Ok, I'm not so good a blogging. I always have blogs running thru my head, but I feel like they have to be long 'short story' posts. Maybe I should start blogging from my phone and just doing updates like my facebook statuses. Anyway, this is what I got for now....
I had a big revelation about myself the other day. It was one of those things that I should have been cluing into for a awhile.
So here it is: I'm not very artistic(are you shocked). But I consider myself very good at criticising art. I love creating, but I don't really love sewing(oh, I'm sorry). My passion is herbs and homeopathic. And what has really caught me off guard is realizing that I love guiding and teaching. I didn't realize this until one of the teachers at my kids school commented that she would love to see me teaching a health and well-being class to parents and then a shopper and school principal that I was speaking with at a Craft Fair said she would like to have me as a motivational speaker at her school(wow, that one took me by surprise). So I don't really know what to do with this new revelation, but thanks for letting me put my thoughts into words.
For a couple years now I have been infusing my own Plantain and making it into healing creams and ointments. I have been buying it organic and dried from a wonderful resource called Mountain Rose Herb, but for about a year now I have been wanting to grow it myself. What I think is so funny about it all is that Plantain is a weed. Yup my neighbors will love me come this summer, but I will try very hard to keep it contained. The English brought it over and the American Indians immediately starting using it for hundreds of things, they called it the 'Weed of Life'. I first learned of it in Susan Weed's book Herbal for the Childbearing Year for diaper rash, but have since learned many more uses for it. I use it for diaper rash and prevention, scraps, bug bites(some say for snake bites thankfully I haven't had to find out), blemishes, colic, sore muscles, cracked lips and canker sores and so much more.
Although I do make and sell Plantain ointments with my own healing concoctions, I would love to share the joy of infusing an herb. There are two basic ways to extract the herbal power from a dried plant; infusing it or tincturing it. A tincture uses alchol and an infusion usually refers to the use of oil. I use both methods and with study you learn what plants work best with different extractions and/or how you are using it. With this herb an oil infusing tends to be the best and I have liked olive oil. 
When you are making ointments to be use medicinally always choice the organic. All you'll need for this is dried plantain weed(Plantago major ), a small jar, organic olive oil, a dark cool place and about 6-8 weeks.
First fill jar to the top packing the dry down, then fill with olive oil ALL the way to the top and put lid on. I always mark the date on the top and then place in a cool dark place for 6-8 weeks. After such time goes by strain the used herb from the oil in a strainer like a tea ball. Now step back and look at how beautiful that amber color oil is and enjoy using on your kids boo boo's, diaper rash or summer time mosquitos. Other uses include:
*Diaper rash and preventative (cloth diaper safe :-)*mosquito and bug bites*Snack bites (Haven't had to try it for this, thankfully)*scraps*burns*Blemishes*wrinkles*Cracked lips *Canker sores*sore muscles*colic (for external use only).
If you can't wait to try out the healing miracles of plantain while yours infuses try mine:
