FLOUR-- I know this is party time, event time, and fun time.  But if you are still preparing an evening meal for your family during this busy time, please use as many shortcuts as possible.  Not every meal has to be freshly made.  My household consists of only two people now and I like to cook, but we still eat leftovers.  I also use those leftovers to help make a not-so-new meal, seem like it is.  

     For example, cooked chicken is often a leftover.  This means that last night's baked chicken, smoked chicken, or rotisserie chicken grabbed while making a last minute stop at the grocery store can now become something else.  Take the meat off the bone (Your own hands and fingers are the best tools for this job!) and chop it to include in a pot pie, chicken noodle soup, tacos, or add to a salad.  Yes indeed, turkey can be used the same way.

     Another versatile ingredient is rice.  Add it to fried rice or a chicken and rice soup.  One time a relative said she forgot to put the rice in her broccoli and rice casserole.  If she had leftover rice in her refrigerator, it could have gone into the casserole.  Who's going to know?  My friend's mom used to make salmon croquettes adding leftover rice as a filler.  Rice is also good cold adding to vanilla pudding, cinnamon, and raisins.  Of course to be a dessert, it should not have any initial savory flavors.

     Now bread and cheese are very adaptable.  I used to make croutons a lot with bread that had grown stale.  I have made them with loaf bread and different yeast breads.  Get out your food processor and make some crumbs with leftover bread.  You could choose to toast it or not.  The crumbs can be frozen, but need to be used within a three month period.  Bread pudding is a good option for using up stale rolls or part of a random loaf.  Cheese is also ready for melding with macaroni or other pastas.  It's great as a topping, in a sandwich, as part of a salad, or melted in a pot of broccoli cheese soup, as an example.   

BLACK FRIDAY BREAD

     Those leftover veggies can be added to omelets, frittatas, pasta dishes, quick breads (zucchini bread), and even those morning smoothies.  While visiting a relative once, I saw her walk out the door going to work drinking a green smoothie.  Later on that day I asked how she achieved the green color.  She said the spinach that wasn't used in her previous night's dinner was put in her blender that morning.  Wonders never cease! Speaking of wonders.  Recently I tried following King Arthur Flour's Black Friday Bread which called for adding some leftover vegetables from Thanksgiving dinner.  I added carrot, mashed potato, and cranberries, along with a spoonful of my dressing.  It was great!.  This yeast bread was soft with the added veggies and included the earthy and herb-y taste of my dressing.  Oh I love gaining knowledge by trying things!  (If you are interested, the recipe is easily found on the internet.) 

     Enjoy the holidays!  Use a few tips to help you get your meals together without feeling stressed.  When you hear the compliments, who needs to know they were made with the help of leftovers?

& FLOWER -- We've had a cold snap recently.  I've only just now let myself believe we are approaching winter considering the type of Fall we've had.  A few days of cool would turn us back to summer's short sleeves and then we'd go back to cold with wind and no rain.  Bbrrrr! My daily walk becomes challenging when presented with cold and wind.  However lately, with the right outer wear (with me that's a heavier lined jacket with hood, scarf, sock cap, and gloves) and the willingness to get outside and move while I still can, has been enjoyable.  How, you ask?  I've made it into a walking Christmas decorations tour.

     When I was walking one afternoon last week I suddenly noticed the strong smell of burning wood.  It was a cold breezy day and I thought about how comforting that woodsy, earthy smell was.  The wafting smoke made me think of how cozy a roaring fire is when one is cold.  I actually started looking around to see if I could tell which chimney had the billowing smoke and there were more than just a few.  While looking around I began really noticing the festive green garlands and red ribbons tied to wreaths.  Then I realized I forgot about being cold.  The brightly colored and decorated porches and windows were spirit lifting and beautiful.  

     Decorating on the outside can be more involved when one considers what is available to do so.  During the Christmas season, many people choose to display festive lights along their driveways, sidewalks, doorways, and windows.  Garlands and wreaths decorate windows and doors.  Lighted inflatable characters sit happily in front and side yards.  And -- all of this is welcoming and beautiful if that is your choice.  We have lights and decorations at our house.

     But, holiday decor can be as simple as displaying a simple green wreath on your front door.  One could also cut pine branches and arrange them in a container on your front porch.  One of the outdoor shrubs I noticed on my walk last week was the older Nandina variety (Domestica Nandina) as seen in the picture below.  It is a vivid green plant in winter and its berries are bright red.  What better time to display it than Christmas?

    
     As far as decorating goes, if you want to "go all out" and can do that, then go for it.  If you want to display a more basic touch, by all means.  Do all your decorative items have to be purchased?  That is your choice.  At my house we are probably 50/50 with lights and wreaths purchased (some on their last leg this year) and the other half natural elements (including what is planted in our yard).

  
    If it is your choice to decorate outdoors for this time of year, just make it your own.  Have fun with it and enjoy!

FLOUR & FLOWER -- Memories, history, comparisons


We always had turkey for Thanksgiving.

Growing up, I remember my mom had this huge metal roasting pan that just did fit in our oven sitting on the lowest rack.  The top seemed every bit as tall as the bottom was deep and I can now deem it the turkey tank because of its stoutness.  Sometimes it reminded me of a ship out to sea and the turkey was its only passenger.  Planning to cook our turkey was somewhat magical too because I always forgot we even had the roaster until my mom unearthed it beforehand.  I mean where do you hide a pan as big as that one?

