one batch of Fire Cider each year; and every year the formula is different.  This is my own original formula from the 2018 cold and flu season.  Here’s a handy printable label.

Ingredients:

• Raw ACV
• Raw, local honey
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 1 blood orange, zested and juiced
• 6-8 turmeric roots or powdered root
• 8-10 garlic cloves
• 1 onion, medium-large
• 3-inch piece horseradish root
• 4-6 chili peppers with seeds
• 2 tablespoons poblano pepper seeds (saved from other kitchen projects)
• 1 tablespoon whole allspice

Procedure:

• Zest, juice and roughly chop all fruits, vegetables, and roots
• I get the fine-chop of my vegetables and herbs by putting the roughly chopped veggies in small batches in the blender with some of the vinegar and pulse until I like the size.
• Pour into a bowl and continue until all vegetables are chopped finely
• Divide between 2-quart jars
• Pour ACV in to cover vegetables by 2-3 inches
• Place plastic wrap or waxed paper over the jar opening and finger tighten the cap
• Place in a cool, dark place
• Check and shake daily for 4-6 weeks or longer
• Strain and measure the fire cider
• Add an equal amount of slightly warmed honey to the fire cider and now you have an oxymel!
• Bottle, label, store in cool, dry place or refrigerator
• Enjoy!

Elderflower Oxymel Recipe

Elderflowers are well known for their usefulness during cold and flu season as a tea.  This might be a nice addition to your homestead apothecary for the winter months.

Ingredients:

• Raw ACV
• Raw, local honey
• Elderflowers (Sambucus spp.), wilted or dried

Procedure:

Because of the fragility of the flowers, I recommend the Stir, Steep, Strain method for this formula

Sikanjabin al-buzuri

For this last recipe, let me say that I was surprised to find such an old recipe with such easily found, common-today ingredients.  The original recipe makes a huge batch of oxymel!  I’m thinking about making up one-tenth of the volume of the formula and giving it a try.  I would be interested to hear what your experience is with this very ancient remedy.

Sikanjabin al-buzuri is an ancient oxymel formula found in The Book of Gharabadin Salehi.  Used to “relieve fever and gastritis”.  Considered “diuretic” and is beneficial “for hepatic obstructions”.

Ingredients:

• 4.5 kg. (approx. 19 3/4 c.) wine vinegar
• 9 kg. (approx. 39 2/3 c.) water
• 90 g. (approx. 3.17 oz.) root peels of fennel
• 90 g. (approx. 3.17 oz.) fennel seeds
• 90 g. (approx. 3.17 oz.) anise
• 90 g. (approx. 3.17 oz.) celery
• *Sugar-candy

*According to Avicenna (980AD – 1037AD), the most famous and influential of all the Islamic philosopher-scientists, honey and sugar-candy are interchangeable.

Procedure:

“Wine vinegar and water were mixed together and then combined with root peels of fennel, celery, fennel seeds, and anise. After a day the mixture is reduced on a mild fire until one-sixth of it remains.  Then sugar-candy with half of the total weight is added to the mixture and boiled on a mild fire until half of the syrup remains.” (The Book of Gharabadin Salehi, lithograph 1776, pp 171-173)

While the benefits of the oxymel may seem incredible, it’s stunning simplicity is what allows this folk medicine to be so easy to make and use.

***Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. There is no licensure for herbalists. The material presented in this article is for informational, reference, and educational purposes only and should not be interpreted as a substitute for diagnosis and treatment by healthcare professionals.

References

“Make Infused Vinegar at Home for Gourmet Flavor on the Cheap”, Kris Bordessa (2019)

Folk Medicine: A New England Almanac of Natural Health Care from a Noted Vermont Country Doctor, D.C. Jarvis, M.D.

Henriette’s Herbal Homepage

“Drink to Your Health!”, D.K. Osborn (2015)

“Making Floral Oxymels”, Elaine Sheff (2019)

“Oxymel in Medieval Persia”, Arman Zargaran, et al (2012)

The post Making Oxymels: The Sweet-Tart Medicine appeared first on Homestead.org.

Weston Price was a well-known dentist and researcher who worked during the 1930s and 40s.  Many diet theories are developed and then foisted upon the people with the hope that the results will match the expectations of the nutritionist (and sometimes the hopes of the agribusiness that has endorsed the theory).  On the other hand, Weston Price started by finding healthy populations of people and asking if their diets shared any common characteristics.

In his research, he traveled to isolated populations as diverse as alpine villagers in Switzerland, the Maori of New Zealand, Inuit tribes, and Gaelic communities in the Outer Hebrides.  He started by looking for people who were free of cavities, gum disease, and orthodontic issues such as crowded teeth.  He found that groups who were free from these dental troubles usually also enjoyed generally good health, were free of mental illness, and had easy childbirths.

