10.25.2024

Herbs and Spice and All Things Nice

 

Fresh herbs 


The herb garden is one of the most underrated additions to any home garden, balcony or window sill. 

Have you ever purchased the herbs from a supermarket ? I have. Many times. 

In Australia they are carefully wrapped in plastic like a bunch of flowers. They look great in the supermarket and you take the bunch home and use the required amount, only to nurse the remainder of the bunch for as many days as you can in order to get 'full value'. Well.... that's my experience.... and it has never worked out well. I always end up throwing a mushy bunch to the chickens after a few days. 

I even by the organic bunches, but I am never using them all and often wasting most of it. Even fressing them in olive oil after whizzing them in the blender is still.... well, we will say 'not great'. 

Over the years, I have had various iterations of herb gardens, big pots and smaller pots on the window sill. 

The trick for me ss usually putting the plants in a location that I don't forget to water. In permaculture terms we would say zone 0 or zone 1 meaning close by the house and easily accessible. 



These gardens have been the most successful because they are fully overgrown with no space for weeds. 

This style suits me as I am working hard all week and don't give a single thought to the garden... but when that need hits and I get all domestic again.... it's wonderful to walk out and get just the right amount of fresh herbs..... no trip to the supermarket, no throwing most of the soggy left overs away, no cash spent and most importantly... no plastic wrap! 

Ther herbs I seem to use the most are rosemary, oregano, thyme, parsley and garlic chives. Maybe I just use them the most because they are there! 



What I am really missing at the moment is basil and coriander. In years gone by I have had a lot of basil, but something has taken to eating all the leave and I don't have anything but stems left. Coriander is a herb that I really need to get started again because we use a lot of it in the summer in salsa and in the winter we use it in soups and curries. 

Where are you up to with your herbs ? Are you yet to get started ? Do you have the little pots on the window sill in the sun or are you off an running with a healthy supply. I'd love to know!. 

10.07.2024

The Messy Kitchen


 My kitchen is rarely clean and lovely like you often see on social media. 

It is often clean and pretty, only to be messed up again by the next cooking session. 

Today, when I was making a chocolate loaf cake, I looked the mess and thought how wonderfully functional it was. 

This kitchen is literally the heart of the home. It is where the cooking and the talking all happens. 

This long weekend, we cooked quite a few meals. I cooked some, our visitors cooked some, Hubbie cooked some and at other times it was all in. 

The containers in this photo are from my baking centre. I realised as I got them out to cook with today that I have had these containers for so many years. The post that I have linked here is from 2007 - that is 17 years ago. 

They may not be the latest trend, they are not the glass pretty ones I see on instagram, but they are functional and hard wearing. Because they are made of plastic, I want to use them for as along as I can. You see, if we followed 'green living' advice it would tell us to buy all new eco friendly containers with no thought of where all the old plastic containers end up. We all know they go to land-fill so we buy new ' eco friendly' ones. Don't be fooled!. 

So... I stand in my messy kitchen with my old storage containers and I am joyful! 

What do you have that you hold onto in your kitchen ? You can leave a comment below. 


Herbs and Spice and All Things Nice

  Fresh herbs  The herb garden is one of the most underrated additions to any home garden, balcony or window sill.  Have you ever purchased ...