BloomToScoop: Herbs & Yoga - Yoga & Herbs

BloomToScoop: Herbs & Yoga - Yoga & Herbs: Herbology for Yogis Hello Herb & garden lovers! I am going to share a little yoga and herbs.... Bill with Herbs for the practice of...

Herbs & Yoga - Yoga & Herbs

Herbology for Yogis

Hello Herb & garden lovers! I am going to share a little yoga and herbs....

Bill with Herbs for the practice of Yoga

Traditional Yoga has always hinged on a special yoga diet and yoga herbs to act with it.

Yoga postures are something we do and an expression of our energy...how we feed ourselves and our souls.

Herbs are a powerful aid in the practice of Yoga!

If you are involved in yoga you should consider taking helpful herbs to get the most out of yoga and our life.

Our daily herbs may be as important as our daily bread.

The benefit of herbs accrue over time, your lifestyle and diet.

After a yoga session, a warm cup of Chai Tea is soothing & aromatic for your body and soul.... This recipe uses:
a bag of black tea, cinnamon,ginger, cardamon,clove steeped with hot water and blended with milk and a little honey or sugar.



CHAI TEA

 Oils blended with herbs for your body !

I came up with a blend called Yogassage oil. It uses sesame oil, sweet almond oil, coconut oil, safflower oil, eucalyptus oil, peppermint, oil, wintergreen oil and sage oil. They stimulate the mind and promote insight, as well as calming and opening the mind.
Please watch for more on Yoga & Herbs in BloomtoScoop

"Yoga is body gospel." - Reaven Fields

New Hope for Diabetes with Chaya Herb

Chaya  Chidoscolus chayaman, a tender perennial that requires part sun is a Mexican herb used  for medicinal and culinary purposes.



Chaya Leaf



 It has been used by local South Texans for years to control blood sugar. A recent study by Texas A&M University pointed out that an induced rabbit could be brought back from high levels of blood sugar within four hours. Some patients who drink Chaya tea have stopped taking their medications for diabetes. Some say that the Chaya plant could be the second wonder plant of the century.
Brought down from the Mayans to moedern Mexicans, South Texans are the only region that knows that Chaya exists. Researchers say that this plant contains powerful doses of vitamins, proteins and minerals. Other research shows that the Chaya plant provides mega amounts of vitamins! Other people that have used the plant have had good results in weight loss, depression, dry skin and circulation. While some even claim to have better sex when eating the leaves and making of tea of it's leaves.
The National Institute of Nutrition in Mexico City says that ingesting Chaya will:
Improve blood circulation
Help Digestion
Improve Vision
Improve memory and brain function
Calm stressed veins
Help lower cholesterol
Help reduce weight
Prevent coughs
Combats diabetes and arthritis

Chaya Plant

I always enjoy growing unusual plants that you don't see everywhere! The best part about growing it, is just how easy it is to grow. Mine has trippled in size in two months.It is also know as "Tree Spinach,"and  is best to grow it in a pot, to protect it during the Winter months. It will grow to about 6 feet tall and cutting it, encourages new growth.
The are bland, so you will want to add them to soups, casseroles, spaghetti sauces, salads and salsas. It is richer in iron than spinach!

TO MAKE A SIMPLE CHAYA Tea,  boil a gallon of water, and steep 4 or 5 Chaya leaves with a couple of bags of black tea in a glass pitcher or jar. Do not use aluminum containers, as it can cause a toxic reaction, causing diarrhea.

The leaves should be boiled for five minutes before consuming, because they contain cyanogenic glycosides, which can cause cyanide poisoning.

Plant Herbs for Fall

Now is the time to plant herbs!

Potting Bench in the greenhouse

Why is Fall a good time to plant herbs?
In the Texas Hill Country and South it is actually a better time to plant cold hardy herbs because we are in a cooler season before winter and your plants have time to get established before Winter. Then by Spring they will really be growing and in full swing.

