Sophie Dunn asked:




You’ve invited your closest friends around for a dinner party and after looking in several cooking books for recipe ideas you’ve now decided what your going to cook for them. You’ve taken into consideration all their preferred tastes and you’ve even bought their favourite tipple. All you need now is to work your magic in the kitchen and not forget to set the oven timer! However, have you considered presentation techniques? Is this an area that you struggle with for inspiration?

When cooking for ourselves, it would seem that we don’t always make as much as an effort with presentation. Although when cooking for others, especially at a dinner parties it is common practice that we make more of an effort.

Restaurants put a lot of time and effort into presentation as they know the customer’s opinion is not just about the taste of the food but also the way the food has been presented on the plates. Customers have more of a desire to eat food that is aesthetically pleasing and are more likely to enjoy their chosen dish.

Achieving these professional looks at home is simple and fun to do. Here are the top ten tips for creating your perfect party presentation look.

1)Balance – it is important to have a good balance of foods on your plate and we are not referring to your 5-a-day! Choose foods and garnishes that contrast each other this will help achieve a bright and colourful look. However avoid colours that are too loud and ‘in your face’. Two to three colours are better then just one, choose vegetables that add colour, greens are always a safe option and this is why they are so popular. For example adding a sprinkle of water cress of parsley is an excellent way to liven up some white potatoes which without may seem bland.

2)?Shapes – using a variety of shapes gives variety to the dish. Using to many similar shapes will make the dish seem boring and too much of the same thing. Try to use a variety of different shapes, this can easily be achieved by cutting vegetables into different shapes, e.g. carrots can be cut into long sticks, circles, and spirals or diced into cubes. This is the same for the majority of all vegetables. This will make the vegetables seem more appealing as they are been presented in a different way to the norm. There is a wide selection of videos available on YouTube demonstrating how to cut vegetables in different ways.

If you don’t fancy learning to chop like a chef just yet, why not try using a mandolin? These are available in a variety of different forms and are priced from around ?24.99-?89.99+.

Another way to incorporate shapes into your cooking is to use presentation rings. These are commonly used for making rostis, presenting starters and forming deserts. Although you can use presentation rings for almost any foods so get creative! A wide selection of presentation rings are available from Cooking Marvellous.

3) Portion size vs. Plate size – make sure you have enough food to easily cover all of your guests. Portion sizes are also important for presentation. Make sure you have the correct size crockery for the food you are serving. Using a small plate will make your dish seem over crowded and unappealing. Using to big of a plate makes portions look insufficient and that is the last impression you want to give at a dinner party! ?

Although buying a whole new crockery set adds cost to your dinner party and in today’s market we are all getting more cost conscious, achieving a perfect look doesn’t have to cost the earth. There are lots of crockery brands available that have the same designs as more expensive brands at lower prices.? There is a wide selection of crockery and cutlery available at online retailers. They stock high quality Royal Bradwell crockery and are the cheapest we have found on the net. They also stock the cheaper brands such as Sienna which is as little as ?1 per dinner plate, which we think is a bargain! ?

Retailers sell crockery sets from as little as only 6 plates up to sets to acquire for over 48 covers. They also have some high quality royal Doulton cutlery at bargain bottom prices.

4) Crockery, Plating your food – white and cream crockery are the recommend colours for crockery as they are plain and allow the food to stand out on the crockery. Brightly coloured crockery or crockery with patterns on can make the food seem lost and unappealing. ?

5) Temperature – It is important that the crockery is the same temperature as the food. So make sure you heat plates for serving hot food, and used cooled plates for cold food. Chill bowls and plates in the fridge and?use your microwave with some water on each plate a couple of minutes to heat plates before serving food. ?

Another trick you could use is to frost your glasses in the freezer to serve white wine or a glass of fizz!

6) Finishing touches – For starters and mains, if appropriate you can add a simple garnish to your dish. A common technique is to tightly roll up a leaf herb and thinly cut it at an angle and sprinkle over dish. This works best with micro-herbs in little bunches. There is a wide variety available online and at selected supermarkets. Check online for more details.

