HUNTING MUST WAIT

I hoped to squeeze this in earlier about foraging for edibles in the wild. Here it is: First, wild garlic mushroom roots growing in your backyard, though be careful to ensure they’re not the kind that make you very sick or even kill you.

The thought of clearing the snow away in the backyard looking for them never happened. I’ll mention then now.

I enjoy checking out wild edibles in the woods, though I’ve never known enough about them. I turned to Peter Blush who not only writes novels, but he’s wild about the wilds. He’s the owner of Puck’s Plenty Foraging Tours in Stratford, Ontario, and shares tips on foraging in the woods.

Peter insists you should have some basic knowledge. by reading such books as A Peterson Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants. Or The National Audubon Society Field Guide to Mushrooms. He mentions what other things to forage for in winter. Spring might be better, not having to dig through the snow for them.

Watercress, rose tips, white pine needles, wild cranberries and cattail roots. You’ll find them in green spaces and forests. Chicory roots and dandelion root both, he tells us, 'make good coffee substitutes.'

Why not throw in dandelion wine? Hmm. Good idea.

He lists such edibles as the velvet foot mushrooms found on dead hardwood. Or turkey tail mushrooms. used to make tea. Good for the immune system. Yet… I wouldn’t touch wild mushrooms without having an expert with me who knows which ones to eat; which ones to stay well away from.

Author’s comment: Here’s something which lifts my spirits – and hopefully yours. Our aging German Shepherd loves winter. Let her out the door, and she’ll fling herself down in the light fluffy snow and roll and roll around in it. See for yourself.

A GOOD OLD DUVET

There is nothing like crawling into bed and pulling a duvet over you. It settles down without the restrictions of anything tight around you. What could be easier than getting up in the morning, giving it a shake and the bed is made.

I found myself sleeping under a duvet some years ago when living abroad. I couldn’t believe anything could replace the top sheet and blankets. It was comfy, warm and light without losing the sense of something covering on you.

They are literally ‘flat sleeping bags’ with a removable cover you can toss in the washing machine.

Here’s what I learned about a duvet: They go back to the 16th Century and were introduced by the Vikings. They were filled with eider down (eiderdown?) which came from the breast down of a female eider duck.

The modern duvet is filled with wool or cotton or silk or a synthetic alternative such as polyester.

Author’s comment: The best to me are those made with duck or goose feathers. These bring a certain lightness to the duvet, yet redirect the heat from your body without losing a sense of warmth. Heavier duvets work well in the winter months; lighter ones for other times of the year.