tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55415415947554233622012-03-01T00:55:19.142-05:00My Thoughts About Herbs, Whole Foods and Home RemediesWandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.comBlogger224125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-27911248223422022222012-02-29T15:28:00.001-05:002012-02-29T15:31:08.957-05:002012-02-29T15:31:08.957-05:00<a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/p/wildcrafting-wednesday.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MPKBFBdO3gQ/TzufMUZa4mI/AAAAAAAABDw/E5aTEUV4jJ4/s1600/Wildcrafting+Wednesday+Button.jpg" /></a>Welcome to the <span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">28th</span> edition of&nbsp;<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Wildcrafting Wednesday!</span><br /> Hosted by Kathy @&nbsp;<strong><span style="color: #45818e;"><a href="http://mindbodyandsoleonline.com/herbal-information/28th-edition-of-wildcrafting-wednesday/">Mind, Body and Sole</a></span></strong>,<br /> Laurie @&nbsp;<strong><span style="color: #45818e;"><a href="http://www.commonsensehome.com/">Common Sense Homesteading</a></span></strong><br /> and myself, here @&nbsp;<a href="http://woodwifesjournal.com/"><span style="color: #45818e;"><b>The Woodwife's Journal</b></span></a>.<br /> <br /> Can't wait to see what kind of herbal goodness you're up to this week!<br /> <br /> <br /> I've added a new feature to Wildcrafting Wednesday posts here at the Woodwife's Journal! &nbsp;Now you can link back to all the past linkys in one place! &nbsp;Just click on the Wildcrafting Wednesday button at the left and you'll be redirected to the new Wildcrafting Wednesday page where I'll be posting the linkys newest to oldest. &nbsp;Hopefully this will make it easier to find archived posts from past weeks. &nbsp;Please bear with me as I update to include all weeks past and future. &nbsp;Thanks!<br /> As always, if you want to share the linky on your page, click on "Get the code" below.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a><br /> Traditionally, the word wildcrafting means gathering herbs and plants in the wild to use for food and medicine. Wildcrafting Wednesday is a&nbsp;Blog Hop for gathering your favorite old time, traditional&nbsp;herbal posts, home remedies and crafting ideas. It’s a place to learn ways to incorporate herbs and old fashioned wisdom into our day-to-day life. It is anything and everything herbal – from crafts to cleaning to tinctures to cooking – it's remedies and natural cures made at home – it's&nbsp;self-sufficient living and back-to-basics tips to make and preserve food, save money and resources – if it involves herbs or traditional methods of homemaking, home healing or other traditional skills then we want to read about it!<br /> <br /> Guidelines for Participation:<br /> <br /> 1. Please link up your blog post using the Linky widget below. If you are posting a recipe, only real food recipes are permitted please. This means no processed food ingredients!<br /> <br /> 2. Please link the URL of your actual blog post and not your blogs home page. That allows future readers who find this week's link-up to go directly to the post they want to read.<br /> <br /> 3. Please place a link back to this post. That way your readers can benefit from all the ideas too. This also helps out the other participants who are hoping to get more traffic to their blogs. If you’re new to blogging here’s what you do: Copy the URL of Wildcrafting Wednesday from your browser address bar. Then edit your post by adding something like, “This post was shared on Wildcrafting Wednesday at The Woodwife's Journal” at the end of your post. Then highlight “Wildcrafting Wednesday at The Woodwife's Journal”, click the “link” button on your blogging tool bar, and paste the URL into that line. That’s it!<br /> <br /> 4. Please only link posts that fit the carnival description. Old and archived posts are welcome as long as you post a link back as described above. Please don’t link to giveaways or promotions for affiliates or sponsors. That keeps our links valuable in the future since a link to a giveaway three months old isn’t going to be worth browsing in three months time, but a link to an herbal tip will be.<br /> <br /> 5.&nbsp;<strong><span style="color: #45818e;">Please leave a comment below when you share a link. &nbsp;It's the only notification I have that new posts have been added. &nbsp;Thanks!</span></strong><br /> <br /> 6. Don’t have a blog? We still want to hear from you! Please leave your herbal tip, recipe, or home remedy in the comments below.<br /> <br /> 7. And bloggers, please check out the other posts and leave a comment for them too.<br /> <br /> <script src="http://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=133558" type="text/javascript"> </script><br /> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;">Be sure to check out my new Facebook Page </div><div style="text-align: center;">@ <b><span style="color: #45818e;">http://www.facebook.com/Woodwife61</span></b>!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope you "Like" it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Much herbal love,</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=www.woodwifesjournal.com%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fi1041.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb411%2Ftgw9020%2FRecoveredAutosave-1.jpg&amp;description=The%20Woodwife's%20Journal">Pin It</a> <script src="http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Woodwife61" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a></div><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <center><a border="0" href="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=117070&amp;BID=13915" target="_blank"><img alt="A passion for organics" border="0" src="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/affiliate/graphics/AB7-final.gif" /></a></center><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-2791124822342202222?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/MNMHE_YU8Oeg4CA2o0HlTnaWzhY/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/MNMHE_YU8Oeg4CA2o0HlTnaWzhY/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/MNMHE_YU8Oeg4CA2o0HlTnaWzhY/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/MNMHE_YU8Oeg4CA2o0HlTnaWzhY/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/jcMUHlJdngA" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com0http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/02/wildcrafting-wednesday-28.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-82505130896835756122012-02-23T09:32:00.003-05:002012-02-25T05:43:09.566-05:002012-02-25T05:43:09.566-05:00<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></div><br /> <div style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img src="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQfsmp97KVaiVbMkABYLE9-n-KtTyM2nlwsRjCHrE1_C_YaadajpQ" /></div>Have you ever been to a spa?&nbsp; The idea sounds both a little scary and a little desirable at the same time, right?<br /> First, I'm a bit anal about other people looking that closely at all my flaws, let alone touching them...I'm ticklish, you see.&nbsp; Takes all the relaxation out of the attention, or so I imagine.&nbsp; But mostly, there's no way I can justify spending that kind of money on something that seems so...frivolous.&nbsp; Still, everyone enjoys some sort of escape or get-away even if it's just a few minutes to pamper ourselves&nbsp;at home. <br /> So, what's your favorite self-pampering natural/herbal routine?<br /> &nbsp;&nbsp; <br /> Here's one of mine...<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XToxUOuCd4c/T0Y7qi64v5I/AAAAAAAABEY/h9GBDWpWsZ8/s1600/soap%252C+syrup%252C+quiche+and+stuff+054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XToxUOuCd4c/T0Y7qi64v5I/AAAAAAAABEY/h9GBDWpWsZ8/s320/soap%252C+syrup%252C+quiche+and+stuff+054.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pink bars in the center are my cold cream bars</td></tr> </tbody></table>First, using a bar of homemade soap that I've added a little cold cream to, I gently wash away the make up, daily grime and in hot humid weather, excess salt from perspiration.&nbsp; I like to use "facial" style massage, with just my fingertips, in slow circles, always up and out.&nbsp; Washing first eliminates the chance of opening my pores and allowing grime, etc. to get in there and cause blockage or irritation, which may result in a, yes, I'm going to say it, ZIT!&nbsp; Also, if you have existing blemishes, you don't want to risk opening them to reinfection.<br /> <br /> Then, I follow that with a mild sugar scrub.&nbsp; The ideal facial&nbsp;sugar scrub contains about a tsp of your favorite, non-hydrogenated oil, like jojoba or almond if you have it or olive if you don't, 1/4 tsp. of sugar (this is the only place I'd recommend regular, white sugar) and *1 drop* of an Essential Oil&nbsp;of your choice.&nbsp; You can choose something refreshing, like peppermint, or calming like lavender or chamomile, even healing like tea tree for acne&nbsp;or memory stimulating like rosemary.&nbsp; Again, using very gentle, light,&nbsp;upward and outward circles, avoiding the eye area, exfoliate&nbsp;your face and don't forget your chin, neck and even your decollete (doesn't that sound sexy?&nbsp; I'll bet they use that word at the spa!) if you are so inclined.&nbsp; After a few moments, rinse.&nbsp; Don't worry about removing all the oil at this point.<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tnfdj0_VMhc/T0Y7nYi_kHI/AAAAAAAABEA/DVP3I4BGtFM/s1600/facial+mask%252C+smoothie+and+Mustangs+023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tnfdj0_VMhc/T0Y7nYi_kHI/AAAAAAAABEA/DVP3I4BGtFM/s320/facial+mask%252C+smoothie+and+Mustangs+023.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> Here comes my favorite part!&nbsp; A mask!&nbsp; Now there are all sorts of mask types out there and if you already have a favorite, insert it here.&nbsp; I like to use something cooling, like this&nbsp;<a href="http://woodwifesjournal.blogspot.com/2010/06/cleansing-facial-mask.html"><span style="color: #134f5c;">Mask</span></a>&nbsp;that I developed while I was part of a community theater play where I had to apply and remove a mask every night for one of the scenes.&nbsp; After the clay dries out a bit, it's easy to&nbsp;remove the mask&nbsp;with a warm cloth and a little water if needed.&nbsp; This leaves behind a dewy layer of moisture and a bit of oil.<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UqrLXoAxk-0/T0Y7oMesm8I/AAAAAAAABEI/_TsrpuxYzH8/s1600/soap%252C+syrup%252C+quiche+and+stuff+051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UqrLXoAxk-0/T0Y7oMesm8I/AAAAAAAABEI/_TsrpuxYzH8/s320/soap%252C+syrup%252C+quiche+and+stuff+051.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The dark, brick red bars are my Grapefruit Mud Mask Facial Bars<br /> that are helpful for combating acne.<br /> This could be used in place of a traditional mask.</td></tr> </tbody></table>&nbsp; <br /> If it's a bit too heavy for you, you can follow with an astringent toner like green tea or witch hazel with a drop of your favorite essential oil.&nbsp; If you need a pick-me-up, try peppermint but again, be sure to avoid the eye area.<br /> <br /> What's your favorite home pampering recipe?&nbsp; Share it with us by linking it below.<br /> 1.Remember to link to a relative post rather than your home page.<br /> 2. Add a comment below to let me know you've shared or just comment for fun even if you didn't.<br /> 3.&nbsp;Please be kind and show a link back to my blog so everyone can visit and learn about our favorite Herbal Pampering treats.&nbsp; Maybe they'll share a recipe, too. <br /> 4. If you'd like to share the linky on your blog, simply write a little ditty about what we're doing here, click "get the code" below, copy and paste it into your post and share with your readers.<br /> <br /> <script src="http://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=132730" type="text/javascript"> </script> <br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;">Much herbal love,</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp;<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=www.woodwifesjournal.com%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fi1041.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb411%2Ftgw9020%2FRecoveredAutosave-1.jpg&amp;description=The%20Woodwife's%20Journal">Pin It</a><br /> <script src="http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Woodwife61" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a></div><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <center><a border="0" href="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=117070&amp;BID=13915" target="_blank"><img alt="A passion for organics" border="0" src="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/affiliate/graphics/AB7-final.gif" /></a></center><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-8250513089683575612?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/rcVznkqk-jvBcS-FgO8FivBCiCs/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/rcVznkqk-jvBcS-FgO8FivBCiCs/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/rcVznkqk-jvBcS-FgO8FivBCiCs/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/rcVznkqk-jvBcS-FgO8FivBCiCs/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/-1ivCjesVvM" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com3http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/02/herbal-pampering-its-all-about-me-time.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-20968960697671716802012-02-22T07:10:00.002-05:002012-02-22T07:59:43.727-05:002012-02-22T07:59:43.727-05:00<a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/p/wildcrafting-wednesday.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MPKBFBdO3gQ/TzufMUZa4mI/AAAAAAAABDw/E5aTEUV4jJ4/s1600/Wildcrafting+Wednesday+Button.jpg" /></a>Welcome to the <span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">27th</span> edition of&nbsp;<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Wildcrafting Wednesday!</span><br /> Hosted by Kathy @&nbsp;<strong><a href="http://mindbodyandsoleonline.com/"><span style="color: #45818e;">Mind, Body and Soul</span></a></strong>,<br /> Laurie @&nbsp;<strong><span style="color: #45818e;"><a href="http://www.commonsensehome.com/">Common Sense Homesteading</a></span></strong><br /> and myself, here @&nbsp;<a href="http://woodwifesjournal.com/"><span style="color: #45818e;"><b>The Woodwife's Journal</b></span></a>.<br /> Wow! &nbsp;Thanks to all of you who posted last week! &nbsp;I'm looking forward to hearing from all of you! <br /> <br /> <br /> February is a good month to share women's health tips or cold and flu remedies. &nbsp;I'm going to share a favorite decongesting steam recipe...and chest rub recipe...they may be repeats for some of you but so appropriate for the season.<br /> <br /> I've added a new feature to Wildcrafting Wednesday posts here at the Woodwife's Journal! &nbsp;Now you can link back to all the past linkys in one place! &nbsp;Just click on the Wildcrafting Wednesday button at the left and you'll be redirected to the new Wildcrafting Wednesday page where I'll be posting the linkys newest to oldest. &nbsp;Hopefully this will make it easier to find archived posts from past weeks. &nbsp;Please bear with me as I update to include all weeks past and future. &nbsp;Thanks!<br /> As always, if you want to share the linky on your page, click on "Get the code" below.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a><br /> Traditionally, the word wildcrafting means gathering herbs and plants in the wild to use for food and medicine. Wildcrafting Wednesday is a&nbsp;Blog Hop for gathering your favorite old time, traditional&nbsp;herbal posts, home remedies and crafting ideas. It’s a place to learn ways to incorporate herbs and old fashioned wisdom into our day-to-day life. It is anything and everything herbal – from crafts to cleaning to tinctures to cooking – it's remedies and natural cures made at home – it's&nbsp;self-sufficient living and back-to-basics tips to make and preserve food, save money and resources – if it involves herbs or traditional methods of homemaking, home healing or other traditional skills then we want to read about it!<br /> <br /> Guidelines for Participation:<br /> <br /> 1. Please link up your blog post using the Linky widget below. If you are posting a recipe, only real food recipes are permitted please. This means no processed food ingredients!<br /> <br /> 2. Please link the URL of your actual blog post and not your blogs home page. That allows future readers who find this week's link-up to go directly to the post they want to read.<br /> <br /> 3. Please place a link back to this post. That way your readers can benefit from all the ideas too. This also helps out the other participants who are hoping to get more traffic to their blogs. If you’re new to blogging here’s what you do: Copy the URL of Wildcrafting Wednesday from your browser address bar. Then edit your post by adding something like, “This post was shared on Wildcrafting Wednesday at The Woodwife's Journal” at the end of your post. Then highlight “Wildcrafting Wednesday at The Woodwife's Journal”, click the “link” button on your blogging tool bar, and paste the URL into that line. That’s it!<br /> <br /> 4. Please only link posts that fit the carnival description. Old and archived posts are welcome as long as you post a link back as described above. Please don’t link to giveaways or promotions for affiliates or sponsors. That keeps our links valuable in the future since a link to a giveaway three months old isn’t going to be worth browsing in three months time, but a link to an herbal tip will be.