Various Uses for Soap

To chemists, it's what you get when you boil down the sodium salts of fatty acids. To us, it's just soap, known mostly for removing dirt from grimy hands. But with a little creative repurposing, soap — in both its bar and liquid form — can simplify a bunch of DIY projects.

Use soap to:
• Drive nails easier with less risk of splitting the wood, by first rubbing it on the nail shank.

• Smooth caulk beads with a moistened finger.

• Remove wallpaper glue by mixing with warm water and sponging it on the walls.

• Lubricate the metal rails of sticking desk drawers.

• Clean dirty windowsills by running the wet edge of a bar along them.

• Turn screws more easily by dabbing it onto the threads.

• Keep garden bugs off plant leaves by mixing it with water and spraying the solution on the leaves' undersides.

• Detect gas leaks by mixing it with with water and rubbing it on suspect pipe joints; if bubbles form, you have a problem.

• Snap aluminum or vinyl siding into place easier with a zip tool that's been dapped with the liquid.

10 Uses for Wood Ashes

A cord of firewood can produce 50 pounds of ashes—a formidable heap of soot but also a great source for mineral-rich dust that has practical uses. Just be careful to store them in a fireproof container with the lid shut to choke any embers. Unlike ashes, you can't use flames any place except in the fireplace.

Use wood ashes to:

1. De-skunk pets. A handful rubbed on Fido's coat neutralizes the lingering odor.

2. Hide stains on paving. This Old House technical editor Mark Powers absorbs wet paint spatters on cement by sprinkling ash directly on the spot; it blends in with a scuff of his boot,

3. Enrich compost. Before the organic compound get applied to soil, enhance its nutrients by sprinkling in a few ashes, says the host of radio's You Bet Your Garden, Mike McGrath. Adding too much, though, ruins the mix.

4. Block garden pests. Spread evenly around garden beds, ash repels slugs and snails.

5. Melt ice. TOH building editor Tom Baker finds it adds traction and de-ices without hurting soil or concrete underneath.

6. Control pond algae. One tablespoon per 1,000 gallons adds enough potassiumm to strengthen other aquatic plants that compete with algae, slowing its growth,

7. Pump up tomatoes. For the calcium-loving plants, McGrath places 1/4 cup right in the hole when planting,

8. Clean glass fireplace doors. A damp sponge dipped in the dust scrubs away sooty residue.

9. Make soap. Soaking ashes in water makes lye, which can be mixed with animal fat and then boiled to produce soap. Salt makes it harden as it cools.

10. Shine silver. A paste of ash and water makes a dandy nontoxic metal polisher.

Never Use Margarine - ONLY Butter!!!!

Margarine was originally manufactured to fatten turkeys. When it killed the turkeys, the people who had put all the money into the research wanted a payback so they put their heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get their money back.
It was a white substance with no food appeal so they added the yellow coloring and sold it to people to use in place of butter. How do you like it? They have come out with some clever new flavorings....

DO YOU KNOW.. The difference between margarine and butter?
Read on to the end...gets very interesting!

Both have the same amount of calories.

Butter is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8 grams; compared to5 grams for margarine.

Eating margarine can increase heart disease in women by 53% over eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent Harvard Medical Study.

Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in other foods.
Butter has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few and only because they are added!
Butter tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavors of other foods.

Butter has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years.

And now, for Margarine..
Very High in Trans fatty acids.
Triples risk of coronary heart disease ...
Increases total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)

Increases the risk of cancers up to five times..

Lowers quality of breast milk

Decreases immune response.

Decreases insulin response.

And here's the most disturbing fact... HERE IS THE PART THAT IS VERY INTERESTING!

Margarine is but ONE MOLECULE away from being PLASTIC... and shares 27 ingredients with PAINT

These facts alone were enough to have me avoiding margarine for life and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is added, changing the molecular structure of the substance).

Open a tub of margarine and leave it open in your garage or shaded area. Within a couple of days you will notice a couple of things:

* no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it (that should tell you something)

* it does not rot or smell differently because it has no value ; nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weeny micro-organisms will not a find a home to grow. Why? Because it is nearly plastic. Would you melt your Tupperware and spread that on your toast?

Share This With Your Friends.....(If you want to butter them up')!

