Author: Sandy Evans

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Nettles Soup

Nettles Soup… If I could only make one wild food recipe the whole year it would be this. Because Nettles. And because Soup. Its just so Nourishing, and yet so Cleansing after months of eating heavy winter foods. Nettles are packed with nutrients so they strengthen your entire body, build bones, thicken hair & nails, reduce inflammation, improve immunity.
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When picking nettles, you won’t get stung so often if you sing to them. One of my teachers Susun Weed taught us this nettles song: The spirit of the plants has come to me in the form of a beautiful dancing green woman. Her eyes fill me with peace. Her dance fills me with peace.
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Although the last batch I picked I sang the Go-Gos. Whatever song pops into your head.
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Pick your nettles before they start making seeds. I cut the tops, because they will continue growing. I tell the nettles I am giving them a haircut. I use the scissors to pick up the nettles after they have been cut and have gracefully fall to the ground. Or I cut the nettles right next to my basket so that they fall directly into my basket after they have been cut. This method, plus singing, rarely results in getting stung by a nettle.
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Once home, I let the nettles sit on the porch awhile so the bugs can crawl away. Then I cut off the leaves. Use the stems as fertilizer for the garden. Then soak the leaves in water to wash away any dirt or dust.
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When I make Nettles Soup I don’t measure the ingredients, the recipe changes with every batch. But basically it includes leek, carrot, potato, butter, chicken broth and as much nettle leaves as I can stuff into the pot.
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I did however write down measurements for this latest batch: 100g organic butter, 1 leek, 2 cloves garlic, 2 carrots, 2 small potatos, 1 stalk celery, 200g nettle leaves, 3L chicken broth, salt & pepper. Cook the chopped leek, garlic, celery in butter till soft in a big pot. Add broth, carrots, potatos and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium, cover with lid and cook until veggies are soft. Then add nettles, lower heat to low, cover and cook about 20 minutes. Add salt & pepa and push it good. Turn off heat and let it cool to room temperature. Then puree in a blender. Enjoy! Extra soup can be stored in the freezer so you can enjoy during winter.

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Dandelion Shots

Did you know that Dandelion is one of the strongest & most commonly used herbs in Chinese Medicine? Pu Gong Ying is the Chinese name. Dandelion strongly cools heat & clears toxicity from the body. Heat toxins can manifest in the body as red skin eruptions, acne, sores, cysts on the skin or breast abscesses, red or painful swollen eyes, vaginal infections, urinary infections. Dandelion is used to help cool & clear these heat toxins from the body. Dandelion also directs energy downward, promoting urination, and clearing heat via the urine. In fact the french name for Dandelion is Pissenlit, which means “Pee in bed”. Since Dandelion is so diuretic, Dandelion should not be taken long-term by people who have low blood pressure.
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In Chinese Medicine Dandelion is usually combined with other herbs as part of a tea formula but fresh Dandelion leaf & flowers can also be ground into a juice, warmed and drank with a touch of honey. I call this a Dandelion Shot. Just grind up dandelion leaf & flowers in a blender with a little water then pour into ice cube trays & freeze for later use. Then when I need dandelions cooling detoxifying medicine, I can put a cube in a tea cup, add hot water & honey, then drink. A cube of Dandelion puree can also be added to soups to increase the nutritional and medicinal value of the soup. Large doses of Dandelion over many days may cause mild diarrhea, but otherwise Dandelion is a safe medicinal food. Enjoy!

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Dandelion Flower Salve

Dandelion Flower Salve… I first learned about Dandelion Salve from the book Practical Herbs by Henriette Kress. She recommends Dandelion Oil or Salve to help relax neck & back muscles that are tight due to tense emotions. I’ve also intuitively been applying Dandelion Flower Salve to the solar plexus of my acupuncture clients who exhibit symptoms of deficiency in their Earth element (Stomach & Spleen) such as Overthinking, Weak Digestion, Bloating, Excessive Mucous, Fatigue.
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Dandelion flowers are bright yellow solar radiance, and the color associated with the Earth element (Stomach & Spleen) is yellow. Dandelions are quite bitter, and the bitter flavor stimulates the Rest & Digest mode of our nervous system, helping us to relax, digest & assimilate food as well as information that we ingest. We can absorb these properties from the herbal salve into our body. I have also found that Dandelion Flower Salve helps soften & moisten dry cracked feet, which is a common symptom here in Finland.
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Recipe for Dandelion Flower Salve: collect dandelion flowers & spread them on a sheet to dry for a few weeks, or dry in a dehydrator or sauna. Make sure they are totally dry. Fill a pot with dried dandelion flowers. Add oil (I like sesame oil) to cover the dandelion flowers. There should be enough flowers in the pot that if you put a knife in the pot it can stand up by itself without falling over. Place this pot inside another pot with water, or a double-boiler. Bring water to boil, then lower heat to simmer for 2 hours. Keep adding water to the bottom pot as the water evaporates. Make sure that water in the bottom pot does not splash up into the oil flower mixture in the top pot. Occasionally stir your flowers & oil with a clean dry spoon. After 2 hours remove the pot from the double boiler & let it cool for 30 minutes. Wipe off any water from the outside of the pot. Strain the oil. Then mix 750 ml dandelion oil with 100g beeswax in a pot. Place this pot in another pot with water, or double boiler. Stir until beeswax is melted. Once the beeswax is melted test the consistency by dipping a frozen spoon into the oil. (A frozen spoon is a spoon that has been sitting in the freezer for awhile). The oil will harden on the spoon. Rub the hardened oil from the spoon between your fingers. If the oil is too hard, then add a little more dandelion oil to the pot. If the oil is too oily, then add a little more beeswax to the pot. Test the consistency again with another frozen spoon. Once you are pleased with the consistency, pour the oil beeswax combo into small containers. I add a drop of vitamin E to each container to help prevent rancidity. Let the salves totally cool & harden before you put the lids on the containers. Enjoy!

