Comfrey Cottages

Forget-Her-Nots Every Flower Has a Secret

2012-01-27T20:59:00.002-06:00

Laurel’s mother passes away, just when she needs her most.. on the cusp of becoming a young woman. Her father immediately sells their home and moves them away from her mothers beloved gardens. Her grandmother is devastated and becomes withdrawn, even going so far as burning her own gardens!
Laurel starts school at a boarding school that her mother and her grandmother both attended. The only person she knows there is her cousin, Rose. She is lonely with few friends and deeply missing her mother, home and the supporting love of her grandmother.
Things begin to change one day when Laurel is giving a presentation in English class on the Victorian Language of Flowers. Strange sensations and thoughts begin to happen when Laurel interacts with the flowers she brought for the demonstration. She soon learns she has the ability to affect peoples lives with the flowers she shares with them! Giving a spinster teacher a bouquet transforms the teacher's life with a love interest, and soon Laurel’s secret is out. Other girls begin clamoring for Laurel to give them flowers to help with tests or attract a boy. Being only fourteen years old, Laurel doesn’t fully understand or have the ability to have control of her power and many unusual things begin to happen to the girls who receive requested tussie mussies and bouquets from her!
Ms. Suarez, who is in charge of the schools conservatory, takes Laurel under her wing and begins to reveal to Laurel her family legacy. Her grandmother finally recovers from the devastating grief of loosing her daughter, and joins in to help guide Laurel in learning to control her inherited power.
I highly recommend this book for young women. Very well written, entertaining, and enchanting. I found it a delightful read myself! Amy Brecount White has crafted an amazingly magical story!

Hugs to All who Visit Comfrey Cottages xx

HerbCraft – Spring eCamp

2012-01-26T09:09:00.001-06:00

(click the picture in the right column of this blog, to learn more)

My friend, Latisha Guthrie, is offering a new herbal opportunity, for those of you interested in awakening your senses in the natural world, with the excitement of a child again!

“Campers will receive:

Detailed instructions on how to prepare six of the most basic and effective types of herbal remedies

Lively video demonstrations of the entire medicine making process

Complete PDF instructions including step by step photos

Encouragement for engaging your wild and primal self with weekly activities offering you a chance to deeply reconnect with the nature that is right outside your door

Gentle guidance into the sacred use of herbs with spiritual bathing, flower essences, plant journey and incense

A private forum to share your experience with other HerbCrafters “

This eCamp will not be dependent on the season you are now experiencing, so will be suitable for anyone interested around the world! I like the idea of the forum too, as it will be so inspiring to visit and share with others in the camp! Please click on the HerbCraft calendula on the right column of this blog for more information and to sign up for notifications of when the camp begins. My little otter totem is especially excited about the spiritual bathing:)

Latisha’s Wild LifeNotes, a daily email containing an inspiring photo and quote, is a true joy! There is a clickable picture for her Wild LifeNotes information right under the HerbCraft picture, if you care to explore that also:)

I hope to go HerbCraft camping with many of you! This will be fun, educational and inspiring!

Big Hugs to all who visit Comfrey Cottages xx

Happy Australia Day!

2012-01-25T19:47:00.001-06:00

Happy Australia Day, to my Awesome Aussie friends!!

Free Webinars for You

2012-01-23T17:01:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow evening, Wednesday 26th, the American Herbalist Guild is offering a free webinar entitled From Seed to Safe Use: Defining the Modern Apothecary. It will be presented by Eric Yarnell, Eric 'McKey' McKinney, and R. Erin 'R.E.' Murrell. In this joint-lecture, they will explore both the history and the many facets of the modern day apothecary, all the way from seed to safe use. You must register ahead of time if you are interested and on the site, there is a spot to click to figure out what time it starts in your area.

The Color of Vitality: Seeing Healing Constituents in Healing Foods and Herbs, webinar, Tuesday February 7th., via the Sylvan Institute of Botanical Medicine, will be taught by Lisa Ganora. “ What are the purple, blue, and red antioxidants in berries and what do they do? What anti-cancer constituents do carrots, sweet potatoes, and Dandelion flowers share? What are the hidden companion molecules of colorful chlorophyll? In this webinar we'll explore using the senses to detect, evaluate, & understand some interesting constituents and the synergy among them.” Click the link to pre-register for this also.

