The Nobel Bay - The Herb of the Year 2009

Go take a look in your kitchen cabinet. Go ahead. I'll wait.

I bet you have bay leaves in there, don't you? Since ancient times, bay leaves have been an important part of human life. That history and it's place as a culinary staple are part of the reason why the International Herb Association has selected Laurus Nobilis (Sweet Bay Laurel) as the 2009 Herb of the Year.

Since 1995, the International Herb Association has selected an herb to celebrate and educate. The criteria for selection is for the herb to fully meet at least 2 of the following 3 criteria:

• Medicinal properties
• Culinary uses and expanse
• Decorative Value

Last years herb, Calendula, is one of my all time favorite herbs. This year's, Sweet Bay, comes close.

I'll be adding recipes and additional information about our 2009 Herb of the Year winner over the course of time. But I thought I'd start with a little mythology.

There are several versions of how Bay came to be. One is that Daphne, a nymph in ancient Greece, was a beautiful, strong and independent young thing. Apollo, god of sunlight, medicine, healing and more, sees the young nymph and is intrigued by her. Eros (or Cupid) is a bit or a trickster. He hits Apollo with a love arrow, while striking Daphne with an arrow that makes her revile Apollo. Valiantly she flees from Apollos ardorous pursuits. Exhausted she collapses at the river bank, where she calls to her father, the river god Ladonus, and asks for rescue. He transforms her into a richly green Bay tree.

Apollo comes to his sense, but still sees the beauty that the Bay tree holds. He declared the Bay Laurel to be a sacred tree of his own. From that day forth, it was used to wreath the heads of the most learned, wise, and strong.

I leave you there for now, with more information to come. In the meantime you can find out more about this grand herb at The International Herb Association or the Herb Society of America websites.

A Hug and some Hot Tea

Cindy and I are busy planning out the events will be attending this year. In the meantime,I thought I'd share some other key events we should all take part in.

January and February are certainly some bone chilling months. Icy winds and snow bring us all inside for warmth and company. Why not share a pot of nice hot tea? After all, January is National Hot Tea Month. Whether your preference is green, black, Earl, herbal, or fruity, tea provides soothing warmth and friendship. Tea is also healthy and healing.

For me, tea has always been an i-have-a-cold drink, at least until recently. I'm trying to cut back on my soda habit and I've found tea - both hot and cold - to be a tasty and soothing alternative. Our favorite teas are from Ducky Life Tea. A local company, these teas are beautifully crafted to be full of flavor.

Tea is a part of life all over the world. Part of our own history in the US was created over the unfair taxation of this vital drink. There is a wonderful documentary, The Meaning of Tea, that explores the romance, mystery and meaning of this international beverage. You can also find more about reading tea leaves, tea tours and benefits at the Tea Association of the US. And the American Botanical Council has wonderful health information about tea. So grab yourself a cup of your favorite (I'm drinking Ducky Life's Kathi's White Tip with Peach Tea right now - yum!) and celebrate the drink of the planet and the drink of the month - Hot Tea.

And if tea makes you feel so good you just can't contain yourself - on Wednesday, January 21st, you can celebrate National Hugging Day TM. ! Of course, you should always ask first, but hugs are another essential of life.

But don't hug while your drinking the tea, that could be rather messy! Happy Hot Tea Month and National Hug Day!

Being Smooth Even When it's Frosty

The days may be finally getting a little longer, but the temperature is dropping by leaps and bounds. Flaky is good for pie crusts, but not for your skin. Icy temperatures combined with the drying effects of indoor heat can really wreak havoc on your skin. A little TLC will keep your skin glowing until the warm spring sunshine returns.

Tip 1: Humidify
Heat keeps us nice and toasty warm on frigid winter days. But it also drys out the air, which in turn drys out your skin. Running a humidifier will aid some moisture back into the air - and your skin.

Tip 2: Cover it all Up

The one thing I hate most about winter is the bundly layers of clothes. But layers help you stay warm. And by wearing your glove and scarf and covering up exposed skin you'll help prevent evaporation and retain vital moisture.

Tip 3: Moisturize
All moisturizers are part water and part oil/butter. The easier the pour, the more water is in the cream. In tough winter weather, your best bet is a butter salve or lotion bar. These products are high in butters and oils, which adds a protective barrier over your skin. They help you retain your own moisture and oils, as well as sooth itchiness. Our Body Butters and Lotion Bars are perfect for all over wintery weather care.

Tip 4: Don't forget your lips
Lots of people use lip balms on a regular basis. The one thing to avoid in harsh weather are flavored lip balms. We make a number of yummy balms, but when you have a flavored balm you tend to lick your lips more. Try our Tingles or Sweetest Kisses, especially if you have a cold to boot. Tingles has anti bacterial and anti viral herbal constituents when will help cracked and cold sore lips heal. Sweetest Kisses uses the power of honey to add softness and emolliency to your lips.

Tip 5: Helping Hands
Cover up your hands with gloves whenever you have to go out in the cold. The skin on the hands is thinner than elsewhere, so it is easily affected by chill air. And after you wash your hands, make sure to dry them thoroughly, then follow with a moisturizer. Our Lotion Bars or Gardeners Salve are soothing and softening for on active hands. And here's a quick tip - if you find yourself with out a good hand salve you can always use a little lip balm. It's a great quick fix for cracked, dry cuticles.

Spring isn't that far away, so give your skin some extra care and you'll be ready for the warmth to come. For more information on caring for winter skin, check out the article at WebMD.

The Passing of the Tree

This time of year always brings a touch of sadness. And it's not just about figuring out how to pay for all those holiday gifts. As I drive by the houses, it saddens me to see all those harbingers of holiday happiness along the curb waiting for the recycling truck or worse yet - the garbage truck, barely any life left in them.

But sooner or later, the Christmas tree has to go. I keep mine up as long as possible, sometimes too long for my husbands liking. But to me, the tree is such an inviting bright spot in the dreary winter that I'll fight to keep it going as long as I can.

When the time eventually comes and I just can't justify keep it any longer, I like to try to find some way to keep the spirit of the tree around. I think of it as Holiday recycling.

One thing I like to do is strip down the needles from the branches until I have a good size bowl full. Then I'll take those lone socks that the sock monster has left in my dryer and stuff them with the needles. Stitch the end closed and you have a wonderful pine sachet to put in drawers or tuck in corners to add a refreshing whiff of pine when needed.

One of our favorites is to take the tree outside and attach crossed wood pieces so it will still stand. Then we decorate it again - but this time we use strung pieces of fruit or cranberries, dried suet balls, nuts and other bird tasty treats. For at least another month it provides nourishment for a grand assortment of birds, a few squirrels, and our cats who watch from the window.

Whether we make the bird feeder tree or not, we always cut up some of the branches and the trunk and add it to our wood pile. In the summer, we have some nicely dried pine to add to our fire ring. It's a very old tradition to keep the yule log for fires throughout the year, and it's just our way celebrating the old ways.

How do you recycle your holiday tree or wreaths? I'd love to hear from you.