Didn’t think pantyhose were versatile? Shoulda been here this weekend. From poi spinning to soy milk straining, that nylon/spandex sheerness was busy and in the meantime I found the best homemade soymilk recipe I’ve ever tried. The dry beans were soaked overnight and drained (these measurements are for 1 cup of dry beans). They were then thrown into a pot of vigorously boiling water (4 cups) and baking soda (1tsp). After 5 minutes of blanching we rinsed the beans with hot water and threw them for another 5 minutes into another pot of boiling water and baking soda. Rinsed again. We then put the beans in a blender with 5 cups of very hot water and blended for 3 minutes to get a silky smooth, mushy liquid. We strained this through the pantyhose (you can use nut bag, cheese cloth or even a pillowcase) and then stirred vanilla and cinnamon into the liquid on a low heat. The leftover soy guts (okara) can be used for all sorts of goodies like okara veggie burgers or in quick breads. yum! Pantyhose aside we’ve had an electric week in the forest. Lots of afternoon showers, crackling lightning and puddles. Here we come summer.

May the Forest Be With You

The Hostel Staff

This weekend was a celebration of Dad, the creative force that brought us into the world. At the same time we celebrate our mother earth who is experiencing the longest days in the year as the northern hemisphere rides through the solstice of summer. Our secret garden is busting at the seams as we harvest homegrown, love-filled veggies daily. We have the largest cukes i’ve ever seen, the yellowest squash, onions, okra, corn waiting in the wings, watermelon peeking through under lush leaves, edamame pods ready for steaming and salting, tomatoes too green but toppling, and garlic garlic garlic.

With the understanding of the revolution in growing food and watching the magic of a seed becoming such nutritious and magnificent fruit it is a blessing to produce meals at the hostel with food that has traveled just a few hundred yards to the table, not the average two thousand miles from farms we don’t know the names of. We also know all the ingredients that have aided the plant’s growth and have watched every step of the plant’s life. Whether you are growing food on a plot in your back yard, in a community garden, or in a pot on your apartment window ledge it is wonderful to enjoy the rewards of your personal labor and tendering and I can say happy chomping.

May the Forest Be With You

The Hostel Staff

Though the oily letters B and P have become rather unpopular round this forest there seems to be a lot of hope in the letters L-O-V-E. Though the heat of the summer continues to lazy the afternoons we are living the effects of compassion and positivity at the hostel. Whether it’s a conversation with a stranger that immediately feels like family or the sudden influx of helpers in the kitchen just when dinner crunch time rolls in, it is clear that this space offers a fantastic opportunity to share knowledge and ideas about how we can personally affect change.

The Hostel in the Forest is many things for many people but one thing that I hope remains constant, as the prices of oil go up and down, is that this is a center at which powerful ideas can be spawned, solid relationships can be established, resolutions can be realized and a continuous effort remains to better, to improve quality of life by becoming more responsible for our own happiness, wellbeing, health and that of the earth which gives us our breath.

May the Forest Be With You

The Hostel Staff

Happy days Hostelites. This week was filled with champagne explosions, candlelit dinners, sweltering days and lots of oms. We had a few days hammering free as Handyman Ryan headed up to the Deer Isle Hostel on Monday for the summer. Tuesday we got to celebrate Mama Faryn’s birthday with an exquisite dinner celebration followed by an incredible circle of singing and laughing in the new dome. We have been beginning our mornings with a Yoga class led by miss Jesse and sneaking away to the blueberry brier afterward for a fresh-picked snack of the bulging berries which are almost ready for harvesting by the bucketfuls. Duff Duff and Marissa from Atlanta gave a cosmic pants making workshop with all the recycled fabric that we tie-dyed. Little flowers are emerging in our secret garden from the zucchinis and pole beans and we have edamame hanging off their stems which look like they’re almost ready for some steaming and some salt. Our corn is standing tall, our tomato bushes are green and vivacious, the garlic has been harvested and is reekingly aerating and our onions are popping out of the ground slowly but surely. We had some beautiful bikers ride through this week: Sheila Dhand is biking for immigrant justice and you can follow her journey here. . May the safe and expansive journey be well.

May the Forest Be With You

The Hostel Staff