The School of Modern Herbal Medicine has been presenting some awesome webinars. I don’t know why I didn’t think to share with all of you about them earlier! And yet again, click above as many of them are still available for viewing and their handouts for downloading:)

Webinars are a great resource for learning right from the comfort of your home! Enjoy, and please share if you do take advantage of any of these learning opportunities:)

Herbal and Honey Hugs to all who visit Comfrey Cottages xx

How to Grow Your Own Elderberry Trees

2012-01-19T09:49:00.004-06:00

One of the nicest things about running a blog, is all the new people you meet! They sometimes ask questions, and when I try to answer them, I learn new things also! So this post is dedicated to my friend Arya, who asked if I knew how to grow Elder from seed. She only sees the bush in areas that might be contaminated. I had the same problem a few years ago. They are all over my county, but many times they are a long creeks that are too near crop fields or roads. I am real fortunate that my friend Valorie bought a new home that had a huge old Elder stand growing already, in her garden area. I have been able to harvest there the last few years, but two years ago I did start some saplings from Possum Creek Herb Farm, and was amazed that the year after planting them, they flowered and later had berries! They are just two years old now, so not harvesting from them yet, but soon I will just be able to go into my own gardens for elderflowers and elderberries!

A few other sources I found are for buying Elder plants:
at Dave’s Garden site I found a seller in Florida
Elderberry Life - Missouri
Horizon Herbs - Oregon
Nature Hill – Nebraska
Raintree Nursery - Washington
Willis Orchard - Georgia
Thanks to my friend Anke of Herbology, I can now include a couple of Australian sources!
The Diggers Club
All Rare Herbs
Well, I have never grown an Elder from seed so I went off on a search and found some information.
At gardenguides.com I found this article for those of you who want to give it a try! I think I will try it also:)
Elderberry.com has planting and growing tips. Take time to look around the site for lots of information, discussions, and individuals who have Elder plants for sale also.
Now I am very sorry these sources for plants are for the US and Australia only. I would love it if readers from other countries would give me the links to their favorite sources, and then I will revise this post to include them!

Cecily Mary Barker picture
Herbal and Honey hugs to all who visit Comfrey Cottages xx

Elder Bark for Bruises

2012-01-18T14:20:00.002-06:00

One of the first tasks Sarah assigned to we Springfield Sanctuary year 1 folks, was to use elder bark to make a double infused bruise salve. First off is peeling the bark off

It peels quite easily and soon I had quite a bit peeled.
Next was to divide this peeled bark roughly into two piles.

Half went into the top pan of my double boiler with enough olive oil to well cover the bark. This smaller pan is fitted into a slightly larger pan, partially filled with boiling water.

(A double boiler can be any sort of arrangement where you have a smaller pan that fits into a larger pan. The idea of one is to fill the bottom larger pan with water that is heated to a boil, while the smaller pan sits inside it holding the substance you are infusing or melting. They are wonderful for melting chocolate, wax or other things that if put directly on the source of heat, would either burn or possibly burst into flames! Care must be taken to not have the bottom pan have so much water in it that when boiling it splashes water into the upper pan though, so that is something to watch for. You must not walk away from a double boiler either, as vigilance must be maintained to make sure it does not boil dry!)
The elder bark was infused by this method for two hours, then strained through a piece of a clean old cotton pillow case, (use what you have folks! no need to go buy anything special). I let it cool a bit and then gave the cloth filled with this infused bark some good hard squeezes to get every bit out I could. The other half of the fresh bark was then placed in the top pan of the double boiler and the first infused oil was poured over this new bark and again, infused for two hours. (I did end up having to add a little bit more olive oil to the second batch to make sure the elder bark was covered.)

Double infused elder bark oil
Sarah recommends that when you are using fresh plant material, it is best to wait three days to make sure any water content separates out.
The next thing was to make a bruise salve out of the oil. Using the double boiler method again, I heated the double infused elder bark oil in one pan and melted beeswax in another. You could just grate the beeswax right into the warming oil, if you prefer.

