Do You Know Your Spices And Herbs

I never have given a lot of thought to this question. But, now that I have tossed out almost everything in my spice drawer I am learning a few facts (thoughts) about the subject from various websites. 

Spice or Herb?

Herbs and spices. We often say these words together: “flavored with herbs and spices.” But what’s the difference between them? Both are seasonings, of course. But of the two, spices are generally stronger smelling and often stronger tasting. Spices typically come from the bark, buds, fruit, roots, seeds, or stems of plants and trees; while herbs are the more gently fragrant leaves of plants. 

That is new info for me or I don't remember. I did not realize that the herbs are the leaves. 

Cooking with Herbs
When do you add herbs and spices? It depends on the kind of herb or spice you’re dealing with and the cooking time the recipe calls for. Herbs with mild flavors, like basil and parsley, work best when added right at the end, while strong-flavored herbs like bay leaves and sage work fine over the length of the cooking.

Compared to whole spices, the flavor of ground spices is more concentrated; ground spices will infuse sauces with flavor more quickly than whole spices. If you have a short cooking time, add ground spices at the start. If your recipe calls for a slow simmer, it’s okay to add them near the end of cooking. Long-simmering stews and soups are also great for whole spices, whose flavors will release at a leisurely pace.

Before adding leafy herbs to a dish, place them in the palm of your hand and rub them gently with your fingertips to help release flavors and aromas. Toasting seeds and certain spices (like cumin) in a dry skillet can also enhance flavors and aromas.

I am including the following information from Foodbabe.com  as "Food For Thought". This is something else that I have not given a lot of thought. However, it does not surprise me.

Conventional Spices Contain Harmful Ingredients

There are many reasons for adding spices to food, including enhancing flavor, boosting nutritional value, and also preserving freshness.  Unfortunately, when we buy conventional spices, they often contain more negative qualities than positive. Like conventional food found in supermarkets, many of the spices we find on the shelves are treated with chemicals, contain GMO's
and are irradiated. Virtually all conventional spices sold in the United States are fumigated (sterilized) with hazardous chemicals that are banned in Europe.

What is Irradiation?

Food irradiation is the process of using radiation to kill bacteria and other contaminants. But while radiation is used to reduce bacteria in the spices we are consuming, the finished product has decreased levels of vitamins and natural enzymes. Irradiation changes the chemical composition of a spice, potentially creating toxic, carcinogenic by-products in the food and increasing our exposure to free radicals. Free radicals cause aging and disease – something we want to avoid at all costs!

How To Buy Spices Safely

With that said, it’s extremely important to fill our pantries with spices that promote health, rather than take away from it.  Below are strategies for buying spices to make flavorful dishes, promote health and limit your exposure to hidden toxins.

1. Always buy organic spices – not only will they not have toxic pesticides, but they also will not be irradiated. Organic spices cannot have genetically engineered ingredients (GMOs), artificial colors, preservatives, and other synthetic anti-caking agents. 
2. Buy spices from the bulk bin to get the most bang for your buck. Buying a large amount ensures the spices will be used in an appropriate amount of time. 
3. Check the expiration date. Spices, unlike wine, do not get better with age. Make sure you clean out your pantry often to avoid using expired spices. With age, spices lose their powerful benefits.
4. Replace conventional spices as soon as possible. If your spice cabinet is full of conventional spices, start to buy organic spices for each new recipe you make week after week, eventually you’ll have a whole new assortment of organic spices to choose from.
   
   
   Interesting, and like I say, not surprising. That said, this is all fine and good but not all of us have the luxury to buy according to these guidelines. Like most things we simply have to make a chose and do what we thing works for each of our situations.
   
   Yesterday, when I was out and about I stopped into a little independent grocery store and I was delighted to find spices in small quantities (0.60 oz.) and very reasonably priced at $1.99 each. I purchased 12 spices and I am pleased especially since according to my research the company is reputable and has been around for years. In fact when I looked at my spices some of them are the same brand. 
   
   No, they are not organic but given the fact that I am three quarters of a century old, I see no reason to be concerned that they are not organic or about irradiation or GMO's.  I do not think my life span will be shortened! Additionally, I certainly do not cook as much or elaborate as once was my style. 

    Now let's go and cook something and use fresh spice.

    Have A Great Day.

