You do not have to grow burdock to make this cake. Burdock root is sold as gobu in Asian markets or farmers markets. But you do need it to be fresh. It looks like a white carrot, which I think is why I decided to try it here in this carrot nut torte. The recipe is inspired by my favorite baker, Maida Heatter from her Book of Great Desserts. I substituted 1/3 of the grated carrots for grated burdock root, changed the lemon juice to orange juice and added vanilla. In Maida’s recipe she glazed the cake. I don’t think it needs it but on the other hand I also think it would be amazing with a frosting cream cheese or just plain vanilla.

I hope you have burdock root to use. If you do, please let me know how you use it in your cooking and especially if you make this cake! xoxo

reshi chocolate cake squares

dried reishi mushrooms

reishi mushroom infused cake

reishi mushrooms ready for decocting

reishi mushroom infused with chocolate

reisi chocolate cake cut up

Mushrooms have a crazy medicinal super power that gives me pause. I’m not talking about our most common white button mushrooms. I love these — and I think you either love mushrooms or hate them — but they don’t add much by way of medicine.

There are many other mushrooms, some like shitake or portabella, well-known. But unless you are a mycologist, a true mushroom expert, immersed in the gourmet world as a chef or food writer, or your cultural heritage is steeped with mushrooms, they all have a sort of wild earthy, slightly sketchy reputation.

And then there is herbalism. To the herbalist mushrooms and medicinal go hand in hand. Reishi is perhaps the most loved, utilized and mainstream. I have seen it in drinks on supermarket shelves. But how in the world does this member of the fungus family have so many benefits? Benefits such as immune boosting, nerve calming, allergy and asthma relieving, circulation improving. I am in awe. Does adding a cup of reishi tea to this cake make a difference? If you cut the cake into 16 pieces you are getting about a half ounce roughly in each piece. That isn’t bad but it also isn’t what you would consider a medicinal dose.

My thoughts are as follows: When you eat a vegetable, let’s say a carrot, you know that it is a good source of vitamin A. We need vitamin A every day to support many body functions like good eyesight, healthy skin, nerve functions. Vitamin A is an antioxidant and decreases inflammation. But we know that eating a carrot won’t provide the total vitamin A needed. Instead it is a building block. one of many sources that you may eat throughout the day to reach an optimal amount. You may also eat romaine lettuce in a salad, broccoli and a sweet potato for dinner, some cantaloupe. I think the same can be applied to eating something that is made with an herb, like reishi. You eat a piece of cake and there is some reishi mushroom tea in it that will help support your immune system among other things. In addition, throughout the day you may be eating those carrots, broccoli, and sweet potatoes or drinking a cup of green tea and taking a spoonful of elderberry syrup, all immune boosters. It’s a building block, but in the meantime, this cake is one darn delicious block.

truffles for the memory

truffle ingredients

rosemary remembrance truffles

bite sized delicious

Perhaps.

Shakespeare, Hamlet
Act 4, Scene 5
Ophelia: There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance; pray, love, remember; and there is pansies, that is for thoughts… There’s fennel for you, and columbines, there’s rue for you and here’s some for me; we may call it herb of grace o’ Sundays. O you must wear your rue with a difference. There’s a daisy. I would give you some violets, but they wither’d all when my father died. They say he made a good end. – (sings) “For bonny sweet Robin is all my joy”

Ophelia’s rambling, somewhat confused speech refers to symbolic flower associations all related to the circumstances surrounding her father’s death. She begins with rosemary it seems, not for memories, but because she knows that it along with the other plants she mentions help to relieve pain of the heart. Her reference to remembrance translates to an English funeral tradition where those grieving laid rosemary bunches onto their loved one’s coffins as a symbol that they would never forget.

I’m not sure how the idea that rosemary will help with memory retention or recall became so intertwined with this quote, but tradition and modern science support it. Rosemary’s chemical constituents increase the uptake of cellular oxygen in the brain to support and stimulate memory. Herbalists know it as a vital formula ingredient for mental clarity.

I invite you to do your own experiment. You can easily make these truffles; the hardest part is collecting the herb powders. I promise the research will also be delicious.

Last, as I write this, the current world chaos and constant tragedy pull my heart to sadness over and over. I identify with Ophelia’s madness, despair, and grief. I’m not sure what else there is to say.

