Slackin on the Blog

Ok, I'll admit it.

It feels like I've been slacking on the blog.

My head is all over the place.

Nevermind that I did however many entries earlier in the month. Could it really have been 21? And they all actually required thought? Wow.

Today my mind has been almost on fire with possibilities. I have some really great (imho) ideas for the next few months. Sometimes it feels like there's nothing going on upstairs, and other days I wish I had my mini recorder in my pocket. Back in the days of the shop, the old brain fired constantly and ideas came so fast and thick that we both carried notepads everywhere.

And I have to really wonder. Did that crappy shopping cart have me feeling defeated???

Like for instance, I just listed some stuff on ArtFire.com. You can list original art, books, magazines, etc there. Normally I would think, "eh... that's for artisans". Right now? I'm all in!
2009 is going to be a challenging year.
Those of us operating small businesses will need to be on top of our games.

We will need to seek out opportunities and be willing to play along.

I have my sneakers on. I'm ready. It might even be fun!
It might be time to put heads together with some other herb-type businesses and see what we can accomplish as a group. There are lots of businesses on the Yahoo group for the magazine (where we talk about all aspects of herbs - including business), and if you're looking for such a group, join us.
In this economy, it is not a good time to be out there alone.

She's so happy now.

I've been many things this weekend. It was moving time for the site and cart. It went well, I suppose, compared to some. For me, it is frightening from the first key-stroke and it doesn't get better until everything is perfect again. An entire business is effectively whittled down to fit on to a zip stick. That is very sobering.
On Friday, when things were going wrong, I was a raging she-bear. It was loud and messy, and I hate when I act that way. It's the fear.
Later, Saturday morning after a little sleep, I was plucky and willing to try different things to accomplish what was needed.
But in the afternoon when it appeared that all was for naught, I dissolved into a puddle. A hungry puddle, that felt much better after getting the first food of the day around 4 pm.
Finally around 10 or 11 (it is all a blur) everything fell into place.
In that whole 36 hours, the only thing that I did or thought about was getting that site and cart finished. And a little sleep. Oh.. and there was that hour or so when we marveled over the earthquake.

Then there was a whole AOL fiasco, but that's passed too. I'm happy.

But let me tell you why I am so happy.
For nearly a year, I've been limping along with a shopping cart that was unacceptable.
How bad, you ask? People wrote JUST to tell us how bad the cart was!
This cart did not have a comments section, so they had to email.
Payment methods were so complicated that (because I could see how many abandoned shopping carts there were) a good 15% to 20% of shoppers gave up, choosing not to keep trying.
Or worse (not for me, but for them), they would write and ask me to help them subscribe.
Figuring shipping was a nightmare. Oh, all of these things could have been fixed - if I had been willing (and capable enough with computer skills) to purchase "plug ins". $40 for this one, $50 for that, and another $100 there... Then of course finding someone who knew how to do whatever it is that needs to be done to make them work. It ain't me, babe.
There is no doubt in my mind that cart hurt our business. I could go on and on. It was bad - and it was not inexpensive either. I won't name them here, but write me if you're about to go with a cart that rhymes with Eva. K?
So if you're one of those people who wrote out of frustration, who accidentally ordered 3 of anything and couldn't get it out of the cart (and then had to write a frantic email), who couldn't figure out how to make it say Visa instead of MC, or who just had to tell us how pathetic the cart was, believe me, we heard you. It just took a little while to pull ourselves together from the last move and get up the guts to do it again.

The new cart was a dream to set up! Would you like to have a shipping base charge? No, but thanks for asking! Would you like to ask your customers questions before they go? Really? YES! How bout a simple dropdown with a few pages of clear, illustrated help? Ok!

I am confident that it will be a much more pleasant experience for our shoppers.

And she tapped her heels together 3 times and whispered to herself, "there's no place like home, there's no place like home".

Still working on the site...

I need to go to my quiet, happy place.
This is that place. Sigh. There is something so evil about moving a website. It was horrible last year, and it is torturous this year. IF we get this accomplished, I hope to never move it again. Ever.

