Taken Over By Fruit

My life has been taken over by fruit.  What started out as a small canning project/idea at the beginning of the year has taken over a large part of my life.  Part of the problem is that right now everything is ripe.  Everything.  Right now.  And.... I'm a canner.  A lot of people aren't canners.  What does that mean?  They give you free food.  Lots of free food.  I LOVE free food.  I hate wasting ANYTHING.  And, therein lies my dilemma.
Long nights are spent in the kitchen frantically canning fruit and veggies.  Some will be for sale, some will be for gifts and some will just be for me.
My yard has fallen to the wayside, my carpet needs to be vacuumed, my dog looks at me longingly for a walk and my diet consists mainly of smoothies and tomato sandwiches - neither require much effort, little dishes and fill me up.
I love canning, and love cracking open a jar of tomatoes I canned 4 months ago and making sauce.  I love spreading blueberry jam on toast in February while I plan my garden for this year and wait for the snow to melt.  Invited to a party with nothing to bring?  Throw a jar of cherries in a bowl, add some spices and toss it into a pie crust.  Ta da.  I love canning.

Those pears we foraged last week, they have been kind enough to not go bad while I decide what to do with them.

Remember Me?

Hey, I'm back!  I didn't actually go anywhere, my life just got super crazy for a few weeks and I had absolutely no time to write anything.  I'm going to try to change that; try being the operative word - things are still crazy.

To start with, I got a new job.  It kind of came out of nowhere, but at the same time it didn't.  I had been putting out to the Universe for months now that I wanted a new job.  Something where I would have a set schedule, work earlier in the day, be close to home, make more money and be in a position to not only work with people to help them incorporate herbs and other aspects of natural health into their lives, but where I could learn more about herbs/health myself.  My friend works at a local organic grocery store here and they have a Health and Beauty/Vitamins Dept, which she was managing.  Well, she was promoted to managing the Grocery Dept (pretty much the bulk of the store), which left the HBA/Vitamin Dept in need of a manager.  Do you see where this is going?
So far, this job is amazing.  I'm home every day by 3:45pm.  I actually get an afternoon AND evening to do things like vend at the Farmer's Market.  What?  And.....I get weekends off!  What?!  This is crazy.  Not to mention all the reps. from various companies I've had the pleasure of meeting, all the new products I get to try, all the learning/trainings I've participated in already.  It's amazing.  I'm working, learning, helping people and I'm only 2.3 miles from my home.  The Universe heard me.

While all that was happening (I also got to go to Columbus for a trade show my first week!) I've been spending a lot of time at my garden.  My backyard garden has become somewhat of a lost cause.  In addition to my neighbor's dogs the weather here in Northeast Ohio has not been favorable.  We are almost through August and the hottest it has gotten is 80.  While the temps are nice, not having full sun, cooler temps and obnoxious dogs means my garden isn't happy.  One of my tomato plants is barely 2ft tall and has ONE tomato on it.  Seriously.  I planted some cooler weather veggies and they are sprouting and doing okay so I'm hoping for a bumper fall crop of broccoli, carrots and greens.....

My garden plot was doing great until this past Monday.  I showed up to find my beans ripped from the fence and thrown in a heap in front of my tomatoes.  Some of the tomatoes were knocked over, our fall seedlings were trampled and our stick markers were broken.  Behind the fence, where there was all kinds of lush green including lots of different medicinal/edible plants, everything was gone.  Like, someone took a flame thrower and destroyed everything.  I called the City and the Westerly (the building that owns the property we grow on) and was informed that the city had pulled everything because they are going to be re building the fence (so we need to have everything moved away from the fence within the next 6 weeks) and that the Westerly hired a "professional" landscaper to do some work and he was instructed not to spray within a foot of the gardens.  Really?!  A whole 12 inches is going to protect our ORGANIC garden from whatever bullshit you are spraying?  So, basically my garden is worthless.  I haven't called the Westerly back yet after they left a message informing me what happened because I've been too pissed off.  Thankfully the other local gardeners/farmers have been having a way better year than I have so I'm still filled up on produce - it's just not mine.

Roxy was sick for a minute, but she seems to have bounced back again.  She's 14, she's missing a toe, missing a tooth, has had a tumor on her liver for 2 and a half years now, developed Vestibular Syndrome two months ago, was sick for a few days this week and just keeps going.  My brother insists I'm doing some kind of magick/voodoo to keep her alive.  Despite her age and setbacks she still goes up and down 2 flights of stairs multiple times a day, goes for mile long walks, runs around the house, has a wicked appetite and is just generally in good health - save for breath that'll melt off your eyebrows.

