Today Vanessa is making a soothing healing hand cream that also helps with bruises and inflammation, rough cracked hands, and bone injuries. Note: This cream is not meant to be used on open wounds. To get started, you’ll need: jojoba oil, calendula, st. john’s wort, comfrey / bone-knit, beeswax, anhydrous lanolin, cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil or kurbiskernol, arnica tincture, propolis tincture, zinc oxide, aloe vera juice, vitamin E oil (capsules), (good) lebanese or persian rose water, and some small sterilized jars. Cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil (otherwise known as kurbiskernol) is available in Canada at some delis or european specialty shops, or it can be ordered from the pumpkin press in Austria. Watch the video to learn Vanessa’s method for making this wonderful healing cream. To sooth rough hands, apply this cream before bed and sleep with some washable gloves on. Our guests at the Gingerbread Cottage bed and breakfast love this cream.
Vanessa von Schellwitz is the owner operator of the Gingerbread Cottage Bed and Breakfast, an idyllic 1905 heritage B&B in beautiful downtown Victoria BC, a half block off the Salish Sea. Website is
As a child, Vanessa was a real life “Heidi” living in the Eschen Villa on the clean, cold alpine Attersee Lake, in Seewalchen Austria, 50 KM East of Salzburg
Vanessa’s birthplace was located 50 meters from her Godmother’s famous Paulick Villa – the Summer Playground to Vienna’s Elite Art Noveau Community including Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, Richard Teschner and Friedrich Paulick at the turn of the 19th century.
In fact, the aunt of Vanessas’ Godmother, Gertrude Floege, was the famous fashion designer Emelia Floege – life companion of the famous artist Gustav Klimt who frequently painted at the Paulick Villa..
Also the last Countess Maria dei Medici, who lived adjacent to the Eschen Villa hand wrote a poem for Vanessa as a child… Not many People can say that!
Vanessa got her teaching Degree in Salzburg but her real love and talents were for cooking.. after moving to Vancouver Island, she honed her “chef skills” under the eye of her brother in law Dieter von Schellwitz who had been the first executive chef at the famous Ilikai Resort in Waikiki, and had chef career in New York and San Francisco.
Coming to Vancouver Island via Culture City itself – Salzburg Austria – A true Austrian,Vanessa has pure Mozart flowing through her veins and a delicious piping hot Austrian ApfelStrudel in the Oven for her many guests! Vanessa and her “70’s husband” owned and operated the Austrian Chalet, an 80 room hotel with 3 Restaurants in Campbell River BC
Vanessa spent many years as Victoria BC’s busiest and most Versatile Culinary Instructor from her Veni. Vidi, Coxi Cooking School, and operating her busy “Vienna Catering” Business
Author of 7 Cookbooks, Vanessa also wrote a food Column, had her own TV cooking show and did food styling for other local authors. You can purchase her cookbook online in a PDF format
Vanessa makes all her guests feel like Austrian Royalty in her c. 1905 Victorian “Arts and Crafts Heritage Home” with Cozy Themed rooms and Elegant 3 Course Breakfasts in her “Bavarian Gasthaus” Style Breakfast Room
Please Feel Free to Contact us for booking information. Call Toll free 1-877-767-2121 iMessage or Text 250-812-5457 Email: [email protected]
Closed Captioning and Description Editing by Kris Brandhagen. [email protected]
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