Cherry Days
A farewell kiss to the golden days of summer.✨
As summer faded into fall, I reflected on the abundance of fruit enjoyed here with some recent nostalgia.
In this edition I offer-up a miracle remedy for skin, a tasty arthritis treatment, a drink for energy, and a herb salsa verde recipe that you can put on literally anything to add some zing. I also suggest a perfect every day sweater, fall necklace, & share my late summer music playlist to evoke the vibe of Niagara back road country drives.
What I’m listening to
My musical backdrop to late summer as it kisses us goodbye.
This playlist is a nostalgic recent compilation of Jim Croce, JJ Cale, Steven Stills, Jerry Jeff Walker, America, Buffalo Springfield, Zeppelin, The Lovin’ Spoonful, Helene Smith and a handful more. 🌾🌾🌾
A year ago around this time I bid Niagara an adieu and took off back to the Caribbean with my heart full of love. I was seeking reconnection with another part of the world where I was raised that resonates for me in a deep and familiar way. In an unexpected twist the move proved impossible due to feline immigration issues and I came back to niko & my little lakeside cottage life. Instead of pushing harder to return, I surrendered and fully embraced my geography by falling back in love with Niagara.
It’s true that as much as I crave the adventure of change, I have a sense that I am always in my right place whenever I’m living in the tiny peninsula of Port Dalhousie; where my great grandfather emigrated to from French Canada and where my dad grew up and my grandfather lived for the entirety of his life.
Nestled by the lake in a petit cottage with an heirloom garden, I filled my spring and summer with re-discovering the area where I’m incredibly happy to be from. Niko, of course came too. During that time, I made a goal to creatively showcase to others the things I love so much about it here. Defining this mission got me to push beyond my typical haunts and explore.
I’ve always described Niagara as a place I know like the back of my hand but returning in this chapter presented a new version for me to discover. I began with the Twenty Valley, just up the road. From there niko and I covered most of the peninsula to suss out its magic. The idea I had was to produce a little illustrated guidebook for visitors in print format. To pay it homage in the digital, some of my forthcoming posts will recap my new Niagara discoveries with a revisiting of beloved familiars.
piQ #1 Cherry Lane Farms
My first job in natural healing was in the Niagara Fruit Belt, right smack dab in the heart of cherry country. 🍒 I had moved home in my late 20s after being away in big cities in the U.S. to go to school and at that time realized the best thing I could do was root down in good ol’ Port Dalhousie to spend a year to recollect and ground out. At the time I was both fascinated with herbalism and needed an income stream. Pleased as I could be at the time, I managed to line up the opportunity to work as an herbalist at a little shop out in the country, in a town called Vineland.
We sold every supplement you could think of, but there were times where it seemed a revolving door of customers were coming in for cherry juice. That’s right, cherry juice. Very strong concentrate in 750ml bottles. They’d grab a bottle from the fridge, march up to the counter with a $20 bill in hand and make remarks like:
“Mom says her hips don’t hurt as long as she gets a spoonful of this cherry concentrate every day. We mix it into her yogurt.”
By collecting anecdotes I was able to discern that most of the purchases were made by caregivers for their elderly parent who suffered from arthritis, and they never wanted to run out because it worked.
The story of it’s discovery as a remedy for gout, (which is also common in wine country) was that a farmer sat down at his kitchen table one afternoon and ate himself an entire bowl of cherries. He then noticed his knuckles didn’t hurt from arthritis in their typical way.
Wanting to visit Niagara? Consider booking a guest stay at Cherry Lane Farms where you could wake up amongst the blossoming orchard next spring.
With a sense of fondness for their farm, when I moved back home more than a decade later, one of the first purchases I made was a bottle of Cherry Lane’s cherry juice concentrate. Even though I know it’s medicinal, in full transparency I pour it onto yogurt & granola or swizzle it into drinks purely for pleasure. I absolutely love the burst of sunshine and tartness it adds to anything you choose.
What I’m sipping on
Cherry Amazon Bliss
I named this refreshing daily sipper tea after the 3 key elements in it’s medicinal elixir mixology. This drink delivers energy without the jitters, helps you stay calm and focused, is good for you (!) and offers a pop of cheery yum.
