When leaves fall early : Fall and Winter will be mild

When leaves fall late : Winter will be severe

Boil blackberry leaves for 10 minutes and use the strained broth to bathe in to remove any unpleasant odors.

Take the pain out of an insect bite or sting by holding a hot, wet plantain leaf on it.

To treat a fever or inflammation, use violet leaves or chickweed.

Boiling a handful of willow leaves or bark scrapings in a quart of water can help with poison ivy or oak. Apply it to the area after cooling the liquid. Pat it on wiht a soft cloth to relive itching

To draw out a splinter or thorn, make and ointment from the leaves of the chickweed. If this is not practical, follow an old shephard’s method and squeeze chickweed over the injury then bind the leaves over it for a few hours.

For relief of pain associated with arthritis and rheumatism, lightly boil comfrey and plantain leaves. Put handfuls of the warm wet leaves on a cloth and apply where it hurts.

1 cup sorrel leaves and stems (finely chopped)

2 cups water, veggie broth OR chicken broth

3 quail eggs (or two chicken egg yolks)

1 tablespoon Sassafras Powder (*how to make Sassafras Powder)

1 tablespoon Muscadine Wine (or 1/2 cup of freshly chopped muscadines)

Bring liquid to a boil and add sorrel. Simmer for 10 minutes. Mix eggs, muscadine and sassafras powder and add 2 tablespoons of hot soup. Add this mixture to the soup, stirring constantly to prevent lumps and sticking. Cook on low until desired consistency.

This is good serves hot or cold. You can add a few chipped muscadines to top of soup before eating or freshly chopped sorrel.

Take a few leaves of Lemon Balm and chew them in your mouth until you release the oil in the leaves. Place the leaves on an insect bite and this will relieve itching.

Wood Sorrel:

This is one of my favorite herbs. Use the leaves to make a mild tea and cool this. Sip it for heartburn and it works pretty good.