Fall is a time for rejuvenation. After we have had the tough heat, and no rain, plants use this time to their advantage. For our area it has been the most difficult Summer I have ever seen, record heat and record drought and of fires! I was in Austin this week and on my drive back to Fredericksburg, it started raining! What a joy for us! I measured a little over an inch of rain in my garden.  The cooler evenings and mornings have been a nice change.
Some of the herbs I would suggest for planting now are:
Rosemary
Thyme
Chives
Oregano
Sage
Mexican Mint Marigold
Curry
Parsley
Cilantro
Marjoram
Arugula
Borage
Fennel
Garlic
Here is a link to my Fall Planting Guide Herbs to Plant in The Fall
I love this quote from Thomas
Jefferson:
"I am still devoted to the garden. But although an old man I am but a young gardener."
Herb Seeds

Soil Bench in the greenhouse

Here are a few examples of some herbs for Fall to grow in pots for your patio or balcony

Enjoy your garden and let me know what ideas you have for herbs, gardening, cooking and aromatherapy.

Wishing to herbs, health and happiness,

William "Bill" Varney

"But now in September the garden has cooled, and with it my posessiveness. The sun warms my back instead of beating on my head. " - Robert Finch 1981 Common Ground

Making a Basil Flower Wreath and a cup of Basil Tea

I love the clove scent of basil...          http://www.urbanherbal.com/herb_gardening/basil_7_07.html

Basil allows enlightenment to be absorbed by the physical mind-body, acting as a conduit, grounding at the same time as balancing subconscious thought and conscious reaction, It is then a fragrance of reality--the reality of physical existance and the reality of spiritual existence. It soars through all the realms, holding them together, allowing integration. --From The Fragrant Heavvens by Valerie Ann Worwood 
Valerie describes basil's scent as, warm, rich, fiery, sharp, peppery, aniseed-like.

To make a basil wreath: you will need, basil flowers, from the tops of the plant, florist wire, and some heavy wire to make your wreath base.
Simply cut little bundles of basil flowers, tie together with florist wire and start wiring to the base, continue around the base until you have come full circle. It will take 7 to 10 days to dry. It also makes a unique fragrant centerpiece on a table.

Basil is also a wonderful herb to use for tea. It is believed to relieve stomach cramps, constipation, and has a spicy, clove flavor. How to brew basil tea:
By infusion, use 1 teaspoon of dried basil leaves or 3 teaspoons of fresh leaves, brusied. Cover with a cup of boiling water, and let steep for about 5 minutes. You can flavor it with honey.

Dog / Cat Biscuits for your little friend

"Observe your dog :if he's too fat you're not getting enough exercise." --Evan Esar



Esparanza (on 3 legs now)


As some of you may know this past week has been a rough one for my dog, Esparanza .....she got hurt late Saturday night and it has been lots of visits to the vet, and lots of TLC, and medicine, and homemade cooking to getting her on the road to recovery. She can only walk on 3 legs, but at least she is recovering!

I have been making homemade dog/cat biscuits for a long time and sell them on-line and in the herb shop, but thought I should get another fresh batch made today. Here is the recipe:

Dog & Cat Biscuits
2 tablespoons margarine, lard, or bacon fat
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 egg slightly beaten
1/2 cup dry milk powder
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup wheat germ
                                                                       1/2 teaspoon salt
                                                                       1/2 cup catnip (for cat biscuits)
                                                                       8 cloves of garlic finely minced (for dog biscuits)
Cream the margarine or lard and brown sugar in mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg, dry milk and broth. Add flours, wheat germ, salt and either the garlic or catnip. Mix well. Knead until soft dough forms. Roll on a floured surface. Cut with shaped cookie cutter. Place on lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 for 30 minutes or until browned and crisp. Cool on rack. Store in airtight containers until served.

