Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Information on making cuff bracelets from a variety of materials, working with clayboard and “spicing up” an indoor garden with a small species of lizard will be the featured topics on “Creative Living” 9:30 p.m. Tuesday and noon Thursday (all times Mountain).
Marisa Pawelko is a licensed designer for Sizzix, and she’s going to show how to create easy and fun custom cuff bracelets using shape cutters from her collection. She’ll also show a wide variety of materials including Rowlux and adhesive rhinestone sheets by The Buckle Boutique. She lives in Winfield, Illinois.
Shannon Bielke is a crafter and designer, and she’s going to show the beauty and versatility of clayboard, which can be used in many ways, from artwork, to jewelry, boxes and more. Her company is Sha & Co., and she lives in Payson, Arizona.
Ray Pawley is going to show how to “spice up” an indoor garden, and he does this by introducing a small species of lizard called an Anolis. The lizard requires very little attention, even less than a goldfish, and the entire family will enjoy watching the lizard’s activities. He lives in Hondo.
Information on animals and PTSD, preserving fresh herbs, and products for water-retaining plants will be the featured topics on “Creative Living” noon Tuesday and 2 p.m. Saturday.
Matthew Festa is with Guardians of Rescue, and he’s going to explain how animals who have been trained through a program called Animals Helping People can help anyone with Post Tramatic Stress Disorder, especially military personnel. He lives in Smithtown, New York.
Cookbook author and dietitian, Carol Fenster will discuss how to grow and harvest your own herbs, show how to store them and demonstrate some ways to preserve fresh herbs. Her company is Savory Palate, Inc. in Centennial, Colorado.
Curt Jaynes will show some new products on the market for water-retaining plants, including a polymer that’s also good for gardens, lawns, trees and shrubs. His business is GardenSource Nursery and Landscaping in Portales.
Preserving fresh herbs
Herbs Are a Good Thing; Why It’s Important to Preserve Them
1. Herbs add flavor to food; they are decorative; and they have medicinal qualities (infusions or teas, i.e. sage for sore throat; thyme for congestion.)
2. A package of fresh herbs costs about $3, yet most recipes don’t use a whole package. Leftover herbs are often thrown away after wilting in the refrigerator -- or our over-abundant garden produces too much to use up at one time.
3. Preserving fresh herbs makes them available to us throughout the year, whenever we want.
How to Grow and Harvest Your Own Herbs for Maximum Yield
4. Follow directions for your zone and fertilize accordingly. Some herbs, i.e. rosemary, need sun while others, such as basil, can’t tolerate too much hot sun.
5. Pinch new growth regularly — just above a node or joint in the stem — for healthy, bushy plants. Remove withered or yellowed growth as needed.
How to Store Fresh Herbs
6. Store fresh herbs with cut ends in a glass of water in the refrigerator OR wrapped loosely in damp paper towels in a plastic bag to prolong their freshness. When they start to look wilted, it’s time to preserve them.
Ways to Preserve Fresh Herbs
7. Hang a bunch by the stems in a dry place (covered by a paper bag) for a few days. Another way is to wash/pat herbs with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Put herbs in a single layer on a dry paper towel-lined, microwave-safe plate and microwave on High power for 2 to 3 minutes, in one-minute increments. Check after each one-minute increment; they should be completely dry and brittle. The exact time will vary by the amount of moisture in the herbs. Strip off the leaves with your fingers and discard stems which can be tough and woody, such as thyme.
8. Some herbs — especially soft herbs such as basil, lemon balm, chives, cilantro, dill, mint and parsley — freeze well in small freezer bags for up to 6 months. Rinse first and pat as dry as possible, then place in plastic bags. They will look a little bruised when thawed — and they must be cooked since they will be mushy — but their flavor is still intact and they retain all of their health benefits. In fact, I routinely freeze parsley and save considerable time by not having to chop it up, and I save money by not having it go to waste.
“Creative Living” is produced and hosted by Sheryl Borden. The show is carried by more than 118 PBS stations. Contact her at:
