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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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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

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Yellow Dock Seed Vinegar & Yellow Dock Root Tea

Yellow Dock, Poimuhierakka, Rumux crispus… A bitter, cooling, classic herb for Building Blood & Clearing Heat. Yellow Dock is nutritive, her roots attract iron & minerals from the soil and she helps your body to better absorb iron & nutrients from your food. She is an ally for those with anemia. But unlike iron pills which cause constipation, Yellow Dock is mildly laxative and treats constipation. Her laxative effect is partly due to the small amounts of anthriquinone glycosides that she contains. And unlike other herbs used for constipation (such as Senna or Cascara Sagrada), she will not cause cramping or dependency. She cools the intestines & helps clear out heat and inflammation that accumulates in the intestines. She is an effective ally for SIBO, Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth. Yellow Dock also treats chronic constipation & bloating by toning & strengthening intestines that are tired & weak. Do not use if pregnant, unless Dr says its ok. Also, use cautiously if you have a history of oxalate kidney stones because Yellow Dock does contain small amounts of oxalic acid.
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Yellow Dock is also beneficial for Clearing Heat from the Blood that manifests as chronic hot dry skin disorders. Heat in the Blood can cause your skin to be dry, itchy, red or form boils, skin cysts, acne, shingles.
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Yellow Dock is an Alterative. Alteratives assist organs of elimination (kidneys, bowels, liver, gallbladder, lungs, skin) to eliminate more efficiently so that you can absorb nutrients better.
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Yellow Dock helps you to literally release & let go of waste, so that you are better able to receive nourishment. She works deeply at the Blood level. She clears out toxic heat, she is Cool like that. She is a common weed, over-looked, and under appreciated. She is an Amazing Ally.
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Her roots and seeds are collected in the Autumn. Yellow Dock Root tea is my favorite way to give her. 1-2 teaspoons root per cup of water. You can decoct (boil) or simply steep for 15 minutes or longer. Tincture works ok, but tea works better. 1 or 2 cups of tea per day. Feel free to sweeten your Yellow Dock Root Tea with blackstrap molasses for an added boost of iron.
Yellow Dock seeds can be made into vinegar. The seeds have a similar yet much more mild effect as the root. Fill a jar 3/4 full with brown seeds, chaff & all. Fill jar with apple cider vinegar. Cap the jar with a glass or plastic lid. If your lid is metal then put a piece of plastic wrap in between the lid and jar. (Vinegar will cause metal lids to rust.) Store in a dark cabinet. Shake periodically. Wait 6 weeks, strain into a lovely glass bottle. Enjoy on cooked veggies, salads, or take a teaspoon a few times a day as a nutritional blood-building supplement. Tastes Delicious!

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Yarrow & Suopursu Tick-Mosquito Repellant

This summer I experimented with a tick-mosquito repellant that I made from tinctures of Suopursu (Rhododendron tomentosum, old genus name: Ledum) & Yarrow. It was put to the test because I was in the forest for weeks & biting insects up here are no joke. I’ve heard that mosquitos are referred to as Finlands Airforce? I can say that this spray worked pretty good. No ticks. And the mosquitos mostly stay away for about 1 hour. Then its time to re-apply. I sprayed this on top of my shoes, clothes, hat. I also sprayed it in the air when I was outside washing dishes or sitting on the porch. Careful not to get into eyes or on sensitive skin. Definitely do Not use on children or pregnant women or those who have a weakened constitution. Suopurso contains ledol, a volatile compound that is toxic in large doses when ingested internally. The amount of ledol in each plant varies greatly depending on the region where it grows. There are even related species growing in other parts of the world that are safely consumed as medicinal tea & spice. But I recommend that its better to be safe, and Not take Suopurso internally. The amount of ledol may be at a low safe level in one region, and at a toxic level in another region. Suopursu’s volatile oil has a narcotic effect that gives some a headache, and for others feels euphoric. Personally I love the heavy musky scents of Suopursu & Yarrow and I even spray it to clear the energy of a room. Yarrow is an ancient protector & healer of wounds. Suopursu dances between the seen & unseen worlds. An interesting alliance. To make: combine equal parts tinctures of Suopursu & Yarrow. Tinctures are made the folk method: fill a jar with fresh herb, cover in vodka, put a lid on, let sit for 6 weeks or more in the cupboard, shake the jar occasionally, strain. My tinctures were made last summer & infused for 10 month so they were extra potent! And the potency of these 2 herbs definitely helped keep the ticks & mosquitos away. If you do not have access to Suopursu then a spray bottle of a simple tincture of yarrow is a great tick repellant.