Making Dog Biscuits


Here is a link to making them on youtube:
http://urbanherbal.com/bill_varney/index02_11.htm


Just going into the oven:

For many friends, an animal is the constant and comforting presence in their lives.
Make sure your pet gets an edible present early for special occasions - or for no-reason-at-all moments.
http://shop.urbanherbal.com/Pet-Care_c2.htm

SEX, Fertility and Plants

Indulging in sexual intercourse among the crops was a custom which accurred frequently in many places throughout America and Europe. Ritualistic copulation was so performed to increase the fertility of plants.

A scene from The Herbal Bed in NYC

Sometimes pregnant women were employed to plant seed, the inference being that their own obvious bountifulness would transfer itself to the growing plant. Similarly, pregnant women hugged trees to induce healthy growth.
All of the above is part of folk and legend from A Miscellany of Garden Wisdom by Bernard Schofield.
In The Botany of Desire by Michael Pollan he says, " the gardeners and descendants of Johnny Appleseed who would try to make some of this wildness... All of them had ventured into the garden--into Darwin's Ever-Expanding Garden of Artificial Selection-for the purpose of marrying powerful human drives to the equally powerful drives of plants; all were practitioners of the botany of desire.
In many of the foods we eat aphrodisiac's are used from the garden....such as in the Fall: The crisp air and autumn colors of fall ask for cuisine that is hearty, rustic, and substantial.

Feeling Sexy Now in the garden?

Pollinating Tomatoes
Procure a cotton ball or some other similar light fluffy ball and tie it to a stick. At about midday, treat every tomato plant by lightly touching the front part of each flower with the fur. This will distribute the pollen, fertilizing the female organs of the flowers.

Here is a recipe link from Intercourses, sure to have you thinking about your garden in a different way! http://urbanherbal.com/recipes/index-11.htm#spicy_grilled_shrimp

The garden is a place of many sacraments.....
Herbs, grow up close and personal. They are not just flowers, but calendulas, nasturtiums and roses. They are not garnishes, but cinnamon and lemon basil, apple mint and chocolate mint, parsley, lavender and thyme. They are not bulbs, but garlic, chives, dill and fennel. That is why I encourage you to try your hand at growing savory, reputed to have earned it name from the satyrs who found it essential to their amorous activities. Consider, too, the advise of Nicholas Culpeper, herbalist of the 17th century, who suggested a garden of mustard, onion and prickly asparagus for sparking an enchanted evening. For more on Growing and Using the Plants of Romance read Herbs by Bill and Sylvia Varney http://shop.urbanherbal.com/HERBS-Growing-Using-the-Plants-of-Romance-0600.htm

Pomanders for an earlier, gentler time to fragrant your personal space

Pomanders
They were originally small balls of gold, silver or ivory and contained rare spices that were fixed with ambergris. They were used to ward off objectionable smells. My favorite pomanders are made with apples, oranges, lemons or limes and studded with cloves and aged in a curing spice blend. They can then be placed in bowls around your home or hung with ribbons to scent the home. Because they look and smell so festive, pomanders have long been associated with Christmas and the holidays.
I love their scent year round and if you start early, you can have a number of them made up ahead of time to give as gifts.
To make a pomander you will need the following:
Oranges, apples, lemons or limes.
Whole large headed cloves
A curing spice mixture ( recipe below )
An ice pick or crochet hook for piercing the fruit. This makes it a lot easier to insert the cloves.
A large bowl to put the curing spices and cure the pomanders.
As you inset the cloves, hold the fruit firmly, but don’t squeeze it. The cloves can be place at random in the fruit. They should be close together, but not too crowded.
Place the studded fruit into a bowl with the curing spices and roll in the spices.
Each day roll the fruit in the spices and continue until the fruit has hardened. They are then done and ready to put in bowls or hand with ribbons.
Curing Spice Mixture
4 ounces powdered cinnamon
2 ounces powdered cloves
1 ounce powdered allspice
½ ounces powdered nutmeg
1 ounces powdered orris root.
This mixture can be used over and over and be stored in a sealed ziplock bag and put in a cool dark cabinet.

The finished pomander can give you a number of years of fragrant pleasure.

