6/16/2015

Review: XANADU 24K Gold Vitamin C Serum Hyaluronic Acid Vitamin E Rose Serum


24K Gold Serum Vitamin C - PH balanced and highly absorbable. Brightens skin, combats wrinkles and dark spots. Vitamin E moisturizes.

Rose Extract soothes the skin and gives the Xanadu serum a delightful natural scent.

Hyaluronic Acid captures and holds up to 1000 times its volume in moisture to your skin.
The Perfect Vitamin C Serum for your face, made from Organic botanical extracts and leading-edge technology.
Apply 1 pump Morning and Night, avoiding eye area.




I am not at all new to the idea of using precious metals like gold & silver in skin care, as a matter of fact they can be very healing, soothing & more effective than most realize. This Xanadu serum not
only has 24K gold it also has other amazing things for ski so the combo gives you the one 2 punch on skin care but does it gently.
First let me say this does have rose extract in it & I use roses a lot in skin care, though this scent is a bit stronger than I had hoped & tends to be on the perfumy side, if not for that this serum would be the best.

Now getting into the bottle was the hardest part for me, oh yea I could unscrew the pumper top but I could not get the clear top off so I could use the pump. We all tried & nearly broke the pumper trying to remove that dang cap. Finally I used a meat mallet to just break it off (see pictures).

Once I got the lid off other than the rose scent being to strong I have been very pleased with the results. Skin does stay a bit tacky for a few minutes then it just leaves skin feeling soft & hydrated.

Pros: Works great even on my sensitive skin. Cons: Had to break cap off & the rose scent even though it does dissipate is a bit strong.
Overall: Happy with this product & I am pleased with the results.

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Reviews: My product reviews the company provided me with a reduced price or free item(s) or sample(s) of the product(s) mentioned above in my review, I was under no obligation to review it, nor was I under any obligation to only write a positive review. My reviews are my honest opinion after personally trying the product & feeling confident in it. When it comes to products I do not like, that cause issues or if it was a negative experience I will not review them & contact the company telling them why. So If the review has made it to my blog it is because I love it & recommend it to everyone & I am happy to have used the product.

Affiliate & Referral links: I do when I can have links that are affiliate or referral links, not all links on my blog, pages & posts are affiliate or referral links. (More info here)
I will share links to buy products on Amazon anytime I can, I thank you for your support.

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Follow me: Facebook - Pinterest - Google+ - Instagram (Raising6kids) -  Twitter @NaturalCheree
Click here to learn where buy some of my favorite products such as coconut oil, colloidal silver & more.
All  information contained in the pages of Natural & Frugal: Raising 6 kids blog - NFR6K Blog, blog posts, site, Facebook page, Twitter, Pinterest or elsewhere are for information & research only.
To contact me to review your product go here.
More products I love by Tropical Traditions:  Gold Label Virgin Coconut oil - Green label Virgin coconut oil - Palm Oil - Palm shortening - Extra Virgin Olive oil - Black Cumin Seed oil - Organic Sesame oil - Coconut water Vinegar - Organic Apple cider vinegar - Balsamic vinegar - Pink Himalayan salt - Organic spices - Organic Whole Unbleached Sugar - Grass-Fed butter & more.
If you order by clicking on any of my links & order from Tropical Traditions & have never ordered from them in the past, you might receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, & I will receive a discount coupon for referring you"
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I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. Thank you for reading my blog & supporting me on the journey to share #NFR6K Cheree

3/17/2015

Review: Super Bright 11 LED Hat Clip Light


Hands Free Ball Cap Visor Light Is Perfect for Home Renovations, Hunting, Camping or As a Fishing Light. With 11 LEDs.
 - Fishing, Walking, Biking, Working & more - 

Multipurpose - Use it while fishing, biking, camping, hunting or even working around the house

Super Lightweight - Streamlined design ensures no strain put on head or neck.
Heavy Duty Hat Clip