Notice - Website Maintenance

I'm very excited to be getting rid of the world's lousiest shopping cart and putting a nice shiny workable cart on to The Essential Herbal site today.
However, that means that the shop and site are down for maintenance today.
If you would like to place an order, please go to our sister site. Those orders will be included in the contest too.

Herbal Holiday Gift Series #21 - Dropping the Ball

Ah, I'll bet you thought I was forgetting about #21, didn't you?
The truth is, in the hustle and bustle of rushing around to make sure you haven't hurt anyone's feelings or started some kind of world war in the imagination of the in-laws, we ALL forget #21. There is always that slightly sick feeling at the very end, when you realize that someone you care very much about slipped between the cracks. Let's say that all you've got right now is what's in the house or at the closest chain drugstore. What then?
It never happens with the people at the fringe of your caring. It is always one of the most important, because they are the hardest. My circle of loved ones are almost all "the hardest". Excluding my daughter who is an absolute joy because she is so easy to buy for, everyone else is difficult. Half of them get whatever they want for themselves the second it dawns on them that they want it, while the other half is trying to get "things" out of their lives.
Besides that, for 2008, our family decided to go with a January holiday... somewhere in the middle of the month. It's a lot like the story of the cobbler's kids having no shoes. We do the tree farm and shop up here during the last 6 weeks leading up to Christmas, and when it finally got here this year we just didn't have the strength. Add that to a sick family member, and POOF! you have something resembling Festivus only in January, without the "airing of grievances" or the fighting. Oh, and no alcohol.

Here are some quick ideas:

Make a batch of fudge using the recipe Rachel Ray used last year - melt a bag of chocolate chips, a stick of butter, and stir in a can of sweetened condensed milk. Pour into a buttered baking dish (mold) and chill until firm. Cut into pieces and serve (or wrap).

A coupon for Herbal Home Spa for recipient and x# of friends. This could be herbal steams, facials made with things like honey, yogurt, oatmeal, almonds, chamomile, avocado.... and then make toners using vinegars and hydrosols.

For the commuter - a card from the nearest gas station. They can gas up and grab a Joe to Go - on you.

If you happen to have a lot of dried lavender around, it makes a wonderful gift - as is! It can be used as potpourri, as a dryer sachet ingredient, as a carpet freshener, or for cooking and tea.

We have a bulk food store very near-by, and the nuts and candies are always good gifts.

What herbal project do you love to play around with? Do you have the things required so that you could make a kit for someone else to give it a whirl on their own? Better yet, offer to give them a personal class along with the kit.

And you know, I just have to say it... it is NEVER too late for a subscription to The Essential Herbal.

Contest - have yourself a Merry Little Christmas!

Between Dec 15 and midnight on New Year's Eve, we're having a little fun over at The Essential Herbal, and thought you might want to know about it.

Everyone placing an order for $10 or more worth of merchandise (excluding shipping) will be entered into a drawing. There will be 5 winners.
The prizes include:
4 ounces of TEH farm distilled lavender distillate...
A package of 10 teabags of hand blended herbal tea (by yours truly)...
A lavender wand, happily woven on the back deck here on the farm...
3 delightful soaps - also made here on the farm...
3 lip balms - another farm-made prize!

So, if you've been holding out on yourself and thinking that eventually you will get yourself something nice, NOW is the time.
Good luck, everyone! We'll contact you by email and announce it here on New Year's Day.

Herbal Holiday Gift Series #20 - Pet Gifts

BIRDSEED CAKES
Combine 1 oz unflavored gelatin and ¼ cup water in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved and add 1 1/4 cups of any combination of seeds the birds in your area enjoy. Mix until all seeds are coated. Pack the mix firmly into molds the shape of wreaths, hearts, etc. Large cookie cutters work well. (I used ones in the shape of cats and squirrels!) Don’t forget to make a hole to add a hanger; straws or wooden skewers work well.

