The Amazing Cattail

                                                           
I have really gotten interested in foraging lately and one plant that can be harvested at different times throughout the year is the cattail.  It really is a plant for all seasons.  Below I have listed some facts and interesting things that can be done with this wonderful plant.

 Name: Cattail (Typha)
Plant Group: Monocot
Plant Family:  Typhaceae

Places to find Cattails:  On the edges of ponds, lakes, marshes, and rivers or any place where water is. I harvested mine beside a local creek near my home.

Poisonous Lookalikes: Wild Iris- Yellow Flag, Blue Flag.  One easy way to identify the difference is the fact that the cattail has the brown seed spike.


The cattail is a go to plant for any survivalist because of it's many uses.  As a food plant cattails are unbeatable because with each new season brings a different way to use these plants.

How To Pull Up The Cattail


Now that you have identified the cattail, it's time to march out into the muck and pull out the food.  most of the time you cannot simply pull at the base of the cattail and out pops a perfect rhizome.  Your best bet is to first loosen up the rhizomes before pulling the plant out.

To do this, follow your hand down the stalk of the cattail until you reach the base.  Then begin to guide your hand down from the base into the mud until you can feel one of the rhizomes branches shooting out to one side.  Here is where you will push and pull the rhizome until it loosens up a bit.  Do this with the other side and then grab the base of the stalk and pull up hard.  You should be able to pull out a good length of rhizome on each side of the base.

Early Spring


In early spring dig up the roots and locate the small pointed shoots called corms.  These can be removed, peeled, and eaten, added to other spring greens for a salad, or cooked in stews or alone as a pot herb.  As the plant growth progresses and the plant shoots reach a height of two to three feet above the water you can peel and eat these like the corm, or saute them.  When you cook them like this it is also known as Cossack Asparagus because the Russians love eating the plant this way.

Late Spring To Early Summer

At about this time the the green female bloom spikes and the male pollen spikes begin to emerge.  These tasty spikes can be found in the center of the plant and form a cylindrical projection that can only be detected when you are close to the plant.  Peel back the leaves in the way that you would go about shucking corn and both the male portion above and the female below can be seen.  The female portion will later form into the familiar brown "cattail" from which it is named.  When fully developed the male part will become the dried out portion found on the top of the cattail.  Both the male and female portions can be boiled and eaten like corn on the cob, and both are very delicious! They have a flavor that is similar to corn but at the same time very distinct from corn and both parts can also be eaten raw.

Mid to Late Summer


At around this time the male pollen head will turn a bright yellow as they become covered with pollen. Put a large plastic bag over the head and shake. The pollen is very fine and resembles curry colored Talcum powder  So abundant that several pounds of this can be collected in less than an hour!  This pollen can be substituted for a small amount of the flour or cornmeal in different recipes such as pancakes or even cornbread.  The pollen can also be used for thickeners or flour extenders in breads or cakes or anything you can imagine!  I tried to harvest my own this year but I was not successful because I waited a little to late in the season.  Better luck next year:(

Late Summer To Early Fall


At this time of the year the Cattail is pretty easy to identify. You will want to look for what looks like a hot dog on a stick.Sometimes that "hot dog" or seed head will begin breaking apart looking like a bunch of fuzz on the end of a stick. In late summer the tender inner portions of leaf stalk can still be collected but the availability of the Cossack Asparagus begins to dwindle down because of the toughening of the plant.  During this period all the way into Early Spring , the best way to harvest this plant is to use the root starch during this season.  To extract the flour or starch from the cattail roots:

1.  Collect the cattail roots, wash, and then peel them.

2.  Break up the roots under a bowl of water and the flour will begin to separate from the fibers.  Continue this process until all the sweet flour is separated from the fibers.

3.  Remove the fibers and drain off the excess water.

4.  Allow the slurry to dry by placing near a fire or by simply using the sun to dry it.

Cattail flour also contains gluten that is the constituent in wheat flour that allows flours to rise in yeast breads.

Did You Know?


The Iroquois Indians would mash the roots and boil them to produce a fine syrup which they used in cornmeal pudding and to sweeten other dishes.  Some Indians burned the Mature brown "Cattail"  head to extract the seeds from the fluff, which in turn was used in gruels and stews.


