FLOUR          
     Fall may be a little less than a month away, but since football games have already started I have been thinking of tailgating and snack foods.  This week I tried a recipe for Cheese Straws from www.allrecipes.com/recipe/6889/cheddar-cheese-straws/
I grew up in the South where Cheese Straws have always been a popular appetizer, snack food, or an accompaniment to a cocktail.  Each one was about three inches long and first reminded me of a cookie until I ate one.  Usually the dough is forced through a press and each straw is formed individually onto a cookie sheet.  I remember some being very cheesy, some crisp, others chewy, and those that were peppery hotter than I expected.  I was hoping to find a recipe for these crisp edible sticks that would provide a nice balance of flavor.  I also want to clarify as you will see in the photo below that I did not end up with straws, but more of a cracker shape which I will call Cheese Bites. I followed the recipe and on the day I baked them and in my oven, I achieved a chewy outcome.  The cheese and slight red pepper addition was good, but milder than I had hoped.  
     Okay I am switching gears now, but will return to the Cheese Bites.
     I decided to continue baking with another recipe, one for crackers.  I found it at www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-crackers-at-home-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchen-186144
One of the reasons I decided to make crackers is because they are a favorite snack food of mine and would easily accompany any dip at a tailgate party.  I would much rather eat a cracker than a cookie or piece of candy.  Weird, I know, but somehow I think it's genetic.  My mom was the same way.
     The recipe was easy to follow with ingredients I already had at home.  I most assuredly need to practice rolling out cracker dough to the eighth of an inch request, because some of my end result pieces were thicker than others.  However, I sprinkled chili powder on one half of the rolled out dough and Italian seasoning on the rest.  The final product had good flavor and I will make these again, especially to get the correct thickness of dough and to enjoy them with family and friends.
     BACK TO THE CHEESE BITES - You'll never guess. I was so bummed about the texture of my Cheese Straws that I decided to put them BACK INTO the oven with the crackers!  The crackers required a higher temperature and I thought a few minutes in that heat might make a difference.  And it did!!!  At first I thought I might very well ruin them as it sometimes happens when one takes a chance.  However the higher temperature helped to crisp the cheesy dough to give it a crunch when bitten, instead of the chewy texture.  The red pepper taste was also more prevalent, but not too hot.  These are very reminiscent of the Cheese Straws I had in my youth.  Don't be afraid to experiment!

Crackers with Italian Seasoning on top and Cheese Bites on the bottom

& FLOWER
     One thing that helped me learn about plants was reading plant markers when I would visit a garden center. There have been a few times, years ago, when I would pick up something attractive with a familiar name, only to bring it home and kill it, because I did not take the time to learn how to care for it.  When we moved to our home and I began establishing beds, I decided I wanted the plants that would attract birds, bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.  I also wanted mostly flowers that were perennials, the ones that would return year after year. So those are the flowers I would search for and that is why I have a perennial bed.  It is also why my perennial bed runneth over most of the time.....hopefully I'm not the only gardener with these same feelings!  I like that plants can provide sustenance and attract pollinators.  Of course I love the beauty of all flowers as well, but purchasing these plants makes me a participant of the growing cycle each year and that is very important to me.
     I like native plants and will tell you about two of them in my yard and one I hope to acquire.  The first is Butterfly Weed.  I have three to four plants that are situated towards the front of my perennial bed near the sidewalk in order for good drainage and adequate sun.  I love the orange clusters of flowers.  I also enjoy walking by them in late summer and seeing butterflies and moths flutter around, hungry for the nectar.  When I witness the seed pods forming, I always pull them to encourage more blooms.  They are long and remind me of okra pods.  I continue to pull the seed pods until about the middle of September.  Then I let them dry on the plant where they will eventually split open.  The seeds are then blown to other locations on the silky threads from within the pods.

Butterfly Weed

Swamp Milkweed

   
     Another type of milkweed I am interested in, but have not seen in person is Swamp Milkweed.  Also known as Rose Milkweed, it can range in color from pink to mauve.  Swamp Milkweed likes damp soil and can be found near ponds, lakes, streams and ditches.  A friend and relative, Anne Berbling, took the photo at right after having waded through water to get a close shot of these pretty blooms.
     Both milkweeds are great attractors for Monarch Butterflies who feed on the nectar of the flowers and lay their eggs on the plants.  The caterpillars that come along later eat the leaves of the plants.
     This is the plant that I would love to have.  When I figure out a nearby water source for it, I will let you know.