    Mary

Bathroom Remodel - Flashback

Oh, how I wish I had a before remodel photo. Try to imagine a 1970's bathroom with a very small aluminum framed window at the top of the wall behind the bathtub/shower, Formica counter tops, linoleum floor and opaque sliding shower doors, old plumbing fixtures and 5 feet by 10 feet.   - - - - Maybe something like this. Actually, if I didn't know better I would say "yes this is my bathroom."

FROM THIS (1973)

TO

THIS (2008)

The room is enlarged by 2 feet by extending the wall behind the new Jacuzzi Spa bathtub which provides a nice extension to give the room a feeling of greater space and a nice shelf for plants and decor. And the block privacy window brings in very nice natural light.

It was so much fun to watch this room evolve into this lovely relaxing oasis. Especially since I personally did a lot of the work like painting (also ceiling) and installing light fixtures, mirror and towel bars. In addition, I did a lot of the shopping on Ebay. Things like plumbing fixtures, sink with gold trim, lighting fixtures and other accessories. I did not put a shower in this bathroom because there is another remodeled bathroom that has a marble lined walk-in shower.

At another time I will write a post about the en suite bathroom.

The lighting over the bathtub is on a dimmer which provides lovely lighting while enjoying a nice warm bath with circulating water. The light fixtures match the fixture over the sink. The marble tile is the light color you see in the photos near the sink, not the darker color by the window. The baseboards (yes, baseboards) are also marble because we had leftover tile.

This is my favorite room in my little home. Like everything (almost) I do, it was done on a strict small budget. Did you notice - Ebay?

Decorating styles change throughout time but I attempted to remodel in timeless decor.  Not purple like my kitchen!

I hope you enjoy Your Home.

Mary

Not Again - Disappointment

 It's the Oven Again.

I had every thing I needed to bake a bundt cake. I even picked up an inexpensive new pan at the store a while back. My bundt pans were ancient, like me and I was a little concerned about the "old style coating " of years past. So, I was all set and decided to make Apple Bundt Cake with Caramel Frosting from Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen.

Assembling every thing went fine and my decision to use cardamon spice instead of cinnamon worked out very well flavor wise. I did not have any cinnamon because I cleaned out my old spices a few days ago.

You may know or remember that I have a hate-love relationship with my range. I haven't taken the time to do the cleaning and replacement of the gasket yet. But, I thought I would try to keep an eye on the temperature gauge. Into the oven goes my beautiful prepared cake batter in my nice brand new cake pan. Fun, huh?

Well, 20 minutes into baking time I noticed the gauge inside the oven was 25 degrees higher than the external gauge on the front panel of the range. The cake was already browning beautifully which surprised me, but I turned the range temperature down and kind of baby sat the cake until I felt it was time to take it out of the oven. Oh, so lovely it came out of the pan! See the photo.

Are you ready? Here comes the disappointment. I decided to cut a piece before preparing the frosting so I could see the texture and taste it first. The flavor was wonderful but the texture was a combination of very over baked and just slightly under baked  and gummy in the center! That meant that the outer portion was very dry. Not Good! I think I should have screamed, but I didn't.

This is a beautiful picture from Lake Lure Cottage Kitchen blog of what I was expecting. Doesn't that look great?

Well now, since the flavor was so good. I will probably be enjoying some of it even though I chose not to prepare the lovely frosting.

That's my sad tale for today. Now I have to give a lot of thought as to what I want to do with "The Range That I Hate." Look at blog here. I really don't want to pay for a new door gasket (it looks fine) and install it when it may not make any difference. After all, this temperature thing has been going on for quite some time.

Ya gotta give me an A+ for trying, I think. 

Please have a Great Day.

Mary

The Spice Tin In My Historic Gold Mining Town

I was just cruising around the internet cloud and found some history about the Spice Shop that I mentioned yesterday. There is so much history in this little town that I live in. Much more than I will ever learn. We have a fabulous Historical Society in this county that even houses the old JAIL from days gone by. So very educational and interesting.

The following script is from our local newspaper in 2009. I have highlighted in red the specific historical points of interest. I hope you enjoy the little tidbits about my town.

“We have dealt with a variety of suppliers to obtain herbs, spices, salts and mushrooms from all over the world,” says Patty Schulz. “Some of the rare spices available for purchase include Marash chili flakes, saffron from Spain and black truffle salt."

The Spice Tin is housed in an historic building that has its own spicy history. It once served as the entrance to an underground tunnel used to secretly move whiskey to the Murphys Hotel during Prohibition. The metal encased building was originally located at the corner of Main St. and Big Trees Rd.  In 1910 it was moved to its present location and served as storage for the old general store. 

