When I was planting my garden years ago, my sweet daughter opened up a whole packet of chamomile seeds and scattered them far and wide, while squealing, “Wheeeeeeeeee”.  For those of you who know me, I am a geometric person, who likes things planted in rows, straight rows  I had no idea where the seeds landed and after I got over the initial shock to my organized inner self, I delighted in the fact she was so carefree in her seed distribution.

As a result, this delicate flower from the daisy family is growing in numerous places, year after year. Don’t daisy-like flowers just make you happy?

The Medicinal and Health Benefits of Chamomile

Traditionally, chamomile has been used for centuries as an anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, mild astringent and healing medicine. According to U.S. National Library of Medicine, chamomile is one of the most ancient medicinal herbs known to mankind.

It is a member of Asteraceae/Compositae family and represented by two common varieties ~~ German Chamomile (Chamomilla recutita) and Roman Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile).

The dried flowers of chamomile contain many terpenoids and flavonoids contributing to its medicinal properties. Chamomile preparations are commonly used for many human ailments such as hay fever, inflammation, muscle spasms, menstrual disorders, insomnia, ulcers, wounds, gastrointestinal disorders, rheumatic pain, and hemorrhoids. Chamomile is often used to treat mild skin irritations, including sunburn, rashes, sores and even eye inflammations. Who knew? For more information on the benefits and uses of chamomile, click here.

Making Tea

Being a believer that you are what you eat, I buy food items with a bit of healthy skepticism. I try to be conscientious of the quality of the ingredients and I am not sure what is used on commercially purchased tea leaves. Since I do not use any pesticides in my garden, I decide to make a tea this year using the fresh chamomile flowers. It is also possible to dry the flowers to make tea later. 

Unlike many other herbs, you want to collect the blossoms only, not the leaves, stems or roots.  The best time to harvest is mid-morning, after the dew has evaporated but before the mid-day sun. Just pinch off the delicate blossoms and shake off any dirt or insects.

As with most herbs, more quantity is needed when using fresh vs. dried.  I used 3-4 tablespoons of flowers into a small clear glass teapot with its own strainer.

If you do not have a tea pot with a strainer, you can use cheesecloth to bundle the herbs. You can also just strain the blossoms from the tea after steeping is done.

Add hot water and steep for 5 minutes.  Fresh chamomile tea has a clean, fruity, apple undertone which is different from dried chamomile. The Greek derivative of chamomile means “earth apple”. Makes sense because that is the taste I experience.

I did add one mint leaf….which seemed to enhance the chamomile flavor, not overwhelm it. Serve this fragrant, fresh tea in a deserving cup. Rarely do I add sweetener to my tea, and this one, in my opinion, doesn’t need anything! However honey or agave would be healthier option than processed sugar.

Treat Yourself to a Pretty Cup

I do believe the vessel from which you drink any beverage is important. Would this be as lovely in a styrofoam disposable cup? Take the time to find a cup that feels good in your hand and makes you happy.

Many of my dishes have a story. These wild strawberry Wedgwood tea cups were purchased in London at Harrod’s. We were on our way back to the US after a wonderful trip to Italy and stopped in England for a few days. Since I was accustomed to the euro conversion to US dollar in Italy, I didn’t realize until I was checking out, that these cups were priced in the British Sterling pound….significantly more expensive that I calculated. In a split second decision (picture me in line at the register with several people waiting behind me), I decide to buy them, cringing a bit at the total cost.

But now every single time I use one of these cups, I think back on that decision and am so happy I purchased them. Do you have a favorite cup or dish service?

Enjoy!

After reading about all the benefits of this simple tea, I plan to drink it on a more consistent basis. Note: If you dry the chamomile for later use, store it in an airtight container out of the sunlight. I enjoy both the fresh and dried version of this tea.

Perhaps I will experiment with adding lavender…..and concoct the perfect sleepy time tea!