<br /> <br /> 5.&nbsp;<strong><span style="color: #45818e;">Please leave a comment below when you share a link. &nbsp;It's the only notification I have that new posts have been added. &nbsp;Thanks!</span></strong><br /> <br /> 6. Don’t have a blog? We still want to hear from you! Please leave your herbal tip, recipe, or home remedy in the comments below.<br /> <br /> 7. And bloggers, please check out the other posts and leave a comment for them too.<br /> <br /> <script src="http://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=132547" type="text/javascript"> </script><br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;">Be sure to check out my new Facebook Page </div><div style="text-align: center;">@ <b><span style="color: #45818e;">http://www.facebook.com/Woodwife61</span></b>!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope you "Like" it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Much herbal love,</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=www.woodwifesjournal.com%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fi1041.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb411%2Ftgw9020%2FRecoveredAutosave-1.jpg&amp;description=The%20Woodwife's%20Journal">Pin It</a><br /> <script src="http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Woodwife61" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a></div><br /> <center><a border="0" href="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=117070&amp;BID=13915" target="_blank"><img alt="A passion for organics" border="0" src="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/affiliate/graphics/AB7-final.gif" /></a></center><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-2096896069767171680?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Zf8zH7IqXhxxeVM6bslEmpKcQk8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Zf8zH7IqXhxxeVM6bslEmpKcQk8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Zf8zH7IqXhxxeVM6bslEmpKcQk8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Zf8zH7IqXhxxeVM6bslEmpKcQk8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/mOs46zL4xJc" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com4http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/02/wildcrafting-wednesday-27.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-81607730702668065332012-02-15T05:43:00.006-05:002012-02-18T12:05:58.425-05:002012-02-18T12:05:58.425-05:00<a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/p/wildcrafting-wednesday.html" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MPKBFBdO3gQ/TzufMUZa4mI/AAAAAAAABDw/E5aTEUV4jJ4/s1600/Wildcrafting+Wednesday+Button.jpg" /></a>Welcome to the 26th edition of&nbsp;<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Wildcrafting Wednesday!</span><br /> <br /> Hosted by Kathy @&nbsp;<strong><a href="http://mindbodyandsoleonline.com/"><span style="color: #45818e;">Mind, Body and Soul</span></a></strong>,<br /> Laurie @&nbsp;<strong><span style="color: #45818e;"><a href="http://www.commonsensehome.com/">Common Sense Homesteading</a></span></strong><br /> and myself, here @&nbsp;<a href="http://woodwifesjournal.com/"><span style="color: #45818e;"><b>The Woodwife's Journal</b></span></a>. <br /> <br /> I'm looking forward to hearing from all of you!<br /> <br /> I've added a new feature to Wildcrafting Wednesday posts here at the Woodwife's Journal! &nbsp;Now you can link back to all the past linkys in one place! &nbsp;Just click on the Wildcrafting Wednesday button at the left and you'll be redirected to the new Wildcrafting Wednesday page where I'll be posting the linkys newest to oldest. &nbsp;Hopefully this will make it easier to find archived posts from past weeks. &nbsp;Please bear with me as I update to include all weeks past and future. &nbsp;Thanks! <br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a><br /> Traditionally, the word wildcrafting means gathering herbs and plants in the wild to use for food and medicine. Wildcrafting Wednesday is a&nbsp;Blog Hop for gathering your favorite old time, traditional&nbsp;herbal posts, home remedies and crafting ideas. It’s a place to learn ways to incorporate herbs and old fashioned wisdom into our day-to-day life. It is anything and everything herbal – from crafts to cleaning to tinctures to cooking – it's remedies and natural cures made at home – it's&nbsp;self-sufficient living and back-to-basics tips to make and preserve food, save money and resources – if it involves herbs or traditional methods of homemaking, home healing or other traditional skills then we want to read about it!<br /> <br /> Guidelines for Participation:<br /> <br /> 1. Please link up your blog post using the Linky widget below. If you are posting a recipe, only real food recipes are permitted please. This means no processed food ingredients!<br /> <br /> 2. Please link the URL of your actual blog post and not your blogs home page. That allows future readers who find this week's link-up to go directly to the post they want to read.<br /> <br /> 3. Please place a link back to this post. That way your readers can benefit from all the ideas too. This also helps out the other participants who are hoping to get more traffic to their blogs. If you’re new to blogging here’s what you do: Copy the URL of Wildcrafting Wednesday from your browser address bar. Then edit your post by adding something like, “This post was shared on Wildcrafting Wednesday at The Woodwife's Journal” at the end of your post. Then highlight “Wildcrafting Wednesday at The Woodwife's Journal”, click the “link” button on your blogging tool bar, and paste the URL into that line. That’s it!<br /> <br /> 4. Please only link posts that fit the carnival description. Old and archived posts are welcome as long as you post a link back as described above. Please don’t link to giveaways or promotions for affiliates or sponsors. That keeps our links valuable in the future since a link to a giveaway three months old isn’t going to be worth browsing in three months time, but a link to an herbal tip will be.<br /> <br /> 5.&nbsp;<strong><span style="color: #45818e;">Please leave a comment below when you share a link. &nbsp;It's the only notification I have that new posts have been added. &nbsp;Thanks!</span></strong><br /> <br /> 6. Don’t have a blog? We still want to hear from you! Please leave your herbal tip, recipe, or home remedy in the comments below.<br /> <br /> 7. And bloggers, please check out the other posts and leave a comment for them too.<br /> <br /> <script src="http://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=131416" type="text/javascript"> </script><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"><br /> Be sure to check out my Facebook Page </div><div style="text-align: center;">@ <b><span style="color: #45818e;">http://www.facebook.com/Woodwife61</span></b>!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope you "Like" it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Much herbal love,</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=www.woodwifesjournal.com%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fi1041.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb411%2Ftgw9020%2FRecoveredAutosave-1.jpg&amp;description=The%20Woodwife's%20Journal">Pin It</a><br /> <script src="http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Woodwife61" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a><br /> <br /> </div><br /> <center><a border="0" href="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=117070&amp;BID=13915" target="_blank"><img alt="A passion for organics" border="0" src="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/affiliate/graphics/AB7-final.gif" /></a></center><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-8160773070266806533?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/JZmPYWsNBd3bFJzBJlfwwgecoYM/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/JZmPYWsNBd3bFJzBJlfwwgecoYM/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/JZmPYWsNBd3bFJzBJlfwwgecoYM/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/JZmPYWsNBd3bFJzBJlfwwgecoYM/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/mLnv7gdyNvw" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com2http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/02/wildcrafting-wednesday-26.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-75172899986701757472012-02-08T13:34:00.001-05:002012-02-17T07:07:58.233-05:002012-02-17T07:07:58.233-05:00<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.woodwifesjournal.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="TheWoodwifesJournal" height="125" src="http://i1041.photobucket.com/albums/b411/tgw9020/RecoveredAutosave-1.jpg" width="125" /></a>Welcome to the 25th edition of&nbsp;<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Wildcrafting Wednesday!</span>&nbsp; I'm looking forward to hearing from all of you. &nbsp;Next Tuesday is Valentine's Day so if you have any gift or celebration ideas (G rated please! ;) share them with us here.<br /> <br /> Hosted by Kathy @&nbsp;<strong><a href="http://mindbodyandsoleonline.com/"><span style="color: #45818e;">Mind, Body and Soul</span></a></strong>,<br /> Laurie @&nbsp;<strong><span style="color: #45818e;"><a href="http://www.commonsensehome.com/">Common Sense Homesteading</a></span></strong><br /> and myself, here @&nbsp;<a href="http://woodwifesjournal.com/"><span style="color: #45818e;"><b>The Woodwife's Journal</b></span></a>. <br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a><br /> <br /> Traditionally, the word wildcrafting means gathering herbs and plants in the wild to use for food and medicine. Wildcrafting Wednesday is a&nbsp;Blog Hop for gathering your favorite old time, traditional&nbsp;herbal posts, home remedies and crafting ideas. It’s a place to learn ways to incorporate herbs and old fashioned wisdom into our day-to-day life. It is anything and everything herbal – from crafts to cleaning to tinctures to cooking – it's remedies and natural cures made at home – it's&nbsp;self-sufficient living and back-to-basics tips to make and preserve food, save money and resources – if it involves herbs or traditional methods of homemaking, home healing or other traditional skills then we want to read about it!<br /> <br /> You see, it's kinda like stepping out into the "wilds" of cyberspace to gather ideas that make our homemaking skills or "craft" more healthy, more resourceful...more sustainable. Wildcrafting!<br /> <br /> Guidelines for Participation:<br /> <br /> 1. Please link up your blog post using the Linky widget below. If you are posting a recipe, only real food recipes are permitted please. This means no processed food ingredients!<br /> <br /> 2. Please link the URL of your actual blog post and not your blogs home page. That allows future readers who find this week's link-up to go directly to the post they want to read.<br /> <br /> 3. Please place a link back to this post. That way your readers can benefit from all the ideas too. This also helps out the other participants who are hoping to get more traffic to their blogs. If you’re new to blogging here’s what you do: Copy the URL of Wildcrafting Wednesday from your browser address bar. Then edit your post by adding something like, “This post was shared on Wildcrafting Wednesday at The Woodwife's Journal” at the end of your post. Then highlight “Wildcrafting Wednesday at The Woodwife's Journal”, click the “link” button on your blogging tool bar, and paste the URL into that line. That’s it!<br /> <br /> 4. Please only link posts that fit the carnival description. Old and archived posts are welcome as long as you post a link back as described above. Please don’t link to giveaways or promotions for affiliates or sponsors. That keeps our links valuable in the future since a link to a giveaway three months old isn’t going to be worth browsing in three months time, but a link to an herbal tip will be.<br /> <br /> 5.&nbsp;<strong><span style="color: #45818e;">Please leave a comment below when you link up to notify me that you've shared with us! &nbsp;That way I don't miss any new links.</span></strong><br /> <br /> 6. Don’t have a blog? We still want to hear from you! Please leave your herbal tip, recipe, or home remedy in the comments below.<br /> <br /> 7. And bloggers, please check out the other posts and leave a comment for them too.<br /> <br /> <script src="http://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=130194" type="text/javascript"> </script><br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;">Be sure to check out my new Facebook Page </div><div style="text-align: center;">@ <b><span style="color: #45818e;">http://www.facebook.com/Woodwife61</span></b>!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope you "Like" it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Much herbal love,</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=www.woodwifesjournal.com%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fi1041.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb411%2Ftgw9020%2FRecoveredAutosave-1.jpg&amp;description=The%20Woodwife's%20Journal">Pin It</a> <script src="http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Woodwife61" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a></div><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <center><a border="0" href="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=117070&amp;BID=13915" target="_blank"><img alt="A passion for organics" border="0" src="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/affiliate/graphics/AB7-final.gif" /></a></center><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-7517289998670175747?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/4mseskTckRviAZYJdJsUnAEVRMU/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/4mseskTckRviAZYJdJsUnAEVRMU/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/4mseskTckRviAZYJdJsUnAEVRMU/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/4mseskTckRviAZYJdJsUnAEVRMU/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/rKLtT_Fr3j0" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com3http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/02/wildcrafting-wednesday-25.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-58536027010781602192012-02-02T20:20:00.008-05:002012-02-24T16:18:41.860-05:002012-02-24T16:18:41.860-05:00<div style="text-align: center;">This post won a prize in the Mountain Rose Blog<br /> <a href="http://mountainroseblog.com/sweetheart-recipe-exchange-winners/">Sweetheart Recipe Exchange</a>!<br /> Check out my prize courtesy of Violet Herbs!<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2NBe-D9of0s/T0f-MsFsCbI/AAAAAAAABEg/Wq5MBLcjqEY/s1600/Body+Butter+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2NBe-D9of0s/T0f-MsFsCbI/AAAAAAAABEg/Wq5MBLcjqEY/s320/Body+Butter+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thank you so much!<br /> http://violetherbs.com</td></tr> </tbody></table>This post is featured on the<br /> &nbsp; <a href="http://joshealthcorner.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae314/naturallysports/livingwellbutton3.jpg" /></a><br /> blog hop!<br /> <br /> There's a myriad of sites that share recipes for incredible personal care and body pampering products you can make at home. &nbsp;One of my favorites is <a href="http://www.crunchybetty.com/moisturizing-bath-candy-the-hot-valentine-craft">Crunchy Betty</a> and new blogging friend <a href="http://hildablue.com/">Hilda Blue</a> ~ both were the inspiration for these lovely Body Butter treats just in time for Valentine's Day.<br /> <br /> Here's what I've been up to today.<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-59oBIVGthmM/Tys2AU7ft-I/AAAAAAAABCs/eifZWVxjd8Q/s1600/Body+Butter+092.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-59oBIVGthmM/Tys2AU7ft-I/AAAAAAAABCs/eifZWVxjd8Q/s320/Body+Butter+092.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hEj9BMewmcQ/Tys2A6mYNgI/AAAAAAAABC0/6APQIEhRgwE/s1600/Body+Butter+090.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-hEj9BMewmcQ/Tys2A6mYNgI/AAAAAAAABC0/6APQIEhRgwE/s320/Body+Butter+090.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <b><span style="color: #660000;">Coffee Bean Toning Butter/Lotion Bar</span></b><br /> 4 oz coffee infused oils<br /> (almond, argan, castor, and jojoba)<br /> 4 oz cocoa butter<br /> 4 oz beeswax<br /> 40 drops cellulite busting eo's<br /> of your choice.<br /> optional whole coffee beans for extra scrubbing power and interest.<br /> <br /> (I added a little pumice to mine and my skin is like a baby's bottom but<br /> I think it would work better in a body butter/lotion bar without beeswax because<br /> it was hard to wash off in the shower)<br /> <br /> <span style="color: #45818e;"><b>Chocolate Mint Sea Salt Scrubbie Butter</b></span><br /> 2 oz cocoa butter<br /> 1 oz shea butter<br /> 1 oz olive butter<br /> 1 Tbsp cocoa butter<br /> 1Tbsp powdered mint leaves<br /> 1 Tbsp pink sea salt<br /> 20 drops peppermint EO<br /> <br /> <b><span style="color: #7f6000;">Orange Chocolate Poppy Seed Scrubbie Butter</span></b><br /> 4 oz. cocoa butter<br /> 1 Tbsp Dark Cocoa Powder<br /> 40 drops sweet orange EO<br /> 1 Tbsp pink sea salt<br /> 1tsp citric acid<br /> 1 Tbsp poppy seeds <br /> <br /> <br /> All three of these bars are designed to be used IN the shower/bath on clean skin. &nbsp;Each has mild to more serious exfoliating ingredients that smooth skin. &nbsp;All are luxuriously moisturizing leaving your skin silky smooth after rinsing off the solids.