Herbs and Spice and Everything Nice

Have You Been To Your Local Market Today?

2010-11-20T12:37:00.000-05:00

Good Morning! It's a gorgeous day here in NC...a perfect day to hit the local market. I know it's November, and pretty close to Thanksgiving, but don't be fooled: there is usually still a LOT of fresh fruit and vegetables at your local produce stand or farmers market.
I would guess everyone thinks about the typical fall crops like winter squashes and root crops, but there's a lot more available, depending on where you live. Here in Eastern NC, apples are at their peak. Also available right now: broccoli, cucumbers, cabbage, pumpkins, late tomatoes, pecans, peanuts and sweet potatoes(mmm...fresh sweet potatoes for Thanksgiving!).
If you're in the Northeast states, there's still time to grab beets, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, onions, pears, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, tomatoes and turnips.
In the South, apples, broccoli, cucumbers, cabbage, mushrooms, pumpkins, tomatoes, turnips, pecans, peas, peanuts,spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, watermelon and zucchini.
In the Midwest, your local farmers are still producing apples, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, onions, peas, potatoes, pumpkins, squash and sweet potatoes.
In the Rockies, you can still get your hands on apples, carrots, onions and potatoes.
If you're the Pacific Northwest, sharpen your appetite for apples, asian pears, beets, blackberries, blueberries, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, celery, grapes, mushrooms, onions, pears, potatoes, pumpkins, radishes, raspberries, rutabagas, spinach and turnips.
Californians, from what I've heard and seen-ya'll can get pretty much anything, pretty much any time. Same for you Floridians.
So see? Even though the weather outside may be getting frightful, the bounty from your local farms and markets is still delightful. There's still so many opportunities to bring fresh fruits and veggies into your daily diet!

Lemony Almond Spinach Pesto Pasta with Tuna

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 lb whole-wheat pasta, any shape
3 cups tightly-packed baby spinach (3 oz)
1/4 cup packed fresh mint1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
Zest and juice 1 large lemon (2 tsp zest, 1⁄3 cup juice), divided
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup unsalted toasted almond slivers
1 6-oz can solid white tuna packed in water, no salt added
1 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded and diced small
1 small zucchini, diced small
1 1/2 cups cooked white beans (or 1 15-oz can low-sodium white beans, drained and rinsed)
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS:

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and rinse with cold water to stop it from cooking further. Set aside.
Put spinach, mint, garlic, cheese and lemon zest in a food processor and pulse to form a chunky paste. Combine lemon juice and oil in a liquid measuring cup. With food processor running (on but not pulsing), add juice-oil mixture through the food chute in a slow drizzle until a thick, smooth pesto forms. Combine pesto with cooked pasta in a large bowl.
Put almonds in processor and pulse about 10 times, until finely chopped. Stir almonds into pasta.
Drain tuna and flake it with a fork. Add it to pasta, along with yellow pepper, zucchini and beans. Toss to combine and season with salt and black pepper.

Nutrients per 2-cup serving: Calories: 450, Total Fat: 11 g, Sat. Fat: 1.5 g, Carbs: 66 g, Fiber: 14 g, Sugars: 6 g, Protein: 28 g, Sodium: 190 mg, Cholesterol: 15 mg

Mixing Bowl Safari

2010-11-17T16:21:00.001-05:00

I need new mixing bowls. I've put it off for awhile, but I can't deny the necessity any more. I have only one large mixing bowl left(thank you honey), and with Christmas baking coming up I'm going to need more than one mixing bowl to get everything done. Soooo, with that in mind, I went bowl and gadget shopping and as usual, I thought I'd share some of my cool findings....you know I can't resist neat kitchen stuff!
The first set I happened on were some awesome recycled melamine nesting bowls by Zak! in bright funky colors. As you can see below, they're not your grandma's melamine bowls! They don't really match my kitchen, but I still like them. I'd love to use them in my crafting room, though...it's the home of all things quirky and funky.

Now if I had the money to spare, I'd get this great copper mixing bowl from ChefTools.com:

Now THAT is a mixing bowl! I want it so bad...maybe I can convince Dale to let me get it? I might have to hold out until my birthday for this one, though, since it's $129.00. I can see myself whipping up egg whites for meringues or raising bread dough in that awesome bowl....

These green ceramic nesting bowls from Emile Henry are much more realistic, and still beautiful. They are available at CSNStores.com. there is just something nice about ceramic. They're heavy and sturdy, and they clean up easily. Plus, they're always in style. I like the green color(hey, it matches the blog!); it would look gorgeous in my kitchen.

Speaking of CSNStores.com, I am completely in love with this cookware and bakeware from Le Creuset:

Isn't that gorgeous? I love that blue color. I know it wouldn't go with anything in my kitchen, but still...a girl can dream, can't she?

I finally settled on the green ceramic bowls. I can't wait to get them! It's almost time to start the holiday baking!

Spice Tree Ornaments

2010-11-16T17:12:00.001-05:00

So today I went to the store, and started buying spices for my ornaments(thank you Food Lion Latin Foods section for your 99 cent spices)Each packet of cloves is enough to do one ornament...AND...they had whole allspice and star anise, which is wicked hard to find around here. So now I need to think up a few ornaments to make with those, too. Wow, my tree is gonna be FRAGRANT! and I'm going to make cranberry garlands, too, I think. Add a few "quilt balls", and I think it'll be a pretty cute tree.

I got my inspiration for Christmas tree ornaments from a few different places. Of course, I have to say that my Mopsie had various ornaments made of cloves that I loved as a kid. they always smelled so nice. If you look on the internet, you can find a number of different ideas for making ornaments out of raw spices. It takes some digging, but they're in there. These cute little balls from Grey House Samplers caught my eye immediately. Just what I was looking for. With a few bits of ribbon or raffia, something like this would be perfect for my Christmas tree.

A few other things I saw were here on the right-pomanders made of oranges
and cloves, which are, of course, the origin of these types of ornaments. This
one with ribbon is similar in concept with what I want to do with my clove
balls, although I will probably use raffia or strips of flannel or a more rustic ribbon. It's still cute. I may possibly make a few of the orange pomanders
to set in a bowl on my kitchen counter or dining room table. I like the one without the ribbon, too. Those are made with styrofoam balls, so they'll last longer. I am fairly sure I could do the same thing by hot gluing whole allspice
to a styrofoam ball for a different "pattern". With some matching paint on the styrofoam, I could make some of star anise, too, both for the tree and for the table.

I think they will look and smell extra fabulous. Best part: unlike pretty glass ornaments, my cat won't break them. I LOVE my Stinky Pete. He's the sweetest and most personable cat I've ever met. But he will be murder on my tree. I know. I'd prefer not to have to kill my sweet kitty if at all possible, so it seems to me like unbreakable things are the way to go. When Momma's happy, everybody's happy, dontcha know? Besides, these ornaments will be awesome!

Here is another cute idea I think I'm going to try also. This one has a number of different pinecones on the ball, with just hints of spice from the cinnamon sticks. But they're so pretty and rustic looking, I can't pass them by. And I like the punch of color from the berries. I was thinking that for myself, I'll go gather pinecones from the trees behind my house...they're small enough, and there are tons of them laying around. I also think that instead of the red berries, I might try and use pyrocantha berries, since we also have a LOT of pyrocantha growing wild around Tarawa Terrace for some reason. The orange berries will add an interesting bit of color to the tree. I like that!
I wave been wondering what I could do with magnolia leaves...we have so many magnolias around here, too, it just seemed natural to want to make some beautiful ornaments out of them to add to the tree. I know they'd make a pretty garland, but I don't have the time or patience to wire them together. I'll have to get on the internet and have a look see for some ideas.

These are pretty neat, too. I had already said I was going to make some cinnamon stick bundles, but when I saw these, I thought they were absolutely perfect! Although, I'm not sure where I would get whole nutmeg, I think I could substitute allspice for the nutmeg...maybe. I don't know. I'll let you know the results.

At any rate, I just thought I would share with you a few of the ideas and inspirations I found for my "Home Spice" Christmas tree this year. If anyone has any other ideas, I'd love to hear them!
What would you put on my Christmas tree?

Autumn Rambles

2010-11-13T22:09:00.001-05:00

Hey everyone! As promised, I am back with yet another post. I didn't post yesterday, because Dale and I decided to take the day to go rambling. It was such a gorgeous day that we couldn't resist. The foliage was beautiful and bright....I love Fall! We drove up towards New Bern initially, and from New Bern we drove to Morehead City and Beaufort.
I have always wondered about downtown Beaufort. We drive through the outskirts of town frequently on the way to the Cedar Island Ferry, but we've never gone down there before. I was pleasantly surprised! There are TONS of gorgeous homes(I am a sucker for historic architecture) and shops....hehehe. Antique shops, gift shops, clothing shops, novelty shops. Fabulous stuff. And restaurants for when you get hungry from shopping. Definitely my kind of place. Also just across from the Beaufort waterfront is Carrot Island. We were able to see some of the famous Shackleford Banks wild horses which apparently swim from the Banks to Carrot Island regularly. It was pretty cool.
Here are some of the homes we saw in Beaufort. I didn't have a camera this time, so I just pulled pics off the internet for ya'll:

Gorgeous! I could just drive around all afternoon and look at the houses. I wish I could find pics of the best houses; they had several that had the most amazing gingerbread trim on them. From what I read about the history of the architecture, most of the historic houses in Beaufort were heavily influenced by colonial Caribbean design. The last picture I posted is a prime example of this. It dates from the 1700s.
And the shopping! Ah, shopping! I love to investigate antique stores, little gift shops, novelty stores and such (THEY HAVE A SPICE SHOP AND A GARDEN SHOP! Hehehehe). Now I have to save up some mad money and go wandering up there for an afternoon. Definitely going to investigate when Mom and Dad are here for Thanksgiving. I needed to find another little shopping district to putter around in. Here's a small sampling of the shops in downtown Beaufort:

And that's probably a quarter of what's down there. I could happily spend an entire day down there. There is also a specialty food emporium, a spice shop, a brewery supply store for home brewers, and LaVaughn's Pottery, Coffee and Wine shop...that name just makes me want to spend the whole day in that store.

Also, if you go, don't miss the Coastal Community Market, which offers natural and local foodstuffs, health aids, vegetarian and gluten-free foods, gourmet products and grass-fed meats. Awesome.

