Live Green: Making Mocktails at Meadowlands!

I revisited Meadowlands to learn about foraging, and the different recipes you can create with foraged ingredients. Amanda Elyse showed me how to make a shrub, using pine needles she foraged from a loblolly pine tree in her backyard.

Pine needles provide many benefits that not many people know about.

“Pine is really good and high in vitamin C.” Elyse explained. “The base ingredient for a shrub is like sugar, apple cider vinegar. If I wanted to just do pine needle, I would just fill this up with pine needle. I would put the apple cider vinegar and the sugar in here, but we’re going to make it a little more festive.”

For this pine needle shrub, the ingredients include:

– Freshly foraged pine needles

– Cranberries

-Pears

-Organic Cane Sugar

-Raw Honey

-Raw Apple Cider Vinegar

-Vanilla Extract

For this recipe, Amanda Elyse says this is a real grandma recipe. You measure with your heart’s intent.

Instructions:

1: Chop Pine needles, cranberries, pears and place in a mason jar.

2: Pour sugar, honey and vanilla (about a table spoon each).

3: Pour apple cider vinegar to cover the ingredients, and make sure everything is completely submerged.

4: Put a lid on the jar and shake.

5: Let everything sit for 2-3 days or longer.

6: Strain when ready to drink. Can drink by itself or with sparkling water.

Amanda Elyse said these libations have medical aspects to them. For more recipes, or to stay up to date on upcoming events visit her website, nectarherbal.com

To attend her womb gatherings, visit the Meadowland’s Retreat Facebook Page