Medicinal and Other Uses for The Amazing Cattail


Medicinal Uses


-Cattails can be used to make poultices by simply using the split and bruised roots and applying them to cuts.

-the ash of the burned cattail leaves can be used as an antiseptic or styptic for wounds

-A small drop of the honey like excretion, often found near the base of the plant can be used as an antiseptic for small wounds or toothaches.

Other Uses


-The seed head and the dried leaves can be used for tinder to start a fire.

-The seed head fluff can be used to make pillow and bed stuffing and used to insulate clothing as well.

-The leaves can be woven together for the seats and backs of chairs which has been a traditional use for thousands of years.  They can even be woven into baskets, hats, and even beds!

-The dried "Cattail" part of the plant still attached to it's stalk can be dipped into animal fat or oil and used as torches!

Some recipes to try with your recently harvested cattail plant

Recipes


Cattail Fried Rice


1 tablespoon cooking oil
1/2 cup peeled and chopped cattail shoots
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1 cup onion chopped
3 cups cooked brown rice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Heat the cooking oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the cattails, onions, and garlic and saute for five minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients and cook until the rice is hot.  Stir often to prevent sticking.

Serves 4

Cat-On-The Cob With Garlic Butter


30-40 Cattail flower heads, peeled
1/2 cup Garlic butter

Boil the cattail flower heads in boiling water for ten minutes.  Drain the flower heads and slather them good with garlic butter and eat them just like miniature corn on the cob

Fish and Cattails


2 quarts Cattail shots or young stems
3-4 fish fillets (bass, trout, or any fish of your liking)
salt and pepper to taste

In spring dig the cattails shoots or into late spring or summer pick the green new stems, wash and set aside.
Filet your fish and lay them in a skillet, cover them with the cattails then add a couple cups of water and cover.  steam for five to ten minutes depending on the mass of the fish, salt and pepper to your taste and sprinkle with a little red pepper flakes.  Serve and enjoy!


Foraging for food in the wild is actually alot of fun and I would recommend it to anyone.  You never realize how much food is out there that is free and is just as delicious as the food you buy in the grocery store. Put this on your too do list..

Have a wonderful day and hope you to will try some cattail soon!

mommamarler

The Many Ways To Use Dried Rose Petals

  
I know from the looks of it I seem to be rose petal crazy, right?  But there is a huge abundance of wild roses all around us, so why not use them?  I have been researching alot about ways that rose petals can be used in foods and in other areas around the house and here is what I have found so far. 


 If you have anymore ideas that I have not listed please feel free to leave a comment so that we can all learn from what you have learned along the way.




The Medicinal Purposes of Roses




Roses are not only beautiful to look at but at the same time they can help with many common ailments.  I found this to be rather interesting.

Did You Know?  

                

1.  Tea prepared with rose petals and leaves is also effective in cleansing toxins and heat from the body, particularly when they give rise to rashes on the skin and inflammatory (swelling and irritation) problems. Several researched have shown that the rose also possesses properties that increases the body’s immunity and helps to restrict all kinds of infections from becoming larger problems. This is possible owing to the rose’s cleansing or purification properties.

2.  Infusion prepared with rose petals may be used to alleviate cold and flu symptoms. At the same time, the infusion is effective in treating sore throats, runny nose as well as congested bronchial tracts. At the same time, roses are also effective in combating infections in the digestive system and restoring the normal and essential bacteria in the intestines. The petals and seeds of the rose have a diuretic effect and are beneficial in relieving excessive fluids from the urinary bladder. This way, they also help in getting rid of the waste and toxic substances in the body through the kidneys. Hence, rose is also considered to be an effective cleanser and 

purifier.

3. Like the rose hips, the petals of the rose flowers also have numerous remedial uses. For instance, the rose petals are effective in relieving congestion in the female reproductive system. In addition, the rose petals may also be used to treat the excessive accumulation of fluid in the urinary tract and thereby alleviate pains and, in women, heavy periods. Physicians also recommend the use of rose petals to treat erratic menstrual periods, infertility as well as to perk up sexual desire in individuals.

