Just Another Day In Paradise

How to make plantain healing salve

What you'll need:

1 cup plantain leaves (click on the link to read all about the benefits and uses of plantain leaves)

1 cup olive oil

2 teaspoons beeswax pastilles

4 oz. mason jars

How to make the salve:

Soak the leaves in a solution of 4 parts water and 1 part vinegar for 10 minutes to remove any dirt or impurities.

Pat the plantain leaves dry and cut them into strips.

Place the plantain leaves in oil in a saucepan and warm over the lowest possible heat for 30 minutes. 

Let the oil cool and strain the leaves. Discard the leaves and put the oil back into the sauce pan. 

Add the besswax pastilles and let them dissolve. 

Pour the salve into the mason jars and cool in the refrigerator. 

Salve will keep for up to a year.

Immune building herbal smoothies

This recipe is from one of my favorite blogs, Frugally Sustainable. 

I purchased Alfalfa leaf, rose hips, hibiscus flowers and elderberries from Mountain Rose Herbs.

Directions:

Mix 2 Tbs each of elderberries, hibiscus flowers, alfalfa leaf and rose hips and steep in boiling water for at least 15 minutes to make the herbal tea.

Add 1 cup of frozen or fresh berries, 1 handful of fresh spinach, honey or sugar to taste to the 2 cups  of prepared herbal tea, strained of course.

Mix in a blender for a healthy breakfast smoothie or freeze in popsicle makers for those hot summer days. Enjoy! :-)