I Had a Carrot Filled Weekend

No, I wasn't picking them from my garden and canning them.

I was shredding them the old fashioned way. Boy, that grater is brutal to fingers. I stopped way short of the end to protect myself.

Then I turned those shreds into these yummy muffins.
I also baked some for dinner on Sunday.

And all I weekend I was reading this:

Don't you just love the burnt orange cover on this book? It's so very fallish. I need to get back to it now to find out who the killer is.

Have a great Monday.

What a Picturesque Location for a Post Office & A Healthy Dessert

I just happened to have my camera in the car when I went to the post office--a plain Jane unadorned old building that I've been to hundreds of times. This time I took a few moments to appreciate the beauty of its location. In fact, I got right out of the car and walked up to and on that bridge to take pictures.
It seems like such a waste to use property with a view like this for a post office that has no windows facing this side. A much better use would be a big house with lots of windows that I could live in! :)

What made me turn into the post office in the first place was the view on the backside. Any idea what this is?
If you live in a cold-weather state, you probably recognize this huge pile of road salt. It reminded me to enjoy the beautiful weather today, because it won't be long before this salt is dumped by truckloads on to the cold, icy roads of my county.

I made the most delicious healthy dessert (now there's an oxymoron) and it was way too easy.

I put a good-sized spoonful of brown sugar and a splash of diet 7-up in a ramekin then added a red Anjous pear (artfully striped). Not only does the removal of a few strips of skin look pretty, but it gives a place for the spoon tip to cut easily through when you are enjoying this seasonal delicacy.
I baked them at 350 for about 1.5 hours.

The liquid caramelized and---oh, boy, it was good!

Now that I am remembering the experience, I want more. I will have to ask DH to buy some more on his grocery shopping trip later this morning.

Oh, Dear, The White Phlox is Blooming

That means this flowering season is almost at it's end!

I have a lot of white phlox--just like I have a lot of everything that likes to bloom in my harsh conditions. After years of gardening, only the tough survive. When you have as much space to fill with flowers as I do, you go with those that flourish in the conditions you provide. Phlox seems to like it here, so I grow a lot of it. I like that my purple phlox just finishes as my white begins to flower. I would have shown more pics of the white phlox, but I walked outside to get some and as I brushed against the big Sedum Autumn Joy
a hornet flew up my Green Acres gown and stung me right in the knee! OUCH!! It hurt! It's been years since I have had a bee sting. That is the one downfall to Sedum Autumn Joy--the bees love it when it's in it's light pink stage. There are at least a dozen bees on each plant.


Other than a stroll or two through the gardens, I have not been outside much for the past week. Instead I have had the urge to change a few things in my living room. I've been wanting to do a flowers/plaids/stripes mix for some time now (like 18 years! It's about time I finally got it done).

Last spring I made a striped valance and last week I finally found fabric and made the lined plaid panels.

Did you notice that rooster that I bought at the Farmer's Market in early August?

I really find something pleasing about that candle-holder guy. He was sitting in the dining room and I grabbed him for a centerpiece. Over the weekend, I brought this table back up from the basement. It used to be a brass & glass table. I decided I no longer liked it and it's been in the basement for about a year. Saturday I took it outside and painted the brass black. Now I like it again.

Anyway, back to the curtains...........
After I had them all made, I did not think the valance and the panels worked together quite as nicely as I would have liked. I decided to use the same fabric from the panels to make Sparkle Jars-inspired rosettes to go around all of the buttons on the valance.

I had a couple of pieces left over and used them as sofa/loveseat backs. I think that worked to force a connection between everything. I now have these rosettes on five windows in my home. I just love them. Thanks again, Sparkle Jars!

It's Labor Day -- What better way to Celebrate than to Work?

O.K. I hear all of you saying that you can think of many more enjoyable ways to spend your Labor Day.

For me, it's just part of working in the hospitality industry. I work every Labor Day. I only had to work 5 hours anyway. Of course I also worked 4.5 hours Sunday.........such is life...the Big Kahuna has no sympathy for people who whine about working.

I did get to enjoy Labor Day. We had our annual party at DH's brother's home yesterday afternoon. It's a tame party...lots of good food, good company and conversation, and a few alcoholic drinks...I did not have any, but they always have beer, wine coolers, etc. Nobody over indulges....maybe that's because our local priest always comes to the party! LOL. I did notice that he had a few beers.

I took a coconut cake which actually turned out pretty good and everyone seemed to like it. I was happy about that since everything I bake lately seems to flop.

