Wednesday, 9 July 2025

10 July: Nutmeg

Today is National Herbs and Spices Day, so here are ten facts about nutmeg.

  1. The scientific name for the nutmeg tree is Myristica fragrans. The tree is native to the spice islands of Indonesia.

  2. It’s not a nut, so people with nut allergies can eat it. It’s is actually the seed kernel inside the fruit of the nutmeg tree.

  3. Mace comes from the same plant. Mace is made from the seed covering or aril, while nutmeg comes from the seed itself.

  4. The earliest evidence of use of nutmeg comes from 3,500 year old potsherd residues from the island of Pulau Ai, one of the Banda Islands in eastern Indonesia.

  5. Ground nutmeg has been used as a Tobacco substitute. Smoking nutmeg powder was common in India during British rule, its popularity helped by its hallucinogenic properties. Nearer home, analysis of the residues left in his pipe show that William Shakespeare used to smoke it, along with cannabis.

  6. It has no proven medical value although the Elizabethans saw it as a miracle drug which could ward off the plague. The Romans used it as incense.

  7. In cookery, nutmeg is often added to Potato or Spinach dishes, soups, sauces, baked goods, Mulled wine and CiderEggnog and rice pudding. In Scotland, it’s a traditional ingredient of Haggis.

  8. But don’t add too much. In large quantities it’s toxic and can result in dry mouth, acute nausea, dizziness, and blackouts.

  9. Indonesia is the biggest producer of nutmeg in the world, producing 75% of the yield. Grenada is second with 20% of the share.

  10. Nutmeg essential oil is used in the manufacturing of Toothpaste and cough syrups.




Beta

(Combat Team Series #2)


Steff was abducted by an evil alien race, the Orbs, at fourteen. Used as a weapon for years, he eventually escapes, but his problems are just beginning. How does a man support himself when his only work experience is a paper round and using an Orb bio-integrated gun?

Warlord is an alien soldier who knows little but war. When the centuries-old conflict which ravaged his planet ends, he seeks out another world where his skills are still relevant. There are always wars on Earth, it seems. However, none of Earth's powerful armies want him.

Natalie has always wanted to visit England and sees a chance to do so while using her martial arts skills, but there are sacrifices she must make in order to fulfil her dream. 

Maggie resorted to crime to fund her sister's medical care. She uses her genetic variant abilities to gain access to the rooms of wealthy hotel guests. The Ballards look like rich pickings, but they are not what they seem. When Maggie targets them, little does she know that she is walking into a trap.

Hotel owner Hamilton Lonsdale puts together a combat team to pit against those of other multi-millionaires. He recruits Warlord, Natalie, Maggie and Steff along with a trained gorilla, a probability-altering alien, a stockbroker whose work of art proved to be much more than he'd bargained for, a marketing officer who can create psionic forcefields, a teleporting member of the landed gentry, and a socially awkward fixer. This is Combat Team Beta.

Steff never talks about his time with the Orbs, until he finds a woman who lived through it, too. Steff believes he has finally found happiness, but it is destined to be short-lived. He is left with an unusual legacy which he and Team Beta struggle to comprehend; including why something out there seems determined to destroy it.


Paperback

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