Mint

Many herbs are easy to grow and abundant at food stores. Herb gardening has been around for centuries...used for medicinal purposes, to flavor foods, and for their nutrient properties. We can harvest, rinse, dry and bottle, but what else can we do?

Mint is an herb that grows like crazy and often needs to be cut-back or grown in a container. Many people decide to grow a small amount in a pot on their window sill. Others prefer to pick up a few sprigs at their local Farmer's Market

Herbs grown for consumption should be grown in a place where animals do not have access. Always rinse your herbs well before storing or eating. There are many good reference books for herb gardening, one is: Encyclopedia of Herb Gardening, Consultant Editor Francis Hutchinson, ISBN 1 877019 94-1.

A few mint leaves can be a great addition to iced tea or a green salad. But, It's also good in Smoothies. 
Place the following ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth (serving size = 1):

Recipe 1: 4 oz. orange juice 
1 medium banana 
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 
1 tsp. honey 
2 large or 4 medium mint leaves (rinsed)

Recipe 2: 
4 oz. cranberry juice 
1/2 fresh, peeled orange 
1/8 teaspoon crushed (powder form) cloves 
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 
2 large or 4 medium mint leaves (rinsed)

Recipe 3: 
4 oz. pineapple juice 
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 
half of an avocado (peeled and pitted) 
2 large or 4 medium mint leaves

Certainly you can experiment and have fun with different ways to incorporate herbs into your smoothies.