The Month of the Wolf

October brings in a season of mystery. A wayward chill breeze that stirs the leaves. Nights seem darker, even when there are stars. And there's the call of the wolf from a distant hill.

Of course, you could be by The Lakota Wolf Preserve. This is an amazing facility in Warren county, where you can get a close look at these beautiful animals as they run and play in their packs. Jim and Becky, run the preserve with a love, passion and dedication that's inspiring.

There are two tours each day (except on Monday, when they are closed). Reservations for weekdays are recommended. The wolf watches take about 1 1/2 hours. Tucked up in the mountain, it's a bit of a hike, but they do have a shuttle that can make the trip easier. It's a beautiful area, and you learn so much about these lovely animals. You're close to the wolves, and get a great view. Maybe they'll even give you a good howl.

For the month of October, we will be donating a portion of all proceeds to this wonderful education preserve. We'll also donate for every new like on our Facebook page, and each share of a post and share of our newsletter. There's no mystery - we're just helping a truly great place.

Patchouli & Pumpkin make Halloween Magic - Limited Time Offer

Patchouli is one of those fragrances that people seem to either love or hate. It has a rich, sweetly earthy scent which only improves with age. It's a wonderful essential oil for you skin, as well as anti-inflammatory and anti-depressant. The fragrance always reminds me of Halloween.

And what would Halloween be without pumpkin! Pumpkin seed butter and oil are rejuvenating and restorative for dry and damaged skin.

And so, we created two products for your Halloween Holiday pleasure.

Rhiannon's Midnight Moon Lotion Bar  
Sensual patchouli laced with jasmine blossoming under a midnight full moon. Ginger adds brightness like the light. These lovely essential oils are wrapped in pumpkin seed butter, hemp seed oil, seabuckthorn berry oils and other butters and oils that will nourish, soften and add a little magic to your skin.
$6.00 for 1.5 oz bar                               $5.00 for a .75oz push up tube

Autumn Amber Whipped Sugar Scrub
This sugar scrub is a heavenly Autumn blend of patchouli, roses and amber. A lusty and lush fragrance blended with pumpkin seed oil, hemp seed butter and seabuckthorn berry oil . The sugars gently exfoliate while the butters and oil provide nourishment and moisture. And then there's the fragrance! It lingers loving on your skin.
$6.00 for a 4oz jar                                    $11.00 for an 8oz jar



 

Both items are only available until October 31st! 

Get them while supplies last!

Ringing in the Halloween Season at the Witches Ball

We're so excited to be a part of this magical, festive 

and merry event! Join us at

Saturday, October 13

6 pm to 11 pm

Come in costume or just enjoy the show. There will be lots of music, vendors, whimsy and wonders abounding.

We'll even have some special new skin moisturizing treats just for the occasion. You'll be able to find us in the Bizarre Bazaar area. Let's welcome in the Halloween season right! Don't miss The Witches Ball.

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?

We're back - at the Cape May Wine Festival!

This is in our top 10 festivals each year and we're thrilled to be back. Plan a special weekend and join us at:

The Cape May Wine Festival
Saturday & Sunday, October 8 & 9, 2011
Noon to 5 pm
Cape May - Lewes Festival Terminal in Cape May
Tickets are $25 per person if you are sampling wine. Free if you are not.
Under 21 is free. Advance ticket purchase discounts available.

The view is amazing. There are over 20 vineyards providing samples and award winning wines for sale. Food for every craving. Fantastic music playing all day. And vendors - like us! - with a wide variety of gift buying options.

It should be a beautiful weekend. What a great way to welcome in fall. And if you mention this post when you shop at our booth we'll give you a gift!

Pirates and Oysters and Guinness - Oh my!

Last weekend turned into a bit of a muddled mess. Iffy weather forecasts and a touch of nasty cold kept our scheduled events from proceeding as planned. BUT this weekend we shall prevail! So join us, won't you, for a weekend of pirates, oysters, Guinness, music, food and lots of fun!

Toms River Pirate Festival
Saturday, October 1
10 am to 5 pm
415 Washington Street, Toms River, NJ
Christ Episcopal Church
$10 for adults, $5 for under 18 and Seniors, under 3 is free
Live pirate music and shows all day. Imaginative and magical crafters and food vendors. This is such a fun event for children of all ages. Feel free to come in costume - although not required. Check out they're website for more details and the days schedule.

