Lollypop Update:

The second batch of herbal lollypops made with an infusion of rosehips, lemongrass, orange peel, horehound and licorice, sweetened with pomegranate concentrate and raw agave nectar and a small amount of raw sugar worked out GREAT! Next step a variety of herbal combos to treat colds, coughs, immune enhancers etc.....Soon they will be avaliable for you.

We have also made some yummy herbal chocolates.........adding osha powder and dried orange peel to dark dark chocolate....etc

The experiments continue.

A Spikey Pig or A Horned Melon



This looks just like some of the monsters that Zoe has been making!! She saw this at the supermarket yesterday and said that we need to try it. So it came home with us!

I have never tried one before




I read that taste wise it was a cross between a banana, a kiwi and a cucumber. It resembles a cucumber. It is watery and full of seeds Its colour is kiwi-like. It has a mild banana flavor. I guess it is really high in potassium. But BEWARE mucilagenous! Slippery, Gelatinous.....A JELLY MELON describes it best.I expected it to be really yummy, mango like as I was sure that those spikes were protecting something delicious! I am going to try to dry the rind and use it for a craft project.

According to sites I looked at:

The horny melon, also called melano, African horned cucumber or melon, jelly melon, hedged gourd, English tomato, or kiwano (a registered trademark of New Zealand's Prinut Inc.), is a vine of African origin, grown for its fruit, which looks like an oval melon with horns and is very decorative. Once native only to the region of the Kalahari desert, the horned melon is now grown in California and New Zealand as well.

When picked green, and allowed to ripen to an orange color, the fruit tastes like a mix of cucumber and kiwifruit. The fully ripe melon has an orange rind with spikes. The yellow-green flesh has a gelatinous consistency and contains whitish seeds similar to those of a cucumber.

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Cucurbitales
Family: Cucurbitaceae
Genus: Cucumis
Species: C. metuliferus

Crafting:

We have been busy creating "The Adventures of Red Noname" (see below) and his friend Charlotte (picture to come soon)





Charlotte is a spider like creature that was embroidered on the back of a shirt. Now we are creating a book of their adventures.

Here is a t-shirt zoe designed yesterday. I gave the owls wings and wrote the text on as she dictated it to me!

This is my friend gina when she was a little girl!




We have also been making a lot of wrapping paper. Inspired by Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping by Judith Levine I have been looking at my buying habits and looking where money can be saved. ( i know coffee is a BIGGIE but i am not ready challenge that one yet!) anyway I pledged to stop buying wrapping paper and gift bags in 2007). So i made a stack.....so fun. I have also made a felt tunic for a freinds birthday as I was running so late, wrapped it in the car after the last stich was sewn! I did not get a chance to photograph it first!.

6 wierd things about me.....OK not six but one.

I have a strange facination with "Outhouses". Given the amount of links on the web, I am not alone!

Here is the wilkipedia definition:

An outhouse, (also known as a privy or kybo) usually refers to a type of toilet in a small structure separate from the main building which does not have a flush or sewer attached. Lots more information on this page

Outhouse Definitions

Anyway earlier this week and old friend and I were spending the afternoon wandering around Northampton browsing- rare these days. We went into Zoe's favorite toy store........A Child's Garden ( 204 Main Street,Northampton, MA 01060) and right in the back I noticed this little gem. The door was closed but I knew..............Oh my I HAD to have it! All $40 of it. I didn't care whether Zoe wanted it or not!





Turns out it was a hit. There is always a line of little people waiting.......and we have learnt that you cannot use the old style plan people (without the twisty waists) as they fall in. It is then tricky to fish them out ! and a little traumatic for a child who has toilet fears.

For fun outhouse art work:
Outhouse art work

I love music! Definately one of the top 5 things that make me happy. Zoe has been going to concerts with me since she was 4 weeks old, not counting the ones she went to when we were one! The first one was a Vance Gilbert and Ellis Paul Concert at the Iron Horse soon to be followed by a Richard Shindell also at the Iron Horse. In her first year I think we went to 13 concerts. We have been to many folk festivals together....we both LOVE Falcon Ride Folk Fest four days of camping, rain, sun, mud and the best music out there. I only mention all this as tonight I did something I have not done in a long time, something that made me happy. I put in a CD. "MY" music, without negotioation, no whiny child in the back seat.

Funny it is that often in the evenings when Zoe is finally in the land of nod when I could listen to a CD instead I enjoy the quiet.....Until I had Zoe I had music on 24/7 now I am understanding my families"turn that noise off! " comments. Do we all become our mothers? Strange also, is the fact that I have been writing this blog for 6 plus months and hardly mentioned music except in the context of festivals and kids music ....... tonight I rediscovered that I still love music.

as I baked Lemon- Cornmeal Cookies #16 from the collectable cookie edition of Everyday Food. I am enjoying my subscription. I listened to Kris Delmhorst "Strange Conversations. What a great CD.

