blackbirdsbackyard

The Fall Garden Tea (Mint)

In fall (early October) I like to go around the garden before the first frost hits and gather some of my favorite plants. It is a cherished ritual that I use to close out the herbal year. A way of saying goodbye to and thanking “my friends” until I see them again come April. IContinue reading “The Fall Garden Tea (Mint)”

GINGERbread Spice Sugar Scrub

I always try to come up with a few “holiday” recipes each year. They make great last minute gifts and additions to my crisis care packages. This sugar scrub is very quick and easy to make. I did some research, looking at several recipes. The addition of tapioca starch makes this scrub less likely toContinue reading “GINGERbread Spice Sugar Scrub”

Sugar Cookie Lotion Bars (yarrow)

I was invited to participate in a holiday fair to raise money for a local non-profit. While I had a lot of stock on hand for my crisis care packages, there were no items with a clear Christmas theme. Adapting my go to recipe to create these really cute lotion bars proved very easy toContinue reading “Sugar Cookie Lotion Bars (yarrow)”

Fig Jam With Anise Hyssop Flowers

I come across dried fig jam being sold in many places where I live. It is a popular item on a cheese board. Orange is a common”flavor”in many recipes. When I was harvesting hyssop in October I was inspired to create this variation. Anise hyssop adds both floral and subtle anise notes. This jam isContinue reading “Fig Jam With Anise Hyssop Flowers”

Herbal Cough Drops (horehound)

I have made cough syrup with horehound in years past. This is the first year I attempted cough drops. This is a pretty standard recipe for making the traditional horehound candies that have been sold in American candy stores for decades. Horehound grows all around me as an invasive weed on land that has beenContinue reading “Herbal Cough Drops (horehound)”