So, that's what is new with me.  In foraging news, we've started our wild pear harvest, we delved into some local Sumac and made sumac-ade and we are still picking clover blossoms.  I'm also going to start my plantain harvest shortly.

Glorious Mulberry Jam

Mulberry Jam!  Mulberry Jam!  Mulberry Jam!
I'm super pumped that it's time for mulberries - the ignored and forgotten fruit.
If you want to learn how to identify and locate this fruit, I've already posted about that in my Lakewood Patch blog, Urban Foraging:
http://lakewood-oh.patch.com/groups/urban-foraging/p/marvelous-mulberry

For Spittle and Lawn Grass, I want to talk about some of the health benefits of these lovely berries and about the jam I made!
For starters, they are FULL of antioxidants which are great for lessening the damage caused by free radicals.  These antioxidants come from the anthocyanins, which give fruit (not just the mulberry) it's color.  It is thought that anthocyanins, in addition to helping fight free radicals, are also good for improving eye sight, helping to fight off cancer and to help with overall health improvement.  Sounds good to me!
**while both the fruit and leaves are edible, only the ripe fruit and cooked leaves are used.  Unripe fruit and uncooked leaves are toxic and mildly hallucinogenic.**
Mulberries also contain a significant amount of protein, in addition to vitamin C, iron and potassium.  They make a great pick me up snack for those mid afternoon lulls. 
Mulberries are also great for boosting your immune system, increasing a healthy blood sugar level and in Chinese medicine mulberry is used for inflammation.
One more thing about eating/using mulberries; if you pick them, you'll notice 1. an annoying little green stem that is impossible to remove without destroying the berry and 2. a large amount of seeds.  Both are edible and best left intact.  There is quite a bit of nutrients packed into that little green stem!  I don't even bother with a food mill or cheese cloth when making jam, I leave everything in there.
Mulberries are quite good dried and they make an excellent addition to granola - the seeds will give you a satisfying crunch.

While all the health benefits are well and good (and I certainly appreciate them) my favorite thing about mulberries is making jam! 
The first thing I did was go out and pick my mulberries.  This can be done be either picking them individually off the tree, or placing a tarp down and shaking the branches. 
I then brought the berries home, washed them and began simmering them on the stove with sugar! 
 I brought it to a boil, added some pectin and tada!  Mulberry jam!  I also have plenty of berries in my freezer to make another batch of jam and to add to baked goods later in the year.  I'm thinking a mulberry pie for Thanksgiving.....

This little guy dropped out of the tree when we shook it.  It is a male Clubionid and he was kind enough to stand still so I could get a photograph.  (Clubionids are more commonly known as sac spiders - I'm sure you've seen the yellow sac spider in your house once or twice.  If you look closely, you can see two "boxing gloves" between his front legs.  Those are his pedipalps, which are swollen because they contain sperm.  The females, while they also have pedipalps, they are not swollen.  This is a sure fire way to sex a spider.  Try it next time you see one!)

If you are interested in making your own jam, I used 9 cups of fresh berries to 6 cups of sugar.  I brought it to a rolling boil and added 1 packed (3 oz) of liquid pectin.  I then canned and processed in a hot water bath. 
If you just want to taste and buy the jam already made (pretty please!)  I will be at LEAF Nights 5:30-8pm Thursday nights on the front steps of the main branch of the Lakewood Public Library on Detroit Ave. 
Thanks for reading this!

Chenopodium - A Lovely Weed

The heat and humidity are finally here.  My tomatoes and peppers, if they could, would be jumping for joy.  I will do the jumping for them.  It finally feels like summer. 
And with that, it's time to get back to what this blog is supposed to be about - wild plants!  Thanks for sticking around and reading while I dealt with my wisdom teeth, the neighbor's dogs and my dog (who is vastly improving ever day!)

I want to talk today about Lambs Quarters (Chenopodium album).  This is a "weed" that I can almost guarantee you have growing in your yard, your sidewalk or your garden.  Maybe check that forgotten patch of overgrown plants behind the garage?
Once you see it, you will forever be seeing it (and once you eat it, you'll forever be looking for it!).

This plant has many common names - lambs quarters, pigweed and goosefoot.  The name "goosefoot" comes from the thought that the leaves resemble a goose's foot.  As a matter-of-fact, Chenopodium actually translates to "goose foot."  Another interesting "feature" of this plant that is reminiscent of the goose is the white, mealy underside of the leaf.  This is commonly mistaken for either a pesticide/herbicide or mold.  It is in fact neither, but a nifty feature of the plant that allows water to just roll off the leaves (like water running off a goose's back!). 

