Category: Recipes

Categories
Folklore Herbs and Herbalism Recipes

Protection Carpet & Sweeping Powder

This time of year, the quest for protection from illness lines right up nicely with the folk idea of protection from negative energy, unfriendly spirits, and the like. Whether you are seeking one, the other, or both forms of protection, there is a simple and cozy way to invoke that sentiment, freshen your house, and refresh the energies of your home: herbal carpet powder!

Did you know that strewing herbs on the floor goes way, way back? From the ancient Romans to the Middle Ages, and even up to about the 18th century herbs were strewn over the floor with rushes and straw to release a pleasant aroma and repel unwanted pests. Some households swept them up each day and replaced them with fresh herbs, while others left them for a longer interval. Rosemary, lavender, chamomile, hyssop, sage, and marjoram were among the many herbs commonly used for this purpose. Modern carpet / vacuum powders aren’t left on the floor for very long—you let them sit for 15-30 minutes before vacuuming back up—but they certainly hearken back to this practice.

While you can easily buy ready-made carpet powders at the grocery store, it is incredibly easy and fun to make your own and stir a bit of intention and personalization into the mix. If you have pets and small children, it would be best to leave out any essential oils or only use the gentlest ones you’re already used to using around your small people and creatures. Otherwise, you can experiment and create your own blend that combines the scents and intentions you prefer!

For this recipe, I’ve used rosemary for protection and remembrance (for the upcoming sabbat of Samhain); allspice and cinnamon for prosperity, luck, and healing; and orange for lovely, cozy, and uplifting vibes. And all these ingredients have antibacterial and antimicrobial properties!

Ingredients:

3 cups baking soda

3 tsp rosemary powder

1 tsp allspice powder

1 tsp cinnamon powder

20 drops sweet orange essential oil

OR 1-2 tsp orange zest

Method:

Mix ingredients well in a bowl and transfer to a glass jar. I used an empty Himalayan pink salt shaker jar because of the convenient shaker lid! Sprinkle on your carpet (and even wood or tile floors if you like), allow to sit for 15-30 minutes, and then vacuum up thoroughly. You can also sprinkle a bit of this powder around doorways and windowsills to repel insects (and maybe more? 👻).

For educational purposes only. Not intended for medical advice. Always consult your physician.

*This post contains affiliate links, which means if you choose to buy something from a link that I share, I will make a small percentage of the sale *at no extra cost to you*.

Categories
Hygge Recipes

Autumn Rain Candles

It has been so very dry where I live lately…but today, we finally got some much-needed autumn rain! It was the perfect time to pull out this Autumn Rain candle and light it to add to the cozy vibes of the day.

For these candles, I combined beeswax, a bit of coconut oil, and essential oils for a natural scent option. (Make sure you do your due diligence in choosing ethical essential oil companies to buy from).

The essential oils I used to emulate the scent of autumn rain (after some experimentation) are ylang ylang, juniper, cypress, grapefruit, and frankincense. To me, this combination evokes the sweet, earthy, and green scent of rain on autumn leaves. That fragrance is a very special sort of magic, isn’t it?!

Here is how I made the candles, if you want to try making your own!

Making 6 4-oz candles—

Materials:

Double boiler (optional)

6 four-ounce jars

6 candle wicks

Wick positioners or popsicle sticks

3 cups beeswax pellets

¾ cup coconut oil

Essential oils:

Ylang Ylang – 40 drops

Cypress – 40 drops

Juniper berry – 25 drops

Grapefruit – 15 drops

Frankincense – 20 drops

(I recommend combining your essential oils beforehand in a glass eo jar to let the scents mix and do their thing before making the candles!)

Method:

Prepare your area; wax will be dribbled! Protect your work surface if you prefer.

Melt the beeswax pellets and coconut oil in the double boiler (can also be microwaved). While they melt, prepare candle jars with wicks, using positioners or popsicle sticks.

