My partner and I find great joy in sharpening our novice mixology skills in our kitchen overlooking the Douglas fir-covered hills of Eugene, Oregon. Having daily access to thousands of herbal delights at Mountain Rose Herbs has really upped our homemade cocktail game!

Matcha is an alluring powdered green tea with deep historical roots in Japanese tea ceremonies. Like all true teas, matcha is produced from the tender young leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant. The way in which the leaves are grown and processed is what sets matcha apart from other green teas. All matcha is shade-grown, hand-harvested, and quickly steamed. After steaming, the stems and veins are removed from each leaf, and the leaves are then left to dry flat before being stone-ground into a fine powder. Whether whisked hot in the traditional preparation, or combined with milk and honey poured over ice, matcha offers a truly remarkable flavor experience!

Ever since my husband became vegan, I’ve been re-crafting my mother’s recipes, including her scrumptious organic coconut macaroons. My family doesn’t actually have much of a sweet tooth, so when I remove the dairy from recipes, I like to cut down on sugar as well. These egg-free and dairy-free cookies are made with unsweetened, finely-milled organic coconut flakes. In my experience as a macaroon maker, I’ve found that smaller coconut flakes help minimize the amount of flour needed and maximize the amount of delicious coconut flavor. They’re perfect for any occasion! 

Recently, Mountain Rose Herbs visited Devon Young of the Nitty Gritty Life homesteading blog on her beautiful property in Amity, Oregon. Nestled between the rolling green hills of wine country, her charming old-fashioned farmhouse bustles with eight children, a host of farm animals, and some friendly furry pets. Devon truly homesteads (“doing things the hard way”), which means she practices subsistence agriculture as much as possible.

Easy to make and a great self-care tool to always have on hand, lip balm is one of my favorite DIY projects to make at home. With endless options for scents and butters, they can be fully customized and take only 10 minutes from start to final pour to make. Plus, you end up with a beautiful finished product without a long list of chemicals (like what you might find in some big brand lip balms).

The moment I fell in love with cooking was when I discovered the power of organic spices. I grew up in a house where vegetables were almost always steamed with a bit of salt, pepper, and butter. That being the case, I was not a veggie fan. Of course as I grew older, I learned that I’d have to find a way to enjoy what I knew to be an uninspiring source of nutrients.

Chili-based condiments have a nuanced world of their own. Often shelved away in the bottoms of pantries and pushed to the ends of recipe books, there are more variations of these spicy delights than one could imagine. Harissa paste is one such delicacy. Like many of the spice blends I’m familiar with, this harissa recipe uses cumin and coriander, but it shines with flagrant uniqueness because of its citrusy tang, hint of caraway, and unbeatable chili flavor.

Besides being a practical skill to know, making your own soap from scratch is a fun way to express yourself creatively while producing something that's useful and great for your skin. By following this simple recipe, you can make basic unscented bars of soap, or customize them by adding organic herbs, flowers, essential oils, and other skin-loving ingredients.

I’m hardly being hyperbolic when I state that I think world peace could be negotiated over a plate of shortbread cookies and a cup of organic Earl Grey tea. In fact, I think I have solved some of my own most pressing concerns with just that combination. Now, this may all be owing to my Scottish heritage and my penchant for all things old-fashioned and steeped in tradition—I am, after all, just an antique girl living in a modern world—but I am not alone in my belief in the power of a good shortbread cookie!

One of my favorite herbal preparations to make is a salve. For me, the aroma of wax and olive oil always evokes memories of summers spent adventuring through the beautiful wild places of the Pacific Northwest.