Tips n Wrinkles - Saving Money and the World

Pimpinella Anisum - Or Bettter Known As Anise

Pimpinella anisum or its more common name anise grows in the warmer parts of the world. It probably originates from the Mediterranean area and is a grass-like herb that grows to 60 cm in height and blossoms with a 5 part cluster of white flowers between May and June.

The fruits are harvested in July and August just before full maturity to avoid the fruit dropping. The aniseed-flavoured fruit has distinctive odour and sweet taste. It is normally packaged in a hemp or chetirisloyni paper bags to prevent moisture seeping in. therefore should be stored in dry and ventilated areas.

the herb is used mainly for coughs and associated ailments such as inflammation of the bronchi, laryngitis and angina. Add to this a remedy for pains in the stomach and intestines, gastric mucosal inflammation, colic, flatulence, sand and stones kidneys and bladder problems. Lastly is is known to increase milk in breastfeeding.

In Bulgarian folk medicine is used when thick, insomnia, headache, lack of regulation and painful menstruation, and other hiccups.

You can add 1 teaspoon beaten plodcheta and leave to soak for 1 hour in half a litre hot water, then drink 1 glass of this before meals 4 times a day. Or you can use essential oil with 1-2 drops that can be taken on a sugar lump.

I will be sure to keep an eye out for this in Bulgaria, sounds a pretty useful herb to have n stock although I don?t think it would survive a cold winter here is grown, but maybe as an annual is the raw seeds can be sourced. Being grass like probably would lend itself to being grown in containers to restrict root invasion then perhaps could be sheltered during winter.

Sesame and Honey Energy Snack Bar Recipe

Quite often my Bulgarian partner would buy little sesame seeds and honey bars for us to eat in the journey each weekend to the village. They are an excellent little energy snack and have no chemicals in them at all with the texture typically hard and brittle.

I was informed that they are very easy to make. So I go the recipe off my partner?s friend who is a chef for a top hotel in Yambol. He recommended locally produced honey that it will produce herb-based flavours that will further enchance the great combinations of taste.

This recipe is very easy to follow and will also save you lots of money as these snack bars are quite expensive to buy ready made. They are just as good as any commercially produced snack bar and without preservatives.

Ingredients:

� 500 gm local honey
� 500 gm white sesame seeds
� The lemon peel of half a lemon

Method:

Bring honey and lemon peel to a boil in a saucepan. Add sesame seeds stirring continuously and continue to cook while stirring. Bring to the boil again and continue stirring. Remove from heat. Remove and take out the lemon peel.

Lay some parchment or greaseproof paper on a cool work surface and pour out the hot liquid evenly on the paper.

When it has cooled to room temperature put it in the fridge and leave there for around 4 hours.

Remove from the fridge a kitchen shears, break into pieces and serve.

This can be stored refrigerator or freezer in an airtight container.

TIP: You can make more or less as long as you stick to equal quantities of sesame and honey each time.

Picture Source www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/

Neroli Oil - A Popular Perfume Ingredient

Image via Wikipedia

I had never heard of neroli oil before until I was given a DIY deodorant recipe given to me by a Bulgarian friend, which had this included in the ingredients. Not knowing about it before is not surprising as being a bloke who doesn?t take much interest in perfumes. Well I know about it now and so will you.

Neroli oil is produced from the blossoms and the scent is similar in scent to bergamot produced from the blossom of the bitter orange tree.

The blossoms are pick by hand in late spring and the oil is made from water distillation, as the blossom is to tender a herb to go through the process of steam distillation as with other herbs and spices.

Neroli Oil - A Popular Perfume Ingredient

Princess of Nerola first introduced the essence of bitter orange tree as a popular fragrance and used it in her gloves and in the water when bathing. This is where the name comes from. Neroli has a fresh distinctive and quite spicy scent with a flowery characteristic. Its floral oils are used extensively in perfume manufacture. It is a non-toxic, non-irritant oil and over 12% of all perfumes use Neroli now as their main ingredient. It blends well with all citrus and other floral oils. A little know fact is that Neroli oil is also one of the key flavouring components of some Cola based recipes.

Used in aromatherapy and massage treatment, Neroli has a soothing effect on the nervous system. For many years it has been used to relieve tension and anxiety with a marked affect to increase blood circulation. A solution can be made by adding three or four drops of the essential oil to one cup of almond oil. This can be added to grapefruit seed extract to make great oil for massage, but not for children or pregnant women.

Next time I see perfume in the shops I will look at the ingredients to see if I can detect the neroli content.

Images via Wikipedia

Bulgarian Homemade Witch Hazel Deodorant

Witch hazel makes a great deodorant and because of its natural skin-healing and skin-care properties is an ideal replacement for commercial deodorants.

This DIY recipe for witch hazel based deodorant was given to me by a friend who works in a perfume shop and of course using locally produced Rakia with a high alcohol content, the higher the better. You can use vodka if you can?t get hold of Rakia. Here is a Bulgarian homemade recipe you may want to try. It makes 100 ml of deodorant.

You need to get a range of essential oils, which can be easily bought from good health shops or online stores. When you buy stocks they last for years so it is a good investment and of course many of the oils have therapeutic benefits in their own right.

Ingredients:

1 tsp 50% (or more) proof rakia
10 drops geranium oil
10 drops cypress oil
10 drops rosemary oil
5 drops neroli oil
5 drops lavender oil
40 ml witch hazel
25 ml rose water
25 ml cornflower water

Method:

You need a 100 ml bottle (glass) with a spray attachment to store the deodorant
Put the Rakia in the bottle and add the oil one at a time.
Give it a good shake so all the oils and alcohol have been thoroughly mixed.
The witch hazel should be added into the bottle then the rose and cornflower flower waters.
Mix well by shaking the bottle.
The deodorant is now prepared and ready for application.
You need to shake the deodorant before you apply it each time.

You will feel fresh all day and know that it is doing your skin a world of good.

Image by urtica via Flickr

Ginger Wine - A Simple Recipe

Ginger Wine is a great herb drink which has been underrated for many a year. Having made many batches in the UK, I often forget how much I enjoyed this drink in the evening and not just in winter, but all year round. It is a fortified wine and not like ginger beer where the finished article only has its own alcohol content from fermenting.

This recipe has stuck in my mind for years I don't know exactly where I got it from but is was a learning curve to arrive at this particular recipe. You can of course customise it to you own taste.

INGREDIENTS:

5 litres water
1 1/2 kg sugar
1 lemon
50 g fresh ginger
1 tsp dried wine yeast
120 g chopped raisins or sultanas
1 bottle brandy (75 gm)

METHOD:

Put the water, sugar, lemon zest and ginger that has been cut and crushed in a saucepan and boil. Leave on a low simmer for at least and hour.

Leave it to cool after discarding any scum that forms on the top of the liquid.

Stir in the wine yeast when tepid and place the saucepan lid on loosely and leave for 24 hours.

Add lemon juice and raisins or sultanas to the liquid and transfer the mixture into a clean plastic container and cover with a lid loosely or a clean tea towel. This needs to be left in a warm place for 2-3 weeks and stirred every day.

The brandy can now be added and left another couple of weeks without stirring.

Place the container in a cool place for 24 hours then strain or siphon off the clear wine into wine or plastic lemonade bottles.

Serve cool or with ice.

TIP:
You can serve this as a toddy by heating up the wine on a cold night (not too hot though as the alcohol will evaporate.)

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