Sabtu, 04 Maret 2017

Basil: The King of Herbs

One of the most popular herbs is Ocimum basilicum commonly called sweet basil. Often called the ‘king of herbs,’ basil can be grown indoors or out. Sweet basil has inch-long, oval-pointed, dark green leaves and a clove-pepperish odour and taste. Sweet basil makes a handsome, bushy small plant, growing to a foot or more indoors. A purple-leafed variety, ‘Dark Opal’ is decorative, makes a lovely houseplant, and is equally useful in cookery. Do not let basil bloom, or it will go to seed. Instead, pinch out the plant tops and they will grow into compact little bushes. Basil is an annual and grows 12 – 24 inches (30 – 60 cm) as the height varies according to the variety. Cultivation requirements for growing basil: full sun; light, well-drained, nutrient rich, slightly acidic soil; frequent watering (don’t waterlog); will not tolerate cold; pinch off flower stalks for a longer season of leaf production. Basil can be easily started from seed or can be brought indoors at the end of the growing season. If you are bringing basil indoors, choose the most robust plants Konferenztisch Glas Rund

Before the first frost, dig them out of the garden and pot them up in fresh potting soil. Basil can also be grown in pots outdoors and treated the same way when bringing them in for winter. Check for insects and if there is an infestation, spray with a soap and water spray. Gradually reverse the hardening off process by keeping the pots out of direct sunlight for about a week. The plants will become acclimatised to the lower light conditions they will experience indoors. Bring them inside and provide the conditions they need to continue growing. Basil requires at least five hours of sunlight a day to stay healthy and flavourful. If you are growing basil on the windowsill, turn regularly to ensure every side receives light. Don’t let basil leaves touch the cold glass. 

Basil grows even better under fluorescent lights in the winter. Hang the lights 6 inches (15 cm) from plants and leave lights on for 14 hours a day. There are many cultivars of basil. Two that are particularly popular are: O. basilicum ‘Dark Opal’- only herb to win the All American Award of Excellence – can be used the same as sweet basil; O. basilicum ‘Citriodorum’- strong lemon scent – nice for tea and with chicken and fish. In the garden, basil can be planted with tomatoes as it helps to overcome both insects and disease. Basil also repels flies and mosquitoes. In the kitchen, use basil in tomato dishes (both raw and cooked), pesto, sauces, salad dressings, soups, fish dishes, mushroom dishes, egg and rice dishes, mixed with other herbs, omelettes, pasta dishes, vegetables such as carrots, eggplant, cabbage, squash, and zucchini. Use fresh leaves in salads and add fresh leaves to vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. Basil can be used fresh, frozen, or dried. Use basil with discretion, as it is one of the few herbs that increase in flavour when heated.

Barbequing: An American Tradition

No matter if it is the 4th of July, or just another day in the summer, chances are someone in your area is barbequing. Barbequing has become a standard American tradition for families. The reason as clear as to why, not only does the food that comes from barbequing have a taste that is unmatched by other cooking methods, but barbequing presents a reason for families to gather together. Some on my most memorial experiences happened outdoors at one of my families many get-togethers.

Planning A Barbeque

First, no barbeque would be complete without guests and proper outdoors weather. Plan ahead of time, checking with your potential guests for scheduling conflicts and issues. Finding a date and time that is suitable for everyone should not be to hard as long as you everyone enough advanced notice. Alternatively, be sure to check the weather for that type of year. If you live in a climate that cannot be predicted, then you may want to have a backup plan just incase unusual weather comes. You cannot predict things like rain and thunderstorms ahead of time, but you can make sure that you hold you barbeque during the time of year that will be pleasant to your guests. A barbeque in cold weather may hold more negative memories of trying to keep warm rather then good memories of family and friends.

Barbequing has been around since early cavemen figured out that food tasted great after being cooked on an open fire. Perhaps one of the main memories attached to a family barbeque is what was on the menu that day. Barbequing opens a whole array of types of foods available. The type of foods you serve should largely depend on your crowd and the event in which you are celebrating. With the wide range of possibilities, you are sure to find at least a few items that will please your crowd.

Make sure that you prepare ahead for your barbeque. 12 to 24 hours before you plan on beginning the party, make sure to thaw, prepare, and marinate the meat you will be cooking. Once you have the meat stored away, soaking up the marinate, then you must start thinking about what types of side dishes you will be having. If you want a completely tradition barbeque, you may want to stick with traditional sizes. Traditional barbeque sides include potatoes and potato salad, baked beans, and coleslaw. Your traditional condiment bar should include pickles, relish, and onions. These foods are typically severed at barbeques because they are easy to prepare and store until the event happens. You may want to cook other items, but any barbeque is complete with just the items listed above.

A themed barbeque may present more opportunities to hold a festive event. With a themed event, you can splurge on the atmosphere and decorations. Matching tablecloths, napkins, and plates can be found at any local store. You can also match your décor to the party. For example, a luau could simply be creative colored utensils, leis, and Tiki torches, all of which are extremely cheap. You can even reuse the Tiki torches later!

Your party area should be set up before guest arrive. It only takes a few minutes to get everything ready, but the reaction you get from your arriving guests may make you feel like you were preparing and decorating all day. Depending on the situation, you may or may not want to have the food already cooking on the grill. The smell will surely be inviting if you start cooking ahead!