But wait... there's more...

Rescheduled from last week - the one and only

Red Bank Guinness and Oyster Festival
Sunday, October 2
Noon to 7 pm
White Street Parking Lot, Red Bank, NJ
$5 donation suggested for all those over 13
Live music from 2 stages all day, savory and creative food from over 20 restaurants, beer, intriguing information booths, vendors with fascinating wares (including yours truly). and did I mention beer.
Come celebrate the season with us!

The Guinness Oyster Festival is a fundraiser for the Jane H. Booker Cancer Center at
Riverview Medical Center, The Cancer Institute of NJ Foundation and Red Bank River Center.

Mention this post or one of our Facebook posts when you come to our booth at the festival and we'll present you with a token of our esteem and thanks.

Now - get to the festivals me hearties!

Upcoming events... and schedule changes

We love doing outdoor events - but sometimes they're tricky to manage. We were scheduled to go to the Allaire Fall Craft Festival today (Saturday, September 24). Although we love this event, we won't be there. Illness (I have a nasty bit of a cold) and iffy weather have made us decide to stay home.

Tomorrow (Sunday, September 25) is a new event, the Red Bank Guinness Oyster Festival. We'll have to see how the weather goes, it may be moved to its rain date for next week. So stay tuned!

UPDATE: The Red Bank Guinness Oyster Festival has been moved to Sunday October 2. Start your sunny day dances now!

The Carving Calling

It happens almost every year. I get over whelmed by the urge to hack into helpless pumpkins and turn them into luminous globes of eerie visions. So I put aside my pumpkin cooking craziness for now (it will return after Halloween), and get out the weapons of creation - large and small knives, tape, paper, markers, candles, and scoops.

My collection of pumpkins is very varied this year - large round traditional orange pumpkins, a green pumpkin, a few smaller white pumpkins, cheese pumpkins, more-gourd-than-pumpkin pumpkins, and a few grey heirlooms. The main trick for the past few days has been to beat off the danged squirrels. But with Halloween just a few days away, it's time for the carving to commence.

I am not overly artistically inclined. Mixing herbal and skin care preparations is one thing. But I can't draw. Lazy daisies are about the extent of my abilities. Luckily, carved creations are guided by stencils and patterns gathered from years of collecting and a few choice websites. I'll share those in a moment.

Many sites give carving tips and guidelines. They all offer similar and wise advise - cleaning and saving your pumpkin, how to use patterns, etc. If you're new to pumpkin carving, take some time to scan a few. But there is only one true way to learn about carving - just do it!

Whether it's a traditional pumpkin face or an elaborate carved and sculpted combination it doesn't matter. Grab some weaponry and have at it.

When I was younger, I always did the pumpkin face variations. Not much more than that. Then I discovered Pumpkin Masters and the world opened up. The tools are very good (although some of the fine saws are a little flimsy if you have a particularly thick skinned subject). They have an excellent assortment of patterns.

I've tried extreme to simple patterns and even done some mix and matching. I have also cut through pieces that weren't supposed to be cut through or lost my place and mangled some images something terrible. It's Halloween for goodness sake - gruesome works! If it's that badly botched, just grab a fake hand or some other prop and stick it into the pumpkin to cover up the oops.

This year I discovered The Pumpkin Wizard. Although it is a membership site, their fee is basically the same as a carving book would cost. And they have some excellent tips and fantastic patterns.

I've also found Pumpkin Carving 101 to have some excellent tips for preserving and burial and all around pumpkin carving advice.

Tonight I take another pumpkin and let my Halloween spirit flow. Be brave and take a stab at pumpkin carving and bring out your inner ghoulish artistry. It's fun and you'll be rewarded with lots of smiles.

The Colonial style Pumpkin Pudding Experiment

Well, it happened. The pumpkin fever has come over me and the experimentation has begun. I warned you.

The other day I had picked up a little sugar pumpkin, about 3.5 to 4 pounds, nicely shaped. It has been sitting on the table, reminding me that Halloween is fast approaching.

Last night was the first night of the full moon and there was a definite chill in the air. As I walked by the little pumpkin, I remembered my Colonial Pumpkin pudding recipe. Perfect! I thought, scooping up the little fellow and dashing to the kitchen.