Once the wax is melted, remove from heat and carefully add and stir in essential oils. They will not mix or dissolve completely, but will disperse well enough with mixing.

Carefully pour hot wax into jars. Allow wax to cool and set nearly completely before topping with optional adornments. (I used juniper berries and autumn leaves!)

((A trick to avoid wick tunneling: pour the candle wax about half to three-quarters full and allow to cool a bit (you might put them in the fridge to speed up the process). Using a toothpick, poke three or four deep holes into the mostly-set wax and then pour the rest of the hot wax on top. This helps the wax to settle flat and not tunnel around the wick, for some reason!))

Trim wicks and allow candles to cure for a minimum of 24-48 hours before burning. (Longer is better!)

For educational purposes only. Not intended for medical advice. Always consult your physician.

*This post contains affiliate links, which means if you choose to buy something from a link that I share, I will make a small percentage of the sale *at no extra cost to you*.

Categories
Recipes wheel of the year

Mabon Spiced Apple Cider

Mabon is almost here! Otherwise known as the Autumn Equinox, this sabbat marks the official beginning of fall, the second harvest festival, one of the two points in the year when day and night are equal, the height of preparations for the dark part of the year, and a day of thanksgiving and gratitude.

Depending on the year, my birthday falls right before or sometimes on Mabon (9/21), so it always feels *extra* special to me. I can always be counted on to make a bit of a fuss to celebrate the equinox! I suppose I may love fall so much because I’m a Mabon baby, but I think this most cozy, crisp, and magical time of the year would be my favorite regardless of my birthday.

My favorite flavor of autumn is…no, not pumpkin spice…but apple! And spiced apple, which is nearly the same as pumpkin spice, but with a different vehicle. I love pumpkin, don’t get me wrong—but apple will always be the flavor of September to me. So I am brewing up a simple and delicious batch of spiced apple cider for my family to enjoy this Mabon weekend.

In this recipe, apples are combined with vitamin C rich oranges and beneficial, warming, digestion-promoting, immune-boosting spices. This drink offers a cozy, warming, festive sip with many benefits!

Here is the recipe:

Materials—

½ to 1 gallon of fresh apple cider

2-3 apples, sliced

1-2 oranges, sliced

1 small to medium knob of fresh ginger, sliced, or 2 tsp dried ginger

2-3 cinnamon sticks

1-2 tsp whole cloves

1 tsp whole allspice

1-2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

2-3 star anise

Method—

To make a hot spiced cider, fill a large stock pot or slow cooker with the fresh apple cider, sliced apples and oranges, sliced ginger if using fresh, and cinnamon sticks. Place the rest of the spices in a cheesecloth bag or large eco friendly paper tea bag and add to the pot. Heat over low heat, stirring occasionally, and serve warm. 

If the autumn equinox is still quite warm where you live, you can make this as a cold drink instead! Place all the ingredients in a pitcher in the refrigerator overnight. Try mixing it with sparkling apple cider, ginger beer, ginger ale, or Prosecco for a fizzy twist!

What are you doing to mark Mabon / the autumn solstice this year?

For educational purposes only. Not intended for medical advice. Always consult your physician.

*This post contains affiliate links, which means if you choose to buy something from a link that I share, I will make a small percentage of the sale *at no extra cost to you*.

Categories
herbal skincare Hygge Recipes

September Perfume Oil

I decided to whip up an adorably tiny roller bottle of September-inspired perfume oil recently! I love teeny roller bottles because I can make a small amount to test out the scent combination, and I don’t have to worry about making too much if it’s something I’m only going to use for a short period because it’s intention is geared to a specific occasion or month.

The basis of this essential oil blend is Ho wood and benzoin, which are creamy, vanilla-esque scents that I find very cozy. Combined with these are notes that are spicy, woodsy, sweet, and a hint of floral. To me, this combination evokes early autumn: the sweet and creamy scents are rich, yet sunny and light, and the spice is subtle enough to hint at autumn without being too heavy.

