You know me—adding herbs + plants to everything is my jam... and one of my absolute favorite things to make are elixirs. Elixirs, to me, are simply delicious concoctions that incorporate plants to some degree, whether through the plant itself or through an extract then combined with coffee, fizzy water, or just plain water!
Since Valentine's Day is often a time of overindulgence of sweets, I like to participate in my own way but with something I think is even better: a rose cacao elixir.
This is an elevated twist on your typical hot chocolate.
By using raw cacao, wild rose petals and luscious honey, you're not only creating something special for yourself but bringing in a little heart opening wild rose magic into your world.
INGREDIENTS
Makes two cups! Or one generous one :)
- 14-16 oz plant-based milk. My favorite is macadamia or coconut for the richness.
- 1/4 cup cacao powder. I use Terra Soul's.
- 3 tablespoons of dried wild rose petals*
- Honey or other sweetener to taste
- Pinch of salt
*Use the wild rose petals you can find. Check your local herb shop if you have one or try Etsy or Mountain Rose Herbs. Can't find any? Any organic dried rose petal will do! Just be sure not to use dried petals from a bouquet as those are sprayed with chemicals.
DIRECTIONS
Add your milk, cacao and rose petals to a pot over medium heat until it is hot but not boiling. Allow cacao and rose mixture to simmer on low for about ten minutes to really infuse the rose flavor into the cacao. Turn off the heat and strain through a mesh strainer. Serves two! Garnish with rose petals on top :)
About Wild Rose
Oh wild rose, how I love thee. I first connected with wild rose when I lived in the Pacific Northwest. You would find it along the river shores during the heat of the summer and the hips during the fall.
Like the bees, I'm drawn to the sweet scent of the flowers. Wild rose represents the summer and the sun to me—and it offers a cooling, astringent energy and action, perfect for summer heat.
Wild rose are much different than your average rose that you find in a super market (and you'll learn more about them below). Of course, they're related but the wild rose plant offers so much medicine—and because it grows abundant in the wild across North America, it's likely you have access to the whole plant where you are.
This is such a gift, to see how a plant ebbs and flows through the seasons, wild harvesting its medicine, and making your own medicine from it. It is so rewarding.
Rose is highly valued across the world from China, the Middle East, Europe and the Americas—and time—for its beautiful aroma, beauty and healing nature and protective qualities. The entire plant is used for medicine—the petals, leaves, prickles, hips and roots. The Rosa Genus contains over 300 species of rose—wild and domesticated—and within those, thousands of hybrids.
Associated words
Abundance | Love | Emotional Support | Astringent + Toning | Supporting + Soothing + Cooling | Nourishing
Part Used
Flowers, Leaves, Hips, Root, Stems, Prickles
Harvesting
You know it’s summertime when you smell this beautiful flower. The petals are ready for harvesting when the blooms are very fragrant. You'll see bees and other winged creatures hover and feed off the rose nectar and pollen—a clue that the time is right!
The whole flower can be pinched off. I prefer to only harvest the petals to leave behind the inner part that turns into the fruit—or the rose hip.
Collect leaves for an astringent tea from spring through early fall.
Rose hips are harvested in late fall and winter after the frost which makes them softer and sweeter. You can mimic Mother Nature by harvested ripe red hips and freezing for 24 hours.
Note that the outer fleshy part of rosehips are edible but the seeds inside are covered in fine hairs that can irritate the gut if consumed—you can remove the yourself or buy deseeded rosehips at your local health food store or herb shops (or online through Mountain Rose Herbs or Starwest Botanicals.)
Medicinal Benefits
Overall, the plant is astringent, cooling, and toning both internally and externally. It's amazing what this single plant can do (and the fact that it grows so abundantly is an even greater gift!)
What other plant evokes the feeling of love, warmth, and openness more than the rose? The scent alone is nourishing, uplifting, and helps to tame frustrations and open our hearts.
Rose has a mildly bitter, astringent flavor which, when taken internally through an infusion, gently works on the liver—the seat of emotions and anger—and where hormones and toxins are processed. By incorporating rose, we are giving the space to process emotions and toxins so that we are more free emotionally + physically.
Rose petals are typically harvested in the summer and are the perfect antidote to hot summer sun, inflammation and hot skin. A cold infusion of the petals applied to the skin cools down a sunburn. The petals are also a lovely floral addition to water.
Rose roots are astringent and help control diarrhea. Petals, leaves and roots help to balance intestinal flora and normalize the gut.
Rosehips are highly nutritious and could be considered a superfood. They contain vitamins A, B complex, C, E, K, and minerals including calcium, silica, iron and phosphorus.
Rosehips are particularly high in bioflavonoid-rich antioxidants, including rutin, which helps to strengthen the heart and blood vessels and prevents degeneration of tissue.
Rose hips are also the perfect addition to cold and flu remedies. Combine with elderflower, lemon balm, chamomile, and mint.
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