Muma Medicine Making

Sage has a wonderful little circle of friends. Each one of the children is unique and so sweet. Yesterday, we had scheduled a playdate at little Ayla's home. Upon waking, I checked my phone and turns out all of the children invited except one had a cold with similar symptoms. We decided to get them together anyway and of course it was a mess. They were genuinely trying to have fun but you could tell there was a case of the yuckies abound. When I got home, I got out my trusty old Rosemary Gladstar book, Herbal Remedies for Children's Health. I had not made homemade medicines since Kaiden was small, and Sage had not really had any sickness yet in his short life. This book always inspires me. So this morning I gathered up the ingredients to make a few simple healing remedies so Sage will hopefully ward off the nasties. With winter right around the corner, there is no doubt I will be needing some remedies on hand.Thankfully I am still breastfeeding, so I can regulate what goes into my milk and make sure I'm taking in immune boosting items that will go to him also! One of my favorites is organic chicken based soup, vegetarians can do miso.

Medicine making for me has been part of my mothering style since day one. I am not huge fan of anything that comes from an unknown source and has multiple possible side affects like tylenol or the like. I feel like masking symptoms helps us cope when we need to get through the day, but rarely is it addressing the underlying conditions. So I feel better knowing I'm going to nourish the yuckies away and help my kiddo feel better with simple natural remedies that are safe for him. Note that many plants and "natural" remedies are NOT meant for children, so NEVER give your child any medicine or remedy that you are unsure about. I do not claim to be a doctor, but I do believe mother's are able to make solid and sound health choices for their families with proper research and experience. For me, medicine making comes from my love of plants, nature, and crafting, along with my many years of practicing herbal medicine on my own and with friends and mentors. I have listed a few remedy recipes that are easy and really do make a difference in healing.So- here's to the medicine making mama in all of us....Cheers to a happy, healthy, and handmade childhood!

Elderberry and Rosehip Immunity Syrup

(my own recipe adapted from Rosemary Gladstar)

Elderberry is an extremely popular children's cold remedy in Europe. If you are going to make this syrup, only use blue elderberries, as the red ones are toxic in large quantities. Also make sure to never eat uncooked elderberries. Rosehips are high in vitamin C and can also soothe fussiness if a child is coming down with something.

1 c. fresh or 1/2 c. dried elderberries ( I use dried since they do not grow around here in CO)
1/2 c. fresh or 1/4 c. dried rosehips
3 c. water

1 c. honey

Place berries and water in saucepan and simmer for 45 minutes on low-medium heat.Smash berries and strain through fine wire strainer into bowl filled with honey. Mix honey and berry juice vigorously for 1 minute, place in jars, and keep in the fridge for up to 3 months. Makes 2 ~ 8 oz. bottles. I like to use dropper lids, so measuring dosage is easier.

Suggested doses for children: Based on one teaspoon (60 grains) for adult dose as recommended from Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Remedies for Children's Health.

12-18 months 7 grains
18-24 months 8 grains
2-3 years 10 grains
3-4 years 12 grains
4-6 years 15 grains

Sage's Birthday Cupcakes

CARROT CUPCAKES

This recipe was adapted from one I found online. I wanted to make it a tad healthier (see parenthesis) and was more than pleased with the results. This cupcake is so moist and delicious, one little boy at Sage's party ate 4 of them! Good thing they are somewhat healthy!

HAPPY BAKING FRIENDS!

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F.

Ingredients:

4 eggs

3/4 c. oil (I used raw unrefined coconut)

3/4 c. sugar (I used rapadura or whole cane)

1 c. brown sugar

1/2 c. applesauce

1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple

3 tsp. vanilla

2 c. ww pastry flour

2 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. baking powder

1.2 tsp. salt

2 tbl. cinnamon

1 tbl. ground cloves

1 tbl. ground nutmeg

3 c. carrots

Mix dry ingredients together in bowl and set aside. Blend all other ingredients together except carrots on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Add dry ingredients into wet mixture and blend on medium speed 1-2 more minutes or until well blended. Stir in carrots. Grease tins or add cupcake liners.Fill muffin tins 1/2 full and bake for 20-24 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting. Makes 24 regular sized cupcakes. I like to use the icing recipe below and top them with toasted coconut!