Early on Thanksgiving morning - like before dawn - Mom would fill the turkey cavity with chunks of onion and stalks of her favorite celery, finishing this preparation with the liberal sprinkling of salt and pepper.  Then the bird was placed on the rack....the rack went inside the roaster...and the whole apparatus was hoisted and slid inside the oven at 325 degrees.  All of this was done, BEFORE sunrise AND morning coffee.  The turkey had to be done by mid-morning in time to bake the side dishes or the whole Thanksgiving meal train would be derailed.

There are other means to prepare a turkey for the holiday table.  The first one I ever did was similar to my upbringing.  I used a large metal baking pan, probably a rectangular cake pan. The turkey took the place of a sheet cake that day or brownies.   I'm positive I covered the bird with aluminum foil....and for the first bird (which stuck to the pan), it turned out fine... maybe a little dry and bland.  As for how we have cooked our turkeys over the years, roasting in the oven has been precluded often by the use of a charcoal or electric smoker.  Yes, roast turkey is delicious, but smoked turkey is too.  The trick with smoking is in the timing.  And let's not forget roasting the turkey in a bag specially made for the oven. I first saw my mother-in-law try this and I was pleasantly surprised.  I've even used the oven bag once.  Clean-up is a breeze, unless you tear your bag. (personal experience!)

I know my additions to the cooking process included my mom's onion and celery, salt, and pepper, but I also added carrot. Not only did I stuff the cavity with the veggies, but I soon began to sit the bird on whole celery stalks and carrots.  For cooking liquid at the bottom of the pan I began using a little water like Mom.  I graduated to chicken broth or a mixture of broth and white wine.  I've even used apple cider.  Later my additions changed to lemon, apple, or both, sometimes garlic, and thyme.

All of these holiday cooking memories bring me to the first Thanksgiving or harvest celebration of 1621 at Plymouth Colony.  (photo below) I have done some reading about this event and below have listed the two sites I visited, as I always like sharing information.  It is very easy to believe that there were turkeys when the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians met to celebrate the harvest.  However there is thought that wildfowl in the form of geese, ducks, swan and even passenger pigeon were definite additions to the menu.  I read in both accounts that the Wampanoag brought five deer to share from a hunt.  Roasting all of these meats I suspect was mostly accomplished over an open fire.  However, I read where the smaller birds were cooked on a spit and larger ones were often boiled in large pots.  Then I read where a roast-boil method might have been done for a single kind of meat or even boil and then roast.  Well..... tasting from one of those methods would have been interesting.

I know that some families today choose to serve other meats for Thanksgiving like ham or venison in addition to their turkey.  It is strongly suspected that smoked fish, shellfish, lobster, clams and mussels were part of this first feast.  That does make sense because we know the Pilgrims were very close to the ocean.

What we call side dishes today can include dressing that we sometimes use to "stuff" our turkey cavities.  This is primarily a bread mixed with broth, herbs and seasonings, a few chopped and sauteed vegetables and baked in a casserole dish.  Marshmallow covered sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, and corn pudding are also popular additions.  Side dishes then were virtually non-existent.  What we make to "stuff " our birds today was then probably chunks of onion, herbs, and chestnuts (like "....on an open fire").  Recently I ate part of a raw chestnut.  It was kind of chewy with a milder flavor than a pecan or walnut. I would actually like to try chestnut stuffing some day.  In addition, walnuts, beechnuts, flint corn (multicolored), beans, squash, and pumpkins also may have been donated to the first meal by the Wampanoag.

Flint corn

I'm sure many have wondered about corn being part of their meal.  I have already mentioned flint corn.  And yes, the familiar yellow corn that we all know was most definitely included, but from what I have read it was not as corn on the cob.  Most likely corn in grain form was used to bake bread or was mixed with milk or water to make a porridge.  And, a thick stew known as a pottage could have been included.  It was made with broth, vegetables, and thickened with grain. 

 I've touched on the meat and bread-like dishes served.  Possibly in the not too distant future, their vegetable harvesting included turnips, cabbage, parsnips, wild onions, and parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme.  Surely those vegetables and herbs added more to the menu.  Disappointing to us might be that there was no pie!  Pilgrims had no butter or resources to make flour this early in our history.  However, it is thought that their harvest table could have included native fruits like plums, melons, and grapes.  For beverages it is unlikely that any other drink but water was available.  The Pilgrims had not been in America long enough to cultivate and harvest any fruits or other plant life in which to make wine or beer, for example.

www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-was-on-the-menu-at-the-first-thanksgiving-511554/

www.epicurious.com/holidays-events/the-real-story-of-the-first-thanksgiving-menu-recipes-article

Random Thoughts and a little...........FLOUR

   

     This is a Macoun apple.  Isn't it a beaut?  I was lucky enough to purchase a couple on a recent trip to the New England area.  If we had driven instead of flown, I would have taken home an entire box.  This apple was that good!  I loved the fact that it made a pop sound when I bit the first piece.  It was sweet, with a just a hint of tartness and had a lightly spiced fragrance. The Macoun met all of my qualifications for a good apple.  No wonder it is considered the "New England favorite dessert apple."  I often purchase smaller portions of fruit when on vacation in a different area, just to try something different.  I sure am glad I did, especially because this apple is only available in the fall, specifically October - November.  If you ever have the opportunity to try one, you shouldn't hesitate.  An interesting fact I have learned is that the Macoun is a parent of the Honeycrisp apple.  So if you like the Honeycrisp and can purchase them in your own area in the fall, at least you are coming close to this treasure.  Happy crunching!

