Spice and Everything Nice

Herbs are one of my favorite foods on the homestead...

and because I grow a variety...

they are used every day of the week, in one way or another

they smell good,

look good,

and taste good

herbs not only taste good...

they are good for the body

two of my favorites are rosemary and oregano

they both pack a power supply of medicine and nutrients

this morning, rosemary and oregano were eagerly invited to breakfast...

honored guests on my plate

let me show you how they brought spice into this morning's breakfast

when a light meal is good enough for me...

I take one onion, chopped

1 tomato, chopped

2 cloves garlic, lightly mashed, then chopped

in a hot skillet put in...

2 pats of butter

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 tablespoon curry powder

stir the curry into the oils and fry for about a minute

add the onions and saute until they are soft

add the tomatoes and garlic; saute another 2 minutes...

stirring so as to keep the garlic from burning

you can add some sea salt and black pepper if you'd like

I dish my curried onions and tomatoes on top of lettuce...

then with a scissors, I snip the rosemary and oregano onto the top of the curried dish

I prefer my herbs added after the cooking simply because...

it keeps the nutrients intact and medicinal

with an addition of sardines, moringa leaves and a banana...

this meal is complete for me

but, a cup of moringa blooms and leaves make a great top up...

to wash the meal down with

I steep the flowers and leaves in a cup of hot water for 7 minutes...

then strain into a drinking cup and sweeten with a teaspoon of raw honey

there is nothing like real and fresh food to get me going into the day...

and truly, this is good to the palate

Bless the Lord, O my soul,

O Lord my God,

thou art very great;

thou art clothed with honour and majesty.

He watereth the hills from his chambers:

the earth is satisfied with the fruits of thy works.

He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle,

and herb for the service of man:

that he may bring forth food out of the earth;

and wine that maketh glad the heart of man,

and oil to make his face to shine,

and bread which strengtheneth man's heart.

Psalms 104:1,13-15

May your day or night find food in the grace of God.

Lemongrass/Basil Tea...

Because we live on a tropical island where the temperature doesn't change much...

we are able to grow herbal plants year around                 

and since God put these herbs on earth for us as food and medicine...

they are far better for us than synthetic drugs that often cause problems in the long run

our gardens have plenty of lemongrass and basil growing right now...

and I love to use them for making one of my favorite teas

I find that combining them makes a palatable and healthy tea

both herbs are chock full of nutrients and medicinal properties

you can click on the links (the names) below for more useful information on them

lemongrass and basil

both of these herbs are great for colds and the flu illnesses

both are anti-fungal and will help in controlling respiratory symptoms and pain

we don't hold back on the herbs here on Pilgrim's Farm

we make our teas strong, adding raw honey if needed

for an 8 cup pitcher...

8 cups of hot water, but not boiling

20 leaves of lemongrass

a big fistfull of basil leaves and flowers, if they are in bloom

crush the herbs well

this will bring out the oils in them for medicinal purposes

pour the hot water over the herbs in the pitcher

we steep our teas for a few hours

when ready to drink, the tea can be warmed up or iced if you live in warm climates

many times, I put in 6 teaspoons of black or green tea to the pitcher to make a hearty drink...

and put in enough raw honey to make the tea as sweet as we like

if you are convalescing from an illness...

make yourself a good pot of lemongrass and basil tea and enjoy this blessing from the Lord

And God said,

Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed,

which is upon the face of all the earth,

and every tree,

in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed;

to you it shall be for meat.

And to every beast of the earth,

and to every fowl of the air,

and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth,

wherein there is life,

I have given every green herb for meat:

and it was so.

And God saw every thing that He had made,

and, behold,

it was very good.

Genesis 1:29-31

May your day or night find goodness in the fruit of God's grace.

Anise Hyssop Tea...

