Stalking The Wild Asparagus

Anyone who knows anything about foraging has surely heard of Euell Gibbon's book of edible wild plants, Stalking the Wild Asparagus.   A and I did our own hunting this weekend and ended up at a not so secret field of asparagus.  Still a little too early for a good harvest, we were only able to locate a few tiny sprigs.  We nibbled on our tiny sprigs on the drive home, sweet and crisp, like peas from the garden. 

Tiny shoot coming up.

 



The easiest way to find the sprigs is to locate last years plants.

 

After driving back up the hills we switched over the truck for the jeep, grabbed the dog and the rifles and headed up the into the bush for a 4X4.  The snow on the back roads has finally melted enough to allow access into the back roads.  It felt liberating, finally being able to drive into the remote areas again.  Once up into the meadows the snow cleared and we were able to let the little dog run free while we set up some target practice. 

 

 

 

After some shooting we decided to continue down the road.  The sun was shining and the lower we got in elevation the greener the area became.   The scent of buttercups was intoxicating and the hills were buzzing with honey bees.

 Little dog is not usually trusted off leash.

 

 Open ranges and blue skies encouraged us to keep driving.

 

 

 

 Open range cattle with their adorable little ones.

 

After driving for a long ways we were sure that the trail had to connect back up to the city.  The day was getting late and we were both getting extremely hungry.  Eventually the road stopped at the edge of a large farm.   Although our GPS indicated that the road continued just beyond the farmland, there were several cattle gates and a large field to pass through. 

Of course, one might be persuaded by the sun late in the sky and the promise of a meal out, not having to make the rough hour long drive back home to cook.  Therefore, I would imagine that it would be easy enough to open that cattle gate and drive through the fields.  One would then have to drive past the farmer's houses and barns, close enough to be in shouting distance.   Once past the main farm house you might find an old community of turn of the century homes, abandoned and boarded up.   You would have to pass though the old garden groves and orchards only to end up a large gate with a huge lock on it.  After realizing that this gate was secured you would have to turn around, drive down the next lane, past the abandoned homes to the second gate.  After discovering that this second gate is also securely locked you might notice the large NO TRESPASSING sign on the outside of it.  At this point, you might get a little panicky, trapped inside this farmland, wondering how you might be able to escape it.   It may seem that the only option is to turn around, drive through the old community again, through the orchards, past the barns and main house, across the field, unlatch the cattle gate and drive back onto the 4X4 road of which you came.  All the while, one would clearly be trespassing, worried the farmer would come running out yelling, waving his double-barreled shot gun. 

Now of course once A and I came up to that first cattle gate we turned around to go back home.  We would know better than to boldly enter onto someone else's land, especially in a vehicle with a couple of firearms and ammunition in clear view on the back seat.  Neither of us would be tempted by a meal in town so I can only imagine that this is how the story would go....

 

Gorgeous farmland that one might have to cross through to make it into town. 

 



 

After making it home again A and I did something we haven't done since moving to the interior.  We made the long trip back to town because neither of us felt like cooking.  We enjoyed a nice dinner at a local club house and stuffed ourselves with rich foods and fine drinks.  It was a great way to end such a lovely day.

 



Getting Ready

The last couple of weeks have been really mild, A and I have been busy getting the yard cleaned up after the melt.  Yesterday he spent a good portion of the day in the back yard clearing brush and dropping small trees.  The yard is already looking so much more open and bright. We have outlined the area where the raised garden beds will go and cleared a spot for the chicken coop. 

Wild raspberry jam found in the back of the freezer.

 



