Here in New England we’re expecting the blizzard of all blizzards. Personally I love snow. Its beautiful, quiet, and peaceful. However, I don’t think that anyone should have to go out to work in it. So, if its gonna snow, it better be a lot so that no one has to get up an extra 1-2 hours early just to shovel out and go to a job that they hate anyways. Snow days should be a day that you can stay inside and sit by the fire, have a cup of tea, read a good book, put bourbon in your coffee and only go outside to frolic and build a snowman. While the prediction of tons of snow may bring me joy; It doesn’t omit the fact that its been a long, cold, lonely winter. It gets dark at 4 o’clock in the afternoon and we’ve still got at least a month, maybe more to go. The doldrums effect everyone. People are grumpy, rude, and don’t even get me started on the road rage. Seasonal affective disorder is very real, and very serious if you’re not aware of it. The symptoms kind of remind me of what a bear would be like if you woke him up from hibernation. Walking around all grumpy and slow, eating a lot, feeling hopeless, and wanting to go to sleep. While St. John’s Wort does wonders for seasonal depression, and a tincture should definitely be taken during the winter months, I love Oat Straw to fight the winter doldrums. I know its something horses eat, but haven’t you noticed how grounded and centered they are?! Its the oats, their brains are on the OATS!! The parts used are the milky tops and long “straw”. The tops are harvested with the seeds are ripened and most potent. In latin Avena Sativa simply means cultivated oats, however the benefits of oats are not all that simple. Why we love OATS:
Ingredients: tea pot oat straw and/or milky tops, 2-4 lavender tulsi tea bags, water Fill tea pot with water and bring to a boil. Place 4 heaping table spoons of oat straw into a reusable tea pot tea bag. You could just throw the oats in the pot without the reusable tea bag (which I would usually do for myself) but as I am making this for the household I figured it’d be safer to make sure the tea is debris free. I like to let my tea steep for a really long time to make an infusion, a stronger flavored and higher nutrient tea. After a couple hours the tea bags can be strained and then reheated to serve. Sip this tea while you’re enjoying a detox oaty foot bath. For the foot soak you will need: a turkey pan, or any container large and deep enough to fit your feet in, tea pot with boiled water hot hot water epsom salts apple cider vinegar measuring cup rolled oats reusable tea bag and a towel.
Now that's how you spend a snow storm New England!
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AuthorI am an herbalist, massage therapist, childless, wife just trying to live a healthy, fun, magical life in this crazy beautiful world. Categories
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February 2020
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