An invitation to go back to our basics

Not because of any polarity with modern medicine, but only as a means to help you "rediscover your place in nature and our ecosystem. Plant medicine offers not only gentle remedies for everyday ills, but also a means of nurturing yourself, bringing powerful element of self-care to your life that will inspire and awaken your senses - from smell and taste to sight and tough - and loop you back into the wonderfully nurturing cycle of food and flowers, healing and health." A snippet from Bloom & Thrive. Thanks Brigit Anna McNeill for your inspiration.

Bloom & Thrive

Old Fashioned Fire Cider

It takes longer to forage the ingredients than to make it. It's simple. It's easy. It's tasty.

Basic Ingredients

Apple cider with “mother” in it (32 oz)

Fresh horseradish (1 cups peeled and diced)

Fresh turmeric (1/2 cup peeled and diced)

Fresh ginger (1/2 cup peeled and diced)

Garlic cloves (1 cup peeled and diced)

Sweet onion (1 cup peeled and diced)

Habanero chili peppers (2 split in half (leave seeds in))

Lemon (1 quartered, and thinly sliced crosswise)

Orange (2 quartered, and thinly sliced crosswise)

Peppercorn (2 teaspoons of whole black peppercorns)

If you prefer:

Fresh parsley + Rosemary

Thyme

and

Raw honey (1.5 cup or more to taste)

Wide Mouth Half Gallon masor jar - 64 oz

64 oz Mason Jar will yield 32 oz of cider

Plastic top for it (do not use metal tops)

Parchment paper between mason jar and plastic top to prevent corrosion from the vinegar.

Pro-tip: peel horseradish, turmeric, and ginger with a teaspoon instead of a peeler.

Don't dice too fine. One inch cubes should do it. Throw all of the ingredients in and add the vinegar and honey in the end. Then let it sit for 3 weeks.

Pro tip: It's best if honey is added in the last week of the process so the 'fire' ingredients make their magic before 'sweetness' is introduced.

Make it in a big jar because the ingredients take a lot of space and you won't have enough liquid if you are looking to add this to your daily/weekly routine

Turn it upside down daily for at least 3 weeks

Add masking tape to the lid and write your prep date on it with a sharpie

Don't leave it to cure near a window where the sun can warm it (let it do it’s thing in a cabinet in room temperature)

Once ready, pour it in a new jar or bottle through a funnel. Cover funnel with a cheese cloth or use a fine mesh strainer.

Serving Suggestions

Straight up: a shot every day or every week

Other uses: as a marinade, as salad dressing, try a few dashes for cocktails, drizzle over steamed veggies.

Good for 6 months to a year.

Nourishing Nettle Infusion

The most nutrient-dense and mineral-rich plant and a superfood that grows right by our feet. Not only does this rich supply of minerals do you good on the inside, through addressing mineral deficiencies, it also shows up on the outside, through the gift of thicker hair, sparkly eyes and stronger nails. Drinking nettle infusion will give so many nutrients to your blood that the feeling of uplift can start to happen within a few days, while regular use will have long-lasting effects. Nettle goes well with mint, rosemary and mallow, so add a teaspoon of each to your infusion.

Use a quart/liter jar.
Put 30g/1 cup dried herbs or 60g/2 cups fresh herbs in the jar.
Pour boiling water over the herbs to the top of the jar. Cover with a lid.
Leave to infuse for 4-8 hours or overnight.
Drink 2-4cups daily or 3-6 liters a week.

Dosage: Nettle is food based, so works slowly and gently. The reason it takes longer is because it invites your body to heal from the core, rather than just addressing the symptoms. The immensely powerful benefits of this plant will not b felt in their fullness for about 1-2 months. It’s therefore not a plant to be taken every now and then; instead try to commit to a regular routine for nettle infusions. You can keep taking nettle through the year or, if preferred, try taking it for 2-3 months, then have a break and go back to it the following month.

Wake-up and Thrive Infusion

This is a brilliant warming drink that supports and wakes up the body with a powerful boost of antioxidants and antiviral properties, aiding digestion, the immune system and gut health. Drink like a tea.

