saturday market bend oregon

Being a vendor at the Northwest crossing Saturday market in Bend, Oregon is a lot of fun.  We refresh people by serving ice cold lemon refresh-mint tea and spraying arms with our natural sunscreen: sun and skin soother, and yummy smelling aroma sprays.  The girls love to eat juicy berries, fresh herb rolls, and dumplings from the other vendors there.  I had the most amazing cucumber salad this last time from the Dumpling man.  We all love listening to the live music as we talk to diverse and interesting people that come to the Saturday market.  I always learn a lot from the healthy people I meet there.

wild harvesting arnica flowers

What a wild harvesting party!  The high meadows are loaded with the most wonderful, fragrant arnica flowers this year.  I can't wait to go back for more.

   

Part of the wild harvesting crew. Aren't they beautiful?  The flowers too.

What is arnica?  Available as ointment, tincture, or homopathically for internal, this herb is the most powerful, quick working medicine I know for inflamation, bumps, bruises, and injury pain.  Great for sprains and sore muscles.  The tincture of these flowers kept me from being reported to social services I'm sure when my daughter was young and contantly running into walls and falling down.  I should have just kept a bandage wrapped around her head, that may have helped cushion the blows.  I kept arnica gel on hand.  It almost immediately relieves the pressure, pain and swelling on location.  Not for  use in open wounds.  I will have tinctures ready and available in a few weeks.  You can't get fresher, more potent than that!

favorite red, white and blue breakfast

This is so simple and obvious, I hesitate to post it, but it is my favorite breakfast, I am soo patriotic and simplicity is my goal so I am sharing and hope you enjoy also.

 I would love to hear what your favorite patriotic food is too.

Red, white and blue parfait:

In a pretty, clear glass drop in any order then repeat:

2 heaping spoonfuls of vanilla yogurt, granola, frozen or fresh blueberries, raspberries or strawberries, etc

top with whip cream if you want.

I could eat this every day! Yum Yum.