Here's my recipe for Za'atar - I am very fond of sumac! ZaÂatar 1 cup sumac 2 cups roasted, ground sesame seeds 1/2 cup dried ground thyme 2 tablespoons dried oregano 2 tablespoons dried marjoram 2 tablespoons dried savory 1 tablespoon salt, or to taste (optional) Mix all the ingredients together except the salt. Taste and add the salt if desired. Keep the zaatar mix in a tightly closed jar (the sesame seeds will last 6 months maximum); it will stay fresher in the refrigerator or freezer than at room temperature. Use as a dip for pita bread. To serve, dip pieces of bread into a bowl of olive oil, then into the zaÂatar, and eat. And I've always puzzled over the inclusion of both oregano and marjoram in the recipe - I've always used the two interchangeably, and can't tell the difference between the two in a dish! So I just use Origanum vulgare (common oregano) in the recipe. Marjoram is a closely related, but different, plant - Origanum majorana - which is a little less rampant than oregano. What species of aloe do you have? If it's Aloe vera, you can just take one of the many 'pups' (off-shoots). You might shed tears over leaving your beloved garden, but I hope the move goes well, and you get to create another one in your new home! Meanwhile, continue by taking as many cuttings and divisions as you can! Sounds like you're doing OK so far.

Thank you, Annie, for that tip ... my kid loves almond-cookie, so I will get the almond extract. Thank you, Cloud_Swift, for the info. on Spice House to save money. Thank you, pkramer, for that tip on Rosemary indoor. It died on me last winter. I grew up near Grand Rapids MI. Now I'm in Chicago's suburb, zone 5a, much colder than zone 5b in MI. What I grew in the summer was probably Russian Tarragon ... no smell whatsoever. The right thyme also makes a big difference ... so I make sure that pinch off a leaf to sniff before buying the herb. I'm lucky to have a sage brush that survived zone 5a winters for the past decade. I sun-dried the sage leaves in the fall ... great flavor, no sage-spice can beat. One year I used Organic Spice's Hunter Herbes de Province, that gave good flavor to all my soups. Then I bought some cheap brand recently, and it stank up my entire pot. I bought "Imitation Vanilla" last year, and it had a weird & odd chemical smell, so I threw the whole bottle away. The real vanilla is what matters. A friend gave me Organic Extra virgin Coconut oil Nutiva brand. I used 2 tablespoon of that in making granola. The fresh coconut smell perfumed the entire house, and the granola was absolutely delicious. In contrast, the coconut milk I bought from Trader's Joe, or Oriental Market has this "soapy" flavor from stale coconut, or else it's so loaded with sulfites or potassium sorbate(chemical preservatives) ... that I break out in rash. I quit using coconut milk a long time ago ... so glad to find Nutiva's extra-virgin coconut oil with the most intense, delightful fresh coconut essence. This post was edited by Strawberryhill on Fri, Jan 10, 14 at 23:33

Tanks for posting this Shambo. I've been meaning to get some Za'atar, but the blends I've seen have been more basic, with sesame, sumac, and thyme. I would think the addition of savory and hyssop would give it a lot of depth.... Emily

I love my pull outs on either side of my cooktop. I keep seasonings for cooking on the right one and all my baking spices on the left. The baking zone is to the left of the cooking and it is very handy. There are deep drawers to the left of my baking spices. One holds my canisters of flour and sugar along with my big food processor and many measuring cups. The one under that holds mixing bowls, rolling pins and all my other misc. gadgets. My big KA sits on the counter in the corner, always ready for action. The pullouts were made by my cabinet maker. They are adjustable, full extension, soft close and like the insides of all my cabinets are lined with easy to clean melamine. About the third or fourth time I used this set up, I had one of those pure, joyful moments, realizing how much easier and faster it was to make something. It's fun not work any more. Nancy