Catch-a-weed

One of our favorite edible and medicinal foraging plants is one we never end up eating.  Sure, we could make tea, or a coffee substitute, or take a bath in it, or use it on wounds.  But…we generally have too much fun with it and it never makes it there!

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Love Potion #37

It doesn’t smell like turpenine or smell like India Ink–that would be Love Potion #9!

Love Potion #37, on the other hand, is quite tasty and looks more like liquid roses (or blood for the macabre-like-my-hubby crowd).  And, it won’t find you love.  However, it might just put you in the mood for it.  Use it with a partner or alone, its great for anniversaries, Valentine’s Day, and grown-up Beltane celebrations!

Warning:  If you have problems with alcohol or alcoholism, this is not the recipe for you!

Love Potion #37
wide mouthed quart jar
a 750 mL bottle of Amaretto (I like di Amore–its pretty tasty and rather affordable)
4 T hibiscus
4 T damiana
4 T honey
1 T mulling spice
1 T jasmine
1 t cardamom

Put herbs and alcohol in the jar, shake daily for the first week.  Infuse 4-6 weeks in cool, dark place. Strain out alcohol and rebottle.

Love Potion # 37 is technically a tincture, though not as strong as your typical medicinal tincture.  Its made in pretty much the same way(if you aren’t all that familiar with tincture making, check out the video below!), although it contains a bit less alcohol than using 100 proof vodka (50% alcohol is the typical amount of alcohol in a tincture).

You can drink it straight (its best cold), on the rocks, topped off with either water or sprite for a less alcolic beverage (I quite like it this way), or made into an amaretto sour or similar drink.  It is effective in spells and rituals based around one’s relationship, as well as divination concerning love and relationships.

The Herbs
Here’s a list of the herbs in the tincture, and their applicable magical correspondences and medicinal properties…
Damiana–lust, love, and visions (magical); digestive aid, nerve and reproductive tonic (medical); reputed aphrodesiac
Hibiscus–lust, love, and divination (magical); digestive aid and improves circulation (medicinal)
Jasmine–love and dream prophecy (magical); liver tonic and digestive aid (medicinal); reputed aphrodesiac
Cardamom–lust and love (magical); stimulant, digestive aid (medicinal); reputed aphrodesiac
Allspice*–luck and healing (magical); digestive aid (medicinal)
Clove*–love (magical); digestive aid, male reproductive tonic (medicinal)
Ginger*–love and power (magical); mild stimulant, promotes circulation, and digestive aid** (medicinal)
Orange peel*–love and divination (magical); digestive aide, liver tonic (medicinal)

*from the mulling spices
**you may have noticed that all of these herbs are digestive aids, if it seems peculiar that I’ve listed this as a related medicinal property, think about the parts of the body where the digestive system is located in conjunction with the associated chakras…plus, who wants sex when their tummy hurts, lol?!?

Enjoy!

Making it (more) Magical: Another option to consider when making potions is to “brew” at the appropriate point in the moon’s cycle, for one full cycle (as well as other considerations like time of day, etc). Also, use the time “shaking” or mixing the potion to charge it, particularly the first week. If one is doing any energy work in conjunction with making the potion, I’d recommend doing so during the mixing, straining or bottling steps.

(If you were wondering, why #37, its my own notation for making concoctions–it would more accurately read 3-7 for the 7th “try” of the third series of love potions…the first series is water infusions, second series is for oil infusions, etc)

Herbal Remedies: Foot Pain & Funky Feet

Somehow, we tend to forget about our feet.

Until we stub or toe, or step on a rock, or have a cramp in our foot, or get the foot ick, we pretty much ignore their existence  other than as a thing to put shoes on.  But, our feet are just as essential a part of our body as any other–they are the place where we meet the earth and the way that we get around.

And yet, there are a number of things that can “go wrong” with our feet.  Many of them can be prevented or lessened by proper nutrition, exercise, and hygiene, some of them can be healed with time and alternative therapies from massage to specialized exercise.

As always, (the disclaimer) I am not a physician.  I have medical experience and I have a long time interest in herbalism, that is all.  This information is not meant as a substitute to actual medical care from a medical professional.  Use at your own terms and at your own risk.  And for Pete’s sake, if you think that you have a serious injury, please go to the emergency room!!

