Grow Your Own Antibacterial Bandages

How To Grow Your Own Antibacterial Bandages

October 1, 2013

Bandaids, Herbal Medicine

As I work on turning this one acre homestead into a self-sustaining Garden of Eden, I have two requirements for every single plant I consider putting in the ground: they must be either edible or medicinal. Preferably both.
Why? Because frankly I don’t have money or space to waste on frivolous landscaping. Everything from the plants to the animals must have a purpose.
More and more people are beginning to see the benefit of having a garden and growing your own food, but growing your own medicine could be equally as vital to your well being. What would you do if you couldn’t get the medical supplies or help you needed for a very long time? How would you manage?
As I plan my medicinal garden, I choose what to grow by studying different medical emergency scenarios and learning which plants I would be able to use if it ever came down to that.
One day as I was doctoring up one of my kiddos, the thought crossed my mind, “What if I couldn’t get any more of these band-aids? What could I use?” This question prompted me to delve into my herbal books and scour the internet for an answer. And I found a good one.

Young Wooly Lamb’s Ear settling down for the winter.

Wooly Lamb’s Ear.
It’s one of my favorites because it’s medicinal AND edible.
A Natural Antibacterial Bandage
Wooly Lamb’s Ear, botanical name Stachys byzantina, has been used for centuries as a wound dressing on battlefields. Not only do the soft, fuzzy leaves absorb blood and help it to clot more quickly, they also contain antibacterial, antiseptic, and anti-inflammatory properties. All of these factors make this plant a really great alternative to store-bought bandages (especially since many of them are made in China!).
Other Medicinal Uses
Wooly Lamb’s Ear actually has many medicinal uses. You can heat a few bruised leaves in a pot of simmering water, and use the cooled infusion as an eyewash to treat pinkeye and sties.
Drink a tea made from young, dried Wooly Lamb’s Ear leaves to help with fevers, diarrhea, sore mouth and throat, internal bleeding, and weaknesses of the liver and heart. (~Wikipedia)
You can bruise the leaves so that the juices are released, and put them on bee stings or other insect bites to help reduce the swelling. The same effect can be seen when used for treating hemorrhoids, or for postpartum recovery.


Still More Uses
As if Wooly Lamb’s Ear isn’t awesome enough, the list of uses continues.
Being soft and super absorbent, Lamb’s Ear leaves can be used as menstrual pads, or in place of cotton balls. It can even be used as toilet paper!
You can eat it as well. Enjoy young, tender leaves fresh in a salad, or gently steamed as greens.
 Are you growing Lamb’s Ear yet?
If you don’t have any of this important medicinal plant growing around your home yet, get some. If you can’t find any plants locally, buy some seeds and grow them yourself. It’s super easy, and much cheaper that way anyways. Lamb’s Ear make a gorgeous landscaping border, and grows well in containers. Plant as much as you have room for, ’cause it’ll come in handy when your stash of tp runs out!

How To Grow Your Own Antibacterial Bandages (Wooly Lamb’s Ear) From Seed
Starting your own plants from seed really is easy. Here’s how…
1. Fill a well-draining container with Seed Starting Mix.  A yogurt cup with holes poked in the bottom works nicely.
2. Wet the soil thoroughly. If you’re on city water, use filtered water for your plants. The chemicals in treated water can inhibit plant growth.
3. Plant 1-2 seeds per small container (thinning out the weakest seedling), or plant seeds about 6″ apart in a larger pot, burying them 1/4″ deep.
4. Keep the soil moist and the containers out of direct light until the seedlings germinate. As soon as you see the tops of the plants emerging, put them somewhere where they can get at least 6 hours of sunlight daily, or under a grow light. It helps to set the cups/pots in a shallow tray of water to keep the soil from drying out.
5. When the plants have at least three sets of leaves, they’re ready to be transplanted to a semi-shady place in your yard. Space them 12″ apart. They will multiply readily in good soil.
If you haven’t started thinking about growing some medicinal herbs, Wooly Lamb’s Ear is a perfect one to begin with. And in my opinion, you can never have enough!

Mountain Laurel Care

LOCATION
Partial shade is fine, or full sun in a sheltered area, where it won't get the worst of the winter winds in cold climates.
In hot climates it really needs the shade. Amend the soil with organic matter, and give it at least a 2 inch layer of mulch (wood chips, pine needles, or leaves work well) each spring.

 
BLOOM CARE
Mountain laurel will bloom in May and June. As soon as the blooms have faded, snip them off to help the plant spend its energies on next years blooms.  



PRUNING
At the same time you snip the faded blooms
You can also prune the shrub at this time to keep it small and bushier. But don't use a heavy hand-keep the pruning light.


FERTILIZE
Use a fertilizer made for this type of plant, but don't over do it. Light fertililyzing is all that is needed in very early spring or very late fall after a freeze. Do not
apply any fertilizer after the first week of June. This could cause new growth, which wouldn't be mature enough to handle winter.

Holly care

MULCHING
Mulching your holly bushes is essential to their health because it aids the plants in retaining moisture and acquiring the proper nutrients. Spread a two-inch layer of either compost or wood chips around the base of your holly bushes, leaving a gap of a few inches between the mulch and the trunk. This way, any
pests that have taken residence in the mulch will not damage the wood of the plants. 

FERTILIZE
fertilize your holly plants six weeks before the first expected frost of the season. An acid-based fertilizer works best for holly bushes. Make sure it is designed specifically for evergreens,


PRUNING
Overgrown branches can be pruned to within one-quarter of an inch of a leaf or bud. Light trimming can take place at any time, but save major alterations for winter after the plant's berries have bloomed.  



