Some of our favorite simple teas/infusions:
Sleep helper:
1 part chamomile flowers
1 part peppermint leaf
2 parts passion flower
Awake and at 'em:
1 part ginger root
1 part cinnamon bark (chopped)
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Herbalism
As we work towards a closer connection with the
land, we are learning about incorporating more herbs into our diet, not only
for culinary purposes but also medicinal ones. I am taking a Clinical Master
Herbalist course and everyday learn more about the vast array of herbs
available for common ailments and the various ways to prepare them. Currently,
30+ herbs are in our herb pantry for infusions, teas and decoctions. Our back
porch is lined with tinctures soaking in the sun.
Some of our favorite simple teas/infusions:
Sleep helper:
1 part chamomile flowers
1 part peppermint leaf
2 parts passion flower
Awake and at 'em:
1 part ginger root
1 part cinnamon bark (chopped)
Some of our favorite simple teas/infusions:
Sleep helper:
1 part chamomile flowers
1 part peppermint leaf
2 parts passion flower
Awake and at 'em:
1 part ginger root
1 part cinnamon bark (chopped)
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
Potatoes!
Well, it goes without saying, but we planted quite a few potatoes here in Idaho. We planted a couple of varieties but in a fit of disorganization we have no idea what they were or how to identify them! Since they did indeed grow differently that was a mistake, but we'll try again.
We were pretty interested in how the potatoes would grow principally because we tried two different growing techniques we had heard about. First was we dug down pretty shallowly and then mounded dirt up over the green plant as it grew. Since potatoes need loose soil to form the actual potato this is advantageous for the plant-at least as long as some green leaves are above the soil. The second method was to dig down substantially deeper to plant the potatoes and then mound dirt up less high as it grew. Of the two, the second method was by far better. We got healthier plants, more potatoes and it was much less work, both to cultivate and to harvest. Even though we got our "money's worth" in the number of potatoes, both methods are very high-labor and time-consuming, so we want to try a few other things next year to get production vs. labor to a more reasonable ratio.
But the potatoes are great: very tasty and easy to store. Along with the 7-8 eggs we are getting every day from our chickens, if we needed to, we could easy survive on just what we have grown ourselves. Pretty cool.
We were pretty interested in how the potatoes would grow principally because we tried two different growing techniques we had heard about. First was we dug down pretty shallowly and then mounded dirt up over the green plant as it grew. Since potatoes need loose soil to form the actual potato this is advantageous for the plant-at least as long as some green leaves are above the soil. The second method was to dig down substantially deeper to plant the potatoes and then mound dirt up less high as it grew. Of the two, the second method was by far better. We got healthier plants, more potatoes and it was much less work, both to cultivate and to harvest. Even though we got our "money's worth" in the number of potatoes, both methods are very high-labor and time-consuming, so we want to try a few other things next year to get production vs. labor to a more reasonable ratio.
But the potatoes are great: very tasty and easy to store. Along with the 7-8 eggs we are getting every day from our chickens, if we needed to, we could easy survive on just what we have grown ourselves. Pretty cool.
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| Just some of the spuds. Many have already been eaten and some are still in the ground. |
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