Archive for March, 2010

Top 5 Uses for Your Roost Mortar and Pestle

Tuesday, March 30th, 2010

If you have checked out our selection of Home Accessories, you have undoubtedly noticed the cool design of the Roost Mortar and Pestle. Unlike the traditional design, the rounded pestle nestles right down into the mortar, making it an updated version of a kitchen classic. It’s eye catching enough that it even recently caught the attention of the good folks at Herb Companion Magazine in their List of Likes feature.

Why do I need a Roost Mortar & Pestle?

Although the Mexicans originated the idea of the mortar and pestle somewhere around 5,000 years ago, there is nothing archaic about this versatile kitchen tool. You can think of your mortar and pestle as a manual food processor. But here’s the super great thing: because it is a manual tool, none of the delicate flavors or aromas are burnt off the way that they are in an electric appliance. Plus, because the mortar and pestle is a hand operated tool, it gives you complete control. Your touch can be as heavy or as light as you need it to be. The design of the Roost Mortar and Pestle gives you exceptional control with its ergonomic design. So the rounded pestle is not just pretty, it’s practical too.

What can I use my Roost Mortar & Pestle for?

A mortar and pestle has quite an array of uses – you’ll find that you discover more and more reasons to pick it up in your kitchen. The Roost Mortar and Pestle comes in two different materials, so that you can select the one that best suits your needs. The wooden design is best for dry ingredients, such as spices and coffee beans. The marble design in best for wet ingredients, such as berries and garlic. You can also use a mortar and pestle to pulverize pills and other chemical items. However, we would suggest that you buy a separate one specifically for this use. You don’t want to cross medicinal use with culinary use.

Top 5 Uses for Your Roost Mortar and Pestle:

  1. Grinding spices, such as whole peppercorns and cardamom. Spices are most fragrant, tasty, and pure when they are freshly crushed. Try grinding your own spices for this wonderful Morrocan Coucous recipe. Your whole home will be filled with splendid aromas. (Not to menti0n, it’s super delicious.)
  2. Smashing olives for tapenade. This is a terrific, easy way to please guests when you entertain. Serve fresh olive tapenade on bite-size pieces of baguette or crostini. Here’s a quick and easy kalamata olive tapenade recipe that you will love. Olives are heart healthy, too!
  3. Pounding garlic for aioli. We’ll bet you’re used to chopping or mincing your garlic, right? Well, all garlic lovers really must release the clove’s true flavor with the pestle. Try using your pounded garlic in this recipe for garlic aioli from Recipe Zaar. You’ll love it, (even if your partner doesn’t love your breath.)
  4. Crushing basil for fresh pesto. Is there anything more fragrant and lovely than basil fresh from the garden on a warm summer day? We think not! Plus, basil tends to grow rather abundantly, and pesto is a terrific way to use it while it’s fresh. As this recipe in Reluctant Gourmet states, the traditional and best way to make basil pesto is with a mortar and pestle. The flavor will astound you.
  5. Mashing avocado meat for guacamole. We prefer our guac with some nice chunks of avocado, not totally pulverized. This is where the control you have with a mortar and pestle really comes in handy. You can make your guac as chunky or smooth as you prefer. And speaking of heart healthy, avocados rank pretty darn high when it comes to foods that will keep your ticker goin’. Try this terrific recipe for Mortar and Pestle Guacamole, courtesy of culinary guru Dorie Greenspan.

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Planning an Edible Garden

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

This edible garden was created by Nicola and Noel Day of Somerset West using all biodegradable and organic products. Image source: Urban Harvest.

When you fill your shopping basket with fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs at your local farmer’s market, it is easy to see the produce only for the parts that we consume. An orange carrot root here, a green snow pea pod there. However, when planning to plant these very same items in an edible garden, each item becomes much more than just the individual parts we consume. Carrots have leafy, sprightly verdant foliage that shoots up above the earth. Snow pea are climbers and will create beautiful curling, winding vines around a stake or trellis.

Why Plant an Edible Garden?

Planting and harvesting an edible garden is a truly sustainable way to use your space, as it is pleasurable to the eye, nourishing to the body, and harmonizing to the soul. Planning, maintaining, and devouring the fruits of an edible garden is a way to get exercise outdoors, personalize your space, and consume a more healthful diet.

There is so much to be reaped from an edible garden! We encourage you to not confine yours to a small patch in the corner of your yard. Incorporate the edible plants into your space by integrating them with your landscape as a whole. Envisi0n your garden as both an ornamental gem, and a bountiful food source.

Select Your Seeds

When planning what to grow, aim to include a variety of different colors, textures, and flavors. To simplify the decision making process, we have grouped our selection of Botanical Interests brand seeds into different families.

