Jeff Gillman, the bestselling author of The Truth About Garden Remedies, and Meleah Maynard back up every good recommendation with sound horticultural and botanical science. Decoding Gardening Advice is the first and only hard-hitting, evidence-based book that every gardener needs for definitive advice on everything from bulbs, annuals, and perennials to edibles, trees, and soil care.

    Simple or elaborate, they’re colorful and tasty desserts that are just the right size to take in hand for casual entertaining. Whether you decorate them with a quick layer of frosting or adorn each with custom flowers and artistic touches, your cupcake desserts will be the hit of your next get together. Create a garden of blossoms or sculpt frosting animals and cartoon characters. You’re only limited by your imagination. If you’re new to cake decorating, cupcakes give you ample opportunities to practice, and, best of all, you can eat your mistakes and leave no evidence. If cupcakes are a bit rich for your taste, fill your dessert craving with a muffin. You'll find loads of tasty muffin recipes from healthful bran and whole grain to delicious fruit and berry versions. And, of course there are specialty recipes like peanut butter and coffeecake, and of course, chocolate. When it comes to frosting, you’ll find flavors that will please everyone. Chocolate, buttercream and mocha are just a few of the recipes. There's also specialty frostings like pineapple and peanut butter to give your cupcakes a special flair. So, choose a recipe from 101 Quick & Easy Cupcake and Muffin Recipes, get out your baking supplies and start creating little bites of decadent dessert deliciousness. Make sure to double the recipe, as they’re sure to disappear almost as quickly as you finish them.

    It’s a book about the pure science behind why diets don’t work for the majority of people. Forget everything you have ever heard about dieting and being overweight! The Metabolic Storm addresses the science that obliterates those myths about diets and weight gain.As a doctor board certified in Obesity Medicine, Family Medicine, and Sports Medicine, Emily Cooper sees hundreds of patients who attempt every conceivable diet and spend a huge amount of time and effort exercising, yet find that their excess weight doesn’t stay off and their overall health doesn’t improve long-term. The Metabolic Storm is the result of Dr. Cooper’s 25 years of working with those patients and researching the existing science about metabolism. Cooper wants readers to understand that while everyone’s metabolism is slightly different, if you face weight issues, you might simply have been “dealt a bad hand” metabolically. It’s not your fault that you can’t lose weight or keep it off.The Metabolic Storm explains why weight and metabolic issues are not the result of laziness, lack of commitment, or absence of willpower. It introduces the breakthroughs and answers discovered, but never properly disseminated, through more than 100 years of scientific research. Once you understand the intricate systems of metabolism and hormones, you will never want to diet again. And from there begins the journey of letting go of the guilt and shame too often associated with weight issues.

    In response to the rising interest in homegrown foods, the Seattle Urban Farm Co. builds vegetable gardens for everyone from busy families to restaurants. Along the way, Colin and Brad teach beginner growers from all walks of life the techniques of organic food production. In this full color, beautifully photographed guide, they prove that anyone can develop a "green thumb," as they show readers how to build a garden from the ground up, explain general garden basics, discuss the best types of crops to try, and much more, including:* Garden size and design for any setting (no matter how small!), including container gardens* Soil types, and watering and irrigation * Plant life 101, and profiles of recommended vegetables, herbs, edible flowers, and berries * Garden tools and time-saving rules * Crop planning, tips on what to do with the harvest, and a garden calendar to keep your garden growing year-roundQ&A material, profiles of other beginner gardeners, and step-by-step instructions all come together in this unique, friendly guide that was inspired by the kinds of questions Colin and Brad hear every day on the job with the Seattle Urban Farm Co.

    The answer is chickens--endearing birds that require but a modest outlay of time, space and food.As they learned to raise chickens, Gail and Rick Luttmann came to realize the need for a comprehensive but clear and nontechnical guide. Their book covers all the basics in a light and entertaining sytle, from housing and feeding through incubating, bringing up chicks, butchering, and raising chickens for show.Througout Chickens In Your Backyard, the Luttmanns express their wonder at the personalities of chickens--the role of brash protector played by roosters, and the instinctive motherliness of the hens. Given some freedom and attention, these birds can become much more than the egg-and-meat machines of commercial hatcheries and broiler factories. Chickens provide backyard farmers with enjoyable pastime, as well as a supply of good food.

