Soup – published in advance

January 20th, 2010

The soup I’m making this Friday is similar to one I’ve made many times before.

The night before soak about 3 cups garbanzo beans. Cook until just soft, about an hour. A few hours before dinner, start with a lot of onions sauted in olive oil. I’m making a couple gallons, so at least 1 and a half large white onions. I’ll add 4-5 cloves garlic. Add about 8 cups water, and 3 cans of diced or whole tomatoes, and the cooked and strained garbonzo beans. Green peppers, carrots, a bit of red cabbage, broccoli, chard, kale, and collards can all be added or choose a few of these vegetables.

Let that cook for about an hour, until the veggies are soft. If you want a thick soup, before you add all the garbanzos reserve a couple of cups and mash them before adding to the soup.

Cook a generous amount of pasta (spaghetti or other noodles) and add a few minutes before serving. Also add a bag of frozen corn. Season with salt, basil or oregano, and a dash of cayenne if desired.

Serve with some sliced scallions on top. A nice filling soup with the fun of pasta.

Posted in food, recipes | 1 Comment »

And now I’m caught up on back tweets…

January 18th, 2010

Follow my tips and ideas on foraging and medicinal foods twitter.com/wildcrafting
And with this post, I’m caught up – next post will be the current tweets.

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Harvested about 30 pounds of Jerusalem Artichokes. They are kind of wild – they grow where I don’t want them and come back every year. 5:15 PM Nov 5th, 2009
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If you have greens that are tasty but bedraggled make them into herbal vinegars. http://www.holisticwisdom.org/hwpages/herbalvinegars.htm 12:33 AM Nov 4th, 2009 *****
Found what I believe is garlic mustard. Right place, right shape, more mustard than garlic taste, didn’t know it would grow 3 times in 1 yr. 5:00 PM Nov 3rd, 2009
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On my walk I found bee balm just beginning to regrow. It was very fragrant so easy to ID. Picked some to season dinner. Similar to oregano. 4:59 PM Nov 3rd, 2009
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Hickory nuts. Plenty of trees in and around Ann Arbor. Gather, crack with a hammer of shoe, pick out the meat, enjoy. They also freeze well. 9:03 PM Nov 2nd, 2009
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Also made it through my first frozen gallon of maple tree SAP. That worked really well. Took freezer space but otherwise very easy. 8:08 PM Nov 1st, 2009
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I label things with date, name, and place so I can remember picking. Today black rasp. July 7, from The Big Playground. So long ago now… 7:41 PM Nov 1st, 2009
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Already enjoying frozen black raspberries in oatmeal each morning. I add them right at the end of the cooking. Add raisins almonds earlier. 7:38 PM Nov 1st, 2009
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Comfrey leaves help heal cuts, general wounds, AKA “knitbone”. Applied externally or as a homeopathic remedy. Midwives often use for tears. 8:52 AM Oct 31st, 2009
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I’ll want comfrey in a few weeks after surgery. Pick leaves now before frost, infuse for a day, discard leaves, freeze infusion. Healing. 8:32 AM Oct 31st, 2009
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One option for misc. wild roots, leaves, and other is kim chi. Burdock and dandelion root with carrots, greens, wild onion is my best yet. 8:30 AM Oct 31st, 2009
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When the sap runs, maple trees will drip sap. So it is never too late to find a tree to tap. Just have to wait until Feb. or March! 9:44 PM Oct 30th, 2009
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ID those maple trees now – the leaves will soon be gone. I have a hard time figuring out trees in winter. 9:36 PM Oct 30th, 2009
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Ground Cherries seem to be ripening in the window, even in this dark wet weather. 9:33 PM Oct 30th, 2009
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I’m attending Ignite Ann Arbor 2 — http://bit.ly/iquTY and presenting about why I tweet. 15 speakers 5 min each 8:47 AM Oct 29th, 2009
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Tasted some rosehips and they were very bland, Needs more frost. 2:50 AM Oct 29th, 2009
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No dew berries this year so far. They are a pale blue raspberry like fruit that ripens in October. Found them along a creek last year. 2:48 AM Oct 29th, 2009
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Lunch of fried sweet potato, wild garlic greens, found onions, dandelion greens, with tahini and balsamic vinegar on pasta. Lovely. Yummy. 2:46 AM Oct 29th, 2009
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Picked ground cherries, not all of them are ripe. They are considered poisonous until they ripen, so I’ll try a windowsill and hope. 2:45 AM Oct 29th, 2009
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Yellow dock roots can be harvested now, made into oil, used for bruises, scrapes, bone bruises, and more. Oil takes 6 wks to make. 10:07 PM Oct 24th, 2009
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Yellow dock is still hanging in there, so you can make pesto from the leaves. It is OK that there are rusty looking spots. That’s normal. 10:05 PM Oct 24th, 2009
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I have been gifted with quinces. I don’t know yet what I will do to them other than cook and sweeten. Quince paste looks interesting. 10:32 PM Oct 23rd, 2009
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Made chamomile and calendula salves with my med school class. They had fun, enjoyed the hands-on part. Open minded positive group. 3:52 PM Oct 23rd, 2009
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The new issue of the people’s food co-op newsletter has my article on herbs used with cancer and heart disease 2:18 PM Oct 22nd, 2009
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Valerian grows very easily, spreads like crazy, root is used in the tincture for insomnia, muscle spasms, relaxation. It affects me strongly 10:23 PM Oct 21st, 2009
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Having back spasms, will take a little valerian tincture in water and sleep. We made it this week, too soon, so I’ll use last years. 10:22 PM Oct 21st, 2009
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Still time to sign up for Free class on Menopause – Thursday 7 pm Crazy Wisdom thanks to People’s Food Co-op 10:20 PM Oct 21st, 2009
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The last free event I’ll be doing this year is Nov 6 Ignite Ann Arbor on twittering about wild foods. http://igniteannarbor.eventbrite.com/ 1:01 AM Oct 21st, 2009
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Another free class Saturday at the Reskilling Festival, I’ll be helping people brainstorm about building a root cellar. 12:59 AM Oct 21st, 2009
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Free class Thursday on Menopause and Herbal Allies – the good news. Crazy Wisdom Bookstore, 7-8:30, sponsored by The People’s Food Co-op 12:58 AM Oct 21st, 2009
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Dug up Echinacea and Valerian roots, my med school class turned that into tincture, 103 proof vodka. In 6 weeks it will be ready for use. 12:56 AM Oct 21st, 2009
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2nd year wild carrot has turned into Queen Ann’s Lace, tall flower, the root is woody, and beginning to deteriorate. No use at that stage. 11:09 AM Oct 20th, 2009
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It is a great time to harvest wild carrot roots. The first year plants will have a nice solid, pure white root. Smells like carrot. 11:08 AM Oct 20th, 2009
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Was invited to pick buckwheat. A little late, many seeds had fallen, but it was different. Now, to remove the hulls and have flour. 10:16 PM Oct 19th, 2009
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Found a few goldenrod flowers still, picked a few and missed the yellow jacket also enjoying them. She stung me, oww. Apis and baking soda. 10:15 PM Oct 19th, 2009

