Shiki: Japanese Restaurant

Hidden on Babcock Street in Coolidge Corner in Brookline is my favorite restaurant to dine in the Boston area: the Japanese restaurant, Shiki.

I have been going to Shiki since it opened in 2007, and I have returned many times since. Shiki offers authentic Japanese cuisine (confirmed by my Japanese friends, and you will often find Japanese people dining in the restaurant). Shiki is a great place to go if you love seafood like I do. However, there are many non-seafood options if seafood is not your thing! Check out their menu.

I typically order the Take Kaiseki lunch set.

Take (Bamboo) Kaiseki Lunch Set

"A combination of sashimi, broiled fish, tempura, and cooked vegetables. Served with miso soup, salad, and rice (white or the day's mixed rice)."

Although if I am particularly hungry, I sometimes order the Matsu Kaiseki lunch set instead. Mmmmm.

Matsu (Pine) Kaiseki Lunch Set

"Combination of mini appetizers, sashimi, oshizushi (pressed sushi), mini chawanmushi (egg custard), broiled fish, and tempura. Served with salad and a small udon noodle soup."

Shiki is open for lunch and dinner, six days a week (it is closed in-between meals, and closed on Mondays). For lunch, you can choose from a variety of lunch sets and sushi a la carte. Small plates are offered for dinner a la carte. I have been to Shiki for both lunch and dinner, although I typically go for lunch, because the prices are so reasonable. Whenever you go and whatever you order, though, is sure to be beautiful and delicious.

Hokkai Donburi Lunch Set

 "Assortment of seafood - crab meat, salmon roe, scallop, and sea urchin [served over rice]. Served with miso soup and salad."

Shiki is located at 9 Babcock Street, Brookline, MA 02446. T: (617) 738-0200. Go to the website to take a look at their hours, their menu, and for more information. Visit today! You won't regret it.

Natural Cold and Flu Prevention and Remedies

It has been a pretty bad cold and flu season this winter, but luckily I was prepared with natural prevention methods and remedies! However, before we get started, what is the difference between the cold and the flu?

The cold and flu are both respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. Because the two illnesses share many symptoms, it can be difficult to determine the difference between them based on symptoms alone. Here are some tips on how to differentiate between the two. Generally, the flu is more severe than the common cold, and a temperature of over 101 degrees F may indicate the flu rather than a cold. A runny or stuffy nose is common with a cold, and colds usually do not result in serious health problems, such as bacterial infections or hospitalizations.

Here are a few possible ways to prevent or treat the cold or flu:

1. Fresh, Raw Garlic

A very affordable and easily accessible option! Raw garlic is a "potent antibiotic...it has immune-stimulating properties as well as antibacterial and antiviral effects." The major compound in garlic that provides health benefits is allicin. However, allicin is only formed when the garlic is crushed or finely chopped, and exposed to the air for a few minutes. Take raw garlic (a few cloves a day) at the first onset of symptoms. To make the raw garlic more palatable, crush it, chop it finely, and add it to your food. Read more about allicin and raw garlic benefits from Dr. Weil.

Garlic (photo source)

2. Medicinal Mushrooms

Medicinal mushrooms are a great way to boost one's overall immunity and to fight disease, with different mushrooms offering different health benefits. Although there still is a lot that we need to learn about them, "Preliminary studies on mushrooms have revealed novel antibiotics, anti-cancer chemotherapeutic agents, immunomodulators, and a slew of active constituents."

For example, maitake mushrooms have "anticancer, antiviral, and immune-system enhancing effects and may also help control both high blood pressure and blood sugare levels." In addition, reishi can "improve immune function and inhibit the growth of some malignant tumors. It also shows significant anti-inflammatory effects, reduces allergic responsiveness, and protects the liver."

Turkey tail mushroom (Trametes versicolor) 

- Benefits -

Photo source

To learn more about medicinal mushrooms, read this introductory article by Paul Stamets, Mycologist, an interview with Paul Stamets, and his website for more information about medicinal mushrooms and mushroom products. In addition, The Boston School of Herbal Studies routinely offers Medicinal Mushroom Classes taught by Melanie Rose. I attended their Medicinal Mushroom Class in October, and learned a lot! One recommended source Melanie recommended to purchase mushroom products from was Mushroom Harvest based in Athens, Ohio, with the 14 Mushroom Powder Blend a favorite of hers. Finally, if you live in the Boston area, look into the Boston Mycological Club, which "was organized in 1895 to study mushrooms and other fungi, to collect and spread information concerning them, and to encourage interest with exhibitions, lectures, and publications."

