Congrats to the Winner:  Angela Y. - Entry #141
Thanks to all who participated!

Mountain Rose Herbs and Miss Lady Bug’s Garden have teamed up to bring you this “Tea Pot” Giveaway Package.  

For a total tea experience, this quality giveaway package includes a stunning cast iron - Aztec style tea pot, a celestial tea strainer, and three (3) intoxicating organic teas. 

I encourage you to give Mountain Rose Herbs a visit where you will find the world’s finest imported teas.  You will also find aromatherapy and essential oils, natural health, bath, and body products, and exceptional quality bulk organic herbs and spices that are unsurpassed in taste, aroma, color, and nutrients.  Your mind and body will thank you!

The Mountain Rose Herbs Giveaway includes:

Cast Iron Tea Pot (Aztec Design)
This stunning Aztec style piece of tea ware is made of solid cast iron, and is brushed with a light sienna patina.  This pot holds 40 oz., is enamel lined to prevent rusting and oxidization, and comes with a stainless steel infuser, which fits snuggly into the pot for infusion of loose-leaf tea material.  This unit comes with a cast iron trivet for convenient resting and display.  It’s incredibly well built!  Lead Free.  Approximate Retail Value $47.00 USD.

Celestial Tea Strainer
Savor tea in style with this versatile stainless steel tea strainer warmly decorated around the rim in a beautiful celestial motif.  Equally suitable for all sizes of mugs, and fits well on small tea pots.  Simply place a small amount of material into the steel mesh canister and submerge into a cup of hot water to brew your favorite infusion.  Dimension of the actual infuser mesh is 2" and dimension of outer rim is 3.75.”  Approximate Retail Value $7.50 USD.

Vanilla Black Tea 4 oz.
An intoxicating blend of organic vanilla, organic fair trade Assam tea from India, and organic Chrysanthemum flowers.  Contains: organic Assam tea, organic Vanilla beans, organic Chrysanthemum flowers, and organic Vanilla flavoring.  Contains caffeine.  Approximate Retail Value $10.00 USD.

Evening Repose Herbal Tea 4 oz.
This beautiful infusion blend combines the robust flavors of flowers and mint.  Contains: organic Chamomile flowers, organic Peppermint leaf, organic Spearmint leaf, organic Lavender flowers, organic Lemon Verbena, organic Cornflowers, organic Rose petals, and organic Stevia.  Approximate Retail Value $9.00 USD.

Hibiscus High Herbal Tea 4 oz.
The red flowering tropical hibiscus plant gives this infusion drink its unique taste and wonderful color.  Contains: organic Hibiscus flowers, organic Rosehips, organic Lemongrass, organic Orange peel, organic Spearmint, organic Rose petals and organic Stevia.  Approximate Retail Value $8.25 USD.

The total package Approximate Retail Value is $81.75 USD.  Good luck and thanks for participating!

A Note of Caution:  Always be aware of side effects, dosing, and interactions of herbs and edible flowers.
Some should be avoided if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or taking medication.  

No purchase necessary to win.  A purchase will not increase your chances of winning.

To Enter the Mountain Rose Herbs Giveaway
log in below, and follow the terms and conditions.

Note:  This giveaway is limited to legal U.S. residents only, who are over the age of 18 years old.

Blog Comment is Mandatory.

By Miss Lady Bug

Feel like a princess sinking into a lavender dream with these luxurious homemade bath melts.  They are created with rich cocoa and shea butters, and a generous amount of lavender.

After a nice soak your skin will be incredibly moisturized and scented.
You will definitely feel like royalty!

Luxurious Lavender Bath Melts

Ingredients:

¼ cup organic cocoa butter
¼ cup organic shea butter
2 teaspoons dried lavender flowers
2 drops lavender essential oil per bath melt
isopropyl rubbing alcohol

Equipment:

silicone mold with small shapes

Directions:

Grate the cocoa butter and place in a large glass measuring cup (tip: microwave the cocoa butter a bit to make it easier to grate).  Add the shea butter, and microwave the mixture on defrost until melted, approximately six minutes.  Fold in the lavender flowers.  Place the mold onto a baking sheet for ease of movement.  Carefully pour the mixture into the molds, and add the essential oil to each one.  Pour the alcohol into a spray bottle, and mist the tops of the molds to remove any bubbles.

