Natural Control of Ants

We are still getting used to our new house.  My last house had a seasonal ant infestation that I took care of with natural means and was able with a few modifications to keep them out of the house for the most part.

Here I had to start over.  We had the usual spring infestation when the ground warmed and they came in looking for food.  With a bit of work. I was able to end that in quick order.

Generally, I sprayed a vinegar mix in the areas they entered and sprinkled baking soda in the pathways to keep them from coming back.

Recently I have a new one, in my office by the window.  This is weird because the window is in a bumpout that does not reach the ground on the exterior of the house, so I am trying to figure out where they are getting in, so I can stop the invasion, but until I do I am using a number of different applications to keep them under control.

Controlling Ants Naturally

1. Distilled White Vinegar

A white vinegar and water solution is a common method to wipe out ants for good. Ants don't like the smell of vinegar. It not only repels them; it can also kill them. Depending on how much you can bear the smell, mix at least one part vinegar and three parts water. Some people use 100% vinegar in a spray bottle or a 50/50 mix of water and vinegar. You can stop with just plain white distilled, but since it is my office I opted for a thyme and lemon scented vinegar.  I can kill germs and the scent is more nose friendly as it is my office.

Ants search for food using pheromones, leaving a trail for other ants to follow. To get rid of the trail, spray this mixture anywhere you spot ants. Don't forget any entry points, like window sills, backdoors, or baseboards. Use the solution to wipe down and sanitize surfaces. If used once a week or so, you should see a marked improvement.

2. Citrus Fruits

Ants hate the smell of citrus fruits, such as lemons, limes, and oranges, so they're an excellent natural repellant. Save your lemon or grapefruit peels and scatter them around entryways. They act as natural deterrents without causing ants any harm.

3. Peppermint Oil

Peppermint oil is one of the best household remedies for creeping critters in your home or garden. The odor of peppermint is strong enough to ward off insects—ants, flies, and mosquitoes—without being pungent enough to cause headaches or nausea.  I created a spray using peppermint essential oil using it to wipe down the windowsills, wall areas and baseboards.  The scent is very relaxing.

Another option is to use an oil incense burner near the ant infestation source to keep them from coming back. 

4. Cinnamon

Studies show that cinnamon has a compound known as trans-cinnamaldehyde that effectively repels and kills ants. Place ground cinnamon around common entryways and its strong smell will act as a natural repellent. You can also coat cotton balls with cinnamon powder or cinnamon oil and place them near ant-prone areas. I sprinkle cinnamon on ant hills that are too close to the house or along the foundation so they relocate away from the house.

5. Salt

Spread table salt near nooks and corners to keep ants away. A line of salt or baking soda creates a barrier that repels ants. A spray of salt water solution can also help kill ants by dehydrating them. I use this once I figure out where they are coming in then I spray them as they enter and leave and take care of them.

6. Cayenne or Black Pepper

Like many people, ants find the smell of raw pepper to be irritating. Sprinkle pepper around the areas where ants access the house. A Texas A&M study found that a water and pepper solution was effective at killing ants.

7. Borax (sodium tetraborate)

Borax and boric acid are not the same chemical compound despite their similar-sounding name. But both may be equally as effective at killing ants in the home.  However, it is imperative to keep borax away from pets and children as it may be harmful.

To use borax, follow these steps:

• Put on safety gloves.
• Make a solution of 1/2 teaspoon borax, 8 teaspoons sugar, and 1 cup warm water.
• Stir until the sugar and borax are dissolved.
• Saturate cotton balls and place them around your home in areas where you commonly see ants.
• After use, wash containers thoroughly or discard.

Find borax in the laundry section of Walmart or the grocery store or at your local hardware store.

So once I kill them at the entry point.  I will need to take care of the entry point.

How to Keep Ants Out of Your House

1. Seal all entry points. Caulk and seal any cracks or exposed crevices where ants can access the house.

2. Keep sweets in airtight containers, tightly wrapped with foil or plastic, or in the fridge. And stop throwing food items out in the office trash that may not be picked up as often as the kitchen trash.

3. Regularly clean countertops, floors, cabinets, and pantries. Also, keep pet food properly stored between meals and regularly clean pet bowls.

4. Take out the trash and make sure that the trash cans are covered. Inspect the cans for residue that might linger after taking the garbage out and clean them regularly.

