~Health Tip Tuesday~ Dandelions!

Dandelions!
The past few days, our front yard has had a huge spread of dandelions blooming in it! I just love dandelions! Funny, most folks do not like them and many think they are a weed, but you can use the whole dandelion plant for many different remedies and recipes!

Dandelion recipes from Learning herbs!

And many more recipes:
How to Make Roasted Dandelion Root Coffee,
Dandelion salad, wine, etc.,
Dandelion Potato Salad Recipe
Cream of Dandelion Soup Recipe

Dandelion-Pineapple Juice
"Cool off with a refreshing glass of dandelion-pineapple juice. It's easy to make, and loaded with the vitamins and anti-oxidants that your body needs.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Ingredients:
•1 large handful fresh dandelion greens, washed
•10-12 ounces pineapple juice
•5-6 ice cubes
Preparation:
1. Place the dandelion greens and pineapple juice in a blender and puree.
2. Add ice to the blender and pulse or serve in a tall glass over ice."

Dandelion Soup
(From Herbalpedia)
2 Tbsp butter
1/8 tsp thyme
2 Tbsp flour
1 bay leaf
2 cups milk
1 hard-boiled egg, peeled and sliced (garnish)
2 cups dandelion flowers
1/8 tsp celery seed
Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan
over low heat. Mix in the flour to form a paste.
Stir in the milk a little a time until smooth.
Mix in the dandelions, celery seed, thyme and
bay leaf. Simmer until the flowers are tender,
15-20 minutes. Remove the bay leaf before
serving. Garnish with slices of hard-boiled
egg.

Also from Herbalpedia
"How to Roast Dandelion Roots
Cut off the leaves and scrub the roots. Lay the
roots on a baking sheet with the oven turned to
its lowest setting and the door ajar. It may take
3-4 hours until the roots are shriveled and snap
easily. They are done when the insides of the
roots are dark brown."
You can read about dandelion Here and Here on Herbal Legacy!
And Here at Botanical.

Debi Pearl sums up the dandelion very well in her article Here.
"The flowers have traditionally been made into a wine or tonic and used as a liver cleanser. Its effectiveness has been scientifically validated. The leaves can be eaten as a salad, cooked green, or made into a green drink. The root of the dandelion can be roasted for a coffee like drink. Dandelions are high in vitamins and minerals, especially calcium and vitamins A and C. They are high in protein, iron, manganese, potassium, and sodium—all nutritive salts for the blood. It is often used to treat anemia. As a food source, the dandelion could be invaluable. Most physical problems could be helped if not completely cured by a balance of nutrients.
As a medicinal herb the dandelion is a remarkable friend. It is a potent diuretic, which means it helps flush excess water from the body. As a diuretic, it can be used to reduce bloating before your cycle, or anytime you have swelling around your ankles or hands, which might indicate you are retaining water. As a diuretic, it can help keep the urinary passages flushed in case of irritation or infection. It could even bring some relief in congestive heart problems, which is water collecting around the heart.
Dandelion also stimulates the flow of bile, which makes it a good tonic for the liver and gallbladder. Most herb books recommend it for a wide variety of liver disorders.
Dandelion neutralizes acids in the body, thus it is often used by people as they lose weight to help keep the acid levels down, which rise as a person loses weight. Dandelion has antioxidants that help cleanse the body, which is why it is mentioned in many herbals as a help for people suffering with cancer. Because of its anti-toxin activities, many herbalists suggest dandelion to treat various skin problems."

I will be posting our dandelion cookie making sometime soon (hopefully in the next few days!), so keep an eye out for that!
Happy dandelion picking and cooking!
God bless your health!
~Hannah