Do It Gorgeously: How to Make Less Toxic, Less Expensive, and More Beautiful Products (49 page)

9.
Carefully drop the stem into the hole you’ve created and gently pack the soil around the stem. Water well.

10.
Place a plastic bag over the pot and tuck the edges under. You don’t want to seal it completely.

11.
Place the cutting in your home, out of direct sunlight. Make sure the soil stays damp until the cutting has established roots (you can tell by gently tugging on it—if there’s resistance, you have roots). Once roots are established, you can plant your cutting either in your yard or in a planter.

Medicinal Garden

You can grow your own medicine chest right in your backyard. I find this incredibly exciting, because herbal remedies can be very expensive to buy and by growing your own, you’re ensuring yourself a supply of remedies to help with many common ailments. Many of these herbs, flowers, and roots can be grown in the United States, but you’ll have to research the temperature and soil conditions needed for each individual plant before choosing it for your specific region.

You will need to start most of these plants from seeds, as seedlings will be hard to find. You will then harvest and dry the flowers, leaves, roots, or seeds to prepare medicinal tinctures, powders, teas, or pastes.

MY MEDICINE CHEST

These are some of the herbs that I love to grow in small raised beds in my yard.

• Violets: These beautiful purple flowers have a plethora of medicinal benefits. I make an infusion from the leaves to maintain good breast health and to help with congestion from a cold.
  
• Calendula: I use the dried calendula flowers to make an infusion for many of my homemade skincare preparations, as it’s great for irritated or dry skin.
  
• German chamomile: I use the dried flowers to make infusions for my skincare preparations, and also as a tea to aid digestion and sleep.
  
• Lemon balm: An infusion or tincture from the leaves makes a great mosquito repellant and works well on inflamed skin conditions, such as herpes, sores, and insect bites.
  
• Milk thistle: I prepare a tincture to help with liver dextoxification, or just munch on the flowers.
  
• Echinacea: I prepare a tincture from the roots to help strengthen my immune system.
  
• Feverfew: The flowers (dried or fresh) can be steeped in hot water to make a tea for headaches, migraines, and arthritis.
  
• Evening primrose: I eat the leaves as salad greens, which is great for PMS, menstrual problems, and even for treating multiple sclerosis.
  
• Peppermint: An infusion from the leaves can relieve gas, bloating, and all kinds of digestive disorders.
  
• Valerian: A great herb to grow for those with insomnia. I chop up the roots and steep in boiling water as a sleep aid.
  
• Hyssop: I use the fresh or dried leaves to prepare a hot infusion for nasal congestion and bronchial irritation.
  
• Slippery elm (the bark): This is my go-to herb for sore throats or an irritated digestive tract. When growing my own, I use the dried inner bark to prepare a fine powder, which can be added to teas, soups, and oatmeal.
  

You should be able to buy all your medicinal herbs from Garden Medicinal and Culinaries (www.gardenmedicinals.com).

PLANNING YOUR MEDICINAL GARDEN

It’s a good idea to spend a little time researching the herbs you might want to include in your backyard pharmacy. If you have kids, you may favor herbs that will deal with coughs and colds, such as sage and thyme, whereas if you are menopausal you may want to include black cohash and red raspberry leaf. To further research the medicinal benefits of a huge variety of herbs, visit Plants for a Future (www.pfaf.org).

The illustration on Green Girls Grow! shows how I planned my medicinal garden. Obviously, try to plant the taller, bushier plants at the back of the bed and the smaller ones at the front. I always plant mint separately in planters, as it takes over the entire bed. I also plant calendula separately, as it attracts aphids.

HOW TO HARVEST AND USE MEDICINAL PLANTS

Harvesting:
As far as harvesting is concerned, it depends upon which part of the plant you will be using—flowers, leaves, seeds, or roots.

Drying and storing:
Unless you are going to use your herbs right away, I suggest drying them. Here’s how to do it in the oven.

1. Put your oven on its lowest setting.
   
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and evenly spread out your herbs.
   
3. Place the sheet in the oven for 3 to 5 hours, leaving the oven door ajar.
   
4. Allow the herbs to cool, then crumble them up and store in an airtight, dark glass container for up to 1 year.
   

To air dry them, try this method.

1. Gather your herbs in bunches and tie with either twine or a rubber band.
   
2. Hang them upside down in a warm room for 2 to 3 weeks, or until they feel dry and crispy.
   
3. Strip the leaves and flowers off the stems and store them in an airtight, dark glass container for up to 1 year.
   

Infusion or tea:
An infusion is a fancy name for a tea. Here’s how to make an herbal infusion.

1. Place the washed and chopped or dried plants in a glass measuring cup and cover with boiling water (2 tablespoons of herbs needs approximately 2 cups of water).
   
2. Leave to steep for half an hour.
   
3. Strain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve. Drink right away.
   

Tincture:
Tinctures use alcohol to extract the healing properties from a plant. This method works well when using roots.

1. Fill a mason jar with the root or herb and cover with 80-proof vodka.
   
2. Run a spatula around the inside edge of the jar to disperse any air bubbles. Seal and leave the jar in a cool, dark spot for 3 to 4 weeks.
   
3. Strain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve and pour into small, dark glass bottles. Will keep for up to 5 years.
   

Infused (macerated) oil:
This is a similar method to the tincture, only oil is used instead of alcohol. Prepare the oil this way.

