A New Heartsease...

A Happy & Prosperous New Year!

 

 

Wishing All A Happy & Prosperous New Year!

 

A new year is simply the turn of a calendar page — and a beautiful chance for us to turn over a new leaf.

~Terri Guillemets, "January up," 1996

Post Thanksgiving Gravy Bowls

 

A Gravy Bowl is a delicious way to enjoy Thanksgiving leftovers!

 

    Thanksgiving is over and most of us have leftovers from the feast.

     A turkey sandwich with lots of mayo and a dollop of stuffing on white bread is a traditional way to use some of the leftover turkey. Others make Turkey Tetrazzini. My grandmother made turkey soup from the carcass and leftover bits of the meat and veggies.

    I make a gravy bowls! 

    A gravy bowl uses many of the leftovers from the Thanksgiving feast in a tasty and "comfort food" format. For this you'll need a bowl, or bowls.

Gravy Bowls (serves as many as you have leftovers for)

    Into each bowl add...

A dollop of mashed potatoes

Some corn and/or green beans (or green bean casserole, Brussels sprouts, etc.)

Grated cheddar

Chopped turkey

Top with turkey gravy

Add a couple spoonfuls of stuffing on each side

Garnish with a little paprika

    Microwave until the cheese melts and the potatoes are hot through and through.

    You may garnish the top with a blop of cranberry dressing, if desired, after microwaving.

 

      Enjoy!

    

    

 

Beating Inflation: Rosewater & Facial Cleanser

Homemade Rosewater facial toner and freshener

 

   Rosewater is gentle and soothing to skin. It hydrates the skin and reduces inflammation. It is slightly astringent - reducing large pores and tightening skin. Rosewater benefits all ages and types of skin.

    Rosewater has been a beauty aid since ancient times. Today it can be costly to purchase. So, we lovely ladies on budgets have the option to save money by making our own!

    The easiest method requires NOW Rosewater Concentrate or rose hydrosol*, distilled water, and witch hazel. A small bottle of rose concentrate will last for months.

    Witch hazel is slightly astringent, reduces inflammation, and reduces irritation.

    Mix 1/4 cup each distilled water and witch hazel. Add 10 to 15 drops of rosewater concentrate. Mix and store your "use" bottle at room temperature. Any leftover rosewater should be stored in the fridge.

    Use an empty, clean spritz bottle to mist your face. Or, you can dampen a cotton ball to apply the rosewater. The resulting rosewater when made with rose concentrate, or hydrasol, will be clear in color.

    If you grow fragrant rose bushes, you can make your own rosewater by gently swishing six rose blossoms in water and draining them on a clean towel. Gently remove the petals.

    Add the petals to a stainless steel pan and add enough distilled water just to cover. Simmer gently for 35 minutes, or until the petals have lost color, then strain off the water and set aside to cool. Add 1/2 tsp vodka - as a preservative - for every cup of rosewater you've made. Mix this half and half with witch hazel, if desired.

    Add the rosewater to a small spray or lidded bottle. Keep any leftover rosewater in the fridge. Spritz onto face or use a cotton ball to apply. Use rosewater before applying a moisturize.

    A rosewater spritz on hot days, especially if cold from the fridge, is a wonderful refresher!

    Dark pink or red roses will color your rosewater beautifully.

    NOW's Rosewater Concentrate is available online or at most health food stores that sell essential oils.

Rose hydrosol* - a product of the distillation of essential oil of rose - is available from Mountain Rose Herbs. Click the link below.

https://mountainroseherbs.com/

    

This simple facial cleaner requires only two ingredients.

 

     To make this facial cleaner simply mix equal parts extra virgin olive oil and castor oil.

    Olive oil has many skin benefits, such as deep hydration, gentle exfoliation, elimination of fine lines and wrinkles, reduction of  inflammation and puffiness, it conditions dry skin, and soothes irritated skin.

    Castor oil is also called, "Palma christi", which translates to "hand of Christ" because of its many healing properties, such as treating the pain and inflammation of arthritic joints, strengthening and growing hair, as a skin moisturizer, for deep cleansing of skin, eliminating fine lines and wrinkles, reduction of inflammation and stretch marks, increasing circulation, and it's healing to wounds and scrapes.

    Simply mix equal amounts of olive oil and castor oil in a jar. I like to re-use a clean pump jar which it makes it easy to dispense just the amount I need to cleanse my face. 

    Washing your face with soap - even, so called "moisture rich" soaps is drying to your skin. There's also the danger of allergy, rash, eczema, and irritation. Soap is made with fats and lye. If the soap has not sufficiently "saponified" - allowed to age long enough that the lye is neutralized - all types of skin problems can arise. While soap is fine for washing one's body, it can be too harsh for the delicate skin of the face and neck.

    To use your olive oil and castor oil mixture, express a little of it into your hand. Rub your palms together for a few seconds to slightly warm the oil and massage it over your face and neck - chest, too, if desired.

