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People everywhere are hungry for clear, practical, scientifically-validated information about how to make safe and simple use of herbs in their day to day lives. I too was once hungry for this kind of information. I discovered that working (and playing) with herbs did not need to be complex and confusing. It could be sheer pleasure. For me it was like walking down a path where a wonderful surprise is revealed at every turn. |
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They have been put around hats, woven into baskets, made into garlands to twist around the beams of village halls at weddings, tucked into button holes, threaded through hair, the list is endless. Use your imagination, you may be surprised at how many delightful things you can do with them.
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CREATIVE HERBS For instance, cut a handful of rosemary or thyme stems and leaves, tie it into a short, tight bunch and use it as a basting brush. It won’t melt like a plastic one, and it will release some of its volatile oils into whatever you are cooking. Or how about making a table decoration? Fresh Table Decoration Get a brick of oasis (from your local florist), soak it in water, and stand it on an attractive plate. Take short stems of any fresh herbs you have to hand and push them into the oasis until it is covered. My favorite herb for this is rosemary, its spiky leaves look really spectacular. I love it best when it is in flower. Legend has it that rosemary flowers were once white until one day the Virgin Mary threw her blue cloak over a bush to dry. The flowers were dyed with the color of the cloth and have remained so to this day. You can use just one herb or, if you prefer, blend textures and colors to make a spectacular center piece. Investigate what shapes and sizes of oasis your florist has - you can get cones, tubes, balls, and of course cut out your own shapes. |
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Light Fantastic A lovely way to light a table for dinner is to use candles and lamps made from shells and scented with essential oils. Little shells I pick up on the beach I fill with candle wax and a wick. I melt the wax in a double-boiler and add a couple of drops of essential oil before pouring it into the shells so that they release the gentlest fragrance when lit. The shells can get hot so I place little groups of them around the table on small plates. Alternatively, use oil in the shells to make tiny oil lamps. These are simply beautiful. Again I make them from shells find here and there. They get very hot so are best put on heatproof plates or trays. Stand the shells in a little blue-tac or plasticine on your plate so that their open end can act as a bowl. Put a wick inside the shell so that about ¼" pokes out of the top (use candle wick or rub about a 2" length of ordinary white household string with a wax candle). Fill the shell to just below its lip with any kitchen oil – olive or peanut for instance - and a drop or two of essential oil. Light the wick, and you have the most delicate, romantic lamp imaginable. |
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After Dinner Mitts After your meal, what could be better than relaxing with a cup of steaming peppermint tea. A friend of mine, Priscilla Palmer, has the most wonderful herb garden, called Willow Tree, in Christchurch, New Zealand. While visiting her recently she gave me a hot cup of tea in a glass which looked fabulously elegant but which, of course, was too hot for me to pick up and drink out of. Her solution was so simple I laughed out loud. Mug mitts. A mug mitt is a pretty oblong of fabric filled with herbs that wraps around a hot mug to protect your hands. In the process the heat makes it release even more delicious fragrance. You can make mitts from quilted fabric, or put your own wadding or further layers of fabric inside, then put a flat herb sachet inside this. Alternatively, you can use a thick fabric and fill your mitt with mung beans and dried herbs to make a little bean bag. The really fun bit is matching the right herb in the mitt with the tea in the mug! |
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The classic definition of a herb is a non-woody plant which dies down to its roots each winter. This definition is far too limiting. It was probably made up by 19th Century European botanists who had never seen the rainforest in which, of course there is no winter to die back in. Neither had they ever heard of woody trees and shrubs such as hawthorn and ginko and elder which are some of the best selling herbs on the market these days. I define a herb as a medicinal plant. It can come from any climate and be a leaf, a bark, a flower or a root. It can be home-grown or wild, a weed, a spice, a plant which is used for its healing or culinary or beautifying properties. Once you discover the power of herbs it is easy to become so enthusiastic about them you go overboard trying to use them for everything. It is not wise to take lots of different plants all at the same time. Or you might start to think that since a small amount of something is good for you, taking twice or three times that amount will be even better. It isn’t. If you want safe and sane herbal help here are a few guidelines to follow:
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