Join Us at the Sharrott Winery Harvest Festival!

The best way to wind down these last days of summer is with music and wine! Join us at the

Sharrott Winery Harvest Festival
August 28 & 29
12:00 to 5:00 pm
This Fall Festival in the Vineyard celebrates the coming harvest at the Outer Coastal Plain's newest grower and producer of fine wines.

•Bring the family, a blanket and lawn chairs
•Live music both days
•Face painters and activities for the kids
•Local food and Crafts

The Sharrott Winery is a relatively new vineyard in New Jersey - but it certainly making a name for itself! This year they won 5 gold medals, 1 Best of Class, 3 silvers and 2 bronze medals in international wine competitions.

Not only are their wines wonderful, but they throw a great party!

Both days of the Harvest Festival will feature wine, food, craft - like Celtic Chairde Creations! - and music. Saturday the Matt Noffsinger Band will keep the place rocking. And Sunday is none other than the wonderful Shorty Long and the Jersey Horns.

So stop by for a great end of summer day.

And if you mention this post - you'll receive a free gift!

Free gift is only for in person purchases at the Sharrott Winery Harvest Festival on

August 28 and 29, 2010.

Join us at the Rutgers Gardens Open House!

Join us this Saturday, July 31st at the
Rutgers Gardens 45th Annual Open House Festival
10 am to 4 pm
112 Ryders Lane, New Brunswick, NJ

This is bound to be a terrific day. The weather should be wonderful. There will be

a wine tasting (a slight extra charge), a farmers market, classes and tours, music and of course vendors - including Celtic Chairde Creations!

But the star of the show will be the amazing Gardens at Rutgers. Tours of the gardens will be conducted throughout the day, including a tour of the Donald B Lacey Display Garden which reflects “Now and Then in 2010”.

We hope you'll stop by and wander the grounds of one of the best kept secrets of central New Jersey. The staff and volunteers at the Rutgers Gardens are helpful, knowledgeable and generous when sharing their time and information.

Stop by the Celtic Chairde booth as well! Mention this post and receive 10% off of your order of $10 or more.

Summer Craft Market at Allaire this weekend!

It's time one again for the

Annual Summer Crafter's' Market
Saturday July 10 (Rain Date July 17)
10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Admission $1 Adults • Children Under 12 Free • State Park Parking Fee $5.00


We love going to Allaire. The setting is beautiful and everyone always seems to have a good time.

Along with the crafters (and there are over 100), there are the fascinating historic buildings to investigate. The volunteers at Allaire are always happy to chat with visitors about life in the Village during the 1800's.

There is a rain date for this event. If you're uncertain, call the Village Office at (732) 919-3500. See you then!

It's National Blueberry Month!

Time to get on your Red, White and Blueberry!!!

This succulent little blue berry has been gaining quite the reputation. Filled with antioxidents, manganese, vitamin K, beta carotene, Lutein + zeaxanthin, vitamin C, vitamin A, choline, potassium and so much more there are one tasty little healthy and nutritious berry.

And did you know that cultivated blueberries are not that old? And that the first cultivated blueberries were developed right here in New Jersey? Yep, the international phenomenon of the blueberry all began with Elizabeth White in Whitesbog, NJ in the early 1900's. Whitebog Village is a wonderful place to visit if you're looking for terrific blueberries from their "home field", and a great historic place to visit.

Recipes abound for blueberries. I always have some in my freezer. Some of my favorites things to do with good old American blueberries are:

Include a handful in smoothies.
I like to use them in my barbeque sauce for a little extra sweetness.
Munch them straight from the freezer or refrigerator or container!
Add them to sun tea.
Sprinkle over ice cream.
Make Blueberry Lime Sorbet. There are some great sorbet recipes in the Herb Companion Magazine.

What are you favorite ways to indulge in the summer time yumminess of blueberries?

National Rose Month Round Up

One month doesn't seem enough to celebrate our national flower, the rose. It provides beauty, fragrance and grace to the garden through out the summer season (depending on the type of rose you have, of course).

But it is not just the harbinger of love, beauty and friendship. It is also a valuable assistant to good health and wellbeing.

Rose petals are uses in Ayurvedic treatments as a laxative, blood purifier and tonic for the digestive and reproductive organs. In fact, the Romans used rose gallica to treat over 30 conditions.

The petals are mildly astringent, providing a cooling and soothing effect. They are wonderful in summer teas.

One of my favorites is a sun tea. Put tea (green preferred), ripe raspberries and rose petals in a big glass jug of water with a top. If you don't have the top, the sweetness and lovely fragrance will attracted unwanted to proteins to the party (aka - bugs). Then put the jug in a bright sunny spot for at least 2 hours and up to 6 hours. Sweeten with some rose honey, or a dash of agave syrup. This is fragrant and so nicely cooling.

If I don't have time for that, I make up a batch of Ducky Life Rosie's Rose Melange Tea and chill. A nice hint of mint adds some extra digestive tonic power. You can also use the petals as a quick burn poultice. Just take a handful of fresh petals, mash them up well and apply to the burned area. Their cooling and antiseptic abilities will help ease the pain and redness.

Of course you can also use rose petals to make rose petal jelly, rose vinegar, infuse them in wine, dried for potpourri, or make them into beads for jewelry

That's just using rose petals! Rose hips, essential oils, waters and floral essences can also provide health and spirit lifting benefits

But do you want to know the best thing you can do to calm your nerves, raise your spirits and enjoy this month long celebration? Just stop and smell the roses.