It’s glorious spring time again! One of the ways we welcome the spring season in my family is making a big batch of dandelion cakes. Inspired by Susan Weed’s recipe, we harvest the cheery dandelion blooms from our garden and make a delicious breakfast (see recipe below). Those blossoms are Read more…
As we approach the holidays and post-election season, it?s a good time to think about how to fold in some good self-care so we can enjoy (and even relax!) during the hectic holidays. My self-care focus this year: calming and nourishing the nervous system. Why the nervous system? Between a Read more…
The madrone tree (Arbutus menziesii) is a treasured beauty of the Sierra Foothills.? It has a long history of use among the Native American, for both medicine and food, and has recently gained more attention here in the Sierra Foothills as a unique form of placed-based jewelry, often made into Read more…
While it hasn’t been a good year for rain and snow in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, its been a great year for collecting wild rose hips! Rose hips, the fruit of the rose flower, are high in vitamin C, antioxidants, and have a delicious sweet and tangy taste. They can Read more…
Wildcrafting, as my partner Matt and I practice and promote it, is making a commitment to deepen your connection to the natural landscape and take responsibility for its regeneration. It is learning about the plants around you, how they reproduce, where they live, and what they need to thrive. It’s Read more…
There’s no need to order a bunch of dried herbs from faraway places if you want to make your own herbal care at home. You can easily grow many of your own – many of them may already be in your garden! Here is a short list of some very Read more…
Its been an amazing mushroom season here in the Sierra Nevada.? Aside from the sheer wonder of seeing such a diverse display of fungi, it has provided a source of incredibly delicious food and precious medicine for many people. At this year?s Fungus Foray in Nevada City,? my daughter found Read more…
Most all of us have some association with pine pitch ? ranging from the frustration of having the sticky black resin stuck to our car (or hands!), to the joy of inhaling that heavenly, sweet aroma it provides on a warm summer day walking through the woods.? But pine pitch Read more…
Even after years of making herbal products, one of my favorite things to do is get together with a couple of friends and make herbal potions in the kitchen.? Some dear friends came for a visit last weekend and we experimented with two things I have been wanting to do Read more…
We?ve all heard of sowing your wild oats, but have you thought about harvesting them? Most of us are familiar with Avena sativa ? the cultivated oat used for oatmeal and animal feed.? This oatmeal grain has been shown to reduce cholesterol, blood sugar level, and risk of heart disease. Read more…