Let Us Toast with Tea

Delightfully, and appropriately, January is Hot Tea Month.  The weather is chilly, and it's time to get cozy, and nothing soothes a chilled spirit and body than a cup of hot tea.

 I love tea all year round, but it's especially inviting in the winter. An absolute favorite of mine is chai, a spicy blend with cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, clove and all spice, traditionally made with warm milk. Add a dash of chocolate and it is heaven after an afternoon of shoveling snow. Throw in a little Pumpkin Syrup and you won't be able to talk to me until I've finished the whole cup. I'll be in my happy place.

Tea has been enjoyed for thousands of years. It is the most widely drunk beverage in the world (coffee is moving up as a close contender, but tea still wins at the moment).

Not only is tea a spirit lifter, it is a beverage packed with healthful benefits. All of the varieties are!

The most typical and popular teas are green, black, white, oolong,  and pu-erh. These are filled with ECGC, a powerful antioxidant. They do have caffeine, but in different strengths compared to coffee. Herbal teas can add a wide variety of healthful benefits. Chamomile can be calming and help with sleep. Mint and ginger is refreshing and aids digestion. Hibiscus is very refreshing and can help reduce blood pressure.

And tea offers a myriad of magical options. Add fruits like pineapple or raisins, add a kick of heat with peppercorns, dabble in reds or blacks or blends, include a splash of honey or sugar or milk... the list goes on and on.

Mountain Rose Herbs and Ducky Life are two of my favorite companies to purchase loose leaf tea. I even have a soft spot for Teavana. My absolute favorite way to make tea is with herbs from my garden - chamomile, lemon balm, mint, lavender, roses, Jersey Tea, Oswego tea or Mondara (bee balm), holy basil, and my favorite lemon verbena. I just pick them in season and dry them to enjoy year round.

Celebrate Hot Tea Month this January... and keep the fun going through out the year.

Oswego tea or monardo,

 

Oswego tea or monardo,

Oswego tea or monardo,

Do You Strew?

I bet you do and don't even know it!

Me, I love herbs. I’m forever drying them or using them fresh. And when I’m working with them in the house, invariably some of them get on the floor. But I don’t clean them up right away. I let them get crunched and stepped on until I’m done with my work. That way I get the lovely scent wafting all over. And then it’s vacuum time and the herbal fragrance is let loose again.

Using strewing herbs to help freshen and protect the home dates back throughout medieval history. Since most homes then had earth floors, straw or threshes were placed around to absorb a variety of rather unpleasant liquids. That could get pretty stinky, so they added herbs to create a fresh aroma. The herbs also helped repel insects and rodents. Those who strewed provided some protection to the plague, since it was spread by rats and lice.

If you've used one of those carpet powders that you sprinkle on and then vacuum, you're a modern day strewer. You can make your own strewing powder, or add herbs to your home to release aromatheraputic scent as we close the windows and doors to the coming chill. 

To make your own strewing powder, take one small box of baking powder and pour into a dry, glass jar. Baking powder is wonderful for absorbing unpleasant odors. Grind any of the following herbs, or you can use their essential oil. Add two teaspoons of the ground dried herbs or 6 to 12 drops of essential oil to the powder. Shake well. Sprinkle over the carpet. Allow to sit for 10 minutes to a few hours, then vacuum it up (always test a corner of carpet or flooring first for possible staining). Your carpet and home will smell fabulous!

Great herb choices include:

Lavender, rosemary, mint, sage, roses, sweet fennel, lemon balm, chamomile, or bay leaf.

I also make a wonderful strewing powder to help get rid of fleas, mold, bacteria, bugs and such. Having lots of cats, and harboring kittens till they find homes, we have periodic flea battles in our home and this is always at the ready for battle… and for some lovely, brightening fragrance.

Battle Strew
2 cups of borax (20 Mule team version works well)
1 cup diatomaceous earth (you can get this in garden centers and on line)
¼ cup salt
1 tbsp ground lavender
2 tbsp ground penny royal
1 tbsp ground wormwood
2 tsp peppermint
(many of these herbs can be purchased through Mountain Rose Herbs)

Combine all of the ingredients into a quart mason jar. Shake well and sprinkle over carpet and/or furniture. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes and vacuum up.
Sometimes I like to add ground pine needles, or some ground dried orange rind for a little extra kick. You can use any herbs you might have in your cabinet! But be cautious with things like clove or cinnamon as they might stain.

