What is this plant?

Some time ago, I was given this plant by an acquaintance, though she didn't identify it. Or, if she did, I have forgotten. I think that was about three or four years ago.


I thought this poor thing was dead. For the longest time, it was a tiny thing that seemed to barely hang on. Then it was gone. But last year, I noticed a re-emergence. I'm always excited and usually excited to see what survives in the spring.

Throughout last year's severe drought, I kept watering this along with all the other plants I tried to keep alive.

The next thing I knew, there were two of them. This year, the thing seemed to just take off.

The twins, as I now call them, are about two feet high. They have pretty foliage with a five-leaf cluster at the tip of the stem. It also has a side shoot filled with berries.

On one of plants, the leaves have a red tinge. Whether the growth habit or the season is responsible, I'm not sure. The berries appear to be turning red as well. I hope they are bird friendly. If not, it is outta here!

I'd love to attract cedar waxwings. I saw one earlier this year, which was apparently just passing through. I want more!

My attempt to identify this plant has been rather futile. Try Googling bush with berries. Hah, the possibilities are endless.

My first thought is that it might be a 'burning bush,' although I really have no idea. I hope it isn't something that gets humongous, since if it got too big, it would easily outgrow its location right in front of the front porch. It currently gets part sun/part shade.

If you can identify this plant, please comment. I'd love to know. Thanks in advance.

Latest quilt pushes my color comfort zone

Not only is my quilting obsession satisfied by a project I've been working on since January, which takes me out of my color comfort zone, but my "order thing" is getting a workout too.

At the beginning of the year, I laid out some ideas for projects I'd like to complete in 2013. It dawns on me that my record is about 1 and 5. As I mused last January about a very ambitious quilting goal, I've fallen far short. I don't feel too badly about that though. I have always preferred spontaneity to being tied to a specific plan, so whatever I chose to do to fill my time was probably the right decision at the time. Since I haven't been bored in more than 50 years, I'm sure I enjoyed whatever it was. And isn't that what it is all about?

I did finish one project, Periwinkle Blue, in March. I am working on the second project, one that may be completed by the end of the year--the Quiltingboard.com Block of the Month, (BOM) project.

Not only have I kept up with it, but I've really enjoyed it. I get really excited when a new month rolls around. I like having this one scheduled activity since I try not to live with any rigorous routine. I rarely construct the new block on the first day of each month, but I nearly always check to see what it looks like and generally print out the pattern as soon as possible.

All of my quilt blocks will originate from this box

This project was important to me because I decided to use it to play with colors for the first time. Most of the quilts I have completed so far have been monochromatic. I just like a variety of values from the same color family.

With this latest quilt though, I decided to use two colors--yellow and aqua.

When I started, I picked out all the yellow and aqua fabrics that looked like they might go together. They were fabrics I had already collected in my stash. I have since bought a half yard here and a fat quarter there to add to it, but it is pretty much limited to the original box of fabric pieces I selected. The pieces vary in size. Some are leftover from other projects.

In continuity with my "order thing," the name I've given to a subtle but random need for organization in my life, I decided to install a makeshift design wall in my very limited sewing space. I placed a small three-fold paper cutting board covered with quilt batting against a wall next to my sewing machine. It only holds two 12.5-inch squares across and three squares down, but it is enough to give me an idea about what I'm working on. It isn't ideal, but it is definitely adequate.

I can also use my computer to view the finished blocks, and even to arrange them. This may be the best method for me.

I'm anxious to see what the final three blocks will look like. Until I see the finished pieces, I will have no idea how to finish this quilt, but there is certainly time to think about that.

These are the nine blocks I've completed so far, and they are in no particular arrangement.

While I wasn't certain about the color combination at first, the more I work with them, the more I am beginning to like the two colors together.

The blocks chosen for this project were supposed to be a challenge. Indeed, they have been. But that makes it all the more fun. I've decided that I really love matching seams and points, but triangles seem to give me fits. More than one of these seams has been ripped out and redone.

I think, at first glance, that some kind of sashing between the blocks would be in order, as well as perhaps some kind of border that can tie the colors together. Right now I have no idea what kind or what color, pattern or solid.