We know they came into my office due to a tossed out frosty cup in my office trash.  The sweet was a magnet for the ants. I took out the trash, treated the wall so they lost the scent track to the trash can and then went looking for where they came in.  My office is nowhere near the kitchen or the pantry or anywhere else that food is kept so the fact I still have the ants after removing the Frosty cup means there is another source that requires investigation.

Making Chive Blossom Vinegar - Weekend Recipe

My favorite herb flavored vinegar to make uses Chive blossoms.  You can only make it at the beginning of the season when chives bloom in their lovely pinky purple flowers.  On a good year I can get a jar or two of vinegar from my plant at the house, so this year, although late, is exceptional. The plant has more blossoms than it has in years and I have already collected two jars of blossoms and expect to get two maybe three more.

Why do I love this chive blossom vinegar?
Chive blossoms are an edible flower that tastes great in a salad due to their light onion flavor.  For those who find true onions too strong these are a great way to access the flavor without the pungency.  The blossoms make a gorgeous pink vinegar that looks good on the shelf as well as lends a wonderful onion flavor and scent to salad dressings, marinades, a vegetable splash, and other dishes where a hint of onion is perfect.

The best part of this year was hubby asked it there would be some soon as he was missing it and wanted to make bean salads with it

How do you make Chive Vinegar?
Making vinegar is one of the easiest things to do and I have detailed the steps before.  For chive blossom vinegar you need a jar.  I use a canning jar, but many times use Marzetti slaw jars and corn syrup jars to craft vinegar as they fill the shelf so neatly.

Fill the jar half full with vinegar, distilled white is fine, nothing fancy is needed.  Just make sure it has a 5% acidity on the label to avoid any bacteria.  

Go out to the garden with the jar and begin cutting the blossoms, popping them into the jar.  Once you harvest them all you will want to give the chives a hair cut, about 2 inches off the ground to promote good new growth and perhaps more flowers later in summer.

Continue cutting the chives until you fill the jar, then add vinegar to fill the jar to the top.  Put on the lid and let it sit.

24 hours later, starting to turn pink

The vinegar will extract the flavor and color from the blossoms.  Even 24 later you will start to see the pink color suffusing the vinegar.

Wait about 2 weeks, strain out the flowers and begin to use the vinegar.  Try this great dressing/dip:

Herb Vinegar Salad Dip / Dressing       
1/2 cup mayonnaise 
1/2 cup sour cream 
2 Tbls. chive blossom or other herb vinegar 
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. sugar 
dash salt & pepper

Blend ingredients in covered container and allow 4 hours in refrigerator to meld.  Can be used as a dip or thinned with 3 T. of milk for salad dressing.

Cleaning Your Kitchen and Bathroom

To make many of your own cleaning products you need simple ingredients, Hot water and these three items:

• Vinegar
• Castile Soap
• Washing Soda

These items, which you can generally get at the grocery store.  Washing soda is like baking soda and can be found in the laundry aisle at most WalMart Stores, look on the very top or very bottom shelves by the Fels Naptha soap.

Vinegar: It will cut grease, eat away lime, and destroy odors.  Because of  its neutralizing properties white vinegar is good for washing windows, sanitizing kitchen counters, and shining bathroom fixtures.  To improve the disinfecting qualities you can make an herbal vinegar with sage, thyme, mint or lemon balm.

Vegetable Oil Soap (Castile) Soap: This natural soap is great for floors and all-purpose cleaning when combined with vinegar or warm water. To wash floors (not wood) add 2 teaspoons of castile soap to 3 gallons of water, but you must rinse well with water afterwards.

Washing Soda: this is an old-fashioned laundry booster that cuts through tough grease on grills, broiler pans, and ovens.  It is strongly alkaline so it is also perfect to tackling dirty linoleum floors. It's strong enough to strip paint and wax so you need to wear gloves when using it and use sparingly, only 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon per 32 ounces of hot water to tackle tough grease.

All-purpose Cleaner
Make this general cleaner and add 1/2 tsp of  castile soap to 2 cups of the cleaner to make something you can use to clean almost anything.

2 cups hot water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 tsp. washing soda
15 drops tea tree essential oil
15 drop lavender essential oil

Combine all ingredients in a reusable spray bottle and shake well.

To Use: spray on surfaces, especially cutting boards, counter tops and toilets.  Wipe with a dry cloth.

