So fresh and green
There’s something so exciting about using herbs from your own garden for dinner.
It also makes me feel very Ina Garten, which few things have the ability to do.
Anyway, not only do fresh herbs add an awesome boost of flavor, homegrown herbs even more aromatic than storebought. It made me so excited to go out and snip a bunch of thyme to use for last night’s roast chicken.
Check out the baby basil sprouting!
It will be lovely if I can get my one-year old to stop eating it 😉
She comes out to help me water, and will say “Bite?” before grabbing a handful of basil leaves and stuffing them into her gullet. She walks around the yard watering with me, “mmmmm!”-ing the whole time.
We also have a new hibiscus bush… I’m somehow turning into a plant lady since I’ve managed to keep my flowers alive for a couple of months now. I’m hoping with lots of water they’ll make it through the summer, even though the Arizona sun (and my eventual forgetfulness) will do its best to torch them.
Some other things I’ve been enjoying lately:
my favorite Cobb salad, using turkey bacon since I’m a little tempeh-ed out at the moment. The ingredient that takes it over the top is the creamy, light almond milk-based dressing.
Coconut popsicles:
And smoothies! I’m loving all of the pics you’ve sent in so far 🙂 I’m cheating and picking one up at Whole Foods right now, since I have to grab a couple of groceries.
I have a lot left to do before heading out for tomorrow’s Aqua Zumba certification. If you think Zumba is lame, my recap probably won’t change your mind, haha. Pool workouts always look a little goofy, but don’t let them deceive you- they’re HARD! When I first took a pool class, I thought it would be such a joke, and it ended up killing me. The fact that I’m not a great swimmer doesn’t help me 😉 Anyway, I think that teaching Aqua Zumba might make me actually look forward to teaching pool. In any case, I’m really excited to shake my booty all day and have a new certification under my belt.
Speaking of Zumba, I filmed a new video to share with ya! It will be up Friday morning (Fiesta Friday! Ay ay ay!).
Have a lovely night <3
xoxo
Gina
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Ha – that’s too cute that Liv will eat the basil right off the plant! I want to have a little herb garden – especially for rosemary, chives, and some of the other seasonings I use a lot. I love getting it so fresh. Have a great night Gina!
I’m so excited for your new Zumba video! I’ve been addicted to Zumba lately. I may do a Zumba marathon this Sunday!
Oh, I wish I could grow fresh herbs! I tried to do a window box but all of these weird gnats showed up. We are gone all summer so I can’t plant outside.
Where did you find those Popsicles???
I love Ina! I call her my Aunty Ina, because I wish she were my family. I pray your herbs and flowers survive the summer, I have faith in you!
I just bought some herbs to plant, so I’m hoping they actually make it through! My thumb is anything but green.
That salad is so pretty, I can’t get enough of salads and smoothies packed with greens! Yum.
The best part of summer is being able to grow veggies and herbs outdoors but I am anticipating a super hot and (as a result) difficult climate to grow them ! However, if the herbs do well, I freeze them for the rest of the year!
I am so envious of your green thumb! I really want to grow my own herbs but need to find the time to get the process started, you have defiantly inspired me 🙂 sending you a great hump day 🙂 love + shine Courtstar
Ahhhhh I am so jealous of you and Liv’s fresh basil! I attempted to grow it for the THIRD time.
It lasted three weeks. One day!
I’m disappointed that I don’t have anyplace to grow herbs this summer! Fortunately my Dad’s a huge gardener and retired this year, so I plan on hitting up his garden as often as possible 😉
I LOVE fresh herbs!! I was so “spoiled” growing up, we had this amazing garden every summer and my mother’s specialty was tomatoes- so now I have the hardest time buying/eating store bought tomatoes if they’re not incredibly flavorful and fresh! (I used to pick them and eat them like apples… seriously… so I guesss I know where Liv is coming from 😉 )
I’m excited about a smoothie a day in May! Started today with a superfood smoothie. That salad looks amazing- I think I’m going to have to re-create that.
