Adrienne Crombie

Agni Hotra Fire Ceremony – May

March 7, 2021 by Adrienne Crombie

Date: Friday May 24th

Time: 7:oo-8:30 PM

Tickets: $25.

Agni Hotra is an ancient fire ritual performed to purify the environment, reduce pollution and increase an atmosphere of healing. First found in the Vēdic scriptures, practice of the Fire Ceremony blesses Mother Earth as well as the practitioners. We will be chanting the Maha Mrytunjaya Mantra, a mantra to aid in healing on all levels. This simple yet powerful tool is used around the world with amazing results to help transform lives and heal the planet.

Please dress in layers, as the Fire Ceremony will be held outdoors.

Agni Hotra Fire Ceremony with rose petals

I have been practicing Agni Hotra for about 25 years. At first it was as a participant, adding literal fuel to the literal fire, chanting the appropriate mantras and helping to support the group intention and energy in whatever way I could. I remember the first time I was in India and encountering a group of people who did an agni hotra every day, regardless of where they were. It was a group of about 20 people, of all ethnicities and ages. They were part of a larger organization that vowed to have at least someone lighting this healing fire at all hours of the day, across the entire globe. They kindly invited us to join and it was a spectacular experience. Another trip to India I was honored to be invited to lead an Agni Hotra on a farm where they had been performing Agni Hotras just about every day. They claim their lush fields, healthy livestock and abundant harvest, compared to their neighbors, was a result of this practice. Last year in India I was happily surprised to find that the managers of the retreat center we were in were devoted practitioners of Agni Hotra. The two “fire brothers” as we called them were sent to an ashram at the early age of 10ish to study with a Guru whose main practice was this Vedic Agni Hotra. Their father had stumbled upon the practice when he was in the military in India and it had such a profound effect on him, transforming him from an angry violent person, to a serene and spiritual person, that he sought out this Guru and entrusted his two young sons to the Ashram’s care. We were happy to be able to participate in the twice daily ritual with people who had really studied and devoted their lives to this ritual. I was thrilled to once again stumble upon dedicated practitioners and experience a fire lit by them in the same way as it has been done for more than 5000 years.

I have, weather permitting, been doing Agni Hotra in my small yard in the middle of Frenchtown for some time. I can definitely tell the difference in my yard when I am doing it- the birds come more often and the plants grow steadily. I can tell the difference in myself as well. One of the things I love about this beautiful practice as it allows you to participate on a grand scale- sending healing energy as far as you can conceive of (and beyond), a more personal scale (healing for friends and family) and then also the effects are clearly felt ones own body. Energy channels are cleared, the mind is cleared, your vibration is raised, and if all that wasn’t enough, it smells good.

I hope you can come join us for the fire ceremony. Every voice added helps us to bring just a bit more peace and healing into this world which really needs it. We can join in the energy of the others who care deeply about our earth and those who inhabit it, and add our voices, intentions and fires.

Bonnie Pariser
Yoga Loka

Certified Yoga Therapist

T.R.E. Provider

Smudge Therapy

January 10, 2021 by Adrienne Crombie

Mad Lavender Farm smudge sticks are made from homegrown Sage and Lavender, wild-foraged Mugwort, Sweet Annie and Rosebuds. The combination of the scents and properties of these herbs and flowers create a lovely and powerful smoke with therapeutic value.

Sage, aka salvia, is latin for healing. We grow four different varieties on the farm and I love to use combinations of sage in our smudge. Sage smoke is antibacterial and antimicrobial, so the smoke actually cleanses the air of pathogens. Burning sage also produces negative ions, which can act as an antidepressant and energy booster. Our bodies accumulate, over time, a redundancy of damaged positive ions and the negative ions produced by burning sage help to clear them away.

Lavender is a bit sweeter than sage and they balance each other well. Lavender smoke is ultra calming and relaxing. It’s a visual treat, too – the purple buds look so pretty with the sage.

Mugwort and Sweet Annie grow wild on our farm. Mugwort is used to enhance lucid dreaming, visions and protection. Healers also burn mugwort to ease superficial irritation.

The benefits of Sweet Annie aka Artemisia Annua are still being studied, particularly in relation to cancer cells, but it is most commonly used to treat Malaria. Sweet Annie’s anti-parasitic qualities are desirable for smudging, as well. The scent is sweet and fresh.

Rose helps to open your heart chakra up to love and compassion. Rose is said by some to attract fairies.

I heard a wonderful story this summer from a young woman visiting the farm about her experience with smudging. She had been in a bad relationship and it was ended but she was having a difficult time moving on. She was in a rut and she didn’t know the way out. She scheduled a massage, which was a great first step. Her massage therapist strongly advised that she take a purifying epsom salt bath and that she smudge every room in her house. She said that after she had completed smudging, she felt that a dark cloud had palpably lifted and her energy had shifted. After that, she got a great new job. And she met someone new.

Does it really work like that? I think the gifts of the natural world are here to partner with us and play with us and support us in growing to our full potential. I like that there is scientific study to affirm my experience but I trust my intuition and my experience to be my guide.

Sage Lavender Mugwort Sweet Annie and Rose Smudge — Our Smudge Sticks are crafted from Sage, Lavender, Sweet Annie, Mugwort and Rosebuds.

