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 Up Coming Classes & WorkshopsUPCOMING HERBAL CLASSES! HOLIDAY MEDICINE MAKING UPCOMING EVENTS Pretty Things Craft Fair and MS Society Fundraiser. WILD HARVESTING The cold weather is here! Time to heat up the tea kettle and go digging for roots! Check out complimentary recipes and my blog HERBAL GIFT-MAKING CLASS NOV. 26TH Are you interested in learning more about herbs and how to make your own products? Sign up for my Herbal Gift-Making Class at the Horticulture Centre Of The Pacific Instructor: Lily Fawn DIY Holiday Gift Making Herbal Product Making - Medicine Making For The Winter Season! Just in time for the Holidays this herbal workshop is designed seasonally, sharing with you just how easy it is to make herbal products. Treat your friends and family this Christmas with homemade gifts, all natural, healthy and made with love. In this workshop we will make delicious Winter Immune boosting Herbal Vinegar, aromatic holiday room spray, herbal ointment and a holiday spice tea blend and. Lily will share herbal tips and tricks and where to source ingredients, how best to use winter herbs, the benefits of medicinal herbs used, practical demonstrations and hands-on participation in making your own products. You will get to take home your creations! Holiday Spice Tea and Treats complimentary during class time. HCP Members $60 Non-Members $65 To register, call 250-479-6162 Or contact Lily@earthsherbal.com UPCOMING EVENTS The Pretty Things Craft Fair Event is BACK again for 2016 Two Days of Holiday Shopping Dec. 3rd & 4th Come enjoy Food, Music, Fabulous designer Vendors, Crafts, Vintage and more. Holiday Shopping made easy. 1004 North Park St. - Fernwood (In the MS Building) 10:00am - 4:00pm Saturday & Sunday Join us in raising funds for the MS Society of Canada, South and Central Vancouver Island Chapter. Gently suggested $2 donation at the door. Over 40 Fantastic Designer Vendors Bake Sale Food Trucks and BBQ …...AND SO SO SO MUCH MORE!! WILD HARVEST - ROSE PEDALSMy favourite wild harvest this year were the wild roses I collected while on horse back in the backwoods of Jesmond. |
 | ,Happy Spring Everyone! It is going to be a wonderful, busy season. I can smell the Lilacs in the air and the sun is shining. I start my first herbal workshop of the year on May 4th at the Horticulture School Of The Pacific http://hpc.ca If you are interested in joining the class let me know! Not only will we be learning lots about the history of tea and making your own herbal blends but we will also be enjoying a traditional "high tea", so bring your fancy hat. I have joined the Women Of Weddings group and making all sorts of a great new friends like Deanna, who took this photo last week. I hope to share my Bridal Tea Parties, Buffet Tea Bar, herbal cocktails and custom made wedding favours to all the brides out there who might be looking for something different at their wedding. All in all the year is off to a roaring start. WOO WEE |
Are You Interested In Taking A Herb Class?
Now Offering.......
Other Fun Stuff Going On....
I made a Twin Peaks inspired album with my buddy, Eric at Soma Sound Recording Studio. I hope you enjoy this free download - CLICK HERE TO LISTEN
Deanna McCollum - Photographer
Thanks for the fun day of taking photos at the Horticulture Centre of The Pacific, Deanna
You make it so easy to be in front of the camera. Let's do it again sometime!
CHECK HER OUT
deanna@deannamccollum.com
I capture genuine connections of couples and families. I also photograph environmental head shots. As a photographer, it is my goal to show you how others feel about you, and for you to see how truly beautiful you are. My work is a blend of National Geographic meets Dove. I have studied portrait photography for 20 years and run my business for 10 years.
What I love most about my business are the people I get to meet and work with. As a wedding and portrait photographer, I get to visually capture the most important relationships in people’s lives. It is a blessing to be trusted to photograph these moments in an artistic way and to get a peek into what makes people’s lives unique.
When clients work with me, not only do they receive portraits that help them cherish their relationships, they have a fun time creating those timeless images with me in a relaxed and natural way. They have those images to remind them of why the people in their lives are important to them.
