Tag Archives: herbs

My Top Ten Favorite Herbs (Part Eight- Lemon Balm)

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling499B in a spiritual life, appalachian life, clean recipes, drying herbs, farm living, garden time, holistic living, homesteading, Kentucky memories, ky author, tea time and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hello, from the mountains of Kentucky! It’s been a busy start to July on the homestead. We have been working fiercely in the vegetable garden on dry days because we’ve had a magnitude of rainy days this spring and summer. The garden looks great! Everything seems to be flourishing. We’ve been picking a lot of cucumbers, zucchini, and summer squash. These are our favorites! We love incorporating it with breakfast, lunch, and supper. We can, freeze, and dehydrate squash and zucchini. We harvested last summers’ onions a few days ago to dry for winter onions and planted a new row of onions to eat this summer and fall.

Summer squash
Last season’s onions
Drying last season onions for the winter.
Lemon balm plant

Enough about the homestead, this post is about one of my favorite herbs, lemon balm. Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is an herb from the mint family. The leaves have a mild lemon aroma and a lemony taste. The leaves are used to make teas, medicinal salves, oils, and to flavor foods. Our favorite use of lemon balm is making tea. Lemon balm tea is great to relax after a busy day. It not only has a relaxing element, it soothes as well. We have found that the leaves can sooth a cold sore, and minor scrapes. Sipping lemon balm tea can also help ease indigestion.

Growing Lemon Balm

Lemon balm is a perennial that loves to thrive in partly sunny beds. Forewarning, it It will spread quickly and overtake other plants. We grow it in a huge flower pot as it is a bit of an escape artist and will escape beds and overtake other plants. After the last harvest, the pot is covered with a warm bedding to protect the roots from the harsh winter elements. Some years, it returns and some it doesn’t. However, it is easy to grow from seeds. The plants are also inexpensive at most green houses. It will always return if you plant it in the ground. It can be planted in an isolated bed and thrive for years to come. Like all mints, the more it’s pruned, the thicker it gets. It actually needs pruned frequently in the summer and early fall to prevent it from getting leggy. Pruning is easy. I use kitchen shears to snip the stem between the leaves. Before you know that snipped stem produces two or more new stems that produce more leaves. A good cutting does it well.

Drying Lemon Balm For Tea

Lemon balm is easy to dry. I typically cut small to medium quantities throughout the summer and a large amount with the final harvest of the season. For the smaller amounts, I prune the stems with the leaves in tact, and spread them over a cheese cloth or paper towel in a large sheet tray placed in a well ventilated place in the house. For the larger harvests, I use a large mesh drying rack in the garage. Once the leaves are brittle and crispy, they are ground for teas and spices. I store my teas in glass jars in a dark cabinet. Teas usually maintain their flavor for up to three years before they become rancid. To make a cup of lemon balm tea, add tea leaves to tea bag or tea ball and place it in your desired tea cup or mug. Pour boiling water over the tea ball or bag and allow tea to steep for at least five minutes. Removing the ball or tea bag is optional. Your tea is ready. It is a delicious lemon flavor that we enjoy for the taste and the soothing benefits. I also find true satisfaction with drinking tea made from the plants we plant, grow, harvest, and dry. Self-sustaining is a satisfying wonderful feeling.

My favorite tea mug

Making Lemon Balm Oil

I love to make lemon balm oil for my skin, to sooth sun burns, to massage sore muscles, and more. It’s easy to make. Dry lemon balm leaves and stems until crispy. Once the leaves are dried, add them to the carrier oil in a glass jar. I like to use amber jars. I don’t really measure for this oil. It would depend on the size of the jar. For example, I typically fill the jar or bottle about half full of leaves and then add the oil. I like to use organic fractionated coconut oil, you can also use jojoba oil. Seal the bottle and place in a dark cabinet. Give the jar of oil a gentle shake daily and place it back in the cabinet. After three to four weeks, strain the leaves out of the oil and you are ready to use your lemon balm oil. Keep it stored in an amber bottle to help it maintain its strength. Keep in mind this is not lemon balm essential oil, that is an entirely different type of oil.

Don’t Discard the Leaves

Don’t just discard the teas leaves or those soaked in oil! I use teas leaves that have reached or exceeded their shelf life as a weak tea to water my herbs, house plants, ferns, garden plants, herbs, and flowering shrubs. They’re great to add to the soil near squash and zucchini plants in the garden. Herbs are filled with rich antioxidants that are as good for the soil and plants as they are for us. Older teas and dried herbs can be added to the compost for enrichment.

Research to Read

Lemon balm is a versatile herb that is even recognized by The Cleveland Clinic as a herb that can be used medically This is a very interesting read!

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/lemon-balm-benefits

I hope you took time to read the article. It’s actually quite amazing as most medical personnel do not give credit to the medicinal power of plants.

I hope you have enjoyed this post about one of my favorite herbs and a little update from our homestead. Feel free to leave comments, like, share, subscribe, or follow Also, head over to Apple podcast and listen to my podcast, Homesteading in the Mountains, for more tips, ideas, and information about homesteading and more. Have a blessed week! For now, God bless from the mountains of Kentucky! Happy homesteading!

A walk in the Herb Garden

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling499B in appalachian life, drying herbs, farm living, garden time, herbs, holistic living, homesteading, Kentucky memories, ky author, memories and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Good morning from the mountains of Kentucky. The sunshine has been a welcome sight this week. The heat has been extreme but I’m not going to complain. I’m glad it’s not raining! The heat presents a challenge with collecting herbs from the garden. Herbs should be pruned in the cool of the morning, and this week the mornings are still quite warm. But today, it’s tolerable and I’m anxious to spend a little time amongst the herbs I love so good. I enjoy cooking with herbs, making teas, baking with dried herbs, making oils, ointments, and using them medicinally. They’re also beautiful in bloom!