Chocolate Chip Cookies



Chocolate Chip Cookies just out of the oven

 Nothing beats a homemade chocolate chip cookie! Especially when they are just out of the oven with a glass of milk....
Here is my slant on the good tried & true recipe with a hint of cinnamon basil.

Recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies with Cinnamon Basil

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 cup of light brown sugar
4 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tablespoon cinnamon basil, finely minced
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

                                                                                        1 3/4 cup unbleached white whole wheat flour
                                                                                        (I prefer King Arthur Flour)
                                                                                        1/2 teaspoon baking powder
                                                                                        1/2 teaspoon baking soda
                                                                                        1/2 teaspoon salt
                                                                                        1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies
                                                                                        1/2 cup pecans, chopped
                                                                                        2 teaspoons coffee (a few hours old )

Presheat your oven to 310 degrees F.
Place the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium for about a minute. Then beat in the egg, vanilla, and cinnamon basil. In the bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and soda, and mix for about 30 seconds. Then add the chocolate chips, pecans, and coffee and mix for about another 30 seconds.
Prepare a cookie sheet with shortening or I use a non stick spray (Vegalene). Using a scoop, measure about 2 tablespoons of the cookie dough small round dollops, and gently press down into small circles. Bake for about 20 minutes or until browned around the edges. Repeat until you have all the cookie dough used.

This recipe usually makes about 24 to 28 cookies.                        

Cookies & Milk

Cinnamon Basil in the garden

              
            

Cilantro Cucumber Gin Fizz

Cool Refreshing Adult Beverage with a Kick
Here is a fun unusual cocktail with sweet heat!

Cilantro Cucumber Gin Fizz

Cilantro Cucumber Gin Fizz Recipe

Cilantro simple syrup (recipe to follow)
Gin
Cucumber
Chili Pepper. seeded
Lime
Club Soda
Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce

In a blender puree a third of a peeled cucumber, the juice of one lime, and one chili pepper minced. Fill a bar glass with ice, fill half way with club soda, pour the puree over and stir well, add 2 tablespoons of the cilantro simple syrup, a dash of Tabasco Green Pepper Sauce and 1 jigger of gin, stir again. Garnish with a fresh cucumber slice and a cilantro sprig. Enjoy the evening!


Happy Hour outside the shop

   Cilantro Simple Syrup Recipe

1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cilantro finely minced

Bring all ingredients to a boil, stir well. cool down. Can be stored in the refrigerator for a few weeks.

Hoja Santa (Holy Leaf)

My tongue tells me it isn't only the staples, herbs and spices that make the flavor and style of food really "Mexican."


Hoja Santa

 Equally important is the way those Mexican foodstuffs are ground, simmered, seared and sizzled. Without suggesting that you get down on your hands and knees and grind chilies and corn on the metate. I offer for your culinary exploration a traditional piece of Mexican cooking equipment: THE LEAF.

Along with banana, avocado and maguey (century plant) leaves the velvet valentine-leafed Hoja Santa, Hierba Santa, or "root beer plant," was one of the first cooking vessels available to the Native American chef.

For a complete story on growing and using this herb go to:Hoja Santa

Questions breed touching and sniffing. Once released, hoja santa's musky aroma hinting of anise, camphor, and sassafras, transports us back in time to the almost-now obscure pre-Hispanic cultures of Mexico--the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec Indians. Although their ceremonial and ritual life was either merged among themselves, lost, or took on new form with the Spanish conquest, age-old culinary traditions have lingered on.

For generations, Mexican cooks have wrapped foods in leaf packets and placed them over hot fire to cook. Many ingredients can lose their fresh, clean flavor if cooked directly over a too-hot fire, but wrapping with leaves protects and flavors dishes, creating a moist, savory solution. When heated, hoja santa leaves give off a musky anise steam that marries especially well with poultry, fish, fresh oysters, clams, mussels, pork, and I love to grill a cabrito(goat).