DOG BISCUITS
2 Tbsp margarine, lard or bacon fat, softened
1 tsp brown sugar
1 egg, slightly beaten
½ cup dry milk powder
½ cup chicken broth
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
½ cup wheat germ
½ tsp salt
8 large cloves of garlic, crushed
Cream margarine and brown sugar in mixer bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, dry milk and broth. Add flours, wheat germ and salt; knead until soft dough forms. Shape into a ball. Let stand, covered, for 30 minutes. Roll ¼ inch thick on lightly floured surface. Sprinkle with garlic; pat lightly into dough. Cut with 3-inch bone-shaped cookie cutter. Place on lightly greased baking sheet. Bake at 325F for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Cool on wire rack. Store in airtight containers. (Along the Garden Path)

For cats: TIGGER'S TOMATO AND TURKEY JERKY
1 lb ground turkey
2 Tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp garlic powder
2 tsp brewer’s yeast

Preheat oven to 120F or the lowest setting. Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Line a jelly roll pan with foil and spread the meat mixture in it. Using your hands flatten the mixture to about ¼” thick. Place the meat in the oven and prop the oven door open a crack using a wooden spoon, so the moisture can escape. Bake for about 2 hours, until the meat is quite dry. Remove the meat from the oven and place another sheet foil over it. Grasping both sheets of foil, flip the meat over and peel the foil from the top. Place the meat back in the oven with the door propped open, and bake for another 1-2 hours. The meat will be red and dry, like jerky. (Cat Nips! Feline cuisine)

Holiday Herbal Gift Series #19 - I'm cheating today

I found a great source for instructions for 3 items that can be made just a day or two prior to the big gift day, and they'll be ready. You can learn to make Bath Bombs, Sugar Scrubs, and Glycerin Soap

I need to cheat today and use someone else's instructions. It isn't because we're in the middle of a big holiday rush here. It isn't because I'm too busy baking cookies or wrapping gifts... in fact our family has decided to celebrate sometime next month. The pressure was making us crazy, and other than the fact that solstice is on an exact date and time, everything else is pretty much a made up, arbitrarily chosen date. We'll just choose our own this year.

Our brother is in the hospital. Right now, he probably has some medical staffer in his room laughing. That is his goal these days, to make the people taking care of him laugh. It's as close to control as he can get right now.

Last year about this time, my brother who is afflicted with liver disease moved into the family commune. He lives in my house. It was not a pleasant adjustment for either one of us. We'd both been living on our own for years and didn't want to make room for anyone else. However, it needed to be. We've been able to find a delicate balance that allows us both to feel like we have our own homes and some privacy.

He's on a liver transplant list and needs to be looked after. He hates to admit that, but knows it to be true.

In Chinese medicine, the liver is the seat of health. It stands to reason then that a sick liver is a very bad thing. Let me witness that. It is a very bad thing. The number of ailments that spring from a sick liver are astounding, and it reminds me of when we were little, trying to build dams over the creeks near the house with sticks and rocks... how the water always got through and we'd patch and patch, and it would still get through.
Everything is affected by the health of the liver. No matter how many patches we make, something new keeps coming up and making him sicker.

Of course, on the transplant list you lead a double wish-life. On the one hand, it is horrible to watch a loved one continue to get sicker, but on the other you know that he won't get a transplant (at least with the liver) until he reaches a certain level of illness. And in between all of that, there is also the knowledge that perhaps there will be no liver and perhaps he will be too sick to receive it if they find one.

This year I've watched my brother withstand some things that none of us ever thought people would or should survive, and keep going with a smile on his face and optimism in his heart. He is the eternal optimist. Not having his stomach tapped of fluid several times, nor an infection of that fluid, nor gigantic hernias, nor renal failure, nor pneumonia, nor nosebleeds, nor rashes, nor encephalopathy can keep him down. Not giving up driving nor his beloved Harley stops him. He makes me laugh every single day. Sometimes he doesn't intend to make me laugh, it just happens.

A year ago I resented the hell out of this man in my living space. Right now, I think he's my hero. He's taught me an awful lot this year. I hope Santa will bring him a shiny new liver. If not Santa, we can hold out for the Easter Bunny...or if there's a Tooth Fairy, maybe there's a Liver Fairy too!