<br /> Use caution on smooth floors and shower/bath surfaces as all contain butters and oils that may make smooth floors dangerous. &nbsp;I like to put an old towel in the bottom of the shower/tub when I'm using oils to provide a nonskid surface.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bBAyjy8XFPk/TysIa89JVfI/AAAAAAAABBk/69WgkH9QyTo/s1600/Body+Butter+087.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bBAyjy8XFPk/TysIa89JVfI/AAAAAAAABBk/69WgkH9QyTo/s320/Body+Butter+087.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vjsP1NhsGuU/TysIcTxShWI/AAAAAAAABB8/mbKlXuYbgCg/s320/Body+Butter+095.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="320" /></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption">After molding in heart shapes, I placed them in paper candy cups<br /> and put one of each "flavor" in a little paper box.</td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nSJ5FoZjNl0/TysIb_vRSKI/AAAAAAAABB0/Bvsnel5Mshw/s1600/Body+Butter+093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nSJ5FoZjNl0/TysIb_vRSKI/AAAAAAAABB0/Bvsnel5Mshw/s320/Body+Butter+093.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /> <br /> <br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WNYnlttX5OQ/TysIc0EOsjI/AAAAAAAABCE/wFz_y-ijUZg/s1600/Body+Butter+096.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WNYnlttX5OQ/TysIc0EOsjI/AAAAAAAABCE/wFz_y-ijUZg/s320/Body+Butter+096.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To be truly honest, the Coffee Bean Toning Butter is really<br /> a hard lotion bar because it contains beeswax.<br /> Body Butters are just that....butter.<br /> They melt on contact with the warmth of your skin and blend <br /> &nbsp;in a smooth layer of quickly absorbed <br /> oil without staying on the surface as lotion bars do.<br /> That's what makes them so yummy!</td></tr> </tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dJaVgRbL0Po/TysId2AFcLI/AAAAAAAABCU/EpUs8dWW23s/s1600/Body+Butter+098.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dJaVgRbL0Po/TysId2AFcLI/AAAAAAAABCU/EpUs8dWW23s/s320/Body+Butter+098.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <div align="”center”"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TJ7j-1VuDMQ/Tys0-jsZZNI/AAAAAAAABCk/wvRyBlBO8_o/s1600/Body+Butter+100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TJ7j-1VuDMQ/Tys0-jsZZNI/AAAAAAAABCk/wvRyBlBO8_o/s320/Body+Butter+100.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--TxMbs52kvg/Tys0-A3kJAI/AAAAAAAABCc/BJ9krJB23rg/s1600/Body+Butter+101.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--TxMbs52kvg/Tys0-A3kJAI/AAAAAAAABCc/BJ9krJB23rg/s320/Body+Butter+101.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><i><br /> </i><br /> I'm sharing this post with the folks at the <b><a href="http://homesteadrevival.blogspot.com/2012/02/barn-hop-48.html">Homestead Barn Hop #48</a>&nbsp;</b>and<b> <a href="http://joshealthcorner.blogspot.com/2012/02/living-well-blog-hop-29.html">Living Well blog Hop #29</a></b></div><br /> Be sure to check out the new Facebook Fan Page </div><div style="text-align: center;">@ <b><span style="color: #45818e;">http://www.facebook.com/Woodwife61</span></b>!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope you "Like" it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Much herbal love,</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=www.woodwifesjournal.com%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fi1041.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb411%2Ftgw9020%2FRecoveredAutosave-1.jpg&amp;description=The%20Woodwife's%20Journal">Pin It</a><br /> <script src="http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Woodwife61" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a></div><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <center><a border="0" href="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=117070&amp;BID=13915" target="_blank"><img alt="A passion for organics" border="0" src="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/affiliate/graphics/AB7-final.gif" /></a></center><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-5853602701078160219?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/SqT-r0CRDa_CRuFRbfiKU9toRG8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/SqT-r0CRDa_CRuFRbfiKU9toRG8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/SqT-r0CRDa_CRuFRbfiKU9toRG8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/SqT-r0CRDa_CRuFRbfiKU9toRG8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/Ofrit2GX-1k" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com8http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/02/new-body-butter-trio.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-57545117897139565672012-01-25T04:54:00.002-05:002012-02-17T07:08:39.225-05:002012-02-17T07:08:39.225-05:00<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.woodwifesjournal.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="TheWoodwifesJournal" height="125" src="http://i1041.photobucket.com/albums/b411/tgw9020/RecoveredAutosave-1.jpg" width="125" /></a>Welcome to the 24nd edition of&nbsp;<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Wildcrafting Wednesday!</span>&nbsp; I'm looking forward to hearing from all of you and pooling our herbal ideas to make each of our homes and families more healthy!<br /> <br /> Hosted by Kathy @&nbsp;<strong><a href="http://mindbodyandsoleonline.com/"><span style="color: #45818e;">Mind, Body and Soul</span></a></strong>,<br /> Laurie @&nbsp;<strong><span style="color: #45818e;"><a href="http://www.commonsensehome.com/">Common Sense Homesteading</a></span></strong><br /> and myself, here @&nbsp;<a href="http://woodwifesjournal.com/"><span style="color: #45818e;"><b>The Woodwife's Journal</b></span></a>. <br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a><br /> <br /> Traditionally, the word wildcrafting means gathering herbs and plants in the wild to use for food and medicine. Wildcrafting Wednesday is a&nbsp;Blog Hop for gathering your favorite old time, traditional&nbsp;herbal posts, home remedies and crafting ideas. It’s a place to learn ways to incorporate herbs and old fashioned wisdom into our day-to-day life. It is anything and everything herbal – from crafts to cleaning to tinctures to cooking – it's remedies and natural cures made at home – it's&nbsp;self-sufficient living and back-to-basics tips to make and preserve food, save money and resources – if it involves herbs or traditional methods of homemaking, home healing or other traditional skills then we want to read about it!<br /> <br /> You see, it's kinda like stepping out into the "wilds" of cyberspace to gather ideas that make our homemaking skills or "craft" more healthy, more resourceful...more sustainable. Wildcrafting!<br /> <br /> Guidelines for Participation:<br /> <br /> 1. Please link up your blog post using the Linky widget below. If you are posting a recipe, only real food recipes are permitted please. This means no processed food ingredients!<br /> <br /> 2. Please link the URL of your actual blog post and not your blogs home page. That allows future readers who find this week's link-up to go directly to the post they want to read.<br /> <br /> 3. Please place a link back to this post. That way your readers can benefit from all the ideas too. This also helps out the other participants who are hoping to get more traffic to their blogs. If you’re new to blogging here’s what you do: Copy the URL of Wildcrafting Wednesday from your browser address bar. Then edit your post by adding something like, “This post was shared on Wildcrafting Wednesday at The Woodwife's Journal” at the end of your post. Then highlight “Wildcrafting Wednesday at The Woodwife's Journal”, click the “link” button on your blogging tool bar, and paste the URL into that line. That’s it!<br /> <br /> 4. Please only link posts that fit the carnival description. Old and archived posts are welcome as long as you post a link back as described above. Please don’t link to giveaways or promotions for affiliates or sponsors. That keeps our links valuable in the future since a link to a giveaway three months old isn’t going to be worth browsing in three months time, but a link to an herbal tip will be.<br /> <br /> 5.&nbsp;<strong><span style="color: #45818e;">Please leave a comment below when you link up to notify me that you've shared with us! &nbsp;That way I don't miss any new links.</span></strong><br /> <br /> 6. Don’t have a blog? We still want to hear from you! Please leave your herbal tip, recipe, or home remedy in the comments below.<br /> <br /> 7. And bloggers, please check out the other posts and leave a comment for them too.<br /> <br /> <script src="http://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=127496" type="text/javascript"> </script><br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;">Be sure to check out my new Facebook Page </div><div style="text-align: center;">@ <b><span style="color: #45818e;">http://www.facebook.com/Woodwife61</span></b>!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope you "Like" it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Much herbal love,</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=www.woodwifesjournal.com%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fi1041.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb411%2Ftgw9020%2FRecoveredAutosave-1.jpg&amp;description=The%20Woodwife's%20Journal">Pin It</a><br /> <script src="http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Woodwife61" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a><br /> <br /> </div><br /> <br /> <center><a border="0" href="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=117070&amp;BID=13915" target="_blank"><img alt="A passion for organics" border="0" src="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/affiliate/graphics/AB7-final.gif" /></a></center><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-5754511789713956567?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wVSWOvOtEMixp-HQveXeusD3cos/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wVSWOvOtEMixp-HQveXeusD3cos/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wVSWOvOtEMixp-HQveXeusD3cos/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/wVSWOvOtEMixp-HQveXeusD3cos/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/NCxaxc8FN94" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com1http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/01/wildcrafting-wednesday-24.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-86745753053471147022012-01-23T08:34:00.000-05:002012-01-23T08:34:07.605-05:002012-01-23T08:34:07.605-05:00<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://autismandoughtisms.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/liebster-award.jpg?w=640" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://autismandoughtisms.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/liebster-award.jpg?w=640" /></a>I've just sent out a thank you post for all the support I've received since I started this blog on my 49th birthday in June of 2010. &nbsp;It was a gift to myself that I hoped would give me some perspective on what my place is now that my not so little girls are more independent. &nbsp;I'm still homeschooling my youngest, who is in 10th grade and my oldest, who graduated from homeschooling, is attending university as a junior. &nbsp;I'm still figuring it out as I move toward graduating my last in 2 years. <br /> <br /> Blogging can be tough going, and it means a lot when someone reaches out to let you know they appreciate what you're doing.<br /> <br /> Last year, a fellow herb blogger, Sarah, paid me a very nice compliment. &nbsp;It meant a lot to me because she is not a newcomer to the field of herbal medicine. &nbsp;We found each other somehow (blogging is funny that way) and, as she said, we knew we were kindred spirits! &nbsp;She's blogging about her passion for herbs @ <a href="http://www.wellnessthenaturalway.com/">Wellness the Natural Way.</a>&nbsp; The compliment she gave me was in the form of a blogger award called The Leibster Award. &nbsp;This honor is given to bloggers with less than 200 followers as a way to bring a buzz of attention to their blog and increase their readership, to give their efforts a little recognition. &nbsp;Share a little blogger love.<br /> <br /> I googled "Liebster" and the translation from German that I found was "favorite translation." &nbsp;How nice!<br /> <br /> It is the duty of everyone who receives the Liebster Award to find 5 blogs that they admire, who have less than 200 followers, and pass the honor along. &nbsp;It was tough to choose! &nbsp;There are a lot of great blogs out there that I follow and enjoy. &nbsp;Many of them don't display their followers so it's hard to know how many they have and I didn't have time to write to you all. &nbsp;Others have more than 200 which eliminates them. &nbsp;I've narrowed it down to five but I wish I could share with so many more.<br /> One thing that I noticed as I perused blogs I follow to choose my five was the frequent use of the word "journey" in their descriptions. &nbsp;We're all on a journey to find a better, more natural approach to sustainable lifestyles, pursuing our dreams and finding our way. &nbsp;Our paths may be different but our goals are the same. &nbsp;We are women who are making our way through life trying to make a better life for our families in one way or another.<br /> Congratulations to the following bloggers!<br /> <br /> <img src="http://autismandoughtisms.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/liebster-award.jpg?w=640" /><br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.followmymuse.com/">Molly's Muses</a>&nbsp;- a freelance photographer who love art and capturing people on film, Molly has a heart for the Lord and has done a wonderful work photographing little angels who's time on this earth is very short.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://herbmother.com/">Herb Mother</a>- after stepping away from the daily grind, Latisha's offering encouragement to embrace the crunchy lifestyle and experience the bounties of this earth.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://phytotherapy4me.blogspot.com/">Phytotherapy</a>&nbsp;- besides being a Family Herbalist through Vintage Remedies, Megan describes herself as an Upscaler and Thrift Store Treasure Hunter. Check out her blog for ideas and recipes for natural cleaning, personal care and herbal remedies.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://methowvalleyherbs.blogspot.com/">Methow Valley Herbs</a>&nbsp;- Rosalee is an herbalist trainer, a licensed massage therapist, has mentored under some very well known herbalists, with inspiration from Traditional Chinese Medicine, Ayruveda, and &nbsp;Western Herbalism.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://naturallivingsocal.blogspot.com/">Natural Health and Prevention</a> - Jessica works to encourage good health through prevention and wellness techniques as a Holistic Wellness Practitioner. &nbsp;She studies with Vintage Remedies School of Natural Health and East-West School of Herbal and Aromatic Studies.<br /> <br /> Many thanks again to Sarah for sharing this award with me! &nbsp;Please check out Sarah's blog&nbsp;@&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wellnessthenaturalway.com/">Wellness the Natural Way</a>&nbsp;and the featured blogs and let them know I sent you.<br /> <br /> Be sure to check out my new Facebook Page </div><div style="text-align: center;">@ <b><span style="color: #45818e;">http://www.facebook.com/Woodwife61</span></b>!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope you "Like" it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Much herbal love,</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=www.woodwifesjournal.com%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fi1041.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb411%2Ftgw9020%2FRecoveredAutosave-1.jpg&amp;description=The%20Woodwife's%20Journal">Pin It</a><br /> <script src="http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Woodwife61" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a></div><br /> <br /> <center><a border="0" href="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=117070&amp;BID=13915" target="_blank"><img alt="A passion for organics" border="0" src="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/affiliate/graphics/AB7-final.gif" /></a></center><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-8674575305347114702?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6NJMTgPl1QOA6oNBlctGVmrSBRY/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6NJMTgPl1QOA6oNBlctGVmrSBRY/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6NJMTgPl1QOA6oNBlctGVmrSBRY/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/6NJMTgPl1QOA6oNBlctGVmrSBRY/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/ToeHM3KvHgg" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com2http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/01/liebster-blogger-award.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-41370354449357364952012-01-22T07:30:00.001-05:002012-02-05T07:07:05.348-05:002012-02-05T07:07:05.348-05:00<div style="text-align: center;">I've just got to say that my heart is filled with thankfulness for the awesomeness that filled my day yesterday. &nbsp;When I started blogging in 2010, I put my "stock", my hopes, in my family, friends and acquaintances to help me get going. &nbsp;An unfair expectation since many of them don't share my views on the virtues of herbs. But, a few of them did and I'm grateful to them for standing by me, being my field testers and supporters, as well as making me dig deeper to find answers and figure out where I'm going. <br /> They kept me from giving up.