The usual proportions used in salves is 1 ounce of melted beeswax to 8 ounces of warmed oil. I always work on a glass cutting board, so after the warmed oil and melted wax have been combined, I just put a bit on the glass, so it cools quickly, and I can see if I would like it either a bit firmer (add more wax) or a bit looser (add more oil). You can see my little test blob in this next picture

When you have the oil and beeswax in the proportions you like, just pour into containers to cool.
My friend Marci, had given me some lovely lavender essential oil, so I added a few drops to part of the salve, as lavender eo is good for bruising also. The other part I just left plain though, as I am curious to see how the elder bark plain does with bruising and I like the smell of it just fine plain. In fact, I thought it smelled wonderful while heat infusing on the stove top! I have never used elder bark before, myself, have you? You haven’t?! Would you care to? Leave me a comment letting me know if you prefer to try a tin with or without the lavender essential oil and I will draw a name Saturday and mail the winner a tin to try!

So just what is the structure and function of skin? And how does a bruise form?

Skin is our largest organ, covering approximately 20 square feet. It helps regulate our body temperature and allows us to have the sensations of heat, cold and touch. It helps protect us from the elements and microbes. It performs an essential role in respiration in the form of perspiration. Vitamin D synthesis also occurs here.
Skin is divided into three layers:
Epidermis – Outmost layer, creates our skin tone and a waterproof barrier (It might make you wonder when I said that skin is a waterproof barrier, how this salve will affect a bruise. Well skin might be a waterproof barrier, but it readily absorbs other things, like this oil/salve)
Dermis – Beneath the epidermis, contain hair follicles, sweat glands, and tough connective tissue
Hypodermis/Subcutaneous Tissue – The deepest layer, made from fat and connective tissue
Bruises form when small blood vessels under the skin tear or leak, most often caused by a bump or fall. Blood leaks into surround tissue, causing the black and blue color. As bruises (contusions) heal, they can change colors, as they heal, from purplish black, to reddish blue, or yellowish green. Initially, the bruise can appear quite red. It is the hemoglobin in the red blood cells, and the breakdown products of hemoglobin, that causes these colorful changes.
Most bruises are not cause for concern. You should be aware though, that if you have a severe bruise form, swelling and pain that begins within 30 minutes of an injury, you might have a sprain or fracture.
It is possible to get a bruise and not even remember what you did to cause it. As we age, we loose our some of the fat under our skin, causing it to be thinner and less flexible. This change, along with skin exposure, causes blood vessels to break easily. When blood vessels break, bruising happens.
Ladies are more prone to bruising than gentleman, especially in areas like the buttocks, upper arms and thighs. A tendency to bruise easily can even be a family trait.
Sometimes a bruise will travel in the direction of gravity, so a leg bruise might take longer to heal than one on the arm, for example.
Arnica , Calendula , and Comfrey are a few herbs which might also help heal a bruise. If you find you bruise easily, you might consider adding Bilberry to your diet. It helps strengthen and protect capillary walls, which makes it a good addition to help any bruise heal and to help prevent new ones.
Big Hugs to all who visit Comfrey Cottages xx

Guide to Finding Elder Trees in Winter

2012-01-07T21:41:00.001-06:00

Elder tends to be between 5 and 10 foot tall,( but I have read some types grow taller), with branches that branch outwards from the base. They sucker, so it is common to find multi-stemmed sprawling thickets.

You can see in the above photo how many branches rather grow swooping out from the base. Some do grow more upright and don’t show the graceful swoop until they are loaded with leaves, flowers/berries.

A telling feature for identification is the warty like growths on the bark. Just little rough raised areas, (scabrous),as you can see in the above picture.The bark itself looks rather grayish with a very light red cast to it.

When cut, you can see the stem is filled with a light, porous pith.

I hope this helps any of you who are having trouble identifying elderberry trees in the winter!

Big herbal and honey hugs to all who visit Comfrey Cottages xx

New Herb Group being offered in Derby!

2012-01-06T09:48:00.001-06:00

Debs Cook, in the Derby area, has started the Herbal Haven Herb Group. Visit the link for all the details! Promises to be a fun, and interesting learning and networking experience!

A New Year, A New Herbal Journey – Springfield Sanctuary Apprenticeship

2012-01-02T19:14:00.001-06:00

I am very pleased to share that the new year brings a new herbal journey. I have been accepted for the Springfield Sanctuary apprenticeship program with Sarah Jean Head of the Tales of Kitchen Herbwife blog.

