Making Love Potions: 64 All-Natural Recipes for Irresistible Herbal Aphrodisiacs
192
Making Love Potions: 64 All-Natural Recipes for Irresistible Herbal Aphrodisiacs
192eBook
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Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781612125732 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Storey Books |
| Publication date: | 11/29/2016 |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 192 |
| File size: | 10 MB |
About the Author
Stephanie L. Tourles is the author of Stephanie Tourles’s Essential Oils: A Beginner’s Guide and Pure Skin Care, as well as the best-selling Organic Body Care Recipes, Hands-On Healing Remedies, and Raw Energy. As a licensed holistic esthetician with a strong background in Western and Ayurvedic herbalism, she has been practicing and teaching healthy living for more than 25 years. Tourles has extensive training in the nutritional sciences, is a certified aromatherapist, a nationally certified reflexologist, and a professional member of the Alliance of International Aromatherapists. She lives in Orland, Maine.
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
Lascivious Libations
BEAUTIFUL TO BEHOLD, wonderfully flavored, and infused with passion-inspiring herbs, these drinks set the stage for a romantic rendezvous. There are recipes here to suit every palate, mood, and moment, whether you're looking for something thirst-quenching, revitalizing, relaxing, or warming. They make tongue-tantalizing sipping fare to share with your beloved over a romantic meal, on a blanket in front of the fireplace, or outdoors, gazing up at the stars. For special occasions or every-night delights, celebrate your love and life with a lascivious libation!
Romantic Ruby-Red Hibiscus Tea
Makes about 4 cups
This oh-so-tasty, slightly tart, deep red tea is perfect for Valentine's Day, birthdays, or any special occasion in which red is the color of the day and love is in the air.
INGREDIENTS
* 4 ½½ cups water
• 2 tablespoons dried red hibiscus flowers, or 6
• 1 tablespoon dried lemongrass or lemon balm leaves
• 1 tablespoon dried rosehips
• 1 tablespoon dried spearmint
• Honey, preferably raw (or your favorite natural sweetener)
• Peel of 1 medium orange, preferably organic, cut into thin spirals (optional)
• Lemon or orange slices, for garnish (optional)
TO MAKE
Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan, then remove from the heat. Add the hibiscus, lemongrass, rosehips, and spearmint, and let steep, covered, for about 45 minutes, until the tea is very deep red. Strain and add honey to taste.
TO SERVE
Serve chilled or hot, in your most beautiful glasses or teacups, with a garnish of orange peel spiral and lemon or orange slices, if desired. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator, covered, where the tea will keep for up to 2 days.
Note: The Lemon Zinger and Raspberry Zinger teas from Celestial Seasonings both use hibiscus flower, and you can substitute them (use six tea bags) if you don't have plain hibiscus. A fun variation is to freeze the tea into cubes to make a flavorful and decorative addition to mixed drinks, white wine spritzers, ginger ale, or fruit punch.
Lime-Mint Fizz with Cranberry Ice
Makes 2 servings
Simply gorgeous, this sparkling, invigorating, hot pink drink is the perfect beverage to enjoy après "afternoon delight," when tasty, light refreshment is in order! The drink gets sweeter as the cranberry cubes melt, which is a most pleasant treat.
INGREDIENTS
* Cranberry juice, sweetened as desired
• 10 fresh peppermint or spearmint leaves, or 2 drops peppermint or spearmint essential oil
• Juice of 2 limes (about 1/3 cup)
• Plain seltzer or sparkling water
• Lime slices, fresh cranberries, or mint sprigs, for garnish
TO MAKE AND SERVE
Fill two ice cube trays with cranberry juice and freeze. To prepare the drinks, you'll need two tall glasses. Finely chop the mint leaves, and divide them between the glasses (or put 1 drop of essential oil in each glass). Generously fill the glasses with cranberry ice cubes, then ever-so-slowly drizzle half of the lime juice over the ice in each glass. Top off the glasses with seltzer, and garnish with slices of lime, whole cranberries, or mint sprigs, if desired. A colorful straw is nice, too!
Variation: To make an elegant champagne cocktail, substitute champagne for the seltzer or the sparkling cranberry lemonade on the next page. It's a most beautiful party drink!
