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happy summering everyone ~ yesterday my daughter wanted some extra money, and she wildcrafts with me for that. i was ready to hit the mountains, so we went. we went to see what was growing and came upon a meadow filled with wild yellow violets + we sat and picked as a spring storm was rolling in. i make pesto out of pretty much any green, and wild violet pesto is packed full of vitamins and minerals. the variety of wild violets here are viola glabella, also known as stream violet. which wikipedia says is edible and the flowers can cause diarrhea, i am proceeding with my dinner. you should however fully research your plants ahead of time, and make sure you want to make food or medicine out of them before harvesting. a ‘can cause diarrhea’ warning isn’t enough for me, but we must all make our own judgment call on that. for me personally driving a car is much more dangerous than eating violet leaves and flowers. just make sure you know the botanical name, and research from there. i made a meal out of this without any ill effects in the bathroom or anywhere for that matter. wild violets galore 💛 once home i spread the violets out to inspect and allow any bugs to vacate. these were clean to me and i didn’t wash them, but you will have to make your own call on that. perfect pesto in my opinion is a combination of wild greens and savory garden herbs. i went with basil to pair with the wild violet leaves and flowers. i loosely follow the pesto recipe in kami mcbride’s book the herbal kitchen. if you don’t own this book, you should. she recommends skipping the cheese, and i have been making cheese-less pesto for years now and i prefer it, plus it freezes much better without it. i make and freeze pesto for year-round meals. nettle, chickweed, and spruce tip are a few of my favorites. 3 cups fresh wild greens 1 cup savory garden herbs 3/4 cup nuts or seeds ~ i like walnuts 4 whole garlic cloves 3/4 cup olive oil salt to taste wiz up in a food processor or good blender and ta ~ da, wild food love. it was getting late and we had already had dinner when this was finished, so I froze the pesto in pint canning jars. make sure and label, because once you start making and freezing pesto, you will be making all different kinds. you can use the pesto in any pesto way you like. on pasta, pizza, a dip, or dressing base. happy foraging some of the resources i used: http://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=PDVIO040P0 https://www.chaofbc.ca/violet-monograph/ susun weed's book ~ healing wise

springtime is late in the rockies but wow when it shows up. everything everywhere is blooming and it’s quite beautiful and full of life. i absolutely am in love with the smell of plum blossoms. on a recent romp through an old orchard, i remembered the plum trees and they were alive with bugs and bees. the trees were abuzz. i filled my basket within minutes, taking in the sun and our valley town below. i have recently decided to take a long break from alcohol, so oxymels mixed with sparkling water are practically an every night treat. in a fancy wine glass of course. an oxymel is just a simple vinegar and honey herbal remedy. you don’t have to limit yourself to apple cider vinegar and honey though, i have made a few with maple syrup. for this recipe, i felt like honey was a good call, like all things herbalism i think you should experiment with what you have available. this recipe would also be divine with cherry or crab apple blossoms. i made this batch in a quart jar, starting off with the jar about 3/4th full of plum blossoms. then i added 2 tablespoons fresh spearmint (1 tablespoon dried) 1 tablespoon dried lemon peel (2 tablespoons fresh) 6 cardamom pods popped in half. i use the side of a knife to pop them open as you would do with garlic. now this part is really about personal preference, how sweet do you want this remedy to be. typically an oxymel is one part honey to three parts vinegar however, i have seen recipes call for half and half. i don’t like my beverages super sweet, so i go for the 1:3 or even a 1:4 ratio. pour the honey in first, then add the vinegar. i used apple cider vinegar. then i stirred it up a bit using a chopstick. the honey will dissipate into the vinegar quickly. place a wax paper in between the jar and lid. shake well. i typically will let an oxymel infuse for a month or two, i have also had them infuse for several months. it will work its way into your life, you will get the rhythm down. making and straining remedies will just become a way of life. this remedy, however, will only infuse for two weeks, because i am having company and i plan on us drinking this. oxymels are also fabulous in salad dressing, meat marinades, soups, stews, beans, and rice. it’s endless just start adding it to whatever you feel inclined to. next up, i will discuss straining and bottling. straining is pretty straightforward, i use cheesecloth and a strainer over a large glass measuring cup. this is a dandelion root, leaf, and flower oxymel i made last month. pour the contents through a cheesecloth, squeeze, and compost. i like to recycle old wine or fancy bottles for my herbal concoctions. using a funnel pour into bottles and label. cheers witches ✨ these oxymels mixed with sparkling water are so good. a perfect way to unwind and settle into the evening. this time of year can be crazy, be sure to take some time for yourself and just be. thanks for being here, and if you make a blossom oxymel i want to hear about it. please share with a friend or on your social media. have a wonderful time soaking up these last spring days before we are swept away by summer.

