Dandelion and Cacao Bitters for Digestion

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Thousands of years ago, humans discovered the wellness-supporting qualities of bitter herbs. Presumably we started out eating them, but soon enough we were refining them into tonics, digestive aids, and extracts. In folklore, it was Mithridates, king of Pontus, who formulated the first bitters while trying to make an antidote for poisons and venoms. I suppose if I’d spent years trying to make a universal poison antidote and ended up with a really excellent digestive aid, I might be disappointed. But looking at it now, that antidote still doesn’t exist and bitters have come to the aid of millions of people throughout time. So, chin up Mithridates, you did good.

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Posted by Heidi

Easy Winter Health Formulas

It’s been a long couple of years. Many of us are feeling mental fatigue and existential stress, which negatively impacts our immune systems and overall wellbeing. This year, having some easy winter health formulas on hand feels more important than ever. They can’t cure the state of our world, but they often can help support our immune systems before we get sick and can provide some relief when we’ve caught whatever winter crud is going around. The following formulas have been Mountain Rose Herbs' favorites for a long time and are wonderful additions to your winter care routine. From our home to yours, we wish you a healthy, restful winter!

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Posted by Heidi

Adaptogenic Chai Tea Recipe with Astragalus

If you’ve ever checked the ingredients list on your favorite chai blend, you may have found yourself dizzied by the long list of herbs and spices involved. While such an assortment might take some work to assemble, this variety also makes chai spice recipes a delicious way to enjoy a whole host of beneficial botanicals in a single cup. And one of our favorite additions, from both a flavor and wellness perspective, is sweet and adaptogenic astragulus root.

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Posted by Jessicka

Benefits and History of Lemon Balm + Tea Recipes

I’ll admit it, I have some big, sappy feelings about lemon balm. You might even say that I have an herbal crush on the plant, and let’s be honest, I don’t think I’m the only one. This herb tends to evoke that feeling in its fans. We don’t just use lemon balm we also hold a deep and abiding affection for it. When we decided to write blog posts about our favorite herbs, it made me pause and ask myself just what it is about lemon balm that I love so much? I am a creature guided by my gut feelings and intuition. Which can be wonderful, but admittedly, not the most scientific approach. So, I sat down to do some research on my beloved Melissa officinalis.

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Posted by Maia

Ginger Root: Cultivation, History, and Recipes

Have you ever asked yourself, “What herbs and spices would I bring to a desert island?” It’s a fun exercise to think about what you can’t live without. Salt, nettles, and ginger root top my list! Ginger root’s warm, spicy flavor makes the perfect addition to Thai and Indian dishes. It also uplifts healthful tea and drink recipes, like this Turmeric Ginger Tea. Ginger root (Zingiber officinale) supports healthy digestion and helps relieve occasional upset stomach and nausea.* Making a simple ginger root tea when I was pregnant really helped me stay grounded. I think of ginger as this wonderous plant ally, but it wasn’t until recently that I researched the history and cultivation of it. Now I have a renewed love of ginger!

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Posted by Alyssa

Benefits and History of Slippery Elm Bark + Tea Recipe

Slippery elm (Ulmus rubra) is one of the best known medicinal tree barks. It has a history of use that goes back thousands of years—North American First Nations people utilized slippery elm for a variety of health issues and introduced it to European colonists, who quickly incorporated it into their pharmacopoeia. As cited in Henry H. Gibson’s American Forest Trees, published in 1913, it became a household remedy which most families in the country provided and kept in store along with catnip, mandrake, sage, dogwood blossoms, and other rural remedies which were depended upon to rout diseases in the days when physicians were few..... Today, when physicians are more plentiful, it continues to be a profoundly effective mucilaginous demulcent that is a standard in western herbalism. Let’s take a moment to talk about this ancient ally. 

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Posted by Heidi

Forgotten Cookie Recipe With Yaupon Tea

“Forgotten cookies” are an American classic and a perfect vehicle for America’s “forgotten” tea. If you’ve been reading along with my blogs here at Mountain Rose Herbs, you know I got seriously into yaupon tea this year. As a bonafide history nerd, I first became fascinated with the story of America's only native tea plant and then, of course, I had to try it. I’ll spare you the history lesson, but yaupon is an excellent caffeinated tea choice for me because it isn’t bitter, it can be re-steeped more than once without a change in flavor, and it provides a gentle caffeine boost and increased focus without the jitteriness I sometimes get from coffee or Camellia sinensis based teas. It’s also loaded with theophylline, theobromine, and a plethora of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, etc. I’ve been experimenting with multiple ways to bring it into my diet to replace other caffeine. This summer I brewed it with cooling hibiscus, sweetened it with a little honey, and kept it in the refrigerator to have delicious hibiscus-yaupon iced tea on hand. And then, one evening when I was in a cookie baking mood and perusing some of my favorite recipes, I thought of forgotten cookies and had the quintessential lightbulb moment: forgotten cookies + forgotten tea = pure joy.

