FLOUR

When I was young snack cakes and packaged convenience items were just beginning their popularity.  One such treat I got to have occasionally was a Honey Bun.  What could be bad about biting into a sugary glaze with the taste of cinnamon and soft yellow cake swirled together and packaged just for you?  It was definitely kin to a cinnamon roll, one of my favorites.  But apparently I have been remiss as a baker in that I only learned this summer that there was such a thing as a Honey Bun Cake!!!  At the time, I saw this dream of a cake being cut into sections by its baker and sold at a local farmer's market.  And they were going quickly!  I knew then I would have to find a recipe and make it.  That happened a couple of days ago when I was looking through my cookbooks for a cake recipe to make for my mother-in-law's birthday.  I just grabbed one book and turned to the dessert section and there it was!  I knew this recipe was right when I realized first, my mother-in-law loves Honey Buns; second,  I already had all the ingredients; third, I had the right size disposable pan to transport it; and last, the steps were easy to follow.  Yea!  This cake was a hit.  The yellow cake seemed to melt in my mouth along with the cinnamon and brown sugar flavor. My mother-in-law loved it as well as my family.  It is absolutely down right fabulous and I hope you try it soon.

The Honey Bun Cake recipe I used came from Higgerson School Historic Site Recipes & Remembrances, 2006.  The following is one of two on the same page from this book.  I also looked online for Honey Bun Cake recipes and their are several, but they all seem to be similar.


HONEY BUN CAKE

For batter:  
1 box yellow cake mix
2/3 c. oil
4 eggs
8 oz. sour cream

Cinnamon/sugar mixture:
1 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon  (I used a tablespoon of cinnamon.)
1/2 tsp. nutmeg  (I left out the nutmeg.)

Topping:
2 c. powdered sugar
4 T. milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix cake mix, oil, eggs and sour cream.  Mix well.  Pour 1/2 of cake mix in a 9 x 13-inch greased and floured cake pan.  Mix brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Sprinkle over first half of cake mix.  Cover with balance of cake mix.  With knife, swirl through cake.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes.  Mix topping, pouring over hot cake. 


FLOWER

Bulbs - Usually by this time in my area, those who wanted to plant bulbs for the spring have already done so.  I have planted bulbs in the fall, and I have also planted bulbs that were already in bloom in the spring.  I have enjoyed them all, but honestly there have been years when I forgot I even planted bulbs in the fall.  What a nice surprise when they surfaced in the spring!  That's why anymore I wait to see what my local garden centers have in the spring and purchase a few pots there.  I like to bring them indoors until the blooms fade and then I plant them outdoors.  So far they have continued to bloom each year.

I have a friend, who in the spring, buys bulbs in bloom and goes ahead and plants them in the ground.  She likes doing this because she can see the fully grown plant and know exactly how she wants them planted.  These forced bulbs have been successful for her, coming back year after year.  "I can enjoy the blooms immediately, instead of waiting until spring to enjoy them."

The two websites below explain more about planting spring blooming bulbs.

www.hometalk.com/2928716/forgot-to-plant-those-spring-bulbs-it-s-not-too-late 

www.gardening.about.com/od/floweringbulbs/a/Planting_Bulbs.htm 
 

NANDINA -


One of the best things I did this past summer was to dig out all my overgrown shrubs in my front bed and plant a couple types of the newer Nandina.  I have one Fire Power and four Blush Pink.  I love their compact dense look and their beautiful colors.  This website below will share more Nandina information.

www.thedailysouth.southernliving.com/2014/07/13/just-try-to-kill-nandina 

 FIRE POWER NANDINA

BLUSH PINK NANDINA