Herboristerie 101

Cueillette d'herbes pour mes baumes et mes crèmes

Voici quelques-unes de mes recettes préférées à base de plantes.

Baume boréal

• ¼ T. de bourgeons de peuplier
• ¼ T. de branche d’épinette et d’aiguilles
• ¼ T. de matricaire odorante
• ¼ T. d’usnée
• 1 T. de plantain
• 1 T. de feuilles et de fleurs d’achillée
• 1 T. de feuilles et de fleurs de sauge sauvage
• 800 ml d’huile d’olive
• 600 ml de millepertuis
• 4 oz de cire d’abeille

Mettre les plantes hachées dans un bain-marie, recouvrir d’huile
et chauffer doucement. Laisser frémir pendant 30 à 60 min. Brasser
de temps à autre. Passer le mélange dans un coton à fromage
(attention à ne pas presser les herbes si elles sont fraîches.
Dans un autre chaudron, faire fondre la cire d’abeille et y ajouter le
mélange d’huile. Bien brasser. Verser dans des pots. Refermer le
couvercle seulement quand le baume sera refroidi et solidifié. Se conserve
pendant quelques années.

Huile pour le soulagement des douleurs musculaires

• 2 T. de fleurs d’arnica
• 1 T. d’écorce et de feuilles de saule
• ½ T. de baies et de branches de genévrier
• ½ T. d’écorce de viorne trilobée géante
• 4 T. d’huile d’olive
• 3 T. d’huile de millepertuis
• 6 gouttes d’h. e. de gaulthérie couchée

Disposer les plantes dans un bain-marie et couvrir d’huile. Chauffer
doucement et laisser mijoter 30 à 60 min. Brasser constamment. Passer
au coton à fromage. Laisser refroidir et ajouter l’huile essentielle.
Embouteiller.

Teinture pour arrêter le saignement

• 1 T. d’achillée millefeuilles
• 1 T. de bourse-à-pasteur
• 2 T. de vodka

Disposer les plantes dans un pot en verre avec un couvercle en plastique (ou
mettre une pellicule plastique entre le couvercle de métal et le pot),
couvrir de vodka, laisser reposer pendant 1 mois en brassant tous les jours.

Sirop contre la toux

• 50 g de thym
• 1 litre d’eau
• Miel cru
  

Faire bouillir l’eau et le thym jusqu’à réduction
de moitié et sucrer au miel. Une c. à table toutes les deux heures
ou au moment des crises de toux.

Mélange d'huiles essentielles contre la gastro-entérite

• 10 % h.e. de tea tree
• 50 % h.e. de clou de girofle
• 40 % h.e. d’origan

Mélanger à 10 % dans de l’huile d’olive bio. Prendre
3 gouttes par voie orale, max. 4 fois par jour.

Savon antiseptique
Pour une bouteille de 125 ml :

• 30 gouttes d’h.e. de tea tree
• 10 gouttes d’h.e. (essence) de citron
• 20 gouttes d’h.e. de lavande
• 120 ml de base de savon liquide non parfumé

Shampooing et revitalisant à l’ortie et à la prêle

• 1 T. d’ortie séchée
• 1 T. de prêle séchée
• 4 T. d’eau bouillante
• 3 c. à table de flocons de savon de Castille

Verser l’eau bouillante sur les plantes et laisser infuser 30 min. Passer
au coton à fromage Verser la moitié de l’infusion dans une
bouteille contenant le savon de Castille et bien agiter. Verser l’autre
moitié dans une autre bouteille (c’est votre revitalisant).

Huile anti-moustiques

Pour une bouteille de 125 ml :

• 10 gouttes d’h.e. de citronnelle
• 10 gouttes d’h.e. d’eucalyptus
• 10 gouttes d’h.e. de lavande
• 10 gouttes d’h.e. de tea tree
• 10 gouttes d’h.e. d’achillée millefeuilles (facultatif)
• 120 ml d’huile d’olive

Tisane riche en calcium

• 1 part d’ortie
• 1 part de paille d’avoine
• 1 part de feuilles de framboisier
• 1 part de prêle
• 3 parts de baies d’églantier (roses sauvages) (broyées)
• 2 parts de menthe

Tisane pour aider à dormir

• 1 part de matricaire odorante
• 1 part de paille d’avoine
• 1 part de cataire
• 1 part de racine de valériane
• 1 part de feuilles de framboisier

