Before the Season of "Everything Pumpkin" - Take time to Savor the Apple

I do adore pumpkins. Soon enough it will be the Season of Everything Pumpkin. But for me, September is the season of the apple.


Apples are the glorious gifts of late summer and early fall. There are so many varieties to choose from, and in New Jersey we have a plethora of pick your own farms. Some apples, like Cortlands, are on the sweeter side. Empires are great for eating raw and have a bit of tartness. Fuji's are wonderfully sweet and last a very long time. Granny Smiths are lovely if you prefer the tartness of apples. Jonathans are great for making applesauce, but not for baking because the mush. Yorks are great for baking. I could go on and on, since there are over 100 types of apples grown for commercial use. Actually, there are over 7,000 types of apples grown world wide, but that would take us rather far afield.

There is so much that apples give us. Not just for eating and cooling. On these first cool nights as summer fades to autumn, there is nothing like some warmed apple cider with a cinnamon stick in it. Around here, Delicious Orchards has the best cider. A great place for pick your own apples is Terhune Orchards. They also make some yummy apple wine. And of course there are the amazing benefits of apple cider vinegar.  We use it in many of our products because it is so good for you on the inside and on the out. Ooh - and I've recently discovered the fun of hard cider, but that again is another story.

Apples are packed with nutrition and fiber. They contain lots of vitamins like A, B, and C. They have antioxidant components, quercetin, collagen, and elastic which make then wonderful for your skin, boost your energy, and aid in digestion.

Applying apples to your outsides might seem strange - but your skin will certainly appreciate it. Here are a few quick tops to try:

• Take a nice fresh apple and run it through the blender with just a little water or green tea. Take that fabulous smelling mush and rub it in to your skin after a hot day. Rinse with cool water and you'll be washing away the heat and damage you've imposed on your face.
• Kick the apple treatment up a little by blending apple mush with honey and make yourself a skin loving face mask. It will brighten and soften your skin.
• Use a little apple mush or gently run a slice of apple under your eyes to help alleviate those dark circles. 
• After shampooing, pour some apple juice through your hair and then rinse. It will help with dandruff and add some nice shine.
• The pectin and tannin in apples helps soothe bug bites. Rub a piece of apple on a bite or apply a little mush.

Of course the best thing you can do with an apple, especially fresh and in season, is eat one a day. It may help keep the doctor away, and it will definitely taste great and make you happy.

Beeting the Summer Heat

I'm lucky enough to have a number of wonderful local farms not to far from where I live. One of my favorites, Giamarese Farm, has a CSA and we're happy to be members. The last couple of shares

have had a wonderful selection of rich, sweet, beets. I LOVE beets.

With this abundance, I decided to boil our last couple of batches. Then I freeze some, mash some, finish it up by roasting them, or pickling them. But there was all this lovely water that I thought, "There has to be something I can do with this."

Figured something out that's VERY yummy.

I took the water and strained it out well. I made a wonderfully fruity blend of ice tea with limes, pineapple, cherries, raspberries, and rooibos tea. (Sorry there's not more detail, this was very much a little of this and little of that recipe). I sweetened it with just a little honey and added the beet water. Delicious, refreshing - and healthy!

Beets are nutritious little jewels. They are rich in Vitamin B, C, magnesium, folate, lutien, copper, and more. And low in calories! Although the water isn't quite as powerful, it still carries some of those health benefits.

My suggestion - play with your food. Think about what else you can do with the juice or water. I may try it again by adding some beet water to rice, or maybe as part of a stock. So many options that I never thought of before.

Hey - I wonder if it would work making a sherbet. Hmmmm. Maybe next time!

Let Your Inner Spirit Out - It's As Young as You Feel Day

Welcome to As Young As You Feel Day!

Let's face it, there are days when that statement means you're about 112. But there are other days... oh, those wonderful other days.

Those are the days when you're tempted to do a cartwheel. It's the day when you want to pull out that favorite peasant top, or dig out that jean jacket and wear it in public. The days that you want to disco or dance your little heart out. The days your heart and spirit just zoom. Today it that day.

Go do those things that make you feel young! It will make your spirit soar!

Pucker Up Again with a Luscious List for Lip Appreciation Day!

Lips so lovely they have their own day! For National Lip Appreciation Day we thought we'd pass along some lip licking tidbits about  - lips!

• Human lips are unique. According to LiveScience, humans are the only creatures that have such a distinct border between the pinkish, reddish parts and the surrounding skin, called the "vermilion border."
• You pucker up by tightening the orbicularis oris muscle, a set of four independent quadrants of muscles that interlace the mouth. 
• Oh, and puckering up takes 2 muscles. French kissing takes 34 muscles.
• Lips don't sweat. They don't have any sweat glands, which is one of the reasons they can dry out so quickly.
• Blood red lips is an appropriate saying. Lip skin is thinner than else where on the body.  There are only three to five layers of skin. Most areas have up to 16. Because it's thinner, its easier to see the blood vessels. And the skin gets thinner with age.
• Your fingertips are extremely sensitive  - but lips are the most sensitive part of the body.
• Movie kisses have been around since the beginning. The Edison Company made the 30 second long film The May Irwin-John C. Rice Kiss in 1896.
• Lip gloss was invented to make lips look moist for the movies. It was developed by Max Factor in 1930.
  
