Lemongrass

Remember my Baked/Roasted Chicken recipe? I used lemongrass (tanglad) there.The I thought maybe some readers don't know what it is, so I am posting about it while I am thinking about it, especially that my hubby always buys roaster chicken now (he really loves my baked chicken!)



My friend Ana divided her plant and gave half to me. I place in in a potting plant and nurtured it. Then during winter, Ana and her spouse spent the season in a less colder place, and her indoor plants were taken care of by her sister-in-law, who watered them as needed. However, she forgot to lock the door, which was blown open by the wind, killing all Ana's indoor plants. Good thing that I have propagated mine (so that I have made two pots already). And in several weeks I can further divide the two pots. Now I wonder what I will do with my extra plants? I hope I will meet more Pinays in my area to whom I can give my excess plants/produce.



So maybe some of you will decide to plant one inside the house, too. It's quite easy to maintain. Just have a handy small bag of Miracle-Gro and water it (with the fertilizer, prepared according to the instruction) weekly or so depending on the dryness of the soil. When handling it, be careful as the blades are quite sharp and can cut your skin easily.

Freezing Fresh Herbs and Spices

When I get parsley, chives, and other fresh herbs from the grocery store, I usually use only about a tbsp or two, and I am left with a lot! Sometimes I also have celery sticks and bell peppers (leftover from parties) that I would hate to waste by throwing away. So, I store them for later use in making soups or spicing up sauces by chopping them, putting them in ice cube trays, filling with water then freezing. When they have turned into ice cubes, I place them in resealable plastic bags (grouped accordingly), ready to be used anytime! (It's the same thing I do with my frozen beef broth pre-measured at 1-cup amounts.) It sure saves time and money!