Posts Tagged ‘home remedies’

“Amish Country Home Remedies”

Tuesday, March 16th, 2010

By:  Joy Schrock

Of all the blog posts that I write, compiling the list of home remedies is always the most fun.

The home remedies listed below were submitted by my friends that grew up Amish or have an Amish background.  Home remedies are so much a part of our everyday lives in Amish country, that many of them struggled with this project.  Their perception being that home remedies are a way of life for everyone.   After several days of them focusing on the mission at hand, the home remedies started pouring in.  It was difficult to choose only ten.   Hopefully there is at least one home remedy on this list that you will find helpful.

1) To keep cookies fresh:  Place a piece of bread with your cookies to keep them from drying out or to restore moisture to dried cookies.

2) Homemade Bird Food:  2 Cups Tallow/Suet or Lard (melted), 1 1/2 Cup creamy Peanut butter, 5-6 Cups of Yellow Corn Meal.  Mix together, allow to cool until it reaches the right consistency to press into pine cones.  Hang outside for the birds to enjoy.  If mixture gets to hard to press into pine cones, stick in microwave container and heat for a few seconds to soften mixture.

3) Homemade Seasoning Salt:  1 Cup Salt, 2 Tablespoons Onion Powder, 1 Tablespoon Celery Salt, 1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder, 2 Teaspoons Paprika, 1 Teaspoon Chilli Powder and 1 Teaspoon dried parsley powder.  Mix and enjoy.

4)  Chest Cold/Flu Symptoms:  Prior to going to bed put a thick layer of Vicks Vapo Rub on the bottom of your feet, cover with socks.  Vicks will absorb into your skin overnight.  This is an Amish country favorite home remedy.

5)  Kidney Stones:  If you are having problems passing kidney stones, drink homemade beet juice.  Boil fresh beets, allow to cool and drink.

6)  Drooling Babies:  The Amish swear by this.  When your baby starts to drool, work with them to teach them how to drink out of a regular cup.  This teaches the children how catch their saliva before they drool.

7)  Seasonal Allergies:  Find a local beekeeper (preferrably within 15 miles of your home).  Purchase honey from local source.  Take one teaspoon of honey each morning.  I know several people that this has worked wonders for.

8)  Fallen Arches/Plantar Fascitis:  This was actually recommended to one of my friends by her doctor.  It is to provide temporary relief of pain until special inserts for her shoes were made.  Put a large strip of duct tape on the bottom of your foot from heel to toe.  Place a second strip beside the first strip.  The tape grabs your instep and gives relief from the pain.  She said it was a bit embarassing to wear during the summer, however it was worth the embarassment.

9)  Burns on skin when cooking:  Immediately pour Pure Vanilla Extract directly on burn.  Brings instant relief.  Should not be considered an alternative for medical treatment…only to bring temporary relief from pain.

10)  To get rid of those pesky gnats:  Pour cider vinegar into a bowl.  Cover bowl with film.  Punch a hole into film.  Gnats crawl in and can’t get out.

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10 Amazingly Powerful Natural Home Remedies

Monday, October 19th, 2009

Home Remedies

You learn a lot of things growing up in Amish country.  One of the things that I value the most is the use of natural and home remedies.  We didn’t just run to the doctor’s office when we were sick.  Normally, there was a home remedy for just about anything that ailed you.  More than likely this is due to the fact that the Amish have no electricity, cars or telephones.

They had to learn how to treat various illnesses based upon what was readily available to them.  Even today, when we are sick, our local health food store is normally our first stop.   We had home remedies for nearly everything.  Stains on clothes, how to get your hair to shine, rings on wood tables, you name it, we had a solution.  Some were better than others.  Here are a few to get started.  I will be adding more posts like this this on a weekly basis.

1)  Plugged Sinks:

Pour in one cup or more of white vinegar and a cup of baking soda, then add hot water out of the tap at full force.  When bubbling stops drain should be clear.

2)  Getting Shiny Hair:

After shampooing, pour vinegar over hair, let saturate for a minute or two and rinse thoroughly with very cool water.

3)  Preventing Steam Build up in Bath:

Fill tub approximately 1 inch with cold water prior to adding hot water.

4)  Oder Eliminator For Burnt Food:

Take a small sauce pan, fill several inches with cold water and add 1-2 Tablespoons of vanilla and simmer slowly.

5)  To Freshen the Smell of Towels:

Add 1/2 cup vinegar and 3 Tablespoons of baking soda to your regular laundry detergent.   This is used by a local B&B…they are amazed at the results.

6) Earaches:

Warm “Sweet Oil” and pour directly into the ear.  Provides instant relief from the pain.  Excellent remedy for pain at 2am in the morning.  Allows you to sleep till you can get to the doctor in the morning.  Sweet Oil “Olive Oil N.F.” can be purchased at most drug stores and health food stores.

7)  Sore/Scratchy Throat:

Use approx. 2 tablespoons of cider vinegar, add a shake of cayenne pepper and drink.  Another commonly used remedy is Slippery Elm Herbal Tea.

8)  Slugs in Flowers and Plants:

Purchase any beer, the less expensive the better since slugs are not fussy about their beer.  Pour beer in several saucers around plants and flowers.  The slugs are attracted to the beer, crawl into the saucer and drink the beer.  Apparently they die a happy death.

9)   Grime and Grease on Glass:

Use a damp cloth and baking soda and rub over glass.  Repeat as necessary until clean.

10)  Water Ring Removal:

Use a damp cloth add a dab of toothpaste (not gel…use paste only) gentle rub on the ring.  For even more power add baking soda to it and rub into the ring.  We used this on our wood tables at our restaurant and it worked great.

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Posted in Amish Life, Natural Health, Natural Home Remedies | 5 Comments »