May 13, 2026

Happy Wednesday!

You know, I was thinking about my kitchen cupboards today. They're a mess, and it's time to go through them, organize, and create a better system. I have SO many spices! That's because I cook with them on the daily. I do use a lot of herbs.

This kind of cooking is a form of herbalism. Your home apothecary starts right in your kitchen with what you use every day.

Some people think that herbal medicine begins with rare and strange herbs, complex tools, complicated formulas, or old herbal capsules from the drugstore. But if you open your kitchen cupboard right now, you'll probably find the beginnings of a REAL home apothecary! (Get my free guide in that link.)

Italian seasoning (thyme, rosemary, oregano, etc.). Ginger, cinnamon, peppermint, sage, spicy cayenne or chili powder, honey, vinegar, and salt. Of course we flavor our food with these, and great news!

These are all plants that have sometimes thousands of years of use as medicines in homes all over the world! They've been stirred into soups, steeped into teas, infused into honeys and vinegars, rubbed onto sore muscles, inhaled in herbal steams, and used to comfort families through all kinds of ordinary (and even extraordinary) troubles.

I love kitchen herbalism, and I practice it daily. You might too!

Kitchen herbalism reminds us that caring for our families naturally doesn't have to feel weird, extreme, or out of reach for us. It's practical! Using your kitchen medicinals feels comforting and simple....and most of all useful.

Think about thyme and honey, for example. Did you know you can infuse thyme right into raw honey for a delicious daily tonic that supports the upper respiratory system? And it's safe for children too. Add a squeeze of lemon and taste the deliciousness.

Besides soothing the throat, it's tasty and nutritious.

Rosemary is another beautiful plant that has both culinary and medicinal value. Beyond its typical uses as a cooking herb, rosemary is incredible when infused into oil and rubbed onto sore muscles. Try combining rosemary with some cayenne or ginger, and now you've got a real powerhouse base for a lovely salve.

Rosemary can be added into herbal baths, herbal steams for congestion or beautiful skin, or used in cases of sluggish circulation--especially in the lower extremities. It can be added to hair rinses and taken as a daily tea or tincture for supporting cognitive processes (memory, especially).

These herbs aren't magical.

They're simply and wonderfully useful and practical! Families need useful and practical solutions. Especially if they're right in your cupboard right now. Or, maybe you're growing a rosemary plant or two, like I am.

There's wisdom in knowing how to work with your kitchen spices, and having this kind of knowledge changes the atmosphere of your home!

It brings calmness, confidence, and helps you steward your family's health much better and without fear. And....it's SO simple.

You don't need to start with 50 herbs or order expensive tinctures online, and you certainly don't need to have a perfect apothecary overnight.

Just begin with one plant. One jar! One preparation. You can develop one small skill that can become a regular part of your family's life quite quickly.

Here's something I'd love for you to do: Open up your spice cabinet, and choose one of your herbs to learn about more deeply. It could be cinnamon, orange peel (yep, it's medicinal!), ginger, or pumpkin spice blend (seriously).

Look at it differently, with a different thought process. Ask what it does? Find out how it's been used traditionally all over the world for medicine! Then....make something with it.

Perhaps a delicious tea with some honey. Or maybe an herbal vinegar that you can use both as medicine....and as salad dressing! There are SO many other ways too.

Your kitchen is probably already closer to an apothecary than you think it is. And once you begin seeing these plants for what they REALLY are, you'll never look at your spice rack the same way again.

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ATHAL (Ask the Herbal Answer Lady)

Can you make it to Ask the Herbal Answer Lady today on YouTube?

It would be SO great to have you there.

If you have a question you'd like me to answer live, you can hit "reply" and ask me in an email, and I'll be starting with these! (As long as I see the note before I go on live.)

If you can't make it, I 100% understand! There will be a replay, if you're interested.

It's this morning at 10:00 am Pacific; 11:00 am Mountain; noon Central; and 1:00 pm Eastern.

Please pop in! Watch as long as you can or want to. We're on for about 45 minutes or so.

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A Fun and FREE Herbal Tea Challenge for You!

Do you love herbal tea? Or, maybe you'd like some help with formulating and flavoring your own blends?

A few years ago, I put together an Herbal Tea Challenge on my YouTube channel. I totally forgot about it, and then a video just popped up. Literally just now!

So, I'm sharing it with you as you probably didn't even know about it...It's REALLY good!

If you want, you can get the FREE Guide that comes with it, too. It will help with the challenge and give you a lot of great herbal tea ideas!

​Get the FREE Guide HERE​

​Watch the Herbal Tea Challenge Playlist HERE​

​

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On Taco Seasoning...and a Recipe!

You just can't make tacos without taco seasoning....it's just not right. BUT the store-bought kind is often filled with nasty ingredients (preservatives, anti-caking agents, sometimes hydrogenated oils), too much salt, and low quality herbs.

Why not make your own with some of the very spices that can help tame indigestion, inflammation, and are anti-oxidants??

You'll save a lot of money, and have delicious seasoning for a lot longer, too. Here's one of my favorite recipes:

Ingredients:

1/4 to 1/3 cup chili powder

3 tbsp ground cumin

1 tbsp garlic powder (or more if you love garlic like I do)

1 1/2 tsp onion powder

1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (adjust to taste, lessen if you don't like too much heat)

1 to 2 tbsp dried oregano

1 tbsp smoked paprika (or more if you love it like I do)

2 tsp black pepper

Optional: 1 tsp or so of mineral salt (I don't use salt in mine at all)

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients together and store in an airtight container in a cool cupboard. Use as you would normally, and enjoy!

FUN NOTE: Did you know the piperine in black pepper makes many constituents of plants more bioavailable to your body? That's why we always see it paired with turmeric, as the curcumin in turmeric is not very easily absorbed into our body.

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Encouragement and Inspiration

"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." ---Mark Twain

Aging....It's not for the faint of heart, is it?

I have to laugh at the influencers I've been following forever who are just now turning 40, and they're crying about their wrinkles and how their lives are changing.....

WHAT? 😂

As a 62 year-old lady, I can tell you that you may as well enjoy the process because nobody goes backward...thank heaven.

Honestly, it's hard sometimes, though. Like when I had to run through the airport as fast as I could for like a mile it seemed with my legs screaming, "NOPE! No way."

Or when you accidentally catch your reflection in a mirror and wonder who that old lady is? 😂 Or like I did, maybe even jump in surprise?

It's a little tempting to fight to stay young, but the fact is that it's just better to age gracefully and just do your best to stay healthy in the process (In my opinion---I'm not speaking for all women, of course).

Here's the truth: There's nothing we can do to stop it, except to die. So I'm choosing to "advance into it as well as I can" with the goal to be as active and able as I can be. Like my little amazing mom who lifts weights, gardens, and is just fabulous.

Plus! I remind myself all the time that there are many things young people must deal with that I no longer do. Let's focus on these GREAT things!

"Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." ---Psalm 90:12

I hope this note finds you well, and that you will join me this morning for Ask the Herbal Answer Lady if you can! Or, enjoy the replay.

I am filled with gratitude for you. Thank you for being part of our community and this newsletter.

Hugs, Health, and Herbs,

Heidi

​P.S. Don't forget to enjoy the Herbal Tea Challenge! (And please subscribe, like, and share!)

P.P.S. Also, if you didn't get your FREE Guide to Essential Oils for Repelling All the Bugs, go ahead and download it. It's very helpful for the next few months!