Living the Pantry Lifestyle - Self sufficiency on a teeny tiny scale

I let the apple mint take over most of the herb garden, the garlic chives and sage are standing their ground in one corner.  The thyme was killed off by this last winter.

This has been a week when I haven't felt well at all since the doctor had to switch my insulin/s.  But he warned me so I knew what to expect.  Still, feeling wonky and miserable with blood sugar running between 300 and 400 has kept me on the sofa more than I would like.  They will adjust it when I see the nurse mid-week.

However, I was able to enjoy the garden a little at a time (what my friend called "littling"). It is pleasant even to hoe weeds when the early morning symphony of bird songs are all around the forest and there is a cool breeze.

I pulled the gallon jar out of the garage, washed it out, and started making sun tea this week.   I know it went out of favor for awhile when there was media coverage that it was not safe.  But then I read that keeping the jar out in the sun two or even three hours is usually safe.  People had been leaving it out all day.  It is such a delicious way to make sure I get plenty of water.  ;)

So I put three Lipton white raspberry tea bags in the jar and I was stuffing the jar with both apple mint and lemon balm.  Well... I read this past week that people taking thyroid medicine should not ingest lemon balm!   Yikes!

I knew one should not use it if on any herb or pharmaceutical meds that are for depression or anxiety (which neither of us are)... but I had no idea about not using it if you have low thyroid, Hashimoto's disease (which I have), or if you are on thyroid medicine (which I am).

So now I add only apple mint to the jar with the tea and I am brewing a separate lemon balm tea for Hubby in the pretty yellow teapot I keep in the kitchen.  It is good for what ails him since he does not take any pharmaceutical medication, anymore (they made him suicidal).

The garden is growing nicely, I'll show some pictures next week that I took yesterday.  None of the greens are quite large enough to harvest but the herbs are huge.  I already had to cut back the lovage to give the bee balm elbow space.

As you can see in the photo at the top of this post, the larger and older corner herb garden is nice and full.  Would you believe all that apple mint started out with one or two small plants?  I planted it after watching the West Lady's DVD about herbs.*

And I'm still using the compound butters I made from herbs last fall and froze.  The nasturtium butter has been delicious when used for sauteing potatoes and other veggies.  It has a very peppery flavor.  I usually mix a little oil with it in the skillet to raise the smoke point (making it less likely to burn).

My red dishpan is already used a lot to rinse herbs and veggies.

I hope I can encourage you this week to do something to be a little more self sufficient, even if on a very small scale.  I think we all believe at times it is all or nothing.  City folk can deepen the pantry and perhaps grow herbs and people like me who have a yard can grow a small raised bed garden.

It doesn't have to be all or nothing.  I started out growing herbs at the side of the house where we lived in Iowa soon after Christopher was born and I learn more each year.  Like ummm... not drinking lemon balm tea!

Now off to rest a bit again.   Then I must come up with a creative way to use the leftovers from Thursday night.  Hmmm... that's part of the fun of cooking.  :)

* Homestead Blessings (The West Ladies) The Art of Herbs DVD... here.  I love it!  Amazon Associate's link.