Hoja Santa Chicken

 Here is a grilled chicken that I am making for this weekend!

Grilled Hoja Santa Chicken Recipe

6-8 Hoja Santa Leaves
1 whole organic free range chicken
seasoning (recipe to follow)
 1/3 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup tequila

Oil a  large pan or clay dish. Lay enough hoja santa leaves to cover the bottom. Rinse off and dry the chicken. Lay the chicken on the leaves and season all over and drizzle with olive oil and tequila. Lay more hoja santa leaves all over the top of the chicken. Turn you grill on and have it on medium heat. Put the pan on the grill and slowly cook, turn the chicken and recover with leaves. Slowly grill for 45 minutes to an hour. I like to wet the leaves to bring out the most flavor! Tastes great with fresh veggies, garden fresh salad and tortillas with a little hoja santa cheese. Check out Paula Lambert's award winning one at http://www.mozzco.com/cgi/SoftCart.100.exe/scstore/p-cs17.html?L+scstore+ddrr7274+1315626267

Seasoning Recipe:
1 tablespoon dried cocoa
1 tablespoon dried garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon ancho chile pepper
1 tablespoon sea salt
1 tablesppon fresh ground pepper
Mix all ingredients together. Use for seasoning chicken to taste.

Hoja Santas Leaves wrapped around the chicken on the grill

Wrapped Hoja Santa Chicken on The Grill

Glycerin Free Skin Care

Skin Care without glycerine

Blending the lotion

Yesterday my Mom was taking tests
all day for allergies..... Wow over 70
years young, and to find out she has
allergies. There was young lady taking tests

all day was well and she had been in the
emergency room at the hospital numerous
times in really severe shape. One common
thing that many people have is an allergy to
glycerin.
So in the past 24 hours I have researched
an found out that gycerin is in almost
everything!
Here is a simple way to make a glycerin-free
lotion.

Recipe:
1 tablespoon cocoa butter
2 tablespoons beeswax
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
1/2 cup Sweet Almond Oil

In a double boiler, melt all of the ingredients. The cocoa butter and beeswax will take the longest to melt.
When it has all melted, pour into a container, and let cool. Of course being an herb guy, I want to add essentail oil, which I will, but decided for omit for simplicity and allergies. Depending on your own preferences you can add 6-12 drops of your favorite essential oil.

Glycerin-Free Lotion

I have been making a glycerin-free massage oil for a number of years that works great as a skin moisterizer.
Herbal Massage Oil

Hope everyone enjoys this skin care tip today.

Caprese Salad

If you love mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil, this is your salad!

Caprese Salad with bread & wine

Caprese Salad Recipe

2 - 3 ripe tomatoes

Fresh mozzarella medallions(I prefer Paula Lambert's Mozzarella)Paula Lambert Mozzarella Company

25 -30 Fresh Basil Leaves (I like to use sweet and purple basil)

EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

coarse salt and fresh ground pepper

balsamic vinegar



Caprese Salad

 On salad plates, layer your basil leaves, sliced tomatoes, then mozzarella slices, then layer again. Season with coarse salt and fresh ground pepper. Drizzle with EVOO, and balsamic vinegar.

Very Simple, quick, and easy! But the best part is how delicious this salad tastes.

Martini Fete with Herbs

Lemon Herb Martini

A classy cocktail, evoking elegance, sophistication, and known as the "King of Cocktails" by many people.
Serve this lemony herb martini in the garden or share it with a friend for a fun eveningnof friendship.

2 ounces lemon flavored vodka(recipe follows)
Crushed ice
A sprig of lemon herb, such as lemon basil, lemon verbena, or lemon balm
1 green olive

Shake vodka with ice, and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a sprig of herb run thru the olive.
Serve and enjoy!

