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September 01, 2006

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Posted by REHS_Newsletter at 11:25 PM |

Happy Labor Day! Next Meeting: September 6, 2006 7:30pm

This month’s speaker: Nan Deardorf-McClain, ND

Nan is a naturopath who will be featuring Bach Flower Remedies. These are used primarily for mental, emotional and personal imbalances and are safe and gentle enough for home use.

Herb of the Month: Tea Tree

Look Ahead:

October 4, 2006: Delphine O’Hare will teach us how to make greeting cards at home.

Herb of the Month: Cardamom

November 1, 2006: Seth Berman will use herbs and other materials to craft holiday gifts.

Herb of the Month: Pandan

December 6, 2006: Holiday Extravaganza. Bring a dish to complete the Great Holiday Feast!

Herb of the Month: Juniper

Meetings are held the first Wednesday of each month at 7:30pm in the Fruit & Spice Park Auditorium. All members and guests are welcome! Our Tasting Table, Raffle Ticket Drawing, and Door Prize Drawing follow each Monthly Society Project: Come garden with us! Meet in the Park at 10am on the Saturday
following each monthly meeting. You get free park admission and free herbs to take home.

Posted by REHS_Newsletter at 10:27 PM |

Herb of the Month: Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)

Alternate names: Medicinal tea tree

Description: A shrub or small tree (up to 22 feet tall) with layered papery bark and pointed leaves. Small white flowers appear in spikes in spring. Native to New South Wales and Queensland, Australia. The oil is distilled from leaves and twigs.

Cultivation: Tea tree plants like moist soil, with some acid and lots of sun. Seeds are planted in spring, or cuttings in summer.

Culinary:

Medicinal: Tea tree is highly antiseptic against bacteria and fungi. It is not irritating to skin and so can be used directly, but is usually diluted. Said to be effective against head lice, on warts, athlete’s foot, insect bites and cold sores.

Other uses: Tea tree can be used in soaps, deodorants, mouthwashes and toilet waters. It is also effective in household cleaning products.

Sources:  The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses, By Deni Bown.

Posted by REHS_Newsletter at 09:38 PM |

Notes from All Over

Thanks to Manny Crump for the armload of lemongrass she brought for members to share at the meeting. Leila Barnes also had a bag full of dill seed to distribute, and James & Delphine O’Hare brought many magazines. Thank you all for the goodies!

The first HerbDay is being coordinated for October 14, 2006, with events being held nationally. For more information, check out www.herbday.org.

Posted by REHS_Newsletter at 08:44 PM |

August’s Speaker—Carolyne Coppolo


Carolyne Coppolo (apologies for the misspelling in the previous issue) returned to us in August to give a presentation on not-so-well-known uses for herbs you might be familiar with and for other plants that many consider weeds. She also brought samples of these ‘weeds’ so we who might have heard of but not seen them could identify them. Among her samples were purslane, mouse ear, Cuban oregano, water hyacinth and houseleek.

Carolyne began her presentation with a quiz full of trivia (included below for those who missed it) and interesting facts about herbs and spices. She then continued with other little known facts, all told with a wonderful sense of humor.

Thank you to Carolyne for an informative and interesting talk!

Posted by REHS_Newsletter at 07:46 PM |

Carolyne’s Quiz (answers in separate entry below)

You might be surprised at some of these answers. Remember to have fun!

1) Which of these was used as a laxative and traded along the caravan routes in 114 BC?
A) Cilantro Seeds B) Burnet Root C) Rhubarb

2) Which of these contains buffering substances that protect the mucous membranes from the corrosive effects of aspirin?
A) Basil seeds B) Meadowsweet C) Dandelion


3) The main herb used in the embalming oil used to mummify Rameses II was:
A) Fennel B) Thyme C) Chamomile


4) In Greece, to this day, wedding bouquets include _____ as a symbol of love and fertility.
A) Thai Basil B) Myrtle C) Rosemary

5) The university degree “Baccalaureate” came from Greeks hanging a branch of _____ over the door of a sick person to fend off death.
A) Oregano B) Borage C) Bay

6) Rub which set of herbs into your skin while taking deep breaths and you will have the sensation of flying?
A) Cannabis sativa, cilantro & Ginger B) Cannabis sativa, rue & pennyroyal C) Henbane, nightshade & mandrake

