a collection of things i've been loving

i have so many things i’ve been loving, & i thought it was the perfect time to share them (& i’d love to hear yours).

1. picking honeysuckles at dusk for my enfleurage. honeysuckles have a circadian rhythm and release their scent at dusk! enfleurage is an ancient way of making perfume, and i’m working on a coconut honeysuckle enfleurage for summer, which means i have to collect honeysuckles at dusk to swap the flowers out in my coconut oil every single day for the next 30 days. it feels like a meditation, and i love it. we have a big honeysuckle bush in our front yard, & the more i pick it, the more it blooms.

2. collecting vintage books. i recently got a pre-rockefeller herbalism book (culpepper’s herbal- it’s a classic). i just bought a first edition of bambi and can barely wait for it to arrive. i want to have a very small collection of vintage books- super intentional ones. they make me so happy. i need to find the perfect way to display them. by the way, i’ve been sourcing all of my vintage books from ebay!

   

   i mean HOW cute is she.

3. calendula tea in giant jars. i’ve noticed my skin is so glowy & even since drinking calendula tea. i love filling a huge mason jar with it and sipping it throughout the day- it’s also incredible for your liver! making one right now. seriously, i feel like my skin is SO even & glowy since drinking this.

4. i consider my fresh-milled sourdough brownies to be supplements. fresh-milled flour contains 40 out of 44 essential nutrients. maple sugar. grass-fed butter for K2. eggs from my chickens for choline, which is pure brain food. a glass of raw milk & my brownie before bed is my favorite prescription. (recipe coming soon- make sure you follow to get the recipe!)

5. chyavanprash. this deserves its own post. it’s the #1 ancient Ayurvedic longevity, detox & immune tonic and is called the elixir of life, dating back to 300 BC.

   The ancient Ayurvedic text, the Caraka Samhita, says that chyavanprash is the premier rasayana, where one attains “longevity, memory, intelligence, freedom from disorders, youthful age, excellence of luster, complexion and voice, optimal strength of physique and sense organs, successful words, respectability and brilliance.” beautiful.

   what is it? chyavanprash is basically a jam made with ghee, honey, & ayurvedic herbs (it’s an ancient recipe), and i take 1.5 tsp 1–2x a day! mainly every morning, but sometimes i’ll take it a second time. (this isn’t sponsored, they don’t know i exist, but i’m lovingggg the banyan botanicals one)

6. liver meatballs. i make a big batch, cook them, & freeze them. it’s SO nice to sear them up when i don’t feel like cooking or don’t know what i want to make. i can throw them on ancient grain pasta, with roasted potatoes or veggies, a rice bowl, literally anything. i’ll make the recipe soon, but tbh i just eyeball it! season 1 lb of ground beef, add some seasoning, and about 1/4 cup of chopped liver. (i always have cubed frozen liver in the freezer)

7. foraging classes. they’ve connected me to nature so much, and they make me way more excited for hikes. they’re so, so, so worth it. they add so much magic to life. highly recommend finding a class near you! it’s one of those small things that adds so much wonder & connection to the world.

8. herbal sodas. how I make them: gerolsteiner water (this water comes naturally carbonated from the earth, filled with healing minerals, and is part of where the “fountain of youth” lore comes from). i make a quick syrup with lemon juice (or any fruit juice) and raw honey (eyeball it). pour it into your sparkling water. add tinctures (loving nettle & cleavers- they are nature’s lymphatic drainage & anti-histamine tonics). making a quick herbal soda to go with dinner is so much fun, and it feels amazing! i can do a whole post on my favorite tinctures, because I have a whole collection.

okay guys- that is all! if there is anything you want a whole post on- let me know! & what are you obsessed with lately/what’s been exciting you? talk soon!