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two dozen basil leaves

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Ever wonder why summer produces so much zucchini? If you grow a vegetable garden or, like me, receive a weekly CSA (community supported agriculture) box from a local farm, it seems like a logical question when this vegetable just keeps emerging. My curiosity lead me to explore and here’s what I found:

Zucchini grows in any type of soil, needs no extra attention, and easily pollinates. One plant will produce lots of flowers, which translates to lots of fruit. It also will keep producing more and more as the zucchini is harvested.

Inevitably, if you read food literature, you will see an article giving ideas for what to do with abundant zucchini. This summer, I tested a few new recipes. I listened tp an interview on The Splendid Table podcast with Skye Gyngell, a chef who just released a cookbook titled Spring. She described her Slow-cooked Zucchini with Tarragon as being her restaurant staff’s favorite. Look for the recipe on the Splendid Table’s website and if you don’t already, try listening to this podcast, I think you’ll love it. I also made a few different types of zucchini pancakes or fritters.

I try to love zucchini, but my truth can not be denied. It leaves me feeling meh. However, baking converts zucchini to my favorite vegetable. This zucchini loaf inspired by my self-proclaimed baking mentor, Maida Heatter from Maida Heatter’s Cakes actually inspired me to want more zucchini.

A best friend visiting told me she felt addicted to this zucchini bread like a drug. I’m not sure if that’s good, but I understand and I also would like to believe it’s because of my secret basil addition.

nettle pesto spiral rolls

nettle pesto

rolled rectangle of dough

a spiral of nettle pesto

rolls for any meal

It’s taking time for me to make friends with nettles.

This seems contrary to the experience of other herbalists who consider it a darling. Nettles ranks among the most useful herbs. First, it’s leaves, roots, and seeds are all powerful but different medicines. Second, it is a nutrient dense, mineral rich green vegetable. Third, it can benefit almost every part of our bodies in some way: skin, digestive system, immunity, kidneys and urinary tract, respiratory system, allergies and colds, reproductive system especially prostate gland, musculoskeletal pain relief, and nervous system. Way before I ever thought of studying herbalism, I was prescribed nettles in capsule form by a naturopathic doctor I saw for a chronic cough and fatigue I was struggling with after having my three children in less than three years. This was a shaky introduction, but it was after planting nettles in my back yard that our friendship troubles began.

The actual stinging experience is a bit of a shock. You think, whoa, nettle leaves really do sting. It goes away pretty quickly, but it does hurt. You can see the little spiky hairs all along the stems and back of the leaves. But even more aggressive is the way nettles send out runners and take over a garden.

Nettles bullies me, perhaps not on purpose, it’s just her way. And I am learning to accept her and making peace. I think I am even beginning to love her a bit. I have learned that good gardening gloves that extend past your wrist, long sleeves, and kitchen tongs help immensely. I have not yet figured out what to do about the garden takeover.

Recently, I couldn’t find kale in my small local supermarket for an egg muffin recipe my daughter had asked for. Quickly it dawned on me that the huge amount of nettles in my backyard would work as a replacement. It was a moment of bonding for me. Baking these rolls was another.

nettle walnut pesto

steamed nettles

pesto ingredients

second stage pesto

garden nettles just picked

Nothing says spring more loudly than fresh stinging nettles.

cupcake with a berry

dried hawthorn berries

hawthorn berry cupcake ingredients

hawthorn berry cupcakes

on cupcake

plate of cupcakes

reliable supplier

Because some ingredients may be hard to find, links are provided to make buying easier. I may earn a small commission for some of the product links in this recipe. Your purchase will lend support to this website at no further cost to you. Big love and thanks for that.

My cookbook addiction has been in full swing lately. Currently, I’m reading cover to cover a new purchase, American Cake by Anne Byrn. This is a food history book as much as a cookbook. So far, I’ve learned the origin of today’s take-for-granted ingredients such as baking powder and gained a new appreciation for my oven imagining how it contrasts to baking a cake in a firepit. Did you know that women actually died from burns while baking? I had no idea. But what I love the most is the dedication to the specialness of baking and how recipes were shared and kept in personal journals long before cookbooks stocked shelves. Resourcefulness is an apparent theme because there were no supermarkets to buy ready to use ingredients. Women churned their own butter, milled their own flours, and raised chickens for eggs. When sugar was scarce, molasses became a go-to sweetener, spices valuable flavoring agents. With utmost respect, as I read these recipes I can’t help but think of my own baking. These impressions unfold a world of potential herbal baking. How easy it seems to substitute an herbal syrup in place of molasses. Using liquid sweeteners in a batter eliminates the butter-sugar creaming step and feels a bit easier. I made these cupcakes before I had this book but I know I will use it as a reference again and again and feel inspired by the history it unfolds.

turmeric blackberry blonde brownies

turmeric infused butter

blackberry turmeric syrup

turmeric stained parchment

plate of blonde browines that look brown

Because some ingredients may be hard to find, links are provided to make buying easier. I may earn a small commission for some of the product links in this recipe. Your purchase will lend support to this website at no further cost to you. Big love and thanks for that.

