Kristen

Strawberries in June

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Three strawberries

Most months of the year find me waxing poetic about blueberries, not only my favorite berry, but also my favorite fruit due both to taste and nutrient value. Even raspberries tend to top my favorites list before strawberries, except for in June that is. In June, strawberries win it all, promising summer is nearly here despite the PNW’s distinctive month of Juneuary. There is nothing like the scent of slicing strawberries when they are perfectly ripe, plump and juicy and packed with so much flavor that the sweet taste hangs in the kitchen before one has ever even made it to a waiting mouth. While prepping strawberries the other day, I allowed myself to sink into the scent and occasionally snuck one straight into my mouth despite my intended goal of divvying them up in equal proportions for my two sons. I sliced through those bright red hearts and felt a bit cold blooded, but those juicy treats sent love notes of sweet scents out into the world despite the harshness of the knife. I thought about timing, and how much time dictates the way we look at things, interact with objects and others, and how it all changes, endlessly, as we are simply dancers reacting to a song that will eventually end.  

Although blueberries tend to get all the superfood attention in the berry department, strawberries are also packed with nutrition as well. They are well known for their vitamin C content, and have other vitamins, minerals, and fiber that make them a healthy addition to diets. Lately, they have also been touted as having cognition benefits to aging minds as well. Here is a link to a study that shows strawberries can benefit cognition issues related to aging: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33468271/.  

It is important to only eat organic strawberries. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) consistently lists strawberries as the number one fruit/vegetable that is contaminated with pesticides, including toxins that can cause cancer and/or reproductive issues, and chemicals banned by the EU. They regularly test 46 foods and list the “dirty dozen”, so if you are wondering what else is on the list, you can check it out here: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php. I can’t help but think this is related to the health and longevity expectancy in America compared to other comparable nations.

There’s a reason the full moon in June is known as the Strawberry Moon. The brief period when strawberries are at their peak is so monumental, even the moon takes note of this transient moment, destined to return but never for long. I hope your week leading up to the solstice and the full moon are full of sun, sweetness, and all of the ephemeral treats of June, along with a sincere appreciation for the fleeting delights the earth, and time, offer us.  

☀️🍓🌕 

Earth Day 2024

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Summery path through greenery

A little bit of good news in the world of climate change:

https://www.npr.org/2024/01/12/1224196438/could-humanity-be-sustainable-its-not-as-hopeless-as-you-think

Take heart, we can do this. 💚🌎🌷🌍🌱🌏💜

A Better Life

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Sunny day along Juanita Bay

This is the time of year many people make resolutions for improving their lives, or at the very least think about their lives in terms of years instead of the minute by minute perspective in which we so often live out our days. I appreciate that we have this yearly built in reminder to look at the bigger picture, make goals, to think about who we want to be and how we intend to get there, although I don’t personally feel inspired in the dead of winter to make any big changes. I struggle every January with winter’s lessons, and leave my bigger picture thinking for the warmer, brighter days of early spring. Towards the end of last year though, I heard a bit of news that I’ve been gnawing on ever since I first heard it and felt compelled to look further into it. I have to wonder, as a whole, are we even making the right New Years Resolutions?

The news item was that American life expectancy is declining, while all other comparable nations’ life expectancy continues to improve. With all our health gurus, power supplements, fitness obsessions, smart watches, and expert doctors, how are we missing the mark in such a grand way? Almost every day there is some “new finding” that gets touted on the news and social media about what to do be healthy here, for example, eat blueberries for brain health, or walk 10K steps a day, (or is it thirty minutes? Or 7,000 steps? Or is the key to moderate the intensity? Or change it every 10 days? Keto or intermittent fasting or celery juice? ) It seems so…desperate, like a person who really really wants something so badly that they grasp onto every new promise like it’s their only hope, their last life saving technique that will float them to everlasting health and happiness. If this were one person, we’d call that person neurotic, but as a nation we call it culture, and it clearly isn’t working.

