Spring in a Cup

I've talked about how in my very early days of learning to work with herbs, I started a gallon jar containing pinches and handfuls of all the herb tea-worthy plants and flowers that I'd gathered and dried over a spring, summer, and fall.  It was included as an article in The Essential Herbal Magazine during the first year.  After adding just a few ingredients that didn't come from my yard, or woods, or the gardens of friends, the following winter was spent enjoying cups that never tasted the same way twice. 
It was a wonderful lesson in blending because not one cup was not enjoyable.
I highly recommend it to new herbies.  It will boost your confidence and teach you more than you'd imagine.  Researching all the additions, tasting them, recognizing their flavors or even sometimes their effects; all these things are learned in this pleasant exercise.

This technique is not for any specific medicinal value (obviously) but it can feel very symbolic drinking a cup while remembering finding a certain ingredient while hiking with a good friend, that perfectly sunny spring day when the violets were everywhere, or the beebalm bursting with blossoms under the hot summer sun.  
But I never had a specific list or pictures before.  These ingredients are kept in separate containers (because nowadays they are used for lots of different things) until used in a blend.

Today I set out to create a special tea for a project.  The day was one of those where a bit of snow is on the ground with a wintry misty mix attempting to fight through the dense fog that rests between the rises of the earth.  Gloomy.
This calls for Spring flowers, fruits, mint and more.  I will list the ingredients as I went along, and am proud to say that only a few were not hand-gathered and/or dried here in my kitchen and yard.

I started with the flowers.  This winter day definitely needed blossoms.  They included:
Whole violets, rose petals, lavender, elderblossom, chamomile, calendula petals, bee balm blossoms, and centauria petals.  Pretty and fragrant.
Next came the dried berries and fruits.  Home-dried blueberries (chopped), raspberries, pineapple bits, orange peel, and let's add minced ginger to this category.
To round it out, a couple handfuls of spearmint, a handful of lemon verbena, some holy basil, and a tiny amount of stevia.  Two crushed geranium leaves for fragrance and it was time to try a cup.

Nothing wrong with a pale cup, but in this case it needed more zing.

 

Hmmm.... needs a little body.  This is where the items that arrive here in bags come into the mix.  A small amount of vanilla bean, cardamom seed, and cinnamon bark round it out perfectly.

I'm always on the lookout for random containers.  You just never know...
The tea darkened with further steeping.  It tastes delicious.

Sometimes it can require many tastes along the way before a cup tastes just right, so it is very important to keep a notepad nearby to record as you go.  I was very tempted to add a little green or black tea, but refrained to keep it as much as my own ingredients as possible.  And I'm pretty pleased with the results.

Don't be afraid to blend up some herb teas. Just keep the quantity small, taste test as you go, and have fun. Two ingredients or twenty, it can be lots of fun.

Loose Incense

It has been a while since I've played around with the resins, woods, and herbs to come up with new blends to burn.  The weather has been extremely cold , yet over the last couple of days I've been running in and out the patio door, lighting the incense charcoal to test how such-and-such smells when burning, or how a blend of herbs meld together when smouldering.  This morning I was outside doing some last minute sniffing before even making coffee!  At the end of the post, I'll tell you why (besides just enjoying standing on a windy deck in not enough clothes while sniffing cinnamon burning.  Mmmmm...)

A month or so ago, my friend Jackie Johnson invited me to contribute to The Wisconson Herbalist (links to issues are at the extreme top of the page), a quarterly, free on-line magazine that she edits.  I chose to write about loose incense, something I've not addressed for publication for many years.  Getting my hands sticky with resins once again, it wasn't much of a jump for me to start dreaming up blends, even after the article had been sent and published.
There is something so pleasing to the senses about the color, shape, weight, scent, translucence, and slight tackiness of the various resins.  Irresistible lemony, smooth yellow orbs of copal look like they should be edible - and if they were, they should taste delicious.  Same with frankincense - but neither of them would be.  Shards of dragon's blood, still soft globs of pinon, rough and wildly varied in hue is the myrrh, and the powdery pale tan benzoin are all so unique and beautiful.
Although herbalists often make salves with the pitch from various conifers while it is runny and sticky, I much prefer it in a more solid state in order that it can be blended into incenses.  Last year I made a discovery that, although it requires patience, allows me to use all the small bits of pitch on the trees around me - even if it is gathered in a semi-liquid state.  It seems that if gathered and placed in the deep freeze for a year, it will remain as hard little pebbles.  Freeze-dried, I suppose.
YAY!  Local conifer saps are my favorites!
So it should come as no surprise that the best of the blends from the last month or so have made their way onto the website.  They are:

