Category: Earthy

Manitou Healing

I’ve been drawn to Manitou lately. Drawn to it’s earthy, solemn, calming vibrations. Manitou Springs is a beautiful little town right outside of Colorado Springs. It’s a ten minute drive from home, but we usually avoid it due to the overwhelming crowds. However, I’ve been recently feeling more and more connected with this magical place. With the tourist season dying down, I can finally feel the energy I’ve heard so much about. Soaking in the healing powers of the spring water, taking part in ceremonial crystal cleansing, discovering the expressive dance and yoga community, and exploring the mountains and trails long ago discovered by the Ute tribe. Luke, the imaginative archeologist that he is, helped me connect with this part of history on the Ute Pass, looking down from the top of the ridge to greet the new year. The spiritual connection I’ve felt since the crowds have dissipated make me wonder if the historical and sacred significance has been somewhat desecrated by tourism, the endless streams of traffic and commercialism, overpowering the subtle flow of the spring, the whispering voices of the past. There’s a spiritual piece to this quirky little town that seems to be disappearing, lost in the shuffle. There appears to be a specific attraction to the healing properties of the spring water, but how can we ask the earth to heal us and offer nothing in return? Respect for the natural earth is fading all around us. It’s time to reconnect with our planet, to appreciate and protect her, and to reverse this cycle that we’ve created.

 

 

I want to dedicate this post to my partner, Luke. Thank you for your endless inspiration.

Posted on by Emily 0

Handmade Herbal Soap Bars

The herb garden is still flourishing, and I’ve been using and saving as much as I can. Today I’m making a bunch of herbal soaps.  They’re great to have around for guests, and perfect for little homemade gifts. I just use a basic soap base and add essential oils, herbs, and moisturizers. Each recipe makes 1 bar.

Thymely Rose

  • 1 cup Soap Base
  • 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
  • 10 drops Rose Essential Oil
  • Dried Thyme and Dried Rose Petals

Carefully melt the soap base using a double boiler and stir in oils. Pour into soap mold. Drop in thyme and rose petals as desired, and let cool completely.

Citrus Spice

  • 1 cup Soap Base
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 10 drops Tangerine Essential Oil
  • Fresh Rosemary & Cloves

Melt the soap base using a double boiler and stir in oils. Pour into soap mold. Drop in rosemary and cloves (optional… and scratchy) as desired, and let cool completely.

Lavender Oats

  • 1 cup Soap Base
  • 1 tbsp Coconut Oil
  • 10 drops Lavender Essential Oil
  • Dried Lavender and Oats

Melt the soap base using a double boiler and stir in oils. Pour into soap mold. Drop in lavender and oats as desired, and let cool completely.

Mintea Tree

  • 1 cup Soap Base
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 10 drops Tea Tree Essential Oil
  • Fresh Mint Leaves

Melt the soap base using a double boiler and stir in oils. Pour into soap mold. Drop in mint leaves as desired, and let cool completely.

Lemon Verbena

  • 1 cup Soap Base
  • 1 tbsp Olive Oil
  • 10 drops Lemon Essential Oil
  • Fresh Lemon Verbena

Melt the soap base using a double boiler and stir in oils. Pour into soap mold. Drop in lemon verbena as desired, and let cool completely.

Happy Herbing!

Posted on by Emily 0

Harvest

I was awakened by the golden glow from the Harvest Moon early this morning, sleepily gazing at the ghostly orange orb shedding its soft light on our blossoming garden. Along with celebrating the harvest moon, harvest has been our top priority so far this month, picking and eating fresh garden produce daily by the basket full. It’s so rewarding and humbling simultaneously, living off of the land, giving constant attention to our thriving plants, doting on those who prefer rainy days, exclaiming over a newly red tomato or a perfectly ripe zucchini. The nights into morning are beginning to cool off, and we will continue to harvest as much as we possibly can until the first frost kisses our garden. We pick more than we can eat, but what we don’t eat ourselves or give away, well, we have big plans…

Pickling and Canning

You can get one of my favorite pickle recipes here. I’ve been pickling our cucumbers, banana peppers, and green beans nonstop lately. I toss in garlic, peppers, and spices depending on the taste I’m going for with each batch.

I started using my new canner, a gift from my mom, on our plethora of produce from the garden. I’m still experimenting with it to perfect the technique. By the end of the season, we should be stocked up on homemade canned goods. If you decide you want to try canning, ALWAYS follow directions exactly according to the specific canner and recipes you’re using. Botulism is no joke.

