Donna’s Blog

Lemon Balm & Chive Butter Recipe

Here’s a super simple, DELICIOUS and herbaceous recipe for you to try out this week! This is what you’ll need; ½ cup unsalted butter, softened 3 tblsp lemon balm, chopped finely 1 tblsp parsley, chopped finely 1 tblsp chives chopped finely Combine all ingredients and add salt to taste. Cover and then chill to let the flavours blend. Well covered, this will keep a week in the fridge or two months in the freezer. This a scrumptious butter that works really well in cooking or on its own over a chunky bread!   Enjoy friends! Donna x

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Featured Herb – Aloe Vera!

This extraordinary herb contains more than 75 nutritional compounds in approximately 1% of the plant. It has the ability to penetrate body tissue, up to seven layers deep. It cleanses and anaesthetizes and promotes wound healing and the growth of new healthy cells. It is anti-inflammatory, cools the skin and reduces scarring. May be added to sun creams for protection against UV rays and has shown anti-cancer activity. Taken internally, it cleans out the intestines and detoxifies the body. It stimulates and supports immune function. Used in creams, it soothes, heals and moisturizes the skin and carries other ingredients used […]

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Hydro-solve your health and beauty issues, with a hydrosol!

In a recent newsletter I did a little feature on hydrosols, so I thought today I might give you some ideas of what to do with them!! Here is the write up from the newsletter for those who missed it! “Hydrosols are the condensate water co-produced during the steam – or hydro-distillation of plant material for aroma-therapeutic purposes.” Hydrosols are also often described as ‘holograms’ of the plant – cool right? Hydrosols contain all of the plant in every drop just like a hologram. They contain all of the water-soluble components and all of the essential oil molecules; the very fluid that […]

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We BARLEY get enough chlorophyll…here’s how to fix it!

Ok folks, we’re gonna get the science of this topic out of the way first… This sciencey illustration below shows the chemical composition of Chlorophyll and Hemin (whole blood). These two life liquids, one from plants and the other from humans, are identical with one exception – plant liquid core is Magnesium and human liquid core is Iron. In order for humans to directly improve the quality of their blood and therefore their health – it is important to obtain regular amounts of Chlorophyll rich food and drinks – obtained from plants which are identical in their cell structure to the […]

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The Amazing Pain Relieving Properties of Vitamin B-6

  Vitamin B6!! This amazing vitamin can achieve so much for so many conditions, it is beyond the scope of this article to cover them all – but I will endeavor to touch on most of them. The effectiveness and versatility of this interesting vitamin are certainly impressive, if not entirely surprising. Vitamin B6 is one of the most heavily worked co-enzymes, a group of small molecules that act as keys turning on and off most biochemical reactions. B6 deficiency appears to be on the rise (as are most B vitamins). People today seem to need far more of this vitamin than […]

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Easy Doggy Biscuits!

  As many of you know, Cottage Hill Herbs is not only home to a broad selection of herbs, products and magic, but also an array of animal friends who, like us, have a need for healthy, natural food and herbs! Today I want to share with you a really easy, delicious and healthy dog biscuit recipe that the cats can enjoy too! So let’s get right to it.   What you’ll need 3 cups wholemeal flour 3/4 cup desiccated coconut 1/2 cup wheatgerm 150gm mince steak 1 tsp kelp powder 1/2 cup full cream powdered milk 1 tbsp olive […]

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Finally it has arrived!!!

We have been waiting about 2 years for this product to become available and I am very excited to finally be able to share this stunning and versatile product with you and have it available to buy for your own potions! So what is this magical product? This amazing herb is officially known as Croton Lechleri with a common name of Sangre de Drago – sounds cool doesn’t it? It is. Dragon’s blood comes from the resinous sap of the tree, which when cut, bleeds a sap that runs and looks like thick blood. This sap contains an alkaloid called taspine that […]

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Gentle Elderflower and Yarrow Cleanser

It’s recipe time folks!! And here is a beautiful, gentle cleanser recipe that will have your pores singing! You can get all of these ingredients from our online shop, just e-mail me, donna@cottagehillherbs.co.nz with your order! What you will need 50 ml cleansing lotion base 8 drops elderflower tincture 5 drops macadamia cold pressed oil 10 ml hydrosol of yarrow or almost any other hydrosol of choice 2 x drops grapefruit seed extract 5 drops pure essential oil of melissa or grapefruit (one only). What to do Into a clean bowl place the cleansing lotion base cream and slowly add each […]

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Featured Herb – Cayenne

Cayenne – yes that’s right!! Dried, uncooked Cayenne pepper, the common kitchen spice is our featured herb this week! You may not know this, but Cayenne is a wonder herb with a huge list of attributes and applications. I once saved my dog’s life using this miraculous spice – so lets look at just a few of the things that Cayenne can help with. Bleeding: Stops external bleeding in its tracks – simply sprinkle a light coating into and over cuts and wounds to stop bleeding and take the shock out of the wound. Heart Attack/Emergency Situations: Obviously one must seek medical help […]

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Sodium Lauryl Sulphate – the hard facts!

As consumers, we need to ask ourselves whether the cosmetics and personal care products we and our families use every day are more important to us than our long term health. We also need to ask ourselves if there are products we can do without. Cutting down on the number of products we use and making our own chemical free products will reduce our exposure to toxins, save money and cut down on the amount of chemicals polluting the earth. Ingredients in cosmetics and personal care items are not subjected to stringent pre-market evaluations and processes. In fact cosmetic companies […]

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Lip Balm for Beginners

  This week I present a very simple lip balm recipe to keep your lips fresh, moist and healthy as we head towards the cooler parts of the year! Now is the time to prepare these recipes so that you have them on hand for when you really need them!   What it does! All of the ingredients in this lovely and simple recipe are designed to moisturise, to sooth and to heal. Calendula is a beautifully soothing and gentle herb, wheatgerm oil is softening and moisturising and both essential oils will aid in healing sores (especially good for cold sores!). […]

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Did you hear the joke about the peach?

    Peach leaves are a relaxant and an anti-inflammatory that are particularly helpful for the urinary tract, kidney and for problems like cystitis. The leaf is also cooling and soothing to hot, red, itching skin conditions, allergies, scalp irritation and also stomach upsets such as nausea and cramping pain. It is a simple remedy for nervous, restless and over stimulated types with tangled nerves – I’m sure you know someone who applies here! It will also work for over-excitable children. I recently started drinking peach leaf tea before bed, and I have to say I am hooked! I am loving the […]

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