Fermented Hot Honey
Hot honey is one of those culinary wonders that is just as home in the medicine cabinet as it is in the kitchen. Melding the sweetness of honey with the spicy heat of peppers, fermented hot honey creates a unique and complex, yet well-balanced flavor profile. The result is a glorious spicy ambrosia that has countless culinary and medicinal uses!
Easy GAPS-Friendly Cranberry Sauce for the Instant Pot
Ready or not, the holiday season kicks off in 3… 2…. 1… Here’s another simple and clean recipe for your holiday spread: honey-sweetened cranberry sauce for the Instant Pot. This one also happens to be GAPS friendly for stage-6 introduction and beyond. (Woot!)
Why Go to the Trouble of Making Your Own Skincare?
With so many “natural” skincare products available on the market today, you may wonder why anyone would go to the trouble of making their own.
Stocking Your Herbal Apothecary
For the majority of our history, we’ve relied on the inherent wisdom of plants for both medicine and nourishment. Even as modern pharmaceuticals become widespread, nature continues to provide a plethora of safe, effective remedies to those who know where to look.
Fermented Foods Rock (& Why You Should be Making Your Own)
By now, most of us have at least a general understanding that maintaining healthy gut bacteria is pretty darn important to our overall health. But what exactly does that mean?
Water Kefir SOS: Troubleshooting Your Brew
Making your own probiotic-rich water kefir can be a rewarding and cost-effective hobby, but as a living culture, it can sometimes throw you a curveball. Room temperature, water quality and inadequate nutrition are just a few factors that can influence the health of your kefir grains and the quality of your water kefir.
More Than Just a Pretty Face: Tincturing with Self-heal
Prunella vulgaris, commonly known as self-heal, is charming little purple flower that never fails to make me smile. But it’s so much more than just a pretty face. Self-heal possesses potent medicinal qualities, offering both topical and internal benefits, from wound healing to immune support.
A Look at Herb-Infused Honeys
When it comes to crafting herbal preparations, the choice of a suitable menstruum — aka a solvent used to extract the therapeutic properties of herbs — is of utmost importance. Honey can be considered a moderate-to-strong menstruum, unique in its ability to extract water-soluble constituents as well as small amounts of oil-soluble compounds.
Anatomy of Fire Cider
Are you ready to spice up your wellness routine? Created in the early 80s by herbalist Rosemary Gladstar, fire cider is a traditional herbal tonic that combines a base of raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar and local honey infused with a variety of stimulating herbs and spices. The fiery concoction is designed to boost digestion, improve circulation and support overall immune function. Over the years, fire cider has taken on a life of its own, gaining popularity among herbalists and natural health enthusiasts alike. It’s one herbal preparation I try to always keep on hand!
Topo Chico Inspired Mineral Water for Home Carbonators
There are plenty of other mineral waters out there, but for my money, there are none quite like Topo Chico. For those of us living outside of their distribution area, (or those of you who just love a good DIY project) you can mix your own Topo Chico-inspired mineral blend that will make hundreds of bottles… for about $25 in ingredients.
