Masala Bhindi
I cannot think of anything I would rather do with okra than make this. If I get eggplant from my CSA, look out! Kelly is making Indian food all weekend. I posted this receipt over 10 years ago and it’s still true.
Get the spices measured out and ready, then
Heat:
2 T ghee or coconut oil
Saute:
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 pound okra, trimmed & sliced length-wise on a slight diagonal
After 5-8 minutes, add:
2 T garlic, minced Read More
aka Leonard Lily and Blackberry Lily
Belamcanda is bitter & cold and enters the Lungs. It clears heat and transforms phlegm. It is used for coughs and wheezing with phlegm obstruction, and for sore throat with swelling and painful obstruction in the throat. It breaks up clumps to drain heat. This is only used short term for acute conditions.
I love to grow it – it’s a gorgeous spunky little lily. Luckily I haven’t had to use it much, as it is for pretty serious conditions and there are lots of other herbs for cough, such as aster, which is currently just starting to bloom in late summer.
Tomorrow until September 14, I’m offering 20% off on all supplements in my Fullscript dispensary. You will have access to the whole catalog, and you can check out my Favorites.
Fullscript ships fast, stocks professional-grade trusted products, and ensures your supplements are safe and effective. Make sure you sign up for your free account to shop the sale!
Last fall I wrote all about supplements that are great to have on hand during the fall and winter. Check out Cold Season Medicine Cabinet. Many of these supplements I mention are available through Fullscript but the Chinese herbs are limited – for most herbs you can contact me. You can check out my Favorites – including Cold Season Medicine Cabinet – which has multiple versions of many of the supplements, such as vitamin C, D, zinc, NAC, and Quercetin. You’ll even see Cinnamon Twig formula there! With 20% off, now is a great time to stock up on your immune boosting supplements.
You can check out my other Favorites, such as Gut Health, where you will see my favorite high quality spore-based probiotic – Microbiome Lab’s MegaSporeBiotic (which includes 5 strains including HU28) – and also HU28 (which only contains 1). For most people who want a probiotic, MegaSporeBiotic is a good place to start, but for people with more serious gut issues, starting with HU28 is recommended.
I offer 10% off of the whole Fullscript catalog for all of my patients everyday, but for the next two days during the September Supplement Sale, September 13-14, everything is 20% off.
I just got back from a spectacular backpacking trip at Pharaoh Lake in New York. The lake is the largest undeveloped lake in NY and is just 2 hours away. While I heard it rained all weekend here in Burlington (except during Art Hop Friday night), we had perfect weather. Thundershowers only a night.
We had a 5 mile hike in and spent two nights in a lean-to, did a bunch of swimming, lounging on the big rock and hammock-ing. There are canoes available on the lake, so we also enjoyed a paddle, too. Paradise.
I’ll be back this fall for either another backpacking trip or at least a day hike. I want to hike up Mt Pharaoh as well as do the Treadway Mountain hike, which is 7.5 there and back from Putnam Lake and supposedly has the most amazing views of the lake. Here’s a link on Alltrails: Treadway Mountain Trail.
One of the things I like about the Pharaoh Lake Wilderness area is there is low bear activity, compared with the High Peaks region of the Adirondacks. We were there the weekend after Labor Day and saw very few people. I’m not sure how busy it gets over the summer, but I can’t wait to go back for foliage season. If you go, let me know what you think.
Magnolia Flower bud – Xin Yi Hua – Flos Magnoliae Lilifloraeproperties: acrid, slightly warm
channels entered: Lung
Expels wind and opens the nasal passages: used for nasal obstruction or congestion, sinus problems, and related headaches.
My Magnolia flowers just opened up today!
Note: there are over 100 Magnolia varieties, and many don’t grow this far north in Vermont. This is not the main species uses in Chinese medicine, but a cross between Magnolia liliiflora ‘Reflorescens’ and Magnolia stellata ‘Waterlily.’ It’s as close as I could get for now.
Xin Yin Hua is the fuzzy bud. The bark, Hou Po, and the flower, Hou Po Hua, of the Magnolia officinalis are also used in Chinese Medicine.
Acupuncture treatment is great this time of year to help get the Qi flowing. Spring is the time when yang Qi rises up, but it can get stuck along the way, leading to irritability, depression or even rage, joint pain, digestive issues, allergies and more. Exercise, eating clean, Chinese herbal formulas or nettles tea can be helpful. Acupuncture is an option for helping to un-constrain your Qi and tune up your system.
If you are not up for needles or just want to try something different to get your Qi flowing, Zero Balancing is an awesome option. I’ve been getting great feedback from patients, who are experiencing wonderful results with pain relief, headaches, relaxation and more.
