Gnomes? Oh Yeah, I've Got 'Em

Each year when the butter-yellow crocuses bloom out front, the vision sets into motion a chain of thoughts.  It takes place in about 3 seconds altogether, and leaves me smiling and shaking my head.

It starts with the warm thoughts of love when I see the flowers and think of my mom planting them with my sister.  And then I glance at the gnome.  I'm really not a garden gnome "type" but if gnomes played basketball, we'd have a team in the gardens.  My mom had a year while that was her thing; painting greenware gnomes.  Whether I like it or not, 8 years later I still can't bring myself to take them out of the gardens here.  They might move to a new garden or make room for a new planting, but they remain.  They are such a funny reminder of one of her quirks.
Back when we were all little and there was no money, she learned to make do.  Lots of people do that, but it was a fairly dire situation and making do meant developing a kind of tunnel vision that let her only see what was okay while ignoring everything else until we could get to that.  It meant that she almost always settled for less than she wanted or needed.
Later, when things got easier, this manifested in a way that we children didn't understand until she was gone.  We just teased her about it without understanding.
One year tiny televisions hit the market.  She wanted one.  It's hard to explain these things to people who grew up with Igadgets, but these little tvs were a huge deal.  The smaller the better, and they ranged from about 5 x 8 to the size of a business card.  You couldn't actually see anything on them, and they worked with mirrors, but they were hot at the time. So began Mom's quest to get the perfect mini-tv.  Or as we liked to call it, the year of, "Mom!  What are you doing with all these little televisions?"  Years of settling meant that she would see one almost like what she wanted, and buy it.  Then she'd see another that was closer to what she wanted, and buy it.  Ad nauseum.  The thought of returning any of them never dawned on her.
About the time the telephone monopoly broke up, telephone design became a big thing.  Up until then, the telephone company typically provided customers with telephones for a very minimal monthly fee and people pretty much contented themselves with being able to choose between a few colors in one or two styles (Princess phone, anyone?).  Well.  This was another year-long fixation for Mom.  It got to the point that we'd go home to visit and Mom would say, "Couldn't you use another phone at your house?"
Her final extravaganza, and one we had a lot of tender laughs over after she died, were the wrap-around black sunglasses one acquires after cataract surgery.  I swear, the woman bought them by the gross.  A pair will still pop up from time to time, and at a recent eye appointment when my pupils were dilated, I took a pair along and drove my sister (who took me) crazy by keeping them on in the grocery store afterwards.  We both bear a strong resemblance to Mom.
So this is why I keep the gnome colony around.  They are such a humorous reminder of her and who she was.  She took our ribbing well for a long time, but towards the end took it as criticism.  I'll bet she'd never have thought the gnomes would still be around.  Now if I could just get a tiny pair of black wraparounds and a teeny tiny television and phone - it would be perfect.

handcrafted recipes - #2 Whipped Body Butter

 Years ago when this recipe was created, shea butter was pretty new on the market and there weren't a lot of options.  It was that or cocoa butter, and the two of them are vastly different in hardness.  Shea butter has an unfortunate characteristic to the home crafter in that it becomes grainy with the changes of temperature in creating this product and just in everyday life.  I tend to avoid it now because that aspect defeats the purpose in my opinion.
Here is how we made whipped body butter 10 years ago.

Whipped Body Butter - From The Essential Herbal Magazine
1 cup unrefined Shea Butter
1/8 cup Apricot Kernel oil
1/8 cup jojoba oil
20 drops essential oil (rose geranium is great)
Soften the butter in the microwave for 15 seconds. Using a mixer, begin whipping, while slowly adding the liquid oils. Add any fragrance while whipping.

If you've ever made whipped body butter, you'll know that the "using a mixer, begin whipping..." part there is actually pretty humorous.  A stand mixer is just about a necessity for this recipe and it may take upwards of 15 minutes or more before the liquid oils and the butter blend perfectly to a whipped confection.  
I would also add that the butter is heated only to soften.  If it is liquefied, the whipping will take forever.