Come and take a walk with me in our herb garden. We have herb beds, potted herbs, and herbs in the garden. Let’s start with lavender! The lavender that’s harvested today will be dried for tea and some of the blooms will be used to make lavender butter. Vegan Lavender Butter: A Sweet Herbal Treat From the Mountains… one of our favorites on homemade bread and great on pancakes. This butter can be made with plant butter as the recipe explains or regular dairy butter. I like the dairy free butter and my husband prefers dairy butter. It’s great either way! To make lavender tea. I dry the blooms and leaves and store in glass jars to later be steeped into a delicious tea. My Top Ten Herbs (Part Four Lavender) sew

Pots of common lavender
Pots of Spanish lavender
Common lavender plants in the herb bed. Also shown is rosemary, oregano, and sage.

Rosemary is one of our family’s favorite herbs. I like to dry rosemary to make rosemary salt, spray for my hair, dried stems for a savory addition to meats, and sprigs for bath water. The rosemary that is harvested today will be used to make rosemary spray for my hair. My Top Ten Herbs (Part Six; Rosemary Recipes included)

Potted rosemary
Rosemary and lavender in early spring.

Rosemary is an aromatic herb that is a versatile herb we use for a wide-variety of things from cooking to spray for linens. I also like to add a few sprigs of rosemary to my bath water. In the following link I give more useful information about this wonderful aromatic herb. My Top Ten Herbs (Part Six; Rosemary Recipes included)

Orange mint used for hot and cold teas

The orange mint I harvest today will be used for teas. This aromatic herb makes a delicious cold or hot tea. To dry the mint, I clean the cut leaves, pat dry with a towel, and allow to air dry until crispy. The dried leaves are then stored in a glass jar in the pantry. I always label and date the lid for quick identification and freshness. Dried herbs typically last two to three years in the pantry. Once the date has exhausted, I like to make a weak tea to water plants with and then compost the leaves. I think you’ll love this fresh tasting mint.

Sage is another favorite herb of ours.

The sage that is harvested today will be dried and added to my sage jar in the spice cabinet. Fresh dried sage is delicious and there is no comparison to store bought sage! Once you’ve tried fresh sage, you will not want to go back to the sage on the store shelves. Yes, it’s a more work, but well worth it!

Oregano is grown in large quantities

My Top Ten Herbs (part five-oregano) this link will take you to a post with some valuable and useful information and oregano recipes. The oregano harvested today will also be added to our spice cabinet.

Lemon thyme with a few onion chives sharing the photo

Lemon thyme is great in desserts, in meat marinade, and it makes an attractive addition to the herb garden. The bees love its blooms… almost as much as I do. The lemon balm that is harvested today will be added to our spice cabinet to use when baking lemon brownies, scones, and added to teas.

Potted basil! Basil is a favorite of all our family.

My Top Ten Herbs ( Part Two Basil) basil is one of our favorite herbs. I love to add it to salads, eggs, in spaghetti sauce, pizzas, and more. The link above provides a multitude of information on the herb, how to dry it, and a few recipes. The basil I harvest today will be dried and added to our jar of dried basil for spices. I may add a few fresh leaves in our omelets this morning!

Anise

This anise is loved by the pollinators! The hummers love it as well. It also makes an excellent tea!

Chive blooms amongst the mint.
More blooming sage in one of the beds.

The bees love the blooms of the anise herbs.

Echinacea in full bloom!
Yarrow blooms!

Yarrow is an herb that all farms need to grow. It produces beautiful flowers and is a beneficial medicinal plant. It’s quite tasty in salads as well. My Top Ten Favorite Herbs: (Part-Seven: Yarrow)

Chives, holy basil, garlic chives, anise and bee balm.
My favorite for tea!!! Chocolate mint!

This is a wonderful herb for teas both cold and hot, and great for baking. My Favorite Top Ten Herbs (Chocolate Mint part 3)

Georgia the garden goose.
Mint is a versatile and favored herb in our household.

My Favorite Top Ten Herbs (part one – mint) we love mint for teas, baking, and for candies.

More yarrow with a few sprigs of chocolate mint peeping through.
Young oregano plant amongst sage. They pair well together.
My favorite birdhouse that houses martins. Yarrow blooms are seen peeking out in the background.
Bee balm in full bloom. Bee balm makes a great first aid ointment.
Herbs cut from the walk this morning.

Other herbs that we grow that is not pictured in our walk include, tarragon, a couple of varieties of thyme, more basil, oregano, chamomile, mullein, and a few more varieties of mint. We also love to harvest from the wild around us.

I hope you’ve enjoyed our walk through the herb garden. The garden brings me joy, relaxation, a closeness to the earth, In upcoming days, I will take you on a walk through our vegetable garden. Feel free to comment, follow, or share. For now, God bless from our homestead in the mountains of Kentucky. Happy homesteading!

Challenges and Rewards on the Homestead

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling499B in appalachian life, farm living, garden time, homesteading, Kentucky memories, memories, my special days, plant-based and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hello, from the mountains of Kentucky! How is the weather in your neck of the woods? It’s a bit soggy on the homestead and has been most all spring and now still soggy into the first weeks of summer. This brings me to the purpose of this post, challenged on the homestead.

Rain is one of the biggest challenges we have faced this year. As a result of the continuous rain, we are quite a bit later than usual getting all of our garden planted. We’ve had potatoes out since Good Friday. We have been eating spring onions and have finally planted the cabbage, kohlrabi, squash, zucchini, tomatoes, peppers, watermelons, cantalopes, and cucumbers planted. The zucchini is blooming and the squash is coming along nicely but some of the tomato plants are struggling. We’re taking extra care with them to nurture them through the strange weather patterns to ensure we have tomatoes to eat and preserve.

With the excess rain we’ve also had numerous thunderstorms that have brought straight line winds so fierce they uprooted very large trees. Unfortunately, the largest tree fell across our driveway one tree ended up across the driveway and fell into our potatoes. We were blessed it wasn’t a tree that fell on our house. But, it sure wreaked havoc on the potatoes. Now weeks after the tree fell and the branches and limbs have been cleared away, the potatoes vines have all greened back out. We’ll see how potatoes beneath ground endured the damage when we dig them in the fall.

Rain has also caused quite a bit of flooding, which has resulted in the creek banks washing out. To help anymore erosion, we’ve planted a weeping willow tree, which roots deep, which should help protect the bank from further damage.

The abundance of rain turned a small stream to a river!
Building up a retainer wall to help guide the runoff water to the creek.

