Vanilla Recipes: Three Ways To Bliss
Mmm…vanilla. Its sweet, perfumed aroma and flavor are known and loved around the world. The rich but subtle complexity of vanilla’s flavor is exotic and luxurious, yet at the same time comforting and gentle. No wonder it has been celebrated and used for hundreds of years, first cultivated by the Totonac Indians in eastern Mexico,…
Green Travel Tips for Happy Vacationing
For me, travel can be a double-edged sword—relaxing and blissful yet stressful and anxiety-inducing. With that in mind, I used a recent vacation as an experiment in being green and staying sane while traveling. Planning ahead may sound obvious, but simple things are often overlooked in the face of excitement and spontaneity. Feeling unprepared can…
Turmeric for Dogs and Other Animals
Just as herbs can positively affect humans, the same is true for animals. It is thought by some that humans may have first learned to use certain herbs by watching the actions of animals. As humans seek to live more natural and self-sufficient lives, many of us also seek to use natural care for our…
The Small But Mighty Flaxseed (+ Flaxseed Smoothie Recipe!)
About 20 years ago I became very familiar with flax (Linum usitatissimum), both the seed and cold pressed oil. I had recently adopted the Yeast Connection Diet under the care of a doctor who used alternative practices in his approach to treating traditional ailments. In my case, recurring migraines were coming on all too often,…
Making Sage Honey
Sage. One of my favorite culinary herbs and one of the herbs people have easy access to no matter where they are. Salvia officinalis – even the Latin name gives us an idea of the respect this Mediterranean beauty has earned. Salvia in Latin derives from the word salvere which means, “to save.” Historically, it…
Violet Leaf Soap Recipe
While violet flowers are only around for a short time in the spring, the leaves often persist well into autumn, depending on where you live. Oil infusions of these leaves are wonderful for toning and moisturizing the skin (Cech, 2000) and can be incorporated into a gentle, soothing soap, perfect for those with sensitive skin….
Your Jack-O-Lantern Holds the Key to Greater Health!
Now that we’re into October, many of us are making the necessary trip to a farmer’s market to make that sizable and oh-so-orange purchase: a pumpkin. Soon, we will be carving out a face on that bad boy and placing it in the window as a festive way to greet trick-or-treaters on the 31st. But…
Warming Ginger Cayenne Salve For Natural Pain Relief
I have been going through surgeries on my spine since my first one, at 8 years old. It all started with scoliosis, and from there things got worse. It seemed that with every surgery, new symptoms and pain were added. Over the last 20 years I have had 7 surgeries on my spine, causing paralysis…
DIY Lavender Bath Salts
Is there a person on the planet who does not wish for a long bath at the end of a stressful day or week? Unfortunately, not much of us have enough time to do it on a regular basis. But when we do, we want to make this experience even more blissful by means of nice music,…
Planting Fruit Trees in the Fall
In some areas of the country, fall is the best season for planting fruit trees. While it seems like planting fruit trees would be a complicated endeavor, using this simple planting process will set you up for success.
