5 Tips For Coping With The Covid-19 Pandemic

Tip #1 - Make lots of soup and freeze it!

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Sheltering in Place
At this writing, as the pandemic is spreading across the world, a third of the United States has been told to stay home and isolate. The stress of waiting in isolation might naturally drive us to sit on the couch, watch the news 24/7 and eat "comfort food." Since we might be in this for the long haul, here are a few things to do to get you off the couch.

TIP #1 - Make Soup
A large percentage of the population will get the virus but not all will become seriously ill. That said, many of us will get sick, be home alone or with another family member who is also likely to be sick.  And since we are all isolated, no one will come over and take care of you. So while we are feeling good, make soup. Make LOTS of soup and freeze it. Just start with some sautéed onions, celery, and garlic. Add lots of water or broth and spices like 1 or 2 bay leaves, some thyme, oregano, salt and pepper to taste. Fresh ginger is a good addition or sometimes I just steep in a few ginger tea bags. Add your favorite beans. (If you eat meat, throw in some chicken thighs and cook for 20 minutes.) Then start adding vegetables like carrots, peas, corn, kale, green beans, a can of tomatoes, etc. Simmer until the vegetables are soft but not mushy, squeeze some fresh lemon juice into the pot. Cool and freeze. Do not add pasta or rice until you defrost and serve it. 
I have dozens of soup recipes on this blog that you can try also.

TIP #2 - Develop a Routine
After a week of total paralysis, thinking every sniffle and allergy symptom I had was the virus, I finally resumed my daily work schedule. I have a business I do from home and I also help my daughter with her business remotely. Cooking, exercising, and gardening also takes up my time. So I put a to do list together after my morning tea and schedule my day. The schedule keeps me busy and lessens my stress. Give it a try.

TIP #3 - Plant a Garden
If you are lucky enough to have a little yard, start growing your own food. This pandemic will not completely go away until a vaccine is developed and everyone is inoculated. That could take well over a year. Growing food will lessen your need to go to the grocery store and expose yourself to others who may be carrying the virus. If it's still too cold in your area, you can start seeds at home under a grow light.

HOW TO BUILD A RAISED BED GARDEN BOX

BUILDING A RAISED GARDEN WITH WATER TROUGHS

TIP #4 - Self Care
It's more important than ever not to get sick or hurt yourself. Why? Because doctors and hospitals are too busy with Covid-19 patients to see you. So do everything you can to stay healthy.
  * Consume Immune Boosting Foods and Herbs - Include mushrooms, raw garlic and ginger in your diet as well as antioxidant-rich colorful fruits and veggies. Culinary herbs such as oregano, thyme, and rosemary have great antiviral and immune system boosting properties. 

  * Gentle Movement - You're home or out getting some fresh air while social distancing. So you may be thinking, "what a great time to get in shape!" Please avoid overdoing it. If you haven't been running or doing vigorous exercise before the pandemic, start slowly. Remember, if you sprain your ankle or pull your back out, your doctor is not available! Gentle movement will help pump your lymphatic system and boost the production of immune cells that actively protect us against viruses and bacteria. 

  * Dental Care -  Many dentists have temporarily closed their offices during the pandemic so take especially good care of your teeth. You are home so it's easy to brush after every meal. Floss every day and try not to chip a tooth on hard foods. Doug made popcorn the other night and I was super careful not to eat the unpopped kernels for fear of knocking out a crown!

TIP #5 - Try to Disconnect
It's very important to stay informed but don't do it 24/7. The news is grim as the cases skyrocket and you worry about your loved ones spread across the world. Catch up on it periodically but try and detach a bit. I have an especially hard time with this one.

Of course you have heard about keeping your distance, washing your hands often, and not touching your face so I don't need to harp on that. But I will say, TAKE THESE MEASURES SERIOUSLY! And please everyone, STAY SAFE. 

Growing Chamomile Tea

Grow, dry, and enjoy a cup of chamomile tea.

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Plant Tea in your Herb Garden
About 6 weeks ago, I started my herb garden. I went to the nursery and bought about a dozen different young starts. In the mix, I bought some German chamomile. It's a hardy, fast-growing plant and, if you've never grown your own tea, this would be a good one to start with.

