May/June '26 TEH EXTRA

 Another EXTRA went out right on time.  

 I think a new 2 year compilation will be coming together soon.  And then we'll start on the next one...
We put a good amount of work into the Extras, but since they are exclusive subscriber content, it is a good thing to pull them out a few years later as a nice combination.

In this issue, we started a series looking at wild plant foods one at a time, thinking about what they each have to offer and how they can become an important new source of nutrition for you and your family.  We started with Jerusalem Artichokes.  

Next we wrote about our summer of wild creativity that resulted in "Road Apple Soaps" and how they were received.  

Of course the word puzzles were included as well.  

To get Extras, you need to be a subscriber.  
Visit EssentialHerbal.com for more info! 

A Difficult Time for Small Businesses

Screaming into the void.

Things are changing, and not in a good way.
 
A very bad and honestly crippling way has to do with the newer restrictions from search engines.  This doesn't benefit the reader OR the creator.  Only the billionaires who control the information.  All of our good intentions (and in fairness, marketing efforts) have been swallowed up by the tech companies, and will be resold to us. In the meantime, their massive data centers will suck up the electricity, foul the air, and destroy fresh water for an eternity.

For over 20 years I've posted on this blog, sharing information, feelings, and observations.  At one time, you could educate yourself about anything online.  Enter it into the search bar and up will come hundreds of blogs and websites offering the information/recipe freely.  From there, it was up to the reader to ascertain what information was reliable, and what other methods of information gathering would be beneficial.

Now, the search default is "AI mode" which will obscure all original sources of information, giving only the AI generated conglomeration of words that have been compiled without the aid of a human being.   We are out of the equation.  Some of us remember fighting for net neutrality in the last decade.  The joke's on us because there was never any intention of allowing us to have any say over our own work.

It took centuries for the Library of Alexandria in Egypt to be destroyed, eventually burned to rubble.

  

The vast and valuable repository of information that is the internet has been destroyed and made inaccessible in just the blink of an eye.

I won't stop, although my sharing of information has been cut back pretty much.  This old dog isn't going to try to learn new tricks.  Game, set, match.

A second real problem has to do with shipping.  
The other day I was reading comments on a product advertised on Facebook.  One comment talked about how high the shipping was, and how the company was using shipping to make money.  
They couldn't be more wrong.
This morning I shipped two packages and lost about $3 on each of them.  I can't bring myself to increase the shipping (yet), and the prices of the articles are fair, and it feels wrong to increase them to try to recoup some of the losses.
And this has been the problem for years.  All of the prices go up, and the small business is squeezed between the big businesses and the customer.  This was one of the biggest reasons my sister closed her soap company.  Every single ingredient has increased, some by as much as 600%, yet the price of a bar of soap can't go to $30.  In fact, we first sold soap for $2 a bar in 1993, and in the end, over 30 years later, it was $5.50 a bar with the margin getting smaller and smaller.  
Amazon trained people to expect free shipping.  Now they don't give it unless you're Prime, but the mindset has already been put into play.

I just want people to know that we aren't using shipping as a profit stream.  We aren't gouging.  Go onto USPS and look up some prices.  You'll be shocked.  Most of us are eating some of the shipping while using the least expensive options we can find.   

Small businesses really are here to share the things they love.  I can't speak for everyone, but the business owners I know are not ever expecting to purchase a yacht.  Maybe braces for the kid, or a new car in 5 or 10 years, but never rich.  I wish people knew how hard we try to make it work for everyone involved. 

A Sweet Gift!

 A couple of weeks ago, my friend Jamie Jackson of Missouri Herbs was attending the Flower Festival at Baker Creek Seeds and shared some pictures of some of the wares of the vendors around her.  
Her friend Dez Dino, who is also the founder and editor of The Ozark Agrarian News had a table full of gorgeous pottery that made me literally gasp.  
If you've been following along for any length of time, you know I spend an inordinate amount of time finding different ways to make plant prints on fabric and paper, so this pottery was speaking to me... and let's face it, another independent magazine publisher is dear to my heart as well...

I commented on Jamie's photo, and before I knew it, there was a box on my porch filled with beauty.

Now I think I need to have a gathering when it warms up a little bit, so these plates can show off!

It's a funny thing.  A handful of years ago, one of my daughter's friends was sitting in the living room with me, looking around at the different art on the walls and shelves.  As I started explaining them to him, I suddenly realized that most of them were made or given by friends and that made them all the more special.  

Now that the years are starting to pile up, there are more things going out the door as donations than there are coming in.  Now I want to be surrounded by things that are made by hand with care.  My sister's house is the same way.  We have come to shun the mass produced stuff.  

It's nice to have a lot of creative friends!  
Be sure to check out the Facial Bliss Face Butter at Jamie's site, and if handmade, hand forged garden tools are more your thing, check out her husband Will's site Homestead Iron!

May/June 2026 Essential Herbal Magazine

The newest issue is out, and it is filled to the brim!