With all the rain, ditching to prevent flooding has been more frequent than most years. The mowing has been a challenge this year as well. It feels like a never-ending job of mowing and weeding on days it’s not raining. Dry days are filled with diligent work mowing, weed eating, and weeding in the garden. Rain and wind has created most of the challenges for us this year, but along with the tremendous amount of rain, we have had to baby plants to prevent them from rotting in the ground. It feels strange to not be picking vegetables this time of the year.

The weather has created a challenge with our chickens as well. They do not like to get out to pick in the green grass when it’s raining. With the lower picking and sunning also comes a decrease in eggs. This leads to more laying mash, handpicking greens for them between rain showers, and providing them ground oyster shells to keep them healthy and maintain egg production.

Once the unusual amount of rain subsided, the challenges of heat arrived with a vengeance. We were able to fence the cucumbers, finish the second raised strawberry bed, and plant six long rows of beans and more peppers before the extreme heat arrived. As the heat index rose, we’ve had to decrease the amount of time spent planting, hoeing, and tilling. That work has been replaced by late evening watering the garden by hand. With temperatures up to 96 and the heat index even higher, it’s taking a toll on our beans. But I think they will survive. It has truly been a roller coaster of unusual extreme weather. Finally, the heat index lowered and it looked like rain was in the forecast again. We were able to get twelve rows of corn planted minutes before the rain arrived again. With the late corn, we have hopes that maybe we have missed the majority of the storms that include wind that often damages our corn. We are hopeful we’ve endured the majority of the storms this season and our corn will grow free from wind damage.

We faced the challenge of losing one of our mommy bunnies this season. It was sad as she was a favorite. But, on a happier note another mommy bunny gave birth to ten more baby bunnies with eight of them still thriving. We also lost two of our best laying hens, but gained twenty two doodles. The Lord has a way of easing the loss with the gain and miracle of new life. Just when I was ready to replace our precious barn cat, Harry, who we lost in September, with an adopted cat from the pound, a new feline showed up one evening. He was desperate need of a home. He is now a happy and healthy kitty on our homestead who loved doing his part by catching ground squirrels who quickly can become pests in the garden.

Meet peaches, our newest addition to the homestead.
Meet owl one of the many new doodles.

The challenges of homesteading are real, but so are the victories! On the upside, the rain has helped our herbs flourish. I’ve already been drying basil and eating herbs for a few weeks. I will harvest sage, oregano, basil, lavender, a couple variety of mints, and lemon balm this week when the heat decreases. Again the rain has increased the growth in our cucumbers, squash, and zucchini and has been good for our flowers as well.

Our roses bloomed more this year than any other.
Iris’s are still blooming!
The flocks are loving the sunshine!
The bees love our sage blooms!

With homesteading comes both challenges, rewards, failures, and success. But most of all comes the rewards of satisfaction in planting, harvesting, preserving, and eating our own food, loving the land that the Lord has provided, sharing our bounty with others, and caring for the animals that we’ve been blessed to care for are the best rewards. Homesteading rewards far outweigh the challenges, and it’s nice to remember that with challenges comes the rewards of learning and overcoming hardships.

Our garden is later than usual coming in… but we are overcoming the challenges the weather has presented this season.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this short post and enjoyed learning more about our life on the homestead. Feel free to subscribe, like, comment and share with others. For now, God bless and happy homesteading from the mountains of Kentucky.

My Top Ten Favorite Herbs: (Part-Seven: Yarrow)

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling499B in appalachian life, book reviews, clean recipes, drying herbs, farm living, garden time, holistic living, homesteading, ky author, tea time and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hello from the mountains of Kentucky! I hope each of you had an amazing Christmas. We had a wonderful Christmas on the homestead with family and friends. God is good. Anyone that knows me knows that when Christmas is over… I start counting down the days till spring. I know, we shouldn’t wish our time away. I keep reminding myself of this. Take each day, savor it, as it is gift we never get back. However, I still get excited to see how many days till planting time! As of today, 78 days till calendar spring!

That being said, I am excited to bring another of my favorite herbs to you today. Last year, I completed the courses to finally earn my herbalism certification. During my studies, I learned about the common wild plant, yarrow.

Close up picture of yarrow leaves.

Achillea millefolium, more commonly known as yarrow is a perennial herb that is a member of the daisy family. It is found in growing in the wild and sometimes will in your yard as birds carry the seeds far and wide. It grows up to three and a half feet tall. The leaves are dark green, fern like, but yarrow is more feathery. See above picture. It has been used for centuries for nose bleeds, minor cuts, thus becoming known in son areas as the nose-bleed plant. The blooms are more commonly white with tiny yellow centers. Some yarrow blooms are yellow in color. We grow both and both are beautiful in flower beds and landscaping. Both are equal in quality.

Pictures above is our yellow tallow in full bloom.

Yarrow leaves are safe to mix in salads and are quite tasty. The leaves can also be dried for teas. Yarrow is considered to be a safe herb, however it is not advised to ingest large amounts of yarrow on a regular basis as yarrow contains thujone, which can be toxic if consumed on a regular basis in large quantities.

Cut yarrow drying. Preparing for yarrow salve.

Yarrow is versatile and very useful as a topical herb. It can be used in topical oils, salves, or even just by picking the leaves and crushing them or chewing them to apply to a wound to help slow and even stop bleeding. As always seek medical attention for wounds that might require stitches.

Drying yarrow is not difficult. I dry it during the summer and fall. You may dry the blooms and the leaves for external use. Stay with the leaves for internal. I dry it in small batches by cutting it in the early morning hours while the air is cool. Rinse the leaves and pat them dry. Place the leaves and or blooms on a white cloth or paper towel and spread them out to allow air to circulate. Place them out of direct sunlight and allow to dry until the leaves are crumbly. Once dried the herb can be stored in a glass container away from the light to be used as needed.

Dried yarrow can be added to jojoba oil or fractionated coconut oil for an external oil to help heal wounds. I add a couple of heaping tbs of the dried herb to a half pint jar of either organic extra virgin olive oil, fractionated coconut oil, or jojoba oil. I prefer to use amber colored glass if possible. I allow the dried herb to stay in the oil of choice for two to three weeks in a dark cabinet. I then strain the oil into either a small spray bottle or dropper bottle, which makes it easier to carry with me. This oil is great for helping to heal scrapes, minor cuts, sooth burns, as a rinse for mouth sores, and other small abrasions.

