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.

Holiday Decorating Occasional Series 5 of 5 -- Yule Logs

Yule is an old name for the Winter Solstice.  It falls between the 20th and 23rd of December and signals the true beginning of winter.  It occurs on the longest night of the year when darkness overcomes daylight.  And traditionally as the sun’s arc stays close to the horizon most of December, many of the days seem darker.  This darkness is a perfect time for people to slow down, take stock of their situation and enjoy quiet moments with family.

Celebrating the Winter Solstice is something that I and my friends have done for years.  Once or twice we ended a rather unpleasant year by placing our worries, concerns and sadness on slips of paper and burning them in a great fire.  Thus relieved, we could begin the New Year with all its promise.

A Yule celebration, especially as gardeners, reminds us the promise of life that is hidden in this wintertime of slumber.

This is the last in a set of five postings I have done on decorating and using herbs for the holidays.  In my final Holiday Decorating post I thought I would give you instructions for two different Yule Logs, one to burn and one to eat. (If you want to see the others on scented dough, decorating tips, using cranberries and scented items, and the extra on herbal cookies, click these links or search the blog under Christmas or Holiday.)

Make a Yule Log to Burn

Yule logs are a tradition for the winter solstice, to bring light to the longest night of the year.  They have become a Christmas tradition in many areas as the holidays are so close together.

You need a nice sized fireplace log

A bag or two of oak moss (hobby store)

Some thinned white glue

A variety of spices, dried sprigs of herbs, pine boughs, and cones

Some paper ribbon for a bow

Raffia or twine

Cover the log with oak moss using thinned white glue (do not use hot glue – it is flammable.) Tie pine boughs and cones to the log.  Decorate your log with spices and herb branches.  Nutmeg and cinnamon release a wonderful scent when burned.  As a final touch add a burnable paper bow.  To burn the log place it over hot coals which will allow it to catch fire slowly and burn brightly.

Alternative Yule Log to Eat

Rather than create a log to burn, you can make this one to eat!  Share it with friends during your Holiday celebrations.

8 oz. cottage or cream cheese

8 oz. grated cheddar cheese

2 tsp. chili powder

¼ tsp. each thyme and rosemary

1 tsp. each garlic powder and minced onion

½ cup chopped nuts

salt & pepper to taste

paprika

Blend together cheeses.  Add herbs and seasonings (except paprika).  Form into two rolls and sprinkle with paprika and nuts to give a bark effects.  Chill.  Slice thin and serve on crackers. 

May your Holiday Celebrations be joyous and merry!

Stop back tomorrow for the Herb of the Week, horseradish the 2011 herb of the year.

Herb of the Week - Mistletoe

North American mistletoe (Phoradendron tomentosum) does not belong to the same genus as the European mistletoe, but the legends and lore of the European plant long ago made their way to America.  In fact, this evergreen herb that seems to miraculously grow in trees has spread its magic across many different cultures.  You cannot cook or make medicines with mistletoe but the customs that surround it are interesting to share.

So this week's HERB-OF-THE-WEEK is Mistletoe!

Mistletoe is the common name for a group of semi-parasitic plants in the order of Santales that grow attached to and within the branches of a tree or shrub. The name was originally applied to Viscum album (European Mistletoe), the only species native in much of Europe. Later the name was further extended to other related species, including  Phoradendron serotinum (the Eastern Mistletoe of eastern North America).  European mistletoe is readily recognized by its smooth-edged oval evergreen leaves born in pairs along the woody stem, and waxy white berries in dense clusters of 2 to 6. In America, the Eastern Mistletoe is similar, but has shorter, broader leaves and longer clusters of 10 or more berries.

Viscum album is a poisonous plant that causes acute gastrointestinal problems including stomach pain, although it has a history of increasing sex drive and curing forms of cancer it is not considered a plant to eat or use to treat any ills.

The Name & Symbolism

The word 'mistletoe' (Old English mistiltan) is of uncertain etymology; it may be related to German Mist, for dung and Tang for branch, since mistletoe can be spread in the feces of birds moving from tree to tree. However, Old English mistel was also used for basil.

So Washington Irving, in "Christmas Eve," relates the typical festivities surrounding the Twelve Days of Christmas, including kissing under the mistletoe (Washington Irving, The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent). Irving continues his Christmas passage with a footnote:

"The mistletoe is still hung up in farm-houses and kitchens at Christmas, and the young men have the privilege of kissing the girls under it, plucking each time a berry from the bush. When the berries are all plucked the privilege ceases."

We more recent users of Mistletoe have conveniently forgotten the part about plucking the berries (which, incidentally, are poisonous), and then desisting from kissing under the mistletoe when the berries run out!

