DIY

Sourdough Starter

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It is rather early in the process to share this out, but I’m so excited about it that I just can’t wait. I’ve started to make sourdough starter from einkorn flour and although it isn’t ready for baking yet, it’s actually started to bubble and show signs of life. It takes quite a few days to get it started, and then regular maintenance to keep it going, so why do it at all you might ask. Basically I’m doing it for taste, for health, and for optimum digestibility.

I first got interested in sourdough a few years ago when I read an article about a baker in California somewhere (San Jose?) that made sourdough bread that people with gluten sensitivities could actually digest. His starter was especially potent and his stand at the farmer’s market was so famous that he got into a national magazine about it. (I can’t remember which one~ it was years ago but I do remember I was reading the article in a doctor’s office waiting room so I couldn’t take it home.) Considering my sons and I have had issues with gluten for many years, I wanted to hear more about what makes sourdough more easily digested. After looking into it, I found out it has to do with the fermentation process which balances prebiotics and probiotics in any kind of fermented food such as yogurt of kimchee, which we all know are foods recommended for digestive health. It also seems that sourdough degrades gluten a bit in the baking process, unlike baker’s yeast, although it doesn’t degrade it completely so celiacs need to stick with gluten-free sourdough breads. Sourdough’s digestibility also has to do with the wild yeasts present, instead of baker’s yeast, which is over used and many people have mild to severe intolerances to it, whether they are aware of it or not. Sourdough bread also causes less of a sugar spike according to several studies, and is generally considered to have a lower glycemic index number than other breads.

Not all commercially prepared sourdough breads are necessarily good options. Look for artisan loaves at your local grocery store or farmer’s market, or join me in making your own! I’ve been following the YouTube tutorials by Jovial Food’s founder, Carla Bartolucci, as well as the tutorial in her book, Einkorn. She uses einkorn flour to make sourdough starter, and to bake all of her breads with, because einkorn is an ancient form of wheat that is also known to be more digestible than our current wheat today, even by some who have gluten intolerances. Einkorn still contains gluten, but due to the make-up and action of the gluten in this grain compared to modern wheat, it reacts differently in baking and also our bodies react differently to it. Baking with it is a little trickier than with modern wheat, which is why it has been largely ignored in the mass marketplace, but as Barolucci explains in her book, that ‘flaw’ is probably the same mechanism that makes it a blessing to those of us with sensitive digestive systems. I’ve made cinnamon scones and bread with einkorn before, and seem to be able to digest it, but I’ve also put a lot of effort into healing my intolerances. I’m excited to bake with sourdough and see if I can really make some breads that the whole family can eat, enjoy, and digest without any problems.

Here’s what I have so far: 581583FA-CC61-4980-BD9B-664CA0C9580B

It took about six days for the starter to show any signs of life, and it’s still not quite ready to bake with because according to Bartolucci, the starter needs to bubble up within six to ten hours of refreshing to be truly ready for the job of baking bread. Mine is close. I’ll post pics on Instagram as soon as I get a loaf baked. I’m not in any hurry though, knowing that this starter will last forever, as long as it gets routinely refreshed. I feel like I have a lifetime to work with it and am happy I’ll be able to pass some of it on to friends and family who bake.

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Here’s what refreshing looks like by the way:

Push away the top layer of the starter and scoop out the better looking stuff underneath into a fresh bowl.

Add warm water and stir it up into a creamy state.

Add more flour, mix it all together and form a ball, then place it in a clean container with a lid and let it rest for 12-24 hours.

Have you baked with sourdough before? Do you have a starter of your own that has a story? I’d love to hear how long you have had your starter and how you first obtained it~ whether it was given to you or you started from scratch like I’m doing. Any tips and tricks would be appreciated too! Thank you for reading, sharing, and subscribing.

 

Vanilla Oil DIY

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Vanilla is a delicious, comforting, and sensual scent that is much loved. Like so many other good things, vanilla also happens to be a little bit high maintenance. For starters, it is second only to saffron in expense, largely due to how vanilla has to be handled and processed, plus it also cannot be made into an essential oil in the same manner as other plants (through distillation). You can find absolutes and CO2 extracts, but usually these are already premixed with a carrier oil and quite expensive. No worries though, because just as with vanilla extract, it’s simple to make your own vanilla infused oil to use in any bath/body product you want such as the base of a perfumed body oil, in body butter, lip balm, bath oil, or body scrub, etc. I’ll most likely be making all of those in fact, and more, because vanilla is just so all-around lovely and mood lifting.

