I stepped into the new year (based on the Julian then Gregorian calendars, that is) by taking a hike. I stepped away from motherhood duties and did just that. A hike. With a girlfriend. We talked. We sat on sandstone and gazed at the horizon. We looked at vultures circling in the sky. We saw … Continue reading
Big-berry Manzanita, Forage & Craft
It has been awhile since I last wrote a blog post. Mostly, the reason is that WordPress shifted the tools for creating a blog post and I was disgruntled to have to figure it out. Sigh. I tend to be really resistant to change when it comes to technology. Grumble. Grumble. Grumble. Anyway. Now that … Continue reading
Trail Marker Trees: Remembering Land Language
The story of stumbling upon the meaning and significance of these living artifacts started about 10 years ago. I had been running an apothecary in Mississippi (2012-2017) and, of course, spent a lot of time outdoors walking trails. I eventually started to notice these unusually shaped trees, most of them bent at 90 degree angles. … Continue reading
Rootin-tootin Fermented Radishes
Our favorite veggie ferment used to be sauerkraut. THEN then THEN we discovered fermented radishes. Everything changed. They are easy to chew. Sour. They have a subtle spice to them. Well. And, they are pink. My three year old LOVES them. The only thing is…they smell like baby diapers. I know. Strange. This ferment smells … Continue reading
Carpobrutus edulis: invasive food & medicine
New wormhole => Carpobrotus edulis (Latin name) Common name in California: ice plant Common name in South Africa (place of origin): sour fig, hottentot fig, or sea fig Indigenous names for sour fig (South Africa): hotnotsvy, suurvy, perdevy and ghaukum As many of you know…this plant is *everywhere* in coastal California. Don’t forget. Invasive plant … Continue reading
The Soul Belongs at Home
If you are dealing with *any* kind of addiction, that is a sign of soul loss. A harm. An assault. An offense. An abuse to your soul. Many people in our culture have experienced multiple assaults to their soul, and things compound, fester, and haunt that person. You can see that the light is not … Continue reading
Wild Blueberry Galette (gluten-free)
My first experiment with a nut-based, gluten-free crust. I must say. It was very, very tasty. Husband said it grew on him and then he was craving it. My little one gobbled it down. I enjoyed every crumbly, buttery bite (smile). The crust is not as flaky and crisp as your usual wheat-based galette crust, … Continue reading
Ancestral Blueprints and the Soul of America
This book and I found each other about 6-7 years ago. I was in the throws of running an apothecary in Mississippi, my home state. I was seeing clients…and feeling into the living narratives thoughtfully explained in this book. To say the least, it was affirming. I want to share this book with you. It … Continue reading
Pinole Energy Cakes
A wee bit of kitchen witchery happened tonight. Thought I’d share. So, what is pinole? As I understand it, the word pinole arrived in California with the early Spanish colonizers who had been in Central America before arriving here. They called the local toasted seed foods they experienced with First Peoples of North America, pinole…as … Continue reading
Super Seed Bars
Cooking and kitchen witchery, to me, are an endless, unraveling narrative…of places I have been…people I have known…and flavors I have explored. Take this recipe as an example… A friend of mine, from my San Francisco days, gave me this recipe to try. I was on my way to the desert to camp and needed … Continue reading
