Day 12 of 30 - Elimination Diet

Hubby and and I are more than a third of the way through the Whole30 program.  I'm feeling good - not super energized - but, not bad.  I'm not as hungry as I was week one which is really good. I thought I would discuss more of the specifics - if you're not into over sharing skip over a section.

FOOD:
We have tried a lot of new recipes and thrown in a few old favorites.  We joke that we are eating like my Dad insisted we did growing up - meat, potato and vegetable.  I have been using the book,  The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom as a guide. All the recipes that are not mine come from this book.   I made their salmon cakes substituting pumpkin for sweet potatoes.  They have been my go to for breakfast.  They taste great and are very filling.  This week we tried Melissa's chicken hash - colorful and tasty with shredded sweet potato and diced granny smith apples - sweet, tart and walnuts give it crunch.  I made my Bloody Mary pot roast one night and last night we had their stuffed peppers and a salad.  I made a version of my thousand island dressing - I combined my failed attempt at making mayonnaise (tasted great but was very runny) with the homemade ketchup (tastes great but, is really thick), a little Worcestershire, apple cider vinegar and dill.  So far, all the food has received a "keep this in rotation" review.  And trust me, the family would say otherwise.  The kids and I decided the stuffed peppers needed a little bit more spice next time. I would add a little more herbs to most of the recipes in the book. I also made a big batch of the chicken stew - using cauliflower instead of broccoli and smashing it with a potato mashers instead of pureeing it in a food processors - less work and clean up. This is the second time I made this recipe. It's really easy and tastes great. I added a bunch more vegetables to the stew as well.  If you haven't figured it out by now, I use recipes as a guideline or inspiration and then make them my own.

SUPPLEMENTS & MY BREASTS:
I stopped taking my herbal supplements as they are alcohol tinctures.  I also stopped taking the few vitamins I was taking.  They are gel tabs and contain contraband ingredients.  I don't taking a multi vitamin just a couple key ones - one I show deficient on in blood work without it plus I have so much more energy when I take it - and the other because when I stop taking it my breasts hurt.  It took a week but, by day 8 my breasts started to hurt.  It's not noticeable all the time - you wouldn't want to wear anything tight and you definitely do not want to have your nipples touched.  Just sayin'.

BOWEL MOVEMENTS:
I normally have a bowel movement every morning pre-coffee.  I still do.  I have noticed that though still formed they are softer.  Instead of a solid brown they are now a more yellow-brown. Hey, I warned you.

WEIGHT:
I'm not supposed to be weighing myself - it might wreck my self-esteem so says the book and its rules.  It is the only rule I'm breaking - It's an elimination diet and I've been perfect about avoiding all those things I shouldn't eat. And if you know me a scale is not going to wreck my self-esteem.  My jeans fit a little better, my wedding band comes off a little easier most mornings (it wasn't before I started) and according to the scale I'm down five pounds.

NECK PAIN:
In the fall I was having stress related back spasms.  I have increased my visits to the massage therapist, eliminated a few things from my life, added exercises and herbs, delegated more to the family and spent a lot of time with the chiropractor.  My back pain is really related to tension in my neck radiating down. Once we were able to release the back I was left with the root cause - a pain in the neck. I am just about ready to break up with the chiropractor - the visits are farther in between.  I'm feeling great.  I have noticed that I am less inflamed since starting the Whole30 and I can really NOT feel it in my neck.  That's a really good thing.

Elimination Diet - Week One

People often come into the studio and ask me questions.  I often suggest an elimination diet.  Many of our dis-ease can be eliminated through what we eat.  I have cut foods out here and there to see what may work for me but, I have never fully taken my own advice.  I was looking for a plan, a guide to walk me through the process.  A friend suggest I pick up the Whole30  book at the library.  She had tried it and was very happy.  So, it took a few months and getting through the holidays before I took her advice.

I like the book.  It walks you through step by step of what you are eliminating and why, tells you what you may experience throughout the process, explains how to reintroduce foods back into your diet and gives you plenty of recipes and on-line support if you need it.   I asked my hubby to get on board and support me throughout the journey and to my surprise he decided to join me.  My young adult children were told they didn't have to follow the program but, if the were eating dinner at home they would get what I cooked.  They were OK with that.

I must state that before I started I ate pretty clean.  I love to cook, shop and try new recipes.  We buy organic vegetables and organic grass fed meats as much as possible.  I make most of my ingredients from scratch so for me this was not a difficult transition as far as cooking.   This is NOT for vegetarians! 