We seem to be having a small disagreement with our neighbours as far as where the property lines are.  To us it looks as though they have excavated out our embankment and built their koi ponds a few feet into our yard but they seem to think that there is a fire lane separating the two properties.  They kindly pointed out that our wood pile is blocking the ``fire lane``.   Upon purchasing the property A and I were very thorough with the legal description, zoning laws, and any easements that could be affecting us.  There is a small fire lane on the opposite side of the street that runs down to the creek - presumably so that the firemen can pull water from the creek in case of emergency.  There is no indication of a lane on our side of the road and we have to laugh because really, where would it go, between our houses only to end at the Ranch's fencing behind us?  We are 100% sure that our neighbours are in the wrong and just looking for an excuse for their encroachment on our property line.  That being said, we were already planning on having the surveyor come out next week and he should clear things up pretty quickly.   We plan to run parallel a fence lines down  the sides of our yard and we won`t be ``donating`` a few feet of our lot to the neighbour`s property.  
Its an awkward situation and A and I are feeling rather frustrated with always butting heads with our neighbours.   Its not that we dislike either of our neighbours - both sides actually seem to be quite friendly in passing - its just that people tend to think that living rurally exempts them from rules and common courtesy.  I moved to the country to enjoy the birds and wind rustling in the trees, no so that I can listen to your country radio blaring from your patio all day, everyday.   In case you aren't aware, just because you have acreage doesn't mean you can let your highly aggressive shepherd roam at will, entering others` property and attacking my small pet while she`s tied up in my yard.  Any yes, your house may have been built 30 years before the plans for my home were even dreamt up, but that doesn't mean that you can disregard the property pin that`s RIGHT THERE, dig over your property line, pour concrete and build up masonry.  We will remove your garden decorations and we will fill over your retaining wall.  
As far as I am concerned, the fences can`t go up fast enough this spring.  I am ready for some privacy and security.   Maybe it was naïve, but when we came out here I imagined us becoming close with our country neighbours.  I had visions of us bonding over bonfires and beers and in the back yard and sharing our abundance of tomatoes and zucchinis from the garden.   It has been a rude awakening for me but since you can pick your neighbours - although I really wish you could - and since it seems neither of us will be leaving anytime soon, we are trying to be as civil as possible and make the best of it.  I will not let someone else`s bad manners and lack of common courtesy ruin my enjoyment of having a small piece of property in the country. 

In other news, I have been coming across a lot of vintage bottles and jars lately.  A and I have been poking around the bush looking for the first signs wild edibles these last couple of weeks.  It seems the frost and melt have been revealing some pretty cool relics for the taking.  I have been collecting a lot of charming retro jars and even found an old glass coke bottle that I suspect is from the 1970s. 
In strange synchronicity,  A was excavating near the river at work and came across a whole pile of antique glass 4 meters down.  The  jars and bottles appear to be from the early 1900`s, I suspect they either floated in from the river or are the remains of an old garbage site.   He collected a bunch for me know that I love vintage items and old apothecary bottles.  Some of my favorites include a cobalt blue medicine bottle, a green glass bottle, an old Perfect Seal canning jar, and various Ponds milk glass jars.  I love to imagine the turn of the century ladies who would have had these face creams sitting on their vanities.  The real gem of the haul, and the first bottle that A pulled from the ground, is an old pottery ginger beer bottle in mint condition.  The bottle is from an local brewery that was in operation from 1914 - 1916.  Apparently it is an EXTREMELY rare find and it has generated quite an interest from collectors throughout my research.  Common ginger beer bottles fetch about $80, rare ones can sell for anywhere from a few hundred dollars up to thousands of dollars.  Perhaps we will look into selling it down the road but for now we are enjoying it as a little piece of our community`s history. 

 An old Watermans ink container.  I love how most of the glassware found appears to be Canadian made.  Time were different back then.

 

 Antique Devoe watercolour paint jar - with yellow paint still inside! 

 

Ginger beer bottle.  Placed atop my cupboards for safe keeping along with my other prized possessions - Cranberry Pottery and vintage Pyrex mixing bowl sets.  

 

Glimpse Into The Pasts

There is a brief window between the blanketing snow and the lush growth of flora in spring that allows one to travel into areas not accessible at other times of the year.  A and I ceased the opportunity and made our way to the creek side trails that lie just outside of the city.  I have had my eye out for places which the wild asparagus will grow.  After a while we abandoned the trails in favour of working our way down to the beaver ponds.  Gingerly crossing over dams and investigating the lodge we lost ourselves in the beauty of nature. 
The area, a well used watering hole for wildlife and grazing cattle, was littered with hoof prints and old bones.   Signs of struggle, an old deer scull, a giant vertebrae, and mess of heron feathers remind us that we do not walk alone in the bush.  Having been years since I last came across the feather from a blue heron, I collected a few take home with me.   I carried them in a vintage jar I found bobbing next to the dams.  The frost pushes strange relics from the ground and you never can be sure what you will find in the spring.  Although unable to locate the asparagus we did find the new growth of yarrow poking through the rich soil and the first signs of stinging nettle, which I am thrilled to learn grows in the area. 
It is a strange feeling as you drive down from our home in the hills, almost as if time is moving in fast forward.  The snow melts and the dead grass gives way to meadows of greenery.   The sage is renewed in colour and the grazing land has been filled with cattle and herds of wild horses and their foals.  It brings me hope, knowing that spring will touch our hillsides in a few short weeks. 



