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Blog Posts Spring USA

Happy Birthday to Me!

April 9, 2019

Happy Birthday to Me!

APRIL 10TH 2019

Birthdays have always been a source of extreme joy for me. Something significant lives in the celebration of one’s own birth and life. As I age I find it one of the biggest indicators of my own self-love and acceptance. Like the pencil marks on my childhood walls, I can watch the growth with each year. As I celebrate, I honor this evolution, despite some years feeling more like a setback.  This year is great cause for celebration as I move into the next notch of growth that is my life.

Springtime is about beginnings, letting go, and embracing something new. I began in Spring, on April 10th, 1973, and I embraced something new by exiting the womb. Ever since I’ve been using my birthday to celebrate the joy of being me now while simultaneously moving toward what’s next. This transition often means letting go of the past. Some years this celebratory moment is simple. It passes quietly with only an internal resolution. Other years I celebrate the challenges and accomplishments of aging by discovering new lands, culture and people, in places like Israel, Turkey, Peru, and Mexico. I’ve spent these moments with friends, family, lovers, and strangers and, quite often, alone. Being alone has never stopped this desire to discover, on the contrary most often it fuels a deeper level of discovery.  Whether my birthdays are simple celebrations or grand gesture launches of new ventures (as was the case when I launched Ger-Nis Culinary & Herb Center), they always seem to be wrapped in fresh herbs. This year is no different as I venture off to Turkey for some herbal wanderings and “soft launch” one part of a larger herbal (ad)venture.

This past year I made peace with a lot of history. In that letting go, I was able to create room for a couple of new projects. These projects have been whirling around inside me for a very long time and now they are becoming a reality, not just into my world but into yours as well. (That is how I roll.)

On April 10th, 2019, I officially softly launch My Herbal Roots, a new herb centered food blog. It is one part of a bigger two-part venture called Herbal Roots. It has been  in the making a long time with various ideas and visions, all of which today have clarity and vision and thus the birth of this venture has arrived.

Why did it take me so long? After all I’m a person that moves rapidly with most ideas.  The truth is that I needed a long break to recuperate and grow from from the large and difficult failed business that was my fruit and vegetable import and distribution company that took over my life voraciously for about 11 years during my late 20’s. I needed time to simply be, think, and dream again and I needed the space and the heart to do it. I needed to take time to fall in love, which I did. It was great, until (undenounced to me) it wasn’t.  So I fell out of love just as wonderfully as I fell into it. This may have been the most significant thing that has happened to me in life so far and the reason that so much of shortcomings, quirks and personality problem areas have mellowed out and fueled my improvement and growth in who I am today. I don’t know how I did it. I suppose both my failings ( the business and the love) happened at the perfect time, like most things do if you let them. Failing gracefully is an art form that has more uplifting self-love and growth-inducing potential than anything else.  Hardships are a part of life and from early on as a girl in Nicaragua I witnessed the importance of hardships in the ability to facilitate recognizing and then feeling joy. These two hardships rocked my life more than most, but they also changed my trajectory in a way that seems spiritual and cosmic, if I’m being honest.  I feel more authentic today than ever. I feel I have more to give back to others around me and I am able to see and feel more joy that I had ever imagined would be possible.

My birthday is often a time when I sit, reflect, and say to myself, “You are exactly where you are meant to be. All that has happened is part of why you sit exactly here today.”  Today on April 10th– this is my sentiment.

Today, I officially share with the world My Herbal Roots  which is my story told though a very public declaration of my passion for fresh herbs. Something deep inside of me lights up in the presence of fresh herbs. It doesn’t matter if they are physically or virtually in my personal space. I am enraptured by them as well as those who grow and use them in any and all forms.

Fresh herbs have been a symbol of my own artistry and creative spirit since I started growing them in my garden in Eugene, Oregon, back in my early 20’s. Not only are they a staple in my personal cooking, but they have sprung up in every aspect of my life ever since.

My Herbal Roots is the creative manifestation of everything herbal I have experienced along my journey, and a projection of all to come. It’s a place for me to share my herbal passion indiscriminately, allowing me to collage every herbal moment that lights my path; it provides a home for me to pause in celebration and appreciation.

I have been conscious of my own innate passionate streak from an early age. Like many others, I remember as a child coloring outside the lines. What set me apart was the self-confidence I had that couldn’t be swayed by anyone telling me it was wrong. My inner strength carried me forward from the get-go, fearlessly driving me to exactly where and who I am today.

I have been teaching myself most subjects since a very young age. My independent nature was nurtured by my father, who I suspect is a similar creature. He was also as far from a helicopter parent as one could get. With no mother in the picture from early on, I was buffered from stereotypical gender boundaries as an integral member of a family with three brothers and a strong father. This gave me substantial self-confidence early on and helped shaped me into the creative, powerful woman I am today.