Chamomile is extremely easy to grow and it is so satisfying to do it yourself. Roman chamomile is a perennial, growing from the same root year after year. German chamomile is an annual, but don’t expect it to grow in the garden for just one year! It self-sows freely and you can bet if you plant it one time, it will spring up in the garden from then on.

Happy May!

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The “Race for the Roses” will be held this Saturday on May 4, 2024 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. If you cannot be there in person, then what better reason to have your very own Derby party. There is so much history surrounding this annual event and how fun to partake in its revelry.

A Little History

The Kentucky Derby takes place on the first Saturday in May every year, and typically draws a crowd of 155,000 people. It is the longest continually held sporting event in America, and it is one of the most prestigious horse races in the world.

Often called “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports”, the Kentucky Derby receives this nickname from the approximate length of time it takes the winner to run from the starting gate to the finish line. The Kentucky Derby is the first race within the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, where it is followed by the Preakness Stakes race and the Belmont Stakes race.

Setting the Theme

When my sweet blogging friends came to visit Bella Terra in 2022, we put together all the best tips to hosting your very own Kentucky Derby party and we want to share them with you today!

Chloe, from Celebrate and Decorate was unable to come at the last minute due to a family medical emergency. However, she did ship all the wonderful elements of a beautiful table beforehand. Using the black and white checks of a jockey’s attire, the harlequin table cloth is the perfect backdrop. Moss in a roll make a wonderful runner and adds the grassy feel of Churchill Downs.

The Centerpiece

Working with a laser cut wooden horse head, Chloe embellishes it with a Derby Day theme. Here is the Before:

And the After:

The horse head centerpiece is a clever use of craft materials and you can see the entire DIY here. Finding the wooden horse head silhouette on Amazon, Chloe covers it in moss, adds roses for the mane and adds a harlequin ribbon for the bridle. This can be used as decoration for the front door (add a hook) or as the table’s centerpiece.

Beautiful silver mint julep cups are filled with fresh red roses that I order from The Bouqs. Waiting for a 20% off promotion, I purchase 6 dozen (4 dozen would have been plenty)of these gorgeous red roses. I place 10 roses in each mint julep cup (6 cups) and surround the horse head.

If you are looking for mint julep cups, here is a resource for stainless steel ones. Silver or silver plated mint julep cups can be found here.

The Place Setting

Since the Kentucky Derby is one of the most prestigious races, it’s time to pull out the glamour of silver and crystal. After experimenting with different chargers and dinner plates, we decide a simple white plate with a beaded silver charger with a white embroidered linen napkin is the most elegant.

If you don’t have real silver or silver-plate, there are many faux silver chargers available. You can see these more affordable options here. Having a basic white dinner plate allows you the opportunity to make your table casual or more formal. Here is a good option on white dinner plates.

Chloe makes these stunning red rose napkin rings and you can see her DIY here. Even though she wasn’t physically present, we all greatly appreciate her creative contributions to this gorgeous table.

Sparkling crystal glasses, silver candlesticks and silver wine/champagne buckets add more glamour to the table.

Andrea from Design Morsels finds these small horseshoes which we scatter around the centerpiece. Adding the white slipcovered dining chairs around the table, again makes this dining experience extra special.

The table is placed under the very old date palms trees on the south side of our historic property.

Hors D’oeuvres

Even though mint juleps are the traditional cocktail for the Kentucky Derby, we dust off our best Waterford champagne flutes and serve a Thomson & Scott Noughty dealcoholized sparking rosé bubbly.

A variety of cheeses, crackers, salami, olives, nuts and fruit make a colorful, yet tasty tray of nibbles.

Icy shrimp with cocktail sauce on a vintage Fenton Spanish Lace Silver Crest ruffle edge milk glass pedestal cake stand gives some height to a small table. This is one of my favorite cake stands and as I am writing this, there is one available on eBay here.

Fresh shrimp and a wonton hors d’oeuvre create different textures and flavors. An interesting mix for your guests.

For more food and decorating ideas, see my Derby Day Fun post from 2019 here.

