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| Power Style Wellness Connections |
Fit It In: Grow Some Greens
By Marlee Mitchell
YOU CAN INSPIRE YOUR CREATIVITY BY STARTING AN
INDOOR mini-garden with herbs and other plants on a
windowsill or bench by a window. This winter was the first time
that I was able to keep two rosemary plants alive indoors, and I
am thrilled to be able to use them for a spring leg of lamb.
To start your indoor garden, think about which herbs you
like the most. Plants such as small pepper plants, grow
well in an indoor garden. Some herbs, such as lavender
and rosemary, require less frequent but thorough watering.
Basil and other larger leafed herbs require more frequent
waterings. It works well to group the herbs together that
have similar watering needs.
Another food to grow indoors is sprouts. Sprouts are a good source
of vitamins, fiber, protein, antioxidants, and enzymes. There is a
plethora of info on the web about this — just type in “How to grow sprouts”
in your search engine.
After you have some ideas in mind of what you want to grow, think about what you’ll use
for a container. I love the rectangular terra cotta planters from Italy. They can be a little
costly, but are worth the investment. They are such a pretty addition to a kitchen, and
Italian ceramics are good quality and tend to last or consider searching thrift stores and
flea markets for trays and containers.
Next, go to a nursery that carries herbs and small vegetable plants. Tell the gardener
what your project is and she will help you choose the appropriate soil and gravel for the
bottom of the container. Make sure you get instructions for how to water correctly.
A site that has a walk-through guide on indoor kitchen gardens is www.homemadesimple.
com.
Enjoy! Eat Green for your health!Try This With Your Fresh Herbs
There is nothing like making a tisane using herbs. A tisane is an infusion, like a tea,
made from fresh herbs instead of dried. Served after dinner, it is a wonderful digestive
aid or an accompaniment to dessert. Some good herbs to use are lemon verbena,
lemon balm, chamomile, any of the mints, pineapple sage, fennel, Thai or cinnamon
basil, rose hips, buds and petals. Lemon or lime thyme makes a lovely tisane as well.
Served in a pretty tea cup with a slice of fresh lemon or a “coin” of freshly peeled and
sliced ginger, it is a lovely addition to a meal. The tisanes are lightly
colored and vary from pale yellow to grass green. You will have to
experiment with the amount of fresh herbs to use in your teapot, but fresh is always
weaker in strength than dried.
Start with two tablespoons fresh herbs per 8 ounces of water for each serving of the
tisane. Put herbs into a teapot and add boiling water. Cover and let sit for 5-6 minutes.
Strain and serve at once. You can sweeten with sugar or honey, but it is really nice,
especially if drinking it with something sweet, to drink it plain.
Marlee Mitchell marleemitchell@iamtodayswoman.com) chef, started finding ways to fit
more nutritious food into her life after her battle with cancer.
By Marlee Mitchell
YOU CAN INSPIRE YOUR CREATIVITY BY STARTING AN
INDOOR mini-garden with herbs and other plants on a
windowsill or bench by a window. This winter was the first time
that I was able to keep two rosemary plants alive indoors, and I
am thrilled to be able to use them for a spring leg of lamb.
To start your indoor garden, think about which herbs you
like the most. Plants such as small pepper plants, grow
well in an indoor garden. Some herbs, such as lavender
and rosemary, require less frequent but thorough watering.
Basil and other larger leafed herbs require more frequent
waterings. It works well to group the herbs together that
have similar watering needs.
Another food to grow indoors is sprouts. Sprouts are a good source
of vitamins, fiber, protein, antioxidants, and enzymes. There is a
plethora of info on the web about this — just type in “How to grow sprouts”
in your search engine.
After you have some ideas in mind of what you want to grow, think about what you’ll use
for a container. I love the rectangular terra cotta planters from Italy. They can be a little
costly, but are worth the investment. They are such a pretty addition to a kitchen, and
Italian ceramics are good quality and tend to last or consider searching thrift stores and
flea markets for trays and containers.
Next, go to a nursery that carries herbs and small vegetable plants. Tell the gardener
what your project is and she will help you choose the appropriate soil and gravel for the
bottom of the container. Make sure you get instructions for how to water correctly.
A site that has a walk-through guide on indoor kitchen gardens is www.homemadesimple.
com.
Enjoy! Eat Green for your health!Try This With Your Fresh Herbs
There is nothing like making a tisane using herbs. A tisane is an infusion, like a tea,
made from fresh herbs instead of dried. Served after dinner, it is a wonderful digestive
aid or an accompaniment to dessert. Some good herbs to use are lemon verbena,
lemon balm, chamomile, any of the mints, pineapple sage, fennel, Thai or cinnamon
basil, rose hips, buds and petals. Lemon or lime thyme makes a lovely tisane as well.
Served in a pretty tea cup with a slice of fresh lemon or a “coin” of freshly peeled and
sliced ginger, it is a lovely addition to a meal. The tisanes are lightly
colored and vary from pale yellow to grass green. You will have to
experiment with the amount of fresh herbs to use in your teapot, but fresh is always
weaker in strength than dried.
Start with two tablespoons fresh herbs per 8 ounces of water for each serving of the
tisane. Put herbs into a teapot and add boiling water. Cover and let sit for 5-6 minutes.
Strain and serve at once. You can sweeten with sugar or honey, but it is really nice,
especially if drinking it with something sweet, to drink it plain.
Marlee Mitchell marleemitchell@iamtodayswoman.com) chef, started finding ways to fit
more nutritious food into her life after her battle with cancer.