We love summer, but summer means bugs. Now, most of them I can deal with, but then there are the biting varieties. Gnats, mosquitoes, no-see-ums, and their ilk.
While prevention is the best option, sometimes we forget to apply our homemade bug spray, or we’re just out and about without it. I’m kind of a mosquito ninja, so I can usually fight them off pretty well, but occasionally one sneaks through my defenses.
Wild violets are among the first splashes of color that appear in spring to break up the drabness of winter. As the name would suggest, they’re most often a deep purple-blue (although some varieties are white or yellow) and are borne amidst heart-shaped leaves.
To many, they’re weeds, but as you know, my definition of weed is vastly different from most others’. That, combined with the fact that we’ve been stuck at home for the past two months and looking for sources of entertainment, inspired a foraging trip (across the driveway). The result of that trip was violet jelly, the prettiest jelly I’ve ever made.
Onions are one of the primary ingredients in the classic mirepoix, but even without the other ingredients, there aren’t many things that get my stomach rumbling like the smell of onions sauteing in butter. Add some garlic and it’s a pretty perfect combination.
Of course, not everyone shares my taste, but if you can put up with the tears and stinky breath (and your spouse can as well), and you have a garden plot, then you should absolutely grow some yourself. Because, as with everything else, nothing quite beats homegrown, so if you’re interested in how to grow onions, read on!
While it’s not always on top ten lists of common healing herbs, comfrey deserves a spot up there with the rest of them. Although it may not be as popular today, comfrey has been used for millenia, and rightfully so. This is a versatile plant that is often grown not just for its healing properties, but for its ability to help your other plants grow.
We’ve been using homemade deodorant for several years now and still love it. The combination of baking soda, arrowroot, and coconut oil offers the best stink protection I’ve come across, and it provides the protection without the use of any potentially problematic fragrances or other chemicals.
The only downside to this deodorant is that you keep it in a jar, and because coconut oil melts at around 76 F, during the summer it can get a little goopy. Soft is good because it’s easier to put on, but goopy just gets a bit messy.
Fortunately, adding a bit of beeswax (which has a much higher melting point) completely solves this problem. We get to keep the original formula that works so well and add convenience. If you’ve been hesitant to try because of the jar, give this easy homemade deodorant stick a try!
