Homemade Herbed Cheese

If you want to offer your family or guests a soft cheese that's full of flavor and low in calories, try making cheese from yogurt. Once you've drained off the excess moisture, no one will know that you're serving yogurt cheese, and with a few added...

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How to Make An Herbed Ice Bowl

Keep your dip or crudités cold with an herbed ice bowl. Just snip a variety of fresh herbs, like parsley, sage, chives and thyme, and something colorful, like grated carrot into a shallow dish and add water to cover by an inch or two.Herbed Ice Bowl...

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Gluten Free Holiday Cooking

If you're avoiding gluten, holiday cooking can be a challenge. You don't have to throw your hands up in despair, though. I have some content up at TLC's food site about creating holiday magic - gluten free. Please take a look. There are more and more...

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How to Make Herb Butter

Make herb butter for the holidays. It's a simple way to create a dramatic an delicious accompaniment to a fine meal.Herb butters always make meals special. Whether you're serving your own homemade bread, or want to add a unique touch to steamed asparagus...

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Make Chive Butter

This holiday season mix up a quick gourmet treat that's makes a wonderful addition to your table or a thoughtful hostess gift. Chive butter is a delicious accompaniment to stuffing, potato dishes and steamed vegetables. When pressed into a form, it...

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Save Money Over the Holidays - Make Inexpensive Herbal Gifts

With the holidays fast approaching, it's time to sit back and devise a strategy for gift giving. With so many people on a tight budget, the prospect of holiday gifting may seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be.Gifts From the HeartOne of the most...

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Make Stevia Syrup

Stevia is a natural sweetening agent. A South American perennial that's sold as a commercial sweetener under the name Truvia in the U.S., stevia can be grown in your backyard herb patch and processed into a powder or syrup for use in cooking and beverages.To...

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Make Herbal Carpet Deodorant and Freshener

If you have animals or children, live in an area that gets humid in summer, or do lots of home cooking, you're probably plagued by carpets that can smell less than fresh. The following recipe will help you deodorize your carpets and repel fleas and...

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How to Make Garlic Oil

Adding a little infused oil to your savory cooking will make a big difference in the flavor. I always keep garlic oil and pepper oil on hand. Garlic oil is my favorite, and adds zest to garlic bread, salad dressing, marinades and almost any vegetable...

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Growing Moss on Garden Pots

I've already written about my love for repurposing objects like bowls, pots and pans as plant containers. One way to integrate these finds into the garden is to encourage a natural layer of moss to grow on them. This always works best where you have...

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Herbed Tilapia Recipe

This is a fast and easy summer dish. If you'd prefer, you can cook it on the grill instead of in the oven; just coat the fish with a little olive oil and butter, and clean/oil the grill.Baked Tilapia Ingredients6 Tilapia fillets1 tablespoon paprika1...

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Weekend Thoughts

A few thoughts for this warm weekend.How to Treat Mosquito BitesMosquitoes are coming out in force around my house. To help reduce the irritation of a mosquito bite, rub any of these household, garden or medicine cabinet substances on the bite: aloe...

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Lime Balm Tea Recipe

Lime Balm makes a light refreshing tea that will settle your stomach and help you relax. With its natural lime aroma, it's tasty both hot and cold. Although you can find dried lemon balm at your local health food outlet, you might have to get your garden...

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How to Grow Lime Balm

Lime balm (Melissa officinalis ''lime") is a perennial herb that shares many characteristics with its cousin lemon balm. It is as easy to grow but has a distinct limey fragrance.Growing Lime Balm in the GardenLime balm is a half-hardy perennial that...

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Midweek Thoughts

For a wonderful photo of St. Johns Wort, visit Earth and Tree. Hedgewitch has a delightful blog and makes clay jewelry too. Her clay impressions of herb leaves are stunning little gems. I own one myself.If you love to eat what you grow, head over to...

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Make Organic Herbal Shampoo

Making your own organic herbal shampoo is simple and inexpensive. Best of all, you can tailor it to meet your own needs and tastes.Organic Herbal Shampoo RecipeTwo cups of distilled water1 1/2 tsp. Soapwort root*30 drops of essential oilDecorative bottleDirections...