 

Chamomile (Matricaria Recutita).
Its daisy-like flowers contain many
healing and therapeutic substances.

Chamomile Benefits

German chamomile contains substances that promote relaxation and decrease inflammation. As a tea, it helps reduce anxiety and many people take it at night to help them relax so that they can fall asleep. It is also used by some for digestive system issues and menstrual cramps. Chamomile is often found in creams used for skin conditions, such as eczema.

Harvesting

Once the little yellow and white flowers bloom, you can pinch or cut them at the very top of the stem and place them on a screen or cheese cloth and dry naturally.

I use my Excalibur Dehydrator and place the flowers on the dehydrator screen with another screen on top to keep them from blowing away. I dry the flowers on the lowest heat setting until they feel crunchy, about 10 to 12 hours. If they are still pliable, they are not ready.

Flowers on a dehydrator screen

Flowers weighted down with another screen

A bowl of dried chamomile flowers

Another way to dry them, is to just hang up a big branch. I have this pretty statue in my kitchen that holds enough to make a few cups of tea. It's quite decorative :-)

Hang a branch or the entire plant to dry.

Make tea by steeping a few teaspoons of dried flowers, or more depending on the desired strength, in boiling water for several minutes. Strain and enjoy.

Or place the dried tea in a tea filter bag and submerge the bag in boiling water. This prevents having to strain the tea.

No need to strain the tea leaves
when you use a T-Sac Filter Bag. 

Precautions

German chamomile should be avoided by people with allergies to ragweed, daisies, and other asters. It also should be avoided for two weeks before having surgery as it may interact with anesthesia.

Although chamomile tea is good for soothing the tummy, something women in their first trimester of pregnancy would appreciate, studies as to the safety of drinking chamomile tea during pregnancy are inconclusive. So use caution and talk to your healthcare provider.

Should We Stop Taking Wildcrafted Herbs?

Echinacea is a popular herb used to boost the immune system. But is it over harvested?

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Wildcrafted Herbs
I've always had the notion that wildcrafted herbs were superior to ones that were cultivated. With this belief, I would always select wildcrafted herbal products when I had the choice. But the demand for herbal and botanical supplements has become a multi-billion dollar business which has resulted in large-scale wildcrafting. This itself is an oxymoron. When I think of wildcrafting, I imagine a herbalist wondering through a beautiful forest with a wicker basket on their arm, carefully pruning or gathering a small amount of leaves, flowers, roots, or bark to meet their needs or the needs of their clients. But, unfortunately, the reality of it can be a large-scale producer bulldozing trees for bark, or over harvesting herbs to near extinction. Besides herbal remedies, many prescription drugs are based on plants. For example, the plant-derived anti-cancer drug taxol was first isolated from the Pacific yew. 

Species at Risk
Here are just a few of the plants that are at risk:
Wild Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea purpurea have become such a popular remedy for boosting the immune system during cold and flu season, that they have been commercially over harvested.

Slippery elm is a popular soothing agent for coughs and GI issues. Many of the slippery elm wood trees are stripped of their bark and left to die.

American Ginseng is used to fight infection, for stress, and as a stimulant. Wildcrafted American ginseng is in such high demand that it has been declared an endangered species in some states in the U.S.

The bark from the Pacific and Chinese yew, as mentioned above, are used to produce taxol. These species have been identified in need of protection.

Pacific yew bark

Black cohosh, a popular herb that women take to alleviate menopause symptoms, as well as to treat colds, rheumatism, and pain, are at great risk from over harvesting, especially since nearly 100% of the supply comes from wild harvesting.

Goldenseal, used for many conditions such as the common cold and upper respiratory infections, is already considered rare and endangered in many states.

Look For Organically Cultivated Herbs
An organically cultivated plant is one that is grown on unpolluted land without the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides. If grown in this natural way, they can have the same medicinal efficacy as their wild counterparts. So if you are in the health food store looking for herbs, you may opt for one that is organically cultivated rather than one that is commercially wildcrafted. 

