Ahhh yes the scent of....hmmm reminded me of sauerkraut...LOL...even got some put down in my yard tonight...then watered with fish emulsion...yes, my neighbors love me SOOOO very much. Well kiddos...I've just finished up the side job spread sheet - alas I'm too tired to upload pics...stay tuned tomorrow...same bat channel... Hugs!!! And HUGE thank you to Terri and hubby...you really out did yourself...twas a perfect day!!!
Photos & recipes from the VA (southern) swap
Buttoneer---
Please forgive me if What i asked offended you. It was not meant that way at all......
I just wanted to finish "telling my story".....and not lose track.
FF---Did I say Phlox???? They were Irises.....along with the large Peony bushes....
Sally---I never took the Iris sections you were going to give me.
Perhaps you could heel them in until I come to get the Milkweed....
Thanks, Gita
Gita, thanks for posting the pictures and your wonderful narrative, it really captured the day well. Steve - yes, ditto the thanks for that wonderful mushroom compost. I'll be spreading it in my vegetable garden this week - should be the best tomato and pepper crop ever.
LOL, I don't know where my mind goes sometimes. I pulled out plant tags last night, and realized that the "agastache" I was pushing was not the Agastache 'Summer Love' that I thought, but Stachys monnieri 'Hummelo'. Oh well, still a pretty plant anyway.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/88994/
Well for you guys who got to smell it the day after I am still trying to get it ll out of the back of the truck. But I just planted my veggie garden yesterday........so I will see what happens from here. Also got the back beds started yesterday with all the wonderful plants you guys gave me thank you so very much. As for the GF well I will keep her for awhile she is pretty cool even came over yesterday and helped plant. Well more to plant today, thanks Teri and Mike we had a great time. Hope to see everyone in the fall with pictures of the finished yard well half of it anyway next year is phase 2.
LOL. Terri, I thought the leaves of the "agastache" looked very interesting...
Gita, thanks for the great photos. I had the camera with me, but it stayed in the car the entire day. I am very glad you took some photos.
Again, many thanks to Terri for hosting the party and the lovely house tour. Also, thanks to everybody for the plants and Steve and Emily for the mushroom soil.
Oh my gosh......Again, I enjoyed another grand day with some of my favorite people and came home loaded down with plant goodies and ate one of the best meals I have had in a very long time. Aaaaahhhhhh.....life is good.
Yes Terri, we will be talking about the beautiful home you have and the fun we had while visiting you for a long time. I spoke with my son on the phone earlier and told him all about the day. He was impressed by your neighbors for sure.
I realize after seeing all the great pictures that Gita took that I missed seeing so much of the property. John and I are planning a visit in the future and hopefully it will be good weather and I can tour the inside plus see the deck at the lake and the parking area and everything that I missed.
I can't say enough about all the delicious food either......yummy!!! I believe I posted in the wrong spot a bit ago but I hoping to get recipes for chicken kabobs, Sally's cole slaw and who ever donated the Peanut Butter Bars. All were out of this world.
I am sure that as we begin getting our plants in the ground, I will have lots of ID and care questions.
Thank you so much Terri for yours and Mike's hospitality. Fun was had by all.
Ruby
Ruby--Thanks!
I just took my camera and made a walk around the property
for the sole intent of having some photos to share. Glad they turned out
half way decent.....I just have to get a Cannon or Nikon camera soon!
I have had this little, cheap ($79) Polaroid camera now since 2005. it works!
Trying to catch up with some planting today. Mostly containers...window boxes, etc...
My back hurts so bad--Saturday took a toll on me....Must be getting old...:o/
Sally (Donner) --I planted your Strawberries today....I thought you were giving me three!!!!
There must have been 12-13 in those two sandwich baggies....Hope I did
the planting half-way right....Ric helped me a lot with suggestions.....
I know they may be a bit too close together---but so what. I used them all....
When they are growing--I will post some pictures....
Whoever gave me that "Hillbilly" Tomato---It also got planted...as one of my
previously planted Tomatoes was defunct! Dead! Don't know why????
:"Hillbilly" took it's spot...
Thank you all! I will have a few new things to enjoy. Gita
Steve, I wanted to send you a pic of my Trumpet Vine. So you know what you are in for. Like I said it is a big heavy vine much like the Wisteria in size. I have two of them growing up either side of this arbor. Mine is very old and I have been maintaining it at this size for a long time now. If you find a good location for it you will love it. Just be careful when selecting a spot.
