Valentine’s Day Roses

What to do with Valentine’s Day roses? Their beauty may be fading but these flowers can certainly bring more joy into your life! Most commercially purchased roses are sprayed with chemicals, so it’s advised not to consume them. Rose petal honey, ice cream, and cookies are absolutely delicious but best organic or wild (given you…

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Stinging Nettle Crepes

Stinging Nettle Crepes Crepes are very nostalgic to me! My grandmother taught me how to make them when I was young and I continued making them for many years after. I made them every father’s day for years. Since then, I have strayed from the basic recipe by adding spinach, stinging nettle, and turmeric to…

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Garlic (Allium sativum)

Garlic (Allium sativum) Family: Amaryllidaceae Genus: Allium Energetics: warming, drying Taste: pungent Plant Properties: circulatory stimulant, diaphoretic, expectorant, antimicrobial, carminative, immune modulating, vermifuge (parasites) Plant Uses: Hypertension, fungal & bacterial infections, colds, influenza, bronchial congestion, small intestinal bacteria growth, digestion, asthma, type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance Garlic has been approved by the Commission E as…

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Bonfire Cider

Bonfire Cider (Fire Cider) Bonfire Cider stimulates the immune system and digestive system during the colder months. For generations, herbal medicinal recipes have been prepared and passed down for many years to fight against the common cold and other illnesses. Recipes varied from year to year depending on what was available and in season. Even…

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Sage (Salvia officinalis)

Sage (Salvia officinalis) Family: Lamiaceae (mint) Genus: Salvia Common names include garden sage, common sage, culinary sage Comes from the Latin word salvere meaning “to feel well and healthy, health, heal” Energetics: warming, drying Taste: pungent, bitter Plant Properties: aromatic, astringent, carminative, diaphoretic, antiseptic, blood moving Plant Uses: Sore throat, excessive sweating, infections, stagnant digestion,…

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Shortbread Herbal Cookies – Violets

Shortbread Herbal Cookies I have come to a point in my life that I can’t imagine making cookies without adding flowers or herbs. I was first inspired by Lori Stern, a private chef and caterer in California, who adds loads of eye-popping color to all her dishes with the use of flowers. It was around…

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Herbal Pastilles (Pills)

Herbal Pastille Making What is a pastille? A pastille (or pill) is made by simply combining powdered herbs with a liquid or honey and rolling them into small pea-size balls. Some common uses are for sore throats, coughs, and, digestive complaints. Basic Pastille Recipe Place medicinal powdered herbs in a bowl and mix with honey…

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Herbal Infused Sugars & Salts

Infused Sugars & Salts The colder nights are upon us here in New England and it’s time to squirrel away our summer and fall bounty. Fortunately there are a whole bunch of ways to preserve and enjoy herbs for months, even years to come! Here are a few ways I’ve preserved my herbs this year:…

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Burdock (Arctium lappa, A. minor)

Burdock, also known as Gobo, is one of those plants that’s been calling to me for a while now. Sometimes when you need a plant, they find a way into your life and make their presence known. A year or two ago I began gathering Stinging Nettle from a local farm. They considered this plant…

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Bath Fizzies!

Bath Fizzies! Bath bombs, bath fizzies, whatever you want to call them are so fun and easy to make! You can make them as potent or as pleasurable as you’d like and they can aid in soothing your body in all sorts of ways, from achy muscles to chilling out. I personally enjoy making them…

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