When Life Gives You Lemons

Today is bring your dog to work day......Kris took Levi to the office and Kita stayed home to help me work

I've wanted to start using these delicious lemons from our backyard for something other than just juicing! Although they liven up any juice or tea.......

Known for it's health benefit for generations, lemon helps to strengthen immunity, cleanse stomach and purify the blood.
Lemon juice is especially useful for people having heart problem, owing to it's high potassium content.
It controls high blood pressure, and helps with respiratory issues and throat infections.
Lemonade also helps you stay calm and cool:)



Other than our loads of lemons we have beautiful roses surrounding the house in full bloom,
so we started brainstorming......


I had wanted to harvest the rose petals to use in teas
but I started thinking they would make a delicious lemonade!

We set out the petals to dry a bit and to let out any inhabitants.....


Tip #1 make sure you grate and squeeze your lemons BEFORE harvesting rose petals...just in case you get pricked! Lemon juice in tiny cuts = mucho pain!

Rose petals infusing in the sun for rose flavored water

      

Break time!
Kita likes the shade from the lemon tree:)








And for extra Rose flavour and health benefits we decided to add Vitamin packed Rosehips to our Lemonade!


For this Rosehip Lemonade recipe you will need:

11/2 cups of fresh lemon juice (7-8 lemons)
5 cups of water
1/3 cup or 6 tblsp of honey
2 tblsp rosehips
3-4 teaspoons of rose water (optional)
*flavor to taste
rose petals for garnish

Combine water, rosehips and honey in a saucepan, heat over med-low heat for 30 minutes to infuse the rosehips.
(At this point you could add whatever flavor you want to your lemonade....just replace the rosehips for green tea, black tea, mint, or a fruit infusion)

Let cool, strain rosehips, then add to pitcher of freshly squeezed lemon juice, add rose water to taste
Serve with rose ice cubes if you are feeling really fancy!

YUM!


I have a lot of other recipes I'm thinking about that use lemons, like:
- Lemon sugar
- Lemon herb pesto
- Lemon echinacea ginger super immune elixer
- Several lemon infused honey's





And I have to use all this zest!!!!

So check back for our ongoing lemon thriller!!!

Planting Time!

Late start on planting this year, April 4th already! Back in Victoria I would have my seeds in the basement germinating already.

Don't hate.....I know most of the country is still under snow!:)

But it's super warm here in Cali already so I can start planting outside now...except for those seeds that need to be kept in the dark.

Finally got some supplies....

Un-packed my seeds......

And planted!

I'm keeping these little guys in the fountain to protect them, it gets a bit windy sometimes.

Always good to plant on the new moon...you can go really into planting by the moon phases but I keep it simple and try to plant on or just after the new moon.
Every time I stick to this, plus say a few words and give an offering I get the strongest healthiest plants.



I also got a few starters from the gardening store as I'm not great growing tomatoes from seed!  But then of course I got carried away....do not let me into a plant, herb or shoe store! Dangerous!!!

Tomatoes, Cilantro, Onions and some Borage seeds

Peppers-Piquillo (mild red) and Garden salsa
(med-hot). We eat a lot of salsa

There's also some mixed beans in there

I also picked up some native Coyote mint (monardella villosa) which will have pretty pink flowers and makes a great tea for sore throats and respiratory ailments....and much more

And I couldn't resist this Blue sage (salvia nemerosa) it reminds me of Skullcap (scutellaria laterifloria), my favorite herb <3

I love all sages...I left a beautiful sage garden back in Victoria.

I'm also planting California White Sage (salvia apiana) and Purple sage (salvia officinalis purpurea)

Levi checkin out the new plants....



We also got some Blackberries, Kris' fave.....acorn quash, sweet peas, sugar peas, and sunflowers....and I don't know how many seeds around the house.....I might have to get Kris to build me some stacking garden beds cause I've already filled the pots!

Super excited about growing in California......we'll see what comes up!!!

How to make an Infused Oil and why

What is and infused oil and why do you want to learn how to make it??

An infused oil is a "carrier" oil that has been permeated "infused" with another material usually plants or herbs.

You can use this technique for making flavored oils for dressings and sauces or to make yourself a nice massage oil or healing oil.

I usually use First Cold Pressed organic olive oil, especially for culinary infusions. This extraction method is done using lower temperatures and leaves the oil unrefined (no added chemicals) and will last longer before going rancid.

How can you tell if your oil goes rancid or spoiled?? Generally smell and taste
If it tastes bad it probably is!

Always keep oils from heat and light to last longer and use within 6 months

To make a culinary oil go out and pick out some nice bottles (if you want them on display) I generally use mason jars as I keep mine in the cupboard so they last longer and they are easy to use....unless I'm in the mood to be fancy, (which does happen from time to time).