"Pucker Up" Sparkling Cranberry Lemonade
Makes 2 servings
Get ready for some yummy sippin' and luscious kissin'! This gloriously red, refreshing, sweet-tart beverage is sure to delight. The bright, bold, mouth-puckering flavors of cranberries and lemons mingle, tingle, and dance on your tongue.
INGREDIENTS
* 1 cup cranberry juice, sweetened as desired
• Juice of 2 small lemons (about 1/3 cup)
• Natural sweetener of choice (raw honey, raw agave nectar,
• 1 ½ cups plain seltzer or sparkling water
• Ice, crushed or cubed (optional)
• Lemon slices or fresh cranberries, for garnish (optional)
TO MAKE
Combine the cranberry juice, lemon juice, and sweetener to taste in a small glass or plastic pitcher. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to meld.
TO SERVE
Add the seltzer water to the juice blend and stir gently. Pour into two beautiful chilled glasses, filled with ice if you like. Garnish the glasses with lemon slices or a few fresh cranberries, if desired.
Sip 'n' Kiss Tea
Makes 2 servings
This tea is sheer sensory delight. With a unique flavor that evokes a cross between homemade lemonade and natural ginger ale, with a strong minty zip, it teases and tantalizes, warms and cools, stimulates and tingles. It's perfect as an after-dinner refreshment — and it doubles as a comforting gargle for sore throats, too.
INGREDIENTS
* 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon dried peppermint, or 3 peppermint tea bags
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons honey, preferably raw (or your favorite natural sweetener)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
TO MAKE
Bring the water to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from the heat. Add the peppermint tea bags and the ginger and let steep, covered, for 30 minutes. Strain, then stir in the honey and lemon juice.
TO SERVE
Enjoy this zingy tea anytime your mouth needs a bit of refreshing, delicious stimulation. It's wonderful whether served over ice or piping hot.
Cherry Kissing Cordial
Makes about 1 ¾ cups
Gorgeously deep red, this spicy, tart-sweet cherry cordial is perfect for sipping on chilly evenings as you and your beloved revel in each other's company by a crackling fire. The cherry brandy flavor is divinely intense and warming as it dances across your tongue, making this an intriguing "kissing cordial," to say the least!
INGREDIENTS
* 1 cup good-quality 80-proof brandy
• ½ cup tart cherry concentrate
• 1/3 cup raw honey, raw agave nectar, or maple syrup
• 3 cinnamon sticks
• 6 whole allspice berries
• 1 vanilla bean, sliced lengthwise and cut into ½-inch pieces
TO MAKE
Combine the brandy, cherry concentrate, honey, cinnamon, allspice, and vanilla bean in a pint-size canning jar. Cover the jar with a piece of plastic wrap and screw on the lid. Shake the mixture vigorously for at least 15 seconds to blend. Let the cordial steep in a cool, dark place for 4 weeks, shaking the contents daily to encourage the flavors to mingle and mellow.
Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer. Store in a decorative bottle, to which you've added a beautiful label, in the refrigerator and consume within 3 months.
TO SERVE
Pour a small amount of chilled beverage into two tiny cordial cups or beautiful, slender stemware. (Or perhaps use your lover's belly button as an enticing cup from which to sip?) Because it can be quite intoxicating, consume just a bit, or you may become too relaxed to romp!
Smoldering Chocolate-Vanilla Cordial
Makes about 2 ½ cups
A must-make beverage for the chocolate connoisseur! Oh my goodness ... slightly bitter and nutty, gently smoky, raw, dark cacao nibs meld with warm, sweet vanilla beans to yield a sumptuous, smooth cordial with amazing depth of flavor and an aromatic intensity that just has to be experienced. This stuff makes me swoon!
INGREDIENTS
* 1 ¼ cups good-quality 80-proof vodka
• 1 ¼ cups good-quality 80-proof brandy
• 1 ½ cup raw honey or raw agave nectar
• 2 cups raw cacao nibs
• 8 vanilla beans, sliced lengthwise and cut into ½-inch pieces
TO MAKE
Combine the vodka, brandy, honey, cacao nibs, and vanilla beans in a quart-size canning jar. Cover the jar with a piece of plastic wrap and screw on the lid. Shake the mixture vigorously for 20 to 30 seconds to blend. Let the cordial steep in a cool, dark place for 8 weeks, shaking the contents daily to encourage the flavors to mingle and mellow.
Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh strainer into a decorative bottle with a beautiful label. Store in the refrigerator and consume within 3 months.
TO SERVE
Pour a small amount of chilled liqueur into two tiny cordial cups or beautiful, slender stemware and enjoy with your lover. Aside from being quite intoxicating, this cordial also produces rather exhilarating effects from the caffeine and phenylethylamine (sometimes called the "love drug") in the raw cacao nibs, so consume in moderation until you know how it makes you feel. Personally, I like a little bit mixed with a splash of heavy cream, poured over a couple of ice cubes in a small tumbler.
Try This
For a stimulating after-dinner drink, pour 2 to 4 tablespoons of the cordial into a cup of hot coffee, add cream to taste and a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg, and you've got a delectable beverage that'll warm you right down to your toes. It's guaranteed to keep your energy soaring for a long night of passion!
Sassy Sangria
Makes 6–8 servings
A simple yet elegant drink to serve to company — perhaps your favorite couple on "double date night" at your house. It's especially wonderful when enjoyed on a warm summer's eve while sitting outside under the stars or around a fire.
INGREDIENTS
* 2 bottles fine white or red wine, preferably organic
• ½ cup diced Granny Smith apple (or another firm, semi-tart apple variety)
• ½ cup blackberries
• ½ cup blueberries
• ½ cup chopped orange, tangerine, or tangelo (peeled)
• ½ cup diced peaches
• ½ cup diced pineapple
• ½ cup raspberries
• ½ cup diced strawberries
TO MAKE
Pour the bottles of wine into a pretty glass punch bowl, and add the apple, blackberries, blueberries, orange, peaches, pineapple, raspberries, and strawberries. Gently stir to mix. Cover and chill the sangria for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator prior to serving.
TO SERVE
Ladle into chilled wineglasses, being sure to include plenty of yummy fruit bits. Drink up and savor the flavor!
THE ORIGINS OF CORDIALS
Cordials were originally used in medieval times as medicine for various ailments and as love potions or aphrodisiacs. In fact, the word cordial reflects these origins. It is derived from the Latin cor, meaning "heart," because the earliest cordials were administered to the sick to stimulate the heart and lighten the spirit. A delicious cordial was often shared to "bring heart" to a situation, friendship, or budding romantic relationship. (In case you're wondering, yes, the terms cordial and liqueur are used interchangeably, though cordials are generally much sweeter.)
Pomegranate Passion Fruit Punch
Passion Fruit Punch
Makes 2 servings
This punch is a refreshing, tart, and tangy drink with a zesty bite of ginger and a gorgeous, deep blood-red hue. And it delivers impressive amounts of energizing and immune-boosting antioxidants! Enjoy it as a delicious fruit juice blend, or ramp it up a bit by adding a splash of vodka or rum. Perfect for Valentine's Day — or any celebration of love!
INGREDIENTS
* 1 (16-ounce) bottle pure pomegranate juice
• Juice of 2 limes (about 1/3 cup)
• Juice of 1 orange or tangerine (about 1/3 cup)
• 2 teaspoons finely minced ginger
• Lime or orange slices, for garnish (optional)
TO MAKE
Combine the pomegranate juice, lime juice, orange juice, and ginger in a small glass or plastic storage container and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to allow the zippy flavor of the ginger to infuse the juices.
TO SERVE
Decide whether you want to strain out the ginger bits. If you leave them in (I do), just chew them as you enjoy your beverage; they freshen the breath and aid in digestion — two great benefits. Shake the punch well, and pour into two chilled glasses, with or without ice. Garnish with lime or orange slices, if desired.
THE FRUIT OF FERTILITY
Since ancient times, the pomegranate has been hailed as a promoter of fertility. In fact, in Armenia, the pomegranate is a symbol representing marriage and abundance. The fruit was often mentioned in historical writings as having amazing health benefits, such as boosting the immune system, preserving youthful vitality, and promoting longevity, and indeed, modern research supports these claims, having shown that the pomegranate is an incredibly rich source of antioxidants.
CHAPTER 2
Scentual Treasures to Entice and Delight
OUR SENSE OF SMELL IS OUR most primitive aid to courtship, and it is willing to be seduced by an incredible range of aromas, from musky body odors to the grassy scents of various herbs, the sultry aroma of frankincense, and the sweet fragrances of flowers. Scents can soothe you, arouse you, intrigue you, remind you, alarm you, and even disgust you. They are very deeply linked to the emotions and can elicit profound physiological effects.
