Choice Morsels

Well, my electric lawn-mower gave up the ghost today. That's a good thing, so now I can look into ordering a new cordless electric mower that uses a rechargeable battery instead of a power cord. It's be so much easier. Today's Garden Pics feature cute little tree frogs in funny places: Here's a tree frog in my planter peeking out: I have these cool planters out on my patio that have built-in spaces on the bottom to hold water and this is the hole is available to add water directly, though it also trickles down through the dirt. There's a little water in there and tree frogs like to stay moist. I looked out the back sliding glass door, saw him and grabbed this picture! This was the only day I saw him. Tree frog in my Queen of Tears Bromeliad I discovered this little guy has take up residence in my Queen of Tears plant that's in a pot on a stand in my rain garden out back. The center of the plant and surrounding leaves hold a bit of water a...

I tried this Pinterest recipe recently:   Baked Beans w/ Smoked Keilbasa! I rate it as very tasty and  a step up from just ol' beans & wieners   with lots of smoked kielbasa slices and rich homemade  barbecue! But it's makes a lot, making it ideal for potlucks or pitch-ins or anytime you want a crowd pleaser! Since we're only two people, I reduced the recipe to just enough for two meals for two people. I felt the recipe deserves at least 2 kielbasas, especially since the full recipe calls for 3 (16oz) cans of baked beans, so 1 kielbasa hardly seems enough. I've adjusted the recipe to 2 kielbasas. You might even like 3, if you want a meatier meal. (photo is my own) Baked Beans w/ Smokey Kielbasa Ingredients: 2 slices bacon, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces 1 medium sweet onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 smoked kielbasas, sliced 3 (16oz) cans baked beans  1/2 cup ketchup 1/3 cup packed light brown su...

Today's Mama Kat prompt I've chosen is, "Write something that begins and ends with, "I hope it stays that way." As Hubby and I walked away from the display table of shirts and ties at J.C. Penney's, I hoped they'd stay that way... You see, what happened is, a couple weeks ago, we were just walking around in J.C. Penney's when we passed a display table on the outer edge of the men's section showing off a selection of men's dress shirts in multiple colors and on top of those shirts  about random 7 ties some store worker had apparently put there for a nice effect---but it wasn't nice. The tie colors and shirts they'd been laid on were completely   mismatched! The disparity caught my eye as I almost walked by, but drew me back to try and fix it. I can't stand seeing a mis-matched shirt and tie.  If a guy walks in a room with a bad tie choice, I'll notice. So I stood there at the display table, moving those ties around,...

I bought some new chrysanthemums Monday and, today, planted them in a row under my kitchen bay window: This is the only place I like to put mums. They last a few years, gradually disappearing. The last couple I had vanished this spring. Here in the South, they involve a bit of maintenance, since they bloom both spring and fall and require the old blooms stalks cut back, so for that reason I only these in this one spot. If they thrive, they'll slowly spread. They're Yellow: I was actually hoping for white, yellow, lavender and burgundy in small individual pots, so I settled for yellow, since they were the healthiest looking. I prefer white mums, because of all the colors, they thrive the best. So, we'll see how the yellow do. Mum flowers have different shapes each with a descriptive names, something I learned during my years as a floral designer.  This one is called a "pin cushion" or just "cushion mums." There's also button, d...

If you notice my blog layout looks different, that's because Google told me my previous blog theme wasn't "mobile device responsive," so I had to switch to this theme that is. I got A+ when they tested this themes responsiveness! ******* I decided to try some new dessert recipes I've saved from Pinterest, so this week's new recipe try was: French Coconut Pie! This is a super easy pie to make. It's an old-fashioned recipe, I think, like the kind Grandma's made in the 50's for Sunday dinner. It calls a few simple ingredients mixed together poured into a purchased pastry pie crust and baked.  (photo is my pie) It's pretty sweet. Great for the coconut lover.  I made it a second time, trying out an adjustment to make it a little less sweet and this recipe reflects that change: French Coconut Pie 3 whole large eggs, beaten 1 cup sugar 1 rounded cup flaked sweetened coconut 1/2 cup melted unsalted butter & cooled a litt...

The Mama Kat prompt I chose today was, "If I had to become a teacher, what grade would I choose?" This is speculative, since I never got into that profession. Thinking it over, I decided if I had to be a teacher and pick a grade, I'd pick 5th grade. That's a good age group because it's still an interested and inquisitive age. Hormones haven't kicked in quite yet, so the opposite sex is still regarded as having "cooties." Plus they can carry on a conversation and can work independently or in groups on projects.  Looking from the perspective of the age I am now and things going on in the world around me, there a things I'd want to squeeze in among the standard Math, English and Social Studies if I were teaching 5th grade, which are a tech savvy generation. 1)  Reaffirming Social Graces : Please, thank you, acts of kindness, treating others as you wish to be treated, how to act on social media and so on. (Government employees h...

Today, I cleaned up the bed that runs along the castle block wall.  Greek Oregano and Asparagus Fern dangle over that wall and the bed along it holds blackberries, daylilies, succulent filled teacups and so on.  My main mission was trimming out dead growth in the blackberries and tying new growth up on tall stakes. The 5 foot stems were flopped out in the yard where they were in the way of mowing. Now they're tied up. Also took opportunity to dig in some Miracle-gro infused garden soil around their roots.   While clearing the area around the base of the blackberries and thinning out the asparagus fern, I found this: A Baby Box Turtle: Shell was about 2 1/2 inches in length. I also took a shot of the naturalized area up front where the mail box is between our driveway and the street that's been a work in progress for a couple years now: This view is from the street. You can see the Gaillardia there in the middle, ...

Today's recipe is one I tried late last week originally called "Taco  Spaghetti ," but I didn't use spaghetti noodles. Instead I used my favorite veggie Ronzoni Garden Delight Italian Trio that's a mix of twists, penne and shells instead. It came out saucy I thought, like a very thick chili.  I think this recipe would make a great "Taco Chili" with a little modification to make it a little less thick. (Photo is my own) One Pot Taco Pasta Ingredients: 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound ground beef 1 (1.25-ounce) package taco seasoning 1 (10-ounce can) Ro*Tel® Mild Diced Tomatoes & Green Chilies 1 tablespoon tomato paste 8 ounces spaghetti noodles or pasta of your choice 1/2 cup shedded cheddar cheese 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese Garnish : 2 Tablespoons chopped Cilantro Diced Roma tomato Extra cheese Directions: Heat olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add ground beef and cook until beef h...