It’s that special thyme of year! Yes. February often brings cookies, candies and chocolates, but our family has chosen a different route this year. Instead of sharing sweets, we’re sharing flavor.

I’m not the crafty or clever mom. I value shops that wrap our birthday gifts, and our Halloween costumes always come from Target. I rarely have time to surf Pinterest, let alone MAKE something crafty; However, Mabel is about to be three, and she’s much more in tune with “school holidays”. She’s been talking about Valentine’s Day all week. In fact, every morning she asks, “is it Valentine’s Day?”. With all the excitement, the pressure is on to try something new. While sweets and treats are fun, I wanted to avoid passing out hard candies and chocolate hearts. We have tons of allergies and food preferences in our schools, and it’s always a good challenge to promote health this time of year.

While picking up our groceries this week, I found tons of herbs for pennies. We love herbs! They’re beneficial to our health, easy to cook with, smell delightful, and not to mention they grow like weeds. Valentines aren’t meant to be expensive and elaborate, so I thought they would be perfect. Not to mention, the catchy phrases and puns associated with such plants.

Happy Valenthyme’s Day

Mint the World to Me

Watered with Love

Planted for You

RoseMARRY me

OregaKNOW you’re great! Get it? I know—cheesy, but they work!

So, we picked up seeds and baby plants.

Herbs will be our new Valentine’s tradition. Living in Texas, we reached 80 degrees this week. If temperatures aren’t prime for growth, they’re also perfect for a sunny window. Now, what’s the nutritional benefit of growing herbs at home? Most plants and produce contain the highest nutritional value and flavor when they’re first harvested. This means, herbs at your fingertips are prime for enhancing flavor in any dish. They’re full of antioxidants and essential nutrients. Don’t leave these herbs on the side of your plate. Parsley contains vitamins A and C. Add it to soups or even smoothies. Dill is a great source of the antioxidant beta-carotene and a favorite with salmon. As our temperatures continue to rise, I often add a hand full of mint to my tea or chopped in fruit salad.

As you may remember, my oldest will pull a basil leaf off our plant and chew on it. I don’t worry about the dirt, because I love the fact that she’s experiencing fresh flavors that I can’t even MAKE her eat on her plate. PASS on candy and PLANT an herb…. TOGETHER!

To YOUR taste,

Chef Lindsey