Basil Oil

So guess what!

I found that last vile of attempted basil oil from oh.... last year? Lol. Pretty horribly spoiled. That's what happens when you try to hide the bottle away and then don't tell anyone where you put it. Anyway I am making some basil oil now again the way I made the lilac oil because its the best idea I could think of to help harvest some of the basil. This way I can get to work on candles sooner or later. Not that I can afford wax right now. Hopefully sometime soon I'll get some.

More New Additions

Yesterday was EPIC! I started out the day checking out my bank account to realize I had about 50 dollars more than I thought I did, so! I brought home some new additions to my store bought plant family. Its been an awful growing season so far, but its finally starting to look good rather than the bleak sadness that has been going on here.

To start out the happy day, I opened my windows and let in the morning air. The strange thing about that, though I live at a complex with little to know yard, there are outdoor plants that stand about as tall as my window and blew their smell right in. LILACS! It inspired me. So seconds after getting up I whooshed through the house to find a jar and filled it with lilacs to begin the oiling process for the essential oils. Its so cool. I've read that no one makes lilac oils, but I'm going to try and I'm going to succeed.

After that we went to do the laundry like we do every weekend. Between the loads we usually do something so mom took me to the dollar store where I found some more nice candle holders and we gathered some pots for mom since she thinks we should put some flowers in the Chris/Kelly garden and I think she's right. Next step was getting the flowers, of course! That's where we found Walmart, and holy cow, it was amazing. I found dwarf lavender! Something I can grow at home for only 2 dollars! Its amazing. Here it is!

Mom however did not fin the flowers she was looking for, so after changing over the laundry again, we headed to Menards. That was even more amazing because mom found the flowers she wanted and I found, you guessed it, ANOTHER lavender plant! This one was an herbal lavender, meant specifically for the fun stuff, and it was even cooler because they look so much different, I mean look at this!

Its been so very fun! Look at how beautiful. The day just went so amazing. I had this great day and it wasn't going to go unwasted. That wasn't the only thing huh!? We went to my cousin's/auntie's house so that I could hang with the fam. It was so nice to drop by and see my family enjoying the day. Check out what they've got in their front yard.

We were there until 8pm and my goodness it was just nice. I've missed you spring, so much.

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Today! Today is going to be something that resembles, though a home version. I'm going to be replanting today, the boxwood basils that I have been claiming to replant for a week, and after mom gets home I will gathering up some cheese cloth so that I can take care of step two of the dandelion oils. The full day to come, later!

Phase One

Alrighty! So I was afraid I was going to have to wait until tomorrow to begin the actual oil making process, but you know what, gosh darn it if I didn't get home in time to make it. It was grand to find that I don't need as many dandelions as I thought for the process, well I mean I'll need 4 times as much as I picked today over the course of a week, but that doesn't change how pleased I was to find that I didn't need an atrocious amount. Hopefully this will work out though.


I used olive oil because I couldn't find anything else inexpensive. I would like to try safflower oil but I can't find any on the shelves and as we are all aware I am broke that kind of makes it impossible for me to buy them. Anyway for this experiment that's what I used and I bruised the flower petals just like I was told. Now I have to buy a cheese cloth or something. For straining. If anyone's curious on my method, here's the places I used for aiding my progress:

http://make-fragrances.blogspot.com/2007/01/how-to-make-essential-oils.html
http://www.rainbowcrystal.com/oils/oils3.html

Its really kind of fun and I enjoyed myself a lot. Emma helped of course because what's better than a 5 year old picking flowers in the field next to our house right? Lack of field, but there's space, lol. Its just a strange thing, but you know it was good. I'm really interested to see how it turns out. I mean if this works out I can make basil candles once those get bigger out of my own materials. I'll let you know whats in the news about it tomorrow!

Planning!

Hellooooo!!!

So today is the day of plan. I didn't update on Saturday, but I have news!

Spent a few hours at Kelly and Chris' house on Saturday with mi madre and Emma. It was great. The kids running around squealing and enjoying themselves, but the best was the fact that little Jonathan was 'help weed!' Hehehe. He had the hand trowel and was turning the soil to get out the weeds. He's a very helpful little man. Where baby Sarah was far more interested in putting the leaves in the brown bag. They were both so amazingly helpful and cute. So as of Saturday, the garden area has been turned and weeded, ready for seeds!

Anyway, with mom's help I have decided the next stage in the works. Sunflowers. We've decided we need far more of them as well as different varieties. This time there will be autumn beauties, but these being planted directly into the dirt. The Dahlias are going around the bench and something purple or blue. Yes that's right this is quite an endeavor and I hope its all worth it in the end. I definitely am still feeling Saturday's shoveling.