LUNA- sweet yellow sandalwood and rose geranium balanced with benzoin, brightened with lemon verbena and cardamom.
SUN GOD - a burst of summer from frankincense, cinnamon, orange, lavender, dragon's blood, sandalwood, etc.
COME SEE ME - there's a story to this one.  Many years ago we were invited to a hand-fasting and decided to make an oil for the couple.  Looking through Scott Cunningham's book on incenses and brews, we found "Come See Me Oil" made simply with lots of patchouli oil and a bit of cinnamon in a carrier.  It was a hit, and we later made a similar soap that we carried (along with the oil) at our renaissance festival shop.  Now it is an incense, but with the addition of myrrh, rose petals, and violet flowers.  It holds up well in incense too.
WIDE OPEN SPACES - clean and clearing, this blend is of white sage, lavender, and copal.  Perfect for clearing a mind filled with too many details.
They are available and ready to go right now!  Click HERE where you'll also find charcoal and burners.

why I like resolutions

Lots of people don't like making resolutions.  To them, it seems silly to choose one day to make changes.  I feel differently about it.  To pick one day means I have plenty of time to really ruminate on the intention, prepare in whatever way is necessary, and sort of re-set my mind.
This year there were several.  Two of them went hand in hand.
One was to get back to the eating habits that were started last year and stuck for 6 months.  The goal is to keep them longer, hopefully forever.
Another was to spend less time on the computer, less time on social media, and the time that is spent on the computer will be working or writing.
They are working very well together!  Eating healthier foods mean that there is a bit more prep time - so automatically there is less time for sitting and scrolling.  In turn, there is more energy.  Good deal all around.
Here are a few of the things I've been up to just this past few days...
The eating plan involves no wheat (and limited grains), no high-fructose corn syrup and very little sugar, no processed foods - so while last year I had some breakfast cereal occasionally, that's off the table this year.  I found a blend of amaranth, quinoa, and wild MN rice to which I've added pumpkin seeds, broken pecans, cranberries, and thinly sliced fermented lemons.  This does NOT feel like a sacrifice!

Cleaning out the fridge to make room for all the good fresh foods, resulted in finding not one, but 2 jars with kombucha scobies, so I'm attempting to revive them.  3 days in it isn't looking promising, but at least I'll know.  Making a new one from a purchased jar of the beverage is a simple procedure, and the space in the fridge is freed up.

Yesterday afternoon I went on a search for turkey tail mushrooms.  The offer of a swap for some chaga got me moving, and it was a good excuse to go tromping around in the woods.  It felt wonderful.  As an aside, apparently the deer in our woods have a special place to use as their bathroom.  A space about the size of my living room and dining room was just covered with deer poop, and it was about the only place I saw it.  It was really surprising - and the first time I've ever smelled deer poop in the woods,
Anyway, I got home with a large nearly-full market basket of many different colors of beautiful mushrooms.

 After weighing out the agreed upon amount and setting them aside, I got to work cleaning them.  It was a little tedious, but interesting in that the mushrooms grow around stems and sticks that climb through them.  The layers need to be separated so that any debris can be cleared.  When they were all cleaned, they were snipped into thin strips and then went into a warm (set as low as possible - 120 f here) oven for a few hours to dry up the dampness.  The processed mushrooms wound up being slightly less than a quart.
Turkey tail mushrooms are used in some Asian countries for many cancers and studies have found it to be a wonderful anti-viral, great for immunity, and a valuable medicinal mushroom in many ways.  Here is a good link that talks about some of the research.