Ingredients:

2 or 3 whole vanilla beans

2 cups carrier oil such as jojoba, sweet almond, or grapeseed oil

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Set up a double boiler arrangement with the water simmering. (I use a pyrex measuring cup in a pot of water.) C1719A6F-412D-401F-859C-9BA7BCDE381C Cut the vanilla beans down the middle and scoop out the insides into the top of your double boiler, then chop up the beans and add them as well. Pour the carrier oil over the beans, stir occasionally, and add more water to the bottom of the double boiler as needed. 2370B7C6-7D90-4DC7-B5E5-20FD7B049162 It will take an hour or two, so do this when you know you’ll be home for a while. Strain the oil once it has cooled, or just leave the vanilla bits in the oil to impart more scent over time. (It’s impossible to get all those little seeds out so don’t worry about that.) I put half of a vanilla bean into each of my containers to keep the infusion process going. 3D4EB8D7-3071-42D4-9D7A-8536996187CD You can add vitamin E for preservative properties if you aren’t going to use the oil within a month or two. Different carrier oils have different shelf-lives, but jojoba has the longest of the three I mentioned. The other two, almond and grapeseed, have about a year or so of shelf-life. I don’t think any vanilla infused oil is at risk of not getting used within a year though, it smells too good!

Thanks for reading and please share with the vanilla lovers in your life. Happy health and sweet scents to you!

Cleansing for the New Year

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This is a repost of a blog I wrote around this time last year. Happy New Year everyone.

Is anyone else ready to put away the dairy and desserts and cleanse for the New Year? I personally love a good cleanse, though I’m partial to the low-suffering kind. I know people who think it’s not a real cleanse unless you take in nothing but fresh juice and water, but that never made sense to me. Our bodies like balance, and balance by extremes is not really balance at all at the human level. Just look at how bad yo-yo dieting is for people or how hard it is on the body when there are huge weight fluctuations. Gentle detox is a way to cleanse while giving the body support to adjust, instead of shocking the body and then reeling from its effects. Of course, there is a time and place for everything and if you know what you are doing and have the right support, then by all means juice away your days. If you prefer a cleansing reboot that doesn’t leave your blood sugar levels bouncing and your mood-o-meter permanently set to hangry, keep reading for some options.

Adding powdered greens to your daily routine is one way to activate detox mechanisms in your body. While cleansing you should be drinking extra glasses of water anyway, so adding a scoop or packet to one of your glasses or bottles of water is a great way to get extra goodness. It is worth noting that some green mixes, like Paradise Herbs, are formulated for energy~

while others, like the Food Science one below, are formulated more specifically for cleansing. Greens in general, whether in a powder or in a whole fresh or cooked form, are cleansing though so an energy greens mix will still work towards detoxing your system. Both these mixes came in my New Hope Blogger Box and they are tasty as well as healthy blends, but there are of course other reputable greens out there. Just be sure to read ingredients lists thoroughly.

Adding a cup or two of detoxifying herbal tea a day is another easy way to help your body cleanse. There are plenty of blends out there, such as detox teas by Yogi and Traditional Medicinals that are as easy as boiling water. Flora makes a tea concentrate that you just pour a bit out and add hot water to. They promote their cleanse every year on Facebook so you can actually join a group of others using their product to get tips and expand your knowledge a bit into the world of detox. (Plus if you join in you just might get a coupon I believe.) They do have a dry blend as well.

If you want to do something a little more involved than greens and teas, making up a batch of kitchari is what one of my herbal teachers drilled into us as the most healing, cleansing, tri-doshic thing you could do. Kitchari is a meal from the tradition of Ayurveda that is made up of mung beans and basmati rice (brown or white depending on your preference), spices, and ghee. You can eat it once a day to support a general cleanse, or you can eat kitchari three times a day and nothing else but herbal teas for 6 days straight for a more intense detox. As with all things herbal, kitchari is a traditional dish that you can find a thousand variations for so this recipe can be modified as you like. What follows is how my herbal teacher told us to make it and it has never failed me. It’s a calming meal, easy on the digestive system, and healing.

Kitchari Recipe:

1 C mung beans

1 C brown basmati rice (my herbal teacher actually used white basmati rice, so your choice really)

1 tbsp. ghee (vegans can use coconut oil)

1 tsp. each turmeric, cumin, and coriander

After soaking the mung beans overnight (or at least 6 hours), cook them in 4 C of water until they are thoroughly soft, about half an hour.

