Comments for The Home Herbalist

Comment on Making Bread the Easy Way by Belle

Belle — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:58:13 +0000

Very funny Mrs Jennie!I used to make bread by hand when we lived in the bush back in the late ’70s then a bush fire came and burnt us out along with the flour tins and bread tins(they warped strangely enough)- that was the one good thing – no more bread making. It was such hard work – did it every day. I also hear that breadmakers are ‘green’ i.e. they use less power per loaf than bakers’ ovens so there ye go!

Here is the recipe my lovely:

750 gram Wholemeal loaf – I’m sure you know you put the ingredients in the pan in the order they’re listed

Water 320ml, Butter or Margarine 1 1/2 tablespoons, Salt 1 1/2 teaspoons, Brown Sugar 1 1/2 tablespoons, Skim Milk Powder 2 tablespoons, Bread Improver 1 teaspoon, Wholemeal Plain Flour 3 1/3 cups, Yeast 1 1/2 teaspoons.

Anyway, how can you lose a book? xoxoxo

Comment on Making Bread the Easy Way by Jennie Settle

Jennie Settle — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 09:32:59 +0000

Very good, welcome to 2012, I have a bread maker but have lost the book so therefore lost the recipe. Could you be a dear and let me have the recipe for your lovely bread pretty please?!!!!! xx

Comment on Lavender Scones by Belle

Belle — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 04:59:49 +0000

Hi Emma, Well done! That was so clever of you to add the vanilla and icing sugar to the recipe. By your comment that would have made them perfect – I’ll try that next time I make them. Thanks for sharing xoxo

Comment on Lavender Scones by Emma

Emma — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 03:22:43 +0000

Made them today! Added a little vanilla and icing sugar to the mixture because I was concerned that they might be too bitter.. they were absolutely divine. Thanks so much for the recipe! xox

Comment on Herbal Remedies in the Pantry by Belle

Belle — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 07:23:56 +0000

Hi Viviane,

Use 500ml or 1 pint to steep the caraway seeds. Up to 15ml is given to infants so it would be wise to start with 5ml (one teaspoon)and only increase the dose if the colic hasn’t eased.

Regards, Belle

Comment on Herbal Remedies to Help Increase Breast Milk by Belle

Belle — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 07:16:27 +0000

Hi Viviane,

Whenever a mother is breast feeding she must always consider what medicine she takes as her baby will also receive some through the milk. The dose for an infusion of dried raspberry leaf is 4 to 8 grams in 250ml boiling water three times a day. It is best to take half while breast feeding i.e. 4 grams three times a day.

As for the tablets it depends on the amount of herb in each tablet so the individual manufacturers will have the dose on the label of their product.

Regards, Belle

Comment on Herbal Remedies in the Pantry by viviane miner

viviane miner — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 01:40:22 +0000

Hi again

You say that a once common indigestion remedy … was a cordial made by infusing 28 grams of (Caraway) seeds in cold water for 6 hours. And, after it was strained, up to 15 ml was given every hour to infants suffering from colic.

what I would like to know is the quantity of water used to steep the Caraway seeds

thanks much

Comment on Herbal Remedies to Help Increase Breast Milk by viviane miner

viviane miner — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 01:10:30 +0000

Hi…
My daughter too is having great difficulty nursing her three month old daughter..She is so frustrated she is ready to give up…
although you give the proportions for the fenugreek and stinging nettle herbs there is non for the raspberry leaves…could you please provide me with the formula for the tea and how often to take it as well as how many tablets per day is best when the leaves are not available
thanks
viviane…a concerned mother in the USA

Comment on Sida retusa, Paddy’s Lucerne (Sida rhombifolia) by Belle

Belle — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 21:58:07 +0000

Thanks for such interesting information Jan, I didn’t realize paper and rope could be made from it – might try that one day

Comment on Sida retusa, Paddy’s Lucerne (Sida rhombifolia) by Jan

Jan — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 10:15:14 +0000

The plant is very fibrous and can form big fibrous balls in the gut of grazing animals (in fact you can make a good fibre from the stems – just rot the stems in water for a while and scrape the rotted bits off the fibre. It makes nice paper and rope). However in big droughts this tough weed is more likely to survive and has saved the lives of animals – graziers used to call it Paddy’s Lucerne.