I still have to decide on the backing fabric as well as the type of quilting--hand or machine. Lots to think about yet, so I'm glad there is still time to decide.

If anybody has any ideas or suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

Buried treasure, kitchen style

When hubby and I cleaned out the pantry the other day, as stated in a previous post, one of our aims was geared to the appliance shelf. We were contemplating items we could include in an upcoming garage sale.

We found this Sunbeam Mixmaster, one that John bought for me many, many years ago--probably sometime in the early 1980's. In those days I liked to bake cookies and other treats for our two little kids.

With just the two of us in our empty nest, and the healthy living diet I insist upon these days, there aren't many baked goods needed around here.

I intended to put this vintage mixer into our garage sale.

Truth is, when John bought it I had my eye on a Kitchen Aid. I admit I was a little disappointed when I got this one instead, but since cost was always a deciding factor in our lives, this is all he could afford. As it was, it was pretty expensive and far outclassed my little hand mixer.

This one was reminiscent of the mixer I remember my mother and even grandmother using, which is something I didn't appreciate at the time. The design hadn't changed much, except perhaps for the electric cord, more powerful motor, and stainless steel bowls. I see things differently now than I did then. I don't care about much beyond functionality. And this one still works great. I admit, this was buried deep in the back of the pantry and I hadn't given it much though in years. If I do have the need, I have a nice hand mixer that has served me well.

When we unearthed this treasure, I dug into the nether reaches of a kitchen drawer, among the spatulas, orange juicer, garlic press, and candy thermometer, looking for the dough hooks that go with this machine. John was amazed. He didn't know it had them. He likes making pizza, so the thought of mixing 'the perfect crust,' which he is always striving for, really appealed to him.

I have never used the dough hooks, but I remembered them because in all the years I've been baking, I've always wanted to try baking bread. There is a bit of a mystery to the whole process for me. I think about the discipline of pioneer women who baked fresh bread every morning from dough they mixed the night before. I've always said that one day, I would get into that; it hasn't happened yet. Then along came the bread machine with its simplicity of throwing a packaged mix into it, waiting a few hours, and lo and behold--bread! In my new found simpler lifestyle, that isn't good enough. The package mix costs too much and contains unknown ingredients. I am also not excited about the unloaf like appearance of the finished product. I have never baked anything with yeast, although my in-laws have perfected their bread-making skills. I suspect it won't be long before I take on this challenge. Stay tuned!

I do like to make banana bread though. It is one of my favorites. And I have found a recipe that is really simple. In fact, it seems there are always a couple of bananas around here that we don't quite finish eating before they pass their prime. So, using them instead of throwing them away is what I'm all about these days. Food is just too expensive. The way I figure, I spent money on bananas; we are eating all of them!

Delicious banana bread

Since we found our mixer and I had a couple of bananas ripe and ready, I decided to make banana bread. It turned out perfectly. I substituted one half cup of the flour with whole grain flour, just to add to the health factor. 

I may be crazy, but I think using this mixer helped the consistency of the bread. It was actually quite good. In fact, this is a mini loaf. There were two others, but we already ate them. It looks like we'll have to look a little further for garage sale items. 

Here is my bread recipe:

Delicious Banana Bread

Ingredients:

½ cup butter, melted

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. salt

½ cup sour cream

½ cup chopped walnuts

2 medium bananas, sliced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a 9x5” loaf pan.

In large bowl, stir together the melted butter and sugar. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix well. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the butter mixture until smooth. Finally, fold in the sour cream, walnuts and bananas. Spread evenly into the prepared pan.

Bake at 350º for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted ito the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool loaf in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

*I generally bake mini loaves, so I reduce the cooking time to 45 minutes. I also try to substitute at least some whole grain flour.

     

Let's get organized!

I am not the kind of person that enjoys keeping a clean house, a clean desk, or anything that requires being neat and tidy--far from it. But there are times...

