Elderberry Harvesting for Cold Relief & Skin Care

My frosty elderberries.

Today I took my daughters to an amazing organic elderberry farm, located in Fenton, a quaint little town just north of us here in Southeast Michigan (and home to one of my fave restaurants, The French Laundry). There are no other elderberry farms that I know of around these parts, so I was excited to find out about this one my herby friend, Gina.

The farm is owned by, Loren, a very kind man who I really enjoyed talking with during our time there. We had a magical experience harvesting the beautiful and abundant dark purple-black berries aside a sparkling pond, on what ended up to be one of the most gorgeous days we've had this August.

We left the farm with four baskets brimming with berries, which I placed in the freezer right away for later use, since I wanted them to stay as fresh as possible. I plan to use them to make cold relief remedies, such as elderberry syrup and tincture, but I'm also planning to experiment with making elderberry salve (for cuts and abrasions) and a tinted lip balm (the elderberry juice is such a beautiful berry tint!).

If you live in the local area and would like to visit the farm, you can find out the details HERE on Local Harvest or by calling Loren at 810-922-8949. For more information about using the magical and giving elderberry, check out Elderberries.com.

Have you used elderberry before? If so, how do you like to use it?

Seeds from Seeds & A Seed Scrub

I can feel that the garden is starting to wind down. It seems like the frenzy of harvest just started and now it is quietly, beautifully slowing with the rhythm of nature.

Over these next few weeks I will dry the last batches of plants to use over the winter, a process that has kept us in joy (and a noisy dehydrator) for several sunny weeks. With many plants at their bountiful peak, I'm beginning the process of gathering fresh plant material for preservation in formats that lend themselves to skin and body care (herbal oils, honeys and the like).

I noticed this past week, the first seeds setting. First the calendula (a most alien-like seed), then the flax.

I know absolutely nothing about growing flax. I do know how good flax is for your skin when taken internally as seeds or oil supplements. The omegas in flax are an awesome anti-inflammatory that can help to treat any inflammatory skin condition (acne, eczema, aging, etc.). They rock in a smoothie!

Externally, they make a great facial scrub:

Flax Seed Facial Scrub

1t ground flax seeds
Honey

Mix enough honey with the flax seeds to make a paste. Massage in gentle, circular motions on damp, cleansed skin. Rinse with warm water and apply your favorite toner and moisturizer.

Lonely, shady flax.

I just thought it would be cool to try, so I grew one lonely plant. Despite placing it underneath the site of an enormous rogue morning glory that returns each year. Despite the eternal shade, it actually grew and the delicate blue flowers have turned into these tiny seed pods with tiny flax seeds inside.

I proudly showed them off to a friend visiting for lunch this week and he asked, a little confused, "You grew seeds from, er, seeds?"

Yup!

I figure at the rate I am picking pods and taking out the seeds, I will have a teaspoonful by Christmas!Does anyone know an easy way to harvest these things?

August Mask of the Month: Supermelon - A Trilogy

It’s a tonic! It’s a toner! It’s a mask! It’s SUPERMELON!

The August Mask of the Month is a three part treatment dedicated to the gorgeous and tasty watermelon!

Watermelon is probably the most famous and loved of summertime fruits, but it is also very beneficial to skin and body. As the name implies, the melon is a great source of water to help hydrate your body and skin. It is also full of lycopene (like July’s Mask of the Month) an antioxidant that helps to fight off the free radicals that cause aging. Applied topically, it hydrates, refreshes and cools inflammation in any type of skin, leaving a telltale glow. It can even mildly exfoliate and alleviate breakouts due to the fruit acids. 

The cucumber in this mask works similarly to the watermelon with a cooling and hydrating effect. It also contains silica, which supports collagen growth in the body. The mint adds an additional cooling element and the parsley is toning and helps to lighten pigmentation and redness.

All of these ingredients, when taken internally, are also gently detoxifying for the body and skin.

Supermelon – A Trilogy

¼ small watermelon (chilled)

2 inch chunk of cucumber (chilled and peeled)

1 small handful fresh mint

1 small handful fresh parsley

Small amount of kaolin clay (or any other clay you have on hand)

Blend all ingredients well in a blender or food processor.  Then here is the fun part…

For the tonic drink:

Pour the mixture directly into your favorite glass. Top with a sprig of mint and enjoy! You will get all of the internal benefits and the fiber from the watermelon and cucumber.

For the toner:

Strain the remaining mixture through a fine mesh sieve. Pour the liquid into a glass jar or spray bottle.

Use this as a cooling, refreshing facial toner throughout the day. Use the toner within a day or so. You can also drink whatever you don't use.

