Herbals Truffles - a.k.a. Little Balls of Utter Bliss!

These de-stressing herbal treats move Liver Qi, help digestion,
are high in antioxidants, and are adaptogenic.

Have one as needed, share them with guests, make them as gifts...they taste out of this world.

These are made with Rosebud, Tulsi, Ashwaganda, Tangerine Peel, Cardamom, and Ginger.

So, I am bad about actually using or writing down recipes when I create food and herbal remedies.  With these herbal truffles, I usually just mix ingredients until I feel satisfied with the combination and texture.  This time I did this with my apprentices and made it a point to create a recipe with measured amounts.   That said, please feel free to deviate.

You can start simply with alternating a different nut, or using nut butter, or altering the herbs used.  Just making these seemingly simple changes though can change the consistency and you want them to stick together.  So if needed, add more coconut oil, maybe a little honey if you need its stickiness, or maybe use another fat that will be firm at cold temperatures such as cocoa butter.  If you need it more wet, you could even add some avocado or coconut milk.  Experiment.  If need be start with this exact recipe until you feel comfortable with it, then deviate...

These have no added sugar; dates and raisins were used for sweetness.  These balls have some bitterness, but those of us who enjoy straight tea, black coffee, hoppy beer, or dark chocolate won't mind.  You could try other fruits...I do find dates to be the sweetest and raisins to be nice and gummy adding a good texture.

If you try an experimental batch that you can't seem to get right to roll into balls, add a bit of whole grain flour and a few eggs and bake it.  It's hard to go wrong with these ingredients.

Keep refrigerated.



Here's what to use and how to make the balls pictured above:
Grind all your Herbs and Cacao into powder (or buy them already powdered) before mixing them;
I use a coffee grinder that is not used for coffee. (until I can get one of these that is ....someday) 
Bear in mind that powdered herbs do not last anywhere near as long as whole or cut & sifted ones.
I try not to buy my herbs powdered for this reason, unless I will use them right away, and also because I don't care for the sludge in the bottom of my decoctions.

Mix all dry ingredients together (all ground)
1/2 c. Mei Gui Hua, Rosebuds
1/2 c. Chen Pi, Tangerine peel (you can make your own and can use other organic citrus if you wish)
1/4 c. Ashwaganda
1/2 c. Tulsi
1 Tb. Cardamom
1 ts. Ginger
1 c. raw Cacao
pinch sea salt

Blend "wet" ingredients
6 Dates, pitted and chopped
1/2 c. Raisins
2 Tb. Coconut oil, melted
1/2 tspn. Vanilla
2 c. Walnuts
optional:  about 5 drops of a flower essence, these included Bee Balm.

Then stir or blend both together; it will be dry but should form a sticky ball with pressure once mixed.  You can add a little water for moisture if you need to, but these did not have any added.

On the side mix 1/4 c. ea. Hemp seeds and ground Cacao
After pressing into to ball, roll the ball into this coating.




These balls are more herb than food; for a ball more food than herb, see this recipe.

~~~

SpiraLife

 from my collage archives - 2008

Close-ups:

~~~

Henna for Hair

Widow's Peak

Okay, so some funny pictures and a quick post to share with you how I dye my hair.  I used to dye it with artificial dyes 'cause I like to change up the color frequently (and over the years have had just about every color - 'cept white, gray, and green), but for over a year now have been using only henna because I was having a skin reaction (as my body was dealing with the tail end of getting over Lyme) that was exacerbated by chemicals.  Plus hair dye was one of the last vestiges of toxic chemical exposure in my life that I could take out.

Henna only comes in one color and that is reddish or orange.  I don't mind as my hair has a bit of that naturally anyway and it suits me (being a mutt who is mostly Scot-Irish).  I dye my hair because I am not ready to be gray.  I went gray overnight in some areas after experiencing a major trauma years ago.

Be sure to wear clothing you can get dirty as Henna will stain your clothing.

So, I use just plain ol' powdered henna, no additives.  I mix it with lemon juice until I get a consistency that is easy to spread but not so thin that it will drip and run.  I never measure, but it seems to be somewhat equal amounts.  You can play with it to get the thickness you desire.  I let this mixture sit for 12 hours (so I mix it up the day before I will use it).  I use a glass bowl and then cover it with saran wrap, pressing it down so there is no air exposure to dry it out.

I use gloves when applying it as it will stain your skin.  Then I cover my hair with plastic wrap and leave it like this for 3 hours.  This helps to keep it from drying out and holds heat in.  When this mixture dries out it is harder to get out of your hair (though not impossible as it is very water soluble).  You will notice that as it heats up on your head, it will get a bit thinner and can start running, if this happens just wipe it and take note to make your mixture thicker next time.

The smell of green plant and earth...so much better than toxic chemicals.

After 3 hours, just rinse it out and then shampoo and condition as usual.

Messy (no more so than artificial dyes) but non-toxic and good for your hair and scalp.  The face mask is one from this fine company.

Persimmon Bliss Cake

Okay, so I have to share with you this cake I made recently because it was one of the best eva!

