Lynn Smythe's Blog
Posted by Lynn Smythe
I am a bit of a book nut and have many herb related books in my own personal library. I'm also fortunate that a few publishers have sent me media copies of their herbal cookbooks to review on the Herbs & Spices section of Suite101.
Here are the links to the cookbook reviews that I've written for Suite101
- Cooking with Children; Five Great Kid Friendly Cookbooks.
- Culinary Herb Book Review; Herbs - The Cook's Guide to Flavorful and Aromatic Ingredients.
- The Ultimate Tea Diet by Mark "Dr. Tea" Ukra; Boost Metabolism, Shrink Appetite, Kick-Start Remarkable Weight Loss.
- Field Guide to Herbs & Spices by Aliza Green; How to Identify, Select, and Use Every Seasoning at the Market.
- 101 Recipes from the Herb Lady; Compilation of Recipes & Tips for the Novice to the Experienced Cook.
- Flavor Bible by Karen Page & Andrew Dornenburg; Comprehensive Resource Guide of Compatible Taste Ingredients.
- Book Review: Under the Sun Edited by Tina Sams; The First Five Years of the Essential Herbal Magazine.
I hope you enjoy reading the reviews and will want to check out one or more of these titles at the library or your local book store.
Is there a particular herb book or cookbook that you are interested in learning more about? Let me know the title, and if possible, the publisher and I will inquire about getting a copy of the book to review for Suite101.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe Suite101 Herbs & Spices Feature Writer
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Posted by Lynn Smythe
I just wrote an article for Suite101 comparing three brands of stevia derived sweetener: Zero Calorie Stevia Sweeteners.
Since Suite101 only allows 2 external links per article, I was only able to link to two of the three product websites.
Here are the stevia sweeteners that were sampled for the article.
SweetLeaf distributed by Wisdom Natural Brands. The company also offers SteviaClear™, SteviaTabs™ and a wide variety of highly popular Liquid Stevia Flavors to consumers.
PureVia distributed by Whole Earth Sweetener Company. PureVia was jointly developed by Whole Earth and PepsiCo.
Truvia distributed by Cargill Incorporated. Truvia was jointly developed by Cargill and the Coca-Cola Co.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe
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Posted by Lynn Smythe
Hello everyone,
I've been getting in lots of herb and spice goodies that I will be reviewing over the next few weeks for the Herbs & Spices section of Suite101. Here's a list of what I'm currently reading, testing and reviewing.
- Field Guide to Herbs & Spices by Aliza Green
- The Flavor Bible by Karen Page & Andrew Dornenburg
- 101+ Recipes from The Herb Lady by Catherine Crowley
- Box of Truvia natural sweetener - made from Stevia leaves
- Cole & Mason King Pepper Jr. peppermill
- Zyliss Smart Touch salad spinner
And I'm waiting for the following items to arrive.
- The Ultimate Tea Diet by Dr. Tea AKA Mark Ukra
- Samples of tea by Dr. Tea
- Sample of Chileangourmet’s Merken spice
- Samples of POM Wonderful pomegranate juice
Take care,
Lynn Smythe
Suite101 Herbs & Spices Feature Writer
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Posted by Lynn Smythe
Attention Bloggers:
POM Wonderful Invites You To Share Your Pomegranate Recipes
Who is POM Wonderful?
POM Wonderful is the largest producer of California Wonderful pomegranates, which the company exclusively grows and sells. The company also juices its fresh pomegranates to make its delicious, all-natural, POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice. POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice and POM Tea are available year-round at retail and are found in the refrigerated section of supermarkets and grocery stores nationwide.
What are we asking?
We are inviting bloggers everywhere to submit their favorite original pomegranate recipes for a chance to be a featured blogger for POM Wonderful and enjoy the $5000 prize. To enter, visit www.pomfresh.com/recipe
What’s the Catch?