sunshine n daydreamin 🌼 flowers galore. all of the dandies are popping like crazy, i really can’t seem to get enough. i have been deepening my relationship with dandelion and really infusing all aspects of this little weed into my life, it makes me smile. we had a few good rains and the violets popped up. i also took a little drive to the mountains and found a few wild ones. like all things herbalism, wild food cooking is all about experimenting and improvising. use what you have available to you in the moment. I am sharing this recipe as a guideline to follow, nothing is exact. all around me right now are dandelion and violet flowers, I am looking forward to repeating this meal with rose petals And nasturtium. anyway, let’s dive in...... for this particular batch, i filled the vietnamese spring roll rice wrappers with asian slaw, rice ramen noodles, and wildflowers. while the noodles are cooking, i used 2 bundles in the package, make the slaw. i used what veggies i had on hand, if i had carrots or red pepper i would have put those in the slaw too. 1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage 1 cup chopped dandelion greens 1/2 cup chopped cilantro 1/3 cup chopped cucumber 2 chopped garlic cloves sesame seeds chopped roasted peanuts 2 tablespoons vinegar of choice (I used chive blossom infused apple cider vinegar) 1 tablespoon maple syrup 2 tablespoons sesame oil toss and set aside. following the directions on the spring roll package, i dip the rice wrap in water and place it on a plate. i first place the flowers face down, then add a small portion of both the noodles and slaw, tuck the sides in, and roll. the only trick I have here is not to get the wrap too wet, just dip in the water. you can use whatever dipping sauce you like, i used a basic thai peanut sauce with almond butter. 1/2 cup almond butter 1/3 cup vinegar (I used a chive blossom infused apple cider vinegar) 1/3 cup tamari or soy sauce of choice 2 tablespoons maple syrup 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger or 1 to 2 teaspoons powder ginger 2 cloves of garlic minced fresh chives or any other fresh herb you have growing a little bit of water or coconut milk if the consistency is too think garnish with fresh flowers these are so beautiful and taste divine, perfect for a light dinner or bring along to a party or get-together. wishing all of you a glorious spring and feel free to share this recipe with a friend or on your social media. thanks for being here happy cooking ~ dacia

yellow dock’s botanical name is rumex crispus, she has a yellow carrot-shaped root and is a member of the buckwheat family. she is easy to identify in the fall, yellow dock shoots up straight rust-colored stalks full of rust-colored seeds. oblong slender leaves become smaller up the stem. lots of folks have opinions about fall and spring harvesting which is best and what not. my personal thoughts on this is simple. the show must go on so whichever works best for you is what you should do. i harvest in both the spring and fall. yellow dock likes to grow in damp turfy sandy sunny locations, disturbed soils, roadsides, and fields. so it’s good to have a solid knowledge about herbicide use in the area. the picture below is from last fall, you can see the same “hoodoo” cliff in the background. i love yellow dock and have a pretty substantial relationship with her. i take the tincture as needed and find it to be helpful in keeping the liver functioning well and increasing bile. i don’t like the word cleanse, because it seems to now imply doing something extreme however i feel yellow dock stimulates the liver and cleanses the blood. these roots are packed full of vitamins and minerals, especially iron. so this year I decided to make yellow dock syrup 🧡 and this is my process. if you have a natural water source nearby, give your roots a good rinse before heading home. i find an old scrub brush works well at removing dirt. there were a few dandelions growing, so I brought them home too. once cleaned up I chopped the roots up and put them in a pan. meanwhile, i’m gathering the other ingredients for this iron-building syrup. i really want to reintegrate that herbal recipes are basic guidelines, just that. we must be curious and experiment, find what works for us. take the basic idea and run with it, improvising along the way. i feel this way about herbalism in general, get inspired, use what you have, and find your own way that works for you. there isn’t a right or wrong way to do it, it’s kitchen witchery, and all the women before you in your bloodline did it. alright, i will jump off my soapbox now and share this recipe. i weighted the ingredients as well, in case you are a scale person. as a maker of items to sell, i am pretty much in the habit of weighing everything. this isn’t an exact recipe as always use what you can and what’s available to you. i have also made this with dried dandelion and yellow dock roots, it’s just as good. 1 cups fresh dandelion root (1/4 cup dried) 2 cups fresh yellow dock root (1/2 cup dried) 1 cup dried hawthorn berries or dried rosehips 1 tablespoon dried lemon peel 8 whole cardamom pods 3 quarts water 1 cup dried red raspberry