Herbal Household Remedies

Via: MailTribune.com

Cultivating a tea garden makes a very fresh brew
AP
Staff and wire reports
June 11, 2008

A cup of tea at breakfast or over lunch is one of life’s simple indulgences. It’s even more special — and not much more difficult — if you grow the herbs yourself.

“Tea is one of my favorite ways to use herbs,” says Ellen Scannell, a master gardener and food preserver certified by Oregon State University.

Many of the best tea herbs are easy to grow, beautiful and naturally resistant to pests. Even if you don’t have garden space, many delightful tea herbs will grow in containers on a porch or windowsill.

“Mint is the classic one,” Scannell says.

Consider mint species with other subtle flavors including apple, pineapple, chocolate, orange, ginger and lemon. Scannell also favors lemon verbena. Daisy-like chamomiles can cheer up any garden and make a soothing tea.

Once you’ve chosen your herbs, it’s easy to harvest, dry, store and brew.

Here is how:

cayenne, mustard, peach tree leaves, potato

• An ointment made of one part ground hot pepper and five parts Vaseline can be applied directly to the injured area. To prepare, melt Vaseline and add ground hot pepper, mix well and let cool until it congeals. Apply the ointment once daily, or once every two days. For effectiveness, 4 to 9 applications are usually enough.
• Grandma’s Old Time Mustard Plaster still helps for a variety of disorders, just like it used to do: asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, fever and chills, sciatica, neuralgia, gout, bumps, bruises, sprains, tendinitis, common cold and flu, eruptive sores and boils: Mash leaves and stems of fresh mustard plant into a pulp. Coat the surface of the skin with petroleum jelly (Crisco lard or Vaseline) before applying the pulp to prevent serious blisters or raising welts on the skin. Bind into place with gauze and adhesive tape and keep on for several hours or overnight for best results.
• To remove inflammation and discoloration accompanying bruises, bumps and abrasions, apply the following solution either directly to the skin or soak a wad of cotton in it and hold it in place with adhesive tape: Mash 3-5 peach tree leaves by hand before simmering in 2 cups of sweet condensed milk for about 25 minutes on low heat. Allow to steep, covered with a lid, and strain when cool.
• The following potato plaster reduces inflammations caused by contusions, sprains, burns, fractures, hemorrhoids, abscesses, arthritis, neuralgia and eczema: Peel and grate ordinary potatoes, mix half of them with an equal amount of green vegetable leaves (either spinach, radish or cabbage). The vegetable leaves should be coarsely pureed in t a food blender before mixing with the potatoes. To this wet mass add 10% white flower, then mix everything thoroughly by hand in a big bowl. Add just enough ice water (never warm water) to give the paste a wet, somewhat even and thick consistency. Apply plaster directly on the skin. For sensitive skin, rub the affected area with olive oil before applying the plaster. Put a clean cloth over the plaster and secure with a linen bandage. When the plaster dries out, apply warm water on the dry mass until it becomes moist again. Let the plaster sit in place for about 3.5 hours, while reclining. Remove plaster and rinse skin with warm water.