The first thing Sarah asked us to do was to pick 20 herbs to study this year, with one of those being our herbal ally. These are the ones I chose:

angelica Angelica archangelica

bergamont Monarda fistulosa

burdock Arctium lappa and Actium minus

calendula Calendula officinalis

chamomile Matricaria discoidea

cleavers Galium aperine

comfrey Symphytum officinale

dianthus Dianthus armeria in wild and Dianthus

caryophyllus in garden

evening primrose Oenothera biennis

hyssop Hyssopus officinalis

lavender Lavandula angustifolias

meadowsweet Filipendula ulmaria

milk thistle Silybum marianus

nettle Urtica dioica

self heal Prunella vulgaris

st. john’s wort Hypericum perforatum in garden

Hypericum punctatum in wild

vervain Verbena officinalis

violet Viola striata, Viola sororia and numerous others native and Viola odorata in the garden

yarrow Achillea millefolium

with Rose being my herbal ally choice. Rosa ssp. (the different types I have available are just too great to list at this time!)

Rosehip Fairy by Cicely Mary Barker

I have included more than one Latin name in places, as I use both garden and the wild plants when medicine making. I will attempt to differentiate between the different types when doing the tasks this year. Perhaps doing the assigned tasks with each of the different species and seeing if I can discern any difference.

For those of you with interest, I have linked on my side bar to some of my fellow apprentices blogs. Sarah sent us several tasks to start out with already! It will be such a pleasure to be working with an herbalist that is so knowledgeable and eager to share that knowledge with us! What a beautiful way to start 2012 :)

Big Herbal and Honey Hugs to all who visit Comfrey Cottages xxx

The Language of Flowers – Book Review

2011-12-28T17:43:00.002-06:00

This novel touched me on so many levels and plucked so many emotional heart strings. Vanessa Diffenbaugh has crafted a magical book that takes the reader through a journey of loneliness, solitude,rejection, hate, grief, mistrust, love, redemption and hope.
Victoria has spent a life time in the foster care system. She turns eighteen and is emancipated. She is unable to feel a connection to other people, and instead is immersed in a world dominated by flowers and their meanings, as learned from the Victorian language of flowers. She is alone and homeless, when a florist learns of her unique ability to choose flowers that will help the flower shop customers with their own problems. A flower vendor at the flower market enters Victoria’s life and forces her to examine her life and face a painful secret, which changes her destiny.
Vanessa Diffenbaugh was inspired to write The Language of Flowers from her own experiences as a foster mother. While researching flower dictionaries, she noted that there were discrepancies between them and sometimes the same flower would be said to mean two or more different things. The more she researched, the more discrepancies she found! Therefore, she has included in this book, a flower dictionary she has made using either the science behind each flower, the most popular or frequent meaning, or the meaning she best liked. I think she did a brilliant job!
I don’t often spend money on novels, as I just don’t have room in the budget for both novels and the herbal books I need for my studies, but this novel is one I am going to definitely buy. Not only because I want to reread it whenever I like, without going to the library, but I also want the flower dictionary part as part of my herbal/plant library. Besides the fact, as Lily gets older, I think this book will help teach some valuable lessons. One being that love can overcome even the worst secret we might hold.
Vanessa Diffenbaugh is the founder of the Camellia Network. The mission is to create a nationwide movement to support youths transitioning from foster care.
Using the Language of Flowers, I thank all of you who read and comment at Comfrey Cottages

Bellflower – Gratitude
And in the coming New year I wish you each

Celadine – Joys to Come
Herbal and Honey Hugs to all who visit Comfrey Cottages xxx

Fabulous Find (pssst something for those menopausal power surges)

2011-12-11T15:38:00.001-06:00

This spring, I hosted the UK Herbarium group blog party one month and my dear friend Rita contributed her recipe for elderflower cordial to the party. When our elderflowers bloomed I gathered some and followed her recipe. Simply delicious and I began to just crave a nice cold glass of water mixed with the cordial in the evenings. Coincidentally, I started sleeping like a newborn baby… I eventually ran out of the cordial … and started sleeping poorly again…The other day I just developed this powerful CRAVING for the cordial and thought, well I will just make a batch with some elderflower I had dried.. in the meantime I wrote Rita and told her how I was craving it and mentioned that strangely, I had not slept as well in the last few months as I did while enjoying the cordial nightly. She said she had never heard of elderflower as a sleep aid either, so I went to my bookshelves and just chose Backyard Medicine by Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal to reference. I figured I would just pour through all the different books and try to figure out just why this cordial made me sleep so soundly! Well right away I see that in that book, the cordial is recommended for hot flashes! A light bulb went off and I have it figured out! You see I thought I was through with my hot flashing part of menopause. I no longer can count up to 35 distinct power surges per hour, wake up so drenched I have to change night shirts 6, 7, 8 times a night. I occasionally feel a bit of a surge, but nothing like I used to feel. The rapid pulse, anxious almost anxiety type of feeling. And I have just attributed my poor sleep pattern of waking several times a night on the kitties wrestling on the covers or one of them cuddled up in my tummy too tight to why I was just a bit too hot…well I know now I must be still having hot flashes, just not as severe, so that is why the elderflower cordial helps me sleep so well.. it is controlling the power surge and keeping me at an even keel! lol! Now in looking back at the really intense flashes I must say I did use cold elderflower tea quite a bit, and it did help, but I believe if I would have been making this cordial then, and just keeping a thermos of cool water and cordial with me at all times I would have had a much, much easier time of it, ( and lets face it, the cordial just tastes yummier than the tea so would have used it more). I had to rush and share this with all of you, hoping that it will help one of my hot flashing mama friends deal with her power surges too:)

