Dandelion Flower Infused Oil Making

There are many applications for Dandelion Flower Infused Oil. Here are but a few...

~ Apply oil directly onto irritated or inflamed skin, joints or muscles, with or without added essential oils as desired and as required, 2-4 x daily and consistently for therapeutic use.

~ Make oil into a balm by melting in beeswax or other plant waxes and butters at amounts to suit desired consistency, for a less greasy and more protective external application.

~ Blend with body and facial skin creams at 10-50% for a lighter and more absorbent skin application.

~ Use internally straight off the teaspoon up to 3 x daily as a nutrient and healing herbal remedy to promote tissue cleansing and healthy skin.

~ Drizzle on food as a base for a healthy detoxifying salad dressing, with apple cider vinegar, mustard, garlic, herbs, etc.

To make your own Dandelion Flower Infused Oil at home:

1. Pick lots of healthy looking dandelion flower heads, from a chemical spray free area. Bring a basket or paper bag to collect them in and protect them on the way home.

1a. Optional, but highly recommended extra step: I like to make some sort of nature art with them after picking, sit and connect with them on a picnic blanket and enjoy some tea or snacks near where they grow, do a bit of meditation, stretching, reading or journaling.

2. Make sure you use an appropriately sized, clean and completely dry jar sterilised by submerging jar and lid with freshly boiled water for 5-10min.

3. Fill jar with flower heads to the neck.

4. Cover with a cold pressed oil of your choice, ideally organic to minimise trace chemicals toxicity. I used sunflower in this one for its light texture and extra sunny solar powered energy, but you can use any oil you wish.

You could try grapeseed oil for something, nice and light, easily absorbed. Almond oil is a bit richer but still light and more nourishing. Olive oil is found in most kitchen cupboards, heavier and great for Vit E and anti fungal benefits, but flavour can be quite strong if you are making it for edible purposes. For external applications and dry skin, flavour is less important and richness may be more desirable.

4. Seal with lid (using dried flowers avoids mould growth, or secure piece of muslin over the top, and leave on sunny window sill for 2 weeks at least.

5. Give a shake, turn or stir daily with sterile spoon to ensure that no stagnant pockets of air and moisture from fresh flowers allow mould to develop.

As there is moisture in fresh flowers, it can be good to cover with muslin and rubber band or string to allow moisture to evaporate out. Using dried flowers avoids this issue, but loses some of the lovely fresh vital constituents. For fresh flowers and covered in muslin, stir instead of shake daily for obvious reasons!

If you use a lid on fresh flowers you may want to remove the lid every 2-3 days at first before shaking to check for water evaporation on the lid, leave off for a short while to allow any moisture to evaporate and reseal. Muslin not required when dried, but different if flavours fresh or dried. Either
way promotes healing however so do whatever works best for you. It's all good :)

6. Flowers will settle and shrink a bit, so you can add some fresh ones to top it up after a few days. For an extra potent oil, strain off and press out as much oil as possible after a couple of weeks, and repeat the process using the single infused oil with a fresh jar full of dandelion flowers to make a double infused oil.

7. Strain off through fine sieve, muslin or clean cloth into a sterile bottle or jar, seal well and store in a cool, dry, dark cupboard and use as required. Use within 12 months.

Note: Do not use for anyone with known sensitivities to the Daisy family, aka Asteraceae, Compositae.

One person's healing medicine can be another person's poison, so do patch tests before 24hr before using, particularly for those with sensitive skins. We are all individual and may react differently. This applies to any plant remedy. Check with your local herbalist for guidance.

If you haven't already checked out my dandelion remedies blog for more medicinal benefits and musings on the whole dandelion plant, you can do so here.

I'd love to hear your creative uses and experiences for dandelion flower oil. Do please share your thoughts with me in the comments or social media links below. I look forward to hearing from you :)

Have a sunshiny dandelion day,

Fiona Morris 

Herbalist & Holistic Therapist

www.fionamorrisherbalist.co.uk

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Homemade Lavender Lemonade Recipe

Another sunny day! I recently tasted a locally produced shop bought lavender lemonade from a local cafe, and was delighted by its unique combination of relaxing and refreshing. 