Thanks for the fun day of taking photos at the Horticulture Centre of The Pacific, Deanna
You make it so easy to be in front of the camera. Let's do it again sometime!
CHECK HER OUT
deanna@deannamccollum.com
I capture genuine connections of couples and families. I also photograph environmental head shots. As a photographer, it is my goal to show you how others feel about you, and for you to see how truly beautiful you are. My work is a blend of National Geographic meets Dove. I have studied portrait photography for 20 years and run my business for 10 years.
What I love most about my business are the people I get to meet and work with. As a wedding and portrait photographer, I get to visually capture the most important relationships in people’s lives. It is a blessing to be trusted to photograph these moments in an artistic way and to get a peek into what makes people’s lives unique.
When clients work with me, not only do they receive portraits that help them cherish their relationships, they have a fun time creating those timeless images with me in a relaxed and natural way. They have those images to remind them of why the people in their lives are important to them.
DEANNA
deannamccollum.com
More Fabulous Women.....
Thanks Reesa, and Congrats on Your New Company IslandImpact Marketing
My dear friend Reesa helped me put together my website and I am so grateful to her for her guidance and design sense. Now that I have a website of my own, I feel so proud and can more easily share Earth's Herbal with all of you! Honestly, I don't know how I managed without a website for so many years. Thanks Reesa!
www.islandimpactmarketing.com
TIS THE SEASONCelebrate the season with some of my festive cocktails, noggs, mulled wines, herbal hot chocolates, winter medicinals and a holiday punch that's bound to get the party started for New Years! |  Happy Holidays From Lily & Nola |
This drink was served at my booth for the Pretty Things Craft Fair! #prettythingscraftfair
Easy Iced Apple Cranberry Holiday Spice Fizz
Sugar Free
3 Parts Organic Apple Cider
2 Parts Holiday Spice Tea brewed
1 Part pure cranberry juice
Garnish with cinnamon sticks and fresh apple slices. VOILA!
Serve over ice.
This drink was so popular that I sold out of Holiday Spice tea on both Saturday and Sunday at the market.
ADD 2oz OF PHILLIPS BREWERY STUMP GIN TO EACH 8OZ COCKTAIL GLASS
*More ideas, go to Habit Coffee and request their special Holiday Spice London Fog (with a hint of honey)!! It is amazing. They brew it just right.
*Apple Cider and Cranberry Juice - purchased at Mother Natures Market on Cook St.
2 Parts Holiday Spice Tea brewed
- Bring to a light simmer and then turn off heat. Let steep for 20 min. or until it cools, then strain and refrigerate until needed.
1 Part pure cranberry juice
Garnish with cinnamon sticks and fresh apple slices. VOILA!
Serve over ice.
This drink was so popular that I sold out of Holiday Spice tea on both Saturday and Sunday at the market.
ADD 2oz OF PHILLIPS BREWERY STUMP GIN TO EACH 8OZ COCKTAIL GLASS
*More ideas, go to Habit Coffee and request their special Holiday Spice London Fog (with a hint of honey)!! It is amazing. They brew it just right.
*Apple Cider and Cranberry Juice - purchased at Mother Natures Market on Cook St.
Available ONLY at Mother Natures Market
NEW!
CANDY CANE TWIST
TEA BLEND
 |  |
"Why fit in when you are born to stand out!" Dr. Seuss
If this tea blend doesn't get you in the holiday spirit, then I don't know what will.
If this tea blend doesn't get you in the holiday spirit, then I don't know what will.
ENJOY A TASTE OF THE HOLIDAY SEASON
 |  |
HOLIDAY SPICE MARTINI
Based on a 6oz cocktail glass
Prepare 3 tsp of Earth's Herbal Holiday Spice tea in 250ml of water. Bring to a light simmer and then turn off heat.
Let steep for 20 min. or until it cools, then strain and refrigerate until party time.
