Maia

Maia was born and raised in Eugene Oregon. An avid nature and animal lover, when she is not snapping blog photos for Mountain Rose; you can find her romping around in the woods with her pup, having impromptu dance parties in her living room, experimenting in the kitchen, and looking for new sci-fi and fantasy stories to dive into.

Recent Posts

Grain-Free Chai Spice Granola With Maca Powder

As someone that is incapable of getting out of bed on time, I’m forever in need of quick, easy, and healthy breakfast options. Without a doubt, granola is a reigning champion in that arena. For a speedy morning meal nothing beats a bowl of granola and yogurt with some fresh fruit! However, even though granola has gained a reputation for being healthy, it can be deceivingly sugary. Over the years, my desire for nutrient dense and low sugar options has led me away from store bought brands and into my kitchen, where I happily discovered that making your own granola is incredibly easy and fun! And to my fellow late risers: let me tell you, when I happen to have a big container of homemade granola on hand during a rushed morning, I swear that I could cry tears of gratitude that my past self was so proactive!

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Pickled Curry Deviled Eggs

Here are a couple of universal truths about being friends with foodies. The first is that there will never be a gathering that you will leave not absolutely stuffed with a variety of delicious dishes. And the second, is that you will always be looking for unique recipe inspiration for your own creations. Because while I know my friends will love classic potluck faire, there is something deeply satisfying when I’m able to surprise them with something new and exciting. With barbecue and picnic season in full swing I went searching for a new take on a very familiar favorite, deviled eggs.

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Summer Dream Roll-On Perfume Oil Recipe

Humans are forever seeking ways to capture the essence of memories. Beyond simple recollection, we seek avenues to bring us back to the feelings that bloomed within us during special moments. Out of all the methods of creating those pathways of memory, harnessing the olfactory system is perhaps one of the most powerful. How many times have you caught a whiff of something and been instantly transported? Pass an off-brand breath mint my way and I am suddenly 8 years old, riding in the backseat of my grandparent’s car, reaching up for one of the mints that were always in the glove box.

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Orange Cream Slushy Mocktail Recipe

I’m not going to lie, my excitement anytime I encounter a slushy or blended beverage on a menu is almost childlike. I suppose I could try to play it cool (no pun intended), but hey, it’s the little things, right? Here at Mountain Rose Herbs, we are always brainstorming ways to incorporate herbs into beloved recipes and with more people looking to reduce or replace alcohol, I decided to make a slushy mocktail! I got to thinking about which herbal flavor profiles would lend themselves best in a delicious frozen bevvy. It didn’t take long before I landed on our orange cream rooibos tea blend. Using this blog for homemade creamsicles as inspiration, I set out to craft an herbal orange cream mocktail slushy.

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How to Make Vanilla Extract

Vanilla is both unassuming, yet utterly magical. As a child, I remember believing that vanilla was a plain or even boring flavor. Now as an adult, I realize that nothing could be further from the truth. With its delicate and creamy flavor, vanilla is not only enchanting on its own, but it also has the power to draw out and enhance any other flavor that it is paired with. I find myself adding vanilla extract to matcha, hot cocoa, coffee, moon milk, oatmeal, chia pudding, and, of course, almost all my baking projects. With such a variety of uses, it is no wonder that I like to make sure that vanilla extract is well-stocked in my cupboard, which is why I have taken to crafting my own in larger batches. Vanilla extract is surprisingly easy to make at homeall you need is whole vanilla beans, alcohol, and a jar. It also makes an awesome DIY gift!

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Elderberry Ginger Simple Syrup and Mocktail Recipe

Fruity fizzy drinks are a staple in my household. As much as we love water, there is something extra satisfying about a fizzy beverage— the sound and sensation of carbonation bring a kind of magic and celebration to the very mundane act of imbibing. My partner and I have even taken to adding agave nectar to flavored sparkling water to satisfy both our craving for effervescence and our sweet tooth. This simple method of creating a bare-bones mocktail inspired me to try my hand at crafting an herbal variation to bring a bit more glamour and some seasonal wellness to our fizzy drink routine.

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Overnight Oats With Pumpkin Spice

I wish I had a dollar for every time I have heard that “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day”. The saying is perhaps a bit cliché, but I understand why it is so often repeated. Breakfast is quite literally the breaking of the fast that our bodies naturally assume while we sleep at night. Upon waking we are rested but also somewhat depleted. Breakfast helps to replenish our glucose and delivers nutrients that are vital for maintaining healthy energy levels and alertness throughout the day. Understanding the importance is the easy part, finding time for a meal in the midst of a “mad dash” morning is a bit harder. I have found that making my morning meal the night before is the best way to ensure I’ll have that oh-so-precious breakfast time. Naturally, the buzz surrounding overnight oats caught my attention instantly!

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Queen of Hungary Mist: A Natural Skin Toner

Something that I have loved since childhood is “potion” making—mysterious liquids and substances being mixed together to create something new holds a very particular appeal to me. Of course, as a kid it was both the allure of creating something magical and the allure of creating messes that endured the activity. As an adult the draw has become a bit more practical and ever so slightly neater, however the joy of crafting botanically inspired concoctions has remained. So, when I stumbled across the Queen of Hungary Water recipe, I was immediately enchanted. This recipe is rooted in tradition and folklore and spoke to both to the adult crafter in me and my whimsical inner child who is still searching for that magic.

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Dandelion Monograph: History, Benefits, &Recipe



Herb enthusiasts and plant lovers know that referring to certain plants as “weeds” often feels like an arbitrary degradation of an important and valuable botanical. After all, who gets to decide what is a weed and what isn’t? And why must they be so maligned? Because they are resilient? Bountiful? Uncontrollable? (If so, I would say that we could all stand to take some inspiration from them at times). Our deep misunderstanding of weeds is especially unfortunate because many of them offer us an array of nutritional and medicinal benefits that are, quite literally, rife for the picking. No plant illustrates this dynamic better than the dandelion.

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Natural Tattoo Balm Recipe

When I first started getting tattooed, one of my main concerns was how to best care for a new piece. Since a fresh tattoo leaves the skin vulnerable and irritated, it is important to make sure that it receives lots of TLC! First and foremost, I learned you must keep your new tattoo clean. Secondly, ensuring your skin remains moisturized can help keep the skin soft and malleable as it repairs. For topical care, I knew I wanted something that was all-natural and that offered a soothing element to help contend with those scabby, itchy moments that arise after getting a tattoo. To this end, I decided that a balm was the way to go and have not looked back. There are numerous products on the market to help with tattoo aftercare that have been greatly helpful to me. However, with a tattoo appointment fast approaching and being the DIY fan that I am, I decided to take a crack at crafting my own tattoo balm!

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Chia Seed Pudding Recipe With Energy-Supporting Herbs

I don’t think I can emphasize enough how hard it is for me to get out of bed in the mornings—like it is actually a serious problem at times. Part of my brain knows that I am making my morning routine a bit more and more frantic with each horizontal moment that ticks by, but it is so hard to care. What could the outside world possibly offer me that is better than the total warmth and comfort of my snuggly nest? Especially when there is a good book at hand and the world’s laziest dog snoring away next to me. Because of my proclivity for lengthy wakeups, I learned a long time ago that “I’ll just do it in the morning” is one of the rudest things I can do to my future self, so I have gotten into the habit of doing my morning meal prep the night before. Chia seed pudding is the definitive MVP for this practice. It is super quick to make and one of the few foods that is better after sitting overnight in the fridge. For this particular recipe variation, I wanted to try including herbs that pack a little extra oomph to help me show up for the day (however reluctantly) bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

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