Salted Earl Grey Caramel Sauce
If there are three things that I love, they are sweets, botanicals, and Star Trek. Did I ever think I would be party to a recipe that would marry those things together? Not really, and to be fair, the Star Trek involvement in this recipe is pretty nonexistent. (However, if any Next Generation fans are reading this, I think you will appreciate the reference.) In all seriousness, we already know that sweets and botanicals go hand in hand, and we are always trying to find creative ways to combine the two. We recently stumbled upon this classic Mountain Rose Herbs caramel sauce recipe and could not resist bringing it back. Earl Grey fans to the front of the class, please! This recipe is for you.
Is there anything that caramel doesn’t make better? Don’t overthink it because the answer is no. The beauty of caramel in a sauce form is its ease of use and “drizzability.” Caramel is a classic choice for any ice cream-related adventure, and also amazing when paired with baked goods, apples, nuts, chocolate, coffee drinks, or even some cocktails. This particular recipe brings in the unique floral flavor of Earl Grey tea to balance and enhance the creamy, sweet, and salty flavors of the caramel. I am not exaggerating when I say it is both easy to make and ridiculously delicious. Enjoy (and live long and prosper)!
Herbal Chocolate Truffles with Jiling Lin
Tune in as our dear friend, Jiling Lin, teaches us how to make herb-inspired chocolate truffles! She shares how easy and approachable this herbal preparation can be and why weaving wellness ingredients into our favorite treats is a great way to harness the power of plants!
Irish Sea Moss Gel Recipe
Perhaps you’ve noticed that sea moss gel has been trending for a few years now in wellness circles. Made from red algae, sea moss gel is rich in nutrients like iodine, magnesium, iron, folate, vitamin K, and calcium. Bonus: it’s simple to make at home with just three ingredients and provides countless ways to up the nutrient value of your favorite recipes. Sea moss gel doesn’t have a lot of flavor on its own, so while you can certainly dip in a spoon and eat it as-is, its add-in potential is where it really shines! Try adding this easy ocean superfood to a winter soup or a stir-fry, or blend a frozen cube into your morning smoothie for a nutrient-packed start to your day.
Homemade Elderberry Gummies (Vegan)
We love elderberries for their nutritious immune benefits and delicious flavor, so we’re always excited for new recipes, and right now we’re all about elderberry gummies. Unfortunately, gummies are usually made with gelatin, which is a hard no for our vegan friends. We wanted to create an elderberry gummy that anyone can enjoy, but how do you get a gelatin-like gummy without the gelatin? The key is agar-agar powder! Agar-agar comes from the structure of cell walls in certain kinds of red algea, so this wonder of nature is vegan-friendly and makes a beautiful, shiny, delicious gummy that has a nice “squish” and works especially well in candy molds. If you’ve ever had a Japanese fruit jelly, you’ll recognize the consistency of agar gummies. What a fun way to get a little boost of immune-supporting elderberries!
Blue Moon Milk for Clarity & Reflection
On August 30, 2023, we will experience a super blue moon. Astronomers say it will be the closest, biggest, brightest full moon of the year. To me, this super full moon holds the potential to illuminate stagnant thoughts and emotions, both of which are good self-work for me right now. I am planning to spend the evening seeking clarity from these “peripheral” thoughts so I can move into them or on from them healthily and productively.
To get in this space, I decided to call on some of my trusted herbal allies to help me slow down busy and distracting thoughts. In doing so, I ease my overactive brain so that I may uncover the important things that have been muffled by the noise of life. I decided that the perfect vehicle for this herbal support would be best enjoyed as a moon milk—a blue one, of course. Butterfly pea flowers are the star of the show for this blend since they are responsible for the dreamy blue hue.
Homemade Creamsicle® Recipe (Vegan)
You may have noticed over the years that we have some really unique orange cream-themed offerings in the Mountain Rose Herbs product catalog. From our Orange Cream Rooibos and Oolong teas to our Orange Cream Essential Oil, these custom blends did not come to be by happenstance. Mountain Rose Herbs’ Owner, Shawn Donnille, is an avid Creamsicle® fan and has been the driving force behind those specialty blends for years.
In celebration of National Creamsicle® Day, we decided to make a homemade vegan version of the classic popsicle for you to try out.