Clearly, the quality of food, from its production to its processing, was a strong factor in the quality of life.  This message was made even more clear when he viewed the children of parents who had abandoned their group’s traditional foods for modern, processed food.  Within one or two generations, health had deteriorated.

Animal Products and the Weston A. Price Diet

One common characteristic shared by all of the traditional diets was the importance of animal products.  This runs smack into the common beliefs of new dietary trends but it would come as no surprise to our ancestors.  In the 1920s, heart disease was still a rare occurrence but rose steadily until it came to be the leading cause of death in the 1950s and today it causes at least 40 percent of all U.S. deaths.  If the current warnings against saturated fat and cholesterol are true, then we can assume that there was an increase in animal fat consumption between 1920 and 1950—however, animal fat consumption declined by 20 percent and butter consumption dropped from 18 pounds per person per year to four.  What did increase was the consumption of vegetable oils such as margarine, shortening, refined oils (by a whopping 400 percent), sugar, and processed food (by 60 percent).

Weston Price concluded that animal fats were valued by traditional peoples because they provide a powerful, sustained source of energy.  We also know that they are the building blocks for cell membranes and hormones.  Additionally, these animal fats help to carry fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K as well as assisting the conversion of carotene to vitamin A and the absorption of minerals.  The list of foods that contain substantial amounts of fat-soluble vitamins is fairly limited: butter and whole milk products, organ meats, lard, eggs from poultry and fish, shellfish, oily fish and fish liver oils, and insects (yum).

However, it is not sufficient to load up on fast-food burgers and chicken nuggets.  And this is where Weston Price’s ideas work so well with homesteading.  Weston Price stressed the quality of animal products.  It is important to consume animals that were pasture-raised and fed “real foods”, not corn and soy pellets.  This includes chickens who have eaten insects, cows who grazed on fresh, quickly growing green grass, pigs who soaked up vitamin D from the sun, and fish that actually swam in clean waters.  Unfortunately, for most people, it is hard to find “real food” such as these.

It is also interesting that all of the traditional diets included some raw animal products.  While some of you may enjoy the European steak tartare or Japanese sushi, many of us can incorporate raw animal products by consuming raw egg yolks (Rocky, anyone?) and raw dairy products such as artisan cheeses and unpasteurized milk.  [For more on the benefits of raw milk, see “Got (Raw) Milk?”]

Weston A. Price on Carbohydrates

While some opponents of Weston Price’s work may argue that his ideas are just another version of the low-carb, high protein diet, Price did observe that most traditional peoples ate carbohydrates.  It is interesting to note, however, that the Inuits, the plains Indians, and the people of Greenland ate a diet almost entirely of animal products and their skulls show little evidence of tooth decay.  The problem lies not with carbohydrates in their natural, whole state but in the all too common refined carbohydrates of today.  These types of carbohydrates are hard for the body to digest and so the body needs to use its own reserves of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes in order to metabolize such foods.  In addition, refined carbohydrates wreak havoc on the body’s insulin regulation system.  And since carbohydrates are already depleting the body of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes, the glands and organs will begin to deteriorate.  This, in turn, leads to endocrine problems such as degenerative diseases, allergies, obesity, alcoholism, drug addiction, depression, and behavioral problems (sounds like modern American life, no?).

There’s another little known problem with carbohydrates.  Whole grains contain phytic acid and enzyme inhibitors, both of which interfere with digestion.  Traditional societies usually soaked or fermented their grains; bulgur, a sprouted wheat, is used in Middle Eastern dishes such as tabbouleh, ogi flour from fermented millet is used in Africa, and most European countries have traditional forms of fermented porridges such as kiesiel and braga.  This process allows for a “predigesting” that made the enzymes more available.  This can be done through sprouting, overnight soaking, and sour leavening.

Fermented Foods

Another characteristic of traditional diets that will appeal to homesteaders is the use of fermented vegetables and fruits.  This characteristic is appealing because it offers another method of preservation that doesn’t require freezing, canning, or root cellars.  In addition to preservation, fermentation offers many health benefits.  Lactobacilli is produced in the process and this good bacteria helps in digestion, increases the availability of vitamins, produces useful enzymes as well as antibiotic and anticarcinogenic substances.  Healthy flora in the intestinal tract not only improves digestion but also greatly enhances the immune system.

Again, the quality of the food is of the utmost importance.  Ideally, organic vegetables and fruits grown in healthy soil should be used.  Traditional peoples harvested the plants during their peak growing time and obviously they used plants that were available locally.