For example, planting a canning garden gives you a great variety of vegetables and herbs with different scents, tastes, and ways of growing. This gourmet blend of beets will produce beets in lovely jewel colors such as deep purple, blood red, and even golden yellow. If you’re used to eating just the root part of the beet that you find in the grocery store, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. You can eat the leafy tops of beets, too. They make an excellent addition to a salad, or can be steamed, or even sauteed. So you’ll see that these leafy tops provide much more than just ornamentation in your edible garden.

When choosing your seeds, don’t be afraid to try new types of vegetables. If you’ve never seen purple carrots before, then give them a shot. Be adventurous! And remember, growing new and different types of veggies is a great way to get your kids interested in them, too.

Map Out Your Garden

Before you begin to till your earth, drawing out a map is an absolute must. You will need to make sure that you are utilizing an area of your yard that receives ample sunlight (at least 6 hours a day), and allowing enough room between each row as well as each individual plant. Don’t worry, it won’t be a guessing game. Each seed packet contains instructions on how to plant the seeds, including how far apart to space them and how much soil cover the seed needs.

If you are a first time gardener, you can also find all the guidance you need in the step-by-step guide Grow Your Own Food Made Easy. Aim to incorporate different heights, shapes, and colors by including a variety of ground covers, climbing plants, herbs, and edible flowers.

Borders: Plants such as lettuce and swiss chard make a perfect border for your garden. Check out all the different varieties of lettuce in our Salad Greens section. The Salad Bowl Blend is our personal favorite, because it contains a blend of Red Salad Bowl Lettuce that has burgundy red leaves, and Green Salad Bowl Lettuce that has long wavy green leaves. They are quite beautiful together, both in the garden and when served up on the dinner table.
Climbing Plants: Squashes make an excellent addition when planted at the base of an obelisk or trellis. You can train the vines to climb upwards, making a tall, visually interesting focal point for your garden. Of course you have the delicious squash to look forward to, but did you know that you can eat squash blossoms, too?
Herbs: Dill, basil, and chives are all wonderful choices for herbs. They are extremely fragrant and have a huge variety of culinary applications. Dill produces lovely little umbel-shaped yellow flowers, while chives blossom in a delicate lavender pink shade. And yup, you guessed it, you can eat the chive blossoms, too!
Edible Flowers: If you’ve ever had a hard time getting your child to eat a salad, just try topping it with some yummy homemade dressing (which you can of course whip up with your fresh herbs) and topping it with a few edible flowers from your garden. Or, try this at your next dinner party. Both children and adults alike are fascinated by the thought of eating a flower. Try planting Nasturtium, which produces bright peach, scarlet, and orange colored flowers. It is related to watercress, so it has a delicious sweet, peppery flavor. As a major bonus, it is practically a gardener’s dream, as it grows plentifully and is quite low maintenance.

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Home & Garden Color Inspiration for 2010: Turquoise

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

In ancient Mexico, the gemstone Turquoise was reserved for the gods; it could not be worn by mere mortals. Legend has it that some Native Americans believed that if Turquoise was affixed to a bow, the arrows shot from it would always hit their mark. By the 16th century, the cultures of the American Southwest were using Turquoise as currency.

Now, turquoise is the color of our daydreams; of the calm, glass-like ocean waters of tropical destinations. It is for both turquoise’s ancient significance and its modern power to invoke calming thoughts that Pantone has chosen turquoise as its 2010 color of the year.

In a recent press release, Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®, stated, “It is believed to be a protective talisman, a color of deep compassion and healing, and a color of faith and truth, inspired by water and sky. Through years of color word-association studies, we also find that Turquoise represents an escape to many – taking them to a tropical paradise that is pleasant and inviting, even if only a fantasy.”

Turquoise is a wonderfully versatile design color, as it is appealing to both males and females. When incorporated into designs, whether it is fashion, home décor, or in the garden, turquoise has the ability to make every other color around it really pop. To invoke the naturally energizing, yet somehow correspondingly peaceful and tranquil properties of turquoise, try some of these inspirational ideas on for size.

Color Your Home & Garden with Turquoise

  • If you’d like to incorporate some natural turquoise color into your garden, you’ll love the Himalayan Blue Poppy, one of the most vivid turquoise flowers you’ll find. This bright bud is originally from the Himalayan Mountains. It will grow best in zones 6-8, and in semi-shaded spots. If you live in a warm zone, you should avoid planting these in a spot where they will receive sun at the warmest parts of the day. Just look at that brilliant color. Gorgeous!
  • Check out these ideas from the House of Turquoise blog. These are a terrific example of how turquoise can truly fit into any color scheme when it comes to home and garden decorating. A turquoise window here, a turquoise door there… these shades of turquoise are light, fresh, and very airy.

