Berry Fairies

Berries & Fairies

My favorite time and place to look for fairies is in the early morning hours among a patch of wild berries. This is when dew moisturizes everything in sight, and a wonderful stillness and peace surround the trees, trails, and secluded patches. Here in the Pacific Northwest, there are literally millions of places to find berries and fairies, due to the temperate climate, plethora of woodlands and parks, and the rainfall that makes the berries plump and juicy.

At this time of the morning, fairies are preoccupied trying to get their chores done before the heat of the day becomes too oppressive. They tend to be a little more lax regarding human “sightings” and “interactions.” Although they have great places to hide in these environs – behind cascading vines, under mats of berries growing over stumps – the normally shy fairies let their work ethic overwhelm them as they toil busily amongst the most intrepid of berry picker.



All plants have fairy caretakers, including those of the thorny kind. These sprites are great multi-taskers as they help promote the pollination process with their ally the bee; redirect raindrops to their thirsty plants; and keep the earth surrounding each plant mulched and fertilized. They also ward off destructive slugs, ants, and centipedes.

There are the more cultivated berry fairies such as the Strawberry Fairy, beautifully depicted by renowned fairy illustrator and author Cicely Mary Barker in her book, The Complete Book of the Flower Fairies Her observations of nature have also brought to life the more exotic berry fairies in the form of the Sloe Fairy and the Elder Fairy. Barker’s Sunshine & Showers A Flower Fairies Handbook represents in splendid detail these amazing creatures in their beloved environments.
But not all in the berry patch is idyllic. There are many dangers that fairies must guard against, such as berry eating insects, animals, and birds. As a result, fairies have become masters at evading open beaks and chomping mouths. They have also learned how to steer clear of the tramping feet of oblivious, careless berry pickers.

After all their hard work, fairies like to reap some of the berry bounty. They concoct amazing desserts with the fruit, especially if they have access to a nearby kitchen or pantry. They have been known to team up with the obliging Kitchen Fairy to create such sweet and savory concoctions as: Fairy Berries - strawberries that fairies have dipped in chocolate or white chocolate colored pink; Fairy Berry Smoothies; Fairy Jellies & Jams; Fairy Berry Pie; and Fairy Berry Parfaits. Some of these recipes can be found in Barbara Berry’s Fairies Cookbook.

Fairies also use the juice of berries to write short messages on logs and stumps to other fairy friends in the berry patch. Tiny and barely legible, these communiqués are a fairy’s way of texting, and another sign that fairies are in the vicinity. So stay alert, tred lightly, and happy berry fairy hunting.

# # #

Fantabulous Fairy Bread!

FANTABULOUS FAIRY BREAD

“Come up here, O dusty feet!

Here is fairy bread to eat.

Here in my retiring room,

Children, you may dine

On the golden smell of broom

And the shade of pine;

And when you have eaten well,

Fairy stories hear and tell.”

                                                       Robert Louis Stevenson’s
                                                                          A Child’s Garden of Verses

The term Fairy Bread conjures up visions of lighter then air loaves of enchantment. What we found after a little snooping on the Internet is that Fairy Bread is actually a beloved snack from Australia and New Zealand, which all ages go gaga over.  The recipe:  White bread slices spread with butter or margarine, and then topped off with multi-colored sprinkles.  Butter and sugar…what’s not to love?

We also discovered the mania behind Fairy Bread.  On one of several Facebook sites devoted to Fairy Bread, (462,060 people “liked” this particular site), fans weren’t afraid to go on (and on) about their love affair with the stuff.   We’d never seen so many adjectives for tasty!  Quite a few volunteered ideas of how they personalized the sweet treat to excite their own particular palate.  Some toasted their bread, or substituted a healthier wheat bread to offset the guilt of eating butter encrusted with sugar.  Some opted for covering the bread with peanut butter, honey, grape jelly, Nutella or even a reduced fat spread rather than sticking to butter.   The toppings were as varied as clear sugar crystals, chocolate shavings, or nuts and    provided a good way of using up leftover holiday decorating sprinkles.  Some even used cookie cutter or geometric shapes to glam up the appearance of their “glitter bread.”

It’s no surprise that this delightful dessert is a big hit at kids’ parties “down under.”  In addition to being inexpensive to throw together, and immediately gratifying when eaten, Fairy Bread is something kids can make themselves.  That is, if you don’t mind the little ones sporting a butter knife.   Steps are:  Cut off crusts of white bread/spread on butter or other adherent of choice/ apply sprinkles (might be easier to put sprinkles in a shallow plate and than lay bread on top, aka, “dredge” method)/ cut the bread into desired shapes/arrange shapes on a colorful plate. There you have it.   Some supervision might be a good idea if you don’t want to have hundreds and thousands of errant sprinkles all over the kitchen, especially on the floor.  Eating sprinkles…good.  Walking on them with shoes or bare feet…annoying!

Kids and adults are fans, but do fairies eat Fairy Bread?  There is no conclusive evidence one-way or the other.   But just the presence of Fairy Bread, with its kaleidoscope of colored candy toppings, is a sure to way to lure fairies into your kitchen.   If you want some company in your kitchen, check out the adorable My Little Kitchen Fairies, figurines guaranteed to get into any mischief when left unsupervised in the cook’s domain.

