Weather not fit for man nor beast. Let's stay by the fire!

Now this is a toasty fire. I'm really not a pyromaniac, just believe in staying warm. Please pull up a chair and join us. We came from here http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1066678/#new

Bubbles said

Even with the chill--I think our citrus trees are going to make it......YEAH! Might have to trim a few branches, but oh well.

I made sauce today for a lasagna on Saturday for a dinner party.

Does anyone have a fabulous biscotti recipe?

I'm making beef and vegetable soup. I simmer Angus stew meat for hours until it's fall apart tender, seasoned with onions and garlic. Then I add rutabaga and/or turnips, potatoes, carrots, baby green butter beans and corn. Just before serving, I throw in a handfull of chopped cilantro. That and jalapeno/cheese cornbread is so yummy. I'm about ready for a pot of chicken and dumplings too, but that'll have to wait until all my water is running again because they sure create a mess when rolling out those dumplings!

Sounds like a very good soup Crow, I like to make soups in winter too.
26 here this morning, supposed to get up to 50, we shall see.

That soup sounds wonderful! I love large chunks of vegies in mine. DH is just too narrow on the types of vegies he will eat but your selection sounds great to me. I am not much of a dumpling fan... dressing either. I think because I grew up in a large family both were used to stretch the meat. Good luck with the plumbers today!

26° in Arlington? We are a good ways to the south of you and still at 20°. Send some this way please? 8 )

Come on down......it IS warmer here!! We are doing an Italian dinner party from start to finish.

And I found the Biscotti recipe I was looking for! A friend made these and they were the very best....now I will give it a try.

If the recipe is to your satisfaction, please share it with us?

Biscotti from Costco's is addicting.

.....Not fond of anything too spicy, but will look for Zummos anyway. The "farm" is about 10 miles from the house. One day multi-million dollar homes may pop up there for folks who want the ambiance of the country life (with raccoons, possums, and lotsa squirrels), but still be close to the city. My nephew sent us a video of a squirrel catapult (that we'd seen before), but there were lots more squirrel videos to follow. Pretty funny!
What am I doing now that it's going to be a pretty day? Why I'm going to go to Dillard's sale and look for somethings to replace the stuff I got rid of in my closet! No seriously....I'm going with my neighbor to look for 'Texas' gifts to take to her 6 friends in TN this week. They've been friends since 6th grade, and hooked up on Facebook again. They're all going to a spa for 3 days. After DH takes his afternoon nap....I'm going to hit him with "THE LIST" that I've made of home improvements for the year. The longer he puts it off.... the more things I think of. Before you feel sorry for him, I have a list I made in 2002 that still has things on it that haven't been done.

Podster--I have not made these yet....but got this from the lady who did. When she gave me a cookie, I took one bite, looked up and said I want this recipe. Best biscotti I had ever tasted. I need to run to the store for anise, and then I will make them.

BISCOTTI
Master Recipe


2 cups all purpose flour
¾ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup almonds (slivered, sliced, or whole)
2 large eggs at room temp
4 tablespoons melted butter
2 teaspoons anise extract or pure anise flavoring, OR 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


1. Adjust an oven rack to the center position and heat to 350°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and nuts in a large bowl and stir to combine. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, butter and anise or vanilla and whisk to fully combine. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg mixture. Using a rubber spatula, mix to combine until a rough dough forms.

2. Dump the dough onto a work surface and knead a couple of times or until the dough comes together, adding extra flour sparingly and only if necessary. Start to form the dough into a big, fat cigar shape and cut it in half. (My friend shaped one large piece rather than 2 small ones) Form each half into a cigar about 1 inch thick, 2 inches wide and about 12 inches long. Place them onto the cookie sheet and lightly press with your fingers to slightly flatten the cigars.

3. Bake for 25 minutes reversing the pan halfway through. The cigars will be firm to the touch and just slightly browned. Remove from the oven and lower the temp to 300°. Let the cookies cool on the cookie sheet for 15 minutes.

4. Remove the cookies to a cutting board using two spatulas. Using a serrated knife, slice the bars on an angle about ½ inch thick to form the biscotti. Lay them back on the cookie sheet with either cut side down and place back in the oven for 15 minutes. Turn each cookie to expose the other cut side and place back in the oven for another 15 minutes. The cookies will take on the slightest bit of color and feel firm and dry. Let cool on a rack to room temp. Store in airtight container.

Makes about 3 dozen small cookies.

That recipe is almost identical to the one in a favorite cookbook I use. I love anything anise. I will have to give it a try... thanks.
LouC ~ no Costcos in striking distance for me. I wish....

We are there!!! 53°

I have been bonding with my Stihl, cutting more firewood. We live in deep woods and when hardwood trees should fall from windstorms or hurricanes, I hate to see them waste so turn them into firewood. I was cutting one up today and I have to share what I found.

