Herbalism for the Zombie Apocalypse
Episode I I am an everyday woman amidst this crazy zombie world. I like knitting gun cozies in my spare time, hunting zombies with my dog, and brewing healing teas to support my family. I rely on herbs, mostly the ones I can find rather than ones I grow, to care for my family. I […]
Putting Food By by Ruth Hertzberg, Janet Greene and Beatrice Vaughan
Best Audience for Putting Food By: Beginning to Experienced Homesteaders, Homemakers, and folks who practice the food-preservation arts Candace said: Wow, Putting Food By is thick with solid facts and practices for preserving a host of different foods. Some of the recommended practices are more stringent than I’ve practiced, but I’ve been known to take […]
Strawberry History, Folklore, Myth and Magic
Although strawberries have only relatively recently been cultivated in Europe and western cultures, beginning around 1300 C. E. in France, folk all around the world have used strawberries for a variety of purposes for centuries. In South America before the Europeans arrived, strawberries were traded. North American First Nation tribes used strawberries as medicine, particularly […]
How to Make Incense Sticks
Homemade incense is easy to make. When my son was young, he loved making incense. We learned this technique for making homemade incense sticks using our loose incense from my friend Dawn at Dawn’s Enchanted Garden and have since modified it slightly to accommodate the resins available to us. I’ve provided specific quantities to give […]
Oregon Grape History, Folklore, Myth and Magic
Oregon Grape’s history as a medicinal plant in North America, particularly in the Pacific Northwest, is clear and undisputed. Oregon grape was used by many First Nation Tribes and later by European colonists for a wide variety of healing purposes. Folklore and myth regarding this plant, however, is far less clear. Introduced to Europe by […]
Coffee Brewing – How-to
One important key to making great coffee is to choose coffee you love. Using this process, the scent and the flavor of your beans will shine as will any unbalance or flaws. Experiment with the best quality beans you can find. Pay attention to the characteristics you like best and to which varieties satisfy your palate. Ignore any coffee experts who try to tell you what you should or shouldn’t like. Coffee is highly personal.
Turkish Cardamon Syrup
Cardamon syrup is a great digestive for a variety of coffee, tea, and cocoa drinks. I use just a dab in my latte, chai and iced coffees to add a hint of floral sweetness and to help my stomach better tolerate the dairy. I like it so well that I’ve been known to stir a wee-bit into my non-dairy coffees, teas, and cocoas as well.
Yarrow History, Folklore, Myth and Magic
Yarrow’s virtues as a healing herb have been well known since ancient times. It’s Latin name, Achillea millefolium, is derived from the Greek Hero Achilles, who was said to rely on this humble herb to heal his warriors on the battle field. It’s been used in Western Europe and China as a tool for divination […]
Chickweed History, Folklore, Myth and Magic
Found in pre-neolithic dig sites in Great Britain, native to Europe and naturalized through out much of the world including North America, used worldwide for a wide variety of complaints, chickweed’s prolific and steadfast qualities have earned her a smaller place than she deserves in world mythos and folklore. She shows up in some of […]
Nettle History, Folklore, Myth and Magic
Nettle has long been recognized for its bounty of nutrition as well as its sting. Folk medicine and lore worldwide attributes the powers of protection and fertility to this incredible plant. Wisdom handed down from ancient times includes advice on using nettle to protect one’s self from lightning, to enhance fertility particularly in men, to […]
Dandelion History, Folklore, Myth and Magic
The healing ways of dandelion spread as quickly as its seeds parachute in the wind. The Chinese were the first to describe dandelion’s medicinal virtues in purifying the blood and increasing the immune system. By the eleventh century, Arabic cultures were sharing its use to treat troubles of the liver and kidneys. Soon all of […]
Medieval Herbalism: Intro. to European Herbalism
Medieval Herbalism: Introduction to European Practices and Salves, Expanded Notes European herbalism in the middle ages, roughly 1300 AD to 1600 AD, encompassed a diverse set of folk beliefs, regional recipes, and practices. Social stratification, particularly in the late middle ages when trade offered the wealthy access to imported spices through well-established and growing trade […]