The huckleberry is a member of the Ericaceae family, also known as the Heath family. The genus contains eight species and the plant is native to North America, from Ontario and Minnesota south to Louisiana, and east to the Atlantic coast.
The pecan is a member of the walnut family. The genus contains twenty-two species and the pecan is closely related to the hickory nut. Pecans are native to the central southern regions of what is now the United States. The term pecan is derived from the Algonquin word “paccan” which refers to both hickory and pecan nuts.
Tea has been used by many cultures as a medicine, and is considered a pastime in countries all over the world. Yerba mate has a different story. It comes from the Guaraní peoples in Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, and southern Brazil, where it is known as chimarrao.
Most of us will do the kitchen-made masks and massage creams but may stay away from essential oils—believing them to be too potent to use on the skin. That is a mistake. If used correctly, essential oils can prove to be a natural, organic and skin-nourishing tactic in aging gracefully without showing much of it on your skin!
The sweet potato is a member of the morning glory family and is native to Central and South America. The plant was cultivated by ancient peoples of the area as far back as the Stone Age. It was brought to Europe by Christopher Columbus during his first voyage in 1492.
The jack-o’-lanterns will be gone in a flash around Halloween, and if you are organically making your own creations, you likely have larders groaning with jars of pumpkin puree.
Frankly, with words like chia, flax, probiotics, goji, and more making the rounds, it’s understandable to become sick of the whole bandwagon of health food and stick to a normal diet instead.
There are many species of cranberry that grow in the temperate zones of the world, the species Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton is the cranberry native to North America. It is found in both the northeastern and northwestern areas of the continent and was used by the Native Peoples for food and medicine. They introduced the plant to the pilgrims, who used the fruit for pie and tart filling; recipes have been recorded as early as 1672.
Remember those endless beauty secrets your grandma was such a proponent of? Well, most of them are true and do have a scientific explanation behind them. Let’s explore a few common kitchen ingredients and the kind of magic you can work with them for a truly glowing visage! The great thing is that you don’t have to make a market trip for these—you can simply raid your kitchen and are good to go.
