Pixie's Pocket: Blatant Promotion! Mother's Day Sale!

 

Pixie's Pocket - Candles, Honey, Electuaries, and More

From May 1 - May 5, 2010, all Mother Love™ honey is on sale!!

Order by May 5 to guarantee delivery by Mother's Day.

Visit us at the Asheville Herb Festival!

This weekend, Friday through Sunday at the WNC Asheville Farm Market

Hear ye, hear ye!

Come one, come all to the 21st Annual Asheville Herb Festival! 

I will be there on Saturday and Sunday with Pixie's Pocket honey, situated with Shannon Haun from Candler's House of Herbs.

See more info at http://www.ashevilleherbfestival.com/

"Every spring, more than 25,000 residents and visitors come to the Asheville Herb Festival to find the southeast’s best variety and selection of herbs, herb plants, and herb products ranging from herbal salves, balms, lotions, and ointments to herbal soaps, shampoos, and medicines. You can buy how-to books on cooking with herbs, herbal healing, and herb gardening, and even take a break to enjoy a fresh-cooked lunch and herbal beverage. The 2010 festival takes place Friday, April 30, Saturday, May 1, and Sunday, May 2, 2010. "


WNC Farmer's Market

570 Brevard Road
Asheville, North Carolina

Directions and Details: http://www.ashevilleherbfestival.com/festivalinfo.htm

Let's Talk About: Ginger

Ginger Root-
Zingiber officinalis

Gingerbread, gingersnaps, pickled ginger, candied ginger, powdered ginger, fresh sliced ginger, gingerale, ginger gum...

Lately, I just can't get enough of ginger!  He is one of my favorite herbal allies these days for many reasons.

Ginger is in my mind aligned with Apollo, sharing that intense, young sun god energy. There is something about the golden, fiery glow that seems to radiate from my center when I consume a potent bite of gingery goodness that I find to be extremely satisfying.

Ginger for your Stomach

I reach for ginger ale or fresh ginger tea when I am feeling sick to my stomach, or if I need to encourage an appetite after an illness. A nice bubbly drink made with honest-to-god Ginger extract is an amazing tonic for an angry tummy!  I've known chemotherapy patients to find a great friend in ginger as they deal with their treatment's side effects.

Ginger assists with stomach cramping and encourages gas release, and it also increases bile flow which will help break down fatty foods and proteins in your belly. 

The only thing to keep in mind is that any increased bile flow can be uncomfortable for anyone with sensitive gallbladders or gallstones, or acid reflux inflammation.

Also, while ginger is encouraged for use for morning sickness in expectant mothers, do not ingest more than 5 grams per day while in the first trimester, as the consumption of large amounts of ginger has been used throughout history to encourage menstruation.

Ginger for your Blood 

In my family, ginger is saved for winter. Everyone loves the gingersnap cookies that I make each Christmas, and my grandma's Gingerbread with cream cheese icing has much fuss over it every year. It isn't just the sugar and rich decadence that makes everyone crave these spicy sweets...it is the heat and fire of ginger!

Ginger has properties that affect our bloodflow, our circulation.  It brings a heat to the blood, which can help to break a fever. It also helps to prevent blood clots when added to a healthy diet. It increases circulation into the fingers and toes, bringing fresh blood and oxygen to tired extremities. This is where ginger gets it's reputation as an aphrodisiac.

Be aware that due to the blood thinning properties, you should stop any large intake of ginger at least three days prior to any surgery.

Ginger for your Nose and Throat

Any country herb woman worth her salt knows how and when it is appropriate to apply brandy to the situation. I find that a liberal dose of ginger brandy, gently warmed and sipped slowly before bed, will stop a new case of strep throat in it's tracks, jump you straight into a clean fever, and work it's way out in your sweat overnight.

Even if you aren't fighting infections, you can consume ginger in order to open your stuffy, over-pollinated sinuses! The heat of the ginger acts as an effective decongestant. Pickled ginger and wasabi are two of the biggest reasons sushi is so popular in my sniffly, sneezy household.

Mountain Rose Herbs has more great information on Ginger, as well as being a wonderful resource to purchase certified organic ginger root. Until I can grow all of my own organic herbs for my honey, I use Mountain Rose Herbs and my local resource House of Herbs in Candler, NC.

