A friend called the other day and before I had a chance to finish with “Hello” she asked, “What was that vinegar drink you made last summer? The zingy one with basil and berries?” It was a shrub: a “zingy” drinking vinegar infused with fruit. Apparently, my friend had a craving because berry season is upon us. It was a good reminder—this is a perfect time to start infusing vinegars with herbs and fruit for both refreshing summer drinks and herbal formulations for later in the year. I love the allure of a jar full of drinking vinegar and the potential it represents for delicious, healthful sipping. Infuse berries and we’re also well on our way to a perfect shrub cocktail/mocktail season.

I love to live fully within the seasons. I take in all the nuances of the seasonal elements, ebbing and flowing with the twists and turns of the weather and the expansion and contraction of daylight. This mindfulness practice allows me to connect with the “now” and fully appreciate all that the Earth shares with us through her wondrous cycles. 

Foggy brain and fuzzy focus affect many of us from time to time and during certain phases of our lives. While many herbs do indeed have a long history of use and modern research to support mental clarity, first it’s important to take a deep look at what’s going on in your life that’s draining your brain power to truly enhance your mental prowess and vitality.

All too often it’s easy to use the same spices over and over again. If they work, then why not? I sprinkle Italian seasoning on just about everything. Turmeric powder and smoked salt are two other popular staples in my houshold. But this season I was determined to bring some new flavors into my kitchen. I’m thrilled to say that these blends did just the trick!

If drinking warm milk before bed sounds like the kind of advice you might hear from your grandma—well, it turns out grandma knows best again! Drinking heated creamy beverages before bed has been practiced for centuries and has helped people all over the world drift off into a restful sleep. It is also commonly recommended by Ayurvedic practitioners to calm fiery doshas and to help balance the body before bed. Nowadays, these magical cups of comfort are often referred to as moon milks and incorporate herbs and spices to help assist the body in relaxation.

Spring is in the air, and I’m more than ready to refresh my spirits, feel the sun on my face, and set out on new adventures. With that in mind, I’ve been gathering up my supplies to craft some of my favorite DIY essential oil blends for spring, ones that our Mountain Rose Herbs’ in-house aromatherapist developed with careful intent to clear the mind of lingering winter fog and bring the power and pleasure of aromatherapy wherever we travel, whether it’s a grand European tour or a trip to the grocery store. Warmer days are just over the horizon, which means now is the perfect time to create diffuser blends, fragrance oils, and aroma sprays in preparation for the annual blossoming of spring.

Treat yourself or someone you love to a spa-scented shower experience with easy-to-create “Shower Steamer” tablets. Shower steamers use all-natural salts (typically baking soda) and essential oils. These little aromatherapy pucks can turn your shower into a spa-like experience. It is a simple product made up of just a few household ingredients and your favorite essential oils. The tablets dissolve slowly as you shower to create a lasting aromatherapy experience and the warm steam helps diffuse the scent. You can select scents that will energize, relax, or help with seasonal congestion.

Simple syrups are a fun and surprisingly useful ingredient to keep on hand in your refrigerator, especially when they are infused with your favorite herbs. A lot of people think of mocktails or cocktails when they think of simple syrups, and that’s definitely a good use for them. But they are equally wonderful added to carbonated water, as sweetener in tea, brushed on cakes or cupcakes, drizzled on yogurt or pancakes, and more. They are called “simple” syrup for a reason—if you can boil water, you can make simple syrup. And infusing simple syrups with herbs takes them from being a good ingredient to an amazing one! 

My youngest son loves ramen: both the hand-pulled noodle restaurant version and the instant kind. His passion for instant ramen is left over from his first foray, years ago, into the adult world of supporting himself on minimum wage. Thankfully, as he’s matured, he’s become more concerned about eating real food without the MSG, tBHQ, and astronomically high sodium content that is typical in grocery store ramen. But quick easy ramen is still the food he reaches for when he’s in a hurry and needs a fast meal… which explains my quest to develop an easy, healthy, homemade bouillon powder/paste that he can add to his noodle bowls in place of those unhealthy flavor packets that come in store-bought instant ramen noodles.

Many people want to get away from conventional hair and skin care products for two important reasons; they are full of unpronounceable synthetic ingredients that make it nearly impossible to know what we’re rubbing all over our bodies, and those over-the-counter products are packaged in materials that often can’t be reused or recycled. A lot of us first came to herbalism looking for natural, DIY alternatives. But in regard to skin and hair care formulations, it’s often not so simple.

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) a plant highly praised in the Ayurvedic tradition, is in the Solanaceae, or nightshade, family. It’s been said that the herb may give both energy and calmness to those plagued with physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion. The species name somnifera means sleep-inducing, whereas ashwagandha comes from the Sanskrit words “ashva” and “gandha,” meaning “horse smell” since some think the roots of this calming plant smell like a horse. To each their own in the smell department; however, being a trophorestorative herb, it can bring “horselike” strength and vitality when used consistently over time.  Ashwagandha has also been known to have a positive effect on cortisol levels due to real and perceived stress triggers and their subsequent physical and emotional symptoms. With stress being a way of life for many, the release of stress may also result in increased vigor and energy.