3. Astragalus 

Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) "has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for thousands of years." Astragalus has antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, it "stimulates the immune system, suggesting that it may help prevent colds." The root of the plant is used medicinally, and it may be found in Chinese food stores, some health food stores, and also online, such as at Mountain Rose Herbs. Astragalus root can be simmered in teas and soups, and can also be found in liquid, capsule, and tablet form. Read more about astragalus root from Dr. Weil, The University of Maryland Medical Center, and the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

Slices of dried astragalus root 

(photo source)

4. Essential Oils for Respiratory Issues

At the Farm to Pharmacy Intensive, David Crow of Floracopeia reiterated numerous times about the benefits of conifer and eucalyptus essential oils to help to prevent and to treat respiratory ailments. They can be taken by steam inhalations, in a diffuser, and more. (Please note that it is not safe to take essential oils internally!) For more information about essential oils in general, read about my experiences taking an Aromatherapy Course and the Farm to Pharmacy Intensive.

Heavenly Scent Diffuser/Nebulizer

5. Umcka^® 

Umcka^® ColdCare is a homeopathic remedy made with Pelargonium sidoides extract (EPs 7630) 1X, "a medicinal plant unique to South Africa. In clinical studies, EPs 7630 shortens the duration and reduces severity of throat, nasal and bronchial irritations. It also naturally releives congestion, cough, headache, and hoarseness." Umcka^® Cold Care is available in liquid form, chewable tablets, and powder form for adults and children. In addition, Umcka^® offers a Cold and Flu line, made with Pelargonium sidoides extract (EPs 7630) 1X and an Alpha^® CF blend. Visit the Umcka® website for more information and check out their FAQ page.

6. Elderberry Syrup

While currently there is only preliminary research demonstrating potential benefits of elderberries for the cold and flu, it has been used historically in traditional European medicine for the cold and flu. I thought that making elderberry syrup would be something fun to try, so I made my first batch in October. It is tasty, too!

To make the elderberry syrup, I followed the recipe from Mountain Rose Herbs, with one small difference. I learned from the Farm to Pharmacy Intensive that simmering elderberries (or any vegetable or fruit) significantly reduces vitamin C content. Therefore, instead of simmering the elderberries, I:

• Boiled 3 cups of water
• Poured the boiled water over 1/2 cup dried elderberries in a bowl
• Covered the bowl well and let the infusion steep overnight

The next day:

• I mashed the elderberries with a potato masher to release the juices
• Strained out the liquid using cheesecloth and a colander 
• Stirred in 1 cup of honey to the liquid
• Put the elderberry syrup in jars to refrigerate, and voilà! Done. 

The elderberry syrup lasts 2-3 months in the fridge, and as for dosage, I just followed the recommendation from Mountain Rose Herbs' recipe: "Take a tablespoon daily to ward off illness and a teaspoon every 2-3 hours while sick."

Elderberry syrup, batch one

I have taken elderberry syrup most days since I first made it in October, and surprisingly I did not get sick when my family and I flew to Las Vegas for my cousin's wedding in early December (I have a bad habit of getting sick when I travel). I was sick with a cold for one week in late December, when my elderberry syrup had already spoiled and I had not made a new batch yet (the syrup had lasted two months). I made a new elderberry syrup (cut down to 1/3 of the batch) the day after I realized I was starting to get sick. Luckily I did not experience any physical symptoms at all, and I only felt "fogginess" in my head (I was taking the 14 Mushroom Powder Blend, conifer essential oils in the diffuser, and Umcka^® at the same time though, so all may have contributed to help to reduce the severity of my cold, and prevented me from getting sick most of the winter).

If you have any other suggestions for natural cold and flu preventative tips and treatments, please share!