Here is the underside of the leaf - which you can see is has a white hue to it.  (If you encounter some  Chenopodium try spraying it with the hose or splashing it with water.  The water will just bead and roll off.)
This plant usually grows between 3-5 feet tall and has a slender, grooved stem.  The stem can be tinged red, most often near the leaf joints. 
This plant is a favorite of foragers because it is quite tasty (has a spinach like taste), prolific, easy to find and nutritious. 
According to "Wild Man" Steve Brill "if you begin learning wild foods with only a few wild plants, this widely distributed, easy-to-identify, tasty, nutritious and long in season plant should be one of the first on your list."
To prepare this tasty treat, trim the leaves off the stems and use it anyway you would spinach.  Raw in salads, steam it, saute it, add it to soups and stews. The leaves are full of beta carotene, calcium, iron and potassium and it dries well so you can save it for winter time soups or powder it to add nutrients to various dishes.  The seeds are also edible providing calcium, protein and potassium.

One thing to be cautious of when dealing with lambs quarters is that it will absorb nitrates from the soil and can make you sick.  If you suspect the area you have located your lambs quarters to be contaminated, move along and find another spot.

And..... don't forget I also started blogging for the Lakewood Patch!
 http://lakewood-oh.patch.com/groups/urban-foraging/p/prolific-purslane

Thanks for reading!

Birthday, Solstice and Dogs

Yesterday was the official first day of summer.  I found it fitting that it was finally "hot" out.  Today it's pretty warm and humid too - we are supposed to get thunderstorms later :) 
I haven't been good about taking pictures this week - but a lot of epic things have happened.
Wednesday night I got a frantic call from Mr. X informing me that Roxy (our Shepard mix) was unable to walk, she was drooling and her eyes were twitching.  I left work early and came home to find my dog basically acting as if she was drunk.  Vertigo, vomiting, unable to walk or stand.  Scary stuff.
We did some research and took her to the vet.  While it could be a number of different things, given the sudden onset and how greatly she has improved over the last 72 hours, I'm going to go with option number one - Vestibular Syndrome.  What is that you ask?  Well, for some reason, doctors/vets have no idea what causes this or how to cure it - the Vestibular nerve (located near her ear canal) becomes inflamed - typically in older dogs.  This inflammation causes twitchy eyes, drooling, vertigo, and ultimately the inability to stand or walk.  The only way to really deal with it is to give your dog Dramamine to curb the motion sickness enough that they can eat and drink.  We've had to carry her up and down the stairs and keep her harness on in order to help her walk and basically feed her by hand because her head is tilted so much.  Recovery can be in as little as a few days to as long as a few weeks.  After barely 3 days, she went from complete immobilization to standing and walking on her own.  She is still wobbly, her eyes have a slight twitch and her head is still cocked to the right, but she has vastly improved since Weds.  Hopefully by Monday she will be back to her old self.
So that happened.
Then Thursday was my birthday!  Woooo!  After getting the vet out of the way and learning what was going on, I had to get ready for the farmers market!  My friend Kara surprised me with an awesome handmade (and beaded!) necklace of a spider with a sugar skull bead!  Very awesome!  My brother showed up and gave me a new trunk that he had made to house all of my wares!  There are slots for all the jars of jam and shelves that fold out to hold my ZombieSocks!  And, it has wheels!
My evening concluded with pizza and some Arrested Development.
Yesterday I had the fam over, and my mom made her famous cheesecake and we played Cards Against Humanity.  All in all it was a good time.
And.......I also learned that I am now going to be blogging on the Lakewood Patch website about urban foraging and wild edibles!
I also, hopefully, will have big news soon, but that will have to wait!
Thanks for reading this!
Happy Summer :) 

Favorite Days

Today was one of my favorite kind of days.  I love getting up early and savoring as much out of my day as I can, and today was no exception.  I was up at 6:30am this morning because today we were going strawberry picking (we being my friend Morgan and myself).

We got to Fitch's early and it was still cool and overcast - some of the best weather from strawberry picking in my opinion.  We picked 8 quarts of strawberries total.  While checking out they had a few quarts of "preserve" berries that were a little over ripe so I bought one of those too.  I also got a quart of berries last night with my CSA share, so we were up to 10 quarts of berries.  Not bad.  I currently have 1 quart sitting on my counter for munching, 2 quarts macerating in some sugar and vanilla for jam making tomorrow and 3 quarts in my freezer for later use (Morgan took her 4 home to meet similar fates).  I'm beyond pumped that fruit is finally in season again.

