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Morgan County Herbal Therapy, Wichita, KS (2026)

05/10/2026

Mother’s Day Coffee

I’ll admit it – I’m taking it easy this Mother’s Day. Well, sort of. Today’s post is about coffee. OK, I call it coffee. We all know it’s really dessert, but ‘coffee’.

‘Coffee’ is expensive. Starbucks in the bottle here is around $4 and a large ‘coffee’ without espresso added in here in my area is around $7. That’s a lot, even if it’s just once a week. Yeah, I’ll do the math…roughly $200 to $350+ a year if you visit them weekly.

Since this blog is about thrift as well as herbs, I am going to share a couple recipes with you. First is for really easy ‘iced coffee’. This ends up like the Starbucks in a bottle. You have more control over the ingredients, and honestly, they are so much better for you.

Take a quart jar and add about 2 cups of brewed coffee. I just use Folger’s or whatever is on sale. Add 1/4 cup sugar and one 13 ounce can of evaporated milk (unsweetened). For vanilla, add about a teaspoon of vanilla extract. For caramel macchiato, use brown sugar instead of white. You can add whatever flavorings you like – one of my favorites is a little chocolate syrup and some peppermint (leftover candy canes, a bit of extract, whatever you have on hand). Mix well and cool in the fridge. This makes 2 servings.

On a positive note, it’s cheaper and healthier than Starbucks. On the downside, you do have to make it yourself, and it doesn’t have whipped cream and drizzle of the day on it.

The next item is creamer for your coffee. Again, this recipe is really easy and adaptable for your personal tastes. In a blender, put in one can of sweetened condensed milk. Fill to the 4 cup line with milk. Add your flavorings of choice: vanilla, peppermint mocha (1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa and a bit of mint extract), pumpkin spice (a bit of pumpkin puree and pie spices), caramel (use dulce de leche instead of the sweetened condensed milk). Just play around with it to see what you like the best. Stores in the fridge for at least 2 weeks (I’ve never had it last longer than that).

Happy Mother’s Day to all of you out there. And if you are still blessed enough to have a mama you can talk to – make her coffee!

05/02/2026

Spring Tonics

Spring is finally starting to spring here. We’ve gotten a little bit of rain, and things are greening up. The rancher (husband) is complaining about all the wild mustard that is the first to show up, as well as thistles that are beginning to slip out of the ground.

Traditionally, people took a ‘spring tonic’ that helped break the routine of winter meals – soups, stews, heavy on salt and preserved meat. That spring tonic might come in the form of fresh greens/salads like lambsquarter (Chenopodium album), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), or rhubarb (Rheum spp.). These tend to have a bit of a laxative effect, so this also worked as a bit of a cleanse.

When my kids were young (and I was NOT an herbalist, but had a bit of knowledge – scary, I know!), I would start a ‘spring tonic’ in January of onions, garlic, horseradish, ginger, and cayenne. We would take shots of that in April as a spring tonic. My children have never let me forget that this was absolute torture for them. Now that combination is more accurately called ‘fire cider’ and it still is a great thing – but more for acute illnesses than as a tonic.

‘Tonics’ are meant to support and nourish the body and restore it to optimal functioning. Certain herbs are ‘tonic’ or ‘trophorestorative’ to particular organs – milk thistle (Silybum marianum) for the liver, hawthorne (Cratageus oxychantha) for the heart, milky oats (Avena sativa) for the nervous system, and raspberry (Rubus idaeus) for the uterus are the most common I can think of. ‘Tonic’ can also refer to the herbal action of supporting and tightening tissue somewhat like an astringent – think vasoconstriction and anti-diarrheal. Yeah – I know it’s a bit conflicting… an aperient herb that is also an anti-diarrheal.

Although our diets have changed and we have much more fresh food available year round, a spring tonic or cleanse is not a bad idea. I think it helps to reset our clocks for the new season, more outdoor activities, and a possible dietary change.

Next week, we’ll talk about one of my favorite spring greens, stinging nettles, although I usually use it in tea.

Have a great week and enjoy the spring weather! Get your hands out in the dirt – it’s good for you!

