What Is Matcha?

Did you know that Matcha is used as a natural green food dye?

What is matcha?

Matcha is the tea prepared in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. For over 800 years, it has been used by Zen monks during meditation. Matcha is the only green tea where the leaves are dried and turned into a powder, so the entire leaf is consumed.

Matcha green tea leaves are shade grown for several weeks during the spring. The bushes are covered before the harvest in order to prevent exposure to direct sunlight. This slows the growth of the leaves and turns them into a darker shade of green, increasing the production of amino acids. Only the finest leaf buds are hand picked. Harvested leaves are laid out in the sun to dry. As they crumble they become what is known as tencha. The tencha is then de-veined, de-stemmed and stone ground into a fine powder, called matcha.

Health Benefits

Energy Booster

One of the benefits matcha provides is a boost of energy through the day. This is due to the combination of matchas natural properties. One recent study found that matcha vastly improved physical endurance. Matcha can help you maintain energy throughout your busy day.

Calorie Burner

Already nearly calorie free, matcha is a superb addition to a cleanse and weight loss program. It simultaneously boosts metabolism and burns fat. One recent study suggested that matcha may help burn calories by four times. At the same time, matcha places no stress on the body, nor does it increase blood pressure or raise heart rate.

Detox Deluxe

Matcha helps to safely cleanse and purge the body of harmful elements. Chlorophyll, the element that gives green tea its signature verdant color, is also a powerful detoxifier. It helps eliminate both chemicals and heavy metals from the body. Because matcha is shade-grown, it is substantially richer in chlorophyll than other green teas, making it a superior daily detox.

You can purchase matcha at your local health food store, or online.

In the days to come, I will provide several recipes for matcha smoothies and desserts. I look forward to hearing from you about how you use matcha in your kitchen!

Almond Meal & Blueberry Granola Bars

I ended up with another bowl filled with almond meal this morning after making fresh almond milk. It's not in my nature to waste something edible and nutritious, so I tossed it into a batch of blueberry energy bars. Here's the quick and simple recipe:

Ingredients:
2 C. almond meal
1 C. rolled oats
1/4 C. sunflower seeds
1/2 C. dried blueberries
4 Tbsp. butter
1/4 C. honey
1/2 C. brown sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees (F).
2. Line an 8x10 baking dish with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, mix together almond meal, rolled oats, sunflower seeds, and dried blueberries. Set aside.
4. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add honey and brown sugar. Stir as it melts, until it creates a thick caramelized sauce.
5. Turn heat off. Add Vanilla. Stir quickly.
6. Pour caramel sauce over oat mixture. Stir thoroughly to ensure the entire oat mixture is moist.
7. Transfer mix to baking dish. Use a spatula to flatten it, and press it firmly into the corners.
8. Bake for 30 mins or until lightly browned.
9. Remove from oven. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Homemade Milk Paint: Tutorial

Many paints release high levels of volatile organic compounds that can contribute to a range of health problems. Jennifer Horton writes that typical household paint contains up to 10,000 chemicals, of which 300 are known toxins and 150 have been linked to cancer. Some of the most harmful chemicals found in paint are volatile organic compounds, or VOCs.

Paint-related products are one of the worst environmental offenders. They're the second largest source of VOC emissions into the atmosphere after automobiles, responsible for approximately11 billion pounds every year. Painters regularly exposed to paint vapors have an increased incidence of several types of cancers, impaired brain function, renal dysfunction and other health problems.

Equipped with this information, consumers have begun to seek safer alternatives. Enter low-VOC and no-VOC paints, which are now widely available and sold by most major paint manufacturers. Some have taken this one step further and made their own non-toxic paints from scratch.

Milk paint is an organic product that gives surfaces a distinctive color-washed finish. Milk is the principal ingredient, and acts as a binder for pigments. The fact that the material is no-VOC accounts for its continued appeal within today's green building community. Artists value its saturated colors and translucent finish, which can be used to give wooden furniture, terra-cotta pots, and other textured surfaces an antique look.

The following recipe will yield enough paint to cover about 20 square feet.

Milk Paint

Ingredients:

Juice of one lemon

1 quart skim milk

Acrylic paint

Directions:
1. Mix lemon juice with 1 skim milk in a large bowl. Leave the mixture overnight at room temperature to induce curdling.