You eliminate all grains, sugars, dairy, beans, soy, processed foods, alcohol and tobacco.  You eat animal protein (including fish), vegetables and fruit. Plus you are not supposed to weigh yourself - some crazy idea about ruining your self esteem.  Besides, this is not a diet to lose weight.  This is a way to determine if you have any food sensitives or allergies.  OK, it doesn't say no processed foods but if you read the labels (I've been doing that for years - scary stuff) it most likely has one of the contraband ingredients in it.  We rarely eat processed foods and neither one of us use tobacco so that was easy.  We are not drinkers so for us giving up alcohol meant no herbal tinctures. You can have coffee - just no sweetener or dairy (almond milk or coconut milk is OK as long it doesn't have banned ingredients - read the label).  I eliminated the cream and started drinking my coffee black - hubby switched to coconut milk.  I couldn't find an almond milk without rice flour in it. My saving grace is that you can have potatoes. Hallelujah!   It said you could experience numerous challenges (like headaches and fatigue) the first week as your body detoxes from sugar consumption, and relearns to pull energy from fat stores rather  than sugar. 

We just finished seven days.  Other than both of us feeling hungry all the time we have not experienced any adverse affects.  I'm not a sweets person and ate very little breads and grains prior to starting - I can't stop at a serving and then I feel yucky.  My hubby is a two bagel a morning kinda a guy so I was a little surprised he didn't have any issues.  He has had to increase his food intake - going from two meals a day to three.  And he has had to step up to the plate and make food for his lunchbox. 

It takes a little thinking outside of the box and preplanning meals.  Superbowl Sunday we have appetizers for dinner.  I made the kids their nachos and I made hubby shrimp cocktail (a little homemade ketchup and horseradish), sausage stuffed mushrooms (with homemade sausage) and lettuce wraps with the veggie filled taco meat left over from the nachos.

Meals this week have included walnut crusted pork loin over a bed of greens with raspberry vinaigrette, grilled shrimp over a bed of sauteed vegetables and roasted salsa chicken. We are not deprived.

It says it will take a week or more to start feeling really good - more energy, clearer skin, etc.  I will let you know.

Apple Bread Recipe

This is my Mom's recipe fleshed out a little - her directions are pretty sparse. 

1/2 Cup unsalted butter

1 Cup sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. baking soda

2 Tbsp. buttermilk or sour milk (mix a drop of lemon juice with milk)

2 Cups flour

1 tsp. vanilla

2 Cups apples, peeled and chopped

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. ground cloves

Topping

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

2 Tbsp. sugar

2 Tbsp. flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Blend butter and sugar together. Add eggs and blend again. Dissolve baking soda in the buttermilk and add to butter and sugar mixture.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix until combined.  Spoon into a loaf pan.  This will make one regular size loaf or two flat loaves.  The batter does not rise much.  We usually opt for two loaves as the bread is very moist.

Mix topping ingredients together and sprinkle on top of  loaf.  Bake 30 minutes to one hour until a toothpick comes out clean.

#books I've read recently

I am a bookaholic it seems to go hand in hand with being an herbalist.  Well, at least all the herbalists I know.  I read a lot.  I collect books; signed books.  I read multiple books at once.  Instead of a bedside stand I have a bedside coffee table - it holds more books and trust me there is no room for a cup of coffee.  I do have a jar filled with pens, highlighters and bookmarks though.  I have them arranged in three neat piles according to reading schedules.  The maybe some day, the I'm half way through but have lost interest for now and the currently reading pile.  Lately I have been on a kick of finishing books.  The piles have been getting out of control and I need to either pass some along or finish them. I'm also hesitant to buy more until I finish a few.  A self imposed challenge.
I started winter break being gifted three new books.  I sat and read two straight through and am half way through the third.  Since then I have finished three more. I am binge reading the stacks on my coffee table.  And it feels good.
I'm inspired in part by Tara Swiger.  Each month she posts what books she has read along with what she is currently reading.  She challenged herself to read 100 books last year.  I love to read but tend to be a slow reader so I'm not sure I will achieve that but a book a week sounds like a good number.  I read very little fiction, my favorite books are biographies and reference books. I read herbals, cookbooks, soap making and business books.  So, what have I read since winter break?

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert, I admit I was hooked after Eat, Pray Love and have read everything she has published since.  It took me a long time to get through the Signature of All Things but, Big Magic was a quick read and had lots of great ideas and inspirations for life and work.

