ABOUT

Thank you all for following along— I am Amina. I was raised in a small mountain town in Morocco. My family are Berber and indigenous to the Northern area of Africa. I am a foodie, animal lover and someone who loves to travel and savor flavors from all over the world. I come from a lineage of Berber women who were healers and taught me how to use herbs and spices for food, beauty, and medicinal purposes.

 My interest in food and natural healing all started as a young girl when I would visit the souk as a child in Morocco. The souk is a large marketplace filled with a vibrant rainbow of herbs, spices, produce, and meats. To a young, imaginative girl with a hunger for learning and good food, the souk was a place of possibility and wonder. I learned many life lessons at the souk, as I watched others buzz around looking for ingredients to nourish their families  (Visit my post called The Souk and the Basket to learn more about my adventures at the marketplace). It is from these humble beginnings that The Woven Basket was born. The Woven Basket represents so many things--- nourishment, not just of the body but of the soul; helping others and carrying the load, the same way I would carry the basket; and the vibrant energy that life has to offer.

Growing up in Morocco I felt I was pushed to behave like an adult long before I was ready. However, at my grandmother's house in a small town called Ouezzane I felt carefree. My grandmother lived in a house upon a hill, the third level had an open terrace that led to the mountains. As a child I was puzzled how the front of the house looked like a regular home and yet the back led to an enchanted forest.

My grandmother was called a medicine woman. She stood five foot tall and lived to be one hundred and four years old. During summer break, my dad would send my siblings and I to learn from my grandmother. It is cultural in the Berber tradition to pass on our traces of wisdom and skills to our grandchildren at a young age. It is our way to preserve our heritage and way of life. My grandmother made us watch her work-- she always said observation is life's greatest teacher. I will always be grateful for the skill passed on to me from my grandmother involving healing and homemade remedies.

 Early in the morning, my grandmother and I would exit through a small door on the terrace to the secret magical mountain, proudly carrying my little basket that she weaved for me. Once we were in the woods she would begin singing and I could see all the worry and doubt cast out of her eyes. My grandmother was a force of nature, she lived in harmony with the land and understood that the earth can heal and nurture us. My ancestors relied on the land and learned to create healing remedies with it. I hope to share generations of Moroccan and Berber traditions with you: from beauty tips to home remedies, to meals that are healthy and full of flavor.

My intention is to create a community to share my knowledge and passions with and to make a positive impact on the lives of others. Here you will not only find remedies and recipes but also vulnerable advice on relationships and heartache and photos and stories from my travels. Our most valuable asset is the knowledge we gain from our experiences, and the best thing we can do in life is to share those life lessons with others so that they may benefit and live happy, fulfilling lives. This is my commitment to you through this blog. I am so honored and excited to share this journey with you.