2. On day 2, pour your mixture through a sieve lined with cheesecloth to separate the solid curds from the liquid whey. Dispose of the whey (or else your chickens will love it!)

3. Add acrylic paint to the curd one drop at a time, and stir constantly until you achieve the desired hue. An alternative is to use dry color pigment.

Milk paint will spoil quickly, so it should be applied within a few hours of mixing. The sour smell will dissipate as soon as the paint dries.

Homemade Toothpaste: Recipe

Make my own toothpaste? Why would I do that?

The average American uses three toothpaste tubes each year. That means hundreds of millions of tubes to sit in overcrowded landfills. Commercial toothpaste contains unnatural chemicals and fillers, such as hydrogen peroxide, fluoride, sodium lauryl sulfate and triclosan.

Many consumers have started to switch over to natural toothpastes to avoid synthetic and artificial flavors that are commonly found in regular toothpastes. Due to the increased demand of natural products, most toothpaste manufacturers now produce herbal toothpastes. This type of toothpaste does not contain dyes or artificial flavors.

Many herbal toothpastes do not contain fluoride or sodium lauryl sulfate. The ingredients found in natural toothpastes vary widely but often include baking soda, aloe, eucalyptus oil, myrrh, plant extract, and essential oils. In addition to the commercially available products, it is possible to make your own toothpaste using similar ingredients.

You can reduce your costs, your exposure to harmful ingredients, and the amount of waste you create by making your own toothpaste. To do so, follow this simple recipe:

Ingredients:
1 Tsp coarse mineral salt
1/4 C. baking soda
1/2 Tsp Vitamin C powder
5-10 drops essential oil (cinnamon, peppermint & spearmint are favorites)
Water
1/4 Tsp Hydrogen peroxide (optional)
Vegetable glycerin (optional)

Directions:

• Mix salt with baking soda and Vitamin C powder
• Add essential oils
• Mix well so the oils are well distributed. The mixture will be crumbly and powdery.
• For extra whitening, add and mix hydrogen peroxide
• Stir in small amounts of water until the mixture becomes a paste
• Vegetable glycerin will turn the paste into a gel (decrease water)
• Transfer your toothpaste to a tube or squirt bottle

For more toothpaste recipes, check out Passionate Homemaking.

Ten Recycled Necktie Ideas

Derek doesn't generally wear ties, but for our wedding, he wore a snazzy silk necktie with a tree frog print. He has since given it away, which is unfortunate since I am now feeling inspired to transform old ties into a dress for Confuence's 2013 Trashion Show...

It's not often that I have unique decorative silk in my stash of scrap fabric. Old ties provide a perfect solution for small projects, or for projects requiring small pieces of fabric. Imagine - each piece would be entirely unique!

There's possibly nothing more exciting than taking something that looks old and tattered and remaking it into a brand-new item. Following is a top ten list to give you inspiration for your next project using recycled neckties:

1.
Weaver Girl weaves together colorful rugs using old neckties. The tips of each tie add a playful fringe to her rugs, and they show you the individual patterns of each tie used.


2.
Try making a soft case for your phone, like this one by Groundsel.

3.
Escot Handbags makes all sorts of quality accessories with recycled ties, including wallets, jewelry, eye pillows, and coffee cozies. Each piece is one-of-a-kind.

4.
This bracelet by Untied is one in a collection of jewelry and key chains, all unique, fabricated with upcycled silk ties.

5.

Gypsy Tailor creates sweet little pouches, bows and other accessories using a blend of different material. The inside of each pouch is made using recycled neckties.

6.
The seats of dining room chairs can wear out quickly. Smooth Pebble has taken neckties to replace her seat cushions, and has created entirely unique furniture. E-How provides a tutorial on how to do this yourself.

7.

Silk ties are a choice fabric for eye pillows. Fill them with dried lavender for a truly relaxing appeal. Goia Boutique sells hand sewn eye pillows created with recycled silk ties.

8.

This list wouldn't be complete without a necktie dress. My favorite one is featured by Auh2odesigns. It's playful, colorful, and stylish. I can see wearing this dress with leggings and cowgirl boots!

9.

If you're looking for a way to quickly spruce up an outfit, check out this necklace by Prixprix. MadeByMarzipan offers an excellent video tutorial on how to make one of these yourself.