    Next, run a wash cloth under very warm water, wring it out, and apply it to your face and neck (chest, too) for a few seconds. Then gently wipe the oil from your face. Finish by splashing your face with cold water.. Gently pat your face dry and mist with rosewater. Rinse the washcloth and hang it up to dry.

    A tiny amount of the cleanser may be applied to the fingertips and used to massage into your scalp for a healthy scalp and follicles. Any excess remaining on your hands after cleansing your face may also be rubbed through your hair. Use only a little so your hair doesn't look oily.

   My favorite three-part beauty regimen consists of my homemade Rosewater, the two-oil Facial Cleaner, and Skin Essential Anti-Aging Serum. See my post previous post:

  Skin Essential Anti-Aging Skin Serum                 

 

    I (and others) swear my skin looks at least 10 years younger than my age would suggest! At 73-years old my skin isn't dry, thin, or crepey, but plump and clear.

    My goal isn't to look like a 40- or even 50-years old, but to have the healthiest, softest, best-looking skin at any age...and to look a bit younger, too.

    While there is some cost to acquire the ingredients to make these cosmetic items, you'll save lots of money in the long run. And, your skin will be healthy, moisturized, and clean!

    

   

  

Beating Inflation: Skin Essential Anti-Aging Facial Serum

It's easy to make your own natural facial serum!

 

    With inflation running away with itself, and consumers struggling to afford even basic needs, making many of one's own beauty care and house cleaning products helps to level the playing field.

    In this post I'll share my favorite, homemade facial serum/moisturizer - Skin Essential Anti-aging Facial Serum. It contains no unnatural chemicals, only nourishing oils and healing/anti-aging essential oils distilled from herbs and plants.

 

Half olive oil and half avocado oil form the base of the serum.

 

    While half of the base requires olive oil you can substitute the other half - avacado oil - with jojoba, grapeseed, or walnut oil, if preferred. This base may be used as is for a natural, nourishing moisturizer.

    The famed actress, Sophia Loren, known for her beautiful, flawless skin, was said to have used pure olive oil as her sole moisturizer. Many Italian women swear by olive oil for beautiful skin.

    Olive oil is safe for sensitive skin, has anti-aging properties, and aids skin tone. It's a great make-up remover, too.

   Avacado oil is moisturizing and nourishing, as well. It helps to dilute the tangy scent of extra virgin olive oil. It moisturizes and heals skin, reduces signs of aging, helps prevent acne, eczema, psoriasis, and inflammation. Avocado oil aids in healing wounds, too.

 

Good things in small bottles. Essential oils have many uses for skin health and a clean home!

 

    The following essential oils add many skin-nourishing and anti-aging qualities. Because some essential oils can be expensive, these can be added to the base oils as one's budget allows.

    Additionally, many essential oils may be used in homemade cleaning products, so they are money well spent. And, since they are used by mere drops, a small bottle of essential oil can last for years.

     Following is a list of essential oils and their properties:

Lavender - this oil is relatively inexpensive and has cosmetic and household uses. If you can afford only one essential oil, it should be this one! Cosmetically, lavender is soothing, anti-inflammatory, calming, wound healing, toning, and helps prevent wrinkles.

Orange - another inexpensive oil. Orange is refreshing, uplifting to the senses, and invigorating.

Frankincense - one of the more expensive essential oils. It is especially good for aging skin and reducing wrinkles. It aids in hormone balance, repairs skin, keeps skin hydrated and helps "plump" the skin. It is relaxing and centering to the mood. Even so, this essential oil is less expensive than that wee jar of costly anti-aging cream that promises much, but delivers little.

Chamomile - reduces inflammation, soothes skin, aids all types of skin conditions, including acne and eczema, and reduces free-radical damage. It accelerates the production of healthy skin cells. It also eases the mind and aids sleep.

Geranium - is stimulating and warming. It tones and tightens the skin, reducing fine lines, and brings a gentle blush to pale skin.

Rose - is uplifting and comforting. It also softens, clears, and reduces irritation. It aids mature skin by reducing age spots, dullness, fine lines and wrinkles. Pure, natural rose essential oil may cost hundreds of dollars for a fraction of an ounce. Instead, I use a "blended" oil by NOW, called "Rose Absolute" which is 5% rose oil in a jojoba carrier oil. This oil is available in most health food stores. Rose blends are far more affordable. To add more rose properties to my beauty regimen, I'll use rosewater as a toner before applying the moisturizing serum mixture.

Clary Sage - reduces skin inflammation, soothes and heals skin. Also, calms and soothes stress and anxiety.

    My recipe for a nourishing, anti-aging, skin serum and moisturizer is one I've used for over 20 years. It's the only one I use!

 

Recipe: Skin Essential Anti-aging Serum/Moisturizer (makes 1/2 cup)

1/4 cup each extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil (grape seed walnut, or jojoba).