How my thoughts on this recipe have changed...

There are a lot of new butters on the market.  Some of them include Aloe, Avocado, Coffee Bean, Hemp, Mango, Pistachio, and Almond.  One of my favorites is mango butter because it is much creamier and isn't prone to that grainy feeling.  Because it isn't quite as hard as shea butter, the liquid oils could be decreased by a tablespoon or so.
I haven't tried this yet, but I would like to use cocoa butter.  Cocoa butter is very hard at room temperature, so that means the liquid oils would be increased - perhaps by as much as 100%, so that the combined liquid oils would total 1/2 cup.  The cocoa butter would also need to be liquified, blended with the liquid oils, and allowed to cool thoroughly before whipping.

Although this is a very time consuming and somewhat messy project, it is well worth it.  A nice whipped butter is sheer luxury.

Don't forget to visit Birdworms.com and lancastersoaps.blogspot.com 
for more updated recipes!

handcrafted recipes - first in a series

 How to begin...  It is convoluted and tedious to explain, except to say that a good number of my recipes  (as well as those of my sister and our friend Becky) have been used without permission and are now being sold as a big part of an e-book.  They are many years old, and some desperately need an overhaul as time changes our knowledge.  We weren't given the option of tinkering with them, so we might be doing that now.
There are lots of things that could be done about it, but we've decided that the best thing to do is to put our recipes up on our blogs to share them with you freely.  I will post links to the blogs of the others at the bottom of all of the posts in this series.  
If you're looking for a lot of great handcrafted spa, bath, body, and medicinal recipes and instructions, I can guarantee you that our two volume compilation from the first five years, "By the Hearth" and "Under the Sun" will give you far, far more properly credited and truly original creations than you'll ever need.   
And now, today's recipe from The Essential Herbal Magazine:

Oats ‘N Honey Facial Scrub 

This is a very simple recipe and you can use some or all of the ingredients given.
Oatmeal is a must, but the rest is up to the individual. Into the food processor , throw the following dried ingredients – by the handful (I would change that now to "by the Tablespoon"):
Oatmeal
Lavender
Yarrow
Nettle
Irish moss
Rose petals
Elderflower
Soap powder (handmade cold process, of course…)
Almonds

Process until all the ingredients are a coarse mealy texture.
Package in jars and label.

To use, moisten about a teaspoon of the mix in the palm of your hand with an equal amount of honey.
Using the fingers, vigorously scrub the skin. This is a great mix for teens with oily skin. Make it a little more effective by blending several drops of lavender and tea tree essential oils into the process.


NOTE: Years later now, I would add that for mature skin the addition of yogurt (or powdered milks or yogurt) and some rose hydrosol to make the paste, and suggest a milder scrubbing.  I would also swap out some of the herbs for calendula and chamomile.

Stay tuned.  We'll be here all week!
Becky's Blog - Birdworms

TEH Wants to Travel this Year!

We would love to get around to all the herb conferences, soap gatherings, herb study groups and wherever herbies and soapers get together to share their knowledge and skills. 
Of course that's not going to happen.  The two of us here are pretty busy just getting the The Essential Herbal Magazine out and into the hands of subscribers.
Instead, we've put together a special Mini-mag filled with 11 full articles, and info on how to subscribe, contribute, or advertise in the real thing.  The smaller sample means that we can more easily afford to ship them out to share.  For years we've sent full sized magazines when possible, and shipping is a killer - not to mention lugging around those heavy boxes.  Event coordinators don't need to be lugging them either. 

Small, but filled with valuable information that will be kept and reviewed over and over.

So if you'd like to invite us to your group, contact me at Tina@essentialherbal.com.  Tell me about your group/gathering/conference and hopefully we'll be able to send some mini-mags in our stead and manage to travel all around the US this summer.  So far we've sent out 1000 and still have 7500 to go.  Drop us a line!

