New Year’s day was as one of those perfect Pacific Northwest winter days — 45 degrees, misty and soft. The kind of day that smells and feels like earth. My garden is pretty much hibernating. A long spell of deep cold knocked back the last of my greens. There’s a...
In this video you’ll see me make a drinking vinegar, commonly known as a “shrub” or technically an acetracta (vinegar extraction.) These are tasty ways to get the medicinal benefits of herbs in a palatable package.
How often do you think of lavender as a flavor? It’s been largely forgotten, but it offers important healing benefits for gut and mental health.
It’s full-bloom time here in the City of Roses. Which means I’m munching on flowers. Did you know that rose petals are edible? Some taste better than others, and all are somewhat astringent. But the best ones carry both the rose fragrance and flavor. (Try them! Just...
Every year there’s one particular plant that grabs my attention and won’t let go. I’ll start seeing it everywhere. And I get excited in that way you do when you have a new friend — even if it’s an old friend. So far this year violets are my jam. There have been at...
If you’ve watched my herbal origin story video, you know that thyme is one of my secret weapons for colds and flus — any kind of stuck or infected issue in the upper or lower respiratory tract. Steaming with thyme is one of my go-tos in the clinic, and one of the key...
As you may know, I am slowly — glacially, even — working on a book about gardening with medicinal plants. Looking out at the frost-covered garden this morning for any inspiring hint of green, I decided to start work on my olive (Olea europea) monograph. Before my...
Most popular diet plans turn on the simple idea that you’ll weigh less if you eat less. While this can be true in some cases, under eating can lead to problems ranging from malnutrition to rebound weight gain. Happily, there’s another way — one that lets you eat more...
Back in the late ’90s and early aughts, a small but information-dense ’zine circulated in the Eugene area called “weed lover.” The premise was that weeds offend gardeners by growing where they’re not wanted, but that they nevertheless offer great value by way of food,...
Once upon a time in science class we learned that heat is a product of energy. Think of a light bulb that’s been on for a while, or the expense of warming your house through cold winters. Now scientists from UCLA are turning that relationship to your advantage: Hot...