15 drops lavender

3 drops orange

5 drops frankincense

5 drops Rose Absolute

5 drops chamomile

5 drops geramium

5 drops clary sage

    Mix the oils together thoroughly. Store in small, two-ounce  plastic squeeze bottles or dropper bottles. The unused portion may be kept in the fridge or pantry. The bottle in use may be kept at room temperature as the oils are natural preservatives. Your mixture will smell divine!

    Excess oil on the palms after applying the oil may be rubbed onto the backs of the hands to keep them looking more youthful. Wipe any excess oil on the arms or a washcloth.

    It's cost effective to acquire the oils over a period of time to save money. Begin with lavender and orange oils, then add in the others.  

    While lavender oil may be applied directly and undiluted to wounds and insect bites, all other essential oils must not be used directly - undiluted - on the skin as they are quite concentrated and absorptive, and may cause irritation in their undiluted state.

    The base oils of olive and almond act as "carrier" oils and fulfill this function of diluting the essential oils so that only their beneficial properties are applied to the skin.

    I think you'll find that with continued use of this oil your skin will greatly benefit regardless of its age and maturity.

 

    *In the next post I'll share my recipes for rose water toners and a simple, non-irritating facial cleanser.

 

 

 

 

    

 

 

To Go A' Walkin' In the Woods - Walk #5 - Foraging For Chanterelles

 

An Idaho chanterelle emerges large and robust!

 

    Compared to the chanterelles one sometimes finds in markets and online, Idaho chanterelles form and emerge large and robust. They're an easy-to-see presence in the Idaho woods during the second week of October.

    So yesterday, I drove 18 miles to my fungi collecting sites where in Spring I gather morels and coral mushrooms and in the Autumn - tasty chanterelles. Chanterelles are often referred to as "chanties" by their fungi gatherers.

 

Eighteen miles from my beloved Forest Trail, is this section of woods where I gather gourmet fungal secrets!

 

    The second week of October into the third - best after a rain if possible - chanterelles emerge in golden resplendence. Of course, this timing will depend upon your area and elevation. Chanties in Idaho don't start out small, they form large under the soil and emerge in triumph as likely the largest chanties on the planet!

    One can almost hear them trumpet their presence. And, sometimes can even smell their rich, fungal aroma before finding them. Who needs a mushroom hunting canine for these beauties!

    Upon arriving home after the hunt the chanties must be cleaned. A cheap paintbrush used only for brushing off forest duff from "shrooms" is ideal. An old, clean tooth brush aids in removing the final bits of detritus from their ridges (ridges, not the gills common to many other types of mushrooms) which helps to distinguish chanties from other forest "almost" look-a-likes.

   

Now cleaned, these chanties are ready to place on a clean kitchen towel to drain.

 

    I allow the chanties to drain and evaporate moisture for about an hour, then they're chopped and placed in a skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil and a handful of chopped shallot. Saute the mixture until the chanties release their internal moisture.

   

The chanties will release internal moisture as they cook.

 

     Allow the released moisture to cook off. Once cooked off I add a pat or two of butter and saute the mixture for a few more minutes.

 

Now I make "chantie pucks"!

 

    After a brief saute in butter, the chanties are ready to be frozen for future incorporation into recipes calling for delicious mushrooms.

     Chanterelles are a highly-prized gourmet edible so I save them for specialty soups, pilafs, and pasta dishes...even quiche, crostini, and omelets. They also go well alongside steaks and as a garnish on roasted asparagus.

    The easiest way to make recipe- or serving-sized portions of cooked chanties is to spoon them into cupcake tins. I freeze the tins several hours until the chantie mixture is completely frozen. Briefly running a little hot water over the bottom of the tins loosens the butter/oil they were cooked in and they pop out of their tins easily with the aid of a knife.

 

 

Sauteed chanties ready for the freezer.

 

    After the chantie pucks are frozen and popped from the tins, I put them into a Ziploc baggy and store them in the freezer until needed. To use them simply remove a puck or two from the baggy for use in a recipe. Thaw or defrost, and use! Frozen pucks may be added directly to soups and stews. They'll thaw as the recipe cooks.

    Not all areas of the forest contain fungal treasures. It can take years to find those areas that do. The search is made easier by asking and watching what others are doing in the woods during the proper seasons, or joining a mushroom club where you'll be introduced to some spots, but maybe not the super secret spots each club member has discovered for himself or herself. 

    Just beneath the forest duff magical mycelium lies unseen. At particular times of year certain types of mycelia "bloom" and produce gourmet fungal treasures that people have foraged in nearly all parts of the world for eons.

    If you live in an area that is a producer of edible treasures, take a class - as I did - to learn how to identify them and the types of places to look for them.

    Nature can produce poisonous or gastro-upsetting mimics, but with knowledge, a forager can unerringly identify the goodies from the baddies.

 

Each foraging season I dry/dehydrate some of the chanties in addition to freezing some.