Responsible Herbalists Allowed, of course
I'm not suggesting that a responsible herbalist stop wildcrafting. Most have great respect for mother earth. They know how not to damage the plant and not to take more than they need. An experienced herbalist would use sustainable practices and would not over harvest an endangered plant. But for those of us who buy our herbal supplements, I gently suggest that organically cultivated herbs, from a respectable company, will be just as effective and will cause less stress to our plants in the wild.

Plant an Herb Garden
Many popular herbs will grow in your garden. I planted calendula a few years back when we had our nephew's wedding here and it has reseeded itself every since. It makes a lovely oil infusion and skin remedy.

Calendula from my garden

I think it's best to make a list of plants you would use. Then check on the growing conditions that are required and see if they will grow in your area. Pick one or two and give it a try. Be careful, some herbs are pretty invasive and can take over your garden, such as lemon balm, comfrey and any kind of mint. You may want to plant them in an individual container and either leave the container above ground, or recess them into the garden. Once you've grown the herb, the fun begins. You can learn to make infusions, tinctures, herbal pills, and more!

Mother Earth has provided us with all the food and medicine we need but we must remember to be good stewards and to take care of the gifts that nature gives us.

Make Organic Pain Relief Salve In Your Instant PotMakes A Great Holiday Gift!

Homemade salves make a great gift,
especially when they are in Infinity Jars.

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Herbs
My latest passion is working with herbs. I especially enjoy making salves using the highest quality ingredients I can find. My next step will be to grow some of these flowers myself but today I'm going to show you how to make a simple salve that you can use on sore or spastic muscles, nerve pain, arthritic pain, and more. 

The most important thing is to use organic ingredients. Even though it is not to be used internally or on broken skin, this salve will be absorbed through the skin. I buy all certified organic herbs from Mountain Rose. I also like using organic extra virgin olive oil instead of coconut oil, probably because I'm Italian and I use olive oil for everything, and because it's easier to get consistent firmness. I also throw in a little jojoba oil (it's actually a wax) for added moisturizing and vitamin E as a preservative.

Arnica can help treat physical trauma, bruises, strains,muscle pain and can reduce swelling.

Calendula flowers are useful for skin irritations.

Comfrey relieves pain, swelling, supporting muscle, cartilage and bone.

St. John's Wort is used for bruises and nerve support.

Instant Pot Does It Again
Just when I am convinced that I've discovered all the things my Instant Pot Electric Pressure cooker can do, I discover another one. It turns out that the yogurt setting and the slow cooker setting are perfect in the salve-making process! 

                 *                           *                             *

Organic Pain Relief Salve
Do not use internally or on broken skin
[makes 8 ounces]

Requires a pint jar and top, an Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, a scale, cheese cloth, small cosmetic jars, a pint or quart pyrex with pour spout (one that fits inside your Instant Pot).

Ingredients
1/4 ounce organic calendula flowers
1/4 ounce organic comfrey
1/4 ounce organic arnica flowers
1/4 ounce organic St. John's Wort
Everclear or vodka in a small spray bottle
1 1/4 cups organic extra virgin olive oil or more to cover
1 ounce beeswax*
1 tablespoon organic jojoba oil 
1/4 teaspoon vitamin E
40 to 50 drops organic essential oils

* For a vegan salve, substitute carnauba wax

Directions

Clean the cosmetic jars thoroughly and dry completely. Set aside.

Carefully measure out your herbs. Break the flowers up with your hands (don't grind or they will be hard to strain out later). 

Place the broken up herbs in a shallow pan and spray with Everclear or Vodka to open up the herbs. Let sit for 5 to10 minutes.

Place in a jar and cover with olive oil.

You want to make sure that you end up with 1 cup after straining so you must allow some of the oil to be absorbed by the herbs.

Some people let this mixture sit for weeks, but you can reduce that time dramatically if you heat the herbs at 100 degrees for 48 to 72 hours, stirring a few times a day. The yogurt setting on the  instant pot is about 104 degrees so it's pretty perfect! I just set the jar of infused herbs directly on the bottom of the pot, hit YOGURT and set the timer for 72 hours (I didn't realize the pot timer went up that high!) Make sure you use a canning jar that can take the heat. 

When it's done, lay several layers of sterile cheese cloth in a strainer and strain your herbs.

Now it's time to squeeze as much out of the herbs as possible into your pint or quart pyrex.

