| Every family can use a variety of dried herbs for | | | | dinner at home any weeknight after work. |
| many different purposes. For cooking, drinking, health, | | | | If you love the wonderful scent that is associated |
| cleaning, crafts and fragrance, herbs and spicesoffer | | | | with many dried herbs, you might also enjoy |
| a wealth of possibilities. | | | | aromatherapy. Aromatherapy utilizes essential oils |
| Keeping a variety of herbs and spices on hand in the | | | | from bulk herbs that are then used in tiny amounts |
| kitchen makes it a pleasure to whip up your favorite | | | | to scent the air in a room or around your person. |
| dishes from regional cuisines. There is no greater | | | | The essential oils produced from dried herbs are |
| pleasure than to step outside into your own | | | | more highly scented when they are heated, and you |
| vegetable garden and harvest the best it has to | | | | will find scent diffusers that achieve this in different |
| offer, or alternately, head out to your local farmers' | | | | ways. |
| market, pick up whatever is freshest that day, and | | | | Dried herbs are also useful around the home. You can |
| then head back to your kitchen to turn it into your | | | | purchase bulk herbs such as lavender and lemon |
| dinner. For impromptu cooking, having a wide range | | | | leaves and use them in cloth bags in your dryer to |
| of herbs and spices makes it easy to season each | | | | gently scent your laundry with a clean, natural |
| ingredient to perfection. | | | | fragrance. You can use bulk herbs to create your |
| Dried herbs are also useful for nights when you pull | | | | own custom potpourri, with ingredients of your own |
| together a "pantry supper." These are the types of | | | | choosing, to scent any room in your home. |
| meals for which you keep the basic staples on hand | | | | Bulk herbs also come in handy for craft and |
| year round. Meals that feature dried rice, beans or | | | | decorating projects. You can craft a wonderfully |
| pastas come to mind, as well as canned ingredients | | | | scented wreath using bulk herbs such as bay leaves |
| such as diced tomatoes, olives and artichoke hearts | | | | or any of the citrus leaves, wired together in |
| can combine into any number of different dishes. | | | | clusters, added to additional dried spices such as star |
| Keeping bulk herbs on hand such as oregano, black | | | | anise, and then grouped around a wire or grapevine |
| pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper, bay leaves, paprika | | | | wreath frame. |
| and others allows you to create dishes from a | | | | This is just a small sampling of ways to use herbs |
| variety of cuisines using simple, easy to find | | | | around your home; there are endless possibilities. |
| ingredients and can be put together quickly for a nice | | | | |