Monday, January 10, 2011

Guest Blogging for The Herb Companion Magazine!

This is a loaded spice cupboard.  You would think that especially when I love herbs and spices the way I do.  The Herbal Husband and I are definitely pack rats in the best and worst ways.  I hope that my latest guest blog entitled New Year, New Herbs, New Spices will give you the focus to get into your spice cupboard and pitch those old, ancient herbs.
It still looks crowded, but we both know what's there.  Still have to come up with the lists.  I'm going to tape them to the inside of the door so we know what is on each shelf.  Hope you are staying warm or cool wherever you may be.  More snow on the way for us just in time for my annual physical!  Always an adventure.  Forgot the quote AGAIN!  Here it is from Mrs. Reppert's TwelveMonth Herbal.  Love, love this book.

My favorite part (of Taoism) is the teaching that
says to stay away from self-help for the sake of self-help
...otherwise known as what you haven't read
about won't hurt you.
 --Kermit
One Frog Can Make a Difference
Talk to you later.

14 comments:

My Farmhouse Kitchen said...

when i saw guest blogging for herb companion...i knew it was YOU ...i love that magazine...have been reading it since the 80's....

kary and teddy
xxx

Lemon Verbena Lady said...

Thanks Kary and Teddy! Hope you enjoy it! xx Nancy

Unknown said...

This tip came along at the perfect time. I have about as many spices as you have in your cabinet but the new places does not have many cabinets. Looks like I need to pitch some, also. Now I can look for some cute tins for display and maybe finally make the trip to Penzey's!

Lemon Verbena Lady said...

You'll love Penzey's TG! They have testers! It's a great place. Timing is everything. Have fun!

Julie said...

You would be proud of me-I have all sorts of herbs that I dried and have in little containers in my spice cupboard. Just love them and they are so easy to dry in Utah. Just put in paper bag, ignore, and check in a week-they're dry!

Penny Watson said...

I just checked out the guest blog...are you from Pittsburgh??? So am I! Da Burgh!

My spice collection is huge and crazy...with lots of Asian stuff because my hubby is Filipino. Everything is alphabetized so we can find it!

Love the Kermit quote!

Penny

PeggyR said...

LOL I try and clean mine out yearly. Now my tea cupboard is a different story!

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Okay Nancy girl, you've guilted me into checking out the shelves! I do have some oldies (nutmegs), but they've been stored in the cool dark and I can't bear to throw them out.

Sending warm, green thoughts across the miles,

Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island

Anonymous said...

This is something I really need to do as well. To be honest, my husband does most of our cooking and no matter what the disarray of the spice shelves, he can always seem to find whatever he needs. I, on the other hand, get quite lost.

Adore Kermit the frog and all his wisdom!

Sharon Lovejoy said...

Nancy,

I decided to pour my oldies into a pot and use them to scent the house. Just simmering them in an old iron pot on the stove like I used to do when I had my herb store. The entire house smells like HEAVEN.

Love,

Sharon

Lemon Verbena Lady said...

Julie, good for you, drying your own. I have some favorites dried as well.

Yes, Penny. I have lived in and around Pittsburgh all my life, but for one year when I lived in Boston. We have lots of Peruvian spices. Have to work on the alphabetizing! Thanks for your comments!

Peggy, you have to be ms. organization! You clean once a week! You've inspired me to get my act together! If you can do it, I certainly can!

Great idea about the simmering spices, Sharon. Mine were too fossilized to do that. They just dropped out of the jar with a clunk! xx Nancy

Hi Mina, The Herbal Husband does most of our cooking as well, but he wants to keep everything to the bitter end.

Thanks all of you for stopping by!

Pat said...

Love Penzey's and have been a devoted fan for years...what herbs I don't grow and harvest in the summer months, I buy from Penzey's - can't say enough good things about them.
January seems to be the month to reorganize doesn't it!!? I keep putting off the master bedroom closet though....

Great Kermit quote!!

Carol said...

Something else to add to my list of things to clean up and troy out before the big move. Do like the simmering pot idea though so I'm moving the spice cabinet to the top of the list. I keep a pot of water on the stove in the winter anyhow so it might as well smell good too!

Lemon Verbena Lady said...

Ooops, TO, I forgot the quote today! Yikes! Penzey's is great in my book as well. We won't talk about closets. I may though have to talk about the refrigerator! Stay tuned!

See organize spice jars with one pot of water, Carol!

Thanks you two for stopping by!