Drink yourself beautiful....

I am not talking about the "Drink a few beers and turn down the lights" type of beauty remedy...today :). No sister, I am talking about the fabulous, inexpensive, Wild Woman way. Have you ever noticed how Wild Women are always radiant? They shine, even at a very wise age. I will bet some big $$'s that is not a chemical peel, botox, or expensive cream that keeps them looking that way.

Meet Nettles, Clover, Oatstraw & their sisters.

Now is the perfect time to get into an infusion routine. Infusions make excellent cool summer drinks. Not only will your skin & hair thank you, your beautiful organs will SING with joy. Okay, I am getting a bit carried away, but seriously, herbal infusions flush toxins out of your body, rejuvenating your cells. Stay consistant for 6 weeks, and you will notice a change, inside & out. It is not as quick as drinking beer and turning off the lights, but you will feel much better, Goddess :).

I am a creature of convenience, and as always, I will share my simple way to make it happen.

Before you go to bed, boil water, but a few fat pinches (or about 1/4 cup) of herbs in a quart size mason jar, cover with water, close, and let stand overnight. The next morning, strain into another mason jar, screw closed, start sipping, or put some ice in if you like it cold. If you finish that mason jar, you will look & feel even MORE fabulous after just a few days. BTW, if you have a teenager, this is the BEST way to avoid acne. My 14 yr old always goes for the Nettles....Just make half gallon jars, and double the herbs. The measurements are only a guide, adjust to taste. I actually make my infusions really strong, since we all LOVE the taste...no sweeteners added, not even the kids.

Here are some of my favorite herbs to infuse:
`Nettles (good for everything woman)
`Nettles, Oatstraw & Horsetail (Minerals galore, and great for the nerves. Horsetails does wonders for hair & nails)
`Health Tea, makes the most excellent ice tea:Strawberry leaf, Red clover, Fennel, Damiana, Sweet Woodruff

I get all my herbs at Mountain Rose Herbs if I don't grow them in my yard. Check out the big bags, it is well worth the extra $$'s. I will also be offering the mixes via mail for a small donation if you don't want to make them yourself. Just message me :). My tip: make any mixes in batches, so that all you have to do is scoop them out.

Happy Beauty Brewing!
Much love,
Heike

Ewww :(

I thought I had posted the recipe for the strawberry/mint jam I made a few weeks ago.

I was gifted a box of strawberries at the fruit stand at the end of the day, and they needed to be eaten pretty much immediately. So we ate a bunch, and I decided to jam the rest. I found a recipe for the strawberry/mint jam, and did it.

It said to let it set at least for 3 weeks so the mint could mingle.

Sure glad I did not give any of it away!

It was gross. That is all there is to it. The recipe called for "mashing" the berries, and quite frankly, I won't ever do that again. We like our jam with chunks of identifiable fruit.

I came here to link to the recipe and write "DON"t DO IT!", but alas, it has vanished.

With that said, I bought a beautiful flat of fat, sweet berries today, and made a new batch of jam. I added some lavender to two of the jars, can't wait to see how it tastes. We still have a few weeks of good berries, and I am ready to stock up for the winter :).

Thinking of strawberry/rhubarb for my next experiment.......