Rind and juice of 1 organic, unwaxed lemon
5cm/2in ginger root, grated
1 tbsp honey; Raw or Manuka honey have the best medicinal properties; or maple syrup.
1-3 tsp apple cider vinegar; Optional

1. Place all the ingredients in a heatproof jar.
2. Pour boiling water over the top. Cover with a lid and leave overnight.
3. In the morning, strain and reheat, if preferred, until warm but not really hot.

Albanian Remedies

For inflamed or sprained limbs

Chunky Mediterranean salt and chopped onion wrapped in plastic

For hemorrhoids

St John’s Wort flowers (Lule Basami) and leaves dried fusion in olive oil in the dark for 40 days

For spider veins and for tired legs

2 spicy dried red peppers, 5 garlic cloves infused in raki for 5 days. Crush and create rough paste.

Effect will show within four/five days of rubbing legs with paste.

For infections or burns

Tomato heels infections and burns over night. Create paste of crushed tomatoes and wrap in plastic around the would.

For younger feeling face/skin

Make a water and starch paste in a bowl, apply to face every night before bed, wash away after 5 mins

Similar to fire cider, prevents colds, sickness. A boost to your immune and digestive system.

Diced chunky garlic infused in a jar of honey. Take a teaspoon daily.

Liver therapy

For five mornings

Half an ounce of EVOO

Half an ounce of fresh lemon juice

A pinch of cayenne pepper

Rose Petal Elixir

Rose is a safe medicine, bringing calm to an emotionally fraught heart, and helping to soothe anxiety and nerves. This is my favorite medicinal recipe, handed down to me by my grandmother. It’s soothing, recuperative and uplifting, like a hug in a bottle. Carry this elixir around and take one or two dropperful of it as a pick-me-up when needed.

Fill a jar with rose petals.
Fill half the jar with honey. Raw or Manuka honey have the best medicinal properties.
Fill the remaining of the jar with brandy.
Place a lid on top and let it infuse in a cool place for 4-6 weeks or longer.
During this time, try to take the lid off and stir the mixture as often as possible,

inviting the melding of plant medicine, honey and brandy, so they can become one.
After 4-5 weeks, strain and bottle the liquid.
Take one or two dropperfuls when needed in times of anxiety, worry, stress, or hurt.

Happy Spray

30 drops of mixture of these essential oils:

lavender, lemon balm, frankincense, bergamot.

20 ml/1 1⁄2 tbsp vodka
80 ml/5 1⁄2 tbsp spring water or rose hydrosol

Mix the essential oils with the alcohol, then add the water or hydrosol. Pour into a spray bottle Spray your bedsheets, clothes or hair.

Sage Tea

Albanians say it builds emotional strength, promotes wisdom, heals grief, and if that’s enough, it helps the digestive system, relieving bloating, gas and abdominal pain. Drink before or after meals, it will be huge benefit for those who cannot digest fats well. Put 1-2 tsp dried or 2-4 tsp fresh herb in a mug and fill with boiling water. Infuse for 20 minutes.

Happy Tea Blend

This is a good blend to make from dried herbs to keep in a jar for when needed. You can make it as either a tea or a stronger herbal infusion.

3 parts lemon balm
2 parts chamomile flowers
2 parts nettle
2 parts Siberian ginseng root 1 part St John’s Wort
1 part oat straw

For a cup of herbal tea: Use 2 tsp per cup/mug and steep for 20 mins. Strain.
For an infusion: Put 30g/1 cup of the dried herb mix in a liter/quart jar and cover with boiling water. Put on the lid and leave to steep for 4-8 hours. Strain.

Birch Juice

The sap directly tapped from (white and silver) birch trees can be immediately consumed fresh and/or when naturally fermented. When fresh, it is a clear and uncolored liquid, often slightly sweet with a slightly silky texture. After two or three days, the sap starts fermenting and the taste becomes more acidic. The fresh juice is light, more like flavored water than pulpy thick juice. To stop fermentation, the juice can be stored in the fridge up to 1 year.

