Fun Stuff

I adore all of our spices, and THIS is totally an un-sung hero! Provincial Poultry puts the yum in stuffing, but also has all the feels for a Beu-tiful roast! While we were developing this recipe, we went away from Poultry Seasoning's English roots, and went across the channel to something with (of all things) French inspiration. We finally found a blend that Tastes and Smells like stuffing, and makes a FANTASTIC soup or stew!!

I adore spring. Let's face it, I'm a spring and summer kind of girl. At my parent's farm, the French Tarragon is going crazy, sprouting from newly separated plantings, and the Oregano is about to come to life from it's winter slumber. Thyme is starting to put out new leaves, and the Rosemary is already blooming. Dozens of varieties of bees of all sizes come to the old herb patch that started Hart's Desire. You can see Teeny-tiny bees on flowers right next to honeybees, and big fat, furry bees, all buzzing around the various blooming herbs under my favorite...

LOTS of people have been asking how long do our spices keep, and how to tell if they should toss the spices in their cupboard. The shelf-life of our spices can be measured in years. How do I know? I tested this on one of our most “volatile” blends. Let me explain: … No, there is too much, let me sum-up. Spices don't really go “bad” (unless they get wet) so much as they lose all their essential oils, which are what makes spices taste the way they do. These oils are otherwise known as volatile oils. They're called that...

LOTS of people have been asking how to tell if their spices should be thrown out recently! There's an easy way to tell: 1. For green spices, look at the color: Is it vibrant, or faded? This is usually a dead giveaway. If it's faded, yellowed, or brown, go to step two right away. 2. Open the jar and take a good whiff. Do the spices smell like dust and grass? IF yes, go to 3, if no, put it back, it's great.   3. Pour some on your palm and crush it. Smell again. Do they still smell the...

Mexican Chili Powder has been an un-sung hero for far, far, too long. When my family came up with this recipe, believe it or not, it was because we were out of Enchilada Sauce! ..... someone's loss, but our gain is what I say! When I started making Enchilada Sauce from the Mexican Chili Powder, all it took was one taste, and it was all over. Done, Done, Done! Next thing I know, my Dad says that these enchiladas were better than any he'd made with a pre-made brand of Enchilada Sauce. Given that he's a Southern California native and...