resources for ordering Herbs

Over the years I have had good success ordering herbs from the following resources.

www.mountainroseherbs.com
www.frontiercoop.com

Not to mention during the season, many herbs come fresh from our garden.

Echinacea (echinnacea spp.) Every part of this plant contains immune-stimulating compounds, which help fight colds, flu and other infections. Echinacea can be made into tinctures or dried for teas.

Hyssop (Hyssopus officinalis) This mint contains compounds that ease coughs and congestion. Makes teas or tintures from the leaves and flowers.

Lavender (lavandula angustifolia) Fragrant, lavender blossoms calm stress, relieve indigestion, ease headaches and soothes burns. There are at least two dozen kinds of lavender; English Lavender is best for medicinal use. Lavender can be made into tinctures, bath salts, teas and beautiful bouquets.

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) valerina is a musty smelling root containing powerful sedative compounds that relieve stress, anxiety and insomnia. Harvest 2 year old roots in the fall, make tinctures or dry for teas.

Pass the Paprika

Ground from dried peppers, paprika can be smoky, fruity, or bitter. Applied topically, the capsaicin in peppers has been known to relieve headaches, psoriasis, and shingles. Pair smoked paprika with parsnips and butternut squash, sprinkle on poached for flavor and a splash of color.

Quick tip
Choose small quantities of whole spices over big jars of powders, which lose their flavor quickly. Mark the month and year of purchase and toss or compost after 2 years.

Bay Leaf

This venerable spice, a distant relative of cinnamon and avocado, is an unsung hero of the modern kitchen. Its aromatic, slightly astringent flavor is essential to countless stocks, soups, sauces, and marinades. For a sweet adventure, add a leaf to rice pudding, poached pears or stewed apricots. Or to scent the home, place a few leaves in boiling water on the stove, lovely lingering scent.

Cumin spice support digestion

Used as a medicine in ancient Egypt, cumin is still extolled for its health benefits: It's believed to stimulate the pancreatic enzymes responsible for digestion and the liver enzymes that handle detoxification. Incorporate cumin into black beans, or make a simple spice butter to service on corn on the cobb.
Just re-stocked my cupboard, going to alternate both cayenne and cumin in my water for the next few days, great way to support body cleansing, don't you just love it.

Curry up!

Curry powder- This spice blend contains nutritional heavy hitters like fenugreek, which relieves everything from bronchitis to menstrual cramps, and tumeric, whose potent antioxidants helps prevent cell damage. We like curry on most anything...eggs in the morning, delish with fresh herbs for salad dressing or a heavy dash in potato soup, comfort food.

Cinnamon a natural antiseptic

Cinnamon- Most cinnamon in the market today is actually cassia, the dried bark of a tropical laurel tree. The real stuff is lighter in color and sweeter in flavor. Cinnamon oil is a powerful antiseptic, and the spice is believed to help regulate blood sugar and cholesterol. Try a stick in your tea or Latte, delicious sprinkled on apple with raw peanut or almond butter. I like sprinkled on kefir, too.

another spicy tip...Black pepper

Black pepper- The world's most popular spice is so ubiquitous that its health value is often overlooked.(Capsaicin, the alkaloid that gives pepper its bite, stimulates digestion, circulation anf perspiration.) It is also a cooling agent. For a refreshing drink, try an Indian-style glass of sweetened lime juice and soda garnished with pepper.

A Fire Cider Tonic

Fend off viruses with zesty herbal vinegar. Try a tablespoon as needed when you're feeling unwell; drizzle on veggies for an immune boost.

Step 1 prep ingredients: 1/2 cup chopped ginseng root, fresh or dried, 1/4 cup grated ginger root, 1/4 cup grated horseradish root, and 1/8 cup chopped garlic.

Step 2 Add cayenne to taste. Pour in enough apple cider vinegar to cover the herbs by an inch or two, then seal tightly. Let sit for 4 weeks.

Step 3 Strain the herbs from the vinegar. Sweeten with raw honey or have it straight up, like I do. Burn baby burn, clears up the sinuses too.

A Rose is Just a Rose...never true in my book

Rosebud (rosa spp.) Rosebud is beneficial to the heart and brain and relieves colds, coughs and kidney complaints. Rosewater tastes sweet and revives tired skin and eyes. I love a few drops of Rose Absolute in my bath...along with some salts for tension relief.

Soothing Salts

A hot bath infused with dried herbs and salts helps to rejuvenate and relax the body.

Bath salts are fun, easy, and inexpensive to make. Personalize the mixture by adding the garden aromas of home-dried lemon-verbena, scented geranium leaves, rosemary, lavender flowers, or calendula petals. A few drops of your favorite essential oils, intensifies the fragrance.

My favorite salts
Epsom Salt: A hydrated form of magnesium sulfate named for the mineral-rich spring waters of Epsom, England.

