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.