For more info on Beaufort and it's shops, see these links:

http://www.ncbeaches.com/CrystalCoast/Beaufort/

http://www.thecoastalexplorer.com/NC/Beaufort.asp

http://www.tourbeaufort.com/aboutbeaufort.html

http://www.coastalcommunitymarket.com/index.html

http://beaufort.insiderinfo.us/shop-beaufort-down-east-nc/1

Back in the Swing

2010-11-10T12:21:00.000-05:00

I AM BACK.
Firstly, I want to apologize for my absence. Herbs N' Spice has been on hiatus due to personal reasons. Now that things have settled down and Fall has arrived, it's time to get back to blogging!
I think I should start out with a confession: I've started listening to Christmas music already. I know, I know...it's not even Thanksgiving...but who cares? I like it. If I had my way and if it was socially acceptable, I'd probably be listening to Christmas music 365 days a year. I love Christmas.
I am planning on making my own ornaments for the tree this year. One thing I'm going to make is kissing balls out of cloves and "log bundles" out of cinnamon sticks. So fragrant! I am also planning on drying some orange slices to hang, too. They'll go great with my "quilt" ornaments. I can't wait to put up my tree!! I will definitely post pics as I go.
Have you ever tried Pumpkin Butter? If you're a pumpkin lover, it's a must. Totally decadent and spicy. I recently put up 8 pints for my own use and for Christmas presents. I don't dare show up to a family gathering without it. If you'd like to try it, here's the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
1 (29 ounce) can canned
pumpkin puree
3/4 cup apple juice
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 1/2 cups white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

DIRECTIONS:
1. Combine pumpkin, apple juice, spices, and sugar in a large saucepan; stir well. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes or until thickened. Stir frequently.
2. Transfer to sterile containers and chill in the refrigerator until serving.

I do it in the crockpot, though. Combine everything in the crockpot, stir well, and cook on high for 2 hours. comes out exactly the same. If you want to can it, you can.

Try it! It's awesome on bran muffins, brown bread, soda bread, nut breads, etc.

2010-07-21T23:26:00.000-04:00

Wow! It's been awhile since I've posted. Lots of stuff going on the last few days...I was sick over the weekend, and it just took awhile for me to get back in the swing of things.
But, I did have the opportunity to do some online snooping today after getting caught up on work and housework, and I found out something interesting: nothing in the resident handbook says we can't plant vegetables.
The last time we lived in base housing, we were told it was against the rules to plant vegetables. So I assumed it was the same this go round. However, I got curious today, and looked at the handbook...and nowhere does it say, "Thou shalt not have vegetables in your backyard." So guess who's gonna be planting up a storm next summer? This girl! Although, I think I will play it safe and use containers.
Now I feel like a kid in a candy shop...so many different types of veggies....where should I start? Lettuces and salad greens are a must have, and tomatoes. Bush beans will be nice, and I can use trellises for peas and squash. Definitely need to plant some bell peppers, too. But what else? I think carrots? There are a bunch of nice compact ones that are suitable for containers...which reminds me; I found this great site that sells seeds especially for container gardening. Try www.containerseeds.com...great little site. they even have a blue sweet corn designed for containers that only grows 3-4 feet high...gotta get some of THAT!!!!
This is going to be fun. I'm itching to see how productive I can make my little 15x25 backyard next year!

MandaMac

Why I'll Never Reach For the Bottle

2010-07-14T16:08:00.000-04:00

So, I've been gone for a couple days. Stupid internet. Sorry about that. BUT...the enforced time away from the interwebs did allow me to get a lot of stuff done that I'd been putting off for awhile, so it wasn't that bad. Missed my blog, though. I did think about something while the net was gone-the fact that I LOVE my gray hairs!

What is it with people that makes them so obsessed with hanging onto youth? I mean, I can't exactly say I'm old at 33, but I look at all the people around me who are so obsessed with staying young and looking young...creams and masks and hair goo and botox and surgery...why? I liked the way I looked in my 20s, but I'm not so obsessed with my looks then that I want to look like the idiot I was then for the rest of my life!

On the contrary...this may sound strange to most of you, but I was THRILLED when I started to notice the gray in my hair, and I've gotten more pleased as the years go by, and more and more silver threads show. It's so attractive! I have been lucky to inherit my grandfather's silver hair; my husband says I look like I have strands of tinsel in my hair....he thinks it's sexy.

I had a friend tell me the other day that she thought it was time for me to pick up a bottle of hair color. I was a little shocked, to say the least. When I asked her why, she commented that all my gray hair made me look "like an old lady, and who wants to look old?" (Ok, to explain, I guess I have a bit more gray hair then the average 33 year old...it's not as noticeable when my hair is down, but I have two decent size streaks of gray at the tops of my temples, and threads and locks of gray throughout the rest of my hair). So who wants to look old? Well, I do.

My grays are marks of the passage of my life. They make me feel dignified, and I look at myself in the mirror and think that maybe, just maybe, God has granted me a little bit of wisdom and maturity along with them. Why would I want to hide those? They're special. It just boggles me that women(and some men) feel the need to try and hide who they are and the records of their life experiences...can't we be proud of those? Who in the world wants to be mistaken for a perpetual 21 year old? Not me. I'm happy to be a mature 33 year old with gray in her hair.

and when the wrinkles start showing, I'll be proud of those, too.

MandaMac

Carbon-Neutral Blogging...Mine Is, Is Yours?

2010-07-12T01:11:00.001-04:00

I recently ran across a very intersting blog post about the carbon footprints of blogs...yep, your blog has a carbon footprint. Who'd have thunk it? "Making Your Blog Carbon Neutral For Free" on Green-Eyed View has some pretty interesting facts and figures on how much carbon dioxide is emitted by the average blog every visit. I know my little corner of the blogosphere isn't anywhere near average, but I was nevertheless shocked at the thought of my blogging causing carbon emissions, although when I stop and think about it, I do get it.
The answer? Plant a tree. One tree will neutralize the carbon footprint of your blog 100%. sounds pretty cool, but I bet you're thinking about the cost of a tree, care and maintenance, etc., right? Or if you live in an apartment, you're thinking about the fact that you can't plant a tree at all. But there IS good news: if you go to the post listed above, there are steps you can follow to have a tree planted FOR YOU....just by passing this bit of news onward in your blog. Pretty cool deal, if you ask me.
I would urge all of you bloggers to consider this option...anything we can do to green the planet will benefit us all!

MandaMac

One in the Eye for all my Early Risers from a Night Owl up too late

2010-07-10T02:16:00.001-04:00

Ok, I ran across this post and I had to share it...because I feel vindicated:
"Night Owls vs. Early Birds: Who Will Win? Morning or Night People?" from Looking For My Life.
See? See? There is scientific data backing me up! Hah! No more cracks about making marmalade at midnight, please. My DNA has given a statement and says it will take full responsibility for my vampiric sleeping habits; thank you DNA.
I can't help it if I sleep until 11am most days and stay up until 3am...it's just the way I am. The thought of getting up at 7am nauseates me. I have breakfast at noon. It's great...try it sometime.
so for all the Early Birds out there in my world who have ragged me about my sleep habits, and you KNOW who you are...you can rest easy in the fact that my nocturnal nature is one less thing you have in life to worry about.

MandaMac

Jamming---again.

2010-07-09T22:13:00.001-04:00

Well, yesterday certainly was a productive day in terms of canning- I made cherry preserves, more plum jam, and lemon marmalade. everything was an unqualified success, except for one thing: the preserves. Of course, the cherries floated to the top, but a weird thing happened.Everything BELOW the cherries jelled, but the layer with the cherries in it didn't. Does anyone know why this might be?

I can't for the life of me figure out why that happened, especially since I thought I'd read somewhere that cherries are naturally high in pectin. I'm sure they'll taste really good, and all the jars sealed; but I'm going to store them in the refrigerator just to be sure. So half failure, half success. I need to figure out where I went wrong and make another batch.
Another question for you canners out there: has anyone used the Tattler reusable canning lids? I was wondering how well they worked...I'm not inclined to pay money for them if they're not effective. If you're not familiar with them, you can check them out at the link above.

Here are the results of yesterday's venture:

They're so pretty in the window! And having taste tested with my hubby, I can vouch for the fact that they are all delicious and husband-approved for consumption.

so without further ado, here are the pics for my "marmalade" experiment:

Juicing the lemons, something I normally HATE doing. Just didn't feel that lemon juice from concentrate was what I wanted for this experiment though. I added zest from a couple lemons to the mix, too. Side note: that juicer in the picture there is the most durable thing. My MOM got that as a wedding present...35 years ago. And it's still running like a charm. Let me tell you, for doing a reasonable amount of this type of citrus juicing, this thing can't be beat. It took me less than 3 minutes to juice all two dozen of my lemons.

Simmering the lemon juice and peels. I have to say, by far the most tedious part of marmalade is slicing up all those little pieces of lemon rind. You have to peel out the leftover pulp and the inner membrane and as much of the bitter white part as possible and cut it into thin strips. My hands were really hurting by the time I was done! But anyway, here it is on the stove, simmering away after all the prep was done. I simmered it for about 30 minutes to let the rinds soften up some and release as much essential oil into the juice as possible. That way you get maximum flavor, and nice, tender rinds that won't feel like little bits of leather in the jelly. I had some homemade marmalade once where they didn't simmer it, and it was nasty!

Stirring in the pectin. I used 1 packet of regular Sure-jell, and after I heated the juice up to a boil, I added the pectin and stirred thoroughly until I was sure it was dissolved. You have to work quickly at this stage, because once you have added the pectin, you're on a time clock. Pectin can't cook too long, or it will loose it's effectiveness and won't jell properly. I was really doing a balancing act trying to get pictures and stir at the same time...without dropping the camera into the juice. I'm not sure Dale would have appreciated that!

I thought I would include this picture, too, because I like it. I was still stirring the pectin, and somehow I came out with this great swirly shot of the juice and rinds. Ok, so I thought it looked cool...I guess it's the photographer in me that gets caught by this sort of silliness. Amazing I got something neat like that from a cheap point-and-shoot. A Lemon Whirlpool! Anywho, what were we talking about? Oh yeah, instructions for making marmalade.

So after stirring in the pectin, I added the sugar. About 7 cups, allowing for the tartness of the lemons. Normally for this quantity of liquid(about 6 cups) I would use around 5 cups of sugar, but I figured since I was using lemons I would need to counter the sourness of the lemons with some extra. Here you can see the syrup is almost at a full boil. Boil it at a full rolling boil for ONE minute, then immediately remove the pan from the heat to stop cooking (remember about not overcooking the pectin?). What you DON'T see here is me dealing with the results of a boil over, LOL.