$85 acupuncture 60 minutes
$105 acupuncture + ZB 70 minutes
$125 acupuncture + ZB 80 minutes
$85 Zero Balancing 30 minutes
$105 Zero Balancing 45 minutes
$85 herbal consultation 30 minutes (existing patients)
$45 herbal consultation 15 minutes (existing patients)
Look out for my brand new Vermont Acupuncture & Wellness Instagram page. I will be sharing the beautiful herbs I am growing as they blossom – the Magnolia is about to burst, and some that I find in nature – like this Coltsfoot.
I’ll be in touch soon. I have so much to say – about health and nutrition – about growing and grinding Chinese herbs – about Acupuncture – Zero Balancing – Classical Herbal Formulas.
on facebook at: Vermont Acupuncture & Wellness
be well
Kelly
– Flos Tussilago farfara – Coltsfootproperties: acrid warm
channels entered: Lung
Redirects the Qi downward and stops cough: used commonly for cough and wheezing from many different etiologies.
Use with caution for any cough with a Heat condition.
I was hiking near Camel’s Hump the other day and found lots of Coltsfoot growing in the ditch along the dirt road, amongst gravel and not far from the river. One of the earliest spring herbs – April – found in ditches along dirt roads and trails.
It’s been wild ride these past few years – punctuated by the powerful yang energy of the year of the Tiger 2022.
We are now sliding into the mellow yin energy of the water Rabbit, or as they say in Vietnam, the Year of the Cat. Since I spent 
some years in Vietnam, I got in tune with the Cat replacing the Rabbit or Hare, which is the animal all other Asian countries are celebrating.
While the Rabbit has the qualities of gentleness and fluidity, I think of the agile, able Hare as more representative of this zodiac animal. Yet the Cat embodies those qualities plus a curiosity & otherworldliness that brings the cat to another plane.
The Tiger energy is ushering in the magical and potentially miraculous Cat energy.
This year is a great opportunity to tune in spiritually, pay attention to and trust your gut, meditate, sit and do nothing, take catnaps. Clarity & simplicity are themes.
Listening is the main theme. This year is about tuning in to ourselves. Be self-assured like a cat. Be your true self. What makes your heart sing? What brings joy and meaning to your life? Only you know – tune in to find some hints.
And the Year of the Cat is also about tuning in with each other; it’s about what we all have in common. Be like a rabbit! Be gentle and kind, enjoy your community, frolic!
Listen to yourself.
Listen to each other.
Listen to nature.
This year is for Catma – the antithesis of Dogma.
Nutrition suggestions for the Year of the Cat
Take time to have relaxing meals, sitting down without work. Enjoy your meal as a sort of casual meditation.
Chew. Digestion starts in the mouth. Relax and chew your food well before swallowing.
Eat real food. Read ingredients on food labels.
Beware of the Dogma – it’s the year of Catma!
Stay curious. Keep your mind open, your heart full and trust your instincts. Take rests.
Year of the Cat is from 21 January 2023 to 10 February 2024, when the Year of the Dragon begins.
Live your truth and let the 
magic begin.
I feel lucky to be on the incredible path of East Asian medicine, natural healing and nutrition. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow from each and every patient. Thank you for all of your support over the years.
Wishing you and yours the best of luck, fertility and health in 2023.
I was at my local Walgreens checking out the nasal sprays and I was pleasantly surprised to see the Xlear nasal spray I mentioned in my recent newsletter Cold Season Medicine Cabinet. Xlear Nasal Spray is a strong natural antimicrobial with grapefruit seed extract – great for occasional use for exposure or for sinusitis.
Always check the ingredients because sometimes it can be surprising what is in a product that looks all natural. Here’s the ingredients for Xlear. 
Read More
Liver is a super-food. Liver contains significantly more vitamin A, all the Bs, iron and other minerals than any other food. Pate is my preferred way to eat liver. It’s so good – and you don’t need to eat a lot to get the nutritional value. If you’ve got a turkey liver – you’ve got to try this recipe.
Thanksgiving 2023 we are roasting a wild turkey. It’s a bit smaller than a farmed turkey and the liver was a quarter pound, so I halved the recipe.
Ingredients:
1 turkey liver (about a half pound)
1/3 stick of good quality butter or ghee
1 medium onion, minced (or 2-3 shallots)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T each: rosemary, sage, parsley, thyme
¼ t allspice
¾ t sea salt
¼ t pepper
1-2 T cream or half and half
1-2 T sherry or cognac (optional)
Small handful of cranberries (not too much or the pate will be tart – alternatively try a spoonful of cranberry sauce)
Equipment: non-cast iron pan, food processor