Great care has been taken to keep the original nature of the structure intact. It was during the reconstruction that the tunnel was discovered and its history revealed. The Spice Tin is open seven days a week from 11:00 to 5:00. Further information is available at the store’s web site www.thespicetin.com.

Well, that's it for today.

Hug your pets!
Mary     

Fresh Spices And Beef Short Ribs

I have been checking my pantry products to clean out anything that has become outdated and there have been many. Many more than I expected. But then, when I consider how little cooking I have done in the last two years I guess it should not be a surprise. But, I really do not like wasting money. So, I plan to carefully replace items on an as-needed basis and if I see a good sale price.

There were some beef short ribs in the freezer that I did not want to freeze any longer. Everything in my freezer has been checked for freshness and I want to keep it that way. I had saved a recipe that I saw recently and wanted to use. As I looked at it I could see that I did not have all of the stated ingredients but it looked like I could substitute for them.

My recipe is very simple with ribs, vegetable oil, salt and pepper, yellow onion, garlic clove, beer, wine or broth and rosemary or thyme. As you can see above, I changed out a few things. I have never cooked with Beck's wine in the past. So I thought that was a little iffy. Red onion instead of yellow. Chopped garlic from a jar. No big deal. And then, Oregano for the herbs. After the stove-top preparation it was placed in the oven for two hours. I am delighted to tell you that the Ribs Were Very Tender And Fantastic! The onions were so nicely caramelized in the beer.  And, the oregano worked great.

Instead of making a meal with all of the sides I chose to remove the fat that provided great flavor and then shred the beef and use it for sliders/sandwiches. Wow, I liked it!

When cleaning my spice cupboard I had to toss out eleven different spice containers. Some had expire dates back to 2012! When there no longer is any fragrance you know its all over. I kept a couple that were out of date (just a little) but still had a nice fresh strong fragrance.

We have a fantastic Spice Shop at the end of my street at Main Street downtown and I may check their prices and smaller quantities can be purchased. I have bought from them in the past with good results. It's pretty special because they carry any spice you can imagine and if they do not, they will order it for you.

The Spice Tin as it is called is so cute and very well managed. I don't know why I don't think of it more often when I need spices. After all it is so close! This night time picture was taken one year at the downtown Christmas Open House.

The Spice Tin has a nice and informative website with recipes and more. Be sure to check it out. I was a little surprised. These folks "really know what they are doing!"

Well, that is just a little more about the joy of where I am blessed to live. It is a very sunny day and that makes me very very happy. It's about time. For about the last two weeks I have really had "The Slows" quite badly.

Happiness to All.

Mary

Bright Dispositions In The Home

I am sending A Lot of Sunlit Dispositions to you for this "Sunlit Sunday". Oh, the wonderfulness of a fireplace, be it wood or gas. It doesn't matter. Isn't this photo from google of these precious kitties great?  Just looking at it makes me feel so happy, calm, warm and cozy. And dare I say, makes me want another kitty cat some day.

My last Puttee Cat "Puff" traveled to the Rainbow Bridge in May 2008. She lived a comfortable life for nineteen years and during that time with two different doggies who loved her. Yes, the one thing I really miss is hearing her soothing purr. I recall many years ago (1988) when I got my first baby puppy my mind kept quietly saying why is she not purring? Funny how that works!

Puff was a very lovely and loving cat. She was very good natured and adjusted quickly with two doggies, Pixie (Yorkshire Terrier) and Lily during her lifetime. This photo was taken perhaps around Christmas 2006. By that time Lily had joined us and Puff and she were fast friends. They generally slept near each other if not snuggled together.

I tried to scan and print some old photographs without success of the two of them as well as photographs of my Yorkie, Pixie.

And here we have Lily in front of the fireplace. In time past Puff would be with Lily snuggling together on the bed getting warm. So tender and sweet.

Last, but not least, a picture of baby Lily with her siblings at about six weeks old. And, look at that tail! I call it her happy tail because it is almost always swishing back and forth.

I am joining Karen for "Sunlit Sunday" at My Little Home and Garden today.                        Please join us.
There is a lot of furry LOVE on this post today. 

Don't forget to hug your pets. They are our angels.

Mary

Bright White

On a little stroll in the garden while looking for something of interest for "Sunlit Sunday" I came upon the first flowers to bloom in my little country garden in the Sierra Mountains of California. 