    Among the myriad projects in this hardworking book are mini hothouses; painted, stamped, and stenciled terracotta planters; hypertufa and cement pots and decorations; rustic and formal fencing and trellises; plant markers and stakes; and sieves and baskets. With Handmade for the Garden to inspire them, gardeners of all skill levels will be empowered to experiment with form and function to discover creative, artful ways to personalize and beautify their gardens with handmade objects.

    More than 40 easy recipes including Beef & Butternut Squash Stew, and Pennsylvania Dutch Pot Pie - plus lots of tips helpful money-saving tips. With an emphasis on unprocessed foods, and simple, from-scratch cooking, The Hard Times Kitchen – Homestyle Recipes on a Small Budget is sure to please both the experienced home cook and the beginner alike.

    When you eat better, you feel better. It’s that simple.A few short years ago, Elizabeth Stein could be found in her tiny Manhattan kitchen searching for a way to make gluten-free and vegan products that tasted great and weren’t overly processed. Working with ingredients such as chia seeds, flax, hemp, and coconut sugar, Elizabeth successfully developed recipes that were all-natural, non-GMO, gluten-free, and diabetes friendly. These recipes helped her form Purely Elizabeth, an award-winning line of products that can be found in more than 1,500 stores.Eating Purely is a collection of Elizabeth’s favorite recipes, which she has made for family, clients, and friends over the years. The recipes are healthy, easy, and delicious—and at times even indulgent. Eating Purely is focused on cooking with whole foods that are naturally gluten-free, nutrient rich, free of refined sugar, and mostly vegetable based.These recipes are centered on Stein’s five Eating Purely Principles, which will leave you feeling healthy and purely radiant. These principles are:Eat Whole, Clean FoodsFocus on PlantsAdd in Nutrient-Rich IngredientsKick Inflammatory Foods to the Curband Practice the 80/20 Rule.Eating Purely includes more than one hundred fun and approachable recipes, ranging from brunch and salads to vegetarian mains and seasonal menus to celebrate with family and friends.Throughout Eating Purely, Stein also shares personal stories on health, exercise, family, entertaining, and starting her own natural foods company. Interwoven throughout the book is what Stein calls “the purely scoop”—time-saving cooking tips, benefits of ingredients used, resources for buying foods, and food and wine pairings.Skyhorse Publishing, along with our Good Books and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of cookbooks, including books on juicing, grilling, baking, frying, home brewing and winemaking, slow cookers, and cast iron cooking. We’ve been successful with books on gluten-free cooking, vegetarian and vegan cooking, paleo, raw foods, and more. Our list includes French cooking, Swedish cooking, Austrian and German cooking, Cajun cooking, as well as books on jerky, canning and preserving, peanut butter, meatballs, oil and vinegar, bone broth, and more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

    Unlike other food science books, we make a direct and practical connection between the science and the cooking. We divide the book into 50 core principles, support them through detailed yet friendly explanations, bring them alive with color illustrations and inventive experiments, and reinforce them through recipes that put the principle to work. At Cook's Illustrated, we've been asking why in the kitchen for over 20 years and often find our answers in science. We believe good science makes great food and that understanding basic science will make you a great cook.

