Thanks to Mother’s Day and the sweet people in my life, my container herb garden has grown again. I am now growing oregano, lavender, thyme, rosemary, spearmint, lemon balm, bee balm, chamomile, echinacea (aka cone flower), orange mint (aka citrus mint) and a few plants of basil. Hopefully I won’t have a problem finding a place in the car to move them to Charleston with us.

Last time I promised to share a culinary recipe with you, but I’m putting another first. I hope you don’t mind. I came up with my first herbal tea blend using clippings from my own plants. This is the first time I’ever ever made a tea using 100% from-my-garden herbs. You have no idea how pleased I am.

Iced Citrus Mint Tea:
spearmint {leaves}
lemon balm {leaves}
orange mint {leaves}
honeysuckle {flowers}

I used even amounts of each, except for the honeysuckle. I just threw about 6-8 small flowers in for taste and appeal (ok, busted, I just thought they were pretty.) I used my porcelain teapot because I read somewhere earlier this week that metal teapots weren’t best because they can taint the flavor of herbal tea. I boiled the water, dropped in my herbs and let steep for about 10-15 minutes before adding some honey.

It was a hot day and I spent most of it packing, so I was in the mood for something cold and refreshing. I chilled my tea and added ice for a very refreshing, light, iced herbal tea blend. It was prefect. After downing my first tall glass, I got myself a refill before heading into work for the night.

What is making you smile, lately?

I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for a sunny weekend. The past couple of weeks, here in southern Kentucky, we’ve had sunny, beautiful weekdays and rainy, chilly weekends. This is not conductive for our attempts to have a yard sale.  We’ve been on another minimalistic-living kick, lately, so its time to clear some stuff out.

However, my herb garden is not complaining. My mint and oregano went berserk this season {oregano is actually in the mint family}. My oregano grew through the drain holes and into the ground under the container. My plant grew so big, I was able to divide it into three healthy portioned plants and share with friends. My mint–do you know about mint?–yeah. Mint is very aggressive and grows like a weed with no help.

That’s not a complaint.

I already made a first harvest this past week. I reaped a quite the helping of mint. So much so that I covered a tea towel with leaves to dry, for myself, and filled eight bags to pass out to friends. I was surprised, though, by how many people asked what they could do with it. Other than lightly sprinkling it into summer desserts, I have two ways I use it most often.

To make my own natural air freshener, I like to put a pot of water on to boil and add some citrus fruit, a splash of vanilla and several fresh mint leaves. I lay a wooden spoon over the pot to keep from boiling over and periodically add water to keep from scorching the goods.

Mint also adds an extra refreshing touch to my iced tea.My favorite sweet tea recipe is:

4 tea bag regular black tea
1 tea bag Ear Grey
1 tea ball infuser full of fresh or dried mint leaves
3/4 cup of sugar

We use a regular size tea pot filled with boiling water to steep the tea. Then we pour the steeped tea into a gallon tea pitcher and stir in the sugar. Once the sugar is melted we fill the pitcher the rest of the way with cold water. Sometimes I like to add a little lemon juice to my glass.

Though I’m growing spearmint, any kind of mint can be used. I’ve also harvested some oregano, basil and thyme already. I’ll save that for another time, though.

Are you growing anything this year?

I’ve been sharing a lot of our cooking on Instagram, lately.  I had someone on Facebook ask about one, so I thought I’d share the recipe here.

We don’t get indulge in shrimp often, around here.  However, when we do, we get a bag big enough to last over two or three meals.  For one of those meals, I drew inspiration from my herb garden.

I threw some chopped onion, minced garlic, olive oil and minced fresh Asian Basil into a skillet to caramelize as I shelled my shrimp.  Then I added the shrimp followed by a good squeeze of fresh lemon juice.  Once my shrimp was done, I added generous servings to a bed of white rice.

We ate every last bite.

What sort of fresh ingredients have you been using most, lately?

Hey, Darlin! Aren’t these photos fabulous?  I’d like to thank my amazing friend, Laura, for letting me use these.  See more of her/our adventures through her lens on Instagram @parttimegypsie

We started harvesting squash, from our garden, a couple weeks ago and just harvested our first batch of green beans earlier this week.  We have quite a few tomatoes on their way to being ripe, too.

We had some company from our home town and spent some of the day lounging and the rest walking in the woods and eating great food.

One of Billy and I’s favorite things is having friends over for dinner.  Its something we actually do quite often for a few reasons, number one being that its nice to share the cost, every now and then.  But I just feel like if I can serve someone a healthy and delicious meal, then I’ve done something to have a hand in their care.

Does that make sense?  As I get older, I feel an overwhelming need to physically take care of those I care about.