Tisane nettoyante

• 2 parts de racine de pissenlit
• 1 parts de trèfle rouge
• 1 part de plantain
• 1 part de menthe
• 1 part d’écorce de viorne trilobée

Tisane énergisante

• 1 part de thé du Labrador
• 1 part de menthe
• 2 parts d’ortie
• 1 part de paille d’avoine

Tisane tonique pendant la grossesse

• 1 part d’ortie
• 2 parts de feuilles de framboisier
• 0,5 part de trèfle rouge
• 0,5 part de menthe poivrée

Tisane pour vaincre le rhume et la grippe

• 1 part de feuilles de framboisier
• 2 parts de menthe
• 2 parts d’achillée millefeuilles
• 2 parts de thym

Tisane contre la nausée

• 2 parts de matricaire odorante
• 1 part de menthe poivrée
• 1 part de racine de gingembre
• 1 part de mélisse

Bain pour bien dormir

• 1 part de matricaire odorante
• 1 part de céraiste vulgaire
• 1 part de pétales de roses
• 1 part de prêle

Bain contre le rhume et la grippe

• 1 part d’achillée millefeuilles
• 1 part d’aiguilles de sapin, de pin ou d’épinette
• 1 part de thé du Labrador
• 1 part de baies ou d’aiguilles de genévrier

Bain de vapeur pour le système respiratoire (congestion)

• 1 part d’aiguilles de sapin
• 1 part d’aiguilles de pin
• 1 part d’aiguilles de genévrier
• 1 part de matricaire odorante

Disposer les herbes dans un grand bol en verre. Verser de l’eau bouillante
par dessus. Couvrir d’une serviette et se glisser la tête en dessous.
Mettre le visage à 6 pouces de la surface. Respirer pendant 15 minutes.

Sauté printanier (2-3 portions)

• 4 T. de pommes de terres en dés
• 1 T. de fleurs de trèfles rouges
• 3 c. à table de ciboulette hachée
• 6 T. d’eau
• 1 c. à thé de sel
• 1 oignon haché
• 4 c. à table de beurre
• 1 T. de feuilles d’ortie
• ¼ T. de feuilles de pissenlit hachées
• 1 c. à table de tamari
• 1 c. à table de cari
• ¼ T. de parmesan râpé
• Croûtons

Faire cuire les pommes de terre, le trèfle et la ciboulette dans de
l’eau salée jusqu’à ce que les pommes de terre soient
tendres. Égoutter. Faire sauter l’oignon dans le beurre, ajouter
l’ortie, le pissenlit, le tamari et le cari. Quand l’ortie sera
tendre, ajouter les pommes de terre, le trèfle et la ciboulette. Bien
mélanger. Recouvrir de fromage et de croûtons.

Chickweed à l’orientale (2 portions)

• 2 T. de céraiste vulgaire haché
• 1 T. de tête de violons
• ¼ T. de feuilles de pissenlit
• 1 c. à table de racine de gingembre hachée
• 2 c. à table d’huile de sésame
• ½ T de matricaire odorante hachée
• 1 c. à table de tamari
• 12 oz de vermicelle de riz ou de nouilles Udon
  

Faire sauter la céraiste vulgaire, les têtes de violons, les feuilles
de pissenlit et le gingembre dans l’huile pendant 3 à 5 min. Ajouter
la matricaire odorante et le tamari. Réchauffer. Servir immédiatement
sur les nouilles.

Oreiller de rêve

Un vieil oreiller de plume

• 1 T. de fleurs et de feuilles de valériane séchés (calmant)
• 2 T. de feuilles et de fleurs de matricaire odorante (beaux rêves)
• 1 T. de pétales et de feuilles de rose (prévient la mélancolie)
• 1 T. de feuilles et de fleurs de sauge sauvage (pour favoriser les rêves)

Ouvrir le vieil oreiller sur un côté et remplir d’herbes.
Disperser également (diminuer la quantité de sauge si vous êtes
enclin à l’insomnie, ajouter plus de sauge si vous voulez favoriser
les rêves). Recoudre le côté.

D'autres recettes en vrac

Otite, mal d’oreilles : 1 c. à thé d’huile d’olive
+ 3 gouttes de tea tree à la température du corps dans l’oreille
à l’aide d’un compte-gouttes.

Migraine : mélanger quelques gouttes d’h.e. de lavande et d’h.e.
de menthe poivrée et frotter les tempes ou frotter du baume boréal
sur les tempes.