1. Pick out a base oil in which to infuse your herbs (it can be any base oil, but I like to use olive, sweet almond, or jojoba).
   
2. Place 2 cups of oil in a heavy saucepan. Add 3 tablespoons of the herbs and heat over a very low heat for about 20 minutes.
   
3. Strain through a cheesecloth-lined sieve and pour into dark glass bottles. Will keep for 6 months.
   

Balm:
You won’t believe how easy it is to make herbal lip balms or ointments.

1. Prepare an infused oil, as detailed on the previous page, but use just 1 cup of oil and 2 tablespoons of herbs.
   
2. Before you take the oil off the heat, add 2 tablespoons of beeswax and allow it to melt. (If you are making a lip balm, halve the amount of wax and add 1 teaspoon of raw honey along with the beeswax.)
   
3. Pour into a dark glass jar or a tin. Will last for 1 year.
   

Medicinal Salad

One of the most delicious ways of eating some medicinal herbs is to make a salad from their leaves and flowers. Here is my favorite salad, which is not only wonderful for your skin, digestion, and immune system, but also incredibly pretty.

Yields:
2 servings

1.
Mix all the greens, cheese, and almonds in a large bowl.

2.
Add the olive oil, lemon juice, agave, and seasoning.

3.
Toss well and enjoy with a slice of warm sourdough baguette.

Toxic Horrors Lurking

Cleaning your entire home with nontoxic, homemade cleaning products is one of the easiest steps you can take toward becoming green. There is no good reason to have to spend your hard-earned money on cleaning products that supposedly “kill 99% of germs” or will give you that “gleaming shine” in seconds, without scrubbing. Many of these products are highly toxic and contribute to terrible indoor air quality. It’s staggering how many toxic chemicals are actually used in household cleaners. The Cancer Prevention Coalition (www.preventcancer.com) lists hundreds of chemicals in cleaners that can seriously affect your health.

The great news is that you can easily make your own household cleaners for a fraction of the cost, and I promise that they will kill just as many germs and create a brilliant shine on all your surfaces. I can’t, however, promise that these homemade cleaners will provide you with miracles. Many of these dangerous chemicals can indeed dissolve grease in seconds, but I would be very wary of any cleaner that produces such instant results. Chlorine bleach gets your whites white while eating away at the fabric, your skin, and your respiratory system.

I’m obsessed with a clean-smelling home. I love beautiful scents in every room, so many of my recipes will perfume your home naturally with essential oil blends. These blends have healing and therapeutic properties in addition to making you feel good because you love the smell.

HOME DETOX

As the indoor air quality of our homes can be seven to ten times worse than outdoor air quality, it’s really important that you make sure you minimize your exposure to the toxic chemicals that can be present in your home and eventually make their way up the food chain, becoming part of your “Body Burden.” All of these chemicals can disrupt your hormones, leading to a plethora of diseases. Here are eight ways in which you can minimize your exposure to some of the more toxic chemicals, including phthalates, fire retardants, VOCs (a group of chemicals that are known as Volatile Organic Compounds), and BPA (Bisphenol-A):

1. Vacuum at least once a week with a vacuum that has a HEPA filter. HEPA filters considerably reduce the amount of small dust particles. Breathing in these small dust particles is the way in which many environmental pollutants get into our bodies. (See resources, Resource Guide.)
   
2. Dust your entire home thoroughly at least once a week with clean microfiber cloths. Pay particular attention to areas around electronics, such as TVs and computers, as this dust can contain toxic fire retardants.
   
3. Get rid of any air fresheners or strong-smelling cleaners. They are likely to contain phthalates.
   
4. Consider switching vinyl items such as shower curtains for something that is natural (hemp or cotton). Vinyl can “off-gas” VOCs.
   
5. Get rid of any plastic in your kitchen, especially hard plastic (marked with “3,” “7,” “PC,” or “PVC”) and what is not labeled as BPA-free. This would include storage containers, water bottles, and baby bottles.
   
6. Get rid of any pesticides/insecticides for indoor or outdoor use. (Visit www911.org to find out how to dispose of them safely.)
   
7. Filter your tap water or, better still, invest in a whole-house water filtration system. (See “Resources”.)
   
8. Make sure your home is always adequately ventilated. Opening a window is the best way to ensure better indoor air quality.
   

The Kitchen

All-purpose Cleaner

I have experimented with many different kinds of all-purpose cleaners and this is my favorite. You can use it for countertops, tables, cabinets, the interior and exterior of your fridge, sinks (stainless, enamel, and porcelain), and even your floor. You will go through a lot of it, so be sure to make a bunch of the stuff.

HOW TO

1.
Mix the borax, washing soda, vinegar, and castile soap in a large measuring cup. Slowly add the hot water (just off the boil).

2.
Allow it to cool before adding the tea tree oil.

3.
Pour into the sprayer bottle, and it’s ready for use.

4.
Don’t forget to label your bottle or use a marker to remind you of what it is. I have so many sprayers lying around that it’s easy to get confused.

Germ-busting spray

Once a week, and sometimes more often during cold and flu season, I spray down my countertops, wooden cutting boards, doorknobs, cabinet and fridge handles, and similar surfaces with this simple spray. It’s basically hydrogen peroxide, which is completely eco-friendly and safe to use. It’s also as efficient as bleach in killing 99% of all germs. The other advantage is that it’s completely odorless. You need to keep it in an opaque sprayer, as it’s light sensitive.