Making Japanese Kokedama’s For Indoors Or Out

Posted on April 3, 2016 by Splendid Recipes

Japanese Grass Planted The Kodedama Method -Image credit: Cafe Maria

Kokedama is a Japanese variant of the bonsai. Basically, kokedama, translation from Japanese literally means “moss ball.”

It is the practice of removing a plant with its roots from a planter or pot, then surrounding the roots with a mud cake, then wrapped with moss, and held together with string.

This type of planting works well with succulent plants, such as those that are placed in doors, as well as herbs, and other out door plants.

The Telegraph a newspaper distributed in the United Kingdom, says that the kokedama method of planting started in Japan, and skipped over to the Netherlands before finding its way to the United States, and since 2015 the method has found its way to England and into the hearts of plant lovers there.

Fedor Van der Valk of the Netherlands acknowledged as the king of contemporary kokedama, took the planting method one step further and suspended his moss wrapped botanicals from pulleys. Mr. Van der Valk calls his creations string gardens.

There’s nothing new though about hanging garden’s. King Nebuchadnezzar of ancient Babylon indulged his queen with what is now one of the Seven Wonders of the World, the hanging gardens of Babylon, built around 600 B.C.

Marisa Lopez of Saving My Culture, says that kokedamas are elegant, and can be placed in any environment or in your garden.

This technique provides a simpler alternative to the bonsai, and is easy to grow – even for people who do not have much time to take care of plants.

Would you like to learn how to make your own Japanese kokedama to hang out in your garden from your trees or other support?

Lowe’s has a 40 second video demonstrating the ease of making kokedamas for inside your house or out in your garden.

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The Go Green Initiative Starts In Your Home

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Splendid Recipes

In 2002 the “Go Green Initiative” was started in Pleasanton, California by Jill Buck. The program is all about environmental education and a stewardship program that is located in all 50 US states and in 13 other countries.

The goals of the initiative are to teach and help others learn to conserve and protect natural resources for future generations, and to protect human health through environmental stewardship. Their focus is on…

What does it mean to “Go G.R.E.E.N.?”

Generate less waste

Recycle everything that cannot be reused

Educate the community on eco-friendly options

Evaluate the environmental impact of actions

Nourish discussions and activities that integrate environmental education into existing curriculum

Though the “Go Green Initiative” is all about helping schools create a campus-wide culture of conservation by teaching kids how to be environmental stewards, we all can contribute to the initiative, though we may not be in school.

Do you have school aged children, or grandchildren in your home? Why not set an example for them by getting involved with the Go Green Initiative, starting in your home. How? By using household cleaners that are earth friendly.

One of the goals of “The Go Green Foundation” is to educate young people about climate change, global warming crisis and sustainable living practices (Go Green Foundation).

Let’s focus on the later, sustainable living practices.

Going green and using the power of all natural green products to clean your home, can help keep you and your family healthy, as well as keep the environment healthy. This is a great place to start, that is to initiate, and practice sustainable living at home.

Here are some great examples of all natural green products to clean house, that you can prepare at home in your very own kitchen.

Cleaning Wood Floors

1/2 cup white vinegar

3 drops orange oil

3 drops lemon oil

3 drops grapefruit oil

2 drops tea tree oil

1 quart water

Put into a hand sprayer and apply to wood floor, and clean with a damp mop.

General Purpose Bathroom Cleaner

1/2 cup baking soda

1/4 cup vinegar

3 drops tea tree oil

2 drops eucalyptus oil

1 drop thyme oil

5 drops orange oil

5 drops lemon oil

Carpet Cleaner

8 ounces baking soda

5 drops grapefruit oil

Mix ingredients in a jar, covered with a lid. Shake out on to carpet and vacuum up. It is also recommended for use in a steam cleaner when cleaning carpets.

Carpet Cleaner

8 ounces baking soda

5 drops grapefruit oil

Mix ingredients in a jar, covered with a lid. Shake out on to carpet and vacuum up. It is also recommended for use in a steam cleaner when cleaning carpets.

