Sweet Nothings... Romantic Recipes from the Green World

This time of year is a fabulous time to treat yourself, or treat someone you love, to the beauty and pleasure available from the world of herbs. From aphrodisiac nervines (such as damiana and oatstraw) to aromatic treasures like rose, vanilla and sandlewood, the natural world has much to offer us to help us foster connection, sweetness, and delight.

Perhaps nothing is more romantic and enjoyable than giving and receiving something from that heart that you've made yourself. So, we asked some of our favorite herbalist to share their most treasured herbal romance secrets...


Atava's Edible Brown Sugar Body Scrub
courtesy of Ancestral Apothecary 
1c. brown sugar
1/2c white sugar
1/2c + 2 Tbs. sunflower oil
1/2 tsp damiana cordial, vanilla extract, or flavoring of your choice
Mix ingredients together, bottle, and enjoy!



Spiced Rose Elixir 
courtesy of North Rose Botanicals

Rose petals – fresh is best, but fragrant organic dried rose petals will do.  Enough to fill a quart jar more then half full.
3 tbsp. damiana
1-2 tbsp. shatavari
1-2tbsp. ashwaganda 
1 tsp. clove 
1 tsp. allspice
2 pieces star anise
2 sticks cinnamon

Fill a quart jar with herbs, pour your alcohol of choice to fill the jar halfway to 3/4 full, then top off with local, unheated honey. Let sit for 4-6 weeks, give it an occasional shake to add the maceration process, strain to a new bottle, label and enjoy 1-2 tablespoons as needed.  (Alcohol can be whatever you prefer- vodka, rum or brandy, even tequila make fine choices.  Cheryl prefers a high-quality Brandy).



Damiana Cordial
Courtesy of Diana De Luca's Botanica Erotica
1oz. damiana leaves
2c vodka or brandy
1.5c spring water
1c honey
Vanilla extract, rose water, or spices of your choice

Soak damiana leaves in alcohol for 5 days (you can also soak a vanilla bean or two with the herb).  Strain, and reserve liquid in a bottle.  Now soak the alcohol drenched leaves in water for 3 days.  Strain, save the water.  Gently warm water and dissolve honey into it.  Combine both the honey and water with the alcohol extracts and stir well.  Optional: add vanilla extract, rose water, or other flavorings. Pour into a clean bottle and let sit for one month or longer.  Gets better with age. 



Celtic Love Tea
courtesy of Celtic Herbs
Equal parts dried borage, rose petals, damiana, and spearmint.
Mix and serve with rose-petal or clary-sage infused honey.



Wild Rose Honey
Courtesy of Bear Medicine Herbals
1c. local honey
1/2c. dry or 1c. fresh rosehips
1tsp. (or 1/2 tsp. dry) grated fresh ginger
1tsp. (or 1/2 tsp. dry) fresh orange peel
1/4 tsp. cardamom
Mix together in a jar, then let infuse for one month (or however long you can wait!).




Robin Rose’s Passion Honey
Courtesy of the Herbwife's Kitchen 
1 quart of organic dark honey
1/2 cup orange blossoms*
3/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons damiana
3-4 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon jasmine
2-3 tablespoons maca root powder
3/4 ounce rose glycerite or rose water
1 teaspoon crushed up cinnamon sticks or powder

*Orange blossoms can be hard to get. You could put in crumbled or powdered sweet orange or tangerine peels instead — it won’t be the same, but still delicious.
** all herbs are dried organic unless otherwise noted.

Mix, then cook on low for 30-45 minutes.  If you can wait, let it steep for a week or so, then enjoy.  If not, then just enjoy!

Sweet Nothings... Romantic Recipes from the Green World

This time of year is a fabulous time to treat yourself, or treat someone you love, to the beauty and pleasure available from the world of herbs.  From aphrodisiac nervines (such as damiana and oatstraw) to aromatic treasures like rose, vanilla and sandlewood, the natural world has much to offer us to help us foster connection, sweetness, and delight.

"Herbal aphrodisiacs abound, as Mother Nature is passionately fond of love and fecundity. In the Wise Woman Tradition, we nourish vibrant health, rather than seeking out stimulants, even when it comes to sex. Thus my favorite lover's herbs are... oatstraw and seaweed, burdock and roses, and, of course, chocolate."

