There’s something about a plate of buttery shortbread and a hot cup of tea that feels like slowing down at the farmhouse table. Around the holidays, it becomes even more special. I started experimenting with tea in shortbread a over a decade ago, and now these cookies have become a tradition for o...

Around the farm, hot cocoa is more than just a sweet treat—it's a warm hug in a mug. It starts our slow winter mornings, warms us after feeding the animals, and makes the perfect evening treat around the fire. But if you were raised on those little packets of powdered mix and chalky marshmallows, yo...

When my dear friend Michele over at Chocolate Box Cottage gifted me Sweet Remedies: Healing Herbal Honeys by Dawn Combs, I wasn’t expecting it to change how I saw honey. Around here, honey is as common as a jar of jam on the counter, but until then, I’d mostly used it to sweeten tea or drizzle over ...

When I first was learning how to steep a loose leaf tea, it was a big mystery to me. It turns out I'm not the only one who starts out wondering how in the world to use loose leaf tea without a tea bag. We receive many questions at Farmhouse Teas about how to steep loose-leaf tea, as here in Ameri...

Here’s something about that first bite of ice cream on a warm day that sends you right back to childhood—sticky fingers, barefoot grass, and the hum of bees nearby. Whether it’s high summer or one of those lingering sunny days of early fall, a cool treat made with real ingredients feels just right. ...

When I think of gummies, I tend to think of the brightly colored red, green, and yellow gummy bears of my childhood. While they bring back nostalgic memories of traveling to California to visit family, I shudder now as an adult when I think about what they are made with… corn syrup, synthetic dyes l...

I am a huge fan of elderberries, and not just because they are a natural plant here in the Pacific Northwest! They have such wonderful medicinal value and are probably the best-tasting medicinal herb — aside from maybe peppermint. These berries can be made into various products, including tea, tinct...

Ice cream floats are the quintessential American summertime treat, perfect for anyone looking to cool down or satisfy their sweet tooth. Here on the farm, everyone loves ice cream, and what better way than to make memories with ice cream floats as a family, from trying out new flavor combinations to...

Italian soda has had a special place in my heart since I was a teen! I worked at a pizza restaurant in high school and ran the espresso bar. When customers came in, I would make Italian sodas for them. 

As much as I loved making these sodas — and of course, drinking them too — a typical Italian ...

Simple syrups can be used in so many different ways! You can mix them into cocktails and Italian sodas, drizzle them on desserts, or mix them into salad dressings. Making your own simple syrups is a must-have skill in any homestead and herbalist kitchen. 

Some of our favorite ways to use simple ...

 I've never been able to drink alcohol — not even a glass of wine. Having non-alcoholic fatty liver disease paired with a compromised digestive system makes alcohol one of the hardest things for me to handle. Only a sip or two will have me sleeping in short order and will leave my digestive system f...

Summer is definitely a time for ice-cold drinks. I grew up drinking Lipton’s sun tea all summer long! Nowadays, I still love a good sun tea but made with higher quality loose-leaf tea instead of tea bags. There are so many wonderful cold drink options for summertime, including Starbucks teas and cof...