Along with Christmas Holly, bay laurel, rosemary, yews, boxwood bushes and of course, the Christmas Tree, mistletoe is an evergreen displayed during the Christmas season and symbolic of the eventual rebirth of vegetation that will occur in spring.

Kissing under the Mistletoe

Most people do not even realize that mistletoe does not grow on the ground, but rather on trees as a parasitic shrub. As such it tends to grow high off the ground in among the branches of other trees (making easier to pass UNDER!)  That's right: as unromantic as it sounds, kissing under the mistletoe means embracing under a parasite....

The variety common in Europe was imbued with religious significance by its ancient denizens. We find the source of "kissing under the mistletoe" in Celtic rituals and Norse mythology. In Gaul, the land of the Celts, for instance, the Druids considered it a sacred plant. It was believed to have medicinal qualities and mysterious supernatural powers.

Baldur, the Norse God of living plants, is believed to be the key to the history of mistletoe as a "kissing" plant.

Baldur's mother was the Norse goddess, Frigga. When Baldur was born, Frigga made each and every plant, animal and inanimate object promise not to harm Baldur. But Frigga overlooked the mistletoe plant -- and the mischievous god of the Norse myths, Loki, took advantage of this oversight. Ever the prankster, Loki tricked one of the other gods into killing Baldur with a spear fashioned from mistletoe. The demise of Baldur, a vegetation deity in the Norse myths, brought winter into the world, although the gods did eventually restore Baldur to life. After which Frigga pronounced the mistletoe sacred, ordering that from now on it should bring love rather than death into the world. Happily complying with Frigga's wishes, any two people passing under the plant from now on would celebrate Baldur's resurrection by kissing under the mistletoe.

May your holiday be filled with kisses!

Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh

Herbal Holiday Decorating Occasional Series (4 of 5)

This is the fourth in a series of blogs introducing you to ways of using herbs in your holiday.  We started with Scented Dough back in October, moved to a set of holiday recipes and gift ideas, detailed how to use cranberries for cooking and decorating and now I have a selection of scented items you can create at home, both for decorating and as gifts.

Rosemary Walnuts

I had to start with something edible, because tastes are always linked to the holidays.  This recipe is a twist on sugared nuts, giving you a savory recipe instead.

1 pound shelled walnuts

2 Tbls. of olive oil

2 Tbls. butter, melted

3 Tbls. minced fresh rosemary leaves

2 tsp. paprika

½ to 1 tsp.  salt or a salt substitute

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Place all ingredients in a bowl and toss to mix.  Spread on a baking sheet large enough to hold the nuts in a single layer.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once or twice or until the nuts are golden but not browned and the scent of rosemary fills the room.  Remove and cool.  May be eaten when warm or stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.  Makes 2 cups.

Last night I found The Night the Grinch Stole Christmas on television, my husband, bless him, did not say a word about my watching it and sat silently on the couch as I recited all the lines over top of Boris Karloff and sang all the songs at the top of my lungs.  (The cats weren’t that generous!).  This movie is what I watch when I decorate my tree, it is a personal tradition started when I lived alone in Indianapolis after taking my first professional museum job back in… well never mind.  As soon as that show was on, I started thinking again about dragging out the decorations (I’d like to do it Friday, but Chas has other thoughts on this.  So instead, I decided I would make a few items to decorate with, as I make them I will put the up and it will be so gradual he won’t even notice!

Here is what I chose:

Scented Pine Cones

I will place a dozen or so in my trifle bowl and use it 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.

      2 Tbls. orange peel

      1 1 /2 Tbls. orrris root

      1 Tbls. cinnamon pieces

      1 Tbls. Hibiscus flowers

      1 tsp. broken bay leaves

      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 with pine cones in a zip lock bag shaking to cover.  Allow to meld as long as a week before using.

Herbal stars

Some woody herb branches have great scent, like sage, scented geraniums, and rosemary.  Strip the leaves off the stems trim them to length and bundle them together into a star shape with raffia or jute (4 sticks = 8 points).  You can also do this with cinnamon sticks.  I used scented geranium twigs for the pictures, but also made some with the rosemary I used to make the walnuts.

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Hang Ornaments on Ribbon

I fill clear glass ornaments with pine needles, rosemary leaves, cinnamon chips and/or colorful herbs then hang them from ribbon in front of the window.  The window is large and faces the rising sun, so as the sun warms the bulb, it releases the scent.  It is marvelous to wake up to.  I saw once that someone put a wassail blend in ornaments this way. I am thinking about doing that this year, perhaps tonight!