    Maybe traditional soapmaking appeals to you, but you figure that working with lye is too difficult or dangerous. Or maybe you're already doing it, but outmoded ideas and methods are complicating the process and slowing you down. No matter which of these fits you, you'll find -Smart Soapmaking- practical, helpful, and refreshing. Written by a former professional soapmaker, this book explodes the myths about soapmaking and shows you how to make luxurious soap from scratch with the least fuss and bother. With both customary and metric measurements, plus a list of suppliers in five countries, -Smart Soapmaking- is the first truly international book on the craft! ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Anne L. Watson is the first author to have introduced modern techniques of home soapmaking and lotionmaking to book readers. She has made soap under the company name Soap Tree, and before her retirement from professional life, she was a historic preservation architecture consultant. Anne and her husband, Aaron Shepard, live in Friday Harbor, Washington. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// ******RECOMMENDED BY THE HANDCRAFTED SOAP & COSMETIC GUILD****** -Should become THE book for soapmaking. . . . It's about time someone wrote a book like this. Most are idealistic and inaccurate. This book has a wonderful common sense approach that is SO long overdue. . . . I can recommend it with 100% confidence.- -- Susan Kennedy, Oregon Trail Soaps, Rogue River, Oregon -Smart it is . . . . A simple, no-nonsense book that cuts through the curmudgery of stifling soap bibles like no other.- -- Shellie Humphries, Harstine Island, Washington -Way overdue. . . . A gift of common sense caution, proven methods, tried-and-true shortcuts, and some excellent recipes as well, for both the professional/experienced soapmaker and the eager beginner.- -- Deb Petersen, Shepherd's Soap Co., Shelton, Washington -A great book for beginners, with clear and easy instructions.- -- Anne-Marie Faiola, Bramble Berry Inc., Bellingham, Washington -I learned more from Smart Soapmaking than from any other soaping book, and I have read quite a few. . . . It's written with the average person in mind, not a chemistry major. Directions are very simple and easy to understand. It really takes the mystery out of making soap.- -- Jackie Pack, Stuart, Virginia -Groundbreaking . . . . Anne L. Watson [is the] universally respected and loved author/crafter/curator of this lost art for thousands of aspiring soapers . . . . Unquestionably the best book with which to begin. To be precise, it's probably the most accessible, most reader-friendly, and most immediately useful container of information a first-time soapmaker could hope to find.- -- Wishing Willow (blog)

    It shows you how to grow your tea from seeds, cuttings, or small plants, as well as which parts of the plant are used to make tea. Liversidge lays out when and how to harvest your plants, as well as information on how to prepare the plant, including how to dry tea leaves to make tea you can store to last you throughout the year. As a guide to using tea to make you feel better, there are nutritional and medicinal benefits. Finally, there is an illustrated guide to show how to make up fresh and dried teabags and how to serve a delicious homegrown tea. It is sustainable way to look at a beverage, which is steeped in history and tradition.Sample drinks include well-known plants such as rose hips, mint, sage, hibiscus, and lavender, as well as more obscure ones like chicory, angelica, apple geranium, and lemon verbena.

    Everybody wants to live long while feeling good and looking amazing. This universal desire has led to the introduction of countless beauty products, many of which are expensive yet ineffective. But in the midst of these hullabaloos, there is something that actually can help you achieve a longer, healthier, and happier life – and it’s all natural too. Research has revealed that drinking different types of tea has a way of altering cellular count and health in the body thus improving your health while at the same time slowing down the natural process of aging. Tea has also been found to be a good stimulant and helps to calm and revitalize the nervous system. Everyone should consider including different types of teas in their day-to-day life so as to enjoy the amazing benefits. Remember, different types of teas have different health benefits and therefore you should seek to familiarize yourself with a range of teas in order to seek out and appreciate the type that will next fill your cup and grace your tongue. This book contains a detailed list of more than 60 different tea varieties for you to use as a reference guide as you build your own pantry tea selection.

    

    Working this way can produce beautiful results, but is it the best method for woodworking in the 21st century?In Hybrid Woodworking, author and Internet woodworking star Marc Spagnuolo offers a more efficient approach that combines the strength of power-tool and hand-tool techniques. The end result: You save time and effort while producing furniture that still has that stunning handmade look.The Hybrid SystemHybrid Woodworking will show you which machines and power tools are best for the grunt work of furniture making. It will explain which hand tools are essential for fine-tuning. And best of all, it will demonstrate techniques for working flawlessly and efficiently with every machine and tool in your shop.Making beautiful furniture can be immensely gratifying. By adopting the hybrid woodworking system you can get to that satisfying end result with less effort while enjoying every step along the way.

    Drawing on the same expertise that brings Olympic athletes and Hollywood stars to her nutrition clinic in London, Dr. Gillian McKeith lays out a 28-day plan for flushing away bad habits and establishing new eating patterns that will keep you thin and healthy for life. Packed with detailed eating plans, practical tips, relevant nutritional information, strategies for avoiding backtracking, and lush, full- color photographs, Slim for Life is the all-in-one road map to a whole new you.