04/26/2026

All Purpose Cleaner
My blog is about herbs and thrift, and general healthy stuff, and whatever enters my mind after it gets censored for public use.

Today, I want to share a recipe for all purpose cleaner. Have you noticed how many cleaners suggest you wear gloves? We can absorb a lot thru our skin – that’s why medication patches work so well. And some of the ingredients in cleaners are industrial strength stuff. And it’s a great marketing tool, right? Stronger is better! I’m just not too sure about that.

This is something you can easily make up, and it works well on everything except wood. The alcohol in it will strip some finishes, so please avoid that. And if you aren’t sure of what an item is made of, use this sparingly and don’t leave it on too long. Time helps a lot – spray and walk away for a few minutes. You won’t have to scrub as long.

So – All Purpose Cleaner

1/2 part alcohol (isopropyl or rubbing alcohol is fine. I use the 91% kind. And don’t use the green kind – it tends to stain things)

1/2 part water (essentially, you want it about 50% alcohol).

A few drops (5-6) of Dawn dishwashing soap.

Mix in a spray bottle. That’s it. And take a look at, and think about what types of cleaners you are using, and if it could be affecting you. I suppose you could scent this as well with a few drops of essential oils – whatever floats your boat.

Have a great week.

04/13/2026

A Word and Warning about Botany and Wildcrafting

Beautiful, isn’t it? What do you think? Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)? Carrot (Daucus carota)? Nope! This is poison hemlock (Conium maculatum). I have been watching a wonderful herbalist on FaceBook that ends her reels with “Happy snacking! Don’t die!” Great advice.

When starting to wildcraft or harvest herbs from your local area, BE VERY SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE PICKING. The results of picking the wrong thing can be literally deadly. There are very few herbs that will kill you dead. There are a lot that might make you feel like you are dying and can cause serious medical issues with lifelong complications.

Because there are a LOT of plants out there, I think it is best to learn the poisonous ones first: There are a lot fewer of them. Any plant has the potential to make you sick – maybe you ate too much of it, it just doesn’t’ agree with your constitution, or you’re allergic. But there are a very few plants that will kill you dead.

Before starting to harvest your own, please learn what it poisonous in your area, and its look-alikes. I do not harvest any herbs from the family Apiaceae that I have not planted myself and KNOW what they are. No guessing on this one – it’s just too dangerous in my opinion. Poison hemlock is widespread in my area. You don’t always see a lot of it every year – it is a biennial, so every other year you will see a large flush of it. It likes marshy wet areas with some shade. It is a beautiful plant, but I won’t even touch it without gloves on.

This is another lovely and deadly plant, death camas (Zigadenus venenosus). To me it looks a lot like wild onion. And again, I won’t harvest anything in the same family (Liliales) due to the risk. Those of you who know me know that I tend to be rather risk-averse!

Children used to pick elder (Sambucus canadensis) or hemlock (Conium maculatum) stems to use as whistles or straws as both stems are hollow. While the elder would tend to make them nauseous or even vomit, hemlock would kill them.

It’s spring and things are popping up all over. It’s hard not to get excited about harvesting food or herbs to stretch your experience and funds. Just be careful. And to quote someone I admire: “Happy snacking. Don’t die!”

04/05/2026

Cottonwood Season

It’s spring! And here, that means wind (OK, well, we have wind all the time, but in the spring it seems to pick up some). Our cottonwood (Populus deltoides) is starting to bud out and the wind does take down a few branches here and there. A short walk will give me quite a few branches like this:

I want buds that are like this or maybe even a little fatter, but not with leaves showing yet. They will feel sticky and pop right off the branch. I usually carry an empty pint jar with me, and pop the buds into it as I walk. When the jar is full (or even if it’s not), cover them with oil. I tend to use olive oil because that’s what I have available, but you could use other oils like jojoba. Put a lid on it and stick it in a dark cabinet until you remember it – longer is better.

These have been sitting for probably at least 18 months.