4.  Infusion prepared from the rose petals acts as a useful astringent and is effective for treating diarrhea, enteritis and dysentery. It may be noted here that tea prepared from rose petals may be used as a laxative to clear bowel movement. At the same time, the rose petal tea is also an effective medication for the liver and enhances flow of bile, invigorates as well as purifies the liver and the gallbladder. It also helps in alleviating problems related with lethargic liver like headaches and constipation.

5. Rose hips as well as the petals of the rose flowers possess inspiring as well as reconditioning affects on the nervous system. They are also capable of alleviating the problems of insomnia, do away with depression, drive out fatigue and also offer comfort in conditions such as tetchiness 

APPLICATIONS

Different parts of the rose plant are useful for different purposes and hence they have different applications. The rose hips or fruits of the rose plant, flowers and even the petals are beneficial in some way or the other and used by people as tincture, syrup, essential oil, cream, lotion, rosewater, massage oil, gargle and decoction.

.

Flowers - R. rugosa:

The rose flowers (R. rugosa) are helpful for treating menstrual and liver disorders and may be ingested as a decoction.
DECOCTION: A decoction prepared with rose flowers (R. rugosa) may be blended with another herb motherwort and ingested for treating heavy menstruation. On the other hand, when the decoction is blended with herbs like bai shao yao and xiang fu, it provides an effective medication for ;liver dysfunction.

Petals - R. gallica:

The petals of the rose flower are beneficial in treating menstruation and stomach disorders. A tincture prepared with them may be used as a gargle for throat infections.
TINCTURE: Ingesting approximately three ml of a tincture prepared with rose petals thrice daily is helpful in treating diarrhea as well as sluggish absorption of food. When the same tincture is blended with other herbs like the lady’s mantle, white deadnettle or shepherd's purse, the medication is effectual for treating erratic or intense menstruation.

information in this section was gathered from: www.herbs2000.com

How I Dried Rose Petals

My husband and children had taken a walk yesterday and brought me a whole bunch of roses that they had found along the roadway because they knew that I had been making Rose Petal Jelly (but after already canning 10 1/2 pints I think we have enough Rose Petal Jelly..lol..) so I decided to dry them instead:

1.  Gently wash the roses.  (Do not use roses that have been sprayed if you intend to use them for food purposes)

2.  Stick them in your dehydrator being sure not to overcrowd them. Keep the roses in the dehydrator until they become brittle and not rubbery.  I dried the complete roses and stuck them face down.  They seem to dry well in this fashion.

3.  After they have dried store them in a airtight container  (I used a canning jar with lid)

There are plenty of ways to dry rose petals but this was the quickest way I found to dry them.

Now that you have dried your roses what can you do with them?  Well there are plenty of things that I have found.

Rose Potpourri                                           




 Make rose potpourri perhaps?  

Here's a couple of the many ways to make potpourri out of your dried rose petals:




1. Mix the dried rose petals with a fixative in a bowl. You can use dried lavender, sandalwood or orris root as a fixative. Orris root is available in drug stores and sandalwood or dried lavender is available in many herb shops. You will need one tablespoon of fixative to every quart of dried rose petals.Add scents that will complement the scent of roses, if you prefer. Some good choices are vanilla beans, citrus peels or cloves.

2. Add a few drops of rose scented essential oil to enhance the natural rose oils in your potpourri.

3. Place the potpourri mixture in a sealed jar and shake to mix well. Let the potpourri set for 10 days to allow the scents to blend and settle. Shake every other day to distribute scent throughout the mixture.

ROSE BOWL

• 4 cups bone-dry rose petals
• 2 cups dried rose leaves
• 2 Tbs. ground cinnamon
• 3 cups dried lavender buds
• 1/3 cup orris root powder
• 2 Tbs. ground all-spice
• 1/4 cup ground cloves
• 2 ground tonka beans
• 6 drops oil of roses
• 3 drops oil of lavender

Combine all the dry ingredients, mix well, and add the oils, a drop at a time, mixing as you work. Seal into a jar, and cure for 6 weeks in a dry, dark, warm place that is well ventilated. Shake the jar daily. When cured, turn the potpourri into a decorative container with a tightly stoppered lid. Open only when the potpourri is in use.

Cooking With Dried Rose Petals

          Did You Know?