Agave Cream Cheese Icing

I was trying to cut down on the amount of sugar in our cupcakes but wanted to maintain that nostalgic yummy sweetness that folks associate with cupcakes. Agave nectar worked perfectly! This recipe is a keeper and could also be used for chocolate cake, zuccini bread, in pastries, or in crepes! YUM!

3/4 c. whipping cream

1 c. cream cheese

1/4 c. coconut milk (the canned kind)

1/4 c. agave nectar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Whip cream in stand mixer or with hand mixer until light and fluffy- set aside in seperate bowl. Blend all other ingredients until smooth, then add in the whipped cream. Blend until it reaches a creamy texture. I prefer mine not so butter-like, but the longer you mix, the thicker it will get. When desired consistency is reached-use in/on your favorite recipe.

Sage's First Birthday

The Earth goes 'round the sun and Sagee is 1!
I cannot believe a year has gone by since the birth of my Sagee. I have watched him go from a little bundle of swaddled chub to a full on explorer, throwing himself down on the bed and giggling. Amazing. The fact that this year has literally flown by seems to be somehow saddening for me, as I can't help but think- what if this is it? What if no more babies? Maybe that was the last year I'll ever have an infant. I can honestly say, I appreciated almost every moment, even the ones where he was crying and I had no idea why and nothing seemed to be helping. That's what being a mama is all about- riding the wave, doing your best even if it seems like it isn't enough, giving every ounce of love possible, knowing that that moment is all you have, because soon enough a new one comes.

In preparations for Sage's party, I really wanted to make the day special for him to look back on someday since he wouldn't remember it. I crafted some homeade goodness to make his party truly "his". My first project was the ever adorable felted crown. I chose to hand sew it and not use the sewing machine, as it felt importnant to me to use my body to create this piece, to honor the gift of creation, much like my body made, nourished, and birthed my son without any plug in interventions. I chose to put a # 1 in the middle for his age and surrounded the crown with symbols that were significant to his first year: A music note, because he loves to play instruments and dance. A Mountain, since he got to travel to the mountains many times throughout the seasons and partake in their offerings (snow, water, wildflowers, dirt etc.), water drops, since he was born during a storm in the water and continued to love water, swimming, and puddle play during his first year. Lastly, a mushroom, because he is a forest child with mischeif making in his spirit and the mushroom reminds me of the little gnomes frolicking in the forest. I just cut out the shapes and used embroidery floss to sew on the symbols. I then outlined the top and sides with ric-rac, for a vintage feel, since I like things that remind me of older times.
I plan on continuing to make a crown for him every year and look forward to his input at later years on what symbols he wants on his crown.

I also made a banner using trendy fabrics and markers and hung photos from his first year on it.....it turned out somehow imperfectly nostalgic!

                                                                       

I made yummy carrot cupcakes and agave cream cheese frosting which turned out just delightful also. We topped his with a rainbow candle. Sage LOVED his first cupcake ever!

Of course, there was a torrential down pour, but there was a happiness among guests and birthday boy that emanated and proved we are adaptable. When there is a celebration to be had, nothing can really stand in the way of life's happiness. That is Sage's lesson to the world for year #1- happiness can be found anywhere...he is my little child of light, my sunshine! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SAGE!

Run Run Rudolph

O.K- we all know the song....but yesterday I began to run, the first time since the birth of my son and my nose turned red, because it was so cold. My husband laughed at me when I returned after 20 minutes and urged me to venture back out for a while. He even said the baby looked like he was having fun. This is my husband trying to tell me that 20 minutes just won't do. I know he's probably right. Cringe.

This may be one of hundreds of times I "began" to run. The following through is the part that I have trouble with. In the beginning I am motivated, even excited at moments, but eventually, I let myself fall prey to other endeavors and forget about all the benefits and reasons I should be runnning. So this time after a chance facebook encounter with one of my all time best friends, we began together unknowingly, running that is, and decided to become eachother's running cheerleaders! It has only been 2 days but already we have provided eachother with tips, songs, and inspiration. Hopefully it works, and we continue to make running a habit, but if not, at least we will at least have new memories of the time we became cyber~running buddies! LOL.

