Saturday, February 23, 2013

How To Make A Healing Salve

This has nothing what-so-ever to do with food or poverty, but it's just a hobby of mine so I thought I'd show it to you guys because it does go along with my 'make it from scratch' way of living.

This is an amazing heal-all thing that my family and I have been using since I started making them almost a year ago. They have worked wonders on small cuts/scratches, burns, rashes (including and especially diaper rash), bug bites, and bruises. (skip to the bottom for a true story about these herbs)

Here I'm using extra virgin olive oil infused with comfrey, calendula, heal all, and a few other herbs my mom threw in.


For those of you who don't want to watch a video I'll write it out.

You need 1/4 oz of bees wax (found at health food stores. usually in 1 oz blocks.)
2 oz of herb infused oil (soak herbs of choice in oil of choice for 3+ weeks)
A glass measuring cup and a digital scale, set to oz.

Chip off the 1/4 oz of bees wax into the cup then strain the oil into it. Stick it in the microwave for 30 seconds then stir. Repeat until the wax is melted. Now you can add a few drops of essential oil for smell and added benefits. They are sensitive so don't add it before the microwave.

Now pour it into your containers. I used 1.25 oz containers I got in a 3 pack at Target in the travel section for under $2 but you could use anything really, even a mason jar.

I suggest using an old dish like a cookie sheet (I got mine for $1 at the dollar store) you don't use to catch any mistakes or drips.

Let them sit until they are solid and slightly milky rather then transparent.

Now for a story. About 5 years ago (or more) my mom broke her wrist being bucked off a spooked horse. Obviously we didn't have the money for serious treatment so the guy at the clinic just set it and put a brace on it. The brace was U shaped, wrapping around the elbow then out straight along the forearm to the knuckles on the top and bottom. The sides were exposed (he wrapped the whole thing with ace bandage) from the brace and it was also easily lifted away from the skin to expose the to of the wrist. So my mom would prepare a mixture of oil, comfrey, calendula, horse tail, and a few other healing herbs and smear the paste on the exposed sides. Then as the weeks went on she would lift the brace gently and smear it on the top and secure the brace back on. She did this every day and let it sit as long as possible on the skin. Her wrist healed back to full use and just as quickly (if not quicker) then a cast (or surgery) would have taken.

Take it how you will but herbs have powerful traits that, when used properly, can make a huge difference.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Tax Season!

I always file with Turbo Tax so I usually get my refund pretty early. I got mine yesterday so today I went out to buy the things on my 'tax season' list. This year I decided to get some nice metal shelves and set them up in our back bedroom. The heat doesn't go back there for some reason and we never go in there so it's always dark. Perfect place to store food.


Heres the opened box. I got them at Homedepot.


And here they are assembled. (Don't mind the bookshelf.)


And here they are full of stuff. The buckets are rice and sugar. I like to keep an opened one in the bucket for easier access.


I have all food on this one.


This one I have half food and half household.