The oil will turn orange as it sits. This will make a great salve for pain relief and minor skin irritations. Drain out the buds, warm the oil, and for every 8 ounces of oil, add 2 ounces of beeswax. Stir until melted and well combined and pour in tins or jars. One word of caution: have a dedicated vessel (pot, crockpot, and utensils) for salve making. It is a bit messy and a challenge to not have smells or the wax effect food if you cook in the same pot.

When done, it will look like this:

This will keep really well, and it smells herb-y, but nothing like camphor or menthol. If you have cottonwoods around you, go for a walk after the next windstorm and see what is available. This is a project that can be done in small amounts of time a step at a time. As busy as life is right now – that’s a plus!

03/28/2026

Tea or Tincture?
If you’ve been exploring herbs for a while, you may be wondering tea or tincture, and why. There are several things to consider when making that decision. For instance, have you ever wondered why there is no ma*****na tea?

Most of the constituents in ma*****na are thick and resinous partially due to their polarity (which heavily influences their solubility and stickiness). Thick, sticky constituents are best extracted in oil (hence – special brownies) or alcohol. To give a less ambiguously legal example – gumweed (Grindelia squarrosa). It’s lovely for coughs but won’t do much if you consume it as a tea for the same reason as ma*****na. The constituents are too thick and resinous to extract well in water.

On the other hand, some herbs like marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) don’t do well in alcohol or oil. Their constituents extract better in water. It makes a lovely tea or is great for a wound wash or poultice but would not do well in a salve. Some herbs like California poppy (Eschscholtzia Californica) do well in either water or oil or alcohol.

Another option for herbal therapy is using the herb ground to a powder for ingestion. Obviously, you only want to use herbs that are for ingestion – so no Arnica (Arnica montana or other species) or cottonwood (Populus deltoides), but ground herbs are an economical alternative. When using ground herbs, you can use about 20% of what would be needed for tea as you are consuming the herb, not just the water it was soaking in. Herbal powders can be encapsulated or sprinkled on applesauce or oatmeal to consume. That decision highly depends on the taste of the formula. Some that might contain slippery elm or fennel could be quite tasty – others… um, not so much!

Tinctures are a great option if you are not a tea drinker, or if they are inconvenient for you to use. A tincture can easily be slipped in a pocket or purse. I would not advise using tinctures if you are in recovery. Herbs are great and can be a help in recovery (especially milk thistle (Silybum marianum) – but be careful not to make more issues for yourself.

The amount of tea, tincture, or powder used per day depends on the herb or formula. Reach out if I can help you with any herbal therapeutics – I’d be happy to!

03/15/2026

DDDRRRYYYYYY…..
Do any of you feel like you’ve been stuck in a dehydrator for about the last week? Or month? Our weather has been…. interesting this winter. Here in NE Colorado, it has been very dry and unusually warm. I doubt I will get any apples, as we haven’t had enough chill time for them, and I’m hoping my trees don’t die off from early blooming (like in January!).

Between the lack of humidity and the excess of wind – it was bad enough that semis were being blown over and fires were racing out of control – I feel like the Crypt Keeper. Skin is dry, hair is dry, mouth is dry, etc. This seems to be a topic I keep repeating, but I feel it’s needed.

So – what to do? First hydrate from the inside and outside. Lotion (or coconut oil or salve) on the outside, and lots of water on the inside. Run a humidifier. This should be a standard practice in your home any time you are using heat to keep your home warm. A cool mist humidifier is great – just be sure to clean it often and don’t put essential oils in it. Oils will gum up the humidifier, and they are best used topically, not via inhalation.

Having adequate healthy fats in your diet will help you retain more moisture. Fatty fish, avocados, coconut or olive oil, and butter can all be a part of your diet during this very dry time. Berries and oatmeal are also very hydrating foods. Items like soups and stews – and really anything with extra liquid – will help with hydration.

Keep in mind what dries you out as well. Alcohol, caffeine, and salt might be best avoided for a bit. A saline nasal spray may help with nasal dryness, and if the wind has a lot of dirt in it, a nasal rinse with saline (made with boiled or sterile water) will help wash all that gunk out of your sinuses. Dry mouth can be helped with mints containing xylitol and won’t contribute to dental issues.

