Borage ~ More Asparagus and Rain

 

Last year, we planted borage and rosemary in with the zucchini, yellow squash and other squash plants.  It was an attempt to deter the nasty squash bugs.  It for one, did not work to deter those bugs (did not even grow well enough to harvest anything from the plants either).   Two, it re-seeds itself very well, so don't plant it in your big vegetable garden like I did.  It's not spreading too badly this year, but I'm yanking it as I see it, and you know I hate to waste anything....

By the way, I'm actually seeing borage plants for sale this year.

Borage tea?  

Has anyone dehydrated or dried the borage flowers and leaves for a medicinal tea?  I'm not finding a lot of information in the resource books I have.  So far anyway.  I'm reading online that the tea from the plant, is good for reducing a fever and for reducing a bad cough.  Does anyone have any information, or experience, with borage used in this way?

Borage for dinner?

I'm doing more research on cooking borage.  Just in case I have to yank some plants ha ha!   I don't think it would be eaten very often.

I'm thinking a chimichurri over salmon, a pesto for meals, and possibly other recipes.  

I read that the borage seeds themselves contain omega-6?  Need to do more research on that.

Just when I thought our asparagus season was about over, the rain brought up more, and more is coming up.  I doubt it will amount to a large amount, but we are thankful for the continued harvest.  

Speaking of rain.....

Well, prior to the the rain, and the beginning of our high 80 degree weather, I got 3 full hours of garden work done on the flower beds.  I am not done yet, so I have much to do, but the rain returned yesterday, making the opportunity to work outside zero.  Guess what's returned again this morning?  Yep, the rain.  It's saturated.  Again.  Just one of those wet years for a start.  

It rained so hard yesterday, I had to shut windows in the house and in the chicken coop.  We do not have our AC on, despite the 80 to almost 90 degree weather.  We need help with the lifting and installing of the AC units.  Willing help is hard to find.

I can proudly say, I have earned my first blister on my hand from weeding, and for the first time, bruises on my knees from kneeling over the flower beds.  Ha!  It's all good!

Borage ~  More Asparagus and Rain  ©  May 2026 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart 

Infused Honey and Other Tidbits

 

I've been brewing us a morning iced tea in a quart canning jar, and adding 1 Tbsp. of infused honey to it.  It was just enough to sweeten the tea and we loved it.  I bought the infused honey at a honey festival last year, and it is now all gone.  I am sure it was not inexpensive either.  It was organic.  

Speaking of organic honey, both of us are wondering how they can assure it's "organic" when bees travel.  We are wondering if they have qualifications or specifics to classify honey as organic?  Anyway, we bought it.  We loved it.

I do have the phone number for the seller, but decided to infuse my own honey.

The above jar is started with an elderberry and hibiscus infused honey.  I'm sure it could be done faster on the stove top, but it's very hot here, and I have patience.  We are excited to see if it will taste the same.  It is a delicious one for teas.

On the home front, we had a very hot day yesterday.  My readings said 89°F and yes, I did 3 hours of garden work.  I'm glad I got that much done, as rain moved in for the evening, with some wind.

I  have drained the horsetail infused oil, but have not had a day to actually make my salve.  Soon I hope. 

The rosemary infused oil is still infusing.

I did not get enough dandelion flowers to infuse an oil for salve making this spring.  If the rain brings up more, I'll be small batch drying more.

I baked us an asparagus casserole to go with grilled burgers, and I should have weighed all the asparagus.  It was a lot, but the casserole could have used even more of it.  I did not use a recipe this time, and it does look like a lot of cheese, but I earned it with all that garden work.  Think Green Bean Casserole, but with asparagus.

I used one "can" of homemade cream of mushroom soup, added some milk and hand grated white cheddar cheese, 2 cloves of minced fresh garlic of ours, and onion powder (too lazy to dice an onion).  I topped it with other grated cheese.  Very good, but again, needs a lot more asparagus.  I am thinking are season is about over, but I will be checking it during these hot days with rain.

The heat continues, but we do need to eat, so it will be interesting the next few days.

I am thankful for the rain ~ It's watering everything planted so far.

I am thankful for coffee ~ It jump starts my day.

I am thankful for paper and pen ~ Writing is my passion.

I am thankful for the recent asparagus ~ Food on the table.  Healthy food.

I am thankful for flowers ~  They are the a "feel good" and stress lowering beauty, and the bees and hummingbirds love them.

Infused Honey and Other Tidbits  ©  May 2026 by Kristina at Pioneer Woman at Heart