For those of us who love cooking, fresh herbs are definitely more fragrant and often more flavourful than their dried counterpart. But due to seasonality, growth regions, and how quickly most herbs will decay after being harvested, sometimes the backup plan can be just as satisfactory.

The culinary artist from Granny Mouse Country House & Spa sheds some light on this. “It can be an issue sometimes when you cannot find the fresh option, and with dried herbs being readily available all year-round, and if you use and store it correctly, it does definitely contribute loads of flavour to the dishes they are incorporated into.”

When used appropriately, dried herbs can be your secret weapon to making a dish that is seriously full of flavour. Dried herbs are an underrated resource. They’re inexpensive, versatile, and have a much lengthier shelf life than their fresh counterparts. The most important thing to know is how and when to use them.

A really good way to use dried herbs is when making salad dressings and infusing cooking oils, which gives it a whole new flavour.

They also work really well in stews, which take a longer cooking process and do provide a strong full bodied flavour to the meal.

Another winning way is on pizza. Sprinkle before cooking and, if you have on hand, add the fresh herbs before serving.

Herbs such as oregano, thyme, parsley, rosemary, and sage are best added at the beginning of the cooking process so they have time to extract the oils, allowing flavours to develop.

Dried herbs are great to use when budgeting. And if you suddenly find yourself in the kitchen, determined to try a new recipe and you don’t have fresh herbs, you have plan B in place with the dried herbs stocked in the cupboard.

Herbs don’t need refrigeration, but remember to keep them in a cool dry spot away from the moisture and light, as the sunlight degrades the potency, so best kept in the pantry or kitchen cabinet. Storage containers should preferably be made from glass and keep away from the stove.

Further tips, when using dried herbs…don’t just empty half the bottle into the cooking process. If substituting dried for fresh herbs, use around 1/2 of the amount called for in the recipes. So in actual fact you use less dried herbs than fresh when using a recipe.

So get your spice and herb rack stocked with the basics – dried rosemary, oregano, basil, and thyme. They’ll last for months and a little goes a long way.

But don’t forget to keep the fresh herbs on your shopping list for the weekly meals too.

For more tips & tricks into the world of herbs & spices – go to www.grannymouse.co.za

Time flies when you are happily married and having fun with the love of your life. And now you’ve made it to the first milestone, 365 days later…so how do you celebrate?

There are so many great ways to mark this special occasion, aside from going out to dinner at your local neighbourhood haunt. And Granny Mouse Country House & Spa General Manager, Sean Granger, has just a few ideas to save you from having a borderline boring anniversary plan, and wants to help you come up with some ideas that could be just the best thing to do on your anniversary.

Get away from your daily routine and savour your special time together, and maybe look at revisiting your honeymoon spot, which will bring back so many great memories. Or even go back to where you got married, and, if possible, spend the night there.

Spoil yourselves, and enjoy a couple’s spa day – what better way to relax, connect and enjoy time together in a serene, quiet environment.

If you are an adventurous couple, take out your bucket lists and see what you both would love to do together. It could be something that gets the heart pumping. What about doing something you both haven’t done before, like shark cage diving, zip-lining or taking a dance class together.

If you are lovers of nature, head to one of many places where you can be one with nature. We have so much on our doorsteps, and with beautiful weather pretty much all year round, get out there and spend time loving it.

If you and your partner want to make a difference, what about spending the day doing good for others together?

The first year anniversary gift is paper (tradition) or if you are a bit more modern, a clock. So, instead of giving a watch or clock, why not create an anniversary journal, capturing the best moments of the first year? This gift will sure to be a treat, and appreciated, and you get to relive these moments year after year.

If you both consider yourselves wine connoisseurs, or just want to do something a little different by learning about wines, Granny Mouse has just the offering. With over 4 000 bottles of South African and International wines in their cellar, specifically temperature-controlled and situated underground, this provides the opportunity to enjoy a private function, wine tasting and, even more special, a wine-and-food pairing, created by the culinary artists at the Mouse House.

There is so much that you can do to make another memorable memory, and it’s not about spending loads of money on gifts, as the gift of time spent together makes it that much more special.

Go to www.grannymouse.co.za to create more memorable magic moments together!