Children love this cordial too. Don’t worry, perfectly safe for them!

Lily squeezing all the juice out of the lemon slices

And enjoying her cordial!

Big honey and herbal hugs to all of you who visit Comfrey Cottages xx

On My Mind… Heirloom Roses

2011-12-08T17:27:00.001-06:00

The hemisphere I live in is fast approaching winter. It was gloomy, a little snowy and cold when I came home and found my Heirloom Roses catalogue in the mailbox. I changed into some comfy fleece pants, made a cup of tea with both rosehips and rose petals and settle back to enjoy the catalogue with visions of spring dancing through my mind. As I wishfully peruse each page, I read each flowers description with the avidness of a wine connoisseur reading the wine list at an upscale eatery…the fragrance is my weakness, with the actual beauty being secondary. Tess of the d’Urbervilles, fragrance: exceptional, Myrrh; Lexy, fragrance: Moderate, Spicy; Crocus Rose, fragrance: Very, Tea; Lilian Austin, fragrance: Very, Clove; Strawberry Hill, fragrance: Very, Myrrh/Lemon; Tea Clipper, fragrance: Very, Citrus; CL Iceberg, fragrance: Moderate, HONEY!!!; Galaway Bay, fragrance: Very, Old Rose; Creme de la Creme, fragrance: Moderate, Fruity; Veilchenblau, fragrance: Very, Orange; Cecile Brunner: fragrance, Light, Pepper, Spice… I have a giddy, heady feeling just reading these descriptions.

I will eventually come down to earth and sort through first by fragrance, then by beauty and bloom time, of course, keeping in mind my actual planting zone, but in the meantime… what is on my mind is fragrance…and away I drift on a waft of rose scent….

This is my contribution to Herbology’s What’s on my mind blog post.

Big herbal and honey hugs, and a bit of rose scent thrown in, to all who visit Comfrey Cottages xxx

Just Peachy!

2011-11-09T14:31:00.001-06:00

Remember when we picked all these peaches? (btw, that is Mama Peppermint) Well besides canning a lot of peaches, we also used the peels to start a peach vinegar and used some of them to make a spicy peach vinegar ala Mrs. Reppert! The spicy peach recipe was inspired by the book Mrs. Reppert’s Twelve Month Herbal and I received permission to share it with you all

Insert enough small size peaches to fill up a wide mouthed-jar. Then add several whole cinnamon sticks, 1/4 cup of whole cloves, and 1/2 cup of sugar. Completely cover with white vinegar ( I used homemade apple cider vinegar) and set in the sun ( I left mine on countertop). I started mine at the end of August and just strained it out. What a lovely rich color and the taste is heavenly!

I can’t wait to try mine as a lovely Peach Honeygar, one of the ways Mrs. Reppert suggested to use it. Other ways being a dollop in marinades, in sauces, in yogurt for a dressing for fresh fruit compotes, added to coleslaw, and to enhance gravies.

The peaches themselves will be used as garnishes

The peach peel vinegar was made in another jar

I just filled this jar with the peach peels, covered the peels with spring water, added a couple big spoons of our bees honey, and about 1/2 cup of our homemade vinegar with a nice piece of the mother with it. A piece of cheesecloth is used to cover it, so air can still get in. I also started this at the end of August and just got around to straining it. ( I had been checking on it, periodically to make sure the fluid level was still good in it)

Such a beautiful and lovely, light tasting peachy vinegar!

