The Places we've been... and where we'll go

We love going to craft fairs and festivals. Oh our website will be up soon, and someday we'll own a shop, but I think you'll always be able to find Celtic Chairde Creations at craft fairs, street festivals and events throughout New Jersey and eventually into New York, Pennsylvania and surrounding states.

This past weekend, we were delighted to be a part of the Art Blooms Juried Craft Festival at Croft Farms in Cherry Hill Township. What a beautiful location! Despite

the rainy weather, we had a wonderful weekend meeting new customers and talking about our products, as well as meeting other craft vendors. Croft Farms is a beautiful and historic farm. They now have art studios, art shows, concerts and events throughout the season. If you ever get the chance, you really should stop by this charming site.

On Saturday, May 3, we'll be at the Somerville Historic Court House on Main Street for the Senior Arts Festival. This event is always nice - set on the green in front of the marble courthouse built in 1909. Yet the street filled with charming shops bustles with activity. We've done this event for a number of years and always enjoy chatting with friends old and new.

May 10th brings us back to one of our favorite locations - Allaire Village at Allaire State Park. This Spring Craft Show (just in time for Mothers Day!) has over 100 crafts in a wide variety of artistic categories. The ambiance of the village makes it one of our favorite events. You can even take a break from shopping by taking a ride on the train or seeing how a blacksmith plies his trade. Hopefully our friends at Ducky Life Teas and Blind Bob's Pottery will be there as well!

So come by and see us at one of these wonderful events. And we'll keep you posted of the wonderful places we'll be throughout the year. If you have any suggestions of other locations, just let us know.

Practice Your Tree Hugging....

it's almost Arbor Day!

The environment is very much at the top of many people's minds these days. Just a few days ago we celebrated the 40th Earth Day! People are now watching the amount of waste they create and the amount of fuel that they use with an eye towards keeping our planet healthy and strong.

But before Earth Day, there was Arbor Day. It's a day to celebrate one of natures greatest gifts - trees! This celebration dates back over 100 years. It started in

Nebraska, when J. Sterling Morton and his family moved there from Detroit. They missed their trees, and Morton, through his job as a newspaper editor, started a movement that has changed the landscape of the state.

I love trees. My home is only on a small quarter of an acre, but I have 8 trees on it (and several very large bushes!). I can't imagine a home without a tree to provide shade in the summer, or leaves to play in and compost in the fall. It almost hurts when I drive by construction sites where they've torn up dozens of mature trees just to plant some dinky shrubs around a field of concrete.

Trees are so important to the environment. They provide wood for building, paper, etc. Trees also act as windbreaks, which help lower heating costs. They also provide shade, which helps reduce air conditioning costs. They increase home value, provide homes to birds and wild life, and it said that they help reduce stress by providing a peaceful scene.

Planting trees is important to help fight global warming. Not only do they help prevent soil erosion, they purify the air and water. By taking in CO2 and giving off oxygen, trees play an important role in protecting our planet.

To find out more about Arbor Day, it's history, and the amazing resource that trees are, go to The Arbor Day Foundation website. So, take some time to hug a tree on Arbor Day - or better still, plant one! And let me know which tree is your favorite.

As if in a Dream

We're delighted to once again offer our Ceo Brionglóid (Dream Mist) Linen Sprays! These light sprays provide a hint of wonderful scents to linens, pillows, clothes - even you!


Scents include:

Aisleen's Apple - picture crisp, freshly picked apples. This light scent doesn't overwhelm, but brings out
memories and thoughts of a clear summer day in an apple orchard.

Spring Lilac - a true capture of the elusive harbinger of warm days. Lilacs are a favorite of ours, and this fragrance captures the scent of sitting under a lilac bush. In the aromatherapy realm, it is said to draw out good spirits, help in decision making and improve memory. In the Language of flowers it means Youth & Acceptance.

Torthaí Measctha - mixed fruit with a hint of sweet berry. It's yummy and sweet - perfect for sweet dreams!