CARDAMOM - I ran across a recipe last year for Chai Sugar and decided to make it.  What mainly peaked my interest about it was that one of the ingredients was cardamom.  Until last year I had never even seen cardamom let alone purchase any.  (The photo at right shows the cardamom seed pods.  The seeds are removed from the pods and are ground into the powder used for baking.)  But I was pleasantly surprised at its color and aroma.  I want to say it smells exotic, whatever that means, right?  But believe me, it has a pleasant spicy aroma.  Some spicy scents seem hot or warm.  I don't get that from cardamom, but it does have a presence.  I made my regular banana bread recipe last week and added some cardamom.  It gave a little more interest to the flavor, so at least for fall and winter, it will become a permanent ingredient for that recipe.  Next I'm adding it to an apple pie.  I have read that cardamom works well with cinnamon and nutmeg recipes, so why not add it?  My regular banana bread recipe includes the usual flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, oil, banana, and egg.  Then the spices are a half teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. ginger.  Since cardamom seems not as strong as ginger, I would go ahead and add 1/2 tsp. or more.  I hope you try this spice in your next banana bread....and you like it!

CHAI SUGAR - I found the recipe in a 2013 Taste of the South Special Collector's Issue for Fall Baking.  However, it can be easily located on the Internet.  The recipe includes 4 teaspoons of ground cardamom.  If you decide to make this sugar, try using it in a favorite cookie recipe.  Thank you Taste of the South!

Lavender

 
FLAVORED SUGAR - Another idea I have read about from Mother Earth News Food and Garden Series, is making flavored sugars.  I appreciate this periodical and only wish to share the idea.  This process entails wrapping either dried or fresh herbs and placing them on top of about a cup of sugar in a container with a lid.  The mixture should get shaken every few days and would be ready for use in about a month.  I could see using these sugars in tea or other beverages.  I would love to bake with it most of all.  I plan to try this soon using some culinary lavender.

 

Garden Thyme

DRYING HERBS - I tried drying some herbs this year.  I followed a microwave method I read about that meant drying herbs in 30 second intervals.  I was a bit leery of this, but the thyme I used worked and dried well.  What also worked for me was simply placing clean leaves from the herbs I brought in on paper plates and positioning them on a table near my east facing windows.  The morning sun from daybreak until noon apparently was enough to do the trick.  I was pleasantly surprised.  The herbs I used were the thyme, sage, a couple of different mints, rosemary and basil.  Basil was by far the most difficult.  I think it had something to do with its moisture content.  I tried the paper plate experiment earlier in October.  I do not know if it would work as well now since we are later in the month and the natural light is not as strong.

& FLOWER

 

    These are beautiful dahlias I saw while on our trip.  They were planted outside of a diner where my husband and I ate dinner one evening.  I have only grown dahlias once.  Each year they must be planted in spring and then dug up for storage after the first frost.  I think I opted not to replant my bulbs again so I could plant something else.  A girl's only got so much room, right?  They are certainly a very attractive flower. 

     Here at left is some fabulous fall leaf color from New Hampshire two weeks ago.  This was our second time to witness the changing leaves in the New England area, and when we were there all of the color had not peaked!  I have always heard of the vivid shades of color in this area and now I believe it.

     Hydrangeas shown above are in their autumnal splendor.  Believe it or not, my husband and I were walking through a cemetery in New Hampshire, trying to find any familiar ancestral markers when I spied this oak leaf variety.  What a beautiful enhancement to this final resting place.  It is my understanding that these shrubs bloom white in summer and over time can turn shades of blush pink, rose, and even beige.

     This last photo at right is a cluster of pecans on a tree after their pods split and before they fall to the ground.  I have seen many sights like this one, especially when I was a child.  The biggest chore in the fall for my sister, brother, and me was picking up pecans.  Then we would sit around our dining room table and crack each one in a sort of vice, and then picked out the meaty treats.  Yes, I do say treats.  To this day I love eating pecans any way I can get them, but especially right out of the shell.

Using Corn Starch instead of --- FLOUR

     My grandmother lived with us for a while when I was a child and I always liked to be in the kitchen when she was cooking.  One of her sweet treats she made that everyone enjoyed was banana pudding.  You know...vanilla wafers, bananas, pudding, and a meringue topping.  It was her pudding that puzzled me though.  I did not understand how she got that luscious yellow creamy stuff from adding that white powder from a box to her other ingredients.  When she told me it was corn starch in the box, the only thing my young mind could equate it to was what got sprinkled on your clothes to make them stiffen once they were ironed.  This possibility seemed yucky to me.
     But Grandma was right.  Corn starch is known as a thickener and it worked wonders in her puddings and pie fillings.  It is also used as a thickener for gravies and sauces, making them shiny or glossy instead of opaque as when flour is used.  I grew up learning to thicken with flour.  But when I watched my mother-in-law make her gravy, I learned how she used corn starch.
     Now, I have also learned that corn starch can make a great shortbread cookie.  The surface of each cookie becomes crisp when baked.  The centers, however, hold together well and have just the right crumbly texture.  Corn starch can also be added to regular flour to make cake flour.  Cake flour is what is usually called for in a cake that should have a light and fluffy texture. 
     So I found this recipe below from www.argostarch.com and made these for dessert one night this past week.  (I appreciate the Argo website, but I gain nothing from its use other than happily sharing the information.)  According to my husband, the taste tester, these chocolate chip beauties passed with flying colors.  These were easy to make and very tasty.  Enjoy!