Posted in community, environment, food, gardening, herbs, holistic health, nature, twitter, wildcrafting | No Comments »

More Tweets – Just Two more to catch up

January 18th, 2010

This and another 40 or so will put me up to date on my missing tweets. Follow me on twitter.com/wildcrafting for daily updates.

Harvesting gets more and more scant – but roots are still a great feast. Burdock (look for leaves with no flower stalks), dandelion are 2 9:27 PM Nov 27th, 2009
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When you harvest for bark, take vertical strips. If you gird the tree (go around) it dies. Except cork trees. But that is not a local tree! 6:39 AM Nov 25th, 2009
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we have slippery elms around here, but I’ve never harvested from them. Bark is powdered and used to stop colds, sooth colon, nutritious. 6:38 AM Nov 25th, 2009
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Just sniffed oil drops on surgical gauze. A bit formal – but some concessions can be made for the setting. Totally completely effective. 8:36 PM Nov 22nd, 2009
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Used peppermint oil to control post-surgery nausea. Read studies that said it worked, 1st and only chance to try. Amazing. Would wild mint? 8:31 PM Nov 22nd, 2009
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Using st. john’s wort oil topically to keep shingles at bay. Made from flowering tops gathered in June, farmer’s field. In Olive oil. Works. 8:29 PM Nov 22nd, 2009
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witch hazel grows in clumps of small trees. This must be ornamental var. as friend says he saw only one tree. And it fruits b4 it flowers. 11:40 PM Nov 21st, 2009
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friend walking my dog came back with witch hazel flower. blooms in Nov. fringy thin yellow petals. not edible but tinctured for astringent. 11:36 PM Nov 21st, 2009
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home from hosp day early – oatmeal made with maple sap – not syrup frozen from last season. And black rasp. No hosp. food at all. 12:50 PM Nov 21st, 2009
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No more tweets until Sunday at the earliest. Combining the best of conventional and alternative therapies, to be nourished and heal fast. 9:44 PM Nov 18th, 2009
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Woods today filled with young garlic mustard. Bad. And young strawberry plants – promise of good things in the spring. Good. 9:42 PM Nov 18th, 2009
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catnip is making a go of growing in this warm weather. Herbal tea, dry for cats, add to cooking greens for flavor change. Soothes stomach. 1:24 PM Nov 18th, 2009
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It took about 2 weeks for my root cellar to stop smelling like dead mice. The down side to food storage. Those mice are amazing. Destroyers. 9:50 AM Nov 18th, 2009
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I think I will miss the woods more than anything. Good motivation to get well soon. I just can’t be inside too long.. lots grows in the cold 9:46 PM Nov 17th, 2009
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Hope to be back next week, posting ideas, recipes, philosophy, info on medicinal herbs, and herbs I’m using to nourish and heal. 9:44 PM Nov 17th, 2009
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I will be indoors for a week or two recovering from major abdominal surgery. It may be hard to twitter about wild things for a bit. 9:42 PM Nov 17th, 2009
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Lots of dandelions. Craving tahini. Combines well – recipe http://moonfieldpress.com/pages/samplerecipes.html from my cookbook. 9:41 PM Nov 17th, 2009
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Burdock root infused overnight, strained and used in baths for soothing skin care, for itching and luxurious sensations. Freeze 4 later use 11:30 PM Nov 15th, 2009
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tomorrow – final comfrey leaf harvest. For herbal vinegar 4 minerals, and decoction to preserve by freezing. Wound healing used externally. 11:27 PM Nov 15th, 2009
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Soup made from Jerusalem artichokes, chestnuts, garlic and brussel sprouts. Pureed artichokes, 40 cloves garlic for 3 gallons. Tasty. 11:06 PM Nov 15th, 2009
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Long walk but not much to eat. Comfrey still growing strong. My bees are a bit troubled, warm weather but no flowers. That’s hard for them. 5:00 PM Nov 14th, 2009
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Still avail. roots of dandelion, burdock, chicory, wild carrot; yellow dock leaves (think pesto); apples, crabapples; acorns, black walnuts 9:05 PM Nov 13th, 2009
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Did more talking about wildcrafting than doing it today. Encouraging urban maple syruping, listing wild plants still harvestable. 9:02 PM Nov 13th, 2009
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Tincture of St. John’s Wort oil is ruby red, just beautiful. Used for shingles, nerve pain, anti-viral, and Seasonal Affective Disorder more 9:32 PM Nov 12th, 2009
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Productive day dealing with previous preparations. Decanted St. John’s Wort oil and tincture, vinegars of pine and comfrey, echinacea tinct. 9:30 PM Nov 12th, 2009
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Evidence for Echinacea in small doses all anecdotal. My published article http://www.holisticwisdom.org/hwpages/echinacea.html 8:33 AM Nov 11th, 2009
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Taking home made Echinacea purpurea tincture daily – 10 drops in water – as prevention against misc. viruses. Made from roots, 3 YO plants 8:31 AM Nov 11th, 2009
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Drinking nettle leaf infusion – eating dandelion leaves – enjoying yellow dock leaf pesto – wild pears – ground cherries not ripening 8:29 AM Nov 11th, 2009
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And, sometimes conventional medicine is necessary and profoundly helpful. Best solution? Combine the two. Alt. and Conv. 8:28 AM Nov 11th, 2009
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Health Insurance nightmares interfere with life & happiness, including posting on wild food. Sorry! Do it yourself medicine is more peaceful 8:26 AM Nov 11th, 2009
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Use dried rosehips with other herbs for tea, infuse with lid 20 minutes or a couple hours. Nice color, taste, and vit. C. 9:00 AM Nov 8th, 2009
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Found some rosehips? You can dry them. Dry the flesh, not the seeds, on a tray in any airy warm place. Store in jars with lid. 8:59 AM Nov 8th, 2009
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The Nov. Herbal Wisdom class has been postponed. It will be January 28th, on using herbs for cancer and heart disease. 8:57 AM Nov 8th, 2009
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Rosehips – nibble on the red flesh, avoid the barbed seeds inside. Great source of Vit. C 3:24 PM Nov 7th, 2009
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Canoeing – found a few rosehips to nibble. Not much else, so just enjoyed the warm sunny weather and being on the water. 3:23 PM Nov 7th, 2009
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If they’ve been frosted, it will be too late. Not the right flavor to spend time preserving. 11:42 PM Nov 6th, 2009
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I will be looking for unfrozen garlic greens and chives tomorrow. Forget to dry some for the winter. 200 degree oven, into well sealed jar. 11:41 PM Nov 6th, 2009
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Ignite2 went well, love to talk about wildcrafting with people who never considered it, or who remember their g-mother doing it. 11:40 PM Nov 6th, 2009
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As of this moment, just 32 free tickets left for ignite2 http://igniteannarbor.eventbrite.com/ So about 500 people will be there. Cool. 12:08 AM Nov 6th, 2009
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I am explaining my motivation and passion for this twitter experiment at Ingite2, Friday night, 7 pm. 5 minutes, 20 slides, auto advance 12:06 AM Nov 6th, 2009
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Eat ‘chokes raw like water chestnuts, baked and mashed with potatoes, boiled in soups, stir fried is awesome, very versatile. Nutritious 2 5:18 PM Nov 5th, 2009
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I’ll put some in sand in the root cellar. Last year the mice got to them, this year taking measures against mice so there is hope. 5:17 PM Nov 5th, 2009
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To store Jer. Art. don’t remove the dirt, put in plastic bags in the produce drawer of your refrig, I’ve had some last almost a year. 5:16 PM Nov 5th, 2009 *****
Harvested about 30 pounds of Jerusalem Artichokes. They are kind of wild – they grow where I don’t want them and come back every year. 5:15 PM Nov 5th, 2009

Posted in behavior, community, environment, food, gardening, herbs, holistic health, recipes, soups, twitter, wildcrafting | No Comments »

More Tweets Repeated Here

January 18th, 2010

Follow me on twitter.com/wildcrafting or read here every few days. I’m still catching up form not posting since mid-October.

