Dan Marty Designs.........Things that make me happy
I needed to get my monthly dose of design inspiration. So today I introduce you to a company I love. It wasn't until earlier this year that I came across Dan Marty Designs. I fell in love with their classic vintage inspired designs that use natural fibers. While their colors are not that bold, the designs sure do make a statement. It is the combination of simple elegance and comfort that I love so much. Their price points are bit pricey but I am sure worth every penny.

There Back...................
Yes, one of my favorite soap companies is back at Botany's Desire. It has been almost two years since I stocked these. I love these soaps for a couple of reasons. First of all the packaging is unique, classy and fun. The actual soaps are amazing. The woman who owns the company is super nice and SHE IS A FELLOW BROOKLYN GIRL!!!! Susan is not only a soap maker she also owns and runs a very sweet flower shop. These make wonderful guest soaps and even better gifts for the holidays. So make sure you come in and stock up. These are all handmade speciality soaps and take a while to make and ship so this may be our only shipment between now and Christmas.

Many think of yogurt as just a sweet snack. But the thick, creamy, rich kind that’s traditional in Greece has been integral to Grecians’ healthy diet for thousands of years. “We have a custom that before a couple goes on their honeymoon, they eat yogurt with honey and walnuts for prosperity and energy,” says Antonios Maridakis, president of Fage USA, importer of Greece’s biggest yogurt brand. “A lot of us believe that yogurt is an aphrodisiac.”

Why to try it: Yogurt promotes intestinal and vaginal health, improves lactose intolerance, builds stronger bones, enhances immunity, lowers blood pressure, and may even have anticancer and weight-loss effects. In a recent study in the International Journal of Obesity, researchers found that obese adults who ate three servings of fat-free yogurt a day as part of a reduced-calorie diet lost 22% more weight and 61% more body fat than those who just cut calories. A plus for Greek yogurt, in particular, is that it doesn’t give you the sugar overload of what you usually find in U.S. grocery stores. To save on fat and calories, reach for a low-fat version.

What to do with it: Look for Fage Total yogurt at specialty food stores, Whole Foods Market, Wild Oats, or Trader Joe’s. A 5-ounce container costs $1.89. Try it with a drizzle of honey and a handful of walnuts or almonds. Or use Greek yogurt in our delicious Grilled Eggplant and Yogurt Dip.

***For those of you who live in Ridgecrest/China Lake area. You can now find Greek Yogurt at Albertson's on China Lake Blvd. It was on sale last week for $1.69.

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Grilled Eggplant and Yogurt Dip

Recipe by Mark Bittman

Prep: 15 minutes
Grill: 10 minutes

Back to: “World’s Healthiest Foods”

By Joan Raymond

Eat well Live well.................
Well most of you who know me well and have spent lots of time in my store know that my favorite foods in the world are desserts. But, in case you didn't know healthy eating has always been my passion. I love talking about food and especially spreading the word about the benefits of eating the right ones most of the time so we can treat ourselves to the sweet yummy stuff sometimes and not feel guilty about it.

Here is some great tips of what to eat. I especially wanted to list these for my female customers since this is the end of National Breast Cancer Month.

By Melissa Breyer, Care2 Senior Editor

Cancer is such a staggering epidemic–the sheer number of people affected by the disease is as heartbreaking as it is mystifying. As we are slowly learning more about the causes, we are beginning to learn more about preventive measures.

In terms of the relationship between diet and cancer, this leads us to lists of what not to eat (french fries, sigh), as well as the other side of the coin: What we should eat (artichokes and red wine, yay!).

In the book Cancer: 101 Solutions to a Preventable Epidemic (New Society Publishers, 2007) the authors Liz Armstrong, Guy Dauncey and Anne Wordsworth consider the importance of eating specific foods and drinks for cancer protection. Here’s what they suggest:

1. Cruciferous vegetables: Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, bok choy and kale. These score high for containing many anti-cancer substances, such as isothiocyanates.

2. Globe artichoke for very high levels of salvestrols.

3. Dark greens, such as spinach and romaine lettuce, for their fiber, folate and a wide range of cancer-fighting carotenoids. Other dark colored veggies, too, such as beets and red cabbage.