If you have sensitive skin, you probably ought to cut back on the EOs when making this recipe, and you can leave out the cinnamon and cardamom if they might be irritating. (The cinnamon chips included will gradually infuse in the base oil anyway!)

And, as always, be sure to source and use essential oils responsibly and from reputable, sustainable sources. (Not an ad and not sponsored at all, but I get most of my essential oils from Mountain Rose Herbs and Simply Earth.)

Materials:

5 ml roller bottle

Dropper

Carrier oil of choice (I like olive oil even though it’s a bit unorthodox—I used calendula-infused olive oil to make it extra special!)

Cinnamon stick chips

Essential oils, in drops:

3 Ho wood

3 benzoin

2 cypress 

2 sweet orange

1 geranium

1 cinnamon

1 cardamom

Method:

Add a few pieces of cinnamon stick chips. Fill the bottle about halfway with carrier oil using a dropper. Carefully add the essential oil drops, then top with more carrier oil—make sure to leave room to insert the roller ball top. Add the roller and cap tightly, shake to mix well, and let it sit a day or two before using.

What scents put you most in mind of September?

Categories
Herbs and Herbalism plant wonder collective Recipes

Mushroom Coffee

I am so excited that September is mushroom month at the Plant Wonder Collective! I love all things mushroom for culinary, medicinal, craft, and folklore purposes. I can’t wait to share the mushroom love this month!

The medicinal and therapeutic qualities of mushrooms have become much more widely known and embraced in the mainstream, and that has led to lots of commercially available mushroom coffee blends and coffee alternatives. Which is great! But they can be quite costly. So today I am sharing a simple and cost-effective diy option if you’d like to try making your own mushroom coffee at home.

((I will note, if your aim is primarily to get the medicinal benefits, you might not get the most out of your woody mushrooms by brewing them in a simple infusion or decoction. (In the summer Botanical Anthology, Susan Ilka Tuttle shared a great article on how to make a reishi double decoction to extract all the beneficial constituents.) But there are definitely water-soluble constituents you can benefit from if coffee is the most accessible & preferable method for you.))

This coffee-alternative blend uses reishi mushrooms, coral tooth mushrooms, roasted dandelion root, roasted chicory root, and cinnamon chips. You could easily modify the recipe with your own favorite hearty spices like cloves and allspice. Or combine it with actual coffee! (This is my preference usually.)

The idea of mushroom coffee sounds quite odd and even off-putting to some, but it tastes nothing like the mushrooms on your pizza! It tastes bitter, earthy, and pungent, but in a way that is reminiscent of traditional coffee—especially when combined with coffee itself or roasted roots that are often used in place of coffee.

Before we get into the recipe, let’s take a quick look at the benefits of the two mushrooms we’re using—

Reishi

Reishi mushroom has long been associated with longevity. It can aid the liver, help with blood pressure and cholesterol, boost the immune system, reduce inflammation, help you relax, and much more. Reishi has been pretty well-studied and the results are so promising!

Coral Tooth

Coral tooth is very closely related to lion’s mane mushroom, and is used interchangeably with it. It may help boost the immune system, modulate inflammation, relieve allergies and eczema, reduce anxiety symptoms, and more.

Mushroom Herbal Coffee Blend

Ingredients per about two cups

  • 1 tsp dried mushrooms of choice (reishi and coral tooth in this case), broken into small pieces or crushed with mortar and pestle
  • 1 tsp roasted dandelion root
  • 1 tsp roasted chicory root
  • 1 tsp cinnamon stick chips
  • 1/2 tsp cloves

Method

Add ingredients plus about three cups water (adjust according to your coffee strength preferences) to a saucepan and simmer over low-medium heat for anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes, strain, and serve how you take your coffee.

