#PastelCraftClub

Pastel Craft Club // “Keep Calm” Roll On DIY

November 12, 2016November 12, 2016 by Alyssa Garrison

The holiday season can get kind of hectic, and DIY projects are a great way to put aside time to simply slow down and take a deep breath. We’ll be sharing all sorts of fun recipes and projects leading up to Christmas, but we decided to kick off this busy time with something extra calming. We all need a bit more calm in this wild world, right?

For this week’s installment of the #pastelcraftclub we teamed up with Julie from Province Apothecary. I had the pleasure of attending an outdoor essential oil blending workshop with Julie this past summer, and I was so enchanted by the magic of her knowledge that I immediately know we needed to share some of it here. Paige quickly agreed, a long-time fan of Province Apothecary as well, and here we are.

Part natural medicine, part olfactory, and in my opinion a little bit like witchcraft, the power of blending pure essential oils is pretty amazing, and we’re thrilled to have Julie here today sharing one of her secret formulas – Keep Calm!

Scroll down for Julie’s DIY

As an aromatherapist I love reaching for essential oils to help calm my body and mind during times of stress. My favourite way to apply them is in a therapeutic roll on.

By using essential oils in your daily life you can help diminish stress, relieve depression, ease physical pain, promote alternateness, heal skin issues like acne and much more. The properties of essential oils, when used properly, can promote general well-being and self-connection. Essential oils are so easy to use and can be incorporated into your daily routine: they can be used in a bath, during a massage, or in your daily skincare regime. The beautiful thing about essential oils is that they work on a subtle level- sometimes one drop is enough.

Terms to know:
Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants.

Aromatherapy: The therapeutic use of plant-derived, aromatic essential oils to promote physical and psychological well-being. Your skin is the largest organ of the body and absorbs essential oils easily.

| ESSENTIAL OILS FOR calming the body + mind |

BERGAMOT naturally relaxes and uplifts. It’s invigorating scent invites joy and laughter in one’s space, working as a natural antidepressant. It relieves tension to unfold a natural harmony.

CEDAR WOOD naturally strengthens + clarifies. Its light, woodsy scent has a calming and soothing effect on the mind and is of great help in conditions associated with anxiety. It also acts a general tonic, easing conditions of a respiratory nature.
CLARY SAGE naturally calming to the nervous system. An effective sleep aid. Great for reducing anxiety/asthma, reduces muscle tension, PMS. Aphrodisiac.

FRANKINCENSE naturally settles and composes. Its scent eases worry and rejuvenates the mind. Antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, calming/relaxing, anti-fungal/antibacterial/antiseptic, decongests open airway. Relieves tension (in all systems), stress, anxiety. Has been used for meditation..

ROMAN CHAMOMILE naturally calms. It’s a powerfully peaceful oil, bring inner harmony and reducing irritability, anxiety and worry.

 LAVENDER calms nervousness and relieves depression. Its antispasmodic, antibacterial, antiseptic properties make it nature’s #1 First Aid oil. Use lavender oil to naturally relieve dryness, cracked skin, eczema, and wounds. It stimulates the growth of healthy new cells, making it effective in healing the skin and reducing scars.

| EQUIPMENT YOU WILL NEED |
•1 ml vials or beakers to blend your scent
• Essential oils of choice
• Coffee beans to help with olfactory fatigue
• Roll on container (10 ml roll on), 10 ml base oil + beaker
• Labels for blending and for finished product

| BLENDING YOUR SCENT |
BLEND DILUTIONS 10 ml : 1% – 2 drops, 3%- 6 drops, 5% – 10 drops, 10% – 20 drops

1. Choose the essential oils and % of blend you would like to make, 1-5 oils is best for therapeutic roll ons

2.. Add one drop of each oil to the 1 ml vial or beaker and smell your blend after each drop, record the # of drops and slowly add more of the oils you would like more of.

3. Shake or stir your blend. Smell your blend and add more oils or keep as it is. Count out the number of drops your have used. This will be your final recipe.

4.. Once you have discussed your final blend with Julie, slowly count out the final number of drops into your 10 ml vial. Add your carrier oil of choice to the eos, put the cap on and shake.