The Bright White of these Narcissus flowers jumped out from among the mulch, rocks and bleak landscape of the waning winter days. To me, they were a symbol of a fresh start with the purity of new born life. As the days of my life roll along it is becoming more apparent to me that my time "working in the garden" is precious and must be enjoyed to the fullest while my endurance and ability permits.

My garden is so enjoyable for me and has been a top priority for a couple reasons. My body/mind craves the sunlight especially since my home is quite dark inside even though I have had four ceiling tube skylights for several years. The trees around my little home have grown tremendously tall which blocks some of the sun and of course they produce a whole lot more leaves and pine needles to clean up most of the year. And, most noteworthy is my love of nature and the beauty it provides us especially if we pay attention.

We had a lovely sunny day in the 60's. I was able to spend about one hour in the garden, raking.

I hope this brings a little light into your life along with all the other contributors to Sunlit Sunday.

Sunny days to all of you, if not now, soon.

Mary

Forever Valentine Love

Exquisite Red long stemmed roses that I received shortly after meeting My Special Man in 2010! This was the first of many red roses I received thereafter. I keep a small bouquet of these roses dried and placed in my china cabinet. It is one of the many reminders of love, however the largest and forever reminder is in my heart!

I have no more to say, but GRATITUDE.

Wishing lots of special love to all of you in whatever your current life is presenting. YOU ARE LOVED!

Mary

Love Sent My Way

I had just set up a little valentine decorations on Monday morning when I received this beautiful heart/box at my door. I was so very surprised to see a package because I had not ordered anything lately that might be delivered. It was very exciting for me especially since my life is so quiet and uneventful since so many of my loved ones and friends have left and passed on. Another church friend (age 92) passed this past Sunday. She was in church and read the liturgy which she often did. And, in the afternoon she went to a Super Bowl party at the Club House where she lived and became weak and was taken to the hospital. And, passed during the night. A life fully lived! Wonderful!

I could hardly get the package opened fast enough to see who it was from. The label was signed "2 Who Love You". How sweet was that?

It was from my loving friends in New York! That is my high school friends that I have been in regular contact for the last few years after she was able to locate me. There had been a lapse of about 45 years time. I have been so happy that she looked and found me.  I was able to meet up with them the last time My Special Man and I took a family reunion trip to Michigan. We met half way between New York and Michigan in Canada and spent two days enjoying every minute we had together in a very nice hotel. It was a very very special event for me and has given me beautiful memories of  dear friends that I shared time with in the sunrise and now the sunset of my life.

The gift boxes are filled with valentine candies/cookies and lovely pears. The items that I have eaten were great. The pears have to ripen a little more. Look how pretty all of it looks.

It was such a loving thoughtful gift and so appreciated. I haven't had a gift/package to open in a couple years. I could never anticipate my life would be what it is today especially in regard to my adult children.

My friends from New York will be moving to an Assisted Living Facility next month. They both need a little extra help to enjoy their life. I am happy that it looks like it is going to work out just fine. I have to "take care of business" and finish up some paperwork that I have been procrastinating about because I am having difficulty making decisions.

The past three days have given us great weather which I am grateful. I did a little in the kitchen today. I made Crock-pot Creamy Chicken Corn Chowder from a recipe on one of the blogs. It is delicious! And, easy - of course!

All the ingredients are mixed together except the chicken breasts. The chicken is placed on the bottom with the soup ingredients on top. When is is cooked the chicken is taken out and shredded or cubed and mixed together. It is very creamy especially since I had some cream left over from the Chicken Tarragon that I made a couple days ago. I used what I had on hand which meant I changed some of the ingredients. Isn't that what soups/chowders are all about? More single serves for the freezer.

Thanks for sharing my happiness with me.

Love - Love - Love - Love - Love.

Mary

One - Two - Three - And Four

One - Growing In My Garden

Narcisuss - - - Paperwhites Ziva

Two - Cooking In My Kitchen 

Tarragon Chicken Thighs With Mushrooms and Shallots 

Three - Bought At The Grocery Store

A New African Violet

Four - Raegan Mae - 10 months old

Happy Great Granddaughter

I think that catches us up with my little simple life.

Have a Grand Day.

Mary

Always Learning

One thing about blogging that is healthy for me is the fact that it challenges me with the many issues that arise in the process of posting a simple little post. It seems as soon as I have one issue solved another issue occurs before long. This morning I noticed that my widget of the Burning Candle was not downloading! ! ! Why? For goodness sake it has been performing nicely since I figured out how to put it on my blog a few months ago!

