The Secret of the Salve for Gardener's

When we started our business, we came up with many wonderful creations. One of our earliest and most popular is our salve for gardeners. Steeped with the treasured little calendula plant in every step, it is the perfect balm for chapped and cracked, hardworking hands.

But this salve for gardeners has a little secret. It is based an the wisdom of herbs and healing shared by Airmid, a goddess of the Tuatha Dé Danann. Her family were healers and surgeons to the gods. Airmid's gift was regeneration. She knew the secret of all of the herbs, one for each day of the year and the different parts of the body. Her recipes and blends have been passed and shared through the ages, her lessons on herbs whispered from the people and plants to all that could hear. We listened, and we heard.

We infuse Calendula, a champion with healing properties and infused it in to oil that is the base of this soothing salve. To that we add comfrey, rosemary, sage, basil, hemp seed and other oils, aloe, and a luscious blend of other herbs and oils. These combine to aid with the healing of nicks, scratches and cuts, all while softening and soothing your hardworking hands. Airmid had a fondness for gardeners, since they tend to her favorite plants - the herbs. 
 
We love to garden and get our bare hands good and dirty. That's why we've created this gardeners salve with the Airmid in mind – Airmids Salve for Gardeners.

You'll also find that it is a wonderful rescue for cuticles and knuckles that are becoming dry and cracked from the cold weather. It's always with me to give a quick treatment after a frosty encounter. 

The secret is out - but the softness and soothing continue!

In the Season of Everything Pumpkin ... It's all about the Spice

Although Halloween has past, the Season of Everything Pumpkin continues. After all, a staple of the Thanksgiving meal is the luscious rich finish with Pumpkin Pie. 

  Everywhere you turn you find Pumpkin Spice everything: Pumpkin Chai, Pumpkin Spice Latte, Pumpkin spice muffins and breads and cookies, puddings, marshmallows, ice cream, yogurt, gum.... you name it and there's a pumpkin spice version of it. It makes you wonder though - is this frenzy really about the pumpkin? Or is it about the spice?

I love pumpkin, don't get me wrong. I have pumpkins all over my yard. Some turn into jack o'lanterns for Halloween. Others get roasted and then frozen. A few get chopped and added to stews or sauteed like other vegetables. Several of them get sliced and dried and ground to be used in some of our products as well as tossed into sauces and such.  Pumpkin is full of vitamins and nutrients, but on it's own it is not a strong flavored fruit. It needs a little something. These autumn gourds handle savory flavoring very well, like rosemary, garlic, and sage. But the biggest draw is for that sweet spicy zing.

 I really believe that most people aren't enamored of pumpkin so much as the spice blend typically associated with it. Most blends are a balance of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and ginger. Maybe a dash of allspice or cardamom. Below is a basic recipe for Pumpkin Spice.

PUMPKIN SPICE BLEND
1/3 cup ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons ground clove
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon ground nutmeg (or a mix of nutmeg and mace)

Mix everything together and store in an airtight container. Use the blend whenever pumpkin pie spice is called for. Or even apple pie spice.  Mix a teaspoon or two with some sugar or maple syrup and sprinkle over pancakes and waffles. Yum!

This blend is so warming on a chill autumn or winter night. These spices are part of so many things we associate with the warmth and coziness associated with the season. They help with digestion, ease pain, and improve circulation. All of those are important for the more insular, colder time of the year. Even the fragrance is a spirit lifter.

What do you think? Is the Season of Everything Pumpkin about the pumpkin? Or is it about the spice?

Celebrating Summer at the Rutgers Gardens Open House & Wine Tasting Festival

If you've never been to the hidden gem that is 

Rutgers Gardens, this weekend is the time to do it! We'll be there with goods that will make you feel good on the inside and on the outside. Come by and visit.

The Magic of Firefly Summer Nights

It's been a long time since I was a little girl catching fireflies in the summer. Yet seeing them sparkling on a warm summer night still holds all of that magic and wonder for me..

I always know when summer has truly arrived when the first twinkles appear at twilight. They're dancing like little fairies

Despite my love of summer and fireflies, there are a number of things I never knew about them until recently.