Chinese Proverb:

When someone shares something of value with you and you benefit from it, you have a moral obligation to share it with others.

Pass the BUTTER PLEASE

Easy Face Mask Recipes for Different Skin Types

For Dry Skin: Avocado & Honey Face Mask

You will need:

2 tablespoons of avocado flesh

2 tablespoons honey

1 egg yolk

To form this anti aging skin care face mask, put all the ingredients in a blender, or mash by hand in a bowl. Use your fingers to spread the mask over your face and neck and leave it on for at least 30 minutes, preferably longer, before removing.

For Dry Skin: Honey and Egg Mask

You will need

1 tablespoon honey

1 egg yolk

1/2 teaspoon almond oil

1 tablespoon yogurt

Put all ingredients into a large bowl and stir until it becomes sticky and thick. Apply the mask to your face for 5 minutes and wash face thoroughly with a mild facial soap. Honey stimulates and smoothes, egg and almond oil penetrate and moisturize, and yogurt refines and tightens pores.

For Tired Skin: Almond Yoghurt Honey Mask

You will need:

6oz plain yoghurt

¼oz finely-crushed almonds

2tsp honey

2tsp wheatgerm oil

Mix all the ingredients into a smooth paste. Apply and massage the mixture into skin. Keep the mask on for 20 minutes.

For Normal Skin: Apple Honey Mask

You will need

1 Apple, cored & quartered

2 Tablespoons Honey

Drop the apple pieces into a food processor and chop. Add honey and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Pat the mixture onto your face with a light tapping motion, tapping until the honey feels tacky. Leave it on for 30 minutes and then rinse.

For Oily Skin: Honey-Papaya Mask

You will need:

1/3-cup cocoa

three teaspoons of heavy cream

1/3-cup ripe papaya

1/4-cup honey and three teaspoons of oatmeal powder

Mix and apply on your face. After 10 minutes, wash your face with warm water. This anti aging skin care fask mask helps heal skin blemishes, nourishes, draws out impurities, balances your skin pH, and will leave your skin radiant and soft. Good for acne-prone skin.

For Oily Skin: Carrot Face Mask

Your will need

2-3 carrots

4 1/2 table spoons of honey

Cook the carrots and then mash them up. Mix the carrots with honey and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Apply gently to the skin and wait for ten minutes. Rinse off with cool water. Carrots are known to be rich in vitamin A and C. They are also rich in potassium. Vitamin A and C are antioxidants. Honey contains sugar, enzymes, minerals, vitamins and amino acids.

For Sensitive Skin: Banana and Honey Mask

You will need

1/2 mashed banana

1/4 cup oatmeal, cooked with milk

1 egg

1/2 tablespoon honey

Mix ingredients together. Massage onto face in a slow, circular motion and leave for 15 minutes. Rinse with tepid water. Oatmeal is high in nourishing vitamins and minerals; it gently cleanses and heals skin. Bananas contain vitamin A; eggs contain lecithin, a natural skin emollient; and honey helps to maintain the skin's natural acid mantle.

For All Skin Types: Honey and Lavender Facial Mask

You will need:

1 tablespoon raw honey

3 drops lavender essential oil

Mix the ingredients, dampen your face with warm water, and smooth on the honey and lavender mixture. Leave the mask on for 15 minutes. Then rinse off with warm water. 

The Benefits of Sage

The Benefits of Sage

This versatile plant has up to 2.8% volatile oils comprising various condensed tannins, flavonoids, and oestrogenic substances. In fact, it's healing properties have been known dating back to antiquity. In fact, its Latin name, Salvia officinalis, with the "Salvia" specifically, means "to save." In centuries past, it was thought to render men immortal.

In ancient times the sage extract was so prized, the Chinese traded with the Dutch three times the amount of their best tea in exchange for European sage herb. So, what are its benefits?

Its oestrogenic properties render it useful for treating hot flushes endemic to menopause

It is a wonderful remedy when taken as a hot infusion for colds.

Sage herb is a digestive stimulant inducing the expulsion of gas from the stomach and intestines.

Sage extract has the remarkable ability to stop sweating.

