Using Herbs: Smudge Sticks and Burning Bundles

A couple of months ago I took deep and final cuttings and harvested the balance of my herbs from the herb garden. Some of these bundles were brambled and jarred up for culinary, ceremonial and medicinal purposes. However the bulk of that final cutting were dried and prepared to make burning bundles and smudge sticks. These will be part of my holiday gift baskets to share more bounty from the garden with my family and friends.

For the smudge sticks I chose sage, rosemary and lavender. These three herbs are traditional for spiritual cleansing and protection and make great choices. I like to combine herbs rather than simply use sage (my olfactory preference).

Choose the twine you will use to wrap the smudge stick. Use a natural material like cotton, raffia or hemp, and when possible select a red colored twine. Red is the most common color used in Native American ceremonies for its spiritual power.

Lie out your cuttings and form an easy to wrap bundle. Place the herbs that burn fast on the inside of the stick and place the sage on the outside. Tie a loop on one end of the twine and pass the other end through the loop to make a slipknot. Pick up the herb pile and place the slipknot loop around the bottom of the stems, pulling tight.

Wrap the twine around the smudge stick until you have reached the top. Be sure to keep a moderate tension. If the twine is too tight the smudge stick will not burn well, however if it is too loose your smudge stick will fall apart. When you have reached the top, reverse the direction, wrap again to the bottom, and tie a knot. These smudge sticks are used to cleanse a space of negative energy.

Burning bundles are used in fire places and fire pits to add fragrance and a touch of magic to the hearth fire. I chose to make two types; a lemon/lime bundle and a winter herb bundle.
The lemon-lime bundle consists of three pieces of fat wood, a small bundle of hosta stems (lunar magic), lemon balm (success) tied up with dried lemon and lime slices (success and protection).
The winter herb bundle contains fatwood, cinnamon (love), rosemary (protection) and lavender (love and enchantment). These bundles are tied up with dried orange slices.

There are so many ways to use herbs, I hope you like these!

Happy Gardening!

A Bistro Favorite to Chase away the Cold

Two of my dear friends Aubrey and Suzanne recently took their honeymoon in London and Paris. I know they had a lovely time in the City of Lights. I recall the life changing trip to Paris I took many years ago. I can recall the sights, smells and tastes of that fantastic city at any moment. One of my favorite things to do was to sit and eat in cafes and bistros, these are the places where life happens in Paris. Salads, Croque Madame’s , Monsoirs, soups, steaks, roast chicken all take on a Parisian flair when served on gleaming white plates by hurried waiters.

One of my favorite dishes back then and still today is French Onion Soup or Soupe a l'Oignon au Fromage. It is an easy dish to make and the rewards are spectactular. This soup, when made properly serves as a fantastic lunch course with a salad or a hearty first course at dinner. This recipe serves 6 people. This morning was chilly and frosty so I decided to let the yard warm up a bit before I attempted any yard work so I put the time to good use in the kitchen. I pulled some onions that came from the garden out of the pantry and made a big batch of soup!

6 large onions (about 5 pounds), sliced thin
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/2 quarts beef broth
twelve 1/2-inch-thick slices of French bread, toasted
3/4 pound coarsely grated Gruyère

In a large kettle cook the onions in the butter over moderate heat, stirring frequently, for 40 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Sprinkle the onions with the flour and cook the mixture, stirring, for 3 minutes. Add the broth slowly, stir the soup constantly until it comes to a boil, and simmer it, covered, for 20 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper. Put 2 slices of the toast in each of 6 heated soup bowls, top each toast with 1 tablespoon of the Gruyère, and pour the soup over the toasts. (To serve the onion soup gratiné, arrange the 12 toasts on the bottom of a flameproof casserole, heap each of them with 1 tablespoon of the Gruyère and boil it under a preheated broiler about 4 inches from the heat for 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.)

This soup freezes beautifully so don't worry if you don't have six hungry mouths to feed with it, make up a batch, have some for lunch and freeze the rest!

Happy Gardening!

Celebrating The Holidays and Bringing the Outdoors In!

The wheel of the year has turned us to the time of the Winter Solstice, Yule and of course Hanukkah. All of these traditions celebrate the return of light in one way or another. The darkest day of the Solstice marks the time when the days will grow in length. Yule is a winter festival that was initially celebrated by the historical Germanic people as a pagan religious festival. Large “Yule logs” were burned for many days to chase away the cold and dark nights. Hanukkah of course celebrates a victory for my ancestral people over their oppressors and a miracle involving holy oil and light in the temple.

This year, like in years past I celebrate these holidays. This year, however, I decided to incorporate them all in my holiday decorating. Sadly, last year my exquisite Lennox Menorah was destroyed and I have not been able to replace it as of yet, so I decided to use votive cups and tea lights as a menorah this year. This allowed me to incorporate some of the season’s plants in my home.

I laid out the special blue velvet mantle cover I use each year, then laid out boughs of Pine, Cedar and Boxwood. Herb and plant lore tell us that Cedar will remove negativity from a space; Pine is a spiritual cleanser and that Boxwood energy is used for protection and granting wishes. I also included a dried Bayberry wreath on my mantle for prosperity, health, healing, protection and luck!

I finished the whole thing off with birch candles in large apothecary jars surrounded by golden Hanukkah “gelt” . The word gelt means money in Yiddish and refers to money as well as chocolate coins given to Jewish children on the festival of Hanukkah.

Incorporating these themes into my home helps me feel I am honoring all of my traditions. I hope you all have a peaceful and happy holiday season!

Happy Gardening!