Just squeeze the balled up cheese cloth with your hand. As a little trick, I pulled out my potato ricer, which I never use for potato ricing, and put the ball of herbs in there for a good press.

Place an inch or two of water in the bottom of the Instant Pot and hit SLOW COOK. The water should get to around 220 degrees F. This beats having to mess with a double boiler.

Line up your cosmetic jars. When everything is ready to pour, you'll have no time to do this so do it now.

While the water is heating, measure out the beeswax. One ounce will make a firm salve. Use less if you want a looser salve. If you want a vegan salve, use carnauba wax. I have no personal experience with carnauba wax but I assume the amount needed is similar.

Place the beeswax in the pyrex of herb oil and place the pyrex into the pot of hot water being very careful not to get any moisture into the oil. The wax will slowly melt. Stir occasionally until all the wax is melted into the oil. 

Quickly stir in the jojoba oil and remove from the heat. But before you remove it from the heat, you can drop a bit onto a piece of parchment to see if you like the hardness of the salve. If it's too stiff, add more oil. If it's too soft, add more beeswax. Throwing the sample in the freezer for a few minutes will speed up this test.

If you are happy with the firmness, remove from heat and quickly stir in the vitamin E oil and whatever essential oil drops you desire. I used a mixture of lavender, peppermint, and DoTerra Aroma Touch which all have relaxing properties and are good for sore muscles.

Once everything is mixed, quickly pour your mixture into the cosmetic jars before the salve starts to harden. Let the jars cool completely before you cover them.

Well, there you have it. Instant Pot Salve! Who knew?

Make Dried Parsley Flakes In 2 Minutes

Dry garden parsley before it freezes and enjoy all winter!

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Storing Herbs
If you go to the store to buy parsley, basil, or some other herb for a recipe, you usually use a tablespoon and, quite often, the rest goes to waste. Well, in two minutes you can turn parsley into parsley flakes and save them for later use. 

And if you are growing herbs in your garden, they will soon freeze so it's time to start drying those too.

Parsley
I use a lot of dried parsley when I cook. It's a nutrient powerhouse. One tablespoon provides 8% of your daily requirement of both iron and manganese. It is also is a very good source of fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, riboflavin, calcium magnesium, and potassium and a good source of vitamins E and B6, niacin, folate, phosphorus, zinc, copper and selenium. 

Parsley grows easily in the garden.

Microwave
There are several ways to dry herbs. You can use a dehydrator, let them dry in the sun, place them in a warm oven, etc. But a technique that I think works the best is to put them in the microwave.

OK, I can hear you screaming from here as some of you feel very strongly about microwave cooking. So let me tell you how I personally feel about microwave ovens.

* I have never personally cooked a meal in a microwave oven. I think the results are inferior to other forms of cooking.

* I use them to rapidly heat up or defrost food using ceramic and glass vessels and I NEVER cover them with plastic wrap or any kind of plastic material that could leach into the food.

* I never stand in front of a microwave oven when it's in use - not because I am convinced scientifically that it's bad but just in case. 

* Since drying herbs takes only minutes, I believe that this technique preserves their nutrients.

Drying Parsley
Start with dry parsley. If I'm getting it out of my organic garden and it's fairly clean, I just shake it off. If you purchase it and want to wash it first, make sure it's completely dry before you start.

Place a paper towel on the bottom of your microwave. If you have a turntable, place the paper towel on the turntable. 

Remove the large stems from the parsley and place small clumps across the paper towel in a single layer.

Ready to be microwaved.

Close the door and microwave for 2 minutes.

After 2 minutes.

Test the parsley to see if it's completely dry. If not, set it for another minute.
Remove the parsley. If it's still warm, let it cool a bit. 

Dried parsley before removing the small stems.

Holding the small stems, pull the parsley off into a dish. Leave the flakes large or grind them into smaller flakes by rubbing them between your fingers. It's best to leave them larger and crumble them later when needed.

Place in a jar and store in your spice cabinet. Notice how the parsley retains its bright green color using this technique.

You can use this same technique with other herbs. The time may vary with each herb and with your particular microwave so experiment with small amounts until you get the formula down to your liking.