Husband, cats and dog were wise enough to clear the way.

It didn't go as smoothly as I had hoped, but check out the recipe and results below to see for yourself.

Colonial Whole Pumpkin Pudding

• One 4 to 6 pound sugar pumpkin
• 6 eggs
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp molasses
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 2 tbs butter

This is the basic recipe. Usually, when I find a new recipe I stick to it the first time around. Then, if I like it enough, I'll play with it the next time to make it a little more me. I like playing with my food, but more about that another day.

Prep the pumpkin as if making a jack-o'lantern.

In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, mix all of the ingredients except the butter.

Pour into the pumpkin, careful not to over fill (that's something I learned by overfilling last night).

Top with the butter in a few pats and put the pumpkin top on.

Place in a large baking dish and place in the oven.

Bake at 350F for about 1 1/2 hours until the mixture has set.

Let stand and cool for about 10 - 15 minutes.

Serve from the pumpkin, scraping up the pumpkin meat to go along with the pudding. Should serve about 6 people.

The project wasn't a complete success. It took longer for the pudding to set then indicated. I took the top off for the last 1/2 hour and that seemed to do the trick. I did overfill which made for some spillage.

And it really wasn't very pretty....
But it was pretty yummy! Especially with some ice cream!


More experimentation to come.

Next up - carving!

It's Pirate Time! Meet us at the Toms River Pirate Festival!

We've been to Renaissance Faires,street fairs, country fairs and more. But now, Celtic Chairde Creations will be at

The Toms River Pirate Festival
Saturday, October 16 10 am to 5 pm
415 Washington Street
Toms River, NJ
Admission fee: Adults: $10, Seniors and under 18: $5, Children under 3: Free

This is going to be fun!

There will be music, pirate encampments, storytelling, arts and crafts, food, fun - and did I mention - PIRATES!

Wearing a costume is more than welcome, and there will be plenty for little poppets to do. So stop by and get into the Pirate spirit!

Welcome to Pumpkin Time!!!!

I LOVE pumpkin!!! I just love how bright and cheerful they look. Seeing them begin to populate the grocery stores and farmers markets tells me that Halloween is coming soon with all it's mystery and spooky goodness.

I guess you could say I'm a Pumpkin head - although I prefer Pumpkinaholic. I love to carve pumpkins for decoration, cook them for everything from appetizers to dips to dinner to dessert, make

Honey Pumpkin Face Mask, and just have them around to look pretty and bright.

I also enjoy experimenting with these favorite Autumn squashes. Last year I tried make pumpkin jelly, but it didn't really work. It never really jelled and had a rather slimy and gloppy consistency. It did make a great Halloween prop though!

This year, I'm going to expand my pumpkin experimentation by trying something Native Americans did with pumpkin skin. Native Americans would take the skins, cut them into strips and dry them and weave them into mats.

My other experiment will be the predecessor of pumpkin pie. During the Colonial times, they would scoop out the seeds of the pumpkin, then add milk and spices and place the whole pumpkin in the hot embers to cook. This makes a type of pudding, which is basically the filling of pumpkin pie. In fact, the Colonials used to use pumpkin mush as an ingredient in their pie shells. I don't know if I'll be that brave, but when Pumpkin fever strikes, you never know what can happen! I'll keep you posted!

Renaissance and Harvest Festival Weekend in Cape May - Huzzah!

A beautiful vineyard kissed by ocean breezes. Baskets of fresh produce, harvested that very morning. Music and entertainers, a craft market and Queen Elizabeth! All this to be found at the

Cape May Renaissance Festival and Elizabethan Harvest Market
Saturday and Sunday, October 2 & 3, 2010
10 am to 5 pm
Willow Creek Farm & Vineyard
168 Stevens Street
West Cape May
Brought to you be Access to Art

We're very excited to be a part of this young festival. The entertainment sounds phenomenal - The Renaissonics, bubbles, madrigals, and performances by members of the East Lynne Theatre company. Celtic Chairde will be there to help welcome in the harvest and lend a mighty huzzah! Make a weekend of it in lovely Cape May!