And here is the marmalade after being ladled into hot jars...yeah, I use a ladle. Funnels are for sissies. Make sure to wipe off the rims with a clean paper towel though before you put the lids on so you get a good seal. Then it was off to the water bath for ten minutes(I wish I could have a long hot bath...jelly is so lucky). All went well, and they all sealed immediately after being pulled out of the water. All done. Now I just have to figure out what went wrong with those darn cherries...you know, it's really been driving me nuts the whole time I've been writing this. I'm going to have to get more and figure it out. And a cherry pitter, but that's a whole n'other story...

so now what? All I have left is canning the rhubarb sauce. Then I'm going to be depleted of projects! At least until next payday. Maybe I need to paint some furniture or something...

MandaMac

How To Wash Your Boxers

2010-07-07T21:37:00.003-04:00

It's me...again. I had hoped to get to my preserves today, but real life and work have intruded once again...darn it! LOL Had to give both the dogs a bath, which is always an adventure. So I have included a step by step manual on how to wash my boxer, if you ever find yourself in the position. Many of these steps and principles can also be applied to your own dog as well.

Macey can't wait for her bath....she LOVES them. Loves to chase the hose, eat the spray, try to eat the flea soap, and generally is having so much fun I can barely keep her still long enough to lather her up. So without further ado, here is my Step By Step Manual on How To Wash A Boxer:

Step 1: Call Macey outside
Step 2: Chase her around the kitchen island and into the living room
Step 3: Get the bright idea to yell the word "BATH!!!"
Step 4: Get out of the way, making sure you don't trip over the coffee table, or husband's combat boots in the middle of the floor.
Step 5: Head for the back door. Dodge Macey again when she comes looking for you.
Step 6: Shut the door. This step is critical so as to avoid step 17.
Step 7: Turn on hose. Get run over by Macey as she charges around the yard.
Step 8: Make a diving leap for Mace as she passes you. Fall on your face. Get stepped on by dog.
Step 9:Snag dog by the collar on the next pass around the yard. Maintain a death grip.
Step 10: Pick up the hose. Turn on the spray nozzle.
Step 11: Start spraying down dog. Lose your hold over collar as Macey tries to eat spray.

Step 12: Try to chase dog around the yard again, only to almost be jerked off your feet when you realize you have a death grip on the spray nozzle and the hose is out of slack.
Step 13: Retreat to restrategize. Decide to lure the dog in with...spray, yummy spray.
Step 14: Start randomly spraying around the yard, luring the dog in until she's close enough to grab.
Step 15: Finish spraying dog. Avoid spray eating if at all possible.
Step 16: Grab shampoo. Accidentally let go of sopping wet dog.
Step17: Chase wet dog around the yard and onto the porch. Realize too late that back door is not fully closed.
Step 17: Frantically try to stop sopping wet dog from getting in house. Fail miserably. Arrive in house just in time to see Mace vigorously shaking herself dry all over brand new furniture.
Step 18: drag dog back outside. Make sure door is securely shut.
Repeat Steps 7-15.
Step 19: Lather up the dog. Stop dog from trying to eat flea shampoo. Try not to get it in your eyes.

Step 20: Accidentally lose grip on slippery collar. Catch dog. Repeat Step 19.
Step 21: Rinse dog. Lose your grip when she shakes water in your face.
Step 22: Chase soapy dog around the yard before giving up and chasing her around the yard with the sprayer. Repeat this step until dog seems to be soap free.
Step 23: Contemplate what a good job you did...until Macey rolls in the dirt.

This, my friends, is how we wash a boxer. You should try it sometime. If you'd like to practice on mine, please email me, you are welcome any time.

MandaMac

Need a few more good laughs? Try "The 90s, back when we were cheesy and depressed" on Artistically Nuts, "Fairy Murdered Over Baby Tooth/Baby Laugh Drug War" on The Modern Sophist, and "Crimson Wanderers Gathering" on Dave Ingram's Natural History Blog. Pretty funny stuff...Have a laugh and a good night!

All New Cleaning Tips...maybe I should take some of this advice...

2010-07-06T21:05:00.002-04:00

Hey all, just another quick post from moi. After spending the afternoon cleaning, I thought I would share some interesting ideas from a couple blogs:

"Ode To My Clothesline" from the Instead of the Dishes blog has some great ideas and thoughts about why hanging your clothes out to dry is preferable to running them in the dryer...something I would do if we were allowed to have clotheslines. "Natural Spring Cleaning" from Natural Mom, Healthy Child contains several really good recipes for natural cleaning products, something I use a lot due to chemical sensitivities AND a desire to find better ways of keeping toxins out of the ground. "Homemade Laundry Soap and Detergents" from Christian Homekeeper Network has another good recipe for homemade laundry products, although it has Fel-Naptha soap in it, which if I remember correctly, isn't exactly a natural cleaner, but worth a go for those who are interested in homemade cleaners. And finally, "Going Paperless-Paper Towel Edition" from The Diet Coke Diet has some good tips for reducing the amount of paper towels you use in your household.

So check them out, chicas, and have a good night!

MandaMac

Blackberry Summers

2010-07-06T14:38:00.001-04:00

Ah, hot July summer. Yesterday I was reading a post on Flour On My Face about blackberry picking, and it reminded me of my own childhood experiences picking blackberries in Tennessee.

As kids, we looked forward to blackberry time all spring. Staring in June, we'd always start looking for the blackcap raspberries to ripen. Oh, they were so small and sweet when you could get them, but more importantly, they were always a precursor to the main event: blackberries.

Our house was surrounded on two sides by empty land; about 4-5 acres worth. That acreage was FULL of blackberry canes. We watched those canes like hawks; as soon as we saw the berries go black, it was time. Every evening, mom would dress us in long sleeves and pants to ward off chiggers...we always ended up getting them anyway, but I guess we could have had them worse. It would be hot and stifling in those clothes; it didn't matter, because it meant getting into the berries! We'd take gallon ice cream buckets and head out into the brush. Ms. Arlene from Flour On My Face recalled finding out about the rattlesnakes in the blackberry patches; we knew they were there, and it never scared us one bit. Us kids always knew when they were there and a stick or a rock neatly thrown usually moved them along. No snake was going to keep us from OUR berries! We'd pick, and eat, and eat and pick every evening during the season, coming home every night with full buckets, full tummies, and purple fingers. And chiggers or the occasional tick. But it didn't matter; we had berries.

My mom was a whiz when it came to making use of those blackberries; we always had fresh blackberry cobblers with milk, blackberry syrup for pancakes, and blackberry jelly, blackberry jam and frozen blackberries to enjoy all year long.

It's been years since I've done any serious berrying. Those lots have since been cleared and built on. And I've moved on from Tennessee into places where there just aren't blackberries like that. I guess the closest I've come to those great berrying summers was picking huckleberries when I lived in Wyoming, but it just wasn't the same. I'd give a lot to have those fun days back; it makes me cringe every time I see blackberries for sale in the grocery store for outrageous prices. And to me, they just don't taste the same as those sweet-tart, wild and wonderful berries I remember from my youth.

MandaMac

Happy July 4th! A Day Late!

2010-07-05T16:13:00.000-04:00

Sorry I haven't been around to post: it's been a busy few days! Good things and not so good ones. BUT, it's another Monday, so back to the grind. I'm excited, because I start school in just about a week and a half....finally! Enjoy my last relatively free days before things heat up. Whoa...it's been....14 years since the last time I was in school, so this should be interesting, to say the least. I'll confess I'm a bit nervous, but I'm sure I'll be fine. And with Dale doing the same classes, I have a nice study buddy.
I haven't started on my preserves yet, since Dale is still home on leave. It's hard to get down to business when the man is so darn distracting! A boy and his dog: they spend most of the day wrestling on the floor, and the house is full of the sounds of toenails on wood, man yells and boxer snorts. Gotta love it. We don't need kids; we have Macey. Not sure if the hubby would be able to devote the necessary attention needed to raise a child for spoiling his girl.
On another note; my nephew Jonas graduated preschool recently, and I have awesome pics that I, as the proud Auntie I am, feel the need to share with all of you:

The cutest little man in the world! Thanks to Jonas' OTHER Aunt Amanda for letting me copy the photos.
Hope everyone had a great Fourth, and I'll catch you all later,

MandaMac

Time for a new canning bonanza

2010-07-01T18:35:00.000-04:00

Well, yesterday was a bum day for blogging. My cable and internet went out at 10:00am and didn't come back on until 11:30pm. So no interwebs for me. I think I might have started having withdrawal symptoms. The upside was the fact that it was pay day, which meant I got to go get a bunch of goodies. I ran up to Lowe's Foods in Cape Carteret to do my grocery shopping; it was my first time going there, and I really liked it. They had an awesome produce section...think all the variety of Fresh Market or Whole Foods, but the size of Super Walmart's. And prices nicely in between. I mean, around here it's rare to find such tasties as fennel bulbs, celeriac, broccolini, leeks, radicchio, fresh brussels sprouts and wonderful, huge, fresh organic portobello caps. I had fun just in the produce section! And the meat section...I can't remember the last time I've seen such a huge selection of grass-fed beef and free range chicken. Seriously. I think I've found heaven. Quality, healthy, good selection, and prices right between Wally-world and Fresh Market. LOL, I was just happy the had Gardenburgers on sale 2 for $5.00. We stocked the freezer. Manda's a happy girl right now.

After that, I visited the farmer's market for some goodies. Haven't gotten the tomatoes yet, but I got some lovely bing cherries so I can try out some cherry preserves:

And a nice bunch of beautiful lemons for some lemon marmalade:

I also got more plums to make some more of the rapidly disappearing plum jam, and some rhubarb...I am going to try and make some rhubarb sauce to can....it's so yummy on vanilla ice cream...if all goes well on my test batches, I'll buy some larger quantities to can. Gotta have something to do while the "dayball" is out! LOL Yesterday was good because it was cloudy all day, and rained all afternoon and night. I could get out and about...and my garden got a much needed natural watering.
We just had dinner; my husband made the mistake of letting me know he knows how to cook! Let me show you this awesome spicy mango grilled chicken and baby greens salad with feta cheese and a rosemary-garlic vinagrette:

Now THAT, my friends, was an awesomely delicious meal! And with that, I am outta here. Going out to the porch to help the hubby crush cans..always fun. I'll be back tomorrow with the Herb of the Week. This week's topic: mmm....rosemary! Stay tuned,

MandaMac

What to do about the Home Office?

2010-06-29T19:22:00.000-04:00

It's me again. Been awhile. Sorry, I haven't been feeling the best; think I got a bit too much sun a couple days ago, and it's been wreaking havoc, as you can imagine.