<br /> Thank you!<br /> <br /> Over the past year, things which had been creeping up, began to move more steadily as more and more folks stopped by to read me...to support me. &nbsp;Folks I didn't know. &nbsp;Folks from all over the globe. &nbsp;Folks who are well known and respected in the blogging circles and herbalist sectors I've been learning so much about. &nbsp;They reached out to give me a hand and I can't express my thanks enough. <br /> <br /> Yesterday, I watched as an amazing thing happened here at The Woodwife's Journal. <br /> Seemingly out of nowhere, the hits started coming in, the pageviews snowballed!<br /> People from all over the world were stopping by to see what The Woodwife's Journal is all about.<br /> <br /> I've been praying from the start of my blogging adventure, for guidance and help. &nbsp;You see, I'm not especially computer savvy so each new thing I've done to make this blog work, I've learned by research or trial and error. By asking questions, some were answered and some were not. &nbsp;It's been lots of time, work and study to put together helpful posts that folks might enjoy reading. <br /> They're not professional, they're not cutting edge...but they are from where I live at this time in my life. <br /> From my heart and my home.<br /> <br /> I don't know if this trend will continue but what happened yesterday was truly a blessing to me.<br /> Many, many thanks to all of you.<br /> <br /> <br /> Be sure to check out my new&nbsp;Facebook Page </div><div style="text-align: center;">@ <b><span style="color: #45818e;">http://www.facebook.com/Woodwife61</span></b>!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope you "Like" it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Much herbal love,</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=www.woodwifesjournal.com%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fi1041.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb411%2Ftgw9020%2FRecoveredAutosave-1.jpg&amp;description=The%20Woodwife's%20Journal">Pin It</a><br /> <script src="http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Woodwife61" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a></div><br /> <div style="text-align: center;">There are so many learning opportunities out there. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Here are some of my favorites:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.vintageremedies.com/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=1245_0_1_9" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" height="125" src="http://www.vintageremedies.com/idevaffiliate/banners/8W-RF_Vintage_Remedies1.jpg" width="125" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.vintageremedies.com/idevaffiliate/idevaffiliate.php?id=1245_0_1_6" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" height="60" src="http://www.vintageremedies.com/idevaffiliate/banners/vintage_remedies_books.gif" width="468" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4101024"><img alt="Herbal Medicine Making Kit" border="0" height="60" src="http://www.learningherbs.net/images/banner/468x60_kit.gif" width="468" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="0" src="http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Imp=4101024" width="0" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4267202" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Free herbal ecourse." border="0" height="125" src="http://www.learningherbs.net/images/banner/125x125-sh.gif" width="125" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="0" src="http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Imp=4267202" width="0" /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4267203" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Free herbal ecourse." border="0" height="125" src="http://www.learningherbs.net/images/banner/125x125-hrs.gif" width="125" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4101023"><img alt="Wildcraft Board Game" border="0" height="240" src="http://www.learningherbs.net/images/banner/125x240_wc-white.gif" width="125" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><br /> <br /> <center><a border="0" href="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=117070&amp;BID=13915" target="_blank"><img alt="A passion for organics" border="0" src="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/affiliate/graphics/AB7-final.gif" /></a></center><br /> <div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="0" src="http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Imp=4101023" width="0" /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-4137035444935736495?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ZZf6j2RFg1y4QSM4wYdJ8zLclgA/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ZZf6j2RFg1y4QSM4wYdJ8zLclgA/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ZZf6j2RFg1y4QSM4wYdJ8zLclgA/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/ZZf6j2RFg1y4QSM4wYdJ8zLclgA/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/pUA4mWqOv_0" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com2http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/01/many-thanks.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-35831855198913357752012-01-20T08:14:00.007-05:002012-01-20T18:20:07.543-05:002012-01-20T18:20:07.543-05:00<div style="text-align: center;"><br /> <div><div style="text-align: right;">20th of January, 2012</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Dearest Friends,</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;">My deepest desire is that this letter finds you all healthy and in good spirits. We are, at present, quite well and bearing the winter as bravely as can be expected. &nbsp;Temperatures have dropped into the single digits only to reach highs in the 50's days later.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /> Winter continues to wet the land with a variety of precipitation, unable to decide on the proper temperature for it's assault on my little valley. &nbsp;It is premature to hear any tiding of Spring's preparation to begin her journey from the deep south toward our home here in the north country. &nbsp;As much as I long for the first signs of her return, I can't help but lose myself in the beauty of the white, frosty boughs and blanketed fields. &nbsp;Almost as if they call to me to come out to play. &nbsp;With sadness I realize I can no longer steel myself against the frigid temperatures as I did in my younger days. &nbsp;Alas, I fear I shall do more admiring from the warmth of the fire than venturing into the wonderland itself. &nbsp;I laugh aloud as I realize I won't be able to resist the call entirely and will take quick advantage of any warming that comes our way.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;">The post has just arrived bringing yet another beautifully illustrated seed catalogue for me to peruse. &nbsp;The weather outside is quite blustery and I feel blessed to sit inside, by the fire, sipping spicy tulsi tisane, while I dream of spring gardens filled with bushy, aromatic herbs and colorful vegetables. &nbsp;Neat, tidy rows of lettuce in yellows, greens and rosy reds. &nbsp;Tall hollyhocks and sunflowers looming over the not so little girls who read in the solitude of houses walled by their lofty blooms. &nbsp;Berries hanging sweetly from brambles and melons ripening on beds of straw. &nbsp;Tall teepee's of pole beans hanging heavy with pods make for a quick hideaway from the sun's heat.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;">How quickly my mind has changed direction!</div><div style="text-align: left;">I must find more paper and begin to make lists and sketches of my thoughts before they are lost!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Have you made any garden plans this year? &nbsp;Pray, tell me all about them in your next correspondence. &nbsp;I long to hear from you. &nbsp;Please inform me of all your adventures and the family's outings as I pine for stories from town. &nbsp;Have you been to any evening parties since the holidays? &nbsp;We've been much at home aside from the theater which often requires much of our time but we do enjoy it so!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;">I shall take the liberty of using names to portray our family and acquaintances from the meandering wit of our dear friend Lady Morewit, whose chronicles always bring me much delight.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Miss Indianna and her beau, Mr. Merritop, will be among the leads in the upcoming presentation of</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>The Importance of Being Ernest&nbsp;</i>here in our small theater<i>.</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">Miss Woodwise&nbsp;will have a leading role in her university&nbsp;production of&nbsp;<i>The 39 Steps</i>&nbsp;coming soon to the Tower.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Mr. Woodwise is making plans for a new smoke house to begin his adventure in charcuterie. &nbsp;Alas, we were unable to harvest venison this past season so we may have to find another source of meat for the coming year. &nbsp;Perhaps his new interest in traditional preservation will help stretch our pantry and coffers further. &nbsp;We've plans for fresh trout fillets for this evenings meal with baked potatoes and greens.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Myself, I continue in my studies and preparations with many requests from neighboring families for herbal comfort in this cold and flu season. &nbsp;I'm so blessed to be able to offer relief in my own small way.</div><div style="text-align: left;">In jest, they call me,&nbsp;<i>The Woodwife</i>&nbsp;because I find so much pleasure in gathering herbs from the fields and woodlands to garner their healing properties. &nbsp;It makes me smile to think on it.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: left;">Bringing myself back from my reverie, I must bid you farewell for now. &nbsp;May you also enjoy visions of what's to come as we march bravely on toward that first whisper of Spring.</div><br /> Much herbal love from<br /> our homestead to yours,<br /> <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a><br /> <br /> You can find some of my favorite sources for seeds and seedlings<br /> <b style="background-color: #d0e0e3;"><a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/01/seed-catalog-dreaming.html">HERE</a>.</b><br /> Be sure to check out my new&nbsp;Facebook&nbsp;Page<br /> <div>@&nbsp;<b><span style="color: #45818e;">http://www.facebook.com/Woodwife61</span></b>!</div><div>Hope you "Like" it!</div><br /> <a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=www.woodwifesjournal.com%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fi1041.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb411%2Ftgw9020%2FRecoveredAutosave-1.jpg&amp;description=The%20Woodwife's%20Journal">Pin It</a></div><div><a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Woodwife61" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"></div><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <center><a border="0" href="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=117070&amp;BID=13915" target="_blank"><img alt="A passion for organics" border="0" src="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/affiliate/graphics/AB7-final.gif" /></a></center></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-3583185519891335775?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/gOVJXctSacIqGL8B8feFvBD_JWc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/gOVJXctSacIqGL8B8feFvBD_JWc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/gOVJXctSacIqGL8B8feFvBD_JWc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/gOVJXctSacIqGL8B8feFvBD_JWc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/nOsv3zYNNAE" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com2http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/01/letters-from-home.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-25765183183672670972012-01-19T06:01:00.000-05:002012-01-19T06:01:48.397-05:002012-01-19T06:01:48.397-05:00<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.woodwifesjournal.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="TheWoodwifesJournal" height="125" src="http://i1041.photobucket.com/albums/b411/tgw9020/RecoveredAutosave-1.jpg" width="125" /></a>Welcome to the 23nd edition of&nbsp;<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Wildcrafting Wednesday!</span>&nbsp; I'm looking forward to hearing from all of you and pooling our herbal ideas to make each of our homes and families more healthy!<br /> <br /> Hosted by Kathy @&nbsp;<strong><a href="http://mindbodyandsoleonline.com/"><span style="color: #45818e;">Mind, Body and Soul</span></a></strong>,<br /> Laurie @&nbsp;<strong><span style="color: #45818e;"><a href="http://www.commonsensehome.com/">Common Sense Homesteading</a></span></strong><br /> and myself, here @&nbsp;<a href="http://woodwifesjournal.com/"><span style="color: #45818e;"><b>The Woodwife's Journal</b></span></a>. <br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a><br /> <br /> Traditionally, the word wildcrafting means gathering herbs and plants in the wild to use for food and medicine. Wildcrafting Wednesday is a&nbsp;Blog Hop for gathering your favorite old time, traditional&nbsp;herbal posts, home remedies and crafting ideas. It’s a place to learn ways to incorporate herbs and old fashioned wisdom into our day-to-day life. It is anything and everything herbal – from crafts to cleaning to tinctures to cooking – it's remedies and natural cures made at home – it's&nbsp;self-sufficient living and back-to-basics tips to make and preserve food, save money and resources – if it involves herbs or traditional methods of homemaking, home healing or other traditional skills then we want to read about it!<br /> <br /> You see, it's kinda like stepping out into the "wilds" of cyberspace to gather ideas that make our homemaking skills or "craft" more healthy, more resourceful...more sustainable. Wildcrafting!<br /> <br /> Guidelines for Participation:<br /> <br /> 1. Please link up your blog post using the Linky widget below. If you are posting a recipe, only real food recipes are permitted please. This means no processed food ingredients!<br /> <br /> 2. Please link the URL of your actual blog post and not your blogs home page. That allows future readers who find this week's link-up to go directly to the post they want to read.<br /> <br /> 3. Please place a link back to this post. That way your readers can benefit from all the ideas too. This also helps out the other participants who are hoping to get more traffic to their blogs. If you’re new to blogging here’s what you do: Copy the URL of Wildcrafting Wednesday from your browser address bar. Then edit your post by adding something like, “This post was shared on Wildcrafting Wednesday at The Woodwife's Journal” at the end of your post. Then highlight “Wildcrafting Wednesday at The Woodwife's Journal”, click the “link” button on your blogging tool bar, and paste the URL into that line. That’s it!<br /> <br /> 4. Please only link posts that fit the carnival description. Old and archived posts are welcome as long as you post a link back as described above. Please don’t link to giveaways or promotions for affiliates or sponsors. That keeps our links valuable in the future since a link to a giveaway three months old isn’t going to be worth browsing in three months time, but a link to an herbal tip will be.<br /> <br /> 5.&nbsp;<strong><span style="color: #45818e;">Please leave a comment below when you link up to notify me that you've shared with us! &nbsp;That way I don't miss any new links.</span></strong><br /> <br /> 6. Don’t have a blog? We still want to hear from you! Please leave your herbal tip, recipe, or home remedy in the comments below.<br /> <br /> 7. And bloggers, please check out the other posts and leave a comment for them too.<br /> <br /> <script src="http://www.linkytools.com/thumbnail_linky_include.aspx?id=126125" type="text/javascript"> </script><br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;">Be sure to check out my new Facebook Page </div><div style="text-align: center;">@ <b><span style="color: #45818e;">http://www.facebook.com/Woodwife61</span></b>!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope you "Like" it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Much herbal love,</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=www.woodwifesjournal.com%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fi1041.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb411%2Ftgw9020%2FRecoveredAutosave-1.jpg&amp;description=The%20Woodwife's%20Journal">Pin It</a><br /> <script src="http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Woodwife61" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a></div><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <center><a border="0" href="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=117070&amp;BID=13915" target="_blank"><img alt="A passion for organics" border="0" src="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/affiliate/graphics/AB7-final.gif" /></a></center><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-8583489261595368263?