 



     And lastly I enjoy Purple Coneflower.  Mine begins blooming in June, but often begins to fade in late July into 
August due often to summer heat.  In the meantime, however, it does help evoke a somewhat cottage garden effect with its tall, dark green stems and vivid purple flowers.  Those stems remind me of church spires.  When the blooms die or appear dark, I cut them down to where the plant branches out and new smaller blooms will soon appear.  Purple Coneflower is quite drought tolerant, but does like to receive a drink at least once a week as long as there is good drainage.  I know, I know.  Which way is it.  Water or don't water.  Coneflower does not like constant muddy conditions, especially with no mulch.  My rule is when I see the flower heads drooping, I give the plants water.  Songbirds like the seeds from this coneflower.

Purple Coneflower

     

     If you do not have perennials, consider one of these.  The mere fact that it will return the following year and perhaps be even prettier or showier, is reason to give it a try.  Next year I hope to plant more!

FLOUR

       Have you ever heard of slab pie?  I have only been aware of this new term in the last couple of years and really didn't think too much of it until I finally made one.

      First of all, I love pie.  Those of you who already know me know this.  I enjoy all pies, but prefer double crust fruit pies.  Since the slab pies I've seen have been made in this way, that's two points already to me.  When I made this one as you see above and below, I could easily see that a slab pie would be great to feed more people, thus eliminating the need for making two regular round pies.  Another plus.  

Then I surmised that once cut, a square or rectangular piece of this fruity slab could be referred to as portable.  Yet another positive!  Lastly, it's fruit pie!  You can make this slab creation with any combination of fruit, spices, and sugars one desires.  So if you are a pie person like me, what could be wrong with that??
     Although the top photo did not have the most equal distribution of fruit when I clicked the shutter, I used two cups of peaches and one cup of blueberries.  The rest of the filling included about three-fourths cup sugar, one-quarter cup flour, one-half teaspoon cinnamon and a pinch of allspice.  For the crust, I used a double crust recipe that includes one egg and distilled white vinegar, but any pie crust recipe will be fine.  Not having made the slab pie before, I found I was not used to rolling rectangles and will need more practice (which means we get to eat more pie here, hehe).  I did have to patch the dough in a few places.  Just make sure to gingerly fit the dough across the bottom and up the sides of the cookie sheet you use.  The top crust should easily fit across the pie.  You can probably see that I sealed the edges with the tines of a fork.  Once I brushed milk on the crust and sprinkled my turbinado sugar, it baked just fine.  I hope there is a sweet slab in your future!

 & FLOWER 

     Lately I have been looking carefully at my potted plants.  My observations have told me the same thing about all of them.  They are getting really big!  So what did I do?  I started making little plants

from big plants.  Yes, every year about this time, I try to decrease the size of my plants in pots by taking cuttings and starting new ones.  I know it is early for the Autumn season, but as a gardener who tries to "winter over" many plants, I need to think ahead.  I have shared many cuttings with friends and coworkers over the years.  I have also given away several plants of which I have multiples.  Indeed, this is one sure way to learn who is a plant person like you!
     Let me clarify something.  I bring in ALL of my potted plants to my garage including geraniums, sedum, begonias, Boston ferns and asparagus ferns.  These particular plants will live through the winter, but will appear to be dormant despite a small amount of watering and little light.  The plants I take cuttings of are house plants.  I will bring inside my house about a half dozen of these, but several remain in the garage and they can winter over there as well.
    Once you have your starters, perhaps some of you may have the opportunity to sell them at fall festivals or holiday bazaars.  If so, make sure you tell your customers that these plants live year round and can definitely be brought inside for the winter.  The photo above includes yellow Kalanchoe, white Christmas cactus, and a variety of the Wandering Jew plant (Tradescantia species).  Each one of these cuttings was dipped in a rooting hormone powder and then inserted into a container of potting soil.  I made sure that each cutting was deeply placed in its new container.  Then I lightly watered and placed these pots on my porch closer to the house for indirect sun only.  When I see that they are becoming acclimated to their new home (they seem to stand up like little soldiers) then I will move them out to get a little more light.
     When it is time to bring in my plants for winter (I usually do this in early November.) hopefully I will have found new homes for all the young starters.  By the way I must continue to take cuttings as I am no where near finished!


     This photo below is a cluster of seeds from a crepe myrtle bush.  I am in the process now of trimming these green seeds from this bush and all my other 11 bushes in hopes that they will give one more try at blooming this year.  All of my shrubs have experienced the excessive heat recently, so I wonder if they bloom again just how showy they will be.  I have trimmed off these seeds several times before and been happy with the results.  It is nice to get continuous bloom from these beautiful crepe myrtles.  I have the rose color and also lavender and red.  To me summer would not be the same without their color.  Trimming the seeds away also lengthens the beautiful colors well into fall.