A Simple Way to Supercharge Your Tinctures & Oil Infusions
At a recent herbal apprenticeship class, I learned a very simple tweak to my usual maceration process that creates much more potent alcohol tinctures and alcohol intermediary infused oils. It’s not just about speeding things up… the vibrant colors achieved by blending herbs as part of the infusion process are mind blowing! ♥
Herbal Titos & Tonic Mixer with Cinchona Bark
jump to the recipes Everything old is new again, and cocktails are no exception. Gin & Tonic was originally created as a more palatable way for 19th-century British soldiers to take their medicinal quinine — a bitter tasting antimalarial extract from the bark of the cinchona tree (Cinchona officinalis). Turns out, it tasted pretty darn good! […]
Making a CBD Salve with St. John’s Wort
A good CBD salve can be an indispensable tool in your pain-management arsenal. The trouble is, CBD products can be so darn expensive — particularly if you’re a salve snob like yours truly and want an organic, clean, high-quality salve infused with botanicals.
Fortunately, high-quality salves are easy to make, and investing in a jar of CBD concentrate makes it FAR more affordable to keep CBD salve in the budget!
Working with St. John’s Wort
St. John’s wort is one of the best known and most used herbal medicines in the world. And like so many of our medicinal wild plants, it’s considered a noxious weed in much of the western US. In my county, we’re actually required to eradicate all trace of the plants on our property within 10 […]
Making a Healing Scar Salve w/ Gotu Kola & Comfrey
It’s not such a coincidence that many of the same herbs that are beneficial to keeping aging skin healthy and happy are also useful for healing wounds and minimizing scarring — it’s all about skin repair!
Herbal Seafood Seasoning + Sourdough Crab Cakes w/Jalapeño Tartar Sauce
Who has two thumbs and loves crab cakes?? This recipe relies on another beloved Kitchen Helper that I always have on hand: Bay (Laurel) Seafood Seasoning. It’s one of those versatile spice blends that you’ll reach for again and again.
Infusing & Using Herbal Vinegars
Once upon a time, before the advent of distilled alcohol, liquid herbal extracts were made one of three ways: with water, wine or vinegar.
As a menstruum, vinegar is nowhere near as effective as alcohol at drawing out an herb’s medicinal properties; however, it can assist alcohol in extracting certain plant constituents.
Simple Garlicky Goat Cheese Nettles
jump to the recipe Thanks to an unseasonably cold, wet spring, my nettle patch was starting to get very leggy, reaching skyward for every little bit of sunshine they could grab onto. You know it’s been a damp spring when your vegetable garden is starting to resemble Super Mario Brothers: Cutting back plants is an […]
Make-Ahead Fresh Garlic-Infused Olive Oil (Minus the Botulism)
As our days get busier, we are far more likely to reach for pre-packaged mixes and other convenience foods to lighten our load and make dinner prep a bit easier. These are some of my favorite homemade kitchen helpers you can make in advance and keep handy for those extra-hectic evenings… or even the non-hectic ones. Work smarter, not harder! Fresh […]
Natural Insect Repellant (that Doesn’t Stink)
jump to the recipe Between my herbalist apprenticeship and getting my gardens planted, I’ve spent a great deal of time the last few weeks outside donating blood to the no-see-ums. I have a hard time finding insect repellant that I don’t mind wearing. Natural products can be hit or miss, and even when they work, […]