According to Sage herb improves brain function, including memory. Alzheimer's disease, for example, is accompanied by an increase of AChE activity leading to depletion of cholinergic and noncholinergic neurons of the brain. Sage inhibits AChE activity. Perhaps there is a reason why one who is wise is a "sage" and one who uses sage.

It has robust anti-inflammatory qualities helping rheumatoid arthritis sufferers.

Sage helps a debilitated nervous system.

When sage tea or sage extract is combined with cider vinegar, it has been found helpful as a gargle for sore throats, tonsillitis, and even laryngitis. It's even used as a mouthwash showing its antibacterial capabilities by helping infected gums, mouth ulcers, and cold sores.

In summary, sage has been shown in clinical studies to have antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral effects -- no wonder ancients like the Romans, Greeks, Arabs, and Mediterraneans thought it capable of promoting immortality.

Sage Extract Precautions

Don't use sage herb extract for more than a week at a time. After taking a few days interruption, you can begin taking it again. NOTE: Medical practitioners warn pregnant women should not take the sage herb as a medicinal agent (small trace amounts in culinary dishes has small amounts to be harmless).

Nursing women as well as sage has the reputation of actually stanching the flow of breast milk. If you have any questions, at all as to its safety, we advise you to consult with your physician.

Tips on Choosing Sage Herb Supplements

1. Seek only standardized sage extract. Standardized extracts have the highest potency of active ingredients, where the herb's benefits are derived.

2. The supplements should be produced at pharmaceutical standard GMP registered facilities. Facilities that are GMP registered comply with the most rigid standards so as to minimize the possibility of contaminants. Nutritional supplements are not regulated by FDA and as such fraud is rampant with many so-called supplements containing contaminants with 1 in 5 not having the ingredients as proclaimed on the label!

3. Ensure the supplement manufacturer has a Certificate of Analysis (COA) on file for review by you the customer thus confirming the potency of the herbal ingredients listed on the label.

Recommended Sage Extract Supplement

After much research, we came across a company that meets these requirement, offering GMP compliant products. They are based in New Zealand, which has one of the strictest regulatory requirements for dietary supplement manufacturing in the world. In fact, their standards exceed the FDA's regulatory requirements. Their flagship multivitamin supplement for women product which contains sage herb extract, is scientifically formulated containing vitamins, minerals, trace and specialty minerals, and nutrient-rich enzymes.

This product is a one-of-a-kind nutraceutical engineered exclusively for women. This vitamin supplement for women (there is a men's version as well as a unisex version) has vital nutrients necessary for good woman's health; the sage herb is a powerful medicinal qualities needed by every women today. Incidentally, we've been taking this supplement for more than a year now and can attest to its benefits.

I've experience greater energy, better sleep, increased cognitive functions, and overall better health.

Toothaches & Tooth Infection Relief & Healing

Toothaches generally occur when a tooth's nerve root becomes irritated. The most common causes of toothaches are infection, decay, injury, or loss of a tooth. Pain may also occur after a tooth has been pulled. While no one enjoys a painful tooth, the good news is that tooth pain and infections can usually be relieved and healed naturally.

If your toothache comes from an abscess or other infection, combine the use of 1) oil of oregano topically and internally; 2) colloidal silver topically, internally and for swishing; and 3) warm salt water for alternate swishing as follows:

1. Take several drops of oil of oregano under the tongue. Hold for a few minutes and then swish with lots of colloidal silver as frequently as once every hour.

2. Spit out the colloidal silver and then swallow additional colloidal silver (up to 8 ounces total in a day).

3. Gently rub some colloidal silver into the gum area around the tooth.

4. After a few minutes, rub oil of oregano onto the gum area.

5. In between the colloidal silver swishes also do a fairly vigorous warm salt water swish (preferably sea salt) and follow that up with more oil of oregano rubbed into the gums.

More natural remedies which can relieve and heal painful toothaches

1. Purchase some ginger root. Cut off a piece of the ginger root and remove the skin. Put the piece in your mouth on top of the painful tooth and bite down on it. The pain should subside very quickly. Keep the rest of the ginger in a container in the refrigerator and replace the piece in your mouth periodically as needed.

2. Relieve a throbbing tooth with clove essential oil (Syzygium aromaticum). The aromatic chemical in clove called eugenol numbs pain and kills bacteria. To apply the clove oil, soak a cotton ball or swab with the oil and use it to wipe on and around your sore gums and tooth. Repeat as needed.

