I love taco bowls. These deconstructed tacos are packed with nutrition, big on flavor, and easy to customize for a variety of palates, even on a weeknight when you don’t have much time. I generally look to my garden for what to include, so they change by the seasons in our home. This autumn-inspired taco bowl is an annual favorite, combining winter squash or sweet potatoes with black beans for a hearty protein- and fiber-rich bowl that pleases everyone in the family.

Herbal beverages are among the easiest ways to enjoy the power of plants. The combinations of herbs are virtually limitless, and you have the flexibility of adding a pinch of this or a dash of that depending on your flavor and wellness goals. I love that they aren’t a big-time commitment like other herbal preparations and when you pair them with a menstruum like apple cider vinegar, you get the added benefit of gut support.

Irradiation of food is a topic that is increasingly showing up as a point of concern for Mountain Rose customers, so I want to take a minute to talk about this timely subject. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of food irradiation in 1963 to kill bacteria, molds, insects, etc. in wheat and flour. Today, the FDA has approved irradiation for fruits, vegetables, eggs in the shell, spices and seasonings, sprouting seeds, poultry, crustaceans and shellfish, and red meats. Food irradiation involves exposing foods to one of three different types of ionizing radiation: gamma rays from cobalt-60, x-rays, or electron beams. The FDA uses this technology to improve food safety and extend storage and shelf life. Meanwhile, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Organics Program (NOP), which oversees the nation’s organics labeling, prohibits the use of irradiation to treat organic products because the process alters the natural state of food. These two opposing views present consumers with something of a conundrum.

If I told you there’s a pantry staple that can soothe sore muscles and calm irritated skin, would you guess it’s vinegar? It’s true! From minor aches to dry or itchy skin, I turn to herbal vinegar baths. On its own, a cup or two of vinegar in the tub will leave skin soft and rejuvenated with a healthful glow. But herb-infused vinegars take this concept a step further, using plant constituents to boost the already impressive benefits of a vinegar bath.

On August 30, 2023, we will experience a super blue moon. Astronomers say it will be the closest, biggest, brightest full moon of the year. To me, this super full moon holds the potential to illuminate stagnant thoughts and emotions, both of which are good self-work for me right now. I am planning to spend the evening seeking clarity from these “peripheral” thoughts so I can move into them or on from them healthily and productively.

Since time immemorial, people have looked to herbs to support healthy, beautiful hair. In the modern world, however, mainstream haircare products are typically made from chemicals: including sulfates, parabens, synthetic fragrances, formaldehyde, phthalates like DEHP, and other toxic ingredients. When we use these products, we increase our exposure to potentially harmful chemicals every time we wash and/or style our hair. It behooves us to take a look at natural herbal haircare practices. As well as being chemical-free, the best haircare herbs are time-tested; they have been used by humans for thousands of years. Herbal blends, infusions, extracts, and other botanical formulations bring the power of nature to nourish and stimulate the scalp, strengthen and moisturize follicles, soften hair, restore shine and bounce, help with manageability, and more.

Perhaps every herbalist or skincare formulator has a recipe that once wholly intimidated them. Homemade lotion was one of those for me. I had a pretty epic and expensive DIY lotion fail once, and it took me a long time to build up enough confidence to try blending water and oil into something usable again. Mountain Rose’s organic sweetgrass hydrosol was the impetus to suck up my courage and try again. Its subtle, honeyed aroma has a wonderfully green-earth undertone that makes it a perfect base for a variety of skincare formulations, from facial toners to body sprays to lotions. In this simple lotion recipe, I love it with just a touch of vanilla in the form of organic benzoin resin.

When the thermometer starts pushing up into the 90s, my good attitude takes a corresponding nosedive. As a Western Oregon pluviophile, I prefer my summer heat in small doses, preferably bookended by big cooling rain storms. So here we are in the annual dog days of summer when the days and nights are too hot, there do not appear to be any rainstorms on the horizon, and my whole self is on a 24/7 quest to pretty much always have something cold, hydrating, and nourishing in my hand to refresh my body and soul. Not only does this wonder-beverage need to be a delicious vehicle to support deep hydration and body and mind wellness, but it also has to be easy to whip up at a moment's notice. Fortunately, I am married to a talented mixologist. When the weather gets hot, he makes sure to have all the ingredients on hand for easy beat-the-heat carbonated drinks that include herbal extracts and syrups for an added wellness boost.

With the heat and sun come sunburn, heat rash, heat exhaustion, and even heat stroke. There are things we can do to prevent these from happening and natural remedies for when they do.

In modern Western culture, people often disregard dreams as mere fluff that our brains discard as we slumber. But throughout history and cultures, humans have valued dreaming in different ways. Dreams are seen as a door or bridge to the spirit world or the subconscious. They are often full of symbology from our lives, become outlets for our deepest concerns and fears, or offer us tools for self-reflection and a map to our current state of mind and heart. Although we can dream at any stage of sleep, our most vivid dreams occur during our REM (rapid eye movement) sleep cycle, so depending on how well we sleep, we may spend more than two hours each night in some form of dream state. Sleep researchers tell us that deep non-REM sleep rests our bodies and refills our tanks to start another day and REM sleep is crucial for dreaming, memory consolidation, emotional processing, and healthy brain development.

Slime—that strange substance that defies Newton’s laws of viscosity—has been a staple in store toy aisles for almost 50 years and the DIY versions have been around almost as long. The typical school-science-project slime recipe involves mixing either borax or contact lens solution with PVA glue and water. The science behind it is a chemical reaction between the polyvinyl acetate in the glue and the borate ions in the contact solution or borax, an action called cross-linking that results in a logic-defying substance that is a whole lot of fun to play with. However, fascinating DIY science aside, too much exposure to boron—which is the base of borax, boric acid, and also, ironically, that contact lens solution—can cause respiratory, skin, and eye irritation, and when ingested can lead to nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Note the caution on the front of a box of borax detergent: Caution: Eye irritant, may be harmful if swallowed. Needless to say, that DIY slime hack is not ideal for small children, particularly those who tend to taste-test things. Fortunately for the child in all of us, you can make slime from psyllium husk!