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0H6jv2Hw1zGKMPrtbKXnnMQxink/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0H6jv2Hw1zGKMPrtbKXnnMQxink/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0H6jv2Hw1zGKMPrtbKXnnMQxink/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0H6jv2Hw1zGKMPrtbKXnnMQxink/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/DJd9P7dzYVo" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com1http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/01/wildcrafting-wednesday-23.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-23830863363924480162012-01-17T08:36:00.000-05:002012-01-17T08:36:40.040-05:002012-01-17T08:36:40.040-05:00<div style="text-align: center;">If you read the post on <a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/01/make-probiotic-kombucha-at-home.html">making your own kombucha</a> a few weeks ago, you know that my daughter, home from college for Christmas break, decided to experiment with a kombucha SCOBY.<br /> <br /> Here's what happened...<br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lbym1Cw0Xu8/TxVwnE2nhII/AAAAAAAAA_s/d7M_BN4QGps/s1600/kombucha+001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lbym1Cw0Xu8/TxVwnE2nhII/AAAAAAAAA_s/d7M_BN4QGps/s320/kombucha+001.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After allowing the culture to thicken to about 5/16", <br /> she placed it on a wooden cutting board to dry.&nbsp;</td></tr> </tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AuB_1pAni1M/TxVwltSOqNI/AAAAAAAAA_k/QeHPYo8PWfU/s1600/kombucha+006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AuB_1pAni1M/TxVwltSOqNI/AAAAAAAAA_k/QeHPYo8PWfU/s400/kombucha+006.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After about two weeks and a little extra heat, <br /> the culture was like a piece of oilcloth.</td></tr> </tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i9IP-Ql2eiI/TxVwrN4ZX2I/AAAAAAAAA_8/BwITvJY2hHA/s1600/kombucha+003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i9IP-Ql2eiI/TxVwrN4ZX2I/AAAAAAAAA_8/BwITvJY2hHA/s320/kombucha+003.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She laced a piece of waxed linen cord through <br /> holes she punctured around the edge of the SCOBY.<br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;</td></tr> </tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mHdhy2-ME7g/TxVwvjpA2OI/AAAAAAAABAM/Gk_S07cO_4w/s1600/kombucha+005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mHdhy2-ME7g/TxVwvjpA2OI/AAAAAAAABAM/Gk_S07cO_4w/s320/kombucha+005.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then she used walnut ink to stain the center of the "hide." <br /> (the design you see is the plate underneath)</td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FXLpaN-8zTc/TxV0_ysKbxI/AAAAAAAABAc/v7lQMjEXA5A/s1600/kombucha+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FXLpaN-8zTc/TxV0_ysKbxI/AAAAAAAABAc/v7lQMjEXA5A/s320/kombucha+012.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After doing henna tattoos with her sister, <br /> she decided to see how well the dried culture would accept the stain.<br /> It worked well and she followed that with a light coating <br /> of oil to add some water proofing.</td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0v2gS5zjBw4/TxV2P-gHjCI/AAAAAAAABBM/Q2NFS1_-QP0/s1600/kombucha+017.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0v2gS5zjBw4/TxV2P-gHjCI/AAAAAAAABBM/Q2NFS1_-QP0/s320/kombucha+017.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's the finished product...a little drawstring bag. <br /> Enough spark to further more experimenting!<br /> </td></tr> </tbody></table><br /> When tanning a traditional animal hide there's a few more steps involved that soften the skin. Because this involves rewetting the hide, she was a little unsure how to proceed. &nbsp;So these are things to plan for next time!<br /> <br /> &nbsp;&nbsp;Watch for her guest post on tanning animal hides...coming later this year. Right now, she's back at school with a full load, a college play to rehearse and a missions trip to Kosovo planned for spring. &nbsp;Your prayerful support of the team and the folks in Kosovo is greatly appreciated. There are needs to be met before this can become a reality. &nbsp;For more info, contact me by email.<br /> <br /> Be sure to check out my new Facebook Page </div><div style="text-align: center;">@ <b><span style="color: #45818e;">http://www.facebook.com/Woodwife61</span></b>!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope you "Like" it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Much herbal love,</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=www.woodwifesjournal.com%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fi1041.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb411%2Ftgw9020%2FRecoveredAutosave-1.jpg&amp;description=The%20Woodwife's%20Journal">Pin It</a><br /> <script src="http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Woodwife61" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a></div><br /> <br /> <center><a border="0" href="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=117070&amp;BID=13915" target="_blank"><img alt="A passion for organics" border="0" src="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/affiliate/graphics/AB7-final.gif" /></a></center><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-2383086336392448016?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/8sYFEU14n0xUO7g4UIZ8U-OPKL4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/8sYFEU14n0xUO7g4UIZ8U-OPKL4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/8sYFEU14n0xUO7g4UIZ8U-OPKL4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/8sYFEU14n0xUO7g4UIZ8U-OPKL4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/Z3rZ90Mjv-c" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com4http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/01/kombucha-tanning-project-followup.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-81496083358742690322012-01-13T05:53:00.001-05:002012-01-13T17:01:27.077-05:002012-01-13T17:01:27.077-05:00<div style="text-align: center;"><br /> When I started blogging a few years ago, I quickly found some awesome folks in the Pacific Northwest who have inspired me over and over again. <br /> <a href="http://learningherbs.com/">LearningHerbs.com</a> and <a href="http://herbmentor.com/">HerbMentor.com</a> offer incredible opportunities for herbal study. <br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/?Clk=4101024"><img alt="Herbal Medicine Making Kit" border="0" height="60" src="http://www.learningherbs.net/images/banner/468x60_kit.gif" width="468" /></a><br /> <br /> Once there, it won't be long until you come across an herbalist named Rosalee.<br /> Rosalee de la Foret writes about her passion @ <a href="http://methowvalleyherbs.blogspot.com/">Methow Valley Herbs</a>.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://www.rosalee.info/">This link will take you to a page that tells about the services Rosalee offers as a holistic health practitioner.&nbsp;</a><br /> <br /> Here's a bit of info from Methow Valley Herbs that Rosalee's allowed me to share with you.<br /> <br /> <i>"Rosalee draws inspiration from Traditional Chinese Medicine and uses tongue and pulse diagnosis and also uses patterns assessment using TCM organ systems. &nbsp;She also has a strong base in western herbalism...&nbsp;</i><br /> <i><br /> </i><br /> <i>Rooted in the Methow Valley, Rosalee conducts herbalism trainings nationally and regionally, and is the author of dozens of articles and several ebooks on herbal healing. &nbsp;She is an herbal consultant for <a href="http://learningherbs.com/">LearningHerbs.com</a>&nbsp;and &nbsp;frequently contributes multimedia herbal education and moderates the forums at <a href="http://herbmentor.com/">HerbMentor.com</a>.</i><br /> <i>Rosalee has a private herbal consultation practice and often does long distance consultations for those living across North America.</i><br /> <i><br /> </i><br /> <i>She is certified by the Institute of Structural Medicine, is a licensed massage therapist in Wanshington and has been privileged to be mentored by herbalists Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa, Michael Tierra, Paul Bergner and Kiva Rose."</i><br /> <br /> Pretty impressive, huh? <br /> <br /> Why am I writing about Rosalee today?<br /> It's because I'm so excited! &nbsp;She's decided to pull together a list of herbal blogs that share info from many different perspectives ~ Ayurveda, TCM, traditional Western Herbalism ~ written by professionals in the field and aspiring herbalists...like me!<br /> <br /> <a href="http://methowvalleyherbs.blogspot.com/p/herbal-blogroll.html"><img src="http://www.rosalee.info/pictures/Horizbloglistpics.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /> Be sure to check out my new Facebook Page </div><div style="text-align: center;">@ <b><span style="color: #45818e;">http://www.facebook.com/Woodwife61</span></b>!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope you "Like" it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Much herbal love,</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=www.woodwifesjournal.com%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fi1041.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb411%2Ftgw9020%2FRecoveredAutosave-1.jpg&amp;description=The%20Woodwife's%20Journal">Pin It</a><br /> <script src="http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Woodwife61" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a></div><br /> <br /> <br /> <center><a border="0" href="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=117070&amp;BID=13915" target="_blank"><img alt="A passion for organics" border="0" src="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/affiliate/graphics/AB7-final.gif" /></a></center><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-8149608335874269032?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/mrHIfFXp-A9_XZjCUi-ATRi_Wm4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/mrHIfFXp-A9_XZjCUi-ATRi_Wm4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/mrHIfFXp-A9_XZjCUi-ATRi_Wm4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/mrHIfFXp-A9_XZjCUi-ATRi_Wm4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/Z7xRIFGrU4U" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com0http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/01/another-place-you-can-find-me.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-69801200887801262932012-01-11T06:58:00.004-05:002012-02-17T07:10:26.143-05:002012-02-17T07:10:26.143-05:00<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.woodwifesjournal.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="TheWoodwifesJournal" height="125" src="http://i1041.photobucket.com/albums/b411/tgw9020/RecoveredAutosave-1.jpg" width="125" /></a>Welcome to the 22nd edition of&nbsp;<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Wildcrafting Wednesday!</span>&nbsp; I'm looking forward to hearing from all of you and pooling our herbal ideas to make each of our homes and families more healthy!<br /> <br /> Hosted by Kathy @&nbsp;<strong><a href="http://mindbodyandsoleonline.com/"><span style="color: #45818e;">Mind, Body and Soul</span></a></strong>,<br /> Laurie @&nbsp;<strong><span style="color: #45818e;"><a href="http://www.commonsensehome.com/">Common Sense Homesteading</a></span></strong><br /> and myself, here @&nbsp;<a href="http://woodwifesjournal.com/"><span style="color: #45818e;"><b>The Woodwife's Journal</b></span></a>. <br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a><br /> <br /> Traditionally, the word wildcrafting means gathering herbs and plants in the wild to use for food and medicine. Wildcrafting Wednesday is a&nbsp;Blog Hop for gathering your favorite old time, traditional&nbsp;herbal posts, home remedies and crafting ideas. It’s a place to learn ways to incorporate herbs and old fashioned wisdom into our day-to-day life. It is anything and everything herbal – from crafts to cleaning to tinctures to cooking – it's remedies and natural cures made at home – it's&nbsp;self-sufficient living and back-to-basics tips to make and preserve food, save money and resources – if it involves herbs or traditional methods of homemaking, home healing or other traditional skills then we want to read about it!<br /> <br /> You see, it's kinda like stepping out into the "wilds" of cyberspace to gather ideas that make our homemaking skills or "craft" more healthy, more resourceful...more sustainable. Wildcrafting!<br /> <br /> Guidelines for Participation:<br /> <br /> 1. Please link up your blog post using the Linky widget below. If you are posting a recipe, only real food recipes are permitted please. This means no processed food ingredients!<br /> <br /> 2. Please link the URL of your actual blog post and not your blogs home page. That allows future readers who find this week's link-up to go directly to the post they want to read.<br /> <br /> 3. Please place a link back to this post. That way your readers can benefit from all the ideas too. This also helps out the other participants who are hoping to get more traffic to their blogs. If you’re new to blogging here’s what you do: Copy the URL of Wildcrafting Wednesday from your browser address bar. Then edit your post by adding something like, “This post was shared on Wildcrafting Wednesday at The Woodwife's Journal” at the end of your post. Then highlight “Wildcrafting Wednesday at The Woodwife's Journal”, click the “link” button on your blogging tool bar, and paste the URL into that line. That’s it!<br /> <br /> 4. Please only link posts that fit the carnival description. Old and archived posts are welcome as long as you post a link back as described above. Please don’t link to giveaways or promotions for affiliates or sponsors. That keeps our links valuable in the future since a link to a giveaway three months old isn’t going to be worth browsing in three months time, but a link to an herbal tip will be.<br /> <br /> 5.&nbsp;<strong><span style="color: #45818e;">Please leave a comment below when you link up to notify me that you've shared with us! &nbsp;That way I don't miss any new links.</span></strong><br /> <br /> 6. Don’t have a blog? We still want to hear from you! Please leave your herbal tip, recipe, or home remedy in the comments below.<br /> <br /> 7. And bloggers, please check out the other posts and leave a comment for them too.<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/p/herbal-medicine-chest.html"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U18ziXKSoIU/TwYi3nXcOJI/AAAAAAAAA9M/orcgHdLltAg/s200/herbal%2Bremedies%2B007-8.jpg" /></a></div><br /> <div style="text-align: center;">Be sure to check out my new Facebook Page </div><div style="text-align: center;">@ <b><span style="color: #45818e;">http://www.facebook.com/Woodwife61</span></b>!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope you "Like" it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Much herbal love,</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=www.woodwifesjournal.com%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fi1041.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb411%2Ftgw9020%2FRecoveredAutosave-1.jpg&amp;description=The%20Woodwife's%20Journal">Pin It</a><br /> <script src="http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Woodwife61" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a></div><br /> <script src="http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=124761" type="text/javascript"> </script><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <center><a border="0" href="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=117070&amp;BID=13915" target="_blank"><img alt="A passion for organics" border="0" src="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/affiliate/graphics/AB7-final.gif" /></a></center><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-6980120088780126293?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/jsn0LLK69jvLtjLWJeaf61MsMbo/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/jsn0LLK69jvLtjLWJeaf61MsMbo/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/jsn0LLK69jvLtjLWJeaf61MsMbo/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/jsn0LLK69jvLtjLWJeaf61MsMbo/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/djwRDcUZ3ao" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com3http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/01/wildcrafting-wednesday-22.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-78956144594831300052012-01-07T16:56:00.000-05:002012-01-07T16:56:22.495-05:002012-01-07T16:56:22.495-05:00<div style="text-align: center;">As the holidays fade into our recent memories, are your thoughts turning to those beautiful seed catalogs that arrived with your Christmas cards in mid December when there was no time to peruse their overflowing pages?<br /> <br /> I can think of no better way to spend a little cozy time than with a cup of tea and a stack of seed catalogs. <br /> Well maybe I can but I won't talk about that here! Let's just say it's a good way to spend a little "me" time &nbsp;during these early morning hours when I'm the only one awake.<br /> <br /> Problem is, my meandering and dreaming often get carried away! <br /> I have a few catalogs I look forward to because they offer beautiful, glossy pictures of the vegetables offered in their colorful pages, like <a href="http://rareseeds.com/">Baker's Creek</a><br /> &nbsp;and <a href="http://comstockferre.com/">Comstock</a>.<br /> &nbsp;<br /> There are others with simple formats, no pictures and lovely descriptions to guide my choices,<br /> like <a href="http://www.fedcoseeds.com/">Fedco seeds and trees</a>.<br /> <br /> Along with dreams of vegetables flowing from baskets and plants sporting all colors of perfect fruits, I like to plan an herb garden. &nbsp;Or should I say plans to expand my herb garden?<br /> One of my favorite sources for herb seeds is <a href="http://coldfusion.affiliateshop.com/AIDLink.cfm?AID=117070&amp;Redirect=/seeds/seeds.html">Mountain Rose Herbs</a>. <br /> They offer a great selection of <a href="http://coldfusion.affiliateshop.com/AIDLink.cfm?AID=117070&amp;Redirect=/seeds/seeds.html">medicinal herb seeds</a>.<br /> <br /> Time to get start my garden dreaming!<br /> <br /> Be sure to check out my new Facebook Page </div><div style="text-align: center;">@ <b><span style="color: #45818e;">http://www.facebook.com/Woodwife61</span></b>!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope you "Like" it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Much herbal love,</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=www.woodwifesjournal.com%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fi1041.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb411%2Ftgw9020%2FRecoveredAutosave-1.jpg&amp;description=The%20Woodwife's%20Journal">Pin It</a><br /> <script src="http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Woodwife61" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a></div><br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <center><a border="0" href="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=117070&amp;BID=13915" target="_blank"><img alt="A passion for organics" border="0" src="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/affiliate/graphics/AB7-final.gif" /></a></center><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-7895614459483130005?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/LeHoXe8F29Jr1Lb3ksgQlwsSNAE/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/LeHoXe8F29Jr1Lb3ksgQlwsSNAE/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/LeHoXe8F29Jr1Lb3ksgQlwsSNAE/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/LeHoXe8F29Jr1Lb3ksgQlwsSNAE/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/ZBhdG1u88A0" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com2http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/01/seed-catalog-dreaming.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-37459250970126622812012-01-05T08:28:00.002-05:002012-01-05T15:04:05.803-05:002012-01-05T15:04:05.803-05:00<div style="text-align: center;">If one of your new year's resolutions was to be more green in your cleaning product choices,<br /> please check out the<br /> <a href="http://mountainroseblog.com/">Green Spring Clean Giveaway @ Mountain Rose Herbs.</a><br /> Click on the link above to enter the contest before January 9, 2012.<br /> <br /> This amazing kit offers many ingredients for toxin free cleaning. <br /> Plus a the book, <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Naturally Clean Home </i>to get you started!<br /> Click on the picture below to find each of these products on Mountain Rose Herbs website.<br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <center><a border="0" href="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/index.php?AID=117070&amp;BID=13910" target="_blank"><img alt="A passion for organics picture frame" border="0" src="http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/affiliate/graphics/AB2-final.gif" /></a></center> <br /> <br /> Be sure to check out my new Facebook Page</div><div style="text-align: center;">@ <b><span style="color: #45818e;">http://www.facebook.com/Woodwife61</span></b>!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Hope you "Like" it!</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Much herbal love,</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=www.woodwifesjournal.com%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fi1041.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb411%2Ftgw9020%2FRecoveredAutosave-1.jpg&amp;description=The%20Woodwife's%20Journal">Pin It</a><br /> <script src="http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Woodwife61" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-3745925097012662281?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/v9vsCbpzGm0I6QBqXvTfsXXmHI4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/v9vsCbpzGm0I6QBqXvTfsXXmHI4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/v9vsCbpzGm0I6QBqXvTfsXXmHI4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/v9vsCbpzGm0I6QBqXvTfsXXmHI4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/iPkqCJeyscQ" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com0http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/01/green-spring-clean-giveaway.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-32433817763346431522012-01-04T06:00:00.004-05:002012-02-17T07:13:56.545-05:002012-02-17T07:13:56.545-05:00<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.woodwifesjournal.com" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="TheWoodwifesJournal" height="125" src="http://i1041.photobucket.com/albums/b411/tgw9020/RecoveredAutosave-1.jpg" width="125" /></a>Welcome to the 21st edition of&nbsp;<span style="color: #38761d; font-size: large;">Wildcrafting Wednesday</span>&nbsp;and the very first of 2012! &nbsp;I'm looking forward to hearing from all of you and pooling our herbal ideas to make each of our homes and families more healthy!<br /> <br /> Hosted by Kathy @&nbsp;<strong><a href="http://mindbodyandsoleonline.com/"><span style="color: #45818e;">Mind, Body and Soul</span></a></strong>,<br /> Laurie @&nbsp;<strong><span style="color: #45818e;"><a href="http://www.commonsensehome.com/">Common Sense Homesteading</a></span></strong><br /> and myself, here @&nbsp;<a href="http://woodwifesjournal.com/"><span style="color: #45818e;"><b>The Woodwife's Journal</b></span></a>. <br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a><br /> <br /> Traditionally, the word wildcrafting meant gathering herbs and plants in the wild to use for food and medicine. Wildcrafting Wednesday is a&nbsp;Blog Hop for gathering your favorite old time, traditional&nbsp;herbal posts, home remedies and crafting ideas. It’s a place to learn ways to incorporate herbs and old fashioned wisdom into our day-to-day life. It is anything and everything herbal – from crafts to cleaning to tinctures to cooking – it's remedies and natural cures made at home – it's&nbsp;self-sufficient living and back-to-basics tips to make and preserve food, save money and resources – if it involves herbs or traditional methods of homemaking, home healing or other traditional skills then we want to read about it!<br /> <br /> You see, it's kinda like stepping out into the "wilds" of cyberspace to gather ideas that make our homemaking skills or "craft" more healthy, more resourceful...more sustainable. Wildcrafting!<br /> <br /> Guidelines for Participation:<br /> <br /> 1. Please link up your blog post using the Linky widget below. If you are posting a recipe, only real food recipes are permitted please. This means no processed food ingredients!<br /> <br /> 2. Please link the URL of your actual blog post and not your blogs home page. That allows future readers who find this week's link-up to go directly to the post they want to read.<br /> <br /> 3. Please place a link back to this post. That way your readers can benefit from all the ideas too. This also helps out the other participants who are hoping to get more traffic to their blogs. If you’re new to blogging here’s what you do: Copy the URL of Wildcrafting Wednesday from your browser address bar. Then edit your post by adding something like, “This post was shared on Wildcrafting Wednesday at The Woodwife's Journal” at the end of your post. Then highlight “Wildcrafting Wednesday at The Woodwife's Journal”, click the “link” button on your blogging tool bar, and paste the URL into that line. That’s it!<br /> <br /> 4. Please only link posts that fit the carnival description. Old and archived posts are welcome as long as you post a link back as described above. Please don’t link to giveaways or promotions for affiliates or sponsors. That keeps our links valuable in the future since a link to a giveaway three months old isn’t going to be worth browsing in three months time, but a link to an herbal tip will be.<br /> <br /> 5.&nbsp;<strong><span style="color: #45818e;">Please leave a comment below when you link up to notify me that you've shared with us! &nbsp;That way I don't miss any new links.</span></strong><br /> <br /> 6. Don’t have a blog? We still want to hear from you! Please leave your herbal tip, recipe, or home remedy in the comments below.<br /> <br /> 7. And bloggers, please check out the other posts and leave a comment for them too.<br /> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;">Be sure to check out my new Facebook Page&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">@&nbsp;<a href="http://www.facebook.com/Woodwife61?sk=wall" style="text-align: center;">http://www.facebook.com/Woodwife61</a>!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Much herbal love,</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=www.woodwifesjournal.com%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fi1041.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb411%2Ftgw9020%2FRecoveredAutosave-1.jpg&amp;description=The%20Woodwife's%20Journal">Pin It</a><br /> <script src="http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Woodwife61" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a></div><script src="http://www.linkytools.com/basic_linky_include.aspx?id=123499" type="text/javascript"> </script><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-3243381776334643152?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Y67Msr1LR6IEJLxZIdYKscNRoT4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Y67Msr1LR6IEJLxZIdYKscNRoT4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Y67Msr1LR6IEJLxZIdYKscNRoT4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Y67Msr1LR6IEJLxZIdYKscNRoT4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/exhEKw5SYzs" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com1http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/01/wildcrafting-wednesday-21.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-70297876852694995462012-01-03T08:14:00.000-05:002012-01-03T08:14:12.090-05:002012-01-03T08:14:12.090-05:00<div style="text-align: center;">As one of the improvements I'm planning for 2012, The Woodwife's Journal fanpage is now operational!<br /> &nbsp;<br /> Visit&nbsp;<a href="http://www.facebook.com/Woodwife61?sk=wall">http://www.facebook.com/Woodwife61</a><br /> to see the page and hopefully "Like" it or you can click the box in the right margin.<br /> <br /> Still working out the bugs but we're up and running!<br /> Come join me for the journey!<br /> <br /> Much herbal love,</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=www.woodwifesjournal.com%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fi1041.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb411%2Ftgw9020%2FRecoveredAutosave-1.jpg&amp;description=The%20Woodwife's%20Journal">Pin It</a><br /> <script src="http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Woodwife61" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-7029787685269499546?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/UX8jiv8WbBWNg21fGPPmtWEYbK8/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/UX8jiv8WbBWNg21fGPPmtWEYbK8/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/UX8jiv8WbBWNg21fGPPmtWEYbK8/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/UX8jiv8WbBWNg21fGPPmtWEYbK8/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/riksF4jV1Cw" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com1http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/01/woodwifes-journal-has-fan-page.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-77828600747788890882012-01-02T07:55:00.007-05:002012-02-01T16:22:15.849-05:002012-02-01T16:22:15.849-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nb-tdlmmBEg/TwGZ6NjXlII/AAAAAAAAA8w/A-hs0L_dPbQ/s1600/fall+2011+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Nb-tdlmmBEg/TwGZ6NjXlII/AAAAAAAAA8w/A-hs0L_dPbQ/s320/fall+2011+030.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Several years ago, I was introduced to an interesting beverage a friend had made from a crazy looking piece of leathery growth in a jar of sweet tea. &nbsp;This drink is called kombucha. &nbsp;Now you might ask why I'd be tempted to drink old tea with an obvious fungal problem and in reality, it's not a practice I'd adopt about just anything. &nbsp;What caught my attention was the story they told me about kombucha tea.</div><a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: center;">It's documented use dates back to about 212 BC but this story is a 19th century tale. &nbsp;In the after math of WWII and the increase in the industrial age, incidences of&nbsp;cancer in Russia increased dramatically...except for two regions that had equally high rates of industrial waste but nearly zero cases of cancer. &nbsp;Curious minds wanted to know how this was achieved so teams of scientific investigators went to check it out. &nbsp; They didn't find any better environmental conditions than other areas...in fact, one of the regions had more heavy metal contamination than most. The folks there drank as heavily but drunkenness didn't seem to be a problem. &nbsp;Nor did they have the associated work problems that go along with drunkenness. &nbsp;It wasn't until one of the scientists visited a family home and was offered a drink of this mystery beverage that they began to find answers.</div><div style="text-align: center;">They found that every home in the village had a form of this drink fermenting on the counter and the other village with low cancer rates was brewing kvass...a similar concoction made from beet juice. &nbsp;Further study revealed that the cases of cancer that were present in these villages were limited to folks who had recently moved to the area. &nbsp;Amazing!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">So, I drank...the drink was refreshing and delicious and I was hooked. &nbsp;More importantly, Wally loved it! As you may know if you've been reading here for a while, he's not always on the herbal/food remedy&nbsp;bandwagon with me. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Encouraged by his interest, I started making my own kombucha at home.</div><div style="text-align: center;">My first batch was made with a scoby from my friend. &nbsp;And while I continued to brew the kombucha weekly, my culture multiplied and I had some to share. &nbsp;But as with all things, once you become comfortable with something, it's easy to go crazy, and then, let it slide. &nbsp;I gave away all my extras and forgot about making fresh kombucha weekly because I'd bottled up the proceeds of my generous 3 gallons/week until I ran out of places to store it! &nbsp;By the time I'd used all my stores, my culture was too weak to use. &nbsp;I couldn't find anyone with cultures to spare so I started looking online.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">I found <a href="http://www.kombuchaamerica.com/kombucha-info/cgi-bin/kombucha.pl/index.shtml#F">Kombucha America!</a> &nbsp;This fascinating site answers all your kombucha questions with&nbsp;tons of information from&nbsp;scientific research, kombucha composition, health benefits, how-tos, history, testimonials and more.</div><div style="text-align: center;">So I bought a new kombucha culture from their site. &nbsp;I was pleased to see that unlike some powdered options that are out there, Kombucha America! offers fresh, live cultures that come in their own little test tube filled with liquid culture and a mini scoby all ready to go!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">What is a scoby? &nbsp;Besides being a word that is fun to say, it's an acronym for <u>S</u>ymbiotic <u>C</u>ulture <u>O</u>f <u>B</u>acteria and <u>Y</u>east. &nbsp;It's often referred to as the "mother" (like in raw vinegar) or a mushroom, which it's not. &nbsp;Still sounding a little scary, right? &nbsp;Well, here's another fun word that I've learned a lot about...Synergy.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Synergy comes from the Greek word <i>synergia</i> which means "working together." &nbsp;The result of the combined effort or effect of two or more things which is greater than the sum of the contributing parts and could not be achieved individually. </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">So, yeah...the bacteria, yeast, sugar and tea work together to make a tart drink that is full of benefits that none of them possess alone. &nbsp;Let's see how that works.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jTTaS7TUq8M/TwGYaJ4afEI/AAAAAAAAA8E/VtLh_M-9bbw/s1600/dec+2011+014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jTTaS7TUq8M/TwGYaJ4afEI/AAAAAAAAA8E/VtLh_M-9bbw/s320/dec+2011+014.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All you need is your SCOBY, a large glass container, 1 cup of sugar <br /> and 8 green tea bags or equivalent loose tea.