Every Monday night my girlfriends and I get together to watch Gossip Girl and catch up on the latest gossip in our own lives. We take turns as hostess and look forward to this weekly night of much needed girl time.

We usually delve into an array of junk food items such as pizza, Pringles, cookies, etc. But every once in awhile, we think it might be more beneficial to our health if we opted for some more nutritious snacks.

Always on the lookout for healthy snack food options, I discovered this super quick and easy recipe for a Coriander Fruit Dip. It’s simple, delicious, and perfect for a girl’s night in.

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Simply combine cream cheese, yogurt and honey, along with coriander seed powder, cinnamon powder and nutmeg ground, for a sweet spiced dip. (Click here for the full recipe from Frontier Natural Products Co-op.) Serve chilled with any variation of fruit. (I chose strawberries, bananas and pineapple.)

The dip was a hit. Plus, the ingredient that gives it its flavor, coriander, is a powerful anti-bacterial agent and a good source for minerals such as potassium, calcium and iron. If I make it again (which is a strong possibility) I might try to spice up my presentation by making fruit kabobs. 

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Now it’s your turn. What kind of simple and easy dishes do you recommend I whip up next time I host girl’s night in? Send me your suggestions at gdebacker@ogdenpubs.com and I might publish your recipe in an upcoming post.

Take advantage of what's in season right now, and right now, during the month of October, figs are in season.

Figs provide an array of health benefits. They are rich in antioxidants, calcium and fiber; treat constipation, indigestion and bronchitis; increase energy and sexual desire; and have anti-diabetic properties.

There are four major fig varieties: black mission, which is dark purple, brown turkey, which is seen mostly in fresh markets, kadota, which is nearly seedless and most often dried and canned, and calimyrn, which has a nut-like flavor and golden skin.

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Try these herb-infused fig recipes.

• Fresh Figs with Ricotta and Apricots: Chop up fresh chervil and French tarragon, mix it with ricotta cheese and honey, and serve with figs and apricots.

• Dried Figs with Fennel Seeds: Scatter fennel seeds on a small plate, dip fig halves into them and arrange on a second plate. You can press a few toasted almonds or cashews into each fig to serve.

Also, remember that figs are highly perishable, with a shelf life of 10 to 12 days, and should be consumed immediately.

Put a spooky spin on deviled eggs and transform them into deviled eyeballs. You’re your deviled eggs blood-red eyes by topping them off with centered black olives and bits of red pepper.

Our favorite deviled egg recipes…

• Lucie’s Deviled Eggs 
• Deviled Eggs with Dill 
• Colorful Coriander Deviled Eggs 

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Wrap miniature sausages with bread dough to make them look like mummies. Dot their eyes with bits of dough as well.

Our favorite sausage recipes…

• Turkey and Pear Sausage 
• Italian Sausage with Fennel and Garlic 

Craft a witch’s broth. Green soup with fresh mint can easily serve as a tasty (and healthy) Halloween dish.

Photo by Katrina Hall/www.shesinthekitchen.blogspot.com

Our favorite witch’s broth recipe…

• Wicked Greens Soup with Fresh Mint

Mix a bloody concoction for your Halloween guests.

Our favorite cocktail recipe…

• Le Cilantro Rouge 

Create a terrifying punch. All you need is a tasty punch recipe, water, food coloring and a disposable, rubber glove. (Note: Make sure the glove does not have powder inside.) A few days before you're ready to serve your punch, mix water with 1 to 2 drops of food coloring (the color is your choice, but I suggest blood red or witch green). Fill the glove with the water mixture about 2/3 full. Use a rubber band or string to tie at the wrist. Let the glove freeze for 1 to 2 days so that it forms a solid ice cube. Once you're ready to serve to guests, carefully remove the disposable glove from the newly formed frozen hand and float it to your punch bowl for a terrifying treat.

Our favorite punch recipes...

• Cantaloupe and Strawberry Mint Fruit Punch 

• Ginger Minted Sparkling Punch 

• Hot Mulled Apple Cider with Cranberry and Rose Hips 

What are you going to do in the kitchen this year to celebrate Halloween? We want to hear your creative ideas!

According to a recent study conducted by the British Pharmaceutical Conference in Manchester, concentrated extracts from two types of basil, Ocimum americanum and Ocimum tenuiflorum, reduced joint swelling by up to 73 percent within just 24 hours.

So far basil has not been found to cause side effects like diclofenac has. Diclofenac, an existing joint-relieving drug, has been known to cause gastro-intestinal irritation and abdominal burning and pain.

