Amber's Blackberry-banana pie

The August that Amber and Jasmine were 3 years old, the blackberries were thick near our home on Bowen Island. One day, out of the blue, Amber said: "Let's make a blackberry-banana pie!" Now tell me, who could resist an invitation like that! Now we make them every year.

• Double crust pie or tart shells
• 3 - 4 cups blackberries
• 3 bananas, sliced
• ½ cup sugar
• 3 Tbsp cornstarch
• egg white

Place banana slices on bottom of pie shell(s). Mix together the sugar and cornstarch, and sprinkle abut 1/3 of the mix, lightly over bananas. Heap blackberries on top of the bananas. Sprinkle with the remaining sugar mix. Brush edges with egg white. Place top crust on, sealing the edges. Slash air holes in the top. Bake at 425 for about 40 minutes.

Rumtopf Recipe

Let the Rumtopf begin!
Do you love summer fruits and berries? Miss them when they're gone? Looking for something new for homemade holiday gifts this year? Oh boy, have I got a recipe for you!

• Fruit (strawberries, raspberries, peaches, pears, etc)
• Brown sugar *
  
• Rum

Weigh the fruit, and add an equal weight of sugar (demerara)*. Mix in a bowl, and let sit for about an hour, to saturate the fruit with sugar. Place in the crock. Cover with rum, by more than an inch. Seal with plastic wrap, and cover. Place in a cool dark spot.

As each fruit comes into season, mix it first with half its weight in sugar*, then add to the crock with more rum, if needed, to cover. Stir occasionally. Leave in a cool dark place, at least a month, or until holiday season (which holiday, depends on you! Try for Hallowe'en at least!) Fruits may discolour, especially if using both light and dark fruits.

In the end, it's a powerful, dark, fabulous sauce or liqueur, over ice cream, cheesecake, or angel cake. The strained liquid is great mixed with ginger ale or (wow) champagne!

We're lucky, living near a ravine and a big wood, so we're going to work mostly with wild berries this year. We've started with salmon berries, in all shades of red, orange and yellow. Now, the huckleberries, and soon blackberries. All free for the picking, here in North and West Vancouver. We'll add some peaches or pears from farmers' markets. The combination provides a lovely mix, although I'm pretty sure the blackberries will dominate the colour.

Presented in a small glass jar, this will make a pretty holiday gift. Like the best gifts, it combines a little ingenuity, a little effort and very little expense. Happy Rumtopfing!

*weight of sugar = equal to weight of first fruit used, then
= half the weight of later fruits added.

wild and free at the folk fest

Free enterprise is something of an oxymoron. It's seldom free, for either the merchant or the buyer. But once in a while....

The Vancouver Folk Festival was on this weekend. It's been held for twenty-five or thirty years, and each year the market on the beach outside the gates has grown and grown. This year, from the look of it, there must have been 150-200 booths or tents, sprawling across beach and park, selling everything from saris to bikinis, bongs to bongos, antiques to jewellery. What a market!

In previous years, we've volunteered at the folk festival, and came to love the beach market. This year, we didn't volunteer, we didn't enter the (pricey) festival grounds at all, we just went for the marketplace.

What a lovely day. The sounds of great world music can often be heard from the festival grounds. But the real entertainment in the market is in the vibrant array of people passing by. And it was packed! Only at this one time of year, and at this one event, do I realize how the 60's 'hippy spirit' is alive and well, and living in Vancouver. There's no finer place to celebrate diversity and show off one's own unique style: the wilder the better. The talent! There's dread-locking, henna applications, drum-making, costumery, all well represented, by vendors and by strolling folks. Hula hoops and fairy skirts. Moroccan spice tea in a giant, round, gorgeous tent. Brilliant tie-dyes.

I do love diversity. Long live this anarchic ad hoc marketplace. May it never be organized. 'Humble yourself in the arms of the wild.'