The recipe must be an original and include fresh pomegranates. The winner will submit twelve (12) monthly blog submissions as the POM Wonderful featured blogger.
What’s in it for you?
· $5,000 prize-enough said
· Exposure on the POM Wonderful blog for your existing blog
Who is Eligible to Participate?
This opportunity is open to everyone.
Please feel free to pass this invite along to your fellow bloggers, readers and friends who may be interested. Rules and guidelines will also be available here http://www.pomfresh.com/rules/.
When do we get started?
The POM Wonderful Recipe Contest begins at 12:01 AM Pacific Time on October 22, 2008 and ends at 11:59 PM Pacific Time on November 30, 2008
Who do I Contact if I have Questions?
My-lan Beauford at mylanb@fanscape.com
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Posted by Lynn Smythe
My daughter and I have hosted a number of tea parties at our house over the years. Last year we held a tea party, called the Girl's Club Tea Party, for mom's and their daughters. I used the tea party as a way to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Societies Team in Training program.
I am always looking for unique and delicious treats to serve at the tea party. These recipes could also be served at bridal showers, breakfast buffets, or even as part of a holiday dessert party.
- Lemon Poppy Seed Teacakes; Recipe for a Cookie-Like Treat Enhanced with Citrus and Poppy Seeds.
- Ham and Cheese Quiche; Recipe for a Hearty Egg Custard Pie.
- Banana Bread and Banana French Toast; Two Recipes for Sweet and Delicious Recipe Dishes.
- Walnut Chicken Salad with Herb Butter; Delicious Finger Food to Feature at a Tea Party or Bridal Shower.
- Rosy Jellyroll Cake; Recipe for a Raspberry and Vanilla Cream Filled Dessert.
- Blueberry Muffin Recipe; A Sweet Treat with a Cinnamon Enhanced Strudel Topping
- Sage, Lavender and Mint Desserts; Shortcake, Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies and Lavender Custard Recipes.
- Quick Bread Recipes; Chili Cheese Cornbread, Garlic Herb Bread and Parmesan Cheese Biscuits.
- Gingersnap Cookie Recipe; How to Create a Soft and Chewy Ginger Flavored Dessert.
Try making one or more of these goodies for your next party.
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Posted by Lynn Smythe
It's that time of year. School started a few weeks ago so now everyone in our household is running around like a chicken with no head! My daughter did quite well on the FCAT's last year, she is above her age group for both math and language arts, so she was given all honors classes this year.
She is already stressing out about all the homework that is required for each class. Last night, she came to me at around 9 PM, to let me know she had to choose a topic for her science fair project. I asked when did she have to get the outline in, and she said TOMORROW - of course! Nothing like waiting until the last minute.
The science fair project will be the entire curriculum during the next three months of her honors science class. So we spent quite a bit of time trying to decide on a topic. I was hoping to get her dad involved, and was originally looking at electronic and aviation projects, but he seemed less than thrilled to help out.
So we started looking at all the projects that had anything to do with gardening or cooking, as these are two of my main interests. We found a page on recycling coffee grinds to see how they affected plant growth. I had an EUREKA moment - I have been using used coffee grinds in my organic garden for years, with fantastic results.
So here is the outline and initial plan for the science fair project:
Miss Heather’s Science Fair Project
Topic:
Recycling Coffee Grinds in Organic Gardens
Question:
Can coffee grinds be used to fertilize plants?
Method:
Use individual container gardens to test various soil to coffee grind ratios and the effects each mixture has on seed germination and plant growth.
Test Subjects:
1 container - filled with plain soil
1 container - filled with plain soil with coffee grinds added to top layer
1 container - filled with mixture of 75% soil mixed with 25% coffee grinds
1 container - filled with mixture of 50% soil mixed with 50% coffee grinds
1 container - filled with mixture of 25% soil mixed with 75% coffee grinds
1 container - filled with coffee grinds
Plant Choice:
Established tomato seedlings and tomato seeds.
