How to Decorate Your Outdoor Living Space | eHow.com

How to Decorate Your Outdoor Living Space | eHow.com

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On Date Pudding, and Remembering a Friend

In Loving Memory of Constance Sue Williams Griffin

May 6, 1954 - June 19, 2009

Today, we buried our friend, Connie Sue. None of us were prepared for this, none of us expected it, none of us believe it. Yet, we all know, this is what happens to all of us - the one thing that binds us all eternally - is death.
Funerals are odd occurrences. These are times when we run into old friends, forgotten pasts, and for a few moments during the midst of our sadness and grief, after the funeral, after the burial, we gather and break bread ... we enjoy time together - a few laughs to ease our pain - and, we break some more bread together.
Today, it was DATE PUDDING! One of our friends made it. A crazy rich taste, we were all giddy with side splitting laughter, indulging in the rich, rich, decadence of the pudding. Before we parted, Sharon asked, "Do you have this recipe?" No one really did, but I promised I would find one before day's end. And, I did - courtesy of Stop The Ride, a cool blog I stumbled across. This is Stephanie's Grandmother's marvelous recipe. Enjoy! Be kind to one another, remember and cherish your friends, and TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF! You're (really) all you've got ... http://www.stoptheride.net/2007/10/amish-date-pudding.html

Grandma Erma's Upside Down Date Pudding
To 1 C chopped dates add 1 C boiling water and set aside.
1 1/2 C flour
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 egg
1 tsp salt
2 TB butter
1 tsp. baking soda
1 C chopped nuts
1/2 C white sugar
Blend sugars, egg and butter. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Stir in nuts and dates. Pour into 11x7 baking dish.

Top with this sauce:
1-1/2 C brown sugar
1 TB butter
1-1/2 C boiling water
Pour over top of flour mixture. Bake at 375 F for 40 minutes. When cool cut into squares. In a large bowl, layer cake with whipped cream (homemade is best) and bananas. Use a clear bowl to do your layering, if you can. It makes it pretty.

Personal Note: I'd top the whole thing with REAL whipped cream ...

Hip, Hip, Rhubarb!

My Aunt Jeanne made a pie; a rhubarb pie. You’re probably wondering what’s the big deal? Well, as long as I’ve known Aunt Jeanne, she has been on a quest for the perfect pie crust. Her mother-in-law made a magnificent crust that has never been matched – perhaps, until now. Over the years, we’ve tasted and sampled pies that Aunt Jeanne baked, but she always said, “If only I could get that crust just like Harriett’s …” We all thought her pies were great, but Jeanne was not to be dissuaded. My fondest memory of Aunt Jeanne and pies was the precision in which she cut them. One Christmas I watched in amazement as she cut a pecan pie into 15 equal pieces to serve everyone. What began as a joke became family legend.
Back to the rhubarb pie. We were celebrating my uncle’s birthday when Aunt Jeanne announced that we should save room for desert because she had made birthday pie. By the gleam in her eyes, I knew there was something special about this pie. I’m not a rhubarb fan; but I decided to see what the hullabaloo was all about. We all waited anxiously in the backyard while we knew she was inside cutting her pie into 9 perfect slices. But, first, she brought it out to present to us, and with pride, she announced she had reached her pie-making summit, and had her perfect crust! Served with vanilla ice cream, there was silence in the garden as the pie was sampled, and Jeanne waited for the results. Suddenly, there was a burst of jubilee as my uncle led the cheer, “Hip, Hip Hooray, Hip, Hip, Hooray, Hip, Hip, Rhubarb!”
I did not eat a piece of pie that night, and now I’m sorry. Afterwards, I left to ponder what I don’t like about rhubarb. Really, there’s no reason. I used to love it. What had rhubarb ever done to me? Driving down the road, I crossed a railroad track, and a big clump of it sat there staring at me as if I were a criminal. I began to think about rhubarb, and what its purpose was here on earth, besides one great pie I missed out on.
A perennial vegetable from the buckwheat family, I learned rhubarb is native to China and Tibet, and is a high source of Vitamin C. There are dozens of varieties, and it is eaten raw by people in Iraq and Turkey. Wild, European Rhubarb is used for wrapping cheese and pigs love its rhizomes. Himalayan Rhubarb can grow to 7’ tall and has beautiful blossoms.
Rhubarb can be made into a laxative tea, homemade paper, wine, hair coloring, and countless baked goods. It can remove burns on pots and pans. I found the following recipe, and since rhubarb can be frozen, it would make a wonderful dish any time of the year. The salsa can be used to accompany a variety of dishes.

