Moving and Growing Herbs Indoors

There can be no other occupation like gardening in which, if you were to creep up behind someone at their work, you would find them smiling. ~Mirabel Osler

There is a process for moving your herbs indoors if you want them to grow well. First, gradually move your herbs indoors for a few hours at a time. A sheltered, shady deck or porch will work too at first. I don't have a lot of window space so I only move a few each season. You are "acclimatizing" the herbs to their new location by doing it this way. After they are on the porch for a few days I then start moving them indoors gradually.

Herbs grown indoors will need the brightest window you can put them in front of or you can use fluorescent lights. Remember, they love full sun outside, so they need bright light indoors. When you place herbs on a sunny window ledge or shelf be sure to turn them a few times a week, so they don't "lean" towards the sun. If they become leggy then trim them evenly all around. (And of course use the cuttings in your cooking.) Water your indoor herbs only when the soil is dry; using enough water so that a little bit drains out the bottom of the pot. BUT don't over water, this will rot the roots. This is especially important with rosemary. ONLY water when the soil has dried-the leaves will turn brown if it's kept too moist.

When you are potting up herbs for indoors try adding some gravel to the bottom of the pot to help with drainage, and a handful of sand to the potting soil too. It's also beneficial if you can add a teaspoonful of lime to the soil mix (per 5 inch pot) to sweeten it BUT if you don't have any on hand don't buy a large bag just for this. Ask around, maybe someone you know will have some they are using in a garden or lawn. Also, read your bag of potting soil-some do include lime.

It's important that your herbs aren't pot bound, but at the same time you don't want the pot too large. You want the roots "comfortable" but not smashed up against the pot trying to get out.

Your herbs should be brought indoors before frost, with the exception of chives, tarragon and mint. Allow them to remain outdoors for a light frost, then bring them indoors. Once the herbs are indoors, you'll have to watch for pests like aphids, spider mites, and white flies. Remember, you don't want to use any chemicals on your herbs. Try natural sprays if it becomes necessary. Also, try to keep the plants away from cold drafts or direct heat from a vent. In other words, you want to keep the temperature as even as possible.

Winter can be a dreary time for gardeners, especially in cold climates, but the smell and taste of fresh herbs is certainly a boost on cold, snowy days!

Check out OFL for good indoor herb choices plus tips on care.
http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/indoorherbs.html

~Brenda

Using Herbs in Your Recipes

I cannot endure to waste anything as precious as autumn sunshine by staying in the house. So I spend almost all the daylight hours in the open air. ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

Today I wanted to talk a little about using herbs in your recipes. I know this is a concern when you are new to experimenting with herbs. First off, there are some herbs that are simply all-purpose and good with just about everything. These are also the culinary herbs I would suggest everyone start with if you are wanting to grow an herb garden. For me they are: thyme, basil, parsley, chives, oregano, sweet marjoram and sage.

You can combine them with any meat, poultry or seafood dish, mince them into dips, spreads, breads, scones, savory muffins, vinegars, sauces etc. A little of each one dried, or more of fresh. The flavors of thse herbs aren't overwhelming, so you don't have to fear they will take over a dish.

One of my favorite ways to use them is to take a handful of chives and a bunch of fresh thyme, rinse them off, and put them in the cavity of a whole turkey breast or whole chickens. You can also add the snipped herbs to a little bit of olive oil and spread it over the top of the poultry like I did in the picture below. I add a little water to the roasting pan, put it in the oven, covering it with a lid, and bake until done. I pick out the herbs when it's done roasting, remove the turkey from the pan and make gravy from the drippings. It couldn't get any easier, and everyone in the family loves it.


Some herbs are a little stronger, such as rosemary, dill, mint and tarragon. I use them very sparingly. Here are some suggestions for these:

Rosemary: vinegars, lamb, chicken, herb butters, onion soups, marinades and any type of beef dish. Make sure you mince or crush it well-- or you can tie it into a little bundle and remove after cooking.

Tarragon: chicken, fish, vinegar, mayonnaise, dressings, green beans, and marinades. Again, use sparingly.

