This blog is part of a 6-part series on recipes featuring our new line of organic flavor extracts. Stay tuned for more flavor inspiration coming soon!

With each added layer of clothing marking the days leading up to winter, there is little my bundled-up self wants to do besides sip on a piping hot beverage. Once my taste buds tire from drinking gallons of spiced apple cider and homemade chai, I tend to gravitate towards the famed and festive beverage synonymous with the holiday season: the one and only, peppermint mocha.

Each year, I formulate a lip balm recipe to make as small gifts and stocking stuffers. From Cookies and Cream to Coffee Cardamom blends, each year features a new theme, and provides a fun challenge for me to outdo the previous year. This year, after much deliberation, I decided to theme it after one of my favorite sweet treats—macaroons!

This blog is part of a 6-part series on recipes featuring our new line of organic flavor extracts. Stay tuned for more flavor inspiration coming soon!

Long before I learned how to read, much of my time as a young girl was spent perched in a particularly sunny window, staring wide-eyed at vibrantly illustrated picture books. My fascination with eye-catching imagery quickly evolved from kids’ books to another type of illustrative literature that my mom kept an impressive collection of: cookbooks! Something about flipping through page after page of appealing images woven with thoughtfully crafted recipes has always filled my empty stomach with inspiration, and is what I credit to leading me to be the culinarian I am today.

In addition to ensuring customers receive fresh, vibrant, and potent botanicals, one of the core responsibilities of the Mountain Rose Herbs Quality Department is to make sure the company is operating in compliance with all current food safety practices. These rules are defined and enforced by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and are a critical component of our Food Safety Plan. These rules may sound like they only apply to large-scale manufacturers, but as a company that offers both food and dietary supplements, we are regulated under the very same rules.

This polished mocktail-worthy punch is a twist on the old-fashioned tangy switchel, but with classy balsamic vinegar, hawthorn berries, apples, and sweet and savory molasses layered in for a refreshing yet grounded, nutritive beverage. A switchel, also known as “Haymaker’s Punch” is a drink crafted with vinegar, ginger, and usually molasses and is used as a refreshing drink that also helps with electrolyte balance.

With winter just around the corner, I am eager to craft one of my favorite seasonal house staples—foaming hand soap! Crafting custom scented soaps to match the seasons is one of my most beloved pastimes, as it's an easy and fast way to bring seasonal cheer to my home.

This blog is part of a 6-part series on recipes featuring our new line of organic flavor extracts. Stay tuned for more flavor inspiration coming soon!

Although I’m a fan of Thanksgiving classics just as much as the next guy, I’ll admit that the same old main course and side dishes can begin to feel (and taste) a bit mundane over the years. For me, this is especially true when it comes to dessert. The usual suspects, pumpkin pie and pecan pie, have always seemed a bit plain, mushy, sickly sweet, or all of the above. Luckily, I was tasked with bringing dessert to Friendsgiving this year, so it was the perfect opportunity to knock their feathers off with a not-so-traditional dessert that is still right at home alongside a crowded table of familiar favorites.

Each year, when I make my holiday gift list, I aim to meet a set of criteria. Offerings that are thoughtful, personal, and useful are amongst the most important to me. I have generally found that homemade gifts are more appreciated than things I can find in mass quantities at any big box store. Small-batch DIY gifts also allow customization, making them personalized for your beloved recipient. It can also help to keep waste out of landfills.

Potlucks are more than shared meals; they are expressions of community, cooperation, and gratitude, bound together by the simple act of cooking for one another. In a culture that often prizes speed and convenience, gathering around a shared table invites us to slow down and remember that nourishment is not only about what we eat but about how we connect. Each dish carries a story, whether it is a family recipe passed down through generations, a spontaneous creation inspired by seasonal herbs, or a heartfelt offering made to share warmth and care with friends and coworkers.

This blog is part of a 6-part series on recipes featuring our recently new line of organic flavor extracts. Stay tuned for more flavor inspiration coming soon!

Beloved and recognized throughout the world, vanilla bean needs no formal introduction. With a unique ability to enhance rather than overshadow pretty much anything it's paired with, it’s no wonder vanilla has been crowned with such a reputation in the flavoring hall of fame. With that being said, even the most famous flavors are subject to their fair share of controversy.

I know that for many folks a drop in temperature marks the start of pumpkin spice season, but for me it signals the beginning of soup season! Although if I am truly honest, it is always soup season in my heart (and in my kitchen). I can enjoy a steamy bowl of ramen, rich French onion soup, or spicy New Mexican green chile stew even in the height of summer. There is just something deeply satisfying to me about a meal that magically transmutes disparate ingredients into one delicious note—and in one pot no less (fewer dishes for the win!).