7) Ointments made from _____ were thought to change one into a werewolf.
A) Opium B)Cannabis sativa C) Nightshade

8) The first toilet water was made from alcohol & _____.
A) Dill seed B) Lavender C) Rosemary

9) This wild flower & folk remedy became a vital drug for heart disease.
A) Foxglove B) Gotu Kola C) Ylang ylang

10) To this day there are still wars fought over this herb.
A) Ginseng B) Saffron C) Opium

11) The “intellectual beverage and temperance drink” was banned because it contained no alcohol but was full of _____.
A) Evening primrose B) Bloodroot C) Coca

12) Sex hormones are extracted from _____.
A) Rose hips B) Elder flowers C) Mexican yams

13) Testing to cure diabetes instead led to this herb’s use in treating acute leukemia & Hodgkins Disease.
A) Chamomile B) Ginkgo Biloba C) Periwinkle

14) These herbs are added to almost all oral hygiene preparations.
A) Dill & fennel B) Mint & spearmint C) Thyme & rosemary

15) _____ contains extracts rich in minerals & vitamins to condition skin & hair.
A) Seaweed B) Rosemary C) Lavender

Posted by REHS_Newsletter at 06:53 PM |

Editor’s Corner Tracy Bossinger

The newsletter submission deadline for the October issue is September 20, 2006.

If you would like to receive the newsletter via email, please let me know by sending an email to: inariargenteus@gmail.com.

To avoid spam, I will not be emailing newsletters without an invitation to do so.

The newsletter can also be viewed online at our website: www.REHSonline.com.

Suggestions and comments are always welcome, as are contributions. Thanks for making the newsletter so wonderful!

Posted by REHS_Newsletter at 05:55 PM |

How Do YOU Stay Cool in Summer? Ideas from Leah Sherman

To help keep cool for the rest of the month, how about some homemade herbal ice cubes?

The following recipe makes about 1 quart of infusion, which fills about 2-3 ice cube trays. They can be used to flavor all sorts of beverages

1 quart water

Generous 2 cups packed herbs or flowers

Bring water to a boil. Add herbs or flowers and cover. Remove from heat and let steep for about 30 minutes, or until infusion is room temperature.

Strain herbs and pour infusion into ice cube trays. Freeze until hard, then remove from trays and store in Ziploc bags.

If you have an upset stomach, some herbal ice cubes may ease the pain. The peppermint and bitters are soothing for an upset stomach, and ice cubes are sometimes easier to keep down than liquids.

To make 50 cubes: 8 oz. water

1 peppermint tea bag

16 ounces cranberry juice

1 tsp. angostura bitters

Bring the water to a boil in a saucepan. Add the teabag, remove from heat & steep for 2-3 minutes. Discard the tea bag, let the tea cool for a further 5 minutes, then stir in the remaining ingredients. Transfer the mixture to ice cube trays and freeze until solid. To use, suck on up to 3 cubes an
hour or rub on your lips.

Posted by REHS_Newsletter at 04:59 PM |

Fruit & Spice Park Happenings: Sept, Oct, Nov

September 9: Vegetable Gardening, Container Gardening & Unusual Vegetables, led by Chris Rollins. 10am-4pm. $35.

September 30: Propagation, led by Chris Rollins. Includes planting seeds, grafts, cuttings and air layers. 10am- 5pm. $40 includes tree to graft.

October 6: Hunter’s Moon Celebration featuring a campfire, stargazing, music and park tours. Bring the family, a blanket & telescope. 7:30 pm. $15, children under 12 free.

November 4: Historic Garden Tour of the Redland with Chris Rollins. Tour landscaped estates in the Redland and learn how to create your own tropical oasis. 10am-1pm. $25.

November 11 & 12: Plant & Garden Extravaganza—a weekend full of plant societies and nurseries selling their specialty items. 10am-5pm. $5, children under 12 free.

For more information on any of these events or to register, call the Fruit & Spice Park at 305-247-5727. Registration is required for all classes.

Posted by REHS_Newsletter at 03:00 PM |

Club Announcements & Member Exchange

The newsletter is looking for gardeners willing to be profiled in the newsletter. Call 305-444-5612 or email to: inariargenteus@gmail.com

There have been no gardens lately because of summertime ‘rest’ periods.

