Valentine Gift Sets

I have to admit we were well into January before I realized Valentine’s is right around the corner. It's time to think about that special someone for Valentine's Day.  And I will make it easy for you, just click and order--no need to shop or mail.  I'll do it for you. You'll have to order right away, though.

Here's what we've got for the romantic day:

Premium Valentine's gift set: You get Pink Champagne Bath salts, Champagne truffles, Fizzing Romantic Rose salts in a test tube, and a bottle of luscious body lotion.  Comes in Romantic Rose scent, unless you request another scent. Beautifully packaged in a pink & red Pillow Box. All this for $24!

Pink Petite Valentine's gift set: This lovely set includes Pink Champagne Bath Salts, luscious body lotion, and fizzy bath salts. This one is also beautifully packaged, ready for gift-giving, and scented in Romantic Rose, unless you request another scent. Just $15 for this set!

Sizzling Conversation Set – This set contains three Fizzy Bath salts, each in a test tube and packaged in an organza bag. Three scents or one single scent.  We will package the romantic rose or any other scent you choose.  They're cute, unique, and only $10!
 
Pair of Hearts: This cute paring is perfect for a wife, girlfriend, friend, or anyone you'd like to bestow a novel, but inexpensive gift on.  This pairing is a lavender bath salt blend with a lavender-based Herbal Tea.  Nestled on colorful shred in a takeout box. Ready for gift-giving. It's a great little something for only $5 






Fragrances available: Lemon Citrus (a grapefruit, orange and lemon blend), Romantic Rose, Lavender, Lavender Patch (lavender & patchouli), or Dreamy Herbal Blend (notes of Palmarosa, Lavender, and Clary Sage marry to create a provocative blend)

To see other items from the Backyard patch, check out our Website: www.backyardpatch.com or our Etsy Shoppe where we post all the seasonal specials like these gift sets.

Brew up a Cup of Tea

For Hot Tea Month, I decided I should share more about tea on my blog.  But first I think you should just brew some!

A cup of fragrant herb tea is a natural choice when you want to avoid caffeine. And best of all, you can grow a variety of wonderfully scented herbs and snip off a couple of sprigs whenever you want a comforting cup of tea. You can also dry them and keep them for winter use during cold season or to give as gifts.

Add them to your garden and it comes alive with their spicy scents and with appreciative wildlife. Bees, hummingbirds and butterflies love the flowers of many herbs. It’s a pleasure to rub the leaves and enjoy a whiff of all the different perfumes while working in the garden. Many will do well potted into containers for your porch or patio.

Some of my favorites are: lemon verbena, bee balm, chamomile, scented geraniums, catnip (aka, catmint), pineapple sage, and lemon balm. But you may enjoy a more savory flavor with marjoram, thyme, especially the flavored thymes, like lemon or orange, and Holy Basil.

Brewing Herbal Tea

To brew herb tea just add a few leaves or sprigs to your tea pot, or follow this basic method from Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs:

1. Use a non-metal tea pot to preserve the true flavors.

2. For hot tea use 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs or 1/2 tablespoon of dry per cup of water.

3. For iced tea use 3 tablespoons of fresh herbs or 1 1/2 tablespoon of dry per cup of water (to allow for ice cubes).

4. Bring water to a boil, then pour over the herbs in the tea pot; cover to steep.

5. Steep for at least 5 minutes, test for taste, steep longer if desired.

Serve with honey, lemon or orange slices, or sprigs of fresh herbs. I like to add a dab of honey to both hot and iced tea. For iced tea add the honey before chilling the tea so it will dissolve.

Teapot Therapy

The pleasant ritual of brewing tea and enjoying a couple of cups from my teapot is very soothing. If you don’t have a teapot you can brew your tea right in your cup, just cover it while it’s steeping and strain out the herbs by pouring it into another cup to drink. Then keep an eye out at garage sales or pottery sales for interesting teapots to collect and enjoy a daily herbal tea ritual.

And if you want to try one of the Backyard Patch Tea Blends, you can check those out here on our website.

Winter Blahs - Quick cures

Now that the holiday season is over, but the days are still so short, it is easy to feel a bit lackluster in energy.  I thought I would share a few quick and easy recipes that will help you improve your mood and energy as the winter months drag on.  I did a post last winter about this same time detailing some of the herbs that will lift spirits in winter.  Check it out with this link.

