Sorry for Gnu, Meliss–but it was like an ephiphany returning to it for small jumps and spins compared to next year’s B. Anyway, lest this become a snowboarding blog I’ll save the rest of my thoughts on that for another time. Doctor’s orders: Off snow for 10 months. Egad.

Hope you’re feeling better soon Erica-loo, not only from that cold but your knee as well, so that you may once again ride your snowboarding machine!

<3 Melissa

http://www.elanaspantry.com/dandelion-root-coffee/

which we were pointed to from one of my all-time favorite writers:

http://www.studyinbrown.com/who-am-i/

thanks!
by HIS grace alone,
HveHope

My almost 10 y/o and I have just started our journey with dandelion ‘coffee’ this week. We love it! 2 rounded tsp roasted dandelion root (I roasted the raw root purchased from the bulk aisle at Vitamin cottage), 2 tsp. roasted chickory root (purchased as such at V.Cott.) to 2 C’s H20. You are supposed to boil it for 5 – 10 minutes but I’m only able to infuse it – LOVELY. It is great with a cinnamon stick. Or, with a splash of vanilla. Or, with a bag or two of Roastaroma Tea by Celestial Seasonings (YUM). And quite delicious with a small addition of good quality of cocoa. I’m going to try it with some (home)dried orange peel. Soon I want to purchase some raw(to roast) Carob to add.

Hope that helps!
by HIS grace alone,
HveHope

Arleen Bessette: Read your Albatrellus notes. Might have been A. ovinus and not confluens….

Wild Food Girl: Oh? What makes you say so? In Mushrooms of Colorado, Vera Evenson describes A. confluens as “pinkish tan to apricot colored,” as mine are, versus A. ovinus as “whitish cap with yellowish cracks,” which I’ve also seen but did not write about. Still, I’m open minded and am curious why you think mine might be A. ovinus instead of A. confluens.

Arleen Bessette: The 2 are very similar in appearance. A. ovinus typically has an aromatic and/or fruity aroma, and does not taste bitter and is a known edible. A. confluens usually tastes bitter, even after cooking. Both bruise or age with brownish-yellow-orange tones. And they are not synonomous… they have different reactions to KOH on the flesh. Just more interesting mysteries in the myco world!

Wild Food Girl: Ah, well, I will have to do the KOH test next season then…. wish I could do it this instant!

Butter Poweredbike I also use Vera Evanson’s as a guide, and have found a. confluens to be distinctly pinkish-orange, growing in masses, and very prone to a green mold. I take a small taste, and spit out, a piece of younger specimens in field to determine whether they are worth harvesting. Some are bitter, but the younger ones can be fine. The mushroom I’ve thought to be a. ovinus has a similar appearance in Colorado, but tends not to grow in masses, and has more of a white coloration, with yellow in the cracks. Overall similar appearance, but the coloration of the two strikes me as quite different. Curious to have another look at them next year, though… always open to the possibilities and mysteries.

Arleen Bessette: And I am certainly no expert on Colorado myco-critters like Albatrellus. Coincidentally, we found A. ovinus the other day here. Doing research, I ran across Michael K’s info on the golden yellow reaction on the flesh….bt you know, there are so many unanswered questions. There’s some possibility of varietal differences vs. differing species. Not a ‘shroom I see much of!

Wild Food Girl: This is a great conversation! Butter, thanks for chiming in. And Arleen, since I didn’t say it previously, it’s great to meet you via the internet! You might just have to come foraging up here some time. We have the prized Boletus edulis; it’s worth the trip… Anyway, mushroom season is long over at my elevation at 11,000 feet in the Rockies so I’m jealous of your A. ovinus!!!

Arleen Bessette And my pleasure to meet you, also! You never know…we just might meet up one day! Used to collect tons of B. edulis in upstate NY. Miss it down here. Cheers!