Holiday Herbal Gift Series #18 - Spice Necklace

Pictured below is actually a small garland I made for a little tree. The same sort of thing can be done to make a wonderfully fragrant necklace that is fun to make and fun to wear. Sniffing around the internet prior to posting this entry, I saw that there are people making necklaces using whole cloves, and threading them longways, meaning that they are flower buds and are sort of like dried tubes. They looked very cool, but I've never done them myself. You can find instructions and pictures HERE To make a spice necklace the first thing to do is gather the spices. Some of my favorites include:
Rosehips
Cardamom
Juniper Berry
Star Anice
Allspice
Cinnamon pieces
Hawthorn Berry
Vanilla Bean
Ginger Root
Clove

Most designs generally use the star anise as a sort of pendant in the center. You may want to draw out a design or pattern before beginning. I fly by the seat of my pants, but acknowledge that most people do not.
Remember that the portion of necklace that will be against the back of the neck should use smoother spices like juniper, allspice, cardamom, rosehips, etc., so that they don't irritate the skin.

Put all of the spices to be strung in a small amount of warm water. They can go in together - it won't hurt anything. The water will soften them and will also uncurl the cinnamon.

Using a crewel or tapestry needle and some strong thread (cinnamon dental floss is nice - and scented!) begin stringing the spices. Remember that they will shrink a bit as they dry, so string them tightly.

Hang to dry and they'll be ready in one or two days.

Holiday Herbal Gift Series - #17 Tub Tea

For those of you following along, I apologize for the missed day and will do 2 entries now. We have an chronically critically ill family member and that can complicate the simplest plans. So here goes...

#17 TUB TEAS

Aside from the hundred years here or there when bathing was considered dangerous and wicked, we have always enjoyed our baths. Entire vacations and resorts are planned and built around mineral springs. In many places the water itself is thought to cure, bringing throngs to soak in it. Currently, new homes are built with luxurious spa-baths….huge tubs, multi-head showers, heated floors, and built-in speakers. Once again we are turning to water to sooth our cares and wash away the worries of the world. Bubble baths are fun occasionally, but those of us who enjoy our herbs can concoct delightful additions that far surpass a brief wave of bubbles.

To assemble the apothecary, begin at the grocery store. Powdered milk, Epsom salts, sea salt and oatmeal are good bases to start with.

At the herb shop it gets really interesting. Choose some (or all) of the following:

Chamomile ~ Lavender ~ Rose Petals
Comfrey ~ Irish Moss ~ Tarragon
Elder Flowers ~ Calendula ~ Lemon Balm
Mints ~ Rosemary ~ Violet Leaf

Also wonderful additions, but optional are:

Rose water ~ Orange Water ~ Aloe extract

And essential oils:

Relaxing
Lavender
Frankincense
Chamomile

Uplifting and Energizing
Eucalyptus

Grapefruit
Peppermint

Exotic/Romantic
Patchouli
Jasmine
Ylang Ylang

Cheering
Bergamot
Tangerine
Petitgrain

Mix the dry ingredients well, and store in a pretty jar or canister.
To use, muslin bags are very handy but a square of light cloth works well too.
Tie about ¼ cup of the mix into the cloth.
Fill a ½ gallon pitcher with very hot water and steep the herbs, etc. for 10-15 minutes.

