Tag: seasonal

Categories
Craft Hygge

Pine Impression Clay Ornaments

I wanted to share a fun winter craft with you today: simple, sweet pine needle impression clay ornaments!

I know these are not a new idea, but I’ve been meaning to make some for a while, and I am excited with how they turned out. They are a lovely activity for kids to make, or perhaps a gathering of friends on a wine or tea night!  

And if you live in an apartment where you can’t have a live Christmas tree, or perhaps another reason prevents you, you can forage for pine branches at a local park to take home and make this craft and then apply some drops of pine essential oil to the backs to bring fresh pine scent to your home. (Orange, clove, and cinnamon essential oils would also be fitting and traditional midwinter scents to add!) It’s an accessible way to bring the goodness of pine indoors!

To make the ornaments, roll air-dry clay into 1-inch balls and then press flat into discs with a book or container lid. Or, if you’re fancier than me, you can roll out the clay and use cookie cutters for neater and more uniform ornaments. (Mine are “rustic,” ha!) Then press sprigs of pine needles into the clay to form an impression and poke a hole for ribbon or string. Make sure the ornaments aren’t stuck onto your work surface (waxed paper might help here). Leave them to dry overnight, then the next day paint with watercolor to emphasize the look of the pine sprigs. I used watercolor brush pens and water with a small paintbrush to thin and spread out the paint pigment. 

Once dry, string ribbon or twine through so they can be hung on a tree, drawer knobs, stocking hooks, or even used as gift tags. They can also be used as drawer or car fresheners! 

These simple little ornaments aren’t fancy, but they are cheery and fun to make, give you a chance to do some fun winter foraging with kids or friends, and bring a bit of natural pine into your holiday decorating. 

*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
Botanical Anthology Recipes

Lemon Balm Sugar Cookies

This is an excerpt from the article Lemon Balm Sugar Cookies by Kristine Brown from the Herbal Cookie Tray Vol 2 booklet featured as the bonus for the Winter Vol 3 | Issue 11 | 2024 edition of Botanical Anthology. To learn more about the ingredients and uses of this recipe, check out the entire article in the magazine! Our herbal magazine, featuring remedies, recipes and projects with plants for the winter season, can be purchased as a Digital version: HERE and as a Print version: HERE.

Lemon Balm Sugar Cookies

Make delightful sugar cookies that melt-in-your-mouth good! The mild lemon flavor adds a delicate blend of tang that compliments the savory rosemary flavor from the garnish perfectly. They can be prepped a day or two ahead so you can cut and bake when you’re ready.

Materials

2 tbsp lemon balm, minced
1 tsp lemon juice
1 c butter, softened
⅔ c sugar
1 egg
2 ⅓ c all-purpose flour
Sprigs of rosemary for garnish

Method

In a small bowl, combine lemon balm and lemon juice, pressing the mixture with the back of a spoon to blend. 

In a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and the lemon mixture. Gradually beat in flour and salt. 

Cover and refrigerate 3 hours or until firm enough to roll in wax paper. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the dough on waxed paper and slice into slices about 1/8″ thick. Press bits of rosemary sprigs into each cookie to look like a pine tree. 

Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 8 to 10 minutes. Cookies will brown slightly around edges. 

Notes

  • Yields about 60 cookies. 
  • If you are using dried lemon balm, you will only need about 1 tablespoon.
  • This recipe can be made gluten free by substituting 1:1 gluten free flour blend for the all-purpose flour. 
  • This recipe can be made dairy free by substituting coconut oil or tallow for the butter. 

Kristine Brown, RH (AHG) is the writer and illustrator of the children’s publication Herbal Roots zine, which includes ebooks, online courses, and a membership offering, Herb Club. She is the author of Herbalism at Home, The Homesteader’s Guide to Growing Herbs, and Nature Anatomy Activities for Kids and Nature Anatomy Guided Journal for Kids. Find her online at herbalrootszine.com and on social media @herbalrootszine

Categories
Botanical Anthology

Botanical Anthology Winter 2024!

