Remarkable Rosemary

Rosemary is a fragrant herb that comes available (in my area) during this time of the year. This herb is an evergreen shrub, with lovely aromatic linear leaves. Colored a dark shade of green the leaves of the rosemary give off a beautiful fragrance,.

I just purchased a pot of Rosemary to plant and looked up some of it's uses:

Cooking with Rosemary
Adding rosemary to stews or sauces couldn't be easier - just drop in the whole sprig.

The leaves will fall off the stem on their own. Remove the stem before serving.

You can also make rosemary-flavored olive oil. Stick a sprig into a small bottle of olive oil, making sure the sprig is completely submerged. Let the bottle sit in a dark place for about a week, then fish out the rosemary sprig and use as you would regular olive oil.

I have used Rosemary to add special seasoning to potatoes, green beans and when roasting meats. It adds delicious flavor to many dishes.

Cleaning with Rosemary
To make a natural disinfectant spray, mix a half-cup of borax into a gallon of hot water. Add a few sprigs of rosemary and let steep for ten minutes. Strain out the rosemary, let cool, and store in a spray bottle.
For a natural scouring powder, combine a half-cup each of baking soda and borax with a tablespoon of crumbled dried rosemary.

You can combine crushed rosemary with baking soda and sprinkle on carpets before vacuuming.

Rosemary Healthy Hygiene

One of the best known uses of rosemary oil is that it serves as an extremely effective mouthwash. It can get rid of halitosis almost immediately after it is taken. This is how the mouthwash is prepared: take about 1 pint of water. Heat it well. Remove it from the heat, then steep 3 tsp. of the dried flowering tops or leaves of rosemary for 30 minutes. Keep the solution properly covered. Strain and keep it in the fridge. Gargle and rinse the mouth every morning or several times daily.
You can also use rosemary to make a hair rinse to make hair shiny. Rosemary is ideal for people who have dark hair because it brings out the highlights. It also helps with dandruff.

Hair Rinse:

• Place sprig in a pitcher of water
• Pour boiling water over rosemary and let steep for 20 minutes.
• Strain the sprig out and let cool.
• Add 1 Tablespoon of vinegar
• Pour rinse over hair. Do not rinse out, dry and style as usual.

Rosemary is a very useful and versitale herb. It would be great to keep around the home or may make a great gift idea!