This recipe was featured in the 7NEWS morning newscast on Sunday, Jan. 6.

Combine your favorite dried herbs to make sumptuous herbal baths for soaking tired feet. You can mix the herbs into a container and provide a cotton bag to scoop the herbs into, or you can package the foot bath herbs individually.

Bulk dried herbs are available at local health food stores or at the sites listed below. Muslin bags with drawstrings are available from culinary stores or from the mail order sources listed below. I prefer to make my own fabric bags, it is simply a matter of sewing 2 pieces of fabric, 5 inches by 5 inches together on 3 sides.

Fill bags with 1/4 -1/3 cup of the dried herbs. You can secure the top closed with a piece of ribbon or string.

The directions are easy:

Boil 2 quarts of water, place herbal foot bath bag into the water and let it steep for several minutes until water is cooled enough that it is warm and comfortable for a relaxing foot soak. Pour the herb infused water into a commercial foot bath or a bowl large enough to accommodate both feet. Place used bag in a plastic zip lock bag in freezer. You can use it once more before discarding the herbs.

Suggested Combinations:

1 cup dried orange or lemon rind (or a combination of the two)
1/2 cup dried lavender flowers
OR
1/2 cup dried peppermint leaves
1/2 cup dried rosemary leaves
1/2 cup dried nettle leaves
OR
1 cup dried rose petals
1 cup dried chamomile flowers
1 cup dried lavender flowers

You can visit Christine's Web site for a list of classes.

Lavender Lane
(888) 593-4400 Toll Free
www.lavenderlane.com has an online catalog

Mountain Rose Herbs
800-879-3337

Previous Christine Blume Recipes:

• December 12, 2001: Recipe For Bath Bombs
• November 26, 2001: Learn How To Make Bath Salts And Crystals
• November 7, 2001: Recipe For Homemade Chai Mix
• November 5, 2001: Recipe For Radically Healing Lip Balm
• September 26, 2001: Linen Sprays, Spritzers Or Perfume
• March 17, 2001: Learn To Make Solid Perfumes, Cuticle Balms