At one time...
I used to peruse the supermarket isles and pick up herb flavored teas
now, I make pitchers of black or green tea and infuse my homegrown herb plants in them

I have seen butterflies, hummingbirds and our honey bees at my anise hyssop flowers

no wonder our Pilgrim's Farm raw honey tastes so good

native to North America, the Cheyenne and Chippewa Indians used it for cold and cough remedies

as a tea, it is good for the digestion

the leaves can be dried and preserved in honey for the treatment of coughs and poultices

both the flowers and chopped leaves make a great garnish topping in salads...

giving the dish a wonderful licorice flavor

the tea made of the anise hyssop can be used for poaching fruit for desserts

when I need to prune down my anise hyssop plant, I use the cuttings and flowers for making my teas...

and drying for the other uses

the plant is easily grown from seed or cuttings and can be potted or put into the ground

does well in sandy, loose soil and...

loving humidity, it's best to keep moist, but not waterlogged

a handful of the leaves and flowers put into a pitcher

about 4 to 6 teaspoons of loose tea or a few teabags...

depending on how strong you like your tea

heat up some filtered water but, not boiling

and pour over the tea and leaves, stirring to crush the leaves and flowers for infusing more flavor

leave to steep for a few hours to get that beautiful licorice flavor

sweeten how you like it...I sweeten mine with raw honey

that is one good tea, and I love it iced on a warm day

somehow, licorice and hot days go well together

May the Lord who blesses us with all these things...

shed His grace on you this day, or night.

Loving Hanging Herbs...

My oregano was getting too long to keep the pot on the ground...

I don't care for my herbs to be down in mud and dirt...

not when I like to break off some leaves to eat fresh off the plant...

or throw into the cooking pot

washing fragile herbs waterlogs and damages the leaves

this pot of oregano didn't have anything to hang it by...

so...

I took some string and strapped it around the pot...

bringing up the string to make a "handle" to hang the pot by

Simple...a bit rustic...

but, it works...

and I rather like the looks

the oregano now hangs from a hook under my seedling area...

I can snip off a few stems and not have to wash off dirt and mud



May your day, or night go well for you.

Lemony Herbs in Green Delight...

Lemony duo...

give green relief against the white pantry

lemongrass & lemon balm herbs

they make good tea

May your day, or night find balm in God's wonderful grace.

Oregano Kind of Day...

The potted oregano is growing bigger by the day

 a handful of sprigs...

tied together with thin strips of dried banana leaves...

the name of the herb on a clothespin

they are clipped over a slat in the pantry cupboard...

to slowly dry for the next two weeks

Oregano is anti-bacterial...

chock full of anti-oxidant vitamins

Easy to grow (I love it in big pots)

Oregano is not much liked by pests...

and so, will grow beautifully

Fresh or dried...

it's a fragrant and tasteful way to season your dishes

Wonderfully special in soups and meats

From a fresh bright green...

to a dried sage green;

Loving to see and smell the herb in my cottage kitchen

May your day, or night be savory with God's grace.

It's a Cinnamon & Bay Leaf Day...

There is green everywhere one looks around here...

I do so love green

the day has turned out bright and sunny after a couple of days of rain

do you use bay leaves in your cooking?

it's a great medicinal food to add to your culinary cupboard

our farmer neighbor brought us a huge bouquet of fresh bay leaves

I love the way he tied the boughs together...

with dried banana leaves

I'd like to learn how to do that

are the leaves not beautiful?

they are chock full of nutrients

they supply vitamins A, C...

magnesium, calcium, manganese, potassium, and iron

the leaves are anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti- fungal

when dried, they become an olive color

most people know of it in the powder form

I dry mine and then grind the leaves into a powder to keep in my pantry

I use it in soups, stews, cocoa tea, meats

it makes for a great poultice on wounds

even the dog thought the bouquet was interesting

we also harvested cinnamon bark from our own tree...

this tasty bark has it's great properties, also

it never ceases to amaze me how God has put these beautiful plants on the earth for our benefit

you can learn more of both these herbs on...

natural-homeremedies.org

the boughs of bay leaves need hanging to dry and the cinnamon put away in jars

our little Orphan Annie says...

May you have a sweet, savory day, or night.