A recent poll about root beer reminded me that most other countries don’t have sassafras trees, the main flavoring agent in most root beers (some use sarsaparilla, which is more common outside the US, but I honestly don’t know how those compare to sassafras).

It also makes me wonder how many places have birch beer, a soda flavored from birch bark, which in my opinion tastes minty and sweet, almost like wintergreen soda.

But mainly it reminded me of this video by Alexis Nikole on TikTok:

Officially christening the new tumblr with some obnoxious aEsThEtiC selfies ✨

just saw a tiktok star at the grocery store apparently, neat

'I'm just pickin' things up off the ground and, quite literally, sometimes putting them straight into my face' — Here's how this TikToker is teaching people about foraging to create more sustainable consumption patterns 🌱

with @BlackForager

Alexis Nikole Nelson's @TED Talk was released in May 2022

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#foraging #eating #food #Politics #News #NowThis

new alexis lecture is up

from Alexis Nikole’s instagram

today i will be trying (cooked) yucca flowers

HOW WE FORGOT OUR FOOD - a video essay by Alexis Nikole

Meet Alexis, the host of Crash Course Botany! Alexis Nikole Nelson is an outdoor educator and social media personality, teaching her followers how to interact with their surroundings through foraging. With a James Beard Award and a Jimmy Kimmel appearance under her belt, she's getting folks foraging with a song and a smile, making sure to teach lots of facts along the way so folks will heed her catchphrase "Happy Snacking, Don't Die!"

Find out just how exciting and invigorating plants are with Crash Course Botany episodes starting tomorrow! https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8dPuuaLjXtOhFQOVdutRTxvUI1UeCcax

Alexis Nikole Nelson

Alexis Nikole Nelson is a queer actor, writer, producer, social media marketing manager, and forager. Born on March 27, 1992, in Columbus, Ohio, Nelson sang in the children’s choir at her father’s Baptist church at just three years old. At five years old, she began playing classical piano and throughout her junior high and high school years she sang in her school choirs.

Nelson graduated with an honors diploma in 2010 from Walnut Hills Highschool, a college preparatory school for grades 7-12, located in Cincinnati, Ohio. While attending Walnut Hills, she was involved in a wide variety of extracurricular activities including the Senior Choir, and Women’s Ensemble. She was also captain of the varsity bowling team and played on the tennis team. Nelson was in the Culinary Club, Junior Classical League, and President of the Cappies chapter. She was also a National Merit Semifinalist at Walnut Hills Highschool.

Nelson studied environmental science and theater at Ohio State University, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Theater in 2005. During her time at Ohio State University, she was involved in many extracurricular activities including the Acapella Alliance, OSY Quidditch League, OSU Ukulele Club, and Hall Council. Nelson was also a member of an American National Theatre Honor Society for participants in college theatre, called Alpha Psi Omega.

In 2016, Nelson worked part time as an English teacher for EF Education First Teachers, an education management firm based in Shanghai, China. She taught online English classes to students ranging from elementary to advanced, around the world.

In April 2020, Nelson rose to internet stardom when she gained over 600,00 followers and earned 10.3 million likes on her personal TikTok account, where she shares her extensive foraging knowledge. The first video she ever posted about foraging garnered 40,000 views overnight. She also showcases her knowledge of cooking with wild plants on her TikTok account. Nelson mixes her environmental science education with her theatre skills, producing humorous and educational videos that both entertain and educate her followers on how to reduce their environmental impact. Nelson is a vegan and her TikTok videos showcase foraged plant-based meals.

She attributes her love for the outdoors to her parents and two sets of grandparents who fostered her interest in exploring the outdoors at a very young age. She began learning about growing plants outdoors at five years old while gardening with her mother on weekends. In her early childhood, Nelson also attended a Montessori school that was environmentally oriented, which she credits for allowing her to explore her love for foraging and nature more deeply.

Nelson continues to foster a love for music, particularly singing and ukulele playing, and incorporates those interests into her TikTok videos from time to time.

We finally got BG3 and she's pretty much all I can think about

Maurelle is a dwarven Circle of Spores Druid and Folk Hero. My main inspirations for her character are Alexis Nikole, Johnny Appleseed, and Captain Holly Short

when alexis says "indianapolis" and you're like wait the special guest isn't gonna be some random tiktoker, it's gonna be @sizzlingsandwichperfection-blog !

Walked around the university and saw some friends!

Candytuft flowers (Iberis sempervirens). I just learned that these are Braesicaceae and not Asters. :0 The flowerheads threw me off. The individual flowers have four part symmetry though like a good mustard.

Grape hyacinth (Muscari sp.). Alexis Nikole (BlackForager) did a video on these that taught me that the flowers are edible and can be used to color drinks!

Common silverweed (Potentilla anserina)