So I have been to get one of these hat clip lights for my husband as an Anniversary gift. He is an outdoors-man & likes to get in the woods early when it is hunting season, he love to go night fishing & is an all around tinkerer fixing things & always needing a flashlight.
This grips my husbands hat great & is nice & bright putting light just where he needs it.  The day after it arrived we had a plumbing issue under our home in our very dark crawl space, so I decided to give him the light early. It came in so handy to have a light hands free as he was crawling on his belly. He raved how handy it was & how he really liked it.  It is lightweight yet durable so it does not weigh his hat down or pull his hat down in front from the weight.
The on & off switch is very conveniently located on the bottom of the unit so you can turn it on & off without removing it from the hat. 
The 11 lights come together to create a nice bright light that for sure works great in low light to pitch black conditions. Overall this has been a great light & a great experience. 

(affiliate)

_______________________________________________________
Reviews: My product reviews the company provided me with a reduced price or free item(s) or sample(s) of the product(s) mentioned above in my review, I was under no obligation to review it, nor was I under any obligation to only write a positive review. My reviews are my honest opinion after personally trying the product & feeling confident in it. When it comes to products I do not like, that cause issues or if it was a negative experience I will not review them & contact the company telling them why. So If the review has made it to my blog it is because I love it & recommend it to everyone & I am happy to have used the product.

Affiliate & Referral links: I do when I can have links that are affiliate or referral links, not all links on my blog, pages & posts are affiliate or referral links. (More info here)
I will share links to buy products on Amazon anytime I can, I thank you for your support.

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Follow me: Facebook - Pinterest - Google+ - Instagram (Raising6kids) -  Twitter @NaturalCheree
Click here to learn where buy some of my favorite products such as coconut oil, colloidal silver & more.
All  information contained in the pages of Natural & Frugal: Raising 6 kids blog - NFR6K Blog, blog posts, site, Facebook page, Twitter, Pinterest or elsewhere are for information & research only.
To contact me to review your product go here.
More products I love by Tropical Traditions:  Gold Label Virgin Coconut oil - Green label Virgin coconut oil - Palm Oil - Palm shortening - Extra Virgin Olive oil - Black Cumin Seed oil - Organic Sesame oil - Coconut water Vinegar - Organic Apple cider vinegar - Balsamic vinegar - Pink Himalayan salt - Organic spices - Organic Whole Unbleached Sugar - Grass-Fed butter & more.
If you order by clicking on any of my links & order from Tropical Traditions & have never ordered from them in the past, you might receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, & I will receive a discount coupon for referring you"
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I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. Thank you for reading my blog & supporting me on the journey to share #NFR6K Cheree

7/20/2014

Homemade Easy Bake Oven mix recipes from scratch, healthier versions

Just because you are a from scratch baker does not mean an Easy Bake oven should be avoided for your kids.

As a matter of fact an Easy Bake oven is a great learning tool & a great way to teach healthy baking & from scratch cooking, really.


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I got the idea for this blog post because last month we bought our youngest daughter a very nice used Easy Bake oven at a price we could not pass up. It of course came with no mixes so I went to see how much they were, between the cost of the mixes & the ingredients I knew right away no way was I going to teach my daughter to bake that way.

Easy bakeSo I started searching & right away discovered that you could not only make your own mixes or you could use normal cake mixes. I must admit my family calls boxed cake mixes cardboard & plastic cakes because of how they taste & whats in them, So I knew I would need to look more into the from scratch mixes I even created a Pinterest Board for just this purpose. What I discovered was there were a lot (lots & lots) of from scratch ideas for the little oven, but they were still lacking healthier ingredients. After all even our sweets we use healthful quality products. Baking with the Easy Bake Oven can be a great time to teach your child that even sweets can be made better.

I have adapted some of our favorite recipes & wanted to share them here for those in search of healthier alternatives to use in the Easy Bake Oven so you can teach your kids better eating habits.

Ingredients:

For baking in the Easy Bake oven we use the same quality, healthful ingredients I have shared in recipe after recipe here on my blog (my recipes category).