Athletes Foot 

*Soak your feet in warm water with salt and baking soda added (1 quart of water to 1 tablespoon salt and 2 tablespoons baking soda) for at least 10 minutes at least once a day until the problem clears up.
*Slather 5 drops tea tree essential oil, 5 drops lavender essential oil, and 2 drops lemon essential oil in 1 tsp carrier oil massaged onto the feet.
*Allow your feet and your shoes to air out thoroughly as often as possible.  Wear clean socks.  Keep your feet dry and they should stay happy…
*Some herbalists recommend taking garlic orally (for dosing information, try here)

There is one item of G.I. gear that can be the difference between a live grunt and a dead grunt. Socks. Cushioned sole, O.D. green. Try and keep your feet dry. When we’re out humpin’, I want you boys te remember to change your socks whenever we stop. The Mekong will eat a grunts feet right off his legs.

Thus speaks Lt. Dan, from Forrest Gump

Plantar Fasciitis

One of the most common causes of heel and foot pain, Plantar Fasciitis is the straining of the plantar fascia (the ligament that runs from the heel to the toe and forms the arch of the foot) and associated inflammation.  If you are on your feet a lot (particularly on hard surfaces), overweight, pregnant, have high arches or flat feet, wearing worn out or improperly fitted foot wear, or you have tight Achilles tendons or calf muscles, you may be prone to PF.  If you wake up in the morning and have pain in your feet for the first few steps until you get “warmed up”, and after taking stairs or on a long walk, it might be Plantar Fasciitis.  To treat PF, try to stay off your feet for a bit first.  Also, make sure your shoes fit properly, offer arch support, and are in good condition–consider inserts as an option if needed.  Keep in mind that it can take upwards of 12 weeks for PF to resolve.

• Pain relievers can help with pain from PF…this is one of those times when the miracle of modern pharmaceuticals has herbs beat, period.  It will only help with the pain, and it does not fix the underlying problem, but…go ibuprofen!
•  Stretching the foot regularly, as well as the Achilles tendon and calf muscle, can help relieve PF.  For a list of stretches, check here.
• If you think Achilles and calf tightness is part of the underlying problem, you may want to consider night time splints, which keep your feet at a 90 degree angle.  Also, if you are a stomach sleeper,  change your sleeping position–stomach sleeping requires your feet to be pointed which results in shortening your calf muscles for about 8 hours of your day, leading to lack of flexibility and PF.  Night splints make it much more difficult (if not nearly impossible) to sleep on your stomach.
• For PF, you may want to consider alternative hot and cold baths for your foot/feet.  Another option for cold therapy is using a frozen juice can and rolling it under your foot along your arch (if you don’t like the cold, you can do this with a rolling pin or tennis ball).
• Foot and lower leg massage!  An oil infused with arnica and chamomile, may be helpful in encouraging healing and relieving pain.  A foot bath can also be prepared with these herbs.
• Some herbalists recommend taking ginger, or other anti-inflammatory herbs, internally to reduce pain and swelling in the foot, caused by PF.

Calluses and Corns

Corns and calluses are both areas of thickened skin caused by excess friction and pressure.  Corns are tender areas generally on top or side of the toe, while calluses are less tender and located on the soles of the feet (or palms of the hands).  Corns and calluses might not be attractive, but they generally don’t cause problems either.  Diabetes or other circulatory problems can be problematic though, so consult with your physician if this is an issue.  Infection is also a possibility though, so if this is suspected, see a professional.

In the mean time, the best way to get rid of calluses and corns is to stop whatever causes the irritation of the skin, within a few weeks, it they should resolve on their own.  For many people, this goes back to the ill fitting shoe problem.  Either way, don’t cut your calluses off!  Instead, soak your feet (or hands) in a foot bath, exfoliate (pumice stones are your friend!), and slather your feet up with some salve.

Metatarsalgia

Pain in the ball of the foot, where the metatarsal joint are–basically, the ball of the foot behind the toes.  Metatarsalgia has the same symptoms and most of the same causes as PF, it just effects a different part of the foot.  One thing to be wary of–metatarsalgia that does not resolve can be caused by something called Morton’s neuroma, a non-cancerous tumor growing around the metatarsal nerves (and its often caused by wearing shoes that are too tight in that area of the foot, particularly heels).  Also, because metatarsaligia is not a condition on its own, but rather a symptom, consider seeking medical attention if pain persists   Rest, pain relievers and better shoes (wide toes and a rocker sole to take pressure off the heel to toe motion) are the usual recommendations.  Icing, foot baths, and foot massage are also recommended alternative therapies.

Herbs for Feet

Foot baths and salves are great ways to use herbs on the feet.  Some awesome foot herbs include peppermint, calendula, rosemary, sage, lavender, yarrow and marshmallow root.  For carrier oils, try avocado oil for dry and cracked skin, and lanolin added to a nice homemade salve.

The Herbal Foot Bath:

Fill a 1- 2 gallon cooking pot with spring or distilled water, if possible.  Bring the water to a boil and add herbs, then simmer on low, covered for about 20 min.  Cool until comfortable and pour into a basin big enough for both feet. Soak feet for at least 10-15 minutes.

