DIY Herbal Remedies and Benefits

Have you ever heard of a Tincture?  Do you currently use Herbal Home Remedies?

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Mary's Heirloom Seeds Newsletter DIY Tincture Kits                    Herbal Home Remedies In This Issue THAI HOLY BASIL FEVERFEW Chamomile Tincture Cayenne Tincture Quick Links It's true...We are WILDCARD FINALISTS in the American Made Awards! VOTE for us Daily! Mary's Tincture Shop Buy HERB Seeds About Us Growing From Seed  2014 Planting Guide Reported Health benefits of:  Brahmi (bacopa)  BASIL    MUGWORT Eleuthero Root   Calendula Catnip Make Your Own! DIY Tincture Kits DIY Chamomile Tincture Kit ADDITIONAL TINCTURE KIT varieties: "Allergy" "Flashes" "Soother" Additional HERBS are available at Mary's Herbal Organix Saturday and Sunday @ the Yellow Green Farmer's Market 8am-4pm in Booth #281 After our last email about our DIY Tincture Kit Special (with a free pack of seeds) we had so many inquiries I thought it best to share with everyone. What is a Tincture? An herbal tincture is simply an herbal extract.  Herbal remedies have been used throughout history to treat illnesses and ailments.  We use Tinctures for overall wellness!  Tinctures are easy to make, home remedies.  If properly prepared and stored, your tincture will last indefinitely. Have you given any thought to making your own herbal home remedies?  "Tincture Kits" purchased Monday-Thursday ship within 48 hours via USPS Priority Mail.  Tincture kits include:  1 - 32 ounce Glass Jar with lid, 1 - 2 ounce Amber Bottle with dropper top,  2 customizable labels, 1 ounce of Organic Herbs (additional herbs available) and Detailed Instructions DIY Thai Holy Basil Tincture From  Back to the Basics: In Ayurvedic medicine, Holy Basil is used as a tea or a tincture. Among its many medicinal uses are lowering cholesterol, as an immune booster, and lowering blood glucose levels. "One of the primary medicinal uses for basil is for its anti-inflammatory properties. This effect stems from eugenol, a volatile oil in basil that blocks enzymes in the body that cause swelling, making basil an ideal treatment for people with arthritis. Basil, especially as an extract or oil, is known to have exceptionally powerful antioxidant properties" NOTE: These claims have not been substantiated by the FDA and are not intended as medical advice            Continue Reading  DIY FEVERFEW Tincture   Feverfew flower From  Back to the Basics: The word "feverfew" derives from the Latin word febrifugia, meaning "fever reducer." Feverfew is used most often today to treat migraine headaches. [UMM] Feverfew has also be used for Asthma, Arthritis, Psoriasis, digestion and Menstrual cramps.                Continue Reading NOTE: These claims have not been substantiated by the FDA and are not intended as medical advice Helpful link:  Homemade Feverfew Tincture  DIY Chamomile Tincture From Back to the Basics: Chamomile is an herb that comes from a flowering plant from the daisy family. Both the fresh and dried flowers of chamomile have been used to create teas for centuries to cure a number of health problems. The active ingredient in chamomile essential oil is known as bisabolol, which has a number of anti-irritant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-microbial properties. What are the Benefits of Chamomile? Chamomile can be used topically or orally to treat a number of everyday ailments, such as: Insomnia and other sleep disorders Anxiety and Panic Attacks Muscle twitches Wounds, burns, and scrapes Skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, chickenpox, and diaper rash Stomach problems such as menstrual cramps, stomach flu, and ulcers.             Continue Reading  DIY Cayenne Tincture   *NEW* Cayenne Pepper is a nightshade vegetable.  While adding a little (or a lot) of hot and spicy to any dish, cayenne pepper can also be very therapeutic.  Cayenne pepper contains capsaicin which can open up your sinuses, fight inflammation, cardiovascular support, helps with ulcers, boosts immune system and metabolism. THIS is what got my attention:  "Cayenne pepper's bright red color signals its high content of beta-carotene or pro-vitamin A. Just two teaspoons of cayenne pepper provide 47% of the daily value for vitamin A. Often called the anti-infection vitamin, vitamin A is essential for healthy epithelial tissues including the mucous membranes that line the nasal passages, lungs, intestinal tract and urinary tract and serve as the body's first line of defense against invading pathogens."        Continue Reading  What do you think?  Are you ready to get started? Your can read about my tincture results HERE and HERE.   If you have additional questions please ask. We are happy to continue to provide growing knowledge for you, your family and friends. Sincerely,  Mary                                    Mary's Heirloom Seeds

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DIY Ginger Bug

What is a "Ginger Bug" and how is this healthy?  Two great questions!

What is a Ginger Bug?

From Nourished Kitchen, "A slurry of fermented yeast and sugar water, Ginger Bug captures beneficial microorganisms like wild yeasts and bacteria in the same way that sourdough starter does.  The wild microorganisms, eat away at the sugar in the Ginger Bug, and produce carbon dioxide as a result.  When mixed with a flavored sweet tea, fruit juice or other base, the microorganisms in the ginger bug begin to consume the sugar in the tea or juice, and, as they do, they reproduce and emit carbon dioxide. The result is a fizzy and effervescent, naturally fermented soda that is rich in beneficial bacteria – critical to gut health and immune system function."

Benefits of a Ginger Bug

In the words of Sandor Katz (who has written several books on fermentation): “Fermented foods are alive.  Industrially processed food is dead.”
Here are just a few benefits of fermented foods.