Get Healthy - A Guide to Creating Kombucha

Did you know that the majority of your immune system resides in you gut?  Good bacteria in the gut is thought to stimulate the production of white blood cells which are your main defence again foreign pathogens.  You can help support this good bacteria by avoiding processed foods, eating lots of healthy vegetables , and consuming fermented foods like yogurts, kefir , kimchi, and kombucha.
I started brewing kombucha around 6 months ago.  I was well aware of the benefits of good gut bacteria but I wasn't quite sure what the best option was for helping boost it.  As stated before, I'm not a large fan of supplements so I was on the hunt for fermented foods that I could incorporate into my daily diet. 

Extra SCOBIES removed, almost ready for a top up.

 



Cue kombucha and it's amazing symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY).  I was obsessed with kombucha and couldn't wait to try my first bottle.  I searched every store in my Biggest-Little-Hick-Town but couldn't seem to get my hands on a bottle.  It wasn't until I travelled to San Diego in October for a chiropractic conference that I finally had my first encounter with GT's kombucha.  I purchased 2 bottles, one flavoured to drink right then and there, and another plain to coax into producing me a fine SCOBY.  Upon returning home I followed all the correct steps to grow a SCOBY from a store bought bottle of 'bucha but after waiting weeks without results I finally gave up and dumped my creation down the drain. 
It was shortly after that I was surfing around on Kijiji and came across an ad for free kombucha SCOBIES.  Now, let me tell you, A was horrified when he learned that I planned to show up at a stranger's house to collect a rubbery, yeasty pancake but I was so desperate to start brewing that I answered the ad immediately.   The seller, Jenna, instructed me to show up at her house after work with a large glass jar.  The whole situation was a little strange but interesting as she invited me into her home and proceeded to show me step by step how to brew my own kombucha.  I left her house about a half hour later with a large jar of strong kombucha mothers and a head full of information.
I use a vintage sun tea jar to brew my kombucha in.  It has a wide opening at the top which I cover with cheesecloth and a small spigot at the base.  I use the no fuss continuous brew method to make my kombucha. The steps are essentially the same but instead of emptying out my finished 'bucha and starting a new batch from scratch I just top up the jar with new tea as need be.

 

Loose leaf oolong tea brewing.

 



You will need a few things to get started:  A large jar, a SCOBY floating a few cups of 'bucha from a previous batch, tea, and some sugar.  Start by brewing your tea.  I like to use loose oolong tea in my brew but most people tend to use regular black tea.  I add a couple of teaspoons of loose tea to my french press and top with boiling water.  Once my tea has brewed I transfer it to a another jar where I stir in about a 1/2 cup of white sugar and let it cool to room temperature.  At this point I usually pull my kombucha jar out of the pantry and inspect its contents.  Too many SCOBIES in the brew will ferment it too quickly so I like to removed all the extras leaving only one or two.  Extra SCOBIES are placed into the compost.  (I like to store a back-up in a SCOBY floating in a small amount of kombucha in the fridge in case my brew of 'bucha falls victim to mold or pests.)   After my sweet tea has cooled to room temperature I top up my continuous jar with it, cover the jar opening with cheesecloth, and place the whole thing back into the panty.
At this point, I can drink the kombucha if I like but it tends to be a little on the sweet side.  It takes about 3 or 4 days for my 'bucha to reach it's tangy, fizzy prime.  I find I have to top mine up about once every week or so.

 All ready to go back to into the pantry.

 

 

Mother Nature Does Not Lie

The last couple of weeks here  have been mild and the thaw has been coming at quick pace.  Its finally getting warm enough in the day to let the woodstove go out.  Mother Nature has been sending small clues that spring is around the bend.  Songbirds and chipmunks have been heard chirping in the woods.  The snowshoe hare has been coming into colour.  Red winged blackbirds, with their distinct call, have been seen perched upon the cattails. Tiny buds are appearing on branch tips.