Dill: fish, cucumbers, herb butters for seafood or veggies, shrimp, salads, dips, spreads, vinegars, and marinades. My favorite part of the dill to use is the frilly leaves before they go to seed. I think it's fresher tasting. The seeds are strong- so really watch how much you use.

Mint: Iced and hot teas, peas, jellies, drinks and punches, lamb, marinades for lamb or vegetables. It can also be used in certain salads, both for fruit and vegetables. It's a good one to experiment with.

On OFL we have more recipes and tips on using dill:
http://oldfashionedliving.com/dill.html

~Brenda

Fall Garden Questions and Answers

The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools. ~Henry Beston

Good Morning! I have several garden question and answers today.

Can you help me with information on Tent Worms? They are all over the trees at my condo. ~Anita

Every year we snip off the branches that have them and throw them in the fire. They are harmless to us, but can cause damage to trees or shrubs. The Minnesota DNR has suggestions for prevention:

"you may be able to prevent migrating caterpillars from climbing up the trunk by the use of barriers. Basically,you construct a barrier band around the trunk made of duct tape, tin foil or tar paper and coat it generously with grease (Tanglefoot or Vaseline). Never apply the grease directly to the tree bark. The barrier band should be in the shade or you run the risk of killing the bark and cambium under the band. Check the barrier band daily to see if more grease or Tanglefoot is necessary. Remove the band in early July after the caterpillars have formed cocoons."

You can also use gloves and pull the "tents" off the trees or shrubs then dump them in a bucket filled with water that you've added a little bleach and dish soap.

What is the best way to store the roots from Four O'Clocks? Some years they *make it* through winter storage and sometimes they don't. I really like planting previous year's roots because you get more robust plants that bloom much earlier than starting from seed. ~Debbie

Thanks Debbie! I've always grown my Four O'Clocks from seed, so this is a neat thing to try. Four-O'Clock, Marvel of Peru, Mirabilis Jalapa, is a perennial in warm climates, but it can't take frost. As Debbie mentioned, those of us in colder climates, can dig up the tubers can store them until fall. They should be stored in a dark, dry location either in peat moss or sand-- but don't use plastic or any type of container that is closed because they can rot. Use cardboard boxes, and store the tubers between layers of paper. A basement should work fine for storage.

My mother and I just planted Kale plants and was told we can eat the tender parts of the Kale but wasn't told which was the tender parts. We would like to know which is the tender parts if you or anyone else knew. ~Debbie

Kale is usually harvested by removing the outer leaves, and then the plant will produce more leaves. The mature leaves are the most tender, so those are on the outside. You can also allow the plants to stay out in the garden for a light frost then harvest the entire plant. You should be able to harvest some plants through early winter. Pick the kale and store at about 32 degrees F. It will keep for about 2-3 weeks.

We have tulip growing tips on OFL:
http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/tulips.html

~Brenda

Friday Recipes: Apple Pastry, Pie, Crisps, and more

Apple season is upon us once again! The local apple orchard opened a week ago and I have already bought my first jug of apple cider. Apple pie, as iconic as it is, is not the only dessert you can make with the luscious fruit.

I've put together a collection of apple recipes from Old Fashioned Living as well as some links to different apple recipes on many of the blogs I frequent. Hope you enjoy!


Cheddar-Crust Apple Pie

Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
dash of salt
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup (6 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
4-6 tablespoons water

Filling:
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
6 cups sliced peeled apples
2 tablespoons margarine

Heat oven to 425F. Combine flour & salt; cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cheese. Sprinkle with water while mixing lightly with a fork; form into ball. Divide dough in half. Roll one part to 11" circle on lightly floured surface. Place in 9" pie plate. Combine sugar, flour, & cinnamon. Mix with apples. Place mixture in pie shell; dot with margarine. Roll out remainder of dough to 11" circle; place over apples. Seal edges of crust & flute. Cut slits in top of pastry. Bake at 425F, 35 minutes.


