Cookies with This and That

Its been hard to post lately because of the busy time of year. We have had successful markets in Boulder, Longmont and Denver recently. The Colorado Proud Directory just added our farm. They also put out a gift guide. The publication 'Yellow Scene' had a mention of us for local products.
We are hoping to do markets in both Denver and Ft. Collins this winter. All this while still working on remodeling and updating our workshop space. The extreme cold weather has made some things difficult though so hopefully it will pass soon. Unfortunately, some of the rose geraniums I was getting ready to cut for facial steams have been nipped in the greenhouse. They will survive but need time to put on more greenery. We just added smaller sizes for our knuckle balm and our sole pleasure foot butter which have been well received and are thinking ahead to summer to make sure we are growing enough herbs for demand.

I'll leave you with a recipe for Snickerdoodle Cookies. My son made these this week to take to work. Its always nice to have something baking in the oven when its cold outside. I've added lavender buds to sugar cookies before, but I bet they would work well in these cookies too. Try about a tablespoon of dried lavender buds or dried lemon balm leaves. The herbal aroma is a reminder of summer. Take time to sit down with a cup of tea and a cookie near the fire.

Mix together
1 c butter
1 1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
Sift together and stir in:
2 3/4 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp salt
Chill dough slightly to make it easier to work with (optional)

Use hands to roll into small balls the size of walnuts. Roll in a mixture of 2 tablespoons sugar and 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Place 2" apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake until just beginning to brown on edges but still soft.
Temp: 400 degrees F
Time: about 8-10 min
Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

Herbal Aesthetics - Tree Ornament

Herbs are full of aesthetic properties that include color, texture and fragrance. It is a joy to find different ways to use them. If you love using herbs you are in luck because Cory Trusty at Aquarian Bath is hosting a blog party this month based on Herbal Aesthetics. So after you spend some time here, go over there to see the other blogs participating in this topic.

I don't consider myself a 'crafty' person so crafts that I do have to be simple, so that is what you will find here. Two of my favorite herbs are rose and lavender. They have amazing fragrances as well as textures. Lavender flowers are tiny flowers that range in color from gray to dark blue. Roses start as small buds and then blossom into large petaled flowers with colors that include yellow, pink, and red. All summer long I dry as many roses and lavender stems as I can. With roses I dry both the whole flowers and the small buds. I look forward to spending time with these herbs in the winter after the growing season ends.

A small bowl of dried lavender and rose buds looks beautiful in a bathroom. A drop or two of essential oil can add to the pleasure. Because both of these herbs are also good skin care herbs I use crumbled rose petals and lavender buds in a number of skin care products such as bath salts and scrubs. I also distill both of them for their aromatic waters or hydrosols.

But the aesthetic project I will show you here is how to use them as a Christmas tree decoration. I purchase the very inexpensive, clear, empty, hard plastic ornaments and simply fill them with either lavender or rose petals or buds. It is an inexpensive yet beautiful way to use herbs and is a great winter reminder of the beauty of the garden. These last quite a few years and every year you can liven them up with a drop or two of essential oil dropped in the ornament. You can either hang these on your tree or simply put them in a bowl to view. Herbs that work well for this should be ones that retain their color and scent well and do not fall apart. Rosemary might be another herb that works well for this, although I've never tried it.

Here are some older posts you might enjoy that deal with crafts and aesthetics:
http://sagescript.blogspot.com/2009/01/scented-paper-valentines-day-project.html
http://sagescript.blogspot.com/2008/08/wedding-herbs.html
http://sagescript.blogspot.com/2008/05/mothers-day-tussie-mussie.html
I'd love to hear some of your ideas for using herbs aesthetically, please post them in the comments.

