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How to Make Vanilla Facial Scrub

After you make a batch of vanilla sugar from my previous post for cooking and sweet indulgences like tea and coffee, whip up a batch of vanilla facial scrub. It's a mild, sweet smelling scrub that has real benefits. It's all natural, easy to make and effective.

Here's the recipe:

Vanilla and Honey Facial Scrub

1 Cup packed brown sugar
Seeds from half a vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon of real
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How to Make Vanilla Sugar


Vanilla sugar is a neat twist on plain old granulated sugar. It'll boost your morale every time you lift the lid on the pot or dish. It's very simple, too. Another wonderful benefit is that it makes a very nice gift for a favorite cook -- or even just someone who likes trying out new foods.

It's wonderful in coffee or tea, makes a nice sprinkle on cookies or homemade donuts (or cereal), and
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The Best Herbs for Eggs







Eggs are an almost perfect food. They’re inexpensive, low in calories (under 80 and around 17 in an egg white) high in protein (more than six grams), easy to prepare and have a mild flavor that lends itself to lots of dishes.

With the right handling, they can be decadently creamy, and with a little boiling water (and a few minutes), they become the perfect take along food for lunch or a
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Happy Easter From the Herb Gardener

I'm working on Easter baskets and menu items, but I wanted to take the time to wish everyone a good holiday -- whatever you're celebrating -- or just a wonderful spring weekend. I have another mud dauber infestation this spring, but am so happy to be outdoors they don't bother me.

The potatoes, onions, lemon balm, peppermint, lavender, catnip, hyssop, tarragon, asparagus, chives (I also
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Planting Herb Seedling - Tips and Tricks

If you've planted herb seeds this year congratulations. It's a great way to garden. If you haven't but have kids, you should consider doing it one year whether you're into gardening or not -- it might even make you a convert.

Before you grab the scissors and start snipping herbs for tonight's Hamburger Helper, pay attention to these important tips.

Protect Your Tender Herb Seedlings
Seed
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Get Over Your Tax Troubles and Plant Some Herbs

Are you still hung up with your taxes? The due date is April 18th this year. When you finally sign on the dotted line, or press enter, head outside for some fresh air -- you'll probably need it. While you're breathing deep and lamenting the current condition of your savings account, take a look around. Isn't life nicer when there's something green to look at? Human beings are conditioned to
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5 Must Have Herbs You Might Forget

Before you use up all your prime garden spots, consider growing these herbs too. They're useful and easy to keep. If you want a versatile herb garden with some surprises, these plants are for you:

Saffron Crocus - Add this one in late summer. Yes, this is the Saffron you pay a fortune for at the store. Start with around 10 bulbs. In three years, you'll have enough for yourself and a little
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Five Herb Growing Quick Tips



If you're eyeing those adorable, tiny herb starts at the garden center (in their beguiling little pots), you don't necessarily have to do a research marathon in order to get them installed successfully in your landscape. Although there are some exceptions, herbs aren't persnickety, and they're pretty grateful for anything you can give them. Those picturesque photos of herbs spilling out of
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How to Grow Lavender and Use it in Cooking and Crafts


If you've visited here much, you know I love lavender. Over the years, I've written content about fun things you can do with your lavender harvest (for crafts, cooking and medicinal uses) and also about the literature and interesting history of my purple passion.

Since the lavender growing recap I posted a few days ago was so well received, I thought some of the following posts would make good
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Helpful Garden Reference Sites

If you garden, these spring and early summer weekends are so essential they can almost define the gardening experience. It's a time when you promise yourself you'll wear your gardening gloves -- but don't --warn yourself to bend from the knees -- but forget, vow to put in enough supports and cages to keep everything up off the ground later -- but once you see what a little aluminum cage (post,
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How to Grow Lavender

A big favorite at our house, lavender is one herb that does it all:
It's a beauty in the garden with gray foliage and flowers that can range from deep purple to white.

It's aromatic in a way that can smell as wonderful on a young girl as it does on an octogenarian. (Actually, it has a clean fragrance that smells pleasant without being flowery.)

It's a natural antibacterial and antifungal,
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How to Grow Passionflower






You really have to love any plant that has "passion" and "flower" blended in the same word. This little vine is a powerhouse of good characteristics that makes it worthy of its own little trellis or a spot along your fence -- or around your mailbox post. This American native is the state flower of Tennessee and grows wild there and points south.

Passionflower is more than a big purple
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Become an Herb Adventurer

I just read a great article over at Eatocracy about becoming a food adventurer. Are you afraid to try new foods? That octopus salad or the strange black strips in hot and sour soup can seem downright ominous to the uninitiated.

Admit it: the world of gastronomic adventure isn't all fun-flavored Easter jelly beans (or Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, either). Sometimes a mouthful of an
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Herb Gardens for Beginners - Here's an Idea

I'm going to say something controversial here in a minute. I think growing herbs is one of the absolute best beginning gardening projects -- that's not the controversial part. I think it's so compelling, fun and addictive that it'll pull you back to it year after year. If you can't invest the time and money to work your flowerbeds, can't afford to invest in those cunning looking raised bed
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