AMAZING & SURREAL
Surreal is a good word to describe the happenings in the world right now. But to me, the weather today was just as surreal. I was so happy to move my office outside for a few hours – until my hands got too cold. What a blessing. I encourage each one of you to spend as much time as possible outside. Nature truly has the gift to nurture our entire being including our soul and spirit, and support us through these times.
Cheers,
Gudrun
Amazing ONLINE OPPORTUNITY coming up November 5-8
The FIRST CANADIAN HERB CONFERENCE (online), Plant Medicine as People’s Medicine, focuses on how plants can help heal ourselves and the community.SAVE $20 off your registration, enter SAVINGS CODE, gudrun20.
OPEN to EVERYONE – from the beginner herbalist to the expert, student & practitioner of all walks of life.
Take advantage of this great opportunity to enrich your life, gain new tools and knowledge, get inspired, and connect with like minded people. Includes: marketplace & tearooms for networking. Choose from three different registration packages.
Visit http://www.herbconference.com/ for more details and to register
— SAVINGS code: gudrun20
My workshop topics:
1. Virtual Herb Walk – The Difference between an Herb and a Weed is a Judgement
2. Earth Wisdom – Communicating with Plant Spirit (scheduled for two mornings, each day will include a different morning meditation connecting to plant spirit)
Please share the information freely, including the savings code. Hope to “see you there”!
Green Blessings,
Gudrun
http://www.herbconference.com/
My Jungle Juice Recipe
Thank you for your interest in my signature drink. Here is the information and recipe you were asking for. The u-tube video, demonstrating how to create this delicious concoction, is a segment taken from my DVD, Herbal Pharmacy for Everyone. A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your Own Herbal Preparations. The DVD is available from my website, www.herbalinstructions.com or you can contact me directly.
Click link below for recipe:
Happy herbaling and green blessings,
Gudrun
ANCIENT GRAIN BREAD – Feedback to Comments
I am happy to see how many of you are expressing an interest in the bread. This bread is pretty well the only bread I eat anymore. Even though the list of ingredients looks overwhelming, it really only takes 1/2 hour to prepare prior to the baking process. Following are my feedback and additional pointers.
– While the first 6 ingredients (sunflower seeds to amaranth seeds) are toasted in the oven, combine the remaining ingredients (oats to sea salt) – easy!
– Mix together and add liquid – done!
– As I am preparing the dried ingredients, I mix a second batch already to store in the fridge in two separate containers. This means every second loaf takes only 15-20 minutes to prepare.
– GLUTEN: I know of many people who react severely to gluten and they are able to enjoy this bread without any problems.
– INGREDIENTS: all of them can be easily found in Grande Prairie, I buy mine at the health food store but I am sure you can find most of them at other grocery stores as well.
– MOISTURE: I have never encountered this problem. Once you mix the wet ingredients into the dry ones, the “dough” will be quite moist. If you find it is “wet”, you can add a few extra oats for example. You may need to let the bread sit a bit longer before baking it. This step cannot be cut short. I would say, the bread needs at least 10 hours in the bread pan before baking. Make sure the oven is hot enough and that you bake it long enough. I bought a glass baking pan that is longer and narrower (10 x 4.5 inches) compared to the regular size ones.
Hope this helps.
ENJOY.
CRAVING BREAD BUT NOT ABLE OR ALLOWED TO EAT IT?
Check this out. This is the best bread ever because it is packed with nutrition, extremely fast and easy to prepare and does NOT contain any flowers or gluten. It has become a staple in our life. Try it and spread the wealth of health.
Ancient Grain, Seed, and Nut Loaf from The Greenhouse Cookbook
Makes one loaf, or about 10 slices.
Ingredients:
½ cup raw sunflower seeds
¾ cup raw pumpkin seeds
1 cup raw slivered almonds
1/8 cup buckwheat groats
1/8 cup millet seeds
1/3 cup amaranth seeds
1 ½ cups gluten-free rolled oats
¾ cups gluten-free steel-cut oats
1/3 cup whole flax seeds
1/3 cup psyllium seed husks
1/3 cup chia seeds
2 tsp sea salt
2 tbs pure maple syrup
¼ cup virgin olive oil
2 ¾ cups filtered water
Steps:
1. Preheat your oven to 325 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Combine and evenly spread the sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, buckwheat groats, millet seeds, and amaranth seeds on the prepared baking sheet. Toast for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden.
3. In a large bowl, combine the rolled oats, steel-cut oats, flax seeds, psyllium seed husks, chia seeds, and salt.
4. When the toasting seed mixture is golden, remove from the oven and add to the bowl of dry ingredients; stir until combined. Add the maple syrup, olive oil, and water to the bowl and mix well. We use our hands for this (wet them first). The mixture should feel quite soggy; the seeds will absorb more water as they rest.
5. Line the bottom and sides of a 8- x 4-inch or 9- x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Pour the dough into the pan and shape the top into a smooth dome with wet fingers. Cover the dough with a clean tea towel or napkin and let it sit at room temperature overnight or for up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 F.
6. Uncover the dough and place the loaf pan on a rack in the centre of the oven. Bake for an hour and 15 minutes, or until the crust is dark brown and sounds hollow when you knock on it. (It may take an hour and a half, depending on your oven.) Remove loaf from the oven and let cool completely, at least 2 hours.