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white pine needles harvested all year. In winter, white pine infusion good source of Vit. C. Tastes like turpentine though. And diuretic! 9:36 PM Dec 21st, 2009
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reminder – white pine needles in jar, apple cider vinegar to top, non metal lid, wait 6 weeks = white pine flavored vinegar with + minerals. 9:35 PM Dec 21st, 2009
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Comparing balsamic vinegar and homemade white pine needle vinegar. B. is more “oaky” WP the apple cider taste comes thru. WP is surprising. 9:21 PM Dec 21st, 2009
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OK things are covered with snow. U can still ID wild carrot, chicory, burdock, mullein, and so many others, ready for early spring finds. 6:40 PM Dec 19th, 2009
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Foraging is walk outside when something wonderful could happen any moment. Even this time of year. Like High Bush Cranberries! 3:34 PM Dec 19th, 2009
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From “Why Animals Make us Human” by Temple Grandon. Anticipation = pleasure. Being outside and expecting “treats” is reinforcing. And basic. 3:32 PM Dec 19th, 2009
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Temple Grandon writes of primitive “seeking behavior” creating pleasure. My point exactly, why foraging is deeply rooted and makes us happy. 3:31 PM Dec 19th, 2009
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I think the only place that sells SJW oil locally is The People’s Food Co-op. Many people are unfamiliar with the oil, just know tincture. 8:05 AM Dec 17th, 2009
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Made from local flowering tops of Hypericum Perforatum. Look for it in mid June. Cautions with internal use of tincture or pills. Not ext. 8:03 AM Dec 17th, 2009
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Huge difference in pain relief and nerve sensitivity. I love this oil. Fantastic for shingles outbreaks as well. Topical use only… 8:01 AM Dec 17th, 2009
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2 days w/out topical St. John’s Wort oil on incision and discomfort increases. Last 12 hours with, clear improvement. A small experiment. 7:59 AM Dec 17th, 2009
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Still processing tasks to complete from summer and fall. Frozen cattail pollen to sift, acorns to process, buckwheat to hull. Winter work. 11:38 PM Dec 16th, 2009
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Because it is in our nature to gather wild foods. We evolved that way too. When you give in to that deep need, foraging is deeply satisfying 7:27 PM Dec 15th, 2009
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How you feel when you add wild foods to your diet may be a first indicator. My body says YES! A deep primitive response is also satisfied. 7:26 PM Dec 15th, 2009
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If we evolved with certain foods, do we deal with them differently than recently adapted and “improved” foods? May take a while to know. 7:21 PM Dec 15th, 2009
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One theory is that wild foods are more digestible and with better nutrient uptake. Because cells respond slowly to change and hybrid foods. 7:20 PM Dec 15th, 2009
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My foraging friend ground the wild “pepper” with wild mustard seeds, homemade vinegar, made an interesting condiment. Flavorful! 4:17 PM Dec 14th, 2009
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Saw some “Poor Man’s Pepper” seed pods dried by a path. Still has that peppery great flavor, but bit wet tasting as well. A treat on a walk 4:15 PM Dec 14th, 2009
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On hand now I have jams of black raspberry, quince, red raspberry, strawberry, blueberry. Also pear butter, apple butter. All gifts. Yum. 6:34 PM Dec 13th, 2009
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Jam is also an unusual treat stirred into hot tea, herbal or most others. Use it in lots of places you might use honey , sugar, etc. 6:32 PM Dec 13th, 2009
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With all the jam I’ve been gifted with it is time to make thumb print cookies. Buttery nut cookie, make hole with thumb, fill w/ jam, bake 6:30 PM Dec 13th, 2009
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Friends have had freezer failures and are making more jam from berries that thawed. Next year consider drying as another option. Low tech. 6:27 PM Dec 13th, 2009
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Found a confused pussy willow on my walk. Soft fuzzy buds . Even pussy willow has salicin, used for headaches and pain. Extracted from bark 2:40 PM Dec 12th, 2009
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If a parsley farmer is sued, can they garnish his or her wages? … The rare leafy green joke… I collect them no matter how bad. 9:20 AM Dec 12th, 2009
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Interested in hands on learning? Location in Ann Arbor and Chelsea MI, no$$, work exchange only. DM with your e-mail. 2 apprentices needed 9:06 AM Dec 12th, 2009
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Thinking of spring: two gardens to plant, and the wild harvest starts with maple sugaring Feb or March. Seeking 2 people 4 apprenticeship. 9:03 AM Dec 12th, 2009
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Started the day with buckwheat pancakes with black raspberries, picked June 28, and my own maple syrup from last Feb. Memories & great food 9:01 AM Dec 12th, 2009
