Olive Oil & Herb Cubes

Use an ice tray.
Pour in Olive Oil & put in Herb of your choice. Freeze.
Then I put the cubes (by flavor) into ziploc bags in freezer.
Quick easy & ready for cooking!
~ Homemade Is Easy blogger~

HERBS: Lemongrass

Photograph by Steven Foster

DISCOVER THE BENEFITS OF LEMONGRASS TEA

Herb to Know: Lemongrass

By Betsy Strauch
February/March 1997

• Cymbopogon citratus
• (Sim-bo-PO-gon sit-RAY-tuss)
• Family Gramineae
• Tender perennial

Among lemon herbs, lemongrass is the big one, towering 3 to 6 feet above the others—lemon verbena, lemon mint (actu­ally a monarda), lemon balm, lemon basil, lemon thyme. A blend of clear lemon flavor and flowery overtones, it’s also one of the tastiest, as Southeast Asian cooks have long known.

The genus Cymbopogon comprises fifty-six species of mostly aromatic grasses native to the Old World Tropics. Lemongrass (C. citratus) is native to southern India and Sri Lanka; it is cultivated for its oil in Florida and the Rio Grande Valley of Texas as well as in Sri Lanka, the Seychelles, and Uganda.

Lemongrass’s dense clumps of strap-shaped leaves may reach 6 feet tall. The individual leaves, 3 feet long by 1/2 inch wide, taper at both ends, and the tips may arch gracefully. The edges of the blades are very sharp. Blue-green throughout the summer, the leaves turn rusty red in fall. Lemongrass bears large, loose compound flower heads when grown in the Tropics, but it rarely flowers otherwise.

The generic name Cymbopogon comes from the Greek words kymbe, “boat”, and pogon, “beard”, and refers to the inflated spathe (bract) that encloses the flower spike. The specific name citratus is Latin for “lemony”; the leaves contain the lemony constituents citral and linalool.

As a medicine, lemongrass has been used traditionally to reduce fever by inducing sweating, alleviate cold symptoms and headaches, calm upset stomachs, and relieve spasms. It inhibits the growth of fungi and bacteria and is used externally to treat ringworm, lice, athlete’s foot, and scabies. Researchers in Brazil recently reported that the constituent linalool had a strong sedative effect on laboratory mice and speculated that humans could relax by inhaling significant quantities while taking an herbal bath containing the substance.

In Southeast Asian cuisine, the tender leaf bases of lemongrass are chopped and used to flavor fish, sauces, and curries. The heart of the young shoots may be eaten as a vegetable with rice. The tougher parts of the leaves can be cooked in soup or steeped for tea or vinegar, then removed and discarded before serving. The tea is delicious either hot or iced. Lemongrass also is used in Greece and Turkey to substitute for yogurt in the preparation of a traditional fermented milk-and-cereal dish during religious holidays when consuming animal milk is prohibited.

Lemongrass oil is used to adulterate lemon oil and to make an artificial violet perfume, as well as to scent soaps, hair oils, and herbal baths. The leaves of the related C. nardus are also used for flavoring food, but this species is better known as the source of citronella oil, widely used in bygone days to repel insects. Lemongrass oil, too, has been used as an insect repellent.

Lemongrass is grown in warm climates as an ornamental for its foliage and flowers. In India, a row of lemongrass plants is said to repel tigers, but in areas where tigers are not a problem, a hedge of lemongrass can conceal an unsightly view. A single plant makes a nice vertical statement in a lemon garden, and bundles of the leaves can add height to dried arrangements. Trimmings can be chopped and dried for use in potpourris or teas. If you wish to pulverize the dried leaves for flavoring, do it just before you’re ready to use them, as the flavor fades quickly.