Cook rice according to its instructions, depending on white or brown, then mix together with beans.

Warm the ghee in a sauce or sauté pan and add the spices, cooking until fragrant, about 2 minutes or so.

Mix the spices and ghee with the rice and beans and you are finished. Eat as often as you like.

I’ve never been big on resolutions, but I do like the spirit of renewal that January sweeps in. A gentle cleanse sets a nice tone for the year~ a reminder to think better, feel better, act better, and be better. Best wishes for health, fulfillment, beauty, and peace to everyone for the New Year. Please subscribe for weekly posts about herbs, natural health, and green beauty, and please share this with anyone who might be interested.

 

Body Butter DIY

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It’s winter (here) and almost Christmas, so it’s a perfect time to whip up some body butter for both self-care and homemade gifts. And I do mean ‘whip’ quite literally, as you can see for yourself below. This recipe is very similar to the one I shared here before, so as you can see, this is recipe is ripe for customization. Pick your solid butters and oils, add some (liquid) herbal oil, and choose your essential oils to make your own unique moisturizer.

Body Butter

1/2 C Shea Butter

1/8 C Coconut Oil

1/4 C Cocoa Butter

1/8 C Rose Oil (Olive Oil based)

10 drops Lavender

10 drops Vanilla (in jojoba oil)

10 drops Frankincense

Put all the ingredients, except for the essential oils, into a measuring cup that can go into a pot of water that will heat up to a simmer. Let the solids completely melt, then take the measuring cup out of the water and let the liquid cool. You can put the measuring cup on ice, or put it in the fridge or freezer with a clean towel on top of it. It takes a while to cool, anywhere between a half hour to an hour depending on how it is cooling (freezer or on ice or just sitting out or whatnot). If you lose track of time and find the measuring cup hours later rock solid, don’t worry, just melt it again. When the liquid starts to get a bit cloudy and feels room temperature to the touch, add the essential oils and start whipping it with an electric mixer or in a blender until it turns creamy and opaque. This could take 5-10 minutes, depending on how cool the liquid is upon starting. 

Pour the butter into a clean jar and keep it out of heat and light for storage. This is a very emollient body butter, good for hand or foot cream, elbows, or any part of the body that is very dry. It isn’t recommended for the face though because those hard oils and butters can be pore clogging. It smells decadent and it is really fun to make something that starts off mostly solid, melts into a liquid, then whips into a totally new texture.

If you are looking for more homemade gift ideas, check out this post with a variety of ideas, or this one on making bath salts. I hope you are enjoying the season and not feeling the frenzy that this time of year can sometimes whip up. Please share with anyone who might enjoy this post and if you haven’t already, subscribe for a weekly wellness post.

Body Oils DIY

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Making your own body oils is a great way to customize your base oil blend and your essential oil blend. Ayurvedic tradition advises massaging yourself with oil daily as a way to ground yourself and calm out-of-balance doshas. In Ayurveda, there are three doshas that govern all things~ the seasons, the time of individual lives (youth, adulthood, old age), and our own bodies, minds, and spirits. The three doshas are Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, and there are online quizzes to help you determine your  dosha profile. I like this one because it gives you your results immediately but you can take several and compare them. They will probably all be slightly different but should give you an idea of your personal profile. When you think about your dosha makeup, it is best to think of what you were like as a kid, because imbalances build up and your current state might not match your fundamental dosha profile. It’s important to understand that we all have all three aspects in us, it’s just that one or two will generally be more predominant. Think of a number scale of 1-10. One person might be 3 parts Vata, 5 parts Pitta, and 2 parts Kapha. Another person will be 4 parts Vata, 2 parts Vata, and 4 parts Kapha. Why does it matter then? It matters because the aspects that are predominant are the ones most likely to get out of balance. Any dosha can be out of balance, but if you are predominantly Pitta for example, it is more likely that your Pitta dosha will be out of balance, meaning Pitta type problems (such as inflammation). When a dosha is out of balance, it means it needs to be calmed, and since each dosha responds differently to various foods, herbs, activities, etc, so it is important to know what your personal profile is and what might be acting out of balance.

