Making your Freshly Cut Parsley and Cilantro Last!

I love fresh herbs in cooking. They are so versitile, flavorful, and the add so much for so little calories. If you live in a high rise in a town called, "The Windy City" you will learn that window boxes and wind chimes are things you can never have... no matter how much you like them.

The only thing WRONG with fresh herbs is how much I hated throwing them away after they had dyed from being smushed under a cucumber in my crisper drawer after 4 days. So, whatcha gonna do? You find a trick to keep store bought herbs fresher... LONGER.



Freshy fresh, unwashed Cilantro and its beautiful pal, Parsley.

Just like flowers, the sooner you place them in water after cutting them the better. Store bought herbs, like flowers, need water, too. The quicker you can get your herbs into water, the better... but there have definetely been times that I've thrown them in the crisper draw for a few hours while I had some tea and tried to forget going to the grocery store in the rain.

Simply get an appropriately sized glass and fill it a little under halfways with cool water and place herbs in water. Then, you gently cover it- like a tent- with a gallon-sized plastic bag. This creates a self-sustaining ecosystem that only requires you to change the water weekly.

Parsley + glass + water+ ziploc bag = mini greenhouse!

One a week, however, uncover, remove herbs from glass, remove any unsightly herbs, replace cold water, and resituate herbs in glass with plastic covering. Writing about it is taking longer than it actually takes to do this simple process which will keep fresh parsley and cilantro in your house for two weeks.



Happy, Steamy, Countertop Parsley!



Happy, Steamy, Refridgerated Cilantro!






 

One last note, the parsley thrives in room temperatures, while the cilantro loves the cooler temperatures of the fridge.

                            Thanks for reading, and good luck!~ Leigh

Cling Wrap to Prevent Toiletry Explosions while Traveling!

I travel (by plane) more than some, but not as much as others. I can't count the number of times that the changes in altitude or general jostling of baggage handlers have made beauty products (shampoo, body gel, etc.) explode in my bag. Because of this, I've been tightening my lids, saying a prayer, and then bagging all my stuff in ziploc bags for years. Bagging your stuff prevents product from getting all over your clothes and stuff... but it doesn't prevent wasting product or the general mess of having a ziploc bag and all of its contents covered with conditioner. So, this may SEEM like a no brainer, but I hadn't put it together until I saw a post on Pinterest and NOW I wont travel without doing simple, simple trick- Saran Wrap (or any other clear, cling wrap).






 


Just unscrew the top, place saran wrap over the opening, and then screw it back up. Initially, I was worried that the lid wouldn't screw back on right with the saran wrap covering the treads, but I was completely proved wrong. When you arrive at your destination, you just remove the cling wrap... save it, and you can use it on your return trip. You don't need a TON of cling wrap... just enough... but, MAN the success of this easy step is exponentially better than mucking out gunk from your bag and wasting tons of money on product. Bon voyage!!!

 



Thanks for reading!~ Leigh