Woke up this morning to the awesome news that my federal and state refund were waiting for me in my checking account! Which means, I went ahead and signed up for the ABC's of Herbalism class with Susun Weed that I have been fantasizing about for the last few months. I'm beyond elated. To celebrate, I baked a loaf of dark chocolate pecan bread. Sadly, I made a bread loaf and should have used a spring-form pan as trying to remove the bread from the pan without losing all the pecans on top was quite a bitch. Needless to say, it's still in the pan....
I let Roxy out mid morning and the weather was beautiful. As soon as I stepped out onto the back porch the sun came out from behind the clouds and it felt like spring. I went back into the house and about 20 minutes later took Roxy for a walk and the sun was gone, the wind had picked up and it felt like winter again! Ugh. The walk was great but cold, and immediately upon returning home I went to the garden center to buy some more plants/flowers and then decorated my alter for Ostara. It's spring at my house damn it.
I'm currently sipping on a Stinging Nettle infusion I made overnight. I'm thinking I should not have let it steep that long. Nettle is VERY green, both in taste and color. I've found I prefer my infusions cold and with some lemon. I'm drinking this one straight, but there is a lemon in the kitchen calling .....
I also announced officially today the opening of the Herbal Infusions class that I will be teaching on March 20! That also happens to be Ostara and the Spring Equinox, so I have to come up with something yummy to bake for the class as well. If you are interested in taking the class here is the link:
http://www.facebook.com/events/496046250453031/?notif_t=plan_edited
I'm pretty excited to teach this class. Infusions are where I got my start in herbalism and incorporating herbs into my diet; they are a great jumping off point if herbals are something you are interested in as well. The class is $15 and I'm going to go over what an infusion is and how to make them. I'll will make some there for you to try and teach you about the benefits of the different herbs I use. You will also get to take home a scoop of your choice of one of the herbs we talk about in class so you can make an infusion at home!
On that note, it's back to studying!
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Friday, February 22, 2013
Weee!
Guess who received their official membership card for the Herb Society of American yesterday?!
Woot! I jumped for joy when I got this in the mail. It's a pretty cool organization if you are interested. They have been around since the 1930's and with your membership you receive quarterly newsletters and their journal The Herbarist in addition to discounts at their bookstore, access to their library, free admission into gardens and greenhouses all over the country and a lot of other cool perks.
In other news, I scored some pretty sweet books this week.
Using Plants for Healing is a book I requested through paperbackswap.com. If you aren't familiar, its a great resource for books. Its a free site where you register and list books that you have you don't want anymore. Another member requests that book, you mail it to them and then you receive a credit. You then use your credits to request books from other members. Very cool.
The Mushrooms Demystified is a book I have coveted for a long time. It's quite a massive book, (almost 2 inches thick!) and covers anything and everything you could possibly need to know about mushrooms.
The last book, Flower Essences, I got at work. It wasn't in the best condition for resale, so I scored it for free! I'm pretty interested in this book in particular because I know nothing about flower essences and I think it'll prove to be interesting.
I'm also excited to announce (there is a lot of excitement in this post) that I will be teaching a class on Herbal Infusions next month here in Lakewood! Woot! Details will be forthcoming, but it will be near the end of the month. I cannot wait to teach this class.
I will leave you with some pretty pictures of flowering plants in my home.
The top photo is my primrose and the bottom is of my African violet :)
Happy Friday!
In other news, I scored some pretty sweet books this week.
The Mushrooms Demystified is a book I have coveted for a long time. It's quite a massive book, (almost 2 inches thick!) and covers anything and everything you could possibly need to know about mushrooms.
The last book, Flower Essences, I got at work. It wasn't in the best condition for resale, so I scored it for free! I'm pretty interested in this book in particular because I know nothing about flower essences and I think it'll prove to be interesting.
I'm also excited to announce (there is a lot of excitement in this post) that I will be teaching a class on Herbal Infusions next month here in Lakewood! Woot! Details will be forthcoming, but it will be near the end of the month. I cannot wait to teach this class.
I will leave you with some pretty pictures of flowering plants in my home.
Happy Friday!
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Tax Refund and Lemon Honey
Good Morning!
So, yippee! My tax refund is big enough for me to take the ABC's of Herbalism class that I have been fantasizing about for months! I can't begin to express how stoked I am over this. I'll even have some left over to put in my savings account! Double win! I also received my bonus from work, so I was able to become a member of the Herb Society of America over the weekend! There is so much "herbiness" going on at my house right now, I can hardly contain myself!
Over the weekend I went out and bought myself a primrose plant (Primula acaulis) to add a little color during this gloomy winter. It's become an annual winter tradition. If by the middle of February I don't have at least one of these cute little colorful plants in my window, something is wrong.
Speaking of "gloomy winter" let's talk about something happy and sunshiney and yellow - lemon honey. It's "stupid easy " to make and use and I think everybody should have a jar in their house. I'm fortunate enough that my boyfriend's father sends us a 5lb tub of local honey several times a year from his property (ie. BEST GIFT EVER!), so I always have plenty of honey on hand. I also love lemons. I drink copious amounts of lemon water, add lemon to my herbal infusions and I make this honey. So, I always have lemons on hand as well. So, how do you make lemon honey you ask?! Well, clean, wash and dry a mason jar of appropriate size - I traditionally use a pint jar - then you fill it with your lemon slices and cover with honey. Because honey is so viscous, you'll have to let it settle to the bottom of the jar, and then add more, and continue until the jar is, in fact, full. You want to make sure the lemons are covered. Ta da! Lemon Honey.
I like to take a couple pieces of the lemon and a little "juice" and cover with boiling water. It makes a wonderful soothing drink, especially if you are suffering from a cold/flu or have a sore throat. A variation could be adding some fresh ginger as well. Some places may tell you to keep this in the fridge, but I've always left it sitting out and never had a problem (I also use it up pretty quickly and have to make more!) Enjoy!
And, just because, here are a few pictures of plants from around my home:
This is one of my favorites, my lavender covered in tiny spiderlings that had recently hatched.
So, yippee! My tax refund is big enough for me to take the ABC's of Herbalism class that I have been fantasizing about for months! I can't begin to express how stoked I am over this. I'll even have some left over to put in my savings account! Double win! I also received my bonus from work, so I was able to become a member of the Herb Society of America over the weekend! There is so much "herbiness" going on at my house right now, I can hardly contain myself!
Over the weekend I went out and bought myself a primrose plant (Primula acaulis) to add a little color during this gloomy winter. It's become an annual winter tradition. If by the middle of February I don't have at least one of these cute little colorful plants in my window, something is wrong.
Speaking of "gloomy winter" let's talk about something happy and sunshiney and yellow - lemon honey. It's "stupid easy " to make and use and I think everybody should have a jar in their house. I'm fortunate enough that my boyfriend's father sends us a 5lb tub of local honey several times a year from his property (ie. BEST GIFT EVER!), so I always have plenty of honey on hand. I also love lemons. I drink copious amounts of lemon water, add lemon to my herbal infusions and I make this honey. So, I always have lemons on hand as well. So, how do you make lemon honey you ask?! Well, clean, wash and dry a mason jar of appropriate size - I traditionally use a pint jar - then you fill it with your lemon slices and cover with honey. Because honey is so viscous, you'll have to let it settle to the bottom of the jar, and then add more, and continue until the jar is, in fact, full. You want to make sure the lemons are covered. Ta da! Lemon Honey.
And, just because, here are a few pictures of plants from around my home:
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Hello and Welcome!
Allow me to introduce myself - my name is Nicki Schneider and I am an aspiring Herbalist. This blog is an extension of my education and a way for me to teach you as I learn about the joys of Green Medicine. I love to eat plants, grow plants, play in plants and lay with plants. Currently I live in a duplex in a small urban city, but I plan to have a small farm by the end of this year (2013.) **crosses fingers**
So, how did I get where I am and why do I want to be an herbalist? Well, since this is my blog and I have all the time in the world, let's start at the very beginning.
I graduated from college in 2007 with a degree in Biology. I had no idea what I wanted to do, besides get a job and live on my own. I landed a job as a naturalist with the area parks system and that is what I did for 2 years. It was a fun job, but the pay was crap and I basically worked to pay bills. I moved in my current home because I had to and it felt right at the time, whether or not I was going to be able to afford to live here was a concern, but I knew it was the right thing to do.
Being on my own with not a lot of money, I ate a lot of spaghetti and beans and rice. I knew it wasn't the greatest, but I was naive and fell into the trap of "eating healthy is too expensive" blah blah blah. It's embarrassing to admit, really. But that all changed when I moved into my house and met the plum tree that grows in the front yard. That tree changed everything. About a month into my new home I walked out onto the front porch (I lived upstairs) and stared into the canopy of this beautiful tree and picked enough plums to make a cobbler. My life changed. I walked outside, picked some fresh food and ate it. It was free and it was growing right there for the taking. This launched me on a path of gardening, CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture programs) farmer's markets, canning, drying, preserving, teaching cooking classes, learning how to cook, identifying wild edibles and ultimately wanting to be an herbalist. All because of a plum tree. A plum tree that makes the best plum preserves I might add. Here she is in the spring time - the fragrance is intoxicating when she is in full bloom.
So, why is the blog called "Spittle and Lawn Grass"? A friend of mine once said I used nothing more than spittle and yard grass to heal myself and I thought that was a fitting description of green/herbal medicine. Walk outside and you're at the pharmacy.
So, welcome. I hope you enjoy this journey as much as I am and I'm glad to have you with me as I learn.
So, how did I get where I am and why do I want to be an herbalist? Well, since this is my blog and I have all the time in the world, let's start at the very beginning.
I graduated from college in 2007 with a degree in Biology. I had no idea what I wanted to do, besides get a job and live on my own. I landed a job as a naturalist with the area parks system and that is what I did for 2 years. It was a fun job, but the pay was crap and I basically worked to pay bills. I moved in my current home because I had to and it felt right at the time, whether or not I was going to be able to afford to live here was a concern, but I knew it was the right thing to do.
Being on my own with not a lot of money, I ate a lot of spaghetti and beans and rice. I knew it wasn't the greatest, but I was naive and fell into the trap of "eating healthy is too expensive" blah blah blah. It's embarrassing to admit, really. But that all changed when I moved into my house and met the plum tree that grows in the front yard. That tree changed everything. About a month into my new home I walked out onto the front porch (I lived upstairs) and stared into the canopy of this beautiful tree and picked enough plums to make a cobbler. My life changed. I walked outside, picked some fresh food and ate it. It was free and it was growing right there for the taking. This launched me on a path of gardening, CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture programs) farmer's markets, canning, drying, preserving, teaching cooking classes, learning how to cook, identifying wild edibles and ultimately wanting to be an herbalist. All because of a plum tree. A plum tree that makes the best plum preserves I might add. Here she is in the spring time - the fragrance is intoxicating when she is in full bloom.
So, welcome. I hope you enjoy this journey as much as I am and I'm glad to have you with me as I learn.
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