herbs

If the scent or the effects of chemical bug sprays worry you, why not go the natural way? Lavender is a wonderful natural bug repellent, and it smells fantastic, too. Try placing potted lavender and other herb plants near your doors to repel bugs from entering your home. When you're having a picnic or hosting an outdoor dinner party, set some bunches of dried lavender on your table to use as table décor and keep the insects away!

When the party is over, bring it up to your bedroom and place it on your nightstand: lavender is also known to improve sleep quality and promote relaxation.

While I love eating quiche, my irrational fear of dough means I categorize quiche as a dish I cook on the weekends only. It's not fast for dough to chill in the fridge for 30 minutes and it's certainly not easy to roll the dough into a perfect circle. However, when I came across this recipe for a crustless quiche, I realized it's perfect for a weeknight because there's no dough to worry about. It has all the eggy wonderfulness of a quiche without the hassle of the crust: genius!

Oh, and the best thing is that you can use this recipe as a guide. Throw in your favorite vegetables, herbs, and cheese. Learn the simple technique after the jump.

Mint is a great herb for novice gardeners because it's incredibly hardy and very easy to care for. Planters beware though, mint is terribly invasive and, if allowed, will take over your entire garden in no time. A while back, I made the mistake of planting mint in a raised bed, which quickly and unfortunately became my bed of mint. Years later, even after I've ripped it all out, more mint seems to miraculously sprout from the ground. So no matter how much you love Mojitos, unless you have a large spot where mint can spread vigorously without disturbing other plants in your garden, it's best to plant the herb in a container by itself. It'll fill the pot quickly and you can enjoy fresh mint all summer long.

Although it's not tomato season, I love the juicy red fruit so much that I cook with it year-round. One dish that I make over and over again is roasted grape or cherry tomatoes. It's super easy and quick, but the resulting tomatoes are plump, flavorful, and bursting. I love this recipe because it can be used in many different ways. Serve at dinner with steak and potatoes or at breakfast with poached eggs and asparagus. Toss it into a bowl of mixed greens, goat cheese, and croutons for a hearty lunch salad or serve on crostini and slabs of fresh mozzarella for a delectable hors d'oeuvre. Interested in the effortless recipe? Read more.

It wasn't until St. Patrick's Day was on the horizon that I started using pickling spice. Before that, I was barely aware of its existence.

When you purchase pickling spice at the store, what you're actually buying is a blend of spices, such as cassia bar, mustard seeds, coriander, allspice, peppercorns, juniper berries, dill seeds, fennel seeds, celery seeds, bay leaves, ginger, mace, and hot red pepper.

The mixture, which may vary by spice supplier, is used for pickled, canned vegetables such as cabbage, onions, and bread-and-butter pickles; fish, like salmon and herring; and meat dishes, such as Irish corned beef and German sauerbraten.
Pickling spices are generally left whole, so as not to cloud the brine, and they're usually tied in a cheesecloth or sachet for easy removal after cooking. What do you use pickling spices for? Have you ever blended your own?

Yesterday, a few of us got into a discussion about herbs at the office. I mentioned how dill, the starring herb in my homemade chicken noodle soup, is one of my favorite herbs of all time. "Really?" Party responded, surprised. "It's one I rarely cook with." That got me wondering what my least favorite herb is. It has to be tarragon, which has a licorice flavor that's almost spicy-floral. I often find it overpowering. How about you? What's your least favorite herb?

To create a spa-like environment in your bathroom, simply add some herbs. One of my favorite scents is rosemary, which adds a spicy, bracing scent to a room. Cut the herb, wrap it with ribbon or thread, and hang it from your shower. Then, as you bathe, the hot steam will release the scent of the herb and wake up your senses as you scrub and shampoo. Other great herbs to try include peppermint, lavender, or sage.