~ Persimmon Cake with Quince Jam and Elderberry Syrup ~

 

This was my hubbie's Birthday cake; here he is about to devour it.

Depending on where you are, you may still be able to harvest some Persimmons.  We harvested ours mid-November just as they were leaving their astringency for sweetness. 

More like a bread pudding... rich and decadent with a perfect blend of smooth but substantial texture and complex, delightful taste.

Unfortunately, I did not follow a recipe or even measure all the ingredients, but fortunately! I am now going to compile a recipe from memory...it goes something like this:

Play around with it and make it yours.

Using a Foley Mill, or another method, separate the Persimmon pulp from the skin and seeds.  Use as much water as needed to do this and blend it all together (pulp and water).  
You'll want about 4 c. of this blend for the cake.

Mix this blend with 3/4 c. honey, two sticks butter, 2 eggs.

Then add 1 1/2 c. whole wheat flour, 1 tspn. baking soda, 1/2 tspn. salt, and 1/4 tspn. baking powder.

Blend and pour into (2) 8-9" greased round pans or similar, bake 350 degrees for an hour and a half
(or until toothpick comes out clean), watch for too much browning, 
this long length of time worked for me.

Once separated, blend the pulp with water until it's the consistency of "slop."  :)

 I topped this cake with Quince jam and Elderberry syrup we just made, but you could top it with any type of jam or syrup.  The sweetness of the jam with the tartness of the Elderberry was perfect.  Lemon curd and maple syrup with some Ginger come to mind as a great combo to try.

A tithing:  Racoon offerings

These seeds got fed to the racoons because we are already loaded down with loads of squash seeds to prep and eat, but you can also roast and eat these.  Let removing the pulp be your Zen meditation for the day.

Elderberry Syrup - A Method and Discussion

From this beautiful bouquet of a flower comes the berry...

 Great as a healing treat or a culinary delicacy!

This medicinal syrup is often thought of as being invaluable to the onset of colds and flu, particularly with fever, as it cools and promotes sweating, opening the pores and releasing the"evils" (as would be said in TCM).  I use this syrup for this, but also for some lesser known therapeutics:  nerve damage and pain (acute or chronic), constipation, and food poisoning.  And it tastes great...one of the easier herbs with which to gain compliance.  :)

Return of the Jedi in my oven.  :)

There are different ways of making this syrup and lots of possibilities of herbs to add.  In this batch I added Pine needles  (Pinus virginiana) my apprentices and I wild-harvested and processed.  This time I did not have fresh berries (was traveling when they were ripe here in Virginia), I used organic sugar for the syrup (you can also use glycerin), and I strained it.  Sometimes I leave it chunky for all the added goodness of the skin and seeds, but felt with the Pine needles included, straining would be good.  Plus peeps seem to prefer the syrup smooth.  ;)  Mind you if you leave the seeds in, you must cook it thoroughly as they can be toxic if uncooked.


Here's how to do this yourself:
(or inquire if you want to purchase or barter from me)

You will need:
1 lb. dry Elderberries 
(see link for Mountain Rose to right side to order)
about 7 c. organic raw sugar
any other herbs you wish to infuse, 
I used about 1 c. of Pine needles
canning jars or other containers

Begin by reconstituting your berries:  bring 8 c. of water to a boil, pour over berries and other herbs, let them sit steeping with a lid for a half hour.  Next hand mash or use a stick blender to break up berries being careful not to break up seeds (they won't hurt you, just taste bitter).  Then strain.  I used a cheese press for this, but you could use a mesh bag or the like.  Put this liquid in a large pot with the sugar. 

If you aren't making a divine mess in the kitchen, you aren't doing it right.  ;)

Boil, stirring regularly until it's frothy.  Have your canning jars ready (warmed so they don't break), lids off.  Once frothy, pour the syrup into the jars and put the lids on.  As they cool, they will pop.  You can store these jars unopened a year out of the fridge.  I like to keep it in the fridge once I open it.

Getting frothy.

The marc, or leftover herbs after pressing, can then be composted or used for something else.  As I said, I usually don't strain my syrup and this is why.  This seems like a waste of good nutrients and fiber.  Normally I would utilize this marc, at least as a filler, in muffins or bars.  Or use it externally as a poultice even.  But being swamped for time and, after an apprentice day of remedy prep, loaded up on various marcs that I want to get the last bit of magic out of, let's just say the raccoons will be pooping purple!

I think next time I want to add something like Pine needles, I will infuse them first, strain, and then use that infusion to reconstitute the berries.  Live and learn, always something new to learn, especially when you constantly experiment and rarely do the same thing twice.  :)

I doubled the recipe.  One recipe makes (12) 8 oz. jars. 

Inquire if you want to purchase or barter, $15 for an 8oz. jar.*
All Organic.  Shipping is expensive for liquids and this weight, 
so best if you know me and can get it in person, but I will ship, inquire...

Elderberry Abstract Art

*If you are buying several Ravenwind Botanica products at one time, whether the same item or not, you can save substantially on shipping as I will ship it all together, please inquire and we'll get the payment set up right for you.  :)  You can click on 'Ravenwind Botanica' in the list to the right to see all products available.  Thanks for supporting my work.