&nbsp;</td></tr> </tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;">First and foremost, the process of making kombucha is fermentation. &nbsp;The sweet tea is fermented by the yeast part of the SCOB<u>Y</u> which causes alcohol to form. &nbsp;But the <u>B</u>acteria uses the alcohol to increase the acetic acid &nbsp;in the brew which makes an acidic liquid that is much more safe to maintain outside a sterile environment. That's why it safe and easy to make kombucha at home. &nbsp;In the end, less than 1% of the volume is alcohol and of course, most of the sugar is used up in the fermentation.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Organic acids produced by this synergy:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Acetic acid</b> - a powerful preservative (also found in ACV) mixes with toxins and helps flush them out of the body.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Glucuronic acid</b> - the body's most important detoxifier. May be linked to kombucha's cancer benefits.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Lactic acid</b> - essential for the digestive system.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Usnic acid</b> - a natrual antibiotic.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Oxalic acid</b> - also a preservative that encourages intercellular production of energy.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Malic acid</b> - helps detox the liver.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Gluconic acid</b> - produced by the bacterial part of the culture. &nbsp;It can metabolize into caprylic acid which is helpful is treating candidasis and other yeast infections like thrush.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Butyric acid</b> - produced by the yeast, it protects human cellular membranes and combined with gluconic acid, it strengthens the intestinal walls - also helpful for candida sufferers.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Carbonic acid</b> - in the blood, it aids in CO2 release and regulation of blood pH.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Amino acids</b> - anti-aging.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, and C&nbsp;</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b></b><br /> <b></b></div><div style="text-align: center;">Whoa! &nbsp;That's a powerhouse of helpful nutrients and enzymes!<br /> <br /> The reported benefits of&nbsp;kombucha are many and they are touted all over the internet so I won't make any claims here. &nbsp;But I can't encourage you enough to look past the SCOBY&nbsp;and try it. &nbsp;Even if you don't notice any other benefits, it's alkalizing and detoxifying. <br /> <br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kombuchaamerica.com/kombucha-info/cgi-bin/kombucha.pl/index.shtml#F">Kombucha America!</a>&nbsp;also sends a great little instruction pamphlet with your culture to get you started. &nbsp;Here's what the process looked like for us at the end of 7 days.</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FVi_1m-Rng4/TwGYYmzpYNI/AAAAAAAAA7s/-YfPk8zUlUs/s1600/fall+2011+030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FVi_1m-Rng4/TwGYYmzpYNI/AAAAAAAAA7s/-YfPk8zUlUs/s320/fall+2011+030.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We've found that bottling the kombucha for 3 days<br /> after brewing increases the effervescence. <br /> When made with green tea, <br /> the results are almost like champagne!</td></tr> </tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Okay, see the bottle at the right? &nbsp;In the course of 3 days, a new SCOBY had begun to form on top of the kombucha. &nbsp;My oldest daughter was fascinated by the tough, leathery texture of the SCOBY and the wheels began to turn. &nbsp;She likes to tan hides! &nbsp;Could she actually grow a culture large enough to make something? &nbsp;Like clothing or moccasins?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FZDlSp4uHY8/TwGYZO-RlHI/AAAAAAAAA70/XAmuOxpLteA/s1600/dec+2011+012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FZDlSp4uHY8/TwGYZO-RlHI/AAAAAAAAA70/XAmuOxpLteA/s320/dec+2011+012.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jjj-BqGYprU/TwGYcGiOO-I/AAAAAAAAA8k/7hhgUbZOIfY/s1600/dec+2011+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jjj-BqGYprU/TwGYcGiOO-I/AAAAAAAAA8k/7hhgUbZOIfY/s320/dec+2011+018.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> So she made a batch of kombucha in a large bowl and let it grow in her room. &nbsp;</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jmANXVXJRdE/TwGYbEMHSFI/AAAAAAAAA8U/BbjVQLpY71A/s1600/dec+2011+016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jmANXVXJRdE/TwGYbEMHSFI/AAAAAAAAA8U/BbjVQLpY71A/s320/dec+2011+016.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Here's what it looked like after 2 weeks.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gZ9_pjCwYK8/TwGeoBjtF9I/AAAAAAAAA88/Vz0Ki2IbFCk/s1600/New+Year%2527s+Eve.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gZ9_pjCwYK8/TwGeoBjtF9I/AAAAAAAAA88/Vz0Ki2IbFCk/s320/New+Year%2527s+Eve.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">She's decided to let it thicken a bit.<br /> So, yeah...I'll keep you posted on that!<br /> Proof that homeschoolers like to think outside the box!<br /> <br /> <b><u><span style="color: #990000;">UPDATE</span></u></b> ~ Here's the link to the <a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/01/kombucha-tanning-project-followup.html"><b>follow-up</b></a>.<br /> <br /> After reading this post, Scott @ Kombucha America! shared this bit of information:<br /> <br /> ~ Here's an historical note on kombucha...It is alleged that in Europe, during the 1st World War, after the majority of horses and cattle had been killed, there was a shortage of leather. &nbsp;Folks who drank kombucha would grow larger kombucha "skins" and dry them out to make gloves. &nbsp;When dried, kombucha has the texture of leather...it turns brownish in color. &nbsp;It can easily be cut and it does not burn but smolders when exposed to flames. &nbsp;If you dry a kombucha SCOBY and try to pull it apart it is unlikely that you will be able to tear it because of its high tensile strength.~<br /> <div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /> </span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;">Much herbal love,</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a><br /> I'm sharing this post with<br /> Hearth and Soul Hop @<br /> <a href="http://www.21stcenturyhousewife.com/index/Blog/Blog.html" target="_blank"><img alt="Hearth &amp; Soul Hop" src="http://premeditatedleftovers.com/hearthnsoul150.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> and <a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/01/wildcrafting-wednesday-24.html">Wildcrafting Wednesdays #24</a><br /> as well as<br /> <a href="http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/search/label/Alphabe-Thursday" target="_blank"><img alt="Jenny Matlock" src="http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l148/kha02a/jennysidebar_button_THURS-2.jpg" /></a><br /> <br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> <a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=www.woodwifesjournal.com%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fi1041.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb411%2Ftgw9020%2FRecoveredAutosave-1.jpg&amp;description=The%20Woodwife's%20Journal">Pin It</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><script src="http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Woodwife61" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-7782860074778889088?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/sxt9rt0W_8sVmtEeCVxYcgTI4Z4/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/sxt9rt0W_8sVmtEeCVxYcgTI4Z4/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/sxt9rt0W_8sVmtEeCVxYcgTI4Z4/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/sxt9rt0W_8sVmtEeCVxYcgTI4Z4/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/5x1N6lOHbNo" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com15http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/01/make-probiotic-kombucha-at-home.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-22513419078270022212012-01-01T10:39:00.000-05:002012-01-01T10:39:34.291-05:002012-01-01T10:39:34.291-05:00<div style="text-align: center;">We had the most fun celebrating the New Year with a few of our friends! &nbsp;We decided to do a progressive dinner. &nbsp;If you're not familiar with this type of dinner, let me explain. &nbsp;A group of friends, preferably about 4-5 homes between them, travel from one home to the next for each successive course in the meal. &nbsp;Here's how that played out for us.<br /> <br /> We started with appetizers at the country home of some good friends. &nbsp;What a spread! &nbsp;Beautiful as well as delicious! &nbsp;Crab Rangoon, grapes dipped in white chocolate and nuts, pastry cups of brie and hot pepper jelly, shrimp, chocolate cheese spread, fruit and more! &nbsp;I always enjoy spending time in their home because they have a big old farm house and so many interesting collections of vintage items from lanterns to toys to furnishings and children's books.<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W3k7CLpb1gY/TwB70Qc-ctI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/EpXryCJ69Og/s1600/New+Year%2527s+Eve+008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-W3k7CLpb1gY/TwB70Qc-ctI/AAAAAAAAA4Y/EpXryCJ69Og/s320/New+Year%2527s+Eve+008.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6XGRmXH9Gx8/TwB77dxm-bI/AAAAAAAAA4g/cCeSgi4m9gA/s1600/New+Year%2527s+Eve+018.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6XGRmXH9Gx8/TwB77dxm-bI/AAAAAAAAA4g/cCeSgi4m9gA/s320/New+Year%2527s+Eve+018.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OkoBD9HZu7Q/TwB8Bcuja2I/AAAAAAAAA4o/58mQr34umnI/s1600/New+Year%2527s+Eve+009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OkoBD9HZu7Q/TwB8Bcuja2I/AAAAAAAAA4o/58mQr34umnI/s320/New+Year%2527s+Eve+009.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> Next stop was our house for soup and salad. My friend and her family hosted this stop with us. &nbsp;We had two hot soups - hearty chili and a spicy Portuguese Kale soup, vichyssoise and <a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2010/11/whole-foods-for-holidays-caesar.html">Caesar Salad</a>&nbsp;(minus the chicken) with <a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2011/01/crispy-flatbread.html">Crispy Flatbread</a>. &nbsp;We're kinda out of town in a rural area. &nbsp;Our home is styled after an old farmhouse but lacks the quaintness of a truly vintage home. &nbsp;I love to fill it with vintage items to try to capture quieter times of the past. &nbsp;After the food, some of the crowd gathered around the Victrola and as guys will do, began to try to figure our exactly how it works and how old it is. &nbsp;We had a century of technology at work. &nbsp;While the record played and the younger guys tested the machine(1910), the older fellows used an iPhone (2011) to check out the manufacture date based on the serial number!<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yrrtPhsazAo/TwB8PzEgXDI/AAAAAAAAA40/FhjX7C2hWmM/s1600/New+Year%2527s+Eve+020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yrrtPhsazAo/TwB8PzEgXDI/AAAAAAAAA40/FhjX7C2hWmM/s320/New+Year%2527s+Eve+020.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yppL33cKlVE/TwB8ayGlA2I/AAAAAAAAA48/rQXyGKNBn1w/s1600/New+Year%2527s+Eve+024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yppL33cKlVE/TwB8ayGlA2I/AAAAAAAAA48/rQXyGKNBn1w/s320/New+Year%2527s+Eve+024.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9reu8dtW5zc/TwB8gPoXvGI/AAAAAAAAA5E/97y2GxjLNgg/s1600/New+Year%2527s+Eve+029.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9reu8dtW5zc/TwB8gPoXvGI/AAAAAAAAA5E/97y2GxjLNgg/s320/New+Year%2527s+Eve+029.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RtbXto5jMMI/TwB8noQ8qkI/AAAAAAAAA5M/jUwmrOQEMO8/s1600/New+Year%2527s+Eve+026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RtbXto5jMMI/TwB8noQ8qkI/AAAAAAAAA5M/jUwmrOQEMO8/s320/New+Year%2527s+Eve+026.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> Third stop, hosted by two families of good friends, was the main course with 3 types of lasagna (traditional, seafood and pesto - yum!), veggies and marinated asparagus wrapped in prosciutto! &nbsp;By this time I was stuffed! <br /> Definitely a party house on the lake, it's an equally interesting home in a completely different genre. &nbsp;Ultra modern filled with an eclectic mix of sculptures, glass and leather with fun things to see everywhere you look! &nbsp;And one huge, comfy, leather chair that my husband is still talking about! &nbsp; Awesome!<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mrWwAlZYH40/TwB822MRaoI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/FAIfyzjbl8M/s1600/New+Year%2527s+Eve+034.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mrWwAlZYH40/TwB822MRaoI/AAAAAAAAA5Y/FAIfyzjbl8M/s320/New+Year%2527s+Eve+034.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Eeq_ZIHca9M/TwB87pReF8I/AAAAAAAAA5g/p6aUQ0ECnfs/s1600/New+Year%2527s+Eve+033.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Eeq_ZIHca9M/TwB87pReF8I/AAAAAAAAA5g/p6aUQ0ECnfs/s320/New+Year%2527s+Eve+033.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQPicZkNK1M/TwB9DCARojI/AAAAAAAAA5o/AbVD_quYj8Y/s1600/New+Year%2527s+Eve+035.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZQPicZkNK1M/TwB9DCARojI/AAAAAAAAA5o/AbVD_quYj8Y/s320/New+Year%2527s+Eve+035.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> Last stop was with more good friends for dessert to bring in the new year! &nbsp;Petits fours, tarts, nut rolls, cookies and my contribution, plum pudding! &nbsp;We attempted to light it with a little brandy but I think it soaked in too quickly. &nbsp;All this with champagne and sparkling juices to toast the stroke of midnight! &nbsp;Another amazing lake house with a sprawling basement room looking out across the water! &nbsp;Beautifully decorated with a huge Christmas tree, retro kitchen and large inviting furnishings.<br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hd1i0kriCWg/TwB9P9-tIKI/AAAAAAAAA50/ARYVEUJuHVY/s1600/New+Year%2527s+Eve+002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Hd1i0kriCWg/TwB9P9-tIKI/AAAAAAAAA50/ARYVEUJuHVY/s320/New+Year%2527s+Eve+002.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-43Hu_JwuJXo/TwB9YBhJYSI/AAAAAAAAA58/L1KZgZJxyhg/s1600/New+Year%2527s+Eve+049.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-43Hu_JwuJXo/TwB9YBhJYSI/AAAAAAAAA58/L1KZgZJxyhg/s320/New+Year%2527s+Eve+049.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LuyHZVzWjRQ/TwB9eX1LXwI/AAAAAAAAA6E/WAir7jAiezo/s1600/New+Year%2527s+Eve+053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LuyHZVzWjRQ/TwB9eX1LXwI/AAAAAAAAA6E/WAir7jAiezo/s320/New+Year%2527s+Eve+053.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G2SD66fD0BE/TwB9j51FJ6I/AAAAAAAAA6M/x3j9pEWEcd8/s1600/New+Year%2527s+Eve+054.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-G2SD66fD0BE/TwB9j51FJ6I/AAAAAAAAA6M/x3j9pEWEcd8/s320/New+Year%2527s+Eve+054.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /> My thanks to all for a lovely evening! &nbsp;We had a great time together! <br /> The start of a new tradition? <br /> I hope so!<br /> <br /> <br /> Much herbal love,</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=www.woodwifesjournal.com%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fi1041.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb411%2Ftgw9020%2FRecoveredAutosave-1.jpg&amp;description=The%20Woodwife's%20Journal">Pin It</a><br /> <script src="http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Woodwife61" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-2251341907827002221?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/xzhOclnl6vDl82W3nnUvI2FKUgc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/xzhOclnl6vDl82W3nnUvI2FKUgc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/xzhOclnl6vDl82W3nnUvI2FKUgc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/xzhOclnl6vDl82W3nnUvI2FKUgc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/o8WZ6iVWVOw" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com2http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2012/01/new-years-eve-progressive-dinner.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-40246407706468636642011-12-31T00:00:00.006-05:002011-12-31T00:00:06.780-05:002011-12-31T00:00:06.780-05:00Having said what I did in my <a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2011/12/new-years-resolutionsagain.html">last post</a>, I don't want to sound like I'm throwing goals out the window. &nbsp;But keep in mind that I am a meandering soul who wanders from one thing to another...and sometimes back again<br /> <br /> The&nbsp;struggle for a me that I can like has been going on for most of my adult life.&nbsp; I struggle with a few health problems and issues of the heart that I won't bore you with here.&nbsp; Suffice it to say that some things are so ingrained in your&nbsp;psyche they're hard to overcome.<br /> In an effort to make a few changes that help me "get over it!", I've decided to do things I don't normally take the time to do...regularly...not that I couldn't if I really put my mind to it, or that I wouldn't normally do them for any good reason, or even that they are hard things...I just don't. &nbsp;Most of them are what I call "Me" time...time I feel guilty taking for myself...I know, silly, right? &nbsp;I don't usually plan for it in my day. &nbsp;Are ya with me so far?