The Wild & Weedy Apothecary

12/23/2025

12/23/2025

The Global Earth Repair Convergence!
May 7-11 2026 at The historic Fort Worden State Park & Conference Center Port Townsend, Washington on the Olympic Peninsula.
Registration opens soon.

A groundbreaking gathering of global change-makers dedicated to restoring ecosystems, regenerating our planet, and fostering community. Join over 500 participants in-person and thousands more online for five transformative days of learning, collaboration, and celebration.

More info: https://www.globalearthrepairconvergence.com/

Key Highlights:
60+ In-Person Speakers, Workshops & Panels

100+ On-Line Speakers, Workshops & Panels

Art, Music & Ceremony

Hands-On Activities & Demonstrations

Indigenous Leadership & Traditional Knowledge

The Global Earth Repair Convergence brings together some of the world’s most renowned experts on global repair -- by that we mean the people who understand the existing soil - plants - trees - water interactions and how this naturally existing regeneration process literally heals the planet from the climate damage that exists.

Have you seen what happens when the world experts on a topic are in a room on a panel in front of an engaged audience?

When you hear the current science, learn indigenous practices, explore what is theoretically possible and what has been tried in the past, moments of brilliance emerge from the conversations that take place. This is what the Global Earth Repair Convergence did in 2019 and 2022. This is what we intend to do again, May 7-11, 2026.

This is already a global movement with millions of people involved in efforts with their local climates. Not everything will be done in our lifetime, but the Global Earth Repair Convergence exists to advance the science, advance the sharing of best practices, and create the energy to keep spreading these practices.

Each person can be part of the solution. The science of how the earth heals itself is well-established. The healing practices are already underway. The Global Earth Repair Convergence coalesces these grassroots efforts, empowering the participants to learn more and implement solutions in their own soil, their own air, their own local plants and trees.

12/11/2025

Take a free 24-hour peek at the recipe for Frau Holda's Rosehip Shortbread on Gather Victoria Patreon!
https://www.patreon.com/posts/winter-magic-of-145160846?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_link

12/10/2025

One of each of these seasoning blends are now available at the CF Pantry, along with Elderberry Elixir, Cinnamon Hot Cocoa Mix with Mushroom, and assorted lip balms... and of course, my book :)

You can also contact me direct for any of these products, as well as herbal tinctures that aren't up on the website... they are still available for local sales as well as mail-order.

12/07/2025

Might not fit into a Christmas stocking, but you can try 😁

12/07/2025

12/02/2025

Bupleurum – a short essay

Bupleurum root has a long history of use in many parts of Asia, including China, where it is known as Chai-Hu; Japan (called Saiko); and Korea.
There are 74 compounds that have been isolated from Bupleurum, of which the saikosaponins show much promise as a medicinal.
This active principal offers anti-tumor and anti-proliferative properties, such as promoting the induction of apoptosis, which in cancer treatment is the elimination of cells which may potenenially contain mutations.

Bupleurum is an annual of the Parsley family and is native to eastern Asia.
It is considered to be a remedy of great importance.
According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is the King of the regulatory herbs; this means that it is not an everyday tonic, but used for specific conditions. Bupleurum is used to help circulate qi or vital force, clear heat from the liver, and promote yang (active, expansive, masculine principal energy).

Like many herbs in the TCM repertory, Chai-Hu is seldom used alone; it is almost always combined with other herbs, particularly Chinese or Baikal Skullcap (Scutellaria baicalensis).
This synergistic combination is greater than the sum of its parts and has been shown to pe*****te the liver itself more effectively with less disturbance of surrounding tissue.
This combination is taken to reduce toxic accumulation of heavy metals in the liver including vanadium, manganese, iron and arsenic, while allowing for an increase of selenium which inhibits adipocyte hypertrophy (dysfunctional adipose tissue and obesity) and abdominal fat accumulation; selenium also provides anti-oxidant activity.

In addition, the use of Bupleurum-Skullcap supports the concept of The Three Treasures, which are thus: Jing or primal life essence; Qi, the vital force activity of a human being; and Shen, mental power and spiritual awareness.

Another TCM remedy that combines Bupleurum with Panax Ginseng and Licorice root is used to enhance adrenal function.