Cooking as Fast As I Can by Cat Cora  The autobiography of the first female Iron Chef.  I love to cook, love cooking shows and books about cooking.  I must say this left me wanting more - a story without an ending - well because she's still young and learning and in mid lesson.

Traversing the Wild Terrain of Menopause by Gail Faith Edwards   I took one of her workshops at the New England Women's Herbal Conference.  I have friends who studied with her at Blessed Main Herb Farm and I could see why.  As I traverse the wild terrain myself I could see correlations and the text intermingles with a great materia medica, recipes and the cycle of the year.

Deranged by Nora Jamieson   This is a book of three short stories that delve into spirit and human experience and understanding.  I know Nora and some things felt familiar and at the same time I felt the baring of her soul.  Her writing is raw and thought provoking.

Free to A Good Home by Anne Kelleher   I have been friends with Annie for years.  She is an amazing story teller.  A skill I lack - I get to the bones of a tale and can never really flesh it out.  My hubby and his family have this skill as well.  For Annie it translates into her writing.  This book is a collection of her short stories.  They make you pause and think.  And though they are not horror stories the truths they impart are frightening.  Mostly because you can envision these stories becoming reality.  Shameless plug: If you are local stop by my studio for a signed copy.

I'm currently reading my last Christmas gift My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem and The Anatomy of Arousal  by Sheri Winston. This last one I purchased at my daughter's suggestion.  When we were at the Women's Herbal Conference she took Sheri's workshop and enjoyed it so much that she dragged me to her booth to buy her book.  It is the sex book that everyone should read for fantastic orgasms.

#Happy New Year

I don't celebrate the dawning of a new year with parties and such.  I did for a brief period of time back in my twenties.  Staying up until midnight holds little appeal.  The new day will dawn if I am there to witness it or not.  I am much more a wee hours of the morning person.  I get up before the sun and enjoy those quiet moments of solitude.
My new datebook is on my desk, a new calendar is hung on the fridge to coordinate all family appointments, a new calendar is hung in my studio to help keep me on track and date my batches.  I reflect because I must - prepping taxes and such both for myself and my clients in my job as an accountant.  I reflected a month ago as we prepared to give thanks in a more formal way and I wrote my annual holiday letter.

Welcome to the possibilities 

This past year has been one wild trip.  Our family has grown by two grandchildren, my business has expanded from house to studio and my annual holiday letter could not be copied and pasted from the prior year.  It was full of new travels, struggles, growing pains and birthing in all its forms.  It was full of joys and successes and much gratitude.

Luana Rose

Charles Warren

I do not make new year resolutions.  I do set goals, steps to attain my hopes and dreams and this I do on a regular basis.  Each day I reflect on where I have been and where I want to go and adjust or stay the course.  And each day I give thanks - thanks for a new day, the new lesson, the struggle, the triumph, the love and friendship I have in my life.  I am grateful for all the relationships I have forged in cyber space and physical space.
May you celebrate each day like it is the dawning of a New Year!

#Holiday Schedule

I have so many things on my plate right now and I love it.  I always function better with almost too much to do.  No time for procrastinating and a great time to gain some focus. My ability to multi task with the best of them has diminished but..... my ability to focus on one thing at a time and do it well has increased.  And I make sure to schedule plenty of fun, enjoyable activities as well.
It's a busy time of year for many with family, feasts, parties, shopping and celebrations.  I worked retail for many years and I would do my best to avoid the crowds and rush completing many tasks and chores very early in the season.  I would then spend the rest of the year enjoying this time and feeling bad for all those around me freaking out.  It gave me the calm to be more present with my customers.
Now that I have my own business I want to bring that calm into the mix.  Comfy chairs and rockers by the giant windows with the sun streaming in, a pot of tea always at the ready and a dish of really indulgent chocolates to nibble are always waiting in my studio.  And I hope the fact that I just love - LOVE - love being there is felt by all who enter.  It is my play space.  I forget who said if you love what you do you don't work a day in your life. This is so true.  I can't wait to get there and create, experiment, share, teach and talk to folks wandering the historic building or coming to see me.

A soft place to land

I will be there every Sunday from now until Christmas.  Plus extra days and events.
Black Friday is get out in Nature Day and I'm planning to walk with the Winsted Rails to Trails Volunteers on their City Walk Tour.

Saturday, November 28 is Small Business Saturday and I will be open from 11 to 4 along with many others in the Mill including Tina's Baskets, Walk in the Woods, Air Borne Creations and RR Model and Hobby Shop.