For the mask:

  With the thicker portion leftover in the sieve, take 1 Tablespoon and mix it with a small amount of kaolin (or other) clay to make a mask-like consistency. Apply to freshly cleansed skin for 15 minutes, rinse with warm water and apply the melon toner, followed by your favorite moisturizer.

You can compost any remaining mixture.

For another skin-hydrating watermelon recipe, check out my Watermelon Gazpacho post.

Do you have any favorite watermelon recipes?

Baby Belly Body Butter For Strech Marks and Scars

My husband's sister is expecting and I am going to be an aunt for the 9th time this January! Woohoo! Time to whip up some baby belly butter to help ward off stretch marks!

The shea and avocado butters in this belly rub are very emollient, which keeps the skin moisturized and resilient as it stretches to accommodate a bun in the oven. Rosehip seed oil is one of the best oils available for assisting skin in cell regeneration and boosting collagen production, which can keep stretch marks from appearing and even help to diminish old stretch marks and scars with regular use over time. It has helped make my c-section scar diminish significantly.

Lavender oil is a nurturing oil that offers a gentle, calming aromatherapy experience during this most magical time. It also helps to alleviate the itching that comes with skin expanding into a baby bump. Frankincense oil promotes cellular rejuvenation and is the best oil ever for stretch marks and scars. Both of these oils are safe to use during pregnancy.

This butter can be used throughout pregnancy, post-partum to support skin as it moves back into its pre-baby state, as well as on cracked nipples from nursing. It is also gentle enough to use on little one's skin as a moisturizer. You can use it all over the body, year round, as a dry skin rejuvenating treatment.

And it just smells darn good.

Baby Belly Body Butter

8 oz shea butter (refined)
1 oz avocado butter
1T rosehip seed oil
4T neroli distillate
50 drops lavender essential oil
5-10 drops frankincense essential oil

1. Place shea and avocado butters in a large glass bowl. These ingredients should be measured by weight. I weigh the bowl first on a postal scale (a handy gadget to have if you make your own body products frequently). I then add the butters separately until the scale reads the correct amount (you will have 8.5oz of butter total). You could also use a kitchen scale for this.
2. Add the rosehip seed oil.
3. Melt and stir the mixture slowly on low in a pan full of water on the stove until it just begins to get soft.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Quickly add the essential oils and the neroli distillate.
6. Beat with a whisk by hand until the mixture is light and fluffy (it will be almost like whipped cream). You could use a hand mixer for this, also, but I find using a whisk instills more personal energy into the end product :)
7. Transfer butter with a spatula to clean, glass jars or tins. You will have enough to fill two 4oz tins and little left over for emergencies.

This butter is shelf stable for up to 6 months, but it helps to keep extra quantities in the fridge to keep it fresh. You can purchase all of the ingredients for this butter at one of my favorite suppliers, Essential Wholesale.

Do you have any treatments of your own for stretch marks or scars?

Dr. Bronner's Lake Michigan Foot Scrub

This past weekend we took our daughters on their first backwoods hiking/camping trip at Nordhouse Dunes on the western shore of Michigan, right on Lake Michigan. It is an otherworldly area of Michigan with tall, rolling sand dunes that always remind me of a scene out of Star Wars.

My husband and I used to camp here every summer BK (before kids). This was our first visit back since our daughters were born and it is just as beautiful as ever. We had a magical weekend, complete with sun, a secluded, wooded spot just steps from the sandy beach and a visit from a bald eagle that flew right overhead, close enough for us to hear its majestic wings flapping.

When I was out at the lake scrubbing our camp dishes clean with a mix of our trusty Peppermint Doctor Bronner's Castille Soap mixed with beach sand, I said a prayer of thanks for all of Dr. B's many uses. Shampoo, body wash, deodorant and toothpaste, to name a few. He's always been there for us in our many outdoor adventures, keeping our packs lighter with his multitasking goodness. Then I had an idea...

How would this soap/sand mix work on my worn out, funky hiking feet?

So I mixed a bit together and scrubbed my feet like crazy, followed by a rinse in the cool Lake Michigan water. The result? Smooth, clean, cool, tingly, happy feet!

Do you use Dr. Bronner's soap (or other castille soap)? What is your favorite way to use it?

Tiger Lily

One of my favorite plants in our yard has bloomed! These tiger lilies bloom nearly five feet tall in a patch off our back porch near a tangle of orange trumpet vines.

When we first moved into our house in early April 2001, I thought these were weeds and I pulled and pulled and pulled them, only to have them grow back threefold! I'm so glad they did!

Whenever they bloom I think of the character, Tiger Lily, from Peter Pan. "Peter Pan is the sun and the moon and the stars!" :)