Book review: Done and Dusted by Stephanie Zia

May 10th, 2010 by Penny Golightly

Done and Dusted: The Organic Home on a Budget, by Stephanie Zia, ticks a lot of boxes at Golightly Towers. It’s a well-written, well-researched ebook full of a variety of interesting ideas to help you keep your house clean and healthy with a minimum of fuss and toxic chemicals. I was partly expecting it to be yet another ‘lemons and white wine vinegar’ kind of book, but it’s actually full of interesting new ideas and products such as good quality microfibre cleaning cloths, and so on.

The best parts of the book for me were the chapters on cleaning tips, such as general time-saving ideas, laundry products, toxic chemicals in the average home, humane pest control, kitchen and bathroom hygiene, and a comprehensive stain removal guide. There’s also an excellent long section towards the end of the book where the author includes many of her newspaper ‘agony aunt / cleaning guru’ Q&As.

If I absolutely had to find fault with this book, I could perhaps say that the small section about nutrition doesn’t sit very well with the subject matter that surrounds it. It’s nicely written and obviously is a subject that has great personal meaning to the author, but I suspect it might be better as a separate article or even as a different book. This niggle is very minor though, and other readers may disagree.

To sum up: I would recommend this ebook to anyone as a handy, expert and detailed reference on household management and cleaning. It is also reasonably priced.

Done and Dusted by Stephanie Zia is available from Blackbirdebooks, price £4.69 (includes VAT), and also from the Apple iBookstore.

 *****

COMPETITION TIME!! We have a copy of Done and Dusted to give away to one lucky winner. It’s open to anyone who has a valid email address, including those outside the UK. All you have to do is answer the following question by leaving the correct answer in the comments box below. Winner will be drawn at random at noon on Friday, 14th of May.

 The question is: Which newspaper is Stephanie Zia the Cleaning Guru for?

 Good luck!

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Book review: The Edible Garden by Alys Fowler

April 9th, 2010 by Penny Golightly

This is a very bold book, and I suspect it’s going to polarise its readers and/or become one of those cult classics. The premise is simple: the author turns her back garden over to cultivating enough fresh food to avoid buying from supermarkets, and tries to keep it all looking attractive/eco-friendly/thrifty at the same time.

Quite a tall order, but she makes rather a good job of it. What’s unusual about it is her planting style – seemingly higgledy-piggledy and all chucked in together, but it all seems to work. Herbs, flowers, fruit bushes and veggies all rub shoulders happily and prettily.

Alys Fowler is an experienced gardener, and the level of knowledge passed on in this book is really quite something. I’m no slouch, but have learned so much about garden microclimates, soil improvement, and getting the maximum amount of crops out of a small space by selecting the best varieties of plant and growing them in succession in small batches. There are lots of detailed descriptions of plants in here that I’ve never heard of, let alone grown before, and they look really interesting to try.

The book also covers cooking, freezing and preserving, all very handy if you have a glut and want to save produce to tide you over the winter and the hungry gap in early spring. There’s an excellent directory and further reading section at the back.

While there are many great pictures in The Edible Garden, I did find that there were a few too many of Alys looking cute among out-of-focus foliage. I would really have liked to have seen an illustration of every type of plant mentioned in the book instead, as that’s of more use to me. I also spotted a fair few typos in the book, such as ‘chicken coup’ instead of ‘chicken coop’ and so on. I do hope the chickens aren’t free range radicals plotting revolution round the back of the shed, and fingers crossed these mistakes get weeded out of the next edition.

To sum up: A very attractive book with a slightly unusual agenda, packed with excellent information. Probably best for someone who’s done a little gardening before and wants to get a serious project going this year.

COMPETITION: You can win your very own copy of The Edible Garden by Alys Fowler, plus a mini selection of seeds so you can get growing your own. The whole selection is suitable for growing in a small garden or in pots, and most of the varieties have been recommended by Alys herself. You will get:

  • Peas x 20 (Greenshaft)
  • French beans x 2 (Dwarf Tendergreen)
  • Runner beans x 2 (Scarlet Emperor)
  • Tomato x 20 (Gardener’s Delight)
  • Radish x 80 (40 x Cherrybelle, 40 x French Breakfast)
  • Swiss Chard x 20 (Rainbow)
  • Rocket x 50 (non-wild)
  • Lettuce x 30 (mixed Salad Bowl, red & green)
  • Cucumber x 2 (Marketmore)
  • Carrot x 30 (Paris Market)
  • French marigold x 20
  • Basil x 30 (Sweet Genovese)

All the growing instructions are available here.