 

I climbed the knoll behind the house where the wild ginger grows.  No signs of green shoots yet.  The wind was blowing and the crows were using it to their advantage, gliding on the gusts in long deliberate circles. 

No abundance of June berries yet.

 

 

Weekend afternoons are often lazy, crafting away at a project or spent in the kitchen, baking and cooking.   The promise of spring had me planting herbs and peas indoors, and sprouting beans and seeds for eating.  It is hard to satisfy the early need for growing when the weather hasn't caught up.

 



 Little dog, tired after a hike in the snow.

 

Pussy willows in milk glass - simple signs of spring brought indoors.

Vintage thrift runner that matches Grandma's rug perfectly.

 

Mung beans and broccoli seeds soaking.

 

A and I sat at the farm table constructing pyramids from coloured glass.  His experience is evident when compared to my crudely constructed tomb of Khufu.  Within our glass supplies I found some simple made boxes in vibrant colours.  Repaired and washed up they work well to hold my new seedlings.  It seems as though mid March cannot pass without the baking of soda bread.  I passed over my usual Irish recipe in favour of a sweeter loaf which bakes up in a pan.  This biscuit like bread smothered in butter and blackberry jam lends itself well to quiet mornings and strong coffee. 

 

 

 

What signs of spring have been happening in your area?











Life on the greener side

In the past year or so I've really made a shift in the products I use on myself and around my home.   Not only do I want to avoid using nasty chemicals on my body but I also want to protect the delicate septic system our house is on.   That being said, I have made the transition to more natural and green products in my daily routine.  Below is a list of some of the household products I have transitioned to:

Soap:
A few years ago I tried my hand at hot process soap making.  It was quick, easy, and the ingredients are simple.   An hour of work and a few dollars spent on supplies set me up with many months worth of homemade soap.  I honestly can't remember the last time I bought soap.  This is my go to recipe, it produces a hard bar that suds up nicely.  I find now that if I happen to use store bought soap my skin becomes itchy and irritated.  This is a product that is so easy to make on my own I doubt I'll ever go back to the regular stuff.

Lotions:
This is a product in my house that I've started to wean out only because I have found natural products that take the place of the many moisturizers in my cupboards.  Years ago I discovered a recipe in which you whip coconut oil, shea butter and cocoa butter together to produce a fluffy body moisturizer.  The resulting product melts easily into your skin and lasts all day long.  I've also starting making my own solid lotion bars, which can be used on  hands or as a chapstick, and herbal salves which I use in my first aid kit.

Deodorant:
Ok, here's a dirty little secret - deodorant freaks me out. There is something so unnatural about rubbing a product under your arms that inhibits your body from sweating.  I also don't like the fact that its extremely hard to scrub off at the end of the day.  It weirds me out.  I've tried an assortment of products from 'natural' store bought deodorants, to rock salt that you apply after your shower, to making my own deodorant from baking soda and coconut oils.  My most recent product comes highly recommended so I purchased a little jar of Schmidt's deodorant online.  This jar of deodorant is similar to the product I made at home and it smells divine.  Its a little fussy to use at first as you have to scoop a small amount out and apply it with your finger tips but I've gotten used to it over time.  I bought the lavender and sage scent and so far I'm rather pleased with it.

