In addition to what I’m currently reading, I’m also reading Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner’s Guide by Rosemary Gladstar (for study). And I just recently made her face cream. I used what I had on hand so mine is a bit different.

What I changed: I used plantain & calendula infused olive oil, mango butter, & carnauba wax instead of calendula oil, cocoa butter, and beeswax.

So far, I am thoroughly enjoying it, and it feels absolutely wonderful going on. You can feel the cooling effect of the aloe vera which I absolutely love and I also love that there’s water in it (it may sound simple and sometimes we forget this but water is THE moisturizer).

So far so good. This might be a staple.

So, I’ve made a tea routine/ritual. I have no idea if I will stick with it. I’m pretty sure I’ll stick with drinking the tea, I just don’t know if I will stick with the whole routine/ritual per se. It is as follows:

Morning: Lemon Water

Afternoon (Pre or Post Lunch depending on what I’m drinking): Eleuthero with Cinnamon & Chamomile

After Dinner: Ashwagandha

I’m pretty sure the morning and after dinner drinks will stay the same for extended periods of time, the afternoon might switch up a bit depending on what I have and what I’m dealing with.

Right now I’m trying out Eleuthero, so that’s what I’m drinking. I decoct the Eleuthero & a Cinnamon Ceylon stick, once that’s done I add 2-4 tbsp of Chamomile depending on how Chamomiley I want it and how stressful my day is. Then I sweeten with a bit of agave or maple syrup.

Trying out a new herb: Eleuthero, also known as Siberian Ginseng.

What the kitchen countertop looked like today.

I’m a bit obsessed with making ginger syrup (and I’m not even a big solitary ginger person. I enjoy it in dishes but I’m not going to eat ginger candy or drink the lemon ginger tea you find at the grocery store).

But I’m pretty sure this ginger syrup is going to be a staple; it’s perfect for so many things. It’s super tasty but medicinal at the same time, perfect for its warming properties, super helpful as a digestive aid and for easing nausea, and wonderful for colds & the flu.

And then if that wasn’t enough, there seem to be so many wonderful ways to use it. It “can be poured over ice cream, stirred into oatmeal or yogurt, can be used in place of traditional pancake syrup, used in marinades/sauces, stirred into hot tea or sparkling mineral water. Take a spoonful if you’re not feeling well, if you’re nauseous, or if you’re suffering from sluggish digestion.” (source)

Truly it is delicious stirred into sparkling mineral water (and it does taste like a natural, healthy ginger ale). Really interested to try it over pancakes, yum, so delicious.

I just had to try to get one more use out of the materials I used for the syrup, so I did an infusion with the leftover materials. I have no idea what I’m going to do with it or if it will even be useful, we will see.

I made a Calendula syrup & a Hibiscus syrup a couple of days ago to add to sparkling water (I was too tired to fool with pictures that day). And I thought bitters would be the perfect thing to go with it.

This is either my first or second time making bitters, can’t quite remember. But it was definitely my first time making a Hibiscus syrup and a Calendula syrup. The Hibiscus I was pretty sure would be delicious, the Calendula surprised me a bit. I made it because I enjoy Calendula tea and thought it would possibly also be tasty as a syrup. I was right. It was really delicious with a bottle of mineral water and a squeeze of lime.

Calendula is good for you in so many ways, as is Hibiscus. And not only that but the syrup also does double duty as a medicinal syrup. So I can use it simply for taste and good health in cooking & beverages or take it as medicine to deal with relevant ailments. I love that: multipurpose, economical, food as medicine and medicine as food.