Place in the refrigerator for two hours to harden.  Remove the bath melts from the molds and store in a cool place in a tightly lidded jar.  The listed ingredients lends approximately 11 small molds, but you can easily double the recipe if desired.

Draw a nice hot bath and add one bath melt.  Swirl.  If you don’t want lavender floating around, simply put the bath melt in a small muslin bag.

Ahhh relax and feel silky smooth…

Take note that the rich butters in the bath melts can be slippery so please take care.

If you don’t have the ingredients on hand you can find them organically at Mountain Rose Herbs.

Note:  Some essential oils, including lavender, should be avoided during pregnancy.

By Miss Lady Bug

The buzz will be all about you after serving homemade rosemary honey.

It’s a sticky, golden elixir that's delicious topping homemade bread, or used in butter, mustard, lemonade, or tea.

The following recipes are incredibly easy…

Rosemary Honey

Measure 5 sprigs of rosemary (3” in length) per each one cup of honey.  Heat rosemary and honey in a stainless steel pot over medium heat until the honey starts to bubble around the edges.
Remove from heat and steep until cool (approximately 30-45 minutes).  Remove the rosemary. Pour into a clean jar, and add a fresh sprig of rosemary, if desired.  Cover tightly with a lid.

Rosemary Honey Butter

Measure one cup (two sticks) of unsalted butter per each 2/3 cup of rosemary honey.  In a bowl, blend butter (at room temperature) with a hand immersion blender while slowly adding the rosemary honey.  Place in a clean jar, cover tightly with a lid, and refrigerate.

Rosemary Honey Mustard

Measure 1/2 cup of mustard and 1/4 cup of mayonnaise per each 1/4 cup of rosemary honey. Combine, and mix well.  Place in a clean jar, cover tightly with a lid, and refrigerate.

Enjoy!

Serve with warm homemade bread...

If you're not growing rosemary you can find it organically at Mountain Rose Herbs.

By Miss Lady Bug

Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans) is a gorgeous centerpiece in the herb garden with showy red, trumpet-shaped blooms.  The pineapple scent is exotically tropical.  Not only is it a wonderful attraction to hummingbirds, butterflies love it as well.  

Add leaves and blooms to fruit salads, and sprigs to tropical drinks and teas.  The blooms also make delicately flavored vinegars.

Pineapple Sage is a tender perennial, and grown as an annual in the north.  Plant outdoors directly in the garden or in containers after the last chance of frost.  Sage will thrive in full sun and a rich, well-drained soil with regular watering.  Also allow plenty of room to accommodate their 5’ height and equal width.  

As sage grows, the bottom branches get woody and sprout even more branches.  They bloom late in the season, and are hardy in zones 8 to 11.  In my zone 9, blooming started in September.  Harvest as often as you want, buds will continue to develop on lateral branches for continued beauty.  If planted in a container you can bring the herb inside to a sunny location before a freeze, and it will continue to bloom.

Pineapple Sage is easy to propagate with cuttings, and even grew roots in my herbal bouquets.

I hope you will try this showpiece in your herb garden!

Pineapple Sage in Bloom

By Miss Lady Bug

Infuse vinegar with herbs to add a splash of gourmet flavor to sauces, salads, vegetables, fish, and meats.

You can mix herbs for a special blend, or infuse them separately.  Robust herbs pair well with cider or white wine vinegar, where as more delicate herbs pair well with rice or champagne vinegar.  The possibilities are endless so try different combinations to find your favorite flavor.

Herb Infused Vinegar
Ingredients yield approx. one (1) 16 ounce bottle

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh herbs, washed and dried per
16 ounces vinegar, high quality (5% acidity) 

Directions:

Combine herbs and vinegar in sterilized jars.  Cover tightly, and let steep for three (3) weeks in a cool, dark place for maximum flavor.  For a lighter flavor, sample vinegar after ten (10) days. Once you get your desired flavor, strain vinegar into a bowl.  Discard herbs.

Place non-metallic lids or plastic screw caps in a saucepan of warm water, heat to just below boiling and then remove from heat.  Leave caps in the hot water until ready to use.  If using corks, purchase pre-sterilized corks and dip them in boiling water before use.