My Whiting Mills Community

December 5 & 6 is open studios at the mill from 11:00am to 5pm. It's one of the most unique and interesting artist communities in Litchfield County.
You will enjoy over 50 artists, crafters and specialty shops featured at Whiting Mills, along with guest artists, live entertainment and free refreshments.
You will have a chance to win a t-shirt stating  "You have been through the mill."
Also Lippincot Van Lines will have a drop box for non-perishable food items, toys and clothing to benefit Fish, Inc. and Family Strides.

December 13, I will have all the ingredients to make your own milk bath.  Fill a pint size jar with your custom blend to keep or give away.  The first jar with recipes and instructions is $25.00 each additional jar is $7.00.

December 20, the studio is open from 11 to 4 for last minute shopping or a quiet spot to sit and relax.
And if you are to overwhelmed to leave the house you can find all my skin nourishing products on line.
I hope to see you at some point in the coming weeks.
Blessings, Kim

#Peace and Love

November 4 is the blog blast for peace day.  I have participated for years.  I am usually good about writing my post ahead of time and just posting on the day.  This year I spaced prior to the day.  I am having a hard time keeping focused on more than one thing at a time.  I set down my crown as the Queen of multi tasking.  But, peace is important whether I blog on the correct day or not.

The theme this year is "Peace and the power of love."  Sounds simple at first.  But, as I dive deeper into my thoughts it occurs to me how over used the term love is.  We only have one word for love and it becomes a catch all for many types of feelings.  I love potatoes - never met one I didn't like, I love my handsome hubby, my children, my friends, plants, trees and learning among an entire array of things, but I don't love them in the same way.
Loving people is so much more complicated than being enamored with your favorite slice of pie. I don't have to think about enjoying the pie. Loving people is a choice.  Some days it comes easily, other days not so much.  I love my kids.  There is not much I wouldn't do for them but some days I don't like them very much.  When they are rebelling, mouthing off, making poor decisions (in my opinion), etc.  I love them anyway.  They can express themselves because they know no matter what I will love them.  It is their safety net.
Taking that a step further how do I love the stranger on the street, the annoying co-worker, the bully, the person who doesn't like me? And that I believe is the key to peace through the power of love.  Some days I am successful at it.  Other days I fall terribly short.  It's a choice.  Each day I wake up and say thank you.  I try to live from a place of gratitude.  I try to choose love and when I do that brings a sense of peace.  If I can bring joy to one person and that person brings joy to the next from one loving act, peace would spread like the ripple effects of a stone thrown into a calm lake.  What if we each chose love?

My love of #Aprons

My father-in-law recently sent me the following e-mail.  OK, I skipped printing the part that said to pass it on and a few other silly comments but, it really did bring me back and make me think about my aprons. 

"I don't think our kids know what an apron is. The principle use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few.

It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material.

But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.

It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears.

From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven.

When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids..

And when the weather was cold, Grandma wrapped it around her arms.

Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove.

Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron.

From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls.

In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees.

When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds.

They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron.

I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron - but love"

I don't remember my Grandma wearing an apron but I do remember my Auntie wearing hers (she still does) whenever she was in the kitchen.  And I can tell you like me it's a lot.  It protected her clothes and gave her a spot to wipe her hands.  I think her love of cooking landed right in my heart.

I have a few aprons of my own.  The first I made in Girl Scouts.  It was for our sewing badge -a reversible patchwork apron.  We learned basting, pinning, hand and machine sewing.  But most of all I learned I HATED sewing.  I will sew a button back on but other than that safety pins and duct tape work wonders.  Having someone take pity on me for using safety pins worked a few times as well.  But, my smartest move was to marry handsome hubby who loves to sew.  But, I digress.

My apron - sewing project 1970 something

The second apron I bought two decades ago.  I was in a cute little kitchen shop on Cape Cod with my boyfriend at the time.  It was beautiful - floral, heavy material and pockets.  It hung in my kitchen for years.  And then one day, many years later, I realized that maybe it would work better if I put it on.  That realization  came with having kids and making supper as soon as I came home from  work.  When I was single I could come home, change my clothes and putter before making dinner.  A little splash here, some grease there didn't matter to my comfy clothes.  But, it did to my work clothes.  This is the apron you will see me walking around my studio in.  It has served me well.  And I still think it's beautiful - even with a few stains and a small rip in it.  I love the pockets for stashing things in and the heavy material that nothing soaks through.

My blue floral apron

I also have two aprons at home that I use regularly when cooking.  One a present from my hubby - a little herby, witchy vibe and the other has a raven on it and says Ravenous.  As you can see they are well used.  And now that I have learned the appeal of my Auntie's apron I have to stop myself from collecting a few more.

 

My well used home aprons

Whiting Mills #Historic Building

Whiting Mills - View from Holabird Ave. Parking Lot

      Winsted, settled in 1750, was formed at the junction of the Mad River and the Still River.  Winsted is part of the town of Winchester and derived it's name from the towns of Winchester and Barkhamsted when the congregational church moved from the hill to the valley forming the the First Congregational Church of Winsted.  The beautiful stone church is still located near the Winsted green.  Winsted is one of the first mill towns in Connecticut. 
      The Winsted Hosiery Company, founded in 1882, was a small manufacturer of men’s hosiery and occupied two red brick industrial buildings and a stone building on Whiting Street. The company later expanded its products and by 1936 became the largest hosiery manufacturer in Connecticut. The company’s red-brick industrial complex exemplifies the Italianate and Renaissance Revival design influences on manufacturing facilities around the turn of the century. The designers of the Winsted Hosiery buildings developed pragmatic solutions to the needs of a large manufacturing facility, maximizing natural lighting through open plans and continuous rows of windows. 
     On a tour of the building my childhood neighbor told me how her grandmother worked at the mill.  She would take home scraps of wool, dye them and braid them into rugs for her home.  
    In June of 2004, Whiting Mills, LLC was established when Jean Paul and Eva Blachere purchased the 135,000 sq ft complex. The historic Whiting Mills building was turned into artist studios. There are now more than fifty studio spaces occupied by herbalists, master artists, photographers, wood workers, cabinet makers, craftspeople and a railroad hobby store.   The majority of which are on the third and fourth floors.

Sign at entrance in back parking lot

    The Mill is set up a little quirky but that is the charm of it as well. The four floor building is built into the side of a hill and has a ground level entrance on each floor.  It can make it a little confusing for first time visitors.  If you enter from the main parking lot behind the building you are on the third floor.  These studios are numbered in the three hundreds.  The old freight elevator is located across from Tina's Baskets & Woven Art. If you take the stairs located next to this you will see a sign that says this way to the second floor.  Don't be confused - you are actually going to the fourth floor.  The studios her are numbered in the four and five hundreds.  That's right, the five hundred series of studios is on the fourth floor.  

Sign directing you to the stairs that lead to the 4th floor

     

Sign in stairwell pointing to the 4th floor

If you enter the building from the Holabird Avenue side of the building (the parking lot next to the firehouse) you can enter on three different floors.  Entrance 210B towards the bottom of the hill will bring you in at the second floor and the Northeast Farrier Supply.  You can take the stairs from here to the third and fourth floor.  Going up the hill entrance 210A is a small section of the third floor and hosts several artists.  There is no way to get to other parts of the building from here so to continue your tour you must exit the building and enter another way.  At the "top" of the hill you enter the five hundred series on the fourth floor.  The four hundred series of studios is just down the hall.
   I am located in studio 418. My large windows face the west and I receive tons of afternoon sun. I was told that people might have a hard time finding me around the corner in a hallway with two other artists but follow your nose.  The latest soap creation wafts through the halls and will lead the way.  

A view of my windows before moving in

My studio (418) with the windows in the background

Women Healers #Bookreview

     I am an herbalist. I am a bookaholic.  The two seem to go hand in hand.  I love to read.  A few novels here and there, biographies more so and books that I read with a highlighter in one hand the most.  I have a mini library in my house.  The books I save are mostly what I would call reference books.  A shelf filled with poetry and some of my favorite novels on another.  My herbal books are my prized books.  Many of them are signed.  This thrills me to no end.
     I am usually reading multiple books at once.  Put one down and digest the information while I start on another.  I actually do finish most of what I start.  It just may take a while.  This summer I finished multiple books.  Yeah me. One was Women Healers of the World: The Traditions, History, and Geography of Herbal Medicine by Holly Bellebuono.

 
     The book is beautiful with lots of pictures.  It is an oversize coffee table book that you actually read. She introduces one type of healing modality at a time and then references women in this area of expertise.  Some are contemporary and she was able to interview them for the book.  Others are from the past - recent and ancient - and oh so relevant.  The book includes stories(histories, facts) about Hildegard von Bingen to Rosemary Gladstar, from Western herbal traditions to native nations, folk, shamanism and so much more.  She ends the book with recipes for basic herbal remedies.  I thoroughly loved the book.  I learned about my herbal heroes, I got to know some of my herbal sisters in a new light and I was introduced to women I hadn't heard of before.  There are many sidebars that explain the etymology of words, and go into detail about different herbs and places.  It is chock full of information.
     Holly taught at the New England Women's Herbal Conference this year.  She also had a booth in the emporium with her books and herbal treats.  And..... I was able to have my book signed.  Swoon!

Souper #Workshop

     I have taught soap making classes many times.  I am comfortable there but, it is time to stretch my wings.  Slowly moving towards sharing all I have learned about the plant world.  I continue to learn and grow and sometimes feel stuck in the mire of never knowing enough.  But, this year at the International Herb Symposium I looked around and thought I have arrived (not at a final destination but at a point in time). After ten years of study I feel like I know something, more than a little something and it is time to pass it on to more than just my family.
    I'm starting with my first love - cooking.  I am making a big pot of chicken soup. It is after all the what soothes all ailments, right?  I will have it for my students to enjoy while we talk about the ingredients I use to boost the immune system and add that extra something.  Class is Sunday, October 25, from noon until 2.  Sign up at my facebook  event or message me here.
     I will provide the recipe or the bones of my recipe for everyone to take home.  I can honestly say I have never made my chicken soup exactly the same way twice.  But, the base is the same; a good free range chicken, organic vegetables and lots of herbs.  From there the possibilities are endless.

Chicken Potato Soup

     My chicken potato soup started after my daughter's open house at the high school.  She is taking culinary this year and they were doing a baked potato fund raiser.  I was gifted a pile of baked potatoes.  I scooped out the insides for the soup and make potato skins for an appetizer.  As the week went on the soup morphed as I added the leftover vegetables from dinner to the pot.  A little sauteed squash here, some chopped green beans there  and it just became more delicious as time went on.

#Goldenrod

I just love having this golden beauty growing in my flower bed.  Sunshine in autumn that brings a smile to my heart.  Goldenrod or Solidago, is good medicine as well.  Before the flowers are spent, preferably as they just start to bloom harvest them.  Make them into a tea.  Dry them for a winter tea that brings back some of that golden energy.  Make them into a tincture.  I combine this with tinctures of elder flower and catnip for our family decongestant.

Many think they are allergic to this beauty.  It is not so...  She waves her gorgeous flowers high and proud but to breath in her pollen you would need to stick your nose into the blossoms and breath deeply.  It is the rag weed that often hides behind goldenrod's beauty that flings her pollen in the air and causes itchy watery eyes and a runny nose.  Sip some goldenrod tea to alleviate the symptoms.

She is also used for kidney disorders and stuck chi (energy).  I invite you to take some time to get to know her.

Here and Away

August, that amazing month of time way that moves like a speeding train.  I spent a wonderful, rejuvenating week in Hilton Head, SC with my hubby and daughter.  I arrived home to my son visiting for two weeks.  He is on leave from the Marine's before being deployed.  I spent a day with my daughter shopping for school and turning her deep brown locks of hair into electric lizard green.  You need to pick your battles and I figure this is a rather harmless rebellion.  And though I am home physically I'm not sure I have fully arrived.  And then we are off again.  Well, my daughter and I are off to the New England Women's Herbal Conference.
It has become an annual pilgrimage.  My beloved teacher introduced me to the conference ten years ago.  The following year I brought my oldest daughter.  When my youngest was old enough that I didn't need to watch her every second I included her as well.  The girls enjoyed one conference together before my oldest flew the nest.  This will be my youngest's sixth conference.  It has been inspiring to watch her grow at this event.

This conference feeds my soul in ways I just can't fully describe.  I am surrounded by women interested in herbs that I can talk with, share with and learn from.  I get to take class after class with teachers from around the world.  I can meet the authors of the books I devoured.  I get to see that they are as human as I am.  I play and explore and come home with a renewed fire inside.  I reconnect with friends I have made over this past decade.  And I truly mean friends not just acquaintances.  The music, the dancing, the shopping, the learning, the connecting, the laughter, the tears...  the bathroom parties, the long dinner lines visiting, the million little things, the sharing all of this with my daughter...  all of these and more nourish me on a deep level.
The conference also signals the end of summer break.  School has started, the schedule slows a little and I will be drinking in the autumn abundance before the winter hibernation.  I will be in my studio more often.  Regular Sunday hours will be back.  Classes will be scheduled.  New ideas will make manifest. Ashe, Ashe!