With a reverence for winter and the plants associated with it, TODAY we launch our third Winter edition of Botanical Anthology.  

Digital Edition: HERE

Print Edition: HERE

A plant lover’s dream, it is a seasonal, plant centered quarterly digital + print magazine bringing you 50+ articles from 45+ contributors to incorporate herbs into your winter apothecary, kitchen, foraging and gardening, crafts, rituals, celebrations, and more. 

* Blend vitamin C powder, steep cough elixirs + whip up oatmeal lotion

* Roast hyssop chicken, bake friendship bread + ferment pine needle soda

* Forage juniper, care for houseplants + consider windfall herbs

* Make gingerbread candle holders, fashion rosemary wreaths + carve block print stamps

* Brew full moon teas, start a women’s circle + muse over poisonous gifts

* Celebrate the Winter Solstice with gløgg, Midwinter with scrying, + discover Mother’s Night + Hen Galen

* Meet Connie Byers, Kathleen Perillo + Rebecca Fils-Aime

From November 25th –  December 10th, receive the Botanical Anthology Winter edition digital download, plus our All About Turmeric + Herbal Cookie Tray Volume 2 + Herbal Advent Calendars booklets, for just $16.  

As a thank you for being here with us, enjoy $1 off the publication with this code:

Take$1BAWinter24

Or head to Amazon to order the print version for $26 then email plantwondercollective@gmail.com with proof of purchase so we know to send you the booklets! We also offer bulk pricing on print orders through our website to save you a bit of moolah.

Give the gift of plants this holiday season. Botanical Anthology is perfect for the budding herbalist, natural health enthusiast, (urban) homesteader, and nature lover in your life. Feel good knowing you are directly supporting a small business and each contributor of this independently published magazine.  

Come mid December, the booklets will no longer be included, and the price will increase.  

Let us be your guide to work with plants as you journey through the winter season!

Categories
Recipes Tea

October: Falling Leaves Moon in Aries + Tea Recipe

Though the Falling Leaves Moon or Hunter’s Moon fell on October 17th this year and has technically passed, the full moon’s energy can still be tapped into. Read on to learn more about this month’s full moon and a corresponding tea recipe!

The Ojibwe named the full moon during what we call October the Falling Leaves Moon. We await the “peak” of the vibrant colors knowing the shedding of these leaves marks winter’s approach. As this full moon nears, we may feel Aries’ pull to dive into autumn with an energy as vibrant as the leaves. But the sun sign Libra may temper this drive with a need for balance to conserve our energies for the coming cold.

Brew this tea to mark the Falling Leaves Moon which includes gifts given from trees for both their symbolic and astro-herbalism connections. Hawthorn bolsters the heart, while juniper, cinnamon, and ginger support the Aries fire. Apple and vanilla round things out with sweetness to cool that fire off a bit and bring things back to balance.

Falling Leaves Moon in Aries Tea Materials-

1 tbsp apple pieces, dried 

1 tsp hawthorn leaf

1 tsp juniper berries

½ tsp cinnamon stick pieces

¼ tsp ginger root, dried 

¼ tsp vanilla bean powder or ¼ vanilla bean pod

Method-

To make a single cup of tea, add 1 tablespoon to a tea strainer, eco-friendly tea bag, or French press. Pour 1 to 1 ½ cups hot water over the tea and steep for about 5 minutes. Strain, and serve. Add sweetener of choice to taste, if desired.

If you’d like recipes to mark each month’s full moon, check out the current and upcoming issues of Botanical Anthology where I share these recipes!

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 Tea

Happy Hobbit Weekend & Tea!

The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings books by J.R.R. Tolkien have been my very favorite books since I first read them as a teenager, and I have always felt a very strong connection to hobbits: simple folk who prefer the comforts of home, well-stocked larders and bookshelves, and the joy of silly fun with family and friends, yet who can be prevailed upon to draw deeply from a well of courage and wit to save the world on occasion. If any fictional folk represents me, it’s the hobbit-folk. 

