Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Stephanie Tourles’ Seven Reasons to Attend the Mother Earth News Fair — Reason #2: Educational Classes

On Friday, September 20, the Mother Earth News Fair kicks off in Seven Springs, Pennsylvania. Here at Storey, we’re counting down all week long, and so is author Stephanie Tourles.

Stephanies got seven reasons the Mother Earth News Fair is a must-attend. Heres Reason #2 (with recipes)!


Reason #2: Educational Classes

There are scads of classes for you to take at the Mother Earth News Fair. Whether you attend simple sessions that pique your interest in a new subject or those that give you in-depth skills training, you will be learning from people who are professionals in their field.

Topics range from those with an agricultural slant (composting, raised-bed gardening, seed saving, food preservation, growing specialty vegetables, mushrooms, and herbs) to animal husbandry, fence building, beekeeping, chicken coop construction, and cheese making. Plus, there are plenty of classes that guide you in crafting personal care products, such as soap, herbal medicine, and chemical-free skin and body care cleansers, cosmetics, and treatments.

I’m doing two talks at the Pennsylvania fair this weekend. My first session will be about creating herbal, organic skin and body care products with Organic Body Care Recipes as a guide. My second session will be about how to make topically-applied herbal therapies using formulas from Hands-On Healing Remedies. Both classes will include photos of many of the beneficial herbs I use, and I’ll be passing samples of finished products for attendees to enjoy. 

Here are two popular recipes that I’ll be sharing with my classes this weekend. I hope you try your hand at crafting them and that you enjoy them as much as I do.


Lavender and Roses Gentle Cleanser 

This is a delicately fragranced cleanser for those who don’t wear much facial makeup. It will not spoil as long as you don’t let moisture enter the container and it makes a good multiuse product. It can double as a face mask and gentle exfoliant; spread it on cleansed skin and let it dry for 20 minutes.

Recommended for: all skin types
Use: daily
Follow with: astringent or toner
Prep time: 10 to 15 minutes
Blending tools: plastic bag
Store in: plastic or glass jar, tin, or plastic bag
Yield: approximately 1 cup

Ingredients:
½ cup white clay, finely ground
1/3 cup ground oatmeal or oat flour
1 tablespoon powdered lavender buds
1 tablespoon powdered rose petals
5 drops lavender essential oil
2 drops rose otto or geranium essential oil

Directions:
Place all ingredients except the essential oils into a plastic bag. Secure bag opening with a twist tie or zip-seal the top to close. Shake well to blend, then add the essential oils by the drop, close the bag, and shake again.

Pour the product into a storage container or leave it in the plastic bag.

No refrigeration is required, but for maximum freshness and potency, please store in a cool, dry place and use within 6 months.

To mix the cleanser for use: Place 2 teaspoons of powdered cleanser into a small bowl (or the palm of your hand) and add 2 teaspoons of water, milk, or cream. Stir to blend until a spreadable paste forms, and allow this paste to thicken 1 minute.

Application tips: Using a soft cloth, cleansing pad, or your fingers, apply entire mixture to cover face, throat, and dรฉcolletรฉ (avoiding the eye area) and massage in a circular motions for 1 minute. Rinse.

Rain’s Rosemary Remembrance Balm 

This formula is dedicated to a lovely friend of mine named Rain, who adores rosemary. This refreshing, stimulating, uplifting, rejuvenating, resinous, clarifying herb is just the thing to awaken your brain and help you recall and retain what you seem to have forgotten! If you love rosemary, then you’ll appreciate this fragrant balm.

Ingredients:
7 tablespoons almond or soybean base oil
1-2 tablespoons beeswax (depending on how firm you want the balm to be)
60 drops rosemary (chemotype verbenon or non-chemotype-specific) essential oil

Directions: Combine the base oil and beeswax in a small saucepan or double boiler, and warm over low heat until the beeswax is just melted. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes, stirring a few times. Add the rosemary essential oil and stir again to thoroughly blend. Slowly pour the liquid balm into a storage container. Cap and label. Set aide for 30 minutes to thicken.

Application instructions: For memory enhancement, up to three times per day, apply a little dab of this balm to each temple, the nape of your neck, the base of your throat, and behind each ear. Breathe deeply. 

Bonus: This balm also aids in healing dry, cracked feet, hands, nails, shins, elbows, and knees. I use it occasionally to condition the ends of my very dry, curly hair and as a blister balm when I’m hiking. It even helps heal oozing poison plant rashes and dermatitis. 

Lavender and Roses recipe excerpted from Organic Body Care Recipes by Stephanie Tourles © 2007. All rights reserved. Rain's Rosemary Remembrance Balm recipe excerpted from Hands-On Healing Remedies by Stephanie Tourles © 2012. All rights reserved.

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Stephanie Tourles is a licensed holistic esthetician who has been practicing and teaching healthy living for more than 20 years. She is also a certified aromatherapist with extensive training in the nutritional sciences, and is the author of Organic Body Care RecipesRaw Energy, and Hands-On Healing Remedies. Stephanie lives in Maine with her husband and pets. You can find her website at www.stephanietourles.com.
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See Stephanie and other Storey authors in Seven Springs: download a Presentation and Booksigning Schedule (2-page PDF).
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Going to the fair? Join the Storey family and stay connected on social media!

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