Torthai Cotrais - Sweet Orange, Lemon, Lime, Tangerine and other essential oils make this a sweetly sensational spray that's refreshing. It's scent helps reduce stress, promote restfulness, lifts your moods and brings mental clarity.

Spearmint - Eucalyptus - refreshing and soothing, all at the same time. Also a great stress reliever, and excellent for helping you breath easy while sleeping.

8 oz Spray bottles are $6.00 each; 4 oz Spray bottles are $4.00 each.

Let these fabulous fragrances open up your senses and release your dreams.

Join us for Croi na mBan

Just a quickie reminder that Croi na mBan will be at the Watchung Arts Center, Saturday, April 19 at 9 p.m. Sara, Suzanne and Jim create such hauntingly beautiful music, it would be a shame for you to miss it.

Some of the songs they will be performing are:

Come By the Hills (which is my favorite!)
Beidh Anoch Amarach
Suil A Run
Si Do Mhaimoi I
Ta Na Baid
Roisin Dubh
Puirt a Beul
Dulaman
Thugamar Fein
Raglan Road
Oro Se Do Bheatha Bhaile
Song For Ireland
Fear An Bhata

and many more! To get a sampling of their music, you can go to their MySpace page.

Lovely Lawn tells me it's Spring

For some people, striving for the perfectly manicured lawn is a life long project. They want each little blade the same color and height, densely packed, looking almost imitation. Well, I'm not most people.

One of my favorite signs of spring is all the little surprises my lawn shows me as it begins to wake from it's winter nap. Oh there are little problems; wild mustard, can tend to get to be a problem. But within the problem spots, there are the multitudes of treasures that I find so many uses for.

Wild violets grow in profusion under my apple trees and along the fences. Their foliage is lush, but the real treasure will appear in a week or so as the pretty little purple flowers show their faces. Violets make wonderful tea, a spectacular jelly, and add a lovely hint of fragrance when dried and ground and added to powders.

My next favorite is dandelions. While others cringe and practically go into convulsions when they see these yellow beauties, I delight in knowing we'll have some terrific spring salads with dandelion greens. Plus I use the leave in a skin tonic that helps reduce freckles. The flower can be used to make wine, added to salads, or made into a jelly. One quick way to make dandelion wine is to collect a quart jars worth of the yellow flower petals only. Wash them and pat dry. Put them into the jar and then fill the jar with a pleasant white wine. Make sure the wine covers the petals. Cover and put in a cool, dark place for 3 to 4 weeks, giving it a light shake every couple of days. After a few weeks have past, strain out the petals and you have a mild dandelion wine!

Chickweed, another nightmare for other homeowners, is collected and dried and used in body butters and infusions throughout the year. So is plantain. Moss is just so soft, I love to pet it. Wild strawberry leaves and fruits I use in teas.

The grass may be greener on the other side of the fence - but mine is so much more interesting!

Are you ready to do something "they" said you'd never do?

Saturday, September 12, is Walk on Your Wild Side Day. What a great day to celebrate your dreams by going out and doing something you've always wanted to do, but no one ever expected you to do.

Even if it's something you try and don't like or don't do well in - at least you tried something new and different. Or just be a little crazy.

What would you do to Walk on Your Wild Side? Here's a few suggestions:

• Try sky diving. There are many places that offer one day lessons or partner jumping.
• Go to a dance club that you wouldn't usually go to. Or heck - just go dancing in the streets!
• Wear a tuxedo to garden. Especially if you have a formal garden.
• Roller blade with your kids. But make sure to wear knee pads and a helmet - it's not "rush to the hospital because I broke something" day.
• Get a sing-a-long going in a park. Friday was "Louie Louie Day", so go to a park and just start singing as loud as you can, and see if you can get other folks to join in. That's celebrating 2 holidays in one!

Me, I started a company last year with my best friend. It's been a wild ride ever since. But this year, maybe I'll practice yoga out in the front yard. Believe me, that's wild since I haven't done any yoga in years.

What will you do for Walk On Your Wild Side Day?



Walk on Your Wild Side Day is a copyrighted holiday from Wellcat Herbs.