Glazed Roast Lamb with Rhubarb Salsa
1 Leg of lamb (4-6 lbs) Boned and rolled 3 Tbsp Honey 1 tsp Garlic salt 1/4 tsp Ground pepper 2 tsp Red wine vinegar
Rhubarb Salsa
1 C Chopped onions 2/3 C Dark or golden raisins 1/2 C Honey 2 Tbsp Red wine vinegar 4 tsp Chopped Jalapeno pepper 2 Cloves garlic, minced 1/2 tsp Ground cardamom 6 C Fresh or frozen sliced Rhubarb (1-1/2 lbs)

LAMB: Combine the 3 tablespoons honey, garlic salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons vinegar. Place meat on rack in roasting pan; brush with glaze mixture. Roast in 325 degree oven for two to four hours or until desired doneness (150 degrees for medium rare or 160 degrees for medium), brushing occasionally with glaze mixture.

Salsa: In a large saucepan, combine the onions, raisins, honey, vinegar, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and cardamom. Stir in rhubarb. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 min., stirring as little as possible. Uncover and simmer for 5 min. to reduce the liquid a bit. Stir only if necessary to prevent scorching. Set aside. Serve at room temperature as accompaniment to sliced roast lamb. The recipe is from: http://food.sulekha.com

Next time, I won’t decline a slice of that pie.

Dinner Tonight

For dinner tonight, I'm doing a simple macaroni salad. Cook your pasta in salted water, and drain/rinse. Dice celery, onions, stoplight peppers, and blend with pasta. Toss in a pound of large cooked shrimps (remove their clothes, please ...) Then, to the mayonnaise - mayonnaise, I said, NOT Miracle Whip - add Pesto or Thai Green or Red Chili Paste ... Blend, chill and enjoy.

The Parrot Flower

My cousin, Stormy sent me an amazing email today. It contained the above pictures, and the very simple message:

Who, But God, Could Create This?

THE PARROT FLOWER

This is a flower from Thailand . It is also a protected species and not allowed to be exported. This will be the only way we will be able to view this flower.

THE VERY RARE PARROT FLOWER.

White Chocolate & Berry Muffins

So, I'm broke as heck now ... still unemployed ... still looking. I've decided to bake up batches of homemade muffins and take them to the weekly farmers market next week. I think folks would like a breakfast muffin with their coffee while browsing early summer Saturday mornings.

Let me know what you think of this recipe I found today for White Chocolate & Berry Muffins:

You will need:
2 cups self-raising flour
2/3 cup caster sugar
¾ cup milk
4 Tablespoons (or 60g) butter, melted
1 egg, beaten lightly
3/4 C white chocolate chips
1/2 C fresh raspberries (blueberries, blackberries, etc.)
muffin liners
White Chocolate Glaze*

Preheat oven to 400F. Line muffin pan (1/3 cup capacity) w/liners.
Sift flour and sugar into bowl. Quickly stir in milk, butter and egg until
almost combined. Gently fold in the white chocolate and raspberries or
until just combined.
Spoon mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for about 20 minutes or until
cooked when tested with skewer.
Serve muffins warm or cooled. Drizzle with white chocolate glaze.

Makes about 12

White Chocolate Glaze:
4 ounces chopped white chocolate
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons butter, softened
Preparation
Microwave chopped white chocolate and whipping cream at HIGH in a 2-cup glass measuring cup 30 seconds to 1 minute or until melted, stirring twice. Whisk in butter until blended, and spoon immediately over muffins.

(Recipe from Southern Living, 2001)

Seeking Sanctuary in the Garage

I have two neighbors who take full advantage of their garages during warm weather months - perhaps all year, for all I know. But, I have been fascinated for their similar uses for these spaces traditionally used to store vehicles, lawn/household equipment, tools, workshops, etc.