Kamis, 02 Maret 2017

Decorating your Home for Christmas

Christmas is an extremely busy time of year. By the time you get you shopping done, gifts wrapped and your cookies and cakes baked, it’s likely you don’t have the energy left to put into extravagant decorating. Although less than energetic, you still want your home decorated for Christmas. After all, Christmas is just not the same without lights and decorations.

Decorating your home for Christmas doesn’t have to be stressful. There are many things you can do and items you can use to dress up your home for this wonderful season. One suggestion when decorating your home for Christmas is using ribbon. If you have a decorating theme for Christmas, regarding color, choose ribbon to correspond with your theme. You can tie ribbons to all sorts of items in your home such as chair backs, wreathes, basket handles, stair railings and even doorknobs. Ribbons and bows are very festive. A good idea is to choose ribbon which can be easily untied and retied. This way you can reuse the ribbon another Christmas season.

Using holiday tableware is nice when decorating your home for Christmas. Search your home for anything Christmas, plates, bowls, mugs, glasses, any piece of tableware that has a Christmas theme. Make sure to use these items each and every meal, every day throughout the Christmas season. Another good idea is to buy a few pieces each year. In time you’ll have enough tableware to serve the entire community. 

Lighting is important when decorating your home for Christmas. During the month of December turn off your lights. Make use of your candles in every room of your home. Place candles on the dining table, on the coffee and end tables in the living room and perhaps place a nice scented pillar candle in the bathroom. Don’t just put them there for decorations but also make sure to light them each night. If you have a fireplace, make sure to light it and enjoy it. A fireplace creates a cozy atmosphere which is nice when guests are visiting. 

Decorating your home for Christmas should always include a Christmas tree. After decorating the tree with your homemade ornaments and strung popcorn, use the leftover branches to make arrangements for your home. Put the greens in a basket or bowl, add pinecones, bows and ornaments. Use the branches to make swags to hang over doors throughout your home. Take the evergreen sprigs and place them around your home, on windows, on a bookcase shelf or on a ledge. Evergreen branches and sprigs certainly reflect Christmas. Not only do they look nice but they spread a lovely aroma throughout the home Konferenztisch Glas Oval.

Christmas is a time for celebrating. It’s a time to pull out all the stops. Snow is always nice for Christmas. When decorating your home for Christmas, why not use snow, artificial snow to add a sparkle to your home. Sprinkle it on the dining table, the hutch or the fireplace. Use ornaments which reflect light and hang them around your home, from doors or even indoor trees and plants. This will definitely look dazzling at night as the candle light flickers off the ornaments. Decorating your home for Christmas shouldn’t be a dreadful task but a delightful experience. One thing to remember when decorating your home for Christmas is not to over-think your plan. Keep it simple because simplicity is elegant and beautiful.

Rabu, 01 Maret 2017

3 Great Reasons to Shop for Home Lighting Online

If you are a consumer who knows just what brand or style of lighting fixtures you are looking to buy, the internet can save you money. Conversely, if you are just learning about what lighting fixtures, interior and exterior, are available for your home, the internet is a great place to get educated

To begin with, here are several types of interior fixtures available for your home: sconces, chandeliers, table and floor lamps, pendants, ceiling mounts, track lighting, recessed lighting and bathroom fixtures. Exterior fixtures include: landscape lighting, exterior sconces, exterior pendants, exterior ceiling fixtures, post lanterns, and flood lights. Take a look at the best ways to find these fixtures online; no matter what stage of the search for home lighting you're in, the internet is a valuable resource.

You Don't Need to be a Lighting Expert
You don't need to be a lighting expert to shop by style: all you have to do is find a fixture that matches your home décor. If, for example, you are looking for a chandelier to hang over the dining table of your farmhouse, a rustic chandelier would be a good style choice. A well organized website should be intuitive and easy to navigate.  Look for online lighting stores that begin with the type of fixture you are looking to buy: chandeliers, wall sconces, exterior fixtures. From there, the site should take you to a selection of lighting styles: Rustic, Traditional, Contemporary etc. 

Once you've decided on a lighting style, you should then be able to customize your search for details such as: price, brand, size and finish. This is also a great way to educate yourself. Take advantage of the many thousands of photographed fixtures and information such as lamp fixture size, finish, price and brand.
If You know What You're Looking for, You'll Save Time Granted, when you go to a quality lighting showroom the store will be aglow with chandeliers and light fixtures.  What happens when you are looking for a particular brand or fixture and they simply don't have it in stock? With the internet, knowing a particular fixture model or brand, means that you can search specifically for your product.  This can also save you the time and the hassle of going to the store and then having to wait while the store to orders your particular fixture.  

As Well as Interior Lighting, Find Top Brands for Landscape Lighting and Save
The most popular time to shop for exterior lighting is during spring and summer.  With beautiful weather and people spending more time outdoors entertaining, this is the time to light up decks, patios, and landscapes to create ambiance, and safety. In the front of the home, with entry areas and walkways, exterior lamps and lighting are essential for safety and home security year round.  Top exterior lighting manufactures of 12 volt, low voltage lighting includes: Focus and Arroyo Craftsman.  Yet there are several other top lighting manufacturers that focus on the exterior niche as well.  Take a look at Kichler, Progress, Hinkley and Sea Gull. If you are looking for name brand quality, one of the best approaches is to comparison shop online. Then, find a reputable online lighting retailer that offers a low price guarantee (read the policy carefully). This way, you can get the best price available for that brand.

Source : davincigrouplk.com