I was stacking the firewood and reached for a piece when I saw something purple. My favorite color of course so I took a closer look.

I didn't disturb the roots but took these photos.
The leaves are the shape of hosta leaves or maybe lily of the valley leaves. They were about 4-5 inches in length.
Not all the leaves were this intense color.

Thought I would ask here first and then the Plant ID forum if no ideas.

I am sorry I can't help with this one, it does look like a lily but i don't know which one.

Thanks ~ it is most unusual for its' color I may post it on the Plant ID forum later and will let y'all know if I find an ID.

I'm venturing out tomorrow to do a little retail therapy. 100 miles each way. Tyler's Drugstore Emporium has a great health food section and I got cash from DH today.

Doused the fireplace and drinking iced tea as of yesterday. Funny, a couple of months I lit the fire when the temps dropped to the 60's.

Gee I'm sitting here reading everything since I last popped in and I sorry I lightly giggle a lil.
I think it was Steph that asked ho wt he folks up north handle it when it is cold like it has been down here...well speaking from growing up a yankee..it's just something you live with ...electric blankets, electric mattress pads are wonderful for staying toasty warm in bed. Long johns/insulated underwear with several layers of t shirts and socks also help but then again when you grow up in it you are kinda used to it and learn to live with it....but then also it is a Heck (being nice in here) of alot colder up there as it dips below zero.
I do not miss the bitter cold up north I love it here and wish I could have gotten here sooner.

I'm glad we have a wood burner in the house and DH traded his crossbow for a generator as Sat. morning I woke up at 6:30 to no power, so I got the fire going again and called to report the power out it didn't come back on to stay until 2pm
but with the generator DH was able to watch tv and keep the frig and freezers going ...to run the heat we would have had to unplug everything but the wood stove does a great job warming the living room

I'm just hoping I haven't lost too many plants in the ground and praying the warmer weather gets back here soon

Squirrel update: DH's count is now at 10.....wouldn't let him set the trap again today. I think someone from the next subdivision is now dropping 'em off here.....with their cats....

Our Great Pyrenees has just started having her puppies so I will be up all night. These big dogs always new help. The only heat in our home is a wood stove so I will be putting several logs on the fire before dawn. First one at 8PM;

Oh Ken---how precious and wonderful to help bring in new life. The first one is beautiful.

Very neat! How big are they when born? How many did you end up with?

Down to 27° and feeding the GH fire but amazingly the weather is moderating ~ thankfully!

Well she had two more, one about 10PM and another after 4AM, both stillborn. She is not that old but I think it is time she stopped having puppies. She was in a litter of 12 and her mother was in a litter of 14. Both puppies are girls and we may keep a least one. We kept one from her last litter and she need someone to run the creeks with. I breed peafowl and these are working dogs that keep the predators looking elsewhere. Without these dogs I could not keep any birds out in the country, predators are everywhere.

Proud Poppa;

What a beautiful dog. If they looked like her.....I'd keep them all!

Well, it's supposed to be another pretty day today...until the monsoon comes! LOL Great day to work outside. I'll be moving some of the plants back outside today so they can take advantage of the impending rains and non-freezing temps.

My lettuces, cabbage, and brocooli all survived the freeze with no adverse effects. Woohoo!

We are down to one now. When Maggi came home, she was already cold. She has milk but puppies seem weak. Maggi wants to call her Lucky but that is more of a boys name. In the past we have always named the girls flowers or something from the Lord Of The Rings. Mamma dog's name is Elanor, which is a flower in the magical land of the Elves, Lothlorien.

Here is Nadine, (Moodine on Dave's) with her puppy, Babe, from the same parents. She turned two last December.

Big puppy!

Checked on some gh plants and they needed a drink. As I bent down to turn on the faucet on the rainwater tank, I saw that it was laying on the ground still connected to the cracked pvc pipe, as was the pvc pipe going into the pump. I was so careful about disconnecting hoses and covering faucets, but I didn't even consider the tank pipes. I guess it could have been a lot worse. The large pipe coming out of the tank was okay. I believe that was because I had covered the base of a vine that was planted by that pipe with a rolled blanket. It probably kept that pipe from bursting. We live on a hill and look out to the roof on the house next door. Had the tank pipe burst after the cut-off valve, I'm pretty sure our neighbors would have had a flooded bedroom. Still haven't tried the pump to see if it's okay. I bet stamp collectors don't have these problems with their hobby......

Oh my Goodness, I guess you won't forget to take care of that one again, what a problem it could have been.
I guess the weather fairies were watching over you!!

Yeah.....but stamp collectors are dull compared to us!

Life is an adventure!

