Choice Morsels

The Mama Kat writing link-up today is to share a recent recipe try.  Next to the Greek Tortellini Pasta I shared last time,  Bread Machine Banana Chocolate Chip Bread   is my next most favorite recent recipe! Just throw the ingredients into a bread machine pan (wet first, then dry), put it on "Light crust" and use "Quick" cycle and let it make the bread! I've found it best to remove the bake pan as soon as the machine beeps it's done, because if left in there, it continues to bake in the heat as the bread machine cools,which darkens the crust.  (photo is my own) I've made it twice now.  Bread Machine Banana Chocolate Chip Bread Ingredients: 2 large eggs, beaten 1/8 cup milk 2 mashed ripe bananas 1/3 cup melted butter 2 cups bread flour  (or all-purpose flour; either is fine.) 2/3 cup sugar 1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate ch

It was almost nice out today--still a little sultry, but a nice breeze. I planted 6 Broccoli plants in the veggie bed. Their name was "Stir Fry." Also, in the patio pots, planted 2 Curly Parsley and a Lemon Thyme---all of which love the Florida winter. Also I bought a bag of Allium with 6 small bulbs and planted those today as well. 4 in back in the ground and the other two each went in a container garden in front; containers which just have a variety of bulbs in them. Allium make a purple ball shaped flower. They're a member of the onion family. Today's Garden pick is a pretty shot of one of my Purple Peppers right after a rain. They're pretty things. They start as a light lime green, then color up purple and look painted. I saved some seed. They turn green when cooked and taste like any Bell, but I like them for their beauty.

I'm actually trying this recipe as I write---it's in the slow cooker now: Slow Cooker Hobo Dinner! I like cooking two things at once and I love meat-loaf and not having to use my oven to make it. I omitted all the onion powder, since I don't keep any on hand. Instead I added minced garlic and dried basil to my meat-loaf, because I like more flavor, and stirred dried Rosemary in with the potatoes instead of using cheese. I'll give you the recipe as-is and you can make you own taste adjustments. Slow Cooker Hobo Dinner Ingredients: 1 lb lean ground beef (90% lean) 2 large eggs 1/4 cup catsup 1/2 cup diced onion 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon onion powder 15 saltine crackers, crushed  (or, instead of saltines, sub the equivalent, about 1/2  cup of either bread crumbs or quick oats or a little more, as needed.) 1/4 cup catsup 1/2 cup diced onion 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon onion powder 15 saltine crac

T he Mama Kat blog writing prompt of chosen today is, "Write a post inspired by the word: Late." I think everyone has their own preferences for when being late or being on time matters. As I general rule, I like to be on time. Old habit from being in the military. For Hubby, too. However, if it's a large group event where seating is involved, especially if it involves tables full of people for a conference meal or celebration, I absolutely never want to arrive late.  I must arrive 15 or 20 minutes early, so I can be sure to have my pick of where to sit and I can possess a spot. Then I can be the one in control and others, who arrive late, have to ask me if they can join me at  my table.  I  don't prefer the reverse. I dislike having to search for a seat among strangers, asking for a place to sit, It reminds me too much of my school years riding the school bus.  We lived way out in the country and the school bus picked me and, later, my sisters up ar

I went out to mow the front yard and found my neighbor whom we're friendly with (James) working hard on chopping a very old Sago Palm out of his landscape. I think it's original landscape from 25 years ago. Sago Palms were tropical trendy with landscapers in the 80's and 90's and they're cute when they're young; kind of like a shrub of palm fronds. Then they get old and get taller, taking on more of a stubby palm tree form 3 to 6 feet tall and they produce madly around the base. James had dug a 20 inch hole around it and still hadn't reached the root bottom. He did find about a dozen little baby Sago's and pulled those out.  The stem was about 10 inches thick and 24 inches tall from where it was cut off to the bottom of the hole. James decided he was going to use his truck to yank it out. So, he tied a strap around the Sago stem, tied it to his truck and pulled---it didn't budge. The strap just popped over the top. I think he tried a couple tim

Today's Good Eating recipe is a Bread Machine Lemon Quick Bread.  Technically it is "cake," since you'll be using a Lemon cake mix and the "Cake" cycle to make it, but what you get is more dense,  like a quick bread, which is why I call it a "Loaf." I wanted a quick bread, so this was perfect!  You treat it like a poke cake, poking holes in the hot cake while it's still in the baking pan once done with a long wooden skewer, then pour the lemon glaze over the top and let cool. Bread Machine Lemon Loa f Ingredients: 1 box lemon cake mix  1 cup water 3 eggs, lightly beaten 1/3 cup oil 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest Lemon Glaze: 1/2 cup confectioners sugar 3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice Directions: 1)  Remove baking pan from bread machine. Add wet ingredients first: water, eggs, oil, lemon juice and zest, then add the cake mix on top. 2)  Place bread pan back in bread machin

I'm doing my own Mama Kat topic today to show off my newest Hosta Lily additions. We were returning home to Florida earlier this week, passing through Hopkinsville, Kentucky on our way to Clarksville, Tennessee. We've often passed a sign for "Hosta Haven," and this trip we actually visited the place. A retired man and his wife have a nice bit of shady acreage, have an extensive landscape to stroll and sell Hostas and other shade plants. I wanted to update and reorganize my Hosta bed. Here's the bed: Here's the New Hosta's: I chose Hosta's that had a pattern or color other then plain green. I have enough plain green Hostas. Each has a name. Hosta's also come in a variety of sizes from huge to miniature. Liberty This one is an extra large size Hosta with very wide, large white edged leaves. It could get 30 inches across. Sun Power This one is medium-large Hosta with pretty lime green leaves. It's g

This weeks Garden Pic is a fantastic shot of this Annual Cicada I happened to find fluttering around my garden two weeks ago! I think it was probably recently emerged and still getting a feel for it's newly dried wings!  Catching a shot like this is actually relatively rare.  Once emerged, Cicadas normally take to the high tree branches, where males will trill to attract mates. Normally, I only hear them high above or find their discarded shell on the side of some tree. Like butterflies, Cicada's go through a metamorphosis to attain this winged form.  Annual Cicada's are black and green.