Winter Greetings to all. The freezer and pantry are full and I am settling in for winter. As the days become shorter, I am called to the quiet and the darkness. The darkness is something that scared me for many years. I would stay as busy as possible during this time of year to avoid the quiet of the winter. Over the years the feeling of hiberating and being a part of the reflection from the natural world has become a welcomed extension of my work with plants. Like the plants and the bears, winter invites me to stay in the warmth of the underground and/or my cave.  

As I enter into the winter months, a bit tired from the fall frenzy, I am reminded that these quiet months are needed for rejuvenation and rest. This is the time to do nothing. To drink warm tea, to make soup broth and to read the many plant (and other books) that I have accumulated and to write. I spend time reflecting on the past year and dream about the mystery that is to unfold in the busier months.

This past year was busy for us. We developed new projects and grew the ones that already existed. One of the new projects we invoked was to harvest every apple and pear we could find. We found several small abandoned homestead orchards and harvested fruit. We took every opportunity to harvest fruit from friends, who were not taking the time to do it themselves. It is amazing how much fruit you can acquire in a very short time. Over a few weeks our garage became a storage place for apples and pears. We decided to have them pressed into cider, to can pears in honey syrup and to make our annual batch of apple sauce.

We took the majority of the fruit to a nearby working apple orchard, where they pressed the apples and pears for us. We ended up with 27 gallons of apple cider and 13 gallons of pear cider. The apple cider is delicious but I have to say that the pear cider is like nothing I have ever tasted before. I love pears and was instantly struck when I drank the juice by the complexity of flavor.

Our freezers are now full of cider, among other things. And it is a delight to pull some out of the freezer for a winter treat. I am inclined to drink the majority of it without heating it. But as I watch the snow fall from the kitchen window warm cider is sometimes the only beverage that will do.

In early November we hosted our seasonal wild eats dinner: Fall Frenzy The dinner was a reflection of our abundant apple and pear harvest. For dessert we served pear, apple and mullberry crisp with warm apple cider. The wild rice was cooked in apple cider, a delightfully surprising flavor with added nuts for crunch. We had wild-parsnip apple soup as well as sparkling (fermented) pear cider. There really is no limit to what you can do with pears and apples.

While you might not be able to harvest apples during the winter months, you can purchase the necessary ingredients to make the delicious parsip-apple soup recipe offered here. Consider your winter soup making as a test run to prepare you for next years fruit harvest.  

As the days get darker may you rejuvenate and find the gifts that live deep down inside.

Winter Blessings,

Linda

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The old saying goes an apple a day keeps the doctor away and here are some facts worth knowing:   

• One apple provides as much dietary fiber as a bowl of bran cereal. That's equal to one fifth of the recommended daily intake of fiber.
  
  
• Apples are loaded with pectin, a soluble fiber that aids digestion and may help reduce cancer and heart disease.
  
  
• The complex carbohydrates in apples give your body a longer, more even energy boost compared to high-sugar snacks. Snacking on apples can keep you going throughout the day.
  
  
• Apples provide boron, an essential trace element that helps harden bones. Strong bones help prevent osteoporosis.

So, here it is again, my time to tell you all about this years broom corn harvest.  Last year the seed I purchased had some undesirable genetics. These traits were shorter brush and a hard stalk in the middle. For broom making I want broom corn that has a nice even brush and is long enough to make nice sweepers. This year I thought I'd try a different source for my seed.

I've been in contact with an older broom maker from New Jersey who has been growing broom corn for almost 30 years. Not only has he been growing broom corn but he breeds it as well. Would this be called broom corn husbandry? Anyway, this broom maker has bred the broom corn plant to have more color in the brush. The beautiful reds, oranges & blacks look really nice. He also has dwarfed the plant down to an easily harvestable 6 ft. tall from the usual 12 to 15 ft. tall. After hearing all of this I was anxious to get some of his seed and pass it along to my friend the sorghum farmer.

The sorghum farmer plants my broom corn for me every year on land that he secures. Then I come back in late summer or fall and harvest the crop. That's just what happened this year but when I went to talk to the farmer he told me that the crop was pretty small and he was concerned. I had neglected to tell him about the dwarf hybrids that I had gotten and our conversation continued. He understood why the crop looked like it did when I gave him some information and I went on down to the field of glorious broom corn.