For more cleaning recipes just search our blog under the keyword: green cleaning

Flowering herbs - what to do with the bolting herb

This year we have been miraculously cool, but I know other parts of the country have not been so lucky, so what to do when the heat causes your herbs to bolt, or flower and make seed? 

Being the year of Cilantro I thought it was important to mention that some herbs can lose potency when flowering. Cilantro actually changes from Cilantro to Coriander and the leaves change shape and flavor.  Once a Cilantro plant starts to go to seed (bolting,) there is no amount of pinching off the flowers that can stop the process and you either pull it out and start over or use the coriander seed.

Most of the time, with other herbs, you can pinch off the flowers.  From perennial herbs like chives, marjoram, mint, oregano, sage, tarragon and thyme; cut the plants back a bit give them a good watering and let them regrow. With that care, they will keep growing and produce more flavor-filled herb leaves for you to harvest.  Use the pinched off flowers to spice up your meals in the mean time.  

In my garden the marjoram is flowering now, I like to harvest and dry the flowers for arrangements so I let it flower.  It does not seem to harm the flavor of the dried marjoram that much.

The thyme is such a prolific flowering plant that you cannot just pinch off the flowers, you need to give the entire bush a trim.  But I gather the flowers and leafy stem pieces into a paper bag and let them dry, a bit of flower in my dried stripped leaves will not hurt the flavor of anything I cook them with.

For annual herbs like basil, cilantro/coriander, dill and fennel, their one and only botanical job is to bear seeds; bolting signals the end of their growth cycle, so you need to use them before you lose them to seed (saving the seed will give you a head start on next year’s garden.)  

Basil can be halted by slipping off the flowers, but most of the other annuals need to be harvested or used before they start making seed, when it gets hot, keep an eye on them.

Dill weed can be eaten when the plant is producing seed and is still very tasty.  However if you want to dry the dill weed, you want to harvest that before there are seed heads forming.  I sow a crop of dill seed every two weeks through out the growing season to keep a fresh selection of dill weed available.  Dill is a nice herb to start now for a fall harvest so sprinkle a few dill and cilantro seed now and harvest in a few short weeks.

If your herbs have already made flowers, remember they are perfectly edible so clip them off and use as a garnish on your dinner plate or in a salad.  I like to sprinkle a few basil flowers onto my caprese salad, it adds a different flavor dimension than just basil leaves with my mozzarella and tomato.

Ramen noodles are often a quick summer dish especially mixed with fresh vegetables from the garden.  You can make a fresh herb broth to season both the vegetables and the noodles with your herb clippings.

Food writer Mark Bittman shared this broth recipe that I have tried again and again.  He puts a small handful of rosemary, thyme or sage sprigs (bolted or not), a large handful of parsley stems, a few fresh bay leaves or sprigs of savory, 1 or 2 crushed garlic cloves and a pinch of black peppercorns in a pot with 6 cups of cold water, then brings the pot to barely a simmer, removes it from the heat and steeps the herbs for 15 minutes, then strains the broth before using it.  It is perfect with all those thyme clippings and if you use sage flowers the flavor is more mellow than sage leaves.

My recent interest in herbal cocktails caused me to try tossing herbs into brandy also.  The flowers of herbs, especially the exotic basils, like cinnamon, lemon or Thai along with savory, lavender and even some garlic chive blossoms and mint flowers placed in a quart jar filled with 2 cups brandy, 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup water when stored in the dark until October or November can be strained and bottled for holiday sipping or gift giving.  Let the herbs steep for 2 to 3 months before you strain and rebottle them.

I found this recipe in an article from England, but I think it is a great idea.

Garbage Vinegar

Use the scraps, trimmings and flowers from your herbs when you are pinching them back. The stems and flowers of culinary herbs infuse the vinegar with flavor and fragrance.  Makes 1 to 1 1/2 cups vinegar.

1 clean quart-sized canning jar with a plastic lid

1 quart of good white wine vinegar

Bits and pieces, odds and ends of fresh (or dried) herbs

Fill the jar with vinegar.  Screw on the lid. Each time you use fresh or dried herbs in cooking, instead of throwing them away or composting the leftover pieces, put them in the jar. When the jar is completely full of leftover herbs, let it sit for a week. Strain the herb vinegar through a coffee filter or several layers of cheese cloth. Pour it into a clean bottle. Cap tightly. Use frequently for marinades, dressings, sauces and any place else you want a dash of flavor.  This will never spoil and may become your perfect go to for cooking.

