Just Keep Getting Gifts!

Now you can see this arrangement has several different sides in a terracotta watering can.  Lots of beautiful fragrant flowers.  I will show it to you when I can.  My friend, Paula, gave it to me for picking up Jekka at the airport!  I'm thinking of starting an herbal car service!  Well, maybe not.  Weather still warm and sticky.  Front may be through the area just in time for Jekka's arrival later on.  Hope you are all having a wonderful day.  Talk to you later.

A Great Way to Kick Off A Conference!

There were Printed Invitations!

It Was Quite The Menu Based on Jekka's Herb Cookbook!

The Buffet Table

My Dinner Plate

A Massive Purple Sage or Maybe More than One!

Wooly Thyme Between the Stepping Stones

The Quilt That Will be Raffled Off At the Conference!

I feel fortunate that I was invited to tonight's dinner.  Most of these ladies that were there have been working very hard for awhile now to get ready for the next several days and the national conference that will showcase Pittsburgh and the surrounding area.  Like some of them said it will be gone in a flash!  It was a very well conceived and executed supper!  It was delicious.  They used recipes from Jekka's Herb Cookbook.  I will definitely be making some of the recipes.  The last two photos are of my friend, Paula's garden or should I say herb plants that make me envious!  That purple sage is a real specimen plant or maybe plants.  I'm jealous for sure.  The wooly thyme between the stepping stones is a perfect use.  I would love a path through my garden like that. The very last photo is of the quilt that was worked on my members of the Western Pennsylvania Unit and will be raffled off at the Conference!  A beautiful job.  The members used the Elizabethan Garden which is one of the Units pet projects as their template and printed the fabric using herbs.  May have to buy some tickets for that beauty!    It was a great evening, Paula!  Thanks for including me in the celebration.  Now the countdown starts until Jekka arrives tomorrow night.  I'll fill you in tomorrow.

It All Started With This Photo!

I sent this photo into the photo contest for Renee's Garden Seeds.  They are a favorite seed company of mine.  This wasn't quite the photo they wanted, but I thought I would give them a laugh for the day!  Lookie what I got in the mail over the weekend.  I'm not sure that I won, but free seeds at any point makes it feel like I won!

The June e-newsletter will have the winners!  Since my photo wasn't of your kitty eating their cat treat seeds, I sorta think I got a consolation prize, but it was free!  I was correct.  Kitty was only hoping for Cat Treat seeds and thinking about them while sitting in the bush!  Very muggy outside!  It finally rained overnight and some people got flooded!  Can't win!  Hope you are having a great day.  Talk to you later!

An Homage to Jekka!

Did I mention Jekka's coming this week to Pittsburgh?  Oh, yes, I think I did!  Patricia Lowry did a wonderful article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Thursday about Jekka.  I think she will be pleased.  Here is a link to the article called Jekka's Herb Cookbook.  I cooked the two recipes for dinner this evening.  They were both hits with The Herbal Husband and me.

The Herbal Husband Found the Biggest Purslane in His Garden!

Purslane and Spinach Salad

Oregano and Lemon Pan-Fried Chicken with Mashed Potatoes

It is a long article about Jekka and the recipes are included.  We added some arugula to the salad for some kick because we didn't have a whole lot of purslane.  What we did have, we enjoyed.  I think you will enjoy both recipes of them.  Jekka's Herb Cookbook is available at all of the big bookstores and at Amazon.com with beautiful photos by Hannah McVicar, her daughter.  I have a busy week with the Herb Society in town.  I'll try to blog about my adventures.  Hot and humid here.  No Rain!  We need it badly!  Hope you had a great day wherever you may be.  Talk to you later.

Sometimes It's About Friends-Our Trip to Vancouver!

The Lengths Some People Go to Keep Squirrels Off the Feeder!

Pete's Herb Garden

A Bay Tree in the Neighborhood

Loved the Name of This Company--Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap!

Really, an Elephant in the Front Yard!

The Skyline of Vancouver

Granville Island

Walked Miles for This Lunch, Pasta Carbonara!

Tiramisu!  Had to Help the Herbal Husband!

Pete Playing Some Jazz for Us!

  

We didn't spend all of our time with the nephew and his family on this trip.  The Herbal Husband had a Peruvian high school friend who he hadn't seen in 50 years.  So we met him at his apartment and then walked to lunch!  It was Victoria Day so it was a national holiday for many people and businesses.  Unfortunately the Peruvian restaurant where he wanted to go was closed because of Victoria Day.  So we ended up at an Italian restaurant very close by.  Fortunately it was open and it had very good food. Very nice day outside.  Getting those sticks and strings back out.  The Chinese Chestnut is blooming and the smell drove me inside to do this post!  Hope you had a great day wherever in the world you may be.  Talk to you later.