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Backyard Herbal Vinegar

Backyard Herbal Vinegar.. Plants and ‘weeds’ that grow around your home are often the friends you need most. One way I love to bring these plants inside is by infusing them in apple cider vinegar. Vinegar is one of the best ways to absorb minerals in plants, better than alcohol tinctures. According to Herbalist Henriette Kress, just 1-3 tsp of mineral-rich herbal vinegar will meet your mineral requirements for the day. Plus you taste the flavors of the local plants that grow around you!
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Different plants produce different colors & flavors, and every batch is unique & special in its own way. I add herb infused vinegars to cooked vegetables because vinegar helps to digest food better, especially if you have low stomach acid or sluggish digestion. And I also mix them with oil for salads. So your food tastes better, is easier to digest, and you are getting that days mineral requirements met by the local plants instead of buying vitamin pills. Herbs that are especially high in minerals include nettles, raspberry leaf, horsetail & ladys mantle. The herbs in this particular batch featured here in this photo include: violet leaf & flower, strawberry leaf & flower, maple leaf & flower, black currant leaf & flower, dandelion leaf & flower, birch leaf, wood sorrel, yarrow, lemmikki flower, ground ivy, nettles.
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Directions: Firstly, always make 100% certain of proper plant identification & only pick plants that grow in a clean area with no chemicals sprayed. Rinse any dirt off the herbs, pat them dry with a clean paper towel, and let them wilt for several hours to let some of their water content evaporate. Then chop the herbs to release their scent & flavor. Loosely fill your clean jar with the herbs. Do not over-stuff or cram the jar with herbs because you don’t want the vinegar to become too dilute from the water content of fresh herbs. Fill the jar with apple cider vinegar. Tightly cap the jar, label it with the date and names of herbs. The lid of the jar should be glass or plastic because vinegar will corrode a metal lid. Put in the refrigerator for 2-4 weeks. Shake daily. Then strain into a clean bottle with a tight lid. Label it. Keep refrigerated and use within 6 months. Enjoy! ..

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Rose & Lilac Infused Honey

The taste of fresh rose & lilac infused honey is something you will never forget. Sooooo delicious, like nectar for a floral goddess. And so simple to make. Roses are edible, and different species have different scents and flavors, so feel free to experiment. Just make sure that the roses are growing in a clean place with no chemicals being sprayed on them. Do not use roses from the store as those have been sprayed. And same with lilacs, they are edible. And some species taste better than others.

Pull the petals off the rose and use only the petals. With lilacs, pull the purple flowers off the stem and just use the purple flower. You can make rose infused honey or lilac infused honey or combine them together to make rose-lilac infused honey. All taste delicious. Place the fresh picked roses petals & lilac flowers gently into a clean jar, cover with honey, and let sit for at least a few days or longer at room temperature. No need to strain as the petals are edible. Although I have also removed the petals and dried them on the lowest setting in the oven to make rose ‘candies’ and lilac ‘candies’. You can add these floral infused honeys to ice cream or desserts or teas. Sometimes you just want to taste a spoonful directly from the jar because the taste is so yummy. Floral infused honeys can also be added to oxymels & elixirs. And given as gifts to friends & family. Enjoy!

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Birch Leaf Rieska

Making Rieska has become a Springtime tradition since I discovered how simple and easy it is to make these delicious traditional Finnish potato breads. I experiment with adding different springtime herbs such as nettle, ground ivy or dandelion. Birch leaf is one of my favorites because the flavor of young birch leaves is so refreshing and just tastes very ‘Finnish’ to me.

Here is the recipe for Birch Leaf Rieska: 2 tsp young birch leaves chopped, 300g mashed potato, 1 egg, 100g flour. Mix together and form small round flat pancakes on an oiled baking sheet. Bake at 220C for 15 minutes. Enjoy!