Have you ever read Willow & Sage magazine? It’s a lovely publication that shares recipes, crafts, gardening, uses, and packaging ideas for handmade botanical bath, body, and natural home products. Many creatives contribute these recipes, articles, and photos which make up this unique magazine.
I am so excited to share that a photo I took is on the cover of Willow & Sage magazine’s latest issue, and two articles I wrote are inside! You can find this issue at, among other retailers, Barnes & Noble and Joann, both of which I did on August 1 to see it out in the wild with my own eyes. I am very excited and proud to be a part of this publication!
I wrote the cover article with the recipe for warming ginger lotion bars, as well as an article and recipe for coffee and rose aromatherapy oil. I loved crafting these cozy and creative botanical projects, and I can’t wait to follow the other recipes in this issue to make some amazing creations by all the other contributors.
Thank you to Willow & Sage for this opportunity! I am so thankful for this chance to flex my creative muscles and brew up recipes such as these.
Thank you so much to everyone who purchases a copy or subscription of Willow & Sage, too! I am so grateful for all the ways you support my work.
It may not be pumpkin spice time yet (Says who? It’s always pumpkin spice time to me!) but apples are ripening and it’s a great time to whip up some apple crisp. I am gathering with friends this evening, so I made a chai apple crisp that is gluten-free for one of my friends’ dietary needs.
You can’t fault me for rushing Autumn if I’m using chai spices! And anyway, there are so many benefits to chai spices. Medicinally they’re immunity boosting, digestion aiding, circulation stimulating, and so much more—check out THIS blog post for more on that. Chai spices also help soothe, relax, and even help with sleep. And symbolically / spiritually, many of these warming spices are said to bring prosperity, protection, joy, and divinatory insight. Plus, they’re just cozy and tasty! Perfect for a gathering with friends paired with tart Granny Smith apples.
Here is the recipe!
Gluten-Free Chai Apple Crisp—
Ingredients
For the filling—
8-10 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced or chopped
2 Tbsp gluten-free flour blend
2 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp pumpkin spice mix (cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves) or ¼ tsp of each
1/4 – 1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
For the crumble—
1 cup gluten-free old-fashioned oats
1/2 cup gluten-free flour blend
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
1/8 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cardamom
1 stick of butter of choice, cold, cubed
Method
Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease a 9 x 13 glass baking dish and set aside.
Prepare apples and put in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle with sugar, flour, and spices and stir to coat; add vanilla extract and stir again. Scoop this mixture into your greased baking dish.
In the same mixing bowl if you’d like, mix the oats, flour, spices, and salt well. (If you’d like to ease back on the spices, omit them from the crumble.) Add the brown sugar and butter and cut in with a pastry blender or fork until pebbly consistency is reached. Sprinkle over the apple filling evenly.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes; cool before serving.
Notes
Serves 6-8
Substitute in your favorite chai spices and play around with the amounts to your preference!
Would also be amazing with walnuts in the crumble topping.
This recipe could easily be adapted to be non gluten free with conventional flour.
Are you a big fan of apple crisp? And do you think August is too soon for it? Let me know in the comments!
Someone recently brought up in conversation that she is trying to wean herself off coffee, and it made me think about coffee alternatives. I don’t think it is necessarily as simple as swapping out any tea or herbal tea for your morning joe. Especially since some want to cut caffeine completely, some just want to reduce their intake, and some have non-caffeine related issues with coffee instead like stomach problems.
I am personally still a coffee drinker, even though I am a home herbalist and spend so much time blending and drinking herbal and “true” tea blends! I definitely don’t overdo coffee and tend to only drink it in the mornings, and I love experimenting with herb/spice/botanical additions to my mug.
I am very much NOT caffeine sensitive, so my one or two cups a day don’t have much impact on me, and though I might feel a bit grumpy if I miss my morning java ritual, I honestly don’t feel any detrimental physical impact if I skip a day. I know I am very lucky in this, however! Coffee can affect people so differently, and some just need ways to cut back or cut it out completely.