Rhume : Par jour : 1 000 mg de vitamine C DE QUALITÉ (sinon, elle est
déminéralisante), 3 fois 20 gouttes de teinture d’échinacée,
3 fois 20 gouttes de teinture d’ail (ou gousses d’ail) et boire
beaucoup d’eau!

Coupure : Feuille d’achillée mâchée quelques minutes
et gomme de pin ou de sapin pour sceller la plaie.

Certaines de ces recettes ont été inspirée du travail de Bev Gray, herboriste et aromathérapeute, à Whitehorse, au Yukon.

More recipes that I love...

Garlicky Walnut butter
This is as close to heaven as you can go...

1/2 c. soft butter
1 c. crispy walnuts
2 tbsp Nutritional yeast
2 cloves garlic, crushed (or more if you like)
2 tbsp fresh italian parsley

Put the walnuts in the food processor and and process until grounded (but not too fine) and add the other ingredients. Enjoy on fresh sourdough bread... or right off the spoon!


Mashed turnip with roasted garlic
This is so delicious and it's a great alternative to mash potatoes!

1 large organic turnip
1 bulb organic garlic (yes, the whole thing!)
2 tsp. organic extra virgin olive oil
1/4 lb butter
1 tsp sea salt

Remove all loose outer skin from garlic. Drizzle olive oil over garlic and roast in ramekin at 300 degrees for 20 minutes (use toaster oven if you have one). Peel and cut turnip in 1 inch cubes. Steam 15-20 minutes or until tender. Remove all roasted garlic by squeezing the end of each clove individually. Mash into paste. Combine drained turnip, butter, garlic paste and salt in food processor. Mix until creamy. Serve warm.

Chicken liver mousse
You don't think this is an exciting recipe? It's a great way to eat liver! We love it here!

180 g (6 oz) chicken livers
1 tablespoon Apple cider vinegar
180 g (6 oz) cold butter
3 tablespoon cooked organic wine (port, xeres, I use water...)
3/4 tsp sea salt
pepper


Put the chicken livers in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Add the vinegar. Poach the livers at med-low heat for about 5 minutes. Drain them and pat dry. Cut them in pieces and put them in the food processor along with the butter in cubes, the wine or water, salt and pepper. Process until you get a nice creamy texture (you will have to scrape the sides a couple of times). Serve in ramekin with crackers, baguette, figs or apple slices. Keeps well in the fridge for a week. Freeze well too.


And for breakfast...

Mock Cream of Wheat

1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
1/4 cup cream, or 1 oz cream cheese or sour cream
2 T (1 oz) nut meal (I make my own from soaked almonds or walnuts)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
Shake of salt and stevia

Mix together in a saucepan and cook 10 min. on med heat until cream of wheat consistency.


Homemade nutella

2 cups crispy hazelnuts
2 TBSP coconut oil
1/4 cup whey
1/2 cup high-fat cocoa powder
1/2 cup rapadura
1/4 tsp salt

Mix in food processor and keep in the fridge.

Quelques projets sympas...

Steph, Adélie et Maël sont venus nous visiter ce matin et nous avons fait des dessins avec de la laine cardée. Une autre belle façon de créer!






Quelques créations :









Puis, dans l'après-midi, j'ai raconté l'histoire de Shingebiss et le Vent du Nord et comme les filles étaient bien déçues que je l'ai seulement racontée à voix haute sans personnages, nous avons créer des personnages en cire d'abeilles :le Vent du Nord avec sa couronne de glaçons, Shingebiss le petit canard vert et ses poissons pêchés sous la glace et un petit oiseau qui passe l'hiver dans le sud.



Puis, nous avons raconté l'histoire à nouveau avec nos personnages et une petite scène.
Les filles ont beaucoup aimé ce projet!

Que l'aventure commence!

Ça y est, la toute première étape de notre projet se met en branle. Dans dix jours, nous irons chercher nos deux poules Chanteclerc et leur coq qui nous donneront, nous l'espérons, plein de petits poussins qui pondront à leur tour et qui iront remplir le congélateur (eh oui! Les Chanteclerc sont des poules plus rustiques à petite crête et qui peuvent donc mieux tolérer le froid, et on peut les utiliser comme pondeuses et comme poules à chair). Nous sommes bien enthousiastes de ce projet.

Ce matin, nous avons donc entrepris de préparer le poulailler! Les filles nous ont aider à transporter tout ce que contenait le poulailler dans la grange. Il y a quelques trous à réparer et nous serons prêts à accueillir nos locataires la semaine prochaine!