Cooking with roses is nothing new, however.  The practice of using roses in cooking dates 

back centuries. Roses, in fact, have been used extensively in Middle Eastern cuisines to 

enhance the taste of foods and beverages. Roses, with their subtle, sweet taste, make a 

pleasing recipe ingredient. 

Rose Petal Iced Tea

Ingredients

• 1 cup of dried rose petals
• 3 cups water
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 cups water
• 2 teaspoons rose water
• 1 drop pink food coloring 
• 3 green tea bags
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar


Directions

1.  Bring the 3 cups water to a boil. Add the rose petals and lemon juice then turn off the heat and allow it to sit for 8-10 hours.

2. Strain the 'rose water' into large jug. Remove petals & discard.

3. Bring the 2 cups of water to a boil, remove from heat and place in the tea bags. Brew for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags, and add the granulated sugar to the tea. Stir.

4. Allow the tea to cool then add the 2 tsp rose water, the food colouring and stir. Serve well chilled over ice.




Rose Petal Syrup

                                                                                                                    

Ingredients:

4 cups dried rose petals
4-6 cups water, so the petals float quite freely.  (You'll get the flavor extracted best if you allow lots of room in the pan.)

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:

1. Simmer the petals until all the color has gone into the liquid, about 30 minutes.  

2. Strain & return liquid to pan.  Gently reduce to about 1 ½  cups liquid-takes about an hour or maybe longer.  (House smells wonderful...) 

 3. Then add sugar and lemon juice.  

4. Boil just until all dissolved (you don't want to overheat the sugar or it will taste carmellized) and bottle in sterilized jars.  This makes about 12 oz.

Rose Sugar

Ingredients:

1 cup dried rose petals
1 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Either mix petals with sugar, or blend fine in a food processor.  

2. Store for at least a week before using.  You can mix mix the whole petals and sift them out.  This will be a bit damp & clumpy but keeps well frozen.

Rose Cheesecake

                              

Directions:

1. Use your favorite cheesecake recipe, reserving 1/2 cup of the batter and tinting it nicely with rose syrup, about 1 Tbsp. 

2.  Swirl this pink rose batter through the surface of the cheesecake, then bake as usual.
Glaze finished cheesecake with 1/4 cup of melted Rose Petal Jelly. (recipe in previous post)

                                                                                                                                   

*There are tons of other recipes that could include dried rose petals in them but these were just a few of my favorites that I ran across. *

Beauty Treatment Using Dried Rose Petals


Did You Know?

The rose petal face mask is soothing to the skin, and the petals have antiseptic properties, destroying bacteria that can cause acne flare-ups. With a handful of dried roses you can make yourself your own rose petal mask

Instructions For Making a Face mask with Dried Rose Petals

Ingredients:

1 cup dried rose petals

1/2 cup of old fashioned rolled oats

food processor

1.  Put 1/3 cup of the rolled oats into a food processor. Using the "pulse" feature, grind the oatmeal for a few seconds until it resembles a coarse flour.

2. Add rose petals to the oatmeal in the food processor. Pulse again for 10 seconds.



3. Add two teaspoons of rose water, and then 1/4 cup of honey to the rose petals and oatmeal mixture. Pulse for 10 seconds. If you have a difficult time getting the mixture to blend well in your food processor, you can mix it vigorously by hand, or try it in a blender. Often larger food processors don't work well for small mixing small amounts of ingredients.


4. Apply the rose petal mixture to your face and allow it to stay on for 30 minutes. Rinse off with warm water and gently towel your skin dry.

1. • 
     
   • I am sure that there are many other ways to use dried rose petals but I just wanted to show you a few.  So the next time that you are out in your yard or better yet driving down the road and you spot a beautiful rose remember that a rose can be used for a variety of different purposes instead of just being a beautiful flower!  Hope this was helpful...

Thanks for stopping by....


mommamarler

Food For Thought..

After North Carolina let it's voice be heard and voted for the Marriage Ammendment that protects marriage as being between one man and one woman there has been alot of negative output by the homosexuals.  Even our president downed North Carolina for passing this ammendment.  I was reading the paper yesterday and came across a wonderful article that I would like to share with yall.