If you want to customize your body oil to suit your dosha, I have pins on a board that can help you do exactly that: https://www.pinterest.com/herbbaker/ayurveda/

Beyond Ayurveda, body oils are also just a great way to indulge in aromatherapy for health, well-being, and the pure pleasure of the scent. You can base your essential oil blend on mental/emotional needs, chakras, moods, or simply for the perfumery. For a base oil, you can use sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, castor oil, jojoba oil, apricot kernel oil, or sesame seed oil either singly or blending them. Personally, I like to blend 2 or 3 oils together and often use an herbal oil as one of the oils in the blend, such as rose oil. I usually reuse a 3.4 oz dark glass bottle but you can use any size glass bottle that you have. The size I use lasts about a month with morning and night use. Dark glass is best but as long as you keep it out of light and heat it should be fine.

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I use three 1/8 cups + one 1/16 cup of base oil for my 3.4 fl oz bottle. For example: 1/8 cup herbal oil, 1/8 cup almond oil, 1/8 cup grapeseed oil and 1/16 cup apricot kernel oil.
Fill your bottle with the base oils you are using, leaving room for the essential oils. Add in the essential oils, using 30-40 drops per ounce of base oil. You can add more if you know you tolerate essential oils well, but if you are just beginning to work with them, stay on the lower end (30 drops per ounce). For example, in my 3.4 fl. oz. bottle, I add between 100-120 drops of essential oils. You don’t need a lot of essential oils to get their benefits, so don’t worry that you don’t have ‘enough’. They are subtle but dependable workers and they will always do their job. Also keep in mind that no matter how strong you make your oil, the scent will not last as long as chemical fragrances so reapplying throughout the day is a good option. You aren’t going to want to put body oil all over yourself during the day though because oil stains clothing and it’s just not feasible, so if you want the scent to be around you all day then I advise making a smaller container as perfume that you can apply to your pulse points throughout the day. If you want to learn how to make perfumes with essential oils, either in an oil base, alcohol base, or as a solid perfume, then please check out my course in exactly that, which also has guidelines on blending for different purposes (health or scent), why chemical fragrances are bad for us and bad for the earth, and why blending with top notes, middle notes, and base notes matters. Another option for a hit of the scent during the day would be to make a body spray that you can dose yourself with when the mood hits. 6A0F62A7-0DF4-4480-A34A-36C47974495D[1]

The best times for body oil application are upon waking and before going to sleep, so I often make up a day blend and relaxing night blend. For the day time some good uplifting scents are: bergamot, clary sage, and frankincense, which is actually a great anti-depressant blend. Citrus essential oils such as orange, lemon, grapefruit, and lime, are good for joyful energy and are often part of weight loss blends because of that. Citrus essential oils can increase photo-sensitivity, though so do be careful if you are in a sunny part of the world and be sure to wear your sunscreen with citrus oils. Rosemary is stimulating for the mind and traditionally used to aide memory, and it blends well with orange for confident energy and clear thinking. Although lavender is a relaxing scent, it is also the most blend-able essential oil and can combine with just about any of the other essential oils, either for day or night. In a bedtime blend I always include lavender and a wood, such as sandalwood or cedar. The wood oils have a lovely grounding ability which can work for daytime too, especially if you tend to feel scattered. Just like the tea, chamomile essential oil is calming and relaxing and perfect for a night blend, and neroli is a traditional anti-anxiety scent. In fact, neroli blossoms used to be used in bridal bouquets for their anti-anxiety action so it’s a great choice for day or night. By the way, neroli and sandalwood can be bought premixed with jojoba oil for a more affordable purchasing option since those two are rather expensive.

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When in doubt, just follow your nose because whatever you like best is going to keep you motivated to use it, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions. Body oils are a great way to moisturize your skin with the purest, greenest, and healthiest ingredients possible, plus you get to customize the scent for your own personal needs and tastes. Have fun with it and keep in mind that you can pour some body oil into your bath, or use it as massage oil, or even give body oils as gifts. Please share with anyone who might be interested and if you haven’t already, subscribe for more wellness posts like this one.