I was inspired to make my own following a recipe shared with me by one of my lovely social media connections @blessing_beads. It looked so easy and a great way to make use of my dried lavender supplies so I decided to make my own version. It turned out beautifully and with many requests now for the recipe I am sharing it here for all to enjoy.

Ingredients to make 1 litre jug (serves 3-4, simply double or triple to make more):

1-2 teaspoons dried lavender (to taste delicate - 1 tsp, strong - 2 tsp, use in tablespoons for fresh herb, more lavender colour if using more, of course), 1 litre water, 2 fresh lemons, honey to sweeten (or try stevia or plant based syrup for vegan alternative), tray of ice cubes, optional fresh mint or edible flowers for garnish & LOVE.

1. Make a lovely lavender flowers infusion. Stir in 1-2 heaped teaspoons according to taste to a cup or mug of boiled water. Cover with a saucer to keep the aromatic oils from evaporating off and infuse for 15-20min. Strain off the herb and allow the liquid to completely cool.

Lavender is a herbal natural remedy to soothe nerves, ease headaches, aid unsettled sleep, insomnia, calm the spirit. It also has anti inflammatory and antiseptic benefits, so not just a pretty face and beautiful scent. It has many applications internally and externally, but note that a little goes a long way. 

I add just a pinch to herbal tea blends (no more than 5-10%) for an added chill factor, to promote unwinding and relaxation. Just watching them float in the water while they infuse is a meditation in itself. Treat yourself a clear glass mug, cafetiere or teapot for this purpose.

2. Add 2-3 tablespoons of honey to suit your taste. Locally sourced raw honey is ideal if you can get it for additional therapeutic actions to support digestive, detoxifying and energy producing processes. Add it to the lavender infusion while it is still warm to dissolve it in easier, but not straight off the boil to help preserve its beneficial enzymes.

Most honeys are already pre-heated to high temperatures to strain off residues so you don't need to wait for the water temperature to cool if its not raw. Check with your producer to find out if you aren't sure. Small scale producers are less likely to do this, so pick some up at your local farmers' market. You can also taste the difference.

3. Slice 1 of the lemons into quarters and squeeze out the juice, straining it into a jug to remove the seeds and press out the pulp with the back of a spoon to extract all the juice.

4. Add the lavender honey infusion to the lemon juice.

5. Slice the lemon for garnish and add to the jug with a tray of ice cubes to cool and top up with water to make a litre's volume. 

You can simply put in the fridge to cool if you don't have ice, or pour into a sealed container secured by rocks in a cool stream for a while if you're out in the wild.

6. Add springs of mint if you wish. I tried this and found the strong mint flavour took away from the subtle taste of lavender, so preferred to garnish with a few foraged edible flower heads growing near me. 

Check out what's available where ever you might be located. I took this batch outside with me to enjoy while reading my book under the blossoming cherry trees in the park, so a cherry blossom garnish gave it an extra delightful touch of love.

There you have it... 

Sweet, simple and soothing sunny day refreshment, without the preservatives and the refined or artificial sweeteners of many shop bought versions, and made by your own fair hand makes it taste like something else. Make fresh batches as required. You can make up a pot or two of lavender infusion up to a day in advance for larger volumes. Cheers!

I'd love to hear your thoughts, how you liked it if you give this a try at home, or to receive your favourite tips how you make your own homemade lemonade extra special. You're welcome to comment below the blog or leave a note on any of the links below.

To your flourishing health and well being,

Fiona Morris 

Herbalist & Holistic Therapist

www.fionamorrisherbalist.co.uk

Herbal Wellness Plans | Courses & Workshops | Wild Remedy Walks

Holistic Body Massage | Indian Head Massage | Tea & Tarot Readings

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Love Potion No 1 - Rose & Pomegranate Elixir

This Valentine's Day I decided to get my family in the mood for love by treating them to pancakes for breakfast smothered in Love Potion No 1. aka homemade Pomegranate & Rose Honey Elixir. Here's how I did it so you can recreate it at home if you wish...

