Herbalicious

I love herbs!!!! This spring, growing herbs has become a mini obsession for me. I took a class from our local extension office called "Introduction to Herbs". I loved it! I had never thought of all the things that could be done with herbs. I learned all about new recipes, natural homemade recipes, tips for storing herbs for the winter and so much more!!!

Not only are herbs fun to grow and use, having your own herb garden is much more economical. I bought my basil plants for $3, the grocery store charges $3-- for just a few leaves!! I grow my herbs in container plants on my porch. Right now I have lavender, rosemary, sage, 3 types of basil, cilantro, and thyme. I love the smell of all of them. I run my hands over the leaves and love the way it smells!

Growing herbs in container pots is very easy. Basically all you need is the pot and the plant and your good to go. Most herbs love a hot and dry environment. Don't over water! You don't want to drown out your herb plant.Make sure to pay attention to the needs of your plant (full sun vs. partial).

You can find a lot of good recipes online for cooking with herbs. I have just started experimenting when I cook with herbs and have not gone wrong yet. I usually pick my herbs right from the plant and wash them before chopping. You can also lay the herbs out on newspaper to dry (3-4 days) before using.

Experiment with herbs, its so fun and makes life a little more interesting :)

7 Weird Things about me

It has been awhile since I have sat down and posted anything, almost 3 months now I noticed. I have been meaning to get on here but something keeps getting in the way. I ran across a funny blog from Greg Willits at Rosary Army where he talked about 7 weird things about himself. I decided this could be fun... so here ya go

1. Things I wish that could be banned from this earth: Chewing Gum (I agree Greg) and Burning leaves or cigarettes. Both of these behaviors get me to the point I think I could spontaneously combust. Lets take the gum- I can not stand to watch people chew gum. Its disgusting. I do not want to see the inside of someones mouth while they chew a piece of gray,pink, green, purple matter. On top of that, I don't want to hear what their mouth does while the person chews the gum. Top that off with mint gum (see #2) and I can nearly gag and leave where ever I am. This is especially bad if I get on the treadmill at the gym and the person next to me is chewing mint gum. It becomes a cloud of mint around the person (sorta like pig pen) and I can't stand it. It makes me gag. I will get off the treadmill and move or leave all together.

Burning leaves/Smoking - They are in the same category for me. This should be banned. Period.

2. I don't like the smell of mint. I never have. Its to overpowering for me and makes me literally want to puke. I don't know what it is but I just can't stand the smell of it. I can make myself gag if I am trying to brush my teeth with mint toothpaste. I use cinnamon toothpaste now.

3. I avoid eating white condiments. Mayo, Alfredo, whip cream, sour cream you name it, if its white, I don't eat it. I just don't like the taste of any white condiments.

4. I had an extremely rare bone condition in my left heel. My heel bone was 75% hollow. Luckily I had the surgery before my foot collapsed. The doctors told me I might never walk right again. I was running less than 3 months after the surgery. Its written in a medical journal somewhere. There have been no documented cases similar to mine in the U.S.

5. I participated in a sleep study that paid $970 to stay up for 48 hours. Talk about the things we do for money, wow this one topped the cake. I didn't think I was going to make it the full 48 hours, after about 36 I had nearly lost it and was in tears having a meltdown. Somehow I was able to preserver and make it through to collect my check.

6. I have an undergraduate degree in Agri Business with a minor in agronomy (plant science). I used to want to own a flower shop or be a landscaper. I grew up in a small town of 3,000 people and my parents own a hardware store. I still love the country and miss the peacefulness of it all.

7. I refuse to keep an electronic calendar. I love having an old school calendar to write everything down on and stick my notes in. I hate carrying it but I love using it and the feeling of writing on paper. I don't do it as often as I should.