Mint- A Simple Pleasure

I'm so thankful for this tiny little patch of mint.  While it doesn't look like much, it's VERY prolific, so it's been plenty for us and our few family members who have been around the house during the pandemic.  

I've read horror stories about mint that's been planted directly into the soil becoming invasive, going crazy and taking over, even killing hardy grass, so I've never planted it straight into the ground because there is such a thing as too much of a good thing, right?  I've also read that you can put it into the ground in a pot and keep the roots from spreading all over the place, but I've never had much luck with growing it that way, and yes, I've tried several times.  It sort of just eventually dies.  For these reasons, I've in recent years just started treating it like an annual plant, and I just grab a small pot or two at our local nursery at the beginning of each growing season and plant it in a large pot, sometimes alone, other times with companion plants.  

 

Mint is one of my favorite herbs to grow, and there are so many different varieties.  No matter which mint you use, there's simply nothing as refreshing as a tall glass of iced water with mint on a hot summer day.  

And, then there are cocktails that feature mint as one of the main players, such as the mojito, which is just as refreshing, but in a different way.  Here's a really good recipe for a made-from-scratch mojito.

I love to use mint as a garnish for drinks and desserts.  A few weeks ago when I had some perfectly sweet and pretty Chilton County peaches, and I was home alone, I made a cocktail for a private party of one-just me.  Even though there was no mint in the actual drink, it sure did add a pretty little something to put a sprig of it on the rim of the glass with my little slice of peach.

Here, I added a few little mint leaves on the dessert plate with a lemon square.  I didn't bake the bars-bought them at Sam's Club.   You can turn anything into a special moment or celebration (even if you're the only one there to appreciate it!)  by pulling out the pretty glasses or plates, and dressing it up!  I plated the lemon square, showered it in powdered sugar, and simply added the mint leaves.  

The mint could have just as effectively been used in the tea, but I would never use it in both places.  That would just be monotonous.

There are so many ways to use mint in the kitchen.

Mint has been used all over the world since ancient times in many different ways.  Greeks added it to their baths; Romans used it in sauces, as a digestion aid, and as a breath freshener.   

Mint is used in many different ways today, as well.  Mint tea marketed as "digestive tea" can be easily found on grocery store shelves and online.  It is also said to be a powerful anti-inflammatory and has been used to treat asthma and other lung ailments.  And, of course, we're all familiar with a variety of toothpaste brands that are mint flavored.  

So, if you don't have mint growing in your back yard, have I convinced you yet that you need to plant some?

It's a really inexpensive and easy to grow simple pleasure.