How to Make Lavender Wands
Extract from The Wild Craft by Catarina Seixas, published in 2022 by Hardie Grant Publishing. Photographs © Ana Zilhão Some years ago, while exploring an old, abandoned house, I opened a drawer and found a lavender wand inside. I brought it up to my nose and instinctively inhaled the sweet fragrance deeply, even though the passing…
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…
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…
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…
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…
How to Make Your Own Tea Blends + a Soothing Sleep Tea Recipe
Have you ever tried an herbal tea that was so delicious you just couldn’t put it down? What about one that you couldn’t finish drinking, no matter how hard you tried, because it tasted like muddy water? The art of making herbal tea blends is a skill that takes practice, experimentation, and observation. It requires…
How to Make Cinnamon Crème Chocolate Hearts With Reishi Mushroom Powder
The perfect balance between bittersweet chocolate and a rich and creamy cinnamon filling, these chocolate hearts are the stuff dreams are made of. Nourishing ingredients, and of course love, make these cinnamon cremes both healthy and pleasing to the tongue. Providing fibre, magnesium, and antioxidants, cacao is packed with health benefits. Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum syn….
DIY Baby Herbal Diaper Balm to Soothe Rashes and Keep the Skin Healthy
A baby’s delicate skin is particularly sensitive to environmental influences and harmful substances. Therefore, it is critically important to choose products that contain substances that don’t irritate. For instance, if you are dealing with a diaper rash, it is important to use a diaper balm that is safe and healthy. Creating your own allows you…
Make Your Own Herbal Facial Care Kit for Mother’s Day
“The days are long, but the years are short” is a saying so true it can almost define parenthood. Sleepless nights during infancy, navigating the rough waters of toddlerhood, answering the infinite questions of a young developing mind, tending the delicate balance of raising a teen, and managing the worries of a young adult child…
