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Nonna

Use of Herbs

medical herbs
Fresh mixed herbs- parsley, basil, coriander, mint, fennel, bay leaf

SAGE GARGLE: to soothe a sore throat grandma steeped three or four dried sage leaves in a cup of hot water for about ten minutes. While the tea is still warm, use as a gargle to treat canker sores add 1/2 teaspoon of lemon to the tea. 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a glass of warm water also makes an excellent throat gargle.

BASIL TEA:

Grandma brewed a soothing beneficial tea from her basil leaves. Like Hippocraties, she belied sage and chamomile were among the universal remedies. To relax a nervous stomach, Grandma added a teaspoon of dried basil leaves to a cup of boiling water and stepped for ten minutes to extract all the flavor. It worked like magic on my childhood bellyaches.

GRANDMA’S WART REMEDY: Wart is probably the ugliest word in the English language and even uglier when you’re a teenager with several on hour hand. Whenever I was plagued by a wart, I just naturally ran to Grandma and her garden for the cure: when the moon was full, Grandma picked her fattest dandelion weed from her herbal garden and put the milk from the cut end of the weed on to my wars. She did this three times a night. The next day, as if by magic, the warts began to mysteriously disappear.

GRANDMA’S COUGH REMEDY: To treat a persistent night time cough, Grandma set two cups of water on to boil to which she added two lemons, sliced, a half teaspoon of dried ginger or mint, and two tablespoons each of honey and sugar. Bring mixture to a boil, When the ingredients have melded into a thick syrup add an ounce of your favorite brandy or liqueur. A couple of spoonfuls of this warm syrup does the trick.

SINUS WASH: A solution of salt water (1/4 teaspoon to a cup of water) sniffed from the palm of the hand unclogged a stuffy nose.

GRANDMA’S BREATH FRESHENER: Grandma loved to use parsley in her cooking and as a garnish on her dishes. But as a breath freshener it was her favorite: bring two cups of water to a boil, add three sprigs of parsley , 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Strain and use as a mouth wash.

GRANDMA’S TEA REMEDY: basil & chamomile tea: Grandma brewed a soothing beneficial tea from her basil leaves and Chamomile blossoms. Like Hypocrites, she believed sage and chamomile were among the universal remedies. To relax a nervous stomach, Grandma added two teaspoon of dried basil leaves and two teaspoons of dried chamomile into a tea pot of boiling water. Hint: place the herbal mixture in a coffee filter and secure top with rubber band and allow the bundle to steep in the teapot for 4 to 5 minutes, or place the little bundle of herbs in the teapots infuser and let steep.) To extract all the flavor and goodness takes a good 5 minutes or more. It worked like magic on my childhood bellyaches.

GRANDMA’S Cure For The Common Cold: Grandma’s chicken soup enticed our appetites and cured our colds for generations. Was there a magic healing power in her recipe? Who knows? One thing I do know there are no cold remedies on the market today that compare to a loving touch and a pot of homemade soup seasoned with love in every bowl. Nonna’s Chicken Soup

GRANDMA’S OLD-FASHIONED ROOM DEODORIZERS: Grandma never used an aerosol spray can, she hated them. And yet, her home smelled as fresh and as if it had been sprayed with a fragrant room deodorizer. To rid her kitchen of an unpleasant odor Grandma placed a small pot of water on the stove to boil; she tossed in a few sprigs of rosemary, some cloves and lemon rinds. The spicy steam filled every room of her house with the welcoming aroma of warm spices and citrus. Bouquets of orange blossoms, lemon leaves , roses, and fragrant lavender bought grandma’s garden into the house.

OLD FASHION FURNITURE POLISH: Grandma never bought furniture polish. Instead she used a variety of oils, lemon, vegetable, or olive oil, mixed with water and a small capful of liquid soap. Shaken and rubbed into the wood, it gives luster to all wooden furniture.

FRESH CUT FLOWERS: To keep fresh cut flowers lasting longer in a vase , Grandma added a capful of bleach and a teaspoon of sugar to a gallon of warm water. Water should be warm, to avoid shocking the blossoms , if flowers were picked in the hot in afternoon sun. The bleach stopped the growth of bacteria and sugar feeds nutrients to the plant. It’s best to pick flowers early in the morning and cut on an angle using a sharp cutter.

BUG KILLER: Grandma was opposed to using insecticides. She kept bugs out of her kitchen by using crushed mint leaves or sprinkling borax or pepper flacks under her kitchen sink and near entrances. Another old trick was olive oil poured where the ants entered the house. Another old trick was lemon juice, Ants hate lemon juice and grandma would pick a fresh lemon and squeeze it where they came in the house. To remove sails from her garden she filled a bucket with beer. In the morning it was filled with dead creepy crawlers.

Cookie Curci

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