Tag: seasonal

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herbal skincare Herbs and Herbalism Hygge Recipes

Autumn Spice Botanical Hand Soap

DIY botanical hand soap is incredibly simple to make and can bring lovely, refreshing scent, moisturizing properties, and natural ingredients to the sinks in your home. It also makes a nice house-warming or holiday gift!

It is something extra special to concoct your own personalized soap from some of your favorite natural ingredients. You can capture the season, cozy vibes, and your favorite scents all in something you use many times a day! And the process of very easy and fun! My eight-year-old daughter especially enjoys creating this hand soap with me.

Simply combine castile soap, water, herb-infused oil (such as coconut, jojoba, sweet almond, or olive oil), and essential oils (these are optional but help add a stronger scent). You can also add ingredients like vegetable glycerine and/or aloe vera for extra moisturization, and vitamin E oil to extend the shelf life.

For this particular batch of hand soap, I invoked an autumnal energy by including rose-infused jojoba oil, orange essential oil, frankincense essential oil, cinnamon sticks, star anise, dried orange, and a few cloves. The dried botanicals and spices are added for accent and visual appeal, and they are hard enough so they won’t break down too much in the soap mixture to interfere with the soap. If you’d like, envision a warming and cozy intention while adding these to this soap your family and friends will use in your home.

Here is the recipe!

Autumn Spice Hand Soap

Materials:

Instructions:

Starting with a clean jar, add 1 cup water. Add 1/2 cup castille soap and all other ingredients. Replace lid and carefully swirl vigorously to mix. If the jar looks too empty, top up with a bit more water and castille soap.

The mixture will be a bit foamy at the top, and will be thin but luxuriously moisturizing for the skin.

Note: you may need to give it a swirl once in a while as the ingredients can separate while it sits and settles. Also, if very young children or anyone with skin sensitivities will be using the soap, you can omit the essential oils.

Would you make DIY hand soap? Which ingredients or scents would you use in yours?

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
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
Herbs and Herbalism

Autumn Harvest: Hickory Nuts

Last October I had the opportunity to collect some hickory nuts, and I’m hoping I get to when I revisit the same location again this year! Yesterday at a state park we encountered some shagbark hickory trees that were quite picked over by the squirrels already. But the place we collected them last year was so busy with people (an apple orchard) that the squirrels had steered clear and left them for the lucky humans to find.

Hickory nuts are incredibly nutritionally dense. They’re quite tricky and time consuming to crack and extract from the shells, so it’s a good thing they pack a punch! They are incredibly high in protein and those heart-protecting, cholesterol-lowering good fats you find in olive oil and avocados. They provide lots of folate and other important nutrients, as well. Hickory nuts are important to many native peoples whose diets have long included them. Numerous wildlife species also rely on them for vital nutrition.

And they taste amazing! If you have the patience to dig through these tricky shells, you’re rewarded with nuts that are wonderful raw and taste somewhat like a cross between walnuts and pecans but with a sweeter, maple syrup-like hint of flavor.

Hickory nuts have folk associations as well. In many Seneca tales, hickory nuts are associated with the dead and even bringing the dead back to life. (Very fitting as we approach Samhain!) Hickory nuts also represent nourishment, grounding, strength, and patience. (Not in small part because it takes 30-40 years of growth before the tree starts to bear nuts!)

With last year’s small harvest (I was mindful not to take more than my share) I allowed them to dry out in the sun before savoring a couple, while saving most of them for special occasions since I only have a few. I considered making a little strength talisman out of the smallest one, but I haven’t done so yet. I hope I get to add a few more to my little, precious collection!

Have you ever tried a hickory nut? What would you do with them if you had a few?

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
Botanical Anthology

Cinnamon + Spiced Milk by Brighid Doherty

This is an excerpt from the article Cinnamon, More than One Spice by Brighid Doherty featured in the Autumn edition of Botanical Anthology. A plant lover’s dream, it is a seasonal, plant centered quarterly publication bringing you over 50 articles from 49 contributors to incorporate herbs in your apothecary, kitchen, foraging and gardening, crafts, and celebrations.

To learn more about the similarities and differences between the two types of cinnamon plus their medicinal qualities check out our autumn edition. 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 Brighid Doherty

Breathe Easy Spiced Milk

This infusion is a nourishing combination of mullein, cinnamon, milk and honey that supports lung health. Whether the lungs have been exposed to excessive smoke or air pollution or experience chronic asthma, allergies, bronchitis or coughs, this remedy will help them function better. All of the ingredients soothe and nourish lung tissue. Mullein is a classic lung tonic herb. Cinnamon is warming, soothing and antimicrobial. Milk soothes lung tissue and provides important minerals allowing them to be calm. Honey sweetens and adds anti-microbial and soothing properties to the beverage.