There are many different herbal / botanical coffee alternatives that can suit different needs. I thought I would share a few of my favorites, which can help fill a specific void that coffee leaves behind:
Golden Milk(turmeric, sweet spices, black pepper, sugar / honey / etc., and milk) for a warming, very healthy, comforting, aromatic, immune-boosting & inflammation-modulating decaf sip (although to be honest—I personally still drink coffee myself, but often add about ¼ tsp of this to my mug and stir it in to enjoy the benefits & taste of both)
Roasted dandelion root for a cozy, earthy, hearty, grounding, detoxifying caffeine-free brew (my evening go-to; I often mix this with cacao nibs and cinnamon stick chips. You can also cut your ground coffee with dandelion root to reduce the caffeine and add health benefits!)
Lapsang souchong for some caffeine (but not as much as coffee) and a dark, bitter, smoky, complex, satisfying cuppa (an acquired taste, but I adore it)
Cacao nibs for a wee bit of caffeine, tons of antioxidants & beneficial minerals, mood-boosting endorphins, and rich & decadent taste
Chai or other spiced black tea for a bit of caffeine in a satisfying, aromatic, grounding, flavorful, cozy, warming brew (pictured here is a favorite of mine—hot apple spice)
Matcha for a complex, earthy, herbaceous, fresh, soothing cuppa with moderate caffeine that is offset by amazing health benefits (I’ll admit, I am not a huge matcha person when it’s by itself, but I do sometimes incorporate it into recipes and blends—but some people swear by it!)
Have you transitioned away from coffee with any of these, or perhaps a different alternative? Let us know in the comments — I have a feeling there are others who could benefit from some ideas to try!
In these dog days of summer, your skin can easily become overheated and stressed out! That’s where raspberry leaf comes in. Raspberry leaf is well known for its tissue tightening and toning properties, and in a gentle face mist, this action can help to prevent moisture loss and provide soothing.
This recipe isn’t for a witch hazel or alcohol based toner—I didn’t want it to be that strongly astringent. So, instead, I’ve made a strong tea with the raspberry leaf and combined that with a cooling mint hydrosol—which you can easily make on your stovetop with some fresh mint, or you can purchase ready-made mint (or rose, lavender, or chamomile) hydrosol if you prefer.
Because this is an entirely water-based recipe, it has a shorter shelf life so you’ll want to make it in small batches and store it in the fridge. But it’s totally worth it for a very gentle, refreshing, soothing summer face mist that even the kids can use after a sweaty day of playing out in the hot sun! (It makes a great after-sun spray, too!)
This recipe comes in two parts: the mint hydrosol recipe and the raspberry tea / face mist recipe. Let’s start with the mint hydrosol!
Mint Hydrosol
Materials: Large stock pot with lid Small heat-safe bowl (ceramic or glass) Heat-safe glass measuring cup Distilled water Fresh mint leaves Ice
Method: Place the heat-safe bowl upside down in the stock pot and fill the bottom of the pot with enough water that it covers the bowl. Place the glass measuring cup right-side up on top of the bowl. Place a good amount of mint leaves in the water around the bowl—a couple big handfuls of plant material. Place the pot lid upside-down on the pot and place ice cubes on top. Simmer on medium heat until a sufficient amount of steam has condensed and dripped into the measuring cup—that’s your hydrosol! Store this in the fridge.
Raspberry Leaf Facial Mist
Materials: 3 tablespoons dried raspberry leaf Large tea mug Plate to cover the mug with Distilled water Tea kettle Strainer Glass bowl or measuring cup Small misting bottle (4-8 oz)
Method: Place raspberry leaf in the tea mug and cover with water freshly boiled in a tea kettle; cover with plate and allow to steep for 10-15 minutes. Strain into a glass bowl or measuring cup and allow to cool or refrigerate.
Fill the misting bottle half full with mint hydrosol and half with raspberry leaf tea. Cap tightly and shake well to mix. Store in the fridge to prolong its shelf life and so it’s nice and cool when you’re ready to mist your face!
This is an excerpt from the Summer edition of Botanical Anthology. A plant lover’s dream, it is a seasonal, plant centered quarterly publication bringing you over 45 articles from 46 contributors to incorporate herbs in your apothecary, kitchen, summer foraging and gardening, crafts, and celebrations.
This herbal magazine, featuring remedies and recipes with medicinal plants for budding herbalists, can be purchased as a digital version here and as a printed version here.
Photo by Kristine Clay
If you enjoy the classic herbal cocktail, the mint julep, then this fruity, floral rendition is sure to become a fast favorite.
Infused whiskey lends stunning color and bursts with fresh strawberry flavor, while lavender rounds out the beverage with pleasant herbaceous notes that hint of mint. Lavender can ease stress and anxiety, helping you to unwind as you sip.
Serve this boozy beverage at your next get together or enjoy with friends on a warm summer evening.
Strawberry Whiskey Materials
2 c strawberries, fresh, sliced
Whiskey
16 oz jar
Strawberry Whiskey Method
Place strawberries in a jar.
Pour whiskey over top, filling the jar.
Cap tightly with a lid and shake well. Let the strawberries steep in whiskey for at least 1-2 weeks, shaking daily or as often as you remember.
You can use the whiskey after about a week, but giving it a full 2 weeks to infuse will allow the flavor to really develop.
Note
If you won’t be using the whiskey right away, there’s no need to strain out the infusing strawberries after 2 weeks. Longer steep times allow the flavor to deepen, and can make for a very tasty liquor.
Photo by Kristine Clay
Lavender Simple Syrup Materials
¼ c lavender, dried
½ c sugar
¼ c lime juice
¼ c water
Lavender Simple Syrup Method
Add the ingredients to a small saucepan.
Bring the liquid to a rapid boil then reduce the heat and simmer lightly for about 10 minutes.
Remove from heat and let the syrup cool.
Strain out the lavender pieces and bottle the syrup.
Store leftover syrup in the refrigerator.
Photo by Kristine Clay
Strawberry Lavender Julep Materials
1 ½ f. oz strawberry whiskey
½ fl oz lavender simple syrup
Ice cubes
Fresh lavender sprigs
Club soda or sparkling water, optional
Strawberry Lavender Julep Method
Pour whiskey and simple syrup into a glass and stir.
Add ice.
If desired, top with a splash of club soda or sparkling water.
Garnish with a sprig or two of fresh lavender.
Note
This recipe makes one cocktail.
Article written by Kristine Clay. Kristine is a mother, herbalist, & writer who lives on an off-grid homestead in the Ecuadorian Andes. She enjoys crafting botanical concoctions, baking, and hiking with her partner in the eco-sanctuary they steward. You can read her musings about herbs, nourishing foods, & holistic mothering on her blog: mamalibelula.com and find out more about Andean plants, regenerative land management, & raising rabbits at: SierrayCielo.org.
I am so, so very excited to share with you about this labor of love, the Summer edition of Botanical Anthology, which is launching tomorrow, June 12!
I am personally more involved than ever in the production of this publication—aside from writing articles for it, I am now its copyeditor. I’ve worked closely with the magazine’s founder/editor, my friend Harmonie, on the design and content of this edition as well as editing all the articles. I can tell you that all 46 contributors are bringing amazing articles, recipes, and other content centering around summer and how to incorporate herbs in your apothecary, kitchen, spring foraging and gardening, crafts, and summer celebrations.
Here is a sampling of what’s inside:
* Whip up an itch soothing salve, steep a California poppy tincture + infuse an evening primrose oil
* Whisk a milky oats honey mustard, make watermint chocolate chip ice cream + bake a starflower cucumber cake
* Grow amaranth, make fertilizer with comfrey + learn why you should add herbs to your garden
* Create clay mushrooms, eco print with coreopsis + make sidewalk chalk
* Form summer rituals, build a Lion’s Gate altar + discover rose family folklore
* Celebrate Summer Solstice + Lammas with simple observances
* Meet Rebecca Desnos, Susan Leopold + Tiffany Jones
From June 12th – 21st, receive the Botanical Anthology Summer edition digital download, plus our lavender bonus booklet download, for just $18. Come next week, the lavender booklet will no longer be included, and the price will increase.