Reader's Choice Award Finalist - About.com

As most of you know, The Essential Herbal Magazine is a print magazine (one of the few remaining on the subject of herbs) that is mailed out every other month to our subscribers (only $24/year).  Foreign subscribers and those who prefer it can purchase the magazine in pdf form for the same price.  You can download and read a free issue here:  FREE DOWNLOAD

We've been chosen as one of the finalists in the About.com Reader's Choice Award for best Herbal Magazine, and it would be great to win.  If you love The Essential Herbal - please cast a vote for us - or if you have another favorite, give them a nod.

Click Here To Vote

You may vote daily until March 17th and I'm placing the link on the top right of the blog so it's easy to find.  Thanks in advance!
 

Groundhogs Lie

Strangely enough, right around when the groundhog predicted the end of winter, along came winter.  As is seeming to be becoming the norm, November and December were mild, with February giving us the only real burst of winter we've gotten here.  Still, I expected to wake up to spring the day after Groundhog Day.  Just a little bit.
When I was a child, I believed it with all my heart.  For the first few years after being aware enough to know about the groundhog, it was my belief that somehow man had screwed up the works.  Somehow no matter how many times the groundhog said spring was here, I never doubted him.  No... somebody messed it up.  Back then, we wouldn't see bare ground or grass for months on end.  Seasons didn't merely drift by, they arrived with a firm and determined progression and stuck around until the next season just as firmly eased them along.  This is not the raving of some addled old codger (although whether or not that is an apt description is up for debate); it really was that way.  I still look outside immediately on Groundhog Day, hoping for an overcast sky so that he won't see his shadow.  Part of me still believes.
Now it's beginning to look like we might need to add a fifth season.  The plants haven't caught up with this shift yet, so they have a practice run and start greening up very early.  In fact this year that was happening before this February blast, so maybe it should be super pre-spring, pre-spring, and real spring.  The tricky part for the plants is coordinating the weather with their blooming and fruit-setting.  They had a very difficult time last year.  The cherries here on the farm hope to do better this year.
Today I woke to sunshine and blue skies in the bedroom windows.  It's been weeks since it seemed like a good time to wander around outside, so I did a wee bit of looking around out there while the coffee brewed.
Things are starting to happen out there!  They may have to start over, but for now, they're starting to get geared up.  All of the fruit trees have swelling buds on their branches.  The conifers have been busy releasing their cones to the winds, preparing to start up pollen production.  There's a lot going on as they stir in their sleep.

Blueberries are taking off now that they're fenced in.  Lots of weeds though!

  

Slim pickens for the birds over in the echinacea patch.

The beautiful Concolor fir on the corner of the yard will soon burst with new tangerine and piney scented growth.

Brave elderberry pushing tiny leaves.  Might have to start over, though.  Let's not have a replay of that bad harvest from last year!  That was pretty devastating. 

There is so much work to do here.  I mustn't waste a single beautiful day.

Rosemary is covered with flower buds.  She seems to do fine flowering in cold weather though.

The Witch Hazel that was hounded mercilessly by both rabbits and groundhogs finally got a foothold when I protected her with flexible spouting one year.  Now you wouldn't know her first three winters were spent being nibbled to the ground.  She's nearly 5' tall.

This is going to be a big problem.  These black raspberries have been dug and transplanted a couple of times now, but they really, really just want to hug the side of the house and grow up through the slats of the front porch.  They have wicked thorns though, so they may not stay there.

Just looking at the things that need to be started on the first warm day - digging up the vigorous sumac and mulberry volunteers, clearing the blueberry patch, figuring out what to do about the wild raspberries and on and on - makes me feel like we've only got a few more weeks to go. Even the groundhog needs to get with the program.

March/April '13 issue, The Essential Herbal Magazine

It's always exciting to announce a new issue and share the table of contents, but especially as we pass the darkest days of winter and start heading into spring.  Winter is fine mind you, but as plant-lovers, we are all about longer days, sunlight, and warming earth.
It is a great pleasure to post this issue.  Kristine's beautiful cover is the very essence of what we're waiting for.  The lush colors and plants surrounding her daughter evoke the spring so clearly that I can almost smell that first bare-foot day that has the edge of a chill to it.