At Ruby's request, here is the recipe for the Peanut Butter Bars.
3 cups Special K cereal
3/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup white Karo syrup
1/2 cup sugar
6 oz butterscotch morsels
3 oz semi sweet chocolate morsels
Mix cereal and peanut butter in a large bowl. Put Karo and sugar in a sauce pan, bring to boil for 1 minute. Add to peanut butter mixture and stir in to blend. Butter a 9 x 9 baking pan. Press mixture into pan.
Melt morsels together in a double boiler. Spread on top of peanut butter mixture. Allow to cool and then cut into squares. No baking!!
For a 9 x 13 pan, increase ingredients by 50%, so that 1/2 cup becomes 3/4 cup, etc.
Crispy Coleslaw -old Southern Living recipe
One and a half pound cabbage (average) shredded (or whatever fits in your biggest bowl LOL)
One onion sliced fine
One green pepper sliced fine, or combo of colored sweet bell peppers
1 tsp celery seeds
1 cup sugar
Layer the sliced veg in the bowl while sprinkling one cup of sugar on layers. Refrigerate for two hours.
1/2 c oil
1/2 c plus 2 TB white vinegar
1 tsp salt
Bring just to a boil, stir to dissolve salt and pour over chilled vegetables. refrigerate few more hours before serving.
This message was edited May 24, 2011 8:00 AM
Alrighty....here's some pics...finally...Gita did a fine enough job telling the story so I'm gonna just post the pics.....
I really did love this little plaque
And this sweet angel
Thank goodness...not only great plants...but ohhhh the dumplings
These two are so up to no good...LOL
Let the chowing begin
Cute...that's all I gotta say
Our Miss Holly...don't ya just wanna give her a hug?
What cha got thar Steve?
What a view...
No swap is complete without these two...
Up close and personal shot of those gorgeous stones
Our sweet Sally...another one ya wanna hug...even if on tippee toe
Ok...I couldn't help myself check out this one after the 2008 swap...little Miss Chloe lovin' that lambs ear
Tweedledum - that Canon G11 sure works well dunnit!
Flash forward to April 2011 (I know has nothing to do with the thread...)
It's not the camera Bec...it's my mad, mad skills...LMBO Teasin' with you...you've never steered me wrong on cameras, plants or sushi, my friend
[blushes] - of course it's your mad skills :-)
Chantell- you got mad skills, and you're mad huggable too!!!!!!!!
And so is Chloe!!
THanks for your pictures and commentary too Chantell, I missed the
'place' plaque and its a great one.
Thank you Chantell. Yes, I agree on the huggables of the group. All the others are just as dear and loveable too. Thinking back to the first swap John and I attended which was at Hart's home, I came away that day feeling as though I had just met some of the dearest and most giving people ever congregated together. I have not changed my original thoughts since then either.
Terri's friend, Frances(?) was very impressed too with all the hullabaloo about "here, take this, here, take that." She was amazed by the giving spirit of the group as I was originally. That is one reason that I didn't hold back on my requests this year when folks posted what they were offering. Of course we also came home with more than I had originally asked for too. Only a few things have been planted here so far. John has been busy getting a new bed ready for their arrival. If any of you who gave us plants and know that they will need quick attention, please let me know so that we can get them in the ground first. Thanks All!!!
Thank you Pat and Sally for the recipes. Yummy!!! Pat, I didn't know you made the peanut butter bars or I would have said something. I ate quite a few of them. The recipe seems easy enough and we both love peanut butter and chocolate, so I know it will be a hit at our place. Yummy!!!
I am thrilled as I walk by the large glass table on our screened porch which is full of the swap plants. So far everything is looking great and I am just pleased as punch.
Ruby
Ruby, you were asking about the recipe for the chicken kabobs. Let me tell you, it was very complicated. I had to get in my car, go to Costco, and get them out of the freezer section LOL. I had heard a lady in the checkout line talking about them and how easy they were - they come already on the skewer and marinated (chili lime) - 10 to a pack I think.
Chantell - great pictures!!!
My neighbor friend Cheryl is still talking about how wonderful this group is. She is so delighted with how kind and giving everyone is. She has a beautiful cottage style garden that has been added to over 40 years - almost everything in it has a story and evokes a special memory for her. Now she'll have DG memories in it too, and I know she'd love to come with me to other get-togethers in the future.
