Green Goddess Chive Dressing

Ingredients

• ½ cup mayonese
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
• 1 chopped green onion
• 1 clove of garlic, peeled
• 1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Preparation

In a blender or food processor, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, chives, green onion, garlic, vinegar, tarragon, sugar and Worcestershire sauce and blend until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until serving. It will keep up to three days in the refrigerator.

Chives

Chives grace the garden with bright green stems and pinkish-purple pom-pom blooms — all of which offer a distinctly mild onion flavor. Versatile and easy-growing, chives thrive in containers and also form an eye-catching edging in planting beds. Place chives with convenient harvest in mind; a pot near the kitchen door keeps garden-fresh flavors close at hand. After chives flower, cut plants to encourage new growth, trimming a portion of the clump at a time. In wintry regions, as the growing season winds down, dig up a few bulbs to tuck in a pot for on a sunny windowsill.

Benefits

Anti-Cancer Properties

Chives might also help in the fight against cancer because they contain many antioxidants that help destroy free radicals and discourage the growth of cancerous cells and tumors. Wong and Ricci note that chives help your body produce glutathione, an agent that enables your body to identify toxins and other cancer-causing substances and eliminate them.

Wealth of Nutrients

Adding a sprinkle of chives to a potato dish, bowl of soup, pasta recipe or tossed salad is a simple way to do something small for your health. Just 1 tbsp. of chives supplies many vitamins and minerals, including 9 mg of potassium, 3 mg of calcium, 78 mcg of beta-carotene, 3 mcg of folic acid and 6 mcg of vitamin K. Chives also supply lesser amounts of magnesium, iron and trace amounts of several B vitamins.

Rosmarinus officinalis L. Romero, romaní

Familia: LABIATAEAE (LAMIACEAE) Origen geográfico: Zonas periféricas al Mediterráneo. Descripción: Pequeño arbusto leñoso, con hojas lineares verdes, pero algo blanquecinas y lanosas por debajo. Flores rosadas de morfología particular, con los pétalos superiores como un casco y el inferior semejante a una lengua con lineas violáceas que marcan a las abejas el camino del néctar. Frutos en cuatro pequeñas nuececillas incluidas dentro del cáliz. Toda la planta es aromática y está repleta de glándulas de aceite esencial. Información de interés y uso: Derivaría del latín ros marinus, el rocío del mar, o del griego rhops myrinos, arbusto aromático, según otros autores. Es una planta tan utilizada que hay un dicho popular “de las virtudes del romero se puede escribir un libro entero”. Es planta medicinal, aromática, cosmética, ornamental, especia, es una antigua planta mágica y religiosa, y un largo etc. Se dice que fue un agua destilada de romero y otras plantas aromáticas lo que rehizo la belleza de la reina de Hungría (1370) y después de sus 70 años fue pedida en matrimonio por el rey de Polonia. Localización: Por toda la Estación.

Chamomile tea

Chamomile tea is known well as an aid to sleep. It is also used to calm nerves, dispel stomach gas and aid digestion. Making your own at home is easy.

Ingredients

• 2-3 teaspoons dried chamomile flowers per cup (use German Chamomile, Matricaria recutita)
• Hot water

5 Steps

1. Put the dried chamomile flowers into a cup.
2. Pour in hot water.
3. Allow to infuse for 3 minutes.
4. Strain into another cup. Use a tea strainer to catch the chamomile flowers.
5. Drink. You can add honey or lemon juice to adjust the taste if desired.

Chamomile

Chamomile’s dainty daisylike blooms glisten when dew-spangled and glow in moonlight. Carpet a garden path or patio with Roman chamomile, a flowering groundcover that releases a delicate fragrance when crushed underfoot. Use this herbal groundcover in the garden to edge beds with a feathery, fast-spreading quilt or to cascade artfully over the rim of containers. German chamomile is a bushy beauty that’s a favorite among bees and butterflies. Tucked into flower beds, it offers season-long color. Chamomile blooms brew a soothing tea. Toss fresh blossoms over salad, or use fresh or dried leaves to season butter, cream sauce, or sour cream.

Benefits

Oil

1. Antiseptic and antibiotic

Chamomile oil cleans and prevents infection when used on the body. It is excellent for use on the skin and hair, but does not damage the scalp. Many use it to kill mites and lice. This powerful oil also helps stop the spread of an existing infection and cures the infection altogether.

1. Stress relief

This is perhaps one of the most popular uses of chamomile. It works as an antidepressant and helps calm nerves and soothes anxiety. Chamomile functions as a mild relaxant and helps calm worry and alleviate stress.

1. Painkiller

Many migraine sufferers rely on chamomile to help ease headache pain and provide relaxation. It is also effective in relieving sore muscles and joint pains. Chamomile works on decreasing pain and swelling and interestingly enough, helps fight tooth decay.

Tea

1. 1.     Soothing stomach

Spasms and cramps are common complaints and even those who suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) will benefit from chamomile tea. It has potent anti-spasm effects and alleviates stomach cramps and discomfort.

1. 2.     Muscle relaxation and immune boost

The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry noted several therapeutic benefits of drinking chamomile tea. Chamomile tea boosts levels of hippurate and is known to provide antibacterial activity. These plant-derived compounds called phenolics are known to boost immune function and improve our ability to fight off infections. This study also noted added benefits of fighting the common cold, muscle relaxation and acting as a mild sedative.

1. 3.     Better skin

The antibacterial properties help improve your skin’s appearance and also calm inflamed and sensitive areas. Simply make a paste of brewed chamomile tea with coarse cornflower or cornmeal. Apply this to your face and allow it to dry. Then use a soft cloth and gently scrub it off. This soothes the skin and helps heal sores.