Digging Echinacea

I dug up some echinacea roots a couple weeks ago. This is not only an important immune stimulating herb but also has antiviral activity making it an important herb for cold season. Although the active principles may be more concentrated in the roots, you can certainly find them in the leaves and flowers too. In the summer if I have flowers that break off I will just dry them and mix them with roots that I dig in the fall. I usually wait until the plant is 3 years old before using to be sure it has a good root system. Echinacea will reseed rather freely so I typically have several clumps growing in various places, so digging up one clump still leaves me with other clumps.
To do this, I use a shovel to dig up the roots, shake and break off the excess dirt and cut off the dead stems. I then bring the roots into the house and use a vegetable brush to clean the dirt from the roots; cutting some apart as necessary. I then let the root clump dry and will store it in a glass jar until needed. A coffee grinder can then be used to grind the roots into smaller pieces that can then be used to make tinctures or teas. Echinacea is an important part of my Thyma-Flu product.

Parabens and this and that

A quick blog today with some news and links.

A new report just came out on parabens that I found interesting. Having read previous papers about parabens I have been skeptical of the bad press they have received supposedly because of them affecting the hormonal systems of the body which lead to cancer. This new study indicates that although parabens are well absorbed orally they are poorly absorbed through the skin and are well metabolized before they reach the blood stream. And the metabolite found in the blood, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, had no hormone (estrogen) action in the body.

This study was presented by Florian Schellauf at the Scandinavian Society of Cosmetic Chemists (SCANCOS) in Sweden and has not yet been published in a peer reviewed journal, so I will wait before making any definite conclusions.

In fact, parabens themselves are natural substances found in food and so we are exposed to them through food. Parabens is the name given to a group of p-hydroxybenzoic acid (PHBA) esters. Parabens are biodegradable and natural. A growing number of manufacturers are now using Japanese honeysuckle extract in their products. This is a source of parabens and by using it the manufacturers are getting around the negative public perception of using parabens. We may have done parabens a big disservice and could find that they are actually the best and most natural preservative we can use. Lets keep an open mind on this. Here is more reading on the subject.

http://www.cosmeticsdesign.com/Formulation-Science/New-data-on-parabens-suggests-no-adverse-hormonal-effect-on-the-body

Here is another interesting article on parabens, a copy of a Paper on Natural Parabens by Anthony C. Dweck http://www.naturalingredient.org/Articles/toni1.html

http://www.ecomall.com/greenshopping/methylparaben.htm

Colorado Aromatics will be at the Cornucopia of Local Saturday November 21 and at the Winter Farmers Market at the Boulder County Fairgrounds Saturday, December 5.

http://www.boulderfarmers.org/longmont/longmont-about.htm

Check out Pamper yourself Denver's article about our natural spa gift sets:

http://www.pamperyourselfdenver.com/beauty-blog/great-holiday-gift-sets/

Holiday Gift Sets

For holiday shopping we are putting to together several body spa gift sets that would make perfect Holiday presents for family or friends. These sets are packed in “Inspired by Nature” gift boxes made from 100% recycled material. No need for extra wrapping paper so we encourage you to decrease the waste. Add a bow if you like.

Facial Spa Kit – With herbs for a steam facial, one ounce botanical toner (lavender/rose, lavender/lemon balm or cucumber/mint all distilled on our farm), parsley eye serum for those fine lines and dark circles under the eyes and a small guest size bar of face quality, handcrafted soap. $19.20

This would also pair nicely with our Springtide Antiaging face cream.

Hand Spa kit – With herbal soak for softening and cleansing hands, one ounce tin of knuckle balm for cuticle massage and other areas needing special attention, and a 4 oz jar of hand lotion (citrus or lavender), Also comes with a cuticle stick, emery board, and a small guest size bar of soap. $16.95

Pedi Paradise Foot Spa Kit – With herbal foot soak (relaxing and antifungal herbs), sugar scrub to soften rough spots and calluses and to finish off, Sole Pleasure Foot Butter in a 2 ounce push up container to moisturize and protect the feet, especially the heels. Also comes with a small, guest size bar of soap. $18.15

Any of these spa kits would pair well with a 40 gram bag of our loose leaf tea. All teas are organic teas from flavorful leaves, not the stale ground stuff found in teabags. We make the tea blends from herbs grown on our farm. Choose from Black Assam (orange pekoe), Rose Black (black with rose geranium and rose petals), Chunmee green tea, Lemon Green (green with lemon verbena and lemon balm). $4.00 each.