This photo is the result of the latest-dual-effort-clean-out-the-pantry project. My husband John and I tackled the job together, which actually made it go much more quicker. We even got to laugh about some of the things we found, like canned goods with an expiration date of 2001. That means some of them were old when we lived in our old house, but we moved them here only to get even older.

I got to clean the bottom shelves; John got to clean the top. That works out just fine for us since he's tall. I'm not. Without even discussing it, he handled taking out the trash while I organized the products onto the shelves. I guess that is the beauty of being married a long time--we have our own duties based on what each of us is good at. We don't even have to think about it.

Truth is, I'm very picky about where I want things. All the tomato products go together, labels forward, neatly stacked. This discipline probably originated one of my first jobs at a grocery store. That was back when I was a teenager. Some things stick with you. Besides, I have a natural penchant for order, when I feel like it.

I also like connections. So, from the tomato products, like canned tomatoes, tomato paste, sun-dried tomatoes, the natural progression to toward tomato soup, pork and beans, then to dried beans. Another great connection are the noodles--spaghetti, lasagna, egg noodles, and other kinds of pasta. They are never far from rice products, which includes basmatti, long grain, white rice and couscous.

I've always been funny about what I call my "order thing." By all appearances, people who don't really know me would never guess that I have such a condition. I've never been a slave to my house or office. If there is something I want to do, say work on a quilt, write in a blog, or watch a movie, there can be chaos all around me. I don't fret over it, or even pay attention to it, until I feel like it. I certainly never let myself feel guilty over it, for I know it will be waiting for me when I'm darned good and ready to tackle it. And I always do eventually.

When I finally getting around to something like this, I always feel a sense of satisfaction. Cleaning out may be essential for health, but organization is good for the soul.

Making soup isn't easy if you don't know how

Delicious ham bone soup

The temperature has climbed to well above 90º but it is cool in the house, thanks to the air conditioner. My husband is always hot; I am always cold. He continuously lowers the thermostat while I raise it. So instead of playing with the thermostat today, I decided to make soup. That is an activity that always reminds me of my former neighbor LaVerne.

I never knew how to make soup. That may sound strange, but I really never was taught to cook. When I was a young married, there was no Internet. There wasn't even a Food Network back then. I tried several times over the years, but the result wasn't very good. My soup never had any flavor. I couldn't even make decent chicken soup. I had no idea what I was doing wrong.

I will always be grateful to LaVerne Johnson, the lady who lived next door. She and her husband Merrill were an elderly couple that moved to the Midwest to be near their daughter. They were from Tyler, TX. She was an excellent cook, in an old fashioned, traditional way.

One day she and I were talking. She suggested that the next time I made a large piece of meat with a bone in it, to give her a call. It just so happened that I made a ham. I didn't even know you could make soup out of a ham. She didn't have a recipe, but I added lots of ingredients. I can't recall what exactly was in it because that was probably nearly 40 years ago. I know there was corn in it, as well as tomatoes. And I know that it turned out fabulous. From that moment on, I could make soup.

I believe my problem was two-fold. I never really brought the heat high enough for a proper simmer. Also, I didn't use enough salt or other spices. I never realized that those little bottles in my cabinet weren't there just for appearances. I was to use them to season our food.

Last week I made a ham, which we have much to infrequently around here, since it is just the two of us. That is a lot of meat. When I was a little girl, I often thought of the perfect lunch as a deli ham sandwich on white bread with potato chips on top. I'm older and much wiser now. I try not to eat white bread, because it is so over-processed. I don't eat chips because they have too much salt and other harmful additives. I've even heard horror stories about deli meat. Today I prefer homemade chips made from vegetable I slice myself and cook in the oven--and not necessarily potatoes. Instead of buying deli meat, I opted for the ham I could cook and slice myself.

I cut as much as I could off the bone and put the thing into a soup pot. I chopped up some onions, carrots, and celery and turned it into soup stock. Today I used the quick method to soak some navy beans. Then I went back to the chopping block where I took care of more onions, celery, and carrots. I heated a little oil in the pot and cooked the veges until they were soft. Then I added the soup stock, and the navy beans. I checked out the pantry to see what was in there. Lo and behold I found a can of creamed corn that had been there a while because we probably won't eat. We bought it by mistake thinking it was whole kernel corn. So I dumped it into the pot. I also added a can of diced tomatoes, as well as a couple of potatoes I cut into small pieces. It is simmering on the stove right now. I'll let y'all know how it turns out.

