Avocado Veggie Dip

Courtesy of Throwback Road

 
 Avocado Veggie Dip
1 cup plain Greek Yogurt 
3/4 cup ripe avocado 
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped chives
salt and pepper to taste

-Mix all ingredients in a food processer and combine until smooth
-Store in fridge for up to one week

Perfect Sweet Tea Recipe

http://cravingcomfort.blogspot.com/2012/07/sweet-tea.html

There is a secret ingredient ;-)



Perfect Sweet Tea. (makes 1 gallon)
(Adapted from the Lone Star Steak House)


Ingredients -
5 - 8  Family size Tea Bags. (or 12 regular Tea Bags) 
1 Quart  (4 Cups) - Boiling Water
3 Quarts (12 cups) - Cool Water
1 1/2 - 2 (one & a half) - Cups Sugar. 
1/4 teaspoon - Baking Soda (This is the secret Ingredient)


Directions - 
1.  Sprinkle baking soda into a pitcher 
      Add Tea bags to the pitcher/baking soda,  
      Pour Boiling water over tea bags, 
      Cover and allow to steep for 15 minutes.
                    ~*~
2.  Remove and toss out Tea Bags,
     Add Sugar and Stir until completely dissolved. 
     Add Cool Water.
     Refrigerate until cold and ready to drink.
                     ~*~
3.  Serve over ice, 
     Take a nice long sip.
     Enjoy

Balm of Gilead

Courtesy of Freedom of the Hills

An anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and pain relieving salve made from cottonwood or poplar buds




The buds of a number of varieties of cottonwood and poplar trees (Populus nigra, Populus balsamifera, Populus augustafolia and others) contain a sticky orange resin that has been used for centuries to make a soothing, healing salve commonly known as “Balm of Gilead.” This salve has anti-inflammatory, antibiotic/antiseptic and pain relieving qualities, and has been effectively used to treat abrasions, minor burns, frostbite and to ease the pain of sore muscles and joints. It is also (sometimes known as Black Salve) a traditional skin cancer remedy.

Simmering method:

Cover buds with oil--olive is perhaps the best, but coconut and others can be used--and simmer gently (do not boil!) to release the sticky orange resin. Cool and strain.

Gently simmering cottonwood buds in olive oil for several hours. You can see the yellow-orange resin beginning to ooze out of the buds as the oil heats.

Steeping method:

Fill a mason jar or crock halfway with buds, cover with olive oil and set aside. A sunny windowsill or warm spot in the kitchen speeds up the process. Leave in place for at least two weeks, but there is really no such thing as leaving it too long.



Making the salve:

Ingredients: Bee's wax, grapefruit seed extract, cottonwood bud oil

A ratio of 1/1 by volume of oil and wax shavings generally works well.

Equal measures (approximately) of wax shavings and oil, by volume

Heat the oil just to lukewarm, and add the wax. Do not boil. Stir with a wooden stick or, if you must use metal, with stainless steel.

Set out your containers.

Before pouring into the containers, put a bit of the salve on a spoon and refrigerate it for a few minutes (or just set it out on the counter) to make sure that the finished texture will be alright. It is much easier to add either wax or oil to the mix now, than it will be to later dig the salve out of containers and modify it.

Add two drops of grapefruit seed extract, a preservative and to increase the antiseptic/antibacterial value of the salve. This step is optional.

Solidifying takes only minutes in a cool house, longer if the weather is warmer.

All done and ready to use. A very versatile salve that can be used in place of antibiotic ointment on minor cuts, abrasions and burn, helps treat frostbite and works wonders on dry, chapped hands and cracked fingers and toes.

DIY Healing Salve - otherwise known as Neosporin

Ok So I'm still new at this whole blogging thing so I hope you are still with me.  I LOVE finding new recipes for DIY (just about) anything I can make at home and I just finished placing an order with Bulk Herb Store for herbs and other ingredients for different salves I am interested in making. Well lucky me, Crunchy Betty had one I am going to try out.  Here is the recipe:

Healing Salve for Minor Scrapes and Burns

• 1/2 c. coconut oil (or olive oil)
• 1/2 c. grapeseed oil (or olive oil)
• 1/2 c. healing herbs of your choice (chamomile, calendula, comfrey, lavender, plantain leaves)
• 4 Tbsp beeswax
• 2 tsp honey
• 15 drops lavender essential oil (optional)

Infuse the oils and herbs over low heat on a double boiler for 30 minutes, stirring often. Strain the herbs from the oil. Place the oil back into the top of the double boiler and add beeswax, stirring until completely melted. Pour the mixture into a sterile container and add essential oil (if desired), stirring well. Then stir in the honey, and continue to stir the salve mixture every few minutes until it’s set up – making sure the honey is completely incorporated.

This should keep in a cool, dark place for up to a year. Apply to minor scrapes and burns a few times a day until healed.

So are you going to try it? 

Would you want me to attach pictures when I do post?  Please let me know.

Here are some pictures of a few products I currently make.

      

Jelly Shot Test Kitchen: End of Summer Jelly Shots - Mimosa with Orange Flo...

Jelly Shot Test Kitchen: End of Summer Jelly Shots - Mimosa with Orange Flo...: Mimosa Jelly Shots, cut with an oval cookie cutter and skewered with edible flower petals The fourth submission for the End of Summer Cockt...

Waiting to post the August FOTM

Just waiting for the new FOTM to come out so I can post it here.  Had to organize all my supplies and ingredients for my homemade products.  Realized I was double ordering some items.  Seem that keeping the receipts isn't good enough if I don't remember to look at them so being the anal person I am I did a spreadsheet so it all looks neat...lol

Had plans to make lotion and deodorant today but neither happened.  Stayed up till 5am and slept till 10:30 which is unheard of.  Then of course decided today was the day to Henna my roots.  Thankfully I froze a batch (first time) so it was quick and easy.  Maybe I will make another batch this weekend to freeze.  First of course I must decide which Henna I will use; can't decide if I will stick to the usual Rajasthani or if I will try Jamilla.  For those of you that read this (nobody so far though) have you tried either and what do you think? I like that the Jamilla has such quick dye release but a little nervous if there is a big color difference between the two.

Well this was short but at least I feel like I accomplished something by writing a little today.  I promise one day (hopefully soon) this blog will be worth checking into at least once a week.  My hope is to begin adding recipes, DIY info and linking to other blogs I enjoy.

Mountain Rose Herbs | Bulk organic herbs, spices & essential oils

Mountain Rose Herbs | Bulk organic herbs, spices & essential oils