Bees Wax and Water

8-28-15  - My attempt to make a Freckle Cream Lotion per Lewelllyn's 2000 Almanac was a failure.  My wax and water did NOT mix.  I guess there is more to it than "Blend the herbal infusion into the cocoa butter."  Note: I used bees wax because the directions said cocoa butter or bees wax.  Now, I have the pleasure of cleaning up this mess of bees wax covered utensils.  I read that baking soda helps.  I think I will heat water, take stuff outside and pour the water with hopes it melts the wax.  I really don't want this stuff down my water drains. 
Here is the recipe I tried:

Freckle Lotion

Use this lotion to fade brown spots and freckles.  Apply morning and night.  Allow to dry before applying a moisturizer.

 

1 cup water

2 Tbsp fresh parsley leaves

2 Tbsp fresh dandelion leaves

2 Tbsp cocoa butter or bees wax

1 vitamin E 400 I.U. capsule



3 drops lemongrass essential oil

 

Boil water in a small sauce pan.  Remove from heat.  Add parsley leaves and dandelion leaves.  Steep 15 minutes, covered Strain to remove all particles.  Melt cocoa butter or bees wax in a double boileror microwave.  Squeee the vitamin capsule into the coco butter.  Blend the herbal infusion into the cocoa butter.  Blend at high speed for 1 minute with a hand blender.  Add essential oil.  Spoon into a wide-mouth jar with a screw-top lid.  Store at room temperature. 

VARIATION:  Substitute 2 tablespoons of marigold or evening primrose flowers for 2 tablespoons of dandelion leaves.

From LOST WOODS - Healing Salve

August 21, 2015 - I have made salve from about half of my infused herbal oil concocted from herbs gathered from my Brown County Class.  The other half of the oil is going to receive some plantain and comfrey gathered here at the farm. I plan to use the method of adding the herbs and oil to an airtight container and letting it sit for a month.  Going out this morning to gather  some plantain and comfrey.  I will add these herbs per this information from Wellness Mama found online:

A Healing Salve…

I’m not a fan of Neosporin because its made with petroleum jelly and there are natural options that work just as well.
My homemade healing salve (or “boo-boo lotion”, according to the kids) is helpful on cuts, bruises, stings, poison ivy and skin irritations. It also helps diaper rash and baby skin irritations- just don’t use with cloth diapers or line them first.
It’s easy to make and some of the ingredients even grow in your front yard during the summer… One of the herbs I use is Plantain, which grows in most parts of the country and is great for the skin. Most people just know it as a common garden weed.
This salve is naturally antibiotic, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and astringent. It also doesn’t contain petroleum! I never goes bad, so I make it in big batches, but you can reduce the size if needed. I always keep this on hand while gardening for skin irritations and bug bites.
All ingredients and tins and lip chap containers to store it in are available here. (Storing in a lip-chap container makes it portable and easy to apply. )

Ingredients

• 2 cups olive oil or almond oil
• 1/4 cup beeswax pastilles
• 1 tsp echinacea root (optional)
• 2 Tbsp dried comfrey leaf
• 2 Tbsp dried plantain leaf (herb-not banana!)
• 1 Tbsp dried calendula flowers (optional)
• 1 tsp dried yarrow flowers (optional)
• 1 tsp dried rosemary leaf (optional)

Instructions

1. Infuse the herbs into the olive oil. There are two ways to do this. You can either combine the herbs and the olive oil in a jar with an airtight lid and leave 3-4 weeks, shaking daily OR heat the herbs and olive oil over low/low heat in a double boiler for 3 hours (low heat!) until the oil is very green.
2. Strain her herbs out of the oil by pouring through a cheesecloth. Let all the oil drip out and then squeeze the herbs to get the remaining oil out.
3. Discard the herbs.
4. Heat the infused oil in a double boiler with the beeswax until melted and mixed.
5. Pour into small tins, glass jars or lip chap tubes and use on bites, stings, cuts, poison ivy, diaper rash or other wounds as needed.