Homemade Creamsicles® With Orange Cream Rooibos (Vegan)
As a child, I remember delighting in the hot days of August. My brother and I could spend an entire day in the yard leaping through the sprinkler, having rowdy water fights, and just causing general (damp) mayhem. However, the real highlight of any summer day was the moment that the sing-song tones of the ice cream truck floated to us. In my memory, the ice cream truck has an almost mythical quality to it. It would appear with a burst of song at the perfect moment, with an endless bounty of colorful, frozen treats. I recently learned that national creamsicle day is August 14 and I was immediately flooded with countless (sticky) memories from my youth. Pairing my new awareness of the upcoming occasion with the fact that our fearless leader, Shawn Donnille, is an avid Creamsicle® fan, I decided to try my hand at an herbal adaptation of this beloved summer treat that would win over even the most diehard admirers.
Herbalist Tips to Beat the Summer Heat
Many of us are ready for fall, but the truth remains that we are still in summer and it is hawt! With the heat and sun come sunburn, heat rash, heat exhaustion, and even heat stroke. There are things we can do to prevent these from happening and natural remedies for when they do.
Why Do We Get Sunburn?
Sunburn is an acute inflammatory response by the skin in reaction to excessive exposure to sunlight. The harmful changes that occur in the skin cells’ cytoplasm (a gel-like substance that is between the cell membrane and nucleus) and the nucleus itself are cumulative over a lifespan and can lead to an increased incidence of skin cancer. Sunburn is common in this era of popular outside summer activities and clothing styles that leave more skin exposed to the sun’s damaging UVA and UVB rays. We’ve all had that burning sensation after being in the sun too long. While limiting sun exposure is the most reliable method of preventing sunburn, we do want to be able to bask in the sun, don’t we?
Homemade Shaving Cream
A good shaving cream can make all the difference in both the quality and comfort of a shave. It’s no wonder then that this homemade shaving cream recipe has been such a longtime favorite of the Mountain Rose Herbs community. Whether you’re working on your beard, your head, or a full-body cleanup, the rich texture of this cream feels wonderful on the skin as it nourishes, hydrates, and makes a perfect surface to safely and comfortably shave away unwanted hair.
We’ve chosen kukui nut oil for its wealth of linoleic and alpha-linolenic fatty acids and added rosemary and bergamot mint essential oils to give our shaving cream a wonderfully clean scent. But one of the beauties of this recipe is that it is supremely customizable. Feel free to substitute oils and butters (sunflower oil would be a good swap for the kukui nut oil) and create your own essential oil blend to suit your mood.
Homemade Deodorant: How to Make Natural, Herbal, Roll-On Deodorant
Summer being what it is—with all the extra sunshine and outdoor fun—our deodorant choices start to matter in a bigger way. Consumers have become increasingly aware of the potential issues that can come with using deodorants with ingredients like propylene glycol, aluminum, and triclosan, and have been turning more and more to natural deodorants. Unfortunately, while over-the-counter natural deodorants are a safer and more earth-friendly option than those loaded with parabens and chemicals, they are still packaged in mostly non-recyclable plastics that millions of Americans throw away every year. Happily, it’s an easy task to make your own natural, herbal, roll-on deodorant.
Just so we’re on the same page, it’s important to know that deodorants aren’t meant to reduce or eliminate sweat. No matter what those old antiperspirant ads used to tell you, sweating is essential for the human body. Its primary task, of course, is to help control body temperature, but sweating also helps moisturize the skin and increase skin hydration. The kind of sweat we produce when exercising or relaxing in a sauna is also evidence that we’re supporting heart health and mental wellbeing. Our bodies need to sweat, so it behooves us to find natural, safe ways to neutralize any resulting underarm odors from this necessary bodily process. That’s where our herbal allies come in!
This simple recipe for a liquid roll-on deodorant is a longtime, tried-and-true Mountain Rose Herbs favorite. It’s effective, wonderfully low-mess, and easily portable so we can take it with us and reapply as needed. Also, it is easy to customize to meet your unique needs and aroma preferences. Need more absorbency? Add a bit of baking soda or organic arrowroot powder. Want to customize the scent? Create your own blend of essential oils!