The first thing I did was to gather the most heart warming ingredients I could find in my kitchen cupboard. I offered them to the goddess, a reflection of our higher self, infusing them with heartfelt intention, extra potent love energy, and healing blessings.

My Love Potion ingredients included: pomegranate, rose petals, honey - a homemade gift from friends, lemon, water, cinnamon, cardamom, and the most important ingredient, LOVE.

Each item chosen for their sweet or citrus aromas, heart opening colours and emotional uplifting benefits, I first arranged the ingredients on a beautiful blue platter with some special stones lovingly gifted to me and bought myself, including rose quartz and ruby fuchite.

I sprinkled a handful of dried rose petals in to a half cup of water, adding a teaspoon or so of cardamom pods, couple of lemon slices, a stick of cinnamon and brought the magic pot of love to a simmer.

Reducing the gently simmering liquid to about half for about 10-15min, I used a masher occasionally to press and stir the concoction to release the juice from the pomegranates and break open the cardamom pods to release their flavour. I added a few more rose petals for luck.

I then poured the mixture into a bowl through a fine sieve, pressing the liquid out of the herbs and squishing any remaining pomegranate fruit with the back of a wooden spoon.

This left me with a ruby red infusion which I poured into a measuring jug to add honey to (for a vegan option you could try maple syrup, or get it back on the hob to melt in some unrefined sugar).

I added the warm ruby liquid with honey in equal parts, and stirred with spoon until completely blended, adding loving thoughts, wishes and gratitude for the people it's intended for.

And voila! A rose and pomegranate love potion concoction for St. Valentine's day. 

We enjoyed it as a syrup for pancakes. It was delicious and went down a treat...

There was even some left over to enjoy on Pancake Tuesday, and to add to smoothies to make them taste just heavenly! It's a lovely way to get a late winter immune boost with the lemon, cinnamon and honey too.

All the extra smells, colour and texture of the cardamom and cinnamon spices also added to the magic of the potion concocting! The lemon made it really good on the pancakes. The pomegranate gave the elixir a richer red colour than the rose petals do alone.

Although there is something to be said for the simplicity of pure rose syrup. I might try to keep it simple next time to get the full flavour of rose, but I personally can never resist adding a pinch of spice to give it a special twist.

Hope you enjoy giving it a go yourself. Feel free to make it your own with your favourite ingredients. A vanilla pod or star anis, for example, would give it a certain je ne sais quoi.

I'd love to hear what you come up with and your own creative ways to serve it to your dear ones.

Rose petals and cinnamon sticks,

Fiona Morris 

Medical Herbalist, 

Massage Therapist 

& AstroTarot Reader

www.fionamorrisherbalist.co.uk

Herbal Wellness Plans | Courses & Workshops | Wild Remedy Walks 

Holistic Body Massage | Indian Head Massage | Tea & Tarot Readings

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Welcome to share with anyone who might appreciate it!

How to Make Your Own Vibrant Energy Booster Bars & Balls

It's been a while since my last blog post... 

Today I had a request to share a recipe to replace shop bought breakfast and cereal bars from a participant on one of my Superhero Snacks Workshops.

So with spring around the corner here in the UK and to get back into the swing of things, I thought it was about time to resurface after a long winter hibernation and present you flourishing folk with an adaptation of one of the Superhero recipes that we sampled.  

This recipe is designed to be customised to include your own favourite snack ingredients. I hope it will inspire you to try out one or two energising ingredients that may be new to you. 

They are so simple and easy to make and a wonderfully healthy, sustaining alternative to crisps and chocolate that boost and balance your blood sugar!

Enjoy the satisfaction of making your own tasty homemade snacks, adding in your favourite superfoods to pack an extra nutritional punch.

Such as...

