tis the season for...Peru Balsam?

Balsam equals Pine, right?  I expected this essential oil to have a very pine-esque scent.  But not so!  It's got a beautiful vanilla-like aroma instead.  It's considered a 'base' note so is the type of scent that sticks around and lingers.  Not fleeting like the quickly evaporating high notes.  Warm, woody  and sweetly vanilla.  A new take on visions of Christmas Fir.

91% and the Grand Tradition

I read somewhere that 91% of Americans eat turkey on Thanksgiving.  And then someone told me about the pork tenderloin she was all excited to make for her Thanksgiving feast.  Someone else mentioned their "Thanksgiving Salmon" -- as if everyone had a Thanksgiving Salmon.  And I thought about my own turkey-less Thanksgiving dinner.  But regardless of the main protein source of the dinner, each of us was preparing for a grander than normal meal at our house or elsewhere.  So even if it's really not 91% of America sitting down to a turkey, if it's 91% of America sitting down to reflect on all they have to be thankful for -- what a grand tradition Thanksgiving is.

Canola Oil and Saving the Rainforest

In soap making, palm oil is king. It makes a great, hard white bar with lots of lather. Perfect bar! And not only do soap makers like palm oil but also the cookie and cracker manufacturers of the world. Palm oil is in everything! So happy were the governments and landowners of Indonesia and Malaysia! So let's mow down all of these rainforests that are in the way so we can plant more palm trees. Ooops, there goes another orangutan! Interestingly enough, plain old canola oil does a pretty good job in soap making -- not quite as white or hard or sudsy as palm, but pretty close. And in baked goods, it's much more healthy since it is lower in saturated fats. And not a single square foot of rainforest is affected by producing canola oil. Orangutans get to stay put. Seems like a fair trade.

Chamomile and bunnies, wrinkles, and Blue Man

Chamomile bring up images of Peter Rabbit getting his fortifying chamomile tea after that harrowing adventure with the farmer.  And images of a medieval German village with miniature daisy-looking flowers dotting the countryside.  Images of chamomile never included a very blue (think:  Blue Man color blue) essential oil that doesn't smell especially nice.  But that's chamomile:  all of the above...plus some amazing properties for your skin.  Chamomile essential oil is anti-inflammatory, skin softening and has properties to promote healing.  Soothes irritated skin, reduces puffiness, cleanse pores, promotes tissue regeneration. There's a Roman and a German Chamomile; Roman is considered more calming and German more anti-inflammatory -- and the German gets bonus points because it's BLUE.  Both are great for skin problems from acne to wrinkles to eczema.  A powerhouse for a miniature daisy-like flower.

Oakmoss

Oakmoss is just that -- a type of lichen that grows on, get this, certain oak trees.  It's used in perfumery and, ohh, does it smell amazing.  Very sweet and fresh and woodsy and lingering.  Smells like the outdoors on a good day -- what could propel you to fish out your hiking boots and hit the trail; remind you what it's like to be surrounded just by trees.  Oakmoss is a "base note" in a lot of  perfumes; used by everyone from the ancient Egyptians to Coty.  There was an uproar over Oakmoss cause it could be sensitizing to some people.  Considering that the concept of essential oils/absolutes is that they're extremely concentrated, it's not much of a surprise that some skin can be sensitive at that level of concentration.  Unfortunate for those sensitized but still a wonderful smell for the rest of us.

Labdanum vs Lab, damn him

Labdanum -- sounds like a derogatory name for a bad Labrador.  And that may well be, but it's also a resin used, among other things, as a base note and fixative in perfumery.  An odd fragrance.  Sort of an earthy, wet licorice that's somewhat reminiscent of patchouli.  The fragrance is often described as "leathery". Like so many base notes, it's not necessarily fabulous by itself but can add a depth and dimension that will make a particular fragrance mix fabulous.  Labdanum:  more than a leathery wet dog.

The Narc Squad and Ylang Ylang

I heard somebody describe the scent of Ylang Ylang as "narcotic" and thought that was an odd scent description.  But I guess I have to agree.  It is so deliriously intoxicating and sensual that "narcotic" does add some dimension to it's description.  Calling it, "a beautiful floral" doesn't do it justice.  It's not a light, girly floral but a really warm, rich, well...narcotic floral.

Deep, dark secrets of the commercial shell trade...

