Rose: Medicinal Beauty

The Decoction of Red Roses made with Wine and used, is very good for the Headach, and pains in the Eyes, Ears, Throat, and Gums, as also for the Fundament, the lower Bowels, and the Matrix, being bathed, or put into them. The same Decoction with the Roses remaining in it is profitably applyed to the Region of the Heart to eas the Inflamation therin; as also St. Anthonies fire, and other Diseases of the Stomach. Being dried and beaten to Pouder, and taken in steeled Wine or Water, it helpeth to stay Womens Courses. 

--Nicholas Culpeper, 1616-1654.

The ancients of many different cultures spent thousands of years discovering and harnessing the knowledge of herbs. As stated by naturalist and herbalist Gregory L. Tilford, author of Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West, "Roughly 40 percent of all drugs in modern use are derived by plants. . . more than 70 percent of botanically derived drugs were discovered from folkloric accounts." Herbs maintain, they heal, they treat, they cure... and they can be downright dangerous and deadly if mishandled. These plants demand great respect.

Besides its uses in medicine, herbs also lend its attributes in beauty products. The rose, the floral symbol of love and romance, is an herb whose medicinal properties have been documented throughout history. Greek poets praised the beautiful flower for its medicinal qualities, and Pliny listed over thirty ailments that were treated with roses. Today, it's common to see rosewater at heath food stores, and rosewater -- the delightfully fragrant byproduct from the distillation of roses -- makes a fantastic, gentle toner for the skin. While you can buy certainly buy rosewater, you also can make your own. If you ask me, it's a far better alternative to the preservative-laden toners sold at "luxury" department stores (not to mention waaaaaay cheaper). When making rosewater, also be sure that the roses haven't been sprayed with pesticides or are chemically treated. Rosa damascena  is the traditional rose to use to make rosewater, but you can also use the lovely Apothecary's Rose (Rosa gallica).

All-natural, cold-processed rose soap made with goat milk, wine, and then handmilled with rosewater, and sprinkled with organic Rosa damascena petals. It is colored a soft pink from using Madder root. 'Will be available soon for purchase in limited quantity in the future.

The recipes to make rosewater vary but an easy one is found in herbalist Rosemary Gladstar's book, Herbs for Natural Beauty. You can find her rosewater recipe online here.

For more information, please see:

Rose information at botanical.com

Herbs for Natural Beauty by Rosemary Gladstar

Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West by Gregory L. Tilford

Autumn and Pumpkin Spice Soap

Ah, Autumn. 

Vivaldi's Autumn.

It is just arriving... the oak tree's leaves are just starting to leave its verdant shade of green, now tipped with the faintest hue of gold. Autumn has been my favorite season since I can remember. The beautiful colors are a visual wonder, but Autumn brings other sensory delights: Crisp air, flavorful apples, and various culinary delights made of pumpkin and spices. 

I welcomed the arrival of September by making Pumpkin Spice Soap, which smells exactly like Pumpkin pie. Made with an essential oil blend of cinnamon leaf, nutmeg, sweet orange, and vanilla, it is definitely one of my best batches to date. 

All natural Pumpkin Spice Soap.

Zelda cookies

In 1987, a game was released for the Nintendo Entertainment System that would change gaming history and spark a passion for countless people worldwide: The Legend of Zelda. It remains one of the best -- if not the best -- gaming series of all time.

I was introduced to the original Zelda game as a child in the 1980s; I grew up a tomboy and played video games with my older brothers and childhood neighbors. While my family had Sega consoles (Master System and Genesis), our neighbors had the NES and SNES, and it was through my neighbor's NES that I was introduced to the magic of the original Zelda.

That game, the original, evolved into an epic series since, with Skyward Sword as the latest Zelda game for the Nintendo Wii. Many Zelda fans have a particular favorite in the series that ignited their Zelda obsession. The game that did it for me, personally, was Ocarina of Time. The music, the storyline, the game play... every aspect of the game is mind-blowing.

Ocarina of Time poster

Magic potions? Yes, please.

From the Triforce Tribute, Portland, Oregon. 

There is so much creativity expressed by Zelda fans:  Doujinshi, countless and beautiful artwork, music, and inspired culinary ideas are a few of the many examples. Wanting to express my love of the series, too, I've yet to make the insanely awesome Link pixel cookies, but I've made my own (albeit far less beautiful and sophisticated) Ocarina of Time themed-cookies. To make these easy-schmeezy Zelda cookies, you need a shortbread recipe (if you're gluten-intolerant like me, click here for a recipe, or you can do the not-from-scratch-shortcut and buy Bob's Red Mill shortbread mix), a little food coloring, and some cookie cutters (party hat and heart).