leaves, hawthorn leaf, and flower, dried rose petals, or another tannic in nature herb 1 cup dried self-heal, mullein leaf, or linden flower (again use what you have on hand) 1 cup molasses (preferably blackstrap) 2 ounces tincture ~ hawthorn, rose petal, dandelion, or your choice. something you have a lot of and a nutritive herb ~ this is optional you can use dried dandelion and yellow dock, general ratio use 1/4 cup dried plant material to 1 cup fresh plant material. i used hawthorn berries because i had them. i think any berry would be good, elderberry, huckleberry, or rosehips would be great. okay first off I placed the water, yellow dock, dandelion, hawthorn, lemon peel, and cardamom pods in a pot and simmered for a few hours. just your basic “cook down” i turned off the heat and added the raspberry, self-heal, and molasses. then i set the whole pot outside to cool and basically just sit and stew overnight then i strain it and added the tincture if using. the tincture is totally optional, however adding tincture to any syrup will extend its shelf life. i ended up with around 8 cups of syrup. you can bottle in any ol bottle cute wine bottles, growlers, or swing tops. storing in the fridge will also extend its shelf life. I would try and use it up within a month or two. you can use this syrup liberally on pancakes, oatmeal, or smoothies. my favorite way to use this is in a delicious mocktail. simply pour 1 part syrup over ice in a fancy glass and add three parts sparkling water. ta ~ da ..... here’s your one chance fancy don’t let me down 🎶 just kidding you get many chances. thanks for reading this and feel free to leave a comment and interact anyway you like i am active on instagram and tiktok. please share on your social media or with a friend who might enjoy this. you can purchase herbal tinctures/extracts here or in the shop section over at simplyjosephine.com. wishing you all a glorious spring full of green blessings. some of my resources for this post are: the boreal herbal by berverly gray https://www.herbalremediesadvice.org/yellow-dock.html herbal roots zine september 2014 issues ~ yielding yellow dock by kristine brown

awe to preserve the sweetness of the plants, so we can apply it to ourselves over and over again. to be wrapped in the blanket of plant magic. body oiling is an effective way to connect with ourselves and the plants. this practice has been around forever, with roots in many cultures. there is a huge connection to ayurveda, an ancient healing system from india which dates back 3000 years. whatever heritage you may be, i'm sure somewhere along the line, plants and oil played a part. i want to be very clear, these are not essential oils. essential oils are something completely different. nothing about this post has to do with essential oils, and i don't recommend them. i am basically going to share how i make herbal body oils, how i use them, and some tips. i mostly use fresh plant material, however, sometimes dried is our only option. homegrown or wildcrafted plant material is my first choice. the list of plants really is endless. flowers i like to infuse are roses, rosehips, violets, red clover, dandelion, st johns wort, yarrow, lavender, chamomile, and arnica. i also love the infused oils of comfrey leaf, chickweed, cottonwood bud, cannabis, and all the conifer needles. with each new season, i am constantly experimenting with different plants in my bioregion. feel free to try whatever intrigues you, there is a ton of information available, on plants and their benefits. if you are unsure of which plant to start with, conifers are available year-round, and very forgiving when it comes to infusing. again there really isn't a right or wrong way to do this. its all about experimenting, and finding what is right for you. make sure to gather your plants on a warm sunny day, in the early afternoon if possible to avoid moisture from dew. and obviously don't harvest on a rainy day. the basic fresh plant material oil infusion goes as follows. fill a jar about 3/4 (1/3rd dried) full with plant material. if you want to weigh the plant material for consistency, that's fine too. you can use just petals or the whole flower head. you can chop the plant material, or not. if it's dried you can even break it up well in a food processor, almost powder it. the important thing to remember when infusing oil is that the jar is clean and super dry. don't wash the plant material. it came from nature, and nothing in nature is "dirty" i will let the plant material sit on the counter for an hour or so, and let the bugs vacate, picking through the plants, and discarding dead leaves, etc. if it happens to be dusty i brush the plants off outside, before infusing. if you wash your plants you will have a big ol mess in your jar. after the plant material is in the jar, i cover it with oil. i leave a little space because the plant material can and will expand. especially the cottonwood buds. i then cut a piece of fabric to cover the top and rubberband it. always always always label with the date and what it is, in fact, its a good idea to have an herbal journal where you can write recipes and tweaks down. you will need to stir your