You know those little plastic-covered baskets filled with shells that they sell at the tourist places near the beach?  I guess I always figured locals picked the shells off the beach and sold them as is.  Turns out most of those shells were collected live in the ocean and then the animal inside was promptly killed and the shell cleaned out and sold.  Easiest way to get a perfect shell.  So all of those shells decorating mirrors and lamps etc were probably collected live and then killed just to make our mirrors and lamps etc seem beachy.  Hmmm.  Now that doesn't seem too peachy...

how to break down the scent of a fragrance

A know-it-all musician came up with the naming of essential oil fragrance weights: top notes, middle notes, and base notes. Top notes are the fleeting scents you smell immediately – and then they pretty quickly fade away. Citrus and mints are a couple of loud-mouth top notes that scream, “HERE I AM” and then quickly leave by the backdoor. The middle notes are noticed next but also fade fairly quickly. Herbs and flowers such as Rosemary, Lavender, Palmarosa, Pettitgrain, Rose, and Geranium are examples of middle notes. The lingering scents you notice the longest are the base notes. They tend to be woodsy, musky scents like Patchouli, Vetiver, Frankincense, Cedarwood, and Sandalwood. Sort of the full-figured fragrances that lounge around after everyone else has left the building. And then there are the oils that bridge the blend of fragrances. Instead of acting as a top, middle or base note, these bridge notes blend all of the other notes; they sort of act like the peace makers and work to make everybody get along. Litsea cubeba, lemongrass, lavender and ylang ylang are examples of those easy-to-get-along with bridge notes. And that's what a musician of long ago decided was the best way to dissect a fragrance.

It’s a perfume; no, it’s a cologne; no, it’s an aftershave…ok, I don’t know what it is

There really are definitions for these fragrances. It's based on the percentage of essential oil (or synthetic fragrance oil) to total weight. Perfume's the heaviest and aftershave the most diluted. And everything else is somewhere in between. Here's the general breakdown: Perfume - 20% to 30%, Cologne - 15% to 20%, Eau de Cologne - 12% to 17%, Eau de Toilette - 5% to 10%, Aftershave - 2% to 5%. And now you're ready for jeopardy perfume definition day...if it should ever come up.

Bergamot

Bergamot -- sort of a clumsy sounding name. But if you say "Bergamotto" in Italian, I'm sure it sounds much more stylish. It's a bitter orange grown in the Calabria region of Italy. It's the taste and fragrance that makes Earl Grey tea distinctive. The essential oil is described as warm and -- take your pick -- a little citrusy, a little floral, a little green, and/or a little spicy. I read that it's used in one-third of all men's perfumes and one-half of all women's. It's like the fragrance can mix in anywhere and bring out subtleties. I find it clean and bright and...good!

citronella bug repellent candle

I get asked for this recipe alot...

Melt 1/2 lb wax (old candles are fine); add 15ml (1T) citronella essential oil. Place a wick in an empty can and pour in melted wax. Let solidify (freezer works) and burn to help repel mosquitoes.

Lemongrass and Litsea -- what's the difference?

First off, Litsea Cubeba is also known as May Chang which sounds much more exotic than "lemon" and "grass".  But per their fragrance, they're both pretty much lemony in their scent.  Lemongrass is described as lemony with green, vegetative notes while Litsea is described as lemony with fruit and spice -- a sweeter smell.  Litsea essential oil straight almost smells like a fake synthetic lemon scent but holds up well in perfume mixes -- adds a smoothness where lemon itself can almost be too sharp.  Lemongrass holds up great in soap; lemon essential oil fades very quickly and you're left with just a subtle reminder that there was once a lemon involved.  But lemongrass soap retains that clean, citrusy scent that makes the shower at 6:00am almost seem worth it.  Almost.

Mango Butter -- not much for eating but great for skincare

Mango butter – another really rich oil/butter from the tropics.  It’s pressed from the seeds of the Mango tree. The mango's popularity is not especially new -- they've been cultivated for over 6,000 years.  Mango butter is a triple whammy in skin care:  has fatty acids to help protect the skin and retain moisture, emollients to soften and soothe the skin, and moisturizing properties to help make skin softer and suppler.  The only down side to it’s perfectness is that there is no associated wonderful, mango-ey, tropical scent.  Ok, so it doesn’t have much of a scent at all.  But it is still a wonderful buttery nut butter that is so much more fun to use than your average dry skin cream.