Bathroom Mold and Mildew Cleaner

4 ounces water

1/4 cup distilled white vinegar

3 drops lemon oil

1 drop clove oil

5 drops tea tree oil

Mix ingredients in a spray bottle, and spray onto tile and other surfaces that have mold or mildew, and let sit for 20 minutes before rinsing off.

Dish Washing Soap

1/2 cup castile soap

1/2 cup vinegar

1 quart water

6 drops lemon oil

2 drops geranium oil

3 drops tea tree oil

Mix in a soap dispenser, and add to dish water, and mix in.

Castile soap originating in the Castile region of Spain, is not the same as caster oil soap. Castile soap is made from 100% olive oil, were as caster oil soap, is made from the caster seed, and therefore is considered a vegetable based soap.

The More You Know

You will find Wikipedia and other sources referring to castile soap as a vegetable based soap made from 100% olive oil, when in fact olives are not a vegetable, but a fruit.

The natural all green recipes were adapted from the Herbal Remedies Magazine – published by Harris Farmers almanac.

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Orange Mandarin Chicken

Posted on December 12, 2014 by Splendid Recipes

An Asian dish called Orange Chicken is actually an American Chinese dish of Hunan origin. The Orange Chicken that is served at North American fast food restaurants consists of chopped, battered, and fried chicken pieces mixed in a sweet orange-flavored chili sauce, which thickens or caramelizes to a glaze.

Restaurants throughout the western hemisphere, can also refer to the dish as, “orange peel chicken”, “orange flavor chicken“, and “tangerine chicken”.

In China, however, the dish is always known as “old peel chicken”, referring to dried orange or tangerine peels, which is used in traditional Chinese medicine as well as cooking.

For restaurants outside of Asia, fresh orange peel is often used or no peel at all.

We have referred to our version as a Orange Mandarin Chicken, because we add mandarin oranges to the recipe. Here is what you will need.

ORANGE SAUCE

½ cup fresh orange juice

½ cup orange marmalade

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

4 teaspoons arrowroot starch

2 teaspoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon grated orange peel

To make the orange sauce, combine the first seven ingredients in a small bowl. Place a medium sauce pot over medium heat and add sauce.

Bring to a medium boil and add arrowroot starch and mix in, stir until sauce has thickened. Remove from heat, and set side.

Prepare Chicken and Vegetables

1 pound chicken tenders, cut each strip into ¼ to ½ inch chunks

1/8 cup arrowroot starch

3 tablespoons avocado oil

2 medium red bell peppers, diced ¼ to ½ inch

½ yellow onion, diced ½ inch

1 11 oz. can mandarin oranges, drained, cut each segment in half

1 pound rice noodles, cook according to package instructions

In a large bowl, coat arrowroot starch with chicken chunks. Heat oil in a large frying pan, and add chicken and fry for about 4 minutes or until chicken is oblique.

Add red pepper and onion, cut another 3 minutes, stirring continually.

Add orange sauce, and stir in till will combined.

Next add mandarin oranges, and stir in. Let simmer on low, about 3 minutes.

Add 1 cup cooked rice noodles to a plate, spoon on some Orange Mandarin Chicken, top with cilantro, and serve.

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Peaches are a Delight

Posted on September 14, 2014 by Splendid Recipes

There are a few things that come to mind when we refer to peaches being a delight.

Such as ‘Peaches & Herb‘ who were an American vocalist duo, once comprising Herb Fame and Francine “Peaches” Hurd Barker. Peaches & Herb were a delight to listen too.

There is the beautiful and delightful ‘Peaches Honeyblossom Geldof-Cohen’ who was an English journalist, television presenter and model.

How about those cute and delightful ‘Peaches Scrubs‘ a brand name scrubs for nurses and medical assistants.

Then there’s those peaches that were voluntarily recalled nationwide (USA) by Wawona Packing Co. at its Cutler, California, warehouses between June 1 and July 12 of this year (2014), because they were believed to have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Several other soft skinned fruits as well were recalled, like nectarines, plums and pluots.

