Spring Thyme!

Woodland Brown 1 quart
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

Thyme is my favorite herb in my garden. It's easy to grow and versatile in cooking - goes well in many dishes. This time of the year my thyme plants are thriving and the fresh spring leaves are beautiful and tasty.

Recently I learned some cool things about thyme I didn't know before.

Did you know...
- Thyme is native to areas such as Asia, southern Europe and the Mediterranean region.

- It retains its flavor on drying better than many other herbs. As a rule of thumb, use one third as much dried as fresh thyme, a little less if it is ground.

- Either in its fresh or dried form, should be added toward the end of the cooking process since heat can easily cause a loss of its delicate flavor.

- 20-54% of thyme leaves contain Thymol, which is an antiseptic and is the main active ingredient in Listerine mouthwash. Before the advent of modern antibiotics it was used to medicate bandages.

- The ancient Egyptians used it as an embalming agent to preserve their deceased pharaohs.

I'm fascinated by all the great things I learned about this herb from www.wikipedia.com and www.whfoods.org. I've gained a whole new respect for this plant and will be more mindful of it's power when I'm gardening or cooking with it.

About the photo
A friend gave me a thyme plant a couple of years ago which I planted in my garden. It has been thriving ever since, and I think of her every time I see the plant. In this photo is the batch I had to prune to keep the plant healthy. I kept it in my fridge for almost 2 weeks - used for cooking, added to salads and gave some to neighbors. A gift that keeps on giving.

Bugs

Bugs
Originally uploaded by love_yellow

Yuck! While hiking on a trail I saw these bugs and was disgusted but also marveled at how these orange colored creatures all ended up on this fence in this pattern. I was nervous that one was going to jump onto me and bite me while I was taking the photo.

I'm a bit torn about bugs... on the one hand some are creepy and annoying, but on the other hand there are beneficial bugs that are necessary. In my vegetable garden I know that ladybugs and praying mantis eat the bad bugs that can kill my plants. And I know that my digestive tract is suppose to be filled with good bugs (bacteria) to prevent the bad bacteria from taking over.

The good bacteria, also known as probiotics, produce vitamins to give you nutrients and enzymes to help you detoxify. I try my best to get a good dose of probiotics by eating fermented foods, raw foods and sometimes taking probiotic supplements. I've even cultured vegetables and made yogurt and they came out great. It wasn't actually that much work but I get lazy and disorganized so I don't do it on a regular basis, though I should.

And as for the bugs out in nature... I've come to terms with the fact that they're there for a reason. And even though I may not like the way some of them look, I try to find something about them to appreciate, though some are easier to appreciate than others. :-)

About the photo
Taken at the Palomarin trail in Bolinas, CA.