Preparing your glassware: Twist 2 orange peel ribbons over the martini glass and add a dash of Peychaud's Bitters (optional - if you have it). Swirl the glass around so a light coating of the bitters and orange essence lines the vessel.
Rim the martini glasses with fresh squeezed lemon slices and dip in sugar. Place the glassware in the freezer until it is time to serve to your guests.
When you are ready to make the cocktails, mix: 2oz of Grand Marnier Liqueur, 1 oz Brandy and 3oz the cold Holiday Spice Tea. Muddle with 1 sugar cube and then shake with ice (use a martini shaker).
Garnish with candies ginger, frozen cranberries and a sprig of rosemary.
*Holiday Party Tip: make a large batch of Holiday Spice Tea the night before your party and keep chilled. This will ensure that you don't run out during the party. You will be surprised how smooth these strong drinks tend to go down and your guests will keep coming back for more. Be prepared!
Based on a 6oz cocktail glass
Prepare 3 tsp of Earth's Herbal Holiday Spice tea in 250ml of water. Bring to a light simmer and then turn off heat.
Let steep for 20 min. or until it cools, then strain and refrigerate until party time.
Preparing your glassware: Twist 2 orange peel ribbons over the martini glass and add a dash of Peychaud's Bitters (optional - if you have it). Swirl the glass around so a light coating of the bitters and orange essence lines the vessel.
Rim the martini glasses with fresh squeezed lemon slices and dip in sugar. Place the glassware in the freezer until it is time to serve to your guests.
When you are ready to make the cocktails, mix: 2oz of Grand Marnier Liqueur, 1 oz Brandy and 3oz the cold Holiday Spice Tea. Muddle with 1 sugar cube and then shake with ice (use a martini shaker).
Garnish with candies ginger, frozen cranberries and a sprig of rosemary.
*Holiday Party Tip: make a large batch of Holiday Spice Tea the night before your party and keep chilled. This will ensure that you don't run out during the party. You will be surprised how smooth these strong drinks tend to go down and your guests will keep coming back for more. Be prepared!
FESTIVE SPICED CIDER
Based on 250ml of Apple Cider (juice)
6 teaspoons of Earth's Herbal Holiday Spice Tea
4 oz Rum
Simmer the herbal tea in the apple sider on low for 10 min. Strain and add Rum.
Garnish with a cinnamon stick. Serve HOT.
Based on 250ml of Apple Cider (juice)
6 teaspoons of Earth's Herbal Holiday Spice Tea
4 oz Rum
Simmer the herbal tea in the apple sider on low for 10 min. Strain and add Rum.
Garnish with a cinnamon stick. Serve HOT.
Hot Apple Pie Hot Toddy
 | Dad's famous trick to put the kids to sleep! I love you Dad. INGREDIENTS 1 cup of Hot Apple Pie Tea steeped to perfection.
1 tablespoon of un-pasturized honey 2 teaspoons of lemon juice 1 1/2 teaspoon of butter sprinkle with cinnamon Serve HOT HOT HOT!!! A warm mug of toddy always seems to banish the winter blues, calm the cough and put ya right to sleep. |
GRANNY'S NIP
EASY HOT APPLE PIE COCKTAIL
EASY AS PIE
1 cup of Hot Apple Pie Tea steeped to perfection.
1 cup of Hot Apple Pie Tea steeped to perfection.
- 1 tsp of Hot Apple Pie Tea Blend, 1 cup of boiled water. Steep 5 min, strain.
- Add a dash or two of Grand Marnier
My 5 Herbs For The Holidays
Cinnamon:
High in antioxidants, reduces inflammation.
Horseradish:
Respiratory health, high in vitamin C, circulation.
Nutmeg:
Detoxifying, great for the skin and digestion.
Mint:
Aids digestion, increases energy and helps with depression.
Rosemary:
Enhances memory and concentration, respiratory health.
High in antioxidants, reduces inflammation.
Horseradish:
Respiratory health, high in vitamin C, circulation.
Nutmeg:
Detoxifying, great for the skin and digestion.
Mint:
Aids digestion, increases energy and helps with depression.