Puis, on a transformé notre couronne de Noël qui était encore sur la porte en pot-pourri.



Voici la recette :

A little more autonomy...

Here are some of my favorite care products recipes. We haven't bought soap, shampoo, deodorant, cream, house cleaners and toothpaste in quite a long time here... And that feels pretty darn good!


Mara at 4 months... this little baby skin is one of the reasons I started making my own products!

Toothsoap

1. Get yourself some Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Hemp Pure-Castile Soap, a beautiful liquid soap made with organic, fair trade oils and ingredients and available at most healthfood stores in North America (at least it is around these parts!). If you can’t find it in your area, you can order it online. I recommend the 16 oz bottle - I paid about $9 (it’s $8.99 on the website) and it will make LOTS of bottles of tooth cleaning soap - by my calculations more than 16 bottle refills. Compare that to what a tube of glycerine-laden natural toothpaste costs, or even cheap-o industrial toothpaste and you’re saving a bundle. It does have the naturally-occuring soap glycerine included, but none added (the ‘real’ Toothsoap also contains a bit of naturally-occuring glycerine).

2. Find (and sterilize) or buy a clean, dropper-top or spray-top glass bottle (the one we’re using is in the photo here - my rubber dropper bottle top disintegrated a few weeks back).

3. Pour the Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Soap into the glass bottle to about 1/4 full or even a little less.

4. Fill the remainder of the bottle with filtered or distilled water, shake lightly and voila, your very own tooth soap at a fraction of the price of natural toothpastes or the real thing.

Deodorant

1 part baking soda
2 parts coconut oil
lavender essential oil

Melt coconut oil, add baking soda and essential oil. Mix well. Pour into an old dedodorant stick (not roll-on), let it hardens and use!

Sometimes, I will simply wet my armpit and put some baking soda underneath. It works great!

Shampoo and conditioner

Our shampoo is 1 tablespoon of baking soda in a cup of warm water (I usually use 1 1/2 tablespoon in 1 1/2 cup of water since I have long hair). Just keep a Mason jar and add the soda in it just before turning on the shower, then fill with water from the shower. No, it doesn't lather, but, yes, it does clean as well as shampoo (BUT, if you have hard water, this doesn't work as well). Our conditioner is 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar per cup of water (sometimes, I infuse it with rosemary when I have some kicking around). I fill a big bottle and leave it in the shower and use about a cup every time I shower (only on the ends, but if you have dandruffs, you can use it on your scalp too). Do not rinse. It works very well for children with tangled hairs! I swear, this combo works VERY WELL if your water isn't too hard. It's cheap, chemical-free and easy to use! You might want to give your hair a chance to adjust since it tastes a while for the scalp to adjust.

Hand cream

Makes approximately 16 oz of cream.

1 cup water (can use aloe vera juice or gel, or any combination of water based
herbal tea etc)

1/3 cup solid fat (coconut oil, shea or cocoa butter, even lard)

½ oz (by weight) beeswax

3/4 cup oil (can be olive, sunflower, grapeseed, jojoba, or any herbal infused
oil, like chamomile, rose petal etc. Can also be a combo of any oils, like 3/8
cup sunflower and 3/8 cup jojoba, use what you have)

1 t lanolin or emu oil (optional)

1t vitamin E oil (optional)

1 t essential oil of choice (lavender, chamomile, mint, etc or a combination)

Use small jars, like baby food jars, old clean cosmetic or cream jars, or
canning jars to hold a total of 16 oz of finished cream. Wash all jars
thoroughly in hot soapy water and dry.

Prepare clean jars, a spoon, small spatula, tongs and blender by boiling a pot
of water and placing jars, lids, blender top, and other utensils in it for 5
minutes. Pour boiling water into blender and allow to sit five minutes before
pouring it out. Remove items with tongs and place right side up on a clean dish
towel. Cream without preservatives can quickly become contaminated and mold so
start with things as clean as possible.

Place water and lanolin or emu oil and Vitamin E into blender. Over a double
boiler melt beeswax with the solid fat, then add other oils. Slowly drizzle into
blender on medium speed. When almost through adding the oils the blender will
begin to bind. Stop then and add the rest of the oil and the essential oil a bit
at a time, stirring with spoon or spatula and pulsing till mixed. Do not over
blend! Cream will turn milky white or yellow depending on the oils you used.
Spoon immediately into your clean jars and allow to cool to room temp before
capping. Cream will thicken as it cools. Don't forget to label the jars with the
date made. Use within six months and discard after that. Discard any you see
with mold or that develops an odor. I've never had any go bad on me but I always
toss it after six months anyway. This cream makes great holiday gifts.


