Dying Easter eggs using plant-based dyes is a tradition in Eastern Europe. It’s so easy to do, and everyone should give it a try at least once! To create these gorgeous eggs you need some herbs and colorful veggies. You can use spinach leaves, beets, red cabbage, or onion skins for the dyes. As for the designs, herb leaves work well, or you can go outside and look for interesting leaves and plants. What better way to welcome spring than with some natural Easter eggs decorated by Mother Nature herself? Let’s get started!

Supplies:

1) A dozen eggs

2) Vegetables, fruits, and spices (red cabbage, spinach, carrots, onion skins, blackberries, blueberries, paprika, and turmeric are dyes that work well)

3) About 1 1/2 cups of white vinegar

4) Salt

5) Leafy herbs or fresh leaves that you’ve found outside

6) Two pairs of sheer stockings, cut into tubes

7) Pots (each dye will need its own pot)

Step #1:

The first step is to make your dyes. To make a green dye, add about 5 cups of water to a pot with 1 pound of fresh spinach leaves. Add in a pinch of salt and bring it to a boil. After it starts boiling, turn down the temperature to a simmer. Allow the dye to simmer for 1 hour. If you would like an orange dye, add about 5 cups of water, 10 carrots, 5 tbsp of paprika, and a pinch of salt to a pot. As before, bring it to a boil and then turn down the temperature to a simmer for 1 hour. For a blue dye, do the same using 1 whole red cabbage. If you’d like a reddish-brown dye, use onion skins (you need about 5-6 onions worth of skins). For a pink dye, use beets (about 3 cups). If you want your dye to be yellow, use turmeric (2 tbsp). When your dyes are ready, strain the vegetables and fruits, leaving only the liquid. Pour your dyes into a measuring cup to see how much dye you have. For every cup of dye, you need 3 tbsp of white vinegar. When you’ve measured out the amounts of dye, pour the dyes back into their pots and add the required amount of vinegar.

Step #2:

Once you have made your dyes, it’s now time to decorate your eggs! Rub a paper towel soaked in vinegar over each of the eggs. Place an herb leaf on each egg and arrange it any way you want. Take a stocking tube and place the egg inside the tube. The stocking will hold the leaf in place. Tie the ends of the stocking and repeat this process with all your eggs.

Step #3:

Place your eggs in the dye pots and boil them for 10 minutes. When the 10 minutes are up, take them off the heat and allow them to cool completely. Place them in the fridge overnight. If you’d like them to be a pale color instead of a vibrant color, keep the pots in the fridge for 1 hour.

Step #4:

When the eggs have reached the shade you like, you can take them out of the stockings and place them on a wire rack to dry. When the eggs have dried, you will notice that the colors may not seem so bright. To make them shiny, you can rub a tiny bit of oil over them to bring out the beautiful colors.

Photos: Adventures in Cooking, Craft Hubs, Indulgy.

Apple cider vinegar is all-natural and can be used for so many things around your home. It can be an all-purpose cleaner, room deodorizer, flea treatment for your pets, and it’s a great immunity booster! Take a look at these 8 ways to use apple cider vinegar and you’ll never see apple cider vinegar the same way again!

1) All-Purpose Cleaner

Ditch the chemicals and try out this all-natural cleaner! We’ve mentioned vinegar cleaners before, and we’ll mention them again since we love them so much! Apple cider vinegar is antibacterial and odor absorbing, making it great to use around your home. It’s safe for pets and humans alike, so mix up 1 part vinegar and 1 part water in a spray bottle and use it wherever you need to!

2) Get Rid of Odors

If you’ve got some bad odors lurking around your home, there’s an easy way to get rid of them! Place a shallow bowl with apple cider vinegar where your odor is the strongest. Leave the bowl there until the smell is gone.

3) Pet Flea Treatment

Dilute apple cider vinegar with water (1 part water, 1 part apple cider vinegar) and rub the mixture into your pet’s fur. It’ll help keep those nasty fleas at bay without the use of harsh chemicals!

4) Erase Warts

Soak a cotton ball in apple cider vinegar and apply it to the wart. Use a bandaid to hold it in place overnight. Repeat these steps and your wart will be gone in no time!