These fermented foods were used in societies all around the world.  In fact, many of our condiments, such as mustard and ketchup, were actually fermented vegetables added to the main meal.  Many of us are familiar with German sauerkraut, Mexican salsa, and Korean kimchi and many of us have pickled cucumbers, made fruit chutney, or produced fruit butter and preserves.  Like most modern food production, the industrialization of fermentation has robbed the food of many of its nutrients.  Vinegar is commonly used, which makes the products more acidic than is beneficial and most of the products are pasteurized, killing all of the beneficial bacteria.  For the greatest benefit, try making your own fermented fruits and vegetables.

Foods to Avoid According to Weston A. Price

Opponents of Weston Price’s work argue that the people of the WAPF (Weston A. Price Foundation) are only touting his work because it appeals to the population’s desire for meats and full-fat foods.  While it is true that people following this way of eating do get to partake of delicious foods like bacon and, this way of eating will not appeal to the vast majority of Americans.  Why?  Because Price’s work definitively illustrated the ill effects of packaged convenience foods and “white” foods such as bleached flour and sugar.  The switch to this type of diet leads to a degeneration that was visible within one or two generations.  However, most Americans are not going to give up box food and sugar anytime soon. Furthermore, this type of eating, as you can guess, requires extra time in either food production or finding quality sources as well as in food preparation.  But homesteaders aren’t known for taking the easy way out!

So what foods should be avoided?  We have already discussed the detriments of vegetable oils and of pasteurized, homogenized dairy.  We also know why we should avoid white flour products and other hard to digest, over-processed carbohydrates.  Other foods to avoid as much as possible are sugar, food additives such as MSG and soy.

Hard to believe that in 1923, a U.S. Farmers Bulletin recommended one pound of sugar per person per week.  Most people are now aware of the dangers of sugar, but our sugar consumption has actually increased.  Here is just a short list of the dangers of sugar:

• Compromised immune system
• Severe mood changes
• Tooth decay
• Body’s minerals are stripped away in order to digest the sugar
• Spike in insulin levels
• Obesity
• Pancreatic damage
• Premature aging
• Osteoporosis
• Autoimmune diseases

Of course, the devilish thing about sugars is that they are found in nearly everything you purchase from the grocery store or restaurant (even more reason to eat at home).

While it is best to eliminate the use of sweeteners as much as possible (remember, our ancestors ate sweets very rarely, only during truly special occasions or festivals).  However, an easier transition is to begin using natural sweeteners such as raw honey, maple syrup, stevia, raw fruit, and Rapadura (dehydrated cane sugar juice).  Do not replace a bad sugar habit with an equally bad artificial sweetener habit!

Like sugar, most of us know that MSG is a no-no and, also like sugar, MSG is in many, many foods under aliases such as hydrolyzed vegetable protein and “natural flavoring”.  Among other problems, MSG can cause damage to the brain, retina, and the hypothalamus.  It kills glutamate receptors and the neurons connected to them and has been implicated in the rise of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, and more recently, in the rise of autism (it can cross the blood-brain barrier in unborn children).  Other additives to avoid are food coloring (do you really want to eat something that is named with a number?), sulfites, nitrites and nitrates, artificial sweeteners, BHA, and BHT.  Unfortunately, there are over 14,000 man-made chemicals approved by the FDA for food production.  Home cooking is starting to look better and better, no?

Okay, most of us already know that sugar and food additives are best avoided.  But soy (edamame)? Isn’t that the new magic health food?  First, you may have heard that soy contains phytoestrogens (components in plants that act like the hormone estrogen).  These phytoestrogens disrupt the endocrine system, which in turn may cause hypothyroidism, infertility, and breast cancer.  Highly processed soy products also usually contain high levels of aluminum, MSG, phytic acid, and toxic chemicals such lysinoalanine and nitrosamines.  Furthermore, the consumption of soy increases the body’s need for B12 and vitamin D while reducing the assimilation of calcium, magnesium, copper, iron, and zinc.  Note that we are talking about processed soy products, not fermented miso or natural edamame.

Summary

The diet recommended by Weston Price and WAPF is based on good science but also on good old common sense.  Avoid processed food and nourish your body with whole, natural foods.  If you are not raising your own animals and growing your own produce, look for sources for pastured, humanely-raised animals free of antibiotics and growth hormones, and enjoy fresh meat and raw dairy.  Find a local farm that sells produce free of pesticides and artificial fertilizers and prepare some fermented dishes for the best absorption of those nutrients.  Experiment with “alternative” grains such as millet and amaranth and enjoy old favorites with a new flavor lent from soaking in yogurt or whey.  You have looked to your ancestors to learn how to garden in the traditional way, how to preserve the harvest, and how to live a simpler life.  Now follow your ancestors’ traditions of feeding the body and soul in a nourishing way.

Most of the information in this article and all of the recipes are from Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions: The Cookbook that Challenges Politically Correct Nutrition and the Diet Dictocrats, or from the Weston A. Price Foundation website.

