Misty Zaugg's Blog, page 12

Miracle Weed! Not that kind of weed . . .

It’s fall here in the Midwest US, and that brings with it the yearly influx of wasps who swarm any open food containers you might to open outdoors, like trying to give the kids a snack or drink at the park.

So, what to do when someone forgets the adage of “Don’t bother them and they won’t bother you” and ends up sobbing over a burning sting or two?



This common yard weed is the miracle cure!

I know, I’ve mentioned plantain (not the banana-type) before.

But I thought I’d give you a better tutorial, so you can start using it with confidence that you’ve got the right stuff.

A rule of wild-crafting herbs (finding them growing in nature and using them) is to be VERY sure that you have the right plant.

Some poisonous plants can look similar to safe ones, like hemlock and wild carrots. Eeek!

Don’t worry about plantain, though. It is most commonly confused with dandelion – another yard weed that is edible, though it won’t help your mosquito bite much.

Here’s a quick lesson to identify plantain:



From the front:

Left: Dandelion – notice the “toothed” edges of the leaf and the “branching” veins – you can eat it, but it won’t help your injury.
Center: Plantain (Broadleaf) – smoother edges and parallel veins.
Right: Plantain (Ribwort) – smooth edges and parallel veins.
Note: Either type of plantain can be used, so grab whatever grows commonly near you.



From the back:

Easier to see the parallel veins of the two types of plantain versus the branched veins of the dandelion on the left.

Other tips to identifying plantain:

Look for the skinny flower stalks poking up above the grass and waving in the wind.
The leaves will be flat and low to the ground, spread around from the center of the plant.
It loves disturbed ground, sidewalk cracks and lawns where there is decent water available.
What do I do with these green leaves I just picked out of my lawn?


Smush them up into a green ball of mush
Apply it to the injury.
It’s that simple.

It’ll start drawing out the venom, swelling or infection immediately.

I’ve seen a screaming kid calm down in a minute or two after putting plantain on a wasp sting. My daughter put a wad in her cheek overnight and her swollen gum was flat by morning. Amazing!

In the kitchen, you can smash it with a fork or mortar and pestle.

Ahead of time, take a whole bunch and run it through a food processor with a little water. Put the green mush in a sandwich baggie – flat in the freezer – for fast and cold applications.

Or if you’re outside with a screaming kid, rinse the leaf off with your water bottle, pop it into your mouth, chew and put the resulting green wad on with a bandaid. I find the screaming pain helps distract kids from the grossness factor.

Plantain is the “drawing” herb and is our go-to for anything that needs to be pulled out of the body: bug bites, stingers, pus, infections, and even slivers.

In a post-apoc scenario, it would be my go-to to prevent/treat wound infections when anti-biotics aren’t available.

Who knew that a weed you’ve been trying to eradicate from your lawn could be so valuable?

Let me know if you’ve used it before. Or, if you give it a try. I’d love to hear how it works for you.

Misty’s Writing Update:

23k into the second book in our Storm series, Steph and I keep struggling not to make our chapters too long.

The problem is we both enjoy BOTH the action scenes AND the character’s struggling with the apocalypse and each other . . . which makes for long chapters.

So, I thought I’d ask you guys.

What do you prefer reading?

Long chapters
short chapters
I don’t really notice chapter length
And what about books?

Short < 200 pages or so
Average: 200-300 pages
Long: 300 – 400 pages
Epic: 400+ pages
I like any length as long as the main story has a satisfying conclusion.
Looking forward to seeing what you think!

Happy reading this week,

— Misty 🙂

Miracle Weed! Not that kind of weed . . .

It’s fall here in the Midwest US, and that brings with it the yearly influx of wasps who swarm any open food containers you might to open outdoors, like trying to give the kids a snack or drink at the park.

So, what to do when someone forgets the adage of “Don’t bother them and they won’t bother you” and ends up sobbing over a burning sting or two?

This common yard weed is the miracle cure!

