Backyard Herbal Tea - April 6, 2011

Join Holly Dunbar, New Moon Bodywork and Botanicals Herbalist, as she guides us through making our own tasty and medicinal herbal teas from garden to tea cup. Information on plant selection, growing, harvest, and preservation will be offered. Recipes for beneficial and delicious herbal mixes will be shared. Participants will mix and take home several tea samples; more teas and herbs will be available for purchase.

Please bring a few jars with a lids for taking your tea home.

Details:
April 6, 2011 (wednesday) from 1-3 pm
Location in La Plata, MD which is shared with felines (to be released upon registration)
Registrations are non-refundable but might be transferable
Limit 8 participants
Cost: $20

There are 4 available spots in this Salon.

Sprouts for Winter Eating - March 6, 2011

Its winter. Its cold. You are eager for some healthy greens but have none in your garden. What's an Earth Mother or Father to do? Sprout! Gabrielle LaJoie, Next Step Produce Farmer, will show you how to grow your own sprouts right on your kitchen counter. There will of course be taste testing of different kinds of sprouts along with ideas for how to use them in your daily eating. You will take home your own jar with your personalized sprouting seed mixture to get you started.

Please bring a jar with a lid which holds at least one cup.

Details:
March 6, 2011 from 1-3 pm
Location in La Plata, MD which is shared with felines (to be released upon registration)
Registrations are non-refundable but might be transferable
Limit 8 participants
Cost: $10

Rescheduled for June - Backyard Chickens Salon - February 20, 2011

Have you considered keeping chickens so you can have fresh eggs? Are you new to the La Plata, MD area and are wondering about local chicken keeping resources? Join this Salon as Dana Kee from Moose Manor Farm gets us started with the needs of the Southern Maryland chicken. Learn about housing requirements in our climate, local places to get feed and other supplies, how to keep laying hens healthy naturally, and more! Scroll down to find out about bringing your older child(ren) with you!

Details:
February 20, 2011 from 1-3 pm
Location in La Plata, MD which is shared with felines (to be released upon registration)
Registrations are non-refundable but might be transferable
Limit 8 participants
Cost: $10

Make Your Own Soft Cheese - January 23, 2011

Do you enjoy fresh mozzarella cheese? How about chevre rolled in herbs? Cheesemaking is one of those almost lost homesteading kitchen arts. Let's revive it in your house! In this hands-on Salon, you will make your own mozzarella cheese using cow's milk and see the steps to making chevre with goat's milk. Everyone will go home with some mozzarella, chevre, supplies to make more of your own, and many taste tests!

Please bring a fine mesh strainer and a bowl it can sit on. Rubber gloves are optional; if your hands are sensitive to heat you will appreciate gloves.

Details:
January 23, 2011 from 1-3 pm
Located in La Plata, MD which is feline friendly (to be released upon registration)
Registrations are non-refundable but might be transferable
Limit 8 participants

Click the "Buy Now" button to register. If you would like to barter for your registration fee, please contact me at zoaconner at comcast dot net.

2011 Earth Mother Salon Schedule

Registration will open soon! In the meantime, please don't salivate all over your keyboard :-) As with all Earth Mother Salons, seating is limited.

Make Your Own Soft Cheese
Cost: $20
January 23, 2011, 1-3 pm, with Zoa Conner

Sprouts for Winter Eating
Cost: $10
March 6, 2011, 1-3 pm, with Gabrielle LaJoie of Next Step Produce

Backyard Herbal Tea
Cost: $20
April 6, 2011, 1-3 pm, with Holly Dunbar of New Moon Bodywork and Botanicals

Organic Beekeeping Introduction
Cost: $20
May 8, 2011, 1-3 pm, with Stefano Briguglio and Dave Dob of Azure B Apiary

Backyard Chickens
Cost: $10
June 11, 2011, 1-3 pm, with Dana Kee of Moose Manor Farm

All Earth Mother Salons are held at a private home in La Plata, Maryland, USA. The home has cats in residence. The precise address and directions are given out upon Salon registration.

Possible Future Topics:
Homemade Fizzy Drinks
Worm Composting
Natural Beekeeping
Solar Oven Cooking
Herbal First Aid
What it Takes to Grow Almost All Your Own Food
Build Your Own Outdoor Cob Oven
Friendly Fermentations
Knit Two Socks at Once
Starting Your Own Seeds
Holistic Dental Care
You Have Heard of Slow Food? Try Slow Living
Make Your Own Biodiesel
Homemade Raw Pet Food
Green Smoothies


Interested in being a Salon Guide? Please contact me (zoaconner at comcast dot net) and we will see if we can make it work.

Introducing the Earth Mother Salon

Imagine yourself surrounded by people who value handmade items, cook food from scratch, reduce the chemical load of their homes, search out organic and locally grown foods, reduce and reuse before recycling, choose carefully the objects that enter their home, tend a garden, and mindfully interact with humans of all ages. Sound like paradise? Let me show you the way here...

At an Earth Mother Salon, you will be in the company of a colorful array of people whose knowledge and experiences span the globe. Each Salon has a Topic and Topic Guide. The Guide introduces the Topic, bring samples or materials, and answers questions. The Salon Hostess (moi) will steer discussion back to the Topic should it stray too far afield and will do her best to ensure each person goes home fulfilled and hopeful. We welcome you to come experience, learn, discuss, question, and think in the true salon style!

Topics for the 2011 Earth Mother Salon will focus on the art of caring for your home and family in ways that have positive impact on the Earth.