For those of you unfamiliar with the term honeygar, it is about 1 tablespoon of raw unfiltered honey, and one tablespoon of vinegar, in a glass of water that is just warm enough to make the honey mixable without being so hot it destroys the benefits of the honey. You can either sip it while warm or serve it cold. Very delicious and very good for you.

Big herbal and honey hugs to all who visit Comfrey Cottages xx

Fabulous Finds Friday

2011-11-06T12:30:00.001-06:00

So it is Sunday instead of Friday, my bad:)

I love to have a healthy breakfast of using either quinoa, steel cut oats, or groats, but frankly, find it a nuisance to take the time to stand there and watch and stir the pot first thing in the morning, while trying to get things in order so I can dash out the door to tend Dylan and Ariana. While looking for oat recipes this morning, I happened upon a way of cooking that is new to me, and I can see where I will be incorporating this method often from now on. Thermos Cooking! On the site you will find this is an energy efficient, and time saving manner in which to cook oats, millet, quinoa, pastas, and other things. I am sure I will be making the oats, quinoa, and groats methods often, and like the idea it is something I can do and take with me on the run if I am running late. Just adding whatever extras like dried fruits, cinnamon, honey, or milk, and I will have a power packed breakfast I can slurp on the run or wait and share with the children.

I decided to follow the steel cut oats recipe to see how I like it…

First I filled my thermos with boiling water. This makes your thermos hot so when you add the boiling cooking water, that water can actually start cooking your oats, not loosing heat energy on heating up the thermos… I left mine in the thermos about 5 minutes and then poured the water back into the teakettle and it only took a few seconds to bring it back to boil. I halved the recipe and used 1/2 cup of the steel cut oats and 1 and 3/4 cups of boiling water. Added all of this to the thermos and put it on its side and waited 40 minutes, shaking periodically as I passed by while doing other chores…

One perfectly cooked, fuss free bowl of oats for breakfast:)

The next thing I have to share comes from Elizabeth Gowing, who wrote the book, Travels in Blood and Honey; Becoming a Beekeeper in Kosovo. Honey Apple pie with honey pastry. Oh my!!! Follow the link for the recipes!

And speaking of apples… Sarah, of Tales of a Kitchen Herbwife, shared some luscious apple recipes on a recent post you will find at that link:)

One last link is to my friend Anke’s fab site Herbology. In this post she gives us several delectable cordial recipes and a wonderful natural cleaner recipe using lemons:)

Well I must dash, my brother Eric is hosting friends of ours from out of town and I want to go visit with them:) More fabulous finds later!

Big herbal and honey hugs to all who visit Comfrey Cottages

Fabulous Finds Friday

2011-10-28T09:30:00.001-05:00

I thought it might be fun to start sharing some of my fabulous finds on Fridays

I found a lovely homesteading blog:) Lori’s Latest… and Other Tales from the Homestead. I love this banana chip recipe she shared! Yum! I adore banana chips but never had a great recipe before:)

Common Sense Homesteading is another fabulous blog:) Laurie shares about a variety of topics, including self sufficiency, homesteading, herbals, wonderful recipes, natural health and an array of other lovelies

Born in the Wrong Century rather says it all doesn’t it? Nichole has some really unique and great recipes in her index and her to make list!

I found these labels in one of the local stores, and I am in love! Always such a hassle to remove old labels when reusing jars. Now, simply wash away the old with water!

Another great find was this lovely Care2 network group: Green Apples, Green Gardens, Green Homes, Green is the Word! My lovely friend started the group as a place to share our ideas for greening our lives:) I invite you to come visit there and exchange thoughts and ideas!

I hope some of these things might be useful to you also:)

Big hugs to all who visit Comfrey Cottages! xxxx

Serving as the Dining Room Table

2011-10-22T08:31:00.001-05:00

I took time to stretch out on the sofa recently, and soon found myself covered in kittens. (The white kitty is our oldest cat, Rose Marie). Mama Peppermint came into the room and was rather frantically calling out, looking for them, so I called her over….

She jumped up and immediately lay down for them to nurse…

and received a well deserved wash up from Earl Jr. afterwards..

And yes, we still have all the kittens! They are nearing 5 months old so I have a feeling they are staying right where they are, in our home, with their mother who still will search them out to snuggle and nurse them. I see everyday how much she loves her babies, and have no desire to separate them. If karma chooses someday to send a special person my way, who wants and needs a cat, I might consider letting one go to a new home, but not now, no way will I break up this family. When I found Peppermint, part of her healing was a promise, a promise to keep her safe and happy for all time, and that included her unborn babies.

