Out of all the chocolate-covered fruit confectioneries, cherry cordials (a.k.a. chocolate-covered maraschino cherries) fall to the bottom of my sweet tooth cravings barrel. Now, I know that starting by proclaiming my distaste for the very treat this recipe is inspired by may sound counterintuitive, but trust me when I say it has nothing to do with chocolate or cherries! My gripe with cherry cordials has much more to do with the artificial, rather cloying qualities of maraschino cherries. With the heavy pour of corn syrup, artificial cherry flavoring, and Red 40 dye, it is hard to believe that there were once real cherries buried beneath all that unnecessary chemical nonsense.

Here's to the many wonderful herbal events that took place in 2024 and the upcoming event endeavors we're thrilled to continue embarking on in 2025! All of us here at Mountain Rose Herbs are looking forward to blossoming new and old connections in the new year and continue strengthening the bond of the ever-expanding herbalism community all throughout 2025. 

I remember fondly the moment I finished my herbalism degree program. Even though that was almost 20 years ago, the sense of accomplishment I felt is still palpable. However, what I wasn’t prepared for in that moment all those years ago was the mountain that stood between my successes as a student and my goal of becoming a practicing clinician. At its base I stood, well-trained in the art and science of clinical herbalism, yet lacking the entrepreneurial tools I needed to forge into clinical practice…and this is how I almost lost the path altogether. I wasn’t prepared for the reality that clinical herbal practice is a business and a tricky one at that.

  
When crafting mocktail recipes, I have several goals in mind. The first is to make a booze-free drink that tastes amazing and has the bite of a cocktail. I don't want my mocktails to just taste like juice or iced teas! Secondly, I do not like using alcohol-free spirits. I find it unnecessary when you can achieve similar flavors through the use of herbs. Lastly, I like to use botanical ingredients that also support health in various ways. With all of these things in mind, I crafted this stunning ruby red mocktail to support heart health.

Even from a young age, I turned to nature for healing—most often in the arms of the large beech tree outside my home. I would seek solace in the strong limbs until I felt safe and restored. As I jumped down to the ground, I gathered dandelion blossoms and plantain seed heads, twisting them into flower crowns. Long before I knew about the physical properties of the herbs, I instinctively felt called to the plants. I felt safe in nature and I knew I could always turn to her.

What is an Herbarium?

An herbarium is a collection of herbal monographs that catalog your study of plants. Each plant has its own section and is called a monograph. In the past, herbariums included pressed and dried plant specimens to show as many of the plant parts as possible and in different stages of growth. This “proved” the plants’ identities. In our digital age, materia medica specimens primarily utilize images and drawings of the plants.

Certain flavor combinations hold a special place in my heart (and my tastebuds). Many of these flavors include household names such as chocolate and peanut butter, caramel and sea salt, or apples and cinnamon. While all of these dynamic duos are undeniably delicious, my tastebuds have lately become infatuated with a lesser-known flavor combination—citrus and sage. Something truly magical happens when bright, mouth-puckering citrus comes into contact with peppery, earthy sage, and it’s no secret why this is!

Well, it’s official folks. We’ve approached the time of year when the gloomy clouds outside aren’t the only ones feeling under the weather. “Sniffle season” has been rearing its particularly unpleasant head around the Pacific Northwest this year, and it’s beginning to feel a bit like a game of “last man standing” within my family (which I did not win). Being bogged down with a case of the sniffles during the chilly winter months can make the damp weather and shorter days feel all the more dreary. So, having a well-equipped herbal toolbelt can lend an invaluable helping hand towards making it through the germy winter season unscathed. One of my most relied on tools in my seasonally supportive toolbelt this time of year is herbal-infused syrups.

Herbal medicine is found around the world and is still used by many societies as a primary form of healthcare. Both Western Herbal Medicine and Chinese Medicine (CM) utilize herbs to maintain vitality, but their philosophies and classifications differ significantly. In Western herbal medicine, tonics are herbs used to tone and strengthen the body. In CM, however, tonic, or more accurately, "supplementing” herbs serve a broader function, working to balance the body's vital energies, including qi, blood, yin, and yang. This article will clarify the distinctions between Western tonics and CM supplementing herbs, providing a deeper understanding of their unique roles. It will also explore five key Chinese supplementing herbs. 

I’m not going to lie, my excitement anytime I encounter a slushy or blended beverage on a menu is almost childlike. I suppose I could try to play it cool (no pun intended), but hey, it’s the little things, right? Here at Mountain Rose Herbs, we are always brainstorming ways to incorporate herbs into beloved recipes and with more people looking to reduce or replace alcohol, I decided to make a slushy mocktail! I got to thinking about which herbal flavor profiles would lend themselves best in a delicious frozen bevvy. It didn’t take long before I landed on our orange cream rooibos tea blend. Using this blog for homemade creamsicles as inspiration, I set out to craft an herbal orange cream mocktail slushy.

I’ve always been curious about dish soap bars. As a person who tries to reduce single-use plastics in my home, dish soap was one of the areas that needed some work. In full transparency, I had the same doubts I had when I made my homemade liquid laundry soap with soap nuts. Luckily in both cases, I was wrong and can once and for all ditch another source of plastic in my home!