3. Take one teaspoon of blackseed oil (Nigella sativa) and 1/2 cup of vinegar and boil. Cool and then use as a mouth rinse to reduce inflammation and infection. Rinse every couple of hours until the pain and/or swelling is gone.

4. For tooth abscess and infection, put two level teaspoons of salt in a cup. Pour a small amount of boiling water on the salt in a cup to dissolve it and then fill the cup with enough cool water to make the solution warm. Rinse your mouth slowly and well, using all the salt water. Repeat at least twice a day (the more often the better). If this does not work at first, try increasing the amount of salt.

5. Use a cold pack or other cold items to relieve pain. When you have a toothache, pressing something cold on the outside of your mouth can often give temporary relief, especially if you are having problems sleeping. If you don't have a cold pack, no need to worry about ice that will melt in the middle of the night - simply grab anything from your fridge or freezer. You can use a jar of mustard, a bottle of water, you name it. If the container is frozen, cover with a wash cloth before placing on the skin. Note: Do not take a food item to bed which will spoil.

6. Supplements which may help clear infection and speed healing include olive leaf extract and bromelain.

Note: If your tooth pain worsens or persists more than a few days, see a qualified dentist - preferably a holistic one.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.tbyil.com/Toothache.htm
http://www.homeremediesweb.com/toothache-home-remedy.php

http://www.emedicinehealth.com/toothache/article_em.htm

About the author:
Tony Isaacs, is a natural health author, advocate and researcher who hosts The Best Years in Lifewebsite for those who wish to avoid prescription drugs and mainstream managed illness and live longer, healthier and happier lives naturally. Mr. Isaacs is the author of books and articles about natural health, longevity and beating cancer including "Cancer's Natural Enemy" and is working on a major book project due to be published later this year. He is also a contributing author for the worldwide advocacy group "S.A N.E.Vax. Inc" which endeavors to uncover the truth about HPV vaccine dangers.

Mr. Isaacs is currently residing in scenic East Texas and frequently commutes to the even more scenic Texas hill country near Austin and San Antonio to give lectures and health seminars. He also hosts the CureZone "Ask Tony Isaacs - featuring Luella May" forum as well as the Yahoo Health Group "Oleander Soup" and he serves as a consultant to the "Utopia Silver Supplement Company".

The Varied Uses & Tips of Salt

Beside making food delicious, it's believed there are more than 14,000 uses for salt, and our grandmothers were probably familiar with most of them. A number of these uses were for simple things around the home before the advent of modern chemicals and cleaners. Many of these salt uses are still valid today and can be much cheaper and more environmentally-friendly than more sophisticated products. We make no guarantee about the results if you try any of these uses and tips, but there must be something to them since they have been handed down over the years in many households. Most of these salt uses have stood the test of time.

The most familiar use of salt undoubtedly is in the kitchen and on the dining table. Salt accents the flavor of meat, brings out the individuality of vegetables, puts "oomph" into bland starches, deepens the flavor of delicate desserts, and develops the flavor of melons and certain other fruits. No other seasoning has yet been found that can satisfactorily take the place of salt.

But, there are many other uses for salt around the home, as well. Salt is an excellent cleaning agent, either on its own or in combination with other substances. A solution of salt and turpentine restores the whiteness to yellowed enamel bathtubs and lavatories. A paste of salt and vinegar cleans tarnished brass or copper. A strong brine poured down the kitchen sink prevents grease from collecting and eliminates odors.

Salt helps destroy moths and drives away ants. A dash of salt in laundry starch keeps the iron from sticking and gives linen and fine cottons a glossy, like-new finish. A thin paste of salt and salad oil removes white marks caused by hot dishes or water from wooden tables.

A box of salt is also an important item in many bathrooms. In mild solutions, it makes an excellent mouthwash, throat gargle or eye-wash; it is an effective dentifrice; it is an effective antiseptic; and it can be extremely helpful as a massage element to improve skin complexion.

Salt Uses & Tips: In the Kitchen

(Click to view our Gourmet Sea Salts available for cooking and kitchen use)

Boiling Water - Salt added to water makes the water boil at a higher temperature, thus reducing cooking time (it does not make the water boil faster).