Lemon Infused Vodka

1. Choose your herbs. I suggest lemon basil sprigs, lemon verbena sprigs, lemon balm sprigs, and zest of 1 lemon.
2. Choose an airtight container or bottle.
3. Vodka to fill your container(since you are flavoring it, you do not have to an expensive vodka).
4. Loosely put herbs and lemon zest in container, pourq vodka over, and fill the bottle.
5. Store in a cool dark place for at least 3 to 5 days or longer. Shake a few times a day.

6. Strain with a funnel and filter and discard herbs and lemon zest for a pure clear vodka.

Making Yogurt Cheese with Herbs

Old Fredericksburg Cheese Spread

Old Fredericksburg Cheese Spead Served in The Garden

To help you enjoy a wonderful
Labor Day weekend, I wanted to
share this recipe that we originally did
in the eighties, and I always forget
until I make it each time, just how
wonderful and easy it is to do.

"We may live without poetry, music and art;
We may live without conscience, and live without heart;
We may live without friends;
We may live without books;
But civilized man cannot live without cooks."
- Edward Robert Bulwer, Earl of Lytton 1860






Ingredients:
1 quart yogurt cheese (recipe follows)
1 8-ouce package cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon each; chopped fresh marjoram, thyme,
sage and parsley.
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1. Place all ingredients in your food processor, pulse well and chill
2. Serve as a dip with vegetables or with bread or crackers.

Herbs for Cheese Spread : Parsley, Marjoram, Thyme, Sage

Yogurt Cheese
1 quart yogurt (plain)

1. Place 1 quart yogurt on a piece of cheese cloth or  loosely woven material.
2. Draw the four corners of the material up and tie securely to form a bag.
3. Hang this overnight from the kitchen faucet, or anywhere it can drip. The thick mass left in the bag is the yogurt cheese

Making Yogurt Cheese

Smell is the most powerful of our senses

"Nothing awakens a reminiscence like an odor." - Victor Hugo



Various Scents

 Smell is the most powerful of our senses,
and the fastest way to our emotions, and
yet we turn our noses up at it..

Smell can instantly trigger emotions, and
it roots us to experience. Without smell
we would be denied so much of our
intimate memory, because scent has a
fast route to the part of the brain that deals
with emotions and memory.

Here are a few a few suggested scents  for
different rooms in your home:
Bedroom: lavender, rose, geranium, ylang-ylang
Living room: amber, pine or juniper
Kitchen: grapefruit
Bathroom: rose or marjoram
Scents Natural

Oils for different effects

For entertaining and for different effects essential oils can do it all!

Recent American research suggests that the divorce rate is higher
these days because we mask our natural smell, so that when we fall
out we don't even have the safety net of a familiar smell to catch.us.

Our homes are such a cacophony of different artificial smells, from
household cleansers to cosmetics, that we cannot tell what is natural
anymore! It is time for everyone to take back control of what is in
your home.

Herb Hors D' Oeuvres

Friends Coming over or needing to bring a little something to a party?

Herb Crostini

These crostinis are quick, easy and don't last very long when put out for a snack.

Crostinis
Take a loaf of french, and thinly slice.
lay the slices on a cookie sheet, greased with olive oil
Drizzle olive oil on top of the bread slices.
Sprinkle slices of basil leaves on top.
Season with Herb Sea Salt
Set the oven on broil and put the crostinis in the oven for 3 to 4 minutes.
Plate and serve!

Tea Sandwiches

Another easy Hor D' Oeuvre are assorted tea sandwiches. I made two that are in the pictures

Caprese Tea Sandwiches
on a thin slice of french bread spread cream cheese
On top add a tomatoe slice, large leaf of basil or 2, a thin slice of fresh mozzarella cheese (my favorite is from Paula Lambert's Mozzarella CompanyMozzarella Company
on another slice of bread spread some homemade pesto and add to the top and your done!

Cucumber Carrot Tea Sanwiches
on thin sliced cocktail cocktail sourdough bread spread cream cheese
next lay a thin slice of cucumber , then sprinkle with
grated carrots, season with salt and pepper.
on another slice of bread add cream cheese and put on top
and those tea sandiches are done.

Tea Sandwiches