For deserts you can add a professional finish by putting a little coca power or icing into a sieve and tapping it gently over your dish. If you’re feeling really adventurous you could cut a pattern out of cardboard to create a stencil and gently place this on the plate and using the same technique apply some cocoa power to achieve a charming stenciled look.

For a more hands on approach you could try adding your favourite liqueur to a chocolate fountain. This way you can get involved in the desert making with your guests – they will love doing this! Chocolate fountains range from ?10-50+ online.

Other more sophisticated deserts could be a selection of cheese, crackers and grapes or other selected fruits. It is important to remember to use a cake dome when serving these foods as this will stop smells. Also conveniently it is easy to put away after use.? ?

7) Inspiration – if all above has failed to inspire you there are plenty more things you can do for further inspiration. We suggest you look in cookery books to see how they have presented there food. Also to take note the next time you eat out at a restaurant. See how they have prepared your food for you.

Garlic Fingers? – use a garlic peeler to avoid those embarrassing moments.

9) Red eyes for chopping onions? – Simply put on your sunglasses, simple but works a treat!? ?

10) Worried about staining your gorgeous black dress or brand new suit? – don’t forget to put on apron to protect your clothes not only will you be perfectly clean when you take it off, you’ll look the part when you’ve got it on! And if you’re feeling extra spontaneous why not pop on a chef’s hat! Were sure your guests will love that!

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Sheron Barkley asked:




Orchids books can be found in all different shapes and forms and offer details about orchid proper care than is found elsewhere. Everything possibly wished to know about orchid proper care are available in these books. They usually are not expensive, and also will finally end up appearing worth much more compared with what you are likely to pay for one. Not just it can be used for private use, furthermore, they are an excellent surprise for the gardening friend.

For a beginner, orchids books will be essentially a necessity in starting out orchid care. It will give step-by-step recommendations and also simple to implement guidelines on how to maintain an orchid, from deciding on orchid potting mix to what amount of water your orchid flower require. They will offer all the crucial aspects related to different types of plant, for instance, the amount of light they will need to survive, how many times you have to water, exactly how much nutrients have to be added to the water, plus any other tiny quirks that plants have.

These books are very educational and vary anywhere from only a pamphlet dimension guide with a few pages to a book measurement with many pages. The information outlined great and many it can not be found out anywhere else. Orchids books offer methods and tips on how to carry out your orchid plants much better, how you can keep your orchids free from bacteria, and the way to protect against from and also deal with diseases.

Often times these books give reader recommendations they had never considered of just before. Such as, you can find a huge selection of orchids available that a lot of persons would not imagine having them into their back garden or thriving inside.

Whether or not you enjoy growing plants or not, orchids books are amazing gifts if you have a gardener friend. It is personalized and you may make a terrific gift that is certainly not that high-priced.

Orchids books are excellent for almost any sort of orchids enthusiast at any level. Absolutely no matter how much orchids education and also understanding an individual have, I assure you there really are numerous books somewhere that will have something in it you actually really do not know.

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Penny Day asked:




Christmas can be such a stressful time: with the trawl around the shops, the card-writing, gift-wrapping, turkey-buying, relative-visiting, work parties and nativity plays to think of, sometimes it can all seem too much. Well, fear no more, our clever ideas and time-saving tips will have you smiling right through to the New Year.

Write a list

Many of the goodies we all love at Christmas will stay fresh in their packets for weeks. Instead of putting strain on your budget by loading up on sweets, chocolates, nuts and selection boxes all at once, buy them over the whole month. Write a list and each time you go shopping pick one item to buy from it. This trick also works for presents, drinks and decorations.

Shop smart (cheat!)

Consider buying an easy-to-carve turkey crown, pre-made stuffing, bread sauce and gravy mix etc. While it would be great to be able to serve everything home-made, there are many pre-made elements of the meal in the shops which taste as good as your own, are cheaper to buy, and will save you time and stress on the day itself. Marks and Spencer has a delicious selection to make life easier.

