Marshmallow has many medicinal uses, although that’s another post for another time! But I stumbled across this recipe from like the 19th century and was excited to find it, and wanted to share. ‘Cause I love stuff like this.

Hopefully my plants will thrive where they are, and I’ll get to experiment with them one day!

Original Marshmallows From Marshmallow Root

• 4 tablespoons marshmallow roots
• 28 tablespoons refined sugar
• 20 tablespoons gum tragacanth (or gum arabic- a natural product which can be bought online)
• 2 cups water (Water of orange flowers for aroma or instead of plain water)
• 1 -2 egg white, well beaten

It occurred to me last night that witch hazel is one of those things that is really useful to have in the medicine cabinet, and I wondered to myself if it’s something that one could make at home.

So I went digging.

Online. Not outside.

And I was very excited to find out that it IS something that we can make ourselves, provided we have a witch hazel shrub.

“Witch hazel is an astringent produced from the leaves and bark of the North American Witch-hazel shrub (Hamamelis virginiana)…”

“Native Americans produced witch hazel extract by boiling the stems of the shrub and condensing the steam to produce a distillate. They used the distillate to treat sore muscles, cuts, insect bites, and other inflammations and tumors. Early Puritan settlers in New England adopted this remedy from the natives, and its use became widely established in the United States.^“

Wikipedia

I love that!! So, I went looking for exactly how to make my own extract. Here are two recipes I came across for witch hazel astringent:

• Prune one pound of fresh twigs from shrubs as soon as they have flowered. This practice produces the strongest tonic.
• Strip off the leaves and flowers (save these for sachets) and chop the twigs into a coarse mulch using either a mechanical mulcher or pruning clippers.
• Place the chopped twigs into a two-gallon stainless steel pot.
• Cover the twigs with distilled water (available at the supermarket) and bring the contents to a boil.
• Reduce heat to simmer, then cover and cook for at least eight hours; add water as needed to cover the mulch.
• Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature.
• Pour the witch hazel tonic through a funnel containing a cheesecloth filter and into clean plastic squeeze bottles or other suitable, tightly-capped containers.
• Use the tonic within a week unless it is kept refrigerated. You can preserve your tonic for long-term room temperature storage by adding nine ounces of vodka or grain alcohol to 23 ounces of tonic. Yield: one gallon.

Warning: Do NOT use internally! Keep out of the reach of children.

Thanks, Handmaiden’s Kitchen!

As a topical astringent, witch hazel can be applied directly to burns, bruises, insect bites, and aching muscles. It can also be used to clean oily skin, remove make-up, or mixed with water for a relaxing footbath. This must be stored in the refrigerator, where it will keep for three weeks Usually a tea will only last a day or two, but this one will remain stable longer, possible because of the astringency.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon witch hazel bark
1 cup distilled water

Equipment
1 quart saucepan
Strainer
Glass storage jar

Procedure
Soak witch hazel bark in water for ½ hour, and then bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, covered, for 10-minutes. Remove from heat, let steep for another 10-minutes. Strain when cool and bottle. Apply with a cotton ball.

Bellaonline.com

I’m dying to scour our woods in hopes of finding this brilliant plant. Supposedly it grows wild throughout northeast and southeast North America, and particularly well in the Appalachian Mountains.

A great way to spot a witch hazel plant in your area is to search shaded forests in late October or early November for the only plant that is blossoming instead of dropping its leaves for the winter. Witch hazel can be found as either a large shrub, or a tree, and displays beautiful yellow flowers throughout the cold winter months.

But even if I can’t find any wild, I’m excited to now know that I can plant my own Witch Hazel bushes here around the home! I have the perfect spot too, a shady place on the north side of the house.

If you’re interested in putting some of these plants in as well, you can order them online for around $14 each. They’re hardy in zones 5-8, and do well in part sun, to full shade.

Check out this map to see if it might be growing in your neck of the woods!

Witch Hazel is used for so many things: bug bites, sunburns, cuts, after shave, facial astringent, a soothing compress for perinatal tears.

It makes a beautiful, multi-purpose ornamental shrub, and has many medicinal and cosmetic uses. I’m so glad I looked this up! Definitely another plant to put on my “to get” list.

Last year, I started a few lemon balm plants from seed. Boy, have they come back like crazy this year! These plants are gorgeous! And I just love to rub the leaves between my fingers and smell them. Yummy.

But now that I have this beautiful plant gracing my flowerbed with its citrus-y fragrance, what do I do with it?

