Bits and Pieces

Normally when I make our homemade bathroom cleaner I use white vinegar, water, a little natural cleaner such as the original Basic H, and add sweet orange essential oil. It smells great and citrus oils kill germs and stuff. My daughter-in-love gave me a great tip a while back. Put your orange peels in a jar and fill it with vinegar. Let it sit a few weeks and strain. Use it as you would the vinegar and now you don't have to add the oil. When I make the cleaner I just fill the spray bottle half way with the vinegar, the rest of the way with water, add a little natural liquid soap, and if you need extra germ-killing power add some grapefruit seed extract.
Unfortunately, you can only buy the original Basic H in five gallon buckets now. We use it for several things around the farm so that works o.k. for us. We have a book, Home Remedies II, that lists over 100 uses for Basic H. We don't use all of them but we do use some of the ideas. We know a lady that is able to order the cleaner for us.
The strawberries came on early this year and we have been harvesting lots of them. This is such a blessing! We have been eating them fresh right out of the strawberry patch (you can't walk by and smell that smell without picking some and eating them and, of course, you have to eat lots as you pick), having them for dessert with fresh whipped cream (out of this world!), and making lots of jam.
We've been harvesting sheep sorrel, as well as continuing to harvest plantain, comfrey, and red clover. Sheep sorrel is a plant that is easy to identify and has very tasty sour leaves. We have been picking the leaves of lambsquarter, also, which is mild tasting like raw spinach. It is good raw and we also like to make wilted greens with it by sauteeing sliced onions in bacon grease, olive oil, or butter and adding the greens and stirring just until they are wilted. So good!
Today as I was very seriously talking about how there was so much to do and so little time to do it in, our attention was drawn to a vehicle slowing in front of our place. The person driving it was looking at the nine cows in our front yard. No kidding. Let the round-up begin....
Quite a while later, as we were visiting with the neighbor who helped get the cows back where they belonged, I realized, once again, that it is not by our strength or power that it will all get done, but by His. (And that we can, and we really need to remember to, enjoy the journey.) I'm so glad those crazy cows got out.

Mark 10:27 " .....for with God all things are possible."  

Wildcrafting Herbs

  The early summer-like weather brought up a lot of wild herbs in the garden area. It was too early to plant anything so we got to see all of the useful plants that showed up. I've been able to harvest shepherd's purse, plantain, dandelion, and chickweed. There is also yellow dock, but I will let it grow for a while so the roots are bigger. I love finding the herbs in the garden area because it is fenced off from the animals and, of course, chemical-free. The comfrey is doing very well and already has flowers ready to bloom. I've been able to give starts of lemon balm, peppermint, tansy, and oregano. When looking in the woods the other day I spotted what appears to be wild yam. I will be checking that out again and positively identifying the plant before digging up some of the root.
 
"He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man...." Psalm104:14