I wait and I wait. And I patiently wait, until out of thin air, the little brown paperbag-like sheathes slough off the tips of the branches and float away.... revealing the new little spruce needles that are the most beauteous little tender chartreuse new born tips of deliciousness. Seriously. They're like little slightly sour lemony chewy gumballs. Not as astringent and definitely more palatable than the more aged needles. I'm not certain I can even describe it correctly. It has a piney/balsamic character with a sweet almost fruity lemony woodsy-like under tone. They some how remind me of the little yellow sour grass flower forest, (Oxalis I think they were) those clover blossoms that grew all over the side yard and I would pluck them by the handfuls and chomp and suck the sour juices from their stems. Kinda like that but not as sweet and juicy. And I guess not so puckery. Well, they have a wild, sour-wood flavor all of their own.

Lilacs. Lilacs everywhere. Ahhh, Spring lilacs. Yes, it’s true, the smell of dreamy lilacs in the breeze just doesn't last long enough. So that’s why I love to preserve its floral essence in a delectable, wiggly jiggly, spreadable, sticky sweet jelly. It’s perfect smeared atop some crunchy buttery toast or biscuits, but I like it on warm lilac muffins with steamy black tea.

The rose hip, or rose haw, is the fruit of the rose plant, and typically is red or orangeish, but ranges from dark purple to black in some species. Rose hips begin to form in spring, and ripen in late summer through autumn.  And me, I like to get them while I can, and eat them up!

Rose hips are a very rich source of Vitamin C and are free for the picking. Three average hips have as much Vitamin C as a medium-sized orange so they are definitely a good fruit to incorporate into the diet. The food value is found in their skin and their taste is similar to that of an apple. If you plan on harvesting, pick only the ripe berries that are vivid red and slightly soft. They have a much better flavor if picked after the first frost…preferably late August through October. You can harvest them from your garden, but they’re more plentiful from old-time shrub varieties such as rugosas and wild rose bushes. To collect your own, and to encourage your roses to develop them, don’t trim the blossoms and leave them to naturally fade and fall. Or you can buy dried cut and sifted rose hips ready to use.

Mallow is one of the earliest cited plants in recorded literature. Horace mentions it in reference to his own diet, which he describes as very simple: "Me pascunt olivae, me cichorea, me malvae" ("As for me, olives, endives, and mallows provide sustenance")

Know your weeds: Look down, because Common Mallow (Malva neglecta) probably grows around you. The flowers, leaves, young shoots and roots are edible, either raw or cooked and are very nutritious. The seeds alone contain 21% protein and 15.2% fat.

The beet (Beta vulgaris);  is probably the best known and most popular beet. Most have seen or grown the basic red or purple root vegetable known as the beetroot or garden beet, but there are other varieties such as sugar beets, sea beets, and spinach beets. All are valuable.

Beet remains have been excavated in Egypt, and have a long history of cultivation stretching way back to the second millennium BC where they were domesticated somewhere along the Mediterranean. They later spread to Babylonia by the 8th century BC and as far east as China by 850 AD. Beets have been a stable food for thousands of years due to their many important minerals and micro-nutrients They are loaded with vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C as well as calcium, magnesium, copper, phosphorus, sodium, and iron. The roots contain significant amounts of vitamin C, while the leaves are an excellent source of vitamin A, and are also high in folate, soluble and insoluble dietary fiber and antioxidants. Beets offer a wealth of carbohydrates and are one of the best energetic foods. They are among the sweetest of vegetables as well, containing more sugar even than carrots or sweet corn.

This soup is especially useful during the transition from autumn to winter and during the flu season to prevent getting sick. Check out this soup! It is loaded with adaptogens which are remarkable natural substances that help the body adapt to stress, support normal metabolic functions, and help restore balance. They increase the body's resistance to physical, biological, emotional, and environmental stressors and provide a defense response to acute or chronic stress.

I wanted to share this soup. I love soup and we've all heard about Moms Chicken Noodle soup when you're sick but this chicken soup is amazing. As an herbalist I feel that 'herbs as food' is even better than just 'herbs as medicine'.

The simple lemon has gone beyond your ordinary glass of lemonade. Did you know lemon peel contains calcium, phosphorus, potassium, ascorbic acid and vitamin A, as well as volatile oil. It is diuretic, carminative, immuno-enhancing, and stomachic. This citrus serves as a tonic to the digestive system, immune system, and skin, while increasing circulation to extremities. Lemon peel is used to treat and prevent vitamin deficiencies, colds, flu, an scurvy as well as digestive or gastrointestinal problems by stimulating the appetite and encouraging the release of gastric juices to digest food.

The citrus bioflavonoid constituents of this herb help stabilize blood vessels, especially the capillaries, making it an ideal remedy for healing varicose veins, bloodshot eyes, phlebitis and hemorrhoids (especially when the lemon peel is used to make a tea).

I love popcorn. Homemade with real butter. Yum. There aren't a lot of snacks that can top a simple bowl of popcorn except for a simple bowl of popcorn with fresh rosemary or rosemary oil.

Most would agree that homemade popcorn is the only way to go. Microwave popcorn is oily and easily upsets the belly. Below is my favorite recipe for fresh homemade popcorn that you and your family will love.