oil daily, for about a week, sometimes longer or shorter depending on the plants used. after that, the plant material settles to the bottom. you don't need to keep stirring after that. you can also put a wax paper between the lid and jar if you like, being sure to shake well, and check often. i prefer the breathable top/stirring often method. i then let these plants sit, cloth-covered for months, out of direct sunlight. heat can damage the oils. 4-6 weeks is a good time frame. however, i have infused oils for much longer. my personal goal with infusing is around two to three months. let's talk about types of oil. i like avocado oil best for infusing body oils. i also infuse a lot of olive oil for salve making and soap making. jojoba is fabulous but a bit on the expensive side. you should try infusing a few different oils and see what you like. again experiment, and find what works best for your skin. some choices include ~ olive, safflower, jojoba, avocado, coconut, sesame, and animal tallow. after your desired time of infusing, strain through cheesecloth, and bottle. you can save nice bottles or purchase new bottles. i have found if kept from getting too hot, these body oils will last over a year. the human body, really is amazing, isn't it? body oiling is a wonderful addition to your self-care routine. or a good place to start if you don't have one. it brings nourishment to the skin and relaxation to the nervous system. it's so important in our modern busy lives, to pause for a moment and connect with ourselves. i call it a daily check-in. body oiling can aid in dropping down into our parasympathetic nervous system, or the "rest + digest" where real healing can occur. all the while creating a protective layer upon your skin. i generally apply the oil when i get out of the shower or bath. after towel drying, i massage the oil into my skin. starting with my face and moving down to my feet. spending extra time on the lymphatic system areas, which aids in immune function. key lymphatic drainage points of the body are + neck/throat + breast/armpit + groin/ inner thigh/lower belly. especially for women consistent breast/underarm massage keeps things healthy and flowing. there is a lot of information on our lymphatic anatomy, i suggest a little research if you feel inclined. you can oil as often as you like. personally, i body oil as often as i can but sometimes it ends up being just a quick daily moisturizer. some people prefer body oiling before getting into the shower, head-to-toe massage oil in, wait a few minutes, then shower. we cannot fully give to those we love unless we are full. it's completely up to us. self care is the greatest gift we can give ourselves + those we love. thanks for stopping by, if you want to stay connected you can follow me on instagram or youtube. i am often sharing all kinds of loveliness. the oils are for purchase right here at simplyjosephine.com each bottle comes with a nice brochure all about body oiling. please feel free to reach out with any questions i am available by email at, dacia@simplyjosephine.com or leave a comment. wishing you all a beautiful new year, full of the things that bring you joy, namaste.

i am loving these vibrant fall days, so full of wild food love. i recently gathered yellow dock seeds also known as curly dock. rumex crispus is the botanical name. then i made crackers out of the seeds, i'm sharing my experience with you. yellow dock plants are pretty easy to spot this time of year due to the rust color, the seeds come off the stock very easily. simply run your fingers up the stock and you can remove the seeds. i don't wash the seeds after they come home. i just make sure i don't collect seeds from dusty areas, and i avoid collecting seeds from stalks with "bug homes" in them. it's pretty easy to see if spiders and such are living there. i also collected nettle seeds from the wild and my garden. if you don't have access to nettle seeds, you can leave them out of this recipe. or add another seed of your choosing. i pulled the seeds off easily with my fingers to process the yellow dock seeds, i used a coffee grinder. i picked one up at a thrift store years ago and i use it just for herbs. grind the seeds into flour. now, are you ready for how simple this is........ 1 cup ground yellow dock seeds 1 cup flour (i used white) 3 tablespoons nettle seeds 1 teaspoon salt water first, i stirred all the ingredients in a bowl, mixing well. then i slowly added water to form a ball of dough. slowly mix so you don't end up with too much water. roll out thinly on a well-floured surface get creative if you like, or use cookie cutters. place on a well-oiled baking sheet, bake at 375 for around 12 minutes or until crispy. these were so easy to make, and the best part besides eating wild food. there is no plastic garbage, like with store-bought crackers. we made a wonderful roasted beet hummus to go with our crackers, please leave a comment if you give these a try, i would love to hear about it, or chat further. thanks so much for stopping by, and feel free to share this post with anyone you think might enjoy creating these. wishing you all a wonderful fall full of foraged wild things.

