Unraveling the mystery of Cistus Tea
This post is the 2nd in a two part series about Cistus Incanus tea. If you haven’t read that, I recommend starting there. The first post was focused on the benefits of Cistus tea and why it is so amazing. This post is going to be more focused on how to make it. When I first looked into how to make Cistus tea, I expected the usual tea brewing methods but I found several different vague references to a “labor intensive” three brew method. These posts all had some kind of easier alternative brewing method but none of them actually described what the three brew method, why was traditionally done that way, and why their method was acceptable. I had to dig a little bit more to figure it out. Here is what I discovered!
Can Herbal Tea Repel Ticks AND Treat Lyme? Part 1
As I meet people here in Southern Missouri, they often ask me how we like it out here. The truth is, I like it very much! Of course, there are things I miss about Utah, and I look forward to going back to visit, but so far, I love it here in the Ozarks! There is so much life here!
However, there is one thing that I hate about this place! I hate the ticks! I hate that they carry serious disease. I hate that they have painful bites that irritate you for so long. I hate that they crawl up you’re clothes and latch on in the most awkward places! I hate that they are parasites and suck your blood! I hate that they are difficult to kill! I hate how they discourage us from enjoying the outdoors! I could go on…
I’m Lichen This Beard!
They are fluffy, bushy, a little bit bristly, fun to play with, a little bit wild, and… very beneficial for your health! While my beard is most those things, that isn’t what I’m talking about. I’m talking about a fun lichen that grows in the forest that is called Usnea, or commonly called “Old Man’s Beard”. This is another one of those things similar to Turkey Tail that I’ve heard about but haven’t had the chance to harvest until recently. I was super excited to find it after moving to Missouri. Then, it didn’t take long to realize it’s literally everywhere in the forest! Usnea is a very potent herb that can do a lot of things but it does need to be used sparingly. Too much of it can cause liver damage. I am new to this herb and haven’t used it much at all, so I was going to wait and write about it when I have more experience with it but I thought it would be interesting to write about it now and then do a follow up later when I’ve had a chance to use it a little bit more. I have a few particular uses that I’m excited to use Usnea for, but before I get into that, I want to just introduce you to this herbal lichen.
Turning Mushrooms into Medicine!
Today I want to show you how we made medicine out of something that grows wild all over the forest. We love to forage! The idea of food growing wild that can be harvested and used right away is really interesting and exciting for our family. It seems like the more I learn about foraging, the more I think we as society are really missing the mark. Often, the most beneficial plants are very prolific, wide spread, and grow even in poor conditions. Because of that, most people call them weeds and try their best to kill them! Maybe they were designed to be resilient so that they would always be there to help us?
Since we’ve moved to Missouri, we have access to more than a few plants that we’ve heard of but never been able to use. One of those things is Turkey Tail mushrooms.
Did God Mess up Your Feet?
In a spur of the moment decision as we were getting out of the car and onto the trail, I ditched my boots and only took my sandals. Many of the older leaders scolded me for setting a bad example but I just had different tastes and different experience.