Monday, November 24, 2008

Orange Pomanders

It's "Pomander" making time!!


Every year I tell myself to start sooner~ but here it is November again and I'm just starting my Orange Pomanders. Here's my Pomander Spice Mix recipe for anyone that's interested:



Equal Parts of Powdered Clove, Cinnamon, Allspice and Orris Root Powder. If you have any Nutmeg or ground Ginger in the house you can add that as well. The Orris Root is a "fixative" and holds the scent of the spices. We sell it at our herb shop, www.theherbarium.com I've been making this mix for years and it works Great!

You'll need a few handfuls of Whole Cloves for about 6 oranges. Apples are also used as Pomanders but they don't look as nice when they're all dried & shriveled up :)

Gently push your whole Cloves into the orange and try to evenly space them around. When working with children, I'll take a nail and make the holes first and then have the kids push the whole cloves in. Sometimes the Cloves can be tough on their fingers.

Once all the cloves are in the orange it's time to roll it in your Spice mixture. A shallow pie pan works great for this. Layer the bottom of the pan with your Spice Mixture and place about 3-5 oranges on top of the mixture. You want them to have enough space the be rolled in the spices without touching each other. Roll, roll, roll your oranges in your Spice mixture! Once they are all covered in spices it's important that they have enough air to dry or else they will start to mold. So check them often & continue to roll them in the spices until they are completely hardened. This could take up to a few weeks.

See, that's why I need to start these in July :)

Here's a picture of 6 year old Pomanders!!The small ones are Apples & the larger ones are Oranges. Every year I roll them in fresh spice and then store them away when spring arrives!


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To accompany your own Pomanders try some of my NEW orange Pomander Potpourri! Super Prim!!


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Monday, November 17, 2008

Primitive Herbal Soap

WOW! Time is flying by! I've been very busy making items for my wholesale & retail customers! Since my Gingerbread soaps have been so popular, I thought I'd create a NEW primitive soap~ HERBAL! They are filled with Herbs,Flowers & Essential Oils. I have these great rusty Bee Skeps that I've attached to them also~ Super "Prim-Herbal"


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