Adventuring/trekking around Calderdale; You've most likely seen me on my travels- if you're local to Brighouse/Rastrik/Halifax.
I am most definitely not hard to spot! Haha. I stick out like a sore thumb with my weared & teared black, Nike heritage backpack (this thing has traveled with me everywhere), toddler on my hip or in the baby carrier (depending on if she'll try & make it a little easier for mummy as she refuses to walk), hair pinned up and last but not least sometimes either with or without my beloved and cheap little- Amazon treasure- foraging basket! Oh, how I love my basket (am I old yet)!
Whether it's out hunting for edible/medicinal wild food or just simply doing one of my ridiculously long treks- I like to be out & about in nature! It soothes my soul. No matter how crazy I look or hard it is.
I am still learning the ins & outs to foraging and along the way, my toddler (even my eldest when not in school) learns with me! They can both safety identify few plants, trees & berries.
Believe it not, the woods, fields, canals, meadows- are all in abundance of beneficial and medicinal plants to aid with our skin, immune systems, gut health, cleanliness.. you name it- it's our there! All right on our very doorstep.
Did you know, Horse Chestnuts (Conkers) contain Saponins, that act like a soap and can clean our laundry/bodies/hair? Did you know that Ivy does too? Or did you know that Stinging Nettles (no. Hear me out. I'm not crazy) are full of Iron & antioxidants that can help with tiredness, brain fog, skin health, anxiety, depression?! Amazing right!
Or how about the plants we can add to liven up our culinary dishes- like Pineapple mayweed (sounds crazy but we actually have pineapple scented and tasting plants growing along our pathways, fields- don't believe me? Research and see for yourself.) OR Gorse- a yellow evergreen coconut scented/tasting shrub growing in woodland, grassland, heaths and on the coast.. horse can be used to flavor gin/liqers, teas, cordials, syrups, etc but please take care when harvesting (as with all plants/berries/mushrooms) as the peas and their pods are toxic.
Ever heard of 'Herb Robert'? Give him a google- he's a right smelly little fellow (people say this plant smells of burning tyres & trust me- they're right! It's gross), however, Herb Robert can help the body with numerous issues, including certain skin conditions such as; Excema, Psoriasis, herpes.. Fellow friend Robert is also an insect/mosquito repellent (why not use as a natural flea detergent) & can help with sore throat, stomach upsets.
Do you know what a Yew tree is (well please be cautious as this tree is highly poisonous and spiky!)? Well, a Yew tree is an evergreen tree that is host to small, little hollow, red berries- non of the tree is edible & is all highly poisonous, apart from the skin around the berries! Even the pip inside the berries are toxic. The skin is actually very sweet & tasty. How fascinating is that?! Or at least to me anyway.
I like walking to spots I have never been before & exploring with my children. I often create stories up in my head about the scenery, when in a truly beautiful area- like the fields/farms I went to the other day! Ohhh- how it was magical.I could envision myself sat there, on a fallen down tree branch- blue paper mate pen and notepad in hand, writing about the non fictional history of the land. However, I was too preoccupied with not breaking my back with my 2 year old in the carrier, feeding while sleeping- ouch!
I guess the dreamy vision of writing a book while sat peacefully, enjoying the picturesque sceneries will have to wait a good few years yet- haha. Maybe then I will have some time.
Thankyou for reading my first blog post.✌🏽🌿🍄