Delicious Elderberry and Blueberry Jam With No Pectin
Who’s ready for a burst of berry botanical flavor? Warmer days call for a special picnic companion—homemade jam. You can spread this blueberry and elderberry jam on toast, crackers, bagels, or waffles—the possibilities are infinite. What’s even better than a homemade jam? One that you can make without needing pectin, and one that is free…
The Herbal Kitchen: Paprika
In this book excerpt from The Herbal Kitchen, author and herbalist Kami McBride highlights an herb common in our kitchen – paprika! – and shares three culinary herbal oil recipes that present this herb as the star of the show and provide an easy and inviting way to season your cooking with this tasty and beneficial spice. Packed full of…
How to Make A Wildflower Cordial
Blooms and bubbles–a delightful spring experience awaits you via the fascinating method of fermentation. Wildflowers (or garden flowers!) and their accompanying unique wild yeasts are submerged into a bath of sugar water and, with a bit of time, the magic of fermentation yields a fizzy, delicious refreshment, perfect for sipping on the porch. Let’s make…
Floral Bath Tea Sachets for Mother’s Day Gifting
These floral bath tea sachets are a wonderful gift to give on Mother’s Day. Mother’s Day is truly a celebration of giving life. We have all been through the profound and utterly fascinating event that is human birth. However, a mother is not only the one who delivers, but also the one who cares, nurtures,…
DIY Floral Ice Ring for Punch
We look forward to spring and summer garden parties all year, and with the upcoming release of our new Botanical Mixed Drinks Recipe Book, we’re dreaming of all the ways we can serve creative herbal cocktails and mocktails to our guests. In our new book, we share a recipe for Lavender and Citrus Rum Punch…
How to Make an Herbal Fever Ease Syrup
You may have heard that there’s a nationwide shortage of children’s acetaminophen and ibuprofen—critical fever reducers for children with respiratory viruses! While there’s no replacement for these medications when fevers are dangerously high, there are a few herbal allies that can help to gently encourage the resolution of a fever (and even help with the…
Herbal Blood Sugar Balance Recipe
A hot topic that has been circulating lately is the importance of blood sugar balance. Glycemia, also known as blood sugar level or blood glucose level, is the measure of glucose concentration in the blood. This level fluctuates throughout the day and is affected by the food you eat, your lifestyle, hormones, and even your…
How to Make Newspaper Seedling Pots for Your Garden This Year
Growing food in your backyard (or even on a porch or windowsill) is one of the simplest and most rewarding ways to nourish yourself, be self-sufficient, and connect with nature in a hands-on way. The following excerpt is taken from Gardening for Everyone by sustainability expert Julia Watkins which shares everything you need to know…
Respiratory Support Honey for Spring Allergies
The following book excerpt is taken from The Herbal Kitchen by Kami McBride and used with permission. If you’re an herb nerd with spring allergies, you face a bit of a conundrum. While the Earth bursts with color and birdsong, you might feel the urge to run indoors instead of out. But as we head…
Orange Peel Tincture Blend for Digestive Support
As a student going through Herbal Academy’s Introductory Herbal Course, I was inspired by a lesson in which herbalist Guido Masé shared how to make digestive bitters. His enthusiasm was contagious, and I felt excited to create my own orange peel tincture blend. I am constantly amazed at the power of herbs, and I find…
DIY Pickled Cattail Shoots
The following excerpt and Cattail Shoots recipe is from Pascal Baudar’s book Wildcrafted Vinegars: Making and Using Acetic Acid Ferments for Quick Pickles, Hot Sauces, Soups, Salad Dressings, Pastes, Mustards, and More (Chelsea Green Publishing, Oct 2022) and is reprinted with permission from the publisher. Cattail Cattail loves wetland habitats, and it grows along the…
Holiday Home Essential Oil Diffuser Blend Recipe
Whether we’re baking our favorite pies and cookies, decorating with fresh greenery, or making crafts and gifts using herbs and spices, we enjoy the special aromas that accompany these activities during the holidays. There truly is an enchanting, warming scent to the season. This Holiday Home Diffuser Blend recipe we are sharing below is another…
Easy Homemade Kitchen Spices Cough Syrup
The following excerpt is taken from our FREE Pantry Herbalism ebook, where you’ll find monographs and recipes for spices, foods, and backyard herbs that you likely already have at home. Thyme (Thymus vulgaris) aerial parts A close relative of oregano, thyme (Thymus vulgaris) is also rich in volatile oils. These constituents, especially thymol, are antimicrobial…
How to Make Holiday-Inspired Melt and Pour Soap for Easy Gift Giving
Pour out a batch of holiday cheer perfect for someone you think is very dear! This easy-to-make (and customize) melt and pour soap is an herbal gift everyone will enjoy. Simple ingredients, handcrafted techniques, and a touch of plant power make this herbal DIY a wonderful way to ring in the season. Soap Making…
How to Decorate Your Home With Fresh Greenery
Make your home come alive this holiday season by bringing the outdoors in with fresh greenery! The festive and cozy feeling that lush greens bring is enough to put anyone in the holiday spirit. With a little bit of planning and creativity, you can create stunning displays that you’ll find yourself wanting to repeat year…
