Choice Morsels

Each season brings it's own interesting sights to the garden! Highlights of my late summer garden include: A flock of brand new Silver Pampas Grass plumes! This beauty is in a border bed in the front yard and those tallest spires are at least 12 feet tall! Huge Shamrock leaves poking up between hen and chicks! Shamrocks (Oxalis) puts up fresh growth around now, then stays green all winter.  Zinnias! I got these planted late, so they're just now really getting going. I can see this particular bunch from my back door. I love the fullness of the yellow & pink heads! Hummingbirds, butterflies and bees love them! Leaving you with pretty garden pictures while I'm on blogging-break for a couple weeks! My n ext post will be around 1 September!

Two Great Garden Pics today! Native Lily in the Basil! Not long ago I caught on camera this lovely orange native Day Lily bloom among the Basil leaves & blooms under the bird feeder!  My native day lilies bloom in a profusion in the spring and then bloom sporadically the rest of the season. This was one of those sporadic blooms. This Basil is a volunteer, a Thai type, and is a 30-inch tall clump under the feeder now. So pretty.  Rain Lilies! Turns out all that rain is good for something--it made some of my Rain Lilies bloom! Two this week! There must be around 20 planted in that rain garden; multiple colors: pink, yellow & white. I keep hoping they'll bloom in profusion, but they keep their own schedule. The pink have the largest flowers.

Recently, I've been making box mix brownies for Hubby to take up to the Army post for the Single Soldiers Bible Study he helps facilitate. In the past I've used replaced the oil called for on box with Unsweetened Applesauce--and that works well, but it does give  more of a cakey quality to the Brownies rather then fudgy-chewy. I have a big jar of Coconut Oil for it's multiple uses and it's health benefits in cooking and decided to try that---and it made the most delicious fudgy Brownies I've ever made! So, if you're making box mix Brownies and have Coconut Oil on hand, I highly recommend it! The Dark Chocolate for a 10 x 13 pan is my favorite! I also use Special Dark Chocolate Chips. Brownies 1 box brownie mix for 10 x 13 pan 1/2 cup Coconut Oil  (if it's solid, microwave a few seconds to melt back to liquid) 2 eggs 1/4 cup water Make according to directions. Optional : sprinkle a handful of chocolate chips over top, then and bake

My two best Views of Summer: Who doesn't love watermelon? Our Box Turtle friend voraciously enjoying the sweet taste of summer! I just saw him a few moments ago outside, in the rain, under the picnic table and I dashed out to give him a fresh chunk of rind. I think he knows he'll get a treat if he shows up and waits there. He's not afraid. My stone Hippo swimming among wood chips under the  Curly Parsley: What's been your favorite view of summer? ****** Thanks for Visiting!

Today's Garden Pics are Critters that frequent my yard: This is our Box Turtle friend who comes out when it's rainy and wet! This is the one with such a beautiful colored shell! He (or she---I can't tell) really loves the watermelon rind we put out! And this next shot is the Toad that likes sitting in this ceramic pot of Echeveria! I put a yellow arrow pointing at it, since it's covered itself in the container soil so it looks the same color. The eyes give it away.