-- Susan Weed, master herbalist  

and author of Healing Wise

Perhaps nothing is more romantic and enjoyable than giving and receiving something from that heart that you've made yourself.  So, we asked some of our favorite herbalist to share their most treasured herbal romance secrets:

Edible Brown Sugar Body Scrub 

Spiced Rose Elixir   

Damiana Cordial 

Celtic Love Tea 

Wild Rose Honey 

Robin Rose's Passion Honey 

Herb of the Month: Romantic Rose

Perhaps no flower captures the feeling of romance, and entices our imagination, the way that the rose does.  The Rose is thought to have originated in Persia, although according to the ancient Greeks, the red rose, a symbol of passion, first bloomed when Aphrodite stuck her foot with a thorn and bled while assisting Adonis. The Greek poetess Sappho first christened it "Queen of Flowers" around 600 BC.

Medicinally, both the petals and the hips are used.  Honey of Red Rose (Apothecary) was once an official pharmaceutical preparation in the US for sore mouths and throats.  Rose vinegar was used for headaches, especially those brought on by heat. The leaves are a mild, but seldom used, laxative.

In Greece, Hippocrates recommended rose flowers mixed with oil for diseases of the uterus. Ayurvedic physicians use the petals in poultices to treat skin wounds and inflammations. The hips are dried and made into tisanes for children with stomach disorders, and are also considered a cardiotonic for adults.

At various times, European herbalists recommended dried rose petal tea for headache, dizziness, mouth sores, and menstrual cramps.

In Chinese medicine, the petals are considered drying for cold, clear mucous discharges, helping to relieve constrictive feelings of the chest and abdomen (stuck liver chi).  Chinese herbalists use it to  treat poor appetite, harmonizing blood, and to help with irregular menstruation and pain caused by blood stagnation. The hips areused for diarrhea, enuresis, frequent urination, spermatorrhea and leucorrhea (all complaints of deficient kidney chi).

Rose hips are a significant source of vitamin C. But the drying process destroys from 45-90% of it, and infusions extract only about 40% of what's left.

For a mildly astringent infusion for colds and flu, use 2-3 teaspoons of dried, chopped hips per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 minutes, and drink as needed.

Practitioner Corner: Ayurvedic Wisdom for Winter Warmth and Health

By Rachel Breeze
Holistic Health Practitioner & Massage Therapist

Q. Every year in the winter, I end up with a ton of symptoms that don't seem related and that don't come up at other times, like joint pain and digestive problems. What can I do to stay balanced this winter and able to keep up with all the fun things the new year offers?

A. In winter, we feel a natural draw to keep those home fires burning... but it's just as important during the winter season that we tend to our body's inner fire. In the Ayurvedic tradition, the cold, damp weather is said to increase the cold, wet, slow qualities of Kapha, which brings with it the tendency towards sluggish circulation, potential weight gain, and feelings such as depression and lethargy. When winter weather turns cold and windy it increases the cold, dry and light qualities of Vata, which can bring with it joint stiffness, poor digestion, and feelings of confusion and loneliness.

Fortunately, these symptoms of imbalance can be alleviated through the basic application of ayurvedic wisdom to our daily lives.

The beauty of Ayurveda --which is the traditional medicine system native to India -- is that it sees each person as a unique individual based on their elemental constitution. With insight into one's ayurvedic constitution, in combination with what natural forces are strongest during the current season, we can get clarity on ways to create balanced health & well-being. This might include nutrition, herbs, supplements, essential oils, lifestyle factors, and body treatments.

To balance the cold, dampness of Kapha which is so dominant in the wintertime, we can increase our inner fire through the use of heating spices such as cinnamon, cardamon, ginger, cayenne to our diets as well as embarking upon a regular program of exercise that increases body heat at a level that produces sweat. We can also take hot baths and saunas and do invigorating salt scrubs on ourselves using loofah gloves to keep our circulation vitalized and moving.

To balance the qualities of Vata in the winter, we can feed our digestive fire by choosing warm & easy to digest meals such as spiced oatmeal and nourishing soups, as well as by drinking warm (never cold or iced) drinks, and also spending time with others and in situations where we feel warm and nurtured.

Here are some of my favorite recipes for good wintertime warming...

Herbal Chai
This chai is superior for increasing circulation and assisting digestive fire.

