The Herb Society of America's Essential Guide to Growing and Cooking with Herbs

The Herb Society of America's Essential Guide to Growing and Cooking with Herbs
By:"Katherine K. Schlosser"
Published on 2007-09-01 by LSU Press

Fresh herbs offer a healthy and delicious way to spice up any meal, but growing and cooking with these delectable plants are endeavors fraught with uncertainty. What herbs will grow year-round on my kitchen windowsill? What foods complement rosemary? Which part of a lemongrass plant has the best flavor? Can I really eat the geraniums growing in my flower bed? This indispensable guide from The Herb Society of America takes the guesswork out of using herbs in the garden and in the kitchen by providing detailed information for cultivating a wide variety of herbs, along with easy-to-follow recipes that will surely impress even the most discerning palate. Ranging from Alliums (onions, chives, and garlic) to Zingiber (ginger), the volume's first section provides horticultural information for each of the sixty-three herbs found in the National Herb Garden's Culinary Garden, including common and botanical names, family, place of origin, hardiness, and general light and soil requirements. Botanical sketches accompany many of the entries. Each entry also includes a short history of the herb, gardening basics, and suggestions for using the herb in your kitchen. Culinary herbs without Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) Status are included in a separate section, with an explanation of their history and ornamental value. An informative introduction to this section compares several different definitions of the word herb, explains the advantages of fresh over dried herbs, describes the proper storage and use of spices, and suggests the best timing and methods for harvesting herbs. In the second part of the book, HSA members offer classic and creative recipes for more than two hundred dishes incorporating a variety of herbs. Learn how to use the aromatic and flavorful herbs in your garden to enhance stews and casseroles, create dips and pestos, and add a new dimension to your favorite liqueurs. Among the mouth-watering recipes featured are Lemon Basil Tea Bread, Chicken Linguine with Fennel and Tarragon, Five-Herb Pasta Salad, and Rosemary Fizz. The concluding section of the book contains a fascinating personal tour of the two-and-one-half-acre National Herb Garden, which lies in the heart of Washington, D.C., at the center of the United States National Arboretum, and of its various themed areas, including the Knot Garden, the Antique and Heritage Rose Garden, the Dye Garden, the Colonial Garden, the Native American Garden, the Beverage Garden, the Medicinal Garden, and many others. Complete plant lists accompany the description of each garden. Green thumbs and gourmets alike will find inspiration in these pages to look at herbs in new ways -- perhaps to see beyond their cupboards and into their own yards for ways to liven up their meals -- and will gain the knowledge and confidence to grow and use herbs effectively. More than a gardening book, more than a cookbook, The Herb Society of America's Essential Guide to Growing and Cooking with Herbs will prove to be an indispensable companion for all herb lovers.

This Book was ranked 25 by Google Books for keyword cooking.

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Light in the Dark Room

Light in the Dark Room
By:"Jay Prosser"
Published on 2005 by U of Minnesota Press

A young boy, thin and ill, feeds his small brother in a ritualized act of desperation, half-stifling him. The boy will be treated, his father will get a job, and the family will be moved from their shack in the slums of Rio de Janeiro to a suburban house, courtesy of the American viewers of Gordon Parks's photographs in Life magazine. It all turned

This Book was ranked 20 by Google Books for keyword photography.

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Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs
By:"Walter Isaacson"
Published on 2011-10-24 by Simon and Schuster

Draws on more than forty interviews with Steve Jobs, as well as interviews with family members, friends, competitors, and colleagues to offer a look at the co-founder and leading creative force behind the Apple computer company.

This Book was ranked 15 by Google Books for keyword biographies.

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Etiquette for Ladies

Etiquette for Ladies
By:
Published on 1840 by

This Book was ranked 32 by Google Books for keyword ladies.

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September Song

Hello Ladies,

It was with a light heart that I banished the remains of our summer sale to the basement of Therapy last Tuesday. Not because I was wishing away the sunshine, but because I couldn't wait to hide away the odds and ends and have the chance to merchandise the lovely new Autumn stock. Ah the joy of a full size run, the array of fresh colours, the crisp fresh rails where everything matches and blends perfectly.