I’ve asked myself several times whether to share this obscure and surprising recipe. Vacillating between yes sometimes no, obviously yes won. My hesitation stems from worry that a recipe’s visual merit reigns imperative for food blogging, recipe websites and social sharing. Recipes you can almost taste through your phone or laptop that spark interest and create beautiful food preside as normal.

While visual food culture isn’t actually new, I nevertheless wonder how a beautiful picture assures taste. Obviously it cannot and does not. How can a mouthwatering photo guarantee the recipe will work well and the result will resemble that photo? My own failures have led to my skepticism. I now know of endless filters and edits that can make anything look better. I have experienced the temptation and witnessed the ease to accomplish with no photography experience required.

I also deliberate on perfection. My own imperfect recipes still taste good. Ultimately we bake for the pleasure of others, those we care about. I keep returning to the belief that if people you love eat and enjoy what you make, then that could define perfect. No matter the visual masterpiece.

I made these brownies because I wanted to bake using a delicious blackberry turmeric syrup I had recently concocted. I decided to add more turmeric thinking it blends well with fat. Traditionally in Ayruvedic medicine, turmeric and ghee combine into a restorative remedy. With multitudinous health and wellness benefits why not add turmeric in higher amounts. This recipe uses syrup whisked into melted butter so I infused the butter with turmeric while it was melting. But I added a lot, perhaps too much. The butter turned deep yellow almost orange which differed from adding turmeric to the blackberry syrup, it had not changed that color. I suppose purple covers yellow better and adding yellow to yellow just makes it more yellow. I imagine there is science to this and I wonder how chefs tackle strong color-changing ingredients like turmeric when they create.

Returning to my posting hesitation…these brownies while flawed, taste delicious. Depending on the light, they look either brownish green or greenish yellow, neither all that appealing and certainly not brownie-like. Otherwise, they are soft and cakelike with bites of chocolate, a bit rustic in flavor from buckwheat flour and different but pleasing. Additionally, the turmeric and blackberries transform them into healthy nourishment. But the ultimate outcome came from when my daughter said she loved them.
I wonder…would you try them? Please send me a message and tell me.

Because some ingredients may be hard to find, links are provided to make buying easier. I may earn a small commission for some of the product links in this recipe. Your purchase will lend support to this website at no further cost to you. Big love and thanks for that.

Syrups, ok they contain sugar and they’re sweet but preparing your own puts you in control over how much to add. After experimenting with honey, I still think sugar (organic) makes the best syrup to use in baking. Honey syrup becomes amazing spoonful eating medicine, but is heat sensitive and more difficult to strain. This turmeric berry combination elevates this syrup high on the nourishing scale. My plans target this syrup for a cake but after tasting it, I had to share it all on its own with other uses. It embodies kitchen herbalism – easy, not time consuming to make, no fancy ingredients, wellness benefit multitudes, not to mention delicious. By the way, you could use less sugar or more turmeric depending on your personal preference. Here are some ideas for using:

Syrup:
Use as substitute for maple syrup or honey
Swirl into yogurt
Top ice cream
Mix into salad dressing
Use to sweeten whipped cream
Drizzle onto vegetables
Stir into coffee or tea to lightly sweeten
Use as ingredient in baked goods!

Berry puree:
Add to yogurt or cottage cheese
Stir into oatmeal at end of cooking.
Make a sauce for meats or chicken
Blend into smoothie or use as topping for smoothie bowl.
Use as topping for ice cream, frozen yogurt, or nice cream

Any more thoughts? Please comment below…

nettle-choolate-loaf-cake-too

can-you-see-the-stinger

steamed-nettles-and-tea

loaf-out-of-the-oven

slice-of-cake

We are deep into fall yet the nettles in my small herb garden bed continue to take over.

Every few days I put on double garden gloves and snip around taking off the top leave whirls. I know this may stimulate more growth, but the crime of not using an herb like this in its fresh form nags at me.

