SLEEPY OWL Dream Pillow Giveaway!

 

Here's your chance to win one of my limited edition SLEEPY OWL Dream Pillows!

Imagine yourself drifting away, falling into deep sleep....running wild & beautiful in your dreams...and remembering your dream with a smile in the morning!

These hooty owls are hand crochet by me :). The yarn is a snuggly soft acrylic yarn, and the eyes have been sewn on. Each owl has a separate dream pillow inside (fill weight approx. 3 oz, all herbs), that can be removed when the herbs need to be renewed.

These dreamy pillows are filled with:
*Chamomile: Calming, relaxing, and said to keep bad dreams away.
Cloves: Brings warmth and an exotic feeling to dreams.
Hops: Relaxing and peaceful.
*Mugwort: Greatly enhances lucid dreaming and helps with remembering of dreams.
*Rosemary: Traditionally used to bring deep sleep and keep away bad dreams.
(coming soon: Sleepy blend with lavender, chamomille, sweet marjoran, & rosemary)

ENTER NOW via Rafflecopter :). Share with your friends :)
Have a hooty day!
Good luck,
Heike

 https://www.etsy.com/listing/122995819/owl-dream-pillow-bringing-back-sweet
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Chickweed ~ Eat your weeds & ZAP those fat cells!

As the name implies, Chickweed is often considered a "weed" :).

It aids against inflammation , bacterial infections, eliminate waste, and even zap fat cells. FAT CELLS! Yes, ma' am! :) I love Susun Weeds "Chickweed is a Star"...she explains chickweed so well, no need for me to it again.

Best thing is, you can  get it free. Chickweed grows abundantly in the beginning of spring. .Just look down for the beautiful green mounds of green graceful leaves and gorgeous little white star flowers. They are remind me of fairy glens :).  Here in my parts, well, it grows in my backyard! I am blessed. Somehow, it found its' spot, and grows there every year.  In the drain out area, right where the non-existant pipe is.  Chickweed loves warm, damp (not wet) places. The PH level has to be right, so it is quite miraculous that it just GROWS. There is lots of chickweed by the river right now too. I always climb up a bit, you don't want to pick the chickweed the dogs have marked :). You can Google "chickweed" for images to make sure you pick the right thing. Watch for the flowers.

The magic of chickweed can be incorporated into your meals many ways:

1. Chickweed infusion - Stuff a mason glass with chickweed, cover with boiling water, and drink the next day.
2. Vinegar - again, stuff a glass, cover with apple cider vinegar, and let sit at least 6 weeks. Strain & enjoy!
3. Tincture - STUFF  a GLASS!! Cover with vodka, wait 6 weeks. Strain.
4. EAT IT! yes, just eat it. You can chop it into salads, use it with sandwiches...your imagination can go wild.

Here is the thing, Chickweed has a slight "green" taste. Not everyone's thing.

I just made this delicious salad dressing with it, and poured it over Mache' salad with avocados. YUM!

Green dressing

1 giant  handful of chickweed
1 handful of sorrel (if you don't have sorrel, with has a citrusy flavor, use lemon juice)
Olive Oil & vinegar (I use apple cider)
Salt n' Peppa
1 tblsp honey

Mix it all up in the mixer, until all the greens are pureed.

Enjoy!

Boil some nature for beauty

Ages ago women (and men, I assume!) used nature to enhance their looks and take care of their bodies.

Here are some simple recipes for your hair. These are rinses so you don't wash them out. Take the herb and steep on low heat for 30-45 minutes. Then let them sit and cool off in a covered pot. As far as ratios goes :)....you know my methods are unmeasured :), but here are some basics.

One handful of herbs to one quart of water.

We just cracked lots of walnuts, so I saved the shells. No ratio, just lots of shells in water.

Brown hair = Walnut shells or sage

Red hair = hibiscus flowers

Blond hair = chamomille

Once you concoction cools, you can use the rinse straight on your hair after shampooing. Do not rinse. You can save leftovers in the fridge, but I would use within a week.

Have fun!
Heike

Rotkraut-Should be Lilakraut

Certain dishes always invoke spirits of  my passed loved ones.

Rotkraut, or red cabbage, definitely brings my daddy into my kitchen. Every time I make it :). I can see him standing there in his undershirt, cigarette dangling in his mouth, waiting for the cabbage to have smoldered to JUST the right point to add water. :)....

Red Cabbage is usually around in the fall, and for me it is just a fall food. Though I buy red cabbage in the summer, it goes into slaw and is eaten raw.

