Posts in category: Recipes + Remedies

Deodorant is a daily personal care item, which is why knowing what materials it’s made from and the impact it can have on our health is so essential.

This time, we’ll make a deodorant that not only includes natural materials but also adapts to our needs. Because sweating is necessary and natural, but we can smell like roses or cypress if we want.

Each ingredient in the recipe has a specific purpose, allowing our body to sweat and eliminate toxins, while also preventing unpleasant odors, irritation, clogged pores, and even the risk of some diseases related to not being able to eliminate toxins from the body through sweating.

White, pink, or green clay:
Purifying agent that kills bacteria, eliminates odors, and absorbs sweat.

Baking soda:
Agent that neutralizes odors, absorbs moisture, whitens the skin, eliminates fungi, and creates an alkaline environment that inhibits bacteria.

Magnesium powder:
An agent that controls the growth of bacteria that cause body odor and absorbs sweat and sebum, leaving skin dry and smooth.

Fractionated coconut oil, calendula oil, or jojoba oil (depending on your skin type). You can also use pre-melted coconut oil or shea butter:
These natural oils and butters have antibacterial, antiseptic, antimicrobial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties.

Melaleuca (tea tree) essential oil:
A quintessential antibacterial agent that eliminates the unpleasant odor of sweat caused by bacteria.

Lavender, Rose, Peppermint, or Cypress oil:
Essential oils that add a personal touch to our deodorant, resulting in a feeling of freshness or delight.

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Nopales or nopalitos are the pads of the nopal or prickly pear cactus, well known for its high antioxidant, vitamin, mineral, and fiber content. Nopales contain quercitin, a highly anti-inflammatory flavonoid specific for the treatment of allergies. And they are traditionally used throughout Mexico to lower blood sugar in type II diabetics. This paleo-friendly recipe is also a good way to cut the carbohydrates out of your sandwich.

Angeles learned to de-spine the nopal pads when she was seven. Her abuelita showed her that it’s all in the secret of holding the knife. She holds the nopal pad at its base with a fork over a sink lined with newspaper, and moves the knife down across the face of the cactus at a 30-degree angle. When all the spines are removed, she peels the sides of the pad.

• 2 nopales
• olive oil, enough to lightly coat the pads
• dash of salt pepper
• sandwich fillings of choice: we like grilled queso fresco, organic salsa, and grass-fed steak

After removing spines, lightly coat nopales with olive oil and grill or sauté over medium heat until just brown (about 2 min on each side).

Add a dash of salt and pepper and use as the sides in your sandwich of choice. If you leave the grill/pan hot you can grill some queso fresco and/or grass-fed steak. Drizzle with Norma’s tomatillo salsa!

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Ingredients

¼ cup elecampane root

¼ cup echinacea root

¼ cup wild cherry bark

¼ cup grindelia

2 tsp orange peel

1 tsp licorice root

2 sprigs of fresh Rosemary

2 tbs of fresh thyme

½ cup marshmallow root

½ cup mullein leaf

4 cups cold water

2 cups honey

1 cup vodka, brandy or cane alcohol (optional to increase shelf life)

Instructions

1. Combine elecampane, echinacea, wild cherry bark, grindelia, orange peel and licorice with cold water in an uncovered pot and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat and allow herbs to simmer 30 to 40 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and add in marshmallow and mullein as well as fresh rosemary and thyme herbs.
4. Let steep 1 hour.
5. Strain herbs using a cheese cloth or fine wire mesh strainer pressing out all liquid (careful, liquid will likely still be hot!). Discard used herbs in compost.
6. Once liquid has cooled to just above room temperature, add honey and stir to incorporate.
7. If using vodka, brandy or cane alcohol, add here and stir until well combined.
8. Bottle in sterilized glass and refrigerate.

For acute support take 1 T up to 3x daily.

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Ingredients

• 1 organic chicken
• 3 carrots
• 1 chayote
• 2 sticks of celery
• 2 medium potatoes
• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 medium onion
• 2 zucchinis
• Salt and pepper to taste

Optional Medicinal Herbs to support the immune system

• • Epazote (supports immunity by supporting healthy intestinal flora)

• Cilantro (Antimicrobial)
• Turmeric (Anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial)
• Ginger (Antiviral, analgesic, expectorant)
• Oregano (Antiviral, antimicrobial, expectorant)
• Thyme (Antispasmodic, antimicrobial)
• Peppermint (Antiviral, antimicrobial, analgesic)

Instructions

In a large pot, place 2-3 liters of water to boil, place the chicken and add garlic and onion. When the meat is soft add the washed vegetables, peeled and cut to taste. At the end add salt and pepper to taste and the herbs of your choice to taste.

(If you use turmeric and ginger add them with the vegetables).

Customize your soup with medicinal herbs according to your taste!

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Did you know that fevers function to fight off infection? The part of the brain called the hypothalamus turns up your body temperature so that virus and bacteria cannot survive. The herbs in this tea support a fever in doing its hard work.  They are also antiviral, antispasmodic and calm nervous tension.

Ingredients:

• Yarrow
• Elderflower
• Lemon balm
• Peppermint

Instructions:

Mix equal parts of each herb in a bowl and store in air tight jar for future use.  When ready to enjoy, bring water to a boil.  Spoon 1 tbs per 8 oz water herbs into a tea pot, french press or tea bag.  Pour water over herbs and let steep at least 20 minutes before serving.  Get well soon!

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For stress relief in the face of systemic racism

• 1-part passionflower
• 2-parts Hibiscus flower
• 1-part lemon balm
• 1 part rose petals
• ½-part rose hips
• Local raw honey

We serve this herbal agua fresca at our Farmworker Clinic to relieve nervous tension.  Nine out of ten of the Latine and Indigenous community members who join us at the clinic report extremely high levels of stress.  These essential workers face economic insecurity, systematic racism, and traumas of displacement and deportation in a hostil political climate.  Passionflower, rose and lemon balm calm the nervous system, lift the spirits and help people relax into their acupuncture and massage treatments.

Instructions:

Cover herbs with just boiled water.  Let steep for 20 minutes.  Strain and add honey to taste.  Cool and serve over ice.

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Padrón chile peppers, originally from Central and South America, are a celebrated dish in Spain where an annual festival Festa do Pemento de Padron is held in their honor every August. Be Here Farm grows their padrón peppers in the Sonoma Mountains at their certified biodynamic farm. Thank you for the bountiful donation we helped distribute this morning to Latine families facing food insecurity. Denisse of La Plaza: Nuestra Cultura Cura likes to eat them roasted alongside black beans. Yum!

Ingredients

• A couple handfuls of padrón pepper
• Salt
• Olive Oil, organic cold pressed EVO

Instructions

Toss the peppers in salt and olive oil and pan fry over med/low heat for about 10 minutes or until the skin blisters. Enjoy warm! We also love roasting these over open fire! Wait for the surprise…about 1 out of 10 of these peppers is spicy hot.

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