• Good lip balms with a wax base provide a waterproof barrier that keeps your internal moisture from evaporating. It's especially needed on cold, dry, or windy days. Naturally Celtic Chairde Creations has a fine selection for you to choose from.
• Lips sunburn more easily because they don't contain melanin, the skin pigment that helps protect your skin against UV rays.
  
• Don't lick your lips! The enzymes in saliva will break down your lips the same way they start to breakdown your food, cause cracking and dryness.

Celebrate Lip Appreciation Day and take some time to give your lips a little TLC. Even it's just to give a little whistle!

A Howl from Our Heart

Each month this year, we are donating a portion of our proceeds to different charities. In January, we Rivers Edge Horse Sanctuary. It's a wonderful place that has been under a lot of stress due to flooding and storms.



In February, we were sharing with Lakota Wolf Preserve. What an amazing place this is. Jim and Becky care for all the wolves and animals with respect, love, and appreciation. The enclosures are well maintained and spacious for the packs and foxes and other animals. If you want to learn about wolves, their habits and environments, this is the place to go. You can just feel the affinity they all have for each other.

We were going to switch in March, but we decided to stay with Lakota for another month. This winter has been particularly brutal with the freezing cold weather. They haven't been able to have the tours they usually do, which is their form of income. Becky has also found out that she has colon cancer. They are the only two that maintain the preserve, so it's become a particularly difficult time for them. That's why we decided to extend our month of giving through March.

How can you help? Well you can certainly go to their website and make a donation. You can also comment, like, share and order from Celtic Chairde! Whether it's here on our blog, or our Facebook or Twitter page, every interaction will help add to the kitty for the wolves. 

March may have come in like a lion, and we may be hoping that it goes our like a lamb, but let's make sure it goes to the wolves at Lakota Wolf Preserve.

It All Starts With Once Upon a Time.....

and suddenly you are whisked away to a magical, mystical place and time. Myths, legends, and fables not only teach us, they enchant us in a way that makes us remember them throughout our years. They are to be celebrated and shared. Why not do it now, because today is

Tell a Fairy Tale Day. 

I have always loved fairy tales. My father would read stories to me from Grimm, Aesop, and Hans Christian Anderson. It's always delightful to see movies made from treasured stories, but there is a different type of magic in just telling the story.

Telling a tale takes time, and often practice. But you can do it. I've come up with a few Fairy tales myself - including ones for our Queen of the Pirate Sea Waters and Oil of the Robber Clan. All great fairy tales take a first telling, when the idea starts. After a  few more tellings, characters will begin to take form and start to take on the challenge of their tale. Who knows, you may come up with the next Peter Rabbit or Peter Pan. 

If you aren't comfortable enough to just tell a story yet, try reading some of the classics. You may be surprised at the darkness in Grimm's Tales - surprised and probably delighted. Hans Christian Anderson tales have a sweetness, and sometimes sadness, who's lessons apply to life in any time. There's Aesop, Baum, and even modern fairy tales like Stardust, the Never Ending Story, and of course The Princess Bride. (If you've never read the book The Princess Bride, treat yourself. It is wonderful!)

Let the Craft Faire season begin!

We're getting an early start this year! We're delighted to be a part of the first ever Valenzano Craft Faire and Wine Tasting. Held in the beautiful Grand Ballroom at the vineyards property in Shamong, it's bound to be a day to warm your heart. Come by and visit and get some of those wonderful skin care goodies your skin is craving this time of year.

Mention this post and you'll get a free gift!

Light and Fluffy Shave Foam

My son has always been a connoisseur when it comes to shaving. He liked straight edge razors when he was in his teens. He had soap mugs and shave brushes in all shapes and sizes. So when he asked me if I could make him a shaving cream, I had to jump at the chance.

It took some experimenting, and with that were some disasters. Some were way too oily. Way, way to oily. And there were others that had no foam at all, or felt too dry. We went through a lot of combinations - but we came up with a winner.  The final version  includes pure Castile's soap blended with clarifying hydrosols, skin refreshing essential oils, and carrier oils. JP's Shaving Foam is light and fluffy. It puts a light thin, protective coat on your skin with just a fine foam. It's doesn't even need to be washed off after your done shaving. Just a light rub in and you're good to go.

JP's Shaving Foam is great for men and women. The scent is very light and fresh. My husband, who gets 5 o'clock shadow at noon, loves this. I love it as well. It even feels nice using it under my arms. 

Next up, finding the right combination for a shave butter. 

And if you have any suggestions for products, just let us know. That's how we come up with the best products!

A Very Happy 2015 to You All!

Happiest of New Years

Welcome 2015

This New Year is still young - may it be filled with love, laughter, friendship, and merriment! 

Your story for this year is just beginning - make it a good one.