I know, I’ve mentioned plantain (not the banana-type) before.

But I thought I’d give you a bet...

Carry a Weapon? Canes and Walking Sticks? Self-Defense Weapon Tip #4

Hi friends,

Quick question: Do you use GoodReads? If so, you can follow me here. Thanks for the support!

I’m glad you enjoyed the herbal ointment pics from last week and would love to see pictures from anyone who makes their own or has fun alternative/survival medical items they make and use.

And thanks to Sam and rebel_lady for a few additions to the rules of gun safety:

Know the backstop. Where will the bullet stop?If you don’t have the gun with you make sure it’s locked up securel...

100+ jars and tubes of herbal stuff – Lots of Pics!

Hi friends,

Thanks again for all the email feedback – especially after last week’s email about using guns for self-defense. Thanks Adam, Viet, Gene, Karl, Chris and Lynne for the great ideas, stories and info about guns!

Chris mentioned something I left out that is always crucial in any discussion about guns.

The three rules of gun safety:

ALWAYS Keep The Gun Pointed In A Safe Direction.ALWAYS Keep Your Finger Off The Trigger Until Ready To Shoot.ALWAYS Keep The Gun Unloaded Until Re...

Carry a Weapon? A Gun? Self-defense Weapon Tip #3

Funny thing – with how busy I’ve been, my herbal oil is just sitting in a pot and waiting to be turned into ointment.

I’m sure you all know what it’s like to have an over-flowing to-do list . . . well, to be honest, there are chores I avoid when I really ought to get them done . . . instead, I read a book or eat a piece of chocolate. But you probably know what that’s like, too.

Ever made herbal ointment? It’s pretty simple.

It’s the end of summer and time for me to make my big batch of herbal ointment. Now, since I’m the kind who loves to throw in every ingredient I think will help, my stuff is a bit more complicated that it has to be.

I thought you might enjoy a simple description on how to make your own herbal ointments. Homemade offers the following advantages:

You know exactly what’s in it.You can pick potent and fresh herbs to use.MUCH cheaper!!Can easily make a bunch to share with friends.

The basic ...

Carry a Knife? Self-defense Weapon Tip #2

I loved all the responses I got from you all about carrying a weapon and pepper spray specifically! I really enjoy your emails.

In fact, I’m adding a part 4: Improvised Weapons to this topic since you sent me some great ideas. Besides, I love the idea of using everyday objects for some impromptu self-defense.

Before we jump into discussing knives, I had one reader send in an experience about actually using pepper spray to fight off an attacker from a wheelchair! I’m inspired by stories lik...

Carry a Weapon? Pepper Spray? Self-defense Weapon Tip #1

As I write about characters surviving after society breaks down, I’ve been thinking about weapons and their uses in close-quarter attacks.

They can be game changers in a confrontation and can range anywhere from something improvised like a heavy handbag to an actual gun or knife.

But what should you consider before you carry one?

I decided to split this topic into a 3-segment piece and discuss pepper spray first, knives second and finally handguns.

Should you carry pepper spray for s...

What I missed on my Hurricane Prep List – thanks for ideas!

Thanks for all the emails and suggestions on preparing for hurricanes last week!

And for any of you hit by the storms in the Midwest, I hope you get power back soon and are surviving. Our prayers are with you!

And my hurricane prep list?

Turns out I forgot a bunch of stuff! Most importantly, three days of food and water is not enough.

. . . I should have known that!

Here are the additions mentioned by you awesome readers, followed by my original list.

I love how all of us have ...

Hurricane Prep 101 – Do you have these supplies?

Funny that we just started plotting out a hurricane/super-storm book series and my phone starts giving me updates on Hurricane Isaias. It’s a little eerie, especially when the pandemic hit just as we were finishing our outline for a viral apocalypse series.

Ummm . . . maybe my next series will be about an author that writes stories . . . only to find them coming true. LOL.

I thought I’d share some of the research I’ve been collecting on how to prepare for hurricanes – and ask for you to ch...