Source For Coffee Grinds:
Starbucks
I never got to participate in a science fair project when I was a kid, so I am kind of looking forward to helping my daughter out with this project. We live in SE Florida, our main growing season is from the end of September to the beginning of May, so we will be able to setup our container gardens on our outdoor patio.
I'll post up more details of the project when they become available.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe
Herbs & Spices Feature Writer
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Posted by Lynn Smythe
What is a Green Witch?
A green witch is someone that utilizes a variety of herbs and plants in order to tap into their natural healing and magical properties.
Green witches are in tune with mother nature and feel a great affinity towards the four elements of earth, air, fire and water. The green witch can often be found puttering around in their garden, exploring a forest trail or creating their own lotions and potions which incorporate a variety of natural ingredients.
I enjoy growing my own herbs and vegetables and have been following the path of green witchcraft for a number of years.
Here are some articles that can be found on Suite101 that cover a variety of natural, magical herbal topics.
A Kitchen Herbal; Easy Herbalism From Your Own Kitchen!
Make Your Own Herbal Disinfectant; Go Green With Homemade Four Thieves Vinegar Antibacterial Spray
Farmer's Almanacs; Folklore or Authentic Gardening Methods?
Zodiac Gardening; Planting by the Signs of the Moon
Plant Spirits and Elementals; Magical Gardening Techniques for the Natural Witch
Hedge Witch; Witchcraft Practitioner or Natural Healer?
Further Information
If you would additional information on magical herbalism and green witchcraft, here are a few websites that may be of interest.
I Love Herbs
Take care,
Lynn Smythe
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Posted by Lynn Smythe
I absolutely LOVE desserts. My sweet tooth can get a bit out of control at times. Rather than purchasing store bought desserts, that are filled with all types of preservatives, I prefer to make my own homemade treats.
Since I am a herb and spice nut, many of my dessert recipes feature one or more herb or spice. Here are a few of my Suite101 articles for dessert recipes which feature either fresh herbs or zesty spices.
Rosy Jellyroll Cake; Recipe for a Raspberry and Vanilla Cream Filled Dessert.
Sage, Lavender and Mint Desserts; Shortcake, Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies and Lavender Custard Recipes
Tiramisu Dessert Recipe; A Classic Italian Dessert Enhanced with Cinnamon and Cocoa
Blueberry Muffin Recipe; A Sweet Treat with a Cinnamon Enhanced Strudel Topping
Lemon Basil French Toast; Herb Infused Breakfast Food Served with Lemon Syrup
Vanilla Bean Dessert Recipes; Vanilla Sugar, Vanilla Pudding and Vanilla Infused Hot Chocolate
Herb and Spice Infused Sugar; Using Aromatic Ingredients to Flavor Sugar
Valentine's Day Inspired Recipes; Cinnamon Sugar, Cinnamon Muffins and Cinnamon Almond Biscotti
I hope you enjoy making and eating these delectable desserts as much as I do!
Take care,
Lynn Smythe
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Posted by Lynn Smythe
Your Herbs & Spices feature writer is still here. I just realized I haven't been keeping up with my Suite101 article writing and blogging commitments.
A thousand apologies to all my readers. I’ve become a total bike addict, during the past few months, and have been spending all of my time racing bikes, riding bikes, attending spinning classes and mentoring new bikers.
This year, my husband is coaching, and I am mentoring the Palm Beach Team in Training cycle team. Team in Training is the main fund raising program for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. We are training our team for a 100 mile bike ride which takes place on October, 26th.
I’ve just added a couple of articles to the Herbs & Spices site, which feature some of the bountiful ingredients that are available during the summer months.
My blueberry muffin recipe features a delicious cinnamon laced, strudel topping. While my guacamole recipe is enhanced with the pungent flavors of cilantro, lime and garlic.