 

 

Online Courses and Immune Supporting Herbs

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I hope everyone is staying well as the cold and flu season kicks in. I’ve increased my astragalus intake and echinacea is on my list to buy to have on hand, just in case. Astragalus is an adaptogenic herb that is best known for its immune boosting properties. It is the kind of herb that works best long-term, so taken in smallish amounts over the course of the winter months for example, or anytime of year where you find yourself fighting a disease, bacteria, or virus. It is safe for kids too and can be found in kids’ formulas. Echinacea on the other hand is not for long term use. It is best used when you feel yourself getting sick with a cold or flu, and helping you to fight it for the duration of the cold/flu, but then you stop taking it when you have recovered. Using astragalus in a larger amount than the maintenance protocol can also help you during a viral or bacterial situation, but that is not traditionally its best use. Another immune boosting option is a medicinal mushroom such as reishi. I’m going to make a crystal ball prediction that medicinal mushrooms will be the next group of herbs to climb the trendiness ladder which the adaptogens currently dominate. I see they are already increasing in popularity lately as people search for immune support through cold and flu season, as well as for support through serious illnesses such as cancer. These mushrooms just might be my next mini-course.

Speaking of my courses, I wanted to give everyone a head’s up that this is the last week that my online courses will be completely free. I am still working out how to best get the ingredients for the classes out to students so the courses will soon include an option to purchase kits with the classes so people don’t have to go searching for the herbs, essential oils, and other ingredients. All the materials will instead arrive at their door and the classes will truly be hands-on and time-friendly then. In the meantime, you can go through the classes for free with all the information presented first, then (usually) a demo video after the information. I say usually because the adaptogens mini-course is purely informational at this point, though that might change in the future. The courses do include links so you can order the ingredients as you go through them, but I want to make kits readily available so you aren’t buying more than you need and everything comes at one time. So far I’ve gotten a lot of great feedback on the courses and been able to make some improvements thanks to the many comments. The most popular course so far has been How to Make Natural Perfumes with Essential Oils and it was actually the first one I made. It covers the basics of essential oils vs. fragrances and how essential oils are made, how to blend for scent and/or emotional and mental support, and how to actually make alcohol or oil based perfume and solid perfume, and more. The adaptogens one was next because as popular as adaptogenic herbs have become, there still seems to be a lot of confusion on them. The mini-course covers why adaptogens are so popular now (hint~ it has to do with chronic stress in the modern age), what systems in the body are effected directly and indirectly, and five popular adaptogens with their traditional uses. The Art and Craft of Herbalism is the latest one I finished (I’m working on more to be released soon!) and has recipes and instructions on how to make herbal concoctions at home, including infusions, extracts, oils, syrups, and more. It’s a real DIYer’s herbal handbook.

Here are the promos for each course:

How to Make Natural Perfumes with Essential Oils:

Adaptogens:

The Art and Craft of Herbalism:

Take care of yourselves in every single way that fills you up. Keep in mind self-care should include mind, body, and spirit. Please share this with anyone who might be interested, and if you haven’t already, please subscribe for weekly wellness delivered to your inbox.

One Ingredient Facial Masks

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Giving yourself a home facial treatment is a great way to give yourself some extra love. There are a lot of options hanging out in your kitchen, and endless combining that can be done, but sometimes a simple one ingredient mask is all you really need to give your skin a little oomph, especially on days when even adding water and stirring sounds like to much effort.

Papaya can be used as an all natural chemical peel and it’s much gentler on your skin than a chemical peel at a spa. The enzymes in papaya help to get rid of the old layer of skin on top, and reveal the smoother, fresher, more vibrant skin beneath. Those enzymes are the same ones that help us digest our foods which is why you can buy papaya enzyme supplements, so mash some up for your face, then eat the rest. You only need to leave it on your face for 3-5 minutes, then use a warm, damp cloth to wipe off, preferably with upward, circular motions, starting with your chin. Enjoy the glow!

DA23CAE6-126C-4AF2-A146-2ADB531467A9 Honey can be used as both a mask and a natural cleanser. This is a great option for oily, sensitive, or acne prone skin. Honey has also been traditionally used to lighten and brighten skin and correct hyper-pigmentation as well as fight acne and oil. It combines well with other natural ingredients such as the ones below. Leave on for 5-20 minutes, the rinse with a warm, damp cloth.

WP_20180925_15_15_10_Pro Aloe is a great firming mask. Slice a fresh aloe leaf down the middle long ways, and rub the fresh juice on your skin. Leave on until the mask had dried, or until the firming and tightening feeling has subdued, then rinse off with warm water. Your skin will not only be firm, but moisturized as well.

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Plain yogurt and kefir are good for the face (I only have flavored ones right now for the pic)

Plain yogurt or kefir can be used directly on the skin for those same probiotic benefits that the gut enjoys. The lactic acid in dairy is a natural exfoliater too so even plain milk can be used as a mask, though yogurt and kefir have more to offer the skin. Leave on for 5-20 minutes, then rinse off with a warm, damp cloth. (I only had flavored yogurt and kefir for the pic, but use plain instead.)