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Make Lemon Furniture Polish

Smarten up your kitchen cabinets or wood furniture with baby oil. Just wipe it on, leave it for a few minutes, and then wipe off the residue. Make it part of a maintenance program by prepping your cabinets with a wood cleaning product like Murphy's...

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The Summer Solstice and Other Sundry Sunday Fare

I hope you enjoyed this morning's Summer Solstice. It was early, so the possums probably beat you to it! Today will be the longest day and shortest night of the year. If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, this is the Winter Solstice, an interesting...

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Plant Your Own Saffron Spice

Growing your own saffron (Crocus Sativus) is easier than you think and can add some spicy and refined taste to your dishes. Pound for pound, saffron is the most expensive spice in the world.Don't confuse it with Indian saffron, an inexpensive substitute,...

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What is Distilled Water?

Distilled water is water that has been evaporated and then cooled back to a liquid. During the process of transforming into a gas, chemicals and microorganisms are left behind and the final product is clean and pure. Distilled water typically has a...

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How to Fry Zucchini Blossoms

For a taste of the subtle pleasures of a spring garden, try fried zucchini blossoms. You won't find these in the grocery store. They're a special reward for the vegetable gardener. So enjoy one of those unique payoffs for all your hard work.Fried...

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How To Make Rose Wine

Making your own rose wine can be a hoot. It takes a while, but like making beer, especially if you like to experiment with the recipe like I do, you never know quite what you're going to end up with.The nice thing about rose and dandelion wines, as...

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Grocery Store Vegetables and Herb Seed Sources

I take a perverse pleasure in finding ways to recycle grocery store produce and grow it in my garden. You'd think I'd stop being so tickled and indulge my curiosity some other way than by sticking a little piece of root in a pot to see what happens....

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Dandelion Salad Recipe

Where dandelions are concerned, if you can't beat them, eat them.Adding a few dandelion greens to your favorite pasta salad is a fast and easy way to give your salad some nutritional muscle.Dandelion Salad Recipe3 cups cooked shell pasta2 Hard boiled...

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Dandelion Tea Recipes

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is good for you, and even if you hate it in the yard, its bitter taste can be addictive. Remember, when you drank your first beer or glass of wine, you probably thought that was bitter too.Dandelion Flower Tea Recipe8...

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How to Make Dandelion Wine

I was delighted by an article I read yesterday on The New York Times website feed. It's entitled: The Joy of Less. If you have a second, take a look.It seems that many of my gardening adventures, and even the projects that result from my gardening,...

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Drying Tea Leaves

Harvest young leaves in spring and process for different teas.Black Tea - Taken from new growth in spring.Bruise leaves by rubbing them between your palms. They should discolor to a reddish brown.Spread them in a single layer on a tray and let them...

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Growing Tea Plant

Originally tea was produced from the Camellia sinensis plant, a variety of camellia. Tea has been cultivated in China for centuries (2009 estimates put it at around 5,000 years).Standard teas, not herbal infusions made from other types of herbs and...

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Make Lavender Oil

You don't have to buy essential oil to get the fragrance and benefits of lavender oil in your bath, sachet, and even in your cooking. Use your fresh lavender buds to make an olive oil infused mixture you can use for anything from a sleep aid (topically)...

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Pepper Growing Tips and Tricks

Peppers don't take up much space in the garden, but provide a good per-plant harvest and can be used in lots of different ways. You can also employ some creative preservation methods that will offer tantalizing options for using peppers in winter dishes.The...

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Iced Green Tea with Mint and Ginger

If you've ever limped through a hot, humid day lusting for a cool and really refreshing drink, this is the one. Green tea is full of antioxidants and ginger is a great restorative. Both mint and ginger are good for an unsettled stomach too. This is...

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Herbed Chicken Saltimbocca

One great advantage to keeping sage in the garden is being able to use fresh, young sage leaves in saltimbocca, an Italian favorite. Although my recipe doesn't use veal, it's still delicious, with an earthy and herby flavor that will sing the praises...

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Herb Pots

I paid a visit to Junk Market Style this morning for a look at all of Janice Gurney's wonderful makeshift planters. I have to admit that I think just about anything can make a wonderful pot or decorative cachepot.When I was a kid, we had plant pots...

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Quick Lavender Bed Bug Spray for You, Your Clothes and Bedding

There must be lots of people out there plagued with bed bugs. I certainly get my share of requests for information about getting rid of these pests naturally. One interesting trend I'm seeing is from people who just want to make sure that they're protected...