My method to avoid the sting, not totally herbal perfect practice, is as follows: Bring handfuls of nettle leaves, stem and all into the kitchen with my gloves on and put them gently into the sink. Take off gloves and get a big pot ready with about 2 inches of water. Turn on the sink faucet and with tongs, gently turn and rinse the nettle leaves, then with tongs, place into pot, stems and all. Bring to boil on medium high heat, covered. Steam for about 2-3 minutes until deep green, drain and cool. No more sting. Now, with my hands, I remove all the leaves from the stems. These will keep in the fridge for a few days and become a richly valuable mild green ingredient. Chop and mix into risotto, lightly saute with garlic, salt, and pepper, add to soups or stews, or bake with chocolate. Sometimes I think I can feel the minerals sinking into my bloodstream as I eat.

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a-pure-spoonful

ashwagandha-panna-cotta

ashwagandha-root

making-ashwagandha-milk

pretty-dish

unmolded-panna-cotta

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It’s easy to understand why there’s so much anxiety around. Today’s world presents a lot of food for the anxious heart. I fall prey to it for sure. I’m anti-medication for anxiety and depression; it feels like a band-aid when what’s needed is a cure. But still we have to get through the days, right? Any calming help is a blessing. Herbs can be that help. Ashwagandha is a perfect example and there’s so much more to this Ayurvedic princess than soothing nerves. It’s like you hit a gold mine. To get the whole benefit of some herbs, ashwagandha being one, you have to eat them. It’s a rich source of iron, a mineral vital to so many functions including building strong blood, which in turn helps with our vitality. If you take ashwagandha as a tincture, you don’t get the iron. In India, the home of Ayurveda, it’s traditionally boiled in milk with molasses. This panna cotta is my variation on that with the addition of saffron and cardamom to blend the flavor and add their own vital benefits.

an-easy-way-to-eat-beets

brain-food

yellow-beets

ingredients

walnut-date-muffins-featuring-beets

The mixing of two familiar foods less commonly thought of as herbs. Baking can be magic in that way. Walnuts and beets are both examples of culinary style herbalism.

When September comes, it seems like beets are everywhere. Week after week they arrive in my CSA box. Even if I liked beets (regrettably I don’t) how in the world can someone use all of them? In my nutrition frame of mind I know it’s worth trying. So I roast them, peel them and whirl them in the food processor, then store to use later. Frozen in ice cube trays, they can be added to smoothies. Measure 1 cup portions to mix into batters because beets make amazingly moist chocolate cakes. Pickle them and they last forever this way, besides fermented foods are important and my mom loves them. When huge yellow beets appeared a few weeks ago, I felt muffin inspiration. Because beets add sweetness, the actual sugar amount is proportionally low in this batter. My lovely daughter, a vegetable affectionate yet also not a beet lover, avoids sugar. She approved.

Recent studies have linked eating walnuts with improvement in memory. Eating a handful packs nutrients that our brains need like essential fatty acids and antioxidants. Traditional Chinese Medicine doesn’t ignore walnuts, classifying them as yang tonifying herbs that strengthen bones, tendons and vision. TCM also considers walnuts warming for the lungs and mixed with honey can help chronic coughs. Now there’s a yummy kitchen therapy.

slice of pie

no filter red

pastry making

all layers in place

free form pie

fresh out of oven

It’s hard to keep failure in perspective. No matter how many times I hear that your greatest lessons come from failure, it still feels awful at the time. Top that with all the gorgeous social media pictures and I can’t help but wonder where I fit in to the baking culture. I love baking. I don’t always do it well. Lately I’m realizing that it’s a constant work in progress. Just because I plan and research and have the most pristine intentions, it doesn’t mean my end result will be presentable. I wonder how in the world recipe creators do it. How do that make something over and over until it is right or do they even do that, it seems like they are just producing perfection all the time. I’m not, ever. Despite going to bed with a heavy heart, in the morning I feel ready to try again at least in my mind if not actually baking. I think about the next thing and how to change the one I didn’t like. Still, I’m far from where I want to be. The other day I received a gift from my neighbor: a huge bag of the most lusciously red, perfectly ripe tomatoes that she grew in her organic garden. I admit, I’m not a huge tomato eater but these were irresistible. I made salsa for my daughter, a big pot of sauce, and after a few salads I still had left overs just waiting for an herbal bake shoppe trial. Here in NJ there are Italian taverns that refer to their pizza as tomato pie. This inspired me. Earlier this summer, I received another gift from my closest cousin who was visiting for some beach time. It was a giant chunk of Greek feta cheese; completely melt in your mouth pleasure. I decided with the last days of summer upon me, to combine these two generous presents with the hope to break my failure streak. I believe I did. I would love to hear if you think so, too.

flax blueberry nectarine cobbler

ground flax meal

blueberries + nectarines

ready for the oven

golden brown topping

cobbler for two

Flax seeds, a source of omega 3 fatty acids and fiber, instantly transform your kitchen into an herbal apothecary. They contain a high percentage of mucilage, best for helping with dryness. Dry coughs, sore irritated throats, dry skin, gastritis, and constipation are all times when extra flax seeds are beneficial.