Or—

You can also grind the blend in a coffee grinder to a rough grind and brew in a French press or drip coffee maker. Not as many medicinal constituents will extract from the mushrooms, but you’ll still get some benefits and enjoy the earthy taste.

Alternatively, you can mix this blend to your preferred ratio with traditional ground coffee and brew as usual.

One more note:

Take care when foraging or purchasing medicinal mushrooms and make sure you are absolutely certain of the species before consuming! Also be sure to forage ethically or purchase mushrooms that were sourced ethically. My reishi and coral tooth were ethically foraged by my brother and his partner and gifted to me!

Have you ever tried mushroom coffee? Are you interested or curious to try it?

Categories
Hygge Recipes

Gluten Free Chai Apple Crisp

It may not be pumpkin spice time yet (Says who? It’s always pumpkin spice time to me!) but apples are ripening and it’s a great time to whip up some apple crisp. I am gathering with friends this evening, so I made a chai apple crisp that is gluten-free for one of my friends’ dietary needs.

You can’t fault me for rushing Autumn if I’m using chai spices! And anyway, there are so many benefits to chai spices. Medicinally they’re immunity boosting, digestion aiding, circulation stimulating, and so much more—check out THIS blog post for more on that. Chai spices also help soothe, relax, and even help with sleep. And symbolically / spiritually, many of these warming spices are said to bring prosperity, protection, joy, and divinatory insight. Plus, they’re just cozy and tasty! Perfect for a gathering with friends paired with tart Granny Smith apples.

Here is the recipe!

Gluten-Free Chai Apple Crisp—

Ingredients

For the filling—

  • 8-10 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced or chopped
  • 2 Tbsp gluten-free flour blend
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp pumpkin spice mix (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves) or ¼ tsp of each 
  • 1/4 – 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the crumble—

  • 1 cup gluten-free old-fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free flour blend
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
  • 1/8 tsp allspice
  • 1/4 tsp cardamom
  • 1 stick of butter of choice, cold, cubed

Method

Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease a 9 x 13 glass baking dish and set aside.

Prepare apples and put in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with sugar, flour, and spices and stir to coat; add vanilla extract and stir again. Scoop this mixture into your greased baking dish.

In the same mixing bowl if you’d like, mix the oats, flour, spices, and salt well. (If you’d like to ease back on the spices, omit them from the crumble.) Add the brown sugar and butter and cut in with a pastry blender or fork until pebbly consistency is reached. Sprinkle over the apple filling evenly.

Bake 30 to 35 minutes; cool before serving.

Notes

Serves 6-8

Substitute in your favorite chai spices and play around with the amounts to your preference!

Would also be amazing with walnuts in the crumble topping.

This recipe could easily be adapted to be non gluten free with conventional flour.

Are you a big fan of apple crisp? And do you think August is too soon for it? Let me know in the comments!

Categories
herbal skincare plant wonder collective Recipes

Raspberry Leaf Face Refreshing Mist

In these dog days of summer, your skin can easily become overheated and stressed out! That’s where raspberry leaf comes in. Raspberry leaf is well known for its tissue tightening and toning properties, and in a gentle face mist, this action can help to prevent moisture loss and provide soothing.

This recipe isn’t for a witch hazel or alcohol based toner—I didn’t want it to be that strongly astringent. So, instead, I’ve made a strong tea with the raspberry leaf and combined that with a cooling mint hydrosol—which you can easily make on your stovetop with some fresh mint, or you can purchase ready-made mint (or rose, lavender, or chamomile) hydrosol if you prefer.

Because this is an entirely water-based recipe, it has a shorter shelf life so you’ll want to make it in small batches and store it in the fridge. But it’s totally worth it for a very gentle, refreshing, soothing summer face mist that even the kids can use after a sweaty day of playing out in the hot sun! (It makes a great after-sun spray, too!)

This recipe comes in two parts: the mint hydrosol recipe and the raspberry tea / face mist recipe. Let’s start with the mint hydrosol!

