rosemary Archives - Keeping With The Times

Bath Salts DIY and a Free Download

September 27, 2017 by Barb 20 Comments

Here’s a little bath salts DIY for you! I know, I know, there are tons of ideas for bath salts on Pinterest and yes, I even went there myself ;) but every recipe is a little different and I thought I’d add mine to the mix because I actually use and love it (plus I have a label download for you.)

It all started the other day when I was browsing my favourite book store (a bookstore that shall go unnamed) and I came across a display of spa products. They were absolutely delightful and I spent several minutes sniffing my way around the bath bombs and various soaps.

And although I enjoy smelling the smells, I don’t really love using scents myself (strong ones anyway.) So when I spied the bath salts I started to get a bit more interested. The packaging alone was enough to draw me in. But then I saw the price and (gasp) over $20.00 for a little test-tube size bottle (I kid you not!) of what really amounted to Himalayan Pink Salt.

I’ve never used plain old salt for bathing, but I always use Epsom Salt:

Epsom salt, named for a bitter saline spring at Epsom in Surrey, England, is not actually salt but a naturally occurring pure mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate (Saltworks) (this site has a ton of interesting information about bath salts.)

There are many claims made of Epsom Salt and it’s health benefits and I cannot agree nor dispute any of them. I just know that when I use a cupful of these salts in my bath it makes the water feel softer and I’m not squeaking around in the tub ;) so it’s more relaxing. I also throw in a squirt of unscented body wash.

So I’m thinking … I already have Epsom Salt and I also have a bag of Himalayan Pink Salt which I picked up at a discount store, and that I use in cooking, and I also have some fresh Rosemary still growing in the garden. Time to get my DIY on!!

DIY Bath Salts, Fresh Rosemary, Barb Brookbank, Free Download

DIY Bath Salts with Rosemary

1 cup Epsom Salt
1/4 cup Himalayan Pink Salt
2 tablespoons rosemary, chopped finely (if you don’t have fresh rosemary, just leave it out)
Combine and throw into your bath as the water is running. Add a squirt of your favourite body wash, ease into the bathtub, and enjoy!

This would make an awesome hostess gift or dare I say (Christmas) gift! Just don’t put any fresh herbs in the bottle if the salts are not going to be used right away.

You could include a small potted rosemary plant with the jar of the salts and when packed in a pretty jar with a hand printed tag like mine * your recipient will love it (you:)

Include directions on how to use them together.

*Please feel free to download the tag (for personal use only please :)

There are two versions: one with rosemary, one without.

Label #1

Label #2

Pin for later ;)

Rosemary Windfall (and what to do with it:)

March 31, 2017 by Barb 4 Comments

When you’re in Arizona and the landscapers arrive and start shearing all the rosemary shrubs, you go and get it and you take photos of it! Then you spend all day cooking, baking, and creating!

… you put it into little pots and squish the needles and revel in the scent of it all.

If I’m jealous of any plants growing in Arizona, it would be Rosemary. These shrubs grow with abandon in parking lots and alongside curbs. It’s all I can do to not go around snipping it wherever I go but of course these shrubs are not wild, they’re used in landscaping which means I cannot take it :(

Rosemary is a tender evergreen perennial (grown in most areas of Canada as an annual.) However, I bring my pots inside in autumn and keep it as long as I can, which is usually until after Christmas.

So what do I do with Rosemary?

Apart from loving it’s beautiful form in my garden pots (I prefer the upright variety) I cook and bake with it. I also bathe in it … see my post Spa Day

One of my favourite recipes is Rosemary Thyme Shortbread

You could also try my scrumptious Roasted Garlic, Onion, Raspberry, Rosemary Jam … which would be stupendous served with these crackers :)

And lastly, a few years ago I wrote a post on How to Care for a Fresh Rosemary Plant if you care to take a peek!

It has been a long and difficult week for our family so Five Things Friday will continue next Friday (hopefully.)

Thank you all for being here!

Rosemary Thyme Parmeson Shortbread

July 28, 2015 by Barb 10 Comments

On Sunday I whipped up a batch of Rosemary Thyme Parmeson Shortbread as a way to make use of the abundance of herbs I have growing on my deck.

For me, one of the most calming and satisfying moments in gardening is walking outside with a pair of clippers in hand, ready to snip herbs for a meal I’m preparing. I have fond memories of this ritual going back years and years; back to when I was a newlywed, and we had to drive out to a farmer’s field where we rented a patch of land and filled it with everything from parsley to corn.

I love savoury dishes and anything using herbs paired with parmesan sets my mouth to watering. This recipe is so simple and easy there’s no excuse to not have these on hand all the time. Served with a lovely potato soup … well, does it get any better?

Rosemary Thyme Parmeson Shortbread

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp water

Instructions

In a small bowl, mix together parmesan, salt, pepper, herbs and flour.
Place butter in mixer, and mix on low until fluffy.
Add the parmesan-herb mixture to the butter and beat until combined.
Add 1 tablespoon of water to help bring the dough together.
Flatten the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic, and chill at least 30 minutes.
Roll dough to about 1/4 inch thick.
Use cookie cutters to cut small shapes, re-rolling dough as needed.
Place shortbread on a cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 - 20 minutes. The time depends on how thin the shortbread is, as well as how crispy and toasty you want the finished product.

