West Cork grown Comfrey Cream at Rebel Foods Market Stall

Comfrey Cream

Comfrey cream has got to be my all time favourite cream, lotion, balm, potion or anything else that I make around here. I can’t seem to find an end to all of the ways and means that it gets used.

We use it for everything!

In case you are not that familiar with this herb, it has been noted and used for many centuries for it’s ability to increase cell production, reduce inflammation and soothe irritated tissues. Thus, it can settle things down on the skin and at the same time lessen scarring. 

A few weeks ago I noticed an old scar on my arm from a barbed wire fence that I got years ago trying to help my cat through, away from the neighbours’ dogs. It was just a long thin scratch at the time and healed up right away. 

But it left a long thin, very noticeable scar straight across my arm. Funny how most of the other scars I have tend to fade over time, but not this one. It was still prominent on my arm, at least to me….

So, I started putting some ordinary comfrey cream on it, night after night and low and behold…it has faded to nearly nothing. I love this about comfrey – it is soothing, healing and a skin regenerator all at the same time.

I make my comfrey cream with only the finest comfrey around, ahem…my own West Cork grown comfrey, so I know it is quality, right from the outset. I also use only organic beeswax (my own until it runs out) and organic grade therapeutic oils such as coconut, sweet almond, jojoba and cold pressed olive oil.

For so many years I put nothing on my skin. Only water. And then once I started with my own creams, lotions, ointments, balms and salves – I can’t get enough! My skin is drinking them in.

And not only my skin. 

At least once a week (or maybe more) someone comments on my hair – even when it’s a mess, it’s still shiny or actually, sometimes glossy. Perhaps its’ also because I rub comfrey cream all over my hands and then through my hair once it’s dry or maybe it’s the nettle & rosemary rinse, but then it might also be the fact I am Nightshade free….

Or it’s a combination of all three of the above. But, we do have healthy hair around here – so whatever we are doing, I think I will keep doing it! LOL

Coming back to healing and protecting skin, for far too many years I suffered each winter with dry, chapped hands that would split at the knuckles and around my nails. If you have ever had this happen, you can probably appreciate how painful this is. And how much I would dread getting my hands wet.

But, half of my day is spent with wet hands – cooking, cleaning or making something or other. So steering clear of water is not an option – it is often a key ingredient in the many things I do around here.

Over the years I have used comfrey creams from many different sources (they have far more ingredients then mine do), then finally gave up because they simply didn’t work. That is until I made my own and combined it with body butters or on occasion cocoa butter. 

The bottom line here is that my own creams are so pure and natural they do no harm to delicate and healing skin. I add essential oils to back up the therapeutic effects while boosting their detox and repair properties.

One other area I have been plagued with is cold sores on my lips. For years I have fasted as a discipline and for detox purposes, however, because fasting pushes out whatever toxins, viruses etc. that are hanging around in the body, cold sores would always break out for me.

Until my trusty comfrey cream that is! I kind of don’t want to speak too soon, but this is the longest I have gone without a cold sore in years – all due to using my Fire & Ice Comfrey Cream blend. I think it killed the virus dead the last time it even thought of surfacing. 

Then, my son used comfrey cream to heal up an in-grown toenail, we all put it on minor scrapes, cuts and burns and there is a jar in the barn for the animals which we use when ever someone gets a scratch or sore spot. 

Comfrey is just an all round healing, comforting herb and a must have cream for the medicine cabinet, or next to your bed, or in your purse, on the kitchen window…..

April 

Rebel Foods Market Stall Comfrey Creams

Rebel Foods Cookery Day 17 February in West Cork

Cooking is my stress reliever - I couldn't imagine going a day without spending at least some of it in the kitchen creating a dish out of the things I might have on hand. Of course, it is also the basis for a healthy diet and lifestyle...

So, this is the place for everyone to begin whenever you feel the need to make some positive changes in your life. I have mentioned it before how when I first got going with bringing my diet and eating habits into line, I made one healthy change each week.

And I started out in a simple way - with one meal at a time. For me, breakfast was the most logical place to start while it remains the easiest meal (in my opinion) to alter, while you can have great tasting foods on offer at the same time. 

It was the best place to start because, our first meal had become a disaster. When ever I think of each of the commercial 'foods' being pushed in our directions - and especially those geared towards breakfast - I see sugar, salt and fat filled meals. 

Cereals in a box, for instance, have long been known to be far less nutritious then the cardboard packaging they are in. Yet, how many people (and children) only feel they have time to open a box and little else each morning...

However, no meal has to sink below the water line when it comes to nutrition - and certainly not the first, most important meal of the day. If you would like to make, taste and know what a foodie slash nutritionist eats to start the day....

Come on out to see for yourself! 

Where: Leap, West Cork

When: Sunday 17 February 2013 (11am to 3pm)

How: contact April on 087 2361616

Cost: €40 for the class, food, recipes and notes

Why: Because this is the best place to start!

Perhaps it's time to make a couple of changes to your diet - what better way, than to be motivated with easy recipes, some fun with food and lively conversation.... getting back to what is real with a Food Rebel!

All growth starts with a seed....

Come on, Be a Rebel - Cookery Class with April Danann!!

Again this year I am happy to be offering a few cookery classes for anyone who would like to know a little more about what I am baking, making, cooking and eating. If you are in the West Cork, Cork or surrounding areas - come on out for some fun in the kitchen!

I refer to my style of being off the food grid as Rebel Food - because I make as much as I possibly can from scratch. In fact if I can't make it, we usually don't have it. But, as most things are so easy to make ourselves, this is rarely an issue. 

We eat very well without sugar, processed foods, chemicals, toxins or preservatives while gaining a deeper connection to the energy of the land and our own spiritual selves. Our food is the vital link to sustain us and build that bridge inwards.

Food is a dynamic thing - the seasons change, our tastes change, our physical needs fluctuate throughout the year....and the food we are eating should also shift and change with those requirements. Ours is such a basic approach to a healthy diet and really all about common sense.

When it comes to food in in the winter I like warming soups and stews, for instance. I also love hearty breads with cheese, jams and nut butters. Any of these dishes can be made day in and day out with variety, abundance of flavour and packed full of nutrients.

If you are needing a little boost to your routine, some recipe ideas to try out, wanting more support in the kitchen with your own creations - come on out and cook with me this week on Thursday or Sunday in Leap, West Cork.

Perhaps it's time to find the Rebel in you!

April

24 January 1pm to 5pm Leap, West Cork

27 January 11am to 3pm Leap, West Cork