Each year we celebrate Mother’s Day on the second Sunday in May. This year’s special day falls on May 13.

Anna Jarvis never had any children, but she became the mother of Mother’s Day. Anna was born in Webster, West Virginia on May 1, 1864. She was the ninth of eleven children. She got the inspiration of celebrating Mother’s Day early in life.

Legend has it that one day when Anna was 12 years old; her mother said a class prayer. To conclude the lesson on ‘Mothers of the Bible’, Mrs. Jarvis said, “I hope that someone sometime will found a memorial mother’s day.” After the death of her mother on May 9, 1905, Anna began her campaign to establish a day for mothers.

Carnations were her mother’s favorite flowers. At one of the first services organized to celebrate Anna’s mother at her church in West Virginia, she handed out white carnations. A white carnation represents the purity of a mother’s heart. According to the tradition started by Anna Jarvis, we wear white and red carnations to pay tribute to our mothers. A white carnation honors deceased mothers, and a red one honors a living mother.

In 1914, Anna’s hard work paid off when President Wilson signed a bill recognizing Mother’s Day as a national holiday to be held each year on the second Sunday of May.

A Mother’s Garden
By Janet F. Smart

A mother plants a garden
She waters it each day.
She tends to it and cares for it
and keeps the weeds away.

The flowers grow so sweetly
and shoot up toward the sun.
The flowers are her children
she loves them every one.

Here is an easy Fancy Fruit Salad recipe to make for your mother on Mother’s Day.

FANCY FRUIT SALAD
1 large can sliced peaches
1 large can pineapple chunks, do not drain
1 10 oz pkg. frozen strawberries, thawed
3 large bananas, sliced
1 small 3oz box vanilla instant pudding
2 Tbs. Tang
Place fruit in large serving bowl. Sprinkle dry pudding mix and Tang on top and mix gently. Refrigerate.

Janet Smart lives in Jackson County. Visit her blog at http://www.janetsmart.blogspot.com.

My sister sent me a link to an Instructable on how to make multi-colored “unicorn poop cookies.” We decided that my niece would flip out if she received a box of them in the mail. My sister didn’t think I would get up and immediately make them, but she was wrong.

Unicorn Doo Cookies or, Unicorn Dookies. Yep, brightly colored, sweetened, sprinkle covered piles of love. Here’s how I made them.

I started with a basic sugar cookie recipe, but doubled it.

1 c shortening        2 c white sugar        4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla        4 c self-rising flour
You will also need several shades of food coloring. I used four different colors because that’s what I had in my cabinet.

This cookie is made using a creaming method, which means you put the solid fat (shortening or butter) in the mixer with the sugar and beat the crap out of it until it is light and fluffy. Stop and scrape the bowl a time or two to make sure things get really mixed together and nothing puddles in the bottom.

After you cream together your sugar and shortening, add your eggs and thoroughly incorporate them into the mix.

Scrape the sides of your bowl and add your self-rising flour. Be careful not to turn the mixer on too high at first because you’ll cover your kitchen in flour. Mix to combine, but make sure not to mix too much because you’ll develop gluten and make tough cookies. You’ll wind up with a soft ball of dough.

Turn your dough out onto a lightly floured counter and form it into a disk. Cut your disk into four even sections with a bench scraper. Knead a blob of food coloring into each section of dough to create four different colors. The amount you need depends on how vibrant you want your unicorn poop to turn out. I used neon food coloring because that’s just what I had on hand.

I formed my dough into roughly even balls, then cut each of them in half. I stacked one of each color and formed a rope, then did the same with the other sections. I combined both of these ropes into one super rope with eight sections of colors to make it extra insane.

With the help of a pirate skeleton, I rolled the snake thinner and cut it into four sections. I rolled each of the four sections thinner so they would produce twelve small pieces. I formed each of these pieces into tiny snakes, then curled those little snakes into little piles of unicorn doo.

