I love elopements. Even as someone who makes their money off of larger weddings I have a huge spot in my heart for small intimate ceremonies. I've seen too many brides stressed out and unable to actually mentally and emotionally experience their wedding day. Eloping takes all the pressure off, it takes away all the fluff and all the worry; it is true, intimate and real. So when people ask me to do flowers for their elopements I have a hard time saying no. They truly are my favorite. 
So today I wanted to share a recent elopement with you. The marriage of Laura and Matthew.

Laura wanted me to make her a crown, boutonniere and bouquet. She asked for white and blush with elements of the forest mixed in. I purchased local Tulips, Roses and other filler flowers from the market and I foraged the rest! My aunt let me cut white Camellias and Japanese Pieris from her garden and I went into a nearby alley way for some Cedar and Ferns.

Congrats to Laura and Matthew! I loved being a part of their little ceremony. So beautiful.

For the photographers blog post go here: 
http://www.herandeverything.com/2015/03/02/matt-laura-elope/

1 bunch of Dino Kale
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoons Nutritional Yeast
1 Tsp Sea Salt
1/2 Tsp Chili Powder
1/8 Tsp Garlic Powder

Every spring my garden is filled with an abundance of wild weeds! From Dandelion to Chickweed, there are so many varieties to choose from. Many people don't realize they can make yummy food with weeds, and not only yummy, but highly nutritious. Wild weeds haven't been bred like garden varieties and they are pack full of nutrients, enzymes, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, essential fatty acids, they help boost the immune system, balance the pH of the body, cleanse the organs and are highly digestible. 
And I guess the main benefit…they're free!

Soak your Hazelnuts overnight and then toast them. Use a food processor to chop your Garlic and then add in the Toasted Hazelnuts, food process for 20 seconds then add in the rest of the ingredients. Food process till the desired smoothness is achieved, if it's too thick you can add more Olive Oil.

          One of my dreams as I continue my schooling in Nutritional Therapy is to make healthy food accessible to all, no matter what income. This is really tough because the government subsidizes corn and soy, so they are unrealistically cheap. This ends up being what most low income families eat, and it's not just corn and soy in their whole forms, it's corn used as high fructose corn syrup in EVERYTHING, it's what they feed animals so that our meat is made of it, it's even in fertilizers and pesticides that are used on vegetables and fruit. You really can't get away from it, especially if it's all you can afford. 
          This is what I LOVE about fermented foods. You are taking regular vegetables and you are giving them an added boost of nutrition/probiotics just by letting them ferment in their own juices, it doesn't cost any extra money! Of course the taste can take some getting used to, that's why I love Kimchi!
I'll definitely eat sauerkraut, but Kimchi is like sauerkraut with a kick! So you if you like spicy, like me, you'll want to make some of this. 

1 Head of Green Cabbage or 2 heads of Napa Cabbage
3 Large Carrots
1 Large Daikon Radish
1 Large Red Onion
1 Stick of Burdock
1/4 pound Ginger
1/4 pound Tumeric
3 small med/spicy Chili Peppers
10 Cloves Garlic
2 Tablespoons Fish Sauce (Red Boat)
3/4 Cup Celtic Sea Salt
(Some people add sugar to their Kimchi, I always try and opt out of sugar but if you wanted it you could add 2 tablespoons)

Health Benefits: It's packed full of vitamins, minerals and healthy bacteria/probiotics as well as aids in digestion. If that's not enough…here's A LOT more:

Cabbage: Helps your body get rid of waste, cancer prevention, polyphenols that are anti-inflammatory, helps heal stomach ulcers, cardiovascular support, etc.
Carrots: Orange and yellow foods are known to have the best protection agains Cardiovascular Disease, the rich carotenoids prevent oxidative damage, antioxidants like Vitamin C, cancer prevention; specifically colon cancer.
Red Onion: High in Polyphenols (ex. Flavonoids), Quercetin is one flavonoid known for it's histamine reduction in allergies, also cancer protection especially oral and esophagus cancers, sulfur compounds in onions can help detox the body and contribute to it's anti-clotting abilities and connective tissue support, helps with bone density and is great for women going through menopause, the sulfur compounds are also anti-inflammatory.
Burdock: Stimulates the growth of Bifidobacteria in the large intestine, these microbes help destroy bad bacteria, enhance digestion and immunity, has almost as much potassium as bananas (but haven't been bred as heavily as bananas!) which is helpful for heart function and muscle contraction, potassium and salt are needed in balance with each other, it is very high in B6 which helps your nervous system, normal brain function, hormone production and heart disease prevention, it also contains many other beneficial vitamins and minerals.
Ginger: Hailed for it's aid in digestion and gastrointestinal conditions, anti-inflammatory, can be used for motion sickness, nausea, vomiting, and cold sweating, prevents tumor growth (anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory), studies have shown it can cause the death of cells in ovarian cancer, and of course overall immune boosting abilities. 
Tumeric: A powerful medicine who's list of healing properties is long, a potent anti-inflammatory, effective treatments for inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis and Crohn's, has anti-oxidants that neutralize free-radicals, there has been a lot of study on it's effect in Cystic Fibrosis but doctors caution to not self medication until the correct dose is analyzed, been connected to lower rates of all kinds of cancers, improved liver function, cardiovascular disease prevention, protects against neurodegenerative diseases like alzheimer's.
Chili Peppers: Capsaicin, the component that makes them hot, is known to inhibit a brain pain transmitter, so it can be helpful in migraines and sinus headaches, this is also helpful for clearing mucus and in chronic sinus congestion, apparently this same component drives prostate cancer cells to kill themselves, natural high in vitamin A, C and also bioflavonoids, they help strengthen our blood vessels and cause us to sweat which reliefs high blood pressure, it is also anti-inflammatory.
Garlic: You can increase the health benefits of garlic by letting it sit for a bit after chopping and before cooking, it is high in sulfur which has an array of benefits including: iron metabolism and cardiovascular health, it's anti-inflammatory, and can actually regulate the amount of fat cells that get formed in our body, high amounts of B6, manganese, Vitamin C and selenium, it's anti-bacterial and anti-viral, and also cancer prevention.
Fish Sauce: Made with anchovies which are: high in Omega-3 fatty acids which can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, high in phosphorus and magnesium which are both helpful in bone health, and high in iron.
Celtic Sea Salt: Provides an abundance of minerals and trace minerals, magnesium is extremely high in celtic sea salt and is also a mineral many people are deficient in, contrary to popular belief, low salt diets are not healthy, table/refined salt is what causes the problems, true sea salts that are left in their natural state are insanely important for our bodies to consume daily, the absorption of nutrients in other foods is dependent on good salt intake, magnesium salts stimulate white blood cell activity, can help heal serious diseases like enlarged prostate, for dissolving kidney stones, and arresting some forms of cancer.