I was first introduced to it by a Latvian friend during a visit to her house in The Netherlands. She had a collection of birch trees on her property and proudly explained that her ancestors have been using it for generations for revitalization and to prevent cancer. "If nothing else, it's great for skin and hair. My little girls and I wash our hair with it and rub it as a face mask on our special girl-and-mommy-time days" she said. Her husband explained that harvesting it is hassle free. "Between fall and spring you put the tap in and collect it like maple sap for syrup. Every 24 hours, from only 1 tree, you get 1.5 liters of fresh juice without having to process it." And when I asked why he started collecting after the last leaf fell and stopped in the spring before the first bud, he answered: "Because the trees need their strength. We won't ever harm the trees. We only collect when they are hibernating." I tasted both fresh and fermented and couldn't pick my favorite - they were different enough and both delicious and unique. I was sent home (to my hotel) with two 1.5L bottles of it. I drank from them every day until the last drop before I checked out.

I am not sure if I became an ambassador of birch juice because of its uniqueness, health effects, or taste first. But all were encapsulated and fortified by the family and story time I was honorably a part of. That's what sealed the deal - witnessing ageless healthy living remedies passed down through consciousness and subconsciousness, entwined in modern day interactions between husband and wife, mom and daughters, family and guests, from one part of the world to another.

These teas have been cultivated in the Mediterranean region for thousands of years, They can be enjoyed both by drinking, inhaling, and even topically applying this tea to the skin.

Sage Mountain Tea

antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anticancerous, improves blood sugar control, promotes oral health, healthy skin and wound healing.

Sideritis Mountain Tea

anti-microbial, ant-ulcerative, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, decongestant, pain reliever, carminative mood enhancing, and anti-depressant

Red Oregano Mountain Tea

anti-inflammatory and antioxidant

Nettle Tea from dried leaves

anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertensive, anti-diabetic, and it purifies the blood and destroy the toxins from the body.

Nettle Tea from dried roots & stems

treats hey fever, enlarged prostate symptoms, and lowers blood pressure, joint swelling, and estrogen metabolites.

Dandelion Tea from leaves

relieves constipation and soothes minor digestive ailments.

prevents urinary tract infections, anti-cancerous

Dandelion Tea from roasted roots

best known as 'liver' tonic, it helps detoxify the liver,

can be used as a substitute for coffee

Dried Crab Apple Tea

prebiotic - enables good gut bacteria,

immunity booster, anti-inflammatory, aids in weight loss

Thana Tea and more...

Thana, known in Latin as Cornus Mas and in English as Cornelian Cherry, is a special, less known plant, native to southern Europe and south-western regions of Asia.

Its wood was used from the seventh century BC onward by craftsmen in southern Europe to construct spears, javelins and bows, the craftsmen considering it far superior to any other wood. Today, it spectacularly presents itself in Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina in distilled Rakia. During full fruit bearing, 20–80 kg of fruits can be picked from one tree. Less known and unique uses are that the leaves can be used as a tea substitute and provide a good source of tannin; oil may be obtained from the seed, and a unique red dye from the bark. The thin trunks make excellent walking sticks and canes.

Bay Leaf Tea

The Greek word for laurel is Dafni (similar in Albanian, Dafinë) named for the Daphne of Greek mythology. Laurel was prized during ancient times. Its leaves were considered as a symbol of wisdom, peace, and protection. They were used in Mediterranean religious ceremonies and believed that the smoke from burning bay leaves could ward off evil spirits. Wreaths, crowns, and garlands of the herb were worn by emperors, heroes, doctors, and poets. Doctors wore crowns of bay leaf due to the belief that it provided support for maladies from indigestion to bad dreams.

Bay Leaves have been used for 1000s of years for cooking, essential oils and traditional medicine. As you have probably guessed already, it can also be brewed into a delicious and healthful herbal tea. Because the leaf is full of essential oils, its taste is similar to those of eucalyptus and menthol with hints of pepper-like spic, and it's complimented fantastically with honey. Among countless health benefits, the most noteworthy one is that laurel leaves are high in vitamin C and vitamin A, and excellent for your immune system.

WILLOW TREE ASPIRIN

The acid from a Shelgë or willow tree is aspirin. The ancient Sumerians, circa 2000 BC, recorded the use of willow leaves to treat inflammation. The Ebers Papyrus, circa 1500 BC, one of the most important medical documents of ancient Egypt, references the use of willow leaves as a general purpose pain reliever. And Hippocrates himself advocated the use of willow bark tea to reduce fever and alleviate pain. Jumping ahead to modern times, the first ever recorded clinical trial was centered around willow bark, when in 1763 Reverend Edward Stone sought a treatment for the symptoms of malaria.