Here is my recipe:

1 red cabbage
1 onion
Bacon fat, or vegetable shortening (I save bacon fat, and it is what I use for taste)
Bay leaves
Cloves
1 sour apple
Water

Chop your onion and brown in the fat. While they are browning, cut your cabbage in four quarters and cut out the strunk (trunk?). Slice the cabbage into strips, but not too thin. Once the onions are brown, start adding the cabbage to the pot.

A NOTE: make sure you use a big pot. The cabbage cooks down, but it needs room, because:

You want to "smolder" the cabbage until all of it is soft. Do not add water until the cabbage is soft from smoldering in the fat.

Add salt, pepper, cloves, and bay leaves, and stir. Add about 2-3 cups of water. You don't want to cover the cabbage, but want to give it enough water to slowly cook without burning.

Cut your apple into wedges and lay on top of your cabbage. Do not stir. Cover, and cook on very low heat for about 90 minutes. When it is done, the apple will be soft and you can stir it in.

You can season the cabbage with a little sugar & apple cider vinegar, if preferred :).

Enjoy, and wave at my daddy when you are cooking!
Much love,
Heike

Get out the butter & brown sugah', we are cooking SOUL food!

This has to be one of my favorite recipes. There are many versions, but here is the basic. Look at my picture closely, see those huge chunks of butter? In three hours, they will make my taste buds sing!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.....

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dry lima beans
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 tablespoon molasses
• 1/2 cup butter
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1/2 cup sour cream

Cover beans with water; soak overnight. Drain beans and refill pot with water to cover beans, bring to boil, reduce heat, and simmer gently until tender. Drain. In slow cooker, mix beans and butter. Mix together sugar, salt, and mustard. Sprinkle on beans. Stir molasses and sour cream together, pour over beans and mix to combine. Cover and cook on LOW for 3 to 5 hours.

Pumpkin Chia Seed Pudding

One day at the health food store, a package of Chia seeds came my way. I only knew Chia Pets :). The package promised this Aztec superfood would give me lotsa' Omegas, so of course I bought the big pack.

I went home and soaked my seeds in water, like the directions said.

Ew.

What came out was gelatinous mass, that looked like snot with seeds in it. 

Every once in a while, I would some in muffins or salad dressing, it did not float my boat.

That is, until I found THIS recipe! Here is the original that I found at www.greatist.com:

1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup almond (or skim) milk (I used coconut milk)
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
1 tablespoon agave syrup (I used maple syrup)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 pinch nutmeg

What to Do:

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. (I put all ingredients in a pint sized Mason Jar. Perfect)
2. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to overnight (or even a few days!)
3. Scoop it, garnish, and enjoy!

My son is my brave tester, and we decided with like it! BUT, we had the tweak it a bit, so here is our version, and we are sticking with it.

1/4 cup chia seeds
1 cup raw or organic whole milk
1/4 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons raw honey
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 swig vanilla (or bourbon vanilla, if you have some stored on you shelf like MEEEEEEE! It is    fabulous after 6 months of steeping :).) We also tried Hazelnut Extract, yummy!

Same process as above, overnight makes it nice, thick, and a little bubbly smooth.
You will be addicted, and it is healthy as can be (chia seeds are an amazing source of Omega 3, fiber & proteins).
Enjoy that pumpkin, baby!

Kiss my Fig......

A few years ago, I planted a purple fig that was hung with future wishes of a new moon goddess circle :).

The wishes have since blown in the wind, but the fig tree is thriving. It is still small, but is producing like crazy. I have always had a bond with fig trees, I love the smell of the leaves, and their beautiful shape.

Most of all, I LOVE their fruit.

I am a fig ninja. I can eat figs until I drop. It is a an addiction....actually, I don't stop till I drop :). The season is short, so...............

I love the figs plain, mine usually make it from my tree to my mouth. That is is good thing, as figs do not travel well once they are picked. I have not had enough left for fig jam, but if you are lucky to have a friend with an abundance of figs...jam is heavenly on fresh, buttered bread.

Here is a quickie, delicious:

Cut open a fig, spread with greek joghurt or goat cheese (my favorite version, but I did not have any handy), drizzle with raw honey.

While you are enjoying this heavenly snack, you can delve into fig lore on this fab blog I found:
"Fig Trees have had starring roles in some of the world’s great religious, historic and mythical dramas. The fig tree is noted as the Tree of Life and Knowledge from Central Africa to the Far East."...Gypsy Magic: Fig Trees-Legend & Lore