Once again, the sod people have stolen my hose! They did it last week; went out to water my garden, and my hose was nowhere to be found! Dale said the last time he saw it the TruGreen guys were using it to water our lawn. So the next day, I confronted them about it and guess where my hose was? Three houses down. What kind of company uses someone else's hose in the first place, then decides to take it OFF THEIR PROPERTY to another house? Am I the only person who sees a problem with this?

Ok, rant done. I think I'm going to have to make some more plum jelly...we're on our second jar, lol. That stuff is disappearing FAST. It's so delicious! I've totally decided that I love making jelly.

And I'm glad that we're getting paid tomorrow....I can get my tomatoes! And maybe a little food in the house? LOL

Contemplating moving the home office upstairs. I want my dining room back. And since both myself and Dale are going to be starting school this summer, and we're going to be getting another computer, more room is going to be essential. I just need some inspiration. So, I've been hunting around on the interwebs, as usual, for design ideas. Here are a few I sort of like:

I thought this was pretty cool, because my "desk" is a table very similar to the one in this picture; I thought it looked cute...wish I had sloped eaves like that. I also liked these:

Totally cute. Not sure if I dare to paint a wall in here...we can, but it might be a pain in the butt to have to repaint when we leave. I do have a hutch that I thought maybe I can repaint so it looks similar to the one in the bottom picture. We'll need workspace for two desktops, so that's going to be another challenge altogether. Otherwise, I'd be happy tucking an office into a nook or corner.

Someday though, my walls will look like this:

primarily because I can't seem to stop collecting books. My kind of room. Someday I plan to have more books than the average small town library. My problem right now is bookshelves. We just can't afford big, solidly built wood or MDF ones, so we are usually stuck with the flimsy particleboard ones, which were obviously not designed or approved by any bibliophile. You put more than ten books on a shelf, and they're guaranteed to buckle. I'm guessing those were made primarily for people who want to show of the ten books they own, and a few random xbox games and knickknacks. I need sturdy, and I'm afraid I'm going to have to go all "DIY" and make some myself....which is a scary idea. Maybe I'll just have to go with the old plank and block bookshelf design....

I'll keep thinking, and when I come up with something, you can be sure I'll be letting you guys know about it! Til then...

MandaMac

Homemade Peanut Butter

2010-06-27T14:39:00.000-04:00

Homemade Peanut Butter

Mmm....going to try this soon...gotta find some good, bulk peanuts...not hard around here. then maybe I'll have something to go with all this jelly! LOL

MandaMac

Hangovers without drinking-WHUT?

2010-06-26T13:06:00.000-04:00

Ok, I'll admit, I feel like crap. I got up this morning with a horrid, throbbing headache, and a queasy tummy. I wish if I had to have a "hangover", there might have been a few good martinis the night before to cause it! So not fair. Maybe I'm just paying in advance for card night at Mary and Brian's tonight, I dunno.
So the base had sod laid in our yard a few days ago...very nice. I actually have a LAWN, instead of a lot of dirt and rocks with a little grass. Not a whole lot would grow in the yard, mostly because of the very poor drainage. We basically live on a small spit of land that used to be swamp before it was filled in. But it's still very low, especially where we are, which is maybe only 1/4 of a mile from the water, and before they built these houses last year the area between my house and the house next door was a runoff ditch...almost a small creek. They filled it in...sort of. Every time it rains, that area fills with water from our backyard gutter, side gutter, the neighbors' gutters, and runoff from the field behind us, and it runs into the front yard, gets dammed up by the sidewalk and basically floods our front yard. Well, now they've laid sod, and it looks great. However, they didn't fix the drainage problem before they laid it...landscaping idiocy. We had a good old-fashioned thunderstorm/torrential downpour for most of the afternoon and evening last night, and guess what? Flooded sod. I can see this is going to be a problem. Not only did the "ditch area" flood, but aaalllll that water built up at the edge of the sod(because they didn't sod the entire side yard, only half) and now there's a lake. Idiots. We've told them about the drainage issues here, but they've never done anything to fix it-just yelled at us about the lawn and told us to throw out more seed(wait...I thought it was base housing's job to tend the areas of lawn outside the back fence?). Good job, AMCC.
So payday is on Wednesday, and I'm excited to get my tomatoes. I've been hunting for good sauce recipes for canning, but not finding much that I like. Guess I'm going to have to improvise...HOORAY! I think I'm going to can some chili starter, too, along with whole, diced, and crushed tomatoes, and plain tomato sauce.
I am secretly hoping I will have enough left in my budget to get some peaches, too. Some peach jam, and canned peaches will be great this coming winter! I'm thinking about going over to my folks' next month and picking some blackberries, too. I refuse to pay for blackberries when I know I can get them free for the picking, you know?
Today, I'm especially glad for this blog...writing always clears my head. I think I'm starting to feel better, although I' pretty sure the Excedrin had something to do with that...

Okay, I have some "new yard" pictures(pre-flood).

Looks so pretty! This was the day they laid it...I actually have a nice looking front yard.

Front/side yard. Right between the houses is where the drainage problem is...this was all flooded and sopping yesterday.

Side yard. Can we say what's up with stopping the sod at the fence? That area's like a dam. It's ridiculous. Looks nice for now, though.
Anyway, that's my contribution for the day. Now it's time to try and get some real work done, job-type. Fun. I'm out.

MandaMac

Herb of the Week: Oregano

2010-06-25T21:19:00.000-04:00

So, all work has been finished for the time being, and I can devote myself to this late version of Herb of the Week. Sorry to all of you who had to wait! At the studio, we're switching from a traditional hosted website, which is outrageously expensive, even when you design it yourself, to a blog format. So I spent a good portion of my waking hours yesterday working on graphics for the new MAC Photography blog pages...not hard, but wickedly time consuming.

So now on to the fun stuff: oregano. We're all familiar with oregano from pizza and tomato sauces and other Italian food. But it is also a common ingredient in many international cuisines, such as Turkish, Portuguese, Spanish, Latin American and Philippino. It is also an herb that no Greek cook would go without, and is an essential element in most Greek cooking.

Oregano is a perennial herb of the mint family(are we noticing a pattern here?) that is native to the Mediterranean and western and southwestern regions of Eurasia. It is often confused with marjoram, which is also native to the same area, but has a more greyish-green look to it's leaves. There are several species of oregano: O. tyttanthum, which is native to Khirgizstan, O. vulgare hirtum, which is the common Italian or Greek Oregano, O.vulgare onites, or Turkish Oregano and O.vulgare syriacum, Syrian Oregano.

The flavor in various species and strains of oregano varies widely, from the rather bland common Oregano sold in most garden stores, to the pungent and intensely spicy Syrian oreganos, with a range of strong, pungent, bitter and sweet flavors in between. It is genreally agreed that Italian oregano is the best all-purpose oregano for culinary use.

Oregano can grow up to 2 ft. tall, with woody stems, and downy leaves. The flowers vary widely in color from white to pink to violet, and grow on long spikes at the top of the plant. Leaf color can range from bright, spring green to deep green. It has been introduced to the U.S. and grows wild in dry, southern lawns, roadsides and scrub, but is still rare.

Oregano is thought to have several medicinal uses. It is particularly high in antioxidants and has demonstrated strong antimicrobial effects. The leaves and flowering stems are strongly antiseptic. In addition, oregano has been used to treat colds, influenza, mild fevers, stomach aches and painful menstrual cramps. It is a strong sedative, and should never be taken in high doses.

Oregano is a classic in any herb garden and is highly ornamental in addition to it's culinary and medicinal uses. Like most herbs, it prefers well-drained soil and a sunny, somewhat dry location. Oregano is a welcome addition to any garden, herb or flower. Try it out in yours!

MandaMac

The Real World Called.....

2010-06-24T22:11:00.000-04:00

...and I had to answer. Sorry! Herb of the Week will be posted tomorrow....today work called, and I've been busy with "work stuff" all day and into the night. I'm pooped, and the thought of a huge article to write just sounds tiring! Off to bed,

MandaMac

Jelly of the Day-Lavender Lemon

2010-06-23T17:29:00.000-04:00

Ha! I seem to have gone mad about jams and jellies...I can't seem to stop making the stuff! Good thing my hubby like jelly on everything....or we'd permanently have jelly up to our eyeballs! Today I decided to make some lavender-lemon jelly. I had some culinary lavender hanging around, and it just seemed like the thing to do...
Ok, so I tried to be a bit more diligent in the taking of pictures today and documenting my process, but ADD me still missed a few things, so bear with me.

First I added my half a cup of dried lavender to 3 cups water, brought it to a boil, then took the pan off the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes. See? Simmering lavender.

While that was going on, I got out another saucepan and started heating the lids(it softens up the gum on the underside....that brown stuff)

Then I got my tools together. Now I know that tons of canning sites all say you have to have "special tools" and blah blah blah...jar lifters and wide mouth funnels and jar racks and stuff. I guess that stuff is nice, if you want to pay for it, but I find I get along just fine with my long kitchen tongs, which I use to fish lids out of their water bath, and deposit and remove the jelly from it's water bath, my wooden spoon for stirring, my trusty ladle for ladling jelly into jars(I am 33 years old. If I can't get liquid from a ladle into a jar without making a mess, there's something wrong.), and my measuring cup. `Nuff said.

This is the infusion after steeping for 30 minutes, and before I strained it, which I meant to get a picture of, but of course, I didn't:

So in between the steeping, as I mentioned, I strained the lavender out, added the liquid back into the pot, added 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice and a whole packet of pectin, and I stirred it until the pectin was dissolved. Then I brought it to a boil, removed it from the heat briefly to add 6 cups of sugar, stirring until dissolved, then returned the pan to the stove to boil for 1 minute:

Then I removed the pan from the heat and began ladling the jelly into hot jars. I am all alone, so there wasn't anyone around to take a picture of my awesome ladling skills! And no, that isn't something in the jelly jar in the lower right corner...it's just a reflection of the ceiling light!

Here are the jars of jelly before their lids were put on:

After lightly tightening the rings on the jar, I put the jars into a water bath for 10 minutes, like so:

And VOILA! Lavender-Lemon Jelly! Each and every one of them sealed immediately. I think they're just the prettiest color; that rosy red.