I was nervous. I'm always nervous when the new stock comes in. What if I've got it wrong? What if none of my customers like it? What if I'm finally found out?! 

I am reliably informed by one of my favourite books (Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon) that this is known as "imposter syndrome". Leon writes: "The clinical definition is a 'psychological phenomenon in which people are unable to internalise their accomplishments.' It means that you feel like a phony, like you really don't have any idea what you're doing. Guess what: None of us do." 

Phew, that's a relief. 

I spent my childhood dressing my dolls in home made clothes and now I spend my adulthood dressing my customers. I'm still playing! No wonder I worry about being found out. Work's supposed to be the serious stuff we do in order to support us in our leisure - you know - the fun stuff. But I have fun every day!

Taking back the full time running of Therapy this last nine months has been a revelation. In actually doing the daily work I have remembered why I created our wee shop in the first place. All the personal dramas that distracted me in the past have subsided and I am free to enjoy the process.

My friend Jeanette has renamed me Fanny, because I am always fannying around. Whenever she drops by the shop I am fiddling and folding and rearranging and cleaning - and totally happy. I took my pedometer into work one day and by closing time I had clocked up two miles!

I watched a brilliant documentary on BBC 4 the other night: You've Got A Friend: The Carole King Story. Amazing - watch it on BBC iPlayer if you missed it. Apart from her astounding genius as a singer songwriter, what came across was her total joy in what she does - it shone out of her! Tapestry went straight on Therapy's CD player the following day.

Do what you love / love what you do - and you'll do it well. A cliche? Yes. True? Yes! After years of behaving like a tortured artist, never feeling good enough, feeling like a phoney, I've finally realised that being content, having fun and trusting my instincts is a far more relaxing way to live my life. As my mum used to say: "It'll all be the same in a hundred years" so we might as well be happy right now.

So after I had finished carting the sale residue downstairs, and merchandising the new stock in its place, and having a wee panic, I laughed at myself and decided to have faith in my choices and enjoy them as, happily, you all seem to be.

I've put some new photos on the right hand side of this page -I hope you like what you see. There are still summer bargains in the basement if you're off on a last minute summer jaunt. And most of all - Ann and I are always happy to see you, buying or not. You are what brings our work to life. 

Thank you!
Laura x 

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Therapy Summer Sale Starts Saturday 16th August!

Hello Ladies! 

Once again I was shocked when returning to my blog page to see that it has been more than a month since I last wrote to you all. Where did that go?! The long sultry days of summer saw me sweating gently and trying hard to waft around the shop in an attempt to keep cool. Happily, thanks to you all, I ended up instead doing lots of running up and down stairs finding shoes and stuff!

It's been such a pleasure to see the summer clothes I chose so long ago come to life on you all. And having the weather in which to enjoy wearing them was such a blessing. Petworth has been full of life this summer with more European visitors then we've seen for a number of years. The town looks fabulous, garlanded with Spriggs' gorgeous hanging baskets. As usual we had our enormous flowering display above the shop window. I'm still hoping to win "best dressed station" one of these years!

Along with my manic shop-wafting I've been busy buying collections for next summer 2015. It is nerve wracking buying so far in advance but at the same time it's good to have the season I'm buying for fresh in my mind. My wee brain is furiously computing as I consider the best and worst sellers of this season and compile my wish list for next summer.

One of the main qualities that a fashion buyer needs is optimism. It takes a degree of insanity to commit so much money in advance when the variables that can affect our business are so numerous. That's why being enthusiastically optimistic is important.

It can however lead to a few mistakes. My old colleague at Jenners once said of the stock that sits around not selling: "There will always be some dogs, that sit up and bark at you every time you pass them on the shopfloor!" 

Which brings me neatly round to the Sale. As promised we're having a proper end of season sale. We start our Sale this Saturday - 16th August. As the weather takes a cooler turn I am concerned that we've left it too late. I've hedged my bets by putting out some of our lovely new autumn collections - I believe in offering something for everyone!