Peeling eggs - Eggs boiled in salted water peel more easily.

Poaching eggs - Poaching eggs over salted water helps set the egg whites.

Testing egg freshness - Place the egg in a cup of water to which two teaspoonfuls of salt has been added. A fresh egg sinks; a doubter will float.

Preventing browning - Apples, pears and potatoes dropped in cold, lightly salted water as they are peeled will retain their color.

Shelling pecans - Soaking pecans in salt water for several hours before shelling will make nut meats easier to remove.

Washing spinach - If spinach is washed in salted water, repeated cleanings will not be necessary.

Preventing sugaring - A little salt added to cake icings prevents them from sugaring.

Crisping salads - Salting salads immediately before serving will keep them crisp.

Improving boiled potatoes - Boiled potatoes will be given a fine, mealy texture by sprinkling with salt after draining, then returning them to the pan and shaking them back and forth quickly to get rid of the excess moisture.

Cleaning greasy pans - The greasiest iron pan will wash easily if you use a little salt in it and wipe with paper.

Cleaning stained cups - Rubbing with salt will remove stubborn tea or coffee stains from cups.

Cleaning ovens - Salt and cinnamon take the "burned food" odor away from ovens and stove burners. Sprinkle spills while oven and burners are still hot; when dry, remove the salted spots with a stiff brush or cloth.

Cleaning refrigerators - Use salt and soda water to clean and sweeten the inside of your refrigerator. It won't scratch enamel either.

Extinguishing grease fires - Salt tossed on a grease fire on the stove or in the oven will smother flames. Never use water; it will only spatter the burning grease.

Improving coffee - A pinch of salt in coffee will enhance the flavor and remove the bitterness of over-cooked coffee.

Improving poultry - To improve the flavor of poultry, rub the fowl inside and out with salt before roasting.

Removing pinfeathers - To remove pinfeathers easily from a chicken, rub the chicken skin with salt first.

Cleaning tarnished silverware - Rub tarnish with salt before washing.

Cleaning copper pans - Remove stains on copper pans by salting area and scouring with a cloth soaked in vinegar.

Cleaning coffee pots - Remove bitterness from percolators and other coffee pots by filling with water, adding four tablespoons of salt and percolating or boiling as usual.

Removing onion odors from hands - Rub fingers with salt moistened with vinegar.

"Sweetening" containers - Salt can "sweeten" and deodorize thermos bottles and jugs, decanters and other closed containers.

Cleaning sink drains - Pour a strong salt brine down the kitchen sink drain regularly to eliminate odors and keep grease from building up.

Brightening cutting boards - After washing them with soap and water, rub cutting boards with a damp cloth dipped in salt; the boards will be lighter and brighter.

Fixing oversalted soups - If soup has been oversalted, cut up a raw potato or two and drop into the soup. The potato will absorb the salt.

Cleaning dried-on egg - Salt not only makes eggs taste better, but it makes "eggy" dishes clean easier. Sprinkle salt on dishes right after breakfast; it makes them a whiz to clean when you have time.

Preventing food from sticking - Rub a pancake griddle with a small bag of salt to prevent sticking and smoking. Sprinkle a little salt in the skillet before frying fish to prevent the fish from sticking. Sprinkle salt on washed skillets, waffle iron plates or griddles, heat in a warm oven, dust off salt; when they are next used, foods will not stick.

Preventing mold - To prevent mold on cheese, wrap it in a cloth dampened with saltwater before refrigerating.

Whipping cream and beating egg whites - By adding a pinch of salt, cream will whip better and egg whites will beat faster and higher.

Keeping milk fresh - Adding a pinch of salt to milk will keep it fresh longer.

Setting gelatin - To set gelatin salads and desserts quickly, place over ice that has been sprinkled with salt.

Salt Uses & Tips: Cleaning

Cleaning brass - Mix equal parts of salt, flour and vinegar to make a paste, rub the paste on the brass item, leave on for an hour or so, then clean with a soft cloth or brush and buff with a dry cloth.

Cleaning wicker - To prevent yellowing, scrub wicker furniture with a stiff brush moistened with warm saltwater and allow to dry in the sun.