*****

To be in with a chance of getting the whole lot of these goodies, all you have to do is find the answer to the following question, and write it in the comments box below: The first Edible Garden TV show aired on BBC2 two days ago. What was the subject of the first show? For a tiny hint try here.

*****

Competition closes midnight Tuesday 13th April 2010. Correct entries go into a prize draw. This prize is for entrants in the UK only (sorry to those outside the UK, although it might cheer you up to hear that there will be a competition for international entrants coming in the next few days).

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Posted in Home & garden | 60 Comments »

Book review: Joe’s Urban Garden Handbook

April 6th, 2010 by Penny Golightly

Joe Swift’s book, ‘Joe’s Urban Garden Handbook’, is deceptive on the first flick through: lots and lots of large pictures of small yet striking gardens, and trendy page layouts. It has a a glossy-magazine-like quality to it, and my first impression was that it was more of a coffee table book than anything else.

Then I read the whole thing from cover to cover, and decided that it’s much more practical in the tone of the writing and in its scope than a first glance would suggest. In fact, I’d go as far as to say that it would be an excellent choice for anyone with a small amount of outside space who’d really like to ‘do up’ their garden, but who has no idea where to start. The author’s wealth of experience is clear to see.

The emphasis is fairly firmly on hiring a garden designer and/or a landscaper to create your garden for you, but the book does get you to think very thoroughly about everything you want and need from it once it’s finished, whether that’s somewhere to throw big parties or just a place to sit quietly with a book or simply hang out the washing.

The garden at Golightly Towers was put together very badly by the previous owners and is now starting to come apart at the seams. This book has given me the confidence I need to draw up a sensible budget so that we can start saving up to get things fixed in the next year or two, and I also have a much better understanding of how we need the space to ‘work’ for us in both a functional and aesthetic sense.

Swift points out several times that you can’t cram too much into a small plot if you want it to look good, and runs you through several ideas to help you sort out your priorities. There are many design solutions and professional tips, plus notes about physical structuring and planting. The planting section will probably not be enough for experienced gardeners but is more than adequate for someone who’s just starting out.

Then there’s more of a ‘lifestyle’ section, with ideas about eating outdoors, sunbathing and shade, growing your own food, and simple ways to make seasonal changes. There are even some quick wins that can be tried to speedily improve the appearance of the garden if time and resources are limited. This is followed by a section on the seasonal maintenance that’s needed to keep different types of garden looking good.

I really liked the handy list of suppliers at the back of the book. The only thing I thought was missing was half a page or so of references for further book or internet research about design and planting, as it’s the sort of publication that makes you feel inspired to learn and do more.

My only real gripe about the book is that the first few pages have been designed with almost completely unbroken text and very little white space – these are very hard on the eye indeed and create a sensation of being unable to breathe between paragraphs, which is a shame as the introduction is well worth reading. Fortunately the page design greatly improves after this, getting all the useful points across much better.

Produced by Quadrille Publishing Limited, RRP £12.99

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Book review: Banish Clutter Forever

April 2nd, 2010 by Penny Golightly

I was pleasantly surprised by ‘Banish Clutter Forever’ by Sheila Chandra. It’s a very well thought through book that gives you a helpful set of tools to make your home run more smoothly and be more aesthetically pleasing at the same time, tailored to your personal circumstances and individual tastes.

Chandra grew up in an unpleasantly cluttered-up environment and shows great empathy for, and understanding of, people who end up mired in overwhelming, seemingly-insurmountable mess. Much of the book is given over to exploring and dealing with the wide variety of personal fears, anxieties, mental health issues, unhelpful beliefs and unfinished business that can lead us to surround ourselves with ‘noise’, clutter and sometimes even squalor. The author’s voice is humane and warm, as well as being honest and practical. While there is some necessary straight talking you’re unlikely to feel that you’re being barked at, told off or pushed around, which is often the case with some of the other writing in this genre.

