Forage Friday/Weed Walking: Plantain

Continuing with our weed walk, this week is plantain...the plant, not the banana-like thing that shares the same name. There are actually over 200 species in the genus Plantago, but there are two I'd like to cover that are most common in the areas that I've seen, Plantago major and Plantago lanceolata. Plantago major Broadleaf plantain, common plantain,…

Forage Friday: Wild violets and onion/garlic

Yay! Spring has sprung! Let the bountiful foraging days begin! Each spring I get super excited when I start to see the all the green life poke up around me, and I just can't wait to get out there and pick. My daughter is particularly fond of the flowers and any given afternoon, she may…

Forage Friday: Why, What, and How

Frosty and cold, but there are still food-stuffs out there! It's the middle of winter here in my neck of the woods, and while the weather has been kind here and there, I've been fairly reluctant to go out and do any real foraging in the cold rain and snow. Admittedly, there isn't a whole…

Women’s Health; Heavy Menstruation and Iron- Deficiency Anemia

This is a disclaimer ⇒⇒⇒  I am not a doctor. I am not a scientist. I am not recommending anything. I am simply sharing my thoughts, my story, and my journey with you I'm almost 40, and may possibly (probably) be on the cusp of menopause. I am on Nexplanon birth control, and that has brought…

Forage Friday: Chickweed

As we settle into the new year, it may seem that there is nothing left to forage out in our bleak, brown, wintery landscapes. But there is a wonderful little plant out there who will remain vigilant to see you through the cold months. You may need to peek under fallen leaves or even push back…

Beginning to love sardines, the why and the how

Sardines. For the average American, I've noticed that the thought of sardines doesn't illicit any oohs or ahhs, and generally doesn't incite any major cravings for this little fishy fish. But I challenge all notions and prejudgments of these little bundles of wonderful. Hear me out. The Why Nutrition Sardines really are one of those "nutritional powerhouse" foods.…

“All-natural” experiments: Soaps

This post contains affiliate links of things I have actually purchased and use. It doesn't cost you anything extra to click on the link, but if you do buy, I get a little kick-back from Amazon. 🙂 A little over 2 years ago I got on an "all natural" product kick. I was already eating a…

Foraging Friday: Lamb’s quarters

One of the wonderful things about the cooler weather of fall is that it brings back all the lovely spring "weeds" to the garden. That first green that comes in early spring is full of nutrients and minerals, and in olden times was valued as a "spring tonic" to clear out all that heavy food…

Sometimes you can teach your parents something new

My mom is a retired registered nurse (RN). She has always (even before becoming an RN) worked in the psych wards, and although she's Asian by birth and culture, all her training and experience has been in the Western medicine traditions. Growing up, we took OTC pills. We went to the doctor. We got prescriptions.…

Try something new today

This season, my sweetheart did his own experimental garden plot. He was inspired by an article in The Old Farmer's Almanac which featured curious crops from around the world. His line up was (I apologize for such few pictures, but google...): Golden Eggplant: tiny members of the eggplant family, which start of white and mature to…