Dandelions, One of the Joys of Spring

Yesterday was a beautiful spring day. The sun was shining, the birds were singing, there was a light breeze, well almost. Being in Wyoming the light breeze was more like a mild storm. It was so windy the little ones had a hard time walking upright. Still, it was a lovely day and we decided to enjoy the warmer weather by taking a walk. The kids were so excited when they saw the fields full of dandelions. They preceded to run around like crazy, picking bouquets of flowers and presenting them to me with huge, happy grins. Good thing I like dandelions better than roses, huh!

I remember one of my younger brothers running across the yard with a fist full of dandelions held behind his back. He found mom and proudly  presented her with a handful of...... stems. He had picked dandelions that had already gone to seed and as he ran around looking for mom, all the fluffy white seeds had flown away. The look of shock on his sweet little face when he stood there wondering what had happened to his pretty  flowers was precious. Mom very graciously thanked him for his gift, while I quickly snapped a picture. We all waited till he left the room to have a good laugh at his expense.

While children love dandelions, most adults spend a great deal of time and money trying to rid their yards of them. If they only knew! Dandelions are very nutritious, containing many vitamins including vitamin A, B complex, vitamin C, and D, as well as minerals such as iron, potassium, calcium and zinc. They can make a tasty addition to salads or sandwiches, and can also be steamed and eaten like spinach. Dandelion root can be dried and used to make a coffee like substitute and the flowers are used to make wine. Make sure to pick the young leaves, since the older ones are bitter. Always be careful to pick dandelions in an area that you are sure hasn't been sprayed with weed killer or other pesticides.

Dandelion leaf tea stimulates  the release of bile from the liver into the gallbladder, making it easier to digest fat. It is also cleansing to the liver and can help to improve skin problems. Dandelion is a diuretic but since it also contains potassium it doesn't deplete your body as most medical diuretics would. Dandelion is used to treat indigestion and can be mixed with peppermint or ginger if bloating is a problem. It can also be used to help dissolve uric acid kidney stones. Dandelion is safe, although since it's a diuretic, large dosed should be used with caution during pregnancy.

Tea is the easiest way to get the medical benefits from dandelion. Teas are best made from dried herbs. When herbs are dried the plant cells are broken making the beneficial parts more permeable to water. To make dandelion tea heat one cup water to a boil, add 2-3 teaspoons dried herb, cover and let steep for at least fifteen minutes. Strain and sweeten if desired.


                        
Here's a few fun recipes that use fresh dandelions.

You can buy dried dandelion, ginger and peppermint here.





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Vitamin Smoothies

I've been wanting to find a good quality, affordable vitamin that my kids could take. Most children's vitamins contain dye and sweeteners that I don't want my kids eating. Good children's vitamins do exist, but with five kids they get pretty pricey. I was reading The Bulk herb Store newsletter and saw their Daily Boost Herba-Smoothie. I thought it was a great idea but wasn't sure it would work for us. We don't have access to raw dairy in Wyoming and I'm not about to feed my kids ultra pasteurized-homogenized milk from the store. After thinking about it for a few days I decided to start experimenting with smoothie recipes to see if I could come up with a non-dairy smoothie. I also wanted our smoothie to use less berries than the Bulk herb Store recipe since berries are so expensive. After quite a few not so good smoothies I have two recipes that my kids and husband like, and gladly drink every morning.

Orange Julius Herb Smoothie

3 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
1 cup water
1/2 frozen banana
1 tablespoon coconut milk
1 teaspoon powdered herb mix
*1 tablespoon water from lacto-fermented veggies

Blend all ingredients in blender and serve

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

1/2 cup apple juice
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon coconut milk
1 teaspoon powdered herb mix
1-2 frozen strawberries
1/2 frozen banana
*1 tablespoon water from lacto-fermented veggies

Blend all ingredients in blender and serve.

The lacto-fermented veggie water is optional but add natural probiotics to your smoothie.