Sugar: I use Organic Whole sugar that is unbleached when I use actual sugar, we also sometimes combine other natural sweeteners or just use a natural sweetener other than sugar such as Yacon syrup, Raw honey, molasses &/or Real maple syrup for these recipes. If you decide to use a liquid sweetener such as Yacon, raw honey, Pure maple syrup or Molasses add a bit extra dry ingredients &/or a bit less of other wet ingredients.

Flour: I use Organic Einkorn Flour or another organic flour.

Shortening or Oil: I use Coconut oilOrganic Palm oil or Palm Shortening.


Milk (or water): I  use Almond milk, raw milk, goat milk , coconut milk or water.

Frosting: Go to my blog post here & I have 2 frosting recipes, Simple buttercream frosting & Simple Shortening frosting.

“If you order by clicking on any of my links & order from Tropical Traditions & have never ordered from them in the past, you might receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, & I will receive a discount coupon for referring you"

Easy Bake Oven Recipes:

Basic cake mix:
  • 2 tbsp of flour of choice
  • 1 Tbsp of sugar
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 3/4 tsp oil or shortening of choice
  • Tiny pinch salt
  • 2 tbsp of milk of choice or water if you prefer
  • Preheat the oven while you mix the ingredients well, grease a little Easy Bake oven pan, add the mixture & bake 12 to 15 minutes. You can add nuts, sprinkles, chocolate chips etc into the mix, get creative. Add flavor extracts of choice by using more dry ingredients to compensate.
Chocolate cake mix:
  • 2 tbsp of flour of choice
  • 1 Tbsp of sugar
  • 1/4 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp Organic Cocoa powder
  • 3/4 tsp oil or shortening of choice
  • Tiny pinch salt
  • 2 tbsp of milk of choice or water if you prefer
  • Preheat the oven while you mix the ingredients well, grease a little Easy Bake oven pan, add the mixture & bake 12 to 15 minutes. You can add nuts, sprinkles, chocolate chips etc into the mix, get creative.
Brownie recipe:
  • 2 tbsp of flour of choice
  • 2 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp oil of choice
  • 1/8 to 1/4 tsp of organic vanilla extract
  • 1 tbsp Organic Cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp of water
  • 1 tsp milk of choice
  • Optional: use chocolate syrup instead of water & milk.
  • Preheat the oven while you mix the ingredients well, grease a little Easy Bake oven pan, add the mixture & bake 15 minutes +or-. You can add nuts, sprinkles, chocolate chips etc into the mix, get creative.
Pizza:
  • 2 tbsp flour of choice
  • 1/8 tsp baking powder
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tsp oil, shortening or soft butter
  • 2 tsp of milk of choice (more or less)
  • 1 tbsp homemade sauce (or buy pizza sauce)
  • Shredded cheese of choice (2 to 3 tbsp)
  • Preheat oven for 15 minutes, combine dry ingredients then cut in oil while kneading, while kneading add the milk slowly, you may not need it all or you may need a bit more, you want a play dough like consistency. Then roll out dough & add to greased small pan. Make sure to cover bottom & up sides of pan, then add your sauce & Cheese. Bake 15 to 20 minutes.
Sourdough crust Pizza:
  • 2 tbsp flour of choice
  • 1/8 tsp baking powder
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 tsp oil, shortening or soft butter
  • 2 tsp of sourdough starter
  • 1 tbsp homemade sauce (or buy pizza sauce)
  • Shredded cheese of choice (2 to 3 tbsp)
  • Combine dry ingredients then cut in oil while kneading, while kneading add the sourdough starter slowly, you may not need it all or you may need a bit more, you want a play dough like consistency, then sit in a bowl covered 15 minutes to an hour to rise (preheat oven 15 minutes). Then roll out dough & add to greased small pan. Make sure to cover bottom & up sides of pan, then add your sauce & Cheese. Bake 15 to 20 minutes.

In Closing:

The more we tweak Easy Bake Oven recipes we find online to fit our healthier eating & baking lifestyle I will update this blog post with our favorite ides.