Lavender Lovers Gift Set – For lavender lovers only, includes a 4 oz bottle of Mountain Mist Hand and Body Lotion with Bulgarian Lavender essential oil, an 8 ml purse size mister of lavender hydrosol distilled on our farm, a bar of lavender soap with lavender buds from our farm and 2 dream pillow tea bags with lavender and other herbs to help you sleep; just slip it in your pillow case. $19.95.

You are also free to choose your own combination of products for your gift box as well. With every $30 or more order I will put it in an “Inspired by Nature” gift box made from 100% recycled material, along with tissue paper. Just put ‘gift’ in the box when checking out. Remember Colorado Aromatics products are all natural, botanical skin care products scientifically formulated and containing the best and most functional ingredients for your skin. You can buy any of these gift sets at Colorado Aromatics website: www.sagescript.com/products.htm. Happy Shopping.

Aromatic Toners

We are busy here getting some special products ready for the Holiday gift giving season. During the summer we distilled some wonderful herbs making aromatic waters. These distillates or hydrosols as they are sometimes called are great skin care products. They are rich in organic acids that help moisturize and keep the skin pH slightly acidic as it should be. This acid mantle is what helps protect the skin. They also contain microdroplets of essential oils making them wonderfully aromatic.

My favorite distillate of course is lavender or is it lemon balm, it’s hard to decide. I made three blends; lavender lemon balm, lavender rose, and cucumber mint all from herbs we grew on our farm this summer. These distillates alone are great to spray on the skin and face for hydration or to use as a body mist or spray in the hair before combing. I wanted to make them a little more special as a toner though so I added a small amount of glycerin as a humectant as well as extracts from raspberry leaf and plantago to soothe and tone the skin. I am selling these in both 1 ounce ($5.10) and 2 ounce ($7.70) spray bottles. You can also spray these on your neck and chest for toning, a place often overlooked when it comes to skin care. Products used in this area are sometimes refered to as décolleté products. The term also refers to a low neckline on a woman’s shirt and is certainly an area you want to look its best.

I love the feel of these toners on my skin and like the scents as a reminder of summer. All the ingredients were grown here on our farm. Distillates alone or with added ingredients are the best of natural skin care. These products can be purchased alone or as part of the gift bags I am putting together as well. These you will hear about soon.

Herbs for Winter Health

This is a good time of year to go over 'must-have' herbs for winter health. Since I am feeling "under the weather" today it also makes it a good time to review. Herbs that I have found most useful to treat and prevent colds and flu include elderberry, echinacea, thyme, sage and garlic. Infection is a combination of exposure to a critical number of bacteria or virus and the immune system not being able to handle the exposure. The herbs mentioned have both antiviral and antibacterial properties and several also have immune stimulating properties.

Elderberry is an important herb for flu and medical studies have found it to be effective. It contains neuraminidase activity, the same activity of the drug commonly used to treat the flu, Tamiflu. The best part is that elderberry tastes delicious. You can make a syrup from elderberry using these instructions. You can also make a liquor with elderberry by covering the elderberries with vodka, let set for two weeks and then add honey to taste. Alternatively, you can leave it with just vodka and use it as a tincture.

Thyme is a traditional herb used for bronchitis and upper respiratory tract infections. Thyme can be used in a number of ways; added directly to tea or make thyme honey to add to tea or use as a cough remedy.

Sage is a great herb to use for a sore throat. It too can be used to make a honey or as a tea itself. Echinacea is best used as a tincture; you can make this yourself (directions coming in another blog) or you can buy this. If you have Echinacea in your yard you want to harvest, this is the time of year to dig up the roots to make your tinctures; after the aerial parts of the plant have died back.

Garlic is a valuable herb that stimulates the immune system and has antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal activity. I like using garlic fresh as garlic toast. To do this first make a piece of toast from whole wheat bread. Then rub a garlic clove over the rough surface of the toast so that the garlic goes all over the surface of the toast. It may bite a little when you eat it, but it does great good!