Buy online

Why traipse around town in the cold when you can curl up on the sofa with your laptop and credit card. Make sure you check delivery times and stock, especially on this year’s must-have toys and games. Visit http://www.lastdelivery.co.uk for last delivery dates for all the major retailers such as Amazon, Argos and Hamleys.

Extra guests

If a dinner for six turns into a party for 12, don’t panic. A sit-down meal for six easily makes a buffet for many more, so have paper plates and napkins in reserve and lay out all the dishes at once. If you need a few more nibbles you can’t go wrong with nuts, pretzels and olives. For drinks, pick up a couple of wine boxes (look out for offers in the supermarkets) and decant into a carafe in the kitchen when needed.

Delegate

Don’t think everything is up to you. Christmas should be a family time where everyone chips in and does their bit. Even the youngest children can join in – get them to lay the table with placenames and crackers. Even if you could do it quicker yourself let them use their imagination and feel part of the preparations.

The big day

For most December 25th revolves around food and gifts. Pressies don’t need planning but mealtimes do. Decide what time you are going to eat and work backwards from that point. Most cookery books will give you an idea of how much time you’ll need to cook the Christmas feast – aim for at least 2pm or you’ll be up at the ***** of dawn.

Have a secret weapon

At seven o’clock on Christmas Eve younger children (and many grown-ups) may be getting a bit over-excited. As a treat (and bribe) let them open one special early gift from under the tree. Then put on a relaxing family DVD they can watch quietly before going to bed.

Have some me time

No matter how much you love your extended family, too much of a good thing can be a recipe for disaster. Make sure you schedule in some time for yourself, and your immediate family. Take the dog for a walk, meet friends for coffee, or pack everyone off for the day and enjoy the whole house just to yourself. Your family will thank you for it later.

Don’t make a meal of dinner

Peel and trim your veggies the day before and store them in water so that they don’t go brown. Wrap the sausages in bacon on Christmas Eve and make sure your meat is ready to go straight into the oven – and that everything is defrosted properly. This way, when it comes down to it, all you’ll need to do on Christmas morning is cook.

Stock up on batteries

There’ll be tears before bedtime if the toys don’t work on Christmas Day so make sure you have a couple of packets of spare batteries or charge up plenty of rechargeable ones.

Emergency numbers

Keep a list of handy numbers by the phone just in case something goes wrong. Your regular plumber or electrician may also be on holiday so find an alternative; http://www.reactfast.co.uk is a UK wide (excluding Northern Ireland) 24-hour emergency call-out company specialising in all domestic disasters – from blocked drains to broken ovens. Before queuing for hours at the local A&E or surgery, call the NHS Direct helpline for expert advice on 0845 4647.

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Gus Lindow asked:




Things are tough these days. The economy is in meltdown, the cost of living keeps getting higher and no matter how hard a person tries it’s just not quite possible to make all the ends meet. Far too often people are forced to make hard choices like paying bills or buying gas or purchasing groceries, but sadly not all three.

These are extreme examples and perhaps these choices aren’t hard for you. I do think about them though, at least now and then and am willing to bet that you also do, even if it’s only in a dark corner of your mind that never sees the light of day.

I can however offer a partial solution, at least to the buying groceries dilemma. Instead of going to the grocery store and spending $150.00, try hunting, gathering and trading for your food. This is a very old solution and not overly feasible, but it is an option and becoming more popular, well at least the gathering part. You could also try growing your own fruits and vegetables, which is my personal favorite.

Growing your own food is a lot simpler then you might think, and I have found this wonderful e-book to help show you how. It’s called THE ORGANIC FOOD GARDENING BEGINNERS MANUAL and was written by Julie Villani, you can find a link on my website.

Our ancestors produced their own food this way for years, millennia actually, and never once worried about whether they had the money they needed to buy the food that sustained them. Gardening is still a good way to reclaim that freedom and can be done in almost any situation. A big sunny yard makes it easier, but isn’t necessary. All you really need is a sunny window where you can set a window box full of herbs.