• It remains a bit of a mystery as to why the western US states don't have the wonder of lightening bugs. There are some species that don't actually glow, and they can be found in sections of the west. There are also some parts of Utah that have glowing lightening bugs. It's nice to know there are still mysteries around.

• Fireflies have been having habitat problems, just as many wild creatures have. They live, breed, lay their eggs, and are born in the same area. Pave over that area and no more fireflies around. They don't relocate. That's sad.

• To help our nightlights to keep on glowing, let your grass grow a little longer. Have trees and dense shrubs around your property. They also like leaf piles and rotty wood around. Add water features to your yard - even a bird bath will do. Keep your outdoor lighting to a minimum. And most importantly - do not use chemicals and pesticides that will kill all the larvae. 

• There's a program where you can certify your backyard as a Wildlife Habitat through the National Wildlife Federation. Pretty cool. I may have to do this myself. You can also sign up to participate in a Firefly Watch to help scientists learn more about the evening lightshows.

•  There's a place in Tennessee where there are annual Firefly Watches. Thousands of fireflies flicker in synchronicity. This is going on my dream trip list.

• This is cool and sad at the same time. Fireflies have dedicated light organs that are located under their abdomens. The insects take in oxygen and, inside special cells, combine it with a substance called luciferin to produce light with almost no heat.  But also, luciferin is used in many medical research projects. It is used used as markers to detect blood clots and tuberculosis cells, as well as other research. Luckily, there is a synthetic luciferin available, although some place still harvest fireflies for the chemical.

• That twinkling glow is created by the most perfect light source. 100% of the energy in the chemical reaction is used for light. No heat is created.

I like to think of fireflies as the harbingers of summer. They are the singers of the warm days, the fairies that light the path. They are a part of the magic of nature, 

Beating the Steaminess with Lemons and Cucumbers

I might have said this before, but I'm a soda drinker. I know, it's bad for me. When they take blood it makes that pop top "pptt shshshsh" sound. I'm trying to be better. Especially in the steamy, humid, New Jersey summer. In weather like this, hydration is so important. And as much as I love my diet beverage, it doesn't cut it.

My favorite way to get refreshed in the summer is a cool as a cucumber infused water blend. So easy, so quick and so good for you.

There are lots of recipes for this spa style water out there. Below is my favorite.

Cucumber Water 
1 large lemon  
1 goodly sized cucumber
1 knuckle of ginger

Thinly slice the lemon. I like to use a mandolin so the slices are nice and thin.
Thinly slice the cucumber the same way.
Finely chop the ginger. If you like a more gingery kick, grate the the ginger.
Throw everything into a pitcher, about quart sized. Fill the pitcher with water.
This tastes best if you let in sit overnight.
I'll refill the pitcher 2 or 3 times before I'll ditch the lemon and such and make a new batch.

You can always make a few adjustments to suit your tastes. Every now and then I'll add some sliced strawberries, some mashed blueberries, some diced watermelon, or a dash of crushed mint leaves.

You'd be surprised how wonderful this tastes, and how cooling. Really makes you understand the phrase Cool as a Cucumber.

Have you ever made something like this? What's your favorite blend?

Charmed by Chester

One of my favorite things about traveling to all of the fairs and festivals is getting to discover (or rediscover) some of the lovely locales around New Jersey.

A few weeks ago we were at the Chester Wine & Food Festival in Chester, NJ. When I was telling my mother how delightful I thought the town was, she reminded me that we used to go there fairly frequently. There were some restaurants  that my parents liked and we would go, walk around town, and then go to dinner. Keep in mind, this was a very, very long time ago (maybe even very, very, VERY). I had totally forgotten about that, so I got to discover Chester all over again.

It's the kind of town I love. There are many small shops filled with interesting and unusual treasures. The main street fits the bill for a movie or TV show about small town America. And it's all in the backyard of our very crowded but lovable state.

Not far from our booth at the wine fest was the Black River Candy Shoppe. Oh my goodness! What a treasure trove of sweet delights. They had Jelly Bellys packed in plastic bags - all the same flavor in a bag! And those wonderful fruit slices I love. They also had Bonamo Taffy Bites that are covered in chocolate. The store is packed in every corner. The staff was friendly, charming, and helpful.