The House of Turquoise Blog:

  • For more saturated color, choose richer shades of turquoise. These deeper shades inspire thoughts of royalty, while brighter shades are warm and energizing.

  • If you’d like to mix turquoise with other bold colors, rather than neutrals, designer Amy Butler is a terrific place to look for inspiration. Her fabrics prove that turquoise matches literally any other color! Against brown, it creates a cool, earthy effect. But when used as a backdrop for fuschia, mimosa, violet, tangerine, and lime, these colors burst with life. Just take a look at some of her new prints in her Love collection. They are  positively vibrant.

Amy Butler’s Garden-inspired Designs:

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Starting Your Garden from Botanical Interests Organic Seeds

Monday, March 8th, 2010
Botanical Interest Lettuce seeds

From left: Botanical Interest Seeds, lettuce seedlings by Talitha Purdy

By now you’ve probably noticed that we have an awesome new category to shop here at aHa! Modern Living. Starting From Seed contains a selection of vegetable and herb seeds to get you started with growing your own colorful, nutritious, and scrumptious produce.  We recommend that you check back frequently in the coming weeks. We are working diligently so that we can soon make even more types of seeds available!

Why Start From Seed?

So, when you can go to the grocery store and pick out an entire basket of tomatoes, why should you take the time to grow your own? Well, basically put, starting from seed is the best, if not the only, way to know exactly what you are getting in your food. When you buy a tomato at the store, it may be genetically engineered. For example, a cold water fish gene may have been crossed with the tomato in order to make the product more resilient to frost. It sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, but it’s not! It’s real life!

Why should I buy my seeds from aHa Modern Living?

We think it is super important to buy and consume locally grown produce. And what’s more local than your own backyard? You also earn aHa! Reward Points for buying your seeds from us.  Most of the seeds that we sell in our Starting From Seed category are:

  • Certified organic, meaning that they do not contain any nasty chemicals or pesticides.
  • Heirloom variety, meaning that they have not been genetically engineered.

How do I begin my own home garden?

Once you have received your organic heirloom seeds, you will use a simple process called seed starting. This is an essential step to allow your plants to root before introducing them to the harsh conditions of the outside world. If you are nervous about trying to grow your own herbs and vegetables, there is nothing wrong with starting slowly. Try beginning with basil. This herb lends itself well to home germination and is pretty much a surefire bet.CowPots

  1. Gather containers. To start your seeds, you will need small containers that are just 2-3 inches deep. Last year’s nursery flats will work well, or plastic egg cartons, or dixie cups. Save time by planting and transplanting in CowPots (learn more about the benefits of CowPots). If you’re re-using containers, wash them out well using a hot water and couple tablespoons of bleach or white vinegar. Make sure each container has a small hole in the bottom, and set each container on a tray to accommodate water drainage.
  2. Create a nourishing growing medium. We recommend purchasing a bag of seedling starting mix, then blending in some well-aged compost to give your seeds a healthy beginning.
  3. Carefully sow your seeds. Make sure your soil is evenly moist, but not swampy, before dropping in your seeds. Cover each seed to a depth that is only about 3 times the thickness of the seed itself. Or, if the seed needs light to germinate, do not cover it at all. Some examples of seeds that need light to germinate are snapdragons and petunias.
  4. Protect your seeds. Lightly sprinkle milled sphagnum moss, a natural fungicide, over the containers to protect them from damping-off, a fungal disease that rots seeds. In the case of seeds that need light to germinate, sprinkle the moss first and then drop the seeds onto the moss. Next, create a mini greenhouse by covering your containers with a plastic bag to keep the environment humid, and place them near a heat vent. If you’d like, you can even purchase a heat mat that is specifically made for seed starting. Most seeds germinate well at about 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
  5. Keep the seeds damp. You can put a little bit of water in your trays so that the seeds absorb moisture from below, or mist the containers with a spray bottle of water.
  6. Transfer the seedlings to a light source. At the first signs of sprouting, uncover your seedlings and move the trays to a light source, such as a sunny window, a greenhouse, or underneath some fluorescent shop lights. Your seedlings need 12 to 16 hours of light a day. They do not need as much heat at this point, so you can move them away from the heating vent or heat mat. Make sure, however, that they do receive the amount of concentrated light that is necessary.
  7. Fertilize your seedlings. As soon as they get their first true leaves, your seedlings are ready for food. Water them with a half-strength solution of organic liquid fish emulsion/seaweed fertilizer once a week. Use either a spray bottle, or add the fertilizer to the water you place in the trays, (in the method that is described in step 5).
  8. “Harden them off.” This process means that you will prepare your plants for the harshness of the outside world. It is important to gently acclimate them so as not to shock them.  On a warm day, move the containers to a shaded, protected place outdoors for a few hours. Each day for one week, gradually increase the plants’ exposure to the sun and outdoor conditions. At the end of the week leave them out overnight. Then, they are ready to transplant into the garden.