This website I found has graphs which illustrate the disparities between the U.S. and comparable countries, and it is pretty astounding. The one that shocks me the most, is the amount of money Americans spend on healthcare compared to peer countries, take a look:

https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/HqLAQ/

This isn’t just a healthcare problem, although I do think the American healthcare system is deeply flawed and the pharmaceutical industry is problematic at best, but it is also our food system, work culture demands, isolation and loneliness, stress of all sorts, racial and class systemic inequities, guns, and on and on. I know we can do better in all these realms because our peer nations are proving the point quite well. I don’t have any answers to overhauling all aspects of American life, but I am grateful for the statistical health organizations who track these things to make it clear that an overhaul is indeed needed. Knowledge is power after all. Let’s make real changes this year.

My wishes for you for 2024 is that wherever you are in the world, you have long-term goals defined, understand how to attain your goals, and enjoy your days while getting there.

Nature Medicine

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Today I was running with my usual airpods in my ears, listening to the KEXP runcast as I like to do on my longer runs. Everything was fine for about the first mile, and then the music suddenly stopped playing and my app seemed to go into ‘searching’ mode. My first reaction was annoyance because when it comes to my runs, I lean hard into my routines. I like the way my mind can wander when I don’t have to think too hard but instead can just put one foot in front of the other on autopilot, but the annoyance didn’t last long. Almost immediately I heard geese having a loud and vivid conversation off to my right in the Juanita Bay. The sound was so calming, and as my attention had been drawn to the bay, I then noticed several black and white ducks that looked almost like puffins swimming with the usual brown and green varieties, long-necked swans in the distance, and two herons quietly standing guard and might actually have been what the geese were talking about. They were in the same general vicinity and likely eyeing the same fish beneath them.

It made me realize how often we move through the world distracted nowadays, with phones and earbuds, and how much calming nature medicine we are missing. We know that the sound of waves or rain are calming sounds, but so are bird calls, the wind whistling through trees, the crunch of footsteps on dried leaves. Nature has a plethora of calming tricks up her sleeve and we should take note. For one thing, I’ve always been struck by how many herbs and essential oils are calming. Even if the herb or essential oil has other attributes it is more known for, almost all herbs and essential oils can also be said to reduce stress and calm the mind. It makes sense that nature wants us humans to be calm, because a calm brain makes better decisions, thinks deeper, moves more gracefully, and makes connections more effectively. We live at a time when speed is often subtly or not so subtly encouraged with sayings such as, “Time is Money,” in our culture, and “Fast paced environments,” in pretty much every job description. Calm does not mean slow or sluggish, it means not distracted or stressed out, but somehow it all gets lumped together in our jumpy minds and we replace calm moments with numbing.

I suppose I’m just worried about the state of the world and how separate from nature we are willingly becoming. When I walk around it seems like 95% of people are on their phones whether they are walking around and looking down at them, driving with them on nearby, or sitting somewhere with others but yet still looking at their phones. I know people who post on social media seemingly around 5 times per day. I seriously don’t understand how they are living their lives effectively with that much social media engagement. They must exist on a different timeline than I do because I cannot work, parent, cook, clean, have friendships, keep up with family, go to appointments, and not feel overwhelmed regularly much less spending countless hours on social media. It all depends on values and priorities I suppose but there are so many studies showing how disruptive distraction is in our lives, how negatively social media impacts us, and how it all relates to a dopamine cycle that puts us further and further into a dopamine chasing state. To state the obvious, if you are interested in optimal health, chasing dopamine is not in support of that goal.

I’m not really in to making New Year’s resolutions because I do more of my pattern and perspective overhauls around my birthday each year, but this seems to be calling to me as 2024 nears so I will comply. I’m going to listen to nature more from now on, especially while running. I don’t want to give up my musical runs so it’ll have to be a compromise, perhaps half of the time I’ll listen to music and half the time I’ll be present with nature’s sounds. I’ve already greatly reduced my social media use but intend to do so further. It’s just not adding value to my life, and the things I do instead of scrolling do add value, such as reading, learning languages, cooking, and just…living life.