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Posted by Heidi

How to Make a Warming Herbal Cocktail with Tinctures

I notice winter first when the leaves begin to dry, fade, and fall. I imagine the life force of the tree receding back into its trunk and underground roots. I feel a bit melancholic at first—not wanting to have to follow nature’s lead in hunkering down and going in. But I’ve come to love Fall as a season as full as any other, with its own flavors, rhythms, and herbal remedies.

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Posted by Rachelle Robinett

How to Make Smreka: A Fermented Juniper Berry Drink

I’m always looking to expand my palate and learn new recipes from across the globe. Bonus points if they’re simple, and extra bonus points if they’re fermented. I was beyond delighted to discover a recipe for the Bosnian fermented beverage “smreka” which fits both of those specs. I first learned about this recipe from Sandor Katz’s classic (and must have) book The Art of Fermentation. Fermented foods are known to have a beneficial effect on your gut health, and thus, your overall health. In short, the good bacteria found in fermented food assists in the digestion process. As they say, “You aren’t what you eat, you’re what you digest."

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Posted by Mason

Summer Cocktail: A Refreshing Herbal Highball

It’s hot in Oregon this summer. Really, really hot. Which means it’s time for my favorite cooling herbal cocktail. When the thermometer is pushing uncomfortably into the 90s (and just don’t even get me started on our recent 111 day here in Eugene), I start thinking about a good hibiscus highball. The beauty of this highball is that it uses ingredients I always have on hand and gives me easy options to customize flavors for different people with my choices of tea and ginger beer. I like to use our Hibiscus High Tea because it is full of some of my favorite herbal allies and I love the cooling power and gorgeous, deep red of hibiscus. Sometimes I also brew up a Lemon Tea or Vanilla Rooibos for a delicious change of pace. Enjoy!

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Posted by Shawn

Understanding Herbal Actions and How They Support the Microbiome

We now know that microflorae in our gut, which have evolved in a symbiotic relationship with us over time, directly influence—either positively or negatively—every aspect of our health and wellbeing, including our digestion, immune functions, neurological and emotional health, hormonal balance, cardiovascular strength, and more. Attracting beneficial microflorae (the ones that flip the genetic switches toward health and balance) is a matter of making healthy food and lifestyle choices. In other words, what we eat tips the scales towards wellbeing or dis-ease. When we choose to eat an organic plant-based diet high in phytonutrients, antioxidants, and dietary fiber, we attract a much more diverse, healthy, and resilient microbiome, which in turn strengthens our defenses against illness and unhealthy aging. In this line of defense, carminative, nervine, bitter, and demulcent herbs can be leveraged much like secret agents who step in to fend off undesirable effects.

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Dandelion and Cacao Bitters for Digestion

People have been utilizing aromatic bitters for thousands of years as digestive aids. Make your own digestive bitters or cocktail bitters with this easy recipe.
WRITTEN BY Heidi

February 17, 2022

Easy Winter Health Formulas

Natural remedies for winter wellness are easy to make and handy to keep around for those moments when our immune systems need a little extra support.
WRITTEN BY Heidi

January 15, 2022

Adaptogenic Chai Tea Recipe with Astragalus

Sip wellness support with this DIY chai blend with astragalus, an adaptogenic, immuno-supportive root with a sweet flavor to complement warming spices!
WRITTEN BY Jessicka

January 8, 2022

Benefits and History of Lemon Balm + Tea Recipes

Learn about the history, benefits, and uses of one of the most beloved and versatile herbs, lemon balm.
WRITTEN BY Maia

December 5, 2021

Ginger Root: Cultivation, History, and Recipes

Ginger has a long history of assisting with digestive function and making a tasty addition to food and beverages. Learn more about ginger root's healthful qualities.
WRITTEN BY Alyssa

November 12, 2021

Benefits and History of Slippery Elm Bark + Tea Recipe

Slippery elm bark has been used for thousands of years for a variety of health issues. Learn more about this powerful demulcent.
WRITTEN BY Heidi

October 28, 2021

Forgotten Cookie Recipe With Yaupon Tea

Whether you’re planning your holiday cookie tray or just craving a cookie, this easy gluten-free forgotten cookie recipe with yaupon tea is a must-try.
WRITTEN BY Heidi

October 25, 2021

How to Make a Warming Herbal Cocktail with Tinctures

Learn how to make a warming low-alcohol cocktail with herbal tinctures. (Hot and cold variations!)
WRITTEN BY Rachelle Robinett

October 5, 2021

How to Make Smreka: A Fermented Juniper Berry Drink

Learn how to make Smreka, a traditional Bosnian drink made from fermented juniper berries.
WRITTEN BY Mason

September 3, 2021

Summer Cocktail: A Refreshing Herbal Highball

When the weather turns hot, a refreshing highball cocktail made with cooling herbal tea is our summer drink of choice.
WRITTEN BY Shawn

August 19, 2021

Understanding Herbal Actions and How They Support the Microbiome

Learn how to utilize the principles of herbal actions to help support the microbiome and find a simple gut-soothing recipe for the morning.
WRITTEN BY Crystal Dawn Silas, MD- Guest Writer

August 19, 2021