My July Garden

July is quickly speeding into August. The flowers come and go with the season. I want to post a few of my favorite photos here, taken recently in the garden, just to capture a bit of summertime here in Vermont.  Enjoy!

I really like the Astilbe - so easy to grow. I have white, pink, and red blooming in the garden. 

It spreads each year, so I dig some plants up and transplant them to another shady spot in the yard.

Not sure what this is, but it looks kind of neat.

Hosta blossoms. I hear a lot of people who like Hostas do not like the flowers. I think they are pretty and I like the way they spike high over the plant.

  

                                                       

I love the color of this one.

On the left are Chocolate Lilies. The first few years after I planted them, they were brown and white. Now they just come up yellow. The rabbits love to chew the lilies, but they left them alone this year.                                                                                                                                           

Bulbs to grow the Elephant Ears need to be planted each year. They are fun to grow because they become very large. This photo was taken shortly after the rain. 

I grow Monarda, also called Bee Balm, to attract the bees. Monarda also attracts the hummingbirds!

Last, but not least, one more of the lacy Astilbe.

                                                      

If you found me here, I invite you to check out my newest blog here: Resolutions. Thank you!

Happy Gardening!

Pie Class Pumpkin Pie

I just completed Lesson 9 in my online Pie Baking class. The assignment was to make a Holiday Pie. I still had a can of pumpkin puree in the pantry, so I decided to go for a Pumpkin Pie. The recipe was unlike any pumpkin pie I had baked before.

The pie crust included adding a teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds to the dough. Would that really make a difference in the flavor?

I made the pie dough and put it in the refrigerator to chill. Then I made the pumpkin puree. That’s when I discovered I had no heavy cream! So I googled to see if there would be a substitute – easy enough: one generous half cup of milk with a scant ¼ cup of margarine equals ¾ cup of heavy cream.

I cooked the pumpkin puree on the stove with all the spices.

Then I added the “heavy cream,” milk, and eggs.

I rolled out the crust. Following the recipe, I needed to prebake the crust, carefully add the pumpkin puree, then bake the pie for an additional 25 minutes.

Here is the pie, ready for the oven.

The pie is amazingly delicious. But the sesame seeds? I didn’t even notice them in the crust. Next time I will not bother with them. 

The pie? I will be making this one again for our Thanksgiving table.

Recipe

Cook together for 5 minutes, while stirring: 2 cups of pumpkin puree, 1 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons ginger, 2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves. Blend in 3/4 cup heavy cream, 3/4 cup milk, and 4 beaten eggs. Pour into a prebaked pie shell and bake for 25 - 30 miinutes in a 425 degree oven.