Farm to Pharmacy Intensive

Last week, I participated in the Farm to Pharmacy Intensive with David Crow and William Siff at Goldthread Herb Farm. The farm is located in the foothills of the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts, and we were very lucky to have nice weather the majority of the time! Over the week, we learned about herbs in many different ways, including plant walks outdoors, harvesting, making various products with the herbs, and lectures. The concepts were taught incorporating Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic principles.

Learning in the outdoor classroom with William Siff

The intensive went from Saturday, September 22 - Friday, September 28. With the exception of Friday and Saturday, class went from 9 am - 6 pm, with delicious vegetarian lunches catered by The Bakers Oven located in Shelburne Falls. The schedule varied each day, according to the weather.

A major focus of the program was how to apply herbalism at home. Therefore, we learned a lot about working with herbs that are relatively harmless, have a wide range of therapeutic benefits, are cost-effective, and are easy to grow in North America (if you are interested in growing your own herbs, check out The Medicinal Herb Grower by Richo Cech of Horizon Herbs). For example, applying herbalism can be as simple as using culinary herbs, which can have immense health benefits. This includes the oreganos, thymes, basils, sages, onions, garlic, and more.

Because the intensive was located at the herb farm, we were able to do some outdoor hands-on learning. At the end of September in Massachusetts, the growing season is coming to an end, so we harvested herbs and seeds, and we prepared plant beds for rest for the winter. We also garbled herbs, which is the process of separating the part of the plant that will be used from the parts that aren't wanted. For instance, removing the stems from dried peppermint leaves for storage purposes. Here is a nicely illustrated blog post describing how to easily garble herbs.

Wire mesh screen used for garbling herbs

We also learned about composting,

Vermicomposting in the greenhouse

and about many properties of the herbs that were present at the farm.

Ashwagandha, an important herb in Ayurvedic tradition and a strong restorative that strengthens the immune system

In addition, we learned about essential oils with David Crow from Floracopeia (the quality of the essential oils from Floracopeia is simply amazing).

One essential oil we learned about in particular was helichrysum. It is considered the "best essential oil for a first aid remedy. It excels at supporting the skin in healthy healing...Very few oils can boast such a broad spectrum of effective therapeutic use...Its overall cleansing effect and its ability to support a healthy inflammatory response make helichrysum a great support to the respiratory, immune, and neurological systems providing mood uplifting and stress reduction benefits to boot." Learn more about what David Crow has to say about helichrysum in this article and about "the best helichrysum essential oil in the world" in this video.

On Thursday, we distilled local hemlock to make hydrosol and essential oil with Goldthread's distillery. This process involved stripping the hemlock needles,

 

Stripping hemlock needles

and placing the needles in a chamber in the 85-gallon still. With a fire and water, steam was created underneath, allowing the hot steam to pass upwards through the plant material, carrying the essential oil with it. The steam with the essential oil then went through a cold condensing unit, where the steam and essential oil recondensed. The liquid collected in a container, and because of the different densities, the oil separated from the water. The oil produced is the hemlock essential oil. After the essential oil is decanted off, the remaining aromatic liquid, which contains trace amounts of the essential oil, is known as a hydrosol. Hydrosols have numerous applications, such as for body care and as natural air fresheners.

Hemlock Distillation 

Hemlock essential oil (on top) and hydrosol (below)

While in Conway, I also explored the area, including a visit to the Ashfield Farmers Market nearby.

Ashfield Farmers Market

On Friday, I went on a tour of South River Miso, which is located right in Conway.

Miso is a seasoning often used to make miso soup in Japanese cuisine. However, it can be used in many other food preparations as well. As a fermented product, miso is reported to have numerous health benefits, such as cancer prevention, and in promoting health as a probiotic. At South River Miso, making miso involves cooking the beans, inoculating brown rice with spores of the mold Aspergillus oryzae to make koji, treading the beans by feet for an hour (wearing clean organic cotton socks, of course!), adding the rice koji, and then fermenting the miso in the wooden vats for 3 weeks, or even up to 3 years. This process produces not only miso, but also tamari, which is the liquid that collects in the vats of miso. Tamari is similar to soy sauce, but it has a lighter and sweeter taste. Check out these videos for a tour of South River Miso and to see how they make their products.

South River Miso's Fermentation Building. Tamari fermenting in the carboys (left) and miso fermenting in the vats (right).