10.
Bet Ison used denim, velveteen, neckties, and brocade to make this quilt. The quilt uses the golden mean to make a spiral, a Fibonacci spiral. The Greeks believed there to be three facets to beauty: symmetry, proportion, and harmony. They were attuned to beauty as an object of love. You can see this principle at work in many of Bet Ison's quilts.

Do you have any ideas on how you might recycle used ties? Do you have any projects to share? Feel free to comment to add to this inspirational list.

Natural Pest Control Recipes

The best form of natural pest control is growing healthy plants so that they can defend themselves against insects and disease. To start, give your plants nutritious soil, sufficient space, moisture and sunshine.

Patrol your plants regularly to pick off pests. Check your vegetables. Look on the underside of leaves, and thoroughly scour beans, peas and carrots. Dig you finger into the soil around your vegetables (without damaging the root structure) to gauge moisture content.

Beneficial insects such as ladybugs, wasps, lacewings and dragonflies should be encouraged. All ‘pests’ are food for their predators. By killing them off you're reducing the chances that predators will build up enough to do the job of ‘pest control’ for you. Therefore, use pest control sparingly.

Organic, natural pest control can be done easily and cleverly, and can be very efficient and effective. Following are several sample pest control recipes for organic gardeners.

Problem: Brown rot, curly leaf, black spot, mildew
Pest Control: Bordeaux Mixture

Bordeaux is a standard organic fungicide. It can be used when plants are dormant, generally during the winter months. It can be used on all citrus or cool days, when there are no blossoms on the trees. Bordeaux is effective for brown rot, curly leaf, black spot and other bacterial, fungal and mildew problems. Spray grapevines when the shoots are less than 100cm long, for black spot and powdery mildew.

Bordeaux will begin to separate after an hour, so use immediately.

• Mix 90 grams of blue copper sulphate with 1 gallon of cold water, in a non-metallic container.
• In a second non-metallic container, mix 125 grams of slaked lime in 1 gallon of cold water. Mix together and stir well. 
• Test the mixture using an old nail. Dip the nail into the mixture 30 seconds. If the nail comes out blue, you need to add more lime. Do not use the mixture until the problem is corrected, otherwise you may burn your plants. 
• The mixture can be used with any spray equipment. Keep some fresh, clean water on hand to wash out nozzles to keep them clear of clogging.
• Spray in early winter.

Problem: Fruit Sucking Beetles
Pest Control: Blue Spray

• Collect as many of your pest insects, bugs and beetles and put them in a container.
• Transfer them to a blender. Add water, and blend well.
• Transfer to a spray bottle.
• Spray mixture on all the plants that you do not want the bugs, insects and beetles.

Problem: Black spot, scab, mildew, brown rot, rust
Pest Control: Chamomile Tea Spray

Chamomile tea can be used as a very mild fungicide. Use it for early mildews and fungal problems, and for brown rot on fruit.

• Cover a handful of flowers in boiling water. Allow to cool then transfer to a clean spray bottle.

Problem: Rust, brown rot
Pest Control: Chive Spray

• Place a handful of fresh chives in a container. Cover with water and allow to steep.
• When cool, strain off water, then place in a spray bottle.
• Spray on all plants affected by rust.

Problem: Rust, brown rot, black spot
Pest Control: Comfrey Spray

• Take a handful of Comfrey and cover with fresh water for at least 3 weeks.
• Strain and place in a spray bottle.

Problem: Cherry slug, pear slug
Pest Control: Dehydrated Flour

• Dust small cherry and pear trees with dehydrated flour, as this will act as a stomach poison to pear and cherry slugs.

Problem: White butterflies
Pest Control: Eggshells

• As a decoy for white butterflies, place eggshells under and around cabbage or other plants.
• Broken eggshells can also be used as a deterrent for snails and slugs. Place the crushed eggshells around any plants you wish to keep snails and slugs away from. The slugs/snails find it difficult to cross the broken eggshells.

Problem: Aphids, white fly, harlequin bugs, mites, whooly aphids
Pest Control: Glue Spray

• Mix 1 cup white flour with 1 cup boiling water. Mix in cold water. Stir for several minutes, until thick.
• Place into a spray bottle. Spray the top and bottom of leaves, ensuring that the entire surface is covered. 
• Either wait for the glue to peel off, or wash off in rain naturally, or hose the plant down after 24 hours.

