Since the human body tends to move in the direction of its expectations – plus or minus – it is important to know that attitudes of confidence and determination are no less a part of the treatment program than medical and science technology.

Norman Cousin

Miscellaneous

Apple & mint iced tea (page 137)

For those of you who struggle with preservatives, read on. In the words of my son Lennie, this is the ‘lotions and potions’ section – the fun and funky experiments that are just too cool and fun to leave out and are easy and cost effective to make. The iced tea, lemonade and ginger beer are excellent for when entertaining guests … try them!

Aroma cream

When we lived in Seattle, before Sam was born, I used to make a product called ‘Len & Joe’s aroma dough’. I use the same oils to make this cream. It’s excellent for sensitive skins. For skin sensitive to colouring, omit the food colouring and instead use vegetable colouring, e.g. beet juice or carrot juice reduction.

  1. Drop the essential oil and food colouring directly into the tub of Aqueous cream. To achieve different scents, see below. Blend well with a spoon.

Blue: Mix 4 drops Roman chamomile and 6–8 drops mandarin oil with ¼ tsp blue food colouring – the scent is fresh and the effect calming, soothing and brightening.

Green: Mix 4 drops grapefruit, 4 drops eucalyptus and 4 drops peppermint oil with ¼ tsp green food colouring – the effect is anti-viral, decongesting and joyful.

Lavender: Mix 6 drops lavender and 4 drops Roman chamomile oil with 1/8 tsp red and 1/8 tsp blue food colouring – this is for quiet play and sweet dreams, and is great for a bedtime massage after the bath.

Orange: Mix 10 drops orange oil (or 4 drops neroli and 8 drops mandarin oil) with ¼ tsp orange food colouring – the effect is brightening, bringing a little sun on a rainy day.

Pink: Mix 10 drops geranium oil with ¼ tsp rose-pink food colouring – the scent is floral and the effect is comforting and anti-depressant.

Yellow: Mix 8 drops grapefruit and 4 drops lemongrass oil with ¼ tsp yellow food colouring – the effect is joyful and inspiring, and enhances creative focus.

Bath salts

  1. In a medium-sized bowl, mix all of the ingredients.
  2. Spoon into a clean, dry jar and use ½ cup per bath.
  3. As an example of an alternative, you can substitute rosemary leaves for the petals and use rosemary oil with green food colouring.

Eczema tea bath

This works well for dry, irritated excema or winter skin. It soothes and heals the skin and has a pleasant aroma.

  1. Place the tea bags in a large jug or tea pot and pour over the boiling water. Allow to steep for 5–10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and pour this into your bath water. Soak for 10–15 minutes.

Apple & mint iced tea

  1. In a large glass jug, steep the tea bags in the boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags and add the apple juice, apple slices and mint sprigs.
  2. Top up with ice cubes and cold water. Add honey or sugar to taste if you prefer your iced tea sweeter. Refrigerate until needed. This keeps in the fridge for 2 days.

DF; EF; GF; WF; NF; alt SF | Makes 1 litre

Ginger beer

  1. Boil the water in a pot and add the sugar and mashed ginger root. Simmer for 10 minutes, then remove from the heat and cool until lukewarm.
  2. Add the yeast and leave the pot with the lid on slightly skew for 2 days. Stir at the end of the first day.
  3. The mixture will smell strongly of yeast and fermentation. Strain, add the raisins and bottle in screw-top bottles, not corked bottles as the pressure will pop the cork right out. Chill and serve. It keeps in the fridge for up to 10 days.

DF; EF; GF; NF; WF | Makes about 4 litres

Lemonade

  1. Wash the lemons, then grate the zest off 2 of them. Squeeze the juice from all the lemons and strain.
  2. Add the sugar to the water in a medium-sized pot and stir in the lemon zest. Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then simmer for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
  3. Stir in the strained lemon juice and pour into a clean glass bottle.
  4. To serve, use 1 part lemon syrup to 2 parts soda water. Add lots of ice cubes and a sprig of mint for decoration.

DF; EF; GF; NF; WF | Serves 4–6

Almond milk

Almond milk is high in calcium. The benefit of homemade almond milk is that it has no additives or preservatives and you can control the amount of sweetness.

  1. Soak the almonds in water for at least 6 hours or overnight if possible. Drain and place the almonds in a blender with the 4 cups of fresh filtered water. Blend until you get a milk-like consistency.
  2. If you like a hint of sweetness, blend in the dates or honey. Now strain the milk to remove the granules. The result is a delicious, creamy milk. Store in a sealed glass jar or covered jug.
  3. Drink it plain, use in coffee or tea or pour over cereal. It will keep in the fridge for 4–5 days.

DF; EF; GF; WF | Makes 1 litre

Aroma dough play-dough

This play-dough is a great stress reliever. Note that although this is made from edible ingredients and is not toxic in small amounts, it is not intended as a food item. Please be sure to put it away after your children have finished playing. You will need a mixer for this recipe.

  1. Pour the boiling water or tea, oil, food colouring and 1 cup of the flour into the bowl of a mixer. Using a dough hook, start blending on a slow speed.
  2. Add the cream of tartar, glycerin (if using) and essential oils, and blend again. Add the salt and remaining flour, ½ cup at a time. Continue blending until the dough comes together and is smooth. Remove from the bowl and allow to cool before refrigerating.
  3. Store in the fridge in a sealed plastic container as it contains no preservatives. It should last 1–2 months.

Furniture polish

Furniture polish and other spray cleaners are an irritant to people who suffer from allergies or asthma. So here is the solution. This one doesn’t make me sneeze, wheeze or cough.

  1. Combine all of the ingredients in a spray bottle.
  2. Spray onto wooden furniture sparingly and polish off.