Rosemary:
Enhances memory and concentration, respiratory health.
Marvellous Mint Hot ChocolateDelicious Hot Chocolates! Chocolate Mint Lovers. Hot chocolate mix. Vegan, with chunks of pure dark callebaut chocolate, kicked up with Mint. I LOVE A MAN WITH CHOCOLATE ON HIS BREATH |  |
Enjoy these recipes. Check back for more tasty treats and info about herbs for winter health and Hangover cures, coming soon. ……..Yummy medicinal mulled wines, DIY Sicky Cider (yes, I am gonna GIVE you my sought after secret recipe!), Use Tea in your baking and some of my mom's apple pie secrets!
Leave a comment to let me know what you are interested in hearing about.
Lily
Recipes
Get ready to be wowed by my sparkling tea & fruit sodas, boozy cocktail martinis and a herbal Popsicle party in your mouth. Keep reading...
Mix It Up - Tea Cocktails!!
Hot weather is here and it is time for iced teas and afternoon cocktails. Pick your favorite tea blend and ask me for a great recipe! lily@earthsherbal.com
Bring out all the adorable vintage glassware, your gonna need it for these free recipes! Martini glasses, pint glasses, brandy snifters, shot glasses, wine glasses, champagne flutes, highball
glasses, rocks glasses, daiquiri glasses and more!
Add herbal garnishes. You can get really creative with these and they look so pretty - Lemon balm, rosemary, elder flowers, sprig of fennel, rose petals, basil or borage flowers.
I encourage everyone to try their own concoctions and share them here in the comments section! Record your cocktail recipe as you go along, take a photo of the finished product and enter the cocktail contest just by posting your recipe here - Contest.
You could win free tea, a gift card and a cocktail named after you. Have a great time & let me know how it goes!
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You could win free tea, a gift card and a cocktail named after you. Have a great time & let me know how it goes!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Use this tea in the Strawberry Windy!
The iced tea served at my booth in the Esquimalt Farmers Market. I call it the Strawberry Windy as it was an unusual windy but warm day at the market.
Strawberry Windy
To make an herbal infusion first boil 1 cup water. Turn off the heat and add 1 Tsp. of Tea For Sad People blend. Cover the pot with a lid and allow to infuse for about 1 hour. Strain, refrigerate. Use a coffee filter, fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to strain out the herbs. Be sure to squeeze out all the liquid. You can also let this tea steep overnight in the fridge as it won't get bitter or tart from a long steep. When it is party time, add your juice and fresh squeezed lime . Shake with ice. Sugar rim your glass. Garnish with local farm market strawberries and organic lime slices.
Strawberry Windy
- Tea For Sad People brewed 1 cup
- Fresh squeeze 1/2 green lime
- 1/4 cup No Sugar added 100% Strawberry / Kiwi juice
- 1.5 oz Victoria Gin, per glass
To make an herbal infusion first boil 1 cup water. Turn off the heat and add 1 Tsp. of Tea For Sad People blend. Cover the pot with a lid and allow to infuse for about 1 hour. Strain, refrigerate. Use a coffee filter, fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to strain out the herbs. Be sure to squeeze out all the liquid. You can also let this tea steep overnight in the fridge as it won't get bitter or tart from a long steep. When it is party time, add your juice and fresh squeezed lime . Shake with ice. Sugar rim your glass. Garnish with local farm market strawberries and organic lime slices.
Rootbeer Tea Float & Coconut Chai Pops COMING SOON
 |  We will be using this in our Rootbeer Tea Float.... TBC |  |  We will be using this in our Coconut Chai pops.... TBC |
Beat the summer heat, with these Tropical Green Tea & Raspberry Popsicles. Such a simple and healthy recipe. Toss the ingredients into your blender and pour into popsicle molds.
Tropical Pops
- 1 1/2 cups fresh brewed Tropical Green Tea (cooled)
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 1 Tbs. raw honey
 Use this tea for the Tropical Pops |  |
Next up.... here's the perfect drink for after work on Friday night. Birds were chirping, the evening was sun is still warm and a few pre-dinner cocktails with the neighbor really hit the spot.