5 Herbal Chocolate Bark Recipes for the Holidays
With a whole string of winter holidays ahead, the busiest gift-giving time of year is upon us. One of my holiday strategies is to keep a little stash of goodies I can grab on my way out the door to whatever gathering is on the schedule. I find that homemade gifts always make a good…
Mood-Boosting Hot Cacao Recipe
The dark season is approaching, a time of inner reflection and tranquility. As the days become shorter, the decrease in daylight hours may dampen one’s mood. Especially in the months of late fall and winter, it is helpful to create rituals that promote our sense of strength and cheer. Even if it is not always…
DIY Cold and Flu Bombs With Immune-Stimulating Herbs
We are all well aware of the looming cold and flu season that is approaching. As it inches its way closer, we are stocking our herbal pantries with strong allies like elder, echinacea, ginger, and thyme, among others. One option for utilizing these herbs is by making a simple recipe like these DIY cold and…
Herbal Oils for Acne Scarring
Few things can make a person feel as vulnerable and self-conscious as acne. While many chronic issues aren’t immediately obvious to others, the pimples and bumps associated with acne are on display for peers, love interests, and strangers to see. Frustratingly, even after the blemishes have resolved, they can leave long-lasting scars that can continue…
How to Make a Culinary Fall Wreath Using Wild Grapevines and Herbs From the Garden
As summer dwindles and the first frost approaches, it’s time to start thinking about ways to hold over any garden surplus through the winter. Drying and freezing are two popular ways to preserve garden herbs. Crafting a fall wreath is one way of drying herbs which has become my absolute favorite this time of year….
Pumpkin Beer Bread Recipe With Homemade Herb Butter
I’m here to pass along a delightful crowd-pleasing recipe that could become a new autumnal tradition! It’s a mix of herbaceous goodness and a little hint of fall flavors. That’s right, homemade pumpkin beer bread and herb butter. The smell of freshly baked bread warms the kitchen as it bakes, the top crisping to…
Fun and Easy Herbal Homemade Ice Cream for Those Hot Summer Days
As the weather gets warmer, the craving for cooler treats is also on the rise. When it comes to sweet treats, nothing beats homemade ice cream, and I like to incorporate herbs into all my homemade treats. It’s like guerilla herbalism, sneaking herbal allies into the fare at all my social gatherings. Whether I’m hosting…
How to Make a First-Aid Kit Yarrow Tincture
Yarrow, and especially yarrow tincture, is a wonderful herbal ally and addition to your first-aid kit to help you stay well prepared for any unfortunate bump in your herbal adventures! Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), known also as woundwort, staunch weed, nosebleed, and carpenter’s weed, is a rather common herb that can be wild foraged in many…
Baby’s First Herbal Bath Soak
A bath ritual not only provides cleansing and care for a baby, but also deep relaxation and well-being! Newborns especially feel very comfortable in warm water, as it reminds them of the protected time in the womb. In this article, you will find a recipe for a baby’s very first herbal bath soak with natural…
How to Make Lavender Wands
Extract from The Wild Craft by Catarina Seixas, published in 2022 by Hardie Grant Publishing. Photographs © Ana Zilhão Some years ago, while exploring an old, abandoned house, I opened a drawer and found a lavender wand inside. I brought it up to my nose and instinctively inhaled the sweet fragrance deeply, even though the passing…
How to Make Butterfly Pea Flower Syrup For a Botanical Drink With Lime and Lilac Ice Cubes
Butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea) flower is an indigo-blue, vibrant bloom that imparts its signature hue into food and drinks, turning them a variety of shades from blue to fuchsia. I have been endlessly inspired by the unique color in my cooking and beverage preparations. This prolific vining plant can be used in teas, desserts, savory…
Color-Changing Herbal Limoncello Recipe
As summer reaches its peak, you will likely find yourselves looking for ways to come together with friends and family — while staying cool! While food and games are all enjoyed at warm-weather gatherings, why not take your celebration to the next level by offering a fun botanically infused cocktail (with a mocktail option) for…
DIY Crampy Belly Baby Oil for a Gentle and Calming Massage
Tummy aches, or rather “excess wind”–as it is called in Chinese Medicine–is not uncommon in babies. Especially in the first 3 to 4 months (also called the “3-month colic”), the crampy belly often occurs. Anthropologists have theorized that evolution has made a trade-off between our big human brains and the narrow pelvises we need for…
How to Make Pressed Flower Lanterns to Celebrate the Summer Solstice
The sun has reached its peak angle and is in its full, brilliant splendor throughout the long summer days before making its slow descent toward its lower arc during winter’s relative darkness. We have reached a turning point in the year. The summer solstice, coming from the Latin words “sol” (sun) and “stitium” (still or…
Sitopaladi Churna: Sweet Cough Powder for Respiratory Support
With spring in full swing, consider yourself fortunate if you are not affected by seasonal allergies or other respiratory issues. On the other hand, if you do experience sneezing, wheezing, coughing, and other respiratory allergy symptoms, you may find yourself looking for new methods of respiratory support. Or, perhaps you simply want to have some…