A great day walking in the woods, away from the computer, and then getting to work with the gathered mushrooms - it doesn't get much better than that.  Towards nightfall, a very strong tea of the mushrooms was the reward.  Thinking that it needs a little zip, though.  Maybe a bit of elderberry and some ginger!
So that's part of why I like resolutions.  Change is fun.

Such Sweet Notes (feedback)

This was the week that we sent renewal notices for The Essential Herbal.  It's not a particularly pleasant job for me... "hey, um... you want to keep going?  or what?"  Sort of like hoping that your partner would want to do it all over again.  So it's always a big relief when most subscribers renew - and even better when they include notes.  Here are a few that I'd like to share... 

 *Your magazine keeps getting better every issue!
Tina and Maryanne, thank you for all that you do. (Emily TX)

*Enjoy your magazine. Very informative. (Elaine AL)

 *The only magazine I will keep this year. You gals rock!  (Irene OR)

*thanks for the renewal reminder!  I'd hate to miss an issue.  Love 
the magazine.  (Katherine NY)

*Still enjoying every issue.  This time of the year, it is so nice to 
sit with a cup of tea and your magazine--aaahh!  Thank you for all of your hard 
work so folks like me can enjoy the results:-)  (Susan LA)

It makes my day when someone takes a moment in that impersonal space of a website order to drop us a line.

Sample Issue - FREE - Jan/Feb '12

As our gift for the new year, we've put up last year's Jan/Feb issue as a pdf that you may download to read.  You are also welcome to share this link where ever you think herbies would be interested!  It is:  http://www.essentialherbal.com/documents/jan-feb-2012.pdf
We think this is the easiest way to let folks know exactly what we do here - by giving them a full sampling.

 

We've sent out The Essential Herbal's latest, Jan/Feb '13 issue, and have moved onto the Mar/Apr '13 issue, which will go to print by the end of the month.  
Take a moment to download and enjoy this full version sample from last year.  If you love it so much that you just must subscribe, you can do that quickly and easily by on our website, HERE 

Choose your crayon

I'm sitting here fairly tingling.  It will sound strange to some, but with the advent of the new year, I also got the huge gift of clearing up some thoughts that have been holding me back for a few years, and it feels wonderful!

You see, for years and years, there were all sorts of (we'll just call them) herbalists.  Some of my friends are very serious medicinal herbalists.  Some of them are very happy just taking care of their families, choosing to switch to allopathic medicine when it becomes that a situation is not self-limiting.  I have friends who know their stuff, but choose to use herbs mostly for cooking and decorative uses.  Some just like to garden. 

There were so many different crayons in the box, and not a one of them was superior to the other.
For years and years, that was just fine. 

Recently, it seems that there is a more narrow, specific accepted modality.  A specific sort of spirituality is often associated with it.  I've talked to very gifted herbalists who have become too intimidated by this situation to write anymore. 

Well I'm done.  I'm tired of this narrow definition.

Why?

Because people do the best they can.

Because I know too many people who don't eat in the prescribed way, but they still deserve to learn about herbs.  I ate at Sonic a few times this year.  Sue me.

I know too many people who do own TV's, and they watch them, too.  I'm one of them.

Because there's nothing wrong with whatever way a person chooses to come to herbs.  If they don't sense the Devas or think of the herbs as their personal allies, that's okay.  If they worship at the foot of a tree, that's okay too.  Everything in between is a-okay with me too.  Nobody starts out knowing everything, and I will not be making anyone feel like less because they don't.

Folk herbalism has sufficed for a long time.  If that's what people want to do - great.  If they want to spend their lives studying and learning as much as an MD - that's wonderful.

But I'm going back to the old way.  I'm not going to judge people by the way they live or the sacrifices they make.  It's too limiting, and too exclusive.  I'm getting too old to think that people should live in a certain way. There's a whole lot of gray between the black and the white.