Herbs that are moistening include marshmallow (Althaea officinalis – my favorite!), oats (Avena sativa), and rose (Rosa canina – especially rose hips). Sticking with teas versus a tincture can be more hydrating.

Hopefully this weather will pass soon, and the winds will bring a lot of change (and lots of showers!).

Eeeeeeehehehehehe! (my best imitation of the Crypt Keeper’s laugh!)

03/08/2026

how to Choose an Herbalist
It has been my experience that generally people that come to been seen by an herbalist fall into categories: Those that have tried every doctor and every therapy without resolution to their primary issue, and those that will not see an allopathic practitioner at all. Of course, not everyone falls into these, but most do.

So, if you are relying on non-traditional means for health care, how do you go about choosing one? For chiropractic care, acupuncturists, and massage therapists, the state licenses these professions, so you can check on your state’s professional board website. But herbalists are a bit different. No states license or register herbalists, and there is no educational requirement indicated by law. I practice in the United States, specifically Colorado, so what I know is Colorado’s state statutes.

In Colorado, herbalists are legally bound by Senate bill 13-215, or the Colorado Natural Health Consumer Protection Act. You can find it online if you want to read it, but for herbalists, there are quite a few things we cannot do: surgery, anesthesia, radiation, colonics, suggesting controlled substances (identified by Federal Law – one reason why I don’t have anything to do with ma*****na or kratom), midwifery, psychotherapy, or stepping into the roles of licensed professions. For me, the biggest ones are that I cannot formulate a protocol for pregnant women or for cancer patients.

There is a professional organization (the American Herbalist Guild) that tests and awards registration. It is a lengthy process and requires that you have already established a client base. However, seeing a registered herbalist does ensure that they have received appropriate education and have supervised experience in seeing patients. In all transparency, I am not registered as my client base is fairly low and it is not possible for me to meet that requirement while I continue to work full-time as a nurse.

Before I chose an herbalist to work with, I would ask a few questions:

Are you registered?
Are you a member of the American Herbalist Guild? This would at least show you they are interested in professional development, and continuing education. I am a member, even without being registered.

Where did you receive your herbal education? While I realize there are some amazing online programs out there, I think hands-on is best. I went to the Colorado School of Clinical Herbalism, but there are quite a few herb schools out there that are amazing.

What category of herbalism do you specialize in? Western, Ayurvedic, or TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine)?

Do you recommend other interventions in addition to herbs, like nutrition and lifestyle modifications? I also am a certified nutritionist, and I think including these is key. A good herbalist does not just try to substitute an herb for a medication. To do herbs only without other therapeutics is like breaking your leg and only taking pain medication. It will stop the pain but won’t help long term. You would need stabilization and physical therapy to return to optimal health.

Do you encourage clients to have a relationship with a physician? To me, I believe this is a must. Not all my clients agree, but I do at least encourage them to. As an herbalist, there are some things that I cannot treat (like a heart attack or stroke). Are they open to working with your allopathic provider?

Where do you source your herbal products? I don’t know that I have an opinion about this, but it is good information to know. For the most part I formulate and produce individualized products from herbs I grow or buy. Not everyone has that opportunity, but they should have the knowledge to be able to do it.

What do you charge? In my opinion, an herbalist should base their fees on what local professionals like massage therapists or acupuncture therapists charge. We are professionals as well, even if not board certified, and (to a certain extent) you get what you pay for. I currently charge $60/hr. for the time when I meet with clients. That doesn’t include time spent in formulation, research, and production of product.

I hope this was helpful. Keep in mind that ‘herbalist’ can mean anything from ‘I’m one step away from being registered and have over 1000 hours of education and supervised practice’ to ‘I watched a YouTube and have a pot plant growing in my kitchen.’ Choose wisely.

03/01/2026

Sleep – part 4
Sorry that I have missed a few weeks posting – I have been recovering from oral surgery, and it has been interesting.

This post will list out some flower essences that are great to help with sleep. Not everyone feels comfortable with herbs – I understand that – and some herbs, especially the sedative ones, can interact with medications. Flower essences might be a better choice for you.