This message was edited May 24, 2011 10:51 AM
OOPS, what color was Cheryl's hair? What is the name of the former Crozet resident? I am confused for sure.
Terri, dang I was willing to slave over the recipe you offered for the chicken kabobs but alas, no Costco here. We are members of Sam's Club, wonder if they might sell something akin? Hopefully they will sell the same brand. Do you happen to remember the brand name? I know I am asking a lot, but I am going to try my best to get some of those suckers, yummy.
I, much like Cheryl walked around on a cloud of sorts for a long time after attending my first swap. I too was amazed at the class of fellow gardeners I met here.
Thank you for beautiful memories Terri.
Ruby
Terri--
I just had a thought as to where you can plant that white, Goosneck
Leafstife.....
How about in a semi-shady spot across the pond?
When it multiplies and spreads--it will look like a Gaggle (?)
of geese.....They really do!
Thanks one more time----You two are tops in my book!!!!!
Gita
Hey Ruby, Cheryl has short silver/white hair. Geraldine (Gerry) is the one from Crozet. She was here with her daughter Dawn, granddaughter Ciara, and grandson Dylan. The three generation gals all have blonde hair. I don't remember the brand of those kabobs - I'll look next time I'm in Costco. I think you left your can opener here in case you were missing it.
Sally, that coleslaw was good - I'll have to try out the recipe for Memorial Day cookout.
I've still got a lot of things to plant too, so many plants, so many decisions :-)
Here is the recipe for the banana bread. (Hope you meant the one we brought--was there more than one?) It's Ellenora's recipe and she gave it to me years ago.
Base Recipe:
In medium bowl mix dry ingredients: 2 cups flour, 3 tsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt. Set aside.
In large bowl blend 1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter with 1 cup sugar. Add 2 eggs and 1 tsp vanilla. Mix well.
Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and mix well.
Mash 3-4 well ripened bananas and add 2 tsp lemon juice. (I use the now-empty bowl that had the dry ingredients.) Stir into batter.
Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 350 degrees for one hour.
------------
For the loaf we brought to the swap Ellenora had run out of vanilla so she added extra lemon juice and stirred in dried cranberries. The cranberries have a brand name but I'll have to ask her what it is.
Denise
Gerry and Dawn look very similar, I wanted to comment but didn't know if Gerry would be happy to look young or Dawn not happy to look older to me, or both LOL
Nisi, thanks it was my Mark among others who loved the banana bread!
I agree with Mark, the Banana Bread was high on the list of yummies too. I brought a piece home and ate it later that night. Yummy, will make a copy of this recipe also. I loved the cranberries in it, gave it just the right umph.
You are correct Terri, we did leave the can opener at your place. DUH!!! Will get it on the next trip up. Thank you for the name confusion correction. I liked all of your neighbors.
Ruby
Making the dumpling sauce is easy. Just mix all the ingredients together and let it sit in the refrigerator.
about 70% Light Soysauce
about 30% Chinese fragrant vinegar (adjust the proportion of vinegar and soysauce to your taste)
a couple of cloves of garlic, cut in half or minced (adjust the amount of garlic to taste)
a piece of fresh ginger (I used about the size of a finger for the sauce I made last weekend, but you can use as much or as little as you wish. Remove the skin and slice or shred or mince it.)
1 tsp of sesame oil (strong stuff. Do not use too much!)
1 tsp of sugar (use only if you think soysauce is too salty)
chili oil to taste (optional. I didn't use it because I wasn't sure if everybody could eat spicy food.)
All the ingredients are available at Chinese or Korean stores. The sauce should be made at least a few hours in advance for the flavor to develop. It can be kept in the refrigerator for several weeks. Keep in mind, the garlic flavor gets stronger over time.
This sauce can be used to make Chinese cucumber salads, especially in the summer time -- slice or julienne cucumbers and mix them with the sauce right before serving. If you mix them too early, liquid will come out and the cucumbers lose their crunch. I normally add some cilantro to this salad if I remember to buy it, but some people do not like cilantro.
Thanks for the recipes!!
Is "fragrant" vinegar the same as rice vinegar? or is it the black vinegar I get sometimes (which also comes in a "seasoned" version with salt and sugar added to it)? I'll have to check my cupboard... I have several vinegars, but I don't think any of them say "fragrant." Hmm.