Spice Up Your Life!!!

Spicy!

Today's Mofo prompt is what is your favorite herb/spice. I think everyone must be way better at making decisions than me! All of these prompts for favorite are KILLING me! As usual, I could not pick just one. I love spices and strong flavors, and what I love about stores that sell spices in bulk is that you can buy a pinch of something and see if you like it. I swear if you buy spices in bulk, you will GAG at the difference in cost. They really make you pay out of the wazoo for the bottles! My spice cabinet is way emptier than usual, I still haven't fully restocked my bulk spices! But pictured above are four of my favorites, Sea salt, smoked paprika, red curry powder, black peppercorns, and not bottled are turmeric and my must have, crushed red pepper.
I watched a YouTube video last summer or fall, and this person was speaking about salt addiction. She is salt free, (one of those no oil, no salt vegans) and said that your taste buds really do adjust to no salt, and you really learn to appreciate the natural taste of food. She made a compelling argument, and I seriously flirted with the idea of going no salt myself. But then I realized that I really don't eat a lot of processed foods which are often loaded with sodium, and I don't excessively salt my food, and my blood pressure is always on the low end, so I decided to accept myself, and realize it's okay to use salt.
Turmeric is a spice I have been using on the regular for about two years now. I read that turmeric is good for the liver, and since I overindulged in alcohol for many years, I'm always looking for natural liver healers. Turmeric is a spice that I think most people should add into their diet. I try to add it to something I eat at least once a day. I also had read awhile ago about a turmeric paste being applied to brides before a traditional 'Haldi' Indian wedding. Here is a great article about using turmeric for all kinds of beauty woes! I recently made a face mask with half of an avocado that had gone more brown than I prefer to eat, some turmeric, and a little agave. I let it sit on my face and neck for about fifteen or twenty minutes, and let me tell you, the face that I saw after wiping this away was a whole new face! It looked like I had just spent a day at the spa, getting pampered and primped! It was really amazing. I really recommend trying this mask. All natural, no weird stuff, and totally cruelty free! Not to mention a million times cheaper than any product that you can buy!
There are so many other spices I love, and so many that I still need to discover! I love that almost every spice and herb has some type of medicinal property. Why is it so hard to understand that food really is medicine?

This isn't really a spice or herb, but I do love green onions, and I decided to try the grow your own onion trick. I put the root end of a green onion in water to see if it will regrow. I was dubious because I am a horrible vegan in that i am a PLANT KILLER! But the little buddy is growing! Now I've added two more to the mix.
And finally, I leave you with a picture of one of my favorite spicy gals, Stevie! It's a little dark, but I think her cuteness shines through!

Happy Sunday!