Apple Lavender Muffins

January 2, 2021 by Adrienne Crombie

The apples grown in Hunterdon County NJ are pretty wonderful. We had an apple orchard on our farm when I was a kid and my Dad would take us out to the orchard in the back of his truck and we would fill the bushel baskets to deliver to the local cider press. I ate so many apples then, you’d think I’d be sick of them. But there are so many different varieties of apples grown in here, my interest in them never flags. You won’t find more than a couple varieties at the supermarket. Please, do yourself a favor and check out all the many varieties of apples at your local farm market. Phillips Farm in Milford NJ has an amazing array.

How does Mad Lavender culinary lavender pair with apples? Lavender’s soft floral flavor works well with any fruit. I can’t think of a fruit that lavender wouldn’t like. I found this recipe on Instagram posted by Avalon Lavender and it looked so simple and good, just the kind of no-fuss baking I like. I made them in Jumbo muffin tins and they were perfect.

Apple Lavender Muffins

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour (I use Meadow White from Bobolink Dairy and Bakehouse in Milford NJ)

1/2 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup milk

1 TBSP culinary lavender bud

1/2 cup butter, melted and cooled

1 large egg, beaten

1 cup apple, peeled and diced (safe some to decorate tops!)

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

Line 12 muffin tins or 6 jumbo muffin tins with muffin cups

In large bowl, mix dry ingredients with wire wisk. Make a well in the center.

In separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and stir by hand just until batter is evenly moistened. Fold in 1/2 cup of the diced apples.

Fill prepared muffin tins about three-quarters full. Sprinkle remaining diced apple over muffins. Bake at 375 for 25 – 30 minutes. Test with a knife in the center – it should come out clean – to make sure they are baked through.

Cool muffins in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer to cooling rack.

Shown here with Phillips Farm Blackberry Butter. Yum.

Making Mocktails & Smoothies with Tulsi Basil

December 31, 2020 by Adrienne Crombie

Tulsi Basil is believed to promote long life, balance and resilience and is said to relief stress and anxiety. The list of health benefits derived from Tulsi Basil is long but the for the purposes of making mocktails, let’s focus on the taste, which is incomparable. Tulsi is minty, mildly sweet and earthy all at the same time. It must be experienced.

Tulsi Basil Simple Syrup is the secret ingredient that makes an ordinary beverage extraordinary. Like any simple syrup, it’s simple to make.

Tulsi Basil Simple Syrup

INGREDIENTS

1 cup water

3 TBSPs dried Tulsi Basil leaf

1 1/3 cup sugar

DIRECTIONS

Heat water and Tulsi Basil in a saucepan until simmering.

Add the sugar and simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Let cool to room temperature. Strain into a measuring cup. Pour the strained syrup into a jar and store in the refrigerator.

I like to store my simple syrups in recycled soda bottles fitted wit a pour top dispenser.

Here are a few ideas for using Tulsi Simple Syrup to liven up your beverages:

Pear Rickey Mocktail

Fill a glass half full of cold pear juice. Add 1 TBSP fresh squeezed lime juice and Tulsi Basil simple syrup to taste. Top with seltzer and give it a stir. Garnish with a thin slice of lime.

Blueberry Basil Mocktail

Fill a glass half full with Blueberry Basil Kombucha. Add Tulsi Basil simple syrup to taste. Top with seltzer and give it a stir with a wooden or bamboo utensil (avoid using metal with Kombucha, as the detox action of kombucha may extract toxins from the metal).

Blueberry Banana Basil Smoothie

Chop a frozen banana into a blender with a half cup frozen blueberries and Tulsi Basil simple syrup to taste. Add blueberry juice to blend to a smoothie.

Blueberry Basil Lassi

Blend together half cup frozen blueberries, one half ripe avocado, Tulsi Basil simple syrup to taste and 1 cup of plain yogurt. Add water to thin the mix if necessary.

The Mad Earl Mocktail

December 30, 2020 by Adrienne Crombie

New Years Eve is imminent and, for many, festive, bubbly drinks are indispensable to the celebration. Count me in on that, sans alcohol. I’ve celebrated New Years Eve with and without alcohol and I prefer waking to the first day of the year in good health and spirits, with no regrets. That being said, there is not much on the supermarket shelves that piques my interest or tickles my taste buds. Sparkling fruit beverages are cloyingly sweet and predictable. But with a little preparation and some simple ingredients, you can whip up something a bit more interesting and fun to drink like a Mad Earl Mocktail!

What I love best about the Mad Earl Mocktail:

The sweetness is easily adjusted to taste.

When the ice in the drink melts, the flavor is undiluted.

The caffeine boost helps to keep me up past my bedtime!

Mad Earl Mocktail

INGREDIENTS

To make 2 to 4 mocktails (depending on how big your glassware is)

3) Earl Grey tea bags (or 3 TBSPs loose tea)

1) TBSP culinary lavender bud

2) TBSPs fresh squeezed lemon juice

Lavender Simple Syrup to taste

Seltzer water

DIRECTIONS

Leave plenty of time for prep to make the Lavender Simple Syrup and to freeze the Earl Grey tea into ice cubes. Click on the link above to make the Lavender Simple Syrup.

Brew a pot of tea (approximately 1 pint) with 3 Earl Grey tea bags and 1 TBSP culinary lavender bud. When the tea has cooled to room temperature, strain into a large measuring cup. Pour into ice cube trays and freeze.

When you are ready to mix the drinks:

Blend 4 ice tea cubes and 1 TBSP lemon juice per drink to slushy consistency.

Pour the slushy into glasses to half full.

Pour on Lavender Simple Syrup to taste.

Top it off with seltzer water and give it a stir.

Garnish with a thin slice of lemon.

Note: for a variation, you may top it off with lavender kombucha instead of seltzer.