The wild ‘Touch Me Not’ or Impatiens capensis. This plant is amazing as a natural poison ivy treatment. Take the stems of the plants and crush them open with your hands to release the juice from the stems. Rub this liquid on poison ivy for relief of itching, removal of oil and healing. I have harvested this plant and extracted this juice from the stems. I place it in small ice trays and freeze it. You can take one piece out and the juice, along with the cold temperature of being frozen, is a welcome relief to the irritations of poison ivy. Something else this plant is useful for: take a few leaves and chew them for awhile. This is a very good remedy for constipation.
The juice from the stems in this plant have been used to relieve the itch of athlete’s foot as well. This plant can grow 2-5 feet tall and often grows along streams. The flowers are most often orange (as seen below in the picture I took) or sometimes yellow. Flowers are about 1′ long. It blooms from mid-Summer to early Fall. It will grow in light shade to partial sun, in moist areas.
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Nature Awareness is very important to the life of a Druid. On cannot hold reverence to the Earth Mother and The Shining Ones, without holding Nature dear to their soul. For those who are fortunate enough to live in an area where ‘Nature’ is abundant can become one with it by simply walking outside their door to stand in awe of its breathtaking beauty. However, in these trying days, it is difficult for others to make this private connection with Nature in the world of concrete and steel. One thing that can be done if you find yourself in this situation, is to go to a local Park or an area where you might encounter a few trees, a stream, fountain or grassy area. It is imperative, and difficult for some, to practice your meditation exercises in order to block out man made noises and structures, focusing only on those things of Nature that the Great Earth Mother has provided for our pleasure and sanity. Choose a place and frequent it often. Sit quietly and ease your mind into a peaceful, calm state. If unnatural structures or noises interfere with your ability to connect with the natural world, visualize a large eraser and in your mind take that eraser to make these outer influences slowly disappear. Focus strongly on the sounds of birds, water, insects, wildlife, the wind, rain, etc. Your focus can be on something as simple as an ant or as vast as a wildlife habitat in the wilderness. Increase the amount of time you spend each week in this area. Declare it your own private nature sanctuary. Look for things that make it ‘natural’ and learn about those things. Identify plants, trees, birds, insects, etc. in the area. Study about those things in your private time at home or at the library. Give names to the things you are gaining a connection with. Continue to increase in this knowledge and the connection will grow as well. Eventually, you may be able to plan short day trips, weekend trips, vacations in to nature oriented areas, wilderness areas and forests.
First and foremost! Enjoy! The experience of entering Nature should always be a pleasurable one. Find that pleasure and you will grow spiritually.
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The next study session will be Monday, April 9, 2007, in Etowah, Tennessee at the Talk Of The Town restaurant at 5:30pm. Handouts will be available on the homework for this past week if you missed it. Topics for this weeks study group will include updates on your progress with the Dedicant Program, recommended book list reviewed and plans for Beltaine. A date will be set for this ritual and announced on the website on Tuesday April 10, 2007. If you have any questions please contact Cyndi at 423-263-1624 or 423-506-9621 or Chris at 423-506-1892.
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(a great change for veggie breakfast)
1 small butternut squash
1 egg (or egg substitute)
1 egg white
1/2 cup skim milk or water
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (I use Olive oil)
Preheat oven to 350F. Bake squash until tender when pierced with a fork, about 40 minutes. Peel, seed and mash the squash. Let cool. In a bowl, combine squash with the egg, egg white and milk or water. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder, salt, ground cinnamon and cloves. Add the dry ingredients to the squash mixture, mixing well.
Heat the oil over medium high heat in a non stick skillet. Pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake, and cook about 3 minutes. Flip the pancakes and press them down to flatten. Cook until lightly browned, about 3 more minutes. Repeat with the remaining batter
This recipe is good for breakfast with honey lightly drizzled over the pancakes. They have about 100 calories per pancake.
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*You can make these in about an hour, make them into patties and freeze them.
1 cup dry lentils
2 1/2 cups water
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup diced onion
1/2 cup diced celery
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
2 teaspoons chopped fresh marjoram
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
In medium saucepan, simmer the lentils in water with the bay leaf until the lentil skins split easily, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the onion and celery in the oil, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients except the oats and bread crumbs. Process the oats in a blender or food processor until finely ground. Combine the oats and bread crumbs with the lentil mixture. Shape the mixture into 12 patties while it is still warm. (You may freeze the patties at this point).
When ready for a burger…..
Preheat oven to 400F. Bake the patties on a non stick baking sheet until the patties are lightly browned (about 15 minutes). They have 69 calories a patty! Place on a nice bun with your favorite burger add ons…
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2 medium carrots, diced into 1/2 inch cubes
1/2 - 1 tablespoon canola oil (I use Olive Oil)
1/2 medium onion, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
3 cups water
1 1/2 cups uncooked quinoa
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons slivered almonds
2 tablespoons golden raisins
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
Toasted Pistachios, for garnish
Steam the carrots for 5-8 minutes. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and stir, cooking until translucent (about 5 minutes). Stir in the turmeric. Add the water and bring to a boil. Add the quinoa, stirring to push it under the water. Place the bell pepper, almonds and raisins on top. Cover and simmer until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is light and fluffy (about 25 - 30 minutes). Add the peas to the quinoa during the last five minutes of cooking and fluff with a fork.
You can serve this with croutons on top. I like to make my own for it with this recipe….
1/2 - 1 tablespoon virgin olive oil
2 large cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 slice whole wheat bread, cut into 1 inch cubes
Preheat oven to 425F. Heat the oil and garlic in a small pan until simmering. Brush the olive oil onto the bread cubes, patting the garlic bits on top. Bake until brown on the top, about 6-9 minutes. Place quinoa in a serving dish. Garnish with pistachios and garlic croutons.
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*for those who crave mashed potatoes but for health reasons cannot enjoy them often
One Butternut Squash (Peel, cut into cubed and steam or boil until tender)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1 teaspoon butter
salt
pepper
basil
When squash is tender, put in a small pot and mash to desired consistency. Add butter, salt and pepper to taste and about a tablespoon of basil. Mix well. Add pecans if desired.
*I bake my squash until tender, prick it with a fork and put it in a casserole dish with a small amount of water in the bottom. Bake at 350 degrees until tender. Then peel the squash and remove the seeds. This makes it a WHILE lot easier to peel.
This is a great substitute for mashed potatoes with meals and a LOT healthier!
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1 (10-ounce) can crushed pineapple
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
10 maraschino cherries
1 (12-ounce) package refrigerated buttermilk biscuits (10 count)
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Grease 10 cups of a muffin tin. Strain the can of crushed pineapple, save juice for later. Combine the pineapple, sugar, and butter, and mix well. Divide the pineapple mixture among the muffin cups. Place a cherry in the center of each muffin cup, making sure cherry hits bottom of cup. Place 1 biscuit in each cup on top of sugar and pineapple mixture. Spoon 1 teaspoon reserved pineapple juice over each biscuit. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Cool for 2 minutes. Invert the pan onto a plate to release the biscuits. Serve warm.
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