Neem Oil - stinky but effective

I had read that neem oil really smells bad -- somewhere between rotting garlic and sulfur.  But it's also supposed to be great for your skin and an effective bug repellent.  So I bought some.  It really does smell somewhere between rotting garlic and sulfur.  But it also really does repel mosquitoes.  You dilute it down quite a bit when you make the repellent and you can add essential oils like lemon eucalyptus and citronella to help drown out that lingering rotten garlic smell.  But when you watch mosquitoes still bite after you've sprayed yourself with deet, of all things, and then watch them just fly around but NOT bite you after you've slathered yourself with a neem repellent, the somewhat odorous smell seems not so bad afterall.

Lavender, mosquitoes, and sanity

So you forgot to put on the bug spray and now you've got two dozen mosquito bites all over (ok, so it was me who has the two dozen bites -- and, yes, I did count).  Lavender essential oil directly on the bite really does take the edge off that I'm-going-to-go-crazy-from-this-ITCHING feeling.  And you can just re-apply it as needed.  Lavender:  helps to keep you sane -- even in mosquito season.

Mosquitos and Martha Stewart

so if you're not Martha Stewart and into artful potpourris nor especially knowledgable in homeopathic medicine, what can you do with essential oils?  Make some quick, easy, and cheap bug spray is one thing:  mix 1/2 teaspoon citronella essential oil and/or 1/2 teaspoon lemon eucalyptus essential oil with 1/4 cup witch hazel in a spritz bottle.  Shake and apply often and liberally to skin to repel mosqutoes.  Citronella is not my absolute favorite scent but it's better than who-knows-what goes into Walmart's bug spray...

Refried Rice via a carton of ready-to-pitch Chinese Take-Out white rice

Somebody asked me what sort of rice to buy to make refried rice.  I just sort of blankly looked at the guy and said you don't BUY rice to make refried rice -- you ONLY use the dried-out leftover rice from Chinese take-out. Like, duh...  I think of refried rice as one of those magical kitchen leftover-makeovers:  take something you'd never eat by itself and turn it into something pretty tasty and filling and even nutritious.  I saute an onion and some garlic then add any firm leftover vegetables till all getting soft.  Then add the rice and any soft leftover vegetables and soy sauce and ginger and maybe more garlic powder or green onion.  Maybe stir in some beaten eggs and/or chick peas for protein.  When everything's as cooked as you like it, adjust the flavorings and add any quick cooking vegetables like spinach or pea pods.  And that's it.  Use up everything in your fridge -- including that dried up carton of plain white rice.

Cedarwood Atlas

"Cedarwood Atlas" -  almost sounds like a Marvel Comics superhero.  But it's really (as it's day job) a big pine tree from the Atlas Mountains in Northern Africa.  They say both the ancient Egyptians and Greeks used the oil for embalming and perfumery (somehow putting those uses together seems...unsettling?).  It's supposed to be great for skin. The essentail oil has a subtle sweet, woody aroma and very slight artificial mothball smell and sure enough, the wood has been used for linen chests for eons -- but it is different from the red cedar tree we generally think of for cedar closets.  It blends well with rosemary, bergamot, clary sage, Eucalyptus and Citrus Oils.  One of those subtle aromas that's hard to put a finger on -- but you notice it when it's missing.

A Reason to Knit

Now this is cute:  http://www.etsy.com/listing/37090132/hand-knit-toddler-sweater-shades-of  It's almost reason enough to learn to knit.  Of course, you'd need an impossibly cute toddler to knit for...

Aunt Carolyn's Lemon Squares

the best and everyone loves them...

Mix 2c flour & 1/2c powdered sugar with 2 sticks soft butter (only butter-no substitutions or you ruin EVERYTHING).  Press into very well greased (especially well greased around the corners) 13 x 9 baking pan (if you've got a choice, choose a glass pan over metal so you don't get that "tinny" flavor messing with your lemon squares) and bake at 350 20 minutes.  Meanwhile, beat 4 eggs with 1-1/2 c sugar, 1t baking powder, 1/4 c lemon juice, and the peel from all of those lemons before you juiced them.  Pour the lemon/egg mix over the cooked base and put back into the oven for 20-25 more minutes or till browned around the edges.  Let cool a bit before attempting to cut (the lemon filling will ooze all over the place if it's still hot when you cut)(not really a bad thing but a hot filling can hurt when it burns fingers then tongue).

note -- you can use bottled lemon juice and no peel but you lose a bit of flavor.

