Good Season'n With Herb'n Renewal

As a child, I would have been thrilled to wake up and see that there was no school and the hills had snow on them. I could spend the day sledding and then come in to the house and find that my mom had opened a can of soup, heated it and that sure helped warm me up!

As an older adult, I wake up and have to roll into position to see out of my window...cautiously I might add so as to not move a joint quickly which would mean much pain. It does not matter if there is snow or not, because I am not leaving the semi warmth of my home and I now know how to make my own flavorful soups with ease!

Getting old does have its advantages...we do not have to go sleigh riding, we do not have to really enjoy the snow and if we don't want to leave our homes we do not have to...the grandkids can find their own way to our doors! Lol The good part is they can be met with the scent of wonderful homemade soups cooking on our stoves.

Herb'n Renewal really does take the guesswork out of seasoning! Here's a great starter soup for a cold winter day.

Chicken Veggie'n Rice Stew

1-2 lb. chicken, cooked & diced

1 cup celery, chopped

1 cup onion, chopped

2 tbsp. olive oil

4 qt. chicken stock

1 lb. frozen mixed vegetables

1 1/2 cup white rice

2 tbsp. RUB'N SEASON POULTRY

Roux for thickening (optional)

In a large pot, saute' celery and onions in olive oil for 5-10 minutes. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Add everything else, except the roux! Bring back to a boil, reduce heat and simmer till the veggies and rice are tender...about 1 hour. Thicken with roux (equal parts melted butter and flour mixed together) if desired.

Enjoy the snow from the inside of your warm home!!!!

Looks like it is going to be a hot one at the Bluegrass Farmers' Market tomorrow. Its a good thing Drew took that into consideration when he was trying to decide what to sample at the market. Look for some “Not Your Average” egg salad! He'll also be making sandwiches with crisp fresh lettuce from our garden...it's the last of it for the season.

Karin has been busy in the soap shop, so look for a new soap this week...Little Bit O'Loofah! It smells wonderful and the loofah slice in the center adds a bit of whimsy and great exfoliating too!

The fresh tomatoes are in at the market so make sure you grab some of our Salsa Season'n. It really is sooooo simple to make and quick too! Simply dice tomatoes, onions, green peppers and add the seasoning. You're done and ready to enjoy!

Don't forget that special dad in your life! Have to admit that I was semi thinking of my dad when I created a great gift basket to take to the market tomorrow. It's got Craftsman BBQ tools in it! It's loaded with some of Herb'n Renewal's favorite grilling herb blends. I had to laugh and shed a tear at the same time. My dad was an avid woodworker but he couldn't boil water! HaHa I kept seeing the word “Craftsman” and thinking about him and his tools. Then I looked at the seasoning and thought how he would have passed it over to my mom so that she could cook him something. I miss my dad.

Heading to the kitchen to pack while Drew boils and peels the eggs. I gave him that job because I have a tendency to peel off half of the egg every time...he's much better at it. Guess all of those years spent in a kitchen paid off!

Hope to see you all at the Bluegrass Farmers' Market tomorrow...Herb'n Renewal will be there from 9 until 2!

I had one of those brilliant moments this winter while going through the seed catalogs.  Heck, why not introduce something new to our 100% homegrown farmers market...the Bluegrass Farmers' Market!  So, I ordered the seeds and planted them. :)

At first I thought what the heck, it said 40 days to harvest and it's been 6 days already...nothing.  How could these things possibly be ready for the market?  Well, then they just seemed to grow over night!!!  Who knew!  Certainly not us herb farmers.  EEK!  Our herbs are nice steady growers and don't go bananas over night!

We, or I should say "I" learned a good lesson...stick with what you know how to grow.  But, I have to admit that the yellow flowers are beautiful and they (hopefully) will continue to bloom all summer long...even if we can't enjoy the anticipated stir fry! 

This is me crawling back to my herb garden with my eyes towards the ground...except for a quick peek at those pretty yellow Pak Choy flowers!  I love farming or maybe I should say "herbing!"

BTW, please help us become America's favorite farmers market by voting for the Bluegrass Farmers' Market in Lexington, KY.  It's Lexington's only 100% homegrown/produced market and I promise we really do have farmers who know what they are doing with their veggies.  http://www.farmland.org/vote

Poor “Chuck” decided that he had other plans for us last Saturday and we missed the market. We actually spent most of the day on the side of Rt. 27 trying to figure out why he kept spitting a main belt out each time we started him up! Believe me, we would much rather have been at the market especially since we were loaded down with freshly harvested lettuce, herbs and a bunch of Herb'n Buns! Hey, the folks that stopped to help us ate good that night! Lol

So, a full day later, we think “Chuck” is once again in full service. We drove him into the big city of Lancaster last night so that we could take our GAP (Good Agricultural Practices) class and I'm happy to say we both passed with flying colors! But, I don't think anyone has ever failed. HaHa! It just means that Drew and I are both certified GAP and qualified to hand out samples at the market. Poor Drew, my brain started working on the way home as I thought of things we could sample using what was available at the market. Honestly, I think he was looking for a big rock to hide under...sorry Drew...part of the market experience!