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Continuing to use St. John’s Wort oil on my incision , numb areas beginning to itch and have more feeling. Facilitates nerve regeneration. 7:04 PM Dec 11th, 2009
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Chenopodium, Lamb’s Quarters, is one plant to save seed to cook as grain or grind for flour. But huge work in preparation. Small return. 3:49 PM Dec 9th, 2009
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Wind is helpful to separate the wheat from the chaff – or any other seed with husks you saved foraging. But 50 MPH today – too much. 3:47 PM Dec 9th, 2009
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This will be my rare plug. Buy directly from me – http://bit.ly/852ANW and I can personally autograph. I’ll twitter recipes this winter. 9:17 AM Dec 8th, 2009
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My cookbook “Spinach and Beyond: Loving Life and Dark Green Leafy Vegetables” includes wild greens and how to use them. http://bit.ly/8×3tvT 9:14 AM Dec 8th, 2009
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My foraging friend stashed his for wine making, mine will mostly go on top of oatmeal. Added at end of cooking. Or cornbread, or pancakes. 7:36 PM Dec 7th, 2009
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Unearthed the large stash of black raspberries from the back of freezer. The color, taste, and even smell at this time of year is heaven. 7:34 PM Dec 7th, 2009
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The job of controlling and eliminating invasives is overwhelming. Eating them is a reasonable part of a needed larger strategy. cooperate 4:57 PM Dec 6th, 2009
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I would hate to see many of them be totally eliminated. For now, we are all working to stop the spread and that is important. Next – ? 4:55 PM Dec 6th, 2009
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Invasives are often powerful herbal healers and good food. Is there a conflict? Mostly I just find where they are trouble and harvest them. 4:53 PM Dec 6th, 2009
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Just now found my direct tweets- so apologies for not responding b4. Not sure what I wasn’t seeing, my other account they showed up. OK now 4:52 PM Dec 6th, 2009
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The hard frost this am knocked out a lot of greens, but even wilted you can eat for a few days. Cook first. Some taste better after a chill. 9:02 PM Dec 5th, 2009
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http://bit.ly/4tQ6g4 links to article on wildcrafting in Sweden. 9:00 PM Dec 5th, 2009
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Cold frames, hoop houses, greenhouses, are good for weeds and wild food not just intentionally planted plants. Extend the season! 8:47 PM Dec 4th, 2009
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You can place ground cover fabric, AKA reemay, over your more tender weeds and extend the season. Also easier to find greens in the snow. 8:46 PM Dec 4th, 2009
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In Dec. any fresh edible green is a great thing. A little added to a recipe goes a long way. Esp. with a strong wonderful garlic taste! 11:15 PM Dec 3rd, 2009
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Saute in oil, mix with sour cream, add to baked potato. Sliver into butter, use garlic butter on bread and bake. Add chopped to marinade. 11:13 PM Dec 3rd, 2009
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Garlic mustard recipes: tear into small pieces, add to salad greens. Add to stir fry. Add to other greens boiled or steamed. …to be cont.. 11:11 PM Dec 3rd, 2009
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If you can pull up the roots with the garlic mustard &discard them, you’ve done a good deed. They create soil environment that hurts trees. 6:12 PM Dec 2nd, 2009
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I was munching on garlic mustard today. Expect it to be around most of the winter, it is a green you can uncover from snow and ice and eat. 6:11 PM Dec 2nd, 2009
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With the ground not yet frozen, you could still ID Echinacea from the stalks with cone like flowers, dig the root, clean, chop. 8:27 PM Dec 1st, 2009
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My Echinacea root was put into 100 proof vodka. 6 weeks later now ready to decant. 10 drops a day in water to stave off flu, colds, and crud 8:25 PM Dec 1st, 2009
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Picked more comfrey leaves today, topical healing for friend – recent childbirth. Soothing and healing for tears, make liquid extract. 10:18 PM Nov 30th, 2009
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Ever made pesto in December? Find a few sheltered leaves from dandelions yellow dock (especially), plantain, and treat like basil. In Dec.! 10:15 PM Nov 30th, 2009
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So happy to be out walking, even if short. Dandelion greens stay edible nearly all winter – I’ve found and eaten in Feb. Flowers even. 11:20 PM Nov 29th, 2009
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A gallon of maple sap makes about 8-9 bowls of oatmeal. So I had a months worth of oatmeal breakfasts frozen in plastic milk jugs. Sweet. 10:10 PM Nov 28th, 2009
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buckwheat pancakes made with maple syrup from the tree next door last Feb. was great way to start the morning. 10:07 PM Nov 28th, 2009