The post Weston A. Price: Introducing the “Real” Way of Eating appeared first on Homestead.org.

Lyme disease is one of those hidden dangers.  And while a lot of information has recently been presented in the news, I have seen some misconceptions and erroneous facts presented.  So I would like to set forth a more detailed and concise description of the signs, symptoms, treatment, and prevention of Lyme disease.  I hope that this article will serve as an educational tool, helping to keep you safe as you continue to enjoy rural life.

But before we begin, here is the usual disclaimer.  This is for educational purposes only.  The information in this article is not intended for self-diagnosis or treatment.  If you feel that you are suffering from any of these symptoms, you need to be seen by a healthcare professional for proper medications and follow-up.  As will be discussed below, Lyme disease is a serious infectious disease, and it can have a lot of long-lasting health effects if not treated promptly.

Now let’s get to the matter at hand.  Lyme disease is an infectious disease caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi.  The illness derived its name from the town of Lyme, Connecticut, where the first cluster of cases were discovered and described in the 1970s.  It is carried in the wild by animal vectors, such as deer, mice, and squirrels.  The major source of transmission from wild animals to humans and pets is ticks.  In the northeastern United States, the hard deer tick (Ixodes) is the main species responsible for infection.  The infected tick, carrying the bacteria in its salivary glands, bites the victim and, during the course of its blood meal, regurgitates some of the bacteria into the wound and infects the victim.  The Borrelia bacteria cannot be transmitted from person to person by casual contact, or sneezing, or shaking hands.  Infections occur most often during the warm spring and summer months, but can happen throughout the year.

One of the major ways of avoiding the chance of developing Lyme disease is to avoid being bitten by an infected tick.  Ticks lie in wait on the ends of blades of grass, and can sense the body heat and movement of warm-blooded animals nearby.  Female ticks need blood meals from mammals in order to have enough protein for egg production.  By reducing the number of ticks present around your house, as well as their preferred habitat, you can go a long way in preventing infection.   Keep grass trimmed to avoid overgrowth and long stems, which can reach the level of unprotected skin on your legs, especially if you like to wear shorts during the summer (which I do).  One technique that I am looking forward to putting into practice is having chickens patrol the yard, searching for ticks, as well as other nuisance invertebrates, to attack and devour.  If you are looking for poultry that is even more selective for ticks, based on reputation, guinea hens, and Muscovy ducks are your fowl.  The logic behind these organic means of control is that, if there are no ticks in your yard to bite you or your pet, then there is no chance for either one of you to develop Lyme disease.  (And you get delicious eggs and meat as a bonus!)

Outside of your yard, a major risk factor for being bitten is walking in tick-infested areas with bare skin.  Therefore, when walking through tall grass or wooded/brushy areas, we should all wear loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirts and pants, preferably tucked into our socks.  (I know, it isn’t the most attractive fashion, but it does help detract ticks too, and is a lot better than the alternative.)  After that walk in the woods, we need to check ourselves and our loved ones for ticks from head to toe also, in order to remove them before they bite and start taking their blood meal.

In addition to ourselves, we need to check our pets for ticks also when they come in the house because they could be harboring stowaways that may drop off and latch on to you at a later date.  And we want to remove any attached ticks from our pets too since they can also be infected by Borrelia.  There are many effective chemical tick deterrents for dogs and cats that help protect against flea infestation also, which are applied to the skin and mix with the body oils.  These can be discussed with, and obtained from, your veterinarian, and are a good way to help protect your pet from unnecessary suffering.  Another way to help protect against suffering from Lyme infection is to have your pet vaccinated against Borrelia.  Since they are more likely to carry ticks into the house, vaccination will help prevent infected ticks from passing the disease on to your pet, and will in turn help protect you.

But for the unfortunate victim who is bitten, the tick will feed until it is engorged, growing several times its original size.  If you are able to identify and remove it before a day or so, there is a much lower chance of being infected with the bacteria.  Whether it is on you, a family member, or a pet, here is a quick, simple way to remove a tick.  It isn’t pretty, but it saves you a trip to the doctor or vet, and most of us have probably already done it.

Simply take a nice, well-articulated set of tweezers, and grasp the tick as close to the skin as you can.  As you have probably read in several locations, don’t use a match or something else to “help encourage” the tick to disengage itself.  It doesn’t work, because the tick is actively inserted into your skin at the point of feeding, and its instinct is to burrow down further in response to stress or injury.  Instead, grasp the tick firmly as close to the skin as possible (below the legs, which are probably squirming at this point), take a deep breath, and pull in a sharp, clean motion.  Try not to squeeze the back of the tick, which is full of digested blood, because it’s a pain to clean up.  If you have done everything correctly, you’ll be the proud owner of a live, disgusting, squirming tick.  Dispose of it at your leisure, and according to your comfort level.  (I prefer either flushing it down the toilet or placing it inside a napkin and squishing it outside.  Eventually, I’ll feed it to the chickens.)