There are two primary factors from my youth that set me on my life’s path. My one-of-a-kind father, whom I admired for his investigative wanderlust, which carried us across the globe early in life landing us in war-torn Nicaragua in the height of Central American brouhaha in the mid-eighties and the unbelievable generosity I experienced by Nicaraguans, many of whom had nothing monetary. The Nicaraguans guided me to discover what I carried in my beautiful soul. My father’s openness and exuberance for life, wrapped in a bold and courageous attitude helped me build my spirit. Both my father and the Nicaraguans helped define joy for me at an early age. I have only recently started to understand the breadth of this.

From an early age, I had the desire to embrace life to the fullest. I knew there was no pre-planned road map for me to follow. I have spent the majority of my life traveling. That is when I am happiest – when I am learning and practicing humility. My love of travel eventually translated into my global agricultural work, working with organic, fair-trade, and sustainable farmers throughout the globe. Through my work in agriculture, I have been invited into the homes and kitchens of farmers and their families all over the world. Here I discovered the deep connecting power of food, culture, and community.  These are My Herbal Roots.

When my niece Kianna was nine, she said to me, “I like two things about you. You always buy yourself something when you are shopping for others, and you always do what you say you are going to do.” The second part of that statement reflects my open declaration of my hopes, dreams, and ambitions. Like a wish on one’s birthday, declaring makes it possible. Writing for me is one of the most important paths toward achieving my goals. The open declaration keeps me motivated and fueled by the many supporters I have come to find throughout the world.

I am teamed with some of the most talented and creative people who have participated in so many of my ventures throughout the last 20 years of my life. Many of these ventures fuel and/or create the next. They teach us how to do it better. Old passions fuel new ones. Like a birthday, they keep moving – sometimes backwards, but usually forward,

Since I am deep in the beginning of mango season, My Herbal Roots in its entirety will take a few more months to complete. For those of you who I am connected to, you get to tag along for the ride and see how this passion project is built.  So many meaningful people are a part of this project and the timing deeply meaningful to many of them. I derive great joy in giving birth to my passions through creative endeavors and even more for building platforms and living a life that provides this for many. Thank you to all who have fueled my passion with yours! My Herbal Roots will be my special food blog where I can be more authentically and herbaceously me and where readers can share my herbal joy.  

The companion to this project, Herbal Roots will launch in Spring 2020.  The (ad)venture includes a herb-centric educational site where passionate herb lovers can find general education on fresh herbs, specialty herbs and edible flowers, along with nutritional information, medicinal remedies, herbal folklore and of course- selection, storage, preparation and usage advice that’s relevant and useful and not on the normal cookie cutter approach that most herb centric sites take.  There will be videos, beautiful photography by many amazing photographers and including amateur photographers like me. The site will have tons of recipes and a pretty awesome search engine allowing super specific and totally open searches on herbs, seasons and whimsy. Best of all Herbal Roots will be offering fresh herbs!

Good things take time so stay tuned and keep excited for what’s to come in 2020.

Remember to dream big and say it outload!  Happy Birthday to me!

Blog Posts Spring USA

Happy Birthday to Me!

April 9, 2019
April 9, 2019
ABOUT ME
About Me

Noted herb expert, culinary educator and recipe developer. Small business consultant traveling the globe in search of food and cultural knowledge, while working with small, local, organic, sustainable, and fairtrade farmers.

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Tis the season! 🎄🎄
One for Rudolph, two for me. This is one of my most whimsical recipes and one that is perfect to make with your kids  before Christmas eve.  Basically, the kids make herbal sugar cubes for Rudolph and you get amazing sugar cubes for an old-Fashioned cocktail.  It’s a rather fun project for all and one that the adults can enjoy long after Santa is gone. The recipe is super easy. It assumes you have some general herbs around the holidays for cooking.  Herbs, sugar and ice cube trays are really all that’s needed outside a few drops of water.
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Last call for #Thanksgiving #HerbSalts if you want them by Monday. Order by tomorrow and by Monday evening you can be tossing them into all your holiday #recipes 

Discount code herbal magic (lowercase ) gets you an additional 25% off. 

Shop.Herbal-Roots.com
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It's never too early to think about holiday pies.... i, of course, recommend using fresh herbs and making compound butters for your pie crust.... link to tips, tricks and recipes  in story....
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Instagram post 17942764406721299
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{Fall} 2023 -Nissa’s Version
 
Introducing my Fall 2023 Herbal Salt Collection for @myherbalroots
 
My Liminal Space……
 
Now available at Shop.Herbal-Roots.com
 
 
They are deliciously laced with the warmest and most comforting fall flavors, with specific, rare to fall bright notes, which I think we all need. Herbal flavors graciously gifted to me by my current Blue Eye garden. All of which I am only able to notice because of my own personal growth and wisdom born from past, more harrowing liminal spaces. The herbs have been thoughtfully crafted into my one of a kind, once per season herbal cooking & finishing salts- aka my culinary artistry! 
 