The Grazing Garden

I'll never win a garden contest. A few years back, inanely proud of my yard, I hinted to a gardener friend that I might like to enter a garden show. Uh, no, she countered. it's about the weeds. Ouch. Okay, so I have a soft spot for these overlooked gems!

It's a hard-working garden, providing flowers, tea and salads, healing herbs, and a few vegetables. The veggie garden is right in the front yard, where the sun is. Right alongside the flowers. How very gemini. Only about 10X8, it's rare to find enough of any one vegetable to make a meal for a family of four.

Instead, it's become a favourite snacking place, or, as our Amber has dubbed it, the grazing garden. On the way to or from the front gate, it's fun to grab a few strawberries or snow peas. A mid-morning snack of arugula is my idea of a treat. Can't wait for the cherry tomatoes. It just doesn't get any fresher!

No, I guess we won't make it to the cover of any known gardening magazine. But it sure is a pleasure, all the same. I appreciate it every day.

Walking the labyrinth? or just running round in circles?

A dark night of the soul? Maybe not quite. A crisis of purpose? Well, yeah, sort of.

Last week we met with a packaging guru, an expert in personal care products. Loved the guy, a real character. Reminded me of someone I knew, very cool. Challenged our every belief about the business, though. Whew. Some tough decisions as we make the move to be present in stores.

First, the inevitable discussion of ‘parabens vs. no-parabens’. A couple of horror stories put the fear of contamination into me, as it would any other personal care products manufacturer. Hey, this guy is good. He’s already convinced several companies, attempting to be all-natural, to be ‘realistic’ and use parabens preservatives. How do they still manage to call themselves ‘all-natural’, these other companies? Well, they just don’t list all the ingredients, now do they? Never mind that the law clearly requires full disclosure. A wink and a knowing look. I guess we should have known. Well, now we do. It does not inspire us, though, to use a tiny secret amount of toxin. I’m clear on that.

Luckily, we have an ace up our sleeve. First, we’ve had our products shelf life tested, and our all-natural formulations, are, in fact, well preserved. Also, we are already in talks with a manufacturing lab that now uses natural preservatives, with great success, for several other product lines. After all, that’s the idea behind the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. We need to be just as safe from mold and bacterial contamination, as from toxic ingredients. If it takes a little more research and development to find non-toxic preservatives, so be it. I’m firmly convinced that Inanna products meet that challenge. And our new manufacturing associates agree. We do not have to use toxins to ensure a good shelf life. So, no real torment there. The packaging guy is, (as my daughters would say) just... wrong!

The packaging maestro, did, though, have some good points, regarding packaging. True, so true, that we now use a real dog’s breakfast, a mish-mash of packaging styles and materials for our various products. Oh, and nobody uses glass anymore, he says, way to heavy and too costly. Time to rethink and update all the packaging we use. Think 'plastic'. A huge task. And all we really wanted was new labels!

Ever have one of those times where you can’t do A until you answer B, and you can’t answer B until you hear from C, and none of it can happen without D, which isn’t available. Stuck. Can’t decide labels without packaging, and vice versa. Overwhelming. What to do?

PD James to the rescue! Sometimes you just have to let it go, and settle in for a yummy good read. Since I’m not such a fast reader, getting through a 660-page novel represents a real break. I took the whole Victoria Day weekend off! And the next day, too! In 4 blissful days, I thought of and did nothing but read that book. Transported to London, England, and a murder in a church! Delicious!

Closing the book, I went and checked the health store shelves. Yep, lots of companies still use glass. Since it is both inert and impervious, there’s good reason! And, lots of other brands are all over the map in terms of containers, too. Unified by their labels. Oh sure, we’ll simplify a bit. That’s where we were headed…before we started going round in circles of containers, labels, and contents. Back to square one.

Frustrating, as it seems as though we are moving backward, for a while. How can we ever tell whether we are just running round in circles, spinning our wheels, or if there is some point to the work? Spiraling in, and spiraling out? Walking the labyrinth? Don’t know for sure, but I have a clue. I think, when we finish, we may find we have actually accomplished something. We’re back where we were, alright, but now standing firm, with a clear resolve, and a deeper grounding in what we actually know to be true.

