food

Why Botany?

Why Botany?

Over the years, people have asked why I’ve studied botany. Why do I care what happens in a forest half a world away? Usually the same people follow this with the assertion that yes, climate change is real, but it’s up to the big corporations to reverse it because they’re the initial cause.

Philz Coffee Review

Philz Coffee Review

As often occurs, dear friends, a few days ago at around 2 o'clock, my energy was sapped and I needed some caffeine and food.  Drinking high-caff coffee, sans food never ends well.  I've tried it.  Undergrad studying makes you forget to eat, sometimes. Also craft/art projects.  Not recommended.  Timers and alarms are your friend.  But, I digress.

Note: Not sponsored in any shape or form.

Mabon Stew

Mabon Stew

I wanted to share the recipe with you, both so that you can make it and so that I have a readily accessible copy.  This is essentially a loose recreation of something I put together several years ago while studying ethnobotany and living in UKC's student housing. 

Dandelion: Healing Your Gut Since 659 B.C.E.

Dandelion: Healing Your Gut Since 659 B.C.E.

One of the most commonly seen and often unwelcome plants, the dandelion (Taraxicum officinale), is relatively easily distinguishable with its iconic, serrated or toothed leaves and domed flower heads .

Fernleaf or Egyptian Lavender (Lavandula multifida)

Fernleaf or Egyptian Lavender (Lavandula multifida)

oday we will be exploring the lovely Lavandula multifida, a Mediterranean native usually seen on the Iberian peninsula, Sicily, and the Canary Islands.

Food Fridays: Oatmeal Cookies

A warning if your computer tends to lag: This post has a good number of photos so as to illustrate the baking process.  I tried to minimize how many were included, but there's still quite a few. PSA over, now, on with the show.

Oats, as I've said in previous posts, are a hearty foodstuff that is often eaten as part of muesli, granola, or as hot cereal.  This switches things up a bit, combining the nutrient-dense properties inherent in oats with the oils and energy in peanuts (especially as in this example, we're using crunchy peanut butter, allowing whole nut pieces to be present), dense nutrients of flax, and the brain-boosting, nutrient-rich properties of dark chocolate.  And the whole thing can easily be made vegan and gluten-free... (read more)

The Power of Oats (Avena sativa)

The Power of Oats (Avena sativa)

Oats are consumed world-wide in multiple capacities, added to face masks and healing baths, and, with few exceptions, seem to naturally rid their fields of weeds, choking them out of the space as the oat stalks grow.  This is assisted by the oat's propensity to grow quickly.