Better Homes and Gardens

Online Exhibit: What’s in your Backyard?

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The Sunflowers have lost their petals, but will provide seed for the birds during cold weather

The Sunflowers have lost their petals, but will provide seed for the birds during cold weather

The Peppers had just begun

The Peppers had just begun

As the season comes to an end it’s nice to take one last look at Summer’s Glory right in your own backyard……..

A good day's bounty

A good day’s bounty

Corn growing amid the flowers

Corn growing amid the flowers

A glimpse of the Adirondack Chair Refuge!

A glimpse of the Adirondack Chair Refuge!

 

 

 

The green and yellow of the Herb Garden

The green and yellow of the Herb Garden

Morning with a cup of Tea is the best time to garden!

Morning with a cup of Tea is the best time to garden!

This........

This……..

Turned into this. Potpourri!

Turned into this. Potpourri!

Spirit Tree lives among the Lillies

Spirit Tree lives among the Lillies

Real frog sits on a fake lily pad in the pond!

Real frog sits on a fake lily pad in the pond!

A peek into a Secret Garden

A peek into a Secret Garden

I can only imagine what next year will bring

I can only imagine what next year will bring

 

 

 

 

Gallery

Online Art Exhibit: Edible Landscaped Splendor

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As late autumn sets in and my flowers dwindle in the garden, it makes me want to take one last look at this past season when edibles and blooms collided. Please enjoy:

Jen Blen Begins

Jen Blen Begins


A Sensory Haven

A Sensory Haven


A Garden Friend

A Garden Friend


Peppers, Nasturtium and Kale Dance among the Flowers

Peppers, Nasturtium and Kale Dance among the Flowers


Chives and Chard and Other Things

Chives and Chard and Other Things


The Hedgehog scurries among the Mint

The Hedgehog scurries among the Mint


Eggplant and Cucumbers mingle with the flowers

Eggplant and Cucumbers mingle with the flowers


My Koi hidden in the reflection

My Koi hidden in the reflection


The first Foodie Buddy

The first Foodie Buddy

Late Summer Harvest poses for one last picture

Late Summer Harvest poses for one last picture

DIY with Edibles

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I’ve waited all summer season to write this post for here is where I’ll just scrape the surface of where Edible Gardening can take you in the creative realm. Better yet, everything I’ll share this evening is do-able without growing anything yourself…it’s up to the foodie in you! First up: Nasturtium Infused Vodka

Beautiful Nasturtium getting ready to be submerged in Vodka

Beautiful Nasturtium getting ready to be submerged in Vodka


Nasturtium soaking in Vodka

Nasturtium soaking in Vodka


This is so very easy. I scoured the Internet, but ended up using a hint from the “Cooking with Flowers” by Miche Bacher cookbook my lovely daughter gave me for my birthday. I simply added the Nasturtium flowers and a few leaves to 2 cups of Vodka ( in this case Penn 1681..I really like it …distilled in PA). For me, infusing one week in the refrigerator provided the flavor I was looking for. Nasturtium flowers and leaves are totally edible and possess a spicy peppery flavor reminiscent of radishes. In a Dirty Martini, the infused vodka was a complete and utter success. I’ve also made Chai infused Sweet Vermouth (my husband is a Manhattan drinker)in the past. That’s simple as well, 2 ounces of loose leaf Chai seeping in the contents of a small bottle of vermouth for an hour and a half, strain back into the bottle…done! The Internet is filled with all kinds of Infused Alcohol recipes with most being super simple.
Tomatillos grow in my garden

Tomatillos grow in my garden

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa

Roasted Tomatillo Salsa


I have to take this opportunity to brag about my Tomatillo plant. This is the first season I grew the green globes with a paper-like husk but it definitely won’t be my last. In fact, it might’ve been my most prolific edible with 20 of so already harvested and another 15 still coming. I’m also a novice cooking with Tomatillos so the picture you see above was my own made up concoction that turned out pretty darn good if I do say so myself.
Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Chopped Tomatillos to taste
Chopped assorted Peppers to taste
Chopped tomato- only one medium (turns out too watery otherwise)
Chopped onion to taste
At least 4 unpeeled garlic cloves
Chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro and chive

Place on a foil lined baking sheet
Drizzle with Olive Oil ( I used Cilantro flavored Cottonseed Oil that came in my Hatchery Box https://hatchery.co/tasting-box/)
Sprinkle w/S and P and roast at 375 for 40 minutes or until you are happy with the results.