 

    To dry or dehydrate chanties, clean them and allow to air dry for a couple of hours. Thinly slice the chanties and layer them singly on a wax-paper or parchment-covered baking tray. You may dry them in a warm spot (such as on top of the fridge) until completely dried, or...in a dehydrator checking every hour or two for doneness, or even in an oven on the "keep warm" setting until dried. Just check them every hour until completely dry and stiff.

    Store your dried chanties in a baggy or lidded jar. They may be re-hydrated by pouring on boiling water and allowing them to sit for 30 minutes, or longer.

    Covered with just enough water to submerge them and heated on high in the microwave for 30 seconds, allow them to sit for 30 minutes, as well. Drain and use, but save the rich soaking broth to add to recipes as part of the water. This broth may be saved and frozen, too.

    The dried chanties may be added directly to soups without re-hydrating if the soup is to cook for 30 minutes or longer.

    I love Autumn! The heat of Summer has departed. Leaves put on red, burgundy, orange, and golden colors and fall to the ground surrounding trees with deep, leafy blankets. Wood smoke from fireplaces perfumes the air which is crisp with the nip of coming Winter. 

    It's time to picnic in the woods around a stone-bordered fire pit to roast "somemores", marshmallows, and barbecue on a grill set just above glowing coals. We gather in front of the roaring campfire and sip hot tea and cocoa. It's just a lovely time of year! The gathering of chanties simply adds to the magic of Autumn!

 

 

To Go A' Walkin' In the Woods - More Secrets of the Forest Trail

 

The first half mile of the Trail is fairly steep and where I gather most of my edibles and medicinals.

 

    Over several posts I've shared photos of the Forest Trail and the herbal and edible items I forage there. Yet there are a couple more miles  of varied terrain to this Trail and its paths that I haven't yet shared.

    The Trail is an interesting mix of environs...hilly, flat, open, urban and wild.   

    To access it, I walk out the door of my condo, cross the street and the Trail begins as a graveled urban walking trail passing through a couple of blocks of residential area. Crossing the street again, I come to a sign that says "Forest Access Trail". To access the Trail, I pass between the rear yards of a couple of homes, then make a right turn before coming to a steep precipice. I'm now on the Forest Trail.

    One side of the Trail at the base of the precipice is the rear property of a farm and another trail that descends further to the lake road. The opposite side of the Forest Trail is a steep hill with a few homes dotted along the crest.

    The first half mile of the Forest Trail has some "pantingly" steep ups and downs. It's along this portion - I call it my "cardio hike" - where I find most of the items I forage except the recently discovered apple tree.

    On one of the flatter portions of the Trail the forest management agency has placed a wooden bench. Sometimes I come here to sit and listen. Other times I bring a journal to jot down my thoughts and "gratitudes". Sometimes I'll just sit and meditate surrounded by the lushness of Nature. Its upon this trail that I spend a lot of time over the course of the three temperate seasons - Spring, Summer, and Autumn. Perhaps soon I'll invest in some snowshoes so I can traverse the Trail in Winter! 

    I find here a deep abiding and simple Grace that is nurturing and balancing. Perhaps this is one of the subtlest and most profound secrets I've found along the Forest Trail.

    I'm deeply grateful for my condo which sits on the boundary of a busy urban area AND the soul-enriching beauty of the Forest!

    I never know what the Forest Trail will teach me. It seems each Season I learn something new. For example, today after visiting and sitting a spell on the bench, bright red berries caught my eye. I'd never seen them before. What were they?

 

 

   These bright berries, what were they?

 

    I'd walked this way many times in past seasons, but don't recall every seeing these. I stepped in for a closer look...

 

 

Suddenly I realized that these are the "berries" of honeysuckle!

 

    Thinking of what I saw here in this exact spot last Spring, draped over this small pine tree was...honeysuckle! These then, are the "berries" that form as the vine goes to seed. Eventually these toxic little fruits will dry and scatter their seeds upon the Forest floor. Another Forest secret revealed! (I did go online after returning home to verify that these are indeed honeysuckle berries). 

    The Forest Trail is a place of wonder and abundance. It's also a patient Teacher, as well. I'm continually learning - and finding - new things. Even though I've trodden this Trail many times, there's ongoing discoveries being revealed. 

    After the ups and downs of the first half mile the Trail again exits between two homes to the road which I cross a third time and again pick up the urban walking trail.

    Following this trail takes me to a small community park where folks like to toss Frisbees for their dogs. There used to be a grassy baseball field and one picnic bench. However, the field has gone to seed and weed and is now an un-fenced, but still mowed, dog park. The picnic table is still there, too. No trash cans are on site except for a large trash bag on a hook. 

    Walking across the dog area, I come to an extension of the Forest Trail which winds through conifers, small meadows, and is populated with mahonia bushes, mullein, black hawthorns, pines, wild tansy, chicory, St. John's wort, and a newly discovered apple tree. The Trail alters between being a trail and a pine needle strewn path. It crosses a mostly dry creek in a couple of spots.

