Cooler weather has arrived and frost is not far behind...

It's time for the final harvest of basil, oregano, thyme, and sage from my herb garden.  They will be used in soups, stews, sauces. In fact, they will be used in almost every appetizer and main course I cook! In anticipation, I've been rearranging the pantry and sorting foods, condiments, and a variety of spices. I must confess to being a pack rat when I also discovered a jar filled with packages of seasoning mixes that had to be twenty years old - taco seasoning, soup and salad dressing mix, packets of cocoa with marshmallow bits! These items dated back to when my husband was a bachelor and they contained chemicals I wouldn't dream of ingesting!  As I've grown older, I've become very health conscious. I try to buy organic locally grown produce whenever possible. I spend far more time than I'd like when grocery shopping because I read labels and, needless to say, many foods do not make it into my shopping cart. Reading the ingredients and nutritional information on the labels really opens one's eyes. With the many chemicals and non-food additives processed foods contain, it's easy to understand why our nation is now populated with so many unhealthy people. I want to extend the quality of my life for as long as I can and because cooking is one of my passions, I feel I have more control on that front. Who knows - it may buy me an additional five years or more that I can spend beading!