One is a lady living across the street from us. For the past 10 years, I've noticed that from the first breeze of springtime, she throws up her garage door, and takes sanctuary on a big old, ratty sofa, covered with quilts, throws, and tons of pillows. Next to this is a small table with tea, snacks and a mile-high stack of books, which she reads until autumn frost. To the rear of the garage are the usual things hanging on hooks, rakes, tools, furniture, stored winter clothing, and her washer and dryer, sometimes scenting the air with fruity fabric softeners. Like a perennial, she faithfully camps out on this sofa during the day and into the evening, lounging, dozing, but mostly reading her summer books, as if she were at a luxury five-star spa for the summer. I've always admired this lady for her discipline to make herself tune out in "her space."

A gentleman lives down the street, and has a true 'man cave.' I've watched the progression of his private space for about three years, fascinated at how he makes this work for himself. I say "himself" because there's no room in there for anyone else. He has my kind of garage; filled to the brim with "stuff" -- man stuff, family stuff, woman stuff, more man stuff ... I have no idea what the heck is in there, but I have noticed over the past few years that his space is shrinking. What he does is sit in there, among all of his 'things,' and watches television on summer evenings. From the street, I watched with further admiration, and he would relax, with his feet up on boxes, enjoying his favorite shows into the night. I understand, he had not been well, and this was his form of de-stressing. Sometimes, he enjoys a sandwich while he watches his TV. One evening last week, as I walked my dog through the neighborhood, I spotted him with his lawn chair, forced out in the driveway (because of his "stuff") - watching his shows from a distance.

I envy both of these people for taking this forlorn, neglected spaces, and making them their own. We have a family friend that has a large 2.5 car detached garage that they have used for entertaining for years. They have huge cook-outs, steak fries and outdoor parties, and traditionally have used their garage (loaded with two or more refrigerators) for setting up long buffet tables; extra seating and card playing. Heated in the winter, cooled in the summer, it's become a familiar neighborhood icon.

Growing up, my grandfather used to like to sit in the garage, where he would smoke his pipe, and looking down our long driveway, have a keen eye of the street without being seen. That was his sanctuary, and often mine. Even now, 50 years later, I have very vivid dreams of that garage, that was huge, with rafters and lofts, and scary cats that sneaked in a broken window to the back. Over the front was a magnificent awning covered with Concord Grapes in late summer. We had this wonderful, very heavy leather chaise lounge that everyone fought over because it was so comfortable. And, when it rained, we pushed it back into the garage and napped for hours, feeling safe, peaceful and at rest ...

I have a garage now. But, like my neighbor's, I can't get into it; it's so full ... how does this happen? Ah, my project for next summer ...

OliveClean Shampoo for Dry, Damaged and Brittle Hair

OliveClean Shampoo for Dry, Damaged and Brittle Hair

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Olive Oil Uses

Not Just for Cooking:

Olive Oil Skin Care... Straight From the Bottle! You can concoct simple skin care recipes right in your kitchen. Try these mini beauty treatments...

Bath: For a moisturizing, aromatic soak, add about ¼ cup olive oil and several drops of essential oil to your bathwater. I like lavender oil for relaxation just before bedtime. (As with any bath oil, be careful as the tub may become slippery.)

Skin: Gently massage a small amount of olive oil anywhere your skin is dry: face, elbows, feet, or legs.

Hands: Whip up a quick sugar scrub for rough, dry hands. Combine two tablespoons of oil with two tablespoons of sugar. Rub on hands until sugar begins to dissolve. Rinse with warm water. Voila! Silky-smooth hands.

Feet: Apply a liberal amount of oil to feet at bedtime. Cover with cotton socks. Not sexy... but oh-so-soft feet in the morning! The magic works for hands, too. Cover with white cotton gloves (hmm, even less sexy).

Face: Create a moisturizing facial mask with olive oil, honey, and an egg yolk. Beat until well blended and apply to face... then relax! Leave on for 15 minutes; rinse with warm water.

Nails: Warm a small dish of olive oil (not too hot) with a tablespoon of lemon juice. Soak nails for 5- 10 minutes. This softens cuticles while it strengthens nails.