So the publication anniversary of The Hobbit (my birthday, 9/21) and the birthday of both Bilbo and Frodo Baggins (9/22) alongside the beginning of fall are all something I like to mark wrapped up into one special span of a couple days. I might read bits of The Hobbit to my own halflings, or we might watch the 1970s Rankin Bass animated film of The Hobbit (wonderfully nostalgic and kid friendly).

We may enjoy a hobbit-y teatime, too, with fresh baked goods and hobbit-inspired tea from the recipe I created. It combines smoky lapsang souchong tea for that famous pipe-leaf all hobbits love, hops to represent the tankards of ale they heartily imbibe, reishi mushrooms foraged right from the woods surrounding the shire, and other flavorful herbs and spices.

Ingredients:

1 part loose leaf lapsang souchong (or other black tea)

1 part mint

1⁄2 part reishi, broken into small pieces (substitute with licorice root if you are unable to find reishi)

1⁄2 part hops

1⁄4 part fennel

1⁄4 part nutmeg

1⁄4 part powdered vanilla bean or 1 vanilla bean per 4 cups of tea, split

Directions:

To make a single cup of tea, add 1 tablespoon to a tea strainer, eco- friendly tea bag, or French press. Pour 1 to 1 1⁄2 cups hot water over the tea and steep for 5 minutes. Add honey or other sweetener, if desired.

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
Craftbrunch Folklore Recipes Tea

Chang’e  and the Moon Rabbit: Immortality Elixir Tea 

As a lover of all things autumn, I love branching out and learning about how different cultures mark my favorite season! I have recently learned a bit about the Mid-Autumn Festival in Chinese culture, which takes place around mid-September to early October and centers around the timing of what we know as the Harvest Moon. 

During this autumn equinox festival, celebrations focus on the harvest—with gratitude and family gatherings; the moon; Chang’e (the goddess of the moon); and her companion, a white rabbit who pounds herbs in his mortar and pestle to make immortality elixir. Other symbols and parts of the celebration include lanterns, mooncakes, cassia wine, and burning incense as an offering to Chang’e.

This festival and the lore surrounding Chang’e and the Moon Rabbit are a wonderful Craftbrunch theme! There are lovely picture books on this folklore to share with children, you can decorate lanterns and make moon cakes, and more. 

My contribution to the #autumnnaturemagic #Craftbrunch celebration I’ve joined on Instagram is a tea blend based on the idea of the immortality elixir that the Moon Rabbit makes! Most of the ingredients are longevity herbs in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), and the cassia cinnamon and dried apricots are present to represent cassia wine, which I’ve not tried but I read it tastes like peaches or apricots!

(This tea is safe for adults and kids alike, but if you prefer you can substitute decaf green tea or leave it out altogether.)

Here is the recipe! It should be enough for a few cups of tea but you can increase accordingly for the number of people you’re serving. 

Moon Rabbit’s Immortality Tea

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp Green tea

1 Tbsp Astragalus root

1 Tbsp Ginkgo (I like golden ginkgo)

1 Tbsp Mugwort

1 Tbsp Goji berries, dried

½ Tbsp Ginger, dried, or 1-2 small knobs fresh

Cassia cinnamon, 1-2 sticks broken into pieces

Dried apricots – 3-4, chopped

Instructions:

Brew for 3-4 minutes with just-boiled water; you can brew longer if you omit the green tea, or perhaps put the green tea in a separate tea strainer and remove it before the other ingredients. 

Garnish with cinnamon sticks and dried apricots if you like! Sip this tea before a lantern-lit autumn hike under the moonlight!

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
Botanical Anthology Recipes

Botanical Anthology: Licorice Root Fizz

This is an excerpt from the article Root Mocktails by Leah Jorgensen Jean featured in the Autumn Vol 3 | Issue 10 | 2024 edition of Botanical Anthology. To learn more about mocktails and for the accompanying S’mores mocktail recipe using marshmallow root, check out the entire article! Our herbal magazine, featuring remedies, recipes and projects with plants for the autumn season, can be purchased as a digital version here and as a printed version here. 

Licorice Root Fizz 

Licorice Root Fizz is a delightful drink for those who appreciate its distinctive flavor. Licorice root provides a sweet, herbal taste that is soothing and mildly spicy.  Combined with sparkling water, it transforms into a refreshing and unique beverage, delivering an unexpectedly intense, complex, and invigorating experience. It is an excellent alternative for those who enjoy sipping on licorice-flavored liquors such as Pastis, Sambuca, Ouzo, Pernod, or Absinthe.

Materials

¼ c water
¼ c granulated sugar

2 tbsp licorice root, dried

Ice cubes
Juice of ½ lemon

Sparkling water or club soda
Lemon slice or twist, for garnish

Method
In a small saucepan, combine the water, sugar, and licorice root. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then remove from the heat. Let the licorice root syrup cool to room temperature, then strain it through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth. Transfer the syrup to a clean jar or bottle and store it in the refrigerator until ready to use.

To make the Licorice Root Fizz, fill a glass with ice, and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of the licorice root syrup, depending on your sweetness preference. Squeeze the juice from the lemon into the glass and stir to combine. Top with sparkling water or club soda, stirring gently to mix. Garnish with a lemon slice or twist and serve immediately.


Notes

  • Licorice should not be used while pregnant or nursing and those who have high blood pressure.

Leah Jorgensen Jean is a professional winemaker, holistic nutritionist, and regenerative herbal medicine grower based in Newberg, Oregon. She received her certificate in herbalism from Ecoversity and grows and prepares medicinal plants for her small town herbalist community.  Visit her on Instagram @cosmicculturebotanicals 

These recipes are excerpts from her first book The Herbalist’s Guide for the Sober Curious: 65 Garden-To-Glass Recipes published by Chartwell Books available wherever books are sold in January 2025. Visit her on Instagram @cosmicculturebotanicals 

Categories
Botanical Anthology plant wonder collective

Botanical Anthology Autumn!

It’s here: the Botanical Anthology Autumn issue is available now!

It is a joint labor of love and adoration of plants by the creatives of the Plant Wonder Collective. Our fearless leader Harmonie, the lovely & incredibly creative contributors, and I have all worked tirelessly to bring you this amazing autumn tome we are so proud of. 

Recipes, harvest, folklore, apothecary, celebrations, rituals, interviews, crafts, poetry, foraging, tips, books and podcasts to love, fresh ideas, self care, and so much more to connect you to the wisdom of plants this autumn season. 

For this edition, I contributed an article on ritual teas for autumn’s full moons, a quick craft making hops dream pillows, a piece on the folklore of autumn goddesses and their associated plants, a book review, and a recipe for elderberry fire cider. 

From 9/3 through 9/12, you can pick up the digital (ebook) edition for only $16 and it comes with the All About Elderberry bonus booklet free! If that sounds like just the fall treat you’d like to dive into, here is the link:

DIGITAL EDITION 

Or if you prefer a print copy you can hold in your hands, place on your bookshelf and return to each autumn (as these issues are evergreen and you can enjoy them again and again), here is the link for that:

PRINT EDITION

Are you as ready for fall as I am? 

Categories
Herbs and Herbalism Tea wheel of the year

Lammas, Calendula, & a Tea Meditation

Lammas / Lughnasadh / the First Harvest festival is almost here, coming up on August 1!

In years past, I was very much NOT a fan of the month of August. Where I live it tends to be incredibly hot, buggy, and like a dragging obstacle between me and my favorite season: autumn.

But recently, I came to see August in a new light. I’ve learned about the sabbat of Lughnasadh / Lammas (they tend to be used interchangeably) on the wheel of the year. Lammas marks the first harvest festival—the first of three, including Mabon and Samhain. The connections with Lammas tend to be the late summer veg and herb harvests, grain, bread making, beer, wine, fruits and vegetables, abundance, and gratitude. This opens the doorway for our descent toward autumn. Nights begin to gradually get cooler, and sunflowers bloom at the flower farm near my home. I can get behind this imagery, this spirit of anticipating autumn and gratitude for the end of summer’s abundance!

