People don't always tell you about the secret life of plants when they're sharing the healing benefits of herbs. No one told me when I first started studying herbalism, that the plants would open a door into a vast yet oddly intimate community of other plant lovers. These folks are regular people, sure, but their fascination and dedication to the world of healing herbs creates a particular kind of kinship. It's sort of like Mother Nature's song is playing in our hearts for the plants as they work with us and through us. When you encounter others with the same tune, it brings up that warm and fuzzy feeling, like a crush. I have a friend in Florida that would lovingly call us "herb flirts." Well, its something like that.

When plants call, the world awakens. You can't just walk by that ordinary looking (most likely medicinal) bush at the grocery store or the bank anymore. You're pulled over to get a closer look. To check out the shape of its leaves, the smell of its flowers and maybe you're even lucky enough to share this moment with a hummingbird who's enjoying nectar for supper. These moments of wonder are what so many of us herbalists refer to as 'magic.' By definition magic is, "the power of apparently influencing the course of events by using mysterious or supernatural forces." I'd say this is pretty spot on for the more 'woo' realm for how plants work. You can't always explain how they do it, how they opened your heart, released that grief, or helped you feel your feet planted on this planet again with an internal knowing that everything is okay.

I say all this because I still feel the tug of magic when we come across plant-folk like Lauren Haynes of Wooden Spoon Herbs. The three of us have admired each others work from afar for some time now and we were lucky enough to be gifted some of her gorgeous potions. What drew us to Lauren was her southern roots, her authenticity and her passion for regional plants with a deep respect for the medicine she makes. Her message echoes our own in the way we want to, "inspire and empower our community to take self-care into their own hands in a very real and connected way. Seasonal medicine, staying close to our roots, and utilizing the bounty of our bioregion are at the forefront of my creations." She was kind enough to send us a few of her deliciously crafted medicines to try. Every product feels so intentional, from her sweet labels to the blends she's created and the herbs she uses.

I've been coveting her Stress Ease Powder made with organic holy basil, nettle, oat straw and ashwagandha. Its delicious on its own as a tea with hot water or blended into this frothy coconut milk tonic. In Lauren's words this blend includes "highly potent and nourishing herbs, specifically for the support and maintenance of the adrenal glands and overall nerve tone. These herbs are called “adaptogens” in the herbal community, a term understood to mean herbs that help you get through stressful times by putting you on an even keel and potentially increasing energy levels when used over a period of time. We love how she created the perfect balanced blend of our daily herbs and hope you'll find this recipe as comforting as we do. Can't wait to share a mug of tea with you in person one-day soon, Lauren!

Stress Ease Coconut Tonic

Ingredients:

1 cup shredded coconut flakes, unsweetened

3-4 dried apricots or pitted dates

pinch of good sea salt

4 cups water

1 teaspoon Stress Ease Powder

Dried rose petals for garnish

To make Coconut milk:

Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender for a minute or two, until smooth + creamy. Use a nut milk bag to strain into a large bowl. Pour coconut milk into a mason jar to store. This milk will last up to 3 days in the fridge.

To make stress ease tonic:

Most of our tonics are made using this Breville Frother, so we just add our milk + powders and blend. If you don't have this kitchen gadget, warm up your coconut milk on the stove and add to a blender with the Stress Ease Powder until nice and frothy. Add an pinch of dried rose petals or extra touch of sweet with honey, maple syrup or stevia if you'd like.

On another note, so much of what Summer and I share through this blog and in our workshops is about making magic. However overused that word might be at the moment, it rings true for us in how we approach our healing practice. Our recipes are meant to inspire and ignite an ongoing conversation with using plants for healing. Whether that's physical, emotional or spiritual. We're not here to treat, diagnose or cure you, for only you can do that yourself. You are, after all, your own healer. Being your own healer means taking responsibility for imbalances showing up in your life and seeking out the support you need. Maybe you know what to do or maybe you need to work with someone who does and has more experience. They can help guide you to certain practices or remedies but at the end of the day, its up to you to follow through by taking their lead. If you're looking for tools to set up your own healing kitchen and practice everyday herbalism, we'd love to have you in our Radical Witch program.