And a Hat, of course!

Hats are a long standing tradition at the Kentucky Derby! And what is a Derby party without a lovely chapeau!

On the Kentucky Derby website, you can download the entire Kentucky Derby 2024 information guide, the list of horses and you can even place a bet on their website. They even have an online store for your to purchase party supplies.

Thanks to Chloe’s creativity and the capable hands of Andrea from Design Morsels and Chas from Chas’ Crazy Creations, we hope you will be inspired to host your own Kentucky Derby party! What fun to put it all together here at our home and share these moments with such great friends.

10 Winning Kentucky Derby Party Food Ideas and Champion Recipes

My friend, Rachel from The Ponds Farmhouse is part of a supper club comprising of very talented women. In Rachel’s post, not only does she include recipes from Shrimp & Grits to Bourbon Bread Pudding, but the following as well:

Michele from Vintage Home Design~Traditional Mint Julep Recipe with a Lemonade Twist

Jen at Midwest Life and Style- Crockpot Bourbon Meatballs

Anne and AnnMarie at Simply2Moms~The Hot Brown

Stacy at Bricks ‘n Blooms~Best Blondie Brownie Recipe

Just writing this post is making me hungry and I cannot wait to try some of these new recipes. May is just around the corner and enjoying the Kentucky Derby is a great way to welcome in the month.Are you planning a Derby day celebration?

Some of the photos are taken by Emily Supiot from Cozy Clicks.

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When my eldest daughter heads off to college, it is a good opportunity to update her room with a more sophisticated look.  It is painted a pretty green and has all the makings of a young teenage girl’s room. As I consider different paint colors, would you ever paint a bedroom black?

The Before

Why Black?

In addition to green, her favorite color is black.  Hmmm. I do need to think this through. Painting her room black is a bold move.  But we have light floors (Canadian beechwood) and lots of white trim (baseboards, windows, doors, crown molding)…..to help break up any large expanse of black. So I take the leap!

When you first walk in, there are two arched windows overlooking the front yard. Without altering the window shape, new replacement windows from Marvin are added during the original restoration. They open in two ways~by swinging wide open or tipping into the room for top only ventilation.

These windows face east and get the beautiful morning light with an expansive outdoor view. Unfortunately I did not take pictures of the painting process, but here you can see the results.

Making Green and White work

I want to keep her green desk chair and furniture but finding fabric that combined THIS green, black and white is a bit of a challenge.

We’ve never had curtains on these windows. It took some time to figure out how to add curtains without hiding the beautiful window design.

After much pondering, I finally decide to do one big curtain panel. The large drapery pulls across both windows and tucks to one side when not in use. It has a black-out liner so my daughter is finally able to sleep in a fully dark room.

This panel is made by Smith & Noble, using their designer fabric line, Madcap Cottage.  I recommend getting a fabric sample and fortunately, this sample did match the black and green perfectly. The pattern is a bit of unconventional but playful and their turnaround time for delivery is less than 2 weeks!

The best location for her bed is in the alcove that has a port hole window.  The headboard and wall lamp are from Joss & Main; the duvet cover from West Elm.  I made the bed skirt with leftover Waverly fabric I found in the basement. The matching decorative pillow with Madcap Cottage fabric is also made by Smith and Noble.

En Suite Bathroom

Her bathroom needs a facelift too.  The original restoration is from 2001 and therefore it’s time for an update. We replace the tile countertop with a Carrera marble slab and repaint the base cabinet semi-gloss black.  The wall paint changes from green to a crisp white.

Since posting this we experience a major plumbing leak and use this opportunity to re-tire her bathroom floor with Carrera marble tiles.

Now the ensuite bathroom’s decor flows nicely with the bedroom.

Other Black Room Ideas

The Spruce has a great article about Beautiful Black Room ideas and you can find it here.

Now when my daughter comes home to visit, she enjoys an updated, more sophisticated room.  Though it was a big leap of faith to paint this room black, the overall feel is quiet elegance and chic. I am very happy with the results and glad we took the leap.

