Fresh herbs in winter

Two of my favorite herbs to use fresh in winter, are basil and rosemary.

Rosemary is evergreen in the Seattle area. I keep two pots of rosemary on my deck, pulled close to the house when the wintry frosts are prevalent in December and January.

About once a month, I go out there and clip off a few sprigs, to keep in a drinking glass, with about 1 inch of water in it, in the fridge. I don't cover the rosemary, as I do with parsley, but leave open on a shelf.

When I want rosemary for cooking, I simply reach inside my fridge, and there it awaits me. Rosemary sprigs, kept this way, last about 1 month, for me.

Basil is my other favorite fresh herb to use in winter. I keep a pot of living basil on the windowsill of my kitchen.

In early August, I plant a pot of basil seeds, and keep outdoors for a month. Around mid-September, I bring this pot of basil into the kitchen, to sit in the sunny window on the south side of the house. I have fresh basil to pinch off when I want it all winter long.

This last week, I added fresh basil leaves to an onion and cheese pizza, just as I pulled it out of the oven. And rosemary is a regular addition to winter favorites like oven-roasted potatoes, rosemary French bread, lentil soup, and focaccia.

Do you grow herbs indoors in winter? Do you have one of those fun aerogardens, for growing under lights? How about a sunny windowsill where you grow an indoor herb garden?

Some folks get their Christmas treats before Christmas . . .

. . . and other folks get them after Christmas! 

Out running errands on Saturday, and while waiting for my daughter to check out the yarn at Michaels, I checked out the Christmas baking/candy-making supplies. Everything 80% off.

I found peppermint candy-flecked, white chocolate chips, for making peppermint bark, for 59 cents a 10-oz bag. Perfect timing, as that evening, we'd planned our tree and house de-decking party. I usually prepare a few Christmas-y foods or drinks for the event. So, this year, I made some peppermint bark, to go with our marked-down eggnog (49 cents/quart).

While at Michaels, I also picked up a couple of Easter basket stuffers, and next Christmas's stocking candy. I buy our holiday candy on clearance, and save until the next year. I double bag the lot, and store in one of the holiday storage trunks, in a cool closet. That's not all. I found some fun baking things, too, like Christmas paper cups/liners (39 cents) for muffins, cakes and cookies, and a snowflake cookie cutter (19 cents).

Looks like we're set for next Christmas!

Anybody else buy next year's holiday treats at after-holiday clearance sales? Have you found a good way to store what you've bought, so you keep it hidden, but don't forget that it's there? Do you ever buy these after holiday treats to have right away?