Posted in community, environment, food, gardening, herbs, holistic health, nature, rivers, lakes and water, twitter, wildcrafting | No Comments »

More tweets to catch up with

January 17th, 2010

The next batch of un-blogged tweets. I’ll expand them on AnnArbor.com tonight or tomorrow.

Had some bread made by a friend, Lamb’s Quarter’s seeds mixed in. Sort of like poppy seeds, gentle flavor, nice texture, slight earthiness 4:59 PM Jan 4th
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Wild greens are heart healthy – the greener the better. Eat more greens, stay out of the ER. Just my idea for a healthy New Year! 7:35 PM Jan 3rd
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Walk in the woods pre-empted by taking my brother to ER. No wild foods there. Nothing green but scrubs. They didn’t ask about diet or herbs. 7:34 PM Jan 3rd
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Some mushy rotting crab apples on a walk, not much else. Spent more time looking down careful of ice than looking around watching for food. 3:23 PM Jan 2nd
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I’m starting now saving plastic jugs, ID trees, each tap hole is about 10 gallons sap most years = 1 qt syrup. I plan to tap about 6 trees. 6:19 AM Jan 1st
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You can tap any maple, as well as birch and sycamore. Sap can be used as is – or boiled for syrup. More stats http://bit.ly/8z5Llo 6:15 AM Jan 1st
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Mich produces over 90,000 gallons of syrup each year. Multiply by 40 to count sap production. Takes 40 gal sap to make 1 gal syrup. 6:13 AM Jan 1st
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Maple syrup is the first farm crop harvested in MI each year. Hoop houses may change that… but the season usually begins next month! 6:11 AM Jan 1st
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Left over acorn and buckwheat black raspberry pancakes. It has been good year for wild food and learning to tweet! Thanks for following. 7:46 PM Dec 31st, 2009
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1 more reason I like natural unprocessed stuff- I’m more sensitive than many. Blogging bad reaction to cleaning product http://bit.ly/82EmB4 4:30 PM Dec 31st, 2009
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But HBC is a source of vit C mid-winter. This week they were the worst ever. Maybe time and desperation would improve the flavor. 6:50 PM Dec 29th, 2009
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Found and tasted some High Bush Cranberries out in the woods. Oh they tasted really truly awful. They have a flat seed – and red berry. 6:48 PM Dec 29th, 2009
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Back to blogging on annarbor.com. That was some writer’s block, glad it is over. http://bit.ly/5QM0V4 10:19 PM Dec 28th, 2009 from TweetDeck
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Finally heated and strained 5 big jars of honey with lots of comb. Left from rescuing a wild hive this spring. Big mess, sweet reward. 9:31 PM Dec 27th, 2009
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Every bit of maple syrup leaves me counting the days until the sap runs again. Maybe 60 or about. Love these pure simple tastes. All year. 9:23 PM Dec 27th, 2009
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The ultimate in local foraged/gleaned pancakes. Outstanding. Acorns add a very interesting multi level taste. Just not something I’m used to 9:21 PM Dec 27th, 2009
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These will be pancakes with multiple stories. I’ll experiment with my sourdough starter in place of baking soda for next time. 12:42 AM Dec 27th, 2009
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Later today, will combine handpicked buckwheat with acorn flour, homemade butter, last years maple syrup, local eggs, raspberries, for wow! 12:39 AM Dec 27th, 2009
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Gleaned buckwheat in Oct. Winnowed recently, grind in mill with hulls, the hulls are then sifted out easily. Foraged Buckwheat flour! 12:38 AM Dec 27th, 2009
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I have a few spots of garlic mustard I will watch into the winter – how long can it live ? How cold can it get? How durable is this pest? 10:36 AM Dec 26th, 2009
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Under that snow lurks garlic mustard, alive and well and also edible. Add to other pot greens, small bits in a salad, it is tasty still. 10:34 AM Dec 26th, 2009
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Dog Nala found sumac in my pocket and ate it – the Vit. C taste made her wince and lick her lips but she kept nibbling. Wild dog. 8:50 AM Dec 25th, 2009
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Sucked and licked the berries, friend took it to make sumacade – soak fruit in cold water, ideal with sun, but time will have to do. Vit C 8:48 AM Dec 25th, 2009
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Earlier in the week found vibrant staghorn sumac fruit bursting with flavor. Wow! Glad now we picked it as this rain would delete flavor. 8:46 AM Dec 25th, 2009
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Bad weather for dogs. Nala wasn’t interested in freezing rain at all – but nature calls and she had no choice. Back under the blankets now. 8:44 AM Dec 25th, 2009
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The best were less than 1/4 inch, growing by the river. Almost missed them. The yukky hips more profuse, and nearby. Have to taste to know. 8:16 AM Dec 24th, 2009
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Yesterday sampled 3 different rosehips. The smallest was exclaim out loud good. Sweet, lemony, nice texture. Other two bland and bad. 8:14 AM Dec 24th, 2009
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My cookbook “Spinach and Beyond Loving Life and Dark Green leafy vegetables sold over 30 copies this week. Largest sales in over 5 years. 9:23 AM Dec 23rd, 2009
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And the taste difference between old flour and newly milled flour is amazing. Fresh flour still tastes alive, not like dust. 8:31 AM Dec 23rd, 2009
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Seeds store better than flour. The ideal is to have the “berries” of the grain, and grind as needed. Healthy oils and nutty taste are saved. 8:30 AM Dec 23rd, 2009
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Chenopodium (lamb’s quarters) are the green to the left – better as a green than as grain. Greens can be blanched and frozen 4 winter eating 10:24 PM Dec 22nd, 2009
*****
My foraging friend tried cooking up lamb’s quarter seeds tonight. Result: hard, slightly burned, lots of work not much to be excited about. 10:23 PM Dec 22nd, 2009
*****

