Doggy Shampoo -- Weekend Recipe

Our German Shorthair, Cadi, was an outside dog.  All summer she stayed outside in her doggy condo day and night.  When she got older, however, we decided that being outside in the winter months, especially at night was too much so winter came and she moved indoors for the evenings with us.  That meant that a special treatment was needed to deal with her doggy B.O. and her outdoor friends.  This shampoo did the trick.  It smells nice and the essentials oils repeal fleas and ticks.

Fall Doggy Shampoo

• 1 quart liquid shampoo, any type (I use baby shampoo)
• 2 drops peppermint oil
• 2 drops lemon oil
• 2 drops rosemary oil
• 2 drops lavender oil
• 2 drops lemon grass oil
• 2 drop pennyroyal oil (if you can get it)

Mix all together, using amounts listed. Too much of a good thing can irritate a dog's skin. (Be careful when you use essential oils. Ingested, they are highly toxic so make sure they are well mixed into the soap.)

Bathing with Herbs - Gel Soap

This recipe is a great way to use your harvest of fresh herbs this time of year.  Check out the alternatives for others herbs to try.

Chamomile Gel Soap

6 cups water

1 ½ cups ground chamomile

2 cups grated castile soap

½ cup borax

Heat water and chamomile until boiling.  Simmer for ½ hour and steep until cool.  Strain out the chamomile.  Meanwhile, shred with a fine grater, castile or other pure mild soap.  Reheat 3 cups of cooled chamomile tea to a boil.  Add soap and ½ cup borax.  Stir and boil for 2 minutes, then cool.  Pour into pretty container and keep covered.

Alternatives:  Use whole leaves of the following herbs and strain out once steeped and cooled instead of chamomile.  Lemon grass for oily skin, peppermint for astringent soap, lavender for washing lingerie.  If you like scent, you can add about ¼ ounce of essential oil, but avoid bergamot or pennyroyal as they irritate sensitive skin.

Check out the many Bath items of the Backyard Patch. 

Rosemary - Herb of the Week

I was out herb shopping this past weekend and one of the items I was shopping for was Rosemary.  I need to replace my prostrate rosemary which died over the winter.  So far I am 0 for 3 in finding one, but I have a few more places to try.

This quest made me decide to make the herb of the week

                     - Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Besides being a great spice for recipes, rosemary is excellent in sleep pillows and herbal baths. It rekindles your energy and will make you feel happy. It is one of the best or at least longest known from a herbalist standpoint as it can be found in many of the oldest “herbals” (those are the early publications on the power and use of herbs.)  Rosemary, in the language of flowers, is “remembrance.”  This dates back to medieval times when rosemary was thought to increase memory.  It is a great herb of headaches, aiding sleep, restoring hair and as a strong anti-bacterial.  Recently there have been studies testing its use against the symptoms of Alzheimer’s.

TO GROW

Rosemary is a semi-hardy perennial native to the rocky cliff sides of the Mediterranean.  The leaves are needle-like and sharply scented of pine.  In addition to the glossy leaves, it can have flowers in blue, white or lavender depending on the species.  In the Midwest you will need to grow your rosemary in a pot so that it can be brought inside in the winter, however in the summer, give it a sunny location and it will thrive.  Many people place them in the ground for summer and only pot them up in the fall.  All it requires is good drainage.

In bringing the plant inside at the end of the season several rules need to be followed or, like me, your rosemary will need to be replaced the following spring.  You can leave your plant out until the temps drop below freezing consistently.  You do not want to freeze the roots.  Once inside a cool sunny window will do (temps around 50 to 60 will be perfect). I’ve left mine out well into November most years. 

Rosemary prefers cramped roots, lots of sun and high humidity.  Anyone in the Midwest knows that after months of winter your home can become every dry.  So keep the plant well watered.  NEVER let it dry out.  According to Adelma Simmons “A dry rosemary is a dead rosemary.”  The best solution is to place it on a bed of pebbles and keep a layer of water in the pebbles, then it can draw up the moisture it wants and the humidity around the plant will be increased.  Just check everyday that the level of water is visible in the pebbles.

