Hawthorn Berry Herbal Tincture

Do you have a Hawthorn Berry Tree?  If you do you have one of the if not the best herbal heart remedies.  Hawthorn Berry or Haw Berry is known for its heart and circulatory system rejuvinators.  It increases coronary blood flow and decreases blood pressure.  It is also an antioxidant and I have heard that it is also good for diabetics. So don't curse those long spiky thorns but praise its beautiful fruit.  The fruit is small and has several hard seeds, so if you eat them straight off the tree be careful don't bite too hard.  The fruit  has a very mild sweet flavor.

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Picking the Berries

 First you will want to attract some good help, the best way to do that is stand on a ladder with a floppy hat singing while you pick the berries...pop a berry in your mouth every now and then for good measure.  Soon you will attract a smallish person in a watermelon dress. Keep making joyful noises you don't want to scare the little helper off.  Soon they will ask what you are doing and can they eat one...at this point you've got them ...invite them to pick one or two. 

Before you know it you are sitting on the grass sipping tea while the smallish person cant believe her luck...to be on the ladder getting the best berries while donning a pair of sun glasses...Life is good!
Once the bag is full...you'll have to finish the job...because big brother attracted her away by climbing the cedar and shouting "Neat-O"
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Prepping The Berries

Really, this is very easy.  Just find a nice shady spot and take your tea.  The berries have tiny stems and you don't want to have to pick each little stems off.  So get a hand-full and roll them gently in your palms.  The twigs will come off and lay in the bottom of you hand then you can gently roll the berries off of your hand and into the bowl.  Lots of giggling and turning it into a game will attract the little person again.

Before you know it the bowl is full and the little person is playing with the berries.

 Great Job!  What a big helper I have and so cute and sweet too.

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Making the Tincture

Easier still is making the tincture.  After you have washed the berries toss them in a blender or food processor until they are slightly crushed. 

Place the crushed berries (seeds and all) into jars with tight fitting lids, leaving 1-2 inches head space.  I use canning jars with canning lids and rings. 

Top off jar with 80 - 100 proof vodka, gin or brandy.  Make sure the berries are submersed. (For those of you who prefer not to use alcohol you can use vegetable glycerin or apple cider vinegar.  It wont make as strong tincture but it will work.)  Place the jar in a warm location and let it macerate (soak) for four to six weeks the longer the better. Shake your jars daily during the maceration period. As you can see these are very eye catching and the colors are just right for fall.  So I let them steep on the counter and decorate the kitchen all at the same time.
Once they have soaked for a long time strain the berries using a stainless-steel strainer, reserve the liquid and compost the berries.  Store out of the reach of children in a cool, dark location.  The tincture will keep indefinitely.

Natural Flu Shot

WELL BEING REMEDIES FOR THE FORREST FAMILY

I once got a flu shot...and I got the flu three days later...was in bed for a week.  NEVER AGAIN!  And Never for my children.  So how do I arm myself and my family...besides utter seclusion?  Garlic and Nettle along with a variety of other things.

First we take a multiple broad spectrum vitamin...they are packed with flu fighting elements.  We also take extra zinc.  Then I make my Ice Tea.

Forrest Well Being Tea

1 Gallon Water
3 T black teak (or equivalent tea)
1 T Nettle
1/4 Cup Agave Nectar
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
4 T Lemon

I make my tea in a coffee pot.  Adding tea and herb.   And once brewed I add the agave, Maple syrup and Lemon.
The Agave Nectar is for sweetness you can adjust it to suit your family.  And you can adjust the honey and lemon as well.

Black Tea is well know for its properties and a free-radical fighter.
Nettle  Is a superior herb, it is a vitamin factory, an all around well being herb that is excellent for allergies and hay fever. 
Lemon balances the body,  it alters the acidic system into an alkaline system especially when it is combined with maple syrup.


OK Moving onto Salad Dressing

Braggs has a wonderful salad dressing on the side of their Apple Cider Vinegar bottle.  But I add a little more and a better garlic ingredient.

1/2 cup braggs apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup good olive oil
1 t bragg liquid amino's
2 t honey
2 t Agave nectar (for taste)
2 t Kyolic aged garlic extract
1t spike
2 t kelp

Add this to your favorite tossed salad.  There are various greens, veggies and fruit that will add to you and your family's well being that you can turn into a salad, I like to put my kids in charge of this.  They get to choose what go's in and then make it. 
And I do believe most of you know about the goodness of garlic, vinegar, amino's and kelp. 

Also, if you see someone getting ill don't wait!  Give them a glass of tea, peal a piece of garlic and rub it on the feet.  Yes you heard me right.  Garlic is excellent for knocking things out of the system.  The feet can absorb something in less than five minutes!  So you may want to be careful what go's on those tootsies.

Homemade Bay Rum Aftershave and Astringent

This is absolutely Divine and its just not for men.  This aromatic tonic will tighten the pours and reduce acne.  This is great for someone with an oily complexion.  I have rosacea and have to be very careful about what I put on my face. This astringent didn't redden or irritate my delicate skin.  My son even commented that it looked less red.  Alex uses it as well, he is starting the pre-teen body changes. And having him help prepare his own skin care makes him proud to take care of his body.

 
Recipe

ALLOT of bay leaves (I got a big bag enough for three for          $.88 at my farmers market.)
1 T Allspice ground or grated (More if you like)
1 T Whole Cloves
1 T Ginger grated
Rum (I used Captain Morgans Spiced Rum)


Pack a quart canning jar with bay leaves living about an inch space at the top. 
Add the spices you can change it up hear using more of your favorites.
Fill Jar with Rum a fifth is too small you will have to use a larger bottle. 
Cover tightly and let sit for 4 weeks, shaking your jar every now and then for good measure.

Strain out the herbs and rebottle.  If it doesn't smell like bay enough you can add one or two drops of bay essential oil.  It seems to do better if you can get fresh bay leaves but as you can see I used dry, and it still smelled good enough to eat.

This would make a great gift.  Fill a basket with handmade washcloths and homemade bath salts with a jar of this...it would be just delicious.