Ode to the Dandelion

Rooting the Chakras with Dandelion

Root chakra is located at the base of the spine, anchoring us to the Earth and the present moment.

Breathe in…. feel the double helix rainbow of the energy coming up from the Earth… into the base of your spine… bringing grounding energy and vital nourishment.

Breathe out…. Sending down anxiety and anything toxic we have accumulated. When we poop we send toxins and debris back to the Earth where it is transformed back into nourishing energy. Dandelion will help you poop.

Dandelion stores the Sun energy in her roots all summer and fall, saving it up all winter in order to spring that energy on the world in the Spring. We sip on this liquid sunshine to release the toxins we've taken on that slow us down. Dandelion will put a spring back in your step.

We need a strong root to sustain the growth of our plans; all that we will into being in the yellow third chakra is built on the foundation of a strong first chakra, like the vibrant yellow flower that pushes forth from the Dandelion’s root. With time the flowers turn into seeds that float on the breeze …what thought seeds are you sowing? Pay attention, for they soon create roots of their own and take hold and thrive. Use this root tea to release any toxic or negative thoughts, memories or imprints or anger, so that only your best thoughts and plans take root.

Dandelion is not just a survivor, she thrives wherever her seed lands, laughing at those who try to get rid of her. Have you ever noticed that the biggest happiest Dandelions bounce back on land that’s been cleared or sprayed? Left even the slightest little root She will grow back, large and in charge. In fact She is a guardian of disturbed land, a first responder to damaged Earth, preparing the way by repairing the soil, digging Her roots deep and pulling minerals up and shedding them with Her spent leaves, on the surface of the ground for daintier plants to find later; all the while shining Her yellow face to reflect the Sun. While the Dandelion is firmly rooted, She is also a free spirit, moving freely with the wind as it disperses Her seeds like little helicopters in every direction. Be rooted and strong, but also float where the winds of Life take you,.... make your wishes, then anchor yourself in each new situation.

Drinking Dandelion tea is said to draw spirits to you, which spirits would you like to invite? They will stay with you until you pee, which with dandelion won’t take long, so invite them quickly!

If you re-post my writing in part or whole, please provide a link back to my blog, thanks.



Happy Spring Equinox

May the warming of Spring

light a fire under your arse

so that you rush off to bring

your dreams to reality....

Welcome to the Spring Equinox... and a dramatic one at that! With a full solar eclipse, lining up almost exactly with the changing of the astrological year.Time for new beginnings and time to get going on new projects!

This is a great time to set new intentions that you follow with actions. 

It's also a great time to begin a Spring cleaning/detox/ re-nourishing regimen. 

I don't believe in harsh detoxes; given proper excercise, diet and rest, the body is pretty efficient at de-toxing itself. However, after the winter we may feel a bit sluggish and we live in a world that's full of toxins humans haven't had thousands of years to adapt to, so a mild cleaning of the system may be in order. If you have access to a Panchakarma program, this is a great time to do it. Or clean your system with alterative herbs.

Alterative herbs are a great addition to your routine. Astragalus is an easy herb to incorporate into your day in the form of tea or added to soups. I've been sipping on Cleaver's tea to get the lymphatic system moving. Chickweed is another great herb, as are stinging nettles for this time of year. So many plants that are good for us can be found right out in the back  yard! Dandelions help the liver process built up debris. Dandelions are one of my favorite plants. There's so many plants to like, but Dandelion is amazing, all parts of it are edible and tasty; add raw leaves to salads, cook them with other greens, batter the flowers and fry them, roast the roots for a coffee like tea. Just make sure that you forage in a clean area, ie, not sprayed or close to busy roadways. 

My next post will be something I wrote in honor of Dandelion, so check back, or enter your email on the right side to get posts sent to you.

Along with herbs, moving the body more helps clear stagnant gunk and funk we've accumulated. As the weather gets nicer, go out for walks. Just the fresh air and spending a bit in time in Nature can clear the head and body of toxins. When it's cold or rainy out, have a party in your living room! Put on some favorite music and dance! Even a few songs will get the blood moving. Exercise is free Qi medicine. When trying to get things done and feel positive and happy, it helps to pick happy bouncy music, just sayin'


Here's one I like:

New Ceramic Pot

a new pot fresh from the kiln......... this one is for orchids

dandelions are my favorite plant, so look for them to be on lots of pieces in the future!

holes for drainage, orchids like to be misty, but not really sitting in water...

Dandy Veloute over Polenta

Dandelions; the plant people love to hate. Sadly, I've seen many of my neighbors out spraying Round up on them numerous times. If the overspray could only be contained to their yards...... the city of Seattle frowns on using herbicides, but until they ban them from sale, like they did the plastic bags, people will use it.

But why spray dangerous chemicals on the ground when you have a free source of nutritious food popping up? Dandelions were brought over from Europe for their food and medicinal value. You can eat the whole plant from root to flower. The roots make a tasty coffee substitute and an environmentally friendly one, too, as they are right out in your yard rather than in a far off country. The leaves can be used in salads or as a cooking green. The flowers can be used to make wine or fried as battered fritters or sprinkled in salads. They're often an ingredient in bitters, which I plan to try to make one day.