Another place I must stop on my return visit is The Stained Glass Boutique on Main Street. It was a brightly sunny day and the whole place sparkled. Thank heavens I didn't bring my credit card in or my whole house would be sparkling, too. There were ornaments and sun catchers, boxes and bottles, and all types of beautiful, colorful glass bobbery.

The downtown area of Chester isn't huge, but there's plenty to see and do. I didn't have too much time to wander around since I had to get back to our booth. It was Cindy's turn to go explore. I could have easily gotten lost in Midnight Owl. I couldn't manage to look at everything that was packed into this charming small shop.  Clothes, accessories, handmade items, garden art, jewelry and so much more. I could have spent hours (and a small fortune) in there. 

Of course all that walking and shopping will stir up your appetite. There are many places to try. Looking to keep it on the healthy side? Try The Robin's Nest. Excellent pannini's there, and an energizing juice bar. Maria's had some wonderful chai tea, perfect for a chilly afternoon. Most folks in the shop were getting coffee, but I'm a tea girl. For an even broader tea selection, try Sally Lunn's Tea Shop. For dinner, I enjoy The Publick House. Good, solid, yummy food.

I intend to head back to Chester soon, just to go shopping and soak it all in. Small shops filled with unique items. Small businesses that gather or make things that they love to share with us. Can't wait to discover the further charms of Chester.

Uncork Spring and Pour In To Summer!

Spring is in full swing and we can spot summer on the horizon. That means ... wine festivals are coming!!!!!!

Our first one of the season is this weekend,  and it's in the Queen City -  lovely Beach Haven, NJ. 

Join Us At The

It's a beautiful park along the bay, just a short wander to the ocean. There will be some of our favorite NJ vineyards there, along with amazing food, great music, and wonderful vendors and crafters. And I'm not saying that about the crafters just because we'll be there. Carolyn's Crystal Creations will be there too!

Stop by our booth, mention this blog post, and get a free lip balm with your purchase! 

Come by the festival and get in shape for the summer!  

 

Lá na Máithreacha Sona daoibh - Happy Mothers Day to You!

Welcome Spring!!!

Just a few spring flowers to brighten you day! Welcome to spring! Some lovely art photos by some wonderful photographers... and even me. No matter the weather where you are, take a moment and go outside to welcome in the coming of the sun.

Beautiful Yorkshire in Glorious Technicolor by Yorkshire Sam

Middleton Place

Bleeding Hearts in my front yard last year

 Welcome Spring. May you bring us some much 

needed warmth and sunshine!

Getting Steamy

I don't know about you, but this has been one heck of a winter. The cold temperatures, constantly running heat in doors, even an Arctic vortex have wreaked havoc on my sinuses. I don't really have any allergies, just a little touch during extremely high pollen times. But I am prone to sensitivities with dryness and barometric shifts. My nose is as dry as the desert, and that is just as painful and annoying as too many flowing (or not so flowing) buggers.

In times like these, I turn to a wonderful old fashioned remedy – a good sinus steam. The warmth feels fabulous, and the steam helps moisturize and relieve headaches.

It's such a simple thing to do. You'll need:

• 3 to 4 cups of water
• Approximately ¼ cup of herb
• A towel

Boil 3 to 4 cups of water. It doesn't have to be exact, just a pot of water.
Turn off the heat and add a small handful of your selected herb. See the choices below.
Cover the pot and let it steep for about 10 minutes.
Put the pot on a stable surface.
Cover your head with the towel and tent it over the pot.
Carefully remove the top off the pot. Don't put your face straight over the steam when you open the lid, because the steam will be very hot and could burn.
Inhale the lovely herbal steam.
If it gets to hot, recover the pot and take the towel off.
Repeat until the steam cools.

When you're done, you can cover up the pot and save it to use again in a few hours if needed. Just bring the water to a simmer for a few minutes, then turn off the heat and proceed as above.

