Welcome to Urban Herbal
from Bill Varney, URBANherbal

Feb. 2011

Your source for herbal advice about plants, recipes using herbs, personal care products and much much more . . .

Dear Family & Friends,

As Gilda Radar said, "I think dogs are the most amazing creatures, they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive." So, we decided to do a video to show you how to make dog biscuits to make a little Valentine gift for your four legged friend for the unconditional love they give us all!

Here's the recipe for the Dog Biscuits:

2 Tablespoons Margarine, Lard, or Bacon Fat, softened

1 Teaspoon Brown Sugar

1 Egg, slightly beaten

1/2 Cup Dry Milk Powder

1/2 Cup Chicken Broth

2 Cups Flour

1/2 Cup Wheat Germ

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Cup Catnip (for Cat Biscuits)

8 Large Cloves of Garlic, Crushed (for Dog Biscuits)

You can order either our Dog Shampoo or Conditioner on Shop.urbanherbal.com! We also offer a combo pack complete with a large dog biscuit!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What makes Herbs the Plants of Romance!

Almost 2,000 years ago Ovid lamented, “Alas, there are no herbs to cure love.” This may have been true, but the addition of herbs certainly enhances many sweet pleasures that are important to a well-lived life.

On a personal level, we've reached an understanding of herbs that reflects our changing relationships with each other and with other people--in who we once were, who we are and who we will become.

We call herbs the plants of romance. As we’ve come to know herbs, they have twined around our hearts’ qualities and preferences. Herbs grow up close and personal. They are not just flowers, but calendulas, nasturtiums and roses. They are not garnishes, but cinnamon and lemon basil, apple mint and chocolate mint, parsley, lavender and thyme. They are not bulbs, but garlic and chives, dill and fennel.

That is why we encourage you to try your hand at growing savory, reputed to have earned its name from the satyrs who found it essential to their amorous activities. Consider, too, the advice of Nicholas Culpeper, herbalist of the 17th century who suggested a garden of mustard, onion and prickly asparagus for sparking and enchanted evening.

Growing the plants of romance is different for every individual, a distinction that's important to recognize. That's because it's easy to become limited in our thinking about what is romantic. For some it is hearts and flowers, and for others it is only physical love. However, a person who dares to try something new, who makes the choice to work at an herb garden that he or she loves, has the power to make their love grow and serve them every day.