hello , dacia here popping in to share one of my latest culinary and beverage delights. i enjoy making simple syrups, and they are really really simple. its a great way to combine plant material, sugar of choice, and water to create some kind of loveliness. simply syrups can be enjoyed in cocktails and mocktails, along with baking. they bake up wonderfully in cakes and muffins, along with other things. you can make a simple syrup out of anything. i suggest experimenting. this is my latest syrup concoction. crab apple blossom and rhubarb simply syrup i love pretty things..........flowers are up there at the top of the list. crab apple blossoms have got to be one of my favorites. they bloom peak spring in our corner of montana, and i always make something new each year with this foraged delight. you need to be quick with these blossoms, they are here and gone in a flash. start by collecting a few blossoms, i also clip a few twigs for indoor flower arrangements. next, i ventured into the garden for some rhubarb harvesting, the nice thing about this combination is they are both peaking about the same time, they complement each other quite nicely. crab apple blossom + rhubarb simple syrup recipe 4 cups fresh blossoms 2 cups freshly sliced rhubarb 8 cups of water 3 cups sugar, or substitute i like to use evaporated cane juice, it's a good substitute for refined white sugar. i have got nothing against plain ol white sugar though, and it will work just fine with this recipe. i also think brown sugar would be nice too. i bring the water to a boil, drop the rhubarb in and cook for a few minutes, then i stir in the sugar, and turn down to a low low simmer. i simmer for about 15 minutes, then drop the blossoms in. continue to simmer for about 20 more minutes, then just turn the burner off. after it is cooled, strain through a cheesecloth, bottle, and store on the fridge. so here are a few of our favorite recipes with this syrup miss josephine's mocktail delight lots of ice fresh lime fresh or frozen strawberries blossom simple syrup to taste sparkling water fresh mint rhubarb + blossom cocktail lots of ice fresh lime vodka rhubarb bitters blossom simple syrup to taste sparkling water fresh basil or mint you can make your own bitters i have blogged all about it, here is the link www.simplyjosephine.com/post/blood-orange-bitters or you can purchase these rhubarb bitters here www.simplyjosephine.com/product-page/rhubarb-bitters thanks for being here, i appreciate it. please share this post on social media or with a friend. i am wishing you all a happy ending to this glorious month of may. please if you try this recipe leave a comment or email me with what you created.

back down the dandelion rabbit hole, this time for some baked delights. loving this time of year so much, blossoms everywhere. i like to gather the dandelion flowers on a warm sunny afternoon, lay them out on a clean dish towel or cutting board, for a few hours, and let the bugs vacate. if they sit longer, that's fine too. i cut the green sepal off of the bottom of the blossom with scissors. i find this goes faster, then pulling the petals off. you will need about a cup and half for this recipe, plus a few extra blossoms for garnishing the tops if you want in a typical muffin recipe, i mix the wet ingredients, then slowly add the dry. don't over mix, bake at 375 for 20 - 25 minutes dandelion flower + blood orange muffin recipe 2 large eggs or 1 duck egg juice + zest of 1 blood orange, or experiment with another citrus 1 cup yogurt or sour cream 1/2 stick of butter, melted 3/4 cup sugar, or sweetener of choice (dandelion simply syrup is nice) 2 cups flour (maybe a little more if you sweetened with a liquid-like syrup, honey, molasses) 1/4 teaspoons salt 3/4 teaspoon baking soda 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 to 1 1/2 cups dandelion petals (folded in last) you can line a muffin tin, or simply grease it with butter. after the batter is scooped into the tins, i placed a flower in the center before baking, and sprinkled a little turbinado sugar on top. just because sprinkling is magic..... kids love to help pick dandelions and create treats, so if a few of those people are around, put em to work. it's another glorious spring day, go forage some golden loveliness. thanks for stopping by, and if you liked this post please share it on social media or with a friend. it really helps me to get out there, thank you + green blessings

