Wild Foraging

I have committed myself to discovering and identifying two new wild edible plants, each week, at the farm. Using my favorite local foraging website Foraging Texas and the sage wisdom of the master forager himself, Merriwether. This week, I have located several patches of Chickweed and Pimpernel. As you can see below, they look quite similar. However, taking the time to study each...they are quite unique! Continue reading to see how I used my harvest today.

Chickweed: Chickweed sprouts were a common source of greens on early navy ships and helped prevent scurvy before the discovery of vitamin C. Their small amount of saponins help give dishes containing chickweed a creamy texture, especially when diced finely and simmered in pasta sauces. It's also tastes wonderful in pesto, salsas, and raw food/vegan "green drinks" as well as greatly increasing the nutritional value of these foods.

The hairy "Mouse-Eared Chickweed" must be cooked before eating to soften the hairs on the stems and leaves.

Pimpernel:The scarlet pimpernel has a tradition of medicinal use going back to the ancient Greeks. They considered it to be a "cure-all", capable of treating any sort of injury, illness, or infection of bone, muscle, eye or other organ. The plant was dried and powdered, this powder then consumed in a drink. The raw plant has a rather unpleasant taste, probably due to the small amount of bitter saponin compounds it contains. It was also used as a wash for bad skin. Perhaps more importantly the pimpernel was thought to raise spirits and dispel melancholy, for which tea made from the fresh plant was recommended.

The pimpernel flowers close up when rain approaches, allowing them to be used as a crude method of predicting bad weather. The flowers also close up in the evening and won't reopen until stuck by sunlight.

Growing Wild Tip: I encourage you to discover one new wild food near you this week......wild edibles offer such amazing primitive nutrition. There are numerous books on the subject that are beneficial. But remember, if you are uncertain its best to hire a guide or teacher to get you familiarized with your local wild food.  Once you have some ingredients to work with, there are great recipes at sites like Edible Wild Food

Wild Chickweed Smoothie..........Green Apples, Strawberries, Banana, Local Bee Pollen and freshly harvested Chickweed!

The smoothie was great. It provided great energy to nourish me for a busy afternoon.

Now, I am dehydrating the Pimpernel for a wonderful medicinal tea.

 

Raves and Reviews

Totally wanted to share my discovery of these awesome EcoJarz lids......! Give it a full Thumbs UP (except for the fact that I ordered four and only received one--I will work that out later)

I have cleared out 99% of the plastic in my home and we do not drink bottled water. I love my Mason/Ball Jars for my beverages. These drinking convereter lids are free of any plastic, BPAs, Phtalates. I love them for grab and go beverages. They are dishwasher safe too (medical grade stainless steel). They fit ANY small mouth canning jar. ONLY $6.99 Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Reuse...Reuse!

 

Check them out in my Amazon Store HERE:

 

 

Grow WILD......!

Sorry to disconnect from the blog world for a bit.  I have been busy with life, kids, work, goats and farm planning. I guess I almost feel that I am steadily breaking out of a cocoon, that I developed for myself during this strangely unsettling move to the farm. It is everything that myself, kiddos and husband have dreamed of.....BUT uprooting and transferring to NEW soil, is always hard. I am posting this photo as a reminder to myself to find my path again as I grow WILD into my new, but now familiar, surroundings.

Such simplicity in these words, but so much TRUTH in the way we should ALL be living and growing. I have many things to share with you this Spring on the topic of Growing WILD......Including a 6 weeks course on becoming a Primitive Diva. I am also remodeling the BLOG and finally getting it transferred over to my Primitive Diva domain.

With Love~ Melissa

Grain Free Pizza

One of my favorite foods happens to be pizza. I am not very impressed with gluten free crusts in general. Just too many processed ingredients for this Primitive lady. When I spied these beautiful portobella's in the market the other day- I knew exactly what they would be great as.....Pizza Crust!

