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…
5 Ways to Prepare Flowers
The following aromatic plant excerpt on ways to prepare flowers is from the book, “Botanicals With Benefits: Develop a New Relationship With Your Garden: The Edible Flower Volume” by Kerry Hughes, and is reprinted with permission. Kerry Hughes, MS, principal for EthnoPharm (www.Ethnopharm.com), is an ethnobotanist, herbalist, and author with a 20-year record of success in natural…
Herbal Wonders of Greece
Greece is a beautiful country surrounded on three sides by the Mediterranean, Aegean, and Ionian seas. Ranked as one of the sunniest countries in Europe, Greece is a popular vacation destination for visitors from around the world who seek to experience its exquisite beaches and seaside resorts. In addition to its promise of fun in…
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…
Summer Solstice: Mark the Changing of Spring Into Summer With Intention
It seems to me as though the more years I accumulate the faster they seem to fly by, each racing past more quickly than the last. A core lesson of my adult life has been to find ways in which I can regularly slow down and honor the passage of time. One of my favorite…
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…
DIY Old-Fashioned Beard Oil: A Perfect Father’s Day Gift
A child’s first hero, protector, provider, teacher, and best friend, a father figure can be such a guiding force in a child’s life. The dad jokes, advice, and many memories throughout the years are something to be cherished. Families are a unique complexity as we all know. Some families you are born into and some…
How to Grow Your Own Tea Garden + Helpful Harvesting Tips
It’s an Appalachian summer morning and the sun is just starting to peek its face over the mountain. I start my day in the tea garden. The tops of the trees glow gold while the valley is still cool and covered in dew. I wander through the garden, favorite mug in hand, snipping a bit…
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…
