Matcha-Lemon Balm Homemade Gummies for Back-to-School
Whether you are an educator, a student, or a parent of students, sometimes it’s helpful to have a little herbal support to transition from summer mode into back-to-school season! While we may let our brains go on vacation over the leisurely summer months, the start of August reminds us that fall (and school, for some)…
How to Make Lavender Shower Steamers
Shower steamers are like a bath bomb for the shower, and they will elevate your showering experience in the same way a bath bomb levels up your bathing experience. A small scented puck you can put in the bottom of your shower to envelop yourself in scent and transform your bathroom into an aromatherapeutic experience,…
A Refreshing Basil & Thyme Coconut Water Limeade
If you are reading this in mid to late summer, depending on the part of the globe where you reside, the summer heat may be as strong as it gets. This means that staying hydrated during this time is more important than ever. But we hear you—drinking plain water in the necessary amount of 2-3…
3 Ways to Use Your Summer Rose Harvest
Roses are red, violets are blue, we’ve got three herbal rose (Rosa spp.) recipes for you! This ever-so-classic flower is a staple in Valentine’s Day bouquets. It’s a gesture of love and serves as a universal symbol of romance for good reason. This is a heart-opening, uplifting, and aphrodisiac herb – and it’s also a…
5 Common Spices to Use for Everyday Health
The following excerpt, 5 Common Spices to Use for Everyday Health, is taken from Spice Apothecary© by Bevin Clare. Used with permission from Storey Publishing. HEALTHY CONNECTIONS: SKIN, BONES, AND JOINTS Our skin is the organ that interacts most with the world. A dynamic and responsive organ, it contends with all kinds of impacts and…
Vegan Herbalism: How to Find Alternatives to Honey, Beeswax, and More
From infusions to tinctures, salves, syrups, electuaries, fire ciders, and more, there’s no shortage of accessible herbal preparations to integrate into daily life. For those who adhere to a vegan lifestyle, the practice of vegan herbalism means understanding the options for animal-free ingredients to use in common herbal preparations. A vegan lifestyle is one that…
Herbal Academy Courses Migrate to Lifetime Access – Everything you Need to Know
Over the past decade, through the ebbs and flows, in times of uncertainty and transitions, and in seasons of abundance and growth, the Herbal Academy has always prioritized meeting our community where you are in your herbal journey. This evolution has involved listening and responding to the needs of our students. We’ve grown right along…
Top Supports for Anxiety: Herbs, Lifestyle, and Traditional Wisdom
On the rare occasion when I meet someone who reports that they never get stressed or anxious, I typically raise an eyebrow. Some level of stress, worry, and even fearfulness is a natural and normal part of life. We have evolved to have a negativity bias as a means of survival, meaning we scan our…
How to Make a Rose, Grapefruit, and Ginger Mocktail
The whole second half of summer is ours to celebrate! Let’s make sure that we squeeze the most out of the hot sunny days and enjoy the expansive energy that comes with summer and the season’s extended daylight hours by making an herbal deliciousness like this Rose, Grapefruit, and Ginger Mocktail. The higher sun and…
The Three Aspects of Taste in Ayurveda
In our new Ayurveda and Digestive Health Intensive in The Herbarium, Ayurvedic practitioner and Certified Iyengar Yoga teacher Greta Kent-Stoll, delves into the foundational concepts of ayurvedic eating, such as the six tastes, and the role that each of the three doshas plays in digestive health. You will learn how to recognize vata-, pitta-, or kapha-type digestive…
9 BIPOC-Owned Herb Shops to Support
We herbalists know that curating our home herbal supply is a labor of love that doesn’t exactly happen overnight. It takes time to line our cabinets with plants and products, whether homegrown, foraged, made, or gifted. And oh, how sweet it is to take our time with the plants! While there are many places you…
Herbal Academy Student Feature: Dagny Kream (@thecottagepeach)
We recently spoke with Dagny Kream (@thecottagepeach) as part of our Student Feature Series. Dagny is the owner of The Cottage Peach, where she shares slow-living inspiration: seasonal farm-to-table vegetarian recipes, gardening tips, seasonal crafts, traditional skills, and more. Dagny has completed Herbal Academy’s Foraging Herbal Course and the Botanical Skin Care Course. HA: Please…
Strawberry-Thyme Shortcake Recipe With Whipped Crème Fraîche
The following Strawberry-Thyme Shortcake recipe excerpt is eprinted with permission from The Prairie Kitchen Cookbook by Kayla Lobermeier. Page Street Publishing Co. 2023. Photo credit: Kayla Lobermeier. Kayla Lobermeier is the creator of Under A Tin Roof, an organization focused on gardening, preserving, and cooking food with real ingredients. Kayla has been featured in Willow and…
How Does Scent Affect Mood?