TO USE

Rosemary, with its pine-needle-like leaves has a strong flavor so should be cut or chopped fine when used.  Pork, beef, veal, lamb, chicken and tomatoes as well as breads are all enhanced to rosemary.  It makes great vinegar and can be used in herbal butters and in herb jelly.

It is also used in bath items because of the anti-oxidant and antiseptic qualities it holds.  In perfumes and lotions the essential oil of rosemary is sometimes added as a preservative.  The aroma of rosemary actually releases adrenalin into your system which is why just a sprig of rosemary pinned to your lapel will make you feel more awake and revived.  In bath items the presence of rosemary helps prevent wrinkles and improve blood flow to skin cells reducing the look of aging.

You can also prepare an effective sleep enhancing rosemary tea using a pinch of valerian.

RECIPES

Herb Seasoning for Beef

¼ cup rosemary

¼ cup parsley

¼ cup thyme

1 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. granulated onion

Blend together and store in a tightly covered jar.  Use ½ tsp. per serving for meats or vegetables.  Can be used as a rub, seasoning or marinade (blend into olive oil and vinegar).  You can use this blend to make a rosemary butter to, just blend 2 tsp. per stick of room temperature butter and blend in with a fork.  Allow to meld for at least 1 hour before serving.  (The Backyard Patch has a blend for butter using rosemary called Butter N Cheese.)

Rosemary Shortbread

1 cup unsalted butter - room temperature
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pistachios
3 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves - minced fine
additional confectioners sugar for garnish

In a large bowl cream the sugar into the softened butter using a large mixing spoon. Add the flour 3/4 cup at a time. Add the vanilla extract, pistachios and rosemary and mix until well blended. Roll the dough into large marble sized pieces using 1 level tablespoon of the dough and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 17 to 20 minutes until light brown. After the cookies have been removed from the oven and have cooled off slightly roll each one in confectioner’s sugar. This recipe makes approximately 30 cookies.

Mind-altering Spray

Make your own mind improving aromatherapy treatment by mixing 10 drops of rosemary essential oil with 10 drops of basil essential oil and 10 drops of peppermint essential oil with 4 ounces of distilled water.  Mix all together and place in a small spray bottle and shake well before using.  Mist the room to keep you mind alert and wakeful.

Remember just enjoy your Rosemary!

Protecting your Skin from Moisture Loss with Herbal Essential Oils

The low humidity in winter air depletes the moisture in your skin. This leaves the uppermost skin cells without enough moisture to keep them healthy. The result is itching, peeling and scaling of dead skin.  I find walking outside on a winter windy day can really zap the moisture from my legs and face.  There are several ways to combat this.

First I suggest increasing the humidity in the air of your home. Simmering spices on the stove adds moisture and freshens a room with delightful aromatherapy scents.

Use a glycerin or olive oil based soap, they have fewer chemicals and are less drying.

Next, remove dead skin cells by exfoliating with a textured soap or a salt scrub. Make your own sugar scrub with my favorite recipe. Your skin will feel great and be soft and supple!

Exfoliating Sugar Scrub Recipe:
Combine ¼ to ½ cup sugar and 2 Tbls. almond oil with 10 to 30 drops lavender essential oil for stress relief and 10 to 30 drops lemongrass oil for invigorating the mind and/or 10 to 30 drops of grapefruit oil an uplifting and refreshing scent which is also slightly astringent. Shake to mix.

Directions:
After bathing while skin is still wet and you are still in the tub or shower, use one tablespoon to gently massage skin. Avoid sensitive areas, like your face. Rinse well. Pat dry and lock in moisture with your favorite body lotion. Lavender lotion will effectively heal and moisturize dry winter skin.