Cleaning grease spots on rugs - Some grease spots can be removed with a solution of one part salt and four parts alcohol and rubbing hard but carefully to avoid damage to the nap.

Extending broom life - New brooms will wear longer if soaked in hot saltwater before they are first used.

Removing wine stains - If wine is spilled on a tablecloth or rug, blot up as much as possible and immediately cover the wine with salt, which will absorb the remaining wine. Later rinse the tablecloth with cold water; scrape up the salt from the rug and then vacuum the spot.

Removing rings from tables - White rings left on tables from wet or hot dishes or glasses can be removed by rubbing a thin paste of salad oil and salt on the spot with your fingers, letting it stand an hour or two, then wiping it off.

Restoring sponges - Give sponges new life by soaking them in cold saltwater after they are washed.

Settling suds - If a washing machine bubbles over from too many suds, sprinkle salt on the suds to reduce them.

Brightening colors - Wash colored curtains or washable fiber rugs in a saltwater solution to brighten the colors. Brighten faded rugs and carpets by rubbing them briskly with a cloth that has been dipped in a strong saltwater solution and wrung out.

Removing perspiration stains - Add four tablespoons of salt to one quart of hot water and sponge the fabric with the solution until stains disappear.

Brightening yellowed cottons or linens - Boil the yellowed items for one hour in a salt and baking soda solution

Removing blood stains - Soak the stained clothing or other cloth item in cold saltwater, then launder in warm, soapy water and boil after the wash. (Use only on cotton, linen or other natural fibers that can take high heat.)

Removing mildew or rust stains - Moisten stained spots with a mixture of lemon juice and salt, then spread the item in the sun for bleaching; and finally, rinse and dry.

Color-matching nylons - Good nylons that don't have a match can be made the same color by boiling them a few minutes in a pan of lightly salted water.

Fixing sticking iron - Sprinkle a little salt on a piece of paper and run the hot iron over it to remove rough, sticky spots.

Cleaning fish tanks - Rub the inside of fish tanks with salt to remove hard water deposits, then rinse well before returning the fish to the tank. Use only plain, not iodized, salt.

Salt Uses & Tips: Health & Beauty

(Click to view our Scented Bath Salts and Wholesale & Bulk Bath Salts available for health and beauty use)

Gargling - Stir 1/2 teaspoon salt in an 8-ounce glass of warm water for use as a gargle for sore throats.

Cleaning teeth - Mix one part salt to two parts baking soda after pulverizing the salt in a blender or rolling it on a kitchen board with a tumbler before mixing. It whitens teeth, helps remove plaque and it is healthy for the gums.

Washing mouth - Mix equal parts of salt and baking soda as a mouth wash that sweetens the breath.

Bathing eyes - Mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a pint of water and use the solution to bathe tired eyes.

Reducing eye puffiness - Mix one teaspoon of salt in a pint of hot water and apply pads soaked in the solution on the puffy areas.

Relieving tired feet - Soak aching feet in warm water to which a handful of salt has been added. Rinse in cool water.

Relieving bee stings - If stung, immediately wet the spot and cover with salt to relieve the pain.

Treating mosquito and chigger bites - Soak in saltwater, then apply a mixture of lard and salt.

Treating poison ivy - Soaking the exposed part in hot saltwater helps hasten the end to poison ivy irritation.

Relieving fatigue - Soak relaxed for at least ten minutes in a tub of water into which several handfuls of salt has been placed.

Removing dry skin - After bathing and while still wet give yourself a massage with dry salt. It removes dead skin particles and aids the circulation.

Applying facial - For a stimulating facial, mix equal parts of salt and olive oil and gently massage the face and throat with long upward and inward strokes. Remove mixture after five minutes and wash face.

Removing tattoos - Called salabrasion, this technique involves rubbing salt on the tattoo and requires several treatments. Healing is required between sessions, but there is virtually no scarring. CAUTION: This is a medical procedure that can be done only by a physician.

Salt Uses & Tips: Household

Extinguishing grease fires - Keep a box of salt handy at your stove and oven and if a grease fire flares up, cover the flames with salt. Do not use water on grease fires; it will splatter the burning grease. Also a handful of salt thrown on flames from meat dripping in barbecue grills will reduce the flames and deaden the smoke without cooling the coals as water does.