Rather than going straight for the daunting big picture, the author starts with something we’re all good at – not losing our toothbrush. Nearly everyone keeps their toothbrush close to where it’s used and near to other things that relate to the task in hand, such as the toothpaste, and it’s easy to clean up or put away after use. So far, so easy. There are then several different exercises that involve relocating your belongings to the most convenient places, grouping them with other related objects, getting rid of items that are no longer useful to you, and making it easy to tidy things away completely after use. These all help to build good habits and self confidence, going one room or even one shelf at a time.

A large chunk of ‘Banish Clutter Forever’ is devoted to getting your life more organised, rather than tidying up your material possessions. This gives the book an extra dimension, looking at your hopes, interests and aspirations, and providing a series of simple steps you can take to bring more enjoyment into your life, rather than spending all your time being reactive or getting bogged down in everyday mundanities.

This book is not about voluntary simplicity, it’s not about giving away almost all of your worldly goods, and best of all it’s not about following any cod philosphy or new age mumbo jumbo. It’s insightful, empowering and very practical, which works for me.

Published by Vermillion, RRP £7.99.

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Posted in Home & garden | 2 Comments »

Book review: Top Tips for Life

March 8th, 2010 by Penny Golightly

The author of this cute little book is listed as Kate Reardon, although the main body of the text is actually made up of hundreds of advice quotes compiled from the www.toptips.com website which she set up in March 2007.

On the whole this site gives you the benefit of what’s known as ‘the wisdom of crowds’, so if you’re after anything factual then more often or not it’s pretty accurate. However, the greatest strength is as follows:  most of the site users turn out to be impressively sage and savvy when it comes to the areas of life that need more complex answers, and I found that the opinions expressed in the Friendship, Relationships, Parenting, Family, Seniors and Work chapters were easily the best part of the book. These people aren’t afraid to lay it on the line!

The website grants its users anonymity, meaning that many of the questions posed in the book have been asked by people who would otherwise be too afraid or embarrassed to ask. That’s probably why the answers in the sections mentioned above are so useful – these are questions many of us would otherwise keep to ourselves for fear of upsetting our nearest and dearest, or making ourselves vulnerable and looking foolish.

In a couple of the chapters, especially beauty and health, while the majority of the entries were good, I did notice that some ‘conventional wisdom’ had crept in. There were a few places where the reader would have been better advised to see their GP or a dermatologist if they wanted the only proven/effective remedy. Also, some of the home remedies would have wreaked havoc on anyone with sensitive skin – and a lot of us have sensitive skin. Fortunately these only make up a very small part of the book.

The cover art is pretty, retro-styled and deliberately feminine, so girly-girls would probably appreciate this the most as a gift. The paper’s better quality than you’d expect to find in many books of this genre, and the tiny silky bookmark is a nice touch. I was slightly surprised to see a prominent quote from The Daily Mail on the front cover though – this may put some potential buyers off as it is not a universally loved publication. That would be unfortunate as the book is not something I would describe as politically charged.

It’s especially nice to see that every contributor has been namechecked, with page numbers, at the back of the book. I would have really liked the book to contain a subject index as well, as this would save time when going back to the book to look for specific useful quotes – perhaps the publishers could add that to the next edition.

To sum up: A pretty, girly book full of useful tips and ideas. Most of these could save you a fair bit of time, money or heartache.

COMPETITION: Win a copy of Top Tips For Life! This is especially for my lovely friends on Facebook. If you’d like to become one, simply send Penny Golightly a friend request on www.facebook.com today or tomorrow, and the prize draw competition will be announced in the morning on Wednesday 10th of March.

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Book review: New Urban Farmer by Celia Brooks Brown

February 25th, 2010 by Penny Golightly

The full title of this book is New Urban Farmer – From Plot to Plate: A Year On the Allotment.

In quick summary, it’s the grow-your-own-food book I really hoped that somebody would write because it’s exactly what I wanted to buy. It has the advantage of being written by a foodie and professional cook, so it starts with delicious fruit and veg you’d want to eat rather than just basic stuff you can grow.