To Make it:
Start with a heaping teaspoon or two of guyausa leaves, steeped to a strong decoction before pouring it over ice. Dilute with carbonated mineral water if fizz is desired, then squeeze in 1-2 tsp of tart cherry juice. Next add 6-8 drops of mimosa tincture and stir. Add lime if you like, and sip chilled.
Health Benefits of Cherry:
Tart Cherries are an Antioxidant Super fruit. The rich red pigments that give tart cherries their luscious red colour is called anthocyanin, a natural antioxidant. This phytonutrient known as flavonoids have been linked to tons of health benefits. In other words: cherries pack a medicinal superfood punch.
Here’s the intriguing part I bet you never knew:
Research suggests that tart cherries are a natural pain reliever and may reduce inflammation. Yep, so keep digging into the bowl and squeeze ‘em by the handful. They also have potential to reduce the risk of certain cancers and protect against cardiovascular disease. Tart cherries are a natural source of melatonin, a potent antioxidant that helps regulate natural sleep patterns.
And for the buzzy, mood-lifting Guyausa:
A native plant to the Ecuadorian Rainforest, this tasty leaf is a bit of a saviour to me. It helps me sharpen my focus without feeling the anxiety and emotional discombobulation that caffeine often causes for me. Known in the jungle as “the night watchman,” this plant has the power to make you feel alert and clear. Just don’t drink it at night unless you want to stay up and watch for jaguars.
But, don’t forget to add the bliss:
I add a few drops of mimosa tincture that is meant to lift mood and elevate us to a state of blissed out joy. It’s incredibly hard to find anywhere (even online) - but I miraculously came across a mimosa tree in Port Dalhousie last week that I’ll be tincturing, so dm me if you are keen on trying it for yourself and I can send you a little bottle of mimosa bliss.
What I’m wearing
As summer fades to fall I scooped up a cozy neutral cardigan from Wilfred Free for Artizia for porch evenings when the warm days turn to cool nights.
And the perfect necklace pendent for these golden days, from Golden Days Milano.
What I’m putting on my skin
Time to a share another little magic skin potion from Living Libations. I tried out their dewdab ozonated beauty balm, part of a series of ozone balms they produce.
Ozone is used in therapeutic treatments because it promotes tissue repair, combats infection, and supports oxygen delivery in the body to stimulate healing and immune response.
Because I can’t do it justice, do yourself a favour and read the reviews for this product. “Amazing” “Actual Magic” and “WoW” name a few review headlines.
What I’m slathering on everything
I grew my fantasy culinary herb garden this year and have mammoth plants to make use of before the season’s over. I’ve been tweaking and adopting a great-to-slather-on-everything medicinal herb spread that’s rich in good fats, antimicrobial and nutrient dense to the max.
If you’ve been wondering what to make with the last of the summer herbs in your garden:
Make this Herb Salsa Verde
I have been giving samples of my garden grown herb salsa verde to friends and family with the one caution; “just don’t run out…”
Here’s the recipe:
2 cups fresh basil
1 cup parsley
1 cup green onion
1/2 cup spinach
1 lemon, juiced and zested
2 tbs capers
2 tsp dijon mustard (optional)
2 cloves garlic
pinch salt
1 sp pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
Add all ingredients, minus the olive oil, into the bowl of a blender. Blend on high for 30 seconds or until everything is smooth. With the motor of the blender still running, slowly stream in the olive oil. Remove from the blender and pour into an air tight container.
Sadly I found it doesn’t taste nearly as good if thawed out after being frozen so best to go whip up a fresh batch and use it up within a few days. If you prefer it less watery, omit the spinach.
Want some one-on-one time with me to curate for you?
Consultations cover herbal therapeutics, biohacking, regenerative medicine, cannabinoid therapy, skincare, vitamins, minerals, or dietary tweaks. I can also provide my best suggestions for a spiritual outlook on adopting a new practice… Samples too. No fancy booking platform needed, just reach out.
Thanks for reading, sharing & encouraging me to send more. Happy fall my magical friends.✨
xo,
Lindsay