Home-made scouring powder

1 cup baking soda
1 cup salt
1 cup Borax powder
1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
a drop or two of orange oil, or finely grated orange peel.

These last two ingredients are optional. They just make it smell wonderful, and supposedly orange oil has some disinfectant properties.Combine all; store in an air-tight container. Use as you would use commercial scouring powder.

I like to keep mine in a vintage shaker- the kind with large holes.

For really tough stains, try a paste of baking soda and hydrogen peroxide.

Home-made all purpose cleaner

1 tsp. Borax
1/2 tsp. Washing Soda
2 Tbsp. vinegar
1/2 tsp. liquid dish soap
2 cups really hot water

Mix everything but the water in a spray bottle. Gradually add the water, stirring or shaking gently until everything is thoroughly dissolved (that's why you need the water hot).
Add a few drops of your favorite essential oils if you like.


We also make our own remedies, but that's another entry in itself! I love the book Family herbal by Rosemary Gladstar. It contains tons of great recipes.

Honoring ourselves...

I used to write. When I was a teenager and a young adult, in the dark years of my life, when anxiety and depression got the best of me, I used to write beautiful poetry. I have many books filled with the words that were pouring out of me, as if I was too full to contain them. Words helped me heal. It might be why I decided to become a translator... But translating medical advertising and scientific studies is quite far from poetry writing... Today, I have a hard time finding the words to write a birthday card... My creation has moved to something more tangible, like knitting, sewing and felting...

Those were the thoughts that were going on in my mind while I was reading some of the wonderful blogs that I visit regularly. Then, I came across this beautiful post from Kate and it felt really good, really right. And I started looking through the photos from the last 5 years and I decided that it was about time that I took some time to honor myself for all I did during the last 5 years! No wonder the words are not coming, as Kate says, it's not that kind of life right now...

So here's a little story of the last 5 years of my life!

It all started with a WV van, of course! We left Toronto in May 2003 for Whitehorse, Yukon.



6 000 km later, we called it home right away.





And a month or so after our arrival in the land of the Klondike Gold Rush, I became pregnant! At 18 weeks, we found out that there were 2 buns in the oven! What a surprise!



That's 4 days before giving birth... at 39 weeks! Impressive, eh?



And after a very crazy birth, our two little salmons came to the world!



And at 26, 6 000 km away from our families, with a bunch of new friends without kids around us, we became parents!



And tried to stay a strong couple and to keep doing what we loved in the midst of it all...
Quite a challenge, I must say!






We kept on camping...



We lived in a tiny little house in downtown Whitehorse, on the same street as the French association, so there was always people coming and going. We had so much support from the community when the girls were born. My eyes still fill with water when I think about it. For a month after the birth, we had people coming at our house EVERY DAY to bring us a meal, people that we didn't even knew at times! It was just unbelievable!



And I kept gardening...



And I massage them...



And we carried them in slings all the time...



And they had tummy tub baths in the sun !



And we co-slept...



And we co-bathed...



And we hiked and walked a lot to soothe them and to stay sane... And to feel like we were enjoying the amazing landscapes of the Yukon...





God, we did a great job!!





And soon enough, they discovered complicity!
And it was beautiful to hear them laugh together!





And when they were 10 months old, I found out that I was pregnant again! Natural family planning sure makes for big families! I was terrified, but the support we had around us was so incredible that we felt we were in the best place to welcome Mathilde.



And Mathilde was born... and the girls were... well, I can't say that they were very excited, they were mostly indifferent and then, the adventure began... 2 weeks after Mathilde's arrival, Mara and Aïsha turned into very insecure, clingy and whiny little girls. It was HARD!



Mathilde was a happy and easy little girl, at least!



God I look tired... and I was!



There was a lot of that...



And of that too...



And then, they discovered the pleasure of being twins!







And yes, we used that device. Our friend calls it The Circle of Neglect!
For me, it was the Circle of Sanity!



And we kept traveling around, as hard as it was, we needed to get out a bit!



And they all got chickenpox. And Mathilde got complications and scared us all...



And I turned 30, and my amazing girlfriends invited me to a wonderful Inn for 2 days.
It was so great!



And last summer, we left the Yukon to begin a new adventure.




We sure miss the Yukon and our friends, but we are all ready for some new projects here in our new house with my Grandma and our family nearby.