And here is a jar that I set up in the kitchen window to catch the sunlight and show off it's gorgeous color:

And that was that! Dale came home for a minute just a little bit ago to grab a bite to eat before heading back into work to inspect the barracks, and he teased me about my jelly fetish. But I noticed he wasn't shy about grabbing a jar of yesterday's plum that was in the fridge and loading it up onto a couple PB&J's. He proclaimed it yummy, and made another. So I guess the plum was a success.
Next week I have a line on some organic tomatoes I came buy for cheap by the bushel from a farmer friend; I have been desperately wanting to can some tomato products, since we use them so often! And make some pickles, and can some peaches, and oh! I'm definitely going over to Mom and Dad's in October to get some apples from off the mountain so I can make and can some applesauce! And apple jelly, and pumpkin butter....has anyone ever made pear butter before?
Ok, I'm going to stop now before I get over excited on the canning thing....tomorrow is Herb of the Week, and we're going to talk about another common kitchen herb: Oregano! Hooray!
Until then, have a happy evening, and make some jelly!

MandaMac

Plum Jelly - Attempt 1

2010-06-22T17:06:00.000-04:00

I said I was going to try to make some jam, didn't I? So I gave it a try today with some plums I bought from the grocery store...trial batch. It went pretty good, and I got seven jars out of it. It's kind of a not nice process for people like me who have "sticky issues".....waaaay to much stickiness. Smells like heaven, though, and should taste just as wonderful.
I took a few pictures of the process to share:

This is after a 60 second dunking in boiling water to loosen the skins...you can see they're popping off easily. This was fairly easy.

This is after the peels came off...and so began the first icky part of the process....because those things in that bowl are soooo slimy....ewwww!!! And the pits were hard to remove. Getting them into little pieces was easy-that sort of happened while I was trying to remove the pits!
Once I got them into pieces I put them in a stockpot with a bit of water and some white grape juice.

Then I brought them to a boil, then turned down the heat and let them simmer for about 45 minutes. At that point, I meant to take another picture for you to see what they looked like...but my girl Ashley was over here, so I got distracted.
After they were simmered down to the point there were no chunks, I brought it to a boil again and added the pectin, stirring until it was dissolved. Again, I was distracted, so I forgot to take a picture. Once the pectin was added(with a tiny bit of butter to reduce the foam), I added the sugar, stirred until it dissolved, then brought the whole mess to a full rolling boil for 1 minute. Then I turned off the burner, and ladled it into jars, and covered the filled jars with hot lids. Again....no picture.(Hey, there was important girl convo going on...it couldn't be helped.)
I then screwed on the screwy thingies....rims? Then I immersed all of them in a hot water bath for 10 minutes before removing them.
And here is the final result:

Pretty! Five of them sealed immediately...I know sometimes it can take awhile for them to seal, so I'll wait for tomorrow to check seals again. Cross your fingers....I'm crossing mine!

Such a pretty color with the light behind it!

So that was my first attempt at fruit jelly. We'll see how it turns out, and I'll let all of you know!

MandaMac

Pitchers Galore!

2010-06-21T23:19:00.001-04:00

So, it's been a long stormy weekend here! This is my favorite time of year-I love storms!
Some of you may know, but not everyone-that I also LOVE pitchers. I have some sort of weird fascination with them. So I was online today, looking for a new one to add to my collection. There are some pretty awesome pitchers out there; it's so hard to choose! I don't really like some of the really delicate porcelain or thin ceramic ones, although there are some pretty ones I wouldn't mind having. What I really adore are pottery, heavy ceramic, stoneware or hand-blown ones(I also have a passion for old pottery and earthenware mixing bowls, but that's a whole other post for another day.). Here are three of my favorites that I use every day:

MY favorite to date: my mom got it for me for Christmas five years ago.

this one was a hand-me-down from mom. Still love it, still use it almost daily.

My pretty yard-sale depression glass pitcher. If anyone knows what pattern this is, I'd love to know, too....never been able to find it.

I have several more, but they're all put up, and I didn't feel like getting the ladder out to get on top of the cabinets to photograph them tonight, hahaha.

Anyway, like I said, I've been on the hunt to add to my collection. I've found several pretty awesome ones I'd like to have, so I guess I need to start saving, huh? Here are a few of the neater ones:

I'm not a huge fan of Sangria, but if it gets poured out of THIS pitcher by KegWorks, I'm sure I'd love it!

And then there is almost ANYTHING from Origin Crafts....I haven't seen a pitcher of there's yet that I haven't wanted. Here are a few of theirs:

BUT, while shopping, I have to say that this pitcher from DinnerPlates.com takes the cake as the coolest and most unique pitcher I've found yet, and I think I have to have it!

Totally awesome, IMHO. I'd feel so deliciously...something. Neolithic, maybe. But cool, hip Neolithic, if they had an equivalent of a SoHo loft.

So my question to you, my readers is, what do you collect? Drop me a line and tell me about it. Maybe we have a few things in common!

MandaMac

Herb of the Week: Lavender

2010-06-17T21:31:00.000-04:00

Hello! It's that time of the week again! This week's herb is also a well-known one, although it is mainly known for its scent, it is one of the most versatile herbs in the world: Lavender.

Lavender is, like basil, a member of the mint family. It's native range extends from the Mediterranean region south to northern Africa and west and south as far as India. It comes in many forms, from herb to shrub, from annual to biannual to perennial. there are approximately 39 species of lavender, and, since they cross-pollinate so regularly, literally hundreds of hybrids and variations. The two most common lavenders are "English Lavender" or 'true lavender", Lavandula angustifolia, and "Spanish Lavender", or L. stoechas. English lavender produces the lavender essential oil that is so valued. Spanish lavender is mainly used as an ornamental shrub in landscaping.

As I mentioned above, lavender is mainly known for it's strong, clean floral scent. Lavender essential oil has many, many uses. It is used in soaps and shampoos, perfumes, potpourris and sachets, home fragrance products, and cleaners.

The essential oil is also a wonderful green cleaner. It is strongly antibiotic, antiseptic, and anti-fungal. It also repels insects such as mosquitoes, roaches, silverfish and closet moths. A mixture of lavender oil and water can be used in a spray bottle much as you would use a bottle of Febreze, to freshen both fabrics and the air. It will actually kill odor causing bacteria in the air and fabrics. A little oil on a soft dishrag thrown in the dryer will soften and freshen your laundry. I regularly use a mix of lavender oil and water as an all purpose cleaner in my house. Crushed dried lavender can also be sprinkled on mattresses under the mattress pad to both impart a fresh scent to your linens and repel bedbugs.

Lavender also has an amazing number of medicinal uses as well. A cloth dipped in a lavender infusion and placed on the forehead can relieve headaches. It has also been used historically for it's calming, relaxing effects, soothing nervous tension and stress. Lavender essential oil is also an anti-inflammatory, and can be used as a wash or poultice for strains and sprains or arthritis pain. In WWI, due to it's antiseptic qualities, English hospitals used lavender infusions to disinfect the walls and floors. In addition, lavender is known to be a pain reliever, and can also help relieve respiratory problems and improve blood circulation. It can also be useful in treating urinary tract infections, stimulating urine flow and reducing the associated cramping.

Photo Credit: Jill Mead

As with many other herbs that have extensive medical properties, there are also risks associated with the use of lavender medicinally. It can be a skin irritant to some people, causing rashes. Pregnant women are advised against using lavender internally, as some of the volatile components in the oil can be toxic to a baby in-vitro. It is also recommended that persons with diabetes not use lavender medicinally.

And finally, lavender is a surprisingly useful culinary herb. It can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Perhaps the most famous use of lavender for culinary purposes is in the traditional French blend called Herbes de Provence (savory, lavender, fennel, thyme flowers, rosemary and basil). However, lavender can be used in many other ways. It is becoming increasingly popular as a flavoring for sweets, and lends itself particularly well to delicate confections, such as scones, tea cookies or meringues. It also makes a particularly delicate floral jelly with a lovely rosy pink color. Lavender also pairs surprisingly well with many meats, such as chicken and beef. It can give a lovely subtle floral taste to risotto, and adds a surprising taste to spring salads. I have had French toast with lavender syrup, which was heavenly, and I have also had lavender-infused homey and sugar.

All in all, lavender is one of the most widely used herbs in history. It is my absolute favorite, and I use it for cleaning, medicinally, as a perfume, and in my cooking. Go explore this versatile herb and it's many uses for yourself.

*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavender

*http://www.organicfacts.net/organic-oils/natural-essential-oils/health-benefits-of-lavender-essential-oil.html

Fun With Flowers

2010-06-17T09:49:00.003-04:00

So I was out in the garden this evening after it rained, and I decided to snap a few pictures of my crape myrtle, which has just started blooming. Then I just decided to play around a little bit with the pictures. And because I can, I will share them with you!

So this was the first one I took, and the only one I intended to snap when I went out:

then I cropped, saturated and softened...

then tried the original crop in B&W...

then softened in sepia, which is my favorite....what do you think?

Umm...then I got snap happy, and got a nice shot peering out through the lemongrass jungle, saturated slightly, and lightened

and then it was on to having fun with the lemon balm. I super saturated this one by accident, then kept it because it looked funky

Then did the same shot in sepia, with heightened contrast

As you can see, I love to play with cameras and editing. I can't wait until July, when I start going back to college to get my BA in Photography. This is why I love working in the photography business! Portraits aren't my thing; I love landscapes and macros of plants and flowers, and vignettes.

Sorry, this was last nights post....I fell asleep before I got it finished! I will be back later this afternoon with our "Herb of the Week"!

MandaMac

I'm In A Jam, So Let's Talk About Vegetable Container Gardening Instead

2010-06-15T14:38:00.001-04:00

Ok, so today I was GOING to make some plum jam, lavender jelly and hibiscus jelly. Made sure I bought more jelly jars, pectin, fruit, everything ready to go.....except I forgot to get lemon juice. Seriously? I think all that Chinese food we ate before grocery shopping poisoned my brain. I had my day all planned around making jam, and now it's thrown my whole schedule off. And I don't know what ya'll know about us ADD people, but we don't handle sudden schedule changes very well, lol. Bah.

It's been so hot here, my garden is struggling, even with a twice a day watering. Everything looks wilted, the poor darlings. Except, of course, the lemon balm. Nothing phases that stuff...seriously.

A lot of my friends have been talking about vegetable gardening, which is a taboo here on base housing. I've been petitioning AMCC to let us have community garden space for veggies, but I've had no luck. Not sure why we're not allowed to grow them here...go figure. But I thought it might be a good time to talk about good old container gardening.

