Herb Classes in Dallas!

Herb Classes in Dallas!
 Hey there DFW folks. I'd like to announce my summer herbal classes for 2014.
Herbal Medicine Series

7 June It's only Natural! Herbalism 101

14 June Herbal First aid for Life's hard knocks

21 June Achoo! Herbs for Colds ad minor illness

28 June What do Women Want? Herbs for Women

5 July Making Herbal Medicines $40

12 The Beauty of Nature, Skincare and Herbs

19 July Booze you can Use: Elixirs, cordials and other Spirited delights -suggested donation $ 25

all classes $35 12-2pm

location in East Dallas, exact location will be given upon pmnt

 These classes will be a fun, engaging introduction to the world of herbal medicine and health in the Wise Woman Tradition. Come on out and you too could have your very own stash of stuff in jars!

My latest creations are sitting in jars now, waiting to be decanted and enjoyed by my family and friends. I've made both tinctures and oils. My tinctures use dried plants of Yarrow and Damiana leaf and Milk Thistle Seed Powder. I usually don't like to buy pre powered herbs but I don't have a grinder powerful enough to grind milk thistle seeds and I've tried to make tincture from whole milk thistle and have been less than impressed with the results. I like the pre ground herb tincture better. Anyway, here is a pix of today's(yesterday's) creations. These things will be shown at my classes in June.

 Here are some oils I made, fresh rose petal oil and dried burdock root oil

and here is a photo of a failure. I tried to make dandelion root vinegar out of dried roots and I used too much root and it swelled up and sucked up most of the vinegar. I usually use about 1/3 jar of dried roots when I make vinegar and this time I may have used too much. Also it is hard to judge just how much the roots will swell in the vinegar. Oh well. Lesson learned here, I'll make another batch and squeeze this batch into it. No real harm done.

Roses Supposes.

This is my Rosie goodness harvested from the rose bush on the side of my house. We have rose vinegar, rose glycerite, rose tincture, rose honey and rose witch  hazel.

I can hardly wait the 6 weeks needed for this all to steep.

Stevia tincture. I think.

Here is hopefully a decent stevia tincture made from dried stevia.

I've filled the jar about 1/4 full with dried Stevia then covered that with 50% alcohol and water( 100 Proof). I'm going to let this sit for 6 weeks. I tried it today and I do have a sweetness in the liquid but also some grassy bitterness. This may go away in time or it may get grassier. We shall see.

Nettles!

Nettles! The essence of Spring. Rich , deeply nourishing and very defensive, Nettle emerges as the earth wakes from her winter nap and Screams "I'm Alive! Pay attention!" One of my favorite meals is a simple nettle soup made by tossing several fist-fulls of fresh nettle and 2-3 whole garlic cloves into a pot of boiling water, simmering the lot until tender then blending the everloving hell out of it. Eating this is like eating green sunshine after a month of cloudy days. Picking fresh nettle is also a deeply sensuous experience. You may not like it but I enjoy the occasional sting from Nettles. If I get careless as I pick her she lets me know she is noticing by a flick of formic acid on my skin. This sting reminds me to be mindful of what I am harvesting. The sting is not really so bad if you don't get too many at once. I even like the way the zap increases in intensity as the sun sets.
 Nettles is a rich source of protein, minerals and vitamins. I've used nettle as a foundation for helping me increase my iron reserves when they were low. Whenever I feel depleted, I turn to Nettle to nourish me to my core. Others turn to Nettles to help them deal with kidney stress they may be experiencing or allergic symptoms causing them difficulties. Nettles is strong enough to fortify my body while being gentle enough to drink or eat freely.
 Sadly, Nettle does not grow near me, I've invited her in several times but alas, my place is to hot and dry for her to be comfortable. I buy dried Nettle leaf from here:Pacific Botanicals . I make infusions from the dried plant. Infusions are super strong water extracts. This is no whimpy tea or colored water, this is deep nourishment. I put 1oz of nettle in a QT jar and cover with boiling water and let sit for 4-8 hours( overnight) then I strain the brew through a strainer and a muslin cloth. I use a cloth because the teeny tiny bits of plant that settle on the bottom of the pitcher get on my nerves when I swallow them. Some may not be bothered by them but they bug me. I drink my Nettle cold, either from the fridge or over ice. Once in a blue moon I'll drink it warm. When it's warm, it reminds me of soup.
 Notice all the plant material in this infusion.  Yummy nettle infusion.