For more information on what you can do for minor infections see my book "The Antibiotic Alternative". This month I am celebrating the 10th anniversary of its publication. You can see more about this book here.

Colorado Aromatics sells a product I call Thyma-Flu, a play on the drug name, Tamiflu. This product is a mix of immune stimulating herbs and antiviral herbs. You add drinking alcohol of your choice to the herbs to make a tincture. Take this at the first sign of cold or flu to prevent the symptoms from arising.
You can find this product here.

Essential Oils and Aromatics, book review

Essential Oils and Aromatics: Step-by-Step Guide For Use in Massage and Aromatherapy

By Marge Clark

Silverleaf Press 2008

Marge Clark has recently been able to put some of her wisdom to paper in “Essential Oils and Aromatics: Step-by-Step Guide For Use in Massage and Aromatherapy”. This compact book is great for quick reference and filled with information. More than just a collection of essential oil monographs, this book starts with information on how to purchase essential oils and what to look for. It then continues to address the properties of carrier oils used for diluting the essential oils. Safety concerns are important to Marge and she addresses this as well.

You can of course find the typical information and blends for spa treatments, but this information goes much further. Aromatherapy is widely used for “mind and mood” and there are many suggestions for this use such as chamomile and jasmine for anger, or basil and clary sage for mental fatigue. Medical science has confirmed that many essential oils have antibacterial, antifungal or antiviral activities too. Marge’s recipe for a general germ killer blend takes this into account. The blend I am most interested in right now though is the tennis shoe freshener and am hoping that this might also work in my son’s gym bag!

You can purchase “Essential Oils and Aromatics” from her website at http://www.naturesgift.com/specbook.htm#Marges and she will autograph it if ordered from her. On her website http://www.naturesgift.com you can also find a large variety of essential oils, blends and carrier oils. One product of particular interest may be the “Flu Foil Synergy” which may be quite useful this flu season. I’d recommend this book to anyone interested in essential oils.

Protein Synthesis and the Nobel Prize

Proteins are by far the most important part of all cells. Their many functions include working as/in:

-enzymes that control all the chemical reactions that occur in the body

-immune function as antibodies

-cell membrane structure and carriers to regulate what goes in and out of a cell

-structural components of skin and muscle (eg. keratin, collagen, actin)

-cell communication in the form of hormones and other messengers.

Proteins are polymers of amino acids and are made in the cell on structural units called ribosomes. This year the Nobel Prize in chemistry was awarded to Ada Yonath of Israel, Thomas Steitz of the USA and Venkatraman Ramakrishnan of the UK for their work in understanding more about the structure and function of these ribosomes work that brings us closer to understanding how proteins are made.

The amino acid sequence of a protein is written in the DNA through various arrangements of four nucleotide bases (Watson and Crick received the Nobel Prize in 1962 for describing the structure of DNA). This code is then copied into the messenger RNA which carries it out of the nucleus to the ribosomes where the protein is made. Three consecutive bases code for one amino acid in the protein sequence. If a mistake is made by the ribosomes in reading this base code then there is a mistake in the protein itself which could prevent it from doing its job. Amazingly, ribosomes rarely make mistakes; only once per every 100,000 amino acids. This has to do with the structure of the ribosome and its ability to measure the distance between the transfer RNA (tRNA) which carries the amino acid and the codon in the messenger RNA (mRNA). Interestingly, the number of different arrangements that 4 nucleotides can arrange themselves in triplets is 64. Since there are only 20 amino acids that occur in protein (many more that don't occur in proteins) some triplet sequences code for the same amino acids while others signal a stop or start to protein synthesis.

This diagram shows two amino acids on the top. The R refers to a variety of side chains an amino acid can have to differentiate it from others. The bottom shows the two amino acids bonding together to make a peptide bond - to make a protein this step is repeated many times with additional amino acids.

This links describes the findings and the background regarding the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for describing the atomic structure of the ribosome.