You'd be surprised at how much you can grow in containers with a minimum of fuss. Tomatoes and peppers always grow well in containers, and in fact those upside down tomato plant growers work excellently for tomatoes, peppers and even runner beans and squash. I think they make one for strawberries, too. But there are tons of other veggies that can be grown in containers, too. Lettuces, onions, radishes and eggplant all grow well in containers, as well as squashes ad cucumbers, although they need more room because they're vines. the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension office recommends the following varieties for container gardening:

Tomatoes: Patio, Pixie, Tiny Tim, Saladette, Toy Boy, Spring Giant, Tumbling Tom, Small Fry Peppers: Yolo Wonder, Keystone Resistant Giant, Canape, (Hot) Red Cherry, Jalapeno Eggplant: Florida Market, Black Beauty, Long Tom Squash: Dixie, Gold Neck, Early Prolific Straightneck, (Green) Zucco, Diplomat, Senator Leaf Lettuce: Buttercrunch, Salad Bowl, Romaine, Dark Green Boston, Ruby, Bibb Green Onions: Beltsville Bunching, Crysal Wax, Evergreen Bunching Green Beans: Topcrop, Greencrop, Contender, (Pole) Blue Lake, Kentucky Wonder Radishes: Cherry Belle, Scarlet Globe, (White) Icicle Parsley: Evergreen, Moss Curled Cucumbers: Burpless, Liberty, Early Pik, Crispy, Salty

You can also grow carrots, blueberries, blackberries, and even some dwarf varieties of corn in containers, too. Also good for containers are cherries, figs, cabbage, cauliflower, spinach, potatoes and plums.

There are a few things to remember when container gardening. One is pot size. You must make sure that each variety of vegetable has the right amount of room for proper root development. Any container will do; I've seen people use old nursery pots(although the dark color can cause problems with root development if they get too hot.), terra cotta planters, old pottery bowls, woven baskets, and even old furniture....a gal I know used an old book case. She drilled drainage holes in the back of the bookcase, and laid it on it's back, then filled the spaces with soil. Drawers, plastic bins, galvanized tubs...the list of possible containers is endless.

Cucumbers

Another thing to consider is location. If you plan on growing vining plants like runner beans, squash or cucumbers, consider planting them in a window box where they can trail, or placing their containers on the edge of a retaining wall, or on an old chair.
Lastly, keep in mind that plants in containers need more frequent watering than ones in the ground. Check your containers frequently to make sure your veggies are getting plenty of food and water. On the plus side, vegetables grown in containers take up minimal space, have fewer weeds, and are less susceptable to pests and disease.
so get going on your container gardens, and you will have fresh veggies all summer, and maybe even into the fall!

MandaMac

Bait and Tackle Salad

2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes
2 small zucchini, coarsely chopped
2 small yellow summer squash, coarsley chopped
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
5 tablespoons white wine vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil

In a large bowl, combine the tomatoes, zucchini, yellow squash and cilantro. In a blender, combine the vinegar, sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. White processing, gradually add oil. Drizzle over vegetables; toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

* www.allrecipes.com

*http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/container/container.htmL
*http://containergardeningtips.com/vegetables-and-fruit-for-container-gardens/

Picture credits:
*http://www.healthy-green-lifestyle.com/vegetable-container-gardening.html
*http://containergardeningtips.com/vegetables-and-fruit-for-container-gardens/
*http://achingdebts.com/containers-for-a-vegetable-garden/
*http://goflorida.about.com/od/specialevents/ig/2008-Flower---Garden-Festival/Vegetable-Gardening-in-Pots.htm
*http://www.sunset.com/garden/fruits-veggies/container-vegetable-gardening-00418000067113/
*http://jimmycrackedcorn.wordpress.com/2008/07/30/potted-cucumbers/

New Furniture & Wishful Thinking

2010-06-14T14:01:00.001-04:00

So, as I mentioned before, I have had some computer problems this weekend, which, for a computer addict like me, was a potential disaster! I missed being able to blog! BUT, there were also some good things that happened this weekend; Dale took me out shopping and bought me some new furniture for our anniversary, which is Wednesday. So I thought I would share a few pictures of the new stuff we got. We got two recliners, a coffee table and two end tables.

Living room new furniture

My coffee table: pretty cool...it has four pull-out stools

A little blurry, but here is one of the recliners and one of the end tables

All in all, I was pretty pleased. The recliners are really comfortable, and they were on sale. Dale's favorite part is the fact that not only is there room in the arms for remotes and stuff, but one side has a drink holder and a cooler for canned drinks. Must be a man thing, because I didn't think it was that important. At least we were able to get rid of that awful couch! now if we can just get rid of the loveseat and chair.... I need to find some wall decoration for my living room; I've been looking in my At West End catalog for some ideas.

I particularly liked this:

And this:

There were some pretty groovy sconces I have a thing for, too:

You should all check out this catalog; it's one of my very favorites. I'd love to furnish my whole house from At West End. AND, since I'm totally into recycling, it's a doubly good deal. and speaking of recycling, they have these plastic recyclables holders. I HAVE to have these; all they give us here is one big bin for everything, which is sort of annoying.

Anyway.

Just to clarify from my post on Herb of the Week: I will be doing those posts weekly, despite the fact that the actual post said every day. I'd never get to say anything else if I did an herb every day!

So that is my post today, I will leave you with a great recipe out of my recipe collection, Cannelloni with Spinach and Ricotta.

Cannelloni with Spinach and Ricotta

12 dried cannelloni tubes, 3 inches long

olive oil spray

FILLING

3/4 cup frozen spinach, thawed and drained

1/2 cup ricotta cheese

1 egg

3 tbsp freshly grated romano cheese

pinch of nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

CHEESE SAUCE

2 1/2 cups milk

2 tbsp unsalted butter

2 tbsp all purpose flour

3/4 cup freshly grated Gruyere

salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the cannelloni tubes, bring back to a boil, and cook for 6-7 minutes until almost tender. Drain, Refresh under cold water, and drain again. spread tubes out on clean dishtowel.

Put spinach and ricotta in blender or food processor and process for a few minutes until combined. Add the egg and romano cheese and process again until smooth. Scrape filling into a bowl and season to taste with nutmeg, salt and pepper.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a casserole dish or baking pan with olive oil spray. Spoon the filling into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2 inch tip. Pipe the filling into the cannelloni tubes. Putt filled tubes into casserole or baking dish.

To make cheese sauce, heat milk in a pan until just below the boiling point. Meanwhile melt the butter in a separate pan over low heat. Add the flour to the butter and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in hot milk. Return to the heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to the lowest possible setting and let simmer, stirring frequently, for 10 minutes, or until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat, and stir in gruyere cheese, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon the cheese sauce over the filled cannelloni. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and continue baking until cheese sauce is brown and bubbly.

I AM really sorry!

2010-06-14T11:49:00.000-04:00

To all my blog readers... I am sorry I haven't posted the last few days...I had some computer issues this weekend. More from herbs and Spice will be forthcoming!

MandaMac

Herb of the Week: Basil

2010-06-10T22:05:00.002-04:00

Good Afternoon, friends! You know, I was just browsing the net, and I found yet ANOTHER cool cooking site. It's called KitchenDaily and it's pretty cool. Lots of recipes, and articles. AND, for the cooking noob, the have a TON of "How To" articles and videos on anything and everything. check it out!

So today, I was thinking about herbs(I know, weird, right?)and I decided to do a feature on herbs and plants every day. So with that in mind, I will start with a very common herb that most of us use regularly: Basil.

Basil is an annual in the mint family, although in warmer tropical climates it can sometimes be a perennial. Most of us are familiar with basil primarily due to it's use in Italian cuisine. But basil is actually native to India and other parts of southeast Asia, and is used frequently in Thai, Vietnamese, Indian and Cambodian cooking.

Basil comes in many different types. Most of us, when we think of basil, think of Sweet Basil, which is the most common variety in the U.S. But there are many other varieties, such as Thai basil, Osmin Purple basil, Lemon basil, Holy basil, and Cinnamon basil, to name a few.

Most basils are used regularly in cooking. In Italian cuisine, basil is most often seen in sauces, garnishing pastas, and in pesto. In Asia, however, not only is basil used in food dishes, but also as a popular flavoring for drinks. These are mostly varieties like Sweet, Holy or Thai basil.

Other basils are often used as ornamentals in the garden, and some highly scented ones, like Lemon, Cinnamon or Licorice, are used in potpourris and to flavor jellies and honeys.

Basil is also used frequently by herbalists for it's medicinal qualities. In India, because of it's uses in Ayurvedic medicine, basil was considered a sacred herb. The seeds of Holy Basil were used as a laxative, soothing mucous membranes, and treating diarrhea. The leaves were used to treat indigestion and skin diseases. In Thai medicine, the leaves are used also for coughs and intestinal problems.

Some modern medical studies have also indicated that the leaves and seeds of Holy and Hairy Basil helped people with Type-2 diabetes control their blood sugar levels. It is also been found to be a carminative herb(and herb that relieves flatulence and gas pain).

Basil essential oil has also been shown to have antifungal, antibacterial and antiviral properties, making it an excellent herb oil to use in green cleaning mixes.

This herb is very cold sensitive, and should never be planted in the ground until all danger of frost is past. It should be grown in full sun, and ideal needs well-drained soil, although I have found that it's usually happy to grow pretty much anywhere as long as it has ample sunshine and water. Basil can either be transplanted, grown from seed, or rooted as a cutting. since it IS a member of the mint family, if you allow it to go to seed, it will self propagate.....everywhere. I do this with mine every year, and every fall I have dozens of seedlings that I then dig up right before frost and pot,and keep indoors over the winter to sell in the spring.

So there you have it, my friends. Basil: one of the world's most versatile herbs.

I apologize for posting this so late; it's been a busy day, including a trip to the emergency room with a friend. I promise I will try to post earlier in the day from now on! Since we've discussed basil, Today's Recipe will be an Easy Pesto.