Happy New Year and I hope you are steeped in a year that resonates with your purpose and your values. ✨

Creamy Cauliflower Soup DF/GF

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This is a reblog inspired by the fact that I made this soup again today after a blustery fall walk. It’s not only windy here today, but there are also intermittent downpours and epic thunder which is a rare occurrence here. I managed to take my dog out during a break in the rain and was rewarded with the pretty trio below. After our windy walk, this soup tasted especially warm and lovely.

The only things I’ve changed since posting this five years ago is that I use even more garlic now, closer to 6 cloves (yum), and I use an immersion blender instead of the stand up one in the video below. It is so much easier with the immersion blender! Use one if you have one. Also, this soup definitely needs bread to accompany it and really anything works. I’ve liked Rudi’s gluten free loaves lately and just toasted up two of their sourdough slices today to make it a full meal. Here’s the reblog from October 31, 2018:

I originally wrote this recipe for Basmati.com which has a wealth of Ayurvedic inspired wellness information, but I wanted to share it here too because it is one of my favorite soups. It has several steps but it is all very easy to do and it’s worth it, trust me. I’m not one of those people who embraced using cauliflower as rice or as any kind of grain substitute as was all the rage for a while there, so I’m not a huge lover of all things cauliflower, but this soup is delicious. The garlic and leeks are what really make it special so I add in a lot of those, but you can definitely tone it down if you don’t care for the allium family that much. Garlic is so healthy for the cardiovascular system and also for keeping germs and viruses away though that I recommend large doses if you can handle it.

In a family with gluten, dairy, soy, egg, and nut intolerances, indulging in creamy anything is quite rare. My oldest son and I are big soup lovers, though, and he especially loves creamy soups, so I’ve tried my hand at several vegan recipes using coconut milk, but we just aren’t always in the mood for the subtle taste of coconut. I’ve discovered that with enough olive oil in the cooking process, and by roasting the veggies first, we can end up with a creamy soup without any dairy or dairy alternatives whatsoever – and the taste is truly superb. It is one of those meals that you have to remind yourself is actually incredibly healthy –  just veggies, olive oil, herbs, and spices –  because it really does taste like a decadent treat. Here’s the recipe:

Creamy Roasted Cauliflower Soup

  • 1 medium to large head of cauliflower
  • 1 large leek
  • 2-4 cloves of garlic, depending on taste (I use 4 because I like it good and garlicky)
  • 1 small-medium yellow onion
  • 4 cups of vegetable stock
  • About 2-3 Tbs olive oil
  • ½-1 tsp sea salt
  •  Several turns of fresh ground pepper to taste (you can always add more, so start on the smaller side)
  • 1 tsp or more Herbs d’Provence or thyme

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and pour olive oil onto a cookie sheet (or some other roasting pan) and rub it around until the bottom is covered, or cover the bottom with parchment paper. Chop the cauliflower and leek up into bite size pieces and put them on the pan to roast with the garlic cloves. Pour olive oil on top of the vegetables, trying to make sure each piece has been touched. I do this by pouring the oil in a crisscross fashion over the pan, and then I roast the vegetables for about 30 minutes, turning them over once or twice during that time. They will be done when there are brown bits on top in places.

Meanwhile, chop the onion and sauté it in about 1 Tbs olive oil in a large pot on medium-high heat until translucent (about 3 minutes).This is also when I like to put the salt, pepper, and herbs d’Provence (or thyme) in the pot, but remember: you can also add more salt and pepper later, so start with small amounts. The soup is so flavorful with the garlic that you might be surprised at how little salt in particular that you need.

Add the four cups of vegetable stock to the pot and bring to a quick boil before turning it down. When the vegetables are finished roasting in the oven, put them in the pot of soup and let it all simmer together for about 5 minutes before turning off the burner and letting it cool a bit prior to blending. Pour the soup into a blender and watch it turn into creamy deliciousness in less than a minute, and then taste to make sure it has enough salt and pepper to your liking.