• Fermentation not only preserves nutrients, but breaks them down into more digestible forms.
• Fermentation creates new nutrients; microbial cultures create B vitamins (including folic acid, riboblavin, niacin, etc.).
• Fermentation removes toxins in food.
• Some ferments function as antioxidants, scavenging harmful free radicals from the body.
• Fermented foods are rich in lactobacilli (aka health enhancing probiotics like those found in yogurt); they promote the growth of healthy flora in the intestine which helps with digestion.

DIY Ginger Bug
To get started you'll need:
Fresh, Organic Ginger root
Organic raw sugar/unprocessed organic cane sugar
Glass Jars or large Glass container
Cheesecloth or coffee filter (to use as a lid)
De-clorinated, filtered Water  *Check out our affordable Walter Filter*

Directions:
Equal parts fresh ginger, organic cane sugar, and filtered water.
I used 2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, UNPEELED and grated
2 Tablespoons cane sugar
2 Tablespoons filtered water 
Mix these ingredients in a jar. I just tossed them into the jar, put the lid on, and swirled it around to combine.

Ginger Bug after 24 hours

Each day for 5-7 days, add the same equal parts of these three ingredients to the mixture:

2 Tablespoons fresh, grated ginger

2 Tablespoons cane sugar

2 Tablespoons water

I'll be sharing my daily fermentation updates at Mary's Kitchen.
Stop by and check out some of my recipes.

Equal parts fresh ginger, organic cane sugar, and filtered water
I used approximately 2 Tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated
2 Tablespoons cane sugar
2 Tablespoons filtered water
Mix these ingredients in a jar. I just tossed them into the jar, put the lid on, and swirled it around to combine.
Each day for 5-7 days, add the same equal parts of these three ingredients to the mixture:
2 Tablespoons fresh, grated ginger
2 Tablespoons cane sugar
2 Tablespoons water
- See more at: http://mountainroseblog.com/diy-homemade-ginger-bug-fermented-sodas/#sthash.Lz9XDqRU.dpuf

Fresh and Pure Recipes with Seminole Pride Noble Juice

This is a compensated post written for Seminole Pride™Noble® juice.   All opinions expressed are my own.

I've always loved the taste of fresh orange juice.  It's cool, refreshing and especially welcomed after working in the garden under the Florida Sun.  Recently I made a trip to my local Publix to pick out a few varieties of Noble Juice. 

Why Noble Juices you ask?  
First, every variety of Noble contains no added sugar, no artificial ingredients or preservative, no added colors or flavors and no GMOs!  Noble Juice is the real deal!
And if that wasn't enough to convince you, "The bottles used are 100% sustainable and are even made at the juicing facility; keeping the total business carbon footprint environmentally friendly."

The Roe family has been in the citrus business for almost 100 years.  Since 1927, the Roe family, now in their fourth  generation of citrus aficionados produces the sweetest, hand-picked fruits for the finest juices around.

Living in Hollywood, FL we have thousands of members of the Seminole Tribe living right next door. "The Seminole Tribe of Florida is now unselfishly developing a future that will in a sense bring a recollection of the past, one of freedom, stewardship and the strengthening of a nation of people. While the technology and modern culture may bring new appearances, the ancient values will remain strong."

"In 2014, the Roes joined in a partnership with Florida’s first family — the Seminole Tribe of Florida, to establish a foundation of commitment to conserve and treasure the land, air, water and start a new era of Seminole Pride^™ Noble^® Juice."   It's no wonder the Seminole Tribe has joined with the Roe family "in pursuit of providing the purest juice." All of this and more is available at Seminole Pride^™ Noble^®

Finding Noble Juice in my local Publix was easy.  I walked right over the the produce section and found the huge selection of fresh juices.  Choosing Noble Organic Juice is the perfect option for our health-conscious family. 

How do you choose between delicious citrus varieties such as Tangerine, Clementine or Blood Orange?  You don't!   I brought home all three!

Besides making mimosas, there are so many recipes that call for fresh orange juice.
Today I made Organic Orange Ginger Sauteed Vegetables.

Ingredients:
1 cup Seminole Pride^™ Noble^® Organic Orange Juice
OR Seminole Pride^™ Noble^® Tangerine Juice
 2 Tbsp. powdered ginger (or use Fresh ginger)
1 ½ tsp. sesame oil
1 cup organic extra virgin olive oil
4 cups mixed, fresh cut vegetables
*I used all organic veggies: red onion, broccoli, carrots and dwarf pak choy*

Directions:
Heat a sauce pan over low. Add organic orange juice and reduce down by half.
Remove from stove and add to blender along with ginger.  
Turn blender on high and slowly add the sesame and olive oil until emulsified.
Heat a sauté pan over high. Add enough orange ginger oil to coat the pan. Once hot, add vegetables and sauté for 4 – 5 minutes.
Place remaining orange ginger oil into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator.  I'll use the rest of the dressing for my Kale Salad!

Follow Noble Juice on Facebook, Twitter and Instragram to receive the latest news!
Noble Juice even has a youtube channel!

Check out The Pure Family Moment Contest:
Enter the #purefamilymoment photo contest by submitting a photo of you and your closest. You can enter as often as you like.  

Each time you share your photo, you will also be in the running to win our grand prize, a year’s worth of Seminole Pride Noble juice and a handmade, sustainable artisan carafe with two juice glasses. A prize worth over $2,000 - that’s a lot of juice to share with your friends and family! 
I just entered! 

Another simple recipe I created is a
Red Kale Blood Orange Smoothie
Ingredients:
1 cup fresh red kale
1 cup Seminole Pride^™ Noble^® Blood Orange Juice
1/2 cup organic greek yogurt
1 frozen banana 

Directions:
Blend until smooth.  Enjoy your cool, nutritious snack!

Stop by your local Publix and choose between 10 varieties of Noble Juices! Or better yet, get one of each!