Barefoot Handmaiden

Have you ever wondered what it's like to have an infamous surname? Like, say, Bin Laden? Or Manson? Or maybe Dahmer?  Maybe you're completely innocent and never even knew the famous criminals attached to the names, yet people shudder when they hear your name. If you can imagine and empathize with this, then you might be able to empathize with a wonderful herb that has the same problem. Because Smooth Sumac is a lovely, useful herb that gets a bad rap because of another Sumac whose first name is "Poison." What Poison Sumac does to human skin that touches it is, indeed, criminal; however, I would encourage you to take another look at the sweet and innocent Smooth Sumac because it is useful in so many ways. I have been told that Smooth Sumac makes a wonderful Ade when its sour berries are added to water, strained and then sweetened. It is also used as a lemony-tasting spice in Indian Cuisine called Za'atar. Since we have found a large stand of Smooth Sumac ...

I never would have thought growing up that those little fuzzy things on trees were anything that I would ever diligently search for. They were so common we didn't even see them. But I guess that's part of the experience of growing up in Appalachia. Blessings are abundant here. When I first started researching Usnea, or Old Man's Beard, it seemed that they were considered a little bit rare, so imagine my surprise when I walked outside and found the yard literally full of them from a rainstorm the night before. I scooped up a bunch and brought them in.  I'm not gonna lie to you, Usnea is a pain to prepare.  It needs heat, but it also needs alcohol to bring out the best medicinal properties.  I don't like boiling anything, to be honest, because it seems way too harsh for God's beautiful creation, so I always opt for the slower method.  I put my usnea in a crock pot for three days and tend it like a baby so it won't burn.  Then I dump the goop into a ja...