CHOCOLATE CHIP SHORTBREAD COOKIES

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened (no substitutes)

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup Argo Corn Starch

1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

1 tablespoon sugar

     Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
     Mix butter, brown sugar and vanilla using an electric mixer.  Gradually blend in flour and corn starch.  Add chocolate chips.
     Form into 1-inch balls and place on ungreased baking sheets.  Pour tablespoon of sugar on a small plate; dip bottom of drinking glass in sugar and gently press down on each cookie to flatten.
     Bake cookies for 25 to 30 minutes, or until bottoms begin to brown.
     Cook for 5 minutes on baking sheets, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.  Lightly sprinkle additional sugar on top of cookies while cooling, if desired.


& FLOWER

     The autumn season is a good time for appreciating our trees.  This could mean viewing their beautiful changing colors, planting young specimens, or just being thankful we have them.  Here are three of my favorites.

Weeping Willow - As a child, I liked that it was easy to climb and appreciated that it grew in a rounded shape.  Even though anyone can most definitely see through its long fronds, when playing under that green canopy, I always believed I was hidden.  It grows well in a wide range of soil and moisture conditions.  Its growth witnessed along the Euphrates River eventually fooled some into thinking this tree had a biblical beginning.  That way of thinking prevailed and for a long time the Weeping Willow was linked to sorrow.

Oak - When we moved to what became my last childhood home, there was an oak tree that was planted very near the front sidewalk by the street.  Because of the tremendous height and size they can reach, it is not a good idea to plant an oak tree near a sidewalk.  Its roots can eventually grow to massive proportions, raise the sidewalk, and break it.  Oak trees can grow to 100 feet tall and 150 feet across.  In 2004, the U.S. Congress passed legislation that made the oak tree our national tree.  In medieval times of England, legend claimed that King Arthur's round table was made of one piece of oak.

Cypress -  The cypress trees I knew in my youth were the swamp or marsh kind that had "knees" or  shorter protrusions that rose up from their watery surroundings.  I used to call them the knees "hips." In the fall the cypress turn a rust or orange color as if to blend in to the color scheme of that particular time period.  However, the cypress trees planted in my neighborhood in southeast Missouri do not develop the knees and are used for ornamental landscape purposes.

FLOUR

     We are having our last hurrah of summer here with temperatures in the upper 80s to lower 90s, even though the Autumnal Equinox was just yesterday.  I know it is not as hot as other places can be, but usually by this time we are on the way down the thermometer instead of going up.  I mean it's shorts and tank top weather again!  So as a way of bidding farewell to our warm and fun-filled days, I have made two baked items that include tropical fruit tastes and aromas.
     A friend shared a recipe with me this summer for Banana Oatmeal Cookies because she knew I am interested in gluten free recipes.  Now the recipe below is not totally GF because it does still contain regular rolled oats, but it does NOT have any flour.  Substituting GF oats for the regular oats would make this recipe GF very simply.  I like these cookies a lot.  I admit I questioned the consistency of the batter when I was stirring together the ingredients.  It seemed runny and I halfway thought the batter would spread too much on the cookie sheet.  However I was pleasantly surprised!  The oats began to toast and held their position as the cookies baked.  When cooled the cookies are a little fragile, but very scrumptious with the banana, toasted oat, brown sugar and raisin flavors.

BANANA OATMEAL COOKIES

1/2 cup packed brown sugar                                        4 cups uncooked oats (I added another 1/2 cup.)
3/4 cup oil                                                                    1/2 cup raisins
1 3/4 cup mashed banana (5-6)                                    1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon salt                                                           (I left out the walnuts.)


     Beat brown sugar and oil until blended.  Stir in bananas and salt.  Blend in oats.,  Stir in nuts and raisins.  Drop by teaspoon onto greased cookie sheet or use parchment paper.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Cool completely before removing from cookie sheet.
                                               -----------------------------------------------------------

Pina Colada Zucchini Bread

     I recently found the recipe for Pina Colada Zucchini Bread scribbled on a scrap of paper stuck inside one of my cookbooks.  I do that sometimes.  I was not sure I could find where it came from, but kept looking until I learned it is from Taste of Home magazine.  It was submitted to Taste of Home magazine, by Sharon Rydbom of Tipton, PA.  It was originally published by Taste of Home in 2009.  I gain absolutely nothing from telling others about it, except for the fact that I enjoy sharing information.


     I have come across several zucchini bread recipes over the years and am now glad to include this one in my collection.  This recipe makes more batter then most of my other recipes.  I wondered how much more it would make when I noticed there were 4 cups of flour involved.  I use small aluminum foil pans for quick breads and ended up filling six!  They all baked and rose to beautiful proportions in my oven.  When I took them out to cool, their fragrance from the three different extracts and the pineapple wafted out of my kitchen into other parts of the house.
     I chose to make a few adjustments as I proceeded through the recipe.  Sometimes any changes I make don't work, but this time they did.  To me that is a sign of a good recipe. (or luck!)
1. The amount of grated zucchini I had was not quite three cups, but was an adequate measure.
2.  I added the pineapple and then added  a couple of tablespoons of pineapple juice when I saw that the batter was dense.  It was then easier to stir.
3.  I used only one cup of oil and 1/2 cup applesauce as a personal preference.
4.  I cut the sugar to two cups, again a personal preference.  Next time I will consider adding half brown sugar and the other half white sugar.
5.  Lastly, I left out the nuts to please my family.

     Consider giving these tropical baked goods a try.  Let's say good-bye to summer with style!