4. Grapes and red wine, especially for the resveratrol.

5. Legumes: beans, peas and lentils, for the saponins, protease inhibitors and more.

6. Berries, particularly blueberries, for the ellagic acid and anthocyanosides.

7. Flaxseed, especially if you grind it yourself and consume when fresh, for the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, lignans and other “good fats.”

8. Garlic, onions, scallions, leeks and chives, for many anti-cancer substances including allicin.

9. Green tea, for its anti-cancer catechins, a potent anti-oxidant.

10. Tomatoes, for the famous flavenoid lycopene.

There Here!!...........MarisNY Brownies.
I know how my customers just love little treats so I am always on a mission to find the best high quality healthy treats. I had the opportunity to try these myself last weekend while attending a major national magazine design event in L.A. They were simply the most amazing brownies I have ever tasted. Now I know why these are sold at some of the most exclusive department stores in the United States such as Neiman Marcus and Barneys. We are their first California stockist.

About MarisNY Brownies:
"Baked entirely from scratch, our brownies are made with only the finest and freshest ingredients like premium dark chocolate, Grade AA butter and Madagascar bourbon vanilla extract. No artificial flavors or preservatives. Each brownie is individually wrapped to preserve freshness and flavor. Mari's brownies are a gift to be savored, whether shared or hoarded. We think they are "Simply Marivelous" and we hope you do too."

The flavors available are: Classic, Classic with nuts, Carmel Sea Salt, Coconut, Thai Coffee, Heat and Blonde Bombshell. So stop by as soon as you and stock up for Halloween.

About the show:

Watch "Planet in Peril: Battle Lines" in HDTV on Thursday, December 11, at 9 p.m. ET on CNN, hosted by Anderson Cooper, chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta and "The Oprah Winfrey Show" correspondent and National Geographic host Lisa Ling. CNN's award-winning series examines the environmental conflicts between growing populations and natural resources.

Eco-Friendly Holiday Decorating.....
As a business that has always been considerate in the kinds of products we sell to our customers. I would like to introduce a wonderful new product , Benjamin Moore's zero-VOC paint, Natura. With the holiday season creeping up on us, many people are looking to decorate their homes and freshen things up to make their home look nice for holiday entertainment and family gatherings. With the economy being what it is, families are looking for an inexpensive way to get their homes prepared but in an economic way. While natural paints are more expensive then the ones filled with toxic chemicals. Painting is still an easy way to re-decorate on a budget. Nothing changes a room and makes a home seam fresh and clean then a fresh coat of paint.

At the moment the new paint line is so new that it's only available in California, Oregon, Washington, and Texas.

NEW PRODUCTS......... Chic, Eco-Friendly and Fabulous!!
Botany's Desire has some incredible new products for fall and holiday shopping. Our newest line of couture pillows are from a wonderful new French designer. All these pillows are custom made with the best fabrics and the most unique designs that are full of texture and style.

Our new candles are made from another wonderful company that compliments our eco-friendly boutique. These candles and lanterns are made with all natural waxes and scents. The bamboo line is made with pure bamboo.

"From there hand-made beginning in Thailand in 2006, They has been committed to creating and delivering the finest organic candles in earth-friendly and people-friendly forms. They use only natural biodegradable packaging, the only appropriate delivery method for our earth-friendly candles. They strive to deliver sublime, sustainable, and luxurious natural beauty." Their products are hand-made and assembled using proprietary natural processes to ensure the highest quality while also helping provide jobs and income in areas with little economic opportunity.

These are a must have for holiday entertaining and decorating. Both new lines will be in by this Friday.

Beautiful Birthday Palette.......By Cannelle et Vanille
Aran's website blog is probably my favorite. Not only is she a genius at what she does, she is also a wonderful food stylist. Please visit her blog to see all her other spectacular desserts. They are all so amazing and inspirational especially if you are into baking or just a serious foodie.

Holiday 2008......Coming Soon!
I am so thrilled and excited to introduce to you one of our newest textile designer finds. She is a resident of New Zealand. These will be an exclusive line avialable at Botany's Desire. The fabrics are the highest quality hemp and cotton material I have ever seen. We have fabric samples in the boutique if you would like a preview. These will be in a limited quantity as these are all custom made pieces and not mass produced. They will be producing beautiful pillows in various sizes as well as lovely elegant table runners that will be a beautiful addition to your holiday table . Prices have not been determined yet. I am still working on getting the least expensive shipping option from New Zealand. Email us for more information and to keep updated about pricing.