I brushed the top of each pile with a little water so the sprinkles would stick. I used traditional multicolored nonpareils and multicolored stars because that was what was in my cabinet. Put as many sprinkles on each cookie as you can.  You know, unicorns poop rainbows and glitter!

Bake them at 350 for about 8 minutes. Make sure they don’t get too brown or you will ruin the amazing Technicolor vibrancy!

I mailed about a dozen of them to my niece and she squealed with delight when she opened the box. It isn’t every day you are pleased to receive a big box of Unicorn doo in the mail.

Shortcut Kitchen recipes are by Heather Sammons, http://shortcutkitchen.blogspot.com.

Get up early in the morning; the day will too soon end.
Work, work, work, will soon begin.
Put on some coffee, throw on some bacon.
The family smells it and wonders, What’s mom making?
Peel some potatoes and dice into.
Throw them in a oiled skillet and fry slowly too.
Flour and milk makes homemade biscuits for you.

Oil browned with flour makes a good gravy base.
Brown it good and makes a good flavorable taste.
Some canned milk and gravy thickens as it will cream.
Fried sausage, salt and pepper, makes the best ever seen.
So what do you like for breakfast in a certain way?
Or do you like breakfast any time of day?

Home Made Pancakes
2 cups of self rising flour         1 egg        1 1/2 cups milk
2 tbsp butter, melted        2 tsp vanilla
Mix together in a large bowl. Add fruit, blueberries, bits of apples or bananas. Grease a griddle (a flat skillet works best). Get skillet hot, 10 minutes over a medium heat. Pour batter with dipper or pour into which size pancakes you like. In about 3 minutes, the top will form bubbles. Time to flip it over! Brown the other side for 2 minutes.

Home Made Pancake Syrup
1/2 cup brown sugar             1 cup water
1 tbsp butter                 pinch of salt
Bring all ingredients to a rolling boil. Remove from heat and let syrup sit 3-5 minutes before serving.

Lisa Cooper is the owner/manager of Mom’s Place in Elizabeth, WV and Mom’s Place Too in Grantsville, WV.

All content copyright Heather Sammons and Shortcut Kitchen.  http://shortcutkitchen.blogspot.com

Today I finally strained off our apple cider vinegar that I made after we made jam and sauce from the apples last fall. It looks lovely and we got a bit over five gallons of healthy for you, raw, unpasteurized, product.

To make all that is needed is a container of some sort to hold the peelings, water and a piece of cheese cloth. After peeling and coring your apples set them out to get air for a day or two to brown and then toss them into your container. Add water enough to cover all peels but leave enough room that the vessel does not overflow. I like to weigh the peelings down so that they remain under water. Cover with a piece of cheesecloth to keep bugs and junk from entering and sit in a cool dark place. Let ferment.

The mixture will get a funky covering over it which is a whitish gray mass, this is the mother so leave her be. You will smell vinegar as the process occurs and after 4-6 weeks you can taste test it and see if it is strong enough for your liking. I let mine go 12 weeks with this batch and it is quite strong. When it is to your liking strain and bottle. It will likely be cloudy and sediment will drop to the bottom. This is fine, however, if it is bothersome, strain it through a coffee filter to remove the majority of it.

Bee Balm (Monarda didyma)

When my brother was in visiting from Florida we decided to drive out to Coal Knob in Nicholas Co. to look at the wind mills. As we were driving the back roads I noticed a dark red (Scarlet) flower along the road and as I am always looking for new plants we decided to stop and see what they were.  It turned out that it was Bee Balm; so I thought that plant would be a good one to write about.

We always grew some around the house but they weren’t this deep dark red color.  As one might guess from the name, Bee Balm attracts bees along with hummingbirds and other pollinators.  These plants also serve as a butterfly nectar source. It’s fragrant leaves are used to make tea and potpourri.

Bee balm flower colors include pink, red, and white. The plant blooms from early to late summer and grows 2 to 4 feet tall, depending on the variety. Some bee balm species tolerate wet soil and will thrive along a waterway or in a bog garden. Bee balm is susceptible to powdery mildew disease, so select resistant varieties. Under favorable growing conditions the plant can become invasive. Bee Balm is a member of the mint family.