I have also been enjoying
Abigail Washburn :Song of the TRavelling Daughter
Erin Mckeown:Sing You Sinners

Lots of Cheryl Wheeler thrown in ther efor good measure although that needs to become late night enjoying and Zoe has memorized most of the "On the plane song" and the "It's the phone" song neither really appropriate for a 3 year old!!

Next on my list to purchase are

Crooked Still:Shaken By A Low Sound
Dave Carter &Tracy Grammer:Seven is the number

Both put out by Signature Sounds our AMAZING LOCAL RECORD LABEL.

I am also anxiously awaiting Susan Werner's new record "The Gospel Truth" CD to be released March 6th.



Now my goal for the rest of the evening is to not eat all the cookies before the bake sale on sunday at the museum.

new shoes





look i have new shoes she tells everyone who passes by

Our current favorite book though we haved owned it less than a day is Snowy & Chinnok the third book (our first) a new series collaboratively produced by Robin Mitchell and Judith Steedman, I am ready to buy Windy and Sunny the first two. A simple story; Sisters Snowy and Chinook are planning a birthday party for their friend Tulip a buffalo on a cold winter morning and trying to find the perfect gift. A perfect mood setting music CD is included. The art work is crafty and creative and very inspring for a child to play/make along. This book will be with us a long time I am sure......and Snowy and Chinnok will re-appear in our lives.

Read it on a snowy evening and wake up to snow, and a hot chocolate and pancake breakfast (recipes included)

What a day! Determined to make the perfect herbal lollipop!



Everytime I turned around crash or oh no!





The goal with the apprentices was to make herbal lollipops- the perfect lollipop.

Criteria:
Functional (ie:a cough remedy or to release nervous tension etc)
Taste (yummy!)
No sugar (ok limited sugar) Certainly no Corn Syrup
And to be esthetically pleasing!

We experimented with various herbs (elecampane, horehound, osha root, orange peel) and various sweetners (maple syrup, barley malt, black cherry concentrate and a little sugar)


These scenes





preceded these





and here are the results.




Yes I know they look more like mushrooms on a stick than lollipops!!!! I see that! We ran out of molds...and in a pinch used Zoes mini muffin pans she uses in her play kitchen....



Back to JoAnns this week......

We passed the test ! our little testers were pleased... at least taste wise!







Next week we will continue experimenting with more herbs and different sweetners and concentrates......Determined to make the perfect herbal lollpop! We even talked about making herbal chocolates!! Next week will be tasty and fun!

Under "my favorite blogs" I just posted links to two quality herbal blogs- check em out!

Winter Arrives!

Magic! There is something so magical about ice...so beautiful and yet so severe. The trees this morning were silver, shiny and glistening.......Icicles have always intriued me...so precise.......



But when you look closer...........oh no! the bud that had prematurely arrived encapsulated ..........




I have been busy over at the Children's Art Museum. I am using this down time at the Herbal School to get that project of the ground. This week is our GRAND OPENING. We are having a family concert at 3pm with Lui Collins as well as a bake sale (still looking for goodies). We will also have our first kids art opening the theme "Nature in Winter" (our monthly themes are listed over at StudioCAM)

This project The Children's Art Museum was a HUGE risk I took. So I hope it works out as I think it will be a gift to the children in our area.........we are accepting donations of all kinds and are especially looking for

fabric
buttons
sewing supplies
wool felt
wool roving
scrapbooking supplies
rubber stamps
and ideas!!

If you are cleaning your studio as part of a New Years Resolution please consider sending us some supplies you are no longer using. Donations can be mailed to CAM PO Box 6, Shelburne Falls, MA ) 01370.

And talking of New Year Resolutions I am still working on mine......This is a kind of addendum to my January 2nd post.

~ to 'waste' less time and make more of everday . I know the ways that I waste time (my time monsters). How do you waste time????
~ to go to more exhibitions, plays...
~ to have more patience (especially with Zoe)
~ to cook more and even bake
- to complete at least one craft project per month (especially from the WIP list)


The next herbal apprenticeship begins on tuesday April 17th, the first new moon in the Spring. Some special plans for this years program is to plant a dye garden, a three sisters garden, and a woodland garden and some herbal papermaking, as well as all the usual topics you'll find listed on the website. The program rums every tuesday for 10 months. Please email me for more information.

2007 Check in continues.....


What do you want to experience that you have not yet experienced?