It’s a wonderful and inexpensive way to protect and freshen your home. We may have improved hygiene since the Middle Ages, but we can always use a little herbal fragrance boost.

For more great strewing tips and ideas to add scent to every step, check out this article:  Ancient Aromatherapy Technique. Two other great articles are The Royal Herb Strewer and What are Strewing Herbs?

Suddenly Spring

What a difference a week can make. Last weekend, the east coast (and here in New Jersey) was battered bitterly by wind and rain. Very "March like a lion" type of weather. But the last few days, and into this weekend, Mother Nature gave us the wonderful gift of sunny, warm, bright, soul lifting weather. Thoughts suddenly turn to spring, which officially arrives tomorrow, Saturday, March 20.

This gift puts us in mind of frolicking in the garden, pulling out the tank tops and tees, forgoing jackets and reveling in the spring time. My advice - don't do it! Well, a little but not to the extent that our winter weary spirits are telling us to.

Now is the season of the cold and flu. Our eagerness to banish the winter can make us let our defenses down to soon. Trust me on this one. Even as I write this I'm battling a cold (so far, it's a tie but I think I'll win). So though I may go out in the warmth of the day and do a little yard cleaning, I'll resist the urge to pull out the seeds and full on garden equipment and have at it. I'll still wear long sleeves, though they may be lighter than my winter wool sweaters. And I'll keep my neck covered up, since so many cough and cold seem to emanate from this area. Instead, I'll sip my elderberry syrup and start to bring the spring inside.

This is the perfect type of weather to help air out the house and chase away the trapped in staleness. It may not be the full on spring cleaning attack. Consider it the first foray of the battle.

Just opening the windows and letting the air circulate helps freshen things up. I also like to simmer some mint - either a handful of dried mint on a very low simmer on the stove, or a few drops of essential oil in a diffuser - to brighten the air and chase away any germs that might be looking for a new home. I also spray our Mint Ceo Brionglóid (Dream Mist) on the linens to open up our breathing while we sleep.

The carpets will get a good vacuum too. This is my favorite recipe for a fresh smelling carpet deodorizer (which the carpet really needs after last weekends soppy mess).

• Sprinkle plain baking soda on rugs or upholstery. Let sit for 10 to 30 minutes, then vacuum. To add some extra punch, take a large jar and fill with baking soda. Add a few drops of lemon or orange essential oil, then cover and shake. Let sit for at least 24 hours before using. If you don't have essential oil, you can add dried lemon rind or dried orange rind and let sit for at least a week or grind it up and add it. The baking soda will then be infused with the citrus scent and add an extra uplifting note when sprinkled and vacuumed.

Do take some time to revel in natures glorious weather, but don't get carried away. That will be coming soon enough!

Balance and New Beginnings - Welcome Spring!

The first day of spring is a day full of promise. As light and dark balance, we are invited to wake up from our sleepy winter hibernation and start anew.

For me, spring has always felt more like New Years than January 1st. Who wants to think about revitalizing, resolutions and new beginnings when you're still recovering from Christmas and the whirlwind of madness that surrounds it. In January, you want to just relax and rest - but when Spring begins you're ready to take on the world again.



There was a time when the start of spring was considered the New Year. The old Roman calender looked at this as the time to start fresh, just as the flowers and plants were starting again.

During spring we throw open the doors and windows, letting in the fresh air. Although today it was a little too breezy for opening all the windows. I use this time of year to sort through those pesky little pockets of mess that have been piling up. I just take 15 to 30 minutes and concentrate on one spot. Sometimes, hectic lives lead to lots of mess around the house. If you look at it all together, you might not want to start. But just picking one section and one spot starts you on something. And with time those somethings will add up. I picked up that tidbit from Fly Lady, a true source of inspiration for those of us who have chaotic lives.

I also run out to the garden in spring, following the same process. It will be time to start the herbs soon, so the beds must be cleaned and readied. This is very important, because many of these herbs end up in our beauty care products.

Now is the time we plan our line for the year. What scents sound sensational? What ingredients seem interesting? How will we combine them to bring our customers, friends and family body butters, lotion bars and skin satisfying treats? It's all a part of the rejuvenation of spring.

You can help,too. What are your favorite spring and summer scents? How do you start fresh in spring?