Sea Glass

I've always had a bit of a fascination with sea glass, having first read about it in one of those 'Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul' books I used to get every birthday and Christmas. My chance to finally collect some arose last March, when I was in Spain for ten days. Me and four friends were perusing the beach and the shells (none of us were inclined to join the 20 people long tanning line of our classmates) when I found a small sliver of sea glass no bigger than my finger tip. Excited, I began to look for more.

Turns out, I'm very very bad at finding sea glass. My eyes just register all the colours of a blur. Three of my friends however, were very, very good. The promise of a beer for whoever could find me the most sent them all scurrying. I left Spain with a giant box full of sea glass of all different colours and sizes. Alllll righhhhhtttt.

Sea glass is regular glass that has been thrown in the ocean. Over time (sometimes as long as years) the sharp edges and gloss of the glass is worn down by the tides and waves, and the salt content of the oceans and the sand etches the glossy side. The most common colours are kelly-green, brown and clear, with the rarer colours being blue and red/pink, black, and yellow. The majority of my glass came from heineken bottles, and the green was absolutely spectacular.

Artificial sea glass can be made using a rock shaker, and it can also be found in inland lakes. However, in the lakes and rock shakers it lacks the etched sides that are found in sea glass.

There's not a lot of science to sea glass. I'll admit that's part of why I'm writing about it; I'm tired and grumpy and don't feel like going into detail. But it it an awesome thing. The ocean takes this horrible litter and softly wears away the sharp edges, recreating it into something beautiful and valuable and sought by artisans and beachcombers worldwide. Just that act, making something dangerous and potentially hazardous, taking our horrible horrible waste and smoothing it, is awesome. The product is awesome.

And because of anti-littering campaigns and laws, sea-glass is becoming increasingly rarer. Which is sad, but overall a good thing.

And well, I like to think that ocean is giving us a gentle reminder. Which is just another reason why sea glass is awesome.

The Wonderful World of Taraxacum Officinale

also known as the common dandelion.

I will pause before going into my long rambling on the awesomeness of the common dandelion for a few moments to explain my love of them. They're pretty, stubborn, and honestly one of those less-explained and misunderstood miracles of the natural world. Also, I love to blow the seeds. My love for them furthered even more when I found out that my boyfriend, at the age of two, would go along counting the dandelions (up until twenty) and tried very very hard not to step on them. My twelve year old brother does the same, and both of them paint adorable pictures.

Back to the yellow plant.
The dandelion (common name taken from the french dents-de-lion, or teeth of the lion for it's jagged leaves and bright yellow 'mane) is flowering perennial plant. The latin name, Taraxacum Officianale, means 'medicinal'. Bet you didn't see that coming. Though commonly thought of as a weedy plant (it grows just about anywhere and in copious amounts), it has both culinary and medicinal uses the whole world over. Rad.

Medically;
-it's rich in vitamins; A, B complex, C, And D
-has iron, potassium, and zinc.
-Is highly prized in Asia for it's medicinal qualities
-leaf concotions are used to purify the blood
-is considered a diuretic
-is often used to help ailing livers and kidneys
-the milky latex inside of the stem can be used as a mosquito repellant
-stimulates the production of vile
-Native Americans also used the dandelion to cure skin problems/rashes, upset stomach, swelling, kidney problems, and heartburn
-Asian medicinal practitioners used it to treat digestive problems, appendicitis, and breast problems
-English doctors used/use it for fevers, boils, eye problems, diabetes and diarrhea
-Has mild laxative effects
-traditionally used for diabetes, however studies have only been done on mice as of yet.
-Dandelion root is exported from the US (do we not have enough here in Canada!?) and is a registered diuretic drug

Culinary
-used to make dandelion tea ($4.95 at my local zehrs)
-used to make dandelion coffee, or 'poor man's coffee' in smell and taste, it is identical to regular coffee without the caffeine or bad effects of coffee, with all the benefits listed above
-used in salads and soups (anyone who has spent money shelling out for a healthy dandelion salad know that they're pretty expensive..)
-Wine can also be made from the flowers

It's kind of amazing that we have this amazing plant in our backyards and often try to destroy it without realizing that it's a nutritious food source and one of the oldest medically used plants in the world. I can't wait for the snow to finish melting so they can start popping up their little golden heads and I can go out and just marvel at something that seems so ordinary. I think it's something that's overlooked and in need of a little more appreciation. They're pretty awesome when you think about it.

And you can make wishes!