Zelda cookies. Omnomnom.

For Link hats: Separate the dough in half and add green food coloring. Mix well to blend. Roll out and use the party hat cutters. Slice the top edge of the party hat cut-outs with a knife, to give it less of a clownish look and more of a "Link hat" appearance. If you want to create stitches -- totally optional as Link's hat stitches aren't as visible in Ocarina as they are in, say, Twilight Princess -- take chocolate sprinkles and line them up to create stitches.

Ocarina of Time heart containers: Use a little bit of blue food coloring, mix well, roll out the dough, and use a heart cookie-cutter. After baking, use a little decorating gel coloring to draw the inner red heart.


Follow the recipe's directions for baking time and temperature.

More Zelda stuff to come, but in the meanwhile get your Zelda creativity fix from these sites:

The Geeky Chef blog
Zelda Party Channel

Oregon Grape

Okay so I'm broke. But I need jam for my toast! Hey, Oregon Grape bush, I'm gonna pick ya.

So, for real, Oregon Grape -- Oregon's State flower -- is currently ripe, and it makes a decent jelly when made with an ample amount of sugar. While Oregon Grape isn't a true grape, they resemble grapes, and the jelly tastes like concord grape juice.

Oregon Grape, of the Mahonia species and Barberry family, has several varieties that grow in the Pacific Northwest. Cascade Oregon Grape (M. nervosa) and Tall Oregon Grape (M. aquifolium) were discovered by the Lewis and Clark expedition in 1805. The fruit is high in vitamin C, and is an important food source for wildlife. Many people are surprised to learn that Oregon Grape is edible for humans as well, but they're not exactly palatable as they're very sour fresh off the bush. Herbalists love Oregon Grape as it has medicinal qualities as well. Used as an alternative to Goldenseal -- a wonderful herb that is threatened -- Oregon Grape root can be used to aid a variety of ailments, including  digestive issues. It is also claimed to aid skin issues such as eczema and psoriasis in the form of salves and soaps. (I can personally attest to this, as I have infused Oregon Grape root in oil, which I used in my soaps with positive results.)

Anyway, I went picking in a wooded park and brought home about two cups of berries. Before getting started, be sure to soak them in a salt water mix to draw any critters out.

Oregon Grape Jelly:

2 - 3 cups Oregon Grape berries
1 box pectin
2 - 3 cups water (or apple juice, if desired)
Sugar (I used about two cups but you can use more, if desired... it all depends on how sweet or tangy you want your preserves)
1 tablespoon honey

This recipe is easy to adjust if you're making a larger batch, increase the water to just cover the berries. But before you get started, rinse the berries well of the saline solution. Cook about five minutes in a pot or saucepan to soften them.

Now, some folks don't mash/crush the berries when making Oregon Grape preserves, but I crushed the berries a bit to release the juices and let them cook more. I strained the mix using a sieve  -- removing the seeds and skins, some of the pulp gets through the sieve but it's mostly juice -- and continued to cook the juice, where I added an equal amount of sugar (give or take, depending on your taste... for two cups of berries I added two cups of sugar and some honey). Add the pectin, bring the juice to a boil, and cook for another few minutes before pouring into jars.

Oregon Grape Jelly.

Toooooooast! Omnomnom.

My opinion of Oregon Grape jelly?

For more information, please see:

Wild Berries of the West by Betty Derig and Margaret C. Fuller
Edible and Medicinal Plants of the West by Gregory L. Tilford
Oregon Grape: Gentle Protector at thepracticalherbalist.com

This post was written for educational purposes only. The information in this post is not intended to diagnose, cure, or treat any disease. Please see disclaimer: Not all berries are edible, and many are poisonous, so do not consume any berry/plant without being 100 percent positive of identification. Consult a physician, Naturopathic doctor, or herbalist before using Oregon Grape for medicinal purposes. Do NOT use Oregon Grape while pregnant.

Rubus Jam

After my disappointing experience with the meh-ness of wild Salmonberry jam, I decided to give the berry another chance. I want to love Salmonberries so badly; they're beautiful, are nutritious, and this time of year, they're everywhere in the Pacific Northwest. So, rather than return to Dabney State Park and avoid falling into Stinging Nettle (like the last time), I went back to the grove  I discovered locally, and began to pick.

