I bet you never knew how special trees actually were, well let me share some secrets that even I didn't know until recently. I mean I am sure we all have some knowledge of trees. Like for example they are the reason we have oxygen, that's kind of important lol. Ok let me start at the beginning here.......
Killing a tree to drag it into our living room at Christmas has never sat well with me, so I have adopted to decorate a living tree outside each year. I am pretty sure this is the way it use to be done, or that's what my intuition tells me anyway ( maybe it is in my Fayerie DNA lol)
I mean I get it I also don't want to put a chemical filled plastic tree in my house either. So yes that's where this all started......
These little and huge evergreen trees that surround us everyday are really magical, and have so much medicine they want to share with us. Well there are many trees out there the few I am going to hone in on are Pine, Fir, Spruce and Cedar..... and of course Douglas Fir ( which is actually not a true fir, but still has the same medicinal properties.....its a long story)
So most of these evergreen trees, both needles and sap+ resin share the same medicinal properties which include
anti-inflammatory
antiseptic
antimicrobial
analgesic
all are very high in Vitamin C and antioxidants
a few are decongestant
And all the aromas from evergreens lift us up and calm the nervous system and release stress
Like how amazing is that!
(Not all of them can be eaten internally so make sure you have herbal knowledge, or do your research beforehand) This post I am sticking with Douglas fir as it is pretty easy to identify and safe to consume. I will give you a key to identifying Douglas fir compared to other fir. Look at the pinecones, on Douglas fir the cone grow facing down and on other fir ( which are also edible) the pine cones point upward when growing.
Douglas fir pinecones also have what look like little mouse tails and feet sticking out of them.
This year I am going to work to bring out this knowledge and share with the world just how powerful tree medicine and magic is.
I am currently working on new herbal products made with these little forest ethereal beings.
I want to share a few recipes for you here that I have been enjoying the last few weeks, so lets make a big cup of tree tea or some amazing citrusy tree sugar cookies! And great news if your tree is a fir or Douglas fir tree your in luck you can use your Christmas tree!
Douglas Fir Tree Tea Recipe
a handful of fresh Douglas fir needles
4-6 wild rose hips
1-2 teaspoon sea buckthorn berries and leaves
1-2 teaspoons hawthorn flowers
( makes one pot of tea)
I use a pestle and mortar and crush and release all the goodness inside before I pour the hot water over. I use a tea pot with a strainer built in, but you can use tea bags or even just pour hot water over and then strain. Let steep for a few minutes and add honey or sweetener if you prefer. This tea is very high in vitamin C and antioxidants
(please make sure you know how to identify evergreen trees, as there are some toxic ones such as Yew and others.) There are videos on UTube that are very helpful in learning to identify evergreens.
Douglas Fir Sugar Cookies
(These cookies are amazing, citrusy goodness.......)
1/4 cup fresh Douglas fir needles
1 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1 tsp allspice
1 tsp ground ginger
INSTRUCTIONS
In a food processor or high powered blender, pulverize the sugar and Douglas fir needles until very fine and evenly green.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or by hand, cream together the butter and Douglas fir sugar. Add dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly combined.
Divide dough into two portions. Using wax or parchment paper, work each portion into a 1.5" diameter log, wrap tightly and chill for at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove dough logs from refrigerator and slice into approximately 1/4" rounds.
Place on a parchment lined baking sheet for 10 minutes or until edge are slightly golden. After removing from oven allow to sit on the baking sheet for another 5 minutes to ensure that the bottom side is set, then transfer parchment with cookies to a flat surface to cool.Sprinkle with sugar while fresh from the oven. Makes 24-30 cookies.
So there you have it now you can appreciate trees a little more then you did before you knew how truly magical they were…. Happy Yule and Solstice!
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