Ingestible Florals

On the continuum of food relevance, this post will lie contentiously close to not.

Read on, friends! That doesn’t mean it has no value.

A couple of years ago I took a certification course to become a Nutrition and Wellness Specialist through Can-Fit-Pro and we got into some progressive wellness discussions about energy fields and chakras, neuro linguistic programming (NLP) and floral remedies like Bach Flowers. Before that I had never heard of Bach Flowers, but now I use them habitually.

I find they are particularly helpful during periods of upheaval or stress. I’m afraid of flying and they soothed me during my (long) flight to Sydney, Australia. Because they have no side effects or dietary conflicts, you can also give them to dogs or fussy babies- even plants. Pregnant women can use Bach Flowers to reduce the trauma experienced during labour.

They make the Rescue Remedy in droplets, spray and cream. They also make a nighttime version with a different floral blend and a kids version that contains no alcohol. My favourite are the pastilles, which taste like old-fashioned candy! Stress relief candy!

You can use the blend, or, if you have a particular ailment, you can take individual remedies for specific issues (listed below.)

If all this funny business makes you skeptical, all I can ask is: what have you got to lose? Right? Have a gander over this list and maybe you have some obscure ailment that could do with a little floral treatment.

Agrimony - mental torture behind a cheerful face
Aspen - fear of unknown things
Beech - intolerance
Centaury - the inability to say 'no'
Cerato - lack of trust in one's own decisions
Cherry Plum - fear of the mind giving way
Chestnut Bud - failure to learn from mistakes
Chicory - selfish, possessive love
Clematis - dreaming of the future without working in the present
Crab Apple - the cleansing remedy, also for self-hatred
Elm - overwhelmed by responsibility
Gentian - discouragement after a setback
Gorse - hopelessness and despair
Heather - self-centredness and self-concern
Holly - hatred, envy and jealousy
Honeysuckle - living in the past
Hornbeam - tiredness at the thought of doing something
Impatiens - impatience
Larch - lack of confidence
Mimulus - fear of known things
Mustard - deep gloom for no reason
Oak - the plodder who keeps going past the point of exhaustion
Olive - exhaustion following mental or physical effort
Pine - guilt
Red Chestnut - over-concern for the welfare of loved ones
Rock Rose - terror and fright
Rock Water - self-denial, rigidity and self-repression
Scleranthus - inability to choose between alternatives
Star of Bethlehem - shock
Sweet Chestnut - Extreme mental anguish, everything has been tried and there is no light
Vervain - over-enthusiasm
Vine - dominance and inflexibility
Walnut - protection from change and unwanted influences
Water Violet - pride and aloofness
White Chestnut - unwanted thoughts and mental arguments
Wild Oat - uncertainty over one's direction in life
Wild Rose - drifting, resignation, apathy
Willow - self-pity and resentment

In previous posts, I've alluded to my witchy inclinations. I love this apothecary stuff because it feels you are connected with something ancient and trusted.

Gift from the sea

When I was in middle school, I did a book report on Anne Morrow Lindinberg's Book from the Sea. My mother, the quintessential English teacher, suggested it to me. I found it uplifting and bright; it still reminds me of my mother.

Lindinberg wrote the book while on vacation in Florida, where coincidentally, my parents spend their winters. She collected shells while she contemplated the American woman's experience.

The ocean soothes us and clears our thoughts because it is full of magical things.

Moons, tides, vastness.

Even beyond the meditative benefits, there is enchantment in the sea. The oldest people in the world always live by the sea; in Canada, they're situated along the East Coast. Picture a Mediterranean village with its salt air and fish diet. People live forever.

I believe nutrition is combination of things we know, like vitamins, and magical things we don't fully understand. I feel this way especially about the sea and its many fruits.

I always feel a little witchy when I eat this dark-coloured salad, partly because it looks menacing and partly because of that magic nutrition .

Wakame Salad

50 g dried wakame seaweed (whole or cut)
1.5 tablespoons rice vinegar (not seasoned)
1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 Granny Smith apple, cubed small
1 scallion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted (I use them very liberally)

1 tablespoon wasabi horseradish

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Cut wakame into bite-sized pieces. Soak seaweed in enough warm water to cover for five or ten minutes. Drain; squeeze out excess water.

If desired, heat honey gently to liquify it. Stir together vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, wasabi, pepper flakes, ginger and garlic in a bowl until honey is dissolved. Cube apple into small pieces and add to dressing with seaweed, scallion, and cilantro, tossing to combine well. Sprinkle liberally with sesame seeds.