by Pam Broekemeier | Aug 7, 2017 | Herbs in Your Diet
Sumac grows pretty abundantly here in the Midwest. You’ll see it along highways, roadsides, in parks and on the edges of yards.
I think it looks rather stately in late summer and early fall with its reddish fruit, called drupes, popping out from the green vegetation.
There is a poisonous sumac, but it has white berries. So its pretty easy to stay away from that particular plant. I had always thought all sumac was poisonous, but now I know better.
Sumac has a few different uses, from creating a beautiful natural backdrop, to being a refreshing beverage, to being a lemony spice to top off a food dish.
I never know sumac could be eaten, till a few years ago, when I came across an article for sumac-ade. So I had to give it a try, since I had a lot of wild sumac near me. And I have to say I was surprised at the refreshing taste, like a twist on lemonade!
Sumac-ade is made by putting the fruit in a large jar or bowl and running cold water over it. Let it sit for an hour or two and then strain out the fruit, leaving an infused lemony tasting beverage! Some people will make a hot infusion, but I think that brings out more tartness, so I prefer doing the cold water method.
You can get a sample of the lemony tart flavor by just rubbing your fingers on the fresh fruits and licking your fingers. But don’t do it after a rainfall, as it will wash away the flavor. Wait till the fruits are dry.
Sumac, in its many forms, can be found throughout the world. In the Middle East, the sumac fruit is ground up into a spice that they use on some of their dishes to give it that slight lemony taste. Za’atar is a spice blend using sumac. You can find the recipe here.
Sumac is very high in Vitamin C and I’ve heard it can be added to a homemade natural cough syrup. It is also an antioxidant.
I picked some sumac a few weeks ago and have let it dry. I’m now working on getting all the fruit off of the stems so I can grind it up and make some sumac spice. I’m anxious to try it on some of my food dishes.
Just need to find a coffee grinder first…
Resources and References:
http://www.backyardforager.com/sumac-a-necessary-spice/
http://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/cooking-tips/article/how-to-make-za-atar-spice-at-home
https://nowiveseeneverything.wordpress.com/2013/10/16/sumac-rhus-typhina-and-rhus-glabra/
by Pam Broekemeier | Jul 11, 2016 | Herbs in Your Diet
An herbal conference is a great way to learn about herbs and meet like minded people. You get a chance to meet and learn from well seasoned and knowledgeable herbalists.
And wow! What a great time I had at the 5th Annual Mid-Western Women’s Herbal Conference that was held in beautiful Almond, WI. For six days, I was in one class after another, learning about herbs in many perspectives. Classes overlapped and it was so hard to decide which classes to take and which to skip.
I participated in a pre-conference immersion course on Women’s Health. The instructor was Ilsa Burgess, an herbalist from New Zealand.
We went through a number of case studies (with students in the class as the clients), starting with symptoms, lifestyle and diet. Then we discussed plants and changes to lifestyle that could help the client to achieve the level of health they wanted. From our list of plants, we then narrowed it down to 2-3 plants and set up a dosage for the client.
It was a very informative class and Ilsa is a wonderful instructor! I love her style of teaching.
Friday through Sunday offered a variety of 1 1/2 hour sessions on a variety of topics, that ranged from the basics, such as making tinctures, to plant identification to the legalities of selling herbal products. The instructors were wonderful and so full of knowledge.
We had two keynote speakers, Susun Weed and Winona LaDuke. Both are excellent speakers and very knowledgeable.
Susun is a very independent and strong-willed woman. She has many views on things and isn’t afraid to be outspoken. I can see why she is a “wise woman”.
After Susun’s talk, I got to get one of her books and have my picture taken with her! Throughout the conference, I attended three of Susun’s sessions.
Winona was a treat! She had her grandchildren with her and handled them so well during her talk. I also didn’t realize she had such a sense of humor. It was interesting to hear about her work and some of her run-ins with bureaucracy.