Here’s hoping we can all be walking that labyrinth, spiraling in and out, even when we think we’re just spinning round in circles!

the lazy gardener

Okay, okay, I admit it. i often start more than I can finish. It's true. That can be a problem, like when you start doing your income tax, but never finish, or start baking a cake, but neglect to take it out. But with gardening, starting is really all you have to do! It's perfect for someone like me.

We've planted perenniels in the flower garden. That's a great example of starting something, with no need to continue the effort. Mother Nature just keeps on providing~~daffodils and hyacinths, peonies and lilies, lavender and echinacea. All perenniel, and practically effortless. The lazy way to garden. Perfect, if a bit overgrown.

The vegetable patch, though, is another story. I'm so lucky that dear husband turns over the soil, weeeds it, enriches it, and creates neat little mounded rows for me to plant, complete with trellises. A lazy gardener's pleasure. Only 6 rows, it's a city garden, and it's in the front yard. Memories of Cabbagetown. We ask a lot of this little plot: it needs to be pretty to look at, neat rows of green for the veggies, and a cascading rock garden at the front, with flowers. And it needs to produce as much as possible, especially as food prices are expected to continue to rise.

Here's what's in the 10 by 10 plot this year: lavender, strawberries, scarlet runner beans, snow peas, calendula, mesclun salad greens, bunching onions, arugula, shallots, garlic and kale. Not to mention the dandelions, that are kept off-leash throughout the garden. it's exciting to think that, no matter what happens, whether we weed every week and water assiduously, or neglect it benignly(hope not), there will very likely be some veggies produced. It's pretty low maintenance. I'm so grateful for that. i love how, since it's beside the front walk, it has become a 'snacking garden'. It's easy to pluck a few snow peas or strawberries on the way out. It's great to snip a lavender bud to keep in a pocket all day.

Planting a garden, no matter how small, brings such connection with the earth, and pushes that 'gratitude' button. It's one of my very favourite things. In a week or so, we'll start watching for the first snow peas to push through, solid, if bent. A real gardener's joy, and a delight of springtime. Happy gardening, all.

stone soup democracy

May 10th is mothers day. We know that. Did you also know that May 10 is Stone Soup Day? East Vancouver's Britannia Community Centre is holding its 13th annual Stone Soup Festival. Inanna Herbs will have a booth there this year, for the first time. We're excited.

I love the concept of Stone Soup. Here's my abbreviated version of the old European folk tale.

Some soldiers came to town, just passing through. As usual, the villagers hid their daughters...and their food. They'd had such visitors before, and been eaten out of house and home for their generosity. They had little to eat as it was, and none, they thought, to share.

The soldiers started a cooking fire and filled a big cauldron with water. As the water came to a boil, they added a big stone. Curious, the villagers strolled by, one by one, to ask what they were cooking. "Stone soup", came the reply, "It's delicious. We'll be happy to share it with you...only..."

"Only what?" "Only...it could use a little seasoning. Do you have an onion we could add?" Of course, it's not so hard to find one onion, if pressed, or a bunch of parsley, or a potato. Each of the passing villagers asked about the soup and, when invited, added what they had to spare, a bit of cabbage or beet or salt or herbs. Before long the smell of delicious soup filled the air, and they all sat down to a lovely meal.

The moral of the story, of course, is that the sum of all the parts of a community add up to something much greater than what each individual could create alone. I do believe that's true. And I'm happy to be involved with a Stone Soup festival that celebrates our coming together in community. But it also reminds me of a different kind of stone soup. The democratic kind.

In the last few days, I've received 5 or 6 emails warning about Bill C-51, proposed Canadian legislation that will seriously impede the ability to market alternative remedies, herbs and supplements, playing into the hands of Big Pharmacies. This bill is being rushed through to second reading, giving dissenters little chance to react. Anyone in Canada with an interest in alternative medicine needs to sit up and take notice. More than that, we all need to spread the word, and to write letters to our members of parliament and the health minister, stating our views.