If you would like to try a Sugar Scrub, the Backyard Patch makes one along with a number of other bath items for keeping away dry skin like an assortment of Milk Baths .  To see these and any other of our more than 250 different items, see us at http://www.backyardpatch.com/

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/ !

Peppermint Oil, part 2

Peppermint Oil (part 2)

1. Mint essential oil added to animal shampoo is a natural flea and tick repellent. Note: All mint oils should be kept away from eyes.
2. Invaded by ants...spray mint or place a drop of oil on infested area and see how quickly your problems disappear!
3. For beekeepers, marking hives with mint oil may assist the bees to return to hives.
4. Douse a cotton ball in mint oil and place in mole hole. It’s worth a try to say good-bye to moles.
5. For a fresh house, especially around Christmas time, simmer a few drops of essential oil in hot water on stove top. Be sure to use an older pot that you will not be using to cook with again.
6. Mice are not fond of peppermint oil. If you want to keep mice away during the winter months, saturate cotton balls with oil and place in any areas where mice tend to enter, leave or congregate.
7. Place spearmint or peppermint oil in a small dish and soak a cotton ball in the oil. Place the cotton ball in a closet or musty room to keep it smelling fresh and reduce aerial bacteria.  You can hang the ball in a muslin bag in your closet.
8. Add a few drops of mint oil to 1/2 cup of baking soda for a sweet smelling deodorizer for your refrigerator.
9. Peppermint is an excellent mild antiseptic and bacteria fighter.  Mix 10-15 drops of mint oil with 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil and 12 ounces of water. Pour into a bottle with a spray pump. Spray in air ducts and around the house to kill bacteria and deodorize room.

Using Peppermint Leaves:

1. Throw dried mint leaves on an open fire to fill the room with perfume. Place dried mint leaves, dried mandarin orange peels and 2-3 drops of mint oil in a small box. Throw a pinch on a fire as it dies down. The room will smell sweet in the morning and there will be no smell of old soot in the afternoon.’
2. For the digestive system, peppermint is effective for a range of ailments, as it stimulates the gall bladder and the secretion of bile. Taken as a tea it is used for colic, cramps, dyspepsia, spastic colon, flatulence and nausea and can relieve pain in cases of toothache, aching feet, rheumatism, neuralgia, muscular pains and painful periods.
3. Peppermint oil should not be used directly on the skin, blending it with a carrier oil works, or you can make a tea with the leaves and use that resulting liquid on your skin as the strength will be enough to treat the ailment but not as concentrated as the essential oil.   A tea can be used in all the following ways:
1. On the skin, peppermint tea is used to relieve skin irritation and itchiness and also helps to reduce skin redness, where inflammation is present. It is used for dermatitis, acne, ringworm, scabies and pruritus and also relieves itching, sunburn and inflammation of the skin, while at the same time having a cooling action.
2. Headaches.  Peppermint may ease headaches and migraines. Drink the tea at onset of a headache or apply to temple area in circular motion and across the forehead. For migraines, wet hair and put 4-5 teaspoons of tea into your hand and massage into the scalp.
3. Sinus Problems.  Peppermint leaves are very useful in reducing sinus congestion when added to a bowl of steaming or boiling water. A rub made with carrier oil and essential oil can be applied to chest, back of neck area, and behind ears. A few drops of oil in a vaporizer at night will help ease congestion as well.
4. Digestive System.  Peppermint leaves can help relax the muscles of the digestive tract to relieve the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Beyond drinking a tea after meals, you can add one drop of peppermint oil to a sugar cube for an emergency fix to relieve intestinal cramps.
5. Relieve menstrual or abdominal cramps by drinking an 8 ounce glass of water infused with peppermint.  This can be an iced tea made by steeping a tsp. of peppermint leaves or stirring up 1 to 2 drops of oil into the water.  If you make regular tea you can also stir it with a toothpick dipped in peppermint oil.  Peppermint is also said to relieve Hot Flashes!
6. A Peppermint tea is also effective at reliving a sore throat.  Blend peppermint leaves with horehound and/or  for additional benefits.
7. Relieve congestion by placing mint leaves in a warm compress and lay on your chest.