Patchouli

Patchouli may seem like a throw back to the incense-clouded 60's but it's been popular for centuries.  It's got a heady, earthy smell that's useful for a lot more than trying to cover up marijuana fumes.  Not surprisingly, it's burnt as incense in temples and used to help "grounding" during meditation.  It's actually a member of the mint family and is used for of all things--flavoring beverages!  Patchouli can be used directly or mixed with a carrier oil to help with skin problems like acne, dandruff, athlete's foot plus to help healing and reduce scarring.  And if that's not enough, it's a key ingredient in the famous perfume "Tabu".  Who knew.

Somewhat faster Roasted Spring Vegetables

At the Farmer's Market I bought carrots, red potatoes, sweet potatoes & baking potatoes.  Chopped them all up into hunks, then added hunks of red and green cabbage.  Put them all in a big microwave safe casserole, added maybe 1/2c water and zapped them for 8-10 minutes.  They were all basically cooked and pretty much soft (but not mushy).  I then dumped the casserole contents (plus 1/c can of chick peas) into a 9x13 metal baking pan, added a dollop of butter (olive oil works, too) and just added pepper and garlic salt (onions would have been a good idea to add).  Put it in the oven at 375 for about 20 minutes and had roasted vegetables for dinner!  The savings is that you don't have the oven on at 450 for 45 minutes. So you not only don't have to wait so long, you also don't have to pay for the higher heat for so long.  What a deal...

I guess I like miniatures or at least am intrigued by them.  Check out this book; it's hand-drawn and hand-bound:

Essential Oil Necessities -- Jojoba Oil

Soap, cream, & essential oil people love jojoba oil.  It's pricey but most skin types love it since it's more similar than other vegetable oils to the oil that our bodies manufacture to keep skin lubricated. They used to slaughter sperm whales for oil this good.  You can use it straight on your skin and in your hair and even around your eyes.  They refine jojoba to be odorless, colorless and stable so it's also great for essential oils as a carrier oil to dilute the EO and 'carry' and absorb the EO's good stuff into your skin. And if that weren't good enough -- they say it also has a potential use as a biodiesel fuel.  It will probably cure all types of cancer and stop global warming if they study it long enough...

Things to do with leftover sweetened condensed milk (if you don't eat it straight first)

Sweetened condensed milk morphed into Caramel Sauce via the microwave:  Pour sweetened condensed milk into 2-quart glass measuring cup. Cook on 50% power (medium) 4 minutes, stirring briskly every 2 minutes until smooth. Cook on 30% power (medium-low) 20 to 25 minutes or until very thick and caramel-colored, stirring briskly every 4 minutes during the first 16 minutes and every 2 minutes during the last 4 to 10 minutes.  If you use less than one full can, the cooking time will decrease so watch for burning

Coconut Easter Eggs - what could be better?

These are easy and very good.  Mix 1/4c butter with 1t vanilla, 1/3c sweetened condensed milk (yes, you'll have leftovers), 3c powdered sugar, 1/2c coconut.  Now form this coconut mix into eggs.  This is sort of messy (well, actually pretty messy).  You can make one giant egg or lots of other sized eggs.  Put on wax paper then put in fridge till firm.  Melt about 4oz chocolate chips (can do combo of milk and/or semi-sweet).  Dip eggs into chocolate to coat then put back on wax paper and fridge to harden chocolate.

Etsy finds - how in the world does she make these...

This woman is amazing.  But will she have any eyesight left at age 50?  I'm not sure what one does with a miniature tea service but it sure is cute...

aromatherapy.com's pretty exhaustive list of things to do with essential oils around the home

Keep in mind that not all essential oils will work with all of these suggestions...


Bath: fill the tub with bath water.  Add and swish 9-10 drops of essential oil into the bath water.  Some essential oils are more irritating to the skin than others.  Read the safety cautions for each essential oil. 

Liquid Soap: add about 30-45 drops of essential oil to 8 ounces of unscented liquid hand soap or unscented liquid shower body wash.  Shake vigorously.

Body Oil: add about 12-15 drops of essential oil to one ounce of carrier oil, such as jojoba oil and shake to blend.

Body Lotion: add 50-60 drops of essential oil to 16 ounces of unscented body lotion. Stir until smooth.