 Happy Feet Salve:

Fill a clean, dry jar with 1 part marshmallow root, 3 parts rosemary, 1 part calendula, and 2 parts yarrow, loosely packed.  Then fill the jar half way with a combination of sunflower oil, olive oil (about 1/3-1/4 of the blend), avocado oil (no more than 10%–I usually add a tablespoon or two to a quart jar), and a similar amount of lanolin.  Infuse.  Strain infused oil and add beeswax to desired salve consistency in a double boiler.

Foot Powder:

Grind equal parts lavender flowers and calendula into a powder and add to a combination of cornstarch and arrowroot powder.  Consider adding a tablespoon of baking soda, or cutting in a couple of drops of tea tree oil.  Sprinkle in shoes or on feet to absorb extra moisture.

Food for Friday: Flowers

Flowers can be food!  

Its not quite the season for flowers around here, but its coming.  And that means its time to bring out and dust off all the spring green and early summer foraging and herbal stuff (plus, I’m cleaning out my shoe box of recipes and other cooking info)!  For this week’s Food for Friday, I though we could talk about eating flowers.  

When we think of culinary herbs, we don’t often think of flowers.  But…nasturtium, rose, chamomile, redbud, zucchini or squash blossoms, snapdragon, violets, yarrow, calendula, lavender, citrus blossoms, hibiscus, clover, bee balm, borage, chive blossoms, honeysuckle, jasmine, daylily, geranium, lilac, mint flowers, and pansy (to name a few, here’s some more) can all be used in food.  Be careful of allergies when using flowers in food, and be sure to leave poisonous flowers alone!

Preservation Methods: 

• Drying–Hang freshly harvested (best time is usually early in the morning before full sun) by the stem in a dry dark location of room temperature (somewhere between 60-75 degrees F) with good circulation OR lie on mesh screen in a dust free space that meets the same criteria as for hanging.  Once dry, store whole, crumpled or pulverized in airtight glass containers in the dark.  When using in a recipe calling for fresh, use half.  Drying does alter flavor somewhat.
• Jellying–Steep 1 c of packed flowers into water in a covered glass or ceramic container for 1-2 days and strain the infusion into a 6 qt nonreactive Dutch oven or preserving pan.  Add 1/2 c of herb or flower vinegar and 3 1/2 c sugar and dissolve the sugar.  Bring the solution to a rolling boil and add 1 pouch of liquid pectin (or 1 pkg of dry).  Boil for about a minute (unless pectin instructions say otherwise) and remove from heat.  Skim off any foam and then pour into sterilized half pint jars, leaving about 1/8 in head space.  Put on lids and process for 5 min in a boiling water bath and turn upside down for 5 min to test lid seal.  Flower jellies can be used as glazes on meats, fish, veggies and toast.
• Flowered Butter–Finely chop flowers and mix into softened butter (1 c flowers: 1 lb butter ratio), cover and allow to muddle at room temperature for a few hours, and then refrigerate for several days before serving.  Flower butter will keep for up to 2 weeks in the fridge or up to 6 months in the freezer.  It can be used in recipes for cakes or cookies, or as a spread.
• Infused Honey–Add 1/2 to 1 cup of flowers per 1 lb jar of honey, cover loosely and place in a half pan of gently boiling water.  Remove from heat and rest in water for around 10 minutes–never heat to more than 140 degrees F.  Once cooled to room temperature, close tightly and let set for a week before using.  Strain if desired.  This can be added to regular or flowered butter to make honey butter.
• Flowered Sugar–Pound 2 c granulated sugar with 1/2-1 cup of flower petals in a mortar (or run thru a food processor) and place in a clean jar and cover for about a week.  Sift (optional) and store in an airtight container.  Sprinkle as a tasty topping.
• Syrup–Boil together water, sugar and flower petals (1:3:1) for about 10 minutes, or until thick like a syrup.  Strain through cheesecloth into a clean glass jar.  Store in fridge for several weeks.
• Vodka (for drinking)–Infuse 1/2 c flowers into 2 c good vodka for at least 48 hours at room temperature.  Strain and store in freezer.

These methods are pretty standard for a number of leaf herbs as well, and can be altered as such.   Something to remember–not all flowers will do well in all preparations.  Also, flowers can be added into salads, used as garnish, fried into fritters like the dandelions, and used in a number of other ways.  Even better, flowers in food is a great way to incorporate a little bit of herb magic into the kitchen.

