Yup – I was STUNG 3 TIMES IN THE BUTT! OMG the pain was crazy! Despite years of prescribing and promoting Apis (often referred to as homeopathic Benadryl) for all manner of stings, allergic and anaphylaxis reactions,  I quite luckily had never had a reason to use it personally…that is until this past Sunday…

Evidently a wasp had flown up my long skirt and gotten trapped. As the dictates of Murphy’s law demand, my hands were full at the time of the vicious attack on my bum. Sting #1 was shocking and mildly painful – I dropped my watering cans. Sting #2, millimeters from Sting #1, was met with some expletives and a futile attempt to get the wasp out of my skirt. Sting #3, nearly on top of Sting #1 and Sting #2, was excruciatingly painful - more expletives and mad slapping to crush the evil stinging beast that was attacking my innocent bum.

At various social gatherings I am often asked what people can do to feel better – my standard answer is “only eat real food, get outside and come and see me for an appointment”. I am often amazed at how many people dismiss my advice to get outside as flippant. I am serious – GET OUTSIDE and you will feel better.

From healing gardens, conservatories and greenhouses to restorative nature sanctuaries and forest bathing, being in nature has been used as a therapy for ages because it makes us feel better. Thankfully research is catching up and providing us with some quantitative data.

The benefits of spending time outside include: 

No I am not rushing things, I got my first mosquito bite of the season the other night while harvesting some greens (…hostas) from the garden or dinner!

Coming from Winnipeg – mosquito capital of Canada?…the world?...I know that mosquitoes can range from annoying pests to flat out insanity inducing menaces. Here in southern Ontario we have the added bonus of having to worry about West Nile Virus.

Last year I posted a blog Mosquitoes vs Homeopathy = Homeopathy Wins. In it you will find information for natural, safe and very effective herbal repellants, effective homeopathic bite prevention (including Mozi-Q) and some general prevention tips. This year I want to add a list of pretty, edible plants that you can add to your garden or just keep in pots near your favourite outdoor spaces and a West Nile health warning. 

I hate early spring - food wise anyway! I try to eat locally (on a budget) and in Southern Ontario for most of the year that isn't so hard, except for early spring. At a time when every food and health magazine and website is touting the benefits of eating the fresh spring bounty and teasing me with images of fresh peas and strawberries - my pantry & freezer are empty and the store shelves only have last year's sad looking root vegetables. 

In past years, in addition to moaning & complaining, I have: eaten all the dandelions in my yard; spent more than I should on dinners of fiddleheads, asparagus, and wild leeks; and then reached for non-local produce. This year I discovered that hostas are not only edible but delicious! So far I have had them sautéed with lemon, mixed into a mushroom asparagus risotto and stir fried with spicy tofu - all delicious. I think that they taste like a cross between kale & spinach with a hint of asparagus.

Things I have learned:
1. The young leaves that have yet to unfurl are a delicacy in Japan, but the unfurled leaves are very good as well

2. All species of hostas are edible (Plants for a Future) as are all of the parts - I plan on trying the flowers in salads this summer. 

3. Cooking the shoots like asparagus, the young leaves like spinach,  cook the older leaves like cabbage or bitter greens, i.e. collards.

4. You will get looks of scepticism when you serve your first hosta creation...then it will be devoured!

Hosta Stir fry with Spicy Tofu
I have learned that the key to any successful stir fry is ingredient prep - have everything ready to toss into the wok before you start cooking...or better still have your sous-chefs chopping while you stir-fry.