04Sep 2023 by catbird No Comments
Elderberry Syrup Playdoh

Elderberry Syrup Playdoh

Autumn, Back to School, Craft Project, Nature Art, Play, Recipes
I hate wasting things. It stresses me out to throw out the herbs after making a salve or syrup. (Although I don’t usually even do that— I compost them…) Every time I make elderberry syrup, which is pretty frequently in the cooler months, I have anxiety about all the cooked mushy berries left over at the end. I’ve tried reusing them but the resulting syrup was too weak. I’ve reduced the amount of berries I use with no ill effects, but I still feel like I’m wasting a huge amount of plant matter that I worked so hard to grow. And then I had a sudden brainstorm… I would make playdough with the leftover berry mush!! This stuff smelled so good that I wanted to play with it!! The color…
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26Aug 2023 by catbird 1 Comment
Campfire Mulled Cider

Campfire Mulled Cider

Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Campfire, Recipes
One of our favorite Autumn Equinox traditions is to make mulled apple cider over the bonfire! This couldn’t be easier and is so festive it takes on a little bit of a smokey flavor. Anything cooked over the fire is automatically extra yummy in my humble opinion. You will need a campfire grill grate of some sort but it doesn't need to be at all fancy and is useful for all manner of things. Ingredients: a pot that can be used over a campfire campfire grill grate a bonfire! a gallon of apple cider (or less depending on how many people you are serving) a pinch of cloves a few cinnimon sticks a whole star anise a pinch of allspice berries a half an orange with cloves poked into it…
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26Aug 2023 by catbird No Comments
Autumn Acorns

Autumn Acorns

Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Folklore, Nature Collection, Recipes
Acorns and oaks are steeped in folklore just about everywhere they grow. There is something old and wise about them. They were (and still are) a food source for Indigenous Americans and were eaten in in the past in Europe as well. They require some prep work, but I love their warm roasted flavor. A number of magical qualities and superstitions are attributed to the acorn. The symbolize good luck, abundance, protection and long life. My favorite bit of folklore is that the acorn symbolizes huge potential in small things and reminds us to be patient. There are 500 species of oak in the world and their acorns (which are their seeds!) all look a little different. I am personally partial to burr oaks for their lovely shaggy caps. Acorns…
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26Jul 2023 by catbird 1 Comment
Galaxy Smoothie Bowl for the Wolf Moon

Galaxy Smoothie Bowl for the Wolf Moon

Full Moon, Recipes, Winter, Wolf Moon
The January full moon is most commonly known as the Wolf Moon. Various North American tribes have different names for it, but names for this moon largely evoke coldness or lean times. The Algonquin people call it the "Sun has Not Strength to Thaw Moon, the Arapaho refer to the "When Snow Blows like Spirits in the Wind Moon, and the Lakota people use the most concise "Hard Moon." The only direct wolf reference I could find was from the Sioux people who call this moon the "Wolves Run Together Moon. Interestingly, the Farmer's Almanac doesn't cite any sources for the Wolf Moon name, it just refers to wolves howling this time of year. My favorite interpretation of the name relates it to the Wolf Trail or Road—a traditional Blackfoot name for…
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23Jul 2023 by catbird 3 Comments
Wild Mushroom Hike

Wild Mushroom Hike

First Harvest, Foraging, Hike Ideas, Recipes, Summer
We absolutely always enjoy searching for mushrooms while hiking, in fact I have promised my children badges for all the different types of mushrooms they've spotted on multiple occasions (and still not delivered...) but perhaps my favorite time to go is at the end of July right before First Harvest. This is when we (knock on wood) always find delicious chanterelles. I like added chanterelles to the list of things we harvest this time of year! Whether or not you want to forage mushrooms to harvest and eat, this is a fun hike to take with kids. (And I find they are often superior at spotting mushrooms!) Bring a magnifying glass, a mesh bag if you plan to collect anything and a guidebook. A nature journal is also a great…
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23Jul 2023 by catbird No Comments
Wildcrafting Tea

Wildcrafting Tea

First Harvest, Foraging, Garden, Play, Recipes, Summer
The first harvest is all about, well, harvesting. Many people associate this day with grains and bread, but there are lots of other things that are at their peak and ripe for harvesting this time of year too. One of our favorites that you might not immediately think about is herbal tea. We harvest wild plants and plants from our garden, dry them and make a new tea blend each year. (Naming them is obviously part of the fun...) Past names have included "summer thunderstorm tea" and "firefly tea." Herbs to Harvest for Tea Try collecting a variety of herbs and then let children smell them and decide which ones they like together. Wash and dry everything and then crush them up in a mortar and pestle. (This step is…
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23Jul 2023 by catbird No Comments
Strawberry Moon Cake

Strawberry Moon Cake

Full Moon, Recipes, Strawberry Moon, Summer
In many places June is the transition into summer. In much of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, it’s high strawberry season, and this traditional name is shared among the Dakota, Chippewa, and Ojibwe peoples. Similarly, the Haida call this the Berries Ripen Moon, the Lakota refer to the When Berries Are Good Moon, and the Mohawk have Ripening Time Moon. For many, this is the start of summer abundance. Picking and eating strawberries is the perfect way to celebrate! Strawberry, Rose & Mint Garden Cake I recently learned that garden centers in the UK often have cafes and serve cake and tea and it kind of blew my mind. There seems to be a general association between cake and gardens there that just doesn't exist in the US– but I fully…
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11Jul 2023 by catbird 1 Comment
Thunder Cake

Thunder Cake

Free Printable, Full Moon, Recipes, Thunder Moon
We love the book Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco, especially during a good summer thunder storm. There is a cake recipe in that book of course, but being a celiac it wasn't very useful to me. Besides I was intrigued with the idea of making a cake that contained or was inspired by some food that had historically been associated with storms and lighting. I kept coming across references to truffles (the mushroom not the confection) in my search-- it would seem that the ancient greeks believed that they were born of Zeus' lightning bolts. Very poetic, but I wasn't sold on truffle cake... I considered copping out and doing candy truffles instead, but that didn't seem in the spirit of things. (As an aside there is a whole group of…
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27Mar 2023 by catbird 1 Comment
Worm Parfaits for the Worm Moon

Worm Parfaits for the Worm Moon

Full Moon, Recipes, Winter, Worm Moon
One of the common names for the March full name is the Worm Moon. It's a muddy month, and nearly always when we start to see worm castings all over the ground as the worms start to move around again after a cold winter. Worms really don't get much love despite being incredibly helpful. They make soil, they improve out gardens and just quietly carry on with their business. Vermicomposting is a fun project to do with kids, but sometimes you want a fancy worm treat. Cue these delicious worm parfaits! Worm Moon Parfaits This is one of those desserts that looks far fancier than it is-- it's a glorified dirt pudding, but its' beautiful and never fails to impress. You have a lot of leeway with ingredients, you can…
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