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Lavender Ice Tea Recipe

In spring, there's nothing better than a refreshing herbal ice tea in the afternoon. My favorite way to brew ice tea is with fresh herbs, but if you only have dried, that works too.Lavender Ice Tea2 Tbsp. Lavender flowers (1 tablespoon dry)1 Tbsp. Lemon...

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Why Does Catnip Affect Cats

So, why does your cat react to catnip?The short answer is that no one knows exactly, although we do know that the nepetalactone in catnip can have a powerful reaction in the brains of cats that are susceptible.Not all cats exhibit the characteristic...

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Catnip Tea Recipe

Catnip is known by a number of names, including catswort, catmint, and even field balm. It's a perennial in the mint family that's best known for its ability to drive cats wild, but before you use all your catnip on kitty, consider the medicinal uses...

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Growing Catnip

If one of your cats loves catnip, you're probably hooked on this easy-to-grow perennial. Catnip (Nepeta cataria as well as other Nepeta species) is actually part of the mint family. It grows like a weed in some areas, and has an untidy habit, spreading...

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Get Rid of Japanese Beetles With a Homemade Repellent

Just a gentle reminder that you should be on the lookout for Japanese beetles in your garden around this time. Once you spot a couple, act quickly. These first visitors are scouts that can make all the difference in how many beetles will be snacking...

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Healthy Herb Pizza

The idea of a healthy pizza may seem like an oxymoron, but it doesn't have to be. Make your own pizza and create a pie that's better for you.The New York Times has a timely, no pun intended, piece on pizza making that you should hang on your refrigerator...

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Catnip and Termites

You may be keeping a patch of catnip (Nepeta cataria) in the garden for a feline friend, but watching intoxicated hijinks may not be the only human use for this perennial herb. Catnip, or catmint, has shown promise in repelling termites too.A 2003 study...

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The Health Benefits of Oregano - Is Oregano a Health Food?

So, you look forward to that oregano tang in your pizza sauce, and its little leaves make a nice addition to the herb patch. It gives an immediate kick to spaghetti, and it isn't a demanding resident in the garden, coming back year after year with just...

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Growing Rosemary in Cold Climates

Rosemary is a big favorite at my house. From keeping a dwarf rosemary Christmas tree to having creeping rosemary as a companion in my flowerbeds, this old gal is a friend who defines the herb keeping hobby for me. I made my first herb wreath using...

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Cilantro Salsa Recipe

Pico de Gallo is the queen of fresh salsa, but this easy recipe runs a close second. Some cooks will tell you that the lime juice is optional, but I think it works perfectly with the cilantro to create a unique flavor combo. Cilantro Salsa Recipe5 *Roma...

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Herb Mayonnaise Recipes

This is a basic do-it-yourself mayonnaise recipe, and the results are better than anything you can get in the store. It's delicious. Really. Spice it up with the herb additions that follow the recipe.Basic Mayonnaise Recipe1 1/2 Cups Canola or olive...

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Easy Cilantro Soup Recipe

Make a wholesome cilantro soup with you first herb patch harvest. This creamy soup is great with a classic BLT.After you start the roux (flour and butter mixture), stir constantly until all the liquid has been added to the pan. Add the broth slowly...

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Growing Cilantro In Containers

I've written an article about basic cilantro/coriander growing techniques, but didn't specifically address the option of growing cilantro in a pot. Cilantro has a taproot, which means that it roots deeply. This makes it a poor candidate for transplanting,...

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Herbal Treatment for a Bee Sting

So, you've planted all those herbs designed to attract butterflies and provide you with spicy food and wonderful fragrances all summer. Suddenly, you discover a small problem. The plants you're worrying over and nurturing - literally on bended knee,...

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Roses in Literature

The next time you think your roses may not be worth the effort you expend on them, read some of these inspiring lines about the queen of flowers:"Our highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers. All other things,...

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Herbs in Literature

Depending on what you enjoy reading, that book on your nightstand may include some interesting herb references. Many herbs have been the stuff of poetry and prose, to say nothing of those very entertaining old herbals. I've tried to collect a few references...