South River Miso makes many varieties of miso, including traditional misos made with brown rice, and untraditional flavors, such as chickpea miso. I purchased some chickpea miso tamari and brown rice koji as a starter to make amazaké again. All of South River Miso's products can be ordered online from their website, and their miso can also be found at many Whole Foods markets.

It was a wonderful week away, and I learned a lot. Having already taken some herbalism and aromatherapy classes, I enjoyed learning from new teachers with different backgrounds, and also learning from a great group of peers. One major difference in this program compared to some of my previous classes was the emphasis on Ayurvedic principles and Traditional Chinese Medicine. If you are interested in other events offered by David Crow and William Siff, visit Floracopeia's website and Goldthread Herb Farm and Apothecary!

 Goldthread Herb Farm

A Summer at Waltham Fields Community Farm

This summer, I worked on the weed crew at Waltham Fields Community Farm.

Founded in 1995, Waltham Fields Community Farm is a nonprofit organization "engaged in food production, hunger relief, and education." The farm consists of 11 acres, it supports a 500-share CSA, and it offers various other programs. Some of the produce grown at the farm this season included kale,

Kale. Harvest from the bottom up, and it continues to grow and produce new leaves!

swiss chard,

Swiss chard was everywhere

a variety of flowers, and much more.

 

 Fresh flower bouquet

I saw okra growing for the first time, too!

 Okra flower

The weed crew position was part-time, Mondays - Fridays from 8 am - noon, from June - August. The crew consisted of four members, and from Tuesday - Friday we worked with drop-in volunteers, from 9 am - noon. It was great to meet and to work with volunteers of different ages and backgrounds! Most of the work that we did was by hand, and we occasionally used hand-tools. The weeding we did ranged from detailed work such as weeding carrots, to weeding weeds that were taller than me (I am five feet tall).

One great benefit of the job was receiving fresh produce from the farm. I fermented both pickling and salad cucumbers using the recipe from the book Real Food Fermentation (a book that I contributed writing to), and both batches of fermented pickles came out very crispy. I had grape leaves on hand to add to the fermenting jars as well, which are supposed to help pickled cucumbers to keep their crunch.

Fermenting cucumber pickles

Other ways I preserved the harvest included making sauerkraut and a variety of pestos, freezing, and canning tomatoes with other members of the weed crew. To make the tomato sauce, we modified a recipe from Pick Your Own, took the appropriate precautions in order to avoid botulism, and with three people, six hours of work, and a water bath canning set, we had canned 10 pint jars of tomato sauce.

Canned tomato sauce

 Cantaloupe ice cream

(Recipe from Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book) 

Despite Waltham Fields Community Farm's abundance of tomatoes this year, this has been a tough tomato year for some farms in the area because of late blight. Late blight appears sporadically in the northeast, and unfortunately returned this season. Also known as "Phytophthora infestans," late blight caused the Irish Potato Famine in the 1840s, and it infects tomatoes and potatoes. If late blight is not managed, it can destroy entire crops in days. While some farms in the area lost crops due to late blight, others who have been able to manage the disease have had a very productive tomato season. Read more about late blight in this handout, and for photos and for more information, visit this webpage.

Another crop we weeded was parsnips, a crop that we needed to weed in long pants, long sleeves, and gloves! Why? Because parsnips contain furocoumarins, a photosensitive compound that can cause phytophotodermatitis. If the plant juice from parsnips gets on your skin and the skin gets exposed to sunlight, it can cause serious burns and blisters that can last even up to a year. Although many people are already familiar with these burns from wild parsnips, the burns can occur with cultivated parsnips, as well. Luckily we were warned about the dangers of parsnip beforehand! For more information and pictures regarding parsnips burns, check out these articles: "Burned by wild parsnip," "Parsnips gave me blisters! Gardener covered in sores after brushing against vegetable leaves," and Parsnip Dangers from Wikipedia.

Over the summer, I also attended several meetings with Emasscraft, the Eastern Massachusetts Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training. "CRAFT is a free, collaborative group...From April through October farmers, farm workers and apprentices from CRAFT farms gather at one farm for a visit and/or workshop. Each visit includes an overview of the farm as well as a discussion about one or two specific topics. CRAFT discussions are also scheduled November through March if there is sufficient interest" (http://emasscraft.org/wordpress).

