Cooking with Herbs

Lots of people love to cook with herbs -- in theory -- but approach them with caution in practice. Here's why: Herbs do impart flavor and aroma to food. In some cases they can add texture, too. A little thyme in an omelette can make those mild, fluffy eggs taste earthy and richer (more robust) somehow. Add too much, though, and you end up with a pile of yellow curds that smell and taste moldy

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Indoor Gardens–Guest Post by Patricia Hall

Patricia Hall is an online florist who came across my DIY enamel flower bucket a few weeks ago, and generously offered to share some of her knowledge about how to bring a bit of nature indoors!  Thank you, Patricia!

Indoor-Gardens and how you can use them as a natural décor for your home

While many people desire a more natural look for their home, they often feel at a loss when it comes to understanding how they can create this effect. The truth of the matter is that an indoor garden is a perfect choice when a natural, leafy texture is required in a certain room, and as long the room in question has plenty of light, there are few plants that cannot be grown in the home. Consider the options that most popular for homeowners and think about how to create the desired effect.

 

Choosing Plants

There are many plants that are suited for an indoor garden. Postal flowers and catalogs are a good choice when a homeowner is considering a new garden but is unable to get to a garden center. A cheap florist may also have plenty of potted plants that are ready to be taken home. Before deciding on what plants to purchase, consider the light needs and the eventual size of the plants in question. Many indoor gardens do very well with dwarf varieties or plants that are otherwise small in size. Be sure to choose plants that are going to create the desired effect. For example, some people adore the look of plants that have flowers and blooms, while other people prefer plants that have only showy foliage. Consider the desired effect and find plants that play to it accordingly. Also remember that different plants have different care requirements. A coleus plant, for example, has bright showy leaves and requires an absolute minimum of care. On the other hand, an orchid is a plant that has a gorgeous floral bloom, but the care itself is more difficult. An orchid needs to be regularly watered through flushing clean water through the bark substrate. This is time consuming and orchids should only be undertaken by people who have a thorough understanding of their care. If there is enough sunlight and plants that are easy to care for are required, consider succulents. Succulents can survive for an extended period of time without the need for constant care and supervision, and if they are given enough light, they are typically quite hardy.

 

Displaying Indoor Gardens

For the style-savvy indoor gardener, there are a number of different stands and displays that do very well for a number of plants. While it is possible to keep plants on a windowsill, windowsills are not ideal. They can be drafty and because they are so narrow, the plants sitting upon them can be easily knocked over or upset, especially if there are animals or small children in the home! If the indoor gardener is growing plants that do not directly have to be in the window, he or she may choose a corner shelf. A corner shelf fits snugly into the room’s corner and it has a rounded edge. The shape of the shelf from the top is that of a quarter circle, and there is plenty of room on this type of stand for many plants. Don’t forget to consider hanging plants as well. There are a number of plants that do well in hanging baskets, and a hanging basket allows the visual point of the room to be drawn up. This is a good choice if there is not a lot of space for a plant stand of any type, and it is an excellent choice for spaces like apartments and other areas where not a lot of space is possible.

One excellent choice for many different plants is a plant stand. A plant stand is open on all sides, allowing the plants to receive the most amount of sunlight possible. In many cases, a plant stand can be placed directly over a window, allowing for an excellent view of sunlight through green leafy foliage. This is a great way to reduce the light coming in through a southern exposure and also to keep beautiful healthy plants. When considering all of the options that are present for an indoor gardener, choose plants that suit the lifestyle in question. The best looking plant is one that is healthy and well cared for, so consider plants that match the possible care regimen. Once an indoor garden gets started, it can be a wonderful sight to see.

About the Author

Patricia Hall works part-time for an online florist in uk and loves to surround herself with flowers at any given point of time. Even in her free time she loves to involve herself with everything flora and fauna. 'To me there is nothing more beautiful and global as the language of flowers - it is the easiest to understand all around the world in the same way. That is one reason why I truly admire flowers for what they represent in some ways - unity of all mankind!'

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Herbs in the Garden

Herb lovers enjoy establishing special spots for their favorite plants. They may be modified flowerbeds, borders or rows along a vegetable patch. They may be decorative wagon wheels accessible via crushed stone walkways or dozens of pots assembled cheek by jowl against the worn wooden side of a shed or garage. There are lots of ways to dedicate a spot for herbs, but most people starting out

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Popular Birthday

I know I have been MIA this past week…without a whole lot of advance planning, we decided to spend spring break in Montana with my parents.  I spent my time visiting and cooking, so there wasn’t much time to play on the Internet!  I had to reconcile myself to the fact that I was NEVER going to catch up on all my favorite blogs, and just pretend that everyone else was enjoying a spring break as well!