You want to talk about herbs and have a little walk in the woods (or you're not "the outdoor type" but still want to talk about herbs)?  Fabulous!  That's what it's all about.  Every single crayon is beautiful in it's own way.

losing our words

In the last year or so, there have been essays written mourning the loss of penmanship due to everything being typed into computers.  We've been seeing articles fretting over the demise of proper language skills because of texting.  Those things are worrisome, but it's beginning to seem like they might just be scratching the surface.
Years and years ago, a college assignment was to write a short paper about the value of language.  Right off the deep end I went, writing about a village that had forgotten language and was burnt to the ground for want of the ability to communicate.  My instructor liked it enough to submit it for publication, and so began my life of rearranging words.  Never did I think that I'd be pondering the possibility of that happening, however.
The advent of e-mail meant that people could talk to others almost instantaneously all around the globe.  We all had an instant audience.  Initially, it seemed that people were writing much more than they ever had before.  It was wonderful.  An excellent example would be soapmaking.  We'd learned from a single (not so great) magazine article, and then a lot of trial and error.  Suddenly there was a screen that held all the secrets that had eluded us!  The sharing of information was beyond what any of us had previously imagined.  There was a lot of what was called "flaming" as people tried to learn how to speak to invisible, disembodied others and take into account all the kinds of folks would be out there.  Netiquette was born.  It was a good thing, but not easy at first.
Blogging begins, and again the sharing and learning and attempts at understanding other kinds of people is further underscored.
Then what we now call "social media" came into being.  I resisted for a very long time, and then fell right into step on Facebook.  I even tried Twitter for a short time, but the limit of (is it?) 120 or 140 characters, while sometimes amusing from a word puzzle standpoint, lost it's luster quickly.  Facebook devolved into a place where mostly we all click the "share" button to pass around something we like, or worse, we "like" something.  Liking something is akin to a grunt, really.  It says, "I want you to know that I care enough to acknowledge this, but don't really have a comment."  In marriage or other long-term relationships, it would definitely be a grunt.
I have been heartened to be included in a couple of private groups where actual conversation goes on, but it is not the norm.  The Yahoo lists that flourished for a decade are fairly flaccid now, and many people while still reading them, do not wish to respond.  It would seem that actually having to type out an entire sentence or paragraph is just too much.  I don't mean that in a sarcastic way.  It just feels that there is a societal shift to extreme brevity.

Maybe it's because we've all been burned in one way or another.  Had our ideas taken because we forgot we were talking to people we didn't know, gotten attacked for telling our story, or maybe it was just the sheer volume of talkers made many others feel that their contributions weren't of value.

I've come to miss the real conversations.  I miss people who were new to something inspiring others to look at it in a new way.  I miss the days when everyone's words had somewhat equal value.  More than anything, I hope that we don't lose our ability to converse, share ideas and knowledge, and express ourselves.  Here's hoping that the next change on the horizon (there always is one, isn't there?) will bring us back to our ability to communicate.

The beginning and the end...

Sometimes, much to the chagrin of the next generation here on the hill, I'm unable to restrain myself from getting mushy.  We had a graduation over the weekend, and I'm stuck on a long, long walk down memory lane.  My nephew might be miffed with this post, but the two of them have always been more like brother and sister, so no post about watching my daughter grow up could ever be complete without him.  We're so proud of them both.

He was the only one who could stop her tears sometimes, and would go to great 

lengths.

It is hard not to think about how it was to be in this place, with the siblings, as we walked into our grown up lives filled with  expectations, our arms and hearts wide open.  How quickly we went from our graduations to middle age and beyond!

Falling in ponds, driving 4-wheelers into trees, sharing a cloak...

Watching our kids get on with things is bittersweet.  They took forever to get here in the first place, and now most of our work is done.  My sister's son has moved on to a large city in the Northeast, working at a dream job with a brilliant career ahead of him.  My daughter finished school with a pretty great job in her field waiting for her.  Who knows what either of them might accomplish with their lives?  I am excited to watch them blossom.  My sister always reminded me that our job was to give them both roots AND wings, and it looks like we did that.

Molly's high school graduation with friends.

At her commencement last week, one of the speakers talked about the word "commence".  It struck me how it all depends on how one looks at it.  For so many years my one firm goal was to see that she got through school and had as many opportunities as I could possibly provide, so it felt like an ending.  But it isn't.  It is the beginning. 

Finally college.  Through thick and thin.

Fly, my sweet little bird - but don't forget your roots.

