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We’re in the business of being better. As herbalists, our first love is the plants--but within that comes a fierce and protective love for the health of our planet. Without it, we’d lose these precious herbal plants we love and work with. Our efforts to do better is at the top of our list, but this doesn't apply for just plant lovers; this is something we all should be encouraging others to think about and make positive changes...
My grandfather (the American one) had many diverse interests, ranging from sports, to finance, and many in between. I fondly recall his passion for history: walking around Kansas City, he'd point out historical markers and talk to me about the Santa Fe Trail, and the lives of pioneers who set out westward to seek their fortune. While I have misgivings about that chapter in US history, I am still grateful for how my grandfather taught me to imagine the footsteps of those who walked a city street or farm field years and years ago.
Having herbal vinegar on hand allows us to infuse our favorite herbs into our everyday meals in a quick + tasty way. They add a medicinal kick to salad dressings, or on grain dishes and greens, or are delicious mixed with sparkling water for a drink called a “shrub.”
Watch water flowing in the world: streams join into fast-flowing rivers, which empty out into seaside wetlands. Here, water rich in nutrients trickles between reed-covered islands. In our bodies, arterial rivers push water rich in nutrients into a branched system of drainage channels: the lymphatic system.
We believe our kitchens are our sanctuaries--a place where we find nourishment, creativity, and healing. For many of us, the kitchen is also home to our herbal apothecaries, which in itself allows the lines between our food and our herbal medicine to blur, and where they truly are one.
We must come to terms with the matter of plant consciousness. When we say "vegetative", we think of absence: no feeling, no willful acts, only passive reaction. But that does not describe the vegetal kingdom: sensing and moving to satisfy its wishes, a plant can hold abstract thought, plan for the future, and coordinate with kin. Plants have memory, sophisticated senses, and exquisite control over how their genetic blueprint unfolds into physical form. We dismiss them simply because of a difference in perspective, and do so at our peril.
Creativity in the kitchen is one of the purest forms of self-love and devotion, especially when it involves herbs! Over the years we've gotten very comfortable with adding medicinal plants to our desserts and meals and are excited to share that passion with you.
Growing up on the sunny side of the Alps, on the gentle slopes that would run down into the fertile valleys of northern Italy, I listened to the fairytales and lore of a people who had lived in those craggy mountains for thousands of years.
If you are looking for a creative way to keep with your herbal regimen, consider the easy solution of blending herbs and raw honey. Honey has long been called the food of the gods, or the elixir of life, and as herbalists, we understand why--there's nothing quite like the sweetness of honey, miraculously synthesized from the pollen and nectar of flowering plants...
When we think about using herbs in our everyday life, there are a few ways that come to mind; fresh harvest from the garden, herbal infusions (tea) and herbal tinctures. While many of you know what a tincture is and use them often, many folks don't, and our goal at Urban Moonshine is to get more people comfortable using plant medicines and to be inclusive in our information...
We take digestion for granted, but it's not an easy task: we consume a range of foods, at different times, under changing circumstances. Balancing all these variables, our guts distil macronutrients (proteins, fats and carbs) and process micronutrients and phytochemicals.
We all know what happens with grandiose New Year’s resolutions: they aren’t usually very lasting. The desire to become a happier or healthier version of ourselves inspires many of us...