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/2009/info.pdf

Thyme Honey

With the herbs mostly harvested now its time to make sure our winter medicine cabinet has all it needs. Thyme honey is one of the important parts of our medicine cabinet. It is used for colds/flu and sore throats. Thyme has strong antiseptic properties including activity against viruses, insects, bacteria and fungus. Traditionally, thyme was used to treat bronchitis. I find it to be useful in our house for treating winter illnesses such as colds. One nice way to use thyme is as honey and its very easy to make. You can still pick thyme now, it should withstand a mild frost just fine. Cut stems short and put them in a glass jar. Cover the thyme with honey. Put the jar in a pan of water to slightly heat the honey while pushing the thyme down and adding more thyme. Once the honey is fluid, put the lid on the jar and store the honey with the thyme still in it until needed. You can use this honey to add to tea or use it straight for a sore throat.

Triglycerides and Skin Care

I thought I would do a series of blog entries on chemistry concepts that are important to the cosmetics crafter. Cosmetics crafters as well as herbalists come from diverse backgrounds often with no training in chemistry. If you are a cosmetic crafter or herbalist and have found that you could do alot more with some chemistry knowledge, then I hope my blog helps in your line of work. But before we get started, if you are planning on making your products ‘chemical free’ I suggest you think otherwise. Our bodies themselves are composed of chemicals and everything we put in or on our body is composed of chemicals. With some knowledge of chemistry we can find out which of these chemicals are safe, effective and actually good for us.

Lipids could be considered the most important part of skin care products. They are able to protect the skin from water loss, helping the barrier function of the skin. Lipids are defined by their ability to be soluble in organic solvents. In general lipids are used by mammals like us for energy reserves and to form cell membranes. The main lipid category is a triglyceride, also called a triacylglycerol. Other lipids include phospholipids, steroids and essential oils (for lack of any other category to put them). We’ll focus on the triglycerides alone though.

The structure of a triglyceride is a glycerol molecule as a backbone with three fatty acids attached to that. Since glycerol is a three carbon sugar, each fatty acid can bond to one of the carbons. Glycerine is also an alcohol as defined by the –OH groups.

glycerine

Below is a triglyceride. You can see the three carbon glycerin portion of the molecule on the left and the fatty acid chains to the right. Using this type of connotation each bend of the line represents a carbon atom.

Fatty acids are long chain hydrocarbons and identified by the number of carbons in their chain as well as by the number and placement of double bonds.

In this figure the first fatty acid from the top has16 carbons with no double bond. This fatty is abbreviated 16:0 and called palmitic acid. This fatty acid is saturated meaning that there are no double bonds in the chain. Each carbon atom is bonded to two hydrogen atoms (not shown) so the carbons are saturated with hydrogens.

The second fatty acid from the top has 18 carbons and one double bond. This is abbreviated 18:1 and is called oleic acid. Notice too that the double bond is at the ninth carbon.

The third fatty acid chain has 18 carbons again but three double bonds. This is abbreviated 18:3 and is refered to as alpha linolenic acid. This is an omega-3 fatty acid which refers to the fact that it has a double bond 3 carbons from the omega end of the chain.

So each different oil or fat you use in skin care is made up of triglycerides. Triglycerides found in different oils have different fatty acids associated with them which is referred to as the fatty acid profile. Various fatty acids can have different properties for skin care, a topic for another blog.

Herb Drying Rack

This time of year my workshop is taken over with herbs that are drying everywhere so I've been trying to come up with more compact ways of drying them. Here is one of them.
I took an old cloths drying rack that was actually broken and glued it back together. Unfortunately, this means it is no longer collapsible, but that is ok. By setting it up I am able to put a screen across the top as well as the bottom rods. Now I can lay herbs across these screens and they have plenty of airflow from above and below. I could also tie bundles of herbs to the rods. You can see I also have a grass woven bag hanging from the rack. The open weave of this bag allows airflow and I can have dry herbs inside of that as well.
In addition to this I have a few hooks on the backside of my bookshelves to hang herbs from as well as hooks under a cupboard.
Do you have any space saving ideas for drying herbs?