Dusting the Cat – The Shoestring Herbalist
I am a crazy cat lady. I have four cats at home, and I feed a feral neighborhood stray. All of my cats are “rescue” cats. They all have complex stories and complex personalities to boot. One of my cats is astonishingly fragile. Gamera (named for the Japanese movie monster) was the kitten of a […]
Black Eye Treatment – Herbal First Aid
Accidents happen. Most people aren’t lucky enough to go through life without getting at least one shiner. A black eye is basically a bruise around the outside of the eye. Technically known as a periorbital hematoma, it’s basically a facial bruise caused, as are all bruises, by bleeding under the skin.The delicate tissue around the […]
Athlete’s Foot Spritzer
Foot fungus is easy to heal with proactive management. This natural spray is inexpensive to make and easy to use. It combines yarrow with powerful essential oils to dry out the fungus while encouraging our own immune systems to fight against further infection. The vinegar base does wonders to stabilize our natural pH balance. The […]
How to Make an Herbal Cold Infusion: Moon Tea
There are many ways to make a great cup of tea. Usually, just dropping a bag of herbs into hot water is fine. Those who know their plants realize one brewing technique does not fit all. St. John’s wort flowers, nettle leaves or lemon balm leaves are excellent examples of deeply healing herbs that lose […]
Mushroom Santa Claus – The Shoestring Herbalist
Autumn is mushroom season. The valley I live in gets lots of rain and is surrounded with beautiful forests. This is the valley of fungi. For the Shoestring Herbalist, this means it’s time to get busy. It may seem driving out to the woods to spend hours rooting around on your hands and knees for […]
Practical Herbalist Mushroom Trip (Beginner Tips Included)
This year is a good year for mushrooms and the Practical Herbalist team found a gold mine. The prized nuggets we pulled from the good earth were in the form of chanterelles. Heavy rains soaked our little valley for weeks this fall. This is bad news for grapes and late season tomatoes but excellent news […]
Zing in a Cup – Shoestring Herbalist
The beginning of autumn is rough on the body. The cold, the rain, the wind … all of these factors challenge our immune systems as we adapt to the change in seasons. School starts and all those little people gather indoors to share ideas and germs. Time to heat up the teapot. Even stalwart coffee […]
Treating a Pinched Nerve Naturally with Herbs – Herbal First Aid
One of the most common on the job injuries is compressed nerves, commonly called “pinched nerves.” It occurs when a nerve or bundle of nerves become caught between narrow spaces such as bone, tendons or ligaments with little tissue to protect them. These injuries are most often noted in the back. Left untreated, a pinched […]
Natural Fabric Conditioner – The Shoestring Herbalist
I’ve always been a firm believer in doing things the simplest way possible. The money in my pocket took work to get there, and it doesn’t make sense to me to waste it. I take pride in finding the easiest and most effective path on my chosen journey of natural living. I’ve found a few […]
How-to do an Herbal Foot Bath
Soaking your feet in a basin of soothing herbal infusion is more than relaxing, it’s potent medicine. There are lots of capillaries ending on the feet that can serve as little highways of health to the rest of the body. All it takes is a few simple tools and a comfy chair in which to […]
Athlete’s Foot – Herbal First Aid
Athlete’s Foot is a chronic problem in gyms and locker rooms. As a fungus (dermatophytes), it thrives in warm, moist, sheltered environments and feeds on keratin. Keratin is a protein that forms the base for skin, nail and hair production. Rarely, Athlete’s Foot can be caused by yeast but it is treated the same way. […]
Spiced Asian Pear Brandy Cordial
Imagine a cold winter day. You’re sitting by the fire with a snifter of brandy in your hand. As you raise the glass to your lips, you smell the gently fruity scent of pears mingled with the spicy aroma of ginger. The first sip warms your tongue and throat. The second sip brings a smile […]