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Summer Foods and Thoughts

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Summery path through greenery

It’s been a while since I’ve written and I’ve missed this space. In January I started a new job as an adjunct professor which has been challenging due to the learning curve of the new place and the fact that every time I got my footing, another challenge would arrive and I’d feel the need to put all my efforts into staying on top of the job. I like it, but the challenge has been real. Now that it’s summer I’ve had a couple of weeks to decompress although I’ll start back up teaching next week for summer quarter.

Someone commented on one of my youtube videos from six or seven years ago the other day and it made me realize how much I miss the communities and conversations that have arisen over the years here and a few other places centered around herbs, essential oils, natural foods and products, slow foods and slow living, etc. It’s funny how normal all those topics seemed for so long, and now it seems like all I hear about is AI (which disturbs me), work related topics, parenting necessities, and adulting chores such as bills and taxes. There is no balance unless balance is created~ it doesn’t just happen naturally. Putting effort into the important things, priorities, long term goals, being the person you want to be and living the life you want to live have all been on my mind lately. One thing I’ve been talking to my oldest son about is that when I think about my future self, say five to ten years in the future, would I be proud of that person if that future self had spent most of my free time on my phone, on social media, watching shows? Or would I be a more confident, competent, and successful version of myself if I spent more time reading, listening to quality podcasts and audiobooks, limiting what I watch to inspiring and/or motivating things. The answer is obvious but I’m a work in progress when it comes to implementing these notions daily. Sometimes all I can do is veg out to instagram for 20 minutes and that’s OK too. I just don’t want that to grow and it takes effort, mindfulness, and self-discipline.

I haven’t done anything herbal lately, but I did buy some vegan pesto that I have to share b/c oh my goodness, it is the best pesto I’ve ever had. Basil and pesto are such summery foods to me, just like berries and peaches they just hit differently in summer, resonating with the longer light, heat, sun, and fun. Basil is one of my favorite culinary herbs and I love adding the whole, fresh leaves to salads and sandwiches, but there is something about pesto that just brings dishes to whole new level. I’m a pesto purist and not overly impressed with the kale pestos or nettle pestos out there, but I know a lot of people like those. I currently have a vegan kale one from Trader Joe’s and it’s OK but nothing compared to a true basil pesto. I get the vegan ones, which are hard to find because most pestos have parm in them, because my son and I do best without dairy so we only eat it sparingly. This pesto from Seggiano is my son’s and my favorite one ever, other than making it fresh ourselves.

Seggiano Vegan Pesto

I found it at Whole Foods but not sure if they are going to continue to stock it or not because lately the shelf has been empty where I first found it. It’s on amazon but it’s more expensive there than at Whole Foods so I haven’t bought it there yet, but I will if need be in the future. Hopefully I’ll get back to making my own soon, once my job doesn’t take up so much of my mental space.

Thank you for being here. I’d love to hear your summer (or winter if you are in the southern hemisphere) thoughts and foods in the comments section. 🌻💜🌿☀

Artsy Herby People

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I just saw this in my Instagram feed so wanted to pass it along since I know several artistic people through this blog who create art around botanical themes.

Share your art through the Journal of American Herbalist Guild!

Unlike in Great Britain and other countries, in the U.S., herbalism is not regulated at the state nor federal levels, therefore it is a self-regulated industry. The American Herbalist Guild serves that function though really only for clinical style herbalists. It’s a great resource for many reasons and checking out their site is worth it for all the herbal info available such as educational resources, webinars, symposiums, etc.

Their journal is accepting both articles and art submissions right now so if you have something you’d like to share, take a look and see if it is a good fit for you.

BTW, Valentine’s Day is coming up….time to review gift ideas!

