Citrus Dry Perfume - Bath Blend of the Month

Summer fresh scent to use instead of perfume to scent skin and hair.

Citrus Dry Perfume

• 1 teaspoon orris root powder
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 Tablespoon finely powdered dry orange peel
• 1 teaspoon finely powdered dry lemon peel
• 2 drops lemon essential oil
• 2 drops begamot essential oil

Mix together all the ingredients.  Place items in a food processor, blender or coffee grinder and process until you havve a smooth, fine powder.  Place the perfume in a clean container with a tight fitting lid.

TO USE: Rub a small amount of this scented powder on your skin where you would apply perfume or cologne.

Summer Daze Tea - Tea Blend of the Month

Spearmint for cooling, flowers for summer brightness and a few immunity boosters so you stay healthy to enjoy the fun make this a tasty summer tea.

• 1 tsp spearmint
• 1 tsp dried lemongrass
• ½ tsp each elderflowers
• ½ tsp rose petals
• ½ tsp chamomile
• ½ tsp blackberry leaf
• Pinch of orange peel  (or purchase our ready-made tea blend!)

Mix ingredients together well and store in a tightly sealed jar

To Use: Bring cool water to a boil.  Place 1 tsp of the tea blend in a tea infuser, pour 1 cup of boiling water over and allow to steep for 5 – 6 minutes, preferably in a covered container.  For iced tea, allow to steep up to 12 minutes, then allow to cool to room temperature and add ice and add a squeeze of lemon if desired.

Herbed Baby Powder - Bath Blend of the Month

When the weather gets warm, I move to a dusting of baby powder in the morning to help keep me fresh and dry.  I like to craft a powder from natural items and ground herbs that I can adjust based on my needs of the season.  This blend is a combo of cornstarch and baking soda with herbs and spices.

Basic Herbed Baby Powder

• 8 oz. arrowroot or cornstarch or a blend of both
• 4 oz. baking soda
•  1 T. ground clove
• 1 T. slippery elm
• 1 T. rose petals
• 1 T. lavender
• 1 T. ground orange peel
• 1 T. ground lemon peel

Grind any herbs that are not powdered, then measure into baking soda and cornstarch in a glass or ceramic bowl.  Pure resulting mixture into a large glass jar, covered, for two weeks, allowing scents to blend.  Shake jar well every other day.

Optionally you can also add 10 to 20 drops total of match essential oils.

 

Winter Simmer for Health and Wellness

Combat viruses, relieve congestion and stuffy nose, and add humidity to the air with this awesome stovetop simmer. The steam combined with the aromatic cleansing and health boosting properties
of the herbs in this simmer makes it more than just an air freshener.  This all natural, gentle remedy, and it smells amazing.

Winter Simmer

• 1/2 cup rosemary
• 1/2 cup eucalyptus
• 1/2 cup dried orange
• 2 Tbls. dried ginger pieces

Combine the herbs into a container with a tight fitting lid.

To Use: Fill a small saucepan with water.  Add 1/4 cup of the blend.  Bring the pot to a boil, then reduce heat to allow pot to simmer and steam.  Keep an eye on it, so water does not boil away.

Blood Orange and Rosemary Screwdriver - Weekend Recipe

This one is not a mocktail.  It is a cocktail and I just really like it - so I am sharing it.  I make a fake gin with blood oranges, so whenever I make that mock drink ingredient, I buy enough Blood oranges to enjoy this as my after-dinner cocktail. This recipe is large enough for you to share with your special someone!

Blood Orange Rosemary Screwdriver

4 ounces chilled vodka

12 ounces blood orange juice

3 sprigs rosemary

glasses and a cocktail shaker

Fill two highball glasses (a tall glass at least 8 ounces in size) with ice cubes

In a cocktail shaker, combine ice with vodka, orange juice and one sprig of rosemary.  Shake vigorously for at least 30 to 45 seconds and strain into ice filled glasses.  Add an orange wedge and a fresh sprig of rosemary to each glass. Serve immediately.

