DIY Herbal Facial Steam

Take time out for an herbal facial. First, wash your face. Place dried or fresh herbs (1 tablespoon of lavender, rosemary, mint or chamomile) in a large heat-proof bowl and slowly pour one pint of boiling water to cover the leaves. Create a tent by wrapping a towel around your head and draping it over the bowl’s rim. Hold your face about 12 inches from the bowl. Close your eyes, relax and inhale the fragrant steam for 5 to 15 minutes.

Make Some Herbal Butter

Mix fresh herbs into softened butter and you have “compound butter,” a tasty condiment to spread on bread, bagels, poultry, fish—you get the picture. You’ll need:

1 cup sweet, unsalted butter, softened

1 tablespoon snipped fresh herbs, such as thyme, savory, parsley, basil or chives

Combine butter and herb(s). Spoon the mixture into a small decorative bowl or shape it into a log; cover in plastic wrap. Chill it about 3 hours. Refrigerate leftover butter.

Engage the Kiddies

Tasty, fragrant herbs are great plants for young cooks to know and grow. They can pick, rinse, and pat dry fresh whole basil leaves and place them on homemade or store-bought pizza, or add them to pasta sauce. Food stores often have fresh potted herbs—mint, rosemary, tarragon, basil, chives, oregano and more—in the produce section. Let kids pick out their own pots to care for at home and to harvest when they help you cook or bake.

Herbal Vinegars

Fresh herbs steeped in vinegar add flavor to salad dressings and marinades. Loosely fill 1-quart glass jars with 3 tablespoons of clean fresh herbs such as basil, bay, cayenne, chives, thyme, mint, oregano, rosemary or tarragon. Add vinegar (white wine, apple cider, or your favorite) to cover. Secure the lid and let the herbs steep for one to two months in a cool, dark place. Strain the vinegar (a cone-shaped paper coffee filter works well) and pour it into clean, sterilized bottles. Cork tightly and label the bottle with the ingredients and date.

Catnip Crafts

Do you have a feline or two at home? They can’t resist fresh catnip, which is easy to grow indoors. Harvest a few stems with leaves and dry them between paper towels. When thoroughly dry, crush the stems and leaves and place in their cat toys or small cloth bags. Frequent harvesting encourages the plant to produce more stems.

Lovely Lavender

Garden shops and hobby stores often sell dried sprays of lavender. You can hang them in a closet or remove the flowers and use them to make sweet-scented sachets. This traditional craft makes an attractive gift as fresheners for dresser drawers. Buy the small decorative cloth bags to fill and tie with a pretty ribbon; or if you’re crafty, sew a few.

DIY Herbal Tea

A small pot of herbs costs roughly the same as a box of fancy herb-filled tea bags. Instead, grow your own tea herbs, which can be used fresh or dried. Most herbal teas are prepared by infusion (pouring boiling water over the herbs). Infusion allows the herb’s oils to be released gently; if the herbs were boiled, the oils would evaporate.

For each cup, you’ll need 1 teaspoon of dried herbs—or 3 teaspoons of freshly picked herbs—and 1 cup of boiling water. Gently crush the leaves in a clean cloth or a sheet of wax paper to release their aromatic oils. Put them in a strainer or a mesh tea infuser and place it in the cup. Pour the boiling water over the herbs and steep them for a few minutes. Remove the herbs and add honey or a slice of orange or lemon. Herbal teas do not darken as they become stronger. They usually remain light green or amber. It’s like summer in a cup.

From Tea to Bath

Place dried herbs—lavender, chamomile, or peppermint—in a cheesecloth bag (like a tea bag). Pop one into the tub the next time you take a warm, relaxing bath and enjoy the aromatherapy.

South of the Border Hot Chocolate

Sprigs of mint

6 (12-ounce) cans evaporated milk

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Pinch cayenne pepper

2 (12-ounce) bags semisweet chocolate chips

Cocoa powder, for serving

In a large pot over medium heat, whisk together milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract and nutmeg. Add chocolate chips, stirring until they melt. Cover and turn heat to low for 5 minutes, occasionally stirring to keep the liquid from sticking to the pan. Pour into a mug, serve with a dusting of cocoa powder and add the mint sprig.