Really pretty dogs. One of my dogs just knocked off a chunk of several spineless cactus pads and I grapped a shovel and put the lower 1/3 of last pad in the ground. It's chilly out there gardening in flipflops.

Tossed another log on the fire to warm the toes and dry the air. Time now for Cardinals vs Saints.

After the hit Warner got a while ago,....bet he'd rather be plantin' cactus or toastin' his toes next to the fireplace!

The fire feels good on this overcast chilly day

Glad y'all kept the fire going today. I've been chilled all day with this gloomy, damp weather. Our snowbird company has headed north. Couldn't help but feel sorry for them escaping the cold only to come to our cold which is bonechilling. Bet next year they consider Hawaii!

Bubbles ~ nice to have you join Crowelli as our resident plumbers. I will direct any future questions to you both. Stamp collecting hasn't baited me yet though ~ sorry! 8 )

Some of you have seen this but if anyone was curious about the plant I posted above with the purple undersides of leaves, I got an ID from Australia. Amazingly, it is a wild orchid. Tipularia discolor or Crippled Crane Fly orchid. One more reason to look forward to summer and seeing these plants blooming!

Keeping these home fires burning tonight. Have a good one.

Pod....just seeing this, but had wondered if that could have been a native orchid, 'Might post it on the Mid-South forum for further ID. I remember there were wild orchids out by the river around the MS Coast where I grew up.
As for my plumbing expertise.....I believe I spend waaaayyyy too much time caring for these spoiled little brat plants. I plan to ignore them tomorrow and hit some shoe sales...and not for garden boots either. That'll show 'em...

Bet you can't stay away from the garden centers! After all, tis the season...

A friend that belongs to the Orchid society says there are many wild orchids inTX. This one is even listed in Wildflowers fo the Big Thicket. Just luck (and a passion for purple) to have stumbled across this one.

Probably flea marketing today if the weather will cooperate and more firewood tonight as it sounds like it will be in the 30°s again.

Howdy everyone!!! I'm back from Argentina! And boy do I wish I was still there....90F and sunny everyday. I even have a sunburn! Lol. Came back after the frigid cold thank goodness, but although my house was spared, my parents' wasn't. Had a pipe leak that caused the kitchen ceiling to fall in. Yikes. I'll post pictures soon. It was a fantastic trip! Hope everyone else was able to get through the cold ok.

Kim

Well welcome back Kim....sorry didn't know you had skipped the country. Hate your parents had damage. At least they weren't away when it happened and come home to a mess in all the house.

Welcome back Kim....did you get to see any fascinating flora while you were there?

It's been a while since I've posted, but I did take the time to at least read everyone's posts. All in all, my greenhouse plants made it through the 4 day freeze. A few Brugs close to the northwest and west side suffered a fit of frostbite when the propane tank ran dry. A pipe and an anti-siphon vale out by one of the stock tanks cracked, but the water was off so no other damage occurred. No damage here in the house, but then I left the water on for almost 2 days.

pod - I looked for some information on that crippled crane fly orchid. Great find! I've found all sorts of plants here on the ranch, but never anything as exotic as an orchid. In case you want to move it closer, this link has some helpful hints.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/85540/

Kim - Welcome back. I hope your parents were able to get help quickly. It happening on a week-end can make getting help difficult.

bubbles - I'm glad you escaped with minimal damage. As I was reading this part of your sentence , "As I bent down to turn on the faucet on the rainwater tank, I saw ..." I imagined you finding a frozen snake or 2 before realizing that they are safe and warm under ground somewhere. This past summer, I had a resident water moccasin around the house. Occasionally, I'd see it go into my greenhouse through the open side.

kenboy - I've been following your story of the puppies' births. I hope that by now the little one (s?) are stronger or are you having to hand feed them?

morganc - I agree with you on stamp collecting.

It's been awhile since I posted too but if you miss a couple of days, you can be way behind around here! lol

Kenboy, so sorry about your pups. We are still trying to establish our dog pack here for the same reasons you mentioned. Best wishes.

Looking forward to the Argentina flora pictures!

Podster, congrats on your find!

Guess I need to make a walk into the woods and see if I can find anything special growing. It's been so wet here and just had two more days of rain. I'll have to get on my galoshes.

We lost the last one night before last. I was up most of the night, she was just too weak. We kept a female out of the last litter and wanted to keep one from this litter. This is our third generation and we have always has sisters. Nadines pup is just over two years old and is almost 200 Lb. I would like to find her a boyfriend and get a pup from her. I have looked on line, trying to find a male Pyrenees all around Nadines area, but nothing yet. They are so gentle but they make a person think twice before getting out of the car. If I'm not home it makes Maggi feel safe knowing there are three or four dig dogs out front.