I also like to add the oil to equal parts of shay and cocoa butter to make a slave that absorbs through the skin and can carried in small containers for emergencies. I will post this recipe and details of how to make the salve in an upcoming post.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about how we use yarrow. Feel free to comment, like, or subscribe. God bless each of you. Happy New Year, from the mountains of Kentucky!

My Top Ten Herbs (Part Six; Rosemary Recipes included)

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling499B in a spiritual life, appalachian life, clean eating, drying herbs, farm living, garden time, God’s time, holistic living, homesteading, Kentucky memories, ky author, plant-based, Vegan recipes and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hello from the mountains of Kentucky! I hope your Thanksgiving was amazing and your Christmas will be even better. It’s been busy in our little part of the world as we finish our Christmas shopping, and decorating for our family celebration as Christmas is only days away. With preparing for the festivities I decided to bake some rustic herb bread using two of my top ten herbs, rosemary and thyme. I love experimenting and trying new flavors, new breads, and new recipes. I am excited to share a few of my favorite recipes and uses for my sixth favorite herb in my top ten posts, Rosemary. But first a little information about Rosemary.

One of our smaller pots of rosemary .

Rosemary is an evergreen type of perennial herb that derives from the Mediterranean region. It is reasonably hardy in cooler temperatures as well. I usually pot some each year for quick access for recipes. I also grow several plants in our raised bed that winters over very well as we cover our bed during the winter months. It is easier to start the plant a plant than from a seedling. Rosemary is difficult to start from seed, but not impossible. This aromatic plant also withstands drought quite well. Keeping the rosemary pruned prevents the plant from becoming woody and stiff. Pruning will also help the plant to become more bushy and promote new growth.

Rosemary is a member of the sage family. It has a wonderful aroma that unique and pleasant. It flowers in the summer, but can flower more often in warmer climates. The flowers are small and light pinkish or white blooms. The height of this woodsy plant can vary in size, depending on the location and the amount of pruning. It’s fairly easy to grow, dry, and store. Its aromatic needles have many culinary and medicinal uses as well as uses for personal hygiene. Let’s get started with a few ways that we use rosemary on the homestead.

Rosemary can be used fresh or dried. I dry my rosemary by pruning the plant and washing the sprigs well to remove soil and possible insects that might be hiding. Gently pat to dry and place the herb on a white cloth in a shallow pan. If I have a larger amount, I add the herbs to my hanging rack, which hold much more. Place the herb away from direct sunlight and leave to dry until the sprigs are crisp. I store my dried rosemary on the stems in quart jars and strip the leaves as I need them.

One of my favorite recipes for dried rosemary is my crusty herb bread. A small amount of this delicious crusty bread packs a punch of flavor. I use the following basic bread recipe Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread: Homemade Crusty Vegan Bread and add a tablespoon and a half of finely chopped rosemary and a tablespoon of dried thyme finally chopped as you add the seeds. The dried herbs work great as they are already dried and do not add any moisture to the bread as fresh herbs have the potential to do. This delicious bread is great toasted with most any Italian meal, or toasted to use as a dipping vessel for red pepper hummus. The possibilities are endless.

Seeded herb bread

A second recipe that includes rosemary is our clean vegan summer squash soup. It is delicious year round, but tend to enjoy it most early fall or in the summer months when summer squash is at its peak. The following link will take you to this light , yet hardy soup. The herb bread above is a wonderful addition to this delicious soup. Clean Vegan Summer Squash Soup I also like to melt a slice of plant based provolone cheese on the herb bread for a little extra rich taste.

Summer squash soup

Rosemary makes a great flavoring for salt as well. This is an easy way to preserve the final sprigs of rosemary of the season and make a few stocking stuffers or gifts for those who love to cook with herbs. This delicious recipe can be prepared several ways, but my favorite is simply equal parts of fresh-cut rosemary and course kosher salt. Strip the leaves from the rosemary and add salt, pulse the mix in the food processor 8-10 times or you may use a spice grinder. You may also substitute the kosher salt with course sea salt. Pink Himalayan salt can also be used, but the shelf life doesn’t seem quite as long.

Once you add the fresh rosemary with the salt and grind set it aside on a parchment lined pan for about six hours to air dry. Add to a jar with a lid. Keeps indefinitely. Another method is to use dried rosemary pulsed in the spice grinder until desired consistency is achieved and add the mix to the preferred salt. This eliminates the drying process with fresh rosemary. Using this method allows you to use the salt immediately as the rosemary is already dried. Rosemary salt is a great addition to tofu scrambles, soups, and potatoes. For those that don’t follow a plant-based diet rosemary salt is great on eggs, pork, chicken, or lamb. The possibilities are endless. The ratio of salt to rosemary can be modified to taste.

I like to hand chop the rosemary. I’m a bit old-school.
For this recipe I used 1/4 chopped rosemary.
Shake the rosemary salt before each use to ensure it is distributed evenly.

Finally, rosemary has been thought to be a nourishing herb for strengthening and thickening hair. Rosemary can also be used in a variety of ways cosmetically. However, hair care is one of our favorites. Sprigs of dried rosemary can be added to a spray bottle of filtered water for rosemary water that can be sprayed daily on hair dry or damp hair to promote thickening and shine. Using dried herbs helps prevent mold from gathering in the bottle. I also prefer to use amber glass spray bottles. The dark color helps preserve the water and protect it from sunlight while also helping to eliminate plastic. Once you add the sprigs of dried rosemary to the water, allow it to sit for at least a week to intensify the aroma and the water to absorb the nutrients from the herb. Use as a refreshing spray to your hair, scalp, or skin.