And so begins the 12th year - Jan/Feb '13

The Jan/Feb '13 issue of The Essential Herbal is in the mail, and pdf subscribers will receive the file on the 20th of this month.  We are thrilled with this issue as we begin yet another year.  Our cover is from Susan Hess of Farm at Coventry, who took the picture while making Bay Rum aftershave with the students of her Homestead Herbalism class series.  She sent along the recipe, too! 
Each year, I can't help but look back over the distance we've covered.  It's been a while since we've included a crossword puzzle, and we now have "The Vault", an epic collection of herbal newsletters spanning nearly 40 years from Bertha Reppert (gifted by her daughter Susanna of The Rosemary House) which, for this issue brings us a wonderful article from Jim Long.  We've got scores of recipes and herbal concoctions inside to get any herbie itching to get to work.  It's another good issue.
So here we go, folks.  Let's see how wonderful we can make another year!

Table of Contents for this issue:

Field Notes

When do we decide to claim our knowledge?

An Herbal Event, Carey Jung

It can only be called an event when Rosemary Gladstar puts out a new book, and Carey even obtained permission to include a couple of the recipes from the book!

Cornflower, Cindy Jones

More than the description of a color, this flower has lots to offer.

Collector of Stories, Jackie Johnson

Jackie shares some of the herb lore that we all love so well. She finds some unusual stories for some of our favorites.

Seedy Advice, Rita Richardson

At this time of year, just before we start to plant, seeds as food make tasty additions.

Book Excerpt, Andrea Butje

Natural grout scrub made with household staples and essential oils!

From the Vault, Folk Remedies, Jim Long

Years ago in Missouri, Grace Hudson traveled with her husband and family to logging camps, taking along her folk remedies and knowledge.

Cultivating Herb Enthusiasts, Jacquie Beveridge

How many times have we talked about finding other herbies nearby to learn with? Jacquie tells us all about the beginnings of the Florence (OR) Herb Enthusiasts, and how they’ve grown and grown.

Using Essential Oils in Melt & Pour Soaps,Joshua Thorne

For those who want to make fragrant soaps that include properties from essential oils and avoid using lye, melt & pour bases are the answer.

Herb Soaps with Melt & Pour Soap Bases, Tina Sams

How and why of adding herbs to soaps that can be used almost immediately.

Herbal Concoctions, Sandy Michelsen

Sandy’s resolution for the new year is to share her collection of herbal remedies far and wide. With this article, she makes a pretty good start with five simple ideas to get you motivated.

Midwinter Soups, Suzan T Scholl

Six delicious vegetarian soups that combine flavor with healing and comfort. What could be better for these short, dark days?

A Special Plant from the Pacific Northwest, Joe Smulevitz

A plant named Oplopanax horridus (“Devil’s Club”) doesn’t sound like it would be healing, and yet it has many beneficial properties.

Sweet Sleep Tea, Katie from Allure d'La Fleur

Reading in bed is fine, but when it turns to sleep deprivation, a good tea just might to the trick.

Crossword Puzzle, Herbal Medicine Chest

Curl up with the mag, a pencil (or pen if you’re bold) and have some herbie puzzle fun.

The Worst Soup in the World, Maryanne Schwartz

A family tradition that we (almost) all love.

Winter Interest in the Garden, Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh

Instead of looking out over the stark and often monochromatic landscape, try some plantings that will shine all year long.

Winter Rooting Tips, Susanna Reppert Brill

Start a little something going on inside now to hold you til spring.

SouthRidge Treasures, Skin, Hair & Bath Products at Home, Mary Ellen Wilcox

A bushel and a peck of treats for your winter-weary skin and hair.

Valentine Specialties from the Herb Garden, Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh

Some Valentine’s Day herbal creations to make, along with some herb lore!

Bay Leaf Garlands

the ingredients are so pretty...

The topic of bay leaf garlands came up yesterday, and since it's been a while since making one, it seemed like it would be a fun thing to do.  The dining room light fixture holds my collection of pinecones and leaves, but needed something a little festive for the holidays.

we're ready to go

First step is to gather the ingredients.  It would be wonderful to use fresh bay leaves right off the tree, but here in the Northeast, that isn't going to happen. 