Drip-proofing candles - Soak new candles in a strong salt solution for a few hours, then dry them well. When burned they will not drip.

Removing soot - Occasionally throw a handful of salt on the flames in your fireplace; it will help loosen soot from the chimney and salt makes a bright yellow flame.

Invigorating goldfish - Occasionally add one teaspoon of salt to a quart of fresh water at room temperature and put your goldfish in for about 15 minutes. Then return them to their tank. The salt swim makes them healthier.

Cleaning flower vases - To remove deposits caused by flowers and water, rub with salt; if you cannot reach the deposits to rub them, put a strong salt solution in the vase and shake, then wash the vase with soap and water.

Keeping cut flowers fresh - A dash of salt added to the water in a flower vase will keep cut flowers fresh longer.

Holding artificial flowers - Artificial flowers can be held in an artistic arrangement by pouring salt into the container, adding a little cold water and then arranging the flowers. The salt will solidify as it dries and hold the flowers in place.

Keeping patios weed-free - If weeds or unwanted grass come up between patio bricks or blocks, carefully spread salt between the bricks and blocks, then sprinkle with water or wait for rain to wet it down.

Killing poison ivy - Mix three pounds of salt with a gallon of soapy water and apply to leaves and stems with a sprayer.

Keeping windows frost-free - Rub the inside of windows with a sponge dipped in a saltwater solution and rub dry; the windows will not frost up in sub-freezing weather. Rubbing a small cloth bag containing salt that has been moistened on your car's windshield will keep snow and ice from collecting.

Deicing sidewalks and driveways - Lightly sprinkling rock salt on walks and driveways will keep snow and ice from bonding to the pavement and allow for easy removal. Don't overdo it; use the salt sensibly to avoid damage to grass and ornamentals.

Deodorizing shoes - Sprinkling a little salt in canvas shoes occasionally will take up the moisture and help remove odors.

Making Your Own Tinctures & Extracts

 Making Your Own Tinctures and Extracts 

You can make liquid extracts using just water....that's what a tea is.  However, the water will go bad in a short time.  The best thing to use is a mixture of water and grain alcohol - cheap Vodka.  80 proof or 40% alcohol means that it is 60% pure water and 40% grain alcohol.   Alcohol helps to extract some of the compounds which are harder to get out with water.  Also, if you prefer, apple cider vinegar can be used as well instead of alcohol.


Tincture should be made on a new moon (when its dark).  Take fresh herbs, place in blender, cover herbs completely with vodka.  Turn on the blender, blend about 1 minute or until it's completely blended.  This is called a full-spectrum tincture.  The smell and taste are fullbodied.  The fresh tincture is potent.  You can take it when it is freshly blended, and it is very good.  But you should put this in a jar, place in a pantry or other dark place, take it out each day and shake it, place it back in the pantry.  Do this for fourteen days.  At the end of fourteen days, take it out, strain out the herb, and what you have is an aged tincture which will last indefinitely, preserved by the alcohol.  There are those who prefer to leave the herb in and not strain it out.  If you do, that's great, but you won't be able to keep it in a dropper bottle in your purse unless you strain some of it.


The number one emergency herb to have on hand is cayenne.  That's right, hot peppers.   Hotter means more phytochemical, which means more medicinal effect.  So always get the hottest peppers you can find.  See this chart which rates the heat units of each pepper.  You want at least 100,000 (or 100K) heat units.


Remove stems from peppers.  Put whole peppers into blender, and cover with vodka.  Blend on high for one minute, or until thoroughly blended.  It will be a kind of thick, soupy mix.  You can eat this by spoonfuls right from the blender, it should make you feel warm, energetic, and have a sense of well-being.  You can save it like this and eat some whenever you want.  However, you should strain at least some of it and put it in those dark glass dropper bottles.  Keep a bottle in your pocket, purse, car glove compartment, home medicine chest, your office desk, any place you spend a lot of time.  You can also allow whole or chopped peppers to dry out on your kitchen cabinet and grind them to powder.

Therapeutic Benefits:


Stops bleeding (internal or external), Heart Attack, Stroke, Shock.  Revives, relieves fainting, dizziness, weakness and confusion.