Looking for more recipes with fairy appeal?  May we suggest The Fairy Cookbook, full of fanciful, mouth-watering recipes kids and adults will love.  Share them with your friends on Fairy Recipe Cards, a magical invitation into the world of fairy foods.


Do you have a favorite fairy recipe of your own?   Please post your recipies in our comments section for all to share and see!

eFairies Fairy Dust Customer Makes Local News Paper in Florida

Fairytale Come True

Photo by John Pendygraft Tapa Times News


"Now that's a kiss", says David Bailey, left, after sprinkling fairy dust and encouraging Maria Melaragno and Kyle Schaper to kiss Saturday at Oktoberfest in St. Petersburg's Grand Central District.  Bailey brings fairy dust with him when he goes to festivals, and uses a makeup brush to sprinkle it on as many people as he can.  Why?  "...People need to forget about their jobs, forget about bad traffic, troubles in their family, all their problems and just take a second to be happy.  That's what fairy dust if for," he explains.

Midsummer's Eve

It's that time of year when the most celebrated holiday by the fairies has arrived with the coming of the Summer Solstice - also known as Midsummer's Eve. On June 21st, when the day is longer than the night, twilight will be at its longest in the sky revealing all the naked eye cannot see.  More importantly to us humans, it is a truly magical time when the fairy world of enchantment opens up to ours - making the best day of the year to see fairies!  So, be prepared: charge the batteries in your digital cameras and treat yourself to a magical and wondrous evening of possibly capturing never to be forgotten pictures of fairies.
Taking Pictures of Fairies Outside:
If you have a nature trail, forest or glen near by, you  might want to go there.  If you have a fairy garden, blooming flowers or plants favored by fairies, you might want to start there.
Wait for the evening sky and take your walk or sit on a blanket or chair.  Many people have reported in this quiet time of looking around, they will start to see quick sparkles of lights from the corners of their eyes.  If you happen to see one of these flashes of lights, take a picture right away.  If you see a shadow or a movement, take a picture right away.  And even if you don't see any of these things, you can still take pictures and capture delightful images!
We would love for you to share your pictures so that we can show others on our blog by e-mailing them to: info@efairies.com

Fairies and Bubbles

Bubbles have long been associated with fairies, some traditions state that fairies are born from bubbles. Others say fairies love to rest their wings or play, by floating on bubbles. There are numerous pieces of  vintage art work featuring fairies on bubbles by artists such as Hilda T. Miller and Ida Outhwaite, and the tradition continues with today's fairy artists such as Jessica Galbreath, Amy Brown and Nene Thomas.  Which ever the case may be, blowing bubbles is fun at any age. So why not encourage fairies into your life by blowing bubbles!

Bubble Recipes:   Bubbles can be made with just water and dish soap but the addition of glycerine, found at most pharmacies, helps the bubbles to last longer and get larger by hindering the drying of the outside surface which makes the bubble shrink and pop.  Here are a couple of recipes for making your own long lasting bubble mixtures.

Homemade Bubbles

from Kids Domain Craft Exchange:

• 1/2 (500 ml) cup dishwashing detergent
  
  
• 4-1/2 (4.5 liter) cup water
  
  
• 4 tablespoons (60 ml) glycerin (available in pharmacies or chemical supply houses)
  
• Measure out the water, detergent, and glycerin into container with a cover and stir gently. The longer you let the mixture set, the larger the bubbles are and the longer they seem to last.

Ann Hallock's Recipe from the Family.com web site:

Ann says: "This recipe is a winner. It's easy to mix up--and inexpensive to boot. Stir together 6 parts water, 2 parts Joy dishwashing liquid (this brand works the best), and 3/4 part corn syrup. Store in a covered container. Try experimenting with a variety of homemade bubble wands: pipe cleaners bent into interesting shapes, cookie cutters, yogurt lids with the centers cut out, and so on. For a giant bubblemaker, cut off the top and bottom of a large metal can with a can opener and hammer the inside edges until they are smooth (a parent's job). Dip either end in the solution and wave through the air."

Happy Valentine's

Valentine's Day remembering is the hearts own way of holding loved ones close, and keeping us in touch with those who mean the most. Among life’s precious jewels, genuine and rare, the one that we call friendship has worth beyond compare.  Send a fairy this Valentine's Day with a message of love - to those by your side or to those miles apart - for fairy magic and good friends should always be close at heart!!  Wishing you everything that a Happy Valentine's Day, a happy heart, and all the joy a year can bring!
Valentine Fairies: http://www.efairies.com/holiday_fairies.htm

Winter Fairies

 

Whether in fairy art prints, fairy figurines, fairy stationary, fairy mouse pads or other items, winter fairies are here!  While humans snuggle in warm houses, winter fairies are busy outside helping nature tend to sleeping trees, spreading snow flakes, checking in on hybernating animals and playing with those who stay awake during the winter months.
Winter Fairy Art  Fairy Stationery  Butterfly Fairies  Kitchen Fairies  Jessica Galbreth Fairies  Nene Thomas Fairies  Amy Brown Fairies