Desk and chair: Ikea

Door, window, trim color:  Van de Cane DEW354 (a Dunn-Edwards paint but created by Sherwin-Williams)

Wall Color:  Sherwin-Williams Caviar 6990

Drapery Rod and C-hooks: Smith & Noble

Fabric: Hello Hidcote/Nightfall (17910) by Madcap Cottage

Artwork: Original drawings by my daughter

Spring has definitely sprung here at Bella Terra. All the flowers are blooming, my garden is growing and what better way to share it than a spring themed dinner at home.

Recently we hosted friends of ours who are out of state that is still experiencing snow. It is their first time to our house, however, we spent a great deal of time together when we all went to Mongolia last June. With their differing food likes and dislikes, it makes sense to make a meal that can accommodate everyone’s culinary wishes.

The Tablecloth

I love this linen tablecloth embroidered with an assortment of spring flowers. This seems like the perfect base for the spring themed dinner. My recollection is that I bought it during a trip to Italy….or I found it in a thrift store. I think the Italy story is better!

The Centerpiece

On the way home from a doctor’s appointment, I stop at Trader Joe’s and check out their flowers. These purple decorative cabbages catch my eye and are the basis for the centerpiece.

Using floral wet foam and a plastic rectangular container, more flowers are added. Fragrant purple stock and freshly cut irises from the garden surround the cabbages. Mums, daisies and roses from the yard fill in the rest. Not only is the centerpiece a tribute to spring, it smells heavenly too. Here is another centerpiece I created using 4 of these plastic containers.

The Dishes

With such a light and bright tablecloth, I select these Fondeville Ambassador ware dishes because of the spring green and flowers in the pattern. Since I only have the dinner plates, I add a Leslie Roy neutral, clear glass salad plate with a gold rim on top.

I play around with different chargers and settle on this clear one with a golden beaded edge. Though they look like glass, the chargers are actually plastic. $2.99 each from Hobby Lobby. Don’t they look elegant?

Stemware

Lenox water and wine glasses with a narrow gold rim are simple and elegant, focusing attention to the pretty vintage dinner plate. Wallace Napoleon Bee stainless with gold accents is a favorite flatware.

Yellow linen napkins from Sferra (see similar here) add a bit of spring color to the table. Detailed bird candles are placed around the centerpiece for another spring element.

The lighted candles in the Waterford crystal candlesticks provide a romantic glow.

The Menu

In order to provide meat for some, my husband prepares the steaks on the grill. A large salad and baked sweet potatoes with lemon (my favorite recipe is below), provides sustenance for the non-meat eaters.

Dessert is homemade rangpur tartlets (shared with you on a recent Saturday Meanderings) and is served on vintage Fondeville plates (which can be found on eBay).

The food is delicious and the company is delightful! What a lovely evening with friends and setting a special table always makes your guests feel welcomed.

Are you enjoying Spring weather? Any spring entertaining on the horizon?

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With quite the rain, thunder and lightning storms this week (hail in some areas), March is definitely in like a lion. We need and love the rain and I can hear all my plants making gulping noises as they absorb nature’s shower. Happy Saturday and weekend, my friends! It’s a chilly morning here at Bella Terra, but enjoying the quiet with a nice cup of coffee. Let’s get started and check out all the good things that happened this week.

Early Signs of Spring

Isn’t it interesting that year after year, the seasons come and go, whether we are ready or not? Even though several of our trees are still in winter mode and bare, there are many plants that shout that Spring is on its way.

So sad that we lost our apple tree to the extreme heat last summer as I already miss it’s pretty pink blooms.

The peach and apricot trees are blooming, and our newly planted Santa Rosa plum tree is filled with flowers.

Lady Banks roses run the entire width of the front of the property along the street. These dense climbing vines provide privacy and reduce the traffic noise. But this time of year the long and tall hedge fills with delicate pale yellow roses.