Bee Balm is a perennial herb native to Eastern North America. It grows in dry thickets, clearings and woodland edges from Ontario and British Columbia to Georgia and Mexico.

Bee Balm has showy, red, pink, or lilac flowers in large heads or whorls of about 20-50 flowers at the top of the branching stem, supported by leafy bracts, the leaflets are a pale-green color. The stem of Bee Balm is square, grooved and hard; and about 3 feet high. The leaves occur in opposite pairs, are rough on both surfaces, are distinctly toothed, and lance-shaped. Fine dense hairs cover much of the stem and leaves. Bee Balm roots are short, slender, creeping rhizomes.

Bee Balm has a tendency to become invasive, so division is necessary every few years.  Division should be done in the spring.  Sometimes this plant is infected with powdery mildew after flowering. If so, cut back to new foliage.

Bee Balm is edible and medicinal, the entire plant above ground is edible used as a pot herb, and it is also used as a flavoring in cooked foods. The flowers make an attractive edible garnish in salads. The plant is noted for its fragrance, and is a source of oil of thyme. The fresh or dried leaves are brewed into a refreshing, aromatic and medicinal tea. An infusion of young Bee Balm leaves used to be a common beverage in many parts of the United States.

Bee Balm leaves, flowers, and stems are used in alternative medicine as an antiseptic, carminative, diaphoretic, diuretic and stimulant. An infusion is used internally in the treatment of colds, catarrh, headaches, and gastric disorders, to reduce low fevers and soothe sore throat, to relieve flatulence, nausea, menstrual pain, and insomnia. Steam inhalation of the plant can be used for sore throats, and bronchial catarrh (inflammation of the mucus membrane). Externally, it is used as an application for skin eruptions and infections.

Bee Balm is easily grown in ordinary garden soil. It also grows well in heavy clay soils, requires part shade to sunny places to grow. This species thrives when grown in a dry soil and prefers alkaline soil conditions. Bee Balm is best started from plants which spread like crazy, but will grow from seed as well. In spring, remove dead foliage only.  In fall, cut back to 6″ and dead-head spent flowers.    Division is necessary and should be done in the spring.

Wild Bergamot flowers bloom from June to July. Gather edible leaves and flowers in bloom, dry on small bundles in paper bags in a dry, well ventilated area. Bee Balm can be used as tea, or as an aromatic suitable for sachets and potpourri.

To make a medicinal tea, add 1 teaspoon dried herb to 1 cup boiling water, steep 10 minutes. Sweeten to taste, take at bedtime.

The red variety is commonly known as Oswego Tea. It was used by colonists in place of English Tea after the Boston Tea Party, when they threw the English tea in the harbor to protest the high taxes imposed on it by the British. Bee Balm was used as a medicinal plant extensively by Native Americans who recognized four varieties that had different odors. Wild Bergamot was used also as an active diaphoretic (sweat inducer) for ceremonial sweat lodges. A decoction of the herb was made into hair pomade.

Bill Church is a certified Master Naturalist. Articles courtesy of Gilmer County Master Naturalist Association.

As the weather turns cooler, a warm, steaming mug in our hands brings us refreshment and comfort. Instead of heading for the coffee pot, try hot tea instead. Your body will thank you; the health benefits of tea include better heart health, reduced cancer risk, and better skin, just to name a few.

Recent research exploring the potential health attributes of tea shows that tea, both black and green, may contribute positively to a healthy lifestyle. Which tea to choose?

A rainbow of color choices: black, green, white and red are available, each offering unique health boosters. Both green and black teas come from the same plant, Camellia sinensis. Black tea undergoes a fermenting process that produces the darker color, while green tea is steamed and dried. Green tea that has undergone minimal handling processes is referred to as white tea. A newcomer to the publicity surrounding the health benefits of tea is red in hue and is not really a tea at all. Red tea, or rooibos, is an herbal brew, or tisane, from a South African plant that has a citrus flavor.

