Eucalyptus essential oil has become a staple in the collections of aromatherapy dabblers and experts alike. Steam distilled from the leaves and twigs of the Eucalyptus globulus tree, this oil is well known for its cleaning properties and ability to support open breathing. With a little practice, this distinctive essence may easily become one of the most versatile oils in your aromatherapy and green living toolkit!

My husband got a job as a short-order breakfast cook when he was in high school. It was in that restaurant that he learned how to make ghee. I didn’t know this about him until one day, as I was making some herbal ghee, he said, “Oh yeah, ghee makes everything taste better!” He then proceeded to tell me the story of why he was such a master at throwing together a great breakfast. He dished out thousands of meals in that restaurant job, and all the egg dishes were cooked in ghee.

Dandelions tell us that spring is here! Often among the first flowers to emerge, especially in northern climates, dandelions bring important early nectar to honeybees and lift the hearts of all who anticipate longer days and warmer temperatures. The golden orbs fill lawns and meadows and even appear between the cracks in concrete. Dandelion is both tenacious and generous, and is one of our most-needed plant medicines.

In spring, buds burst with potential energy, flowers push up from under the snow, and, according to Chinese medicine, the Wind blows change, energy, and wellness disturbances hither and thither. Spring is associated with the Wood element, in its upward, outward expansion and infinite possibilities.

Selecting the best products and ingredients for skincare can be daunting, and baby’s skin is even more delicate and sensitive than our own. The lists of ingredients on baby care products are often a mile-long and contain hard-to-read and unrecognizable ingredient names. Many commercial baby care products even include chemicals that may have harmful side effects. No thanks! Luckily, there are plenty of natural baby care offerings available these days, and many baby basics are easy enough for even a busy parent to make—like this simple massage oil recipe!

It’s nettle harvest time! How humans came to figure out that nettles are a powerhouse of goodness is beyond me. They contain potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, zinc, and a treasure trove of other vitamins and minerals. But as a kid growing up in the Coast Range of western Oregon, my entire relationship with nettles involved trying not to get stung by those wicked trichomes while romping through the woods. So, kudos to the first brave nettle-harvesting souls, because they figured out (as I now know) that harvesting nettles without getting stung is actually easy, and this puts urtica dioica on my list as a versatile and delicious herb.

 As we move into spring and summer, along come the parties and feasts—and thus your chance to surprise and delight your family and friends with the herbal deliciousness and digestive effectiveness of your homemade cordials. There is nothing that signifies a celebration quite like topping off a meal with a round of your own handcrafted herbal liquor.

In 400 B.C.E., in his On Regimen in Acute Diseases, Hippocrates wrote, “You will find the drink, called oxymel, often very useful…for it promotes expectoration and freedom of breathing.” It’s too bad I didn’t have that definition the first time I saw the word “oxymel,” because I came across the term right about the same time that I was reading the Harry Potter series to my daughter. This might explain why an oxymel sounds to me like something one would whip up in potions class.

I distinctly remember the first time I tried mochi. I was adorned in a kimono that was provided by the kindergarten I attended on the island of Oahu, and we were celebrating Hinamatsuri, or Girls’ Day, a spring festival that takes place every March 3 to celebrate the health and well-being of young girls. The tender, sweet, and gooey-textured mochi cake had me hooked from the very first nibble. Mochi is a traditional rice flour cake consumed year-round in Japan, but often is reserved for special occasions and holidays.

Not long ago, I had the pleasure of driving down the I-5 and back, taking detours to explore lakes and forests along the way. This road trip was planned well in advance, so I had time to prepare a few herbal luxury items, including some herb-infused witch hazel for freshening up our faces and this lovely portable hand cleanser recipe incorporating a homemade four thieves® essential oil blend.   

I like to think of folk herbalism as the herbal modality of the people. It is a general term encompassing plant remedies used by common “folk,” and it varies based on the traditions and local plants with which a given community has formed a relationship. One of the most accessible aspects of folk herbalism is the use of parts as measurement, which is sometimes referred to as the Simpler’s Method. This easy and universal measuring system has been used for recipes and formulations passed though many generations and continues to be used as the method of the people today.