Heitagehunter left me this comment:
I just had a oriental poppy bloom, it has just open today. About a month ago I had one bloom but it was not formed correctly this one is small but very pretty.
I have had been growing oriental poppies for 15 years and have never had this before.
First of all, I would like to welcome you, Heritagehunter. Thanks so much for taking a moment to comment. It is interesting to know that I am not alone in my first time Oriental poppy rebloom. It must be some weird weather phenomena. Mine bloomed a couple of days ago and the bloom was smaller than normal. I noticed today that one of the other 3 buds is drying up.

I finally got to use some of that curly grass in a flower bouquet(s) on the table I did yesterday.

I think it makes a great accent.

On my way home from work today, I noticed that pretty blue weed flower was blooming along the roads. As soon as I got home, I changed clothes and headed out to get some.
I added them to my centerpiece. Last year someone told me the name of this wildflower, but I can't remember it at the moment.

I am planning to relax the rest of the day.

We will have a nice dinner of grilled chicken breasts, fresh corn, summer squash and tomatoes from the Farmer's market, and fingerling potatoes.

I hope you are all having a nice Labor Day.

I had a Tulip for Dinner

I was alone for dinner tonight, so I decided to fuss a little and came up with a new twist on a simple ham/cheese sandwich.


This fussy sandwich is not really something that my dear husband would appreciate, so tonight was the perfect time to make it.



Some people can't imagine doing something like this just for themselves. I think I deserve a little something special -- and if nobody else is going to pamper me, then I have to do it myself!

Doesn't this look much nicer than two pieces of bread cut in half?

It was very quick to do.



I used a tulip cookie cutter to cut the bread, ham and cheese. then I stepped out on the deck and cut some chive stems.

I washed and dried them, then searched the refrigerator for something to accent the sandwich with. I was looking for olives, but didn't have any. I decided sweet pickles would work. I just cut them into leaf shapes.

The orange plate was a nice background. I had to have a medium dark plate--white would not show off the flower and a dark plate would not show the dark green leaves.

I put a few potato chips around the plate....gotta have that chip crunch with a sandwich.

I ate my light dinner while reading a book on Halloween decorating.


It was a most enjoyable meal.

Banana Bread in a Canape Pan

Remember that post I did recently about kitchen gadgets I couldn't live without? These gadgets. I said I was going to use at least one of them in September. Last night (even though it was still August) I decided to use one of the canape bread pans to make banana bread.

I pulled 4 bananas from the freezer.

Don't worry about their looks. This is truly a case where beauty is only skin deep. They are fine inside. Because they are still frozen, I use rubber gloves and a small paring knife to peel them.

I popped them in the microwave after they were peeled so they would thaw. Then I went about making my banana bread. I read that the batter must be thick for these pans, so I was happy to see that mine was. I sprayed the pan liberally with nonstick cooking spray. I had to guess at how full the pan should be. .. about 3/4 was my guess.
I put the round caps on each end. On the bottom end I did put some foil, just in case it leaked. Then I put the pan on another pan (again to catch any possible leaks). Oh, in case it flopped, I made the second loaf in a regular bread pan.
I was not sure how long to cook it in the cylinder pan. I decide to check it at 35 minutes.

I am afraid of what I might see, so I slowly lift the top (wondering if it might explode) since both ends are capped and there is no hole for air to escape.


I am just thrilled! It has risen to the top (so my 3/4 guess was right on) and it's nicely browned at the edges.
But just to make sure it's done, I checked it twice with a metal skewer...It seems perfect. I could hardly wait to take it out of the pan and slice it into those pretty little scalloped rounds. I am mentally planning some type of stacked banana dessert on top of my orange flower plates.

I turned it over and was so excited to see it slowly slither out with no sticking. My gosh, this is all working so beautifully! I wonder why have I waited 10 years to use these pans.

And then it happens............about half way out of the pan.....

.........PLOP! PLOP! PLOP!

A big bunch of goo oozes out

I could have cried. The entire center is still raw batter. I stare a moment thinking I should have known it was too good to be true. Nothing I have baked in the past three months has turned out. Then I scooped it back into the pan and stuck it back in the oven for another half an hour.

When I finally took it out and let it cool, it looked like this. The center still was not cooked. I just cut a few rounds from each end and threw the rest in the garbage.

It's a good thing I made one in the regular loaf pan. At least I have something to show for my efforts.

