Here is a great craft to do with all that bay, make wreaths for the kitchen! I first learned to this from my BFF Theresa Loe of www.gardenfreshliving.com over 15 years ago (I think) and recently I taught my new friend Peggy how to make them at a class I taught at www.keyscreeklavenderfarm.com these are Peggy’s gifts to her friends! 
She also added bay to her website that has crafts for teachers & children …
http://ottogo.com/may-2009-craft-of-the-month-butterfly-theme.html “This craft 
great for repetitive pinch and release and for bilateral motor coordination.
Painting can become a real tactile experience if you have the child use their
finger instead of a brush to paint. Put the butterfly on the refrigerator or
filing cabinet. Catch a whiff of the herbs whenever you walk by. It will have
your spirits fluttering! This craft is a real olfactory experience. It utilizes
a lot of pinch grasp and fine motor control.”
Every year, I chuckle, when the culinary catalogs come with expensive $$$ fresh bay wreaths for sale like this one from 
http://www.mcfaddenfarm.com/wreaths.html#baywrth
when you can grow & then make your own bay wreaths to use, enjoy & give!
Culinary Bay Wreath
Supplies:
- Fresh bay branches
- wreath form
- paddle wire, available at craft stores
- clippers
- ribbon, optional
With clippers, cut bay branches into lots of approximately 3 – 4 inch sprigs. Use the wire to securely attach the sprigs to the wreath form. How much bay you will need depends on the type & size of the form you have chosen. TIP: Dry the finished wreath flat on a table for a week or so before hanging on the wall. This is so that the wreath does not droop and dry lopsided.
SOME GREAT BAY USES:
- Use homegrown bay leaves, fresh or dried, in any recipe calling for bay. Be sure to add a leaf, even if none is called for, to your favorite stews, soups, chilies, & pasta sauces. Don’t forget dessert! Do as the ancients & add a leaf to rice puddings, custards, cakes & more, for a delicious treat.
- Grind up dried bay leaves for “Powdered Bay Leaves”, a spice no longer offered for sale by spice packers. Sift out any hard bits before using.
- Put a leaf into your flour, rice & other grain storage canisters for a classic method of preventing pesky grain bugs.
- To relieve sore muscles, simply add 1 or 2 leaves to your bathwater & soak.
While on vacation in the Outer Banks, N.C. last year we had lots of great fish and I found that “Old Bay®” was a common seasoning used in many restaurants, did you know you can make your own?
Make your “Own Bay” Seasoning Blend (Shhhh! Don’t tell “OLD BAY®”)
Combine well and store in an airtight container. Use your “Own Bay” seasoning as you would that other stuff!
1 tablespoon ground bay leaves
2 1/2 teaspoons celery salt
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, ground
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
Try making “Own Bay-o Dip”
…adapted from http://www.gourmet.com/recipes/2000s/2008/05/shrimppoboy
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice (optional: to taste, add some lemon zest too!)
3 teaspoons “Own Bay” seasoning
~Stir together mayonnaise, lemon juice, zest, if using, and 3 teaspoons “Own Bay” seasoning
Use this tasty mayo instead of tartar sauce with fish. Great with French fries! Yummy with crudités’.
TO LEARN MORE – PICK UP A COPY OF THE EXCLUSIVE “HERB OF THE YEAR” BOOK FROM AN IHA MEMBER NEAR YOU! BOOK ALSO AVAILABLE ON WWW.IHERB.ORG -WHILE THERE, PLEASE CONSIDER JOINING THE IHA! BOOKS & MEMBERSHIPS MAKE GREAT GIFTS!
