It’s the time of year when I’m working my way through the last of our stored root vegetables and winter squash looking for ways to extend their lifespan and nutrition. With this in mind, I spent an afternoon last weekend hasselbacking. In its simplest form, hasselbacking is a special cutting method for raw vegetables (also some fruits and even bread) before roasting. The most common version is Hasselback potatoes: the Potato à la Hasselbacken or, in Swedish, hasselbackspotatis. The glory of this cutting/cooking method is that it allows you to get flavorful fats and your favorite herbs and spices down inside the food so all that deliciousness gets roasted in. Plus, hasselbacking makes your food so pretty!

The Caribbean islands, scattered between North and South America, are a hotspot of weather, plant biodiversity, and culture. Islands range from tropical rainforests to chilly mountain peaks, some densely saturated with remote mogotes: isolated, steep-sided mounds on otherwise flat plains. The high humidity and rainfall contribute to a lush flora and fauna. There are over 11,000 discovered plant species, 189 amphibian species, and 564 bird species. The Caribbean’s herbal traditions are rooted in this abundance of biodiversity.

All of us here at Mountain Rose Herbs are thrilled to embark on another year of exciting herbal event endeavors! Last year, we had the much-anticipated opportunity to reunite through in-person gatherings, along with continuing our virtual events to ensure herbal education remains accessible to those out of arms reach in the PNW. In 2024, we're looking forward to watching the blossoming return of herbal events and strengthening the bond of the ever-expanding herbalism community.

As herbalists, many of us create infusions (teas) with health and wellness in mind, choosing herbs based on what constituents they can provide us. As tea enthusiasts, we also care about the tea-drinking experience and the synergistic way that the flavors and aromas of different herbs can join together when put in hot water. It is this synergy that comes into play with tasting notes. Tasting notes are the descriptive language that connoisseurs use to help us understand the nuances at play in each cup: a set of terms to describe visual cues, aromas, taste, sensations, and more. I can’t tell you why ‘tangy, lively, and refreshing’ are the flavor notes in my everyday go-to drink-it-all-day herbal tea, but knowing those terms helps steer me toward other herbs and spices that work well together when making my own herbal tea blends.

I am a firm believer in broths for their gut-supporting, extremely tasty, and nourishing qualities. You can pack so much nutrition in each little sip. Adding a myriad of herbs to our broth base is the perfect vehicle for incorporating wellness into our modern lives.

Fermented rice water has a long history of use in Asia as a hair rinse. When we soak or cook rice, we capture the natural inositol from the grain in the water. Inositol is a form of sugar that our bodies naturally produce to provide structure to our cells, and is also found in some foods, including grains and legumes like rice. Inositol-rich rice water, especially when fermented, also carries proteins, vitamins, minerals, and amino acids believed to support a healthy scalp, hair strength, and shine. Want to take it up another notch? Infuse rice water with hair-loving herbs! 

.

When your moontime calls, listen to your body. She’s calling for nourishment and rest. Calling you back to yourself and your wise woman within. Back to the cycle of the moon within you—your womb, your hormonal cycle, your psyche. Give yourself permission to find a little quiet time to yourself. Soak in some extra self-care. Sip herbal infusions.

I like inclusivity in food, and my friends and family group includes omnivores and vegetarians/vegans, as well as people with food allergies, autoimmune diseases, religious restrictions, etc. I love to feed my people, so I’m always experimenting, which is how I found myself going down this agar-agar as a replacement for gelatin rabbit hole, and then one thing led to another, and I got curious to know how much agar is the right amount for the best mouthfeel in vegan gummies (welcome to my brain). I made elderberry juice gummies, which were tasty and a fun way to get an extra boost of vitamins and minerals. Then I discovered apple cider vinegar gummies—I love these little ACV morsels!

2023 was quite a year! While we worked hard to ensure access to pure, organic ingredients to support health and wellness, the Mountain Rose Herbs team also completed some exciting goals. As we reflect on the last year, we want to share our most notable accomplishments and extend our gratitude to you. We could not have accomplished these things without your incredible support. Here are some of our favorite initiatives from 2023 and a peek at what’s coming up in 2024.

There are over 12,000 species of seaweed drifting in synchrony with our ocean currents, but one type of these uniquely diverse sea botanicals has taken wellness communities by storm in recent years. Recipes and advertisements highlighting the nutritional benefits of “sea moss gel” have been buzzing around just about every corner of the wellness world, and for good reason! I first encountered sea moss on a Pinterest blog detailing a vegan “bone broth” recipe, which instantly hooked my attention. As a vegan with over a decade of my life spent experimenting with plant-based foods, replicating a vegan version of such an animal-oriented fare was not something I had considered to be a possibility before. This recipe sparked my interest in uncovering the endless array of creative uses and nutritional benefits the ocean provides for us in the form of aquatic grassy tangles: seaweed!

Sign Up to Receive Your Free Downloadable Gift Tags!

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.