One of the joys of retirement is that I have time to explore hobbies. I’ll admit, I’m not much of a gardener, and the desert Southwest makes it even more challenging, but I have a small herb garden in the corner of my yard. Here is where Oregano, Thyme, Mint, and Sage live in large clay pots. Rosemary is a wild thing. She is planted in the ground where she is free to grow where she will.
My garden also includes an agave, a succulent, a jasmine vine, and two lizzards, none of which are edible.
My husband Ed is the chef of the family and the fresh herbs we grow are an important part of his meal creations. This time of year we grow more than we can use, so I’ve divised a simple way to dry and store them. This is my kind of DIY project. No tools, quick and easy.
You will need:
An expansion rod that fits under your kitchen cabinet, and thread or fine string
For this project, you will need to check under your upper kitchen cabinets to see if an expansion rod will fit. This is the key to the project. (Tip: do any adjustments to the fit now… then remove the rod and place it on the counter top while attaching the herbs.)
Gather and rinse your herbs
Oregano and Thyme fresh from the garden
String them
Cut a piece of thread about 10-12 inches long. Wrap one end tightly around the top of several sprigs. (no need to tie if you wrap it securly)
Wrap a second bunch using the other end of the same thread.
Now drape the thread over the expansion rod.
Hang them to dry
Once your bundles of herbs are on the rod, carfully attach the expansion rod under your cupboard and …
Voila! Your DIY Herb Drying Rack is complete! The beautiful hanging herbs will make your kitchen look (and smell) like a gourmet chef’s paradise. (Bonus tip…Stage it with a fancy cookbook to impress your friends. đ
Processing and storing your dried herbs
You will know when your herbs are dry when they are crunchy. Here in the southwest, just a few days is all we need. Grind the leaves in a coffee bean grinder that is used only for herbs,(unless you are partial to coffee-flavored herbs) then store them in airtight containers. (We like these from Bed Bath and Beyond)
So my work here is done. Now it’s Ed’s turn…I wonder what he’ll be making for dinner with oregano and thyme…Italian, I hope….
Bon appitit!
Threads of thought:
Tell me about your garden or your favorite Italian dish!
When I’m not gardening, you will find me writing. Find your copies HERE
The weather reports from family and freinds in the midwest came in last week with tales of ice and snow. It was in the 60s here in the desert, but I was reminded of a surprising snow we had a few years ago. I know, the 2 inches we got that year was pretty pittiful in comparison, but it inspired this story:
The Desert Snowman
by Debra VanDeventer
The sound of the rain hitting the adobe tiled roof had stopped during the night. I open the blinds to reveal the morning sun blocked by gray clouds and crystal white silent snowflakes. One, maybe two inches are piled up like foolish frosting on the brightly colored cushions of the poolside chaise lounges. We had moved to the Southwest to escape the winter snows …and yet⌠I pull on yoga pants, boots, and a sweatshirt and scurry out to our desert garden.
The unexpected rush of cool air delights me. I scoop up a handful of the wet, sticky snow and fashion a small ball, then another, and another to form a tiny snowman. I know I must work quickly. Returning to the house, I gather a baby carrot, two raisins, a scrap of ribbon, and race back outside to add the final touches that bring my creation to life. Although short in stature, as snowmen go, he stands courageous and defiant among the cacti.
This baby Norfolk pine tree is an unlikely canditate for a Christms tree. Or is it?
Christmas Past (1974)
It was our first Christmas together as a married couple. Our apartment was tiny, but cozy and close enough for us to walk to the campus of Ball State University where we were finishing up our degrees. The balance in our bank account was as small as our apartment and weâd be returning to our hometown to celebrate the holiday with our families that year. It made little sense to decorate for Christmas. I thought Iâd be OK with that, but as we approached the holiday, it just didnât seem right. I felt like Charlie Brown in the Christmas special when he said âwhat this place needs is a tree.â
John (not his real name) was a student in my first grade class and, nine years later, was also a student in my husband Edâs high school biology class. I remember him as a lively red-haired little guy. By the time he was in high school, âlivelyâ would be a mild term. Ed saw through the antics and challenged this bright young man to live up to his potential. After he graduated from high school, John joined the Marines. Ed and I kept in touch, often taking him out for lunch when he was home on leave. Weâd lost touch for a while, and were excited to receive an invitation to his wedding this fall. Of course, we had to go.
