How to Make Herbal Teas from Scratch (Easy)

Why rely on the boxed powdered teas when you can easily make your own with fresh ingredients.

You can grow some beautiful bushes, dig dandelion from your yard, or order pure herbs from two of my favorite online herb shops. (Check them out below.)

How do you know which herbs help what?

And once you have some herbs in your hands, how do you make them into tea?

Watch my friend and me mix it up in the kitchen - chopping, grating, and all the fun you can have with a little hot water.

As a bonus, I get “revenge” on my high school home ec teacher. Well, not exactly. But it makes us laugh.

https://www.highgardentea.com/

https://mountainroseherbs.com/

Eat and Drink This for Stress

Does your stomach tighten up when you feel nervous?

Does digestion get difficult when you are stressed?

Or do you get tired easily when you feel overwhelmed?

Then it is time to break out the pesto sauce for dinner and drink some basil tea — holy basil, that is.

Regular basil and holy basil, also called tulsi, look very different. They both grow super easy. Whether in your kitchen window herb garden or in your edible landscaping, these are two herbs you want for health.

Listen in to find out how to use each differently.

(Here’s the link to learn how to make basil herbal infusion)
http://www.thevireolife.com/blog/2018/7/11/six-easy-steps-for-herbal-infusions

What’s your favorite basil recipe?

Herb Garden - Parsley, Cilantro, and Chives

You’ve started planting a few herbs. Yummy harvest.

But then they bolt!

Now you’ve got seeds and you want to know what’s next.

Three easy to grow herbs are parsley, cilantro, and chives.

So, I’m covering those herbs and seeds for you here.

Want info on other herbs? Just let me know in the comments below.

A Secret to Enjoy Cooking

When you aim to cook healthy, sometimes you just plan your meals around “what’s good for me.”

That gets boring in the kitchen.

When you don’t have the energy to cook a healthy meal from scratch, that gets frustrating. It also usually ends in ordering pizza for the third night in a row.

Just like with your exercise, factor in your personality and your energy level.

Do you enjoy creativity? Have a lot of herbs and spices on hand to let your creative thoughts flow. Also, create theme nights — complete with music, games, movies, and food around your theme.

Perhaps you love travel. If you enjoy foods from other cultures, grow their herbs, like lemongrass, and use them in your cooking.

Watch this video for several ideas to celebrate your time in the kitchen

If you like learning, watch YouTube while you chop. (I happen to know a really great channel on healthy living. You are watching it right now :-) )

For the days you are too tired to cook, be sure to have some canned and frozen options that meet your healthy goals. You can’t live your exciting life and not expect to have an “I need rest” night sometimes.

Happy cooking!

Why You Should Eat Your Yard (Maybe)

Several “weeds” can be safely eaten, even with medicinal benefits.

Red and white clover are two. Red clover especially has phytonutrients that can adjust with hormones. Which means some people will benefit and others would not - so check with your doctor before consuming on a regular basis.

It’s also high in vitamins and minerals. Great in teas or salads.

9 Ways to Enjoy Rosemary

I trimmed back a rosemary bush and had to come up with several ways to use a ton of rosemary.

Of course, my favorite way is #9!

Six Easy Steps for Herbal Infusions

Making an infusion is similar to making tea.  Once you know which herbs you want and if you are using fresh, frozen, or dried, the rest is easy.

For this example, I am using fresh Holy Basil from my garden.  Holy Basil is an "adaptogen" - which helps the body adapt to stress.  

Step One:

Harvest the stems and leaves before flowers form, in early morning, just after the dew is off. That's the ideal. However, these I harvested at 5:45 a.m. because that is when I needed to make my infusion.  Also, the tops had flowered, so I used them.  Amount?  Enough for 2+ tablespoons fresh per cup of water. (If using dried herbs, use 1+ tablespoon per cup of water.)

Step Two:

Rinse off any obvious dirt.  

Step Three:

Strip the leaves and flowers to use.  (Some people also use the stems.)

Step Four:

Chop Coarsely.

Step Five:

Place the herbs in either a mason jar or a french press.  When I began making infusions I used a mason jar and then strained the herbs through a cheesecloth.  If you are going to make infusions several days a week, invest in a french press to save you time.

Steep for 4 hours minimum.  The longer the herb steeps (generally), the stronger the infusion.  I either make my infusion at night and let it steep overnight to drink in the first few hours of the day, or begin steeping in the morning and drink during the afternoon.

Step Six:

Drink the infusion within a day or two, putting it in the refrigerator if over 12-24 hours.  Or freeze the infusion in ice cube trays.  This is especially useful for infusions you want to use as herbal remedies.  For example, if you want sweet basil, chamomile, and mint to steep together for 4 hours to help with digestion or headaches, you don't want to wait 4 hours for relief.  Having it made and frozen, you can pour boiling water over 2-3 cubes and have instant help.

If you have questions, or ways that you make infusions, I'd love to chat in the comments.

Beginner Herb Gardening

Three different types of cilantro

Do you love the idea of cooking with herbs...but find it frustrating to buy just the right amount from the store?  Or you have limited varieties available?  Colleen McElroy of Colonial Creek Farm in Georgia has an answer for you.  Start a container herb garden near your window.  Then cut the amount you need...you can't get any fresher than that.

Here are some tips from Colleen:

• If you have never grown herbs before, start with oregano, thyme, chives, and parsley in a container together.  You may also grow sage in the same container...but sage likes to be a little drier, so don't over-water.
• To arrange the above herbs in a round container, plant the chives, parsley, and perhaps sage, in the middle.  Plant the oregano and thyme around the outside and let them trail over.  
• To grow these herbs in a window box, grow the chives, parsley, and sage in the back (closest to the window) and the oregano and thyme in the front.
• Mint is also a great herb to try, but it can be invasive, so consider a separate container for it. Colonial Creek Farm has over 20 varieties of mint...so pick your favorite flavor!
• If you are bit more adventurous, you can also grow rosemary and lavender in a separate container.  These two herbs prefer very well-drained soil, so they would not grow well with your other herbs which prefer more traditional potting soil.
• Do you love salsa in the summer, but can't get your cilantro to grow in the heat?  Cilantro is a cool weather herb.  However, you can grow Vietnamese cilantro, which prefers the heat.  I look forward to trying mine for the first time this year!
• Remember that herbs love the sun.  They get "leggy" (lots of stem and few leaves) in the shade.
• Last, herbs are generally "water it and forget it" plants.  They taste better if you don't fertilize them much.  

So plant the herbs you love in the soil they love.  Keep them in sun and water them.  Cut, eat, and enjoy!

Thank you, Colleen, for chatting with me at the 2016 Nashville Lawn and Garden Show.  Colonial Creek Farm is a mail order nursery with unique herbs I've not seen in other nurseries.  Their web address is www.colonialcreekfarm.com

Keep growing your food fresh for a ViREO Life!