Time to tackle the inside.........................

August 15, 2015 - Posting here a few pictures of the neglected inside of the barn.  I haven't posted any items to my Artfire site or Ebay for months.  It is time to get with it.  I think my internet connection thru the phone has been upgraded to unlimited.  It is very time consuming but winter and fall is a slower time for me and I can do it! 

Weed - B - Gone

I spent most of my 3 days off attacking weeds.  I have gotten rid of all the growth around the barn.  I do have some piles of debris left.  I will finish raking, shoveling this into my little red wagon and hauling it off.  I have one wagon full now.  I haven't decided if I am adding it to the compost pile or starting a new compost pile in one corner of the cement hog house pad.  That stuff needs to be turned every so often.  That's the hard part.  Will decide that later.  Right now I am just enjoying the weed free view of the barn.  Also, I soon will have a new paint job on both barns!  Then, it will be time to start on the inside.

Who's at the door?

8/2/2015 Sunday - At right is a picture of a vine growing at the base of the apartment steps.  It is flowering now so maybe there will be time for it to make it to fruition.  It could be a loofa gourd or I have no idea what else.  Time will tell.

I have also pictured my kitchen door steps.  The hanging basket was home to a family of wrens this year.  The steps have never had a handrail so I decided to roll this old iron wheel out beside the steps to serve as a makeshift bannister.

None of the original cement steps that led into this house came with hand rails.  I suppose they were slowly added at the insistence of the insurance companies.   I know I got a quote a couple years ago and "no rail: at the steps was a concern they voiced.  Bah on insurance companies!  I have auto and farm insurance totaling $2,500 due in a couple weeks. 

Herbal Salve Underway.

July 25, 2015 -  Herbal Salve underway.  Here is my bowlful of chopped up herbs.  Included are:
Calendula, Catnip, Cinquefoil, Comfrey, Echinacea, Holy Basil (Tulsi), Lemon Balm, Marshmallow, Oregano, Plantain, Sage, St. John's Wort, Sanicle, Thyme, Wood Betony, Woundwort (self heal), Yarrow and Yellow Dock.

I think that should just about cover everything!  After chopping up the appropriate part of the herb and putting them in the stainless steel or pyrex baking container, cover the herbs with olive oil.  Go over the top of the herbs about 1/4" with the olive oil.  Start the oven about 300 degrees, lower it to 225 degrees and bake the herbs 3-4 hours.  Shut the oven off and let the concoction cool naturally.

Next it is necessary to strain/separate the herbs from the oil.  A stainless steel colander works well.  Get as much of the healing oil as possible by squishing/pressing  the mixture with a gloved hand (whatever works)   I had used 1/2 gallon of olive oil (64 oz) to cover my cut up herbs.  To make a salve, bees wax must be added to the strained oil.  The ratio is 1 oz bees wax to 8 oz of the strained oil.  Just heat the mixture on the stove until the beeswax melts.......then pour into whatever container you have decided to use for your herbal healing salve.

Wagon Fixed

July 24, 2015 - I felt better about spending $65 for tires for this little red wagon after I got some use from it.  I need to spend a whole day going around and trimming low hanging branches.  Since my mowing tractor is so tall, it doesn't fit under the low branches.  Even if I duck, the roll bar behind me does not!  There have been a few times when I thought a whole branch was going to get pulled down on me; therefore, I do not duck anymore!

I did get the yard mowed yesterday but I still have trimming to do.  I sure wish the weedeater was working!  I spent $79 having it tuned up and It is out of adjustment already.  I wouldn't even mind all the yanking to get it started if it weren't for the fingers that stick closed.  When that happens, I can't let go of the pull rope because my hand won't open!  Of course there are always small limbs and sticks blown down.  As I am climbing on and off this tractor to pick them up, I wonder if I will still be climbing on and off this thing at 80 years old!!!