Celtic Sea Salt: A brand of unprocessed salt with trace minerals from coastal France.

Himalayan Salt: A rock salt mined in Pakistan that sometimes has a pink tinge from iron oxide.

Healing combinations:

Invigoration, headache, and indigestion
2 cups salt
4 to 8 drops peppermint essential oil
1 or 2 Tablespoons dried rosemary leaves

Dermatitis
1 cup salt
1 cup Epsom salt
1/2 cup baking soda
4 to 8 drops lavender essential oil
1 or 2 Tablespoons dried calendula petals

Relaxation
2 cups salt
4 to 8 drops lavender essential oil
1 or 2 Tablespoons dried lavender flowers and rosebuds

Sore Muscles
2 cups salt
4 to 8 drops wintergreen or lemongrass essential oil
1 or 2 Tablespoons dried lemon verbena leaves

Tomorrow edition, A fire cider tonic, sure to cure just about anything, easy to make, store, and gentle on the budget.

Make the most of your Fridge

Simple steps can reduce your refrigerator's energy use.

SET IT TO THE APPROPRIATE TEMPERATURE, 35 to 28 degrees Fahrenheit.

PLACE YOUR FRIDGE IN A COOL PLACE.

ALLOW AIR CIRCULATION BEHIND THE FRIDGE.

CHECK THE DOOR SEALS.

KEEP THE DOOR CLOSED.

A little low on the creative juices?

Get exposed. Go to concerts, visit art galleries and museums, read widely, attend lectures and the theater. The more creative excellence you experience, the better your own work will be.

Soak up natural beauty. Being outdoors can contribute to the upswing in mood that generates creativity. Bring rocks, fowers, and plants into your workspace to sustain your connection to the world outside.

Keep good company. Surround yourself with other creative thinkers and share ideas. This will not only inspire you, but let you cross-fertilize too. Join an art society or an amateur theater or writers group. And if you can't find one, start one yourself.

Model creative behavior. Let your children see you reading, painting, or studying, and include them in outings to see others' work. Encourage out-of-the-box thinking rather than focusing on doing things "right."

Spend some time alone. Creative ideas often occur during moments of solitude. Build in some time each day to mull over the connections between things that happen, the people you know. Arrange the pieces of your daily life into meaningful mosaic.

Thank you Shelley Carson, PH.D. have had a bit of a slump with the creative juicy this rainy winter, found you inspiring and knew others would too.

More SlymMagic weight loss success!

Hi, this is Shay from shaysways.com -- this is my friend Lisa Pacifici, whom I've known since the 1980s. I am so proud of her! This is her story with SlymMagic:

Early in June, my friend Bobi Brown called me very late at night and shared with me the information about Slym Magic. I told her I was not interested, and I was busy with another company. Before we ended the call, she reminded me that I always wanted to find something that would help me with my own challenge with weight, which has been a battle all of my life.

The next day I called her back, and she then put Hernan on the phone and Barbara Dotts. They both shared their own stories and they were amazing. They both lost quite a bit of weight in a very short time. So right there and then, I signed up. I received the product on June 16th, 2010, and started to take it on that date.

On that very same day I had another experience that I will never forget. I met an angel that appeared at the Bank--our dogs introduced us... His name was Alberto Perusset. He happens to be one of the founders and owner of Malibu Marathon. He has been running marathons for 20 years. He invited me to come to the track and started to train me. He is the best trainer anyone could ever have. He also became a member of Global Smart Products and is building a very large business. Now that we have the Om product, it is very helpful for all the athletes.

So in short, my life has changed dramatically. I am very happy expecting to reach my goal by the end of March. I would like to achieve this by the next SlymMagic convention.

I just took a trip to Washington, D.C., did some business there and visited my Daughter in Maryland. For the first time in years, the airplane seat belt fit me and I didn't have to ask for an extension. The tray table came down and it didn't land on my stomach. Going to the bathroom in the plane was easy. The other thing I noticed is that I could pick up my purse from under the seat in front of me. I couldn't do that before. Walking down the aisle was also a breeze, I didn't hit people along the way. .

It feels like I have been released from a prison in my own body. I will be thin for the rest of my life. It is a knowing from deep inside me. I am so sure that I gave away all my clothes.

Well that's the story to date. I will keep everyone posted. For those of you taking the Slym Magic, make sure you take it and do not worry about the pounds on the scale. Just take it like you are taking your vitamins every day, and please add walking to your regimen. It makes a big difference. I love being able to move so easy. And the most important thing of all DRINK A LOT OF WATER!!! Everyone will get results with the product, just do not be attached to the outcome and when it should happen. Just take it.

If anyone has any questions about the product, please give me a call. I am happy to help.

Bye for now! With much love, -- Lisa P.