Living Naturally
How do you use extra mint leaves? Here are 12 marvelous uses for mint around the home and garden—from culinary to medicinal to mouthwash to bug repellent!Meet the MintsWhat do you know about the mint family, Lamiaceae, the sixth- or seventh-largest of the flowering plant families?The most common and popular mints for growing are peppermint (Mentha × piperita), native spearmint…
We’re betting many of you have ground ivy in your yard or garden. This unassuming plant appears in early spring, along with the dandelions. While often considered an invasive weed, ground ivy is a perennial herb with an often-forgotten culinary and medicinal history. Learn about the many uses and benefits of ground ivy!What is Ground Ivy?Ground ivy (Glechoma Hederacea) is a perennial…
Have you ever canned tomato sauce? This super-basic canned (jarred) tomato sauce contains only tomatoes—with a little lemon juice or acid for safety. We seal the jars in a boiling water bath. No special “canner” needed. Get ready to use up all those end-of-summer tomatoes! I grew up in a small-town neighborhood in a family that tended a big vegetable garden, fruit trees, and…
You might know garlic as your favorite fall crop and a wonderful addition to your shrimp scampi, but it also has a long history of healing. See some of garlic’s glorious health benefits and consider adding an extra clove of garlic to your next meal!I grow lots of garlic and look forward to my mid-October garlic-planting ritual when the weather is usually still warm enough to work without a…
Got dry skin? Turn herbs into a healing salve. Herbal salves have been used for centuries as the premier household first aid for chapped skin, scrapes, and more. While the word “salve” may sound fancy, it refers to a two-ingredient ointment that takes 30 minutes to make, start to finish. Learn how!A salve is simply an oil (olive oil, almond oil) infused with herbs and combined with wax…
Rethink the cloves in your spice rack! From fighting inflammation to boosting digestion, this common spice has many unexpected health benefits. Learn more about cloves’ many uses and how to incorporate them into your diet.When you think of cloves, what comes to mind? For me, it’s all about the holidays. We started a tradition of making gingerbread cookies every year for my son’s…
What’s that smell? There are many ways to mask bad odors in your home, but how do you truly eliminate them? Here’s how to get rid of bad household smells once and for all!Why Can We Smell?Neuroscientists say humans can distinguish 10,000 scents, though we don’t have names for many of them.Our sense of smell—the olfactory sense—brings depth and emotional richness…
Most of us keep a few basics on hand: pantry staples, first-aid items, cleaning and laundry products, and personal care items such as soap, shampoo, and deodorant. Eyeing my list as I headed into town one day, I had to chuckle. Most of the half-dozen staple items on my list that day fell into two, three, or all of the above categories.Later that day, I made a list of my most common household…
Let’s celebrate the many ways that we enjoy coffee and coffee grounds, from the garden to the home to your health. Here are 15 uses for ground coffee to get you started.I love my coffee strong and black. The beans come from our local food co-op—fair-trade, organic French Roast—and we grind them fresh for every pot, leaving a lot of coffee grounds.Sometimes, I feel coffee…
Growing pumpkins or squash? If you have squash pests, covering them with pantyhose, tights, or stockings keeps them safe and lets enough air in to let the fruit mature! This technique works well for apples, too, and storing onions and garlic. See new uses for old socks and nylon stockings.Like me, you probably have a drawer or box with tights and nylon stockings that you no longer wear. And…
I’ve lived in an old house sheathed with cedar shingles for decades, throughout which I’ve often (but never intentionally) shared it with mice, flying squirrels, chipmunks, and, occasionally, Norway rats. What to do? Here’s advice for identifying, controlling, and preventing rodents in the home.How Do Rodents Get In?Rodents can enter through impossibly tiny openings: A rat or…
If you burn firewood, you have wood ashes. Don’t throw them out! There are many surprising ways to use ashes around the garden and home. Here are five practical ideas.Each cord of firewood you burn will leave you with about 20 pounds of ashes or more, depending on your fuel source, heating appliance, and wood-burning skill.Instead of putting them out with the trash, use your…