Posted in bees, community, dogs, environment, food, herbs, nature, twitter, wildcrafting | No Comments »

I’ve been remiss

January 11th, 2010

… and haven’t been posting the latest tweets. So I’ll do 25 at a time for a bit and catch up. Here are the last 25 – most recent is at the beginning.

Uncovered garlic mustard from packed snow. A little less vibrancy, still tasted great, lost some intensity. But it is alive, -1 F the day b4 1-11-10
*****
Late afternoon spotted a dead great blue heron in a stream, Mary Beth Dole Park. They are always around on foraging trips on the river. Sad. 1-11-10
*****
Some squirrel is going to find these nuts and be really really happy. Or deer, or just about any creature. High fat in winter – good thing. 1-10-10
*****
Later in the day and my foraging friend is returning his acorn stash to the woods. They are mostly spoiled, but good enough for squirrels. 1-10-10
*****
Acorn hulls on my stairs and living room rug. Squirrels? No, my dog is finding dropped acorns and eating them. She is as weird as me. 1-10-10
*****
Wild foods have a profoundly low carbon footprint. No fertilizers, no pesticides, no transportation costs. Most prep is slow and low tech. 1:35 PM Jan 9th
*****
Oatmeal with ground flax seed, frozen berries, homemade raw milk goat yogurt, honey from my bees, almonds, raisins, cinnamon = best brkfast 5:53 AM Jan 9th
*****
The berries in my oatmeal this am are mulberries, picked 7-9-09. In ‘09 the mulberries lasted an amazing 2 months. I ate some every day. 5:50 AM Jan 9th
*****
I may not be into appliances, the the Cocoa Latte Machine is a fave. Heats infusions, cider, hot chocolate, froths, perfect temp & blending 5:29 PM Jan 8th
*****
My new favorite way to prepare cider – grind cinnamon, allspice, cloves, cardamon, nutmeg and add to the hot drink machine – heats & blends 5:28 PM Jan 8th
*****
Good time to look over the stored food and consume. I had forgotten 2 gallons of home made apple cider in the outdoor freezer. It’s time… 5:27 PM Jan 8th
*****
Nettle season is early may. But I have lots in the freezer to enjoy all winter. And buy dried from the co-op, steep 3-8 hours. Rich. 3:18 PM Jan 7th
*****
Most of the nettles I pick I cook or blanch and freeze. My favorite patch has been taken over by garlic mustard. Which is tasty & inferior. 3:17 PM Jan 7th
*****
I’ll need to transplant a lot of them for the new garden space. And then I will ask male visitors to water them. They need lots of nitrogen. 3:13 PM Jan 7th
*****
Warmed up some nettle tea infusion after a long walk in the snow. I bought the dried nettles, but I am growing them in Chelsea. Next to Lake 3:12 PM Jan 7th
*****
Still accepting e-mails this wk from people interested in work exchange apprenticeship starting w/the maple syrup season. 2-5 hrs a week. 1:09 PM Jan 6th
*****
Free Ann Arbor class on herbs for cancer and heart disease Jan 28 sponsored by PFC taught by Linda Diane Feldt. Register at the Co-op 1:07 PM Jan 6th
*****
The black berries you will see in winter are often Buckthorn. They are also toxic. Good resource here http://bit.ly/6DaVdm to learn more. 4:50 PM Jan 5th
*****
The honeysuckle nectar dripping from the flowers is a treat mid summer. But the berries are mildly poisonous. 4:43 PM Jan 5th
*****
Lots of red honeysuckle beriries in the woods right now. DON’T eat them. The only edible var is Lonicera caerulea and has a blue berry. 4:41 PM Jan 5th
*****
This is a food I have not yet tried. Where is a female Gingko tree in A2? http://bit.ly/8G7Dn0 I think I found one on the old W side once? 2:40 AM Jan 5th
*****
Another error – that should be chopped ginger. But it is true, around here it is also shopped for. 2:47 PM Jan 4th
*****
Simmer 2 inches shopped ginger root 1 qt water , use lid, 20-30 minutes. Add honey. Tastes great, good to prevent colds, drink it outside! 2:46 PM Jan 4th
*****
Long walk in the winter woods – not local and not wild, but Ginger tea with local honey was so wonderful to enjoy in the cold. Made the walk 2:45 PM Jan 4th
*****
Long walk in woods, spotted more rotting crabapples but the Vit. C flavor was there and it had a nice initial taste. Nibbled, not eaten. 2:00 PM Jan 4th