♥🌿♥

Free Docuseries Replay

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Hello! If you have free time over the holidays, you might want to check out an episode or two (or nine) of Nick Polizzi’s series Remedy. I’ve shared it here before and seen most of the episodes myself at this point and think it worthwhile sharing every time it comes up as free. Here are the episodes to choose from:

I like the information in these and how it is presented by a variety of different people in multiple fields. For the most part, the people interviewed are reasonable and offer sound advice (there are a couple of exceptions) and they are actual practicing in their fields today so if you want to actually see someone, you can look them up and possibly book with them. The information is presented in a way that shows how herbs and other natural products and behaviors can support your optimal health, along with the modern medical system which is important and necessary. There are a few exceptions, as I said, but whatever feels reasonable and resonates for you, that’s up to you because we are all responsible for ourselves and accountable for our health, our behaviors, our judgement calls, and our patterns.

Watch if you like, or don’t, I’m not affiliated, just sharing because my mission regarding herbs is not only connection, but also that people take their health and well-being into their own hands so they are more confident and capable in all aspects of their lives. We all still need doctors and other health professionals in our lives, but if we can all move towards homeostasis bit by bit on our own, those interventions will be fewer and less invasive in the long term.

Happy Holiday Week!🎇🌿

Connection

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Wild plants

The other day I was at my neighborhood grocery store, a big chain that caters to every walk of life imaginable and carries everything from shoes to light bulbs to cheese and chicken. It is generally a place where customers walk around in a zombie state, focused on their lists and phones, especially this time of year when minutes are short and stress levels are high. It is not a place where I expected to connect with strangers over herbs, and yet, herbs are able to provide connection in the unlikeliest of places turning a mundane chore into a delight at a distracted hour. Here’s what happened:

I happened to be buying two boxes of herbal teas (Yogi brand) among my frozen foods and paper towels, and the cashier, a young, edgy looking woman with numerous visible tattoos and hair shaved on the side in a modern take on the 80s punk sort of way, squealed and grabbed the licorice one and said it was her favorite. I said it was indeed a good one and both my sons’ favorite to which she replied that they shouldn’t drink too much of it because of the estrogen content. (I have not looked into the truth of her statement but my sons don’t drink enough to worry about that anyway). Intrigued, I asked her if she studied herbs and she responded only as much as what she’s interested in, and since that tea happened to be her favorite she looked into those herbs and then she proceeded to tell me everything she knew about herbs with a radiant smile and sparkling eyes. Clearly a passion. I was a tad worried that the woman behind me was getting annoyed at our chatting so I looked behind me to see if she was OK and saw a conservatively dressed older woman positively rapt and ready to jump into the conversation. As soon as I turned towards her, she started talking about the dandelions in her yard and how she harvests them and cooks with them and shared her recipe for jams she makes from foraged foods. Three women at different ages and stages connecting over how herbs show up in our lives~ we could have been at an outdoor Roman market in ancient times, some things do not ever need to change.

It was so fulfilling to be in the midst of these strangers sharing and the fact that herbs are what led the three of us to connect in an otherwise sterile situation was not lost on me. Herbs have a way of doing that, of connecting people through cooking, healing, crafting, gardening, and just pure passion. Herbs connect us to each other, to our past, and to the earth, and if we could follow the vines and roots they so elegantly share, we could reach such peaceful places and joyful collaborations.

May your holiday season be full of peaceful and joyful connections that continue through the new year and beyond.

Herbally yours, Kristen 🌿

I’ve been searching for this all my life

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OK, maybe not ALL my life, but as long as I’ve been cooking gluten-free foods, I’ve looked for gluten-free tortellini and have never found any (other than mail order frozen stuff which never looked appealing.) This is fresh pasta, found in the refrigerator section (although could potentially be found in the freezer section) AND there is a dairy free version as well. Cue the heavenly choir!

Manini’s is a local company here in the greater Seattle area (I’m not affiliated), but they have a wide presence and you can find their products through Amazon Fresh. Their 4 cheese tortelloni (not sure where they are getting their spelling from but I guess I’ll adopt it here) is a favorite with my youngest son and I enjoy it too, although the real reason I have searched high and low for this sort of pasta is to make tortellini soup. My oldest requires the dairy-free version so I plan on making the soup using the dairy free version when he’s home from college over the holidays.

Have a festive Thanksgiving to all those in the U.S. this week. I am grateful for you!!