Enjoying the Cold

This recipe I found in the Essential Herbal Magazine December 2012 edition.  Michael Blackmore wrote an article about making herbal ice pops.  One of his suggestions was a blend of heart healthy and uplifting herbs he called Happy Heart.  Here is how he made it.

1 1/2 cups boiling water
2 ounces of lavender buds
2 ounces rose hips
1 ounce hawthorn berries
1/2 cup honey

In a pint-sized mason jar combine the herbs and berries and allow to steep for several hours.  Filter out the herbs from the water, placing the liquid in a measuring cup.  Add the honey and stir until dissolved.  Pour the result into molds, leaving head space for expansion.  Freeze for several hours (between 2 and 6 depending on the freezer.)

Using Aromatherapy

Another way to lift spirits is with scents.  This combination of essential oils can be used in salves, lotions, room sprays or scent infusers.  Combine the following oils in a jar and shake well.  Then add by drop to terra cotta infusers or other scent holding items.  This is may favorite blend as it citrus base adds a ray of sunshine:

5 drops of Lemon Essential Oil
5 drops of Orange Essential Oil
3 drops of Geranium Essential Oil (I use Lemon geranium)
2 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil

Five Benefits of Herbal Tea

Whether you want to shed some few pounds or simply desire to have good heath, herbal tea is definitely good for you. Herbal tea is a great substitute if you find drinking mineral water plain. Make sure you drink five glasses every day to relish all the benefits. Here are five top reasons  (one for each cup of tea) why you should drink herbal tea.

1. Great for weight loss

Herbal tea has been known to help in losing weight. This is a popular topic, reason being that teas can actually help in weight loss as they increase the body’s metabolism thus improving your blood circulation, cholesterol level and ultimately enhances cardiovascular health.

2. Prevents Cancer

People who drink herbal tea are less susceptible to lung cancer and other common diseases. Believe it or not, research indicates that herbal tea helps to treat stroke, heart ailments and even certain cancers.  But it could also be the lifestyle those that drink tea tend to adopt?!

3. Cures stomach ailments

If you suffer from frequent stomach ailments, try drinking at least a cup of tea every day after your meals. Herbal tea reduces the acids in the stomach and therefore digestion takes place ably.  Ginger and any of the mints can quiet digestive ailments.

4. Enhances the immune system

According to recent scientific studies, herbal teal strengthens the body’s immune system to ensure you are not prone to flu and other lung diseases. With a strong immune system, your body now has the ability to repair and regenerate the damage cells rapidly.  Echinacea is said to be a marginal assist with this, but germ fighters like lemon grass, thyme and sage will certain help.  And a bit of extra Vitamin C you get from parsley and rosehips cannot hurt either.

5. Reduces stress

When your work and lifestyle seems stressful, drink one cup of tea. It is relaxing and therefore very effective at minimizing stress levels.  Lavender and chamomile will both help your body calm down in stressful situations.

On the other hand, herbal tea has been known to interfere with medication, so always consult your physician. For instance, it prevents proper absorption of iron in the gut. Herbal tea is also considered an expensive habit, especially if you become addicted, like me – it could lead to large gardens and tea pot collections and many other bad habits.

What to do with leftovers? - Weekend Recipe

My husband likes a turkey sandwich the next day, but after that he would rather I put away the turkey in the freezer for a time several weeks int he future.  I on the other hand can eat cold turkey sandwiches for weeks after Thanksgiving and Christmas and be very happy!

This idea came from his need to put food away for later.  I actually saw an improvement to it in the November 2012 Better Homes and Gardens!

Take pie dough.  You can make your own from scratch or use some store bought pie crust.  Press the crust down into muffin tins and bake in a 425 degree F oven for 8 to 10 minutes.  Then you fill these mini pies with left overs.  A bit of turkey with gravy and some cranberries.  Or maybe turkey with gravy and green beans.  top them with mashed potatoes and sprinkle with chopped chives, thyme and parsley.  You can serve them at room temperature or pop the filled crusts into the microwave to make a warm left over treat.

I fill the pie crusts and seal with the mashed potatoes creating a mini pot pot.  Then I pop them out and place them in a freezer container.  One makes a mini meal, two a dinner, so you can relive Thanksgiving or Christmas all through the rest of the winter.