The timing of my current liminal space holds particular significance in light of the state of the world (the liminal works like this). When I first began crafting this collection the world was dramatically different. For me, drawing from my personal history (which I won't delve into here), it serves as a poignant reminder underscoring the importance of not just recognizing what resides within the liminal, but also of what we choose as our focus while occupying the liminal space. It is this focus that ultimately guides us as we step beyond the threshold, individually and collectively.  Liminal space choices are important ones. My herbal salt crafting is how I unravel all that is inside me, around me and fed to me.
 
The combination of tinkering with herbs, recipe creating, teaching and writing have proven to be my most effective coping mechanisms. These things also bring me great peace and joy, they allow for contemplation and growth. These are the ingredients of the “recipe” that grows me most, especially when combined with connection, noticing and
cross cultural experiences.

 These are my fall herb salts, born in my liminal space in Blue Eye, MO.

They are ready for your culinary adventures. 

 

Enjoy!
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I saw an article on radicchio in @nytcooking this am and it reminded me of an article and recipes I wrote a few years back on winter chicories for @ediblemarinwc . #Chicories or radicchio the main chicory most know, are one of my favorite ingredients fall as we head into winter and I’m happy to see this bitterly delicious vegetable getting more attention and become more readily available for more to discover what so many in the world know…….bitter taste is delicious and with a little know how, you can learn to use it and we can all get more varieties in our lives!

Link in bio to the edible chicory story & #recipes
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Chrysactinia mexicana

Super aromatic, lemony and pungent.  This plant is a lot like me, seems sweeter when you aren't real close up, there is a perfect distance of  the aromas optimal sweetness this is how it attracts  insects-  with this sweet aromatic side, but has an internal make up thats  harsher tasting that keeps it from being eaten by insects and animals. 

I admire its resilience and knowing of the harshness of the world. Ancient mexican medicine claims it to be an aphrodisiac. I use the flowers in many of my fall salts - mostly because I think it's resilience put in our bellies is useful. The flavor is strong but in a pleasant grass/wood/floral way.
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My fall 2023 herbal salt (for sale soon!) being used on a chicken and rice soup tonight . 

Apple & Celery Thanksgiving “Stuffing” Salt

Fresh Herbs: Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, Winter Savory, Marjoram, Bay Leaves, Gingerbush, Zuta 
Levana, Calendula Petals, Mushroom Herb, Fennel Fronds, Parsley, Lemon Leaf, Cinnamon Basil, Wormwood Produce: Celery Leaf, Pink Lady Apple Bits, Ginger Spices: Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Mace, White Peppercorns, Black Pepper, Purple Shallot Powder Other: House Made Sourdough Bread Crumbs, Maldon Salt

Rosemary Lemon Sourdough Toast as a soup side.
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My herbaceous #girldinner 😀💃

@mikesorganicfoods Thai Green curry packet and herbs and garden stuff.
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Fall Farro Salad..... (if you know about me and my herbaceous and seasonal farro salads lucky you) 

Roasted Cauliflower and Celery
Lacinato Kale
White Balsamic Soaked Golden Raisins
Aleppo Toasted Almonds
All drenched in an herbaceous cinnamon brown butter shallot golden raisin "juice" dressing 
Topped with feta and my Fall 2023 Sultry Sage Squash Salt

*sautéing the herbs in butter allows for the salad to be full of robust herbs, but their essence is laced throughout the salad, diluted in the butter so that sage, thyme, savory in particular feel softer and more enjoyable than simply tossing them in as a fresh afterthought.  The whispers of cinnamon in this are 🤩 cinnamon and sage = ❤️💃🕺 I am not a typical cinnamon fan - but used well holy crap.
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Mushroom Herb…. A mushroom- spinach like herb. Tastes of light fresh mushroom flavor mixed with fresh “green” or grassy notes. Vegetal and earthy. The mushroom essence increases while cooking. Very high in  iron and vitamin C. Higher in protein than mushrooms  and incredibly high in calcium.  A stampale in all my soups and herbal soup salts.
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Its the time of year for that dirty pear situation I love-  aka dirty pear #whsikey collins - made with spiced pear syrup (made with earthy date sugar) whiskey, lemon, melfetti amaro and soda... it taste like pear earth if you know what I mean.....
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Happy Birthday to Me! | My Herbal Roots