Growing Lemongrass

Lemongrass is hardy only to USDA Zone 10. Give it average or moist soil in full sun. In cooler climates, plant a division outside after the danger of frost is past. Leave plenty of room for expansion: under favorable circumstances, a small division can turn into a clump 21/2 feet wide in five months! Lemongrass is drought resistant but benefits from regular watering. Harvest entire leaves. Where winters are cold, dig up the entire clump in fall, or if it’s too big to overwinter indoors, pot up a division of the crown. In the Deep South, you may try wintering lemongrass outside. Cut back the top and mulch the remaining crown heavily. Veteran herb growers Madalene Hill and Gwen Barclay of Round Top, Texas, report that lemongrass has survived temperatures of 10° to 20°F with this treatment.

Sources

Richters, Goodwood, ON, Canada L0C 1A0. Catalog free. Plants and dried herb of C. citratus; seeds of East Indian lemongrass (C. flexuosus).
Shepherd’s Garden Seeds, 30 Irene St., Torrington, CT 06790. Catalog free. Plants of C. citratus.

Orange Sugar Scrub

PHOTO: C&H* PURE CANE SUGAR

White Cane Glimmer Sugar Scrub

1 cup - C&H® Pure Cane Sugar

1 cup - vegetable oil

Oil from 1 vitamin E capsule

1 or 2 drops - of essential oil, lavender or orange

1 16 oz. - glass container with lid

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl until well blended. Using a spatula, transfer mix into the container and secure lid. Contents will settle, mix before using. Scoop a teaspoon or two of the scrub on your hands and gently massage in circular motions onto your skin. Leave on for 3 to 4 minutes before thoroughly rinsing. The scrub will tighten on your skin. ****It's NOT just a great Holiday gift, It's for YOU too.***

Kitchen Door Rack UPCYCLED

Kitchen Door Rack ~ Turned into outdoor Spice GARDEN

Burlap with soil & plants

Instant HERB garden ~

Herbs For Your Health

11 plant based foods that help the smooth functioning of gastrointestinal tracts. This leads to efficient nutrient absorption, quick processing and disposal of waste helping flush out impurities and toxins, ease constipation, help detoxification, and rejuvenate the entire digestive system.

Senna Leaves- increase fluid activity, softening elimination for ease of movement

Buckthorne Bark- eases constipation

Triphala- detoxification

Peppermint Leaves- curbs gas and fights spasms in your intestinal tract

Psyillium Husk- detox, cleanses and refreshes your total digestive system

Acacia Gum- loose bowels and refreshes the digestive tract

Papaya- breaks down food so your digestive system doesn't have to struggle

Aloe Vera- alkalize digestive juices and help the colon flushing out impurities and mucus

Fennel Seed- gas relief, gastrointestional calming and cramps

Slippery Elm- coats irritated digestive system lining

Ginger Root- prevents indigestion. It can help prevent muscle spasms in the colon.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Organic-Gardening/380651248633270

Olive Oil or Butter Herbs

Olive Oil Herbs

I have also used butter.




unknown photo source, it's all over FB w/o credits

Mosquito Repellents ALL NATURAL RECIPE

K. I have a similar recipe here but I'm here to pass great information to everyone!

MOSQUITO REPELLENTS   ALL NATURAL

Do It Yourself - DIY

1/4 cup vegetable oil mixed with these essential oils (mix and store in a spray bottle):
8 drops cedar
5 drops eucalyptus
4 drops lavender
2 drops rosemary
2 drops juniper
1 drop peppermint
1 drop cinnamon
1 drop clove
-OR-
2 cups witch hazel
1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
20 drops citronella essential oil
20 drops lemongrass essential oil
Mix in a spray bottle and shake well before use.

Dried Peppermint

Dried Peppermint.....I put in Mason Jar & seal.
I use it in tea, hot chocolate, cakes, brownies, make ice cubes.


GROWING PEPPERMINT.
I use containers to grow peppermint. I used to put in planter areas but it took over! SSSSSSOOOO up it went and into containers (Note I'm no longer saying "pots" like I used too! So hopefully I won't be noted by law makers anymore!)