Body Mist: add 10-15 drops of essential oil to a 1 oz misting bottle filled with spring or distilled water.  Shake well and shake before each mist.

Liniment: add 25-20 drops of essential oil to one ounce of carrier oil, such as jojoba oil.  Shake well to blend.

Compress: mix 3-5 drops of essential oil to a bowl of warm or cool water. Soak a wash cloth, wring and apply.

Shampoo/Conditioner: add 12-15 drops of essential oil to one ounce of unscented or mild shampoo and conditioner.  Shake well to blend.

Hair Brush: place three drops of essential oil into the palm of your hand; rub over the natural bristles of a hair brush.  Brush your scalp and your hair.

Diffuser: add essential oils to a diffuser, candle burner or a lamp ring.

Room Mist: add 17-20 drops of essential oil to a 1 oz misting bottle filled with spring or distilled water.  Shake well and shake before each mist.

Scent:  add five drops of an essential oil to a hanky or tissue and carry with you throughout the day.  Or place under your pillow case to ease you into sleep.

Scent:  add five drops to a cotton ball and place in drawers and linen closets.

Place: a drop of essential oil in the palm of your hand, rub your hands together and inhale. (Keep away from your eyes). (A wonderful way to encourage a deep breath).  this would be nice with spearmint e.o.

Safety Precautions

• Never take essential oils internally.
  
• Read about an essential oil before applying it.  
  
• Essential oils are very concentrated substances and should be diluted before applying them to the skin. Follow guidelines or recipes which recommend a 2%-5% solution.
  
• Have a recipe’s concentration of essential oils when using with children. Do not use essential oils with infants.
  
• Do not apply citrus essential oils, especially Bergamot before direct exposure to the sun. These essential oils increase photosensitivity.
  
• Essential oils are not soluble in water. Make sure you dilute or fully disperse them when using water as a base.  
  
• Essential oils can cause a prickly, irritating sensation to the skin. Do not rub water on the area. Doing so will cause the oil to spread. Apply any vegetable/carrier oil to the area; this will cause the essential oil to be absorbed and ease the irritation in minutes.
  
• Keep essential oils away from your eyes.
  
• Keep essential oils out of the reach of children and animals.
  
• If skin irritation occurs or an allergic reaction occurs with any essential oil or product with essential oils in it, discontinue use.
  
• Essential oils should not replace proper health care. If you are under medical supervision consult with your health care provider before using essential oils.
  
• These suggestions for Your Safety are not to be considered complete and all-inclusive.

Using Essential Oils Around Home

Essential Oils aren't just for soap makers or perfumers.  Anyone can enjoy them -- if only for their amazing fragrances.  There's a lot of homeopathic use for essential oils.  You have to be careful, though, since not all of them can be used directly on skin let alone ingested.  And there's always that disclaimer:  "...not to be used by young children or pregnant women without a physician's advice etc...".  You can put a couple of drops in a stinky garbage can, vacuum cleaner bag, laundry rinse.  Some people make a spritzer to spray onto sheets.  Wake up a limping potpourri.  Patchouli typically isn't sensitizing and so is used in bath water and mixed with a carrier oil to use in massage.  And the uses and different essential oils go on and on...

Kid's Activity: scary story with tactile props (dead witch parts)

This is great fun to watch everyone's faces...  Everyone is in a circle.  They all cheat if you tell them to close their eyes so instead you put things in plastic bags covered with a brown paper bag.  First tell them in a low scary voice that you CAUGHT A WITCH!  And then she withered up and died so all you have left are some of her body parts; they're too gross to look at so you have them covered with the brown paper bag in deference to their sensibilities.  Have first kid put her hand in first bag so she can feel HER EYES! (peeled grapes), next bag -- her teeth (unpopped popcorn), her ears (dried apple slices), her nose (avocado), her tongue (wet tea bag), her brain (moist natural sponge), her hair (corn silk), her guts (cooked, cold spaghetti), and all that is left of her pet cockroaches (small dried leaves).  You can get really messy with pudding and jello but you're just asking for clean up trouble.  It's not just for Halloween -- we did this as a campfire game.  A little too scary for little kids but great for mid-elementary and older.  It's especially fun to gross-out the parents...

It's March -- so where's the Irish Soda Bread?