You can use any of the herb mixes the Bulk Herb Store sells or make your own. I wanted herbs that would supply calcium and other minerals, be good for my husbands heart, give us an energy boost and help with cleansing and detoxing. I decided to use the same mix of herbs as The Bulk Herb Store, ginkgo, siberian ginseng, oatstraw, bilberry fruit, hawthorn, burdock root, and horsetail plus I added some rosehips for extra vitamin C. We enjoy our smoothie every morning and I love knowing my kids are getting a yummy, natural vitamin shake.

Making Herbal Tea

Making tea is a regular part of my morning routine. I fill my pan with water, and while it comes to a boil, pick out the herbs I want for our breakfast tea. If my oldest daughter could choose we would have peppermint everyday while my younger ones prefer elderberry with a little licorice. One of our favorite combos that the kids call gingerbread man, is ginger and cinnamon with a little honey. A few other fun things we have tried are adding spices like cinnamon or cloves and even dried orange or lemon peels to our herbal blends. For iced teas I sometimes like to add a little fruit juice. I’ll admit though, that I’m usually more focused on the medical benefits of my teas, and making really tasty blends is not something I feel I’ve completely mastered yet. I’ve been looking for new inspiration and found quite a few yummy looking ideas at herbgardens.about.com

Besides tasting good, herbal teas are a very healthy habit to start. Herbs release their water-soluble beneficial properties into the hot water making their nutrients easily assimilated by your body. Depending on the herbs you choose, teas can be calming and relaxing, help your immune system fight off a cold, and even be a good afternoon pick-me-up.

To make tea, heat your water until it boils, add your herbs, remove from heat and cover. Covering the pot helps to prevent the herbs volatile oils from escaping with the steam. Let the tea steep for about five minutes before straining. A good rule of thumb is to use one to two teaspoons of dried herbs, or four teaspoons fresh herb per cup of water. If you are using roots, bark or seeds to make your tea, let them simmer for ten to twenty minutes before straining. Many times I use a combination of leaves and roots for my teas. In that case simply go ahead and simmer the roots/bark, then add the herb leaves and remove from heat to let them steep.

Here’s a few herbs to try in you teas…

chamomile is relaxing, rich in essential oil, good for your skin and digestive track.

Ginger makes a strong-tasting tea but has powerful medical properties. It’s an anti-fungal and very soothing for an upset stomach. Studies have shown ginger to very effective against nausea .

Peppermint is good for all digestive problems, excellent for colds and flu, and is a stimulant.

Mullein is very effective at expelling mucus making it a great herb to add to your tea if you are congested and fighting a bad cough.

Alfalfa is super rich in vitamins and minerals such as , iron, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sulfur, chlorine, and potassium. It also contains all eight essential amino acids and has the highest chlorophyll content of any plant.

For those of you that like to garden, visit Gardens Ablaze to learn about herb gardening.

Parsley

Parsley is usually thought of as a garnish at a restaurant that most of us discard rather than eat. Parsley actually has many medicinal uses. It’s a mild diuretic that is high in potassium. This is important as unlike most over the counter diuretics, parsley won’t deplete your potassium levels. Used as a diuretic parsley is good for water retention and prostate problems. As with any diuretic it should be used in moderation during pregnancy. Nursing women should also avoided large amounts of parsley as it can dry up your milk, although it can be used as a poultice to help with the uncomfortable engorgement that sometimes occurs while breastfeeding.

Parsley, like most herbs is very nutritious. One cup of parsley has more calcium than a cup of milk and two times as much vitamin C as an orange. Other nutrients it’s high in are vitamin A, thiamine, niacin and riboflavin. You can make tea by adding two teaspoons either fresh or dried parsley to eight ounces hot water. It can also be used in place of basil in your favorite pesto recipe or even added to your breakfast smoothie for an extra boost. Hmm… maybe next time we’re eating out we should all try that pretty garnish.