Minty Mango Energy Splash
- Studdy Buddy Energy Tea brewed herb 1 cup
- Fresh squeeze 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 cup No Sugar added 100% mango juice
- 1.5 oz Merridale Ciderworks Gin
To make an herbal infusion first boil 1 cup water. Turn off the heat and add 1 Tbs. of Study Buddy Energy Tea blend. 2-4 Tbs. total herbs is a great range. Cover the pot with a lid and allow to infuse for about 1 hour. Strain, refrigerate. Use a coffee filter, fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth to strain out the herbs. Be sure to squeeze out all the liquid. You can also let this tea steep overnight in the fridge as it won't get bitter or tart from a long steep (however, it does bring out the rosemary). When it is party time, add your juice and fresh squeezed lemon . Shake with ice, sugar rim your glass. and garnish with fresh rosemary - compliments of your neighbors bush.
 Use this tea for the Mango Energy Splash |  |
Up Coming Events In Yoga
Milagro Retreats is a Vancouver Island based Grass Roots Wellness Collective, founded in 2002 with the vision of Inspiring Personal Growth and Unity with Nature.
They specialize in international Yoga & Eco Adventure Retreats and Vegetarian Catering, providing nourishment on many levels. Including serving Earth's Herbal Teas in their studio!
They are really sweet people. Check them out. I am planning on a retreat this fall, come join me.
http://www.milagroretreats.com/
They specialize in international Yoga & Eco Adventure Retreats and Vegetarian Catering, providing nourishment on many levels. Including serving Earth's Herbal Teas in their studio!
They are really sweet people. Check them out. I am planning on a retreat this fall, come join me.
http://www.milagroretreats.com/
Enter the Contest
Share your story or photo and recipe using Earth's Herbal Teas here.
Prizes for:
Drunkest Cowboy
Best Tea Martini Sweetie - Inventor
Best Cocktail Soundtrack
Most Romantic Story
WILD SPRING HERBS: STINGING NETTLE
Right when you think you can’t take another day of cold, surprise, spring is in the air!!
The month of January is secretly full of vigor and life as spring creeps up right under your nose. All you have to do is sit back and enjoy the wonder of nature as birds start chirping, trees start blooming and delicious, medicinal wild herbs “spring” up all around you.
Spring in British Columbia is a leisurely process that begins in January and ends in June. By the end of February you can start to see some plants showing growth, anxiously reaching out for the sun. One of my favorite wild herbs that you will certainly find is the vivacious and reliable Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica).
Nettles grow like weeds and spring is the perfect time to collect the top 6-8 inches of stinging nettle before they flower. You can dry them to use later, or make fresh oil or vinegar infusions, tinctures, herbal drinks, etc. Nettles have been used for centuries in medicines, cosmetics, dyes, teas, and also as an edible, calcium-rich green, like spinach.
Nettles sting with the little hairs under their jagged, heart-shaped leaves, and on their stems. The “sting” of a Nettle is not a thorn that you would need to pull out with tweezers, but rather, a pocket of liquid (formic acid and histamine on the hairs) that, when touched, will cause skin irritation that feels like a “sting”. The sting is not bad for you, in fact, many herbalists believe that Stinging Nettles can be used in the treatment of arthritis and other circulatory ailments. Some “hardcore” herbalists might be found harvesting Stinging Nettles without gloves and, with the right know-how, even eating the leaves raw. I do this and recommend it, but be careful. The trick is to only touch the top of the leaf where there are no hairs, roll the leaf inwards so that no hairs are showing then pop it in your mouth for a fresh tasty snack.
Once they are boiled or steamed Nettles don’t “sting” any longer and can easily become one of your favorite spring veggies used in cooking.
Nettle is perfect for those who are not able to keep a veggie garden. Luckily, nature has provided us with something even better than a garden, wild edibles! Wild edibles like Stinging Nettle are abundant, free and don’t require daily pampering like gardens do. All you have to do is ethically harvest.