5) Add it to Your Soups

Apple cider vinegar is not just for salads! Add it to your favorite vegetable soup for a kick!

6) Use it in Baking

Adding apple cider vinegar to your baking recipes will enhance the flavor of all the ingredients. Don’t worry, you won’t be able to detect any apple cider taste in your cakes!

7) Detox!

Add a tbsp or two to your meals to help build up your immune system. Doctors believe that adding apple cider vinegar into meals also helps improve lymph circulation.

8) Make Juice

Everyone knows that adding a spoon of apple cider vinegar to your water is great for your health, but why stop there? Add it to your grapefruit juice or grape juice for a boost!

Photos: Ebay, Inhabitat, Painter 1, Fan Pop, Teeth Health x, Food Network, Fine Cooking, Making Thyme for Health, Huffington Post.

To get started on harvesting dandelion roots, it’s best to harvest them from late fall to early spring. At this time the plant is dormant and it has stored energy in the root. If you are using the root for medicine, many people say harvesting the root in the fall is best. The levels of inulin (insoluble fiber) are higher, and the fructose levels are lower at this time. In the wintertime, the inulin converts to fructose, and this makes the roots in the spring more palatable for eating. In the spring, the roots are less bitter and chewy, and be sure to dig them up before the plants blossom

How to Dig Up the Roots

To dig up the roots you can use a dandelion digger or a fork. Try not to damage the root, as you don’t want to lose too much sap. Rich soil will yield the  thickest roots. Harvest dandelion roots from areas that haven’t been sprayed or treated with chemicals. When selecting which plant to dig up, pick ones that are large. Small plants have small roots, and they aren’t really worth harvesting.

How to Preserve the Roots

You can use dandelion roots fresh for cooking and medicine. If you want to store them for longer, you can dry them. Scrub the roots well before cutting them. If you have thick roots, slice them lengthwise into evenly thick slices. This will encourage them to dry evenly. You can use a dehydrator to dry the roots until they’re brittle. If you don’t have a dehydrator, you can place the roots on a screen and in a cool, dry location that has good air flow. Dry them for 3-14 days until they are brittle. Your dried roots will be good for a year.

How to Use Your Dandelion Roots

To extract the medicinal compounds from your dandelion roots, you need to make a tincture. To do this, place your dandelion roots in a jar and cover them with 40% vodka. Cover the jar tightly and allow the roots to steep for 4-6 weeks. When the time is up, strain out the roots and store in a dark glass bottle. Add a label and date it.

If you want to make a decoction, place 1 ounce of dried roots (or 2 ounces of fresh roots) in a pan with 1 pint of water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, then strain and toss away the roots. You can use decoctions to make healing teas. Dandelion root is well-known as a detoxifying agent, but you can also use it to treat cellulite, hangovers, and arthritis. Don’t consume dandelion root if you have an irritable stomach or bowel.

Photos: Third Culture, Hencam, Common Sense Home, Daily Hiit, Healthy Green Kitchen.

We’ve decided to ditch the store-bought deodorizers in favor of natural, home-made ones. Free of any toxic chemicals, they’re completely safe for you and your pets. These natural home deodorizers can be made in almost any combination. Simply add the ingredients (cut any fruit into slices ) to a pot and fill 3/4 of the way with water. Bring to a boil, then lower the temperature down to a simmer. Leave the scent to simmer for a few hours, adding water as needed. If you like, you can use a crock pot instead of using the stove. You can also freeze the scents for future use. Remember, there are no measurements in these recipes! Experiment a little to find which scent suits you best.

Here are a few recipes to get you started:

1. Cinnamon sticks, orange rinds, apple peels, and whole cloves.

2. A few drops of vanilla and orange peels.

3. Lime, coconut oil, and vanilla.

4. Oranges, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and vanilla.

5. Rosemary, lavender, and lemon.

6. Cedar twigs.

7. Lemon, black peppercorns, and basil.

8. Earl Grey tea and vanilla extract.

9. Lemon, peppermint extract, and rosemary.

10. Orange and almond extract.

Photos: Day Break Houses, Eliza Domestica, A Joyful Dwelling.