Basketry and Dandelions

Dear Friends,

Happy day! We finally "took the plunge" and made our first baskets ever :) ! We used the tutorial from this blog that "Garden Mama" pointed out to us on her lovely blog. AnnaMarie and I used the trimmings from our little pussy willows we had lying around; needless to say, it didn't work as well as nice, little weeping willow branches would have been, but hey, it's a start!


Then we decided to get out the basket-making kit that I had bought at a thrift store a couple of years ago, and Audrey and I tackled that one. Hopefully we'll get lots better with practice ;) . Making things that are useful and beautiful is such a good feeling, and so is being able to cross something off our "Things We'd Like to Learn to Do" list!



Tasha didn't get a chance to make a basket, but she did make this beautiful fairy house for our little winged friends~




We have been feasting on dandelions lately, since they are so abundant this year. So far, we've made dandelion root "coffee" (which is VERY good), pesto from leaves and blossoms (one really good, and one not so good), dandelion "beer" (it went bad), dandelion pancakes using the whole blossoms (not well-received), and cornmeal dandelion blossoms muffins using blossoms we had run through the blender first (very well-received and mild-flavored). Oh yes, and in our salads and "green smoothies", of course! We keep asking ourselves why we didn't feast on them before!

I was so inspired, I wrote a silly song about dandelions (which I may or may not add to) for your enjoyment~

Dandelions

(To the tune of Barbara Allen)

There is a plant that we all know,
It grows near every dwellin'.
It is truly Nature's pot of gold;
Its name is dandelion.

Now here is something you can use
For food, and drink, and medicine;
It keeps your liver nice and clean,
And helps keep folks from dyin'.

~M. Graham

Dandelions really ARE a pot of gold! After learning of all its health benefits, we are dumb-founded that it has become a hated "weed".

Here is a list of ailments that dandelion aids, according to the book "Herbally Yours" by Penny C. Royal:

Acne
Age Spots
Anemia
Appetite
Bladder
Blood Purifier
Boils
Bronchitis
Cancer
Cleansing
Constipation
Cramps
Diabetes
Eczema
Endurance
Energy
Fatigue
Fever
Gall Bladder
Gall Stones
Hemorrhage
Hypoglycemia
Indigestion
Insomnia
Jaundice
Kidneys
Liver
Low Blood Pressure
Pancreas
Psoriasis
Senility
Skin Diseases
Spleen
Vitality
Wounds

Isn't that truly amazing? I hope that you are lucky enough to have a patch of poison-free dandelions growing somewhere near you, so that you can take advantage of this wonderful, free gift, too!

Love,

Marqueta