Though the sweet yellow roses only last a few weeks, and watching them come to life is a reminder of Spring’s beauty. Poppies and hollyhocks are growing but not blooming yet, but there are signs of new life everywhere.

Garden Update

Finally, this weekend, I am planning to work on the vegetable garden. This week I picked all the tomatoes on my winter crop. What I noticed is that the tomato plants from last fall, look healthy and are actually producing flowers.

Typically, I pull the old plants and put in new ones. But after doing a bit of research, apparently some tomatoes are annuals and others perennials. They are called determinant (annuals) and indeterminant (perennials) plants. Since many of my plants are heirloom varieties, it appears they are indeterminant and continue to produce fruit until the plant is killed by frost.

Does anyone grow tomatoes that you would consider perennial? I did trim the plants back to newer growth areas and will fertilize this weekend. Hoping for an abundant healthy crop from them.

My 5 Days in Florida

Last weekend I was in Celebration, Florida at my dear friend, Chloe’s home (Celebrate and Decorate). What an absolute treat to be in her lovely home with 5 other blogging friends. We try and meet twice a year because we enjoy each other’s company and learn so much from each other.

Chloe arranges for a lovely boat ride around Winter Park and Lake Osceola, with a delicious lunch following.

In addition to exploring, we work collectively on blogging issues. It is fun to take photographs of Chloe’s Easter decor and tablescape. To see more about this seasonal table for two, click here.

Another photo opportunity is Chloe’s large chocolate Easter bunny in this basket of hydrangeas.

Check out these cute bunnies on pedestals on Chloe’s living room mantel? They are $5.98 each and you can find them here.

Of course, darling Lily spent the entire time with the girls. I swear she is a person reincarnated…maybe even a princess in a previous life.

Bread Making Week

I am in the bread making mood this week and finished 3 loaves. This is my second attempt at a Honey Lavender sourdough bread, a recipe adapted from @barefoot.mimosas. Surprisingly, this bread is delicious. Sometimes rose or lavender can be a bit too perfume-y or soapy, but the subtle herbal flavor is just fantastic. It is especially tasty out of the toaster with honey butter.

Another favorite is my cheese, garlic and rosemary sourdough bread which I mix up after dinner, let it rise overnight and bake the following day. So simple and easy, but delicious especially when experimenting with cheeses from gruyerè to cheddar.

I am also thinking about having a Bread class here at Bella Terra~a general one about sourdough, yeast and quick breads. What do you think?

From the Internet:

Lemons, Lemons, and More Lemons

As you know, I recently hosted the All Things Lemon class (see that post here). Also in this post are some kitchen tools I recommend for working with lemons.

My sweet friend, Wendy from WM Design House has a marvelous post on several way to use lemons from making a household cleaner to creating a lemon scrub.

Now is the time to take advantage of the lemon season, before the prices go up over the summer.

Spring Cleaning

Each Spring, my mother would open up all the windows in our Connecticut home and start her spring cleaning. Often times she would change out the linens, replace the rugs and lighten the winter look to the new season.

There is no easier way to refresh your house for the Spring with a good deep cleaning. If you change out your rugs for lighter weights and colors, then you need to read my friend, Andrea’s post on Rug Buying Guide: An Essential Part of Decor.

Not sure of what size rug to use? Andrea has all the answers in her post. There are so many attractive, affordable rugs on the market and this is another simple way to update your home for spring and summer.

Bulb Gardening

Here in Phoenix, now is the time to garden for Spring. Each year I look forward to my bulb garden, however, this year it is underwhelming. I am learning that bulbs last for only a few years here and need re-planting.

Kim from Shiplap and Shells has a very informative post on Growing Tulips from Bulbs: Tulip Care and Maintenance 101. So if you are interested in planting bulbs in the fall and enjoying their beauty next year, check out her post here.

Wishing you a terrific weekend! We have a friend’s birthday event tonight and hope to get the garden cleaned up and planted.