Kiwi and papaya face mask

By James Wong

1 kiwi fruit, peeled
juice of 1 lime
1/2 papaya
2 sachets vegetable gelatine

1. Mash the kiwi fruit through a sieve into a bowl. Add the lime juice to the kiwi mixture.
2. Scoop the seeds from the papaya, and mash the flesh on a chopping board using a fork (this makes it slightly easier to press through the sieve). Press the papaya through a sieve into a separate bowl and mix with the vegetable gelatine using a fork.
3. Put the bowl with the papaya mixture over a saucepan of boiling water and stir constantly until it forms a wallpaper-paste consistency. Take off immediately and continue to stir. Add the kiwi fruit juice slowly, bit by bit, stirring all the time. Leave to cool.

USE When cool or lukewarm, apply the gel to face, avoiding the eye area, and leave for 10 minutes to 1 hour.Wash off with warm water.

STORAGE Most effective when used as soon as possible. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours.

Hops pillow for insomnia

By James Wong

For a pillow about 32 x 23 cm:
4 handfuls dried hops flowers
4 handfuls dried lavender flowers

1. To dry the hops and lavender yourself, tie them in bunches and hang upside down in a well-ventilated space out of direct sunlight for 2 weeks. Alternatively, place in a low oven (about 100C) for 30 minutes or so until dry and crispy. Strip the flowers off the larger or harder stalks.
2. Put equal handfuls of dried hops and lavender flowers into a cotton pillowcase, and seal the end.

USE: Place the pillow under or beside your head to induce sleep.

Goji berry and chicken soup for colds and flu

By James Wong

2 tbsp dried echinacea root
200 ml water, freshly boiled
5 tbsp goji berries, fresh or dried
2 litres chicken stock (homemade or from stock cubes)
3 chicken thighs or drumsticks (preferably organic)
2 large onions, peeled and sliced
12 shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
10 cm root ginger, peeled and shredded
2 fresh medium-sized chillies, finely sliced
8 garlic cloves,chopped
extra sliced ginger and chillis, to serve

1. Combine the dried echinacea root with the water in a bowl to make a simple infusion. In another bowl, pour just enough cold water over the goji berries to cover, and leave to rehydrate. Set the echinacea and goji berries aside and leave to stand.
2. Place the stock and chicken pieces in a large pan or slow cooker. Add the sliced onions, mushrooms, ginger and chillies and place around the chicken in the pan. On a very low heat, simmer gently for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, or until the chicken is tender and falls apart. Take off the heat.
3. Five minutes before serving, add the goji berries and chopped garlic. Finally, strain the echinacea infusion and add this to the soup, reheating if necessary.
4. Serve by ladling into bowls and garnishing with sliced ginger and chilli for an extra kick.

USE: Makes enough for 4. Can be eaten with noodles, if wished.

Syrup of figs for constipation

By James Wong

18 g dried senna pods
100 ml boiling water
8 fresh figs, quartered
100 g sugar
Juice of 1 lemon

1. Place the senna pods in a glass bowl and pour over the boiling water. Leave to steep for about 30 minutes, then strain through a sieve or piece of muslin into a blender.
2. Add the figs and sugar to the senna infusion and whizz until smooth.
3. Pour into a saucepan, and heat slowly to reduce, stirring occasionally. You want to end up with a thick, glossy sugar-like syrup - this will probably take about 25 minutes. Add the lemon juice and stir in well.
4. Take off the heat and pour the syrup into a sterilized 150 ml bottle.

USE: Shake well before use. Take 2 tsp before bed when needed. Don't use for more than a few days at a time, or if you have severe abdominal pain.

STORAGE: Keeps in the refrigerator for 3-4 weeks.

Lavender bath bomb

By James Wong

5-6 fresh lavender sprigs
1 tbsp citric acid powder
3 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
10 drops lavender essential oil
1 tsp plant-based oil (vegetable or almond oil)

1. 1. Heat the oven to 180C. Once it has reached that temperature, turn it off and place the lavender, hanging upside down, in the oven to dry for about 2 hours. When dry, remove the flowers from the stalks and set aside.
2. 2. For the next stage you need to make sure that the bowl you are using, and your hands, are completely dry - otherwise the bomb will start fizzing. In a glass bowl, mix the citric acid and bicarbonate of soda together. Add a few drops of lavender oil and 1 tsp dried lavender flowers, along with the vegetable or almond oil. Mix everything together with a metal spoon.
3. 3. Place the biscuit cutter on top of a sheet of baking paper. Put the mixture into the biscuit cutter and press down with the back of the spoon. The oil now needs to evaporate so the bomb can set as a dry, hard block - leave for a minimum of 30 minutes and preferably overnight.

STORAGE: Store in tin foil to keep out moisture.

VARIATION: If you are making this with kids you can add 1/2 tsp of edible glitter into the mix to create an even more dramatic effect.

Elderflower throat lozenges

By James Wong

10-15 fresh elderflower heads
12 eucalyptus leaves
2 tbsp linseed
3 tsp dried elderberries
1 cup Gum Arabic
2 cups icing Sugar
4 cups hot water

1. Firstly, put about 10-15 elderflower heads into 3 cups of freshly boiled water to create a basic infusion. Add 2 tbsp of linseed and 12 eucalyptus leaves and leave for about an hour. It's ready when the pure watery liquid starts to have a similar consistency to egg white.
2. Whilst it's infusing, use a pestle and mortar to break up a cup of Gum Arabic into the smallest pieces you can - this is so it dissolves as easily as possible. Into that add 3 tsp of dried elderberries and crush.
3. Next, add the Gum Arabic mixture into a cup of hot water. Stir using a spoon until the granules of gum have turned into a thick, treacly jam-like consistency.
4. Strain the infusion, and add a cup and a half of it to the Gum Arabic mixture. Next, add 2 cups of icing sugar and mix; the sugar acts as a preservative and gives it body.
5. Place it on a low heat and stir continuously for about half an hour until it gets to a really thick, syrup-like consistency and starts to come away from the sides of the pan. You can also test by pouring it with the spoon and touching it; if it doesn't stick to your finger it's ready, but do be careful as it could be hot.
6. Finally pour onto a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper and leave to set. When it's hard it's just a case of bashing it until you get the right size pieces!

STORAGE: Coat the lozenges with icing sugar to stop them sticking together, and to take out some of the moisture.

VARIATION: If you want to make a cough syrup instead of lozenges, just add half the amount of sugar.

Marigold gel for acne

By James Wong

10 rose geranium flowers, with leaves and stems
8 marigold (Calendula officinalis) flowers
20 lavender flowerheads
200 ml water
1 sachet vegetable gelatine
5 tsp vodka
20 drops tea tree oil

1. 1. Roughly chop the flowers, leaves and stems of the rose geranium and place with the marigold flowers and lavender flowerheads in a large glass bowl.
2. 2. Bring the water to the boil and pour it over the flowers to make an infusion. Leave to infuse for 10 minutes, or until the water has taken on the colour of the flowers. Place the infusion, including the plant material, into a blender and whiz. Strain the mixture through a piece of muslin into a clean bowl.
3. 3. Now, in another bowl, dissolve the gelatine in 2 tbsp cold water. Gradually add the flower infusion, stirring to separate lumps. Add the vodka and tea tree oil, stirring until a gel is formed. Using a funnel, pour into a pot with a pump dispenser.

USE: Apply to affected areas 2 times a day, or as frequently as needed.

STORAGE: Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 6 weeks.