Problem: Black spot, mildew, brown rot, mites, apple and pear scab, mold, fungi
Pest Control: Milk Spray

• In hot weather dilute 1 cup full cream milk with 9 cups water. This is to ensure that young foliage and flower buds don’t burn. Spray directly onto affected plants.

Problem: Brown rot, mildew, scab, black spot
Pest Control: Milk and Bicarbonate of Soda

• Make up ‘Milk Spray’ as above, adding 1 teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda. Transfer to a spray bottle.

Problem: Brown rot
Pest Control: Nettle Spray

• Take a handful of Nettle and cover with fresh water for 3 weeks. Strain and bottle.

Problem: Aphids
Pest Control: Oil Spray

• Mix 1 gallon of soap with 1 pint of oil.
• Boil and stir vigorously until totally dissolved.
• Dilute this with 20 times the volume of water.
• This spray will separate quickly, so cannot be stored. Use immediately.
• Cover the insects and/or their eggs with a light film of oil, which will suffocate them.
• Do not use this oil spray when the temperature exceeds 80 degrees (F). Otherwise the oil may burn your leaves.

Problem: Bugs

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Pest Control: Pyrethrum 

Pyrethrum is a broad spectrum spray made from pulverized pyrethrum flowers. Pyrethrum kills bugs, but has low toxicity for animals and humans. Pyrethrum also kills bees, so limit use to evenings.

• Place 1 tablespoon Pyrethrum powder or 2 tablespoon  s flowers in a jar.
• Cover flowers with oil and leave to steep overnight.
• Strain, then add 1 gallon of water and mix well. Use immediately.

Problem: Powdery mildew, brown rot
Pest Control: Seaweed Spray

Seaweed strengthens a plant’s resistance to a range of infections as well as makes them resistant to frost. It can be also be used as a preventative measure against brown rot. Seaweed is also said to help fruit set.

• Wash salt from seaweed and cover with fresh water for 3 weeks.
• Strain off as much water as required, then dilute it until it is the color of very weak tea.
• Place in a spray bottle and use when required.

Problem: Snails and slugs

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Pest Control: Snail Soup

• To repulse snails and slugs, collect as many as you can, then place in a container and cover with water.
• Put a lid on the container and put aside for several days, allowing the snails and slugs to ferment.
• Strain, then spray where you don’t want slugs and snails to invade.

Problem: Apple and pear scab, mildew
Pest Control: Urine

Human urine is sterile although it does not remain sterile when stored. Therefore, it must be used immediately.

• Spray the full strength urine on dormant trees, at least twice in winter. Use it diluted with ten parts water on summer mildew problems.
• Spray apple and pear trees for scab with diluted urine when ¾ of the blossoms have fallen.

Problem: Possums
Pest Control: Wasabi

• Add 6 parts water to 1 part Wasabi.
• Place in a spray bottle.
• Spray thickly, drenching the plant and/or area.

Problem: Aphids, bugs
Pest Control: White Pepper

• Thickly sprinkle white pepper onto plants to repel bugs and aphids.
• Sprinkle again after rain or watering.
• An alternative is to mix the pepper well with soapy water to create a spray.

River Rock Cabinet Knobs: Tutorial

Our home offers a balance between clean, modern lines and rough, aged edges. We incorporated rustic touches like recycled doors and wood beams, rusted steel, and river rocks. We created river rock mosaics for the back splash in our bathrooms, and we made all of our cabinet knobs with flat rocks from the river.

Several people have requested that I provide the tutorial on how I made our river rock cabinet knobs. It's been three years since I made them, and they're holding up really well. So, here's the tutorial!

Materials & Equipment Needed:
River rocks that are approximately 1/2" thick
Recycled corks
Scrapbook screws & posts, 1.5" long
Drill press
1/2cm masonry drill bit
Flathead screwdriver

1.
Drill a hole through the center of each rock.

2.

Measure the width of your cabinet AND rock. Subtract that number from 1.5". That is the size your cork should be. Cut your cork to size (I used a bread knife).

3.

Drill a hole down the center of your cork.

4.

Place your rock and cork onto a scrapbook post, and fit it into your pre-drilled cabinet. Secure in the back with the screw.