Here we go:

Aspen/Mimulus: I think of this more for kiddos but depending on what your issue is with falling asleep, it may be for adults with trauma around sleeping. These two are for fears, known and unknown – fear of the dark, fear of the boogieman, fear of whatever lurks in the dark, or maybe fear of something you can’t name.

Olive: Ooh. This one is a bit of a double-edged sword. Olive is more for fatigue but can (CAN) help with sleep. Olive tends to do one of two things: help you finally let go and collapse when you need to…. OR energize you so you can do that one last thing. Use with some awareness of where you need to be energetically speaking.

White Chestnut: ‘Did I turn off the stove? Did I sign the permission slip? I can’t believe I said that to my boss – will I have a job tomorrow?’ All those lovely thoughts that hit once you are horizonal. White Chestnut helps to quiet them and stop the brain hamster on a wheel issue.

Red Chestnut: Somewhat like White Chestnut, but this is more specific for worries over family and close friends.

Impatiens/Cherry Plum: putting these two together as they have a lot of the same things they address. Impatiens is for well, impatience. Sometimes we can’t sleep because we are anxious about getting something done – the way you can’t sleep the night before a long-awaited trip. Cherry Plum is more for frustration. It can help you let go of things that perhaps need to wait till the light of morning to figure out or deal with.

I have tried to keep to the original 38 Bach essences as they are more readily available. There are other essences that may help, but they are more challenging to find. Please reach out if I can be of help.

Sorry that this is so short, but I didn’t want you to think that I had forgotten about you.

02/08/2026

Sleep – Part 3
I really struggled with insomnia until I realized a lot of it was anchored in pain. Not enough to make me really uncomfortable, but enough to make me restless – where I would wake up and glance at the clock a dozen times a night.

Some of the following herbs are not specifically sedatives but can also help with pain. Other herbal categories you might look into are relaxants and nervines.

Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata): This herb works well with the ‘I’m too tired to go to sleep’ type of insomnia. It helps with cerebral irritation and agitation, soothing nerves and calming anxiety. This is not an herb for pregnant women. Like skullcap, the tea (water extraction) is more sedative than the tincture (alcohol extraction).

California poppy (Eschscholzia californica): This herb is great for generalized pain. It is a sedative, antispasmodic, and pain reliever. It is not for pregnant women, either, but can be used in very low doses for children for a limited time. California poppy is not in the same genus as its relative o***m poppy (Papaver somniferum), so fewer concerns about respiratory depression or legal issues.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria): This herb is great for kids that are struggling with sleep, especially if combined with chamomile. It is …. icky tasting, though. (Hey it’s been a long weekend and sometimes words are hard!) It’s a very mild herb, but again, not for pregnant women.

Mint (specifically Mentha piperita – peppermint): No, I’m not kidding! Mint is really lovely relaxant and can work great in a formula for sleep. There are a couple of notes, though. Do not use mint for sleep if there is any type of reflux or GERD. Mint can also relax the esophageal sphincter (the muscle at the bottom of your esophagus/top of your stomach) and allow for reflux, especially if you are lying down. It can also help cover less than tasty herbs like skullcap and catnip.

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): For insomnia caused by stress, this is an amazing herb to use. It is somewhat bitter and unlike some sleep remedies, does not tend to make you groggy in the morning. I have not found it helpful for sleep, but I’m one of those people that have issues (those of you in the back that know me stop laughing!). Ashwagandha is considered an adaptogen, the class of herbs that help to achieve balance, conserve energy, and reduce stress symptoms.

All of these herbs are not for pregnant women without approval from a physician.

Next week, my plan is to blog about flower essences for sleep. I do have some medical issues to deal with this week, so it may be a little late. I would appreciate any prayers/good vibrations/thoughts this week. I may be using a lot of these to help with sleep!

02/06/2026

I will be at the Wellness Resources Fair at MCC tomorrow. It is at 920 Barlow Road in Fort Moragn from 10 am to 2 pm. Hope to see you there!

Morgan County Herbal Therapy

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