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Rue Quotes From Literature

Cozy up with these quotes about rue. I was going to restrict myself to quotes about the plant itself, but rue, as in regret, has some cunning literary references I had to include:There’s rosemary and rue. These keepSeeming and savor all the winter long.Grace...

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Rue Quotes From Literature

Cozy up with these quotes about rue. I was going to restrict myself to quotes about the plant itself, but rue, as in regret, has some cunning literary references I had to include:There’s rosemary and rue. These keepSeeming and savor all the winter long.Grace...

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Rosemary Quotes From Literature

Enjoy some literary references to rosemary while you garden this weekend:Of Rosemarie.Tragus writeth, that Rosemarie is spice in the Germane Kitchins, and other cold countries... The floures made vp into plates with sugar after the manner of Sugar Roset...

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Natural Bed Bug Control

These herbal treatments for bed bugs can help you control your pest problem. I have a healthy respect for insects and all manner of creepy crawlies, but I have to draw the line at any bug that considers me a walking banquet. This includes mosquitoes,...

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Unusual Herb Garden Design

If you've had daydreams of creating your own decorative herb garden design layout but don't have the space or inclination for a decorative wheel or other more complex pattern, there may be an easy way to create a startling effect with less space and...

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Sweet Woodruff in the Garden

Since this is the time to start preparing for bugs in the garden, I'll give you one of my favorite tips for keeping bugs away from my plants . . . sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum). This little perennial has a short habit, growing only to about six inches,...

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Bring Butterflies to Your Garden

Encouraging butterflies and hummingbirds to share in your herb bounty will add dimension to your gardening efforts, give your flying garden friends a welcome place to rest or a meal, and embrace the unexpected in the garden. A frisky hummingbird will...

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Growing Stevia

Stevia (Stevia Rebaudiana)Stevia is a delicate perennial that should be planted in light, sandy soil with a neutral pH. Give it full sun and wait to transplant it until the soil warms up in spring. Once the evenings start getting into the 60s and your...

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Understanding Stevia

Stevia (Stevia rebaudiana) is an herb with some very powerful marketing connections. A sweetener extracted from stevia is making waves in the United States these days. This is probably a bit of a surprise to the Japanese, who have been using stevia...

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Watering Plants - Buy a Rain Barrel

Water is getting more and more expensive every year, and if you're like I am, you want you plants to be well taken care of. One way to ensure that your plants are getting the moisture they need without breaking the bank is to install a rain barrel....

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Portuguese Recipes

If you read my post about Portuguese food, you may be interested in creating some simple and flavorful Portuguese dishes. I've been busy publishing a few of my Portuguese recipes around the web. One in particular, Portuguese Cod Cakes, uses an interesting...

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Cajun Spice Blend

Paprika is the base for this smoky Creole spice blend that's hot and very flavorful. Use it to spice up your meats and vegetables. For the best results, use a quality paprika. Many of the imported varieties have either a sweet or pronounced spicy flavor,...

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The History of Portuguese Food - Oh, the Flavor

Portuguese cuisine is simple and wholesome, often using the familiar and delicious trinity of garlic, onion, and olive oil in savory dishes, and the decadence of egg yolks in desserts. I grew up in a Portuguese household, and my love of food and herbs...

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Growing Fenugreek

Fenugreek (Trigonella Foenum-Graecum) is an annual indigenous to the Mediterranean and grown widely in Europe and Asia. It has a long medicinal history, and is recommended for cleansing the chest and lungs in Culpepper's Herbal of 1649.Planting FenugreekFenugreek...

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Make a Soothing Fenugreek Tea

My favorite cure for occasional tinnitus is fenugreek in a warming tea. It tastes a little like a cross between molasses and maple syrup. To make fenugreek seed tea:Make Fenugreek TeaPour boiling water over one teaspoon of fenugreek seeds.Let steep...

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Herbal Remedies for Tinnitus

Tinnitus is a ringing in the ears that occurs when there is a malfunction in the way inner ear talks to the brain, causing the equivalent of white noise. It can be temporary, intermittent or constant, and can be caused by a buildup of earwax, prolonged...

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Herbal Remedies

If you're tired of coming out of the doctor's office with an expensive prescription every time you visit, you may find some relief . . . in your kitchen cabinets. Herbal remedies have been around for centuries, and modern science is rediscovering the...

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