SUNDAY! Mom bought us some more seeds. I got another packet of chive seeds to fill in the edges of my pot. Hopefully this all works out because yes I believe I am vaguely jealous of the fact that Nicky's chives are already so huge. I planted those this morning and I will be potting the sunflowers we already have, attempting to give them more space to make it through the next week.


BUT! These are all the beginning stages so I am just riding the wave.

On the other end of the spectrum, I have decided between the most difficult and messy things and those which would yield the most stuff. SO! After mass reading online I have discovered that I can make essential oils WITHOUT a distiller. Perfectly grand. So this year I am making candles. I am going to make basil candles with chive flower accents in them because the flowers have no smell once doused in wax. I'm also going to make some spice candles using the cumin. (which is great because another cumin plant came up the other day)These of course are suppose to have an effect on mood which each different smell.

Candles, sounds fun right? I know I'm looking forward to it!

Christmas smells great!!

You know what I realized? Pine is an amazing smell. I mean I just got home from Florida and let me tell you something, I love that warm weather, but something about walking through the pine tree section at Menard's just makes my heart flutter. Its all the right time of year for pine trees and know what? All the more right time for Basil! Yes I know its been ages, but well to be perfectly honest, it doesn't matter. All my plants have passed on by now, I had to allow them to take their last breathes before leaving on vacation, but that didn't stop me from drying the final plants and guess what this happy camper got to bring home with her for Christmas?

A MORTAR and PESTLE!

That's right! My dad bought me that gorgeous little stone there that says very sweetly, 'Bless this Garden.' I was very wobbly eyed when I received it because as we all know this little hobby of mine really matters to me and it makes my heart light up to see that others notice that as well. The mortar and pestle were a gift from my grandma Judy. Who let me get it while we discovered a quaint little cooking store at the mall in Bradenton. Its small and perfectly fits in my hands. And that's right you know what I made with it? I made Christmas presents!

Sure I can't buy things since we all know that aside from being rather frugal I am also about to lose my job and can't really afford gifts, but! I can make gifts. I took that little pestle and ground up that basil and mixed it with my mom's favorite generic tea blend and repackaged it for gifting to whomever it fits best. As we are playing secret santa this year I have to be careful who I gift to because I don't want to seem unfair. I think my person will enjoy them though... I hope. Speaking of gifts though!

I am sending Dad the basil oil. I made it and now it has someone who will appreciate it. He was very excited when I mentioned it because he likes to cook. One of the best cooks I've known actually, so I am gifting him a bottle. Bottle two went to friend Josh, as he now eats only organic foods and thought it was super cool. At least I hope he thought so... Bottle three is going to my sister. We all knew that was coming though right? The culinary queen should certainly have a bottle. So that covers that.

Now as for this tea, I'm hoping that I did it right, but I'm pretty certain that I did. I first, slowly took apart a tea bag and emptied it's contents. Afterward I used a teaspoon scooper to figure out how much was in there and replaced it 2/3 with basil and 1/3 with the original blend, so its still tea like of course. The next kind of basil I grow (hopefully a bigger variety), I'll try mixing with chamomile and that might give it a nice blend. All I know is it smells amazing!

That's it for now on the gardening end of things,
I'll update you all later with the outcome!

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The Gardening Bunny.

Preparing for Christmas

Well since not many people actually read my blog, I don't have to worry about people who are receiving these actually reading this. BUT! I spent all night last night working on making the basil oil for the specialty little containers I bought at Michael's. I plucked 8 tablespoons of fresh basil from the first plant, and was overly surprised to find that that there is at least another 8 tablespoons on that plant if not 16 and the same on the other plant. With the addition of extra virgin olive oil, my basil oil is not 'setting' in the cold dark closet for the next 3 weeks. Every weekend I am suppose to shake it up and return it to the closet. After that I put the oil into the bottles and put in a few fresh leaves and they should be ready for gifting. Apparently the longer it sits, the better the oil is infused.

Anyway I found the recipe online and with aid, figured out how to bruise my basil leaves without a mortar and pestle, though that doesn't stop me from needing one. Any way after that I was inspired to find the uses of my basil oil and I was happily excited to find that my Sunflower's favorite food, (aside from gyros and mozz sticks), that we cook here at home actually is seasoned often with basil oil so I am really excited to give him some tasty basil oil pasta! It appears its also good for our tummy aches so I'll have to try it this weekend.

Speaking of this weekend! My grandmother's burial is on Friday afternoon and I'm thinking basil tea for everyone might be nice. Well... for those that will drink it. My uncle John and his family are coming up for this as well, so I hope that everything goes well.

Goodnight all,
Tine.