PINA COLADA ZUCCHINI BREAD

4 cups flour                                                                  3 cups sugar
2 tsp baking powder                                                     1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda                                                         4 eggs
1 1/2 cups oil                                                               1 tsp each coconut, rum and vanilla extracts
1 cup crushed pineapple, drained                                1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
3 cups grated zucchini


     Line the bottoms of three greased and floured 8x4-in. loaf pans with waxed paper and grease the paper; set aside.  In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda.  In another bowl, whisk the eggs, oil and extracts.  Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.  Fold in the zucchini, pineapple and walnuts.  Transfer to prepared pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45-55 monutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks.  Gently remove waxed paper.  Yield: 3 loaves (12 slices each).

& FLOWER

   I recently helped my daughter divide her five yucca trees into two separate containers.  Since receiving this planting last summer, the entire tree mass has grown over a foot tall.
   

      One can see from the top picture that it was definitely time to divide because of the roots having no more room to move.  I thought I might have to use a regular shovel to separate the trees, but a hand spade worked just fine.  Often I think I am hurting a plant when I have to apply force to separate growth through a plant's root system.

   
     However, once you do this a few times, you realize it has to be done.  The newly potted plants seem to revive themselves, as if to say "thanks."  Here they are still a little sad from the heat and the dividing procedure.  Now my daughter says they are still fighting the heat, but thriving.

   
     This is a spider lily.  I grew up seeing these bloom in September after my brother, sister, and I had returned to school for a few weeks.  This single beauty appeared recently in a flower bed belonging to a lady in my area and she was not sure what it was.  Seeing it makes me remember how one day there would be no spider lilies and the next day we would have a bed full of them in our yard.  They were somewhat of a surprise and I must say a welcome one.  Our area has surprise lilies that are pink, which I love, but I do miss these.

     Update:  This guy (or his brother, sister, cousin, etc.) was on my porch attached to my begonia plant a couple of months ago and has since crawled to this location.  He has taken up residence between two tall flowers on the east side of my porch wall and is just "hanging out."  I read about this Golden Silk Spider and learned they are found all over the world in warmer climates.  I don't ever remember having one in my garden.  The most interesting thing I have learned is related to what I have noticed.  It has what I think looks like a zipper worked into its web.  And...the entire web is redone every day.  That's a lot of work.

     "It takes all kinds," was one way my dad would occasionally describe different people.  I thought of his statement recently when a potential customer stopped at my table at a farmers' market where I am a vendor.  "I suppose all of this is made with sugar," she asked?  I responded with a yes.  She went on to say, "Sugar is about the worst thing we can put in our bodies.  If you just have to do this, I wish you would use something else!" She then walked away and I spent the next few minutes picking my jaw up off the ground.  I was not offended by her remarks.  To each his own, right?  But.....if I had been quicker, I would have told her that I have made quick breads with sugar substitutes before and had very little success in selling them.  Actually a few weeks later, the same woman stopped again, whereupon I took the opportunity to say that I did have -- that day -- two banana loaves that had been made with stevia.  She replied, "Okay."  She then said, "I don't see anything I want.  Thank you." Wondering again what just happened, suddenly I believed I knew.  No, I do not think I have to make every sale, but there was definitely more to this story.  Perhaps this woman didn't know about stevia.
     Stevia is a calorie-free sweetener that can be substituted for sugar using a one-to-one ratio. It is a natural substitute because it comes from the leaves of a plant and is related to some garden flowers like the chrysanthemum.  I purchase a brand of stevia from our local retail department store where I have also bought other sweetener types suitable for consumption by diabetics.
     As I have already stated, I have made quick breads before by making the switch to a sugar equivalent.    When I took them to farmers' markets and spoke of the use of a sweetener, I got comments like, "I don't like that stuff," or "I don't want that."  So for the sake of passing along information, I will report here about my baking banana bread this week.  I made four regular loaves, two with stevia, and two with stevia and a substitution of gluten-free flour for regular flour.  They were all made with the same recipe.  I chose to use stevia over another sugar substitute because I like knowing it is a natural replacement.

     In the photo at far left is Gluten-free Banana with stevia.  I included a gluten-free variety so anyone contemplating giving up gluten could see that they can still have baked goods.  Yay!!  With the use of stevia, the bread is slightly sweet.  The gluten-free flour gives it more of a grainy texture and the bread basically keeps the same "look" the batter had when you spooned it into your pan.  It does not puff and mound over the top like regular bread.  If you want your gluten-free finished product to appear similar to the regular loaf in the center, it is best to use a spatula to smooth out the top.  I did not do this so one could see how the dough pretty much stays exactly how it was before baking.  It did achieve a smidge of golden color while in the oven.
     In the center is a loaf of my regular banana bread using white sugar.  The only alteration I make to this recipe now is to use a scant cup (about 7/8) instead of a full cup of sugar.  Bananas are naturally sweet anyway, so an entire cup of sugar makes it too sweet!  This bread always browns nicely and rises in the oven making a rounded top.  It is the sweetest of the three loaves.
     At far right is Banana bread with just the exchange of stevia for sugar.  You can see when compared to the regular loaf in center, it does puff and mound over partially -- just not as much.  There are also more cracks in the stevia loaf and its color is slightly dark, but not as dark as the regular.  It still makes a tasty loaf though.
     So all I'm asking is please be open to different tastes.  Change can be a good thing!  Besides using sugar alternatives, I have substituted honey as a sweetener in my baking.  You could also use Agave syrup, Maple Syrup, and Molasses as well.  You might be pleasantly surprised at a new taste discovery!  Because you know, it does take all kinds.
    

