Honey is not only a delicious sweetener, it has long been used for its medicinal properties. Not all honey, however, is the same. Harvesting methods, as wells as the source of honey itself, determines the potency of effectiveness when it comes to healing powers. One of the most effective in the honey world is Manuka honey.
As the redbud trees begin to blossom and the chickweed pops up a brighter green, I know spring is near and it’s just about time to start foraging the early spring edibles. Some of these wild plants can only be harvested while they’re young and tender, while others will continue to provide throughout the whole season and into the summer.
Making a baby transition from milk bottles to his/her first solids can be quite a task. Here are some easy, time-proven ideas…
It starts slowly. Icicles drip onto the sidewalks, snow mounds shrink under afternoon sunlight, and here in the Pacific Northwest, heavy, warm rains are ushered in. As spring approaches, our appetites desire light, fresh, yet still warming foods. Enter the classic vegetable soup.
Everyone in my family is fond of heavy white sauces, but not me; I’ve always been a fan of this thing called flavor. If you think you’re more of a white sauce person, think again. This velvety, luscious red sauce will even win over the hearts of Italians who think their nonna's “gravy” is the best hands down.
It's been raining nonstop the past two days, which is good because we need it. However, the productivity level on days like these is hard to maintain. It's difficult not to curl up with a good book or binge watch movies all day. When I get that urge, I give myself a break and head to the kitchen.
I grew up absolutely loving the super sugary, tomato-based condiment that is ketchup. Now, I’m still infatuated with it. However, I don’t buy overly sweetened ketchup anymore; I only eat ketchup that I’ve made myself. Making ketchup from scratch is cheap, ridiculously easy, healthier, and oh so delicious. I’m even comfortable with claiming that homemade ketchup is just as good as the bottled stuff, if not better (assuming that’s a possibility).
When you are living off of the grid and you only use a root cellar to store your food it can become difficult trying to keep fresh meat around the kitchen. My journey off the grid taught me a lot and meat-free meat was one of the things I chose to learn about. There are many reasons people choose to eat a diet that contains little-to-no meat: health, ethics for animals, and environmental issues.
While the start of a new year might seem like a good time to start swapping less-than-healthy routines for better options, spring is actually the best time for a fresh start. Why? The world is becoming green again here in North America, with seasonal favorites like radishes, sweet peas, and asparagus coming to the market.
Love them or hate them, beets are an incredibly healthy root. Starchy, sweet, and bursting with nature's nutrients, beetroots are an ancient food with many purposes. Belonging to the same family as chard and spinach, they contain as many phytonutrients as well as the addition of long sought after plant pigments. If you find yourself beet curious, read on to satisfy your fascination.