Dried apples, oranges, and lemons are good additions.  Herbs and spices like cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods, rose hips, star anise , allspice, and dried ginger are lovely.  I happened to gather up the blossom ends (I think) from the persimmon tree this summer, and they are lovely, and some goji berries for color are nice too. Cinnamon, cardamom and rosehips need to be soaked before using.  Allspice too (although it isn't used here.  Soak star anise only as long as necessary or it will fall apart.

lemon slices flanked by persimmon stem caps and rose hips

I was going to try maqui berries, but they don't work.
Then, some strong hemp twine, a tapestry needle, and maybe some ribbon, and we're all set.

dried apple slices and cinnamon

For the end, I tied a good strong loop, and then tied a ribbon/bow there.
The trick to making these garlands quickly is to just jog up a handful of the leaves and spear them together.  Some will not be pierced and they will fall away as you work.  That's okay.
A plain bay leaf garland is gorgeous, but I can't ever leave well enough alone.  I teamed many of the ingredients together, although one would be hard-pressed to find anything resembling a regular pattern.

I added a wee lavender wand from last summer.

Because this particular garland was meant for a fixture with 5 candles, there are 5 segments with loops tied in almost even lengths along the way.

Finished and laid out on the table, ready to hang.

It's a little lopsided and the breaks aren't regular...

Perfect for me - a little odd.

In the end, I think that a solid garland of bay with some ribbons would suit this use best - but I like what came of it.

Have a Handmade Holiday

 Below you'll find links to many herbal crafting items,  This is a good representation of the kinds of things you'll find in The Essential Herbal magazine and our books.  We're about to start work on the 2nd 5 year volume as soon as the dust settles in January.  Gift subscriptions are always a great idea, by the way.  Perfect for last minute, too!

I hope you find something here that you'll enjoy making, and if so please feel free to share this list far and wide.  That's why we put it together :-)

 How to make a wreath

Body care products to make

bath salts and memory boxes

simmering potpourri

chai and sugarplums

tea blends and gel air fresheners

Incense paper

massage oil

vanilla extract

tea, spiced nuts, almond bark

spray and powder

sachets and eye pillows

herb kit and lip balm

pomanders potpourri and spicy ornaments

sweet treats for the belly and the skin

tub teas

pet gifts

more herb teas

air drying clay

crafting with kids

more sachets

neck coolers

potpourri

warming winter remedies

Marci's Fire and Ice Balm

"stuffed shirts" sachets

Note the links to suppliers (over on the right sidebar) who help support the magazine through advertising.  Check them out! 

Ornaments - our cold and humble beginning

Yesterday we were making a delivery to a rustic little shop, and passing by a basket of stuffed fabric ornaments, I reached down, picked one up, and sniffed.  Nothing.  Maryanne caught my eye, and we both chuckled ruefully as, in tandem, we remembered our very first days working together in something akin to retail.

There has been a cacophony of memories hitting recently, and as I write this, I suddenly realize why we were also hit with the need to sing the Schnitzelbank Song last night...

It all started with a class I was taking in college - PA German Studies, with C. Richard Beam, where we visited various businesses and people from the different Anabaptist sects that scatter our landscape here. The final for the semester was to choose from an offered list of local historic places and do a paper on them - how they survived, influenced the local economy, or other takes depending.  I chose Green Dragon Farmers Market - and found that it has an astoundingly rich and varied background, some of which is downright sketchy!  For instance, "the roadhouse years".  But I digress...

Upon hearing that the rental for a booth was something like $8, Maryanne and I decided that we would just have to take a booth.  Might I interject here that it was several decades before we really absorbed the fact that we don't HAVE to do something just because we CAN.
We made rustic stuffed fabric ornaments.  It was early November, we would be standing in the cold for 12 hours for a few Fridays, but we'd make a fortune.  We were young, strong, and none too bright.

We stood there watching while hoards of people picked up our ornaments and smelled them.  Then there were the folks who told us that their children had "made the SAME THING in kindergarten".  Oh the frozen smiles we acquired on those days.  And they really were frozen, by the way.  It was very cold.  I later figured out that I made about a nickel an hour.