Buckwheat Tarragon Dinner Rolls

I have recently been tinkering with no knead bread recipes and found a great one that comes out tasting wonderful with a crusty outside and soft spongy inside. However, it was made with all purpose flour and did not appeal to my healthy side. So I tinkered around and tonight I finally came up with a delicious recipe that could be enjoyed as is or tweaked to satisfy your liking for fresh herbs, chocolate, fruits, nuts or what have you(see below). The savory, yet almost licorice like flavor of the tarragon added a wonderful flavor to this bread. I am so excited for spring to come so I can use all of my favorite garden herbs in this recipe!

Below is my final bread journal: Please feel free to try it, change it, and comment back to this site if you'd like! This is definitely a learning journey for me and I fully believe there are always room for improvements. Many Bread Blessings!


Prep time: 10 minutes Rise time: 2.75 hours total Bake Time: 35 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
1 c. whole wheat flour
1 3/4 c. bread flour
1/2 c. buckwheat flour
3/4 tsp. yeast
1 tsp. salt
2 tbs. chopped fresh tarragon
1 3/4 c. lukewarm water

TO BEGIN:

Mix all dry ingredients together in bowl. Add water and stir until a sticky wet dough forms. It only took about a minute for this to happen. You should see no flour lurking.

NEXT:

Cover with a towel and let rise for 2 hours

After dough has risen, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add 3 cups of water into an oven friendly dish and set on bottom rack of oven. I use a corning wear dish for this.

Sprinkle a little flour on top of the dough and shape dough into rolls, baguettes, loaves, or other shapes. You can also save a portion of the dough and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

After dough is shaped, cover again, and let rise for 45 minutes.

Then slice the top of the dough a few times. I did not slice these rolls, but you can see they began to burst out the bottom-oops!

Now bake for 35 minutes. Remove from oven and enjoy!!! YUM! It should be noted that this bread does not keep well- it is best enjoyed straight from the oven.

Other fun ingredients to add in:

Rosemary, lemon, chocolate and hazelnut, cranberry and pecan, sunflower seed, basil, thyme, chive and bacon, lemon balm, marjoram, sage, or make your own combination.

The Greening of Winter

                                                                       
I have been pushing myself to get outdoors lately- to bundle up Sage in wooley hats and fleece mittens and hope his cheeks do not turn red with shivers. I look up at the grand mountain grey and dreary, looming over the western side of town, clouds draped around it like steam rising from my cocoa cup. I cringe at the wind that brushes and tingles my face when I attempt to trek forth through my village. My motivation is the sun, whose warmth, although subtle brings a glimmer of hope, of happiness amongst the bitter blusters of late fall. After a quick jaunt around the block, I go to water my greens in the greenhaus and again am reminded of the sun, whose warmth melts the midnight's frost each day and keeps the greens from perishing. There is life! There is warmth! There is hope! In a tiny 8ft. x 5 ft. little haus behind my home I can be thankful for winter, for the life that manages to hang on through winter's song, through windy nights, and subtle sun. Those greens of spinach, kale, mesculin, mache, tatsoi, chard, and lettuce are so full of vitality, of strength, and sweetness that only winter's spell could bring!

MUMACITA- THE REBIRTH

After not posting for over 2 years and accidentally stumbling upon my blog, I read, reflected, and decided that a more appropriate title was Mumacita. Why? It just came to me. Somehow Mumacita just fit and stuck. It's simple, inspiring, and fun. Plus, I have so many mummy related items I'd like to post in the next few months that I am ecstatic about embodying and embracing the mum in myself and my life. I recently gave birth to my second child, Sage Wilder Bowan. It has been amazing to once again have the opportunity to go through the whole birth process and to have a wee one who depends on me for everything. 10 years after the birth of Kaiden, I started over, I gave Re-birth! Mumacita is an ode to my RE-birth, and the continuing evolution of myself as a parent, wife, and human. My goal is to use this space for memories, reflection, inspiration, as well as creative and practical endeavors to share with other Mumacitas out there.