FUN WITH HONEY
September is National Honey Month! And even though it's almost over, you can still find some new things to do with honey! Try making an infused honey with your favorite spices or herbs. This is one my favorite things to do and it's so simple. Take a clean empty jar. Add your favorite spices or herbs until loosely filled to 3/4 full. Slowly pour in honey until almost full. Stir and then top off with some more honey. Cover and let sit for at least two weeks - longer if you can stand the wait. You can give a stir every now and then and taste for flavor. When set to your liking, you can strain out the herbs or spices. Or you can leave them in and just push them aside. If the honey starts to crystallize or is very thick and your having trouble straining, very VERY gently warm the jar in a warm water bath. That should help. Some of my favorite things to infuse into honey: Cinnamon sticks, Star Anise seed pods, Vanilla beans, Cloves, Cardamom (or any of these in combination), dried lemon peel, wilted rose geranium leaves, rose petals, fresh grated ginger, or hot peppers. There are any number of options and combinations to make some extra tasty honey. Little jars of this also make great stocking stuffers for the holidays. You can used the infused honey for anything you would use regular honey. I like to use ginger-cinnamon honey in my Chai tea. Hot pepper honey is great as a pork glaze. Lemon Verbena infused honey is wonderful in salad dressing. Rose Geranium is really nice on fruit for a light dessert. Clove - Vanilla is really good on waffles. Well, you get the point. Have fun with your honey and let me know what you come up with! |
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Celtic Chairde Creations is a proud member of:
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 Cool and Creamy
Body Butters
All lotions have two parts to them. There's a water part and an oil part. The oil part also includes things like bees wax and butters (shea or aloe for example). The more water, the looser the lotion will be and, at least I feel, the less long lasting and useful.
You may be familiar with our lotion bars. They have no water part and are perfect for skin that is extra dry and flaky - long lasting and soothing. Some people prefer not to have something as heavy for all over use. Our Body Butters are just the thing - wonderful for the person who likes their lotion a little bit lingering and creamier.
The water part of our Body Butters are infused with herbs like calendula and chamomile to add extra soothing power. Each Body Butter utilizes softening and rejuvenating butters (like Shea, aloe, mango and cocoa butter) and oils (like evening primrose, coconut, marula, and sea buckthorn berry oils) from around the world, in slightly different combinations to appeal to different skin types and preferences.
These luxurious creams are then scented with essential oils and quality frangrance oils that wrap you in bouquet that will lift your spirits. They are cooling, soothing and or so lovely.
Scents include:
Ariannes Coconut Creme - a visit to a tropical beach
Floral Fantasy - like a walk along a garden path
Irish Country - an Irish countryside glen filled with heather and oakmoss
Jazzy Lavender - lavender kissed with jasmine
Jenny's Visions of Vanilla - layers of vanilla cream
Moonlight & Roses - a whisper of roses along a moonlit path
Seaside Sunset - fresh and crisp as a twilight beach stroll
Tropical Paradise - flowers and fruits from an island hideaway
1/2 oz - $4.00 1 oz - $7.00 2 oz - $9.00 |
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Intriguing and Mysterious Horsetail
This little plant fascinates me. It looks like something that grew as dinosaurs trudged along a jungle trail. And it may well have. It is the descendant of giant ferns that date back over 200 million years.  Equisetum arvense, shavegrass or field horsetail are common names for this prolific plant. It has almost bamboo like stalks, but doesn't get quite as tall. At least not here in New Jersey. My little patch does try to escape it's designated area on occasion, but I just mow it down. It certainly does make an interesting addition to an herb garden. It's also a very beneficial plant. It contains high quantity of silica and potassium salts, as well as other nutirents. Since ancient times it's been used as a diuretic, to stop blood loss, and to aid with arthritis and rheumatism. It can be used in so many ways - a tea, poultice or infusion. I love using it as an infusion for a hair rinse. I've found that it helps strengthen my hair. I like it so much I've made it an important ingredient in our Mela Tae Night Moon and Lemon Bright Hair rinses, where it provides a hair strengthening and smoothness quality.
But my favorite thing to do with Horsetail is to file my nails with it. The stalks have tough silica filled ridges around them. Fresh or dried, I carry a piece in my purse and use it as a natural nail file. You can also use a small bundle to do fine sanding on wood work. It smooths the edges and gives a nice polish to a piece. You can even scour pots with it! It really is an ancient wonder plant - right there in my own backyard.
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Where We'll Be - Stop by and See
Saturday October 2 and Sunday October 3
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.  Adults $15, Students $12, Children under 12 are free
We're very excited to be a part of this new Renaissance Festival. Held on the grounds of the beautiful Willoe Creek Farm & Vineyard, this faire is packed with entertainment, arts, thrills, comedy, music, and so much more. Check their website for all of the details.
Saturday, October 16th
10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Adults $10, under 18 & seniors $5, children under 3 are free
415 Washington Street (Christ Episcopal Church), Toms River, NJ
Avast! We be heading to visit the Pirates of Valhalla at this pirate gathering. It will really put you into the Halloween spirit with fun for children of all ages. Pull in to port and enjoy the sword play, music and merriment of the best bunch of pirates at the Jersey Shore.
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 The Awesomeness that is October
Autumn may start in September, but October is when we really celebrate it. Cool days and just a little extra chill at night encourage us to get in the last of those outdoor adventures before the harsh weather comes. In fact, October is National Go On A Field Trip Month. Remember Fields Trips when you were in school? They always seemed to give you something to talk about. Take it one step further and plan a family field trip and create some autumn memories. The chilly weather does make it the perfect time to celebrate National Chili Month!!! Now that will warm you up. Or how about some chili seasoned popcorn? Afterall, it's also National Popcorn Poppin' Month. Yum, great combo to keep you warm while you're watching the game. It is so wonderful to look up and see eagles soaring again in New Jersey. It truly brightens your spirit. Take some time in October to learn more about the different birds of prey during National Raptor Month.  But the very best thing about October is it's PUMPKIN TIME! Halloween is coming and it's time to carve and roast wonderful pumpkins. But more on that next time. Until then, enjoy the cool, crisp, festive, awesome October. |
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