     I was told this is a garden spider, although I have never had one attach itself to one of my potted plants that live on my porch for the summer.  Its web was very intricate, much prettier than I have seen.  A friend told me later that it was a Golden Silk spider that is nonpoisonous and spins beautiful webs.  I felt honored and continually learn something new every day! 

     The yellow round object attached to the branch in the photo at right is a quince.  I honestly had to remember what the shrub was first!  My gosh, I get so busy just trying to keep up with watering and seeing that things look healthy sometimes their names escape me!  But I did not know that a flowering quince would produce fruit.  And.....this is the first one that I have seen and it is the only one.  We have had this shrub 15 years.

     This purple beauty lives behind our daughter's house.  I am not familiar with its name, but it is a great attraction to butterflies that fly from wildflower to wildflower in that meadow.  What you are seeing is only its top half as I am guessing this shrub (?) is about five feet tall.  I wonder if the insect world thinks the end-of-summer flowers are some terrific banquet prepared for them.

     Morning Glories were one of my grandmother's favorite flowers.  She liked their trumpet shape and their varying colors.  Very early in the morning or in the late evening one could always find Grandma sitting in a lounge chair on her back screened-in porch.  There she would drink her coffee and look out on her morning glories climbing her fence.  They made her very happy.

     This yellow blooming stalk of flowers is a variety of goldenrod.  For years I was under the assumption that it was the cause of my late summer and early fall allergy problems.  However, I have learned differently.  Goldenrod blooms either in late summer or early fall, depending on where one lives, and as in this photo, is very noticeable.  But also blooming and releasing pollen at this time is ragweed, a very dull greenish-gray plant in comparison. So this appears to be a case of believing one to be the culprit because it stands out (goldenrod), and overlooking the real trouble maker (ragweed).  Apparently goldenrod has very little and is only pollinated by insects.  Its worst characteristic is that it spreads aggressively.  The car ride my family took many years ago when I was very young remains a vivid memory to me.  The temperatures were cooler and we traveled that day with the windows mostly down.  However pleasant it started out to be quickly changed when my dad started sneezing-----terrifically, to where each ah-choo almost drove us off the road!  My mom told us to roll up the windows to help him out, which was disappointing,  She said the tall yellow flowers were making him sneeze.  How I wish he were here to tell him what I have learned!

FLOUR

     We are coming to the end of summer.  School is back in session and the Labor Day weekend is in the near future.  Yet our gardens are still going with those goodies that can take the heat, and we are harvesting still delicious vegetables and fruits.  I had some peaches and decided to make a recipe from Grist Mill Quick Loaf Breads by Patricia B. Mitchell,copyright 1991.  My husband loves cornbread, so I thought Georgia Peach Corn Bread would be a good choice.  With the two cups each of flour and cornmeal, it was a dense loaf, naturally sweet with the peaches and mildly highlighted with the hint of honey.  He did said, "This is good!"  I was able to get one small round pan and also 10 muffins from the recipe.  Enjoy!

Corn bread and honey anyone?

 GEORGIA PEACH CORN BREAD

2 c. unbleached flour                2 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 c. cornmeal                        1/4 c. honey
3/4 tsp. salt                        1 to 1 1/2 c. drained canned
1 tbsp. baking powder                  peaches, chopped up (Or you
                                       can use fresh peaches.)
                                     2 cups milk

Mix dry ingredients.  In another bowl combine the remaining ingredients, then stir together the two mixtures.  Spoon the batter into a well-greased 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes, or until the loaf tests done.  Yield: 1 loaf.

& FLOWER

     Here are some of my garden buddies.  This Wandering Jew at left was moved to our back deck this year.  For the past two years it has survived on the front porch.  There it was puny and barely climbed above the rim of its wide and deep container.  This summer it has surpassed the rim of the container and taken on a whole new life.  I have never had this much success with this particular plant.  I did not know it just wanted more sun.

I also took a couple photos of the Wandering Jew during the eclipse Monday.  The first one looked like the one above.  The photo below was at totality.

          These cute little pink roses grow on a bush near our garage.  I got some cuttings for this rose bush from a dear friend of mine, who also knew my mom.  I was lucky that some of the cuttings survived and grew into the seven foot tall bush I have today.  Every time I look at it I think of her.  This lady clips numerous pink buds from her vintage beauty and makes little bouquets to give to friends.

     These green pears at right were given to me by a friend.  I decided to try making a table decoration with them before they became an ingredient in my next baked good.  Actually this was harder than I thought it would be.  I made three trips out to my flowers, herbs, and plants before I opted to use four different types of mint in this arrangement.  The yellow flower is a type of daisy that blooms every other year. 

     This lilac colored hydrangea is actually hiding at the back of my mophead bush.  Usually by this time in August, all the rest of the hydrangea blooms that had not been cut have died.  This one, however, has remained very pretty and is in the process of drying. Hiding in the back for this guy was a good thing.