Cat and Dog Treats you can make at home!

My cats are bored.  The squirrels that play on my patio keep then entertained when there is daylight, but as you all know in the northern hemisphere this time of year the days are shorter and the nights are longer. 

As a result the cats get bored and start picking on each other.  We got them many new toys for the holidays, a catnip mouse and a small stuffed cigar that can be carried around in the mouth, which my one cat loves to do.  We even created a new cat sleeping area under my husband's desk that is getting rave reviews.   However, they still wake us up in the middle of the night with cat wrestling matches.

Malo Gato

So we decided to reward good behavior with treats.  Let us sleep through the night and you get treats in the morning.  Don't and you have to wait until night time for anything special.

I can make treats with tuna and chicken, but these cheese bites seem to be the most popular in the morning.  They are even more popular than squirrel watching!

Savory Cheese Treats

·   3/4 cup white flour

·   3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

·   5 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

·   1/4 cup plain yogurt or sour cream

·   1/4 cup cornmeal

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine cheeses and yogurt. Add flour and cornmeal. If needed, add a small amount of water to create a nice dough. Knead dough into a ball and roll to 1/4 inch. Cut into one inch sized pieces and place on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 25 minutes. Makes 2 dozen.

PaddyWhack

Now, just because the cats are getting treats, we cannot leave out the dog, so here is a treat for the pooch as well!

Dog Treats

biscuit dough:
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup oatmeal
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/3 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup water
glaze:
1 large egg
2 Tablespoons milk

1. Preheat the oven to 275°.
2. In a large bowl: combine the flour, oatmeal, wheat germ, peanut butter, vegetable oil, honey, baking powder and water.
3. Mix the ingredients until thoroughly combined.
4. Roll the dough out to a ½-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into desired shapes and place on baking sheets.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the egg and milk. Brush the glaze on the biscuits.
6. Bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the pans, and bake for an additional 20 - 30 minutes, until biscuits are golden and firm.

Lemon Scones, Lemon Tea and Lemon Curd!

This time of year I start thinking about tea and scones and so in celebration of Hot Tea month.  You get the makings of a perfect tea party!  Tea, scones and lemon curd.  Enjoy!

Lemon Scones with Sour Lemon Glaze

These flaky lemon scones, drizzled with a tangy lemon icing are delicious hot, but I enjoy mine at room temperature the following day so the lemon flavor is at its best.

Makes 8 to 10 scones depending on size.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest (about one lemon)
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 egg

Icing:

3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

 Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, measure the sugar and blend in the lemon zest.  Work the zest into the sugar with your fingers until the entire mixture becomes aromatic.
2. Then whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. 
3. Cut in the butter.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, cream, and egg.
5. Stir egg mixture into dry ingredients, just until a dough starts to form. Knead a couple times until the dough holds together.
6. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently press dough into a circle, about an inch thick. 
7. Cut into 8 to 10 wedges.
8. Place scones on an ungreased baking sheet, not touching each other, and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. 
9. Remove from oven and let rest on the sheet for 5 minutes.
10. Prepare the icing by mixing the powdered sugar with enough lemon juice to make a drizzling consistency. 
11. Place scones on a wire rack. Drizzle or brush icing over warm scones.

Lemon Herbal Tea
  This is a kin to my popular herb tea Zesty Lemon, featuring fun lemon herbs.

1 Tbls. Lemon Balm or Lemon Verbena
1 Tbls. lemon peel
1/2 Tbls. lemon grass

Use 2 tsp. per cup of water and let steep for 5 to 8 minutes.  The tea will be very light in color, but the flavor will be great!

Lemon Curd

2 cups sugar

12 large egg yolks, beaten and strained

1 cup lemon juice

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, unsalted at room temperature

2 Tbls. grated lemon peel

Combine sugar and egg yolks in a medium saucepan.  Gradually stir in lemon juice.  Cook, stirring constantly over low heat, until mixture coats the back of a spoon and the temperature registers 168 degrees F. on a candy thermometer.  Do not allow to boil.

Remove from heat and whisk mixture until slightly cooled.  Stir in butter, 1 Tbls. at a time, and add lemon peel.  While it is still warm, pour mixture into sterilized jars, cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to use.

You might also like to see the Lemon Poppy Seed Cake that we posted back in December 2012.