Last Thursday, Rachel Maddow celebrated the return of Angostura bitters with a segment on her show about this in-demand elixir.

"The word cocktail at its core means booze, sugar, water and bitters," Maddow says. "That's what a cocktail was. And this cocktail could become a million other things, but really, bitters is core."

Watch the video segment below.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

As you may recall, there has been a shortage of Angostura bitters since September. This shortage wasn't casued by a shortage of the liquid but by a bottle shortage. According to the New York Post, the trouble stemmed from a dispute with the company that supplies the Angostura bitters bottles. Read more here.

The recipe for Angostura bitters is very secret, says Genevieve Jodhan and Giselle Laronde-West, Executive Manager of Export Sales and Business Development, and Communications Manager from Angostura. Only five people know this secret, which has been around for more than 200 years. All Jodhan and Laronde-West could say on Maddow's show was that Angostura bitters is made of herbs and spices.

Courtesy  Urban Moonshine  

Although many discerning drinkers believe that nothing can ever replace Angostura bitters, remember that it isn't the only game in town. Urban Moonshine offers a variety of Herb Companion approved bitters, which include their classic mix, a citrus blend and a maple blend. They also have great bottles.

In addition to Maddow's Champagne cocktail (an Angostura bitters soaked sugar cube topped with champagne and served in a flute) and old school Manhattan (a stirred combination of three shots rye whiskey, one shot sweet vermouth and five dashes Angostura bitters), you can try any of the Herb Companion recipes found in our 2004 article Bitters: Beverages with Moxie.

Next time you could use a little aromatherapy pick-me-up, try some alternative aromatherapy products. Aromatherapy is mostly practiced at home, but with these products you can maintain your aromatherapy-induced bliss all day long. Inhale relaxing, healing scents for up to 24 hours with Naturopatch of Vermont's line of essential oil body patches. The adhesive on these essential oil patches is made from a biocompatible gel matrix which acts as a carrier oil and is absorbed more quickly through direct contact with your skin. Their special blends include formulas for soothing aches and pains, calming stress and enhanced energy. I first saw them for sale at a yoga center and felt like I could use one of each.

Courtesy Naturopatch of Vermont 

If you’re not keen on wearing a patch all day, try some jewelry. The sterling silver aromatherapy pendants from Earth Solution’s line of jewelry open up for you to place a few drops of essential oil on a small fiber pad. They have seven Aromatherapy Chakra Pendant gift sets to choose from and each set includes a gift box, an information card, a sterling silver pendant and a 10 ml glass of an aromatherapy blend.

Courtesy Organic Bug

Have you tried any of these products before? How do you use aromatherapy? Leave me a comment and let me know.

If you'd like to know more about aromatherapy, check out some of our past articles:

• Restorative Perfumes: Aromatherapy & Essential Oils by Edwin T. Morris
• Aromatherapy Garden by Holly Shimizu
• Aromatherapy: Skin Care by Brenda Stansfield
• The Fragrant Art of Aromatherapy by Laurel Vukovic
• Aromatherapy 101 by Kathi Keville

Now that the holidays are over and I’m back into the swing of things, my eyes are showing it. Lack of sleep and dehydration has triggered the hereditary eye puffiness that I’ve had since I was born – I actually came out of the womb looking exhausted.

And while I know that cucumbers can have an amazing impact on cooling and hydrating my eyes, I don’t usually have time in the morning for a cold cucumber compress. I barely have time to brush my teeth as it is.

Courtesy of www.yestocarrots.com

That’s where this new product, Say Yes to Cucumbers: Eye Love Cucumber Soothing Eye Gel, can help. Like other products in the Say Yes to Carrots line, this eye gel is made from natural ingredients, including dead sea minerals, algae, aloe (Aloe vera), chamomile (Matricaria recutita), broccoli (Brassica oleracea), dill (Anethum graveolens), green pepper (Capsicum annuum) and spinach (Spinacia oleracea) extracts – it’s a veritable vegetable feast for your eyes.

Photo by sassyradish/Courtesy Flickr
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sassyradish/

I use it at night before I go to bed to prevent puffiness and also in the morning if I need a little boost. For extra coolness you can keep some in your fridge and use it as mid-day pick me up.