I always love this issue because we're all excited to get into the next growing season.  We have plans and dreams of medicines, meals, and gardens that were floating in our heads over the winter.  Tiny plants are sprouting and bravely taking on the unpredictable weather of spring.  That excitement turns into wonderful submissions of articles.

Check out the Table of Contents below!

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or Single Issue Only

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Crossword Puzzle 
Here Comes the Sun – where the mind wanders in early summer.

Field Notes from the Editor, Tina Sams 
Doin’s on the farm, and what’s happening with the magazine, books, and AI.

About the Cover
How does your garden grow?  Ours does what it wants.

Calendula, First Choice for Wound Healing, Susan Hess
Learn Calendula’s talent, especially with burns,  and how to make tea, compress, powder and salve.

Excerpt on Garlic Mustard from his new book, Brandon Ruiz
Garlic Mustard identification, usage, and interesting information so you can forage without dying.

Building a Pantry Garden Apothecary, Amy Jeanroy
Growing food and medicine side by side without over-thinking it!

Growing Herbs for Summer Success, Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh
You’ll find tons of ideas for creating and enjoying the bounty from the summer garden.

Word Search
Taken from the contents of the magazine

Excerpt, The Nature Embedded Mind, Julie Brams
A Tea Ceremony post Forest Immersion is described.  What plants might we find to incorporate?

Marvelous Mugwort, Kristine Brown RH(AHG)
Appreciating mugwort, handy while I’m trying to reclaim a garden.  There’s a poem, salve and oil to make in addition to the full offerings of mugwort.

Researching Flower Essences, David Dalton
How do we find the benefit and value of a particular flower essence after we’ve made or acquired it?

South of the Border Herbs, Barbara Steele
Tender perennials for the herb garden.

Untangling the Cosmos, Todd Eliot
“Could there be more to our world than meets the eye?”  How will we learn to adapt to a changing world?|

Much Ado About Ginger, Alicia Allen
Alicia was loose in the kitchen with a big batch of fresh ginger, and we get to enjoy the recipes!

Jasmine Lavender Lemonade Tea Punch, Maia Wisher-Warren
A bright and delicious cup of tea to welcome the day!

Meet Our Contributors
Puzzle Answers

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or Single Issue Only

 

EXTRA - Essential Herbal Mar/Apr 2026

 The EXTRA is full of good stuff, even though we are trying to pull back.  It's not working out so well yet!  I'm beginning to think we won't be able to do it!
The thing about the Extra is that it is only available to subscribers.  It will disappear (until we do a compilation) and be unavailable if you aren't a subscriber 

 
In this issue, of course we had the regular herbal word puzzles - word search and crossword.

From Robert Dale Rogers, the author of the new book "Moss Medicine" we had an article entitled, Evolving From the Ancients.

Marci Lautanen Raleigh sent some Simple Spring Awakening Tea Blends that followed up her article from the main Mar/Apr magazine. 

I wrote all about violets and the article included recipes and instructions for candied violets, syrup, and violet leaf salve.

Maryanne puts almost as much effort into the Extra as she does the regular magazine.  She makes sure it is attractive and easy to read.  

The Extra is exclusive content that we've come to love, as do our subscribers! 

 

Essential Herbal Magazine - March/April 2026

It was a surprise to notice that the Mar/Apr issue hadn't been posted.  NOR the Extra!  Not sure where I've been.  Better late than never, though.  This was a particularly informative issue, and since we're in the middle of working on May/June right now, I can tell you that it will also be amazing!

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Crossword, Waiting for Spring  
Field Notes from the Editor 
About the Cover – Violets  

Some Plants and Their Pollinators, Barbara Steele
Suggestions for adding life to your garden.  

Back in Time, Alicia Foster Allen 
Updating some good 70’s recipes with herbs! (no aspic!)

When the Carrier Becomes the Medicine, Plant Oils and Butters as Herbal Allies, Connie Byers 
Choosing carrier oils and butters with intention.

Herbal Allies for a Hard-Hitting Flu Season, Amy Jeanroy 
Herbs that will make a difference, with teas and honey to try.

Herbal Helpers for These Days, Tina Sams
We are living in some overwhelming times, but herbs are good allies.

The Healthier Herbal Charcuterie Board, Jackie Johnson ND 
No need to give anything up.  Herbs make everything better.

Word Find, Random Herbal Stuff

Ask The Aromatherapist – Chemistry, Janet Gutierrez MS   
What is it that makes each essential oil different, and have the properties they have?

Spring Awakening: Herbal Ways to Gently Step Into the Light, Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh   
Spring awakening isn’t a checklist. It’s a conversation between you and the season.

Nettles! Gathering, Preserving, and Sharing, Lily Arati Michaud    
Learn about nettles, and make some delicious soup.

Splendid Speedwell, Kristine Brown, RH (AHG) 
We’ve been walking over this sweet herb, time to learn about little Veronica.

