Marley Natural. - Cooking with herb: 75 recipes for the Marley natural lifestyle

When you smoke the herb, it reveals you to yourself.

BOB MARLEY

As we feel peaceful, I generate energy of peace. Where there was stress, there is now calm.

CEDELLA MARLEY

WHEN YOU THINK OF BOB MARLEY you probably think of the Herb, cannabis (in my family, we just call it Herb). Growing up, I was always surrounded by itfor me, the sweet whiff was as common as the aroma of Mommy burning the ginger and curry together in coconut oil for one of her famous one-pot stews. From the time Daddy was a small boy he always respected nature and the healing properties of plants. His grandfather Omeriah was an herbalist and farmer and Daddy told stories about his grandfather grinding on chewstick, a natural, wild-growing vine with antiseptic and antibacterial properties that was used as a natural toothpaste in Jamaica. He was also known for his elixirs that cleansed, restored, and balanced the mind, blood, and soul. When Daddy embraced the Rastafari way of life in the mid-1960s, the philosophy of living in peace and love, and being mindful of what you put in your body, resonated with the teachings and experiences of his upbringing. herb is sacramental for Rastafarians and is even referenced in the Bible. Daddy smoked to put himself in a joyous, holy, and inspirational mind-set, to free his spirit and creativity. Now, more than thirty years after my father left this earth, the world is finally opening up to the many benefits of the Herb, from the relief of constant pain to opening creative pathways.

My relationship with my parents was always great, and today, my mother is my best friend. Of course having only had thirteen years with my father, I will always wish Id had more time with him. Still I am blessed to have the memories I do have of our family, of simply hanging out, swimming, running on the beach, and enjoying fresh juices, great food, and music. I am forever grateful to my parents for showing us how to appreciate the slower pace of life, to think critically and live healthfully, and apprecilove the beauty and bounty of Mother Earth. My mother showed us how to live from the garden and cook delicious food, and this book is a way for me to share my familys legacy with the world, as a testament to both of them and as an antidote to our high-pressured lives. Living as one with nature, music, and the Herb helps spread a message of love and unity, health, and happiness and positive vibrations all around.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: With Grandma Cedella Booker and Mommy (Rita Marley); with my son Skip; with my namesake, Grandma Cedella; Daddy.

Growing up, having Herb in my life was pretty normal. Thats just the way it was. My parents didnt smoke to get silly, they smoked to connect with their deepest and truest selves. When Dad smoked, hed sit and read his Bible, write lyrics, and take a draw here and there off his spliff. For my parents, smoking was a sacred ritual, and they respected the power of the Herb. So as a young woman it seemed perfectly natural to incorporate Herb into my lifestyle, whether for strictly recreational purposes or to relieve painful cramps or to come down from the natural high of being on stage, and frankly, sometimes just to chill. There are many reasons why people smokecreative inspiration, to ease aches and pains, to calm anxieties. Its not always to be one with the Universe, though some may achieve that as well. Some folks just get lit. Hey... do you?

Like Mommy, I eventually stopped smoking to take care of my voice. For singers, smoking of any kind isnt a great thing to do on a regular basis. But Herb and its hemp by-products will always be a part of my lifestyle because of their many beneficial qualities, especially when taken in edible form, where smoke inhalation is not an issue.

Cooking with Herb is by no means a new way to experience its psychological and medicinal benefitspeople have been using it this way forever, lets just get real! Its only recently that Herb was villainized... and now that it can finally come out of the closet (at least in some states), we can all re-educate ourselves about what this wondrous plant can do for us. In this book youll find not just recipes but ways, time, and guidance for cooking with and experiencing the Herb to its greatest potentialfrom teas and tonics to soups and soaks. For uplifting your spirit, entertaining and having fun with your friends, and for your health, Herb can be a part of your kitchen pantry from breakfast through late-night munching (and in the Marley house, munchies are not chips and cereal).