Simmering Spices the Natural Way - How Tuesday

This recipe is large enough to give you aromatherapy for the entire holiday season.  Remember that sweet oranges helps improve feelings of happiness and cinnamon gives you contemplative and restful thoughts.

To make this blend you need to use a container that is disposable, as you cannot make this in a bowl you want to serve food in later.  I use a bowl made from the base of a 2 liter pop bottle, so when I am finished I can recycle it and not worry that it would be used for food.

Gather your herbs and spices and you cinnamon and sweet orange essential oils.  I also use cellulose fiber for a binder to help the mixture retain its scent.

Add the herbs and spices to the bowl and stir to mix.
1/4 cup each of rose hips, coriander, rosemary, cinnamon, allspice and orange peel.

Add the 1/4 cup cellulose fiber to another bowl (bottle bottom) and place the essential oil on the fiber by drops.  You will use 1 tsp. of each oil which is 120 drops each. or 5 ml.  Stir the cellulose until the oil is absorbed.

Then blend the cellulose and herbs together.  Remember to keep away from the skin or face.  Cinnamon oil is a skin irritant so if you get it on your skin wash it off immediately.

To use:  Place 1 Tbls. of simmering spices into a non-food use pan with 1 quart of water.  bring to a simmer and keep on stove on very low heat.  Add more water as needed.  I picked up this pot at the thrift store and will use it all season, then discard it after using it to mix potting soil in the spring.

You can make a smaller version of this recipe as follows:

4 Tbls. rose hips
4 Tbls.rosemary
4 Tbls.coriander
4 Tbls.cinnamon
4 Tbls.allspice
4 Tbls.orange peel
4 Tbls. cellulose fiber
60 drops of cinnamon essential oil
60 drops sweet orange oil


At the Backyard Patch we make a wonderful Cider Blend that you can also use as a simmering spice.  We call it Spice Cider / Mulled Wind Blend.  Follow the link to see this and our other seasonal spices.

Holiday Decorating with Pinecones

Recently Tina Sams, the editor of the Essential Herbal Magazine, was showing pictures of her chandelier decorated with pine cone ornaments.  I love pine cones as holiday decoration and have said on several occations that I want to decorate an entire tree with pine cones ornaments one year, but collecting only one or two a year, it will be sometime before I can fill an entire tree.

That got me to thinking.  I have made scented pine cones in the past and those are great ornaments.  How about making more brightly decorated pine cones?  Around my apartment complex are several different conifers giving a nice variety of cones.  I suspect you could try this too!

Collect cones from your yard.  It will get you outside for a walk and you can enjoy the season.  When you bring in the cones you must clean them.  Run them under cold running water and lay them out on a baking sheet covered with wax or parchment paper.  Place the tray in the oven at 250 degrees for 20 minutes.  This will open up the cones, remove excess sap, and kill any bugs or bacteria hiding inside.

Let them cool.  You will see re-crystalization of some of the sap which gives the cones a natural beauty, then get creative.

You can scent the cones with a mixture of ground spices (see this previous post) or you can decorate them for use in displays.  Here are a few suggestions for decorating pine cones.

1. Paint the tips of the pine cone wings. (Yes, that is what they are called!) With white poster paint paint just the tips of the wings to look like snow, then sprinkle with clear or white glitter or even granulated sugar for sparkle.
2. Spray the cones with clear acrylic or paint them with clear glue and tumble in a zip lock bag filled with colored glitter.  You can use one color at a time, like red, green, silver or gold on blend the glitter together for a combination effect.
3. Dot the cones with craft glue and press on colored sequins.
4. Wedge fun spices and herb twigs in between the wings, like juniper berries, allspice berries, star anise, broken cinnamon sticks, and cloves.  This is a rustic natural look that will also give off a scent.
5. Dip the cones in wax and use to decorate the mantle, then use them as fire starters for a Christmas night blaze.
6. For a crystal effect, paint on some clear glue then roll the cones in faceted or smooth glass seed beads.

Roast Pork with Sage & Pecan Pesto - Weekend Recipe

This is a make ahead recipe that you can serve to guests and family for rave reviews.

Roast Pork with Sage and Pecan Pesto

2 quarts apple cider
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup, plus 3 Tbls. fresh sage, chopped and divided.
1 tsp. pepper
2 Tbls. olive oil
fresh sage and pecans for garnish

Combine cider, 1/2 cup sage, and salt.  Stir until salt dissolves.  Place Pork in plastic zip seal bag add cider mixture.  Seal Bag and chill for 12 to 24 hours.

Remove Pork from brine and pat dry with paper towels.  Sprinkle pork with pepper.  Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat; add pork. Cook 6 minutes or until browned on all sides, turning pork occasionally. Place pork on a rack in a lightly greased roasting pan. Sprinkle remaining 3 Tbsp. sage over pork.

Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 1 hour to 1 hour and 25 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of roast registers 150°. Remove from oven; cover and let rest 10 minutes or until thermometer reaches 160° before slicing. Garnish platter, if desired. Serve with Sage and Pecan Pesto.

Sage & Pecan Pesto
Do not over process this, it is best with some granules and texture.

1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/2 cup firmly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup firmly packed fresh sage leaves
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1        garlic clove, chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt 

Combine all ingredients in a food processor; process until ingredients are finely chopped.

Supporting Artists Guest blog post

I am so excited today is my first post as a guest blogger!

I have been asked to contribute a regular column on the Supporting Artist Blog.  This month I shared some great holiday recipes you can make with herbs for yourself or as gifts.

Hop on over to the Supporting Artist Blog and check out my post!

UPDATE: Since the Supporting Artists Blog has died and disappeared, I reposted this gift making post on my own website.  You can find it here: https://backyardpatch.blogspot.com/2021/10/herbal-gifts-diy.html

Gifting or Tea let's make Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

I am all about cakes you can serve with tea and this one is a perfect companion.  So if you are thinking about having a tea party for your holiday or winter celebrations or if you like to give tea-related gifts then this recipe is for you!

Lemon isa flavor that works well with any black or herbal tea so I love to make Lemon Tea Breads.  In fact I make a Lemon Tea Bread Mix at the Backyard Patch that comes in a holiday festive bread pan, because I like them so much.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

1/2 lb. unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 cups cake flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbls. poppy seeds
grated zest of 2 lemons (about 2 Tbls.)
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
confectioner's sugar

Directions:
Preheat the overn to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour a 9 by 4 inch loaf pan.

Place the butter in a bowl and using a mixer, beat the butter on medium speed utnil creaming.  About 2 to 3 minutes.  gransdually add the granulated sugar and continue to beat untilt he mixture is pale and has doubled in volume, maybe 4 to 5 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time, beating well inbetween additions.

Sift together the flour and salt in a bowl, the sift again into another bowl.  Add the poppy seeds.  granually add the sifted mixture tot eh butter mixture, beating until smooth.  Beat in the lemon zest and vanilla.  Spoon the batter into the perpared pan,.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  About 1 hour 15 minutes for one pan.  I like to divide this into two smaller loaves.  If you do that you need to bake them less time, check them at 45 minutes and continue accordingly.  remove fromt eh over and let cool for 10 minutes,  Then invert onto a wire rack, lift off the pan and allow to cool completely.  Sift confection'ers sugar on top or craft a lemon glaze with lemon juice and confectioner's sugar.

Pear Salad - weekend recipe

Here is a quick and easy salad to give you a sweet treat after all that shopping.  It is best this time of year when Pears are in season.


Salad with Pears and Blue Cheese

5 oz. package of salad greens
1 red pear, thinly sliced
1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese
3 Tbls. raspberry vinaigrette salad dressing
2 Tbls. walnuts, finely chopped.

Combine the greens, pears and blue cheese in a large bowl, then add dressing and toss gently.  Spoon onto a plate and sprinkle with the walnuts.

It is also holiday festive when garnished with pomegranate seeds.

Raspberry Vinaigrette Dressing

1/2 c. raspberry vinegar
1/4 tsp. each salt & pepper
4 tsp. sugar
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped (2 tsp.)
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp. Dijon style mustard

Combine all the ingredients and mix well. Refrigerate in a container with a tight fitting lid. Will keep for months. Makes 1/2 cup

Raspberry Jam Vinaigrette

1 tablespoon raspberry jam

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/3 cup olive oil

salt and ground black pepper to taste

Vigorously whisk together the raspberry jam, vinegar, and olive oil until thoroughly combined; season with salt and black pepper to serve.

Advent Calendar - enjoy the holiday with herbal ideas

My internet went a bit haywire just at Thanksgiving, so I apologize for posts that have not made it up and the fact that it is three days into Advent and this is the first post for the calendar .

This year we decided to place the Advent Calendar here on the blog so more people can enjoy it. It has it's own page so you can come back and see the posts all in one place.

Today we posted December 2,3 & 4 which has recipes and activities for Herbal Syrup, Honey Mustard Vinaigrette and a stress reducing herbal tea.  Tomorrow we will share a relaxing bath.  We are also giving you a special coupon code you can use in December for a discount in our Etsy store!

Click here to view the page Advent 2012

I hope you have as much fun with these recipes as I did bringing them together, and remember stop back everyday for a new posting between now and Christmas.

Happy Holidays,
Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh