My Green Friends Don't Let Me Down (Bearded Dragon photos)

 Posted by Molly Sams

Warning:  part of this post will be about a reptile and have pictures of a reptile. If you don’t like them or you’re scared of reptiles, please skip this post. I promise there will be ones better suited for you soon. Thanks!

About a year and a half or so ago, I made a pretty wonderful decision to adopt a reptile. I wasn’t sure what to get until my friend Cristhian saw a bearded dragon on the rescue site. At the time his name was “Axew.” They also thought he was a girl at first.

I met him, was scared but also loved him, and decided to go through with it. At our second meeting I took the little man home after giving a donation of a whooping $60.

From there we got used to each other. I renamed him Randi, after the magician The Amazing Randi, because he aspired to be a tiny escape artist. Luckily for me, he wasn’t very good. 

After some trial and error I learned his favorite foods, proper lighting, and that he is really into snuggles.

Now he’s my best friend.

So you can imagine how absolutely distraught I was to see he had a lump on his adorable little cheek. It was a day off and I canceled an appointment and meeting a friend to whisk the small man away to an ER vet. There they said he would be fine until next week and I scheduled an appointment with my usual vet the following Monday.  To make this short, Randi is ok but is taking a lot of antibiotics and anti-inflammatories. The vet said to refrain from holistic remedies as his liver is too small and might not be able to handle it.  Because of this I’ve been smudging a bit while chamomile and holy basil teas are always on hand (for me).

While I was waiting for the vet to look at him they suggested I run some errands. I had seen a nursery on our way there and decided to stop by. 

I got there and just walking around put my mind at ease. Inside I looked at all of their water garden plants, listened to the fountains, and checked out their impressive bonsai tree collection.

Once I got outside I got to see some of my old friends. Yarrow, lavender, thyme, and echinacea were all there. Being around plants, new and old, helped me remember how to breathe. 

 

Every now and then I forget that plants have and always will be there for me.

 

 Be it by tea, by food, or by divinely showing up in front of me when I am at my most worried.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, thank your plants for being there. Give them a little more love today. Tell them how beautiful their blossoms are. Dust off your houseplants. Thank them as you harvest fruit. Because they have been there for us for as long as we can remember. And, luckily, they’ve stuck around.

 

Meeting Another Herbie in the Wild

posted by Molly Sams

Last weekend I went to Herman Gulch. It’s an out-and-back trail a little over seven miles in length. The trail is in Dillon Colorado (somewhere off of I-70) and it is absolutely stunning.

If you ever plan to hike it, be sure to hit the trail earlier rather than later. I prefer getting to the trail by six or seven a.m. at the latest. If you can, you may also want to go on a weekday to avoid the crowds. Bring your trekking polls and knee braces if your knees are anything like mine. You’re mostly going up-hill to the summit (which you think is the worst part). The downhill is what got me. Luckily there are plenty of places to take a quick water/stretching break. And I assure you, the trek is worth it. 

There were fields full of prairie-fire (Indian paintbrush), columbine, and giant hyssop. The trail was also lush with yarrow, spring beauty, and wild roses. There was even a small pica village at one point!

Much of the hike was next to a creek with waterfalls and it eventually led up to an absolutely stunning lake. Next to the creek there were plenty of quaking aspen and conifers. The entire hike was wonderful for all of the senses.

As we walked up I overheard a group looking at and identifying plants (Arnica is the major one that sticks in my mind). Unfortunately I was too out of breath to catch up to them. As we reached the summit I was able to say hello and chat.

I introduced myself to the woman that was identifying plants previously. She told me she was taught (I believe, but please don’t quote me) by Laurel Dewey. She told me how going on weed walks and learning plant identification had changed how she hiked and how she saw nature in general.

We parted ways when we made it to the lake so we could dip our toes in the water with those we had hiked with.

I wished I had gotten a picture, or a name, or anything, to reconnect with that lovely lady. But I am lucky. I am lucky to have had such a wonderful connection and discussion with someone that, at first, was a complete stranger. I love how herbs can lead you to these moments. Meeting other herbal enthusiasts, herbalists, herbies, or whatever they call themselves can create such a beautiful opportunity to learn. 

Sometimes you learn about new herbs, or recipes, or preparations. And sometimes you get to learn about the person and their life lessons. It’s often a beautiful connection. Something that is to always be cherished.

The Evolution of a Medicinal Cordial (ala TEH)

 I recently made a tincture that has turned out to be 5 years in the making.  Then I realized upon tasting it that it was a cordial.  The reason for posting this tale is to be publicly imperfect, and to express the real joy that medicine making is for me when making thing for my personal use.  It's assumed that if you're reading this blog, you are also making things (or wanting to) for your own use too. 

Let me start by saying that I stick a lot of stuff in alcohol when I run out of ideas.  Since there's just not much time or energy for drinking alcohol around here, it sits.  If it's fruit, it gets VERY tasty. The longer it sits, the better. If it's roots or herbs, it will eventually be strained.  I've read varying opinions.  For my own stash, again, I do what feels right.

I started with some beautiful Heal-All.  What I grow is Prunella grandiflora.  The vulgaris just couldn't get established here, so I made a spot in the garden and bought some nice plants.

Prunella vulgaris, the common self-heal, heal-all, woundwort, heart-of-the-earth, carpenter's herb, brownwort or blue curls, is a herbaceous plant in the mint family Lamiaceae.  There are lots of reasons to create medicine with this wondrous plant, including these properties:
Astringent
Antioxidant
Anti-viral
Drawing - Draws out infection
Expectorant
Lymphatic stimulant
Styptic
Wound healing
The styptic, wound healing, astringent properties (etc!) may make it very helpful for Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
... and lots of other things!  I will also be making a salve shortly.

When I came inside with a small basket full of Heal-all, there wasn't any available alcohol.  I located a bottle of "mixed berry blend" which means that I used alcohol for blueberries, gooseberries, and black raspberries.  It was dated 2017.  I poured it all into a new jar, covering the Heal-all.  Perfect.  A couple weeks later I tasted it.  It was sweet and delicious - but there was no reason for it to be sweet.  Found the bottle and on the back there was MORE labeling.  In 2020 I added some kumquat simple syrup!

So the end result is really remarkable.  It tastes wonderful and it would be easy to get most children to take it - not to mention me. 

Still need to add one more bit to this labeling to reflect the simple syrup. 

So that's how it can go around here.
Usually it's pretty straight-forward.  One herb, one menstuum, strained after about 6 weeks, bottled and labeled.  But every so often something magical happens, simply because I am unable to toss extra fruit that just begs to become something else.  Do yourself a favor and make some sour cherry cordial.  You're welcome!

Black Currant Jam

One of the fruits in our perennial food yard is Black Currants.  All the berries are coming in all at once here, and it gets pretty intimidating. 

Fortunately, my friend Becky informed me that if you wait until they're all ripe, you can cut the branches that hold the currants, because they grow on new growth next year.  That way, I can cut the whole thing and harvest it all at once.  Comfortably, instead of doing what I call "Berry Yoga" which involves stretching and squatting in the hot, hot sun.
That gets one of the berries out of the way in one fell swoop.  The gooseberries, blueberries, and raspberries are all out there right this minute, giving me a guilt complex.

I decided to make jam with the currants this year.  I've got lots of cordials and tincture, and gave some away, but it was time to use them for food.  Next year will be hard candy.

I looked up a lot of different recipes, combined them all, and came up with this:

BLACK CURRANT JAM
1 quart of currants (conveniently exactly what I had)
1.5 C water
3.5 C sugar
2 T lemon juice
~Heat the berries and water to a boil in a 3 quart saucepan.  Allow them to simmer for several minutes to get the currants soft and get the juices running. 
~Once they've softened, add the sugar and lemon juice, and stir well to be sure the sugar is dissolved.
~Continue heating at a good simmer until the mixture reaches 220 degrees.

Note:  A friend stopped by while I was in the final simmer stage, so mine simmered a good 20 minutes - longer than necessary - but it turned out great.

 

 

This makes 5.5 to 6 cups of jam.  I made a mistake and didn't have the right jars on hand.  That means I froze 4 small 1/2 cup containers.

I didn't process the jam because we'll be using it within a few months and it will keep well in the fridge.  If you want to, this has a high acid content, so it will do well in a water bath.

Now to make some scones. 
The currant jam is a delicious, distinctive, and somewhat strongly flavored spread.  I'm imagining the small portions in the freezer will be used for recipes (both sweet and savory) over the coming year.

how about some lavender syrup?

Isn't this an interesting color?

I had a request for some lavender syrup. It is made much like any of the others we've talked about here on the blog in the past. The herb is steeped for a period of time in hot water, strained, made into a simple syrup, and then a small amount of lemon juice added for flavor.
Lavender adds flavor but doesn't really impart much color.  I pondered and pondered, not really wanting to add anything artificial to the blend. Finally my eyes lit upon a handful of blueberries left from a pint I'd gotten at market. Adding about ONE berry for every 2 ounces of liquid, this is the smashing color that came of it. The lemon juice probably helped a lot. Oh - it tastes wonderful too!

2022:  Now I would add a couple butterfly pea flowers that would turn the liquid blue, changing into a nice purple when the lemon juice hit it.

People often ask me what you can use these syrups for. Some use them to make exotic cocktails. I don't drink much alcohol, so there are many other ways we use them here. They can be used as a sweetener any place that a little bit of an herb-y or floral flavor would be good.

Sweetening tea

Lightly drizzled over fruit and sprinkled with edible blossoms

Over ice cream

Pancakes

Crepes

Belgian waffles and cream...

See? They are good everywhere!

July August 2022 Issue - The Essential Herbal

 

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Cover, Tina Sams

Crossword Puzzle
We made it all about the content in this issue!

Field Notes from the Editor, Tina Sams
I always think things seem boring around here, but it’s all about perspective.

Herbal Happy Hour, Alicia Allen
Several refreshing, herbalicious cocktails with delightful noshes to go along with them.

Harvesting Your Herbs, Kathy Musser
Learn how to trim back and harvest without injuring your plants.

The Versatility of Yarrow, Kristine Brown RH(AGH)
Beloved Yarrow, a favorite of many herbalists, is profiled here. 

Book Review - The Intimate Herbal
New, unique, and full of good information!

Lavender Sachets, Marci Tsohonis
Several really cool ways to create sachets – pattern included for the patchwork.

Tincturing with Glycerin, Susanna Reppert Brill
We often talk about alcohol tinctures, but there’s another great way to create tinctures for those who prefer not to use alcohol.

Training Table Pasta, Marci Tsohonis
Garlic, olives, feta, sun-dried tomatoes… sign me up!

Cooling Beverages from Summer’s Bounty, Marcy Lautanen Raleigh
“Summer Weed Tea” anyone?  One of several ideas offered for brewing.

Herb Salt Blends for Health & Wellness, Jessicka Nebesni
Cut back on sodium while adding flavor and healthful ingredients.

Botanical Summertime Skin Care, Kristine Clay
Some super-helpful skin care ingredients that you might want to incorporate into your creations.  

Arnica Salve, Marci Tsohonis 
Arnica is one of those salves we really need to have around the house for aches, pains, and sprains.

Botanical Printing on Paper, Tina Sams
Printmaking 101, a very simple explanation of several methods to get a nice print from plants.

Meet Our Contributors
Our wonderful, generous writers.

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