Storing Dried Herbs

I finally got around to stripping down and storing my variety of dried herbs today.  I put them in old, washed glass jars to store in the shade.

Top row: lovage and sage
Bottom row: oregano, cilantro, and nettle


Lovage and cilantro aren't the greatest to dry, but it's better than throwing it out, i figure! Just add more than you would fresh.

A Beautiful Sight

After collecting a bunch of lovage (left), sage (top), and mint (bottom), I decided to dry the majority. Lovage is a great perennial herb that I never knew about until now and it's one of my new favourites!  Its a very pungent celery/parsley-like flavour. Sage is great for cooking or for a throat soothing tea, and mint tea is one of my go-to's for digestive tonic. 





I also cut a bunch of nettle (hanging far right) to make into a cleansing tea in the future. One of my new favourite sights!

Evergreen Brickworks

I went to Evergreen Brickworks today for Seedy Saturday and the farmers market.

(ebw.evergreen.ca)

With the excitement of spring-like weather I decided to bike the 10km over there from my house, forgetting that trails along the Don wouldn't be clear yet...  At least the 1.5 hour bikeride where I got fully lost was full of lovely people helping give me directions, lots of sunshine, and reminders of how much I like cycling.

But HOLY MANICOTTI, the brickworks is absolutely wondrous. I just got the most brief look at the place but it was so inspiring.  A few things that stuck out:

-Waste baskets labelled "Compost", "Recycling", and "Landfill" (WHY DON'T ALL GARBAGE CANS SAY THAT??)

-the amazing children's area with wood fire, instructional compost piles, a crazy tree branch hut and more super fun things

-a pathway paves with bricks donated from various places–mismatched beauty!

-the benches made from large branches laid on their side with bum grooves in them :)

In any case, not even close to the tip of the iceberg but, needless to say, I'll be back there soon to investigate more!

One of the fun things I decide to do, though, was grab a piece of sage out of their massive bushes they had by their bike locks.  Sage goes berzerk crazy so one small branch will definitely not be missed. I found one with roots on it and asked the plant if I could take him home with me.  As crazy as you might feel, think about how much you would like it if someone just ripped off a piece of you and trekked you across the city...  

The way sage spreads is pretty cool. Other ground covers like thyme do this too. As the stems grow and get heavy, they sort of drag along the ground and grow new roots along what is near the soil. This is where I got the piece I took from. Here he is:

I'm going to plant him tomorrow when I get a chance and let him start making a most beautifully fragrant bush so, so soon! I can feel spring coming!