Flowers in the Garden

We've had rain, rain, rain, and more rain! And now it's been hot, hot, hot! It's just been too wet, then too hot to enjoy working in the garden. The vegetables are not doing well, and the weeds are thriving.

I did get photos of some of the flowers that have been blooming. Here are my favorites. The season is short, so I want to remember how pretty they are.

 The daffodils are among the first to come up.

 

 I love the lavender color of this iris.

The yellow irises show off well against the blue house.

One more common, but lovely iris. What I'd like to add to my collection are a few that are 

champagne-colored .

 

I was totally surprised to see TWO tulip blossoms on one stem!!

 

I think this is called a parrot tulip.

These are blossoms on the tree in front of our home.

This is an annual I tried for the first time this year. I hope it blooms all during the summer season.

Here's a common daylily. Some Vermonters say this should be the state flower because it is so common here. They grow along many of the roadsides.

 For some reason the bunnies really like to chew on the Asiatic lilies. Here's one they missed. (Maybe it was because of all that chili powder I sprinkled around it while it was growing!)

I have lavender, white and pink astilbe. The plants keep increasing and multiplying every year. What I like about them is that they look so feathery.

Monarda is another favorite. I'm always watching for the hummingbirds it attracts.

The geranium is a sturdy-looking plant. My Dad liked them on our porch when I was growing up. Each year I try to "winter" as many as I can in the house, then set them outside in the spring.

The daisy is another plant that multiplies each year. I got down on the grass to get a photo looking up toward the sky. I like how it turned out!

And here's the daisy, about as close as I could get. 

This year I also planted about 50 gladiola (Aunt Clara's favorite flower). The bunnies like to chew on these, too, so I planted many of them behind chicken wire. Look for another post from me in mid to late August for photos of glads!

Update: Re-reading this post, I am newly inspired to care for a flower garden this year so our home is surrounded with colorful beauty.

To read my newest blog, please go to Resolutions. 

Happy Gardening!

My Dutch Apple Pie

It was a rainy afternoon and on the kitchen counter there was a bowl of apples no one was eating. I had no excuse but to bake a Dutch Apple Pie.

(It would have to be Dutch Apple because I avoid rolling pie crust.)

Here's the recipe:

CRUST

• 2 C. flour
• 1 C. brown sugar
• 1/2 C. quick-cooking oats
• 3/4 C. melted butter (I used 1/4 C. butter and 1/2 C. canola oil)

APPLE FILLING

• 2/3 C. sugar
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 and 1/4 C. water 
• 3 heaping cups of peeled and sliced apples
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions

Mix together the flour, brown sugar, oats and butter (oil); set aside 1 cup for the topping. Press the remaining mixture into a 9 or 10 inch pie plate.

Whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and water in a large saucepan until smooth, then bring to a boil. Cook while stirring for 2 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in the vanilla, cinnamon, and then the apples.

Pour evenly onto the crust. Top with the remaining crust mixture. Bake at 350 degrees F. for approximately 45 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned.

Here's the finished product:

Serve warm with ice cream or a slice of cheddar cheese. 

I will be using the same recipe with blueberries, peaches, or maybe even strawberries, or strawberry rhubarb, or...

Celebration at Ethan Allen Homestead and Museum

Having lived in Vermont for more than 25 years, today was the first time Geo and I visited the Ethan Allen Homestead and Museum in Burlington. This was a perfect day to go because today, at the museum, there was a 250th anniversary celebration of nine towns (including Williston!) chartered in Vermont.

Here's Geo entering the museum

Director Dan O"Neil introduced the event.

250 years ago, Governor Wentworth of New Hampshire granted charters to nine towns in Vermont located in what is now called Chittenden county (after Thomas Chittenden, Vermont's first Governor).

"Governor Wentworth" did a fine job of cutting the anniversary cake. There was plenty of cake and ice cream for all.

After cake, I took a walk down the path leading to the garden and the original homestead.

The "Three Sisters' Garden" of beans, corn, and squash.

Unfortunately, it was already closed for the day, but I took a few photos through the windows

.

This event was especially meaningful to me because a few months ago, when we visited Jenn and Sean in New Hampshire, Jenn had taken us to see the beautiful Wentworth home in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Now I know that it was Governor Wentworth who gave the charters for towns in Vermont, including Williston. And this is the year we celebrate the 250th anniversary.  

(Oh, I do hope they got some cake and ice cream!)

One Thousand Pieces

Completed!
(I just thought it was worth its own post.)

Kale Chips

I've been wanting to try this, and today was the day. I baked kale chips.

I started out with a package of pre-washed kale. Triple-washed organic is best. I spread it out on a baking sheet and added a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt. Then I mixed it up a little.

I placed the kale in a 400 degree F. pre-heated oven for just over 10 minutes. The kale dried out and the edges were just beginning to brown.

Ready to eat!

A healthy alternative to potato chips, and fun to make.

