Eir’s Hand Botanicals

Fire cider is one of my favorite things to have on hand this time of year. Just some spicy herby friends infused into apple cider vinegar, then strained and sweetened with honey. Just take a little nip to warm up or help break up congestion. Bottoms up! 🔥

Crab apples + brandy = some awesome hot toddies this fall! This will macerate for a couple weeks before straining, then maybe adding some honey and/or spices. Lots of possibilities! 💚🍃

What a day to go play outside! I hope you do something fun too. 🍄💚🍃

If you love a chai latte but would like a caffeine free alternative, try tulsi aka holy basil! Steep with spices like ginger, fennel seed, cardamom, cinnamon, allspice, and/or clove, then add milk and sweeten to taste.

MAKE COOL STUFF💚🍃

Go outside and make some friends! 🐛

I have a strict no-touchy policy for the milkweed at work; that’s for the butterflies! There are some big, juicy, gorgeous plants. These nerds seem to prefer the wonkiest and scruggliest milkweed specimens. There’s no accounting for taste, right? 🐛

It was a great day to be outside. Check out those cranberries! 💚🍃

Current obsession: these wild hops. 😻

I was fully prepared to explain the plants in my backseat in case I got pulled over. It’s just wild lettuce!! Now it’s all chopped up with some high-proof alcohol for tincture. MAKE COOL STUFF 💚🍃

Same concept. 🤣

Herb nerd word of the day: GARBLE

In the herb nerd world, garbling is the process of sorting dried plant material to remove leaves and/or flowery bits from stems. It’s not a thing you HAVE to do, but it sure as heck makes storage more efficient and filling tea bags a lot easier.

MAKE COOL STUFF💚🍃

I’m a little obsessed with clubmoss. There’s a clubmoss ring around an oak, some juniper, and blueberries at my sister’s house that is my absolute favorite friend to visit.

Spiderwort flowers make a lovely tea! Cool magic trick-add a little lemon juice and watch the color change. 🤯 That beautiful blue from the anthocyanins is responsive to pH.💚🍃

Harvest time is in full swing! Self-heal, lamb’s quarters, yarrow and St John’s wort over the past few days. 💚🍃

What’s growing on in your neck of the woods? I was treated to sooo many lovely friends today. 💚🍃

Happy day, mamas! I hope you enjoy your day. I made a sun tea blend to share: hibiscus, lemon balm, and chopped dried mango. Cheers! 💚🍃

I ❤️ VIOLETS

May Day? More like SOUP DAY! This bean soup is all herbed up with kombu, turmeric, shiitake mushrooms, some dehydrated ramps from last year, and a bunch of lovely green herbs from the spice rack.

Make cool stuff! 🥣💚🍃

Do it for the pollinators. 🤣

The woods are waking up! It was a great day for a stroll.

Tea prep for the week: marshmallow leaf, self heal, linden and tulsi for a quart hot-infused tea daily, and some hibiscus and green tea for a fun cold brew.

Any other beverage goblins out there? I need at least two or three different beverages going at any given time. 🤣

April 17-Happy Herbalist Day! Go ahead, do something herby. 💚🍃

I feel good about doing something good for my body! The linden really balances well with nettle for me. Cheers!

Today’s tea: stinging nettle, linden, and dried lemon. Simple, nourishing, and pretty tasty. 💚🍃

Hibiscus, butterfly pea flower, rooibos and rose hips make a lovely deep magenta tea that’s pretty tasty over ice. What’s in your tea cup today? 💚🍃

Make a new herb friend! Today’s contestants: goji berry and galangal. I like to make tea with a single ingredient when I start working with it.
What new herb friend will you make today? 💚🍃

I had a super frustrating and maddening day. After some swearing, tea, tincture, and some mini-trampoline time I’m feeling a lot more peaceful. Ahhhh…. 💚🍃

Tea of the day: tulsi, cardamom, dried apple. YUM! What’s in your cup today? ☕️

Herb up some baked oatmeal! Blueberries, hibiscus, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cranberry infused honey add a lil fun to a boring bowl of oats. 💚🍃

Safety note: skip the florist or grocery store roses if you’re going to make tea, tincture, etc. Work with petals grown and packed for culinary or medicinal purposes instead!🌹💚🍃