The Easy Bake oven is a great teaching tool for helping kids to learn to bake creativity & teaching them how important healthful ingredients really are. The easy Bake Oven fits very well into our Homeschool teaching or just for fun.

Make your own Easy Bake Oven Mix recipes, healthier & from scratch - Homemade Mixes
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What Brands of coconut oil do I trust for taking & oil pulling? That is simple I use & recommend these 2 great brands:
  1. Skinny & Co. Coconut oil: Medicinal grade Extra Virgin coconut oil 100% pure. (click link for ordering info)
  2. Tropical Traditions Virgin Gold Label Coconut oil. (click link for ordering info)
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The information on this site it intended for general inquiry, research & informational purposes only & should not be considered a substitute or replacement for trained medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
I am NOT a doctor, this page is for education & research only. Always consult a doctor, your health practitioner or other competent licensed health professional before taking any herbs or supplements, using alternative ideas & for any specific advice about medical treatments. In many cases these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease.

All  information contained in the pages of Natural & Frugal: Raising 6 kids blog, blog posts, site, Facebook page, Twitter, Pinterest or elsewhere are for information & research only.
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By Natural & Frugal: Raising 6 kids

6/17/2014

Part 2 Picking Plantain - Harvesting Psyllium - Foraging

Harvesting Psyllium from Plantain

This is my second post on using Plantain, make sure you check out post one on Plantain, Picking Plantain, An awesome medicinal yard weed.
Parts Used & Where Grown: These green weeds grow pretty much anywhere in the world where there is sufficient water. Plantain should not be confused with the banana-like vegetable of the same name. The leaves of plantain are primarily used as medicine. The seeds of plantain can also be used medicinally, having mild laxative effects similar to the seeds of psyllium, a close relative of plantain.

To pin this blog post on Pinterest

Common Names:  Broadleaf Plantain, Broad-leaved Plantain, Cart Track Plant, Common Plantain, Dooryard Plantain, Greater Plantago, Healing Blade, Hen Plant, Lambs Foot, Roadweed, Roundleaf Plantain, Snakeroot, Soldiers Herb, Waybread, Wayside Plantain, White Man’s Foot Prints. (info here)

psyllium /psyl·li·um/ (sil´e-um) 1. a plant of the genus Plantago. 2. the husk (psyllium husk) or seed (plantago or psyllium seed) of various species of Plantago ; used as a bulk-forming laxative.

Are we crazy? Maybe, but it for sure is a good crazy!

plantain 3How good does it feel to know you can walk out in your yard & pick something that grows in abundance for free & use it to make great DIY products for health and beauty? To me it feels priceless & amazing. And lets not forget it is a special kind of crazy, why? Because I am crazy for DIY :) DIY for sure fits in my Frugal lifestyle but think about just how much more Frugal it is to totally do DIY from scratch from a common yard weed. Now you want to be that kind of crazy I can tell. But in reality we are not crazy at all, we are foraging & getting back to nature & really that is just amazing.

So calling all amazing crazies to again join me in picking plantain!

There are several types of plants that produce Psyllium & you can research the other kinds & I even reference a few below to show Psyllium benefits, but I will be collecting the Psyllium off the broad leaf Plantain (weed), in my research it appears that possibly the Psyllium seeds from Plantain might not be as effective but I can find no proof of this.

Psyllium how to:

plantain plantWhen I did the other blog post on Plantain the stalks, spikes or blooms on them had not started popping up yet, these stalks are what we will be picking & where we will be harvesting our  Psyllium, are you ready?

