Dreaming of Spring

I've had spring on the mind, and more specifically gardening.  I'm so excited to starte our first garden at this house.  Right now spring seems so far away.  Since the frost has set in, and all our herbs have died off I thought this would be the perfect time to start an indoor container garden.  I've been saving some plastic containers from cottage cheese, sour cream, and fresh parmesan cheese.  I also won a little Chia starter herb garden from a game of White Elephant with my family on Christmas, that's where the little clay pots and saucers are from.  

I always have a stash of spray paint, so I picked a few colors to spray the containers with.  Then to ensure proper drainage I used a small nail, and hammered several holes into the bottom of the plastic containers.  

Then I filled the container most of the way with soil, and sowed the seeds over the top.  

I added a handful of soil over the top, and watered the new plants.  

I painted a few other containers, but I have to wait a little longer for them to dry.  I'll share photos when they show some signs of growth.  

I'm excited for all the fresh herbs I will hopefully have!  I love using fresh herbs in my cooking, and I can't wait to use my own plants.  Happy DIYing, chris!

Fresh Herb Dijon Mustard Dressing

On hot summer days all I want to eat is fresh picked salads, fruits, and veggies.  If it involves using the stove or oven, I'm not interested in cooking it.  So today I have a super simple salad dressing, a Fresh Herb Dijon Mustard Dressing.  Happy Nom Nom Monday!

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

-  1 Small Lemon

-  1/4 Cup jammed pack with fresh Basil

-  2 Tablespoons fresh Mint (I used Orange Mint)

-  2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard (I used a tablespoon of store brand, and a tablespoon of fancy Sweet Vidalia Onion Mustard)

-  1 Small Clove of Garlic

-  1/4 Cup Cold Water

-  3 Tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (I only had regular olive oil)

Directions:

Pick the basil and mint you'll need.  I've made this dressing before with parsley instead of basil, and it was super yummy too.  Experiment with different herbs, that would compliment the dijon mustard flavor.  Experimenting with different dijon mustards would be fun too!  

Prepare your herbs and clean everything.  Then squeeze the juice out of the small lemon.  Dump all the ingredients expect for the olive oil into a blender.  Blend everything super smooth, about two minutes.  Season with salt and pepper, and then slowly add in the olive oil.  Mix for another minute or so.

Pour into a salad dressing container.

It's a lovely creamy green color.  It's a great flavor for salad dressing.  Usually I'm one to view lettuce as the perfect vehicle to transport blue cheese into my system, but this dressing could have me moving over to the healthier side of salad dressings.  Even my grandmother who is a SUPER picky eater said she liked it, and she's not one to hide her true feelings about anything.  She would definitely tell me if it was gross.  So if you have a picky eater at home, and it's hard to find healthy salad dressings they like, give this a try!  Hope you enjoy!  

Happy DIYing, chris