There was a lot of fun in those days too.  We met some very interesting people, the likes of which were only superseded by our future co-merchants at the renaissance faire.  The food was wonderful, and we learned merchandising skills that stayed with us forever (#1 - when the guy in the next booth finds a wee stray kitten and feeds it chili, DO NOT allow him to put the kitten down on your table.  EVER.)  In the long run, I think getting a second "+" beside my A on the final paper made up for a lot.

So here we are 30 some years later.  Some of the ornaments remain, and I'm sure my sister has even more of them.  I just can't believe I sniffed that ornament.

It started with a stroll through the farmers market

This morning, we went to market looking for nothing in particular.  We were actually there to stop across the street to pick up some herbal products for Hurricane Sandy relief from our friend Sarah, but decided to see what was available at market.
For the first time ever, I found locally grown organic Meyer lemons.  Just sitting there as if they were nothing special.  With no plan in mind, I grabbed 6 of them.  A few booths down the aisle, one of the shopkeepers stopped us to show us the beautiful local honey, which, as it turned out is so local that it even comes from our zip code.  Again, whoosh - into the market basket it went.

Immediately upon arriving home, out came a clean mason jar, and I began to slice up a few of the lemons.  Every so often one of the delicious thin slices found its way into my mouth - rind and all.  A lovely jar of sliced lemons smothered with honey will sit in the fridge, waiting to be added to teas to soothe any cold or sore throat that the winter brings.

Eventually, my mind wandered to the lacto-fermented lemons that we made last year after attending a class at the SouthEast Women's Herbal Conference.  A lacto-fermented food that most of us are familiar with is sauerkraut, a veritable staple in our part of the country, and the benefit of this type of food is that they introduce good critters to our intestinal tract, boosting the immune system, among many other things.  The preserved lemons are easy to make, but I couldn't find the very simple instructions we used on-line, so...
Slice a few organic lemons very thinly, removing seeds as you go.
Sprinkle a tsp. of sea salt in the bottom of a mason jar, and then begin layering the lemon slices, adding salt between the layers.  In a pint jar, you'll probably use about 1/4 cup of salt.  Smoosh the lemons so that the liquid mixes with the salt, creating a brine.  When finished, the jar should be full with enough juice to cover the lemon slices.  Cover loosely with cloth or a coffee filter, and allow to ferment for several days to a week.  After that, add a lid and let it continue to ferment in the refrigerator (where it will take place much more slowly).
After a couple of months, the lemons were much too salty for me, so the jar has remained in the fridge and I haven't even checked them since.  Until today.

It seemed like perhaps mixing them with some honey would cut the salt (like honey roasted nuts) and the idea to remove a small amount and so that's what I did.  But first, I tasted them without honey, and found that a miracle had occurred.  In the last 6 months, they mellowed to a scrumptious lemon-y, zingy thing of beauty!
And then I added the honey.

Why or WHY have I never done this before?  It is wonderful!  Using approximately 3 parts fermented lemon to 1 part honey, the resulting amazingness is not too sweet, barely salty, and I could eat it by the spoonful.  Although I worried that the honey would make the lemons too sweet to be used with savory dishes, that is not the case.  It is a very versatile flavor, and I can imagine using it on almost everything - salads, fish, chicken, vegetables, rice... you get the idea.
So my advice is to get those lemon slices fermenting pronto!  You want to do this.

Going outside again, after the storm

It has been a long, gray spell here in the North East.  Hard to complain about gray when so many are cold, hungry and homeless after this storm (which, by the way you can help alleviate by visiting this registry on Amazon, ordering, and having it shipped directly to where it is needed... LINK) but after 10 days, it got to be too much.
Today we are participating with Possum Creek Herb Farm, on a blog hop that addresses the love of herbs.
 That got me out into the woods yesterday, even though it was so gloomy.  I'm so glad.  It's easy to forget how lovely everything is, and the weather mixed with slammin' business this fall have kept me from my usual autumnal rites of going into the woods often to bid adieu to the flora before it goes to sleep for the winter.  Here is a photo-tour of the walk...