There are several herbs that are particularly wonderful for a sinus steam.

• Chamomile is soothing and generally safe for everyone to use. It tends to be anti-allergenic,
  
  relieves lung congestion, opens stuffy noses, and the scent is very lovely.
• Balsam Pine Needles are so refreshing and help relieve chest congestion as well as sinus pressure.
• Bee Balm relieves sinus pressure, stuffiness, and provide some anti-infective assistance.
• Peppermint is fabulous for sinus soothing and headaches associated with being all dried out.
• Eucalyptus is another wonderful congestion and pain reliever.
• Thyme or sage can also supply relief from pain and congestion.

Give sinus steams a try if this wintry weather is tormenting your sinuses. And keep it in mind for spring stuffiness, and the summer sniffles, and autumn allergies. Nothing beats a heaping bowl of steam.

Put Out Cold Season with a litte Fire in Your Cider

Actually - it's a little fire in your apple cider vinegar.

For a number of years I've been studying about herbs and their power. About 15 years ago, I came across the well-known recipe from Rosemary Gladstar, a renown herbalist and healer, and in general a very cool lady. To tell you the truth, the recipe didn't sound very yummy, but it did sound mighty powerful to fight colds and sinus problems. So I gave it a shot. The original recipe for fire cider from Rosemary follows. 

• 1 part Garlic
  
• 1 part Horseradish
• 1 part Onions
• ½ part Fresh ginger
• Cayenne to taste (just a few grains will do)
• Honey to taste
• Apple Cider Vinegar.

Chop fresh garlic, onions, and grate the horseradish and fresh ginger. The amounts and proportions vary according to your particular taste. You can always adjust the flavors in future batches. Chop enough of the first four ingredients to fill a quart jar approximately half full. Put in wide mouth quart jar and cover with Apple Cider vinegar (keep vinegar about two to three inches above the herbs). Add cayenne to taste (just a small amount or will be too hot!). Let sit at least 4 weeks. Strain well, squishing out all the goodness, and discard spent herbs. Add honey to taste, 1/4 cup at a time (add the honey after you strain the rest of the herbs). Raw honey is best if you have it. Don't use store bought honey unless you are 100% sure it's real honey.

Fire cider should taste hot, spicy and sweet.

You can see Rosemary make her recipe here. Plus she explains the benefits of all the ingredients.

This is the way I first made my fire cider. There are lots of recipes available, and all have their own slight variation.

My recipe has changed over the course of time as well. I like to add a few cinnamon sticks, a handful of dried elderberries, a sliced orange &/or lemon, turmeric (I can never seem to find it fresh so I use a teaspoon of powdered), a dried thai dragon pepper or two, and extra ginger. Sometimes I'll add some astragalus root or licorice root.

Something else I do now - I store the infused fiery apple cider separately and add the honey as needed. One of the reasons I do that is to have the chance to use an assortment of infused honey's, depending on how I'm using my brew.

You'll find a number of ways to use fire cider in our newsletter. However, it's main use in our home is still to help battle those bugs of winter. I particularly use it when my sinuses are acting up.

This wonderful winter tonic is a remedy that was found in many kitchens in years past. With it's many uses, it's something that is easy, healthy and fun to make.

A Whiff of Help for Over Celebrations

It's a party! You are having the best time. Just one more to celebrate.

That all sounds great until the next morning when your brain is throbbing, your skull feels like it's cracking, and the contents of your stomach really don't want to stay in your stomach. Yep, you've got a hangover.

In general, a hangover from too much alcohol is just unpleasant. It affects your body's chemistry and throws it waaaayy out of balance. There's dehydration to deal with as well. This is never a pleasant process, but it's even worse if there are things that you have to do while you're trying to hold your head up. We've got a little help for you.

Faoiseamh Poit (fwee-sha poach) means Hangover Relief in Irish. This handy little inhaler uses all essential oils to help bring about a little relief after too much fun. We use:

• Orange essential oil - helps reduce nausea
• Peppermint essential oil - opens up your sinuses and help to reduce your headache
• Geranium essential oil -  an anti-inflammatory and slightly sedative
• Lavender essential oil - relaxing, soothing and calming
• Clary Sage - helps with nerves
• And other essential oils

This is very important - Faoiseamh Poit WILL NOT CURE a hangover. Only time, plenty of sleep and liquids will do that. But it will make you not want to die.