Top Five Poems to Celebrate Spring

One thing I love about working at http://www.Biblio.com is that even the lowliest customer service representative is encouraged to contribute to all aspects of this business. Therefore, I bring you my latest guest post on the Biblio blog, "For the Love of Books."

Come and languidly splash in the Springtime rain with Whitman, Rumi, and other beloved poets.

Top Five Poems to Celebrate Spring

Mid-April Gardening Update

Well, it's been a beautiful couple of days here in Western North Carolina. The sun has been warm, and the breeze cool - the perfect spring weather that paints the hillsides around me greener every day.

My blog is currently bereft of images, as I've come to rely on Sarah for her wonderful photography skills, and I have no digital camera.  She's been covering some studio portrait sessions in Virginia, the adorable results can be seen on her blog; "Stopping the Moment."

So you'll just have to trust me when I tell you that most of our seedlings are up and happy. The babies are thinned out, are the strongest seedling are merrily growing:

• 7 "Mortgage Lifter" Tomatoes - These guys are the big, solid, meaty heirloom tomatoes that will be sliced onto fresh sammiches! MMM....

• 17 rambunctious Basil babies - Some of these are going to be given away, but why get rid of then when you can make pesto and freeze it for later use?? I love pesto, especially with fresh goat cheese...drool...

• 17 "Baxter's Bush" Cherry Tomatoes - Oh, these are going to be gooood on salads and for making sweet salsa. My tummy is starting to rumble...

• 2 "Evergreen" heirloom tomatoes - Ok, so we'll have a LOT of 'maters, but since I love to make homemade spaghetti sauce, I think we'll not be wasting any!

• 5 "Black Beauty" eggplants - Hmm...this will be an experiment for me, as I've not been over fond of the aubergine experience in the past. But tastes change, and I'd rather grow and try than give up now. Plus, the roommates are excited about them, so it'll all work out!

•  Broccoli - I just sowed these today, so they aren't up yet! But I've got my fingers crossed.

• Salad Garden - Mesclun Mix, Spinach, and Crisphead Iceberg Lettuce were direct-sown into our first raised bed today! It's only one corner of the raised bed, which will soon be full of the aforementioned basil babies! I hope they'll come up soon so I can EAT THEM. I'm rather like a bunny in spring, fresh greens are in trouble around me! 

• Catnip and Chamomile plants are now settled - the catnip in a rocky, clay corner of the yard that gets good water - in my experience, catnip loves challenges...so we'll give it a good one! The Roman Chamomile  (Anthemis Nobilis) is thriving in a container on the front porch. That one is kept in a container so that I know it is chemical-free for future use in my Vanilla Bean Chamomile Honey, as well as in my own tea blends.

I've spent a lot of time tromping around the yard and identifying things as they pop up. In doing so, I found a new plant that I couldn't immediately name.

When I first noticed this plant, I found a clump of leaves that had no flowers. I got all excited, because at first glance, I thought I had finally found violet in my yard! Unfortunately, the next patch over was much more grown, and it looked like this other picture below, with tiny yellow flowers and smaller, long leaves at the top of the stem. Hmm, definitely not violet, but she sure is familiar somehow!

This plant is a common weed, the "Smallflower Buttercup."  This cousin of the more familiar "Meadow Buttercup" isn't good for much as far as I can tell - but if you know better, please leave me a note!

I was able to identify this plant with the help of the internet, and the exhaustive NC State "Turf Files" which are great resources for identifying common plants. They also tell you how best to eradicate them with chemicals, but if it causes no harm I prefer to let it be.

Step by step, this land is showing me what it has to offer, and bit by bit, I'm giving it what it needs to be a stronger and healthier place. I'll keep y'all updated as I learn and grow...

"Bunny Hunny" Giveaway on "Hemp and High Heels" Blog!

I am honored to be participating in a giveaway at the blog of Toni: a mother who is choosing to use nutrition and lifestyle changes to help balance her health, and that of her son's as well.

While researching the differences between Honey vs. Sugar, she came across the Pixie's Pocket™ honey shop on Etsy, and asked me to work with her for her first ever Giveaway!

