Home Remedies

There has been many changes in our life these past few years as we made our way back east. One of these has also included the many, many tutorials I have received on sustainable living and home remedies. Here is my latest teaching from my great friend Heather, a homemade massage oil equivalent to "Bengay."

What you need:

1 Cup of Arnica Flowers
1 Cup of Comfrey Leaf
1 tsp. of Cayanne Pepper
5-6 Cinnamon Sticks
Olive Oil

Comfrey is an awesome perennial herb that is used externally on the skin to heal bruises, ligaments, pulled muscles and much much more! 

The comfrey plant growing on my porch :)

Pour herbs into a glass quart jar. Pour olive oil over herbs until completely covered. Put a lid on the jar. 

Fill a deep pan with water. Put a towel in the bottom of the pan, so your glass jar will not break when heated. The water level in the pan should be deep enough so that when you put the jar in the pan, the water line will come to the bottom of the lid on your jar. Put the herb jar in the pan and turn the heat on so the water is simmering (do not let it boil). Let simmer for 2-3 hours.

After the oil has cooled, Pour off the herbs by straining through a cheesecloth into a clean jar. 

 There you go!  Nice golden brown cinnamony oil...a herbal infused massage oil!

You can make this oil twice in a row with the same herbs to squeeze every bit of goodness out of the herbs before throwing them into the compost. The used herbs will not be as strong as the first batch and should simmer the oil for about 4 hours the second time around. After you have poured off the infused oil mix both batches. Put a label and write the date you made it and it should last for 3 years!