My usual neuroses aside I am quietly confident that our Sale will be a success. I'm an old fashioned shopkeeper and believe in genuine discounts. To me the Sale is a chance to offer you all a great bargain as a way of saying thank you for supporting us through the season. Besides, the stock that goes into the Sale has been floating around in my head since I first saw it last July and it's time to say goodbye!

So I'm looking forward to Saturday and enjoying the planning and preparation that goes into every Sale. I hope you'll all have as much fun as I will.

Ooh, after February's success I will also be open this Sunday 17th August from 11am until 4pm. (Thank you Susie!)

See you on Saturday!

Laura x

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Welcome to Summer!

Hello Ladies,

I have just realised that it's more than a month since I last blogged. My excuses? I've been juggling a busy shop with visits from two of our sons - Chris's eldest, a long haul flight from Perth, Australia, and mine, a more relaxing train ride from Edinburgh. I've never been more grateful for the sunshine. Chilling on our roof terrace was far preferable to huddling by the fire indoors.

I love summer, and ours is well and truly on the way. Even today's forecast of heavy rain has materialised into blue skies and sunshine. Sigh. 

So why are all the high street shops on sale? Okay so last Saturday may have been the longest day but this does not mean that June is the height of our summer. Why we're only just getting started! And as we all know, with our unreliable weather, none of us are going to fork out fortunes on floaty fashions while it's drizzling. Oh to have such confidence in the British sunshine. No, here in the UK we like to buy our summer clothes when we know we can actually wear them. Hey, we Brits are funny like that!  

As I'm writing this from our sitting room bay window, I can see Therapy - sprouting flowers and newly painted. And I feel truly blessed to be a shopkeeper in this beautiful part of England. What could be more fun than selling pretty things to lovely customers? Aye, it's a hard job, but someone's got to do it!

Now retailing isn't brain surgery. If I have an off day no one really suffers, but that doesn't mean it's without it's stresses. I've already started buying for next summer. What about autumn? I hear you cry. Oh that was all put to bed by February, and my weather forecast for this winter is cold and crisp (I have lots of coats and boots on order!) Now I don't know whether it's going to snow this year. All I can do is make my selection based on previous experience, my customers' needs and my gut instinct. I can't tell you how surprised I still am every season when a style that I thought was a dead cert lies languishing on the rails! 

Every year the buying appointments get earlier as my suppliers strive to be the first to secure part of my buying budget. Deliveries get earlier too. If I let them, my suppliers would deliver autumn stock in June. So the fashion industry dictates when the seasons start: winter in June and summer in November. Ridiculous!

I'm not very good at being told what to do. (I guess that's why I work for myself!) and having companies dictate that I sell inappropriate clothing for the weather makes me mad. The high street chain stores push the sale period ever earlier. What used to be August and January sales are now June and December. For a while the pressure of selling vests in February and wooly jumpers in July really got me down.

And then Therapy decided to get off the merry-go-round. Which is why last year we took the new and scary decision to delay our sale until mid August. You know, that month when the sun is usually at its hottest and most prolific? We figured that if the sun shines most often in July and August that it would make sense to be selling summer clothes. It was a terrifying wait but our first August sale was one of our most successful yet.

By delaying the sale we were able to offer our customers a proper range of weather-appropriate clothing instead of a soiled size 6 frock from the sale residue rail. Going on sale in August still meant that customers had another two months to wear their sale bargains. One thing we do seem to be quite good at in the UK is an Indian summer.  

And my stress levels? They plummeted! My desire for a bit of sensible retailing had been fulfilled and I could enjoy the oncoming autumn season as the leaves were turning. Ah.

So I will continue to make Therapy enticing, introducing new styles and luring you in with scrummy windows. Because that is my role as a shopkeeper. I source lovely things so that when you ladies walk through my door I can show you something that you will rush home to wear - right now (unless of course you like to wear wooly jumpers in July).  

So don't expect to see a SALE sign on our window until August - although I have started a SALE RAIL in the basement - for all those bits and bobs that I'm tired of looking at. 

Instead come and see our extensive range of lovely linen dresses, comfy and elegant shoes, sorbet coloured suede bags, colourful and unusual jewellery and perfect separates. Because I don't know about you but I'm just in the mood for my summer wardrobe!

Laura x

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