5 cups of water
3 inch chunk of chopped ginger
tsp of powdered cinamom
tsp of powdered cardamon
1/2 tsp of powdered clove
dash of cayenne
Tbs of loose gotu kola herb
Optional tsp of loose green tea
3 cups rice milk or hazlenut milk or soymilk, etc.
Agave nectar

Boil the water, add ginger and simmer covered for 15 minutes. Add the powdered cinnamon, cardamon, cloves, and cayenne. Simmer for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat, add gotu kola and let sit covered 5 minutes, add green tea (optional) and let sit 1-3 more minutes. Strain into a large pot and combine with warmed milk of your choice and agave nectar to taste.


Wintertime Salt Scrub

Using this scrub in the shower with loofah gloves will increase lymphatic circulation, detoxifying the body as well as protecting against colds & flus. Always start scrubbing in the center of the body (chest & belly) then scrub the joints, groin & armpits then work out toward the extremities, finish by stroking toward the heart. The skin should turn pink!

1/2 cup of sunflower oil (or another light oil)
1 cup of sea salt
5-15 drops of essential oil (for circulation use e.o.'s such as rosemary, cypress, grapefruit, silver fir ginger, cardamon, etc)
Mix these ingredients together in a bowl (do not use wood!) and pour into a glass jar with a wide mouth.

Herb of the Month: Tumeric

Turmeric is one of nature's most powerful healers. The active ingredient in turmeric is curcumin. Tumeric has been used for over 2500 years in India, where it was most likely first used as a dye.
 

Long known for its anti-inflammatory properties, recent research has revealed that turmeric is a natural wonder, proving beneficial in the treatment of many different health conditions from cancer to Alzheimer's disease.
 

In some languages, the names of turmeric just mean "yellow root".  English (turmeric) derives from the French terre-mérite meaning "meritorious earth" probably because ground turmeric resembles mineral pigments (ocher). Turmeric was used in Biblical times as a perfume as well as a spice.  Some say it came into use in the West through the sun-
worshippers of Persia when their supply of saffron ran out.

Turmeric held a place of honor in India's traditional Ayurvedic medicine. A symbol of prosperity, it was considered a cleansing herb for the whole body. Medically, it was used as a digestive aid and treatment for fever, infections, dysentery, arthritis, and jaundice and other liver problems. In Hindu ceremony it represents fertility.
 

Traditional Chinese physicians also used turmeric to treat liver and gallbladder problems, stop bleeding, and treat chest congestion and menstrual discomforts. 
 

Turmeric is a choleretic, an agent that stimulates the liver to increase its production of bile. This yellow brown or green fluid helps emulsify fats in your duodenum and increases peristalsis, the rhythmic contractions that move food through your gastrointestinal tract.

 

Turmeric is also a cholagogue, an agent that stimulates the gallbladder and biliary duct to discharge bile and increases your body's excretion of cholesterol.
 

The herb is prescribed as a tea or infusion.  In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, it is mixed with milk and taken before bed to reduce inflammation and to help with irritating coughs.  

Quick and Easy Herbal Gifts for the Holidays

By Danielle Klinkow, Clinical Herbalist

One thing I love about the holiday season is that it provides me with the opportunity to create herbal gifts for people that are special to me.  Everyone loves receiving handmade gifts tailored to their lives, and it’s personally rewarding to create items that are both practical and enjoyable.

This year I decided to focus on salt, a particularly cleansing and flavorful addition to anyone's life.

One of the easiest gifts to make is custom bath salts. They are a luxurious and economical gift for those who enjoy long soaks in the tub. I prefer to make a big batch of a basic bath salt recipe and then add custom ingredients to each jar based on what I think the recipient might enjoy. 

Basic Bath Salt Recipe: 

equal parts Epsom salt, Dead Sea salt, Himilayan pink salt, and baking soda.

Depending on how many jars I want to create, I will usually mix one or two cups of each of these salts and store them in a large glass container until I am ready to use them. Fancy additions to bath salts can include dried flower petals, seaweeds, as well as nutritive and essential oils. The combinations for herbal aromatherapy baths are endless!