 

This behind-the-park portion of the Forest Trail is very flat, narrower, and covered with pine needles. 

 

    Here the grassy meadows are grazed by deer and their sleeping patches, which amount to flattened grass "nests", may be found in the denser copses of pine trees.

    The Forest Trail here forks, winds around, and loops back upon itself, again crossing a small, dry creek which only has water in the Spring or after heavy rains.

 

A cracked board comprises the first crossing.

 

    This area of the Trail is a great spot to gather mahonia (Oregon grape) berries in summer. And, about a quarter mile back is where I found the apple tree!

 

A sturdier couple of boards spans the deeper channel of the second crossing.

 

    Eventually, the Trail leads past the "Dog Smile Tree". This tree is one, that by common, but unplanned consensus, became a memorial to beloved pets who've passed on. Pictures, collars, leashes - even pheasant feathers (in memory of a hunting dog? Or, a pet pheasant?) adorn the branches of the tree.

 

    

The Dog Smile Tree

 

    I think I'll create a memorial to hang on the tree for my beloved, Shadow, who passed away shortly after I moved to Idaho in 2015. She was farm dog, traveling companion, and house pet. I still miss her.

 

This past Spring someone added this "smile worthy" quip by Groucho Marx to the Smile Tree!

 

    The Trail meanders around, forking here and there, eventually coming back upon itself where I exit back onto the urban walking trail. 

    I can either recross the road and head home via the steeper portion of Forest Trail where I forage or I can continue along the urban walking trail all the way back to where I cross the road to the driveway of my condo complex.

    I can gather nearly all of my "foragables" close to home...except edible mushrooms. I've never found them (yet) along the urban walking trail or the Forest Trail :(

    To gather morels and coral mushrooms in Spring I need to drive about 18 miles to access other forest trails at Farragut State Park. In a few days, I'll be driving to Farragut to forage for chanterelle mushrooms! 

    I'll post on this fungal treasure soon!

    Additionally, look for an upcoming post about a skin-nourishing, anti-aging face oil you can make yourself! Why spend money on a chemically-created, expensive "serum" formulas when you can save money by making it yourself. And, it smells divine!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To Go A' Walkin' In the Woods - Walk #4 - Apples, Elderberries, Rose Hips

 

A small sampling of some of the bounty foraged along the Forest Trail.

 

    In the photo above are few apples, ripe rose hips, and some mahonia berries. Missing is the bag and a half of elderberries I harvested a few days later and the entire basket of apples.

    Because the mahonia (Oregon grape) harvest was scant this year I gathered just a few to dry for adding to herbal tea mixtures for a fruity, berry note. The rest were left for the birds and other wildlife.

 

Wild rose with ripe hips. The furry growth is call a "moss gall" and is caused by a tiny wasp that lays its eggs along the stems.

 

    Rose hips are said to be best gathered after a light frost to "sweeten" them - so says popular lore - but I've never noticed any difference and since I'm making rose hip syrup which will be sweetened with honey any negligible amount of extra sweetness isn't needed.

    The hips are ripe and I'm more interested in their Vitamin C content for use in making Winter tea blends and rose hip syrup. Rose hip syrup is delicious on cornbread and pancakes.

    To make rose hip syrup, simmer clean hips in honey to cover in a lidded pot until the skins begin to soften and wrinkle - 30 to 60 minutes. The hips contain seeds and tiny hairs, which you don't want in your syrup so don't crush or break open the hips. The usable part of the hip is the skin.

    Allow the honey-hip mixture to cool slightly and strain out the hips. The syrup may be stored in the fridge for a couple of months or steam/water bath canned for longer storage.

    The hips may dried and added to tea blends. Clean, whole dried hips may also be infused for 20 minutes in boiling water to make a delicious Rose Hip Winter tea.

        

A harvest of fresh elderberries and a filled up basket with gathered apples.

 

    

Elderberries "combed" from their stems with a fork.

 

    After the slightly tedious task of combing the elderberries from their stems, they're ready to dehydrate for Winter use for making an immune enhancing syrup (sold expensively as Sambucus in health food stores). The syrup may be also used to create elderberry-champagne cocktails, elderberry-cider vinegar-honey shrubs, elderberry martinis, or hot mulled elderberry juice around the Holidays.

    Of course one may preserve the berries by canning, but to save room in my pantry I dehydrate the berries. They reconstitute beautifully by adding three cups of boiling water to 3/4's to one cup of dried elderberries in a pot, covering them, and allowing them to sit and re-hydrate for an hour. Then bring the pot to a boil and allow to simmer 30 minutes with or without spices.

    After straining off the berries and pressing to release any juices, you can simmer the juice, uncovered, to reduce it by half. After cooling to touch, I'll add raw honey (optional) to taste and refrigerate the syrup. It thickens more in the fridge. 

    With dehydrated berries in my pantry I can make a new batch of syrup, as needed, throughout the Winter.