Try making one, or both of these recipes, the next time you are in the mood for homemade food.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe
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Posted by Lynn Smythe
Bread is one of my favorite comfort foods. There’s nothing like the aroma of a freshly baked loaf of bread permeating throughout your house.
In my opinion, the taste and texture of a homemade loaf of bread is far superior to a loaf of store bought bread. I love baking a variety of rolls, muffins and quick breads from scratch. Although making bread from scratch takes a bit of time, the results are well worth the effort.
Focaccia bread can be enjoyed on it’s own, sliced in half and made into a sandwich, or used as the basis for a delectable homemade pizza. See the article; Focaccia Bread Three Ways; for a basic focaccia bread recipe. By adding various seasonings and additional ingredients, the basic focaccia recipe can be turned into rosemary focaccia, garlic focaccia or even red onion focaccia.
The varieties of focaccia bread you can make with the basic recipe are truly endless. If you are short on time, the article; Quick Bread Recipes, has recipes for making three easy and delicious varieties of quick breads. Try serving chili cheese cornbread, garlic herb bread or parmesan cheese biscuits at your next lunch or dinner.
For a sweet and spicy treat, see the article Triple Gingerbread Recipe. For a decadent dessert, try serving a slice of the gingerbread on top of a bowl of vanilla ice cream and drizzle it with a bit of caramel sauce - yum!!!
Take care,
Lynn Smythe
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Posted by Lynn Smythe
Check out my latest article, Pepper Vine; King of Spices. It details how four spices; black pepper, white pepper, green pepper and pink pepper, can all be harvested from the same plant.
Although my husband is not a fan of pepper, my kids and I put pepper on just about anything. I used to be the only pepper fan in our household, but a few years ago my son, who just turned 17, started putting it on everything. He now uses pepper more often than salt, to the point where he almost never picks up the salt shaker any more.
His favorite spice blend is lemon pepper, which is a blend of black pepper, lemon peel, onion powder and garlic powder mixed in with a tiny bit of salt. My daughter, who is 12 1/2, just recently started putting pepper on her food. She now loves pepper more than salt on a variety of dishes such as potatoes, scrambled eggs and chicken.
I love that my kids are enjoying the taste of pepper on their food. It is certainly much healthier than sprinkling a pile of salt on top of all their food like they used to do. Now if I can just get my husband to make the conversion from salt to pepper. But he's 51, what's that about not being able to teach an old dog new tricks!?!
Additional Resources
The articles Ethnic Spice Blends and Traditional Spice Blends both contain recipes for a variety of spice blends. Many of the spice blends include pepper as part of their ingredients.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe
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Posted by Lynn Smythe
Spring is in the air, and pretty soon you’ll be able to start gardening outdoors. If you have an over abundance of any particular herb, you may want to know how to process the herb for short-term or long-term storage.
Freezing herbs is one method of processing fresh herbs for long-term storage. Read my latest article: How to Freeze Herbs Using Ice Cube Trays for complete details.
Further Resources
To learn about additional methods to harvest and store herbs and spices, take a look at the following articles.
Short Term Herb Storage; Preserving Fresh Produce in Salt, Oil or Water
How to Store Dried Herbs & Spices; Methods for Long Term Stockpiling
How To Dry Fresh Herbs; Using the Microwave, Air, Food Dehydrators and Ovens to Keep Herbs
Take care,
Lynn Smythe
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Posted by Lynn Smythe
"Speak not - whisper not;
Here blowest thyme and bergamot;
Softly on the evening hour,
Sweet herbs in their spices shower."
Walter de la Mare, The Sunken Garden, 1917
I love creating my own unique herb and spice blends. If you happen to be an avid herb gardener, like I am, you can go outside and pick the ingredients fresh from your garden. I'm spoiled - I live in SE Florida so my herb garden grows year round. I very rarely have to use dried herbal ingredients in any of my seasoning mixes.