Hair: For a simple oil treatment, warm several tablespoons of olive oil (again, not hot). Rub into scalp and hair. Cover with a shower cap or small plastic bag. Leave on for 20-30 minutes. For extra conditioning, mix an egg yolk with the olive oil... but do not warm. This is great for dry hair and split ends. It may even heal dandruff. Shampoo twice after this treatment or you'll smell like raw egg!

Dogs: Olive oil is an excellent skin/hair treatment for our pets. It is particularly soothing and comforting for dogs with itchy skin conditions, and it makes their coat luxurious! Also, add a teaspoon to their supper dishes (1/2 teaspoon for small dogs), and they will reap the same benefits as we do. I don't know how cats react to olive oil, but to me - it's the fruit of the earth.

Lips: Alleviate chapped lips with straight olive oil. Dab on lips... especially helpful at bedtime. Okay, your body is covered with olive oil! That’s as natural as you can get. If you’d prefer to purchase ready made olive oil skin products, you’re in luck. Manufacturers have discovered the power of this traditional beauty treasure. There are plenty of olive oil skin care products on the market... from olive oil soap to olive oil skin cream to olive oil hair care. The benefits of this anti-oxidant rich oil are no longer just an ancient beauty secret!

Courtesy of Sharonda Flynn, Hairlista

Cuban Style Grilled Corn on the Cob

You can thank Chef Flay for this one.
8 ears corn

4 limes, fresh quartered

garlic butter, recipe follows

1/2 cup Cotija cheese (sort of a Mexican Parmesan), grated

2 tablespoons chives, chopped for garnish

Garlic Butter 1 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened

8 garlic cloves, peeled and coarsely chopped

1/4 habanero pepper, seeded

1/4 bunch fresh chives salt & freshly ground black pepper

Preheat grill to medium. Peel back the husks of the corn without removing them. Remove the silks and recover the corn with the husk. Soak in large bowl of cold water for 30 minutes. Remove corn from water and shake off excess. Place the corn on the grill, close the cover and grill for 15 to 20 minutes. Unwrap corn and brush with the garlic butter. Sprinkle with the cotija cheese and squeeze with lime. Sprinkle with chopped chives, to garnish.

For Garlic Butter: Combine butter, garlic, habanero, and chives in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper; Set aside until ready to use.

Pink Lemonade Cocktail

This is delightful and refreshing whether you're hosting an (adult) gathering for a crowd, or an intimate get-together for two in the backyard.

I also feel a "cocktail cupcake" idea comin' on ...

1 (12 Oz) can frozen Pink Lemonade Concentrate, thawed
3 (12 Oz) bottles of chilled Beer (not dark)
3/4 cup of Skyy Vodka chilled

Stir together first 3 ingredients; serve on ice and garnish with fresh raspberries, cranberries or citrus slices

Strange Fruit - In the Garden

Well, there's been this little vine lurking around my garden - in the daylily bed, to be precise - for a couple of years now. Last year, it had the sweetest little purple blooms on it, as it rambled happily through the bed. Two days ago, I noticed the blooms a bit early, and thought it was so pretty. So, I went to one of my online garden clubs, and inquired if anyone could identify it. I figured it was a weed and/or volunteer, but wasn't familiar with it.
Anyway, I discovered this morning, that the little varmint is Deadly Nightshade a/k/a Belladonna - highly toxic in every way. Huh! Two to three of its berries, which bloom late summer, can be fatal to children, and 15-to-20 for adults. It's deadly to domestic animals, yet rabbits and birds are immune ... what the heck is that about?
So, I'm off to hack the intruder off at the ankles ... too bad; I liked it.

Refreshing Ginger Peach Iced Tea

You will need 6 bags of Ginger Peach Tea, any brand

1 can of Diced Peaches (in juice; not syrup)

Brew the Tea normally (yes, on top of the stove - don't microwave the water!!)

Let steep 15 minutes, remove bags, and let cool

In a 4 qt. pitcher, add steeped tea, diced peaches (including juice), 2 cans of peach nectar.

To the above, add 20 oz. of Ginger Ale and Apple Juice until the pitcher is full to your liking.

Whiskey Steak

For all you grillers out there, Happy First Holiday of the Season. So, here's a new recipe I discovered for whiskey steak.

