Inventory of Herbs

Yesterday I took an inventory of my dried herbs and plants from foraging this summer and fall. There's quite a list, all dried and stored and ready to be made into teas, extracts, oils, salves and/or added to soups and stews. Here's the list:

Roots: Burdock, Yellow Dock, Dandelion, Sassafrass, Goldenseal root (called yellow root around here)

Plants/Herbs:
Mugwort
Basil, Dill, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme, Chives (probably will add to soups)
Yellow Dock leaves
Sassafrass leaves
Mint (lots! for tea)
Stinging Nettles (add to soups, tea)
Plantain (add to soups)
Juniper berries
Calendula flowers
Comfrey leaves
Horsetail
Lemon Balm
Wood nettles
Yarrow (only a little, sadly)
Spicebush leaves and twigs
Fennel
Boneset leaves
Rose petals
Rose Hips
Poke berries
Violet leaves
Maidenhair fern
Mullein

Oils Infusing:
Rosemary (for muscle aches)
Goldenrod leaves (for muscle spasm, etc)
Mugwort (add to bath water for relaxing muscles)

Herbs/Roots Extracts
Quarts of Elderberry extract and syrup for flu
Root tincture: Dandelion, Burdock, Yellow dock (a friend has nonsymptomatic Hep C, this extract is to aid his liver)
Spicebush leaf/twig: for fever
Goldenseal root extract: for our immune systems
Cayenne extract: YIKES! Please tell me I don't have to take this!!! I'll be good, promise! I won't ever be sick! Hot stuff. :)
Catnip/Skullcap extract: nerves, sleep (when the doom and gloom gets too doomish and gloomish)

Thats what's happening around here in the Handmaiden's herbarium. More on all those herbs later. Now, on to the Thanksgiving feast preparation! We have a big communal dinner with lots of people, kids, tons of food. All the women have been cooking, including me.

We have a lot to be thankful for. Michael and I on our balcony in the morning: "Thank you, Lord!"

May you all open your hearts to all things great and small, and be grateful.
Handmaiden