It's Wine Time! Come to the Cape May Wine Festival

Music, food, amazingly wonderful New Jersey wines and a spectacular view are just the beginnings of the Cape May Wine Festival. This is the last of the festivals sponsored by the Garden State Wine Growers Association - well, at least for the season.

Join us!

CAPE MAY WINE FESTIVAL OCT. 10 & 11 CAPE MAY LEWES FERRY TERMINAL, Cape May, NJ October 10 & 11 from noon to 5:00 p.m.

Tickets for the festival are $20 a person at the gate. Advance tickets for the festival can be purchased only at the association web site for $18 a person. A discount price of $16 per person is available for bus groups and group sales of 15 or more.

We always have a wonderful time at the wine festivals, and the cool autumn days are perfect for a picnic on the terminal grounds. Celebrate the bountiful harvest and growing wine industry of New Jersey! There will be craft vendors (like ourselves) as well as a wonderful selection of food and wines. Bring a chair and spend the day!

It's Grand Harvest Festival Time at Alba Vineyards

Autumn, the time of harvest and celebration. Cool, crisp days that may require a sweater of light jacket, but don't chase you in side. These are days to revel in natures beauty. How best to celebrate? Does sitting on the grounds of a vast vineyard, enjoying an amazing selection of award winning wines, listening to terrific music while enjoying a variety of yummy food offerings and browsing fine crafts and vendors sound good?

Then join us at the

GRAND HARVEST WINE FESTIVAL
October 3 & 4 from noon to 5:00 p.m.

at Alba Vineyard, Village of Finesville, Milford, NJ

This is one of the most fun filled wine events of the season. It takes place at the lovely Alba Vineyards in Hunterdon County. Entertaining the crowd with be the always lively and entertaining VooDUDEs. The event is sponsored by the Garden State Wine Growers Association, and over 20 vineyards from around the state are expected to participate. Admission is $20, which gets you a wrist band and wine tasting glass. If you aren't planning on drinking, admission is $10.

We're excited to be going to this wonderful all out party. And even if it rains, we'll be there having a great time. Hope you'll join us!

Pumpkin Wrap Up

Unfortunately, time and family business kept me from writing more about my favorite squash - the Great Pumpkin!

I did get to carve a few of my dozen pumpkins in time to tantalize our trick or treaters. And I also had the opportunity to start the roasting. This is the time of year that I store up on mashed pumpkin for future recipes of pies, butters, cookies, breads and face masks.

So many people opt for canned pumpkin, when its so easy to roast your own. Simply cut
the pumpkin into halves or quarters (depending on it's size). Scrape out all of the seed and strings (see the previous post for a yummy use for the seeds). Place the pieces, skin side up, into a large roasting pan. Put about 1/2 inch of water into the bottom. Cover with an aluminum foil tent and place into a 350 degree oven. Check in about 25 minutes.

Don't let the water totally boil out. If the shell is soft, the pumpkin is done. Remove from the oven and let it cool in the tent (it will finish steaming that way).

Once the pumpkin is cool, turn over and simply scrape out the soft, sweet pulp. You can freeze this or store in the refrigerator until you're ready to whip up some great and tasty treats. When you defrost the pumpkin, if it's too juicy, simply drain through a few layers of cheese cloth.

There will be a lot of pumpkin juice in the bottom of the pan or when you defrost your pumpkin. I like to mix pumpkin juice and sparkling cider or ginger beer.

So don't let you uncarved pumpkin simply turn into squirrel food or a pile of mush. Roast them up and be ready for Thanksgiving Pumpkin Pies, Pumpkin Muffins, or any number of sweet autumnal goodies.

It's Pumpkin Time!!!!! Getting the seed of an idea.

I LOVE this time of year. I love the crispness in the air, the bright color of the turning leaves, and the suspense that seems to build around the coming of Halloween. Don't love the fact that it starts getting darker earlier, but I'll accept it knowing that it leads to glowing orange globes delighting passersby and trick-or-treaters. You know - pumpkins!

Every since I was a small child, many years ago, I've adored carving pumpkins. There's something so viscerally cool and yet creepy about slicing off the top of these fruits of Autumn and pulling out all those slimy, icky insides. Cleaning and carving transform the simple pumpkin into a frightful - or playful - vision that dances in the long night.

Over the next few days I'll give carving tips, recipes and preserving ideas for keeping the pumpkin going. Today, however, lets get to the guts of the matter.