Ingredients
16 ounce beef sirloin steak
2 cups Whiskey
4 cups Mushrooms; sliced
4 cups Onions sliced

If desired, lightly tenderize steaks with a meat mallet. Place in a ziplock bag with 1 cup Jack Daniels (or other whiskey) and marinate overnight.
Fire up grill and grill steaks the way you like also put a shallow pan on the grill with 1 cup whiskey in. Add mushrooms and onions cook until tender serve over steaks and side dish of your choice.

Cherry Coconut Cupcake

The basis for this delectable cupcake is:

1 box of French Vanilla Cake Mix

1 box of Cherry Jello (reserve 1 tablespoon)

1 half gallon (minus 1 cup) of (premium quality) Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream, Melted.

3 large/Jumbo Eggs

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

Mix the above until well blended - I stir by hand because it's good exercise, and just makes me feel like I'm doing something basic - since I'm using a mix! About 150 stirs should do it. Note: The ice cream replaces your liquids. You may have to adjust this amount to get the proper consistency.

Pour about into a cupcake pan, lined with paper liners, about 3/4 full. Bake at 350F about 20-25 minutes - check as it bakes, because the Jello may cause it to burn. When done - they will be springy to touch - let cool entirely on a wire rack.

Make Filling:

1 can Cherry Pie Filling w/Extra Cherries

1 tablespoon of Kirsch

Stir to blend well

With a sharp paring knife, cut a little "cork out of the center, about 1" deep and 1" diameter. Use a teaspoon to fill the hole, trim the "cork" and plug the hole back up.

Make Frosting:

1 container of (pre-made) Coconut Frosting

1 cup Shredded Coconut

1 tablespoon of cherry Jello

1 teaspoon of Maraschino Cherry Juice (you will need a jar of Maraschino Cherries with Stems - stems are optional); drain the cherries on a paper towel

In a large bowl, blend frosting, Jello, cherry juice - adding coconut last. Stir until blended, and frost the cupcakes. Garnish with a cherry in the center.

Diva-Licious Brownies

This is my favorite brownie recipe. It was originally found on the back of a Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix box - I tweaked it to make it unique and my own:

1/2 C (1 stick) butter, melted

1 box Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix

1 C shredded coconut

1 C butterscotch chips

1 C Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

1 lg Toffee/Almond Chocolate Bar (i.e., Symphony - I know, its Hershey's - Chopped

1/2 C chopped pecans

1-1/4 C (14-oz. can) sweetened condense milk

Preheat oven to 350F. Coat bottom of 13x9x2" pan w/melted butter. Sprinkle brownie mix over butter. Top with coconut, chopped chocolate bar, butterscotch chips, chocolate chips and pecans. Drizzle with sweetened condensed milk. Bake 30-35 minutes

PIE IDEA: Mix Brownie Mix per box instructions. Pour into an unbaked pie shell, and sprinkle with coconut and chopped chocolate/toffee candy bar. Bake pie until it becomes puffy, and the crust is golden brown!

Preheat oven to 325F

The Seasonings of Our Lives - The History of Soul Food

The History of Soul Food

People love comfort food. It’s something you eat when you don’t feel well, or had a bad day. It consoles you. My husband seeks comfort in a certain chicken soup I make. There’s no recipe for it. I just make it as I feel it, but its origins came from my grandmother’s kitchen. In most African American families, comfort food is simply Soul Food.

What is Soul Food? Every ethnic group has its own, but traditionally, it’s a term used for African American cuisine. It’s hard to describe, because each dish has a unique signature from the hand that actually prepares it, using ingredients, spices and techniques from various regions in the south and Africa, from family to family throughout generations. Soul food restaurants are found anywhere in the world, particularly in cities with large black populations, i.e., Chicago, New York, London, New Orleans, Washington, St. Louis and Paris, including fried chicken and waffle houses, fish huts or upscale rib joints.