This is your space to post items for sale, trade, or things you are seeking.

Posted by REHS_Newsletter at 02:04 PM |

Answers to the Carolyne's Quiz, above:


1: C
2: B
3: C
4: B
5: C
6: C
7: All of the above
8: C
9: A
10: C
11: C
12: C
13: C
14: B
15: A

Posted by REHS_Newsletter at 01:34 PM |

Cookbook Update By Leah Sherman

As most of you are aware, our group is publishing a cookbook, aptly named “The Tasting Table.” We have been moving at a snail’s pace but it is beginning to take shape nicely.

Many of you have contributed some wonderful recipes and stories to accompany.

The committee would like at least one recipe from each member so that our group’s diversity and talents in cooking with herbs shines through. In other words, we are looking for something SPECIAL. We are especially in need of main course recipes.


If you have not already submitted a recipe, please email one to Leah or Leila at shermlea@aol.com or fax to 305-234-3139. You can also deliver them in person at the next meeting!

“A job worth doing is a job done together!”

Thanks!

Posted by REHS_Newsletter at 01:06 PM |

Recipe from the Tasting Table Contributed by John Thorp

“One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating.” -Luciano Pavarotti

John’s Spicy Sweet Veggie Chili

Start your day with 1 pound dried pinto beans, washed and soaked for 12 hours.

Then get out the trusty Crock Pot, rinse the pintos again and pop them into the pot.

Add 1 pound chopped sweet onions, 1/2 cup chopped garlic cloves, 1/2 cup chopped jalapeno peppers, 1 cup dark honey, 1/2 cup “Valentina” salsa picante, 3 cups chopped tomato to the pot, and cover abundantly with water. Set it at about 350 degrees and go to bed.

In the morning check for soft pinto beans, but there probably will not be any. Let it keep cooking.

Around noon add 1 pound chopped carrots and 1 pound bite sized potato pieces. An hour or so before serving, add 2 cups cooked rice.

Bon Appetit!

*most ingredients can be found at the local Mexican groceries, or sometimes in the ethnic aisle at larger stores

Posted by REHS_Newsletter at 12:22 PM |

Website Information

The website is up and, well, crawling. We need to pool our resources to make this site the premier herbal source for South Florida, if not the entire internet.

So far, the newsletter is digital, and some members have chosen to be profiled in the member directory. There are also a few links to other sources up, but we would like to see a lot more.

There is also talk of making a sales area for members to sell goods or services, with a portion of the proceeds going to the Society.

If you would like to contribute, be profiled, or have any suggestions, contact the Web Liason, Kristin, or the Webmaster, Tao.

Contact Kristin at: Jaydedj@mac.com or 305-342-5844
Contact Tao at: info@umaatantra.com

Posted by REHS_Newsletter at 11:27 AM |

August Tasting Table and Raffle Recap

All members and guests are invited (but not required) to bring a contribution to the monthly tasting table. For those not inclined toward the culinary arts, paper plates, plasticware and beverages are also very welcome.

The August Tasting Table was filled by: Manny Crump—Mango Bread; Lydia Desroches—Hibiscus, Mint & Lemongrass Tea; John & Marie Thorp—Chili; Eliat Schmalbach— Corn Dish & Pineapple; Leila Barnes —Pistachio Cake; Leah Sherman— Spinach Rolls; James O’Hare— Salmon.

Donations are also encouraged for the raffle table. Tickets are on sale at the raffle table during each meeting, and are fifty cents each. Ticket proceeds benefit the Society.

The August raffle table included donations from: Delphine O’Hare—Sewing kit; Leah & David Sherman—Herbal Soaps; Leila Barnes—Jasmine tree; James O’Hare—Note pad & Home fragrance & Worry Beads; Astrid Zedler - Handmade eyepillow.

Welcome to new members!! This month we were joined by Josue Pierre, Valerie Mazon and Susan Clark. Welcome also to returning member Carolyne Coppolo.


Newsletter submissions are always welcome. Contact me at 305-444-5612 or inariargenteus@gmail.com

Posted by REHS_Newsletter at 10:30 AM |