Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Creamy Nettle Soup


I'm re-publishing a favorite recipe of mine.  A friend of mine sent me a version of this recipe from the West Country of England, & I've tweaked it several times over the years.  I think it's fabulous!

This should be made with young, tender nettles, early in Spring.  To avoid being "stung" by the nettles, you might want to wear clean gardening gloves for harvesting, washing & chopping.  If there is any sting, it will be gone by the time the nettles are wilted.  It is quite possible to handle nettles without being stung, but it takes a brave heart and unwavering attention! 

Olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
3 Cups young nettles (use only the top few inches), washed & chopped
2 pounds potatoes
2 Tablespoons  butter
2 quarts chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 cup Dulse flakes or sea salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
1 cup plain yogurt



Wash the nettles and chop coarsely. 

In soup pot, saute chopped onion in olive oil until clear.  Add nettles and simmer for about 10 minutes, until limp. 

Meanwhile, cut potatoes into thick slices.  Add stock to the nettles, heat & add potatoes, Dulse flakes & pepper.  Simmer on low until potatoes are soft.

Cool slightly & puree with a stick-blender.  Stir in yogurt & serve.

Copyright 2005, 2006, 2015 Sarah Preston

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Pain and Inflammation with Herbalist, Tammi Sweet





Herbs from the Labyrinth, LLC presents:
Pain and Inflammation Intensive with Tammi Sweet
Saturday, May 23, 2015  9am-5pm

CEUs available

As individuals, many of us experience pain and inflammation ourselves.  As health-care providers of all kinds, many of our clients come in with both acute and chronic pain. The best way to assist them in their healing path is to have a deeper understanding of the mechanism of pain, the reason for it physiologically and ways of relieving it when necessary. This class will explore the physiology of the pain pathway from the origin, all the way up to the recognition in the brain. Next the class will discuss the different types of pain; acute, chronic, nociceptive, inflammatory, dysfunctional and neuropathic, their etiology and mechanisms. We will also explore the latest findings in pain research, the myriad of methods to interrupt the pain pathway, how these methods work and finally their hindrances and benefits.
Since inflammation is one of our primary defenses in the body and is a major cause/contributing factor to almost all illness, disease and pain we will take an in-depth look at the entire process. This information will help you make informed decisions concerning when and if you need to alter the process. We will look at how and why inflammation is beneficial, when it is not beneficial and finally we will discuss an anti-inflammatory lifestyle, which includes, among other things, our friends the herbs.
This will be a very rich and full day. If you are in chronic pain or inflammation or are working with folks, please come and learn. We will traverse the entire terrain from novice to expert. You will be able to join the journey if you are a beginner. All levels are welcome, interest is the only requirement.
This workshop will be held in the classroom at Radiance, 9 W Grant St,, in the heart of downtown Lancaster, PA,  across the cobblestones from Central Market.  Call 717-290-1517 or stop in to register.
Cost for this class is $100 for early registration; after May 12 cost will be $115.   8 hours CEUs are available to Nationally Certified Massage therapists for an additional $10 processing fee. 
 
Tammi Sweet, a passionate and energetic teacher, brings 25 years teaching experience into the classroom. Her love, amazement and wonder of the human body and how it works shines through as she presents the material in ways people can understand and utilize. She loves integrating the wisdom of the body with all aspects of living. Presently she co-directs her Herbal Program at Heartstone Herbal School, and teaches Anatomy and Physiology at Herbal schools in New England and Herbal conferences. Her learning of the body has come through many paths including traditional Master’s level college studies in Neurobiology, teaching College level Anatomy & Physiology, Massage School, Yoga Teacher Training, Herbal studies, collegiate athletics and most importantly, an ever-growing love of understanding who we are in relation with this wonderful home we call earth.

The Heart as an Organ of Perception with Tammi Sweet



Herbs from the Labyrinth, LLC presents:
The Heart as an Organ of Perception with Tammi Sweet

Sunday, May 24, 2015  10am-1pm


The time has come for us to return to our natural way of being in the world. The way we were born to live and interact with life around us. For eons we knew this way of health-full and heart-full being. Healers and shamans have carried this knowing, this way of being forward for our re-membering and now our present “belief system”, science has come full circle and started “validating” what we’ve always known. This “heart literacy” can be used in everyday life to access and communicate with the world around us, benefiting our own health and the health of those we come into contact with. Research shows that using these techniques improves the quality of our responses and decision-making, increases our immunity, lowers high blood pressure and our risk of heart disease. If that weren’t enough, these techniques can be used to access our inner guidance and intuition, aiding our insight and assistance with our clients, patients and students. Lastly, if you are an outdoor-lover, living in this “heartspace” allows us to resume our rightful place in the natural world. We are able to move within the natural world as quietly as the chickadee or the fox, allowing us to see what those who live in their heads would never dream of. This workshop is based on the teachings of the Heartmath Institute, Stephen Buhner, Tom Brown Jr., and Paul Pearsall.
This intensive will be a mixture of lecture, hands on activities and, weather & time permitting, perhaps wandering in the natural world to practice heart-centering techniques.
This workshop will be held in the gardens at Herbs From the Labyrinth, 1053 Wheatland Ave,, at the edge of  the city of Lancaster, PA.  Call 717-290-1517 or stop in at Radiance, 9 W Grant St in downtown Lancaster to register.
Cost for this class is $45 for early registration; after May 12 cost will be $55.   

Tammi Sweet, a passionate and energetic teacher, brings 25 years teaching experience into the classroom. Her love, amazement and wonder of the human body and how it works shines through as she presents the material in ways people can understand and utilize. She loves integrating the wisdom of the body with all aspects of living. Presently she co-directs her Herbal Program at Heartstone Herbal School, and teaches Anatomy and Physiology at Herbal schools in New England and Herbal conferences. Her learning of the body has come through many paths including traditional Master’s level college studies in Neurobiology, teaching College level Anatomy & Physiology, Massage School, Yoga Teacher Training, Herbal studies, collegiate athletics and most importantly, an ever-growing love of understanding who we are in relation with this wonderful home we call earth.