Stress and depression are not uncommon during the holidays. Use our search tool and type in "stress" or "depression" to find herbal remedies that can help you avoid these maladies.

HERBAL HOLIDAY HINTS

Fill the house with herbal scents to set the mood and add to traditions. The following blends are just a sample of the many combinations from which you can choose.

Holiday House Spray
Essential oils can be added to water in a spray bottle and used as an air freshener. This is so easy and inexpensive. Add 4 drops of cedarwood essential oil, 2 drops of sweet orange essential oil, and 1 drop of cinnamon essential oil to 1-1/4 cup water in a spray bottle.

Firewood Oils
A few drops of pure essential oil on a log will turn your fireplace into a room freshener. Allow the oil to soak into the log before burning and use only one or two scented logs in the fire at a time. Take your pick of the following; sandalwood, cedarwood, eucalyptus, thuja, or myrrh.

Scented Candles
Turn any candle into a scented candle by dropping essential oil into the melted wax as it burns. Follow your theme using the same oils in your candles as you use in your house spray and firewood.

HERBAL HOLIDAY RECIPES

One of the holiday traditions our family enjoys is a big wheel of Brie on the appetizer table. Here's an easy way to dress it up ...

Brie with Roasted Garlic

• 2 whole heads garlic
  
• 1/2 cup olive oil
  
• 1 2-lb Brie wheel, well chilled
  
• 1/2 cup whole Greek olives
  
• 4 tsp finely snipped fresh parsley
  

Place whole heads of garlic in a heavy saucepan with olive oil. Cook and stir gently over medium heat for 5 minutes. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low for 15 minutes or until garlic is soft. Remove heads of garlic from oil; drain on paper towels; cool.

To assemble, carefully slice the thin rind off one of the flat sides of the Brie wheel. Place on a baking sheet, cut side up. Divide heads of garlic into cloves and peal. With a small, sharp knife, slice cloves diagonally, being careful not to completely sever each slice. Gently press garlic cloves to form fans. Arrange garlic fans and olives atop Brie wheels.

Bake, covered, in a 400 oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until Brie is warm and slightly softened. Sprinkle warm Brie with parsley. Carefully transfer to a platter and serve with apple wedges or bread. (The Country Home® BOOK OF HERBS, Meredith Books)

HOMEMADE HERB BREAD

While raising my children, I somehow found the time to make homemade bread for them. When they grew up and left home I suppose they missed that because one Christmas my son, Michael, gave me a bread machine ... I think that was a hint ;-)

A Very Good Basic Dough Recipe

• 1 cup water
  
• 1-2 tbs butter or 3 tbs oil
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1 tsp brown sugar or honey
  
• 1-1/4 cups whole wheat flour
  
• 1-1/4 cups bread flour
  
• 1-1/2 tsp yeast
  

This one makes one medium sized loaf of bread. I use the bread machine to make this dough, but I remove it and knead it a little before baking it in a conventional oven. There seems to be some pleasure and stress relief in the kneading. Try it and see what I mean!

Herbs can be added to this basic dough. They can be added directly into the bread machine or into the dough as you knead. Use 4-5 teaspoons dried herbs or 4-5 tablespoons fresh herbs. A combination of herbs or one single herb can be used. For instance; basil, parsley, and mint; oregano, marjoram, and thyme; or snipped fresh chives and chopped fresh cayenne.

I must warn you! Homemade bread can be an addictive substance especially with herbed butter. ;-)

Herbed Butter To make herbed butter simply let the butter soften to room temperature and stir in some dried or fresh herbs to taste, then store refrigerated.

Pumpkin Miso Soup

• 5-6 cups water
  
• 2 cups pumpkin, cubed
  
• 1/2 cup onion, diced
  
• 1/2 cup wakame, soaked and sliced (optional)
  
• 3-4 tsp miso, puréed
  

Place onions, squash and wakame in a large pot. Add water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until pumpkin is soft. Purée a portion or all of the soup in a blender or food processor. Return puréed soup to pot, add miso, and simmer an additional 2-5 minutes. Macrobiotic purists use no spices in this recipe, but you may add herbs and/or spices as you wish. (Macrobiotic Cooking for Everyone, Edward & Wendy Esko)

If you have cut the pumpkin just right you can serve this soup in the pumpkin shell. To do that, cut the lid off the stem side of the pumpkin as though you were making a jack-o-lantern. Remove the pumpkin flesh for use in the soup. Pour the finished soup into the raw pumpkin shell and use the lid to keep it warm.

WARM FUZZY

We wish you all lots of 'warm fuzzy' moments during the coming season. HAPPY THANKSGIVING from all of us at abbysherbs.com (now abbysherbshop.com)

Our goal is to bring collective knowledge together to provide accurate herbal information, giving references whenever possible, for the purpose of being informed when choosing self-help and alternative approaches to health and lifestyle. At no time should this publication be considered prescription or treatment, nor should any information published herein be misinterpreted as such. The publishers can not be held responsible for the mishandling of information by its readers.

Please do not take herbal information lightly.
Remember our motto is ... When in doubt, don't!
Until next Monday I remain,

Herbally yours, Abby

Lynda "Abby" Trahan
Abby's Herb Company
P.O. Box 213
Round Top, TX 78954

lynda@abbysherbshop.com
www.abbysherbshop.com

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