So, the prize is a 4oz jar of "Bunny Hunny"™ and all you have to do is go to "Hemp and High Heels" contest blog entry and follow the instructions there!  

The contest ends on Thursday, April 15th and is only open to US residents.

SPRING MADNESS! It's in mah brain...

Hello! I'm going to go drum at the Asheville downtown drum circle tonight.

BOOM! Bada tapa booma dooma BLAM!

Drumming is my favorite stress release, along with dancing to drums. :)

AND NOW, a poem:

The Music We Are

Did you hear that winter’s over? The basil
and the carnations cannot control their

laughter. The nightingale, back from his
wandering, has been made singing master

over the birds. The trees reach out their
congratulations. The soul goes dancing

through the king’s doorway. Anemones blush
because they have seen the rose naked.

Spring, the only fair judge, walks in the
courtroom, and several December thieves steal

away, Last year’s miracles will soon be
forgotten. New creatures whirl in from non-

existence, galaxies scattered around their
feet. Have you met them? Do you hear the

bud of Jesus crooning in the cradle? A single
narcissus flower has been appointed Inspector

of Kingdoms. A feast is set. Listen: the
wind is pouring wine! Love used to hide

inside images: no more! The orchard hangs
out its lanterns. The dead come stumbling by

in shrouds. Nothing can stay bound or be
imprisoned. You say, “End this poem here,

and wait for what’s next.” I will. Poems
are rough notations for the music we are.

Jalāl ad-Dīn Muḥammad Rūmī (1207-1273)

I Love Spring!! An April To-Do List

Photo by Modern Scribe Photography

April is here, and the Pisgah Forest is verdant and buzzing with life. The grass is growing, the earth is warming, and the mockingbirds and cardinals are waging war with one another in the berry brambles and honeysuckle! I'm just plain 'et up with loving the green haze of life everywhere and the droning hum of the bees on the breeze. We've been watching the ants, birds, frogs...all building, nesting, mating...GO TIME is here!!

We've been busy, too! Besides putting in volunteer and intern hours at the Western North Carolina Nature Center, Eric has been doing a great job of building us a cute little chicken coop out of pallets and spare lumber and bits of fencing that we reclaimed while driving around town. This picture is from about a week or so ago; the coop now has a wall for the front of it with a wee door cut in, and we have just acquired hinges for the back of the coop. It will swing open so we can have easy access to collect eggs and clean up the chicken poo.  We can't wait to get our hens!

Here's reprise of my To-Do list for March, updated now that we are moving into April!

• Build Chicken Coop (scrounged lumber, fence panels, pallets)  - MOSTLY DONE, just the hinges, a gangplank, and set it in the yard securely...there's birds of prey that live here so we have to get good bird netting as well.

• Set up rain barrel - We need a new barrel...our freebie-find barrel has small holes in it, on closer inspection. It may; however, turn into a compost barrel. 

• Modify pallets into Raised Beds - One down, three to go! Since we are gardening in the front yard now rather than the back lot, I might do more containers than planted beds. Got to stay flexible; plans always change. 

• Feed and work the compost pile - happy earthworms, scraps turning to dirt, all is well there. I fed it with some moo-nure and mushroom compost to help kick it up a notch.

• Herbal First Aid Class (March 15, 6-9pm @ AB Tech, Madison campus, Free!) 
• Healing From the Hive, Apitherapy Class (March 22, 6-9pm @ AB Tech, Madison campus, Free!)  I missed these two classes because of SNOW, and then SICK. BUT they are running again in May.

• Spring Garden School (March 20, 8:30-3:30 @ AB Tech, Ferguson Center, $10)  This class was awesome! I kept writing notes, paying attention, and waiting to get bored, but it didn't happen. I loved the presentation on the basics of growing in this zone, details on how to grow tomatoes effectively, container gardening, pest management, and edible landscaping. I also finally met Ashley English of "Design Sponge" and "Small Measures" fame! Yay!

• Continue to invest time in building and promoting my Etsy shop - sales are steady, and I'm progressing with making this REAL. Pixie's Pocket™ is in the process of becoming a legitimate legal business within North Carolina. I'm now advertising with Project Wonderful on awesome sites like Octopus Pie, and gaining followers on Twitter. I'm also proud to be a sponsor of the 2010 Think Green Fair in Rochester, MN!

