Jocelyn Campbell

When we were kids my dad made us a three story Barbie/doll house out of wood. It even had a Swiss chalet style deck, a fancy sloped roof, and stairs. It was far better than the pink plastic crap houses from the store.

My mom loved to make things out of papier-mâché so she used cardboard tubes from oatmeal or toilet paper, plus cardboard boxes from Velveeta cheese, etc. as the base forms for the Barbie house furniture. The couch even had 1970's purple and brown plaid fabric glued on as "upholstery" that even covered some actual foam cushioning for the seat of the couch.

Since I grew up in the suburbs of Seattle, Seafair is (was?) a big deal with hydroplane races on Lake Washington (the 25-mile long lake that separates Seattle from the suburbs where I grew up). One of our favorite toys was made out of a scrap of wood cut out in a hydroplane shape. Neighborhood kids would use a rope to tie the hydro to the backs of their bikes and drag them on the ground behind their bikes in fast pedaling hydro races!

There were loads of doll clothes sewn by my mom, too.

Then, for my kids, my parents made a play tipi which was a HUGE hit! They sourced the wooden poles, drilled holes and fastened them together just so. Plus it had a natural colored canvas covering cut and sewn to fit by my mom, along with actual leather lacing to tie things together in all the right places. My mom even made a circular fleece mat that doubled as a slumber bag that was the perfect size for inside the tipi. The canvas covering was lost, but the poles were still intact and went to my daughter for my grandson. My daughter has been sewing a new canvas cover for the poles which is pretty awesome.

A fishing vest sounds absolutely brilliant.

If you want a BIG pocket up front for harvesting, foraging or gathering of mulch, etc. I like the roo gardening apron.

https://permies.com/t/47911/Roo-Gardening-Apron


Shameless pic of my daughter wearing the one I sent her, using the front pouch to hold some of her cucumber starts so she has a hand free carry wine into her garden!


Also, because I think it's funny and ridiculous, and sort of, maybe, could be modified for something more practical, there is such a thing as a teacup holster.


(source on Etsy)

Tori Randall wrote:I've made this lentil "meat"loaf a couple of times and it's delicious. Perfect for Thanksgiving. https://veganheaven.org/recipe/vegan-thanksgiving-lentil-loaf/

Welcome to the forums, Tori - that looks like a great version of a lentil loaf!

Jocelyn Campbell wrote:Blends.

When folks are fighting off something, I combine a variety of things depending on their symptoms. If you add honey or stevia, almost any combo will work.

For example, for a respiratory cold/flu: mullein, oregon grape root, chamomile, rose hips, strawberry leaf, nettle leaf.

Your mullein chocolate mint combo, Vida, reminds me of a tea I had at a restaurant and then attempted to recreate at home. It was called "chocolate safari" though I can't remember the brand or company. It's ingredients were cocoa nibs, rooibos tea, mint and stevia. Somehow, I didn't grind the cocoa nibs enough, so then I added cocoa powder and it was better. Left the stevia out so folks could sweeten as they please. Fun! (The jar ran out when Erica Wisner was last here and I think she had fun concocting the next batch for us. )

Here, we have a brand of teas called Montana Tea and Spice. While they are local, they aren't organic and they contain stevia which some folks don't like. So I started using our bulk organic tea supplies to create our own versions. See the attached .pdf of their tea blend ingredients from the catalog on their website. (If you don't want to try to copy their blends, please order from them, because they do make excellent teas!)

The two I've recreated so far are Montana Gold and Evening in Missoula. Personally, I find that adding stevia makes the flavors "pop" a bit more in my homemade versions of these blends, but I imagine honey, or other sweeteners would do the same.

Someone asked for my recipes for these blends I've recreated. All ingredients are, of course, dried. Plus, these measurements are based on purchased, cut and sifted herbs commercially available. If using home dried herbs, you might need to make sure yours are crushed evenly to a cut and sifted type of density or increase your measurements for a larger, less dense dried leaf size. I use all organic or homegrown organic ingredients for the most nutritive tea possible.

If you do make your own, organic blend, it might be fun to make extra to give as a gift!

Montana Gold-ish
A lovely, warming blend, perfect for fall and winter. Though I actually like it year-round.
Also, I typically do not like rooibos, but I like it in this blend. Somehow, it's just the perfect base for these spices.
Note:  even if you don't like powdered or liquid stevia, you might like the dried *leaf* of stevia in this.
1 cup rooibos
1 cup cinnamon stick pieces (crush or break up cinnamon sticks)
1 tsp ground cloves
3 T. orange peel
1/2 cup stevia leaves

Optional
If adding both lemon flavored items, maybe use the lesser quantity of each.
I forgot to write down my quantities on these, so add to your taste or liking.
2 T. to 1/4 cup lemon grass, optional
2 T. to 1/4 cup lemon balm, optional
1/4 cup nettle, optional

Evening in Missoula-ish
One "part" could be a teaspoon, a tablespoon, a quarter cup, whatever quantity works for you. To make a huge batch of the blend, I would use 1/4 cup measure for one part.
The original from Montana Tea and Spice included stevia, cherry bark, and wintergreen, but this blend has so much flavor on its own that I typically didn't add the stevia leaf. This was also so that folks could sweeten to their own tastes instead of having it pre-sweetened with the stevia. And I usually didn't have the cherry bark or wintergreen. It was lovely and complex and similar enough without those two ingredients. The vanilla powder is optional as well, but it really brings the flavor up similar to the one you can buy.
1 part chamomile
1 part rose hips
2 parts lemon grass
1 part nettle leaf
2 parts peppermint
2 parts spearmint
1 part raspberry leaf
1 part strawberry leaf
1 part lavender
1 part red clover
2 parts lemon peel
1/4 part ground anise
1/4 part vanilla powder

Optional additions:
(?) part cherry bark
(?) part wintergreen
(?) part stevia leaf

I'd love to hear how these work for you.

I love a hazelnut, rice/quinoa, and sautéed veg stuffed squash for a winter holiday meal, but this one just might be on the menu for vegan family members some time soon.

https://www.thewondersmith.com/blog/2020-firroastmushrooms

I recently learned Glechoma hederacea has medicinal properties good for the respiratory system. Haven't tried or used it myself but just thought I'd mention it.

zurcian braun wrote:Wow these are all awesome responses, thank you! Excited to know that chaga has a home over here too.

Jocelyn, do you make tea with the whole roots of Oregon grape?

Yes, unpeeled, dried root pieces. Though usually never on its own. I'll make an immune support herbal tea blend with things like elderberries, rose hips, feverfew, ginger, lemon, mullein, along *with* the Oregon grape. The other items help hide its not so great flavor.

Rose hips! Those are hard to forage for here because they tend to turn to mush, but they are one of my all time favorite tea components as well.

Yarrow is a great antimicrobial, too, though it might taste even worse in tea than Oregon grape. YMMV.

I agree that roasted dandelion root on its own is rather awesome! Sometimes I'll add some hazelnut or toffee flavored stevia to roasted dandelion root tea and it tastes like a caramel tea - a fun treat!

One of my favorite medicinal tea ingredient is Oregon Grape - here west of Cascades it's usually Mahonia aquilfolia. Though it's quite bitter. Not typically used for it's flavor, but it's powerful anti-microbial action.

Sonja, some days DO feel like that!

And then there are feelings like this: