Author Archives: Debbie

So what is an infusion?

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Throughout my blogs, I occasionally, mention making infusions and have come to realize that many people do not know what an infusion is – well, I’ve decided to remedy the situation.  The basic difference between a tea and an infusion is the steeping time and amount of herb being used. An infusion uses a larger quantity of herbs and is steeped a lot longer. Infusions extract more medicinal qualities and nutrients than tea. They do not have a long shelf life, perhaps 2-3 days at most.

Infusions are made from the delicate aerial parts (flower, stems or leaves) of the plants.  These fragile parts must be steeped, rather than simmered, because they give up their medicinal properties more easily than the tougher roots and bark.

To make infusion:

I like to make infusions in quart canning jars; they can withstand the heat of the boiling water and are easy to carry around. Also, it’s the right amount for a daily intake and I can drink it all day long without needing to make a new batch.

  1. Boil a quart of water per ounce (handful) of dried herb or one cup per tablespoon of herb. If using fresh herbs, double the quantity. If you want to extract the mucilaginous property of a plant – use cold water and not boiled water (for example, with marshmallow root).
  2. Pour boiled water over the herbs, cover and let steep for at least 30-60 minutes, typically 4 hours to overnight. The longer the steeping time, the stronger the infusion.
  3. Strain and drink.

It can be drunk hot or cold and sweetened if you like. Experiment with herb amounts and steeping times; let your taste buds guide you.  Infusions can be used for drinking, foot and hand baths or to make creams.

You can pick fresh herbs (make sure herb is properly identified) for your infusions or buy dry herbs in the bulk section of a health food store or co-op. Enjoy!

I will share my favorite infusion recipes, please share yours.

All information is shared for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

The Mommy Stroke

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I haven’t been a “swimmer” for years; I’ve been more of a dunker and wader ~ I swam just to cool off and play with Mathew. On my last visit to Florida, I made a concerted effort to swim daily. Since I was spending so much time assisting and taking care of my folks, I decided I needed to take care of myself too and relieve some stress. In the past, I would walk everyday, but with 95° F and 100% humidity this time, swimming seemed like a better way to go.

When I was a kid, I was a rather good swimmer. At camp, I excelled during competitions and received a Red Cross Junior Life Savings certificate.  By the time I got to junior high, I found more interesting ways to spend my time and lost my passion for swimming.

Over the past 5 years Mike has started swimming again and is very good. His strokes seem effortless and he does wonderful flip-turns against the wall. We always applaud the turns. I never had a reason to learn to flip-turn since I always competed in lakes ~ there were no walls to turn on.

I started my laps with the crawl but my strokes did not feel effortless, and I had a hard time going straight. I was swimming diagonally across the pool. Interesting tangent: The crawl is now known as freestyle ~ they changed the name because it is the most common stroke used during a freestyle competition. Therefore, as a result the name of the stroke is used metonymically (a thing or concept that is not called by its own name but rather by the name of something it is associated with). So then, I tried the breaststroke, it felt much better but was not fun. I discovered that I love the backstroke and sidestroke. Perhaps, it was because I could see the world as I swam by and the strokes made me feel strong and glide through the water.

I always thought of the sidestroke as the “Mommy Stroke,” since you can swim and watch your kids at the same time. Or, perhaps it was the only stroke I ever recall my Mom using. I decided to Google it and found out that I must be the only one that calls it the Mommy Stroke. However, it is no doubt known as an efficient and low energy stroke compared to other strokes. It allows the swimmer to perform for longer periods of time without tiring. The Navy SEALs use an adapted sidestroke known as the Combat Sidestroke, but it is more involved than the Mommy Stroke.

I am happy to say that I was able to swim 280 yards a day alternating between the backstroke and the Mommy Stroke. It is a far cry from Mike’s 1000 yards a day but he is a “real swimmer” and I am just a Mommy 😉

Have you ever heard of the Mommy Stroke or did I just make it up? If so, please share.