Alchemologie Natural Perfume

Did you know that mosquitoes are effective pollinators? Wearing floral scents or using floral soaps could be attracting these pollinators to feed on you instead of nectar. Join us tomorrow at the Old Stone House for a deep dive into natural mosquito repellent and an opportunity to create your own repellent “cologne”. Register at theoldstonehouse.org.

I’ve always thought that natural insect repellent could smell much better. I’ve been experimenting with different formulas over the years and, yes, it is possible to repel mosquitoes without drenching yourself in citronella. We’ll be going over the most effective botanicals and creating repellent “cologne”. This Saturday at the Old Stone House in Brooklyn. Register at theoldstonehouse.org

It’s frozen treat season here at Alchemologie. Whether it’s heat, smoke or drenching rain, it’s got me home bound and tinkering in the kitchen. Frozen grapes dipped in chocolate and roasted peanuts.

It’s going to be more important with each passing year to learn some techniques to stay cool in the summertime. The foods and herbs you choose can make a difference in your body‘s temperature. Learning about the cooling foods you should be enjoying and the warming foods to avoid. Herbs can cool the body as well and some of them make great cocktails and mocktails. Join us at the Old Stone House to learn to prepare for our ever warming summers.

I have a refrigerator full of probiotic sodas right now. Spring happens so fast and I’m trying to capture the blossoms before they fade. Blossoms have yeast on them so all they need is sugar water and time and they will ferment to create a bubbly floral soda. This year I used different combinations of cherry blossoms, redbud flowers, wisteria and sweet woodruff.

Smell the roses and you find a nuanced, multi-layered cornucopia of fragrant notes. Roses are chemically complex and have more than 300 chemical constituents, present in mere trace amounts, yet they contribute immensely to the sublime and nuanced fragrance we know as rose. We’ll tour the Cranford Rose Garden and then head back to the classroom to create perfumes inspired by tender, dewy, nectarous and honeyed roses.

I didn’t make a lot of potions this winter but I did manage to eke out a couple of orange liqueurs. The brandy is flavored with an incredibly delicious minneola and the vodka based one with mandarins. I’m ready for margaritas and, most importantly, sangria.

So excited to finally start my Potions series at the Old Stone House in Park Slope. We’ll start with an exploration of the herbal medicine already on hand in your spice rack and pantry. Oregano, black pepper and cinnamon are some of the herbal powerhouses we’ll be covering. Join us!

Oregano is an herbal powerhouse. Come learn about the herbal medicine you already have on hand in your kitchen pantry and cupboards. Your spice rack alone can ease indigestion, lower your blood pressure and soothe your aches and pains. Join us at the Old Stone House in Brooklyn on Saturday, April 4th at noon. Register at theoldstonehouse.org/events.

I’m teaching a series of wellness classes at the Old Stone House in Park Slope, Brooklyn. The first is Kitchen Herbalist, discovering the herbal medicine chest in your spice rack and pantry. You’ll learn about the healing properties of such exalted ingredients as oregano, black pepper, baking soda, olive oil and apple cider vinegar. Understand how to use common household kitchen supplies to heal your wounds, ward off, colds, and flu, relax, or stimulate you, sue, the toothache, easier joints, etc. You’ll be mixing up potions in no time.