Another way to make garbage vinegar is to add the dregs for your single herb vinegars to a common jar.  My hubby did this when the clutter of 5 almost finished single herb vinegars got in his way in the kitchen.  He poured them all into one jar and uses it for his chicken pork marinades.

Broccoli Sunflower Salad - Weekend Recipe

Sunflower seeds and broccoli go amazingly well together.  So when I saw this recipe on the Taste of Home Website, I realized this particular recipe would be great with Backyard Patch Herb Mixes, so I tied it out.

Broccoli Sunflower Salad

2 quarts water

6 cups fresh broccoli florets

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

3 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce

3 tablespoons sesame oil

Sugar substitute equivalent to 1 tablespoon sugar (Like Spenda sugar blend)

1 Tbls Backyard Patch Herbal Spread Herb Mix or Backyard Patch Herb Cheese Dip Herb Mix

1/4 cup unsalted sunflower kernels

Directions

In a large kettle, bring water to a boil. Add broccoli; cover and cook for 3 minutes. Drain and immediately place broccoli in ice water. Drain and pat dry.

In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, soy sauce, oil and sugar substitute. Pour over broccoli; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, stirring several times. Just before serving, stir in sunflower kernels. Yield: 6 servings.

Originally published as Sunflower Broccoli Salad in Light & Tasty October/November 2004, p59, found on and adapted from the version on the Taste of Home website.

Nutritional Facts

3/4 cup: 121 calories, 10g fat (1g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 322mg sodium, 6g carbohydrate (0 sugars, 3g fiber), 4g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 2 fat, 1 vegetable.

National Vinegar Day! - Make a vinegar and a marinade

June 16 is National Vinegar Day and I know why it is in the summer.  This is the perfect time of year to make pickles, marinades and salad dressing which all use generous amounts of Vinegar.

I am using this day as a great excuse to write about making herbal vinegars and what to do with them. You can and should only make an herbal vinegar with fresh herbs.  It allows you to capture the flavor of the fresh herbs and save it for use in winter when fresh herbs are scarce.

For step-by-step directions on making herbal vinegar check out my How To.

Here are some perfect summertime recipes to try out with your newly made vinegar.

Cucumber Salad
2 cucumbers, thinly sliced
2 zucchini, thinly sliced
1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/3 cup herbal vinegar (chive, chive blossom, lemon or thyme will all work well)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 Tbls. salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 pinch red pepper flakes

Directions:
Arrange alternate layers of cucumber, zucchini and onions in a deep bowl.  Mix vinegar and sugar until dissolved.  Add water, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper.  Drain any water from the cucumbers before adding dressing.  Pour dressing over cucumbers, onion and zucchini and allow to marinade for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving.

Herbal Vinegar Salad Dressing

1/4 cup herbal vinegar (lemon, thyme or chives will do)

3/4 cup oil

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Pepper

2 tsp fresh lemon thyme

1 tsp fresh Parsley, chopped

Dash of garlic powder

Directions:

Mix together in a glass jar or cruet, shake well.  Refrigerate one hour before serving.  Keep remainder in refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Lemon Herbal Marinade

1/4 cup lemon herb vinegar (any combination of lemon herbs is good)

1/2 tsp each salt & pepper

4 strips of lemon zest

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil, cilantro, dill, oregano, or a mix of all four

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Combine the vinegar, pepper and salt in a nonreactive (glass, ceramic, or stainless steel) bowl and whisk until the salt crystals are dissolved. Add the lemon zest, garlic, parsley and basil. Stir or whisk in the olive oil. The virtue of this marinade is its freshness: Use it within 1 to 2 hours of making. Stir again before using.

Natural Cleaning with Herbs

In a quest for a life with less chemicals and more natural scents and ingredients around me, I started growing herbs to cook with.  I made teas and cooking blends and introduced my family to the joy of herbs in the diet.  My favorite scent is lemon.  I grow lemon verbena, lemon balm, lemon grass, lemon scented geraniums, lemon thyme and lemon basil.  I found in researching these wonderfully scented plants, that not only were they tasty in cooking and tea, but that they enjoy many germ fighting properties as well.  And when I combined them with other natural disinfectants like vinegar, herbal essential oils and lemon juice I could create cleaning solutions for my household that were effective and non-toxic.