After you have removed the tick, however, you need to watch the bite site for a couple of days to make sure that it does not appear infected.  I like to put some triple antibiotic ointment and a bandage over the bite to try to prevent an infection from coming into the wound.  If the area becomes infected, though, it will turn red, warm, and usually painful, and there might be pus coming out of the bite itself.  At this point, it is best to have the area checked out by a doctor to see if medicines are needed.

For the first several days to two weeks after the tick removal, if the tick did transmit the bacteria, the infection will be localized at the site of the tick bite.  The classic finding everyone looks for in Lyme disease is the “bull’s-eye” or “target” rash.  The immediate bite site is red, surrounded by an area of clearing, and then a red border.  But don’t be surprised if you do not see it.  In almost one-third of diagnosed Lyme disease infections, patients do not have this rash or even notice a tick or bite.  Once in the bloodstream, the Borrelia bacteria travel throughout the body and attack numerous tissues.  Other symptoms of early Lyme disease are nonspecific and include fever, malaise, headache, and muscle aches – very similar to having the flu.  So, if you or a loved one has some of these symptoms, but did not notice the rash or tick, you still might be infected, especially if you are in tick-infested areas and are susceptible (which is pretty much anyone who spends a significant time outdoors).

These early cases of Lyme disease should be diagnosed and treated quickly because this will help prevent future complications and suffering.  The best test for diagnosing Borrelia infection is to check for blood antibodies against the bacteria.  Interestingly, this same test is done for both people and animals, such as dogs, that are suspected to be infected.  The doctor or veterinarian will also ask about the history of the disease – when the symptoms started and what they were, where you were when you noticed them, was a tick ever seen, was there a rash, and was there any time outside?  The treatment for Lyme disease in the initial phase is oral antibiotics like doxycycline or azithromycin.

Another classic symptom of early untreated Lyme disease is facial paralysis.  It is not as common as the rash or flu-like symptoms, but seeing it should prompt investigation for Lyme disease.  This finding happens because the Borrelia bacteria interrupt the nerve signals from the brain to the facial muscles.  The facial palsy, or weakness, presents as a drooping lip edge, sagging cheek, and the inability to close the eyelid or furrow the forehead on the affected side.  It can be confused with stroke-like symptoms (which also can have a sagging lip, but does not usually include the eyelid or forehead).  Rarely, it can affect both sides of the face simultaneously.  It is also treated with the same antibiotics, but the facial palsy takes several months to get better.

Hopefully, the infection will be diagnosed and treated at these stages.  However, some people are not as fortunate.  For these poor patients, the bacteria will continue to attack body tissues.  In the next several months after infection, most of the symptoms result from nervous system derangement.  This includes inflammation around the brain, known as meningitis, which presents with neck stiffness, sensitivity to light, and headaches.  It can also cause mild inflammation of the brain itself, or encephalitis, with memory loss and depressed mood.  Diagnosis of Lyme meningoencephalitis requires a lumbar puncture, where cerebrospinal fluid is collected by a needle from the spinal canal (with a technique similar to an epidural for pregnant women) and tested for the presence of Borrelia.  At this point, the treatment is still with antibiotics; however, since it is now infecting brain tissue, the medicine must be of an intravenous form.

For those who suffer for years from prolonged infection without treatment, the Borrelia bacteria can ravage the body, and will result in more extensive and severe neurological disorders, like encephalitis – sometimes to the point where people develop cognitive problems and psychological disorders.  Untreated sufferers can even act like they have psychosis and can be misdiagnosed as being schizophrenic!  The bacteria attack numerous nerves throughout the body, known as polyneuropathy, and can lead to muscle weakness, difficulty walking, dizziness and vertigo, continued facial palsy, and problems controlling bladder function.  Lyme arthritis can devastate the knee joints as a result of the Borrelia bacteria causing inflammation and damage to the cells lining the joint capsule, leading to decreased lubrication and severe joint pain.  Antibiotics are again the mainstay of therapy but are usually less effective in reversing the damage done by long-standing infection.