July to September seems to be the perfect time to pick Psyllium in upper TN.

plant PlantainAs pictured these stalks grow in the center of the Plantain like tall spikes, usually 3 to 5 or so of them, simply cut them off at the base & lay in your basket or bucket, whatever you are carrying to pick plantain. You can use scissors to cut them off, I just picked with my bare hands, but whatever works for you. After you have picked the desired amount you can fill your sink with cool water & a few tbsp. of baking soda & sit the stalks in the water & gently move them around to clean them, leave them about 10 minutes & simply drain, no need to rinse. Pat the stalks dry & then in bunches tie them together with yarn or string from the cut end, make sure the bunches are not to big, only about enough stalks to hold in your hand while tying them. Then simply hang them in a closet, cupboard or room where they can safely dry, some also prefer to hang them in a sunny window & not dark, so I have tried both ways to the same results but my house is not damp. Some also prefer to dry them in a dehydrator for a bit but I have not tried this yet.
plantain 2
You can also wait until late summer or fall & collect the stalks with dried seeds on them if you prefer to let them dry on the Plantain plant.

plantain 3After they are dry simply run a butter knife backwards on the stalk to get the Psyllium seeds off or use your fingernails. Then either grind them or use by adding to smoothies, protein shakes, on food like oatmeal etc. (can be used ground or whole depending on your preference. Though most do claim better benefits from ground psyllium. A tea can also be made from the whole or ground seeds by simply steeping them in hot water.

Dried psyllium kept in a dark cupboard has around a 2 year shelf life.

Health Benefits & Uses of Psyllium:

Studies have found that Psyllium is beneficial in the treatment of a variety of health conditions. In fact, the FDA has even approved advertisers and food packagers from stating that Psyllium is an effective ingredient to lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Many people have also found Psyllium to be effective when treating: Bleeding hemorrhoids, Boils, Bronchitis, Colon cancer, Crohn's Disease, Dysentery, Gallstones, High blood pressure, Incontinence, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Poison ivy rash, Psoriasis, Stings and insect bites & Ulcers

PlantainPsyllium seeds contain about 19% fiber, 18.8% protein, and 10-20% triglycerides. Psyllium seed husk is 34% insoluble fiber and 66% soluble fiber.

Plantain psyllium seeds can be used in hot cereals, muffins, & breads to ease bowel back up & constipation.

Psyllium seed husk are indigestible and are a source of soluble dietary fiber. They are used to relieve constipation, irritable bowel syndrome, and diarrhea. They are also used as a regular dietary supplement to improve and maintain regular GI transit. The inert bulk of the husks helps provide a constant volume of solid material irrespective of other aspects of the diet or any disease condition of the gut. Some recent research is also showing them to be promising in lowering cholesterol and controlling diabetes.
plant Plantain
Ground psyllium seed can be used instead of flour gluten-free baking, for roasting. You can even take a spoonful or two for regularity.

The psyllium used in laxatives is made of the seeds of a plantain.

Plantain psyllium is great used as a dietary fiber in products such as Metamucil etc.

Health Benefits of Psyllium Seed Husk
Go check out part one of this blog post: A DIY Life: Picking Plantain, An awesome medicinal yard weed.
psyllium seed

6/10/2014

Part 1- Picking Plantain – An awesome medicinal yard weed (Herb)

Plantain, the amazing herb/weed growing in your yard!

notthisPlantain is a weed to most people: It is common in most yards & can be used in your natural medicine cabinet, & this post will discuss some of the many ways to use plantain.

-Make sure to check out my second blog post on Plantain - A DIY Life: Picking Plantain – Part 2 Harvesting Psyllium

Check out The Homestead Survival website here, they shared this post on Plantain.
plant Plantain
Not a fruit plant: The plant I am referring to in this blog is not the banana fruit like plantains & not the fruit plantains leaves either. The plantain I am referring to is a green plant that grows in your yard with green leaves, many refer to it as a common weed, so now I hope we have that straight. Check out the 2 photos to help you & say it again, the plantain in this post is not a fruit but is a weed in your yard, & now we can proceed.

The plantain weed: Commonly hated lawn weed by many here is the US that can be seen & harvested in early summer to early fall.

This is a must have weed to add to your natural medicine cabinet
You might just go from hating this weed in your yard, to it being a gotta have plant in your yard.