Cookie Sheet Apple Pie

Crust:
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1 cup whipping cream

Filling:
5 medium sized tart apples
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon all purpose flour
dash salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Glaze:
1 egg
2 Tblsp milk

For crust:

Combine all the ingredients for the crust except for the butter and whipping cream. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Blend in the whipping cream to make a firm dough. Chill if necessary until firm. Dust a lightly greased baking sheet with flour, flatten dough out onto the baking sheet. Roll or pat out to 1/4" thickness. Trim to make a 14" square. Roll out the trimmings and cut into strips.

To prepare apples:

Pare, core and slice apples. Turn into bowl, mix with filling ingredients

To assemble pie:

Arrange apples in rows over crust in pan, leaving 2" empty at edges. Dot with 2 Tblsp of butter. Arrange strips in criss-cross fashion over apples, then fold edges of crust up and over ends of strips, pinch corners to seal. Beat egg and milk, and brush pastry with the mixture. Bake at 400 degrees 30 to 35 minutes or until golden and apples are cooked.


Crumb Apple Pie

Crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup solid vegetable shortening
1/4 cup ice water

Filling:
7 medium Granny Smith
or Golden Delicious apples
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt

Topping:
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup chilled butter or margarine, cut into pieces

Place rack on lowest position. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. To prepare crust; in a medium bowl mix together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives (I also use my fingers) cut shortening into flour mixture until course crumbs form. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing with a fork, until a dough forms. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes. On a floured surface, using a floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 12 inch circle. Fit into a 9 inch pie plate. Trim dough, leaving a 1 inch overhang; pinch a decorative edge.

To prepare filling; peel, core and very thinly slice the apples. Mix together with other filling ingredients. Spoon into crust.

For topping, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut butter into mixture until course crumbs form. Sprinkle apple filling evenly with topping. Bake pie until topping is lightly browned and filling is bubbly, 35 minutes. If pie is overbrowning, cover loosely with foil. Cool on a wire rack. 8 servings.

Recipe courtesy of Brenda Hyde at OldFashionedLiving.com


Easy Deep Dish Apple Pie

2- 1 lb. cans apple pie filling
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup (4 oz.) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1- 8 oz. can refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Heat oven to 375F. Spoon pie filling into 12X8" baking dish. Sprinkle with raisins & cheese. Unroll both halves of refrigerated dough into flat rectangular sheets. Fit to cover baking dish. Combine sugar and cinnamon; sprinkle evenly over dough. Bake at 375F for 25 minutes. Top with cheese slices, if desired.


Whole Wheat Apple-Mincemeat Pie

Pastry:
1 cup Pillsbury's Best Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup Pillsbury's Best All Purpose or Unbleached
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup cold water

Filling:
4 cups sliced, peeled apples (4 medium)
1 1/3 cups prepared mincemeat
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Topping:
1 egg white
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sugar (1 to 2 tsp)

Heat oven to 375F. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup; level off. In medium bowl, combine whole wheat flour, 1 cup all purpose flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and salt; blend shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Gradually add water to flour mixture while tossing and mixing lightly with fork. Add additional water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until dough is just moist enough to hold together. Shape dough into 2 balls. Flatten balls; smooth edges. Roll 1 ball lightly on floured surface from center to edge into circle 1 1/2 inches large than inverted 9-inch pie pan. Fold dough in half; fit evenly into pan. Do not stretch. Trim bottom pastry even with pan edge. Roll out remaining dough; set aside.

In large bowl, combine all filling ingredients; spoon into pastry-lined pan. Top with remaining pastry; fold edge of top pastry until bottom pastry. Flute edge; cut slits in several places. Combine egg white and 2 tablespoons water; brush over crust. Sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake at 375F for 40 to 50 minutes or until apples are tender. 8 servings. Contributor's Tip: Cover edge of pie crust with strip of foil during last 10 to 15 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning.


Crockpot Apple Pie

8 Tart Apples peeled and sliced
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter soften
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup Bisquick
1 cup Bisquick
1/3 cup brown sugar
3 tablespoons cold butter

Toss apples in large bowl with cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg. Place in lightly greased crockpot. Combine milk, softened butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and the 1/2 c Bisquick. Spoon over apples.