Low Libido? Before Popping The Little Pink Pill, Women May Want To Try This First

Herbs can increase a woman's libido
without the risks of the new drug, Addyi.

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Is This Really a Win for Women?
I know a lot of women are happy to see the drug companies finally develop something besides boner pills for men. For years now, many women with waning libidos have been less than thrilled about their husband's new chemically-induced erections. But is the approval of the "Little Pink Pill" a big win for women or Wall Street? 

What It Does for Women
The benefits of the pill known as flibanserin or Addyi are minimal. In clinical trials, women who took the drug had an average of 4.4 "satisfying sexual experiences a month" compared to 3.7 for those women in the trial who took a placebo. That's not even a gain of 1 extra satisfying sexual experience a month! They would probably have benefited more from watching Dirty Dancing or the Masters of Sex TV series on Showtime. 

Besides having to take a pill every single day of the month to get these minimal benefits, a woman also has to risk some very serious side effects such as severely low blood pressure and loss of consciousness. Now if you are only going to experience an additional 0.7 satisfying sexual experience in a month, I would certainly think you'd want to remember it! And you know that little glass of bubbly that allows you to forget about life stresses and helps you get in the mood? Well, the doctors and pharmacists must now advise you to abstain from alcohol or the risks of this drug are increased. In fact these risks and the dangerous interaction with alcohol are so severe that this drug was rejected by the FDA twice, in 2010 and 2013. But have no fear. I'm sure the strong warning on the label telling woman not to mix sex with alcohol will be as effective as the anti-abstenance campaign for teens. 

What it Did for Wall Street
Within just a few days after this drug was approved, Sprout Pharmaceuticals, the North Carolina company with less than 3 dozen employees that developed Addyi, was acquired by   Quebec's Valiant Pharmaceuticals for $1 billion dollars in cash. Enough said.

What Else can Improve Libido
A while back I was taking a supplement to balance out my hormones. I noticed that it significantly increased my libido. I had no idea why. Then a few years ago my naturopath gave me a tonic to strengthen my lungs. The tonic had a similar effect on my libido. Since both the supplement (Estrotone by New Chapter) and the custom brewed tonic from my naturopath had multiple ingredients, I compared all the ingredients to see if they had anything in common. I was more than curious to discover what was supercharging my sex drive. It turned out to be the herb Schizandra. 

Schizandra (Schisandra chinensis)
Schizandra is an adaptogenic herb, a class of herbs that increase the body's resistance to disease and long-term stress. Schizandra is a berry native to northeast China and parts of Russia which is dried and used in various preparations. This herb has been used in Chinese medicine for several thousand years to decrease fatigue, beautify the skin, sharpen the mind, slow the aging process, protect the liver, and as a sexual tonic for both men and women. 

Schizandra is known to increase the "Water Qi in the Kidney" and increases the circulation, lubrication, and sensitivity in the female genitals. 

Take as a Tonic
You can take Schizandra as a tincture such as the one made by Herb Pharm. This organic liquid extract comes in a 1 fluid ounce bottle.

Shake well before using.
Best taken between meals.

Schizandra can also be taken in capsule form like the ones sold by Dragon Herbs.

Organic Shanghai Mountain
Northern Schizandra fruit

You can also buy dried berries but you would usually use them to make a tea and not eat them like you would a goji berry. 

As I mentioned before, schizandra is a key ingredient in New Chapter's Estrotone.

Herbs before Pink Pills
Lack of libido is a serious issue. It can be caused by many different things and can have serious consequences. But before you resort to a risky and minimally effective pharmaceutical, consider taking herbs. Herbs like schizandra and others such as muira puama, damiana, and combination tinctures have been supporting female sexuality for hundreds if not thousands of years. They don't work overnight so be patient and give them a little time to do their magic. Best of all, you don't have to give up that glass of bubbly and will remain conscious for the entire experience!

A combination tincture from Herb Pharm
that supports female libido

Herbs are potent drugs in their own right so you should discuss them with your naturopath or herbalist before adding them to your daily health regimen. Some can interact with medications you are already taking so be mindful of that too.

New Healthline Guide To Herbs And Supplements For Rheumatoid ArthritisCan Diet Help Too?