Mint Hydrosol

Materials:
Large stock pot with lid
Small heat-safe bowl (ceramic or glass)
Heat-safe glass measuring cup
Distilled water
Fresh mint leaves
Ice

Method:
Place the heat-safe bowl upside down in the stock pot and fill the bottom of the pot with enough water that it covers the bowl. Place the glass measuring cup right-side up on top of the bowl. Place a good amount of mint leaves in the water around the bowl—a couple big handfuls of plant material. Place the pot lid upside-down on the pot and place ice cubes on top. Simmer on medium heat until a sufficient amount of steam has condensed and dripped into the measuring cup—that’s your hydrosol! Store this in the fridge.

Raspberry Leaf Facial Mist

Materials:
3 tablespoons dried raspberry leaf
Large tea mug
Plate to cover the mug with
Distilled water
Tea kettle
Strainer
Glass bowl or measuring cup
Small misting bottle (4-8 oz)

Method:
Place raspberry leaf in the tea mug and cover with water freshly boiled in a tea kettle; cover with plate and allow to steep for 10-15 minutes. Strain into a glass bowl or measuring cup and allow to cool or refrigerate.

Fill the misting bottle half full with mint hydrosol and half with raspberry leaf tea. Cap tightly and shake well to mix. Store in the fridge to prolong its shelf life and so it’s nice and cool when you’re ready to mist your face!

Categories
Botanical Anthology Recipes

Strawberry Lavender Julep by Kristine Clay

This is an excerpt from the Summer edition of Botanical Anthology. A plant lover’s dream, it is a seasonal, plant centered quarterly publication bringing you over 45 articles from 46 contributors to incorporate herbs in your apothecary, kitchen, summer foraging and gardening, crafts, and celebrations.

This herbal magazine, featuring remedies and recipes with medicinal plants for budding herbalists, can be purchased as a digital version here and as a printed version here.

Photo by Kristine Clay

If you enjoy the classic herbal cocktail, the mint julep, then this fruity, floral rendition is sure to become a fast favorite.

Infused whiskey lends stunning color and bursts with fresh strawberry flavor, while lavender rounds out the beverage with pleasant herbaceous notes that hint of mint. Lavender can ease stress and anxiety, helping you to unwind as you sip.

Serve this boozy beverage at your next get together or enjoy with friends on a warm summer evening. 

Strawberry Whiskey Materials

2 c strawberries, fresh, sliced 

Whiskey

16 oz jar

Strawberry Whiskey Method 

Place strawberries in a jar. 

Pour whiskey over top, filling the jar.

Cap tightly with a lid and shake well. Let the strawberries steep in whiskey for at least 1-2 weeks, shaking daily or as often as you remember. 

You can use the whiskey after about a week, but giving it a full 2 weeks to infuse will allow the flavor to really develop.

Note

If you won’t be using the whiskey right away, there’s no need to strain out the infusing strawberries after 2 weeks. Longer steep times allow the flavor to deepen, and can make for a very tasty liquor.

Photo by Kristine Clay

Lavender Simple Syrup Materials

¼ c lavender, dried

½ c sugar

¼ c lime juice

¼ c water

Lavender Simple Syrup Method

Add the ingredients to a small saucepan.

Bring the liquid to a rapid boil then reduce the heat and simmer lightly for about 10 minutes. 

Remove from heat and let the syrup cool. 

Strain out the lavender pieces and bottle the syrup. 

Store leftover syrup in the refrigerator.

Photo by Kristine Clay

Strawberry Lavender Julep Materials

1 ½ f. oz strawberry whiskey

½ fl oz lavender simple syrup

Ice cubes

Fresh lavender sprigs 

Club soda or sparkling water, optional 

Strawberry Lavender Julep Method

Pour whiskey and simple syrup into a glass and stir. 

Add ice. 

If desired, top with a splash of club soda or sparkling water. 