While we were in Montana, my oldest child turned the big ONE-FIVE!  This year we decided to grant her heart’s desire with a ticket to Wicked, which is coming to Salt Lake City in August.

She looks happy, don’t you think??

Actually, I’m happy, too!  I’m going with her!  (I haven’t seen it either.)

I wrapped up the ticket along with a canvas I made especially for her with lyrics from the song “Popular” from the play.  I’ve watched this video on YouTube at least twenty times!

“Popular” from the musical “Wicked”

I showed the canvas to my husband, and he said, “You don’t really believe that, do you??”

Of course not!  It’s just FUNNY!!  Silly man.

Trust me, I was decidedly UNpopular in high school!

The “Popular” canvas has a place of honor on her chest of drawers now—or at least until we get a chance to hang it up!

  Four more months till play-time!

*********************************

Linking up here:
 

Coastal Charm’s Nifty Thrifty Tuesday	Elizabeth & Co.
Friday Remodelaholic	2805
My Simple Home Life’s Simple Creations Friday	Someday Crafts
Funky Junk’s Saturday Night Special	Domestically Speaking
Beyond the Picket Fence’s Under $100 Party
Perfectly Imperfect	{Primp}
Simply Klassic Sundays	My Repurposed Life
	It’s So Very Cheri
	{aka} design

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How to Grow Curry Plant

Curry plant is a curious and interesting little herb that may not be in the top five or ten choices on your herb wish list but definitely deserves your consideration.

Fast Facts About Curry Plant

Helichrysum italicum or curry plant is a tender perennial. Outdoors, it does best in U.S. zones 8 to 11. It can't tolerate a hard frost. It prefers soil that drains well, full sun and warm conditions

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Happy Easter from the Herb Gardener

I wanted to pop in and offer my best wishes for the day.  Even if you don't celebrate Easter, for many it's the real rather than the official start of spring.

In a surprising number of U.S. locales, the weather seems too good to be true this spring.  We are a few weeks away from the frost free date in my part of the Midwest, so I've held back from a big push in the garden.  I've been

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What’s wrong with this picture…

Our early Easter visit with Aidan

Yep, that’s what I said…what’s wrong with this picture ?

Oh for sure…there’s a lot wrong with this picture – figure it out yet?
Well it seems Aidan has taken a liking to his Santa jammies and wants to put them on every morning – today we went to visit them and give Aidan his Easter basket as we aren’t going to see them (tomorrow) Easter Sunday.
When we walked in I took a double take on his outfit…there he was with ‘bed head’ and wearing a ‘Santa suit’.
We arrived quite early – they were just fixing breakfast – but we had lots to do today so an early visit was the best we could do.
Isn’t if fun what kids will come up with on their own.
Darren said this is a ‘HAVE TO DO THING EVERYDAY RECENTLY’, they go along with it too.
I love it that kids can express themselves and parents don’t get all bent out of shape - don’t you – it’s so important in their growth?

So with the Santa suit mixed with Easter and his summer sandals he was ‘styln’ big time’ !

Grandma was a wee bit tire yet too!
 

Do you know what impressed us a lot???  He hadn’t eaten breakfast yet and Darren said he could have candy after he ate…not a single word from him…he just accepted it!  He’s such a good boy – he takes after his daddy. Darren was very easy going and minded so well too.
I’m curious what the new baby will be like. We have kind of joked with  them that they might not fully appreciate Aidan’s personality until the next one arrives…could be a whole different story.

MaryAnn’s brother/sil are home visiting from TN and they brought their 7 month old son P Joe  over for us to see while we were there…oh my he’s sooooo cute and so good too.
Meet P Joe (sorry it’s so blurry)

I received another wonderful winning this week – Nancy over at http://insidenanashead.blogspot.com/
She had a give away for one of her current Celebrity Cookbooks
Nancy does some wonderful things with profits from the books…she donates to the No Kill Pet shelters.
Thanks so much Nancy

I know some of you thought I was taking a break from Blogging by what I said in my last post…
NO, not at all – just my website so keep on checking – I’ll keep posting
And I thank you all for visiting and leaving such nice comments.

I’m closing now to do some much needed sewing

HAPPY EASTER

Karen

 

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