3BA59B87-0361-43B1-A6BC-2843136F1B3B[1] Egg whites are firming and smoothing and are often found in retro face mask recipes. Add one to your face and let it dry before rinsing off with a warm, damp cloth for smoother, firmer skin.

20A39EE2-15D3-442C-8963-E972EC7E3C9C Just about any fruit can be mashed up and spread on the face for a quick mask, so if you have some fruit that is turning before you can eat it, just mash it up and use those nutrients for your skin. Fruit has natural enzymes (such as the papaya up at the top of the page) and also vitamins and minerals that the skin can soak up. Good options are avocados, bananas, mangos, and peaches.

WP_20180307_10_29_27_Pro If you are in the mood to mix a few ingredients together, any of the above can be combined for a more multi-dimensional mask, or you can add a clay like green, red, or white clay to create something a bit more solid, or even add a milk powder or ground oats. Ground herbs can also be used in a mask, such as rose petals, rose hips, or turmeric. Be careful with turmeric because it can temporarily stain skin, especially fair skin, and permanently stain things like clothing. If this happens to your skin, use an oil like sweet almond oil, combined with sugar over the stained area, rub gently, and know that it is temporary. Turmeric has been used in Asia and India for centuries in skin care for it’s brightening and healing qualities, so it has a long tradition of healing and beautifying behind it. A friend of mine from India told me it is even used by brides in the beautifying rituals before weddings.

If you have extra time, it’s nice to start with the papaya chemical peel, then use a mask that draws out impurities such as green clay, then put some great nutrients back in with a mask of more mashed fruit and an egg white, honey, or aloe.

Enjoy a little extra care once or twice a week. Even if it’s only for five minutes, the glow will last far longer. Please share this with anyone who needs a quick self-care pick-me-up, and please subscribe for weekly wellness posts like this one. Be well!

 

How to Make Vanilla Extract

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This is one of those things that’s so easy to make yourself that you’ll wonder why you never did it before. It’s basically the exact same thing as making an herbal tincture although you don’t need to pack it so tightly with the vanilla beans, and you might want to let it cure a bit longer than the average tincture.

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All you need are a few vanilla beans which you can buy in grocery store bulk bins, online, or packaged in jars or bags like above in a spice aisle, alcohol such as vodka, rum, bourbon, or brandy, a jar and time.

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I chose vodka because I want to use this extract in my DIY natural perfumes as well as in baking, and vodka has the most neutral scent. I’ll definitely be using the extract in the waffles that I make all the time, and these zucchini muffins too, so it’ll be versatile and well used with the vodka. As with all things herbal, there are plenty of variations with which to experiment, but basically you want at least 4 vanilla beans per cup of alcohol. First split the vanilla beans down the middle lengthwise with a sharp knife.

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It’s hard to tell, but the bean closest to the knife has a long slice down the middle. Next, put the beans in a clean glass jar, then pour the alcohol over them, making sure they are completely submerged.

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Cap the jar or bottle tightly, then shake it daily (or at least every other day after the first week) for at least four weeks.

Day 1
Day 1 with label
Four weeks

At this point the vanilla extract can be used, but you will probably still smell the alcohol, so it depends on whether you are baking with it or using it in a non-heated recipe like frosting if you taste just vanilla or the alcohol as well. (The heat in baking and cooking will get rid of the alcohol taste/scent.) After two to three months, the vanilla extract should smell only of pure, rich vanilla. That means, if you want to make holiday gifts of homemade vanilla extract, you will want to get this started by early October. (Yup, already thinking along those lines!) Also, the more beans you originally put into the mixture, the more vanilla-y it will be, so keep that in mind. You want at least four per cup, but you can definitely add more than that. Vanilla beans are the second most expensive spice, after saffron, due to the delicate harvesting and curing of the beans, so sticking with four per cup is perfectly fine.

You don’t have to ever take the beans out actually, though if you are giving some of yours as a gift, taking out the old beans and adding a fresh one to the container looks lovely and continues to add depth and richness to the extract. (You don’t even need to cut it down the middle at that point.) Vanilla extract lasts indefinitely if stored in a lidded container in a relatively cool, dark place.

