As we approach the holidays and post-election season, it?s a good time to think about how to fold in some good self-care so we can enjoy (and even relax!) during the hectic holidays. My self-care focus this year: calming and nourishing the nervous system. Why the nervous system? Between a Read more…
Lip balms are one of the easiest herbal preps to make – the recipe is flexible, you can easily customize it with your favorite oils and herbs, and you can even give them color and shimmer without using any synthetic ingredients.? You can make lip balms just for color, or Read more…
Are your herbs growing like crazy in the garden? What do you do with them all?? Here are some tips to help you successfully dry them for use all year round. Why Bother to Dry Herbs? Even if you just have a small patch of calendula, chamomile or mint, you Read more…
While it hasn’t been a good year for rain and snow in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, its been a great year for collecting wild rose hips! Rose hips, the fruit of the rose flower, are high in vitamin C, antioxidants, and have a delicious sweet and tangy taste. They can Read more…
Wildcrafting, as my partner Matt and I practice and promote it, is making a commitment to deepen your connection to the natural landscape and take responsibility for its regeneration. It is learning about the plants around you, how they reproduce, where they live, and what they need to thrive. It’s Read more…
Fortunately for the home herbalist, most of the supplies needed for medicine making are likely in your kitchen.? In addition to the herbs themselves, here’s a list of what is helpful to have on hand: Basic supplies –Recycled glass jars or mason jars in a variety of sizes (4 oz, Read more…
There’s no need to order a bunch of dried herbs from faraway places if you want to make your own herbal care at home. You can easily grow many of your own – many of them may already be in your garden! Here is a short list of some very Read more…
Its been an amazing mushroom season here in the Sierra Nevada.? Aside from the sheer wonder of seeing such a diverse display of fungi, it has provided a source of incredibly delicious food and precious medicine for many people. At this year?s Fungus Foray in Nevada City,? my daughter found Read more…
Most all of us have some association with pine pitch ? ranging from the frustration of having the sticky black resin stuck to our car (or hands!), to the joy of inhaling that heavenly, sweet aroma it provides on a warm summer day walking through the woods.? But pine pitch Read more…
Even after years of making herbal products, one of my favorite things to do is get together with a couple of friends and make herbal potions in the kitchen.? Some dear friends came for a visit last weekend and we experimented with two things I have been wanting to do Read more…