Inspired.......

My lovely new book and matching herbs.

Earlier this week when I opened my emails there was a newsletter from Karon at Dream Acres telling us all about her new website, and more importantly (to me) that her book was available to buy. Of course I had to have one, I love books and I love herbs, put the two together and you've got me! Yesterday when Lovely Hubby came in from work he was clutching a big brown padded envelope, it was here already! My very own signed copy.

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Oooh.......perfection, a coffee cup and Lavender, (if you know me you'll know why)!

It is all about herbs and their myriad of uses. Inspiring pictures and lots of good tips. Of course I know Lavender, I love the stuff, my business is based around it, I use it for everything and hopefully inspire my customers to do the same, but the other nine herbs in the book, I'm sad to say although I grow some of them I have never really looked any deeper into them than the odd sprinkle here and there in some of my recipes.

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Pages from her scrapbook, reproduced.

Well not any more, I read the book from cover to cover and while inspiration was fresh, went out to the polytunnel this morning to see what herbs I had been ignoring. I have a beautiful big tub of Parsley, a huge patch of Thyme (in the bed outside the polytunnel) and two gorgeous Rosemary plants, just crying out to be used. In my freezer I have the last of the Basil from the pot on the kitchen windowsill, I will have to get some more planted.

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The book is full of delicious pictures, all taken by Karon.

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As I picked the days tomatoes, (I have been getting a big tub full every day so I have to keep on top of this), I noticed the Aubergine plant had three lovely sized fruits on it, so they were quickly snipped off too.

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In my mind I could see them all together, sliced, drizzled with olive oil, a handful of Thyme and Rosemary, a sprinkling of Parsley and Basil, some freshly ground black pepper and a huge handful of brown pasta to soak up the juices.......there, that was tea planned before I had even eaten my breakfast!!

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Inspiration for tonights evening meal.

~ I sorted them all out when I came in, removed the errant Cabbage White butterfly that was clinging onto the Parsley and laid them out around my new book....there for once a staged shot (all professional like....well sort of!!). After guessing what herbs I would need for my lovely tea I quickly tied the others up, with elastic, as suggested in the book and hung them to dry out over the Aga below my already lovely dry Lavender.

~ My kitchen smells divine and my hands, although I have washed them a few times after doing jobs this morning, still have the delicious smell of Rosemary, my second favourite herb in the world....yummy!

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And now I am off on my Blogging break, for the next four days you will get only a couple of pictures and their description. Thank you for the comments and emails suggesting what you would like to see, the catergories are therefore - Food, Animals, my Storecupboard and the Farm. I guess tomorrows is already sorted, I'll take a shot of our lovely Herby, Tomatoey Pasta Bake.

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Have a lovely Bank Holiday weekend, let's hope that just for once the sun shines, well we must be about to run out of rain, we've had it here ALL week, that lovely clean little piggy is no more!!

Sue xx

Please note all images with the Dream Acres copyright logo are used with the kind permission

of Karon H Grieve, author of So Easy Herbal - my new favourite book!