Fictional Fairground
Get Nerdy With Us As We Search For Herbs In Fiction: Recipes, Crafts & Discussion Below
Elderberry Quest: Brew Magical Syrups And Teas for a Cozy Winter
While raising my little family, I often turned to our favorite herb for support during the winter season—the venerable elderberry, which was always kept close at hand. You may have encountered this herb in your reading as it is often mentioned as part of forest landscapes and even in relation to magic and fae. Yet this little black berry is well-used and beloved among herbalists. Happily, it is simple to craft into tasty teas and syrups that can be enjoyed during the winter months to help ease colds and flu.
Find recipes for your own crafting elderberry quest!
Doctor Who Tea Recipe: The 10th Doctor's Regeneration Blend
What do you do when your best friend suddenly has a new body and is sickly? Bring him home to Mum of course!
This is exactly what time-traveling Rose Tyler did in Dr. Who: Christmas Invasion (Season 2, Episode 1) when the Doctor’s regeneration process didn’t go smoothly. The earth is under attack and the only one who can save everyone? Well, he is ill in bed with a satsuma in his pocket.
This tea-loving nerdy Dr. Who fan had to make a tea to honor this first Christmas episode of the revival.
Cozy Magic: Make Jez's Cardamom Orange Spritzer from Adenashire (Unofficial Recipe)
The Adenashire series is just about as cozy as it gets! And the third book, A Fellowship of Games & Fables by J. Penner does not disappoint with its sweet Yuletide theme. The story follows a grumpy fennex named Jez who is a fierce friend in need of frequent naps.
As always, there are plenty of tasty baked goods in this installment of the Adenashire series including delicious options with Jez’s favorite flavors: orange and cardamom. With her keen sense of smell, it is no wonder that Jez turns to these delightful flavors with their uplifting aromas!
Find a recipe to soothe your own grumpy inner fennex below!
Easy Lavender Syrup: An Unofficial Fairy Wine Recipe
What could be better than a glass of “fairy wine” to raise in celebration? In the cozy book The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna, a sparkly fairy wine is created by potion-making witch Mika to celebrate with the children of Nowhere house. While her recipe has magical ingredients beyond the scope of this herbalist, below is an unofficial, delicious take on Mika’s drink.
Bathe Like a Flower Fairy This Holiday: Herbal Candy Cane Salt Soak
Crafting for the holidays is such fun, and including a little something for self-care is important! Herbal bathing gives us a chance to slow down and rest for a bit. Plus, all of the goodness from the herbs steeps right into the water enhancing the wonderful effects of a simple bath.
Happily there are plenty of cozy wintertime books to enjoy in the tub too. We have listed some below to help you get reading. Surely a flower fairy would take time for a bath and a reading session during this busy season.
Straight from Mrs. Rabbit to Your Teacup: How to Make the Best Cup of Chamomile Tea
Life can be unpredictable and stressful, even for the smallest of us. Happily, we have herbs to lend us a hand when we most need it. Chamomile is one of these herbs that is simple to turn to and yet can be powerful in its soothing.
Keep reading and you will soon be able to make a cup just like Peter’s wise mother, and you will find two other recipes below for easy additions to a cup of chamomile tea—one for incorporating lavender and another using mint. Combining these herbs with chamomile results in tasty brews with a little extra herbal goodness.
Magical Herbal Tree Fairies: An Easy Pinecone Craft for Cozy Fantasy Lovers
Many fictional worlds are built within the mystique of a beautiful or sometimes sinister forest. Often the forests are filled with trees towering providing shelter, peace, and resources to adventurers.
These magical crafted tree fairies are a whimsical, cute way to honor the noble tree and some of the useful, beautiful items that come from trees. They are also fun to make with kids while exploring all that trees have to offer us. Find tips below for making these with kiddos.
An Undead Orc's Cozy Secret: How to Make Magical, Simple Herbal Infused Salt
What would an retired undead orc use to stock the pantry at his cozy restaurant? As a thoughtful cook invested infusing flavor into each bite of his food, I would suspect he would stock up on supplies made with herbs infused into everyday staples such as oils, vinegars, salts, and honeys. If you read Recipes For An Unexpected Afterlife by Deston J. Munden, you might be asking yourself this same question. This is a cozy, heartfelt story left me hungry and ready to get cooking!
