Friday, April 6, 2012

Clover; Red Clover ~ Trifolium pratence: and Dandelion ~ Taraxacom

©Allisonians
©Allisonians
One of the most interesting parts of herbalism, TO ME, is that there is a whimsical magic that adds mystery and imagination.
Two things I have  noticed; The first is that I have always known, but didn't know where to put it. I have noted this from time to time when I am talking about herbs and my favorite and why that is. I notice that I don't remember the medical jargon. I am not privy to medical language. Nor am I too excited about medical social structures that are set here these days. I know there are wonders upon wonders, but there is also a very serious dark side. I know there is a dark side to the magic of herbs, but it feels more natural.
I am very imaginative, so I think of being in this forest. The forest of my dreams. I was fortunate to toddle in a great red wood forest where we lived when I was 3 until I was 8 years old. There I fell in ABSOLUTE love with the sound of the forest. Entering it was magical. I dreamed of things that I wasn't sure later didn't really happen or not. Those were great dreams. I have been back to that area and am sad to say that the forest was risen to develop more of the Boeing suburbs apparently needed at the time. ;(

So, relatively, I remember some old story about Dan de Lion. The cover had a white background which was minute compared to the rolling hill of a field of dandelion with Dan de Lion emerging henceforth. I knew it wasn't really ABOUT dandelions. It was about a lion. There were pastures of dandelions and if you looked just so, you could see the lion, who became the main character. This was a children's allegory about character building or some such. (I do need to see if I can find it.) But what is interesting to me, is that I am pretty sure it was a real story from my youth. The doubt created a wonderful mystery and the thought of writing a story myself. And whether or not the story(if it was for real) had only to do with character, or if the lion and the dandelion were only happenstance, or were they chosen? I know; who knows? But my point is that the question is exciting and magical!
 I have written a couple of little shorts in feiry(fairy) language which were full of allegory. My last computer or the one before that or one of my hundreds(or so it seems) of journals has a couple of the stories. I made fairy houses and wrote stories to go with. It was a great pleasure!
©Allisonians

Next is the clover; I've nearly lost my point on it. For some unknown reason the Latin name means something to me. I don't know what. It's familiarity is magically haunting. I don't/haven't thought too closely about it, I just know that when I think of Red Clover's Latin name, Trifolium pratence, it is familiar. Red Clover has been a smell and a beauty that I have loved since I can remember. They are my two life long friends! Leaving my Clover and Dandelion patches are the toughest thing I can think of. Of course, leaving my family is beyond words. But maybe I will find some magical wisdom if I focus on these ancient friends! I have always recognised Dandelion and (Red) Clover as very particularly important to me personally. I will take my own advice here to ponder and wonder for one more season and maybe next winter my story of who Clover and Dan de Lion are to me will unfold. If not, I sure as heck will be focusing on them in the next friendly patch(es) I see on my journey to the edge of the sea this season!


©Allisonians
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Banana This; Recycle Old Peels~ fertilizer or silver polish

There are things you can do with that old peel.

1. Do you have a green thumb? House hold plants and outside gardens require fertilization. A great way to give your plants nutrients is with a banana peel. The banana peel is very rich in potassium and phosphorus, which give that added boost to your plants soil, especially so with roses. Here is how to use a banana peel to fertilizer your soil for your plants. Remove the peel from the banana. Place the banana peel on a cookie sheet to let it air dry. Grab a paper bag or envelope. Crumble the dried banana peel and place it in the bag. Let the banana sit at room temperature for about two days. When your caring for your plant, give it a potassium treat of crumbled banana peel. Mix well in the soil to ensure the roots are fed evenly.
2. Have you been thinking about pulling out that old silver? Well there is no time like the present. Bananas peel can also be used to polish silver. Yes, polish silver. Take the old peels and place them in a blender. You want the peels to become smooth and creamy. Once they have, grab a cloth and small amounts of the creamed banana peel and begin polishing your silver. The shine will be breath taking.

SOURDOUGH STARTER with WILD YEAST

SOURDOUGH STARTER with WILD YEAST
Wild yeasts exist in the air around you and to some extent on the wheat berries. There are wild yeasts on grapes (unsulphured) and apples and other fruits. It is those wild yeasts which are 'captured' to make a sourdough starter. The process takes from 3 to 5 days. I wish I had specific amounts for you, but you could start with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of flour and mix in enough warm (not hot) water to make a thin paste. DO NOT make it too soupy. That, in fact, is the trick to a good starter, according to the French bread makers, and I think they should know. And after you've fooled around with the flour and water thing, you might wish to branch out into adding those unsulphured grapes, apples, sour milk, etc as a catalyst in order to capture other strains of yeast. Each of these strains has a slightly different taste. In fact if you move to another area, you might end up with a starter that produces an entirely different flavor. For instance, San Francisco sourdough bread is well known and has a distinct taste due to the wild strains in the air there. On day one you mix the flour and water (and add any catalysts to encourage fermentation) and place in a warm spot. After 3 days, the dough should be moist, inflated, and slightly sour. More flour and water is added (mixed in) and left to sit in a warm spot. After 2 days the process is repeated. Then the next day it is done again. Note the order: 3 days, 2 days, 1 day. At this point you should be able to make a loaf of bread using part of the starter and adding back what you took out in the form of more flour and water. Rule of thumb: Use about 10% starter to size of loaf. In the case of a 2 lb loaf this is a bit over 3 oz of starter (3.2 to be exact). For a 1 lb loaf 1.5 oz would be used. A book that describes this process in great detail is The Village Baker by Joe Ortiz, copyright 1993, published by Ten Speed Press, Berkley CA. If it's not still in print, try the used books stores, that's where I got mine. Or try your local library. If they don't have it, they might be able to get it for you. ©2008 by Ernestina Parziale

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Have a Great Day!