        Elderberries must be cooked for at least 30 minutes before consuming or canning the fresh berries. They shouldn't be eaten raw as the seeds contain a cyanide derivative that is neutralized by cooking. Additionally, the raw berries aren't tasty and may cause a stomach ache eaten raw.

    Some folk add flavorings to simmering elderberries, such as cloves, cinnamon, anise, ginger. Taken by the spoonful every day ahead of Winter cold and flu Season the syrup - plain or flavored - strengthens the immune system.

    Instead of adding spices - except to mull the liquid -  I add only raw unfiltered honey to enhance the berry flavors nicely and add the goodness of raw honey to the mix. The "honeyed" version is more palatable to kids...and me.

 

After four to six hours in my American Harvest Dehydrator (factory set at 145-degrees) the elderberries are dried and resemble small black peppercorns.

 

 

Six pints of foraged apples were canned - skins on - for Winter dessert making. These remaining apples will be made into an apple pie for my nephew and a galette for me to celebrate Autumn.

 

    I prefer to make galettes, instead of fruit pies most of the time, as they require only one crust and can be made any size I want.

    Additionally, I don't peel apples and pears used in desserts I make for myself because I enjoy the texture and fiber the cooked skins add to the dish. However, I will make a traditional two-crust apple pie with peeled apples for my nephew for helping me to gather the apples. 

    Some years I'll dehydrate apple slices for snacks and to take camping, but instead I canned this Season's apples due to a sufficiency of dried apple slices.

 

 

This newly discovered apple tree bears tasty sweet-tart, crisp apples for eating and cooking with.

 

    The forest trail is continually surprising me! For as many years as I've walked it, I've never seen this tree!

    Walking along the densely conifer-lined part of the trail I happened to see an apple lying on the trail. I first assumed someone had dropped it by accident.

    Then it occurred to me to look up. At first I didn't discern it among the green boughs of conifers. And, as the apples are mostly green there was little to give away their presence.

    Suddenly, a change of perspective revealed the tree and its dangling fruit. I picked one and bit into it. It was delicious! I noticed that the sides of the fruit exposed to sunlight had a red blush.

    Where had this tree come from? 

    Had there once been a cabin or homestead - now long gone - and this tree had survived?

    Or, had some long ago settler thrown down an apple core and one of the seeds had sprouted?

    There was no one to care for this tree. It wasn't on private property. Feral apples from seed aren't always tasty and can be fibrous and sour. Not this one!

    Henceforth, I will gather apples here instead of driving to another location where I used to gather apples.

    What a find! What a boon! What a treasure! The Forest Trail is a continual gift of bounty and abundance!

 

* * * * *

 

My wild apple galette with unpeeled apple slices, a Grand Marnier/powdered sugar glaze, and topped with toasted, slivered almonds. I will cut it in quarters which yield four small slices just right for...ME!

 

 

 

 

 

To Go A'Walkin' In the Woods - Walk #3: Summer's End

The forest trail at Summer's end is no longer lush and green.

 

    Hot weather has brought forest fires, smokey days, and air-quality alerts to avoid outdoor activity.

A day's rain temporarily cleared the air and I visited the trail. It's amazing what just a few hot days can wrought upon the natural abundance along the forest trail. Heat has brought Summer's bounty to a close. And, shorter days have brought a seasonal silence to the woods.

    Birdsong has quieted with the needs to nest, mate, and raise their young now met. Presently, it seems only occasional tweeting over territorial boundaries breaks the gathering quiet...oh, and that of the chittering squirrels as I walk under "their" trees. 

 

 

Speaking of squirrels and "their" trees, maple seeds are one of their favorite foods to "squirrel" away for winter.

 

        The winged seeds of wild maples are ripening and drying. Soon squirrels will be too busy gathering them to scold me! Instead they'll be racing around the forest collecting maple seeds and stockpiling them in knot holes, abandoned birds nests, and other nooks and crannies along with pine seeds.

    There are few nut-bearing trees, such as oaks, in our woods. I suppose that squirrels also make use of dried fruits and various other types of seeds to get them through the Winter.

    The disappearance of Summer's plenty is heralded by the drying and going-to-seed of the forest's bouquets of lovely flowers. However, with the coming of Autumn, Nature puts on a last "harvest" of elderberries, rose hips, and chanterelles.

 

 

Rose hips are beginning to turn from green toward red-orange and will soon be ready to gather.

 

    Rose hips are rich in Vitamin C and make wonderful tea and nutritious syrups for beverages, pancakes,waffles, biscuits, and cornbread.

 

 

A lovely, healthy cup of rose hip tea.

 

 

Berries of Mahonia, also known as Oregon grape.

 

    The Mahonia berries put on a poor showing this year. The tall variety didn't produce either flowers or fruit. The ground hugging type produced a few berries which I left for the forest critters.

    In abundant years, I gather the berries to make syrup and sauce. Wine,jams and jellies may also be made. As with elderberries, Mahonia needs the benefit of sweetening to make the berries bloom with flavor, otherwise their tartness makes them unpalatable.