Oh Ina. My sister and I always laugh at her insistence that you must use “really good {insert ingredient here}”. Really good dijon mustard, really good olive oil, really good white wine vinegar. I mean… what differentiates plain old vinegar from really good vinegar? I do love her though 😉
Yay for growing things! I suck at it, but am on a mission this year. Unfortunately, we have to wait foreverrrrr to plant things in the ground here in Colorado. With good reason because it’s the first day of May and my ground is covered in thick wet snow 🙁 But it’s watering my bulbs so it’s all good 🙂
Can’t wait to hear your view on aqua Zumba my YMCA offers it once a week and due to arthritis in my hips regular is out, but most things pool based I’m ok with and I’ve been thinking of trying it!
How do you prevent Livy from picking other plants and eating them? Like how does she know basil is the “safe” plant to eat?
The herbs are all together and potted. One of us is always with her and watching her- she’s never tried to pick and eat a random plant
Looks delicious! Can you post the recipe you used for the chicken
haha I totally thought I killed my basil plant today, I put it in full sun and it was entirely drooped over when I looked at it later. So i brought it in and watered it like crazy and its nice and perky again. I love fresh herbs from a home garden! so much easier than buying, and cheaper!
Yay for homegrown herbs!! Nothing tastes better than meals spiced up with the garden’s wins. The salado looks delicious. And amazeballs with berries? Genious!!!
Fresh herbs from my garden is one of my favourite things about summer! I just wish it was easier to grow cilantro – I always manage to kill that one. 😛
Aqua Zumba sounds so cool, I hope my gym offers it soon. And that Ina Garten gif is hilarious and spot on haha! I always thought that watching her show. My roommate wants to grow some of her own vegetables this season but we’ve never thought of going the fresh herb route. I bet they’re delicious though!
Have you ever posted any pool workouts? I love the pool and its no impact but would love to have other ideas besides swimming.
I’ve tried growing herbs a couple of times – never successfully. So cute that your little helper also samples the goods!!
be thankful she’ll eat green foods! no surprise that your kid would, though 😉 so many kids (and adults!) these days won’t eat anything that even resembles healthy food! what fun and healthy memories you’re making for her 🙂
I’ve tried so many times to plant my own herb garden, but I always end up killing them. I’m the kiss of death to all plant life. One of my goals for this year is to change all of that because it would be amazing to have my own fresh herbs!
We live in Houston so grow fresh herbs & veggies year round. LOVE IT. Basil, sage, thyme, lavender, mint, three types of peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, carrots, tomatoes, dill, etc, etc … all on our little apt balcony! It’s such a joy to garden. 🙂
Does anyone have tips on cilantro and rosemary? Those are my biggest failures! Three tries and no takers for each!
I really want to do container herbs, but I also have a terrible track record with anything plant-like. Still, I’m tempted! Maybe this weekend.
I forgot to check in yesterday, but I’m two for two on smoothies!
OMG. I need those popsicles NOW.
I wish I could already have a bunch of herbs ready to be eaten fresh- we had snow 2 days ago, so I feel like it’s a little early for the planting season.
However, your pictures are a glimpse of “things to come”- as spring will eventually make it’s way here.
Yum. I kill most plants. I’m trying mint and basil AGAIN this year!
I took a Zumba class last night (haven’t been able to go in forever due to a schedule conflict which is no more – yay!), & it was awesome! My face was so red after that I was embarrassed to go to the store. 😉 I have a barre DVD that I’ve done at home a few times, but it KILLS me!! (& I’m no stranger to tough leg workouts.) I may need to switch it up & just do one of the shortened series after a cardio workout.
Put that coconut popsicle in my mouth right now! Love this post.
I have my own herbs on my windowsill! Parsley, basil and chives. Then some sage in the top of my strawberry chimney outside. It’s all about the homegrown this year! 🙂
Have you tried the caribbean fruit floes? SO GOOD.