May Harvest: Stinging Nettle - Permaculture Plant of the Week

An aggressive tall ground cover, a plant that makes many people wonder why grow it in the first place, it stings indeed quite strongly - this is a favorite in a permaculture food forest! If planted in a well selected spot where it can spread without negatively affecting gardener's comfort, this plant produces heavily, grows without many demands and puts its incredible life force into dark green foliage that is ready to harvest in mid Spring.

Freezing Food in Glass

Why talk about freezing food in glass in early spring, when not much is going on harvest-wise? Chicken, meat and fish stocks are still good foods for the season, and commercial meat is often wrapped in plastic and can be transferred into glass at home to reduce contamination. Other garden grown or purchased foods, such as grated garden zucchini, grated apples, raspberries, blanched greens, peas, corn, tomato paste, pesto and many others can be placed in glass containers for storage. 

Radical Home-making: Sewing and Knitting for Children

Pattern here.

A photo gallery of clothing-making inspiration - for parents, grandparents and unattached adults - reclaiming another lost skill of working with fiber arts, making clothing with love and meaning - sized and tailored and envisioned and imbued with love just for that special person - to keep them warm, to dress them up, to cheer and to make feel special. Above is a girl's dress made for my God Daughter - woolen dresses are so good to keep the little bottoms warm while looking feminine and lovely. Knitted dresses are also great for long time - as the child grows, the dress becomes more of a long top, still functional and much loved!

Sustainable Wood Lot in Dry Climate

What does it take to meet a household needs in wood - at least when it comes to keeping the house warm during the cold months of the year? A wonderful question to ponder when engaging in permaculture design of a homestead, neighborhood or community.

Chips, Crackers, Crepes

Buckwheat chips/crackers/crepes.

Buying overpackaged foods is something that entices experiments in making them on your own - in your own kitchen, with the ingredients that you can control, and the process totally at your finger tips. Chips and crackers are possibly the worst when it comes to costs, packaging and the ingredients. Finding crackers without sugar (or other sweeteners) is really hard.

Herbs for Dental Health!

A great discovery of my year - this DVD by wilderness man Doug Simmons, talking about his experience in using herbs for healing cavities, maintaining dental health (needless to point out - he does this without dentists and their invasive mechanical methods) - and about so much more related to our use of herbs and plants and body wisdom to stay fit. 

Handfull of herbs - for teeth, gums, cavity restoration

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Doug Simons is telling his story.