Traditionally used for the treatment of colds, fever, digestive issues, and chronic liver disorder, Bupleurum is considered to be both anti-bacterial and anti-viral.
It has been used to treat the symptoms associated with the common cold; influenza (including influenza A [H1N1]pdm09 virus, or Swine Flu); bronchitis and pneumonia.
It inhibits gram-positive and, to a lesser but still observable degree, gram-negative bacteria. It is known to be active against the Trypanosoma brucei parasite, which causes sleeping sickness in humans, a vector-borne disease spread by the tsetse fly of sub-Saharan Africa.

As an anti-inflammatory, it is of possible benefit for allergic asthma response.
The root of Saiko can increase lymphatic activity by offering cytokine support (protein-based messenger cells), which in turn targets inflammatory conditions.
The anti-inflammatory properties of Bupleurum have been observed both in vitro and in vivo, inducing inflammatory exudation, capillary permeability, and connective tissue hyperplasia, while tempering allergic inflammation.

Bupleurum root is used to treat inflammatory conditions including chronic liver disease such as hepatitis and cirrhosis, and may even improve liver pathology.
However, depending on dosage and duration, Bupleurum may also cause liver damage if it is not monitored.
There are also some specific pharmaceutical-bupleurum interactions that must be considered, therefore anyone on prescribed enzyme therapy should consult with their physician/herbalist before using bupleurum. Neither should it be used during pregnancy or nursing.

© DDoreen Shababy

https://doreenshababy.com/bupleurum-a-short-essay/

11/26/2025

SPICE RACK REMEDIES

The herbs and spices we use for seasoning food have been used for their healing properties for millennia.
We don’t often realize that some of the food-spice combinations we consider classic are actually remedies or preventatives themselves.

Broadly speaking, the aromatic spices and seeds are used as digestive aids, while the herbs are used for their antiseptic properties.
I have compiled examples of common seasonings and how they have been used to treat common conditions.

You might consider these remedies yourself when the need arises.
If you will be using this spice or herb to make a beverage tea, the general rule of thumb is to use 1 teaspoon botanical to a 10-12 ounce mug of tea, sweeten if desired.
If making tea for children, dilute with water by half, and do not give honey to infants under 1 year old.

Please note that none of these remedies are to be taken as medical advice.
Take responsibility for your well-being by seeking professional healthcare when you are ill, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. While ancient healers as well as modern practitioners used these home remedies with success, no one can foresee individual reactions or sensitivities.
Just use common sense, and remember that sometimes less is enough.

Anise seed – crush and warm in milk (any kind) and take with a bit of honey for a sleepy-time toddy. Anise seed, sometimes spelled aniseed, makes a good tea for a colicky baby. Anise seed aids digestion, and you will often see it served with rich foods.

Basil – this fragrant herb can be made into a tea to relieve nausea and headache. A nursing mother can drink basil tea to relieve her baby’s gas. Mildly antiseptic.

Bay Leaf – use in salves as an antiseptic and body washes for cleansing. A general tonic, especially for the digestive system. Use in food rather than as tea.

Caraway seed – soothes the digestive tract (thus the pastrami on seeded rye), and like other seeds, helps eliminate gas. For babies, soak the seeds several hours or overnight, then strain; you might want to keep this on hand if your baby is colicky, since it takes so long to make (mama can sip it as well).

Cayenne – is a general tonic and stimulant, and helps the body fight off a cold. You can put a dried cayenne pepper in soup or broth to help heal sore throat. Fruit seasoned with cayenne will help you cool off from a fever because it induces perspiration.

Dill seed and leaf – is use to promote milk in nursing mothers. Dill is good for all digestive upsets, especially for babies, and it is said to be good for insomnia – use the fresh leafy fronds in a sleep pillow. (I don’t think eating dill pickles counts as a sleep remedy!)

Fennel seed – is made into a tea and used as a gargle to relieve cough, and is expectorant (helps bring up mucus). The tea is also good for a tummy ache. You will notice that sweet Italian sausage contains fennel; besides tasting delicious, it aids in the digestion of this fatty food.

Ginger root – 3-4 thin slices in a pint (2 cups) water, and simmered for about 10 minutes – is good tea for alleviating cold symptoms; its warming properties will produce sweating. Helps to relieve menstrual cramps as a tea, and can also be used as a compress over the abdomen or lower back. Taken preventatively, ginger root capsules (or crystallized ginger) are very good medicine for motion sickness. The tea has also been used for hangovers.