Vinegar is a natural disinfectant because of its acid content.  Plain white vinegar is 99% effective against most bacteria.  Lemon Juice, which is basically citric acid, breaks down the cell membranes of bacteria much like sterilization by heat does.  The pleasant scent can also cut the harshness of straight vinegar.  Add to that the natural disinfecting power of herbs and herbal essentials oils and you have a perfect combination for cleaning and disinfecting without harsh chemicals.

Cleaning and Disinfecting Herbs:

Thyme -The essential oil of thyme contains thymol, a natural phenol with powerful and proven antibiotic and disinfectant properties that kill common household germs. Thymol is at least 18 times as effective as phenol (used in commercial germicides), but much less toxic. Tests have shown its effective against Salmonella, Staphylococcus and Ecoli.

Sage, like thyme, contains natural phenol so is effective on germs and has many anti-fungal properties making it a perfect partner in the bathroom.

Rosemary contains camphor, a powerful anti-microbial.

Lavender – often seen only as a pleasing scent is a perfect partner for cleaning as it has a gentle germ-fighting power.   It can also be used as a disinfectant and insect repellent and Lavender is an antiseptic, natural antibiotic, sedative, detoxifier.

Lemon Grass -  with a very long history of use in traditional Indian medicine to help reduce fevers and fight infectious illness. Lemongrass essential oil is an antimicrobial and it resists contagion. It is a good sanitary disinfectant as well.

Lemongrass Cleaning Cloths

You can use micro fiber cloths, old cloth diapers or torn-up t-shirts.  These do-it-yourself duster cloths offer convenience of disposable furniture wipes without the guilt of contributing to the landfill.  Make several at one time.  I use cloths about 10 to 12-inches square which fit well in the hand.  This recipe will make about 40 cloths this size.  I find 10 to 12 cloths fit nicely in a 1 pint wide mouth mason jar.

3/4 cup water

1 cup white vinegar or lemon thyme herbal vinegar

¼ cup lemon juice

¼ teaspoon lemon grass essential oil

10 to 12 drops of lemon essential oil

Dust cloths or rags

1 or 2 wide mouth pint-size mason jars and lids

Combine water, vinegar, lemon juice and essential oils in large bowl.  Soak dust cloths in the solution for 30 minutes.  Squeeze out cloths, leaving them slightly damp.  Lay the cloths out flat, then fold each cloth in half or thirds and roll up.  Place rolled cloths in a glass jar.  Cap tightly with a screw lid.  To use, unfold the cloth and wipe down surfaces as usual.  Launder dust cloths when dirty and infuse again with the mixture.  Because of the lemon grass oil and vinegar these will not get moldy even though you keep them damp and they smell terrific, giving your home a fresh clean scent.

These wonderful smelling cloths can dust woodwork, scrub shower walls and doors, disinfect sinks, tubs and tile and are even good on porcelain toilets and toilet seats.  And if you do not want to make your own we do have these wonderful cleaning cloths for sale. 

Herbal Vinegar Spray

The spray is perfectly safe and very effective to use at full strength, but can be diluted 50/50 for lighter jobs.

Fresh or dried herbs

Distilled white vinegar

Roughly chop 1 to 2 large handfuls of fresh or dried herbs and place in a glass jar with a wide mouth and a plastic lid (good choices are lemon verbena, peppermint, rosemary, lemon balm or lavender.)  Add vinegar to fill the jar.  Replace the lid and leave for a few days or weeks (I generally like to wait 2 weeks) to infuse, then strain out the herbs.  Pour into a plastic stray bottle. 

   

Ways to Use your Vinegar Spray:

1. Clean your coffee maker.  Fill the reservoir with a full strength, undiluted thyme vinegar.  Run the vinegar through one cycle.  Run two cycles of water to rinse.
2. Remove pesticides from fruits and vegetables.  Wash them in a mixture of 2 or 3 tablespoons of sage and/or thyme vinegar per quart of water.  The antifungal qualities of sage will also help with natural borne fungus and the antiviral qualities of thyme will help against bacteria.
3. To cut grease and absorb odors on your wood cutting board, wipe down with a lemon, thyme or basil vinegar.
4. Clean and freshen the microwave mix ¼ cup herb-based vinegar and 1 cup water in a small bowl and heat for 5 minutes.  This will remove lingering odors and soften baked-on food spills.
5. Mildew removal.  Full strength vinegar, especially thyme vinegar will remove mildew from a shower curtain.  You can add a couple drops of lemon essential oil for a sweeter smell.
6. Floor cleaner.  To clean floors and kill germs try this recipe: 1/8 cup liquid soap, ½ cup thyme vinegar, ½ cup herbal tea (peppermint smells great, lemon cuts grease, thyme and sage will kill germs.)
7. Keep your dishwasher clean and fresh.  Add ½ cup herb vinegar to the rinse cycle.

