As I move and shake my way out of cool-weather hibernation (and try to shed some extra winter insulation), smoothies become the perfect breakfast and/or lunch for me. These nutritious drinks keep me feeling light, but still nourished and focused, and I love discovering new ingredients to add to my favorite blended recipes.

Saffron, often regarded as the world's most precious spice, offers numerous benefits beyond its captivating flavor and vibrant hue. Packed with various bioactive compounds, saffron can enhance culinary dishes and add a touch of luxury to mealtime. Its rich color and unique aroma make it a sought-after ingredient in traditional and contemporary cuisines. Beyond the kitchen, saffron's historical use in cultures around the world highlights its value in herbalism and holistic wellness practices. It contains bountiful antioxidants and has been known to support many of our body’s natural functions and mood support.

Mushrooms are often called a superfood because they are so nutrient-dense. They provide protein, fiber, and antioxidants. They contain essential vitamins and minerals. Even when we dehydrate them, they boast amazing nutritional value, which is why dried mushrooms and mushroom powders are such useful pantry items to have on hand. However, some of the most beneficial bioactive components in mushrooms, called beta-glucans—are in the chitin—the mushroom’s cell wall layers—which cannot be broken down by the human digestive system. To access these bioactive components, we must first extract them. Enter mushroom extracts and mushroom extract powders!

With summer on the horizon, my mixologist husband has started to plan for our annual hot-weather mocktails. He often has a theme in mind. For the last couple of years, he’s been working on functional fizzy drinks that are refreshing and match our wellness goals. This year—maybe because we are at an age where we’re starting to think more about ways to support our remaining brain plasticity and cognitive faculties—he’s focusing on herbs with nootropic properties that support the brain. So far, he has come up with two keepers using brain-friendly herbs that are going to make my patio afternoons delightful this summer.

Each year when Mother's Day rolls around, I seek gifts that will make Mom feel loved and appreciated. I also aim to get her gifts that she will actually use. You would think I'd have it down to a science by now, but as May rolls around each year, finding the right gift seems to get even harder. Maybe it's because the older I get, the more I appreciate my Mom and want her to know that, or maybe it's that I've gifted her so many things over the years that I want it to be different. What I do know is that she most enjoys my homemade gestures of love. She knows I took my time to make her something, tailored it to her preferences, and created things she can use instead of things that will collect dust or create clutter. 

Spring has come on fully here in the Willamette Valley! Flowers are opening, leaves are unfurling, local wildlife is abuzz with activity, and I for one am looking forward to longer and sunnier days. Warm nights will bring ample stargazing opportunities throughout the summer, and the impending solar eclipse on April 8^th will mean that many of us will be extra-aware of the closest and most important star of all, our beloved sun. With that in mind, I looked at the season ahead and felt inspired to revisit this stargazing tea blend. 

I am a sucker for a colorful drink, and I will sheepishly admit that this bevvy was inspired by a popular coffee chain sign featuring their newest summer drink, the “Iced Lavender Cream Oatmilk Matcha.” The colors and the anticipated flavors of lavender, matcha, and creamy oat milk made it irresistible. So I pulled out the gift card I had gotten months back and splurged! The verdict—it was good, but I could make it better with top-shelf organic ingredients!

We live in a time when being a foodie is a celebration. As the more middle-class cousins to gourmets and gastronomes, we foodies have the same discriminating palates and passion for flavor, experimentation, and a mix of food cultures to help us build our skills and develop our cooking hobbies. We’re also very good at cooking on a budget. In the world of mixologists—a particular breed of foodie—making gin is the perfect representation of this. It’s crazy-easy, doesn’t take long, and you end up with excellent alcohol without breaking the bank.

If there are three things that I love, they are sweets, botanicals, and Star Trek. Did I ever think I would be party to a recipe that would marry those things together? Not really, and to be fair, the Star Trek involvement in this recipe is pretty nonexistent. (However, if any Next Generation fans are reading this, I think you will appreciate the reference.) In all seriousness, we already know that sweets and botanicals go hand in hand, and we are always trying to find creative ways to combine the two. We recently stumbled upon this classic Mountain Rose Herbs caramel sauce recipe and could not resist bringing it back. Earl Grey fans to the front of the class, please! This recipe is for you.

I love a good Irish coffee. The conundrum, however, is that I generally limit my daily caffeine consumption to a morning espresso and I don’t want whiskey for breakfast, so it’s hard to figure out when to have said Irish coffee. St. Patricks Day is almost here and I'll be getting together in the afternoon with my coffee-loving friends and family, which will include traditional, festive Irish coffee. Happily, my talented mixologist of a husband recently got inspired by a tin of Mountain Rose Herbs herbal coffee. I wasn’t sure what he was up to tinkering away in the kitchen, and then he came out with this creamy glass of pure ambrosia. Although I am not generally an all-caps kind of woman, this herbal Irish coffee recipe is, OMG SO GOOD. Bonus: I can drink a glass in the evening and still get a good night’s sleep.

The Caribbean islands, scattered between North and South America, are a hotspot of weather, plant biodiversity, and culture. Islands range from tropical rainforests to chilly mountain peaks, some densely saturated with remote mogotes: isolated, steep-sided mounds on otherwise flat plains. The high humidity and rainfall contribute to a lush flora and fauna. There are over 11,000 discovered plant species, 189 amphibian species, and 564 bird species. The Caribbean’s herbal traditions are rooted in this abundance of biodiversity.