On an intuitive and experiential level, many of us are aware of the connection between scent and mood. Though some may tune into the significance of scent more consciously than others, our sense of smell is intimately related to our emotions and even cognitive function and spatial awareness (Fifth Sense, 2021). Furthermore, appealing scents enhance…
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…
Anise vs. Anise Hyssop: What’s the Difference?
It is easy to make the mistake of thinking that the name anise is just an abbreviation for the anise hyssop plant. Many people assume that they are the same thing, when in fact, they are actually two completely different plants. Both plants share one major characteristic–a rich licorice aroma and flavor–but the fresh plants…
Herbal Academy Student Interview: Laura Rubin (@nurtureforall)
In this installment of our Student Feature series, we spoke with Laura Rubin (@nurtureforall), founder of Nurture, which empowers you to live more joyfully through the amazing power of herbs, helping you to reconnect with your body and the Earth. Laura has completed Herbal Academy’s Intermediate Herbal Course and Herbal Business Course. HA: Please tell…
8 Herbal Preparations + a Monarda Oxymel Recipe
The following excerpt outlining eight herbal preparations and a Monarda Oxymel recipe is taken from the book, Our Kindred Home by Alyson Morgan, and is reprinted with permission. Our Kindred Home takes you on a journey through the heart of cyclical, seasonal living. It’s a heartfelt collection of the recipes, rituals, and plants that Alyson’s…
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…
Homemade Crackers With Scallions and Black Mustard Seeds
Until a couple of months ago, I never thought to make homemade crackers. Crackers were one of those things that I only enjoyed when store-bought. However, making crackers in your own kitchen is surprisingly easy and fun—also, you can get creative with the ingredients and you always know exactly what goes into your savory snacks….
Antioxidant Herbal Power Punch With a Classic Fruity Flavor
Spring has sprung, and even though we’re not exactly feeling the truth of that up in the northeastern United States, I am hopeful that warmer weather is on the way–so hopeful that I have been preemptively planning and practicing my go-to beverages for summer as if I could will the passing of these cold days…
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,…
Herbal Academy Student Feature: Serena Hartwell (@serenahartwell)
In our most recent Student Feature interview, we spoke with Serena Hartwell (@serenahartwell), owner of Everyday Homestead, where she shares foraging tips and wildcrafted recipes that feature locally foraged and homegrown plants. Serena has completed Herbal Academy’s The Craft of Herbal Fermentation Course, Herbs for ADHD, Cognition, and Focus Intensive, Intermediate Herbal Course, Emulsifiers and Preservatives in…
Heart-Supportive Cake With Hibiscus Berry Jam & Rose Ice Cream
We recently celebrated Herbalist Day as a wonderful moment to acknowledge how nurturing herbalism is in our everyday lives and in our deeper soul-searchings. Those who practice this sacred connection on a daily basis know well that it is a celebration that never quite ends. Which is why the Herbal Academy is sharing this celebratory…
Clean Sweep Blood Cleanser Herbal Capsules for Spring Renewal
As the flowers awake after the cold days of winter, we feel a nudge to embrace new growth and shed our winter coats. Spring is the natural time to cleanse, detox, and refresh after a long winter season. We swap extra hours inside and heavier foods for more time outdoors, more movement, as well as…
Edible Flower-Pressed Shortbread Cookies
The following excerpt is a brand-new release from Loria Stern’s book Eat Your Flowers (published by William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, April 2023) and is reprinted with permission from the publisher. This is the recipe that started it all! These beautiful cookies catapulted my career in food. Delicately sweet, with a touch of…
Bountiful Herb Guacamole Recipe That Will Have Everyone Coming Back for More
What is it about margaritas and guacamole that is just so dang good? The sweet and sour margarita seems to pair perfectly with the creamy guacamole – and we have just the guacamole recipe in store for you today. Throw in a big bowl of tortilla chips and veggie sticks for a fantastic party spread…
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…
DIY Fermented Mallow Leaf Chips
The following excerpt and Fermented Mallow Leaf Chips recipe is from Pascal Baudar’s book Wildcrafted Fermentation (Chelsea Green Publishing, March 2020) and is reprinted with permission from the publisher. Snacking on kale leaf chips is one of my favorite pastimes and so, of course, I had to explore some possibilities with similar wildcrafted leaves. I…