It is time to fall in love with Plantain!

plantain
Lets get picking: After you finish reading all plantain can do you might find yourself out in the yard picking plantain leaves just like you would pick greens in your garden. You will be picking, chopping & mixing till your heart's content, & who cares if the neighbors see & that they think "there you go again being all sorts of crazy". But you know in the end that you are just crazy for a natural & frugal life. So get your crazy hat or bucket or whatever on & start picking with me.
plantain 4
Why you want Plantain: Here are just some of many natural ways to use plantain as medicine, it makes a great addition to DIY skin creams/salves. Plantain soothes & cools & heals burns/sunburns. Plantain draws out the toxins & the stingers from bug bites, bee, wasp & hornet stings & relieves the swelling & pain. Plantain is great for so many skin issues like eczema, impetigo, rashes & reactions to poison ivy/oak. Plantain is also great as an astringent for your face. It is a great addition to your nopoo routine to help heal dandruff & other scalp issues.  Plantain contains natural allantoin a phytochemical, & allantoin produces its desirable effects by promoting healthy skin, stimulates new skin cells & healthy tissue growth. Plantain is an anti-inflammatory that kills germs & speeds wound healing. Plantain is great used on adults & children. And the kids can help you pick them & prepare them too (ideas below).

Plantain is usually Broad-leafed is also called Ribwort, Plantago lanceolata, or Rat-tail Plantain.
plantain 3Weed or just wild, whatever you decide it is still an amazing plant. You gotta love walking out in your yard & picking your own wild salad. Plantain can be eaten raw or cooked & used almost anywhere you would use lettuce or greens. Great in salads, salsa, pesto, smoothies, juicing, & vegetarian meals, just use your imagination. Plantain makes a great wild picked substitution for so many dishes & it just happens to be a weed growing in most everyone's yard.

Weed definition: A plant considered undesirable, unattractive, or troublesome, especially one growing where it is not wanted, as in a garden.

Wild definition: adj. wild·er, wild·est. 1. Occurring, growing, or living in a natural state; not domesticated, cultivated, or tamed: wild geese; edible wild plants.

Plantain: is has beta carotene, calcium, ascorbic acid, vitamin K, allantion, apigenin, aucubin, baicalein, linoleic acid, oleanolic acid, sorbitol, &  tannin. When used in natural form as a  mild anti-anti- inflammaion, anti-microbial, anti-hemorrhagic, & as a  expectorant.It is great for wound healing, skin health & skin softening & as one of my fans said to me that taught college courses on herbs they could teach their whole class on just plantain & never need to look at another herb it is so amazing.

In herbal medicine: Plantain is great used as a poultice to draw out toxins & can be used fresh right from the yard, chewed or crushed & added right to the issue, it is great at drawing & healing infections & more & will even draw out stingers & splinters if left on to do the work. Also great for wounds, boils, cuts, burns, bites & stings, as a matter of fact a fast chewed leaf applied to a sting can stop any reaction.

Wild Food: Many use plantain leaves for everything from salads, soups, stir fry, teas & more 
The idea that this plant which grows in every sidewalk crack can save a life is something that deeply impresses children I have taught and changes their relationship to plants in general. With its vibrant green leaves, vertical ribs and basal rosette, the plant is easy to identify. It ranges in size from an inch or two long to the size of a medium hosta. (In fact I have a border of plantains in the garden bordering my hostas- the poor man’s hosta!)

plantain 1Pick some, & then go pick some more!

plantain 2The first thing to do is to determine if you have wild plantain to pick in your yard or near by, it is best to not pick plantain from the sides of the roads as these will be full of dust, dirt, toxins & other yuck. To see what broad leaf plantain looks like check out my pictures since that is the variety I have in my yard (More info, some recipes & pictures here & here ).

Pick them: Take a bowl or clean bucket or a cloth bag with you to pick plantain so you can pick plenty, the leaves seem to snap off just fine for me with just picking with my hands. I try not to get to many long stems on them, the new tender stems I do not mind though. I tend to pick the newer leaves as well for eating & use the older ones for my natural remedies. Make sure the plantain you are picking has not been sprayed with pesticides or chemicals.

plantain 5Wash them: No matter what way you are going to use the plantain greens the first order of business is washing them. Most websites state to just swish in cool water, but I know we have cats & dogs & our chickens love eating the plantain so they have been all in them & well you know. So I prefer to wash them with my normal DIY produce washes to remove germs & bacteria & any toxins that may have gotten on them.