Rheumatoid Arthritis is a painful autoimmune disease.
Diet and herbal remedies may give some relief!

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Rheumatoid Arthritis
Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is a very painful condition that occurs when your own immune system attacks your joints. This results in swelling and stiffness of the joints. This is not the same as osteoarthritis which is caused by your joints being worn down when you age.

Traditional Treatment and its Risks
Doctors often prescribe painkillers, anti-inflammatory medications, and DMARDs (Disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs). All of these drugs can have serious side effects. For example, if you are on DMARDs that work by suppressing your immune system, your immune system would then be weakened and may not be able to effectively fight infections. DMARDs also may hurt blood cells and certain organs such as your liver, lungs, or kidneys.

Inflammation
Many scientists have linked many chronic diseases, like heart disease, Alzheimer's, strokes, type 2 diabetes, even cancer, to inflammation. Although no one knows what causes RA, inflammation is once again a culprit that needs to be controlled. 

Can Diet Help?
Eating an alkaline diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, beans, omega-3 and other healthy fats, as well as anti-inflammatory spices and teas, can help reduce or prevent inflammatory conditions in your body. See my post on Dr. Andrew Weil's Anti-Inflammatory Diet. 

Limit or avoid acidic and inflammatory foods such as sugar, packaged foods containing trans fats, white bread or pasta, fried foods, dairy, animal fats, excessive alcohol, and too much omega-6 fatty acids contained in safflower, grapeseed, and sunflower oils. 

New Healthline Guide
Besides diet, many people suffering from rheumatoid arthritis who do not want to suffer the side effects of potent drugs, can get relief by taking certain herbs and supplements. Healthline recently published a guide that will introduce you to herbs such as Cat's Claw, Celery Seed, and others,  that have been used for thousands of years to fight inflammation. The guide points out key vitamins, such as vitamin D, that have been shown to inhibit the development of RA. Check out Healthline's The Ultimate Guide to Herbs and Supplements for RA.

Make sure you work with your doctor before changing your medications or adding any supplements to your daily regimen. Many supplements can interact with drugs. To check to see if your drugs and herbal supplements have harmful interactions, go to Medscape's Drug Interaction Checker.  

The Ultimate Spice Rack - Product Review

J.K Adams 32 bottle spice rack.

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Luxury Spice Rack
My husband asked me what I wanted for Christmas. That was easy to answer - "a spice rack".  My spices were stuffed in the cabinet and despite all efforts to keep them alphabetized, they were randomly placed across 4 pullout shelves. When you have over 60 different spices in bottles, bags and tiny boxes, cooking becomes a nightmare. It's also impossible to keep track of what you have. When I was moving my spices into the new containers, I found bottles that were so old I couldn't remember where, why or when I bought them!

At first Doug thought this was a pretty lame gift idea since he didn't realize how luxurious a spice rack I had in mind. But when he saw the beautiful, hard rock maple, made in Vermont, rotating spice rack by J.K. Adams, (of course I provided him the link!) he knew that no other gift could please me more.

It was impossible to find my herbs in this mess!

JK Adams Spice Rack Review
Pros
* It comes in 3 different sizes - 16, 32 and 48 bottles.
* It's heavy and sturdy with Incredible craftsmanship.
* It's made in Vermont.
* Because it's vertical and it rotates, it takes up less space.
* Each spice is very visible and easy to access (and keep alphabetized!)
* The bottles are empty!!! Many sets come with spices you'll never use. I'd rather select my own and this is one of the main reasons I wanted this set.
* The labels come separately so you can select which ones you need.
* The set also  includes blank labels. If you need more, you can buy them online.
* Snap-on sifters come with the set which is handy for some spices.

You can custom label the empty jars.
You can buy extra blank or printed labels online. 

I love supporting companies like this!

Cons
* They are expensive but these spice racks are so sturdy and well built, they will last for generations!
* The 3 1/2 ounce bottles are smaller than store bought spices so if you want to put your existing spice bottles in the rack, they won't fit.
* I haven't found a way to professionally print the blank labels to match the ones that came with the set. Still working on that one.

Spice bottles from the store are larger than the ones in the set.
However, it's better to buy smaller amounts of herbs and spices and replenish them more often.