 

 

    Already some of the deciduous under-story shrubs are starting to put on their Autumn colors.

 

 

Normally green and lush, mosses have grown pallid and dry.

 

    I'll miss the abundance along the forest trail, but I've learned that each Season has its function, its beauty, and that the forest reveals her secrets to those who strive to know her. For me the forest is not only a source of food and medicine, but one of wonder and revitalization.   

   There'll be another forest walk post in late September/early October where I'll share the last harvests before she puts on the dormancy and deeper silences of Winter.

    In the meantime, I'll share some of the ways I beat inflation through lifestyle changes and making many of my own household and body care products! 

    

    

    

 

 

To Go A'Walkin' In the Woods - Walk #2

 

A steep, narrow path branching off my main forest trail eventually leads to a road that leads to a lake.

 

    There's good reason to occasionally take this steep path...there are more black raspberries growing down there! It's also less trodden by other hikers and there are species of plants that don't grow along the main trail.

 

This young mullein hasn't completely sent up its tall, sturdy flowering stalk.

 

    Mullein grows on both trail and path, and I harvest its yellow blossoms to steep in olive oil. I only gather a few flowers from each plant.

    After six weeks, I strain off the oil to use as an earache remedy. I also make a tincture by steeping the leaves, roots, and stalk for six weeks in vodka. 

    The tincture may be taken by the dropper full for lung and respiratory issues and for strengthening the bladder, and as a wound healer. 

    I've recently learned that mullein's stalks and roots may be tinctured to alleviate backaches, as well. I've made a tincture just for this purpose and am interested to see if it works!

    Some herbs are "multi-talented", meaning they heal more than one health issue. Mullein seems to be one such herb.

    Another more "down to earth" use of mullein is as Nature's toilet paper. For this, the big soft, slightly hairy leaves are used. I've never used mullein for this purpose - and hope not to - as it seems disrespectful of the plant. However, in an emergency situation...

 

 

Oxeye daisies are related to our garden daisies! They grow all along the forest path, seeding in gardens, and popping up in road verges.

 

    I haven't gathered any of the daisies yet as they grow all season and into Autumn. They're usually steeped in olive oil and made into a salve to rub onto achy muscles and joints similarly to their other daisy family counterpart - arnica. 

    My store bought arnica salve is nearly gone and now that I've learned that Oxeye daisy works similarly, I'll save some money and make my own salve hence forth. To that end, I'll gather some and dry them for future use.

 

A welcome sight along the trail are the Oxeye daisies!

 

    The rose hips aren't ripe yet and neither are the huckleberries and elderberries. The black raspberries are done for the season, but coming along nicely are the Oregon grapes - also called, Mahonia. 

    Mahonia berries are now turning from green to dark purple and almost ready to harvest.

 

Preceded by fragrant, yellow flowers, these berries make delicious wine, jam and jelly, sauce, and syrup. Notice the holly-like leaves?

 

    Like elderberries, Mahonia aren't sweet or particularly tasty when eaten raw. Sweeten them, however, with sugar or honey and their "berry-licious" flavors become deliciously evident.

 

 

Last year I made a delicious sauce to adorn cream cheese schmeared Ritz crackers! A perfect "tasty bite" for guests.

 

    The yellow roots of Mahonia are a rich source of an antibiotic and antimicrobial substance called, berberine. As pharmaceutical antibiotics lose their efficacy against bacteria and microbes developing an immunity against them, berberine is being studied as an alternative.

    Here in Idaho two types of Mahonia grow. One is ground-hugging, and the other grows into tall shrubs. Both types grow useful berries and medicinal roots.

    I use elderflowers to make cordial, elderflower sugar, syrup, and mead. Elderflowers combined with in-bloom wild mint and yarrow - all dried - yield a healing soothing tea formula for colds, flu, and allergies.

    From the elderberries which ripen in a few weeks, I'll make wine and mead, a syrup, and dry some of the berries for winter use.

    I make my own Sambucus elixer to strengthen my immune system rather than buying the expensive health food store's version. Sambucus is simply the botanical name for elderberry.

    Here in Idaho, the elderberries appear blue, instead of almost black, due to a "bloom" similar to that which grows on grapes.

 

Elderberry trees can become quite tall.

 

    Earlier this season I gathered plantain...not the banana-like fruit of the tropics...but the low-growing herb that's common to wild places and sometimes lawns. It comes in a broad-leafed variety and a narrow-leafed form, called ribwort.

 

This is the broad-leafed variety. It's edible and medicinal.

 

This ribwort is in bloom!

 

    Both varieties are edible and medicinal. The broad-leaf variety is a more tender choice for a salad, but both work equally well as medicine for treating wounds and as a drawing salve.

    A few weeks ago I dried the plantain leaves I'd gathered. When they had dried I ground them finely and infused them in olive oil just to cover. I waited six weeks for them to steep.