Tomatoes

Fresh salsa with tomatoes, onions, and peppers from the garden? Hell yes. Here’s the recipe:

  • 4 Large Tomatoes
  • 1/3 cup Diced Poblano Pepper
  • 1/3 cup Diced Banana Pepper
  • 1/3 cup Diced Jalepeno Pepper
  • 2 Cloves Garlic
  • 1 tbsp Salt
  • Juice of 1 Lime
  • 1/4 cup White Vinegar

Core and dice tomatoes. Add tomatoes to a saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil gently for 10 minutes. Add peppers, garlic, salt, lime juice, and vinegar. Bring back to boil and boil gently for 10 additional minutes. Serve chilled.

Drying

With cooler nights and mornings here in the Springs, I’ve been clipping my herbs and hanging them upside down to dry. We’ve also been drying out a lot of the peppers from the garden. 

As for Everything Else…

We plan to produce flour from the red corn once it’s ready, and the quinoa and root veggies will be harvested in the fall. Plus, the pumpkins are starting to ripen just in time for the autumn equinox. The squash is picked and eaten daily, and everything else will be pickled, canned, or dried for use throughout the year. 

How have you celebrated the Harvest Moon?

Posted on by Emily 0

Rosemary Peach Jam

Rosemary. Such an amazing smell, and the heat-loving plant does so well in the summer, but the aroma usually takes my mind to colder seasons. Not anymore. I found a way to combine this savory herb with summer’s yummiest gift, peaches. I started making and canning jams last year, and they are always a favorite among my family and friends. Here is a recipe for rosemary peach jam, the best of both worlds:

  • 2 cups Peaches, Diced
  • 2 cups Stevia or Other Dry Sweetener
  • 2 tbsp Fresh Rosemary Sprigs
  • Champagne or Sparkling Wine

Combine the peaches and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil over medium heat. Add a splash of the champagne while stirring frequently (I also add a little pectin if it’s not quite the consistency I want). Remove from heat when jam sets (scoop some up with a spoon and allow to cool slightly to test), carefully remove rosemary sprigs (optional) and pour into mason jars when almost cool.

Any healthy baked good recipes out there that you would serve with this jam?

Posted on by Emily 0

Basil Pesto

Earlier this summer, my basil plants were looking super sad. I even thought they were done for good at one point. I tried altering my watering schedule, but to no avail. Then, one day, out of the blue, they were huge! I still have no idea what changed, but they are thriving now, and every time I clip them they basically grow back overnight. So what do I make with my new abundance of basil? Pesto, (what else?) and lots of it. This week I made my favorite pizza dough recipe, smothered it in this pesto, and added some fresh mozzarella and banana peppers from the garden. It’s so satisfying to create and cook with produce you’ve grown and nurtured yourself, and this pesto recipe is one of my favorites. Get it below:

  • 2 cups Fresh Basil
  • 2 Cloves Garlic
  • 1/3 cup Pine Nuts
  • 1/3 cup Parmesan Cheese (or vegan alternative)
  • 1/3 cup Olive Oil
  • Salt and Pepper to Taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor, and that’s it! Pesto. 

Part three, coming up!

Posted on by Emily 0

Fresh Dill Pickles

I made this recipe using fresh dill from my herb garden and pickling cucumbers from the farmer’s market in Old Colorado City, just outside of the Springs. (We have a few cucumber plants in the garden, but they haven’t produced quite yet). I plan to can a bunch of pickles when we harvest our cucumbers later this season, but for now I just popped the jars in the fridge knowing they’ll get eaten up in no time. The recipe is pretty simple:

  • 1 lb Cucumbers, Sliced, Halved, or Quartered
  • 1 cup White Vinegar
  • 1 tbsp Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1 cup Water
  • 2 tbsp Salt
  • 1 tbsp Sugar
  • 2 tbsp Fresh Dill
  • 1 tbsp Pickling Spices or Dill Seeds

-Bring the water, vinegar, salt, and sugar to a boil, stirring just until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat.

-Loosely pack sterilized mason jars with cucumbers.

-Drop in fresh dill and spices.

-Fill remaining jar space with warm vinegar mixture.

-Cover with lid and refrigerate for up to a month. (Refrigerate for a few hours before opening for best taste).