Soul food was created out of necessity during American slavery. African slaves were only given the leftovers and undesirable cuts of meat from their masters’ tables, who took the best for themselves. Vegetables on a slave’s humble table were only grown by and for themselves in a tiny plot outside their cabin door. But, slaves ate better than their owners, who ate mostly fatty foods, little or no vegetables, tons of sweets and drank alcohol, leaving them lethargic. Slaves needed to be energetic to work, so they had large vegetarian meals with iced tea or lemonade instead of spirits. They made do with what was at hand. Fresh vegetables found in Africa were replaced by throwaway foods from their owners, such as the tops of turnips, beets and dandelions. They discovered new greens, like collards, kale, mustard and pokeweed, using lard for flavor from a slaughtered hog and rendered cracklin' from the skin. From the smokehouse, they were given weekly rations of cornmeal, a pound of meat and maybe blackstrap molasses. They used onions, garlic, thyme and bay leaf, creating savory dishes. Cornmeal became bread; meat (usually pig's feet, hocks, chitterlings, pig ears, hog jowl, tripe, or crackling) was the main dish with big portions of greens, while the molasses and cornmeal were a special dessert.

Southern cooking quickly took on a whole new meaning when the slave became the plantation house cooks. With their palate for spice and herbs brought from Africa, they were able to prepare delectable dishes for their masters. Fried chicken was introduced by the African slave. Plain boiled potatoes paled compared to new sweet potatoes (similar to the African yam). Black cooks created hearty puddings and baked pies from apples, peaches and berries for the master’s table; but made fried pies (Maginty’s) to keep in a pocket for a sweet snack while working in the fields from scrap or dried fruit. Because there was no time to roll out dough to make pies for themselves, they improvised with a short cut we now call a cobbler. The slave’s meat of choice was possum because they could only hunt in the late hours of the night after their work was done. The large pot that was kept boiling in a slave’s cabin became their comfort. After long days in the field or the owner’s house, family and friends could gather around, sing, pray and tell stories of their ancestry.

Some escaped slaves took refuge with Native Americans who taught them to use ground sassafras leaves as a spice, called “filé” (pronounced fee-leay). Every region has its own signature soul food. Rich, saucy dishes with a French accent are from Louisiana; Carolina's Spanish culture favored dishes such as jambalaya and sausage. Soul food also told a story. One is how the hushpuppy got its name from the dredging of the catfish that would have been thrown out. The cook sent it down to the slave quarters where women added milk, egg and onion and fried it up, tossing it to the dogs to keep them quiet while they ate, "Hush Puppy! Hush Puppy!"

Years ago, I moved to Indy and my friend, Becky, said I couldn’t cook soul food. Becky, who was much younger, insisted on lessons. My first lesson was pork neck bones with white beans and hoecakes. “What kind of cakes?” I never heard the term and was afraid to ask, but she explained hoecakes were corn bread batter heaped onto a spade or hoe held over an open fire to make a quick bread. We lived downtown Indianapolis. Where in the world would we find an open fire? She taught me a lot that first winter. Funds were lean and soul food seemed affordable. Not to be confused with hoecakes, ashcakes are a cornmeal mixture baked in an open fire, and the baked bread is washed after cooking, and then served.

Nothing was ever wasted in a black kitchen. Leftover fish became croquettes; stale bread was bread pudding, and every part of a pig was used. The liquid from boiled vegetables is "pot likker," a type of gravy or tea. Good, black cuisine was wholesome food using everything available.Sunday dinners were a traditional time for families to get together for a good home cooked meal, gathering at, not to the biggest house, but the one with the best cook. Usually it was a pitch-in, and the women would cook up a storm. Men didn’t take part, unless there was ‘cueing (barbecue) going on. The term ‘Soul Food’ evolved in the 1960’s; everything was soulful then. Now, when we think of soul food, we think of a much richer table, with trays of ribs, candied yams, greens, fried chicken and catfish and sweet potato pie and melon. Every Black family has its own traditional way of cooking. Some folks like hogshead cheese on saltines, hot sauce and a bottle of beer; crab cakes; carrot and raisin salad; fried corn or pone; red beans and rice; fried liver and onions; beans and ham hocks; stewed okra and tomatoes; cornbread dipped in buttermilk; smothered chicken; fried buffalo fish, pickled or barbecued pig's feet; fried cabbage with wings; bean pie; neck bones; spiced tongue; chittlin's; tripe; gumbo; oxtail stew, pucker-up lemon cake; breaded pork chops with a ‘mess’ of greens; real potato salad, black-eyed peas and grits. A southern dish, grits are eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner; plain, with butter, gravy, cheese or deep-fried. And, thank God southerners brought fried chicken and waffles to the northeast.