    Then I measured out two tablespoons of the infused olive oil into a heatproof measuring cup, added 3/4's teaspoon of beeswax granules. I didn't strain out the herb but left it in the oil.

     I heated up this mixture until the beeswax melted and stirred the mixture thoroughly, then poured the liquid into a small, clean tin and allowed it to cool. 

    As the mixture cools it hardens into a salve that I'll use as a drawing salve when I get a splinter or to soothe insect bites and irritated skin. 

 

My herbal notebook of herbal medicines and the newly made and labeled plantain salve.

 

    The forest is a rich source for wild edibles and medicines all season long. My forest trail and adjoining path are not only a verdant feast for the senses, but pantry and medicine chest, too!

    In addition, studies have shown that spending time in nature reduces stress and strengthens the immune system simply by walking or sitting, camping, fishing, hiking, etc. 

    Stay tuned to this blog for our next forest walk to see what's going on as the Season matures toward Autumn!

 

 

    

   

    

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   

    

 

 

 

 

 

To Go A' Walkin' In the Woods - Walk #1

 

The forest trail near my condo is a study in natural abundance!

 

    Along this trail I forage for medicinal herbs and edible wild plants. I walk the trail three out of four seasons. In winter the plants are dormant and so am I...sitting by the fireplace sipping hot tea or cocoa, knitting, reading, pondering. My three season strolls give way to more of a focus on yoga.

    I'll share some of the seasonal pleasures I encounter walking the forest trail.

 

Wild Idaho-native honeysuckle is a feast for the eyes.

 

    Honeysuckle is also a sweet mini-sip if I pull one of the tubular flowers, raise it to my lips like the wee trumpet it is, nip off the end, and suck a drop of sweet nectar. Of course, it's favored by the hummingbirds, so I only indulge in one blossom.

 

In the spring bunchberries bear a single, white four-petaled blossom.

 

    At this time of year bunchberry flowers have disappeared and the plants recede back into the general green of forest undergrowth.

 

In fall the bunchberry comes into predominance again with its crown of bright red berries.

 

    Bunchberries may be eaten raw or cooked. However, they aren't particularly tempting to humans because of their pulpy texture. The flavor isn't great either. Tiny in size, a lot of these berries would have to be gathered, so I leave them to the wildlife and simply admire them visually. I think of them as more of a survival food and a harbinger of autumn.

 

First small white flowers, then green, hairy fruits. With anticipation I await the ripening!

 

    All along the forest trail grow black raspberry brambles. When first I saw them years ago, I assumed they were a small blackberry. Not so!

    Black raspberries have always held a particular mystique for me because I'd heard of them but never chanced upon them in the wild, in a plant nursery, in mine or in anyone else's garden! Now, they're an abundant gift of nature that I particularly enjoy. 

    In June they begin to ripen and I begin to harvest! There are plenty for both the critters and for me. I freeze them for smoothies, eat them fresh out of hand, and always make a quart of black raspberry brandy to sip on snowy winter nights alone or with friends.

 

The black ones are ready to pick!

 

    I took the photo above only a couple of weeks ago. Within days the majority of the berries had ripened to a sooo deep a purple that they appear to be black. I harvested a bunch of them.

 

A jar filled with black raspberries and topped off with brandy rests for six weeks to allow berry-goodness to leach into the brandy. Some of the color has already been leached from the berries into the brandy.

 

    On August 19th the soaking will have finished and I'll strain off the berries, possibly using them to make a galette or pie. To the brandy I'll add honey or simple syrup to sweeten to taste and pour the deep garnet liqueur into a pretty decanter. It will be served in wee cordial glasses. 

 

White roses adorn a huge wild rose bush at one end of the trail.

 

    On another forest trail I sometimes frequent most of the wild roses range in color from light to dark pink. All are of the same variety and delight my eyes in early to mid-June.

    Now, in mid-July, the blossoms have fallen and in their place green "hips" are forming. In the late summer the hips begin to change color.

 

In autumn I'll gather the bright red hips.

 

    The  bright red to orange-red hips are a powerhouse of Vitamin C! I gather them to simmer them fresh in honey to make a delicious syrup to sweeten herbal tea or pour onto pancakes, crepes, or French toast. I can dry them to make rose hip tea, too. 

    To make rose hip syrup, rinse the hips of dust and set to drain on a clean towel. Place the hips in a saucepan and pour in just enough honey to cover them. Simmer gently until the the hips soften. Strain out the hips - don't press them you don't want the tiny interior hairs in your syrup. Store the rose hip syrup in a jar in a cupboard or pantry.

    The hips are full of tiny hairs attached to tiny seeds, so I dry the hips whole for tea. A refreshing soda may be made from rose hip syrup by adding a tablespoon or two to a glass, tossing in some ice cubes and pouring on sparkling water. 

    Today's walk has come to a close all too soon. In the next post we'll take another stroll and see what the Forest trail has to show us!