What do you really want to experience from this life of yours?

Are there things that you want to stop and have not yet stopped?

Are there things that you want to be and have not yet become?

Are there things that you want to have and have not gotten yet ?

What do i want to compltete that i have not yet completed?

Is there something you are not awknowleged for doing/being

Is there something you want to prove an have not proven?

Is there something you can’t get started?


My new blog is up and running, more of a crafts blog for kids......StudioCAM Check it out!

A little quietness following the festivities......or busyness getting re settled to be truthful.

Tomorrow my apprenticeship continues after a month long break....we'll begin my talking about

Lemon Balm.......The Herb of the Year!

Lemonbalm (Melissa Officinalis) Funny but since returning from Greece my daughter Zoe spends her time playing her guitar singing Melissa Melissa (a greek song about bees) as well as the Koukouvaya (owl song). I wonder if she'll have my obsession with owl prints.

A hardy perennial lemon balm is in the mint family and is very aromatic! mmmm! Lemon balm has been added to wine, beer, and tea as a flavoring agent. Lemon Balm is a native to southern Europe and northern Africa and has been cultivated for over 2000 years.

Folklore: The use of lemon balm in traditional folk medicine may date back to the "balm" mentioned in the book of Genesis. It has a long history as a healing herb and was also part of a drink that ensured longevity. The branches were strewn on floors to freshen a room, as mentioned by Shakespeare in "The Merry Wives of Windsor". The Arabs introduced it as medicinal herb, a tea that was taken for anxiety and depression. Melissa tea is still known in France today as a remedy for fatigue and headaches. Melissa derives its name from the Greek for honeybee. The leaves were rubbed onto beehives to prevent swarming and to encourage the bees to return to the hives. The Greek physician Dioscorides wrote about it being used for scorpions stings and insect and dog bites.


It has been used to treat nervous disorders, rheumatism, and gastrointestinal troubles.Lemon balm has also been used to manage Graves' disease and to induce sedation. It is used as an Antiviral, Antibacterial, and Antifungal. Attributed Medicinal Properties Lemon balm tea was known to have powers of longevity. Today the tea is taken to treat colds and flu, lower blood pressure and for insomnia and indigestion. Balm is an excellent carminative herb that relieves spasms in the digestive tract, and is used in cases of flatulent dyspepsia. Because of its mild anti-depressive properties, it is primarily indicated where there is dyspepsia associated with anxiety or depression, as the gently sedative oils relieve tension & stress reactions, thus acting to lighten depression.

Primary chemical constituents of this herb include essential oil (citral, linalool, eugenol, citronellal, geraniol), tannins, bitter principle, resin, tannins, polyphenols, flavonoids, succinic acid, and rosmarinic acid. The volatile oils appear to act between the digestive tract and nervous system. It may be used effectively in conditions of migraine that are associated with tension, neuralgia, anxiety induced palpitations, and/or insomnia.

Lemon balm has a tonic effect on the heart and circulatory system causing mild vasodilation of the peripheral vessels, thus lowering blood pressure. It can be used in feverish conditions such as influenza. Hot water extracts have anti-viral properties, possibly due in part to rosmarinic acid and other polyphenolics constituents.

This is a safe herb for children, and it tastes very good.
When children have a fever/the flu or a simple cold a cup of lemonbalm tea with a little honey is irrisistable!. If your child isn't fond of tea then add 3/4 cup of tea to 1/4 cup of freshly made apple or pear juice.

My favorite Lemon Balm treat is a lemon balm cordial. Right before it flowers in the summer collect the fresh leaves. Fill a jar, cover with a good quality brandy, add 1/4 cup raw honey and let it sit for about 3 months. Strain and sip or add a little to your black tea in the Winter. You can also add orange peel and candied or fresh ginger for a different flavor.


Some Culinary Delights......
Roasted Lemon Balm Chicken
Ingredients: Handful of fresh lemon balm leaves, stems removed 1/4 cup or so of fresh sage leaves 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened Salt and pepper, to taste 1 large roasting chicken 1 teaspoon garlic powder 2 tablespoons olive oil
Preheat oven to 400°. Trim herb leaves from stems; wash and pat dry. Set sprigs aside. Chop two-thirds of the leaves, and combine with the butter, salt, and pepper. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Loosen the skin in several places and insert the herb butter underneath. Rub chicken with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Insert the remaining herb sprigs into the cavity of the chicken. Place breast-side-down in a roasting pan. Bake 30 minutes, then turn chicken over. Bake about 20 minutes longer.


