Bring Your Herbs Inside!

We use fresh Rosemary all year long for cooking.  Tony especially likes to infuse butter with garlic and rosemary for a filet mignon steak sauce.  It's wonderful!

I have 3 lovely rosemary plants in the garden.  Rosemary is an annual and is not hardy in my climate zone.

 I successfully kept them alive last winter in the house and I will do the same this year.  Here's how:

First I dug up the plants and shook off as much dirt as I could from the roots. This way I don't bring bug larvae into the house!!

Next I planted them in a box with fresh potting soil.  Here are my happy plants in my sun-filled office where they will thrive all winter!

Many herbs are perennials and will return next year on their own.  I know my chives, thyme, oregano and mint will greet me outside next spring after a long winter's nap.

oregano

mint

Homemade Vegetable Broth

I'm always looking for ways to cut out waste.  I compost most of my kitchen scraps from fruits and vegetables.  I recently found another way to use those scraps.

Here's how to make your own vegetable soup broth:

Put your vegetable scraps (carrot ends, cauliflower stalks, broccoli stalks, cabbage cores, celery ends, kale stalks, etc...) in a labeled bag in your freezer until you have a gallon ziploc bag full.

Place the contents in a crock pot and fill with water.  Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours until the broth is a rich dark color.

Strain and pour the liquid into containers and freeze until you need some nutritious broth for soup!