This wonderful wild edible is reportedly high in calcium, iron, magnesium, chromium, potassium, and zinc, as well as vitamins A, B, C, D and K. Nettles are said to nourish the adrenal glands, and are also rich in carotene. This plant is so full of vitamins and minerals it offers its self to be useful in many different ways. Such as treating dandruff, acne, arthritis, depression, diuretic, asthma, anemia, itchy skin, eczema, psoriasis, kidney and bladder infections and stones, diarrhea and a low the sex-drive in women. Use as a spring cleansing tonic as a delicious, nutritious drink.
I guess you can see why Nettles are one of my favorite Wild plants, both valuable and delicious. If I had to choose only one herb to keep stocked in my home, daily diet and medicine cabinet Stinging Nettle would be top of my list. A quick note about picking herbs from the wild; It is always important to respect the earth and the surrounding environment where you are harvesting wild plants. Harvest from clean areas away from pollution. Never take more than 1/3 of what is growing in any given spot. Be sure to spread out your picking evenly over an area. Do not be greedy. You can always come back for more. Nettles can be harvested for several months. Never, NEVER pick a plant unless you are certain that it has been identified correctly.
Wild edibles are FREE. They can be hand-harvested, hand-dried, and used for better health, medicine and beauty, all for free. Although it is a shame that most people are raised in large cities with cement trees but it is important to reconnect with the earth occasionally. Nettle is a vivacious herb that always seems to find a way to survive and has been known to grow out of concrete side walks and un-kept backyards (wild gardeners). Once you have identified this amazing plant you will start to see it everywhere. Try some nettles to help you appreciate the gifts of spring. Use Nettles as your multi-vitamin; natures super food. Take some time out in the sun to harvest plants in the woods. It is empowering. It is FUN and it is FREE!
Here are a couple Nettle recipes.
Nettle is a wonderful 'weed' and can be used pretty much in the same manner as store-bought greens: fresh smoothies, soups, salads, or other savory dishes.
Tea Blends
To make fresh spring tea is one of the most delightful and satisfying ways in which to use your herbs daily. Here are two different wild spring tea recipes containing herbs that are easy to find and generally neighbor each other in the wild. Picking your herbs will be a fun ritual. Every 3 days you can set out on your walk in the wild for fresh tea ingredients.
TO MAKE: SUN / MOON TEA
Find a clean jar. Any size, your tea will last you 3-4 days in the fridge so look for a large jar. Once your herbs are properly identified, pick them fresh and fill the jar full of your delicious flowers and leaves. You can also use dried herbs to make this tea if that is all you have on hand. Heat up enough water to fill the container to just before boiling and then pour it over the herbs. Leave the lid off and secure a piece of muslin or cheesecloth to cover the opening. Place your mixture in the window and let sit in direct sun and moonlight. The next morning you shall have fresh, delicious, medicinal tea !!!
CLEANSING COMBO FOR EASY TO FIND SPRING HERBS:
Nettles, dandelion, Red Clover
DAILY DRINK FOR DEPRESSION:
Lemon Balm, Nettles
DELICIOUS NETTLE LASAGNA
Use any regular Lasagna recipe and where it calls for fresh spinach use FRESH NETTLES instead. Chop the fresh Nettle slightly so that the large leaves will fit in the cooking pan a bit easier and remember, just like the spinach it will shrink once cooked so be sure to use lots.
LILY’S STEAMED NETTLE DISH
4 cups of fresh stinging nettle leaves, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic minced
3 Tablespoons sesame oil
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Pinch of sea salt
1 pinch of chili flakes
1 Tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon pine nuts
1⁄4 cup of sun dried tomatoes (optional)
In a large frying pan add a ½ cup of water to your Nettles. Put the lid on the pan and let it steam. Once the Nettles have wilted and turned a darker color, strain any remaining water from the pan and add all other ingredients. Gently simmer until the garlic is cooked and everything has started to mix flavors.
Serves 3
Author
Lily Fawn, Herbalist / Owner
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