Dandelion Honey

Dandelion honey isn't honey made by bees, but rather it is really dandelion syrup made from the flowers and sugar. You're the bee converting flowers into sweet goodness. You can weed those pesky dandelions from your lawn and make a treat from the flowers. Dandelion honey is a good substitute for honey for vegans or anyone who may have an allergy to traditional bee's honey, with a surprisingly similar flavor. The consistency is thinner than most honey. It has a very similar appearance in color. If you have a lawn dotted with dandelions and you are sure there haven't been any chemicals applied, you can forage for the flowers. If spring has sprung but the bees aren't yet buzzing enough to make honey, this is a fun seasonal substitute.

Prep:75 mins

Cook:90 mins

Steep and Soak:6 hrs 5 mins

Total:8 hrs 50 mins

Servings:16 servings

Ingredients:

4 cups dandelion petals

4 cups water

3 lemon slices (1/4-inch)

1/2 vanilla bean, split in half

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Directions:

Pick dandelion flowers during the daylight while in full bloom. Remove the petals, then measure the petals only. Discard the center of the flower and the stem in your compost.
Soak petals in cold water for five minutes to allow time for any insects to exit, then drain.
Place petals in a heavy saucepan along with water, lemon slices, and vanilla bean.
Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
Remove pan from heat and let steep for 6 hours.
Strain dandelion tea through a cheesecloth and discard solids in your compost.
Place dandelion tea in a heavy saucepan and bring to a low boil.
Gradually add sugar to boiling liquid while stirring until sugar is dissolved.
Lower heat and let simmer uncovered until it reaches desired syrupy thickness. This may take about 1 hour. It will thicken more as it cools.
Store covered in the refrigerator. It should keep for about six months. It also freezes for longer storage.

Notes:

Some cooks leave the flower heads intact, but this can add a bitter note to the honey. It's best to use only the petals and eliminate any green parts.
If you're concerned about who or what was tiptoeing through the dandelions before you picked them, the rinsing and boiling processes should eliminate any lingering bacteria.
Picking the dandelion flowers will keep them from going to seed and propagating more dandelions. That's good news if you want fewer, but bad news if you discover you love dandelion honey and want lots more flowers the next season.

Try using orange slices in place of the lemon slices for a different citrus flavor.
You can add a little bit of fresh herbs such as thyme, sage, bay leaves or lemon verbena to the petal-water mixture. Remove them as soon as you're happy with the level of herbal flavor, before any delicate floral notes get overpowered.

Albanian Remedies: Teas

Elderflower Syrup

Elderflower is the flower of the elder tree. An extract of the flower is used to make medicine. In addition to tasting like summer, this wonderful syrup treats the common cold, the flu (influenza), swelling of the nasal cavity and sinuses.

Elderflower prep

Best if you collect your own flowers in a clean forest. Do not wash or rinse to prevent pollen from coming off. Carefully pluck the flowers. Remove as much as you can of the green part because it will add bitterness.

Making the syrup

Put 350 g of Elderflower into a 5 liter jar

Pour in 2.5-3 liters of water

Add lemon juice by squeezing 2 organic lemons

Mix softly to blend everything together

Cover the top and let it rest in the fridge for 72 hours

Everyday, carefully push the flowers down with a wooden spoon

Filter the syrup through a cheese cloth

For the sugar and citric acid add-ons, start out with adding a little, mix, taste, and repeat until you reach your desired taste.

Add sugar (up to 0.75kg)

Add citric acid (up to 2 tbsp)

Store in fridge in glass bottle(s)

For drinking it as a cold brew, add 50/50 syrup and water in a glass.

Fun Fact: Elderberries grow from the same tree as elderflowers. The flowers (white and small in bunches) bloom from July to July while the berries (blue, dark purple, black) ripe from September to October. European black elder trees are called Sambucus Nigra. The elderberries from this tree are used to make the Italian liquor called Sambuca.

Any special remedies you'd like to share?