Here are a few ways I’ve found to use lemon balm…

Roasted Lemon Balm Chicken

Handful of fresh lemon balm leaves, stems removed
1/4 cup or so of fresh sage leaves
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 large roasting chicken
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat oven to 400°. Trim herb leaves from stems; wash and pat dry. Set sprigs aside. Chop two-thirds of the leaves, and combine with the butter, salt, and pepper. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Loosen the skin in several places and insert the herb butter underneath. Rub chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Insert the remaining herb sprigs into the cavity of the chicken. Place breast-side-down in a roasting pan. Bake 30 minutes, then turn chicken over. Bake about 20 minutes longer.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Lemon Lover’s Tea

1/4 cup dried lemon balm leaves
2 tablespoons dried lemon thyme leaves
1/4 cup dried lemon verbena leaves
1/4 cup dried lemon geranium leaves
2 tablespoons dried lemon grass leaves
1 tablespoon dried lavender blossoms

Mix all together and use a tsp. or so per cup of boiling water. If you are missing any of the lemon herbs, just use more of the ones you do have.

Lemon Mint Sun Tea

1/2 cup mint
1/2 cup lemon balm
1/2 cup chamomile flowers
3 black tea bags

Place in a gallon container and add cold water to fill the jar. Set in the sun for several hours. Strain our tea and herbs. Pour over ice and refrigerate the leftovers. Sweeten with honey or sugar if desired.

Rose and Herb Tea

1/2 cup dried red rose petals (make sure no sprays were used)
2 tablespoons dried lemon balm
1 tablespoon dried rosemary

Mix well. Use 1 teaspoon for each cup and pour boiling water over the herbs, then strain after 5 minutes or so. Sweeten as desired.

Lemon Balm Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons light olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
6-8 leaves lemon balm
Fresh black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons wine vinegar

Stack the lemon balm leaves together and roll, then with a very sharp knife cut thin strips, and then chop finely. Combine with the other ingredients and serve with steamed vegetables or mixed salad greens.

Lemon Orange Cheese Spread

2 ounces unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
2 Tbsp. orange marmalade
1 tsp. orange zest
1 Tbsp. fresh orange juice
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh lemon balm

Blend the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Mix in the other ingredients. Chill overnight and serve at room temperature.

Lemon Herb Butter

2 tablespoons lemon balm, chopped fine
2 tablespoons thyme, chopped fine
1 cup butter, softened

Cream butter and stir in herbs. Chill for at least 3 hours to allow flavors to blend. Use with seafood or vegetables.

Thanks to Old Fashioned Living for sharing these recipes.

There are also a TON of other recipes on this forum. My favorite is the Lemon Balm Jelly and the Lemon Balm Tea Cake. Yum!

I’ll definitely be trying this Old Fashioned Lemon Balm Lemonade!

Ingredients:

4 lemons
1/2 cup fresh lemon balm leaves
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup boiling water
2 1/2 cups water
ice (optional)
2 -3 fresh sprigs lemon balm, to decorate

Scrub the lemons well. Peel the rind thinly, avoiding the white pithe, and set aside the lemons.

Place the lemon rind, lemon balm leaves, and the sugar into a small heat-proof pitcher.

Pour the boiling water into the pitcher and stir well, crushing the lemon balm leaves to release their flavor.

Leave mixture to infuse for about 15 minutes.

Now, cut the lemons in half and squeeze out the juice. Strain juice into a large glass pitcher, add a few fresh sprigs of lemon balm, and add the cooled, strained syrup.

Top up with water or half-water half-ice, and chill until needed.

(Recipe and photo from Food.com)

How about sampling some Lemon Balm Ice Cream! Or try making Lemon Balm Pesto. So many recipes out there to try!

Lemon Balm also has medicinal uses as well!

Kimberly over at Learning Herbs has this to say about her experience with the plant:

Lemon Balm is relaxing and soothing for the nerves!

Not only that, it’s a great general tonic.

Being a mild, nutritive herb it’s great to use every day. While it calms anxiety it also acts to restore depleted energy and revitalize us. Lemon Balm can also act as a decongestant and antihistamine, helping with even chronic problems like asthma or allergies.

…it has an old reputation for enhancing understanding and memory.

Lemon Balm is also an anti-viral herb…

Sara at Superb Herbs had these interesting uses to share:

Lemon balm has many uses. As a cosmetic, it makes a good skin cleanser. Dry leaves are used in potpourri. It is reputed to repel insects and can be blended with other insect repelling herbs such as lavender, lemongrass, and rue. Rub down the kitchen table with the herbs to keep bugs from food and throw some in the campfire or barbeque pit to keep bugs away. Beekeepers have rubbed it on the inside of the hives to encourage a new swarm to stay.

