Teachable Moment: Kids' Indoor Herb Garden and Recipes

Ceramic  turkey is staring us down with that beady little eye.

Fragrance, color, texture, taste! A sensory cooking delight for kids to grow in a window, on a balcony, or in the garden--  the kids' herb garden.

Live herbs are in grocery stores.

Basil is a little more delicate.

Many herbs are highlighted in grocery stores and garden shops this time of year due to luscious holiday cooking. Your children can be in charge of growing the herbs for fresh ingredients for stuffing, dressing, gravies, sidedishes, and soups (and if you count mint, for desserts, too.) Almost all herbs are hearty, easy to grow, and readily available.

The most popular herbs to grow in a kitchen are sage, thyme, rosemary, oregano, marjoram, mint, basil, parsley, and lesser known, tarragon.Sage is

Bees really, really love mint.

very hearty and versatile; so is mint. Both can be transplanted to the outside in the spring.


These herbs are not only for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's  sidedishes and soups, but are also excellent for Italian sauces, pizzas, and Mexican food. Kids can learn about cooking while gardening.

Here are a few links with recipes of mine that kids can participate with; I am far from an expert in cooking and gardening but it is so refreshing and interesting we can all enjoy it. Cooking with kids is really fun and simple--and hanging out with them cooks up some delicious memories.
 
Unusual Thanksgiving Sides Show (delicious all year)
http://tayloreducational.blogspot.com/2013/06/unusual-thanksgiving-sides-show.html

Cooking With Your Own Herbs From the Garden
http://tayloreducational.blogspot.com/2013/06/cooking-with-your-own-herbs-from-garden.html


French Bread Stuffing With Mushrooms and Thyme
http://auntiemelanie.blogspot.com/2012/11/french-bread-stuffing-with-mushrooms.html
 
Roast Chicken With Basil-Rice Stuffing

http://auntiemelanie.blogspot.com/2012/11/roasted-chicken-with-basil-rice-stuffing.html  

Let's Go Mexican! Use Herbs From Your Garden

http://auntiemelanie.blogspot.com/2012/11/lets-go-mexican-use-herbs-from-your.html 

There are some original soup recipes in this little ebook (for 99 cents!) that are not available online. They're pretty good, especially with fresh herbs. 

MzTeachuh's Soup for All Seasons, Family Food and Fun [Kindle Edition]

http://www.amazon.com/MzTeachuhs-Soup-Seasons-Family-ebook/dp/B00EUF51UK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1377731110&sr=1-1&keywords=mzteachuh%27s+soup+for+all+seasons