Shampoo and conditioner:
Another product I love to hate.  As I switch my beauty products over to more natural choices I find that I am more aware of sensitivities to the conventional products.  Shampoo has been a product that I`ve struggled with for awhile.  I hate the SLS laden shampoos out there but I also hate how expensive the greener alternatives are.  While living in the city I did the no poo method where you stop using shampoo and conditioner all together and wash your hair occasionally with baking soda and apple cider vinegar.  The idea is that conventional shampoos strip your hair of their natural oils and the no poo method allows your hair to re-regulate itself again leaving you with textured hair without frizz or oil.  I no shampooed for about a year and I have to admit, it really was awesome.  After a few weeks of a weird adjustment phase my hair had lots of body and texture and was super shiny and soft.  Even my coworkers were noticing and I received many compliments on my hair.
My no shampooing came to end when A and I vacationed in Mexico for a week.  The resort we stayed in wasn't exactly close to any grocery stores and I figured it wouldn't be fun to try to cross customs with a box of white powder in my luggage. 
After using conventional shampoo while on vacation I was hesitant to start no shampooing again for fear of the dreaded transition phase.  Since then, I`ve been using Live Clean`s line of  products which I am happy with but I`ve been thinking a lot about making my own solid shampoo bars at home.   I recently picked up LUSH`s Seanik solid shampoo bar and Big conditioning bar to use as inspiration for making the products at home.   I was disappointed to learn that LUSH uses SLS in their shampoo bars but I figured since they were already purchased I would give them a try. 
I have to admit that the Seanik bar does a decent job of sudsing up and cleaning my hair.  It only takes a few strokes through my hair to create a head full of bubbles.  At this rate, I predict that the small bar will last me months.  The Big conditioner, on the other hand, is a bit fussier to use.  The idea is to break off a small amount of the bar and work it into a paste in your hand.  You can then disperse the product through the ends of your hair.  The product is strange and it seems to take a lot of effort to coat my extremely long and thick hair.  Upon rinsing my hair feels neither slippery or conditioned but surprisingly I can pull a comb through it without much effort.  After drying, my hair is soft and manageable.  It's neither frizzy nor dry but seems to lack the definition of waves that I get after using my Live Clean products.  Would I buy the Lush bars again, probably not, but they are a good introduction into the world of solid shampoo products. 

Face wash:
Just like with hair, I believe our face wasn't meant to have the oils stripped from it daily.  After finding my face was become extremely oily throughout the day I turned my face washing routine on its head and stopped using soap.  I started washing my face with only warm water and a washcloth in the morning and cleansing with jojoba oil to take off my makeup at night.  It seems counter productive to use an oil on your face but after I stopped using soap and cleansed with only jojoba my skin has never been better.  I no longer need to apply moisturizer and my skin doesn't get oily throughout the day like it used to.  My skin tone has evened and if I do get a rare pimple its only a tiny pink spot and lasts a short time.  No longer do I trust spot cream or acne products.  To treat spots all I use is either a small amount of tea tree oil, neem oil, or a tiny bit of raw honey. I`ve never had problem skin, but I did used to suffer from pink flushes along my nose and chin.  Those flushes have evened out and its the first time in ages that I have been comfortable enough to go without make-up. 

Toothpaste:
Ok, stay with my here, toothpaste is another one of those products that freaks me out.  Now, that's not to say that I don't brush my teeth, its just that I don't like to use a fluoride laden products that taste sugary and foam in my mouth.  As far as natural products go I have tried a few alternatives.  My go to product is Silca`s herbal toothpaste.  I regularly rotate my Silca with a paste made from baking soda, sea salt, and coconut oil and with a homemade tooth powder that contains white clay, activated charcoal and an assortment of spices.  All three methods leave my teeth feeling cleaner than conventional toothpaste and I don't have to worry about all the strange chemicals added to regular toothpaste.

Laundry Products:
Laundry detergent was the first step I took towards using green products.  I remember years ago a friend telling me about a terrible skin irritation she had been battling with.  After trying a number of different things she finally decided to switch out her heavily scented detergent with a more natural product.  Her irritation cleared up immediately.  The product she switched to?  Nellies all natural laundry soap.   I love this stuff.  A tin of it is relatively expensive but you only use a tablespoon a load so it literally lasts forever.  My only complaint about this natural washing soda is that it can be a bit harsh on my darks.  For darker laundry and delicates I use Method's baby detergent.  As for the dryer, I recently purchased felted wood dryer balls at a craft fair.  They soften my clothing while speeding up drying time and reducing static cling.  I can also add a few drops of essential oils to them if I want to lightly scent my laundry.

Take a moment to think about all the chemicals you come in contact with in a day.  What changes can you make to move towards greener alternatives?  What are your favorite natural products that you use?

Memories of June

There are two things I miss most about coast, the ocean and blackberries.   Although not nearly the same, the abundance of lakes, rivers, and streams satisfies my need for the water.  The local berries, on the other hand, can't hold a candle to plump, juicey blackberries.  Though not nearly as tasty, A and I did pick a ridiculous amount of service berries last year to wash and store in the freezer.  
Baked up in a crisp and topped with a dollop of whipped cream, these berries taste of summer all over again.