Herbal Tea Blends

Herbal teas have many health benefits and are very tasty. Here are a few of our favorites. I can not remember where I got the recipes from, they have been written on a piece of note paper for years. Roots are best steeped in boiling water for about 15 minutes, leaves and other parts are steeped for 3 to 5 minutes. Honey can be added for a bit of sweetness.

For Upset Stomach:

Equal parts:
Rose hips
Peppermint leaves
Lemon-balm leaves

Equal parts:
Dandelion root
Dandelion leaves/stems
Peppermint

Equal parts:
Fennel seeds
Peppermint
Lemon-balm

Equal parts:
Raspberry leaf
Peppermint

2 part catnip
1 part fennel
1 part lemon-balm

To Help With Arthritis:

2 parts nettle leaves
1 part each willow bark and peppermint

As a Gargle for Sore Throats:

Equal parts:
Sage
Fennel seeds

Sleep Aid:

Skullcap. Drink before going to bed.

Blood Cleanser:

Equal parts:
Red clover
Rose hips
Dandelion leaves

For Coughs:

2 parts marsh-mallow root
1 part lemon-balm
1 part plantain leaves
1 part thyme
1 part calendula flowers

To Calm Nerves:

2 parts hops
1 part hawthorn leaves
1 part lemon-balm
1 part valerian

Easy Baking Recipes: Peanut Butter Cake

Peanut Butter Cake
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup honey
2 large eggs
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350°F

Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan

Cream together the peanut butter, butter and honey.


Add the eggs and mix well.


Combine the flour and baking powder together and mix well. Add to the batter.

Stir the flour/powder mixture into the batter while slowly adding the milk. Combine well.


Put batter into pan and bake for about 30 to 35 minutes, taking care not to over bake.



Cool on a wire rack.



Serve with whipped cream or the frosting of your choice.

Natural House Cleaning, Making Your Own Cleaning Supplies

With so many chemical cleaners on the market these days, and the costs of natural ones going up, it’s nice to be able to make your own. Here are a few of our favorite ways to clean.

To deep clean wooden cutting boards spread baking soda over the surface, then pour vinegar over them. The bubbles will do the deep cleaning. Rinse with hot water and let air dry.

A baking soda and water paste will remove most stains from counter tops and will also remove odors (this also works for hands, for odors anyway).

Eucalyptus essential oil is a great bacteria fighter. Place a few drops on a damp dish cloth and use to wipe down counters. Pine, lavender, lemon and lime essential oils work well also.

To really clean dish towels soak in boiling water to which a few drops of tea tree, eucalyptus or thyme essential oil have been added, then wash as usual.

A mixture of water and vinegar will clean windows, glass surfaces, counters and fixtures. Use a borax and water to help fight mold.

Grease can easily be removed from cooking surfaces with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. This also works for cookware, sprinkle baking soda in the pan and cover with vinegar. Let sit over night and clean in the morning.

We regularly pour baking soda and vinegar down our drains, then after a few minutes we flush the drain with boiling water. This helps keep them free of grease and soap scum.

Sprinkling baking soda in the trash container before putting in a bag will help eliminate odors.

A mixture of vegetable oil and lemon juice works well as a furniture polish.

Clean toilets with baking soda and vinegar. We also use biodegradable dish soap for cleaning the toilet. A few drops of essential oil can be added to the toilet tank.

Add vinegar to the final rinse of laundry instead of fabric softener.

We air out the house once a week, even in the middle of winter. My grandmother always said to, so I never questioned it.

For general cleaning we mix some dish soap with very hot water and add a few drops of lemon essential oil. The lemon help fights germs and smells so good that cleaning is almost enjoyable!

A good resource book is:Baking Soda: Over 500 Fabulous, Fun and Frugal Uses You'Ve Probably Never Thought of