Simple Thrift and Herbs

Saving money, time, energy. And chatting about herbs.

  • Chamomile (matricaria recutita)

    Isn’t she lovely? Chamomile I think, does not get the respect she deserves. Most people see ‘chamomile’ and think ‘sleepytime tea’. And while that is true (most of the time), it pigeonholes this lovely herb. Chamomile is so much more. Matricaria recutita has a picture that goes with her of the type of people that… Read more

  • Pizza Crust

    I looked at recipes, and tried a bunch, before I found this one. Many recipes for pizza crust are fine, but they make a crust that is limp. You can’t really pick up the pizza and eat it – you have to eat it with a fork. And where’s the fun in that?! Pizza Crust… Read more

  • Baking Mix

    I’ve tried a lot of different recipes for a homemade baking mix like Bisquik. A lot of them just didn’t work – too greasy, too… just not right. This one works! And works really well. I store mine in a cool dry area of my pantry, but if you don’t use it often, I would… Read more

  • Recipes to Stretch Meat, part II

    OK – sorry about last week. I will try to stay on track this week, but no promises! Meat – my gracious. So expensive these days. Right now, pork seems to be the most economical as far as price. I do know quite a few folks that do not eat pork (religious or health reasons),… Read more

  • Recipes to stretch meat, Part I

    We tend to raise or buy most of our meat in bulk, and well, it’s been a minute since I’ve even looked at the price of meat in the stores. Dang, beef prices are scary. I might be OK with them if I knew I was getting great quality meat, and it was coming from… Read more

  • Yellow Dock (Rumex crispus)

    Meet my friend yellow dock (Rumex crispus). They decided a great place to grow would be my front flower bed, and I let them stay. Unfortunately, they invited a TON of relatives to move in, and now they (like my friend Motherwort) are trying to take over my front yard. The brown bits at the… Read more

  • Storing Cabbage

    We’ve had a couple light frosts, but our first hard freeze is coming in a few days. I have harvested melons, tomatoes, peppers, squash, and pumpkins – and some herbs- but root crops and cole crops (cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower) will last a bit longer. That being said, they don’t like a hard freeze, so today… Read more

  • Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)

    Isn’t she beautiful? Melissa is one of my favorite herbs. She is a mint (Lamiaceae), so she will spread, but mine has been exceptionally well-behaved. She stays in a raised bed made of a tractor tire, hanging out with her friend Violet (Viola odorata). Lemon balm looks a lot like mint, but if you crush… Read more

  • Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)

    Just look at her! I imagine this plant as a mom with unbrushed hair that is just losing her mind and shaking her head and screaming. Surprisingly, I’ve had folks from out of state nod knowingly and say, “Oh. You grow your own.” No – it’s not marijuana. Please don’t steal and smoke all my… Read more

  • Cream of Whatever soup

    To state the obvious, food prices are insane. And I am enough of a Midwestern/Southern girl, that having a can of cream of fill-in-the-blank soup means I can fix a casserole with anything. But those cream soups get expensive. Looking at Walmart online, they are 72 cents a can today. (I know, I really need… Read more