This is the new democracy: immediate, individual, accountable. It's powerful and exciting. Each of us now, through the internet, has the opportunity to become informed and to react in a timely fashion to effect change. Each of us may think: 'I don't have much to add. What's the point?' But, boy, put it into that magic cauldron, with all the other bits, and it soon adds up. Here's the key: it must be done quickly, before the legislation in question actually goes to the vote.

I've seen it work before. In the past, we were part of email campaigns to legalize gay marriage, and to save the CBC, and other issues we found important. It feels good to speak out, make a contribution, voice a point of view.

I know, I know, we all hate spam, and feel inundated with campaigns. But if we stop, and find out what's up, it really doesn't take long to weigh in and express ourselves. And make a difference. It really is democracy in action. Great stuff.

And that's my 2 cents.

and mistakes will be made...

And mistakes will be made...

We just completed a large, rush, custom order. We went from scratch, from concept through formulation through samples and revisions and tweaking and finalizing, through ordering and receiving supplies, recruiting help, 4 stages of manufacture, and finally, delivery of 500 items...all in two weeks!

I don't know whether to pat myself on the back or slap myself upside the head! We did it! And the new product is fabulous! But...Whatever was I thinking? Caught up in the heat of the rush, someone else's timetable, no questions asked, we just dove in.

It was a wild ride. Mistakes were made. No doubt about it. Time, effort and money were wasted, sad but true. But, what we've come away with, I'm proud to say, is a template, a real tool, 4 pages long so far, of how to do this next time a custom order comes along. We'll ask the right questions, get the right assurances and approvals, budgets and schedules, that all can work with. Up front. What a concept!

That's what I like about being in business. No mistake goes unturned. All are harvested for that teaching, healing moss. Quicker, cheaper and more effective than going to a school or seminar. It really hits home.

So, bring 'em on, I say. Bring on your custom herbal challenges. We're ready, now, with a list of questions and a clear process. Living and learning. It works for me.

Kuan Yin Day

Tomorrow is Kuan Yin Day. She is the Compassionate Rebel, the Bhodisattva of Compassion. Born to rather unkind parents, Kuan Yin went against her father's wishes, choosing life in a monastery over marriage. Furious, her father burned down the monastery. Extreme. Yet, when he himself lay deathly ill, and could be cured only by the severed arms and eyes of an innocent, she offered up her arms and eyes for the cure. Remembering only his love.

I know I couldn't have done that. Man, that is easier said than done. It seems that even though we do have selective memories, we don't always choose to remember the good, nor to feel compassion. I often forget I have the choice.

Herbalists have an expression: 'Let's use Little Medicine (herbs) to avoid needing Big Medicine (invasive drugs or surgery). We could apply the same thinking to compassion. There is such an overwhelming need for peace on a world level right now, in Tibet, Afghanistan, Iraq. We feel we can do nothing, but it hurts to do nothing. For me, Kuan Yin is a reminder to try to incorporate more compassion into my own thinking. Just to try that ripple effect. And to acknowledge the extraordinary kindness that is shown by others. Here are a few of my favourite compassionate local heroes and their work.

• Beauty Night, "because dignity is beautiful". Founded by Caroline MacGillivray, a Vancouver actress, Beauty Nights are evenings of pampering, massage, makeovers and fun for disadvantaged or indigent women. In seven years, Beauty Night has given more than 8,000 makeovers to women and youth in Vancouver, Victoria and Toronto, and has expanded to include other programs that help with self-esteem and confidence, such as theatre nights and classes. More
  
• Harvest Project, "extending a hand up, not a handout", has a food recovery project, that safely reclaims surplus food , and redistributes it. They are partnering with a community kitchen with a 'learn to cook' program, allowing folks to prepare and take home excellent meals. More
  
• North Shore Womens Centre, like all women's resource centres, doing so much with so little. northshorewomen.ca
  

Much of the work of these places is done by volunteers. Who has time to volunteer anymore? I know, I know. Well, thank goodness someone does. I used to take part, but kinda lost the habit. I could do more again. In fact, if I remember correctly, it feels so good to help out that it'll be rewarding to be there.