I love to stand under the trees and look up to see the way the branches blend.

There is a fallen log that has grown this particular fungus for several years.  We haven't id'd it.

This is the same fungus as above, but older.  Anyone recognize it?

This well weathered, honey-combed piece of wood sat next to one of the shrooms.

Another log serves as a turkey tail nursery.  These are no bigger than a fingernail each.

The other side of the log was covered with more mature specimens.

Another (new to us) fungus.  No clue.  Anyone?  This is about the size of a cauliflower.

All over on the ground, black walnuts.

Next spring, the creek's banks will be awash with wildflowers.  G'night creek...

Goldenrod seeds cling to the plant for now.

More tree-gazing...

Rhododendron blooms unperturbed by the weather.

One last look skyward before heading inside to work.

The sun broke through today (finally) and we might have a little sun before the next storm heads up the coast. I will spend some time outside!

Just Waiting for the Sun

We got through Hurricane Sandy with very little damage.  One of the trees in the windbreak came down beside the house, but one can hardly complain about such a minor thing when so many have lost so much.  My personal challenge was to extricate my stubborn daughter from her apartment in Brooklyn ahead of the storm.  With only one or two train runs left out of the city, she was finally headed home, and after that the rest was gravy.

I'd like to post a couple of links if you're interested in helping. 
First is a listing of great links gathered by Brian Williams at Rock Center.
Additionally, Occupy is getting out there on bikes, helping to clean up as well as feeding and clothing folks.  Here is their link.

In the coming days, there will be much needed and many ways to help.  Although this is going to be a hugely expensive storm in the end, there will also be non-monetary needs.  We all have talents and skills that we can send their way along with our prayers, best wishes, and love.

Here Comes Sandy!

Here at The Essential Herbal, we've battened down the hatches to the best of our abilities and are prepared for this mega-storm barreling up the coast towards us.
I wanted to let our friends and customers know that we are pretty much expecting to lose power for some period of time within the next 24 to 36 hours, and will be unable to access the internet.  During that time, our website will accept orders, and you'll even get a confirmation email, but we will not see the order until the power returns.  As soon as things are back up and we're ready to ship, you will get another email from me to let you know.  On the other hand, everything may be just fine - you never know.  We're preparing for whatever may come.
So - shop at will, but know that it may be some time until it ships. 
Thanks for your patience, and stay safe and warm everyone.  We hope for the very best for all of our friends along the East Coast.

My Very Own Horseradish - first harvest

Several years ago a friend sent me horseradish roots.  I managed to kill them, although many say this is neigh on impossible.  Then in 2011 when horseradish was the herb of the year, it seemed fitting to plant some (again) and into the ground it went. 
This year, I was making some of that wild fire vinegar that goes by many names - Fire cider, Cyclone cider, Master Tonic - whatever.  It's filled with garlic, onions, some hot peppers, horseradish, and I also add about 1/4 - 1/5 raw honey.  This year, everything that went into the apple cider vinegar was homegrown or a gift from someone who grew it except a little turmeric.  A little bit of this stuff pretty much scares the viruses right out of you.  I really like that.

So anyhow... back to the horseradish.
Wait.  First I have to show you this cool shovel.  If you've ever found yourself hopping up onto the shovel to get it into the ground, and then hopping up again as if you're swinging from a playground pole and not making much headway to boot - this is a great shovel (made for women) that comes in 3 different lengths.  It is AWESOME and comes from Green Heron Tools - a small, women-owned business here in my home state of PA.

Okay, so out I go to dig up just a little bit of the root.  Pulled up two of the four crowns in no time and returned most of the roots to the ground because I didn't really need or want much right now.

I have to tell you that when asking the circle of herbies how to process horseradish, my friend Lou said that she dons (did she say gas mask?) eye protection and gloves, and takes the whole kit and kaboodle outside.  She's a hard working lady, so I really should have listened.  Really.  But no.  It's only a little, right?  Well grinding it in the kitchen made that area of the house a biohazard for about an hour while things settled down.  Smells good, but wickedly strong.  The oils in the fumes burn the eyes.  Outside next time!

Here's what's left after the rest went into the vinegar.  We're set for the year.