In case you’re out of cucumbers and you don’t want to purchase yet another beauty product check out some of our articles with herbal tips and recipes for reducing unwanted eye puffiness.

• Body & Soul: Simple Eye Care Tips, by Janice Cox
• Body & Soul: British Eyebright, by Janice Cox
• Natural Healing: Chamomile Eye Soother, by Laurel Vukovic

Also, don’t give your eyes all the attention. Try some of these cucumber-enhanced recipes to sooth your entire body.

• Cucumber After Bath Splash
• Home Body Wrap 
• Soothing Cucumber Facial Mask

Have you used this product before? How do you get rid of puffy eyes? Leave me a comment and let me know.

Nail polish doesn’t fair too well on my fingernails. Although I like to wear it sometimes (to give my nails a shiny, healthy illusion) it’s rare that I manage to sit still long enough to prevent smudges. Even then they usually chip within one day. Normally, I assume the only effective nail polishes for me need to have harmful ingredients like phthalates. (They make nail polish chip-resistant.) Happily I was proven wrong.

I tried out a light pink shade of natural, vegan nail polish called Tranquil by PeaceKeeper Cause-Metics. Not only did it dry fast enough for me to be able to wash dishes within a few minutes, but it also lasted for more than five days, which, for me, is miraculous. This specific shade of Peacekeeper polish also contains Argan oil, which is rich in amino acids and is a traditional staple of beauty regimens throughout Morocco.

Another great thing about this PeaceKeeper product is that it is free of carcinogenic SLS (sodium lauryl sulfate) and free of toxic preservatives like formaldehyde. Instead, it uses natural, safe preservatives, such as grapefruit seed extract, and is rated 3 out of 10 by the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. 

For more information on buying natural nail polish check out Claire Anderson’s article, Body by Nature. 

Or learn to make natural nail polish of your own in Body & Soul: Natural Nail Polish by Janice Cox.  

Have you tried this brand before? What our some of your favorite herbal beauty brands? Leave me a comment and let me know!

People who suffer from insomnia usually have a difficult time falling asleep or wake up after only a few hours of sleep. Stress, anxiety, depression and grief are a few of the factors that contribute to insomnia. After experiencing a few sleepless nights I read up on insomnia. Through my research I discovered a few herbal remedies to ease the symptoms of insomnia.

Chamomile promotes natural sleep.

These herbs are an insomniac’s best friend!

• Chamomile: This herb relaxes the body and eases tension. Chamomile also helps other parts of the body by relieving indigestion and headaches.

• Lemon balm: Combined with chamomile, lemon balm relaxes the body and helps people fall asleep. By itself the herb has antibacterial and antiviral properties.

Other herbs that induce natural sleep are valerian, lavender, kava, St. John’s wort, passionflower and skullcap.

One product I've found that works great is Sound Sleep by Bath & Body Works ($10). This product, which is made with lavender and chamomile essential oils, is wonderful to use—especially after enjoying a cup of tea.

Have you experienced insomnia and used herbs to fall asleep? Let’s chat about it! Your comments could help other sleepless readers.

After a long winter season, I’m ready to get rid of my thick body lotion for something lighter and more fragrant. While walking down the body care isle at my local natural foods store, I saw Pangea Organics hand and body lotions. After trying a tiny drop of the lotions I was sold.

With the simple desire of making things better, Pangea Organics produces organic beauty products. The Boulder, Colorado-based company says it selects only the highest quality ingredients for their product without compromising the planet. None of its products contain artificial colors or fragrances, parabens, GMOs, petrochemicals or other harmful components.

My favorite lotion is Pyrenees Lavender with Cardamom. The fragrant lavender soothes and alleviates tension while the cardamom acts as an antiseptic and cleanser. Some lotions leave an oily residue or don’t moisturize enough, but the Pyreneese Lavender with Cardamom moisturizes without that oily feeling. The hand and body lotion is perfect for spring and summer or moist climates as it is light lotion.

Have you tried the Pangea Organics line? Which one is your favorite? Let’s chat about it, drop me a comment or email me at snelson@ogdenpubs.com.