Sometimes you can't find the exact seasonings you need in your grocery store so you may want to try making your own seasoning blends. If you are using dried ingredients, you can make up small batches to have on hand whenever a recipe calls for a particular spice or herb blend.
Many grocery stores now sell packages of fresh herbs, on a year round basis, in the fresh produce section. I have even seen tubes of ground, fresh herbs displayed right next to the packages of fresh herbs. Some of my friends swear by these herbs in a tube, however, I have never found the tubes of herbs to be very appetizing. They are like some kind of weird astronaut food. I tried the tube of cilantro once - YUCK!!!! Nothing like fresh cilantro, I threw it right into the garbage. Just another reason to support local food producers and use seasonal ingredients whenever possible.
Spice Blend Articles
Classic French Herb Blends; Bouquet Garni, Fines Herbes and Herbs de Provence.
Traditional Spice Blends; Cinnamon Sugar, Lemon Pepper, Poultry Seasoning and More.
Ethnic Spice Blends; Harissa, Garam Masala, Curry Powder, Chinese Five Spice Powder and More.
Common Herbal Substitutes; Lemon, Basil and Savory - Replacing One Herb with Another.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe
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Posted by Lynn Smythe
I used to suffer from really bad attacks of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). I finally figured out that my main problem is that I am lactose intolerant. So I have to avoid all dairy products - cheese, ice cream, milk etc... I use vanilla flavored soy or rice milk when I want a bowl of cereal and non-dairy creamer in my coffee.
For awhile I thought I might have celiac disease and started eliminating all wheat and gluten products from my diet. There are really good non-wheat pastas, bread mixes etc. on the market that I was using. I even used to follow the recipes in an IBS cookbook, but I'm married with two children, so it was getting expensive and time consuming to purchase and cook food for me and food for them. So I'm back to eating wheat products in moderation and seem to be doing okay.
The best thing I found to take for my stomach aches/pains is peppermint oil. It helps to relieve the bloating and gas which is usually associated with IBS. I get enteric coated peppermint capsules from my local Vitamin Shoppe. I used to take immodium AD all the time but then ended up constipated a few days latter. So now I only take immodium when I get really bad attacks.
Cinnamon is also supposed to help prevent diarrhea. I take cinnamon daily in capsule form - it is also supposed to help lower cholesterol levels and help keep your blood sugar levels stable. For additional information on a few of the culinary herbs and spices that can help treat IBS, see my article: Herbal Remedies for IBS; Using Peppermint, Ginger, Cinnamon and Dill for Natural Healing.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe
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Posted by Lynn Smythe
Herb Glossaries
I just wrote a series of 6 glossaries for the Herbs & Spices topic. The article was originally one long article but when I did a word count it was approximately 3,000 words. I broke it down into 6 smaller articles so that I could upload the information to Suite101.
I was going to name my article series Herb & Spice Dictionaries, but I was running out of room in the article title so I switched to Herb Glossaries. Although the glossaries mainly concentrate on the culinary uses of each herb listed, I also included a few of the medicinal and decorative uses of these natural ingredients. Here are links to all the glossaries, I hope you find them to be a useful reference.
Herb Glossary: Allspice to Caraway
Herb Glossary: Catmint to Dill
Herb Glossary: Epazote to Kaffir Lime
Herb Glossary: Lavender to Oregano
Herb Glossary: Paprika to Rosemary
Herb Glossary: Saffron to Vanilla
Take care,
Lynn Smythe
Posted by Lynn Smythe
Love is in the air; Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Here are a few articles on Suite101 that can add a bit of spice to your Valentine’s Day celebration.
Valentine's Day Inspired Recipes; Cinnamon Sugar, Cinnamon Muffins and Cinnamon Almond Biscotti
Valentine's Day Magical Plants; The Folklore Associated with Basil, Bay, Calendula, Lovage & Mint
Aphrodisiacs to Spice Up Your Life; Can Aphrodisiacs Add Something Extra to Your Love Life?