A great basic wash: Add your plantain leaves to a bowl or the sink, add enough cool water to get all leaves wet & be able to swish them, add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar. swish the leaves with your hand & let sit about 10 minutes swishing them another time or 2, then simply drain them & rinse if desired. or instead of ACV you could add a couple tbsp. of baking soda &/or salt.

Cut them: For almost every way you are going to use plantain cutting them seems to work best, what I do is (Step 1) stack about 6 to 8 leaves while they are still wet, the wetness makes them stick together well, (Step 2) then roll them up into a log, cut off any extra stems & (Step 3) then cut into chunks/strips with a knife (pictures below) I find cutting them works best for salads & cooking along with making the natural remedies.
plantain b1

Lets get DIY with Plantain!

In most cases the infused vinegar & the infused oil can be used the same ways, so can chewing it, the whip, sludge, infused water, healing salve & tincture, it all pretty much depends on your personal preferences. And in most cases essential oils can be added if desired.

Chew: It is said the one of the best ways to use plantain for bites, stings, wounds & burns is to put a leaf in your moth & chew it to mush & apply. So if you are outside & get stung you have a fast way for relief. For a great blog post on using plantain for a "Quick Herbal Bug Bite Salve" go here.

plantain 9Plantain infused vinegar: Use any size jar with a sealing lid, I used a pickle jar & a Cafix coffee substitute jar.  Fill the jar 1/2 full with your cut plantain leaves, then fill the rest of the jar with apple cider vinegar. Using ACV is best because this vinegar will be used on your body. Screw the lid on & shake the jar, sit in a room temp cupboard or by a window, shake the jar every day or 2, takes about 2 to 3 weeks to be done, so adding the starting dates to the jar would be good. When it is ready simply strain out the leaves, & label your vinegar. The vinegar should last a long time. (✿◕ ‿ ◕✿Do not throw the leaves away that you strained out, there is a use for them too, see "Plantain Sludge" below).

Uses for the vinegar:
    spray bottle
  • Mix 50/50 in warm water as a conditioner for your hair (nopoo).
  • Add to misting spray bottle & use to spray bites, stings, cuts, burns & sunburns. Would also be great as a spray underarm deodorant.
  • Use as a face wash, face spray, astringent etc in your DIY beauty routine.
  • Spray on skin conditions
  • Add to your bath water & soak for sunburns, bites & stings.
  • Mix with Clay powder or baking soda & make a face mask.
  • Make into a poultice with bread or baking soda
  • Add to warm water for a foot soak to relive blisters & athletes foot.
  • Can also be used as a surface cleaner
Plantain infused oil: The oil is made the same way as the vinegar, follow the steps above, but instead of vinegar add oil like olive oil, sweet almond oil etc. But with oil you want to sit the jar in a sunny window if at all possible, shake one a day & it will be ready in about 4 to 6 weeks. Strain your leaves & label the oil. This oil should last around a year.(✿◕ ‿ ◕✿Do not throw the leaves away that you strained out, there is a use for them too, see "Plantain Sludge" below).

Uses for the oil:
    plantain (2)
  • mix it with raw coconut oil & whip it into body butter, use for skin care, puffy under eyes, bits & stings, as a pre conditioner for hair. Rub on sunburns, use as a foot or back massage lotion. Use as underarm deodorant.
  • Use as face moisturizer & for skin conditions
  • A face mask with clay powder
  • A poultice with baking soda.
  • I read one post for using this in oil pulling, so you might want to research that.
plantain waterPlantain infused water: Use your cut up fresh plantain, add 1 part plantain to 2 parts boiling water in a heat-resistant bowl or pot, stir, cover & let steep until cooled. Strain out the plantain leaves. Add water to labeled jar & add to the fridge. Stays good about 2 weeks, add 1 tbsp. of colloidal silver to extend its shelf life. Great to spray on skin, for rashes, sunburns, burns, for hair, scalp, face etc. Can also be drank as a tonic for illness & general health. (✿◕ ‿ ◕✿Do not throw the leaves away that you strained out, there is a use for them too, see "Plantain Sludge" below).