Rosemary Thyme Parmeson Shortbread, Keeping With the Times

I hope you enjoy these as much as I have!

For my photography tribe … I have a post coming soon describing my food styling process – hope to see you then!

Recipe inspired by the lovely Jennifer Farley of Savory Simple

Spa Day!

March 5, 2015 by Barb 6 Comments

I’ve been dreaming about a spa day … ever since my oldest daughter and her family gave me a gift certificate for my birthday …

I can hardly wait to use it, but until then, I can pretend …

I started by mixing up a batch of my own body scrub. There are so many variations of home-made body scrubs, but the one I prefer uses Epsom Salts (rather than salt or sugar). I added 1 – 2 teaspoons of coconut oil to each 1/4 cup salts. This makes quite a rough scrub (great for feet) but you can add more oil – even a 1 to 1 ratio if you want it smoother. Then I added some chopped fresh rosemary.

I like to use the scrub and then jump right into the bath, and since I always throw in Epsom Salts anyway, this works perfectly.

Because of the fresh rosemary, I would suggest making this scrub in small batches and using it up within a week. Alternatively, you could add some rosemary essential oil which could be stored for a longer time.

These are my images for “stacked” at The Studio Online. I was having a lot of fun with this prompt. As I added elements I was tickled to see how many things were stacked: the stones (and the reflection), the towels, the candle, the leaves of the succulent, and even the plant pot!

Roasted Garlic, Onion, Raspberry, Rosemary Jam

December 3, 2013 by Barb 10 Comments

Roasted Garlic, Caramelized Onion, Raspberry, Rosemary Jam… now that’s a mouthful!

Roasted Onion Garlic Raspberry Rosemary Jam

There are lots of recipes for roasted garlic and onion jams, but this one has a twist that I haven’t seen before.

We were on holidays and I was trying to make this when I realized I didn’t have any sugar. As I rummaged through the cupboard I found a jar of (seedless) raspberry jelly… hmmmm… I wonder how that would taste….

Well, delicious, that’s how! The raspberry jelly makes this tasty treat go right off the charts.

Once I start eating it, quite honestly I can’t stop. Hubby and I have spent quite a bit of time debating as to how best to serve it.

Roasted Onion Garlic Raspberry Rosemary Jam

We came up with quite a few suggestions…

1. With a spoon (me)

2. With meat (he)

3. With crackers and brie (me, he)

4. On a whole baked brie (me, he)

5. With crackers and cream cheese (me)

6. With a fork, or even a knife if needs be (me)

So I thought I’d share my super not so secret recipe here with you, and for me, when next I go to make it and can’t remember what I did.

I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Roasted Garlic, Caramelized Onion, Raspberry, Rosemary Jam

Ingredients

3-4 large onions, chopped
1 Tbsp butter
2 heads garlic (roasted)
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp water
1 jar seedless red raspberry jelly
4 garlic cloves - sliced
3 - 4 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary

Instructions

Cut the top off of the garlic heads and cover in foil. Roast in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes.
In a heavy skillet, slowly saute onions in butter until they have turned a light caramel colour. It may take up to half an hour. Add the balsamic vinegar and water as needed to keep them from drying out. You can't really walk away from this task - you don't want to burn them, so stay close by, and stir often.
Squeeze the roasted garlic into the onions.
In another skillet, saute the garlic slices in butter until lightly browned - this will take about 5 minutes.
Add the raspberry jelly to the onion, roasted garlic mixture and cook and heat until the jelly has melted. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Add the garlic slices, and the fresh rosemary.
Heat gently for about 5 minutes, and ladle into jars. Store in refrigerator.

Roasted-Garlic-Onion-Rosemary-Jam-Collage

Don’t forget the fresh rosemary!

Roasted Onion Garlic Raspberry Rosemary Jam

How to Care for a Fresh Rosemary Plant

November 29, 2013 by Barb 36 Comments

Rosemary is one of my favourite herbs, and while it’s quite easy to grow, I have a few tips on how to care for a fresh rosemary plant.

When I first bring a rosemary plant home from the greenhouse, I like to transplant it into a slightly larger pot that has good drainage holes. That way it has plenty of room to put down a sturdy root system during the summer. When I bring it in for the winter, I may repot once again, as hopefully it will have grown quite a bit.

Rosemary is a tender evergreen perennial grown as an annual in most areas of Canada. It loves full sun, tolerates shade and does very well in containers. It prefers light, well-drained soil.

So here’s the “down and dirty” part. If you want to keep your plant as healthy as possible for as long as possible, this is what I would recommend.

How to Care for a Fresh Rosemary Plant*

Remove your new rosemary plant from pot and if it seems potbound, pinch the roots to loosen, and stimulate growth
Choose a new, larger pot, with good drainage
Rosemary does not like to dry out, but it does not like to stand in water either, so place something on the bottom to help increase drainage even more—I used a plastic liner from one of my summer pots
Put soil in the bottom of the pot
Place the plant inside, then pour more soil down the sides, pressing down as you go until the soil reaches the top, making sure you don’t cover the top of the root ball
Water rosemary when the soil at the top feels dry
I like to either mist or spray the top of the plant quite regularly. It keeps spider mites at bay, and also revitalizes it
Having said this – most experts will tell you powdery mildew is a problem with rosemary, so make sure there is lots of airflow around the plant

This also works well on the large topiary plants available around Christmas-time.