Posted in bees, environment, food, nature, twitter, wildcrafting | No Comments »

Warning: Problem with Charlie’s Laundry Soap

December 31st, 2009

Just because it says natural, there is still no real protection. Just because it is “hypoallergenic” doesn’t mean it can’t cause horrible skin reactions. And just because I had a problem, it doesn’t mean it isn’t a safe and great product for other people.

And, because I had a stunningly bad experience with this product I want to put that out onto the net so that if someone else does happen to have a similar problem they can have some validation. I don’t think it has to be removed, reformulated, or discontinued. But for a few of us who are super sensitive – don’t use it.

The symptoms came on slowly, and at a time when there were a lot of changes and stresses. So I suspected a lot of reasons for the blisters, itching, rash, and sores that I developed. But through the process of elimination, the only thing that caused immediate (within a day) improvement was rewashing all my clothes in another detergent. I chose Allen’s, known for being gentle and safe, and a product I had used before.

Night and day difference. In, ahem, the places where it really matters.

On the web, I found a lot of testimonials to how great this cleaner is, and I was actually very happy with what it did to my clothes. But I found a few scattered references to similar problems, and the company suggesting additional washings would solve the problem. The logic was that this cleaner brings out the old detergents in a way that can be irritating, and two more washings would flush that residue away. The garments that caused trouble had been washed multiple times, and I have never used harsh detergents in this washing machine or for the clothes I was washing, or for that matter not in the last 30 some years.

It took about a week for symptoms to nearly fully recede, but wearing something that didn’t get the rewash caused an immediate and painful flare up. So I’m convinced.

I will stick with Allen’s Laundry products now. And for body washing, my home made soaps – yes they are made with lye, and high quality olive oil thanks. Much less skin dryness since using them for the last 20 years. I’m not sure what I’m allergic to/reactive to now but it would be nice to know. I’ve also developed a recent latex allergy, so a change in body chemistry isn’t out of the question.

I hope that this account can help at least one suffering person. It is a complex world of dealing with chemicals and products natural or not. There sure is a lot out there that makes me suffer. Add Charlie’s Laundry Soap to the list.

Tags: , ,
Posted in consumer, environment, holistic health, reviews | 1 Comment »

Artichokes and Chestnuts

November 13th, 2009

i don’t know what made me want to combine the two, then I wanted to add garlic, and after I started cooking it decided on brussel sprouts as well. So yes, this was one of my weirder soups. But I was very happy with the final results!

I had two jars of chestnuts I’ve been saving for a special occasion. I had just dug up Jerusalem Artichokes. And it is the season for garlic – stave off colds and flue. And I still have a lot of brussel sprouts left that I picked a few weeks ago.

I started with about 4 cups of washed and chopped artichokes in my large soup pot, and plenty of water. I let that cook for about 30 minutes. I blended it with my stick blender. I added the two jars of chestnuts, also chopped. I peeled and coarsely chopped about 40 cloves of garlic, about two cups. All of that was added to the pot. I washed and halved brussel sprouts, and added them. That larger ones were quartered. That all cooked about an hour. A little salt and pepper was added, and a pinch of bergamont.

Once the chestnuts easily fell apart, the soup was done. Very rich, simple, mellow taste.
I was uncertain fro a bit, but liked it a lot in the end. There is a single bowlful left. So that was a hit!

Posted in food, recipes, soups | No Comments »

Apparently I like my life

November 3rd, 2009

In a walk downtown yesterday I was comparing the moment to how life is about to change. I won’t be walking to the bank to deposit checks, enjoying the people at Downtown Home and Garden and watching Nala try and wrangle bread from the guy at the counter. (It is one of her more excited passionate sits). I probably won’t be back to Downtown home and Garden until next year. Same with Crazy Wisdom. I may shop at the Co-op once or twice again, and because of weight restrictions post surgery, not again then until next year.

I felt like I was stocking up for a siege today. First time buying a night gown (only similar purchase in that category was a negligee almost 20 years ago…) I had a couple as a kid, gifts or supplied by my mother. I got 96 roles of recycled toilet paper from the BGreen store. Made from Sugar Cane. New sheets and underwear.