Look how sweet and innocent she looks. I have been so good  to her with regular maintenance and lots of attention (maybe, to much) and love.

Well, I had to start to figure out what was causing the problem. NOTE - I must apologize to my sweet computer. As usual it is not the fault of the computer but the fault rests in my lap. In a short time I found that an AdBlock program that I have had on my computer for months was blocking the download. It took one click of the mouse and I was back in business! I don't know why that occurred. I recently downloaded some new Spyware. So, maybe the issue is related to that. All is good.

Thanks for listening.

Mary

A Beautiful Ray Of Light

Isn't she stunning? When looking for something for "Sunlight Sunday" I came upon this lovely presentation of a gorgeous lady in the sunlight.

Wild Gardens and Lace by 20th Century Artist - Richard S. Johnson

"Hi, I'm Richard Johnson the artist who painted this piece. I am so honored that you share it with others."

Wouldn't you delight in having a garden like in the photo above? I know I would. I am certainly looking forward to seeing more sunlight in the near future in my garden.

I am joining "Sunlit Sunday" hosted by Karen of My Home and Garden.

Mary

Do You Hear That Buzz

Well, it has started around here. The Big Game - Super Bowl is about to happen. Even though California is not a contestant in the game this year, it's a big highlight for San Francisco and San Jose to be hosting.

All of the TV/Internet coverage about the event brings back so many memories I have from the 20 years that I lived in that part of the state of California. It really is a beautiful area with so many wonderful things to do and see as a tourist. Even with the traffic issues it is well worth the effort. San Francisco is a fabulous city to play in! I was fortunate to spend quite a lot of time in the City at the lovely historic hotel dining rooms and "Night Spots". The lounges were usually on the top floor of the tall hotel buildings. Watching the fog roll in over the City or Bridge was a lovely sight. Live theater was always enjoyable. The whole area has so many pleasures to enjoy. There was a time when I thought I would like to live there. That was many years ago when it was a lot safer. I guess that applies to everywhere we go these days.

San Jose was the area where my children and I lived during a lot of their childhood. When my daughter became 19 years old we went into the city and I gave her a Spa Day at Elizabeth Arden Beauty Salon (facial, perm, massage, pedi/manicure and of course lots of pampering) as her gift. At that time, that was "a big deal". Of course, now the spa experience is  a lot easier to arrange.

In addition to "playing in the City", during the late 80's, my work as a Disability Medical Case Manager RN took me to the City for Medical Conferences at various hospitals and medical offices which helped with coordination of the health care and benefits for the disabled patients/clients.

Well, I could go on and on but I won't. It always amazes me with the words/topics that jump onto the computer screen when I start to write a post. Especially if I don't have a lot swirling around in my head about the topic I start with. Does that ever happen to you?

While I have been writing this I have been watching the TV special of the past years Super Bowl Half-Time Ceremonies. At this moment Bruce Springsteen is performing. Talk about memories!

Oh, and the weather for the Game is suppose to be in the 70's. I heard that it is the best weather for the weekend since Thanksgiving. How wonderful!

Hope you have a great weekend.

Mary

I Know - I Know It's February

But, I feel like I want to be a ground hog and stay in my warm and cozy hole. I know  Punxsutawney Phil has shown us that we can expect an early spring. At least, in Pennsylvania! I have just one tidbit of trivia for you, which is one among many.

Groundhog Day has its roots in astronomy. What you might not know is that Groundhog Day is really an astronomical holiday.

                         Looks like Phil is being a little argumentative today!

Well, that is my tidbit of trivia for today! I think it is clear that I am not in a very talkative mood today nor have I been for a few days. I don't much care whether it is spring or winter. I just want my body to cooperate and get back to Status Quo (as I knew it) which I can better tolerate.

What a Sad Sack I am today. This too, will pass - It always does. 

Lily is doing Status Quo like I would like to be doing. Actually, she has had three terrific days. When her Dr. Ray called on Monday (as he usually does) he asked if she had any weaknesses in her limbs. My reply was "Not at all, she acts like a puppy". However, today she is having some of the coughing and gagging. But, she sleeps well without breathing interruptions which is good. I have found that if I spend time with her when she is having her difficulty and I gently massage her while quietly comforting her she  responds well. It was quite remarkable to me the first time I observed her response. It was kind of like her breathing/heart rhythm pattern was reset! So, anyway that is my little sweetie pies story today.

I sure hope your week has gone well. Tomorrow is a new day!

Mary