Taken out of Times News  Sunday May, 20 2012  Mountain Views section

By: Carl Thomas

It is one thing to talk about "fairness" when it comes to allowing gays and lesbians to marry; it is quite another to claim biblical authority for such relationships.

  President Barrack Obama cited  the "Golden Rule" about treating others as you would like to be treated, but in doing so he ignored the totality of Scripture and the Lord Himself, who alone gets to set the rules for human behavior.

  The president says he is a "practicing christian".  It is difficult to be one while simultaneously holding a low view of the Bible, which his position on several social issues might suggest.

  The same book that informs him about the person he told Pastor Rick Warren in 2008 is his "Savior" also speaks to the beginning of human life (he has done nothing to limit abortions), fornication between adults of the opposite sex(no word yet on his position on that subject), marriage, and adultery, which the seventh Commandment and New Testament passage condemn.

  I recently wrote that it is becoming increasingly difficult for people who believe the Bible is God's word to impose their belief's on those who disagree with them. But it is something altogether different for those who disagree to claim the Bible dosen't say what it says, in effect calling God a liar.  President Obama apparently hopes there are sufficient numbers of bible illiterates-and he could be right about this-that either won't notice his sleight of hand, or don't care.

  Thousands of years of human history have sustained marriage between one man and one woman. Even human biology testifies to a natural order.

  Genesis 2:24 says that "a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife.  The two shall become one flesh." Jesus reaffirmed the Genesis passage in Matthew 19:5.  Paul, the apostle of Jesus, wrote in Ephesians 5 about husbands and wives, male and female.

  Scripture teaches that the marriage union between a man and a woman is an illustration of how Christ and the church are one(Ephesians 5:32). It also teaches that since God made us, conceived of marriage and created sex to be enjoyed within the marital bond, He gets to set the rules and establish the boundaries for human behavior.

  Liberal theologians have tried to modify, or even change, what is contained in the Bible, and there are those in our time who are following their example with the issue of same-sex marriage.  People are free to accept or reject what Scripture says.  What they are not free to do is to claim it says something it does not.  In modern times, that's called "spin". In a earlier time, it was called heresy.

  The Apostle John warns in Revelation 22:18-19 about the punishment awaiting anyone who adds to or subtracts from Scripture. Deuteronomy 4:1-2 has a similar warning.  The consequences aren't pretty.  There are also warnings not to preach "another gospel" (Galatians 1:8, 2 Corinthians 11:4, among others)

  As he seeks to justify his position on same-sex marriage and other issues that are either questionable at best or deny Scriptures at worst, President Obama might be said to be preaching another gospel.

  This could possibly lead to a fissure in his solid support among African Americans, costing the President votes in November.  It will also likely galvanize the culture warriors.  Minorities mostly vote for Democrats, but they don't like their faith denied.  That could cause some of them to stay home on Election Day, or even vote for Mitt Romney.

  The negative reaction the president received from some of the African-American ministers he called recently after declaring his support for same-sex marriage should serve as a prophetic warning.

Carl Thomas writes for Tribune Media Services.  Reach him at tmseditors@tribune.com .


I loved this article and wanted to share.

Thanks for reading and stop by again...

mommamarler


 

Rose Petal Jam

                                     

Here is a very unique jam recipe that I found that I thought was very good.  I used wild roses that grow in the woods and along the roadside around my house.  They have a beautiful smell to them that adds something beautiful to this jam. Imagine having something like wild roses canned to eat during those cold winter months...Springtime in a jar!

Rose Petal Jam


4 cups scented Rose petals (they must be either wild roses or ones from your own garden-the one's from the store will not work.  Do not use roses that have been sprayed)
2 cups water
3 1/2 cups of sugar (plus enough sugar to coat petals with)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 package of Sure-Gel pectin

1.  Any color of rose petal will work or use a variety of different colors. The colors of the petals will be the end result of the color of the jam.

2.  Wash them and cut off the white bottom of each petal.  Always check for insects and discard any petals that are brown.

3.  Place the rose petals in a bowl and sprinkle sugar over them and make sure that each petal is coated in sugar.  Bruise them well with your fingers and cover the bowl with plastic wrap.  Allow them to set overnight in the refrigerator or in a cool place overnight.

