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Home, Garden, and DIYJuly 2014
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"I must have flowers, always, and always." ~ Claude Monet (1840-1926), French painter
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New and Recently Released!
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| The Backyard Homestead Book of Building Projects by Spike CarlsenIn this wide-ranging volume, carpenter Spike Carlsen shares his expertise in crafting sustainable, DIY outdoor structures. Experienced builders can jump right in to projects like the Two-Wheel Cart or the Top Bar Beehive, while beginners may want to start with the Flowerpot Smoker or the Lawn Bag Stand until they feel more comfortable with the required tools and skills, all of which are described in accessible terms. Visual learners will especially appreciate the exploded diagrams of each project. Whether you're a dedicated homesteader or just looking for eco-friendly backyard projects, you'll be well served by The Backyard Homestead Book of Building Projects. |
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| Gale Gand's Lunch! by Gale Gand with Christie Matheson; photographs by Ben FinkShe's already taken on dessert (Gale Gand's Short and Sweet) and brunch (Gale Gand's Brunch!); now, two-time James Beard Award winner Gale Gand tackles the art of the midday meal. Writing with collaborator Christie Matheson, Gand maintains a gourmet perspective even as she focuses on healthy, all-ages fare: crunchy roasted chickpeas, savory chipotle-cheddar biscuits, comforting matzoh ball soup, and crowd-pleasing "sammies" (including lobsters rolls and a fancy PB&J). These mostly one-page recipes come with Gand's charming personal anecdotes, as well as suggested variations for parties or packed lunches. Foodie families who devoured Lucinda Scala Quinn's Mad Hungry Cravings will finds lots to love in Lunch! |
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| Simple Thai Food: Classic Recipes from the Thai Home Kitchen by Leela PunyaratabandhuIf you love the vibrant, beautifully balanced flavors of Thai cuisine but you're uncertain about preparing it, Simple Thai Food should be the first step in your education. Here, food blogger and cook Leela Punyaratabandhu offers up recipes for authentic Thai nibbles, meals, and sweets, as well as instructions for basics like sticky rice and curry paste. Satisfy your cravings for restaurant favorites like pad thai and satay, or branch out with pumpkin custard, green papaya salad, or pork toast with cucumber relish. Suggestions for ingredient substitutions (plus a list of online resources) make it easy to find what you need for mouthwatering Thai cooking at home.
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| Bright Bazaar: Embracing Color for Make-You-Smile Style by Will Taylor; photographs by Andrew BoydYou can't drink Will Taylor's "color cocktails," but that doesn't mean they aren't delicious. The British designer and blogger is absolutely obsessed with injecting brilliant color into home décor, and his debut book is sure to make you equally hungry for hues. After breaking down some of the ways you can use bold palettes and patterns for your walls, furniture, and accessories, Taylor showcases ten examples of vivid "color cocktail" combos such as Licorice and Vermilion or Mint Cream and French Rose. Fearless decorators in search of inspiration will linger over the eye-popping photos in Bright Bazaar while absorbing Taylor's "tongue-in-cheek yet eminently practical advice" (Booklist). |
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| Cooking with Flowers: Sweet and Savory Recipes with Rose Petals, Lilacs... by Miche BacherYou might not have realized it, but you've probably cooked with certain flowers already. Broccoli, cauliflower, and artichoke are just a few of the more familiar edible flowering plants, but lilies, lavender, pansies, violets, dandelions, and many other flowers can also be put to creative culinary use. This inventive and visually arresting collection of recipes (both sweet and savory) illustrates the myriad ways in which flowers can be cooked, baked, canned, blended, or used for infusions. There are even tips for harvesting your home-grown ingredients and tracking down unusual blooms. |
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| Nicky Epstein's Knitted Flowers by Nicky EpsteinFrom elegant to playful to earthy to just downright adorable, knitted flowers of every kind are represented in the 47 projects detailed in this book. The author makes suggestions of specific household and apparel items that beg for floral accents, and gives easy-to-follow instructions and a materials list for making each knitted flower. Dramatic photos illustrate the handwork well. Knitters who loved Epstein's bestsellers Knitting On the Edge and Knitting Over the Edge will be pleased to find more of her unique, embellished style, while those who are handier with a hook than with needles may want to check out Suzann Thompson's Crochet Bouquet.
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| The Flower Recipe Book by Alethea Harampolis and Jill RizzoWith this detailed photographic guide, you can create the same kind of bold, modern floral arrangements as authors Alethea Harampolis and Jill Rizzo, the team behind the floral designs at San Francisco's Studio Choo. Each of the over 100 design "recipes" comes complete with an ingredient list and stem-by-stem directions; the book also boasts tons of fresh ideas for styles and vessels, plus tips on flower buying and care. From simple to wild, the arrangements in The Flower Recipe Book are varied and versatile enough to suit any taste. Looking for long-term green décor? Try the living plant designs in The Plant Recipe Book by Baylor Chapman. |
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| The Gardener's A-Z Guide to Growing Flowers from Seed to Bloom by Eileen PowellFor those who want to color their personal world with flowers, this A to Z manual of flowering plants and ferns is a wealth of information. With more than 500 color photos, instructions on growing flowers from seed, planning charts, and flower-specific transplanting and cultivation advice, this "concise, easy to use" (Library Journal) book is an indispensable resource. Beginning gardeners and others who may not know the botanic (Latin) names of flowers will want to use this volume's handy common name index, as plants are listed in alphabetical order by botanic name. |
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| Paper Blooms: 25 Extraordinary Flowers to Make for Weddings, Celebrations & More by Jeffery RudellJeffrey Rudell's paper flowers have been featured in many fashion magazines, and with good reason: they're just as gorgeous as the real thing, and are often easier to work with. In a friendly manner, Rundell describes the necessary tools and techniques for creating stunning paper blossoms. Many of the projects are more fanciful than lifelike, incorporating patterned papers and playful shapes that don't exist in nature, but all are suitable for use as bouquets, garlands, gift embellishments, cupcake toppers, and more. Crafters who prefer more realistic paper blossoms should pick up Paper to Petal by Rebecca Thuss and Patrick Farrell or The Exquisite Book of Paper Flowers by Livia Cetti. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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