And now you can purchase a printed option via Amazon!! Plus we have gift card and digital subscription options on our website!
As a thank you for being here with me as a BLOG FOLLOWER, enjoy $3 off the publication with the code: BASummer23Take$3
Thank you so much for taking the time to read this message as I share my excitement about this magazine I am so lucky to be a part of. If you’d like to learn more about the publication and what’s inside, and consider buying your own copy, follow this link:
I’ve recently realized how easy it is to make soothing herbal face masks, and now I’m hooked! They’re versatile, ingredients are interchangeable, and you can definitely make them without a formal recipe. I am just getting started, but I can’t wait to experiment with all kinds of combinations (and share my favorites with you here)!
Today’s face mask is a very gentle, soothing one that is great for sensitive skin. Even your kiddos can try this one out! It combines powdered oats, chamomile, and cardamom for the dry ingredients—which you can store in a jar with a long shelf life, and simply combine a bit with the wet ingredients that your skin needs each time you use it.
Oats are extremely nourishing and soothing to skin, adding moisture and calming redness. Chamomile does much the same and is often included in skincare products for that reason! Cardamom has antibacterial properties and can help clear your complexion.
As far as wet ingredients to moisten the face mask, you can choose between many options based on your skin’s needs! Here are a few ideas; you can play with amounts to mix in for the sake of the mask’s consistency on your face.
Honey: antibacterial, helps with scars, mildly exfoliating (you’ll definitely need a thin liquid too to make the mask less sticky if you use honey)
Herbal toner: a witch hazel and herb infusion (like the comfrey one pictured) adds acne fighting and pore toning benefits
Rose water or other herbal hydrosol: gentle, nourishing, moisturizing, soothing, and smells amazing
Black or green tea: tightens pores, tones, purifies
Herb-infused oils: moisturizes and conditions dry and/or aging skin, feels super luxurious, and helps the mask have a lovely consistency
Aloe Vera: healing for acne scars and skin rashes, soothing, and tightening
Don’t be afraid to experiment with amounts! In the pictured dry mask base, I used 1/4 cup oats, 2 tablespoons chamomile, and 1/2 teaspoon cardamom. But experiment with amounts to get a consistency you love! Then apply to clean skin with a makeup brush, leave on for 10-15 minutes, and rinse off with lukewarm water.
Long time, no write! I have been away from this space because life has been very busy lately…including editing a novel and a magazine, writing articles and taking photos for various publications, and some unexpected life bits mixed in along the way. So, I am more than ready to return today with a calming tea featuring the Plant Wonder Collective’s herb of the month for June: mugwort!
Mugwort is sacred to the goddess Artemis (Greek) / Diana (Roman): the goddess of the hunt, the moon, fertility, wild places, maidens, and magic. (In fact, the Latin name of this plant is Artemisia vulgaris.) I decided it would be very fitting to create a tea blend in Artemis / Diana’s honor that focuses on mugwort but also includes other herbs specifically associated with her. Here are the ingredients–
Mugwort: dream work, clairvoyance, magic, visions; used medicinally for anxiety, menstruation & uterine health, digestion, pain relief
(California) Poppy: dream work, moon magic, love, visions, luck; used medicinally for sleep, anxiety, menstrual cramps, headaches, pain relief
Lemon Balm: clarity, comfort, emotional healing, love, focus, memory; used medicinally for anxiety, colds, fever, sleep, depression
Pine: fertility, grounding, spirituality, strength, wisdom, peace; used medicinally for nutrients, inflammation, cold and flu, skin applications
Nutmeg: awareness, clairvoyance, divination, dream work, memory, the mind; used medicinally for stress, sleep, digestion
Mugwort and these other accompanying herbs make an excellent tea for sleep, and perhaps dream work. Here is the simple recipe for brewing a cup!
1 part mugwort
½ part California poppy
1 part lemon balm
½ part pine needles
¼ part freshly grated nutmeg
Brew with hot water for 4-5 minutes, and sweeten with honey or maple syrup if you’d like.