Use with absolutely anything you’d like

Compound Butter made with fresh herbs

Compound Butter made with fresh herbs


Last but not least, please try making compound butter with fresh herbs! So easy and so delicious! Just chose your herbs and add to softened butter.

Pizza with a Princess

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Recipe for Smoked Chicken Pizza as it appears in Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publication: 30-Minute Dinners

Recipe for Smoked Chicken Pizza as it appears in Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Publication: 30-Minute Dinners


Ingredients gathered to adapt the Smoked Chicken Recipe

Ingredients gathered to adapt the Smoked Chicken Recipe

Dear readers this post will be my first ever to not only promote a recipe and a food product or two, but to introduce a fabulous cooking piece that has me giddy! Any gal my age may remember the “Princess House” parties our moms or grandmas had bringing friends and family together to purchase crystal glasses and vases that were only used once a year or more often given as wedding gifts. The Princess House Company has endured, but let me tell you, fancy crystal is only a sliver of the type of products they now peddle. Still only available through home parties or direct order from your consultant, Princess House offers fabulous cookware that fits my “Foodie without Big Bucks” lifestyle perfectly.http://princesshouse.com
A few nights ago I adapted the above recipe to fit my need-for-speed, taste and most importantly my desire to use my “Ultimate Grill, Bake and Serve Stone” recently purchased from my dear friend and personal PH Consultant (thanks C!). This stone is as versatile as it gets….grill (gas or charcoal), bake, broil, chill or freeze…..it does it all. This night, after getting my ingredients together, every step of preparation was done on the stone atop my gas grill as shown in the pics below:


Besides using the grill, changes to the recipe for me included use of a deli-roasted chicken, one large whole wheat pizza crust and probably more like a 1 1/2 cups of smoked mozzarella. The smokiness of the cheese is what gave this pizza a rich and unique flavor. I substituted iceberg lettuce and my own tomatoes for the arugula because my guy likes the crunch of a fresh iceberg (no matter that it’s nutritional value is nil) and besides my edible landscaping is paying off in tomatoes and other veggies currently. As one might guess if you’ve read my previous post, I drizzled Gazebo Room Salad Dressing on the whole darn thing in lieu of plain old EVOO……yum.http://gazeboroom.com

Finished Product

Finished Product

Easy Peasy

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This is my adaptation of the recipe found Better Homes and Garden Special Interest Publication This is my adaptation of the recipe found Better Homes and Garden Special Interest Publication “30-Minute Dinners”

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In an earlier post I mentioned that I just can’t follow a recipe precisely. That was still the case with this one although I was close, very close. I’m also pleased to note that this recipe actually only took 30 minutes to prepare just as the publication advertised and was oh so delicious!
I used salmon and cod (next time I’ll go with salmon and scallops only because the cod was so flaky). The recipe didn’t say to, but I cooked my fennel until it started to brown and sort of caramelize. The biggest change I made was I used canned diced tomatoes…even easier and better tasting at this particular time of year (I chose a garlic, basil and oregano seasoned variety). I used chicken stock instead of broth and I did not, I repeat I did NOT put any of those nasty anise seeds in my dish! I’m sure you can tell this meal was low in calories and fat.
Unfortunately this particular BH&G Special Publication magazine isn’t being displayed any longer in stores, but it may be available on the website. It’s a good one. I’ve made several recipes from the mag already and have a few more I want to try.