For hemorrhage after childbirth, squirt 15-20 dropperfuls directly into the vagina.  The bleeding will stop in seconds.


For newborns with respiratory failure, use several drops tincture diluted half and half with water right on their tongues.


Congestive heart failure, drink 1 heaping tablespoon powder in a glass of warm water.


Heart attack, start at 5 dropperfuls.  Begin at 2 dropperfuls if the person is unconscious, then add more as response begins.  A dropperful is approximately 30 drops.  Testimonials have been received in which people who have been clinically dead, turning blue, whose hearts had stopped, were given this tincture from 1 to 12 dropperfuls, and their heart restarted and they recovered.


Wounds, you can pack them with the powder, or wash the wound with tincture, bleeding should stop in seconds.


Internal maintenance dose for tincture:  start with 5 drops in water or juice 3 times daily.  Go up to as many dropperfuls as you like.


Internal maintenance dose for powder:  start with 1/8 teaspoon 3 times daily, and go up if needed to many teaspoons per day.


These fresh tinctures are much stronger and more helpful than any you can buy commercially.  


Many people do not believe herbs work, because they have tried what's available at the store, and nothing has happened.  They don't work for two reasons:  1)  They don't use a large enough dose and 2) commercially made products are usualy so weak that you could drink a whole bottle with no results.


Making them yourself assures they are fresh and potent.

Make Your Own Tinctures

Have your herbs and take them too - Make your own tinctures

by Paul Fassa

The effort to restrict supplements has begun in a failing economy. One has to be creative to offset or avoid these increasing efforts to deprive us of supplements and natural medicines. One solution is to make and store our own herbal tinctures and extracts. It's actually quite easy.

If herbs become too difficult to purchase, it doesn't take much soil to grow your own.

Tincture Extract Advantages

The initial investment involves buying one or more large jars and one or two ounce dropper bottles. Then you can buy a pound of herbs on line for the same price as a one ounce tincture off the shelf. Just make sure you select herbs that are organic and not irradiated.

Preparing teas and decoctions are daily or almost daily enterprises. A tincture will last for a much, much longer time. Once the tincture is ready, you can tap into it daily with a dropper full or two. Enjoying the herbal wonders daily for a year or so after a twenty to thirty dollar investment means you can enjoy the benefits of herbal extracts for pennies a day.

A Basic Formula

One recipe uses vodka, which is a combination of pure water (hopefully) and ethyl alcohol (aka, ethanol and grain alcohol, the type that is drinkable). The alcohol that can kill with a couple of sips is isopropyl or rubbing alcohol.

If you want to ensure purity, you can buy grain alcohol and distilled water separately then mix them. The word "proof" alongside a number indicates twice the percentage of alcohol. In other words, 80 proof vodka is 40% alcohol with 60% water, which many consider the ideal ratio for tinctures.

Others prefer 50/50, which means the vodka needs to be 100 proof. Pure grain alcohol is 200 proof. A little of that in a punch bowl goes a long way! So you can use the most common ratio of 60% water by volume with 40% ethanol (ethyl or grain alcohol), or simply go 50/50 with the two liquids.

Use a large glass jar with a screw on cap, like a mason jar. Pour in the dried herbs up to one-third or almost half the container. The bulkier the herbs, the more should go into the jar. Then take your vodka or alcohol/water solution and pour it to almost the top, allowing some space to swoosh the solution by gently shaking the capped jar.

Though many say two weeks seasoning is sufficient, this author was instructed by a naturopath/herbalist to season for 30 days. Either way, the jar should season in a cool, dark space and be shaken gently each day during its seasoning cycle. After seasoning, you can filter out the herbs and put the liquid into another glass container, or simply leave it and siphon off a bit at a time.

You can use one or two ounce glass bottles with glass eyedroppers for taking the tincture. This way the mother jar can be kept off to the side in a dark space, with or without the herbs. One or two full droppers full daily are recommended for most. It usually takes two dropper squeezes to make one full dropper since it's impossible to get a full dropper full in one draw. You can simply squirt it directly into your mouth or under your tongue, or mix it with water or tea.

Those, who need to avoid alcohol completely, should place the tincture into a cup of hot water and let is sit until cool enough to drink. This helps evaporate some of the alcohol content away.