The articles are a wonderful variety, with a good dose of both herbal history and growing information. Lots of information and recipes - it's another keeper!

They're starting to arrive in subscribers' homes now, and we always make sure to have plenty printed so that you can subscribe at any time and receive this issue until it's time for the next one!
To subscribe, visit www.essentialherbal.com - easy as pie.

Table of Contents 

FIELD NOTES
Itching to use some fresh herbs?  So are we!

ABOUT THE COVER, Kristine Brown
Kristine, who writes and illustrates her own beginner's herbal magazine, Herbalrootszine.com, graciously agreed to do a spring cover for us. She explains her inspiration.

AROMATHERAPY - IMPROVING YOUR HEALTH WHILE CLEANING YOUR HOME,
Crystal Baldwin
4 great recipes to get you started on a more healthy and natural home cleaning habit.

A LITTLE HERBAL HISTORY, Stephany Hoffelt
Think you know all about Queen of Hungary Water and Four Thieves' Vinegar?  You might just be surprised.

CILANTRO OR IS IT CORIANDER?, Kathy Rohrbach
What is it, how do you grow it, and what about harvesting and storing?  Find out here, and then make up some salsa using her simple recipe!

PATIO GARDENING IDEAS, Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh
Need some whimsical new ideas for small space gardening?  You'll love the ideas and photos Marcy shares in this article.

MEDIEVAL MARTHA - IT'S A GOOD THING, Jackie Johnson
Just how does one keep a castle tidy?  Prepare feasts?  Care for the sick?  Beautify one's visage?  Not exactly the good old days by any means, but surprising how much will sound familiar, herbally speaking.

"ROSE QUARTZ" HOT PROCESS SOAP, Marci Tsohonis
Marci made this stunningly beautiful soap, and upon seeing it I asked for an article.  She started at the very beginning of the process and takes us all the way through.

SEEDS OF SPRING, Heddy Johannesen
Get those seeds going so you'll be ready as soon as your final frost date passes.

HERBS OR SPICES, Sandy Michelsen
Nuggets of information on the lore and use of various herbs and spices.  Do you know what was hung on the door at night during the Middle Ages to repel evil spirits?  You will.

SPRINGTIME ON A PLATE, Rita Richardson
Delectable herbed chicken dish that includes everything for a meal, all together.

SURVIVAL HERBS, Suzan T Scholl
We never know when a natural disaster might send us scrambling for herbs to use medicinally in first aid.  Suzan discusses what we might want to have on hand to stay as healthy and de-stressed as possible.

From the Vault:  STARTING AN HERB GARDEN, Jim Long
It can be daunting to start big with herbs.  Much better to start with something that we can easily manage and go from there.  Perfect solution?  A half-barrel (or something similar) is just right.

TO BEE OR NOT TO BEE, Delores Harris
Is beekeeping for you?  Delores honestly shares what she's learned, both good and bad.

SouthRidge Treasures:  LADY'S MANTLE, Mary Ellen Wilcox
Besides looking beautiful (especially after a rain), what the deal with Lady's Mantle?

IMMUNE BOOSTER TEA, Katie - Allure d'la Fleur
Early spring still holds the threat of colds and flu.  Here's a terrific tea recipe to get you through.

MARKETING YOUR HERBAL WARES, Susanna Reppert Brill
40 plus years of Reppert marketing wisdom tells Susanna that the times, they are a-changing and she's up to the challenge. 

HONEY RECIPES & TIPS, PA Beekeepers Association
A couple recipes and tips for use and storage.

HERBAL SALT SCRUB, Cindy Jones, Ph.D
You could spend a fortune on a jar of herbal salt scrub OR you could whip it up at home for a fraction of the cost (and a lot fewer additives).  Hmmm... tough choice!