Im reading and list making with Back to Basics which I borrowed from a friend neighbor. Plotting for the spring. Fruit trees and chickens. and fire. Just received Last American Man, by Elizabeth Gilbert, back from a friend. Thats a fun and interesting book if you havent read it. It portrays the life of Eustace Conway. A man that (i cant say it any better so im borrowing it from the back of the book) "For more than thirty years, has been mastering the art of self-sufficient living. Over the decades he has evolved from an idealistic nature lover into a seasoned and weary environmentalist/businessman." Being a bit of an idealist myself (clears throat), I really enjoyed this book.
Dear Cold, you are wearing thin. I accept you and realize you play a vital role but... This winter is oddly cold and some of us are totally unprepared for you. My beautiful house is made of stone and completely uninsulated. And I keep the heat low, or off. I want wood burning stoves but this is a rental.. I want to be outside. I feel a shift coming on, something will give and spring will come.
Sitting, writing and drinking pinestraw tea , the children will be home early from school today (insert smile).My neighbor James and I have been discussing pine straw tea. We gathered the green straw while out walking the woods this weekend. He had read to chop the straw (about a cup) and soak it for ten minutes or more in hot water (two cups). I didnt have much luck with the cutting, there were pine needles flying everywhere. So I folded and soaked the needles in my grandmothers teapot and added Orange Blossom honey from the Farmers Market. The tea is supposed to be a good burst of vitamin c and it sounded yummy to me, which it is. Next Ill try it with wildflower honey. Mmm... Pinestraw tea with wildflower honey. Doesnt that sounds lovely? Drinking the earth.
Stay warm.
I have never heard of pinestraw tea. How exactly do you make it? I am surrounded by pine trees....and I have wildflower honey in my kitchen from my local farmers market! I would love to try it.
ReplyDeleteIt is simply pine straw (needles) steeped in hot water for ten minutes or more is how i did it. i used a handful (perhaps a cup) of fresh green pine needles and about two cups of hot water. You can likely look it up on line, my neighbor did. Doesnt it feel/sound, like it just makes sense to drink pine tea in the winter? LMK what you think.
ReplyDeleteWildflower was too 'zesty' for me, if honey can be called 'zesty'!
ReplyDeleteI am in the market for Gallberry. I hope the honey guy is at the Farmers Market this Saturday.
I like that you called it zesty. Im a fan. I like the Gallberry as well but cant bring myself to buy anymore honey till one of my two vats is finished.
ReplyDeleteAlso, James told me today he used scissors to cut his pinestraw. Ingenious.
Damn I miss home!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the tip, it seems you've given me another good author to look up. I've been looking into the self-sufficiency more out of need, than wanting to at first, but now that I've cut back on a lot of things I admit I am discovering just how much wasn't really a necessity. My wants are more things that I would like to do now, than things I would want to own.
ReplyDeleteThe hard part is going to be getting by here until summer comes, and then looking for a place that I can live a bit more inexpensively than we do here.If you know of any places where cost of living is low, and the crime rate isn't bad, I would most appreciate a heads up about it. :)
Metalangel, Thanks for sharing. My wants are also more things I would like to do , than things I would want to own.. I love that. And I like how you said it. Im not really to up on top places to live though if I wasnt such a warm weather girl I would love to live in NC, or really far upstate NY where its freezing cold, beautiful and relatively inexpensive (with few jobs). I will certainly let you know if I hear anything. Where are you now?
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