Lammas and Calendula

When I first learned about Lammas, I immediately, intuitively connected it with calendula. This may not resonate for you—you may have another plant you feel called to at this time. But for me, it’s all about this gorgeous, sunny orange flower.

Medicinally, calendula offers immune boosting, gut healing, inflammation modulating, stagnation clearing, and liver supporting properties when used internally. Externally, it supports skin healing and treats bug bites, rashes, burns, wound healing, and overall skin health support.

Spiritually, calendula is connected to the sun, Leo and Cancer—giving fiery yet nurturing qualities, warmth, comfort, healing, protection, happiness, peace, abundance, hard work, and responsibility. I find that ingesting, and even just seeing this plant on my home altar spaces, helps bolster and nourish me during this industrious time! I tend to add calendula into most of my teas and baked goods during the Lammas season.

Lammas Tea Meditation Download

To celebrate this occasion, I am sharing with you a special Lammas Tea Meditation journaling page that you can download, print, and perhaps pair with a mug of calendula tea. Quiet your mind, breathe deeply, and allow your impressions of the herb to wash over you and impart its gifts.

Download, print, and use this mediation journal page along with any other Lammas / Lughnasadh / First Harvest celebrations and reflections!

Lammas meditation pg.pdfDownload
Categories
Recipes Tea wheel of the year

Summer Solstice Sun & Strawberry Moon Tea

I am so excited that June’s full moon (the Strawberry Moon) and Litha (the summer solstice) fall together this year. It is a convergence that doesn’t happen often—in fact, the last time it did was 1985! All that bright energy of both the longest day and the full moon combined—so magical! 

For me, I think the order of the day is celebration, gratitude, and soaking up every bit of that energy I can. I feel like too often, we see these astrological occasions as calls to act in grandiose ways, to manifest changes and new directions, to enact grand gestures. But this pressure is not necessary, and most likely you have many plates spinning already at this busy cusp of summer! Instead, it is perfectly okay to give yourself permission to rest, recharge from the added light, lean into the sensation of lightness, and simply enjoy and give thanks. Mindfulness can be your act of devotion.

To this end, I am going to brew a Sun and Moon Tea!

I am calling the tea such because I’ve chosen a blend of herbs and botanicals that includes affinities for both the sun and the moon to reflect the meaning of the occasion. There are also botanicals chosen for their ties to Litha, fire, water, and Venus, all of which I am feeling strong influences of during this time. 

Here are the ingredients, and a few of their astrological ties:

•Linden (sun, Litha)

•Chamomile (sun, Litha)

•Jasmine (moon, water)

•Rosemary (sun, moon, fire)

•Strawberry (strawberry moon, Venus, water)

•Hibiscus (fire, water, Venus)

•Lavender (Litha)

And here is the recipe! It’s simple, so you can concentrate on enjoying your mindful moments under the solstice sun and Strawberry Moon. 

Ingredients

32 oz mason jar

1 cup sliced strawberries

2 Tbsp hibiscus

1 Tbsp rosemary

1 Tbsp linden

1 Tbsp chamomile

1 Tbsp jasmine

½ Tbsp lavender

Honey to taste, optional

Directions

Add ingredients to mason jar and fill with cold, fresh water. (If using dried herbs, you might choose to place them in a large eco-friendly tea bag or linen reusable tea bag.) 

Cap tightly and place in a sunny location (free of disturbance by kids or pets!) for 2-3 hours. 

If not using a tea bag or strainer, strain tea into a fresh jar or a pitcher over ice if drinking immediately. You can stir in honey while it is still warm if you’d like! Refrigerate and drink cold. 

Note—

You can substitute fresh herbs for dried ones if you have access to them! You don’t necessarily have to go by the measurements in that case—just add sprigs of each. 

For a printable Litha Tea Meditation journaling page and a printable version of this recipe, join my Patreon at Patreon.com/theherbologyfaerie!