herb harvest

out to the herb garden today.  it is time to cut, dry and store our herbs.

we will use them in our cooking all through the winter.

many herbs are annuals and must be replanted each spring.  

chives, sage, the mints and oregano are perennials.  

they absolutely take over and take charge of the garden each summer, 

pushing boundaries to keep the newbies in their place.

i will hang dry the rosemary, sage, oregano and half of the basil. 

the other half of the basil as well as the spearmint and peppermint leaves 

will be snipped off and stored in a ziploc in the freezer.

the chives will be cut into chive sized morsels and frozen as well.

picture this..........outside, a snowy, dark january evening.  inside, a comforting hot

baked potato topped with butter, sour cream and green summer chives...

picking the mint leaves inspired me to make one last jug of a

favorite warm weather drink, sassy water.  this recipe comes from

the Flat Belly Diet.  yes, one of my daughters and i experimented with that diet

one summer.  i think sassy water was what i liked most about the whole adventure.

Sassy Water

2 liters spring or well water 

1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root

1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced

1 medium lemon, thinly sliced

mint leaves

Combine all ingredients in a large pitcher.  

chill in the refrigerator or 

overnight.

a second harvest of lavender, meager as it is,

inspired me to make this little crowning gift for a friend's newborn.

have a lovely weekend.