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Healthy Herbal Treats
Herbs have a charm all of their own their smells, names, and flavours all remind us of the good old days. They are the source of our earliest medicines as well as being our earliest food enhances
Angelica Mouth rinse
For best effect use twice daily, and after meals
Pour 2-½ cups (625ml) boiling water over 3 table spoons Angelica seeds. Leave to infuse until cold strain into screw top bottle. For extra strength try adding peppermint, or lemon verbena. A little orris root will scent the breath of violates
Barley Water
A cooling drink for fever
1 cup of pearl barley
2lt of water
Lemon juice
Simmer barley and water for 20min, strain and add lemon juice to taste
Or if preferred use blackcurrant or orange juice. Use pure juice rather than juice which has had added sugar
Caraway Comfits
Sweeten and freshen the breath also aids digestion
Make a paste of icing sugar with lemon juice. Dip caraway seeds into an egg white then roll them in the paste. Spread them on greaseproof paper. Leave in a cool place to harden
Digestive tonic
20 green cardamom seeds crushed
1-teaspoon fennel seeds crushed
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
Zest of ½ lemon
Zest of ½ orange
5cm (2in) piece cinnamon
250ml (8foz) vodka or other spirit
Steep all in the alcohol for two weeks, shaking occasionally. Strain and rebottle
To use—take 1-2 teaspoons in a little water before meals or when needed to settle stomach
This keeps for over a year
Eyebright and Marigold Eyebath
15g dried eyebright
10g dried pot marigold
500ml / 18foz water
Put water and herbs into saucepan and simmer for 10min. Strain and allow to cool store in a sterilised bottle
To use pour a little into an eyebath and bath the eye. Sterilise glass and repeat with other eye. Helps in cases of Conjunctivitis
Fennel and lemon balm tea
10g dried fennel seed
15g dried lemon balm
3g cinnamon bark
500ml water
To calm the stomach from nervous stress
Put herbs into teapot add boiling water, and leave to infuse for 10min. Strain into covered jar store in a cool place. Take wineglass dose as required
Ginger
Ginger in all its forms is good for nausea but some people cannot take it unless disguised. Capsules are the easiest way of doing this
50g powdered ginger
Size 00 gelatin capsules
Put powdered ginger into saucer; pull one half of the capsule through ginger to fill seal with other half. Take two capsules every 3-4 hours while symptoms last
Horsetail infusion
To strengthen brittle finger nails
Pour 2 ½ cups of water over 6 tablespoons dried horsetail stems leave for 5-6 hours. Put on heat and bring to boil, simmer for 30 min remove from heat and let cool for another 30 min. Strain into air tight container i.e. screw topped bottle. Every other day soak nails in warm sunflower oil for 10-15 min, and then in a little horsetail infusion for 15min
Ideal Ginger beer
28g - 1oz chopped gingerroot or 1tablespoon ground ginger
450g - 1lb sugar
1 sliced lemon
14g - ½ oz fresh yeast
1 slice toast
4-½ lt. - 8pt boiling water
To stimulate digestion
Put ginger, lemon and sugar into adequate container pour water over stirring until sugar has melted. When liquid is tepid spread yeast onto toast and add. Leave for 12 hours in a warm place strain and bottle leave for one week