Marjoram – in a mild tea is taken for its calming effects; you can also simply crush the dried herb and breathe in the aroma for an easy aroma-therapeutic remedy

Nutmeg – improves digestion in a pinch, not to mention it tastes great in fresh eggnog and mushroom gravy.

Oregano – tea is made out of the flowers and used for nausea. It is sometimes used in sleep pillows. A soft cloth dipped into a warm strong brew, then wrapped around the neck, is said to help remedy a sore throat.

Parsley – is very high in vitamins A and C. The leaf tea is very helpful for easing bladder irritation.

Rosemary – this tea makes a great mouthwash as well as an antiseptic wash for wounds. A strong tea is used as a scalp rinse and an invigorating bath as well.

Sage – leaf tea is said to decrease breast milk for mother ready to wean baby; the tea is taken cool 1 tablespoon at a time throughout the day. Honey-sweetened sage tea is used for a sore throat. Sage is another good hair rinse, especially for dark or gray hair.

Thyme is very beneficial in steam facials. A simple thyme tea is used for bronchial ailments.

Making a simple tea is the easiest remedy. Slowing down and fixing tea for yourself or a loved one is a generous and healing act, and the first step on your journey to wellness. And it’s right there on your kitchen shelf.

Drink your tea

11/07/2025

HERBAL HOME REMEDIES FOR FALL & WINTER

Here’s a terrific sampler of simple home remedies you can use throughout fall and winter, or anytime of year, when you’re feeling less than your usual excellent self.
The instructions are given in each recipe, and most of these can also be found in my book,The Wild & Weedy Apothecary.

Do you recognize any recipes from your childhood?
Do you have any recipes to contribute?

Garlic Tea -- You will use a whole head of garlic for this recipe.

To peel the garlic, lay each separated clove on a cutting board, then smack each one soundly by laying the side of a chef’s knife on the clove and then hitting the side of the knife with your closed fist – watch out for the blade – then remove the peel.
If you don’t have a chef’s knife, just use the heel of your hand and press down real hard until it “pops”.
Next, toss the crushed cloves into a small saucepan with 1 quart of water, and simmer until soft, about 20 minutes.
Mash up the garlic in the broth with a fork, then strain.
A pinch of sea salt for flavor doesn’t hurt.
Take half a cup every couple hours.
This can be repeated the next day if you still have symptoms.

Garlic Syrup -- First make Garlic Tea as instructed above, but let it steep overnight, unstrained.

The next day, strain the tea, reheat until just warm and add 4 tablespoons honey and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; do not let the brew come to a boil.
Take one or two tablespoons for adults, a teaspoon for children (but not babies), every hour or so, for 2 days.
After that, refrigerate the syrup (for up to a week) or use it to baste chicken.

Apple Water -- In THE HERB BOOK, John Lust says that the dried peels of apples were used as a tea for “rheumatic illness”.
Mrs. M. Grieve, in A MODERN HERBAL, says that a mild apple beverage is drunk cool for feverish conditions.

Take 3 to 4 whole unpeeled apples, slice thin, place in a saucepan with 1 quart water, and bring to a boil; reduce heat, then simmer until soft, about 20 minutes.
Strain, stir in 2 tablespoons honey, then cool to serve.
Drink throughout the day as needed.

Barley Water -- This recipe is not to be confused with Barley Pops, or Brew Doggies, or any other fond reference to beer.
This is a remedy to be used when the patient may not be able to hold down food, or if the flu is accompanied by vomiting or diarrhea.
It is very soothing to the alimentary tract including the digestive tract because of the mucilaginous nature of barley.

To make Barley Water, use a ratio of four parts water to one part barley.

4 cups water
1 cup barley
honey
fresh lemon

Add barley to the water and bring to a boil.
Lower heat and cover, gently simmering until barley is cooked, about 45 minutes.
To serve, strain, and add honey and lemon to taste (if desired) and drink the liquid warm or cool.

Lemony cold and flu tea -- Perhaps some of the best-known home remedies using lemon are for coughs and colds.
Hot honey-lemonade comes to mind: simply boil a cup of water, squeeze in lemon to taste and stir in a small dab of honey.
You don’t have to be sick to like it, and if it’s close to bedtime, you could add a dash of whisky (depending on your age) for a good night’s sleep.