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Pine Bark Bread & Juniper Berry Butter

Pine Bark Bread & Juniper Berry Butter …. It’s still snowing here in Finland and I imagine this is the time when people would eat Pine Bark Bread. Perhaps their flour supply was running low at the end of winter and adding pine bark to bread recipes helps stretch the flour to last longer. Or perhaps they just like the taste.
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Yes it tastes really good, like a fresh Pine Forest. And when paired with Juniper Berry Butter the flavor transports you to the center of a boreal forest. This really tastes like Lapland to me, deep rich earthy northern forest.
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These recipes are adapted from the Sami Elder, Laila Spik. Kiitos to Laila Spik for sharing these traditional Sami recipes in her book The Reindeer Recipe Book.
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Juniper Butter: 200g butter, 1/4 small yellow onion, 2 cloves garlic crushed, 10 Juniper berries. Place ingredients in blender, blend until smooth. Keep refrigerated.
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Pine Bark Bread: 200ml Pine Bark flour, 900ml whole grain flour (I used rye), 1 tsp salt, 400ml cold water. To make Pine Bark flour remove loose pieces of bark from pine tree, first ask the tree and say Thank You if they say Yes. I only took 1 small piece of bark from each tree because I dont want to harm the tree. Allow bark to dry. Grind into a fine powder. Sieve to remove any large pieces. Then preheat oven to hottest setting. Mix all ingredients to form a dough. Roll onto very thin sheet, prick with a fork. Cut into bite sized pieces. Place on lightly oiled pan. Bake for 3 minutes. Flip the bread over after 2 minutes. Remove from oven and serve with Juniper Butter, YUM!

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Lacto-Fermented Pickles

Lacto-Fermented Veggies & Herbs… Did you know that there are gazillions of tiny lactobacilli that cover the surface of all living things? These lactobacilli are alchemists that do magic. They convert starches present in foods into lactic-acid-producing bacteria that help preserve food. This is one way that folks preserved food before refrigerators were invented. Lacto-fermented foods are also more easily digested as they contain many helpful enzymes, have increased vitamin levels, & promote the growth of healthy gut flora in the intestines.
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Folks all over the world have lacto-fermented foods in their traditional diet. Saurkraut, kimchi, salsa, pickles, relish, chutney, are just some of the more well-known lacto-fermented foods sold in stores. BUT nowadays what is sold in stores is usually not lacto-fermented. You can tell by looking at the ingredients. Water, salt or whey is all that is needed to lacto-ferment. And lacto-fermented veggies taste so much better because subtle flavors are enhanced, you can taste the freshness & vitality of the food. So find an artisinal lacto-fermented company who does it right or do it yourself.
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Here is a recipe for Lacto-fermented Carrots.. Ingredients: 4 cups tightly packed carrots (washed & very thinly sliced or grated), 1 TBSP grated ginger, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 2 TBSP salt, 1 quart water. Directions: Stuff the carrots & ginger into clean dry jar. Dry roast the seeds until they pop. Pour seeds over carrots & ginger. Mix salt in water to form a brine. Pour brine over carrots & ginger. Make certain the carrots & ginger stay submerged under the brine. Fill brine to top of jar. Place jar in a large bowl to catch any liquid that spills out during fermentation. I like to put a clean glass or a piece of plastic wrap on top of the brine, then pour more brine on top of the plastic wrap, to ensure that no air will touch the carrots or ginger. Seal the jar tightly. Leave on counter at room temperature. On Day 2 open the jar to release any gases then reseal. You can start eating the carrots now if you want. But the longer you wait, the more flavorful the carrots will be. After 3 weeks remove the glass or plastic wrap, seal and put jar in refrigerator to slow down fermentation & preserve the flavor. Enjoy!