The Essential Herbal Magazine - Jan/Feb '09 Preview

A new issue is out and we know you're dying to see what is inside. So, as we do with every issue, we'll post the cover and table of contents. I'm thrilled to have dragged a couple shy ones kicking and screaming into the fold (just kidding). Marti Graham sent her first ever article, Ricci Ackerman joined us, and Patty Sigman photographed the cover.
Patty and I go way back (as in 7th grade, sharing clothes, way back), and it makes me so happy to be able to use her work. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Crossword Puzzle ~ Winter Wordplay
Field Notes from the editor
Kitchen Remedies, Susan Evans
List Article ~ Childhood home remedies that don't seem so silly anymore
Bay Recipes, staff
Down on the Farm ~ Herb of the Year 2009 ~ Bay, Michele Brown and Pat Stewart
Winter Shrub, Kimberly Gallagher
Never Enough Thyme ~ The Noble Bay Wreath, Susanna Reppert Brill
Suburban Herbie ~ Lessons from the Garden, Geri Burgert
SouthRidge Treasures ~ Winter Herbal Projects for the Home, Mary Ellen Wilcox
Chocolate Pudding with Bay, Susan Belsinger
Beeswax: Natural Compliment to Herbs, Marti Graham
The Soap Pot ~ Soap Inspirations from the Calendar, Alicia Grosso
Louisiana Lagniappe ~ Savory Herb Bread Pudding, Sarah Liberta
Candlemas, Betsy May
Valentine's Day is Coming! Ricci Ackerman
Damiana Cordial, Sarah Campbell

As always, this issue is filled with how to do things with herbs, delightful recipes, information and that feeling of sitting around the table with a bunch of friends, having a cup of tea while sharing what you know. You can check out subscription information at our website: The Essential Herbal Magazine
Also as always, I must once again express my profound thanks to the people who so generously contribute to The Essential Herbal and make it exactly what it is. Thanks you guys!!! You are wonderful!

Winter Wonderland

Walking along...
Singing a song...

Walking in a Winter Wonderland.
The snow is falling softly on the tree branches down the hill. You can just barely see the silos off in the distance, and they rise almost from an icy haze. There is nothing more beautiful than the view out the office window on any given day... especially when everyone is home, safe and sound.

Doesn't this make you want some cocoa?
Later, the kids went out to do something crazy. Molly wanted to ride on a sled hitched up to the Frogmobile, while Rob drove. Naturally, nobody saw anything wrong with that... so as they dashed across the back field I grabbed the camera to document this moment of brain absence. It was not nearly as dark as it appears in this picture, but isn't it beautiful?

I love the way kids take advantage of weather like this. We sure did when we were that age.

Holiday Herbal Gift Series #15 & #16

Gift Ideas #15 and #16 are all from early issues of The Essential Herbal Magazine

#15 SWEET TREATS

Winter Solstice Candy
This ganache is super easy to make, but it doesn't taste that way!
8 oz White Chocolate finely chopped or in chips
3/4 Cup Full Fat Coconut Milk or Creme De Coco (found in the drink mix aisle)
2 T Butter
1 T Vanilla or Coconut Extract
Put the chocolate into a large bowl and set aside. Heat the milk in the mocrowave till it boils and then poor over chocolate. Stir it till smooth. Put in the fridge and stir occasionaly until cooled. Then beat it till firm and lightened in color. This can be used to ice a cake or rolled into balls. After I made balls I rolled into coconut so I now have Winter Solstice candy! It can also be used to celebrate Full Moons.
recipe from Holly O'Brien

Holiday Nuts and Berries
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup shelled green pistachios
1 cup dried cranberries
Blend together for a colorful, delicious and almost healthy snack to serve over the holidays.
from Christie at RadicalWeeds.com

#16 SOME SWEET FACIAL GIFTS

Cleansing Mask:
4 tablespoons rolled oats
2 teaspoons dried chamomile
2 teaspoons dried parsley
Blend the dried ingredients to a fine powder using a blender or coffee grinder. Package these in a pretty glass or plastic container and add the following directions*.
*Measure 1 tablespoon of the dried ingredients into a small glass bowl. Add 1 tablespoon honey and 1-2 tablespoons very hot water and mix well. Let stand 5 minutes. If mixture seems to thick add a small amount of hot water. Apply to face using gently circular motions and leave on for 2-5 minutes. Rinse face with warm water. Store unused cleanser in refrigerator and use within 5 days .(Chamomile and parsley are antibacterial and honey & oatmeal are softening.)
An extra touch would be adding a nice jar of honey to the basket.