As an excited forager, perhaps I was too hasty in my previous Salmonberry-picking. The berries I picked in the grove seemed a little more palatable... perhaps they were a little more ripe... although they're still not in the same league as the sole ripe Thimbleberry I was able to get my hands on. I picked a mug full of the golden beauties, and then returned home to make jam. Only, instead of having a 100 percent Salmonberry jam, I mixed it with another member -- albeit a more famous member of the Rubus genus -- tasty raspberries! I planted raspberry bushes in the garden a couple of years ago; best gardening decision I've ever made.

My recipe:

1 1/2 cups Raspberries
1 cup Salmonberries
some lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon of honey
a bit of pectin, if desired

Gently wash and pick over berries, and mash them in a saucepan. As they cook, add a bit of lemon juice (I added about half of a lemon's juice) and then I added 1 cup of sugar. Add a bit of pectin if desired, about two tablespoons or so. Bring the jam to a boil for several minutes. Turn off the surface, and allow the jam to cool before storing.

This jam works; there's no strange aftertaste, and it has just the right amount of tart.The end result of Rubus jam yields an absolutely delicious and fantastic jam. Booyakasha!

Shea Lemon Soap

"Science. What is it all about? Technology, what is that all about? Is it good, or is it whack?"

Science rocks. In college I always loved lab work particularly, as it's so fun to get down and "do" science. "Makin' soap is classic chemistry, yo!"  (Said in my best Ali G voice with a hand flick.) After studying soapmaking books for months and especially learning from the great "Soap Queen" Anne-Marie Faiola (owner of the fabulous Brambleberry.com where you can get alllllllll your soapmaking supplies and then some), I made my very first soap! The experimental batch I made is a lovely pale yellow soap made with shea butter and lemon. Natural, toxic-free, healthy soaps FTW!

My Shea Lemon soap. It's alllllll natural, baby.

My recipe, using metric units... yes, metric:

136 grams extra virgin olive oil
136 grams organic coconut oil
90 grams organic shea butter
90 grams "rainforest friendly" palm oil
170 grams water
62 grams lye

After the soap traced, I added lemon and lemongrass essential oils to the batch. In future batches with this specific recipe, I'll be adding d-alpha-tocopherol (natural Vitamin E) as a slight natural preservative, and also lemon butter.

Success with another arrow in the quiver!

Salmonberry Jam

After visiting Dabney state park for a hike, and seeing the golden Salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis) dispersed throughout the Sandy River's landscape, I was really excited to get my jam-making groove on and make a batch. The berries are simply beautiful with colors ranging from gold to salmon to scarlet.  Salmonberries were an important food source for northwest Tribes; historically, Native Americans ate the sprouts peeled, or steam cooked the sprouts with dried salmon. Rubus spectabilis served medicinal purposes as well for Native Americans.

For two days I hiked around the area to pick them -- carefully avoiding Stinging Nettle and spiders -- and after all that foraging, I couldn't wait to turn the berries into a jam, and spread the stuff on my toast.

Salmonberry at Dabney State Park, Oregon.

As for the flavor of Salmonberries, well, they vary in taste, and can be described as "insipid." While they've never had that "wow" factor for me, I never thought they were flavorless (in my experience, the taste can range from semi-sweet to "woodsy", but they can have a strange aftertaste).

Once picked, Salmonberries can get mushy. While not as delicate as Thimbleberries, they're best eaten right away, and I've read berry books (Janie Hibler's The Berry Bible) that state making a jam with them isn't recommended. Contrary to this, though, others have had success. I don't often use pectin when making jam, but I did use it while using this recipe.

Fresh Salmonberries, ready for jam-making.

Well, I finally made a batch, and as I tasted it, I felt a little disappointed. The flavor isn't bad per se, but it's  just.. meh. As with their fresh form, the jam likewise has that same interesting aftertaste... something I can't really pinpoint, but it's a bit of a bitter taste that sugar can't completely conceal. A different batch may yield a better flavor, but my culinary conclusion is that, while aesthetically appealing and also edible, Salmonberries don't make the best jam. Perhaps mixing the Salmonberries with another member of the Rubus genus (e.g., raspberries) would aid in making a better and tastier jam.

And yet, the soon-to-ripen Thimbleberry will be available (and those berries are simply delicious), so I'm starting to feel excited to forage once again.

For more information, please check out the book, Wild Berries of the West by Betty B. Derig and Margaret C. Fuller.