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Lilac Toner

March 25, 2023March 25, 2023 Guest

Today’s post is an excerpt from the spring edition of Botanical Anthology written by Harmonie O’Loughlin. This plant centered digital publication is packed with seasonal crafts, recipes, foraging tips, articles & more. Click here on for more info and to see the full table of contents.

Lilac bursts with spring energy. She isn’t the first to the party, but she is the long awaited guest whose attendance you savor. Lilac’s ephemeral beauty and thoroughly encompassing scent makes for a spring moment no one wants to miss.

And a moment it is, for the lilac season is gone in a flash, lasting just a few short weeks. Savor it while you can. Sip on a lilac tea latte, make a floral honey or simple syrup, steep blooms in an enfleurage preparation to capture the scent, and add it to your beauty regimen with a lilac toner.

For all its sweet presence and floral aroma, lilac is actually gently astringent and slightly bitter. The scent is fleeting, but its medicinal properties make it valued in facial care to aid in toning and tightening skin.

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Botanical Anthology, Recipes

Orange Sage Butter Board

December 10, 2022March 8, 2023 Guest

Today’s post is an excerpt from the winter edition of Botanical Anthology written by Brittany Peterson. This plant centered digital publication is packed with seasonal crafts, recipes, foraging tips, articles & more. Click here for more info and to see the full table of contents.

Move over charcuterie boards, there’s a new indulgence in town. Boards laid out for guests have been a hostess trick for years, but they are ever evolving. The last decade has brought a child-like imagination to the infamous appetizer, through techniques such as beautiful roses made of delicatessens, but as sourdough bread has made its way back into the hearts of home kitchens, butter boards are taking the stage as an accompanying act.

Imagine a cold winter day, pulling hot bread from the stove and dipping it into a spread of butter adorned with fresh herbs and topped with sweet honey. There are so many ways to jazz up butter from herbs to citrus to edible flowers and the flavor combinations are endless!

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Botanical Anthology, Drinks, Recipes

Roasted Roots: An Herbal Coffee Tradition

September 24, 2022March 8, 2023 Guest

Today’s post is an excerpt from the autumn edition of Botanical Anthology written by Anna Reisz. This seasonal, plant centered digital magazine is packed with fall crafts, recipes, foraging tips, articles & more . Click here for more info and to see the full table of contents.

Herbal coffee is a tradition that can be found, with a little digging, in many family histories. It was once common practice to replace or mix ground coffee with the roasted roots of plants like dandelion, chicory, and burdock. Not only did these easily-foraged plants make coffee go further, but they also cut some of the bitterness in the flavor. These roots also provided a nutritious and grounding alternative ingredient or replacement for coffee without the unwanted side effects of caffeine. Additional spices can be added to the mix for flavor and further health benefits, as well.

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