Herbal New Years Wish

I will give you this New Years Wish with the language a herbs.

Sage for the wisdom acquired this year that will guide you next year.
Angelica to inspire you.
Lavender for devotion.
Fennel to enter the new year with strength
Thyme for courage to face what the new year brings.
Lemon balm for success.
Coriander for health.
Basil for wealth.
Dill for luck and money in 2012.
Yucca for the opportunities the new year brings.
Hyacinth for happiness, love and protection.
and of course the mighty rose to help you find love and beauty.

Wishing you the best for 2012.

Lavender Coffee

I'm always game to try an interesting herb recipe, especially when it involves lavender. I've

heard talk recently of lavender coffee and even heard there's a coffee shop nearby that makes a lavender mocha, although I've not been there yet. So I wanted to give lavender coffee a try. Since I always have milk in my coffee I went about making my lavender coffee by first infusing milk. I put about a cup of milk in a pan with about a teaspoon of lavender buds and heated that briefly while I made a cup of coffee. For the coffee I used an espresso roast which is my favorite; I made this one extra strong to allow for a good amount of milk. When the coffee was finished I strained the lavender buds from the milk and whisked it a little to froth. I poured the milk into the coffee and added a small amount of cinnamon to the top. Because lavender has a very astringent taste I am always careful not to use too much in a recipe. This came out quite delicious though without the astringency common to lavender. I could easily have used more but it was good with this amount.

Later I will infuse lavender in milk to make some hot chocolate. I know that will be good!

If you are interested in using lavender in drinks here are some other ideas you may have heard of:

Lavender Lemonade

Lavender Earl Grey Tea

Lavender Martini (don't infuse this too long as it will get bitter)

Lavender also goes well with many fruit drinks including peach and raspberry. 

I've never had a lavender pale ale  but I think the flavor of lavender would add a nice floral touch to some good hops. I'd love to try on.

Do you have a favorite lavender drink?

Anti-Inflammatory Herbs

Feverfew

Borage

Our skin experiences damage both from within and from environmental factors which lead to inflammation. the pathways involved in this inflammation may be involved in promoting the signs of aging in skin. Antiaging formulas for the skin should therefor contain ingredients that act as anti-inflammatory agents. Following are some herbs that have anti-inflammatory activities that can be used in skin care products.

Antiinflammatory Herbs Used in Skin Care

Aloe vera (Aloe Barbadensis)
Borage (Borago officinalis)
Calendula (Calendula officinalis)
Chamomile (Matricaria recutita and Chamaelelum nobile)
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale)
Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus)
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare)
Feverfew  (Chrysanthemum parthenium)
Frankincense (Boswellin)
Ginger (Zingiber officinale)
Green Tea (Camellia sinensis)
Holy Basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum)
Hops (Humulus lupulus)
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
Licorice root (Glycyrrhiza Glabra)
Mint (Mentha spp.)
Pansy (Viola tricolor)
Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)
Red clover (Trifolium pratense)
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
Sage (Salvia officinalis)
Turmeric (Curcuma longa)
White Willow (Salix alba)
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)