FLOUR.........NOT THIS TIME

     Well, there won't be any usage of flour this time.  I'm still in a tomato kind of mood.  I know it's August and students are getting ready to return to school, etc., but there are still tomatoes out there...good tomatoes.  I just want to chime in on a few ways to use your tomatoes.
     1. Cucumbers, Onion, and Tomatoes - I remember when I was very young, standing over a bowl of sliced cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes that had been marinating in a vinegar/sugar/water solution.  My grandma caught me and did not say a word (as she was prone to spoil us anyway).  She just laughed.  I guess realizing that a young child will willingly eat slices of raw tomato and cucumber, not to mention onion was victory enough in the child-rearing department to not tell my mom.  Anyway, if you haven't tried this side dish you should.   All you do is slice as much cucumber, onion, and tomato that your family will eat.  We always used a regular salad bowl as any leftovers will keep a couple days afterward.  My grandma taught me to stir together one cup each of vinegar, sugar, and water.  You should get the sugar dissolved in the vinegar first before adding the water.  Let this sit in your refrigerator at least a couple of hours.  As with other dishes, the longer it sits, the better it is.
     2.  Okra, Corn, and Tomatoes - When I have told different people about this dish before, a few have replied, "Oh that's Succotash."  That is exactly why my family never referred to this dish as such.  A lot of Succotash recipes include lima beans and what we made does not.  My grandma and mom both made this virtually the same starting with a large pot in which to cook about three or four slices of bacon that has been cut into smaller pieces.  When the bacon is done, some of the grease can be removed at this point, even though I must admit I did not see this done when I was a young girl.  To the cooked bacon and touch of grease, add your onion and saute briefly.  Then next add your cut okra and cook with your onion for a couple of minutes. You will see that the okra will begin to soften and appear slimy.  That is okay.  Last to add is your corn and tomatoes.  Now your quantities can be what you want.  After the initial three to four slices of bacon, my mom would chop and add a whole onion, about three to four cups of cut okra, the kernels from five or six ears of corn, and she would peel and chop as many tomatoes to make this a full pot of vegetables.  Some salt can be added, but not so much because of the bacon.  However, a generous amount of pepper was always included.  As you can tell, this method made a lot and we did eat it for days.  This recipe can be frozen though and is just as good later on. There loved this so much there were times when we made Okra, Corn, and Tomatoes in the winter with canned and frozen vegetables.
     3.  Lastly I will tell you about Tomato Preserves or Tomato Jam.  I have been looking for something different to sell at the Farmers' Market, even though I have heard of this, but never tasted it.  The ingredients are simple:  tomatoes, sugar, butter, and lemon slices.  I made two different recipes.  One added a dash of cinnamon.  That one did not include Pectin, but took longer to cook.  The other recipe did call for Pectin and was finished in less time, but seemed sweeter.  I cut the sugar in BOTH recipes as one called for four cups and the other five.  WAY TOO MUCH!  Anyway, both taste sweet from the sugar and tangy from the lemon slices.  What I have read suggests using Tomato Preserves or Jam on sandwiches or mixed with cream cheese for a dip.  I am looking forward to trying both methods.

     At left is a jar of my Tomato Jam.  If you like fresh tomatoes in summer, but reach a point where you believe you can't eat another one the same way, look for ANOTHER way!  All you have to do is ask around or search the Internet.   The recipes are out there.  In the meantime, ENJOY your tomatoes while they are fresh!






& FLOWER
     I know we are not alone in having sky high temperatures in the last couple of weeks.  High summer temps and humidity call for daily maintenance to make sure all your work does not die during these stressful times.  So while I have been out dead heading and watering, I took some photos of a few flowers that have hung on rather well.

     You would get the idea that I like the color pink for some reason by looking at the above Zinnias.  No, that was just the luck of the draw there as I planted the seeds I collected from last year.  With Zinnias and other seed packages, you get what you get.  The reward comes in the vibrant colors and many butterflies and moths that the gardener gets to witness as the creatures enjoy what she planted.  Zinnias were my very first kind of flower seed I ever sowed.

     Another version of pink at right is my Phlox at right.  It is kind of mottled from struggling from the recent summer swelter, but still holding on.  Intertwined with it is my lavender that is more bush than flower.  Rocking the orange color at left is one of my Zinnias again.  It's good to clash colors every once in a while.  Standing out gets you noticed.

     Above is my Pineapple Sage.  It has really performed well and smells divine.  So far I have only appreciated it for its scent and floral tendencies. I get a whiff of tropical smell when I walk by or brush against it.  I am really looking forward to its flowering still to come and its ability to attract hummingbirds.

     First I got the pink coneflowers and enjoyed them for a few years.  Yes, I believe I have a pink theme going.  They return every year at the end of my perennial bed near our driveway.  I like the cottage garden sense they bring to our landscape.  It wasn't until about three or four years of their existence here that I realized there were other colors.  So.....I opted for the off white neutral.  I know.  Quite a turnaround from pink, but they are on the west side and really pop over there with the wood mulch and green from the nearby shrubs and varigated Liriope.

     Ah, Morning Glories!  My grandmother always wanted these planted so they would climb the wooden fence that surrounded her backyard.  There she could sit inside her screened-in back porch and see them every morning when she drank her coffee in the summer.  Later on in the heat of the day the flowers would close until later in the evening when Grandma would go back to the porch.  I couldn't resist taking this photo from another yard because it reminded me so much of her.  I have Morning Glories planted on the east side, but they were not blooming at this particular time.  If you want these climbers in your yard, make sure to keep an eye on them.  They are pretty, but also invasive.  If you don't have something for them to climb on they will do so on anything nearby, even your prized potted whatever, shrub, or tree!

