Throughout spring and summer, I crave the fresh, creamy texture and flavor of a nourishing matcha latte—first hot, then iced, and then in cooling dessert form. When I discovered homemade matcha ice cream, I wasn’t sure I could take my green obsession any further. But when my friend suggested a mid-July home spa day, and we started brainstorming ideas for herbal tea facials, I found myself thinking about matcha in a whole new way.

With the start of autumn come vibrant red maple leaves, cooler temperatures, and the ubiquitous resurgence of pumpkin pie spice. Our blend of organic and fair-trade ingredients is the perfect way to welcome back the season of sweaters, ciders, pies, and family gatherings.

When I moved from my home state of New Jersey to beautiful Oregon, I was exposed to so many new things. Among my favorite discoveries were the abundant, handwritten road signs that advertised fresh local produce, eggs, and honey. Intrigued and excited by these signs, I stopped in to meet my local neighborhood beekeeper, who was thrilled that I knocked on his door to say hello. He brought me over to his hives and taught me a lot about what it means to care for bees. I wanted to support my farm neighbor, so I bought a gallon of honey. What I was going to do with that much honey, I had yet to figure out.

I first encountered jojoba oil about 10 years ago, and I have loved it ever since. Used alone or blended with my favorite cosmetic butters and oils, jojoba is a body care dynamo! The qualities of this oil are very similar to the sebum produced by our skin to help it stay moisturized, making a noncomedogenic (non-pore-clogging) option with a wide range of natural self care applications.

Glazed popcorn and autumnal weather are a perfect match, and I dared to enhance the experience by adding everyone’s favorite fall flavor—pumpkin pie spice! There’s no snack better to pass around a backyard bonfire with my friends while telling our favorite stories from summer.

With the start of autumn come vibrantly colored leaves, cooler temperatures, and the ubiquitous pumpkin-pie-spiced-everything! But you don’t have to trek to the nearest coffee shop or ice cream parlor to enjoy this seasonal taste treat—you can savor this flavor in the comfort of your own kitchen. With Mountain Rose Herbs’ organic pumpkin pie spice blend, you can easily craft your own seasonal creations at home.

If you enjoy exploring new additions to your home spa routine, you may have already encountered sheet masks. This trending skincare innovation came to prominence with the arrival of K-Beauty in the Western world and has rapidly gained international popularity as a fast and simple way to enjoy some indulgent self care.

Herbal salves are such a simple, effective, and useful way to take in herbal goodness! They can easily be slipped into a purse, pocket, or first aid kit. Although semi-solid at room temperature, salves soften once applied to the skin, making them less messy than oils. They also make great gifts and are an easy and approachable way to introduce newbies to the power of herbs. Plus, salves can be crafted for a wide variety of topical uses. The addition of beeswax will protect, soothe, and nourish your skin.

When spring hits, my body craves green things like nobody’s business! There’s nothing like a bowl of the season’s first new growth to connect with nature’s fresh, revitalizing energy, and salad inspiration abounds around every turn. As the season progresses, however, I find my tastes evolving with it, and though my love of all things leafy wanes not at all, I begin craving other texture and flavor combinations beyond a raw bowl of greenery.

The world of herbalism is intriguing, vast . . . and sometimes intimidating! Projects like creating tinctures using the percolation method, or making your own mead, can seem daunting for those new to the botanical arts. That's why when we're trying to help a friend get started in herbs without overwhelming them, we often recommend one of our favorite herbalism projects for beginners: making herb-infused oils.

It’s not news that many Oregonians love to enrich themselves with good local produce that is sustainably and organically grown. And with the abundance of explorable nature surrounding us, portability is a major plus when choosing healthy snacks to enjoy during a rewarding hike through an old-growth forest or along our scenic coastlines. When preparing your provisions before hitting the trail, Real Live Food Oregon (RLFO) has you covered!