It’s a very impressive book, and is so beautifully laid out and illustrated that I’d have to describe it as ‘allotment porn’. First and foremost, you don’t actually need to have an allotment to get the most out of New Urban Farmer – it’s fine if you have a small garden, a raised bed, or containers such as pots or window boxes. Best of all, if you’re new to food gardening or coming back to it after a break, it gives you a comprehensive overview of what’s possible in a smallish space and tell you the basics of what you need to do to get started and keep going. The most important points of pest and disease control are covered, as are green issues.

The chapters run month by month, and there’s a handy table in each chapter to tell you what to plant indoors, what to plant outdoors, what you can plant in containers, and what to pick for eating. Next to each what-to-pick there’s also a page reference for growing tips or recipes. The recipes really make the book, and are all innovative and either vegetarian or vegan. Every chapter gives you a list of the most important jobs to do around the garden that month too.

The writing style is conversational and largely practical, and the author communicates her enthusiasm very effectively. At the end of the book there’s a helpful list of recommended suppliers (I’ve used many of them in the past and have to agree), and another list of further reading. If I was being picky, I’d say that one minor fault in the book is a lack of mention of specific plant varieties, so you get generic ‘beetroot’ without mention of, say, the ‘Boltardy’ variety that new gardeners might find easy to grow. However, that is a minor gripe and there’s a limit to how much information you can put into a book of this nature without making it overlong.

To conclude, New Urban Farmer is an extremely attractive book aimed at new or returning food gardeners. It’s inspiring and engaging, and would make a lovely gift or you could just buy a copy as a treat for yourself.

New Urban Farmer by Celia Brooks Brown, published by Quadrille on 5th March 2010, with an RRP of £14.99

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Book review: The Frugal Cook by Fiona Beckett

September 15th, 2009 by Penny Golightly

The tag line of this book is “Buy cleverly. Waste less. Eat well.” That’s quite a tall order, but if the bottom line is that you want to learn how to cut your food spending without sacrificing the flavour then this book is probably for you.

I was forced to study home economics at school long after it had become completely unfashionable, and remember vividly that every other recipe seemed to call for lard. However, it did give me a grounding in basic cooking techniques, a feeling of general competence in the kitchen and an understanding of how to plan menus. From the age of 10 I was also responsible for cooking a complete family meal without supervision, one evening each week.

Most people my age and younger don’t have the advantage of this kind of background, and yes, I do now see it as an advantage (even if I still question the wisdom of leaving a curious 11-year-old alone with a deep fat fryer). Many of us have grown up in households where people reheat ready-meals and don’t actually cook, and most of us tend to shop haphazardly and with the primary aim of convenience. When you shop purely for convenience, you nearly always lose out on economy and health, and quite often you lose out on taste too. Sometimes, though, making a change seems daunting to the point of being overwhelming.

 TheFrugalCook

So, back to The Frugal Cook. The main advantage of the book is that it teaches you from scratch how to shop for, store and cook your food. If you lack confidence it will get you started with ease, and if you’ve lost your way a little it’s a handy refresher course. It shows how to plan ahead, where to buy quality, and where you can cut corners. Fortunately it does not leave you slaving in the kitchen every night – times have changed and many of us do need quick easy meals that don’t need much preparation.

The recipes are divided into six main sections: breakfast/brunch, lunches/snacks, easy midweek suppers, bigger weekend cook-ups, and parties. Each recipe has variations mentioned afterwards, so that you can cook each one a few times without it feeling monotonous, and there are extra thrifty tips on each page too. There’s also a small chapter about leftovers, both accidental and deliberate, which is worth a read. It’s an excellent book if you want to learn how to get into a better mindset with your groceries – Fiona really knows what she’s writing about, and it shows.

My only gripe is that while colour photography has been used throughout the book, there are no pictures at all of finished dishes, which seems like a bit of a wasted opportunity as these are so helpful for novice or nervous cooks – but that sort of decision tends to lie with the publishers and not the author. Perhaps it would be a popular addition when the book comes to be reprinted or revised.

The Frugal Cook by Fiona Beckett is published by Absolute Press with an RRP of £14.99. In the average household it would pay for itself in less than one week of grocery shopping.

I also have one copy to give away to the first person to correctly answer this question: How many cookbooks has Fiona Beckett written to date? Leave your answer in the comments section below, UK entrants only please. Good luck!

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Posted in Food and drink | 10 Comments »

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