You can actually grow a lot of vegetables in containers and this subset of gardening, called container gardening, is on of the best ways to start gardening in a small or limited space. Hence you can throw that excuse about not having a spot to grow your garden right out the window. THE ORGANIC FOOD GARDENING BEGINNERS MANUAL mentions this option and offers useful advice about how to start.

The e-book is full of other useful tips as well, not only for an organic gardening novice, but also the experienced gardener. Basic tips for where to set up your garden, good crops to start growing and techniques for dealing with pests organically are only a few of the topics covered.

I am already thinking about my spring garden and am looking forward to when the ground thaws and I can finally start planting. I am also thinking about starting some cold season crops like lettuce in containers right now, fresh winter greens would be a nice addition to dinner. You should consider doing the same thing.

THE ORGANIC FOOD GARDENING BEGINNERS MANUAL will be an excellent reference and is the perfect way to start your preparation, even now as winter is just settling in. It is the first of many steps on a path to a greener, healthier, happier and cheaper future. There is even the possibility of selling or trading some of you excess produce for cash and the other things you need.

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Gerald Moran asked:




I know you probably have read gardening books that gave you some tips on garden design, and been told by everybody that has ever planted a garden and thinks they too are a professional gardener, and wish to share their secret tips on garden design.

Who am I to change lanes or advise delivery on such a well traveled road, a job done so much better by my predecessors? I would but ask your indulgence as I try to share the impressions form the scenes I beheld and impart them to you through my gardeners eye.

Have you ever been driving in the country, and as you pass an average home, suddenly the whole place takes on a surprising beautiful eye catching quality. It’s sort of shocking, realizing what it was that brought on this awesome transformation.

First glance it was just any ordinary home on a piece of sculptured ground, until your eyes were transfixed by the garden. Without a doubt in your mind you knew this is the way a garden was meant to be.

Such a feast of beauty for the eyes, that it enhanced the entire grounds and home. I would have gladly taken notes from this man for his Tips on Garden Design.

These people I must admit had an eye for beauty he was an earth artist, and deserved a trophy for this beautiful gardening design. She had impeccable taste for color

I have often likened a well designed garden unto an artist’s use of oils or a sculptured masterpiece, the rows being his brush, or chisel, the plants his paints, the ground his easel and canvas.

Some of the garden paths were made of colored gravel, while other paths were made up of different shades of soil. These methods would work in larger gardens as well. An expanse of manicured lawn space broke up the beds of flowered plants and the soon to be harvested food portions of the garden.

I remember thinking that the person living here must have held an important stressful job. In the middle of this expanse of garden beauty was a pond built with different kinds of stacked marble,shale,and arranged white limestone. Colored underwater lights lit the pond center. There a statue of a maiden stood pouring water from a pitcher.

On the right side a little vine-covered gazebo held two chairs facing out over the pond. You could tell it was arranged to encompass the majority of a well deserved artistic endeavor.

Two my way of thinking a man built this for the pleasure and love of his wife, the home, the fenced in yard, the sculptured earth masterpiece. As well to relieve the stress of the daily hardships, so you see a garden can be of use for many things besides just food.

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John C Shelton asked:




There are numerous gardening books available…in your home, at the library, in your local independent bookstore, and online. The contain very helpful information and encouragement. In the you can learn things about what to plant, when to plant, how to germinate seeds, how to make your own compost, how make your own insecticide, etc. The are most helpful if you remember to read all the words and plan your garden using the information available….but they are not the most helpful gardening book available. Those books are written with excellent general information. They are not specific to your yard or garden plot. The books in the stores have good information and much inspiration for your organic garden. They tell you about soil pH, air temperature, gardening climate zones, plant mixing, interplanting, new ideas; however, the most helpful garden book is not available in bookstores or online. You have to write the best organic gardening book. Only you will actually garden in your yard or plot. If you take good notes and create a thorough gardening journal, you will have the best gardening book ever written. It will be customized just for you. In order to have the most successful organic vegetable garden possible for you and your location, what should you record in your journal?