Baobab - The fruit of the African ‘upside down’ tree is nutrient-rich, with as much calcium as a glass of milk and six times more vitamin C than an orange. Great booster for the whole family!

Hemp Seeds - Easily digested, slow release of energy to keep you going longer, and a rich source of nutritious Omega oil essential fatty acids, protein and amino acids. 

Ingredients:

Ground Nuts (Almond is delicious... try ground dessicated coconut for nut-free version) 50% (eg. 50g)

Ground Hemp Seeds 50% (eg. 50g)

Omega Oils, 2-3 tbsp per 100g nuts and seeds 

Your choice of Superfood powder, 3 tbsp per 100g nuts and seeds:

Boabab, Astragalus, Ashwaganda, Chia, Maca, Rhodiola, Spirulina, Raw Cacao, etc.

Your choice of binders: 

Nut Butter, Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, for 'sweet tooths': Honey, Maple Syrup, finely chopped or blended soaked fresh Dates (enough to add and mix in gradually till all binds together but not too wet/sticky, amounts vary depending on the ingredients you're using, add more dry ingredients if gets too moist)

Your choice of garnish: 

Goji Berries, Cinnamon, Cacao Powder, Dessicated Coconut or finely Chopped Nuts, to coat or cover

Last, but most importantly... Love!

Equipment:

Blender, Food Processor, or Pestle and Mortar 

Mixing Bowl, Saucers, Spoons

Directions:

Grind up seeds and nuts with blender, processor or pestle and mortar (short-cut tip or if no blender: buy pre-ground, more convenient, but less fresh and vital - think coffee beans).

Add superfoods and omega oils to ground nuts and seeds. 

Mix well into a paste by gradually adding and stirring in binders of choice to mix thoroughly.

For Vibrant Energy Balls: 

Pinch off small amounts and roll into small balls.

Pour garnish of choice in a saucer and coat balls by gently rolling until covered.

Enjoy 2-3 balls to boost energy throughout the day and keep in fridge 2-3 days, or freeze to defrost and eat within month.

For Vibrant Energy Bars: 

Cover a baking tin with cling film, or alternatively, grease a silicon baking tray with coconut oil. 

Press down the mixture evenly into container to desired thickness. (Apply bit of coconut oil to finger tips to prevent mixture from sticking.)

Put mixture in fridge to set for at least half an hour.

Remove from container and/or film and cut into snack bar slices, sprinkling on and gently pressing in garnish of choice or dusting with cacao or cinnamon powder.

Enjoy 1-2 bars to boost energy through out the day and keep in fridge 2-3 days, or freeze to defrost and eat within month.

Bonus Tips:

Go for organic ingredients to ensure ultimate snack vibrancy. The extra cost is worth it to truly love your self, others and our planet!

For variety, substitute ground hemp seeds with other ground seeds you may have in your kitchen cupboard, such as psyllium, flaxseeds, chia, pumpkin, sesame, sunflower, etc.

For texture, try garnishing or mixing in: dessicated coconut, sprinkling and pressing in fine or rough chopped nuts, pure cacao nibs, seed mixes, a dried mulberry or a whole nut in the centre of ball.


Adding coconut oil is particularly good for solidifying bars in cooler climates, place jar in shallow bowl of hot (not boiling) water for a while to liquify before adding to mixture. 

To create more solid bars in warmer climate, add minimum of 'wet' ingredients or extra 'dry' ingredients to ensure a firmer bar and keep in fridge for a while before slicing.

Please do give them a go and let me know how you get on. 

I'm always on the look out for new snack inspirations, so I'd appreciate your comments below of any winning combinations that you come up with. I'd love to hear from you about the favourite superfoods you love to use and why. 

I was delighted that the Superhero Snack series I ran at Neal's Yard Remedies Edinburgh recently was so popular, so I'll be running a part 2 later this year, and repeating part 1 for those who missed it.

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Enjoy impressing your friends and family with these delightful treats, and the added bonus of a sustaining boost throughout your day!

With love & vibrant energy,