Service is often considered a kind of prayer. And it is without denomination, without dogma. Seldom fought over. Something anyone can do. And it feels good. Thanks for the reminder, Kuan Yin.

Happy Kuan Yin Day.

Rosemary Gladstar: making a difference

One of my favourite herbalists and teachers is Rosemary Gladstar. Taught by her Armenian grandmother, who used herbs daily, Rosemary's love of plants comes naturally. A gypsy by heritage and by nature, Rosemary has traveled the world, learning from herbal elders, getting to know hundreds of species of plants.

As well as founding the Sage Mountain Institute in Vermont, she has founded United Plant Savers, whose mission it is to save endangered plant species. Of her nine books, Family Herbal is nearly always open on my desk. It is full of intelligent, accessible information, with a wonderful warmth and a philosophy of using the best of what's around us to help and heal us.

Herbs are not meant to be part of our medicine, to be used only in crisis, but part of our lifestyle. Use of herbs on a daily basis, in our diet, teas and topical applications can keep us in optimal health, forestalling many a medical problem.

Here's a link to a lovely interview with Rosemary.

shareguide.com/Gladstar.html

• "One of the things that is important is to create work for yourself that is meaningful, that involves you in the positive. That makes all the difference in the world. You know, you see all these children around feeling hopeless. It's a problem in our society in general. Whether you work for yourself or someone else doesn't matter. Making a difference does."...Rosemary Gladstar

By making the use of herbs safe, easy and natural, Rosemary most certainly is making a difference. Thanks a bunch. Here's hoping we can find ways to do something good.

Blogging for Inanna

Blogging for ‘Inanna’

The Story of Inanna has been helpful to me, as I begin my new blog. Here’s my version of the ancient Sumerian myth.

Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth, was losing sleep, hearing the cries of her sister. Her sister, Ereshkigal, Queen of the Underworld, was mourning the death of her beloved husband. So, Inanna decided to go visit her. To the underworld,~~where no one gets out alive!

Inanna knew the danger, but was determined. She asked the most powerful god, Enki, for help. He gave her seven magical layers of armour: breast-plate, helmet, amulet, and more.

Inanna’s great friend Nincurba traveled part way with her. Inanna left her, saying: “If I don’t come back in three days, send for help.”

When Inanna reached the first gate, the gatekeeper would only let her pass if she gave up her lapis lazuli rod. At the next gate she had to remove her breast-plate. At each of seven gates, another protection was removed. Finally, she stood naked before the last entry gate. And was allowed in.

Far from being glad to see her, nasty old Ereshkigal immediately had Inanna killed and hung up on a meat-hook! Lucky for Inanna, she and her friend Nincurba had their secret plan. Nincurba went back to Enki. He sent down his special flies, on a mission. Of course, being flies, they breezed right in.

When they found Ereshigal, she was crying and grieving. “Ohh, poor me!” The flies said: ‘Oh, poor you! We feel your pain. Ohh.’. The queen had never experienced kindness nor compassion before. She was charmed, and offered them anything they wanted. They only wanted to visit that corpse on the meat-hook over there. The flies gave Inanna’s corpse a magic elixir, and voila! Back to life, and outta there! Among the few who can say they got out of the underworld alive.

I’ve always admired Inanna, for her courage in confronting fearful things, her willingness to go deep, and to expose herself in order to find her real strength. I love that metaphor, so I named our company Inanna.

Inanna is a bit like a blogger, don’t you think? We know there’s a good chance we won’t get out alive. We know we’re gonna have to get naked! But we do it anyway!

As much as we like to go in with a clever plan, and work from a position of strength, still, we better have a darn good backup. And that backup oughta be based on friendship and the loyal support of our peops.

Here we go a-blogging! Have mercy!