Meet Our Contributors
Puzzle Answers 

SINGLE ISSUE 

 

 

Wild Salad in Spring

 At this time of year especially, I try to take advantage of the nutritious foods growing freely in the area around my house.  This can include the yard, fields, woods, or even the trees across the road in my neighbor's yard.

 When my sister an I first started working with herbs, we went to an herbal potluck.  A salad filled with violets and pansies stole the show for us, and it started me on my way.  That fall I found Billy Joe Tatum's wild food cookbook - and foraging became a part of life.  Maryanne isn't as keen on wild plant foods as I am, but she tries some of them.

Today I took the mail out to the mailbox, and got a handful of redbuds from the tree nearby.  Then I swerved over for some violets, a grape hyacinth spike, and a dandelion.  Although I had a "normal" salad all mixed up in the fridge, there were still lots of wild greens waiting.   

Then there were the 2 spears of asparagus that broke ground over the weekend, and they deserved to be celebrated in just such a beautiful salad.  Nearby a bunch of wild onions grew along with small dandelion leaves.  There are also some small horseradish leaves up, and they are delicious, but they were left behind for something requiring that heat.  Raspberry leaves called to be included.

I added some chicken (use your protein of choice) and made it a complete meal. 

If there was no salad waiting for embellishment inside, other greens could easily have been added.  More chickweed, garlic mustard, and dandy leaves for starters, and then things like wild mustard, dead nettle, and plantain - among many others.  Depending on where you live, there are other good greens to try.  We don't have miner's lettuce here, but I'd love to try it, and as the summer rolls in there will be others.  In fall, we can add some roots, too.

Give it a try.  Just one or two at a time will give you the idea! 

Valentine Specialties from the Herb Garden

 Valentine Specialties from the Herb Garden
By Marcy Lautanen-Raleigh
www.backyardpatch.blogspot.com

 

Herb Love Lore

I was out looking for herbal tidbits to put into my newsletter when I ran across these fun pieces of historical usages of herbs for Valentines’ day. 

If you wish to know who your true love shall be, use Bay Laurel.
Pin 5 bay leaves to the corners and center of your pillow.  Before you go to bed repeat the St. Valentine charm:  “St. Valentine, be kind to me, in dreams let me my true love see.”
Once you have attracted your true love tie three bay leaves to the foot of the bed and they will be blind to any others but you.

If you wish to attract that true love you have two options:

    For a man – he should approach his love with a bit of dried sage under his tongue

    For a woman – bathe in warm water to which is added a cup of rose petals and a teaspoon of dill seeds.

Avoid Honeysuckle – the scent of honeysuckle was thought to induce erotic dreams, so you never had it inside the home of unmarried girls!

Ways to use your herbs for more intimate fun -- 

Aromatherapy with the bath is a great way to inspire sensuality and enhance sexual vitality.  Try it together for even more fun.  Light some candles, turn off the lights, and add a mix of sensual oils to the water.  Relax into the water and surrender to the sensations.

Valentine Touches Massage Oil 

4 ounces sweet almond oil
1/2  tsp. of your favorite essential oil (38 drops) 

This combination of essential oils is said to increase vitality!

      15 drops cardamom oil

      10 drops ylang ylang

      10 drops patchouli 

Blend well in a bowl and then pour into a small decorative glass bottle with a top.  Add a beautiful ribbon, make a card and present to the valentine of your choice.  He or she will get the idea.  Be sure to shake well before using.

Love Herbal Bath (adapted from Phyllis Shaudy’s)

 4 parts lavender

4 parts dried rosemary

4 parts rose petals

2 parts dried lovage

2 parts lemon verbena

1 part thyme

1 part mint

1 part sage

Mix all the dried herbs together and store in a covered container.  When you want to take a bath place ¼ cup if herbal mix in the center of an 8-inch square of muslin and tie lightly with string or ribbon.  If you use ¼ cup as the part, it will create 16 bath balls.

To brew: Boil the ball in 1 quart of water for 10 minutes.  Draw a warm bath and pour in the herbal water.  Add you and your sweetheart and use the ball to scrub one another’s bodies.  

And most importantly, never forget that Chocolate is an herb.  

No matter how you do it, enjoy your Valentine’s Day!

Essential Herbal EXTRA for Jan/Feb 26

The subscriber-only Extra went out today.  We've been struggling to keep the Extra from turning into a full sized issue, so I was ruthless this time!
Even so, there's lots in there to hold you over until the next issue goes out February 20th!

 The contents include:
A note from the editor (me - heh), and an explanation of the cover picture starts it off.  
A recipe for a good cough or sore throat syrup...
Instructions for making a germ-busting spray...
An article about adding different textures and heights to the garden...
AND
A how to get started cooking with herbs, including which herbs to add to what foods.
Of course there's a word-find puzzle, too.

In order to receive the EXTRA, you need to subscribe.  Between now and Feb 15, subscribe and get both!