Bijou Organics

08/13/2022

THE OLD FRIENDSHIP OF BLUEBERRIES AND SWEET FERN:
In the time before refrigeration, Ojibwe folks kept their blueberry harvest fresh by lining their birchbark storage containers with a plant called sweet fern that often grows right alongside blueberry bushes!
The leaves of sweet fern produce a compound called gallic acid, which is a potent anti-microbial and keeps harmful bacteria like salmonella from growing on the berries.
It's name in the Ojibwe dialect I've learned is "giba`iganiminzh" meaning "it covers the berries" because of this usage and its contribution to keeping the precious staple food of minan (blueberries) fresh!

I don't use a birchbark container but I do pop a few sprigs of sweet fern into my gathering bag when out picking and then into my tupperware when storing berries to remember and utilize the gifts of this wonderful plant!

(Sweet fern can also be used as a medicinal tea to help the intestines and colon! And when added to a fire, the smoke will help keep away mosquitos and horse flies--in addition to smelling lovely!)

08/15/2021

Elder is a great plant to grow and elderberries are a great fall harvest. Learn how to grow them or forage them, harvest them and use them where you live.

08/11/2021

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What are your favorite dye plants? There are so many herbs, veggies, flowers, fungi, and lichens that can be used for natural dyes!
These dye samples were made by Rebecca Desnos | Naturally Dyed Textiles, a very talented natural dyer and author. You can find beginner's dye tutorials in her book, Botanical Colour at Your Fingertips, and scoop up her dye e-books via her website: https://rebeccadesnos.com/
Also give her newly re-opened Instagram page .forage.make a follow for all kinds of beautiful botanical inspiration!
Photo by Rebecca Desnos

04/28/2021

02/19/2021

Perfectly pressed flower cakes, made by Loria Stern, with flowers gathered from her garden and local farmers.
Loria is an LA-based botanical baker, specializing in flower-pressed cookies, cakes, and chocolates. Check out her page for flower cookery all day every day 🌸
What edible spring flowers are you looking forward to??
📷 Loria Stern

02/04/2021

🌿Excellent read🌿 Be sure to follow her for amazing recipes and herbal tips 🌿
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There is no way to fully know all the accomplishments and contributions people of color have made in the healing arts. This account of three folk herbalists of color from Appalachia only begins to account for the importance of healers of colors and the impact they have had on herbalism.

12/19/2020

12/06/2020

Always channelling tenderness and vintage intimacy. I believe rest allows us to be vulnerable with ourselves and our community. Rest is radical care. Here is a photo of my sweet cat Thor photo bombing my photo shoot in the backyard. He is obsessed with me and always around. The sun hitting his tail just right, with me in the background reclining. I'm claiming tenderness and intimacy for the rest of 2020 and beyond. It will save us. We will rest.

Photo by our fav: Charlie Watts Photography

10/30/2020

One in eight womyn will be affected by breast cancer in her lifetime. As you fight to reduce your risk of breast cancer one important place to start your fight is in your kitchen.

For many people navigating the do’s and don’ts of healthy eating often gets overwhelming and changing our food choices can be really difficult. Don’t beat yourself up!

Remember, health is a daily practice and you can take control over how you think about healthy eating by taking things slow. Change your mindset about healthy eating one meal at a time. Start small. Little changes accumulate over time to big effects.

5 things you want to eat every day👇⁣
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1. High fiber ⁣
2. Plant Protein ⁣
3. Healthy fats ⁣
4. Whole grains⁣
5. Leafy greens ⁣
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Eating these foods provides you key nutrients for optimal health. 🙌🌱💫⁣

📸: ⁣⁣⁣

10/10/2020

10/10/2020

This is a time to get to the root of what balance means to you and bask in what makes you feel beautiful, sensual, and like the goddess you are.

Working too hard? Do something luxurious for yourself, like getting a mani/pedi or taking a Goddess bath.

Go ahead, you deserve to splurge a little more on your self care.

Cheers to the weekend + wellness 🤍

📷: @ zivameditation