Red Raspberry

Red raspberry is probably the best known herb to use during pregnancy. It is the main ingredient in most pregnancy teas. Drinking raspberry tea is said to help with infertility, morning sickness, strengthen the uterus, lessen postpartum cramping and bleeding and even enrich breast milk.

Red raspberry is native to many parts of Europe. It’s commonly grown in gardens for the delicious tasting berries but it’s the leaves that are used medicinally. Raspberry leaves are an astringent, (a chemical that tends to shrink or constrict body tissue), stomachic, (good for your stomach), and a tonic. It is high in iron, vitamin A, selenium and vitamin C.

Traditionally red raspberry has been used to soothe an upset stomach and to treat diarrhea and vomiting. Research has indicated raspberry to have antiviral properties making it effective against colds, flu and fevers. Red raspberry can also be used externally as a mouth wash for a sore throat, bleeding gums or canker sores.

Raspberry leaf tea is mild and tastes great by itself or mixed with other herbs. Try it iced in the summer and hot mixed with peppermint in the cold months.

The Wonder's of Garlic (part two)

As a mom to five I’ve spent many nights walking the floor with sick kids. Sometimes it seems like you can put them to bed perfectly healthy and two hours later they wake up with a miserable full-blown cold. Whether it’s the middle of the night or during the day, garlic is a quick, simple and effective way to help them to a speedy recovery.

For adults and children able to eat solid food, the best way I’ve found to give garlic is orally. Chop it finely and swallow it like you would a pill with water or juice. For children, mixing it with honey makes it taste better (never give honey to infant under one.) For adults I usually chop a whole clove, but for children one quarter to half a clove seems plenty. Garlic is an emetic (to much will make you vomit) so start with a small amount at first. Make sure to take the garlic several times a day until all the cold symptoms are gone.

Getting a baby to take garlic orally is next to impossible. Thankfully you can get garlic into their system be using a compress, which is super simple and fast.

Start by crushing and chopping one or two garlic cloves finely. Place the chopped garlic between several layers of paper towel and wet the paper towels with warm water. Hold the compress against the baby’s chest or back until the compress cools. Check for redness since garlic can burn their sensitive skin. Rubbing a little oil on their skin before using the compress can help protect it. Repeat with a fresh compress several times a day.

Another way to get garlic into a baby or young children that can’t be persuaded to eat garlic is to make a salve. Mix three tablespoons coconut oil, three tablespoons olive oil and three table spoons chopped fresh garlic. Blend the mixture with a stick blender for two to three minutes and strain. This can be stored in the fridge for one or two weeks. Use by rubbing the oil on the bottom of the child’s feet and covering their feet with old socks. This seems to work well for young children but in my experience needs to be repeated every couple of hours to be effective. Your little ones won’t smell too good but it’s well worth getting rid of that runny nose!

The Wonder's of Garlic (part one)

Garlic could very well be my favorite herb. So far it has been the fastest acting and most effective home remedy I have tried. I have personally used it successfully with the common cold, stomach flu, yeast infections, ring worm and ear aches.

The first time I learned about garlic was when my oldest children were three and one and a half. They had a nasty virus that had lasted for over two months. Their main symptoms were coughing and vomiting. It felt like we would never get through a meal without someone regurgitating their meal all over the table.

I was feeling pretty desperate as even after a trip to the Dr. we just couldn't seem to kick this thing. I did a little research and read that garlic could be helpful for fighting a cold and decided to give it a try. I finely chopped up a clove, mixed it with honey and amazingly my toddlers ate it without too much fuss. They continued to take garlic several times a day and finally recovered from their cold. Needless to say I was impressed and decided to research garlic further.

Garlic contains allicin which is a natural antibiotic. It is effective against viruses and fungus. Garlic woks as an antiparasitic, and an antibiotic. It is one of the oldest horticultural crops known and has been used as both a food and medicines since the time of the Egyptian Pharaohs.Whether it’s a simple head cold with sniffles and a sore throat or a nasty tummy bug with throwing up and diarrhea, the first thing I use in my fight for healthy children ( and a decent nights sleep for myself) is garlic.