St. Fiasco (I mean Fiacre) Obscured!

Poor St. Fiasco (I mean Fiacre).  I'm constantly moving the poor statute to a better place.  I thought I had it, but in the back of my mind in early spring, I thought bad place for the feverfew!  I was right again!  The feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium or Chrysanthemum parthenium) is beautiful though.  This is a double blooming white variety.  I do like the single flowered feverfew that looks like a daisy!  I did take feverfew capsules for headaches when I was younger.  It did seem to help.  I might have had cluster headaches.  Migraines can be very debilitating.  Some people use feverfew for that as well.  Nothing to fool around with.  Please do your research and do not totally rely on my words as gospel!

Will get back to some photos of our trip from the Northwest over the weekend.  Big week next week!  The national Herb Society of America conference will start!  Jekka arrives in town!  And guess who has been asked to pick her up at the airport!  Little old ME!  Very excited.  Hope you have a good day wherever you may be.  Talk to you later.

An Accent Herb and A Recipe to Use It!

Our bronze fennel (Foeniculum vulgare 'bronze')  is looking pretty good this year.  It does like full sun and it is hardy to Zone 5 easily.  This fennel doesn't create a bulb, but you can use the feathery leaves and seeds just as you would the regular fennel.  I love it because it adds a foliage accent to your herb or perennial garden.  It has a nice licorice or anise flavor.  I use it when I bake fish in the oven for myself.  I place a nice piece of whitefish like tilapia, flounder or cod in a baking dish.  Add the fennel with some fresh bread crumbs on top, add a couple of tablespoons of white wine or stock.  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 12 minutes.  Melt a tablespoon of butter and add some garlic powder to it.  Take fish out, pour butter/garlic mixture on top.  Place back in the oven for additional minute.  Yummy!

You just want to make sure that once the bronze fennel starts producing flower stalks that you let some of it come to seed, but most of it you want to cut.  You will have an abundance of bronze fennel in your garden if you don't.  They are buggers to remove!  It like dill and regular fennel has a long taproot, so pick a spot where you want it to grow and do not try to move it.  It will resent the move!  I forgot to mention that bronze fennel like the green version regular fennel and dill are larval food for swallowtail butterflies.  Always a good thing.  I hope you are having a great day and evening wherever you may be.  Talk to you later.

Usually Don't Show This Angle of the Garden!

This is our veggie/all purpose (a nice word for mixed up) garden.  Our garlic is looking good and the potatoes have started to bloom.  We are going to have grapes this year unlike last year.  I just got through mowing.  Slowly I'm trying to get rid of the grass.:)  Some would call the back of our property "historic" because it has so many dandelions!  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!  Hope you had a great day wherever you may be.  Going to be wet the next two days.  My lavender is in need of cutting and it may not get done with the rain!  Oh, well, the bees will still benefit!  Talk to you later.

Well, It's More Like Jelly!

Is This Enough Roses for the Recipe?  I Needed Four Cups of Petals.

This is the Tedious Part.  Cutting That Little White Part Off.

Four Cups of Petals All Ready to Go!

With Some to Spare for Potpourri!

At the Beginning of the Cooking Process

The Stage Where You Can Take Out the Rose Pulp or Leave Some in!

At this stage, the petals looked liked used tissues.  I didn't like the effect and so I took all of the petals out just pressing all of the juice out.  It wasn't difficult.  Here is the finished product.

All Natural Color, No Food Coloring Used!

I really love the clarity of jelly.  I just think it is so beautiful.  I'm happy with how it turned out.  Now if it sets.  I should know in the morning.  Here is the recipe in its original state from The Herb Companion magazine.

ROSE PETAL JAM (JELLY)

Makes about 4 pints

• 6 cups water
• Juice of one lemon
• 4 cups fragrant red rose petals, washed, with white heels removed
• 1 Tablespoon of rose water  (My roses were not highly fragrant)
• 1 packet powdered pectin
• 6 cups sugar

1. Heat the water and lemon juice in a saucepan, add the rose petals, and simmer for 10 minutes. With a wooden spoon, squeeze most of the petal pulp against the edge of the pan to release the juice. Leave a small amount of pulp in the pan for texture.

2. Return the liquid to a simmer and sprinkle in the pectin. Stir until dissolved. Add the sugar.

3. Increase the heat and boil vigorously for 7 minutes, stirring constantly.

4. Immediately place the jam in hot sterilized jars and seal.

As you can see from the photos, I didn't have red roses and it gave this wonderful color despite that fact.  So I hope you make the recipe and try whatever pleases you.  I will probably not be making the rose jam muffins either!  I'll let you know in tomorrow's post if the jelly has set.  It was a cool day here.  Hope you are having a great day.  The folks in New Zealand are again having problems.  My thoughts and prayers are with you all.  Talk to you later.