Cozy Bay Wreath Craft Inspired by A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic
Inspired by A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J. Penner, this simple herb craft is a little tribute to potential love and romance interwoven in the cozy pages of this book. The interplay of the characters and the plants they encounter in their fictional world was magically lovely to read.
BE WARNED: SPOILER-FILLED CRAFT TUTORIAL !
Beyond the Page: Unlocking the Calm of Kianthe's Rose Mint Tea
Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne is filled with adventure, love, humor, and well, tea. As the story begins, we quickly learn that protagonist Kianthe’s favorite tea blend is a simply brewed rose mint tea. The perfect blend for a cozy fantasy tea!
The Star Inside an Apple: Magic, Charmed, & Crafts
We all know that apples are good for us. Filled with vitamins, minerals, and fiber, apples are a beloved treasure.
But did you know that each and every apple contains a star? Think of it, every autumn branch bedecked with apples is filled with stars.
Little House Magic: Halloween Apple Lore and History of the Clove Apple Pomander
Apples and pumpkins are the two hallmark fruits of Halloween and the autumn season. Though lately it has been “pumpkin spice” everything, apples can help you get your cozy going just as well as the popular orange member of the squash family.
Apples have a long history of being part of Halloween and Samhain celebrations. Autumn is apple season after all and it isn’t hard to imagine that these tasty and durable fruits easily became a part of lore and stories. A look back through an apple-rich history, shows a story of apples being a bit mischievous depending on the lore.
Luke's Diner Autumn Coffee: The Unofficial Gilmore Girls Herbal Recipe
If there’s one thing Luke Danes is known for (besides wearing a backwards baseball cap), it’s his knack for serving the best, strongest cup of coffee in Stars Hollow. So how could he possibly up his game for the coziest season of all? We've crafted the ultimate cozy Luke's Diner Autumn Coffee—a herbal spiced, deeply flavored blend with chicory root that’s perfect for watching the leaves change.
Bake Like Arleta: The Magic of Herbal Baking
In the book A Fellowship of Bakers & Magic by J. Penner, protagonist Arleta Starstone earns a place as a contestant in the esteemed elven The Langheim Baking Battle. However, unlike every other contestant, Arleta is a magicless human. Yet she has embraced her love of baking and is successful in experimenting with special botanicals in her bakes to invoke her own kind of magic in her tasty baked goods.
The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches: A Beginner's Guide to Real-Life Herbalism
Step into the magical world of herbalism with a guide inspired by The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches. Explore the real-life uses of Mika's essential herbs and learn how to create your own "Can't-Do-Withouts" as a beginner.
The House Witch by Delemhach: A Cozy Fantasy Book Review
The House Witch is the story of Finlay Ashowan adventures in becoming the cook for the King and Queen of Daxaria along with all the people who live in the castle. This story is wonderfully told from various perspectives including a grouchy house witch, a fluffy kitty, and a noble lady. It is filled with the daily intrigue of castle life Fin’s struggle to make a place for himself in his new role as cook, intriguing romantic interludes, and of course descriptions of tasty meals.
Zen Honey Winnie the Pooh Cake Recipe with Lemon Balm & Chamomile
The beloved Pooh Bear is celebrated in all his honey-loving ways with this tasty cake. Lemon balm and chamomile are infused into the honey making the cake even more delicious while adding a laid back flare so typical of Pooh Bear. These two herbs have nervine properties that help to soothe and calm even the most fractious of us. The honey and the herbs combined with rich butter and wholesome flours create a delightful depth of flavor.
Perfect for a Pooh Bear and we hope for you too!
Violets in Fiction
This beautiful name and it’s variations reference a lovely, powerful little herb much loved by herbalists. It is used often in fiction for characters who are equally strong and beautiful in their own right. Explore this lovely namesake with us!
Arcane Inspired Herbal Shimmer Tea
Delicious and beautiful, this herbal variation on shimmer from Arcane: League of Legends is like magic in a cup. And unlike the shimmer in the show, the recipe here for Arcane herbal shimmer is meant to be nourishing not toxic.