<br /> <br /> Now, if you've been reading here for long, you know that I am striving to eat a whole foods diet...real food with no additives, as much organic as I can, considering availability and budget. &nbsp;I'm trying to eliminate toxins from our home, too. &nbsp;There's lots of stuff we can do and I've written about some of that <a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2011/06/part-of-journey.html">elsewhere</a>.<br /> <br /> <a name='more'></a><br /> <br /> So here's me...<br /> <span style="color: #cc0000;">add picture...Ummm, no,... no, I don't think I will. &nbsp;How about a before and after at the end?</span><br /> No, I'm not wearing any makeup...yes, I'm in a baggy sweatshirt because that's best for everyone...and no, I didn't fix my hair today.&nbsp; I figure, if all else fails, at least I can change a few little things so these 2 weeks haven't been a total loss. <br /> <br /> I don't know if you're like me but I like to "be there" for the other folks in my home, whatever I can do to help them. &nbsp;"Me" time doesn't normally find it's way into that mix. &nbsp;But sometimes, I feel like there's no point in making a schedule because Murphy's Law tells me that as soon as I make a schedule for homeschooling...chores... or "Me" time, something is gonna come up that's noone's fault but blows my schedule right out of the water. &nbsp;So what's the point? <br /> <br /> Here's my New Year's plan...I'm not going to say, "resolution," because I'd just be setting myself up for trouble and failure. &nbsp;For the next 14 days, I'm going to do these things...everyday...no, really... every single day...for the next 2 weeks! &nbsp;That's a time frame I can live with...besides I think they say that after you've done something for 7 days in a row, it becomes habit.<br /> <br /> <br /> 1st -&nbsp;Drink plenty of fluids and call me in the morning.&nbsp; Yeah, you know what I'm talking about!&nbsp; The benefits of keeping the body hydrated are numerous...I'm guilty of ignoring my natural thirst sometimes.&nbsp; So a minimum of&nbsp;8 glasses of water plus herbal teas each day.<br /> Time estimate: minimal<br /> &nbsp; <br /> 2nd -&nbsp;an exercise plan... like begin!&nbsp; <br /> No, truly, I've been walking a&nbsp;couple days/week when the sun shines...or at least it isn't raining... but here in PA that hasn't happened much since...like, October...and hula-hooping...been a bit chilly to do this one outside lately so I have to find room indoors where I'm not gonna "take out" the china closet or something...and dancing around my kitchen to the oldies with my daughter for 30-45 minutes here and there!&nbsp; She's hard core so I have to keep up!&nbsp; Plus she threw a couple Zumba numbers into the mix!&nbsp; All these things are good but I'm afraid not consistent, so I'm going to do a better job at a regular routine.&nbsp; So...yeah.&nbsp; Best wishes to me on that!<br /> Time estimate: Probably 45minutes to an hour/day. <br /> <br /> 3rd -&nbsp; <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&amp;rct=j&amp;q=&amp;esrc=s&amp;frm=1&amp;source=web&amp;cd=4&amp;ved=0CFcQFjAD&amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fearthclinic.com%2FRemedies%2Foil_pulling.html&amp;ei=nwy0TuPgOeHw0gGvkKHYBA&amp;usg=AFQjCNHYBYwC0OYiX9bpi-PFrZxbT59aOw&amp;sig2=Ve3u5WsZReHL6D4-icEMtA">Oil Pulling</a> - ever heard of it?&nbsp; Kinda quirky but makes a world of difference in my skin.&nbsp; It's an ancient method of detoxing that <a href="http://oilpulling.com/">ayruvedic medicine</a> has been using for centuries...even millennia.&nbsp; Along with the oil pulling, I'm adding more coconut oil to my diet.&nbsp; It's made of medium chain fatty acids that don't store as fat but deliver energy for metabolism, etc.<br /> Time estimate: 20 minutes/day (But I can do this while I'm doing other things.)<br /> <br /> 4th - See those wrinkles and fine lines? (in the picture I decided not to post) Gonna get rid of those!&nbsp; Yes, I am!&nbsp; The water and oil pulling should help and I'm going to do a deep steam cleanse followed by a <a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2010/06/cleansing-facial-mask.html">mask</a>&nbsp;and I'm going to go back to the <a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2011/07/honey-challenge-day-1.html">Honey Cleanse</a>&nbsp;at least 2-3 days/week.<br /> Time estimate: 10 minutes/day<br /> <br /> 5th - Take my herbal supplements, including probiotics, faithfully.&nbsp; I won't get into what they are because they are specific to me and would be different for everyone.&nbsp; I will mention that memory is one thing I struggle with so I'm adding ginkgo and rosemary for that...if I can remember to take them!<br /> Time estimate: minimal<br /> <br /> 6th - Drink <a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2010/07/apple-cider-vinegar.html">ACV</a>&nbsp;w/ baking soda&nbsp;in water&nbsp;<em>every</em> morning to help with stress out adrenal glands, digestive issues, female issues, pH issues, and low iron issues (adding molasses for this).&nbsp; Whew!&nbsp; No wonder I'm a wreck!<br /> Time estimate: minimal<br /> <br /> 7th - One cup of coffee/day and <b>only</b> after I've had at least two glasses of water.<br /> <br /> 8th - 1/2 cup 5-10ppm colloidal silver 2x daily. (More on this, from me, later &nbsp;~ but there's lots of info available online)<br /> Time estimate: 10 minutes to make 2x/week while I'm doing other things...like kitchen rock and rollin' to the oldies.<br /> <br /> 9th - Along the lines of probiotics, I'm using food as medicine by adding more yogurt, <a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2010/06/water-kefir.html">water</a> and <a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2010/06/milk-kefir.html">milk</a> kefir, kombucha (more on this coming soon) to my diet.<br /> Time estimate: 30 minutes/week to prepare.<br /> <br /> 10th) - Chi...energy...I'm going to use my chi machine faithfully. &nbsp;We have a history of cancer in my family so keeping my lymph moving is important.<br /> Time estimate: 20 minutes/day<br /> <br /> So, basically what I'm saying here is that it's time to practice what I preach...period. And not feel guilty about it.<br /> As near as I can figure, it looks like about 1-1/2 hours/day to achieve my plan. &nbsp;Can I do it? <br /> <br /> I'll let you know in 14 days.<br /> <br /> Much herbal love,<br /> &nbsp;<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: none transparent scroll repeat 0% 0%; border-bottom: 0px; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: 0px;" /></a><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-4024640770646863664?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0u1-gy_LvHYc31QwdJ2ShD4cwFY/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0u1-gy_LvHYc31QwdJ2ShD4cwFY/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0u1-gy_LvHYc31QwdJ2ShD4cwFY/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/0u1-gy_LvHYc31QwdJ2ShD4cwFY/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/QAaY5UQlmY0" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com3http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2011/12/14-days-to-better-me.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-88420693221072765812011-12-30T23:09:00.001-05:002011-12-31T04:31:50.666-05:002011-12-31T04:31:50.666-05:00<div style="text-align: center;">It's fun to look back over the course of the year to see what folks enjoyed reading most. &nbsp;Here's a list of the top ten posts from The Woodwife's Journal.<br /> Click on the links below to check them out.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2011/01/herbal-medicine-chest-herbal-salves.html">Herbal Medicine Chest #1 Herbal Salves, Ointments and Balms</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2011/03/herbal-medicine-chest-capsules.html">Herbal Medicine Chest #7 Capsules, Pastilles, Lozenges, Chewables, Gels and Electuaries</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2010/10/marinated-peppers.html">Lacto-fermented Peppers</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2011/02/herbal-medicine-chest-compresses.html">Herbal Medicine Chest #4 Compresses, Poultices, Plasters and Fomentations</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2011/02/herbal-medicine-chest-syrups-honeys.html">Herbal Medicine Chest #5 Syrups, Honeys, Vinegars and Wines</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2010/07/ear-candling.html">Herbal Medicine Chest #10 Ear Candling</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2011/01/crispy-flatbread.html">Crispy Flatbread</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2011/01/herbal-medicine-chest-teas-infusions.html">Herbal Medicine Chest #2 Teas, Infusions and Decoctions</a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2011/01/rib-sticking-cultured-milk-breakfasts.html">Rib Sticking Cultured Milk Smoothie</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2010/10/my-own-fruit-on-bottom-yogurt.html">Fruit on the Bottom Yogurt</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Wishing you a very Happy New Year!</div><div style="text-align: center;">with</div><div style="text-align: center;">Much herbal love,</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a class="pin-it-button" count-layout="horizontal" href="http://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=www.woodwifesjournal.com%2F&amp;media=http%3A%2F%2Fi1041.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fb411%2Ftgw9020%2FRecoveredAutosave-1.jpg&amp;description=The%20Woodwife's%20Journal">Pin It</a><br /> <script src="http://assets.pinterest.com/js/pinit.js" type="text/javascript"> </script> <a class="twitter-share-button" data-via="Woodwife61" href="https://twitter.com/share">Tweet</a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-8842069322107276581?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Wp-nmk5u2gaeYKb5obBrLD2h_Zc/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Wp-nmk5u2gaeYKb5obBrLD2h_Zc/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Wp-nmk5u2gaeYKb5obBrLD2h_Zc/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/Wp-nmk5u2gaeYKb5obBrLD2h_Zc/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/ojF2r9PJXMw" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com0http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2011/12/2011-top-ten.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-50178216485549055472011-12-30T08:12:00.003-05:002011-12-30T12:21:22.633-05:002011-12-30T12:21:22.633-05:00<div style="text-align: center;">Does anyone ever really accomplish their New Year's goals or resolutions? &nbsp;Most that I read are more like life goals than something that can be "finished" in a set time frame.</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'm not looking back over the past year with a lot of regret even though my list of resolutions could be the same for 2012 &nbsp;I did some of the things on my list but as I've mentioned elsewhere, it seems that the more planning I do, the more diversions I face. &nbsp;And I know that's life, right? &nbsp;But, I wouldn't trade most of them for anything on my New Year's list!</div><div style="text-align: center;">Here's some of the things that interrupt my plans or resolutions...<br /> <a name='more'></a>&nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">~ Stolen moments with my kids or husband, (<i>stolen</i>...not planned)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">~ a quick walk around the house because it's a nice day...(where I live you take a nice day when you can get it!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">~ stopping to dance because a catchy song came over the radio...(No control over that)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">~ a call from a friend...(Love those!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">~ sitting on the floor petting the cat or dog just because they're giving me that "look"...(scheduled petting? Hah!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">~ a txt that makes me smile!...(Yeah, completely unexpected)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">~ learning something new that wasn't on the list...(Those are called unforeseen opportunities! &nbsp;Grab them!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">~ starting a new, unplanned project and dropping everything until it's finished...(Who knows what will come up?)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">~ worthwhile tangents...(tangent...a straight line that intersects the circumference of a circle at only one point, perpendicular to the radius. Meaning that, in the course of our day, we often strike off on a path or topic that requires our attention or piques our interest but wasn't a planned part of our routine. You might call this "flying by the seat of our pants"...sometimes. ;)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">~ writing something that pops into my mind because I know if I don't, I'll lose it...(Memory issues...scary things!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">~ stopping for a cup of tea or coffee when I have a million things to do...(Taking five to revive!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">~ reading something on a blog or Facebook that made me laugh or taught me something. &nbsp;(Come on! &nbsp;Who really plans to spend time on Facebook? &nbsp;But it happens, right?)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">~ Hugs and heart to heart talks...(I'm going to sit down and have a deep meaningful conversation from 1:45 to 2PM. &nbsp;Yeah, that's how it always happens!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">If I had to plan to do most of these things, they'd never happen. &nbsp;I mean, who plans to laugh at a certain time or so many times a day? &nbsp;Who plans a hug? &nbsp;I mean, you just know when you see certain people, you're going to hug them but it still feels like a pleasant surprise to me!</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Life, with all it's diversions, is what makes us who we are...makes us strong and God is here to help us carry the load, heavy or light. &nbsp;To carry US when we can't do it anymore. &nbsp;To spurs us on when we're on a roll. &nbsp;To chide us when we're on the wrong path. &nbsp;To hide us in the palm of His hand when we're sad or afraid. &nbsp;Or to let us stand up and laugh when we're happy...and laughs with us.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">I think my New Year's resolution will be to try to find the joy in life and accept the diversions as divine redirection. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to forget about all the goals, broken promises, etc. I've made each year at this time. &nbsp;But instead of feeling defeated because I'm not accomplishing all of the things I've written there, I'm going to try to focus on the things I have done/am doing and do all of them to God's glory.</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">He's better at making improvements in me than I am...</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Much herbal love,</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a><br /> <br /> </div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://jennymatlock.blogspot.com/search/label/Alphabe-Thursday" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="Jenny Matlock" src="http://i95.photobucket.com/albums/l148/kha02a/jennysidebar_button_THURS-2.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click the button to see what's up!</td></tr> </tbody></table><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-5017821648554905547?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/NK9nyrPpF-kAtYjK6c_6GTHA31c/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/NK9nyrPpF-kAtYjK6c_6GTHA31c/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/NK9nyrPpF-kAtYjK6c_6GTHA31c/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/NK9nyrPpF-kAtYjK6c_6GTHA31c/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/TNJTrTMhudc" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com3http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2011/12/new-years-resolutionsagain.htmltag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5541541594755423362.post-68441826601174731382011-12-24T23:03:00.000-05:002011-12-24T23:03:40.903-05:002011-12-24T23:03:40.903-05:00<div style="text-align: center;">Congratulations and a Merry Christmas to Sadie, the winner of the New England Cheesemaking Company's 30 minute Mozzarella Kit!&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">Please email me your address so I can forward it to the company! &nbsp;Thanks so much for entering!&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: center;">Much herbal love,</div><div style="text-align: center;">&nbsp; <a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85883/woodwife/d69d565491baa1c87635609000c921fc.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/5541541594755423362-6844182660117473138?l=www.woodwifesjournal.com' alt='' /></div> <p><a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/bwQZT71x_b5T70UUgLXGCE3ZfKE/0/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/bwQZT71x_b5T70UUgLXGCE3ZfKE/0/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a><br/> <a href="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/bwQZT71x_b5T70UUgLXGCE3ZfKE/1/da"><img src="http://feedads.g.doubleclick.net/~a/bwQZT71x_b5T70UUgLXGCE3ZfKE/1/di" border="0" ismap="true"></img></a></p><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TheWoodwifesJournal/~4/TGRb3OpPB2o" height="1" width="1"/>Wandererhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10330008208876840127noreply@blogger.com1http://www.woodwifesjournal.com/2011/12/cheesemaking-kit-winner.html