Strength, Community, and Hope in a Changing Climate

As the world around us shifts, many of us are feeling a deeper awareness of our connection to nature. While change can bring uncertainty, it also sparks innovation, resilience, and a renewed commitment to caring for the planet and each other. The challenges we face today are real, but so is our ability to adapt, support one another, and create a thriving future.

 
When Mountain Rose Herbs launched its organic Thai Tea, I knew I had to craft something new and special with it. When I visited Thailand many moons ago, I enjoyed a lot of Thai iced tea, and it was very different from the kind served here in the US. It didn’t have the same added spices (or food coloring)and I have to admit, I missed the added spices, but not the coloring. When I saw the ingredients in the new Mountain Rose Herbs tea, I knew I was going to have to craft something really special with it.

I am a firm believer that soup is one of mankind’s greatest culinary creations. When you think about it, there are not many dishes out there that are dippable, slurpable, and all-around irresistible, but soup boasts all of these qualities and then some! Growing up as a cooking connoisseur-to-be, I vividly recall soup being one of my earliest culinary experiments. However, being the rather creative and chaotic child I was, my recipes often incorporated a few unusual ingredients (the stars of my soup were grass and puddle water—if that helps paint a picture). I’ve since refined my definition of what is considered “edible” and have learned to swap grass clippings and puddles for herbs and broth. Although my secret ingredients may be a bit different now, soup still stands as my all-time favorite dish to make! 

One of the things I love most about the world of herbal mocktails is the fact that there are limitless flavor combinations to try. In my kitchen, oxymels are a key ingredient for mocktails: they impart a complexity of flavor that can be hard to achieve without alcohol. I enjoy experimenting with different vinegars and even citrus juices. Eventually, my kitchen explorations led to balsamic vinegar. 

Bitters are having a viral moment, but rather than chewing on a celery stalk with a wry face while others douse themselves on the alcohol-based bitters bandwagon, I’m excited to introduce you to a zesty, alcohol-free contender. As a sober herbalist, I’ve come up with a powerful, sophisticated bitters blend that stands up to the hype, and possesses the celebrated digestive support and versatile uses like traditional bitters recipes. 

Ingrown hairs. I get them, you get them, your neighbor gets them—even cats and dogs get them! Chances are, most furry mammals walking around this planet have dealt with a pesky ingrown hair or two in their time. For me, shaving seemed to be the biggest culprit when it came to waking up to an uninvited array of ingrown hairs. No matter what direction I shaved, how many blades my razor boasted, or what fancy variety of shaving cream I slathered on, within a couple of days, my skin always found a way to proclaim its defiance towards my razor in the form of itchy, red bumps. However, all of this changed when I discovered I was missing a critical step in any well-seasoned shaver’s routine—exfoliation!

The winter season is a time of rest and reflection for many of us. It’s also the perfect time of year to get cozy with a good book and a hot cup of herbal tea. For me, winter is the season of tea. Whether I’m in need of a nourishing brew to help keep my body healthy or am just looking for something to cut through the chill of winter’s air, a flavorful cup of tea is just what I need. Here are some of my favorite winter tea blends.

In this overwhelming and often stress-inducing world, there is little that is more healing than moments of precious tranquility. Stress has a profound impact on the body and mind, with studies showing it can lead to macroscopic changes in brain structure over time (Mariotti, A. 2015). This, in turn, can lead to other issues, such as a weakened immune system, difficulty in absorbing nutrients into the body properly, and a general decrease in quality of life. Amidst the whirlwind of life, there are centers of calm to be found—places where we can pause, reorient, and connect with Eirene, the Greek goddess and personification of peace.

Passionflower (passiflora icarnata) is one such herb that can aid us in finding these centers of calm. A commonly known nervine, used for promoting restful sleep, softening tension, and even easing occasional aches and pains. Native to Central and South America and now flourishing in many other areas of the world, its hypnotic blossoms invite us to slow down, find our footing, and welcome tranquility into our tired minds. 

As we move through our daily lives, we seek meaningful connections, and it is this very search that often leads us back to nature. In this endeavor, plants are our allies. Not only do plants physically nurture the animal body through food, shelter, and physiological support—plants also remind us of what it means to be a part of this wild and wonderful world.

The tropical plant known as Ginger (Zingiber offcinale,) has been grown and used since ancient times. Today, the spice has never been more popular and is used in culinary dishes, for health and wellness, and even for skin care. Ginger is a popular ingredient in bath products, especially in bath salts and bath bombs for its ability to boost energy, warm the body, and support stress. Ginger is a powerful ingredient that also increases circulation and allows the body to cleanse itself. Taking a ginger bath is the perfect way to relax your hard-working body at the end of a busy day. These fizzing bath bombs also contain oatmeal which is naturally soothing to your skin and can be used as a soap alternative for cleansing.  

  
When crafting mocktail recipes, I have several goals in mind. The first is to make a booze-free drink that tastes amazing and has the bite of a cocktail. I don't want my mocktails to just taste like juice or iced teas! Secondly, I do not like using alcohol-free spirits. I find it unnecessary when you can achieve similar flavors through the use of herbs. Lastly, I like to use botanical ingredients that also support health in various ways. With all of these things in mind, I crafted this stunning ruby red mocktail to support heart health.