NEWSLETTER CONTENTS
SEASONAL NOTES
~Herbs for Summer Solstice
SHOP NEWS
~ Fresh plants, Moon books & Summer tea blends
~ Plant Harvesting at Pearl River Blues!
COMMUNITY EVENTS
~ Good Medicine Confluence
~ Donna Caire's "Walk in the Woods" & Plant I.D. class
~ Southbound Gardens Urban Farming workshops
~ Grow Dat's End-of-the-Year Summer Celebration
RECIPE
~ Summer Solstice Herbal Honey Cookies Recipe
SUMMER IS UPON US! The summer exodus from New Orleans has begun, but there are plenty of plants, in their resplendent glory, here to keep us company. Summer Solstice falls on June 20th this year. It's time to honor the Sun's light and warmth and to celebrate the Earth's abundance and fertility, as well as to harvest our own inner strength, will and light. It also heralds the returning darkness and invites us to experience the constant interplay within ourselves and the world between light and dark. This time of year is a good time to ask yourself how you can "nourish and grow your passion for living, for being fully awake and joyously alive,", as Robin Rose Bennett suggests in "Healing Magic."
Try gathering plants like elder blossoms, passion flowers, mimosa flowers, magnolia blossoms and rosemary for your Solstice celebrations and rituals, and delight in this vibrant time of year.
SHOP NEWS
We are in the height of "fresh plant season" and working hard to get them all made into medicine as fast as we can. Our medicine cabinet will soon be restocked!
We have the "Many Moons," by Modern Women, workbooks for the moon cycles from July through December. Also, check out one of our special Summer tea blends- we have caffeinated and decaf blends!
PLANT HARVESTING TRIP TO PEARL RIVER BLUES
From top left: Crossvine; Mimosa flowers; Jen hanging with Cirilo and Amy from Pearl River Blues Organic Blueberry Farm, where we harvested a bunch of medicine; Zibby making Ambrosia (ragweed) tincture; resourceful harvesting practices.
PLANT HEALER'S GOOD MEDICINE CONFLUENCE
This week, Jen will be joining many talented herbalists at this desert gathering to teach classes on "Genital Care and Attention" & "Treating the Physical Perils of Long Term Alcohol & Opiate Use." We hope to see some of you out there!
"WALK IN THE WOODS" & "MEDICINAL PLANTS with DONNA CAIRE AND PLANT I.D. with RUE MCNEILL"
Saturday, June 17 @ 9:00 am
A guided hike through the diverse ecosystem at the 400 acre Northlake Nature Center in Mandeville. The Summer Session highlights leaves, flowers and developing fruit. Donna will point out the medicinals along the way and Rue will share her love of trees and their fascinating attributes! Space is limited. Reservations required. Free for members, non-members $5. Call (985) 626-1238 or email Rue.
SOUTHBOUND GARDENS URBAN FARMING WORKSHOPS
Check out a class by Southbound Gardens!
Raising Urban Chickens: Sat., June 17 @ 1 pm Veggie Growing Basics: Sat. June 24 @ 1 pm Organic Bug Management: Sat. July 1 @ 1 pm
*All at Hollygrove Market, 8301 Olive St., New Orleans 70118.
Ingredients:
~ 1 & 3/4 c. flour
~ 3/4 c. softened butter
~ 1/4 c. honey (try some local Capstone honey, now on our shelves!)
~ 1/4 c. brown or cane sugar
~ 1 tsp. minced thyme
~ 1 tsp. lavender buds
~ 1 tsp. minced rosemary
~ 1 tsp. minced sage
~ a few crushed cadamom seeds
~ pinch of salt
Icing:
~ 3 tsp. milk
~ 1 c. icing sugar
~ bit of lemon rind
~ Coloring- try a combo of golden beet juice, St. John's tincture and a pinch of turmeric powder.
~ Combine your milk and icing sugar. Slowly add in coloring and mix until you reach the desired color/consistency.
Directions:
~ Pre-heat oven to 300 degrees.
~ Beat flour, sugar and soft butter together until creamy.
~ Slowly drizzle in honey while beating until mixture pulls together.
~ Add minced herbs and petals, mix well through the dough.
~ Divide into four balls and chill for an hour or so.
~ Roll out and cut into round shapes. Add flour as needed.
~ Bake at 300 for 10-15 minutes.
~ Let cool.
~ Decorate using the flowers and herbs of the sun: calendula petals, daisy, St. John's Wort, rose, or sprigs of rosemary, thyme and sage.
