Nourishing Herbal Infusions
A nourishing herbal infusion is a special type of herbal preparation that involves steeping nutritive herbs for an extended period of time in order to extract their vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients. They’re a great way to support overall health and well-being. Some use NHIs as a whole-food multi-vitamin substitute. Depending on the herbs you choose, they can help to boost the immune system, increase energy levels and promote good digestion.
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! ♥
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 […]
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?
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!*)
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…
Alcohol Intermediary Herb-infused Oils (& why understanding phytochemical solubility matters)
Are you ready to kick your oil infusion skills up a notch? An alcohol intermediary oil infusion harnessing the solvent powers of alcohol might sound a bit intimidating, but it’s surprisingly simple to do. Before we get to the hows of making an alcohol intermediary oil infusion, let’s take a quick look into the whys.
Herbal Water Infusions
One of the oldest, simplest, and some would argue, most effective ways to incorporate herbs into your daily life is in a water infusion, also known as tea. Or, if you’re fancy and drink your tea with your pinky out, a tisane.