Combine the 1 cup Bisquick and brown sugar. Cut the cold butter into mixture until crumbly. Sprinkle this mixture over top of apple mixture. Cover and cook on low 6-7 hours or until apples are soft.

More Apple Recipes you might like:

Greek Apple Pastry (Milopitas)

Easy Apple Cake

Caramel Apple Coffee Cake

Toffee Apple Crisp

Apple Crisp Pudding

Applesauce Loaf

A Fall Tea Party

Apples and Honey: A Honey of a Tea Party
By Renee Van Hoy

Nothing welcomes autumn like apples and honey. Delight your guests with the scent and flavor of apple butter, an herbal honey tasting, and all the breads, cakes, cookies and tarts you can make with these wonderful ingredients.

The Setting:

* bowl of beautiful fall apples on every table
* honey tasting, with apple slices for dipping
* game of "hide and seek" the honey bear for the little ones
* chance to enjoy the sweetness in life with good friends

Apple Butter and Tartlets

Apple butter is a real treat for the Fall. It takes a little time to make, but it is so worthwhile! Not only can you serve it for tea and breakfast, but you will have extra for gifts or for making Apple Butter Tartlets. This recipe takes about 2 hours from start to finish, which is much shorter than the cooking time called for in most apple butter recipes. I think you'll be very happy with the delicious result.

Read the rest of this article on Old Fashioned Living

Herbs For Pampering, Not Just Cooking

By all these lovely tokens September days are here, with summer's best of weather and autumn's best of cheer. ~Helen Hunt Jackson

We think of herbs as culinary or ornamental most of the time, but they can be used other ways as well. The following recipes are easy to make and will give you an idea of what you can do with your herbs beside cook with them. If you don't grow herbs you can also buy bulk dried herbs online or look for fresh herbs in the produce section of your grocery store.

This is a neat recipe because if you grow fennel you know that you always have a HUGE amount of seed each year, and it's nice to have another use for it.

Fennel Cleanser

1 tablespoon fennel seed
1 cup boiling water
1 cup honey
2 tablespoons buttermilk

Lightly crush the seeds, pour over the boiling water and steep for at least 30 minutes. Strain after cooling into a glass bowl or measuring cup. Add the honey and the buttermilk . Pour into a bottle and refrigerate. Use to cleanse your face gently then rinse.

Mint Footbath

Dozen sprigs of mint
1/2 cup cool water
10 cups boiling water

Puree the mint and the cool water in a blender or a food processor. Pour this into a wash basin or any container you can fit both of your feet into. Add the boiling water and cool to a comfortable temperature. Soak both feet together until the water turns cold. Pat dry and use a good moisturizer.

Lady's Mantle Rinse

4 tsp. dried lady's mantle leaves
1 cup boiling water

Pour the boiling water over the herb in a glass bowl or measuring cup. Steep for ten minutes or until cooled. Strain and place into a small jar. You can use immediately or chill and use any time within 24 hours. Use cotton pads or cotton balls in the mixture and cleanse your face and neck. You can also add to your bath.

We have more herbal recipes on OFL:
http://www.oldfashionedliving.com/pamper.html

Paint Stick Scarecrow

Last year we did some painting in our house, so we had plenty of paint stir sticks leftover. Crafty girl that I am ;) I am always looking for ways to turn items like this into something cute. I used one of those extra paint sticks and a bunch of fabric scraps to make this adorable scarecrow. He's definitely one of my favorites. I still have this cute scarecrow, though he's pretty faded now since I left his outside in a potted plant all summer. I guess I'll have to make some more. ;) I want to thank FamilyCorner.com, the site I originally made this for, for granting permission to reprint this here for you. Hope you like it!

Paint Stick Scarecrow
by Amanda Formaro

This adorable scarecrow makes a great decoration for your kitchen, garden, porch, or just about anywhere you want to "stick" him! Use scraps of material and inexpensive felt to put this cutie together.