Rosemary oil can be made from dried rosemary as well. Using throughly dried rosemary, add the sprigs to a glass bottle of oil. I prefer organic fractionated coconut oil for topical use. Seal the bottle and place in a dark cabinet for at least two weeks. After two weeks, strain the oil using cheesecloth adding the oils to either an amber colored glass spray bottle or dropper bottle. The rosemary oil can be used directly on then scalp to nourish the scalp and help promote hair growth. Once the oil is applied, massage scalp evenly for five-minutes then wrap hair with a towel or shower cap. Leave the oil on the hair for at least thirty minutes. Wash and rinse hair as usual. You may also spray hair lightly throughout to help mange dry or damaged hair. Finally, you can add a few drops of the rosemary oil to your favorite shampoo and or conditioner.

These are only a few of the great ways to use this powerhouse of an herb. Because of its diversity, I think a book could be written about rosemary. Other uses of rosemary include adding it to homemade body butter, laundry detergent, sachets, teas, and more. I hope to add more rosemary recipes in upcoming days. For now, God bless and Merry Christmas from the mountains of Kentucky. Feel free to like, share, subscribe and or follow our blog. Your support is appreciated. God bless!

Merry Christmas from our home to yours.

My Top Ten Herbs (part five-oregano)

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling499B in appalachian life, clean recipes, drying herbs, essential oils, farm living, garden time, holistic living, homesteading, Kentucky memories, ky author and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hello from the mountains of Kentucky! I am excited to share another of my favorite herbs with you. In this post I’ll share my thoughts and ideas about oregano as well as some of my favorite uses, how I dry it for spices, use it as a natural antibiotic, and more. So, let’s get started.

Oregano is member of the mint family. Oregano is perennial that is typically hardy in warmer zones. It prefers relatively hot dry climate. It grows well in beds and pots. However, to ensure it returns in the spring, it should be planted in the ground. It is best to plant oregano in the spring, but it can be planted later in the season. There are several types of oregano including Spanish, Turkish, and Greek, which is the most common and my preferred.

One of our pots of oregano. The painted rock was a gift from our grandson.

Oregano grows well in a sunny area in well-drained soil. I water oregano that I have planted in pots daily, primarily because it is planted in terracotta pots, which drains and dries out easily. I water the oregano in the herb garden every other day, or as needed. I watered it daily during this 92-94 temperatures we’ve been having lately. I like to fertilize my herbs with banana water or a weak tea mixture at least once a week. Banana water is simply water that I soak organic banana peels in over night. This process adds potassium to the soil. The weak tea is made from leftover organic tea bags or leaves infused in a gallon of water. This type of natural fertilizer adds antioxidants to the soil and plants much like tea provides for our bodies.

Our newest addition of oregano in our raised bed.

Oregano is typically thought of as an Italian spice, but it is also a great spice for eggs, tofu scrambles, and it makes a nice addition of flavor to soups, baked potatoes and of course spaghetti, and lasagna. I like my dried oregano use in my homemade spinach tortillas. I have included the link for Vegan Italian Spinach Wraps These delicious wraps take a small amount of time to prepare, they’re easy to make, and they’re healthy. They make a great snack as well as a tasty wrap.

I typically use the oregano plants that I grow in pots for cooking and the oregano in the garden for medicinal purposes, and for harvesting to dry for spices. Pruning the oregano creates a fuller mor bushy plant. I trim and prune it as needed throughout the summer. I like to clip stems to use fresh when I am cooking. When I am ready to harvest, I cut the oregano in the early to mid morning hours before the sun hits the herbs. I clean the herbs by giving them a gentle rinse and patting them dry. A salad spinner can be used to remove any additional moisture. I like to hang bundles of the cut oregano stems beneath the upper kitchen cabinets to dry. Make sure the herbs are completely dry before bundling to prevent mold from forming in the middle of the bundle.

My cooking oregano plant.

I love the aroma that fills the house while it’s drying. When I have a larger harvest, I dry it by adding the cut herbs to the drying rack. Keep the herbs away from direct sunlight when drying. Allow the oregano to air dry until it becomes crunchy. Once the herbs are dry, I like to run them through the spice grinder a few times to create a nice spice to cook with. I also rough grind some of the dried oregano for a more textured spice. I store the herbs in a glass container with a lid and keep them in a cabinet away from direct sunlight. Herbs can be dried in the oven or in a dehydrator. However, air drying is my preferred method. I feel that the herbs are more potent when air dried.

I also like to infuse dried oregano in organic extra virgin olive oil and use it as a rub for aching joints, to sooth minor cuts, and bruises. Many have used oregano oil for centuries as an antibiotic by taking one to two drops of oil daily. To make an internal oil, add dried oregano to oil and place in a dark area for four to six weeks. Next, strain the oil into a small glass bottle with a dropper. Keep the oil stored in a dry and dark area. I typically keep my bottoms of oil in an apothecary chest for easy access and better organization. Oregano oil has been used for parasite infections, digestion, and others have used it for coughs and congestion. However, there is not medical/scientific evidence of the medicinal benefits of oregano oil.

Antique apothecary chest found in Tennessee at an estate sale.

I prefer to use dried oregano in oil in what is called a cold infusion. This type of infusion has been used for centuries. It is less likely to become rancid or gather mold than fresh herbs will. To make an infusion, fill half of a clean glass jar with dried oregano leaves and the remainder of the jar with a good quality organic olive oil. Label and date your jar so you will recognize it with ease. Seal the jar and set aside away from direct sunlight. I typically store my infused jars of oil in the pantry. Allow the oil to infuse the oregano for at least four weeks. The oil maintains its potency better in a cool dry place. I like to add some of the oil in a small glass dropper bottle for internal use. The shelf-life infused oils is typically two years, if the oil is stored correctly. I recently read where some people add a drop of organic vitamin E oil to their infused oil to help increase the shelf life. I personally have not tried this. doTERRA oregano oil is an essential in my medicine cabinet as well. Essential oil is different than infused oil. It is more concentrated and potent. I would love to make essential oils, but the equipment to extract the oils is a bit too pricy for me. So, I buy top-grade essential oils from doTERRA. If you are interested in ordering, selling, or becoming a member of doTerra, simply follow the link https://referral.doterra.me/12640050

I find it interesting that oregano is one of the herbs that many herbalists keep in their survival kit, take camping, and have conveniently located in their medicine cabinets, as well as their spice racks. It’s a great addition of flavor to many dishes, breads, and soups, and a natural healing herb that is very versatile. It is easy to grow, maintain, harvest, and easy to create spices, teas, and oils. I am anxious to hear how you incorporate the pungent beautiful herb of oregano in your daily life.