For centuries, soul food was cooked and seasoned with pork. We now know a steady diet of trans fats can contribute to obesity, hypertension, cardiac/circulatory problems and/or diabetes. It’s a fact that African-Americans sometimes have a shortened lifespan because of this, and new methods of cooking soul food use more healthy ways for frying (vegetable/canola oil instead of lard) and using smoked turkey instead of pork.

Brought by cooks in railroad galleys and the great migration to the North, these meals are enjoyed by most everyone, regardless of background. It’s no longer just a black thing, it’s comfort food. Remember this, if your family’s favorite comfort food is lasagna, it’s soul food. If corned beef and cabbage puts you in a trance, it’s soul food. If your grandmother taught you her grandmother’s special cherry pie recipe, and it gives you joy, then it’s soul food. If it’s part of your heritage, makes you feel good all over, and is cooked with love and tradition, it’s soul food.

Updated Hoecakes
1 C self-rising flour
1 C self-rising cornmeal
2 Eggs
1 TBSP sugar
3/4 C buttermilk
1/3 C plus 1 tablespoon water
1/4 C bacon grease or oil
Oil or butter for frying
Mix ingredients well except for oil. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Drop mixture by tablespoonfuls into hot skillet; approx. 2 tablespoons batter per hoecake. Brown until crisp; turn and brown on other side. Drain on paper towels. Leftover batter will keep in fridge up to 2 days. Makes 17 cakes

An Accidental Passion

It takes courage to grow a cottage garden. Contrary to its appearance, it takes patience and planning. These free-form beauties are natural and comforting, taking you back to childhood.

I am an accidental cottage gardener. Several years ago, when economic reality set in and I knew I would not be taking a vacation anytime soon, I decided to have a "small" getaway in our backyard - the one that looked like a golf course - just grass. I discussed this with my family, who never really responded, and in seven days, I created a little plot of loveliness. With the help of a neighbor, a small fence went up on three sides, and contained my little paradise. In this area were seven daylilies, a bellflower, one blackeyed susan and butterfly bush, two obedient plants (mine are), and one Laura phlox. At the end of the summer, my mother bought me three dying plants that were about to be discarded from a big-box-store; a red twig dogwood, peegee hydrangea and a rose of sharon. These were all about three to six inches tall; no leaves and no signs of life. The dogwood is now about eight feet tall; and just as wide; the rose of sharon is a proud six feet, and my hydrangea is close to four feet tall. Over the past five years my tiny plot has mushroomed; the fence falls on a regular basis;there are over 25 daylilies, four rose of sharon bushes, numerous heirloom roses, tons of lilies, wildflowers, masses of perennials and three small trees; all lush and obscene, as my "Mum Harriett" would say.

I have two grandmothers to thank for my passion for (non-conforming) gardening. Nana had a rose garden in Queens that could bring the White House Rose Garden to its knees. I'm talking about big, blousy hybrid tea roses, musk roses, huge ramblers and rugosa under our windows (to keep burglars out) and a monstrous grape arbor coveted by the entireneighborhood. All blooming non-stop from Easter Sunday until late October it was fabulous. The prize-winning hybrid teas that she and an my godfather scouted in catalogs and nurseries along the Eastern Seabord, were the stars. It was also not beneath her to have my grandfather stop the car on a lonely Long Island back road where a wild rugosa rose was growing; harvest the seeds from the hips; and grow a rose bush.

To my amazement, I too have mastered this little skill. Rose hips also make awesome tea. I don't know how many starts and seedlings made their way to our backyard wrapped in a linen hanky in her purse.

In this rose garden, strange cohabitations took place. Tomatoes, okra, peppers, spearmint, squash and beans were planted in between stately Queen Elizabeth, Tropicana and Peace roses. You had to know how to walk through this botanical maze, smell the roses, smell the mint, Concord grapes and the heady tomatoes all at the same time. This wasmy introduction to the cottage garden.