More to come from the fresh herb series, and look out for some canning chronicles and recipes coming to the blog this fall!

Posted on by Emily 1

Moon Journal

The moon. La luna. It influences the tides, our bodies, agriculture, sleep cycles. I find the moon presenting itself in a lot of my expressive artwork, and I want to document how it affects me personally.  Last night was the Leo New Moon. I noticed how much it was affecting me, so I started looking more into its meaning, and realized that next month, at the end of this moon cycle, holds a solar eclipse. This is an important lunar cycle to pay attention to. Today, I created a moon journal to document my mind, body, spirit, and sleep for each day and night from the Leo New Moon, through the Full Corn Moon on Monday, August 7th, 2017 until the solar eclipse on Monday, August 21st, 2017.

I would love to hear from and share this experience with anyone wishing to join me on this lunar journey!

Posted on by Emily 1

Elements

As I sit here writing, I notice the scent of tea tree lingering from my hair, slightly damp from my shower. I breathe in the warmth from the green tea in my favorite mug. I am safe. I am clean. I am comfortable. Unexposed to the elements on this unusually chilly night. I feel cozy tonight, but my mind wanders to a recent camping adventure in which I was almost completely exposed to the elements, at the mercy of Mother Earth. With the promising forecast of clear skies and decent temperatures, five of us headed out with our camping gear, unfazed by the unpredicted grey clouds looming in the distance. A few hours into our trip, tents built and campfire blazing, those clouds opened up and the rain began to pour. We ran into our tent and huddled up together, waiting for it to pass. These unexpected but temporary downpours continued on and off throughout our trip, producing the most beautiful sunset and sunrise. We were exposed to the elements with few options for shelter, nervously hoping that the tent enveloping us would hold up through the periodic storms. It is eye opening to get a glimpse of what so many people are forced to experience on a daily basis, exposed to wind, rain, cold temperatures. However, we were doing this for fun. We chose to wait out the rain and thunder for the joy of camping. There seems to be a common nomadic daydream among many in our generation. The dream of living on the road or off the grid, a form of chosen homelessness. There is something that feels so natural and primal about living in such a way. It feels magical to wake up in a forest, making your breakfast over the fire you’ve built, cooling off in a nearby stream, completely surrounded by nature. I feel that while living our chosen lifestyles, whatever they may be, it is important to remember that we are lucky enough to get to choose that lifestyle. As someone dedicated to a helping profession, I wonder how many ways we can find to reroute our daily activities in order to give back, to waste less, to show compassion? Volunteering, recycling, composting, donating, leaving no trace, etc… I would love to hear your thoughts on this! What aspects of your lifestyle are dedicated to bettering the planet, or what would you like to start doing and learning more about?

Posted on by Emily 0

Growing an Herb Garden

After a few unexpected weeks of rain, wind, and even a little snow, the sun finally emerged and began to warm the earth around me. I graciously planted my bare feet in the dirt and, after much anticipation, started transplanting my herbs to the garden. Since I have been limited to small garden boxes or indoor pots in the past, I wanted to take advantage of all of the space in my new yard. I designated specific areas for different herbs based on the plants’ needs. Below is a guide on where to place plant babies and how to care for them.

Rosemary and lavender love the sun. They absolutely love it. Full sun is best for these plants. And they are definitely not needy when it comes to watering. Water is usually only necessary for these babes when the soil gets pretty dry.

I have a few basil plants as well as some varieties of mint. Basil plants can grow pretty large, so leave some room for them to spread out. Basil and mint prefer a lot of sunshine, but can also tolerate some shade. They’re a little more fussy and need to be watered regularly.

Dill enjoys full sun, but also doesn’t like to get too much heat. I’m still trying to find a balance for my dill plants. Dill also needs to be watered pretty regularly.

Sage, thyme, and cilantro prefer full sun and well-drained earth. Sage and cilantro may tolerate some shade. Make sure to provide plenty of room for plants, especially cilantro, to grow and grow.

Chamomile and lemon verbena seem to enjoy more shade than sunshine. They also don’t need a ton of water.

It always helps to do research before starting an herb garden. Some methods of growing and care may differ depending on types of herbs, as well as your zone.

As my herbs grow, I’ll be making all sorts of concoctions, potions, and recipes with them and sharing on the blog! See you soon, and happy planting!

Posted on by Emily 0