RECIPE THEME

Each month a theme is chosen and a number of recipes on that theme from my massive archive will be shared.  This year we have 12 new topics, different from the topics of last year.  To find the recipes of last year, check out this recipe link or search the blog with the topic Recipe2018. 

You can search the monthly theme by looking for the theme keyword in the search box and it will pull up the recipes on that theme as posted, so look at the bottom of the recipe in each posting for the KEYWORD in the () to search for each  month.  All recipes this year will be tagged Recipe2019 so you can find them all.

The themes are:

Jan 2019 – Chicken and Dumplings (CDumpsJan)

Feb 2019 - Pasta Dishes (PastaFeb)

March 2019 - Edible Flowers (FlowerMar)

April 2019 - Seafood Recipes (SeafoodApr)

May 2019 - Cajun And Creole (C&CMay)

June 2019 - Vegetarian Dishes (VegJun)

July 2019 - Zucchini Recipes (ZucJul)

August 2019 - National Mustard Day – mustard recipes (MustardAug)

September 2019 - Quiche (QuicheSep)

October 2019 - Crock Pot meals (CrockOct)

November 2019 - Pies (PieNov)

December 2019 - Mocktails (MockDec)

Introducing a new Tea Blend - Fruit Infusion

Today we will be at the Elmhurst Garden Walk and Faire 9 AM to 4 PM.  Please stop by and see us.  One of the items we are debuting this summer is a tea made with fruit and herbs,  It is a departure for me to make a tea with fruit, but I found an organic supplier of the items to make it and felt it was finally time to combine my fresh dried herbs with some fruit to make an entirely different taste.

I named the tea Fruit Infusion as it has a combination of different fruits and herbs and it contains: blueberries, cranberries, goji berries, and pear along with hibiscus, chamomile, blackberry leaf, borage, lemon and orange peel.

When brewed it is a lovely shade of pinkish/red with a flavor that tastes of  berries and with hints of apple and citrus.Goji berries and blueberries are super fruits that are high in antioxidants and other wonderful flavonoids that boost immunity, reverser aging and many other beneficial attributes. Blackberry leaf and borage are high in vitamins A & C and anti-inflammatory herbs that can help with management of arthritis, diabetes and other chronic illnesses.

Today in Elmhurst we will have zip seal bags of this brand new blend for the discounted price of  $4.00 or you can buy them on the website with this link.

And if you stop at the booth we will be sampling the perfect Summer iced tea, that I made last year. It contains lemon grass, hibiscus, lavender, rose hips, orange peel and some cooling peppermint. We title this one Summer Surprise and it is getting rave reviews across several states!

Christmas Cocktail- Cranberry Orange

The perfect flavors of the holiday season include cranberries and oranges.  I found a dozen recipes on Pinterest using cranberries for a holiday drink.  I love cranberry and my hubby came home with two large boxes of mandarin oranges from a fundraising sale.  These are the tangerines that are sold under brand names like Cuties.  They are quick and easy to peel and just the right size for a snack.  They are also perfect for sweetening and taking the edge off of tart cranberry. 

Cranberry Christmas Cocktail

1 mandarin orange (Cuties)

8 large ice cubes

1 ½ cups Cranberry juice

1 12 oz. can ginger ale

And a good pour of Rye Whiskey

Place everything in a blender and run until ice is crushed. Garnish with a couple fresh cranberries or a skewer of candied cranberries.  You can leave out the whiskey to make it a mocktail or substitute prosecco or other sparkling wine to make it more bubbly.

Pour into a glass strained or unstrained. This recipe makes about 30 ounces or 5 6-ounce servings.