Enjoy, and if you love making your own herbal concoctions, check out my latest course on the Art and Craft of Herbalism. Take care and enjoy the transition to cooler days, crisper nights, and crunchier walks. Please subscribe for weekly posts about herbs, natural health, and green beauty, and please share this with anyone who might be interested.

The Art and Craft of Herbalism

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If you have been visiting this blog for a while now, you may have noticed I’m a big proponent of self-advocacy. We all have the ability to make choices that impact our health, and our lives, in big ways and small ways, and the more we acknowledge our role in how we feel as we age and what options we have for our specific body types and health issues, the more we can then assist our bodies in our natural abilities to heal ourselves, instead of getting in its way. We all know that when we are sick, we are more fatigued, so we sleep more which gives the body time and energy to heal. If we do not rest when sick, the sickness continues and secondary issues are more apt to erupt. The body knows what it needs to heal, and furthermore, the body doesn’t just want to be disease free, we all want to thrive and feel our best for as long as possible. Observing our own health quirks and naturally adding in herbs and supplements that gently assist our body’s healing abilities, is a great way to stay in touch with our own personal needs and help correct imbalances before they turn into a diseases.

When I worked at health food stores, my best guess is that at least 75% of the customers who walked in the doors asked for help. They wanted to know about the latest thing on Oprah or Dr. Oz, or something their friend told them about, or they were searching for help with a new diagnosis whether it was a loved one’s or their own. These people were all of the mindset that there were things they could do to improve their lives or the lives of their loved ones, and they were willing to ask. I think this shows we naturally want to improve ourselves, and the feeling of powerlessness that can accompany a modern diagnosis is one of the most defeating feelings one can have. Nobody wants to be at the mercy of a corrupt pharmaceutical industry nor depending on doctors that can only spend ten minutes at a time with you because of insurance regulations. That might very well be part of your reality, but it doesn’t have to be the whole picture. Whether you are sick or thriving, have mild chronic issues or extreme sporadic ones, you can absolutely assist in reaching your optimal health.

This is why I wrote my latest course, The Art and Craft of Herbalism. Our ancestors knew how to work with medicinal herbs daily out of necessity, just as they knew how to cook out of necessity. This course isn’t for everyone. I understand many people would rather just buy what is on the shelf at their local store, or order something online, just as some people would rather buy their meals rather than cook them. But for those that want to create their own herbal medicines or even just have a better understanding of how it is done, then this course is for you. And for the record, I do a lot more buying off the shelf than making myself, but it is incredibly empowering to make my own herbal medicines when I want something specific that I can’t find, or I’m eager to save money. It’s far less expensive to grow your own herbs that you then use, but I don’t go that far back to basics in this particular course. There is still quite a bit of money to be saved by buying loose herbs instead of ones already boxed or bottled or tableted up for use. It’s incredibly easy to make tinctures, oils, balms, and other herbal concoctions, just as simple, natural ingredients can be put together to make beautiful, nutritious, and delicious meals. Herbal concocting is an art and a craft which lends itself beautifully to the cooking analogy I’ve been employing here, and considering the ‘home herbalist’ is also known as a ‘kitchen witch’, I’m certainly not the first to notice the similarities.

Here’s the promo: https://youtu.be/Iyy7e5fqZYM

If you are a maker, creator, artist, herbalist, or just plain curious, I’d like to invite you to take the course. Those of you who subscribe to this blog with your email address have already gotten a coupon code to take the course for free (let me know if you have not). If you follow this blog in the wordpress reader and would like to take the course for free and hopefully give me constructive feedback, (pretty please), I’d be happy to send you the code. Just send me your email address and let me know who you are in terms of wordpress-land and I’ll email you back with the code and my gratitude.

However you choose to live your life, I hope it is deeply fulfilling to your heart and soul, and blessing you with the thriving health you want. I’d love it if you shared this with anyone who might benefit from it and and please subscribe for weekly posts about herbs, natural health, and green beauty.

Announcement for Subscribers

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Hello! I’ve been working on putting together an essential oil course and wanted to let you know that it is about finished, so please expect an email from me in the next day or two. I wanted to thank my subscribers for being here, and also was hoping for some feedback from you lovelies, so the email will include a discount code to view the course for free. There will be a limited number (because I assume not all of you will choose to take the course) so if you are definitely interested, please let me know so I can get you the information first. You can preview the course on my page “Courses” on this website.  Thank you for reading this blog and being part of this community!