Although basil-extract pills are not yet available, you can still take advantage of its newly discovered health properties by incorporating the basil grown from your garden into your meals. Try recipes from our article A Basil Harvest.  

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Resources:
How eating fresh basil can help banish arthritic aches and pains  (Mail Online)

Since 1977, World Vegetarian Day has been observed on October 1. World Vegetarian Day, the annual kick-off of Vegetarian Awareness Month, was established by the North American Vegetarian Society and observes and celebrates vegetarian lifestyles. Vegetarian lifestyles are often practiced for a number of reasons. Some include religious, ethical and health reasons. Whatever the cause, celebrate this day by eating delicious meat-free meals and educating yourself about the reasons why people live vegetarian lifestyles.

The Vegetarian Times identifies a number of reasons why you should give vegetarianism a try. Here are just a few.

Benefits of Being Vegetarian

• A lower body mass index. A study conducted from 1986 to 1992 discovered that overweight people who followed a low-fat, vegetarian diet lost an average of 24 pounds in the first year and kept off that weight 5 years later.

• Decreased cholesterol levels. Balanced vegetarian diets are naturally free of cholesterol-laden, artery-clogging animal products that physically slow us down and keep our energy low.

• A longer life. You can add about 13 healthy years to your life, says Michael F. Roizen, MD, author of The RealAge Diet: Make Yourself Younger with What You Eat.

• A lower mortality rate for cardiovascular disease. A vegetarian diet is inherently healthful because vegetarians consume no animal fat, less cholesterol, more fiber and more antioxidant-rich produce.

• A reduced risk of food-borne illnesses. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, foods rich in protein such as meat, poultry, fish and seafood are frequently involved in food-borne illness outbreaks.

• Increases fiber intake. A high-fiber vegetarian diet can help ward off extra pounds.

• Reduces pollution. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency, chemical and animal waste runoff from factory farms is responsible for more than 173,000 miles of polluted rivers and streams.

Try some of our herb-infused vegetarian meals. Are you a vegetarian? Tell us why!

What a cute idea! The Herb Companion staff absolutely loves this adorable gardening idea: an herbie chess set. Thanks for sharing this with us, Theresa Loe (Visit her blog, Garden Fresh Living)!

This gardening chess set was seen in one of the many displays at the LA Garden Show.

Which herbs would you make the pawn? Most importantly, which would you make the Queen?

Garden Fresh Living 

Do you have any cute gardening finds? Send it to gdebacker@ogdenpubs.com and we may post it in one of our blogs!

If you’re an herbie, then chances are you love tea. Any herbalista does! (Click here for our favorite iced tea recipes.) But did you know that your herbs also enjoy tea? Just like people consuming tea, garden herbs and weeds provide nourishment and nutrients for growing plants. Although many gardeners can never brew a batch of compost tea and still be successful with their gardens, there are times when crafting a liquid fertilizer can really improve the quality of your soil. Such as …

• when plants are showing little to know sign of growth and showing obvious signs of stress or disease.

• when plants appear to need an extra boost.

• when you have only a small amount of compost and widespread poor soil conditions. (Compost tea makes the benefits of compost go farther.)

Compost tea is made almost exactly how it sounds—steeping compost in water. You can apply compost tea to your lawn and/or garden using a pump sprayer, hose-end sprayer or a watering can. First, choose which herb to use in your compost concoction. Athough it's best to use an herb found most common in your garden, not every herb has the nutritional content your lawn needs. Try these herbs, which have a variety of nutritional content:

Russian Comfrey
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• Comfrey: calcium, phosphorus, potassium, vitamin A, C and other trace materials.
• Nettle: vitamins A, C, and K, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, phosphorus, potassium, boron, bromine, copper, iron, selenium and zinc.
• Parsley: vitamins A and C, iron, copper and manganese.
• Dandelion: vitamins A and C, calcium and potassium.
• Stinging Nettle: magnesium, sulphur and iron. (You Grow Girl)
• Horsetail: silica. (You Grow Girl)

(Click here to read more about why plants need tea.)

To create your herb tea fertilizer, fill a 5-gallon bucket with your pruned herb of choice and pack it in tightly. (Using a heavy object such as a brick or a stone may help keep the herbs tightly packed.) Next, pour in water until it reaches the top of your container and let the mix sit for a day or two until the leaves break down. Place in direct sunlight and remember to stir every now and then. Strain the mixture and start composting.

(Read The Complete Compost Gardening Guide.)

Have you ever used a liquid tea fertilizer? What herb do you like to use for your herbal concoction? Drop me a comment and let me know!