Traveling Muffins #Recipe

August is a PTO month for me - Personal Time Off.  I have done some work and will do a little more before the month is done but in between will  be some much needed time away with family.  I started the month at the Health, Wealth and Home Expo.  It was a beautiful week end, I met some amazing people and left feeling grateful.
Today I cleaned the house from top to bottom while hubby detailed the car.  Then I made a batch of traveling muffins before heading to the spa.  Nothing like a good massage to start a vacation off right. I made the first version of these muffins many years ago for something to munch on in the wee hours of the morning before stopping for breakfast. And by wee hours I mean the middle of the night to most people.  They were a big hit and now are part of our family's traveling tradition.
I have tweaked the recipe a little here and there but this is the version I made this morning.

Traveling Muffins

Blueberry Coconut Muffins

AKA Traveling Muffins

Note:  all the ingredients I use are organic.  And my FIL loved these even though he claims to hate coconut.

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup cane sugar
4 tsp lemon zest
2/3 cup raw milk (or heavy cream)
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
2 cups blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease muffin tins or use cupcake papers.

Beat butter, sugars and zest until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time; beating after each addition.   Add milk and mix.  Add flour and beat until just combined.  Stir in coconut and gently fold in blueberries.  Using a large kitchen scoop (ice cream scoop) fill muffin tin.  Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Makes 24 muffins.

#Teachers

I have been blessed with many teachers in my life.  Actually I think everyone is a teacher in some way and I feel blessed to recognize that in so many.  I love to learn.  I would be a full time academic student if that were a vocation. Instead I am a full time student in life - through books, nature, classes and the people that surround me.
I am reading Women Healers of the World By Holly Bellebuono at the moment and one common theme is that all the woman had been taught by their mothers and grandmothers.  My ancestors have taught me many things but not so much about the herbs.  My Grandpa had a huge garden and I learned to eat a varied and fresh diet. Food was central to family gatherings and I learned my love of cooking from my Auntie.
Over the years I picked up tidbits of information from varied sources.  My poison ivy remedy comes from an old boyfriend's grandfather, a wise old farmer.  One of my oldest and dearest friends is a master gardener and I work for her in my off time.  I am paid in plants. My garden reflects those happy moments.

Odessa (payment from Time for a Garden)

I took a soap making class in a shop located in an old gardening shed.  I took classes at a local store in many subjects including introduction to herbs as medicine.  I was hooked.  This is where I met my first formal herbal teacher and now dear friend Rose of Walk in the Woods.

Rose

I studied with her and continue to learn from her.  She is truly an inspiration.  She doesn't just talk the talk but walks her walk.  Her knowledge of plants, gardening and medicine of the people is a gift to everyone she meets.  She can be a subtle leader or in your face and nudges you to think for yourself.  She introduced me to my first New England Women's Herbal Conference. That first year we went together. It was magical being with so many like minded women learning about our plant allies and dancing by the fire.  I haven't missed a conference since.  This year we attended the International Herb Symposium together. It was her first time attending (my third).  The base she helped me develop gave me the confidence to take the advanced herbal class at Sage Mountain.

It was there I met a new tribe of women that I am blessed to call friends.  We travel many miles and to many classes and conferences where we get to see each other again.  We keep in contact in between and continue to learn and inspire each other. The circle keeps growing, spiraling and at the center is love and the plants.

#Rosemary

     I love rosemary. It is one of my favorite herbs to cook with.  A little chopped up in marinades is a pure delight.  Not only does it taste good but it has a toning and calming effect on the digestive system. Thought to help with the breakdown of fats it is often cooked with heavier meat dishes.  It is a circulatory and nervine stimulant making it helpful for tension headaches.  Externally it can be used to ease muscle pain and sciatica.
     Added to a foot bath it encourages good circulation, dilates the blood vessels in the feet and draws the blood downward away from your head often alleviating stress headaches.  This along with a cold compress on your head often stops migraines.  Combine it with lavender, sage and hops for a wonderful foot (or bath) soak.
     Rosemary is often used in skincare recipes.  It is part of the Queen of Hungary's Water a wonderful astringent lotion that has been hailed as the first herbal product ever produced and marketed.  Rosemary combined with calendula blossoms, raspberry leaf and sage make a wonderful steam for oily skin.
     Rosemary is used to stimulate hair follicles and may be used in premature baldness.  It may not reverse the process of balding but will maintain good circulation and promote healthy hair growth.  The essential oil is is used for the treatment of dandruff.  I use rosemary as a hair rinse.

