INFUSED OILS MAKE GREAT GIFTS

Sorry I haven't posted in a while.  Fall is my busiest time of the year.  Since I make most of my holiday gifts I need to get started early.  I have also been making new products for my Etsy Shop. After wild crafting herbs and flowers in the fall they are now solar infusing nicely on my windowsills. Besides the multi-herb oil pictured in the previous post, I have also infused the vanilla oil pictured. 

The beautiful calendula was picked yesterday in the garden.  It's unusual for it to still be blooming in November so I am really thankful.  Calendula is an amazing herb.  It is especially good for babies because of it is so gentle and healing.  Some of the other infusions I am making are comfrey, arnica, St. John's Wort, and elderflower.  For holiday gifts I am infusing  rosemary, thyme, fennel, and tarragon in organic olive oil.  

I like the slower solar infused method, only using dried herbs and add Vit E oil to prevent rancidity and to increase shelf life. If stored away from heat and light, your oil should last a year or two if not longer.This is how I do it:

 Dry the herbs to remove all water.  This can be done with a food dehydrator or just by leaving in the sun.  After the flowers and herbs are dry, you can add them to the olive oil.  Whole sprigs of thyme, rosemary, dried peppers, etc. can decorate the inside of the bottle this way. 

The oil will pick up the flavor fairly quickly, in the first few weeks, and then slowly intensify. It is fine to leave the herbs in for a long time; eventually all the flavor leaves the herbs and the oil flavor stabilizes. I like to infuse the herbs in the decorative beer bottles pictured when giving as gifts. For the herbal infused olive oils I like to attach a recipe to the bottle.  For the infused massage oils like vanilla, comfrey, calendula, St. John's wort, arnica I sometimes like to essential oils known for healing or relaxation.  

Happy Holidays and don't forget to visit my Etsy Store for my big Black Friday Sale.

Hurry March Madness End Soon

Etsy Eco-Team is hosting March Madness Free and Green. http://www.ecoetsy.com/marchmadness.html
Simply purchase an item from any of the participating sellers and put "Free and Green" in the message field. You will receive a free eco-friendly gift!

Purchased on Etsy for my Valentine's Day Ambush

I purchased this on Etsy for my Valentine.
Scentual Soundtracks: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=6371978 offers decadent
sensual ingredients in her skin care products.
Money is tight so my plan is to ambush my husband and give him a candlelight dinner and his very first spa treatment. More about that in another post.

I choose this Facial Mask because of it's wonderful chocolate scent and it looks just like chocolate! The skin pampering ingredients are: rhassoul clay, powdered coconut, powdered chocolate, ground flaxseed, and jojoba oil. It comes in a beautiful eco-friendly cobalt blue glass jar. All you do is take out a level teaspoon of the mask and put it in a small container. Measure 2-3 tsp. of liquid, I plan to use whipping cream, but the possibilities are endless. Buttermilk, yogurt, olive or jojoba oil, honey, milk, green tea, or water, are all good choices. Add liquid, stir and microwave 10-15 seconds. I don't have a microwave so I just put the mixture in a double boiler over water and simmer gently for a few minutes. Apply to face or body and leave on for 5 to 15 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water,
then tone and moisturize. It leaves you skin feeling silky soft and clean. I just love it and want to share with my hubby and you!

Check back next week for my full ambush spa plan!

These tubes are 100% recycled plastic

We use 100% recycled plastic for our lip balm tubes. Purchase any item over $15.00 at:
www.greensprings0.etsy.com and get a free Citrus Bliss Organic Lip Balm. Offer ends at midnight Dec. 24 2008.
ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE!