When you're hit by an afternoon slump, creative block, or some other difficulty that mires the mind, how do you get unstuck? Here at Mountain Rose Herbs, we like to get our creative juices flowing again with a cup of organic Memory Zest herbal tea! This blend is an essential fixture in our break room, where many of our team members seek out the cognitive support of its nootropic herbs to power through the workday.

When choosing or crafting a natural moisturizer for your face, it helps to understand the benefits and drawbacks of the different oils included in the recipe. Facial skin tends to be more delicate and sensitive than the rest of the body, and it can be a little tricky to adequately nourish your complexion without either smothering your pores or causing irritation. This is why organic rosehip seed oil is one of the most universally loved choices for gentle moisturizers. 

You know that moment when you try something for the first time and you have a "where-have-you-been-all-my-life" experience? Discovering dukkah (sometimes spelled duqqa, du’ah, or do’a) was one of those culinary moments for me. Since that dukkah eureka moment, I’ve made a point of keeping a container around all the time, in case I need a quick, healthy boost of energy or a punch of amazing sprinkle-on flavor to finish a dish.

As English Poet Laureate Alfred Austin said, “The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.” Here in the beautiful Willamette Valley, our Mediterranean climate can stretch the gardening “season” through most of the year, and many green thumbs take full advantage of this fact! That means spending a lot of time wrist-deep in soil, which can take its toll on hardworking hands.

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.