Have you worked with mugwort before? What is your favorite way to work with mugwort?
This blog post is a little something different: an excerpt from the spring edition of Botanical Anthology!
This plant centered digital publication is packed with seasonal crafts, recipes, foraging tips, articles, & more. Click here to learn more about the digital edition, or click here to check out the print edition.
Carrie Tuttle is an environmental educator, mom, and poet. She has been weaving magic into her home via kitchen and garden witchery for 30 years. She lives in Wyoming with her family, pets, and gardens.
Fires of Beltane Loose Floral Incense
By Carrie Tuttle
Beltane is a glorious celebration of fire. Translated roughly as bright fire, the day falls at the halfway point between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. Here we find a day associated with bonfires, feasting, and the fertility of the land beneath our feet. Beltane, or Mayday, is awash with flowers. In Gaelic lands, and in modern Paganism, it is celebrated with a flower wreathed Maypole, floral wreaths for the May Queen and celebrants, as well as decorating homes and sacred places and spaces with spring florals.
For many this is a time of year when spring begins its raucous state of growth; a riot of flowers, lengthening days, and getting our gardens underway. One practice to honor this day, and its connection to fire and growth, is through the crafting of ritual incense. The use of incense is common in ritual and dates back thousands of years to ancient Mesopotamia, where the burning of herbs and resins facilitated sacred communication with the gods. In addition, it is believed that the healing elements of herbs can be transferred through their burning as well, leading many to blend their own healing incense.
Using a loose incense allows the crafter to use dried flowers and herbs in their whole form, without having to pulverize, mix and add a binder; required in the blending of stick and cone incense. It is a simple and quick way to craft incense, and involves only the herbs and a source of heat, such as a charcoal disc or electric incense burner.
The Beltane incense below was crafted with following herbs for their corresponding symbolism:
Lavender: love, luck, grace, and connection to ones higher self
Apple or crabapple twigs: beauty, health, fertility, and harmony
Rose: romance, passion, rebirth, renewal
Jasmine : sensuality, positivity, connection to the divine
Mugwort: dreams, protection, self-love, magic
You may also add other herbs from your local environment, or from your gardens, as it enhances your connection to the land, and to your personal practice. Just be sure to look into their properties, as you don’t want to burn anything that could be toxic.
Blending these dried herbs together to burn is its own wild alchemy, because as you blend you put your intentions for this fiery holiday into work. You may imagine the correspondences as you blend each herb, or add your own magical intent.
Materials
3 tbsp jasmine flower
2 tbsp lavender
2 tbsp mugwort
1 tbsp roses
1 tbsp apple twigs, cut into ½ inch bits
Method
Mix well, place in a jar and label.
Burn over a charcoal disk or in your outdoor Beltane fire of choice.
Notes
The batch makes approximately ½ cup of the incense blend.
Increase the batch size to use in a bonfire or to give as gifts.
For dill month with the Plant Wonder Collective, I decided to make potato soup! Dill pairs so nicely with potatoes, and gives the soup a fresher flavor for springtime rather than a heavier, wintry taste.
You could make your own favorite potato soup recipe and simply add dill in wherever herbs are called for, or you can try out this easy slow cooker recipe I used!
Slow Cooker Dill Potato Soup
Ingredients
6 slices bacon, diced
2-3 pounds petite red/gold potatoes, chopped (no need to peel)
3-4 cups chicken stock
1 yellow onion, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2-3 sprigs fresh dill
2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, plus more to top
1 pint (16 oz) heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Cook bacon according to your preferred method.
Add potatoes, bacon, 3 cups of the chicken stock, onion, garlic, dill, thyme, and butter into 4-quart slow cooker and stir to combine.
Cover and cook, on low heat for about 7-8 hours or high heat for about 3-4 hours, until potatoes are tender.
Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes to your desired consistency. Add in cheese and heavy cream, stirring until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.
Replace cover and cook on low heat until warmed through, stirring occasionally, for about 15-20 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add more chicken stock as needed.
The Herbology Faerie 