To find the rest of the Herbal Cocktails posted this month use the search code MOCKDEC, or for any of the 2018 monthly recipe themes use these search terms:

  January - Chicken Soup (ChickJan)  February - Beef Stew (StewFeb)

  March - Jambalaya (JambMar)

  May - Ham and Shrimp Dishes (ShrHamMay)

  June - Bread recipes (BreadJun)

  July - Grilling (GrillJul)

  August- Garden Delights (GardAug)

  September - Salsa, Corn and Jelly (SCJSep)

  October - Squash Dishes  (SquashOct)

  November - Pumpkin Recipes (PumpNov)

  December - Herbal Cocktails (MockDec)

Warm Milk and Cookies Bath Salts - Monthly Bath Recipe

This bath salt mixture looks as lovely as it smells and makes for a silky-scented bathing experience. Great for a foot soak too! The recipe mixes up in just minutes and is easy to multiply if you want to make a bunch to give as several gifts.

1 cup Epsom salts
½ cup Dead Sea salt
½ cup dry nonfat milk powder
1 Tablespoon Orange peel, dried
1 Tablespoon Ginger Root, dried
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon chips
5 drops organic Orange essential oil
5 drops Ginger essential oil

Combine the salts, milk powder, and dried herbs in a glass or stainless steel bowl. Add essential oils and stir well to combine. Store in a jar or bottle with a cap.

To Use: Add 1/8 to 1/4 cup of mixture to a cotton muslin drawstring bag, hang bag over faucet, and run warm water through for a soothing bath. You can also toss the bag into the water while you soak.

Re-energizing Bath Sachet - Monthly Bath Recipe

.
This is a blend similar to our previous energizing bath sachet from 2017, but this one is perfect with summer available herbs.   Mix it ahead and keep in a jar near the tub.  Then place 1/4 cup of blend in a muslin bag or wrap in a terry cloth washcloth.  

Re-energizing Bath Sachet

½ cup lavender flowers
½ cup lemon verbena
½ cup finely chopped orange or lemon peel
10 drops lavender essential oil
6 drops lemon grass oil
Fills 8 bags

Blend the herbs together in a bowl or glass jar, then add each essential oil separately and stir to combine.  Allow to meld overnight, then set aside and fill bags as needed, or pre-fill muslin bags and store in an airtight container.  This recipe will make up to 8 bags.

To Use: Place filled bag under the tap while bath is filling, then slide into the water.  Use the bag as a scrubby to get even more herbal energy!

Springtime Tea Punch - Weekend Recipe

We are at the Villa Park Garden Club Plant Sale this weekend displaying herbs and selling plants for the garden club, so stop by and sample this refreshing punch that we will be tasting!

Springtime Tea Punch

2 cups sugar

2 Tbls BYP Zesty Lemon Tea

2 ½ cups water

1 cup fresh lemon juice

1 cup fresh orange juice

1-6 ounce can frozen pineapple juice concentrate

2 quarts ginger ale, chilled

In a saucepan bring sugar and water to a boil.  Boil for 10 minutes, remove from heat. Add tea and steep for 5 to 7 minutes.  Strain out tea, stir in the lemon, orange and pineapple juices.  Refrigerate.  Just before serving, combine with ginger ale in a large punch bowl. Serves 16 to 20.

Citrus Body Scrub - Bath Blend of the Month

Dried citrus peel makes a wonderful face and body scrub.  You can make your own easily by saving the peels from citrus as you eat it, then running it through the blender or food processor.  If you want you can also purchase already dried and ground orange and lemon peel.

Citrus Body Scrub

1 Tbls dried citrus peel
2 Tbls plain yogurt or sour cream
1 tsp honey

Mix together all the ingredients and stir until smooth. Makes 1 ounce or about 1/8 cup of scrub.

To Use: Massage into damp skin and rinse well with warm water.  Pat skin dry.

Storage: Store any left over scrub in the refrigerator and use within 3 days.

How Tuesday - Lighted Potpourri Jar

This is such a great item to make quickly and place in the bathroom.  It is festive, holiday themed and leaves a great scent when you have guests in the delicate room!