Here are a few of my favorites:

The Rose Bath is a beautiful, calming, and moisturizing bath that can be taken when you want to access feelings of love and sensuality. There is nothing better than relaxing into a tub full of rose petals!  Here is the recipe:

1 C basic bath salts 

1/4 oz dried damask rose petals 

20 drops rose scented essential oil (you can use rose geranium, rose attar, rose maroc, or any scent you enjoy within the rose family) 

2 teaspoons glycerin 

2 teaspoons jojoba oil (The jojoba oil and glycerin give the bathwater a silky feel and moisturize the skin at the same time)

Mix the oils together first and then incorporate these into the salt and rose petals. Store in a glass jar. 

When you're ready for your bath, add 1/2 cup into your bath water once the bath has been drawn. It is important to add anything with essential oils to your bath just before you enter the bath, as the oils will quickly evaporate. Draw figure 8's in the water with your hand until all the salt has dissolved -- this both mixes the ingredients into the water and potentizes the water with the energy of the rose flowers and oil. You can also put the mixture into a muslin cloth bag and swish it in the tub, if you prefer not to have to clean rose petals out of your tub at the end of your bath. I like to enjoy this bath while drinking a cup of Uplifting Spirits tea, a custom blend Gathering Thyme makes.

Another enjoyable bath is a stimulating Rosemary Mint Bath, which is perfect for mornings when you have a hard time waking up, or any time you crave mental stimulation. 

1 cup basic bath salt 

1/4 oz dried mint 

1/4 oz dried orange peel 

10 drops rosemary verbena essential oil (or any rosemary E.O.) 

6 drops peppermint essential oil

4 drops lemon essential oil

Mix all ingredients thoroughly and store in a glass container.  In addition to adding these salts to a bath, you can also rub your body with the bag of herbs to facilitate cleansing and detoxification. Try this bath with a cup of Peppermint tea.

The Seaweed Detox Bath is another favorite of mine. I like to take this bath when I am feeling tired and rundown, as it helps to cleanse my system and the lavender oil is particularly relaxing. 

1 cup basic bath salts 

1-2 ounces powdered bladderwrack, kelp or a combination of both (Gathering Thyme can powder these for you) 

20 drops lavender essential oil 

4 tablespoons bentonite clay

Blend thoroughly and store in a glass container. Mix 1/2 cup into a hot bath (as hot as you can stand), and soak for 20-30 minuntes. Make sure to rinse off with soap in a quick shower afterwards, so you don't reabsorb the toxins you just released through your skin. Drink plenty of water during and after this bath, as well as with all baths taken. You can add fresh lemon juice to your water for extra detoxification.

If a bathtub is not available to you, or you simply don’t enjoy baths, a Salt Scrub is another way to cleanse you body, facilitate detoxification, and rejuvenate your spirits. Any of the above recipes can be altered to become salt scrubs instead of salt soaks. Replace the basic bath salt with 1 cup fine grain dead sea salt, add 4 ounces almond oil, and mix in 1 ounce jojoba oil, 2 tablespoons glycerin, and your favorite essential oils. Lavender is a great essential oil for a scrub, as are sweet orange, grapefruit, vanilla, or jasmine. Mix 12-20 drops essential oil per cup of scrub. Please be aware that some essential oils can cause skin irritation, so always research your oils before adding them to any preparation that has direct contact with your skin.

Another salt product that I really enjoy is Flavored Herbal Salts, which add such wonderful accents to meals. When herbal salts are corked in fancy bottles they make beautiful and impressive gifts for the foodie in any family.    

Herbs de Provence mixed with the Celtic Sea salt are a great addition to eggs, chicken breasts, pork tenderloin, grilled zucchini,  or my favorite, mushrooms. 

1 C coarse or finely ground sea salt (grey salt is preferable for its high mineral content and unique flavor) 

3 tbl. oregano leaves 

3 tbl. thyme leaves 

1 tsp. basil leaves 

1 tsp. sage leaf 

2 tbl. marjoram 

2 tbl. lavender 

1 tsp. rosemary. 

Mix thoroughly and store in tightly sealed jars. Add a pinch of this salt at the end of cooking, or season your meats or veggies with the salt before searing or baking.

If you or your loved ones are on a low salt diet, you can make a Flavored Herbal Sprinkle instead. Herb sprinkles are especially good when added to freshly cooked rice, salads, potatoes, or anywhere a little extra flavor (and nutrition) is needed. This recipe is very nutritive; the dulse and nettles are both high in essential minerals, and sesame seeds are very high in calcium. 

