HOMEMADE CARPET DEODORIZER - repels fleas too!

Homemade Carpet Deodorizer. Freshener. Pest Control

This is one of those blog posts that is worth repeating!

Only 2 ingredients needed

BORAX

BAKING SODA

*essential oil for scent - but not mandatory*

For 1 cup of Deodorizer, mix 1/2 cup of Borax, and 1/2 cup of Baking Soda  

Just 10 drops of essential oil to each cup - with lid on jar, shake the 3 ingredients together vigorously. That's it!

Since I like adding essential oils, I choose scents that I normally would diffuse for my room - Lavender, Orange, Rose, Peppermint... 

And of course, this recipe is excellent for flea and pest control. I've been using this remedy for years and it works! With 3 dogs in the home, it is one of my all time favorite go-to remedies. 

NATURAL MOSQUITO SPRAY - Homemade Mosquito repellent

Need a healthy WAY to keep the mosquitoes at BAY?  
Here's a simple remedy with only 3 ingredients

Apple Cider Vinegar

Medieval Blend Essential Oil

Water 

                                                 

For a no fuss (and economical) blend that WORKS, I've discovered my own healthy mosquito repellent!  

RECIPE:

10 drops of Essential Oil

2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar

Fill spray bottle to top with water

Spray as needed your arms and legs and enjoy the outdoors safely!

Ingredients of the Medieval Mix:

Sweet Orange

Lavender

Lemon

Red Thyme

Tea Tree Oil

Eucalyptus

Rosemary

The Aura Cacia blend essential oil (and Braggs Cider Vinegar) can be found online at Amazon, or at your local Sprouts grocery store.

Unlike the commercial brands of natural mosquito repellents, this homemade recipe is non sticky, and smells pleasant. But most important, it keeps the mosquitoes away! Keep a bottle nearby and spray as needed!

Add this recipe to Pinterest!

Wild Edibles and Natural Remedies - Disclaimer

As I collect wild vegetation and introduce it into my family's diet, I am keenly aware of the importance and responsibility involved in making sure that each plant IS safe to consume. Not relying on just one source for my information -- verifying, reverifying the info, and using sound judgement, with a sprinkle of gut instinct. I am also keenly aware that not all foods and medicine come from the grocery store and pharmacy  - THUS why I'm educating myself on wild vegetation and herbs.

So with that said, here's my disclaimer ;-)

*Any herbal information you gather from my site, please verify from other sources, take at your own risk, and do your own research. All the information I share is over my own experiences and opinions. What I learn to be of value for my family's health, may not be appropriate for your own.


As I delve into wild edibles, I find that I mix company with people of various backgrounds and faith. I do not worship creation. I am in awe of the Creator.

 Today, I gathered some Sow Thistle, and wild onion/garlic at the nearby park. I was careful to collect this where there were no chance of pesticides. After feeding the chickens, and the rabbits part of the bounty, I washed and finely chopped the remaining Sow Thistle/wild onions for a pot of chicken soup.

The best soup in the world (in my book) is homemade chicken soup! Take a whole chicken and boil it till tender - carefully removing the whole chicken intact - cool and debone. Chop the meat and return to pot that is full of chicken broth. In this particular pot, I added what I had available - Rotel, greenbeans, onions, bell pepper, garlic, salt, pepper, and the Sow Thistle/wild onions... I know I'm forgetting a few other things, but you get the idea. It's the perfect dish for a cold day, feeling under the weather, or just wanting to go easy on the tummy after eating heavy foods all week.

I've created a new category - Wild Edibles and Remedies - to keep things better organized. Tomorrow, (weather willing) I'll be joining another group on a wild edible field trip.

Wild Edibles III

Greenbriar

The GREENBRIAR is a vine that many consider invasive, but for those who appreciate their medicinal and nutritional values, will find them edible as raw, or cooked as spinach (leaves) and asparagus (stems.) The best thing about this plant is that it can be found plentious year-round. The Native Americans valued this plant. 

Sow Thistle

 SOW THISTLE was brought over by the Europeans as a garden vegetable. This plant is widely confused with the Dandelion as they look similar in appearance. I have on many occasions confused both the Sow Thistle and Dandelion as being the same. The difference is that the Sow Thistle has several vining flowers, as well as a green stem that leds to the flower. The Sow Thistle is rich in vitamin A, C, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Phosphorus, and Iron.

Sow Thistle

*Harvesting the roots of both the Sow Thistle and Dandelion can be used as a coffee substitute. Another amazing benefit of the Sow Thistle (fast becoming one of my fav wild edibles) is that the white sap has an opiate-like effect and can be used as a pain reliever.

Unlike the Dandelions that prefer a watered lawn, the Sow Thistle will thrive under drier conditions. I have noticed since we've mowed our lawn that this "weed" is popping up throughout my yard, towering above my freshly mowed grass. Yesterday, I took a bucket and picked all the Sow Thistles I could find and gave them to my chickens. Now that I've learned the value of this European garden vegetable, I'll be finding ways to add this to my family's menu. What a gold mine I have growing in my yard!  (Stay tuned for part 4 of Wild Edibles.)

Wild Edibles II

Continuing to the second part of Wild Edibles, the next plant we had studied is the WOOD SORREL. This plant is high in vitamin C and A, and is great for spicing salads.

Wood Sorrel

Many of these plants have medicinal properties (too many to mention) but I will mention some highlights that we had covered during our class. Also, for additional references, I've located a Texas website where many of these edible "weeds" are listed. www.foragingtexas.com

Clover

The Clover is high in protein and can be used for salads, cooking, and tea.

Cleaver

It was a great feeling to learn the identity of the  Cleaver. This is the sticky "weed" that I had mentioned in an earlier post on what I had been feeding my chickens! Cleaver has been growing like a jungle around the yard. Since my chickens are confined to a coop, it is my responsibility to bring them fresh greens each day. My hens look forward to me picking them Cleaver each morning and have been happily providing fresh eggs in return.

Ragweed

Oh yes, the dreaded RAGWEED. This is what causes many here locally to suffer allergies. On the bright side, the seeds of Ragweed are incredibly 47% in crude protein. There are many benefits to Ragweed, and many claim that eating Ragweed actually helps lessen their allergies.

Epazote

EPAZOTE is grown on a large scale for medicinal purposes, and is widely used to treat parasites. Epazote is also known as the bean herb, as it reduces gas. Just add a spruce or two to a pot of beans for flavor and for anti-flatulence.

Before I finish Part II of Wild Edibles (Part III coming up), I wanted to mention that we had learned in class that ALL grasses are edible to eat. With over 400 varieties to choose from, it is hard to believe we can ever go hungry.

Wild Edibles - Part I

 What an amazing rewarding day! I had the opportunity to explore nature's bounty and learn (what I used to take for granted) about our local native plants.

 Katrina, the author of the book, Local Wild Life, was our teacher today. We didn't have to walk far - EVERYWHERE we turned, Katrina held up another, and yet ANOTHER edible plant.

 We tasted leaves, flowers, roots, seeds, and learned about the nutrional and medicinal properties of each plants.

 Pita bread was exceptional. Thanks Elani!

 The juice from all that we collected was surprisingly very delicious. What a health boost!

 The first plant we studied was the Chickweed.

The Chickweed, also known as Starweed (known by the star shaped flowers) is commonly found all over the world and blooms from March through October.

Respiratory Benefits

Chickweed herbal tea can have many beneficial effects for respiratory ailments. The tea can relieve symptoms due to allergies and asthma. It may also soothe respiratory infections, and may even soothe a smoker's cough, according to Brighthub.com. Chickweed tea contains saponins--chemicals found in most vegetables, beans and herbs that have beneficial health properties--which will gradually reduce thickened membranes of the throat and lungs and make breathing easier.

Circulatory Benefits

Chickweed tea, according to Teabenefits.com, can promote clotting factors in the blood that will enable the body to stop bleeding in the stomach and intestines. Chickweed tea also purifies the blood, reducing plaque in blood vessels. This allows for increased blood flow, reducing the risks of strokes and heart attacks.

Pain Relief Benefits

Chickweed tea also contains an anti-inflammatory property. It is commonly infused in a therapeutic bath to ease joint pain. Chickweed tea is effective in alleviating the discomfort of arthritis pain, stiff back and stiff neck. According to Teabenefits.com, chickweed tea, if applied directly to the skin, can reduce swelling of torn ligaments.

Skin Benefits

Chickweed tea can be directly applied to aid in treating skin irritations, acne and eczema, according to Digherbs.com. It also can be added to bathwater to speed up the healing process for rashes, burns, ulcers and abscesses.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/121118-benefits-chickweed-tea/#ixzz1qSrCt0Id

I scribbled what I could, but am depending on the help of my fellow students to make sure I logged this correctly. I'll be posting Part II tomorrow, as we had covered many plants, and I need to go over my notes, verify spelling, and double check information. (worm not edible) :)

http://www.altnature.com/gallery/chickweed.htm