Decant vinegar into sterilized bottles, add fresh sprigs of herbs, if desired, and cover tightly.  Date the bottles.

Herb infused vinegar can be stored up to three months in a cool, dry place.  Refrigeration may extend the quality for up to six months.

Note:  While consuming, keep fresh sprigs of herbs submerged in vinegar or remove them to prevent mold.  If vinegar starts to mold at any time, or show signs of foul odor or cloudiness, discard and do not use it.

If not handled properly, some harmful bacteria may survive and even slowly multiply in some vinegars. It is important to store infused vinegar in a cool place, or the refrigerator.  Always work in a clean area using sanitary utensils.

Enjoy your herb infused vinegar!

White Wine Vinegar infused with Rosemary & Purple Basil

If you're not growing herbs you can find them organically at Mountain Rose Herbs.

By Miss Lady Bug

These gourmet sugars are infused with blooms.  I used lavender for it’s delicate taste, and hibiscus for it’s tangy, citrus flavor.  The flavors are wonderful!

Gourmet sugars are great in beverages, and make a wonderful garnish on the glass rims.  They are delicious sprinkled over fruit, cereal, and yogurt. Use in baked goods with endless possibilities!

To make gourmet sugar at home, combine two tablespoons of dried organic lavender (Lavandula spp.) or hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa) flowers with two cups of sugar in a jar.  Allow the sugar to infuse for at least two weeks, shaking every other day, for maximum flavor.

Once the sugar is infused, you can remove the blooms by straining them out before using in beverages.  Or, if you prefer, leave them in and grind the mixture into a fine consistency to use in baking.

Enjoy your delicious gourmet sugar!

Tie a ribbon on a jar of gourmet sugar to make a wonderful gift.

Finely ground hibiscus sugar - what a pretty pale pink!

By Miss Lady Bug

Keep herbs fresh all year by freezing them in olive oil.  This is an easy method of preserving herbs and you will have fresh seasoning for soups, sauces, stir fries, pesto, salad dressing, and the like, right at your fingertips.

The flavor from herbs comes from their aromatic oils so it makes sense to preserve them in oil.

I previously dried my annual herbs so I had plenty on hand after a cold snap.   That is one way of preserving them but the flavor fades over time.  I still have dried herbs from last fall, and now have an abundance of fresh herbs from this year.  I plan to use up the dried herbs in a salt brine for deliciously tender meats, and have started freezing the fresh harvest.  I started with two types of basil: purple and variegated, pictured below.

Freezing process:

1. Harvest herbs in the morning when their oils are the most concentrated.

2. Wash and dry herbs.

3. Add herbs to a food processor and add approximately ¼ cup of good quality olive oil to every two cups of herbs.

4. Pulse until you get a nice paste.

5. Freeze in zip lock baggies by adding about one cup of herb paste, flatten out, and seal.

6. Freeze!

These are easy to stack in the freezer and don’t take up much room.  Break off pieces as needed.  

Isn’t this a great way to capture the flavor of summer-fresh herbs?  

Enjoy! 

By Miss Lady Bug

Did you know cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) is grown from coriander seed?  Grow this tasty herb and harvest two goodies from one plant; first the leaves, then the seeds.  

Cilantro leaves are best used fresh in Mexican cuisine, sauces, soups, and casseroles.  The seeds are used whole or ground as a seasoning.

The leaves are a good source of Thiamin and Zinc, and a very good source of fiber, calcium, Vitamins A, B, C, E, V, K, and minerals.  

Sow seeds 1/4 inch deep in late spring after all danger of frost has passed.  If you're in the south, sow seeds again in the fall.  Cilantro prefers cool weather but loves full sun and a well-drained soil with a pH of 6.2 to 6.8.  Plants should be spaced about six to eight inches apart. Succession planting every two to three weeks will provide a continuous harvest.  Pinch small plants back by an inch to encourage bushy growth.

The plants will dwindle after they bolt in hot weather.  That's when they send up tall white flower stalks that produce coriander seeds.  Cut the seed stalks and put them in a paper bag to dry, then strip the seeds from the stems.  The seeds are used to flavor curries, relishes, pickles, and brines.

This two-for-one herb is a great addition to the garden.

By Miss Lady Bug