MandaMac

For more information on the medicinal uses of basil check out "Gift From Mother Nature, Tulsi(Indian Basil)" a guest post on Yoga Nexus by GUEST Wellness Provider: Mahendra aka Briksha

Easy Fresh Pesto

2 cups fresh basil leaves, packed tightly

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup pine nuts

3 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the basil, pine nuts and garlic in a food processor. Pulse a few times. Slowly add the olive oil while the food processor is on. Stop every now and then to scrape down the sides of the food processor with a spatula. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 1 cup.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basil

http://www.truestarhealth.com/Notes/3652007.html

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-125.html

http://www.theherbcottage.com/basil_var.html

A Gardener's Worst Nightmare & Visits with Old Friends

2010-06-09T18:29:00.001-04:00

Bummer. I just found out some interesting news from the doctor: I am ALLERGIC to......sunlight. Yep. You read correctly. I am allergic to sunlight."Actinic Prurigo and Solar Urticaria". Deathblow for a gardener...not that it's really gonna stop me much in that arena. But...it sucks. I now have to take medication every day, vitamin D supplements, and stay out of direct sunlight. I guess this is going to turn me into an evening gardener. Gardening by flashlight, LOL. Ah well, I guess you can't have everything!
For dinner tonight, we had couscous and snowpeas with garlic, lemon and parmesan. I love having light meals in the summer. when I was growing up, we had a lot of "veggie suppers", which I still love: fried okra, corn on the cob, green beans or peas, fresh sliced tomatoes(which I HATE by the way) and blackberry cobbler or some such; everything usually fresh from the garden or local produce stand. Mmmm....my mom makes the best fried okra EVER.

On another note, several of you have commented on my ever-growing book collection (and BTW, the top three shelves of the tall case are double stacked, LOL). I will confess that most of them are used, or freebies. I am not shy about picking up books at yard sales, used books stores, and I will also confess that I get a ton of books from my mom(mostly paperbacks). She is a "once only" reader. I, on the other hand, am a chronic "re-reader". If a book is good, I am liable to read and re-read it until it falls into pieces, then buy or acquire another copy to replace it. some of my very most favorite books are on their fourth or fifth copies. For some I guess books are like passing acquaintances; for me, they are old friends. My mom is always telling me there is such a thing as too many books, but how could I get rid of an old friend? It's impossible. Verges on physical pain. And if anyone has books they want to purge from their collections-email me! I will take them all off your hands! I am always hunting for new reading material; new friends to add to the old ones.
Anyway, off for the evening. I will leave you with Today's Recipe, Bran Muffins by the Pailful. This was Mopsie's bran muffin recipe, and they are a delectable treat!

MandaMac

Bran Muffins by the Pailful

4 cups Kelloggs All Bran cereal
2 cups Nabisco 100% Bran
1 tsp. salt
2 cups boiling water
1 quart buttermilk
3 cups sugar
1 cup shortening
4 eggs
5 cups all purpose flour
5 tsp. baking soda

In a bowl, combine cereal, bran and salt. Stir in boiling water, then buttermilk. Cool until lukewarm.
In a LARGE mixing bowl, cream together sugar and shortening. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in bran mixture.
Combine flour and baking soda. Add to bran mixture, and stir just enough to dampen the dry ingredients.
Store batter in covered in the refrigerator until ready to use. It will keep for 1 month in the refrigerator.
when ready to use, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fill greased muffin cups 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 miutes or until done.

Underappreciated Husbands

2010-06-08T19:57:00.002-04:00

Hello readers and friends! Sorry today's post is so late. Work called, and I had to answer, although I would have rather kept the phone on "silent mode" LOL. Last night, we had dinner at Chez Hubby...and it was DELISH. Perfectly grilled ribeyes with just the right amount of "moo"(how does a man who grew up a vegetarian have such a natural touch with cow? Life is full of mysteries...), steamed asparagus, and a lemon cheesecake for dessert. Ok, the cheesecake was me, but we're praising the male cook. And my darling hubby, according to my dad, has made a fatal marriage mistake: he let his wife know he knows how to cook. LOL. I confess, as much as I like to cook, there are many times I am just too tired, or I don't feel like it. Nice to know someone else in this house can turn out a meal worthy of any steakhouse. Oh and did I mention he make a KILLER spaghetti sauce with meat and carrots and spinach and yellow squash, red peppers and onions and broccoli? It's fabulous.
Ladies, I know Father's Day is coming up, but for those of you who don't have kids, don't forget your husbands and all the little things they do for you....even when they drive you nuts, and forget to take out the trash, and all those other things.
For myself, I have a tendency to forget about all the things Dale does for me, things I don't even notice most of the time because I'm consumed with housework, and computer stuff, and garden and business. It becomes so easy when you are a stay at home wife(whether you work at home or not) to not appreciate those little things, like taking out the trash, or loading the dishwasher, or cooking the occasional meal. Or even stuff like sitting through your doctor's appointments, or patiently listening to you gripe about anything, everything or nothing.
Let your hubbies know how much you appreciate the things they do for you! And now I am off to do some "appreciation" of my own.

MandaMac

Grilled Soy-Sesame Asparagus

1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus, trimmed
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Preheat grill for high heat.
In a bowl, mix sesame oil, soy sauce, garlic, and brown sugar. Place asparagus in the bowl, and toss to coat.
Lightly oil a fine-mesh grill grate. Place asparagus on grate, and cook 8 minutes, until tender but firm. Garnish with sesame seeds to serve.

*today's recipe courtesy of Sue L @ www.allrecipes.com

Eggplant is ALWAYS better with random pics....

2010-06-07T14:06:00.002-04:00

Good afternoon, blogger friends! I'm getting to my post rather late in the day because I had a doctor's appointment this morning; always fun.

I have been random snapping pictures with my phone, and sharing is always fun.

My little houseplants in my office window. The big one is actually a daylily, but it seems to love that spot, so I keep it there; the other one was a poor flamingo lily I "adopted" because it kept getting attacked and eaten by cats, lol. It's starting to revive with some TLC and put out new leaves.

Random picture of the kitchen from the office, including the "doggie couch".

Closeup of my kitchen island. Why? Because I can.

Most of my bookshelves and my china hutch in the office. I also have another bookshelf in the living room that's as crammed full as these are; and stacks of books on the floor in the bedroom. anyone think I need more bookshelves? LOL

My bee balm is in full bloom, and it's soooo pretty! I apologize for the large tree/weed thing at the bottom of the picture; I just can't seem to dig the darn thing out! every time I think I've got it all, it comes back!

My portulacas are pretty; does anyone know the variety on these? It's more similar to p.grandiflora and p.olaracea than the needle-leaved p.mundula. BUT, it was a transplant from another garden, and the owner had no clue. you can see my lemongrass underneath it to the right.

Anyway, I just thought I would share. I am headed out here soon to pick up some dried hibiscus flowers for jelly. This time I will take pictures of the process to share with all of you.
I'm not sure what my fascination is with herb jellies; but I think the lemon balm jelly created a monster! LOL. And of course, as soon as payday hits, I am going to a blackberry farm to pick as many blackberries as I possibly can; it's the right time of year for blackberry jam and blackberry cobbler. And i'm about to get rather sidetracked here...are there any other southerners reading this that eat their cobbler with milk?I mentioned pouring milk on cobbler to another friend of mine, and she was appalled! I thought that's what you did with a bowl of cobbler...ok, sorry, I just had to get that out.
So I'm going to pick blackberries, and maybe some blueberries, and make regular fruit jam. YUM!
The recipe below for Grilled Eggplant Parmigiana Heros is from my recipe box on www.epicurious.com. We have made these a number of times; they're a nice grilling alternative to meat...sometimes it's nice to have something a little lighter in the summer.
And with that, I am out for the day! Enjoy the rest of it, friends!

Manda Mac

Grilled Eggplant Parmigiana Heros

For tomato sauce:

1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
5 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

For eggplant heros:

4 (6-inch) hero or hoagie rolls, split
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 (1-pound) eggplants
1/2 pound thinly sliced provolone or fresh mozzarella, divided
1 cup basil leaves, chopped

Make tomato sauce:
Purée tomatoes in a blender until very smooth. Heat oil in a 3-to 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Sauté onion and garlic with red pepper flakes until golden, about 4 minutes. Add tomato purée, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cheese.

Make sandwiches:
Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking over medium-hot charcoal (medium-high heat for gas); see Grilling Procedure .

Brush cut side of rolls with 1 tablespoon oil total.

Cut eggplants crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Brush both sides of slices with remaining 3 tablespoons oil and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt.

Oil grill rack, then grill eggplant (covered only if using a gas grill), loosening with a metal spatula and turning occasionally to avoid overbrowning, until very tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Top eggplant (still on grill) evenly with half of sliced cheese, then grill, covered, until cheese begins to melt, about 30 seconds. Transfer eggplant with spatula to a large tray.

Grill rolls (cut side only) until grill marks appear, about 1 minute, and transfer to tray.

Transfer grilled rolls to 4 plates and spoon about 3 tablespoons tomato sauce onto each bottom piece. Top with eggplant, making 2 layers. Add remaining sauce, then top with basil and remaining cheese and close sandwiches.

The Great McCaw Household Bedtime Bonanza!

2010-06-07T01:49:00.001-04:00

Wanted to share a few photos I snapped with my phone of Dale and Macey-mutt during their nighty-night "ritual".....basically, Dale goes to bed, and Mace jumps on him, licks his head, sit on his head, tries to find him under the covers, etc. They crack me up, so I had to share:

Waiting for bedtime:

Sitting on Daddy's head:

Licking Daddy's freshly-shaved head:

Verses For Sunday

2010-06-06T01:45:00.001-04:00

But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. so that contrariwise ye ought rather forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.
wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him. For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether you be obedient in all things.
To whom you forgive anything, I forgive also: for if I forgave anything, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ; lest Satan should get an advantage of us: foe we are not ignorant of his devices.

Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: to the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? for we are not as many, which corrupt the Word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

II Corinthinans 2:5-11, 14-17.

You Know It's Bad When You're Too Broke To Yard Sale....

2010-06-05T13:49:00.001-04:00

Good afternoon friends...it's Saturday, and I am a notorious late-starter on Saturdays....unless I have cash for yard-sales, which, sadly, I have not got this weekend. Shame, because according to Lejeune Yard Sales there are 135 yard sales in the Jacksonville area today. No fair.
Before I go out to take advantage of the day, I'll leave you with this days recipe, from Mopsie's and my mom's recipe files. We had Calico Beans often, either as a side or as a meal all by itself. Totally yummy!

Calico Beans

1 1/2 lbs. ground beef, (chicken or turkey)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup ketchup
2 tbsp. prepared yellow mustard
1/2 tsp. salt
1 8 oz. can kidney beans
1 8 oz. can pork and beans
1 8 oz. can pinto beans
1 8 oz. can navy or great northern beans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large pan saute onions and bell pepper for 2 minutes. Add ground beef and brown until meat is cooked through. Drain.
In large bean pot, casserole or dutch oven, combine meat mixture with remaining ingredients and mix well. Bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Jelly Success!