Thank you Sunset Magazine...If you are like me and love Halloween but hate the usual suspect treats that are filled with artificial junk and are not adult like. You will just love these little treats that are easy to make, healthy and look like little cute pumpkins. I suggest you run out and get your copy of Sunset Magazine and try some of these. I think your friends and even your children will love these.

National Fair Trade Month
October is National Fair Trade month in the United States. While Fair Trade wine has been available in Europe since 2003, it was only in 2007 that the first Fair Trade wines became available in the United States. As many of you know who have attended our many successful wine walks in the last year, I always try my best to offer the best quality wine available to me. While there are some ok wines available at our local grocery shops here in Ridgecrest, The selection of organic or fair trade wines is almost impossible to find. There have been times when I have had the time to drive to LA and get organic and fair trade wines to serve at the wine walks, it is not always something I can do.

Our next wine walk is scheduled for Nov. 22 and I am going to go out of my way to make that trip to LA and get some fabulous organic and fair trade wines for you to try. It has always been my philosophy at Botany's Desire to sell the best quality products in my shop. Offering Organic and Fair Trade products has always been my goal and was the reason I decided to open my boutique 5 years ago. We were the first to introduce the retail concept to Ridgecrest on a large scale.

So what is Fair Trade Wine?

Like other Fair Trade products, Fair Trade wine means that the wine was produced in a fair and humane way, to meet the Internationally recognized Fair Trade standards. Farmers are treated with respect, paid a decent wage, and the grapes are cultivated in an environmentally sustainable manner.

The Fair Trade Labelling Organization (FLO), which is located in Germany, developed the first Fair Trade standards for vineyards in South Africa in 2003. This has subsequently been expanded to include vineyards in Chile and Argentina. FLO works with third party certification organizations in different countries across the globe. In the United States Transfair USA is the official third-party certifier of Fair Trade products.

So make sure to attend our next wine walk in November so you can get your taste of these fabulous wines and if you happen to be out of town for dinner make sure to request fair trade if it available. While we can not sell wines of any kind in the boutique we do have a lovely selection of various other fair trade products such as choclates, teas and many textiles and gifts.

I am so inspired by these beautiful images. Now this is the kind of Halloween I like. I normally don't decorate my store for Halloween because most of the decorations out there are so darn tacky and cheap looking and don't provide any originality. The beautiful paper products will be available at Botany's Desire in a week. This is only a small selection of the line. We will only have a limited amount in stock so come by early and check them out in person.

Cupcakes for a Cause Bake Sale..........Saturday, October 25th 2008
Botany's Desire Boutique along with several other merchants will be sponsoring this special event. We will be selling all types of beautiful and delicious cupcakes during The Maturango
Junction Balsam Street Festival. 100% of profits will be donated to the Cause. The event will also include our annual Alex's Lemonade Stand Fundraiser. We are still looking for volunteers that are willing to donate their time to help us bake these lovely cupcakes and make some awesome natural lemonade. We are hoping that all participants will be able to bake at least a dozen each. We will be selling the cupcakes and lemonade from noon-4pm that day. Please tell all your family members, co-workers and friends about this event. If you need more information or have questions please feel free to leave a comment or email me.

I call this natural glam! This happens to be a very little peek inside my home. I love mixing natural botanical elements with unique pewter and glass along with a warm natural candle.

We at Botany's Desire just love bringing nature inside as well. I think it compliments all of the natural bamboo, hemp, silk and linen products we carry. I guess that is why we are called Botany's Desire...

If you haven't been in for a while you are missing out on some really yummy new skin, hair and bodycare treats. We have some great new fall candles. Of course they are all natural with real pure essential oils. We have the largest selection of natural and organic products anywhere in Ridgecrest. So make to stop by and stock up for the fall and winter.

This is the other urn on the other side our door. This one is growing even nicer because it doesn't get that much sun in the morning. The greens remained more intense. I wish I had room to plant a hundred of these outside my boutique. What I usually do with these come October is, I will try to pack at least two small plants in there and you will not believe how much more fabulous these will look by the time October is over.

Here is a view from the front of our container garden. Just lovely!