Stove-top Simmers

Because of my husband’s aversion to evergreens, I try not to bring in too many, but I love the smell of pine.  As a substitute for that scent I will craft a spice mixture.  I find it a wonderful way to scent your home.  You can do it too.  Use commercial potpourri, or choose seasonal scents and make a simmer.  With a simmer you just set the herbs in a saucepan toward the back of the stove where the gentle heat will release the oils, or use an electric commercial potpourri pot or those with a candle underneath. 

To craft the simmer, combine herbs to equal about ½ cup dried herbs and add that to 2 cups water.

You can make your own blend with equal parts allspice, star anise, cinnamon sticks, gingerroot, whole cloves, and citrus peel.

You can add a few drops of essential oil to accent the aroma. This is where I get my pine scent from.  I use rosemary or pine oil in the simmer.   Keep an eye on the mixture to make sure all the water doesn’t simmer away or the herbs may burn (add more water as needed).

Orange Decorations

Yesterday I was in the grocery store and saw that the Clementines are in season.  These wonderful oranges are the ones used for making canned “Mandarin” oranges.

Oranges are a great holiday item and historic too.  Because of their scarcity they were always a special treat around the holidays and even used as part of gifts in the Victorian era.

 You can make a scented and colorful decoration using a few Clementines.  Just take Clementines and pierce them with wire adding several in a row to create a tower.  Then hang a bell or a bow at the end and hang it from your door knob.   It makes a unique decoration that welcomes guests with nice scent and unusual flair.

I hope you enjoy these scented additions to your holiday decorating and that you and your family have a Happy Thanksgiving!

As always you will find all our herbal products at http://www.backyardpatch.com/ !

Holiday Decorating Occasional Series part 1 of 5 - Scented Dough

The contributors and members of The Essential Herbal yahoo group have been discussing and trying to locate recipes for Herb Bowls.  We eventually located a description that included powdered spices.  That put me to thinking of two ways that I had been using to make scented ornaments that might also be used to create these bowls.  So to start my winter decoration and gift giving series I decided to share those recipes.  You can make them as either ornaments or bowls as the recipes create rich and seasonally scented items, that if stored properly can last several years.

Recipe One - Herbal Dough

This first is a non-edible Herb dough that can be rolled and cut with cookie cutters to make ornaments and also formed around a shape to make bowls.

Herbal Dough Ornaments

(Non-edible)

2 cups bleached (white) flour

3/4 to 1 cup steeped Cinnamon Spice Tea *

1/4 cup Salt

2 T. Cinnful Dessert Blend *

1 T. powdered orris root

Ground and whole cloves, nutmeg, and allspice

Food coloring, if desired

Boil water and steep tea for three to five minutes one bag of Cinnamon Spice Tea.  Then mix the flour, tea, salt, dessert blend, and orris root.  Mix well.  The final product will be uneven shades of beige, tan, and off-white.  At this time, you may wish to divide into several batches for tinting with food coloring.  Form the dough into 2” diameter balls by rolling between your hands or against a non-stick counter top.  OR roll flat and utilize your favorite cookie cutters to make festive shapes.

Sprinkle the ground cloves, nutmeg and allspice, either combined or separate, into a flat dish. Roll the balls in the ground spices or lightly press the cookie cutter shapes into the spices.  Then decorate using the whole spices. 

Insert a metal ornament hanger or an unfolded paperclip.  Bake in a low heat (no more than 150 degrees) for about 90 minutes.

These make wonderful homemade ornaments for a tree, wreath, garland, or holiday basket.  It is easy to do and gets the whole family involved in the decoration process.

* An exclusive, Backyard Patch herbal product, you can substitute any cinnamon based tea and plain ground cinnamon for these items.

Recipe Two - Applesauce Scented Balls

The second dough is a base of applesauce blended with ground spices.  I use this recipe to make scented balls which I hang on my herb and pine wreathes.  I have made this recipe with Girl Scout and adult groups many times.  The dough is sticky, but dried to a hard surface in a couple of hours and thoroughly dries in a few days.

I made up a batch last night and fashioned a few bowl shapes about 1 to 1-1/2 inches in diameter, thinking I can hang them from my tree this year.

Scent Applesauce Dough

(non-toxic, but I would not recommend eating htem)

1 cup applesauce, divided

¾ cup ground cinnamon

2 Tbls. ground cloves

1 Tbls. ground allspice

1 Tbls. ground nutmeg

Start with ½ cup applesauce and add spices, stir with a wooden or plastic spoon.  Add up to ½ cup more applesauce as needed to make a sticky but not runny dough.

To craft scented balls for wreathes and trees roll the dough into 1 inch balls.  Use a skewer to piece the center for ribbon to hang them.  The balls will dry to the touch in a few hours, but will take several days to become fully dry.

To see the detailed photographs of actual bowls made with ground spices, see the post for today 10/11/10 on the Essential Herbal Blog.