I love roaming the Sally-Anne for unusual bottles and containers. Just make sure to clean them really well so not to contaminate food! Also make sure they are dry as any water left in the jar can create mold



Next buy nice fresh dried herbs for a reputable sources with no additives. If whole lightly crush before putting into the bottle.

I usually keep a bottle of rosemary infused oil readily available and I use it on pretty well everything. Plus the health benefits of regularly adding spices to food help fight off colds flu's and disease. You can also use fresh garlic, dried chili peppers, and vanilla!

Try making several small bottles of different flavors to try, that way you will use them quickly before they go off.

After adding the solid material of your choice next fill the jar with oil and place in a paper bag in a sunny location for 2 weeks.

This is the solar method, the paper bag keeps the oils out of the direct sunlight and it does not heat the oils too much.

You can also use the stovetop hot water bath method but be careful not to heat the oils too high or you could burn the oil.

I prefer the solar just because I like doing things the old fashioned way!
Unless I am in a hurry to make a medicinal oil.
Plus I like to think the sun adds a little extra flavor!  



You can start to use your infused culinary oils right away if you like a light flavor, the longer the herb is kept in the oil the stronger the flavor will be. You can also strain out the herb if your oil gets too strong.




Now onto my personal fave's....massage oils and medicinal oils

If you read the tops of the jars in the pic above then you saw Arnica and
white willow written on top. I make these in large batches because they are main ingredients for my famous salve "Wolfsbane Salve" that everyone loves so much.

These oils need to be strained before using, which is simple enough....I first use a stainless strainer then further strain though a muslin cloth.





For massage oils you can use other lighter oils like Grapeseed or sweet Almond oil which absorb nicely into the skin.




Arnica is a great oil to have around as it is great for sore achey muscles, stiff joints, sprains and injuries. You can apply it right to bruises and swellings for quick healing and pain relief.

St John's Wort is another great oil to use if you suffer from nerve pain, sciatica, or injuries with nerve damage. a great healing oil, St John's Wort is also used for burns, wounds, sores, eczema and ulcers.
It's also great on a sunburn, which I happen to be using it for right now!:(

You have to use the fresh yellow flowers of Hypericum perforatum for true St John's Wort oil and not from the many common garden variety shrubs out there.



You will know in about 2 weeks if you have the right flowers as the oil will turn a beautiful red color.
This oil is left in direct sunlight to mature not in a paper bag.

There are many uses of making your own oils and there's a lot of information out there.
If you have any questions on infusing oils or how to get the materials or for a specific purpose message me:)

Coming soon.....videos on how to make medicine stuff!!!!

Teaching of the Hummingbird

Just before I moved away from Victoria, an elder gifted me with a very special hummingbird necklace.

I knew it was special at the time but am now realizing how.....The teachings of the hummingbird have been unfolding for me ever since.

When I first got here I was just grateful to have this female greet me when I walked the dogs in our little scrap of green grass near our temp condo in downtown San Francisco.

When she visited me daily for 4 days in a row I knew she was special and carried a message for me, for 4 is a sacred number.

I thanked the elder again for sending this gift with me so far away; he then assured me I was being watched and taken care of by Ha Moo Moo

She not only took care of me but one day she took me her most personal space, her home. Very special!



When we moved to our new place in Glen Park last week I thought of my new friend and how I would miss her, only to find two other hummingbirds fighting in our yard! Territorial?
They didn't stick around and no further contact until yesterday.


Kris and I had just spent two days unpacking our stuff from Victoria. I was eager to unpack all of my herbs and medicine, but more importantly my sacred bundle.
A bundle can carry any number of objects that have spiritual significance to the owner.
My bundle contains many Indigenous sacred tools used for ceremony, healing and protection that have been gifted to me over many years.

I had decided to pack my bundle and sacred objects in my belongings as it is a lot harder to take things like feathers and sage across the border. I have known many respectable Native American leaders to be denied access to bring their bundles across the border, or to be harassed and ridiculed even though there are laws in place to protect Native rights to carry cultural objects. They don't call it "no man's land" for nothin!

Okay where was I???
O yes the bad news........

We unpacked all of the boxes to find my bundle missing. I was trying not to panic as we checked every box, cupboard, and drawer 3 more times. Nothing!
Thankfully I had packed several different things in several different boxes so all was not lost, regardless I was still devastated. I called the moving company hoping there was a mistake with no luck.



I then went into the backyard with the dogs and there she was! My friend hovering just above me to remind and guide me back to my traditional teachings.

Tho I will miss my bundle it is not really mine, one cannot own such things given by the Creator.
They are merely tools; which to use for the time allowed.
I do not know if these things will come back to me, go on to another or disappear. I was told to remember that these are just objects not meant to hold on to, of what I still have and the teachings that will soon come.

