Herbal Hug

If you were a w**d, who would you be?

I made lozenges again today. This time I added Creamed Blackberry honey from Gatherer Foragerer.

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The lozenges are delicious.
I noticed that after I washed the mixture off my hands my skin felt silky and smooth.
I’d like to think it has the same effect on the mucosa of the GIT so it could bring relief from burning conditions such as reflux.
It would probably also be a great face mask.

I find this tea blend so smooth and easy to drink - Burdock root, Marshmallow root and Rosehip.
It’s one of the blends that I regularly find myself picking up the mug not realising I’ve finished it and think ‘it’s all gone, already’!
Burdock is currently my favourite liver herb. I drink this blend for lots of benefits including helping the liver with hormonal overload.
In addition to its liver support, Burdock root also contains inulin which feeds the good gut bacteria.
I have a dry constitution and Marshmallow root moistens from the inside out.
Rosehip rounds the blend out nicely with antioxidant support and flavour.

I had a cold this week. The tea blend I drank was:
Mullein - because my lungs weren’t happy
Chamomile - for settling and digestion
Catnip - calming the upset of being unwell
Linden - because I always include a moistening herb and Linden’s heart healing benefits were needed
Plantain - another moistening herb, this time for gut healing.

I was pleasantly surprised by how good this blend tasted. I made it several days in a row.

I addition I had my Mullein elixir (from Gatherer Forager) and my homemade lozenges.

The Wattle is starting to bloom

This burst of colour caught my eye on a gloomy Winter’s day. I Googled and I think it is Pycnoporus coccineus.

Other than when I buy them fresh from the grocery store, my preferred way to work with mushrooms is in powder form.

I buy them from Ninth Path, an Australian company. I really like their mushroom powders. I put them in tea blends, soup and casserole.

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Perhaps I’m getting swept up in the World Cup fever but today’s herbal tea blend is based on the idea that each herb in the blend contributes to the overall goal.

In this case, the goal is the calming of the vagus nerve specifically in the shoulder, neck, head region and reducing inflammation in that area.

This blend/ team started with Chamomile (Matricaria recutita). It is supported by:
Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus) to move in the direction of the head;
Ginger powder (Zingiber officinale) for warmth and movement;
Reishi powder (Ganoderma spp);for immune modulation; and
Marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis) for protecting inflamed tissues.

Winter Solstice tea

Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
Elder Flower (Sambucus nigra)
Golden Rod (Solidago canadensis)
Ginger (fresh)
St John wort (Hypericum perforatum)

This tea blend is in honour of the Winter Solstice and a celebration of the darkest, shortest day, or at least celebrating that we’ve reached this point.
The light will come back slowly and the days will gradually get longer.

I made herbal lozenges. The consistency is more like a pastille. Either way, 4 ingredients and it is on hand if needed. Made from honey, Marshmallow root powder (Althaea officinalis), Calendula tincture (Calendula officinalis) and Yarrow tincture (Achillea millefolium).

Rosemary flower and the bee

Rosemary features in many of my herbal tea blends. It grows really well in my part of the world. It flowers for months which is great because the bees love the flowers. I took lots of pictures. This is one of my favourites. The bee and the Rosemary flower. They are a perfect fit.