Head over to the Apple podcast, and search for, Homesteading in the Mountains, to listen my latest episode about oregano.

Feel free to comment, like, and or follow my blog for more posts about how I incorporate herbs, essential oil, plant-based recipes, and homesteading in the mountains. Be sure to check back soon, as I will be posting my new zucchini fritter recipe. It’s a new favorite in our family. God bless from the mountains of Kentucky.

Homesteading in the Mountains

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling499B in appalachian life, clean eating, drying herbs, farm living, garden time, holistic living, homesteading, Kentucky memories, ky author, Spiritual life and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hello, from the mountains of Kentucky! It’s been a dry hot month in our area of the world. With May being extremely wet, we anticipated June to be dry, but not this dry. The lack of rain has presented challenges for our vegetable garden. We’ve hand watered a couple of times a week and babied all the veggies with hopes and prayers for a good harvest. How’s the weather been in your area?

Foggy morning in the mountains.

We are often asked what it means to homestead. Homesteading was our grandparents way of life, their parents, and even their grandparents. We grew up learning how to farm. So, to our family, homesteading means that we can be self sufficient. Self sufficient means growing, harvesting, and preserving our own fruits and vegetables. We eat from our garden throughout the year. We enjoy fresh vegetables in the summer and fall, and preserve vegetables, soups, and vegetable juices for the winter and early spring months. We make use of hydroponic gardens year round. I like to grow salad lettuce year round in the hydroponic garden. It’s easy, clean, and ensures fresh lettuce at your fingertips. The staples we cannot grow are bought in organic bulk supplies.

Early summer vegetable garden.
Small hydroponic lettuce garden.

Homesteading also means we eat cleaner and healthier. We accomplish this through bypassing as many store bought prepackaged foods as possible. We enjoy baking our families breads, cakes, pies, and cookies, instead of buying unhealthy food that is filled with an abundance of sugars and unhealthy preservatives. One of our favorite homemade bread recipes can be found in the following link. Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread: Homemade Crusty Vegan Bread We also preserve fresh fruits to ensure we have jams and jellies for toast and biscuits. We enjoy foraging berries for dishes and jellies. There’s nothing much better than homemade jam spread on homemade bread for breakfast. Canning My Favorite Peaches

Homemade crusty seeded yeast bread
Canned strawberry preserves

Fresh eggs are gathered daily for breakfast and for baking. Fishing, to us is more than a pastime. Fish is caught from the lakes and rivers for the freezer to use later for fish dinners. The mountains provide an abundance of squirrels, rabbits, and deer for meat that is frozen for roasts, chili, and others dishes. We do not raise cattle, but buy fresh beef and hog meat yearly from friends that provides for the year.

Farm fresh eggs
Canning and preserving peaches.

One part of homesteading that I enjoy immensely is growing our own herbs. The herbs ensure we have spices, teas, tasty leaves for salads, and herbs for medicinal remedies. The herbs provide beautiful blooms that bring in an abundance of pollinators for our garden. The diverse mint that we grow makes great hot or cold tea, is a wonderful additive to cookies and hot chocolates, and can help sooth a bee sting.

Potted peppermint grown for tea.

Essential Oils, Tea Bags, and Bee Stings

Foraging mullein.
Drying mullein for tea.

We enjoy foraging for various plants to use for food, teas, and medicinal purposes. We harvest mullein, pictured above as tea to help alleviate coughing and congestion. We also enjoy bartering with friends and neighbors. If we have an abundance of corn or beans we may barter with friends for a vegetable or fruit that we don’t have.

One post cannot cover it all! This is a brief glimpse into our lives as homesteaders. I guess the best description is that we enjoy being self-sufficient, and being able to sustain our farm that provides for our family. We enjoy the simple things in life, family, friends, gardening, preserving, and nature. We enjoy church and our church families. We love the Lord, His ways, and serving Him. We believe in working for what we have, enjoy thrifting for antiques, repurposing things from the past, reading, and writing. We enjoy holistic living, cooking, baking, and taking care of our animals, and sharing God’s love and His goodness with others. Head on over to Apple Podcasts to listen to my podcast, Homesteading in the Mountains, to learn more about our homestead and homesteading projects.

For now, God bless from the mountains of Kentucky. Feel free to like, comment, and or follow. I enjoy hearing from my readers. Let me know if you would like to read more about our life homesteading in the mountains.

My Top Ten Herbs (Part Four Lavender)

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling499B in appalachian life, drying herbs, garden time, holistic living, homesteading, Vegan recipes and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hello, from the mountains of Kentucky! It’s surely been a hot June in our part of the world. The heat has presented us with challenges on our small farm. We’ve been hand watering our garden a couple of times a week to prevent the plants from turning yellow. We are blessed to have a flowing creek beside our garden to ensure the plants receive fresh water free from chemicals. The 90 degree weather also presents the challenge of battling the heat while we work in the garden and other outdoor projects. But, we’re making the best of the situation and praying for some rain.

I am excited to share another favorite herb. Remember, I’m not posting my favorites in any particular order, just sharing a few of my favorite herbs, a little history of each, how I plant them, cut them, dry them, and use them both fresh and dried.

One of my small pots of lavender.

Lavender is another favorite herb in our household. Lavender has been used for centuries for various health benefits, its beautiful aroma, and its mild flavor. Lavender is a perennial herb that if planted in the ground will return each year. You might be able to weather over lavender in pots for it to return in the spring. Much of its return will depend on your zone, winter temperatures, and how you protect the pot from the elements.

Lavender is known for its beautiful purple blooms. Bees love the bloom, so it works well as a pollinator near veggies. Butterflies love the blooms as well. Lavender grows best in a sunny location and in well drained soil. Lavender is not an invasive plant, so there’s no need to worry about it over growing your garden. If you are planting lavender, Its best planted in late spring after there’s no danger of frost. Lavender grows well in pots if the location is sunny and the pot has good drainage. I have lavender in my herb bed and in a pot. I love its fragrance and enjoy having it on our porch near where sit in the mornings as it also helps repel mosquitos. The leaves, stems, and blooms smell equally as good. The fragrance is intoxicating.