Calendula - the Herb of the Year 2008

I love Calendula. This beautiful little flower, also called pot marigold, it one of the first herbs I grew. It's one of those flowers that just makes you smile. That's why I was so happy when the International Herb Association named Calendula the 2008 Herb of the Year.

It's such a useful herb, too. Since antiquity, calendula has been used for it's healing power on cuts, scrapes and burns. We use calendula in so many of our products: Gardeners Salve, perfect for the gardener who likes to get their hands in the dirt; Dó Gréine Spray for sunburns; Méla Tae Lemon Bright Hair Rinse; and so many more.

But Calendula isn't just a great healing herb - it's a yummy herb to bring in to your kitchen, too!

Whenever I make deviled or scrambled eggs, I throw in a handful of fresh or dried little golden petals. They add a lovely, golden yellow and bright buttery flavor. I also add them to rice, soups and stews. Below is one of my favorite Calendula recipes.

Twice Baked Potatoes with Calendula

4 large baking potatoes
¼ cup of dried Calendula petals
½ to cup milk
¼ cup heavy cream
2 tbs butter
Salt & pepper to taste.

Wash and clean potatoes. Bake as you usually would, whether it’s in the oven or in the microwave. When just fork tender, take them out of the oven and let cool.

While the potatoes are cooling, warm the milk in a saucepan, but don’t let it boil. Add half of the calendula petals. Stir for one minute and then turn off heat heat. Let them petals infuse the milk.

While the petals are infusing, slice the potatoes in half length wise. Pre-heat the oven to 325.

Carefully scoop out the insides of the potatoes, keeping the skins in tact. Put the potatoes through a ricer and into a saucepan. Strain the cool infused milk into the potatoes, add the butter, and put over low heat. Stir until the butter melts (you could also use a mixer or whisk to whip up the potatoes). Slowly add the heavy cream until you get a consistency you like. Add some salt and pepper if you’d like. Turn off the heat and stir in all but 2 tbs of calendula petals.

Spoon or pipe the potatoes back into the skins. Place the skins in a baking dish and place in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until the tops are lightly browned. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the last of the petals over the top. Serve nice and warm.

To learn other recipes for calendula, or to find out more about this wonderful Herb of the Year, check any of the following websites:

Longcreek Herbs Calendula Recipes
The Herb Companion
Herbs for Health

or you can check out our newsletter archive.

So grab a pack of seeds and spread a little Calendula sunshine!

Croi ba mBan means a Woman's Heart

My favorite performers just happen to be to very good friends. Sara McCabe and Suzanne Gallic make up the musical group Croi na mBan, which means a Woman's Heart in Irish. These two women have the most amazing voices, and when they sing in harmony, well, it's enough to make the fairies sigh.

I met Sara about 10 years ago, when she and I were in a play together. Her talent on the stage was astounding, she just glowed. Suzanne and Sara have been friends for years.

When Sara was moving in to directing her first musical in 2004, naturally she chose one of her best and most talented friends to join her. That was for I Am Ireland, a tribute in song to the amazing women that bind Ireland together. Sara not only directed, but created the intricate musical arrangements that made the show so magical.

Since then they have performed throughout the tri-state area, at the Celtic Fling at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Fair Grounds, at the Jersey Shore Irish Festival in Sea Girt, and other locations. They also performed together in another show directed and arranged by Sara, Ceol na Mara (Songs of the Sea).

They songs they sing are in Irish and English, many of them are sung in the haunting sean-nós (old style), which has no or minimal accompaniment. It is just beautiful to listen to. One of my favorite songs that they sing is Come By The Hills - it just sounds like a beautiful day in Ireland.

Sara and Suzanne, along with Sara's husband, Jim McCabe, will be performing at the Watchung Arts Center on April 19, 2008 at 8 p.m. If you enjoy Irish music - or just if you enjoy music, I hope you can join us. You can get a taste of their singing at their MySpace page.

After all, their dlúthchara (close friends), and this is Celtic Chairde - which is all about friendship!