dandelions sure can warm the soul, and provide nourishment to the skin. imagine if everyone picked dandelion flowers and made their own infused oils, vinegar, ect. maybe we would stop spending billions of dollars on ecologically harmful herbicides, mostly in the name of eradicating dandelions. oh the pursuit of a perfectly manicured lawn. well here is my two cents when it comes to infusing fresh plant material in oil and tallow balm making. start with a sunny warm day........ first off i want to say, i live in a very dry climate. if you do not, you may possibly want to dry your blossoms a little bit first. there isn't a right or wrong way to practice herbalism, simply pick up a few tips here and there, then experiment. i place the blossoms on the counter for a while, basically to let the bugs vacate. start with a clean very dry jar. i inspect most blossoms on the way into the jar. getting rid of long stems, ect. i do not cut the green part off the bottom of the blossom like you would for foodstuff or winemaking. lots of people wilt the blossoms first or dry them completely, this all depends on your climate, how dry the day was you harvested, and how often you tend to your oil. once the jar is about 3/4th full of golden delight, i fill the jar with olive oil. let's talk oil for a minute.......olive oil is nice for soap and salve making, so is safflower. avocado and jojoba are nice for body oils. i use a refined olive or pomace because they don't break down easily. the extra virgin expeller pressed oils are thicker, often are strong-smelling, and break down quicker. but again all of this is a personal preference. here is the important part of fresh flower infusing, place a breathable top and rubber band. you can use a double wrap of cheesecloth, or any ol piece of fabric, dishcloth, or napkin. i sew a lot so fabric scraps are all over the place in my home. i then place the jar in an undisturbed area, out of direct sunlight. now for the most important part of infusing fresh plant material, you must stir your oil at least every other day until the plant material falls to the bottom. this can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. this works with my lifestyle, this may not work for everyone. if you think this will be hard for you to do, i would suggest using dry plant material. now onto time, i let my oils infuse anywhere from six weeks to six months. again this is a personal preference. i strain through cheesecloth and use the oil in all kinds of body products. lip balms, salves, soaps, and my latest favorite whipped tallow balm. tallow balms can be as easy or as complex as you like. i personally like to keep it simple. i use 16 ounces organic grass-fed tallow, 8 ounces infused oil, and a few drops of essential oil is optional. i slowly melt the tallow and pour it into the infused oil. i then let it cool slowly in the bowl for around 20 minutes, then i whip continuously with the kitchen aid, and if i am adding essential oil, i put that in at the very end. i whip until the consistency is that of whip cream. spoon into jars. i also make an orange dandelion soap bar, it's wonderful. both of the items are available in the shop. thanks for stopping by, and as always the best way to stay connected is to subscribe. you can do that at the bottom of the home page https://www.simplyjosephine.com/ and please share on social media or with a friend, wishing you all a glorious spring full of dandelions.