Lemon balm makes both delicious beverage and medicinal teas. It is also nice added to black tea. Fresh leaves can be chopped and added to green salads, fruits salads, marinated vegetables, poultry stuffing, and fish marinades and sauces. It goes well with broccoli, asparagus, lamb, fish, and shellfish. Combine it with other lemon herbs such as lemon thyme, lemon basil, and lemon verbena and add to vinegar. It is one of the ingredients in Benedictine and Chartreuse liqueurs.

Medicinally lemon balm is used in tea for fevers, to help digestion, and for tension headache. The essential oil is used in aromatherapy for depression, melancholy, and nervous tension. Externally in salve, it has been effective in relieving symptoms of herpes simplex, sores, and painful swellings. A compress is good for gout. A most exciting development is that this very common plant is being investigated along with common sage as herbs with memory-improving properties.

You can make a lemon balm tincture and use it to alleviate symptoms such as an upset stomach, stress, nerve pain, insomnia, chicken pox, cold sores, roseola, genital herpes, and shingles.

Did you know that lemon balm can be used in cosmetics as well?

Use those leaves to make lemon balm soap! You can also treat yourself to a lemon balm face wash, or infuse witch hazel with lemon balm leaves for a refreshing astringent.

Lemon Astringent

1 Tbsp. fresh lemon balm
1 cup witch hazel

Combine the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Allow to steep for 1 week. Strain. Use 1 teaspoon per application with a cotton ball. Refrigerate if you wish.

Oh, and don’t forget to use it in your favorite homemade cleaning spray!

To make an all-natural disinfectant, pour 1/2 c. of dried lemon balm leaves into a jar and cover with 1 1/2 c. white vinegar. Let it sit to infuse for about 2 weeks before pouring into a spray bottle. Add another 1 c. of white vinegar, and add about 30 drops of your favorite essential oil, if desired. Tea Tree Oil, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Pink Grapefruit, Rosemary, and Peppermint are great options. Use as you would any all-purpose cleaner!

So much you can do with it!! You didn’t know this plant was so useful, did you?

Want more recipes and medicinal uses? Do a quick Google search. You’ll have a few dozen more in no time.

I love this stuff! Get yourself some this year (it’s super easy to grow from seed). Then have fun experimenting with it!

I know this is old news to many of you, but I’m just now discovering how amazing this is, so I’m totally sharing!

I was extremely skeptical the first time we tried it out. Especially on my kids. Mosquitoes just can’t seem to get enough of my little Ty man’s sweaty flesh. It would be a miracle if anything other than some major bug spray would keep him bite free.

But guess what, I’ve finally found my solution!

BASIL!!

I’m SO excited about this!! It actually works!!

The first time I tried it, I simply rubbed the fresh leaves all over the kids’ arms and legs before allowing them to play. An hour later, after we went back inside, I inspected them from head to toe. And guess what? No bites!!

I am LOVING not having to spray the kids with who-knows-what anymore! Now when they go outside, they head straight into the garden to rub down with some freshly picked basil leaves before going about their playing.

I just think that’s great. Isn’t God good?!

Yesterday, I was outside hanging clothes on the line, Jada and Ty were with me playing a few feet away. I heard Jada laugh and say, “Hey Ty! Come here and look at this funny bug!” I glanced over to see them crouching down examining some small critter climbing on a blade of grass.

It didn’t even cross my mind to see what it was they were looking at. I figured they’d seen all of the bugs we have around the house, and knew which ones not to mess with.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Titus pick up the bug. Jada screamed as he began to chase her with it, but within a split second I heard my little guy yell, “OWWW!” and then it was his own scream I was hearing. I dropped what I was doing and rushed over to him in time to see him throw the bug down and try to stomp on it as he cried hysterically.

Now, Titus cries like any other four year old does, but he never screams and cries like he did. I immediately knew he was hurt bad. And when I saw the bug that had bitten him, I was extremely concerned, to say the least. I thought I recognized what it was, but wasn’t absolutely positive, so I ran inside to get a jar and rushed back out to capture it before it scurried away. I knew I’d need it for positive identification if we had to head to the emergency room.

