I truly love herbs. Spices too, of course. Their scent, taste, uses...everything about herbs and spices really appeals to me. It’s this deep-seated passion that drives me to open Thistle Cottage – my own ‘all-things-herbal’ business. I’ve drawn up floor plans of what my store will look like, including the greenhouses in the back, and although my drawing skills make a 3 year old look talented, I see my shop clearly in my mind’s eye. I’ve made lists of the inventory I need on-hand and shelving/storage methods. In my mind, I can hear the chimes over the door tinkle as my customers come in. I’m so excited about my shop, my heaven. Now, I have to find funding for it. Anyone know any Angel Investors? I guess that would be a discussion for another day because I want to talk about what I do with herbs & spices. Besides the obvious culinary use of most herbs and spices, mixing and matching them with everyday items in your home can provide some wonderful medicinal remedies and home life products with an added ecological benefit. For example, I’ve just started making herbal candles (basil, mint, lavender & rosemary) and I’ve finished the six weeks ‘sitting time’ on a fantastic bug repellant that works as well on animals as people to keep the flying critters away. Tomorrow I’m hoping to complete the label design for the pump spray bottles; I’m sending about a dozen bottles to my daughter’s college for use in their horse barns. Additionally, I’ll soon be taking both the bug repellant and the candles to the Flea Market at the State Fairgrounds in Raleigh on August 8th as a market test. Look for me there if you’re in the area - I’ll let you know in the next few days which slot I’ll be in. If not, contact me at: thistlecottage@live.com.

A friend came over last week for dinner and I made a quick and easy low-fat dessert you might enjoy:

Prepare one box of No-Pudge Brownie Mix as directed. When you are ready to serve dessert, place a brownie on a plate, top it with a square of raspberry filled sugar free dark chocolate and place in the microwave for 30 seconds. Generously top with Sugar Free Cool Whip (in the squirt-can), and top with a chiffonade* of fresh mint leaves. A smattering of fresh raspberries on the side would be perfect when they are in season.

*Chiffonade is just a cooking technique. You simply stack a few mint leaves (how many is up to how many brownies you are serving but I usually only do 1-2 per person) on top of each other and them roll them up. Then you slice them very thinly. They come out as green ribbons that not only add a flavor to your brownies but make it look pretty as well. Oh – I’ve used Orange Mint and Chocolate Mint on brownies as well with great results.

So, that’s about it for my first day of blogging. Let’s talk tomorrow!