Another illness associated with Lyme infection is a long-standing disease that persists even after antibiotic therapy.  The prevailing theory behind “chronic Lyme syndrome” is that the bacteria use molecular markers on their cell surface to “blend in” with normal host tissue.  This is known as molecular mimicry.  The problem arises when the immune system – the body’s defense network – starts to recognize the bacterial molecules as foreign, as well as the similar host proteins.  At that point, the immune system starts to attack the host proteins and tissues, resulting in inflammation and cellular damage in the absence of the Borrelia infection.  While there is currently a lot of controversy behind this theory, several observations seem to suggest that some form of molecular mimicry is at work, producing these chronic symptoms.  Evidence includes the persistence and progression of arthritic changes, even after rapid diagnosis and prompt treatment.  This autoimmune reaction may also play a role in progressive neurological symptoms reported by some patients, such as memory difficulties and changes in mood.  However, at the time of this writing, these are all theories, and the established medical and scientific communities do not formally recognize “chronic Lyme syndrome” as a separate diagnostic entity.  From the perspective of the medical establishment, especially the infectious disease sector, once antibiotic therapy is completed, Lyme disease is effectively treated and eradicated.  However, based on my personal experience and anecdotal evidence, I feel that there is more to the story, but only time, and further research, will tell who is right, what is happening, and what the effective treatments will entail.

Whew!  So there you have it – an introduction to Lyme disease.  I know – that was a lot of information!  But here are some final points I would like to summarize and emphasize for you.  First of all, Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted to people and animals by a tick bite.  It is classically associated with rash and flu-like symptoms, and less often with facial weakness and other neurological symptoms.  Prompt treatment with antibiotics will cure the majority of cases.  Preventing tick bites, both for you and your pets, is very important in reducing your overall risk of becoming infected.  And learning how to properly remove a tick in a safe and expedient manner will also reduce the chance of suffering from this disease.  I hope now, with this information in hand, we can continue to enjoy our rural lifestyle and outdoor pursuits, but with a better respect and understanding of the potential dangers, and how to avoid them.

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While I have a medical background for both animals and humans, my partner and I have a “less is more” approach to any farmyard injuries while also making sure we prevent further harm or infections.  While we cannot predict when or how we are going to get hurt, the next best thing is having a first aid kit set up that is geared towards homesteaders.

Your run-of-the-mill first-aid kits can be bought online, from pharmacies, and even sporting goods or home-improvement stores.  They typically contain antiseptic, disposable gloves, ice packs, gauze, tape, tourniquet, aspirin, sterile bandaging, tweezers, survival blankets, hydrocortisone ointment, bandage shears, and alcohol wipes.

While this is a good kit for the general public, adding a few more important items would customize it for first aid on the homestead:

• Sterile saline for wound cleaning and eye irrigation for accidents involving chemicals or foreign materials (wood dust, hay, metal shavings, etc.)
• Hand wipes for when water and soap for handwashing are unavailable.
• Large clean cloth and safety pins to make a sling.
• Sugar or small candies for diabetics battling a drop in glucose levels. Do not use chocolate or nuts.
• Heavy blanket for ground coverage or to transport someone who is unable to move.
• Sealable small and large plastic bags as well as garbage bags with ties for digit or limb amputation.
• Flares and flashlights for when injuries happen out in the woods or a large field.
• Splinting materials for broken bones.
• A pocket mask for resuscitation.

Many public schools and fire departments offer CPR and BLS classes.  I highly recommend taking them yourself and encouraging anyone else who works on the farm with you to participate.  The more people around who are educated and prepared, the better outcome for anyone who happens to get hurt.

Whether an accident/injury happens to you or someone else, the most important thing to do is to stay calm and not panic. It can be very unsettling and uncomfortable to experience, or simply witness, an injury of any kind, but being on the homestead gives it a more visceral feeling.  Being in the field, back in the woods, working with animals, and/or using heavy and dangerous equipment tends to amp up the urgency of receiving first aid.  In most cases, acting quickly and efficiently is necessary to improve the outcome, but a panicked and frantic mindset is not helpful.

Injuries including major bleeding, broken bones, loss of a limb or digit, head trauma, or unconsciousness need to be addressed immediately.  Call 911 and direct the dispatcher to where the injured party is located. If you don’t have cell phone service or Wi-Fi but you have another person near/with you, send them for help while you wait with the injured party.  People suffering from shock need to be kept warm with their legs and feet slightly elevated (unless it causes discomfort); major bleeding requires a tourniquet applied tightly above the wound; broken bones need to be stabilized for transport. The more efficiently and quickly these practices can be applied, the better. That is why it is called “first aid”, you are the first line of help, whether it’s for yourself or someone else.

While we all dread and fear major farm injuries, knowing basic life-saving techniques and first aid can help in any situation, regardless of the severity.

Less emergent injuries include animal bites, kicks and scratches, lacerations, burns, punctures, sprains, and your usual bumps and bruises. Basic first aid kit supplies will be very effective in treating any of these moderately minor injuries. Any puncturing of the skin is a break in your body’s biggest defense mechanism, therefore introducing bacteria.  An antiseptic such as Hibiclens, peroxide, betadine/iodine, Bactine, or isopropyl alcohol can be applied immediately or after the area is washed with water and antibacterial soap. It is a good idea to check on the status of your Tetanus vaccination or have an updated booster for these types of injuries as farm work is typically pretty dirty.