But when I got to the field I found that these plants weren't so glorious. The brush was shorter than last year!! Hard stalks in the middle was a common trait in all these plants too! There was some serious confusion on my part, not to mention a few other feelings and choice words out there in that field. As I started cutting the tops off and putting them in the back of my truck I remembered the small label that accompanied the bag of seed that I got, it said "2nd choice hybrids". I wish he would've sent the 1st choice hybrids. I went about harvesting my crop and thinking what would I do with all this stuff.

As usual I had the farmer plant 7/10 of an acre, that is a lot of lemons. But I kept thinking and now I have lemonade. On my way home from the harvest I stopped at a place called the wreath factory. You guessed it, I stopped and asked them to make wreaths for me. Now in addition to the many varities of brooms I am selling broom corn wreaths! I did contact the broom maker who supplied the seed and tell him of my experience. I also told him that I'm a broom maker not a wreath maker. He was happy for me and is willing to send me more seeds in spring' 08. This time I am hoping for 1st choice hybrids-as you can see it is all in the seed. 

 Broom Corn Wreath

Broom Making Demonstrations Saturday December 15, 2008 (8am-4pm) at the Z-Spot Coffee Shop 1024 Indiana Ave Sheboygan, WI  Grab a drink, watch demonstrations and purchase a broom

Simple Living Series  2008 Traditional Food and Herbs Program

Wednesday evenings (6:00-9:00pm) January 9th,16th, 23rd, 30th and February 6th and 13th, 2008 $125-175 sliding scale This 6 week series will offer participants the opportunity to learn and enhance a variety of time honored skills. Whether you are new to these skills or have been exploring them in depth you will discover tips and techniques that will inspire your creativity in these traditional arts.  Click here for more information.

Pine Needle Basket Weaving January 19, 2008 (10am-3pm) To register contact Maywood Environmental Center 920-459 3906

Herbs for Family Health: The Wise Woman Way

Saturday January 26, 2008 (10am-3pm) At the Qauker Friends Meeting House 3224 N. Gordon Place, Milwaukee, WI  Cost $35.00 includes a whole and wild food lunch. Contact Jess to register 414-372-9632 Childcare will be provided, but you must preregister!

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Wisk Broom Making Class: Sweep out the old and in the new Saturday February 2, 2008 (10am-3pm) To register contact Maywood Environmental Center 920-459 3906

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2nd Annual Women’s 3 Week Herbal/Earthways Apprenticeship Program

July 7th-July 28th, 2008

This intensive apprenticeship is an opportunity for women to connect deeply with themselves and to develop a connection with herbal green allies. Participants will have the opportunity to experience living close to the earth while incorporating herbs and wild foods into their daily life. We will create a community of women that encourage, inspire and challenge each other to look to the mother earth and plant sisters for deep healing and wisdom. This program is an authentic apprenticeship where participants are offered support on their own personal journey and encouraged, supported and challenged to journey to their depths. For more information visit our website www.moonwiseherbs.com or contact Linda rosemarygoddess@moonwiseherbs.com 

It is not too late to order last minute herbal wares and/or broomsfor holiday gifts. For more information visit our webite www.moonwiseherbs.com

Also we are now carrying real raw honeythat we purchase from a local bee keeper as well as super nice beeswax. This is the best honey I have had and am happy to share it with you. To find out more click here

Ingredients:

3 TBS Deer Fat (olive oil or lard will do)

3 cups squash

1 cup wild parsnips

2 cups peeled apples

1 cup wild leeks (or cultivated if that is what you have)

1 cup apple cider

32 ounces broth (rabbit, chicken or vegetable)

2 TBS crushed seaweed (giant kelp) or salt to taste

1 tsp each of curry powder, cinnamon and cardmom

1/2 cup cream (optional).

1. Heat the fat or oil in a large pot over medium heat and saute the squash, apples and onion, stirring gently for approximately 10 minutes.

2. Add the spices and cook stirring gently for several minutes longer. Add the cider and stock as well as the seaweed or salt, bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook partially covered, for 20 minutes or until the squash is soft.

3. Puree the mixture in a food processor or blender, and return to pot. Cook over medium heat until mixture is reduced by about one third. Add the optional cream and enjoy!!