Legend has it fennel bestowed immortality in the Greek island of Prometheus. If you needed a reason to learn to love its aniseed flavour, that’s a good one right there. Romans thought it helped with maintaining a healthy weight. Add another tick! File this away for next Halloween, but fennel was hung over doorways and its [...]
Today’s essential oil spotlight lands on clove. If you ever saw the movie Marathon Man, the mention of clove will dig up the dentistry scene from your memory banks. Argh! Let's say it was a long time before I made it to the dentist again after watching that! But don’t worry, clove was the good guy. [...]
If King Tut summoned an alabaster jar of essential oil today, would they bring him the same quality of essential oil as those he loved back in the day? Better? Not so flash? And where are essential oils headed next? Join us for today’s video and we’ll take a look at the effects of modernisation and [...]
Does your head ever feel like half of Kuala Lumpur’s macaque monkey population is fighting over lunch inside it? Today’s essential oil spotlight shines on clary sage and it’s a great one for soothing the mind chatter. Clary sage (Salvia sclarea) derives its common name from 'clarus' meaning 'clear'. Actually, in the Middle Ages it was [...]
Today, we’re covering essential oil basics for beginners. With essential oil use comes a duty of care. But don’t worry, it’s not a heavy-duty or scary one. Here’s some groundwork to set you up for a great initial experience. Putting essential oils in a diffuser is easy and highly recommended as a way for the whole [...]
Ever feel like you’re a square peg in a round hole? If my outdoor dining setting was a sentient being, it would be nodding, given it’s currrently inside getting acquainted with my sofa and armchairs. (Actually, they are armless armchairs. I'm guessing they have a technically proper name, but I’m more versed in plant names than [...]
One of the easiest ways to freshen tired-looking eyes (and lightest on your purse) is using chamomile teabags. Cold spoons work well, too, I’m told. Even if you aren’t well versed in natural remedies, you’ll surely know a cup of chamomile tea is soothing for jagged nerves and a relaxing prelude to heading off to the [...]
A friend of mine has a signature when serving up coffees to guests at home. He always includes a cinnamon quill in the cup for stirring in your low GI sweetening agent of choice. And even if you don’t add sugar or honey, you score a cinnamon quill. He says, “Everyone can do with sweetening up [...]
Few things polarise tea drinkers as much as Earl Grey. Personally, it’s not my (tea)bag. Where some say golf is a good walk spoiled, I say Earl Grey is a good tea spoiled. I’m happy to take my bergamot via the essential oil route rather than sipping on a brew that could double as my Eau [...]
“Basil !” Having watched a lot of Fawlty Towers back in the day, talk of basil conjurs visions of John Cleese’s long-suffering character Basil Fawlty in a flash. The word comes from the Greek βασιλεύς (basileus), meaning "king". I wouldn't mind betting Basil’s wife Sybil would heft an eye roll and come up with a wise [...]