Kris then reminded me of the pile of Abalone shells tucked in the bushes in the yard and to go get one for my new smudge bowl

I must talk to the house owner to find out the origin of these shells
I have never seen them so big

Back home they are hard to come by and quite small

This is the one I picked or picked me and smudged the house with to cleanse and begin our new life.

Mitakuye Oyasin

New Place

Finally moved in to our new place. Love it! The view's are amazing and we got some sun. We live far enough out of the city to have some green and quiet, but close enough so Kris, (my husband) doens't have to commute that far (about 30 minutes)

Our place has 3 skylights so we have a lot of natural light. I think I will put my Herbal Pantry here as it is nice and dark (so the herbs and tinctures won't degrade) and there is a nice office space right across for storing larger things, mixing and keeping files.

The yard is smaller than what I was used to in Victoria but very pretty and with various fruit trees; nectarine, plum, lemon, apple and crabapple yum! 

There is not a lot of space for actual planting in the ground, so I'm planning a container garden for veggies and esp for herbs as a lot of them are vigorous growers.

I have some flexibility on planting with the owners in trade for keeping up the grounds and I can also do some planting in the boulevard across the street

The original owners loved to garden it's obvious, but I think with some cleaning up there will be plenty of space to work with. In Canada we really are spoiled with a lot of land per person, more than we need really. This will be good for me to appreciate more the things I have taken for granted, and the good fortune I have today. I feel truly blessed.

White Buffalo Calf Woman

The story of White Buffalo Calf Woman

"This holy woman brought the sacred buffalo calf pipe to the Sioux. There could be no Indians without it. Before she came, people didn't know how to live. They knew nothing".(Chasing Horse)


Long ago the seven sacred council fires of the Lakota Nation came together and camped. There was no game and the people were starving and every day they sent out scouts and every day they came back with nothing.
One day a chief sent out two hunters to find some game. They climbed up a high hill to try to see far, off in the distance they saw something coming near them. As the figure came closer it seemed to be floating toward them and covered in beautiful white robes.
Soon they saw the figure was a beautiful young woman in white buckskin carrying a bundle.
Both men watched in awe as she approached them, one young man was filled with desire and had impure thoughts about her; he suddenly was covered in a cloud and turned to dust. The other man knew she was very sacred and respected her and she said to him; "good things I am bringing to your people, go back and tell them to prepare for me and I will return in four days"
The man returned to the people telling of the sacred woman and how they needed to prepare for her return and so they did.
Four days later she came to the camp with a bundle, which carried a sacred pipe. She instructed them on the teachings of the pipe and how to use it for it would take care of the people. With the chanupa wakan (sacred pipe) also come seven sacred ceremonies to  keep the sacred hoop united and the buffalo nation would feed the people.
She instructed the people on many teachings of how to pray and how to live in a good way.
As she got up to leave she told the people that she would return again and as she got further in the distance she rolled on the ground and came up a black buffalo, she then rolled again and came up a brown buffalo, next a red buffalo and finally the fourth time she turned into a white buffalo calf.
As soon as she disappeared into the distance herds of buffalo appeared to offer themselves to the people so they would live, and from that day forward the great buffalo gave the people everything they needed to survive.

First Blog Ever

Aho,

I'm finally setting up a blog...been talking about this for a long long time.
What prompted this endeavor is the big move from Victoria to San Francisco. I've been in San Fran 3 weeks now and I'm out of my element, my insane busyness, my comfort zone....what I'm saying is, I finally have time on my hands to write! And to figure out all this computer stuff! which, I am really not good at, or more like couldn't be bothered to learn. I'd rather be outside!
I was pretty proud of myself to have figured out most of this blog thing, so bear with me on the design, layout, content, as I am sure it will be changing quite a bit over the next couple of months.

All in all the transition down the coast has been pretty painless, other than still having to wait for most of my herbs and supplies for making medicine. It's probably for the best as I would be buried in work and not out exploring this amazing city...that's pretty well my MO most of the time...working or gardening.

Of course the first thing on the agenda was finding herbs and other herbies. I have to say I'm surprised I've only found 2 places for herbs; Scarlet Sage Herbs on Valencia has a bit of everything product wise and a great bulk herb selection but couldn't really help me when I asked about what's going on in San Fran for herbies, I was directed to a bulletin board hidden in the back of the store. The other shop San Francisco Herbs is more of a bulk wholesale place for herbs, kinda like a Costo for herbs.
Actually the highlight so far has been finding Rainbow Grocery Co-op, just happened upon it on my way to the herb shops. They carry a huge selection of vitamins, supplements, bulk herbs, produce, groceries and lots of gluten free fresh baked goodies!

So as long as my tummy is happy everything else will fall into place! Plus I will have fun finding more places to haunt.

That's it for now!
Pics coming soon....