rosemary.
fun factoid about rosemary... Shakespeare wrote something about it in Hamlet a few hundred years back. something like, Rosemary it helps with remembrance. (obviously, completely paraphrasing that little nugget for you). but how cool, right?
anywho. we planted this little bugger in our herb garden two years ago... and has been thriving. one of the most fascinating things about rosemary (to me, anyways) is where it thrives.
rosemary is a plant which grows in damp climates which tend to have cooler temps... um, we live in the hot state of Texas. so how this little guy is thriving in our garden is astounding. but, here's the fascinating part.
this plant aids in healing illnesses which are associated with cool and damp environments.
*** and as my dear sweet aunt reminded me, this herb's history originates from the Mediterranean region... which is not cool or damp. so. I'll just say this, rosemary is thriving in our sunny, well-drained herb garden in East Texas. if you do live in colder climates, consider planting rosemary in a POT and bringing inside where it can get some light and a wee bit of warmth from the cold. ***
okay. let's take a beat and dive deeper into the goodness of rosemary.
How do you select Rosemary?
How do you store Rosemary?
"Arrange the herbs lengthwise in a single layer on a slightly damp paper towel. Loosely roll up the herbs and transfer to a resealable plastic bag or in plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator."
What are the benefits of Rosemary?
The more I learn about this delightful herb, the more I fall in love with it. Here's a few of the amazing benefits:
You can check out some more benefits here, if you'd like!
Note: I did read a line in the book, The Herbal Apothecary, that those with hypertension (elevated blood pressure) should avoid rosemary. Check with your primary care physician!
How do you use Rosemary in your beauty regimen?
There are loads of recipes out there using rosemary to aid with acne... fight cellulite... massage oils, etc. however, I like something with few ingredients that I can whip up in our kitchen. I stumbled upon this recipe for a "Rosemary Hair Rinse".
This recipe is uber simple, plus... since, rosemary is known to help stimulate circulation and cleansing, this recipe is excellent for hair + scalp issues (ie. hair loss, dandruff).
ROSEMARY HAIR RINSE by VICTORIA STANELL on Beautylish.com
To use the hair rinse. You simple apply to scalp then wrap your hair in a shower cap (I just take a towel and twist it up to get out of the way)! Allow the rinse to remain on for ~15- 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, simply shampoo your hair as normal to remove the excess oil. Please avoid getting in your eyes!
What is your favorite recipe with Rosemary?
Now. There are a few good recipes with rosemary and chicken... with lamb... with steak as seen above. We even use rosemary (mixed with a wee bit of sage) in our homemade salmon cakes, but, let's share a new recipe:
juicing rosemary! YIKES!
Have you even thought about juicing rosemary? Me neither! Not until I stumbled upon this delicious recipe found on FoodMatters. SCORE!
It's super easy plus loaded with antioxidants as well as all the benefits of rosemary (ie. antibacterial, antifungal).
SPICED APPLE JUICE (had to give it a clever name, didn't I)
If you are still on the lookout for more delicious recipes using rosemary, here's a quick read of 39 things you can do with the herb, rosemary! I love their idea of using the woody stems of the herb as TOOTHPICKS or skewers... genius!
Other
Please check back for further recipes from our kitchen using Rosemary
If you have any tidbits about Rosemary, then share below or shoot me an email, I'd love to learn more. Until then...
love + gumption.
a.