greetings to you all + spring is here and i've been harvesting buds. so much loveliness packed into a tiny bud. the sweet red resin is abundant and here to share her pain-relieving qualities. i like to start my harvest in the early afternoon of a sunny day, not after a good rain. here in northwest montana which is the bioregion in which i reside, the weather is typically good for harvesting around march and april. i like to harvest when we have sunny warm days but still a hard frost at night. this wakes up the resin but allows for the bud not to burst forth quite yet. cottonwood trees are deciduous trees that like water. you will often find them near rivers and in crick beds. the cottonwood trees that grow in our corner of montana are black cottonwood trees, botanical name, populus trichocarpa. gently pick the bud and squish it between your fingers, and if a red resin appears, they are ready for picking. the buds down low on the tree are rather small i will roam the forest looking for downed limbs and trees. even if the tree fell in the winter the buds are usually still good. the bud actually forms in the fall and waits for spring. i have a published youtube video all about harvesting and infusing oil, here it is. every year i make more and more infused oil. i love the process of watching this oil turn a deep dark red. oil to bud ratios differ from person to person and the folk method isn't exact. since i sell my products i like to keep things as consistent as possible. i use one pound of buds for every gallon of oil. so that would be 8 ounces for a half gallon and 4 ounces for a quart jar. once home i dump out the buds on a piece of paper because these buds are sticky and get that red resin everywhere. i go through them and discard any less-than-desirable buds, old leaves, and twigs that may have gotten in the harvest buckets. i weigh out the buds and fill a clean bone dry glass jar. the oil is your choice i like olive for salve and avocado for body oil however there are no rules -use what you like and have access to. when pouring the oil into the jar i leave a good two or three inches at the top because as the buds infuse with the oil, they will expand and overflow if your jar is to full. i then place a breathable top on the jar. not everyone does this. a lot of folks cap their oil infusions and shake regularly. i don't do this with fresh plant oil infusions it's just to risky in my opinion. i then stir my jars of oil on a regular basis at a bare minimum of once a week until the buds slowly fall to the bottom of the jar. this can take anywhere from a few weeks to a month or so. if you want to cap your jar you can do so at this time once all the plant material is fully immersed in the oil. or you can leave the breathable top on whatever works for you. i would cap my oils when my kids were smaller and running around and throwing things around in the house. but these days now that all my oils are in my studio i don't worry about it so much. just make sure to stir your oil at least once a week preferably twice a week until the plant sinks. check in with your oil and get to know the slow process infusion. after most of the buds have fallen to the bottom i will top the jar with the oil and let it sit. typical infusion time is six weeks but i strain on demand. so therefore some jars may infuse for up to eight or nine months. i try to time it so i run out of oil around march, right when it's time to collect again. as far as clean-up goes i use rubbing alcohol to remove the resin from my fingers, buckets, and glass jars. plants work in a variety of ways and it's assumed that cottonwood both modulates inflammation and directly relieves pain. the salve makes a wonderful neosporin alternative and feels amazing on a sunburn. it also helps with scarring and road rash. cottonwood buds contain salicin the same thing that is in willow which is where asprin came from. it is a great pain reliever and something that is a must in the herbal medicine cabinet. the most popular cottonwood application is salve. salve is a great way to allow the oil to penetrate the sore, irritated, or burned area. the beeswax helps to hold the oil in place on the skin. a salve is oil and beeswax, turning the oil into a balm basically. i could go on about salve making for hours, however, we are here to talk about cottonwood today. in episode #3 of my video podcast i demonstrate the whole salve-making process, it's time stamped in the description box. i will link to that episode here episode 3 simply josephine blog my personal favorite is a cottonwood-infused avocado oil, perfect for body oiling. the sacred art of body oiling is an effective way to connect ourselves and the plants. i have several cottonwood bud offerings and i love them all. the cottonwood whipped tallow body butter really seems to calm my rosacea symptoms and the soap is probably my most popular essential oil-free soap. i published a blog post on the topic of body oiling, you can check it out here wildcrafting for and making medicine with the cottonwood buds kicks off the season. after the winter months spent reflecting inward i am ready and inspired to get out there and see what presents itself. hopefully, you have been inspired to hit the trails and river lowlands in search of cottonwood buds. happy happy wildcrafting to you all, if you have any questions please feel free to comment. if life has you spinning or these lovely little buds don't grow in your bioregion i do offer a few fresh buds for purchase. you can link to that listing here. also if you share this with a friend or on your social media it helps me get the word out. until next time have a wonderful day and enjoy this fabulous spring sunshine the best way to stay connected is to subscribe to my emails over on the home page of my website simplyjosephine.com