After arriving home and prepping the berries for their various duties we set out to find some red clover.  Red clover is currently in bloom EVERYWHERE.  I had a small patch in my yard I was hoping to dry for infusion making, but the resident rabbit decided he/she wanted to eat it instead.  Better the clover than my veggies!

For today's purposes, it's convenient that I live near the freeway* - there are all kinds of wildflowers, edibles and medicinal plants growing along the freeway.  We found tons of Crown Vetch (not edible nor medicinal but beautiful non the less):

Chicory, which makes a wonderful coffee like beverage - we will be returning in the fall to collect the root to roast. (Those yellow flowers in the background are Trefoil.)

 Curly Dock :

Day Lily :

And, the shining star of the day, Red Clover:

We are currently drying the red clover on screens

I placed the screens on the back porch for about an hour to allow all the little critters we inadvertently brought home with us time to scamper away - and not in my house.
I've talked about infusions before, but just a quick tutorial, you take about an ounce of dried herb (which is equal to roughly a cup) and place it in a jar, cover with boiling water, steep over night, strain and drink.  It's a very vitamin and mineral rich beverage.  Red clover is good because it is full of phytoestrogens and phytosterols so it is an excellent anti-cancer herb as well as good for women dancing with menopause.  Ancient peoples used Red Clover as an herb of immorality and protection and according to Old Wives, placing a blossom or two in an amulet bag would insure good health and a strong spirit.  You can tincture the fresh blossoms in alcohol, mix them with honey for a Red Clover Blossom Honey, or dry them like I do and use them for infusions.
During our travels today, we also found some Sumac with berries that will be very ripe soon - Sumac-ade!  About 6 pear trees with young pears nearing maturity and a mulberry tree with berries that will hopefully be ready next week!


*When I say "along the freeway" we are actually below the freeway, where large areas of grass and wildflowers, which are regularly mowed by the city, but not sprayed, are located.  We are not right on top of cars, exhaust and other debris.

No Thank You Western Medicine

My life has been pretty boring these past few days - it's amazing how much having your wisdom teeth removed takes out of you. 
While I do have health insurance, I use it primarily to have my teeth cleaned twice a year and get my bi-yearly eye exam and new glasses.  I'm not a fan of Western Medicine at all.  I don't understand it. 
I do indulge in the occasional ibuprofen, it doesn't upset my stomach, doesn't contain any caffeine and it get's the job done. (nobody wants to be at work for 8 hours with raging cramps, waiting for the cramp bark and raspberry tea to kick in.) - beyond this however, I don't rely on any prescription or over the counter medications. 
I wouldn't go so far as to say I was terrified of having my teeth taken out, but I'm 28 (or will be on June 20) and I've never broken a bone, never had stitches, never had any form of anesthesia, I've never been to the ER (for myself) or experienced any sort of medical emergency or issue.  This was all completely new to me. 
In order to have my teeth out, the surgeon prescribed a 10mg Valium to take prior to my surgery.  I decided, despite my misgivings toward Western Medicine, that I would "follow the doctor's orders", at least at first, and see what happened.
The Valium was ridiculous.  My friend sent me a text message and I couldn't even coherently respond.  Dislike.
The surgery went off without a hitch.  I will hand it to Dr. Goldstein, he knows what he is doing.  I wasn't even in there an hour and a half.  I had essentially no bleeding and no complications.
Upon leaving the office, I was given a prescription for Prednesone and Percocet.  The first day home I took 3 Percoet.  The last one made me vomit.  I nixed those.  I continued to take the steroid to help with the swelling, but after 2 days I just felt "weird."  All I wanted to do was sleep, I felt spacy and couldn't focus.  I nixed those as well.  I've basically relied on a fairly healthy diet ("fairly" because let's face it, I can't eat shit right now so I'm going to indulge in the ice cream, pudding and mashed potatoes) my Plantain rinse, my warm salt water rinse and the occasional ibuprofen - I didn't have any pain until about 4 or 5 days after, at which point I had a dull ache in my right jaw. 
After getting all the "drugs" out of my system, I feel a million times better.  I felt more inclined to eat, drink a f*ck ton of water, get outside, get some sunshine and do a little weeding and yard work.  THAT is what has made me feel better and helped heal me.  Today marks six days since having my teeth out.  I'm still tender, sore and ever-so-slightly swollen but I'm feeling like a normal person again.
That being said, I think I'm going to continue to stick with my herbs and healthy diet.