First Aid on the Homestead: Burns

Whether a burn occurs from chemical exposure, the sun, heavy machinery, friction, fuel, or an open flame, it needs to be treated quickly.  A burn can continue to cause damage even after the initial injury has taken place.  Taking proper safety precautions before engaging in an activity that could involve a burn is priority number one and is your best bet for avoiding an accident.

If you’re going to be burning a brush pile, make sure you have a face covering to prevent volatile inhalants from being breathed in and potentially burning your face/airway.  Before using any chemicals like pesticides or fungicides, check the manufacturer’s MSDS (Medical Safety Data Sheet) for recommended protective equipment and safe handling instructions.

In most cases of chemical burns, the first step is removing the chemical from your skin by lightly brushing it away. Do not wipe as this could cause further damage. Next, the affected clothing must be removed carefully.  If you can remove it without exposing unaffected skin to the chemical, then do so quickly but cautiously. If this isn’t possible, donning gloves and using bandage scissors to remove the clothing is the next best thing. Rinse the area with cool water for at least 30 minutes provided the MSDS does not specify otherwise.

Some chemicals react adversely to water, such as sulfuric acid, metal compounds, and phenol.  Most chemical burns should be seen by a doctor or burn center shortly after the accident, if not immediately.  They will be able to prevent further burn damage and treat it accordingly with medications, ointments, and bandaging.

First Aid on the Homestead: Bumps, Bruises, and Sprains

We’ve all been there; walking through the duck pen, jumping over a stream, gardening, hopping into a truck bed, checking on a pig in a mucky pen and it happens, you whack into a fence, hit your shin on a piece of farm equipment, slip on a pile of duck mess, step on a rock and roll your ankle.

While these mishaps seem minor (and sometimes embarrassing), it’s still a good idea to treat them in a timely fashion.  A sprain or bruise can sometimes swell and make getting around uncomfortable.  Ice is your best friend in the immediate treatment and will help bring down swelling as well as offer some pain relief.  Always use a cloth when applying something cold to the skin to prevent possible frostbite.

Rest, ice, compression, and elevation (RICE) are best for sprains, which can sometimes take a few weeks to heal completely.  In some cases, a visit to the doctor may be in order if you need further stabilization with the help of a brace or wrap.

First Aid on the Homestead: Animal-related Mishaps

Accidents and injuries involving farm animals can happen very easily and very suddenly.  Even when you’re not directly interacting with a critter, one can surprise you with a nip or a kick.  Being fully aware of your surroundings when doing any activity on the homestead can help to keep you on your toes, mentally keeping track of where the animals are and who’s around you.

Farm animals, like most critters, use their mouths to explore objects and their environment.  That can turn an inquisitive bite from a pig into a possible break in the skin or a nasty bruise.  Anyone who’s worn shiny earrings around turkeys knows to be extra cautious and mindful.  Personally, I have collected an array of scars from rabbit handling.  It’s unfortunate and can be scary, but it does happen from time to time.

The most important thing for any injuries involving farm animals is disinfection.  Despite making sure the animals are healthy with clean bedding, farmyards are teeming with bacteria and microbes, so a break in the skin is directly exposing your system to all of it.

After removing yourself from the incident and securing the animal, if need be, antiseptic is your next step.  I’ve always used a “more is more” approach when it comes to antiseptic and animal-related wounds, you really can’t use too much.  If the wound is bleeding a bit more than is manageable—with gauze, a piece of cloth like a handkerchief or clean rag—pressure and elevation are your friend.

Once you have bleeding under control and you’re in a safe area, washing the wound with antibacterial soap and clean water is in order.  This will also allow you to evaluate the injury thoroughly.  Minor scratches and bites will typically only need a good cleaning, antibiotic ointment, and bandaging.  Some wounds might need a doctor’s evaluation, more involved cleaning of the site, and sutures if it’s wide or deep enough.

While this doesn’t cover every possible injury or mishap that can happen, I hope that it shines a light on how important preparation and being properly educated is on the homestead.  Having appropriate training (CPR/BLS), keeping a homestead first aid kit stocked and available at all times, and staying in a calm and collected mindset can greatly improve the outcome in any emergency situation.

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Herbal medicine can seem intimidating, but the remedies are broken into the general categories of adaptogens, aromatics, astringents, bitters, nervines, carminatives, diaphoretics, emollients, expectorants, and tonics.  Several herbs are in multiple categories so, to make things simpler for the beginner or busy homesteader, it is best to think about the health issues that are common to your household.  If your family is prone to the flu, those are the herbs you need to know and grow.