Start with the Cabbage and chop it up in relatively small pieces, put it in a large bowl and cover with warm water, mix the Celtic Sea Salt in. Take the Ginger, Tumeric and Chili Peppers slice them into chunks, place in food processor with the Fish Sauce and puree till it's a paste. Chop up the other veggies, Carrots are nice in little strips, the Radish I sliced with a mandolin but chopping this into circles or whatever you like is fine. I have texture preferences. Burdock should be grated and Onion can be sliced thinly and chopped how you like. Strain the Cabbage and combine with other the other veggies, it's easiest to do this in smaller batches unless you have a massive bowl. Now add in the paste and make sure you get good coverage on all the veggies. Put everything into a crock or a large jar (or a few smaller jars if that's what you've got) and mash until the juices start coming out, you are basically breaking the cell membranes so the water is release, you want to do this until you've got enough to cover the veggies. Use a crock weight or plate to keep the contents below the waterline, if using jars you can close the lid but you'll need it to be loose. If you have an airlock even better! Allow the Kimchi to sit for a week, taste it at this point and if it needs more fermentation or is not soft enough you can let it sit for longer. After it's fermented to your liking put it in the fridge where it should keep for at least 6 months! Hopefully it doesn't take you that long to eat it! I know mine will be gone in a week. 

I LOVED no bake oatmeal cookies as a kid. Now that I'm mostly grain free, I wanted to come up with an alternative recipe. Thus, a seed version was born. Keeping the base peanut butter and chocolate was a must, although you could sub out for whatever nut butter you like. Besides that I used pumpkin, sunflower seeds and shredded coconut for my "oatmeal" and added a little vanilla and Maca powder.

1 cup fair trade dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup organic peanut butter
1 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup unshelled pumpkin seeds
3/4 cup shredded coconut
2 tbsp Maca powder
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt

Melt the chocolate chips in a sauce pan on low, add in the peanut butter and stir until combined. Add vanilla, salt and then Maca making sure the powder is well incorporated. Last, add the seeds and coconut. Use a spoon to drop small clusters onto parchment paper and put in the fridge, or freezer if you want to eat them immediately, and wait for them to harden. Voila!

I'm here to tell you that there is an alternative, and that it's preventative, immune boosting and only comes with positive side effects. Let me introduce you to one of my favorite medicinal plants: Elderberry

The traditional cold medicine just doesn't cut it. Here are some details about NyQuil:

Possible side effects of NyQuil liquid:All medicines may cause side effects, but many people have no, or minor, side effects. Check with your doctor if any of these most COMMON side effects persist or become bothersome:
Constipation; diarrhea; dizziness; drowsiness; excitability; headache; loss of appetite; nausea; nervousness or anxiety; trouble sleeping; upset stomach; vomiting; weakness.
Seek medical attention right away if any of these SEVERE side effects occur:
Severe allergic reactions (rash; hives; difficulty breathing; tightness in the chest; swelling of the mouth, face, lips, or tongue); difficulty urinating or inability to urinate; fast or irregular heartbeat; hallucinations; seizures; severe dizziness, lightheadedness, or headache; stomach pain; tremor; trouble sleeping; vision changes; yellowing of skin or eyes.

The Ingredients:

• Acetaminophen (650 mg/30 mL) (pain reliever/fever reducer)
• Dextromethorphan (30 mg/30 mL) (cough suppressant)
• Doxylamine succinate (12.5 mg/30 mL) (antihistamine/hypnotic)

Not only is this plant gorgeous, with a white flowering umbel that turns into berries in the fall, it is well known for it's anti-viral properties. It has even been said that elderberry works better than flu vaccinations due to it's ability to fight any strain. An Elderberry Syrup is a must have in the household, especially one with children. Instead of breaking out that NyQuil, make up your very own batch of this and have your whole family take it throughout the cold/flu season. 

1 cup dried Elderberries 
(Though I recommend fresh berries in the fall!)
6 Tablespoons dried Echinacea Root
2 Tablespoons Fresh Ginger Root
2 Tablespoons Fresh Tumeric
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
(or 2 cinnamon sticks if you don't have the ability to strain it well)
1 1/2 Cups Local Raw Honey
6 cups Water

Take all your ingredients, except the honey, and simmer them in water for 45 mins or until it reduces to half the amount of liquid. Strain the mixture, I use a french press for this. Allow it to cool a little bit before pouring it over the honey so that the raw qualities of the honey aren't compromised. Mix it up and store for a month in the refrigerator. You can also make a half batch if you are just using it for yourself. 

Dosage: You can take a tablespoon a day during cold season for preventative measure and approximately 1-2 tablespoons every 2 to 4 hours at first sign of cold or flu. For children cut the dose in half.