IMPORTANT REMINDERS: Keep all oils out of the reach of children. Pregnant women should consult a physician before using any essential oil, but especially peppermint oil. Avoid all contact with eyes. Some people may be allergic to mint oil. This information is in no way intended as a substitute for medical consultation by a health care professional.

If you love the scent of Peppermint we at the Backyard Patch have made a wonderful bath soak with oil of peppermint that is only available in the winter.  To see this and our other bath salts, visit our e-store http://stores.ebay.com/backyardpatchherbs

By Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh

Yesterday I began this post with a list of 10 great uses for peppermint oil.  I am continuing that list today with 10 more uses for peppermint, including how to use the leaves in addition to the oil.  (To read yesterday's post too, click here.)

Just remember never apply essential directly to the skin always blend it with a carrier.

Peppermint Oil, part 1

Peppermint Oil

By Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh

There are many essential oils that are used in bath items and aromatherapy blends.  The two most popular in my repituar are Lavender & Peppermint.  Now much has been written on Lavender and its uses for relaxation and stress reduction, but not as much is known about Peppermint, so I thought I would share some of my research with you.

Overview of Uses of Peppermint Essential Oil
Peppermint oil is excellent for mental fatigue and depression, refreshing the spirit and stimulating mental agility and improving concentration. It helps for apathy, shock, headache, migraine, nervous stress, vertigo and faintness and in general respiratory disorders, as well as dry coughs, sinus congestion, asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, tuberculosis and cholera. Peppermint Oil is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal which gives it loads of medicinal uses!

Peppermint oil’s many, many uses (to be continued): 

1. On muggy days add 2-3 drops of peppermint oil to 2 teaspoons sea salt and add to a warm bath to help your body cool down.
2. Add 1-2 drops in shaving lotion for a close shave and fewer skin abrasions.
3. Massage 1-2 drops of oil into a teaspoon of carrier oil of your choice into your scalp. The scent creates a soothing and calming effect. The mint oil stimulates blood supply to hair follicles and promotes the healing of skin abrasions on the scalp.
4. Peppermint oil can dry oily skin and acne. Add 1-3 drops of peppermint oil to body wash or soap.  Or add it to witch hazel and apply by cotton swab directly to blemish or boil every 2 hours or as needed.
5. Add a few drops of mint oil to the water of a humidifier or vaporizer to keep it smelling fresh and kill germs.
6. Reduce swollen eyes in the morning by adding 1-2 drops of mint oil to 1/2 to 1 ounce of skin lotion; apply to cheekbone area.
7. For staying awake and alert, apply mint oil (1 to 2 drops peppermint essential oil in 1 teaspoon carrier oil) to tip of each nostril and temple area.
8. Peppermint oil is soothing to sore muscles when added to a hot bath. Mix 4 drops oil to sea salt or carrier oil. The carrier oil will help disperse the essential oil through the water for an even affect.
9. Use this to soothe arthritis pain as well.  In addition to a bath, you can mix 4-5 drops of oil into 1 ounce of lotion and/or massage carrier oil to rub into angry joints.
10. Treat your feet by applying peppermint oil mixed with a carrier oil to relieve swollen feet and help reduce and assist in healing blisters, cuts, or athlete's foot by killing bacteria.

There are 10 more wonderful tips for using Peppermint oil and some suggestions about what to do with peppermint leaves too, coming tomorrow.  Stop back!

IMPORTANT REMINDERS: Keep all oils out of the reach of children. Pregnant women should consult a physician before using any essential oil, but especially peppermint oil. Avoid all contact with eyes. Some people may be allergic to mint oil. This information is in no way intended as a substitute for medical consultation by a health care professional.

If you love the scent of Peppermint we at the Backyard Patch have made a special fizzing bath salt this season scented with peppermint oil.  Fuzzy Santa Salts are available online here!