How to -

Step one - Gather your supplies.  You will need:

• 1 wide mouth 1 quart canning jar
• 1 string of 20 to 30 christmas lights (I got mine from the dollar store)
• potpourri
• two rubber bands
• a paper or cloth doily

Step two - Potpourri

       I suggest making your potpourri rather than buying it, but in the essence of time, you can get some store-made at your local hobby center.  Here is recipe for seasonal potpourri if you want to try your hand at homemade.

Potpourri for the Holiday

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 2-3 cinnamon sticks, crushed
• 1 to 3 star anise, broken is fine
• 1 tablespoon cardamom pods, crushed
• 2 teaspoons whole cloves
• 1/4 cup candied ginger or 1/8 cup dried ginger root pieces
• Needles from a pine branch, or from one sprig of rosemary (about 1 tsp. dried rosemary)
• 5 to 7 slices of dried orange
• 1 to 2 tsp dried mint leaves
• 1 Tbls. dried bay leaves

Combine ingredients in a jar and shake to blend.  Store in the jar for a few days to meld the scents.

Use as the potpourri in this project or add 1 cup mixture to a medium saucepan and fill 3/4 full with water and use as a potpourri simmer on the stove.

Step three - Fill the jar with lights and potpourri

Place a layer (about 1 inch deep) of potpourri in the bottom of the quart jar.  Thread in the lights and arrange on top of the potpourri.  Plug them in while you are working so you can see your progress. 

Add more potpourri as you thread in the lights and arrange the lights and potpourri artfully so you can enjoy the lights and the colors of the potpourri together.

Top off the jar with potpourri, leaving the tail end of the light cord outside the jar.

Step four - top the jar

Place a rubberband around the top of the jar to hold the string of lights in place over the rim.  Add the doily to the top and, using the second rubber band, secure the doily in place.   Now you have a scent opening.  Tie a bit of ribbon around the rubber band to cover it.

Step five - plug in to final resting place and enjoy!

We also had the one with the multi-color lights on the book shelf in the livingroom.

Craft Fun with Herbs, #2 - Orange Wreath How Tuesday

This is the second winter craft post, if you would like to see the scented stones we posted first, check out this post.

Make an Dried Orange Wreath

It is Martin Luther King Day, many people and kids are home today and I thought I would continue my craft series with a wreath you can make to brighten up your home and make it smell great too!

Dry the Oranges

First you will need dried oranges.  This is a great warm-the-house project and it smells good too!

Slice 4 to 5 oranges into uniform thin slices.  The thinner the quicker they dry, but too thin and you will see more curling.  Try to keep the slices the same thickness so they dry evenly.

Pat them dry with paper toweling to get as much moisture off as possible.

Place the slices directly on the wire oven racks. No need to use a tray, because you want the air to circulate all around the slices.

Bake the slices in the oven at 200 degrees for a several hours (about 2 and 1/2)  until they are dry to the touch.  Do not over bake them or they will darken to brown.

dried slices cooling on the counter

I found that the slices darkened as they continued to dry after I took them out of the oven. 

Making the Wreath

Once they were dry and cool.  I began top construct the wreath. Here are all the tools I needed:
     a hot or cool glue gun
     a 12 inch wreath base (I used grape vine, but you can use fabric covered Styrofoam or other style
     scissors
     and a prepared space to work.

Step 1

Cut a few of the orange slices in half.  You need about 10 to 11 halves for a 12 inch wreath.

Step 2 

Glue the halves onto the wreath base around the center circle, making sure the edges touch.

Step 3

Begin adding whole slices to the wreath covering the spots where the haves touch.

 Step 4

Continue adding more slices to fill in the spaces between whole slices until the entire wreath base is covered and cannot be seen.

Step 5 

Hang and enjoy.  I just used a loop of gold ribbon so I could adjust the height against the bedroom door. I wanted it to be non-seasonal, but a seasonal ribbon and a sprig or holly, evergreen or leafy branch would make this perfect for spring or winter holidays.

Once a Month Bath Recipe - Hard Days End Bath Blend

January is a hard month.  The recovery from the holidays as well as the cold and harsh winter weather in the north combine to make this month difficult for the skin and the mind.  A soothing bath will help to soothe these ills. Here is a perfect blend to create.

