the sign whose mood may sometimes plunge to the bottom of the ocean, rules that which plunges to the bottom of the body - the foot is ruled by pisces. and so she is constantly fishing for beautiful shoes for each of her fishy feet to don. no, pisces can never have too many boots, or too many cocktails. and as much as they love shoes and drink, i love them. they are dreamy yet realistic, motivated yet relaxed, and one of my favorite signs. cheers to you pisces!

NEVER ENOUGH (pineapple sage margarita)

2 wedges fresh pineapple
4 fresh sage leaves
2 fresh organic lime wedges*
1/4 oz organic raw simple syrup*
1 3/4 oz silver tequila

muddle pineapple, sage, lime, simple syrup in mixing glass until well macerated. add tequila and shake over ice vigorously for ten seconds. strain into martini glass.

* simple syrup is a blend of equal parts sugar and water. use organic raw for more flavor. agitate every so often until fully dissolved and store in fridge.

* of course, using organic fruit is always recommended. but in the case of muddling the skin of the fruit , such as the lime in this recipe, it is highly recommended to avoid direct toxin contact.

thanks to anistatia miller and jared brown for this recipe, and the simple syrup recipe above. the pineapple sage margarita was originally created by the LONSDALE in london.

thanks to THE WELL-SEASONED COOK for hosting WEEKEND HERB BLOGGING #105.

well, you may know, after my reciting it a hundred times on this blog, that jupiter is the planet of excess. pisces is co-ruled by jupiter and the more recently discovered, outer planet of neptune. i think we can all agree, that in spring, the amount of dandelions on our lawn is certainly excessive. the rampant spreading of those little yellow heads, and the troublesome fluff that they become, is progeny of jupiter. this invasive weed however, is not without merit. and what is a weed, but a plant we have no use for? in actuality though, dandelions make delicious wine. my mom used to gather the heads to make wine during the “spring flush,” when most people were running their lawn mower over them in exasperation. and the leaves of dandelion are good for stirfries and salads during the early spring weeks, before they get bitter. medicinally, this little yellow pest is supposedly a powerful digestive aid, in addition to many other health-enhancing properties. perhaps the element of dandelion that best captures pisces dream-like nature, is the tradition of blowing all the seeds off making a wish. if there’s any sign that can wish, and dream, and ponder, and get lost in their make-believe sea world, it is the dreamy fishes with their fantastical wishes. but by far, the smartest way to utilize jupiter’s golden bounty, is by infusion and consumption!

DANDELION DAQUIRI:
2 oz dandelion infused white rum*
3/4 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup*
dandelion for garnish (if you can find one)

*prepare dandelioninfusion by pulling the yellow petals off of the head. be sure to avoid any green. place approx one cup full in a 750 ml bottle of white rum. allow to sit for several weeks in dark location. to use, run through strainer and store.

*simple syrup is a mixture of 50% sugar and water. place in container and shake or stir until dissolved.

(recipe created by gwen sutherland kaiser)

see Dandelion Cointreau Infusion

The plentiful blueberry is ruled by the abundant planet of Jupiter. Today, as i crouched on my knees for what seemed like an eternity, this was quite apparent. Hundreds and hundreds of little blue balls, begging to be picked before they fell to the ground, spent. That is why, my friends, the expansive and benefic plant of Jupiter rules over the prolific blueberry. 1 1/2 hours of toil got me the bowlful below. Phwew, talk about hard work. All worth it though, as I sip my BLUE BALLS -N- SAGE, and revel in the healthyness. blueberries are a diuretic, loaded with flavonoids and caretenoids. Say no to colon cancer, drink a lot of BLUE BALLS -N- SAGE. A recent study found them to cut the risk of such by 57%. Unfortunetly, it was an animal study, which in no way, shape or form does I.Z. approve of. But none the less, these little blue balls are healthy, which is more than I can say for the other type of blue balls.

BLUE BALLS -N- SAGE:

15 - 20 sage leaves
1/4 cup sugar (organic is great)
1/2 cup fresh blueberries (frozen will work)
1 1/2 oz tequila (partido is great)
1 oz fresh lemon juice (lime is fine)

In food processor, puree sage and sugar until leaves are ground up. Add blueberries and puree until almost smooth. Add mixture to blender, along with 2 cups crushed ice, tequila and lemon juice. Garnish with blueberries. (Recipe created by Gwen Sutherland Kaiser)

Tri-colored sage in my container garden (not the pink leaves).

rub yourself in blue balls

All though today the sign of Pisces is considered to be under the rule of Neptune, it was originally thought to be under Jupiter’s domain. Hence Pisces can now be interpreted as having two rulers: Jupiter and Neptune. Discovered in 1846, Neptune is considered one of the “outer planets” and had no place in medieval medical astrology, upon which western herbal medicine is based. Due to it’s large size, the grapefruit is under the dominion of Jupiter. It’s branches are extremely thorny however, lending a feisty Martian quality to the Grapefruit tree. But her plus size ensures the grapefruit’s reign as Jupiter’s full-sized queen of citrus fruit. Jupiter is quite literally the biggest planet in our solar system, and so is her appetite for everything from knowledge to martinis. She will push the envelope to the max, max out her plastic, feel the highest of highs, or the lowest of lows. It is the planet of excess, and for Pisces that often means, excessive drinking. So let’s cut to the chase shall we Dear Pisces? Without furthur ado…

DAME GRAPEFRUIT

INGREDIENTS:
- 3 oz fresh squeezed grapefruit juice
- 1 1/2 oz Campari
- 3/4 oz simple syrup*

DIRECTIONS:
Add Campari, grapefruit juice and simple syrup to ice filled shaker and shake vigorously. Strain into cocktail glass and garnish with oversized peel of grapefruit, if you’re feeling Martha-like.

*Simple syrup is a mixture of 50% water and 50% sugar. just place the sugar and water in a leak-proof container and shake away, every twenty minutes or so, until the sugar is dissolved. No need for sticky saucepots and hot stoves here! Thanks to Jared Brown & Anastasia Miller for that ingenious tip!

(Recipe created by Gwen Sutherland Kaiser)

ALSO TRY: Campari Syrup Over Grapefruit