Enrich Your Life Through Mushroom Appreciation

It's a beautiful summer day when you spy something interesting while on a walk. It's a mushroom, the mysterious organism that is neither plant nor animal.

Yet what can mushrooms do for you?

I believe one of the ways to enhance our lives is through a respect and knowledge of the natural world, especially the mycological one. By learning about nature you learn ways to enhance your personal health and that of the environment around you.

I've been growing and cooking my own fungal creations for over a decade, and admiring them in the wild my whole life. Along the way I've had many successes, some failures, and even the dreaded "lost in the woods" experience!

My hobby eventually turned into a passion as I read and experimented as much as I could. I'd love to share what I know with you.

There are so many ways to appreciate helpful fungi. Here you’ll find:

• A chance to tell your own story. Let the world know about your love of nature and the cool stuff you've found!

• Free advice on growing your own. Whether using a kit or starting from spore and making your own spawn, cultivation is fun and rewarding. Even a houseplant killer like me can do it!

• Recipes for cooking edible species. Visit the various recipes pages for easy ways to include them in your diet.

• Information on health support. Many medicinal mushrooms, such as maitake and reishi, have made headlines for their health benefits. Let's try to cut through the hype and find the best supplements and herbal medications.

• Facts on specific types and mushroom identification. Learn where and how to find the tastiest species such as morels and chanterelles. Also learn how to avoid poisonous species such as the false morel and the death cap.

• Information on mycorestoration. The world around you benefits from them as well.

• Pictures, posters, and other forms of art.

Ready to learn more? Put on your mushroom cap and let’s go!

Table of Contents

What's New

The blog keeps you current with all the fun developments and additions to this web site. Subscribe here.

About Me

How a lifetime fascination with nature grew into a love of mycology. A quick overview of who I am and why I built this site.

YOUR Pictures and Stories

An opportunity to talk about your experiences with nature and cool fungi that you've found. Share your story, upload a picture, or leave a comment.

Different Types

There are many different types of mushrooms. Some have gourmet and medicinal applications, others are known for their unique appearance. Here are just some of the more interesting and useful ones.

Morels

Fun facts and useful information on morels. Here you'll find identification tips, hunting hints, recipes, photos, and cultivation information.

Reishi

The regal reishi mushroom has long been regarded as a powerful herbal medicine. Learn about reishi identification, health benefits, and how to make your own teas and tinctures.

Oysters

More than just seafood, these fantastic fungi grow everywhere, lower cholesterol, and can even help clean up the environment. Includes a page on their various uses and identification information.

Chanterelles

Beautiful and delicious with a faint taste of apricots, chanterelles can't be cultivated indoors. So your only option is to find them on your own! These pages will show you how.

Cordyceps sinensis

This strange parasitic fungus that grows in Tibet has a remarkable effect on energy levels. Learn more about health effects and the interesting practice behind collecting it here.

Cultivation

Growing mushrooms is a fun and rewarding experience. This section has information and growing tips for the complete beginner through the experienced cultivator. Have fun and grow your own food!

Identification

Learn the hows and whys of identification including how to learn, where to look, and different identification features.

Poisonous Species

One of the most important aspects of mushroom identification is knowing your poisonous species. These pages will help you with identification, myths, and how to keep yourself safe.

Recipes

A collection of tasty recipes including appetizers, soups, entrees, and many more!

Marinated Recipes

Marinated recipes are easy to make and tasty to eat. This page will show you how, along with ten great recipes to get you started.

Soup Recipes

Soups are a delicious way to use up specimens that may be a little past their prime. Here you'll find the top ten easy soup recipes.

Morel Recipes

Morels are so popular that they deserve their own page of recipes. Learn different ways to enjoy tasty morels for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!