What a big setback for us all who love peaches, and especially National Peach Month (August 2014).

Because of that recall, there really have not been any good sales on peaches this year.

The cultivation of peaches began in China as early as 2000 B.C., and by 300 B.C. the Greeks and Persians were also cultivars.

In the first century A.D., Romans began cultivating peaches, and from Italy, the cultivation of peaches spread throughout Europe and to the Americas, where the early settlers planted them all along the eastern coast (Agricultural Marketing Resource Center).

There are two basic types of peaches, the ‘clingstone’ and ‘freestone’. The flesh of the ‘clingstone’ clings to the stone or pit of the fruit. The peach flesh of the ‘freestone’ separates easily from the pit or stone.

In the United States as of 2012, 26 states are cultivating peaches. In that year 965,420 tons of peaches were harvested. Of that harvest, 490,320 tons were sold as fresh produce, and 475,100 tons were processed, either canned (364,640 tons), flash frozen (90,210 tons) or dried (9,800 tons).

If you are able to budget some fresh peaches on your weekly shopping, here are some great recipes to use them in.

Basil Marinated Peaches

4 firm-ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and quartered

1 oz. opal basil leaves (about 2 cups loosely packed)

1 tsp. grated lime zest

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Place the peaches and basil in a medium bowl, and set it aside.

Combine the lime zest, sugar, and water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Lower the heat and simmer for 2 minutes.

Then pour the hot syrup over the peaches and basil. Cover, and chill for 2 hours.

You can serve them with Vanilla Pound Cake, Crepes or with a dollop whipped cream.

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Warm Berries and Peaches with Mascarpone

Image credit: finecooking.com

2 Tbs. granulated sugar

1 tsp. ground ginger

4 cups ripe mixed berries (such as raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries)

3 medium ripe nectarines, thinly sliced

1/4 cup mascarpone (or cream cheese)

In a large (12-inch) skillet, combine the sugar and ginger with 1/3 cup water and put the pan over medium-high heat.

When the water comes to a boil, add the berries and nectarines and cook, stirring frequently, until the nectarines have just started to soften and the juice released from the berries has thickened slightly, 4 to 5 minutes.

Let cool for a minute and then transfer to individual serving bowls and garnish with a dollop of mascarpone.

There is also Peach and Mango Salsa and Peach and Pecan Cake.

Peaches also have vitamins-A and C, including the trace minerals iron and magnesium, making it a fruit that enriches your blood with oxygen and helps your muscles relax.

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Tea Contest Winner

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Splendid Recipes

On February 10, 2014 Splendid Recipes announced a FREE Gift Give Away (Free Give Away From Splendid Recipes).

We made the posted article with the 3 questions to answer, which were excepted until 11:59 pm M.S.T on Feruary. 18, 2014 and the participates and their answers to be revealed on February 19, 2014 ( 4 Types or Tea: How is Each Made). The FREE Gift is a 6 OZ. TEAVANA TEA TIN with tea (click here to view gift).

These were the 3 questions:

Who introduced tea to the British?

How many cups of tea on average does a Brit drink per day?

In 1773 who drank more tea, the British or the American Colonists?

The question I thought that would be the most difficult to answer was: Who introduced tea to the British? The answer was, the Portuguese Princess Catherine.

The only one to get close to that answer was Jackie Saulmon Ramirez (her web-site: Soup to Nuts). She wrote, “It originated in China then it was introduced to Portuguese priests, and I’m assuming to Britains“.

The other two answers were marked incorrect. Though she did answer what I thought to be the most difficult, she won the FREE Gift Give Away.

How many cups of tea on average does a Brit drink per day? the correct answer is 3 cups per day.

In 1773 who drank more tea, the British or the American Colonists? The correct answer is the American Colonists. Before 1773 even though the British were drinking tea since 1662, they were drinking more coffee at the time.

Thanks to all who visit and read our articles here at Splendid Recipes and More and for participating in the FREE Gift Give Away.