Summary
I love love love this spice rack. Getting my spices organized is something I should have done long ago. So if you like to cook, check out your spice situation and make sure they are fresh, in clear sight and easy to access. 
Remember, herbs and spices are concentrated and excellent sources of vitamins and phytochemicals. So don't forget to spice up your life!

Plant Your Own Herb Garden In Recycled Plastic Tubs

Fresh Herbs

Some herbs taste significantly different when dried and some don't. For example, I think dried dill tastes pretty good so when I grew fresh dill last year, I didn't think it was really worth all the garden space it took. But herbs like sweet basil, parsley and cilantro, to name a few, taste completely different when they are fresh. So if you want to use fresh herbs in your cuisine, you have two choices. Buy them or grow them.

Buying herbs presents several problems. You usually need a very small amount but must buy a lot more than you need and certainly more than you want to pay for (especially when they are organic). It's also very inconvenient to have to run to the store every time you need a sprig of parsley or a tablespoon of fresh cilantro. So I like to grow my own.

Grow Your Own Herbs

I have plenty of room for vegetable gardens but this year I decided to plant my herbs in plastic tubs. The biggest reason was convenience. My gardens are in the back yard, down a flight of stairs and a ways from the kitchen. I really like to have my herbs close to where I prepare food. So this year I took a bunch of plastic tubs I've been saving (the ones you get when you buy organic spinach and salad greens), stabbed a few holes in them with a knife, filled them with organic potting soil and planted my favorite herbs. Best of all, they are a few feet from my kitchen door!

Another advantage of tubs is that it keeps some pervasive herbs, like mint, from taking over the entire garden.

Plant What You Actually Use

When I pick out herbs, I am always tempted to buy seeds or starts of every herb on the planet. And without fail, I use the basil, rosemary, parsley, mint, cilantro and thyme and watch the other herbs bolt. So now I try to control myself and only plant what I actually use.

My Garlic Is Sprouting! What Should I do? How To Make Your Own Garlic Powder.

Garlic begins to sprout when it gets too cold.

Remove the sprout from the garlic clove before slicing.

Sliced garlic on a Teflex sheet ready to dehydrate.

Dried garlic chips in a VitaMix "dry" container.

Sift to separate dried minced garlic from garlic powder.

Sifted garlic powder.

Dried garlic chips, minced garlic and garlic powder.

My Garlic is Sprouting!

My husband and I went on vacation and to save energy, we shut off the furnace. We live in California so we weren't too worried about our pipes freezing. But what we forgot was that garlic starts to sprout when it gets too cold. We had our 200 heads of garlic that we harvested this spring in the house and we were unpleasantly surprised to find about 1/3 of them sprouting when we got home. I had already planted all the garlic that I needed for next season and it was a bit too late to prepare another bed anyway. What on earth was I going to do with all of this sprouting garlic?

When Life Hands You Lemons.....

What's that old expression? When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. So, when life hands you sprouting garlic, why not make garlic powder? I've always wanted to try making my own garlic powder. It always annoyed me to grow hundreds of heads of garlic and then go buy a jar of garlic powder. But I never wanted to waste a beautiful, fresh head of garlic to do this. Finally, here was my chance!

How to Dry and Process Garlic

1. Break the garlic heads into individual cloves

2. Remove the skin, cut off the bottom root area and slice the clove in half vertically, exposing the green sprout.

3. Remove the green sprout intact and slice the remaining garlic into 1/4 inch slices.

4. Place slices on a Teflex sheet and dehydrate at 105 degrees F until crisp.

5. Fill the bottom of a blender about 2 inches with dehydrated garlic slices. I used a VitaMix "dry" container but I believe any good blender will work.

6. Process in the blender until you have the desired consistency. If you want some "minced" garlic granules, stop before everything is processed into powder.

7. Sift the contents of the blender through a strainer. The sifted garlic can be used for garlic powder and what you catch in the strainer can be used as larger granulated or minced garlic.

8. To make garlic salt, mix the garlic powder with fine salt in a ratio of one part garlic to 4 parts salt.

9. Either continue this process until you've used all the dehydrated chips or store the remaining chips in a jar until you need them.