1/2 cup dulse flakes 

1/2 cup nettles 

3/4 cup toasted sesame seeds (you can toast raw sesame seed quickly in a cast iron skillet on medium high heat -- just make sure to stir constantly as the burn quickly). 

You can add any spices you like to this basic combination; some spices I enjoy are basil and oregano, or cumin and cayenne pepper. 

Put all ingredients in a Cuisinart or a coffee grinder that has never been used to grind coffee (otherwise your mixture will taste like coffee grounds!), and pulse a few times. You want the mixture to be the consistency of course sand. Fill up a spice jar with a shaker lid attached and enjoy! Yum!

Herb of the Month: Medicinal Mushrooms

Medicinal mushrooms have taken the Western Herbal Medicine world by storm in the past decade, although for centuries mushrooms have been prized in Chinese medicine as potent remedies for everything from cancer to impotence to immune deficiencies.  In fact, some mushrooms were reserved for royalty only, such as Reishi.  But throughout the world, from China to Japan to Africa to Old Europe, generations of herbalists have sought out the healing powers of mushrooms to promote healing and longevity.
Many naturopaths recommend taking a mushroom supplement every day alongside your fish oil -- but cooking them into your soup is another easy way to reap the benefits of these friendly fungi that tastes delicious, too!

There are thousands of types of mushrooms throughout the world; no one knows for sure how many of them may be medicinal.  Those that have been studied are used for immune support, arthritis, anemia, respiratory issues, digestive and cardiovascular diseases,  exhaustion, strength restoration after illness,  support for those going through chemotherapy, HIV, chronic fatigue... the list goes on and on.  

A couple of our favorites are: 
Reishi - Ganoderma lucidum

This hard woody polypore has  been called "Herb of Immortality", "Marvelous Herb" and "Ten Thousand Year Mushroom." Some consider Reishi or Ling Zhi the cornerstone of Traditional Chinese Medicine, where it is placed into the highest class of overall tonics. 
Shitake - Lentinula edodes 
The delicious and popular Shiitake is one of the world's favorite mushrooms because of its superior flavor and extraordinary medicinal qualities. It is an excellent source of protein, potassium, zinc, B-vitamins, complex carbohydrates, as well as all the important essential amino acids. Among its many qualities, it has been shown to pull heavy metals from the body, as was learned from the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasake.    
Turkey Tail - Trametes versicolorA small spongy fungus that grows in clusters on decaying logs, its banded edges and colorful appearance give Turkey Tails its common name. Derived from this mushroom is one of the most widely used cancer therapies in Japan. It has been shown to prolong life by suppressing the proliferation of cancer and tumor cells, and by bolstering the immune system's natural response.  It is quite prolific in our area, it's fan-shaped color decorates many a downed oak log along the trail. 
Maitake - Grifola frondosa
This is a tasty and quite nutritious soft-fleshed mushroom with a beautiful ruffled appearance. It is perhaps best known for its powerful abilities in easing the side effects of chemotherapy treatment, while at the same time enhancing the treatment's effectiveness. It is currently the subject of research in the treatment of HIV and AIDS. 
Some of our favorite lines for Mushrooms include The Herbal Apothecary, Host Defense, and Ancestral Apothecary.


Magically Delicious Mushroom Bisque Recipe
1 1/2 pounds mushrooms (shitake, oyster, maitake, etc).
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
 1 1/2 cups bone broth or water
1 1/2 tbsp butter or olive oil
2 cups onion, chopped
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp thyme
3 cups milk, scalded
1 cup heavy cream
black pepper
green onions or chives

1.)  Slice potatoes thinly. Chop mushrooms coarsely. Begin cooking the onion in butter, adding 1 tsp. salt.

2.) When the onion becomes translucent add the potatoes. Continue to cook over fairly low heat, mixing well, so the butter coats everything.

3.) After several minutes add the mushrooms, water, and remaining salt. Cover and cook over medium heat 15 minutes.

4.) Puree the entire mushroom mixture with a submersion blender until  smooth.  Heat very slowly as you whisk in the scalded milk and cream.  

5.) Serve topped with freshly-chopped chives and freshly-grated black pepper.
Recipe adapted from  Mollie Katzen, The Moosewood Cookbook