Every knob will have its own unique character and cost a mere $.50. They may twist and turn a little, but that's fine as long as they're snug against the cabinet. Also, you may need to tighten the screws periodically.

That's it!

Ice Cream In A Bag

Making ice cream in a bag seems like an essential part of every childhood. It's unbelievably simple, and the ice cream is actually delicious. Yet, I had no idea that it was even possible until I worked at a school. With summer temperatures in the 90s, favorite activities included water play and making ice cream in a bag.

This recipe is enough for one child (or adult, for that matter). It's a perfect activity to do with children since each can make his/her own.

Ingredients & Materials Needed:

1/2 C. half & half1/2 tsp vanilla
1 T. sugar
4 C. crushed ice
4 T. salt
2 quart size Zip-loc bags
1 gallon size Zip-loc freezer bag
A hand towel to prevent fingers from freezing

Directions:

1. Mix the half & half, vanilla and sugar together in one of the quart size bags. Seal tightly, squeezing out as much air as possible.
2. Place this bag inside the other quart size bag, again leaving as little air inside as possible and sealing well.
3. Put the two bags inside the gallon size bag and fill it with ice, then sprinkle salt on top. Again let all the air escape and seal the bag.
4. Wrap the bag in the towel. Shake the bag vigorously, making sure the ice surrounds the cream mixture. Keep shaking until your ice cream is ready, approximately 5-8 mins.

That's it! Scoop the ice cream into a bowl or onto a cone and watch your child's face glow.

Mullein Tincture

Every spring, we spend several days walking throughout the neighborhood pulling noxious weeds before they grow to seed, and while the ground is still moist enough to free the entire root. Among the weeds we pull is mullein. This year, I was surprised when our neighbor asked me not to pull the Mullein because she uses it to make a tincture. I couldn't agree to leave it growing on the multi-use road, but did assure her that I wouldn't pull it from her property.

Common Mullein was introduced to Virginia from Europe many years ago. It grows quickly and tends to crowd out many of our native plants. In the Methow Valley, mullein grows in open, sunny areas where the ground has been disturbed. It is easily recognized by its tall flower spikes, which can grow upwards of 6-10 feet tall.

Mullein lives for two years. In its first year, this plant grows a rosette, but no flower stalk. The flower stalk grows during the second year and then the plant dies. The rosette leaves are large and soft, comparable to felt. Common Mullein flowers are yellow with five petals, and bloom a few at a time from June until September.

Mullein produce an enormous number of seeds. One mullein plant may make over 100,000 seeds in a year. Seeds can survive almost any conditions and can last up to 100 years. Since mullein can't grow in shade, the seeds can lay in the soil, waiting until plants around them die or are removed.

Only a few animals use mullein for food. Certain species of thrips, stinkbugs, weevils, and leaf bugs will eat mullein leaves; but these are insects which were brought over from Europe. Short-horned Grasshoppers, such as the Differential Grasshopper, will also eat leaves. American Goldfinches, Indigo Buntings, and a few other birds eat mullein seeds.

Still, as I learned, mullein has its medicinal benefits. Mullein is commonly used as a tea or a tincture in remedies for congestion. The flowers also are steeped in an oil infusion used to relieve earaches and soften blockages caused by wax buildup. When used as a tincture, it is good for winter lung conditions such as coughs and colds. Making a mullein tincture is simple and only requires a few ingredients.

Items Needed:

• 1/2-gallon glass canning jar with lid
• 1 quart Vodka
• 2 T. Honey
• Colander
• Cheesecloth (a piece large enough to cover the colander)
• 1 quart canning jar with lid

Directions:

1. Harvest 2 quarts of mullein stems and flowers.
2. Shake the leaves free of any dust or insects. It is not necessary to wash your harvest unless it is covered with dirt.
3. Break the stems into pieces and place them loosely into the canning jar. Fill the jar halfway with herbs.
4. Pour one quart Vodka into the jar.
5. Add honey to a quart of water and mix this in with the alcohol.
6. Put the cap on the jar and shake it a little to allow the herbs to settle into the liquid. The solution should completely covers the herbs. Any herbs that are exposed to air during the tincturing process will eventually spoil and destroy the tincture.
7. Tightly cap the jar and label with the date. Place the jar in a cool, dry location for at least 3 weeks. The tincture will strengthen the longer it sits. Check on the herbs every couple of days and give the jar a turn to prevent settling.
8. Place a colander over a pot and line with cheesecloth.
9. Pour the tincture into the cheesecloth. Use a small bit of water to rinse the remaining herb out of the jar.
10. Gather the corners of the cheesecloth and squeeze the liquid from the herbs, wrenching as much liquid out as you can.
11. Discard the mullein to the compost pile and pour the new tincture into a clean glass jar for future use.

Raspberry Vinegar: Recipe

I spent the morning harvesting several gallons of plump red raspberries. Besides stuffing pints at a time into my mouth or freezing them for later use, I opted to make some raspberry vinegar.

Raspberries are a source of antioxidants, which means they help prevent damage to the body by protecting its cells and membranes. They contain several phytonutrients that give them their beautiful red color. At the same time, they prevent bacterial growth in the intestines to prevent cancer. Enjoy the health benefits of raspberries by eating them fresh or by preserving them in food products such as homemade raspberry vinegar.

Raspberry vinegar can be used in a variety of salad dressings to add a fresh, delicious flavor.

Ingredients:
6 cups white balsamic or white wine vinegar
1 pint red raspberries

Directions:
1. In a medium, nonreactive saucepan over low heat, warm the vinegar just until it begins to give off steam (do not bring to a boil).

2. Place the raspberries into a fine sieve fitted over a sterilized glass jar.
3. Pour the warm vinegar over the berries and let it run into the jar, then add the berries to the jar.
4. Allow the mixture to cool 30 minutes to room temperature, then close the lid tightly and shake the jar gently.
5. Set the jar out of direct sunlight and away from heat to steep for 4 days, shaking it every so often. While steeping, the vinegar will take on a raspberry hue and the fruit will lose most of its color.
6. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a decorative glass bottle.
7. Discard the fruit (throw it into bubbling water). The vinegar should be ready to use immediately, with a shelf life of at least 1 year.

VARIATION: For Raspberry Lemon Thyme Vinegar, place 1 sprig fresh lemon thyme in a flask or bottle before adding the vinegar. Fill, seal, and steep out of direct sunlight and away from heat for 1 week before using.

Concrete Tea Lights: Tutorial

These little tealight holders are easy to make, and a perfect project to make with children. They make a sweet, simple gift, and are an especially good project for beginners who are not used to working with concrete. Try using a variety of molds, such small plastic or glass containers, like empty yogurt or cream cheese tubs.

Materials Needed:

Mixed concrete

Oil

Paintbrush

Tealights

Several molds (glass jars or plastic containers are fine)

Directions:

1. Oil the molds.

2. Oil the bottom and sides of the tealight.

3. Mix the concrete and fill the mold with it to just below the top, stopping the concrete from overflowing when you push in the tealight. Shake the mold gently to get rid of any air bubbles and to level the concrete’s surface.

5. Press the tealight into the center of the concrete.

At this point, you can press fun objects into the concrete (i.e. marbles) for a playful appearance. Then, let the concrete set on a flat surface, overnight for best results.

6. Carefully remove the holders from the molds. Quickly wash the molds so that they can be reused.

Serviceberry Drinking Vinegar (Shrub): Recipe

Do you know what a shrub is? I had no clue until a friend informed be about it recently, encouraging me to add a post about it to my blog. So, what is it?

Amanda Hesser writes in the New York Times, "Call me irresponsible. The first time I tasted raspberry vinegar — once known as a raspberry shrub — from a 1900 Times recipe, it was as if I were sampling the consummate raspberry. It was sweet and full-bodied, and the acidity wasn’t the ephemeral “ping!” of most berries but more of a fiery bellow. The taste was intense and addictive, and I wanted to drink the syrup as an elixir. And so I did. For weeks that summer, I doled it out by the spoonful into glasses of chilled sparkling water and prosecco — and a swell summer it was."

Instead of just a flavored syrup, shrubs are made with acid, usually vinegar, giving them a distinct tart edge. Making a shrub is very simple. Do so by combining equal parts of fruit, acid, and sweetener and let it sit until it becomes an intensely-flavored syrup that’s a true concentrate of the season’s flavors. Shrubs can be made with almost any fruit during any time of year. Right now, with serviceberries ripe and weighing down their branches, this is a good opportunity to harvest and turn them into a flavorful sparking drink.