I may try these pans once more. Maybe they should be lying down when I put them in the oven and not standing on end. If anyone out there knows anything about them, please let me in on the secret!

Monday
High 61
Low 41

Brrrr...the weather here is going to be chilly tonight. That low is just 9 degrees above freezing.

Saturday it was cold, dark and rainy all day. We could not work outside, so we left for an overnighter further up north. As you can see the weather was no better. Look how dark and foggy it was at 10:00 a.m. on the Mackinac Bridge.

When we came home Sunday afternoon the weather was much nicer.

As you go through my backyard arbor, you enter this path in the woods. It's where we dump all the yard debris. I see DH has been dumping apples.

What I want to show you is how everything grows back here in the dark. All those lighter green plants are pieces of Sedum Autumn Joy that I threw here after I clipped them off one spring.

I could dig them out and move them into one of the gardens. I probably will do that this week.

A few years back I tossed some shovelfuls of snow-on-the-mountain (goutweed, (Aegopodium podagraria)) under this tree.

That was a big mistake -- look how it has spread. It looks kind of pretty back there, but before long it will take over the entire woods.

I am going to have to get rid of it this fall.

It just amazes how things I toss out, continue to grow, while some I tend to daily, struggle to survive.

As August Ends, A Few Plants Shine

The globe thistle is at it's peak.

Just beginning are the double yellow daisies of 'Annette's Flower', so named because my SIL, Annette, gave it to me. All across my gardens the Sedum Autumn Joy is just beginning to blush. Of all its color stages, I like the light pink best.

On the deck, two dahlias star. 'Park Princess' is still shooting up it spiky pink petals.

This red dahlia came in a pack of 'Rembrandt' dahlias I ordered from Breck's. The other Rembrandts all have splotches of a second color. These don't so I wonder if they are in fact Rembrandts. Whatever they are, they are my favorite red dahlia thus far.

This fall I am going to repot a container mixed with these red and the pink 'Park Princess' above. Don't you think that will make a container to be noticed? I love red and pink flowers together.

The Smokebush gets a New Home

About 6 p.m. last night, I turned on the weather channel and saw that the forecast is for rain, rain, and more rain all weekend.

Ah, the perfect time to accomplish one of my weekend goals. I grabbed a shovel and headed out to the rockwall garden.

I want to move this smokebush. I think the lovely purple leaves will look nice behind a bluish/pink hydrangea.

So I ran out amid the sprinkling sky, grabbed a shovel and moved it.

I finished the move just in time for the heavens to release a 3-hour downpour which did all the watering in that was needed. :) I hope it survives. The root system seemed quite small.

The seasonally-challenged poppy now has 4 buds!

Oh, You Big, Bodacious Beauties!

By now you all know I adore cannas. This year I have had to wait a long time before I had any worth oohhing and ahhhing over.

But finally the containers I planted at work have grown into what I imagined them to be. You really have to have a lot of faith when your original plantings look like these two:


My vision was big, bold canna leaves shooting out the top with contrasting foliage plants spilling over the sides and a delicate flower or two blooming at the base.






After 6 weeks there was still nothing spectacular. Even Ipomoea 'Blackie' and 'Sweet Caroline' were not spilling over as much as I had wanted. I was beginning to doubt my choices.

Ah, but finally in mid-August changes began. The ipomea spilled, the 'Palace Purple' Coral Bells burst into sprays of tiny creamy white, bell-shaped flowers, which were a nice contrast to the big bold striped Tropicanna leaves--as is the purple color of the Coral Bell foliage on its own. Now this is more like my vision of big bold leaves shooting out the top:

These planters don't even need flowers to look good.

Look at the spilling contrast of foliage in this one.

On the opposite side, you can see the coleus has spilled nicely and is a great contrasting plant.
It happens to have a canna flower in bloom. If it had about six of them it would really be making me swoon! So far none of them have had quite enough canna blooms to be totally effective.

If you look closely you can see the dainty little flowers of 'Palace Purple' coral bells:
I am still waiting for the fountain grass to shoot up a bloom or two. It may not in this planter because it's been nearly choked out by the foliage plants.

My two favorites are on the other side of the building, flanking an entrance door. If your monitor cuts off the right side, you will have to click on the picture to see them both.

They both have blooms on the cannas. I have been pinching off the coleus blooms all summer. I am now letting them bloom because there is only 4-5 weeks left until frost, and I think the flower spikes will add some pizazz to the containers. I am so much happier with these planters than I was last year when I did not do the cannas.