Valentines Day Ideas for Newlyweds; Romantic and Affordable Ways to Celebrate
Sexy Valentines Cocktails; Who doesn't love a little champagne, prosecco or cava?
Valentine's Day Movies; Top 10 Romantic Films: Amelie, Moulin Rouge, Chocolat and More
Take care,
Lynn Smythe
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Posted by Lynn Smythe
Gardening Catalogs
Well, it’s that time of year. My mailbox is beginning to fill up with a multitude of gardening catalogs.
I am fortunate to live in SE Florida, where I can garden year round. However, I remember when I used to live up north, the arrival of the new years garden catalogs was always a welcome break from the dreary winters. The beautiful color photographs of herbs, flowers and vegetables were a sneak peak at how my garden would start to appear in the spring.
Here is a list of the catalogs I currently have piled up on my bedside table. These vendors sell a variety of herb plants, seeds and bulbs. They sell their merchandise either through their mail order catalog, on their website or at their nursery and garden centers.
- W. Atlee Burpee & Co.
- 300 Park AVE
- Warminster, PA 18991
- Website: www.burpee.com
- Johnny’s Selected Seeds
- 955 Benton Avenue
- Winslow, ME 04901
- Website: www.johnnyseeds.com
- J. W. Jung Seed Co.
- 335 S High ST
- Randolph, WI 53957
- Website: www.jungseed.com
- Nicholas Garden Nursery
- 1190 Old Salem Road NE
- Albany, OR 97321
- Website: www.nicholsgardennursery.com
- Park Seed Company
- 1 Parkton Avenue
- Greenwood, SC 29647
- Website: www.parkseed.com
- Pinetree Garden Seeds
- PO Box 300
- New Gloucester, ME 04260
- Website: www.superseeds.com
- Select Seeds
- 180 Stickney Hill RD
- Union, CT 06076
- Website: www.selectseeds.com
- Stokes Seeds, Inc.
- PO Box 548
- Buffalo, NY 14240
- Website: www.stokeseed.com
- Territorial Seed Company
- P.O. Box 158
- Cottage Grove, OR 97424
- Website: www.territorialseed.com
Here are a few articles of interest for the herb gardener:
Propagating Herbs from Stem Cuttings
Zodiac Gardening; Planting by the Signs of the Moon
Farmer’s Almanacs; Folklore or Authentic Gardening Method
Plant Spirits and Elementals
Take care,
Lynn Smythe
Posted by Lynn Smythe
Online Sites for Buying Herbs & Spices
I use tons of herbs and spices in my culinary creations. I can usually find a good selection of fresh herbs throughout the year at my local grocery stores and farmer’s markets. With the exception of fresh ginger root, which can be found in the produce section of grocery stores, spices are usually only available in their dried form.
I use so many spices that it was getting a bit expensive to buy those little jars of spices from the grocery store. I also like to purchase my spices in their whole, un-ground form and grind them as needed. A few years ago I started buying many of my herbs and spices in bulk quantity from a couple of online vendors.
Another way to use bulk herbs and spices is to put together gift baskets of various seasonings for your foodie friends. I recently had dinner at a friends house and brought along a large basket filled with individual containers of vanilla beans, allspice berries, star anise, and juniper berries for the hostess. Another use for the whole spices is to make your own potpourri blends. Homemade potpourri makes a terrific gift idea at any time of the year.
Online Herb & Spice Vendors
Here are my top 5 favorite online sites to buy bulk herbs, spices, teas and essential oils.
- Atlantic Spice Co.
- Mountain Rose Herbs
- Frontier Natural Products Co-op
- San Francisco Herb & Natural Food Co.
- San Francisco Herb Co.
Additional Information These articles contain additional information and tidbits that you may be interested in.
- Harvesting and Storing Spices
- Traditional Spice Blends
- Ethnic Spice Blends
- Homemade Potpourri
- How to Store Dried Herbs and Spices
Take care,
Lynn Smythe