ALWAYS: Document every single drop. Add drops one at a time and check scent. When formulating is complete, add EO blend to carrier base. Store your blend in a bottle out of the light. Label your formula clearly with the date.

DIRECTIONS: Apply oil to your wrists, temples, and back of neck (into your hairline) and let the essential oils absorb into the skin. For immediate results, place scent directly under your nose and breath deeply. Can be used as many times as needed throughout the day.

Sips, Sweets & Snacks

#PastelCraftClub // Apricot Rose Jam with Kitten and the Bear

July 9, 2016July 8, 2016 by Alyssa Garrison

Are you ready for more #pastelcraftclub? Good, because this week we have something pretty extra special in order.

Our dear friend Sophie, aka the jam genius behind Kitten and the Bear, is sharing an Apricot Rose Jam recipe with us featuring all of her top secret tips and tricks for making the perfect confiture. Paige and I have both been swooning over Kitten and the Bear since the very day they opened their shop doors, and we can pretty much promise you’ve never tasted jam quite this good before. Everything Sophie and her marvellous husband Bobby touch truly turns to gold, and we’re absolutely thrilled to be able to share a special recipe from their shop of wonders.

Just make sure you don’t forget their secret ingredient: LOVE!

Scroll down to get started on the recipe

Ingredients //

5 lb apricots of any variety, pit removed (we used small yellow Pattersons, about 45-50 apricots)
2 lb sugar
4 oz freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 2 lemons worth)
A small handful of food-grade dried rose petals

Equipment (suggested):
Traditional Mauviel copper confiture pan (available by special order through Kitten and the Bear) or wide double-bottomed stainless steel pot
Home canning kit

Method //

Day 1

Wash, then slice your apricots in half and remove the stone from the center. We left our apricots in halves, but if you have larger, firmer fruit, you can cut once again in half to make 4 cubes.

Add the apricots, sugar, and freshly squeezed lemon juice to a non-reactive mixing bowl, toss thoroughly, and cover.

Allow to sit in the refrigerator overnight.

Day 2

Line a clean baking sheet with clean, dry jam jars, and put into a 250 F oven.
Transfer your apricot mixture into a traditional copper jam pan, or wide stainless steel pot (do not use aluminum, as it will give your jam a dull colour, metallic flavour, and make it difficult for your jam to set).

Heat on high heat, scraping the bottom of the pan every couple minutes to avoid hot spots.
Your jam will come up to a boil and begin to foam. Continue to cook, manipulating the burner heat to be at the highest heat possible without your jam boiling over. The goal with all French style jam making is to have the highest possible heat, the most amount of evaporation, and the shortest time on the stovetop. This results in a brightly coloured preserve with a fresh, fruit forward flavour. Thus, this stage of cooking should only take approximately 20 minutes, depending on your pot choice and stovetop.

The foam will begin to fall, and you will notice that the fruit has started to get soft, puffy, and has begun to break down.

Continue to cook, scraping the bottom of your pot every couple minutes to avoid scorching, however not so often that you don’t allow to jam to come up to temperature and cook on its own.

You will notice that the jam looks more homogenous, and the bubbles are now smaller, and more evenly distributed over the surface of the jam. As your jam gets closer to being done, you may have to reduce your heat slightly or stir slightly more often.

To test for doneness, turn off the heat and scoop a representative sample of jam with a metal teaspoon. Place the spoon in the freezer for approximately 3 minutes, keeping the pot of jam off the heat in the meanwhile. After 3 minutes, gently nudge the preserve with your finger to check the texture, and tip your spoon and see if it runs. You can also push the pot of jam, which has now cooled ever so slightly, with a spoon or spatula to see if a skin has formed. When you lift your spatula out of the jam, it should “sheet” rather than “drip”.

If you feel as though your jam should still be thicker, cook for another 5 minutes and test the jam again. If it is done, skim off any remaining foam and stir in your dried rose petals, adding a little bit at a time to be appetizing and aesthetically appealing.
Remove your jars from the oven, and replace with your caps (set a timer for 10 minutes). Using two heat-safe pitchers, scoop a pitcher full of jam out of your pot with one, and pour directly into the other. Then, use this pitcher to portion out your jam into your sanitary jars. I highly recommend purchasing a standard home canning kit such as this one, as a canning funnel and ruler makes this a lot easier.