Recipe Links:
Redbud Jelly
Rose Petal Drop Scones
Calendula Omlet
Lavender Sorbet
Candied Flowers
Lilac Muffins
Sparkling Viola Cocktail
Geranium Pound Cake

Tuesday Musings

FIRST OFF…Thank you everyone that commented on my Food for Friday post about going gluten free!  There is a lot there to digest (pun intended), and I really thank everyone for sharing their stories, and their advice.  I’m not sure I am equipped yet, mentally, to individually reply to everyone, since there is so much good advice and information…so I thought perhaps one big THANK YOU was in order!!!

I have found a brownie recipe to try, thanks to (as I was writing the post) my BFF, the Canoe Queen (I just made up her blog name, lol), which might interest some of you.  I’m thinking it might be about time for a GF brownie recipe round up & review…

After brownies, pizza dough is the next challenge!

Random “I thought this was really cool” Advice:

And, just because its tradition, my first pot o’ tea for the day: Holy basil, peppermint, and elderflower

Quote of the Week: 

There are four questions of value in life: What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for? And what is worth dying for?

The answer to each is the same.

Only love.

~Johnny Depp

What I’m reading now (or about to read):

•  I was going to talk about the books I’m reading right now…but I’m totally digging this blog post.  I’m not a Hellenist, but Greek (and Roman mythology), religion, and philosophy play a supporting role in quite a bit of my spirituality…and the range of beliefs about the gods, about the earth, and about man that were present in ancient Greece are as varied as beliefs today…and, in some ways, shockingly “modern”.  This too, is a good read…I don’t qualify entirely, but in the continuum of Pagan beliefs, I’m fairly close to Naturalistic Paganism.
• I’m getting ready to read Cora Anderson’s Fifty Years in the Feri Tradition, but first, I have to finish Wade Davis’s Light at the Edge of the World: A Journey Through the Realm of Vanishing Cultures.  Next time I pick up a book by him (and it will be soon), I plan to read The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in a Modern World.  If you aren’t familiar with Wade Davis, you should be (particularly if you are Pagan, but even if you are not!)–he has two brilliant TED talks well worth checking out.
• I picked up a trio of steampunk books by an author named Cynthia Spencer Pape.  Haven’t read them yet, but they look entertaining.  Also in the realm of fluff reading, I nabbed 4 teen witchy sort of novels off of Kindle, which have been idly amusing me (they aren’t very good, but they are entertaining)–I probably would have enjoyed these about 20 years ago.
• Oh, my…total lol.  Now I need to read the study in question.
• And…I’m checking out some other Valentine’s Day blog posts, since I signed up for The Domestic Witch’s Valentine’s Day Blog Party, and need to get working on my V-day post!

What I’m watching now: Dinosaur Train, on the big TV…but I need to get my butt in gear and watch my Astrobiology class lectures to take my quizzes for this week.  Tomorrow I’m going to enjoy some Downton Abbey and NCIS, since its my day off!

Idle musings…there is a pretty good chance I might be MIA for a couple days.  I think I need to reset my computer to factory settings and redownload everything.  Its been acting a bit buggy and slow, and I’ve tried everything else. We’ll see–I really hate doing it.

Politi-Thal’s thoughts on Guns: This could probably be a rant of its own, but I’d prefer to avoid that.  Never mind…after trying to keep it to a paragraph, and having determined how impossible that is, I’ll be making a post on the subject.  In the mean time, a thought provoking article.  And I will leave you to ponder what my position on this is–it might just surprise you (or it might not).

Kitchen Witch Book Recommendation of the Week: If you can find it (used on Amazon, prices start at $.01 plus $3.99 shipping), I totally suggest getting the Complete Guide to Food and Cooking from Better Homes and Gardens.  Its basically a food and food preparation dictionary, with pictures, charts of cooking times and techniques, and occasional recipes.  If you aren’t someone that already knows how to cook first order foods, the book is a godsend.  And even if you are its still pretty darn informative as a reference–for example, the entry on fennel give you a picture, a verbal description of the appearance and flavor, and tells you what parts are usable, how to choose a fennel at the store, how to store it and how long it lasts, and how to cook it.  Combined with this website, its pretty much my standby for food information, when I’m not looking for a recipe.

Herb of the Week: Black Pepper
Peppercorns for black pepper come from the plant Piper nigrum. In ancient Rome pepper was worth its weight in gold, and it has been part of the spice trade ever since.  In Ayurvedic medicine it is used to improve circulation and digestion, to reduce fevers, and to help respiratory and chest infections.  In aromatherapy, the essential oil of pepper can be used in massage to improve circulation and for muscle aches.  Magically, pepper is a masculine herb ruled by the planet Mars and associated with the element of fire. It is useful in spells and rituals for protection and exorcism, specifically to dispel negativity.

Parting thought:

Oh, crap…I’m going to be late for work if I don’t leave now!!