Irish Soda Bread looks like one of those "peasant" foods that's impossible to recreate without a thatched roof over your head and chickens running underfoot.  But not so!  The great thing about "peasant" foods is that they're typically hearty, uncomplicated and with simple ingredients.  Irish Soda Bread is no exception.  Here's James Beard':

Mix 3c whole wheat flour, 1c white, 1T salt, 1t baking soda, 3/4 t baking powder (can play around with the 4c flour: 3-1/2 white and 1/2 whole wheat, etc).  Add 1-1/2 to 2 c buttermilk to make a soft dough.  Knead 2-3 minutes on lightly floured board till smooth and velvety (James Beard's words).  Form into round loaf and place on well buttered cookie sheet.  Cut a cross across the top with a very sharp, floured knife.  Bake at 375 35-40 minutes or till browned and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom with your knuckles.

Etsy Finds -- Duck Hat

Everyone needs one!  This is one of those things people oooh and aaahh over and say, "Idn't that speshal!".  Of course, it really is cute and very special and just begs to be given to a really cute two-year-old.

Spearmint Essential Oil

Most of the time I have little expectations that gum will taste much like it's supposed flavor.  Cinnamon gum never reminds me of a cinnamon roll.  Juicy Fruit just tastes sweet.  But Wrigley's Spearmint Gum really tastes just like spearmint essential oil smells.  A nice, warm mint.  Not biting like peppermint.  Just a nice, warm mint.  Apparently that bite is because of the menthol (or lack thereof) -- alot more of it in peppermint compared to spearmint. You can take a tip from the ancient Greeks and add spearmint to your bath; it's supposed to be calming.  Plus it smells good!

Tips for Treasure Hunts

I'm told I'm putting together a scavenger hunt.  But I think it will be a treasure hunt instead.  They are more fun cause it's not just a race but a race with TREASURE at the end.  Plus you don't end up with a bunch of odd scavenged things to surreptitiously throw out.  Be prepared --  it takes a bit of time to put together a treasure hunt (as opposed to throwing together a scavenger list).  The easiest way is to start backward -- at the treasure.  You've got to stick with the ability-level of the treasure hunters; you'll know you've got a problem if they don't understand your clues and just start blindly searching (then it's hint-time). On the other hand, it's not so much fun if the clues are too obvious.  I like to place the clues physically far apart (front yard then back yard then garage etc) -- then even if the clues are too easy, at least it takes them a while to get to the next.  Make sure the treasure is worth it and that it covers all the age ranges involved.  Cheap, shiny plastic bangles and plastic bugs plus wrapped candy all work great and are exciting to find.  Shiny! Bugs! Candy!  What could be better!

Chocolate Truffles - expensive yet easy to make and oh so good

Truffles are one of those delicacies that sound expensive and tricky to make.  They certainly can be expensive but they're hardly tricky to make.  Sort of embarrassingly easy is more like it; as in two ingredients.  But two IMPORTANT ingredients:  really good chocolate (meaning it tastes wonderful straight from the bag) and heavy cream (not skim milk with extra butter or half and half).  You can use really expensive chocolate but I find Hersheys Extra Dark chocolate chips work fine.  They are also my fav for chocolate chip cookies.  Anyway, zap 8 ounces choc chips in the microwave for 30 seconds.  Stir a little and do it again.  Add 1/2 c heavy cream.  Zap once or twice again for 30 sec till it all feels warm.  Stir and stir till it's smooth; you can zap again if needed -- but this can burn even in the microwave so watch that it's not already hot.  It's best to let it sit a few minutes and melt on its own than overdo the zapping.  When it's finally all homogenized, lightly cover and place in the fridge about an hour till cool.  Then scoop out little pieces (like half the size of a golf ball -- these are rich) and roll into balls.  Once they're all balls, roll in confectioner's sugar, cocoa, toasted or plain coconut, jimmies, etc.  They will be sticky, thus why you need to harden up the outside with something dry.  They are best eaten at room temp but store in the fridge or even freeze.  Scrumptious.

Etsy Finds -- Now this is different...

Sort of a cool seahorse done with a metallic slant.  I like the little curly kews on the tail.  Nice use of...something (what is that?) making the nose.  Looks like it might bite, though.  Or at least light up.

Essential Oils You May Never Have Heard Of: Palmarosa

According to one essential oil vendor, "Palmarosa has a soft, lemony-fresh green scent with hints of geranium and rose".  Not sure I'd describe as such but it does pack a nice punch for problem -- or any -- skin.  It is supposed to helpful for dry skin conditions and act as an anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal.  It's been used for a wide variety of skin infections, including acne.