Soil and air temperature at different times of day including the daily minimums and maximums will give you information that helps in choosing plants for your garden in the future. More immediately, that information will assist in determining whether you need to shade plants or soil for optimum garden production. If you use row covers, record the temperatures under the row covers and/or your plastic mulch. Record unusual weather events [storms, droughts, deluges, very hot and/or very cool weather]. Several years of regular “unusual” weather events become regular weather events. Be sure to keep a watering record. Keep track of the dates your seeds germinate. Then track and record your planting and transplanting dates for each crop. Make sure to keep information on cover crops and times that you leave an area fallow. Journal your composting piles [the dates started, when you water, material added, and the finishing date for the pile]. Track your pests and diseases making sure to note the number, duration, severity, what you treated it with, and the outcome. Track your soil maintenance [crop rotation, compost addition, rock powders, leaf mold, other soil supplements. And finally, track and record your harvest notes. How much did you end up with? Several years of comparing what you did and what happened to the output will result in excellent information of maximizing your garden production.

If you are interested in the more existential aspects of gardening, journal how different events make you feel, your reaction to hardship, your reaction germination, harvest, pests, dogs, cats, moles, etc. Gardening is a process. The journey is excellent and a lesson in patience and letting go. You cannot control nature. You can help it. There is frequently no why as to the events in nature. It’s okay not to understand. You don’t have to understand here to be here. Gardening can be a great help in understanding and getting in touch with now. A journal can track your past help improve the present. Make sure to review your journal regularly. Most importantly, a garden journal assists with planning and is invaluable when the snows set in, the seed catalogs come in the mail, and your plan your spring, summer, and fall planting schedule. Go outside and garden. Save money with your own organic vegetable garden. ?

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Jerry Van Der Kolk asked:




A coffee table book is a pretty book that sits on your coffee table. It is good to thumb through when you have a few minutes. It gives your guests something to look at while they are waiting for you to get off the phone or finish dinner or whatever.

A good hosta coffee table book does not have to have much information in it. It does not have to be written by a hosta expert or even be up to date. It just has to be visually attractive.

You can find very nice hosta coffee table books at discount or used book stores. Wander through the section on gardening books and flip through books on hostas or on shade gardening until you find one or two that appeal to you. It is a very cost effective way to find this kind of book.

If, on the other hand, you want to grow hostas, you need a different kind of book altogether. You need a gardening book. You want a book that tells you how to choose hostas, how to plant and care for them, how to categorize them by size and how to propagate hostas.

Because there are new methods of hosta propagation and many, many new varieties of hostas, your hosta gardening book needs to be up to date, and it needs to be written by a hosta expert.

Your hosta gardening books will probably also work very well on the coffee table. Can you even imagine a hosta book without color pictures of the beautiful plants? It needs to have a section of photos to help you identify hostas you already own, and to plan for the ones you want to add to your collection.

Whether you are looking for a hosta coffee table book or a hosta gardening book or both, there are many good books available. Here are a few:

Genus Hosta by W. George Schmid. (ISBN 0881922013). This book includes information on 3500 varieties of hostas.

Hostas by Rosemary Barrett (ISBN 1552978869). Barrett has been growing hostas for years, and shares her expertise.

The Color Encyclopedia of Hostas by Diane Grenfell and Mike Shadrack (ISBN 0881926183). A new, beautifully illustrated book by two British hosta experts.

The Hosta Handbook by Mark Zillis (ISBN 0967944007). Okay, this one may not make a good coffee table book. It is, however, a complete reference for anybody who loves hostas.

You can never have too many good Hosta Books! Visit your local bookstore and pick up something for yourself to enjoy today.

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Christina R. Jussaume asked:




Gardening can be a great outlet for your family. Couples that work together can enjoy while anticipating beautiful results in their landscape projects. Trips to the local nursery can offer so much variety in trees, shrubs and flowers. Seeing all they have to offer can give you ideas for future projects too.

The first thing is to have a plan of what you are trying to accomplish. It may be just a new flower bed along a porch or adjacent to another bed or it could be a focal ornamental tree in the front of your property or it could just be some new bulbs to come up in the coming spring. Whatever the project you have in your mind, it is best to discuss it so you know the first steps you will need to do to accomplish this.