Anyway, we had just picked our first batch of green beans and decided to pair those with some fresh squash and spice them with herbs from the patio garden.  All together, I added two large squash, several green beans, fresh thyme, basil and oregano and then I threw in some celery salt and black pepper.  We paired this dish with a choice of black bean and cumin burgers or garlic and mozzarella burgers.

It was delicious.  I actually had it again just last night, though this time I boiled the veggies {same spices, though}.

Have you prepared any fresh-from-the-garden foods, yet, this summer??  What’s your favorite recipe, so far?

p.s. See all those weeds in that garden? Don’t judge me.  I admitted from the get-go that weeding gardens is, by far, not my favorite thing to do.

{photo by Billy Jarboe}

Happy Friday, friends!

What. A. Week.  ’TGIF’ has never meant so much.  My baby girl comes back home, today.  I can’t wait to have her perfect little body wrapped around mine.  Oh, I’ve missed her so.

This weekend promises to be nothing less than exciting, too.  My little sister’s wedding has finally come.  I’m responsible for the hair, makeup, the flower girl, a groomsman and photography.  Possibly even a little decor, too? *shew wee* I imagine if there’s an after party, I won’t be at it.  I hope to use the rehearsal, tonight, to do my own little rehearsal shoot.

Hope your weekend is nothing short of amazing! Plans??

My little garden has brought me so much joy, already.  I tried for an herb garden last year, but it just wasn’t in the cards, apparently.  Most of my seeds just didn’t start.  This year, however, we had more time to plan ahead and prepare.  Of course, Pinterest helped.

In my patio garden, I have some basil, oregano, strawberries, tomatoes, thyme, lavender,citronella and a patch of wild flowers.  I wanted something clever and cute to mark the plants.  Not because I forget which is which, but just to let others know and to add a little more pizazz, I guess.

I grabbed some spoons from a thrift store, pulled out my Mod Podge and got to work.  In no time at all, really, these babies were in the ground.

To get rid of the crisp clean white paper, I soaked it in some water and coffee grounds for a day.  Then, I simply drew out the labels, tore them out and Mod Podged them to the spoons.  I then covered them in a couple more layers of Mod Podge to seal and protect the paper labels.  We’ve had several rains since I installed the spoons and they are still holding up strongly.

 Do you have anything growing this year?

While riding our bikes around the neighborhood, one afternoon, Billy and I found something.  Someone apparently had quite a bamboo garden and decided they wanted a new look.  A heaping pile of bamboo sticks.

*freebie* Mama can use that!

With visions of bamboo creations in my head, I planned to grab the car, as soon as we got home.  I started a list even: fence around the garden, a wind chime, perhaps tomato cages.  I was ready to get work.  Today, I want to share my wind chime with you.

Materials:

• bamboo
• hand saw
• drill
• twine
• fishing line
• paint & brush
• spray fix
• key ring

I planned out my design, before making any moves, to avoid mistakes.  I used the hand saw to cut all my bamboo pieces to size.  I found that when sawing bamboo, it works best to only saw in one direction.  Before I started putting anything together, I painted my bamboo pieces with acrylic paint.  After they were dry, I used spray fix {like clear spray paint} to lock and seal my pretty little design.

I used smaller pieces of bamboo, twine and a key ring to build the top part of my chimes.  Then I used drill with a tiny bit to make holes in the top pieces, as well as the hanging pieces.  I strung fishing line through the holes and tied to secure the chimes to the top.  I found that you could pull and turn the tied fishing line so that the knot was actually inside the bamboo and, therefore, unseen.

Now these pretty little things hang happily on my patio, where they sing soft songs to my herbs.  I’m not sure, really, though.  These little girls make it hard to hear anything other than their giggles and squeals.  Plus, their sounds really isn’t loud, so you don’t worry about it bothering any neighbors {I’ve really heard of people who can’t stand wind chimes}.

I have another one cut and ready to paint, but was home some little hands would help.  I’m also putting the finishing touches on the fence around our vegetable garden.  I’ll be sure to share photos soon, though.

Do you have anything handmade in your garden?  Or maybe plans for something?? Tell me about it!

This summer, I’ll be spending a lot of time in the garden.  I plan for this one to be the first of many From the Garden posts.  Some may be more on the ‘philosophical’ side, but most will be hands-on and how-tos.

Over the past month, or so, something has happened inside me.  Something wonderful and comforting.  Something I haven’t felt in, probably, a decade or more.  Locational peace.  What does that mean?  Well, the world to me, really.

Since right before I graduated high school, I’ve always been planning and looking forward to getting away.  Away from Kentucky.  Away from everything I know.  Away from my “comfort zone.”  Away from the familiar, really.  I wanted room to run, explore and go on adventures.  I’ve never been able to really settle, because I’m always hoping and looking for that ticket out of here.

About a year and a half ago, something happened that would change that feeling, and I didn’t even realize it.  Billy and I decided to partner up and get the heck out of dodge.  We reserved a moving truck and started scouring the internet for apartments in Wilmington, NC.  My heart is most definitely in the Carolinas.  They are constantly whispering never-ending sweet nothings, only I can hear, it seems.