VERY fun (or at least funny) kid's activity -- Finnish Disco Lessons

Dancing for the non-self conscious can be very fun.  And learning a new dance is only fun if you do not care if you look like an incompetent fool.  So what better way to learn (or re-learn) disco than by some people who look odder than you and speak a language that sounds odder than your own.  Check this out and then get on your own white polyester double knit duds and show some kids how to really hit the dance floor. 

Soup for a winter night...

Soup is a very forgiving food:  you can go a little low or high in measurements, drop one ingredient and add another, and it still can come out tasting fine.  Some guidelines for a nice potato soup:  Saute 1/2 to 1 whole onion with garlic till all is transparent. Chop 3 - 6 medium sized potatoes ("medium" as opposed to huge 6" baking potatoes) and saute for a minute or so.  If you like beans (a can of black or white or red kidney) or want to add a low fat protein source, add them to the saute to give them a little flavor.  You can also add lots of other "firm" vegetables at this point:  carrots, celery, sweet potato etc. Cover all with water and simmer till soft, 20-30 minutes.  You can bouillon, wine, worchestershire sauce, and/or soy sauce till it's to your taste.  Tomato paste is good, various herbs are good (basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram).  When the potatoes et al are soft, you can add any leftover cooked vegetables (peas, corn, green beans, broccoli).  At this point the soup is "done" and ready to eat but it's nice to add cheese.  Plain old American melts easily and is the cheapest; parmesan adds a nice flavor.  If you've got some hard stuff that needs to be tossed out, you can chop that up and add it.  And finally, if you don't have a nice bread, croutons or crackers work almost as well to round it out into something hot and good that you can call "Dinner".

Etsy Find: Horsehair baskets sized for a small fairy

One of those "How in the world do they make it" type of items. Or, "Who in the world has the patience or eyesight" type of items.  Incredibly cool, incredibly small.  Teeny tiny handwoven baskets.  You'd only find on etsy...

Essential Oils 102 - Rosemary

The name "Rosemary" sounds like the scent should be floral but it's scent is very pine-esque.   It's one of those herbs that's been popular for approximately forever.  At one point it was believed that placing a sprig of rosemary under a pillow before sleep would repel nightmares and if placed outside the home would repel witches.  Good info to know.  It's  a member of the mint family and native to the Mediterranean.  The shrub has spiky leaves that are more like short, fat pine needles.  It's wonderful in cooking and is the flavor that makes foccacia so good.  The plant is considered easy to grow -- but mine managed to die this winter. Rosemary has been said to improve memory and as such has been used as a symbol for remembrance for centuries. Rosemary essential oil is said to have an overall mental and physical invigorating effect -- plus it wards off witches.

Quick and easy Valentine cards to make

use any paper but of course pink construction paper is historically considered the finest.  Fold a strip of, hmm, say, red paper and cut hearts.  Use cut outs to decorate and left over cut out paper to decorate some more.  Doilies are always a nice touch.  But the nicest touch is hand-writing your Valentine's wish...

Just in time for Valentine's Day -- DIY Peppermint Patties

Want to give something homemade and sweet and good and easy?  Do-It-Yourself Peppermint Patties are great.

Mix ½ block (8−ounce) cream cheese, 1/2 t peppermint extract, and 4-1/2c confectioners' sugar.  Dump on to counter and knead a bit; sprinkle counter with more confectioner’s sugar if too sticky. Break off golf ball-sized pieces, round them then flatten.  Place discs on wax paper-lined sheets and let air dry; after an hour, flip over to dry other side.  Melt 1-1/2c chocolate chips (can mix milk and semi sweet chocolates) -- zap one minute, stir, zap 30 seconds more, stir, etc till melted – can burn so watch.  Dip each disc into the melted chocolate.  Fridge to harden then dip other side.  You could get creative and make a giant heart or just make a giant pattie.  Makes about 24.

the birth of a baker...

I figured out how to make icing when I was five.  I remember climbing onto the kitchen counter so I could reach the cabinet where the box of powdered sugar was stored.  Add water and you've got icing!  Still amazes me the things you can make.  I love bread making and canning and making cookies and soups ad infinitum.  And I love making soap.  I love figuring out what mix of oils and scents would be interesting.  And finding out what those oils and essential oils are supposed to be good for -- nice lather, moisturizing, hard bar, etc or acts as an astringent, is cooling, warming, etc.  And then after all of that fun research, you get to wash with it!  Almost as satisfying as eating powdered sugar icing.

Etsy Find: wiresNpliers

Halloween may be long gone but I thought this was the coolest necklace - handmade with tiny spider webs!   I can't imagine how patient you'd have to be to put this together; between making the webs and bending the wire I think I'd go nuts.  But what fun it would be to wear!

Essential Oils 101 - Lavender

Per Wikipedia, an essential oil is:  "...a concentrated liquid from plants. An oil is "essential" in the sense that it carries a distinctive scent, or essence, of the plant."   Lavender oil is an essential oil obtained by distillation from the flower spikes. 
According to whoever you listen to, lavender can do everything from cure athlete's foot to disinfect your garbage can; it can get rid of a hangover and ease panic attacks. In 17th century London, it was suggested that a bunch of lavender be tied around the wrist to protect one from the Great Plague.  Not bad for a little purple flower.  Whether you expect it to cure what ails you or not, you CAN expect it to smell great:  always clean and fresh, not cloying, not terribly floral.  Makes as nice a soap now as it did years ago.  And anti-plague lavender wrist bands are never out of style...

Kid's Art Craft -- Penguins from recycled bottles and bottle caps

Need a kid's activity? Want one that's winter-related using recycled stuff from around the house?  Family Fun magazine has some usable stuff; here's a good one:  http://familyfun.go.com/crafts/penguin-lawn-decoration-802301/ 

You take 2-litre and smaller empty soda bottles, splash black paint INSIDE and shake it up (always fun to shake), let it dry more or less, then add some sand to make them stand up, and finally decorate as penguins.  Ours did NOT come out as perfect as the magazine's (big surprise) mostly because of the flaking white tummy paint.  I'm told that if we had sanded the outside first the white paint would have adhered.  Regardless, they are perfectly imperfect.  I especially love the wobbly eye on the little one.  We used construction paper for the feet, beaks, and wings (as opposed to the more expensive foam stuff the magazine used).  The hats are bottle tops from a liquid laundry detergent container.  The scarves are cut pieces of fleece from old scarves.  The result is a fun piece of winter.

one thing that everybody here agrees with is that Reeses peanut butter cups are pretty much perfect.  Amazingly enough, you can make a pretty good approximation at home pretty cheaply and easily.  You can use whatever peanut butter you've got -- doesn't matter if it's the cheapest store brand or low fat or natural etc.  But you do need a full cup (which is sort of messy to measure but life is full of messy necessities).  You also need one cup of margarine but it can be butter or Smart Balance or some combination and you can skimp and go for 3/4 cup in a pinch.  So far, a pretty forgiving recipe, eh?  Anyway, melt the butter in the microwave and then stir in the peanut butter.  Smash one pack (not the whole box, just one pack within the box) of graham crackers -- don't open the cellophane, just pound it with your fist till it's pretty much all crumbles (but be careful not to REALLY pound it or the cellophane will burst and you'll have graham cracker crumbs all over the floor)(not that that's ever happened to me).  You can use the low fat or regular graham crackers but not the cinnamon (unless you love the taste combo of cinnamon and peanut butter).  One pack is eight full crackers or about 1 cup of crumbs.  Mix the crumbs with the peanut butter-butter mixture and then add in a one pound box of confectioners sugar (about 3-3/4 cups).  It's really thick at this point but you can mix it with a big spoon (or well-washed hands if no one is looking).  When it's pretty well mixed, dump it into a well-greased 13 x 9 glass baking pan.  You can use metal but I always think it tastes a little "tinny" -- the peanut butter lying on the metal picks up a metallic taste.  You can line a metal pan with wax paper to get around that.  Then press all the peanut butter pretty evenly all over the pan.  Now, melt one bag (12 oz) chocolate chips.  A mix of half milk chocolate and half regular semi-sweet is best but not always in the cabinet. Melt for one minute in the microwave then stir and put in again till soft (but beware:  it will burn if you zap it too long).  Pour melted chocolate over peanut butter and put in the fridge for about 15 minutes to firm up so you can score the chocolate before it's hard as a rock.  If you forget and the chocolate totally hardens, it will crack on you when you try to cut it.  Not good when you're trying to cut even pieces so no one can steal the biggest.  And that's my dissertation on homemade Reeses peanut butter cups.