I still need to stock up on dog food, ketchup, agave sweetener, just a peculiar list of what I don’t want to have to buy again for two or three months. I was just really sad the other night at the Co-op thinking I would only shop there once or twice more this year. Of course the MOD said I could come in and a staff person would shop for me, carry everything, even out to my car. See that is why I love Ann Arbor and also why I keep bursting into tears these days.

I have also touched into a frenzy of hollowing out my house just as I am about to hollow out my belly. I feel compelled to inventory and remove vast quantities of “stuff”. and once it has been chosen I want it out and gone immediately. Today I had to get rid of old sheets for my bodywork table. And indeed they have been e-cycled. Nala ripped up a basket I had removed from the top of the china cabinet (also now gone) and I thought great, one less thing to keep around.

Anyone who knows me (and my stuff) would endorse this impulse and activity. I am constrained by not being able to lift and carry much or it triggers pretty bad low back pain. A theory I have tested a bit too much, and finally get. So now I need help moving a file cabinet down two flights and my TV onto my desk – the TV I wouldn’t take on myself anyway. This large screen behemoth is astonishingly heavy. it has begun to squash the filing cabinets it is on,one of the reasons to move it, but also to get rid of the damaged filing cabinet which I no longer really need. Remove excess. It must be done.

I am also still sitting with the MRI info which is mostly good, everything looks as expected. The fibroids are the same ones that have plagued me for over a decade, the same ones successfully embolized, until they weren’t. And they are larger than before, just doesn’t feel that way since I weight 60 pounds less. But I was rather shocked and confused to discover there are now 10-15 MORE fibroids tucked away.

Do I need to know why? The body mind spirit connection? It is something to ponder, this uterus gone wrong, but I also don’t need to know all the connections to know that healing is through surgical removal (and accompanied healing work in many realms) and since there are no other options I can embrace that and keep moving forward.

A few people seem to expect me to pull off some miracle “down there” and seem disappointed that I have “given up”. You know, I have had these fibroids since at least 1985 or ‘86. That is more than 20 years. They brought me to near death once even. Such heavy bleeding that my hemoglobin hit a low of 3.6 No typo, it was 3.6 See, I’ve done anemia.

It was a good go, battling mostly on my own, and now I have had to ask for very large and significant help. And that, I believe, is the largest part of what is being healed even as I write this. Asking for and receiving help. And now I start to cry again.

And mostly I have tears because I really like my life and my work and my habits and the daily interactions with people and groups and walking my dog and lifting and carrying and creating space and walking for an hour or two or hopping on my bike to go even further and so so much more. And I am going to miss that a lot while I recover. A whole lot.

It is only a couple of months, but it is the rest of 2009 and I didn’t imagine that this is how I would end the year. A bit prematurely at least as far as activity levels and routines and engaging with people. I’m used to meeting a couple dozen strangers a month, or more. And I really enjoy that as well. Pulling inward, no dating, no teaching, no meeting new people for a while.

I like my life. And because I value the quality as well, I will do this surgery, and expect to feel better stronger and more able than I have in a very long time. But different from a vacation, I will not be removed from the ordinary doing something extraordinary somewhere else. I’ll be here, interacting in a pretty profoundly different way, looking to extract meaning and healing and learning as best I can from a much more limited capacity. It has begun, and the next few months will be different.

I hope in the end I really appreciate them as well.

Posted in behavior, community, holistic health | No Comments »

Vote on Tuesday

October 31st, 2009

The most important thing is to vote. Whatever your inclination. But if you’d like an opinion, here is mine.

I’ve wavered on the proposals for over a month. And I am going to vote yes on them all. I will suport the millage, because we can’t risk having the resources for the best education possible for as many kids as possible. Yep, there is mismanagement. Yes, there are additional cuts that must be taken. But in the end public education is vital for a positive economy and a future for our kids. I have no kids, I pay taxes in two school districts, I don’t like conventional education, so what am I getting in return? The best possible system we have so far. It is still a good system, and absolutely vital for Michigan’s future but most importantly the future of those kids who don’t have other options. It is a very very small price to pay.

I will also support the charter amendments. Frankly, this issue has gotten bizarre. Right now the public notices are being published in the Washtenaw Legal News. Not a publication I read or plan to read. No one I know relies on these public notices to be informed. And yet somehow, people in Ann Arbor are very well informed. We pay attention. We have some great new news sources, and more emerging.

Yes, a public record taken by a third party is important. But that can still happen. The charter is now archaic. It needs to be updated to reflect the present reality. Requiring print publication is actually holding us back.

The robocalls – I’ve gotten 11 so far – are anonymous, make false accusations, and have certainly influenced my opinion AGAINST their message. Today they claimed this amendment would result in further loss of my home’s value. That’s absurd. And implying that a half way house would move in next door and the rest of it was equally insulting. If lying, non-local, harassing people are against this amendment, you can bet I will give it a second look to find a reason to support it. And that wasn’t hard at all.

The argument that homeless people and senior citizens will be left in the dark is also insulting. How many of them have read the legal notices in the Ann Arbor News? That would seem a low priority for someone without a place to live struggling to survive. And our seniors are mostly very computer savvy, and again – who among them is actually interested in the legal news or reading the current paper that is publishing this info.

I support the charter amendment.

I will also be happy to trun out to vote for my Friend Mike Anglin for 5th ward council person. We may nto agree on everything (Argo Dam being the largest thing likely) but I respect his attitude and approach. He deserves another term.

But vote. Please. It matters.

Posted in behavior, community, politics | No Comments »

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