Herbal
Vinegars
There
is still plenty of time to make flavorful herb vinegars. Create your
own custom combinations or follow these directions.
Package them in attractive bottles of all shapes and sizes. Hint:
Use either bottles with corks or plastic screw caps...to cover unattractive
caps just cut a small square of a soft, interesting paper, place it over
the cap and tie with a ribbon. Be sure an include a suggestion or
two on how your special vinegar can be used.
Herbal
Frames and Boxes
If
you arm yourself with a glue gun and dried herbs and spices you can create
interesting picture
frames and trinket boxes. Purchase plain frames or boxes (cardboard
or wood) and let your imagination run wild. Glue on dried bay leaves
or lamb's ear, twigs, rose petals, cloves, seed pods, or...
Herbal
Scans
If
you are lucky enough to have a scanner, have some herbal computer fun!
Direct scan your favorite pressed or fresh herbs and use the resulting
images to print bookmarks or note cards.
Direct
scans are easily accomplished by arranging blossoms, seeds, pepper pods
and such on the glass of a flat bed scanner. Next, place a large,
white, heavy duty paper plate over your arrangement and scan. Note:
the paper plate may not scan white, it often appears as a pale green color
when Ann Marie uses this technique.
Gift
Baskets
Baskets
of herbal goodies are always welcome. Visit local or internet gift
shops (three of my favorites are Goodwin
Creek, Papa Genos and Garden.com)
and assemble a theme basket:
Tea
Thyme: herbal teas, gourmet cookies, tea infuser, tea cozy, maybe
even a tea pot
Bathing
Beauties: herbal soap, loofa sponge, bath salts or oils, body lotion
Garden
Glory: seeds, hand trowel, garden apron (decorate a common carpenter's
apron with fabric paint!!!), garden ornament or whimsical "poo pet" fertilizer
Holiday
Hurrah: cider spices, topiary rosemary, scented candles, pine scented
oil and diffuser
Culinary
Cool: packets of herb de provence, herbes fines, nutmeg grater and
whole nutmeg
Lavender
Lovelies: lavender lotion and soap, lavender wands
Flowers from the garden...brugmansias are blooming in Ann Marie's garden.