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Tonic Herb Bone Broth

Tonic Herb Bone Broth… It’s still snowing here in Finland. Winters are long & one way to build immunity & strength during the neverending cold season is by making a pot of herb bone broth every week from your leftover meat or fish bones with some tonic herbs, then drink the broth throughout the week. I think everyone used to make tonic bone broths back in the day, but modern lifestyle has gotten away from it. Let our food be our medicine.
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Bones are simmered with water & vinegar for a long time (10-24 hours) to extract the minerals, cartilage, marrow, gelatin in a form that is easy to absorb & assimilate. Bone broths made from bones of free range animals have been used to treat many types of chronic ailments. If you eat meat, don’t waste the bones & throw them away! Those bones are good medicine.
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It is not necessary to add herbs to your bone broths, but why not? They add flavor, nutrition & medicinal properties. I change the herbs every week, depending on how I’m feeling. But I usually add tonic roots such as Codonopsis, Siberian Ginseng, Astragalus, Dang Gui Angelica Root. I add Reishi Mushroom, known as the Herb of Immortality in Chinese Medicine. I always add Goji Berries & Jujube fruit, which are Blood Tonics. Other tonic herbs I add: Jiagulan, Oatstraw, Nettle Seeds. I usually add Nettle leaves, Goatpipe, Rosehips, Hawthorne berries. You only need half to one TBSP of each herb. If it’s a delicious tasting herb like nettles, goatpipe or goji berries then add as much as you like. I also add Carrot, Celery, Onion, Garlic, Ginger for flavor.
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Here is my recipe for Tonic Herb Chicken Bone Broth: bones from 1 free range chicken (skin removed), 2 TBSP vinegar, 2 chopped carrots, 2 chopped celery sticks, 4 cloves garlic chopped, 1 inch piece of ginger chopped, half an onion chopped, herbs of your choice, 3 Liters water. Directions: Place all ingredients into a 3 Liter sized pot. Bring to a boil, remove foam that rises to the top. Reduce heat to low, cover & simmer 10-24 hours. The longer you simmer, the richer it will be. As the broth simmers, the water will evaporate and the broth becomes richer and thicker. After cooking, strain broth into another pot. Broth stays good about 5 days in refrigerator. You can use this broth as a base for soups or just drink it warm in a tea mug. After drinking a cup, you will certainly feel warm and revitalized. Enjoy!

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Warming Chocolate Herbal Snowballs

When you want a sweet, warming, energizing chocolate treat but don’t want sugar.
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Why no sugar? When I was 20 years old I stopped eating refined sugar, because sugar felt totally addictive to me. Instead of refined sugar, my sweets now contain honey, maple syrup or fruit. These whole food sweeteners are just as satisfying, and I dont have that addictive out-of-control craving that I get with sugar. Plus honey, maple syrup and fruit contain many nutrients, vitamins & minerals.
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If I do eat sugar during a holiday, that re-starts the sugar-cravings again and it takes a few difficult days to kick the craving. So the solution for me is that I do not keep sugar in my house, and I try to always have some treats available that are made from honey, maple syrup or fruit.
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If you struggle with sugar cravings, I recommend that you try this approach too. It has worked quite well for me for 28 years, and it might work well for you too. Don’t keep sugar in your house, and substitute honey or maple syrup or fruit in your recipes instead of sugar.
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Here is my recipe for these Warming Chocolate Herbal Snowballs. (This recipe was adapted from Rosemary Gladstars Zoom Balls & Rosalee dela Forets Date Treats recipes)…. Ingredients: 125 g pitted chopped dates, 20g maca powder, 10g bee pollen, 1 TBSP cocoa powder, 1/3 cup coconut flakes, 1/8 cup tahini, 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla powder, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, pinch of Sea salt. Directions: soak dates in hot water for 30 minutes, then strain dates. Place all ingredients in blender or food processor. Blend until a paste is formed. If using a blender, add a little water to help form the paste. Chill in refrigerator 30 minutes. Roll the paste into small balls, then roll balls in coconut. Keep refrigerated. Before eating, let the balls sit in room temperature so that they aren’t cold. Eat within 1 week. Enjoy!


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Nerve Soothe Tea

Meanwhile in the forest on the edge of town, the little tonttu & creatures gathered to discuss the matter at hand. A great cloud of Anxiety had descended over the Human Realm. The giant, dark flying creature known as Korona swooped over the towns beating her large black wings, inciting fear in the humans.