Butterflies love the English lavender blooms.

There are several varieties of lavender. Spanish lavender has an open upright bloom at the tip of the purple bloom on the end of the stem. Spanish lavender is used for making essential oils and is often referred to as butterfly lavender. English lavender is the most common lavender. It is often referred to as common lavender. It is pictured above. There are other varieties of lavender including Portuguese and lavandin. The most common for our area are English and Spanish.

Lavender blooms, stems, and leaves are all edible. Dried lavender makes a nice addition to a cup of hot tea. Drying lavender is not a difficult task. I clip and dry small amounts at a time throughout the year after May. It seems easier to dry small amounts often than large amounts at once. I clip the blooms leaving a length of stem and place them on a drying rack in a spot away from direct sunlight. Sometimes I lay them on a white paper towel and let them air dry on the table or bind the stems with a rubber band and hang them to dry. The blooms of the English lavender make the best tea. Spanish lavender can be used, but it is a bit too strong for my taste. The dried leaves and stems can also be used in tea. Taste testing is the best way to determine how much dried lavender is enough for a cup of tea.

Dried lavender leaves make great sachets for closets, drawers, automobiles, or any closed in space. The scent and taste of lavender is relaxing and has the potential to relax and to lower blood pressure. I have found that a cup of lavender tea before bedtime helps me relax and sleep better. The dried leaves or blooms are a great addition to chai tea.

Lavender oil is another favorite in our household. We love essential oil but do not make it as it takes special equipment to extract the oil. I order lavender essential oil from doTERRA oils. I use it for soothing a burn, restful sleep, and bee stings. Infused oil on the other hand, is relatively easy to make. For infused oils it’s best to use dried lavender to prevent molding from fresh lavender. Dry the leaves, stems, and blooms of English lavender. Place them in an airtight jar, amber colored glass is my preferred glass. Add your choice of oil. I use coconut oil or jojoba oil for topical use and olive oil for cooking. Keep the oil away from direct sunlight and it should last for months. A few drops of the lavender oil can be added to conditioners to enhance hair growth. It can be used to moisturize dry skin. It can be used at night as a moisturizer to help you relax or used as ointment on sore joints to promote relaxation. The possibilities of lavender are endless!

We love lavender butter! Feel free to check out my recipe by following the link Vegan Lavender Butter: A Sweet Herbal Treat From the Mountains… it’s great on fresh baked bread, rolls, and delicious on toast. Lavender makes great tea cookies and scones. I’ll share those recipes soon.

Dried lavender blooms

Overall, lavender is a beautiful plant, helps repel mosquitoes, relaxes the senses, tastes great, and can fill your house with a wonderful relaxing fragrance. There are so many uses for lavender that one post cannot even scratch the surface of the many uses of lavender.

I hope you have enjoyed this post and I have enticed you to plant, grow, and harvest your own lavender. Feel free to like, follow and or comment. I would like to hear from you. How do you use lavender? For now, God bless from the mountains of Kentucky!

My Top Ten Herbs ( Part Two Basil)

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling499B in a spiritual life, appalachian life, drying herbs, farm living, garden time, herbs, holistic living, homesteading, Kentucky memories, ky author, organic food, plant-based and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Hello, from the mountains of Kentucky. It’s a beautiful day in the mountains today. The sky is clear, which I’m so thankful for. It’s been a very rainy May in our part of the world. Hard storms wreaked havoc on our mountains Sunday. Many are still without power, cable, telephone, and Internet. Ours was restored yesterday. One thing about loss of Internet… is it’s a great time to catch up on reading, writing, housework, and yard work. Today’s post is the second post of my top ten herbs. Keep in mind that these posts are not in any particular order. Check out my first post My Favorite Top Ten Herbs (part one – mint)

Pictured above is Italian basil

Basil is a must have for our pantry and spice cabinet. It is low maintenance, easy to grow, tastes great fresh, easy to dry for spices to use when cooking, fresh it adds wonderful flavor to dishes, makes great tortillas, makes great aioli, delicious pesto, it helps repel mosquitos, it tastes great in salads and so much more. Let’s get started!

Basil is a spicy herb that is commonly found in Italian dishes. It is actually a member of the mint family. It is a native plant of Africa and Asia. It loves plenty of sunshine, rich soil, moderate watering, and it loves to be pruned! It can tolerate some shade as well. Its wonderful taste can be identified in spaghetti sauces, pesto’s, on pizza, and in lasagna and many more delicious cuisines such as Italian tortillas. Vegan Italian Spinach Wraps. There are many types of basil. Believe it or not there are over one hundred types of basil. However, my two favorite types of basil are Genovese also known as, Italian basil it is often confused with common basil. The leaves of common basil is typically lighter than Italian basil. Another favorite of ours is lemon basil. I will address them in this post and might make a post about other types of basil at a later date.

Basil of all kinds is fairly easy to grow. It is an annual plant, which means it will need to be replanted each year if you live in a zone that has cold winters. In Kentucky, I plant basil each spring after the last frost. Don’t worry about expense. A good quality organic basil plant is only a couple of dollars. I typically purchase three to four plants per year, which is still more economical than buying fresh basil at the grocery store. One small packet of fresh basil, that may or may not be fresh, can cost nearly five dollars. I would prefer to have enough basil to enjoy fresh from spring until fall, and then harvest it for the winter.

I harvest and use it throughout the year and harvest the remaining plant before the hard frosts come to the mountains. Basil grows well in the ground, or in large pots. I prefer to plant mine in large pots within my herb garden. I also keep a pot of basil on my back porch for easy access for fresh basil. And again, it also helps deter mosquitos. Your basil will require good drainage, if you grow it in pots. I water my basil when the soil feels dry. I typically water daily when the temperatures are high. If the soil is damp, skip the watering. Over watering can be detrimental for basil. I like to add a looser potting mixture in the bottom of the pots. I enjoy caring for and growing orchids. So, I normally have an extra bag of the orchid potting mid on hand. It is a great addition to the bottom of the pot, and it helps the soil drain. I prefer to use a good quality organic potting soil for my potted herbs. If I’m going to eat them, I don’t want toxins from additives in the soil. Both lemon and Italian basil love and thrive in sunshine! I give my herbs an occasional spritz of Neem oil to prevent insects from building nests, primarily spiders, in the herbs. I also feed my herbs an occasional drink of weakened herb tea. The antioxidants are a great fertilizer. I do not add traditional fertilizer due to the additives in the fertilizer. Natural is always best!