Garnish with a sprig or two of fresh lavender.

Note

This recipe makes one cocktail.

Article written by Kristine Clay. Kristine is a mother, herbalist, & writer who lives on an off-grid homestead in the Ecuadorian Andes. She enjoys crafting botanical concoctions, baking, and hiking with her partner in the eco-sanctuary they steward. You can read her musings about herbs, nourishing foods, & holistic mothering on her blog: mamalibelula.com and find out more about Andean plants, regenerative land management, & raising rabbits at: SierrayCielo.org.

Categories
herbal skincare Herbs and Herbalism Recipes

Easy Oat & Chamomile Face Mask

I’ve recently realized how easy it is to make soothing herbal face masks, and now I’m hooked! They’re versatile, ingredients are interchangeable, and you can definitely make them without a formal recipe. I am just getting started, but I can’t wait to experiment with all kinds of combinations (and share my favorites with you here)!

Today’s face mask is a very gentle, soothing one that is great for sensitive skin. Even your kiddos can try this one out! It combines powdered oats, chamomile, and cardamom for the dry ingredients—which you can store in a jar with a long shelf life, and simply combine a bit with the wet ingredients that your skin needs each time you use it.

Oats are extremely nourishing and soothing to skin, adding moisture and calming redness. Chamomile does much the same and is often included in skincare products for that reason! Cardamom has antibacterial properties and can help clear your complexion.

As far as wet ingredients to moisten the face mask, you can choose between many options based on your skin’s needs! Here are a few ideas; you can play with amounts to mix in for the sake of the mask’s consistency on your face.

  • Honey: antibacterial, helps with scars, mildly exfoliating (you’ll definitely need a thin liquid too to make the mask less sticky if you use honey)
  • Herbal toner: a witch hazel and herb infusion (like the comfrey one pictured) adds acne fighting and pore toning benefits
  • Rose water or other herbal hydrosol: gentle, nourishing, moisturizing, soothing, and smells amazing
  • Black or green tea: tightens pores, tones, purifies
  • Herb-infused oils: moisturizes and conditions dry and/or aging skin, feels super luxurious, and helps the mask have a lovely consistency
  • Aloe Vera: healing for acne scars and skin rashes, soothing, and tightening

Don’t be afraid to experiment with amounts! In the pictured dry mask base, I used 1/4 cup oats, 2 tablespoons chamomile, and 1/2 teaspoon cardamom. But experiment with amounts to get a consistency you love! Then apply to clean skin with a makeup brush, leave on for 10-15 minutes, and rinse off with lukewarm water.

What are your favorite face mask ingredients?

Categories
Herbs and Herbalism plant wonder collective Recipes

Dill Potato Soup

For dill month with the Plant Wonder Collective, I decided to make potato soup! Dill pairs so nicely with potatoes, and gives the soup a fresher flavor for springtime rather than a heavier, wintry taste.

You could make your own favorite potato soup recipe and simply add dill in wherever herbs are called for, or you can try out this easy slow cooker recipe I used!

Slow Cooker Dill Potato Soup

Ingredients

  • 6 slices bacon, diced
  • 2-3 pounds petite red/gold potatoes, chopped (no need to peel)
  • 3-4 cups chicken stock
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2-3 sprigs fresh dill
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more to top
  • 1 pint (16 oz) heavy cream
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

  • Cook bacon according to your preferred method.
  • Add potatoes, bacon, 3 cups of the chicken stock, onion, garlic, dill, thyme, and butter into 4-quart slow cooker and stir to combine.
  • Cover and cook, on low heat for about 7-8 hours or high heat for about 3-4 hours, until potatoes are tender.
  • Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes to your desired consistency. Add in cheese and heavy cream, stirring until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Replace cover and cook on low heat until warmed through, stirring occasionally, for about 15-20 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more chicken stock as needed.
  • Top with more shredded cheese to serve.

Recipe adapted from this one by Damn Delicious.