PLANTING



LOCATION
The optimal area to plant your holly bushes should receive full sun, although morning sun and afternoon shade is feasible.


WATERING
Water the plants once every week, or when the top two inches of the soil is dry. You should irrigate the plants around the base of the trunks, providing enough water to dampen the top eight inches of soil. This watering should continue throughout the winter, unless the ground is frozen.


TRANSPLANTING
Before you remove the holly bush from the ground, you will want to make sure that the new site for the holly shrub is prepared and ready. The less time the holly spends out of the ground, the more success it will have in not dying from the shock of being moved.
At the new site, dig a hole that will be larger than the root ball of the transplanted holly will be. Dig the hole deep enough so that the holly bush’s root ball can sit comfortably in the hole and that the holly will sit at the same level in the ground that it did at the previous location.
Once the hole is dug, dig up the holly bush. You want to make sure that you dig up as much of the root ball as possible. Dig at least 6 inches from the perimeter of where the leaves end and down about a foot or so. Holly shrubs have rather shallow root systems, so you do not have to dig deeply to reach the bottom of the root ball.
Once the holly shrub is dug out, quickly move the shrub to its new location. Place the holly in hole and spread the roots out in the hole. Then backfill the hole with soil. Step on the backfilled soil all the way around the holly bush to makes sure that there are no air pockets in the backfilled hole.
Water the transplanted holly thoroughly. Continue to water it daily for a week and after that water it deeply twice a week for one month.
The best time to transplant a holly bush is in early spring. Transplanting in early spring helps to keep the plant from losing its leaves due to the shock of being moved. This is because the extra rain in the spring and cool temperatures helps the plant retain moisture and this prevents it from shedding leaves as a way to retain moisture.
If absolutely necessary, you can transplant holly bushes in the early fall. The chances of the leaves dropping will be increased, but the holly bushes will most likely survive.

If you do end up with a naked holly after transplanting a holly, don’t panic. The chances are very good that the holly shrub will regrow the leaves and be just fine.

Copycat Texas Roadhouse Bread Rolls

Copycat Texas Roadhouse Bread Rolls
makes 48 rolls

4 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast (2 packets)
2-1/2 cups warm milk (110° to 115°)
1/2 cup good honey
8 tablespoons butter, melted (divided)
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon kosher salt
8-9 cups all-purpose flour

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add yeast, milk and honey.  Swirl with your fingers or a spoon to dissolve the yeast.  Allow the yeast to bloom.  It will start to bubble and become aromatic, about 5 minutes.

Add 6 tablespoons butter, eggs and 4 cups of flour, mix on low using dough hook, until smooth.  Add enough remaining flour to for the dough to come together (mine takes the whole 4 1/2 additional cups) add salt.  Allow to knead for about 7-9 minutes until dough is tacky, but not sticky.

Turn onto a floured board; knead a few turns. Place in a bowl with 1 tablespoon butter bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile brush 2 cookie sheets with melted butter.

Punch dough down and turn out onto a floured board.  Roll dough into a rectangle, about 1” tall.  Cut into 48 pieces, (6 rows cut into 8 rolls each).  Place rolls on buttered cookie sheets about ½ - 1” apart.  Cover and let rise until almost doubled in size, about 45-60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°.

Bake both pans together.  12-15 minutes or until golden brown.  Brush with remaining melted butter.  Serve and enjoy.

Olive Garden Copycat Chicken Vino Bianco

SERVES 4  |  ACTIVE TIME 30 Min  |  TOTAL TIME 30 Min

4 (4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breasts

¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper, divided
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 scallions, chopped (divided)
2 Roma tomatoes, diced (divided)
½ medium yellow onion, grated
5 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup white wine, (I used a Sauvignon Blanc)
½ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
½ pound dried linguine

In a pie plate or shallow dish, combine ½ cup flour, ½ tsp salt and ¼ tsp black pepper. Stir with a fork to blend. Using tongs, coat the chicken breasts in the flour mixture, shaking off the excess.

Add oil to a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken in the skillet and cook until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, turning once between cooking, about 8-10 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Add butter, onion and garlic to pan. Cook until onions are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add ¼ cup remaining flour to pan and whisk to combine. Add cream, lemon juice, wine, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese. Whisk until is you have a smooth mixure. Add up to 1 cup of pasta water to help create the sauce.

Add cooked pasta, half of scallions and half of tomatoes, stir to combine. Return chicken to skillet and allow it to warm. Sprinkle remaining scallions and tomatoes on top of skillet. Serve and enjoy.

Italian Mascarpone Torta

Ingredients:

3 oz (75 grams) unsalted butter
6 oz (175 grams) Amaretti biscuits (maybe sugar cookies or something)
14 oz (400 grams) mascarpone cheese
Grated zest of 3 unwaxed lemons and juice of 1 lemon
4 oz (100 grams) superfine sugar
2 eggs separated
2 tablespoons (30 ml) cornflour
Pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F. (180° C.)

Grease a deep, 8 inch (20 cm) loose bottomed cake tin.

Melt the butter.

Crush the Amaretti biscuits, then mix the crumbs with the melted butter. Put in the bottom of the prepared tin.

Put the cheese, lemon zest and juice, sugar and egg yolks in a bowl and, using a wooden spoon, mix together.

Sprinkle the cornflour over the top and fold in.

In a separate bowl, whisk the whites with the salt until stiff.

Fold into the cheese mixture.

Spread the mixture into the cake tin and smooth the top.

Bake in the oven for 35 minutes until firm to the touch.

Leave to cool in the tin. Serves 8.