Fulsome Flowers Herb Walk 21 July, Siberian Pine Nut Oil Joins Madeleine's Cream, Delicious cakes with Elderflower Cordial...

Fulsome Flowers in July

NEXT HERB WALK: THURSDAY, 21ST JULY 2011

Angelic Agrimony

Beautiful Betony

Agrimony & Betony are friends - hedgerow friends. Though they are from two separate families (Rose & Mint), the bright yellows and purples sing a harmonious chorus from the surrounding grasses, reminding us of their willing support.

See below for a quick tea infusion of these marvellous companion blooms

"Bless air's gift of sweetness, honey

from the bees..."

There are signs this year that the nectar flow is not as abundant, which affects the ability of colonies to swarm. Swarming is the natural way for bees to reproduce and maintain strong colonies that are resistant to disease. The future of our flowers - and possibly our planet - depends on the health of our bees.

Click HERE to find out what you can do to help.

A Heavenly Way to Use Elderflower Cordial

CUPCAKES:

110g soft unsalted butter

110g caster sugar

50g ground almonds

4 Tbs elderflower cordial

2 eggs

75g self-raising flour

- Preheat oven to 180C/gas mark 4

- Line muffin tin with 8 paper cases

- Beat the butter and sugar together 'til pale and light

- Beat in the almonds and 1 Tbs elderflower cordial

- Beat in the eggs a little at a time

- Add the flour, quickly folding in with a spoon

- Divide the mixture between the cases

- Bake for about 20 minutes in centre of oven 'til pale golden.

Remove from oven and pierce each cake with a fine skewer; drizzle remaining cordial (3 Tbs) over cakes.

Cool in the tin.

ICING:

200g mascarpone

100ml double cream

3 Tbs elderflower cordial

90g icing sugar

fresh elderflowers

- Whisk mascarpone, cream, cordial, icing sugar for half a minute 'til thick. Don't overbeat.

Swirl a dollop over each cooled cake and decorate with elderflower blossoms.

FREE* SAMPLE of our NEW FLOWER-SCENTED Madeleine's Cream

*FREE 10g sample with every online purchase.

Scented Cream contains Essential Oils of Rose Geranium + Lavender

	Luscious NEW Addition to Madeleine's Cream & Ointment Recipe!
It's Extra Virgin Siberian Pine Nut Oil, cold-pressed using manual wooden oil presses. Wild harvested (first press only) from trees in the Siberian Taiga, said to be ecologically one of the purest areas of the world. This wondrous stuff is now in every pot of Madeleine's Cream and Ointments. To buy them online, click HERE or send an email to: herestoyourhealth@hotmail.co.uk.

Let's fly in July: Herb Walk 21 July

St Johns Wort

The latest in our series of Herb Walks through the glorious hedgerows and enchanting fields of Forest Row, led by the effervescent Ben Fairlight Edwards.

This one-day workshop is for anyone interested in learning about local plants.

We'll be out in the fields, by hedgerows, near a stream... there is something amazing everywhere you look if you know what to look for. On sparer ground we'll seek St Johns Wort, Sow Thistle and Good King Henry...

Herby King Henry

...the Chamomiles could also present us with the opportunity to identify and discuss the various uses of four of their kind.

Meadowsweet

Near the water we'll look for the creamy blooms of Meadowsweet, the murky pink flowers of Valerian, the cleaner pink of Bogbean

A moth visits Valerian

and the starry pink of Centaury flowers...

Starry Centaury

... we look forward to seeing you there!

- Ben, The Barefoot Herbalist

Join us for a fun and fascinating day!

Morning 9:30 - 1pm

Afternoon 2pm - 5pm

�20 for morning or afternoon,

�35 for all day

Please bring your own lunch; drinks and bics provided

Please bring these Barefoot essentials:
1 small jar with lid
1 plastic bag (freezer/sandwich bag)
1 pair of small scissors or a penknife

(optional)

1 thermos flask for field infusions

Call Madeleine on 01342 826 965 to book

or email herestoyourhealth@hotmail.co.uk

	Digestive Tea
Both Agrimony and Betony are excellent tonic restoratives for the digestion, especially in times of stress. Simply pick the flower stems and leaves and make a tea of the two herbs. If you put them in a glass teapot, you'll be uplifted by their colours, too! Don't, however, drink more than 3 cups a day of Betony if you are pregnant as it's a uterine stimulant.

Herbal wisdom in this newsletter provided by the Barefoot Herbalist himself, Ben Fairlight Edwards. The Elderflower Cupcake recipe is courtesy of the lovely Janet, who made these delectable beauties and brought them to the last Herb Walk. The bee quote is part of a poem entitled, 'Virgil's Bees' by Carol Ann Duffy, Poet Laureate & Patron of The Natural Beekeeping Trust. Thank you all!