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Old Fashioned Herbal Gifts
By Brenda Hyde
Finding the perfect gift isn't always
easy if you are trying to be creative and unique. Nothing is
more memorable or heart felt than gifts you create yourself to help
encourage relaxation and pampering. The following old fashioned
recipes can be made easily made and packaged for friends and family. Add them to a pretty wicker basket decorated with
a silk bow and lined with old fashioned lace for a special touch.
Rose water
Ingredients:
3 cups rose petals
3 cups purified water
Pick the rose petals just after the dew has been dried
by the morning sun. Place in a glass or porcelain
container and pour boiling water over the petals. Allow
to steep for two days, stirring frequently. Strain and bottle.
Peppermint Skin Toner
Ingredients:
1 pint vinegar
1 pint purified water
1 cup mint leaves
Place all ingredients in a glass or enamel saucepan and bring
to a boil. Remove from heat. Pour into a glass jar and allow to
steep for four days. Strain and bottle. Be sure to label with
a pretty card and ribbon.
Lavender Sachet
Ingredients:
1/2 pound lavender flowers
1/2 ounce dried mint
1/2 ounce dried thyme
1/4 ounce ground caraway
1/4 ounce ground cloves
1 ounce sea salt
Detach the lavender flowers and leaves from the stems
and mix with the other ingredients. Place in small bags
made of silk, unbleached cotton or cotton with die-fast
color. Sew shut and tie with a ribbon if desired. You
can be creative with this mixture and sew heart shapes
that can then be decorated with miniature ribbon roses
and ribbon.
Herb Closet or Drawer Squares
Place handfuls of each of dried lavender flowers, rosemary,
one tablespoon each crushed cloves and small pieces of
dried lemon peel together. Sew small cotton squares about
four by four inches; leaving a space open. Stuff with herb
mixture. Tie several together and wrap in tissue paper
tied with raffia. Attach a note explaining that these will protect
clothes from insects and can be placed in drawers, closets
or boxes.
Herb Honey
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon fresh herb
or 1 tsp. dried herb
1 pint honey
Choose an herb such as thyme, lavender, mint, rosemary
or even rose petals. Bruise fresh leaves slightly and place
them in the bottom of a small saucepan. Pour room temperature
honey into the pan and heat over low heat very slowly. Stir
the mixture until the honey is JUST warm, about 2 minutes.
Pour the mixture into sterilized jars and seal tightly. Store
the jars at room temperature for about one week to
blend flavors. Then reward the honey in the same way
and strain out the herbs. Recap. Jelly jars work well for
this. Tie a ribbon around the neck with an attached tag
with suggested uses such as: sweeten tea or punch, use
in salad dressings, combine half and half with butter
to use as a spread for waffles, pancakes, muffins or bread.
Brenda Hyde is a freelance writer living on ten acres in rural Michigan with her husband and three kids. Stop by and visit her garden blog, Garden of Grace & Whimsy, and her photography blog, A Dance of Words & Photos.
SeptemberLady "Born and have lived in Southern MD most of my life. My husband and I just finished building a new home on the family farm, where I hope to retire in the near future.
My interests: Doll collecting, cookbook collector (especially old ones), antiques, family/friend get-togethers, cooking/baking, flower and vegetable gardening, bird-watching."
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling Memorial Day signals the start of barbecue season. Everyone wants to light that fire and charcoal that first meal. A few tips might pre- vent your entree from becoming a "Burnt Offering."
Read these tips for plenty of grilling ideas, make this year's barbecue perfect!
Growing and Using Garlic Chives Garlic chives, Allium tuberosum, is a hardy perennial (Zones 3-9) that will grow to about 12 inches high. The stems are skinnier and flat, instead of hollow as are regular chives, with greenish white blooms that are about an inch wide and not as rounded. They bloom in the summer rather than spring. The bloom stalks grow much taller than the leaves, sometimes up to 30 inches.
The stems and blooms are both edible and have a mild garlic onion taste. I've noticed many writers will list this as primarily as an Asian herb, as they are also known as Chinese chives, Chinese leeks, ku chai (China) or Nira (Japan), but it has many other uses as well!
The Perfect Porch Swing Perhaps it is the soothing rhythm or the reassuring creak of the porch swing that attracts us. Perhaps it is the companionable silence or quiet conversation. Or maybe swings simply remind us of more genteel times.
Although porch swings can be purchased in a wide range of materials, the most common are wicker and wood. You can also make your own porch swing from one of the myriad of woodworking patterns available at garden centers, hardware stores, or on the Internet.
Memorial Day: Backyard Grilling
Growing and Using Garlic Chives
The Perfect Porch Swing