Rosemary in my garden

     Rosemary is great for darker locks and helps if you have oily hair.   For light colored hair you can substitute chamomile flowers. In the summer when I can grow rosemary (I rarely can get it to over winter even in the house though I keep trying) I will cut fresh sprigs.  In the winter I use dried rosemary to make my rinse.

Rosemary Hair Rinse

Fresh rosemary 3 to 4 stalks or a handful of dried rosemary

Water

Organic  Live Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)

Rosemary newly steeping

I bring the water to a simmer and pour over the rosemary.  I let it steep for a long time (all day or overnight).  I strain out the herbs and add 1 part ACV to 3 parts rosemary infusion.  I have a quart spray bottle that I keep in the shower which makes measuring really easy.  You could add a few drops (2 to 3) of rosemary essential oil at this point if you like.  I usually don't. After shampooing and rinsing my hair I spray my hair completely with the hair rinse and rinse my hair again with water.

Rosemary Hair "Rinse"

Soap Making #Classes

Making soap

I have so much fun making soap.  It's a fairly easy process once you know how to do it.  I would love to share that knowledge with you. My next class is scheduled for September 27, 2015 starting at noon.  Or you can turn any of my studio days into a soap making class. Classes can be for one student or up to eight.  I'm in the studio on the following Sundays, September 13 and 20 and October 4, 18 and 25 from 11 to 4. If Sunday doesn't work for you I'd me more than happy to find a day that does.
Classes involve making a batch of soap together, directions and resource sheets for you to take home and a bar of soap for you to enjoy.  The fee is $25.00 per person.  Classes run between an hour and a half to two hours.  Studio 418 is located at Whiting Mills at 100 Whiting Street, Winsted, CT.  Contact me here. or leave a comment or message me on facebook.

Set up for a day of soap making

Going with the Flow

I was at the Norfolk Farmer's Market yesterday.  It was a beautiful day.  A lovely mix of farmer's and artisans were there.  Everyone was happy and helpful.  Everyone pitched in to erect Ez-ups which are not so easy to put up alone.  Market goers were a wonderful mix of people.  I am so grateful for the day and the opportunities to talk to and meet people.

One woman came up to me and asked if I was busy on Sunday (today).  I said I would be in my studio.  Hear me out she asked.  I'm hosting a Ladies Spa Day & Luncheon at the local community center.  Our soap and lotion guy pulled out of the event at the last minute.  Would you help us out?  Much to her relief I said yes.
She filled me in on the particulars and gave me the flier and her contact information.  Right near the top of the flier it says there will be natural soaps and lotions.  How disappointing her event would be  without them.  I'm glad I could help out.
So, I won't be in the studio today making soap.  I will be stopping in late in the day to unpack my car and tidy up a bit.

Norfolk #Farmer's Market

Saturday, June 27, from 10 to 2, I will be at the Norfolk Farmer's Market.

Located at 19 Maple Avenue

Norfolk, CT

I love spending time at the farmer's markets.  I get to meet new people plus I get to shop for local fresh produce and meat.  Hope to see you there!

International Herb Symposium #IHS

     The summer madness has begun and my daughter still has one week left of school.  This past week end was the Open Studios & Block Party at Whiting Mills where I have my studio.  I lost count of the number of people, kind, enthusiastic, enjoyable people who crossed my threshold.  Saturday I hosted my friend Jeanine from Gemini Moon Designs.  She left one of her gorgeous mirrors in my studio for all to see and one lucky person to purchase.  Stop by and take a peek.

   This week end I am headed to the International Herb Symposium.  This gathering of herbalists from all over the world takes place every other June at Wheaton College in Norton, MA.  This will be my third time attending and this trip I get to car pool and room with my dear friend, teacher and mentor Rose of Walk in the Woods.  I will see my herbal sisters from from various classes we have attended together and bonded over.  A group of women who when I see our pictures the flood of our laughter comes pouring back.  Women who are part of my tribe (much like my shimmy sister tribe).

     And the cherry on top of a week end spent with great friends, sisters of my spirit, is a week end spent in classes with teachers who impart, inspire, and challenge me.  The days will be long and full, it will be exhausting and glorious.  The campus is beautiful and to be in that setting with so many that care about the plants....
     I return to refilling my "shelves", farmer's markets, health expos, studio time, vacation, time with my son who will be home for a few weeks and ending the season at the Women's Herbal Conference with my daughter. My life is full and I am blessed!  I hope you join me for the journey, if only for a moment stop by for some joy filled madness. Check out my Where I am Page for dates and times.