New Hampshire - Day 4

Wallis Beach is one of Jenn's favorite places in NH, and now I know why. It's crowded with people during warmer weather, but the day we were there, it was like we had the whole beach and the ocean to ourselves. Here are a few favorite photos from that day.

Wallis Beach

Here's Jenn on the rocks.

We'll be back with warmer weather, beach chairs, sunglasses, and picnic lunch.

New Hampshire Day 3

I'm just getting caught up with posting... 

Our visit to Portsmouth was really fun - even though it was off-season. Jenn led us on a walking tour. I really enjoyed taking photos of the historic homes, including those at Strawberry Banke Museum. Click here for the link.

This was the site of the NH Obama/Biden campaign rally.

(That's Geo standing at the corner of the building.)

Jenn showed us where she stood when she went to the rally.










Here are a few of my favorite photos.

                

Rebuilding the bridge, Portsmouth, NH

Because it was off-season, most of the museums and historic homes were closed. All the more reason to return when it's "tourist time."

New Hampshire Day 2

Jenn promised not-to-be-missed views from the top of Mount Agamenticus. (I had to ask her about 5 times to repeat it - "What's the name of this mount again?") Mount Agamenticus is one of the largest forest conservation regions in all of New England. Check this!

Of course, the day we were there seemed like the windiest ever. Brrrr! But the views were so very worth it, and worth a promise to return on another sunny and warmer day.

 Keep warm, Jenna!

See what Jenna almost stepped on, a lonely wooly caterpillar.

Here are the remains of an old ski lift.

Geo says, "Time to go."

We''ll be back!
Thank you to Jenn for sharing the views.

New Hampshire Day 1

Geo and I are spending a few days visiting our family in New Hampshire.  Last night we heard a jazz performance in the Phillips Church of the Phillips Exeter Academy.

The church itself is a gathering place for many religious traditions, including Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Indaba, Catholic and other Christian denominations. There’s a huge pipe organ here I’d love to hear!

Very impressive are the stained glass windows in front and at the back of the church. 

Jazz this evening was a memorial concert in honor of Tommy Gallant, a local instructor and promoter of jazz in the area. His legacy lives on ~ even the Portsmouth Summer Jazz Festival is now named after him.

Guest performers were Tim Ray on the piano and Greg Hopkins on trumpet.   They joined the Faculty Jazz Ensemble Charlie Jennison on sax, Mark Carlsen on bass, and Les Harris, Jr. on drums.

I note on the program that Greg Hopkins had played with the drummer Louis Bellson. Louis Bellson had been a fave of mine since hearing him in Wisconsin many years ago.

This local performance was a nice intro to adventures in our neighboring state of New Hampshire.

Update: To see my newest blog site, please go to Resolutions. Thank you!

NOFA Winter Conference

The weather is still well below freezing out there, but January is behind us, the days are getting longer, and there's a definite hint of Spring in the air. If that's not enough for getting revved up for the new growing season, the NOFA Winter Conference will do it.

NOFA is the Northeast Organic Farming Association. This group of farmers, gardeners, and consumers began to organize about twenty-seven years ago. Click here to learn more. NOFA has grown to approximately 1300 members (including us!), many of whom attended the Winter Conference at the University of Vermont this past weekend.

This is what registration looked like on Saturday:

This year NOFA was honored to welcome Senator Patrick Leahy AND Congressman Peter Welch for comments during the luncheon. Vermont's Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Ross also spoke, as did Governor Peter Shumlin.  NOFA has come a long ways from its humble beginnings.

Here's Vermont's Governor at the podium:

It was difficult to choose from all the workshops. I decided to focus on those aimed at the home gardener.

I came away from the conference eager to expand on what I am already doing, and to experiment with some new crops. At first I decided to do a mini-rice paddy. Yes, wet clay and our climate should be just fine for rice ~ but then I heard that a rice huller is quite pricey. So, my experimental crop will be brussel sprouts ~ not so exotic, but something new for me to grow. And now I'm off to delve into my collection of seed catalogs, and to plan for the new growing season.

Today She Would Be 100

Today marks the anniversary of the birthday of Rosa Parks. She would be 100.

It was on December 1, 1955, when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a segregated city bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She is credited with saying that she was "just plain tired and my feet hurt." Years later in her autobiography she states that she was just tired of always "giving in." Her refusal to move from her seat sparked the successful Montgomery bus boycott, a significant milestone in the Civil Rights Movement.

I have a copy of her "Featherlight Pancakes" recipe. I understand it was found among her belongings written on the back of an envelope. In her honor today, here is the recipe, and a culinary connection to the fifties.

Featherlight Pancakes

Sift together: 1 Cup flour, 2 Tablespoons baking powder, 
1/2 teaspoon salt, 2 Tablespoons sugar.

Mix: 1 egg, 1-1/4 Cup milk, 1/3 cup peanut butter, melted, 
1 Tablespoon shortening or oil.

Combine with dry ingredients. Cook at 275 degrees on griddle.

The unusual ingredient here in a pancake recipe is melted peanut butter. Added flavor, added protein.

Happy Birthday, Rosa Parks. Thank you for your courage.