Sniff Some Rosemary to Improve Memory

One of my rosemary bushes

I came across an article called "10 Tricks for Improving Your Memory" today. If you don't feel like reading the entire article, here's the list:

1. Talk with your hands.
2. Take a chill pill.
3. Get plenty of zzz’s.
4. Eat more fruits and veggies.
5. Join a book club.
6. Go to yoga class.
7. Sniff some rosemary.
8. Pay attention.
9. Learn a new song.
10. Go ahead and doodle.

Maybe you are one of those people who talk with your hands already, but if you aren't, number 7 has to be the most effortless thing you can do to improve your memory. You have to breath anyway, right?

Now where did they get this information about rosemary? This is the blurb from the article:

"Parsley and sage are great, as is thyme, but when it comes to improving memory, rosemary is king. In a recent study, UK researchers looked at scents and how they boosted or detracted from mental performance. They found that office workers whose cubicles were infused with the scent of rosemary had better long-term memory than those in unscented cubes. “There are other essential oils that can help with memory, but rosemary is by far the best and most economical,” says Cher Core, an aromatherapist in Boston. “Diffuse rosemary essential oil in the air, wear it in a perfume, use it in mists and more. It is a good choice for those studying and folks who need help with memory, focus and concentration.”

Who are these UK researchers? Let me Google this. Ah ha! Here's another article on "Lavender, Rosemary Scents Affect Memory". According to this article, the "The calming, sedative effect of the aroma of lavender may impair memory and attention, but the stimulating effect of rosemary may enhance certain aspects of mental function".

Here's another article on "Improving Your Memory" that tells you to eat some rosemary leaves in addition to sniff them. Rosemary shortbread cookies are good for you!

Not that I study much these days or need help with memory. In fact, excellent memory runs in my family, but I am going to place rosemary in my car and all over the house anyway.

mini rosemary shortbread cookies I baked back in June

Mini Rosemary Shortbread Cookies

Tomorrow is the Horticulture Permaculture Solstice Convergence. I didn't think I had any skill to share at this event until two nights ago. It just occurred to me that I can use the herbs on the farm to bake a few things for people to sample. I have a lot of rosemary. I love rosemary olive oil bread, but can I use rosemary for something sweet? After Goolgling rosemary cookies, I found plenty of recipes. It certainly isn't something new although it's far less common than chocolate chip cookies.


I made a beginner's mistake while I was mixing the flour into the butter/sugar mixture. Instead of adding the flour in small portions and mix in between each small addition, I dumped the entire 2 3/4 cups of flour into the butter/sugar all at once. If you have made the same mistake, then you know that dough will not form into a ball. It just falls apart. I didn't want to add water into the mixture, so I added some olive oil. That helped a little, but I still wasn't able to form a dough ball that I could actually roll out flat. I ended up work the dough in small patches and just flatten it by hand on the counter and cut the cookies out with the cutter. I used the mini cookie cutter since I don't know how many people are going to be at this Solstice Convergence. It's scheduled for 1-7 PM. I don't want to run out of cookies in the first hour.

The cookies turned out nicely. I had to stop myself from keep eating them. They are most likely going to run out pretty quickly. Urban farmers love free food. I know I do. I better pack them up and get ready to bake some lemon-lavender shortbread cookies.