7. Slice and serve toasted. Store in a sealed container in the fridge for 1-2 weeks.
Green Blessings,
Gudrun
WILD ROSE – Favourite Recipes for this time of the year
Have you noticed the abundance and colour variations of the Wild Rose flowers this year?
They are so bountiful and a delight to all of our senses. You might have noticed that a lot of different insects use the flowers as their home or resting place.
Wild Rose is also a Bach Flower essence, opening the heart and bringing joy into a person’s life.
Here are two of my all time favorite recipes.
1. WILD ROSE FLOWER WATER
Pick some flower petals and put them in a glass filled with spring water. Let sit in the sun to allow the essence of the flower to infuse into the water. Let sit for 1/2 hour to several hours depending on your taste preference.
Enjoy as is or with some ice. If you wish, you may eat the flower petals.
2. WILD ROSE FLOWER HONEY
Pick the flower petals and place on the honey. Honey that has not been processed is typically hard so you need to soften it slowly at low temperature. You can soften it first and then mix the petals into it, or what I do, I add the petals and let them do “their job” while the honey is softening.
Once the honey is soft, I like to stir the petals in with a wooden chop stick only to watch them come up to the surface again after a while. You can pick out the flower petals if you wish but you can also leave them in the honey.
Enjoy as a spread on a rice cake, on pancakes or with ice cream, or just straight from the spoon – whatever your heart desires.
JULY 2020 BOOK SALE
While quantities last …
- Some prices below cost
- Prices include GST
- Click link to see list of available titles with prices:
JULY 2020 BOOK SALE
“THE FLOWERS OF TOMORROW ARE IN THE SEEDS OF TODAY” Author unknown
My mind is filled with thoughts and questions about what is currently happening in the world. Our children, the plant and animal kingdom, and Mother Earth cannot make their own voices heard. We therefore owe it to them to stand up and speak up on behalf of them. Educating ourselves about the current realities and taking action, is critical if we want to be instrumental in creating positive change, securing our rights and freedoms and a planet that will continue to be able to provide in a healthy way for all – now and in the future.
ENJOY STORY OF FLOWERS https://youtu.be/vDpFyHmt0AE
WEEDS FOR WELLNESS – DANDELION
Finally the bright yellow flowers are brightening the landscape – a sure sign that spring is here to stay.
Hard to believe that herbalists have great appreciation for this marvelous creation of nature? We use flowers, buds, leaves and roots as food and medicine. My grand kids nibble on the flowers and young leaves.
Last year I made a crown out of Dandelion flowers for my then 4 year old grand daughter. She was wearing it proudly as we walked into Canadian Tire. With great joy I observed the reactions of customers especially when we were wandering around the Round-up shelf. So much fun!
Be creative and “brave” – eat flowers and young leaves, add both to salads, make a Dandelion flower cold infusion. decorate ice creams and cakes … and most of all, have fun and be grateful for the gift of this plant that most consider to be a pesky weed.
DANDELION – Taraxacum off. – Asteraceae famly
PARTS USED: Roots, stems, leaves and flowers
HARVEST TIME
Roots: Spring before flowering or fall after first frost
Leaves: Early spring, throughout summer (leaves increase in bitter taste with age)
Flowers: When in full bloom
NUTRITIONAL VALUE
Rich in minerals such as calcium, iron, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, silicon, and zinc. Vitamins A, B complex, C and D.
Carotenoids, fatty acids, flavenoids and phytosterols.
NOTE: The roots are exceptionally high in vitamin A
THERAPEUTIC ACTIONS
Leaf: Diuretic (high in potassium) – Choleretic (stimulates bile production by liver) – Aperient (mild laxative)
Root: Bitter digestive tonic; nutritive – Choleretic, cholagogue – Aperient, laxative – Anti-rheumatic, anit-inflammatory (animal studies)
Sap: Keratolytic (breaks down outer layer of skin)
INDICATIONS
Leaf: Water retention
Root: Inadequate bile production, gallstones, liver/gall bladder insufficiency, congestive jaundice, Dyspepsia, lack of appetite
Sap of stalks, roots, or leaves: Warts, cankers
FORM OF PREPARATION
Infusions (leaves; flowers) – Decoctions (root) – Tinctures – Vinegars (roots, leaves, flowers) – Infused Oils – Salves – Food (leaves, petals, young roots)
CONTRA-INDICATIONS
No reported toxicity; however some people experience sensitivity reactions
WHAT’S NEW?
Well, I guess Coronavirus is still dominating the media, just with a different name. I yet have to hear anyone mention the importance of a strong immune system and how to go about it – keeping it strong or building it up. Once again, a wholesome diet and exercise to increase oxygenation in the body, are two easy and effective tools. Adding high dosages of vitamin C and raw garlic to your daily regime are also helpful. Apparently in China they are treating people with intravenous vitamin C. A link to that information will follow in another post.
I have turned my favourite bread recipe (no flour, gluten free, dairy free) into four small loaves instead of one big one. It works not only great but tastes fantastic. Prep time is short once you have the ingredients in your pantry. I am so grateful that this bread is also the favourite for my grand children. NOTE: bake time for the four small loaves is obviously shorter than in the recipe provided.
Ancient Grain, Seed, and Nut Loaf – Adapted from The Greenhouse Cookbook
Green blessings,
Gudrun
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