Love August Flowers

I often take a walk around the yard, just to see how my plants are doing. Usually there is little to see past late June. But this year was different. It is August and there are plenty of things to see and enjoy. So as a follow up to my recent post, Rain is done; back to watering, where I proclaim the joy of precipitation, here are a couple of the benefits of the wet weather.

I will never forget this time last year when we suffered such severe drought conditions. The ground was hard and cracked. Temperatures hovered over the 100º mark for days and days. The entire landscape was parched. Even weeds didn't grow.

This is so much better.

A Coneflower I didn't think would make it after the deer pruned it severely this Spring

A young crepe myrtle that has never bloomed so profusely before

These petunias' sparse blossoms were spindly and pathetic, but are now blooming profusely

Hanging geraniums are in the forefront of a bed of impatiens and vinca

Roma Tomatoes were near death from being eaten. Heavy rain sparked new life in them. I now anticipate their ripening.

Rain is done; back to watering

'Bout Time Creek after about 8 inches of rain

This summer has been spectacular, in my view. With cooler temperatures--right now it is a comfortable 69.6º at 10:00 a.m. It may reach 75º at the hottest part of the day. I call this perfection, especially for the middle of August in Arkansas. The windows are open and the breeze feels heavenly.

We have finally had enough rain! After two weeks, the rain finally ended a couple days ago. In fact, I had to water my plants again. They are now spoiled after enjoying such a good soaking every day. The Ozarks experienced a very rainy spell--like nothing I have seen before--at least not during an Arkansas summer.

It rained nearly every day for days on end. Some areas north and south of us were inundated, receiving far more rain than we did. It resulted in flash flooding that destroyed property and even took lives. That wasn't the case here. In fact, the dry creek bed that traverses our property flowed at hardly more than a trickle. 

A few years ago, my husband, John, named our creek. One spring after a heavy rainfall--13 inches I believe--the water rushed like a torrent, draining areas of higher elevation. It sounded like Niagara Falls. He said it was 'bout time there was water in it. So he started calling it 'Bout Time Creek. The name stuck. By the way, I haven't heard it like that since.

Our total rainfall was nowhere near what others received. Unfortunately we didn't monitor rainfall totals over the entire event. Rather we simply noticed two inches here and three inches there. I think the most was four inches at one time. Other communities north of us received two and three times that amount in one day. Here, the ground was so deficient it never really got saturated to the point of becoming mere runoff which explains why the creek never raged. The photo above was taken just a day after the last rainfall. 

I loved waking up to the sound of rain and going to sleep to it as well. I never had this affinity for rainy days before, but I now look at rain as nurturing and so necessary to the survival of all living things. I have come to really enjoy a good rainy day. At times I sat on the front porch enjoying it and watching the birds, seemingly frenzied, as they scurried back and forth from a nearby tree to their feeder and back again. In my mind, they seemed to enjoy the moody days too. 

Some of my friends began to complain about the dark and dreary conditions. I just couldn't relate. 

I suppose I remember all too well what it was like just a year ago when temperatures hovered over 100º for days on end. We couldn't get a drop of rain to save our lives. I watched clouds form overhead only to disappear before my eyes. I didn't think it would ever rain again. I was afraid our well would run dry or all our trees would die. I watched all my plants that I so carefully planted and cared for during the spring months perish in the parched conditions, the unyielding sun burning everything beneath it. The drought was considered extreme. It was really bad. 

So a few days ago when the rain finally ended, I was disappointed. The result of our many rainy days is renewed hope for my garden, which is now thriving and producing. My flowers, some of which I feared would die after becoming lunch for the deer, have recovered and are now blooming again. The rain was like waving a magic wand over the landscape. I plan to enjoy the benefits until we receive our next rain event. Until then, I don't mind watering. It is one of my most favorite chores.