 A breakdown of the USDA listing of nutrition is here. They are particularly high in vitamin K and have lots of minerals. If you are avoiding iron you may want to limit your intake. The French nickname piss-en-lit  describes its somewhat diuretic effects, however, dandelion also replaces the potassium loss that happens with prescription diuretics. The word "Dandelion" is a variation from the original French name of the plant, Dent de Lion; lion's tooth, because of the serration of the edges of the leaves, although different species have quite a bit of variation.

Dandelions are in the asteraceae family, which is a ginormous family of plants that also includes sunflowers, and Cat's Ears which are fuzzy and also edible; their leaves don't get as bitter as dandelions, but they also have somewhat less nutrition, I've been told.

This recipe is somewhat foodie, but also comfort food. The Dandy Veloute is somewhat bitter, but the perfect complement to the bland polenta and somewhat sweet carrot puree. I used a broth I made from the shells of 1 lb. of shrimp, but you could use any broth. I like to find multiple uses for my foodstuffs and see just how many things I can come up .

                                                  Dandy Veloute
Printable Recipe


Ingredients: Carrot Cloud
       
                  6 large carrots, chopped into large bits
                  1 large russet potato, chopped into large bits
                  1 tbs. lemon juice
                  5 bay leaves
                  rest of can of coconut milk after dividing, see Dandy Veloute
                 3 tbsp. coconut oil
                 salt to taste

                 Broth

                 shells from 1 lb of shrimp
                1/2 cup white wine
                6-7 cups of water, you want to end up with 6 cups after simmering.
or just use 6 cups of broth of choice

               Dandy Veloute

               5 loosely chopped cups of dandelion leaves
               1/2 onion, chopped
               1/2 cup white wine
               1 cup broth
               1/14 cup coconut milk
               2 tbsp. coconut oil or olive oil

              Polenta

              2 cups dry polenta
              5 cups broth, 1 cup water
              salt and pepper to taste

      for the carrot puree cloud: in steamer pan add water and 5 bay leaves to bottom. Steam carrots and potatoes until tender. Add them and the rest of the cloud ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. Put into a holding container, try not to devour it while making the other parts of the recipe.

     for the broth: simmer the shrimp shells white wine and water for about 1/2 hour. Strain out the shells.

      for the Veloute: Heat the oil in a large skillet. Sautee the onions until they soften but do not brown. Add the white wine, then 1 cup of the broth and simmer for 10 minutes. Put them in the blender along with the dandelions and coconut milk. Blend until smooth and creamy. Set aside or in a pot on the stove on low until polenta is ready.

      for the polenta: Put the dry polenta into a large saucepan. Add the broth and water and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and let simmer until softened and thick. Stir occassionally to prevent burning on the bottom.

     I sauteed a thinly sliced tomato and about a 1/4 onion in olive oil as a flavorful garnish to put on top. (optional)

     Once all parts of recipe are ready: spoon polenta into a serving bowl; put a tablespoon of butter or butter sub on top. (optional, but yummy) Spoon carrot cloud over polenta. Spoon Dandy Veloute on top. Top with garnish if using.
 
                 Enjoy!

Let me know if you try this recipe and like it. I see lots of views of my posts, but rarely get comments. I'd love to know how you liked it or what variations you might have come up with.

Forage Spring Rolls

I haven't posted much the last month; it's been nice out, so I've been out. Now it's cold and rainy again, so a little more posting is getting done. I think I put my seedlings out a bit early, but that's a whole other tangent.....

Today I'm posting my recipe for Forage Spring Rolls for the Wild Things roundup for April, which was "flowers".

Spring rolls are wonderful because you can make them with whatever is on hand or in season. Some other possible additions from foraging are: wild ramps/garlic, assorted edible flowers of all kinds, sauteed mushrooms, blanched dock leaves, fish and game, edible weeds of all types, really anything edible can be sliced, chopped or shredded and put inside a spring roll. Although they can be eaten at any time of the year, these were truly a bite of Spring!

This was what I had in mine:

For the flowers, I used maple flowers and dandelions. If you catch the maple flowers just after they open they are quite sweet! I pulled the yellow petals out of the dandelion flowers as the green base can be bitter. 

for 1 spring roll:

2 spring roll wrapper- found in Asian grocery stores. 

blanched nettles, about 1 cup

1/4 cup simmered shrimp

1 sprig mint leaves, pulled off stem

edible flowers

several dandelion leaves, washed

1 green onion, sliced thinly

1 grated carrot

for the dipping sauce:

3 tbsp. maple syrup

2 tbsp. gluten-free (for me) soy sauce

1 tbsp. toasted sesame oil

To soften the spring roll papers, use a pan at least as big as the papers. Simmer enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Dip the papers in the water for a few seconds and they soften right up. I usually do one at a time so they're easier to manage. I arrange the first one on a plate; spread all my ingredients in a vertical line in the middle of it, and roll it up the best I can, then soften the second paper and wrap it around the first to give it a little more hold together. Spring rolls always dump a bit of the ingredients as you eat them; I just throw those bits into the sauce at the end. Finger food is supposed to be messy. It's best to squeeze most of the water out of the nettles before adding them to the wrapper, so it won't be drippy. I could just drink this sauce without and food, it's so yum!

Another easy way to use foraged flowers is to add them to a couple eggs to make an omelet, which I've done with both the maple flowers and the dandelions, simple and delish.