i love the dye black walnuts produce, yes it's another brown but i love it. botanical dyeing is a slow process, full of excitement and failure. so much to learn and experiment with. in this post i am going to go over my experience with dyeing cotton, linen, hemp jersey knit, and some random clothing items. i won't be talking about yarn. this dye story begins in the autumn when the black walnuts fall to the ground...... i gather the fallen nuts and bring them home. i simply place them in a 5-gallon bucket, cover with water and place the lid on it. i keep the buckets inside, because i live in a cold climate, sometimes i open the buckets up and stir the fermenting concoction, i find a potato masher works well for this. it starts to mold over and break down into a dark brown goo. so last october i gathered enough nuts to fill two 5 gallon buckets, and the last week in february is when i decided to strain them. the first bucket i just strained, without doing anything first, these are the above pictures. this dye is fermented, strained, and heated up. the second five gallon bucket i dumped into the dye pot, plant material and all. heated that up on the wood stove all day, let sit overnight, then strained. lots of information will tell you to do this, however i didn't find much difference. the fabrics are linen/cotton blend on top, thin gauze cotton in middle, and hemp jersey on the bottom. the fabric on the bottom is the one that was in the second dye bath. so as you can see not much difference. i am thinking next year i will skip the cook first step in black walnut dyeing. i have a video podcast on youtube where i share my latest experiences with botanical dyeing, sewing, and herbal medicine. here is episode #10 which covers black walnut dyeing. thanks so much for being here, and please feel free to comment if you have any questions. it also helps me reach a wider audience if you share on social media or with a friend. have a wonderful day and happy dyeing to you. if you are interested in some of my offering come visit me over at simplyjosephine.com #botanicaldyeing #blackwalnutdyeing #naturaldyeing #blackwalnut

happy february + thanks for being here. winter has arrived in our corner of montana, and i've been inspired to create concoctions in the kitchen. woohoo blood oranges have hit the grocery stores. i am not a huge citrus fan, but blood oranges are divine in my opinion. so i decided to make bitters, what are bitters anyway? originally bitters was a medicinal herbal preparation to aid in digestion, and that is basically what it still is today. bitters is usually a combination of bitter herbs, carminative herbs and or seeds, and citrus of some kind. however there are no rules, and you should experiment. bitters are traditionally taken before a meal, or mixed in a cocktail. cocktail bitters are a fabulous way to enhance an already great cocktail, by helping the different flavors merge. i make digestive bitters too, which are more specific to have right before a meal. today i will be discussing how to make a cocktail bitters, made of blood oranges, spices, fresh herbs, maple syrup, and 80 proof vodka. i'll talk about alcohol proofs here for a moment, i like the flavor of 80 proof better, and this is for me personally, so that is why i'm going with an 80 proof. however, if you want more extraction, potency, or benefits going with 100 proof is the way to go. i use 100 proof in all of my tincture extraction because that's what you are going for with alcohol-based herbal preparations. this concoction today is more of a pleasure base, than an herbal remedy, but it has many benefits as well. ingredients 1 bottle of vodka 750 ml ~ personal preference 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup 2 blood oranges preferably organic fresh thyme 2 anise star pods 10 cardamom pods a teaspoon of caraway seeds i started by peeling the freshly washed oranges, coarsely chopped then placed in a clean mason quart jar. then i cubed up the oranges, leaving out the white rind part. chopped up the fresh thyme, added the spices. i do pop the cardamom pods in half, to release more flavor. once all of that is in the jar, i add the maple syrup and then finally the vodka. i cap, shake well, and store in a cool dry place, out of direct sunlight. how long you let this infuse is up to you, a general rule of thumb is six weeks, and i often let some tinctures infuse for a year. alcohol preserves plant material very well, it doesn't go bad. i am going to let this infuse for a shorter amount of time, due to the fact i am having company for a while and i plan on using these bitters in cocktail making. after your choice of infusion time, strain, and bottle. i like to save nice wine bottles, and reuse those. mason jars also work great. happy wintering it's endless the concoctions that can be created with a bitters ingredient. this bitters would be divine mixed with sparkling water, however, i've been on a kombucha kick lately. since blood oranges are available right now, that's what i used in my last rebrew. the rebrewing of kombucha is a very simple process. simply add whatever you like at the bottling stage. i went with blood orange and ginger. i juiced the oranges with a hand juicer and grated the fresh ginger. the extra fruit does speed up the fermentation process, so don't leave them very long at room temperature. i typically leave mine on the shelf for a week or so then i put them in the fridge, to slow the fermentation. here is the photo gallery of the last rebrew, hopefully, it inspires you to jump on the kombucha bandwagon. the perfect beverage for your next happy hour.............vodka, blood orange bitters, and this orange kombucha. yum. although these bitters aren't available for purchase, i do offer some over in my shop https://www.simplyjosephine.com/shoppe so check those out, they are seasonal delights made of fresh plant material. thank you so much for stopping by + giving my blog a read. please share on your social media or with a friend who is interested in herbal loveliness. wishing you all a peaceful easy winter ~ cheers #makeyourownbitters #homemadebitters #bloodorange #bloodorangebitters #diybitters #cocktailbitters #cocktailbittermaking