Having 2 jobs and being pressed for time I often use (gasp) Shake and Bake for chicken and pork. The last time I did boneless pork chops I took some fresh sage leaves from the garden and put a layer of them underneath the breaded chops and baked. Yummy! Over the weekend, with more time, we love Cornish game hens with lots of sage and thyme tucked inside -- gives a lovely flavor. At Christmas in our family we always have roast goose, with a mashed potato and onion stuffing with LOTS of sage. Fabulous... I don't know if you can make stuffing for roast chicken without sage, thyme and rosemary. Used judiciously, because it is a strongly flavored herb, sage can be delicious in salads or in an herb omelet. Enjoy experimenting with your sage!

The fresh leaves of sage make a great 'toothbrush'. Simply rub the leaves over your teeth and gums to clean them, and leave you with wonderfully fresh breath! The dried leaves can be used as a 'tooth powder'. It is both antiseptic and antibacterial. Medicinal Uses: Because of its antiseptic qualities, sage tea is used as a gargle for sore throat, gum and mouth infections, as a wash for acne and as a hair rinse for dandruff. Boosts insulin levels, so may be useful in treating diabetes. Used to regulate menstruation and to treat menopausal symptoms, especially hot flushes. Quickly reduces perspiration. Sprinkle dried leaf powder onto wounds to disinfect. Sage improves the memory, treats liver and gallbladder problems, cleanses the female genitals, relieves flatulence, stimulates cell growth. Helps reduce milk flow when weaning babies. Use the tea as a gargle for bleeding gums and apply it to cold sores. It is sometimes taken to treat mild diarrhoea, carpal tunnel syndrome, tonsillitis and AlzheimerâÂÂs Disease. The essential oil can be massaged in to ease muscular tension or pain and to treat cellulite. Other Uses: Leaves can be strewn in bathwater and in rinse water to enhance dark hair, cleanse oily hair and help prevent falling hair. It can be used as an aftershave and skin lotion. The leaves yield a yellow-beige dye with alum mordant, yellow with chrome mordant and green-grey with iron mordant. Sage repels cabbage moths, carrot fly and ticks. Combined with rosemary, it acts as a preservative, because of its antibacterial property. Warning: Avoid large doses when pregnant. Sage will dry up breast milk. Excessive consumption should be avoided because of the thujone content of the plant which can cause dizziness, convulsion and rapid heartbeat. Avoid if suffering from high blood pressure or epilepsy. Medicinal doses should not be administered to young children. Avoid long-term medicinal use.

I pour freshly boiled water over fresh herbs all the time to make tea. A sprig or two can also make cold water more appetizing or provide a change from plain water. It helps to roll the herb springs in your hand to help release the flavors. Whenever you are pruning herbs make a cup of tea to reward yourself. I fill the cup 1/4 - 1/3 full with sprigs of fresh herbs - I have used mint, sage, rosemary, basil, violet leaves, lemon balm, lemon thyme, English thyme, marjoram, yarrow leaves, strawberry leaves and others I can't remember right off the top of my head. Thyme tea with honey and lemon is great for sore throats, bronchitis coughs - tasty even when healthy. I particularly like sage tea and violet tea both of which have health benefits as wells as being tasty. I found yarrow leaves much tastier than I expected. Adding honey or lemon can enhance flavor just as sugar and lemon enhances China tea. Almost all herbal teas have health benefits. Many books and websites will give you more information. All of us are different so watch yourself for any allergic or uncomfortable reactions. Some are not a good idea for pregnant women - like parsley can supposedly cause contractions. Moderation and self awareness are recommended. However, I have had many problems with prescription drugs and have never had any with herbal teas. I do not use more than a cup or two a day of any beverage and try to practice variety in my teas as well as my diet.

We drink tea almost daily year round using mints, lemon verbena, lemon grass, lemon balm, stevia, and more. We dry plenty during the growing season to make it through the winter, but even a few of these are available now here in our zone 7 because each year I take my lemon grass from the pot in the spring, cut it into three pieces, two of which I plant in the garden (they make huge ornamental plants), and one I replant in the pot with fresh potting mix. I brought the pot in before frost, and am still cutting fresh lemon grass from it in the house. I also grow the stevia and lemon verbena in pots, so I get some of those in the winter as well, though lots of leaves drop. In the garden I also grow chamomile, bee balm, lemon thyme, and black currant (the leaves make an awesome tea if you get the right kind). We cut oregano when it is covered in flowers to dry for tea - it is a great tea for when we are dealing with colds and such. As well, we use sage and sometimes a small amount of rosemary in teas. A strong sage tea is good as a gargle to sooth a sore throat. I'm still looking for more things to include in our flavorful tea garden. We grow some of the other things you mentioned, dill, parsley, cilantro, chives, savory, thyme, lovage, tarragon, but I really consider those culinary herbs rather than tea herbs. And lavender is good for the nose, probably wouldn't drink/eat it.