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Naturopathica

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Free Composting Workshop, Sept 13


Contra Costa County is offering a free two-hour composting workshop to its residents.  All you have to do is call and reserve your spot.  Click here to view Contra Costa County's current schedule for free composting classes.
I have seen other cities/counties (e.g., Santa Clara, Solano, San Francisco, etc.),  offer similar free programs so perform a search for free composting classes in your county or check out your city's website and look under the recycling & waste department. You may even find that they offer free compost or free or discounted compost bins.


DATE TIME LOCATION RESERVE SEAT BY CALLING
September 13
7 - 9 pm
925-779-7097

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Final Hours - $1 Shipping on Michigan Bulb Orders, No Minimum Purchase


Double Anenome
20 bulbs for $3.99 + $1 Shipping
Sale Tax (Only for Certain States)


To celebrate their anniversary, Michigan Bulb is offering $1 flat rate shipping with no minimum order!  Just enter Key Code 0827194 when you check out.  Offer expires tonight (08/22/2012)!


There are bulbs as low as $0.20!





Make Your Own Freshly Ground Sage in Minutes

Freshly Ground Organic Sage from the Garden
Nothing beats turning high-quality, sage from the organic garden into freshly, ground sage for cooking.  The flavors and the aroma of the freshly ground sage are strong and wonderful for cooking.  I especially love using ground sage in rubs and herb-butter spreads.

If you are growing sage in the garden and own a food processor, you can easily make your own freshly ground sage spice in no time at all.  

Freshly Ground Sage
Comparative Savings Analysis
Source  Money           Time    Other Considerations       
Grocery Store ~$5 + GasTrip to/from Grocery Store   
  • Shelf life - Unknown*
  • Quality - Unknown
Our Garden~$0Less than 5 minutes Active Time
  • Freshly ground
  • Quality - Known
*Ground herbs are normally "good" for six to nine months, and when I say "good," I mean having a strong flavor and aroma. 

How to Make Freshly Ground Sage

Step 1 
Cut a bunch of stems from your sage plant and tie them into a bundle using a rubber band (See Photo Below).  Then hang the bundle upside down in a cool and dark place to allow the sage leaves to completely dry out.  How much time it will take for the leaves to dry out depends on how many stems are in a bundle, airflow, temperature and humidity.  Allow the bundle to dry until the leaves are crunchy.
Organic Sage, Dried


Step 2 
After your sage is brittle to the touch, strip the sage leaves from the stems of the plant and place the leaves into a bowl or directly into the food processor.
Organic Sage Leaves


Step 3
Place the leaves into a food processor (if you haven't already).  I am using a small Ninja food processor.
Dried Sage leaves in Ninja food processor


Step 4
Give the food processor a few pulses until the dried sage is finely ground.  Then pour the sage into your clean container.
Freshly ground organic sage
As you can see, grinding up your spices can take less than five minutes of your time, and is well worth the effort.  Not only will you be getting high, quality herbs from your organic garden, but you will also be saving money and saving yourself a trip to the grocery stores.