Someone on Facebook asked me for the recipe. And really its not a recipe at all. Take the portobella, wash and dry. Drizzle olive oil and sea salt on it and begin to load it up with YOUR favorite toppings. These in the photo are tomatoes, artichoke hearts, red peppers, olives (green and black), onions, spinach, baby kale, basil, garlic and two kinds of goat cheese (Chevre and Naked Goat). I baked mine at 400 degrees for 25 minutes and then added additional grated cheese and put under a broiler briefly to melt and brown the toppings.

Remember, you can add any vegetables, herbs, meats and cheeses that you like. My son loves the uncured pepperoni and salami by Applegate Farms. I love adding my favorite sausage from Yonder Way.

These are so delicious and easy to make. Pour yourself a glass of organic cabernet, turn on some italian music and ENJOY this healthy indulgence!

Before going into the oven

 Coming out with bubbling cheese!

 

Checking In.....

It has been a crazy schedule these past 2-3 weeks. My 15 year old daughter injured her back in Volleyball....so 3 times weekly Physical Therapy. My youngest son has been battling chest congestion and a fever....lots of oils, herbs and natural therapies and he is well again. We have been very busy moving more things out of storage and into our "barndominium" rental, on the property next door to the farm. Today, I am packing and preparing to head out to TOFGA (Texas Organic Farming and Gardening Association) conference. I will be hosting a booth for Weston A. Price and Farm To Consumer Legal Defense Fund. I am so excited to attend this event for the first time. I look forward to both educating on Traditional Diets and hearing some of the great line up of speakers. I will try and share photo's and information from the event.

My schedule resumes a more normal pattern next week. So, I will return with some great topics. IF you won one of the MiaBella Goat soaps on my Facebook give away, I will be mailing those out today! You will LOVE them :-)

Have a GREAT week Diva's.....be back SOON!

In Health and Happiness,
Melissa

I

Primitive Diva's Beauty Secrets

 

 

 

During the 2011 Weston A Price conference chapter leaders meeting, I received a jar of Green Pasture's Beauty Balm. I know the thought of putting fermented cod liver oil and butter on your face sounds ummmm....interesting. But, please do not let that turn you away from this little jewel. I let my husband use some on vacation- and my jar quickly emptied.I ordered another jar in December and quickly realized that it was a headliner in my beauty line up. Most of you know that I LOVE my coconut oil but, this has been great in the winter months as it actually offers a bit more protection on lips, under eyes and hands in the wind and cold.

 

The ingredients are PURE and Primitive :

Ingredients: Shea Butter, X-FACTOR Gold High Vitamin Butter Oil, Blue Breeze Organic Coconut Oil, Blue Ice Fermented Cod Liver Oil, Cranberry Oil, Organic Orange Oil, Lavender Oil

 

 

 

I also love the welcome statement on Green Pastures' home page:

 

Welcome to Green Pasture Products™

We are a family owned business started by Dave and Barb Wetzel in 2000. Our business focus is to provide high-quality sacred-food oils just as they were made prior to the industrialized food and farming revolution.

High-Vitamin Butter Oil is our foundation product that all our work has blossomed through. Dr. Weston Price discovered High-Vitamin Butter Oil back in the 1930's but the pinnacle of his discovery was when he combined Cod Liver Oil with High-Vitamin Butter Oil.

Today we produce the High-Vitamin Butter Oil, and we ferment the historically sacred cod and skate liver oils. Fermenting the livers of fish to extract the oil is an old world practice that may go back as far as biblical times. During the 1850s was the beginning of the industrial food revolution and the first time cod liver oil manufacturing changed from it's historical sacred roots to an industrialized food.

We've turned back the clock and restored these sacred foods to their roots. We Are proud to offer these historical sacred foods prepared with the same great care and concern for our generational health just as our ancestors.

Dr. Price traveled the world studying the traditional diets of many cultures. In every culture he discovered sacred foods that were carefully collected and prepared to ensure the strong mind, body, and spirit of its people.



Happy Monday......!

I am headed off to my REAL Farm Chicks of Montgomery County Bootcamp this morning. I have a lot to share this week and will be announcing the NOURISH cleanse. How are you embracing your WILD Primitive Diva self today?