Itâs that time of year again. Pumpkin carving, trick-or-treaters, classroom parties. Being retired, I no longer have to plan and take part in classroom Halloween activities. But Iâve experienced my share of them during my 37 year career as a kindergarten, first-grade, and fourth-grade teacher. Here are my Ghosts of Halloween past:
One of my first Halloweens as a teacher…Jeans, straw hat, hubby’s flannel shirt…A Scarecrow? Spooky owls with egg carton eyes hang from the ceiling.
Kindergarten
I started my teaching career as a kindergarten teacher in 1975. During that time kindergarten was a half-day program in public schools, if they even offered it at all. In one sense, the half-day time frame was a great setup for Halloween. The students came to school dressed in costume and we played some games (Guess whoâs under the mask, Halloween Bingo, maybe a simple art activity.) A school-wide parade would follow. Kindergarteners always led the way, and we picked up the other-grade classes as we wound our way around the school. By the end of the morning, we had a snack… brought in by parents, homemade, and extra sugary. If you were lucky enough to reserve one of the schoolâs projectors, you could end the session with the Charlie Brownâs Great Pumpkin. By then, it was time to send the little goblins home on a sugar high for the parents to deal with.
Half-day Kindergarten teachers had one disadvantage, however. After a quick lunch break, during which I had to clean up the classroom and reset my activities, I had to get ready to party all over again with the afternoon session, pretending that I was equally enthused the second time around.
First Grade
Sometime during my years as a first grade teacher, things began to change. The first wave of social consciousness and health awareness hit the school scene and altered our holiday celebrations. Some parents objected to Halloween on religious grounds and did not want their children to dress up in objectionable costumes such as witches or devils. In some years, we banned the word âHalloweenâ and called the celebration at the end of October âHarvest Festivalâ. Students could dress in costume if they came as a book character. (“But Mrs. VanDeventerâŚ. Spiderman is in a book!”)
Miss Viola Swamp
Viola was a mean substitute teacher…
…who arrived to tame Miss Nelson’s unruly class in this James Marshall book
School officials wanted to focus on health. Sugary treats were banned in favor of âhealthy snacksâ and teachers scrambled to come up with ways to make carrot sticks and cheese look like fun. (I remember making spiders out of Ritz Cracker-and-peanutbutter bodies with pretzel-stick legs and raisin eyes. Yum..)
Fourth Grade
During my last three years of teaching as a fourth-grade teacher, Halloween was back and costumes were allowed. However, you had many, many state standards to cover and couldnât afford to âtake a day offâ to party. Movies were not allowed unless there was a specific âtie-in” with the curriculum. Sorry Charlie (Brown.)My teaching team and I came up with what I thought was a great idea. Each of the 4 teachers created a standard-based, Halloween-themed activity in Language Arts, Math, Science, or Writing. The students rotated through the classrooms throughout the day, keeping everyone engaged until the end-of-the-day snack. Unhealthy treats were allowed in moderation… except now everyone has allergies. No peanuts, gluten, dairy, tree nutsâŚ..
Retired
Itâs fun to think about those days and sometimes, I really do miss the kids, the excitement, the fun. But now Iâm happy to say that I celebrate Halloween with pictures of my grandchildren in their costumes and by sitting in my driveway on a warm Arizona night handing out candy to the neighborhood kids.
( I hold back a few of the snickers to eat while Iâm watching The Great Pumpkin from the comfort of my own living room.)
Granddaughters Melanie (AKA Elsa) and Michaela (AKA Mayura Miraculous) have fun at the Trunk-or -Treat sponsored by Autism Community Connections https://autismcc-in.org/
Threads of Thought
Read more about my experiences in teaching and retirement in my newly released book: Out of the Crayon Box: Thoughts on Teaching, Retirement, and Life