Pumpkin seeds are little gems inside even bigger gems. They are packed with zinc, manganese, copper, iron and protein. Their sweet nuttiness makes them a great addition to salads or any dish. And they are a terrific snack.

You can easily buy shelled pumpkin seeds, called Pepita's, but making your own is so easy. This is the recipe I typically use, but you can change around the spices to suit your own taste. Sugar pumpkins have slightly smaller, softer shelled seeds. We leave the hulls on for some extra crunchiness.

Garlic Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
Pumpkin Seeds - about 3 cups
Paprika: Sweet, Smoked and Hot
Garlic Salt
Kosher Salt
6 tbs. salted butter
Garlic Powder

Take the pumpkin seeds from your carved pumpkin and rinse them off, removing all the strings and any visible pumpkin pieces. Put 1/4 cup of kosher salt in a bowl and add pumpkin seeds. Fill with water to cover seeds. Stir, then cover with a dish towel or saran wrap and let sit for at least 2 hours, overnight if possible.

Drain the seeds and rinse off. Spread on a clean, dry dish towel and pat dry.

Set the oven at 375 degrees. In a roasting pan or cookie sheets with sides, place the butter and put in the oven. In about 5 minutes, remove from the oven. The butter should be mostly melted. Add the pumpkin seeds, 1 tsp of smoked paprika, 1 tsp of sweet paprika, and 1/4 tsp of hot paprika. Sprinkle on garlic powder and garlic salt (about 2 tsp of each). Stir into the seeds and spread them out to a thin layer. Return the pan to the oven.

Let the seeds roast undisturbed for about 15 minutes. After that time, stir up the seeds and check for browning - you want them brown and crunchy, not burned. If needed, put in to another 10 to 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and stir. You can add more garlic salt or kosher salt if you'd like. Let cool completely and put in an air tight container.

Munch away any time you want a snack. These are also great in Nuts & Bolts (similar to Chex Mix). And they're the perfect munch while watching Halloween horror movies!

Tis the Season for Holiday Craft Fairs - Support your Local Crafters & Artists

The Autumn Art and Craft Fair season is winding down. Soon the outdoor events will heed to the chill in the air and move indoors. The hectic, fun and exhilarating Holiday Craft Fair Season is about to commence.

Cindy and I love going to craft fairs and festivals. Not just to sell the terrific products we make, but also to see what other artists and crafters have been creating. It a wonderful way to get to meet the creators of your purchase and find out the history of the item. Even before we started Celtic Chairde Creations, we enjoyed spending a few hours (or a whole day!) going through a fair finding unique gifts for friends and family - or ourselves.

Jane Sandlar from Ducky Life Teas is one of the folks we've been blessed to meet at our fair outings. In fact, we now use some of her marvelous teas in some of our jams and jellies (we love to drink them, too!) Her newsletter from September says it best:

"Craft shows started out as huge outdoor events held mostly in rural towns and usually in the summertime. They provided an outlet for local craftspeople to display and sell their creations. When shows moved indoors (in the early 1970s) and tapped into the holiday gift market by continuing into the fall, their popularity grew tremendously, propelling the crafts industry to new levels of recognition and potential profitability.

For some artists and craftspeople, creating and selling their personally crafted products is a hobby. For many though, it is their main source of income. Shows, fairs and festivals, with their low overhead and growing appeal, remain the ideal marketplace for artists and crafters to sell their unique creations directly to the public.

Art & craft shows, fairs and festivals run the gamut from free, local events held in churches or schools and featuring traditional country crafts and very affordable homemade gifts to large, regional, juried events that charge admission and feature higher end jewelry, art, handcrafted furniture, and pottery.

If you prefer green, sustainable products and locally created and individually crafted goods, these shows are the places to find them. Prices, even the higher ones, are reasonable. For your dollar(s), you get art and crafts made with real materials and personal workmanship.

If you still need convincing to support the people who display their wares at shows fairs and festivals, there's the sense of community you'll feel. You get to actually meet and interact with the person who crafted your necklace, wove your basket or used their hands to form your pottery. And how much more special can a purchase be than when it helps artisans continue to pursue the work they truly love?"

What more can I add, other than I hope to see you at one of our upcoming craft fairs and we can get to know each other!