But do you think of flax as a plant? I really didn’t until I received flax seeds in the herbal garden seed starter set I ordered from Mountain Rose Herbs. They looked identical to what I buy in supermarkets, but never thought of as seeds to plant. I did plant them, though, and they grew into these lovely tall, but delicate stalks with lavender flowers. I still lean toward convenience and used ground flax meal for this cobbler. Truly, though, it is best to grind flax from the seeds just prior to using to maximize their freshness.

soothing herb blend crumb muffins

muffin samples at market

three blends for sale

blend of linden, lemon balm, rose, tulsi

muffin bite

soothing herbal tea blend

powdered herbs

muffins and herbs

three muffins on display

Interesting human behavior story…

Last weekend, for the first time ever, I sold jars of herbal blends at a local craft market. I wanted to talk to people, to gather ideas and see what people are interested in so I can be more useful. I sold very few jars, but I did learn from people’s reactions. I had samples of baked treats made with the three herbal blends to show diversity of use besides making tea or taking them in a pill. These mini muffins were one of the samples and I displayed them in a cake stand with a clear cover. There were only a couple of people who asked me about them and when I explained what they were, very few people even took one.

So here is the interesting behavior… In the middle of the day I left my table for a bit to get a much needed iced coffee. As I walked back through the park where the market tables were set up, I saw my table in the distance. I realized that there was a steady stream of people approaching, lifting the lid of the cake stand and taking muffins. When I got back about 75% were gone! Crazy. When no one was there, people were willing to try even though there was no label as to what they were made with, but when I was there explaining, the no thank-you’s were abundant. I’m not sure if this means that the thought of eating dried herbs baked into a muffin was unappealing or if they were just shy or worried they would not like and then be embarrassed to say so. Which ever, I hope you try for yourself. They have a few steps, none of which is hard and are deliciously different.

Although the tea blend is a mix of calming herbs, I am not sure eating in a muffin will do that, maybe a tiny bit. And would you try them if they were a sample at a craft market table? Please leave me a comment below.

Because some ingredients may be hard to find, links are provided to make buying easier. I may earn a small commission for some of the product links in this recipe. Your purchase will lend support to this website at no further cost to you. Big love and thanks for that.

topped and plain

dried dandelion leaf

after 5 minutes of kneading

half to each pan

toppings

focaccia crust

cutting focaccia

inside focaccia

Bread, it has gone from the most basic source of nourishment to whole grain dieting staple to food shunned and the gluten sensitivity enemy, cause of unwanted weight gain and digestion problems. Bread itself may not be as evil as current culture pronounces it, but that which we buy in plastic bags at the supermarket may be. Not because it is bread. The chemical additives, preservatives and flour from wheat sprayed with pesticides seem to me more of a problem than eating a slice of wholesome homemade bread. I wonder if in 10 years we will look back on all the no gluten recommendations and say, as we now say for fat, gluten isn’t really that bad. Making your own bread sounds hard. Truly, controlling the ingredients and mastering some basic techniques is empowering. Use organic flours, replace water with herbal infused tea and control the chemicals by adding none. I am not saying I don’t buy bread, I do. I also think it important to balance the amount of carbohydrate we eat. I avoid eating too much gluten. But demonizing a food seems to make little sense, especially when modern processing is likely the heart of the problem. This lovely focaccia is an easy bread to bake. Personalize it with any topping you like or keep it plain. The dandelion tea can add extra nutrients and may even help our bodies absorb them. Please leave a comment below and tell me what you think about bread, gluten, and adding herbal tea to baking. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts!

red clover bonbons

red clover buds

herbal blend

powdered herbs

nut buttter and honey

ingredients in bowl

inside a bonbon

I think it’s hard to bake. It takes time, time that I don’t always have especially when there are piles of laundry to do, dogs to walk, a house to clean, writing and researching to do and it is enough that I feed my children breakfast lunch and dinner. And when I do bake, my results never look like the perfect pictures I see on Instagram and all the food blogs I follow. Sometimes I get frustrated, despite the time and money spent on ingredients, I throw it all in the garbage.

