July 26, 2011: Flower, Herb and Vegetable Garden Recipes

Now that July is almost over, your garden is sure to be producing lots of wonderful veggies and hopefully your flowering plants are just as happily producing! Here are a few recipes I’ve taken from a new book I got on my Kindle, Natural and Herbal Family Remedies: Storey's Country Wisdom Bulletin A-168 (Storey Country Wisdom Bulletin). I haven’t tried them all yet but I’m planning on doing so. Hope you can take advantage of your garden bounty with some or all of these, too.

Rose Water

1 cup fresh rose petals, chopped
2 cups cold water

Add rose petals to the water in a jar. Cover the jar and let it sit overnight. The next morning, strain the petals from the liquid and store the rose water in a clean jar in the refrigerator. To use: Moisten a cotton ball with the rose water and apply to your face. It is very refreshing and soothing, particularly on one of those hot, sultry days sure to come at the end of summer.

Sachets

Don’t toss away flower petals when you are dead heading your plants! Fill a square of open-weave fabric with dried flowers and herbs such as lavender, rose, basil, lemon balm, mint, rosemary, geraniums, sage – any plant that smells good! Gather the corners and secure the bundle with a pretty ribbon. Hang throughout the house or toss into drawers.

Fruit/Vegetable Flour

This is a great way to use up an excess of vegetables from your garden! According to the author, any type of vegetable flour can be used in place of a half cup of white flour called for in a recipe (and makes the dish much healthier).

The process is pretty simple; you just slice the vegetables and then steam vegetables until partially cooked (anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes depending on the density of the vegetable). Place the slices on a cookie sheet and put in an oven set to the lowest temperature. When thoroughly dried (which takes anywhere from 6 to 10 hours), grind the vegetables.

I haven’t tried it but I’m thinking you could cover the pan and dry the vegetables outside on a warm day.

Vegetables suggested for making into flour include tomatoes, carrots, spinach leaves, sweet potatoes, apples or pears.

Vegetable Broth

Here’s another way to use up an excess of fresh produce – make a vegetable broth you can freeze and use in winter soups and sauces. Simply chop or mince a variety of vegetables and herbs and add them to about 4 cups of water in a stock pot. Let it simmer until all the vegetables are tender, then strain.

Suggested ingredients: tomatoes, greens, celery, carrots, onion, garlic, peas, green beans, parsley, thyme, mint, basil, rosemary, sage.

May 15, 2011: Recipe for a Quick Spring Decorating Change

I’ve mentioned before that I like to take the opportunity, while spring cleaning, to change out the old, heavy, dark fabrics and furnishings for newer, lighter, more spring-like décor. It’s not just a onetime venture, though. I like to add little seasonal touches in my house as I can.

A week ago was Mother’s Day, of course. Our church handed out carnations to all the mother’s in the congregation. Since I picked up the flowers and arranged them, I ended up with a few heads that broke off their stems. Rather than toss them, I placed them in a small bowl with water and put the dish in the guest bathroom, where they are still brightening up the space, as you can see on the left side of the photo.

Another thing that I like to do is change out my pictures. I actually won the picture frame on the right – while we were at the hospital when my grandson Kaden was being born, we just happened to be in the right place at the right time (in the cafeteria eating lunch) when they held a raffle. I won a gift certificate from the gift shop and picked out this frame.

It just so happens to be the perfect size to fit pictures from a calendar my friend Kathy brought back from a trip to Alaska. The scenes are so beautiful I saved them and use them to switch out the picture in this frame to fit the seasons. This one is my spring scene.

See how easy it is to spend $0 and add a seasonal touch to your home?