I went to three CRAFT meetings this season. At the meetings, I learned about weed management techniques at Drumlin Farm, tomatoes at Wright-Locke Farm (a farm that I also wrote an article about for the Lexington Farmers' Market), and irrigation systems at Moraine Farm. I enjoyed visiting new farms, and seeing how each farm operates differently from one another. The schedule for Emasscraft meetings can be found here, and I would highly recommend signing up for their listserv.

It was a great summer working on the weed crew, and also with the wonderful staff at the farm.

Waltham Fields Community Farm Staff of 2012 (minus Marla)

(photo courtesy of Waltham Fields Community Farm)

Although I am sad to no longer be working at Waltham Fields Community Farm, I am looking forward to sharing a winter CSA with some of my fellow weed crew members this winter. Waltham Fields Community Farm's annual Waltham Farm Day is also coming up on Saturday, September 22! For more information about Waltham Fields Community Farm, visit their website.

Red sunflower

I am also excited for some new opportunities that are coming up. I will be participating in Goldthread Herb Farm and Apothecary's Farm to Pharmacy Intensive this September 22-28. This week I also begin working at Blue Heron Organic Farm in Lincoln, and in addition to my waitressing hours at the Spanish wine and tapas restaurant Taberna de Haro, I will be working as a cook. Stop by the farm or the restaurant sometime and say hello!

Getting Involved with the Food Movement: Careers and More

I am very excited to be joining the Weed Crew with Waltham Fields Community Farms this summer, from June through August! (And for those of you interested in volunteering with us, volunteer information is here!) In addition, as former president of Slow Food Boston University, I've had many individuals ask me, "How do I find a job related to sustainable food, or become involved in the sustainable food movement?" From my experiences, and after attending the Real Food Challenge's webinar, "Cultivating Food Movement Careers," I felt inclined to share some resources and tips.

Below are several resources to get you started. Because I live in the Greater Boston, Massachusetts area, you will notice that many of the resources may be focused on the northeast region of the U.S., although not all of them are.

Resources for sustainable food-related jobs and opportunities:

• Good Food Jobs
• BostonEco on Facebook and on Twitter
• Real Food Challenge Alumni Network (even if you were not previously involved with the Real Food Challenge)
• Listservs, such as:
• COMFOODJOBS
• NEFOOD: The Northeast's Food and Farm Network
• BFS (Boston Food System)

General listings that may include opportunities related to sustainable food:

• AmeriCorps
• Peace Corps
• Idealist.org
• Craigslist

Interested in farming? Farm positions may be found in the resources listed above. However, here are some farm-specific links:

• Eastern Massachusetts CRAFT listserv (and additional resources recommended by emasscraft here)
• ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service - Sustainable Farming Internships and Apprenticeships
• NOFA Directory of Organic Farming Apprenticeship Programs
• Volunteer through WWOOF: World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (read about my experience WWOOFing)

Additional suggestions:

• Get on LinkedIn
• Visit individual websites of farms, companies, and organizations to find postings
• Contact a farm, company, or organization that interests you, asking if they have any job and/or volunteer opportunities
• You may find opportunities through social media, such as Facebook and Twitter
• Consider doing a paid or unpaid internship
• Volunteer! For example, with a local Slow Food chapter, a local farm or farmers market, and more
• Meet, talk, and network with people through everyday conversations, events, conferences, and even Meetup groups, such as The Urban Homesteaders' League based in Greater Boston
• Let people know that you are looking for opportunities to get involved. This can include friends, family, mentors, past and present colleagues, and more
• Take classes (the Boston Natural Areas Network, for instance, offers gardening education)
• Start your own business (this may seem a bit daunting, and will of course require some thought and planning. However, if the job that you would like is not out there, why not create it?) Read these articles: Forget a desk job: Young foodies are betting that their bright ideas are their ticket out of the rat race, and Boston food entrepreneurs: Food fighters who are uprooting an empire. One local resource is Boston Young Entrepreneurs.

Remember, these are just a few resources to get you started. If you know of any other helpful resources, please share!

A Weekend in Chicago

This past weekend, I visited Chicago with my brother and sister. We were only there for less than forty-eight hours, but it was fun exploring the city for the first time!