And of course, I can’t pass by all the wonderful women who attended and I got to meet. We had women from all over the midwest and even further out. One young lady even came all the way from New Zealand (in addition to Ilsa)! That goes to show how important these conferences are.
I tented the entire six days and survived the rain storms.
What an adventure and a great way to learn about the plants around us!
If you are looking for conferences in your area or elsewhere, HerbRally, is an excellent place to start. It lists out events happening through the US and also includes some international events. You can even submit upcoming events in your area that are not currently listed.
by Pam Broekemeier | Dec 23, 2015 | Herbal Remdies, Herbs in Your Diet, Medicinal Weeds
it’s that time of year again…
It never fails, there is always some kind of epidemic circulating in our communities during this time of year, like the norovirus. We all know someone who is ill, and who can’t participate in all the festivities. Bummer!
A few years ago, I was out sick, big time, for the holidays, and it was not fun at all. My stomach ached from coughing so much, and my mind was mush. My boyfriend finally talked me in to go and see a doctor (I do hate going to see doctors). Come to find out, I had strep throat, even though I didn’t have the normal symptoms for it.
So, how do you prevent you and your loved ones from catching any one of those dreaded, sneaky epidemics? Education and prevention. (more…)
by Pam Broekemeier | Nov 13, 2015 | Herbs in Your Diet
Horse Chestnuts
Aesculus Hippocastanum
The horse chestnut is a tree which is native to the northern hemisphere. It is also sometimes referred to as buckeye or Spanish chestnut. The leaves, flowers, bark and seeds have been used for centuries to cure various ailments.
Horse chestnut is valued because of its support of the circulatory system. Its astringent and anti-inflammatory properties help to tone and protect blood vessels. By increasing the permeability of the capillaries and allowing the re-absorption of excess fluid back into the circulatory system, it helps in reducing fluid retention. (more…)
by Pam Broekemeier | May 25, 2015 | craft show, Herbs in Your Diet
So this past March, I had my first booth at a craft show. All I could think about beforehand was “Is this going to work?”.
But why wouldn’t it?
I had plenty of product and a good variety of items. I had set up my table about two weeks prior in my living room to see how it would look and kept making adjustments up to the day of the craft show.
I would have a few sale items and also a freebie if a customer spent a certain amount.
And I would have two of my daughters helping out! Lucky me!
Well, the day of the craft show arrived and I was so nervous. What if people didn’t care for what I had? What if I forgot something? All the negative thoughts kept creeping into my head.
My only goal coming out of the craft show was to just sell enough product to pay for the booth.
So on with the show!
It started out good. I had my table set up on time and it looked great! Traffic was slow to pick at first. As people walked by, I remembered to keep smiling and making eye contact.
Pretty soon people were stopping, checking things out and asking questions. And then came my first sale! I was so happy!
Sales kept coming in at a slow steady pace. As soon as I had my booth paid for, I was stoked! I wasn’t sure it would happen.
The rest of the day went well. At the end we packed up and left happy campers.
My first craft show!
(more…)
by Pam Broekemeier | Oct 3, 2014 | Herbs in Your Diet
With all the different wonderful herbs out there, how is one able to get them in their body? I am not a pill popper, so taking a pill for every conditions is not an option. So now what?
Food!
Herbs right in your cupboard!
Yep, it all starts right in your spice cabinet. Many of the everyday spices we use are essential to a healthy diet. Not only do these herbs add taste to dishes, but they all have properties to improve your health and body work to its fullest potential.
With fall here, this is a very easy way to get herbs in your body and your families bodies that will help fend off colds and the flu. Thyme is an expectorant, which helps clear the lungs of mucas and other unwanted materials. Garlic is a must for this time of year. It helps boost the immune system to help fight viruses, like the flu. It is best taken raw with a little honey, but is still pretty strong, so garlic supplements will do. Cooked garlic doesn’t have the same drive as in the raw form, but can still be used to help. (more…)