Remember not to give honey (or whisky) to babies.

Another hot lemon remedy is a tea made with a pounded garlic clove, a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of cinnamon, and a dab of honey.
The following lemony cold and flu combination includes health-enhancing herbs.

Boil 1 cup water, add 1 tablespoon chopped lemon peel, a pinch each sage and thyme (fresh or dried), then steep 15 minutes. Strain, then add the juice of half a lemon and a small dab of honey; drink at least twice a day.

Zip: A Hearty Garlic Tonic: -- I learned about this cold and flu tonic many years ago from my dear old friend Jeannine, who not only had a green thumb, you might say she had rainbow fingers.
You can use Zip everyday in the manner of an old-fashioned apple cider vinegar & honey tonic, with the immune-enhancing properties of fresh garlic

To make 1 pint:
Take 2 large heads of garlic (not just the individual cloves, but the whole head), wash well, then smash each clove soundly against a cutting board with the side of a heavy chef’s knife (no need to peel unless they are dirty).
Place the smashed garlic in a pint-sized jar and cover with about 1 to 2 cups good apple cider vinegar; use enough vinegar to keep the garlic completely covered, but it’s okay if some of it floats. (Don’t expect to use this jar for anything else, except Zip, ever again.)
Place a small piece of waxed paper or plastic over the jar to prevent corrosion, and then screw on the lid.
Label and date.

Keep this somewhere you can see it, and let steep for 2 weeks, shaking daily.
Strain, and then add an equal amount of raw honey to the garlic-infused vinegar.
Place the jar in the sun to warm it if you can to melt the honey easier, otherwise just shake it now and again until dissolved.
You can funnel it into a clean bottle for easier dispensing if desired. Your batch of Zip is now ready, and it will keep until you use it up, about 3 months.
If you like, you can add a dried cayenne pepper or two to steep with the garlic, and really boost the octane of this bad boy.
I’ve added a pinch of cayenne powder to the basic recipe, as an afterthought, to take when I actually did have the flu.

To use as a tonic, just add a splash of Zip (1 or 2 tablespoons) to a glass of water and sip away.
You could even use it as a pungent salad dressing for coleslaw. Your kids will probably hate it, but the taste kinda grows on you after a while.
It sure does put hair on your chest.

Yarrow: Trad-but-rad -- To be completely honest, although yarrow smells good as a plant, the tea doesn’t taste that great all by itself. Nevertheless, when combined with equal parts peppermint leaf and elder flower, it makes an excellent and palatable combination, and a very traditional one I might add, to remedy flu and cold symptoms.
The tannin content is said to inhibit the spread of some viruses, including influenza.
This tea combination taken at the onset of a cold or flu helps you “sweat it out”.

To make plain yarrow tea or the flu combo, place 1 rounded teaspoon dried herb in 1 pint (2 cups) boiling water, cover and remove from heat; steep for 10 minutes, then strain, sweeten if desired, and drink hot 1 cup at bedtime.

Let the rest cool to drink in the morning.
Be sure to stay warm under the blankets to sweat it all out changing out of your wet pajamas if you have to.

Household uses of Vinegar -- Vinegar makes a great cleaning product, it even cuts grease on a messy stovetop.
While plain old white vinegar works just fine, I make a three-quarter strength vinegar spray by diluting with one-fourth water and adding several drops each of all the citrus essential oils I have, plus rosemary oil, in a sprayer bottle.
I don’t feel so weird then, placing veggies or whatever directly on the counter, knowing I’ve sprayed it with a food-grade substance instead of something made from words I can’t even read let alone pronounce.

You could make an infused vinegar for this use as well; herbs known for their antiseptic properties, such as thyme, rosemary, and the mints, would be good choices, along with aromatics such as clove, cinnamon, and allspice (use whole spices and not powdered). Plain white vinegar, as well as lavender vinegar, makes a good addition to the final rinse in the clothes washer, as it helps remove any soap left in the water, very excellent for washing baby diapers and blankets and so on.

Lavender vinegar makes a good wash for bedrails and toys and such when the kids are sick; it has a soothing yet refreshing aroma-therapeutic quality, and it just makes everything smell cleaner (the Latin word for lavender, lavare, means “to wash”).
I highly recommend using vinegar as a general household cleaner, even when you’re feeling well!

© Doreen Shababy