Most herbs can be enjoyed as tea.  This is the mildest remedy and, generally speaking, you can enjoy as many cups of tea as you want.  A secondary benefit of taking your medicine as tea is that you are also drinking water.  Basic hydration can in itself solve a multitude of health problems.  To make tea with fresh herbs, put a handful of clean herbs in a pot.  Pour boiling water over the herbs, cover, and let steep for 3-5 minutes.  Add honey to taste.

Adaptogens are herbs that can be used regularly to help us handle stress.  These herbs can be either stimulating or relaxing, but all adaptogens work to support the body as a whole.  Some of the more common adaptogens include ashwagandha, chamomile, both American and Asian ginseng, and rhodiola.  Chamomile, ashwagandha, and rhodiola are relatively easy to grow.  Chamomile is the simplest to prepare, and ashwagandha and rhodiola are high-value crops that will do well at farmers’ markets.

To make chamomile tea, you use the flowers, but to use ashwagandha you need to use the dried root.  Simply harvest the roots, wash and cut them into small pieces, and place them in a dehydrator or your oven with the pilot light on.  The root will become very brittle when completely dried.  To make a simple ashwagandha tea, you can simmer one teaspoon of the dried root in one cup of water for 20-40 minutes, depending on the strength desired.  Using a coffee grinder, you can also powder the roots and combine them with other herbs such as ginger or cinnamon.

Aromatics have strong aromas and are the foundation for aromatherapy.  Taken internally, they provide relief and support for the digestive, reproductive, and respiratory tracts.  Aromatics include angelica, cardamom, fennel, ginger, peppermint, and rosemary.

Astringents dry or shrink tissue and can be used either topically (for splinters) or internally, to tone mucous membranes and dry up excess phlegm.  Astringents include agrimony, blackberry root, and leaf, green or black tea, rose, witch hazel leaf and bark, and yarrow.

Bitters are not very tasty, as their name implies, and are most often used in a tincture.  Just a drop or two on the tip of the tongue is enough to encourage the production of gastric juices which stimulate appetite and digestion.  Artichoke, dandelion, gentian, and orange peel are good bitters.  Tinctures are the strongest form of herbal medicine.  A tincture is a concentrated distillation of herbs, usually in 80-100 proof alcohol.  If you are avoiding alcohol, you can make tinctures with glycerin.  For information, including recipes, read How to Make Herbal Tinctures.

Nervines are a category of herbs that supports the nervous system.  These herbs help with worry and are also good for the occasional sleepless night.  Chamomile, California poppy, hops, and lavender are gentle nervines to try.

Carminatives are herbs that aid digestion and reduce or prevent gas.  You can add them to food or herbal tea.  Excellent carminatives include angelica, anise, caraway, chamomile, fennel, ginger, and peppermint.

Diaphoretics help raise your body temperature to make you sweat, stimulating circulation.  They also cool the body through increased perspiration.  This is the category of herbs you turn to for fevers.  The herbs include cayenne, elderflowers, garlic, ginger, linden, and yarrow.

Emollients are to be used externally for wounds and burns. For information on the benefits and preventative uses of herbal-based skincare, I recommend reading Grow an Herbal Skincare Garden: 7 Easy-to-Grow Herbs for Skincare.

Emollients, such as aloe vera, chickweed, comfrey, marshmallow, and violet, are used topically to soothe and protect skin.  These herbs can be added to a salve, lotion, or handmade soap.  As you already know, aloe vera can be split open and applied directly on a scrape or burn.  A comfrey poultice immediately relieves some of the pain of a bad scrape or sunburn.  Comfrey contains allantoin, a substance that helps the formation of new skin cells while reducing inflammation.  To make the poultice, roughly chop a handful of large comfrey leaves and mix in the blender with a half cup of water until you have a liquid.  Add ¼ – ½ cup of flour and blend until you have a paste.  Fold a clean dishtowel or cheesecloth in half lengthwise and spread the comfrey paste on the cloth. Apply to the affected area and secure the poultice with an ace bandage.

Oxymels (made with vinegar, herbs, and honey) and syrups are the next steps up in herbal remedies. You can find a lot of good information about oxymels, including how to make them here: Making Oxymels: The Sweet-Tart Medicine.  Expectorants encourage productive coughing.  You can make cough syrups or oxymels with elecampane, horehound, licorice root, slippery elm, or violet leaf.  It is worth the effort to buy raw honey from a local beekeeper, as raw honey that is local to your area is extra beneficial for seasonal allergies.

Finally, tonics are nutritive herbs that can be consumed daily to keep your body systems strong and healthy.  Dandelion, hawthorn, milk thistle seed, moringa, and nettle leaf are all excellent tonic herbs.

Growing, harvesting, and using herbs on your homestead for medicinal purposes is not as difficult as you may have thought.  In addition to the healing properties of herbs, it is a good feeling to know you have the resources to care for yourself and your family when they are under the weather.

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