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How-to Videos: Creating a Customer Account

Friday, March 5th, 2010

Creating a customer account when you just want to buy something can be such a drag. As the owner of an online business, and someone who spends a lot of time on other websites, even I can get frustrated by trying to accomplish the most simplest of tasks like, creating a customer account. For what it’s worth, I’ve decided to produce short, video instructions to help our customers get the most out of shopping at aHa! Modern Living.  Eventually, we plan to start publishing garden-related videos.

Once your account is set up, you can start earning aHa! Rewards on every purchase for online store discounts.

Next How-to Video: Sign-up for Our Newsletter

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Gardening is a Lifestyle, not a Hobby

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Gardening is about nourishing the body, mind, and spirit. It is about adding color and vibrancy to both your outdoor and indoor spaces. A garden is your own personal statement, and it can say absolutely anything you want it to.  May Sarton, a 20th century poet and novelist once wrote:

“Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace.”

What we love about May’s philosophy is that she, like us, understood gardening to be much more than just a hobby. One of the greatest things about a gardening  lifestyle is that you’ll reap what you sow. Whatever you put into your garden, you’ll most certainly get back from it.

Now if you’re like us, you can recall your very first gardening experience as a child. We remember plucking ripe red tomatoes right off the plant in the backyard and popping them straight into our mouths. They were still slightly warm from the summer sun, and left our fingers scented with the earthy fragrance of tomato leaves. Each gardening memory is filled with sights, sounds, and scents, engaging all of our senses. It comes as no surprise, though, that our favorite gardening experience is all about taste. There’s nothing like the fresh flavor that comes straight out of a garden.

It’s all about the flavor

You’ll find that herbs, vegetables, and fruits are simply more flavorful when they’re home or locally grown. Oftentimes major chain grocery stores use a chemical gas on their produce to quicken ripening. This gas leaves produce looking pretty, but often robs it of its naturally luscious flavor. On top of that, you’ll also find that this gas causes your grocery store produce to rot very quickly once you get it home. Gross.

The best way to avoid yucky chemical gases, insecticides, and pesticides on your food? Grow your own, or buy local organic produce. You’ll discover a whole new world of flavors that have been hidden by conventional farming procedures. Local or homegrown produce is best when prepared in simple recipes. Don’t fuss over complicated dishes; when you use fresh herbs, vegetables, and fruits, the flavors have the power to speak for themselves. Check out Amy Cotler’s book The Locavore Way for simple, tasty recipe ideas.

Savor fresh produce with simple recipes

For starters, try making this easy and absolutely delicious flat bread next time you entertain. We found this recipe in a recent addition of Real Simple magazine, and totally fell in love with it. It’s easy to make, and we love it every time we get to use fresh herbs from our herb garden. If butternut squash is not in season, try experimenting with what you can use from your garden, such as zucchini or tomatoes.

Butternut Squash Flat Bread with Cheddar and Pine Nuts:

1 pound of prepared pizza dough (We found pre-made whole wheat pizza dough in the prepared food section of our local cooperative food market. You could also make your own.)

1 pound of butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and sliced into 1/4 inch thick pieces

1/2 of a red onion, thinly sliced

1/4 cup of pine nuts

1 tablespoon of fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon of oilve oil

1 and 1/2 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Mix together the butternut squash, pine nuts, olive oil, salt, pepper, red onion, and thyme. Next, prepare a pizza pan or cookie sheet for the crust by lightly spraying it with non-stick cooking spray, then sprinkling on a handful or yellow cornmeal. Press the pizza dough into the pan until it is the desired thickness. (We used a full size cookie sheet and ended up with a nice, thin crust.) Scatter the butternut squash mixture over the crust. Sprinkle on the cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes. Slice it up and serve!

Not only is this dish completely yummy, but it is wonderfully fragrant, too. It will scent your whole home with the terrific smell of fresh thyme. Try cutting this up into narrow slices at your next cocktail party. Or, serve it with a fresh fruit salad for a delicious brunch. You’ll never want to go back to flavorless prepared foods again.

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Posted in Garden, Healthy Livng | 11 Comments »