Follow the cleansing mask with a nice steam facial:
Herbal Steam Facial:
2 tablespoons dried chamomile
2 tablespoons dried comfrey
2 tablespoons rose petals
2 tablespoons dried peppermint
2 tablespoons dried rose geranium
Mix above ingredients all together and package into a nice plastic bag or pretty container and add the following directions*.
*Measure 2 tablespoons of the herbs into a small saucepan and simmer in 2 cups of water for 5 minutes. Pour into a heatproof bowl. Bend over the bowl with a towel draped over your head and allow steam to touch your face and neck for up to 10 minutes. Pat dry.

Follow the steam facial with this toner:
Lavender Toner:
4 ounces of witch hazel
15 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops chamomile essential oil
Mix all together and pour into a nice container with a flip top spout and attach the following*.
*Apply to clean face with a cotton ball. This helps your skin to return to its normal pH level.

Finally end your facial with moisturizer:
Lavender Geranium moisturizer:
4 ounces of unscented lotion base
10 drops lavender essential oil
5 drops geranium essential oil
Mix all together and pour into a plastic container with a flip top spout or wide mouth small jar. Add a nice label and of course you can use other essential oils. Please make sure you are familiar with the special qualities of the EO before deciding to use them. Using purchased unscented lotion base just gives the lotion a longer shelf life.
*Apply to cleansed and toned face nightly.

Here are two recipes for bath items to add to your basket. If you want to make your gift a little more special add a votive candle and perhaps a soothing CD or cassette tape.
The above ideas were contributed by Theresa Nolt

Holiday Herbal Gift Series #14 - Massage Oil

Making Massage Oil is quick and easy once you've got the ingredients. If you're an herbal enthusiast, you've probably already got them! If you don't use this one now, save is for Valentine's Day.

All we need are:

Base oil - Fractionated Coconut, Jojoba, Apricot Kernal, Avocado, and Sweet Almond are all choices and there are many others. Mostly, you want a nice oil with no scent of its own.
Essential oil - For something that you'll be using over large areas of skin, go with essential oil over synthetics.

Decorative bottles - Hopefully you've got some around, but they are easy to find at craft shops. IF they have corks, you'll want to "line" the cork with plastic wrap (wrap the bottom portion of the cork before inserting it into the bottle). We learned the hard way that corks can sometimes act like a wick.
Handmade labels - Either using your trusty computer and printer OR handwriting them, cover them with wide clear packing tape to make them water and oil proof.

To blend the massage oil, first choose the essential oil or if you're adventurous (or experienced) put together a combination of eo's to make a delightful scent.
For each ounce of base oil, add 3 to 5 drops of essential oil. The amount is often quoted as 10 drops per ounce, but because massage oils are used all over, it can quickly become overwhelming. Keep the amount low.

You'll find over 200 pages of great ideas, recipes, and articles filled with information in The Essential Herbal ~ Under the Sun, available on our website.

Some Everyday Stuff

The days are going by so quickly here that there is scarcely a moment to see what the camera captured and report in on how things are going. So I'm squeezing this in between the 21 craft day entries.
Part of the pleasure of having a blog is how easy it is (and surprising sometimes) to look back and see where things were last year, the year before, and so on.
This past week should be recorded as one of the gloomiest I can remember! The weather stunk. It rained and rained until finally on Thursday an enormous storm hit a vast part of the eastern US. There was snow in Louisiana and massive ice in New England. Parts of the north east will be without power for several days.
Here in Lancaster County PA, all is well now. The ground is sodden, but it stopped raining and the sun has come back.
So before all that happened, we had a gorgeous weekend. There were so many people walking over the hillside choosing their trees that we didn't have more than a minute to talk to anyone.
On my way down the hill to get to the shop, I snapped a couple of pictures. The first is some wild grapes on a waist-high tree stump. I just love the vibrant colors of the moss and the curli-cues of the grapevine.
Then, it appeared that some confused hen or duck had been dropping eggs beneath this fir tree... until I noticed the two collapsed "eggs" off to the side. These are some sort of fungus/mushroom.