I prayed and prayed about the move and whether or not it was truly for us.  Then, just two months before, something in my gut said ‘no;’ not Carolina.  Not yet, anyway.  But I had to get back in school and get that degree, because I was drowning in the salon world. So, we decided on Bowling Green {only an hour away} and everything just fell into place, from there.

We’ve been here over a year and I’m just finally getting that settled-in feeling.  I actually like Bowling Green.  We’ve found an awesome church body to be a part of and have started to really join the community around us.

Don’t get me wrong.  I still hear the Carolinas’ beckon call, but for the first time in ten years, I’m not rushing to get away.  I know we still have at least one more year here, and then its in God’s hands where we’ll be {here or elsewhere}.

I finally feel peace, though.  Even though some things around me are still out of whack and sometimes near unbearable, I feel peaceful, here, in this place.  I can really feel myself starting to trust Him more with my life, too.  He is faithful and He’s showing me just that.  He will get me where I need to be.

We just have to listen.  And with listening, comes peace.

And, oh, what a glorious feeling that is.

Have you had to make any big decisions lately?  Have you asked for help, yet?  What decisions are you currently struggling with?

Afternoon, love!  I just wanted to take a minute to note how beautiful the weather has been the past couple days!  Today, I’ve decided to take my work outdoors.  I had lunch and am now enjoying some sweet tea out here on my back patio.  Its a bit windy, but nothing a light jacket can’t fix.

I stopped by Kroger on my way home from class and grabbed a pack of sushi from the deli.  I was overjoyed to notice they have finally set out their seeds for this Spring.  Can’t wait to get some things growing in the back yard!

Hope you’re having a lovely day!

I don’t know if you knew this or not, but we kind of like dandelions, around here–hence Fuzzy Little Wishballs.  Back story?  Well, I guess I didn’t ever share one or give an explanation.  I just figured it was a given, I suppose.  There’s nothing to it, really.  Let me fill you in real quick.

When Lilie started getting old enough to understand me and talk back, play time became more and more interesting.  She loved being outside from the moment we left the hospital that sunny August day, four and a half years ago.  Every time I walked out the door with her, she pushed herself back away from my body as if basking in the warmth of the sun.  It was so neat to see this tiny little creature enjoying something other than feeding, burping, rocking or sleeping.

Anyway, back to the story.  Lilie and I were outside exploring in the yard one day when she stumbled upon a flower.  It was a little yellow dandelion.  I remember her being so excited to have found a flower and proud to present it to Mommy.

Then, she stumbled upon a fuzzy-looking one.  Being so young, I knew I’d confuse her with an explanation of how they were actually the same.  I thought I’d have a little fun with it, instead.  I told her it was a fuzzy wishball and you were supposed to blow on it and make a wish {kind of like a shooting star}.

But it didn’t end there.  Lilie loves the idea of them and searches all over to collect them, like jewels, making as many wishes as she can.  So many people have asked what we were talking about and really taken a liking to idea, as well.

Dandelions seem to hold some meaning, though.  They remind me of being a child and also of the love I have for my own little one.  They also remind me that we are always His children, no matter what.  They make me think whimsical and lovely thoughts.  Ideas of adventure and mystery.

Dandelions are always thought of as weeds, but are they?  Weeds are merely unwanted plants, right?  Well, they’re not unwanted, here.  I’ve given them a place in my garden.  I even entertained the idea of getting a small tattoo of one {which has not been completely crossed out, yet}.

So, when it came time to think of a name for my blog, it was pretty much a given.  Nothing else seemed to fit.

Are you wondering where I’m getting at with all this?  Tea.  Dandelion tea.  We finally made some for the very first time, the other night.  I was leery of it because of the pungent taste I’d read about.  But with a spoonful of honey, it was just fine.  Lilie happily slurped it right down.

First, we rounded up about 5 or 6 small dandelion leaves {winter left us lacking}.  We tore the leafy part off of the stems and rinsed them of dirt.  We then poured boiling water over the leaves in our cup.  Let it steep for about 10 minutes then added honey.  You can use fresh or dried leaves.

Dandelion actually holds a lot of benefits:

• nutrients such as vitamin A, K, C, calcium, iron, potassium and several more
• reduces inflammation of the liver
• helps with weight loss
• helps lower blood pressure
• the fiber helps with cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease and cancers
• helps lower the effects of stress
• helps with acne, eczema and psoriasis
• helps digestion and eases stomach aches
• aids in cleansing your system

And that’s not all.  Do a little research and I’m sure you’ll find tons more.  I can’t wait to get my herb garden started, this year.  Happy sipping!

Have you ever tried using herbs, other than those prepared, for making tea?  What was your recipe?