So inhale a little Poit, and remember to take it a little slower at the next party.



Disclaimer - We are not doctors. It you have extreme symptoms, go see a physician as soon as you can. This information is for educational purposes only, it is not intended to treat, cure, prevent or, diagnose any disease or condition. Nor is it intended to prescribe in any way. This information is for educational purposes only and may not be complete, nor may its data be accurate.

Protect That Fabulous Face

Winter is upon us - at least in a good portion of the country. Today there's a wonderfully fluffy snow storm going on. Looks so pretty, feels so icy when heading out to shovel or play. We all know the drill - bundle up, dress in layers, keep your hands and feet dry. If we're smart, we remember the lip balm to protect our delicate lips from moisture loss. Do we remember, though, to change up our face and skin moisturizers?


Here's a few tips to keep your skin safe and glowing throughout the winter:

• Keep it dry. Freezing temperatures will ice up moisture on your face, damaging and drying your skin. 
• But keep it moist...urized. Wear a moisturizer that's slightly heavier than you might normally, especially if you're going to be outside for any extended period of time. This will provide a buffer against the wind and cold. Our lotion bars are perfect for this kind of weather. They might be too heavy for your face, though. Try the Jazzy Lavender Body Butter. Thick, but whippy and refreshing. Whatever your choice, cover up before you go out. Then clean and remoisturize when you come in,
• When you wash your skin, use warm water, not hot. Hot water will actually dry your skin. I know, hot sounds lovely, but it will really damage more than help.
• Remember to exfoliate. You can use our sugar scrubs for your body, and our Honey Pumpkin Face Mask is wonderful for your face. It removes dead skin cells and opens up your skin to accepting good moisture.

Don't be afraid to get out there and ski, play or just walk the dog. But do it right and it will be easy to slip right into spring.

Playing With Pancakes

I can't help it. I'm a recipe diddler. I don't think I've ever just taken a recipe and followed it without any alteration. But there are some things I'm getting better about - I write down my changes. This way, I know if I've tried something and how it turned out.

Here is the original recipe, with the alterations I made. They were wonderful and fluffy and so very yummy. The second time I made them - still messing with the recipe - I added blueberries and drizzled them with vanilla honey.

Fluffy Pancakes
Ingredients:

Yield: 8 pancakes Mine made about 17 medium size

1 1/4 cups flour
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar (my alteration – 1 ½ tablespoons sugar, 1 tablespoon maple sugar)
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder (my alteration – add ½ teaspoon baking soda)
1 egg
1 1/3 cups milk (my alteration – 1 and almost 1/3 cups milk, finish up to 1/3 with vinegar – I used a pear cinnamon balsamic)
3 tablespoons oil (I used Grapeseed)
(add 1 tablespoon buttermilk powder)

Directions:

1 In a small bowl, whisk milk, egg, and oil together.
2 In a larger bowl, combine all dry ingredients.
3 Slowly add liquid mixture to dry mixture and whisk well. Let sit for 5 minutes.
4 Spray large frying pan with cooking spray, and heat to medium heat.
5 Wait until pan gets nice and hot.
6 Make pancakes whatever size you wish-- allowing top to form bubbles before turning over.
7 Cook until both sides are golden brown.

Serve with maple syrup, or whatever you wish to put on your pancakes! These can be frozen and toasted in the toaster to be reheated.

Now if you were to ask me how I came up with these changes - well, I couldn't really tell you. We had wanted pancakes, so I looked up a few recipes on line and fond a few that sounded interesting. I probably blended two together. Then I looked around my kitchen. I love maple flavor, so that's where the maple sugar came in. We love buttermilk pancakes, so that's why the powdered buttermilk. One of the recipes I read added vinegar. But why add plain old vinegar if you have something interesting. That's how it fell together.

So play with those recipes. It may not always work - but you might find magic! Just remember to write it down.