Because the three of us are foodies, we pretty much arranged our schedule according to where we dined. And while I will not cover everything that we did throughout our trip, I will highlight some of the places that we visited!

Friday I arrived in Chicago before my siblings, so while I was waiting for them, I set out for the Chicago French Market. Along the way I passed by Kramer's Health Foods.

Kramer's Health Foods

In the front of Kramer's, there is a health food store with prepared foods, beverages, produce, supplements, and more. Meanwhile, upstairs there is a healthy vegetarian cafe and juice bar. Unfortunately the cafe was closed when I stopped by, but I still purchased a prepared tuna sandwich from the front of the store, which was made with (real) tongol tuna, mayonnaise, Ezekiel Bread, tomatoes, green onions, celery, and barrel pickels. For only less than $6 it was a great, delicious, and healthy purchase!

After walking a little over a mile I arrived at the Chicago French Market- a year-round, indoor marketplace with local artisans and purveyors.

At the Chicago French Market, I stopped at Raw, which offers 100% raw and plant-based foods. While I am not raw nor vegan, I love trying new and different healthy foods! 

Raw

Signature Muffin (Carrot and Raisin, left) and Kale Chips (right)

I purchased the carrot and raisin signature muffin and the dehydrated kale chips. Although dense, the muffin was very tasty! The kale chips were alright, although I was not a big fan of the seasonings. These kale chips were made with kale, tahini, lemon juice, HSS, garlic, agave, spirulina, nutritional yeast, and cayenne. However, when I make kale chips, I usually season them more simply: a little olive oil, salt, sesame seeds, and optional garlic powder. Raw also had some delicious looking and sounding salads, other prepared foods, beverages, and more. Check out the menu here. If you are looking for healthy food in Chicago, I'd recommend to stop by Raw!

After the Chicago French Market, I took a train to Green Grocer Chicago. Green Grocer Chicago is a small, neighborhood market featuring locally grown and produced produce and specialty food items. The store is small, but a neat place to check out if you are interested in local and organic food items! At the store, I picked up a copy of Edible Chicago. And of course, my visit to Chicago would not have been complete without a tasting of a local kombucha brew. Green Grocer Chicago offers NessAlla Kombucha as a local brand option, which is produced in Madison, Wisconsin. I tried the raspberry kombucha. It was slighty sweet and had nice effervescence!

Green Grocer Chicago (left) and NessAlla Kombucha (right)

Saturday morning, my brother, sister, and I had lunch at the Mexican restaurant, Xoco. My favorite item that we got were the churros. They were light, crunchy, and delicious!

Churros with a chocolate shot (left) and Aztec hot chocolate (right)

Afterwards, we visited The Art Institute of Chicago. I enjoyed the Impressionism and Post-Impressionism exhibit the most, which features works of Claude Monet, Georges Seurat, Vincent van Gogh, and more.

Gustave Caillebotte's Paris Street; Rainy Day, 1877

American Gothic by Grant Wood

Next, we went to Mana Food Bar, a vegetarian/vegan food bar that also offers smoothies and freshly squeezed juices. Everything that we ordered was beautifully prepared and delicious! Some of the items we ordered included the mana slider made with a brown rice and mushroom burger with spicy mayo, chilled yellow wheat noodles tossed in a spicy sesame peanut sauce with shredded peapods and carrots, and spicy tomato braised okra over blue-cheese grits.

Mana Food Bar's outdoor patio

Spicy tomato braised okra over blue-cheese grits

On the next day, Sunday, we had Easter Brunch at Nana. Nana is a family-owned restaurant that sources from organic, local, and sustainable food producers. We enjoyed the food here, and ordered the sweet potato doughnuts made with dark chocolate, cherry gastrique, and sweet potato chips as an appetizer. For entrees, we shared the nanadict (made with pupusas, chorizo, poached eggs, poblano cream, and home fries) and the "biscuits and duck gravy" (made with two eggs, biscuits, duck confit gravy, cipollini onions, and seasonal veggies). The biscuits in the "biscuits and duck gravy" dish were huge, but other than that, the dish was perfect!