What you need
paint stir stick
acrylic paint: tan or sunflower, pink, orange, white and black
paint brush
toothpick
fine tip black marker
felt: red, tan, brown, gold
scrap of old blue jeans (approx 8" x 10")
bandana or other patterned material (we used boxer shorts!)
*buttons: 3 orange, 1 each green, purple, navy blue
American moss or raffia
12" piece of green raffia
hot glue gun
pattern
*You can use any color buttons, or fabrics for that matter, that you like. We have listed the colors we used. Feel free to personalize this project any way you like.

What you do

Prep
Paint the top 5 inches of the paint stick with tan or sunflower acrylic paint. Set aside to dry.

Lay sheet of red felt on work surface and fold in half (greeting card style). Lay the shirt pattern on top of the felt so that the shoulders and neck area line up with the fold. Trace the pattern then cut out, keeping the felt folded. Be sure to cut the neck hole out as well.

Repeat the above process with the tan felt, laying the hat pattern so that the top of the hat lies along the fold, cut out.

Cut out a thin strip of brown felt, about 4 inches long, long enough to wrap around the hat (band).

Cut out a flower from the gold felt.

Place denim jean material on work surface and fold in half. Trace the pants pattern onto the denim and cut out. It is not necessary to line this up along the fold as with the shirt.

Cut out two long strips from the denim, about 1 inch wide and 6 inches long each. These will be the cuffs of the pants. Lay the strips right (dark) side facing up, and run hot glue along the top edge. Fold over to adhere and repeat with the other side, making a folded cuff strip. Set aside.

Cut 7 small squares out of the denim jeans for patches and set aside.

Cut out a scrap of bandana, boxer shorts, or other patterned material about 5" square. Set aside.

Assemble
With shirt still folded; insert the stir stick, painted end at the top, into the neck hole of the shirt. The neck hole of the shirt should cover about an inch or so of the paint. Use hot glue to tack the shirt to the stick just at the neck hole, front and back. DO NOT glue the rest of the shirt yet, you still need to insert moss in the arm holes.

Take one of the pieces of denim pants and place it over the top of the stir stick, positioned just underneath the bottom of the shirt. When you have it where you want it, tack it in place with hot glue. Take the other piece of denim pants and place it on the other side of the paint stick, lining it up with the one in front. Tack in place with glue. As with the shirt, DO NOT glue the bottom of the pants together or add the cuffs, you still need to insert moss.

Gather some American moss in your fingers like a bouquet, trim the ends. Hot glue some moss into the arms of the shirt and into the opening of the pant legs. You also need to glue some moss to the top of the paint stick for the hair. Trim if needed.

Glue the shirt together now that the moss is inserted. Glue the pants together as well. Glue "cuff" in place on the bottom of the pants, glue seams into the back and trim where needed.

Place folded top of hat at the top of the stir stick and fold into place. Position over the moss, there should be enough room for the scarecrow's face, about 2". Glue hat together.

Embellishments
Glue thin strip of brown fat onto hat as the band, glue seams at the back and trim if needed. Glue flower to the left side of the hat, covering the band and part of the brim. Hot glue a navy blue button to the center of the flower.

Fold bandana square in half and roll the long end a few times. Tie around scarecrow's neck to cover up neck hole. Hot glue in place.

Glue 3 orange buttons down the center of the shirt. Glue four denim patches on the shirt as noted in photo or anywhere you please.

Tie green raffia around the belt area of the pants, trim the ends and tack with hot glue.

Glue denim patches, wrong side up, to the pants as noted in photo. Glue a purple and a green button on top of two of the patches.

Use the handle end of a paint brush dipped in white paint to dot on whites of eyes. Use a toothpick dipped into black paint to dot on eyes. Use toothpick dipped in orange paint to draw on a triangle nose. Dip a paintbrush into pink paint, dab off excess and carefully dot on cheeks. Use black fine tip marker to add eyebrows and a moth, adding a few stitches to the mouth.

All done!

FamilyCorner.com has a printable version if you like.