As I get closer, things are starting to hop at the farm. Rudy is on the alert, and knows where EVERYONE is at all times. The green Frogmobile is his particular target, and never leaves his attention. The last picture is a project I was asked to do for a ... okay... I'll just say it... for a STAR!!! She wanted a couple of aromatherapy kits for friends. Inside are 10 different oils - some in small vials, some in slightly larger bottles. There is a bottle of a carrier oil, and some fun containers (spray bottles, roller bottle, corked vial) to use with their own creations. Since they have to ship to the big city, I made up a sort of potpourri with some of the ingredients that are represented by the essential oils in the kit (and a few that are not) and used that to cushion the bottles inside the jar that is being used to hold the whole kit and kaboodle.
Now that was fun. They can go into the mail on Monday and almost everything will be done then.

Holiday Herbal Gift Series #13 Hot Stuff

I know it is sexist to say this, but I think that hot peppers and food of their ilk are generally man food. I like hot and spicy foods to a degree, but after sitting at a table where 2 men sat on either end having a duel with hot pepper eating, well, you just almost never see women use food as a weapon. Those guys continued even though they couldn't see through the tears. Their noses ran uncontrollably and they could barely speak. But they were having fun, you see.
Not all men are like that (I'm particularly fond of a man who has a thing for scented candles), and I've known women who took the challenge. Somehow sitting in a nice restaurant with every part of my face dripping doesn't seem like a good thing, but that's just me. But if you have a man on the list who needs a little something, there is still time to make some vinegar. The following instruction and recipe is from our book, Making and Using Herb Vinegars.
This recipe was originally on a hang tag from Cider Mill Vinegars in Maryland. They don’t seem to be around anymore, but this is a great dish.
First you’ll need to make some hot pepper vinegar. This is really not too tough.
Take white wine or apple cider vinegar (we like apple cider vinegar for this one) and pour it into a pan with hot peppers. We’ve used dried peppers or fresh, depending on the time of year, and what was available. Heat the vinegar to almost boiling and keep it at a low simmer for 5 minutes.
Fill a large clean bottle about ¼ with peppers. When the vinegar has cooled, strain it and pour it into the bottle(s). Allow the vinegar to ripen for 2 weeks, and it’ll have a nice kick.
Now here’s the recipe:
Garlic Chicken

2 lbs. Boneless chicken breasts
½ c hot pepper vinegar
2 T vegetable oil
2 T honey
15 (yes…15) cloves of garlic, peeled and split
1 oz. soy sauce

Wash chicken and cut in half. Brown in vegetable oil in a heavy skillet. Add garlic and cook a little longer, until browned. Add remaining ingredients and cook over medium heat until chicken is done and glazed with sauce. Turn chicken several times while cooking.
Delicious!

To put together a basket, here are some items that are good additions:
Hot Pepper Jelly - poured over cream cheese and served with crackers, it is incredible.
Dark Chocolate bars with Hot Peppers - Some of the gourmet bars have chilis in them
Cocoa mix with Chili Pepper
Hot Sauces - we carried "Scorned Woman" in the shop for years. Some of the names are hysterical.
Horseradish Sauces
Spicy Dip Mixes
Chocolate Dipped Chili Peppers With Canolli Filling Recipe
(found on grouprecipes.com by mystic_river1)
The flavors of sweet canolli filling, hot jalapenos and then the rich dark chocolate flavor of the dip make this a taste sensation.
Ingredients
Filling for Chilis
---------------------
2 c. or 1 lb. ricotta cheese
1 c. sugar
1/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate bits
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. candied cherries(optional)
---------------
12-20 long chilis of your choice
bottle of thick dark chocolate fudge syrup
Directions
Directions for making filling:
----------------------------------
Blend cheese and sugar until smooth. Add remaining ingredients.
----------------------------------
wash chilis
cut off the tops: about half an inch
clean out seeds and ribs if there are any
put ricotta filling in pastry bag
pipe into chilis
with a little puff on top
----------------------------------------
Plate in a circle with thick ends pointing out
-------------------------------------
In center of plate put a deep bowl with the chocolate fudge(hot or cold)
Dip each chile in fudge return to plate and serve. OR let each person dip their own.