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The tonttu & forest creatures, being sensitive souls, sensed the anxiety in the humans, and their hearts felt compassion & they wished to help.
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So they visited Noita (witch) and asked her for advice. Noita looked up at the moon, then closed her eyes in reflection. She knew in her bones that this time was a dark night of the soul for humanity. A time to journey within, to separate from distractions, to question the meaning of life, to appreciate the preciousness of All life. Noita knew this was a very difficult journey. And Noita knew that humans would need allies, to help support & nourish them. Precious plant allies.
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Noita prepared a Nerve Soothe Tea to offer to the humans. This tea contains warming uplifting Holy Basil, cooling Melissa, nourishing Milky Oat Pods, delightful Rose petals & moistening Licorice. Holy Basil, also known as Tulsi, has been a sacred ally to humanity for over 3000 years. An adaptogenic herb that helps the body adapt to stress, reduce anxiety, improve sleep, clear mental fog & lift the mood. Tulsi is antimicrobial & treats viruses like cold, flu & helps expectorate mucous from the lungs. Tulsi also improves digestion, reduces pain, reduces high blood sugar, reduces cholesterol & lowers stress-related high blood pressure. A true ally to humanity. Benefits are felt when Tulsi is drank daily. Enjoy! .. Not recommended for pregnancy or those currently trying to conceive.
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Tulsi’s health claims are backed up by studies cited in the book Alchemy of Herbs by Rosalee DeLa Foret. Tonttu lovingly handcrafted by Taru Kolehmainen Lehtomäki.

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Pleasant Dreams Tea

Sweep, sweep, sweep away the mighty thoughts, giants who’ve taken residence in the mind, big strong thoughts pulling tension up the body, all that constant thinking & over-thinking. Sweep it away. With Lavender, the broom of the brain. Softly softened now with Chamomile & Linden. Mystical Hyssop & Heather. And settling down into the body with Wood Betony & Verbena.
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Pleasant Dreams is a tea I formulated to help bring energy down from the over-thinking head into the sensing body. I drink this tea in the daytime or evening if I feel nervous or anxious, and it helps take the edge off, helps my shoulders relax and helps me to breathe more deeply and slowly.
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This tea is not strongly sedating, but gently calming. A tea to help transition from Up in the Head, to Down in the Body, from hyperactive linear thoughts to pleasant dream space… Enjoy.

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Rosehip Cinnamon & Sea Buckthorn Ginger Vitamin C Balls

Rosehip Cinnamon Vitamin C Balls & Sea Buckthorn Ginger Vitamin C Balls…. We tend to think of Oranges as THE food highest in Vitamin C. But Rosehips & Sea Buckthorn berries are a much richer source of Vitamin C. And they grow locally here in Finland.
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An Orange contains 53 mg Vitamin C per 100 grams. Fresh Rosehips contain up to 1157 mg Vitamin C per 100 grams (23x more vitamin C than Orange). Fresh Sea Buckthorn berries contain 400 mg Vitamin C per 100 grams (8x more vitamin C than Orange).
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Dried powdered Rosehips contain 500 mg Vitamin C per 100 grams (10x more vitamin C than Orange). And dried Sea Buckthorn berries contain 140 mg per 100 grams (nearly 3x more vitamin C than Orange).
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Rosehips & Sea Buckthorn berries also contain many other vitamins, minerals & nutrients, not only vitamin C. And nutrients are more bioavailable, more easily absorbed, when they are eaten as whole food instead of isolated in a pill.

These little herbal balls are easy to make and can be eaten as a snack or added to a cup of tea to sweeten & give an added nutritional boost.
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Recipe for Rosehip Cinnamon Balls: 4 TBSP Rosehip powder, 1/8 tsp Cinnamon powder, Rose petal infused honey, 2 TBSP Cranberry powder (optional for decoration). Mix the powders in a bowl. Add 1 tsp of Rose Honey & stir. Then add another tsp of honey & stir. Continue adding a tsp of honey at a time, until a thick dough consistency is reached. Then form little balls and roll the balls in Cranberry powder for a nice pink-red finishing touch. Place balls on a plate and then put in the refrigerator for a few hours. I recommend keeping them refrigerated in a container so that they stay more firm, but its not necessary. The flavors of Rosehips, Rose Honey, Cinnamon and Cranberry are a warm, sweet yummy combination that feels perfect in Autumn.
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The recipe for Sea Buckthorn Ginger Balls is the same, except the ingredients are 4 TBSP Sea Buckthorn powder, 1/8 tsp Ginger powder, Honey. You can also use Ginger infused honey instead of Ginger powder. And after forming the balls, roll them in Sea Buckthorn powder for a nice orange finishing color. I like mixing the tart flavor of Sea Buckthorn with the pungent flavor of Ginger, it has a nice kick to it. Enjoy!

*Nutritional information cited in this post was taken from a study done by Tehran University of Medical Sciences and published in the Iranian Journal of Public Health, “Ascorbic Acid Content of Rose Hip Fruit Depending On Altitude”. And a 2008 study published in the Journal of Food Science 73(9):C615-20 “Vitamin C Content of Sea Buckthorn Berries”.

Sea Buckthorn Berries
Dried Rosehips