"... It is the image of the quaint English thatched cottage with a riot of colorful flowers just outside the front door that is mostoften associated with the term Cottage Gardening ... A small spot of land near the house or cottage was often the only land available. Fresh fruits and vegetables were often miles and miles away. Thus, these little postage stamp gardens were originally planted with fruit trees, and vegetables ... Sometimes the lowly herb was included, almost as an afterthought. These herbs were often more of a medical necessity than the seasoning to make a grand meal." Mountain Valley Growers.

A cottage garden is a mix of beauty and utility. They started out as a practical solution to limited space and money. In France, they were called un jardin potager; in pioneer America, kitchen gardens; during World War II, we knew them as Victory Gardens. Over time, as we gained more access to fresh produce and modern medicine, gardens included more and more flowers, both wild and cultivated. Today, most people think of a cottage garden as bounteous amounts of flowers billowingaround the garden gate and tumbling over an arbor. Years ago, space was at a premium, and with newer homes built on smaller lots, the same holds true. So, I, like millions of others, grow flowers and herbs close together attracting wildlife.

Speaking of wildlife, our Red Heeler, Maggie, had a strong affinity to pinks. She loved dianthus and would sniff them and sleep in the sun among them for hours. She died suddenly three years ago, and two days later, so did my pinks. They've never grown back. Now, our Blue Heeler, Rudy, has a strong affinity to peeing on the new pinks and stealing tomatoes, peppers and little watermelon (grown in pots and a kiddie pool to protect them from "wildlife.") I don't know the colorsof my clematis or lupine, because the rabbits have their way with them first. We do get visits from hundreds of goldfinch, bluejays, cardinals, chickadees and titmous. From my grandmother, Harriett, I've learned to identify these beautiful birds, and what flowers attract them. From her, I also learned a thing or two about edible flowers, such as nasturtium, beautiful orange and red flowers that taste peppery in salads. Just ask Rudy!

My favorites are hollyhock, English lavender, catmint, feverfew, veronic, phlox, and of course my roses, night blooming tobacco (nicotiana) and, ah, datura. Lilies rule and morning glories are welcomed; a bold little beauty few gardeners dare allow past their gates. These flowers have no real purpose but to delight me with eye candy. Neighborhood children walk by the 15 foot Russian sunflowers that hang out at the end of the summer, and yes, I still give out free sunflower seeds to anyone who asks, nicely.

About *&^#%* weeds. Do you allow certain weeds in your garden? I do. After years of fighting a losing battle against creeping Charlie, I've learned to accept and live with it; and so have the roses and hardy hibiscus. It runs amuck, and it really doesn't hurt anything. There's a huge burdock named "Thing" growing under a patio peach tree. Thing is about four feet wide, two feet tall - bigger than my so-called giant hosta, and currently shading and smothering several of my Sumatra lilies, and will be pruned soon. His bottom leaves are about two to three feet long. I grow silver beacon (dead nettle), but don'treally like the wild nettle, and there's clover, garlic and chives.

Surprisingly, I love ragweed at the end of the summer mixed in with my scarlet roses -- and no, it's a myth, it does not bother my allergies - it does not give off a pollen. My brutal battle with thistle is never-ending, but, you guessed it, I never use pesticides or chemicals.

My methods are totally unorthodox, and I scatter sow so many seeds that I'm afraid to pull up unidentifed things; and sometimes it's too late to know if it's a weed or not. Queen Anne's lace recently moved in from the corn field behind us, and a beautiful visitor two years ago -- a wild verbascum in shades of cream and fuscia; over seven feet tall!

I also have Chinese foxglove, honeysuckle and Dame's Rocket, which is a biennial, but it comes back every year as it re-seeds. It's supposed to be spring blooming, but I've had it stay as late as July. It's my favorite thing in the garden.
My neighbors are in a state of shock from April til November. This is not your typical manicured lawn with a few geranniums huddled against the house. It's wild, earthy and appears out of control. That's because I grow them as nature intended. What survives, survives; what perishes, perishes. I don't recall God thinning out seedlings on the side of the road when a wild crop of ditch lilies pop up. So, what about the golf course out back? Well, most of it's still there. I hate grass and lawns, preferring groundcover any day. But groundcovers seem to look and perform best in shade, which I don't have yet, and may not live long enough to sit under the shade of the little seedlings acquired from the Department of Natural Resources. Cottage gardening is not for everyone, but for now, I'm content to vacation in my little Jungle of Eden.