Finally here is something simple and quick you can make to use all around the house for general cleaning.  Washing soda, also known as Soda Ash is sodium carbonate.  I obtain mine (made by Arm & Hammer) at the WalMart, but many grocery stores and health related stores also stock it.

I have heard that some people have trouble getting washing soda so I found this post that explains how to turn baking soda into washing soda

All-purpose Cleaner and Disinfectant

2 cups hot water

¼ cup white vinegar

½ tsp. washing soda

15 drops tea tree essential oil

15 drops lavender essential oil

Combine all ingredients in a reusable spray bottle and shake well.  To use, spray on surfaces, especially cutting boards, counter tops and toilets.  Wipe with dry cloth.

 Variation: add ½ teaspoon of liquid castile soap to 2 cups of this cleaner for a great all-purpose cleaner.

Enjoy the scents of Spring and Spring cleaning without masking them with chemicals and have a wonderful March!

Rosemary Walnuts

I am in Winnetka today, at the Winnetka - Northfield Library on Oak Street in Winnetka, doing a program called Holiday Decorating with Marcy.  It discusses making decorations and gifts with herbs.  We are going to make wrapping paper, gift tags as well as some herbal gifts.

One of the items I am recommending making is a soup wreath.  I give step-by-step instructions for making this wreath of fresh herbs for soup here, with a recipe.

Here is an extra I am including for those who take the class and for those who cannot take it.

Rosemary Walnuts

I had to start with something edible, because tastes are always linked to the holidays.  This recipe is a twist on sugared nuts, giving you a savory recipe instead.

1 pound shelled walnuts

2 Tbls. of olive oil

2 Tbls. butter, melted

3 Tbls. minced fresh rosemary leaves

2 tsp. paprika

½ to 1 tsp.  salt or a salt substitute

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Place all ingredients in a bowl and toss to mix.  Spread on a baking sheet large enough to hold the nuts in a single layer.  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once or twice or until the nuts are golden but not browned and the scent of rosemary fills the room.  Remove and cool.  May be eaten when warm or stored in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.  Makes 2 cups.

Insect Repellent Treatments

This time of year the mosquitoes and other biting insects drive me crazy.  I am like a magnet for biting things.  So through the years I have developed several concoctions to use on my skin to keep the little pests away.

Here are several you can try at home also:

Herbal Vinegar Spray

You can pour the prepared vinegar into spray bottles for easy application.

2 cups fresh insect-repellent herbs 

East Indian lemongrass (Cymbopogon flexuosus)
Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus)
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia and L. x intermedia)
Lemon thyme (Thymus x citriodorus)
Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum albescens)
Patchouli (Pogostemon cablin)

2 cups apple cider vinegar

Place fresh herbs in a glass quart jar and cover with vinegar, bruise the herbs with the handle of a wood or plastic spoon to release the oils in the leaves. Use a plastic lid to seal the jar (vinegar corrodes metal).   Shake every day for 3 to 7 days. Filter vinegar within a week and use within the year.  Fresh herbs are best, but dry will work if you have nothing fresh.

Antiseptic Insect Repellent Skin Oil Recipe

Oregano, thyme and tea tree oils are very strong and pungent oils, so we suggest a skin test first; if it burns when you apply it, dilute it further or don’t use it. 

 

calendula

1/2 cup almond, walnut or grapeseed oil
6 drops oregano, thyme or tea tree oil
4 drops each of up to four insect repellent oils

• Calendula

• Eucalyptus
• Garlic
• Goldenseal
• Lavender
• Lemongrass
• Oregano
• Patchouli
• Rose geranium
• Rosemary
• Tea tree
• Thyme

• Vetiver

• Yarrow

Add oil to a small clean bottle, preferably dark glass. Drop in the essential oils of your choice and shake well. Label and keep in a dark, cool place.

NOTES: No insect repellent is effective against all bugs all of the time. Essential oils are volatile, which means they evaporate quickly and must be reapplied regularly. If you get mosquito or chigger bites, rub a plantain leaf on them for quick relief.

Plantain is a weed we see everywhere, so you probably have some handy.

