Using Plantain to Make an Herbal ‘Sting Stick’ for Insect Bites

My herbal apprenticeship spent this week out in the woods, learning about identifying conifers, digging up and processing arrowleaf balsamroot… and feeding the mosquitos.

Fortunately for my itchy self, I developed a recipe for an effective bug bite remedy a couple summers ago. This Sting Stick has been a life saver.

Waking up the Garden

Even though it’s late May, it’s still pretty darn chilly here in North Idaho. I don’t think we’ve made it over 70 degrees yet, and there’s still a risk of frost at night.

Fortunately, my perennial/herb garden doesn’t mind the cooler weather. The haskap is beginning to bud out, getting ready to make its delicious honeyberries:

Willow Wildcrafting & an Herbal Apprenticeship

I’m excited to announce that I just began a 4-month apprenticeship with the wonderful Suzanne Tabert of Cedar Mountain Herb School. I’m literally vibrating with excitement over all I’ll learn in the coming months.

Jalapeño-Thyme Infused Tequila​ + a Cocktail Recipe

jump to the recipe Alcohol tincturing for therapeutic purposes is a basic and useful skill in herbalism. But beyond the herbal medicine cabinet, there’s another whole wide world of fun alcohol infusions out there. Neutral grain spirits aren’t the only way to go, and infusing herbs into your favorite liquor can seriously elevate your cocktail game! […]

Herbal Coffee to Go

We are, admittedly, coffee snobs of the highest degree, but when we travel, hotel coffee is almost always a bit disappointing. So what to do when coffee at home isn’t practical or possible?

Making an Herbal Tincture

Next to tisanes (aka herbal teas), tinctures are probably the most commonly used therapeutic herbal preparation. They’re a convenient way to incorporate herbs into your daily routine — effective, portable and easy to dose since you typically only take a few drops at a time diluted in water.

My Favorite Herbal Coffee Blend with Reishi

In recent years, the market has been flooded with new brands of herbal coffee substitutes ranging from roasted herbal roots to powdered mushrooms and everything in between.

Still, I prefer to make my own herbal coffee blends. It’s cheaper, I can make it in bulk, adjust the ratios to suit our tastes and, most importantly, I know EXACTLY what’s in it. Plus, it’s stupid-simple to throw together.

“All the Lipids” Facial Oil with Sea Buckthorn

Awhile back, I was given a sample of Skin Active’s Every Lipid Serum to try out and really liked it. So of course, I immediately set out to make my own version. It started out as a pretty solid dupe, but true to form, I ended up going a bit rogue. (*squirrel!* *shiny ball!* *herbs!*)

Cardamom Bitters

Sometimes a picture really is worth 1,000 words. I won’t bore you with a long narrative of how this recipe came together. Instead take a look at this beauty ♥

Sweet Woodruff & Maple Tapioca (for the Instant Pot)

I’ve been kind of obsessed with sweet woodruff ever since I discovered that the gorgeous, emerald green ground cover loved the dappled shade of my perennial/herb garden. The hardy herb spread like wildfire to cover all of the bare spots in beds where I’d normally be battling weeds. Less weeding makes this lazy gardener very happy…