I have fond memories of my grandma who had the proverbial green thumb. She had a lovely garden where everything grew – no matter what seed she planted, they sprouted to life, flowered – whatever it is that plants are supposed to do.

When she passed away, I decided to go after her seemingly life-long pursuit of gardening. The problem was, I did not seem to have her green thumb. This is probably one trait that did not run in the family, lol.

Determinedly, I bought these really expensive flowering pots that you can attach on the window-sill. I love salads, so I planted seeds of the herbs and plants that I can use: lettuce, thyme, basil, chives, what-have-you’s.

All I had to do is plant the seed, water the plant and wait, right? But I soon found out that it takes more than that. Not even one single stem of the herbs that I planted sprung to life.

Just when I decided to give up and replace my “garden” with artificial flowers – the basil plant sprung to life. Weeks later, I have literally grown my first herb garden. When I need herbs for my salads, I just reach over the window sill and pluck out whatever I need.

I guess I did inherit my grandma’s green thumb, after all!

I was checking out the Kitchen Goddess group and came across this recipe for cream cheese, herbs and shrimp spread from Team member FinnLover. I’m always looking for new dips and spreads to try out at parties, and the addition of Nordic shrimp really pulled me in. If you’d like to check out something that will pair wonderfully with crackers, bagels, or a nice fish dish,

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In the colder months I consume a bunch of soup. Likewise in the warmer months, my cravings change and all I want to eat are salads. I especially enjoy a salad where fragrant herbs are incorporated as another leafy green. In this recipe, parsley, cilantro, and chervil are mixed in with butter leaves and tossed with a light champagne vinaigrette. It will pair perfectly with grilled meats, panini sandwiches, fish kabobs, and succulent cheesy soufflés. This salad is so delish you’ll be making it all summer long. To check out the recipe,

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If you’re a big cook with a small kitchen, this Spice Tower ($16) is a great way to store your plethora of spices. The self-stacking, interlocking spice bottles keep your various powders and herbs contained….

While herbal remedies are a good bet for some health problems, they can also create new ones. “For some conditions like depression and chronic pain, herbs might be a less toxic, less extreme kind of solution,” says Kennedy. “These kinds…

With so many companies trying to sell us their marketing copy, the definition of natural, handmade and organic body care products can get lost in the shuffle. I mean, what the hell does it all mean? Shampoos have infusions of a bunch of herbs, body mists have organic water and this other company says their stuff is made by hand. Does it matter? How do…