More Spring plants for ya

Today I bring more plants to the blog:) Doesn't spring liven your senses, but remember her season is short, so slow down to observe and ENJOY IT! This year I am and what joy!

Here is Goldenseal Hydrastis canadensis

This is on the United Plant Savers endangered list so we have some planted here in our forest edge where it likes to be. We also have black cohosh and american ginseng planted and when that comes up I will be sure to share a pic.



Grape Hyacinth Muscari racemosum

This was planted here prior to our buying this house 5 years ago. I love these littel plants although they are fading now.


Mystery plant I dunno for sure
This may be a wild geranium? If you know please comment:)


Star of Bethlehem Ornithogalum umbellatum
These too are planted and some have migrated into the Ozark woods too. I delight in these as well. They are poisonous I understand so I leave them be to show off their beauty.


Stinging Nettles Urtica dioica
I have a video on yesterdays entry to show this after harvest. That night I sauteed in coconut oil with garlic and some chicken broth...oh so good along with some poke.

I have some drying right now as well. You can see more about nettles

More Spring Plants

I have noticed that many older ladies with full vibrant lives, take care of themselves.
How they do that will be unique to each woman, but many get perms, color their hair, wear makeup, use henna, make their own creams, use herbs, whatever.
The similar vein in all this is taking care of themselves. Which is rather impressive to me right now.

My son went on a trip last week to be with his dad and get some things worked out in his life. The last thing he said to me had soemthing to do with my grey hair. And ya know, it bothered me some because I have been feeling old and worn out lately.

It is getting better, but the observation of these older ladies has really taken hold onto my heart. I want to live and live vibrantly. So taking care of myself is a must!

So, after working hard all week to gather extra funds, I spent some on ME! On getting my hair foiled. it is very natural looking and just brightened things up for me. I love it.

I will get a pic soon.

So just in case you feel herbalists or natural people are perfect, I am always such a good example of imperfection...lol

So here are some plants today.




Dandelion Taraxacum officinale

During a bout of struggle physically, I dug up the bitter roots of the dandelions growing right now......tiny little buggers, could gobble em up in one bite, yet they probably helped so much.
We have been eating the younger leaves in salads for several weeks now as well as the yellow petals. I have made dandelion massage oil which I have used already and need to make more actually.

The amazing Dandelion made it though a raging fire in our burn pile last week so she is worn and burnt but very much alive. kinda like ME:)


Dead Nettle Lamium purpureum
We eat this too in salad and soups. Most of the plants though are mixed in with other greens for our rabbit.



Yellow Dock Rumex crispus
There is some conflicting info on this plant. Some herbals say to cook in 2-3 changes of water and some say it is not neccessary. I have been. I like to be safe usually. I had a huge plant in one of our growboxes that I had to uproot for the plants I want in there. So now I also have yellowdock root I will be tincturing.

We have been eating the leaves in soup with organic sausage and other veggies. I make a nice broth then add them after cooking in a few changes of water


Dogwood Cornus florida
The beauty of the wild dogwoods in the Ozarks is unsurpassed. Our serviceberrys and forsythias present the first show of flowering trees, then comes our dogwoods and redbuds (that are purply pink flowers)
I have read that native americans used the small twigs for tooth health. Boiling the bark for lowering fever, and a pioneer treatment for malaria.


Elder Sambucus nigra
I think I have shared this already that the Elder has much folklore around its presence. We have mowed, weed whacked and busted this plant up so many times over the past couple years...and this year she flowers! OH JOY!
Now to decide if I harvest the flowers or let them create the berries.

You want to use the black berries or dark purple variety. The seeds of the red berries are toxic or more toxic. I guess the seeds or the dark berries can cause vomiting too so cooking them down is best.
There are so many useful ways to use elder. The flowers and berries are anti viral and stimualtes the immune system. A hot tea with the flowers will help sweat out a fever. A cold tea is diuretic.
Good for upper respiratory infection.
You can make a sore throat remedy vinegar with the flowers. Or a syrup. The green leaves can be macerated into oil and made into salve for ulcerations, hemorrhoids and such.

There is a saying that where Elder flourishes, a wise woman resides....when I saw the flowers, my ego plumped up a bit...lol

April plants on my land

Certainly this is not all, but this is what I am using, have identified, need to identify or most abundant. It seems each day brings more growth. It is a joy to see before your eyes, the energy of life coming forth.
I will share a few pics now and then in order to not overwhelm, yet if you need help ID ing a plant in your yard, maybe the pics I share will help. And if you know one that I cannot find in my books, please let me know:)

Here are todays plants

Chickweed Stellaria media

Cleavers Galium aparine



Cleavers again


Comfrey Symphytum officinale

Molasses Crinkles and Easter Lamb dinner

Mix 3/4 cup soft butter
1 cup brown sugar (packed)
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
in a decent size bowl because you are going to add this to it
Mix together
2 1/4 cup flour
2 t soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 t cloves
1 t cinnamon
1 t ginger

Stir them together and add to the above ingredients. Chill dough.
Roll into balls the size of large walnuts. Dip top in sugar. Place sugar size up 3 inches apart on greased baking sheet. Sprinkle each cookie with 2 or 3 drops of water to produce a cracked surface.

Bake until soft, not hard at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.


We had a glorious Easter dinner with the Gros family. Patrice is French, an organic farmer, and his wife Karen is a personal chef and amazing cook and woman.
There were 4 families present and all of us self employed. The evening started off Euro style with exquisite champagne and the kids had an egg hunt.
We talked and helped in the kitchen for awhile.



Then we were seated and had our meal of Farm fresh raised lamb



Farm Fresh Swiss Chard Tarts



Easter Bread




Roasted Veggies
I made this-you clean your produce and dry. Cut into bite size peices of quarters.
I used-red cabbage, beets,cauliflower, broccoli,green beans all tossed ina bowl with extra virgin olive oil, garlic powder, spike, nutritional yeast and kale.
Baked at 350 for about 45 minutes, with foil on top, then uncovered about 15 at 450 to get things brown. Added Fried onions in there too.



Dessert

Plenty of wine and champagne.

A little song Manon Sang of Edith Piaf which now makes me want to rent Avignon Rose.



Here are the children



I answered the phone once and on the other line was a French woman:) So I handed the phone to Karen who speaks fluently

It was a wonderful time for all of our family!
And a special blessing because Friday kicked off another local gathering at my friend Michelle's. Ray was feeling under the weather so he stayed home with Liv.
The boys shot fireworks all night which is such a thrill for any young lad:)
The food and atmopshere was lively and joyful and it was good to visit with Michelle whom I had not really talked to in a very long time.
I am so blessed to see how they are progressing in their dream of land, animal ownership and gatherings. Here are the boys showing thier body paintings from that party.



What a beautiful weekend! The best is yet to come~

She is peeking at us, I think

SPRING!

Spring is on the way

This was actually a week or so ago, but I loved the picture with coffee in tow, my daughter in crocs as we walked the boys to their bus stop and the spring bulbs poking up through the snow....