Hippie Bait

Fig leaves and latex?!!

I was researching the benefits of fig leaf tea

~ supports blood sugar regulation, heart health and eases digestive upsets

I'm not surprised to see warnings for those on diabetes and/or blood thinning medications but

SO totally amazed to see a warning attached to harvesting and using fig leaves because they contain latex (which a lot of plants do and natural latex has excellent helpful properties) but those who are allergic or sensitive: BEWARE!

I have no idea how much is too much for those who are sensitive, it would depend on the person
. but huh, good to know.

Nature is amazing.

~~ Ripples

Didn't even consider it!

Well.

Lesson learned.

Excited about St John's wort and extracting it's goodness for our skin and bodies, I added wilted crushed St John's wort buds and blossoms to salts.

I should have dried the plant matter more first, the moisture dissolved some of the salts so this batch is a wasted mess I'll have to use myself instead of sharing.

The salt IS changing colour and has a lovely scent I didn't expect but..

Y'ah

I know for next time.
. and now you know too.

Hippie Ripples ~~

Letting all the crawlies escape before taking the St John's Wort inside to wilt.

I learned two things about St John's Wort today

1 - St John's Wort buds will leave a red dye if squeezed or damaged.

2 - This is 'hypericin' and has been used for targeting deep muscle ache, nerve pain and more.

So I'm getting ready to infuse some oils to extract this goodness.

Thank you, Kootenay Woman, for sharing your knowledge. (Facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565596346810)

First time I've actually harvested these.

Normally I'd get caught up in them while mowing the grass and trip, then swear at them and would miss berry time (or had mowed them away)

What I call 'ground berries' (and many different, impolite names) or 'fairy berries' (because they're so small)

This is actually 'rubus ursinus' or 'trailing blackberry' and is the native species of blackberry for Southern Coastal British Columbia.

(vs the 6 foot tall, aggressive, huge berried 'import', the Himalayan blackberry or 'rubus armeniacus')

Traditionally leaves were used for treating diarrhea, inflammation and menstrual issues.

Leaf tea supports immune functions and police, tinctures help in wound care with it's astringent, anti-inflamm properties, including eczema and psoriasis.

Blackberry leaf makes a great, caffeine free black tea substitute.

Apparently tasty too.

I'll need to try a cuppa.

All hail the mighty.. and the tiny 'blackberry'

In Ukrainian tradition, braided garlic is a symbol of prosperity and hospitality.
. and is/was a pretty way to hang them in your home to cure them too.

They'll be ready when the stocks are completely brown.

These were harvested early because our kitty figured them a great place to lay in the garden and flattened them.

Yummy and

Filled with antibiotic and anti inflammatory goodness.

Ukrainian rose blessings

~ Lisa

Have you ever smelled a chive blossom?

I just did for the first time.

What a subtle and divine scent.

Ingredients for "Ivory" soap:

sodium tallowate
sodium palmitate
sodium cocoate
sodium palm kernelate
sodium stearate
sodium hydroxide
glycerin
water
sodium chloride
fragrance
citric acid
tetrasodium EDTA
etidronic acid
titanium dioxide
colourants (if present)
trisodium phosphate
preservatives (e.g., Phenoxyethanol, DMDM Hydantoin)
viscosity modifiers (PEGs, Carbomers)
pH adjusters (Sodium Carbonate)
fatty acid residues (palmitic, stearic, oleic fractions)
processing residues (trace)

Basic home made soap ingredients:

fats or oils - usually animal or olive
water
lye (sodium hydroxide)

("Ivory" ingredient list source: https://cleanformulation.com/ingredients/ivory-soap-ingredients)

Last night:

"Yay! Done the tallow!"

Today:

"Dang it."

Can you 'spot' the difference?

Rendering fats consists of cooking the fat down with some water (so it doesn't burn and help clean and makes gelatin so DON'T THROW THAT FIRST STEP LIQUID AWAY!)

Then straining the settled fat from the bath.

Repeat twice (or three times depending on the fat)

I neglected to bathe a batch twice and you can see the impurities.

Apparently salted water helps pull the impurities out soooo..

Not done the tallow.

*redirties the pot, strainer, spoons.

Lesson learned.

I've been learning how to make soap.

And my awwwwesome husbandguy got me grass fed, no antibiotics, ground beef fat to render into tallow.

I love the final products - the super tender ground beef, the tallow, the gelatin.

And I need to remind myself of this as I go through the 'ew ew ew' of the process.. particularly the gelatin. (I'm not a fan)

Not sure what to do with the gelatin

Any suggestions?