Hugs to all who visit Comfrey Cottages xxx

Our Cloudpaw, is still having issues with his leg injuries, but we are improving! A post about his herbal journey soon!

Making Horehound Toffee with Lily

2011-10-12T20:01:00.001-05:00

I just love it when I find an herbal book at a flea market, used book store or other spot, and it turns out to be a treasure. So it is with a recent find, The Complete Book of Herbs and Spices by Sarah Garland. This book is just full of useful recipes for using herbs and spices in cooking, cosmetics, soaps, herbal remedies, dyeing and much more. There are lovely botanical watercolors and photographs throughout with wonderful diagrams also. The history and traditions section and the monographs are very good also.

Lily and I decided to try this nice recipe for making Horehound toffee, from the book. We really like it and think you will also:)

Horehound Toffee

3 sprigs of horehound (ours has already been harvested and dried so we decided to use 2 tablespoons to make it nice and strong with the medicinal qualities so we can use our candy as cough helpers also)

2/3 cups soft brown sugar

2 tablespoons of molasses

the juice of 1/2 orange

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Pour 1 1/4 cups boiling water over the horehound and leave to infuse for 30 minutes

Strain, pressing to extract the juice. Pour the liquid into a heavy pan and add the remaining ingredients.

Comfrey Cottages

Forget-Her-Nots Every Flower Has a Secret

HerbCraft – Spring eCamp

Happy Australia Day!

Free Webinars for You

How to Grow Your Own Elderberry Trees

Elder Bark for Bruises

Guide to Finding Elder Trees in Winter

New Herb Group being offered in Derby!

A New Year, A New Herbal Journey – Springfield Sanctuary Apprenticeship

The Language of Flowers – Book Review

Fabulous Find (pssst something for those menopausal power surges)

On My Mind… Heirloom Roses

Just Peachy!

Fabulous Finds Friday

Fabulous Finds Friday

Serving as the Dining Room Table

Making Horehound Toffee with Lily

Nakey Trees

September blow soft,-Till the fruits’ in the loft…

Drift Watch -- Register your Pesticide Sensitive Area Here!

Full Disclosure!

Herbal Thirst Quenchers – July Herbarium Blog Party

Ooooo I would like some vodka please!

Forgive Me!

Elderflower Cordial and a Roadtrip

The Apothecary's Daughter( book) and Victorian Pharmacy (video)

The Birth House

Brilliant Idea for Drying Herbs and Peppermint and Kitten Update

Our Chevy Chase Style Vacation Part One

Update! Four little kittens…

Three Little Kittens..

May Pictures

Cats and Herbs and Honey : Meet Peppermint

Lesson 7 Village Herbalist Independent Study Course

Michelle’s Birthday Trip to The Farm and The Oaks on Seventh Tearoom

After Some Weeding… And Referring Back to Lesson 3

Road Trip Fun in Manito, IL

Divide, Thin and Replant

Congratulations to Anke Bialas and Herbology at Home

Next UK Herbarium Blog Party May 20th! Flower Essences

Congratulation to The Herb Channeler!

Finally started vegetable gardening

Our Wedding/ Garden Arbor

Keeping a Blogger Friend Close in My Heart

UK Herbarium April Blog Party!

Foraging and gardening, A Family Affair!-blog party entry :)

April Blog Party Announcement

Thank You Nancy Reppert and Rosemary’s Sampler xx

Signs of Spring at Comfrey Cottages

I see Sunshine! Time for the Field Guides!

Talking about Bees with the Daisy Scouts

Ever Eat a Pine Tree? Research and Book Gems

Got a Lot of Eggs?

A History of Scottish Herbs

Earth Ways Project 2011

White Pine (Pinus strobus) by JoAnn Quattrone

Herbal Ally Challenge #4 - Impressions

Herbal Ally Challenge #1 – Complete… for now!

Pinus Strobus – White Pine Pictures

Mighty Old Cottonwoods, Eagles and other Bits

White Pine-Herbal Ally Challenge and Tree Year Project started

Snow Pictures for Rita and A Wonderful Discovery!

My Buzzy’s Best!

St. Brigid Day- Imbolc

The Tree Year – White Pine

More on the Herbal First Aid kit, Inspiration Board and Soap!