July 20: Feast of St. Wilgefortus

July 23: National Vanilla Ice Cream Day

July 24: Nestlé introduced Nescafé instant coffee on this day in 1938

July 25: National Hot Fudge Sundae Day

The Spanish first became acquainted with the vanilla bean as an ingredient in the bitter Aztec aphrodisiac drink, xocolatl, which was brewed with cacao beans and chile peppers. The tropical plant, a member of the orchid family, could only be cultivated in Mexico, for the tubular flowers could be pollinated only by a tiny bee or a humming bird. In 1836, a 12-year-old African slave in Madagascar figured out how to hand-pollinate the blossoms with a bamboo splinter, a method that is still used today. Vanilla is widely grown throughout the tropics, but it is still highly valuable. Some two thousand tons are produced each year, but that is still not enough to satisfy people's desire for it, and many have to be satisfied with synthetic vanillin.

China Bayles enjoys making her own vanilla extract, using vanilla beans. You can do it, too.

China's Favorite Vanilla Extract
Using a funnel, pour 1 cup brandy or rum into a small-diameter bottle. Split 2-3 vanilla beans lengthwise, then cut the split pieces into halves, retaining the aromatic seeds. Drop pieces and seeds into the bottle and cap it tightly. Set on a dark shelf for several weeks, shaking frequently (and sniffing deeply whenever possible). Use when the flavor suits you, topping off each time you remove some. Every now and then add a piece or two of split vanilla bean, to enrich the flavor.

Read more about vanilla: Vanilla: Travels in Search of the Ice Cream Orchid, by Tim Ecott

Celebrate Vanilla Ice Cream Day by helping the kids make vanilla ice cream in a bag (yes, really!). Or maybe you'd rather follow Oprah's vanilla bean recipe or (omigosh) fennel seed basil vanilla ice cream.

Find out who St. Wilgefortus was and why today was thought to be a good day for women to "disencumber" themselves of abusive husbands. According to some traditions, you can accomplish the same thing by picking parsley just at dawn and wishing to be set free. And for recipes that will help you use that parsley you just picked, check out Susan's parsley podcast page.

Do we need to remind you that coffee is an herb, too? If you want to find out how it's made, go here. If you'd like to jazz up your coffee a little, try a couple of teaspoons of one of these refreshing mixes in a mug of hot water. Start with a basic mix of 2/3 cup instant coffee and one cup sugar. For a mint-flavored mocha, add 1 teaspoon dried mint leaves (powdered) and 2/3 cup non-dairy creamer. For an orange-mocha treat, add 1¼ teaspoon crushed dried crushed orange peel, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and a pinch of cloves.

And chocolate is an herb, of course. Think about this as you indulge in that hot fudge sundae at your favorite ice cream shop. Or try this yummy Bon Appétit recipe for Mexican hot fudge sundaes. My-oh-my, to die for!

Check out Susan's review of Fresh Food From Small Spaces, by R. J. Ruppenthal. You can grow a garden anywhere—on your apartment balcony, your windowsill, a tiny scrap of backyard. No excuses!

For more about herbs and the passing seasons, read China Bayles' Book of Days.

To find out what's going on in Susan Albert's life in the Texas Hill Country, read Susan's blog.