Hello there! Welcome back to my little corner of the world.
Where skies have been grey recently, and rain has poured off and on the past two weeks, but it's hard to complain on days like this one, where the sun is finally peeking through the clouds to compliment the breeze and chase away the humidity. This morning as I went for a small walk in my neighborhood, I noticed all the trees and plants starting to bloom and show off there spring colors. Shades of yellows, pinks and bright greens, which brighten the day even more, like paints on a canvas. This time of year has always been my favorite for two reasons, one being that I was born in the spring and the other is the life which the ground brings forth through the beautiful flowers and vegetation. As I walk my regular trail, recently, i've been scouting for flowers and herbs to forage. The most common being, chamomile, rose hips, and red clover, which are all great for the nervous system, purifying the blood, and especially great for women's health. Red clover is in abundance this time of year and luckily for me I have some right down the road from where I live. Chances are you have red clover in your back yard or even sidewalk as well. Take a closer look! Best way to spot it, are by the deep pink plump and sometimes purple round flower-heads that sprout from clovers. You may even have it's cousin, that produces the white flowers.
I gathered a bunch and brought it back to my kitchen, where I begin the drying process to create a tea. Red Clover is high in calcium, magnesium, iron, and vitamin c, making it a great bone building drink. Not to mention the flowers have a nice sweet taste to them! You can also create tinctures out of these little flowers, which is quite easy, and just involves 3-4 cups of red clover and 2 cups of vodka. Let it age for a month in a jar and then strain all the liquid out and store away in your medicine cabinet. Now if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, I would not suggest intaking this often or at all, because of the natural phytoestrogens found in the plant. Also there are some blood thinning properties to red clover, which isn't necessarily bad unless you are a hemophiliac or already on blood thinners.
To recreate the tea I made for myself this morning, first go out to your lawn, garden or park in the early day when there is a light dew. See where you can find the common weeds and then pick them by holding gently and snapping them off with your thumbnail. Get as many as you want, because your helping the plant grow by harvesting it. If you have a dehydrator you can dry the flowers out like this, or place them out in the sun, or even put them in the oven for 15-25mins on warm. Make sure there's no moisture left, before storing in a cool dark place. When your ready for your tea pour 8 ounces of boiling water over 1 tablespoon of dried red clover. Let steep for ten minutes. Strain and enjoy!
Keep in mind I am not a certified physician, just a woman who loves her herbs:) I hope you enjoyed and benefited from todays post, and as always stay connected and share with us your knowledge of wholesome living.
Cheers!