4.  Place the rose petals and water into a saucepan.  Cover and bring to a boil.

5.  Immediately remove from heat and set aside to steep.

6.  Add the sugar and lemon juice; and bring to full boil stirring constantly.

7.  Add pectin and bring back to a full boil; stirring constantly.

8.  Boil until mixture has thickened, remove from heat and skim off any foam.

9.  Fill sterilized 1/2 pint jelly jars remembering to leave headspace at the top.

10.  Place them in hot water bath for 10 minutes.

                                       

This jam would be delicious on some buttermilk biscuits fresh from the oven slathered with melted butter.

Enjoy!!

Thanks for stopping by...

mommamarler

Vegetable and Fruit Gardens

Until this year my yard was filled with nothing but trees because I live right in the middle of the woods.  Well I have been wanting to grow my own gardens and fruit trees.  But in order to do that I had to cut down some trees (try five huge trees which are now sitting in my wood shed drying out for next winter).

 Where the trees were at I have planted quite a bit this year....

Two apple trees...

Two plum trees....

2 Mulberry trees...

4 grape vines...

4 rasberry vines

4 blackberry vines....

                                         

5 Blueberry bushes...

and my raised bed Vegetable garden made of concrete blocks......

                                         

First bed contains:  Carrots, Onions, green peppers with strawberries planted in the holes of the concrete blocks.

                                       



Second bed contains: Radishes, potatoes, and hot peppers planted in the holes of the concrete blocks.

Third bed contains:  Green Beans with lettuce planted in the holes of the concrete blocks

                                       

                                       

Fourth bed contains: 9 Tomatoes with a herb garden planted in the holes of the concrete block (I have all kinds of different herbs planted)

Fifth bed contains: 8 squash plants and 8 cucumber plants with cabbage planted in the holes of the concrete blocks.

Sixth bed contains: pumpkins, watermelon, and cantaloupe with snap peas planted in the holes.

I also have sunflowers planted along one side of my garden

I still have more stuff that I am planning on planting before the growing season is done but this is what I have planted so far.  I fenced the perimeter of my vegetable garden with a temporary fence of plastic until I get my permanant fence done.  The soil that I am using in my raised beds for each bed consists of:

4 lb bag of Miracle Gro Garden Soil
2 lb. Bag of top soil
2 lb. Bag of Shagnum Peat Moss

So far this soil mix has grown anything I have planted in it..

I am trying to use my whole yard to grow things in and raise livestock on..  If you have any helpful information that would help me out further I am always up for new ideas...

Thanks for reading and come back and see us..

mommamarler

My First Blog :)

I figured that the best way to start my blogging journey is to tell you a little bit about me and my family.  I have been married to my wonderful husband Marshall for thirteen years.  Here's a picture of me and my sweetheart on our wedding day.

And then after thirteen years of marriage we have these three amazing children to show from it.

Caitlin is my oldest (she's twelve) then there is my Cassie Rose (she's eight), and my little guy Noah (he is 3).

We live in beautiful Western North Carolina and think it is pretty great.  We are a homeschooling family and believe that in this crazy world (which seems to get crazier by the day) this is the best route to go.  We are  christian's and attend a little church in Asheville called Grace Independent Missionary Baptist Church (long name but little church..lol)  My husband is the deacon there and you could not ask for a better church family.

I am a homemaker which in reality means: nanny, housekeeper, accountant, gardener, schoolteacher, cook, secretary, etc., etc. (only joking, I love my life and would not change a thing!)  My husband is a machine operator at a juice plant in Mountain Home, NC. and on one income you have to stay on budget to get the bills paid and the bellies full.

This is what made me get my start in stocking up, raising livestock, canning, and gardening. We live on a little over a half an acre and my goal is to use every square inch for some purpose.

Then we started hearing more and more about how bad the world is getting and I will be truthful. it scared me.  The thought of a world without the modern luxuries that we have all gotten so used to and the havoc it would cause wanted me to learn even more about ways that we could prepare and face this scary new world.  If nothing ever does happen.....great.....but if it DOES we want our family to be prepared.

With this blog I hope to tell you a little more about some of the tips and ideas we have picked up and learned along the way and hopefully you have some new ideas to share to.  I am always up for learning more...

Thanks for reading and I hope you will continue to visit..

mommamarler