Spices

Parsley: It was once believed that only witches and pregnant women could grow this herb--Sow parsley, sow babes, was an old expression. The herb has been associated with witchcraft in England and also with death since ancient times. But more importantly, it is said to provoke lust and love.

Sage: Sage was once used to help childless couples conceive, and is associated with wisdom and longevity in plant lore. It was also used magically to honor weddings and to ensure domestic harmony.

Rosemary: Was once held to represent love and faithfulness. The plant was used in wedding ceremonies in place of rings as a sign of fidelity, and carried by newlyweds and wedding guests as a charm for fertility. But it also has the meaning of remembrance, as Shakespeare noted in Hamlet 'there's rosemary for remembrance.' Often used in love potions, it is also said to attract elves.

Thyme: Girls once used thyme sprigs in ceremonies to discover the identity of their true loves. A more upscale lady of Medieval times would embroider a flowering thyme sprig along with a visiting bee as a token to be given to a favored knight. A woman wearing thyme was once held to be irresistable.

all this historical 'magic' stuff is pretty interesting, but the most important thing is that these things taste good too!

also, i'm not sure if english roast potatoes = american baked potatoes. roast potatoes are generally chopped and lightly boiled, then put in the oven with oil or fat from the roast meat. baked potatoes are just unpeeled potatoes put in the oven whole - also called 'jacket' spuds here!

roast:



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baked/jacket:



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Kari said:

Clove oil is a mild anesthetic, earlier used for instance in anesthetics dentists gave patients. My mother put it a few drops in cotton and that cotton in to our mouth when we were kids, if we had toothache and we had to wait to get to dentist. It really helps.

ditto:, together with rosmarine.

Kari

I can remember being given a clove mouthwash, when visiting a dentist, but I always thought that it was to deal with bad breath, rather than as an anasthetic.

what time do the chinese use clove oil?

I found an interesting note about clove oil, which is 72% eugenol:

Eugenol can be toxic in relatively small quantities—as low as 5 ml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clove