✿◕ ‿ ◕✿
Lets call it "Plantain Sludge": As I said above do not throw away the plantain that you strain out of the vinegar &/or oil, instead save it, add it to the blender with a little liquid if desired, like colloidal silver, distilled water, olive oil, vinegar or witch hazel. puree the leaves & liquid, add to a jar with a seal tight lid, label it & sit in the fridge. use it in DIY beauty recipes, on sunburns, in foot baths, on bug bites & stings, on skin issues, as a face mask etc. It will stay good a few weeks in the refrigerator or you can freeze it in ice cube trays then add to a zip lock bag in the freezer for it to last a lot longer.

Coconut oil whip with "Plantain Sludge": Add 3 to 4 tbsp. of "Plantain Sludge" & 1 to 20 tbsp. of olive oil to 1 cup of raw coconut oil, whip it by hand, with a hand mixer, with a blender or food processor, Use this whip on skin, skin issues, as a hair mask pre conditioner, on dandruff, on skin issues, bug bites & stings, poison ivy, rashes, acne, impetigo, dry skin, oily skin, scars etc.

Healing salve: In large non-metallic pan place one pound of cut up fresh plantain leaves, 1 cup of olive oil, raw coconut oil or pure lard. Put lid on the pot, cook on low. Cook until all the leaves are mush & the oil has turned green. strain before oil cools too much. Sore in airtight container. Use on bug bites/stings, rashes & other skin conditions, wounds & sores, sunburns & burns, moisturizing cream, night/wrinkle cream & as a chest rub. Optional: add essential oils after cooled.

Plantain Tincture: Fill a jar with cut up fresh plantain leaves, leaving about 1 inch at the top. Completely fill the jar with brandy or 100 proof vodka. Put the lid on & shake. Label & date & put in a dark cupboard for 6 weeks shaking every few days. This is a medicine with the power of plantain, & it can last for 2 to 3 years. Safe for internal & external use. Directions for use: 10 drops added under your tongue & held there 20 to 45 seconds, then swish in mouth & swallow,  or you could add it to a glass of pure water & sip making sure to swish around in mouth before swallowing. Aids in: drawing out toxins, infections, phlegm & mucus out of the mouth, sinuses & body.  Another tincture: You can make a similar tincture using rubbing alcohol, but it can only be used for external use.

Create a Natural Herbal First Aid Kit With Wild Plantain: Go here for info

Herb to Know Plantain: Learn all about the history and uses of plantain, one of the most widespread wild herbs in the world here.

What's cooking?

As I said earlier you can use plantain leaves/greens in salads, in juicing & so many other ways. I will share a few ways I made it & it was yummy.

plantain greensPan fried green n onions: I added olive oil & raw coconut oil to my pan & heated it to med/high, then I added 1 med sized diced onion & cooked till translucent, then I added a bit more olive oil, to this I added fresh picked, washed greens, Turnips & Spinach & the Plantain (if I had any Kale I would have added it to). Then I cooked until desired tenderness & add a couple caps of Bragg Vinegar & a pinch of natural unrefined salt & a pinch of course black pepper, & served with baked chicken, broccoli, & rice. Everyone loved them, I am thinking adding some spicy peppers would be even better. & it was a fast easy side to make.

Salad: Great mixed into salad, cut into strips like above, & toss in with other salad items.

Plantain tea: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil & add 2 tbsp. of the cut up fresh plantain leaves, cover & let steep for 5 minutes them sweeten with raw honey if desired. Used for coughs & colds, flu, allergies, congestion, bronchitis & asthma. Drink through the day, by sipping.

Go check out Part two of this blog post: A DIY Life: Picking Plantain – Part 2 Harvesting Psyllium

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