Results for Category: DIY

Homemade Vanilla Extract
Homemade vanilla extract is worlds apart from the generic imitation vanilla typically found at big box stores. Mmm…vanilla. Its sweet, perfumed aroma and flavor are known and loved around the world. No wonder it has been celebrated and used for hundreds of years, first cultivated by the Totonac Indians in eastern Mexico. While vanilla gained…

Homemade Cough Syrup for a Wet Cough
Late winter is the time of year in which heavy, wet conditions can start to really settle in our lungs. Luckily, nature’s ap...

Nutrient Deficiencies + 4 Vitamin and Mineral-Rich Recipes
The well-known adage “we are what we eat” is so true when we think about our daily needs for vitamins and minerals. Typically,...

Nourishing Herbal Soup Seasoning Mix
A healthy immune system serves as your personal smooth-running militia, with the number one goal of protecting your body from pathogenic invaders. Especially these days, it’s so important to build a stronger immunity and there is a lot you can do so that it can work effectively when you need it. On a cold winter…

Damiana and Vanilla Cordial
Homemade vanilla cordial with damiana is a lovely introduction to using vanilla as a home herbal. While used widely as a flavoring agent and a perfume, vanilla’s other uses are largely overlooked. Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia) is purported to sharpen the mind and strengthen memory (McBride, 2010). Vanillin, which is the primary chemical constituent in vanilla…

Winter Wellness: Fresh Horseradish Recipe & Benefits
The cold, dry winter weather is here and so is sinus congestion. Prevention is the best approach, but there is also much we can do...

Herbal Throat Gargle Recipe: Triphala, Turmeric, and Licorice
One of the great things about this simple herbal throat gargle is that all its ingredients have multiple uses. So, if you keep the...

Stay Calm Adaptogen Syrup with Ashwagandha and Eleuthero
Provide your body with the tools it needs to improve its stress response through an adaptogen syrup. Adaptogens are those herbs found to promote the regulation of the hypothalamic, pituitary, and adrenal glands (Brusie, 2017). By reducing fatigue and enhancing focus, adaptogens promote a sense of overall wellness. A commonly used adaptogen, ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)…

Evergreen Forest Bath Salts Recipe with Juniper and Pine
As we head into the new year, winter has deeply enveloped many parts of the country. Most plants and animals are dormant or hibernating, and the people have wrapped themselves in their thickest wools. (The lucky ones are reading herbals by the fire while sipping spiced cider!) This time of year calls for an extra…

Mushroom Immunity Broth with Astragalus and Calendula
Make your own mushroom immunity broth by blending nutrient-rich mushrooms with herbs that are well-known for their positive effect...