Following are some of my favorite recipes for evocative aromatic delights to awaken the senses, pamper the skin, stir the soul, and inspire romance. Use them to scent your own or your partner's body, your bedsheets, your home — the combination of enchanting tactile and aromatic sensations is sure to pleasure and please. And if you enjoy herbal crafting, note that many of these recipes make unique and charming handmade gifts for marriage celebrations.
Aromatic Dusting Powders
Dusting powders have a definite allure, seducing you with their silky-soft texture, subtle scent, and touch of old-fashioned elegance and grace. A well-made powder can add a little luxury and velvety smoothness to your skin that you can't get from lotions or oils alone, while keeping you dry and reducing body odor. I like to package my fragrant powders in glass shaker jars, cardboard powder tubes, antique lidded glass bowls, fancy tins, or beautiful wooden boxes. A soft powder puff makes the perfect applicator (I always keep one in my own blue glass powder bowl), though of course you can also simply shake a bit of powder into your hands and gently apply it to your chest, underarms, or any other parts you desire to pleasantly scent and keep dry.
If you've never indulged yourself with a natural body powder, please try one of these blends — I can almost guarantee that they'll soon become part of your personal fragrance collection!
Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart.
— PROVERBS 27:9
Lavender & Roses Body Powder
Makes about 2 cups
A sweet, refined floral aroma emanates from this delicate powder. Most people adore the calming, old-fashioned fragrance of lavender — it's among the favorites for men (see Arousing Aromas, page xiv). And who doesn't love the heady scent of roses? The combination is exquisite!
INGREDIENTS
* 1 cup cornstarch or arrowroot powder, preferably organic
• ½ cup lavender flower powder
• ½ cup rose petal powder
• 50 drops geranium essential oil
• 50 drops lavender essential oil
TO MAKE
Combine the cornstarch, lavender powder, and rose powder in a large bowl or food processor. Gently whisk together or pulse in the food processor for 15 seconds, until well blended. Add the essential oils, drop by drop. If you're mixing by hand, whisk the mixture slowly or place the entire batch in a large container with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously. If you're using a food processor, pulse the mixture for another 15 seconds to thoroughly incorporate the oils. Does the powder feel nice and silky? If not, pass it through a flour sifter or sieve to remove any gritty or lumpy bits.
Store the powder in an airtight storage container in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks to allow the scent to permeate the mixture. Package the powder in smaller decorative containers, if desired, being sure to label and date each one. No refrigeration is required, but for maximum fragrance enjoyment, use within 1 year.
TO USE
Apply as you would any body powder, by sprinkling or using a powder puff.
Vanilla Spice Body Powder
Makes about 2 ½ cups
This silky powder has a round, full, sensual, spicy fragrance that appeals to both men and women. It's quite heavenly and doesn't overwhelm the senses.
INGREDIENTS
* 1 ¾ cups cornstarch or arrowroot powder, preferably organic
TO MAKE
Combine the cornstarch, baking soda, cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla, cloves, and nutmeg in a large bowl or food processor. Gently whisk together or pulse in the food processor for 15 seconds, until well blended. If needed, pass the powder through a flour sifter or sieve to remove any gritty spice bits. Store the powder in an airtight storage container (such as a quart-size canning jar or plastic tub) in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks to allow the scent of the spices to permeate the mixture.
Package the powder in smaller decorative containers, if desired, being sure to label and date each one. No refrigeration is required, but for maximum fragrance enjoyment, use within 1 year.
TO USE
Apply as you would any body powder, by sprinkling or using a powder puff.
(Continues…)
Excerpted from "Making Love Potions"
by .
Copyright © 2016 Stephanie L. Tourles.
Excerpted by permission of Storey Publishing.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Introduction: The Language of Love1 Lascivious Libations
2 Scentual Treasures to Entice and Delight
3 Aromatic Baths to Silken the Skin and Set the Mood
4 Luxurious Oils for Sensual Massage
5 Edible Body Butters, Balms & Lubricants
6 Love Potions: Herbal Tonics to Inspire Passion
7 Delectably Decadent Sweets
8 Aphrodite's Apothecary: Everything You Need
Resources
Recommended Reading
Index