Man in the Moon Herbs

Make this fragrant blend of flowers as a substitute for rice for a wedding. In the Victorian language of flowers roses represent love, lavender is for devotion and chamomile means "may all your wishes come true" You will need about 1/4 cup per guest, which is a good handful. Simply mix equal pa rts of dried rose buds and/or petals, lavender buds and dried chamomile blossoms. Place 1/4 cup of your mix in the center of a tulle circle. (You can find the pre cut circles in the wedding section of most craft stores) Tie the top with a satin or organdy ribbon and you are d one! You can find the dried flowers here

I believe that no step towards lessening our footprint on the Earth is too small. We keep the thermostat set on 62 degrees in the winter, hang clothes outside to dry whenever possible, use washable, reusable items like shopping bags, un-paper towels and mesh produce bags. Composting and recycling are second nature and trips to town usually only happen when there is more than one reason to go there. All that being said, I do use the dryer when it's rained for days and in the winter. Sometimes I forget the shopping bags and I never think to put junk mail in the recycling. The important thing is to make an effort and to not beat yourself up when you forget. Every time we remember or take the time to do these things, the World is a little better off! What environmentally friendly things have become routine in your life?

I have been experimenting with cookie recipes to see just how much sugar can be cut out and how much white flour can be replaced with whole wheat flour. The original recipe calls for 2 cups of chocolate chips. I cut it back to 3/4 cup and added omega-3 rich walnuts. There is just enough chocolate to satisfy that craving and the walnuts add a nice crunch. You could use margarine instead of butter in this recipe, but I have been trying to more closely follow the "eat real foods, not food-like substances diet". Better for You Chocolate Chip Cookies 1 3/4 cup white flour 1/2 cup whole wheat flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup brown sugar- loosely packed scant 1/2 cup white sugar 1/2 cup softened butter 2 eggs 2 tablespoons honey 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips 1 cup chopped walnuts Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a large bowl, cream sugars and butter. Add eggs, honey and vanilla. Beat until smooth. Add salt and baking soda an...

I went looking for a new bed for Heidi Bear yesterday and couldn't find one I liked. Apparently, if your dog is large you must want plaid, or so the available selection suggested. So, I decided to make one in a fabric to suit our space. Basic sewing skills are all that's needed for this project. Start with one twin sized egg crate mattress pad. Cut it in half across the short side to make two pieces that are roughly square. Whip stitch the two pieces together with the smooth sides together. This will keep the pieces from shifting around in the cover. Cut a piece of fabric 38" wide and 74" long. Use a sturdy, washable fabric for best wear. You can use old curtains from the thrift store, denim or what ever suits you best. I used an old slip cover from a sofa we no longer have. I love re purposing from an environmental as well as budgetary standpoint! Add a 5/8" hem to each of the short sides of the fabric. Cut 3 six inch pieces of Velcro and pin evenly spaced acr...

I don't like using pesticides on my pets any more than I like using them on the rest of my family. Luckily there is an all natural way to keep your dog flea free- brewer's yeast! I have been giving it to my dogs for over 20 years now, and we have yet to have a flea. When we brought Heidi Bear home from the shelter she was crawling with fleas so we started giving her a brewers yeast tablet every day . Before long she was flea free without the use of potentially harmful chemicals. I give it to her as a treat once a day. She actually starts to drool when she hears the bottle rattle, so they must be pretty tasty!

This old fashioned soft molasses cookie recipe is full of flavor without being too sweet. It's been a favorite at my house for years. You can use whatever type of molasses you have on hand. I especially like blackstrap molasses as it's got more calcium and iron than the regular. MOLASSES DROP COOKIES 1/2 CUP SOFTENED BUTTER 1/2 CUP SUGAR 1 EGG 1 CUP MOLASSES 1 TABLESPOON VINEGAR 1/4 CUP BOILING WATER 1/4 CUP SOUR CREAM 3 CUPS FLOUR 2 TEASPOONS BAKING SODA 1 TEASPOON CINNAMON 1 TEASPOON GINGER 1 TEASPOON NUTMEG 1/4 TEASPOON GROUND CLOVES 1/2 TEASPOON SALT Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Line cookie sheet with parchment paper Cream butter and sugar Beat in the egg then add molasses and mix thoroughly In a separate cup, combine the water and vinegar Add spices, salt and baking soda to molasses mixture and mix thoroughly Add one cup of flour, mix well, then water and vinegar and mix well Add another cup of flour, then the sour cream and lastly the third cup of flour. Mix t...

Bath salts are a good way to experiment with different combinations of essential and fragrance oils. It doesn't take a lot of oil to fragrance the salt, just be sure you do your homework and use oils that are safe for your skin. Lavender is a nice scent to start with. You can find the sea salt in the spice section of most grocery stores. BASIC BATH SALTS 2 cups of sea salt 10-20 drops of essential or fragrance oil of your choice color-food coloring is fine (optional) 1 teaspoon vegetable oil- coconut,jojoba and almond are nice (optional) 1 tablespoon dendritic salt (optional) ~Blend essential or fragrance oils with the dendritic salt if using. Dendritic salt is very fine and very pure. It helps maintain the true fragrance of the oils. It isn't necessary to use it if you plan on using your bath salts within a month or so. ~Add sea salt and mix well. (add fragrance directly to sea salt if not using dendritic salt) ~To color- add color one drop at a time, mixing well after e...