It does take some money to begin anything, so it is best to start with a small idea. You can always enlarge your vision as you start to accomplish the first step. There are so many benefits when your project has been completed and you look back on it with joy.

Gardening is like taking baby steps toward creative enterprise that will make you feel so proud. You can learn much by driving around and viewing how others landscaped and this will give you ideas of things that you thought beautiful. I know we learned a lot this way. If we saw something that both of us found attractive, it was worth it to check out the next time we went to the nursery.

Also they have fine gardening books that show you the flowers and shrubs to plant to attract birds and even butterflies. There are shrubs that are great for the birds to nest and these also offer berries in the winter. The shrubs should be chosen that are low maintenance and offer something as far as texture and color. Barberry offers berries in the fall and comes in two colors; one is red and the other a golden.

There are some trees that can be used in front of a farmer’s porch that are dwarf in height. The Alberta spruce is a fine tree that is a full tree that is shaped like a pyramid and offers birds a fine place to nest for warmth in winter. It is a slow grower and a very pretty tree.

Dwarf shrubs of Holly look great within a flower bed. Holly shrubs or trees must have a male and female in order to produce berries. They have to be within a short distance from each other so they can pollinate. The birds and wildlife will eat the berries in the hard times of fall and winter.

Evergreen trees are trees that will keep their leaves all winter. These trees are great for all types of nesting birds. An example of an evergreen tree is a Hemlock. These trees are great as border trees to divide property boundaries. Robins seem to love these trees as they offer fine nests for their babies.

If you live in an area that has deer problems, try to plant flowers and trees that are deer tolerant. The nurseries actually have labels on some things that will list that feature. I know from experience deer love tulips. I have a row of tulips along my farmer’s porch that is beautiful when in bloom. They do not last long, as once they are discovered the blooms are eaten by the deer. I discourage planting tulips out in the open in areas where you do see deer.

Gardening can be beneficial in lowering your blood pressure as you relax in this creative hobby. You have hopes of seeing what you have done grow and bring beauty that you planted. It raises anticipation of a beautiful scene and brings pride to you for your vision of splendor.

I hope you have enjoyed this article I have written. Home and Family

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Tim Gorman asked:




A lot of people love roses, and that’s hardly surprising. When your rose bushes are thriving and covered in blooms, they look absolutely stunning. But if you’re just starting out with a rose garden, it’s not always easy to know how to arrange your garden to make it as attractive as possible. There are many difference factors that you need to take into consideration when planning your rose garden, including more than just what color the flowers will be.

Start by taking a look around at the various resources available to you. This can include rose gardening books, magazines, and websites on the Internet. Browsing can give you lots of good ideas, but here are a few to get your started.

First, how much space do you have available in your garden for roses? Once you know the space available, you will be able to work out how many rose bushes you need to plant. This is also dictated by the type of rose you choose, and some can be placed quite close together, whereas others, such as climbers, may need to be as much as twelve feet apart. If your rose garden area is small, it may be wise to choose miniature roses for the best effect. These are very attractive when they are planted closely together in a garden bed.

Next, think about colors. Do you have a favorite rose color? You might want to design your rose garden around that color there. Perhaps you want to create a pattern with different colored roses, or just find roses that will complement the color of your house. Many people find growing red and white roses alternately in a rose garden makes a pretty, patterned effect. If your house is a shade of peach, however, you might like to choose a mixture of peach and yellow roses instead.

Also, think about what plants you want to put around the base of your rose bushes. For part of the year roses are not particularly attractive and can even be a little bare, so it’s good to have some other plants to fill in the gaps in the rose garden. Choose plants with flowers that blend well with your roses. They don’t necessarily have to be the same color, just complementary. For example, a low growing purple flower would go well underneath a row of peach roses. Red blends well with pink or white filler plants.

Now that you’ve worked out exactly what effect you want in your rose garden, it’s time to begin the preparation process.

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