Honeyvine Homestead and Botanicals

09/05/2026

I like vocabulary. It makes me feel smart. 😜

Wanna feel smart? Next time you’re sitting around picking leaves off stems from a harvest, casually mention to a friend you spent time “garbling” herbs today. 😉

Garbling is a word you’ll hear in herbal circles. Sounds weird, but is actually super simple.

Garbling:

09/04/2026

Dropping off eggs at Casey’s Crumb for the weekend! Y’all go by and get yourself some treats and pick up this week’s eggs while you’re at it.

This week we have five $5 large egg dozens and three 18-count medium eggs, also for $5. If you’re getting eggs for eating, the medium eggs are a great deal, but stick to large eggs for your baking needs.

And let me know during the week if you need eggs and want to stop by our Berryhill location.

09/04/2026

Wow! My neck of the woods too!

WEST TULSA COUNTY — A fisherman below Keystone Dam says he didn’t get a good enough look to identify it — but he’s certain it was the biggest fish he’s personally seen in Oklahoma.

He says the water suddenly erupted roughly 40 yards from where he was fishing and a broad, dark back briefly broke the surface.

His estimate?

At least five feet.

That’s obviously extremely difficult to judge from shore.

Oklahoma waters can produce some enormous paddlefish and catfish, which would be the obvious explanations.

Unfortunately, it’s exactly the kind of photo people are going to spend 45 minutes arguing about.

09/03/2026

It’s Gumweed time in Oklahoma!

Grindelia ciliata, commonly called Gumweed because of the resinous “gummy” nature of the flowers and flower buds, is the species of Gumweed that grows around me each year, but to my knowledge all the Grindelias are used similarly.

Grindelia was the first plant I ever tinctured, and the first thing I ever wildcrafted myself. It holds a special place in my apothecary. I actually found a picture of it (below!). Compare that to last year’s Grindelia tincture to see the difference six more years of serious study and experience can make. [The first tincture had roughly chopped flowers with way too much alcohol to herb.]

I used to have to forage Gumweed, but when we moved to our current homestead three years ago we were delighted that it naturally grows on our acre every early autumn. Given the special place this plant holds in my heart, I think that’s pretty amazing. ❤️

Medicinally, Grindelia can be an ally when a person is dealing with deeply stuck mucous that causes a dry, spasmodic (makes you cough) cough. Gumweed can calm bronchial spasms, bring relief from labored breathing, and helps the heart calm from the stress of those things. It’s very helpful for some forms of asthma. It’s also a valuable topical remedy, especially for rashes like poison oak and poison ivy. In addition, Grindelia has an affinity for the urinary tract. It can be an effective ally during bladder or urethra infections. Energetically it’s warming and relaxant.

Here’s my favorite internet monograph on Grindelia. It focuses on other species, but as mentioned earlier, and in this monograph, all species seem to be fairly interchangeable in action.

https://www.erika-larsen-clinical-herbalist.com/writing-1/grindelia-monograph

If you’re in Oklahoma, right now is the perfect time to notice Grindelia outside your window as you drive! It loves to grow along roadsides and waste areas, which aren’t safe to harvest from, but still offer a great opportunity to stop and spend a few moments with Gumweed. Oftentimes, it will be growing in a clean area nearby.

Have you ever seen Gumweed? Have you worked with it medicinally?

🌱My words are intended for educational purposes only and have not been assessed by the FDA. Always speak to your medical provider before adding new herbs to your regimen. Confirm I.D. *before* wildcrafting plants, and ask permission of landowners before you gather.

09/03/2026

What’s in your harvest basket right now?

Admittedly, this isn’t my favorite time to be out in the veggie garden. It’s a hot, dry jungle out there! But there is food and medicine in abundance and nature doesn’t care about my comfort level. 😉

Yesterday I got plenty of peppers (snack peppers, nada-peños, and bell peppers), a small watermelon, and a handful of small tomatoes. And luffas a few days ago.

It’s the herbs calling daily, “Harvest me!” that are keeping me busy. In the last few days I’ve harvested:
Lemon Basil
Tulsi (two types)
Cinnamon Basil
Lemon Balm
Curlytop Knotweed
Lambsquarters
Grindelia
Common Evening Primrose
Mint
White Prairie Sage

And yet there is still so much more still to gather, out there saying, “Harvest me!”

Happy September, friends.

09/02/2026

Just for fun. I thought anybody who lived in a two story house was rich.

09/02/2026

I have the absolute BEST son.
[Recipe for cookies below.]

Mr. Bee knows I’m on my cycle (which is quite the bother right before menopause, tends to really affect me). We’re pretty open about such things. Last evening I mentioned in passing something like, “Oh, now I understand why I was craving chocolate.” I said it more to myself than anybody else.

So what do I find Mr. Bee doing this morning? Making no-bake chocolate oatmeal cookies, dairy-free, gluten-free, with monkfruit instead of sugar. Just because I mentioned in passing something about craving chocolate.

I am blessed beyond measure by my son.

Honeyvine Hill No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies:
1/2 —1 — 2 — 3 — 4

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 stick butter
2 cups sugar (or 1:1 sugar substitute)
3 cups oats (quick or old fashioned both work)
4 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder

Combine all ingredients except peanut butter and oatmeal in a 2 qt pot. Add medium heat. Stir to combine as the heat dissolves the sugar and melts the butter.

Bring mixture to full rolling boil.

Let boil for 1 minute after achieving rolling boil. [Too long = dry, crumbly cookies. Too short = cookies that don’t harden.]

Remove from heat and add peanut butter. Stir to combine.

Add oats, stirring all together.

Drop by spoonfuls onto nonstick surface.

Cookies will harden (usually) within a few hours. Even when they don’t, they are super yummy!

P.S. There are real reasons many women crave chocolate when on their menstrual cycle. We aren’t just being indulgent! https://www.healthspectra.com/why-chocolate-cravings-spike-before-and-during-your-period/

09/02/2026

Just some natural beauty to start your day. Have a beautiful day, friends. ❤️