• Invest time in my local community by joining farm markets and supplying local shops with my products - this is still in progress, and ever will be. Markets start soon and I am pretty sure I'll be helping Shannon Houn at House of Herbs with the Earthfare vendor market. 

• Gopher/Vole/Groundhog proof the garden beds & varmint-proof the Coop

• GET CHICKENS! 

• Buy local, heirloom veggies that will thrive here (zone 7b) - So far, I have hybrid bush cherry tomato and an heirloom "Mortgage Lifter" tomato seeds starting to sprout! Also, I will have basil coming out of my EARS...it's taking off like crazy! We will be waiting until May to put out summer veggies. I'll be direct-sowing lettuces and spinach tomorrow.

• Take other classes that come up that can help me with chickens, bees, gardens!! This list includes joining the WNC Beekeepers Association and the Asheville City Chickens Group. Also more free classes at AB Tech and other local presenters...more TBA!

So that's about it. Back to work scrubbing the kitchen floor and vacuuming up a winter's worth of slack...it sure does feel good to MOVE and STRETCH and wake up with the earth!

What is Spring encouraging you to do?  Or for you on the opposite end of the globe - what fall projects are keeping you busy?

Think Green Fair 2010

The Pixie's Pocket™ has been invited to help sponsor the  "2010 Think Green Fair!"

The 2010 Think Green Fair will take place from 10am-9pm on June 26th, 2010 at the Olmsted County Fairgrounds, Graham Park in Rochester, Minnesota.

While I can't attend the fair personally, I will be sending the organizers a jar or two of honey to add to their raffle, as well as a stack of coupons (printed on recycled paper, of course!) for a discount at my Etsy shop.


Here's some details on the Fair from their official website:

"The Rochester Think Green Fair is designed to promote a healthier environment in the region by encouraging the local community to make more sustainable choices.

Through this one-day event we will celebrate simple and sustainable practices, products, and food. Examples will be shown on how day-to-day decisions impact our lives, neighborhoods, and world."

I was quite impressed by the promises they get from their food vendors - I've been to "green" festivals before and been given styrofoam and plastic to eat with, much to my dismay. The Rochester Think Green Fair is much more serious about living up to their ideals:

"At this year’s fair, we hope to reduce our footprint by working toward a goal of zero waste. Food and beverages served at the fair are judged by the origin and quality of their ingredients and production methods, as well as the materials in which they are packaged and served."

The person who invited me to sponsor this event was Crystal from "ScrubYourButt" which is an awesome name for a store that sells soap...and I plan on purchasing some of her products, too.

If you are in or around Rochester Minnesota this June, please join this celebration of green living and sustainability!

Notes, Updates, and Other Blather!

A couple of Notes!

Just so you know, my blog background, banner, and most of the photography on my blog are created by Sarah Thomas, from Modern Scribe Photography.  She now has an Etsy shop with adorable Pre-made banners, Etsy avatars, and other OOAK graphic design creations. She even does photo editing on demand...she can give you pointed ears or adjust lighting and background.

How can you resist the chance to have Inky as your shop banner and avatar? I mean LOOK at HIM! *squee*

Sarah is also the designer for the brand new Asheville Etsy Street Team logo, as seen on Etsy and on their new Facebook page. Yay!

The Asheville Etsy Street Team is on the preliminary planning stages of a local Street Team show, probably in late summer, early fall of this year. As more details are set into stone, I will share them here. :)

Also, the Pagans of Etsy Street Team is having a SPRING SALE! Click HERE to see the many wonderful handmade goods on sale for you to purchase! This sale ends on April 19, so check it out now! Over 400 items are on sale in honor of this lovely season.

Threads of Magique was sweet enough to give me a blog award: the Sunshine Blog. I don't continue chain posts or awards, but I DO hope you go check out Threads of Magique and see the awesome things made and shared there!

I'll be updating soon with my April To-do list, some pics of our chicken coop-in-progress, and more. It's just so hard to write when there are ever-long-growing days full of gorgeous sun to wallow in and dirt to play in!