I picked Titus up and rushed him indoors. If this bug was what I thought it was, he was in some major pain. The first thing I did was what I always do when any of us gets a bite or a sting- I wiped his swelling thumb with an antiseptic wipe, got out the snake bite kit (The Extractor), and sucked the red mark hoping to remove some of the venom.  He continuted to cry, and asked me through big tears, “Why did God make those bugs?!” To which Jada decided to answer, “He had to have had some reason for making it!” Which didn’t help Ty at the moment.

I washed his hand good with soap and water. He complained that it felt “like a sword was getting him”. Poor little thing!

I gave him a piece of ice to hold on the bite while I jumped on the phone and called my husband, who used to be in pest control.

“Hey! What are those bugs that we used to have at our old place, that curl up under leaves and have a terrible bite?” I asked him, trying to hide the concern in my voice.

“Oh, Assassin Bugs. They’re also called Wheel Bugs.” He replied knowledgeably.

“I think Titus just got bit by one.” I said.

Tension immediately flowed through the phone line as Jerry asked if I think I ought to take him to the emergency room. I told him I was gonna look it up online and make sure that’s what it was first.

A quick search brought up an image that matched the ugly insect in the jar before me. It was indeed an Assassin Bug. The Wheel Bug variety, one of the worst of the various types. I continued reading about what to do if bitten by one.

These bugs are bad. Really bad. Their bite hurts 10x worse than a wasp or a hornet’s sting. And the pain can last for several weeks or even months. I read all kinds of horrible reactions he could have, including a swelling throat which would require an epinephrine shot within 15 minutes.

When I read this I jumped on the phone to call my grandma who is allergic to bees. I wondered if she might have an epi pen on hand, but unfortunately she didn’t. I was left to worry about how I’d get him to an emergency room in time to give him the shot, should he need one. (Note to self: Get an epi pen!)

I went back into the kitchen where he was sitting and told him to let me know if his throat started to feel funny. He said, “It does.” I tried to soften my concerned expression as I said, “Now buddy, you have to be really serious ’cause if you tell me your throat feels weird I’m gonna take you to the hospital.” To which he replied, “It does feel weird.” I asked him what it felt like. “Like a tree fell on my throat, and it’s bleeding,” he casually explained as he munched away on a cucumber. I figured he was fine since he was eating. And he was.

His thumb, on the other hand, was not fine. It was red and swelling. I decided to have him soak it in a bowl of warm water with Epsom Salt for several minutes. He said it felt a little better, but it still hurt.

And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Plantain!!! I hurried outside to the garden where I knew of a big Plantain plant growing beside the tomato bed, and picked a large leaf off of it. After bringing it inside and washing it off, I chewed it up a bit and placed it on Ty’s sore thumb. Then, holding the wet green glob directly on the bite, I wrapped it with gauze and secured it with tape.

An hour and a half later Titus was back to his normal self, playing as if nothing had happened, and claiming to be pain free. I took the bandage off to find that the swelling was completely gone, and his thumb looked perfectly normal again! Only a red dot where the puncture had occurred remained.

I figured the pain would return after a while, but I am SO thankful to be able to say that it was gone for good. Praise the LORD for his healing herbs!!

I can’t even begin to tell you how relieved and grateful I was that he was okay and pain free. Especially knowing how bad it could have been. I kept checking on him through the night to make sure he was still okay. You know us moms, we always fear the worst!

Anyways, I thought I’d share what worked for us just in case anyone is doing their own emergency google search for what to do when bitten by one of these bugs- which, by the way, Titus has decided to rename “Dumb Bug”- which he’s not normally allowed to say but he totally earned the right to call it just about whatever he wants.

And now he knows, never touch one of those things again! I hate that he had to learn the hardest way! Oh, and by the way, turns out God created the Wheel Bug to help with garden pests. It’s a very beneficial insect to have around. Just be sure not to pick one up!

After asking my midwife about herbal healing for postpartum relief she took me for a walk in my backyard. Sure enough, the Plantain we were hunting was to be found. She shared with me that if you pick the leaves of the Plantain, put them in a blender with a little bit of water (enough to make a paste), then rub that over your postpartum pad, it will help soothe the soreness and hasten the healing process.

And it’s free.

I think that’s awesome. I thought you might think so, too. So there you go.

By the way, Plantain is great for bee stings too. Just chew up a leaf and smear the goo on your sore spot, it’ll suck the poison right out.

Chances are you have this medicinal herb growing in your yard right now and you just thought it was another weed. Go see if you can find one! And then remember where it’s growing in case you ever need it.

Know of any other uses for Plantain? I’d love to know how you use this wonderful herb!