How to Harvest and Prepare Prickly Pear Cactus
The prickly pear (Opuntia spp.) cactus is synonymous with the American West, and what a gift she is to desert dwellers. The name prickly pear refers to a group of around one dozen species in the Opuntia genus (Desert USA, n.d.). Every part of this plant is useful, and prickly pear serves a wide range…
Pain-be-Gone Valerian Cordial with Willow
This Pain-be-Gone Valerian Cordial is the answer to what to do with valerian root. Valerian officinalis is known for soothing, relaxant properties in the presence of aches and pains, and for most, it is calming in the face of stress. However, it is also infamous for its unpleasant taste and smell! Thankfully, this valerian cordial…
Stay Cool With A Mint Spritz: A Stovetop Hydrosol Recipe
The sun rises with such force in the summer, sometimes giving off sweltering heat—the kind where beads of sweat drip down your neck, making you uncomfortable and hot. During such hot summer days, the shade is your ally. Much like the trees and their leaves that drape over you help block the sun, herbs are…
Herbal Academy Student Feature: Nana Meriwether (@drinkcale)
For the thirteenth installment of our Student Feature Series, we spoke with Nana Meriwether (@drinkcale). Nana has completed Herbal Academy’s The Craft of Herbal Fermentation, Intermediate Herbal Course, and Making Herbal Preparations 101. In 2019, she launched a company called Cale, which produces herbal wine alternatives that are lower in calories, sugar, sulfites, and alcohol…
How to Use Dye Plants: Plant Projects for the Home
This book excerpt is taken from A Woman’s Garden: Grow Beautiful Plants and Make Useful Things – Plants and Projects for Home, Health, Beauty, Healing, and More by Tanya Anderson, and is reprinted with permission from Cool Springs Press, an imprint of The Quarto Group. Using Dye Plants From archaeological evidence, we know that people have…
Nettle Infused Ice Cubes + How to Make a Super Soda
The familiar sound when you crack open a soda, the release of those tiny little bubbles that pop and dance on the can’s lid. It is such a nostalgic memory. Can’t you just hear it now if you close your eyes? What if I told you there was a way to enjoy that same feeling,…
3 Fun Summer Herbal Popsicles
What is better than having a cold, delicious, and healthy treat ready in the freezer, waiting for you when the weather is hot? Herbal iced teas are awesome, but have you tried to make your own herbal popsicles from infusions, adding fruit or coconut cream? If you have a popsicle mold at home, these are…
Mood and Mental Support for Pitta Dosha
Pitta dosha, the most fiery of the three ayurvedic types, relates to solar energy and rules the summer season. Pitta types run warm, tend to have warm-colored complexions, and aren’t afraid of competition and intensity. In fact, they welcome it (sometimes to their own detriment!). These bold, fiery types are naturally intense, driven, and competitive,…
Botanical Vegan Tamales Recipe
This vegan tamales recipe is a fun twist on traditional tamales. I love how the edible flower colors and shapes appear to be painted on the masa after steaming. The spiced and hibiscus-infused jackfruit is a pleasing plant-based close companion in taste and texture to carnitas. You might find it more refreshing as a light…
Tissue-Soothing Mouthwash for Cancer Care Support
Many of us associate cancer care treatment with some truly debilitating side effects, and it can be overwhelming and frightening to look down the long road of treatment. While we don’t want to downplay the enormous impact that chemotherapy, radiation, and other treatments can have on daily life, there have truly been some big leaps…