Always test for allergic reactions before applying homemade remedies to your entire body. Put a little of the remedy on the inside crease of your elbow, and wait 15 minutes to an hour. If no reddening or blistering occurs, you should be safe to use the remedy.

Make a Famous Salad Dressing

Joe Marzetti introduced Americans to his now-famous dressings (from his native Italy) when he

opened his Columbus, Ohio, restaurant in 1896.

Richard Hellman, who owned a deli in New York City and had won numerous culinary awards, began bottling and selling his mayonnaise in 1912, first in wooden containers, then in glass jars. The

Hellman's Real Mayonnaise that we use today is basically the same recipe Hellman originated.

Caesar Cardini is credited with inventing Caesar salad in 1924 in Tijuana, Mexico (although there are

those who believe it was more likely invented by Giancomo Junia, an Italian chef in Chicago, around

1903).

Ranch dressing - arguably the most popular on the market today - can be traced back to the Hidden Valley Guest Ranch near Santa Barbara, California. The owners began serving the dressing in the 1950s. Guests liked it so much that Hidden Valley began producing its instant, dry mix.

Thousand Island dressing, traditionally made from diced green olives, peppers, pickles, onions and hard-boiled eggs in a mayonnaise and chili-sauce base, dates to the early 1900s. Although often credited to a chef at New York City's Waldorf Astoria Hotel, actress May Irwin actually brought the recipe to the chef there from George and Sophia LaLonde's fishing resort in Clayton, New York.

Green Goddess, made from mayonnaise, anchovies, tarragon vinegar, parsley, scallions, garlic and spices, originated at San Francisco's Palace Hotel, where George Arliss stayed while performing the play The Green Goddess.

I always try the “house’ dressing when I go to a restaurant.  I want to know what the local chef or cook has made to dress his or her salads.  Usually a vinaigrette with a special combination of herbs and a certain acid like a flavored vinegar or a local balsamic I have never been disappointed ordering house dressing.  I think it was this virtually endless array of possibilities that first got me interested in making herb mixes. My first two blends were Dill Dip and Italian Dressing – my own version of a house vinaigrette. Since that time I have developed 11 more dressings, including my own RanchBlends and a Lemon Chive Combo that can be made into three different dressings.

Some recipes for dressing cannot be easily made into a mix however, so I thought I would share a couple of those recipes with you today.

The key to blending your own world famous dressing is to use the freshest ingredients possible.  Choose freshly squeezed lemon juice over bottled and try fresh herbs over dried. The spring cuttings from the herb garden are the sweetest and most wonderful for making and herbal dressing. Choose your vinegar based on the kind of dressing you're making: red wine, champagne, rice, white wine and apple cider vinegars all have excellent flavor. Avoid using a plain white vinegar because its flavor is sharp and severe, but if you have a white vinegar infusedwith herbs (LINK) this is a perfect time to use it.  Use a light vegetable oil, like sunflower or a canola blend, or a good-quality olive oil. Typically, dressing recipes call for two to three times the amount of oil as the amount of vinegar. I like less oil, especially if using a flavored vinegar, such as a raspberry or tarragon. Experiment to suit your taste.

Dressing in a Hurry

Fast enough to put together even after dinner guests have arrived, this is great on any combination of greens.

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon honey

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano or 2 sprigs fresh, chopped, stems discarded

1/4 teaspoon dried parsley or 2 sprigs fresh, chopped

1/4 teaspoon dried dill or 2 sprigs fresh, chopped fine (no stems)

1 clove garlic, minced

Whisk together vinegar, lemon juice, honey and mustard in a bowl until blended. Slowly pour in oil, whisking constantly. Blend in the herbs and garlic. Makes 3/4 cup.

Herbed Buttermilk Dressing

2 cups buttermilk (is best, but if you do not have it you can use 2 cups milk less 2 Tbls with either 2 Tbls white vinegar or 3 1/2  teaspoons cream of tartar)

1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed

1 sprig fresh parsley, diced

5 to 10 strands of chives, sliced thin

2 green onions, diced

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine ingredients in blender and pulse blend for a few pulses. Chill before using. You can toss this with any salad.  Especially good with an abundance of vegetables. Makes 2 cups.

If you want more information on blending herb dressings and making salads they check out the book by Jim Long “The Best Dressed Salad” (Long Creek Herbs, 2006). Jim is an herb grower and lecturer who has been around longer than me and he has much information to share.