Photo by Brighid Doherty

Materials

½ oz mullein leaves

2 c water, boiling hot 

2 tbsp cinnamon chips or 2 quills  

1-2 teaspoon each of cloves, cardamom, ginger, fennel seeds, optional

2 c organic whole milk or half and half

1 tbsp or more honey

1 quart mason jar and lid

Unbleached coffee filter paper and ceramic drip cup or fine mesh strainer

Small sauce pot

Method

Add mullein and boiling water to a quart mason jar and cover with a tight lid. Steep for 4-8 hours.

Strain the infusion into a small sauce pot. Add the milk, cinnamon and other desired spices. Simmer gently for 20-40 minutes.

Strain out the cinnamon and spices. Sweeten with honey to your preference. Pour into the quart jar to store.

Drink at least one cup per day.  Enjoy warm or cold.

Store mullein infusion in the fridge for up to 1 week. Once the milk has been added it should be consumed within three days.

Notes

Mullein leaves have fine hairs that have the potential to irritate the throat when consumed.  To avoid the hairs, mullein infusion is best strained through a fine mesh or unbleached coffee filter.  

Premixed chai blends can be used instead of using cinnamon alone, or you can make your own spice blend.

Photo by Brighid Doherty

Brighid is a mother, gardener, herbalist, educator, podcaster, and author living on a bridged island in Maine. She is founder of The Solidago Herb School, The Healthy Herb Podcast, and author of Drinkable Healing Herbal Infusions. Connect with her @solidagoherbschool and solidagoherbschool.com

Categories
Botanical Anthology

Botanical Anthology: Autumn!

I am so excited to share that yesterday was the launch of the autumn issue of Botanical Anthology!

We have worked hard to create a beautiful, useful, cozy, and magical botanical compendium (because it’s way too huge to call a “magazine,” in reality) about all things plants + fall. (I am both a contributing writer for this magazine, with 4 articles / pieces in this issue, as well as its copyeditor!)

If you love plants, living aligned with the seasons, trying your hand at homemade foods + skin products + decor + fun crafts, connecting to nature, and extreme coziness, you’ll love the BA. It is a seasonal, plant-centered quarterly digital + print journal bringing you over 50 articles from 49 contributors to incorporate herbs into your autumn apothecary, kitchen, foraging and gardening, crafts, and celebrations.

From September 12th – 21st, receive the Botanical Anthology Autumn edition digital download, plus our garlic bonus booklet digital download, for just $18. Come next week, the garlic booklet will no longer be included, and the price will increase. (It is also available in print on Amazon for ~$26; Amazon changes the price periodically but that’s the current price.)

In this issue:

* Infuse a first aid tincture, steep root infusions + transition skincare to autumn

* Make pumpkin spice marshmallows, sip cacao bone broth + bake chocolate chestnut cookies

* Harvest medicinal roots, forage birch polypore + put your garden to rest

* Print leaves, dye with mushrooms + weave a cornucopia

* Divine with apples, craft a witch’s broom + discover olive folklore

* Celebrate Autumn Equinox + Samhain with simple observances

* Meet Alyson Morgan, Leah Larabell + Kirstie Gildersleeve

* Check out our new feature Ask an Herbalist

We are so proud of this labor of love, creativity, and love of plants. Let us be your guide to work with plants as you journey through the autumn season!

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
herbal skincare willow & sage

Willow & Sage Autumn 2023

Have you ever read Willow & Sage magazine? It’s a lovely publication that shares recipes, crafts, gardening, uses, and packaging ideas for handmade botanical bath, body, and natural home products. Many creatives contribute these recipes, articles, and photos which make up this unique magazine.

I am so excited to share that a photo I took is on the cover of Willow & Sage magazine’s latest issue, and two articles I wrote are inside! You can find this issue at, among other retailers, Barnes & Noble and Joann, both of which I did on August 1 to see it out in the wild with my own eyes. I am very excited and proud to be a part of this publication!

I wrote the cover article with the recipe for warming ginger lotion bars, as well as an article and recipe for coffee and rose aromatherapy oil. I loved crafting these cozy and creative botanical projects, and I can’t wait to follow the other recipes in this issue to make some amazing creations by all the other contributors.

Thank you to Willow & Sage for this opportunity! I am so thankful for this chance to flex my creative muscles and brew up recipes such as these.

Thank you so much to everyone who purchases a copy or subscription of Willow & Sage, too! I am so grateful for all the ways you support my work.

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!