Italian basil.
Close up of lemon basil.

Again, basil likes to be pruned. Trimming your basil on a regular basis allows the basil to become fuller and less leggy and promotes lots of new growth. I also keep the blooms pinched back on my basil to help promote growth and prevent a bitter taste in the herb. If you are not harvesting to eat, basil blooms a pretty white flower that is a nice addition to a flower garden. I harvest basil throughout the season by clipping stems of leaves to add to a glass of water, much like you would flowers, for fresh basil for cooking. I usually only do this if I do not want to harvest to dry but want to prune the basil. For dying, I prune the stems, rinse well, and pat dry, then pick the leaves from the stems, and allow them to air dry on cookie sheets that are lined with white or unbleached paper towels. If i want to dry the basil by hanging it, I prune the stems, rinse, pat dry, and tie small bunches of the herbs together and hang from a drying rack or hook in my kitchen. Either way that you choose to dry basil, the aroma will fill your house. Herbs can be dried in a dehydrator, the oven, or even in an air fryer. It’s quicker, but I find that it lowers the quality of taste. Air drying is my personal preference.

Basil typically takes at least two or three weeks to completely dry. Once the basil is dry, I add the whole dried leaves, which will be much smaller than fresh leaves, to a glass jar. I prefer amber jars, but clear will work. The jars are then added to a dark corner of my spice cabinet. I add the dried basil to dishes by using a mortar and pestle to grind it as I need it. I also grind some of the leaves into a finer powder using a coffee grinder. This method of storage eliminates a step in the cooking process, but still packs great flavor. The shelf life of fresh dried basil is one to two years. I usually have almost completely eliminated my dried basil from spring to spring, especially if I make many of the spinach Italian tortillas. See the link above.

A few clippings for cooking. I’ll add them to a glass of water after removing any damaged leaves.

Both Italian and lemon basil are great for pesto’s, aioli’s, makes a nice additions to salads, great on pizza, and delicious fried for a crispy bite of deliciousness for any Italian dish, or a salad topper. I also like to add fresh basil to omelets or tofu scrambles, spaghetti, and lasagna. I find that it adds an interesting taste to fresh baked bread, especially with the addition of garlic. Lemon basil is also a great addition to Asian dishes. I will try to add the recipe that is pictured below soon.

Vegetable stir fry with basil and garden veggies.

Basil not only helps deter mosquitoes and other unwanted pests on or near the porch, but it makes a great companion in the vegetable garden to help deter pests from tomatoes, and other plants. Crushing the leaves can also act as soothing compress for bee stings.

These are only a few ways that I use basil at our house. I could write a book on basil alone. I hope to include a post soon about the other types of basil that we use on frequent basis. The smell of fresh basil is intoxicating. I love to brush my hands over the basil and enjoy the vibrant invigorating aroma.

Feel free to leave a comment or question. Check back next in upcoming days for my third herb post. Also, feel free to subscribe or follow. For now, God bless from the mountains of Kentucky!

Vegan Italian Spinach Wraps

Posted by KyAuthorProfessorJBowling499B in appalachian life, clean eating, clean recipes, drying herbs, farm living, holistic living, homesteading, Kentucky memories, organic food, plant-based, Vegan recipes and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Good morning from the mountains of Kentucky! I hope your day is a blessed one. I am excited to bring to you my new spinach wrap recipe that I’ve been working with for a couple of weeks. Saturday’s wraps were the success that I’ve been working toward! I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Ingredients:

  • 3 cups fresh organic baby spinach
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour (I prefer King Arthur unbleached or wheat)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon pink Himalayan salt
  • 3-4 tablespoons organic extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/3 cup cold filtered water (this can be modified if needed)
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground oregano
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground basil
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ground parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon organic ground garlic

Add one cup of spinach and one cup of flour to a food processor dicing it to allow room for an additional cup of each. Dice again and add the remaining spinach and flour. Add spices, and process adding oil slowly as the mixture mixes. Add water until you have a dough consistency. Sometimes the amount of water varies. Only add what you need. If the mixture is too wet, add an additional spoon of flour and mix. You can’t go wrong on this mixture if you achieve a doughy consistency. You can play with the oil as well. If you need more, add a tiny bit.

Fresh spinach is the best!!

Preheat a cast iron skillet. I use ceramic cast iron for this and it works great. Add a tiny spray of organic extra virgin olive oil to the pan to heat. While the pan is heating spoon out a large spoon of the mixture onto a floured dough sheet or parchment paper. Using flour on your hands roll the dough into a ball and then begin rolling the dough flat.

Ball of spinach dough.
Second rolling of the wrap.

A second rolling of the wrap ensures the desired thickness of the wrap. You can sprinkle flour over the wrap to prevent it from sticking. Once you have achieved the desired thickness, lay your bread in the hot pan. It only takes about 1 1/2 minutes per side. While my bread is browning, I usually roll another piece of dough. Parchment paper, coffee filters, cheese cloth, or white paper towels between the wraps will help prevent them from sticking until they’re cooled.

Preparing the wrap!
This is the thickness that I like!

Remove the bread and place on your choice of liner. Once the wraps are completely cooled, I place mine in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for fresheners. This recipe usually yields eight to nine wraps. They taste great warmed with fresh veggies, a smear of peanut butter, as a side for Italian dishes, and extremely good with no dairy cheese melted on them.

You may substitute seasonings for Mexican seasonings, plain with a little salt and pepper, or with curry seasonings. The possibilities are endless. I hope you enjoy these as much as we do. I look forward to posting new wraps. I am currently working on a high fiber flax wrap. I would love to hear how you eat yours! Feel free to like, share, comment and follow. For now, God bless from the mountains of Kentucky!