Flavonoids, a type of plant nutrient found in tea, are reportedly responsible for the amazing health benefits. For example, a study in Holland indicated that people with a measurably higher flavonoid intake have a reduced risk of heart disease compared with those who consume less. One cup of tea provides nearly 200mg of flavonoids, most of which are released in the first minute of brewing.

In animal research, tea has been shown to reduce cancer risk by about two-thirds. Clinical and large-population studies suggest black or green tea reduces the risk of a host of cancers, in particular, stomach and colorectal. Consumption of about three large cups a day should provide significant protection. Good examples of these benefits are populations in Japan and China, where tea consumption is highest and cancer rates are significantly lower than the Western world.

Tea helps prevent sunburn and even skin cancer. At the University of Arizona, researchers found  drinking hot black tea appears to protect against squamous-cell carcinoma. The polyphenols in tea interfere with the cell reproduction that leads to these cancers. Wearing tea may be just as useful: studies show green-tea compounds in skin lotions may protect against, and even reverse, sun damage.

The health benefits listed above all refer to properties of green, black and white teas. The new kid on the block in the West, red tea, is reported to have similar effects. Indigenous to the Cedarberg mountain region of South Africa, the rooibos plant produces a mild-tasting tea that has no caffeine and high levels of polyphenol antioxidants. Recent studies cite protection from cancer, stroke and heart disease among the benefits. Though not backed by scientific study, there are anecdotal reports dating back several decades indicating a decrease allergy symptoms, headaches, sleep problems, and even infant colic from drinking rooibos.

So, warm up the healthy way this winter. Enjoy a hot cup of your favorite tea, whether it is green, black, white, or red.  For maximum health benefits, drink three to five cups daily. Be sure to steep for at least one minute – when it comes to steeping, the longer the better.

   Contact Master Herbalist & Certified Nutritional Consultant David Hawkins at  herbdoc@motherearthworks.com.

It’s one of those days when you seem to be out of everything you need. Like mayo. Chances are, though, that you have everything you need to make it right in your cabinet. When I was a new housewife, lo those many years ago (about 40 or so, to be more precise) I found the recipe for mayonnaise on the side of a can of dry mustard. I tried it and it was so easy that I made my own for several years. We moved, time passed and I just forgot all about it. Then recently I was looking for a recipe and there was my mayonnaise recipe, stained and wrinkled.

I pulled it out, and gave it a try. The process was just as easy as I remember. Now, note that my recipe uses raw eggs. Websites today recommend using pasteurized eggs. I have no idea where to find pasteurized eggs, but if you worry about raw eggs, then I’d recommend looking at this recipe with instructions on how you can pasteurize eggs at home.

Ingredients:
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 cup cooking oil, maybe a little more (that’s what my recipe says!)

To make:
Beat the first four ingredients with a wire whisk (I used the whisk on my Kitchenaid mixer, using speed 4) until completely blended.

Add the oil in a slow steady stream as you continue whisking the mixture. The mayonnaise will thicken slowly, but the entire process of making it takes about 5 minutes.

That’s all there is to it! There are several other ways to make mayonnaise, as this article from the UK’s Guardian shows.

The finished product is thick, slightly yellow (my chicken’s eggs have dark yolks, and that affects the color), with a nice tangy flavor.

It’s just delicious and so much better than what is in the jars at the store.

I use this just as I would use store-bought mayonnaise. I store it in the coldest part of my fridge and make sure I use it up in two weeks.

It can be mixed with sour cream, parsley, dill (if you have it) and green onions plus a little milk or buttermilk to make an excellent ranch dressing, too, if you have some ranch dressing addicts at your house. Just grind up the herbs, garlic (or garlic powder), green onion (or use onion powder) and garlic in the blender, add the sour cream, and mayo, and add milk until it’s the consistency you like.