But I love to bake. I am not sure why. It may be the challenge, perhaps the result will be that success I have been waiting for, the breakthrough that makes me a talented baker. It may be the alchemy, for how can the mixing of simple ingredients produce such joy? Sometimes it just feels so good to work through all of the steps, therapeutic almost. And it’s interesting because people like to know what you are baking. I would love the day to come when it’s easier for me. Someone told me recently the key to enticing people to bake with herbs is to make it easy. So, there is my goal for myself and for others.

These bonbons are not actually baking, but they’re easy. The most labor intense part is rolling the dough-like batter into balls. But once finished, you’ll have a large supply of instant snacks that keep for a long time in the fridge.

orange peel avocado breakfast cupcakes

oranges and avocados

oranges

specks of orange peel

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Orange peel, likely not what comes to mind when contemplating herbs. Ancient healing practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine definitely did, though. Actually the use of orange zest originated in oriental cuisine with the knowledge of its health benefits, flavor was an added bonus. Of course there is good nutrition in eating the pulp inside an orange but the rind is more nutrient dense, packed with antioxidants and essential oils. The compounds in orange peel stimulate hydrochloric acid production in the stomach, which is essential for digestion helping to relieve gas or abdominal bloating. Using the whole orange also provides healthy fiber, something that is lost if just drinking orange juice for breakfast. Honestly, though, I am not suggesting that we start eating unpeeled oranges, just consider more ways to reap the total citrus benefit. I think you will love these cupcakes.

plate of cookies

nettles plus for vinegar

infused balsamic ingredients

nettle plus balsamic oatmeal cookies

nettle infused balsamic vinegar

straining herbal vinegar

oatmeal cookie ingredients

ready for baking

more acidic than they look

one oatmeal cookie

Because some ingredients may be hard to find, links are provided to make buying easier. I may earn a small commission for some of the product links in this recipe. Your purchase will lend support to this website at no further cost to you. Big love and thanks for that.

In my earliest herbal baking thoughts, I imagined two goals. The first was transforming herbs primarily used for tea or alcohol extractions into edible delights making for enjoyable medicine taking. The second was also a transformation, this involving the kitchen as herbal apothecary that anyone could operate. It seemed simple and natural. Ultimately, both goals proved challenging. Adding herbal preparations into baked goods sometimes makes them taste awful. And making herbal preparations sometimes creates cumbersome baking. I am working these out, among other trials.

Lately, I have been having a problem quieting my mind. I am not sure why this is happening, but songs that I do not even like become stuck and I hear them over and over. I don’t like it. I am practicing replacement with a mantra.

Progress not Perfection. This is actually a motto from an amazing online educational resource, Marie Forleo’s B-School. The wisdom, passion, and commitment of this woman and her team are truly brilliant. Throughout her programs, she acknowledges self-doubt as normal and encourages the concept of progress not perfection. I highly recommend checking MarieForleo.com out.

I easily get tripped up by amazing recipe sites, photos, cookbooks, etc. They all look so perfect. I often feel I should never post any of my recipes or ideas until they are perfect. And then I think I would never post in that case. These are imperfect cookies, but yummy, nevertheless. Baking them transforms the kitchen into an alchemical bakery. Herbal baking progress not perfection.

muffin close up

safe source

nettle tea infusing

fresh out of the oven

chocolate muffin

nettle chocolate muffin

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The first herb I ever took medicinally, long before I began to study herbalism, was Urtica dioica powder in a capsule. I did not even know it was also called nettles. This was about two years after having three children in three years. I felt ok but had developed a chronic cough and sore throat and my father was worried about me. My health conscious, avid reader father explored alternatives for his own healthcare and had found a chiropractor/pharmacist who he thought I should see. He made the appointment for me and drove me there; waited three hours in the waiting room, and paid for the appointment including purchasing the supplements that were recommended, one of which was nettles. Looking back now I realize how lucky I was to have such a wonderful and concerned father, I also realize that the Urtica dioica was prescribed for restoration of my very depleted triple post pregnancy/childbirth and new mother state of health, as well as the cough. Nettle has long traditional use as a restorative, cleansing, and nutritive powerhouse herb. Also known for its ability to sting as a fresh plant, when dried or cooked the sting is completely deactivated.

Beet Chocolate Cupcakes

Beet Chocolate Cupcakes

Beet Chocolate Cupcakes

Because some ingredients may be hard to find, links are provided to make buying easier. I may earn a small commission for some of the product links in this recipe. Your purchase will lend support to this website at no further cost to you. Big love and thanks for that.