We've got some more good news. Herb'n Renewal is now back at the Wood Shack in Bryantsville! It's been awhile since we have had our seasoning there and it's nice to be back. If you've never been to the Wood Shack, this weekend is a perfect time to start. They are having a “Picnic On The Porch” to celebrate Memorial Day and you'll find 20%-70% off throughout the whole place. It's a country decor lovers dream come true! Country crafts, florals, quilts, candles, gifts and of course herb seasoning! They've been in business at the same location for 22 years so “the Shack” is there to stay! If you happen to be looking for a great place to visit this weekend, you can find them at the junction of Rt.27 and Rt. 152...it's only about a 30 minute drive from Lexington. And, they'll have free food and drinks on Saturday, Sunday and Monday from 10 until 6!

One last thing before I head to the kitchen to bake...please take a moment out of your Memorial Day celebrations to remember why we even have Memorial Day. We has so much to be thankful for because of the men and women who have given their lives for our country. We salute you and your families. Don't forget to fly your flag in their honor! We'll be flying ours at the Bluegrass Farmers' Market this Saturday from 9 until 2. Our flag always waves in your honor on the farm!

We're so excited to be back at the Bluegrass Farmers' Market after a very long winter!

We've been so busy weeding, clearing out beds and planting this spring. It's a good kinda tired though. Then all of a sudden it was time for Drew to head to the kitchen and start blending and Karin had to make soap. We needed to get ready for the market opening and somehow we let time fly by so it's been a very busy week at our farm. Now we are really tired! But, everything is done and ready for Saturday's market. All we have to do is load “Chuck” up and head towards to Lexington.

We've had numerous phone calls asking where to buy or blends and rubs and it was so nice to be able to say “we're back at the market!” We can't wait to see our customers and maybe even get to meet some new folks. Hope to see you all on Saturday at ...

The Bluegrass Farmers' Market

Lexington's only 100% homegrown/produced farmers market

3450 Richmond Rd. in the Fast Signs and Pedal the Planet lot

Saturday 9-2

The opening date for the Bluegrass Farmers' Market has been set and it's April 17^th! It feels so far away with all of the snow on the ground but it really isn't! Yippee, we're ready to get back to the market! And, yes, I did say “we're” that means that both of us will be there this year. Guess I'll be doing the selling and Drew will be manning the grill, kettle, skillet or whatever he happens to be using to create goodies using our seasoning blends and local produce from the market. Have to admit that it will be great having him by my side again...it was kinda lonely without him last year.

Do you remember that little spurt of warmth and sunshine we had the other day? Well, it made think gardening and how much we waste our garden beds each year. Why not utilize them to grow something while I wait for the real summer heat and our basil and tomato plants. So, I went catalog shopping and looked for something that we could grow in the cool spring. Guess what we'll (hopefully) be bringing to the market this spring? Oriental cabbages!!! Yup, I ordered seeds for baby bok choy and pak choy varieties. I know that we love using them at home so why not grow them ourselves and then sell them at the market. With two ounces worth of luck we'll have enough for Drew to even use them to cook with at the market. Wish us luck in our growing endeavor cause that means you get to enjoy tasty samples! :)

Remember to mark your calendars so that you can be sure to join us on opening day of Lexington's only 100% homegrown/produced farmers market...the Bluegrass Farmers' Market!

~*~OPENING DAY~*~

April 17^th

3450 Richmond Rd. in the parking lot of

Fast Signs and Pedal the Planet

9 until 2

Free and Easy Parking!!!

Hope to see you there!

We've had an unexpected change of plans, so Herb'n Renewal will NOT be at Botanica's Christmas Bazaar...but you'll still be able to find plenty of other goodies!

*~*Botanica's Christmas Market and Bazaar*~*

Saturday, November 28, 2009 10:00am - 5:00pm

Sunday, November 29, 2009 12:00 noon – 5:00pm

A great time to get your Christmas shopping out of the way...

while supporting local artisans, growers and producers!

Botanica will have our wonderful Christmas gifts and decor including

fresh wreaths, garland, and centerpieces!

Craft Vendors will be offering unique gifts

Reflections of Africa's bead work

Handmade Swarovski & Silpada designed jewelry

Wooden nativity scenes

Personalized stationary by The Envelope Please and Itouch

Handcrafted baskets

Painted ceramic tiles

Christmas ornaments

Mary Kay® products.

Kentucky Proud Members will be bringing

Fresh produce

Jams and jellies

Homemade soaps

Beer cheese

State-winning local honey from Keith Green

Goodies from Karamel Kreations

Handmade quilts

Gourd birdhouses

Animal fiber art/felting/spinning

And, so much more!

~*~ Refreshments will be provided ~*~

Bring 1 canned food item for a chance to win a custom designed wreath!

Food donations are going to The Lighthouse Ministries

Directions:

From Lexington, go out Richmond Road to Jacobson Park and bear right on Old Richmond Road. Go exactly 4 miles

From I-75 go to the Athens-Richmond Road exit, go to Jacobson Park (about 2-3 miles), turn left on Old Richmond Road and go exactly 4 miles