On a recent camping trip to the central Oregon coast, we went on hike like we usually do, and came across what we believed to be salal berries! I snapped a few photos, then double checked my guidebooks when we got back to camp, and discovered that they were, in fact, salal berries. We decided…
Plum Upside Down Cake with Lavender Whipped Cream
This plum and lemon upside down cake is the perfect easy dessert recipe for summertime entertaining. It’s baked in a cast iron skillet, then topped with an amazing homemade lavender whipped cream. Delicious! Plums, Lemon, and Lavender I had a bowl of little yellow and red plums sitting on my counter for almost a week….
Elderflower Sparkling Mead
Go foraging for elderflowers, and then make this sparkling mead recipe! This easy homemade sparkling elderflower mead recipe is low alcohol, delicately flavored, and the perfect foraged drink for a hot summer day! Simple Mead Making Ebook Want to learn more about making mead? I have a Simple Mead Making for Beginners eBook just for…
Foraging for Wild Poppies (California Poppies)
In spring and summer wildflowers start popping up everywhere. I love finding and identifying them, especially when I discover that they are edible or medicinal (or both!). Wild California poppies are a common sight for us here in Southern Oregon and in other western states. No, they won’t quite put you to sleep like Dorothy…
Blueberry Cornmeal Skillet Cake
This blueberry cornmeal skillet cake is so delicious and easy to make! I am usually not much of a sweets person, but when I do make something of that nature I almost always cut back on the sugar. This cake is not too sweet and perfect for any get together! Rustic Cast Iron Skillet Desserts…
Backyard Garden Update
Well, I figured it was about time for me to give you a backyard garden update! As you may or may not know, we moved into a brand new little homestead this past March, and have been feverishly working on the garden ever since. We don’t have a huge amount of space to work with,…
How to Make a Wild Yeast Starter
Learn how to make a wild yeast starter for home brewing and natural sodas. This wild yeast starter is made using foraged juniper berries, and is very easy to make! Cultivating Wild Yeast for Brewing With all the mead and hard cider brewing that I’ve done, up until now I’ve never tried cultivating my own…
Foraging for Mugwort
Mugwort is an edible plant that has many herbal uses. Foraging for mugwort is easy and fun, as it grows almost everywhere! Learn how to identify and forage for mugwort, as well as how to incorporate it into your herbalism practice. Wildcrafting Weeds If you want to learn more about the edible and medicinal weeds…
How to Make Infused Herbal Honey
Sometimes it’s the simplest things that can make a difference. Take this infused herbal honey for instance. While it’s really quite easy to make, it takes something as wonderful as honey and makes it even better! I couldn’t believe how tasty this honey became, and it really got me thinking of ways to use it….
How to Grow and Use Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums are a plant that every gardener should consider growing. Besides their beauty, nasturtiums are also edible, medicinal, and are great for companion planting in your garden. On the California coast they have naturalized, and you can often find large patches of them growing wild. I have always been amazed by this, and I wonder…