Fill each jam to ¼” of headroom, or the first notch of your headroom gauge. Wet a clean sheet of paper towel with hot water, and ensure there isn’t a single speck on jam on the rim or in the threading of your jars.

Your caps can stay in the oven during this entire process, however ensure that they have been in the oven for *at least* 10 minutes. Cap all of your jars according to the directions for your specific style of jar (mason or lug), and return to the oven for exactly 10 minutes.

Remove your jars from the oven carefully, space an inch or two apart, and allow to sit undisturbed for 24 hours to ensure a perfect set.

Enjoy! This jam will keep up to 1 year sealed in your pantry (out of direct sunlight), or 3-6 months open in your fridge.

Get creative! Apricot jams pair perfectly with a number of fun flavour embellishments. Some of my favourites are vanilla bean, amaretto, lavender, rose, kirsh, citrus zest (orange, lemon, tangerine), warm spices (cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, anise, nutmeg), brandy, ginger, and saffron. Any spirits, petals, floral waters, zests, extracts and herbs should be added at the very end of cooking, while dried spices (ground or whole) should be added at the beginning to allow for a thorough infusion.

For more Kitten and the Bear goodness be sure to stop into their jam shop in Parkdale, or order online!

Sips, Sweets & Snacks

#PastelCraftClub // Raw Vegan Lavender Blueberry Mini Tarts with Unbaked Cake Co.

June 25, 2016June 24, 2016 by Alyssa Garrison

Today is a very exciting day- Paige and I are launching a new series, and it’s all about learning from talented makers! We wanted to dream up something that would expand our skill set, teach our readers something new, and celebrate all of the incredible people creating in our city and beyond.

We call it the #PastelCraftClub, and it knows no limits!

from now on you can expect a new tutorial, recipe, or how-to on both of our blogs every two weeks, and we’ll be covering everything from an artisan jam recipe, floral DIY’s and a wall tapestry tutorial, to knitting projects, simple building and design projects, and more. The possibilities are seriously endless, and after a quick brainstorm of people and projects to cover, only one question was left: where do we start?

In the end, the answer was obvious- healthy, crazy delicious, and not to mention beautifully crafted, our friend Liz’s Unbaked Cake Co. treats are truly phenomenal, and we have been dying to learn how to make them! Liz already posted a beautiful pink Raw Vegan White Chocolate Raspberry Rose Tart recipe on Random Acts of Pastel awhile back, so this time around we went for a purple favourite from Liz’s Lineup: Blueberry Lavender Mini Tarts!

To make things easier for us unbaking rookies, Liz wrote the recipe for a “cheesecake”, which is much more easy to put together and doesn’t require piping. She also included instructions for the mini tarts shown here in case you’re a piping expert! Perfectly floral, sweet, and healthy enough to eat for breakfast, this nutrient dense recipe is maybe one of our favourite things ever.

Blueberry Lavender Cheesecake

Ingredients //

Crust:
2 cups raw almonds
6 medjool dates
2 tbsp agave
1 tbsp water
1/4 tsp sea salt

Filling:
3 cups raw cashews
1 cup blueberries
1 cup coconut oil
1 cup agave
1 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup water
2 tsp dried lavender

Recipe //

Yield: 1 x 9″ cheesecake

1. Crust: process almonds in a food processor until finely ground. Add dates and salt and process until incorporated. Slowly pour in agave and water and pulse until mixture comes together.

2. Press crust into a 9 inch spring form pan and set aside.

3. Filling: process all ingredients in a food processor or Vitamix blender until smooth and creamy.

4. Pour filling into spring form pan.

5. Let cheesecake set in the freezer overnight.

6. Garnish with fresh fruit, chopped nuts, dried lavender, leftover crust, and/or whatever else you may have on hand. Slice and enjoy.

To make mini tarts: press and form crust into mini silicon muffin moulds (will need 3 x the crust recipe) and then fill with blueberry lavender filling. Filling can be spooned into the crust or it can be piped. To pipe, filling must set in the fridge overnight so that it firms up. Garnish each tart with a blueberry. Recipe yields aprox. 50-60 mini tarts.