Seasonal Shrub Recipe

Following are universal instructions that you can use to create any shrub flavors desired. To serve a shrub in the classic manner, mix one part shrub syrup with four parts club soda. You can also use the syrup as topping for ice cream and pancakes.

Ingredients:
1 Lb diced ripe fruit, pitted and stemmed as needed
1 C. sugar
1 C. vinegar
A pinch of herbs or spices

Instructions:

1. Discard any bruised or rotten fruit, rinse and dry the rest, and place it in a large glass bowl.
2. Press the fruit with the back of a spoon until every piece is bruised.
3. Add the sugar, stir to coat, cover tightly, and set aside in a dark, cool spot until the mixture is syrupy and the fruit broken down, approximately 1 to 2 days.
4. Add the vinegar and herbs/spices, whisk to combine. Cover tightly, and set aside to rest for 7-10 days.
5. Strain the shrub through a fine mesh sieve and discard fruit and seasonings. Pass shrub through clean cheesecloth to remove any sediment. Pour shrub into a clean bottle or jar with a tight fitting lid, cover, and store refrigerated for up to 4 months.

How to Make a Lavender Wand

With the arrival of warm weather following spring rain, our lavender is bursting with their savory purple flowers. I use the flowers for oils, salves, cuisine, and have recently learned how to make wands. This is how:

Materials Needed:
35 fresh lavender sprigs
2 clear plastic hair bands
1/8" ribbon
Hot glue (and hot glue gun)

Directions:

1. Strip the leaves off all the lavender stems

2. Bundle them up and secure them with hair band

3. Tie ribbon around the hair band

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4. Hold the bouquet upside down and carefully bend the stems over without breaking them

 

5. Weave the ribbon in and out between the stems

 

6. Hold the stems down firmly as you weave the ribbon through, pushing the woven ribbon up with your fingernail. Keep the ribbon pulled snug.

7. Once you weave past the blooms, weave the ribbon down to a point where the stems tie together. Wrap the ribbon around the stems several times.

8. Secure with your second hair band, and tie a bow with your ribbon around the hair band

9. Put a dab of hot glue on the bow to hold it tight

10. Cut the stems at a uniform length below the bow

 

Place your wand amidst your clothing for a sweet smell throughout the season.

Sunflowers: Did You Know?

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Did you know that almost the entire sunflower plant is edible? I didn't!

According to Jill MacKenzie, Native Americans cultivated sunflowers for centuries before Europeans arrived. You can eat almost the entire sunflower plant and enjoy this nutritious food in all its stages of life. Grow many sunflowers in a patch so you can eat the various edible parts of the plants all summer long while still enjoying the remaining blooms.

Phase 1

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Pull seedlings from your sunflower patch while they are about 6 inches tall. You may eat sunflower sprouts straight from the ground, as a salad topping or in a stir-fry.

Phase 2
Eat the leaves of older plants by themselves or in a salad. You can also eat sunflower leaves cooked in a stir-fry or boiled like greens and seasoned with a light dressing. Combine and saute them with fresh kale or chard. Be sure to remove the tough center ribs of leaves before cooking.

Phase 3
Harvest the buds before they open. The buds taste similar to artichokes. Pull off the bitter green around the base of the bud. Steam or boil them in water for a few moments and serve with butter.

Phase 4
Pluck the bright yellow petals once the flower has blossomed. Tear off the edge of the sunflower petal since it is bitter and not suited for eating. Combine the colorful petals with other ingredients to complement and tone down the flavor. Use these petals in a salad to add a distinctly bittersweet flavor.

Phase 5
Cut and peel the crunchy young sunflower stalks to eat as bite-sized snacks or to toss into salads. They taste similar to celery. Choose immature sunflowers that have pliable, tender stalks. Like asparagus, avoid the older plants with woody stalks.

Phase 6
Harvest the flower heads when the green disc at the back turns yellow. Place the flower heads in a dry, well-ventilated place and allow the seeds to mature. You may eat or store the seeds once the disc on the back of the flower head has turned dark brown. Remove seeds by rubbing two heads together or by rubbing the head with the palm of your hand. Eat sunflower seeds raw or after they've been toasted at 350 degrees (F) for 10 minutes or until the hulls begin to crack open. Cool them and add salt for taste.

Thank you to Kate Young for sharing her incredible photography with me!