FLOUR

Slice of Tomato Pie

     Tomato Pie.......hmmmmm.  This is definitely the time of year to enjoy such a savory treat with SO -  MANY -  DIFFERENT -  varieties of tomatoes now ripe and on nearly every farmer's table at the local markets.  I'm almost glad my husband would prefer a sweeter pie (hehe) but, ohhhhh, what he and maybe others are missing.
     It took a while for me to realize baking tomatoes in a crust was something I needed to do.  I, too, grew up leaning towards the sweet fillings that a crust could hold.  But it didn't take long when I realized that tomatoes, spices, and a "doctored up" mayonnaise filling baked together made this wonderful creation.
     I made a Tomato Pie in the last week.  I decided to stick with what I knew and used a traditional bottom crust.  Make your own or purchase one, it does not matter.  I saw a recipe recently where someone used puffed pastry for their crust.  A packaged crust that has been thawed and prebaked is fine to use as long as you are familiar with it.  I had a recipe to use for a guide, but I changed the cheese proportion and used the tomatoes I had on hand instead of trying to have a uniform look.  I sliced two that were regular size and for the rest I sliced pieces of the Juliet or Roma type tomato.  Tomato Pie is forgiving like that.
     In a nine inch pie pan I layered tomatoes, chopped fresh basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper.  And as in nearly all my cooking, I added some sliced red onion that had been lightly roasted.  Both my mom and sister always said everything needs a little onion. I like the sweeter taste of roasted onion here, instead of getting a partially cooked bite that would be sharp.  All of the seasonings should be to your taste.  Then I spread the filling over all and topped it off with a little feta cheese.
     Was mayonnaise a part of my filling you ask?  Actually I tried mixing about 3/4 cup Greek yogurt this time with about 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar and I was truly surprised at how good and creamy it was.  Don't get me wrong, I love mayonnaise, especially with its lemony punch.  However, it's good to try something different occasionally and Greek yogurt is lower in fat and cholesterol.  So in the first few bites I got the crust flavor, which was standard and bread-like.  Next were the sweet tomatoes, some varying in flavor.  Then came the pop of garlic, salt and pepper with the aromatic basil scent, as well as taste.  Lastly, the cheeses and yogurt served as the binder, and provided the creamy texture.  All the layers of flavor come together wonderfully in each bite.  Tomato Pie could be a lighter, but tasty addition to your summer meals.  It can easily be a side dish or the entree.  With so many tomatoes available, isn't it worth a try? 
    
    

& FLOWER

     The ant, the frog, and the rabbit.  Sounds like the title of a limerick, or maybe a funny joke.  Well, I am living with the ant, the frog, and the rabbit here in Southeast Missouri this summer... more than usual.  I realize that we humans must coexist with creatures.  I also know that these said creatures have their own agendas like staying alive, but must they love my surroundings so much?  Haha, I do admit I am part of the problem by me having and caring for several potted plants and then my perennials, shrubs and summer vegetables. 
     Let me begin with the ants. 

Tiny line of ants

They are everywhere in my yard.  I have seen them in every hole I have dug and every pot I have emptied, repotted, or planted.  I can position a sprinkler in a bed and witness a whole line of ants trailing low across the side of my house, apparently headed for a damp and moist promised land. (As in the photo at right.)  When I pick up a pot on my porch to sweep or move for better light, there are ants underneath scurrying around due to my disturbing them.  Usually this is when I find them rebuilding a new colony.  This summer has been one for using the grainy poison that sends them on their way once it is dampened.  Trails of these light brown granules can be seen lining my porch against the house because some ants have tried to enter our home uninvited.  Can you imagine??  (But that's another story.  So far I am fending them off with strong smelling soap bars, spray cleaner and vinegar.)  I have even put some of this grainy material in the potted plants the ants visit the most and it does make them vacate the premises!
     The frog or actually big, (excuse me, but I know no other adjectives that will do justice here) FAT toads have not been near the problem as the ants.

Toad in square pot

  They are, however, a nuisance when I am watering pot after pot and something leaps out of one at the most unexpected times, often on or near my foot or leg.  Makes me think of a mouse!  Yikes!!  An occurrence such as this one happening once or twice is like I said, a nuisance, but I have seen so many big, gray, toads lying in the tops of my pots, as in the square pot at left.  I finally learned to look for them BEFORE beginning to water.  They know what they are doing too because they lay flat and actually appear very similar in color to the potting soil surrounding them.  Color is a factor in keeping them safe.  The toads think they have it made.

     Lastly is the rabbit.  I love that rabbits believe they are safe in our yard.  Every year we have rabbits and that is fine.  This year we see three nearly every day.  And of course, I think of them as Daddy, Mama, and Baby.  I am not certain they live on our property, but as often as we seen them, it is possible.  I just wish they didn't love a couple of my plants so much.  I have not actually caught a rabbit chewing on a plant this year, but I have had this happen before and have either seen a rabbit on the porch or running from there.  
     Anyway, I have two pots of walking iris of which they cannot get enough!  One has two plants.  The other has 10.  The planter with 10 began to show signs of leaves being gnawed in late May and early June.  I was not happy with that, but I figured it being on our front porch with foot traffic and more noise did dissuade the rabbits from causing further damage.  But the pot with just two that was in the back yard, oh my goodness!  I first saw gnawed leaves and figured that was all they would be after too.  The next time I looked, ALL of the leaves and stems had been chewed down to the base and that had been gnawed as well!  Then the next time I looked at the pot on the porch, most of it had been eaten down to the root nubs too.  Cute little stinkers!  One, two, or all of them also found my parsley and had their way with that.  Now it is gone.  So, I have begun using plastic cutlery to make the rabbits rethink trying to eat my plants.  I stick either knives, forks, or spoons in the soil close together so they are standing upright all around the perimeter of my pots.  I used this idea when I planted my tomato plants in my garden and it worked.  So far it has helped with my potted plants.  At least the plants have begun to grow again! 

Plant leaves and roots gnawed