Lemon Balm Vinaigrette

Ingredients: 3 tablespoons light olive oil 1/8 teaspoon salt 6-8 leaves lemon balm Fresh black pepper to taste 2 tablespoons wine vinegar Stack the lemon balm leaves together and roll, then with a very sharp knife cut thin strips, and then chop finely. Combine with the other ingredients.

Beverages: These are great iced or hot
Lemon Herbal Tea

Ingredients: 1/4 cup dried lemon balm leaves 2 tablespoons dried lemon thyme leaves 1/4 cup dried lemon verbena leaves 2 tablespoons dried lemon grass leaves Mix all together and use a tsp. or so per cup of boiling water. If you are missing any of the lemon herbs, just use more of the ones you do have.

Lemon Balm Rose Tea

Ingredients: 1/2 cup dried red rose petals (make sure no sprays were used) 2 tablespoons dried lemon balm 1 tablespoon dried rosemaryMix well. Use 1 teaspoon for each cup and pour boiling water over the herbs, then strain after 5 minutes or so. Sweeten as desired.


And here is a new one I cannot wait to try next season......Cream of Leek Soup with Lemon Balm


I also plan to make a chest salve....Using the fresh sage oil that we made on September 13th

And we''ll also talk about creating a Winter Welness Kit. Here is mine.......

Elderberry Ginger Syrup
Echhinacea tincture
Boneset Tincture
Chest Balm
Ginger tea
Cough Drop Lollypops
Lip balm
Bath Blend (Salt blend with Black Pepper, Orange and Rosemary Essential Oil)
Inner Resistance Tea (An immune stregthening tea with Oats, Dandelion, Astragalus, Siberian Ginseng, Chaga, Orange and Ginger)

And finally we'll take a Winter's Nature Walk.

Great book! I ordered it before I went away and am really pleased with it.

The Best Of Children's Arts and Crafts

Fun ideas
Simple projects
Good instructions.......It's a keeper!

Things I did on January 1st with intention......

I wore new underwear!
Cotton=practical but sexy (ok somewhat sexy) to signify the readiness to meet someone special this year! Practical and Sexy! New for financial freedom. And a funky print for creativity and inspiration.

A house full of friends
New friends, old friends, joyful sounds, friendship, shared meals

Cooked two new recipes
Ham (thanks pat) with pineapple and mango
Wild Mushroom and Barley Soup
With the hope of trying more new recipes, better nourishing my family and friends, and to good health!

Finished a creative project
To lots more creativity and completion of projects

Took an end-of -day bath with Lavender oil and read a poem.
Relaxation and simple pleasures!

These all relate to one another......
- Stayed Home
- Fixed something that had gotten broken
- Spent no money
- Stayed out of the Car

To becoming a greener and less consumeristic household. To simplifying. To financial freedom and more budgets. I want to read a book on Biodiesel this year and become better aquainted with the various alternative energies and home options.

Straightened up before going to bed
Went to bed early
Gave thanks...so many things to be Grateful for. I have kept a Gratitude Journal before and will keep one again this year. This can take any form that feels comfortable, list, prose, poetry, collage, doodle, journal.
Kissed Zoe many many many times!



Here is a good New Years read The Revolutionary War. My word of the year is ABUNDANCE. A word that has always felt loaded for me. I have always felt as though it would be "greedy" or "selfish" to ask for abundance. It seemed that I should be asking for something like "World Peace" or "Kindness". This year I will claim it, sit with it, journal on it and see what blossoms.

I have always loved New Years Day! That clean slate feel, freshness, full of possibility.

HAPPY NEW YEAR

Wishing us all peace love and joy in 2007

Since returning home we have had a quiet time with friends new and old planning, laughing, reminiscing, eating.... so wonderfully filling.

I go to bed this first night after re-reading a teaching of Grandmother Twyla Nitsch of the Seneca Nation Wolf Clan.



THE CYCLES OF TRUTH

LEARN the truth of what has happened
HONOR the lessons/knowledge of the experience (acknowledge what we experience)

ACCEPT the lesson. This is not always the easiest thing to do. Accept the responsibility for having made this choice. Accept the changes coming with that choice

SEE/perceive the inner potential for the positive/good that may come from the experience.

HEAR/harmony. We are always exactly where we are supposed to be.

Trust our FAITH. Know that we will grow.

LOVE unconditionally. LOVE ourselves unconditionally.

WILL to live. Live WILL through truth

WORK creatively. It is the best way to be productive, to provide for personal needs, and to take our minds off things.

WALK in truth. WALK tall. Use magnetism to attract positive energy and to release what is not needed.

Give THANKS for the healing and becoming whole. Unite our gifts with those who love us.

We thank our teachers and our guides
(1988) Twyla Nitsch