Nana

"biscuits and duck gravy" at Nana

After Nana, we visited Millenium Park, and we were lucky that we had such nice weather over the weekend! Of course, we also stopped by Cloud Gate at Millenium Park, also known as "The Bean."

Millenium Park

Cloud Gate

Overall, we had a great time in Chicago. The city is more spread out than other cities, such as compared to New York City, and to get around we made use of the city's public transportation and Zipcar. Other noteworthy places that we dined at in Chicago included Avec and Urbanbelly. In addition, we had deep-dish pizza at Gino's East, but were not impressed. Places that I would have liked to stop at if we had had the time includes the Dill Pickle Food Co-op, a farmers market such as the Green City Market, and other cultural attractions. I will just have to visit those the next time I am in Chicago!

Sacred Plant Medicine Journey: Costa Rica

In December, I went to Costa Rica for the very first time for a Sacred Plant Medicine Journey retreat with The Gaia School of Healing & Earth Education. Needless to say, it was an incredible experience!

The retreat was located at La Cusinga, a Rainforest Eco Lodge located in Uvita, Costa Rica, and right next to Ballena Marine National Park. While I did not see any whales during my stay, I did see a boa constrictor, toucans, and heard howler monkeys for the first time. Howler monkeys are loud! It was also a pleasure to see the local flora of the Costa Rican rainforest, and the view from La Cusinga was simply incredible.

The view from La Cusinga

Capuchin Monkey

Ceiba tree

The Plant Medicine Journey was for eight days, from December 10 - December 18. We were a small group, with around twelve people in total. Each day began with yoga taught by Annie Hoffman and an opening circle afterwards. In addition, Banghan Nabi Kim led afternoon yoga and movement sessions.

An amazing yoga space
Photo courtesy of Sage Maurer

Every day we learned about a different chakra, to cover each of the seven chakras: the Root, Sacral, Solar Plexus, Heart, Throat, Third Eye, and Crown Chakra.

The Seven Chakras 
(Photo source)

We also harvested and learned about local medicinal plants, and we made herbal teas, infused oils, and tinctures. Sage Maurer, the director of The Gaia School of Healing & Earth Education, facilitated the retreat and taught us about the medicinal herbs and the chakras.

Harvesting ylang ylang (left) and preparing ylang ylang for tea, infused oils, and tinctures (right) 
 Photos courtesy of Sage Maurer

It was great to see plants for the first time in their natural habitats, plants that I had never heard of, and plants that I had previously only dealt with before in their dried, essential oil, or other forms.

Dormilona (Mimosa Pudica)
The plant leaves close when you touch them!

Pineapple plant - I never knew this is how pineapple grows!

Raw cacao

Plumeria

Some of the medicinal plants we learned about included:

Turmeric (Curcuma longa), which has been found to help prevent and treat cancer, arthritis, and more.

Fresh Turmeric

Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata) is traditionally used as a calming herb to address anxiety and insomnia.

Passionflower

Hombre grande (Quassia amara): It is said that traditionally, drinking a strong infusion made with the bark can be used to help treat worms, parasites, and malaria; and a topical application can kill lice, fleas, and insects. Read more about hombre grande here.

Hombre grande leaves 
(Photo source)

I was introduced to many new concepts throughout the retreat. For example, instead of taking a tincture directly,  we learned that we could add a dropper full or two of tincture to a cup of water, and drink that instead. In addition, the herbal infusions we made were made with only one herb. By consuming a tea made with only a single herb rather than a blend, one can better discern the effects an herb has on the body and mind.

There was downtime during the retreat  as well, allowing us to visit the beach, go on hikes, and just to relax. It was only a short hike to the beach from the lodge. In addition, the food at La Cusinga was amazing. Every meal was a feast, exquisitely prepared and made with local ingredients. For anyone traveling to Costa Rica, La Cusinga is a great place to stay!

Lunch

I had a wonderful time at the Sacred Medicine Journey, and I am looking forward to applying what I learned in the future, and keeping in touch with the friends that I made during the retreat. I would highly recommend attending future Costa Rica herbalism retreats with The Gaia School of Healing & Earth Education, and if you have any more questions about the retreat, please don't hesitate to contact me or visit the website for more information. 

Sunset

Photo courtesy of Sage Maurer