2010-06-04T16:58:00.001-04:00

Double blog today...HOORAY! We taste tested the jelly today on our biscuits, and it was totally YUMMY! Not "plant-y" at all. Just a very subtle sweet lemon floral taste. Dale said it tasted a bit like a sweet tart. Will be perfect this winter on scones and biscuits. I am planning on having toast for breakfast tomorrow just so I can have some more. I am definitely going to make a full sized batch now. Might make some nice Christmas presents with a scone mix and some tea.
Also, I know this is a horrible picture(took it with my phone) but here is some of my now-blooming bee balm:

Pretty! I also have some that is a pale, pale lavender pink, and some that is hot pink...like punk-chick 80s lipstick pink. It shocks me every time I take a look at it. Anyway, the hubster is home from work/school, and he and Macey-mutt are tearing the house apart, so it's time for me to go start something for dinner.

MandaMac

Cookies on the Brain....Biscotti Brain!

2010-06-04T11:46:00.002-04:00

So today I was wondering what I should blog about. I got up kind of late, so I missed my morning garden time. When it cools down this evening, I think I'm going to bring in a few calla lilies for an arrangement. Still feeling excited about my jelly experiment yesterday, although Dale was less than impressed with my efforts. Oh well....that's a man for you.
Tomorrow I am heading down to Wilmington to pick up a hibiscus for the garden. I just love hibiscus....they're so beautiful, and this is the perfect climate. It's supposed to be crimson red. No idea what the name is, since it's a seedling grown by a lady in her yard. I've never been one to care much about "names". I just get what I like, and what looks pretty.
I think after I get some work done today, I'm going to bake. I have been having a craving for shortbread cookies the past few days, or possibly some biscotti. I love to make biscotti! For some reason the whole process fascinates me. Most of the people I know who bake don't really like to do biscotti because it takes so long to bake the "loaves", then slice them, then bake again...I like it. When I do my annual Christmas baking binge, I always try to do at least two types of biscotti. Last year I did Chocolate Cherry biscotti, and Lemon Tea biscotti; both were great, although I think next time I make the Lemon Tea ones, I'm going to put some sort of nuts in them; pistachios might be good.
I think I shall make some shortbread, and since I'm in a cookie mood, today's recipe will be one of my favorites from allrecipes.com. It might even be the ones I make today.

Lavender Shortbread Cookies

1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh lavender
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt

In a medium bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and confectioners' sugar until light and fluffy. Mix in the lavender, mint and lemon zest. Combine the flour, cornstarch and salt; mix into the batter until well blended. Divide dough into two balls, wrap in plastic wrap and flatten to about 1inch thick. Refrigerate until firm, about 1hour.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into shapes with cookie cutters. Cookie stamps will work well on these too. Place on cookie sheets.
Bake for 18 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, just until cookies begin to brown at the edges. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheets then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Experiments from the Garden & All New Recipe of the Day!

2010-06-03T12:32:00.002-04:00

Hello again! This afternoon, I'm going to try my hand at making some lemon balm jelly(gotta do SOMETHING with all that balm in the garden!). I've never made jelly before, so this is going to be a new experience for me. I'd like to get it right though, and I'd rather experiment with yummy stuff from my own garden than stuff I'll have to buy....thank goodness I've got tons of jars and lids! sooner or later, I want to try this recipe for Lavender-Lemon jelly, so I've got to get some practice in. I'll let you all know how it goes in tomorrow's blog.
My bee balm is starting to bloom for the first time, and I'm excited. I seem to have a couple colors: the regular purple and a pale, pale pink I've never seen before. It all looks so beautiful waving in the wind next to my walk and front door. It cheers me up every time I enter or leave the house.
This fall, I need to divide and move my lemon balm. The lady I got it from said it would spread, but she never mentioned it would be THIS aggressive! It's starting to crowd out my lavender...can't have that! I think I'm going to go on a treasure hunt for a large container to plant it in. We'll see if I can find something cool at the local junk shop. Like a washtub or something.
I was browsing Etsy today, and I came upon these really cool glass tumblers by BottleHood made from recycled wine bottles.

Now I just have to find a way to convince the hubby that we can fit them into the budget(Everyone wish me luck! LOL). They're so pretty! And clever.

So, I've decided that every day, I'm going to have a "Recipe of the Day". All of these come from my personal collection; some are family recipes, and some are from various cookbooks or magazines that I've clipped and saved. Since it's summer, I decided I would kick things off with a good summer side dish(actually, Mopsie served it all year `round, but it seemed like a good choice).

Baked Squash
3 pounds summer(crookneck, yellow)squash
1/3 cup chopped white onion
1/2 cup cracker meal or bread crumbs
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 eggs
1 stick of butter, divided
1 tbsp sugar
1tsp salt
1/4 cup cracker meal

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Wash and cut up squash. Place in a large saucepan over high heat. Boil until tender. Once cooked, drain squash thoroughly. In a large bowl, mash the cooked squash. Add onion, cracker meal or bread crumbs, pepper, eggs, 1/2 the stick of butter, sugar and salt. Mix thoroughly and pour mixture into a baking dish. Melt remaining butter. Pour over the top of casserole and sprinkle with cracker meal. Bake for 55-60 minutes.

Enjoy!

Ok, I just had to add to today's post. I just finished my trial run of lemon balm jelly, and I'm so excited!

It tastes so good....I licked the spoon...very delicate, not too sweet lemony-herby flavor. And such a pretty yellow! I used the water bath canning method, and all four sealed properly, so I guess I did it right. Oooh, I'm so excited! Now I just want to go out and find other stuff to make jelly out of, lol.

The Great Measuring Cup Dilemma

2010-06-02T09:32:00.007-04:00

Good morning friends! I was taking a little bit of a break from work this morning to make some pasta salad to have for lunch, and I realized that most of my measuring cups(except for my trusty Pyrex one) have somehow magically disappeared. So I've been surfing the net looking for new ones, because unfortunately, unlike some people, I've never been very good at the "pinch of this" or "handful of that" style of measuring, especially with baking. I've received family recipes over the last few years that have been like that...add a dash of this, or just enough to flavor, or my favorite: "add flour by the handful until dough is soft and a light cream color". Now seriously-define "soft and light cream colored"? huh? What if the recipe writer was colorblind? What if her definition of "light cream colored" was the color of real cream(the kind that floats on top of unhomogenized milk) and my definition of "light cream" is an ecru color?

Sorry for getting off topic with that rant. Anyway, back to the topic at hand....measuring cups. I was surfing the net for interesting measuring cups, and I came across some interesting examples. I thought I would share a few of my favorites.

These I may just have to get for my mom for Christmas. They are M-Cups matryoshka doll measuring cups from www.perpetualkid.com. They accurately measure 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, 2/3, 3/4 and 1 full cup. Great piece of kitsch for a small kitchen, since they stack and store just like real matryoshka dolls!

These little beauties are my absolute favorites. They're from Anthropologie. They are made out of stoneware, and pretty enough to keep on your counter. Downside is, stoneware breaks and chips so easily. Upside is...well....they're cute. They come in sizes 1/4, 1/3, 1/2, and 1 cup.

I thought this measuring cup was just fun. It's designed by Harry White, and I found it on www.boingboing.net . So if you ever wondered how much volume a t-rex brain had, now you know.

I am going to continue my hunt for cool measuring cups this afternoon; right now I feel like I actually need to do some more productive work, and enjoy the fact that the thundershower that's fixing to blow through will do most of my garden watering for me today, and top off my rain barrel.this evening, I'm going to try a new stuffed chicken recipe; I will post the results of my experiment here later for you all to either enjoy, or laugh at. Bye for now!

Welcome to Herbs & Spice & Everything Nice

2010-06-01T15:30:00.001-04:00

Welcome to Herbs & Spice! This is my first REAL foray into the world of internet blogging, so I am going to apologize up front for and goof-ups, errors or faux-pas that occur during the course of this blog....I blame it on inexperience.....that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!

I guess what inspired me to start this blog is my interest in all things herbs, cooking, kitchen and entertaining related. Let me insert a little background in here-my husband is in the Marine Corps, and he started late, at 25. I am 3 and a half years older. Currently, I'm 33. We're living in a housing section on base where 99.9% of the occupants are under the age of 25, so finding people with interests that are similar to mine...well, let's just say it's not easy.

I have one really good girlfriend who is interested in SOME of the things I like...junking, antique hunting and yard saleing, crocheting and all manner of crafty projects,(she also is my business partner in our photography studio). But when it comes to my passion for herbs and cooking and entertaining, I'm sort of on my own.

My parents raised me to be an adventurous eater. I grew up in my mom's kitchen, and my grandmother's(we call her Mopsie). Both taught me how to cook and craft, and enjoy the arts of cooking and entertaining. My mom was always trying new dishes, and "encouraged" my sister and I to try everything(ok, so she forced us to eat what was put in front of us, but hey, it developed our palates.). In the summer she always took advantage of local produce and wild fruits. We bought vegetables and fruits from local farmers, and spent many hours picking blackberries in the fields and roadsides. Most of these ended up on the table fresh, but a lot of it also ended up frozen or canned as jams, jellies, juice, preserves, sauces, pickles, etc.

Mopsie taught me about plants and gardens, baking and entertaining. She owned her own craft shop attached to her house, and she hosted many seminars. It was not uncommon to see her running her daily business, hosting a seminar, wrangling two rambunctious granddaughters, caring for 3-4 houseguests, caring for her plants and gardens, and cooking marvelous meals all at the same time. To me she was Wonder Woman. I can still recall the smell of baking bran muffins, and I have yet to find any apple pie ANYWHERE that could match the ones she made so effortlessly.

Another thing I remember so well are the plants. How to care for a Christmas cactus. Crushing leaves of bee balm and smelling them in the garden(which is why I have bee balm planted in my garden to this day. I always crush a leaf or two, and think of her.). Making potpourris and sachets from lavender or rose petals, rosehips and cloves. Picking Queen Anne's Lace from the roadsides. Smelling apple blossoms. All of these things I always associate with my Mopsie. I think she began my passion for herbs, without even knowing it.

My mom taught me lots of things about cooking, but the one thing that always attracted my attention was the MASSIVE amount of spices, herbs, flavorings and blends in her spice cabinet. To me, magic came out of that cupboard. She would often throw some hamburger or chicken on the counter, then open that magic cabinet and start thinking. It always seemed to me she would pull out a little bit of this, or a sprinkle of that and voila! ordinary became delicious.

So, those are a few of my inspirations. Today, I have a passionate interest in herbs and spices, cooking and entertaining, thanks to these women. As I continue this blog, I hope to inspire others the way I've been inspired! Stay tunes for good stuff from the kitchen and garden!