Hard Days End

• 1/2 Cup Lavender
• 1/2 Cup Uncooked Oatmeal
• 1/4 Cup Dry Orange Peel
• 1/2 Cup Chamomile
• 1/4 Cup Rosemary
• 12 Bay Leaves, Crushed

Mix any of the following blends as dry ingredients. Stir well and stuff a metal tea ball or muslin bag with the blend (lace or cotton fabric will also work). As you run your bath, place the tea ball or bag in the tub, under the running water. Then, relax and enjoy!

** Each month around the fourth, we post a bath salt, scrub, or other blend or recipe that you can make at home for your bath!

If you love Bath and Sap items, check them out on our website.

Advent How to - Scented Pine Cones

For 2014 we have decided a two fold Advent Calendar.  On the Backyard Patch Facebook Page we are posting a recipe a day beginning November 30 and continuing through Christmas Day.  Each week will be a different theme.  This week it is appetizers.  Stop over there around 6 pm everyday for the new recipe.

On the Blog we have decided to share a weekly HOW TO.  Each we will have a recipe, gift or decorating item to enhance you holiday and give you a moment to reflect.

Taken in Wisconsin, beautiful Hore Frost

I first shared this recipe in November 2010 on my blog. This year I mentioned that I wanted to make these as gifts and that I needed pine cones and suddenly people are sharing pine cones with me left and right.  I am loving it and made my first batch of scented pine cones last week. I have placed them in a bowl in my entry hallway and what a wonderful scent they have!

Before you make this recipe, I should warn you that if you collect pine cones outside there is a treatment you need to do before you can scent them.  It is quick and easy, but a must!  Place a sheet of parchment on an old cookie sheet.  Spread the cones over the sheet in a single layer and place in a 200 degree oven for 60 minutes. This will remove much of the pitch and all of the bugs.

Once you craft these they can be placed in a trifle bowl and used as a centerpiece. They also look great stacked in a basket on the mantle.  From there you can even toss them into the fire for a crackle and scent.  I have also placed them in a burlap bag just to give off the scent from under my tree.  This is especially good if your cones are less attractive or have broken and smashed side.  Then I know I am going to do this, I do not even worry about collecting "only the good ones!"

So let's get to the task.  Once you have baked the pine cones you are ready to mix.

I let the cones cool thoroughly, leaving them on the parchment paper which allows the pitch to continue dripping out.

Step One - Cool the cones completely.  

Notice how they open up after being in the oven enhancing their attractiveness.

Step Two -   Mix the essential oils with orris root or arrowroot flour in a jar, shaking well to blend. Set aside. I used a bit of clove, rosemary, clove and sweet orange (about 5 drops each) and those called for in the recipe.

Step Three - Combine the herbs and spices in a zip lock bag.

Step Four - Add the pine comes to the bag.  About 10 to 15 depending on size, but I generally fill the bag.

Step Five - Add the scented powder to the bag and shake vigorously.

Step Six - Using as much patience as possible, allow the pine cones to meld in the bag for a week or so.

Step Seven - Decorate with them, hang them on your door wreath, or wrap them in cellophane to give as gifts, especially to those you know with a fireplace.

Scented Pine Cones

      2 Tbls. orange peel

      1 Tbls. cinnamon pieces

      1 Tbls. Hibiscus flowers

      1 tsp. broken bay leaves

      1 1 /2 Tbls. orrris root

      10 drops cinnamon oil

      10 drops bergamot oil

      10 to 15 drops any other spice oils of your choice

      10 to 15 pine cones

Mix together the essential oils with the orris root (use arrowroot flour if you are sensitive to orris.)  Blend the herbs and spices together with the pine cones in a zip seal bag.  Add the scented powder and shake to cover.  Allow to meld as long as a week in the bag before using.

Enjoy the scents of the season and have fun this winter!

Come back next Monday for another Advent How TO!